TechCapsules

Apple tested a shorter, magnetic Apple Pencil designed for its iPhone Duo, intending to attach to the device’s hinge. The prototype faced technical issues and was abandoned, prompting a shift to support existing iPad Pencil models on the Duo’s dual screens. At the September event, Apple announced that the Duo will accept the USB‑C Apple Pencil later this year, marking the first iPhone with official stylus support. Only the USB‑C model will work; the Pencil Pro is [...]

Apple is set to launch its J490 smart‑home hub, internally called the HomePod, as early as October 2026. The device will feature Wi‑Fi, a camera, microphones, and a front‑facing camera that identifies users to deliver personalized Siri interactions, calendars, notes, and media. Designed to blend with home décor, it will offer watch‑style swatches and clock‑face displays. Apple plans the hub to serve as a command center for IoT devices, video calls, intercom, and Apple services, integrating data [...]

Alphabet and Meta have launched competing consumer AI agents—Google’s family‑oriented CC and Meta’s single‑user Muse—that can act on users’ behalf rather than merely answer questions. CC supports up to six family members and is tightly integrated with Google’s ecosystem, while Muse offers broader autonomy across a user’s digital life, including commerce. Both companies are investing billions in AI infrastructure, but Google maintains a lower valuation (P/E 14 vs. 24) and stronger margin profile, whereas Meta’s recent earnings [...]

Tesla has launched paid rides in its Cybercab, a two‑seat autonomous vehicle lacking a steering wheel and brake pedals. The vehicle, produced at the Austin, Texas factory since July, can be hailed through Tesla’s Robotaxi service in six U.S. cities, including Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Miami. The Cybercab accommodates luggage, golf clubs, and scooters, offering a new type of driverless transport. Tesla currently operates 314 authorized vehicles in Texas, 45 of which are Cybercabs, while broader deployment [...]

Elon Musk announced on SpaceX’s August 4 earnings call that the next‑generation Starlink V3 satellites will deliver about 10 terabits per second bidirectionally, with potential to reach over 100 Tbps. Each satellite will carry a 250‑kW power system and a custom Nvidia Vera Rubin NVL72 computer. Musk projected that within ten years Starlink could handle the majority of global internet traffic, especially as AI and robotics demand increases. SpaceX plans to launch roughly an order of magnitude [...]

Apple TV+ announced that the long‑delayed drama The Savant, starring Jessica Chastain, is now slated for a spring 2027 debut, according to Variety. The series was originally pulled from its 2024 schedule after the assassination of activist Charlie Kirk, a decision Apple never fully explained. Chastain publicly said she was “not aligned” with the postponement, yet she has continued collaborating with Apple on other projects. The new release window positions the show for eligibility in the 2027 Emmy cycle, requiring all episodes [...]

Global Airlines, a British startup that plans to launch long‑haul services using a pre‑owned Airbus A380, now faces compulsory liquidation after creditors filed a winding‑up petition in London’s High Court. The petition, lodged on May 29 2026, seeks to freeze the company’s assets and force liquidation, a move accelerated by mounting debts, unpaid maintenance costs and the aircraft’s idle status at Tarbes‑Lourdes‑Pyrénées Airport since July 2025. The A380, registered 9H‑GLOBL, logged only 62 flight hours over two round‑trips under a short‑term [...]

Microsoft engineer Raymond Chen explains that Windows’ “file system tunneling” causes a newly created file to inherit the creation timestamp and short‑name mapping of a recently deleted file with the same name. The feature, present in NTFS and FAT for decades, stores metadata in a per‑volume tunnel cache for a brief period—about 15 seconds—after a delete or rename operation. When an application saves a document by writing a temporary file, deleting the original, and renaming the temporary [...]