TechCapsules

Google is extending the Personal Intelligence features of its Gemini app to deepen integration with Google Maps. The AI now accesses users’ saved places, search history and calendar events to suggest context‑aware recommendations, such as nearby restaurants after a meeting. Personal Intelligence, which already draws on Gmail, Docs, photos and other data, can be enabled in the app’s personalization settings. The update arrives alongside Gemini 4 “Argon,” which Google says will soon replace the “Deep Think” reasoning mode [...]

Cybersecurity researchers from Group‑IB and NyxLab have detailed a intrusion campaign that exploits exposed Fortinet FortiGate and Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect firewalls. The operation, attributed to the threat actor k0t—also known as CryptoFeel, Member19 and QazWsxShop—has compromised network edge devices worldwide, granting persistent remote access and enabling data exfiltration. Investigators say the group, active since October 2025, acts as a broker linked to ransomware outfit Qilin, buying exploit code and search‑engine

Google Quantum AI has announced a $150,000 Kaggle competition aimed at shrinking quantum circuits used for fusion energy, optimization and chemistry calculations. Competitors must lower qubit and gate counts while preserving required accuracy, leveraging Google’s open‑source “kickmix” library to test designs on classical computers. Kickmix structures circuits so that randomized fuzz testing can verify approximate correctness without exhaustive simulation, enabling AI agents to iteratively propose and evaluate optimizations. The contest provides starter circuits and a verification tool, [...]

Jenna Ortega told The Hollywood Reporter that after Netflix’s “Wednesday” concludes, she intends to step back from television for an extended period. The actress, who rose to prominence with roles on “Jane the Virgin” and Disney’s “Stuck in the Middle,” said she has not received many franchise offers and wants time to explore new projects. “Wednesday,” a dark fantasy comedy‑drama created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar and executive‑produced by Tim Burton, debuted in 2022 and quickly [...]

Cybersecurity firm SOCRadar uncovered an intrusion platform used by affiliates of the INC and The Gentlemen ransomware groups. The system, called Phantom, automates a red‑team kill chain while an operator supplies prompts and approves each step. Attackers exploit exposed edge and remote‑access services such as FortiClient EMS, SimpleHelp, cPanel and VPN gateways, then move laterally, harvest credentials, and exfiltrate data before deploying ransomware. The operation logs 8,257 messages across 133 sessions on a server at 45.227.254.43, using [...]

Associate game director Pawel Sasko disclosed at CD Projekt Red’s REDstream on October 21 that roughly half of the quest‑design team for the upcoming Cyberpunk 2 consists of former modders recruited from the game’s community. The announcement came alongside details of new cross‑platform support for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S, and a suite of updates—including dual‑wield combat, expanded cyberware options and a Night City tour mode—intended to keep the sequel fresh. Sasko emphasized that CDPR actively partners with modders, crediting [...]

Counterpoint Research reported that global PC shipments fell 21% year‑over‑year in Q3 2026, reaching 57 million units. Lenovo remained the market leader with a 26.3% share despite a 23% decline, followed by HP (18.1%, down 31%), Dell (13.3%, down 25%), Apple (9.8%, down 11%) and ASUS (9.2%, down 7%). Apple shipped 5.6 million Macs, raising its share from 8.7% to 9.8% and outperforming the overall market. The company credited its new MacBook Neo line for cushioning the downturn. Counterpoint analysts [...]

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple is testing a second‑generation iPhone Duo that will incorporate Face ID without a visible notch or cutout, using an under‑display sensor. The original iPhone Duo, praised for its foldable design and under‑display camera, currently lacks Face ID, relying on traditional authentication methods. Gurman said internal prototypes of “iPhone Duo 2” already feature the hidden Face ID system and may also revisit the Action Button, which was removed from the first model. The under‑display camera already [...]