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.

Florian Wirtz scored for Germany against Serbia, after smartly playing himself out of trouble in the build-up, according to Dutch coverage of the match. The fixture is drawing attention in the Netherlands, where searches about Serbia are surging alongside reports of the game.

Commentary is circulating claiming that a recent Ukrainian deep strike inside Russia caused far more damage than Moscow has acknowledged. Jason Smart, a commentator on Russian and Ukrainian affairs, discussed the strike in a live broadcast, arguing official Russian statements downplay the scale of the losses. The claim has not been independently confirmed, but it is feeding debate over the real impact of long-range strikes on Russian military infrastructure.

A new report claims Apple's upcoming smart home camera will not record video, a surprising choice for a home security product. If accurate, the device would rely on live viewing and Apple's privacy-first approach rather than storing footage, setting it apart from rivals like Amazon's Ring and Google Nest cameras. Commenters are questioning how useful a security camera without recording would be.

Researchers have developed an open-source tool for collecting urban data, offering cities an alternative to proprietary smart-city platforms. The tool lets municipalities gather and analyse information about streets, traffic and public spaces without relying on closed commercial systems. Coverage highlights how open approaches could make smart-city projects cheaper, more transparent and more adaptable to local needs, prompting debate among urban planners and technologists.

Feyenoord is bringing back its Moneyball-style recruitment model under Eenhoorn and Rigaux, according to Dutch sports reporting. The data-driven approach, focused on undervalued players and smart transfers, echoes the strategy that brought the club success in earlier years. Supporters are debating whether the renewed emphasis on analytics and value signings can restore the Rotterdam club's competitive edge.

A widely shared social post describes a frugal lifestyle as a deliberate strategy rather than wealth: buying used, refurbished and second-hand goods, choosing generic groceries with minimal food waste, wearing no-name clothes costing around $15, avoiding streaming and cloud subscriptions, and bartering where possible. The framing struck a chord, drawing engagement as readers respond to the idea that being 'smart with money' looks increasingly like opting out of consumer habits entirely rather than earning more.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have regulated smart glasses in the state. The legislation had been pushed amid growing concern over privacy and surveillance as tech companies expand wearable devices with cameras and recording capabilities. Critics of the veto say the state missed a chance to set safeguards, while opponents of the bill argued it would have stifled innovation.

Ring's Solar Pathlight and its multi-pack bundles are on sale starting at $28, according to a 9to5Toys deals listing. The solar-powered lights are designed to line walkways and outdoor paths without wiring. The discount is drawing attention from shoppers looking for affordable smart home outdoor lighting options.

Orange Belgium and Nokia are testing fibre-optic connections with speeds of 50 Gbps, using smart network automation. The trial, announced in the Netherlands and Belgium telecom press, points to the next step beyond gigabit fibre as operators prepare networks for rising data demand. In the Dutch-speaking region, interest in 'glasvezel' — the Dutch word for fibre — is rising as broadband rollouts continue.

A new open-source tool called Parrot is being introduced for Mac users, offering smart meeting recording with an AI co-pilot feature. The project is available via its website, openparrot.app. Early attention is coming from the developer and tech community, where open-source alternatives to commercial meeting transcription tools typically draw interest over privacy, customisation, and cost.

A startup offering a smart borewell solution pitched for ₹75 lakhs on season 4 of Shark Tank India. The full pitch was shared with viewers, drawing strong interest online as fans of the show debated the founders' business model, valuation and whether the sharks would invest in the water technology space.

A new survey finds that 8 in 10 Dutch people aged 16 to 34 believe their smartphone use harms their everyday life. The finding highlights growing concern among young adults about the impact of constant phone use on wellbeing, concentration, and daily routines, sparking debate about digital habits and possible measures to curb excessive screen time.

A Guardian reader questions why bus fares are higher for people who do not book or pay via smartphone apps, arguing that digital-only discounts effectively penalise those without mobile phones. The piece has sparked discussion about whether transport operators should be required to offer equivalent cash and offline fares, and how digital ticketing affects elderly and low-income passengers.

A new writeup introduces Quarry, a system for distributing OS images that keeps servers deliberately simple and moves most of the intelligence to the client side. The approach aims to make image delivery more efficient by letting clients handle the heavy lifting of fetching and assembling data. Discussion centers on whether this server-light design is a practical model for large-scale image distribution.

Farms increasingly depend on connected technology for irrigation, grain handling, livestock monitoring and equipment control, raising the question of how operations would continue during a power or internet outage. Successful Farming highlights the risks of overreliance on digital systems and prompts farmers to plan backup procedures, manual overrides and contingency steps to keep essential work running when connectivity or electricity fails.

Dutch retailer Wehkamp has removed Meta's camera-equipped smart glasses from its range with immediate effect, citing privacy concerns. The move, reported by Dutch tech and news outlets, comes amid ongoing debate about the spectacles' built-in cameras and the rules around recording people in public. It follows similar scrutiny of Meta's Ray-Ban glasses in other European markets, where regulators and consumers have questioned whether bystanders can meaningfully object to being filmed.

Kiplinger published guidance on using artificial intelligence for smarter financial planning, stressing where the technology helps and where it falls short. The piece argues that AI tools can support budgeting, research and scenario planning, but human advisers remain essential for judgment, accountability and personalized decisions, urging investors to treat AI as an aid rather than a replacement for professional advice.

Apple is reportedly preparing to unveil new products on October 13, with attention centering on a smart-home device dubbed the 'HomePad'. Speculation is mounting about whether the company will hold a special October event, with observers comparing the timing to Apple's previous fall announcements to predict when an invitation might go out.

Huawei has increased the prices of its flagship smartphones by as much as US$200, citing higher memory procurement costs that have added roughly that amount to per-unit manufacturing expenses. The move, reported by DigiTimes Asia, highlights how rising memory prices are rippling through the consumer electronics supply chain, with other phone makers likely to face similar cost pressures in the coming months.

Meta has reportedly open-sourced Muse AI, a move described as aimed at advancing smart home technology. The announcement, carried by technology news outlets, suggests developers will be able to build on Meta's AI models for connected home applications. Details about the model's capabilities, licensing terms and availability remain limited in initial coverage, and no official statement from Meta has been widely circulated yet.

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.

Yanpei Cao of Tripo AI has given an interview to Animation World Network discussing the company's SmartMesh technology, its open-source approach, and how its AI tools are being applied in previsualisation work. The conversation covers how AI-generated 3D assets could fit into animation and film production pipelines.

Commentary by Jason Smart argues Russia is struggling to manage crises on two fronts: the war in Ukraine and growing problems at home. The claim is that domestic strain and battlefield pressures are stretching Moscow's capacity simultaneously. Discussion of Russia's ability to sustain the war while handling internal instability continues among analysts and observers.

A short clip on padel tactics titled 'The Smart Serve' is circulating with hashtags referencing true crime, Spain and corruption, and asks viewers their opinion on a court ruling ('la sentencia'). It mixes sports instruction with commentary on a legal decision, prompting reactions in Spanish about how the ruling relates to the padel world and corruption allegations in Spain.

A laser-equipped robot vacuum is being offered at close to 50% off as part of Amazon's October Prime Day sales event. The discount, reported by VICE, highlights how popular robot vacuums have become during major shopping events, with shoppers hunting for big savings on smart home cleaning gadgets during the limited-time sale.