TechCapsules

Amazon Web Services announced a “Built Together” program pledging more than $1 billion over five years to U.S. towns that host its data centers. The initiative will fund free community‑college degrees, trades training, and energy‑efficiency upgrades for schools and homes, while a new Data Center Commitment promises no increase in local electricity bills and annual public reporting of energy and water use. AWS will also cease using nondisclosure agreements with government agencies on data‑center projects, a practice critics [...]

Hany Farid, a preeminent deep‑fake researcher, warns that roughly 50 % of widely viewed online content is fabricated, raising doubts about the reliability of visual evidence. He was consulted after a grainy video of a Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school in February was circulated, and his team used physical constraints—speed of sound, speed of light, and missile dimensions—to confirm the footage’s plausibility. Farid also highlighted a separate case in which an AI‑enhanced frame of the January 24 [...]

In September 2026 the United Kingdom sold 99,199 electric cars, a 36 percent rise over the same month a year earlier and more than double the volume of September 2023. Battery‑electric vehicles captured a 28.3 percent share of new‑car registrations, closing in on the 37.6 percent held by gasoline models. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported a 12 percent increase in overall new‑car sales for the tenth consecutive month, attributing the EV surge to a record 178 BEV models, aggressive discounts, [...]

Professional Tekken 8 competitor SuperBrine went viral after climbing from Beginner to the God of Destruction rank while playing Alisa completely blindfolded with a sleep mask. He streamed the seven‑part challenge on Twitch from June to early October 2026, ending with a live broadcast that sparked debate over the game’s difficulty and Alisa’s accessibility. SuperBrine confirmed the mask blocked all vision and that the run was unedited, emphasizing the stunt was a personal test, not a critique of [...]

Colonial First State (CFS) has overhauled its marketing technology, cutting the build time for standard customer journeys from weeks to hours and doubling campaign output. Leveraging Adobe Experience Platform for unified data and Adobe Journey Optimizer to orchestrate email, SMS, push and in‑app messages, the superannuation provider now runs an event‑driven engagement engine. Group executive Richard Burns said automation enables real‑time responses to member behaviours and life events, aiming to make retirement savings a visible part of [...]

On a recent Sardinian vacation, a traveler rented a Peugeot E‑208 from local firm Drivalia, using the experience to evaluate the compact EV in a real‑world setting. The entry‑level model, equipped with a 100 kW motor and a 363 km WLTP‑rated battery, proved adequate for daily driving, offering quiet, torque‑rich acceleration despite its modest power and lack of frunk or under‑floor storage. Fuel costs in Italy, exceeding €2 per litre, made the electric drive financially attractive, though the rental [...]

India’s research teams have completed a successful free‑space quantum key distribution (QKD) trial spanning 5.56 km, the longest such link demonstrated in the country to date. The experiment used photon‑based encryption transmitted between two ground stations without fiber optics, confirming that quantum keys can be exchanged reliably over atmospheric distances. Engineers reported a quantum bit error rate within acceptable limits and continuous key generation throughout the test period. The achievement follows similar demonstrations worldwide and aligns with India’s [...]

Dave “Devoted Dave” Fukasame, the father of YouTube star Mighty Mike Plays, posted an hour‑long video to explain a controversy that began when he claimed his son spent $118,000 of a company credit card on YouTube ads. The story spiraled after the family sold AI‑generated T‑shirts, prompting accusations of fraud and claims that Dave was fired when a contract between two of his businesses was terminated. In the video, later removed and re‑uploaded to a new channel, Dave said every [...]