Science/Tech
OpenAI Codex System Prompt Includes Explicit Directive To ‘Never Talk About Goblins’
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The system prompt for OpenAI’s Codex CLI contains a perplexing and repeated warning for the most recent GPT model to “never talk about goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, pigeons, or other animals or creatures unless it is absolutely and unambiguously relevant to the user’s query.” The explicit operational warning was made public...
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Light Phone Is Making Its Dumb Phone More Useful With Third-Party ‘Tools’
A new developer program for LightOS allows anyone to create tools for the Light Phone, whether that’s a local public transit app for your city or a way to read ebooks.

Active-duty US soldiers to receive psychedelic drugs for PTSD next year
Hope that sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy could help soldiers fight longer by helping them process trauma
As the war on drugs approaches its end, a new doctrine could soon take hold: psychedelic drugs for active-duty soldiers suffering from PTSD.
In two studies funded by the Department of Defense (DoD), 186 service personnel with PTSD will likely next year undergo multiple sessions of...

Schreiber suspends home affairs officials over fake AI references
Home affairs has suspended two senior officials after AI ‘hallucinations’ were found in its new immigration white paper.

OpenAI tells ChatGPT models to stop talking about goblins
The AI firm said that unlike previous model bugs, this issue “crept in subtly”.

Boomi Builds Analyst Momentum Across Integration, API Management, Data Management, and Agentic AI
Boomi, the data activation company, today announced continued analyst recognition across multiple strategic technology categories, underscoring the company’s momentum as enterprises look for a unified foundation to connect data, applications, APIs, automation, and AI.

SA women entrepreneurs selected for Amazon incubator
Amazon and WomHub select 35 women entrepreneurs for the Amazon Sustainable Sellers Incubator, focused on manufacturing.

SA young scientists head to Arizona
Three SA high school learners will showcase research in AI, astrophysics and biomedical science at the Regeneron ISEF in the US next month.

South Africa headed to the polls in November
South Africa will hold its next municipal elections on 4 November, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a post on X.

Best Gifts for Hikers, Backpackers, Outdoorsy People (2026)
Let them pick out their own hiking boots. Instead, try gifting a useful blade or a nature journal to delight your outdoorsy friend.

Goal Zero Yeti 1500 Power Station Review (2026): More Power, Better Chemistry
Goal Zero’s new Yeti 1500 power station charges faster and has more juice to keep you powered up, no matter where you are.

MTN lauds R4.8bn tax contribution in SA
The telco highlights its significant tax contribution in South Africa, underscoring its role in supporting public finances through corporate and indirect taxes.

MTN transparency report shows R4.8bn tax contribution in SA
The telco underscores its role in supporting public finances through corporate and indirect taxes.

Paratus Mozambique powers 2026 Santa Maria fishing showdown
Starlink links anglers, organisers and the local community at Mozambique’s premier big-game fishing event.
DOJ Sues Cloudera For Deliberately Excluding American Workers From Tech Jobs
Longtime Slashdot reader schwit1 shares a report from ZeroHedge: The Justice Department on Tuesday sued Cloudera, accusing the enterprise data and artificial intelligence company of deliberately engineering a hiring process that excluded American workers from at least seven lucrative technology positions while the firm pursued permanent residency sponsorship for foreign workers on temporary...

The Summer the American Water Crisis Turned Real
Concern over water access are poised to consume summer in the US, as crises in Corpus Christi and across the Colorado River threaten to boil over.

Use Gmail’s ‘Manage Subscriptions’ Tool to Cut Down on Inbox Clutter
Find and remove newsletter subscriptions more easily using Gmail’s built-in tools for organizing bulk emails.

SA’s volatile tech channel will test operators’ resolve and resilience
Pricing volatility, supply chain shifts and tightening margins are no longer isolated events, says DCC Technologies.

AI rewards senior developers, side-lines juniors
AI is changing how developers work and earn, favouring senior talent while limiting opportunities for juniors entering the market.