TechCapsules

Google unveiled “Immersive Explorations” in its Gemini platform, a visual learning tool that lets students dissect subjects layer by layer. The feature, added to Gemini’s student hub, offers interactive, image‑based lessons on topics such as quasars, dinosaurs, plant molecular structure, and lightning physics. Users can click through visuals to access deeper details, with explanatory text accompanying each layer. The library is currently available in English, Indonesian, Hindi, Brazilian Portuguese, French, and simplified Chinese, with other languages to [...]

Microsoft engineer Raymond Chen explained why Windows 11’s Task Manager and taskbar can freeze when a CPU‑intensive application monopolizes processing time. When a heavy app consumes most of the CPU, the scheduler allocates limited time slices to all other threads, including Task Manager, which must wait for CPU cycles to render its UI and update the process list. Raising Task Manager’s priority would not help because a high‑priority thread can still be blocked on a lock or resource held [...]

Microsoft reported that its cloud segment generated over $63 billion in revenue for the fiscal year, marking a 30 percent year‑over‑year increase. The earnings call highlighted accelerated growth driven by AI‑focused services, including the Foundry platform, which saw a five‑fold rise in customers deploying multiple models. Executives emphasized a shift toward “intelligence per task,” aiming to improve cost efficiency and performance across heterogeneous AI workloads. The company also outlined plans to build a new technology stack designed for the [...]

Apple’s iPhone Duo, released on September 9, 2026, has entered consumers’ hands for a week, prompting developers to update and create apps that exploit its dual displays. Ten standout titles—including Netflix, Flighty, Deck‑Man, and MD Vinyl—demonstrate the device’s versatility, from adaptive media playback in various poses to side‑by‑side flight data and nostalgic music interfaces. The apps showcase how the foldable screen and hinge angle can transform user interaction and content presentation.

Stanford roommates Andy Elder and Arjun Mathur, former Palantir executives, launched Dream, an AI startup aimed at transforming the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Dream builds “world models” that generate structurally sound building designs by training on over 100 million square feet of U.S. permit data. The company secured $17 million in seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz, with additional support from SV Angel, XYZ, and Zigg Capital. Dream’s platform is already deployed on ten projects in Texas [...]

The FCC approved a proposal to open 482 MHz of spectrum for satellite service directly to phones, potentially enabling SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile to challenge major carriers. The rule expands Supplemental Coverage bands from five to thirteen and includes an auction of 25 MHz for terrestrial or direct‑to‑device use. While no spectrum is granted immediately, the change allows satellite operators to certify coexistence only in served areas, simplifying licensing. SpaceX has already secured AWS‑4, H‑block, and 800 MHz licenses to support [...]

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Quantum Computing Programme (NQCP) at the Niels Bohr Institute has spun out Pelagic Systems to commercialize real‑time hardware calibration software for quantum processors. Built on superconducting hardware and funded by Innovation Fund Denmark, the platform moves parameter estimation and feedback directly onto FPGA controllers, reducing calibration latency from ~250 ms to under 10 ms. Pelagic’s solution offers automated quantum characterization, verification, and validation across diverse qubit modalities, aiming to support the scaling of multi‑qubit systems in [...]

Windows 11’s Update page displays a “Restart now” button even while the monthly security update is still installing, prompting users to restart prematurely. Microsoft explains the feature allows advanced users to reboot as soon as specific updates are ready, but acknowledges the confusion. The company is reviewing the experience to prevent early restarts, though it will keep the option for those who need it. The change is expected to reduce unnecessary delays and multiple restarts for most [...]