A chatbot is a computer program that uses artificial intelligence to simulate human conversation. For the lonely, a chatbot can be a companion, as Meg Oliver reports in tonight’s “Eye on America.”
Verizon customers haven’t quite forgiven the company for attempting to take away loyalty discounts, even though it seems to be reinstating them. Apparently, the return of loyalty discounts isn’t enough for customers who have made up their minds to switch to another carrier, which is why the company seems to be planning a better discount campaign.Verizon is rumored to announce new loyalty discounts in late August. These discounts will be percentage-based and not fixed like the current ones. The rate will be about 10 to 25 percent and will be applied to the whole account.
Verizon is seemingly reworking how discounts are calculated and handed out.
This will be a replacement for the discounts that are set to end on September 1. The new discounts will reportedly only be for select postpaid customers.
This was reportedly the plan from the get-go, but Verizon‘s failure to communicate that properly is allegedly costing it customers.
While Verizon hasn’t officially said anything about a new version of the famed discount, this rumor has been coming up frequently, so we are inclined to believe there might be some truth to it.
The company is presumably phasing out older promotions as part of a broader strategy to improve plans and service. The company’s intention was never to take away discounts, but only to update the way they are determined and implemented.
Verizon customers may have reacted adversely to the notification about the removal of the discount due to other controversial changes announced by the company recently, including the discontinuation of perks, a hike in the activation fee, a rate increase in tablet plans, and an upward revision of other charges.
It’s also possible that the removal of discounts was very much part of Verizon‘s strategy, but the company was forced to backtrack after an alleged customer exodus. After all, Verizon has been losing customers, and it probably can’t afford to have another quarter of high churn.
Regardless, the company needs to stop sending mixed signals and clear the air before things get out of hand.
A new feature on Instagram that let’s users share their real-time physical location with others on the app has privacy experts concerned over the amount of data exposed and potential safety risks to users.
Called Instagram Map, the new feature was introduced on Thursday as part of an app update. On its blog, the company says the location-sharing tool makes it “easier for you and your friends to stay in touch through the content you’re enjoying on Instagram.”
“You can opt into sharing your last active location with friends you pick, and you can turn it off anytime,” Instagram said in a blog post announcing the new feature. “You can also open the map to see content your friends and favorite creators are posting from cool spots. No matter how you use the map, you and your friends have a new, lightweight way to connect with each other.”
“Off by default”
In a statement shared with CBS MoneyWatch Friday, Instagram’s parent company, Meta, emphasized that Instagram Maps is not automatically active upon updating the app and that users must opt-in to the location-sharing feature in order to make their whereabouts visible to others.
A new feature, called Instagram app, has some privacy experts concerned.
Instagram
“Instagram Map is off by default, and your live location is never shared unless you choose to turn it on. If you do, only people you follow back — or a private, custom list you select — can see your location,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch.
Users can also choose not to share their locations when they are in particular places, or with particular people.
Still, privacy experts say that social media users aren’t always aware of how much information they’re sharing with an app or its users, even if they have the ability to limit who sees what.
“The more these location features are rolled out on social media it carries out the assumption that as long as you give users the ability to toggle them on and off that they’ll know exactly how to do that,” Douglas Zytko, an app safety expert and associate professor at the College of Innovation & Technology at the University of Michigan-Flint, told CBS MoneyWatch. “But the average user isn’t always aware of their privacy settings and if they match their preferences.”
When the Instagram Map feature is turned on, any content a user posts with a location tagged, including a reel, post or story, will show up on the app’s map for 24 hours, according to the Instagram blog. While the feature remains on, the user’s location is updated whenever they open the app or return to it. The feature can be turned off at any time.
In an Instagram post discussing the feature, Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, explains how he himself uses the map. “Personally, I use the map to share what I’m up to with a handful of my closest friends, and I curate that list carefully,” he said.
User confusion over whether the feature is on or off
On Threads, Meta’s microblogging site, a number of Instagram account holders claimed that their locations were being pinned on friends’ maps by default.
Mosseri weighed in, saying the concerns prompted the company to re-examine how the feature works.
“We’re double-checking everything, but so far it looks mostly like people are confused and assume that, because they can see themselves on the map when they open, other people can see them too,” he said. “We’re still checking everything though to make sure nobody shares location without explicitly deciding to do so, which, by the way, requires a double consent by design (we ask you to confirm after you say you want to share).”
How to turn on Instagram Maps
In the top right corner of the app, tap on the messaging function. There you will see a circular world map icon labeled “map. If you click on the icon, you will see you’re on location pinned on a map. Friends who are sharing their locations will also appear. Click on the gear icon to choose to share your location with no one, or a custom list of friends, or all of your friends — who are followers that you also follow back on the app.
Social pressures, privacy and safety risks
Zytko, however, said it can be complicated for social media users to manage privacy settings that let them share different kinds of content with different groups of people. “This issue is called ‘context collapse,'” he said. “Your co-workers see your social media posts, and your friends and family, and there is certain content you only want some groups to see but not others, and it can be hard to manage the visibility of content.”
Robbie Torney, senior director of AI programs at Common Sense Media, which makes entertainment and technology recommendations for families, said location-sharing features can be particularly risky for younger app users.
“These features might feel fun and social, but they create unnecessary risks that teens and many adults don’t necessarily understand,” he told CBS MoneyWatch.
While parents who supervise their teens through controls built into the app can control their kids’ location-sharing settings, he still has concerns about the kinds of social pressures such features expose teens, too.
Torney said research at Common Sense Media shows that location-sharing also creates “social pressures around where teens go and who they spend time with, and kids feel obligated to share location to show they are someplace cool.”
Furthermore, when teens share their locations, “they are potentially telling strangers where they are in real time,” Torney told CBS MoneyWatch. “If you’re not selective about who you’re sharing your location with, it creates opportunities for harassment, stalking or worse.”
Megan Cerullo
Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.
Samsung is adding a handy tool to its Internet Browser that could help you keep your tabs under control. The new option, found in version 29.0.0.27 of the beta app, is called “Auto close settings.” It lets you set unused tabs to close automatically after a certain amount of time.
By default, the browser will keep every tab open. But if you turn this feature on, you can choose to close inactive tabs after seven or 30 days. There is also an option called “With smart tab management,” which uses AI to decide when a tab is no longer needed. The description says it will close tabs as soon as it detects you are not using them.
Many people are careful about managing their tabs, but for others, it is easy to forget how many are open. Having dozens or hundreds of tabs running can slow things down and make browsing less efficient. This update gives users an automated way to keep things tidy.
Other browsers have tried to address similar problems. Google Chrome offers a “Memory Saver” that reduces resource use for inactive tabs but does not close them. Apple’s Safari on iOS lets you automatically close tabs after one day, one week, or one month. Samsung’s addition of an AI-driven closure option is a unique twist, though it will need to be accurate to avoid shutting something you still need.
Samsung Internet app’s “Auto close unused tabs” with smart tab management setting. | Images credit — SammyGuru
Right now, Auto close settings is only available in the beta version of Samsung Internet. Samsung has not shared a release date for the stable version, but most features tested in beta eventually roll out more widely. If that happens, this could become a useful tool for users who do not want to manage tabs manually.
From a user perspective, the AI-powered option is both promising and risky. It could save time for people who often forget to close old tabs, but it might also close something important before you are ready. Anyone using it for work or research may want to stick with the timed closure options instead of relying on AI.
In the end, this is a small but thoughtful update that could help make Samsung Internet a bit more convenient to use. With mobile browsing often involving multiple tasks at once, features like this can help keep performance smooth and navigation easier. How well it works in practice will likely determine whether it becomes a standard part of Samsung’s browser.
There has been a data breach involving one of Google’s corporate databases, and data was obtained by the hackers. This was confirmed on August 5th by the Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG), which posted that the group responsible for the data breach had a connection to the ShinyHunters ransomware group. Google noted that the data stolen was “basic and largely publicly available business information, such as business names and contact details.”
Google’s Threat Intelligence Group reported on a data breach that ended up affecting Google itself
The MO of the ShinyHunters group makes the breach concerning. The ransomware group typically uses emails and phone calls to extort its victims, no later than three days after the targeted files have been compromised. Back in June, Google said that it “observed” the ShinyHunters group attacking multi-national companies to steal data from these firms’ Salesforce platforms. Salesforce offers cloud-based services to help companies manage their relationships with customers, also known as Customer Relations Management (CRM).
The bogus Data Loader requested an eight-digit code that connected the victim to the attacker. | Image credit-Google
GTIG said that the attacks targeted English-speaking employees working for Salesforce clients and used voice phishing to trick the employee into connecting a modified version of Salesforce’s Data Loader application. The aforementioned English-speaking employees received phone calls from someone claiming to be IT support personnel, telling the targeted employee to accept a connection to the client application known as Salesforce Data Loader.
As its name suggests, this is a key tool used by administrators and developers at Salesforce looking to import, export, update, or delete a large amount of data. Because the organizations being targeted by the attackers are Salesforce clients and use its CRM platform, the request from the bad actors to install the Data Loader doesn’t appear to be unusual. To connect the victim with the attackers, the latter persuades the victim on the phone to open the Salesforce Connect setup page and enter an 8-digit connection code. This connects the victim to the attacker.
Google itself became a victim of this attack in June when one of its Salesforce CRM installations was breached and customer data stolen. Bleeping Computer spoke with ShinyHunters this past Wednesday and was told that it breached several Salesforce instances, including one related to a trillion-dollar company. The threat actor said that it might decide to just leak the data from that company instead of using it to extort the firm. It is not known for sure whether that company is Google, even though the description fits.
Other companies being attacked are extorted through email, with the threat actor demanding that they pay a ransom in order to keep the data from getting publicly leaked.
Google has been getting hit from all sides lately
The CEO of Closed Door Security, William Wright, said, “The news that Google has suffered a data breach in the recent wave of attacks executed by ShinyHunters highlights that no organization is immune to cybercrime. It doesn’t matter if you are a small business or one of the world’s leading technology firms, all organizations are vulnerable.”
For Google, having to deal with a data breach that seeks to extort money from the search giant is just another hassle that the company has had to deal with lately. At the end of last month, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Google’s appeal thus upholding a jury verdict that called Google’s Play Store app storefront an illegal monopoly. Additionally, the company is faced with the possibility of losing its search monopoly through the U.S. courts and also through the progression of technology.
With AI becoming more accessible through free apps and websites, many are turning to ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI apps to get more detailed responses than those available from Google Search which is the leading search engine in the world with a market share approaching 90%.
President Trump called on Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan to resign on Thursday, prompting a slide in the technology company’s stock.
“The CEO of Intel is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately,” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social, without providing additional details. “There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!”
Intel did not immediately respond to CBS MoneyWatch’s request for comment. Its shares slipped 64 cents, or 3%, to $19.77 on Thursday.
The president’s call for Tan’s resignation comes after Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, sent a letter to Intel Chairman Frank Yeary on Tuesday expressing concern over Tan’s investments and ties to Chinese businesses.
“Mr. Tan reportedly controls dozens of Chinese companies and has a stake in hundreds of Chinese advanced-manufacturing and chip firms,” Cotton wrote in the letter. “At least eight of these companies reportedly have ties to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.”
Cotton went on to mention Cadence Design Systems, the multinational tech company where Tan served as CEO from 2009 to 2021, and which pleaded guilty last week to unlawfully exporting its products to a Chinese military university and transferring its technology to an associated Chinese semiconductor company without obtaining licenses.
“These illegal activities occurred under Mr. Tan’s tenure,” Cotton wrote.
The senator asked Yeary to respond to a series of questions on Tan’s ties to the Chinese companies by Aug. 15.
In response to the allegations, Intel on Thursday posted a letter penned by Tan to employees, in which the CEO affirmed his commitment to the company and pushed back against what he referred to as “misinformation” about his previous roles.
“I want to be absolutely clear: Over 40+ years in the industry, I’ve built relationships around the world and across our diverse ecosystem — and I have always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards,” Tan wrote. “My reputation has been built on trust — on doing what I say I’ll do, and doing it the right way. This is the same way I am leading Intel.”
The company also shared a statement with CBSMoneyWatch that said Intel, its board of directors, and Lip-Bu Tan are “deeply committed to advancing U.S. national and economic security interests and are making significant investments aligned with the President’s America First agenda.”
Tan, a technology investor and veteran of the semiconductor industry, was appointed CEO of Intel in March.
The Associated Press
contributed to this report.
Mary Cunningham
Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. Before joining the business and finance vertical, she worked at “60 Minutes,” CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 as part of the CBS News Associate Program.
When T-Mobilemade changes to its 5G internet plans recently, an important detail slipped through the cracks: taxes and other fees are no longer included in the price.
The eagle-eyed folks at PCMag were quick to notice the change and confirmed it with T-Mobile. A spokesperson told the outlet that the broadband plans have been updated to no longer include taxes and fees.
We updated our broadband plans to no longer include taxes and fees in the pricing to align with what we’ve done across our broader portfolios and make it easier to compare value across providers. There’s no change for existing customers who have taxes and fees included on their plans.
—Shante Newman, T-Mobile spokesperson, August 2025
The carrier had previously done the same for its voice plans and says the move will make it easier for customers to compare value across providers. Back when it retired plans with taxes and fees, the company said that their inclusion in prices confused customers. Nothing is changing for existing 5G internet customers for whom the plans will continue to be tax-inclusive, unless they switch to a new plan.After this change, all T-Mobile plans, including smartwatches, hotspots, and other “BTS” lines (beyond the smartphone) lines are tax-exclusive. The company even lets customers mix taxed and untaxed plans now, which may lead to billing confusion.
T-Mobile offers a 5-Year Guarantee to customers on its new Experience voice plans and Rely, Amplified, and All-in internet plans to provide peace of mind, but leaving out taxes and fees still leaves room for price hikes. The guarantee also doesn’t cover add-ons and third-party services such as satellite connectivity. On its website, the company argues that taxes and fees are outside of its control, which is why they aren’t covered by the 5-Year Price Guarantee.
Back in 2017, T-Mobile prided itself on being transparent with its pricing, but has now completely abandoned that ethos. The former CEO, John Legere, criticized rivals for “inventing new ways to make their customers pay” and not advertising the prices that customers actually paid. This is why the company wiped away taxes and fees.
The company has done an about-face now, but that’s not surprising, given its recent track record.
Apple’s long-standing rule that forces all iOS browsers to use its WebKit rendering engine may finally be on the verge of collapse — starting in Japan. According to a new report, newly published guidelines under Japan’s Smartphone Act give Apple a clear deadline of December 2025 to stop restricting third-party browser engines.
WebKit-only policy under global fire
Apple currently blocks full-featured browsers like Chrome and Firefox from using their native engines on iPhones, instead requiring them to run on Apple’s own WebKit engine. But Japan’s new rules — translated by Open Web Advocacy (OWA) — state that Apple cannot:
Impose unreasonable technical restrictions… place excessive financial burdens… or steer users away from alternative browser engines.
The guidelines are specifically designed to prevent Apple from replicating what critics call “malicious compliance” — a strategy the company has been accused of using in the European Union following the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The EU is also preparing to act
According to a recent Reuters report, the EU is preparing to fine Apple for alleged DMA violations, likely tied to how it has handled browser engine access and in-app payments. Apple claims to have complied with the law, but companies like Spotify and Mozilla have argued that Apple’s system is intentionally burdensome and designed to discourage competition.Mozilla has publicly called Apple’s approach “a burden” that “fails to give consumers viable choices.” Meanwhile, OWA reports that Apple’s restrictions force developers like Google and Mozilla to release entirely new apps if they want to bring true third-party browsers to iOS — a move that resets user counts to zero and doubles maintenance efforts.
As OWA points out, no major browser maker has released a WebKit-free iOS browser in the EU, even though it’s been 16 months since the rules went into effect. That’s because Apple continues to impose technical and financial obstacles, including poor developer tooling and legal hoops, that make such launches unfeasible.
A financial motive to lock the browser
Apple reportedly earns $20 billion a year from its Google search deal — most of it via Safari.
OWA also highlighted what may be Apple’s true motivation for protecting Safari’s dominance. According to the group, Apple earns an estimated $20 billion per year from its search deal with Google — mostly via Safari. That accounts for 14–16% of Apple’s annual operating profit, meaning that every 1% drop in Safari’s browser share could cost Apple $200 million annually.
Unsurprisingly, Apple has a vested interest in keeping Safari front and center — even if it means skating the edge of antitrust laws.
What it means for users and what comes next
If Apple complies with Japan’s Smartphone Act, users in Japan could soon enjoy real Chrome, Firefox, Brave, or Opera — running on Blink, Gecko, or other engines — and not just reskinned versions of Safari. That could lead to better performance, broader web compatibility, and real competition on iOS for the first time.Outside Japan and the EU, UK regulators are also turning up the heat. A recent investigation concluded that both Apple and Google were “holding back” browser innovation on mobile by limiting access to rendering engines.
So far, Apple has not commented publicly on Japan’s new rules — but the deadline is looming. Whether Apple opens iOS browser access globally or keeps fighting change region by region, the WebKit wall is cracking, and real competition may finally be coming to the iPhone.
Unlimited by Mint Mobile at $15/mo
Get 50% off – try it for 3 months today!
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase
Check Out The Offer
Aleksandar is a tech enthusiast with a broad range of interests, from smartphones to space exploration. His curiosity extends to hands-on DIY experiments with his gadgets, and he enjoys switching between different brands to experience the latest innovations. Prior to joining PhoneArena, Aleksandar worked on the Google Art Project, digitizing valuable artworks and gaining diverse perspectives on technology. When he’s not immersed in tech, Aleksandar is an outdoorsman who enjoys mountain hikes, wildlife photography, and nature conservation. His interests also extend to martial arts, running, and snowboarding, reflecting his dynamic approach to life and technology.
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.
GPT-5 is here. Now what?
At long last, OpenAI has released GPT-5. The new system abandons the distinction between OpenAI’s flagship models and its o series of reasoning models, automatically routing user queries to a fast nonreasoning model or a slower reasoning version.
It is now available to everyone through the ChatGPT web interface—though nonpaying users may need to wait a few days to gain full access.
GPT-5 will furnish a more pleasant and seamless user experience. That’s not nothing, but it falls far short of the transformative AI future that Sam Altman has spent much of the past year hyping. Read the full story.
—Grace Huckins
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Donald Trump has called on Intel’s CEO to resign He claims Lip-Bu Tan is “conflicted” by his business ties to China. (FT $) + Tan was already at odds with some of his board members before the intervention. (WSJ $) + But the CEO claims he’s got the full backing of his board presently. (Bloomberg $)
2 Wildfires are raging across the western US And strong winds are rapidly spreading them across parched land. (WP $) + The fires have a devastating effect on human health. (The Guardian) + How AI can help spot wildfires. (MIT Technology Review)
3 Meta’s AI superintelligence team is growing The new TBD Lab is currently working on the newest version of its Llama model. (WSJ $) + Meta has also been busy acquiring an AI audio firm. (The Information $) + Elsewhere, Tesla has disbanded its supercomputer team. (Bloomberg $)
4 A man suffered psychosis after ChatGPT suggested he take sodium bromide The 60-year old ended up with bromism. (Ars Technica) + He’d been taking it for three months before he went to the ER. (The Independent) + AI companies have stopped warning you that their chatbots aren’t doctors. (MIT Technology Review)
5 Meet Silicon Valley’s AI Rationalists The group’s influence has spread through tech giants and AI pioneers alike. (NYT $) + Inside effective altruism, where the far future counts a lot more than the present. (MIT Technology Review)
6 An CBP agent wore Meta smart glasses during an immigration raid Signalling that law enforcement are interested in this technology. (404 Media)
7 The US military has a new use for Tesla Cybertrucks Namely, aiming missiles at them. (The Verge) + It wants to learn how to destroy them if enemies start deploying them. (The Register)
8 South Korea will decide whether to let Google Maps work The decades-old debate could be laid to rest next week. (The Guardian) + The country has previously rejected Google’s requests on security grounds. (Reuters)
9 Instagram’s new location-sharing feature is here It’s a bid to make the app more participatory and social. (Insider $) + It also looks a whole lot like Snap’s map. (Fast Company $)
10 These headphones could help you to focus Startup Neurable wants to track your brain activity to prevent you getting distracted. (Vox) + A new AI translation system for headphones clones multiple voices simultaneously. (MIT Technology Review)
Quote of the day
“I don’t think we should think of them as the ‘new Google’ yet.”
—Brian Chesky, Airbnb’s CEO, questions the hype swirling around AI agents’ capabilities, TechCrunch reports.
One more thing
The arrhythmia of our current age
Arrhythmia means the heart beats, but not in proper time—a critical rhythm of life suddenly going rogue and unpredictable. It’s frightening to experience, but what if it’s also a good metaphor for our current times? That a pulse once seemingly so steady is now less sure.
Perhaps this wobbliness might be extrapolated into a broader sense of life in the 2020s.
Maybe you feel it, too—that the world seems to have skipped more than a beat or two as demagogues rant and democracy shudders, hurricanes rage, and glaciers dissolve. We can’t stop watching tiny screens where influencers pitch products we don’t need alongside news about senseless wars that destroy, murder, and maim tens-of-thousands.
All the resulting anxiety has been hard on our hearts—literally and metaphorically. Read the full story.
—David Ewing Duncan
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.)
+ This entertaining site tracks just how many cigarettes are smoked throughout famous films (and the ones which feature no smoking at all) + Check out the very best seaside amusement arcade games. + Next week promises a dazzling meteor shower—here’s how to best watch it. + Oh, to live an hour in the shoes of a Boston-based bee doctor
When it comes to music, I’m a big fan. But do you know what I like even more than getting lost in the music? A pair of high-quality earbuds that fit comfortably, last a long time per charge, and just happen to be on sale. That’s right — I’ve got another awesome deal on wireless earbuds to show you, and this time it’s the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 under the spotlight.
Pixel Buds Pro 2: 21% off at Walmart
$179 99
$229
$49 off (21%)
If you’re a Google Pixel phone user, I’d highly recommend completing your ecosystem with a new pair of wireless earbuds. The high-end buds are now available for $49 off in Hazel, which brings them to a much more affordable price. In case you’re wondering, Amazon doesn’t match the discount.
Buy at Walmart
Right now, Walmart sells these high-end ANC Google earbuds at a tempting $49 discount. That’s 21% off their original price, but the promo is only live in Hazel. In case you’re wondering, this is the first time I’m seeing them on sale for over 20% off since Amazon Prime Day, so this is clearly a rare promo I couldn’t pass up without sharing.Promising supreme comfort, a lightweight form factor, and two ways to wear them, these high-end earbuds are a great pick for most users. They’re also great on the active noise cancellation front, removing most unwanted distractions from your listening experience.
As for sound quality, these bad boys truly shine. They don’t overpower any frequency, making them much more balanced than most models on the market. Your head won’t rattle from the bass, and you won’t hear screeching highs, which is always welcome.
Battery life is another standout feature here. With ANC on, you can expect up to eight hours per charge. If you store them in your charging case between sessions, however, you can get a total playtime of as much as 30 hours, which is impressive, however you look at it.
Overall, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are my top picks for quality wireless earbuds. If you think they fit the bill, now’s your chance to get them at $49 off. Take advantage of Walmart’s promo before it disappears.
