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FAA Begins Testing AI Air Traffic Tool at Three DC-Area Airports

The Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation have launched a trial of a new AI system called Strategic Management of Airspace Routes and Trajectories, or SMART, at Reagan National, Dulles International and BWI Thurgood Marshall airports. The $875 million system pulls together roughly 200 data streams covering flight paths, weather and staffing to predict delays and cancellations and suggest actions to controllers, who retain final decision-making authority.

Samsung firmware update bricks Bespoke AI fridges, spoiling food

A firmware update pushed through Samsung's SmartThings platform this week caused some Bespoke AI four-door refrigerators, mostly 2024-and-later models, to lose power and stop cooling. Owners in Korea reported their fridges went offline mid-update, with displays stuck on an update-checking message, forcing many to throw out spoiled food. Samsung has not responded to questions about the scope of the issue or a fix.

Meta tests Muse AI as default assistant for its smart glasses

Reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong found Meta building an option to set its newer Muse agent, internally codenamed 'Impacc,' as the default assistant on smart glasses instead of Meta AI. A leaked setup screen says Muse is in beta and lists upcoming features not yet live, including Live AI, turn-by-turn navigation, Shazam song identification, Strava, and Health Connect integration. Wong separately found Meta developing 'Meta Pay for Muse,' a wallet interface supporting Meta Pay, Stripe Link, and Shop Pay.

Samsung halts SmartThings fridge update in Korea after malfunctions

Samsung paused a SmartThings software update for its smart refrigerators in Korea after owners reported units losing power, screens failing, doors not auto-opening, and internal lights not turning on, leading to spoiled food. A Samsung representative confirmed on the company's forum that an error occurred during testing of the update and that emergency repairs were being handled through service centers. ZDNET Korea reported the faulty update reached users due to a system error, and Samsung said distribution has been stopped.

MIT Technology Review flags smart-glasses privacy risks in India and AI spending math

MIT Technology Review reports that smart glasses are enabling covert recording, non-consensual image sharing and police surveillance in India, with experts warning such incidents will grow as the devices go mainstream. Separately, the outlet cites University of Pennsylvania finance professor Jessica Wachter's analysis showing hyperscalers are on track to spend nearly $1.1 trillion on AI data centers through 2027, requiring extraordinary earnings growth to break even by 2030.

Meta sets Connect 2026 for September 23-24, teases new AI glasses and VR updates

Meta announced its Connect 2026 conference will run September 23-24, where it plans to showcase advances in AI, smart glasses and VR. The event is free to watch via livestream after registering on Meta's website or through the Meta for Developers Facebook page, with sessions starting September 23 at 7PM ET and continuing September 24 at 1PM ET.

Eight Sleep launches Pod 6 smart mattress cover with 18 biometric sensors

Eight Sleep has released the Pod 6, a redesigned smart sleep system with a smaller hub, temperature control the company says is 20 percent faster than its predecessor, and 18 biometric sensors versus two on the Pod 5. The lineup also adds a smaller single-sleeper size, though it lacks dual-zone temperature control. Prices range from $2,000 to $3,000 depending on size, plus a required $17-$25 monthly Autopilot subscription.

India sees rise in nonconsensual recordings tied to smart glasses

An Indian helpline reports a growing number of cases involving covert filming and nonconsensual footage, some linked to smart glasses with built-in cameras, according to reporting on the issue. Lawyer Apar Gupta says India's existing voyeurism and intimate-image laws were built around more overt abuses, like filming someone undressing, and offer limited protection when footage from an ordinary public setting is used to humiliate someone.

Eight Sleep launches Pod 6 with smaller cooling hub and lower starting price

Eight Sleep unveiled the Pod 6, an updated version of its temperature-regulating smart mattress system, featuring a redesigned cooling hub small enough to fit under most beds. The system starts at $2,699 for a full-size Standard cover, with a new $1,999 Solo option for single sleepers, and requires an annual subscription of $199 to $399. Eight Sleep says the rebuilt hub is 20 percent faster at adjusting temperature and includes additional biometric sensors compared to last year's Pod 5.

Apple details CarPlay customization options including iOS 26 widgets

Apple CarPlay users can rearrange app icons via their iPhone's Settings > General > CarPlay menu rather than the car display itself, and iOS 26 adds widgets for weather, calendar and clock with a Smart Rotate feature that swaps them automatically. Users can also adjust brightness with Automatic light/dark mode and customize wallpaper and icon colors through CarPlay's own Settings menu.

Google Home speakers show recurring pulsating LED lights, cause unclear

Some Google Home speaker owners are reporting that the devices' LED lights stay on and pulsate continuously, only pausing briefly after a voice command before resuming. One user found the behavior tied to a notification about Hispanic Heritage Month, but the pattern has appeared across multiple Reddit reports without a clear common trigger. Google has not yet confirmed a cause.

Ex-controller warns FAA's new AI tool SMART risks hallucinating flight data

Todd Sheridan Yeary, a 13-year air traffic control veteran, publicly criticized the FAA's planned AI system SMART (Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories), saying its intended use—predictive versus prescriptive—remains unclear even to aviation professionals. He said his top concern is that the AI could 'hallucinate' inaccurate data, and insisted any deployment must allow human controllers to override its outputs.