TechCapsules

Meta released version 129 for its Ray‑Ban Meta smart glasses, adding audio‑balance and mono‑playback options. The update also includes Spatial Audio support, anti‑tampering camera safeguards, and new location features. Version 128, now broadly available, introduced turn‑by‑turn walking navigation that pulls data from the paired phone and can share routes from mapping apps to Meta AI. These enhancements aim to improve user experience and privacy on the glasses.

Rapidus Corporation announced the creation of the Rapidus Collaborative Open Rapid Ecosystem (CORE), a global framework aimed at accelerating the development and mass production of 2nm semiconductors. The initiative partners 17 design firms—including Cadence, Synopsys, and Wipro—to provide design resources, expertise, and early-stage collaboration for customers worldwide. CORE will expand to include EDA tools, IP, and other ecosystem components, positioning Rapidus to support the entire semiconductor value chain from research to manufacturing.

Rockstar’s senior narrative VP, Rupert Humphries, clarified that Jason’s ex‑military background in GTA 6 is not intended as a political statement. He explained that Jason’s criminal choices stem from material circumstances rather than a deliberate commentary on social mobility. Humphries noted that Rockstar balances realism with player immersion, citing past themes like the American Dream in earlier titles. The interview hints that Jason’s past may play a smaller role than expected, with the full impact to be revealed [...]

Apple has increased the number of personalized email addresses that can be created with custom domains on iCloud+. The update, announced on September 30 via a quietly revised Apple Support page, lifts the limit from three to ten addresses per domain. Users can now set up to five custom domains, and each shared user may create up to ten personalized addresses. The change applies per user, not per account, and is expected to benefit families and small businesses [...]

Google has confirmed that the Googlebook, an Android-based tablet, now allows users to unlock its bootloader, enabling custom OS installations or advanced app testing. The process mirrors that of Pixel devices, requiring OEM unlocking in settings, then a specific key sequence (Esc + F2 + power). Google cautions most users need not unlock the bootloader. Additionally, Magisk root support is in development, with developer John Wu noting the Googlebook’s suitability for modding and anticipating future tweaks for full root functionality. [...]

Reflection AI announced Beam, a 501‑billion‑parameter open‑weight model that claims to match Chinese rivals like Z.ai’s GLM‑5.2 on advanced reasoning benchmarks while using 3‑4× less inference compute. Beam, trained on 23.8 trillion tokens with a 1‑million‑token context window, is positioned as a “workhorse” for enterprises, governments, and developers. The Brooklyn‑based startup, backed by Nvidia, Sequoia, and Lightspeed, aims to enable “AI factories” that let institutions train custom models on proprietary data.

Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 11 update introduces a new shortcut in File Explorer that lets users type ~\AppData to instantly open the AppData folder, bypassing the need to remember the exact user folder name. The change, currently in preview, also expands to other common directories such as Documents and Downloads. Additional File Explorer improvements include consistent sorting and icon preferences across access methods, support for quoted paths, modern property dialogs, dark‑mode enhancements, and faster “This PC” search via the Windows Search [...]

Amazon launched its “3 for 2” book sale ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, featuring six hardcover titles from Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series, including the latest volume, A Parade of Horribles. The second and third books are excluded but have separate discounts. Adding all six books triggers an automatic $34.35 savings on the two cheapest titles. The remaining two excluded books cost $32.75, allowing the full eight‑book collection to be purchased for $118.52. The sale also promotes [...]