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  • Apple adds a toggle to tint Liquid Glass in iOS 26.1 beta
    October 20, 2025, 8:20 PM EDT. Apple is rolling out a new toggle in the iOS 26.1 beta that lets users tint its signature Liquid Glass UI, softening the characteristic glassy look. The feature, highlighted by Jay Peters, adds user control over translucency and color, offering a more personalized appearance without changing core behavior. If adopted widely, it signals Apple's ongoing push for visual customization while preserving performance and compatibility as developers await the final release.
  • NASA hints SpaceX could be sidelined from Artemis III as contract opens to rivals
    October 20, 2025, 8:18 PM EDT. NASA chief Sean Duffy indicated that NASA may open the Artemis III lunar-landing contract to other bidders, signaling that SpaceX could be replaced if its Starship lander misses timelines. With Artemis III targeting a mid-2027 moon landing, Duffy said the agency is in a race with China and plans to "open up the contract" to other space companies. SpaceX currently holds a $2.9 billion contract to provide the surface lander, but concerns about schedule delays and complex logistics have grown after several test flights. Blue Origin remains the other contracted provider with its Blue Moon lander, while NASA has not yet commented on the remarks. The move underscores tensions over mission risk and speed in the evolving space race.
  • Silicon Valley 996: Expect Weekends and Long Hours as AI Race Heats Up
    October 20, 2025, 8:16 PM EDT. As AI competition accelerates, some Silicon Valley companies embrace a 996 schedule-working 9 a.m.-9 p.m., six days a week. High-profile leaders, including CEOs and startup founders, argue longer hours drive breakthroughs, while Ramp's data shows a rise in Saturday corporate card transactions in San Francisco, implying more weekend work in 2025. Google's Sergey Brin reportedly praised a 60-hour week as a productivity sweet spot. In practice, firms like Cognition and Windsurf advertise extreme performance cultures, and NYC startup Rilla explicitly asks engineers to expect ~70 hours per week. For job seekers, this trend signals intense workloads but also opportunities in AI, provided you can tolerate the weekend grind.
  • Apple Tops Microsoft as World's Second-Most Valuable Company After Stock Rally
    October 20, 2025, 8:14 PM EDT. Apple overtook Microsoft to become the world's second-most valuable company after a rally in its stock driven by strong demand for the iPhone 17. Apple's market capitalization neared the $4 trillion mark, edging past Microsoft's roughly $3.8 trillion and underscoring momentum alongside Nvidia. Counterpoint Research data showed the iPhone 17 outsold the iPhone 16 by about 14% in the first 10 days of release in China and the U.S. Apple's shares closed at an all-time high of $262.24, up 3.9%. The move comes as Apple's year-to-date gains lag broader markets, while investors weigh supply chain and tariff headwinds against continued product momentum.
  • Apple releases iOS 26.1 beta 4 with expanded language support and new features
    October 20, 2025, 8:10 PM EDT. Apple released the fourth developer beta of iOS 26.1, the next update ahead of its public rollout expected late October or early November. Key changes include expanded Apple Intelligence language support (Chinese traditional, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese) and expanded AirPods Live Translation for Chinese (Mandarin), Italian, Japanese, and Korean. The update also marks the rebranding of streaming service from Apple TV+ to Apple TV, with a new app icon reflecting a vibrant identity. A new Local Capture setting lets you choose where captured files are saved and toggling audio-only captures. Other refinements include an improved Slide to Unlock for alarms, a gesture for changing songs, and a Liquid Glass transparency toggle. Full notes coming with beta 4 coverage.