TechCapsules

The indie studio Alliance Arts, creator of the anime‑styled Russian‑roulette drinking game Drunken Goddess Reflux, announced it will no longer release the public Steam demo slated for October 19. Instead, the demo will be limited to a closed play session for pre‑selected participants who agree to strict posting and streaming rules. Developers said rapid advances in generative AI could enable malicious actors to replicate the demo’s visuals and mechanics and distribute copycat versions before the full game’s [...]

Google has enabled a default‑on feature that automatically verifies and links the phone number stored on an Android device to every Google account signed in on that device, including secondary work accounts and alternate profiles. The setting, found under Settings → Google → All services → Phone number verification, allows Google and carriers to periodically re‑verify numbers for services such as account recovery, RCS messaging, emergency features and Quick Share. Users discovered the behavior after receiving unexpected verification emails from noreply‑phone‑verification@google.com, prompting complaints [...]

Elon Musk announced on X that owners of the upcoming Tesla Roadster will be able to request the vehicle perform the autonomous stunts demonstrated at its October 15 unveiling, including flips, upside‑down runs and thruster‑powered jumps. Musk described the feature as “sentient,” noting the car’s steer‑by‑wire system, electric‑actuated cold‑gas thrusters and a suction fan that can hold it inverted. He also promised a “wild looping track” at Tesla’s Texas headquarters where owners could test these maneuvers, though [...]

Indie App Spotlight features Hoardware, a free iOS 17‑plus app that lets users catalog every Apple device they own. The tool records model numbers, serial numbers, iOS versions and custom notes, and presents a coverage tab showing how many devices run each OS release. Users can add new hardware from a searchable list, with details and images auto‑filled, mark favorites, and receive push alerts when software updates become available. Hoardware syncs libraries via iCloud, ensuring the collection [...]

The fifth Africa E‑Mobility Week & Forum took place in late October at Nooitgedacht Estate in Stellenbosch, marking the event’s first Southern African venue after previous editions in Kenya and Ethiopia. Organized by AfEMA, UNEP, the African Union Commission and UNECA, the forum attracted 320 participants from 42 nations. Over its five‑year run, the gathering has tracked the continent’s shift from early‑stage electric‑motorcycle pilots to broader electrification, including buses and heavy‑duty trucks. Notable milestones include Spiro’s deployment [...]

Apple Store staff have been instructed to tell customers that the iPhone Duo will likely be unavailable for walk‑in purchase on its October 24 launch day unless a pre‑order has already been placed. Employees report that the company’s internal guidance warns shoppers to avoid the store expecting to buy the device, as many locations may have no additional inventory beyond pre‑ordered units. Apple’s website merely invites users to “check back” for availability, offering no guarantee of stock. The [...]

Meta has revised its commercial terms of use, initially stating that it could “use any content from a business account’s domains, web pages, or URLs to provide, develop, improve, research, train, and maintain the integrity of” its products and services. Legal analysts described the clause as a sweeping right to scrape publisher sites and feed the material into Meta’s artificial‑intelligence training pipelines. The language sparked concern after the company’s recent victory in a copyright lawsuit and amid [...]

Kipu Quantum has partnered with NTT DATA to scale enterprise quantum computing, industrial optimization, and quantum machine learning (QML) solutions. The deal will embed Kipu’s hardware‑tailored hybrid quantum algorithms into existing enterprise technology stacks, with NTT DATA distributing the Kipu Quantum Hub and delivering Kipu’s training curriculum worldwide. The collaboration builds on a successful deployment with Komatsu Peru, where Kipu’s QML algorithms improved predictive maintenance for heavy equipment. Initial commercial applications will target supply‑chain logistics, predictive maintenance, and financial [...]