Meta released Muse Spark 1.3, an upgrade to its AI coding and agent model, touting benchmark scores that mostly come from a 'max' reasoning configuration still undergoing safety testing and unavailable through any API provider. The version actually shipping to developers via Muse Code and the Meta Model API uses the older 'xhigh' reasoning setting, which scores meaningfully lower on tests like GDPval-AA v2, OSWorld 2.0, and JobBench. Meta disclosed both sets of results in its evaluation report, but its marketing emphasized the higher, currently inaccessible numbers.
Best Buy and Amazon are both selling Samsung's Q990F soundbar bundle for $999.99, down from its usual $1,300 to $1,600 price range. The package includes a 48.5-inch 11.1.4-channel soundbar, a wireless subwoofer, and two wireless rear speakers.
WIRED's latest buying guide picks IQAir's AirVisual Pro, priced around $330, as the best overall air quality monitor for tracking indoor and outdoor conditions. The device measures PM2.5, AQI, temperature, humidity and other pollutants on an easy-to-read display, while the $28 Temptop S1 is recommended as a reliable budget alternative.
Anker introduced the Soundcore Sleep Earbuds 4 and 4 Pro at IFA Berlin, upgrading its popular sleep-focused earbuds line with a smaller ergonomic fit and a touchscreen charging case for the Pro model. The Pro version adds a 'track-assess-adjustment system' that uses biometric sensors—including heart rate and HRV monitoring—to tailor audio for better sleep. The standard model launches in October, with the Pro following in November; pricing has not been disclosed.
A new United Nations report finds that global warming is on track to exceed the 1.5°C threshold established by the Paris Agreement much sooner than previously expected, potentially within just a few years. The finding undercuts the most optimistic projections for limiting climate change that policymakers have relied on for years.
Apple TV has dropped the first trailer for 'Being Heumann,' directed by Siân Heder, whose previous film 'CODA' won Best Picture in 2022. The movie dramatizes the 1977 disability rights sit-in at a federal building, starring Ruth Madeley and Mark Ruffalo. It opens in limited theaters November 6 before streaming on Apple TV starting November 13.
REI is running a Labor Day sale where members can apply the code LABORDAY26 for an additional 20 percent off one outlet item. The store's lifetime membership costs $30, and several sale items are discounted enough to offset that fee. Darn Tough socks are highlighted among the deals, currently marked down 25 percent.
iOS 27 introduces a revamped Apple Pay checkout interface for apps and web payments, replacing the previous layout used across millions of transactions. The update adds swipeable card switching alongside the default card and uses color-coded icons to display shipping, billing and address details more clearly at a glance.
A study of 380 software categories found that nearly 60% of the sources Perplexity's Sonar models cite when recommending products come from domains ranked outside the top 100,000 sites by traffic, and almost a quarter aren't ranked at all. Three interlinked domains, none older than December 2023 and two with homepages literally titled 'Facts & Grounding Page', have published over 215,000 machine-generated 'best software' pages designed to be retrieved by AI models rather than read by humans.
At IFA 2026 in Berlin, Acer showed a concept Windows gaming handheld called the DualPlay Mini that swivels into a mini laptop-style PC. Dell introduced the budget-friendly 14S laptop with colorful finishes and configurable specs, while iRobot launched its $1,199 Roomba Max 875 Combo featuring a new carpet-sealing 'SealForce' skirt.
Sony's WH-1000XM5 noise-canceling headphones are currently on sale for $198, a $202 discount that marks one of the lowest prices seen for the model. Several other Sony headphones are also discounted as part of the same sale, though the WH-1000XM5 remains the standout deal despite being one generation behind the newer WH-1000XM6.
With the Google Pixel 11 series now available in bold colors and featuring a new HiLight LED on Pro models, reviewers have rounded up recommended protective cases for the phones. Options highlighted include the slim, protective Spigen Liquid Air and the grip-focused dBrand Grip Case, among several others covering different price points and styles.
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