TechCapsules

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will add a skin‑toggle feature to Warzone, allowing players to disable character skins from other Call of Duty titles in the free‑to‑play mode. When enabled, only Modern Warfare 4 skins appear in lobbies and matches. The filter, built for the new chapter, gives players control over the aesthetic of Warzone, which has historically mixed skins from multiple releases. The change reflects Infinity Ward’s commitment to an “authentic” look for the new game. [...]

Apple reports that new iPhone 18 Pro models and recent iOS 27 updates experience noticeable slowdowns due to extensive Spotlight and Siri AI indexing. The process, which scans files, apps, emails, contacts, photos, and more, can take hours or even days, especially on devices with large data sets. Users can accelerate completion by pausing usage, charging, and staying on Wi‑Fi, though the initial wait remains the most effective remedy. Apple acknowledges the delay and suggests incremental indexing [...]

Google announced that Chromebook updates will continue through the Googlebook era, with many existing models eligible to transition from ChromeOS to Googlebook OS. The company confirmed that current Chromebooks will receive updates until mid‑2034, after which devices with a 10‑year support cycle extending beyond that year can migrate to Googlebook OS. Enterprise and education management features will remain, with new tools slated for release in late 2027. Googlebook pre‑orders are open, with shipments beginning in early October.

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ Brandon Sorbom and Helion’s David Kirtley presented on “Bringing Fusion to the Grid.” CFS is advancing SPARC toward its commercial ARC plant, having secured a $1 billion funding round and applied to the PJM Interconnection. Helion is developing Orion, a 50‑MW plant slated to supply Microsoft by 2028, after heating plasma to 150 million °C and closing a $500 million Series G. Both leaders outlined scientific breakthroughs, remaining technical hurdles, and regulatory steps needed for [...]

KIST led a delegation of four South Korean quantum startups—OptiQ‑Labs, xDots, Bright Quantum, and SQK—at the Quantum World Congress 2026, arranging talks with U.S. firms such as D‑Wave and Microsoft, and Japanese research bodies Q‑STAR and AIST. The initiative, part of the Deeptech Incubator Project, secured access to advanced quantum computing systems and opened pathways for enterprise collaboration. OptiQ‑Labs confirmed plans to open a U.S. East Coast office in November, marking the first physical U.S. presence for [...]

Adult Swim’s new series Get Jiro premieres on October 3, with an HBO Max release the following day. The show adapts Anthony Bourdain’s graphic novel, co‑written with Joel Rose, into a post‑apocalyptic Los Angeles where chefs wield power and vengeance. Brian Tee stars as Jiro, a sushi chef whose culinary skill matches his blade‑wielding prowess. The pilot balances action with detailed food scenes, showcasing Bourdain’s influence. Voice work includes Titus Welliver and Alison Pill as rival chefs, [...]

iOS 27 introduces several Apple Notes enhancements, including divider lines for better organization and section links that enable table‑of‑contents navigation. Siri’s new AI integration lets users add or reformat notes via voice commands, expanding on prior limited capabilities. Markdown support is streamlined: pasting Markdown auto‑converts to rich text, and a “Copy as Markdown” option appears. Image Playground gains a photorealistic generative model with private‑cloud compute and embedded SynthID watermarks, improving in‑app image creation. Minor UI tweaks round out [...]

Microsoft clarified why current Surface PCs exclude AMD processors. The company cited a limited product portfolio and the need to prioritize other partners, despite having offered AMD‑powered models in the past, such as the Surface Laptop 3 and 4. Surface CVP Brett Ostrum emphasized that Microsoft “loves working with AMD” but must make strategic choices. The decision follows rumors of an upcoming AMD‑based Surface using the Sound Wave APU, which has yet to materialize.