Apple suspends AI generated news alerts, Nintendo Switch 2 announced

Apple has suspended a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that drew criticism and complaints for making repeated mistakes in its summaries of news headlines. The tech giant had been facing mounting pressure to withdraw the service, which sent notifications that appeared to come from within news organisations’ apps. “We are working on improvements and will make them available in a future software update,” an Apple spokesperson said. The BBC was among the groups to complain, after an alert generated by Apple’s AI falsely told some readers that Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself. BBC 

SpaceX’s gigantic Starship rocket has been “lost” just minutes into its seventh test flight. The 400ft rocket – the biggest and most powerful in the world – soared from Boca Chica, south Texas, on Thursday around 4.40pm local time (10.40pm in the UK). Just minutes after the rocket launched, its booster made its planned return to the ground and after momentarily hovering over the launchpad, it was spectacularly caught between two giant mechanical arms. However, as crowds cheered the booster’s return, the company said it had lost contact with Starship as the engines went out. Sky News 

Nintendo has announced its long-awaited successor to the 150m-selling Switch console, called the Nintendo Switch 2. It will be out later in 2025. The first Nintendo Switch debuted on 3 March 2017, and pioneered the hybrid console: it can be played both on the move, with its snap-on controllers, and at home, connected to a TV. The Switch 2 follows the same model, with a larger screen and bigger, redesigned controllers that attach magnetically to its sides. The controllers can be used like a mouse, or held in the hands like a traditional joypad, and also have motion-control functionality. In a short trailer, a new version of Mario Kart was shown running on the console. Guardian 

 

If TikTok disappears from the US, it won’t just be its 170 million American users who will lose out. British TikTokers and business owners have told the Guardian they will also lose a sizeable chunk of their audiences after a ban. The video app has become a key gateway to Americans for the UK’s online video creators, who make a living from accruing views and making sponsored content deals. With the ban scheduled to go into effect on Sunday, a US-sized hole will appear in the global userbase. “In English-speaking markets, a lot of creators have sizeable US audiences that follow them,” says Thomas Walters, chief executive of Billion Dollar Boy, a UK-based advertising agency. The Guardian 

Samsung is launching its Galaxy S25 series next week on January 22 and Brazilian publication Technoblog shared some official-looking press materials that detail key specs and AI features coming to the new phones. Galaxy S25+ (and we presume S25) will offer a 50MP main cam with 2x in-sensor zoom, a 10MP 3x telephoto cam and a 12MP ultrawide lens. Both will also feature 12MP selfie cameras. Galaxy S25+ will get the same 4,900 mAh battery capacity as its predecessor which Samsung is advertising to last up to 30 hours for video playback.

Galaxy S25 Ultra is getting the same camera setup as its predecessor – a 200MP main cam with 2x in-sensor zoom, a 50MP periscope with 5x optical zoom, a 10MP “short” telephoto with 3x optical zoom. The only upgrade is the new 50MP ultrawide lens, which replaces the dated 12MP sensor used in the previous Ultras. GSM Arena