TECH NEWS

Uber found liable in sexual assault case and ordered to pay $8.5 million
A federal jury has ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to a woman who says an Uber driver raped her during a 2023 trip

Source: Associated Press
Friday, Feb 06 2026

EU accuses TikTok of 'addictive design' that harms children, seeks changes to protect users
The European Union accuses TikTok of breaching digital rules with features like autoplay and infinite scroll

Source: Associated Press
Friday, Feb 06 2026

Amazon's shares fall after announcing surge in capital spending but posts strong 4Q holiday sales
Amazon sales surged 14% during the fourth quarter, helped by strong holiday spending and a better-than-expected growth in its prominent cloud computing unit

Source: Associated Press
Thursday, Feb 05 2026

UC San Diego becomes one of the first colleges in the U.S. to offer an AI major
Artificial intelligence continues to be more-and-more mainstream, and one local college college is embracing the technology.

Source: Jas Kang
Thursday, Feb 05 2026

Anthropic, OpenAI rivalry spills into new Super Bowl ads as both fight to win over AI users
OpenAI and Anthropic, the startups behind ChatGPT and Claude, are gearing up for a major showdown

Source: Associated Press
Thursday, Feb 05 2026

Renters use 'rent now, pay later' services to manage monthly payments, but fees raise concerns
Renters facing high costs are turning to "rent now, pay later" services like Flex, Livble, and Affirm

Source: Associated Press
Wednesday, Feb 04 2026

Google's quarterly results paint a picture of an internet powerhouse getting stronger in AI age
Google’s latest quarterly report provided further evidence that its internet empire is withstanding an artificial intelligence shakeup that’s turning into another potential boon for the company

Source: Associated Press
Wednesday, Feb 04 2026

Musk vows to put data centers in space and run them on solar power but experts have their doubts
Elon Musk vowed this week to upend another industry just as he did with cars and rockets — and once again he's taking on long odds.

Source: Associated Press
Wednesday, Feb 04 2026

Texas Instruments to acquire Austin-based Silicon Laboratories
The two Texas companies will come together after a $7.5 billion buyout.

Source: Mike D'Alonzo
Wednesday, Feb 04 2026

Kenya unveils tax breaks for EV parts and charging stations to speed up shift to electrics
Kenya is rolling out tax breaks to encourage use of electric vehicles

Source: Associated Press
Tuesday, Feb 03 2026

Paris prosecutors raid X offices as part of investigation into child abuse images and deepfakes
French prosecutors have raided the offices of social media platform X as part of a preliminary investigation into allegations that include spreading child sexual abuse images and deepfakes

Source: Associated Press
Tuesday, Feb 03 2026

NASA to review Artemis II test data as it eyes March launch
The liquid hydrogen leak and the bitter cold weather impacted many aspects of the test, NASA stated.

Source: Anthony Leone
Tuesday, Feb 03 2026

Falcon 9 issue may push back Crew-12 launch
An issue with the Falcon 9 rocket during re-entry has forced SpaceX to hold off on launches until the cause has been resolved.

Source: Anthony Leone
Tuesday, Feb 03 2026

Austin Community College, U.S. Army announce $16M training program expansion
The program is training people in the Army to be software engineers, platform engineers, product managers or designers.

Source: Geraldine Torrellas
Tuesday, Feb 03 2026

Robotaxi pioneer Waymo gets $16 billion injection to accelerate its expansion plans
The appraisal underscores investors' desire to own a piece of the rapidly expanding robotaxi market.

Source: Associated Press
Tuesday, Feb 03 2026

NASA says it detected leak on Artemis II moon rocket during testing
The leak exceeded allowable limits, NASA stated.

Source: Anthony Leone
Monday, Feb 02 2026

Musk joins his rocket and AI businesses into a single company before an expected IPO this year
Elon Musk is joining his space exploration and artificial intelligence ventures into a single company before a massive planned initial public offering for the business later this year

Source: Associated Press
Monday, Feb 02 2026

Bolivia kicks off school year with ban on cellphones
Bolivia began to implement a ban on cellphones in classrooms Monday, as the school year starts in the landlocked South American nation

Source: Associated Press
Monday, Feb 02 2026

Looking back at Artemis I as NASA makes final preps for Artemis II mission
In 2022, NASA attempted to launch the uncrewed Artemis I mission many times, with either mechanical problems or Mother Nature getting in the way.

Source: Anthony Leone
Monday, Feb 02 2026

A chatbot entirely powered by humans, not artificial intelligence? This Chilean community shows why
About 50 members of a community outside Chile’s capital spent Saturday trying their best to power an entirely human-operated chatbot that could answer questions and make silly pictures on command, in a message to highlight the environmental toll and water usage of artificial intelligence data centers in the region

Source: Associated Press
Monday, Feb 02 2026

U of R's Laboratory for Laser Energetics receiving $111M in government funding
The U of R says the money will help provide upgrades to the Omega Laser Facility and advance local research and technology for national security.

Source: Spectrum News Staff
Monday, Feb 02 2026

Japan retrieves rare earth-rich mud from seabed to lower reliance on China
A Japanese research vessel has successfully drilled and retrieved deep-sea sediment containing rare earth minerals from the seabed near a remote island, Japan’s government announced Monday as the country seeks to reduce its reliance on China

Source: Associated Press
Monday, Feb 02 2026

What is Slippery Fish? A secret project to win Olympic speedskating medals with help from an app
The U.S. Olympic team for long track speedskating is hoping a secret project called Slippery Fish that uses computer technology can help win medals at the Milan Cortina Winter Games this month

Source: Associated Press
Monday, Feb 02 2026

China executes 4 more members of Myanmar-based group in crackdown on scam operations
China has executed four people found guilty of causing the deaths of six Chinese citizens and running scam and gambling operations out of Myanmar worth more than $4 billion

Source: Associated Press
Sunday, Feb 01 2026

Indonesia lets Elon Musk's Grok back online under tight supervision
Indonesia has allowed Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok to resume operations on a conditional basis and under strict supervision, after banning it for explicit sexual content

Source: Associated Press
Sunday, Feb 01 2026

Undercover investigation of Meta heads to trial in New Mexico in first stand-alone case by state
The first stand-alone trial from state prosecutors in a stream of lawsuits against Meta is getting underway in New Mexico

Source: Associated Press
Saturday, Jan 31 2026

FAA recommends 44 launches per year for SpaceX’s Starship
The report recommended that SpaceX could pursue up to 44 launches per year from Kennedy Space Center.

Source: Spectrum News Staff
Friday, Jan 30 2026

Blue Origin puts a pause on New Shepard launches to focus on the moon
Blue Origin stated it wants to focus on its "lunar capabilities."

Source: Spectrum News Staff, Anthony Leone
Friday, Jan 30 2026

'Rare arctic outbreak' causes NASA to delay Artemis II fueling test
The new earliest launch date is now Sunday, Feb. 8.

Source: Anthony Leone
Friday, Jan 30 2026

SpaceX hits milestone with 11,000 Starlink satellites
More than 11,000 Starlink satellites have been launched since 2019.

Source: Anthony Leone
Friday, Jan 30 2026

Cedarville launches cybersecurity camp for middle schoolers
The four-week camp starts in February for middle school students in grades six through eight

Source: Madison MacArthur
Thursday, Jan 29 2026

TikTok settles as social media giants face landmark trial over youth addiction claims
The social video platform was one of three companies — along with Meta's Instagram and Google's YouTube — set to go to trial.

Source: Nathalie Basha, Associated Press
Wednesday, Jan 28 2026

How the lessons learned from the Challenger disaster apply to Artemis rockets
An expert at Florida Tech explains why the cold weather should not impact Artemis II.

Source: Anthony Leone
Wednesday, Jan 28 2026

SpaceX's launches U.S. Space Force GPS satellite
The Falcon 9 rocket sent up GPS III-9 mission.

Source: Anthony Leone
Wednesday, Jan 28 2026

Meta posts stronger-than-expected Q4 results though costs continue to soar
Meta’s fourth-quarter results jumped past Wall Street’s expectations thanks to solid advertising revenue, sending shares higher in after-hours trading Wednesday

Source: Associated Press
Wednesday, Jan 28 2026

SPC offers free SMART Tech certifications for students
The certifications are designed to prepare students for rapid entry into high-demand advanced manufacturing careers.

Source: Erin Murray
Wednesday, Jan 28 2026

Google adds AI image generation to Chrome browser, side panel option for virtual assistant
Google is empowering its Chrome browser with the ability to alter pictures and introducing a side panel for a virtual assistant to help with online tasks as part of its push to turbocharge its of digital services with more artificial intelligence technology

Source: Associated Press
Wednesday, Jan 28 2026

Spanish soccer league offers reward of 50 euros for tips to ID bars illegally broadcasting games
The Spanish league says it is stepping up its fight against audio-visual fraud by offering 50 euros for each verified tip on the establishments broadcasting games without proper permission

Source: Associated Press
Wednesday, Jan 28 2026

UK proposes forcing Google to let publishers opt out of AI summaries
Britain's competition watchdog says Google should let news sites and content creators opt out of having their content scraped for AI overviews

Source: Associated Press
Wednesday, Jan 28 2026

Amazon cuts 16,000 jobs in the latest round of layoffs
Amazon is announcing about 16,000 job cuts in the latest round of tech industry layoffs

Source: Associated Press
Wednesday, Jan 28 2026

ASML made record $11.5 billion profit in 2025 thanks to AI-driven demand, plans to cut 1,700 jobs
ASML reports a record net profit of 9.6 billion euros in 2025, driven by AI demand

Source: Associated Press
Wednesday, Jan 28 2026

TikTok settles as social media giants face landmark trial over youth addiction claims
TikTok has agreed to settle in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit just before the trial kicked off, the plaintiff’s attorneys confirmed

Source: Associated Press
Tuesday, Jan 27 2026

NASA sets date for Artemis II fueling test
A wet dress rehearsal simulates the launch of the Artemis II moon rocket.

Source: Anthony Leone
Tuesday, Jan 27 2026

ODOC urges Ohio residents to protect their data
Identity theft was most common in Ohio, according to an FBI report.

Source: Ryan Johnston
Tuesday, Jan 27 2026

Titusville’s American Space Museum to auction off NASA rocket engine
There are a lot of various items up for auction, with many from the Apollo missions.

Source: Anthony Leone
Tuesday, Jan 27 2026

Orlando Science Schools student creates satellite technology to help detect flood damage
Orlando Science Schools sophomore Abigail Merchant designed a CubeSat that uses high-resolution imagery and machine learning to help first responders.

Source: Ashley Engle
Tuesday, Jan 27 2026

French lawmakers approve bill banning social media for children under 15
French lawmakers have approved a bill banning social media for children under 15

Source: Associated Press
Tuesday, Jan 27 2026

European Union opens investigation into Musk's AI chatbot Grok over sexual deepfakes
European Union regulators have opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X after its AI chatbot Grok started producing nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images

Source: Associated Press
Monday, Jan 26 2026

European Union opens investigation into Musk's AI chatbot Grok over sexual deepfakes
The European Union opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X on Monday.

Source: Associated Press
Monday, Jan 26 2026

Macron pushes for fast-track ban on social media for children under 15
French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to fast-track a ban on social media for teenagers under 15

Source: Associated Press
Sunday, Jan 25 2026

Meta pauses teen access to AI characters
Meta is halting teens’ access to artificial intelligence characters, at least temporarily, the company said in a blog post Friday

Source: Associated Press
Friday, Jan 23 2026

AI-generated deepfakes may pose threat to legal system
A look at the potential impact of artificial intelligence technology on the legal system.

Source: Renee Eng
Friday, Jan 23 2026

What weather apps sometimes miss about dangerous winter storm conditions
That snowflake icon on your smartphone app might be quick and handy — it just might not be as accurate as a human when the weather gets rough

Source: Associated Press
Friday, Jan 23 2026

TikTok finalizes deal to form a new American entity
The social video platform company signed agreements with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX to form the joint venture.

Source: Associated Press
Friday, Jan 23 2026

73 South Koreans repatriated from Cambodia to face investigations over online scams
Dozens of South Koreans detained in Cambodia for alleged involvement in online scams have been returned home to face criminal investigation

Source: Associated Press
Friday, Jan 23 2026

Under Armour looking into data breach affecting customers' email addresses
Clothing retailer Under Armour is investigating a recent data breach that purloined customers' email addresses and other personal information, but so far there are no signs the hackers stole any passwords or financial information

Source: Associated Press
Thursday, Jan 22 2026

Blue Origin launches New Shepard NS-38 manned mission
The six are part of the NS-38 mission.

Source: Anthony Leone
Thursday, Jan 22 2026

Elizabeth Hurley describes 'monstrous' privacy invasion by Daily Mail in British media hacking case
Elizabeth Hurley has accused the Daily Mail's publisher of tapping her phones and stealing her medical records

Source: Associated Press
Thursday, Jan 22 2026

AI parking tech launches at Kona and Hilo airports
HDOT says travelers will be able to reserve a parking space in advance come March.

Source: Spectrum News Staff
Thursday, Jan 22 2026

Alex Honnold is climbing Taipei 101 with no ropes, live on TV. It's drawing excitement — and concern
Alex Honnold plans to climb Taipei 101 in his signature free solo style without ropes or protective gear

Source: Associated Press
Thursday, Jan 22 2026

Nuclear reactor owned by Fukushima plant operator TEPCO to shut down again hours after restart
The world's largest nuclear power plant is shutting down a reactor due to a glitch

Source: Associated Press
Thursday, Jan 22 2026

Crew-11 avoids details of medical episode that cut mission short
Crew-11 and NASA would not identify the astronaut or what the medical issue was.

Source: Anthony Leone
Wednesday, Jan 21 2026

Tesla lithium refinery in Texas is now fully operational
Telsa’s lithium refinery, located in Robstown, Texas, near Corpus Christi, is now fully operational, according to an X post from Elon Musk.

Source: Rhett Brady
Wednesday, Jan 21 2026

FTC says it will appeal Meta antitrust decision
The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday it will appeal the November ruling in favor of Meta in its antitrust case against the social media giant

Source: Associated Press
Wednesday, Jan 21 2026

FTC says it will appeal Meta antitrust decision
The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday it will appeal the November ruling in favor of Meta in its antitrust case against the social media giant

Source: Associated Press
Tuesday, Jan 20 2026

Mother of Elon Musk's son sues xAI over deepfakes, receives countersuit
On Jan. 15, the mother to one of Elon Musk’s sons sued xAI, claiming X app users have generated sexual deepfake images of her using the chatbot Grok.

Source: Hannah Maguire
Tuesday, Jan 20 2026

EU plans phase out of high risk telecom suppliers, in proposals seen as targeting China
The European Union plans to phase out telecom gear from companies in "high risk" countries, targeting Chinese firms like Huawei and ZTE

Source: Associated Press
Tuesday, Jan 20 2026

British leader says ’no option off the table’ as UK considers Australia-style teen social media ban
The British government is considering banning young teenagers from social media to protect them from harmful content and excessive screen time

Source: Associated Press
Tuesday, Jan 20 2026

Weather not a concern for Starlink launch
The Falcon 9 rocket sent up the Starlink 6-100 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Source: Anthony Leone
Monday, Jan 19 2026

Tesla granted more time in US investigation into its self-driving tech
U.S. regulators have granted a five-week extension for Tesla to respond to allegations that its self-driving vehicles have broken traffic laws.

Source: Associated Press
Saturday, Jan 17 2026

NASA rolls out SLS rocket for Artemis II moon mission
It will begin its slow 4-mile ground journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Source: Anthony Leone
Saturday, Jan 17 2026

Letter writing enjoys a revival as fans seek connection and a break from screen time
As screens blur the line between work and home, some people are slowing down and disconnecting by looking to communication devices from the past

Source: Associated Press
Saturday, Jan 17 2026

Mother of Elon Musk's child sues his AI company over sexual deepfake images created by Grok
The mother of one of Elon Musk's children is suing his AI company over deepfake images of her on the internet

Source: Associated Press
Friday, Jan 16 2026

ChatGPT's free ride is ending: Here's what OpenAI plans for advertising on the chatbot
OpenAI plans to introduce ads for ChatGPT users who aren't paying for the premium version

Source: Associated Press
Friday, Jan 16 2026

Social media platforms removed 4.7 million accounts after Australia banned them for children
The figures, reported to Australia's government by 10 social media platforms, were the first to show the scale of the ban.

Source: Associated Press
Friday, Jan 16 2026

Social media platforms removed 4.7 million accounts after Australia banned them for children
Social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia

Source: Associated Press
Friday, Jan 16 2026

An app’s blunt life check adds another layer to the loneliness crisis in China
In China, the names of things are often either ornately poetic or stunningly direct

Source: Associated Press
Thursday, Jan 15 2026

What you need to know about Grok and the controversies surrounding it
Elon Musk's AI assistant, Grok, is facing scrutiny from governments worldwide

Source: Associated Press
Thursday, Jan 15 2026

Controversial data centers could impact 2026 midterms
Data centers' need for electricity could drive up prices for consumers, some fear.

Source: Reuben Jones
Thursday, Jan 15 2026

Waymo vehicles still not stopping for Austin ISD school buses
Waymo robotaxis were recently recalled due to a software error for safety concerns during school hours, but they are are still having problems.

Source: Rhett Brady
Thursday, Jan 15 2026

Matthew McConaughey trademarks himself to prevent AI fakes
The actor is trying to get ahead of misuse of his likeness.

Source: Mike D'Alonzo
Thursday, Jan 15 2026

Grok blocked from undressing images in places where it's illegal, X says
Elon Musk’s X says its AI chatbot Grok won't be able to edit photos of real people in revealing clothing in places where that is illegal

Source: Associated Press
Thursday, Jan 15 2026

Verizon says hourslong outage that disrupted calling and data services has been resolved
Verizon says it resolved an outage that disrupted many U.S. customers’ calling and other cellular services for more than 10 hours on Wednesday

Source: Associated Press
Thursday, Jan 15 2026

In a warming world, freshwater production is moving deep beneath the sea
Climate change is driving a global boom in desalination as regions turn to the sea for drinking water

Source: Associated Press
Thursday, Jan 15 2026

In a warming world, freshwater production is moving deep beneath the sea
Climate change is driving a global boom in desalination as regions turn to the sea for drinking water

Source: Associated Press
Thursday, Jan 15 2026

In a warming world, freshwater production is moving deep beneath the sea
Climate change is driving a global boom in desalination as regions turn to the sea for drinking water

Source: Associated Press
Thursday, Jan 15 2026

NASA says astronaut suffered ‘serious medical condition’ on ISS
The unnamed astronaut is in stable condition and in good spirits, stated NASA.

Source: Anthony Leone
Thursday, Jan 15 2026

Crew-11 splashes down; mission ends early after astronaut has medical episode
This is the International Space Station's first medical evacuation.

Source: Anthony Leone
Thursday, Jan 15 2026

Driverless Waymo cars now servicing Manchaca to the Domain
Waymo has expanded its Austin map beyond downtown, servicing 140 square miles of the city with self-driving cars.

Source: Hannah Maguire
Wednesday, Jan 14 2026

Despite forecast, SpaceX launches Starlink satellites
The Falcon 9 rocket sent up the Starlink 6-98 mission.

Source: Anthony Leone
Wednesday, Jan 14 2026

The UK is watering down plans for mandatory digital ID cards after a backlash
The British government has scaled back plans for mandatory digital ID cards, initially proposed as a way of helping control immigration

Source: Associated Press
Wednesday, Jan 14 2026

Malaysia will take legal action against Musk's X and xAI over misuse of Grok chatbot
Malaysian authorities have announced legal action against Elon Musk's social media platform X and its AI unit xAI

Source: Associated Press
Tuesday, Jan 13 2026

SpaceX launches nearly 30 Starlink satellites
Close to 30 Starlink satellites will be in low-Earth orbit.

Source: Anthony Leone
Monday, Jan 12 2026

Malaysia and Indonesia become the first countries to block Musk’s Grok over sexualized AI images
Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok as concerns grow over its misuse in generating explicit images

Source: Associated Press
Monday, Jan 12 2026

Crew-11 prepares for early return to Earth as astronaut deals with medical issue
The undocking of Crew-11's capsule from the International Space Station is set for early Wednesday evening.

Source: Anthony Leone
Monday, Jan 12 2026

St. Bonaventure embraces AI technology with new presidential commission
St. Bonaventure University is looking to play a key role in getting ahead of the evolving technology to help its students succeed.

Source: Mark Goshgarian
Monday, Jan 12 2026

Google teams up with Walmart and other retailers to enable shopping within Gemini AI chatbot
Google is expanding the shopping features in its AI chatbot by teaming up with Walmart, Shopify, Wayfair and other big retailers to turn the Gemini app into a virtual merchant as well as an assistant

Source: Associated Press
Sunday, Jan 11 2026

VR headsets are 'hope machines' inside California prisons, offering escape and practical experience
Prisoners are now taking regular trips to far-flung, exotic locales such as Thailand

Source: Associated Press
Saturday, Jan 10 2026

SpaceX sends up Florida's 2nd launch of 2026
Starlink 6-96 mission took off from Space Launch Complex 40.

Source: Anthony Leone
Friday, Jan 09 2026

Lyft and Uber drivers protest Waymo robotaxis as California considers further regulations
Lyft and Uber drivers protested Waymo’s self-driving taxis in San Francisco

Source: Associated Press
Friday, Jan 09 2026