Techmeme
October 21, 2025, 8:40 PM

Top News

Ina Fried / Axios:
OpenAI launches its ChatGPT Atlas web browser, available initially for macOS, and “coming soon” to Windows, iOS, and Android  —  OpenAI on Tuesday announced a next-generation Web browser, Atlas, as the company seeks to expand from simply being a popular app into a broader computing platform.
More: OpenAI on YouTube, The Verge, TechCrunch, CNBC, The Guardian, Ars Technica, AppAdvice, Bloomberg, OpenAI, Redmond Pie, Forbes, OpenAI, CBS News, Tom's Guide, Wired, Sherwood News, TechCrunch, ZeroHedge News, iPhone in Canada, Every, Windows Report, TestingCatalog, CNET, Forbes, iClarified, Windows Central, Gadgets 360, ZDNET, Fortune, GeneMunster.com, Implicator.ai, Times of India, Fidji Simo, and Neowin
OpenAI:
OpenAI says ChatGPT Atlas' opt-in browser memories feature can remember key details from users' web browsing to improve chat responses and offer suggestions  —  The browser with ChatGPT built in.  —  Today we're introducing ChatGPT Atlas, a new web browser built with ChatGPT at its core.
Simon Willison / Simon Willison's Weblog:
First impressions of ChatGPT Atlas, as browser agents remain confusing, with insurmountable security and privacy risks including prompt injection attacks  —  Introducing ChatGPT Atlas (via) Last year OpenAI hired Chrome engineer Darin Fisher, which sparked speculation they might have their own browser in the pipeline.
Sarah Whitten / CNBC:
Netflix reports Q3 revenue up 17% YoY to $11.51B, matching est., operating margin below est. due to Brazilian tax dispute expense; NFLX drops 6%+ after hours  —  Shares of Netflix plummeted as much as 7% after the company posted a third-quarter earnings miss after the closing bell Tuesday.
New York Times:
Internal Amazon documents and sources: executives believe Amazon is on the cusp of replacing 500K+ jobs with robots and aims to automate 75% of its operations  —  Earlier this month, I went to Louisiana to tour Amazon's most advanced warehouse.  It was unlike any I had visited in my seven years covering the company →
Lauren Thomas / Wall Street Journal:
Coinbase agrees to acquire Echo, a blockchain platform to let crypto companies quickly raise capital, for ~$375M, marking Coinbase's eighth acquisition in 2025  —  Acquisition marks Coinbase's eighth deal this year  —  Coinbase Global has struck a roughly $375 million deal to acquire Echo …
Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge:
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5) review: feels the same as M4 with a speed upgrade and still good value for money with great battery life, but only a modest update  —  Last year's entry-level MacBook Pro was an impressive return to form for Apple's Pro laptop.  Between the M4 chip, increased RAM …
Lauren Forristal / TechCrunch:
YouTube launches its likeness detection tech, letting eligible creators in its Partner Program request the removal of AI-generated content with their likeness  —  YouTube revealed on Tuesday that its likeness-detection technology has officially rolled out to eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program, following a pilot phase.
Ashley Capoot / CNBC:
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple's foldable iPad with an 18" screen faces engineering challenges tied to weight, features, and display tech, pushing its debut to 2029 or later  —  Apple Inc.'s effort to reinvent the iPad by adding a giant foldable screen has hit development hurdles, potentially delaying the planned launch.
Omar El Chmouri / Bloomberg:
Documents: OpenAI has more than 100 ex-investment bankers paid $150 per hour to train its AI to build financial models as part of its secretive Project Mercury  —  OpenAI has more than 100 ex-investment bankers helping train its artificial intelligence on how to build financial models …
Samuel Stolton / Bloomberg:
Apple challenges the DMA in the EU's General Court, saying it “imposes hugely onerous and intrusive burdens” at odds with Apple's rights in the EU marketplace  —  Apple Inc. lashed out at the European Union's attempts to tame the power of Silicon Valley in the most far-reaching legal challenge …
David Pierce / The Verge:
iPad Pro (M5, 2025) review: amazing performance, hardware remains unbeaten, and iPadOS is getting more Mac-like, but still too pricey for a secondary computer  —  What do you get the tablet that has everything?  Last year, Apple debuted a massive overhaul to the iPad Pro, with a thin new design …
Lance Ulanoff / TechRadar:
Apple Vision Pro M5 review: everything looks sharper, especially virtual desktop mode, and the Dual Knit band is comfortable, but the headset still costs $3,500  —  New Apple silicon and a new headband level up the experience  —  TechRadar Verdict … Why you can trust TechRadar …
Adrienne So / Wired:
Oakley Meta Vanguard review: the smart glasses combine headphones, sunglasses, and a camera, plus Garmin integration, but the camera specs aren't too impressive  —  Meta's second collaboration with Oakley look good, sound great, and might just replace your action cam.  —  Rating:
Emily Nicolle / Bloomberg:
Polymarket and Kalshi surpassed $2B in notional trading volume in the week ending Oct. 19, exceeding the previous peak during the 2024 US presidential election  —  The trading volume on the leading prediction markets platforms, Polymarket and Kalshi, has hit a new record high …
Todd Spangler / Variety:
HBO Max raises prices across all plans: Basic With Ads increases by $1/month to $10.99, Standard by $1.50/month to $18.49, and Premium by $2/month to $22.99  —  It's going to cost you more to watch HBO Max, after the streaming platform raised its prices just a year after its last hikes.
Alexey Shabanov / TestingCatalog:
Google launches new features for its Google AI Studio developer platform, including a revamped “Build” tab to vibe code AI apps  —  Google debuts a revamped AI Studio “Build” interface that cuts technical barriers for AI app prototyping with one-click Cloud Run publishing.
Ryan Whitwam / Ars Technica:
Google Fi plans an AI call quality feature to filter out background sounds like wind next month, and will bring full RCS support on the web in December  —  Google's Fi cellular service is getting an upgrade, and since this is 2025, there's plenty of AI involved.

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