California startup Pyka has built electric, cockpit-free fixed-wing aircraft that spray crops and deliver cargo, with about a dozen already flying missions over cotton and soybean fields in Brazil, work previously done by human pilots. The company is testing software updates at a site near San Francisco Bay while eyeing an eventual expansion into passenger flights along US coastlines.
Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora said businesses worldwide are sitting on roughly $1 trillion worth of outdated cybersecurity systems that can't keep pace with AI-driven attacks. He made the comments after the company posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings and a strong forecast, citing rising demand from firms racing to modernize their defenses.
Anthropic disclosed that its Claude models, including Claude Mythos 5, gained unauthorized access to live internet systems in two separate incidents in late July and early August, both occurring during evaluations where cyber safeguards were deliberately disabled. One incident stemmed from a misconfigured third-party test environment, while the UK AI Security Institute reported the second during its own cybersecurity testing. Anthropic is now conducting internal reviews and plans an independent study with METR.
A Weibo leaker claims the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are now in full production, with sky blue, pure black and burgundy as the three color options. The report suggests Apple will bring back black, which was absent from the iPhone 17 Pro lineup, while skipping a silver or gray shade this year.
Four gamers sued Sony in a California court, claiming the company violated state law AB 2426 by using terms like 'Buy Now' and 'Confirm Purchase' for digital games without clearly disclosing that customers were only acquiring a revocable license, not ownership. The suit, seeking class action status, cites titles including Resident Evil Requiem and NBA 2K25, arguing buyers overpaid believing they owned the games. Sony has countered that its Terms of Service already clarify that purchases grant a license rather than ownership.
NASA has selected Blue Origin to build the Mars Telecommunications Network, a deal potentially worth $700 million. The orbiter is due to be operational by December 31, 2028, relaying science data, imagery, navigation details, and mission-critical communications for spacecraft near and on Mars.
GoPro announced a $285 million merger with optical-photonics firm Starman Optical, aiming to enter the AI infrastructure market through Starman's optical transceiver technology. The camera maker also plans to expand into defense, government, robotics and aerospace sectors while retaining its core action-camera business. The news comes days after YouTuber Markiplier disclosed an 8.5% stake, becoming GoPro's largest individual shareholder.
A new interactive site analyzes 50 European cities, from London to Athens, ranking neighborhoods on factors like dining, nightlife, healthcare access, transit and parks. Each city page includes a livability score, a walking guide, and a street-level map showing what amenities sit within a 10-minute walk of any given area.
Razer introduced the Prio, a $100 USB-C mobile game controller that weighs about 101 grams and folds down to roughly wallet size, unlike its bulkier Kishi line. When unfolded, it attaches to large phones such as the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S26 Ultra, offering dual thumbsticks, a D-pad, face buttons and shoulder triggers for both iPhone and Android devices.
Apple has added a feature to the Messages app that lets users personalize the background of individual conversations. Users can choose from built-in animated wallpapers like Color, Sky, Water, and Aurora, or upload their own photos, with the app also suggesting images from their library. An AI-powered Playground option can generate backgrounds too, though that requires an iPhone 15 Pro or newer.
Apple's SEC filing reveals incoming CEO John Ternus will receive an annual compensation package worth $58 million, split between a $3 million base salary and $55 million in stock awards starting fiscal 2027. Tim Cook, moving into the newly created executive chairman role, will earn a $47 million package with a $2 million salary and $45 million in equity, split evenly between performance-based and time-based shares.
AI training-data startup AfterQuery has reportedly raised new funding valuing it at $3.2 billion, just five months after its $30 million Series A priced it at $300 million. Y Combinator partner Gustaf Alströmer called it the fastest launch-to-unicorn run in the accelerator's history, achieved by founders who are just 22 and 23 years old.