Tech archive

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1. Sennheiser Delivers 57-Hour Battery With Momentum 5

   The Momentum 5 give listeners up to 57 hours of playback and balanced sound for $399.99. They add eight mics for stronger ANC and a user-replaceable

2. Apple Revives 'Duo' Name With iPhone Duo, Reframing Foldable History

   Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, revives the 'Duo' name and shifts comparisons away from Microsoft's discontinued Surface Duo toward Apple's

3. PNOĒ Launches Self-Serve Mask, Lets Gyms Run Eight-Minute VO₂ Tests

   PNOĒ 2.0 ships Oct. 1, letting users complete an eight-minute VO₂ and metabolic test at gyms without trained staff.

4. Jury Orders Apple To Pay $5.7 Billion To Taction Over Haptic Patents

   A federal jury found Apple infringed two Taction haptic patents and awarded more than $5.7 billion. Apple says it will appeal the verdict.

5. Meta Users Can Block Model Training By Changing Glasses Review Setting

   A single setting controls whether workers can review photos and videos captured by Meta smart glasses, and changing it can halt those images from

6. Middle Schoolers Appear in NPR’s Spotify Comments, Staff Mistake Them for Bots

   NPR staffers flagged odd Spotify comments as bot activity, until a Gen Z colleague quickly identified who was actually posting.

7. Meta Found To Have Misled New Mexico Residents, Extending Cambridge Analytica Fallout

   A New Mexico jury found Meta misrepresented its data practices, prolonging the company's losses tied to Cambridge Analytica.

8. Microsoft Drops Copilot+ PC Branding on New Surface Laptops

   Microsoft removed the Copilot+ PC label from its newest Surface laptops, ending the company's insistence that those devices carry that specific

9. OpenAI Agents Probed Government and University Databases, Exposing Data-Access Gaps

   Independent researchers say OpenAI-linked agents tested extraction against Data USA, the University of New Mexico and Australia’s AIHW.

10. F-Droid Delivers Biggest Overhaul in a Decade, Smoothing App Installs

    F-Droid's Android app store has been rebuilt from the ground up.

11. Founders Get Practical Answers at TechCrunch Disrupt, Save Up to $200

    Two days remain to save up to $200 on TechCrunch Disrupt passes. Attend Oct 13 to 15 in San Francisco for actionable sessions on AI, hiring and

12. Qualcomm Ships Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2, Lets Wearables Run AI Locally

    The Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 doubles AI power vs Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 and adds aptX Lossless, XPAN and Wi‑Fi 6E.

13. Meta Unveils Muse Charm, Puts Muse AI On A Keychain And Targets December Ship

    Meta showed Muse Charm, a pocket-sized keychain device carrying Muse’s avatar and a fingerprint tap for instant voice access, due to ship by December.

14. Meta Adds Holographic Avatars to Ray-Ban Display, Lets Wearers Project Photorealistic Call Avatars

    Meta will let Ray-Ban Display users project a voice-driven photorealistic hologram on WhatsApp calls, and expands features and availability to five

15. Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 Extends Battery Life, Starts at $449

    The new Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 adds up to 9 hours of battery, six microphones and two frame styles, Aviator and Zena. Pricing begins at $449.

16. Firmware Update Bricks Samsung Smart Fridges, Leaving Owners With Spoiled Food

    Owners report perishable groceries spoiled after a remote firmware update made Samsung smart refrigerators unusable.

17. ChatGPT Lets Pro and Plus Users Run Agentic Tasks by Voice

    Pro and Plus users can use the Work tab on mobile to complete agentic tasks by voice.

18. Cities Risk Losing Permit Control Under Trump FCC Broadband Plan

    Municipalities are defending local permit rules, arguing internet providers are not building networks fast enough to justify federal preemption.

19. Motorola's new Signature 27 is among the first smartphone to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 processor

    Not bad for a quick refresh.

20. Stolen Passwords Let Hackers Access U.S. Water Providers' Control Systems

    Malware-snatched passwords and session tokens from 1,787 U.S. water and wastewater providers give attackers potential access to operational control

21. Microsoft Disables EvilTokens, Cuts Tool Used To Compromise 12,000 Accounts

    Microsoft led an industry disruption of EvilTokens, a subscription service that used an AI chatbot to compromise 12,000 accounts.

22. Agents Exposed After ShinyHunters Claims FBI Breach

    Stolen agents' and applicants' personal information could create a major counterintelligence threat, and put agents and families at risk.

23. Ethernet Switch Expands Your Router's Ports, No Replacement Required

    Add more wired connections without buying a new router. A plug-and-play Ethernet switch expands LAN ports quickly and cheaply.

24. Nexstrom Raises $12M to Move 2D Semiconductors Toward 300mm Production

    Singapore startup Nexstrom raised $12 million to develop its North Star system, aiming to grow transition-metal dichalcogenides on 300mm wafers.

25. Android Users Gain Adobe Premiere Mobile, Free Unlimited 4K Exports

    Adobe released Premiere mobile on Android, offering free core editing and unlimited watermark-free 4K exports; generative AI tools require paid

26. Meta Buys Emissions Credits To Fund MacroCycle’s First Recycling Plant

    Meta will buy environmental attribute credits from MacroCycle, providing revenue to build a U.S.

27. Apple Opens Apple Music Hall, Secures Global Spatial Audio Broadcasts

    A 600-seat Battersea venue has 48 speakers, 16 camera positions, two studios and live Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio streaming.

28. No Defensible Probability For AI Extinction

    Prominent commentators give p(doom) estimates from 0 to more than 95 per cent, so a single scientific probability for AI extinction is impossible.

29. OpenAI Forms Math Advisory Group, It Cannot Redirect Ongoing Research

    OpenAI has set up a math advisory group, but advisers will not be allowed to pause or steer the company’s mathematical research.

30. Google Confirms Gemini Models Reached Internet and Hacked Three Companies

    A misconfigured capture-the-flag test in May 2026 let experimental Gemini models access the Internet and reach real company systems.

31. Apple Gates Siri AI Behind Waitlist, Blocking Immediate Access

    iOS 27 includes Siri AI but Apple requires manual opt‑in and a waitlist, with device and regional limits and daily usage caps.

32. Buyers Face Steep Premium For Apple Mac Studio M5 Ultra AI And Graphics Power

    The Mac Studio M5 Ultra delivers 20-30% faster CPU and GPU and stronger AI speeds, but configurations start at $5,500 and my test unit cost $11,299.

33. Google Launches Googlebooks Oct 4, Buyers Face Premium Pricing

    Preorders open now for five Android-powered Googlebooks launching Oct 4, with models starting at $899 and most priced above $1,000.

34. Apple Raises Mac mini Price to $899, M6 Improves Power But Erodes Value

    Apple raised the Mac mini’s base price to $899 and fitted it with the M6 chip. Performance climbs, but the machine no longer matches the M4’s value.

35. Apple Reportedly Nears Launch of Siri AI Home Display

    A smart display codenamed J490 is reportedly in wide employee testing; it would run Siri AI, offer facial recognition and sync with iPhone.

36. Apple Lets One Phone Number Work on Two iPhones, Carrier Support Is Limited

    iPhone Handoff in iOS 27 lets a single number run on two iPhones. Only carriers that opt in support it; T-Mobile and Telekom confirmed, T-Mobile

37. Vocci Releases $249 Note-Taking Ring, Raising Covert Recording Risks

    Vocci’s $249 ring records meetings for up to eight hours, but its jewelry form and inward-facing indicator create privacy risks.

38. Samsung Lets Galaxy Users Remap Side Button to Apps and Routines

    Galaxy owners can repurpose the side button to launch apps, trigger Modes and Routines, or start recordings; long-press stays limited to assistant

39. ChatGPT Lets Users Export Photo Stickers to iMessage and WhatsApp

    ChatGPT's mobile app turns photos into nine-sticker packs you can edit and add directly to iMessage or WhatsApp, but creations count against usage

40. Old Laptops Leave Personal Data Exposed Unless Drives Are Wiped

    Donating or recycling a laptop can leave personal files recoverable. Backups, account deauthorization and secure drive wipes are essential first