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At TIFF, Laika crew members detailed technical advances behind their upcoming stop-motion film Wildwood, due in theaters next month. The studio credited digital frame-grabbers that let animators review recently shot frames for smoother movement, plus improved internal puppet mechanisms called breathers that simulate lifelike breathing in nearly all major characters.
Researchers analyzing data from NASA's Messenger spacecraft now estimate Mercury has contracted up to 14 miles in diameter as its interior cooled over billions of years, roughly 30% more shrinkage than previously calculated. The findings, published in Geophysical Research Letters, suggest the planet's cratered, debris-strewn surface had obscured the true scale of this shrinkage.
Apple unveiled its iPhone 18 Pro series and iPhone Duo this week while also confirming a release date for iOS 27, its next major software update. The update will be compatible with any device currently able to run iOS 26, meaning most existing iPhone owners won't need a new device to get it.
Dr. Itamar Shatz, author of a new book on procrastination, argues there is no universal cure-all for putting off tasks. Instead, he offers five research-backed insights explaining why people delay even things they genuinely want to do and how they can address that behavior.
Werner Herzog criticized a 2025 film called 'About a Hero,' which used an AI-generated script trained on his movies and an AI deepfake of Herzog himself as narrator. He said he told the filmmaker beforehand that the idea was 'abysmally stupid' and refused to participate in the project.
Apple has begun taking preorders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which were unveiled at its September 2026 event alongside the iPhone Duo. The 6.3-inch Pro starts at $1,199 and the 6.9-inch Pro Max at $1,299, both offered in deep black, silver, glacier and burgundy, with prices climbing to $2,499 for the top 2TB configuration. Unlocked units are currently only available through Apple, while retailers like Best Buy and Walmart are offering carrier-locked models tied to AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.
A writer recounts buying a Birkin handbag in 2017 intending it as an investment, only to discover the purchase revealed more about social signaling than financial return. The experience showed how the bag altered how others perceived and treated her before she had a chance to demonstrate competence or credibility on her own terms.
A developer who abandoned reverse-engineering Apple's Neural Engine (ANE) three years ago has resumed the project, this time focused on mapping its full internal architecture rather than making it usable via a Linux driver. The renewed effort was prompted by Apple's M5 chip, which emphasizes LLM performance and integrates ANE cores directly into the GPU, signaling the decline of the standalone neural processing unit design that began with the A11 Bionic in 2017.
Tesla vehicles branded as Cybercabs have appeared on New York City streets equipped with steering wheels and human drivers, a stark contrast to the pedal-free, wheel-free design Elon Musk showcased in 2024. Officials say the cars are running a 'supervised' self-driving system that requires a person ready to take control at any moment, and Tesla has not disclosed how many vehicles are involved or how long the testing will last. The company has also not applied for autonomous vehicle testing permits with New York's DMV, suggesting this is a data-gathering exercise rather than a service launch.
OpenAI says it has solved a Millennium Prize-level math problem, extending a string of high-profile claims in mathematics. Researchers including Tristan Buckmaster and Andreas Thom say the company has been vague about whether their own prior work, done through OpenAI's Codex tool, fed into its results. OpenAI denies this, insisting Buckmaster's recent prompts could not have influenced the system's training.
A new Gallup survey finds 47% of Americans now want unions to hold more influence, up from 43% in 2023 and just 25% in 2009. Meanwhile, those wanting less union influence fell to 23%, and overall approval of unions climbed to 71%, matching levels last seen in 1965.
Researchers unveiled WeWorm, a proof-of-concept worm that spreads through WeChat calls without user interaction, affecting both iOS and Android devices. The demo involved three phones where an attacker could hijack accounts and propagate the infection by simply calling victims, who need not answer or even interact with their phones.