The day in tech.

Amazon launches three Alexa Tablets running official Android on October 14, priced at $500, $330, and $230. The 12-inch Pro model costs $499.99 with a 120Hz display and 16GB RAM. Devices launch in UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain on October 19. Amazon stops shipping Fire tablets. Panos Panay leads development after returning from Microsoft.

U.S. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling suspends Microsoft and Adobe from the permanent residency program on Thursday due to alleged fraud. The action halts new applications for these firms and six others, including Cognizant and Infosys, while nine universities face investigation. Suspension affects nearly three-quarters of approved visas from India.

OpenAI states its annualized revenue is $50 billion, correcting the widely cited $68 billion figure. The company posted a net loss of $38.5 billion in 2025 on $13.07 billion in revenue. It seeks to raise around $30 billion in a new funding round while targeting a 2027 debut.

Chinese AI startup Manus raised over $500 million on October 8, led by Boyu Capital and IDG Capital. Tencent, HSG Capital, and ZhenFund participated. This follows Meta's blocked $2 billion acquisition in April 2026 due to national security concerns. China barred co-founders Xiao Hong and Ji Yichao from leaving.

Apple confirms a 'Welcome Home' event on October 13, 2026, in New York. New CEO John Ternus leads the rollout, unveiling a smart home hub, refreshed HomePod mini, and an Apple TV 4K update. Rumors indicate a HomePad combining an iPad and HomePod running iOS 27.

Microsoft launches the XP Media Division on Thursday to manage films and TV for its gaming franchises. Kayleen Walters leads the unit, while Maria Angelidou-Smith becomes Mojang CEO starting October 19th. The move formalizes four investment areas including XBOX PICTURES and XBOX PRODUCTS. CEO Asha Sharma announced 3,200 job cuts in July following a 7% revenue drop.

Google launches a universal Gemini agent on Oct 8, 2026, for enterprise private preview. CEO Thomas Kurian notes nearly 80% customer AI usage, while VP Sharon Prosser highlights usage increasing more than fivefold year over year. Agents get cryptographically attested identity. Government, healthcare and retail coming soon.

On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance and Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the suspension of the PERM green card program for eight major tech firms including Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Capgemini.

Waymo closed a $5 billion debt financing round on Thursday led by Goldman Sachs, Pimco, Blackstone, and Sixth Street. The loan priced at 5.25 percentage points over benchmark supports autonomous ride-hailing expansion. The company targets 1 million paid rides per week by year-end across 20 cities worldwide.

New York Attorney General Letitia James filed an amended lawsuit alleging TikTok provided a placebo safety feature called Algo Refresh to thousands of users, including children, during 2023 tests. The tool failed to refresh feeds, yet users believed it worked, leading to claims of deception. One teenager died by suicide after being denied tool.