💻 Apple's Secret Device Has a Launch Window — Plus AI's Darkest Scandal Yet

Apple's long-rumored smart home hub just got a release window, and the details reveal a product that could shake up an entire industry. A bombshell report exposes how a major AI platform is being exploited to generate nonconsensual deepfakes with almost no resistance. Elon Musk's X Money has begun rolling out to real users, but there's a catch buried in the fine print. NASA pulled off a gravity-defying deep space maneuver while astronomers captured a black hole doing something almost too extreme to believe. It's one of the biggest days in tech news this year — and you'll want to hear all of it.

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Welcome to Technology Daily, your go-to source for the latest in tech news. I'm your host, and it is July 28th, 2026. We have a packed show today covering smart home devices, AI developments, electric mobility, space exploration, and a whole lot more. Let's dive right in.

We're kicking things off with some big Apple news. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has shed new light on what's being called the 'HomePad' — Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. According to Gurman, the device will feature a 7-inch square display running a brand-new operating system based on tvOS, complete with grids of icons, widgets, and apps that feel familiar to anyone who uses iOS or even watchOS. At its core will be the revamped Siri AI, with video chat and smart home security features also in the mix. And the big news? It could land as early as October. Apple has been wanting to compete with Google's Nest Hub and Amazon's Echo Show for years, and it looks like that moment may finally be approaching.

Speaking of Apple, the company has officially launched 'Apple Upgrade,' a new leasing program designed to make its devices more accessible. Think of it like a car lease — you can get your hands on the latest iPhone, Mac, iPad, or Apple Watch, and at the end of your subscription period, you can keep the device, pay it off early, or upgrade to a new model. This launch comes just weeks after Apple raised prices on several of its devices due to ongoing memory and storage shortages. So while the leasing option offers flexibility, it's worth keeping an eye on those underlying costs.

Apple also rolled out iOS and macOS 26.6 this week. These updates are primarily focused on security fixes, and are likely the last significant updates before Apple's bigger fall software releases. So if you haven't updated yet, now's a good time.

Shifting over to AI, Perplexity has expanded its 'Personal Computer' agentic tool to Windows. Previously available only on Mac, this tool essentially turns your computer into a locally run AI system — a, quote, 'general-purpose digital worker' that can access your files and apps to handle tasks like creating documents, updating spreadsheets, and more. It builds on earlier integrations with Microsoft 365 and Teams. With Windows being the world's most popular operating system, this is a significant expansion that could put AI-assisted computing in front of a whole lot more people.

Now for a story that raises serious concerns. A new report from the European nonprofit AI Forensics has found that Hugging Face, the popular open-source AI model repository, is being widely used to generate nonconsensual deepfakes. Researchers found that seven out of the top nine image editing models hosted on the platform readily complied with requests to undress images of women — and in some cases, children — using simple text prompts. Unlike mainstream AI tools from companies like Google and OpenAI, these models appear to have few or no guardrails in place. This is a deeply troubling issue, and one that demands immediate attention from the platform and the broader AI community.

On a related AI note, ChatGPT has started refusing requests to write in the style of specific famous authors — both living and dead. OpenAI appears to be navigating the legal and ethical minefield around copyright more carefully, with the tool now offering to capture a writer's 'broad qualities' rather than directly imitating them. It's a nuanced change, but one with real legal implications as the ongoing battle between AI companies and content creators continues to heat up.

On that same front, the New York Times is still fighting its landmark copyright lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft. Publisher A.G. Sulzberger has reportedly spent over 20 million dollars on the case so far and shows no sign of backing down. The outcome could have enormous implications for the future of AI training data and journalism alike.

Also in the AI privacy space, there's a cautionary tale out of Anthropic's Claude. Private conversations with the AI chatbot were apparently exposed in Google and Bing search results, highlighting just how tricky it is to prevent web crawlers from indexing what should be private interactions. If you're using any AI chat tool and expecting privacy, this is a reminder to check those settings carefully.

Meanwhile, Meta AI is expanding its reach — it's now available in Threads DMs for all users, following its rollout inside Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Love it or not, Meta AI is becoming a constant presence across the company's entire app ecosystem.

In the world of payments and fintech, X Money has officially begun its limited US rollout. Elon Musk's vision of turning X into an 'everything app' takes another step forward with this Venmo-like platform that includes a digital wallet, peer-to-peer payments, Apple Wallet support, and a metal Visa card you can emblazon with your X username. There's also an advertised six percent APY — though that's only fully available to Premium Plus subscribers. It's a bold move, but whether everyday users will trust X with their finances remains to be seen.

Let's talk mobility. Veo is launching accessibility-focused electric tricycles in Denver, with plans to roll them out nationwide. The move is part of the growing shared micromobility space, and the focus on accessibility is a welcome one — electric trikes offer a more stable, inclusive option compared to traditional e-scooters or e-bikes.

Also in the EV space, Lyft and Baidu have started testing robotaxis in London alongside partner Freenow. This marks a significant milestone for autonomous vehicle deployment in one of the world's most complex urban driving environments.

And on the satellite front, Amazon is pushing forward aggressively with its direct-to-mobile satellite service. The company's Leo subsidiary wants to deploy more than 5,100 satellites, having already launched nearly 400. This would put Amazon in direct competition with SpaceX's Starlink for direct-to-device satellite connectivity.

Speaking of Starlink, the Trump administration has granted SpaceX an exemption from a new FCC ban on foreign-made routers. Starlink does have a factory in Texas, but also manufactures some routers in Vietnam — making this exemption a notable carve-out.

Over in gaming, Logitech's new gaming chief Robin Piispanen has confirmed that a follow-up to the G Cloud gaming handheld is not in the cards anytime soon. The original G Cloud was overshadowed at its 2022 launch, and while Piispanen says he finds the handheld concept charming, there are bigger priorities for Logitech right now.

Xbox also had a rough day this week — a major outage left users unable to play games, and remarkably, even disc-based games were affected. It's a reminder of just how dependent modern consoles are on cloud authentication, even for physical media.

Now for a remarkable story from the world of space exploration. NASA's Psyche spacecraft has successfully completed a Mars flyby, using the planet's gravity to slingshot itself toward a metal-rich asteroid it's expected to reach in 2029. During the flyby, the spacecraft tested its cameras, magnetometer, and particle detectors — even spotting Mars' tiny moons Phobos and Deimos. A stunning technical achievement.

And in a truly jaw-dropping astronomy story, NASA's Swift Observatory has detected a supermassive black hole ripping apart a star more than 30,000 light-years from the center of a distant galaxy. The resulting flare briefly outshone the entire host galaxy in ultraviolet light. The black hole responsible is estimated to be about one million times the mass of our Sun. Just let that sink in.

On the science front, researchers have created what they're calling an 'electron lighthouse' — a system that uses laser light to launch and steer electrons through a semiconductor without any applied electrical field. The quantum effect could eventually lead to improvements in optical sensors, communications, imaging, and data storage. Early days, but fascinating potential.

Finally, a lighter story to close out with. Google has announced a plan to repurpose old Pixel smartphones for use in data centers. Rather than letting aging devices end up in landfills, Google is exploring ways to put that hardware to productive use. It's a win for sustainability and a creative approach to the growing e-waste problem.

That's a wrap for today's Technology Daily. From Apple's HomePad rumors and AI deepfake concerns to robotaxi tests in London and a black hole devouring a star — it's been quite a day in tech. Thanks so much for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow with more of the stories shaping our digital world. Stay curious, stay informed, and we'll see you next time.