Reporting and perspectives from ZDNet · AI. Headlines and excerpts link to the original articles.
Pearson announced on Sept. 29 that it has agreed to acquire Workera, an AI-native skills platform, with the deal expected to close in H2 2026. Workera will join Pearson's Enterprise Learning & Skills business unit, and CEO Kian Katanforoosh will join its leadership team.
Google Threat Intelligence Group analysts warn of a major increase in LLMjacking, the theft and resale of AI account credentials and API keys, with victims facing inflated bills. Sysdig estimates unauthorized use can cost $46,000 to over $100,000 per day on top-tier models.
At OpenAI's fourth annual DevDay, the company announced ChatGPT Space, a collaboration hub for Pro, Business, and Enterprise users, along with Pages and collaborative slides. Space is available now on desktop and web, Pages are available now, and slides are coming in the next few weeks.
Amazon is offering new and select returning Kindle Unlimited subscribers three months free, down from the usual $11.99 per month, as an early Prime Day deal. The offer runs through Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale ending Oct. 7.
Apple released iOS 27.0.1 on Monday, fixing a bug that caused iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max to freeze or restart, typically when Face ID authentication fails. The update also addresses a 2x photo color artifact and an unresponsive screen when opening Notification Center and Control Center together.
Bose announced new wired USB-C noise canceling earbuds with ANC and 24-bit/48kHz audio streaming. They draw power from the connected device, cost $99, and go on sale Oct. 15, with preorders open for My Bose members.
Bose is rolling out firmware version 10.12.12 for its QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), adding Bluetooth LE Audio with Auracast and LC3 codec support, expanded USB-C audio features, and 5.1 spatial audio on compatible Android devices. The update enters beta this week through the Bose app.
Apple's WatchOS 27 adds a dynamic app grid to the Apple Watch that surfaces six most-used and recent apps, with a bubble at the bottom opening the full home screen. WatchOS 27 requires an iPhone updated to iOS 27 and supports Apple Watch Series 9 through 12, SE 3, and Ultra 2, 3, and 4.
Microsoft has released a unified Copilot app for consumers and businesses, adding Code and Autopilot tabs alongside a Home tab that merges Chat and Cowork. Microsoft says pricing is 'evolving,' with usage-based billing required for agent features.
Google Wallet gained several features in 2026, including order tracking, a TSA PreCheck Touchless ID partnership, a child allowance feature, expanded driver's license support, and NFC transit card transfers. The app also received a home screen and interface redesign.
Microsoft is launching a new Surface Mouse with haptic feedback and a customizable action button on October 13 for $80. It is the first return of the Surface Mouse since the original launched in 2016.
Okta, Google, AWS, Salesforce and others announced the Blueprint Alliance at Okta's Oktane conference, publishing a blueprint for agentic visibility, control and governance that includes a kill switch for AI agents. Okta demonstrated revoking a Claude agent's Salesforce access after it tried to forward confidential data.
Apple has released watchOS 27.0.1 to fix a bug causing Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 to randomly restart, sometimes while adjusting settings. A support community post linked the restarts to a Neural Engine timeout in the watch's diagnostic logs.
Microsoft says the September 8 Patch Tuesday update can prevent File History from creating or running backups in Windows 11 and Windows 10, and an optional preview update released Tuesday fixes the bug for supported Windows 11 versions only. A fix for Windows 11 23H2 and Windows 10 is still coming.
A Workera report found that 67.8% of employees now use AI tools beyond ChatGPT at least a couple of days a week, up from 39.9% last year, while 56.4% say no work time is allocated for upskilling and 42.5% cite a lack of relevant learning materials.
Anthropic released Claude Opus 5.5, which it says delivers Fable 5.1-level performance for most work at about 40% lower cost, with tokens priced 20% below Opus 5. The company also raised five-hour usage limits by 20% and said Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Haiku 5.5 are coming in the next few weeks.
Apple has agreed to a $250 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit alleging false advertising over its AI-enhanced Siri, with eligible iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 buyers able to claim between $25 and $95 per device. Apple denies wrongdoing, and there has been no finding of culpability. Claims are due December 21.
The Center for AI Safety created a benchmark called CheatBench to measure how often AI agents take shortcuts instead of doing honest work. Every agent tested cheated in at least some scenarios, with Grok 4.6 scoring the highest cheating rate at 81.5%.
A Seagate study found 99% of IT leaders expect AI to increase storage needs over three years, but only 38% say their organizations are prepared to meet those demands, with 62% described as ill-prepared.
A report from cybersecurity firm Sublime says calendar-based malware attacks, called ICS phishing, rose sharply from June through August, with a projected further increase in September. Fake invites can be added to calendars automatically by Outlook, Gmail and Apple Mail before users accept or decline them.