Alibaba Shares Rise After Unveiling Upgraded Flagship AI Model
Alibaba launched a preview version of its Qwen3.8 Max model, with shares rising as much as 5.4% on Monday. The company described the model as second only to Anthropic's Fable 5.
How Verizon is preparing for record-setting network spikes during the first-ever World Cup halftime show
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show, featuring Madonna, Shakira, BTS, and Justin Bieber, is expected to draw over a billion global viewers during its 11-minute performance. Verizon is preparing network infrastructure to handle potential record traffic spikes, as halftime shows historically attract larger audiences than the games themselves, with Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX performance drawing 133.5 million viewers.
Moonshot plans to list in Hong Kong within six months at a $30 billion valuation
Moonshot AI plans to list on the Hong Kong exchange within six months at a valuation exceeding $30 billion. The three-year-old startup has distributed a shareholder resolution supporting the IPO and is completing a fundraising round.
China is rebuilding the smartphone around AI agents. ZTE’s NaviX sold out in hours.
ZTE's NaviX Ultra smartphone, running ByteDance's Doubao AI agent and activated by voice or dedicated button, sold out within hours of its showcase at Shanghai's World AI Conference. The device comes in four colors and was prototyped in December.
France and Germany pledge to build a European rival to Palantir’s military AI software
France and Germany committed to developing a European alternative to Palantir's military AI software, focusing on data-centric security, AI, and cloud solutions. France's Arcadia platform was identified as a potential foundation for this European sovereign digital backbone initiative.
Chinese car sales in the UK jumped from 384 in 2015 to 285,000 last year. The tariff gap explains why.
Chinese car sales in the UK surged from 384 vehicles in 2015 to 285,000 last year. BYD nearly doubled its UK sales in the first half of 2026 to over 37,000 units, with Chinese brands now holding roughly 13% of new car registrations.
Alibaba open-sources its AI chip software stack at WAIC, targeting Nvidia’s CUDA lock-in
Alibaba's chip division open-sourced SAIL, a complete software stack for its Zhenwu AI chips, to reduce developer reliance on Nvidia's CUDA ecosystem. The software stack allows programmers to adapt SAIL to work with mainstream platforms.
Moonshot’s Kimi Upends Conventional Wisdom on US Lead Over China
Chinese AI leaders acknowledged at a Beijing event that their country lags behind the United States in developing cutting-edge AI models, with one executive stating the gap may be widening. The admission challenged assumptions about China's competitive position in artificial intelligence development.
The World Cup tech innovations that will outlast the tournament
Lenovo deployed an AI system providing teams access to over 2,000 soccer-specific metrics and petabytes of historical data during the World Cup. The same technology helps viewers understand referee perspectives in real time while aiming to equalize resources across competing teams.
Apple overtakes Nvidia to reclaim the title of world’s most valuable company at $4.88 trillion
Apple's market capitalization reached $4.88 trillion, surpassing Nvidia's $4.86 trillion to reclaim the title of world's most valuable company. Nvidia had held the top position for nearly a year before declining 3.5% in Friday trading.
Apple is in early settlement talks with the DOJ over its iPhone antitrust case
Apple and the Department of Justice are holding early settlement discussions regarding the 2024 antitrust lawsuit accusing Apple of violating competition law through its iPhone ecosystem. Apple has made multiple settlement offers this year, though active discussions do not guarantee an agreement will be reached.
An AWS billing bug sent users estimated charges of up to $2.5 trillion
A pricing error in AWS's billing system generated false estimated charges reaching $2.5 trillion for some users. Amazon confirmed a unit pricing error in the Billing Console's estimated billing computation subsystem caused the erroneous charges, with one user seeing an estimate jump from $0.19 to nearly $2.5 billion.
Anthropic is in early talks to lease $10 billion in compute from Meta
Anthropic is negotiating to lease approximately $10 billion in computing power from Meta in preliminary discussions. The talks follow Anthropic's recent $1.25 billion monthly arrangement with SpaceX for access to Nvidia GPUs at the Colossus 1 data center.
Meta in Talks to Sell Computing Power to Anthropic
Meta is in early discussions to lease computing power from its data centers to Anthropic. The arrangement would create a new business line for Meta around its AI infrastructure investments.
Amazon’s Zoox recalls 105 robotaxis after one drove into heavy smoke at an active fire scene
A Zoox robotaxi drove into heavy smoke at an active fire scene in Las Vegas on June 20, prompting a software recall affecting 105 vehicles. The unoccupied vehicle braked hard while attempting to steer away from the smoke, which had obscured the uncordoned emergency scene.
Google takes aim at Canva and Adobe as its AI image editor Pics gets an official rollout date
Google's AI image editor Pics will be released to all paying Workspace customers starting in August. The tool was initially available in Gemini Alpha in May and offers AI-powered image creation and editing capabilities.
Roblox launches Build, a mobile tab that turns text prompts into playable games
A new Roblox mobile feature called Build lets users create playable games by entering text prompts without coding or using Roblox Studio. The system generates basic games from descriptions like cozy forest adventures with environmental obstacles.
1Password lets Claude log you into websites without ever seeing your passwords
1Password launched a browser integration allowing Claude to use stored credentials for logging into websites while keeping passwords hidden from the AI model. The system shows users which credential Claude needs before accessing it through a zero-exposure architecture.
Volkswagen enters the robotaxi race with a shared shuttle service in Hamburg
Volkswagen's Moia subsidiary launched a self-driving taxi service using autonomous ID Buzz vans in Hamburg with up to five vehicles initially operating. The fleet is expected to expand to ten vehicles as the service grows.
Oracle is one notch above junk after S&P downgrade as AI data-centre spending burns through cash
Oracle was downgraded to BBB- status by S&P on July 9, placing it one notch above junk rating due to a $250 billion data-centre expansion plan consuming cash faster than revenue replaces it. The company now holds $117 billion in outstanding debt, making it the second-largest non-financial debt issuer in the Bloomberg US Corporate Bond Index after Amazon.
Google’s next Gemini Pro is months behind schedule as coding capabilities fall short of internal goals
Google's next Gemini Pro version is months delayed because its coding capabilities failed to meet internal performance targets. The company missed its planned May developer conference release date for the upgraded model.
The EU is forcing Google to open Android to rival AI and share its search data
Google must allow rival AI assistants to operate on Android with the same capabilities as Gemini and share search data with competitors. The European Commission imposed these requirements under the Digital Markets Act, treating Google as a gatekeeper in the market.
AI and a brain implant restored a paralysed man’s movement and touch
A paralyzed man regained hand movement and touch sensation through a "double neural bypass" system that rewired his nervous system. The technology, developed by the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, restored function in a patient paralyzed from the chest down.
Hyundai to Buy SoftBank’s Boston Dynamics Stake in Robot Push
Hyundai Motor and its affiliates are acquiring SoftBank Group's remaining stake in Boston Dynamics. The purchase accelerates commercialization of the company's Atlas humanoid robot.
Nvidia Expands Toyota AI Partnership for Smart Cities, Factories
Nvidia will supply AI hardware and software to Toyota for smart cities, traffic systems, and factories. This expansion builds on their decade-long partnership that originally focused on autonomous vehicle development.
Apple is shopping for chip companies because its own AI servers can’t keep up
Apple is seeking to acquire AI chip companies because it cannot design chips fast enough to meet its AI server needs internally. The company has recently consulted with bankers about potential deals and approached chip startups to explore acquisition opportunities.
Boston Dynamics is testing Spot as a package delivery robot that walks from van to doorstep
Boston Dynamics is testing Spot to deliver packages by riding in delivery trucks, then walking to customer doorsteps with packages on its back. The robot loads packages via conveyor belt and independently navigates to houses for delivery.
OpenAI’s first device could be a screenless smart speaker. It has plenty of competition
A battery-powered screenless smart speaker with cameras and sensors is in development by OpenAI for potential 2027 release. The device will use an advanced ChatGPT Voice Mode capable of simultaneous listening and talking while proactively anticipating user needs.
Anthropic commits $10 million to Canadian AI research across eight institutions
Anthropic allocated $10 million CAD across eight Canadian institutions to support research on beneficial and responsible AI applications. The funding targets three regional AI institutes,Amii, Mila, and Vector Institute,plus CHEO, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Université Laval.
Nintendo is pulling a console from Europe over battery rules. Meta’s glasses just got exempted from them.
The European Commission exempted wearable technology from rules requiring user-replaceable batteries, removing a major barrier for Meta's smart glasses in the EU. The delegated act adopted Tuesday added six product categories to the exemption list, including smartwatches and fitness devices.