Local timeline

The biggest change about Ember's new mug is that you no longer have to open the app to adjust your drink’s temperature. https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/17/embers-new-temperature-controlled-mug-makes-my-nightly-tea-ritual-even-better/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

Nvidia senior VP Jeff Fisher said the RTX 5090 has not been discontinued and will continue to be shipped, despite limited supplies.
Source: Tom's Hardware
https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/nvidia-reportedly-insists-the-rtx-5090-isnt-dead-despite-severe-shortages-and-removed-listings-at-multiple-retailers-flagship-gpu-is-missing-from-nvidias-store-and-commands-usd8-500-on-amazon
#Semiconductors #Nvidia

A Form Five student in Seremban is a suspect in the circulation of AI-manipulated explicit images of schoolgirls, and the school suspended the student from classes on Aug 24-28.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/10/17/form-5-student-a-suspect-over-ai-porn-images-of-schoolgirls
#TechPolicy

Japan will invest up to $21 billion in two new GlobalFoundries chip factories in Malta, New York. The funding will come from Japan.
Source: The Next Web
https://thenextweb.com/news/globalfoundries-japan-21bn-new-york-fabs-us-stake
#Semiconductors

Kubernetes has always relied on agents, though not the kind dominating today's AI conversations.
Source: The New Stack
https://thenewstack.io/ai-agents-kubernetes-control/
#Tech

Apple updated App Store rules to ensure it doesn't offer AI nudify apps, tightening rules against AI-generated nonconsensual intimate imagery.
Source: Engadget
https://www.engadget.com/2289567/apple-updates-app-store-rules-ai-nudify-apps/
#TechPolicy #Apple

OpenAI is in early talks to buy Trail of Bits. Trail of Bits is a firm that finds and fixes security flaws in open-source software.
Source: The Next Web
https://thenextweb.com/news/openai-trail-of-bits-acquisition-talks
#AI #OpenAI

Eng Amjad Arab of Salam says the firm is mapping Saudi Arabia's shift from a data corridor to an AI destination.
Source: TahawulTech
https://www.tahawultech.com/home-slide/salam-maps-kingdoms-route-from-data-corridor-to-ai-destination-says-amjad-arab/
#AI

The International Bureau of Weights and Measures voted to expedite the retirement of the leap second to May 20, 2027.
Source: Tom's Hardware
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/international-measurement-organization-to-retire-leap-seconds-next-year-to-avoid-wreaking-havoc-on-computer-systems-group-makes-move-to-simplify-atomic-time-tracking
#Tech

Alexandr Wang and Mark Zuckerberg discussed a massive AI investment. Meta launched the Muse app and Muse Wonder model. Susan Li warned Wang about the financial stakes.
Source: Fortune
https://fortune.com/2026/10/17/alexandr-wang-mark-zuckerberg-meta-superintelligence-labs-muse-wonder-ai-bet/
#AI #Meta

Australian Federal Police commissioner Krissy Barrett warned that artificial intelligence chatbots are not a sufficient replacement for human support for children.
Source: Stuff South Africa
https://stuff.co.za/2026/10/17/kids-and-teens-are-going-to-ai-chatbots-for-advice/
#TechPolicy

Encryption is being squeezed from all sides. Canada's planned surveillance law adds to a series of global threats to encryption.
Source: WIRED
https://www.wired.com/story/kernel-panic-encryption-is-getting-squeezed-from-all-sides/
#TechPolicy

Anthropic executive Clark told policymakers that AI is rapidly improving and could vastly boost US GDP.
Source: CNA
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/ai-rapidly-improving-could-vastly-boost-us-gdp-anthropics-clark-tells-policymakers-6468116
#TechPolicy #Anthropic

Decomp.dev is shutting down its public index and leaderboard because AI-driven progress has turned the community into a hollow numbers game.
Source: Tom's Hardware
https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/retro-gaming/game-decompilation-tracker-decomp-dev-shuts-its-public-leaderboard-saying-ai-has-broken-the-community-its-creator-blames-forks-that-use-ai-to-finish-other-teams-projects-and-races-to-ship-rough-pc-ports
#AI

Giorgos Tsetis says no one is personally accountable for AI. He argues that personal legal responsibility is a powerful tool for ensuring product safety.
Source: Fortune
https://fortune.com/2026/10/17/ai-executives-personal-legal-liability/
#TechPolicy

China's proposed AI tech export bans may create short-term costs, long-term gains, analysts say. The measures aim to tighten Beijing's grip on artificial intelligence technologies.
Source: South China Morning Post
https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3371247/chinas-proposed-ai-tech-export-bans-may-create-short-term-costs-long-term-gains-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed
#TechPolicy

Deepseek released V4.1-Flash-1017 as an open-weight model.
Source: The Decoder
https://the-decoder.com/deepseek-v4-1-flash-1017-beats-larger-rivals-in-agentic-tasks-while-once-again-massively-cutting-per-task-costs/
#AI

The Supreme Court has stated that internet access is a fundamental right for all, including children. A bench noted that children's safety and freedom are not at odds.
Source: Scroll.in
https://scroll.in/latest/1096477/children-have-fundamental-right-to-use-internet-says-sc?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=public
#TechPolicy

The U.S. Army is partnering with X-Bow Systems and Leidos to develop 3D-printed solid rocket motors for the Low-Cost Containerized Munition project.
Source: Tom's Hardware
https://www.tomshardware.com/3d-printing/us-army-to-use-3d-printed-rocket-motors-for-low-cost-cruise-missiles-additive-manufacturing-company-secures-deal-to-build-rocket-engines-for-the-arsenal-of-freedom
#Robotics

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry approved TSMC's revised plan to build 3-nanometer logic chips at its second Kumamoto fab.
Source: DigiTimes Asia
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20261017VL200/fab-tsmc-chips-kumamoto-production.html
#Semiconductors #TSMC