Anthropic has upgraded Claude’s free tier, adding features previously reserved for paying users. The timing comes as OpenAI prepares to introduce ads into ChatGPT, highlighting the different paths the two AI rivals are taking.

To start off, free Claude users can now create and edit files directly in the chatbot. Yes, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, and PDFs are now real, supported formats in the free platform. The feature runs on Anthropic’s Sonnet 4.5 model, which is known to power Claude’s productivity tools.

What’s more is that connectors are now also available without charge. This integration links Claude to third‑party services such as Canva, Slack, Notion, Zapier, and PayPal. Free users can now automate workflows and connect conversations with external platforms.

Running with wet feet, in wet socks, in wet shoes is the perfect recipe for blisters. It’s also a fast track to low morale. Nothing dampens spirits quicker than soaked socks. On ultra runs, I always carry spares. And when faced with wet, or even snowy, mid-winter miles, the lure of weatherproof shoes is strong. Anything that can stem the soggy tide is worth a go, right?

This isn’t as simple an answer as it sounds. In the past, a lot of runners—that includes me—felt waterproof shoes came with too many trade-offs, like thicker, heavier uppers that change the feel of your shoes or a tendency to run hot and sweaty. In general, weatherproof shoes are less comfortable.

But waterproofing technology has evolved, and it might be time for a rethink. Winterized shoes can now be as light as the regular models, breathability is better, and the comfort levels have improved. Brands are also starting to add extra puddle protection to some of the most popular shoes. So it’s time to ask the questions again: Just how much difference does a bit of Gore-Tex really make? Are there still trade-offs for that extra protection? And is it really worth paying the premium?

I spoke to the waterproofing pros, an elite ultra runner who has braved brutal conditions, and some expert running shoe testers. Here’s everything you need to know about waterproof running shoes in 2026. Need more information? Check out our guide to the Best Running Shoes, our guide to weatherproof fabrics, and our guide to the Best Rain Jackets.

How Do Waterproof Running Shoes Work?

On a basic level, waterproof shoes add extra barriers between your nice dry socks and the wet world outside. If you’re running through puddles deep enough to breach your heel collars, you’re still going to get wet feet. But waterproof shoes can protect against rain, wet grass, snow, and smaller puddles.

Gore-Tex is probably the most common waterproofing tech in footwear, but it’s not the only solution in town. Some brands have proprietary tech, or you might come across alternative systems like eVent and Sympatex. That GTX stamp is definitely the one you’re most likely to encounter, so here’s how GTX works.

The water resistance comes from a layered system that is composed of a durable water repellent (DWR) coating to the uppers with an internal membrane, along with other details like taped seams, more sealed uppers with tighter woven mesh, gusseted tongues, and higher, gaiter-style heel collars.

As the top AI labs like Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI chase enterprise adoption, Canadian AI startup Cohere has been quietly cleaning up.

The startup told investors in a memo that it surpassed its $200 million annual recurring revenue target in 2025, hitting $240 million with quarter-over-quarter growth of more than 50% throughout the year, per CNBC.

Cohere was founded in 2019 and has the backing of enterprise tech investors like Nvidia, AMD, and Salesforce. The startup’s core tech is its Command family of generative AI models, which Cohere says are efficient enough to be deployed on limited GPUs — an attractive promise for enterprises looking to get a handle on cost and resource management. 

Last summer, Cohere launched North, a higher-level enterprise platform and AI workspace for secure, custom AI agents and workflows built on Cohere’s models. 

Cohere’s CEO Aidan Gomez said last October that the startup may IPO “soon.” If “soon” means in 2026, Cohere may be contending against OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceX/xAI, which are all reportedly weighing their own public debuts.

You feel that? The butterflies in your gut? The clenched butt? Of course you do — because today is an Apple event day.

If you’re intrigued about what the company is potentially going to announce, we’ve got you. If you want to know how to watch it, friend, we’ve got you.

In this piece though, we’re looking at the possibility that today’s event isn’t a standalone extravaganza. Instead, it’s most likely one of a pair of events.

Excuse me while I button up my trenchcoat, find my magnifying glass, and kick-off a drinking problem. It’s detective time, pals. Here’s our first clue that today’s Apple event may be part of a pair:

There will be two events, and I’d expect the latter to be Mac + iPad. iPhone/Watch Tuesday. https://t.co/xfAjhUkigC

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 12, 2021

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Okay, yeah, this isn’t exactly a bit of Sherlockian analysis, but a clue is still a clue — even if it just gives us the answer straight away.

Thankfully though, this adventure doesn’t end there. We’ve got some more evidence to comb through.

A look at last year’s Apple events

If we stretch our minds back to 2020 (OH GOD NO), you’ll remember there were three Apple events at the rear end of the year. There was the September 15 one where the company announced new Apple Watches and iPads.

Next up was the October 13 Apple event. This is where the company announced the iPhone 12 range. Finally, we have the Apple event which took place on November 10. This was where the company launched its new Macs with the M1 chip.

Don’t worry, there is a point to listing all these events: Apple has recent history of spreading its product announcements over several events. This means that having a follow-up show after this one has precedence.

The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced of what a good idea it is.

Let’s ponder this it from Apple’s perspective. Now the events are fully digital, there’s no need to worry about getting people in a room. For the public, it’s also much easier to understand a couple of products being updated, rather than dozens.

Then you have the media. Basically, every damn media outlet will cover the ins-and-outs of each event, meaning Apple will receive huge amounts of coverage for just… splitting up a video? Sending out some RSVPs?

It’s really a genius bit of PR and marketing.

I’d say then it’s pretty likely we’ll be getting at least one more Apple event after today. It’s tough to know the precise product split — or whether it’ll be in October or November — but Gurman is probably right: one event that’s Apple Watch and iPhone, then another that’s iPad and Macs.

And lord, I can’t wait.

from the ctrl-alt-speech dept

Ctrl-Alt-Speech is a weekly podcast about the latest news in online speech, from Mike Masnick and Everything in Moderation‘s Ben Whitelaw.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Pocket Casts, YouTube, or your podcast app of choice — or go straight to the RSS feed.

In this week’s roundup of the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation, Ben is joined by Dr. Blake Hallinan, Professor of Platform Studies in the Department of Media & Journalism Studies at Aarhus University. Together, they discuss:

Play along with Ctrl-Alt-Speech’s 2026 Bingo Card and get in touch if you win!

Filed Under: age verification, ai, artificial intelligence, child safety, content moderation, section 230

Companies: discord, meta, tiktok

The Russian government is trying to block WhatsApp in the country as its crackdown on communication platforms outside its control intensifies.

WhatsApp announced the action against it on X, calling it “a backwards step” that “can only lead to less safety for people in Russia.”

WhatsApp assured its Russian users that it will continue doing everything it can to keep them connected.

According to Russian media, the country’s internet watchdog, Roskomnadzor, had recently excluded the domains whatsapp.com and web.whatsapp.com from the National Domain Name System, citing the official explanation of countering crime and fraud.

In practice, excluding the domains from domestic DNS routing made WhatsApp services accessible only to users who use VPN tools or external resolvers.

However, more aggressive measures are reportedly now in place, with the latest attempt to fully block WhatsApp in Russia. The instant messenger’s parent company, Meta, has been designated as an “extremist” entity in Russia since 2022.

WhatsApp saw its first restrictions in the country in August 2025, when Roskomnadzor began throttling voice and video calls. In October 2025, the authorities attempted to block new user registrations.

Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov reportedly stated that the authorities are open to allowing WhatsApp to resume operations in the country, provided that Meta complies with local legislation.

WhatsApp blocks came shortly after similar action was taken against Telegram, which was reportedly aggressively throttled earlier this week in Russia.

Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, responded to the situation by stating that Russia is trying to encourage its citizens to use the Kremlin-controlled MAX messenger app.

MAX is a controversial communications platform developed by VK, which became mandatory on all electronic devices sold in the country since September 2025.

Although MAX is promoted as a secure app that safeguards national communications from foreign surveillance, several independent reviewers have raised concerns about encryption weaknesses, government access, and extensive data-collection risks.

For now, users in Russia may be able to continue accessing their messengers of choice by using VPN tools, though those are not immune to the government’s crackdown either.

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Nintendo took a chance in 2001 with the Pokemon Mini, the world’s smallest cartridge-based platform to date. This teeny-tiny device was smaller than a matchbox and only held ten official games before fading into obscurity. Game makers had to get creative with the tiny 160×100 monochrome LCD screen driven by an Epson S1C88 CPU running at 4.194304 MHz, resulting in charming, simplified Pokémon adventures. Four AAA batteries kept the fun going for about 20 hours before needing a recharge, with cartridges containing a maximum of 2 MB of ROM, but the hardware was so constrained that game programmers had to get somewhat creative with the design.

Homebrew enthusiasts recognized the potential for restoring this historical relic. They began developing emulators, assemblers, and even flash carts after gathering a plethora of information through reverse engineering and community tools. Websites like pokemon-mini.net have become troves of downloads, ranging from full games and demonstrations to development kits. Programmers working on the Mini often utilize C or assembly language using the open-source c88-pokemini toolchain on GitHub, or they can obtain a genuine Epson SDK from the past, which includes a minimal simulator for testing code.

Inkbox entered the fray with Pokémon Ambulation, their version on Frogger’s iconic ‘river-crossing hurdle. The game allows you to choose from eight different Pokémon; whether you want to speed across as lightning-quick Pikachu or plod along as lumbering Snorlax, you must guide them through a succession of scrolling lanes laden with hazards. There are automobiles zipping along horizontally, logs sliding across the water, and gators snapping shut in irritation. Collision means you have to start over, but reaching the far bank earns you points and advances you to the next level.

Assembly code is crucial to the S1C88 core’s operation. Inkbox began as a fairly simple application to get the system up and running and manage interrupts. When it came to visuals, they used 4-bit grayscale tiles, which means they had 256 possible shades to work with to cover the 20×16 screen grid. Backgrounds scroll quite smoothly thanks to some smart fiddling with hardware registers, and sprites, such as the Pokémon itself, can be superimposed on top of backdrops to make them appear more believable. A basic tone generator generates sound effects, such as beeps to indicate that you’ve leaped and a crash to indicate that you’ve failed, all of which are synced to the frame rate.

Getting down to the nitty-gritty of constructing the tiles for their game required precision. Inkbox developed an online editor, which is still hosted at notin.tokyo/pminiTiles, that allows you to draw and then export your creations directly into the game. The LCD panel doesn’t have many shades to play with, so it takes some smart pixel-dithering to make it appear that there are more than just the 16 or so shades available. Every frame is scanned for collision detection, which occurs at a staggering 60 frames per second. Input comes from the usual suspects, four buttons and a D-pad, but to avoid jitters, the code debounces the buttons.

Instead of running large amounts of code on an emulator, testing was done directly on hardware. Emulators such as PokeMini can help ensure that the code works, but timing and LCD refresh issues imply that the thing must still be run on actual hardware. Inkbox effectively inserted an RP2040 microcontroller into a bespoke cartridge shell, which was configured to simulate ROM via SPI flash and was connected to the Mini’s bus like an actual game cartridge. When you turn it on, the Nintendo logo appears on the screen, Ambulation loaded, and the game begins; the buttons click with a pleasing ‘click’, and the screen glows low-key in the dark.
[Source]