Challenger, Gray & Christmas data shows AI has been cited as a factor in more than 120,000 announced U.S. job cuts through September 2026, about 21% of the total, making it this year's leading reason for layoffs. Companies including Amazon, Meta, Block, Allianz, Nike, Telstra and British American Tobacco have all announced AI-linked cuts or restructuring. Entrepreneur notes that some laid-off workers are instead using industry experience plus AI tools to start new, low-cost businesses.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-10-17
Square, the payments unit of Block Inc., has launched self-service kiosks that use AI voice technology to take food orders in fast-food restaurants. The company is positioning dining as a stronger fit for automated ordering than grocery self-checkout, which has drawn customer complaints elsewhere.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-14
Wonder Tools, a newsletter covering useful apps and sites, published a roundup of five techniques for overcoming writer's block. The suggestions include using dictation apps, running timed writing sprints, and applying AI-generated prompts to get past a blank page.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-13
AYANEO has officially released the KONKR Pocket BLOCK, a Game Boy-style vertical Android handheld first shown in May. It comes in 2GB/32GB and 3GB/64GB configurations priced at $89 and $109 respectively, though AYANEO is currently offering promotional pricing of $79 and $99. The device features a 3.33-inch 960x720 LCD, a MediaTek Helio G85 chipset, a 3,500mAh battery, Android 12, and no analog sticks, with shipping starting late October in three color options.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-29
Ayaneo's budget sub-brand Konkr unveiled the Pocket Block, a compact vertical handheld resembling a Game Boy, priced from $89 with a $79 preorder deal. It features a 3.3-inch 960x720 LCD screen, a MediaTek Helio G85 chip, a 3.5mm jack, microSD slot, USB-C, and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth. Higher storage models cost $99 and add color options, with shipping expected by the end of October.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-28
A solo developer working on a Minecraft-style voxel game called Block Game (working title) implemented a custom software occlusion culling system to improve rendering performance, particularly on weak integrated GPUs like the Radeon Vega 8. The developer reports the system runs in roughly half a frame at 60 FPS, culling 50-60% of chunks above ground and up to 95% underground, pushing framerates above 400 in cave scenes.
enikofox.com
· 2026-09-27
Android devices come with native options to block spam and scam numbers, typically accessible through the Phone or Contacts app. Users who change their mind can just as easily unblock a number using the same apps. The exact steps can vary slightly depending on the phone manufacturer's version of Android.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-19
At the Fast Company Innovation Festival, design executives from Spotify, Block, and Brooks discussed how generative AI has sped up the process of turning ideas into products. During the New Rules of Great Design panel, Spotify's Emily Galloway argued that speed and volume alone don't equal quality, emphasizing that human judgment remains essential to deciding what actually gets built.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-18
Scientists synthesized thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) block copolymers using atom transfer radical polymerization, first removing bromo end groups through hydrogenation and then building crosslinkable electroluminescent photoresists (ELPRs) from these polymers as macroinitiators. By adjusting the ratio of crosslinkable monomer to macroinitiator, the team controlled crosslinker density in the final light-emitting polymer material.
nature.com
· 2026-09-16
At a Fast Company panel moderated by senior editor Liz Stinson, product and design leaders from Brooks Running, Block and Spotify discussed how artificial intelligence is reshaping the process of building products consumers want. The conversation centered on balancing faster AI-assisted workflows with genuine consumer appeal amid growing market competition.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-15
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