Tech

The official @microsoft X account has been compromised. Microsoft’s X account followed a Clippy crypto account earlier today, reposted one of its tweets, and had its profile picture changed to a Clippy one. The posts were then removed, but a strange “apology” tweet appeared around 30 minutes later and was deleted rather quickly.

A satellite equipped with Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on Thursday. The mission is part of Google’s Project Suncatcher, an experimental initiative that could eventually put AI data centers in space.

The company says it will “reduce the reach” of Shorts content that’s re-uploaded without significant changes in an effort to prioritize “original content.” Instagram has made similar promises — but that hasn’t stopped swarms of anonymous accounts from taking over social media feeds through a practice known as clipping. I wrote about the ecosystem in May.

The budget-friendly Volt Gen 2 and Volt Max lineups still feature a built-in emulation of UA’s classic 1176 compressor. But add an emulation of the LA-2A compressor as well as three different preamp modes for Warmth (tube), Focus (solid-state), and Shine (British Class-A) that let you do a lot of tone shaping before you even hit your DAW.

Advanced Protection, which launched last year as an option for people who need stronger security safeguards, will now automatically lock down a device if it detects repeated authentication failures within settings menus and apps.

It’s available now for me in the Threads iOS app. Meta is also testing the ability to let you put Threads posts over videos that you can interact with.

Microsoft is holding a Windows and Surface event in San Francisco next week. With Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in attendance, it was already clear that RTX Spark PCs would be the main focus of the event. Now Microsoft says the October 7th event will include “RTX Spark and new experiences designed to unlock more possibilities for developers and builders.” Mysterious. Stay tuned for full coverage from The Verge next week.

The redesigned hands have 13 degrees of freedom and “dense tactile pressure sensors” that allow Atlas to use real-world tools, like the drill it tries out in a demo video. Boston Dynamics also ditched the pinky finger on the new hands to “reduce cost, size, and failure points.” Maybe Tesla will go a similar route with its bot?

Its consumer business chief Richard Yu said the higher costs are hurting Huawei’s profitability “very badly,” and Huawei will “have to raise prices going forward, though it will be moderate,” Bloomberg reports.

I am prepping this week’s issue, and I want to know everything you’re into. What are you reading / watching / playing / interested in this week? Tell me so I can tell everyone! (And subscribe to Installer!)

First announced in May, the joint venture aims to expand network connectivity by pooling spectrum resources and bringing satellite coverage to more parts of the US. Paul Roth, who previously held leadership positions at AT&T, Cingular Wireless, and Ameritech, will serve as interim CEO while the companies search for a permanent leader.

It adds bubbles on the player page for supported audiobooks showing which character and voice actor is speaking, along with “spoiler-free character cards” with more details on the performers. Audible’s also introducing an Interactive Stories feature for chatting with AI versions of book characters, starting with Dracula’s Renfield.

The “Click to Cancel” rule announced in July is now in effect, with a new web portal launching today where NYC residents can report businesses that fail to provide a straightforward cancellation process. Filed complaints will be reviewed by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, and mediators may be assigned to resolve the matter.

The Android XR glasses, designed in partnership with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, were announced in May, with new designs revealed at Unpacked in July. Now The Korea Herald reports they’ll hit the market some time in November, citing confirmation from a Samsung official.

After a French far-right politician used AI to strip a real Muslim woman of her hijab last month, The Guardian tested ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini’s image editors and found that all the chatbots would comply with such requests. This issue has persisted for many months, adding to fears about how easily AI tools can be used to undress and violate women and children.

Residents can now easily install up to 1200W of solar panels without utility pre-approval. The DIY kits popular in Europe start at around $300 and feed the sun’s energy back into the home through standard wall outlets. More expensive kits with battery storage can help save even more money and provide backup power during a blackout. Either way, they should pay for themselves quickly in the state with the highest residential electricity rates.

The company has announced several price hikes over the last year in light of the ongoing RAM crisis, and this time it’s adding $12.50 to the price of the 2GB Raspberry Pi 4 (now $67.50) and Raspberry Pi 5 (now $77.50) variants.

Several wacky keyboard designs have been showcased by Google Japan every October for the last few years. Each has their own challenges for practical typing, but especially this new conveyor belt-inspired creation. You’ll learn patience by waiting for the keys you need to roll around — such a moving design.

Seen in leaks last month, the Buds On are Samsung’s first foray into open earbuds, joining the likes of Sony and Bose. They’re powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 chip, and have 9.5 hours of battery per charge. South Korea gets them first, on October 27th for ₩299,000 (about $220), with more markets to follow.

Staffers don’t know whether the site will shut down — but managing editor Derrek Lee confirms to The Verge that all remaining staff were laid off today. EIC Shruti Shekar confirms she’s been laid off, senior editor Harish Jonnalagadda and senior content producer Nicolas Sutrich wrote they’d been laid off, and senior editor Namarah Saud Fatmi also appears to be gone.

The chip company said it pulled in a record $39.8 billion in quarterly revenue from DRAM, which has been in short supply. Micron also reported record quarterly revenue for its data center business at $18 billion, up from $1.57 billion in the same quarter last year. Its quarterly NAND revenue also shot up 526 percent to $14.1 billion.

Musk, Luckey, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will co-direct the Pentagon’s Project Meridian, an initiative meant to identify new capabilities and technologies to deploy in the US military, according to a press release:

A pair of sheriff’s deputies in Pinellas County, Florida, were arrested on felony charges by their own department for using official databases to look up women they were interested in — including a 17-year-old girl.