Here are today’s 11 verified tech & science stories, covering Tech & Apps, AI Tools and Science & Space.
Table of Contents
Every item below links to its original source.
The TLDR
- Tech & Apps: Phil Schiller Reportedly Stepping Back at Apple
- AI Tools: Pentagon Adds ChatGPT and Grok to Its Internal AI Portal
- Science & Space: SpaceX and NASA Delay Next ISS Astronaut Launch
Tech & Apps
Phil Schiller Reportedly Stepping Back at Apple
Longtime Apple executive Phil Schiller is reportedly stepping down from running the App Store and Apple’s product events, according to The Verge, which cites an initial Bloomberg report. Schiller will keep his Apple Fellow title and continue working on unspecified initiatives. Apple itself has not made an official public announcement about the change.
Google Maps Renames Lake Ontario to “Lake America”
Google Maps now labels Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for users in the United States, while the lake still shows up as Lake Ontario for users in Canada, according to Ars Technica. Google made the update over the weekend, ahead of official U.S. government maps reflecting the same change. The switch echoes Google’s earlier renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America.”
Roland’s New Digital Piano Adds Wi-Fi and a Teaching App
Roland’s newest digital piano, the FP-40, adds built-in Wi-Fi so it can connect directly to the company’s new “Piano Sphere” teaching app, built with learning platform Skoove, according to Engadget. The $750 piano is Roland’s first with built-in Wi-Fi, which also lets it receive automatic firmware and app updates over time. It uses Roland’s Piano Reality sound engine with weighted, triple-sensor hammer-action keys.
Apple Ships Beta 8 for iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, and tvOS 27
Apple released beta 8 of iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27 on August 31, according to 9to5Mac. The build focuses on performance and under-the-hood fixes rather than new features, which Apple tends to save for its Release Candidate builds. Public betas for iPadOS 27 and tvOS 27 also went out the same day.
macOS 27 Developer Beta 8 Arrives
Apple also shipped developer beta 8 of macOS 27, code-named Golden Gate, on August 31, according to 9to5Mac. Like the other beta 8 releases this week, this one centers on bug fixes and performance rather than new features. Apple’s public release of macOS 27 is expected in the coming weeks.
Samsung’s Galaxy Book 6 Gets a Budget-Friendly $799 Option
Samsung introduced a more affordable Galaxy Book 6 configuration starting at $799, according to Engadget. The budget model comes with an Intel Core processor, 8GB or 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage on a 14-inch display, well below the $1,050-plus starting price of Samsung’s other Galaxy Book 6 configurations. It’s a solid option if you’re comparing shopping guides like our best smart doorbells for renters for other budget-tech picks.
The Bentley Supersports Is the Lightest Bentley in 85 Years
Bentley’s new Supersports is the lightest Bentley road car in 85 years, weighing under 2,000 kg after the removal of its hybrid system and a switch from all-wheel to rear-wheel drive, according to Ars Technica. It’s powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 657 bhp, good for a 3.7-second 0-62 mph time and a 192 mph top speed. Bentley is building just 500 units, starting at £343,900.
AI Tools
Pentagon Adds ChatGPT and Grok to Its Internal AI Portal
The Pentagon’s internal AI portal, GenAI.mil, is adding versions of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and xAI’s Grok alongside Google’s Gemini, according to TechCrunch. The portal lets Defense Department staff use commercial AI models without routing sensitive data through the consumer versions of those same tools. More than 1.7 million of the department’s roughly 3 million personnel have already onboarded to the portal.
Science & Space
SpaceX and NASA Delay Next ISS Astronaut Launch
NASA and SpaceX have delayed the Crew-13 astronaut launch to the International Space Station, which had targeted September 12, after discovering an oxidizer leak in the Dragon spacecraft’s propulsion system, according to Space.com. The leak was found during standard prelaunch processing, and a new target launch date has not yet been announced.
Study Finds Most U.S. Rabies Cases Go Undetected
A new study published in the journal Communications Health estimates that more than 90% of human rabies cases in the United States go undetected, according to ScienceAlert. The CDC has recorded an average of just 2.4 confirmed human rabies cases per year since 2000, but researchers estimate the true toll is far higher, with only around 7% of cases actually being diagnosed. The authors reached that estimate by tracing documented cases of human-to-human rabies transmission through organ and tissue transplants.
Indonesia Raises Alert Level After Sinabung Eruption
Indonesia raised the alert level for Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island to “Watch,” the second-highest level, after the volcano erupted on Monday and sent an ash column roughly 3,500 meters into the sky, according to Phys.org. Officials are advising residents to stay at least 6 kilometers from the summit and are distributing masks to protect against ashfall. No casualties or evacuations have been reported from this eruption, closing out today’s tech news roundup.
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Photo: Mike Deerkoski / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.