Conservation researchers warn that the booming exotic pet industry, now worth $2.5 billion for reptiles alone, is contributing significantly to the decline of reptile and amphibian species worldwide. Species like the variable harlequin frog and giant bronze gecko have seen population crashes, compounding threats from habitat loss and disease with the added pressure of legal and illegal wildlife trafficking. The authors call for urgent action to close legal loopholes that allow illegally sourced animals to be laundered into legitimate markets.
nature.com
· 2026-09-14
Wireless carriers increasingly promote installment financing that spreads a phone's cost over 24 to 36 months, sometimes bundling in taxes and activation fees so nothing is due upfront. However, these deals often come tied to bill credits or trade-in credits that require staying on a specific plan or carrier, and switching providers or plans midway can void remaining credits or trigger full remaining balance payments.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-13
The FTC banned General Motors for five years from selling customer driving data to consumer reporting agencies after finding the automaker had collected details like speeding and nighttime driving through its OnStar Smart Driver feature and passed them to data brokers LexisNexis and Verisk, which serve insurers. Many drivers say they didn't realize they had consented to this tracking, and some reported their insurance rates rose as a result. Research from the Mozilla Foundation found nearly every major automaker has similarly weak privacy protections and overlapping, confusing consent policies for vehicle data.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-13
A quarter century after the September 11 attacks, air travel remains defined by security measures introduced in their aftermath, even as some newer screening technologies now let passengers move through checkpoints with fewer restrictions. The anniversary prompts a look back at how flying was transformed almost overnight and how those changes persist today.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-11
A retired NYPD officer treated for lung cancer linked to ground zero exposure describes losing multiple friends—construction workers, firefighters and police—to cancers and respiratory illness in the years after 9/11. The 25th anniversary ceremony at the World Trade Center will include a new moment of silence honoring those who died from post-exposure illnesses rather than the attacks themselves.
statnews.com
· 2026-09-11
The United States is marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks with memorial ceremonies, moments of silence and volunteer projects across the country. A new poll shows nearly half of American adults still regard the day as the most historic event of their lifetime, reflecting how deeply the attacks that killed almost 3,000 people remain embedded in national memory.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-11
A drone light show used 2,977 individually flown drones—one for each victim of the September 11 attacks—to recreate the original Minoru Yamasaki-designed World Trade Center towers at full architectural scale. Organizers faced significant logistical hurdles, including securing a launch site capable of supporting the massive coordinated flight.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-11
Apple has opened trade-in credit for iPhone Air and iPhone 17 ahead of new successor models, offering up to $585 for either device despite the iPhone Air costing $200 more at retail after this week's price hikes. The iPhone 17 now starts at $899 and the iPhone Air at $1099, yet both receive identical trade-in valuations.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-10
Apple has revised its trade-in payout tables just a month after last raising them, lowering the maximum credit offered for every returning iPhone model by as much as $120. At the same time, trade-in values rose across the entire iPad lineup and for nearly all Mac models except the Mac Pro, while Apple Watch and Android device values were mostly reduced or held steady. The updated figures, effective September 9, 2026, also add trade-in support for the new iPhone 17 line and iPhone Air.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-09
Apple confirmed that its Trade In program lets customers exchange eligible Android devices for credit toward a new iPhone purchase. The offer extends Apple's existing trade-in system, which previously focused mainly on older iPhone models.
apple.com
· 2026-09-09
Apple is reportedly expanding its trade-in program so that devices with minor cosmetic flaws, such as small screen cracks, qualify for the same value as pristine units. The change is expected to go live across Apple's entire product line as soon as the online store reopens after today's iPhone event. It comes as new iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to carry roughly $100 price increases.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-09
Huawei is scheduled to face a US criminal trial on charges that it violated Iran sanctions and stole trade secrets from competitors. The proceedings are set to begin just weeks before a planned meeting between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-09
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