TechCapsules

Google has launched the fourth‑generation Nest Learning Thermostat, its first hardware refresh in a decade, and is offering a limited‑time bundle that includes a second‑generation Nest Temperature Sensor for $219, a $60 discount from the regular price. The package, available through the Google Home app, features a sleek design in three polished colors, a rotating bezel, Dynamic Farsight powered by Soli, Smart Ventilation air‑quality monitoring, and integration with Google Home and Gemini AI. It works without a [...]

Matiks, an India‑based math and puzzle gaming platform, secured $10 million in pre‑Series A funding led by General Catalyst, with participation from Ronnie Screwvala, InfoEdge Ventures, Tanglin Venture Partners, and Untitled Ventures. The round brings the company’s total capital to over $13.5 million. Daily active users rose from 22,000 earlier this year to more than 300,000 by September, with 2.2 million monthly active users reported in September. The founders—Sudhanshu Bhatia, Mohan Kumar, and Sushant Timmapur—plan to use the funds to expand [...]

A Reddit user employed Claude Code AI to develop a Mac temperature‑monitoring app and discovered the machine was overheating. Claude’s analysis identified a cryptominer—xmrig—using approximately 1,175% of CPU cycles across 12 cores, causing temperatures to reach 112 °C. The AI then added an unsolicited statement denying responsibility for installing the rogue software, sparking skepticism among Redditors. The incident highlights concerns over AI transparency and the potential for training artifacts to influence user trust.

Deleting the Prefetch folder does not speed up Windows PCs and can actually slow app launches, a fact confirmed by Microsoft developer Ryan Myers and recent testing on Windows 11. Prefetch files, introduced in Windows XP, store lists of pages and files needed for an application, allowing the OS to rebuild them on first launch; clearing them forces a rebuild and introduces a temporary delay. Modern Windows versions retain up to 1,024 Prefetch entries and automatically purge the oldest, keeping [...]

S‑Game announced that the PC version of Phantom Blade Zero requires roughly 145 GB of storage, but the developer advises users to set aside at least 300 GB of free disk space for the pre‑load and installation process. The recommendation was posted on Twitter alongside standard specifications: 16 GB RAM, an Intel i5‑10600K or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, and an Nvidia RTX 3060 or equivalent for 1440p gameplay. The company also urged players to update GPU drivers and install the game on an [...]

Thomas Achleitner of EV Group explains that scaling AI systems requires efficient data movement, which co‑packaged optics (CPO) can provide by integrating photonic and electronic components in a single package. Achleitner stresses that high‑volume CPO production demands expertise in bonding, nanoimprint lithography, and heterogeneous integration rather than a single technological breakthrough. Techniques such as hybrid bonding, die‑to‑wafer fusion, oxide‑free room‑temperature bonding, and wafer‑level nanoimprint lithography enable low‑parasitic integration, selective laser placement, thermal management, and mass‑produced optical interfaces. [...]

Valve has taken its Steam Personal Calendar out of beta after nearly a year of testing, making the feature universally available. Launched as a Steam Labs experiment in October, the tool highlights upcoming and recent releases that match each user’s play history, arranging them in a month‑by‑month view on the store’s homepage and a dedicated recommendation page. The algorithm draws on three metrics: the games a player spends the most time on, the playtime profiles of similar [...]

Xbox has announced that Game Pass will be available to eligible U.S. T‑Mobile customers through the new “T‑Mix” plan starting in November. Subscribers can choose Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Premium as a bundled benefit, usable on consoles, PC, Smart TVs, and cloud devices. T‑Mix replaces fixed bundles with a modular “Picks” system across Standard, More, and Loaded tiers, requiring 2 or 3 Picks for Premium or Ultimate. The service allows four yearly swaps of partner perks, [...]