Solar panel prices have dropped from roughly $5-6 per watt in 2000 to about 12 cents today, largely due to expanded Chinese manufacturing capacity, according to Ember co-founder Dave Jones. This price collapse has pushed businesses in countries like Pakistan, the Philippines, and across Africa to install their own solar systems, with worldwide small-scale solar capacity nearing 1.2 terawatts by the end of 2025.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-16
Chinese filmmakers are increasingly turning to AI tools like ChatGPT, Kimi and DeepSeek to draft screenplays and generate footage, with one studio producing a 90-minute AI-assisted film for roughly $500,000 versus the millions typical productions cost. Director Lu Beike, known for the series 'Three-Body,' says AI-generated scenes still fall short of live performances, sometimes forcing crews to make real actors look less realistic so they blend with AI-generated environments.
entertainment.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-15
US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink stated in a speech that the military has already placed space control weapons in orbit capable of defending US forces against hostile action. He gave no details on what the weapons are, how they work, or how many exist, and the Air Force declined to comment further when asked.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-15
At a Hyrox competition in China, Australian record holder Joanna Wietrzyk went on to win the event despite fecal matter visibly running down her legs, contaminating shared equipment like rowing machines, sleds and medicine balls. Organizers allowed the competition to proceed, sparking widespread outrage online over the health risks posed to other athletes using the same stations.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-15
Mixue, the Chinese soft-serve and tea chain founded by brothers Zhang Hongchao and Zhang Hongfu, now operates more than 47,000 stores worldwide, more than McDonald's, per the Wall Street Journal. The company built its footprint by targeting smaller Chinese cities and towns with cheap products, such as 45-cent cones, rather than competing in major urban markets. Mixue recently went public in Hong Kong and is valued around $10 billion.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-15
Bill Gates told Reuters that no government has adequately studied or planned for the risks AI poses to jobs and society, comparing the technology's arrival to an alien invasion in movies where global powers unite to respond. He said he has discussed these concerns with leaders including Donald Trump and is seeking a meeting with Xi Jinping, and suggested some jobs should be designated 'Human Reserved.'
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-15
President Trump used social media posts to reject growing concerns from AI industry figures about the technology's risks, comparing the safety debate to what he called the 'Global Warming Scam' and 'RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA HOAX'. His comments came shortly after Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark told the BBC that a mandatory 'kill switch' verified by outside parties might be necessary for dangerous AI systems, part of a wave of warnings from AI executives that had already triggered a tech stock selloff.
bbc.co.uk
· 2026-09-15
The US National Science Foundation will issue its fewest new grants in four decades after withholding roughly $1 billion for the White House's Grand Research Challenges initiative and pulling back recommendations for over 150 peer-reviewed proposals. Meanwhile, the National Natural Science Foundation of China is increasing its prestigious early-career grants by 50% this year, moving in the opposite direction as Washington retreats from research investment.
nature.com
· 2026-09-15
A Caijing Magazine investigation, translated by ChinaTalk, details how Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing personally controls minute product decisions—from material colors to screw lengths—to drive down costs. This hands-on, cost-obsessed approach has helped Unitree sell some of the cheapest humanoid and quadruped robots on the market, including a $13,500 G1 model and a $4,900 R1 model, though employees say it has come at the expense of quality control.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-14
Asked about Western tech billionaires like Dario Amodei, Sam Altman and Elon Musk urging a pause in AI development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun dismissed the calls as fear-mongering. He said AI should be developed openly and inclusively for the benefit of humanity, and that confrontation and hype only harm global AI governance efforts.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-14
Businesses and households worldwide, including Pakistan's Bestway Cement, are rapidly installing solar panels sourced largely from low-cost Chinese manufacturers. By the end of 2025, global installed solar capacity reached almost 1.2 terawatts, roughly triple the size of the world's nuclear fleet, according to the Energy Institute's Statistical Review of World Energy. Bestway's Chakwal cement plant alone now draws over a quarter of its power from solar, with more capacity planned by year's end.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-14
New rules from China's Cyberspace Administration and other agencies, effective July 15, regulate AI services that simulate human personality and provide continuous emotional interaction. Ahead of enforcement, Alibaba, ByteDance and Tencent removed the ability for users to customize their general-purpose chatbots into personal companions, prompting an outpouring of grief from users who described losing what felt like real relationships.
spectrum.ieee.org
· 2026-09-14
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