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.
Roku streaming devices include an auto power saving setting that puts the device into low power mode and attempts to turn off the connected TV after 20 minutes of inactivity. Users experiencing unexpected shutdowns can wake the device via the TV, remote, mobile app, or casting tools, or disable the setting entirely to prevent it from happening again.
Wireless carriers increasingly promote installment financing that spreads a phone's cost over 24 to 36 months, sometimes bundling in taxes and activation fees so nothing is due upfront. However, these deals often come tied to bill credits or trade-in credits that require staying on a specific plan or carrier, and switching providers or plans midway can void remaining credits or trigger full remaining balance payments.
Mexican federal police, Navy and state forces raided a hidden cryptocurrency mining site in Tlaola, Puebla, seizing roughly 300 GPUs, 80 medium-voltage terminations, a transformer and eight satellite antennas. Investigators believe the operation was illegally drawing power from the nearby Necaxa hydroelectric dam, and it marks the fourth such facility uncovered in the region since early last year.
Waymo's in-cabin sensors flagged two juvenile passengers handling a loaded AR-style firearm in San Francisco's Outer Richmond neighborhood, prompting the company to notify police. Officers conducted a high-risk stop early on September 3, arresting the pair and also finding suspected marijuana and mace spray in the vehicle.
A case report in BMJ Case Reports describes a home-schooled boy who developed a lace-patterned skin discoloration and burn-like breakdown on his abdomen after using a laptop on his lap for up to eight hours daily, often while it was charging. Doctors initially misdiagnosed the marks as bruising and treated a suspected lung infection before eventually tracing the damage to prolonged heat exposure from the device.
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.
Developer TheAlexKid777 demonstrated the OpenLara open-source Tomb Raider engine running on Espressif's ESP32-P4, a sub-$25 dev board with a dual-core 400MHz RISC-V chip. The game renders at 320x240 and is hardware-scaled up to 1,024x600 with stereo audio, all while the board draws only about 1 watt at peak.
A traveler returning from a trip through France, Spain and Portugal reports that Dynamic Currency Conversion, the practice of letting merchants bill purchases in a tourist's home currency instead of the local one, has become harder to avoid. Many payment terminals now default to charging in dollars automatically, often without a clear prompt asking the customer to choose, making it easy to unknowingly accept a worse exchange rate.
L.L. Bean's new CEO has directed $50 million toward renovating the company's flagship store in Maine, redesigning it to emphasize immersive, tactile experiences over standard product displays. The revamped space greets visitors with elements like live fish rather than leading with clothing or footwear collections.
Ukraine's Navy says its Sargan 3000 unmanned surface vessel destroyed a Russian MBeK drone boat in the Black Sea, using a 12.7mm remote-controlled turret to sink the enemy craft after it was spotted by military intelligence. Footage released on the Navy's Telegram channel shows the exchange of fire and the Russian vessel sinking nose-first.
WIRED's year-long testing of indoor garden systems found the Gardyn Home 4.0 the simplest to set up and the most productive, successfully growing everything from herbs to a full cauliflower. The system uses proprietary seed pods called yCubes, sold in curated flavor sets, and pairs with an optional AI-powered subscription app called Kelby that automates watering and lighting.
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