The IEEE Computer Society is partnering with theIPregistry.org to overhaul how institutional subscribers verify access to its digital library. Starting 15 September 2026, the integration will automate the management and verification of IP address updates instead of relying on manual processes.
A grieving son used his father's letters, journals and audio recordings to train an AI chatbot that mimics his father's voice and personality. The project lets him have simulated conversations with a digital recreation of his deceased parent, raising broader questions about how AI could reshape mourning and memory.
Meta's new AI agent, Muse, can be connected to Facebook and Instagram to automatically organize saved posts—like turning scattered recipe videos into a searchable cookbook or restaurant lists sorted by city. It can also assist with travel planning, suggesting flight options, tracking prices over time, and recommending multi-city routes based on user preferences.
Anthropic researchers introduce a mathematical approach to mechanistic interpretability, aiming to reverse-engineer the internal computations of transformer language models. Their initial study focuses on small transformers with two layers or fewer that use only attention blocks, deliberately simpler than models like GPT-3, in order to identify basic patterns before tackling larger systems.
Homebuilders facing a shortage of roughly 1.2 million homes and hundreds of thousands of unfilled construction jobs are turning to robotics, but the real progress is coming from targeted tools like error-checking systems, trade-coordination software, and factory-built modules rather than humanoid robots on job sites. NAHB data shows residential construction productivity has grown just 16% since 1993, far behind the broader economy's 50%-plus gains, while labor shortages cost builders about $11 billion annually and add two months to build times.
Bradley Chambers argues that traditional software update cycles, like quarterly patches or annual macOS releases, are becoming obsolete as AI tools help attackers discover vulnerabilities faster. He outlines that IT teams now need a three-part strategy for patch management, starting with retraining end users to accept more frequent, less optional updates.
IKEA has released a free official mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition that adds a walking, talking Kallax shelving unit as a companion character, voiced by actor Matt Berry. Players unlock it through a questline at a Dwemer furniture store, where they must defeat a 'Clutter Golem' before gaining the companion, plus bonus items like a weapon, themed armor, and a helmet.
Google Maps estimates how crowded entire areas, not just individual businesses, are by aggregating anonymous location data from users who have opted into Google Timeline. The feature combines data from nearby stores, restaurants, and parks, but excludes private residences, and typically only works in high-traffic zones like tourist areas or festival grounds where enough visitor data exists.
9to5Toys compiled a weekend list of Apple product discounts, including pre-order savings on the new AirPods 5, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Apple Watch Series 12, plus a $50 cut on AirPods Pro 3 and an all-time-low price on AirTag 2. Other highlights include a $500 discount on the 2TB M5 Pro MacBook Pro, an all-time-low deal on the entry Studio Display, and ongoing M6 Mac mini pre-order offers ahead of this month's shipments.
Apple opened iPhone 18 Pro preorders and simultaneously released its own Silicone and TechWoven MagSafe cases in new colorways like Burgundy and Mulberry, priced at $49 and $59 respectively. Third-party brands including ESR, Spigen, Nomad and Burton Goods also rolled out cases ranging from $14 budget options to premium leather and grip-focused designs with built-in stands.
A team of researchers, publishing in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, used stellar modeling software to suggest the young Sun may have engulfed a rocky planet several times Earth's mass. They argue this ingested super-Earth could explain persistent mismatches between standard solar models and actual observations of the Sun's interior, including its unusually low lithium levels.
Scientists reportedly produced a previously unknown crystalline form of water ice while subjecting samples to temperatures near 2,357 degrees Celsius, conditions far beyond those where ice normally exists. The extreme heat was paired with high pressure to force water molecules into a novel structural arrangement not seen in standard ice phases.