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Sam's News — tech — 2026-09-09

Hardware

8 iPhone Duo foldable display technology proves successful in hands-on testing

Apple announced the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone, featuring a 5.4-inch outer display and an inner screen with a barely-perceptible crease. Hands-on testing confirmed the IP68-rated folding mechanism works smoothly with content transitioning seamlessly between laptop and tent modes, though battery implications remain unclear.

  • 5.4-inch outer display with matte finish
  • Inner screen crease difficult to detect by touch
  • IP68 water and dust resistance rating
  • Supports laptop and tent mode positioning

Sources: The Verge AI Web Searched, TechCrunch RSS, Wired RSS

8 Apple announces iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max alongside foldable iPhone Duo

Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo foldable alongside iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, skipping a base iPhone 18 model. The Duo features a 7.6-inch inner display (50% larger than Pro Max) and 5.4-inch outer display, powered by the A20 Pro chip with custom vapor chamber cooling. Pre-orders begin October 16, 2026.

  • 7.6-inch inner display; 50% larger than iPhone 18 Pro Max
  • 5.4-inch outer display delivers 90% of Pro screen area
  • A20 Pro chip with advanced thermal management
  • Grade 5 titanium construction, available star white and night sky
  • Pre-orders October 16, availability October 23, 2026
  • iOS 27 and Apple Intelligence 2 integrated

Sources: Apple Newsroom AI Web Searched, Hacker News (front page) RSS, The Verge RSS, The Motley Fool RSS

8 Apple announces iPhone Duo foldable, iPhone 18 Pro, Watch and AirPods updates

Apple introduced its first foldable iPhone Duo alongside new iPhone 18 Pro models, Apple Watch updates, and AirPods 5 with enhanced Siri AI capabilities.

Sources: TechCrunch RSS, Wired RSS, Engadget RSS Update to: Apple 2026 event: foldable iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro expected

8 Apple announces iPhone Duo foldable smartphone

Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone after years of speculation.

Sources: Engadget RSS

Security

8 US Agencies Report Chinese Firms Conducted Industrial-Scale Distillation Attacks on American Frontier AI Models

U.S. cybersecurity and intelligence agencies disclosed that six Chinese AI companies executed large-scale model distillation attacks against American cutting-edge AI models since late 2024.

Sources: BleepingComputer RSS, The Register RSS

AI Safety

7.5 Anthropic safety researcher warns of 10%+ chance AI could cause human extinction by 2030s

A senior Anthropic safety researcher stated there is more than a 10% chance AI could cause human extinction by the 2030s, hours after researcher Jacob Coxon resigned over concerns about reckless AI development at Anthropic and OpenAI. Both researchers warned that companies are racing toward self-improving superintelligence without adequate safety measures.

  • 10%+ estimated probability of AI-caused human extinction by end of decade
  • Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned citing safety concerns
  • Both Anthropic and OpenAI accused of prioritizing speed over safety protocols
  • Self-improving AI systems pose risk of spiraling beyond human control

Sources: The Verge AI Web Searched, tech.yahoo.com RSS, bbc.com RSS, BBC RSS, The Cryptonomist RSS, LADbible RSS

AI

7.5 Google DeepMind releases genome atlas using AI

Google DeepMind released AlphaGenome Atlas, a publicly available petabyte-scale database containing AlphaGenome AI predictions of nine billion possible nucleotide variations in the human genome. The platform assigns each variant an AlphaGenome Variant Impact (AVI) score, enabling researchers to identify genetic variants more efficiently than brute-force searching.

  • AlphaGenome Atlas contains petabyte of data on 9 billion nucleotide variations
  • Each variant assigned AVI score ranking likelihood of biological impact
  • GREGoR Consortium pilot used AVI scores to identify DNM1 gene variants linked to epileptic encephalopathy
  • Platform builds on AlphaGenome AI model from prior year

Sources: The Register AI Web Searched

7.5 OpenAI advances toward solving Millennium Prize Problem in mathematics

OpenAI announced a mathematical breakthrough that addresses one of the Millennium Prize Problems, though the achievement has sparked debate in academia.

Sources: The Verge RSS, France 24 RSS Update to: OpenAI's Millennium Prize Problem solution faces academic credibility questions

Tech

7 Google DeepMind Alumni Launch Fusionality to Accelerate Fusion Power Development

Google DeepMind alumni Federico Felici and Jonas Buchli founded Fusionality to develop control systems and simulation tools for fusion power startups. The Lausanne-based company raised $3.7 million in pre-seed funding and aims to provide reusable components, as approximately 80% of each fusion company's control system is typically duplicated across designs.

  • Fusionality raised $3.7 million (CHF 3 million) pre-seed from Founderful and Playfair
  • ~80% of fusion company control systems are identical across designs despite custom rebuilding
  • Felici (CEO) and Buchli (CTO) previously developed AI systems for EPFL tokamak and Google DeepMind
  • AI to play supporting role optimizing control systems, not fully autonomous reactor control

Sources: TechCrunch AI Web Searched

7 OpenAI Partners with Samsung on Next-Generation AI Chips

OpenAI announced a deepening partnership with Samsung focused on developing next-generation semiconductor technology for AI.

Sources: reuters.com RSS, SQ Magazine RSS, The Register RSS