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NASA hired startup Katalyst Space Technologies to launch an autonomous spacecraft called LINK to dock with the 21-year-old Swift observatory and push it into a stable orbit, mirroring Jared Isaacman's earlier scrapped plan to save the Hubble. The rushed, high-risk mission, assembled in record time after Isaacman became NASA administrator, ultimately fell apart before achieving its goal.
Police in Oviedo, Florida arrested 24-year-old Evan Meyer and charged him with three felonies after he destroyed what he believed was a real Flock surveillance camera. In reality, the camera was a 3D-printed decoy set up as part of a sting operation targeting people who vandalize the AI-powered license plate readers. Mayor Megan Sladek said she was unaware of the decoy operation and acknowledged the charges are controversial, especially as the city council is weighing whether to end its Flock contract.
Microsoft has begun testing a feature in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26340.9233 that lets users control camera, microphone, and precise location access separately for each desktop application. Previously, these permissions were governed by a single device-wide toggle covering all desktop apps at once. The new controls are accessible via Settings > Privacy & security, with individual switches for each app.
SpaceX intends to build a new 125,000-acre spaceport called Starbase Louisiana at Pecan Island, featuring five launch complexes, propellant production, power generation, deep-water shipping and an airport. Construction is slated to begin in 2027 with a first launch targeted for 2029, and the site could eventually support thousands of missions annually.
Lenovo has released the Legion Cloud Gaming Handheld C700 in China, an Android device built around cloud gaming from a PC. It ships with a dongle that uses Lenovo's own Legion Stream protocol, letting users stream PC games even without an internet connection. The 8GB/256GB model costs roughly $327, with a 7.82-inch 120Hz screen, Dimensity 7400 chip, and 8,000mAh battery.
Geoff Keighley's Gamescom 2026 opening ceremony delivered a wave of trailers, including HoYoverse's co-op action game Nodus Fall, Iceflake Studios' LEGO-themed city builder LEGO Skylines, and Rainbow Six Tactics, a turn-based spin-off due in 2027 that marks the franchise's first single-player entry since 2008. Microsoft also showed the first campaign footage for Gears of War: E-Day ahead of its October 6 launch, while Pearl Abyss unveiled an enhanced version of Crimson Desert.
Pan-African venture firm Ventures Platform has closed an oversubscribed $83 million Fund II, nearly double its $46 million debut fund from 2022. The firm will now invest across Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt in addition to Nigeria, writing checks up to $3 million in fintech, healthcare, SaaS, and AI-driven startups over the next three to four years.
Perplexity has released Portable Computer, an agentic AI tool that runs entirely on local hardware instead of the cloud, built in partnership with NVIDIA. It relies on compact models like Qwen 3.8 and NVIDIA Nemotron 3.5 Lightning to handle complex tasks on-device, and only reaches out to cloud-based models when needed, with user permission. The feature is currently available to Perplexity Pro and Max subscribers running NVIDIA's DGX Spark hardware, with RTX GPU support planned.
A team from Texas A&M, NASA's Johnson Space Center, and Purdue University developed a system for managing multiple spacecraft around Gateway, the lunar-orbiting station NASA plans to launch no earlier than 2027. Using thousands of simulations, they created a 'string of pearls' approach that spaces waiting vehicles at set intervals ahead of or behind the station along its near-rectilinear halo orbit, accounting for navigation and thruster errors.
James Park and Eric Friedman, who co-founded Fitbit, have unveiled their new company Luffu's first product: the Luffu Link, a screenless band priced at $249.99 that tracks health data and doubles as a safety device for families. The LTE- and GPS-enabled band lets wearers log symptoms and moods by voice, share their location, and alert trusted contacts or request help even without a nearby phone. It's available for preorder now and will ship in the US in early 2027 for a retail price of $299.99.
HP has entered a global, multi-year agreement to license standard-essential WiFi patents from Huawei, the two companies confirmed Wednesday. HP described the deal as a routine patent licensing arrangement rather than a broader partnership, noting it followed a prior patent-pool agreement covering 2,000 wireless connectivity patents that Huawei helped found.
Nature Futures ran a science-fiction interview piece imagining Sam Morten, a war veteran, and Eli, a distinct personality sharing his body, as they navigate a court case seeking legal recognition for Eli as a separate entity. The narrative unfolds over coffee and ice cream, contrasting Sam's guarded demeanor with Eli's childlike openness, while touching on the strain the situation placed on Sam's marriage.