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WIRED's September 2026 streaming picks favor tech and culture over hype

WIRED published its monthly streaming guide, highlighting shows that intersect with technology, science, politics and culture rather than simply the most popular titles. Featured picks include The Office spinoff The Paper, now in its second season, and a new Lego-themed take on The Mandalorian following the underwhelming box office run of The Mandalorian and Grogu.

UK Government Declines to Back AI 'Kill Switch' Legislation

The UK Cabinet Office has rejected parliamentary proposals to create a legal mechanism allowing authorities to shut down dangerous AI models in an emergency. Officials argue that blocking access to such systems domestically would not stop their development or misuse abroad, effectively undermining the point of a kill switch. Though the bill can still move through Parliament, government opposition makes it unlikely to become law.

UK Cabinet Office rejects proposed legal 'kill switch' for AI models

The UK government has dismissed calls from MPs and peers to create a legal mechanism allowing authorities to shut down dangerous AI models in an emergency. The Cabinet Office argued that blocking AI access within the UK would not stop models being developed or misused elsewhere, making such a switch largely ineffective. While the proposal can still move through Parliament, government opposition makes it unlikely to become law.

AMC Launches Its Own Film Distributor Despite Record Box-Office Weekend

AMC Theatres, fresh off the highest-grossing weekend in its 106-year history with over 10.2 million admissions across AMC and Odeon locations, is starting its own distribution arm. The move comes because even strong box-office demand hasn't solved a deeper problem: studios simply aren't releasing enough films to keep theater screens consistently filled.

Microsoft's KB5002914 patch breaks Excel copy-paste and autofill for some users

Users of multiple Excel versions, from Office 2016 through 2024 including LTSC 2021, report that this week's KB5002914 security update, part of Microsoft's September 2026 Patch Tuesday, disables copy-paste and formula-dragging functions. Complaints surfaced on Reddit and Microsoft's Q&A forums, with some teams reporting workflow disruptions after widespread installation of the patch. BleepingComputer could not reproduce the bug on a tested Excel 2019 build, suggesting the issue may not affect all configurations equally.

LibreOffice 26.8 tops 1 million downloads in a week after touting its lack of built-in AI

The Document Foundation's LibreOffice 26.8, released August 26th, surpassed 1 million installer downloads in its first week, excluding updates via Linux repositories, making it the suite's most downloaded release ever. The foundation followed up with a post explaining that it deliberately excludes generative AI by default, citing principles like user control, no data leaving the device, no telemetry, and no vendor lock-in, while still allowing community plugins for those who want AI features.

McSweeney's Satire Skewers Corporate Return-to-Office Mandates via Fictional 'Mondo Mayo'

A satirical piece published under the title 'We Must Return to the Office to Use AI in Person' imagines a dystopian company, Mondo Mayo, that forces employees back into the office under absurd 'Core Principles' and constant AI surveillance tools like 'Best Buddy' and 'SlurryHose.' The narrator, an 'Associate Slop Doula,' recounts mandatory retreats, an overabundance of leadership titles, and a rented robotic 'Mondo Machine' that parents family life remotely, all framed as justification for RTO policies.

HomeCat Launches Tool to Generate Backyard Office Building Plans

A new Show HN project called HomeCat lets users design backyard offices by automatically generating code-compliant building plans, material and cut lists, and construction guides. The tool aims to simplify the planning phase of small structure projects for DIY builders and homeowners.

Summer Box Office Rebounds on Strength of Spider-Man Sequel and Early Odyssey Buzz

This summer's theatrical slate delivered unusually strong results, with a new Spider-Man installment leading ticket sales alongside heavy anticipation for the upcoming Greek-epic adaptation The Odyssey. Industry watchers note the season outperformed recent expectations after several sluggish years for cinema attendance.

Survey: Nearly Half of Executives Consider Switching Industries Over AI Disruption

A recent survey found that 46% of C-suite executives say workplace AI adoption has made them consider leaving their current industry altogether. The findings also point to broader worker unease, with many employees expressing nostalgia for office life before AI tools became standard.

Apple sued for £2 billion in UK over App Tracking Transparency practices

A former UK Competition and Markets Authority official has filed a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) lawsuit against Apple on behalf of app developers, alleging that its App Tracking Transparency system imposes tougher restrictions on outside developers than on Apple's own services. Apple maintains that all developers face identical requirements under the policy.

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 mistakenly blocked Google Search links for hours

On September 2, Microsoft's Safe Links feature within Defender for Office 365 began misidentifying Google Search URLs shared in emails and Teams messages as malicious, blocking users from opening them. The outage, tracked internally as MO1465962, lasted about seven and a half hours before Microsoft resolved the faulty detection logic, though some users may have experienced lingering effects.