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Tech News
Researchers are monitoring the atmospheric drag experienced by SpaceX's more than 11,000 Starlink satellites to calculate a daily 'sink rate,' the altitude a typical satellite at 480 km would lose in one day without thruster corrections. In 2026 that figure has swung from 19.7 meters per day during quiet conditions to 127.6 meters per day during the year's largest geomagnetic storm in January.
Microsoft and partner organizations dismantled EvilTokens, a phishing-as-a-service operation that used AI tools and device code phishing to compromise over 12,000 inboxes across more than 10,000 organizations. Following a US court-enabled legal action, Microsoft seized 50 websites and disabled over 150 additional domains linked to the operators, tracked as Storm-2992. The UK's Metropolitan Police also arrested two men connected to the scheme this month; both were released on bail pending further investigation.
Forecasters are tracking what could be the first nor'easter of the season, with New York and New Jersey among the states preparing for possible impacts in late September. Details on the storm's strength and exact path remain preliminary as meteorologists continue to monitor conditions.
RadarScope, the widely used radar and severe weather tracking app for iPhone, has released a CarPlay version as part of its 5.7 update. The new CarPlay interface isn't a simple port—it includes navigation overlays, multiple radar data types like MRMS and satellite, and route tracking directly on the map.
Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit, working with Health-ISAC, law enforcement, and SpyCloud, dismantled the infrastructure behind EvilTokens, a phishing-as-a-service platform that had compromised over 12,000 Microsoft accounts across more than 10,000 organizations. The UK's Metropolitan Police arrested two men, aged 32 and 38, suspected of administering the site, following raids in Canary Wharf and Nine Elms; both were released on bail.
A technical blog post offers a hands-on, browser-based walkthrough of the spanning tree protocol (STP), the networking standard that keeps Ethernet switches from forming loops that cause broadcast storms. Using a playful office scenario with redundant cables and an accident-prone coworker, it demonstrates how STP blocks extra links to form a loop-free tree and automatically rebuilds it when a connection fails.
A new study in AGU Advances models how a rare, extreme geomagnetic storm—similar in scale to the 1859 Carrington Event—would strain the modern US power grid. Researchers found the Northeast and Northern Plains, particularly higher-latitude areas, face the greatest risk of widespread grid failure, with total economic losses estimated at $1.5 to $2 billion per day.
Researchers analyzing last November's severe geomagnetic storm found it caused GPS positioning errors exceeding 33 feet across the continental US. The disturbance pushed the Aurora Oval far south of its usual position, creating dense atmospheric irregularities that disrupted the timing of satellite signals passing through the ionosphere.
CarPlay received three notable app upgrades in August: MLB's app now lets users browse games and hear live radio feeds with in-car score displays, Meta AI joined ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Grok as a chatbot option (though still in limited testing), and The Weather Channel's Storm Radar app added live weather maps, radar layers, and route-based alerts. These updates arrive ahead of Apple's broader CarPlay overhaul expected with iOS 27 in September, which will add a dedicated Siri app and AI features.
The Weather Channel has released a CarPlay version of its Storm Radar app, filling a gap left by Apple Weather, which still isn't supported on CarPlay. The new app shows a live map with radar, clouds, and precipitation layers, plus current conditions and forecasted weather at a driver's destination alongside ETA. The same update also brings new home screen widgets and a redesigned Apple Watch app.
Storm Summoner is a new MIDI controller designed specifically to interface with modern effects pedals, many of which are stereo, programmable, and no longer rely on traditional stomp switches. The device positions itself as the playing interface for this new generation of pedal-based instruments rather than a conventional footswitch accessory.