GoKawiil
Tech News
At the UN General Assembly opening on September 22, 2026, twenty countries issued a joint statement demanding that artificial intelligence remain under human direction, oversight and control. The United States did not join the group in signing the statement.
Singapore has piloted FirstDate, a government-run dating app for public servants aged 21-35, built on the Gale-Shapley stable matching algorithm that won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Economics. The app ranks users' preferences, produces one mutually-stable match per cycle with a 72-hour decision window, verifies identity via Singpass, and only reveals contact details when both parties agree.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a construction permit for the Tennessee Valley Authority to build a GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactor at its Clinch River site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, completing its review 14 months in, four months ahead of schedule. TVA becomes the first US utility cleared to build this reactor design, though it still needs a separate operating license before loading fuel or generating power. TVA is also considering building up to four such units at the site but hasn't set a start date or final cost estimate.
A teardown of Google Photos for Android (v7.95) by Android Authority uncovered a hidden 'Delete all' button for the Remember List, a feature tied to Ask Photos that stores information users share to improve search and editing. Currently the Remember List only allows deleting entries one at a time, and the new option would include a confirmation prompt before wiping everything at once.
Cultural historian Jacques Barzun, who taught for 48 years at Columbia University after emigrating from France following World War I, discussed his views on education and the role of the university in an interview with the Home Forum's David Owens. The conversation took place at Scribner publishing house, where Barzun works as a literary consultant, and covered his concerns about preserving the university's original purpose amid changing conceptions of higher learning.
A gathering billed as a 'pro-data center party,' organized by journalist Jonas Du and nonprofit Young Voices, was held at a Washington, DC bar over the weekend. Protesters interrupted the event multiple times, shouting objections before being escorted out by security amid boos and chants from attendees. Protesters later said they oppose data centers because of rising energy bills tied to the facilities.
Amazon's new $59.99 Fire TV Stick 4K, available now, can be powered directly from a television's USB port instead of requiring a separate adapter. It runs Amazon's refreshed TV OS with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, and replaces the previous 4K 'Select' and 'Plus' sticks, trimming the streaming lineup to four devices. Amazon also unveiled a redesigned Fire TV Remote for $14.99, shipping late October, plus Alexa Plus integrations across the Fire TV app and a new Amazon Music app.
An Android Authority writer tested three storage-cleaning tools — Samsung's built-in Device Care, Google's Files app, and the power-user tool SD Maid SE — after nearly filling a 256GB Galaxy phone. The cleanup recovered 15GB, less than hoped, largely because the reviewer chose to keep many large personal files rather than delete them.
DoorDash announced a text-message ordering feature built on its Ask DoorDash chatbot, letting users request food and complete checkout entirely within a text thread. iOS users in the US can now join a waitlist for the beta, with no confirmed launch date or Android availability yet. The company also revealed northern California as the first test site for its DoorDash Air drone delivery service, working with Chipotle and Popeyes, and said it will expand its paid retail-returns service nationwide in November.
A group of neighbors discovered their homes fell within range of Wing's drone-delivery partnership with Walmart, which can drop items from a catalog of over 2,000 products onto a lawn within about 25 minutes. Rather than order household goods, several neighbors began sending each other single potatoes and bottles of water via the delivery drones, which carry up to 2.7 pounds and fly a roughly six-mile radius.
Sonos has released the Ace Ultra headphones at $449, replacing the original $349 Ace as its flagship model. The new headphones retain the Ace's comfortable build and tactile controls while adding the ability to send audio from a broader Sonos speaker system to the headphones and back, a feature currently offered in "early access." Both ear cups and the battery are user-replaceable via separate accessory kits.
New research examined how coffee intake affects gut microbiota composition, finding associations between coffee drinking and levels of specific bacterial strains. The study also explored potential links between these gut changes and mood-related signaling pathways connecting the gut and brain.