Innehållsförteckning för #731 från Techlife News

Google’s Gemini app—the company’s unified platform for its generative AI model—has reached more than 650 million active users, reinforcing the rapid pace of adoption for large-scale AI systems integrated directly into mobile ecosystems. The milestone, announced internally and confirmed by company sources familiar with usage metrics, positions Gemini as one of the most widely deployed consumer AI applications in the world, alongside ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot. The growth reflects Google’s decision to embed Gemini into Android as a native experience rather than a separate product. By merging search, voice assistance, and text-generation tools within the same interface, the company has effectively turned its AI model into a central navigation layer for daily smartphone use. HOW GOOGLE BUILT AI INTO THE ANDROID EXPERIENCE Gemini was introduced earlier this year as the…

Astronomers have confirmed that 3I/ATLAS, one of only a handful of known interstellar objects to enter our solar system, has reemerged from behind the Sun—its path now clearly visible again after months of observational blackout. The comet, first identified in 2019 and officially recognized as the third interstellar visitor ever detected, has reignited scientific interest for what it reveals about materials and dynamics beyond the Sun’s gravitational boundary. The reappearance follows several months in which 3I/ATLAS was obscured by solar glare, preventing direct observation. New data collected by observatories in Chile and Hawaii show that the comet has retained a diffuse coma and elongated tail, typical of icy bodies passing close to the Sun. Researchers confirmed that the object’s orbital path remains hyperbolic—meaning it entered the solar system from interstellar…

Apple's iPhone lineup continues to set the benchmark for innovation, blending cutting-edge technology with seamless user experiences. With the launch of the iPhone 17 series in September 2025, two standout models have captured the imagination of tech enthusiasts: the sleek iPhone Air and the powerhouse iPhone 17 Pro. Discover which is right for you. AN IPHONE DILEMMA The iPhone Air reimagines the smartphone as an impossibly slim and lightweight device, harking back to the elegance of earlier eras while packing modern prowess. In contrast, the iPhone 17 Pro doubles down on professional-grade features, from advanced imaging to superior thermal management, making it a beast for demanding users. But with great options come tough choices. At first glance, both devices share Apple's signature DNA, stunning displays, blistering performance, and robust build…

Elon Musk’s latest digital project, Grokipedia, experienced a full system outage within hours of its launch this week after its servers were overwhelmed by traffic and database activity. The new platform—an AI-generated encyclopedia connected to Musk’s Grok chatbot—was introduced as part of X’s (formerly Twitter’s) effort to build a user-driven knowledge network that integrates artificial intelligence with public data contributions. According to internal sources cited by platform engineers, Grokipedia went offline less than three hours after opening to public access, following a surge that saw nearly 900,000 article entries uploaded or generated within its initial window. The company temporarily suspended new account registrations and contributions while engineers worked to restore functionality. BUILDING A “REAL-TIME ENCYCLOPEDIA” FOR X USERS Grokipedia was launched as an extension of xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence company,…

Qualcomm’s market value surged this week after the company unveiled its most advanced artificial intelligence microchip yet—an architecture designed to challenge Nvidia’s dominance in data-center processing and edge computing. Shares of the San Diego–based firm jumped more than 22 percent following the announcement, its largest single-day gain in over a decade, as investors reacted to the company’s renewed relevance in the AI hardware race. The new processor, part of Qualcomm’s growing Snapdragon X platform, represents a decisive shift in its strategy from smartphone components to high-performance AI systems that can power everything from cloud infrastructure to personal devices. With global demand for generative-AI workloads skyrocketing, Qualcomm’s entry into this segment reflects both an evolution in its technical roadmap and a growing recognition that the future of computing will hinge on…

Adobe has introduced direct YouTube Shorts integration into its Premiere Pro editing suite, beginning with support for videos shot on iPhones. The new feature marks a step toward bridging professional editing workflows with the short-form video ecosystem that dominates mobile platforms. It also reflects the company’s effort to align its creative tools with how content is produced and distributed in the current media landscape, where mobile-first videos now account for a major share of global engagement. The integration allows editors to create, export, and publish Shorts directly from within Premiere Pro, bypassing the need for external upload steps. It includes a set of aspect ratio presets, automatic metadata mapping, and compatibility with YouTube’s compression standards for short-form vertical content. YouTube and Adobe said they are collaborating to streamline the creative-to-publishing…

China’s latest five-year plan signals a significant recalibration of its industrial priorities, with electric vehicles (EVs)losing the central role they held in previous policy cycles. After more than a decade of heavy subsidies, infrastructure investment, and state-backed promotion, the new framework shifts government focus toward artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing—areas Beijing views as critical to long-term technological sovereignty. The policy marks a turning point for an industry that grew rapidly under state incentives but now faces oversupply, falling prices, and intensifying competition. China’s EV sector, once emblematic of its transition toward green industry leadership, enters the next five years under less direct state protection, forced to compete on efficiency and innovation rather than subsidy support. FROM STRATEGIC PRIORITY TO MARKET PRESSURE For most of the past decade, China’s electric-vehicle…

Samsung has presented its first trifold smartphone, marking the company’s most ambitious experiment in foldable technology since it introduced the original Galaxy Fold in 2019. The new prototype, shown during a private media demonstration ahead of its expected commercial debut, features a display that unfolds from a compact phone-sized device into a tablet-like screen using three connected panels hinged by dual folding mechanisms. The trifold design underscores Samsung’s continued push to define the next form factor in mobile hardware as the foldable category matures. It also signals a shift in strategy: rather than competing on incremental improvements to existing folding phones, the company is now focusing on multi-panel devices that bridge the gap between smartphones, tablets, and productivity tools. EXPANDING THE FOLDABLE CONCEPT BEYOND A SINGLE HINGE Unlike the Galaxy…

Nvidia has unveiled a sweeping new set of collaborations with Uber, Stellantis, Lucid, and Mercedes-Benz to accelerate the deployment of autonomous driving systems and AI-based mobility services. The announcement, made at Nvidia’s GTC conference, marks a defining moment in the company’s transition from a graphics and computing powerhouse into one of the automotive industry’s most influential software and AI infrastructure providers. The partnerships bring together carmakers, ride-hailing networks, and next-generation vehicle platforms under Nvidia’s Drive Thor and Drive Hyperion ecosystems—hardware and software solutions that fuse real-time data processing, sensor integration, and machine learning to enable safer, smarter, and eventually self-driving vehicles. Uber will use Nvidia’s technologies to train and operate its autonomous fleet simulation systems, while Stellantis, Lucid, and Mercedes-Benz plan to embed Drive Thor chips directly into upcoming models…

Apple has confirmed that an upcoming update to iOS will introduce a digital passport feature for iPhone users, signaling the company’s next major step in replacing traditional identification documents with secure, device-based credentials. The feature, which has been in development for more than a year, is designed to allow travelers to store and present their passports directly within the Wallet app—functioning alongside Apple’s existing digital ID, driver’s license, and boarding pass integrations. Although Apple has not yet provided an exact release date, the company said the feature will debut “soon” following agreements with select government agencies to enable the system’s authentication framework. Once available, the iPhone passport will use a combination of biometric verification, encrypted storage, and real-time validation to confirm identity during travel or digital verification processes. A NEW…

Nvidia is extending its artificial intelligence infrastructure beyond data centers into robotics, establishing a new front in its effort to integrate machine learning into industrial production. The company’s latest initiative, announced at its developer conference, introduces a framework that links its existing computing platforms with humanoid and industrial machines—an effort to create continuity between AI systems that process data and those that operate in the physical world. The plan formalizes Nvidia’s move into robotics as a commercial category rather than an experimental division. The company has spent several years developing Isaac Sim and Omniverse, simulation environments that allow robotic systems to train on synthetic data before deployment. These tools now form the foundation for Nvidia’s broader robotics platform, which pairs its hardware and software for a market that includes manufacturing,…

Apple is preparing to bring OLED display technology across its iPad and MacBook lineups, marking one of the most significant shifts in the company’s display strategy since the introduction of Retina screens more than a decade ago. According to industry sources familiar with Apple’s supply chain plans, the company has accelerated its transition to OLED panels following the strong performance of the technology in recent iPhone and Apple Watch models. The move will redefine image quality, power efficiency, and product design across Apple’s larger devices, with first releases expected in 2026. The shift positions Apple to unify its premium display ecosystem under OLED—replacing LCD and mini-LED screens currently used in iPads and MacBooks—with thinner, more power-efficient panels that deliver deeper contrast and longer battery life. It also reflects Apple’s growing…

TikTok’s U.S. future has become a proxy battle over how Washington and Beijing intend to manage digital power. What began as a narrow question about data handling now sits inside a broader struggle over technology access, capital flows, and export controls—areas where each side has learned to use policy as leverage. The latest warnings from hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, a former Soros lieutenant who now runs Key Square Group, capture the shift: a forced divestiture, he argues, would not end the dispute so much as relocate it to other pressure points in the trade relationship. DIVESTITURE AS POLICY SIGNAL, NOT END STATE Congressional momentum behind a divest-or-ban framework reframes TikTok as industrial policy rather than a consumer-app dispute. Supporters cite U.S. national security laws and Chinese statutes that could…

Apple’s services division has quietly evolved into one of the most powerful profit engines in the world — a business so large that its annual revenue now exceeds that of global giants like Tesla, PepsiCo, and Disney. What began as a supplement to Apple’s hardware ecosystem has transformed into a multi-faceted platform spanning digital entertainment, payments, cloud storage, and advertising. And according to recent financial reports and market analyses, the division is on track to expand even further, positioning Apple as both a technology provider and a dominant media and financial services company. In its latest earnings disclosure, Apple reported that services revenue reached nearly $90 billion over the past year, accounting for about one-fifth of total company sales. This marks a record high for a segment that has nearly…

A sprawling new data breach has exposed more than 183 million email addresses and passwords, including tens of millions linked to Gmail accounts, in what cybersecurity experts are calling one of the most extensive credential leaks ever recorded. The data did not come from a direct hack of Google’s servers. Instead, it emerged from an underground network of malware infections that silently stole login information from compromised personal devices around the world. Researchers estimate that the archive of stolen credentials spans more than 3.5 terabytes of compressed files, accumulated through information-stealing malware campaigns operating since early 2025. Much of the dataset, uncovered by digital-forensics analysts earlier this month, had never appeared in previous breaches. According to specialists who examined the trove, roughly 16 million of the leaked Gmail addresses are…

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a landmark $1 billion collaboration with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to design and build two next-generation supercomputers aimed at tackling some of science’s most daunting challenges—ranging from fusion energy and cancer research to national security and advanced artificial intelligence. The first system, codenamed “Lux,” is expected to come online within the next six months and will be built around AMD’s latest MI355X AI-accelerated chips, coupled with high-performance CPUs and networking components from AMD’s ecosystem. The second machine, known as “Discovery,” is slated for delivery in 2028 and operational readiness by 2029, leveraging the MI430 series of AI-tuned processors designed specifically for high-end computing and inference workloads. WHAT THE PARTNERSHIP MEANS FOR U.S. COMPUTING CAPABILITIES This collaboration signals a major upgrade to America’s…

As investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence continues to dominate global markets, questions have begun to surface about whether the current wave of capital and speculation surrounding AI companies has outpaced economic fundamentals. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, whose company has become the central beneficiary of the AI surge, rejected that idea this week, describing the industry’s rapid expansion as a reflection of genuine technological transformation rather than market excess. Speaking to reporters at a technology forum, Huang argued that artificial intelligence has already reached the stage of industrial adoption, distinguishing it from speculative tech cycles of the past. “This is not a hype phase. The demand is real, and the applications are tangible,” he said, emphasizing that the ongoing infrastructure buildout across data centers, cloud services, and enterprise automation represents structural…

Apple Inc. has been ruled against by a French court in a landmark case involving its distribution agreements with major French telecom operators. The court found that Apple’s contractual practices with carriers amounted to an abuse of its dominant position in the mobile-device market and ordered the company to pay compensation to three major operators for costs and disadvantages incurred under those contracts. According to the judgement, Apple must indemnify Bouygues Telecom, Free (Iliad group) and SFR to the tune of close to €39 million combined, in addition to regulatory penalties. The ruling addresses long-running complaints from operators that Apple tied iPhone supply and marketing arrangements to onerous obligations—such as advance device purchases, fixed pricing, and subsidised advertising—that skewed the commercial relationship in Apple’s favour. THE FACTS BEHIND THE DISPUTE…