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A wave of wellness influencers, podcasters and tech startups are promoting nicotine—often via pouches or products combined with caffeine and nootropics—as a natural compound that boosts focus and guards against cognitive decline. A pulmonary physician-scientist who studies nicotine addiction says these claims stretch limited findings from cognition studies far beyond what human research actually supports.
Startup WiCi is opening signups for the WiCi One, an external GPU that transmits graphics compute over Wi-Fi 7 rather than requiring cables like Thunderbolt 5 or OCuLink. The device, backed by Nvidia's Inception Program, can reportedly let multiple laptops, tablets and phones share the same GPU for gaming and AI tasks. Shipping is planned for Q4 2026, with an RTX 5060 Ti model starting at $2,000 for early adopters and an RTX 5090 version priced closer to launch.
Three computer scientists connected leading AI language models to a Toyota Corolla's steering, throttle and brakes using a comma four device and GPS telemetry, then had each model attempt a short parking-lot driving course with no human input beyond a foot hovering over the brake. Only OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra completed the full course, doing so on its second try in about five minutes over a distance of under 500 feet, while most other attempts failed to get past the first corner.
Android Authority highlights lesser-known Google Lens features, including identifying items for purchase by pointing a camera at them and returning direct shopping links, and decoding laundry care symbols on clothing tags. The tool also works for interpreting car dashboard icons, nutrition labels, and troubleshooting device issues, aided by its integration with Gemini for follow-up questions.
Harvard Medical School researchers led by postdoctoral researcher Jian Li identified a gene, ALDH3B2, that normally suppresses the natural but rare tendency of pancreatic ductal cells to turn into insulin-producing beta-like cells. Silencing this gene in a genetic screen raised the conversion rate from under 1 percent to about 8.5 percent, and when these altered human cells were transplanted into diabetic mice, the animals began producing human insulin and their blood glucose levels fell close to normal.
A developer's blog post examines the 'Parse, don't validate' programming pattern, originally described by Alexis King for Haskell, and translates it into Rust examples. The post uses a case study involving a configuration-directory reader that validates a vector is non-empty, then shows how callers must still handle an 'unreachable' None case despite the invariant already being checked.
The Clarity Act, a bill offering light-touch federal regulation for cryptocurrency assets, failed to advance after scrutiny of profits President Trump and his family made from crypto ventures. Lawmakers cited concerns over these financial ties as a factor undermining support for the legislation.
The Verge's Version History podcast dedicates an episode to the One Laptop Per Child initiative and its XO-1 laptop, which aimed to give every child in the world access to a computer. Host David Pierce discusses the project's history and design with The Verge's Adi Robertson and tech journalist David Imel.
Apple has released new Silicone and TechWoven cases with MagSafe for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, in colors including Burgundy, Mulberry, Chambray Blue and Black, priced at $49 and $59. Third-party brands such as ESR, Spigen, Nomad and Burton Goods have also released their own case lines, with ESR debuting a Vegan Leather Magnetic Case featuring a built-in zinc alloy stand, and budget options starting at $14.
A Russian drone struck a business centre in Kyiv's Solomianskyi district on September 25, killing four people and injuring seven, while damaging a data center belonging to telecom firm Datagroup. Datagroup said no employees were hurt and customer data was safe, with services shifted to backup sites. Russia's defence ministry confirmed it targeted the facility, alleging it processed military intelligence, and separately claimed strikes on other providers including New Telco, United DC, Kyivstar and Parkovyi, with Ukraine's digital ministry reporting about 100,000 households lost internet access after related attacks.
A federal procurement notice reviewed by ABC News shows Immigration and Customs Enforcement intends to spend up to $2 million on Boston Dynamics' SPOT robots, each priced around $120,000 with an extendable arm. The filing states the robots would provide remote inspection, situational awareness, and hazard assessment capabilities in risky environments. This follows earlier reporting that ICE sought $20 million worth of electric shock gloves.
Weber, which acquired June Systems in January 2021 and stopped manufacturing the June Oven in 2022, has now disabled the smart oven's app and cloud connectivity. Owners lose remote control, software updates, and the AI-driven food recognition features that once distinguished the device, though the appliance still functions as a basic oven. Weber said it considered open-sourcing the technology but declined because June's IP is tied to its Weber Connect platform.