Apple Buys Startup Sonera for Biometric Sensing Tech
Apple has quietly bought Sonera, a California startup that makes sensors to read magnetic fields from the brain and muscles—no skin contact needed. Sonera claims their tech could let consumer gadgets measure brain activity as easily as heart rate. Apple hasn't commented on plans, but this could mean future Apple Watches track things like muscle movement or even early signs of illness.
- Sonera tech reads body magnetic fields non-invasively
- Their chip may monitor muscle or brain activity
- Use cases include prosthetics and disease biomarker tracking
- Apple's plans for the technology aren't yet public
Sources covering this
In this story
More in Big Tech
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.
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.
Google adds 25 electric big rigs to Texas roads
Google, with partners, is putting 25 electric semi trucks and chargers on a route between Houston and Dallas, joining a larger 63-truck project—the most class 8 battery trucks deployed in Texas. Google gets emissions credits and expects its trucks will avoid 92,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions over the contract. The trucks are projected to cover 11 million miles each year.
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.