Canada is set to ban social media for children under 16, in a move similar to Australia's historic law. "We have seen the very serious consequences that online harms can have. As technologies evolve, we must ensure our laws keep pace, because parents cannot face these challenges alone," reads a statement by Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, who introduced the bill.
https://mashable.com/tech/canada-social-media-ban-children-under-16
Bluesky has created another app, Attie, that uses AI to build custom feeds. Attie already has a Bluesky account, naturally, where it posted on Saturday that it's currently in an invite-only closed beta. "You can use it to build your own feeds, create software that works the way you want it to, and find signal in the noise."
https://mashable.com/article/bluesky-announces-attie-ai-app-for-custom-feeds
Not a fan of AI? Tired of every app and device adding some sort of AI functionality? Then Firefox has some good news for you. The popular web browser, which is run by the non-profit-owned tech company Mozilla, has just rolled out a new update that comes with an AI killswitch.
https://mashable.com/article/mozilla-firefox-adds-ai-killswitch
If you want a glimpse at how far AI video generation has come since 2023, look no further than the "Will Smith eating spaghetti" test, which has basically become the Hello World of generative AI.
https://mashable.com/article/ai-will-smith-eating-spaghetti-in-2026
Apple is rumored to be removing the Dynamic Island cutout, replacing it with an under-display camera. In other words, Apple might be going with a clean, all-screen look for its display.
https://mashable.com/article/apple-kills-dymanic-island-under-display-camera?test_uuid=04wb5avZVbBe1OWK6996faM&test_variant=a
Google Meet has a new AI-powered makeup filter that lets you apply lipstick without opening a real tube. Launched on Oct. 13, the tool is an expansion of the video call platform's "Touch Up" feature added in 2023. Google Meet's new feature allows users to add basic makeup filters that mimic foundation, blush, lipstick, mascara, and eyeshadow.
https://mashable.com/article/google-meet-ai-makeup-tool
The thousands of recently terminated Microsoft employees, navigating one of the company's largest layoffs in years amid a period of industry upheaval, already have a tool to cope with the emotional burden, according to one Xbox exec: Microsoft Copilot.
https://mashable.com/article/microsoft-xbox-recommend-ai-for-layoff-aftermath