GoKawiil
Tech News
AI-generated images and videos depicting animals—rescues, reunions, and lost pets—are flooding social media, making it harder for viewers to trust what they see. In one case, a Los Angeles woman named Mibbby Butler was targeted by a scammer who used an AI-manipulated photo of her missing cat to extort payment for its supposed return, though she caught the deception due to garbled text in the background image.
Runable, a Bengaluru startup founded in 2025, has raised $21 million in a Series A round co-led by Susquehanna Venture Capital and Nexus Venture Partners, valuing it at $65 million post-money. The company started as an AI browser-scraping infrastructure tool but pivoted after users asked its agent to build slide decks and websites, and now aims to help small businesses find customers, run ad campaigns, and market themselves across search, social media, and chatbots.
The uBlock Origin team has released version 1.74, which it says will be the last stable build available on the Chrome Web Store. Google plans to pull the extension from the store on August 31 as it finishes phasing out support for Manifest V2, the older extension platform uBlock Origin relies on. Chrome users searching the store are already seeing only the Manifest V3-based uBlock Origin Lite as a replacement.
Threat intelligence firm Defused reports that hackers are actively probing SharePoint servers by combining two vulnerabilities: an authentication bypass in JWT token validation (CVE-2026-55040) and a Business Connectivity Services flaw (CVE-2026-63520) that enables remote code execution. Proof-of-concept code for both bugs was published publicly in August by researchers at Rapid7 and VulnCheck, and Defused says it has already observed the bypass being exploited alongside admin enumeration on honeypots, though no successful code execution has been confirmed yet.
The EPA is drafting a rule change that would eliminate the requirement for states to collect public feedback before issuing air pollution permits for so-called 'minor source' facilities, a category that includes data centers, landfills, laundromats, and steel mills. The move comes as communities increasingly use public hearings to challenge AI data center construction over air quality and health concerns. Attorneys general from 14 states and three cities have signed a letter opposing the change, arguing that minor sources can still cause serious health and environmental harm.
Apple has started rolling out advertisements within Apple Maps for users in the US and Canada, appearing both in the Suggested Places section before a search and among results afterward. Each ad carries a blue label marking it as sponsored, and Apple says ad interactions aren't tied to Apple accounts or shared with third parties. Users have no option to disable the ads, even if they subscribe to iCloud+ or Apple One.
WIRED's 2026 review of Green Chef highlights dishes like lemon-oregano shrimp with schug and feta, and a spiced steelhead with gremolata and couscous, praising their complex, layered flavors despite quick prep times. The reviewer notes strong protein sourcing, including U.S.-fished shrimp, wild-caught salmon, and Norwegian steelhead, all clearly labeled by origin.
Debian is holding a General Resolution asking its developers to choose among eight different stances on generative AI and large language model use in the project, ranging from an outright ban to conditional acceptance. Project Lead Sruthi Chandran extended the voting deadline by a week given the complexity of the more than 5,000-word ballot. Passing the strictest option, a total ban tied to Debian's Social Contract, requires a 3:1 supermajority, while the other proposals need only a simple majority.
Google is developing a Google Keep feature that lets users add to-do list items within a regular text note, rather than forcing the whole note into checkbox format. Spotted in app version 5.26.341.03.90, the update also changes checkbox behavior so tapping the icon only converts the current line into a checklist item, not the entire note.
Google's new Pixel 11 lineup features the Tensor G6 chip, Gemini Intelligence AI tools, and upgraded cameras across both standard and Pro models. While the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL add extras like a longer 120x zoom, brighter displays, and a new HiLight notification feature, the base Pixel 11 now matches its Pro sibling in RAM and shares most core specs at a significantly lower price.
Microsoft has confirmed a new Xbox feature that converts physical disc games into digital entitlements tied to the disc itself, allowing ownership to transfer between accounts if the disc changes hands. The feature begins testing with Xbox Insiders on August 31st before a wider rollout, and supports thousands of titles at launch with more to follow as publishers opt in.
Garmin has introduced the Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro sports watches, including a solar-powered Pro variant that debuts the line's first titanium case. The Fenix 9 lineup brings brighter AMOLED displays, expanded storage, improved offline mapping, new training features and LTE, while the compact 43mm Pro adds satellite messaging via Garmin's inReach service. Pricing starts at $1,000 for the Fenix 9 and climbs to $1,200 for the solar Pro editions, with orders opening August 28.