Google's new paywall will remove Gemini's advanced models from free accounts

https://www.makeuseof.com/googles-new-w pi paywall-blocks-advanced-models-from-gemini-free/

Moving beyond language will allow AI to interact in the world

"Nvidia backs startup Reactor as buzz grows for world models"
https://fortune.com/2026/10/05/nvidia-backs-startup-reactor-buzz-grows-world-models/

No need to see a human to get an Rx for acne in Utah. The AI doc will diagnose and prescribe with humans only checking 10% of prescriptions

https://siliconangle.com/2026/10/05/utah-gives-startup-nolla-health-permission-to-start-issuing-ai-automated-prescriptions-for-acne-treatments/

Who are not named in this article

https://www.inc.com/moses-jeanfrancois/quarter-of-anthropic-revenue-come-from-2-customers-experts-say-real-test-comes-next/91411817

> Once connected to a local household's Wi-Fi,

I was wondering how they would turn on the battery without turning off shore power entirely.

I still don't quite understand how it works. We have an older Bluetti and a new Jackery and there is no software that lets you remotely tell it to stop pulling from shore and start pulling from storage.

Anyway, it's pretty cool and I would like to see this rolled out on a larger scale with some sort of smart meter. I would love to be able to tell the power company to shut me down during peak times in the summer and pull from my batteries (with the ability to override that shutdown if I just don't want it).

Ideally, in a real pinch, I would send 3kw of solar power into the grid and run the house of battery, but the way the backfeed protection is set up, that's not possible.

Gosh Bucky!  Sorry to hear that.

Good luck and keep us posted!

I knew someone who did a similar thing with laptops. But everyone is carrying a laptop, so they didn't question it.

And I suppose it isn't that common for someone to be coming back with all their beat up bike touring bags and gear and a somewhat dirty bike and for customs to guess that they had flown out with no bike and bought a bike there. Most bike people are way too particular about their ride to go on a tour with a bike they just bought

>  How U.S.-Canada Tariff Negotiations Turned Into an All-Out Trade War

Turns out according to recent Canadian new reporting, a group called Defense Analyses and Research Corporation had been consulting with the administration on ways to weaken Canada's position in the trade war.

As a result, the Trump admin tried to negotiate directly with Quebec to try to get around agreements with Ottawa (i.e. the national govt). Which would be like Canada trying to cut deals with New York that cut out the US govt. I'm sure that would go over well.

https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2026/09/25/washington-a-approche-quebec-directement-sur-les-tarifs-douaniers-pour-court-circuiter-ottawa-dans-la-guerre-commerciale

https://www.ghacks.net/2026/09/27/opera-now-turns-on-its-free-built-in-vpn-automatically-on-public-wi-fi-networks/

QuoteOpera has added an option that turns on the browser's free built-in VPN automatically whenever the device connects to a public Wi-Fi network,

Because third-party plugins have been so good for browser security

https://www.ghacks.net/2026/09/27/anthropic-launches-claude-marketplace-with-more-than-2000-connectors-and-plugins/

Neuron findings could lead to treatments for spinal cord injury and stroke
https://www.futurity.org/neural-wiring-spinal-cord-injury-stroke-treatment-3345362/

Discovery could help older adults maintain muscle strength
https://www.futurity.org/preserving-muscle-strength-3346362/

I thought somebody already started a thread about California vintner's burning vineyards, but I couldn't find it

https://www.inc.com/lucia-auerbach/california-grape-glut-canada-boycott-cost-us-wineries-522-million-dollars/91409624

QuoteAs drinking habits change, economic uncertainty persists, and a grape oversupply crisis grows, California vineyards have taken a big hit. Now, the ongoing tariff battle with Canada has made the situation even more dire.

In 2024, Canada represented 36 percent of U.S. wine exports, with $460 million in annual shipments. According to a report by the Wine Institute, that percentage is more than the total combination of E.U., U.K., and Chinese markets.

Berge told Inc. that the cumulative estimated loss in export value since the restrictions began is now roughly $522 million.

Original story
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/us/pinot-noir-california-wine-sales-decline.html

When you realize it's 50% more in the UK and more than double that price in Turkey
https://www.makeuseof.com/the-iphone-duos-1999-price-looks-almost-reasonable/

It reminds me of a Swiss friend who used to come to the US and bike tour for a week on a brand new high-end bike, which he would sell used in Switzerland for enough money to pay for the entire trip.

A couple of those phones delivered to Turkey...

Quantum Computer Arrives in Public Education, Fairfax County Schools Leads Way
https://quantumzeitgeist.com/fcps-quantum-computer-arrives-public-education/


Quantum computer simulates matter "popping into existence"

QuoteScientists recreated a particle-forming process linked to the extreme physics of the early universe using a 13-ion quantum simulator. The breakthrough suggests quantum computers could eventually help researchers investigate how matter formed and evolved after the Big Bang.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260925005416.htm

https://mashable.com/tech/microsoft-ending-internet-explorer-mode-in-edge

The headline seems like a headline from another century doesn't it?

Actually, IE didn't drop below 50% until 2007... but still, it feels like a blast from the past when we had to test every site in every version of IE