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Walmart is selling the Gigabyte Gaming A16 Pro laptop for $1,449, featuring a 16-inch 2560x1600 IPS display, Intel's Core 7 240H processor, a mobile RTX 5070 Ti GPU with 12GB VRAM, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The machine also includes HDMI 2.1, USB-C with DisplayPort, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.2.
Apple has begun taking preorders for the second-generation HomePod Mini, which runs on the S10 chip first introduced in the Apple Watch Series 10. The speaker can anchor a four-speaker surround setup with the new Apple TV 4K, work as audio output for Wi-Fi 6E-equipped Macs, and display album artwork through its top LED array.
A Show HN project called PDF TO MP3 lets users convert PDF documents into audiobooks by connecting their Codex or Claude account via an MCP server. Document processing is covered by the user's existing AI subscription, while the actual text-to-speech generation is billed separately through an OpenAI or Google Gemini API key. Users authenticate the MCP server, add their speech API key, then attach a PDF in their chat client and request an audiobook conversion.
AWS introduced Lambda Web Functions, a new deployment option that runs standard port-listening HTTP servers built with frameworks like Express, Hono, Fastify or Next.js directly on Lambda, without requiring code to be rewritten as an event handler. AWS also renamed its original Lambda model 'Event Functions' and positioned both alongside Lambda MicroVMs, isolated sandbox environments for running untrusted code, as three distinct Lambda form factors sharing the same Firecracker isolation technology.
Mandiant detailed an August 4, 2026 Akira ransomware intrusion in which an affiliate brute-forced a SonicWall SSL VPN account that had no multi-factor authentication, gaining access within minutes. The attacker then used RDP to reach the domain controller, enumerate Active Directory, and steal credentials and file-share data, though the ransomware payload itself failed to deploy. Mandiant's 2025 data shows compromised credentials caused 21% of ransomware incidents with a known entry point, and RDP was used for lateral movement in about 85% of cases.
Bill van Zyll, Nintendo's VP and General Manager for Latin America, said in an interview with Coelho no Japão that Nintendo has no plans to stop offering physical media. He said the Switch 2, just over a year into its launch, supports both digital and physical formats, and that Nintendo remains 'agnostic' based on consumer preference.
New data indicates that the long-running growth in college administrative staffing may be reversing. At Louisiana State University, an incoming president announced the layoff of 25 administrators, some in senior roles, redirecting the resulting savings toward faculty hiring and research.
Flock Safety, valued at $8.4 billion, is expanding its drone-for-police program even as its automated license plate readers face vandalism and municipal bans across the country. Cities have blacked out, painted over or wrapped the company's cameras in protest, citing surveillance concerns, while the company pivots growth toward aerial surveillance tools for law enforcement.
An intern-turned-observer, identified as Alex R., describes noticing that investment bank desks are commonly cluttered with small commemorative trinkets known as 'deal toys,' which mark completed transactions. The report characterizes these objects as inexpensive, kitschy keepsakes that are widely collected across junior and senior staff alike.
A report examines whether open-weight AI models pose greater security risks than closed models from companies like Anthropic and OpenAI. It notes that closed models are also frequently misused despite stronger built-in defenses, while open models can be more easily scrutinized by outside researchers and used for cyber defense, as seen when Hugging Face relied on an open model to investigate a hack after closed models' security filters blocked its queries.
Addigy has introduced a new product called Intelligence Suite, designed to bring AI-driven control and management capabilities to Apple devices. Jason Dettbarn of Addigy discussed the launch on the Apple @ Work podcast, outlining the company's approach to applying AI within its device management platform.
Federal campaign finance records show Leading the Future's pro-AI super PAC network, including Think Big and American Mission, paid roughly $20 million to Lantern Production Consultants and millions more to three other Nevada-based LLCs for polling, advertising and strategy work. These entities list addresses at a PO box, a mail center, a Staples store and a strip mall, with no other discernible business presence. The network has raised over $140 million to back candidates supporting an AI-friendly policy agenda ahead of the midterms.