Physicists at the University of Surrey have designed a new type of qubit, the Superfluid Helium Oscillator Quantum (SHOQ) device, built from superfluid helium-3 rather than superconducting circuits. Published in npj Quantum Information, the team's calculations suggest the charge-neutral design could cut error rates roughly 100-fold compared with conventional superconducting qubits. Lead author Dr. Priya Sharma says it is the first reported qubit concept based on a superfluid.
Amazon has consolidated its Fire TV streaming player lineup, cutting it from five models to four by replacing the Fire TV Stick 4K Select and 4K Plus with a single new Fire TV Stick 4K. The updated roster now consists of the Fire TV Stick HD, Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Cube, alongside a new remote control announced the same day.
An Android Authority writer tested three storage-cleaning tools — Samsung's built-in Device Care, Google's Files app, and the power-user tool SD Maid SE — after nearly filling a 256GB Galaxy phone. The cleanup recovered 15GB, less than hoped, largely because the reviewer chose to keep many large personal files rather than delete them.
The Unicode Consortium approved nine new emoji on Sept. 16, including a pickle, a cracking face, left and right thumb gestures, a monarch butterfly, a lighthouse, a meteor, an eraser and a net with a handle. The cracking face replaces an originally proposed squinty face after a recommendation from the Unicode Emoji Standard & Research Working Group in January.
A router will continue to function normally after a manufacturer stops issuing firmware updates, as there is no mechanism that disables the device once support ends. However, without updates, any newly discovered security flaws in the router go unpatched indefinitely, leaving it exposed to potential exploitation.
Google has integrated Gemini with Find Hub so users can verbally log where they've stored important belongings, such as saying a passport is kept in a vault. The assistant confirms the entry and links back to Find Hub, where users can attach photos, addresses, and notes, or add items manually through the app's Remembered tab.
Apple has introduced a new opt-in security feature called Impersonation Risk Detection in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, designed to identify social engineering scams as they happen. The feature runs entirely on-device, analyzing behavior in real time and sending only a risk label—not underlying personal data—to supporting apps.
Amazon is offering select customers three months of Kindle Unlimited at no cost, a promotion valued at $36 off the regular $11.99 monthly rate. The offer runs through Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale and auto-renews at full price unless canceled beforehand. Eligibility varies, as it's available to new subscribers and only some returning ones.
OpenAI announced updates to its Codex coding agent at Dev Day, including reusable cloud development environments accessible from any device, a refreshed Codex CLI with voice-directed tasks, and a new code review experience inside the ChatGPT desktop app. The company also introduced Codex Security Cloud, a set of tools aimed at hardening infrastructure around Codex usage.
Fairphone confirmed to The Verge that its second-generation Fairbuds will launch on October 14, 2026, debuting in Europe before arriving in the US shortly after. The earbuds will retain seven replaceable, modular parts like the original and add support for Sony's LDAC codec, up from SBC and AAC. Pricing is set at €119 in Europe and $119 in the US, compared to $99 for the first-generation model.
Singaporean startup Strutt has launched the ev¹, a joystick-controlled four-motor mobility device with stability control, anti-lock brakes, obstacle-avoidance cameras, and self-driving Pathfinder and Waypoint modes. It can climb 13° slopes, clear 2-inch curbs, cross 4.7-inch gaps, and traverse grass and gravel, and sells for $7,500. The company markets it as a 'smart everyday vehicle' rather than a wheelchair, avoiding FDA Class II medical device classification.
Konrad Zieliński, who lost his voice to cancer and later completed a PhD on bionic systems for laryngectomees, founded Uhura Bionics in 2023. The startup makes two non-surgical wearable devices, including a premium model called Whitney, designed to let users speak with emotional inflection rather than a flat robotic tone. Uhura will present at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026's Battlefield 200 next month.
GoKawiil