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- 1Newest ESP32 microcontroller can now run LinuxβThe newest ESP32 can run Linux and it's getting close to a Raspberry Pi
Espressif's latest ESP32 chip can reportedly run Linux, putting the low-cost microcontroller line in territory once reserved for single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi. Enthusiasts are weighing what this means for hobbyist electronics: the ESP32 has long been the go-to for simple connected projects, and native Linux support could let it handle more complex software on the same cheap hardware.
- 2New Jersey fines data center $1.1M over hidden gas generatorsβNew Jersey fines data center $1.1M after drone pics expose 62 gas generators
New Jersey regulators have fined a data center $1.1 million after aerial imagery revealed 62 diesel or gas generators on site that had not been properly disclosed or permitted. The case highlights growing scrutiny of the environmental footprint of data centers, which increasingly rely on backup and on-site power generation as energy demands surge. Commenters are debating whether operators can realistically be transparent about large-scale power infrastructure.
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Reporter Ken Klippenstein reports that US federal authorities have been examining critics of artificial intelligence under foreign agent frameworks, raising concerns that policy advocacy and AI skepticism are being treated as potential foreign influence. Commentators say the reporting, if accurate, points to surveillance or scrutiny of domestic speech about AI, and it is fueling debate about free expression, government overreach, and how national security powers are being applied to technology policy arguments.
- 4Data center developer sues St. Louis over renewable energy ruleβData center developer sues city for requiring to supply renewable energy on-site
A data center developer has filed a lawsuit against St. Louis after the city required new data centers to supply renewable energy on-site. The case pits data center growth against local environmental mandates, and it is drawing attention as cities weigh how to manage the energy demands of an AI-driven data center boom.
- 5The lab-grown meat revolution that never arrivedβWhere's the Beef?: The lab-grown-meat revolution that wasn't
A new Harper's Magazine essay by Erin Somers examines why lab-grown meat has failed to live up to years of hype. Once billed as an environmentally friendly revolution in food production, cultivated meat has struggled with high production costs, regulatory hurdles, and weak consumer appetite, leaving its promised transformation of the meat industry largely unrealised.
- 6JetBrains Unveils Air Platform for Agentic Software DevelopmentβJetBrains Air: A System of Products for Agentic Software Development
JetBrains has introduced Air, described by the company as a system of products aimed at agentic software development, where AI agents take on coding tasks with developer oversight. The announcement is drawing attention from developers debating how far agentic tools should be integrated into established IDEs and workflows.
- 7Radicle Discloses Vulnerability in Its Network ProtocolβRadicle: Disclosure of Vulnerability in the Network Protocol
Radicle, the decentralized code collaboration network, has published a disclosure detailing a vulnerability in its network protocol. The security advisory, posted on the project's official site, walks through the flaw and its remediation. The disclosure has drawn attention on developer and security forums, with readers discussing the implications for peer-to-peer code hosting platforms and how responsibly the team handled the disclosure.
- 8Washington Heights Man Cleans One Block a Day for 100 DaysβWashington Heights Man Cleans One NYC Block a Day for 100 Days,Neighbors Join In
A man in Washington Heights, Manhattan, has spent 100 days cleaning one city block every day, and his effort has drawn neighbors to pick up brooms and join him. The grassroots cleanup has become a talking point in the neighborhood, with residents praising the simple, consistent act of improving their streets and describing how a solo project grew into a collective effort.
- 9RoboHarm tests whether robots refuse unsafe instructionsβRoboharm: Do frontier robot policies refuse unsafe instructions?
A benchmark called RoboHarm is examining whether frontier AI models driving robots actually refuse unsafe or harmful instructions. The work asks how well safety training carries over from chatbots to physical systems, where a refusal failure could mean real-world damage or injury. It is drawing attention among robotics and AI safety researchers who argue embodied refusal is under-tested compared with text-based harms.
- 10AI-Powered Machine Sorts Lego Bricks to Cut Landfill WasteβLego Brick Sorting Machine Uses AI to Save Millions from Landfill [video]
A newly demonstrated Lego brick sorting machine uses artificial intelligence to identify and separate used bricks, diverting millions of pieces from landfill. The project highlights how computer vision and automation can tackle plastic toy waste, and it is drawing attention from tech and sustainability communities interested in scalable recycling solutions.
- 11Study finds the human brain is two separate organsβThe human brain is two separate organs, study finds
A Stanford study argues that the human brain should be understood as two separate organs rather than a single unified structure, challenging long-held assumptions in neuroscience. The finding is drawing attention among science readers, with discussion centered on what it means for how brain function, development and disorders are studied going forward.
- 12Sex differences in attention present at birth, study findsβSex differences in attention are present at birth
Researchers at the University of Cambridge report that sex differences in attention can be detected in newborns, based on a new study. The finding is drawing discussion about what it suggests regarding innate cognitive differences between males and females, and how early such differences emerge. Commenters are debating the methodology, the size of the observed effect, and the broader social implications of the research.
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Porsche is bringing wireless charging for electric vehicles into production, becoming one of the first automakers to offer the technology to customers. The move allows compatible EVs to charge without plugging in, using a pad-based system. Observers are debating the practicality of wireless charging, its efficiency losses, and whether other automakers will follow Porsche's lead.
- 14
A new report argues that US taxpayers are effectively subsidizing private jet travel, as tax breaks and airport funding shifts costs from the wealthiest travelers onto ordinary earners while the flights produce outsized carbon emissions. Critics say the arrangements amount to a regressive giveaway that worsens climate change, and are calling for the subsidies to be ended and for luxury aviation to face heavier taxation.
- 15Apple's 2010 iPhone 4 'Antennagate' Q&A resurfacesβΌApple iPhone 4 βAntennagateβ Q&A (2010) [video]
Apple's July 2010 press conference addressing the iPhone 4's antenna problems is circulating again. The company held the Q&A after reports that holding the phone a certain way caused signal loss, with Steve Jobs famously telling users to avoid gripping it in the affected spot and offering free bumper cases. The episode remains a defining example of how Apple handles hardware criticism.
- 16Woman Held 86 Hours in Solitary After Camera Linked Her SUV to CrashβWoman Spent 86 Hours in Solitary After Flock Camera Linked Her SUV to Crash
Lindsey Isaacs, a 23-year-old woman, says she was placed in solitary confinement for 86 hours after an automated license plate camera made by Flock linked her SUV to a fatal crash. She has testified about the experience, and the case is drawing criticism of how automated surveillance data is used to detain people, including concerns about mistaken matches and due process.