Daily Tech News Digest – 2026-09-29

Top tech headlines from BBC Technology, TechRadar and Ars Technica in the last 24 hours.

BBC Technology

• OpenAI scraps rollout of new model over safety concerns
  The firm also issued an update on incidents in which its models accessed Australian government systems.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:14:13 GMT

TechRadar Tech

• The Prime Day Kindle discounts are going live already — here's what you should know before you buy
  Amazon UK is ahead of the game with its Kindle discounts, and the US should follow soon.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:13:44 +0000
• ShinyHunters hackers are going after Oracle systems once again - here's what we know
  Mitigations are no longer mitigating, and patching is now the only method of defense.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:05:00 +0000
• Evri trials a two-legged delivery robot in the UK, and it can get up stairs
  Would you let a robot deliver your latest internet order? It's now a possibility for the people of Barnsley.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:04:00 +0000
• Over half of firms are still holding off using AI for recruitment as human fears persist
  Applicants don't seem to be too comfortable with AI screening processes, and recruiters are now battling higher quantities of applications.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:25:00 +0000
• Mini PC made from 13kg of solid gold costs as much as 60 new cars
  This mini PC is made from 13kg of 24-carat gold and costs as much as 60 new cars.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:23:10 +0000
• Featuring a host of our favorite games from this year and 2 of our favorite gaming devices, you can now place your votes for the best in gaming in the Golden Joystick Awards 2026
  The nominees for the 44th annual Golden Joystick Awards have been officially announced across 21 categories.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:22:57 +0000
• This iPhone Duo app simulates a classic Walkman
  An iPhone Duo app gives the Walkman a modern upgrade, while retaining some of the tactility.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:08:12 +0000
• How to watch Blue Lights season 4 for *FREE* from anywhere
  Here's how to watch Blue Lights season 4 free from anywhere, as the Northern Irish police procedural returns for another characteristically intense instalment.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000
• Vivo's new 400mm teleconverter lens shows rivals Oppo and Apple how it's done
  Vivo sells its new flagship X500 Pro Max in a photographer's kit with two teleconverter lenses, including a new 'G2 Ultra' 4.7x lens with a 400mm focal length. Put simply, it blows rivals out of the water.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:37:44 +0000
• Dyson just made the robot vacuum I've been crying out for — and it's not the new flagship
  The new R1 Nurovi Dry fills a niche that robot vacuum brands have been ignoring for years.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:23:58 +0000
• Organizations must rethink skills to realize AI ROI
  As AI reshapes roles, Tungsten's Adam Field explains why job descriptions and skills need a rethink.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:22:51 +0000
• Your favorite free mobile game could be sharing your data with Russia and China, Proton warns
  Love a free puzzle game on your commute? A new report has found that millions of popular mobile game downloads contain hidden trackers sending personal data to Russia, China, and beyond.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:22:20 +0000
• Dutch Government is the latest to ditch Microsoft — US sanctions push Netherlands towards home-grown NixOS-based software
  The Netherlands' first migration will likely involve replacing Windows with NixOS – its Foundation is located within the Netherlands.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:05:00 +0000
• The regulatory readiness problem hiding in plain sight
  Organizations must connect AI risk, review and evidence to demonstrate effective regulatory oversight.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:52:42 +0000
• The Honor Life S3 is another tiny ereader that attaches to your phone
  The Honor Life S3 is another new competitor in the burgeoning niche of tiny ereaders.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:36:07 +0000
• Neil Druckmann confirms Naughty Dog is working on 'a couple' of new The Last of Us projects that will 'expand the canon' of the first two games — 'We believe these stories are worth telling'
  Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann has confirmed the studio is working on more games to expand the world of The Last of Us.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:18:20 +0000
• Dyson unveils a gorgeous Plum and Copper upgrade for its hair stylers, in time for Christmas
  A special edition inspired by "a gemstone of near-mythical rarity" according to Dyson's designers.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000
• How to watch NHL 2026/27 for FREE: Live Streams & TV Channels
  Here's how to watch NHL live streams the world over, including free streams and international TV channels for the 2026/27 season and Stanley Cup.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000
• Lloyds' new in-app invoicing tool wants to help UK small businesses cut their admin for good
  Get Paid from Lloyds looks to help small businesses cut their admin burden for good.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:51:53 +0000
• Confidence is the new competitive advantage
  SMBs lack the confidence they need to adopt and scale technology.
  Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:43:19 +0000

Ars Technica Technology

• Boeing "incredibly excited" to serve as nation's only astronaut transportation
  "We couldn't provide detailed pricing to the CLD suppliers."
  Mon, 28 Sep 2026 22:24:33 +0000
• Experts worry about Nvidia's AI chip sales in China and influence over Trump
  China is reportedly mulling letting ByteDance, Alibaba buy banned Nvidia chips.
  Mon, 28 Sep 2026 21:49:10 +0000
• SpaceX's Starship goes orbital, deploying first next-gen Starlinks
  Starship had already flown 99 percent of the way to low-Earth orbit. Monday's flight added the last bit.
  Mon, 28 Sep 2026 21:26:19 +0000
• Florida invokes extinction fears in legal bid to halt OpenAI development
  State says LLMs threaten civilization as "the greatest public nuisance ever created."
  Mon, 28 Sep 2026 20:49:39 +0000
• New device captures carbon dioxide by pumping it across a battery
  The design requires less energy to capture CO2 than current systems.
  Mon, 28 Sep 2026 20:31:06 +0000
• To keep drug prices high, pharma has been piling up the patents
  Add-on patents have increased drug patent periods from two years to over six.
  Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:53:37 +0000
• Trump cuts fuel economy standards back to 2014 levels
  In 2020, Trump cut CAFE to 40 mpg. Now he’s cut it again to just 35 mpg.
  Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:35:51 +0000
• Kalshi loses again as judges rule prediction markets must obey gambling laws
  Kalshi's defiance of state gambling laws may be headed to Supreme Court.
  Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:04:09 +0000
• Google seemingly confirms plans to kill ChromeOS in 2034
  Google support maps out how Googlebooks can take over where ChromeOS left off.
  Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:04:59 +0000
• Scientists solve 1840s space weather mystery
  19th century Nature account of 1841 train delayed by geomagnetic storm got year wrong—due to a typo.
  Mon, 28 Sep 2026 17:56:36 +0000
• F1 in Azerbaijan: That was almost a close-run thing
  Kimi Antonelli could not repeat his Monza magic after a crash in qualifying.
  Mon, 28 Sep 2026 17:41:35 +0000
• OpenAI halts frontier-model training amid string of agent misalignment incidents
  US Government websites among "dozens of third parties" OpenAI has recently notified.
  Mon, 28 Sep 2026 16:43:18 +0000
• NASA 'troubleshooting' transporter for space station's robotic arm [Updated]
  NASA isn't saying much. The problem may be temporary.
  Mon, 28 Sep 2026 16:03:50 +0000

— Auto-generated digest