A new study reports that people with elevated blood levels of xylitol, a common sugar substitute, faced an increased likelihood of major cardiovascular events including heart attack, stroke and death. Researchers observed this association after tracking cardiovascular outcomes alongside xylitol levels in study participants.
CNET, Lifehacker, Mashable, PCMag, PopSci and ZDNET are jointly publishing a September-long series called 'Apple a Day,' revisiting decades of their own coverage of Apple milestones, from the 2005 Intel chip switch to the 2015 Apple Watch debut. The campaign coincides with Apple's upcoming September 9 event and includes a 'Big Guessing Game' contest offering a new Apple Watch as a prize.
The FDA has approved Rasonque (daraxonrasib), a once-daily pill designed to block multiple mutated forms of the RAS protein that drive most pancreatic adenocarcinoma tumors. It is cleared for adults with metastatic disease who have already tried one systemic treatment or cannot tolerate combination chemotherapy, and the agency says it acted ahead of its original review timeline.
Risklytics, a member of YC's Summer 2026 batch, has launched as an insurance brokerage focused on companies deploying AI agents and robots in operational roles. The startup works with carriers willing to underwrite these emerging risks and manually reviews policy language before coverage is finalized, aiming to catch exclusions that standard commercial forms weren't written to address.
Tim Curry, the actor famed for playing Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Pennywise in the 1990 TV adaptation of Stephen King's It, has died at his Los Angeles home at age 80. His career spanned decades across film, television and theatre, including West End and Broadway stage roles in productions such as Hair, Travesties, Amadeus and Spamalot.
As part of an $18 billion settlement with 29 U.S. states over children's online safety, Meta agreed to major restrictions on how teens use Instagram and Facebook. The changes include a cumulative two-hour daily time limit across both apps, a default midnight-to-6 a.m. usage block, options for a non-algorithmic default feed, and usage-break prompts every 15 minutes, with most measures required to stay in place for a decade pending court approval.
A film outlet has published its curated list of the 25 sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and superhero movies it considers most anticipated for the upcoming fall and winter release period. The selection spans multiple genres and studios, reflecting a busy slate of genre filmmaking heading into year-end.
Google has released Gemini Audio, a set of three new speech-focused AI models: Gemini 3.5 Live, 3.5 Live Experimental, and 3.5 Transcribe. These models are meant to handle real-time conversation and speech-to-text tasks and are rolling out across Search Live, Gemini Live, Docs, Keep, Gmail, the Gemini app, and Gboard. Notably, Gemini 3.5 Transcribe replaces Google's older Chirp 3 model and adds features like filler-word removal, auto-formatting, and voice editing.
Papa Johns has named KM Capital, a Mexican investment firm founded in 1986, as its new franchise partner in the country, handing it control of 44 existing locations. The firm plans to invest further in operations, branding and expansion there, while Papa Johns' international division has now posted seven consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth, up 1.5% in Q2, even as U.S. sales fell 8.3% over the same period.
Meta has settled requirements forcing Instagram and Facebook to add new teen safeguards, including a non-personalized feed option, stricter age verification, a combined two-hour daily usage cap across both apps, and recurring prompts urging teens to stop scrolling. The changes must roll out within four months and apply across alternate accounts Meta detects belonging to the same teen user.
Tim Curry, the actor best known for originating the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the stage and film versions of The Rocky Horror Show, has died. Curry rose to prominence in London's original cast of Hair before collaborating with Richard O'Brien to shape the iconic transvestite mad-scientist character, ultimately performing it across London, Los Angeles and New York.
ZDNET's review of the Google Pixel 11 finds the base model to be the standout among this year's four Pixel phones, despite few hardware changes beyond a new Hibiscus pink color option. The device retains a 6.3-inch AMOLED display and symmetrical design, but Google has slimmed the rear camera bar to nearly half its previous size, making the phone easier to use with a case and comfortable to hold without one.