Creating custom WhatsApp stickers could soon become much simpler, especially if ChatGPT is already part of the workflow. A new APK teardown suggests OpenAI is developing a feature that would allow users to generate custom stickers inside ChatGPT and export them directly to WhatsApp. While the functionality isn’t live yet, hidden code discovered in the latest Android app points to native WhatsApp integration, potentially eliminating the need to save images and manually convert them into stickers first.

What the leak reveals

According to the APK teardown by Android Authority, the upcoming feature would let users create an image through ChatGPT and then choose “Add to WhatsApp” from the sharing menu. Instead of sending the image as a regular picture, ChatGPT would prepare it in WhatsApp’s sticker format before handing it off to the messaging app. That means users could create personalized reaction stickers, memes, or illustrations from a simple text prompt and add them to their sticker collection in just a few taps.

The code also suggests the integration is being built directly into ChatGPT rather than relying on a separate sticker-making app. Today, creating custom WhatsApp stickers often involves generating an image, removing its background if necessary, saving it locally, and then importing it into a third-party sticker tool. This new workflow would streamline the entire process into a single experience.

It makes sense, but don’t get too excited just yet

The feature feels like a natural next step for ChatGPT’s growing image-generation capabilities. As users increasingly create AI-generated memes, emojis, profile pictures, and illustrations, being able to turn those creations directly into WhatsApp stickers would make them much easier to share. More broadly, it also reflects OpenAI’s push to make ChatGPT more than just a chatbot by adding practical tools and integrations that let users take AI-generated content beyond the app itself.

Since the feature was uncovered through an APK teardown, there’s no guarantee it will ever be released, and OpenAI hasn’t officially announced it. However, if it does arrive, it could make creating custom WhatsApp stickers far more seamless by letting users generate and export them directly from ChatGPT without relying on third-party apps or manual conversions.

Clint from LGR Blerbs loaded up a mid-90s Popular Mechanics Car Guide disc on a Windows 3.1 machine and spent over twenty minutes poking around its menus, photos, and videos. The software, released around 1995-1996 for PCs that could handle Video for Windows, promised buyers a way to research new and used vehicles without leaving the house. It delivered pricing data, specifications, magazine articles, still images, and full-motion clips for thousands of cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans. A disc image sits on the Internet Archive now if anyone wants to try it themselves.

When you start the program, you’ll see a fairly simple interface that has been designed to take advantage of the hardware available at the time. Users can search for a car based on whether it is new or old, its body design, its price, or some of its features and safety equipment, such as dual airbags. Search results appear as lists, which direct you to detailed pages for specific models. Each listing provides a detailed look at the dealer’s invoice price as well as the suggested sticker price, which can be extremely useful if you intend to negotiate a decent bargain. Next to the standard equipment list, you’ll see the optional packages they provide, with prices that update in real time so you can get a decent indication of what you’re looking at.

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The screen is packed with photographs of the car from various angles on the outside, as well as some of its interior components such as the dashboard, console, and seats. One fun feature allows you to recolor the car just for fun. You can choose from the factory paint colors that came with it or utilize a far broader color pallet that includes metallic flakes and, yes, even wood grain designs. So, if you want to envision a Pontiac Sunfire GT or a Ferrari F355 with a bright pink metallic paint or a wooden dashboard, you can, and the end result is the type of wacky result that’s so typical of a CD-ROM from the 1990s.

The transition between pages is very smooth, thanks to some sliding effects and simple morphing, and if you want some background noise, there’s even a loop of some fairly pleasant, albeit cheesy, music playing in the background. Many of the cars on the disk feature full-motion video clips. Some work well, displaying cars like a Buick Park Avenue or a Mazda RX-7 traveling along the road or sitting in a showroom. Others can be difficult to find or get operating, which is due to the way video compression used to work in the past.

So, if you want to see how various cars compare to one another, utilize the comparison tools to place two models side by side. Putting a Dodge Viper next to a Mitsubishi Mighty Max emphasizes how different the two vehicles are, as it’s not only about the statistics, but also how the presentation works. Other features include calculators for determining how much a car will cost to buy or lease, as well as information on how to sell a car when you’re done with it. You may even locate phone directories with a variety of important information, such as where to obtain components or who to contact for an insurance quote.

If you already have a working Windows 3.1 setup or are using an emulator to get that ancient system up and running again, you can download the disk image and test everything out for yourself. What you’ll see is far less smooth than what you’d get in a current app, but much more akin to what automobile purchasers had to deal with back when CD-ROM drives were the thing to have in your computer.

The partnership could significantly strengthen Ireland’s position within the European pharmaceutical research and innovation space.

Research Ireland’s Rinn Pharma & Biopharma, Ireland’s national centre for research and innovation in the manufacturing of medicines, has today (7 August) announced its inclusion in the NordicPharmaTrain (NPT) network. 

NPT is a European research and training network that connects academic and industry partners with the aim of advancing pharmaceutical innovation. The network supports collaborative research, researcher mobility and interdisciplinary training, as a means of developing the next generation of scientists and strengthening Europe’s pharmaceutical research ecosystem.

Rinn Pharma & Biopharma’s inclusion aims to enhance NPT’s network of research institutions and industry collaborators, strengthening cross-border collaboration and accelerating scientific progress within the larger pharmaceutical sector.

As part of the collaboration, Rinn Pharma & Biopharma will host visiting researchers and PhD students, providing them with access to state-of-the-art laboratories, infrastructure and training, with the aim of supporting skills development, as well as academic and industry engagement.

Commenting on the announcement, Prof Damien Thompson, the director of Rinn Pharma & Biopharma, said, “By joining NordicPharmaTrain, we are accelerating Ireland’s role in delivering innovative pharmaceutical solutions. 

“This partnership enables us to collaborate internationally on advanced manufacturing, formulation and digital technologies, areas that are critical to the competitiveness and sustainability of Ireland’s life sciences sector.”

Dr Sarah Hayes, Rinn Pharma & Biopharma’s COO, added, “This partnership is mutually beneficial, providing access to a dynamic collaborative ecosystem with expanded opportunities for joint research, shared expertise and participation in European funding initiatives.

“It also enhances visibility within the Nordic and wider European research community, and broadens access to talented researchers and PhD candidates.”

In late July, it was announced that Rinn Pharma & Biopharma and Cork-based biotech spin-out ArrayPatch would collaborate on developing a novel skin cancer treatment using a patented dissolvable microneedle platform. The project aims to improve the effectiveness of treatments and minimise side effects by using microneedles to deliver drugs with increased precision.

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Security

Calling all defenders

With at least 12 US states’ water systems having been hacked – most likely by Iran – we have to get better at cyber defense, according to retired General and Ex-NSA chief Paul Nakasone, who was speaking to reporters at DEF CON.

“We have to have higher standards,” Nakasone said. “These PLCs should not be connected to the internet.”

In late July, the FBI said it was investigating attacks conducted by “malicious cyber actors” targeting operational technology devices, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Iran-linked crews have targeted these devices, which monitor sensor data like tank levels, and can turn pumps on and off, for years. 

Some private-sector security researchers say that they suspect Iranian intruders are behind the recent cyberattacks disrupting water and wastewater facilities. “I’d be shocked if it’s not Iran,” Halcyon Ransomware Research Center SVP Cynthia Kaiser told The Register at DEF CON on Friday. “It’s almost certain it’s Iran.”

Neither the FBI nor anyone in the Trump administration, however, has officially blamed Iran.

Nakasone said he believes that the feds are “taking a measured approach” to attribution. “But I see an actor here that has certainly shown a history of being able to do this,” he added, referring to earlier Iranian cyberattacks targeting water facilities’ PLCs. 

“They certainly have the capability,” Nakasone said. “There’s an intent … we’re in conflict with Iran.”

US water systems present a massive attack surface across disparate facilities that are historically underfunded and have limited IT staff, and sometimes no dedicated cybersecurity employees.

“We have to think differently about how we defend it,” Nakasone said. “Let’s talk about the attack surface that we’re looking at right now. We’ve got 50,000 different water municipalities in the United States, 90 percent of our water comes from these 50,000.”

Defending these water systems requires partnerships, he added, pointing to DEF CON Franklin, a project launched two years ago at the annual event with hackers volunteering their time and talent to help secure water facilities.

Nakasone also serves as founding director of Vanderbilt University’s Institute of National Security, and its Wicked Problems Lab. He’s also working on Project Chimera, a cybersecurity platform being developed by academics and cybersecurity practitioners, and built on open-source technologies to boost critical infrastructure resilience.

“How do you defend better? You defend with a series of partners, in a much more involved approach than we have right now,” Nakasone said.®

Connecting the dots: Flock Safety’s rapid growth has made it a major player in police surveillance technology. But as cities deploy more connected cameras, a basic security concern is drawing increased attention: whether the video collected by those systems can be altered without leaving behind evidence. That concern has taken on new urgency following reports that one of Flock’s key investors also backs a company whose technology is designed to compromise camera systems.

Andreessen Horowitz, which led Flock’s $275 million funding round in March 2025, has also backed Toka, an Israeli cyber-intelligence company that has reportedly developed tools capable of breaking into connected cameras and manipulating their footage.

The connection between the two companies – their shared investor – came to light after an X post from @OrwellDay alleged that Flock’s lead investor also backed Toka. The post did not establish the connection on its own, but subsequent reporting confirmed that Andreessen Horowitz led Flock’s March 2025 funding round and has invested in Toka.

Flock has raised roughly $960 million across multiple funding rounds, including the March 2025 round, which valued the company at $7.5 billion. Andreessen Horowitz led that financing, with participation from Greenoaks Capital and Bedrock Capital. Meritech Capital, Matrix Partners, Sands Capital, Founders Fund, Kleiner Perkins, Tiger Global, and Y Combinator also participated.

– Orwell Day (@OrwellDay) August 4, 2026

The link between Flock and Toka puts a sharper focus on the risks surrounding camera networks used by police departments and local governments. Flock sells camera systems that help agencies identify vehicles, share information, and search video data. Toka, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, has offered government clients technology that can locate cameras in a target area, access their feeds, and alter or erase video.

The reported capability is not merely about surveillance. It raises broader questions about the reliability of video evidence after it has been captured.

Haaretz reported, based on internal documents it reviewed, that Toka’s tools could access and modify live and recorded camera feeds without leaving forensic traces. Concern about the technology is especially relevant as public agencies increasingly rely on connected cameras, license-plate readers, and cloud-based investigative platforms. These systems can move large amounts of information quickly, but they also create more opportunities for attackers or unauthorized users to interfere with recorded evidence.

At Black Hat, Forescout researchers demonstrated a related risk by intercepting real camera feeds and sending pre-recorded video to network video recorders. An operator could see what appeared to be a normal live feed without realizing that the footage had been replaced.

Similar concerns have emerged in body-camera systems. POAM reporting described systems that allowed footage to be downloaded, edited, and uploaded again without indicating that changes had been made. In each case, the underlying problem is the same: video may appear authentic while providing no reliable way to determine whether it has been altered.

The ACLU has warned that widespread camera deployments paired with vulnerable infrastructure can create serious risks. A breach can expose private footage, but it can also create opportunities for video to be manipulated or misused after the fact.

For cities deploying Flock cameras and similar systems, the question is no longer only who can access the video. It is whether they can prove that what a camera recorded is the same evidence investigators, courts, and the public are actually seeing.

Sony may not be done with the WH-1000XM4 just yet. According to a fresh leak via Billbil-kun, the company is preparing to launch the Sony WH-1000XM4C, a more affordable version of its hugely popular noise-canceling headphones. The upcoming model is expected to arrive in early September, with pricing reportedly set at €249.99 in Europe and £219.99 in the UK, making it significantly cheaper than the flagship WH-1000XM6.

A familiar design with a lower price

The biggest surprise isn’t the name — it’s the design. Unlike the newer XM5, which dropped the foldable hinge, the leaked WH-1000XM4C reportedly sticks closely to the original XM4’s compact, foldable form factor. That could be welcome news for users who preferred the older design, especially after Sony only brought back folding hinges with last year’s XM6.

The headphones are tipped to launch in Black, Silver, and Lavender color options while retaining many of the features that made the XM4 a fan favorite. According to the leak, buyers can expect active noise cancellation powered by Sony’s QN1 processor, Hi-Res Audio support, Spatial Audio, and the familiar touch-sensitive earcup controls for playback and volume adjustments.

The trade-off appears to be battery life. While the original WH-1000XM4 offered up to 38 hours of playback with ANC turned off (or 30 hours with ANC enabled), the WH-1000XM4C is expected to deliver 34 hours without ANC and 27 hours with noise cancellation switched on. Everything else, however, appears to remain largely in line with the original formula.

A smart move for Sony?

To be fair, this positioning makes sense. Sony’s headphone lineup has steadily moved upmarket over the years, with the WH-1000XM6 launching at a much higher price than previous generations. The WH-1000XM4C could fill the gap for buyers who want Sony’s flagship-grade noise cancellation and audio features without paying flagship prices.

Nothing has been officially confirmed by Sony yet, so the pricing and launch window should be treated as a leak for now. Still, the rumored strategy is an interesting one. Rather than replacing the XM6, the WH-1000XM4C appears to revive one of Sony’s most popular headphone designs at a lower price point. If the leak proves accurate, it could end up becoming the sweet spot in Sony’s lineup for users who care more about value and portability than having the company’s absolute latest hardware.

• A developer has a 28.9-million-parameter model generating TinyStories-style text at 9.88 tokens per second, fully offline, on a $10 microcontroller
• It was achieved by fitting a language model on a chip with 512KB of RAM by leaving most of it in flash storage
• The project is available on GitHub under an MIT license

A developer going by slvDev has a 28.9-million-parameter language model generating text on an ESP32-S3, a microcontroller built for sensor nodes and smart plugs, at 9.88 tokens per second, with nothing leaving the chip.

The project, esp32-ai, went up on GitHub under an MIT license in late July 2026, was showcased on the Better Stack YouTube channel, and has since collected over 3,600 stars and has more than 470 forks of the underlying code.

Scientists pointed the world’s largest solar telescope at our star and came back with the sharpest photographs ever made of its surface. Those frames, captured at a wavelength of 416 nanometers by the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope on Maui, resolve features only tens of kilometers across. What they show is a restless landscape of bright granules ringed by darker, corrugated edges that twist and fold into miniature vortices.

Those tiny whirlpools are characteristic of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, a fluid phenomena first observed in the late 1800s. When two streams of plasma slide past each other at differing speeds, the border between them becomes wavy and eventually forms spiral formations that resemble breaking ocean waves. On the sun, shear is formed by conventional convective flows colliding with intense magnetic fields, resulting in a continuous field of tiny whirlpools ranging in size from 25 to 170 kilometers, with the bulk clustering around 50 to 65 kilometers.

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The motion is clearly visible in time sequences captured by the telescope’s fastcam sensor, since the magnetic limits that were smooth in earlier images are now distorted and striped, with dark narrow striations appearing and disappearing in minutes. The apparent speeds of the vortices range from 0.7 to 3 km/s, whereas the growth rates measured from the expanding waves range from 0.014 to 0.054 per second, all of which are consistent with linear theory predictions.

Computer simulations using the MURam magnetohydrodynamic code were able to generate the exact same patterns. When you input authentic magnetic maps to the models and let them run their course, the synthetic images at 416 nanometers match the real ones in shape and timing. This level of concordance with the real thing gives the researchers high confidence that the instability is genuine and pervasive.

The vortices form anytime the magnetic flow is strong enough, therefore they are active almost everyplace on the tranquil sun. The mixing of magnetized and non-magnetized plasma stirs the magnetic field lines and allows them to diffuse faster than earlier models suggested, potentially providing the “missing” diffusion required to explain the sun’s eleven-year magnetic cycle. The same twisting action that generates all of this also braids field lines together, accumulating free energy that can later be used to power flares, jets, and coronal mass ejections.

The corona, the sun’s outer atmosphere, has long been a source of concern for solar physicists because it can reach temperatures of a million degrees while the visible surface remains about 5800 degrees, implying that energy must be able to move upwards despite the temperature differential. The new vortices may have a part of the explanation, as they continuously agitate the magnetic field at the base of the atmosphere, perhaps driving the heating that has been a mystery for decades.
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