Tech News – Page 3 – by Arlin Schaffel

Instagram Prepares to Take on YouTube With 90-Minute Horizontal Videos

This is Instagram’s second major attempt at long-form videos after IGTV, which launched in 2018 but was phased out in 2022 after failing to gain traction. The latest attempt, called Features, is designed to help users discover and watch long-form videos, including comedy specials and podcasts, directly on the platform. “We’re also seeing so many creators producing longer videos, and they’re using clips of those videos to drive discovery on Reels and help build their audience,” Instagram’s VP of product, Tessa Lyons, said in an announcement video alongside company head Adam Mosseri.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/instagram-prepares-to-take-on-youtube-with-90-minute-horizontal-videos

Web Browser Arc Is Shutting Down Later This Year, Asks You to Switch to Dia

Alternative web browser Arc is reaching the end of its life, and you’ve got a little under two months to make the most of it. The developers plan to shut down the browser on Dec. 22, 2026, around 3.5 years after launch. “Our priority is to deliver best-in-class security for our members," Miller says. "Keeping a browser secure takes constant, dedicated work that is only increasing in the age of AI. Dia, our new browser, was built from the ground up to meet today’s security standards, so that’s where our engineering and security teams will focus moving forward.”
https://www.pcmag.com/news/web-browser-arc-is-shutting-down-later-this-year-asks-you-to-switch-to

PHP Armageddon: OpenAI, Google’s Wiz find ancient holes, panicking the internet

The U.S. National Security Agency’s sent out an alarming warning on Wednesday that two critical holes had been found in PHP, with patches already issued by the PHP Foundation. PHP is a server-side programming language so widely used for web applications that it powers roughly 70% of the websites on the internet; by some accounts, that’s more than 33 million sites. It is also used by popular content management systems like WordPress.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/21/php-armageddon-openai-googles-wiz-find-ancient-holes-panicking-the-internet/

AI game clones are making indie developers afraid to show their work

Since its earliest days, the video game industry has been built on developers creating clones of competing games, with varying levels of originality and varying levels of enforcement from game platforms. Now, though, AI coding tools are making that cloning process so efficient that many developers are getting extremely cautious about sharing their early work too widely.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/10/ai-game-clones-are-making-indie-developers-afraid-to-show-their-work/

Study finds AI chatbots recommend pricier options to wealthier shoppers

Researchers at Cisco Foundation AI and Carnegie Mellon University published a study finding that popular AI chatbots, including Claude and ChatGPT, recommend more expensive products to users whose personal data suggests higher wealth — even when those users ask for the cheapest available option. The authors termed the phenomenon "adversarial delegation," describing a situation where the same personal data access that makes AI agents useful enables them to act against users' stated interests.
https://qz.com/ai-chatbots-claude-chatgpt-wealth-pricing-study-100726

Ikea throws shade at Tesla with “safe and affordable” flying car

Ikea's marketing departments already have a reputation for ingenious quick thinking. We recently saw it jump on 2026's Wicker trend faster than you can say "Alexander Skarsgård". But Ikea Taiwan's response to the Tesla Roadster concept's flying abilities is as impressive as the car's own 0.9-second 0-60mph record. Its answer for a Tesla Roadster Rocket Edition setup suitable for any home is to combine a 4-piece $12.99 Ikea Lillabo toy car set with a Brokglim bath towel. "Real life, baby," it says in the Instagram post above, echoing Tesla's caption in its own post below, before adding "Safe, affordable."
https://www.creativebloq.com/news/ikea-throws-shade-at-tesla-with-safe-and-affordable-flying-car

Meta Admits Its Smart Glasses Briefly Recorded Audio Without a Wake Phrase

Security concerns surrounding Meta’s smart glasses just keep piling up. After complaints about nonconsensual video recording, the glasses have now been found to record user audio without consent. “This issue has been resolved. People can manage, review and delete voice logs of their interactions with Meta AI via settings at any time,” a Meta spokesperson said.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/meta-admits-its-smart-glasses-briefly-recorded-audio-without-a-wake-phrase