Tech & AI News Roundup — October 5, 2026, 7:02 AM UTC

Quick links to what's actually happening in AI, tech, and IT right now — curated from real reporting, not rewritten, so you can go read the full story wherever it's genuinely worth your time.

👨🏿‍🚀TechCabal Daily – Jig is up for spam callers

In today's edition: Spam callers could face 1 year in jail || MTN, Telecel secure Ghanaian 5G licences || Ghana has new rules for public AI buys || South Africans are withdrawing cash from retail tills — TechCabal

New forensic evidence supports Egyptian "retainer sacrifice"

Fresh analysis of First Dynasty mass burials finds signs of fatal blunt force trauma on 39 percent of skulls — Ars Technica

EmTech Future 2026: When AI Meets Everything

Yossi Matias, Vice President & Head of Google Research, explores how AI is beginning to reshape biology, infrastructure, manufacturing, and science, and why its greatest impact may come when it intersects with other fields. Step inside the newsroom with our MIT Technology Review editors for sharp analysis and unpublished insights from the team that researches… — MIT Technology Review

What even is a ‘microdrama’?

On Monday, Variety reported that RoseBerry Media is recutting episodes of the Australian soap opera Neighbours "into microdramas." These clips will be available on Epis, a short-form vertical video streaming platform. Though Neighbours ran for 41 seasons from 1985 to 2025, at launch, RoseBerry is only recutting two storylines from the late aughts focused on a character played by the now-internatio — The Verge

Samsung raised prices on the Galaxy S26 by $100

The base Galaxy S26 with 256GB of storage costs nearly $1,000 after Samsung raised prices in the US by $100 or more, Phone Arena reports. The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus were already $100 more expensive than their S25 predecessors when they launched earlier this year, which Samsung said RAM price hikes were partly to blame for. With both price hikes combined, the base S26 will now set you back $200 mo — The Verge

What’s the Best Kindle of 2026 (So Far)?

I’ve tested every single Kindle. Here’s how Amazon’s ebook readers stack up. — Wired

Hearing tech startup Legato launches its AI hearing glasses

The glasses stem from the startup’s goal of making hearing care more accessible by addressing the cost, comfort, and stigma associated with traditional hearing aids. — TechCrunch

Audible’s new features let you explore book worlds — and use AI to talk to characters

Audible is rolling out new features that help listeners keep track of characters, explore places and imagery mentioned in books, and even interact with characters using generative AI. — TechCrunch