Meta’s push to become the ‘Android of Robotics’ — what we know Meta is reportedly working toward becoming the “Android of robotics”: rather than focusing purely on hardware, the company’s goal appears to be building foundational robotics software that other manufacturers can license. The effort — which includes a “Metabot” prototype and research into a world model to simulate dexterous hands and movement — is led by Marc Whitten (formerly of Cruise) and paired with Meta’s Superintelligence Labs. Key points Primary goal: create licenseable robotics software (an OS/platform) rather than mass-market hardware. Technical focus: develop a "world model" to run simulations that animate dexterous hands and more complex behaviors over time. Team: robotics effort led by Marc Whitten, with support from Meta’s Superintelligence/AI research groups. Use cases: early reports mention…

YouTube Premium expands 4x playback, high-quality audio, Shorts PiP & more Google is rolling out a set of YouTube Premium features to more devices. These updates keep the $13.99/month subscription the same, but broaden where power-user features are available. What’s new Faster playback: 4x playback now available on Android, iOS and the web, in 0.5x increments from 1x to 4x. High-quality audio: A new “High” audio option for music videos and Art Tracks (256 kbps) is now accessible across YouTube and YouTube Music on Android and iOS. Shorts improvements: Automatic Shorts downloads for offline viewing and Picture-in-Picture (PiP) on iOS and Android (previously Android-only). Jump Ahead on big screens: The Jump Ahead feature to skip to key moments in videos is coming to smart TVs and game consoles. Why it…

US District Judge Paul Friedman has ruled that the Department of Defense presented sufficient evidence to keep DJI on the Pentagon’s list of "Chinese military companies." The court found DJI’s drone technology has both substantial theoretical and actual military application, and that DJI’s internal policies barring military use do not negate that reality. Key points Judge: Paul Friedman (ruling date: Sept 26, 2025). DJI argued it is "neither owned nor controlled by the Chinese military" and that its policies bar military use; the court said policy statements don’t change actual application. DJI has faced prior US restrictions: added to the Commerce Department Entity List in 2020 and to a Treasury list in 2021 amid allegations including surveillance in Xinjiang. The company now faces a potential US import ban by the…

Apple's 'Veritas': internal ChatGPT-like app to test Siri's 2026 overhaul Apple has reportedly built an internal ChatGPT-style app named Veritas to prototype and test a major update to Siri slated for 2026. The app is designed for employee testing and won’t likely be released publicly in its current form, but it gives Apple a faster way to trial conversational features and actions that tap into personal data on the device. Key points Veritas is an internal chatbot to explore multi-turn, contextual interactions that can access on-device data (emails, messages, photos) and take actions inside apps. Apple reportedly delayed the broader Siri revamp from 2025 to 2026 while it refines the tech and partnerships. The planned Siri update will combine Apple-built AI models with at least one third-party foundation model; OpenAI,…

The Social Reckoning — Social Network Sequel Set for Oct 9, 2026 The long-awaited sequel to The Social Network is officially titled The Social Reckoning and is scheduled to hit theaters on October 9, 2026. Aaron Sorkin returns as both writer and director for this follow-up that examines recent controversies involving Facebook. Plot focus The film follows whistleblower Frances Haugen’s revelations and the reporting that exposed internal Facebook documents suggesting the company was aware of harm caused by its platform. Key cast Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg (takes over the role from Jesse Eisenberg) Mikey Madison as Frances Haugen Jeremy Allen White as Jeff Horowitz (Wall Street Journal reporter) Bill Burr — role not yet confirmed; reports suggest a fictional amalgam character Creative team Aaron Sorkin returns to write and…

ROG Xbox Ally & ROG Xbox Ally X — Preorder, Specs & Pricing Microsoft and ASUS (ROG) have launched preorders for two new Xbox-branded handhelds. The lineup includes: ROG Xbox Ally — $599.99 (standard model) ROG Xbox Ally X — $999.99 (premium model) Both devices launch globally on October 16, 2025. They run Windows 11 and can play your purchased Xbox and PC games, stream from your console, or use Xbox Cloud Gaming. Microsoft will mark thousands of titles as Handheld Optimized or Mostly Compatible at launch. Key differences CPU: Ally — AMD Ryzen Z2 A; Ally X — AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme RAM: Ally — 16GB (6,400 MT/s); Ally X — 24GB (8,000 MT/s) Storage: Ally — 512GB SSD; Ally X — 1TB SSD (both have M.2 2280…

Microsoft’s Advanced Shader Delivery aims to end long shader compile waits — first on ASUS ROG Xbox Ally Microsoft introduced Advanced Shader Delivery, a system that precompiles GPU shaders and distributes them (via the cloud) so games don't need to compile them at launch or during gameplay. The result: much shorter "compiling shaders" waits and less in-game stutter. Where it's launching first The initial rollout targets the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally handhelds and games distributed through the Xbox app. Microsoft chose the ROG Ally because it has only a couple of hardware configurations, which makes shipping precompiled shader sets manageable. How it works Shaders are compiled ahead of time and stored in the cloud. The Xbox app downloads the precompiled shader sets matching your hardware. This mirrors how consoles handle…

Apple tests ‘Veritas’ — internal Siri app similar to ChatGPT (reported) Summary (translated from German): Bloomberg reports Apple is working on a major overhaul of its voice assistant, Siri, using an internal test app for iPhone. The project — codenamed Veritas — is said to behave like chatbot systems (e.g., ChatGPT) and is currently used for internal testing by employees. Apple has not officially announced the project. Key points Codename: Veritas Form: Internal iPhone app used for testing Goal: Rebuild Siri into a more conversational, generative AI assistant Source: Reported by Bloomberg (secondary coverage summarized); no official confirmation from Apple Context & implications If true, Veritas would mark a major push by Apple to bring state-of-the-art conversational AI to Siri, responding to the growing prominence of large language models and…

Apple tests 'Veritas' — internal Siri app similar to ChatGPT (reported) Translation (from German): Apple is working on a major overhaul of its voice assistant Siri and is using an internal testing tool. According to Bloomberg (via iphone-ticker.de), the company built an iPhone app modeled after chatbots like ChatGPT. The project is codenamed "Veritas" and is currently only used internally. Key points Codename: Veritas Form: Internal iPhone app used for employee testing Goal: Rebuild Siri into a chatbot‑style AI assistant with more conversational, generative capabilities Source: Reported by Bloomberg (summarized on iphone-ticker.de); no official Apple announcement yet Context & implications If accurate, Veritas would signal Apple stepping up efforts to bring more advanced, chat‑style AI into Siri — responding to the rise of large language models (LLMs) and conversational assistants…

YouTube Labs tests AI Music Hosts on YouTube Music YouTube has launched YouTube Labs, an experiments hub, and is testing AI Music Hosts on YouTube Music. These AI hosts act like radio DJs, offering relevant stories, fan trivia and commentary to deepen the listening experience. Key details Availability: Opt-in experiment through YouTube Labs (youtube.com/new). Who can join: Currently limited to a small number of US-based YouTube Premium members. What it does: Adds AI-generated hosts to radio and mixes to provide stories, trivia and light commentary. YouTube says the AI may make mistakes and features may change or be removed without notice. Context: This follows a broader push by YouTube (announced at Made on YouTube 2025) to roll out more AI tools for creators and listeners, similar to Spotify's earlier AI…