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Tech News

September 22
Security

Contagious Interview Campaign Hits 30,000 Devices, Steals $10.71M in Crypto

North Korean threat actors behind the Contagious Interview campaign have compromised at least 30,000 devices across more than 100 countries and stolen funds or credentials from over 7,000 cryptocurrency wallets. The main targets are individual web designers, engineers and crypto specialists.

Contagious Interview Campaign Hits 30,000 Devices, Steals $10.71M in Crypto
Gaming

New Bungie leaders promise to fix studio after Destiny 2 layoffs

After laying off most of the Destiny team, new Bungie leaders Poria Torkan and Josh Deane addressed players in a joint blog post. They acknowledged Marathon's failure, promised to restore vaulted Destiny 2 content and pledged more transparency.

New Bungie leaders promise to fix studio after Destiny 2 layoffs
Business

Tesla goes to trial in California over racism claims at Fremont factory

A bench trial opened in Alameda County over California's lawsuit accusing Tesla's Fremont factory of subjecting more than 6,000 Black workers to racial slurs, segregation and lower pay. The state says Black workers earned about $1,533 less per month than white workers from June 2018 to June 2024, and damages are uncapped.

Tesla goes to trial in California over racism claims at Fremont factory
Business

Disney+ "Ad-Free" Plans Now Permit Ads, Updated Agreement Confirms

Disney+ updated its Subscriber Agreement on June 18, 2026, allowing pre-roll and post-roll ads, promotions and sponsorships on all tiers, including Standard and Premium. Junior Mode profiles remain the only fully ad-free option, and ad blockers are now explicitly banned.

Disney+ "Ad-Free" Plans Now Permit Ads, Updated Agreement Confirms
Software

iOS 27.2 beta 1 adds revamped Health app, five new Siri AI languages and CarPlay Ultra themes

Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 27.2. It brings a redesigned Health app with Insights, Longevity and Browse tabs, Siri AI support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish, and new theming options for CarPlay Ultra.

iOS 27.2 beta 1 adds revamped Health app, five new Siri AI languages and CarPlay Ultra themes
Software

Google Maps leak reveals 72 ranking signals and Geostore entity model

Analysis of a recovered Google Maps binary uncovered an internal system called Oyster Rank with 72 ranking signals, 25 of which are marked deprecated. The materials also reference 793 data-source providers and 446 local search intent types within the Geostore entity model.

Google Maps leak reveals 72 ranking signals and Geostore entity model
Gadgets

Apple Vision Pro has a bright future says Apple CEO Ternus, but it's a long journey

New Apple CEO John Ternus called the Vision Pro an "amazing device" in an interview with French channel Canal+, comparing it to the early days of computers. He said surgeons are starting to use it in operations and sees a "very bright future," though the product is still at the very start of a long journey.

Apple Vision Pro has a bright future says Apple CEO Ternus, but it's a long journey
Gaming

CD Projekt CEO explains switch to Unreal Engine 5 for The Witcher 4

CD Projekt co-CEO Michał Nowakowski said the decision to drop its in-house REDengine for Unreal Engine 5 was made in late 2021 after Epic's The Matrix Awakens demo. He said the switch was not a response to Cyberpunk 2077's troubled launch and is meant to enable more frequent releases in The Witcher saga.

CD Projekt CEO explains switch to Unreal Engine 5 for The Witcher 4
Security

Google Releases AndroidX Libraries for Granular Android Patch Checks

Google has shipped stable versions of AndroidX Security State 1.1.0 and Security State Provider 1.0.0. The libraries let apps and admins inspect patch status by component — core Android, Google Play modular updates and the Linux kernel — instead of relying on a single Security Patch Level date.

Google Releases AndroidX Libraries for Granular Android Patch Checks
Gaming

Bungie to un-vault Destiny 2 campaigns as Marathon falls short of player goals

Bungie says it will begin returning previously vaulted Destiny 2 campaigns, locations and raids, with access rolling out over the coming months after tweaks to lighting and combat systems. The studio also admitted Marathon "did not reach as many players as we had hoped" and pledged to keep evolving the extraction shooter, including a permanent PvE mode and social space in December.

Bungie to un-vault Destiny 2 campaigns as Marathon falls short of player goals
Software

Proton Experimental update fixes ARM64, EA App and Modern Warfare 2

Valve released a new Proton Experimental update, the testing branch of its Windows-game compatibility layer for Linux and SteamOS. It adds an ARM64 build (including for Steam Frame) and fixes EA App login, the Safe Mode window in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and Ragnarok: The New World on non-Steam Deck devices.

Proton Experimental update fixes ARM64, EA App and Modern Warfare 2
Gadgets

iPhone 18 Pro Boosts Freedom Mobile Reception, Users Report

Freedom Mobile customers say the iPhone 18 Pro's C2 modem delivers noticeably better reception, with one user measuring a 10 to 12 dB signal improvement over an iPhone 13.

iPhone 18 Pro Boosts Freedom Mobile Reception, Users Report
Science

Suniva raises $835M to expand US solar cell manufacturing

Suniva closed an $835 million raise to build a second monocrystalline solar cell factory in Laurens County, South Carolina. The new 4.5 GW plant will lift the company's total capacity to 5.5 GW, with completion expected in late 2027 and full ramp in 2028, adding nearly 600 jobs.

Suniva raises $835M to expand US solar cell manufacturing
Policy

OpenAI Urges US to Lead Global AI Standards Effort

OpenAI is urging the US to lead an international effort to set standards for cutting-edge artificial intelligence, amid mounting concerns about the technology's potential harms.

Business

Intel, AMD, Arm shares soar on CPU demand tied to Meta's Muse

Shares of chipmakers jumped as investors bet on rising CPU demand driven by the popularity of Meta's Muse AI agent: Intel rose over 12%, AMD over 8%, and Arm over 15%. AMD's market valuation surpassed $1 trillion for the first time in intraday trading.

Intel, AMD, Arm shares soar on CPU demand tied to Meta's Muse
Gadgets

Apple firmware-caps iPhone 18 Pro Max battery below 20Wh for shipping

Apple uses firmware to keep the iPhone 18 Pro Max battery under the 20Wh shipping threshold, unlocking full capacity on first activation. The cell is rated 21.75Wh in the US and 21.06Wh in the EU, and iOS 27 adds a "Prepare to Ship" mode that discharges it below 20Wh for up to 14 days.

Apple firmware-caps iPhone 18 Pro Max battery below 20Wh for shipping
Gadgets

iPhone 18 Pro Max beats Galaxy S26 Ultra in PhoneBuff drop test

PhoneBuff's drop test pitted the iPhone 18 Pro Max against the Galaxy S26 Ultra, with Apple winning 56 to 53. The Galaxy's shattered display in the face-drop round was the deciding moment, and its fingerprint scanner also stopped working.

iPhone 18 Pro Max beats Galaxy S26 Ultra in PhoneBuff drop test
Gadgets

AirPods 5 review: ANC and swipe volume control from $129

Apple's AirPods 5 start at $129 and bring active noise cancellation and a swipe-based volume sensor previously reserved for Pro models. The $149 version adds a wireless charging case and five hours of battery life versus four on the base model.

AirPods 5 review: ANC and swipe volume control from $129
Hardware

Onsemi Replaces PCB Substrate With Silicon Wafer, Boosting Power Density Up to 5x

Onsemi unveiled its Embedded Power Platform (EPP), which uses a 12-inch silicon wafer as the package substrate instead of a traditional PCB. The approach delivers up to 3–5x higher power density, 15% lower power losses, and 50% smaller solid-state circuit breakers for AI data centers. Subaru is the first announced partner for EVs.

Onsemi Replaces PCB Substrate With Silicon Wafer, Boosting Power Density Up to 5x
Science

BAN report: AI e-waste could circle the Earth six times by 2050

The Basel Action Network estimates AI equipment will generate 395–617 million tonnes of e-waste between 2025 and 2050, equal to 15–23 million 40ft shipping containers. The report says 87% of data center hardware is unaccounted for in most figures, with each 1GW of capacity needing about 70,000 tonnes of electronics.

BAN report: AI e-waste could circle the Earth six times by 2050
Software

Java roundup: JDK 27 GA, Open J Proxy 1.0, A2A Jakarta 1.0

Oracle released JDK 27 with a final set of nine JEPs, and BellSoft shipped Liberica JDK 27. The week also brought Open J Proxy 1.0, A2A Jakarta 1.0, Azul Payara 7.4.0, JHipster 9.4.0, Ktor 3.6.0 and BoxLang 1.17.0, plus Netflix ja for JMS.

Java roundup: JDK 27 GA, Open J Proxy 1.0, A2A Jakarta 1.0
September 21
Science

Figure: Helix 2.5 robot succeeded in 56% of trials across 30 unseen homes

Figure says its Figure 03 humanoid with Helix 2.5 completed household tasks in 30 previously unseen Bay Area homes without retraining. It succeeded in 237 of 420 trials (56%), while a model trained without Index pretraining managed only 9%.

Figure: Helix 2.5 robot succeeded in 56% of trials across 30 unseen homes
Hardware

AI Power Demands Push GaN into Data Center Design

Surging AI compute performance is forcing a fundamental redesign of data center power architectures. Gallium nitride (GaN) is emerging as a key technology for meeting the industry's power demands.

AI Power Demands Push GaN into Data Center Design
Gadgets

Tesla Dashcam footage clears driver arrested at gunpoint

A Florida driver, Kevin Finley, faced felony fleeing and reckless driving charges for nearly two years after being arrested at gunpoint in his own driveway. Footage from his Tesla's built-in Dashcam showed he never saw the unmarked patrol car, and a judge acquitted him before the case reached a jury.

Tesla Dashcam footage clears driver arrested at gunpoint
Software

Mixed Reality Link update brings headset mic and cameras to Windows 11

Microsoft released Mixed Reality Link version 26.9105.9070.0, letting Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S users use their headset's built-in microphone and cameras directly in Windows 11. The update also allows a Meta avatar to appear as a camera source, removing the need for an external mic connected to the PC.

Mixed Reality Link update brings headset mic and cameras to Windows 11
Science

Exolaunch and Space Cargo book Starship Starfall missions

Two European integrators have contracted SpaceX's Starfall return capsule for commercial Starship flights in 2028 and 2029. Space Cargo Unlimited plans a one-tonne in-space factory mission, while Exolaunch will aggregate pharma, biotech, and materials payloads and return them to Earth.

Exolaunch and Space Cargo book Starship Starfall missions
Policy

Google Fined €403 Million Over GDPR Location Data Violations

Ireland's Data Protection Commission fined Google €403 million for violating the EU's GDPR in how three of its features handled users' location data between May 2018 and February 2020. Google was ordered to bring its processing into compliance within six months.

Google Fined €403 Million Over GDPR Location Data Violations
Security

Surfshark: iPhone lets you delete 98% of preinstalled apps, Google only 38%

A Surfshark study based on the Bayton device database found Samsung ships 88 preinstalled apps, Google 71, Xiaomi 61 and Apple 50. In the EU, iPhone owners can remove up to 98% of them, while Samsung and Xiaomi allow about 57% and Google Pixel just 38%. Preinstalled apps collect up to 16 data types on average.

Surfshark: iPhone lets you delete 98% of preinstalled apps, Google only 38%
Gadgets

Ookla releases Android foldable benchmarks ahead of iPhone Duo launch

Ookla benchmarked six popular Android foldables in the U.S., including Galaxy Z Fold6 through Fold8 Ultra, Flip6 and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra led in download, upload and packet-loss metrics, while the Fold6 scored best on signal quality. Samsung holds over 77% of the foldable market ahead of the iPhone Duo launch on October 23.

Ookla releases Android foldable benchmarks ahead of iPhone Duo launch
Gadgets

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 add a new Theater Mode setting

The new Health Sensing System in Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 measures heart rate every five seconds instead of every five minutes, so the green sensor light is almost always flashing. Theater Mode and Sleep Mode revert to five-minute intervals, but a new toggle under Settings > Heart can restore continuous measurements in Theater Mode.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 add a new Theater Mode setting