PAPERS, PLEASE

Discord is rolling out global age verification with an updated, more secure system, while AMD and Intel introduce new hardware, and OpenAI scales back an AI earbud project due to cost, as Elon Musk shifts SpaceX's focus to a lunar city, and Harvard engineers create advanced soft robots.

• Discord's new global age verification system prioritizes user data security through on-device facial scanning or ID submission.

• New high-end gaming handhelds like the Ino Nex2 feature powerful AMD APUs and large internal batteries but come with significant price tags.

• SpaceX is pivoting its efforts from Mars to building a lunar city, while Harvard engineers advance robotics with 3D-printed soft robots for medical applications.

Discord is implementing global age verification using facial estimation or ID submission, addressing past data breaches with a new on-device process and an age inference model. AMD's new Stricks Halo APU powers the expensive Ino Nex2 handheld, featuring a large internal battery, with hopes for more affordable future variants. Intel has reportedly canceled its Core Ultra 9 290K Plus Aerolake desktop processor, while other refresh parts are still expected. Harvard engineers have developed 3D-printed soft robots capable of complex movements, with potential applications in surgical tools and wearables.

Discord Age Verification

• 00:00:10 Discord is implementing global age verification, defaulting accounts to a teen-appropriate experience without verification. Users can validate their age via facial age estimation from a selfie or by submitting a government ID photo to third-party partners. This new system, initially tested in the UK and Australia, processes facial age estimation on-device and deletes ID documents immediately after confirmation, addressing concerns from a 2025 data breach involving a legacy system's vendor.

New Handheld Gaming Hardware

• 00:02:31 AMD's Stricks Halo APU has arrived in the Ino Nex2 handheld, which uniquely features a massive 116-watt-hour internal battery, larger than most gaming laptop batteries and potentially problematic for air travel. Priced at $2,700 for the base model, or $2,300 for early birds, it is a high-end device, similar to other expensive Stricks Halo handhelds like the GPD Win 5 and 1X Player 1X Fly Apex, which often require external battery packs. There is anticipation for cheaper Stricks Halo variants with fewer CPU cores but comparable graphics power from AMD's CES 2026 announcements.

Intel Processor & AI Earbuds

• 00:05:06 Intel has reportedly canceled its Core Ultra 9 290K Plus Aerolake refresh desktop processor, though other Aerolake refresh parts like the 270K Plus and 250K Plus are still expected, supported by deleted ASUS tweets. Meanwhile, OpenAI is allegedly scaling back its first consumer hardware product, AI earbuds developed with Jony Ive, due to soaring memory costs. The 'Dime' earbuds, initially conceived with phone-level computing power, are now being reduced to more standard earbud functionality with enhanced features delayed.

SpaceX Lunar Focus & Soft Robots

• 00:07:41 Elon Musk announced SpaceX is shifting its near-term focus from settling Mars to building a 'self-growing city' on the moon, a reversal from his previous stance. This change is attributed to the moon's proximity and competitive pressure from Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, which is focused on lunar exploration. Additionally, Harvard engineers have successfully 3D printed soft robots that can bend, twist, and grasp on command by embedding air channels into the material, demonstrating applications like grippers and spiral actuators for future surgical tools and wearable devices.