24h Technology: Samsung prepares to launch a tri-fold smartphone, Perplexity launches free AI Comet browser

Samsung prepares to launch Galaxy Z TriFold, the first tri-fold smartphone

The latest information shows that the Galaxy Z TriFold - Samsung's first tri-fold phone model may be announced at the end of this month. Notably, Samsung will likely introduce this device within the framework of the APEC Summit, taking place in Korea on October 31 - November 1.

This is an international diplomatic event, rarely a place to launch a smartphone, but Korean media said Samsung wants to consider the Galaxy Z TriFold as a national technology symbol, not simply a new product.

Samsung previously teased a new foldable product launch event in China in mid-October, which is believed to be for the W26 series, which typically includes higher-end versions of the Galaxy Z Flip7 and Galaxy Z Fold7.

However, many leaked sources confirm that the Galaxy Z TriFold will appear soon after. Some animations demonstrating multitasking capabilities and work support features have been shared, making the technology world wait even longer.

Unlike last year's special edition Galaxy Z Fold that was limited to Korea, the Galaxy Z TriFold is expected to be sold in the US as well, marking Samsung's global ambition in the race with rival Huawei Mate XTs.

Perplexity launches free AI browser Comet

AI startup Perplexity has just announced the launch of its Comet browser for free to all users. Initially, Comet was only available to Max customers with a $200/month plan, but after only three months, there were millions of registrations waiting to download.

Comet is designed to act as an AI assistant when you browse the web: it can answer questions about page content, summarize information, organize and manage data, and even navigate the web on your behalf.

Free users will get the basic version, while the Max plan has more powerful features, including a background assistant, a hidden assistant that can perform multiple tasks in parallel such as composing emails, booking tickets, or finding flights.

In addition, Comet also integrates many tools such as Discover (personalized news suggestions), Spaces (project management), Shopping, Travel, Finance and Sports. This free release is considered a step for Perplexity to compete with giants like Google Chrome, as well as prepare before OpenAI launches its own AI browser.

Google brings Jules, its AI programming assistant, straight into the development environment

Google continues to expand the capabilities of Jules, its AI programming tool, by releasing Jules Tools, a command-line interface (CLI), and a public API. This allows developers to use Jules right in the terminal, in a CI/CD system, or integrate with Slack, instead of having to work on the web or GitHub as before.

Jules differs from Gemini CLI by focusing on specific tasks and performing them automatically after user approval. Google has also added a memo feature for Jules to save interactions, along with many improvements such as a new diff interface and the ability to read and reply to comments on pull requests.

With the API, developers can integrate Jules into IDE environments like VS Code, helping to streamline the coding process. However, Google also notes that supervision is still important, because if Jules encounters difficulties, it will stop and ask the user for assistance.

Jules is currently offered in a variety of pricing plans, from free (15 tasks/day) to the premium Ultra plan that costs nearly $125/month, allowing for 20 times more workloads.

Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 sell beyond expectations in the US

A new report from Samsung says the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 are doing well in the US, making them the company's best-selling foldable smartphones ever.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 has been particularly successful in attracting users from other brands to switch, while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 mainly appeals to customers who are already familiar with the Galaxy S Ultra series.

Samsung says nearly 30% of Z Fold7 buyers are upgrading from the Ultra line. Current sales are 50% higher than the previous generation.

iOS 26 causes controversy because of icons in Dark Mode

Apple just released the iOS 26 update, but not everyone is happy. Users on Reddit and other tech forums are complaining that the new Dark Mode makes icons look tilted, with a lighting effect at one corner. Some say this is uncomfortable to the eyes, even causing dizziness when looking at it for a long time.

Adjusting between Dark Mode and Light Mode is also not very convenient, as users have to operate directly on the home screen instead of in the Settings section.

It is not yet clear whether Apple will release a patch or change this design in the near future. In the meantime, users are advised to try switching to other themes to avoid discomfort.