Technologies

Scientists Develop an Octopus-Like ‘Soft Robot’ That Can Change Color

Meet Octoid, the squishy robot that changes from blue to green to red.

A research team in South Korea has developed a soft robot named Octoid that can mimic the movement and behavior of an octopus in its natural habitat. The robot’s «triple-in-one» system enables it to shift colors, move and capture prey in a way that is fascinatingly similar to the aquatic animal.

While the scientific world has been working on modeling robots after octopuses for over a decade, this is the first time scientists have been able to combine the way an octopus moves and camouflages itself into a single robot.

Octoid was built by researchers from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, led by a scientist named Dae-Yoon Kim.

«We aim to expand this technology into the development of intelligent soft machines, such as self-aware, reflexive, and learning-based soft robots,» Kim said in a statement on Thursday.

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Colorful crystals

The core material used for Octoid is called photonic crystal polymer. It’s a nanostructured material that can do interesting things when light passes through it. By separating and reflecting specific wavelengths of light, this type of polymer can display brilliant colors within its structure.

Today, photonic crystal polymers have many real-world applications, like high-tech sensors, remote communication and optical computing. But using this material to make soft robots is still a fairly new and emerging field within robotics.

The researchers used the polymers to give the robot a special structure that has the ability to move in a soft and flexible way while it changes colors. The team was able to control the robot using electrical signals that created microscopic contraction and expansion, which made Octoid change from blue to green to red.

Aquatic robotics

The octopus has a unique body that has interested scientists for years. We’ve seen robots that move like the tentacles of an octopus from a variety of labs and companies. It’s not only octopuses, either; sea creatures seem to capture the imagination of roboticists all over the world.

The team behind Octoid says the robot showcases new possibilities for biomimetic soft robotics technology. They say that the tech displayed in Octoid’s body has the potential to help in industries like deep-sea rescue, marine ecology monitoring, and hospital robots to help people reach farther, as well as military applications.

«Through this research, we have secured materials for soft robots that can be applied to various fields, including autonomous adaptive robots, military camouflage systems, marine exploration robots and medical micro-robots,» Kim said.

The paper was originally published on Oct. 15, 2025, in Advanced Functional Materials.

Technologies

Apple Launches Creator Studio Package as $13 a Month Subscription

Mac users can still buy the apps individually, but subscribers get access to Final Cut Pro and other Studio tools.

Apple is bundling its pro filmmaking and audio tools including Final Cut Pro with its productivity apps Keynote, Pages and Numbers into a subscription software suite called Apple Creator Studio.

The package, which includes apps for Mac, iPad and iPhone, includes Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, MainStage and the whiteboard app Freeform. Creator Studio will be available starting Jan. 28 at a cost of $13 per month or $129 per year, or $3 per month or $30 per year for students and educators. Mac users will still have the option to purchase software like Final Cut Pro for a one-time free. The current price for Final Cut Pro in the Mac App Store is $300.

While apps such as Keynote and Pages are already free on Apple platforms, it appears that new versions of those apps will receive access to beta features that will roll out first to Creator Studio subscribers. The announcement by Apple alludes to «new AI features and premium content» in some of the apps it otherwise makes available to use for free.

What the Creator Studio bundle comes with

The star of the show in Creator Studio is Final Cut Pro, the video editing software that will now include Transcript Search on both Mac and iPad. There is also a new Beat Detection feature Apple says uses an AI model to analyze a music track and display a beat grid, making it easier to cut video to music rhythms. The software also will include a new Montage Maker on iPad for quick social video creation.

Motion, the 2D and 3D graphics tool, and Compressor also integrate with Final Cut Pro. Apple touted Motion’s Magnetic Mask feature for isolating objects or people without the need for a green screen.

Logic Pro has new features for musicians, including a Synth Player addition to AI Session Players. Chord ID, a new AI feature, can create chord progressions from audio or MIDI recordings. A new Sound Library will have hundreds of royalty-free clips, samples and loops.

A revamped MainStage app gives subscribers access to instrument, voice-professing and guitar rig tools. Pixelmator Pro arrives with new tools and filters, and there will be an iPad version in addition to the Mac tool.

Freeform in the Creator Studio package will add premium content, including curated photos, graphics and illustrations. It will also get new AI features that include image creation.

Technologies

Reddit Outage Resolved: Here’s What Happened

Did you have trouble reading your favorite subreddits today? You weren’t alone.

If you had trouble accessing the news and discussion forum Reddit on Tuesday, you weren’t the only one. However, as of 10:15 a.m. PT, the site appears to be back up and running normally. Reddit’s status monitoring page, RedditStatus.com, notes that «all systems (are) operational» after the brief outage.

But earlier, at 9:30 a.m. PT, RedditStatus.com said the company was «investigating elevated errors across reddit.com and native apps.» RedditStatus.com reported degraded site performance for both desktop web use and native mobile apps.

Earlier on Tuesday, the site-monitoring service DownDetector also reported issues at Reddit, providing additional details. At one point on Tuesday, DownDetector received over 100,000 reports that the site was having problems. At 10:25 am PT, the report numbers fell to under 600. (Disclosure: Downdetector is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

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«Reddit is currently experiencing a significant internal outage causing widespread service disruptions,» the site said earlier Tuesday. «The impact is categorized as Very High, primarily affecting mobile app access (55%) and website connectivity (39%). While reports are heavily concentrated in major hubs like New York City and Chicago, the lack of ISP correlation suggests a broad, nationwide issue stemming from Reddit’s internal servers rather than external network providers.»

A representative for Reddit did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Another social media site, X, formerly Twitter, also showed problems on Tuesday, according to DownDetector. Those problems seemed to spike around 6:30 a.m. PT and improve after.

Technologies

This 3-in-1 Charger Is a Must-Have for Travelers, and It Just Hit a Record-Low of $95

Snag it for $45 off and charge your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at the same time.

If you’re a frequent traveler, then you know that outlets are a precious commodity in places like airports and coffee shops. So why waste one on a single device when you can charge up to three at once? Right now, you can grab this seriously sleek Ugreen Magflow three-in-one foldable charger for just $95 at Amazon. That’s a $45 discount and the all-time lowest price we’ve seen. Just don’t wait too long, as this deal could expire at any time.

At just 7.4 ounces, this compact charging station is designed to be taken on the go. But despite its size, it still supports 25-watt MagSafe charging for iPhones, as well as 5-watt wireless charging for AirPods and Apple Watches. The charging stand also tilts up to double as a stand, and it’s equipped with 16 magnets to keep your phone aligned and securely in place. Plus, it’s got built-in protections against overheating, overcharging, short-circuiting and more to prevent damage to your devices.

Why this deal matters

This folding Ugreen charger is great for juicing up your devices on the go, and it’s never been more affordable. Plus, Ugreen makes some of the best MagSafe chargers on the market right now, so don’t miss your chance to grab one at a record-low price.