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Tech News
Walmart is expanding three app-linked features — Shop to Light, Pick to Light and Stock to Light — that flash a store's digital shelf labels to help customers locate products and help associates fill online orders and restock shelves. Executive Greg Cathey said the tools, which follow a pilot program, will be live in all stores by the holiday season.
Research cited by The Guardian shows the average night sky brightened by about 9.6% per year between 2011 and 2022, roughly doubling every eight years. A separate study found four in five people now live under light-polluted skies, largely due to LED lighting and satellite-reflected sunlight.
A Guardian opinion column, cited via Slashdot, states that the night sky is growing 10% brighter each year and that 80% of people now live under light-polluted skies. The author argues for treating access to darkness as a right, calling for rules on light warmth, direction, and brightness rather than eliminating outdoor lighting entirely.
A writer recounts traveling to Oregon's dark sky reserve to view an unpolluted night sky after years of living amid Portland's artificial lighting. The piece cites data showing the night sky grows 10% brighter each year and that 80% of people now live under light-polluted skies, according to research referenced by the author.
Polaroid has unveiled the Mod, a new instant camera featuring a lens-ring dial that switches between four creative shooting modes: Double Exposure, Split Shot, Light Painting, and Motion Freeze. The camera also includes a front-facing Brightness dial for exposure control, and it goes on sale globally today for $169.99 via Polaroid's online store, with other US retailers stocking it from October 6th.
Startup Meadow has built a small, simplified Android device meant to be used alongside a person's regular smartphone rather than replace it. The device supports select apps such as Uber, Apple Music, Spotify, Maps and Strava, plus native tools for calling, texting, notes, voice memos, camera and ticket scanning, and connects via Bluetooth. Founder Shreyas Narlanka demonstrated the phone handling a concert ticket scan, an Uber ride and music streaming without needing the user's iPhone.
Digital Realty's chief technology officer Chris Sharp says the data centre industry is moving away from copper for internal networking, though not electrical power or cooling systems. A typical 100MW facility uses around 400 tonnes of copper overall, with up to 20 tonnes used specifically in the wiring that connects servers together. Sharp argues this copper wiring between GPUs and CPUs is now a bottleneck limiting performance.
Bungie announced plans to bring back content it removed from Destiny 2 six years ago through the Destiny Content Vault, including old campaigns, destinations, and raids. The studio said all players will eventually get access, but warned the work requires rebuilding lighting, encounters, and combat systems to match current game standards, so restoration will take time.
Android Authority writer Khamosh Pathak explains how he made his Pixel 9a feel like a distraction-free dumbphone without buying a $500 device like the Light Phone or Wisephone. He disabled most app notifications and used Switchly, a free open-source app blocker that supports QR codes and NFC tags, to block addictive features like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. He also paired it with BlockAds, a VPN-based ad blocker, to remove intrusive full-screen ads from free apps.
A new home theater buying guide explains that while projectors can technically display images on any wall, dedicated screens significantly improve brightness, smoothness, and contrast. The guide notes that even inexpensive screens outperform painted walls by eliminating surface texture and better reflecting light back toward viewers.
Heart Machine founder Alx Preston announced that a publisher backing an unannounced project decided to abandon it this week, leaving the studio without its primary funding source. With no other immediate financial options, the Hyper Light Drifter developer laid off nearly its entire team, following earlier cuts tied to the cancellation of Hyper Light Breaker in October 2025.
KitchenAid has unveiled the Luminaire, a new Design Series stand mixer featuring a redesigned transparent glass bowl that glows thanks to a built-in LED light introduced earlier this year. The mixer debuts in a new icy blue shade called blue peppercorn and includes a fluted glass design with top-mounted handles, marking the first major update to KitchenAid's glass bowl in nearly a decade.