The US embassy in Canberra formally objected to Australia's draft digital duty of care laws, which would require tech platforms to let users opt out of content algorithms or face fines. The submission argued vague definitions of 'harm' could enable viewpoint-based censorship, suppress independent journalists, and affect users globally, not just in Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking during a US visit, defended the laws as returning control to individuals rather than governments.
Meta launched an AI agent called Muse designed to shop on users' behalf across e-commerce sites, and it quickly gained popularity. Amazon has since blocked Muse from accessing its platform, and observers have raised privacy and security concerns about the tool.
Apple TV has released the first two episodes of "Brothers," a new comedy series starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as fictionalized versions of themselves. The eight-episode season, showrun by Lee Eisenberg, will roll out new episodes weekly through November 4. The plot centers on a rumor that the two lifelong friends might actually be half-brothers, complicated by Matthew's potential run for Governor of Texas.
Apple has opened public beta testing for 27.2 software updates across iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS and other platforms, matching the developer beta 2 build released a day earlier. iPadOS 27.2 adds a redesigned Health app with Apple Intelligence-powered Insights and Longevity tabs, Profiles support for the Apple TV app, and an expanded Siri AI feature previously limited to macOS. Users can access the betas via the Software Update section in Settings after opting into beta releases.
A business contributor writing for Entrepreneur argues that most virtual events fail because companies simply replicate in-person event formats instead of redesigning content for virtual consumption. The writer cites a firsthand case from a large customer during the Covid-19 pandemic whose livestreamed event lost most attendees before it ended, and proposes a seven-step framework covering outcome clarity, audience awareness, content focus, presenter selection, engagement, value communication and post-event follow-up.
Peloton launched three new treadmills on Tuesday: the foldable Tread Flex at $2,200, the Tread Vision at $3,500, and the Tread Plus Vision at $6,700, all going on sale October 1. The company also rolled out new AI-driven features for runners, walkers and hikers on its Peloton IQ platform.
A developer has built a web-based emulator that recreates the IBM 1620 Model 2, a 1960s transistorized decimal computer originally aimed at scientific and engineering users. The project also includes IPL-V, the 1963 operating environment originally used on the machine, letting users run period software directly in a browser.
A research team created their own burned, rolled-up papyrus scrolls and found they could read the hidden text by using X-ray computed tomography and X-ray fluorescence to detect lead in the ink, rather than relying on carbon detection alone. The method allowed them to virtually unroll the scrolls and clearly view writing that previous X-ray CT techniques could not distinguish from the carbon-based papyrus itself. The findings are published in PLoS ONE.
Researchers led by Xiang-Feng Zhou at Yanshan University created a previously unknown form of pure boron, called Imma-B60, using a two-step high-pressure synthesis involving sodium followed by vacuum heating to remove sodium impurities. The resulting material is deformable and has an electrical conductivity over a million times greater than that of typical, poorly conducting boron phases, according to a study published in Nature Chemistry.
Researchers studying dietary restriction in fruit flies report identifying a specific protein that appears to mediate the link between reduced food intake and extended lifespan. The finding, described in a new study, points to a molecular mechanism that may help explain how caloric restriction slows aging in this model organism.
A study published in Nature by Morales and colleagues presents assembled genomes for 103 bat species, including 42 newly generated for the project, covering representatives of every known bat taxonomic family. The dataset gives scientists a broad genomic view of bat diversity and evolutionary history across the order Chiroptera.
A study by Fajardo and colleagues, published in Nature, found that Northern Hemisphere conifer species introduced into Southern Hemisphere environments grow noticeably faster than their counterparts in native ranges. The transplanted trees also showed better resistance to and recovery from drought stress compared with those growing at home.
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