Apple's HomeView smart display gets good reviews, with a privacy catch
Apple's first smart display, HomeView, has a small square touchscreen and comes in a tabletop or wall-mount version. The Verge says it's excellent at running smart home gear, handy in the kitchen, and a nice photo frame. The catch: it can show texts and calendars from the iPhones in the house, and the reviewer found she could read her teenager's messages, and the other way around. MacRumors adds that there's no App Store on it.
Any shared screen in the kitchen or hallway is a shared screen. Before you set one up, go through which accounts and notifications it can show, and give kids and guests their own profiles where you can.
Source: The Verge
Microsoft's Outlook and Teams outage dragged into Friday
A Microsoft outage that started Thursday afternoon knocked out Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and Copilot for lots of people, and some still couldn't get into Outlook early Friday. Microsoft blamed a surge in traffic and a group of servers going down, and says it doesn't see any sign of hacking. It says delayed emails will keep trying to deliver for up to two days.
If an important email or bill notice seems missing this week, give it a day, then check the sender's website or call. And be extra careful with "your account is locked" emails right after an outage. Scammers love to copy those. Go to the site yourself instead of clicking the link.
Google and Samsung's Gemini glasses open for pre-order
Google's new Intelligent Eyewear, built with Samsung and styled by Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, is up for pre-order and hits stores Dec. 10. They look like regular glasses but have a camera, small open-ear speakers, voice help from Gemini, walking directions and live translation. A light shows when they're recording, 9to5Google says recording stops if that light is covered, and there's a physical off switch. They work with recent Android phones and newer iPhones.
As camera glasses and doorbell cams get more common, it's fair to ask guests, contractors and visitors whether they're recording inside your home. A recording light is a good sign, but a polite question is better.
Source: 9to5Google
Samsung is reportedly in talks to buy cooling maker Modine
Bloomberg reports that Samsung is talking about buying Modine, an American company that makes cooling equipment for data centers. Nothing is final, and the talks could still fall apart. The bigger picture is that AI data centers need huge amounts of cooling, and big electronics brands want a bigger piece of the heating and cooling business.
Big company news doesn't change what your system needs at home. Change the filter, keep the outdoor unit clear, and if the heat starts acting up, have it looked at before the coldest night of the year.
Source: CNA, reporting Reuters
Trane expects home heating and cooling sales to pick back up in 2027
At an investor conference, Trane's leaders said data center cooling is still a big driver, and most of their commercial markets grew last quarter. On the home side, they said 2026 was flat to a little down and they expect growth in 2027. Service is now about a third of the company's business. They also named supply chain pressure and changing regulations as rough spots.
A slow year for new systems is a good reminder that a well-kept system lasts longer. A yearly tune-up catches small problems, like a weak part or a dirty burner, before they turn into a no-heat call in January.
Source: Investing.com
Safety reminder from me
Cold nights are when furnaces, water heaters and space heaters work hardest. If you smell gas, leave the house first and call your gas company from outside. Never open up gas lines, refrigerant lines or your electrical panel yourself. For anything electrical inside the panel, call a qualified electrician. For heating trouble, I can help with a $79 diagnostic or a $79 tune-up.
