Welcome to the BrevFeed daily tech briefing for Saturday, September 26. We've got 9 stories for you today across A.I., security, software, cloud, hardware and startups. Let's get into it.

In AI news, Anthropic has launched Claude Science, an AI workbench designed to streamline scientific research. This new platform integrates NVIDIA's BioNeMo Agent Toolkit, allowing scientists to use GPU-accelerated AI for tasks like drug discovery and genomics within a single environment, rather than juggling multiple tools and datasets.

Concurrently, Anthropic has expanded its Claude Cowork tool to mobile and web. This move significantly broadens its accessibility and utility beyond the desktop, enabling tasks to run autonomously in the cloud. This expansion reflects a shift in Cowork's use, with only a small percentage of sessions now dedicated to coding, indicating its growing role in general administrative and content creation tasks.

These developments highlight Anthropic's strategy to deepen its impact across both specialized fields like life sciences and broader productivity sectors. By offering advanced AI tools for scientists and extending task management capabilities across devices, Anthropic aims to set new standards for AI deployment in specific industries and reshape competitive dynamics.

Turning to security, new research indicates that LG smart TVs, including the G5 OLED model, may be continuously scanning local networks for devices and collecting Wi-Fi data. This investigation, conducted by Gamers Nexus, Level1Techs, and independent security researchers, found that these TVs also log location data and use audio and video sampling to recognize what's being watched across various inputs.

A significant concern raised is the discovery that LG TVs can record microphone audio even when the screen is off. If the TV is offline, this audio is stored locally and uploaded once an internet connection is re-established. This collected data is then reportedly fed to LG Ad Solutions, the company's advertising division, which claims to reach hundreds of millions of devices in the US by tracking hardware on the same network.

LG has responded, stating that voice data is processed only when a button is pressed or a wake word is recognized, and that features like ACR and interest-based advertising are optional and not enabled by default. However, the researchers also identified remote code execution vulnerabilities in LG's webOS operating system, which are currently being disclosed. Given these findings, the research team suggests disconnecting LG smart TVs from the internet and using external streaming devices to enhance privacy and security.

Turning to security, CISA has issued a warning about multiple actively exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft SharePoint Server. These include CVE-2026-45659, CVE-2026-50522, and CVE-2026-58644, all of which involve the deserialization of untrusted data. These flaws allow attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely, posing significant security risks to affected systems.

Specifically, CVE-2026-45659 allows an authenticated attacker with site member permissions to execute arbitrary code on impacted SharePoint servers. While initially assessed by Microsoft as less likely to be exploited, CISA has flagged it due to increased active exploitation. Additionally, CVE-2026-50522, with a CVSS score of 9.8, emerged after proof-of-concept exploit code was released, leading to unauthorized access and potential data compromise.

Microsoft addressed these vulnerabilities in its July 2026 security updates, providing patches for multiple SharePoint versions, including Subscription Edition and Server 2019. CISA has mandated that federal agencies apply these patches by specific deadlines under its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities guidelines. All organizations using Microsoft SharePoint are urged to implement these updates immediately to mitigate potential damage from these security breaches.

In a surprising turn of events, Automattic founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg was placed on a paid leave of absence by the company's board of directors. CFO Mark Davies was appointed interim CEO, a decision Mullenweg stated was made without his consent and against his vote.

However, just hours later, Mullenweg announced via Slack that he was back in control as Automattic CEO. This was confirmed by two sources and later by Automattic itself, which stated that Mullenweg had returned to his role.

Following Mullenweg's return, Mark Davies's Slack account was deactivated, and Jeremy Klaperman, formerly of Automattic's WordPress VIP unit, was appointed interim CFO. Automattic also announced a new board of directors, including authors Hugh Howey and Amy Chan.

In cloud infrastructure, Kubernetes is expanding its reach beyond containerized applications and is now being considered for managing desktop infrastructure. This move aims to unify operational practices and reduce costs associated with older virtual desktop systems, which have traditionally been separate from cloud-native models.

While Kubernetes simplifies deployment, it also brings to light the complexities of managing databases. Many developers are proficient in application development but often lack the specialized expertise needed for database management, creating a new challenge for DevOps teams.

This shift means DevOps teams will need to acquire new skills or adopt specialized solutions to effectively manage databases within a Kubernetes framework, as the integration of desktop infrastructure and databases continues to evolve the IT operational landscape.

In AI, Microsoft has launched a redesigned Copilot app, consolidating various AI functionalities into a single interface. This update brings together AI chat, coding capabilities, and the rebranded Autopilot AI assistant, previously known as Scout, into one unified experience.

The new Copilot app features a tabbed interface with Home, Code, and Autopilot sections. The Home tab combines Copilot Chat and Cowork, offering a personalized dashboard for emails, meeting requests, and Teams threads. It also integrates directly with Office applications like Outlook, Teams, Word, and Excel, allowing users to generate slides, spreadsheets, or documents within the app.

The Code tab enables natural language coding, built on the same technology as GitHub Copilot, allowing users to create tasks and build applications using natural language. While available to consumers, this new Copilot is primarily aimed at Microsoft's enterprise customers, particularly those in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. The company hopes to increase adoption of these advanced AI tools, as fewer than 7% of existing commercial Office 365 seats currently have licenses for the AI addition.

This consolidation is part of Microsoft's strategy to compete more effectively in the enterprise AI market. The cost model for the new Copilot's enterprise features is described as evolving, with clients expected to pay for features like Cowork and Code, using a usage-based billing system for key functionalities.

In Apple news, the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to launch in September 2026, continuing Apple's annual release schedule. Pre-orders are anticipated to begin on the Friday following the announcement, with shipping starting the subsequent week.

The exact launch date in September 2026 will likely be influenced by Labor Day, which falls on September 7th that year. Apple typically holds its unveiling events the week after the holiday, suggesting potential announcement dates of either September 9th or September 14th.

A September 9th announcement could lead to pre-orders opening on September 11th and shipping by September 18th. If the announcement is on September 14th, pre-orders would likely start on September 18th, with shipping by September 25th. Interestingly, the base iPhone 18 model is rumored to be delayed until early 2027, a departure from previous simultaneous releases.

In media mergers, Paramount has settled an antitrust lawsuit with California and 11 other states, clearing a major hurdle for its proposed 110 billion dollar acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The agreement includes commitments for theatrical film releases and increased U.S. production spending.

Under the terms, Paramount will commit to at least 30 theatrical movie releases annually for the next five years, with a minimum of four independent films and 20 percent being blockbuster tentpole productions. The company also pledged to increase its U.S. production spending by at least 300 million dollars compared to 2025 expenditures.

The settlement also includes provisions for editorial independence at CBS News and CNN. While the agreement removes a significant obstacle, it has drawn criticism from some Democrats and media advocates who argue that such behavioral remedies often fail to address the broader implications for open markets in journalism and creative expression.

In AI news, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is set to attend President Trump's state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping. This comes as AI regulation is a hot topic in Washington and Silicon Valley, with concerns about advanced AI models.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will also be at the dinner, and AI is expected to be a key discussion point between Trump and Xi. This is especially relevant given the advancements in Chinese AI models.

The White House stated that American business leaders were invited to the dinner to prioritize making deals for the country, highlighting the economic and strategic importance of the tech industry in these high-level discussions.

That's the BrevFeed daily briefing. We'll be back tomorrow with the stories that matter in tech. Thanks for listening.