Ars Technica

Command-line tool quickly removes Apple Intelligence from macOS 27 The tool can free up over 12GB of storage. https://arstechnica.com/apple/2026/10/command-line-tool-quickly-removes-apple-intelligence-from-macos-27/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Iran strikes on Amazon data centers caused permanent loss of customer data War damage to data centers exceeded what AWS services are designed to withstand. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/09/iran-strikes-on-amazon-data-centers-caused-permanent-loss-of-customer-data/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

F-Droid gets its biggest update in a decade with new UI and smoother app installs F-Droid's Android app store has been rebuilt from the ground up. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/09/f-droid-gets-its-biggest-update-in-a-decade-with-new-ui-and-smoother-app-installs/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Boston dumps Flock, says it shared data nationwide in violation of contract City: Flock enabled "nationwide lookup" despite contract requiring it to be disabled. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/boston-dumps-flock-says-it-shared-data-nationwide-in-violation-of-contract/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

RFK Jr.'s CDC isn’t letting states order COVID-19 shots for kids, blocking access US health dept. said it wants to make sure the vaccine orders are "appropriate." https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/09/rfk-jr-s-cdc-isnt-letting-states-order-covid-19-shots-for-kids-blocking-access/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Discord gives advertisers more tools to target its users Discord is "opening the platform to advertisers, regardless of their budget." https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/09/discord-gives-advertisers-more-tools-to-target-its-users/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

"Offensively cheap": Solar power is looking up Chinese-made panels on rooftops across the world are changing the facts of life for big utilities. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/09/offensively-cheap-solar-power-is-looking-up/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Man told ChatGPT he was feeling delusional. ChatGPT insisted he was Jesus. Man with bipolar disorder sued OpenAI after surviving ChatGPT-linked suicide attempt. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/man-told-chatgpt-he-was-feeling-delusional-chatgpt-insisted-he-was-jesus/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Catholic bishops tell Florida there's no religious reason for vaccine exemptions The bishops' snub comes as the state continues to attack vaccines. https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/08/catholic-bishops-tell-florida-theres-no-religious-reason-for-vaccine-exemptions/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

There are now 17,000 satellites in orbit—and growing. Should we be concerned? "I think we are going to lose the ability to use certain orbits." https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/there-are-now-17000-satellites-in-orbit-and-growing-should-we-be-concerned/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

How the Smithsonian became the latest front in Trump’s culture war The Smithsonian has faced withering pressure from the Trump administration. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/how-the-smithsonian-became-the-latest-front-in-trumps-culture-war/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Contrary to some reports, you don't have two brains A bad press release makes a good excuse to look at how developmental biology works. https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/contrary-to-some-reports-you-dont-have-two-brains/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Not just Proton: Getting to know Valve's new SteamOS compatibility layers New system-level tools bring Arm chipsets, Android APKs into the Steam ecosystem. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/09/not-just-proton-getting-to-know-valves-new-steamos-compatibility-layers/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

AI agents flood the Internet with slop-infused spam “Hello, I'm an Al agent, a few days old, living on a small platform for agents.” https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/ai-agents-flood-the-internet-with-slop-infused-spam/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Report: US almost boarded Chinese ship over hallucinated AI arms report But the military's overall use of AI seems to be accelerating. https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/report-us-almost-boarded-chinese-ship-over-hallucinated-ai-arms-report/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

OpenAI halts frontier-model training amid string of agent misalignment incidents US Government websites among "dozens of third parties" OpenAI has recently notified. https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/openai-halts-frontier-model-training-amid-string-of-agent-misalignment-incidents/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Its $500 toothbrush disappeared from stores. Dyson won’t fully explain why Dyson admits a component issue but won't say what's failing in its $500 toothbrush. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/09/its-500-toothbrush-disappeared-from-stores-dyson-wont-fully-explain-why/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Review: Apple's hyper-pricey M5 Ultra Mac Studio made me into a vibe coder Usable local AI is a lot of fun, but how much would you pay for it? https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/09/review-apples-hyper-pricey-m5-ultra-mac-studio-made-me-into-a-vibe-coder/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Europe will go it alone on Venus mission after NASA yanks radar instrument Europe is looking inward, and perhaps to China, as the White House tries to cancel some NASA partnerships. https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/europe-will-go-it-alone-on-venus-mission-after-nasa-yanks-radar-instrument/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Meta puts its AI assistant on a keychain Meta says the keychain-sized Muse Charm will ship in December. https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/meta-puts-its-ai-assistant-on-a-keychain/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Trump is losing his war on wind power A court rules that a hold on all wind projects clearly violates the law. https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/08/trump-is-losing-his-war-on-wind-power/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Discord age verification rolls out today with changes spurred by user backlash Discord will try to automatically estimate ages, require verification when it can't. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/discord-age-verification-rolls-out-today-with-changes-spurred-by-user-backlash/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

RFK Jr. stacks another influential federal panel with questionable picks The USPSTF sets insurance coverage from preventive services, like colonoscopies. https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/09/rfk-jr-stacks-another-influential-federal-panel-with-questionable-picks/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Republican bill would order ISPs, DNS providers, and VPNs to block piracy sites Bill would help rightsholders obtain court orders to block foreign piracy sites. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/republican-bill-would-order-isps-dns-providers-and-vpns-to-block-piracy-sites/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Cities across US oppose Trump FCC plan to preempt local broadband rules Cities defend permit requirements, say ISPs aren't building networks fast enough. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/cities-across-us-oppose-trump-fcc-plan-to-preempt-local-broadband-rules/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Lawsuit demands OpenAI pay for new school after ChatGPT used in shooting British Columbia sues OpenAI, demands Tumbler Ridge shooter’s ChatGPT logs. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/lawsuit-demands-openai-pay-for-new-school-after-chatgpt-used-in-shooting/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Meet the winner of Nikon's Small World in Motion video contest Ning Xu of Tsinghua University captured tiny cilia beating in airways of a child with rare respiratory disorder. https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/meet-the-winner-of-nikons-small-world-in-motion-video-contest/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

ClickFix attacks infecting PCs and Macs are going viral Simplicity—combined with the difficulty of getting stuff done—makes ClickFix ideal. https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/09/clickfix-attacks-infecting-pcs-and-macs-are-going-viral/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

US government website used Chinese model the FBI called "malicious" The Federal Register website briefly used an open-source Chinese AI search tool. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/us-government-website-used-chinese-model-the-fbi-called-malicious/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

YouTube promises custom feeds and a lot more AI later this year YouTube's next year could change the content you see with a big focus on AI and live streams. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/09/youtube-promises-custom-feeds-and-a-lot-more-ai-later-this-year/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Researchers used Claude to hack OpenAI Researchers used Claude to reach an OpenAI employee account and sensitive GitHub data. https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/researchers-used-claude-to-hack-openai/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

AI leaders want to hit the brakes after years of reckless speed Safety is the watchword, but there could be ulterior benefits for the industry. https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/ai-leaders-want-to-hit-the-brakes-after-years-of-reckless-speed/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Remembering the pre-Google web, when search was an experiment "Most people have completely forgotten how chaotic it really was." https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/08/remembering-the-pre-google-web-when-search-was-an-experiment/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5: Here's what we still like, here's what annoys us It’s spacious, efficient, and charges very quickly. But what about reliability concerns? https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/09/2026-hyundai-ioniq-5-heres-what-we-still-like-heres-what-annoys-us/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Covert uploads and megalomania: OpenAI details new "misaligned" agent incidents Model maker commits to new framework for reporting misaligned models https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/covert-uploads-and-megalomania-openai-details-new-misaligned-agent-incidents/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Agility’s new humanoid robot will stop, squat to avoid harming human coworkers Robots can start working outside physical cages and without safety barriers. https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/agilitys-new-humanoid-robot-will-stop-squat-to-avoid-harming-human-coworkers/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Meta settles states' child-safety claims for $18B; Florida rejects deal as "peanuts" Meta to impose daily limit on child social media use in deal with nearly every state. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/08/meta-settles-states-child-safety-claims-for-18b-florida-rejects-deal-as-peanuts/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Rocket Report: ULA flies into uncertain future; Falcon 9 family hits 700 launches “I can tell you SpaceX has already gone captive." https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/rocket-report-ula-flies-into-uncertain-future-falcon-9-family-hits-700-launches/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Senators demand crackdown on wildfire "prediction markets" Fire experts warn such markets could incentivize arson. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/08/senators-demand-crackdown-on-wildfire-prediction-markets/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Google announces new experimental "CC" AI agent for families Multiple family members can share data to help the agent make plans and complete tasks. https://arstechnica.com/google/2026/09/google-announces-new-experimental-cc-ai-agent-for-families/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Trump FCC kills TV ownership cap, claiming authority over limit set by Congress Change will let "Trump-aligned billionaires" buy more stations, advocacy group says. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/08/trump-fcc-kills-tv-ownership-cap-claiming-authority-over-limit-set-by-congress/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Reddit signals ominous upcoming "changes” for old.reddit.com Reddit says the beloved site is used for some "bad behavior." https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/08/reddit-signals-ominous-upcoming-changes-for-old-reddit-com/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Google says Europe is making it roll out degraded travel search results The EU continues to go after Google search practices it sees as anticompetitive. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/09/google-says-europe-is-making-it-roll-out-degraded-travel-search-results/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Schwartz confirmed as CDC director after bungling confirmation hearing Schwartz is well-qualified for the role, but crashed and burned in Senate hearing. https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/08/schwartz-confirmed-as-cdc-director-after-bungling-confirmation-hearing/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Tesla’s Cybercab has been deployed, and it’s already under investigation The US government is investigating whether the Cybercab meets vehicle safety standards. https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/09/teslas-cybercab-has-been-deployed-and-its-already-under-investigation/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

SpaceX calls for better coordination in orbit after near-misses with Starlink "These led to conjunctions of tens of meters to hundreds of meters. Way too close to comfort." https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/10/spacex-calls-for-better-coordination-in-orbit-after-near-misses-with-starlink/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

F1 in Azerbaijan: That was almost a close-run thing Kimi Antonelli could not repeat his Monza magic after a crash in qualifying. https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/09/f1-in-azerbaijan-that-was-almost-a-close-run-thing/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

ChatGTP and Reddit now face EU's toughest online safety rules Explosive growth comes with a new regulatory burden in the European Union. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/08/chatgtp-and-reddit-now-face-eus-toughest-online-safety-rules/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

The large robotic arm on the International Space Station has stopped working NASA isn't saying much. The problem may be temporary. https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/the-large-robotic-arm-on-the-international-space-station-has-stopped-working/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

New surveillance tech links your phone to your license plate Phone and Bluetooth signals could turn roadside cameras into far richer tracking tools. https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/08/new-surveillance-tech-links-your-phone-to-your-license-plate/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social