Technology

A prototype high-tech jacket can pull drinking water from the air, producing up to 1.5 pints per day, researchers say. The wearable could offer a lifeline in arid regions and emergencies.

Independent auto repair shops say their access to vehicle data is being cut off, threatening their ability to compete with dealerships. The fight is the latest front in the broader right-to-repair movement.

Flock's camera network captures far more than license plates and is spreading rapidly across U.S. communities, Engadget reports. The expansion is raising fresh questions about mass surveillance and data retention.

The proposed KIDS Act would require age verification checks for users to get online, the Electronic Frontier Foundation reports. Digital-rights advocates warn the mandate could undermine privacy and anonymous access for all users.

The EU is moving to legislate its controversial 'Chat Control' message-scanning rules through closed-door negotiations, privacy advocates warn. Critics say backroom deals and imminent concessions threaten private, encrypted communications.

Vox examines what it calls Trump's AI power grab, centered on OpenAI's latest frontier models and federal moves to shape who can access them. The piece weighs the regulatory stakes of concentrating advanced AI under government vetting.

NASA has launched a rescue mission to keep its Swift observatory from falling back to Earth as its orbit decays. The effort aims to preserve the long-running telescope's gamma-ray and transient astronomy work.

Researchers have trained AI to master the notoriously difficult 'dark art' of radio-frequency integrated circuit design, potentially speeding the development of wireless chips, IEEE Spectrum reports.

Asian AI startups are racing to launch Mythos-like frontier models as Anthropic's US export ban drags on, reshaping global competition over advanced AI access.

The world's most powerful particle accelerator shuts down Monday for four years of renovations meant to dramatically boost its collision capacity. Scientists hope the upgrade will improve the hunt for dark matter, one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the universe.

A Bavarian wildlife rescue group is using thermal-imaging drones to locate and save fawns hidden in tall meadow grass ahead of mowing season. Baby deer instinctively freeze when threatened, a defense that protects them from predators but leaves thousands killed by farm machinery each spring.

Wired tested DeleteMe, the original data-broker removal service, to see whether it can actually scrub personal information from sites that expose people's home addresses and phone numbers. The review weighs how effective such services are against spam and stalking risks.

Wired's security roundup reports that LastPass users have had their data stolen again, the latest in a string of breaches affecting the password manager. The week's news also includes the John Bolton guilty plea and a Microsoft-aided infostealer takedown.

Alumni from Apple and Audi have unveiled the Amble One, a street-legal $25,000 electric buggy designed for luxury resorts and inspired by the lunar moon buggy. The vehicle blends nostalgic styling with modern EV engineering.

The US government has lifted its export restriction allowing Anthropic to share its most advanced AI model, Mythos, with over 100 vetted companies. The decision parallels new federal controls over who can access frontier AI models.

The FCC is accused of hiding Chairman Brendan Carr's communications with DOGE and Elon Musk, raising transparency concerns about the agency's dealings. Critics say the withheld records bear on regulatory decisions.

A California law taking effect July 1 makes excessively loud streaming-service advertisements illegal, extending volume rules long applied to broadcast TV. The measure targets a common consumer annoyance.

Sony is removing 551 movies from PlayStation customers' digital accounts after losing licensing rights, reigniting the debate over whether consumers truly own their digital purchases. Affected titles include the Terminator franchise.

Netflix now requires every user profile to be linked to a unique email address, tightening its long-running crackdown on password sharing. The change reshapes how families and households use the service.

Russian authorities urged citizens to switch to Android after Apple blocked key Russian apps, deepening the tech rift between Moscow and Western platforms. The move complicates daily digital life for millions of users.

South Korea announced plans to train its entire military as 'drone warriors,' reflecting how unmanned systems have become central to modern defense doctrine. The initiative signals a major shift in force preparation.

The New York Times alleged in court filings that Microsoft built a supercomputer specifically to help OpenAI infringe copyrighted works. The claim sharpens the high-stakes copyright battle over AI training data.

Users in China are repeatedly circumventing Anthropic's geolocation restrictions to access its AI tools, Wired reports. The cat-and-mouse dynamic highlights the difficulty of enforcing national boundaries on frontier AI.

OpenAI previewed GPT-5.6 Sol, a next-generation frontier model, amid reporting that the US government will vet who gets access to it. The arrangement raises new questions about state control over advanced AI capabilities.

The FCC is weighing whether to eliminate a $2 billion program that helps connect schools and libraries to the internet, a move that could widen the digital divide. Supporters warn that ending the program would hit rural and low-income communities hardest. The decision is part of a broader review of federal broadband subsidies.

NASA's Perseverance rover has driven the equivalent of a full marathon across the Martian surface, capping five extraordinary years of exploration. The achievement adds to its record of collecting samples and studying the Red Planet's geology. Mission scientists celebrated the milestone as a testament to the rover's durability.

The largest renewable energy project in U.S. history has come online, generating more power than the Hoover Dam. The milestone marks a major step in scaling clean energy onto the national grid. Backers say it demonstrates the growing capacity of large-scale renewable infrastructure.

Anthropic alleges that Alibaba carried out the largest-ever attempt to clone its Claude AI model and steal its capabilities, and is calling for the Chinese tech giant to be punished. Anthropic claims the effort defied U.S. policy aimed at protecting frontier AI. The accusation escalates tensions over AI intellectual property between American and Chinese labs.

Apple raised prices on MacBooks and iPads, pointing to skyrocketing memory costs as the driver of the increases. The move reflects broader supply pressures rippling through the chip and component markets. Analysts say it may be the last window to buy certain Apple devices at current prices for a while.

Apple plans to skip high-end M6 Mac chips and jump straight to an AI-focused M7 lineup including M7 Pro, Max, and Ultra variants, according to a report. The move signals Apple is reorienting its silicon roadmap around on-device artificial intelligence. The shift could reshape the timing and capabilities of upcoming high-end Macs.

Representative Pat Harrigan is leading a bill to phase out Chinese-made drones from U.S. law enforcement agencies due to concerns over CCP spying and national security risks. The legislation includes $1.5 billion in funding to support domestic manufacturing and secure the supply chain against foreign interference. This move represents a significant strategic shift to reduce reliance on Chinese technology in critical infrastructure and defense sectors.

IBM has announced the creation of the world's first known chip technology operating below 1 nanometre, marking a historic breakthrough in semiconductor physics. While production readiness is still years away, this development signals a potential paradigm shift in computing power and energy efficiency. The achievement challenges current industry standards and opens new frontiers for miniaturization in consumer and industrial electronics.

ABB Robotics and PSYONIC are utilizing real human prosthetic touch data to train industrial robots for delicate gripping tasks within factory environments. This development allows machines to interpret tactile feedback similar to human sensation, potentially revolutionizing precision manufacturing and safety protocols. The integration of biological sensory data into AI models represents a significant leap forward in human-machine collaboration and industrial automation.

Postmaster General David Steiner announced that the USPS will not deliver mail-in ballots from states that refuse to share absentee voter lists with the federal government. This action enforces a proposed rule aimed at preventing the misuse of voter data and ensuring election integrity. The move highlights the growing tension between federal election standards and state-level resistance to data transparency.

The widespread adoption of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs is altering daily routines, specifically reducing the consumption of morning coffee. This shift reflects a broader cultural and physiological change driven by new medical technologies. The trend signals a potential long-term impact on caffeine dependency and national consumption habits.

The United States is racing to secure domestic supplies of critical minerals essential for national and economic security. Reliance on foreign countries like China creates vulnerabilities that are being exploited through aggressive litigation tactics. This weaponization of the legal system threatens America's industrial and technological independence.

Disney has agreed to a $50 million settlement after being accused of inflating market prices by forcing carriers to include ESPN in their live-TV streaming packages. The lawsuit alleged that the media giant artificially raised costs for consumers by bundling its sports content in a way that limited competition. This resolution marks a significant victory for consumer advocates and may set a precedent for other media conglomerates facing similar antitrust scrutiny.

Researchers found that Australia's ban on social media for under-16s has had little impact on teenagers' scrolling habits. This early evaluation suggests that simply restricting access may not be sufficient to curb technology addiction or protect minors from online harms. The study implies a need for more comprehensive approaches to digital wellness and education.

An analysis finds that NASA's recently canceled exploration programs were running significantly behind schedule, with contract values ballooning from $2.8 billion to $5.9 billion. The report suggests that the cancellations may have been financially prudent given the massive delays and cost overruns inherent in the projects. This finding could influence future federal spending on space exploration and defense contracts.

A massive data center project in Box Elder County, Utah, contributed to the defeat of the state's Senate President in his GOP primary. The loss demonstrates significant voter backlash against large-scale tech infrastructure developments that may threaten local communities or resources. This event signals a growing disconnect between federal tech ambitions and local public sentiment regarding resource allocation and environmental impact.

Parents of a 12-year-old girl who was raped by an adult stranger she met on Snapchat have sued the company and the attacker in Missouri state court. The lawsuit underscores the urgent need for stricter accountability and safety measures on social media platforms that facilitate contact between minors and predators. This case serves as a stark warning to tech companies about their responsibility to protect vulnerable users from online-enabled crimes.

OpenAI and Broadcom have jointly announced a new silicon chip specifically engineered for large-scale language model inference to meet surging demand. This development intensifies the competitive silicon race as tech giants struggle to keep pace with the rapid expansion of AI applications. The partnership signals a major shift in hardware infrastructure designed to support the next generation of artificial intelligence capabilities.

A federal appeals court ruled that Michigan is not obligated to hand over sensitive voter data to the Trump administration. The divided three-judge panel for the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals decided that the state's data sharing requirements were not legally enforceable under current statutes. This ruling reinforces the legal friction between federal election security demands and state sovereignty over voter records.

The U.S. Postal Service will cease delivering mail-in ballots in states that refuse to share sensitive voter data with the federal government. Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed this plan to lawmakers, citing the refusal of certain states to provide necessary information as the primary blocker. This move highlights the escalating conflict between federal election administration and state-level data privacy policies.

The space shuttle Endeavour is being readied for a dramatic vertical public display set for November. The towering exhibit will mount the orbiter as if poised for launch. It offers the public a final, stirring look at an icon of American spaceflight.

Scientists have built the world's first nuclear clocks, devices that keep time using the nucleus of an atom rather than its electrons. The breakthrough could open new ways to investigate dark matter and other deep mysteries of physics. It may also yield far more precise timekeeping than today's atomic clocks.

Slate Auto has launched the online builder for its $25,000 electric pickup, letting buyers configure trims that climb to $37,000. The affordable EV aims to undercut a market dominated by far pricier trucks. The configurator marks a key step toward production.

Google has started lowering its Play Store fees, making good on its settlement with Epic Games. The reduced commissions follow years of antitrust litigation over app-store economics. Developers stand to keep a larger share of their revenue under the new terms.

NASA is launching a first-of-its-kind mission to save a space telescope that has observed the sky for nearly 22 years. The rescue effort aims to extend the life of a workhorse observatory facing the end of its operational lifespan.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba sued the U.S. government over its placement on a defense blacklist of companies allegedly tied to China's military. The suit marks an escalation in the tech and trade standoff between Washington and Beijing.