Technology

The iPhone’s virtual assistant got a glow-up with iOS 27 and finally lives up to Apple’s 2011 promise. In my early testing, Siri is just here to get things done.

• FCC approves testing of satellites designed to reflect sunlight toward Earth
• Startup plans thousands of orbital mirrors capable of extending daylight periods
• Scientists warn artificial sunlight could interfere with astronomical observations worldwide

A California startup has received approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to test satellites designed to reflect sunlight toward Earth.

Reflect Orbital plans to launch its Eärendil-1 spacecraft with large orbital mirrors capable of extending daylight in selected areas.

The concept promises new applications for energy and emergency services, although scientists have raised concerns about its broader consequences.

Reflect Orbital to begin testing of ambitious sunlight reflection technology

The Eärendil-1 satellite will operate in low Earth orbit with four thin film reflectors measuring about 18 meters, or roughly 60 feet, across.

The reflected sunlight will be directed toward specific locations for short periods, supporting activities such as construction work, search and rescue operations, and solar power generation.

Reflect Orbital says its mirrors could eventually deliver up to 36,000 lux, roughly comparable to genuine daylight conditions found outdoors.

The system could also provide around 100 lux continuously, similar to lighting typically found inside standard indoor workspaces around the clock.

“We’re grateful to the FCC for recognizing the importance of testing novel technologies in space,” Ben Nowack, chief executive of Reflect Orbital, said in a statement.

“This license is the first step toward rigorously testing our technology’s efficacy and the safeguards we have developed.”

The idea has drawn comparisons with the fictional Icarus satellite from the James Bond film Die Another Day, where an orbital reflector was designed to bring sunlight to dark regions.

While the real technology differs significantly from the movie concept, critics argue similar questions about unintended effects remain relevant as deployment plans expand.

Astronomers and environmental groups warn about possible impacts

Astronomers have expressed concerns that reflected sunlight from thousands of satellites could interfere with observations of faint objects across the night sky.

Tony Tyson, chief scientist at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, described the proposal as “even crazier” than previous satellite constellation challenges affecting astronomical research.

The European Southern Observatory warned that a full deployment could increase sky brightness at its facilities by three to four times, reducing the ability of telescopes to detect distant and faint astronomical sources.

Researchers also argue that artificial nighttime illumination could affect biological systems that depend on natural day and night cycles.

These concerns involve plants, animals and humans that rely upon predictable environmental patterns for normal behaviour.

The FCC stated that scientific and environmental issues fall outside its direct regulatory authority, which focuses mainly on communications services involving radio, television, satellite and related systems.

The agency approved testing because it believes allowing new space technologies supports innovation and economic development.

Critics may instead seek reviews from agencies such as NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency, which handle broader questions involving space activity and environmental effects.

Whether orbital mirrors become a useful technology or create unexpected challenges will depend on future testing, oversight, and independent scientific assessments.

Via Tom's Hardware

• MacBook users are complaining about their devices’ sharp edges
• Several have decided to file their laptops down for more comfort
• One recently outlined the process in detail on their blog

Apple is known for its keen sense of design and the exacting standards it holds its designers to, which is why it’s all the more surprising to see users of the best MacBooks filing the edges off their prized laptops. Yet that’s exactly what’s been happening over the last few months, with many arguing that it makes for a far more comfortable experience.

The latest example comes from software engineer Max Bretschneider, who posted a blog entry explaining their decision and how they went about doing it. They described their motivation this way: “A laptop will be frequently used on a lap, meaning the wrists will touch the sharp edge at an angle which is very uncomfortable.”

To file down the edge and reduce its sharpness, Bretschneider used a metal file and a block of progressive sandpaper. They taped off areas like the keyboard and trackpad, clamped the MacBook into place, then got to work.

Despite describing the process as “very scary,” Bretschneider added that the modification was “far easier and approachable than it seems initially.” They were able to “achieve an even level” when filing and sanding, leaving them with a device that could “serve its primary purpose as a tool better.”

A multitude of MacBook modsThe end result.Max BretschneiderBretschneider's MacBook ready to be filed down.Max Bretschneider

Bretschneider is far from the only person to have recently sanded down their MacBook’s sharp edges — you’ll find an example from April 2026 featuring designer Kent Walters, for example. Going further back, users have apparently been taking a file and sandpaper to their MacBook’s edges since at least 2010.

And readers chimed in with their own thoughts, with one Hacker News user testifying that “the sharp edges have bothered me since they started with the unibody.” Another argued that sharp edges were “my number one complaint about the M-series [MacBook Pro] line.”

People have been augmenting their Apple devices in new and creative ways for many years now. We’ve seen people attempting to transform old iPhones into new ones, adding USB-C to iPhones that didn’t have it, crafting custom mechanical keyboards with built-in Touch ID, stuffing Mac minis inside old iMacs, and much more.

So, if you’ve found the edges of your MacBook to be a little too sharp for comfort, know that it’s entirely possible to sand them down for a more pleasant experience. Just make sure you’ve planned well ahead — and don’t expect Apple to look too kindly on your work.

• Ukraine's Brave1 opened the first state grant program treating combat humanoid robots as their own procurement category
• The move, which aims to capitalize on gains by Ukraine's already-innovative robotics industry, is also cognizant of the current limitations of the tech
• The goals set by Brave1 are modest but offer backing of up to ₴100M+ for breakthrough projects

Ukraine has become the first country to fund combat humanoid robots, but the move might prioritize future innovations over deployable solutions in the near future.

The devil is in the details: its own battlefield data shows wheeled and tracked bots running 66,000+ missions in 2026 so far, while the only combat-tested humanoid lasted three hours on a charge.

This points to the much humbler beginnings that Ukraine's own moves in the space indicate, even as it continues to scale up its bot deployments in the field.

What is Ukraine actually buying in 2026?

Ukraine's move comes in the form of the Brave1 Advantage event in Kyiv on 2 July 2026, where company CEO Andriy Hrytsenyuk announced a grant competition for domestically built bipedal humanoid robots designed exclusively for military tasks.

The move, spearheaded by Brave1, is part of Ukraine's military push for innovation on a fast-changing battlefield; winning designs can receive over ₴100 million (roughly $2.4 million) in grants.

Brave1 was founded in April 2023 by six ministries and is now being transferred from the Ministry of Digital Transformation to the Ministry of Defense; it has become Kyiv's main mechanism for converting frontline needs into funded engineering projects.

CEO Andriy Hrytsenyuk painted this as a must-have industry for Ukraine, stating, "We see how quickly the humanoid robotics industry is developing worldwide, in China and the United States. We see that such robots have value for strengthening our military capabilities. That is why we are moving in this direction."

The move seems to be a long-term play on robotics, with Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov also weighing in earlier using three words: war must become a format where "technology fights technology."

The reason one should expect Wall-E rather than Terminator, however, is that Ukraine already runs the largest ground-robot ecosystem in any active war, and none of it walks on two legs.

Ukraine has also made significant inroads, such as holding off Russian attackers at key positions and capturing an entire fortified Russian position with the help of drones and ground robots, marking the first full seizure of territory in the world by bots.

For now, the only humanoid that has actually been to war in Ukraine is the Phantom MK-1, built in San Fransico by a startup, Foundation Future Industries.

The MK-1 carries only about 20 kg, has no waterproofing, and provides roughly two to three hours of battery life, compared with infantry missions that run eight to twenty-four hours, rendering it somewhat ill-suited to most of the combat operations that Ukraine currently conducts along the frontline.

Ukraine's investment in humanoids might not, therefore, result in short-term fruitful gains but rather indicate it is bucking the trend, so to speak, even as Goldman Sachs is projecting nearly 50,000 to 100,000 non-combat humanoid shipments globally this year, even as military planners envision putting one in a trench in the near future.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, July 16 (game #1131).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1132) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CRANE GAME
• SATIRES
• TICKETS
• CARDINAL DIRECTIONS
• SWAN SONG
• SUITS
• ROBIN HOOD
• PLOT SPOILER
• TREE TRUNK
• TOKENS
• SEASONS
• EPILOGUE
• LAST DANCE
• CLASSICAL ELEMENTS
• FAREWELL
• PINBALL

NYT Connections today (game #1132) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Final hurrah
• GREEN: As seen at gaming center
• BLUE: Think of a number after three
• PURPLE: Vehicle bits

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1132) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: GRAND FINALE
• GREEN: SEEN IN AN ARCADE
• BLUE: FOUR GROUPS OF FOUR
• PURPLE: ENDING IN PARTS OF A CAR

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1132) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1132, are…

• YELLOW: GRAND FINALE: EPILOGUE, FAREWELL, LAST DANCE, SWAN SONG
• GREEN: SEEN IN AN ARCADE: CRANE GAME, PINBALL, TICKETS, TOKENS
• BLUE: FOUR GROUPS OF FOUR: CARDINAL DIRECTIONS, CLASSICAL ELEMENTS, SEASONS, SUITS
• PURPLE: ENDING IN PARTS OF A CAR: PLOT SPOILER, ROBIN HOOD, SATIRES, TREE TRUNK

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Even though I didn't get a purple first I was delighted that I managed to get ENDING IN PARTS OF A CAR at all, as I know nothing about automobiles whatsoever.

This particular group needed translating fromAmerican English to UK English for me, because here a trunk is a boot and a spoiler is a bumper.

GRAND FINALE was simple, although EPILOGUE feels the odd one out of the quartet as it’s possible to have an ending to a career and then have an EPILOGUE years later — a movie star returning as a director, for example, or a boxer ill-advisedly coming out of retirement to punch a YouTuber.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, July 16, 2026, game #1131)

• YELLOW: SKINCARE PRODUCTS: CLAY MASK, EYE CREAM, PEEL, TONER
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH TINY MARKS: DOT MATRIX, PERIOD PIECE, POINT BREAK, SPOT REMOVER
• BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH PRECISION: BULLSEYE, CLOCKWORK, LASER, NEEDLE
• GREEN: SHADES OF BLACK: CHARCOAL, INK, JET, PITCH

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, July 16 (game #865).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #866) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Categorically speaking

NYT Strands today (game #866) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• PRIVATE
• MINT
• PLUGS
• GRATE
• TROPE
• RENT

NYT Strands today (game #866) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 14 letters

NYT Strands today (game #866) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First side: left, 4th row

• Last side: right, 4th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #866) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #866, are…

• ENTERTAINMENT
• NATURE
• SPORTS
• GEOGRAPHY
• SPANGRAM: TRIVIALPURSUIT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Initially I thought we would be looking for synonyms of the word category, but instead we were on the hunt for the four of the six segments — or cheeses — that complete a game piece in TRIVIALPURSUIT.

Missing from the list are history and science.

Spotting ENTERTAINMENT — a tricky word to hide — kicked things off for me, with the letter V helping me connect the spangram. All in all a good deal shorter than an actual game of TRIVIALPURSUIT.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, July 16, game #865)

• TACK
• ZIGZAG
• TURN
• VEER
• DEVIATE
• PIVOT
• SWERVE
• SPANGRAM: CHANGECOURSE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, July 16 (game #1634).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1635) — hint #1 — VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1635) — hint #2 — repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1635) — hint #3 — uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1635) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1635) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• P

• G

• I

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1635) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1635, are…

• CUMIN
• PALER
• GRASS
• INBOX

Crazy days as the rare letter X makes a second appearance of the week.

Having a B in the third letter position felt weird, then I remembered the old Quordle favorite INBOX.

That said, although it feels familiar, it hasn't appeared in the game since December last year. I think I must be playing this game too much.

Daily Sequence today (game #1635) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1635, are…

• SMOKY
• HANDY
• PINCH
• NAIVE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1634, Thursday, 16 July: IGLOO, PLAIT, YEAST, AROMA
• Quordle #1633, Wednesday, 15 July: PROXY, BRICK, BROTH, SURGE
• Quordle #1632, Tuesday, 14 July: EBONY, AVOID, RODEO, CUTIE
• Quordle #1631, Monday, 13 July: VOICE, BISON, BURNT, BUILT
• Quordle #1630, Sunday, 12 July: STAIN, BINGO, LARVA, DICEY
• Quordle #1629, Saturday, 11 July: WORTH, PRONG, DINGO, DRUID
• Quordle #1628, Friday, 10 July: GREET, STEAK, DUSKY, HAUTE
• Quordle #1627, Thursday, 9 July: CRUMP, PHONE, SHINY, STONY
• Quordle #1626, Wednesday, 8 July: GHOST, TREND, EXALT, ALONG
• Quordle #1625, Tuesday, 7 July: ARRAY, SUITE, KIOSK, BOULE
• Quordle #1624, Monday, 6 July: TRAWL, SPICE, PIANO, SHARK
• Quordle #1623, Sunday, 5 July: PINEY, SWOON, TITLE, PINTO
• Quordle #1622, Saturday, 4 July: ARGUE, MOTEL, OPERA, TRUCE
• Quordle #1621, Friday, 3 July: AVERT, MOTOR, MANIC, WORDY
• Quordle #1620, Thursday, 2 July: BULKY, PARSE, BELOW, MOVIE
• Quordle #1619, Wednesday, 1 July: EASEL, OTTER, LYRIC, SHACK
• Quordle #1618, Tuesday, 30 June: HALVE, DRYER, THERE, MINTY
• Quordle #1617, Monday, 29 June: SLURP, CRACK, CRANK, PHONY
• Quordle #1616, Sunday, 28 June: RUPEE, TOPAZ, FULLY, BEING
• Quordle #1615, Saturday, 27 June: PRINT, MARRY, SADLY, BICEP

A major flaw in Apple's Hide My Email feature exposes users' real email addresses to anyone who can look them up online.

• Excel continues to grow as a popular esport
• The Microsoft Excel World Championship’s (MEWC) inaugural Landmark Battle took place on the weekend of July 11th, 2026
• Four competitors went to cell-to-cell, but there was only one winner

The Microsoft Excel World Championship’s (MEWC) inaugural Landmark Battle has declared its first winner, Ireland’s Diarmuid Early, who previously won the Excel World Championship in December 2025.

The MEWC’s Landmark Battle featured four competitors, with Early joined by Andrew Ngai, Jaq Kennedy, and Nicolas Micot. Lasting a mere 30 minutes, the game wasn’t simply a “landmark event” – it took place at four physical landmarks.

Co-sponsored by ASUS, the competitors were forced to compete outdoors in New York, London, Paris, and Australia, all typing and CTRL-Ving furiously on ExpertBook Ultras with handy wireless portable external displays. The Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, and Sydney Harbour provided the literal landmarks for the event.

Get up Early to win

The MEWC is not a new event, first being held in 2021, with the 2022 broadcast on ESPN.

The competition pits Excel experts against each other to solve complex challenges posed by other Excel experts, not doubt with a few Microsoft Certified Professional qualifications buried among their other achievements in the world of business data management.

These aren’t boring, C-suite outcomes, however. On this occasion, the competitors took the Around The World in 80 Days-inspired Excel challenge, the latest in an inventive selection. This was conceived to reflect remote workers, whose endeavors are “across client sites, airports, cafés, co-working spaces, and remote locations, instead of behind a desk in an office.”

Andrew Grigolyunovich is the founder of the Microsoft Excel World Championship. "The Landmark Battle was unlike anything we've done before," he said. "Watching elite competitors perform from some of the world's most iconic landmarks, powered by ASUS, showed just how far Excel Esports can go."

Previous events have seen competitors tasked with completing jigsaw puzzles using Excel, slot machine games, and the 2D Excel-based platformer, Modelario.

Early’s win – which ironically enough, was late in the game – gave him a last-minute 40-point lead over Andrew Ngai, but due to the worldwide nature of the game, no one knew who had won until the game was over.

As you can see in the YouTube video, each competitor was accompanied by just a cameraman, and you can see the reactions as the results are confirmed.

Esport, or Excel-sport?

Esports have become big business in recent years, but events tend to circle around games such as League of Legends, Dota, or CS:GO.

As esport events go, Microsoft Excel is not the obvious spectator sport. But if you have the skills to make magic with formulae and numbers arranged in rows and columns, they might be a dead cert for next year’s Microsoft Excel World Championship.

The qualifiers for the 2026 world championship have already commenced, with the event again taking place in Las Vegas – and Early appears to be a dead cert to triumph again.

The movement to preserve online privacy runs counter to the business model of many big tech companies, which have devised profitable business models that hinge on capitalizing on personal data users surrender by using their platforms. This reality cannot be divorced from the facts that prominent figures, like former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, have often made remarks like the following.

Don't be evil

Schmidt, who was Google chief at the time, was being interviewed on CNBC when he was asked whether users should feel comfortable sharing their data with Google.

Quote of the day

This article is part of TechRadar Pro's QOTD project to provide an insight into the minds of the brightest and most recognized figures in the technology industry today and in years gone by. Read the full series here.

His statement in response came as a surprise given how much Google had claimed (during this much simpler era of Silicon Valley) to care about user privacy.

These arguments, after all, are the same used by those who are adamant that we must break encryption in the name of safety, as well as those who defended the now-clear government surveillance programs disclosed by the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Worry versus harm

Scrutiny intensified in the months after these comments, with Google attempting to assuage concerns by reiterating policies around data anonymization despite continued criticism.

Co-founder Larry Page then tried to help the situation in mid-2010 by saying users should distinguish between "worry versus harm".

He tried to imply that bulk collection of data, including harvesting data from private Wi-Fi networks via Street View cars, may be harmless if that data has no utility. He challenged detractors to specifically name individuals harmed by such practices.

Then, a couple of years later, Google faced several federal fines, including a then-record $22.5 million penalty after the firm was found to have bypassed default privacy settings on Apple's Safari browsers. The EU also argued that controversial privacy changes breached European law.

• Belkin has launched a new power bank that also includes a light
• This can function as a night light, a fill light, or even an SOS signal
• The power bank has a 10,000mAh capacity, but currently it's only available in China

It can be hard to stand out when launching a new power bank, but Belkin has certainly tried with the Belkin BoostCharge Pro Power Bank 10K, which is capable of much more than just charging your phone.

Beyond packing 10,000mAh of power, it also includes a pop-out LED light, complete with a motion sensor and controls to adjust its brightness.

One obvious use for this is as a bedside night light, which might be handy when staying in a hotel. But it also has a flashing mode, which helps it attract attention; in this mode, it could function as an SOS signal — which could be reassuring if you’re out in the wilderness. And it could also be used as a fill light for photos and video calls, when the ambient light isn’t ideal.

(Image credit: Belkin)Compact and capable

Beyond that, this Belkin power bank has a built-in braided USB-C cable and a USB-C port, so you can charge two devices at once. It outputs 45W of power; if you’re charging two devices, the primary device gets 30W, and the other gets 15W.

It also has a small circular display showing the remaining battery percentage. This screen also contains controls for the LED light — a light which is unlikely to draw much power, so you hopefully won’t be sacrificing much charging potential by using it.

It comes in at 118 x 60 x 32mm and 257g, so the light doesn’t appear to add much weight or bulk, but sadly it’s only available in China for now, with JD.com listing it for 329 yuan (roughly $50 / £35 / AU$70). Since Belkin has a global presence, though, this may well launch elsewhere too.

Commentary: Beyond proving the ChatGPT maker didn't steal Apple's trade secrets, OpenAI needs to prove to everyone else that AI devices are a good idea.

The $399 Signal Ring by Vital Signals claims to deliver cuffless, calibration-free blood pressure readings from the finger.

• A joint Insider/Der Spiegel/Le Monde investigation published leaked documents showing a Chinese-authored, three-level plan to contain and defeat Starlink
• The plan, presented to Russian officers at a secret forum in 2023, highlights a three-level approach to contain and destroy SpaceX's Starlink
• A separately signed June 2023 Moscow protocol also commits Russia and China to jointly build a hypersonic-missile-defense system based on technology Russia had never before been willing to share, even with allies

Starlink is the world's largest satellite constellation ever built, and as a result, it also doubles as the backbone for many civilian and military communications channels.

With approximately 10,400 satellites in low-Earth orbit as of June 2026, SpaceX's low-Earth-orbit satellite internet network covers nearly 160 different countries and territories while delivering low-latency communications (20-40 milliseconds) that often make it a better choice than GEO systems that have a baked-in round trip delay of 500-700 milliseconds.

Its potential for military use, until recently, was downplayed by many in the industry, but it has formed the backbone for communications for Ukraine in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war earning it the ire of the Russian government and renewed focus from China, which has already covertly begun to prepare for an eventuality where it would have to disable the network.

A secret meeting that highlighted growing Chinese-Russian military co-operation

With China affirming that its 'no limits' partnership with Russia is still very much in play as early as 2025, a year-long investigation spearheaded by The Insider, Germany's Der Spiegel, and France's Le Monde indicates that both players may have already considerably broadened its scope beyond what was visible earlier, especially when it came to their respective military ambitions.

Starlink, which Russians consider a key hindrance to their campaign in Ukraine, forms the backbone of the latter's communications even as the former are cut off from access as the conflict continues to evolve in what is now the 5th year of fighting.

For China, it represents a growing threat, underscored by the US military's increasing reliance on SpaceX, which is not only the Pentagon's most important space contractor but also helps the US government deploy and service its military-grade version of Starlink: Starshield.

Chinese military officials and engineers met with Russian officers in November 2023 at a summit in Guangzhou to discuss how to tackle Starlink, presenting a 3-pronged plan of action: diplomatic pressure, jamming, then cyberattacks, and, alternatively, physical destruction.

Not only would both China and Russia aim to leverage their considerable weight in diplomatic forums to hinder Starlink's growth by imposing regulatory pressures, but they would also invest in electromagnetic-jamming infrastructure to render existing satellites useless in certain geographic areas, even as they collaborated within each other's ecosystems.

Perhaps more troubling for Elon Musk and SpaceX would be the cyberwarfare and physical warfare component, where plans to leverage "access spoofing, virus infection, and the exploitation of vulnerabilities" meet plans to "eliminate" satellites already in orbit altogether.

Given that these plans were first discussed in 2023, one can assume they have evolved considerably since then, even as drone warfare, laser-based weaponry, and anti-satellite missiles have made major inroads, as modern militaries prepare for asymmetric warfare in future conflicts.

For example, Chinese researchers at the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology in Xi'an have reportedly built a ground-based microwave weapon capable of targeting low-orbit satellites, as per local media

With China and Russia also agreeing to deploy an air-defense solution as part of the "Working Protocol" signed in Moscow, which is expected to dwarf existing capabilities, including Russia's S-500, the revelations indicate that China is not passively but rather actively supporting Russia in its ongoing endeavors.

This makes for a tricky subject to broach for Elon Musk and a White House that backs him: the former has taken a conciliatory stance toward China even as Tesla depends on the market for sales, houses its largest and most efficient plant, and has previously resulted in favorable lease terms and loans in play from the Chinese government, while the latter might tip his hand based on 'national security' concerns that could make for an uncomfortable situation much like how it has played out for Nvidia after Beijing intervened.

Starlink might be an important piece of the pie for both the US government and Elon Musk, but the response from both to Chinese plans for the service might considerably differ as a result, given what is at stake for both entities.

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• Neo Beta robot hands have human-level dexterity
• They use tendon-like controls instead of in-hand motors
• They're waterproof and can perform many skills normally reserved for human hands

Neo's new robot hands are so good and lifelike, you might assume that they're gloved human hands, and then you might wonder why someone is swinging a hammer at them.

In a new demo video recently released on YouTube by Neo Beta robot parent company 1X, you can watch a pair of Neo Hands screw in a lightbulb and pull the chain switch (before someone inexplicably shatters the bulb with a hammer), pluck grapes off a bunch and drop each one in a container, carefully pickup a screw, unzip a jacket (a bit creepy), and even open a small bag of Funyuns onion ring snacks.

In that last bit, someone swings a hammer at the hands while they work, which they pay no mind to, before the bag is unsealed.

It even expertly builds a small Lego stack. Okay, okay, they're the larger Duplo blocks, but it still does as good a job as your average kindergartner.

The hands move slowly but also with a grace and ease you might mistake for humanness. This appears to be down to the underlying technology.

As 1X described it, the rubber-covered, waterproof hands use a "closed-loop tendon-driven system". This means that 1X moves the motors or servos out of the hand and back along the arm, which keeps the hand smaller and more supple. Those motors are then connected to an intricate system of tendon-like connectors that are pulled and released to enable the robot hands' movement and manipulation. That style of control more closely resembles our own hands, which, while including muscle, are also filled with tendons that are pulled inside the forearm.

1X says the fingers, palm, and thumb have 25 degrees of freedom, but, as evidenced in the video, they can also over-extend backward in a rather unnatural or certainly more-than-human way.

The robot hands feature some impressive strength, too, lifting a 20 lb. dumbbell and then, with just one finger, curling a smaller pulley weight.

Naturally, the fingers include sensors so that the hands and robot know when it's gripping something and how much force is or should be applied. That's how the Neo robot hand avoids breaking that light bulb (unlike that hammer).

Next-level grace

I know, just last week, we heard about a pair of robots performing gall-bladder surgery on a pig. You'd think that those humanoid hands must've been far more graceful. However, those robots each simply gripped a pair of laparoscopic controls so that the finer control, where the cutting and suturing was done, happened at the end of those devices. No robot hand directly manipulated the scalpels.

While Neo's robot hands will be useful for all kinds of home helper chores when the $20,000 Neo finally arrives in consumer homes (early adopters may be receiving them now), the hands are also useful for helping itself: In the video, a Neo Beta robot uses the hands to pick up its MagSafe-style charging puck, which it carefully attaches to its robot hip.

1X writes that these hands will deliver new real-world training data to its robotic development, and one would assume this will ultimately make the Neo robots even better home helpers, companions, and enablers (all those Funyuns).

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle for July 17, No. 1,854.

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for July 17, No. 866.