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Australian authorities have confirmed that a dolphin died after being infected with the H5N1 avian influenza strain, marking the first known case of the virus killing a dolphin in the country. A veteran marine conservation scientist called the finding shocking and deeply concerning.
The founder of Monica, an open source personal CRM with over 25,000 GitHub stars, has announced that the project is being rebuilt from scratch and launched a new blog series called Building Monica to document the process. The series will cover the problems the team is trying to solve, the design decisions being made, and the missteps along the way. The founder explains that after nearly a decade of accumulated decisions, the current codebase no longer reflects how he would build the product today.
Explore Fall has published its annual interactive map forecasting when autumn leaves will reach peak color across different regions. The tool coincides with the start of meteorological fall on September 1 and astronomical fall on September 23, giving users a timeline to plan foliage viewing by location.
A hobbyist developer detailed a personal project to implement the classic 3-2-1 backup strategy—three copies of data, on two different media, with one copy offsite—entirely using free, self-managed tools. The effort was sparked by frustration with paying for cloud storage like Google One just to access files they already own, and involved syncing a Minisforum mini-PC, a Lenovo laptop, external hard drives, and mobile devices.
A review highlights how having two USB-C ports on a laptop simplifies connecting peripherals like portable monitors, since one port can handle power while the other manages video and data. The piece notes that laptops with only a single USB-C port force users to rely on multiple adapters and cables—such as HDMI-to-mini-HDMI and USB-A-to-USB-C—to achieve the same functionality, especially when battery life requires the laptop to stay plugged in.
TecLab modified a Galax RTX 5090 D HOF OC LAB XOC by bypassing its 16-pin power connectors entirely, soldering wires straight to the PCB's power traces and replacing the stock cooling with an industrial water cooler. Power meter readings suggested the card was drawing roughly 600W, well within the card's 2,000W custom BIOS limit, though final temperatures were not disclosed. The team clarified the stunt was a sarcastic jab at Nvidia rather than a genuine repair method for regular users.
The unofficial Android Auto app Xtream Player, successor to Fermata Xtream, has released version 1.4.0 with a new Games add-on for Premium subscribers, starting with Chess and Connect 4, meant only for use when the car is parked. The update also refreshes app icons, improves YouTube Music playback behavior, and fixes a bug that caused a black screen when using the side-panel skip control.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged in a Time interview that public sentiment has turned sharply against AI and the data centers powering it. Communities nationwide are protesting roughly $130 billion in data center construction, citing strained water supplies, rising living costs and pollution, forming a bipartisan opposition movement. Altman also revealed he's faced personal threats, including a molotov cocktail thrown at his home and a shooting, linked to anti-AI safety activism.
Google's Android 17 release becomes the first mobile OS to support Encrypted Client Hello (ECH), a TLS feature that hides the destination website names during connection setup, preventing ISPs and network snoopers from seeing which sites users visit. The update also lets carriers disable 2G connections on devices, cutting off a common vector for malicious SMS-blaster attacks, alongside stricter local-network permissions and default Certificate Transparency.
JD Power surveyed over 68,000 owners of 2026 model-year vehicles about 40 different automotive technologies and found that features requiring the least driver attention, such as smart ignition and AI-controlled HVAC systems, earned the highest satisfaction scores. Passenger-facing dashboard screens, often found in luxury brands like Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche, ranked among the least liked features.
Researchers have developed a plasma technology approach aimed at reducing the heavy carbon footprint associated with cement production, one of the most emissions-intensive industrial sectors globally. The method targets the chemical and energy-intensive steps in making cement, offering a potential pathway to lower greenhouse gas output from an industry long considered difficult to decarbonize.
A historical survey traces how societies across the world devised methods to transport heavy loads before synthetic materials and engineered frames existed, from Japanese furoshiki wrapping cloths to woven nets, bark slings and forehead straps. The piece follows furoshiki from its origins protecting temple objects in Nara-period Japan through its adaptation into a bathhouse and everyday carrying tool during the Edo period. It frames these systems as culturally specific engineering solutions shaped by terrain and daily needs.