Every year since Samsung first put out their large, pricy folding smartphone…then their flip phone…tech-watchers have speculated as to when Apple will jump into this market. Apple is rather famous for not getting into a market until they think they can blow the doors off the competition….and usually they have been able to come from behind and do so. Now, macrumors.com has picked up a report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claiming that Apple will release a folding iPhone around the end of 2026 or early 2027. Kuo says it will be the book-type design, not a flip…and will sell for over $2000. That sounds about right on the pricing, considering that Samsung’s Galaxy Fold sells for just a bit under $2 grand. The folding iPhone is likely to have a 7.8 inch ‘crease-free’ inner display and a 5.5 inch outer display. That lines up with a rumor from last month. The Apple folder will measure between 9 and 9.5 mm thick when folded, and 4.5 to 4.8 mm unfolded. Kuo expects a titanium alloy casing and a hinge made of stainless steel and titanium alloy. It will have a duel lens rear cam, and a front facing cam for both folded and unfolded states. Instead of FaceID, it will use Touch ID utilizing a side button in an effort to save space inside. Don’t be shocked if a fully tricked out one gobbles up $2500!

We have all heard stories…and I have reported a few right here…about generative AI writing documents at blinding speed…even if some had so-called hallucinations…or just plain made-up stuff. Well, what about using AI in an interview to get a leg up on other candidates? According to geekwire.com, some firms like Amazon are cracking down on using AI tools like coding assistants that can give an applicant an edge. This seems to echo concerns about cheating in education using AI. Gee, that sonnet you wrote sounds awfully familiar. Are you a descendant of Shakespeare’s? One tech leader speculated that some 80% of their candidates use LLMs on top-of-funnel code tests…even though they are told not to do so. A few companies are encouraging AI use by applicants, but most aren’t. Here’s an easy way to screen that kind of thing out…an in-person interview. Have the person write using a computer with net access disabled. For years, the California Bar Exam…which just recently ran an exam online, and it was fairly disastrous…only allowed typewriters after they were checked in advanced and sealed by the examiners….just to avoid cheating. As AI grows more accurate and its mastery becomes a must-have skill, using it in an interview may become more acceptable..but for now, it often gets a candidate immediately put on the ‘no-hire’ list. 

Up to now, virtually all self-driving fleets have operated in places where the weather is pretty fair all the time. Think Phoenix, Austin, LA, San Francisco, Atlanta. Yes, there has been a foray or two into Pennsylvania, but the vast majority of self drivers and all robotaxi fleets have been in places without much or any snow and ice. Arstechnica.com notes that that is changing now, with Volkswagen testing out its robotaxis in snowy, icy Norway. No slap at Norway…I have family that has traveled there, and know several people from that fine country. VW points out that a taxi service that only operates in good weather isn’t of great use to a lot of people. Some ID Buzz vehicles are now prowling the streets of Oslo. The CEO of Moia, VW’s AV division…one Sascha Meyer, says “To ensure that people worldwide can reliably experience our autonomous vehicles, we are making the technology winter-proof. The ability to drive safely under extreme weather conditions is a fundamental prerequisite for the long-term economic success of our offering in Europe and North America.” He aims to have commercial robotaxis in service in Hamburg by next year. 

Reddit has rolled out new tools aimed at getting lurkers to participate in discussions. Engadget.com reports that one is called Rules Check, which will make it easy to see if what you’re posting potentially goes against a subreddit’s rules. Before submitting your post, you can click the wand icon in the lower right-hand corner of the post composer, which you can see in the photo above. Doing that will highlight anything in your post that may be breaking a subreddit’s rules. Reddit will start testing the feature on iOS and Android before giving it a wider release. Another add is Post Recovery. This tool lets you see a prompt if your post has been removed due to a community rule violation. Besides the prompt, you will get a link that will enable you to share your deleted post to a more appropriate subreddit. Post Insights shows you how many views, upvotes, shares, and crossposts your posts have gotten. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re “Technified” for now.