$299

For a toilet camera that will monitor your gut health by photographing your poop. Yep, you read that correctly. Throne uses AI to analyze your stool’s size, shape and structure, and it sends the data to an app on your phone, where you can view the results. Talk about logging your logs!

Tags: apps, cameras, tracking


LaserWeeder: AI-powered robotic weed control

🚜 Agricultural revamp: Carbon Robotics just raised $70 million for AI-powered robots that help farmers blast weeds with lasers. The LaserWeeder attaches to a tractor and uses AI to detect and zap weeds without disturbing the soil microbiology. Bonus? It could reduce the need for harmful herbicides. No word on the cost yet, but the video sure looks cool.

🚜 Agricultural revamp: Seattle-based startup Carbon Robotics is rolling out AI-powered robots to help farmers blast weeds with lasers. The LaserWeeder attaches to a tractor and uses AI to detect and zap weeds without disturbing the soil microbiology. Bonus? This could reduce the need for harmful herbicides. No word on the cost yet, but the video sure looks cool.

🎸 Go ahead and jump: The late Eddie Van Halen’s brother wants AI to help finish the band’s unreleased music. He says there’s a vault of incomplete tracks, many of which are just missing vocals or final touches. He’s already reached out to OpenAI to analyze Eddie’s playing style and generate new guitar solos in his brother’s signature sound.

Tech troops incoming: The Defense Department wants to bring top tech experts into the military as part-time officers. These high-ranking reservists will help with short-term projects in cybersecurity, data analytics and more (paywall link). The plan is to start with dozens and eventually expand to thousands over the next few years. This is a great idea!

🚨 Mac warning: Microsoft researchers found a serious macOS security bug that lets hackers access your private data. It bypasses Safari’s protections, meaning your search history, camera, microphone and location are all at risk. The good news? There’s already a patch. Don’t wait — go to System Settings > General > Software Update > Update Now.

⚠️ He was scammed, then taxed for it: A California man lost his life savings to scammers posing as the FTC. The fraudsters convinced him to move his money to a “secure account.” Huge mistake: He sent thousands in cash and gold through couriers and dipped into his retirement accounts, racking up over $30,000 in taxes. It’s one thing getting scammed, but it’s a double whammy to pay taxes on it.

Prada-designed Axiom Space spacesuit
Axiom Space
Axiom Space via Gizmodo

The luxury brand Prada worked with Axiom Space to keep astronauts stylin’ on the upcoming Artemis III mission. There’s a ton of tech included in these suits, from cameras and biometric sensors to regenerable CO2 scrubbing. Details here.

🎈 Not just a lot of hot air: Sir Richard Branson plans to copilot the world’s first stratospheric balloon flight in 2025. This balloon is nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower and will float 20 miles above the earth’s surface for amazing views. If they pull it off, it could kickstart space-like tours for regular folks … well, regular folks with $125,000 lying around for a six-hour trip.

I’m watching this: Mats Steen suffered from Duchenne muscular dystrophy and passed away at 25. His parents thought he lived an isolated life, but they were so wrong. After his death, they received hundreds of emails from people who’d known him through the game World of Warcraft, revealing he’d found both friends and romance online. A new documentary about Steen’s story is coming to Netflix on Oct. 25.

👁️ Eye see the point: A new device from OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, called the Orb will scan people’s eyes to provide biometric identification, helping to fight the growing deepfakes (paywall link). The goal: To have an Orb in every home to scan our eyes for verification when banking online and other similar transactions. Interestingly, Altman’s AI is pushing the very tech used in developing deepfakes …