Tech & AI News Roundup — October 5, 2026, 4:01 AM UTC

Quick links to what's actually happening in AI, tech, and IT right now — curated from real reporting, not rewritten, so you can go read the full story wherever it's genuinely worth your time.

Trump unveils 'Super Intelligence Force' to oversee AI policy

The president named his national intelligence chief as the taskforce's head as worries over AI grow. — BBC Technology

The forgotten Chromebook that started it all

Google didn't even call the first Chromebook a "Chromebook." The Cr-48 had no interesting design and no bright logos - it wasn't even designed to be a product you could buy. Instead, it was a portal to a big new idea about computers. In this week's episode of Version History, The Verge's Nilay Patel and MKBHD's Marques Brownlee join David Pierce to help explain the history of ChromeOS and Chromebo — The Verge

Inside our months-long investigation into Kevin O’Leary’s Utah data center debacle

Today I’m talking with Josh Dzieza, a longtime features writer here at The Verge, about Kevin O’Leary’s plans to build a massive data center in Utah. The idea was to build the world’s biggest data center — a 40,000-acre AI campus with nine gigawatts of power, or more than double the average power usage of the entire state of Utah. The project is technically called Stratos, but it’s more prominentl — The Verge

Pixel 11 vs OnePlus 15: Which Android Phone Gives You More for the Money?

Pixel 11 and OnePlus 15 start near $899. Compare display, performance, cameras, battery, software support, and which phone gives you more value. The post Pixel 11 vs OnePlus 15: Which Android Phone Gives You More for the Money? appeared first on TechRepublic. — TechRepublic

Airtel Money targets $7 billion valuation in London IPO debut

The listing gives investors a price for a business processing more than $245 billion in annualised transactions. — TechCabal

Apple Pay Arrives in India, Taking on a Payments Market Dominated by UPI

Apple Pay has launched in India with Axis Bank credit cards, entering a digital payments market where UPI already dominates everyday transactions. The post Apple Pay Arrives in India, Taking on a Payments Market Dominated by UPI appeared first on TechRepublic. — TechRepublic

The Best Early Amazon Echo Deals (and the Worst) Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days

Amazon raised prices across its devices in August. Here are the early device deals ahead of Prime Day that are still worth it—and which aren’t. — Wired

Amazon Kindle, Paperwhite, and Colorsoft 2026: Specs, Price, Release Date

Ahead of the Kindle’s 20th anniversary next year, Amazon is refreshing its entire range of e-readers with fresh colors, an aluminum build, and a new frame design that’s both thinner and lighter. — Wired