Apple Faces AI Scrutiny as Bixby Reborn

Canadian carrier flanker brands Fido, Virgin Plus and Koodo have reverted to regular pricing after Boxing Week, with updated bring-your-own-device plans showing modest changes in data and monthly costs for January 2025.

Apple reported that Tim Cook earned about $74.3m in 2025, with most of his compensation coming from stock awards and performance-based bonuses.

Tesla has introduced a lower-priced rear-wheel-drive Model Y in Canada starting around C$49,990, offering a cheaper entry point than the all-wheel-drive version and including features not available on the comparable US model.

A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that Apple’s changes to Apple Watch heart-rate technology were lawful product improvements, rejecting antitrust claims by AliveCor. The court said Apple had no duty to share proprietary data or maintain older technologies for competitors.

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Lujan, and Edward Markey have urged Apple and Google to remove X and Grok from their app stores, citing concerns over the generation of nonconsensual sexualized images. The senators argue that the apps violate app store policies and should be delisted until safeguards are strengthened.

Netflix, Disney and Amazon have filed a legal challenge against Canada’s broadcasting regulator, arguing that new CRTC rules requiring disclosure of certain financial information are unlawful.

Screenshots from Samsung’s One UI 8.5 suggest a major revamp of Bixby, adding AI features such as screen sharing, visual queries and conversational assistance similar to Google’s Gemini tools. The assistant appears to be powered by Perplexity AI for complex queries, signaling a possible shift away from Google’s AI ahead of an expected Galaxy S26 announcement.

MacStories’ shows recap recent episodes covering tech predictions for 2026, debates over streaming payouts, browser choices, desk setups, and a new game show. Federico Viticci and John Voorhees also share holiday unwind picks, a CES 2026 roundup, and media recommendations, while Matt, Niléane, and Chris lead challenges and listener discussions.

Apple is reminding users to upgrade to the new Apple Home architecture before February 10, 2026, when support for the old version ends. Users who do not update may lose access to Home features, accessories, security fixes, and performance improvements, while the upgrade enables new capabilities such as guest access and activity history.

Adoption of iOS 26 has been slower than recent releases, with most iPhone users remaining on older versions as they weigh the new design and features.

Apple has released a tutorial explaining how Live Listen with AirPods can amplify conversations in noisy environments or from across a room.

A new Apple video demonstrates how users can customize iPhone camera controls, including which options appear and how they are arranged.