Technologies

Google accused again of price-fixing with Facebook in proposed class action suit

The complaint says Facebook was given «special information» for online advertising auctions.

Google this week was hit by a lawsuit from two Massachusetts companies accusing the search giant of cutting an illegal deal with Facebook that gave the social network unfair advantages in online advertising auctions.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday in San Francisco, request class action status for advertisers on Facebook who were «victimized» by the agreement.

The lawsuit references allegations first made in an antitrust complaint against Google filed last year by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and a group of nine other state AGs. At the time, the states alleged Google illegally teamed up with Facebook, its fiercest competitor in the digital advertising market, after Facebook threatened to go after Google’s dominance in the market by backing an ad buying technique called «header bidding.»

Google, concerned by Facebook’s moves in the ad market, allegedly reached out to Facebook to try to defuse the threat. In the end, Facebook backed off after Google agreed to give the social network «special information, a speed advantage to assist Facebook in succeeding in the auctions, and a guaranteed win rate,» according to Tuesday’s complaint.

«To sufficiently incentivize Facebook, Google and Facebook agreed to fix prices and allocate markets between them in the auctions for publishers’ web displays and in-app advertising,» the complaint says. «Given the scope and extensive nature of cooperation between Google and Facebook, they were highly aware that their activities could trigger antitrust violations.»

Reached for comment on Wednesday, a Google spokesman pointed to a blog post the company published in January responding to the Texas lawsuit. In the post, Google called the lawsuit a «misleading attack on our ad tech business.»

Facebook declined to comment. Previously, the company had dismissed the claims, saying «partnerships like this are common in the industry.»

The complaint comes as Google finds itself the target of multiple major antitrust lawsuits, including a complaint filed last month by a coalition of 36 states and the District of Columbia over allegedly anticompetitive practices at Google’s Play store, a marketplace for apps. The suit joins other cases designed to probe Google’s dominance in everything from search and advertising to the power of its Android operating system, the dominant mobile software in the world.

Technologies

This 69-Watt Retractable Car Charger Is Just $16, Its Best-Ever Price

The Lisen retractable charger usually costs $25, but you can nab one for 35% off.

No matter how long the batteries in our phones and other tech last these days, you can bet they always die when you need them most. This is why having a charging device or two with you on the go is always a good idea.

If you have a daily commute by car or enjoy road trips, the Lisen 69-watt retractable charger can charge your phone on the move — perfect for satellite navigation and in-car entertainment use. Even better, it costs just $16 at Amazon right now — a 35% discount, the lowest price we’ve seen this sell for, and you don’t have to do anything special to get it.

This Lisen retractable car charger provides up to 69 watts of power and fits into 12V vehicle sockets. The versatile device comes with two retractable USB-C cords as well as two input ports. Thanks to these ports, you can charge phones, smartwatches, cameras and other USB-C-compatible devices. All four ports can be used simultaneously if needed.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

Plus, this Lisen car charger is coated with fire retardant so you can use it in your car, RV or van with additional peace of mind. Want more options? Check out our list of the best wireless car chargers to determine what works best for you, whether you’re charging a phone or something more power-hungry like a laptop.

Why this deal matters

This Lisen 69-watt car charger has a total of four ports that can be used simultaneously. Now you can save 35% with this limited-time deal that slashes the price to just $16. That makes this the perfect time to get the replacement or backup charger you need.

Technologies

AI Notification Summaries Come Back to iPhone News Apps, but With a Warning

Apple disabled these summaries for most of 2025.

Apple brought AI notification summaries for news and entertainment apps back to Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhones when the company released iOS 26 in September. Apple disabled these summaries in early 2025 after the BBC pointed out in December 2024 that the feature twisted the media organization’s notifications and displayed inaccurate information.

What’s different now about these summaries is that your device’s settings warn you that the summaries might be inaccurate. Your device will also note that you should verify the information in these summaries, and the best way I can think of to do this is to tap into the notification and read the story. This might defeat the purpose of the summaries for some people, but it could also ensure people read past a headline.

Here’s what to know about those AI summaries and the new warning.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

iOS 26 warns about summary inaccuracies

When I updated to iOS 26, I was greeted by some splash screens asking for various permissions. One splash screen was for the AI notification summaries. When you see this screen, you have two options: Choose Notifications to Summarize or Not Now. If you tap Not Now, the splash screen goes away.

If you tap Choose Notifications to Summarize, you’re taken to a new page where you’ll see three categories: News & Entertainment, Communication & Social and All Other Apps. Tapping one of these categories allows notification summaries for apps in that category. Beneath the News & Entertainment category, there’s a warning that gets outlined in red if you tap it.

«Summarization may change the meaning of the original headline,» the warning reads, adding, «Verify information.»

There’s also a warning across the bottom of the screen that reads, «This is a beta feature. Summaries may contain errors.»

After tapping the categories you want, tap Summarize Selected Notifications across the bottom of your screen. If you selected all the categories, this button will read Summarize All Notifications.

And if you don’t want these summaries, you can tap Do Not Summarize Notifications. If you allow these summaries and don’t like them, you can easily turn them off. Here’s how.

How to turn off AI notification summaries

1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap Notifications.
3. Tap Summarize Notifications.

4. Tap the Summarize Notifications toggle in the new menu.

You can also follow the above steps to turn AI notification summaries back on. You’ll have to select which categories you want these summaries for again, too.

For more iOS news, here’s what to know about iOS 26.2 and what was included in iOS 26.1. You can also check out our iOS 26 cheat sheet for other tips and tricks.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Jan. 7, #471

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 7, No. 471.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a bit tricky. The blue category was a real stumper for me, though I found the purple group easy today for a change. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: On the ice.

Green group hint: Run and jump.

Blue group hint: Baseball bosses.

Purple group hint: Golden State schools.