GoKawiil
Tech News
Ron Deibert of Citizen Lab has accused the US government of advancing widespread surveillance initiatives. He also criticized some technology executives for their willingness to support these efforts. The remarks highlight concerns over privacy and government overreach in digital spaces.
A former police officer argues that Flock Safety's automated license plate recognition cameras have replaced guesswork with instant, precise identification of stolen vehicles. The Atlanta startup, founded in 2017, installs solar-powered roadside cameras that photograph passing cars, log identifying details, and check plates against the FBI's national database in real time, alerting officers to matches.
The Consumer Technology Association released new research estimating what it would take to fully reshore production of 10 common household tech categories to the US by 2031. The trade group found this would require $185-230 billion in capital spending, up to 668,000 new full-time workers, and roughly 19 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
Bloomberg reports Seagate Technology and Toshiba are competing to acquire TDK's hard disk drive magnetic head business in a deal said to be worth several billion dollars. TDK is currently the only independent maker of these components and Toshiba's sole supplier, while Seagate and Western Digital build heads in-house but also buy from TDK for extra capacity. According to the report, Toshiba approached TDK about the unit in spring 2026, after which Seagate entered the bidding.
A commentary piece argues that as autonomous ride-hailing becomes cheaper and more common, consumers will stop choosing cars by manufacturer brand and instead simply summon whichever vehicle an app sends. It cites a hypothetical example of airport rides dropping from $70 to $20 once driverless fleets scale.
Organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of their employees in AI adoption, emphasizing collaboration over layoffs. Experts suggest that leveraging human talent alongside AI can lead to more innovative and effective outcomes.
The MIT Technology Review annually identifies leading climate technology companies, ranging from startups to large corporations, that are developing solutions to combat or adapt to climate change. The 2026 list emphasizes the urgent need for innovation to reduce emissions and mitigate climate impacts.
A 2024 cybersecurity incident involving CrowdStrike software led to a global IT outage, disrupting flights, hospitals, and payment systems, and resulting in $5.4 billion in losses for top US firms. Additionally, a 2025 blackout in Spain and Portugal halted internet and electronic payments, costing €1.6 billion. These events highlight how digital failures can have widespread economic impacts without physical damage.
A disabled writer describes living mostly within one engineered room, relying on mobility aids, delivery services, remote appointments and family help to carry out daily work and life. She argues this setup should be seen as a functioning form of independence rather than dependence, challenging the common idea that independence means doing everything alone and unaided.
Vitamix, known primarily for blenders, announced the MaxExtract Cold Press Juicer, its first product in this category, on a Monday with sales starting Oct. 15. The appliance uses slow-masticating technology, includes a pulp pusher, cleaning brush, juice and pulp containers, and two interchangeable strainers, and all detachable parts are dishwasher-safe.
Bitchat, Jack Dorsey's Bluetooth-based offline messaging app, has been removed from Apple's and Google's app stores in India after the government invoked Section 69A of the IT Act. Apple's takedown notice, shared by Dorsey, said the app remains available outside India but that access via TestFlight is also blocked there, and Bitchat's website appears inaccessible across Indian ISPs. The move follows an earlier July order directing GitHub to remove Bitchat's code repositories.
The U.S. Army ran a military exercise in Indonesia in which soldiers used smartphones integrated into their combat gear to share data and coordinate on the battlefield. The drill served as a demonstration of emerging digital warfare tools, though technical problems surfaced during the exercise.