TechCapsules

NASA will host its inaugural Max Power air show and aerospace expo on Florida’s Space Coast this weekend, featuring a schedule of talks, Q&A sessions, and flyovers at Kennedy Space Center. Highlights include a briefing on the quiet supersonic X‑59 jet, discussions by leaders of NASA’s Science and Human Spaceflight Mission Directorates, and astronaut panels from Artemis III and SpaceX’s Crew‑12 missions. The event will also showcase NASA’s lunar outpost plans, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, [...]

The article reviews inexpensive third‑party bands for Google’s Pixel Watch 5 and Fitbit Air, noting that recent knock‑offs match or exceed official options in quality and fit. The author highlights a six‑pack silicone band that slots perfectly into the Pixel Watch 5, offering colors absent from Google’s lineup. Similar $9 Fitbit Air bands replicate the look and feel of the official Stephen Curry edition, minus the badge. The piece questions whether Google’s pricing is justified and underscores [...]

Apple released the HomePod mini 2 on October 30, 2026, priced at $149. The new model features a faster Apple S10 processor, full‑range driver with two passive radiators, and computational audio with real‑time tuning. Connectivity upgrades include Wi‑Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6, and a persistent Mac audio connection. It adds four‑speaker surround sound for Apple TV 4K and supports Thread, temperature, and humidity sensors. However, Siri AI remains absent, limiting appeal for current owners.

Hidemaro Fujibayashi, producer of the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and former director of Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom, urged that future Zelda titles avoid simply reusing concepts from past games. He explained that each new entry should build on the series’ foundational framework while introducing fresh, fun ideas. Fujibayashi highlighted the importance of encouraging younger developers to innovate rather than rely on existing ideas from Breath of the [...]

OpenAI has secured $11 billion in a new funding round, valuing the AI lab at $1.25 trillion, Bloomberg reports. The round is still open and could reach roughly $20 billion, though the company originally aimed for $30 billion. The announcement follows Bloomberg’s report that Anthropic’s potential IPO valuation may fall to about $1.1 trillion from the previously expected $2 trillion. OpenAI had hinted at an IPO this year but postponed it, with a next‑year launch now anticipated. The move underscores the volatile market [...]

Google released Antigravity version 2.29, adding a redesigned conversation page, Voice Mode powered by Gemini Live, and Remote Agents for cloud‑based projects. The new layout places the prompt box at the bottom and introduces a greeting bar, default Google Sans font, and Onyx theme. Single‑repo projects now combine branch and Git worktree selection, and the agent picker is nested within the model menu. Remote Agents, available to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, run in isolated cloud VMs [...]

Nicolas Cage, recently seen on the red carpet for his sports‑comedy film Madden, expressed relief over the cancellation of Amazon Prime Video’s animated series Spider‑Noir. The show, featuring Cage as Ben Reilly, aired in both black‑and‑white and color but was dropped in September after falling out of the platform’s top‑10 list. Cage said one season was sufficient, citing the risk of repeating a character and his preference for single‑season projects like True Detective. He also declined to sign an [...]

Nacon released the Revolution 5 Unlimited, a PlayStation 5 controller that builds on its Xbox‑based predecessor by adding TMR thumbsticks, an onboard display, adjustable weight, and six extra buttons. Priced at $229, it offers premium button actuation, a charging stand, and long battery life, while lacking a PC companion app and experiencing occasional wireless dongle issues. The controller aims to fill a gap in Sony’s third‑party lineup, positioning itself as the most complete option in a $200