Planted, a startup that uses digital-twin software and robots to redesign and build solar farms, has raised $31.8 million led by Piva Capital and RA Capital Management Planetary Health, with backing from Google, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Gigascale Capital, and Khosla Ventures. The company's technology helped one St. Louis-area project cut land use by 40% while producing the same power output, resolving a zoning dispute that had stalled the development.
Climate scientist Zeke Hausfather analyzed his own usage of Anthropic's Claude Code assistant and calculated that a typical day of work consumed between 1.2 and 5.9 kilowatt-hours of electricity, comparable to running two refrigerators nonstop for a day. He found that 96 percent of the roughly 3.2 billion tokens processed over eight weeks came from the agent repeatedly re-reading its own accumulated memory at each step, rather than generating visible output.
The New Mexico Supreme Court held attorney Stephen Aarons in contempt and fined him $5,000 after he submitted an appellate brief containing fictitious police testimony and witnesses invented by ChatGPT. Aarons said he used the AI tool to summarize trial proceedings for a murder conviction appeal, claiming he didn't realize it could fabricate facts. The court is also referring him to a disciplinary board for further investigation.
Apple released iOS 27 on Monday, September 14, bringing an opt-in, AI-enhanced version of Siri capable of handling tasks like navigation and recipe lookups, alongside smaller design changes such as a new Liquid Glass slider and a revised Notification Center. The reviewer, who tested beta versions since June, reports the update makes the phone feel faster with quicker app launches, though it lacks major standout features compared to past iOS releases.
A hands-on review of iOS 27 reports that Apple's revamped Siri, now built on Google's Gemini models, can handle multistep tasks like drafting messages, summarizing on-screen content, and answering complex questions with far greater accuracy than before. The reviewer, who had largely stopped using Siri, says the assistant now understands context from apps, messages, and emails, and comes with a new logo and animation.
Apple's built-in Screen Time feature lets iPhone users restrict access to distracting apps through two main tools: Downtime, which blocks all but selected apps and contacts during set hours, and App Limits, which caps daily usage for specific app categories or individual apps. Users can customize schedules by day, receive warnings before restrictions kick in, and sync these limits across all Apple devices tied to their Apple Account.
A growing community of hobbyists is using AI chatbots and open-source language models to co-create sprawling fantasy stories and role-plays, often through tools like SillyTavern that run models locally. Users like Brazilian software engineer Petra Ferraz de Novaes describe building elaborate, ever-evolving narratives across fandoms such as Star Wars and Pokémon, valuing the AI's unpredictable, sometimes bizarre outputs. Researchers at the University of Washington found that many participants know the content is AI-generated and see that as part of the appeal, not a drawback.
Laptops with trackpads that bulge or pop out are often showing a symptom of a swollen lithium-ion battery, which sits directly beneath the trackpad in most designs including MacBooks and Surface devices. Battery swelling happens when overcharging or physical damage triggers chemical reactions that release gas, pushing outward against internal components. Apple has previously run replacement programs for MacBooks affected by this exact issue.
Anthropic's September 2026 threat report describes Chinese-based actors using its Claude models across at least five programs, including two tied to military applications. One actor drafted fire-control specifications for an anti-torpedo system and benchmarked it against U.S. Navy systems, while another built roughly 16 software modules for suppressing enemy air defenses, with a default scenario targeting 12 sites in Taiwan such as Patriot batteries and air bases. Metadata reviewed by Anthropic suggested links to Chinese research institutions, including the PLA Academy of Military Sciences.
A WIRED reporter tested John Deere's Operations Center Pro Service software at the company's Santa Clara office, using it to diagnose and fix a disconnected water-in-fuel sensor on a 5130ML tractor in just a few minutes without a technician. The demonstration was led by John Deere's chief technology officer, Jahmy Hindman, who pitched the tool as evidence the company supports owner repairs.
Free VPN services aren't simply schemes to sell user data; some reputable providers offer limited free tiers hoping users will upgrade, while others monetize through ads or unclear data practices. A VPN encrypts traffic between your device and its server, hiding your destinations from your ISP, but it doesn't make you anonymous since sites can still track you via accounts and cookies. Choosing a free VPN means evaluating the provider's business model and privacy tradeoffs, not just the lack of a price tag.
A tech explainer clarifies the difference between a router's WAN port, which connects to a modem or ONT for internet access, and its LAN ports, which link wired devices like PCs, consoles, TVs and NAS units inside the home. It notes that combo router/modem units skip the WAN port entirely, while some routers use flexible WAN/LAN or auto-sensing ports instead of clearly labeled ones.
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