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Tech News
NASCAR has introduced new automation tools that provide fans with real-time telemetry and driver communications through its official app during live races. These features are accessible to premium subscribers, offering a more immersive experience beyond traditional viewing. The move aims to deepen fan engagement and improve race coverage.
SpaceX is exploring a potential $40 billion financing package to purchase Nvidia AI processors, aiming to boost its computing infrastructure. The funding would likely include $10 billion in bank loans and $30 billion in investment-grade debt, with a possible completion date in 2027. If successful, xAI could acquire around 5,000 Nvidia Rubin systems, containing approximately 360,000 AI accelerators, significantly expanding its AI capabilities.
Two ex-Groq employees have filed a class action lawsuit against the company's former board and CEO, claiming they transferred company technology and personnel to Nvidia as part of a $20 billion deal. The suit, filed in Delaware, questions the valuation and proceeds of the licensing agreement, which included a $17 billion fee and a $3 billion stock pool for engineers. Groq maintains that the deal provided significant value and is pursuing its own technology development independently.
Google has launched Chrome 155, incorporating support for decoding JPEG XL images, a format that improves compression efficiency and supports advanced features like HDR and animation. The update aims to enhance web performance and visual quality, encouraging adoption among developers and content creators. Chrome's integration of JPEG XL marks a step toward a richer, faster, and safer web experience.
Oratomic, a quantum computing company, secured $475 million in its Series B funding round, significantly increasing its valuation to $5.4 billion. This comes only three months after its previous funding round, highlighting strong investor confidence in the emerging technology sector.
WIRED partnered with Neal Agarwal to create 'Spend Elon Musk’s Money,' an interactive website allowing users to virtually spend Musk’s estimated trillion-dollar wealth on various items. The tool tracks spending in real-time, illustrating how far a trillion dollars can go through tangible purchases. It aims to help people better grasp the scale of such immense wealth.
In October 2024, Taylor Swift's management submitted an application to ICANN for the rights to the .taylorswift top-level domain. This move follows her previous efforts to secure related domains and aims to restrict registrations to authorized affiliates and licensees. The application comes amid increased concerns over AI-generated deepfake content and online harassment targeting the singer.
Walmart and Best Buy are currently selling gaming desktops priced just under $1,000, featuring mid-range Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. The Walmart model includes an RTX 5060 GPU paired with an Intel Core i5-14400F, while the Best Buy option offers an AMD Ryzen 7 8700F CPU with an RX 9060 GPU, both equipped with 16GB RAM and SSD storage. These deals provide budget-friendly options for 1080p gaming with high frame rates.
Rockstar Games announced that Grand Theft Auto VI will include at least six in-game radio stations—Cocoteo FM, Back Country Radio, AfroBank FM, The Chamber 106.6, Flash FM, and Dirty South Classics—spanning genres from talk radio to classic rock. The company also confirmed the series' first-ever on-demand podcasts, which players can listen to while moving through the game's fictional Florida setting, Leonida. The game is available for preorder and is set to launch November 19th.
BJ, an independent builder, has created the Retro Song Bird, a device resembling a Game Boy cartridge reader that plays only the music and sound effects stored on Game Boy cartridges rather than the games themselves. It includes a built-in speaker, stereo line-out for external audio equipment, and USB audio streaming of each of the Game Boy's four sound channels, plus the ability to back up ROMs, save data, and export music as WAV files. Only a handful of prototypes exist currently, and the device is not yet for sale.
Multiple TikTok creators are endorsing inexpensive knockoff AI glasses sold on TikTok Shop and other marketplaces, claiming they lack the recording indicator present on Meta’s official glasses. These imitation devices are priced between $40 and $100, significantly cheaper than Meta’s several-hundred-dollar product. Influencers highlight the absence of the blinking recording light as a key selling point, suggesting it offers more discretion for users.
Teenage Engineering CEO Jesper Kouthoofd announced plans to stop manufacturing synthesizers, including the iconic OP-1, as part of a company reorganization. The firm, known for its innovative audio devices and collaborations, may now prioritize design projects over product manufacturing. The transition could take several years before new initiatives are revealed publicly.