OpenAI buys developer tools startup Pierre Computer to fold into its Codex coding tool

OpenAI says it will acquire Pierre Computer Company, a startup that makes developer tools. OpenAI says the deal expands Codex's tools for building, understanding and reviewing code. Axios reports that Pierre's technology is already built into Codex and that its Code Storage feature will be added directly to Codex. The price was not disclosed.

OpenAI releases Images 2.6, a faster version of its image tool that can also make GIFs

OpenAI announced Images 2.6. The company says it brings faster image generation, GIF creation, more precise editing and new controls for developers using its API. OpenAI says it is available across ChatGPT, Codex and the API.

Meta buys Conductor, a startup whose tool runs several AI coding agents at once

Axios reports that Meta has acquired Conductor, an AI coding startup. Conductor lets software engineers manage several coding agents at the same time, each working on a different part of a project. Its CEO, Charlie Holtz, says the team will join Meta Superintelligence Labs.

Google says its Gemini AI and Search will be off by default for schools

After a political backlash to its education announcements, Google posted a clarification. It says Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Search will be off by default, and schools can switch each one on separately. Google says this follows requests from K-12 schools for more control over students' use of AI, and that the changes give schools "more choice, not less". TechCrunch reports that politicians including New York mayor Zohran Mamdani and former FTC chair Lina Khan accused Google of acting as an unregulated monopoly. DuckDuckGo is now pitching its search engine to frustrated schools.

Design app maker Canva cuts more than 1,200 jobs, 22% of staff, as growth slows

Canva is cutting more than 1,200 jobs, about 22% of its staff, as it faces what it calls its 'hardest year' yet. Chief executive Melanie Perkins said the restructuring followed the company's first slowdown in growth in a decade. She said it reflects a need to rethink how Canva operates and organises its teams for AI.

AMD expects to outsell Intel for the first time, but warns PC sales will fall in 2027

AMD reported record quarterly revenue of $13.377 billion. Its data-centre sales reached $8.55 billion, up 97% from a year earlier. For the fourth quarter, AMD forecasts about $17 billion, give or take 3%. Intel forecasts $15 billion to $16 billion. Gaming sales fell to $773 million from $1.298 billion, as Microsoft and Sony bought fewer console chips. AMD expects its PC and gaming unit to shrink by more than 20% next quarter as higher memory prices weaken demand. CEO Lisa Su said AMD is planning for a double-digit fall in PC shipments in 2027.

Apple will check public iCloud share links for harmful content, starting with iOS 27.3

Apple says that from version 27.3 of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS, it will check iCloud items shared to "Anyone with the link" for "harmful content". Apple says it may delete such content or disable accounts.

Crypto exchange Binance says its $6.3B hack began with fake job interviews

Binance has described how North Korean attackers spent months planning the theft. It says they used fake recruitment processes, infected laptops, compromised internal tools and a malicious download of Homebrew, a popular developer tool. Tom's Hardware reports that the intrusions eventually gave the hackers access to the exchange's internal wallet signing systems, which allowed the October 29 theft.

The C++26 programming standard fails its final approval vote for the first time

National standards bodies voting at ISO did not give C++26 the two-thirds majority it needed. According to Andreas Fertig, a member of the C++ committee, this is the first time a C++ draft has failed at this stage. National bodies' comments show the reason is Contracts, a feature for stating conditions code must meet, which some think is not ready. ISO's options are a revised draft, a new committee stage, a Technical Specification, or cancelling the project; all mean a delay.

US voters reject AI data-centre building in midterms as Democrats win the House

Democrats won control of the House of Representatives. Semafor reports that voters in more than 30 places across nine states backed moratoriums, bans and other limits on data centres. Edgewater, Florida, put a ban in its city charter. In an NBC exit poll, 56% of voters said AI and data centres were a crucial or major factor in their vote. Bloomberg reports that shares of big tech companies rose, as investors bet that Congress will slow AI spending. Reuters reports that data-centre stocks fell: Hut 8 dropped 23%, IREN 11%, Core Scientific 10% and Applied Digital 7%. Transformer reports that stronger AI laws, including mandatory testing, are now more likely in early 2027.

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