Tech Trend Scanner — September 25, 2026

Findings

1. [1] 2026-09-25 Cricut’s new compact crafter prints, cuts, and laminates stickers

   Cricut announced its first crafting machines with printing capabilities that are primarily designed as all-in-one solutions for turning photos and other images into pre-cut stickers. The Cricut StickerPix Print plus Cut and Cricut StickerPix Print are also two of the smallest machines in the company's current lineup and seem ideal for those whose crafting aspirations may be limited by their…

2. [2] 2026-09-25 Affected by layoffs? Don’t miss this $75 deal for your TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Expo+ Pass

   Your next opportunity could be one conversation away. Get your Expo+ Pass for just $75. Limited to the first 100 qualifying people.

3. [3] 2026-09-25 Gaming’s biggest horror series are more vital than ever

   For the third year in a row, I've been scared out of my wits by a new Silent Hill game. First it was the modern remake of Silent Hill 2, then the Japan-set spinoff Silent Hill F. Now I find myself slowly crawling through a quaint Scottish town in Silent Hill: Townfall, trying my best not to get brutally murdered…

4. [4] 2026-09-25 With PRIMA, NASA will try to build a billion-dollar space telescope in record time

   The first in a new class of space telescopes is on track to reach the launch pad in the early 2030s, NASA announced this week. The PRIMA mission will be the first of NASA's Probe Explorers, a new line of observatories intended to do more science for less money. The agency's space telescopes typically fall into lower-cost "Explorer-class" missions, with…

5. [5] 2026-09-25 Meadow lets you leave your smartphone at home without sacrificing the essentials

   “We’re not Luddites… it’s just we don’t want social media, browsing, and that kind of stuff," said 25-year-old founder Shreyas Narlanka.

6. [6] 2026-09-25 Last 24 hours to save up to $200 on TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Reason 5/5 to attend: Leave further ahead.

   Last 24 hours to save up to $200 on your TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass. Leave the event further in your startup's trajectory than where you started. Don't miss your chance to save and to push the needle.

7. [7] 2026-09-25 Trump administration takes Musk’s side in fight over EU tech rules

   The Trump administration is seeking to join Elon Musk’s appeal against a €120 million EU fine of the billionaire’s social media platform X, the latest escalation in the transatlantic clash over Brussels’ efforts to rein in US tech companies. The US Department of Justice on Thursday filed an application to intervene in a pair of cases brought by Musk and…

8. [8] 2026-09-25 North Korean hackers suspected in $351M crypto theft, the largest so far this year

   The $351 million theft from crypto exchange Bitget is the latest in a string of high-profile hacks targeting the crypto sector.

9. [9] 2026-09-25 Can Apple Home’s AI camera features outsmart Amazon’s and Google’s? I put them to the test

   I used Google’s Nest Doorbell (left), Aqara’s HomeKit-compatible G400 (center), and the Ring Pro 4K (right) to test the new AI features of Gemini for Home, Apple Intelligence for Home, and Amazon’s Ring. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge A few years back, I was at a beachside Easter egg hunt, watching my kids dash through sand…

10. [10] 2026-09-25 Insta360 conquered 360 cameras — now it’s eyeing glasses

    It's right there in the name: "Insta360" makes 360-degree cameras, ones that film every angle simultaneously so you can shoot first and frame later. It didn't invent the idea, but Insta360 has become so synonymous with 360 cameras that it dominates the category with 73 percent of worldwide marketshare. It's preparing to ship so many cameras, it just spent $298…

11. [11] 2026-09-25 Microsoft thinks its new Copilot ‘super app’ will be as influential as Office

    After teasing its new Copilot "super app" last month, Microsoft is officially unveiling it today. The redesigned Copilot app bundles three AI capabilities into a single interface of chat, coding, and agents. As part of the launch, Microsoft is also rebranding Scout, the AI personal assistant it unveiled at Build earlier this year, as Autopilot. This new Copilot app will…

12. [12] 2026-09-25 Trump admin using AI to deny medical care for seniors in disastrous experiment

    In January, the Trump administration rolled out a pilot program that uses artificial intelligence to authorize or deny certain types of care for patients with Medicare—a federal healthcare program for seniors that previously hasn't required doctors to get any such pre-approval, called prior authorization. Not long after, media outlets began relaying the disastrous outcomes: technical difficulties, long delays in decisions…

13. [13] 2026-09-25 Rocket Report: Era of cheap launch is over? Astra sets early 2027 target for return

    Welcome to Edition 9.12 of the Rocket Report! The big story in the global launch industry remains SpaceX's plans to wind down Falcon 9 operations for commercial launches, possibly within the next two or three years. That has created a scramble among satellite operators and some positioning among up-and-coming launch providers. Notably, in this week's newsletter, there's a story about…

14. [14] 2026-09-25 Lightspeed targets $250M for new India fund, focusing on early-stage AI

    The venture firm is aligning its India fundraising cycle with its global funds for the first time, as it shifts to a shorter investment period.

15. [15] 2026-09-25 Here’s the Tesla Semi… again

    Remember the Tesla Semi? The long-gestating, heavy-duty truck first introduced in concept form in 2017 is finally in volume production as of April 2026 – nearly a decade after its initial introduction. On Thursday evening, the company held yet another event for the Semi to demonstrate to customers and investors that the long wait was finally over. The event was…

16. [16] 2026-09-25 Microsoft is killing off the ‘Copilot Plus PC’ brand

    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella introducing the company’s Copilot Plus PC initiative. | Image: Allison Johnson Remember when Microsoft wanted everyone to know that "Copilot Plus PCs" were the ones to get, because those were the PCs that that'd have enough built-in AI muscle to get things done? Two and a half years later, Microsoft and Qualcomm seem to be admitting…

17. [17] 2026-09-24 Meta employees ordered ‘attorney/client privilege’ hats while fighting child safety disclosures

    Meta's lawyers have argued that certain evidence should be withheld from public view on the grounds of attorney-client privilege in the ongoing lawsuits over alleged harm to teens' safety and mental health. Lawyers suing the company said this week that the label has been applied far too broadly, while pointing to a recently unsealed document showing that the team behind…

18. [18] 2026-09-24 Qualcomm’s new ‘Elite’ sound chip might finally deliver the Wi-Fi earbud dream

    What if your wireless earbuds – or audio glasses – could stream high-quality lossless audio that doesn't cut out when you leave your phone on the bedside charger or buried in the couch? Qualcomm's new Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 is its first to integrate "micro-power Wi-Fi 6E" right into the chip, so they can connect directly to your home…

19. [19] 2026-09-24 Waymo is scaling fast: Here’s what the fleet data shows

    In the past month, Waymo has expanded its fleet in Texas by 49%. There are other hot spots as well.

20. [20] 2026-09-24 CDC opens state ordering for COVID-19 vaccines after unexplained delay

    After a nearly monthlong delay, states are now able to order this season's COVID-19 vaccines through a federal program that provides free immunizations to low-income children, the US health department says. Trump officials have still not provided a clear explanation for the delay, raising concerns about meddling from anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. On Wednesday, Ars Technica reported…

21. [21] 2026-09-24 Microsoft puts Brad Smith in charge of communications

    Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith. | Image: Getty Images Microsoft is moving its communications group out of marketing and into its Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA) organization. The surprise change will see Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith oversee communications, while the company searches for a replacement for Frank Shaw, chief communications officer, who is departing…

22. [22] 2026-09-24 Donald Duck's uncle was partly based on Wernher von Braun

    Did you know that the first character that Walt Disney created to specifically appear on television was inspired, in part, by early Space Age rocket scientists? On this day 65 years ago (September 24, 1961), Disney introduced the "renowned scientist, lecturer, psychologist [and] world traveler," Ludwig Von Drake. A member of the Duck family (he is the "brilliant and eccentric"…

23. [23] 2026-09-24 Nexterity wants to automate the hard, dangerous part of pipefitting

    The startup's robot can tighten or loosen four bolts at a time, and it fits in a Pelican case.

24. [24] 2026-09-24 F-Droid gets its biggest update in a decade with new UI and smoother app installs

    Virtually every Android device comes with the Play Store preloaded, but there are other ways to get apps. F-Droid bills itself as a community-driven source for free and open source Android apps, but its official app store has gone 10 years without a major update. That's finally changing: After a multiyear effort, the team has just announced F-Droid 2.0 is…

25. [25] 2026-09-24 Bring your co-founder, partner, or colleague and get 50% off a second TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass

    Buy one pass to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 and get 50% off a second of the same ticket type. Register before event starts on October 13 at 8 a.m. PT.

26. [26] 2026-09-24 New York defies Trump admin, asks court to shut down Polymarket gambling

    New York sued Polymarket today, alleging that it runs an "illegal gambling operation" through its prediction market. “By running an unlicensed gambling operation, Polymarket has done more than just knowingly violate state law, they have put New Yorkers at risk, especially those underage who are most vulnerable to problem gaming," Governor Kathy Hochul said in a press release announcing the…

27. [27] 2026-09-24 PrismML brings its tiny LLMs to Qualcomm-powered smart glasses

    Prism's larger goal is open-weight AI that runs on devices and makes better use of the computing power they already have.

28. [28] 2026-09-24 Meet Feather, the startup building the ‘Android of robotics’ for developers

    Feather is betting on a customizable, $30,000 platform built for software developers.

29. [29] 2026-09-24 We have a trailer for Musk documentary Elon called a "hit piece"

    Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney has never been one to shy away from controversy. His latest feature, Musk, has stirred up plenty even before its release, drawing the ire of its subject, Elon Musk, and threats of a defamation lawsuit. After the film debuted two weeks ago at the Venice International Film Festival, rumors swirled that Universal Pictures was getting…

30. [30] 2026-09-24 Robots make combat airdrops, clear mines as Ukraine defeats Russian pincer

    Ukraine’s military robots are dropping from heavy drones in airborne assaults behind Russian lines as other robots clear mines ahead of advancing Ukrainian infantry. The wheeled ground robots are supporting Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi counterattack that has crushed a Russian military pincer movement and liberated dozens of square miles of occupied Ukrainian territory so far. The Ukrainian Third Army Corps revealed…

31. [31] 2026-09-24 Databricks buys Row Zero and is scouting for more startups to acquire

    Databricks has bought cloud spreadsheet startup Row Zero, adding yet another acquisition to its 2026 shopping spree.

32. [32] 2026-09-24 Formula 1 looks at 3.0 L V8 turbos and smaller hybrids for 2030

    We’re not even a full year into the new regulations, and Formula 1 is already thinking hard about its next iteration, set to be introduced as early as the start of 2030. This was supposed to be a big year for F1, with the introduction of a bold new technical rules package that puts far more emphasis on the electric…

33. [33] 2026-09-24 NASA chief concerned China may deny access to parts of Moon's south pole

    Last month, China delayed the launch of an ambitious robotic mission to the south pole of the Moon, Chang’e 7, until early next year. The country did not provide a detailed explanation for the schedule slip, but it was welcomed by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. "They are targeting the exact same location on lunar south pole," Isaacman said Wednesday evening…

34. [34] 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…

Sources

1. [1] Cricut’s new compact crafter prints, cuts, and laminates stickers
2. [2] Affected by layoffs? Don’t miss this $75 deal for your TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Expo+ Pass
3. [3] Gaming’s biggest horror series are more vital than ever
4. [4] With PRIMA, NASA will try to build a billion-dollar space telescope in record time
5. [5] Meadow lets you leave your smartphone at home without sacrificing the essentials
6. [6] Last 24 hours to save up to $200 on TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Reason 5/5 to attend: Leave further ahead.
7. [7] Trump administration takes Musk’s side in fight over EU tech rules
8. [8] North Korean hackers suspected in $351M crypto theft, the largest so far this year
9. [9] Can Apple Home’s AI camera features outsmart Amazon’s and Google’s? I put them to the test
10. [10] Insta360 conquered 360 cameras — now it’s eyeing glasses
11. [11] Microsoft thinks its new Copilot ‘super app’ will be as influential as Office
12. [12] Trump admin using AI to deny medical care for seniors in disastrous experiment
13. [13] Rocket Report: Era of cheap launch is over? Astra sets early 2027 target for return
14. [14] Lightspeed targets $250M for new India fund, focusing on early-stage AI
15. [15] Here’s the Tesla Semi… again
16. [16] Microsoft is killing off the ‘Copilot Plus PC’ brand
17. [17] Meta employees ordered ‘attorney/client privilege’ hats while fighting child safety disclosures
18. [18] Qualcomm’s new ‘Elite’ sound chip might finally deliver the Wi-Fi earbud dream
19. [19] Waymo is scaling fast: Here’s what the fleet data shows
20. [20] CDC opens state ordering for COVID-19 vaccines after unexplained delay
21. [21] Microsoft puts Brad Smith in charge of communications
22. [22] Donald Duck's uncle was partly based on Wernher von Braun
23. [23] Nexterity wants to automate the hard, dangerous part of pipefitting
24. [24] F-Droid gets its biggest update in a decade with new UI and smoother app installs
25. [25] Bring your co-founder, partner, or colleague and get 50% off a second TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass
26. [26] New York defies Trump admin, asks court to shut down Polymarket gambling
27. [27] PrismML brings its tiny LLMs to Qualcomm-powered smart glasses
28. [28] Meet Feather, the startup building the ‘Android of robotics’ for developers
29. [29] We have a trailer for Musk documentary Elon called a "hit piece"
30. [30] Robots make combat airdrops, clear mines as Ukraine defeats Russian pincer
31. [31] Databricks buys Row Zero and is scouting for more startups to acquire
32. [32] Formula 1 looks at 3.0 L V8 turbos and smaller hybrids for 2030
33. [33] NASA chief concerned China may deny access to parts of Moon's south pole
34. [34] There's a new way to break RSA that's faster than anything we've seen before