TechCapsules

SpaceX announced on Nov. 10 that its Starship Super Heavy booster 22 has been rolled out to the launch mount at Starbase in preparation for Flight 15 on Nov. 13. The test will attempt the recovery of both the booster and the upper stage, using the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms to catch each vehicle after flight. Booster 22, powered by 33 Raptor engines, will undergo a “squeeze test” at catch height before launch, while the Ship upper stage will aim [...]

In episode 51 of the 9to5Google podcast “The Sideload,” hosts Will Sattelberg and Daniel Rubino discuss the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show before turning to Ring’s newly announced Drone Cam. The device, a small indoor drone equipped with a camera, is marketed as a mobile home‑security solution that can patrol a house autonomously. The hosts debate its safety, privacy implications, and whether it represents a genuine advancement in residential protection or an unnecessary risk. The conversation also touches [...]

Google released Android 17 QPR2 a month ahead of schedule, coinciding with the November Pixel Drop and rolling out to supported Pixel devices from the 6a to the newest flagship. The update, announced by Mishaal Rahman on Reddit after an extended beta, adds extensive visual customization, including a hue slider with four intensity presets and adaptive light‑and‑dark wallpaper switching. Users gain finer status‑bar control, new brightness handling that overrides app‑locked settings, and a revamped Bluetooth LE Audio stack featuring [...]

AMD launched the sixth‑generation “Venice” EPYC processors, expanding its server portfolio to 31 SKUs that range from 8 to 256 cores, 130 W to 600 W, and $700 to $14,904 per 1,000‑unit tray. The line uses two distinct socket designs—SP7 for high‑density models and a smaller socket for lower‑tier parts—and pairs each with either a 12‑core or 32‑core compute chiplet (CCD) built on TSMC’s 2 nm process. Both CCD types retain identical cache hierarchies while differing in scheduler tuning, delivering [...]

Quantinuum and RIKEN have expanded their memorandum of understanding to commercialize hybrid quantum‑AI supercomputing across Japan following the commissioning of the 56‑qubit System Model H2 upgrade to RIKEN’s on‑site “Reimei” trapped‑ion quantum computer. The partnership will involve Japanese universities and component makers to create a domestically produced fault‑tolerant quantum system, while a separate deal with SoftBank Corp. will link quantum hardware to commercial AI data centers. The three‑tier architecture, managed through Quantinuum Nexus, assigns classical modeling to Fugaku, [...]

Nordson Electronics Solutions received the 2026 Global Technology Award in the Plasma Systems category for its MARCH ExoSPHERE plasma treatment system. The platform delivers plasma cleaning and surface activation to boost adhesion, yield and reliability in semiconductor packaging. Designed for PLP, the system supports panels up to 650 × 651 mm and accommodates wafers, carriers and warped panels via handlers. Its patented three‑axis symmetrical chamber provides uniform plasma exposure, while SMART Tune™ Management offers RF control that cuts tuning time [...]

Apple has rolled out firmware version 9B47 for all AirPods equipped with the H2 chip, including the AirPods 4, AirPods 5, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods Max 2. The update is delivered automatically; users must place the earbuds in their case, connect the case to power, and keep it near a paired iPhone for the process to initiate. Apple provides no manual update option, so timing depends on the device’s proximity to an iOS device and its power state. The new firmware is [...]

OpenAI announced it has acquired Odessia, an AI‑powered travel‑planning service founded by former Sonder CEO Francis Davidson. The deal, described as an acqui‑hire, brings Davidson onto OpenAI’s team to work on future travel applications, though no specific product roadmap was disclosed. Odessia, which raised a $6 million pre‑seed round led by Sequoia and launched its agent five months ago, claimed to have helped early users plan millions of dollars in trips before the service was shut down. OpenAI [...]