Here are today’s 10 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: iPhone 18 Pro’s Variable Aperture Camera, Reviewed
- AI Tools: Threads Adds Tools to Help Podcasters Promote Shows
- Science & Space: Roman Space Telescope Powers On Its Science Instruments
Tech & Apps
iPhone 18 Pro’s Variable Aperture Camera, Reviewed
Photographer Tyler Stalman published his annual deep-dive review of the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera, focusing on its new variable aperture. He said the wider f/1.48 opening lets in more light and can reduce reliance on Night mode, and pointed out that Apple placed the aperture blades above the main lens rather than deeper in the module, an unusual design choice. Stalman also liked the new Film photographic style’s grain effect but wanted more control over its intensity, and said the phone’s AI editing tools were impressive yet could make edited photos feel less authentic to the original shot, according to 9to5Mac.
iOS 27.2 Beta Brings Siri’s AI Features to Five More Languages
Apple released the first beta of iOS 27.2, expanding its AI-powered Siri features beyond English for the first time with support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. The beta also includes an overhauled Health app, according to 9to5Mac. Apple had previously said broader language support for Siri’s AI would follow its English-only debut with iOS 27.
Streaming Services Preview Their Halloween Horror Lineups
At the Toronto International Film Festival, four streamers showed off horror-adjacent series arriving this fall. Peacock is releasing all episodes of Crystal Lake, a prequel about Jason Voorhees’ mother, on October 15, while AMC+ debuts the supernatural detective series Yaga, starring Carrie-Anne Moss, on October 23; Amazon’s Prime Video is also adding a new Carrie adaptation, according to The Verge. If you’re deciding which service is worth it this Halloween, our Pluto TV vs. Tubi comparison covers the free options too.
Meta Reportedly Prepping Camera-Free ‘Luna’ Smart Glasses
Meta is said to be developing a camera-free pair of smart glasses, codenamed Luna, that could be unveiled as soon as its Connect conference on September 23-24. The unconfirmed report says Luna would come in two styles and rely on built-in microphones and speakers for voice access to Meta’s AI assistant instead of a camera, a response to criticism over the recording capabilities of Meta’s existing smart glasses, according to The Verge.
New Trailer for Hunger Games Prequel Sunrise on the Reaping
Lionsgate released a new trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, showing Joseph Zada as a teenage Haymitch Abernathy competing in the 50th Hunger Games. The film, set 24 years before the original Hunger Games, is scheduled for theatrical release on November 20, 2026, according to Ars Technica.
MindsEye Developer Reportedly Shutting Down
Employees at Build A Rocket Boy, the studio behind the poorly received 2025 game MindsEye, say on LinkedIn that their time at the company is ending, fueling reports the studio is closing. The shutdown hasn’t been officially confirmed, and a source told IGN the company could technically continue to exist even if all staff are laid off, according to Engadget. The studio has gone through multiple rounds of layoffs since MindsEye launched.
Snap Officially Launches Its $2,195 Specs AR Glasses
Snap held its official launch event for Specs on September 16, with CEO Evan Spiegel demonstrating the $2,195 AR glasses in a livestreamed keynote. The glasses come in two sizes, offer up to four hours of mixed use per charge, and include a built-in browser plus AI features powered by partners OpenAI and Google, according to Engadget. Snap says shipping begins this fall in the U.S., U.K., and France.
Apple Reportedly Building an AI Server for 2029
Apple is said to be developing an enterprise AI server built around its M-series Ultra chips, aimed at businesses and governments running AI models rather than training them. The unconfirmed report, cited by Ars Technica, says the server wouldn’t arrive before 2029 and could still be cancelled, which would make it Apple’s first server product in decades.
AI Tools
Threads Adds Tools to Help Podcasters Promote Shows
Threads is rolling out features aimed at podcasters, including profile cards and banners, tappable episode-link cards, posted transcripts, guest tags, and reminders to post when a new episode drops. Meta is also adding audience-insight analytics so creators can track listener engagement, part of a push to make Threads a bigger hub for podcast promotion, according to TechCrunch.
Science & Space
Roman Space Telescope Powers On Its Science Instruments
NASA has begun powering on the instruments aboard its Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope as the observatory heads toward its final orbit nearly a million miles from Earth. The team activated the Coronagraph Instrument on September 1 and the 300-megapixel Wide Field Instrument on September 15, with both now undergoing months of calibration before science operations begin, according to Space.com. Space fans tracking missions like this can compare stargazing apps in our SkySafari vs. Stellarium guide.
Explore more: Pluto TV vs. Tubi comparison, how to stop Google from using your photos to train Gemini, SkySafari vs. Stellarium guide.
Make Your Digital Life Better
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Photo: SpaceX / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.