TechCapsules

A June 2025 PlayStation Plus Essential free game, NBA 2K25, will be delisted and permanently offline. The game will no longer be purchasable after October 30, 2026, and its servers will shut down on January 1, 2027. Both online and offline single‑player modes will become unplayable, including the MyCareer campaign that requires virtual currency. Owners have three months to finish the game, with a final purchase deadline of October 30. The move leaves NBA 2K25 effectively unusable.

Google released the October 2026 security patch for Android 17, covering a broad range of Pixel devices from the Pixel 6 series through the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. The update addresses 28 security vulnerabilities, with an additional six fixes listed in the dedicated Google devices bulletin. The patch, dated 2026‑10‑01, is available for all Pixel models, ensuring consistent protection across the lineup. The rollout follows the QPR1 update, maintaining a regular security cadence for Google’s flagship hardware.

Cloud provider Lambda secured up to $4 billion in a new funding round, valuing the company at $14.5 billion pre‑money. The round, led by Coatue Management and Blackstone, follows a dramatic rise in Lambda’s backlog from $15 billion in June to $50 billion in September, largely driven by a $35 billion commitment from AI lab Anthropic. The capital raise positions Lambda for a 2027 IPO, while also bolstering its debt‑financed data‑center expansion amid tightening lender conditions.

SEALSQ Corp. led a $10 million PIPE financing in WISeSat.Space Holdings, closing on October 1, 2026, the same day WISeSat.Space completed its SPAC merger. SEALSQ purchased ordinary shares at $10.79 each, with a price‑protection clause that could issue up to 1,073,216 additional shares if the 10‑day VWAP falls below the purchase price 60 days after closing. The funds will support WISeSat.Space’s next‑generation low‑Earth orbit satellite constellation, while SEALSQ will embed post‑quantum chips, digital identity, and PKI services to secure satellite‑to‑IoT [...]

King Art Games announced that Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 will launch with an unprecedented single‑player experience, featuring four distinct campaigns—Space Marines, Orks, Necrons, and Adeptus Mechanicus—totaling over 70 missions. Each campaign is larger than the entire first‑game campaign and rivals the size of any previous RTS launch. The game begins with two tutorial missions, then introduces each faction’s unique mechanics. Post‑launch, additional content such as map packs, crusades, and expansions will expand the single‑player library. [...]

FireDome, a California startup, unveiled an autonomous ground‑based launcher that can deploy water or fire retardant up to 1,000 ft (304 m) to create firebreaks and suppress ember‑driven spot fires. The system, designed for the wildland–urban interface, covers roughly 70 acres and operates before firefighters arrive, aiming to protect communities and critical infrastructure. Co‑founders Gadi Benjamini and Dr. Adi Naor Pomerantz developed the technology after recognizing that existing wildfire tools focus on detection rather than immediate action. [...]

Counterpoint Research reported that Apple surpassed Samsung as the top smartphone brand in Europe’s carrier channel during Q2 2026. Carrier sales fell 4% YoY, less than the 11% decline in the open market, with total smartphone sales down 8%. Apple’s share rose from 33% to 37%, while Samsung fell from 39% to 34%. Vivo and Motorola also grew, with vivo posting a 90% YoY increase. The shift reflects higher-end device preference and memory‑cost pressures on low‑end models.

CERT‑UA uncovered over 100 compromised sites that inject malicious JavaScript to deliver LunexStealer, a data‑stealing malware. The attacks, linked to threat cluster UAC‑0277, use forged Cloudflare verification pages to prompt users to run a command that downloads an MSI package via ClickFix. The malware installs a browser extension, LUNARAXE, and a native messaging host, NAIVEMESS, enabling file system access and remote command execution. CERT‑UA recommends restricting MSI execution, blocking vulnerable drivers, and limiting browser extensions.