Daily briefing
November 12, 2026
12 stories · about 12 minutes
Google's Gemini 4 Hydrogen beats pricier Argon on one key score
Google released Gemini 4 Hydrogen, a fast model for everyday coding and agent work. It costs $1.50 per million input tokens and reaches the Gemini app and Search today.
- Google released Gemini 4 Hydrogen on November 12, a fast model for everyday coding and agent work, replacing the Flash line.
- Hydrogen scores 51 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, one point above the larger Gemini 4 Argon, and 54 at its top thinking level.
- Developers pay $1.50 per million input tokens and $7.50 per million output tokens, with the same price across the whole 1 million token window.
- It reaches the Gemini app, Google Search AI Mode, AI Studio, the Gemini API and Google Antigravity starting today.
Why it matters: Google released Gemini 4 Hydrogen, a fast AI model for everyday coding and agent work, in the Gemini app, Search and its developer tools. It scores 51 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, one point above the larger Gemini 4 Argon. The API costs $1.50 per million input tokens and $7.50 per million output tokens. Hydrogen is rolling out globally today, replacing the Flash line.
Read the full story →Nintendo takes down 144 GitHub projects behind Switch modchips
A Nintendo copyright notice took 144 GitHub repositories of Switch modchip firmware offline. Here is what it means for modders and owners.
- Nintendo of America told GitHub that firmware for Switch modchips breaks the console's copy protection, and GitHub took down 144 repositories in one network.
- The firmware is the code that lets a soldered chip, such as Picofly, HWFLY or SX Core, hack a Switch during start-up.
- Nintendo points to the US criminal case against Team Xecuter, the group behind the SX devices, as support for its claim.
- Chips already inside consoles keep working, but updating or reflashing them gets harder, and the hack does not work on the Switch 2.
Why it matters: Nintendo of America sent GitHub a copyright takedown notice dated November 6, and GitHub removed a network of 144 repositories holding firmware for Switch modchips such as Picofly, HWFLY and SX Core. Nintendo argues the firmware breaks the copy protection on the console and cites the US criminal case against Team Xecuter. Chips already installed keep working, but they can no longer be updated or reflashed from those repositories. Copies may still exist elsewhere on GitHub.
Read the full story →Jensen Huang resigns as NVIDIA CEO, CFO Colette Kress steps in
NVIDIA's board says its co-founder has left as CEO and board member, effective immediately. CFO Colette Kress takes over on an interim basis while the company searches for a permanent chief.
- NVIDIA's board announced that Jensen Huang resigned as President, CEO and board member, effective immediately.
- CFO Colette Kress is interim CEO and keeps her finance job while the board searches for a permanent successor.
- Harvey C. Jones becomes the board's first-ever Chair.
- NVIDIA says its third-quarter results still come on Tuesday, November 17.
Why it matters: NVIDIA's board announced that co-founder Jensen Huang resigned as President, CEO and board member, effective immediately. CFO Colette Kress becomes interim CEO and keeps her finance role, and Harvey C. Jones is the board's first-ever Chair. The company runs the leading AI chip business and was valued at about $4.3 trillion last week. A search for a permanent CEO is open, and earnings are still set for November 17.
Read the full story →Google Wallet can now unlock your front door with a tap
Google Wallet on Android now holds digital home keys for compatible smart locks in Google Home. Tap your phone to open the door, or let it unlock as you walk up.
- Google Wallet on Android now supports digital home keys for compatible smart locks that are set up in the Google Home app.
- Tap to Unlock works by holding an NFC phone near the lock, even with the phone's screen locked by default, on Android 9 or later.
- Unlock on Approach opens the door as you walk up, but needs an Aliro UWB phone, such as the Pixel 10 Pro series and above, and a UWB lock.
- The feature starts in the Google Home public preview with the Aqara u400, Schlage Sense Pro and Nuki Keypad 2 NFC, and reaches everyone over the coming weeks.
Why it matters: Google added digital home key support to Google Wallet, letting Android users open compatible smart locks from Google Home by tapping their phone or, on newer phones, by simply walking up. It starts in the Google Home public preview with three locks: the Aqara u400, Schlage Sense Pro and Nuki Keypad 2 NFC. Apple and Samsung wallets already do this, so Android catches up. Google says it will reach all users over the coming weeks, with more locks to come.
Read the full story →Roku is leaving the smart home to focus on streaming
Days after Fox closed its purchase of Roku, the company said it will stop selling cameras, doorbells, bulbs and plugs. Support for devices you already own continues.
- Roku confirmed it plans to wind down sales of its smart home hardware to focus on being the top streaming platform.
- Only two products were still in stock on Roku's web store, the Indoor Camera 360 and the Video Doorbell and Chime.
- Roku says it will keep supporting and servicing the Roku Smart Home products people already own.
- The news came days after Fox finished its roughly $22 billion purchase of Roku.
Why it matters: Roku said it plans to wind down sales of its smart home hardware, including cameras, doorbells, bulbs and plugs, to focus on streaming. Only two products were left in stock on its store, and both showed up in a surplus-sale listing. Roku says it will keep supporting the devices people already own. The move comes days after Fox closed its roughly $22 billion purchase of the company.
Read the full story →Peacock reworks its phone app around vertical video and AI search
NBCUniversal is testing a new Peacock mobile app with franchise hubs, a player that flips between vertical and horizontal, and a chat-style search.
- NBCUniversal previewed what it calls the biggest set of mobile updates for Peacock. The features are already in testing and will continue through early 2027.
- A Dynamic Video Player will switch between vertical and horizontal video on its own, and live vertical tests are expanding to The Voice, NCAA basketball and golf.
- A chat-style AI search lets viewers start with a mood, a theme or a similar show, then keep refining the request.
- Franchise Hubs gather episodes, clips, podcasts and games for shows like The Traitors, Love Island USA and One Chicago.
Why it matters: NBCUniversal previewed the biggest set of mobile updates yet for Peacock, built around vertical video, franchise hubs, a video player that flips orientation and conversational AI search. The features are already in testing, and the rollout runs through early 2027. NBCUniversal's chairman says the goal is one more hour of viewing per user each month. A membership program is in beta and goes wide in 2027.
Read the full story →Google opens pre-orders for Gemini glasses from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster
Google's first intelligent eyewear starts at $395 from Warby Parker and $449 from Gentle Monster, and arrives in stores and online on December 10.
- Pre-orders opened on November 12 for Google's intelligent eyewear, made with Warby Parker, Gentle Monster and Samsung. Stores and online sales start December 10.
- Warby Parker frames start at $395 and Gentle Monster frames at $449. Both work with Pixel, Samsung and iPhone phones.
- Each pair has a 12-megapixel camera, open-ear speakers, about 9 hours of battery and a case that recharges the frames up to 7 times.
- Google's privacy plan includes an outward light, face blurring for bystanders, no camera images saved in Gemini History and a physical off switch.
Why it matters: Google opened pre-orders for its first Gemini-powered intelligent eyewear, made with Warby Parker, Gentle Monster and Samsung. Frames start at $395 from Warby Parker and $449 from Gentle Monster, with a 12-megapixel camera and about nine hours of battery. They work with Android phones and iPhones. Sales in stores and online begin December 10, and Google published a privacy plan covering both wearers and the people around them.
Read the full story →Yandex Cloud says 2.84% of customer data is gone for good after drone strikes
After drone attacks on three of its data centers in October, Yandex says it restored over 97% of customer data. The rest is lost, and backups will now be on by default.
- Yandex Cloud says it restored more than 97% of customer data, which means 2.84% is permanently lost.
- The company blames critical hardware damage and a lack of backups on the platform; customers who had enabled backups lost nothing.
- Drone strikes hit data centers in Sasovo on October 8, Kaluga on October 9 and Vladimir on October 11.
- Backups are now on by default for new virtual machines, and a new availability zone, ru-central1-f, has opened with limits.
Why it matters: Yandex Cloud says 2.84% of customer data is permanently lost after Ukrainian drone strikes hit three of its data centers in October. It blames critical hardware damage and a lack of backups on the platform, while customers who had backups enabled lost nothing. Over 97% of data was restored. Yandex will now turn backups on by default for new virtual machines and has opened a new availability zone.
Read the full story →DeepMind's AlphaGenome 2 finds nearly twice as many disease-linked DNA variants
Google DeepMind's new DNA model predicts how tiny genetic changes act inside specific cell types, and it is open to researchers today.
- AlphaGenome 2 predicts how DNA changes affect gene activity in specific human cell types, not just broad tissues.
- On a map of 28 immune cell types it found 30% of causal variants, against 16% for the first model fine-tuned on single-cell data.
- It was trained on more than 107 million individual cell profiles from human and mouse samples across 68 tissues.
- It is available now for non-commercial research through the AlphaGenome API, with a private preview for commercial research.
Why it matters: Google DeepMind released AlphaGenome 2, a model that predicts how DNA variants change gene activity in specific human cell types. On the TenK10K immune-cell dataset it found causal variants 30% of the time, against 16% before, and got the direction of the effect right 43% of the time, against 23%. It was trained on more than 107 million cell profiles. Researchers can use it today through an API, for non-commercial work only.
Read the full story →AMD confirms a Radeon driver bug that keeps writing to your SSD
A small background service in AMD's Radeon software can write to your system drive nonstop, even when the PC is idle. AMD says a fix is coming in Adrenalin 26.11.1.
- A background service in AMD's Adrenalin software, atieclxx.exe, can write to the system drive nonstop, even when the PC is idle.
- Owners have measured 0.3 to 1.5 MB per second of writes, and one user logged about 5 MB per second, which adds up to 432 GB a day.
- An AMD representative said a fix has been submitted and should ship in Adrenalin 26.11.1 later in November, with no exact date.
- Not every Radeon PC shows the problem, and nobody has yet published a controlled test of how much wear it causes.
Why it matters: AMD has acknowledged a bug in its Radeon Adrenalin software where a background service, atieclxx.exe, keeps writing to the system SSD, at rates users measured from 0.3 MB per second up to about 5 MB per second. An AMD representative says a fix has been submitted for Adrenalin 26.11.1. Reports suggest the bug dates back months, though not every PC is hit. AMD has given no exact release date.
Read the full story →United Airlines restricts AI agents from booking flights for travelers
United says personal AI assistants that book flights for you create security risks and may break federal rules. The limit covers its own site and the travel agencies that sell its tickets.
- United Airlines said on November 11, 2026 that it is restricting personal AI agents from booking flights, on its own platforms and through travel agencies and aggregators.
- United says handing logins and payment details to an AI tool can cause unintended purchases, account changes or use of MileagePlus miles.
- The airline also says an agent that checks you in could break federal rules, because only a person can confirm that their bag holds nothing banned.
- Southwest takes the opposite path. It lets ChatGPT users search its flights, though booking still happens on Southwest.com.
Why it matters: United Airlines said on November 11 that it is restricting third-party personal AI agents from booking flights, on its own platforms and through travel agencies and aggregators. The airline cites security risks and federal rules, including the one that a person must confirm a bag holds nothing banned. Amazon and JPMorgan Chase already block agents too. Southwest goes the other way and lets ChatGPT users search its flights.
Read the full story →Home Assistant launches Connect AUX-2, a $69 smart home multi-tool
Nabu Casa's new box adds audio streaming, serial control, a Bluetooth hub and Power over Ethernet to older gear. It is on sale worldwide today for $69 or 59 euros.
- Nabu Casa, the company behind official Home Assistant hardware, launched the Connect AUX-2 on November 11, 2026. It costs $69 or 59 euros and ships worldwide.
- The box streams audio, controls devices through two RS-232 serial ports, acts as a Bluetooth hub and can host a Z-Wave adapter.
- It runs on Power over Ethernet, USB power or Wi-Fi, so it can sit wherever a network cable reaches.
- Z-Wave over the network works, Zigbee is still being tested, and Thread does not work yet.
Why it matters: Nabu Casa, the company behind official Home Assistant hardware, launched the Connect AUX-2 on November 11. The $69 box streams audio, controls older gear over serial ports, bridges Bluetooth devices and can host a Z-Wave adapter, powered over Ethernet. It is the first purpose-built Bluetooth hub the company makes. It is on sale worldwide now. Zigbee over the network is still in testing, and Thread does not work yet.
Read the full story →