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Sonos showcased its new $699 Beam Ultra soundbar and $449 Ace Ultra headphones at an open house event, alongside upcoming app updates. A private demo revealed the Beam Ultra's improved bass, vocal clarity, and Dolby Atmos performance using side- and top-firing drivers, plus the ability to wirelessly pair Play portable speakers as rear channels.
A large slate of speculative fiction is arriving this September, including new works from Leigh Bardugo, Tananarive Due, Alice Hoffman, Ken Liu, Josh Malerman, China Miéville and Emily St. John Mandel. The lineup spans multiple genres and formats, reflecting the breadth of the current publishing season for sci-fi, fantasy and horror readers.
Google announced that Pics, its AI-powered image generation and design tool first revealed in May, is now widely available rather than limited to select testers. Access requires a Google AI Pro or Ultra plan, an AI Pro for Education subscription, or select Workspace Business and Enterprise tiers.
Financial planners commonly recommend a sequence for allocating limited retirement savings dollars: capture any employer 401(k) match first, then max out an HSA if eligible, followed by an IRA (Roth or traditional), and finally additional 401(k) contributions up to the annual limit. The framework helps savers with a fixed monthly or yearly budget decide where each dollar produces the most value.
Google has begun distributing its Pics image editor to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, along with Business and Enterprise Workspace plan customers and AI Pro for Education users. The app, built on Google's Nano Banana image generator, lets users generate images from text prompts, edit individual objects, translate embedded text across 29 languages, and upscale images to 2K or 4K resolution.
Sony has unveiled three new ULT Tower party speakers—Max, 7 and 5—that replace older models in its lineup. Each offers XLR, RCA and USB-C connections plus a new Party Chain feature using Bluetooth Auracast technology, letting the speakers link wirelessly for synchronized multi-room sound.
Dolby Atmos for Headphones is a paid app for Windows and Xbox that virtually recreates spatial audio effects on ordinary stereo headphones, without requiring dedicated Atmos-enabled hardware. Users can try the surround simulation through a free trial before deciding whether to purchase the full software.
Sonos introduced two new Ultra-branded products: the Ace Ultra headphones priced at $449 and the Beam Ultra soundbar priced at $699, both available for pre-order now and shipping September 29. The company also rebranded its software platform as 'Sonos 27,' rolling out alongside the hardware launch.
GoPro has agreed to be acquired by Starman Optical for $285 million, with shareholders receiving $1.14 per share and retaining roughly 10% of the combined company. The deal, expected to close by year-end, will eliminate GoPro's $92 million in debt and keep the company publicly traded. It follows earlier signals that GoPro was exploring a shift toward defense technology, and comes just after YouTuber Markiplier disclosed an 8.5% stake in the company.
Aurora Store, the popular open-source client used to download apps without a Google account, has started failing for many users with a 'Server busy, please try again later' error when installing apps anonymously. The problem persists across troubleshooting steps like clearing cache, using a VPN, or restarting devices, suggesting Google may be blocking access at the server level rather than a local bug.
At Gamescom 2026, Dwarf Fortress co-creator Tarn Adams told PC Gamer that executives are chasing a fantasy where AI lets a CEO generate games at the push of a button while cutting the workforce that makes them possible. He argued this mirrors broader corporate behavior, citing his own father losing a job at a sewage plant because management didn't understand the technical work he did.
Amazon launched a new Alexa for Shopping feature called 'Update Me When,' which sends personalized notifications when events like a new product line, book release, or concert announcement could prompt a purchase. Users manually set up these alerts for now, choosing what brands, artists, or products they want tracked.