Epilogue makes USB-C cartridge readers, the $50 GB Operator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance carts, and the $60 SN Operator for Super Nintendo and Super Famicom titles, with an N64 version in development. The devices connect real cartridges to Windows, Mac, Steam Deck, Xbox Ally or even phones, letting users back up save data and play games through companion Playback software that pulls the ROM and runs it in an emulator.
A teardown of Android Auto beta version 17.6.663424 reveals Google testing a new color palette for Google Maps, with a darker map background and a dark-gray turn indicator replacing the current light background and teal accent. The change also appears in dark mode, where the map surface would become even darker and the turn indicator would drop its teal tint for gray.
California lawmakers passed SB 868, a bill that sets rules for small, plug-in solar devices—often mounted on balconies, yards or roofs—capped at 1,200 watts per home. The bill replaces the costly utility interconnection process for these systems with a free online registration, provided devices meet electrical codes, carry third-party safety certification and include anti-backfeed protection. It now awaits Governor Gavin Newsom's signature, with compliant products potentially available by spring 2027.
Dell introduced the 14s, a thin and light 14-inch Windows 11 laptop targeted at students and young adults, available in Linen, Dusty Rose, Washed Denim, and Velvet Green finishes. The device uses an aluminum chassis, Intel Panther Lake processors, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB storage, and a battery Dell claims lasts up to 21 hours of video playback. Pricing and release date remain unannounced, though Dell suggests the laptop will be positioned as an affordable option.
A veteran smart-home reviewer argues that despite a wave of humanoid robots shown at CES and this week's IFA in Berlin, including 1X's $20,000 Neo, none are truly ready to handle household chores. She notes homes are cluttered, unpredictable, and full of stairs, conditions that heavy, leg-based machines struggle to navigate safely.
Data from time-tracking tool RescueTime shows the average employee gets only 85 minutes of undisturbed focus per day, squeezed out by meetings, notifications, and constant task-switching. A related Gallup survey on worker engagement found rising workloads and unclear job boundaries are further eroding enthusiasm and creative capacity, especially as companies downsize without replacing roles.
Dell has announced the 14S, a mainstream 14-inch laptop offered in four colors with a 61.2 Whr battery for all-day use. It comes with up to an Intel Core 7 processor, choice of FHD or 2.8K displays, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and weighs just over 2.5 pounds. Pricing hasn't been announced yet; Dell says details will come closer to its fall launch.
Dell is expanding its mainstream 14S laptop series with lower-cost configurations built on Intel's more efficient Wildcat Lake chips instead of Panther Lake. The new models start at 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, come in four bright colors, and pricing won't be confirmed until closer to their fall launch.
IBM has released an open source initiative called the CE Store, providing a research environment for ITA Controlled English, a structured form of English designed to be readable by both people and machines. The system lets users define concepts and instances through simple English sentences that form data models, and it can be deployed via IBM Cloud or run locally by cloning the code from GitHub.
Microsoft confirmed its Defender for Office 365 Safe Links feature is incorrectly flagging legitimate Google search URLs as malicious, showing users 'not safe' warnings when they try to click them. The company said the problem stems from an inaccurate security classification and is generating false alerts for IT admins in Microsoft Sentinel and the Defender portal. Pasting the blocked links directly into a browser does not bypass the warning.
Netflix's Tudum top 10 for August 24-30 ranked Rockstar's nearly 30-minute GTA VI extended look as the most-watched movie, topping charts in 58 countries with 31.1 million views despite only a six-hour exclusivity deal. After that window closed, Rockstar posted the same footage to YouTube, where it has since drawn over 17.7 million views using a different counting method.
Apple has updated Apple Maps to display Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' for users in the United States, following Google's earlier change to its maps. The renaming stems from an executive order President Trump signed after US-Canada trade talks collapsed, with Canadian users still seeing 'Lake Ontario' and the rest of the world seeing both names. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Trump personally contacted Apple to push through the naming change.
GoKawiil