TechCapsules

Microsoft announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming will discontinue its app on select smart TV platforms, including certain models from major manufacturers. The move follows a broader shift toward web‑based streaming and the company’s focus on its new cloud gaming service, xCloud. The retirement will affect users who rely on the native app for console‑like gameplay on their televisions, prompting them to switch to web browsers or other devices. Microsoft’s decision reflects a strategic realignment of its gaming [...]

A code sleuth named pdfu has revealed that Apple’s forthcoming Home Hub tablet will incorporate a “Photo Face” feature, mirroring the StandBy face on the iPhone Duo. The Home Hub, slated for an October 13 unveiling, will allow users to set up a Photo Face using iCloud Photos, selecting from shuffled images, memory slideshows, or shared albums. The discovery suggests Apple is integrating ecosystem-wide features and may keep additional configurations hidden until the device’s public reveal.

Satleo, an Ahmedabad‑based startup, will launch its TAPAS‑1 thermal infrared camera on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on October 1. The three‑kilogram payload will orbit at roughly 500 km, capturing heat signatures that conventional optical satellites miss. The data will aid agriculture, urban heat mapping, water‑stress monitoring, disaster response, forest‑fire detection, and climate studies, and can be enhanced with AI. Developed entirely in Gujarat, TAPAS‑1 is slated to operate for three years, with Satleo planning eight additional satellites by 2029 after [...]

The European Commission launched Element Pro as a sovereign backup to Microsoft Teams, intended to secure internal communications if the U.S.-based platform becomes unavailable. Introduced over the summer, the tool is hosted on Commission infrastructure to enhance data control and reduce reliance on foreign technology. Despite its strategic purpose, three officials expressed strong criticism, labeling the system ineffective and describing it as “absolute shit.” They questioned its added value and warned that a U.S. outage would expose the [...]

WhatsApp has extended its parental‑control suite from pre‑teen to teen accounts, adding group‑activity alerts and tighter Meta AI restrictions. Parents now receive notifications when a teen joins or leaves a group, or when a group’s size grows significantly. They can also set limits on Channels, Status updates, and choose between the standard Meta AI experience or a “Limited Content” mode that curtails topics and disables Private Processing. The controls do not reveal encrypted messages or calls. [...]

The Los Angeles Police Department uncovered the dismembered body of 14‑year‑old Celeste Rivas Hernandez in the front trunk of D4vd’s 2023 Tesla Model X, a vehicle owned by the 21‑year‑old singer. The car, used during his national tour, remained parked near his Hollywood Hills rental for weeks before being towed on September 5, 2025. Investigators recovered a cadaver bag containing the torso and head, a trash bag with severed limbs, and DNA linking the remains to Hernandez. The case [...]

Microsoft shut down the EvilTokens phishing-as-a-service platform after discovering it had compromised over 12,000 Microsoft 365 inboxes in more than 10,000 organizations worldwide. The service exploited device‑code phishing, abusing legitimate OAuth flows to bypass multi‑factor authentication. The takedown highlighted that cybercriminals can rapidly rebuild infrastructure using AI coding tools and inexpensive blockchain‑based services, making individual platform disruptions less effective. Coordinated, ecosystem‑wide action is now required to achieve lasting disruption.

Apple is projected to sell roughly 6 million iPhone Duo units in 2024, according to Counterpoint Research, marking the first forecast for the company’s debut foldable phone. The Duo, priced at $1,999 and launching this month, sits at the top of Apple’s lineup and is expected to boost overall foldable shipments, which IDC predicts will rise 13 percent to 22.9 million units. Without Apple’s entry, the segment would have contracted. At the same time, Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro series has driven [...]