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Tech News

September 22
Business

Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra gets pricier: base up $500–1500

Apple raised Mac Studio prices: the M5 Max model now starts at $2,500 (+$500) and the M5 Ultra at $5,500 (+$1,500). The company blames soaring LPDDR5X memory and storage costs, plus hedging and its usual high margins.

Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra gets pricier: base up $500–1500
Science

Rivian R3 Will Be Priced 'Materially Lower' Than R2, CEO Says

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe told The New York Times that the upcoming R3 hatchback will be priced "materially lower" than the R2, which will eventually start at $45,000. An even cheaper R4 will follow the R3, he said.

Rivian R3 Will Be Priced 'Materially Lower' Than R2, CEO Says
Security

WordPress Click2Shell flaw lets hackers run PHP on the server

Researcher Paulos Yibelo of pwn.ai disclosed Click2Shell, a CSRF vulnerability in WordPress Core that lets an attacker force-install any theme from the WordPress.org catalog and execute arbitrary PHP. The flaw was fixed in WordPress 7.1.1, and exploitation requires a logged-in administrator to visit a crafted URL.

WordPress Click2Shell flaw lets hackers run PHP on the server
Science

Kairos Power gets up to $100M from Samsung group to build nuclear reactor for Google

Kairos Power has picked Samsung C&T to help build its 50 MW demonstration reactor for Google. Samsung C&T will invest $70 million in the startup and provide in-kind engineering services, bringing the total deal value to up to $100 million. The Hermes 2 reactor is expected to start operating in 2030.

Kairos Power gets up to $100M from Samsung group to build nuclear reactor for Google
Security

ZoomEye: Over 239,000 Citrix NetScaler Gateways Exposed Amid SAML Bypass

ZoomEye measured the internet footprint of Citrix NetScaler ADC and Gateway: 239,130 assets matched the full product fingerprint and 116,773 the shorter one. The scan follows CVE-2026-19490, a CVSS 9.8 SAML authentication bypass enabling session forgery that was fixed in an emergency patch in August 2026.

ZoomEye: Over 239,000 Citrix NetScaler Gateways Exposed Amid SAML Bypass
AI

OpenAI taps independent mathematicians to responsibly share math-related AI advances

OpenAI says it is working with an independent advisory group of mathematicians to responsibly share math-related AI advances. The company noted it began training a new internal model on August 28 that, besides resolving the Navier-Stokes Millennium Prize problem, has now solved other problems.

OpenAI taps independent mathematicians to responsibly share math-related AI advances
Software

Cloudflare's one-command localhost tunnel goes viral five years later

Cloudflare's Quick Tunnels feature, shipped in 2021, resurfaced among developers: the command cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:8000 exposes a local project at a public trycloudflare.com address with no account, DNS records or port forwarding. The URL dies with the process, but it is public, and criminals have long abused free anonymous tunnels to stage malware.

Cloudflare's one-command localhost tunnel goes viral five years later
Security

Microsoft and Google take down $66 million RedVDS cybercrime marketplace

Microsoft and Google, working through the Global Signal Exchange, shut down RedVDS, a marketplace selling virtual machines used for phishing and fraud. Between September and December 2025, 130,000 organizations were targeted and 191,000 Microsoft email accounts were compromised.

Microsoft and Google take down $66 million RedVDS cybercrime marketplace
AI

Gemini Notebook adds real-time mobile voice chat in nearly 100 languages

Google is rolling out real-time voice conversations in Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) on mobile, with answers grounded in the sources uploaded to a notebook. The feature supports nearly 100 languages and starts with Google AI Ultra users on Android and iOS, with wider availability in the coming weeks. Google also added a lecture audio recorder, quizzes, flashcards and short videos.

Gemini Notebook adds real-time mobile voice chat in nearly 100 languages
Business

Binance Opens bStocks Collateral to All Users as Tokenized Stock Volume Tops $30 Billion

Binance has extended bStocks collateral to all eligible users, previously limited to VIP 3 accounts. Cumulative trading volume for bStocks surpassed $30 billion in under 90 days, with outstanding value reaching $678 million.

Binance Opens bStocks Collateral to All Users as Tokenized Stock Volume Tops $30 Billion
Policy

OpenAI Releases Proposal for International AI Safety Coordination

OpenAI published a proposal on Monday to create international coordination around AI safety. The company called for national AI safety institutes, such as the U.S. Commerce Department's Center for AI Standards and Innovation, to set standards for models.

Software

Comfy Desktop simplifies running local AI models on PC

Comfy Desktop has launched, automatically installing ComfyUI, the Python environment and dependencies needed to run local generative models such as Qwen, Stable Diffusion, SDXL, Flux and Wan. It supports Windows, macOS and Linux, with isolated environments, one-click updates and snapshot rollback.

Comfy Desktop simplifies running local AI models on PC
Policy

NCTA seeks second exemption from FCC router ban

NCTA has filed a second petition with the FCC seeking an expedited waiver from the broadband router ban for devices requiring minor hardware changes. The group cites ongoing supply chain constraints and components reaching end-of-life.

NCTA seeks second exemption from FCC router ban
Hardware

Steam Deck Is Being Used to Test Mars Rovers

Engineers at Airbus in the UK used a Steam Deck running custom software to control an ExoMars rover prototype in a simulated Mars environment. The rover will eventually operate autonomously via 3D cameras due to the communication delay with Earth.

Steam Deck Is Being Used to Test Mars Rovers
Hardware

Samsung Exynos hits 9% market share, highest since 2024

Counterpoint Research says Samsung's Exynos chips reached 9% of global smartphone chip shipments in Q2, their highest share since tracking began in 2024, driven by the Exynos 2600 in the Galaxy S26 and mid-range Galaxy A phones. MediaTek leads with 31%, followed by Qualcomm at 23% and Apple at 19%.

Samsung Exynos hits 9% market share, highest since 2024
Science

CNAS: GPS Attacks Drive Search for Quantum Navigation Alternatives

The Center for a New American Security warns that GPS reliance on weak satellite signals leaves it vulnerable to jamming and spoofing. GPS jamming affected more than 18,300 vessels in the second half of 2025, and about 978,000 jamming events were recorded in Q1 2026, 98% of them in the Persian Gulf. Q-CTRL demonstrated its GravNav quantum navigation system in the Coral Sea, achieving one-nautical-mile accuracy without GPS.

CNAS: GPS Attacks Drive Search for Quantum Navigation Alternatives
AI

OpenAI: fully autonomous RSI isn't happening today and shouldn't be pursued

OpenAI says automated research could improve alignment, but "fully autonomous RSI is not happening today" and shouldn't be pursued unless it can be done safely.

Gadgets

iPhone Duo gets exclusive software features no other iPhone has

Apple's foldable iPhone Duo, arriving in October, brings iPad-style multitasking with two apps side by side, Apple Pencil support, a redesigned interface and camera features like Smart Take and Kid Cue that are exclusive to the foldable.

iPhone Duo gets exclusive software features no other iPhone has
Software

Microsoft to retire Microsoft 365 Companion apps in December

Microsoft announced that the Calendar, People, and Files Microsoft 365 companion apps will reach end of life on December 16, 2026, and will no longer function or be supported. The company has also stopped installing them via Microsoft 365 Apps updates and urged admins to remove them from managed devices.

Microsoft to retire Microsoft 365 Companion apps in December
Gadgets

Survey: 67% of iPhone 18 Pro Buyers Upgrade Due to Aging Devices

A survey of 4,000 US consumers shows strong demand for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, with 67% citing the age of their current iPhone as the main reason to upgrade. The Pro and Pro Max models account for 53% of buyers, with 32% choosing the Pro Max. The first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, drew 14% interest.

Survey: 67% of iPhone 18 Pro Buyers Upgrade Due to Aging Devices
Policy

Congressman Calls for National Data Center Strategy

Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia is pushing for a national strategy on AI data center expansion, saying the state-by-state approach leaves communities footing infrastructure costs. Proposals include better siting, measuring energy and water use, and making large electricity users pay for grid upgrades.

Gadgets

iPhone 18 Pro teardown video shows repositioned Face ID components

YouTube channel REWA Technology posted a teardown of the new iPhone 18 Pro. The Face ID infrared camera moved to the top-left corner under the display, shrinking the Dynamic Island; the US model is expected to use a Snapdragon X80 modem instead of the Apple C2.

iPhone 18 Pro teardown video shows repositioned Face ID components
AI

AI Chatbot Hallucination Nearly Triggered a Military Confrontation

CNN reported that the U.S. military was preparing to board a Chinese vessel in the Middle East over claims it carried nuclear weapon components. The mission was called off after officials found the intelligence report was based on a hallucinating AI chatbot used by an analyst.

AI Chatbot Hallucination Nearly Triggered a Military Confrontation
Policy

X will now tell users when governments forced it to limit their posts

X expanded its "Under the Hood" transparency tool so users can see when their posts' visibility was limited to comply with local laws, which posts were withheld in a country, and which government made the request. The data is available as a JSON file to anyone who has posted at least 10 times in a month.

X will now tell users when governments forced it to limit their posts
Business

Google tests paying publishers for AI answer contributions in Search and Gemini

Google has launched an invitation-only AI contribution pilot that pays publishers when their content meaningfully contributes to answers in AI Mode, AI Overviews and Gemini. Monthly payments appear in a Search Console earnings widget, but rates, eligibility and measurement methods remain undisclosed.

Google tests paying publishers for AI answer contributions in Search and Gemini
Gadgets

iPhone 18 Pro benchmarks: A20 Pro chip beats Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

Mashable tested the iPhone 18 Pro with Apple's 2nm A20 Pro chip (6-core CPU, 7-core GPU, dual 16-core Neural Engine). It scored 4,673 single-core and 12,483 multi-core in Geekbench 6, roughly 25% faster than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The closest rival, the Galaxy S26 Ultra on Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, trails behind.

iPhone 18 Pro benchmarks: A20 Pro chip beats Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Gadgets

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launch September 18 with 2nm A20 Pro chip and 48MP camera

Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max arrive on September 18. The phones pack the first 2nm chip made for iPhone, the A20 Pro (6-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 20% faster CPU and 40% faster graphics), a 48MP Fusion camera with a variable aperture lens, a vapor cooling chamber with 3x the surface area, and the C2 cellular modem. Colors are Black, Glacier, and Burgundy, replacing Cosmic Orange.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launch September 18 with 2nm A20 Pro chip and 48MP camera
Gadgets

iPhone 18 Pro Charges Faster Than Previous Model, Full Charge Under an Hour

The iPhone 18 Pro charges from 0% to full in under an hour with a strong charger, versus 81 minutes for the previous model. The iPhone 18 Pro Max hit a 52W peak in the first 12 minutes and reaches 50% in 15 minutes, five minutes faster than the iPhone 17 Pro. Fastest speeds require a 60W or higher adapter with Adjustable Voltage Supply.

iPhone 18 Pro Charges Faster Than Previous Model, Full Charge Under an Hour
Software

PostgreSQL 19 adds EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, IO) for I/O statistics

PostgreSQL 19 introduces the IO option for EXPLAIN, exposing read-stream behavior: prefetch depth, physical I/O request counts, sizes and concurrency. The feature was demoed at pgconf.eu with contributions from Microsoft engineers.

PostgreSQL 19 adds EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, IO) for I/O statistics
Gaming

GTA VI: The Album Arrives November 19 With 34 Original Tracks

Rockstar Games and Atlantic Records will release Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, a 34-track original soundtrack, on November 19, 2026, the same day the game launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Six singles are already streaming, and physical editions range from $19.98 to $124.98.

GTA VI: The Album Arrives November 19 With 34 Original Tracks