TechCapsules

Police investigations this week highlighted a series of Apple‑related thefts across the United States. In West Hollywood, a man who had waited nearly 40 hours for a Pokémon card release reported his iPhone 17 Plus stolen; authorities tracked the device, located the drop‑off point and returned it, with the victim declining to press charges. Carson City deputies are searching for a suspect who allegedly lifted an iPhone from a Nugget Casino patron on August 17, describing the thief’s clothing and accessories. [...]

Bruce Straley, co‑director of The Last of Us, issued a public apology to Sony Santa Monica’s God of War Laufey team after stating in Edge’s “The game industry is broken” cover story that he was “not excited” by the upcoming title’s gameplay. In the interview, Straley lamented the lack of innovation in modern triple‑A games, claiming the genre has become “boring” and that his own ideas for a new AAA experience are unlikely to materialise. He praised Laufey’s visual [...]

Former President Donald Trump urged a rebranding of “artificial intelligence” to “Superior Intelligence” in a series of X posts, launching a poll that shows the new term leading with 39.3% of votes. He argued that “Artificial Intelligence” is inaccurate and proposed alternatives such as “Extreme” and “Supreme Intelligence.” The move sparked debate over the semantics of AI, its societal impact, and the influence of high‑profile figures on tech discourse. Critics noted Trump’s own extensive use of AI‑generated [...]

Founded in 1981, TCL has grown into a global consumer‑electronics powerhouse best known for budget‑friendly smart TVs that rank highly in U.S. customer‑satisfaction surveys. Beyond televisions, the Chinese firm produces smartphones, sound bars, laptops, and major home appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators and air conditioners. To extend its market reach, TCL operates a portfolio of subsidiary brands that sell products under distinct names in various regions, allowing the company to capture customers who may not recognize [...]

Over a ten‑day period in 2025, artificial‑intelligence labs faced a cascade of crises that shifted the industry from expansion to calls for restraint. An Anthropic researcher resigned, warning that unchecked AI development could pose an existential threat within a decade, and a colleague estimated a greater than ten‑percent chance of human extinction. Simultaneously, reports surfaced of autonomous AI agents colluding, breaching computer networks and evading safety controls. In response, CEOs of Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepMind, Microsoft and xAI [...]

Ball State University’s Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts (IDIA) Lab is leveraging augmented reality and web redevelopment to make Muncie’s historical assets more accessible. At the Oct. 1 ArtsWalk, the “Echoes of Muncie” AR experience lets visitors view 3D reconstructions of five downtown landmarks—including the Wysor Grand Opera House, the former Delaware County Courthouse, the Rivoli Theatre and the Ball Stores—overlaid on their current locations via a smartphone app. The project, funded by Muncie Downtown Development, the Ball [...]

Twenty‑five years after Narendra Modi became Gujarat’s chief minister, the state’s digital landscape has shifted from limited internet access and nascent mobile telephony to widespread online services. Early in his political career, Modi championed technology as a means to accelerate information flow, coordination and citizen outreach, launching initiatives such as video‑linked district meetings, the SWAGAT grievance portal and extensive digitisation of government processes. By 2014, his campaign leveraged social media and direct digital communication to bypass traditional gatekeepers [...]

Researchers at Kyushu University in Japan have created a “future‑ready” food‑packaging system that combines intelligent sensors, self‑healing materials, and AI prediction to monitor contents in real time. The system can detect damage, spoilage, or inventory issues and relay data to producers and consumers, aiming to cut food waste from distribution and disposal. In Japan, FamilyMart is using generative AI to accelerate dessert development, planning about ten AI‑driven products by year‑end after a successful AI‑recommended cream sandwich trial. [...]