Meta has removed language from its commercial terms that critics said could allow it to scrape content from websites, including news sites, to train its AI. The clause had stated Meta could use content from domains and URLs to develop and improve its products. Meta spokesperson Daniel Roberts said the terms were clarified to show they only applied to ads and business products, and that the change does not alter how Meta's web crawlers operate.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-17
Meta is rolling out new commercial terms of service, effective October 30, that give the company broad rights to collect content from websites linked to business accounts, including for use in training AI systems. The terms don't explicitly mention AI but reference automated crawling and a single use of the word 'train,' and offer no direct opt-out for businesses that accept them. Meta says it has no current plans to override robots.txt protections that let publishers block its crawlers.
tech.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-16
A new study found that gas stoves in commercial kitchens generate significantly more heat and release higher levels of toxic air pollutants than electric equivalents. Researchers compared all-electric kitchens and found them to be measurably cooler and cleaner, with lower concentrations of hazardous airborne substances.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-09
A peer-reviewed study in Environmental Research Letters, conducted by Stanford, NYU Grossman School of Medicine and PSE Healthy Energy researchers with chef Christopher Galarza, measured air temperature and pollutants like methane, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and benzene in 27 restaurant kitchens across California, New York and Pennsylvania. It found that kitchens using gas or propane appliances exposed workers to pollutant and heat levels exceeding health guidelines, compared with all-electric kitchens.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-07
SpaceX has told NASA and private space station developers including Axiom Space, Voyager Space, and Vast Space that it intends to stop flying Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 missions to low-Earth orbit after supporting the International Space Station through 2030. The move threatens the crew transportation backbone for NASA's two-decade effort to build a commercial human spaceflight market in orbit.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-29
NASA faces a pivotal test of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft this year, according to reporting on the agency's crew transport plans. The report states that SpaceX's Crew Dragon is set to be retired, leaving NASA with fewer alternatives for ferrying astronauts to orbit.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-29
SpaceX's Starship rocket completed a test flight reaching orbital velocity, marking the first time the vehicle has achieved this milestone after multiple prior attempts ended in failure. The flight demonstrated key systems needed for the spacecraft's eventual role in deep-space missions, though the company still faces significant engineering hurdles before Starship can be used commercially.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-29
NASA announced it will exercise options for two additional crewed Starliner missions and provide Boeing $359 million to rebuild overheating reaction control thrusters and certify ULA's Vulcan rocket for astronaut flights. The funding comes on top of $5.1 billion already paid under the fixed-price Commercial Crew contract, after Starliner's 2024 crewed test flight nearly ended in disaster due to thruster failures.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-28
A business owner and former nuclear operations professional writes that after years of risk-averse decision-making, he identified himself as the biggest liability to his own companies. He argues this happens when critical knowledge and judgment remain concentrated in the founder's head rather than being transferred to the wider team.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-28
Outmarket, an AI startup that automates paperwork for commercial insurance brokers, has raised a $34.5 million Series B round led by SignalFire, with participation from Fika Ventures, Permanent Capital Ventures, TTV Capital and Dash Fund. The company, founded by former Ethos product lead Vishal Sankhala in late 2023, says it now works with over 300 insurance agencies, including a quarter of the top 100, since launching its current product 14 months ago.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-28
An entrepreneur in the window film industry writes that businesses selling complex or unfamiliar products should prioritize educating customers over pushing for a sale. He argues buyers often can't distinguish between products like solar control, security, privacy or decorative window film, and need to understand category differences before evaluating any proposal. He extends the argument to other technical industries such as technology, finance, healthcare and specialty contracting, where customers face similar knowledge gaps.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-27
Shopping mall values climbed 13%, outpacing other commercial real estate categories according to recent data. The gain signals renewed investor confidence in retail properties that had struggled during years of e-commerce disruption and pandemic-era vacancies.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-14
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