Smart

Voters across Brazil are looking up polling locations ahead of the elections, with the Superior Electoral Tribunal promoting its 'Clica e Confirma' guide for the first round of the 2026 elections. In Mato Grosso do Sul, polls will be open from 7am to 4pm. Meanwhile, Folha de S.Paulo reports the TSE did not train poll workers to identify smart glasses, with criticism of court president Kassio just two days before the vote.

A developer has released an open-source tool that routes requests between AI models for coding agents, claiming performance on par with Astra-level systems. The launch invites developers to test whether smart routing across cheaper models can match premium single-model results. Early discussion centers on benchmarks, reliability, and whether routing adds real gains for coding workflows.

A new report says Apple's upcoming smart home camera will not record video, setting it apart from most rivals in the home security market. The claim has drawn discussion among technology watchers, who are questioning how a home camera without recording would compete with devices from Google, Amazon and others, and what it means for Apple's wider smart home push.

A Guardian money column examines why bus passengers who cannot or do not want to pay via smartphone apps often end up paying more than those using digital tickets. The piece highlights complaints that transport operators are pricing out older and less tech-savvy riders, and readers are debating whether fare structures should accommodate cash and card options equally.

Huawei has increased prices of its flagship smartphones by as much as US$200, attributing the hike to rising memory chip procurement costs that have added roughly that amount to per-unit manufacturing expenses. The move highlights how surging memory prices are being passed on to consumers, and industry watchers are watching whether other smartphone makers will follow with similar increases.

Meta has released Muse AI as an open-source project aimed at accelerating the development of smart home technology. By making the system freely available to developers, Meta is positioning Muse as a foundation for connected-home applications built by the broader community. Details beyond the announcement remain limited, but the move fits Meta's recent pattern of releasing AI tools openly to compete in the AI ecosystem.

A smart borewell startup appeared on Shark Tank India's fourth season, seeking ₹75 lakhs in funding. The full pitch drew big attention online, with viewers discussing the business idea and the sharks' response. It reflects continued strong interest in tech-enabled rural and water-management businesses featured on the show.

A new open-source tool for urban data collection is being presented as a way to rethink how smart cities gather and use information. Coverage focuses on the idea that cities could rely on community-driven, transparent software rather than closed proprietary systems to collect data about urban environments. Details about the tool's developers, features and adoption remain limited.

Yanpei Cao of 3D generation company Tripo AI has given an interview outlining the company's work on SmartMesh, its open source approach, and how its tools fit into previsualisation workflows for animation and film. The discussion covers how AI-generated 3D assets could speed up previs and early-stage creative pipelines, and why open sourcing parts of the technology matters to the developer community.

Apple is reportedly working on home security camera products that would not record video, according to a report circulating in tech media. The devices would instead focus on sensing and automation within smart home setups. The unusual design choice is drawing attention and speculation about Apple's privacy-first approach to home security hardware.

Apple Stores are reportedly receiving sealed boxes ahead of the company's expected push into smart-home products. The deliveries suggest a launch may be imminent, though Apple has not confirmed what the boxes contain. Observers speculate they hold new home hardware, such as a smart display or camera, but no details on specifications, pricing, or release dates have been disclosed so far.

A new smartphone cooling accessory called the B9X has been introduced, built around a Peltier element paired with a 5cm fan to pull heat away from a phone during heavy use. The device is pitched as a hyper-cyber styled gadget aimed at mobile gamers and heavy users. Its unusual, futuristic look is drawing attention alongside its active-cooling approach.

A developer has released Parrot, an open-source smart meeting recorder with a built-in AI co-pilot, available for Mac users. The tool records and processes meetings locally, and its launch is drawing attention from developers and productivity enthusiasts debating its usefulness, privacy implications, and how it compares to paid meeting transcription services.

Kiplinger publishes guidance on using artificial intelligence in personal financial planning, stressing that human advisors remain essential. The piece outlines where AI tools can help — such as budgeting, research and scenario analysis — and where they fall short, including nuanced decisions involving taxes, estate planning and personal circumstances. Readers are advised to treat AI as a supplement to, not a replacement for, professional advice.

A retired couple plans to withdraw $120,000 from an IRA to fund their son's down payment, a move that would push them into a higher tax bracket and cost roughly $34,000 in federal taxes that could largely be avoided. Commenters point to alternatives such as spreading withdrawals across years, using a mortgage gift provision, or other tax-smart options.

A short padel clip titled 'The Smart Serve — Padel Tactics' is circulating in Spanish, ending with the question 'What do you think about the ruling?' and hashtags referencing true crime, corruption and Spain. The footage mixes padel strategy content with commentary on a Spanish court sentence, prompting viewers to share their opinions on the verdict.

A new write-up introduces Quarry, a system for distributing operating system images that shifts complexity away from servers and into client software. The server only needs to serve static bytes, while the client handles verifying and assembling images. Readers on Hacker News are discussing the design trade-offs of this approach for image distribution at scale.

Hans Anders, a popular optical and hearing retail chain, says it will no longer sell smart glasses in Belgium or the Netherlands. The move makes it one of the first mainstream retailers to publicly drop the devices, and it is drawing attention to growing unease among sellers about privacy concerns and customer pushback over camera-equipped eyewear.

A feature on BGR rounds up four sophisticated Swiss smartwatches, presenting them as options for buyers looking to combine traditional watchmaking style with smart features. The piece is aimed at gadget and style readers considering premium wearables, and there is no indication yet of broader discussion or reaction beyond the shopping guide itself.

Circle published a piece outlining how wrapped Bitcoin lets holders use their BTC in decentralized finance, including lending, trading and yield applications across blockchains. The article explains that wrapped BTC brings the largest cryptocurrency's liquidity to smart contract networks, where native Bitcoin cannot operate directly.

The Netherlands is considering a ban on Meta's AI-equipped Ray-Ban smart glasses, and some Dutch retailers have already removed the product from their shelves. The move signals growing European scrutiny of camera-equipped wearable devices and their privacy implications, though the specific legal grounds for the proposed ban have not been detailed.