Tech Trend Scanner — September 24, 2026

Findings

1. [1] 2026-09-24 You might not miss what Nikon removed from its cheaper full-frame Z5 IIC

   Nikon waited five years to update its full-frame Z5 camera to the Z5 II, but today it announced a new variant of last year's upgrade that removes features instead of introducing improvements in order to make it more affordable for novice photographers. While the Nikon Z5 II starts at $1,849.95, the new Nikon Z5 IIC is $450 cheaper at $1,399.95…

2. [2] 2026-09-24 Lovable’s annualized revenue crosses $600M as vibe coding takes off

   Lovable co-foudner Fabian Hedin said that apps created on the platform are getting nearly a billion monthly views each month.

3. [3] 2026-09-24 Ando wants to take on Slack with a team messaging app that lets humans and agents work together

   Ando has raised $20 million in pre-seed and seed funding from investors including Accel, Index Ventures and Emergence.

4. [4] 2026-09-24 Why can’t we just keep rogue AIs off the internet?

   AI agents keep getting loose, escaping supposedly secure tests to attack real-world targets, commandeer obscure wikis, and leave instructions for other agents to follow. Researchers are testing these systems precisely because they might behave in unpredictable, even dangerous, ways. So wouldn't it be safer to just keep the agents off the internet? "A strict air gap reduces realism … [It's…

5. [5] 2026-09-24 TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Cal AI’s Zach Yadegari on how to create viral growth and capitalize on it

   Zach Yadegari joins the Builders Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to share how he capitalized on viral growth. Save up to $200 before September 25. Save 50% on a second pass.

6. [6] 2026-09-24 Google is sending an AI satellite into space next week

   Google is getting ready to launch a satellite with its AI processors to test how well they perform in space, as reported earlier by The New York Times. The move is part of Google's Project Suncatcher, the company's experimental initiative that could eventually put AI data centers into orbit. The satellite, equipped with Google's Tensor Processing Units, will launch aboard…

7. [7] 2026-09-24 The vibes are bad for Flock in Washington

   Flock is in the hot seat in Washington, even if its CEO declined to actually face senators at a hearing about its "AI Surveillance Network" on Wednesday. "There's many players in this industry, but there's one name that really stands out above the rest, and that is Flock," Senate Judiciary crime and counterterrorism subcommittee chair Josh Hawley (R-MO) said. "If…

8. [8] 2026-09-24 I have some questions for Mark Zuckerberg

   It’s a big week for Meta. The company just kicked off its big Connect conference on Wednesday, and the new Muse AI agent appears to be an early hit. I’ve been using it — it is surprisingly good.  CEO Mark… My response to all of that is it doesn’t matter what Meta says. This is the essential truth of every piece of mainstream consumer technology. The users define the product. If you sell millions of gadgets to people, they will… Mark Zuckerberg: If you basically said, “Limit usage to an hour a day for teens,” everyone, I think, would be okay with that, except you have to unilaterally do it. If not, then you’re saying, “Okay, if people don’t use… Mark hates this so much that he has explicitly talked about building new platforms to get away from Apple for years now. One of the reasons he chased the Metaverse was to build the platform that came after the iPhone…

9. [9] 2026-09-24 Meta puts its AI assistant on a keychain

   Mark Zuckerberg said Meta’s new personal AI agent Muse has become the “centerpiece” of his AI vision, as he unveiled a new handheld AI “charm” device that will feature the interactive assistant. The Meta chief used the company’s annual Connect event at its Silicon Valley headquarters to announce Muse Charm, a small pendant-like device that fits on a keychain and…

10. [10] 2026-09-24 2 days left to save up to $200 on a TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass — reason 4 of 5 to attend

    Reason 4 of 5 to attend TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Practical answers. Two days left to save up to $200 on your pass. Savings disappear after September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Bring a second guest at 50% off.

11. [11] 2026-09-24 Waymo’s driverless cars continue to crash less often than people

    Waymo's latest batch of self-reported data continues to affirm the company's message that its driverless cars are safer than human drivers. As policymakers continue to debate the safety and economic impact of autonomous vehicles, Waymo is hoping that its own data will help bring more supporters to its side – even as some experts say the data fails to capture…

12. [12] 2026-09-24 Meta’s Muse AI Charms can interact with each other

    Meta's handheld AI gadget, called the Muse Charm, will be able to recognize and interact with other nearby Charms when it launches later this year. That's according to a report from Bloomberg, which includes more details about the device that the company teased during its Meta Connect keynote on Wednesday. The Muse Charm houses the company's buzzy Muse AI agent…

13. [13] 2026-09-24 Everything is spying on you and there’s no opting out

    Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., wears a pair of Meta Ray-Ban Display AI glasses during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. | Bloomberg via Getty Images Earlier this month, Apple announced that its new Apple Watches will have the ability to continuously listen to every spoken word they…

14. [14] 2026-09-24 Logitech’s new haptics-based gaming mouse is a little better and $20 more

    The X3 also comes in black. “Lunar eclipse” remains an option for the $179.99 X2. | Image: Logitech The G Pro Superstrike mouse is one of Logitech's most interesting products. Unlike other gaming mice, it has haptic actuators beneath its two main buttons instead of mechanical switches, which decreases latency and allows for a custom click feel (the click can…

15. [15] 2026-09-24 Australia to investigate if OpenAI hack of government health website broke the law

    The incident is the first known breach to affect a government agency, and Australia's prime minister has vowed to hold OpenAI accountable.

16. [16] 2026-09-24 Control Resonant gets tough, but gives you the tools to deal with it

    Control Resonant isn't an easy game. At any given moment while exploring vast open areas where you're sometimes leaping from wall to wall to ceiling, you may be surrounded by swarms of otherworldly enemies trying to crush you into the ground. It can be a lot, especially when enemies sometimes take a long time to take down. I died often.…

17. [17] 2026-09-24 There's a new way to break RSA that's faster than anything we've seen before

    The world has known for decades that the RSA cryptosystem’s days are numbered. Once quantum computing becomes practical (estimates for that range from 3 to 20 or more years), the foundational security it provides will crumble. New research has revealed a novel method that uses classical computing to reduce the current RSA security level to an unacceptably low threshold. The…

18. [18] 2026-09-24 Review: Apple's hyper-pricey M5 Ultra Mac Studio made me into a vibe coder

    This spring, Apple made it official: The Mac Pro is dead. When Apple was using Intel processors and AMD GPUs, the idea of an expandable and upgradeable tower made sense. But Apple Silicon chips bring the CPU, GPU, and memory interface all under one roof in a way that makes that sort of upgradeability not just superfluous but impossible. At…

19. [19] 2026-09-24 Everything new coming to Meta’s AI agent Muse

    CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the company’s annual Connect event in Menlo Park on Wednesday with a keynote that made one thing clear: Meta is going all-in on Muse. It's even coming to Meta's AI glasses.

20. [20] 2026-09-24 Meta made a Tamagotchi-like wearable for its Muse AI agent

    The tiny hardware device creates another mobile home for its AI agent Muse.

21. [21] 2026-09-23 Meta is trying VR glasses (again), this time with more IMAX

    Meta's return to the VR glasses realm comes with a promising combination of lightweight form factor and enhanced entertainment options.

22. [22] 2026-09-23 Meta introduces camera-free AI glasses

    Meta says the camera-free glasses will be lighter and have up to 12 hours of battery life.

23. [23] 2026-09-23 Vogue sent robots down the runway at Vogue World, and people were not impressed

    Nothing says Italian craftsmanship like a Chinese robot doing a lasso to "L'Amour Toujours."

24. [24] 2026-09-23 Anthropic says its biology lab has already found something big

    But maybe the biggest reveal is that Anthropic has not let Claude run loose in its biology lab. Humans are still, so far, in the loop.

25. [25] 2026-09-23 RFK Jr.'s CDC isn’t letting states order COVID-19 shots for kids, blocking access

    As respiratory virus season nears and fall vaccination drives get underway, more than half of US children are facing uncertainty over access to this year's COVID-19 shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has unexpectedly delayed the distribution of the shots to a key federal program and some states. Usually, the CDC would allow states to order the newly…

26. [26] 2026-09-23 FBI rushes to investigate if ShinyHunters hack of thousands of employees is real

    The FBI is now investigating claims from a hacker group that thousands of current and former employees’ personal data was stolen after the group exploited a previously unknown bug found on an agency jobs website. On Tuesday, 404 Media reported that ShinyHunters took down the agency site, FBIJobs.gov, then posted a banner on the homepage that said “THIS SITE HAS BEEN…

27. [27] 2026-09-23 If Amazon doesn’t know how to eliminate carbon emissions, then who does?

    Amazon is one of the largest companies in the world. How much responsibility does it have to meet its net-zero pledge?

28. [28] 2026-09-23 Disney+ and Hulu raise prices by up to 13 percent after doubling profits

    Disney+ got its fourth price hike in four years today. Hulu prices also went up. Disney+ and Hulu’s respective standalone, ad-free plans (which also support 4K and HDR) are each increasing 13 percent from $19 per month to $21.50/month. Disney+ and Hulu’s respective standalone plans with ads increased from $12 to $12.50.Read full article Comments

29. [29] 2026-09-23 Here's the Torcal, the first fully electric Bentley

    Bentley provided flights from Washington, DC, to Monterey, California, and accommodation so Ars could ride in a preproduction Torcal EV as well as drive the Supersports and ride in a 1920s Bentley as well. Ars does not accept paid editorial content. A few weeks ago, Bentley gave Ars a ride in a new camouflaged electric vehicle. Named after a Spanish…

30. [30] 2026-09-23 Trump’s China rivalry and “AI race” delusion may endanger US, experts say

    This week, the US and China, the two world leaders on AI, finally started talks meant to keep the whole world safe from emerging safety risks. But whether meetings between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping can lead to a reliable global governance framework for AI depends on how much the fierce rivals are actually willing to cooperate. It's clear Trump…

31. [31] 2026-09-23 VC firm Bessemer now has another $5.75B to invest in (what else?) AI

    The VC firm says that AI-native companies are growing faster than any technology, ever.

32. [32] 2026-09-23 XPRIZE Wildfire winners spotted fires within 10 min—but couldn’t stop them

    Wildfire detection from space and firefighting drones featured among the finalists honored in the $11 million XPRIZE Wildfire competition. Although no team walked away with either of the two grand prizes, such technologies could prove helpful as the world grapples with the growing costs of worsening wildfire disasters. The competition’s First Prize track for space-based wildfire detection challenged teams to…

33. [33] 2026-09-23 Discord age verification rolls out today with changes spurred by user backlash

    Discord today is rolling out an age-verification system that estimates each user's age and requires some users to prove they are old enough to access age-restricted content. Discord said it will take a few days for the global system to reach all user accounts. Discord had announced a somewhat different plan for age checks in February, but scrapped it amid…

34. [34] 2026-09-23 YouTube promises custom feeds and a lot more AI later this year

    The annual Made on YouTube event has just wrapped up, offering an early look at the features you can expect to come to Google's dominant online streaming platform in the coming months. Yes, there's plenty of AI for both viewers and creators, but there's also a handful of non-AI updates mixed in there, too. The design of YouTube's homepage feed…

35. [35] 2026-09-23 Enveda secures $311M to bring more nature-derived AI drugs into clinical trials

    The round valued the AI biotech at $2 billion. It is currently testing drugs that treat skin conditions and preserve weight loss after stopping GLP-1s.

36. [36] 2026-09-23 Modal Motors is trying to cut China out of electric motors entirely

    The startup is working on small, light motors with no rare-earth magnets that are suited for drones, fans, and robots.

37. [37] 2026-09-23 Contrary to some reports, you don't have two brains

    Late last week, we started seeing headlines about how new research was suggesting we might have two brains instead of the one that seems to show up on MRI scans. As is so often the case, these rumors can be traced back to a single press release put out by one of the universities where the work was done. You…

38. [38] 2026-09-23 Netflix releases trailer for Brad Bird's Ray Gunn

    Brad Bird has directed some of our all-time favorite animated films: The Iron Giant (1999), The Incredibles (2004), and Ratatouille (2007), with the latter two snagging well-deserved Oscar wins. He's back with a new animated feature, Ray Gunn, coming to Netflix in December, described as a neo-noir science-fiction mystery. Netflix recently released the official trailer, chock-full of retro-futuristic elements, like…

39. [39] 2026-09-23 Disney+ and Hulu add to the growing trend of streaming inflation

    At the same time, Disney appears to be exploring new ways to expand its streaming business beyond simply raising subscription prices.

40. [40] 2026-09-23 The old cybersecurity model is breaking

    As concern over AI safety and rogue agents continue to make headlines, it’s no surprise that cybersecurity stocks are rising, or that investors are pouring massive amounts of capital into startups trying to build the next generation of security for an AI-native world. We’re even seeing companies like Instinct and Simile bring in nine-figure checks and valuations that wouldn’t have made sense a […]

41. [41] 2026-09-23 Zoox grounds Atlanta test fleet after workers report toxic gas exposure symptoms

    The repeated incidents led one worker to file a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which opened an inquiry and told Zoox to investigate the exposures. 

42. [42] 2026-09-23 Former NASA chief sounds alarm on China's lunar "exploration" plans

    In a forthcoming memoir, former US politician and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson offers a blistering assessment of China, saying the United States must do all it can to retain its leadership in space exploration. "Beijing's intended strategy is to dominate the high ground of the twenty-first century," writes Nelson in Space Odyssey, a book to be published by Harper Horizon…

Sources

1. [1] You might not miss what Nikon removed from its cheaper full-frame Z5 IIC
2. [2] Lovable’s annualized revenue crosses $600M as vibe coding takes off
3. [3] Ando wants to take on Slack with a team messaging app that lets humans and agents work together
4. [4] Why can’t we just keep rogue AIs off the internet?
5. [5] TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Cal AI’s Zach Yadegari on how to create viral growth and capitalize on it
6. [6] Google is sending an AI satellite into space next week
7. [7] The vibes are bad for Flock in Washington
8. [8] I have some questions for Mark Zuckerberg
9. [9] Meta puts its AI assistant on a keychain
10. [10] 2 days left to save up to $200 on a TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass — reason 4 of 5 to attend
11. [11] Waymo’s driverless cars continue to crash less often than people
12. [12] Meta’s Muse AI Charms can interact with each other
13. [13] Everything is spying on you and there’s no opting out
14. [14] Logitech’s new haptics-based gaming mouse is a little better and $20 more
15. [15] Australia to investigate if OpenAI hack of government health website broke the law
16. [16] Control Resonant gets tough, but gives you the tools to deal with it
17. [17] There's a new way to break RSA that's faster than anything we've seen before
18. [18] Review: Apple's hyper-pricey M5 Ultra Mac Studio made me into a vibe coder
19. [19] Everything new coming to Meta’s AI agent Muse
20. [20] Meta made a Tamagotchi-like wearable for its Muse AI agent
21. [21] Meta is trying VR glasses (again), this time with more IMAX
22. [22] Meta introduces camera-free AI glasses
23. [23] Vogue sent robots down the runway at Vogue World, and people were not impressed
24. [24] Anthropic says its biology lab has already found something big
25. [25] RFK Jr.'s CDC isn’t letting states order COVID-19 shots for kids, blocking access
26. [26] FBI rushes to investigate if ShinyHunters hack of thousands of employees is real
27. [27] If Amazon doesn’t know how to eliminate carbon emissions, then who does?
28. [28] Disney+ and Hulu raise prices by up to 13 percent after doubling profits
29. [29] Here's the Torcal, the first fully electric Bentley
30. [30] Trump’s China rivalry and “AI race” delusion may endanger US, experts say
31. [31] VC firm Bessemer now has another $5.75B to invest in (what else?) AI
32. [32] XPRIZE Wildfire winners spotted fires within 10 min—but couldn’t stop them
33. [33] Discord age verification rolls out today with changes spurred by user backlash
34. [34] YouTube promises custom feeds and a lot more AI later this year
35. [35] Enveda secures $311M to bring more nature-derived AI drugs into clinical trials
36. [36] Modal Motors is trying to cut China out of electric motors entirely
37. [37] Contrary to some reports, you don't have two brains
38. [38] Netflix releases trailer for Brad Bird's Ray Gunn
39. [39] Disney+ and Hulu add to the growing trend of streaming inflation
40. [40] The old cybersecurity model is breaking
41. [41] Zoox grounds Atlanta test fleet after workers report toxic gas exposure symptoms
42. [42] Former NASA chief sounds alarm on China's lunar "exploration" plans