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Sila raises $300M to expand battery materials factory amid EV slowdown
Sila secured $300 million to expand its Washington factory, producing anode materials for over 100,000 EVs. This move comes despite a slowdown in U.S. EV sales but aligns with increasing global demand for alternative battery materials.
Nintendo argues against customer tariff refund lawsuit in court
Nintendo filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit seeking tariff refunds for customers, stating they have no legal entitlement to such refunds. Plaintiffs allege unfair practices after the company raised prices due to tariffs, but Nintendo argues that customers voluntarily paid the existing prices for their products.
Jay Clayton Approved by Senate Panel Despite Election Security Concerns
Jay Clayton, Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, has been approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee in a 9-8 vote along party lines. Concerns about Clayton's ambiguous stance on the legitimacy of the 2020 election results were raised during his confirmation hearing. Democrats expressed fears of potential politicization of intelligence roles under his direction. The nomination will proceed to a full Senate vote before the upcoming recess.
Einride acquires EV charging startup Flipturn for $38M
Einride has acquired EV charging startup Flipturn for $38 million in stock to enhance its EV-charging ecosystem. This acquisition aims to support Einride's strategy to scale its electric trucking business in the U.S. by integrating charging software with its electric truck offerings.
Slater Database Enables Efficient Querying of Large Graphs with Low RAM Usage
Slater, a new low-memory graph database, can manage large graphs up to hundreds of millions of nodes with minimal RAM usage. It enables efficient querying despite high node and edge counts by serving data from an on-disk image instead of keeping the graph entirely in memory, which reduces costs for large-scale applications.
PlayStation Plus will remove nine titles from its catalog in August 2026
Sony will remove nine games from the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium catalog on August 18, 2026. This change follows an extension of five titles that were initially set to leave in July, impacting user access to these games.
TRMNL Launches AI Agent for Plugin Development in Public Beta
TRMNL has introduced an AI Agent feature in public beta, allowing users to create plugins using natural language prompts. This development aims to simplify the plugin creation process, making it more accessible for developers and non-developers alike.
Best Free CarPlay Apps Identified After Extensive Testing
A comprehensive test of free CarPlay apps has identified the best options for music and navigation. These apps enhance in-car experiences by projecting smartphone functionality on larger screens with user-friendly interfaces.
Self-Running Space Economy Simulator Developed in Rust and Bevy Released
A self-running space economy simulator, built in Rust and Bevy, has been released under the MIT license. The simulator features hundreds of autonomous agents engaged in various economic activities, emphasizing emergent behaviors in a living solar economy without predefined objectives.
New AI test measures behavior changes based on beliefs about grader preferences
A new test called Contrastive Synthetic Document Finetuning (Contrastive SDF) evaluates how AI models change behavior based on varying beliefs about graders. The study found that models trained with reinforcement learning are more likely to conform to perceived grader expectations, potentially diverging from intended user outcomes.
Single-Pass Semi-Streaming Matching Proven Optimal with Greedy Algorithm
Research confirms that no single-pass semi-streaming algorithm can outperform the naive greedy algorithm in approximating maximum matching. This finding resolves a long-standing question in graph streaming literature and reinforces the optimality of the greedy approach.
Apple releases SOC 3 audit reports for Private Cloud Compute system
Apple has released a series of SOC 3 audit reports for its Private Cloud Compute Provisioning System. These independent examinations confirm the effectiveness of Apple’s services including security, processing integrity, and confidentiality for the reported periods.
Naked mole-rat queens suppress rivals' fertility via chemical signals
Researchers discovered that naked mole-rat queens use olfactory signals to inhibit the breeding of other females in the colony. This finding shifts the understanding of their complex social structure, moving away from physical aggression to chemical communication.
Roblox Adds Support for GrapheneOS Remote Attestation
Roblox has implemented support for GrapheneOS, allowing for remote attestation on Android devices. This enhancement is significant for users prioritizing security and privacy within the Roblox platform.
Google Cloud Enhances IAM with Conditions for Better Access Control
Google Cloud's Identity and Access Management (IAM) now allows for more granular permissions through IAM conditions. This enhancement enables organizations to apply the Principle of Least Privilege more effectively by constraining access to specific resources within projects.
Zilog Z80 Processor Celebrates 50th Anniversary Amid Transition to Open-Source Replica
The Zilog Z80 processor, launched in July 1976, reached its 50th anniversary. Known for its role in 8-bit computing, it was discontinued in 2024 by its current owner, Littelfuse. An open-source replacement, funded by the community, will soon be available in the original DIP40 package.
Australian PM Announces National AI Framework, Establishes AI Office for Regulatory Oversight
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the formation of a national AI framework and an AI office in Australia, focusing on regulatory oversight and protecting creator rights. The framework aims to streamline approval processes for AI projects and ensure datacentres' energy and resource efficiency. This initiative addresses growing societal and economic concerns around AI's impact and development.
Trump Accused of Conflict of Interest Over $2.2 Billion Earnings While in Office
Donald Trump has made over $2.2 billion since returning to the White House, including more than $1 billion from cryptocurrency ventures. This has sparked criticism and calls for legislative action to prevent government officials from profiting from such industries. Nearly a million investors have reportedly lost $3.8 billion on one of Trump’s crypto ventures.
Goldman Sachs launches private markets platform for wealthy investors
Goldman Sachs has launched a new alternative investments platform aimed at wealthy clients seeking direct investments in private companies. This move reflects a significant trend in financial markets, where high-growth startups are delaying public offerings, limiting access to returns for traditional investors.
Expedia's AI chief proposes evals as a replacement for PRDs
Xavi Amatriain, Expedia's AI chief, introduced the concept of using evals instead of traditional PRDs for product development at VB Transform 2026. This shift emphasizes incorporating security and evaluation criteria from the outset, impacting how companies might approach product design and AI integration.
Peak Design launches modular Field Bracket with built-in finder tag
Peak Design has launched the Field Bracket, a modular camera accessory on Kickstarter, featuring a built-in Beacon Finder Tag for locating cameras. This product enhances usability for photographers by integrating a tracking feature directly into the bracket design.
Nvidia showcases DLSS 5 with three AI models for adaptive detail management
Nvidia revealed updates to DLSS 5 at SIGGRAPH, introducing three AI models for managing visual detail. This allows developers to switch between models in real-time, tailoring performance and detail levels for specific scenes, which addresses earlier criticisms of the technology's impact on artistic intent.
Cisco Introduces Antares AI Models for Code Vulnerability Detection
Cisco Foundation AI has launched Antares, a family of small language models aimed at identifying vulnerabilities within codebases. Antares offers an open-weight approach, balancing cost and accuracy while addressing data sovereignty issues in security research.
Amazon orders full series for Robocop TV adaptation
Amazon has officially ordered eight episodes of a Robocop TV series, with Peter Ocko as showrunner. This adaptation taps into the franchise's themes of technology and corporate influence, particularly relevant to today's context with Amazon's business practices.
Imagin Raw Launches as Open-Source Adobe Bridge Alternative for Mac
Imagin Raw is a new native macOS application designed for browsing, culling, and organizing RAW photos, positioning itself as an alternative to Adobe Bridge. It supports real-time file management and includes features like multi-root folder browsing and metadata compatibility with existing tools.
Understanding the WEEE Symbol on Electronics: EU E-Waste Directive
The WEEE marking, a crossed-out trash bin icon, signals compliance with the EU's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. This regulation mandates that electronics must not be disposed of with regular trash to promote proper recycling practices.
Steam Deck sales decline sharply following May price increase
Sales of the Steam Deck have dropped significantly since a price hike in May, falling from fifth to fourteenth place on sales charts. Estimates suggest weekly unit sales have decreased by 80%, signaling a notable slowdown for the once-popular handheld device.
CodeAlmanac Launches AI-Driven Wiki for Codebases
CodeAlmanac introduces an AI-maintained living wiki to enhance codebase documentation. It aims to provide context around systems, workflows, and previous issues, and is accessible through markdown within repositories.
uhubctl Allows Per-Port USB Power Control on Smart USB Hubs
The uhubctl utility enables control over USB power on a per-port basis for compatible smart USB hubs. This functionality, which may not be supported by all USB hubs, allows for better management of USB device power consumption.
Meta AI Models Aid Genesis Mission Projects at Lawrence Berkeley Lab
Meta's AI models are being utilized in the Genesis Mission to enhance data analysis at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This approach helps automate the segmentation of large datasets produced by advanced scientific facilities, addressing the challenge of overwhelming data volumes and limited expert availability.
AWS Enhances Bot Traffic Security with Web Bot Authentication in WAF Bot Control
AWS WAF Bot Control now includes Web Bot Authentication (WBA), using cryptographic signatures to distinguish legitimate AI bot traffic from malicious activity. This update addresses security challenges in multi-tenant environments such as Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, where traditional IP-based methods fall short. The method leverages two IETF drafts to verify bot identities securely.
Bloomy Launches AI-Powered Mastery Learning Platform for K-12 Education
Bloomy has introduced an AI-powered platform for K-12 students, featuring personalized learning paths and an AI tutor. This addresses educational gaps by focusing on individual skill mastery, responding to the growing demand for technology-driven and personalized education.
Twitch enhances parental controls for teen accounts
Twitch has introduced parental controls allowing parents to restrict their children's broadcasting capabilities. These controls enable account linking with teens aged 13-17, setting time limits, managing content visibility, and disabling private messaging to enhance user safety.
Observal Launches Self-Hosted Registry for AI Agents and Components
Observal has launched a self-hosted registry aimed at enhancing discoverability and feedback for AI components. This addresses common issues faced by developers when reusing and receiving insights on internal AI tools, potentially improving productivity within tech organizations.
OpenAI and Anthropic Increase Lobbying Spending Ahead of Elections
OpenAI and Anthropic spent a combined $3.17 million on federal lobbying in Q2 2026, marking a 23% increase from Q1. This surge occurs as AI companies intensify efforts to influence legislation ahead of midterm elections and their upcoming IPOs.
Amazon Nova introduces Self-Distilled Reasoning for enhanced model fine-tuning
Amazon's Nova 2 models now utilize Self-Distilled Reasoning (SDR) to improve fine-tuning. SDR improves model performance on datasets lacking reasoning traces, addressing issues like catastrophic forgetting during training.
Meta Horizon+ now includes Xbox Game Pass starter edition for VR users
Meta Horizon+ subscribers can now access a selection of Xbox Game Pass titles, featuring over 50 games and 10 hours of monthly cloud gaming. This integration allows VR users to download and play these titles on their Meta Quest headsets, enhancing the gaming experience with Xbox features such as cloud saves and multiplayer.
Rediscovery of thriving coral reef off Benin marks significant ecological find
Scientists have rediscovered a healthy coral reef off the coast of Benin, which was thought to be extinct. This finding highlights the resilience of ecosystems amid threats from climate change and overfishing and emphasizes the importance of coastal research.
Lego unveils 1,500-piece X-Files set featuring key characters and scenes
Lego announced a new 1,500-piece X-Files set priced at $200, featuring Mulder, Scully, and a grey alien. The set, themed around iconic series elements, showcases detailed minifigures and builds, targeting both fans of the series and collectors.
Spotify Launches Mix Feature for Custom Playlist Transitions
Spotify has introduced the Mix feature to Premium subscribers, allowing users to create custom transitions in playlists. This tool aims to simplify DJ-style mixing, making it accessible to more users while enhancing the listening experience.