TECHNOLOGY

NEW YORK — Samsung has officially confirmed it will discontinue its long-standing Samsung Messages application in July 2026 for users in the United States, urging Galaxy phone owners to switch to Google Messages as the default SMS, MMS and RCS platform to ensure continued functionality and access to modern features.

AUSTIN, Texas — Elon Musk on Thursday praised the Tesla Cybertruck as a "bulletproof tank that moves like a million dollar sports car" after one of his most vocal online critics, Brian Krassenstein, announced he had purchased the angular electric pickup solely for its unmatched safety ratings.

JAKARTA — Indonesia's artificial intelligence sector is experiencing explosive growth in 2026, with homegrown companies leveraging the nation's vast population, digital economy expansion and government push for technological sovereignty to emerge as regional leaders in applied AI. From aquaculture optimization to conversational platforms and computer vision, these innovators are addressing local challenges while attracting global investment.

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple is on track to launch its long-awaited first foldable iPhone in fall 2026, with the device potentially carrying the premium "iPhone Ultra" name and a price tag exceeding $2,000, according to the latest supply chain reports and analyst predictions circulating as of May 2026.

SALT LAKE CITY — The widely used Canvas learning management system was knocked offline for several hours Thursday in a brazen cyberattack claimed by the hacking group ShinyHunters, disrupting coursework, assignments and exam preparations for millions of students and educators across thousands of universities and K-12 schools nationwide as the critical end-of-semester period approached.

TAINAN, Taiwan — Shares of Himax Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) exploded more than 40% in morning trading Thursday after the display driver and semiconductor specialist posted first-quarter results that topped its own guidance and issued upbeat projections for the current quarter, highlighting strength in automotive displays, AI sensing and emerging smart glasses applications.

AUSTIN, Texas — Elon Musk posted a 13-year-old video clip Wednesday night that has already racked up millions of views, showing the Tesla and SpaceX CEO laughing at his younger self for deliberately choosing the "two worst industries" — electric vehicles and solar power — instead of building a search engine like Google.

Sony has yet to officially acknowledge the PlayStation 6, but rampant rumors and insider reports in 2026 point to a next-generation console facing potential delays until 2028 or even 2029 due to a global RAM shortage driven by AI demand, while leaked specifications suggest a massive leap in performance with AMD's Zen 6 CPU and RDNA 5 GPU architecture.

Encompassing some of the most commonly sought after generative AI offerings including a text to image generator and even an AI-powered video translator, Adobe Firefly is delivering versatile outputs all within Adobe's familiar UI.

NEW YORK — As the artificial intelligence revolution accelerates through 2026, investors are closely weighing NVIDIA Corp., Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Intel Corp. in the semiconductor sector, with NVIDIA maintaining its dominant position in AI GPUs while AMD gains ground in data-center chips and Intel fights for a comeback through aggressive foundry investments and new product launches.

NEW YORK — As anticipation builds for Sony's next-generation console, leaks and analyst reports point to the PlayStation 6 delivering significant leaps over the PlayStation 5 in graphics, performance, efficiency and features when it arrives in late 2027 or 2028.

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple Inc. has reached a $250 million settlement with U.S. consumers who purchased iPhones expecting advanced artificial intelligence features that were later delayed or not delivered as advertised, according to court documents filed Tuesday in California federal court.

NEW YORK — Google's Gemini AI chatbot and related services faced widespread user-reported disruptions Tuesday, with many experiencing slow responses, processing loops and error messages as the popular generative AI tool encountered intermittent outages across web and mobile platforms.

NEW YORK — Alphabet Inc. Class C shares (NASDAQ: GOOG) climbed 1.21% to $384.23 in morning trading Tuesday, May 5, extending gains from a strong first-quarter earnings report that highlighted accelerating Google Cloud growth and the company's deepening push into artificial intelligence.

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max is shaping up as one of the most ambitious upgrades in years, with leaks pointing to a powerful 2nm A20 Pro chip, variable aperture camera system, significantly smaller Dynamic Island and larger battery as the flagship prepares for a September 2026 launch alongside the company's first foldable iPhone.

NEW YORK — Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) stock draws a resounding "Buy" recommendation from Wall Street in May 2026, with consensus ratings of Moderate Buy to Strong Buy and average 12-month price targets implying 30-50% upside from current levels near $175–$183.

SEATTLE — Steam, Valve Corporation's dominant digital gaming platform, is currently operating normally as of Tuesday, May 5, 2026, with no widespread outages reported across major monitoring services.

NEW YORK — As Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) navigates a volatile 2026 market environment, Wall Street analysts overwhelmingly recommend buying the stock, with a consensus "Strong Buy" or "Moderate Buy" rating and average 12-month price targets suggesting substantial upside from current levels near $610.

NEW YORK — Zoho, the popular cloud-based business software suite, is currently operating normally across its major services as of Monday, May 4, 2026, with no widespread outages reported on official status pages or major monitoring platforms. While some users experienced intermittent issues with specific components like Zoho PhoneBridge and CRM tools in late April, the company's global infrastructure has stabilized, allowing millions of small and medium-sized businesses to continue relying on its integrated applications for CRM, email, project management and more.

NEW YORK — Tesla Inc. shares edged lower by 0.16 percent to $390.20 in midday trading Monday, May 4, 2026, as investors paused following recent gains and positioned for upcoming catalysts including the company's highly anticipated robotaxi event scheduled for August.

NEW YORK — Target's mobile app and website are functioning normally for most users as of Sunday, May 3, 2026, though scattered reports of intermittent glitches have surfaced on social media and outage tracking sites, prompting questions about reliability during peak shopping periods.

NEW YORK — Sony is preparing to unveil the Xperia 1 VIII in May 2026, with global availability expected in June, continuing its tradition of premium flagship smartphones that prioritize photography, display quality and unique features like the 3.5mm headphone jack.

NEW YORK — Sony Interactive Entertainment has reached a $7.85 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging the company illegally suppressed competition for digital PlayStation games, resulting in higher prices for millions of gamers across the United States.

NEW YORK — Sony's next-generation console, the PlayStation 6, remains shrouded in secrecy as of May 2026, with the latest rumors pointing to a potential launch window pushed back to 2028 or even 2029 due to ongoing global RAM shortages driven by artificial intelligence demand, while leaks suggest an ambitious hardware leap featuring AMD's Zen 6 CPU, RDNA 5 GPU and a possible dedicated handheld companion.

NEW YORK — Investors weighing Alphabet Inc. against Apple Inc. as 2026 unfolds confront a classic growth-versus-stability choice, with Wall Street tilting toward Alphabet's AI-fueled momentum and expanding cloud business as the higher-upside pick despite Apple's rock-solid services engine and dividend appeal.

REDMOND, Wash. — Xbox players checking for outages on Sunday, May 3, 2026, found the Xbox Network largely operational with no widespread downtime reported on Microsoft's official status page, though scattered user complaints about connection issues continued to surface on third-party trackers like Downdetector.

Chase Bank customers across the United States reported widespread problems with the Chase mobile app Saturday, with many unable to access accounts, view balances or complete transactions. Downdetector and other outage tracking sites showed spikes in complaints, prompting the financial institution to acknowledge technical difficulties and work on a resolution. The issues come at a time when mobile banking has become essential for millions of Americans handling daily finances.

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea — Elon Musk announced Saturday that Starlink satellite internet service is now officially available in Papua New Guinea, marking a significant expansion of the SpaceX-owned network into one of the world's most remote and geographically challenging nations.

NEW YORK — Investors weighing Samsung Electronics against Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) in 2026 face a classic semiconductor showdown: TSMC's ironclad dominance in advanced foundry services fueled by insatiable AI demand versus Samsung's aggressive multibillion-dollar gamble to close the gap through massive capital spending and memory leadership.