Innehållsförteckning för #735 från Techlife News

Tesla has updated its internal ramp targets for the first wave of robotaxi operations planned for Austin, refining earlier projections as engineering teams continue to evaluate deployment timelines, service-area density and supporting infrastructure. The update follows new comments from Elon Musk, who noted that Tesla’s earliest robotaxi fleet in Austin will scale more gradually than initial estimates suggested. The revision reflects ongoing analysis inside the company as it aligns its fully autonomous vehicle program with manufacturing readiness, software maturation and regulatory conditions in Texas. According to the updated figures Musk posted, Tesla’s previous planning cycles projected higher early fleet counts for Austin once the company introduced its dedicated robotaxi platform. Internal modeling now points to a more sequential approach, with smaller initial clusters designed to validate routing behavior, operational reliability…

A new update is bringing Gemini-driven screen analysis to Android devices through an expanded version of Circle to Search, allowing users to draw on the screen and ask questions that trigger Gemini’s multimodal interpretation capabilities. The feature, appearing on some devices ahead of a wider rollout, represents the next phase of Google’s effort to merge real-time on-screen interactions with AI tools that can understand images, text and context without requiring app switching or manual copy-and-paste steps. Early users report that the new experience appears as “Circle to Gemini” inside the interface, replacing the familiar Circle to Search animation on supported devices. Instead of redirecting a query to Google Search, the gesture now opens a Gemini panel capable of offering broader interpretations, follow-up questions, and multimodal responses tied directly to whatever…

The iPhone has long been a trailblazer in smartphone technology, transforming pocket-sized devices into veritable powerhouses of visual storytelling. With the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple has elevated this legacy to unprecedented heights. Boasting a trio of 48MP Fusion cameras, groundbreaking ProRes RAW video capabilities, and seamless integration into professional workflows, the iPhone 17 Pro is a studio in your hand. PRO-CALIBER MASTERY The new device bridges the gap between casual snapshots and cinematic masterpieces, powered by the most sophisticated blend of optical engineering and computational wizardry yet seen in a smartphone. As we dive into its capabilities, we'll trace the device's evolutionary journey, dissect its technical prowess, and explore how it empowers creators from hobbyists to Hollywood pros. Whether you're chasing the perfect sunset or syncing footage on a film…

OpenAI and designer Jony Ive are advancing their collaborative hardware initiative amid growing momentum and a reported exodus of engineering talent from Apple Inc.. The project, which involves an “elegantly simple” device described by the team in public remarks, is now confirmed to have functioning prototypes in development. At the same time, public filings and multiple media reports suggest that OpenAI has recruited over forty senior hardware engineers from Apple in approximately a month, underscoring the seriousness and urgency of OpenAI’s entry into consumer-hardware territory. In a recent interview moderated by Laurene Powell Jobs at the Emerson Collective Demo Day, Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed the existence of working prototypes and indicated a target of under two years for a market introduction—a timeline somewhat accelerated from earlier expectations.…

Apple is on track to surpass Samsung as the world’s largest smartphone maker by annual unit shipments, according to new industry projections that indicate a notable shift in global market dynamics. The development follows a series of quarterly gains by Apple and continuing pressure on Samsung from intensifying mid-range competition in key regions. Analysts tracking shipment flows across 2024 and 2025 indicate that if present trends hold through the current quarter, Apple could close the year with its highest global market share on record, marking a turning point in a competition that has defined the smartphone landscape for more than a decade. The projection reflects structural changes in the premium device segment, shifts in emerging-market consumer patterns, and supply-chain repositioning across Asia. Although Samsung continues to operate the industry’s broadest…

Industry dynamics in artificial-intelligence hardware are shifting again as new reports suggest Meta is evaluating alternatives to NVIDIA’s data-center accelerators, prompting renewed attention on Google’s position in the market. The development adds another dimension to the long-running competition between NVIDIA and Google in high-performance AI computing, an area central to training and running large-scale models. While NVIDIA remains the dominant supplier for advanced compute clusters, Meta’s exploratory discussions highlight how major technology firms are reassessing supplier diversity and long-term infrastructure strategies. A new report describes ongoing conversations in which Meta leaders have been weighing new hardware pathways that could complement or eventually offset reliance on NVIDIA’s GPU roadmap. Google’s cloud division, with its internally designed tensor processing units, has emerged as one avenue under consideration. These discussions, according to individuals…

ByteDance has been blocked by Chinese regulators from using certain NVIDIA chips in its data-center operations. The restriction marks a notable development in China’s oversight of advanced semiconductor deployment, adding a layer of regulatory complexity for one of the country’s largest technology firms and raising questions about how local companies will adjust their AI-compute strategies under tightened controls. The decision, as described in the reports reviewed by Reuters, reflects regulators’ concerns over how advanced accelerators are utilized inside large domestic platforms. While China continues to encourage AI development across multiple industries, the treatment of high-end chips used for large-scale model training and inference is subject to approval processes that vary by company and workload. ByteDance’s restrictions appear specific to select NVIDIA models rather than the full range of available accelerators,…

A new dual-band hotspot option has begun appearing in Android, giving users the ability to broadcast 2.4GHz and 5GHz connections simultaneously from a single device. The feature, first identified inside recent Android builds, introduces a more flexible hotspot configuration that aligns with how many modern routers manage multi-band support. Its arrival reflects Google’s ongoing adjustments to Android’s networking stack as the platform incorporates more advanced tethering and device-to-device connectivity tools. Android has long supported switching between 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands for mobile hotspots, but users previously had to choose one band at a time. The updated implementation provides a concurrent mode that allows older devices and low-power accessories to connect through the 2.4GHz channel while laptops, tablets and newer phones can use the faster 5GHz option. The change benefits households,…

Sony’s presence on Steam has grown from a secondary experiment into a substantial piece of the company’s software business, supported by data that outlines more than a billion dollars in gross revenue from PlayStation titles released on Valve’s PC storefront. New figures compiled by Alinea Analytics estimate that Sony’s PlayStation Studios catalog on Steam has now generated more than $1.5 billion in total sales, with Sony’s net share sitting just under $1.2 billion after storefront fees. The findings point to Steam becoming a consistent revenue channel for Sony, despite the company’s historical dependence on exclusive console releases. The revenue scale reflects a broader shift in Sony’s strategy as it positions a portion of its first-party catalog for audiences beyond the PlayStation hardware ecosystem. For years, PC releases arrived well after…

Apple has initiated a small round of job cuts affecting portions of its sales organization, marking an uncommon workforce adjustment at a company known for maintaining employment stability through fluctuating economic cycles. The reductions appear limited in scope and are concentrated within teams responsible for channel operations and certain regional sales functions. While the total number of affected roles remains modest, the move is notable given Apple’s longstanding practice of avoiding layoffs even during periods of broad industry contraction. Employees impacted by the restructuring were informed that their roles were no longer required as part of an organizational shift aimed at streamlining internal processes. Apple has not issued public commentary on the changes, but internal communications described the adjustments as part of operational alignment rather than a broad workforce reduction.…

During a public interview at Emerson Collective’s Demo Day, designer Jony Ive and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, confirmed they have developed the first prototypes of their new AI hardware project and aim to bring the product to market within two years. Moderated by investor and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, the discussion offered rare insight into one of the most secretive collaborations in tech today—though the specific features of the device remain largely unknown. The announcement follows earlier reports of OpenAI’s acquisition of Ive’s design startup io Products for approximately $6.5 billion. During the on-stage conversation, both Ive and Altman emphasized minimalist design architecture and a user experience that differs from conventional smartphone or computer interfaces. While skeptical observers awaited detail on functionality, the pair emphasized the product’s role in…

Tesla has adjusted its robotaxi deployment expectations in Austin, reducing internal fleet projections as the company reassesses timelines, operational planning and early-stage infrastructure needs for its autonomous-vehicle program. According to new information reported this week, the revised outlook reflects updated modeling inside Tesla that narrows the number of vehicles expected to operate in the city during the initial rollout phase. The change illustrates how Tesla continues to recalibrate its approach as it works toward a commercial network built around fully autonomous vehicles. People familiar with the updated planning described the adjustment as part of a broader internal review of deployment timelines, regulatory pathways and resource allocation across multiple markets. Tesla’s early robotaxi plans included more expansive fleet estimates for Austin, where the company has strong manufacturing and testing ties, but…

Google is entering a new phase of activity in the artificial-intelligence sector after a period in which external perceptions often portrayed the company as lagging behind competitors. Recent developments across its product stack, internal infrastructure and research initiatives indicate a coordinated effort to accelerate the pace of deployment and restore a level of momentum that had defined the company’s earlier leadership in machine learning. According to industry analysis referenced by the Financial Post, Google’s core technical capabilities remain strong, and its renewed operational posture reflects the scale of its internal resources and long-term research investments. The shift follows a year of debate across the technology industry about whether Google’s approach to AI development had become too cautious relative to entrants pursuing more aggressive release cadences. While the discussion surrounding model…

X has launched a redesigned “Following Feed” that integrates ranking intelligence from its Grok model, marking a shift in how posts from accounts users follow are organized inside the platform’s primary timeline. The update, described in new reporting, adjusts the feed from a purely chronological view to one guided by relevance signals determined by X’s in-house AI system. The change reflects the company’s ongoing effort to weave Grok into more of the platform’s core functions, including search, recommendations and content surfacing. The new feed keeps its familiar structure but no longer presents posts strictly in time order. Instead, Grok evaluates posts from followed accounts and adjusts their placement based on indicators tied to engagement patterns, topic alignment and user interaction history. X states that users can still access unranked chronological…

A recent user-centric study of generative-AI chatbots suggests that several alternatives to OpenAI’s ChatGPT are perceived as stronger in certain conversational and reasoning dimensions, even though ChatGPT remains the market leader by user volume. The research, conducted by Prolific and publicly shared via Hugging Face, evaluated 28 distinct models using a head-to-head framework called “Humaine” and found that Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro emerged at the top of the ranking, followed by models from DeepSeek, Mistral AI and xAI. ChatGPT-4.1 was ranked eighth. While the survey reflects a specific methodology and user base, its results highlight shifting perceptions about what users value in AI chatbots beyond raw popularity. The study emphasised metrics such as how well a chatbot understands real-world dialogue, adapts to changes in context, presents information clearly, and operates…

Amazon Web Services is preparing one of the largest infrastructure expansions in its history, pledging to invest up to $50 billion to support artificial-intelligence and high-performance-computing capabilities for U.S. federal agencies beginning in 2026. The announcement reflects Amazon’s intent to strengthen its long-standing position in the public-sector cloud market and address the rising demand for specialized compute across intelligence, defense, and civilian agencies managing data-intensive workloads. With plans to expand capacity across AWS’s Top Secret, Secret, and GovCloud (US) regions, the investment marks a significant escalation in the scale of AI-focused infrastructure dedicated to government use. AWS said the buildout will add almost 1.3 gigawatts of new compute capacity to these environments, signaling a shift in how much power federal clients may require as artificial-intelligence workloads grow more complex. The…

WhatsApp is experiencing a drop in activity from third-party AI chatbots built on external large language models. The decline reflects how builders of conversational systems are increasingly redirecting their efforts toward Meta’s native assistant framework rather than relying on external integrations accessed through WhatsApp’s existing bot interfaces. The trend is emerging at a time when messaging platforms across the industry are reassessing how third-party AI services operate inside closed communication ecosystems. Developers who previously used WhatsApp as a channel for distributing conversational bots now report lower engagement as Meta expands access to its own assistant across the WhatsApp interface. These builders have noted that usage patterns began shifting as Meta consolidated its AI features within the app, giving users a direct way to access built-in tools for summarization, Q&A, drafting…

Elon Musk has outlined a connection between his companies’ real-world data operations and long-term artificial-general-intelligence research, describing how information gathered across Tesla’s autonomous-driving systems and the social interactions hosted on X could contribute to the development of advanced AI models. The remarks, referenced in new reporting, reflect Musk’s view that large-scale datasets representing human behavior, situational complexity and real-time decision patterns will shape how next-generation systems are trained. Musk’s comments situate Tesla’s vehicle-sensor network and X’s conversational activity as complementary elements in a broader AI strategy. Tesla collects extensive driving data from vehicles operating across numerous road conditions, while X hosts continuous public discourse across millions of posts. Musk described these streams as separate but mutually relevant for long-horizon model development. The framing highlights how data variety—from physical-world perception to…

Apple has expanded its immersive-media push with a large-scale production effort centered on Real Madrid, using more than 100 dedicated cameras across Santiago Bernabéu Stadium to generate multi-angle footage tailored for Apple Vision Pro. The project integrates high-resolution volumetric capture, spatial video formats and synchronized camera arrays intended to create a viewing experience far beyond conventional broadcast coverage. According to production personnel involved, the system is designed to capture matches, player motion and crowd environments with enough spatial depth to support next-generation sports experiences on Vision Pro. The deployment marks one of Apple’s most extensive sports-film capture operations in Europe, incorporating fixed and mobile camera units across the stadium’s upper decks, sidelines, player tunnels, and elevated gantries. Engineers and production teams have coordinated placement to ensure overlapping fields of view…