Starting tomorrow at 12pm PT, Claude subscriptions will no longer cover usage on third-party tools like OpenClaw.

You can still use these tools with your Claude login via extra usage bundles (now available at a discount), or with a Claude API key.

We’ve been working hard to meet the increase in demand for Claude, and our subscriptions weren’t built for the usage patterns of these third-party tools. Capacity is a resource we manage thoughtfully and we are prioritizing our customers using our products and API.

Subscribers get a one-time credit equal to your monthly plan cost. If you need more, you can now buy discounted usage bundles. To request a full refund, look for a link in your email tomorrow.

We want to be intentional in managing our growth to continue to serve our customers sustainably long-term. This change is a step toward that.

Leaving class for a quick bathroom break now comes with a timer for many students in New York City.

A digital hall pass system called SmartPass is rolling out across public schools. It replaces the old paper pass with a digital one. Students sign out on a classroom iPad. Then the system tracks how long they are gone.

On paper, it sounds efficient. In practice, it is stirring strong reactions.

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How the SmartPass digital hall pass works

SmartPass logs when a student leaves class and tracks how long they are out and where they go. Teachers can view that information in real time, which gives them a live snapshot of student movement during the school day. SmartPass says the system is designed to improve safety, reduce disruptions and give staff better visibility into student movement.

The system keeps a running total of time spent outside the classroom. It can also limit how many students are allowed in the hallway at once. In some cases, it can flag or block overlapping passes between students. Schools can also restrict when passes are allowed, depending on the schedule or specific rules set by staff.

Supporters say this helps reduce disruptions and keeps students accountable. They also argue it improves safety during emergencies because staff can quickly see who is out of class. However, that is only one side of the story.

Students say SmartPass feels like surveillance

Many students are not buying the “efficiency” argument. Some say the system makes them feel rushed during basic needs. Others worry about being constantly monitored.

One student described it as uncomfortable, like someone is always watching. Another said it turns something simple into a stressful countdown.

There are also reports of strict time limits. In some cases, students say teachers set very short timers for bathroom use. That can create awkward situations fast.

And then there are loopholes. Students have figured out ways to sign out under someone else’s name. That can block another student from leaving class at all.

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SmartPass raises growing privacy concerns

Privacy advocates are raising bigger concerns. Critics say tools like SmartPass go too far.

“Hyper invasive, error-prone AI surveillance technologies have no place in school bathrooms,” said Charlotte Pope, Equal Justice Works Fellow at the NYCLU. “Third-party surveillance products, like the electronic hall passes, put students’ sensitive, personal data at the whims of for-profit corporations, unnecessarily put even more punitive discipline into students’ lives, and add more fuel to the school-to-prison pipeline. For generations, students went to the bathroom without big brother watching just fine – the difference is that now, companies are making money off it.”

The fear is not only about today. It is about what happens to that data later. School officials say the system meets strict privacy rules. They also say schools are not required to use it. Still, critics argue that once data is collected, the risk never fully disappears.

How much NYC is spending on SmartPass

There is also a financial angle. New York City reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on SmartPass contracts in recent years. That breaks down to a few thousand dollars per school.

At the same time, the city faces major budget gaps. That raises a fair question. Should schools invest in tracking tools or focus on staffing and facilities? Students are asking that question too.

Why this conversation is not going away

Technology in schools is not new. But the level of tracking is changing. What used to be a simple hall pass is now a data point. Multiply that across a school day, and you start to see a pattern forming.

Some people see that as progress. Others see it as overreach. Either way, tools like SmartPass are likely just the beginning.

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What this means to you

Even if you are not a student in New York, this trend still matters. Digital monitoring tools are becoming part of everyday life. You can now find them in schools, workplaces and public spaces.

As a result, data collection is starting to feel normal in places where it never used to exist. Even simple systems can build detailed profiles over time. That information can reveal patterns about behavior without people realizing it.

At the same time, convenience often comes with tradeoffs. Tools that make things easier can also reduce privacy. Once these systems are in place, they rarely stay limited. They tend to expand and track more over time.

If you have kids, it is worth asking how their school collects and stores data. If you are a student, you have a right to understand what is being tracked and why it matters.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

There is a real balance to strike here. Schools want safety and structure. Students want trust and privacy. Those goals do not always line up. SmartPass sits right in the middle of that tension. It promises control and visibility. It also raises questions about how much monitoring is too much. The bigger issue may not be this one system. It is the direction things are heading.

If tracking tools become standard in schools, where should the line be drawn between safety and personal space? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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On Thursday, during Artemis II’s journey to the Moon, commander Reid Wiseman ran into a tech issue some of us back on Earth can relate to: Microsoft Outlook wasn’t working. In a conversation captured in NASA’s Artemis livestream and shared on Bluesky, Wiseman reported to Mission Control: “I also see that I have two Microsoft Outlooks and neither one of those are working.”

To take care of the issue, Mission Control had to remotely access Wiseman’s personal computing device (PCD), a Microsoft Surface Pro. During a press conference on Thursday, Artemis flight director Judd Frieling said NASA had fixed the issue, stating, “This is not uncommon. We have this on-station all the time. You know, sometimes Outlook has issues getting configured, especially when you don’t have a network that’s directly connected. And so essentially we just had to reload his files on Outlook to get it working.”

NASA uses a combination of its Near Space Network and Deep Space Network to stay in touch with Artemis II, relying on a mix of antennas around the world and satellites in orbit. Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas has to shift communications between these networks as Artemis II gets further away from Earth.

Aside from the Microsoft Surface Pro, the Artemis II crew’s gear list also includes Nikon D5 DSLR cameras, a ZCube video encoder, and handheld GoPro cameras for filming content for a Disney/National Geographic documentary. The crew was also allowed to bring their phones with them — you can even see their phones being stowed away in their spacesuit pockets in NASA’s livestream.