Kochi airport launches robot for enhanced passenger assistance and cultural promotion

thehindu.com Sep 13, 2026

Kochi airport launches robot for enhanced passenger assistance and cultural promotion

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 13, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Kochi International Airport (CIAL) inaugurated a passenger‑assistance robot on September 12, 2026, in the domestic security area’s Kalangan art museum. Developed by Pune‑based Kinetics Robotics, the machine greets travelers, offers directions, real‑time flight data and gate information, and answers queries about airport services. It also showcases Kerala’s cultural heritage, describing Kathakali, Ottanthullal and the museum’s sculptures. CIAL managing director S. Suhas led the launch, with executives Santhosh Poovattil, Manoj P. Joseph and Kinetics representative Jignesh Nair present. The pilot will be expanded to check‑in halls, and the airport is studying delivery robots for food and goods inside terminals. The initiative aims to boost passenger convenience and promote regional arts. Travelers can also request multilingual support, enhancing accessibility for international visitors.

💡 Why It Matters

· By embedding AI‑driven guidance and cultural storytelling, the airport turns a transit point into an interactive showcase, offering a model for Indian hubs to fuse service efficiency with regional branding.

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Meta’s own app leaked Project Phoenix — and the headset looks more…

Meta’s HorizonOS app “HorizonOS Prescription Lens” briefly appeared before being removed, revealing internal images of an unannounced mixed‑reality headset dubbed Project Phoenix. The leaked assets show a lightweight, glasses‑shaped device with a tethered puck and a front camera array, suggesting a controller‑free, hand‑tracking experience. The photos match long‑circulating rumors and indicate a departure from Quest‑style goggles. The leak surfaced just before Meta’s Connect event on September 23, a session titled “practical guide to controller‑free interaction,” hinting at a preview rather than a launch. The headset is expected to reach consumers in early 2027.

💡 The leak confirms Meta’s pivot toward lightweight, glasses‑style mixed‑reality hardware, reshaping expectations for the industry’s next generation of consumer devices.

gamesradar.com · Sep 13

StarCraft returns in 2030 with an open-world shooter, the legendary Blizzard series’…

Blizzard Entertainment officially announced the return of the StarCraft franchise at BlizzCon 2026, revealing a new open-world shooter scheduled for release in 2030. This title marks the series’ first all-new experience since the 2016 single-player DLC, StarCraft: Nova Covert Ops, and the first game since the 2017 remaster. The project is led by Dan Hay, former executive producer of Far Cry, signaling a significant genre shift from the franchise’s traditional real-time strategy roots. While details remain scarce, a debut cinematic trailer titled "Dominion" was unveiled to set the tone. This announcement follows years of speculation and a glitched website event. It also distinguishes this official Blizzard effort from separate reports suggesting publisher Nexon is developing a different StarCraft entry. The franchise, dormant for nearly a decade, is now confirmed to be active under Blizzard’s direct development, aiming to revitalize the sci-fi universe with modern shooter mechanics and expansive open-world design.

💡 The pivot to an open-world shooter under Dan Hay’s leadership fundamentally alters the franchise's identity, moving away from its competitive RTS legacy. This strategic shift attempts to capture a broader, modern gaming audience while navigating the shadow of its previously cancelled stealth-shooter predecessor, StarCraft: Ghost.

firstpost.com · Sep 13

Irked by secret recordings, programmer creates app to detect nearby smart glasses:…

A Polish developer, Pawel Szydlowski, launched the ZuckOff app to flag nearby Meta smart glasses by scanning their Bluetooth signals. The tool identifies the devices’ unique identifiers, estimates their distance, and can alert users even when running in the background. Since its debut, roughly 5,000 users have downloaded the app, motivated by viral videos showing glasses recording strangers without consent. The initiative arrives amid heightened scrutiny of AI‑enabled wearables, including Meta’s recent recall of glasses whose LED indicators were tampered with and the company’s claim that its cameras are visibly marked. Szydlowski suggests a broader ecosystem, akin to Apple’s and Google’s tracker alerts, could warn smartphones of any unfamiliar smart‑glass presence, offering a grassroots privacy safeguard.

💡 It gives everyday people a practical countermeasure against covert recording, turning a technical loophole into a public‑level privacy defense.

pokde.net · Sep 13

Nothing Phone (4b) And Ear (3a) Launch In Malaysia From 20 September

Nothing confirmed the Malaysian launch of its Phone (4b) smartphone and Ear (3a) earbuds, with pre‑orders now open on the company’s website, Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop. Official sales begin 20 September 2026 at Nothing retail stores and selected outlets nationwide. The Phone (4b) is marketed as an entry‑level model, featuring a unibody design, the signature Glyph Bar, IP64 protection, a Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 processor, a 5,200 mAh battery with 33 W fast charging and 7.5 W reverse charging, and a 50 MP main camera with OIS plus a 119.5° ultrawide lens. It ships with Nothing OS 4.1 (Android 16), integrated Google Gemini and ChatGPT, and promises three Android version upgrades and six years of security patches. The device is offered in white, black and blue, 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage for RM1,599. The Ear (3a) earbuds retain the transparent aesthetic, add a three‑LED status matrix, and introduce Audio Capture features such as Audio Snapshot and Call Recording. They house 12 mm dynamic drivers, 45 dB ANC, static spatial audio, an 8‑band EQ adjustable via the Nothing X app, and deliver up to 42 hours of playback with the case; a five‑minute charge yields one hour of use. The earbuds are sold in pink, white, yellow and black for RM399.

💡 The simultaneous rollout of a budget‑friendly smartphone and feature‑rich earbuds positions Nothing to capture price‑sensitive consumers while showcasing its ecosystem integration, a strategy that could reshape entry‑level market dynamics in Southeast Asia.

techradar.com · Sep 13

I’ve never wanted a phone as much as the iPhone Duo, but…

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💡 The Duo could redefine consumer expectations for premium smartphones, forcing rivals to prioritize foldable design and ecosystem integration over incremental upgrades.

windowslatest.com · Sep 13

Microsoft confirms Windows 11’s update kills audio on some PCs, and the…

Microsoft has confirmed that the Windows 11 update KB5124008, released during its September Patch Tuesday cycle, causes audio failures on certain PCs. The update affects systems running Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2, pushing them to builds 26200.9445 and 26100.9445 respectively. Users report that audio devices may fail to start or produce sound immediately after rebooting, with microphones and multichannel audio configurations also impacted. The issue is specifically linked to USB Audio Class 1.0 devices, resulting in a “Code 10” error in Device Manager. Microsoft acknowledges the problem but has not yet provided a permanent fix. Temporary workarounds include switching to 2-channel mode or using different hardware. This audio bug adds to a growing list of issues associated with KB5124008, which also includes Explorer.exe crashes, broken File History backups, and Remote Desktop problems. While wireless audio devices appear unaffected, the widespread nature of the bugs suggests significant instability in the latest monthly security patch.

💡 The accumulation of critical bugs in a single security update undermines user trust in Microsoft’s release quality control. Users are forced to choose between system security and functional stability, highlighting the risks of mandatory automated updates.