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Tech News
Researchers tested 18 cat–human pairs in the cats' home environments, comparing how cats reacted when their owners performed slow, deliberate blinking gestures versus periods with no interaction. Owners were trained using Facial Action Coding System guidance to standardize the slow blink movements, and cats' facial responses were filmed for comparison between the two conditions.
iFixit completed its teardown of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, finding the Ultra 4 unchanged in repairability at 4/10 while the Series 12 showed slight gains thanks to new stretch-release adhesive and a pull tab for battery removal. Both models still require prying off a glued display to access internals, with iFixit's Shahram Mokhtari noting the Series 12's tighter display tolerances raised concern about screen damage during disassembly.
Readyset describes a dataflow-based caching architecture that compiles SQL queries into operator graphs maintaining results incrementally as underlying data changes, rather than re-executing queries on each read. The company says this requires queries to be rewritten into a restrictive form the dataflow engine can compile, since SQL's declarative syntax allows many equivalent but differently structured expressions of the same logic.
HubSpot is cutting roughly 7% of its staff, about 660 workers, as CEO Yamini Rangan restructures the company into a 'flatter organization' with fewer management layers. Rangan told employees the cuts were not driven by AI efficiencies, but by a broader strategic realignment. The restructuring will cost HubSpot an estimated $65-75 million, mostly in severance and benefits for departing employees.
MapQuest has launched beta support for Android Auto, extending its mapping app to in-car displays on the platform. The move follows a surge in MapQuest's popularity after it kept the name 'Lake Ontario' unchanged while Apple and Google altered references under pressure from President Trump, with MapQuest saying usage rose 50-fold and downloads topped 1.5 million.
Penguin Mail is a new open-source email client built in Rust for Linux, supporting Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Fastmail and generic IMAP/POP3/SMTP accounts with automatic server detection. It unifies multiple accounts into one synced inbox with tray notifications, and bundles calendar, contacts, OpenPGP/S-MIME encryption via GnuPG, and support for provider-side filtering rules like Gmail filters and Sieve.
Google has released a Pixel Buds software update, version 6.144, bringing the previously announced Dynamic Active Noise Cancellation feature to the Pixel Buds Pro 2, which adjusts audio and ANC settings based on earbud fit in real time. The update also adds improvements to Live Translate, voice control, and sleep detection across the Pixel Buds Pro, Pro 2, and Buds 2a models, letting users start translation sessions with a touch gesture without taking out their phone.
A gaming hardware roundup recommends several third-party PC controllers that cost less than Sony's DualSense while offering features such as TMR joysticks, rear paddle buttons, and multiple onboard profiles. The GameSir G7 Pro is singled out as a lightweight, pro-style option with remappable buttons, a charging dock, and 2.4GHz wireless connectivity at roughly half the DualSense's price.
A developer ran an annual informal benchmark comparing Python 3.15.0rc3 against interpreters back to 3.10, using two test programs: a recursive Fibonacci calculator and a bubble sort algorithm. The tests were run single-threaded, excluding I/O-bound workloads, to gauge raw interpreter speed changes across versions.
Bloomberg reports Apple and LG have codeveloped a line of connected home devices—including a video doorbell, thermostat, smart deadbolt lock, indoor and outdoor security cameras, and a floodlight camera—that will launch under the LG brand. LG is handling manufacturing and support, and has recently filed for regulatory approval with the FCC and UL Solutions. The devices are expected to complement Apple's forthcoming smart home hub but won't reach consumers for several months.
New York City has implemented a local rule, set by a January executive order and effective Oct. 1, requiring businesses to let customers cancel subscriptions as easily as they signed up. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the measure alongside city officials, and the city launched a webpage where residents can file complaints against companies, including those not based in NYC, and request remedies like refunds and cancellations.
Sea and aerial drones struck three commercial vessels in the exclusive economic zones of NATO members Bulgaria and Romania between October 5-6, sinking two ships and damaging a third. At least two sailors were killed, with one crew member still missing and others rescued or hospitalized. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev called the strikes an unacceptable violation of international and maritime law, while EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said the circumstances remain under investigation.