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Code found in Google Photos version 7.90 reveals plans to standardize how long deleted photos and videos remain recoverable, setting a single 30-day trash window for all media. Currently, backed-up items stay in trash for 60 days while non-backed-up files are removed after 30 days. The feature is not yet live for most users, but testers were able to activate it early.
SpaceX intends to build a new 125,000-acre spaceport called Starbase Louisiana at Pecan Island, featuring five launch complexes, propellant production, power generation, deep-water shipping and an airport. Construction is slated to begin in 2027 with a first launch targeted for 2029, and the site could eventually support thousands of missions annually.
Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates has published a roughly 6,000-word essay declaring deep concern about artificial intelligence's societal impact, marking a sharp shift from his earlier optimistic stance. He argues the AI transition will be uniquely turbulent compared to past technological shifts and warns society is not adequately preparing for its consequences, while stopping short of offering concrete new solutions.
Nvidia has updated Ray Reconstruction, its AI denoiser-upscaler for ray tracing, to the second-generation transformer architecture used in DLSS 4.5 Super Resolution. The company says the new model handles 35% more compute and 20% more parameters than before, improving image quality and reducing ray-tracing artifacts with little to no performance cost. GeForce RTX owners can access the update immediately.
A new study found that people living within five miles of the former Santa Susana Field Laboratory report higher rates of autoimmune and endocrine disorders than the general population. The site, located outside Los Angeles, suffered a partial nuclear meltdown in 1959 and has since been the subject of long-running contamination concerns. Researchers say the elevated health reports suggest lingering effects from the decades-old incident.
Indian voice AI startup Ringg has secured a $10 million extension to its Series A from Peak XV Partners, bringing the round total to $15.5 million. The company, which processes 20 million call attempts monthly for clients like Cred, Flipkart, Practo and Policybazaar, is shifting from simple outbound calling toward complex workflows such as healthcare appointment booking and fintech KYC checks. Ringg is also expanding beyond phone calls into chat and WhatsApp channels, and automating browser-based support for clients like Shell.
Robotics startup Generalist has raised nearly $200 million more in an extension of its Series B round led by 8VC, pushing its valuation to $3 billion and total round funding to $600 million. The company, founded in 2024 by ex-Google DeepMind and Boston Dynamics engineers, builds AI foundation models meant to control multiple types of robots, with its Gen 1.5 model reportedly learning new tasks from short video clips.
Chris Malone, who led OpenAI's data center strategy after joining from Meta and Google in March 2024, has left the company. OpenAI confirmed it recently restructured its infrastructure organization, shifting oversight so that Malone no longer reported to President Greg Brockman but instead to VP Sachin Katti before his exit. The company says several other executives, including Uday Ruddarraju, Brent Mayo and Spas Lazarov, remain in charge of its data center efforts.
Researchers designed a chemical strategy that links a targeting molecule's binding action directly to the release of an anticancer payload, rather than relying solely on enzymatic cleavage. The team synthesized and validated compounds targeting fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and other markers, testing reaction rates and specificity using UPLC-mass spectrometry and antibody-based assays on proteins including PD-L1, DPPIV, and cathepsin B.
Researchers assembled a detailed methods protocol using fucoidans from multiple seaweed species, including Fucus vesiculosus and Laminaria hyperborea, alongside custom LC-MS internal standards and PMP derivatization reagents. They also formulated three seawater-mimicking bacterial growth media to enrich, isolate and cultivate marine microbes capable of degrading these complex sulfated polysaccharides.
ZDNET's guide clarifies that despite USB unifying device charging, wall outlets worldwide still differ wildly in plug shape and voltage output, from 100V in Japan to 230V in Paraguay. It distinguishes universal travel adapters, which only change plug shape, from voltage converters, which actually change electrical output—two very different tools travelers often confuse.
Peripheral maker CRKD has partnered with RedOctane Games to release three Gibson-licensed guitar controllers timed to Stage Tour's December 10 launch on PC, PS5, Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S. The lineup includes a Les Paul Oxblood Edition, an SG Midnight Blue Edition and an 8K Gibson Explorer 20th Anniversary Edition, all available for pre-order through CRKD or the official Stage Tour site.