TechCapsules

Trucks VC reports a surge in autonomous‑vehicle startups, with 81 pitches in 2026—two‑thirds more than the previous year—indicating a second, larger AV wave. The firm attributes the growth to AI foundation models like Nvidia’s Alpamayo and Qwen’s vision‑language‑action systems, which lower development costs and accelerate deployment. Startups are targeting diverse sectors, from construction to robotaxis, and many position themselves as regional competitors to Waymo. The trend suggests a rapidly expanding, more accessible AV ecosystem. [...]

Tech CEOs Marissa Mayer, Sam Altman, and Mark Zuckerberg have sparked backlash by praising AI’s role in everyday life, from school projects to parenting and romance. Their remarks, highlighted by TechCrunch’s Amanda Silberling, raise concerns that industry leaders may be out‑of‑touch with ordinary users. The conversation, featured on the Equity podcast, questions whether AI’s push to replace human interaction is a marketing tactic or a genuine product direction, especially as Anthropic prepares to go public amid cautious [...]

Horror director Zach Cregger expressed frustration over fan focus on whether his Resident Evil film matched the video‑game source material, rather than evaluating the movie itself. He noted that critics and audiences questioned character choices, setting details, and plot deviations, which he felt diverted attention from the film’s own merits. Despite the backlash, the movie opened to strong reviews and $108 million worldwide, eventually surpassing $400 million, prompting speculation about a sequel while Cregger hints at moving away from franchise [...]

Apple is set to launch three refreshed iPad models early next year, following the recent OLED‑equipped iPad mini. The new iPad Air will feature an OLED display, likely retain a 60 Hz panel, and may upgrade to an M5 chip, priced around $799‑$899. The base iPad will receive an A19 chip, 8 GB RAM, and Apple Intelligence support, with no major design changes. The iPad Pro will add a vapor‑chamber cooler and a new M6 or M7 chip, starting [...]

Footage of an unannounced turn‑based RPG surfaced on YouTube yesterday, posted by a channel named “P1REMAKE.” The two‑minute clip appears to be a remake of Atlus’ original Persona, showing Eriko summoning her Persona with an animation identical to the one used for Yukiko in the upcoming Persona 4 Revival, and even includes Tatsuya, the protagonist of Persona 2 Innocent Sin, who never appears in the first game. Fans quickly spread the video to Reddit and X, noting the level of polish exceeds [...]

At the Android Dev Summit 2026, Google unveiled its next hardware category, the Googlebook ‘detachables,’ positioning them as the successor to clamshell and convertible devices. The announcement confirmed earlier leaks and showed that four of the five models are clamshells, including the Acer Googlebook 14 priced at $899, which functions as a laptop, tent and tablet. Googlebook OS will run across all form factors, but on launch only landscape orientation supports the homescreen, overview and app tray, while [...]

OpenAI is planning a public‑relations campaign after the November 5 midterm elections, according to Axios. Chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane said the vote will serve as “a movie trailer for what you’re going to see in 2028,” anticipating AI as a central issue in the 2028 presidential race. The campaign will promote several policy ideas: imposing AI “speed limits,” framing AI as an empowerment tool, urging the United States to lead the creation of global AI [...]

Japanese director Takashi Yamazaki confirmed to SFX magazine that he would consider directing another Godzilla film if Toho Studios extended an invitation. His latest effort, Godzilla Minus Zero, follows the Oscar‑winning Godzilla Minus One and introduces King Ghidorah while reuniting the Shikishima family. The sequel has opened to strong critical praise, with a 4.5‑star rating from GamesRadar+ and remarks that it “ups the ante” in both human drama and kaiju action. Yamazaki described the two movies as [...]