BlackBerry, once dominant in mobile phones and messaging via BBM, has reinvented itself as a provider of secure software for vehicles and communications. CEO John Giamatteo told CNBC's 'The Tech Download' that the company's shares have doubled this year as investors respond to this shift, with AI now factoring into its future plans.
Google has issued new guidelines requiring Android app developers to reduce memory consumption, giving them until February 2027 to comply. The move responds to a global memory shortage that has pushed phone makers to cut RAM in entry-level devices, often dropping from 6-8GB to just 4GB. Apps exceeding Google's memory thresholds for dynamic RAM use, bitmap handling, and DEX code will be throttled or force-closed by the OS.
Google has updated NotebookLM, its AI-powered research and note-taking tool, to let users upload books and reference their content directly within the app. The update also allows users to convert book material into different formats, such as summaries or study guides, using the tool's AI capabilities.
Waymo has begun adding electric vehicles manufactured in China, made by Zeekr, to its robotaxi fleet even as the U.S. maintains steep tariffs and restrictions that effectively block most Chinese-made EVs from American consumers. The vehicles are imported and retrofitted with Waymo's self-driving technology before entering commercial service.
A former Uber and Uber Eats employee who spent a decade eliminating friction from everyday consumer experiences describes now personally paying to reintroduce it into their own life. The reflection contrasts the seamless, one-tap conveniences built by companies like Uber with a deliberate choice to seek out slower, more effortful alternatives.
Cara, an artist portfolio platform built to shield creators from AI training scrapes, suffered three large-scale data harvests starting August 13, including a 12-terabyte dump of roughly 12 million images posted publicly on Reddit. The person behind the scrape admitted doing it for under $10 and bragged about the effort, sparking backlash among Cara's 1.5 million users who had joined specifically to avoid this kind of exploitation. Founder Jingna Zhang says the incident exposed how legally murky and technically feasible such scraping remains despite platform defenses like Glaze.
Meta is testing robots from vendors including Watney Robotics, Kinova, and ABB to perform physical data center tasks such as power-cycling servers and swapping networking cables. Internal workers say one robotic arm being evaluated could eventually replace up to 80 percent of certain workers' tasks, while a simpler device already in use can remotely press power buttons to restart machines.
Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson told the New York Times he completed a playthrough of Grand Theft Auto VI, including the main story and some optional content, in about 80 hours. Rockstar also released an extended, nearly 27-minute look at the game following its Netflix debut, showcasing the fictional state of Leonida and protagonists Jason and Lucia. GTA VI launches November 19 for $80.
Google's Pixel 11 series replaces the Samsung-made Exynos modem used in earlier Pixels with a new MediaTek modem, paired with the Tensor G6 chip, which remains a 3nm design rather than the rumored 2nm jump. Early testing shows the new modem delivers faster download speeds and holds 5G connections better in weak-signal areas compared to the Pixel 10 Pro and older Pixel 9 hardware.
Intel CFO David Zinsner told Deutsche Bank's 2026 Technology Conference that defect density on the company's upcoming 14A (1.4nm-class) manufacturing process is dropping faster than internal targets and faster than any node since 22nm. Both internal design teams and outside customers are now engaging with 14A, though Intel isn't expected to hit high-volume manufacturing until 2028.
Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based startup that sells AI-powered license-plate-reading cameras to police departments, cities, and businesses, has rapidly grown from a niche security vendor into a widely recognized name. That visibility has come largely through controversy, as the company's surveillance technology has drawn public scrutiny and criticism rather than praise.
XGIMI has launched the Vibe One, a battery-powered, Google-certified Full HD LCD projector priced under $250. The compact 3.1-pound device rotates on its own handle to project onto walls or ceilings without a tripod, and doubles as an LED lamp and Bluetooth speaker. It sits below XGIMI's pricier MoGo lineup and the Nebula Capsule 3, offering fewer features but a lower cost.