GoKawiil
Tech News
New research finds that having a good relationship with one's manager correlates with higher job satisfaction regardless of whether employees work remotely, hybrid, or in-office. The finding comes amid continued employer pushes to bring workers back to physical offices after the pandemic.
Emma Grede, cofounder of Skims, said in a podcast interview this week that treating employees like family is not part of a boss's job. She argued that many business leaders are too friendly with their staff.
According to ZDNet Korea, Sony and Meta signed a Confirmatory Assignment agreement in December 2025 transferring 419 VR, AR, and XR patents developed by Sony between 2010 and 2022. The portfolio includes 180 US patents, with the rest registered across Japan, China, South Korea, Europe and other regions. Sony has not publicly commented on the transfer.
Actor Ben Affleck appeared on GQ's 'One More Question' series discussing AI concepts including neural networks, transformers, tensors, and GPUs, explaining how he writes basic Python scripts. Affleck, who sold his AI filmmaking startup to Netflix for a reported $587 million earlier this year, described how machine learning has long been part of visual effects workflows and detailed technical concepts like convolutional neural networks to the interviewer.
Interpretability startup Goodfire has released AI safety monitors that inspect a model's internal signals in real time, rather than reviewing its text output after the fact. The tool is now available to customers of Baseten, which hosts AI models, following a safety partnership announced last month with Baseten's Base Labs and Hugging Face. Users can choose which risks to flag, such as hacking attempts or weapons-related misuse, and select automated responses ranging from logging to blocking requests.
Leaked information suggests that Apple’s next MacBook Pro will see a notable weight reduction while maintaining a similar thickness to current models. The redesign aims to balance portability with performance, potentially retaining most ports and battery life. This approach could appeal to both professional users and prosumers seeking a lighter device without sacrificing capabilities.
Amazon has unveiled a new series of Alexa Tablets featuring an aluminum chassis and running on Android 16, with an upgrade to Android 17 planned for early 2027. These devices replace Fire OS with a standard Android experience, allowing users to access the Google Play Store and a wide range of apps, while integrating Amazon’s media and AI functionalities. The tablets also offer features like seamless content syncing across devices and a specialized Kindle mode for reading and battery optimization.
A new CBS drama incorporates themes of technological upheaval, including AI misuse and corporate power, through fictionalized stories inspired by real-world events. The show, created by Robert and Michelle King, follows a Silicon Valley law firm fighting against major tech companies in a case-of-the-week format. It aims to explore societal anxieties about rapid technological change and its impact beyond the Bay Area.
Amazon and Target have discounted several Apple Watch Series 12 configurations by $50 for the duration of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days. The 42mm GPS model drops from $399 to $349.99, with cellular versions costing $100 more, while the 46mm model starts at $399.99 and its cellular counterpart is $499.99. Apple's Watch SE 3 is also discounted to $199 during the same sale.
Meta demonstrated its $1,299 VR Glasses at Connect in September, while Xreal, partnering with Google on the Android XR platform, has priced its competing Aura glasses at $1,279 for a 12GB/256GB model. Xreal's Aura is open for preorder to existing paid reservation holders, with wider public preorders coming in weeks and shipping to the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea this year, ahead of Meta's device.
Garmin has launched the Enduro 4 adventure watch and the Approach S72 golf watch, both available in the US starting October 9. The Enduro 4 keeps the same extreme battery claims as its predecessor—up to 320 hours tracking with solar charging or 90 days in smartwatch mode—while adding doubled storage, 50% more RAM, faster map rendering, new power modes, and stamina tracking tools. The Approach S72 is aimed at golfers, adding swing metrics, biometric data, and upgraded on-course features.
NASA has scrapped the Lunar Gateway station and the Mars Sample Return mission as it redirects resources toward a Moon Base near the lunar south pole, intensifying competition with China. Administrator Jared Isaacman says international partners, including the European Space Agency, must now offer "meaningful contributions" that fill gaps NASA or US companies aren't already addressing, and he has rejected an ESA proposal for a European cargo lander.