Russian hackers hijack Wi-Fi, Fake AI chatbot exposed

SMRTR Tech

8/4/2026

7-foot centaur robot with chainsaw arms built for dangerous rescue missions

A seven-foot-tall, horned, four-legged robot that looks like something out of science fiction is turning heads, and it was built in a garage in Northern California.

Called Threehalves, the centaur-like machine was designed by engineer Beau G. and a small team to tackle dangerous tasks in hazardous environments, keeping humans safely out of the picture. Its quadruped design keeps it stable on rubble, steep slopes, and soft ash, where traditional robots would stumble or fall.

It swaps dexterous hands for a modular tool system, snapping on chainsaws, drills, or impact guns in minutes.

Meanwhile, Shanghai-based Run Robotics unveiled its own AI-powered centaur robot at WAIC 2026, combining wheeled speed with a humanoid upper body capable of operating equipment and assisting rescue teams. Its sensor suite creates what the company calls a closed perception-to-decision loop.

An automated production line is expected to launch before the end of this year. Threehalves has no pricing or release date yet. [Read More]

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AI & Bots

Waymo CEO explains why Tesla’s camera-only self-driving falls short (8m read)

Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov argues that camera-only self-driving, Tesla's approach, can match human performance but hits a safety ceiling before reaching the reliability needed for true driverless operation. Waymo's sensor fusion of cameras, lidar, and radar has achieved 94% fewer serious crashes than human drivers across 220 million driverless miles, while Tesla's robotaxi shows crash rates three times worse than humans.

New AI Chatbot Turns Out to Be One Overworked Guy Answering All the Messages by Hand (2m read)

Featured Tucker Bryant, a former Google employee, created ChatTJB, a fake AI chatbot where he personally answers every message by hand. The project is intentional satire meant to fight "cognitive surrender," the tendency of people to stop thinking critically when using AI chatbots.

Google Got 800,000 Sign-Ups for an AI App — Then Canceled It (3m read)

Google canceled its AI Studio mobile app on July 31, one day before its planned launch, despite nearly 800,000 pre-registrations from over 168 countries. Instead of a standalone app, Google will fold AI Studio's app-building tools directly into Gemini, aiming to make one unified AI hub rather than multiple separate apps.

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Microsoft

Microsoft finally realized Windows 11 is too annoying. Can it be fixed? (6m read)

Microsoft has acknowledged that Windows 11 has become increasingly frustrating, largely because the company spent years prioritizing monetization over user experience. Windows boss Pavan Davuluri outlined fixes for core tools like File Explorer, Search, and Start, addressing long-standing complaints about slowness, instability, and clutter. The bigger question is whether Microsoft will stay focused on reliability improvements or get pulled back toward adding new AI features instead.

Microsoft warns Russian hackers are hijacking hotel Wi-Fi to steal user accounts (4m read)

Featured Russian state-backed hackers, linked to the SVR intelligence service, are hijacking hotel Wi-Fi networks to steal user accounts by redirecting travelers to fake Microsoft 365 login pages and tricking them into installing malware. The campaign bypasses multi-factor authentication without stealing passwords, and Microsoft advises travelers to use VPNs and avoid installing anything through captive portals.

Xbox 360 games could soon be playable on PCs, handhelds, and next-gen Xbox consoles (3m read)

Microsoft is expanding Xbox backward compatibility, with Xbox 360 games set to run on PCs, handhelds, and the upcoming Project Helix console between 2027 and 2028. Original Xbox games on PC launch in October 2026. Microsoft is also developing a disc-to-digital license system, though its beta rollout has been delayed.

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New Gadgets

Prototype glasses can turn infrared into color vision (4m read)

Scientists at the Beijing Institute of Technology have built lightweight prototype glasses that convert invisible infrared light into full-color images, letting wearers see both the normal world and infrared simultaneously. Unlike grainy green night-vision goggles, these glasses use quantum dots and OLED technology to display infrared as distinct colors, making subtle differences far easier to detect.

Jon Prosser’s Ultra Leak Shows Why a Foldable iPhone Changes Everything (5m read)

Jon Prosser has leaked details about a foldable "iPhone Ultra," expected in September 2025 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup. It features a 7.8-inch inner display, titanium build, 5,800mAh battery, A20 chip, and split-screen software, with pricing potentially exceeding $2,500.

The Pixel 11's "glow" feature is actually called HiLight—here's what it does (2m read)

Google's Pixel 11 includes a new rear LED feature called HiLight, which lights up during Gemini AI interactions and shows notification status. Since it's on the back, it's only useful when the phone faces down. Similar lighting features are coming to Googlebook laptops and the new Google Home Speaker.

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Miscellaneous

SpaceX revenue surges to $7.8 billion, blowing past Wall Street expectations by nearly $1 billion (5m read)

SpaceX reported 92% revenue growth to $7.8 billion in Q2, beating Wall Street estimates by nearly $1 billion in its first earnings report as a public company. Starlink doubled its subscribers to 12 million, and Musk accelerated the company's $1 trillion revenue target from 2031 to 2030, though shares still fell 7% after-hours amid concerns over massive capital spending.

New malware disguised as popular Roblox cheat tool could give hackers full control of your PC — including the webcam (3m read)

Cybercriminals are targeting Roblox's 82 million players with fake "undetected" cheat software that secretly installs malware. The malicious tool steals passwords, crypto wallets, and payment data while giving hackers full remote control, including webcam access. The campaign peaked in March 2026 and remains active.

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Bite-Size Stories

LightMake L4 aims to revolutionize 3D printing with 4 simultaneously printing toolheads (3 min read)

LightMake's L4 3D printer features four simultaneous toolheads on a 354x370mm build plate—a consumer-first innovation. It launches on Kickstarter August 25, priced at $2,399, with a limited VIP deal at $1,099 including 4kg of filament.

America’s enduring giants: 7 historic dams still generating power (5 min read)

Built between 1906 and 1925, seven historic U.S. dams in Idaho, Arizona, Tennessee, and Alabama still generate renewable power today, sustained through ongoing upgrades. The largest, Wilson Dam, produces 663 MW.

GPS backup: US approves world’s first private constellation to strengthen navigation (4 min read)

Xona's FCC-approved Pulsar constellation launches six satellites in October 2026, delivering navigation signals 100x stronger than GPS while remaining compatible with existing devices via software updates.

Next year’s iPhone Pro models will have larger screen sizes, per leak (2 min read)

For iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, Apple plans its biggest redesign since the iPhone X, featuring larger screens, bezel-free quad-curved displays, and a reduced or eliminated Dynamic Island cutout.

Microsoft wants Apple to bring seamless copy and paste between Windows PCs and iPhones (3 min read)

Microsoft has requested Apple enable cross-device copy-paste between Windows and iPhones, prompted by the EU's Digital Markets Act. Apple estimates development will take over a year, with a likely release no earlier than 2028, potentially limited to EU users.