The Future of Tech, News and making sense of it all!

Monday, August 17, 2026

Technology News and More-Monday Edition...

Technology News and More...




Instagram and Facebook could change forever if Meta loses child privacy trial
BBC News / 8h
US states are suing the social media giant to force an overhaul of its platforms for young users.





Securing adoption in the era of shadow AI
Latest from TechRadar / 23min
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming embedded in the modern workplace, with employees are increasingly turning to AI tools to work more efficiently and boost productivity. This growing demand for faster, more effective ways of working is driving the rise of shadow AI - the use of AI tools outside approved organizational controls and governance frameworks – which results in organizatio





Lanterns episode 1 makes an incredibly bold storytelling choice that I didn't see coming — and now I've got a wild theory about one of the new HBO Max show's dual timelines
Latest from TechRadar / 1h
Lanterns has finally premiered on HBO Max — and, in a move reminiscent of Invincible 's first-ever episode on Prime Video, the new DC Universe (DCU) TV show wastes no time in delivering an almighty shock in its first chapter. Indeed, the sci-fi show's premiere, titled 'Pilot', ends with a moment that'll completely stun viewers and likely upset DC comic book fanatics. I'm about to dig into the big






A half-price Galaxy Watch 8 headlines Samsung's August Secret Sale, and there's tempting reductions on phones and TVs too
Latest from TechRadar / 2h
Samsung has had a busy few weeks with the launch of its 2026 foldable and wearable ranges , with pre-orders just wrapping up last week. If you missed out on the pre-order deals or you have your eyes set on something else from the brand, then fret not — Samsung has just unveiled a slew of deals across its product portfolio. The latest Samsung Secret Sale event features lots of top-rated tech that





Another woman joins lawsuit accusing Grok of generating CSAM


Engadget / 2h
A fourth party is pursuing legal action against xAI, alleging that Grok was used to create CSAM based on her childhood photos.





Everything you need to know about authorized credit card users
The Points Guy Articles / 3h
Adding an authorized user to your credit card account can be a great way to meet spending requirements, accrue more points and even help a beginner build their credit history. That said, there are also risks associated with adding an authorized credit card user. It's important to choose someone who is responsible and able to repay their debts, even if they're not legally obligated to do so. That'





Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on August 17
Mashable / 3h
The Moon is starting to reappear more each night as we work through the lunar cycle. We're still in the waxing Crescent phase, which means the illuminated portion is growing a little more each night. What is today’s Moon phase? As of Monday, Aug. 17, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waxing Crescent phase, with 24% of its surface visible. Without any visual aids, tonig





NYT Pips hints, answers for August 17, 2026
Mashable / 4h
Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue. Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit. Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you co





NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 17, 2026
Mashable / 4h
Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you've ever watched baseball. As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans. Like the original Connections , the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle , Connections resets after midnight, and each





NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 17, 2026
Mashable / 5h
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're familiar with musical theater. Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle , Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up





Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 17, 2026
Mashable / 5h
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you enjoy Survivor . If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections





NYT Strands hints, answers for August 17, 2026
Mashable / 5h
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you know a bit of trivia. Strands , the New York Times ' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answe





Lets talk about Lanterns shocking episode 1 death
Mashable / 5h
HBO might as well change the name of Lanterns to Lantern , because by the end of its very first episode, only one of its Green Lanterns is still alive. SEE ALSO: 'Lanterns' review: Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre shine bright in DC's sci-fi mystery The series kicks off in 2016, with Earth's Green Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and his trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) investigating a shootin





The US Army is opening up its training centers for private firms to test out new drones
Latest from TechRadar / 8h
Private drone companies can now request access to US Army testing ranges Companies no longer need existing government partnerships before requesting range access Five military facilities across America and Morocco are joining the programme Private drone companies without existing government contracts can now request access to the US Army test ranges nationwide. The arrangement removes a requireme








Russian body, Desi brain: How India is turning the Su-30MKI into a lethal stealth hunter
Latest from TechRadar / 9h
India is replacing the Su-30MKI's ageing Russian radar with Virupaksha The new radar could detect conventional fighters 300 to 400 kilometres away Virupaksha is expected to detect stealthier aircraft beyond 200 kilometres India's Su-30MKI fleet, built on a Russian airframe design, is now getting a distinctly homegrown upgrade to its detection system. The Defence Research and Development Organisat





US Air Force wants AI help to keep its Minuteman III nukes ticking until they're 66, or maybe 80
Latest from TechRadar / 9h
America's aging nuclear missiles depend on data scattered across dozens of systems Minuteman III could remain operational decades beyond its original retirement schedule The US Air Force wants one AI interface to organize fragmented missile data The US Air Force is searching for an artificial intelligence agent capable of centralizing the fractured data behind its aging nuclear missile fleet. An





Code faster with Microsoft Visual Studio 2026 for $30
Mashable / 9h
TL;DR: Get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 for $29.97 (reg. $499) through Aug. 23 at 11:59 p.m. PT, with AI-assisted coding, cross-platform development tools, and built-in collaboration features. Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 $29.97 $499.99 Save $470.02 If you’re building software, the right development environment can make a noticeabl





Quote of the day by Elon Musk: '[The Tesla Bot] has the potential to be a generalized substitute for human labor over time' — a bold prediction on the future of work
Latest from TechRadar / 10h
The Tesla Optimus, also known as the Tesla Bot, is one of an entire catalogue of humanoid robots that manufacturers have unveiled in the last few years. Humanoid robots may look the part, and while they may be a few years away from maturation, executives like Tesla CEO Elon Musk are adamant they're a direct substitute for human labor. Optimus Prime Before Musk had unveiled the first prototype of





3 exciting Netflix thrillers to watch this week (August 17-23)
How-To Geek / 10h
This week is all about intellectual property. The three thrillers on the list are part of long-running franchises. Some of them are certainly scarier than others, so if you love horror, you'll appreciate several of these picks. Our top selection is a direct sequel to a zombie movie from a beloved dystopian franchise.





Turn on these settings to protect your Android phone from theft
Engadget / 10h
Google has added some smart theft-detection features to Android in recent years.





The 2027 Toyota Tundra Trailhunter solves an off-roader's biggest warranty headache
How-To Geek / 10h
Truck owners in the United States spent more than $15 billion in 2025 modifying their pickups for off-road outings, according to the 2026 SEMA Market Report , with lift kits and suspension upgrades accounting for more than $3 billion of that total. Pickup trucks, perhaps not surprisingly, generate the largest share of aftermarket sales, according to the SEMA report.





Scott Kirby Says Passengers Love United’s Brand — But Data Shows They’re Just Following The Flights
View from the Wing / 11h
United’s ski-country network and Chicago growth show that Scott Kirby’s decade-old strategy worked: add useful flights, use bigger planes, rebuild schedule relevance, and loyalty follows. But the data cuts against a simpler brand-love story — passengers may be choosing United less because they love the airline and more because United built the flights, seats, and schedules they actually need.





The Last House review: this tedious thriller is the worst Netflix movie of the year, and it's nothing like the trailer promised
Latest from TechRadar / 11h
I ended up watching The Last House twice, just to confirm I hadn't hallucinated its truly head-scratching plot. I regret to inform you that it's just as bad the second time around, making it the biggest Netflix disappointment of the year. It's unfair to call The Last House the worst movie of the year, but it's definitely not what I expected from the best streaming service , especially considering





Stripe will reportedly acquire AI gateway startup OpenRouter for $7B+
TechCrunch / 11h
OpenRouter's CEO recently described the startup as Stripe for AI.





Is buying a OnePlus phone in 2026 still a good idea?
Engadget / 11h
If you really want a OnePlus phone, you can still make it work.





The Pentagon's next big project is hypersonic scramjet cruise missiles able to evade enemy interceptors
Latest from TechRadar / 11h
DARPA wants hypersonic missiles capable of surviving increasingly sophisticated enemy air defenses The new program seeks major gains in range, speed, and survivability Russia's Zircon gives Washington an existing hypersonic cruise missile benchmark The Pentagon is pursuing a new hypersonic cruise missile concept designed to survive increasingly capable enemy air defense networks. The Defense Adva





Why people aren’t buying Mark Zuckerberg’s AI future
TechCrunch / 11h
On the latest episode of Equity podcast, we discuss why not everyone is buying Zuckerberg’s vision.





Virtual desktops, docks, and tabbed windows—Linux had them first
How-To Geek / 11h
While modern Linux distros will come with a slick user interface, in the past, they tended to be basic affairs. Because Linux and Unix systems offer much more choice in how the interface is set up, there is a wide range of window managers available. Here are some classics that shaped the early days of the system. They're obscure, but they shaped a lot of modern desktops like GNOME and KDE Plasma.





Breach at Crypto Wallet Company Called ‘SafePal’ Exposes 39,798 Customers
4 TTPs•
Gizmodo / 11h
Now the company is warning users about phishing attacks.





‘New Warriors’ Star Remembers the Marvel Show That Almost Was
Gizmodo / 11h
Once upon a time, Marvel almost gave Squirrel Girl and the New Warriors a show. Now, all that team's got are memories.





Do you really need an antivirus app on your Android?
Engadget / 12h
You probably don't need antivirus software on your Android phone, but there are some exceptions.





4 iconic Prime Video movies to watch this week (August 17-23)
How-To Geek / 12h
The best part about Prime Video refilling its library coffers with more than 50 new movies at the beginning of the month is that it almost always includes more than enough iconic, sure-fire hits that are guaranteed to please. Sure, you could take Project Hail Mary for another spin, but when you've got the four top-shelf titles below to watch this week, why would you?





The 32-year-old Windows placeholder that Microsoft says is now a permanent feature
How-To Geek / 12h
Many things that we consider temporary at first become a permanent part of our daily lives, for one reason or another. As an example, I placed my first SSD on top of my case's built-in 3.5-inch drive enclosure because I couldn't be bothered to properly install it and left it there for years until I built a new PC in a new chassis. In the case of Windows, a stopgap dialog box created in 1994 still





Kioxia showcases the world’s fastest SSD with mind-blowing 10M IOPS and a staggering 50 DWPD endurance
Latest from TechRadar / 12h
Kioxia's GP1 reaches 10 million IOPS using PCIe 6.0 and XL-FLASH technology Its 50 DWPD rating indicates substantial endurance for sustained enterprise workloads A hypothetical 3TB model could theoretically withstand 109.5 PB written KIOXIA Europe GmbH has unveiled the GP1 Series, a PCIe 6.0 NVMe SSD engineered for direct GPU access within demanding AI infrastructure — the first product in the KI