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Gloria Steinem, the American feminist writer and activist, died peacefully at her Manhattan home surrounded by loved ones, according to a statement posted to her Instagram account. She was 92 and had continued working for equality until the end of her life. Steinem was widely known for her decades of journalism, books and activism on women's rights and other causes.
A new analysis argues that Google's Pixel phones have plateaued, with yearly hardware and software updates offering little meaningful improvement over previous generations. The piece contends that fragmented AI features, scattered branding, and incremental design changes are making Pixels feel unexciting compared to rivals.
Newly released emails obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request show DOGE affiliate Christopher Sweet, an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, worked with colleague Scott Langmack to seek academic credit for his work at HUD. The pair drafted a framework describing his time building an AI tool called SweetRex — designed to flag agency rules for rescission — as graduate-level research spanning AI, data science, and regulatory law, rather than a standard internship.
Microsoft has identified a malware campaign named TerminalFix that mimics Cloudflare and other trusted verification pages to trick Windows users into pasting commands into PowerShell or Command Prompt. Unlike earlier ClickFix attacks that used the Run dialog for simpler commands, TerminalFix's terminal-based approach lets attackers run longer, multi-stage scripts that establish persistent proxy access into a victim's machine and network.
Google is rolling out the ability to upload files directly into the Gemini side panel in Chrome, through a new Add attachments option. Users can attach a document, such as a PDF, and ask Gemini to summarize it, extract details, or clarify sections without leaving the browser. The feature was first spotted by an X user and confirmed working in Chrome by Android Authority.
A group of climbers attempting Mount Shasta in Siskiyou County, California used Google's Gemini chatbot to plan their route, food and water needs, and were told the climb would take eight hours and that they should pack simple carbs instead of fats. The estimate proved drastically wrong: the ascent alone took 16 hours, leaving them descending in darkness, off-route, and with a dead phone after their AllTrails navigation app failed, ultimately requiring a nearly 24-hour rescue operation by search and rescue teams.
New research examining phone-free classroom policies, now adopted by a growing number of states, finds essentially no measurable improvement in student test scores and only marginal shifts in other outcomes like behavior. Cell phone restrictions in schools aren't a new phenomenon either—Maryland first banned phones and pagers in classrooms back in 1989 to curb communication tied to illegal activity.
A beta build of iOS 27 reveals a feature called iPhone Handoff, spotted by a MacRumors forum member, that lets a primary iPhone and a secondary companion iPhone share a single cellular plan and phone number using dual eSIMs. Unlike existing Continuity tools that rely on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, this setup appears to work at the network level, so the companion device stays connected even if the main iPhone is off. The option is expected to appear under Settings > Cellular once it launches.
A community poll of over 2,100 respondents found that more than 70% of Kindle users have either already moved to rivals like Kobo or Boox, or plan to switch on their next upgrade, following Amazon's August update that closed a Libby lending loophole and tightened DRM restrictions on the Kindle Oasis. About 33% said they've already switched, while 37.7% said they intend to leave Amazon's ecosystem for a future device.
Hohem has introduced the Eyepic, a handheld stabilized camera that competes with devices like DJI's Osmo Pocket and Insta360's Luna Ultra. Its key differentiator is a magnetic camera module that detaches from the gimbal grip and functions as a standalone action camera, wearable via a lanyard or clipped to clothing. The module shoots 4K video at up to 60fps and is waterproof to over 32 feet, while streaming a 1080p preview wirelessly to the grip's rotating touchscreen from up to 32 feet away.
Notion has opened a new headquarters on Market Street in San Francisco that deliberately avoids typical tech-office styling, favoring mood lighting, classic furniture pieces, and extensive use of wood. The design breaks from the industry norm of futuristic, statement architecture seen at companies like Apple and Amazon.
Rising natural gas prices tied to the Iran conflict have driven up urea prices, which briefly exceeded $850 per metric ton in April—80% above pre-conflict levels and the highest since the Russia-Ukraine war disrupted markets in 2022. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a third of global seaborne fertilizer trade passes, has been effectively shut to commercial shipping, threatening supply to some of the world's poorest nations.