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Tech News
A Wall Street Journal report details a reporter's 16-month detention in Russian custody, describing the conditions and circumstances he faced before his release. The account forms part of a broader roundup of stories that also touches on unrelated lifestyle topics like homeownership compromises and coffee habits.
WIRED released an updated roundup of white elephant gift recommendations for the 2026 holiday season, including items like a coffee-pot-shaped mug, a Lego set, and sushi-shaped magnets. The guide, refreshed in October 2026, adds new Lego options, a cozy beverage set, and e-reader cases while confirming previous picks remain in stock.
Windows Central reports that Microsoft and its hardware partners have quietly stopped using the 'Copilot+ PC' branding introduced in 2024. None of the Surface PCs launched in 2026 carry the moniker in their names, unlike earlier models, and Nvidia's upcoming RTX Spark platform—despite meeting the spec requirements—also avoids the label. The underlying technical requirements for Copilot+ PC hardware still exist, but the marketing name is increasingly absent from spec sheets and product listings.
A Reddit user reported that his GeForce RTX 5090 stopped working after the 12V-2x6 connectors melted on both ends of the modular cable bundled with his ASRock 1600W power supply. He says the card was running stock BIOS settings with a reduced power limit and was idle when the failure occurred, yet PNY denied his warranty claim within a day, citing use of a non-PNY-approved cable.
Engadget published a monthly review roundup covering Apple products released after Labor Day, alongside the return of Sonos. The lineup includes the iPhone 18 Pro with upgraded cameras, the Apple Watch Series 12 with expanded health tracking and unreleased audio features, revamped AirPods 5 with active noise cancellation on both models, and updated Mac mini and Mac Studio units with new chips at higher prices.
Remedy Entertainment launched Control Resonant on Thursday for $60 across Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and Xbox platforms, with a Mac version planned later this year. The sequel shifts protagonists from Jesse Faden to her brother Dylan, moves the setting from the confined Oldest House to an open world, and replaces the shape-shifting service weapon with melee combat.
Meta is opening early access to two new AI tools, a mobile app called Horizon Create and a browser-based Horizon Studio, that let creators generate 2D or 3D mobile games from text prompts. The generated games can include multiplayer, progression systems, art direction and difficulty balancing, and can be edited after an initial version is produced. Meta says these games will also be playable directly inside Facebook and Instagram feeds without downloading a separate app.
Financial Times journalist Joe Miller reported that his Waymo self-driving car ignored a Dallas police officer's instructions to turn during road closures for a presidential motorcade, leaving his vehicle as the only civilian car on the road. Miller said he relayed the officer's directions aloud and pressed the in-car support button, but received no immediate response before a Secret Service agent arrived on the scene.
Android Authority writer Ryan Haines published a roundup of nine iOS-only apps he wishes were available on Android, including Procreate, GarageBand, Overcast, Flighty, Infuse, Darkroom and Bear Notes. The piece includes a reader poll showing Procreate as the most-wanted app, followed by Flighty and Bear Notes.
Developer Matt Birchler tested Apple's iPhone 18 Pro's A20 Pro chip for thermal throttling during transcription benchmarks, finding speeds dropped from a peak of 447.9 words per second to about 320 after several runs. He then placed a cold can of La Croix sparkling water on the back of the phone during a 20-run benchmark session and recorded a 25% improvement in sustained performance compared to the uncooled test.
Conversations, the federated Android messaging app launched in 2014 by its solo developer, is ending its paid Google Play Store distribution model. The developer says Play Store sales had served as a steady, dependable income stream for over a decade, supplementing project-based development contracts, consulting work and grants.
Tesla held an invite-only launch event at its Sparks, Nevada factory to mark the start of high-volume production of the Tesla Semi, nearly eight years after it was first unveiled. Vehicle Engineering VP Lars Moravy confirmed the long-range version will travel about 500 miles per charge, with a standard version rated at roughly 325 miles, and fleet operators who had placed orders were recognized on stage. Elon Musk did not attend, appearing instead in a pre-recorded video while attending a White House state dinner.