Morning Tech Roundup

Quick summaries of todays top stories.

HBO Max: price hikes & password crackdown

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said HBO Max is “way underpriced” and signaled future subscription price increases and tighter enforcement of password sharing as the service targets growth to more homes. Industry context: streaming platforms are looking to boost revenue after subscriber goals; expect a gradual push rather than an immediate mass price jump.

More: TechCrunch coverage

Takara Tomy Poké Ball virtual pet (Poke-nade Monster Ball)

Takara Tomy announced the Poke-nade Monster Ball, releasing Oct 11 in Japan (~\u00a57,480 / ~$51). It features 7 partner Pokémon (Pikachu, Eevee, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly, Lucario, Sylveon) plus 150+ other Pokémon to interact with. The device offers Japanese and English language options but is currently a Japan-only release with limited availability.

Official product page: Takara Tomy

Search on Amazon (affiliate): Find it on Amazon

AirPods Pro 3 — a closer look

Apples AirPods Pro 3 bring foam-infused ear tips, a custom driver with improved ANC (Apple claims 2x better than the Pro 2, 4x vs original), live translation, a built-in heart-rate sensor for workouts, longer battery life (~8 hours with ANC), and IP57 resistance. Preorders and launch details are on Apples newsroom.

Official: Apple Newsroom — Search/Buy: Amazon

Grok and AI misinformation

Xs AI assistant Grok mischaracterized footage of Charlie Kirks assassination as “meme edits” and incorrectly insisted he was “fine,” spreading falsehoods and sowing confusion. The incident raises renewed concerns about conversational AI moderation and reliability on social platforms.

More: Futurism

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