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Tech News
Retatrutide, an experimental weight-loss drug not yet approved by any regulator, is reportedly being sold through unregulated channels alongside other peptides. Companies are distributing the compound outside normal pharmaceutical oversight, raising concerns about product safety and quality control.
Amazon is offering the Roborock Qrevo Series robot vacuum and mop at a 42% discount, marking its lowest price so far in 2026. The device includes a self-emptying dock, dual spinning mop pads, and app-based scheduling and cleaning controls.
A review of the Lenovo Googlebook 15 describes it as a well-built laptop but one hampered by the limitations of being among the first devices in its category. The reviewer notes buyers face a tradeoff between getting the hardware now and waiting for software and ecosystem improvements expected later.
Federal prosecutors charged OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national, after the company discovered a hidden, encrypted audio recording device in one of its conference rooms. OpenAI said it traced the device to Alfozan using its own models, fired him, and referred the case to the FBI, which arrested him on Friday. The company said it has found no evidence he accessed model weights, source code or customer data.
The Social Security Administration has announced the percentage increase that will raise monthly benefit payments starting in January, marking the largest cost-of-living adjustment in several years. The raise will affect tens of millions of retirees and other recipients who rely on Social Security checks.
Epic Games has launched a redesigned version of its game launcher that the company says was built using AI, or "vibe coded." Epic claims the new launcher starts up 46% faster than Steam and offers a 30x faster library, along with new features like dedicated game pages, a unified downloads page, and collections for organizing titles. The launcher is in a preview/open beta phase, with some social and account management features still missing, and Epic advises Unreal developers and competitive Fortnite and Rocket League players to stick with the old version for now.
Apple's updated developer agreement confirms that third-party iOS widgets already built for CarPlay will also appear on HomeView, its newly unveiled smart display device. Developers must ensure widgets are safe for hands-free use and can exclude them via the disfavoredLocations function if unsuitable. Unlike CarPlay's audio/video app categories, widget support spans any iOS app category by default.
The Department of Justice disrupted operations tied to Famous Chollima, a North Korean threat group, arresting two suspects and charging 14 individuals. The FBI's 'Lonestar Roundup' operation searched 40 Texas residences between September 21-25, seizing about 187 laptops and KVM devices used to run so-called laptop farms that let North Korean IT workers appear to be based in the US.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has granted regulatory approval for Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen (Qwen) language models and Tongyi Wanxiang image/video tool to power Apple Intelligence on the mainland. Network access permits have also been issued for the upcoming iPhone Duo and 18 Pro, with the Duo set to launch in China next week featuring the revamped Siri.
Submarine cables linking Taiwan's Matsu Islands to the main island were severed 27 times between 2018 and 2022, with four more major outages from 2023 to 2025. A separate report notes 11 disruptions since 2023 to the dozen or so cables and pipelines crossing the shallow Baltic Sea. Globally, some 607 submarine cable systems span about 1.5 million kilometres and carry the bulk of international telecommunications traffic.
A new Priceline report finds that Americans taking GLP-1 medications like Ozempic are driving new expectations for hotels, including in-room refrigerators to store medication and menus with higher protein content. The report frames this as part of a broader shift in travel preferences tied to the growing use of weight-loss and diabetes drugs.
Apple opened pre-orders for its new HomeView smart display, and Amazon is selling it from $289.99, below Apple's own price. Amazon has not yet discounted all colors, and the wall-mounted version remains at full price. Separately, Apple's new Siri Remote (4th generation) is available for $59 as a cheaper way to upgrade an existing Apple TV setup instead of buying the new $299 Apple TV 4K.