Introduction

What’s up, Tech Squad? Siri’s (finally) learning new party tricks, Tesla buyers are sprinting to beat the tax-credit clock, GPT-5 just triggered the first mass “AI breakup,” and Nintendo raised prices on a seven-year-old console because…2025. Buckle up: the tech rollercoaster added seatbelts and admission fees.

Siri’s new trick: run your apps

Apple is quietly training a revamped Siri with select third-party apps - Uber, AllTrails, Amazon, YouTube, Threads, WhatsApp, Temu, and a few games - plus Apple’s own suite, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Powered by Apple Intelligence and a beefed-up App Intents system, the assistant aims to parse your personal context and whatever’s on-screen, then chain actions end-to-end.

• What it can do: “find a photo, edit it, and send,” comment on a post, add to cart, log in, all hands-free.

• Where it works: iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro.

• When: U.S. launch targeted for spring 2026 with a staggered rollout; some abilities may be limited in banking/health.

• Why it matters: If reliability is there, Apple could finally deliver the voice-first reality it teased a decade ago.

Cook says progress is “good,” but expect a careful, country-by-country ramp.

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EV panic buying hits Tesla

The EV gold rush is here. In the last 48 hours, Tesla wait times jumped from 1–3 weeks to 4–6 months as shoppers scramble to snag a car before federal tax credits vanish on Sept 30 under the new “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Think last-call energy now…potential hangover in October.

• The stakes: $7,500 new / $4,000 used credits disappear; you must take delivery by the deadline, not just order.

• The surge: Model 3 and all Model Y variants now show 4–6 month ETAs, per Gizmodo—inventory’s getting vacuumed.

• The squeeze: Tesla hiked Model Y leases up to 14% and killed a free upgrade; order cutoffs: Aug 11 (Y) and Aug 18 (3).

• The backdrop: Q2 was rough—deliveries –13.5%, net revenue –16.3% YoY.

Short-term sugar high, long-term test: what happens when the training wheels (read: subsidies) come off?

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GPT-5 is here, and your old bot didn’t get a goodbye

OpenAI just launched GPT-5 and quietly pushed beloved older models (4o, o3, o4-mini, etc.) toward the exit. A spokeswoman said legacy models remain selectable for Pro users ($200/mo) with ~60 days before deprecation; Sam Altman later added Plus users can keep 4o “for now.” For power users - and people who bonded with their bots - that abrupt swap feels less like an update and more like a breakup.

• What’s changing: Default = GPT-5; legacy access time-boxed.

• Who’s affected: Free/Plus lose most model choice; Pro keeps a temporary toggle.

• Community vibe: Reddit reports broken workflows and less capability.

• Counterpoint: Memory preserves quirks, so GPT-5 can still “feel like” your bot.

If AI is a coworker - or a companion - vendors owe us migrations, not instant deprecations.

Nintendo hikes Switch prices in the U.S.

Seven years in, the Switch just got more expensive. Nintendo bumped the base model from $299.99 to $339.99 on its online store; the Switch OLED rises to $399.99, and Switch Lite to $229.99. Accessories are up $10, with Joy-Cons at $89.99. Nintendo says it’s reacting to “market conditions,” and the timing lines up with fresh “reciprocal” tariffs, including a 20% levy on Vietnam-made goods, where most Switch production now happens.

• What’s not changing: Prices for Switch 2 ($449.99) and for games (physical or digital).

• Awkward math: Switch OLED is now just $50 less than a Switch 2.

• Demand check: Switch 2 remains a hit, topping 6M units sold despite supply strain.

Translation: fewer deals on legacy hardware as Nintendo protects margins.

Quick Bits

• TikTok swaps humans for AI in Germany. The company is laying off ~150 Berlin trust & safety staff and leaning on AI and outsourcing—unions are striking, and the DSA loometh.

• Samsung’s foldables keep folding. Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7 hit shelves with slimmer builds and spec bumps; the foldable race isn’t over yet.

• Chip twist: Nvidia & AMD will reportedly hand 15% of China sales to the U.S. government to secure export licenses - an unprecedented revenue-share arrangement.

• Update your Pixel. Google’s August patch fixes critical Android/Qualcomm flaws and long-annoying navigation bugs.