Engadget News + Next

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Engadget News + Next episodes

October 06 Don't let the adorable AI agents fool you
Just because they look harmless doesn't mean you should be irresponsible with your data.

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10 min
October 06 Wikimedia linked OpenAI agents to an outage and unauthorized activity, OpenAI will add a digital watermark to text and code generated in the EU, and Google is removing free access to Gemini Flash and Pro
-An investigation didn't turn up any evidence that AI agents were using Wikimedia systems to coordinate their activity nor did the foundation detect signs of its data or systems being compromised.
-OpenAI is using a proprietary system called textGrain that "adds an invisible statistical signal to the model's word choices." Once added, a detector can spot these signals and ascertain if there's a watermark.
-Starting on October 9, you will no longer be able to access the Gemini Flash and Pro models if you're on a free account.

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9 min
October 05 Florida county finds 11 unpermitted Flock cameras with unidentified owners
Creepy.

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7 min
October 05 Trump announced an AI czar ', ICE is reportedly using a Palantir database to compile dossiers on protestors, and Capcom plans to use AI to speed up the game development process
-As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, the Super Intelligence Force already has its first task, which is to create a report on the risks and opportunities related to AI within 120 days.
-According to the lawsuit, DHS agents would track and intimidate observers or protestors, sometimes by driving by their homes or labeling them as "Threat to Law Enforcement, Professional Protestor."
-Capcom detailed the next steps for the RE Engine, its proprietary video game engine, that includes using AI to improve efficiency during the game development process.

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8 min
October 03 3 Affordable alternatives to Sonos speakers
Getting good multi-room audio doesn’t have to break the bank.

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7 min
October 02 Amazon introduces new Kindle Paperwhite, Colorsoft and entry-level models
They come in new colors, including Ube purple and Fig red.

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9 min
October 02 FDA approved artificial heart valve for kids that grows as they do, OpenAI fired 3 employees who allegedly shared info with an external AI safety group, and Audible rolled out an AI-generated interactions feature
-Designed by a company called Edwards, the Autus Size-Adjustable Valve is an artificial pulmonary valve designed to be implanted into pediatric patients and can be expanded as the child grows.
-The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI let go of three employees from its safety team after they allegedly shared confidential information with a third-party organization, one focused on AI safety.
-Audible just announced something called Interactive Stories, which lets listeners "become part of the story's world." This is done via generative AI, so people can sort of talk to a character.

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9 min
October 01 Amazon unveils a thinner and faster Fire TV Stick 4K
It will cost just $30 during the Prime Day deals event next week, and retail for $60 otherwise.

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9 min
October 01 Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey will advise the government on the future of warfare, Reddit imposing new restrictions on Old Reddit, and Neon will make a truly open-source SCP movie
-Project Meridian will be led by Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich, none of which has served in the US military.
- While Old Reddit remains popular among a vocal contingent of longtime users, the company has said the older version of the site has been a "significant source" of AI scraping.
-Neon announced that it's developing an anthology film based on the SCP Foundation community's horror fiction.

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9 min
September 30 Why Wi-Fi extenders simply aren't worth buying in 2026
A single extender might fix a dead zone, but can't compete with better network tech.

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9 min

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Each weekday morning we bring you the tech news you need today, and then in the afternoon we showcase stories about the technology, science, and culture that will influence tomorrow, all brought to…