Sunday, July 26, 2026

Carrie is just trying to make a friend in the new trailer

Mike Flanagan's adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie is set to premiere on Amazon Prime on October 7th, with a new trailer released at Comic-Con 2026. This version updates the classic story to address modern teen challenges, including active shooter drills and social media bullying. Flanagan involved high school students in the writing process, allowing their real-life experiences to shape the narrative, which aims to explore the cruelty amplified by the internet. Notably, Summer H. Howell, who was 21 during filming, is cast as Carrie, providing a more age-appropriate portrayal compared to Sissy Spacek's iconic role in the 1976 adaptation.

Cursor's agent swarm suggests cheaper models can handle most coding when frontier models plan the work

Cursor's upgraded agent swarm has demonstrated a remarkable leap in coding efficiency by successfully rebuilding SQLite in Rust, achieving 100% on the test suite. This new system, which divides tasks between planner and worker agents, reached 1,000 commits per second, a significant improvement over the previous model's rate of 1,000 commits per hour. The architecture not only improved performance but also reduced the codebase size by as much as 85%, showcasing the effectiveness of using cheaper models for execution tasks while reserving more complex planning for advanced models.

Inside the S&P 500 AI boom, industrials are getting as rich as tech stocks

The S&P 500 industrials sector is experiencing a valuation boom, with a forward price-to-earnings ratio exceeding 30, far above its historical average of 20. This surge is largely attributed to the AI data center buildout and increased investments in power grid infrastructure. Companies like Caterpillar and GE Vernova are capitalizing on this trend, with Caterpillar's stock soaring nearly 160% over the past two years. The industrials sector is now attracting attention comparable to that of tech stocks, as investors recognize the critical role of infrastructure in supporting AI advancements.

How AI wealth could be distributed to all Americans

Bernie Sanders' recent proposal for public ownership of half of artificial intelligence highlights a significant debate on how Americans can benefit from the trillions in economic value AI is expected to generate. While this idea is unlikely to become policy soon, various models are emerging, including compensating individuals for their data contributions and forming new unions to hold AI companies accountable. A recent Emerson College poll shows that only 27% of Americans support local data centers, reflecting a growing sentiment that many feel they have little to gain from AI's advancements.

US reportedly favors selective bans over blanket restrictions on Chinese open weight models citing security concerns

The Trump administration is reportedly favoring selective bans on specific Chinese open-weight AI models rather than imposing blanket restrictions, citing national security concerns. This shift comes as major tech companies, including Microsoft and Google, have signed an open letter opposing such regulations, likely motivated by their interests in the competitive landscape dominated by Chinese models. Notably, recent models like the Kimi K3 are trailing significantly behind leading Western models in cybersecurity benchmarks, which could influence the administration's decisions. Meanwhile, both Anthropic and OpenAI are privately lobbying for restrictions on Chinese models, despite OpenAI's public support for the letter.

The AI coding tutor paradox grows as educators scramble to rethink how they test real skills

A recent survey conducted by the ACM Task Force on Generative AI and Programming Assessment, involving 763 computer science educators from 49 countries, found that 69% believe AI has fundamentally changed the skills necessary for software development. In response, 64% of educators have shifted their teaching methods towards code comprehension, debugging, and problem-solving, while 68% have adjusted their assessment strategies, increasingly favoring project-based work and oral exams. Concerns about student dependency on AI tools are prevalent, with 87% of respondents highlighting this issue.

AI-Enabled Security Researchers Discover How a Crafted Video Can Provide Attackers Access to Your PC

JFrog Security Research has disclosed a critical vulnerability named PixelSmash in the FFmpeg media framework, identified as CVE-2026-8461, which allows for remote code execution and denial of service attacks. This flaw, present for 16 years, enables attackers to execute arbitrary code or crash applications by delivering specially crafted media files. The vulnerability affects numerous applications, including desktop video players and media servers, as it exploits the MagicYUV decoder, which is enabled by default in FFmpeg. Security researchers demonstrated the exploit on a Jellyfin media server and a Nextcloud instance by simply uploading a 50 KB AVI file.

TechCrunch Mobility: Uber bets on its former CEO

Uber has invested $100 million in Atoms, a new venture led by former CEO Travis Kalanick, who recently raised $1.7 billion in funding. This investment, made six months ago, marks a surprising turn in the relationship between Kalanick and Uber, given his tumultuous exit nearly a decade ago. Atoms plans to focus on industrial AI and automation, with Anthony Levandowski's startup Pronto being a central part of its strategy. This move highlights Uber's willingness to re-engage with its controversial past leadership.

You can get three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for almost half off

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is currently available for a limited-time offer of $39.01 for three months, significantly reduced from its regular price of $69. This subscription provides gamers with access to the full Game Pass library, including first-party titles and online multiplayer capabilities. Additionally, PC gamers can utilize the Xbox app to access a selection of Game Pass games, although the offerings differ between console and desktop. With the upcoming launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved on July 28, 2026, this deal provides an economical way to experience new titles without the need to purchase them outright.

Marvel announces Ryan Gosling as Ghost Rider, a new Black Panther, and more

At Comic-Con, Marvel announced that Ryan Gosling will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ghost Rider in a standalone film directed by Shawn Levy, set to release in 2028. Additionally, director Ryan Coogler confirmed that Black Panther III is slated for December 15, 2028, introducing David Jonsson as T'Challa's son and the new Black Panther. The event also featured a new trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, where Ryan Reynolds, appearing as Deadpool, humorously asked the Russo brothers if there was still a role for him, to which they responded positively.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is Samsung preparing for battle, but is it enough?

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 series has been launched amid rising competition from Apple, which is preparing to enter the foldable market with its first iPhone foldable. This shift marks a significant moment for Samsung, which has led the foldable sector for nearly a decade. The new Fold 8 features an updated design and 'Ultra' branding, reflecting Samsung's strategy to maintain its market dominance as consumer interest shifts towards Apple's upcoming offerings. Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 are now open, signaling Samsung's push to capture attention before Apple's release.