Tesla settles a fatal Full Self-Driving crash lawsuit
Tesla settled a lawsuit concerning a fatal 2023 crash that involved its Full Self-Driving Supervised system. The settlement terms remain undisclosed, though a federal safety investigation into the incident continues.
SpaceX wants its own gas pipeline to fuel Starship
SpaceX plans to build its own natural gas pipeline called Starpipe, which would run eight miles to Starbase in Texas. The pipeline represents an unusual move for a space company, as most rocket firms purchase fuel rather than constructing their own supply infrastructure.
Why telecoms resellers are being priced out
Telecoms resellers face barriers including high capital costs, compliance requirements, and minimum spending thresholds that prevent smaller players from entering the market, according to Backspace Technologies. These economic constraints are limiting competition among companies trying to resell telecommunications services.
UK firm bombarded debt-ridden people with 5.5M texts
KRA Consultancy Ltd sent 5.5 million text messages to debt-ridden people with fake bailiff threats. The UK firm received a £300,000 fine for the calculated scheme that caused real fear and distress.
The One Thing a Water Quality Scientist Wants You to Know About Drinking Tap
Most contaminants in tap water cannot be detected by taste, smell, or sight, making sensory perception an unreliable guide to water safety. Water quality scientists say harmful substances like bacteria and chemicals are the most common contaminants found in drinking water supplies.
How to make Linux look like MacOS for free - with a few simple ZorinOS tweaks
Zorin OS can be configured with simple tweaks to resemble macOS's user interface at no cost. The operating system provides customization options that allow users transitioning from Apple to achieve a Mac-like appearance on their Linux distro.
Prosus CEO Bloisi’s $100-million moonshot is slipping away
Fabricio Bloisi's $100-million incentive award requires doubling the combined market value of Naspers and Prosus, but that combined value has declined over the past year. The threshold for earning this compensation has become increasingly difficult to achieve as market conditions have shifted.
Mastercard opens African cybersecurity hub
Mastercard opened a cybersecurity hub to provide security services across Africa, with South Africa and Nigeria as initial focus markets. The hub sells security solutions alongside payment transaction services to African customers.
Food delivery helps fire Prosus to 84% profit surge
Prosus achieved an 84% profit surge driven by growth in its food delivery operations. The company's consumer platforms became profitable across all regions simultaneously for the first time.
Profits arrive at Takealot, but Naspers stays cautious
Takealot achieved stronger revenue and margins, reaching profitability. Despite this improvement, Naspers maintained a R5.9-billion impairment charge on its books.
Verizon, BT Merge International Units in Pivot to Home Markets
Verizon and BT Group are merging their international business units into a joint venture to exit low-margin operations. The carriers will redirect focus toward their domestic markets, with Verizon concentrating on the United States and BT on the United Kingdom.
Malaysia ponders regulating management of IP addresses
Malaysia is considering establishing a National Internet Registry to manage IP addresses, a function previously held but since deprecated by APNIC. The country wants to revive direct control over IP address allocation rather than relying on the regional registry's current distribution methods.
Brain activity under anesthesia challenges what we know about consciousness
Patients under general anesthesia demonstrated sophisticated language processing, distinguishing nouns, verbs, and adjectives while hearing stories. Neural activity in unconscious brains showed signs of predicting upcoming words before they were heard.
Australia investigating five social media giants for not enforcing ban on kids
Australia is investigating five social media companies for failing to enforce a ban on users under 16 years old. The investigation examines whether Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, and Discord are complying with the country's recently implemented age restriction law.
Samsung, SK to Spend $880 Billion to Drive Korea’s AI Lead
South Korea is directing at least 1,350 trillion won into chips and data centers through investments from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The companies view this 880 billion dollar infrastructure spending as essential to competing during the artificial intelligence era.
Chinese Spies, Smuggled Drugs Fuel Takaichi’s Security Push
Chinese intelligence operatives have been stealing Japanese industrial secrets in business settings while smugglers have been transporting Nvidia's AI semiconductors through Japan. Fentanyl trafficking by drug gangs has been crossing Japanese borders to fuel the US opioid crisis.
The solar gravitational lens could map white dwarfs and black holes
A solar gravitational lens could map white dwarfs and black holes by bending light around the sun. The technique enables imaging of distant celestial objects beyond exoplanets using the sun's gravitational field.
Nanopattern method unlocks precise control of disorder for wave-guiding devices
Researchers developed a method to precisely control disorder levels in nanopattern arrays using metal-infiltrated block copolymer thin films. This technique enables customized design of wave-guiding devices with tunable disorder degrees in the nanostructures.
Injectable silk-kudzu hydrogel achieves complete wound closure in laboratory tests
An injectable hydrogel made from silk proteins and kudzu plant extract promoted complete wound closure in laboratory tests within 72 hours. The material was developed by researchers at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation as a potential approach to minimally invasive soft tissue repair.
Baidu’s chip unit Kunlunxin is targeting a $50 billion Hong Kong IPO and asked investors to buy its semiconductors
Baidu's chip unit Kunlunxin is planning a Hong Kong IPO targeting a $50 billion valuation. The company asked prospective investors to commit to purchasing its semiconductors as part of the offering.
Why did this journal retract two 1940s papers by Max Planck?
A journal retracted two papers by Max Planck from the 1940s, with the retractions now showing as blank pages and empty PDFs. The retraction decision was made because the journal determined the papers were intellectually unacceptable.
12 billion years old, this interstellar comet is older than our solar system
Astronomers detected an interstellar comet that is 12 billion years old, predating our solar system's formation. The object was identified by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System on July 1, 2025.
Ancient algal defenses against UV may have helped plants conquer land
Ancient algae possessed a dynamic UV defense system involving rapid molecular adjustments that helped early plants survive on land. Researchers studying a modern alga closely related to the earliest land plants identified this sophisticated protection mechanism that enabled plant colonization over 500 million years ago.
Researchers built an AI therapist that reads your smartwatch and earbuds to detect distress before you ask for help
An AI system called UbiMyTherapist detects emotional distress by analyzing data from smartwatches and earbuds rather than waiting for users to initiate contact. Researchers at the University of Ottawa developed this proactive assistant to identify stress and anxiety through physiological signals captured by wearable devices.
TechCrunch Mobility: All eyes on Tesla FSD
Tesla's Full Self-Driving system is receiving increased attention for its autonomous driving capabilities. The system represents a significant focus area in discussions about AI's role in the transportation and automotive industries.
Boffins build a better pixel capable of emitting and receiving light
A new pixel design can simultaneously emit and receive light, combining transmission and detection capabilities in a single unit. The technology enables bidirectional optical communication within a pixel structure, allowing it to function as both a display element and a sensor.
Micron briefly surpassed Meta and Tesla in market value. Its stock is up 236% in a month.
Micron Technology's stock climbed 236% in one month, briefly making it worth $1.27 trillion. The company reported third-quarter revenue of $41.45 billion, quadrupling year-over-year.
Govee’s smart nugget ice maker makes every iced drink feel like a luxury
Govee released a smart nugget ice maker priced at $500 that produces soft, chewable ice. The GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro targets consumers who prioritize ice quality in their beverages.
Auto repair is one of the least digitised industries in America. AI is changing the economics of why.
The auto repair software market is projected to grow from $3.4 billion in 2026 to $8.6 billion by 2033 at a 14.2% annual growth rate. North America's 280,000 independent repair shops currently operate on 1990s-style workflows including phone scheduling, paper repair orders, and manual parts ordering.
Google is rationing Gemini access to Meta because it cannot provide enough compute
Google placed limits on Meta's use of Gemini AI models due to insufficient computing capacity to meet demand. The restrictions affected Meta's internal projects and several other Google clients particularly severely.