Microsoft has reintroduced its holiday ugly sweaters with Clippy, Xbox and Zune themes. The Clippy-themed "Artifact" sweater includes retro icons such as MS-DOS and Internet Explorer. The sweaters are available on Microsoft's online store and at physical locations in Redmond, Wash., and New York City.

Integrators are taking a cautious approach to AI for smart homes, focusing on privacy, stability and personalized control. Companies such as Josh.ai, Savant, Snap One and Crestron are developing AI to enhance natural language interaction and improve integrator efficiency.

Netflix has made a second, primarily cash-based offer for Warner Bros. Discovery's studios and HBO Max, intensifying competition with Paramount Skydance and Comcast. Sources said the latter two companies have also submitted bids, and Warner Bros. Discovery has said it wants to wrap up the auction process by Christmas.

TikTok Shop is transforming ecommerce, leveraging its algorithm to turn shopping into entertainment, driving $19 billion in global merchandise sales in the third quarter, nearly matching eBay's $20.1 billion. The platform's success is attributed to its ability to make products appear naturally in users' feeds, endorsed by trusted creators, which has normalized social shopping for US consumers.