Author: Michael Comaous
Michael Comaous is a dedicated professional with a passion for technology, innovation, and creative problem-solving. Over the years, he has built experience across multiple industries, combining strategic thinking with hands-on expertise to deliver meaningful results. Michael is known for his curiosity, attention to detail, and ability to explain complex topics in a clear and approachable way. Whether he’s working on new projects, writing, or collaborating with others, he brings energy and a forward-thinking mindset to everything he does.
As generative AI has taken off since ChatGPT’s debut, inspiring hundreds of billions of dollars in investments and infrastructure developments, the top question on many people’s minds has been: Is generative AI a bubble, and if so, when will it pop? To help us potentially answer that question, I’ll be hosting a live conversation with prominent AI critic Ed Zitron on October 7 at 3:30 pm ET as part of the Ars Live series. As Ars Technica’s senior AI reporter, I’ve been tracking both the explosive growth of this industry and the mounting skepticism about its sustainability. You can watch…
President Trump announced a deal under which Pfizer will align U.S. prices with those it charges in other developed countries and participate in a new federal website, TrumpRx, that offers steep discounts on selected medicines [theatlantic.com#1]. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary called the agreement a "major step" toward lowering prescription drug costs [cbsnews.com#2]. TrumpRx is slated to launch in early 2026, according to detailed reporting on the program's structure [reason.com#3].Highlights:Price alignment: Pfizer pledged to cut U.S. prices to match those in other developed countries [theatlantic.com#1].TrumpRx platform: The administration unveiled TrumpRx, a federal website intended to route Americans to steeply discounted Pfizer…
OpenAI’s Sora app for AI videos is a viral hit, despite being invite-only for now and limited to users in the U.S. and Canada at launch. On its first day, Sora saw 56,000 downloads, and is now ranked as the No. 3 Top Overall app on Apple’s U.S. App Store, according to new data from app intelligence provider Appfigures. On Friday, October 3, it became the No. 1 app on the U.S. App Store. That puts it ahead of Google Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The firm estimates Sora’s iOS app pulled in a total of 164,000 installs during its first…
A federal government shutdown that began Wednesday has intensified political confrontation, with President Trump threatening cuts to what he called "Democrat Agencies" and the administration placing holds on more than $25 billion in projects in several Democratic-led states [vox.com#6][nytimes.com#3][theatlantic.com#4]. Democrats argue the White House is "using shutdown as excuse" for more mass firings, while allies of the President frame the lapse as a chance to reduce government agencies; some government websites displayed messages blaming Democrats for the closure [pbs.org#1][rollingstone.com#2][theatlantic.com#4]. In Congress, Democrats are relying on procedural tools such as the Senate filibuster—which requires 60 votes to end debate—to resist reopening…
Sony is now selling a revised model of the digital PS5 slim in the US that has less storage than the original version. The updated model with 825GB of internal SSD storage instead of 1TB recently went on sale in Europe, but now it’s available to buy on the US PlayStation Direct website as well.The revised digital edition console, which Sony says is in the “CFI-2100 model group – slim,” still starts at $499.99, even with the reduced storage space. YouTuber Austin Evans recently tore down one of the updated PS5 slim consoles from Europe, and in addition to less…
President Trump said the ongoing federal shutdown presents an "unprecedented opportunity" to meet with budget director Russell Vought about cutting what he called "Democrat agencies," including considering whether reductions would be temporary or permanent [nytimes.com#1][time.com#1][time.com#2][npr.org#1][scmp.com#1]. Legal analysts caution that permanent layoffs during a shutdown may violate federal law and would likely be tied up in court for months [time.com#1][thehill.com#1][alternet.org#1]. Federal worker unions have begun preparing challenges to any layoffs amid the funding stalemate [time.com#2][cbsnews.com#1].Highlights:Planned meeting: The President said he would meet with OMB Director Russell Vought to decide which agencies to cut and whether reductions are temporary or permanent [nytimes.com#1][time.com#2][npr.org#1].Legal…
Hackers are emailing executives at multiple organizations, claiming to have stolen sensitive data from Oracle E‑Business Suite and demanding ransoms, while Google notes it cannot yet verify the claims’ authenticity [techcrunch.com#4][slashdot.org#7]. Oracle says its initial investigation indicates the activity may involve vulnerabilities that were already patched in July 2025 and is urging customers to apply updates [securityweek.com#1]. Reported demands have reached as high as $50 million, and researchers are assessing possible links to the Cl0p ransomware ecosystem and FIN11 [techrepublic.com#3][securityweek.com#2][thehackernews.com#5].Highlights:Targeted executives: Extortion emails were sent to executives at numerous organizations, alleging Oracle E‑Business Suite data theft [techcrunch.com#4][slashdot.org#7].Patch context: Oracle reports…
Balin Miller, a 23-year-old climber from Alaska, died after a fall from El Capitan in California’s Yosemite National Park [washingtonpost.com#2][nytimes.com#4][abcnews.go.com#3]. His family said the accident occurred on Wednesday [nypost.com#1]. Miller was regarded as an emerging talent, known for solo ascents on demanding alpine routes [washingtonpost.com#2].Highlights:Accident details: Miller fell while climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, according to multiple outlets [nytimes.com#4][abcnews.go.com#3][washingtonpost.com#2].Timing confirmed: His family confirmed he died in a climbing accident on Wednesday [nypost.com#1].Climbing stature: Reports describe Miller as an emerging star with solo ascents on some of the world’s toughest alpine routes [washingtonpost.com#2].Witnessed ascent: Onlookers were watching his ascent…
If you’re going to run a crypto scam, it makes sense to invoke Elon Musk’s name. He is the wealthiest man in the world, after all, recently surpassing a net worth of $500 billion according to Forbes. But it’s still shocking to read the stories of those who’ve been scammed by people posing as the Tesla CEO. Gizmodo filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the FTC for complaints from people who say they were tricked by scammers posing as Musk or who used online ads with the billionaire’s likeness. Gizmodo has filed such FOIA requests with the…
Apple removed ICEBlock and similar apps from its App Store on Thursday, citing safety risks to law enforcement based on information received from authorities [axios.com#4][thehill.com#5][nypost.com#2]. The action followed pressure from the Trump administration, including Attorney General Pam Bondi contacting Apple the same day to demand the app’s removal [nytimes.com#1][axios.com#4][yahoo.com#3]. ICEBlock’s developer said he created the app to keep people safe, and it had been downloaded over one million times [axios.com#4].Highlights:Apple’s rationale: Apple said it removed ICEBlock and similar apps after receiving law-enforcement information about safety risks to officers [axios.com#4][thehill.com#5].Government push: Attorney General Pam Bondi contacted Apple on Thursday demanding ICEBlock’s…