Tech News Digest: Thursday, 18 June 2026

Today in tech, we're seeing the real-world cost of the AI boom hitting everything from the price of your next smartphone to the way we manage our digital focus. From Google's latest attempt to fix the smart home to a growing movement for "slow tech," here is what you need to know this Thursday.

Tesco moves 40,000 server workloads off VMware

Britain's biggest retailer is ditching VMware for 40,000 workloads following what it calls "abusive conduct" from Broadcom regarding licensing. This is a massive migration that signals how even the UK's largest companies are losing patience with the shifting costs of enterprise software, potentially sparking a trend for other home-grown firms to follow suit.

Google bets on Gemini to reinvent the smart home speaker

Google’s new £80 ($99.99) Home Speaker is finally arriving, swapping rigid, scripted voice commands for the more conversational Gemini AI. It marks a major shift from the "dumb" assistants of the past to a truly generative home companion, though we’ll have to see if the hardware can finally make the smart home as helpful as promised.

How to turn off AI in your Google Docs

If you’re tired of the "write with Gemini" prompts cluttering your workspace, there is finally a straightforward way to disable the pop-ups. This is a win for productivity and focus, especially for those of us who prefer a clean digital page without an AI assistant constantly peering over our shoulder and suggesting what to type next.

The slowtech revolution aims to rescue your attention span

A new movement dubbed "slowtech" is gaining traction among users desperate to reclaim their time from addictive algorithms and constant notifications. As more people seek out minimalist devices and tools to take back control of their lives, it suggests a significant shift in how we value our digital well-being over constant connectivity.

AI costs may force iPhone price increases

Tim Cook has warned that the "unsustainable" costs of integrating advanced AI into the Apple ecosystem might lead to more expensive iPhones in the near future. For UK consumers already facing a premium for hardware, this suggests that the next generation of "Apple Intelligence" features will likely come with a much heavier price tag than we're used to.

We’ll be back tomorrow with more updates on how the tech world is shifting.