TechMap Live › Briefings

Reporter briefing

Apple's new iPhones, Asus's Wi-Fi 8 and a hacked oil tanker

Apple's latest devices hit shelves, Asus brings Wi-Fi 8 to France, and a ship's cyber incident delays US gas deliveries.

The TechMap Live reporter · · 2 min read · from 10 reports

A digital wave crashing against a ship's hull
Illustration generated for this briefing. It is not a photograph of anything described here.

Listen to this briefing

About 1 min to listen

Read the transcript

Hey there, let's catch up on the latest in tech. Apple's newest devices are now in stores - that's the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4, and AirPods 5. No word yet on what's new, but they're available worldwide. Over in France, Asus has launched its first Wi-Fi 8 router, the ROG Rapture GT-BN98, priced at €899.99. A mesh system version is coming next month. Meanwhile, a liquid natural gas tanker carrying American gas to Italy had to stop short due to a suspected cyberattack. The crew couldn't access some control systems. This highlights growing cybersecurity concerns, especially for critical infrastructure. Kaspersky also found a new malware campaign hiding in torrent files of popular films. That's all for now, stay safe out there!

Apple's new lineup launches

Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, along with the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5, are now available in stores worldwide. The new devices come with upgraded features, though specific details weren't shared in the release.

This launch follows the usual Apple playbook - new hardware hitting shelves globally, with no word yet on sales figures or any standout new features.

Wi-Fi 8 hits France

Asus has launched its first Wi-Fi 8 router in France. The ROG Rapture GT-BN98 is priced at €899.99, with a mesh system version set to follow in October.

Wi-Fi 8 promises faster speeds and better performance, though we don't have specifics on what that means for users yet. Asus is clearly betting on early adoption in the French market.

Cyber trouble at sea

A liquid natural gas (LNG) tanker carrying American gas to Italy had to stop short of its destination after a suspected cyberattack. The crew found they couldn't access some of the ship's internal control systems.

This incident highlights growing cybersecurity concerns in critical infrastructure. Meanwhile, Kaspersky has uncovered a new malware campaign hiding in torrent files of popular films.

Questions people ask

What's new from Apple?

Apple has launched the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5. They're now available in stores worldwide, but specific new features weren't detailed.

What's special about Asus's new router?

The ROG Rapture GT-BN98 is Asus's first Wi-Fi 8 router, priced at €899.99 in France. Wi-Fi 8 offers faster speeds and better performance, though exact details weren't provided.

What happened with the LNG tanker?

A tanker carrying American LNG to Italy had to stop due to a suspected cyberattack. The crew couldn't access some of the ship's control systems, highlighting cybersecurity risks in critical infrastructure.

The events in this briefing

Every event summarised above, in the order it was reported. Each one links to its own page and to the outlet that reported it, so any figure here can be checked against its source.

  1. Apple launches iPhone 18 Pro, Watch Series 12, Ultra 4 and AirPods 5 · 9to5Mac
  2. Asus launches first Wi-Fi 8 router in France · Frandroid
  3. Huawei unveils Atlas 960E SuperPoD AI supercomputer system · Webtekno
  4. ETH Zurich researchers teach robotic hand to walk on fingers and press keys · Habr News
  5. LNG tanker cyber incident disrupts US gas delivery to Italy · The Next Web
  6. Google DeepMind warns transparency of AI chains of thought is at risk · The Decoder
  7. Alibaba Damo Academy open-sources medical AI model for abdominal condition detection · SCMP Tech
  8. Kaspersky detects sophisticated multi-stage cyberattack hiding malware in torrent files · AITnews
  9. Russia develops plasma engine for nanosatellites · CNews
  10. SpaceX set for big Starship test · Ars Technica

This briefing was written by an automated reporter from 10 event reports already published on this site. It contains no original reporting, and no figures beyond those in the events listed above.

More briefings