The two companies announced an amended partnership that lets OpenAI use other cloud platforms and offer its models to other companies. OpenAI is opening up its partnership with Microsoft in the latest amendment to the major multi-year collaboration between the tech giants. The latest changes allow OpenAI to offer its latest AI models to other companies and through other cloud providers, stripping Microsoft of its exclusivity rights. In a joint announcement posted on OpenAI and Microsoft's websites, Microsoft will still be OpenAI's primary cloud partner with the latest products shipping first on Azure, but OpenAI is now allowed to use any cloud provider. Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, posted on X that the company is now able to make our products and services available across all clouds.

The province's premier, Wab Kinew, proposed the ban during a fundraiser, but didn't elaborate on key details. Manitoba could be the first province in Canada to establish a social media ban for kids, but the proposal's details aren't very clear yet. The province's premier, Wab Kinew, announced during a fundraiser event on Saturday and on X that Manitoba would put in place a ban for social media and AI chatbots for its youth. They're doing these very awful things to kids all in the name of a few likes, all in the name of more engagement, and all in the name of money, Kinew said at the event. Our kids will never be for sale and their attention and their childhoods should never be profited from.

OpenAI's Sam Altman apologizes for not reporting ChatGPT account of Tumbler Ridge suspect to police Altman penned a letter addressed to the community of Tumbler Ridge, two months following the mass shooting incident. Two months following the deadly shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, OpenAI's Sam Altman has formally apologized for not informing police of the alarming ChatGPT conversations seen with the suspect's account. Before the incident, OpenAI banned the account belonging to the alleged shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, for violating its usage policy due to potential for real-world violence. I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned in June, Altman wrote in the letter. While I know words can never be enough, I believe an apology is necessary to recognize the harm and irreversible loss your community has suffered.

The company says the vehicle made contact at under 6 mph and the child sustained minor injuries. Waymo said one of its robotaxis struck a child, who sustained minor injuries. The incident took place in Santa Monica, California, on January 23. The company reported it to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has opened an investigation . The agency said the incident occurred close to a school within regular drop-off hours, with other children and a crossing guard nearby.

The reviews train rolls on at Engadget. We've had another busy couple of weeks, and more new devices are arriving for testing every day. For now, catch up on our in-depth analysis of the new base-model iPad, Nothing Phone 3a duo, some incredible sounding headphones and more. It's not a particularly exciting update, and it lacks Apple Intelligence entirely, but Apple's latest entry-level tablet still meets most iPad users where they live with little drama. Apple has been busy updating several devices over the past few weeks, including the "regular" iPad.

It's a slower October than usual in the tech industry, thanks mostly to Google and Microsoft having held their typical fall hardware announcements earlier this year. Still, we've seen a fair number of companies reveal new devices in the last two weeks, while Amazon's October Prime Day raged on. Whether you were busy shopping or watching Elon Musk talk up robotaxis and cybervans, the Engadget team continued to review recently (and not-so-recently) launched products. As usual, this bi-weekly roundup is here to help you catch up, though because I missed last week's edition (as I was out on time off), the cadence is just a bit off. From Meta's Quest 3S VR headset and the DJI Air 3S drone, to Sony's midrange suite of audio gear, these weeks have coincidentally been about the less premium, more affordable "un-flagships," if you will. And it turns out you don't have to throw chunks of your retirement savings at companies to get solid devices that are well worth the money.