Matt Groening lets slip that Simpsons: Hit & Run might be making a comeback
The VergeDuring the D23 fan event, creator Matt Groening and showrunner Matt Selman hinted at a potential return of the cult classic action-driving title The Simpsons: Hit & Run. While explicit confirmation of a sequel or remaster remains ambiguous, executive commentary suggests revived commercial interest in the intellectual property.
VisionQuest trailer kicks off Disney's D23 fan event
Ars TechnicaDisney utilized its D23 fan event to debut major intellectual property showcases, including the VisionQuest trailer, an Ahsoka Season 2 teaser, and updates regarding Marvel Cinematic Universe additions and Star Wars projects. These strategic reveals anchor Disney's long-term content roadmap across streaming and theatrical distribution channels.
Grab this RTX 5070 gaming PC for just $1,499, saving $600 off list price — Acer Nitro 85 prebuilt comes with 16GB of RAM, Core Ultra 7 265F, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Tom's HardwareAcer has discounted its Nitro 85 prebuilt gaming desktop to $1,499, representing a $600 markdown from its standard retail price. The hardware configuration features an NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPU, an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.
Have a laugh at AI's expense by roleplaying as a chatbot
The VergeThe web application 'Your AI Slop Bores Me' offers a satirical interface that flips standard human-machine interaction paradigms by allowing users to roleplay as artificial intelligence systems responding to prompts. This interaction model highlights current user fatigue surrounding generative text outputs and predictable conversational patterns.
Indie App Spotlight: 'Notepad.exe' is an ultra-fast, lightweight code editor for your Mac
9to5MacNotepad.exe has been introduced as a native, ultra-lightweight code editor designed specifically for macOS architectures. The application leverages system-level rendering pipelines to minimize resource consumption, targeting developers seeking high-performance, distraction-free editing environments without heavy Electron-based overhead.
AI isn't ready to research itself
Nature · Science & Research METEREDAn autonomous agentic system successfully synthesized novel concepts derived from two independent computer science papers, yet human authors remained critical of the output's depth. This evaluation reveals current limitations in generative AI self-directed research architectures, highlighting a gap between automated concept combination and true scientific breakthrough. Enterprise deployment of autonomous research agents requires robust human-in-the-loop verification frameworks to prevent shallow synthesis.
Can Anthropic's invisible watermarks curb 'AI slop'? Researchers remain sceptical
Nature METEREDAnthropic has deployed invisible text watermarking and image tagging mechanisms across its Claude model lineup to comply with evolving European Union artificial intelligence regulations. While these cryptographic and statistical fingerprinting tools aim to curb unverified synthetic content, academic researchers express skepticism regarding their robustness against evasion. Enterprise architects evaluating generative AI governance must weigh the compliance value of watermarking against documented vulnerabilities to prompt-based stripping.
How to make your science business succeed when you're a female founder
Nature METEREDAn analysis of venture capital ecosystems highlights systemic barriers and sexist assumptions that constrain female founders within male-dominated deep-tech and science sectors. Addressing these cultural impediments is essential for optimizing capital allocation and unlocking untapped innovation capacity in science-driven enterprises. Institutional investors are increasingly pressured to implement objective evaluation rubrics to mitigate unconscious bias.
Author Correction: Cretaceous bird from Brazil informs the evolution of the avian skull and brain
Nature METEREDThe journal Nature issued a formal author correction for a study examining a Cretaceous bird fossil from Brazil, refining structural interpretations of avian skull and brain evolution. This correction updates paleontological datasets used in comparative neuroanatomy and evolutionary biology models. Researchers relying on fossil morphological databases must integrate this revised taxonomic mapping to maintain analytical integrity.
Undocumented migration does not raise crime rates, huge study finds
Nature METEREDA comprehensive demographic and criminological study analyzing neighborhoods across more than 100 US cities found no statistical correlation between undocumented migration and rising violent crime rates. By leveraging massive empirical datasets, the research challenges prevalent political rhetoric with rigorous econometric validation. Public policy frameworks and municipal resource allocations should be calibrated against empirical crime statistics rather than unsubstantiated assumptions.
Einstein the musician, AI prophets and more: Books in brief
Nature METEREDA curated literary review examines recent scholarly and biographical works, including analyses of Albert Einstein's musicianship and critical perspectives on artificial intelligence prophecies. These titles offer multidisciplinary context for technical professionals evaluating the historical and cultural trajectory of computation. Engineering leaders benefit from exploring humanities perspectives to contextualize the societal impact of emerging technologies.
Briefing Chat: Anthropic rolls out new AI watermark — will it make a difference?
Nature METEREDNature editorial staff evaluate Anthropic's newly deployed AI watermarking system, analyzing its implications for academic research integrity and provenance tracking. Alongside discussions on synthetic content authentication, the briefing highlights comparative cross-cultural research on human tactile neurology. As generative outputs proliferate, automated verification protocols will become vital infrastructure for maintaining journal and corporate research credibility.
Polaroid's tiny instant camera is $72 and includes a free pack of film
The VergeAmazon has discounted the second-generation Polaroid Go instant camera bundle to $71.99, packaging the analog hardware with a 16-photo film pack. This promotional pricing targets consumers seeking physical media alternatives to smartphone photography through compact optical formats.
I survived two years as prime minister in a hit new game - then my cabinet deserted me
BBC TechnologyThe political simulation mobile game No 10: Full Confidence has climbed above Minecraft on the UK App Store paid games chart, reflecting high consumer demand for systemic political strategy titles. The game models complex governmental dynamics, including cabinet desertion and parliamentary survival metrics.
An eval harness found what qualitative review couldn't: AI models are most confident when wrong
VentureBeatRecent evaluation harness testing reveals that large language models exhibit inverse scaling regarding confidence, displaying peak certainty during hallucinatory or incorrect outputs. This psychological failure mode in generative architectures underscores the critical necessity of automated validation frameworks before enterprise deployment.
Why Are RAM Prices So High Right Now? - Engadget
EngadgetRecent market conditions have driven a significant surge in consumer RAM pricing, impacting both system builders and enterprise hardware procurement. Supply chain constraints, shifting semiconductor fabrication priorities, and high demand for high-bandwidth memory continue to dictate pricing volatility across the memory market.
Impetus builds an operational framework to bridge AI's 'context gap'
SiliconANGLEImpetus Technologies has deployed a new operational framework designed to resolve the contextual fragmentation limiting enterprise AI agents. By structuring data access and task execution layers, the architecture enables autonomous systems to bridge the gap between high-level business objectives and low-level API execution.
Anthropic Is Watermarking Text Generated By Claude To Comply With EU Law - Engadget
EngadgetAnthropic has integrated text watermarking mechanisms into its Claude models to comply with emerging European Union regulatory mandates. This cryptographic and statistical marking approach embeds imperceptible patterns into generated output, enabling automated detection and provenance verification of synthetic text.
Container security is moving from vulnerability detection to attack surface reduction
SiliconANGLEEnterprise container security is shifting from reactive vulnerability patching to proactive attack surface reduction. As vulnerability backlogs swell under rigorous regulatory compliance, engineering teams are prioritizing minimization of container images and runtime privilege restrictions over endless CVE scanning cycles.
Category Wire
Cybersecurity
White House authorizes private companies to launch 'hack-back' cyberattacks that destroy data and systems, targeting foreign cybercrime organizations — vetted organizations can now conduct offensive cyber operations
Tom's HardwarePresident Trump signed a memorandum on August 12 establishing the first U.S. program that lets vetted private companies conduct offensive cyber operations.
GLM-5.3 is here with advanced cyber capabilities — and reportedly already found a 'serious vulnerability' in Cursor
VentureBeatChinese AI startup Z.ai, known internationally for its growing lineup of powerful, largely open source GLM series of language models, today released GLM-5.3 with substantial gains in long-horizon coding and a more consequential — and potentially sensitive — jump in cybersecurity capabilities. Alr...
Z.ai debuts GLM-5.3 with long-horizon coding, cybersecurity upgrades
SiliconANGLEChinese artificial intelligence developer Z.ai Co. today debuted GLM-5.3, an open-source large language model that set records across several popular benchmarks. The LLM is based on an algorithm called GLM-5.2 that the company released in mid-July.
Artificial Intelligence
Apple has a huge product roadmap for the smart home: Here's what's coming
9to5MacApple is preparing a comprehensive hardware overhaul for its smart home ecosystem, anchored by the long-awaited integration of advanced Siri AI capabilities. Aging iterations of the Apple TV and HomePod mini will be succeeded by new form factors designed for ambient intelligence and unified home automation.
Anthropic revenue reportedly jumps to more than $11.5 billion in second quarter
CNBC TechnologyAI safety and foundational model developer Anthropic has scaled its annualized revenue past $11.5 billion in the second quarter, driven by enterprise adoption of its Claude chatbot ecosystem. This exponential financial growth positions the company for a potential blockbuster initial public offering amid intense sector competition.
Inflation moderated as Intel and Nvidia fueled the AI trade in last week's market
CNBC TechnologyNo surprises on inflation and new financing developments in the artificial intelligence trade drove the record-breaking action on Wall Street last week.
Science & Research
Peer-reviewed study of 443,000 Backblaze hard drives ranks HGST most reliable and Toshiba the least — Analysis of 1.66 million drive-years finds Seagate and Toshiba HDDs fail at roughly twice the rate of WD and HGST
Tom's HardwareA peer-reviewed reliability analysis of 443,000 Backblaze hard drives spanning 1.66 million drive-years ranks HGST as the most durable manufacturer and Toshiba the least. The empirical study reveals that enterprise hard disk drives from Seagate and Toshiba experience annual failure rates roughly double those of Western Digital and HGST variants.
Scientists detect a surprising shift in human blood as CO2 rises
ScienceDailyLongitudinal health data analysis reveals a measurable physiological impact from rising atmospheric carbon dioxide, showing a 7% increase in human blood bicarbonate levels since 1999 alongside declining calcium and phosphorus. These systemic metabolic shifts indicate that global anthropogenic emissions are directly altering human acid-base chemistry.
When gut microbes run low on fiber, they may start eating you
ScienceDailyGut microbes need something to eat, and when fiber is limited, they may begin consuming proteins from the mucus lining that protects the gut. Researchers found that fiber can suppress this process, while indigestible plant proteins help microbes produce more beneficial compounds.
Hardware
Grab this Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti gaming PC for $2,099 before it sells out —prebuilt powerhouse includes a Core Ultra 7 265KF, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD
Tom's HardwareThe Acer Predator Orion 6000 gaming desktop is currently on sale for $2,099, $700 off its regular price.
AMD Ryzen 7 7700X3D vs Ryzen 7 7800X3D faceoff — seeing double with Zen 4 X3D
Tom's HardwareAMD's Ryzen 7 7700X3D takes on the old favorite across performance, pricing, and power consumption.
Commerce Secretary says US opposes Apple buying Chinese memory chips
9to5MacThe Wall Street Journal reports that US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has urged Apple not to turn to Chinese memory chips as the company looks for alternatives to alleviate the ongoing global supply shortage. Here are the details.
Computers
Apple @ Work: Understanding Apple Business Manager roles and permissions
9to5MacApple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage, and protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 org...
Marvel reveals the new X-Men cast, including Inde Navarrette and Adam Driver
The VergeWith Spider-Man: Brand New Day behind us, and its reveal of Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Marvel is finally ready to officially welcome the X-Men into the MCU. At the D23 event in Anaheim yesterday, the company revealed the cast for its upcoming, untitled X-Men film, which is scheduled to hit theaters...
Devs blame Windows for VLC media player bug that causes 33-second delay when playing MP3 files — creators allege Microsoft Defender blocking plugin cache is to blame
Tom's HardwareVLC developers say a Windows 11 issue involving Microsoft Defender can interfere with the media player's plugin cache and cause unusually long playback delays.
Mobile
I finally found a magnetic phone grip I never want to remove
The VergeI told myself I wouldn't buy an OhSnap accessory for my phone. Every one I'd tested was nice, but felt overpriced and slightly flawed. After I weighed in on the $40 Snap Grip 5 last year, I wound up sticking with my $25 Syncwire instead.
These are my favorite ultra-slim iPhone accessories for 2026 [Video]
9to5MacI am always looking for ultra-slim accessories that complement my everyday carry, and I have usually been drawn to how slim tech companies and brands can make their products. Accessories that have excess bulk or lack organization, I tend to avoid. So, I have tested countless accessories, ranging ...
Pixel 11 ads show a mysterious screen-equipped tracker that's not Pixel Watch 5 or Fitbit Air [Gallery]
9to5GoogleGoogle might have another fitness tracker in the works, as a pair of new ads online show off a mysterious little pebble that's neither a Fitbit Air nor a Pixel Watch 5 – but is it anything at all?
Space
Ukraine strikes major Russian rocket factory with cruise missiles
Ars TechnicaUkrainian military forces executed a precision cruise missile strike utilizing Flamingo munitions against a primary Russian rocket manufacturing facility. The operation successfully disrupted critical defense supply chains and aerospace production infrastructure.
Nvidia turns $5B Intel stock bet into $30B windfall — filing reveals new $21B SpaceX stake and complete exit from Arm stock
Tom's HardwareNvidia quietly makes strategic and financial investments in clients, partners, and suppliers: CoreWeave, Coherent, Intel, Nokia, and SpaceX.
No space for bookshelf speakers? The Victrola Soundstage sits neatly under my turntable
ZDNetThe Victrola Soundstage is ideal for those who want to build their vinyl system up rather than out, with plenty of digital and analog connections for every kind of listener.
Green Tech
Don't overlook Elektron's budget electronic music instruments
The VergeElektron's Model:Samples and Model:Cycles grooveboxes offer high-value entry points into hardware electronic music production. Despite lacking the mainstream visibility of boutique competitors, these budget-focused instruments deliver robust sequencing and sound-design capabilities for professional and amateur producers alike.
Futuristic mosquito-zapping laser now available to buy, video shows device in action — tiny device shoots down bugs like a personal air defense system, but costs $1,000
Tom's HardwareA commercialized desktop laser system utilizes computer vision and high-precision galvanometers to track and neutralize mosquitoes autonomously in residential environments. Priced at $1,000, the hardware merges consumer-grade LIDAR-like tracking with directed energy to offer a chemical-free vector control mechanism.
Disney D23 2026: Everything announced for Star Wars, Marvel, and more
The VergeThe annual Disney fan event showed off the cast of Marvel's X-Men movie, plus a new trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, and our first look at the VisionQuest TV show for Disney Plus. For Star Wars fans, there was a teaser trailer for season two of Ahsoka, plus a special look at Star Wars: Starf...
Gaming
Trump sends the US Navy back to the steam age
The RegisterTroublesome electromagnetic catapults look set to be replaced with old-fashioned technology
Ars Live recap: How can we stop publishers from killing their own games?
Ars TechnicaThe Stop Killing Games movement faces an uphill battle.
General Tech
Delete your family's personal data from the internet with a 55% discount on Incogni
9to5MacData privacy platforms like Incogni are marketing automated opt-out services to combat legal commercial data brokering in the United States. These services systematically submit deletion requests to data brokers, mitigating privacy risks associated with unregulated personal information harvesting.
Switched on Pop's Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding love fresh vegetables and guitar pedals
The VergeThe musicology podcast Switched on Pop continues to analyze modern composition through structured audio deconstruction, bridging pop music lore and music theory. Co-hosts Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding dissect production techniques, utilizing analog gear like guitar pedals to explain digital-era hits.
Star Wars: Ahsoka season 2 and Starfighter get teased at D23
The VergeLucasfilm leveraged the D23 fan convention to preview the second season of Star Wars: Ahsoka alongside Starfighter, showcasing a darker thematic shift leaning heavily into space-fantasy witchcraft. Scheduled for a January 20, 2027 debut, the production utilizes advanced virtual production volumes and visual effects pipelines.