Technology & Telecom

SINGAPORE – October 28, 2026 -- Turbo VPN has added 42 server locations and 35 streaming connections to its Windows and Mac desktop apps, and it is running a limited-time Halloween deal of 75% off subscriptions plus three extra months of service. Both desktop apps now cover 105 countries. The service is operated by INNOVATIVE CONNECTING PTE. LIMITED.

Windows coverage grows from 98 to 105 countries

On Windows, server locations rise from 133 to 159. The 26 new locations include Brussels, Graz, Tirana, Boston, Denver, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.

Mac gains 16 locations, including Cairo, Mumbai and Tashkent

Mac coverage moves from 100 to 105 countries, and server locations climb from 148 to 164. Several U.S. cities are also among the new additions.

McLean, Virginia – October 28, 2026 -- Hilton Honors members with Silver, Gold, Diamond or Diamond Reserve status can now use their Points toward hotel charges straight from their phone, with no front desk visit. The new Pay with Points benefit is live at 150 participating hotels in the U.S.

Points are applied during Digital Check Out in the app

During Digital Check Out in the Hilton Honors App, eligible members can review their folio, choose from available redemption options and apply Points toward eligible charges. Guests can do this at the hotel or on the go.

Hilton says it is the first major hotel brand to offer this through a fully digital check out. According to the company, comparable offerings require front desk assistance.

New York – October 22, 2026 -- RVO Health's Script Portability technology lets consumers see their pharmacy options, with cost and convenience details, before a prescription is sent. The company has now received its third U.S. patent covering the capability.

A third patent joins two earlier ones in the Siegel family

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted U.S. Patent No. 12,580,060 B2. The earlier patents in the same family are No. 11,651,843 and No. 12,119,098.

Fort Lauderdale – October 22, 2026 -- Braid 1.9.5, a free local AI workspace for macOS, Windows and Linux, now works with vLLM, LM Studio and other OpenAI-compatible local inference servers in addition to Ollama.

Users choose how their models run

Developer Intersignal says the update lets people pick their own inference setup while staying inside Braid for conversations, sharing selected context between approved computers, and preparing publications. A clearer "Chat with Local AI" entry point helps new users get started on a single computer, and additional rigs can be connected as their needs grow. Streaming responses now display readable Markdown and code formatting.

"Bring your models. Braid brings the workspace," said David Seaman, founder of Intersignal.

Worldwide – – October 21, 2026 -- Apple Creator Studio subscribers get new editing tools, templates and collaboration features, including Cinematic mode effects for video shot on iPhone 18 Pro and edge-refinement controls in Pixelmator Pro for iPad.

Final Cut Pro lets editors adjust Cinematic focus after the shoot

Final Cut Pro and Motion on Mac can now apply Cinematic mode effects to video captured natively on iPhone 18 Pro. Editors can change focus points and depth of field directly in the Final Cut Pro timeline. Compressor converts video with Cinematic mode effects back into the previous Cinematic mode format and adds new HEVC and MPEG-4 export presets for social sharing.

Cupertino – October 21, 2026 -- Final Cut Camera, Apple's professional filming app for iPhone, now supports the variable aperture on iPhone 18 Pro. Version 2.4 is a free software update available from September 29.

A redesign puts core exposure controls within easier reach

The app has been rebuilt from the ground up. Shutter angle, ISO and white balance are now easier to reach. Customizable overlays include false color and clipping indicators for checking exposure. Focus peaking has been improved and now offers sensitivity control.

A new tally light shows when recording is underway. A two-finger tap clears the viewfinder so users can concentrate on the shot.

Cupertino – October 21, 2026 -- Apple Home Collection, a new lineup of smart cameras, thermostats, temperature sensors, a video doorbell and a door lock, goes on sale starting in December, with select accessories following in early 2027. Apple designed the products with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. Each one sets up with a single tap on an iPhone and runs entirely in the Apple Home app, with no separate app or account.

Four LG cameras store video in iCloud+ instead of a subscription

LG supplies a Video Doorbell, Floodlight Cam, Outdoor Cam and Indoor Cam. Every camera records up to 2.5K video and recognizes people, familiar faces, pets, vehicles and packages. Footage goes to the user's iCloud+ plan, so there is no separate camera subscription. Each camera keeps 10 days of event history, and a home hub such as HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K or Apple HomeView is required.

Cupertino – October 21, 2026 -- Apple has introduced HomeView, a 7-inch Liquid Retina smart home display that recognizes up to six people by face. Pre-orders start today, and the device ships November 13.

Two designs: a tabletop model and a wall-mounted model

The tabletop HomeView pairs an aluminum-framed display with a domed speaker base through a stainless steel hinge that tilts the screen. It comes in silver, starlight, rose pink and space gray, each with a matching cable.

A separate wall-mounted model, available in space gray and silver, has the same display. It attaches with three purpose-built mounts from Schneider Home, and buyers can install it themselves or hire a professional.

Automatic brightness runs from 500 nits down to 0.3 nits for nightstand use. The interface shows simpler information from across the room and more detail as users step closer.

Paris – October 21, 2026 -- Apple's second Designers of Tomorrow exhibition, created with Design Miami, opens today at Hôtel de Maisons in Paris, showing four original works built around the theme of presence.

Curator Rodman Primack, former longtime creative director of Design Miami, says the theme grew out of how busy modern life has become. The featured designers are Salem S. Charabi, Isabel Rower, Yoonjeong Lee, and the studio Parafernalia, run by Genki Matsumura and Sebastián Zorrilla. A jury of global design voices, including Apple's Molly Anderson, picked them for storytelling, material innovation, and craft.

Seattle – October 20, 2026 -- Zillow has launched a connector that lets Claude users browse homes for sale or rent, check home values and estimate what they can afford without leaving the AI assistant.

Setup takes four steps in Claude's settings

Users open Claude, go to "Customize," select "Connectors" and connect Zillow. From there, they can ask specific questions, such as finding three-bedroom homes for sale in Denver under $600,000 with a garage, or apartments for rent in Seattle under $2,500 a month.

Listings, maps and affordability tools appear in the chat

Claude can show Zillow listings with photos, prices and other details, plus interactive maps, home value estimates and affordability tools. Links lead to the full property pages on Zillow. In the same conversation, users can request a tour, contact a real estate agent or explore financing.