internet – Tech News

Automattic debuts a platform to deploy vibe coding apps amid a changing internet

WordPress has been a crucial technology and content management system for websites like TechCrunch. Now, WordPress.com owner Automattic is responding to the changing state of the web by debuting a new service called Spacefast, which will allow users to deploy vibe-coded websites and apps. Spacefast is designed to provide infrastructure for the vibe-coded apps, including databases, authentication, file uploads, emails, and analytics, to make them functional websites, apps, or services. The product competes with the likes of Lovable and Emergent, which offer both interface and rails for vibe-coded apps, but in a more open way.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/09/automattic-debuts-a-platform-to-deploy-vibe-coding-apps-amid-a-changing-internet/

‘Not Sustainable.’ Starlink Users Compare Dynamic Pricing to Being Held Hostage

Starlink’s test of dynamic pricing, which will enable the satellite internet service to raise and lower prices based on demand, has drawn comparisons to Uber. But to Loran Hatfield, the new policy is simply a “dogshit idea" that leaves users at the mercy of SpaceX. “Dynamic pricing does sound better than calling it hostage negotiations,” he told PCMag. Hatfield, a truck driver, is among the Starlink subscribers who will now have to pay up to 20% more after SpaceX introduced dynamic pricing for its Residential plans, a change that has been appearing mainly in Missouri and Kansas in the US market.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/not-sustainable-starlink-users-compare-dynamic-pricing-to-being-held-hostage

Reddit is getting a For You feed

Reddit is switching up its homepage feeds. The company announced today that it’s going to start offering a “new feed experience” that includes both a Following feed to show you posts from subreddits you follow and a For You feed that includes posts from your subreddits and “recommendations related to your interests.” You may already have the new feeds — I actually noticed them on my account yesterday. It’s a big shift for the platform, but not an entirely surprising one, as Reddit hasn’t been shy about wanting to switch up the homepage. Earlier this year, the company announced it would be deprecating r/all, which surfaced posts that were popular across the platform, as part of its “ongoing efforts to simplify Reddit and improve Home feed personalization.”
https://www.theverge.com/tech/1020751/reddit-for-you-following-feeds

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

OG Conversational Search Engine Ask.com Has Answered Its Last Question

Ask.com, one of the earliest attempts at conversational search engines, has shut down 30 years after its debut. “Every great search must come to an end,” reads the headline on the now-defunct website. “As IAC [parent company] continues to sharpen its focus, we have made the decision to discontinue our search business, which includes Ask.com. After 25 years of answering the world's questions, Ask.com officially closed on May 1, 2026."
https://www.pcmag.com/news/og-conversational-search-engine-askcom-jeeves-has-answered-its-last-question

‘Slop’ is the word of the year. Here’s how to avoid it

The internet has spent the year arguing about whether AI is genius, theft, or destiny. Merriam-Webster’s editors cut through it with a simpler verdict: slop. The dictionary crowned “slop” its 2025 “word of the year,” joining in on the anti-AI backlash and recognizing that the internet’s new factory setting looks a lot like synthetic filler — low-quality AI content, made in bulk, and poured straight into feeds until the human parts get buried. If your For You page has started to resemble a trough of glossy, almost-real nonsense, congrats, you’re experiencing a cultural moment — with a dictionary entry.
https://qz.com/ai-slop-word-of-the-year-miriam-webster-avoid-it

A massive Cloudflare outage brought down X, ChatGPT, and even Downdetector

The disruption, which started at around 6:20AM ET, is linked to a “configuration file that is automatically generated to manage threat traffic,” Cloudflare spokesperson Jackie Dutton tells The Verge. “The file grew beyond an expected size of entries and triggered a crash in the software system that handles traffic for a number of Cloudflare’s services.” Dutton added that “there is no evidence” of an attack or other malicious activity.
https://www.theverge.com/news/822869/cloudflare-is-down-outage-x-twitter-downdetector