Technology News: 1 November 2026

Linus Torvalds posted the first release candidate for Linux 7.4 and said the project has found a much healthier model for AI contributions. The merge window contains almost 20,000 commits, compared with about 15,000 usual, and Torvalds said AI triggered work is entering normal development rather than arriving as fixes during stabilization. He also noted AMD GPU register offsets and bit masks make up a third of the changes.

OpenAI is reportedly preparing a post-midterm PR push as Democrats appear likely to win back the House and possibly the Senate. Chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane said AI will be the issue in the 2028 presidential race. The company is considering AI speed limits, global standards, and rebranding data centers as AI compute campuses.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said he discussed possible cooperation with AMD CEO Lisa Su, but neither has disclosed what the companies might develop. The rivals already work on x86 standards and AI software, including AMD ZenDNN optimizations in Intel's oneDNN library. Tan is strengthening customized processors, new semiconductor technologies and external manufacturing, leaving options open from software to CPU to foundry work.

NASA is accepting proposals from the commercial space industry to boost Hubble's orbit and extend its life into the early to mid 2030s. Administrator Jared Isaacman said the telescope still has important science ahead and that cost-effective extensions would benefit taxpayers and scientists. The request for information remains open through November 30 at 3 p.m. ET.

Anthropic updated Claude to stop users from recreating specific existing video games, even renamed ones, while allowing original, genre or user-designed games. Addy Osmani, an Anthropic technical staff member, said the change targets IP infringement under the company's usage policy. The update follows AI-assisted browser versions of Halo: Combat Evolved, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Grand Theft Auto V.

Cisco Talos says a self-deleting Windows infostealer called VOLTA-AUTODOXER steals passwords, payment cards, email profiles and crypto wallets, then asks Anthropic's Claude to rank victims' assets by resale value. The malware builds an evidence bundle, sends it to OpenRouter, and exfiltrates the local report and AI reply in a zip file. It can switch models if one refuses or skip the AI step.

Cities are finding it hard to cancel Flock Safety contracts: Plymouth, Minnesota, unplugged cameras after the company ignored its request for over a month, while Dayton, Minnesota, reported Flock reconnected two cameras without authorization after police asked it to stop work. A similar dispute in Illinois involved cameras left up at Elgin Community College.

Sexually explicit footage appeared on digital LED billboards in Egypt, Malaysia, Brazil, and reportedly Iraq and China on Thursday. A Telegram group claimed responsibility, saying the operation was simple enough that anyone with two brain cells could pull it off. Egypt's Interior Ministry said the Giza screen belonged to Al Arabia United and that an unnamed international company's website was attacked, causing simultaneous broadcasts elsewhere.

Google is developing a robotic medical assistant with NASA to help astronauts on future deep space missions handle health emergencies and routine tasks. The experimental system would support onboard medical personnel by retrieving equipment, moving supplies and preparing tools, while humans keep diagnosis and treatment decisions. Laboratory trials showed an 85 percent success rate in locating and moving a medical bag.

A federal judge denied xAI's request to dismiss a NAACP lawsuit alleging its Memphis data center campus runs methane gas turbines without proper permits and violates the Clean Air Act. US District Judge Debra M. Brown wrote that the power plant where the turbines were providing power was not mobile, so it was not exempt from permitting. The ruling lets the case proceed as AI data center buildouts draw scrutiny from neighbors.

GOG's business development and partnerships manager Marcin Paczynski said the DRM-free storefront wants to revive physical PC game releases, giving players tangible copies. The company has not named a format, but it would need publisher approvals, inventory and shipping logistics, and optical discs seem unlikely because disc drives are rare on PCs. Possible media include USB drives or SD cards packaged like Nintendo Switch cartridges.

National Grid has agreed to buy 29.5 hectares at Dorman Point, Teesside, to build Britain's biggest electricity substation. The site is next to a planned AI datacentre for which applications cover nearly 500,000 square metres, and the substation could provide up to 3.2GW of capacity. The move is meant to help the UK attract large scale AI investment, though datacentre projects face local opposition.

OpenAI is reported to be buying Google tensor processing units as it expands computing resources beyond Nvidia GPUs. Terms, quantities and delivery schedules are undisclosed, but the move follows OpenAI renting Google chips in 2025 and making its models available through Google Cloud. The company is also developing a Broadcom chip it says it will deploy before the end of 2026.

Bloomberg reports scalpers and other buyers are using AI-powered bots to monitor Apple's website and secure newly available iPhone Duo inventory for in-store pickup within seconds. The phones entered production amid a memory shortage at a $1,999 price, and Apple's rollout kept supply below demand, with only 50 to 250 units per store during release weekend. One Redditor says they received double the retail price for an iPhone Duo on eBay.

Meta has reportedly built a humanoid robot prototype called Max to help with household chores, developed with Chinese robotics firm Fourier in about three months. The roughly 106 lb, 1.5 m robot has a facial-expression display, speaker, object-grabbing hands and NVIDIA Jetson Thor chips. No launch date is set, but Meta has worked on Max 2 since September, adding a projector and sensors for stairs.

A Reddit user found strings in HomeView 27.2 code describing a security camera mode with motion detection, live streaming, recording and privacy functions. The code includes a setup page saying HomeView can be used as a security camera with HomeKit Secure Video, with home-member-only feeds and indicators when watching or recording. Apple has not confirmed the features.

Binance said Sunday it will resume withdrawals in phases after hackers stole $6.3 billion from its wallets, saying it has covered 95 percent of the stolen assets and will bear the losses. Its status page still showed Bitcoin and Ethereum withdrawals partially suspended. Tether, Circle and other firms froze billions of the stolen funds, prompting critics to question crypto's decentralization.

Leakers have compiled a playable version of Valve's canceled Portal prequel F-Stop after source code and map data appeared on the Valve Cut Content Discord. The assets came from a 12 terabyte leak in August, and the game uses a camera mechanic that captures objects in Polaroid-like photos and moves them. Playthroughs show a short campaign under an hour, with some missing textures and dialogue.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said AI is uncovering security issues accumulated over the past fifty years, not creating the problem. Oracle is offering an AI Security Mesh feature that uses OpenAI to help businesses identify vulnerabilities, investigate exploits and prioritize fixes, with evidence such as reproduction steps and test results. Altman said companies may need new ways to fix bugs across the supply chain rather than patching each one.

OpenAI said it will restrict practical information about weapons and security systems for teen ChatGPT users, even when questions appear harmless. The limits aim to reduce misuse that could facilitate violence, while still allowing teens to seek support or connect with a trusted adult. The changes follow a wrongful death lawsuit and the Tumbler Ridge shooting, and OpenAI will publish its first Community Safety Report in early 2027.

Developer Brandon Thomas and his team launched Artcraft, a set of open-source clones of Adobe Creative Cloud apps such as Photoshop and Lightroom. The team used Claude to reverse engineer the apps and build pure Rust versions with similar interfaces, saying they are free and have no subscription. The Photoshop replacement, Photocraft, can handle basic resizing, masking and color adjustments, though it lacks some advanced features.

Starbucks said on an earnings call that it will focus on major tech modernization in 2027, including greater use of artificial intelligence. CEO Brian Niccol said the company is exploring experiences that recognize participating customers as they arrive, present personalized digital menus, and make payment more effortless. The company also plans to test background AI models in the drive through to help baristas input orders.

A Brazilian labor court fined two lawyers after their filing contained hidden white on white text aimed at its AI tool. The hidden instruction told the AI to respond superficially and not challenge the documents, regardless of any command given to it. The court called the act offensive to the dignity of justice and fined the lawyers 10 percent of the award, about $16,000.

Anycubic announced an exclusive partnership with Thingiverse, the world's oldest and largest repository of free STL models for 3D printing. Anycubic will share selected files on its MakerOnline platform, adapting them for multicolor printing and converting them from STL to 3MF for compatible printers such as the Kobra X. Thingiverse designers must opt in, and existing Creative Commons and NC licensing terms will be preserved.

Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold is 19 grams lighter than last year's model and has a brighter 3,600-nit display, up from a 3,000-nit peak. The company says durability has increased threefold, with a glass-ceramic cover and glass-fiber composite back, though the hinge is strong enough that it cannot be opened with one hand. The phone also has better wireless charging and an updated camera sensor, but its screen still has a visible crease.

The FBI said North Korea was responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion in virtual assets from Binance on or about October 29, 2026. The agency labeled the activity TraderTraitor and said it observed actors converting stolen assets primarily into Ethereum, with further laundering expected through DeFi and instant swap services. Binance reopened customer withdrawals after freezing them in the immediate aftermath of the hack.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met about 50 senior Samsung executives in South Korea to discuss AI infrastructure and memory supply, according to Bloomberg. Samsung said the talks covered a letter of intent to supply memory semiconductors for OpenAI's Stargate project, but did not announce a new deal. The meeting comes as AI data centers compete with PCs and phones for scarce memory, with AMD forecasting DRAM revenue will rise 177 percent in 2026.

An open source UEFI tool runs from a USB stick before Windows loads, removing Nvidia's half-speed tensor limiter on RTX 20, 30 and 40-series desktop and laptop GPUs. It uses a community payload with read-back verification to unlock two speed registers, and the developer's RTX 4060 laptop showed 65 percent higher FP16 math. The method avoids flashing video BIOS or patching drivers, but users must boot the stick again at every startup.

Apple's $149 HomePod Mini 2 is much faster than the first-generation Mini, starting music in a few seconds and answering smart home commands in under three seconds. The upgrade uses an S10 chip and Wi-Fi 6E, while Siri is less chatty and often performs actions without a spoken confirmation. Siri AI is not available yet and is expected in a later software update.

Plymouth City Council voted unanimously to end its Flock contract, but the company did not respond to requests to remove its cameras. Police Chief Eric Fadden said the city suspended user accounts and sent a formal cancellation, then after more than a week of silence he had staff disconnect the cameras' power cords. The move follows privacy controversies over Flock's AI vehicle tracking, with more than 300,000 cameras installed nationwide.

Elon Musk said Neuralink's second product, Blindsight, is ready from an engineering standpoint and is waiting on regulatory approval. The implant aims to create an artificial visual pathway that converts camera images into signals the brain can understand, with the goal of helping people who are completely blind or have never seen. The update extends Neuralink's brain computer interface work beyond controlling computers by thought.

Tesla is moving away from its Solar Roof tiles, with its product page now redirecting to conventional solar panels and installers receiving conventional panels going forward. The tiles were designed to look like ordinary shingles while delivering 98 percent of a normal solar panel's efficiency, but they sold below Tesla's target of 1,000 installations per week. A Wood Mackenzie report found only 3,000 U.S. homes had installed the product.

Security researcher Xusheng Li found that Lenovo's ThinkPlus FU100 fingerprint USB stick, sold as an AES-256-encrypted device, was just a plain SD card. The fingerprint reader only switched the USB connection on, so data was unencrypted and easy to reach with physical access. An AI-assisted follow-up found backdoor accounts on another maker's drive and hardcoded keys in other supposedly secure USB products. Lenovo rated the advisory high.

California's Proposition 45 would shorten environmental review deadlines and limit legal challenges for eligible infrastructure projects. Proponents say it could address housing and electricity demand, but environmental groups warn data center developers could use the fast track to avoid public scrutiny. The measure would set a 365-day impact report deadline, 45 days of public comment and 270 days to settle legal challenges.

Researchers at ycombinator and Olam Labs tested AI agent swarms in Minecraft. A 50-agent GPT-6.1 Sol team tasked with building a civilization in three hours never thrived, abandoning ambitious tasks and falling into bureaucracy, including appointing a sole fertilizer operator for one wheat block. In Bed Wars, GPT agents used more aggressive strategies than Claude agents and diagnosed a tool bug that some Claude agents called impossible.

San Bernardino County Fire Protection District acquired five autonomous drones from Seneca Systems to attack wildfires before they grow. A single operator can supervise the five-drone team, which can deliver over 500 gallons of firefighting foam and reach starting fires in under 10 minutes of detection. The drones can operate at night and in difficult terrain, helping California's largest county protect its two million residents.

NASA says Voyager 1 will become the first human-made object to reach one light-day from Earth on November 18, 2026, making it the most distant artificial object in history. The 49-year-old probe, originally designed for a five-year Jupiter and Saturn mission, will be about 16 billion miles away and has been kept operating for nearly ten times its planned lifespan. NASA has posted a countdown clock to the milestone.

MIT Technology Review marks the 50th anniversary of Emacs, a text editor developed at MIT's AI Lab that helped launch the free software movement. Its origins are disputed, with Guy Steele Jr. credited with early work in 1975 and Richard Stallman taking over much of the development around late October 1976. Forks such as XEmacs continue to receive releases, including a new XEmacs 21.5.37 version last month.

The Air Force Research Lab tested Rocket Cargo by launching a SpaceX Starfall capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket to test cargo pods dropped from space. The capsule splashed down in the Pacific after carrying MREs, water, a SATCOM tracker, spare batteries and other equipment. The test supports point-to-point delivery that could resupply forces without risking aircraft, with future Starship versions potentially carrying tens of tons.

Aerospace engineering student Tomas Salvo unofficially broke the previous 465 mph jet-powered drone record with his Reaper, reaching 491 mph. The aircraft was built in his Georgia Tech dorm for $13,000 and uses a 250N jet engine with a titanium 3D-printed nozzle. Salvo is aiming for the $800,000 Boom Prize, whose rules include passing Mach 1 for at least five seconds in an air-breathing aircraft and landing intact.

Some iPhone users who updated to iOS 27 report that Apple Intelligence uses around 15GB of storage, with amounts varying from 9GB to 16GB. Disabling Apple Intelligence or Siri does not seem to restore the space, and changing the Apple Account region is not recommended. Changing Siri's language to an unsupported English variant, such as South African English, can reduce the storage use to around 100MB after a reboot.

Openreach, the infrastructure arm of BT Group, has told providers that Britain's legacy phone network will be retired on January 31, 2027, and the deadline will not be postponed. The switch-off could affect businesses and consumers, including point-of-sale terminals, fire and security alarms, and personal care alarms. The move aims to put the UK on all-digital fiber networks, but an analyst says public awareness remains low.

Indian handset maker Lava said it will raise smartphone prices in India by up to INR3,000 from November 15, 2026. The company cited ongoing memory shortages and urged buyers to take advantage of current festive offers before the revision. Lava has not yet disclosed the exact increase for its Indian smartphones.

Data centers and AI are now a ballot-box issue in the midterms, with a Brooklyn event showing it dominating conversation five days before November 3. Data Center Watch found almost $200 billion in projects delayed, stalled or blocked in the first half of 2026 from political and community opposition.

Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, New York and Virginia are considering guardrails and transparency, while Virginia has hundreds of new data centers planned.

MIT student Nathan Alspaugh developed Keybytes, an open source keyboard project that connects individual Keybit modules magnetically to a Keyword controller. Each Keybit has a RISC-V microcontroller and a Cherry MX switch, while the controller uses an Arm Cortex-M4, Bluetooth and USB-C. The project files are on GitHub under the MIT licence, and a full-size build was estimated at around $900.

A GSMArena poll found that only about a quarter of Oppo Find X10 Pro Max fans are willing to buy the phone at its launch price, while about one in five Find X10 fans are willing to pay its current price. Rising memory prices made the outcome inevitable, and SK hynix warned that memory shortages will last through 2030. Around 10% of voters said they want to wait for an Oppo Ultra, and twice as many are looking at flagships from other brands.

3D printing can make hobby components cheaper than buying them, especially for drone and remote-controlled vehicle enthusiasts. Entry-level printers start at about $170, and filament costs from around $20 per kilogram, so printing inexpensive replacement parts can pay for the machine over time. Flight-critical pieces should be validated before use, and libraries, maker spaces and online services can provide printing access.

Amazon has disabled Alexa voice commands for the AUX input on several older Echo speakers, including the second-generation Echo Plus, third-generation Echo, original Echo Studio and fourth-generation Echo. The company said it notified a very small number of customers who used voice requests for AUX playback, but did not explain why. The physical 3.5mm jack still works, and the Alexa app can enable or disable AUX input.

Quordle published its daily puzzle for Sunday, November 1, as game number 1742, with hints and answers available for players. The game, described as one of the original Wordle alternatives, has run for more than 1,500 games. A new puzzle appears at midnight in each player's time zone, so some people are playing today's game while others are playing yesterday's.