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Nvidia agrees to acquire Hugging Face for $12.9 billion
Nvidia has agreed to acquire AI platform Hugging Face for $12.9 billion, marking one of its largest deals to date. Hugging Face is a widely used online repository for open-source AI models and tools, serving over 18 million developers and more than 200,000 companies. Both firms stated the platform will remain open, and users will not be required to use Nvidia’s hardware or services. The deal follows significant recent security incidents involving AI models on Hugging Face.
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US opens investigation after Tesla Cybercab launch
Tesla has begun operating its new Cybercab robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, offering rides in vehicles with no steering wheel or pedals. Within hours of the launch, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started an investigation into whether these vehicles comply with federal safety regulations. Tesla reportedly self-certified the Cybercab. There are currently 45 vehicles in the Texas fleet, with plans for significant expansion.
Apple TV may develop Silo spin-off series
Apple TV is reportedly working on a spin-off series linked to its sci-fi hit Silo, according to 9to5Mac. The new show would draw from an upcoming Hugh Howey novel and focus on Silo 40. Apple hasn’t confirmed the project. The author publicly denies it. But production sets for Silo’s fourth season, which wrapped filming in March, remain untouched—a clue the spin-off might move forward.
Xbox Game Pass to limit monthly cloud gaming hours
Starting November 2026, Xbox Game Pass subscribers will face hard monthly limits on cloud gaming—15 hours for Ultimate, 10 for Premium, and 5 for Essential plans. If you hit that ceiling, you’ll need to buy extra hours through the Xbox Store. Microsoft says this change, citing server cost pressures, only affects about 4% of subscribers, but it marks the end of unlimited cloud play.
Google, Apple change Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' in US
Google and Apple updated their maps to show 'Lake America' instead of Lake Ontario for users in the United States, after the Trump administration officially changed the name nationally. Canadians still see 'Lake Ontario', while users elsewhere see 'Lake Ontario (Lake America)'. The same split-national naming now applies to the Gulf of Mexico as well. The new names appeared in U.S. maps soon after the government directive.
Honda Prologue EV Outsells Chevy Blazer EV With CarPlay
Honda's Prologue electric SUV, nearly identical to the Chevy Blazer EV except for one thing, now outsells its Chevy counterpart by 166%. The key difference: the Honda version keeps Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone mirroring, while recent Chevys dropped them in favor of Google's in-car system. Both cars share parts and performance—buyers just favor the one that still plays nice with their phone.
Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami airport kills at least five
An Amazon-branded Boeing 767 cargo plane operated by 21 Air overran the runway while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, crashing into vehicles and catching fire. Authorities confirmed at least five people were killed. Several others were injured, including three critically. The flight originated in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It remains unclear whether those killed were onboard or in struck vehicles. Flights at the airport were disrupted as emergency crews responded.
Google launches voice controls in Gmail, Docs, and Keep
Google is rolling out new voice-based features for Gmail, Docs, and Keep, called "Live". You can now ask for info from your inbox, draft documents hands-free, or create organized notes just by speaking. These tools use Gemini, Google’s AI, and are available this week for AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers on Android and iOS. Business customers with Google Workspace will get them soon.
KeyBanc warns iPhone 18 event may hurt Apple stock
KeyBanc Capital Markets thinks Apple’s September 9 iPhone event could be bad for the stock. The analyst expects higher iPhone 18 Pro prices—$1,249 for the Pro, $1,399 for the Pro Max, and $2,199 for the foldable iPhone Ultra. KeyBanc forecasts fewer overall iPhone 18 units sold, mainly because of no new base model in this cycle, and says rising prices could weigh on demand and margins.
Apple names John Ternus as new CEO
John Ternus officially took over as Apple’s CEO on September 1, replacing Tim Cook, who is now executive chairman. Ternus marked his first day by joining both Weibo and X (formerly Twitter) with a simple “hello.” Apple’s leadership page now shows Ternus as CEO and board member and Cook in his new role. Ternus previously ran Apple’s hardware engineering.
Apple working on AI-powered home security system for 2027
Apple’s planning a home security camera and monitoring service, with a launch targeted for 2027. According to multiple outlets citing Bloomberg, the device would use AI to monitor your space, focusing on privacy and skipping actual video footage. Details about the attached service or how it’ll work remain slim. The camera is expected to connect with Apple’s smart home hub, and both would link to upgraded HomeKit features already rolling out.
Seattle Times and Newsday sue OpenAI and Microsoft over AI training
The Seattle Times and Newsday have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that both companies used their journalism—sometimes including material behind paywalls—without consent to train AI models. The newspapers claim these models reproduce their reporting, reducing the need for readers to visit their websites and harming subscription revenue. The suit seeks the destruction of AI datasets, copies, and models built using their work. Both companies have yet to comment in detail.
Apple considers new App Store revenue strategies
Apple’s leadership is looking for new ways to boost profits from the App Store, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. CEO John Ternus and services head Eddy Cue are driving the initiative. The effort is linked to Phil Schiller’s recent exit from overseeing the App Store, reportedly because he disagreed with squeezing more money from developers and worried it would anger regulators. Concrete changes aren’t decided yet. Apple makes around $30 billion from the App Store now.
Uber to cut over 3,000 jobs in global restructuring
Uber will eliminate more than 3,000 jobs worldwide, representing about 10% of its workforce, as it restructures operations and reduces management layers. The move affects both managers and other employees, bringing headcount to levels last seen in 2021. Uber’s leadership says the changes aim to make decision-making faster and free up funds for investments in core business areas.
Google Translate adds background and earpiece features
Google is updating its Translate app, introducing background translation for Android, which lets users keep live translations running while multitasking or with the phone locked. iOS is gaining support for hearing live translations through the phone's earpiece, a feature already available to Android users. These updates aim to make the app more useful in real-world settings, especially during longer translation sessions.
WhatsApp adds bill payment for 22,000+ Indian billers
WhatsApp just rolled out a built-in bill payment feature across India, letting you pay everything from power bills to credit cards inside the app. The update covers 22,722 billers in 30 categories and works with UPI, debit, or credit cards. It's phased, coming to all Android and iOS users soon. This puts WhatsApp in more direct competition with giants like PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm.
John Ternus officially takes over as Apple CEO
John Ternus just took over as Apple’s new CEO, replacing Tim Cook, who’s now Executive Chairman and staying involved in policy. Ternus moves up from hardware chief, stepping in right before a major product announcement expected next week. Inside Apple, he’s seen as quietly very competent. Some staff were already so used to the idea, they skipped his Apple Park welcome party.
Apple Maps renames Lake Ontario to Lake America in US
Apple Maps now shows "Lake America" instead of "Lake Ontario" for users in the US, following an order from Trump last week tied to a trade dispute with Canada. Canadian users still see "Lake Ontario." This update comes days after Google Maps made the same change. The rollout on Apple Maps is gradual—some users already see the new name, while others don’t yet.
Apple sued in UK over app tracking policy
Apple is being sued in the UK for $2.7 billion over its App Tracking Transparency rules. The lawsuit alleges Apple unfairly restricted third-party app developers' ability to track users compared to its own apps, giving its advertising business an advantage. The claim has been filed at London's Competition Appeal Tribunal and is led by Ann Pope, a former UK competition official. Apple has not commented on this case.
Judge blocks use of Twitter name by rival, allows 'Tweet' and bird logo
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction barring startup Operation Bluebird from using the 'Twitter' name, siding with X (formerly Twitter) in a trademark dispute. However, the judge found X likely abandoned the 'Tweet' mark and the bird logo, allowing Bluebird to use them for its own service, now called Tweet.app. The court's ruling is not final, and the case will proceed in Delaware.
Apple TV takes early lead at Creative Arts Emmys
Apple TV picked up 20 wins at this weekend’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards, more than any other streaming service. 'Widows Bay' alone earned eight of those, making it the frontrunner for top comedy honors at the upcoming Primetime Emmys. Other Apple shows like 'Pluribus' and 'Margo’s Got Money Troubles' collected several awards too. Overall, Apple leads HBO Max (16) and Netflix (13) as the main ceremony approaches.
404 Media marks third anniversary with two sold-out NYC events
404 Media celebrated its third anniversary by hosting two events in New York City—a live podcast taping at WNYC’s Greene Space followed by an afterparty in Brooklyn. Both gatherings sold out, according to the publication. Contributors Becky Ferreira and Matthew Gault attended and shared updates on technology stories. 404 Media plans to release a recording of the podcast soon and thanked supporters for making the events possible.
Microsoft starts reporting Azure sales figures quarterly
Microsoft will now report Azure’s revenue every quarter. Azure brought in $29.4 billion last quarter and $101.9 billion in the fiscal year ending June. This is the first time Microsoft has shared these figures, offering a direct revenue comparison to Amazon and Google’s cloud businesses. The new disclosures come alongside a shakeup to Microsoft’s financial reporting, consolidating business segments from three to two.
Google backs hybrid battery project in West Virginia
Google’s teaming up with MN8 Energy and Eos Energy for a first-of-its-kind energy project in West Virginia. They’ll combine large-scale solar with both lithium-ion batteries (charge a few hours) and new zinc-hybrid batteries (hold power much longer) to keep clean energy flowing, even at night. The aim: power a new Google facility with steadier renewable energy and show others how pairing batteries can strengthen the grid.
Flock police AI search tool reverse engineered
Wired reports that it has reconstructed Flock Safety’s AI-powered police search tool by analyzing code sent to officers' browsers. The tool enables searches by vehicle attributes or features captured by video, and includes an AI-driven watch list that triggers alerts when a person matching a description is detected. The software displays warnings about AI errors, but Wired found no effective method for users to assess result accuracy.
Meta shows off Infrastructure Lab for AI hardware
Meta gave a tour of its Infrastructure Lab in Menlo Park, where it's building hardware meant to support future artificial intelligence projects. The company showcased equipment and research areas focused on advancing AI capabilities. This lab is where Meta says it's working to power its next round of AI systems.
Google named a leader in Gartner cloud services report
Gartner has recognized Google Cloud as a "Leader" in its 2026 Magic Quadrant for Strategic Cloud Platform Services. Google says this reflects its focus on reliable, secure infrastructure for demanding workloads, and highlights its co-designed hardware-software stack, dynamic infrastructure, and digital sovereignty features. The company claims its AI infrastructure now processes 3.2 quadrillion tokens per month, a sevenfold increase over last year.
Amazon rolls out faster Graviton5-powered EC2 R9g servers
Amazon just made its new Graviton5-powered EC2 R9g and R9gd cloud servers available to everyone. These are designed for memory-heavy tasks like databases or huge data crunching, and Amazon says they're about 25% faster per CPU than the previous Graviton4 models. The R9gd version adds really fast, local solid-state storage for extra-demanding jobs. Power use is also down. Pricing isn't listed yet.
Google adds item memory and motion assist to Android
Google just announced several new Android features. Soon, you’ll be able to tell Gemini where you left things—like your passport—and it’ll save the locations in Find Hub, with optional photos. There’s also Motion Assist, a screen overlay for Android 17 phones that aims to reduce motion sickness in moving cars. Another addition: Guided vision, which uses Gemini to describe live scenes for people with low vision.
Microsoft unveils Project Zenith, a Windows 11 for AI devs
Microsoft just announced Project Zenith, a Windows 11 version built specifically for AI developers. It's preloaded with coding tools like Visual Studio Code, GitHub Copilot, and more—plus all the settings developers usually have to dig around to tweak. The catch: you'll need a machine with at least 64GB of memory and 250GB/s bandwidth. At launch, that's just AMD’s $3,999 Ryzen AI Halo laptop.