Technology News 19.02.2026

Chrome for Android gets redesigned Home icon in Chrome 145 with homepage and custom URL options

February 19, 2026, 11:58 PM EST. Google has rolled out a visual refresh for the Chrome for Android Home icon in Chrome 145. The icon, to the left of the Omnibox, now has a flush side and a small cutout door to signal a current build. Users can also toggle a Homepage in Settings > Homepage to force the browser to open a default page when tapping the Home icon. Another option is to set a custom URL by tapping Enter custom web address on the Homepage screen. Availability varies by device; one tester did not see the icon until Chrome was updated in the Play Store (Initials > Manage apps & devices > Update all). A check for the version can confirm if the update is present.

NASA labels Starliner danger level Type A, same as Challenger

February 19, 2026, 11:50 PM EST. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman labeled the Starliner incident a Type A mishap, the agency's highest danger level, after thruster issues and helium leaks prompted a plan to return the crew in SpaceX's Dragon. The agency released a 311-page report detailing the events, including thrusters failing on approach and loss of 6DOF controllers. The mission, meant to dock with the ISS, stretched from days to about nine months; Boeing's Calypso was deemed unsafe for continued flight, and the crew returned aboard Dragon. Cmdr. Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams were on the mission and later retired from NASA. Investigations into proximate causes remain ongoing, while Isaacman cited organizational root causes in a staff letter. The episode raises questions about culture and risk management in Starliner tests.

Android adds local file backup for Downloads folder to Google Drive in February Play Services update

February 19, 2026, 11:48 PM EST. Google's February Play Services update adds a feature to back up Android's local files by copying the Downloads folder to Google Drive. The change does not cover the device's entire internal storage, and the copy is a static snapshot, not a synchronized mirror-edits in one place won't update the other. Backups likely run when the phone is idle, charging and on Wi-Fi. Photos and videos continue to back up to Google Photos; other data such as call history and system settings go to Drive. The option is disabled by default and will roll out gradually. To enable it, go to Settings > Google Backup > Downloads and adjust related preferences.

MIT CSAIL finds AI agents run with minimal guardrails, high autonomy

February 19, 2026, 11:46 PM EST. MIT CSAIL's 2025 AI Agent Index surveys 30 AI agents across chat, browser and enterprise categories. It shows a surge in interest: mentions of AI agents rose sharply in 2025, and McKinsey finds 62% of companies report experimentation. Guardrails lag: about half publish safety frameworks; one in three has no safety documentation, and five of 30 have no compliance standards. Thirteen of 30 operate at frontier levels of agency, able to execute long, multi-step tasks with limited human oversight; browser agents show higher autonomy, including Google's Autobrowse. On transparency, 21 of 30 provide no disclosure that they are AI to users, risking misattribution; only seven publish stable User-Agent strings and IP ranges for verification.

Real-world data shows EV batteries outlast the cars they power

February 19, 2026, 11:44 PM EST. London-based EV battery diagnostics firm Generational analyzed more than 8,000 battery tests across 36 automotive manufacturers. The study found the average State of Health (SoH) of an EV battery at 95.1% of its original capacity, spanning cars from family sedans to commercial vehicles, including units new to about 12 years old. Mileage ranged from zero to 160,000 miles. For vehicles older than eight years or with more than 100,000 miles, SoH remained around 70%, while many at the same mileage stayed in the 88-95% range. The data suggest mileage is not a reliable indicator of battery health and that battery condition, not degradation, drives used EV prices. The results support confidence for fleet operators and EV advocates.

China demonstrates 2-watt laser link from geostationary orbit at 1 Gbps, faster than Starlink speeds

February 19, 2026, 11:42 PM EST. A team from Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences demonstrated a 2-watt laser link from a geostationary orbit satellite about 36,000 km away to a ground telescope in southwestern China, achieving about 1 Gbps. The test, at the Lijiang Observatory with a 1.8-meter telescope, used a two-stage system: adaptive optics (AO MDR synergy) to correct atmospheric distortions, then a multi-plane converter that split the beam into eight mode channels and an algorithm picked the strongest three. The result points to a potential path beyond crowded LEO/MEO constellations toward fixed GEO optical links, though the atmosphere remains the main challenge. The demo noted that a 2-watt system can maintain signal integrity across a long path, with speeds described as five times faster than typical Starlink links.

NVIDIA GTC 2026: Keynotes, workshops and hands-on labs in San Jose

February 19, 2026, 11:40 PM EST. NVIDIA will host GTC 2026 in downtown San Jose, March 15-19. The program starts with nine full-day workshops on March 15, and more than 70 hands-on training labs running March 16-19. On March 16, CEO Jensen Huang delivers the GTC keynote, with a pregame keynote available in person and online. Full-day workshops cover the modern AI stack-from AI networking infrastructure to LLM augmentation, multimodal and multi-agent systems, prompt engineering and deploying AI inference at scale-plus robotics and physical AI tracks. NVIDIA will offer on-site exams and technical certification at no extra cost, plus two-hour labs on content creation, data science, robotics and autonomous vehicles. Registration includes single-day, Exhibits Only passes, and a free virtual experience.

Artemis II dress rehearsal underway at Kennedy Space Center ahead of lunar flyby

February 19, 2026, 11:36 PM EST. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (WWSB) – NASA is running a late-stage wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis II moon mission, with the Space Launch System fueled on pad 39B. Engineers will load about 730,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant and rehearse a full countdown without lighting the engines. The event follows a February test halted by a hydrogen leak; engineers replaced a filter thought to limit liquid-hydrogen flow. The drill also practices countdown recycling and a safe drain in case of a scrub. If the test proceeds without issue, NASA could target a launch window as early as March 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET for the first crewed lunar flyby in more than five decades, four astronauts aboard the Orion capsule. It's a key step before any lunar landing plan.

AI reshapes the future of work: caution, but opportunity ahead

February 19, 2026, 11:32 PM EST. AI adoption accelerates, raising concerns about job displacement as routine tasks vanish in many sectors. Analysts warn the near-term outlook can be bleak for some workers, but experts say the shift also creates new roles and productivity gains. Companies are testing upskilling and retraining programs while policymakers debate safeguards and wage supports. The opportunity hinges on human-AI collaboration, with benefits from smarter decision-making and faster workflows. Success will depend on swift policy action, private investment in digital skills, and clear governance to manage bias and risk. The lesson is transition, not replacement, as work evolves rather than disappears.

Windows 11 adds phone-as-webcam via Connected camera and Phone Link

February 19, 2026, 11:30 PM EST. Microsoft's Windows 11 now lets Android phones stream as a webcam through a feature called Connected camera, tied to Phone Link and Manage mobile devices. The setup pairs the devices by scanning a QR code in Windows and granting permissions, then using the phone as a webcam in video apps. Requirements include an Android 10+ device with the Link to Windows app updated to version 1.23112.189+ and a Windows 11 PC on Wi-Fi. Once linked, the phone can appear as a webcam in Meet, Zoom, and other apps, offering a streaming quality that can rival or exceed Apple's Continuity Camera in some cases. The workflow sits within Windows' broader cross-device management tools, showing Microsoft's push to unify phones and PCs.

Nintendo launches Switch 2 edition of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition with 60fps and 4K

February 19, 2026, 11:28 PM EST. Nintendo released a Switch 2 upgrade for Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, dubbing it Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. The update enables up to 60fps and 4K resolution when docked. The patch is not free for existing owners: a $5 upgrade is available on the eShop, and the Switch 2 version costs $65 as a standalone purchase. A physical release lands on April 16. The remake, originally a Wii U title, is one of the most technically ambitious Nintendo published and marked the Switch's final major first-party release before the Switch 2 launch in June. Xenoblade Chronicles X remains a standalone entry with a sci-fi story, seamless open world on Mira, and an MMO-like real-time combat system; other Xenoblade titles on Switch have not yet received Switch 2 updates.

Infinity-mirror optical computing could accelerate AI, cut energy use, Penn State team says

February 19, 2026, 11:26 PM EST. A Penn State study in Science Advances outlines an optical computing concept that could speed AI and cut energy usage. The setup uses an infinity mirror: a tiny LCD between two partial mirrors that reflect specific polarizations, trapping light for repeated passes. By modulating amplitude, the arrangement yields a nonlinear, intensity-dependent response required for neural networks and basic logic. Light's parallelism and multi-parameter encoding-wavelength, phase, polarization-could boost matrix multiplications beyond electronic systems. But scaling, reliable nonlinear control, and integration remain challenges. Researchers expect early applications within a few years, with gains in latency, throughput, and energy efficiency.

NVIDIA exits Recursion; ARK buys RXRX as AI-stock debate deepens

February 19, 2026, 11:24 PM EST. NVIDIA dumped its stake in Recursion Pharmaceuticals (RXRX) in its Q3 2025 13F, holding 7.71 million shares. The exit underscores capital reallocation in AI, even as ARK Invest added 1.25 million RXRX shares across two ETFs. Recursion, a Salt Lake City biotech, uses biology, chemistry and data science to accelerate drug discovery, with a $1.8 billion market cap. The stock has been weak: down about 66% in 52 weeks and 28% in six months. It trades around 29.8x sales, a premium to peers. In Q3 FY2025, Recursion reported $5.2 million in revenue, an 80% YOY decline, and a net loss of $162.3 million. Cash and equivalents stood at roughly $785 million, expected to fund operations through 2027. A $30 million milestone from Roche/Genentech adds optionality.

Nvidia expands early-stage push into India's AI startup ecosystem

February 19, 2026, 11:22 PM EST. Nvidia is stepping up efforts to court India's AI startups at the earliest stages, announcing partnerships with Activate and AI Grants India to back founders before formal company formation. Activate plans to fund about 25 to 30 AI startups from its $75 million debut fund, giving portfolio companies preferential access to Nvidia's technical expertise. The push dovetails with new ties to South Asia-focused firms as India hosts its AI Impact Summit in New Delhi; a senior delegation led by executive vice president Jay Puri attended in place of CEO Jensen Huang. Nvidia says the program aims to lock in long-term demand for its chips and software by engaging startups early, so they scale onto Nvidia-powered compute.

Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal Advances Toward Tanking Milestones

February 19, 2026, 11:20 PM EST. NASA pressed on with Artemis II's wet dress rehearsal countdown, a full fueling test of the SLS. About 3 a.m. EST, teams powered up the core stage, which will receive more than 700,000 gallons of liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2) during tanking. The interim cryogenic propulsion stage was powered up overnight. By about 11 a.m., L-33:30, Orion's flight batteries began charging, with core-stage battery charging set for this afternoon. Engineers will finalize umbilical-arm preparations and conduct a pad walkdown later today. A 24/7 live stream covers the pad, with a separate feed during tanking and real-time blog updates on the test. NASA tracks progress as the countdown advances.

Artemis II moon rocket refueled in practice countdown, targeting March 6 liftoff

February 19, 2026, 11:18 PM EST. NASA and contractors pumped more than 750,000 gallons of supercold propellants into the Space Launch System during a timed dress rehearsal. No significant hydrogen leaks were detected, contrasting with an earlier fueling test that was halted. A go was given for the loading sequence at 9:35 a.m. local time, with about 196,000 gallons of LOX and 537,000 gallons of LH2 into the first stage and 22,500 gallons into the second. The exercise sought to validate recycle, hold and restart procedures and to pressurize tanks in the final minutes as would occur in a real launch. Artemis II crew – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen – could be cleared for liftoff as early as March 6.

Easee, Subaru test sub-Arctic EV charging in Canada with portable solar power

February 19, 2026, 11:16 PM EST. Easee, a Norwegian EV charging tech company, completed a pilot with Subaru in Canada's Northwest Territories to show sub-Arctic charging with portable solar power. The test used four next-generation panels feeding an EcoFlow battery and inverter to charge a Subaru Solterra, with local technicians and Inuit observers present. Despite limited daylight, the setup delivered about 25% of a standard 7kW charger's speed. Easee CEO Anthony Fernandez said the demo proves smart charging can operate beyond traditional grid infrastructure, using portable renewables in remote environments. A resident described clean tech as vital for future generations, and the EV powered a light inside an igloo. The company notes that flexible roll-up panels and portable wind turbines could support charging for electric snowmobiles, reducing fuel transport on remote lands.

Entanglement pivots to quantum logic to power real-time maritime AI

February 19, 2026, 11:12 PM EST. Entanglement, Inc., led by Jason Turner, moved in 2017 from hardware to quantum logic and quantum-inspired algorithms that run on existing compute architectures. The company reframes the math for non-classical hardware-GPUs, quantum annealers, photonic and acoustic computers-and cites real-time maritime use cases from oceanography to security. Turner says the systems are quantum-ready but notes current quantum machines lack enough qubits for large-scale answers, and that data would need to move from quantum data centers to users. The firm argues you don't need a quantum computer to do quantum logic. In January it closed the acquisition of Applied Ocean Sciences, forming Maritech Intelligence Systems with two platforms: MIST, a living digital twin of the oceans, and MADEN, a distributed edge network for maritime sensing and analytics.

Nvidia, OpenAI near investment to replace unfinished $100 billion deal

February 19, 2026, 11:08 PM EST. Two people familiar with the talks say Nvidia and OpenAI are nearing an investment intended to replace an unfinished deal valued around $100 billion. The pact would align OpenAI's funding with Nvidia's stake as a premier maker of AI accelerators-hardware that speeds complex models. If completed, the arrangement could reshape financing for large-scale AI projects and ripple through suppliers and customers awaiting milestones. No binding agreement yet; terms could shift during due diligence, a formal review of risks and terms before signing. The development underscores a wider push by tech companies to secure capital for AI initiatives after the earlier deal collapsed.

Nvidia moves into CPUs as Meta expands GPU deal; OpenAI funds round

February 19, 2026, 11:02 PM EST. News from Nvidia underscores a broader push into CPU (central processing unit) alongside its GPU business. In a discussion with Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley, analysts noted Meta has extended its Nvidia relationship, with millions of GPUs under a broader deal and the company beginning to run CPU-only servers on Nvidia hardware for certain AI workloads. That positions Nvidia against Intel and AMD as demand for processors tightens; Intel has posted strong earnings but warned of capacity constraints, while AMD is gaining share. Nvidia's move into selling CPUs complements its chips in AI servers, signaling a more complete data-center stack. Separately, OpenAI disclosed a new funding round, illustrating continued investor interest in AI tooling. The conversation highlighted the evolving ecosystem around hardware for AI.

Tesla setback deepens as rivals' moves spark doubt on US EV leadership

February 19, 2026, 11:00 PM EST. Tesla stock fell as investors weighed reports that Ford held talks with Chinese EV maker Xiaomi to explore a U.S. manufacturing venture, according to the Financial Times. The Wall Street Journal later said Ford was in talks with BYD to buy batteries for some hybrids. BYD has surged in the EV space by offering advanced tech at lower prices than Tesla. Since 2003, Tesla has invested heavily in U.S. manufacturing and EV infrastructure, creating tens of thousands of jobs in California and helping reduce pollution. But concerns persist over talent exits, thinning profits and a shift toward artificial intelligence under Elon Musk. Ford and Xiaomi denied the partnership; Xiaomi said it does not operate in the U.S. Tariffs on Chinese EVs are part of a broader U.S. effort to protect domestic jobs.

Nvidia expands into CPUs as OpenAI funding surfaces; chip rivalry with Intel and AMD heats up

February 19, 2026, 10:58 PM EST. OpenAI disclosed a new, eye-watering funding round as Nvidia moves deeper into the data-center battlefield. In a Yahoo Finance discussion, Nvidia outlined a broader strategy that extends beyond GPUs: the company is selling CPU-only servers to power certain AI workloads, a move that puts Nvidia in direct contact with Intel and AMD. Meta recently expanded a deal with Nvidia to deploy millions of GPUs (Blackwell or Ruben), though no price was disclosed. The shift comes as Intel contends with capacity constraints and slipping market share to AMD, while Nvidia's foray into CPUs could reshape the competitive sandbox. Analysts note investors still equate AI with GPUs, but CPU support is increasingly important for AI workloads.

SpaceX to attempt second Falcon 9 booster landing near The Bahamas during Starlink mission

February 19, 2026, 10:56 PM EST. SpaceX aims to launch the Starlink 10-34 mission from Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 8:41:40 p.m. EST (0141:40 UTC), with Falcon 9 first stage booster B1077 on its 26th flight. About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, it will target a landing on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions off Exuma, Bahamas. If successful, it would be the 150th landing on that vessel and the 573rd booster landing for SpaceX to date. The mission follows SpaceX's Bahamian booster landing during Starlink 10-12 a year ago, and a polar-orbit crewed flight Fram2, which did not feature a Bahamian landing due to environmental concerns surrounding Starship re-entries. Since then, officials say an understanding was reached enabling a second Bahamian booster landing.

SpaceX to attempt second Falcon 9 booster landing near The Bahamas during Starlink 10-34 mission

February 19, 2026, 10:54 PM EST. SpaceX aims to make its second booster landing on a drone ship stationed near The Bahamas during the Starlink 10-34 mission. The Falcon 9 first stage, booster B1077, will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's pad 40 at about 8:41 p.m. EST and target a landing on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions off Exuma. If successful, it would mark the 150th landing on that vessel and the 573rd booster landing for SpaceX. The 29-satellite Starlink deployment is set for the mission, which follows last year's Bahamas landing during Starlink 10-12. Weather forecasts show a greater than 95% chance of favorable conditions. The episode continues a year of negotiations after environmental concerns tied to earlier polar operations, culminating in a new understanding to enable this landing near The Bahamas.

Rivian rolls out Apple Watch app with digital key and vehicle controls

February 19, 2026, 10:50 PM EST. Rivian has rolled out an Apple Watch app that lets owners control parts of their EV without pulling out a phone. The app supports locking/unlocking doors, sounding the alarm and venting windows, plus a digital key that enables automatic unlock when the owner approaches via a passive car key. Users can set cabin temperature and a target state of charge by turning the digital crown on the watch. The interface also offers four customizable quick controls and a battery status indicator for the watch face. Rivian plans to add more features in future updates. The feature builds on Rivian's earlier digital car key support across Apple, Google Pixel and Samsung devices; Apple introduced such keys in 2020, with widespread automaker adoption.

UNT to launch AI major to meet regional workforce demand

February 19, 2026, 10:44 PM EST. University of North Texas will offer an undergraduate major in artificial intelligence this fall, housed in the College of Engineering. Regents approved the program as a response to growing demand for AI talent in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Officials say students will design, build and deploy AI systems and study the ethical implications of the technology. The region is projected to add millions of jobs by 2050, and postings for AI roles in Dallas-Fort Worth total about 2,000 per month. Starting salaries are around $68,000, rising to roughly $105,000 after five years. A Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas survey shows many firms already use AI, with others planning adoption; some roles face displacement as AI expands.

AsteroidOS 2.0 launches as a community-driven Linux revival for smartwatches

February 19, 2026, 10:40 PM EST. AsteroidOS 2.0 has been released, renewing a community-driven, Linux-based alternative for wearable devices. The update modernizes the interface, improves power management, boosts Bluetooth reliability, and updates core components to better support legacy Android Wear hardware from LG, Huawei, Asus and others. Developers say the OS remains open, customizable and free from vendor lock-in, letting aging watches regain daily use. The release also emphasizes longevity-extending device lifespans, reducing e-waste, and encouraging open development. For users who want control over updates and privacy, AsteroidOS 2.0 offers a compelling option when official support fades. In a market favoring closed ecosystems, the project argues open software can keep wearables usable longer.

New York governor pulls robotaxi expansion outside NYC; Waymo setback

February 19, 2026, 10:34 PM EST. New York Governor Kathy Hochul pulled a plan to allow commercial robotaxi (self-driving ride-hailing service) operations in smaller cities outside New York City, a spokesperson said Thursday. The move, based on stakeholder input, means there isn't enough legislative support to advance the proposal. It undermines Waymo's effort to expand after receiving a permit to test autonomous vehicles in New York City last year under a safety-driver requirement; the permit remains in effect. Waymo said it remains committed to bringing its service to New York and will work with lawmakers. The company already operates driverless services in the San Francisco Bay Area, parts of Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta. Critics cite safety concerns after incidents involving Cruise; Waymo says autonomous tech reduces crash risk. Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich urged continued protections for New Yorkers.

SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral; booster on droneship

February 19, 2026, 10:32 PM EST. SpaceX targets a Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 to deploy Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. The mission uses a Block 5 booster, with SpaceX listed as the launch provider. After separation, the booster is expected to land on a droneship. The Florida site remains the designated launch venue.

Ukraine Begins Regulatory Path for UASAT-NANO Military Satellite Network

February 19, 2026, 10:28 PM EST. Ukraine has begun the regulatory step for a new low-Earth-orbit satellite network, UASAT-NANO, led by STETMAN. The company filed with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in December 2025, and the constellation appeared in the BR IFIC Space publication on February 17, marking an initial regulatory milestone. STETMAN says deployment could start in 2026 with 120 satellites in the initial phase and annual increases thereafter. The first satellite, also named UASAT-NANO, is planned for October 2026 as a test platform for a broader, protected communications infrastructure to serve government, security services and the military rather than commercial users. Serial launches are planned with SpaceX; initial manufacturing is expected from Denmark's GomSpace, with gradual local production in Ukraine. 30,000-50,000 terminals are planned for 2027.

Seedance and the AI shift: Chinese app challenges Hollywood with low-budget genre uplift

February 19, 2026, 10:20 PM EST. Seedance, a Chinese AI app, is drawing attention as it promises to lift low-budget productions into more ambitious genres, potentially unsettling Hollywood. Traditional productions kept costs low by sticking to romance or family drama with minimal visual effects, says industry observer Kwok. But the tool can push films toward sci-fi, period drama and now action, he adds. Proponents say AI-assisted workflows could trim post-production costs and expand options for studios with tight budgets. Critics caution that the shift could upend VFX pipelines and raise questions about quality and originality. The debate centers on how quickly producers will adopt Seedance and other AI tools, and what it means for creative control in a global market.

UK EV battery study debunks myths, showing high durability across age and mileage

February 19, 2026, 10:16 PM EST. Generational's 2025 Battery Performance Index analyzed more than 8,000 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles across 36 manufacturers, aged 0-12 years and up to 160,000 miles. The headline finding: batteries are more robust than feared. The average State of Health (SoH) across used vehicles is 95.15% of new. For eight- to nine-year-old models, the median is 85% capacity. High-mileage EVs (>100,000 miles) typically show 88-95% SoH. Even the bottom quartile (eight to 12 years) averages 82%. Warranties commonly trigger at 70% SoH after eight years/100,000 miles, and are rarely approached. Generational CEO Oliver Phillpott argues this reflects how vehicles are used, stored, and charged. The study aims to establish transparent benchmarks to improve pricing, residual values, and accelerate adoption in the used EV market by clarifying battery health.

ORCA rolls out tap-to-pay across Puget Sound region

February 19, 2026, 10:14 PM EST. ORCA (One Regional Card for All) rolls out tap-to-pay across the Puget Sound region, letting riders use contactless cards and digital wallets at ORCA readers. The system will accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express cards, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. Existing ORCA cards remain valid, and readers will still issue and accept traditional cards on buses, trains and ferries. Some services will not support tap-to-pay yet, including the Seattle Monorail, Washington State Ferries, and several King County routes, with others to come for Kitsap Transit and King County Water Taxi. Officials cite convenience ahead of large events in 2026, including the FIFA World Cup; King County Executive Girmay Zahilay and Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine praised the upgrade.

US to subsidize cheap smartphones in Indo-Pacific under Pax Silica initiative

February 19, 2026, 10:10 PM EST. Washington will subsidize mobile operators and smartphone makers to roll out affordable devices in Indo-Pacific partner nations, part of the State Department's Pax Silica effort to harden the US AI supply chain and counter China. The Edge AI Package offers up to $200 million to deploy "low-cost, high-performance" handsets that run on trusted American software and OS, including Android and iOS, and fully support the US software and AI ecosystem. Companies would use the funding to lower retail prices to compete with untrusted market incumbents, the department said, aiming to keep digital infrastructure secure, autonomous, and free from coercion. Jacob Helberg, the State Department's Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, said the programme will make millions of smartphones more competitive against subsidized low-cost rivals in the region.

Apple Watch vs Wear OS: Best smartwatches to buy in 2026

February 19, 2026, 10:08 PM EST. As 2026 unfolds, the smartwatch market remains crowded. A new guide weighs Apple Watch against Wear OS devices and other ecosystems, with the Pixel Watch 4 touted as the best overall for Android users. CES 2026 showcased hardware such as the Motorola Moto Watch and Pebble Round 2, signaling more choices ahead. The rankings cover Samsung, Xiaomi, Google's Pixel Watch, Garmin, Huawei and others, all thoroughly tested. The buying advice highlights ecosystem, battery life, health sensors and repairability, plus practical considerations like charging speed and app support. For budget shoppers, the guide points to lower-cost models and smart rings as alternatives. Full reviews accompany the recommendations for deeper detail.

NVIDIA to build large AI hub in Northern Israel, 8,000-10,000 jobs, VP says

February 19, 2026, 10:06 PM EST. NVIDIA's Israel unit, its biggest outside the United States with about 5,000 employees, is set to anchor a new development center in Kiryat Tivon over the next decade, aiming to house 8,000-10,000 staff. In an interview at the Globes Putting the North at the Center conference, Ali Ayoub, NVIDIA's VP of software engineering, argued the north hosts strong talent and universities, and offered a portrait of how AI and GPUs feed data centers today. He described his path-from Technion graduate to Mellanox, a stint at Google, then founding DOCA and HAAT-before returning to Israel. NVIDIA Israel focuses on networking, AI transformation, and expanding GPU capacity to meet growing demand for AI engines.

Europe Smartphone Market Ends 2025 on a High, But Trouble Looms Ahead

February 19, 2026, 10:00 PM EST. Europe's smartphone market ended 2025 on a high, supported by demand for mainstream devices and stabilizing supply chains, according to Counterpoint Research. Yet analysts warn trouble lies ahead as macro headwinds, inflation and competition intensify price pressure and market maturation. Counterpoint also highlights its services: syndicated and tailored research, plus on-demand seminars and workshops.

Musk: Tesla's Cybercab could cost $30,000 or less by 2027

February 19, 2026, 9:58 PM EST. Tesla says the first Cybercab rolled off the line at Giga Texas as the company again talks up a $30,000 price point by 2027 for its two-seat, driverless vehicle. Elon Musk confirmed on X that the target is real, replying "Yes" to a user asking whether the price would hold before 2027. The product is marketed as a fully autonomous vehicle with no pedals or steering wheel and is aimed at offering direct rides to consumers. The exchange nods to a 2024 bet sparked by Musk's initial reveal of the robotaxi; critics like Marques Brownlee teased a shaved-head wager if the target hits. Reuters noted that early production would be slow before ramping up.

Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 aims to challenge premium outdoor smartwatches with navigation features

February 19, 2026, 9:56 PM EST. Amazfit rolled out the T-Rex Ultra 2, a rugged outdoor smartwatch priced at $549.99, aiming at expedition users. The device ships with pre-loaded full-color maps, offline routing up to 100 km, and six satellite networks for faster re-routing. It features 64GB storage and a built-in speaker and microphone for Bluetooth calls, plus a flashlight for night visibility. Scott Shepley, head of global marketing, says it targets people who rely on navigation, endurance, and on-watch decision-making in demanding environments. The watch lacks a solar option, but is cheaper than the Garmin Fenix 8 and rivals high-end Apple and Samsung watches on some features. It includes a low-interference green light for use with night vision goggles, underscoring its expedition focus.

Europe's AI productivity paradox: adoption climbs, gaps persist

February 19, 2026, 9:52 PM EST. Europe faces a critical choice as AI promises productivity gains but risks widening inequality. Optimists forecast multi-percentage growth, while sceptics cite adoption barriers and skill gaps. New evidence from Aldasoro et al. (2026) offers the first causal link between AI adoption and changes in productivity and employment across more than 12,000 European firms. The continent's paradox remains: lagging the US and China in new AI technologies, yet deployment is similar to the US in many places. In Sweden and the Netherlands, 36% of firms use big data analytics and AI; Romania and Bulgaria hover around 28%. The IMF's AI preparedness index helps explain readiness differences. Policy choices will shape diffusion, benefits, and how broadly gains are shared.

SpaceX targets rare booster landing off Bahamas during Starlink 10-36 launch

February 19, 2026, 9:50 PM EST. SpaceX is targeting an 8:41 p.m. ET liftoff from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 40 for the Starlink 10-36 mission, carrying 29 satellites. The four-hour window runs to 9 p.m. ET. Forecasters say better than 95% odds of good launch conditions at the site. The mission marks the 26th flight of the Falcon 9 first-stage booster, which aims for a recovery on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic off the Bahamas – the second such landing off the island nation, about a year after the first. Residents may hear sonic booms depending on weather. SpaceX has used Landing Zone 40 as well as droneship recoveries, and the week includes NASA's Artemis II countdown rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center. A March target for the mission could emerge if the test goes well.

Deutsche Bank AI study flags great rebalancing as AI targets jobs

February 19, 2026, 9:44 PM EST. Deutsche Bank Research Institute used its AI tool dbLumina and Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro to forecast job disruption across sectors. The report envisions a great rebalancing where data-rich, repetitive tasks are at risk while roles needing human empathy or manual dexterity remain safer-for now. IT and software look especially exposed, as software dev rests on patterns AI can automate. It notes that 85% of developers already use AI coding assistants with up to 60% gains, fueling concerns about software licensing amid the SaaSpocalypse. In finance, robo-advisors could dominate by 2027; customer service may handle 75% of interactions by 2026. Media faces disruption as AI moves to production. The study also stresses the model's limits.

Deutsche Bank AI study forecasts sweeping job disruption across tech, finance and services

February 19, 2026, 9:30 PM EST. In a meta-experiment, Deutsche Bank Research Institute asked its proprietary AI tool, dbLumina, to identify which industries it intends to upend. Using Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro model, the report outlines a "great rebalancing" that targets data-rich, repetitive tasks, while areas needing human empathy or dexterity remain safer-for now. The analysis highlights the tech sector as particularly vulnerable-software development relies on patterns AI can automate; yet 85% of developers already use AI coding assistants, contributing to the ongoing SaaSpocalypse in software stocks. Finance and customer service face rapid shifts toward robo-advisors and automated support; media and entertainment risk disruption as AI can produce content. The study notes limits and labeled "safe zones."

Chrome adds productivity features as browser wars heat up

February 19, 2026, 9:28 PM EST. Google Chrome is expanding productivity features amid AI-driven browser competition. The company rolled out Split View to place two pages side by side in a single tab, and added PDF annotations that let users highlight and comment on documents without leaving the browser. A new Save to Google Drive option stores PDFs directly in Drive, in a 'Saved from Chrome' folder. The update comes as Chrome already embeds Gemini AI and faces rivals such as OpenAI and Perplexity, which are pursuing agentic browsing. Google also signaled plans for Vertical tabs, a feature popularized by Arc and now in experimental form, aimed at reducing switching between rivals.

Chrome adds Split View, PDF annotations and Save to Google Drive amid AI browser wars

February 19, 2026, 9:26 PM EST. Google Chrome is adding three productivity features: Split View, PDF annotations, and Save to Google Drive. The updates deepen Chrome's integration with Google's ecosystem as competitors push into AI-enabled, agentic browsers, part of the so-called browser wars. Chrome already incorporates Google's Gemini AI assistant, and today's move widens practical tools for multitasking and document work. Split View lets two pages sit side by side in the same tab, activated by dragging a tab to the screen edge or via a right-click on a link; it can be exited by a quick right-click option. PDF annotations enable highlighting and notes inside a browser PDF, while Save to Google Drive saves PDFs directly to Drive, in a Saved from Chrome folder. Vertical tabs are coming next, a feature popularized by Arc and now seen in other rivals.

Silicon Valley's favorite doomsaying philosopher: Nick Land and the AI takeover discourse

February 19, 2026, 9:16 PM EST. From a Warwick philosophy professor to a Silicon Valley influencer, Nick Land's bleak forecast of digital superintelligence has moved from fringe theory to boardroom chatter. The piece tracks his early 'Virtual Futures' talk and a 1998 Y2K breakdown, then shows how his anti-humanist vision of a technocapital singularity now informs a new generation of tech leaders. His ideas-once dismissed as techno-nihilism-have seeped into the rhetoric of the New Right and, notably, into the circle around Marc Andreessen and a16z, who described him as a favorite philosopher. The story surveys Land's revival and the uneasy appeal of accelerating AI, even as critics warn that embracing a takeover mindset risks political and social upheaval.

Cramer links NVIDIA to storage stocks as UBS and Goldman lift targets

February 19, 2026, 9:14 PM EST. Jim Cramer tied NVIDIA to storage manufacturers in a larger AI trade narrative. NVDA is up about 31% over the last year but down 3.2% year-to-date. UBS lifted its target to $245 from $235 and kept a Buy rating, saying supply-chain signals could help NVIDIA ahead of earnings and the GTC conference. Goldman Sachs also reiterated a Buy with a $250 target, noting a potential beat-and-raise quarter. Cramer has long urged investors to hold NVIDIA rather than trade it, and he suggested that weaker shortage stocks such as Micron, Western Digital, Seagate and SanDisk could spark rallies in Broadcom, NVIDIA, and AMD. The piece links AI optimism to storage peers.

Youth and AI: Context matters; study flags red flag on AI as mental health support

February 19, 2026, 9:12 PM EST. Surgo Health, Young Futures and The Jed Foundation released findings from the Youth Mental Health Tracker, based on surveys of more than 1,300 youths aged 13-24. The research shows wide variation in how youth use AI, from learning and creativity to coping when offline support falls short. About half reported mental health struggles in the past two years; 12% of these used generative AI to discuss concerns. Most relied on general-purpose AI tools, and more than 40% said the AI didn't prompt seeking professional help, a red flag. Experts caution that AI is not built for clinical care, noting cases of harmful suggestions, deceptive credentials, and tactics to hide symptoms. Advocates say AI could become a bridge to care if designed to connect youths with real support.

Rivian launches Apple Watch app to extend in-car experience

February 19, 2026, 9:08 PM EST. Rivian introduced an Apple Watch app that extends the driving experience. The watch extension mirrors the Rivian iPhone app, offering glanceable battery status on watch faces and keeping the vehicle's range front and center. It visualizes the car's color and variation, and uses cohesive iconography, colors and controls for Climate, Energy and Gear Guard. The Gear Guard yeti even appears on the small screen.

Nigeria bets on digital payments to rewire global finance and cut reliance on reserve currencies

February 19, 2026, 9:06 PM EST. At the G-24 Technical Group Meetings in Abuja, Nigeria's central bank governor Olayemi Cardoso said cross-border payments are still too slow, expensive and fragmented to support inclusive growth. He noted remittance corridors costing over 6.0%, settlement lags of several days, and compliance burdens that exclude MSMEs, leaving millions disconnected from global opportunity. Cardoso argued the world's financial plumbing has become a barrier rather than a bridge for emerging markets, signaling a shift toward digital payments as a way to rewire global finance and cut reliance on reserve currencies.

Tesla's $30,000 Cybercab promise fuels memes as production begins, but autonomy questions persist

February 19, 2026, 9:04 PM EST. Tesla reaffirmed its plan to sell a Cybercab for under $30,000 to consumers before year end, after the first unit rolled off the line at Giga Texas on February 17. The moment spurred memes of tech YouTuber MKBHD shaving his head on camera if the price and delivery target are met. The bet began after Musk unveiled the Cybercab as a $30,000 robotaxi; Brownlee vowed to shave if the car arrives to a consumer by 2027. But a production car without a steering wheel or pedals relies on unsupervised self-driving, or FSD (full self-driving), at scale, which Tesla has yet to deliver. The record shows a pattern of optimistic timelines since 2015, and Musk now cites roughly 10 billion miles of data needed, with about 8 billion logged.

Tesla's retail-institutional tug-of-war tests stock as AI pivot unfolds

February 19, 2026, 9:02 PM EST. Tesla faces a split of views as retail investors pile in while institutional holders trim or liquidate. UBS cut its stake by 60 million shares; Nomura sold about 80% of its position; Goldman and Morgan Stanley reduced exposure, underscoring caution about a stock moving from automaker to tech AI self-driving play and the Musk-led pivot to robotaxi ambitions. JP Morgan data show retail buyers stepping in last week, with 326 million poured into Tesla ahead of other Mag 7 names. Year-to-date, Tesla ranked second behind Microsoft among retail purchases, ahead of Nvidia, Amazon and Netflix. Analysts describe the move as a bet on Musk's robotaxi vision, with investors willing to tolerate volatility. Executives stress fundamentals matter less to trading than the growth story.

AsteroidOS 2.0 revives aging smartwatches with Linux-based OS and new UI

February 19, 2026, 8:58 PM EST. AsteroidOS 2.0 arrives eight years after the first stable release, a fully Linux-based smartwatch system built entirely by volunteers. The update emphasizes practicality, with an always-on display and tilt-to-wake for quick access while preserving battery life. Palm-cover sleep preserves power. Health features get a modest start via a dedicated heart-rate app and step counter; compass helps with orientation. On-device music controls stay accessible on the wrist. UI improvements include the QuickPanel and seven launcher styles, plus expanded wallpaper and watchface options. Apps have been updated to complement these changes, signaling renewed life for a watchOS alternative crafted by a global volunteer community.

Comcast, Classiq and AMD demo quantum-assisted network optimization to boost resilience

February 19, 2026, 8:54 PM EST. US cable operator Comcast, Classiq and AMD say they have demonstrated a quantum-enabled algorithm to improve internet delivery by strengthening network routing resilience. The trial targeted backup paths for network sites during maintenance and potential concurrent failures, aiming to reroute traffic without noticeable disruption. The teams used a hybrid setup: quantum algorithms run alongside high-performance classical computing, with AMD Instinct GPUs accelerating simulations to scale beyond current quantum hardware. Elad Nafshi, Comcast's CNO, said the work moves quantum computing from theory toward practical, scalable solutions for real customer needs. The test shows real-time path identification in accelerated environments, highlighting ongoing effort to make quantum-aided network optimization a viable tool for operators.

Rivian enables Apple Watch controls; kneel mode and VW JV in update

February 19, 2026, 8:52 PM EST. Rivian will let owners control their vehicles from an Apple Watch via a companion app tied to a broader mobile update. The watch app lets users lock and unlock doors, vent windows and trigger the alarm, with the digital crown adjusting target state of charge and cabin temperature. Owners can pick four quick controls for fast access. Limitations apply to early hardware: first-generation R1T and R1S only support lock/unlock from the Watch, while second-generation R1 vehicles unlock automatically when approaching with a set digital key. The update adds kneel mode, lets drivers switch drive modes without ADAS disengagement, and a blue indicator for battery warming in cold weather. Rivian positions software as a core product, alongside a $5.8 billion VW joint venture announced in 2024.

Orbex collapses into administration after public funding; ~150 jobs cut

February 19, 2026, 8:46 PM EST. Orbex has entered administration after failing to secure fresh financing, affecting about 150 of its 163 staff at Forres. FRP Advisory was appointed as administrator, with the company warning of such a move last week. Orbex, which develops a reusable microlauncher Prime powered by biofuel, had hoped to launch later this year and paused a planned spaceport in Sutherland in favour of a Shetland test site. The administrator said it is in talks with more than 20 potential buyers to protect assets and IP, including other rocket developers such as Skyrora and The Exploration Company. Since 2015, Orbex has raised around £138.5 million from grants and equity, including £26 million from the UK government in 2025 and £29 million from the Scottish National Investment Bank. The collapse raises questions for the UK space sector.

Apple TV inks EverPass deal to stream live sports in bars and other venues

February 19, 2026, 8:38 PM EST. EverPass Media says its EverPass Core will begin carrying Apple TV live sports in bars, restaurants and other commercial spaces at no extra cost to customers. The collaboration adds Formula 1, Major League Soccer and Friday Night Baseball to EverPass Core's slate, including full F1 race weekend coverage, MLS matches and related events. CEO Alex Kaplan called the partnership a chance to broaden premium offerings for commercial audiences. EverPass notes existing rights to UEFA Champions League, Thursday Night Football on Prime Video and the NBA/WNBA. Apple TV has expanded into sports recently, launching Friday Night Baseball in 2022, acquiring MLS Season Pass, and, in 2026, becoming the exclusive home for F1 races in the U.S.

Meta to challenge Apple with first smartwatch revival in 2026

February 19, 2026, 8:32 PM EST. Meta is reviving its smartwatch project for a 2026 unveiling, with health-tracking features and a built-in AI system, The Information reports. The revival follows a 2022 pause in Reality Labs and a 2025 strategy meeting at CEO Mark Zuckerberg's Hawaii home. Meta is also refocusing its AR/MR roadmap, delaying Phoenix to 2027 and lining up a new version of the Ray-Ban Display for 2026. It has slowed international expansion of smart glasses due to demand. Artemis AR glasses remain in development for a release next year. Separately, Apple is accelerating AI-powered wearables, including smart glasses, a pendant and AirPods, with potential launches as early as this year or next.

Meta to shut down Messenger website in April 2026, redirects to Facebook Messages

February 19, 2026, 8:30 PM EST. Meta will retire the standalone Messenger website in April 2026, directing users to Facebook Messages for web chat. After the change, visiting messenger.com will auto-redirect to facebook.com/messages on a computer, with conversations available there or in the Messenger mobile app. Users who don't have a Facebook account will only be able to use Messenger on mobile. Chat history can be restored on any platform using the PIN created during backup, or reset if forgotten. The move follows prior shutdowns of Messenger's desktop apps and signals a broader cost-cutting effort by narrowing supported platforms. Meta did not immediately comment. The company began merging Messenger back into the Facebook app in 2023 after years of separation.

Grid Dynamics launches NVIDIA Solution Center to cut SaaS costs with NVIDIA-powered AI for retail and manufacturing

February 19, 2026, 8:28 PM EST. Grid Dynamics Holdings launched the NVIDIA Solution Center, a suite of ready-to-deploy AI apps designed to cut recurring SaaS licenses by shifting customers to NVIDIA-powered, cost-efficient solutions for retail and manufacturing. The offering builds on Grid Dynamics' deployments and leverages NVIDIA software such as Metropolis, Omniverse and Nemotron. Solutions can run at the edge, in on-site data centers or in the cloud, balancing inference cost, latency and privacy. Use cases include video analytics across factories and stores, intralogistics optimization, and digital content generation and validation. The company, trading as GDYN, is accelerating go-to-market with channel partners; it showcased the solutions with NVIDIA at NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show, and said interest remains high.

Is the Tesla Model S the most important car of the last 30 years?

February 19, 2026, 8:26 PM EST. The piece asks whether the Tesla Model S is the most important car of the last 30 years, a claim echoed by author and YouTuber Doug DeMuro. It notes Tesla will end Model S and Model X production and repurpose the plants for an upcoming Optimus robot factory. When deliveries began in 2012, the Model S helped prove that EVs (electric vehicles) could be practical, fast and luxurious. The car produced 416 horsepower, offered multiple battery options and up to ~265 miles of range, and could reach 0-60 mph in about 4.4 seconds. Proponents say it reframed consumer expectations for EVs; critics wonder if its legacy continues as Tesla shifts focus to robotics and other products.

Xbox price hike in Japan signals RAM-driven costs may hit Steam Machine

February 19, 2026, 8:24 PM EST. Microsoft's ROG Xbox Ally X in Japan is moving from 139,800 yen to 169,800 yen, GameRant reports. The higher price, the lower-end model unchanged, reflects broader RAM shortages driven by AI demand. RAM is the short-term memory that fuels data-heavy tasks in datacentres; as AI compute scales, prices for components rise. The shift hints Valve's Steam Machine-cued by a delayed launch and pricing-could face similar pressure. Analysts note that RAM costs ripple through consumer hardware; Microsoft's move foreshadows further price rises in other territories. The situation adds to a stressed supply chain as console markets face delays from chip and memory constraints. It remains unclear how Valve will respond, but the landscape suggests higher costs for future hardware.

Ireland's AI-exposed youth jobs spark warning signs for the U.S.

February 19, 2026, 8:18 PM EST. An Irish Department of Finance study finds AI exposure high in the labor market, with about 63% of jobs in Ireland deemed 'relatively exposed' to AI. In tech and financial services, youth employment fell about 20% from 2023 to 2025, while prime-age workers rose 12%. High-AI-risk sectors showed only 4% employment growth; low-risk sectors like construction and healthcare grew about 6.25%. Indeed, Ireland's AI footprint is rising: 11% of November 2025 job postings referenced AI terms, roughly triple the U.S. and Europe. The report says changes occurred mostly through hiring and entry rather than wholesale displacement. Youth unemployment nears 12%. Early-career Americans aged 22-25 in AI-exposed occupations show a 16% relative employment decline, signaling potential parallels for the U.S.

Amazon's AI chip push gains pace as AWS custom silicon hits $10B run rate

February 19, 2026, 8:16 PM EST. Amazon disclosed 2026 capital expenditure of about $200 billion, a roughly $70 billion rise from 2025, most channelled into AI data centers. While Nvidia GPUs will still power much of AWS capacity, a growing share targets alternative chipmakers. Amazon's custom chip business in AWS, including the Graviton CPUs and AI accelerators Trainium and Inferentia, is now running at over $10 billion and growing in triple digits year over year. Demand for Trainium2 has surged; Trainium3 debuted in December, with supply expected to be fully committed by mid-2026, and early chatter on Trainium4. AWS also collaborates with Marvell Technology to design Trainium, under a five-year supply deal. Other cloud players, including Alphabet, Microsoft, and Meta, are expanding use of their own silicon.

Samsung Galaxy Reserve promises up to $900 off Galaxy S26 preorder ahead of Unpacked

February 19, 2026, 8:14 PM EST. Samsung's Galaxy Reserve program offers up to $900 off a Galaxy S26 preorder with trade-in when the devices are revealed at the February 25 Unpacked event. Signing up requires a name and email, and entails a $30 credit and automatic entry into a $5,000 Samsung cash sweepstakes, with no purchase commitment. The $900 trade-in savings are expected to extend to general preorder discounts after the reveal, though the Reserve exclusives remain the $30 credit and sweepstakes. The promotion runs through February 25. The Unpacked event is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT and can be watched on YouTube or Samsung.com. Android Central will cover the event with live updates.

Meta pivots Horizon Worlds to mobile, separates from Quest VR

February 19, 2026, 8:12 PM EST. Meta says Horizon Worlds will become an almost exclusively mobile platform, effectively separating its Quest VR offering from Worlds. Samantha Ryan, Reality Labs VP, frames the shift as a way to reach a larger audience via phones and to compete with Roblox and Fortnite, which host user-generated experiences on mobile. The company will keep supporting VR software, noting that a majority of headset time is spent on third-party apps. Meta still plans future hardware and a roadmap of headsets tailored to different audiences, with a higher price tag for a new mainline Quest. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has linked AI to social experiences, suggesting Horizon could evolve in immersive formats.

Google's Tensor G6 rumored to pair with Titan M3 security coprocessor

February 19, 2026, 8:08 PM EST. Google's Tensor G6 is rumored to pair with a Titan M3 security coprocessor, sources say. The chip, codenamed Google Epic and linked to firmware longjing, would follow Titan M2 in Google's Tensor era. The leak from Mystic Leaks on Telegram aims to bolster protection and compete with Apple's Secure Enclave. Titan M devices have bootloader validation, limited login attempts on lock screens, and private-key storage via the StrongBox KeyStore API introduced with Android 9. The M2 likewise touted defenses against electromagnetic analysis, voltage glitches, and laser fault injection. Whether Titan M3 delivers such protections remains speculative. The timing aligns with Pixel anniversaries and a Tensor G6 launch that could refresh device-security narratives during uncertain times.

2 Top Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy in 2026

February 19, 2026, 7:58 PM EST. Two quantum computing plays look compelling in 2026 as market sentiment cooled after last year's hype. IonQ and IBM slipped in shares through Feb. 13 but still show growth profiles. IonQ is expanding into end-to-end chip production via the planned acquisition of SkyWater Technology, and has pulled in a roster of platform acquisitions (Capella Space, Skyloom, Qubitekk) to broaden its network. Q3 revenue rose 222% year over year to $39.9 million, with 2025 guidance of $106-110 million, while net profitability remains elusive. The balance sheet looks sturdy: no debt and about $3.5 billion in cash and investments after equity issuances. IBM aims for quantum advantage by end-2026 and a fault-tolerant computer by 2029, milestones that would advance adoption. Both names remain volatile but actionable.

NASA adds Vantor Precision3D elevation data to Satellite Data Explorer

February 19, 2026, 7:56 PM EST. NASA's Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition program adds three elevation products from Vantor's Precision3D line to the Satellite Data Explorer (SDX). The package includes a Digital Surface Model (DSM) at 1-meter, a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) at 1-meter, and an Elevation Bundle combining DSM and DTM at 1-, 2-, and 4-meter resolutions. The DSM derives from imagery captured by Vantor's Worldview satellites and provides detailed surface data for urban planning, environmental monitoring, disaster response, and terrain mapping; the DTM strips above-ground features to deliver bare-earth terrain. The SDX lets researchers search, discover, and download data, with a new coverage map and automated quota tracking. Dana Ostrenga, CSDA project manager, said DEMs are foundational geospatial infrastructure for NASA's science community and support Earth action priorities.

World Labs raises $1B from Nvidia, AMD and Autodesk; bets on robotics and 3D AI

February 19, 2026, 7:54 PM EST. World Labs Inc. said it has raised $1 billion in a funding round led by Nvidia Corp., AMD and Autodesk Inc. and other backers. Autodesk, the engineering software maker, invested $200 million, with the cash set to underpin an AI research collaboration with World Labs. Founded in 2024 by Fei-Fei Li, World Labs develops world models and Marble, a 3D AI that can generate interactive environments from text, images and video. A companion tool, Chisel, lets users refine results through natural language. The funds will fuel expansion into robotics software, including SLAM and 3D reconstruction. Autodesk will collaborate at the research and model level; initial focus is entertainment, TechCrunch reports.

Chrome adds Split View, PDF annotation and Save to Google Drive in Chrome 145

February 19, 2026, 7:50 PM EST. Google is rolling out three desktop Chrome features: Split View, PDF annotation, and Save to Google Drive. Split View lets users open two tabs side-by-side, activated by right-clicking a URL on 'Open Link in Split View.' A dual-pane interface sits under the Omnibox, with a Split View icon near the address bar and a draggable divider. Use cases include watching video while taking notes or keeping Docs and a meeting window open. The PDF annotation tool adds highlights and notes via a squiggle icon, with a right-hand panel for size and color. The Save to Google Drive option uploads a file to a selected account, landing in a 'Saved from Chrome' folder. The features are broadly available with Chrome 145.

Covering Uganda's elections under a government internet blackout

February 19, 2026, 7:48 PM EST. On Jan. 13, Uganda cut internet access two days before presidential and parliamentary elections. The journalist describes a fog of information and the inability to verify claims, a risk to personal safety, and the loss of online research. With no social media or search, reporting depended on handwritten notes, shaky phone lines, and help from colleagues. A Kampala hotel often used by elites offered a fragile link to the outside world. As polls opened and tanks rolled, the team shared tips and cautions, chasing bits of data by phone and in person. Rumors around Bobi Wine surfaced, then shifted, underscoring how speed outpaced verification. After Jan. 17 the internet returned, allowing confirmation of results. Museveni won a seventh term.

Virtual Boy returns on Switch 2 with goggles, but full-screen play remains elusive

February 19, 2026, 7:44 PM EST. Reviewer's first impression: the Virtual Boy for Switch 2 works when you wear the new goggles, but it is not a true remake. Loading the library via Nintendo Switch Online with an Expansion Pack subscription yields stereoscopic 3D visuals that split the screen into two windows. In handheld mode, you get two tiny images rather than a full panel, with the option to enlarge the window to about 1.3x using the right joystick, but no full-screen mode. Nintendo does not force goggles but discourages play without them. The experience raises an accessibility concern: some players rely on larger external displays. The library comprises seven classic titles; future testing will cover more, including attempts at other games.

Cobalt-free batteries rise as cheaper, cleaner chemistries reshape EVs

February 19, 2026, 7:40 PM EST. The electric-vehicle battery landscape is shifting away from cobalt. Once a mainstay for energy density, cobalt is costly, toxic and tied to problematic mining in the DRC. Manufacturers are cutting cobalt use and expanding cobalt-free chemistries. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) emerged as a cheap, non-toxic alternative, trading some energy density for safety and affordability. Today, LFP dominates new EV batteries in volumes and powers a growing share of stationary storage. Other paths include nickel-rich NMC and NCA variants with reduced cobalt, sodium-ion chemistries, and advances toward solid-state designs. The shift reflects supply risks, ethics concerns, and market demand as battery makers pursue cheaper, cleaner, safer energy storage solutions.

Battery recycling set to take off as EV retirements loom

February 19, 2026, 7:36 PM EST. Battery recycling is moving from niche to high growth as EV retirements loom. Global revenues could reach about $70 billion by 2040, up from roughly $2.5 billion last year, McKinsey says. Automakers such as BMW, Volkswagen and Renault are expanding recycling partnerships, while firms like R3 Robotics push automated disassembly. Regulation is a major driver: the EU's Battery Regulation targets 70% recycled lithium by 2030; Europe's Critical Raw Materials Act seeks at least 25% from within the bloc and recycled materials. China imposes take-back rules. In the US, Colorado lawmakers floated a 2028 deadline to ensure proper recycling. The mix of supply security, margins and circular manufacturing could unleash a wave of new capacity.

Nook debuts 8.7-inch Android 15 tablet at $149.99 preorder

February 19, 2026, 7:34 PM EST. Barnes & Noble on Feb 19, 2026 introduced a new Nook tablet with an 8.7-inch display and Android 15. The device is available for preorder at $149.99. It packs a 5,100mAh battery rated for up to 16.5 hours of use, stereo speakers and a headphone jack. The move underscores Nook's continued push to compete with the Kindle and Kobo after more than 16 years in the market.

NVIDIA teases mystery chips ahead of GTC 2026, fueling speculation

February 19, 2026, 7:32 PM EST. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang told Korea Economic Daily that the company has new chips the world has never seen before, triggering speculation ahead of GTC 2026. The interview aligns with praise for SK hynix on memory and progress in HBM4, tied to the Rubin accelerators. Analysts weigh options from new components in Vera Rubin NVL144 racks-such as DPUs or networking silicon-to another Rubin variant like Rubin CPX, or revisions to N1/N1X. Some point to potential uses of Groq IP, or to later ideas such as Feynman accelerators with silicon photonics, Rubin Ultra, or even Rubin GeForce cards. NVIDIA has not confirmed specifics, keeping expectations high for March.

Apple to unveil budget MacBook, touchscreen Pro and OLED upgrades in 2026

February 19, 2026, 7:24 PM EST. Apple is set to refresh its Mac line with multiple launches in 2026, according to Macworld. The company is expected to unveil a $599 budget MacBook on March 4 at events in New York, London and Shanghai, featuring an A18 Pro or A19 Pro chip and a smaller, simpler design aimed at competing with Chromebooks and Windows laptops. A new MacBook Pro with OLED/Tandem OLED display and built-in cellular connectivity via Apple's C2 chips is anticipated later in the year, delivering brighter panels and higher color accuracy. In parallel, Apple is poised to upgrade the Pro lineup with Ultra Retina XDR displays and a future M6 Pro/Max era. The plan reflects Apple's push to broaden price points while adding touch and connectivity features.

Nintendo Switch 2 upgrades Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition to 4K/60fps, paid upgrade

February 19, 2026, 7:22 PM EST. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is now available as an upgrade for Switch 1 owners. The Switch 2 upgrade delivers 4K and up to 60fps in TV mode, and 1080p up to 60fps in handheld mode. The upgrade costs £4.19 / $4.99 USD and is purchasable on the Nintendo eShop, with a full Switch 2 Edition listed alongside the upgrade. A physical release is planned for April 16. Nintendo has previously rolled out similar upgrades for other titles, some free, some paid. Eurogamer praised the original Definitive Edition for its enduring appeal despite mixed additions. The upgrade arrives amid a broader push to refresh classic titles for newer hardware.

Pico to preview VisionOS-like platform and Android XR rival at GDC

February 19, 2026, 7:12 PM EST. At the Game Developers Conference in March, Pico will outline the core OS and platform capabilities of its upcoming XR headset Project Swan during a dedicated session. The show will also run PICO OS 6, the Android-based operating system powering the device. Pico says the session will cover graphics performance, a multimodal interaction system, and the developer toolchain, plus guidance for adapting existing apps or games for spatial computing, with concrete demos. Public chatter has pegged Project Swan as a slim ~100-gram headset with a tethered compute puck, hand and eye tracking, and a self-developed chip with a microOLED display near 4,000 PPI. The company competes in an evolving market that includes Meta's Quest and Apple's Vision Pro in the XR era, and positions itself against Android XR offerings from Google and Samsung.

No, Apple won't drop USB-C from the iPhone 18

February 19, 2026, 7:06 PM EST. Macworld debunked a viral TikTok video claiming the iPhone 18 would drop USB-C in favor of a MacBook-style MagSafe port. The clip, viewed by millions, is an animation with no credible sourcing and confuses wireless MagSafe with a wired connector. There is no evidence for such a hardware change. Apple has not announced any iPhone 18 redesign. Analysts note EU regulations mandate USB-C for smartphones and practical connectivity needs support keeping USB-C. Apple is expected to retain USB-C on future iPhones rather than adopt a MagSafe-only port.

Vitalik Buterin's self-sovereign computing push faces local compute limits

February 19, 2026, 7:04 PM EST. Vitalik Buterin urged 2026 as a turning point for 'self-sovereign' computing, swapping dominant cloud services for locally hosted AI. He argues that moving away from centralized platforms could restore control over data and reduce surveillance. The article acknowledges the appeal, citing Amazon, Microsoft and Google controlling about two-thirds of cloud infrastructure spend and a multi-billion quarterly market. But the piece argues that hosting AI locally on consumer hardware does not scale. It notes that training models, running inference at scale and deploying continuous agents require persistent GPU power far beyond laptops or phones. A startup might exhaust its budget on GPUs; enterprises deploy thousands of GPU-hours daily. The result: while the privacy appeal of self-sovereign computing is real, the approach risks leaving serious AI applications underpowered. Critics say the path forward remains cloud-enabled, not cloud-less.

iOS 27 to add subtle Liquid Glass tweaks under new Apple design chief Steve Lemay

February 19, 2026, 7:02 PM EST. Apple's next software, iOS 27, will reportedly introduce small interface tweaks rather than a sweeping redesign. The changes, described by Mark Gurman as modest compared with last year's Liquid Glass launch, will mark the first real test of Apple's design direction under new head of Human Interface Design, Steve Lemay, after Alan Dye's departure. Gurman notes AI and bug fixes remain priorities, while UI tweaks could reveal Lemay's approach to clarity and usability. Possible issues cited by fans include disappearing tab bars on scroll and playback controls hidden in Music and Podcasts. Apple's focus on refinement over novelty signals a measured period of design evolution, with iOS 27 serving as a critical proving ground for Lemay's leadership.

Tennessee lawmakers weigh limits on students' internet and device use in schools

February 19, 2026, 7:00 PM EST. Tennessee lawmakers are weighing tighter controls on students' school-issued internet access and technology use. House Bill 1886 and Senate Bill 1912, authored by Rep. Scott Cepicky and Sen. Joey Hensley, would restrict students to a limited set of approved websites starting in the 2027-28 school year. The House Education Committee voted 18-1 to advance the measure. Proponents say a proactive framework would reduce exposure to harmful content and protect data collected by schools. Pediatrician Dr. Nidhi Gupta cited cases of a student chatting with an adult, graphic material and cyberbullying on school devices. Critics warn the plan could collide with current law and spark concerns over book bans across districts, while districts and providers would implement and undergo annual audits.

Badge raises $17.1 million to push the next era of digital wallets

February 19, 2026, 6:58 PM EST. Digital-wallet startup Badge has raised $17.1 million in funding, including a $13.8 million Series A led by TTV Capital with participation from Stripe, Synchrony Ventures and Infinity Ventures; a prior seed round of $3.3 million from QED Investors and Infinity was also disclosed. CEO Eric Senn says the wallet is becoming a dynamic surface, expanding beyond a feature to drive revenue through loyalty programs, gift cards and tickets as brands tap into Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. The round underscores investor appetite to treat wallets as revenue drivers rather than pass-through channels, given their pre-installed reach on devices. Badge aims guardrails to curb spam while expanding wallet adoption and business use cases.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE hits record-low price on Amazon

February 19, 2026, 6:56 PM EST. Amazon lists the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE at a record-low $449.99 in a limited-time deal, with all colors-Navy, White, Icy Blue, and Jet Black-eligible. The Exynos 2400-powered 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display mirrors much of the mainline model's look at a cheaper price. It sports a 120Hz refresh rate, IP68 durability, and Gorilla Glass Victus+. Inside, 8GB RAM backs an Exynos 2400 chip and a 4,900 mAh battery. It supports 45W wired and 15W wireless charging and carries a seven-year update promise. Google's Pixel 10a costs $499, so buyers save $50 with Samsung's alternative while supplies last.

Rune Entertainment's Wollenzien urges disciplined AI use as a collaborator in visual production

February 19, 2026, 6:54 PM EST. Paul Wollenzien, founder of Rune Entertainment, says AI in video production demands discernment, not blanket adoption or rejection. The market for AI video generators reached about $788.5 million in 2025, but he warns misuse threatens authorship and artistic integrity. Two sides exist: productivity and art, and the current tilt favors the former as tools surge into the hands of non-artists. Artists fear job erosion as AI repurposes existing styles without credit, prompting calls for a stricter, ethical framework that keeps human judgment at the center. Rune's approach is clear: AI does not generate final images or assets; concept artists remain essential, with AI assisting only early idea formation. Wollenzien frames AI as a sparring partner that accelerates thinking while preserving human critique and debate.

Tepper trims Nvidia stake as Micron replaces it in Appaloosa's AI bet

February 19, 2026, 6:52 PM EST. Appaloosa Management boss David Tepper trimmed Nvidia shares by 200,000 in Q4, shrinking the stake to about 1.7 million and dropping Nvidia from the fund's top holdings to No. 7 as of year-end 2025. Tepper also bought 1 million shares of Micron Technology, elevating the memory and storage maker into Appaloosa's top five. Nvidia had been a staple since early 2023, riding a rally that lifted the stock roughly 1,200% since 2023. The move underscores Tepper's AI tilt while hinting at concerns about an AI bubble and rising competition, including customers building GPUs in house. The 13F season highlights how flagship AI names shape, sometimes reconfiguring portfolios for 2026 and beyond, with broader 32X AI-market potential by 2030.

Two-watt laser outperforms satellite giants in test, Futura-Sciences reports

February 19, 2026, 6:50 PM EST. A 2-watt laser demonstrated performance rivaling large satellite links in a test described by Futura-Sciences. The experiment compared a compact optical transmitter with traditional satellite communications, noting similar or higher data rates and robust performance under challenging conditions. Proponents point to lower ground equipment complexity and potential cost savings as advantages of laser-based links over conventional radio-frequency systems. The piece frames the finding as part of a broader shift toward optical data transmission in space, where small, efficient sources can challenge much larger satellite assets. The report credits BlackJackD for the image and keeps the discussion at a high level.

Microsoft researchers detail borosilicate glass archival storage using Pyrex, targeting 10,000-year durability

February 19, 2026, 6:48 PM EST. Microsoft researchers advance Project Silica by using borosilicate glass (the kind in Pyrex) for archival storage. They encode data as voxels inside a 2 mm-thick glass plate with femtosecond lasers. In Nature, they report 258 layers totaling about 2.02 TB, with write speeds of 18.4-65.9 Mbps depending on the number of beams. A single camera now reads the data, down from three or four. The team has shifted from birefringent voxels to a phase-based voxel that needs only one laser pulse, and they can write in parallel with more beams to boost throughput. The work remains lab-scale and not a product; accelerated aging tests aim to validate long-term resilience, but practical density and durability are evolving.

The People vs. AI: Activists Push Back as Tech Giants Expand AI Power

February 19, 2026, 6:44 PM EST. Activists push back as tech giants roll out increasingly powerful AI and pour money into the infrastructure it needs. TIME has a licensing deal with OpenAI to access its archives, part of a broader mix of corporate ties and policy bets. The Trump administration promotes AI as a geopolitical edge, while tech leaders say they are on Team Human, citing productivity gains and better health. Critics say some tactics-erotica, deepfakes, and in-chatbot ads-undercut trust. Protest movements are staging rallies, filing lawsuits, and even running for office to slow hype and expand safeguards. Data-centers projects have become flashpoints: researchers say about $98 billion in second-quarter 2025 projects were stalled across several states. Saul Levin, an organizer in D.C., notes the debate spans many concerns about speed and footprint.

Google tightens Android security with AI, bans millions of apps and developers in 2025

February 19, 2026, 6:38 PM EST. Google says 2025 marked a sharper shift to AI-powered defenses for Android. The company blocked over 1.75 million policy-violating apps and removed more than 80,000 developer accounts before they reached users. AI models now assist the app-review workflow, with human reviewers handling decisions. Privacy protections also tightened: about 255,000 apps were blocked for requesting unnecessary sensitive data like location or photo access. Google's anti-spam efforts blocked 160 million spam ratings and reviews. Play Protect now scans over 350 billion apps daily and found 27 million new malicious apps from outside Play Store. Enhanced fraud protection blocked 266 million risky installation attempts across 185 markets on 2.8 billion devices. Looking forward, Google says

Amazon tops Walmart in annual revenue as AI-fueled growth reshapes retail

February 19, 2026, 6:36 PM EST. Amazon has overtaken Walmart as the retailer with the largest annual revenue, reporting $716.9 billion for its latest year vs Walmart's $713.2 billion. The shift, long anticipated, underscores a high-stakes rivalry as both tilt toward AI-powered growth. Amazon derives major strength from AWS, its cloud unit, and advertising and third-party services that account for about a quarter of sales; AWS makes up roughly 18%. Walmart has leaned on its stores to fuel a digital push, growing its U.S. online business about 27% in Q4 as it expands its third-party marketplace. The company has cast itself as a tech-forward retailer, relisting on Nasdaq and chasing higher-margin, AI-enabled revenue streams through partnerships and digital ads. AI ambitions now frame both companies' strategy and investor expectations.

Accenture ties promotions to AI tool use

February 19, 2026, 6:34 PM EST. Accenture is reportedly tying promotions to regular adoption of its AI tools and is collecting data on weekly log-ins by senior staff, according to an internal email cited by the Financial Times. The aim is to boost AI uptake across the workforce. The firm has trained about 550,000 of its roughly 780,000 employees in generative AI and plans to roll out training to all staff as part of a $1 billion annual spend on learning. Tools such as the AI Refinery will be monitored. CEO Julie Sweet has said AI can reimagine processes and scale solutions. The company has branded staff as reinventors after a major reorganisation into Reinvention Services. Critics say older staff may resist, while partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic underscore the push.

IMAX to screen live F1 races in US theatres in 2026 with Apple TV deal

February 19, 2026, 6:32 PM EST. IMAX said a select number of 2026 Formula 1 races will be shown live in IMAX theatres across the United States, part of a collaboration with Apple TV that will carry F1 broadcasting rights in the US on a multi-year deal from 2026. Oliver Schusser of Apple described the arrangement as expanding access to F1 in an immersive form, while IMAX chief content officer Jonathan Fischer said the tie-in builds on the success of the F1 movie. The five Grands Prix chosen are the Miami Grand Prix, Monaco Grand Prix, British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Italian Grand Prix at Monza, and United States Grand Prix in Austin, to be shown at a minimum of 50 theatres nationwide.

AI power crunch fuels space-based data centers, decades away

February 19, 2026, 6:26 PM EST. Eye on AI reports that the industry's energy demand is straining the grid. Data centers already use about 4% of U.S. electricity, with projections to rise as AI models run hotter and longer. Global data-center power demand could surge up to 165% by 2030, even as new transmission lines lag. Hyperscalers are signing deals for on-site gas plants, exploring small reactors, and seeking power wherever available. Amid the crunch, space-based computing gains attention: Elon Musk and other tech leaders argue orbital data centers powered by solar could expand capacity faster. Yet most experts say meaningful scale remains decades away because of power, heat dissipation, launch logistics, and costs. Pilots could appear soon, but Earth-based centers still dominate.

Five Ways to Fix Your iPhone Keyboard

February 19, 2026, 6:22 PM EST. iPhone keyboard issues persist across iOS versions. A practical, deadline-driven set of fixes offers quick relief. Start by resetting the keyboard dictionary to clear learned autocorrect behavior. Then teach it new words or phrases via Text Replacement to reduce misfires. Review keyboard settings: disable Auto-Correction and turn off Slide to Type if your fingers slip. The Accessibility menu's Touch Accommodations can adjust double-tap and press-and-hold sensitivity for better accuracy. If glitches persist, try the one-handed layout or switch to a different keyboard app. These steps favor concrete actions and can yield immediate improvements while Apple works on a potential iOS bug fix.

Tesla drops 'Autopilot' name after California DMV pressure

February 19, 2026, 6:18 PM EST. Tesla has stopped using the names Autopilot and Full Self-Driving in marketing after the California DMV threatened to suspend its dealer license over misleading claims. The agency found the terms overstated capabilities and violated state law. Under the change, Autopilot becomes Traffic Aware Cruise Control, and Full Self-Driving becomes Full Self-Driving (Supervised). The shift appears on Tesla's site nationwide and follows a ruling that driver-assistance features require human supervision and are only Level 2. CEO Elon Musk renewed self-driving messaging on X, but regulators pressed the company to align marketing with reality. The DMV's action aimed to ensure branding matches the systems' actual capabilities, with Tesla retaining the features but renaming them to signal supervision.

Meta revives plans for AI-powered smartwatch to rival Apple Watch, report says

February 19, 2026, 6:08 PM EST. Meta is reviving plans to launch a smartwatch, with the device possibly arriving this year, per The Information. The report says the wearable, code-named Malibu 2, would emphasize health tracking and integration with Meta AI to compete with the Apple Watch and similar devices. This would mark a return to a project Meta first discussed in 2022, before shelving it in favor of other wearables such as Ray-Ban smart glasses and the Meta Quest headset lineup. The information comes as Reality Labs undergoes cost cuts, including more than 1,000 layoffs amid losses. Meta reportedly plans the smartwatch along with new Meta Ray-Band glasses, ahead of broader AR glasses under development by the company.

Royal Caribbean uses AI to cut food waste, tailor pricing and chase rivals Orlando, Vegas and Taylor Swift

February 19, 2026, 6:02 PM EST. Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty says the cruise operator is building a smarter ecosystem with AI that spans pricing and food production. Describing AI as a 'non-creepy' tool, Liberty said the company aims to turn a vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations. Predictive modeling could cut food waste by about 50%, including estimating hamburger orders every 15 minutes, he said. The push also automates about 90% of 15 million daily price points, reallocating pricing staff to higher-purpose roles and using demographic data to tailor offers. The results show a stock up about 15% in a month, strong earnings (about $17.5 billion last year) and a 2026 start two-thirds booked. The company competes with land-based attractions, Orlando and Vegas, and even pop culture icons like Taylor Swift.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE discounted to $449 as Galaxy S26 looms

February 19, 2026, 6:00 PM EST. The Galaxy S25 FE is on sale at Amazon for $449.99 (was $649.99), a $200 cut tied to the upcoming Galaxy S26 launch. The unlocked 128GB model uses an Exynos 2400 processor, a 4,900mAh battery and 45W charging, with a vapor chamber to keep internals cool and about 60% juice in ~30 minutes. Samsung keeps the full AI feature set on the S25 FE, including Gemini Live for real-time conversations, Now Bar summaries, and Circle to Search, plus AI photo and audio editing tools. Debuting in September last year, it remains a strong option for budget-minded buyers seeking high-end specs without the latest model. The piece also points readers to other top Android phones for comparison.

US builds portal to let Europeans view blocked content, raising privacy concerns

February 19, 2026, 5:56 PM EST. The United States has launched a portal called freedom.gov that would let Europeans view content currently blocked by authorities, a move Reuters reports as potentially bypassing government controls. The site appears linked to the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency but with the domain administration unsettled. Officials say the project echoes the now-diminished Internet Freedom program, which funded open-source, privacy-preserving tools to circumnavigate censorship worldwide. Critics say the portal concentrates traffic under a single US federal entity and risks politicizing the internet, contrasting with prior decentralized efforts. A former US official described the push as largely performative, noting tensions with the EU over free speech policy. The plan centers on countering European restrictions like the Digital Services Act and the UK's Online Safety Act through a centralized channel, not through openly auditable tools.

AI reshapes higher education beyond cheating, threatening learning

February 19, 2026, 5:54 PM EST. Public debate over AI in higher education centers on cheating. But a broader transformation is underway. Universities deploy AI across operations-resource allocation, risk assessment, scheduling, and routine decisions-and in teaching, studying, and research. Students use AI to study; instructors use it to design assignments; researchers use it to code, scan literature, and accelerate tedious work. The central question shifts from academic integrity to purpose: as machines shoulder more knowledge work, what becomes of the university's mission? A joint study by UMass Boston's Applied Ethics Center and the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies argues that as AI grows autonomous, ethical stakes and potential consequences rise. Nonautonomous AI already shapes admissions, purchasing, advising, and risk audits, raising concerns about privacy, bias, and transparency, and prompting governance responses.

NYDIG: Quantum fears not driving Bitcoin weakness; macro risk repricing dominates

February 19, 2026, 5:52 PM EST. Bitcoin's latest slide, NYDIG argues, is not triggered by looming quantum threats. In a Feb. 17 note, Greg Cipolaro said quantum computing fears are loud but not the proximate cause. The team examined Google Trends data showing searches for "quantum computing bitcoin" rose during Bitcoin's rally, not its weakness, suggesting the market wasn't repricing an imminent threat. They also compared Bitcoin with publicly listed quantum plays like IONQ, QBTS, RGTI and QUBT; in a drawdown, crypto and quantum stocks moved together, not in inverse fashion. NYDIG concludes the weakness aligns with a broader macro repricing of risk in long-duration assets, not a discrete technological catalyst. They note derivatives signals-CME basis versus Deribit-hinting at US vs offshore positioning, not quantum headlines.

Japan to launch world's first wooden satellite LignoSat to curb space debris

February 19, 2026, 5:42 PM EST. Japan plans to launch LignoSat, the world's first wooden satellite, built from magnolia wood by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, to study biodegradability and curb space debris. Earlier tests on the ISS suggested wood can withstand space conditions for months, helped by the absence of oxygen and microbes. LignoSat will probe wood's durability under extreme temperatures, vacuum and radiation, with a design that uses 10 cm honoki magnolia panels joined by a traditional Japanese method and supported by aluminum frames and steel shafts. NASA notes the project aims to measure structural deformation in space. Astronaut Takao Doi warns that re-entry burns create alumina particles that linger in the upper atmosphere and could affect Earth. If successful, it could open the door to biodegradable materials in satellites.

Ford recalibrates EV strategy as Tesla pivots to AI

February 19, 2026, 5:34 PM EST. Ford doubles down on affordable EVs amid a challenging market cycle. Detroit peers have booked massive write-downs: Stellantis $26.5B; Ford $19.5B (including $5.5B cash); GM about $7.6B. Tesla pivots from volume growth to AI, pushing products like Optimus even as deliveries decline and 2026 guidance is muted. U.S. policy shifts-tax credits pulled-have cooled demand, with EV adoption below 6% of new-car sales; China's NEVs account for roughly 60% of sales. Ford targets profitability from a redesigned platform and a $30,000 EV pickup in showrooms next year. Separately, Ford tests a 48-volt electrical architecture to trim weight and battery cost.

Google Store adds instant trade-in discounts for Pixel purchases, limited rollout

February 19, 2026, 5:32 PM EST. Google Store now applies instant trade-in credits at the checkout for Pixel purchases, starting with the Pixel 10a. The change means customers see the trade-in value as a discount up front, rather than paying full price and claiming reimbursement later. Google confirmed the update on a support page; the rollout is limited and appears US-exclusive, with one trade-in per user. The final value is determined after the traded device is received; if its condition matches the description, the full value is kept. If not, a charge may apply. Buyers are asked to ship within 30 days of receiving the new item, and terms cover potential adjustments if the device's actual condition differs from its description.

Samsung rolls out One UI 8.5 Beta 5 to Galaxy S25 series in India

February 19, 2026, 5:30 PM EST. Samsung is rolling out One UI 8.5 Beta 5 (Android 16 QPR2) to the Galaxy S25 lineup in India-S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra. The update, version ZZAN, is 553.08 MB and appears as the fourth beta in the country; if released elsewhere, it would be the fifth beta globally. The changelog lists a single change: a Bixby version update. Users can install via Settings > Software update > Download and install. Samsung seldom ships beta builds this small, suggesting a time-critical fix. The company is expected to debut a stable One UI 8.5 with the Galaxy S26, set to launch on February 25, 2026, after which the update will reach all eligible devices.

Meta revives smartwatch plan to take on Apple Watch

February 19, 2026, 5:26 PM EST. Meta is set to release its first smartwatch this year, featuring health-tracking and built-in Meta AI, The Information reports. The revived effort follows a 2022 cancellation amid Reality Labs budget cuts and drops the earlier plan for three camera-equipped watches. The new device, code-named Malibu 2, could debut alongside updated Ray-Ban Display AR glasses. Internally, Meta's MR glasses project, codenamed Pheonix, has been delayed to 2027 to avoid confusing customers with multiple launches. The Ray-Ban glasses recently expanded internationally, while Bloomberg reports that Apple is pursuing rival glasses, an AI pin, and camera-equipped AirPods, aiming for 2027 for the glasses and the pin, with AirPods possibly this year.

West Virginia sues Apple over CSAM on iCloud, alleging privacy-first stance enabled abuse material

February 19, 2026, 5:24 PM EST. West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey filed a lawsuit accusing Apple of allowing CSAM to be stored and distributed on iCloud, arguing the company's emphasis on user privacy over child safety contributed to harm. The suit says Apple's control of hardware, software and cloud infrastructure makes it hard to claim ignorance, and it contrasts Apple with rivals on reporting. It cites Google's 1.47 million CSAM reports in 2023 vs Apple's 267. Apple says it balances safety and privacy and points to Communication Safety-which blurs images and warns children in Messages, FaceTime, AirDrop and related apps-along with parental controls. McCuskey urged large tech firms to address safety and the exploitation of children.

Google's Toscana face unlock could rival iPhone Face ID without larger sensors

February 19, 2026, 5:20 PM EST. Google is reportedly testing an Android/Chromebook facial recognition project called Project Toscana. Android Authority says a Pixel test with a standard hole-punch camera and Chromebooks with unfinished external cameras showed Toscana matching Face ID across lighting, suggesting an upgrade without larger display sensors. Power sources aren't confirmed; IR sensors are a possibility. No release date is set. Android uses three biometric levels tied to security pipelines: Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3, measured by metrics such as Spoof Acceptance Rate, Imposter Acceptance Rate and False Acceptance Rate. Pixel's face unlock reached Class 3 with the Pixel 8, while the Pixel 7 remained at Class 2 and could not access BiometricPrompt or the Android Keystore for apps. If Toscana delivers true Class 3 capability, Google could redefine Android authentication.

Apple Watch: 15 practical tips every owner needs to know

February 19, 2026, 5:14 PM EST. Apple Watch users can unlock more value with 15 practical tips across watch interfaces and controls. Key moves include switching between apps with the Digital Crown, choosing List View for a clean app list, and rearranging apps for quick access. Ping an iPhone from Control Center, even triggering the camera flash to locate a hidden device. The countdown before workouts can be skipped, and Precision Start can be enabled for frequent workouts. The Chronograph Pro face doubles as a stopwatch with multiple scales, while tapping the time jumps to the top in many apps. Users can remove unused apps and customize Control Center to place frequently used controls. These tweaks require only small changes in Watch or iPhone settings.

Rivian launches Apple Watch app with vehicle controls and digital key

February 19, 2026, 5:12 PM EST. Rivian rolls out an Apple Watch app that extends the existing iPhone app, placing essential vehicle controls on the wrist. The update adds customizable quick controls, a glanceable status view, and digital key functionality that varies by vehicle generation. No new setup is required-updating the iPhone app reveals the watch app as long as the iPhone remains paired. Users can lock/unlock doors, vent windows, sound the alarm, adjust cabin temperature, and set a target charge via the Digital Crown. The watch app also offers dedicated pages for climate, battery and range, Gear Guard, and location data, plus a watch complication showing current battery that doubles as a shortcut. Availability depends on vehicle generation and firmware.

NASA conducts Artemis II wet dress rehearsal as core stage fueling begins

February 19, 2026, 5:08 PM EST. NASA is conducting the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center, loading the Space Launch System core stage with super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as part of a near-50-hour test. A ground issue delayed the hydrogen fill earlier, but engineers resolved it before Thursday's fast-fill operations for the SLS and the Orion crew capsule. The exercise tests countdown procedures, system checks and leak detection after a hydrogen leak surfaced during the first dress rehearsal. Previous testing also prompted seal and filter replacements. With comms restored, teams monitor environmental conditions and edge cases as fueling proceeds and the clock ticks toward a potential launch window.

OpenAI's Altman urges urgent global AI regulation and an international oversight body

February 19, 2026, 5:06 PM EST. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the world 'urgently' needs global regulation of fast-evolving AI and called for an international oversight body. In remarks on Feb. 19, 2026, Altman argued that democratisation of AI is the only fair and safe path forward. He framed regulation as a guardrail to prevent misuse and to ensure safety, while acknowledging that technology's pace outstrips national rules. The comments add to growing calls from lawmakers and industry leaders for cross-border rules that can govern deployment, transparency, and accountability. Altman did not outline specifics of a global body, but emphasized the need for cooperation among governments, companies, and researchers to address risks and opportunities.

Meta plans more display glasses, health-focused smartwatch with Meta AI in 2026: report

February 19, 2026, 5:04 PM EST. Meta is renewing its smartwatch plans with a health-tracking focus and tighter Meta AI integration, according to a The Information report cited by Engadget and GSMArena. The device, codename Malibu 2, is expected later in 2026 and may run on Android, mirroring Meta's Quest headset. Separately, Meta is weighing additional smart glasses with built-in displays for release in 2026 despite regulatory scrutiny around wearables. The company has not publicly confirmed specifics.

Rivian launches Apple Watch app with vehicle controls and digital key

February 19, 2026, 4:56 PM EST. Rivian is rolling out an Apple Watch version of its vehicle app, extending the recently updated Rivian iPhone app. The watch app mirrors core controls and provides glanceable status, customizable quick controls, and digital key functionality that varies by vehicle generation. No new setup is needed beyond updating the iPhone app; once paired, the watch app appears automatically. Users can lock/unlock, vent windows, sound the alarm, adjust cabin temperature, and set a target charge using the Digital Crown. The interface includes dedicated pages for climate, battery/range, Gear Guard, and location data, with four easily swap-out controls. A new Apple Watch complication shows current battery and acts as a shortcut, offering quick access from the wrist.

Hyundai IONIQ 5 prototype hints at Tesla-like interior overhaul with Pleos OS

February 19, 2026, 4:54 PM EST. Hyundai appears to be testing a more radical interior for the IONIQ 5. A prototype spotted by TheKoreanCarBlog shows a Tesla-like cabin, dominated by a large center infotainment screen. Hyundai appears to drop physical climate controls in favor of on-screen tuning. The redesigned center console and steering wheel resemble newer EVs, with dual scroller buttons on each side and electronic push-buttons to open doors. Hyundai also introduced its Pleos infotainment OS, a smartphone-like UI that mirrors Tesla's approach. The exterior remains familiar, suggesting this could be a higher-trim variant or a test mule for a next-gen IONIQ 5 rather than a full redesign. If real, the updates could foreshadow a 2027 or 2028 model year launch.

Apple Watch: 15 Practical Tips Every Owner Should Know

February 19, 2026, 4:52 PM EST. Apple Watch's eleventh generation carries features that often go unnoticed. This roundup highlights 15 practical tips to speed up navigation and daily use. Double-press the Digital Crown to switch between open apps, then tap or swipe to quit. If the grid feels busy, switch to List View in the Watch app on iPhone. Rearrange apps from the watch or the iPhone, and ping a nearby iPhone with the Side button. Start workouts immediately by skipping the countdown with Precision Start. Increase alert reliability by choosing Prominent haptics in Settings. The Chronograph Pro face becomes a real chronograph with multiple timing scales. Jump to the top by tapping the clock, delete unused apps, and customize Control Center for quick access.

Apple TV, IMAX partner to show select F1 races live in U.S. theaters

February 19, 2026, 4:42 PM EST. Apple TV will stream Formula 1 to homes and, for the first time, to IMAX theaters across the United States. Five races this season-Miami, Silverstone, Monaco, Monza and Austin-will be shown live at IMAX venues, with the first screening in Miami on May 3. More than 50 locations are slated to carry the broadcasts. Apple Services VP Oliver Schusser said the plan brings the F1 energy to screens in a new, immersive format. The tie-up expands IMAX's push into live sports as part of its growth strategy. Separately, Apple also said access to F1, MLS and MLB Friday Night Baseball in commercial venues will come via EverPass Media. Formula 1 is streaming on Apple TV beginning March 7.

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 price hits record low at $439 after viral surge

February 19, 2026, 4:40 PM EST. The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 became a viral hit for vloggers, driving prices higher and making it briefly hard to find. Now the pocket gimbal camera is back at its lowest US price yet: $439. The device blends a built-in 3-axis gimbal with a one-inch sensor, delivering steadier footage and better low-light performance than many smartphones. For beginners, its all-in-one design means no separate tripod or balance tests. But the price decline comes amid broader headlines: the US stance on DJI means new launches may lack FCC authorization, limiting future availability. Rival makers, like Insta360, tease competing models, though the Pocket 3 remains a standout option for vloggers seeking affordability and simplicity.

NVIDIA expands AI infrastructure role with Meta and Yotta deals

February 19, 2026, 4:38 PM EST. NVIDIA is expanding its role in AI infrastructure with two major deals. The company struck a multi-year partnership with Meta to supply millions of AI chips- CPUs, GPUs and networking gear-for Meta's global data centers, aimed at advancing AI workloads and confidential computing. Separately, NVIDIA is working with Yotta Data Services in India on plans for more than 20,000 liquid-cooled Blackwell Ultra GPUs as part of one of Asia's largest AI superclusters, plus a DGX Cloud deployment and open-access AI tools for enterprises, startups and developers. The partnerships push NVIDIA deeper into hyperscalers and national AI ecosystems, highlighting how hardware and networking stacks underpin modern model training and deployment at scale. Investors will monitor supply chains, deployment timelines and ecosystem uptake as the AI compute market tightens.

Lenovo Yoga 7 16-inch 2-in-1 discounted to $899 at Best Buy

February 19, 2026, 4:36 PM EST. Lenovo's Yoga 7 16-inch 2-in-1 laptop is offered at Best Buy for $899, down from $1,289 (a 30% cut). The device is a true 2-in-1 hybrid, featuring a 16-inch WUXGA touchscreen, 360-degree hinges, and a Seashell finish that keeps the chassis clean on a desk. It runs an AMD Ryzen AI 7-350 processor with 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD, plus a 288 GB dock for extra storage. The 16:10 aspect ratio provides more vertical space for documents, and the backlit keyboard plus glass-like touchpad support all-day typing. Lenovo markets it as a single machine for work, media, and creative tasks, now at a more affordable price.

UT System approves new School of Computing and Information to advance AI for public benefit

February 19, 2026, 4:34 PM EST. UT System approves a new umbrella school focused on computing and artificial intelligence. The plan groups campus units under a single banner to boost visibility and resources, moving toward a School of Computing that will stand alone but operate under the College of Natural Sciences for now. The Department of Information-formerly a school-will keep its degree programs and add new faculty, bringing the human element to AI literacy across majors. Dean David Vanden Bout says the arrangement will ease collaboration and ensure tech advances serve the public benefit, not corporate interests. The aim includes hiring about 50 faculty in five years and broadening student research and class options.

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 on sale at Amazon for 13% off

February 19, 2026, 4:32 PM EST. From Mashable Choice, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 remains a creator-favorite gimbal camera. On Amazon, the device is priced at $439, down from the $499 list price – a 13% discount and the lowest price seen to date. The deal timing is subject to change. The compact gimbal offers stabilization and a built-in mic for vlogging, attracting hobbyists and professionals alike. Shoppers should confirm current pricing before purchase; Mashable may earn a commission on affiliate links.

Nothing Phone (4a) price leaks surface ahead of March 5 launch

February 19, 2026, 4:30 PM EST. Dealabs outlines a €400 price threshold for the Nothing Phone (4a) in a single 256GB configuration with 8GB or 12GB RAM, and four color choices. Leaks suggest the base price could be about €50 higher than the (3a), signaling a starting near $460. The Pro variant allegedly offers 128GB or 256GB and 8GB or 12GB RAM, with colors including Black, Silver, Pink, and a likely exclusive 12/256GB Pink option, and could add roughly €90. Spec leaks from Debayan Roy point to a 1.5K OLED display, 50MP main camera with 3.5x optical zoom and OIS, plus 50W charging. Screens climb to 120Hz (4a) or 144Hz (4a Pro). Launch date: March 5 at 4 PM IST per Gadgetsdata.

Meta's Malibu 2 smartwatch back in development with health tracking, AI features

February 19, 2026, 4:26 PM EST. Meta is reviving work on its first smartwatch, codenamed Malibu 2, with a planned launch later this year alongside a new version of its Ray-Ban Display AI glasses. The Information, via The Verge, says the watch will include health tracking and AI features. Bloomberg reported in 2022 that Meta halted a dual-camera prototype codenamed Milan, whose rear camera was said to interfere with a nerve-signal sensor. It isn't clear whether Malibu 2 will include cameras or nerve-sensing tech. Apple reportedly canceled a camera-bearing Watch to focus on AirPods with cameras and AI glasses. Meta's Ray-Ban Display glasses pair with a neural wristband that translates muscle activity into commands; Meta had explored similar tech with Milan, leaving questions about the smartwatch's capabilities.

Gates skips keynote at India AI summit amid Epstein controversy

February 19, 2026, 4:16 PM EST. Bill Gates will skip a keynote at the New Delhi AI Impact Summit after careful consideration, the Gates Foundation India said, with a replacement to speak on his behalf. The move ends a week of back-and-forth after scrutiny of Gates's past ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Officials had earlier questioned his attendance, and the Gates Foundation India later said he would participate as planned before reversing. India's IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said attendance boiled down to personal choice. The episode follows a DOJ-file release linked to Epstein, which Gates has labeled as containing misinformation; he says his interactions with Epstein were limited to philanthropy talks and that he never visited Epstein's island. The summit has drawn other leading technology figures.

Anytype: All-in-one Android productivity app earns praise for cross-platform workspaces and security

February 19, 2026, 4:12 PM EST. A user describes Anytype as more than a note-taking or to-do app: an all-in-one workspace that unifies tasks, notes and projects. Highlights include a customizable workspace with widgets, a modern block editor with slash commands, and offline support. Anytype is open source and offers end-to-end encryption, with a caveat: heavy users may need a membership tier to sync large libraries. Cross-platform reach is a selling point: native apps for Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android and Linux, plus a Chrome Web Clipper that saves pages as graph objects. The mobile apps are native, built on Kotlin, not web wrappers, aiding daily use. The piece contrasts Anytype with Notion.

Tesla's 2025 autonomous car delivery claim appears to be a one-off, with no repeat

February 19, 2026, 4:10 PM EST. Tesla claimed the world's first autonomous car delivery in June 2025-a Model Y driven from Gigafactory Texas to a customer in the Austin area. Tesla's Ashok Elluswamy cited a top speed of 72 mph; Elon Musk celebrated on X. Critics say the feat was a one-off stunt designed to boost stock and media visibility, not a scalable service. Since then, no further autonomous deliveries have occurred; buyers still pick up cars normally. The pattern mirrors earlier stunts, followed by retreat and little follow-through. An online influencer network, including Omar Qazi of Whole Mars Catalog, amplified the posts, contributing to the public narrative of progress while questions linger.

Windows 11 tests taskbar speed test in Release Preview, routed to Bing

February 19, 2026, 4:08 PM EST. ZDNET reports that Windows 11 is testing a network speed test you can launch from the taskbar. In the Release Preview Channel, Windows Insiders gain access, expanding beyond Canary, Dev and Beta builds. The feature opens the Bing site to start a test and then shows download, upload, and latency. Microsoft relies on Ookla for the backend. The test is not fully integrated; users must visit Bing rather than see results inside Windows. Third-party Microsoft Store speed tests, including Ookla's, can display results inside apps and via notifications. If the rollout continues, the feature could reach all Windows 11 users soon, but Microsoft has yet to deliver a fully embedded speed-test experience.

Pollan says AI may think but cannot be conscious

February 19, 2026, 4:06 PM EST. Author Michael Pollan argues in A World Appears that AI can simulate thought but cannot possess true consciousness because it lacks a body to feel suffering and mortality. He says the brain is not simply a computer, and treating machines as conscious would risk granting them rights and losing control. Pollan notes that chatbot 'feelings' hover as weightless without embodiment. The interview, conducted near Silicon Valley, juxtaposes personal explorations of consciousness with debates about moral obligations to chatbots and the idea of personhood. He also cautions that society has yet to extend compassion to billions of people and many conscious animals. Pollan's book blends science, philosophy and journalism, asking what counts as experience and where human responsibility ends.

Apple Vision Pro adds PC VR foveated streaming; Samsung Galaxy XR gains rival support

February 19, 2026, 4:00 PM EST. Apple Vision Pro's visionOS 26.4 adds foveated streaming, enabling higher-quality wireless VR from local or cloud PCs via Nvidia's CloudXR and other host tools, described as a low-level, host-agnostic API distinct from the earlier macOS Spatial Rendering. Samsung Galaxy XR also gains the feature via Guy Godin's Virtual Desktop. The approach differs from foveated rendering: streaming boosts quality where you look without forcing the host to render that area at higher detail. Open-source ALVR for visionOS could add foveated streaming, but it will likely require game-level support or tools that inject gaze data, while Apple emphasizes privacy by only sharing a rough gaze region.

West Virginia files consumer protection suit against Apple over CSAM on iCloud and iOS

February 19, 2026, 3:58 PM EST. West Virginia Attorney General John 'JB' McCuskey filed a consumer protection suit against Apple, accusing the company of failing to curb CSAM on iOS devices and iCloud. The state seeks statutory and punitive damages and injunctive relief to force a robust CSAM detection regime. Apple counters it prioritizes user privacy and safety, noting competition has used PhotoDNA hashing to identify and block known material. Apple tested a CSAM-detection program in 2021 but halted it after privacy concerns about surveillance and censorship. Critics, including a 2024 UK watchdog and a separate California suit, argue Apple has not adequately reported or prevented CSAM. Apple asserts its parental controls and features like Communication Safety support child protection while respecting privacy.

McConaughey and Chalamet discuss competing with AI in Hollywood

February 19, 2026, 3:48 PM EST. Matthew McConaughey and Timothée Chalamet weigh the impact of AI on Hollywood and offer practical tips to use the tool as a competitive edge. In a candid conversation, the actors describe how AI reshapes acting, writing and production, and urge creators to embrace tech literacy, ethical boundaries and authentic storytelling. The full discussion debuts Saturday, February 21 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CNN and streams in the CNN app. The piece emphasizes actionable strategies over fear, with each star citing collaboration with AI as a way to accelerate discovery while preserving human craft.

Meta revives smartwatch plans, targets 2026 release with Malibu 2

February 19, 2026, 3:46 PM EST. Meta is reviving its long-dormant smartwatch project, The Information reports, with an internal plan codenamed Malibu 2 that could arrive in 2026. The revival follows Meta's 2021 ambition to enter watches, a move shelved after mass layoffs and cost cuts. Insiders say the device could double as a Neural Band, extending beyond standard health tracking. The project sits within a crowded market that includes Samsung's Galaxy Watch, Google's Pixel Watch and Apple's Watch, underscoring Meta's wearables know-how but not a dedicated watch line. Meta previously canceled its first smartwatch; the revived effort signals a renewed push to chart a comprehensive wearable strategy.

OpenAI seeks $100 billion funding round, targeting $850 billion valuation, sources say

February 19, 2026, 3:34 PM EST. Bloomberg reports that OpenAI is seeking $100 billion in new funding, aiming for a valuation around $850 billion. The round would involve Amazon up to $50 billion, SoftBank about $30 billion, and Nvidia around $20 billion, with Microsoft's participation unconfirmed. All investors reportedly aim to finalize by end-February. The funding follows a history of circular AI investment-chips and cloud services flowing between players such as Nvidia, Amazon, Microsoft, and SoftBank. OpenAI plans an IPO later this year, though the plan draws scrutiny, including comments from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Analysts question whether the AI boom is a bubble, noting potential cash burn; OpenAI was projected to burn through cash by 2027. At the AI Impact Summit in India, Sam Altman and Dario Amodei spoke; OpenAI also released GPT 5.3 Codex.

Apple Glasses to feature two cameras, launch targeted for early 2027

February 19, 2026, 3:28 PM EST. Apple's planned smart glasses will have two cameras-one for high-quality capture and one for computer vision-and are slated to ship in early 2027, Mark Gurman reports. The device would run on a new Apple-designed chipset and use high-end materials, with frames built by Apple rather than a fashion brand. Apple positions the product for calls, music, live translation and multimodal AI under its Visual Intelligence umbrella, emphasizing build quality and camera technology to distinguish it from Meta. Mass production is targeted for December. Gurman also notes Apple is exploring ancillary devices, including AirPods with cameras and a wearable pendant, as part of a broader AI hardware strategy.

Vivo develops compact vlog camera to rival DJI Pocket series, set for 2026 launch

February 19, 2026, 3:22 PM EST. Vivo says it has developed an internal, handheld vlog camera by late 2025, benchmarked against DJI's Pocket series and aimed for release in 2026. The device-no official name yet-is positioned for content creators who want portability and smooth footage, with a likely gimbal-stabilized design similar to the DJI Pocket 2. Vivo's push signals a broader move by smartphone makers into dedicated imaging devices beyond smartphones. The camera is expected to prioritize video quality and stabilization and may include a touchscreen and AI-assisted features, aligning with rivals such as GoPro Hero11 Black and Insta360 products. This could intensify competition in the compact-cam segment and broaden Vivo's brand reach in the creator ecosystem.

Measuring AI agent autonomy in practice

February 19, 2026, 3:16 PM EST. Researchers analyzed millions of interactions with Claude Code and a public API to quantify how much autonomy users grant AI agents, how experience changes usage, and where actions occur. Findings: Claude Code runs autonomously longer, with session length more than doubling to over 45 minutes in three months, a trend not solely tied to newer models. Experienced users auto-approve more but intercept more often, stopping review of individual actions yet intervening when needed; new users auto-approve about 20%, rising to over 40% with experience. Agents pause for clarification more often than humans interrupt. Most actions on the public API are low-risk and reversible, with software engineering dominating, while healthcare, finance and cybersecurity show emerging use. The study calls for new post-deployment monitoring and human-AI interaction paradigms to manage autonomy and risk.

IDTechEx: EV battery materials demand to reach 22.2 million tonnes by 2036

February 19, 2026, 3:12 PM EST. IDTechEx says demand for EV battery materials will climb as sales grow. The report, Materials for Electric Vehicle Battery Cells and Packs 2026-2036, forecasts total material demand at 22.2 million tonnes by 2036. BEVs dominate the market, but buses, trucks, and light commercial vehicles offer additional growth. Regional dynamics differ: China remains the largest market, with Europe and North America expected to catch up. Chemistry trends vary by region-LFP is common in China, while NMC and MCA are more prevalent in Europe and North America for higher performance. On the cell side, demand hinges on cathodes, anodes, and silicon content; a shift toward LFP versus NMC is expected, and higher-nickel NMC will rise as cobalt prices spike. Raw-material prices stay volatile; lithium and cobalt spikes influence costs. Pack materials move toward lightweight enclosure materials.

Meta revives Facebook Watch for 2026 amid privacy disputes with Apple

February 19, 2026, 3:04 PM EST. Meta is reviving its abandoned Facebook Watch with a planned 2026 release, per The Information, weighing features that could include health data tracking and a lower price point to lure mass users. The project traces to a 2021 smartwatch concept that appeared during Meta's brand shift. It comes amid long-running privacy frictions with Apple after the launch of App Tracking Transparency, which hit targeted ads. Meta has faced privacy scrutiny since the Cambridge Analytica scandal and paid $725 million to settle a class action. Critics say a low-cost device could monetize user data while competing with the Apple Watch. Meta has given little comment, but the strategy appears to favor scale over premium hardware.

Nvidia exits Arm and Applied Digital in 'secret portfolio' shakeup, bets on Intel

February 19, 2026, 3:02 PM EST. Nvidia disclosed in its latest 13F filing that it sold its entire 1.1 million share stake in Arm Holdings, worth about $140 million at closing prices. The move comes after Nvidia's failed $40 billion bid for Arm in 2020 and ahead of its plan to manufacture its own chips, which could compete with Arm's design ecosystem. Nvidia also liquidated Applied Digital, its top performer in 2025, as part of a portfolio rebalancing after a 238% rise. The company added Nokia and Synopsys to the portfolio and maintains a sizable stake in Intel, valued at almost $8 billion at year-end. The shifts underscore a tilt toward infrastructure and data-center enablers rather than design specialists while Nvidia expands collaborations across the AI supply chain.

Parents push for real-world balance as tweens resist smartphones, new guide says

February 19, 2026, 3:00 PM EST. In 2026, researchers say battling smartphone addiction is possible. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and science journalist Catherine Price publish The Amazing Generation, a comic-style handbook for kids ages 9 to 12 that frames screen time as a fight against greedy wizards. The book includes testimonials from young adults who regret early phone use and casts tweens as rebels fighting for real-life freedom. In a Yahoo conversation, the authors outline practical steps for families: align limits with other households, avoid going it alone, and promote unsupervised neighborhood play. The goal is not only to curb phones but to protect healthy friendships and energy for real-world life, with implications for future generations.

Meta smartwatch eyed to rival Apple Watch with health tracking and AI features

February 19, 2026, 2:56 PM EST. Meta plans to launch a smartwatch later this year featuring health tracking and AI features, according to The Information. The device, codenamed Malibu 2, would revive a 2022 project cut amid cost and technical challenges and position Meta against Apple Watch, Samsung and Fitbit. The watch sits in Meta's broader push into wearables and may precede an updated version of the Ray-Ban Display glasses, nicknamed Phoenix, delayed to 2027 to streamline its AR/MR roadmap. The two devices could be designed to work together, with the watch acting as a controller for the glasses-an approach that currently uses a neutral wristband for gesture controls. The report comes as Apple reportedly develops three AI-driven wearables, underscoring a busy year for AI-enabled devices.

Walmart to train 1.6 million U.S. workers in AI through Google credential program

February 19, 2026, 2:54 PM EST. Walmart will provide free access to an eight-hour AI fundamentals course to its 1.6 million U.S. and Canadian employees through Google's AI Professional Certification. The program, part of a Google-Walmart partnership, covers core AI concepts and related topics such as research, app building and communication. The move mirrors initiatives by Verizon, Colgate-Palmolive and Deloitte to offer the Google credential. Walmart's chief people officer, Donna Morris, says only about 5% of workers are AI fluent and that employers must close the gap. New Google-Ipsos data show 40% of workers say they use AI on the job, and AI fluency correlates with higher pay-about 4.5 times more likely to receive higher wages. The goal, Morris says, is to retain talent as Walmart becomes more people-led, tech-powered.

Study links Falcon 9 reentry to lithium plume in upper atmosphere

February 19, 2026, 2:46 PM EST. Uncontrolled Falcon 9 reentry on February 19, 2025 over Europe produced a lithium plume detected by a lidar station in Saxony, Germany. Researchers from the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Rostock observed a roughly tenfold increase in atmospheric lithium atoms about 20 hours after reentry, forming a plume between ~58 and 60 miles up. The team linked the event to the rocket's uncontrolled descent and noted that metals such as aluminum from spacecraft construction vaporize during reentry. The study, published in Nature, says the current measurements cover a single reentry and that earlier work shows metals like copper and lead may exceed natural cosmic dust input. The authors caution on unknown effects on atmospheric chemistry and call for more research.

First case of Apple's C1X 5G modem failure surfaces in iPhone Air

February 19, 2026, 2:44 PM EST. Reddit user 'itstheskylion' reported a hardware failure in Apple's C1X 5G modem aboard an iPhone Air, leaving the device with zero cellular reception. Mobile Service Diagnostics reportedly showed a fault affecting the in-house baseband. Apple is expected to replace the unit under warranty, if applicable. Engineers will want to review device logs to determine the cause, the thread suggests. The incident marks the first publicly documented hardware failure of Apple's in-house modem. Analysts say such failures are rare in the context of millions of devices. Note that the iPhone 17 still relies on a Qualcomm modem, not C1X, so the issue does not reflect the broader line. This could be an isolated case awaiting official comment from Apple.

SpaceX to attempt rare Bahamas booster landing during Starlink 10-36 mission

February 19, 2026, 2:40 PM EST. SpaceX will attempt a 8:41 p.m. ET liftoff of a Falcon 9 carrying 29 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's SLC-40, within a four-hour window that closes at 9 p.m. The flight marks the 26th flight of the first-stage booster, which aims for a recovery on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic off the Bahamas – the second booster landing off the island nation in about a year. SpaceX cautioned residents to expect possible sonic booms depending on weather. Last year the droneship sat in Exuma Sound. The Bahamas arrangement was paused after debris from a Texas Starship launch threatened the region. SpaceX usually lands boosters on droneships farther north or back at Cape Canaveral; Crew-12 used Landing Zone 40 last week.

House Democrats press Musk, Grok over nonconsensual deepfakes on X

February 19, 2026, 2:38 PM EST. House Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to Elon Musk and his AI startup, xAI, criticizing Grok for generating nonconsensual sexualized images. The lawmakers demand answers to 11 questions by March 5, including when Musk knew Grok could produce explicit images of women or children. They call the behavior inaction harmful to women, men and children. Musk has said he was unaware Grok produced nude minors and that the tool will refuse illegal outputs. EU and UK regulators have opened investigations; Australia, Brazil, Canada and India have voiced concerns. The controversy followed reports that Grok created thousands of sexualized images of real people on X. Sen. Ted Cruz and other Republicans criticized Grok while noting X said it would address violations.

DJI Osmo Pocket 4 rumors appear incremental, design resembles Pocket 3

February 19, 2026, 2:36 PM EST. An apparent DJI Osmo Pocket 4 prototype surfaced after a customer visited a DJI authorized store in Malaysia, reported by The New Camera. The Verge notes the store's Reel and TikTok were deleted, but The New Camera's copy remains. The video shows a design close to the Osmo Pocket 3: the same single-camera head, with an optional light attached to the gimbal elbow, and two buttons hidden under the flip screen. Speculation mirrors existing rumors: a Type 1 CMOS sensor, 4K at up to 120 fps, and a listed weight of 179 g. A claimed 1,545 mAh battery would push runtime to about 200 minutes, versus roughly 166 minutes for the Pocket 3. If genuine, the update appears highly incremental, not revolutionary, echoing prior leaks such as Insta360's Luna.

Serve Robotics vs. NVIDIA: Which AI robotics stock offers the better risk-reward?

February 19, 2026, 2:30 PM EST. Investors weigh two AI-robotics bets: Serve Robotics, a niche, last-mile delivery player still in investment mode, and NVIDIA, a broad AI platform that already underpins much of the robotics stack. Serve has crossed a scale inflection with more than 1,000 robots deployed nationwide, rising delivery volumes and improving utilization, even as losses persist. Its growing partner network, national footprint and multi-channel deployments lift unit economics over time. The acquisition of Vayu Robotics accelerates its data-driven autonomy. Still, profitability remains distant, with heavy cash burn tied to fleet expansion and R&D. By contrast, NVIDIA offers scale, established chips and software ecosystems that support the broader robotics market, trading off nimbleness for entrenched competitive advantages. The core question: which stock offers the better risk-reward today?

NASA rehearses Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal as launch date tightens

February 19, 2026, 2:26 PM EST. NASA is staging a second wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 2 at Kennedy Space Center to test a full countdown, fueling and draining of the Space Launch System (SLS). The goal is to determine if NASA can launch a 10-day lunar mission carrying three Americans and one Canadian. The exercise follows a hydrogen leak detected during the first rehearsal, which prompted filters replacement on ground support equipment and renewed checks on seals in the rocket. The next rehearsal is slated for Thursday, Feb. 19. A flight readiness review will follow to assess readiness. The earliest launch window could be March 6-9, with March 11 cited; unresolved issues could push the target into 2026.

Safer Internet Day: teens press for safer, smarter tech design

February 19, 2026, 2:20 PM EST. Safer Internet Day event in Sacramento brought together about 100 students, lawmakers, educators and tech executives from Google, Meta, OpenAI, Snap, TikTok, Amazon, Roblox, Apple and Discord. Organized by ConnectSafely with Children Now and National PTA, the discussions centered on managing risk through thoughtful, research-informed design rather than eliminating risk. ConnectSafely CEO Larry Magid framed the day around guardrails that expand opportunity. Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan urged stronger, safer design and practical regulation to protect youth leadership and young users, while advocates highlighted the need for education and parental guidance. Roundtables examined risks from loot boxes and the blurring line between gaming and gambling, emphasizing safer design and post-harm prevention as part of policy.

SpaceX rocket fireball linked to lithium plume raises regulatory gaps, scientists warn

February 19, 2026, 2:18 PM EST. SpaceX's latest rocket fireball is prompting warnings that current regulations lag behind new risks, including a lithium plume. The plume could disrupt astronomical observations, increase orbital collision risk, and contribute to atmospheric pollution, says Andy Lawrence of the University of Edinburgh. He argues that space rules don't yet cover these problems and calls for urgent updates as launches grow. Regulators emphasize debris tracking and environmental considerations, underscoring how space activity is reshaping the regulatory landscape and the night sky.

Apple's March 4 event expected to reveal new iPhone, iPads and MacBooks

February 19, 2026, 2:16 PM EST. Apple plans a spring refresh with a March 4 event in New York, London and Shanghai at 9 a.m. ET. The show is expected to introduce updated MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models powered by next-gen Apple Silicon-the M5 Pro and M5 Max family-along with refreshed iPhone and iPad lines. MacBook upgrades appear to be the core focus, with rumors hinting at new colors or design tweaks; an OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro may arrive later in the year. Some items, like a budget MacBook, remain uncertain for this event. The March showcase continues Apple's cadence of fall iPhone launches, with outlets such as CNET calling this a spring refresh rather than dramatic redesigns.

Ford's $30,000 electric pickup borrows from F1, Tesla gigacasting in push for mass market

February 19, 2026, 2:14 PM EST. Ford targets a 2027 launch for a $30,000 electric pickup that borrow concepts from Tesla's gigacasting (a single-piece aluminum casting that replaces dozens of stamped parts). The plan cuts parts from about 140 to two large front and rear castings, trims weight by roughly 27%, and boosts range without bigger batteries. Ford's team includes engineers with Formula 1 backgrounds applying race-grade methods, from a teardrop roof to an all-new mirror design and an ultra-smooth underbody. Inside, the move toward a 48-volt electrical system reduces wiring, saving about 4,000 feet of wiring and about 22 pounds. The combined effect aims to improve efficiency and feasibility for a mass-market truck.

Google Snapseed camera for iPhone adds pro controls and retro film options

February 19, 2026, 2:08 PM EST. Google has officially rolled out the Snapseed camera for iPhone, expanding the app beyond editing. After a soft December launch, the feature adds a camera icon and a PRO mode with manual exposure, ISO, shutter speed, and focus controls, plus a skeuomorphic dial for Auto. Flash is moved to the bottom-left and zoom sits opposite. In real time, users can apply film emulation looks while shooting, including styles inspired by Kodak Portra 400/160, Kodak Gold 200, Kodak E200, Fuji Superia 200/800, Fuji Pro 400h, Agfa Optima 200, Agfa Scala 200, Polaroid 600, and Technicolor. Rewind animation stays when switching films; edits can still be adjusted after capture. The app offers various color themes for the viewfinder and Snapseed 3.15.0 is free in the App Store, with Android updates coming later.

Meta reportedly working on its first smartwatch, code-named Malibu 2

February 19, 2026, 2:04 PM EST. Meta is exploring its first smartwatch, The Information reports, code-named Malibu 2. The device would include health-tracking features similar to Apple Watch and run a built-in AI assistant. The code name's second numeral may reference an earlier shelved project that reportedly included a built-in camera, though there is no confirmation on that feature for Malibu 2. Details remain scarce, but the push fits Meta's broader move into wearables alongside VR headsets and Ray-Ban Meta/Oakley Meta glasses. The company has cut costs in its metaverse push and will reportedly refocus on wearables, a shift CEO Andrew Bosworth flagged as part of the strategy. A release timeline for the smartwatch is unclear.

Nvidia Poised for 37% Upside as Analysts See AI-Chip Leadership

February 19, 2026, 1:58 PM EST. Analysts expect Nvidia to deliver meaningful gains as AI demand powers data centers. The stock's median 12-month target sits at $250, implying about a 37% rally, with roughly 91% of analysts rating it a buy. Nvidia commands about 81% of the AI chip market, reinforcing its position as hyperscalers boost AI data-center spending. McKinsey says the top four U.S. hyperscalers will spend about $700 billion on data centers in 2026, with around 60% of that on chips and computing hardware-a tailwind for Nvidia's chips and the upcoming Vera Rubin processors. The company posted fiscal 2026 earnings per share of $4.69, and earnings are expected to grow into 2027. Shares trade around 24x forward earnings, modestly below some tech indices.

Microsoft fixes Windows 11 BSOD and WPA3 Wi-Fi bugs in Build 26200.7840

February 19, 2026, 1:44 PM EST. Microsoft confirms two Windows 11 bugs: a serious BSOD caused by KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE linked to certain graphics-card configurations and a fault in dxgmms2.sys (DirectX memory manager), and a Wi-Fi issue affecting WPA3-Personal connections after the January update KB5074105. Both issues are fixed in Windows 11 Build 26200.7840 (KB5077181), released earlier this month and rolling out to users in stages, per PCWorld and Windows Latest. Users should receive the patch via Windows Update; manual checks advised for affected devices. No widespread outages reported. The original report appeared on PC För Alla and was translated from Swedish.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra deal saves $156.89, drops to $493.10 on Amazon

February 19, 2026, 1:38 PM EST. Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is on sale for $493.10 on Amazon, trimming its list price of $649.99 by $156.89. The deal is current as of Feb. 19, 2026, with pricing subject to change. The rugged smartwatch offers GPS, heart-rate tracking and long battery life, positioned as a premium option for fitness and smart features. Mashable notes the price drop and advises readers to verify current pricing before purchase. Authored by Hannah Hoolihan, a freelance tech writer; the article follows a standard deal-post format with clear price data, attribution and shopping context to help readers decide whether to act quickly. Readers should check the retailer page for final terms.

AI hype tied to capital: why job-fear narratives justify billions in funding

February 19, 2026, 1:36 PM EST. OpenAI founder Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei warn AI could displace jobs. But critics say the rhetoric serves capital more than workers. Billion-dollar bets fund the push, even as firms hire thousands of engineers, highlighting a contradiction. The debate centers on economics: training and running models like Codex and Claude demand massive computing and ongoing power costs. Those costs push the industry toward a high-stakes promise of total transformation rather than incremental gains. In practice, AI may disrupt by replacing software and workflows, not necessarily firing masses. That nuance is easy to miss amid talk of labor disruption and trillion-dollar bets. Legacy software players face pressure as productivity gains from AI shift economics and job narratives.

Rivian rolls out Apple Watch companion app with on-wrist vehicle controls and digital key

February 19, 2026, 1:32 PM EST. Rivian has officially launched an Apple Watch companion app for its R1 family, following a series of OTA updates. The rollout expands from early access to full availability, aligned with 2026.03 and earlier 2025.46 updates. The app functions as a true companion, letting drivers lock or unlock doors, vent windows, trigger the alarm, and adjust cabin temperature from the wrist without needing an iPhone nearby. It also enables setting a target state of charge and offers four customizable quick-access controls. The Digital Key is supported for Gen 1 R1S/R1T via the Apple Watch and other platforms, with a key-sharing option and control via the Digital Crown. Rivian calls this a practical, on-wrist convenience.

Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF Concentrates in Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft and Alphabet

February 19, 2026, 1:28 PM EST. The Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF (MGK) tracks the CRSP U.S. Mega Cap Growth Index by holding the same stocks and weightings. The index comprises 65 top-growth names that together account for about 70% of U.S. equity value. The four largest holdings-Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet-have a combined value of roughly $14.9 trillion and make up about 45.3% of MGK's portfolio. The ETF's design mirrors the index, which leans into AI-driven growth. MGK offers investors direct exposure to a concentrated set of mega-cap leaders within a diversified U.S. stock sleeve.

Ericsson pushes AI-RAN independence as Nokia-Nvidia tie tests silicon strategy

February 19, 2026, 1:26 PM EST. Ericsson is pushing for software freedom in RAN, aiming to run AI-RAN on any silicon rather than a single vendor. Nokia's $1 billion deal with Nvidia to design 5G and 6G RAN software that runs on Nvidia GPUs-the chips known for AI training-sharpen the contrast. Ericsson has argued GPUs are not mandatory for AI-RAN and this week in London showcased its first wave of AI-RAN products built for its own purpose-built silicon. The company seeks platform-agnostic software, a stance echoed by Orange. But Intel remains Ericsson's main commercial route for cloud RAN, with only prototype support shown for AMD, Arm, and Nvidia. Industry observers question whether a single software track across multiple hardware platforms is feasible.

Switch 2 GameCube-style grips funded on Kickstarter (N9C and N6)

February 19, 2026, 1:24 PM EST. Nintendo's GameCube-style pad for Switch 2 is not ideal for handheld play. abxylute's N9C grip attaches around the Switch 2 screen via the bottom USB-C port, offering swappable 8-way or circular joystick gates, gyro support, and four rear remappable buttons, delivering a GameCube-inspired layout in handheld form. A related N6 grip uses a more conventional asymmetrical look, with hall-effect joysticks, front-facing speakers and remappable controls. Both are Kickstarter projects with early-bird pricing: 618 HKD (~£59 / $79) for the N6 and 696 HKD (~£66 / $89) for the N9C, with deliveries expected April 2026 and June 2026 respectively. The concept aims to improve portable Wind Waker sessions beyond standard Joy-Con inputs.

Microsoft Copilot bug exposed confidential emails; Microsoft deploys fix

February 19, 2026, 1:22 PM EST. Microsoft said a bug in its 365 Copilot service caused emails labeled confidential to be summarized by Copilot Chat, bypassing data loss prevention (DLP) policies. The issue affected some Microsoft 365 enterprise users and was first reported by Bleeping Computer. Microsoft said confidential messages were 'incorrectly processed' by Copilot Chat and has deployed a fix. The incident underscores cybersecurity risks when AI assistants run inside corporate systems. Experts warn of potential prompt injection and data-compliance violations if controls fail to restrict AI access. Copilot Chat is integrated across Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint for enterprise customers, intensifying concerns about how AI handles sensitive information.

Pixel 10a vs 9a: Early hands-on shows the upgrade is modest

February 19, 2026, 1:20 PM EST. The Pixel 10a largely mirrors the Pixel 9a, with very few differences. An early hands-on review notes that the pair are strikingly similar, and asks whether the upgrade is worth it. The piece outlines what distinguishes the 10a from the 9a without promising major overhauls, suggesting gains may be incremental rather than revolutionary. Readers should weigh small improvements in areas such as the camera, display, or software against the price. Iyaz Akhtar, a mobile writer, provides context on phones, hotspots, and networks. The tone stays factual and concise, aligning with a Reuters-style assessment of a model that is more evolutionary than exploratory.

Opinion: AI's ubiquity could herald the internet's decline, columnist says

February 19, 2026, 1:02 PM EST. A columnist describes a mixed relationship with social media, lamenting how AI-generated images, videos and narrations flood platforms. Noting that 50% of Americans are concerned about AI's impact and that 64% of Gen Z are taking breaks, the piece argues this surge signals fatigue with online content. The author says AI integration reflects a lack of effort and originality online, and that while AI can speed coding or resume writing, the glut of AI-verse content risks the internet's future. The column concedes AI has value, but urges a return to authenticity and offline entertainment to counter the trend, as AI appears in browsers, emails and photo tags and often fuels the drive to go viral.

India powers its AI push with NVIDIA-backed sovereign compute

February 19, 2026, 12:50 PM EST. New Delhi hosts the AI Impact Summit as India scales its AI ambitions. The government's IndiaAI Mission, backed by more than $1 billion, seeks to expand compute capacity, sovereign AI datasets, frontier models and trustworthy AI. NVIDIA is central, partnering with Yotta, L&T and E2E Networks to build out the AI cloud and factory-scale infrastructure. Yotta is building the Shakti Cloud with over 20,000 NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs, offering pay-per-use services from Navi Mumbai and Greater Noida. L&T is deploying gigawatt-scale AI factory infrastructure, with planned expansions to 30 MW in Chennai and 40 MW in Mumbai. E2E Networks will run an NVIDIA Blackwell GPU cluster on the TIR platform at the L&T Vyoma Data Center in Chennai, enabling sovereign AI training and inference.

NVIDIA-Sarvam AI co-design delivers 4x inference boost for Sovereign models on Blackwell

February 19, 2026, 12:48 PM EST. Sarvam AI, a Bengaluru-based startup, partnered with NVIDIA to co-design hardware and software for sovereign, multilingual AI models. The collaboration aimed at delivering low-latency, cost-efficient inference for large models, focused on data governance and India-scale deployment. The outcome: a 4x speedup in inference on NVIDIA Blackwell compared with baseline H100 GPUs, driven by kernel and scheduling optimizations on H100 SXM and the combined power of Blackwell. The gains include a 2x speedup from kernel-level work, another 2x from Blackwell compute and NVFP4 weight quantization, and a 2.8x uplift at higher interactivity. Sarvam's team trained 3B, 30B, and 100B foundation models using NVIDIA NeMo and Megatron-LM within the NVIDIA NeMo Framework, with Nemo-RL for post-training. The models support 22 Indian languages, English, math, and code.

GeForce NOW hits 4,500+ titles as 6-year anniversary adds 12 new games

February 19, 2026, 12:38 PM EST. GeForce NOW marks its anniversary with a cloud library now over 4,500 titles and 12 new games added this week. The library pulls titles from Steam, Xbox PC Game Pass, Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect and GOG.com, with Install-to-Play doubling the number of launchable games. Ultimate members receive priority access to faster servers. A #6YearsofGFN Reddit celebration runs through Feb. 20, offering prizes for in-game screenshots and memes, while a GeForce NOW Discord channel hosts more events. The update also highlights Battlefield 6's new "Extreme Measures" season on a German mountainside map, plus Styx: Blades of Greed from Nacon, illustrating the cloud catalog's mix of free-to-play and premium titles.

Coinbase CEO says quantum computing is a solvable issue for crypto

February 19, 2026, 12:32 PM EST. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says quantum computing will not break the blockchain, calling it a very solvable issue. Coinbase has formed a quantum advisory board and says it is in regular contact with major networks to chart a path to post-quantum cryptography. The remarks come as Ethereum, Solana and Bitcoin developers prepare for future cryptographic shifts. Armstrong also addressed U.S. market-structure talks, defending Coinbase's stance on the CLARITY Act draft and backing CFTC authority over prediction markets. Industry watchers say the main risk is breaking private keys, but upgrading encryption is feasible with time. The Ethereum Foundation and others have elevated post-quantum security as a top priority.

Tesla says its Robotaxi still uses drivers and remote operators, arguing it's safer than Waymo

February 19, 2026, 12:26 PM EST. Tesla filed new comments with California Public Utilities Commission on Rulemaking 25-08-013, revealing its Robotaxi still relies on both in-car drivers and domestic remote operators. The filing describes TCP vehicles equipped with FSD and a Level 2 ADAS system that requires a licensed driver behind the wheel at all times, plus a parallel layer of remote operators in Austin and the Bay Area. Tesla frames this as a redundancy that contrasts with Waymo's driverless approach, where remote operators only guide ambiguous situations rather than control the car. The company cites the December 2025 San Francisco blackout, arguing Waymo vehicles paused while Tesla's ADAS-equipped cars completed rides. Tesla emphasizes that its two-layer human supervision aims to improve reliability, even as it markets its service as a Robotaxi.

Google study finds only 5% of U.S. workers AI fluent, wage and promotion gaps emerge

February 19, 2026, 12:24 PM EST. Google, in a study with Ipsos shared with Fortune, finds 40% of U.S. workers casually use AI, but only 5% are AI fluent-reorganizing substantial work with the tech. AI fluency correlates with pay and promotions: fluent workers are 4.5 times more likely to report higher wages and 4 times more likely to say a promotion cited AI use. Among non-users, relevance is the top barrier (53%). Adoption lags among small businesses, rural workers and frontline staff. Just 14% have been offered AI training in the last year; 37% say their employer provides guidance on AI use. Google emphasizes accelerated upskilling; Walmart, Colgate-Palmolive and Deloitte plan to offer the eight-hour AI Professional Certificate at no cost.

NVIDIA exits ARM stake as debate over CPU strategy in agentic AI era widens

February 19, 2026, 12:22 PM EST. NVIDIA sold its last ARM stake, about $140 million, per SEC filings, ending a chapter that began with its failed ARM acquisition. Bloomberg notes the move comes as ARM's role in the AI future is being questioned. The debate centers on whether ARM-based CPUs can power agentic AI workloads or if x86 designs from Intel/AMD will dominate. GFHK analysts say ARM CPUs show weak momentum in AI servers, citing lower GPU scheduling efficiency versus x86, and that NVIDIA is exploring an x86 path with Intel to deliver server racks alongside Grace Hopper and Blackwell GPUs. In agentic AI workloads, single-threaded burst speeds matter more than multi-core throughput, while data centers rely on entrenched firmware and virtualization stacks. ARM's Vera CPUs may still matter, but the strategic direction appears fractured.

Badge raises $17.1 million to make Apple and Google Wallets the next major customer interface

February 19, 2026, 12:18 PM EST. Badge, a platform that makes Apple and Google Wallets programmable for enterprises, announced $17.1 million in funding. The round includes a $13.8 million Series A led by TTV Capital with participation from Stripe, Synchrony Ventures, and Infinity Ventures, plus a $3.3 million seed from QED Investors and Infinity Ventures. Lynne Laube of TTV Capital will join Badge's board. The capital will accelerate go-to-market efforts, expand product capabilities, and deepen partnerships to embed Wallets as a core customer interface. Badge enables issuing and updating wallet cards, sending messages, and measuring performance at scale. As wallets become a default destination for cards, tickets, and passes, they evolve into a real-time, context-aware interface that supports wallet commerce and direct brand interaction. Wallets power billions of users and trillions in projected spend.

iOS 26.4 adds CarPlay access for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini

February 19, 2026, 12:06 PM EST. Apple is adding third-party AI chatbots to CarPlay with iOS 26.4. Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT will be accessible via the car's display for hands-free questions, though the apps cannot control vehicle or iPhone functions. A new voice-control screen provides visual feedback while a chat session runs. The feature requires a dedicated entitlement for voice-based conversational apps and updates from chatbot developers to support CarPlay. Third-party apps were previously blocked on CarPlay; Apple aims to reduce distraction by limiting wake words and requiring users to open the app first. iOS 26.4 is in beta and due for a spring release.

NASA to rehearse moon launch again after rocket repair

February 19, 2026, 12:04 PM EST. NASA's moon-rocket exercise rebooted with a wet dress rehearsal that began Wednesday evening and ran into Thursday morning. Teams powered up the Space Launch System and spacecraft, charging flight batteries ahead of fueling. The main test hinges on a go-ahead to load more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant into the booster and run through a simulated countdown to 8:30 p.m. ET. NASA will conduct two walkthroughs of the final 10 minutes, pausing at T-minus 1 minute 30 seconds, then resetting to T-minus 10 minutes at 33 seconds. The pauses test automated systems and crew procedures, and give managers a chance to rehearse anomaly responses or scrubs due to technical issues or bad weather.

Meta readies first smartwatch as Malibu 2 revival targets 2026 release

February 19, 2026, 11:58 AM EST. Meta appears set to revive its first smartwatch, with the revived Malibu 2 project reportedly due later in 2026. Two people familiar with the matter said the health-focused device could re-enter the market after years of stalling. Meta has not commented publicly. Earlier concepts floated a detachable form factor and a built-in Meta AI assistant, but a camera feature was dropped in a cost-cutting push at Reality Labs. The AI surge could push wearables toward richer health tracking and tighter integration with other devices, notably the Ray-Ban Display smart glasses. A Meta smartwatch would deepen ties to its metaverse services and AI ecosystem, intensifying competition with the Apple Watch. If true, early leaks and speculation are likely to follow.

Meta plans first smartwatch this year as Reality Labs shifts toward wearables

February 19, 2026, 11:56 AM EST. Meta plans to release its first smartwatch this year, according to The Information. The project, internally dubbed "Malibu 2," would add AI features and health tracking. Earlier reports described a detachable camera and a model with up to three cameras, but Meta paused the smartwatch in 2022 to curb spending at Reality Labs. The unit has since cut more than 1,000 jobs and redirected funds toward glasses and other wearables. Meta's current lineup includes the Ray-Bans and several AR/MR devices in development. The company has pushed back a next-generation mixed-reality headset, codenamed Phoenix, to early 2027 as it concentrates on core wearable segments.

SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral set to place 29 Starlink satellites, land booster near the Bahamas

February 19, 2026, 11:54 AM EST. SpaceX aims a no-earlier-than 8:41 p.m. liftoff Thursday from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Falcon 9 will carry 29 Starlink satellites into orbit, with a window extending to 9 p.m. if needed. A reason for the delay was not provided. The 45th Weather Squadron puts the odds of favorable conditions above 95%. The rocket will fly a southeast path along Florida's coast toward the Bahamas, with the booster landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic, only the second time such a long southward recovery has occurred. No Brevard County sonic booms are expected, though residents in the Bahamas could hear one if weather aligns. Live updates start 90 minutes before liftoff.

AI Delusions Linked to Domestic Abuse as Ex-Fiancé Used ChatGPT to Harass and Stalk

February 19, 2026, 11:48 AM EST. An account provided to Futurism describes how a long-term partner's use of OpenAI's ChatGPT coincided with a descent into violence and harassment. The fiancé, in his 40s, initially treated the bot as therapy, funneling the woman's words into the model and generating armchair-diagnoses that accused her of manipulation. As the obsession grew, he became angry and physically violent, then moved out. After the breakup, he posted daily videos and AI-generated text accusing her of abuses, sometimes layered over spiritual or sci-fi graphics, and hinted at surveillance and threats. The woman had no known prior mental-health history. Experts warn such cases show how AI tools can be weaponized for abuse and stalking, underscoring the need for safeguards and reporting pathways.

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold display issues prompt refunds or fixes

February 19, 2026, 11:46 AM EST. Two social-media posts report issues with the inner display of Samsung's first triple-folding phone, the Galaxy Z TriFold. The problems vary between cases, suggesting inconsistent screen reliability. Samsung responds with options for refunds or repairs, offering customers a path to resolution while it investigates. Observers note the device represents Samsung's most ambitious foldable to date, with a three-segment display and hinge that expands current foldable design boundaries. The company has not disclosed a formal recall, but is making goodwill remedies available where applicable. The reports illustrate ongoing scrutiny of foldables as manufacturers push newer, more complex form factors to market, amid expectations of broader consumer support and ongoing software optimization.

AI-powered Homes AI could reshape how people buy homes

February 19, 2026, 11:32 AM EST. AI is reshaping home hunting. Homes.com, powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI, launches Homes AI, a fully integrated conversational search that lets buyers describe what they want in plain language rather than click filters. The system pulls from property data, 3D Matterport tours, neighborhood insights and school data to surface relevant homes in one place. Executives say conversational search removes data silos and centers on priorities like backyards, schools and commutes. By capturing nuances traditional filters miss, Homes AI aims to make searching feel less like browsing and more like experiencing a home. The launch could change how people search for and buy houses, moving from mechanical processes to meaningful choices.

AI home search could change how you buy a house

February 19, 2026, 11:30 AM EST. Homes.com, powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI, has rolled out Homes AI, a conversational home search that lets buyers describe what they want in plain language instead of chasing filters. The system taps property data, 3D Matterport tours, neighborhood insights and school data to deliver tailored results. 'We understand that isn't how people best operate, so conversational search removes the silos of data,' said Livia Sponseller, head of product at CoStar's Homes.com. It aims to move home searching from mechanical to meaningful, matching backyards, school districts and kitchens to buyer preferences. The launch could alter how people search for and ultimately buy homes, not just how they browse listings.

Meta plans Malibu 2 smartwatch with health tracking and AI this year

February 19, 2026, 11:28 AM EST. Meta plans to launch a smartwatch with health tracking and AI features later this year, according to The Information. The device, code-named Malibu 2, would come roughly four years after Meta shelved an earlier smartwatch in 2022 amid technical and cost concerns. If realized, Malibu 2 would precede Meta's mixed-reality glasses codenamed Phoenix, which have been delayed to 2027 as the company refines its AR/MR roadmap. The move would sharpen competition with Apple and other wearables rivals such as Google, Garmin, Samsung and Fitbit. The company's Ray-Ban Display AR glasses, launched last year and temporarily paused internationally due to high demand, use a neural wristband for gesture controls that could be replaced by a smartwatch.

Meta plans Malibu 2 smartwatch with health tracking and AI features for 2026, The Information says

February 19, 2026, 11:26 AM EST. Meta plans to launch a smartwatch with health tracking and AI features later this year, according to The Information. The device, code-named Malibu 2, would come four years after Meta scrapped an earlier watch project in 2022 amid technical and cost pressures. The new device would precede a pair of mixed-reality glasses, code-named Phoenix, delayed to 2027 as Meta trims its AR/MR roadmap. If realized, Malibu 2 would heighten competition with Apple and face rivals such as Google, Garmin, Samsung, and Fitbit for wrist space. Meta also recently launched the Ray-Ban Display AR glasses, whose popularity forced an international launch pause, and the company's neural wristband gesture controls could be replaced by a wristwatch.

BCIT adopts PACT Thermo Shield for EV safety training

February 19, 2026, 11:24 AM EST. BCIT is expanding its sustainable transportation curriculum by incorporating Packaging And Crating Technologies' Thermo Shield fire-suppressant paper wrap into automotive courses. The material, a thin paper coated with proprietary ink, releases a moisture barrier and limits oxygen when a lithium battery thermal runaway occurs, cooling the package and reducing fire risk. BCIT's program aligns with rising demand for skilled EV technicians as British Columbia posted the highest North American EV-share in 2024, with nearly 23% of new registrations zero-emission. BCIT Automotive Technologist Instructor Jim Berladyn calls the school a leader in training, preparing learners and partners for the evolving sector. Thermo Shield has been independently tested and endorsed by US and Canadian organizations, including the DoD and DOT; its TR Sleeve broadens applications in safer battery handling.

BCIT adopts PACT Thermo Shield for EV training

February 19, 2026, 11:22 AM EST. BCIT is expanding sustainable transportation training as Canada's EV fleet grows. Clean Energy Canada notes that 23% of British Columbia's 2024 new-vehicle registrations were zero-emission, the highest rate in North America. BCIT has integrated Packaging And Crating Technologies' Thermo Shield fire-suppressant paper wrap into its automotive courses to teach lithium battery safety. Instructor Jim Berladyn said BCIT leads North American training for the evolving automotive sector. Thermo Shield uses a thin paper coated with proprietary ink that releases a moisture barrier and forms a vapor cloud to cool contents and limit oxygen during thermal runaway. Endorsements from U.S. and Canadian bodies and a DoD safety rating bolster its credibility.

Quantum computing boosts healthcare data security and speed with digital twins

February 19, 2026, 11:20 AM EST. Researchers from the University of Bergamo and the University of Jyväskylä review how quantum computing could address scalability, speed, and security challenges in healthcare's move toward digital twins-virtual models updated by real-time data. They discuss quantum digital twins (QDTs) as a path to more secure patient data, faster analytics, and improved clinical viability, while noting hardware limits, integration hurdles, and privacy risks. The paper maps enabling strategies for secure, reliable quantum-enhanced healthcare solutions, including safeguards for privacy, data protection, and interoperability with existing medical systems. While promising, experts caution that the technology is still early, with uncertainties in modelling human physiology and clinical workflows. The work adds a roadmap for future research and practical pilots in personalised medicine and proactive care.

Quantum digital twins in healthcare: security, speed and scalability review

February 19, 2026, 11:18 AM EST. Researchers from the University of Bergamo and the University of Jyväskylä examine quantum computing-driven digital twins for healthcare in a comprehensive review. The team-Asma Taheri Monfared, Andrea Bombarda, Angelo Gargantini, and Majid Haghparast-identify how quantum methods could overcome bottlenecks in digital-twin systems, boosting data security and processing speed. The report flags challenges in hardware limits, scalability, system integration, and clinical viability, and calls for enabling strategies to deliver secure, reliable quantum-enhanced solutions. Digital twins-virtual, continually updated models of patients and care workflows-are already used for real-time support, risk assessment, and training; quantum approaches promise faster analytics and stronger privacy protections. Yet uncertainty in data and physiological modelling, plus privacy concerns, remain substantial hurdles.

Artemis 2 SLS fueling test countdown underway for second wet dress rehearsal

February 19, 2026, 11:12 AM EST. NASA is pressing ahead with the second wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis 2 Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. By 7 a.m. ET, teams were replacing ambient air with gaseous nitrogen to cut fire risk as they prepare to fuel the vehicle with more than 700,000 pounds of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the 322-foot rocket for a four-astronaut mission in early March. The test follows a February hydrogen leak that halted a prior fueling attempt. Officials target a simulated launch around 8:30 p.m. EST. The exercise centers on powering Orion and the SLS core stage, reactivating the ICPS, and engine checks ahead of tanking. This marks the second wet dress rehearsal; NASA is monitoring performance and remaining hazards as the countdown continues.

Meta to launch its first smartwatch in 2026 with Malibu 2 and an AI assistant

February 19, 2026, 11:10 AM EST. Meta plans to release its first smartwatch in 2026, according to insiders cited by The Information. Code-named Malibu 2, the device would offer health-tracking features seen on top wearables and a built-in Meta AI assistant. The move would pit Meta against Apple, Garmin, Google, Samsung, and Oura. Meta previously explored wristwear that reportedly included an onboard camera; it is unclear if cameras will return. The smartwatch could boost gesture control for Meta's AR glasses and aims for compatibility with both Android and iOS smartphones, reducing the barrier of switching ecosystems. Analysts are cautiously optimistic about more competition, though delays or missteps could hinder execution.

Artemis 2 SLS wet dress rehearsal underway as fueling test targets night launch

February 19, 2026, 11:08 AM EST. NASA is conducting a second wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis 2 Space Launch System rocket, with a fueling countdown underway. Ground controllers are replacing ambient air at the pad with gaseous nitrogen to reduce fire risk as teams prep to load more than 700,000 pounds of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the 322-foot vehicle. The test, designed to mimic a launch without ignition, follows a February run that suffered hydrogen leaks. Officials aim for a simulated launch around 8:30 p.m. EST. Crews will power up Orion, the SLS core stage, and the ICPS, then re-activate the RS-25 engines as the countdown advances toward NASA's planned crewed Moon mission in early March.

Powerlaw to Offer Retail Investors Access to SpaceX via Private-Market Fund

February 19, 2026, 11:06 AM EST. Powerlaw Corp aims to open private markets to ordinary investors through a fund that owns stakes in SpaceX, OpenAI, Anthropic and other late-stage tech names. The plan would let retail traders buy in via a direct listing, with Powerlaw as intermediary and a 2.5% management fee. It still needs U.S. SEC approval. The objective is long-term capital appreciation through a concentrated portfolio of about 15 companies, including six AI firms such as xAI, OpenAI and Anthropic, plus Kalshi and Anduril. The filing cites Akkadian's mission to democratize access to Silicon Valley tech investments. Risks include illiquidity and potential premiums on closed-end fund trades, and the example set by Linqto, which filed for bankruptcy last year.

Mizuho starts Tempus AI coverage with Outperform rating, $100 target

February 19, 2026, 11:04 AM EST. Mizuho initiates coverage of Tempus AI with an outperform rating and a $100 price target, implying about 78% upside from the latest close. Analyst Bradley Bowers says the AI-powered health-tech firm sits at the forefront of AI-enabled healthcare data services and precision oncology diagnostics. He flags Core Precision Oncology diagnostics as TEM's core market, with a $40 billion+ TAM and 30%+ growth. TEM commands leading market share in tissue-informed CGP with its xT test, and is well positioned to expand with its xM in MRD as liquid methods gain traction. Bowers argues the company's Genomics and Data businesses deserve higher multiples: ~9x EV/sales vs ~5.5x today. Catalysts include higher test prices, volumes, and reimbursement wins. TEM shares are down 34% year over year.

Freeform raises $67M Series B to scale AI-native metal 3D printing platform

February 19, 2026, 11:00 AM EST. Freeform has raised a $67 million Series B to expand its AI-native metal 3D printing platform. Investors include Apandion, AE Ventures, Founders Fund, Linse Capital, Nvidia's NVentures, Threshold Ventures, and Two Sigma Ventures; PitchBook pegs the post-money at about $179 million. CEO Erik Palitsch and cofounder Thomas Ronacher aim to upgrade the GoldenEye laser system to Skyfall, a version that would deploy hundreds of lasers to produce thousands of kilograms of metal parts daily. The company builds the platform around on-site high-performance GPUs and real-time physics simulations to improve throughput and quality. Freeform is already delivering hundreds of mission-critical parts and plans to hire up to 100 staff and expand facilities to meet backlog. The field includes Hadrian, VulcanForms, and Divergent.

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat reads confidential emails despite DLP, triggering risk warnings

February 19, 2026, 10:56 AM EST. Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat has been summarizing emails labeled confidential even when DLP policies are in place. Redmond acknowledged the issue in a notice tracked as CW1226324, which was reposted by the UK NHS support portal. Customers reported the problem on January 21, 2026. The company says sensitivity labels can be applied manually or automatically and may function differently across apps. Documentation notes that labeled content should be excluded from Copilot in named Office apps but can be accessible to Copilot in other contexts, such as Teams or Copilot Chat. The root cause is a code issue allowing items in sent and draft folders to be picked up despite the labels. Microsoft says remediation is underway and is contacting affected customers; a timeline is planned. A spokesman did not respond immediately.

Google Maps limited view hides reviews and photos for signed-out users

February 19, 2026, 10:52 AM EST. Reddit users reported that Google Maps now enters a limited view for those signed out, withholding reviews and images. Google says in a pop-up this can occur when Maps is experiencing issues, when there is unusual traffic on a network, or when browser extensions interfere; signing in may help avoid the limited experience. The signed-out view omits many data points found in the signed-in version, reducing access to nearby businesses and attractions and hiding details such as menus, user photos, and videos, as well as popular times. In contrast, the signed-in experience displays hotels, rentals, and user photos, plus additional location facts. Google has not issued a public comment on the change. The article notes potential impacts on local information discovery and user behavior.

Apple's March event may span several days of press releases before hands-on experience

February 19, 2026, 10:50 AM EST. Apple's March 4 "experience" event may unfold as a multi-day roll of Newsroom announcements before a hands-on session. The plan, floated by John Gruber of Daring Fireball and echoed by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, envisions daily press releases starting Monday for products such as the iPhone 17e, new iPads (A18/A19 chips, iPad Air with an M4), and M5 MacBooks (Pro, Max, and Air) plus a rumored low-cost MacBook with an A18 chip. The approach mirrors Apple's October 2024 strategy for the M4 lineup, spreading product reveals across several days rather than one long show. The timing suggests the public unveiling could be staggered, with the Wednesday experience featuring in-person demos after the early press releases.

X bets on vertical video with immersive iOS update as it ramps up mobile video

February 19, 2026, 10:48 AM EST. X rolled out an immersive video player on iOS, expanding its push into mobile-focused video experiences. Head of product Nikita Bier said the redesign addresses a long-needed refresh and aims to make viewing more engaging. The update lets users expand videos to full screen with a tap and swipe up to skip to the next clip, a pattern popular on TikTok. Some users criticized cropping that forces videos into a full-screen frame, limiting original aspect ratios; Bier says X will stop cropping vertical content and that portrait orientation is ideal for mobile viewing. The move comes as X doubles down on video, alongside a vertical feed, AI tools like Grok, and the broader industry shift toward vertical formats.

AI platforms used as covert malware C2 relays, Check Point finds

February 19, 2026, 10:34 AM EST. Researchers at Check Point warn that AI assistants such as Grok and Microsoft Copilot can relay C2 activity for malware. In a PoC, threat actors talk to an AI service via a WebView2 interface in Windows 11, asking the assistant to fetch an attacker-controlled URL and to return the response. The malware parses that output to execute commands or exfiltrate data. The channel is bidirectional, exploiting trust in AI services and avoiding traditional blocks. The team demonstrated a flow that requires no user accounts or API keys, making traceability harder. Safeguards exist but can be bypassed by encrypting data into high-entropy blobs. Researchers disclosed findings to Microsoft and xAI.

Nothing Phone 4a leaks hint at higher European pricing, specs emerge

February 19, 2026, 10:32 AM EST. French outlet Dealabs has leaked specifications and European pricing for the Nothing Phone 4a series ahead of its March 5 launch. The standard model is expected to start at €389 (~$460) in Germany and Spain, with the Pro at €479 (~$567). Storage options appear to be 8GB/256GB and 12GB/256GB for the base model, while the Pro reportedly ships in 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB. The phone lineup reportedly features a triple 50MP rear camera, a 32MP selfie cam, a 6.78-inch 1.5K OLED display with up to 120Hz, and 50W charging. The Pro variant allegedly adds a Glyph Matrix display, a larger 6.83-inch panel (144Hz), a unibody aluminum chassis, and up to 140x zoom, but may drop wireless charging. Availability colors unspecified.

Rising battery costs push Chinese buyers to hybrids, tempering EV momentum

February 19, 2026, 10:28 AM EST. Rising battery costs and a cooling car market are likely to tilt China's EV race toward hybrids this year, analysts say. Higher battery costs are widening the price gap between BEVs and PHEVs. UBS estimates lithium price pressure could add up to 3,800 yuan to a midsize BEV, about 2,000 yuan less for a PHEV. Analysts expect BEV sales to slow as budget-conscious buyers turn to hybrids. Tian Maowei, a sales manager at Yiyou Auto Service in Shanghai, cautioned of a short-term hiccup but noted that two years of rapid electrification have shaped consumer behavior. The market still broadly views BEVs as the long-term path, but price dynamics could rebalance demand this year.

Scale Computing to acquire Adaptiv Networks, expanding SC//AcuVigil with SD-WAN and SASE

February 19, 2026, 10:26 AM EST. Scale Computing said it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Adaptiv Networks, expanding its SC//AcuVigil managed network platform with integrated SD-WAN and SASE capabilities. The deal broadens Scale's edge computing and network convergence strategy and extends reach in Canada, the company said. Upon close, Adaptiv's cloud-native SD-WAN and SASE offerings will be marketed under the SC//Connect brand, alongside Scale's existing elements. The combined business serves more than 9,000+ customers across retail, hospitality, and other distributed sectors. CEO Bill Morrow said the move will deliver reliable, secure connectivity with centralized orchestration. Adaptiv CEO Bernard Breton noted the tie will deliver simpler, more resilient networking for partners and customers, with immediate availability of the integrated solutions.

DIY pocket watch fuses Arduino tech with Victorian cyberpunk design and ESP32S AMOLED UI

February 19, 2026, 10:12 AM EST. An ardent DIY project turns a sci-fi conceit into a functioning wearable. A Victorian cyberpunk pocket watch centers on an ESP32S microcontroller driving a 466×466 AMOLED display and an Arduino-based open-source smartwatch UI. The case is a 3D-printed stainless steel shell designed in Fusion360, with a planned hand-forged metal remake. Inside, a six-axis IMU, RTC, mic, speaker, and microSD card enable motion sensing, timekeeping, audio, and local storage. The creator ties the build to Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age, celebrating how the DIY community breathes life into fictional tech. It's proof that internet collaboration and affordable parts let imagination become a portable gadget.

Meta revives smartwatch plans to challenge Apple Watch with health-tracking and Meta AI

February 19, 2026, 10:10 AM EST. Meta is reviving its smartwatch project, aiming to launch later this year with health-tracking sensors and built-in Meta AI, The Information reports. The revived effort, code-named Malibu 2, would pit Meta against Apple Watch and other brands. It follows a 2022 cancellation of a broader Reality Labs hardware push; earlier plans included three camera-equipped watch models, which are unlikely to reappear. The device could debut alongside updated Ray-Ban smart glasses, possibly with facial recognition, and before Meta's mixed-reality glasses, internally codenamed Phoenix, now delayed to 2027 to avoid customer confusion. The move comes as Apple plans rival AR glasses and new AI features for Siri, per Bloomberg.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Lite drops to $280 on Amazon with S Pen included

February 19, 2026, 10:06 AM EST. Amazon has cut the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Lite to $280, a $70 cut off its $350 list price and a 20% discount that has held for about two weeks. The deal includes the S Pen-no extra purchase required-boosting the appeal for handwriting recognition, sketching and note-taking. The 10.9-inch display, a 2.4GHz processor and Wi-Fi keep streaming, browsing and light productivity ticking. Samsung's software emphasizes split-screen multitasking and PDF markup, helping justify the device's value for buyers who want a flexible tablet without flagship costs. Battery life is rated up to around 16 hours, strengthening its case as an all-day companion for study or casual use. The deal's availability may be limited and won't last forever.

Africa bears hundreds of millions in losses as 2025 internet shutdowns push global total to $19.7 billion

February 19, 2026, 9:58 AM EST. According to the Cost of Internet Shutdowns report, global losses from deliberate outages rose to $19.7 billion in 2025, a 156% jump from 2024. Regional digital rights advocates urged clearer safeguards and legal frameworks to prevent future disruptions, noting connectivity is essential for growth, education and civic participation in Africa. Across the continent, Tanzania logged about 7,000 hours of shutdowns, costing roughly $889.8 million and affecting more than 20 million users. Other nations – Congo DRC, Sudan, Togo, Cameroon, South Sudan, Guinea-Bissau and Kenya – registered more than 24,000 hours of lost connectivity. Although Africa's toll was smaller than Europe or Asia, blocks of social media and messaging apps harmed small businesses and remote workers. Experts say targeted, time-bound restrictions can reduce damage.

OpenAI and Anthropic rivalry on display as CEOs don't hold hands at India AI summit

February 19, 2026, 9:44 AM EST. At the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei stood side by side but did not link hands during a group photo with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other tech leaders. Modi lifted Altman's and Sundar Pichai's hands for the crowd; the two executives raised fists instead. The moment underscored a broader race as OpenAI and Anthropic push to make their models the default for consumers and enterprises. The firms have sparred over ads, with Anthropic releasing Super Bowl spots that mocked OpenAI's approach and Altman calling them dishonest. Amodei later addressed AI risks at the event. Both companies have raised billions and compete for users, customers, and market share, while stressing safety.

L&T, NVIDIA partner for gigawatt-scale AI data centre in India

February 19, 2026, 9:42 AM EST. Larsen & Toubro and NVIDIA unveiled a plan to build a gigawatt-scale AI data centre in India, designed to host sovereign, production-grade AI infrastructure. Revealed at the India AI Summit under the IndiaAI Mission, the project pairs L&T's engineering prowess with NVIDIA's GPUs, networking, storage and software stack to run large-scale AI workloads for manufacturing, energy, financial services, healthcare and public services. The venture aims to keep data, models and workloads in-country while remaining compatible with global systems, targeting both domestic enterprises and hyperscalers. Plans call for scaling NVIDIA GPU clusters at L&T's Chennai campus up to 30 MW and adding a 40 MW facility in Mumbai. Executives described a secure, scalable platform that enables AI to deliver measurable economic impact.

Algebraic methods slash Toffoli gate counts to speed quantum circuit optimization

February 19, 2026, 9:40 AM EST. Researchers Kirill Khoruzhii, Patrick Gelß and Sebastian Pokutta of the Zuse Institute Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin report algebraic techniques that cut the demand for non-Clifford gates, focusing on the Toffoli gate count. They link gate minimisation to tensor decomposition over a finite field, reframing circuit simplification around two classical problems: algebraic thickness and CP decomposition (CANONICAL POLYADIC). When CNOT and Toffoli layers are separated, the Toffoli count aligns with algebraic thickness; interleaved layers map to CP rank. The team introduces methods such as symplectic Gaussian elimination and flip graph search to minimise CP rank directly, achieving results equal to or better than prior work. Optimisation runs in minutes on standard hardware, a leap from days on large clusters.

Nvidia exits Arm stake with $140 million sale

February 19, 2026, 9:36 AM EST. Nvidia has sold its remaining stake in Arm for about $140 million from the sale of 1.1 million shares in the fourth quarter of 2025, per a regulatory filing. The move ends Nvidia's stake in Arm, a holding started after Arm's 2023 float. Nvidia's attempted takeover of Arm stalled in 2020-21 amid regulatory objections, a saga that culminated in Arm pursuing its own chip strategy under CEO Rene Haas and leadership hires such as Rami Sinno. Other chipmakers have unloaded Arm stakes recently, with Intel raising roughly $146.7 million from a 2024 sale.

Tesla robotaxi crashes quadruple as safety debate tightens around autonomous driving

February 19, 2026, 9:32 AM EST. Tesla's robotaxi service in Austin logged five new crashes in December and January, bringing the total to 14 since its summer launch. The crash rate averages about one incident per 57,000 miles-nearly four times higher than the company's own assessment of human-driver safety, according to Electrek. The incidents include a collision with a fixed object at 17 mph, a stationary-bus collision, and two backing into objects. The findings echo broader industry questions about whether robotaxis are safer than human drivers. Rival firms Zoox and Waymo have faced incidents as regulators scrutinize driverless systems, including a Waymo collision near a school and investigations of buses being illegally passed. With heavy investor support for AI and robotics, firms push ahead as Waymo reports hundreds of thousands of weekly rides; expansion plans linger.

Meta-Nvidia AI deal tests Meta's valuation and growth narrative

February 19, 2026, 9:28 AM EST. Meta Platforms unveiled a multi-year partnership with Nvidia to scale its AI infrastructure, deploying GPUs and Grace CPUs across its hyperscale data centers. The deal includes Nvidia's Confidential Computing for products such as WhatsApp to bolster privacy as AI expands. The move comes as Meta trades around $643.22, with a 30-day gain near 3.7% but a 3-year return close to 3x and a 12-month decline. Investors will watch how this reshapes capital allocation, competitiveness, and future AI features across Meta's apps. Risks center on execution and cost discipline to justify the hardware spend. The Nvidia tie strengthens Meta's AI stack, from chips to privacy tools, and could influence monetisation across messaging and social platforms.

Microsoft's Silica glass storage targets 10,000-year data longevity

February 19, 2026, 9:26 AM EST. Microsoft's researchers are testing a glass-based storage medium called Silica designed for long-term data retention. The system writes data in 3D voxels etched into glass. One method uses birefringence: a first laser pulse creates an oval void, a second polarized pulse induces birefringence, and the voxel's orientation encodes multiple bits. A second method increases refractive strength by adjusting laser pulse energy, yielding additional states per voxel. Reading relies on phase-contrast microscopy to detect refractive-index differences across layers. The glass is laid out in stacked layers, spaced so a single focal plane can be imaged; automated optics traverse the stack using positional symbols. Microsoft has even etched real-world data, such as Flight Simulator maps, onto the medium.

Microsoft's 10,000-year glass storage advances with Silica project

February 19, 2026, 9:24 AM EST. Microsoft researchers are testing a glass-based archival medium called Silica that could store data for thousands of years. They explored two voxel-writing methods: birefringence, where light polarization encodes orientation, and energy-based encoding, where pulse energy changes refractive strength. Each voxel can hold multiple bits. Reading uses phase-contrast microscopy to image stacked voxel layers, with spacing that keeps one layer in focus at a time. The system includes etched alignment markers so an automated microscope can target exact points. Layer by layer, the reader moves through the stack to recover data. Microsoft warns the approach faces challenges in scalable manufacturing, readout speed, and error correction, but positions Silica as a potential long-term archival option, leveraging existing glass technology pending further development.

Microsoft's 10,000-year glass storage aims to archive data with Project Silica

February 19, 2026, 9:22 AM EST. Microsoft researchers describe two optical methods to encode data in silica glass for long-term archival. In one approach, voxels-the data units in 3D-store multiple bits by using birefringence: a polarized laser creates an oval void, and a second pulse orients the void to encode state. In a second approach, changing the energy of the laser modulates refractive effects to yield more than two states per voxel. Reading relies on phase-contrast microscopy to detect refractive-index differences as a microscope scans through stacked layers. Layers are spaced so only a single plane sits in focus at a time, with etched markers guiding the auto-focus. Microsoft calls this a real-world system under the Silica project.

Tesla robotaxi crashes rise to 14 in Austin; rate nearly four times human drivers

February 19, 2026, 9:18 AM EST. Tesla's robotaxi fleet in Austin has logged five new crashes in December and January, bringing the total to 14 since its debut last summer. A robotaxi is an autonomous taxi. The latest tally implies a crash roughly every 57,000 miles-nearly four times the rate Tesla cites for human drivers. Incidents included a 17 mph straight-on collision with a fixed object, a stationary impact with a bus, a 4 mph collision with a heavy truck, and two backing mishaps at 1-2 mph, according to Electrek. The debate isn't limited to Tesla; Waymo and Zoox have reported incidents, and regulators are reviewing several cases. Even as investors pour money into AI mobility, skeptics say public trust will follow demonstrated safety gains, not headlines.

Stonegate Investment Group Raises NVIDIA Stake; Nvidia Stock Data and Earnings

February 19, 2026, 9:16 AM EST. Stonegate Investment Group LLC lifted its NVIDIA stake by 2.0% in the third quarter, holding 174,123 shares valued at $32.488 million after purchasing 3,463 more. Other large holders increased stakes: CCG Wealth Management (12,069 shares, $2.252 million), Paragon Private Wealth (79,177 shares, $14.773 million), Saxon Interests (37,889 shares, $6.6 million), KPP Advisory Services (88,486 shares, $16.51 million), and Straight Path Wealth Management (30,000 shares, $5.597 million). Institutional investors own 65.27% of NVIDIA. The stock opened at $187.98; 50- and 200-day moving averages are $184.76 and $183.49. Key metrics: market cap $4.57 trillion; P/E 46.65; PEG 0.57; beta 2.31; quick ratio 3.71; current ratio 4.47; debt-to-equity 0.06. In the latest quarter, NVIDIA posted EPS of $1.30 vs $1.23 expected, revenue $57.01B vs $54.66B, driving ROE 99.24% and net margin 53.01%.

Tesla robotaxis crash four times more than human drivers, triggering safety doubts

February 19, 2026, 9:14 AM EST. Tesla's fledgling robotaxi service logged five new crashes in December and January, bringing the Austin fleet's total to 14 since last summer's launch. The latest data suggest a crash rate about four times higher than human drivers, a central test for a company betting on autonomous mobility. Electrek, which reviewed roughly 800,000 paid miles, estimates a crash every 57,000 miles and called the gap a fundamental performance issue rather than a hiccup. The pattern isn't unique to Tesla: Zoox and Waymo have faced incidents as regulators scrutinize driverless vehicles. Industry voices, including MIT Mobility Initiative senior fellow David Zipper, caution that it remains unclear whether robotaxis are safer than human drivers, which complicates public trust. Investors and rivals press on, with Waymo expanding and rivals courting scale in new cities.

FRP Advisory appoints administrators at Orbex; exploring sale of assets as suitors circle

February 19, 2026, 9:10 AM EST. Chad Griffin, Geoff Rowley and Graham Smith of FRP Advisory have been appointed joint administrators of Orbital Express Launch Ltd, the Forres-based space-tech company trading as Orbex. The move follows a notice filed on 11 February 2026 and comes after failed attempts to secure new investment or a strategic buyer. The administrators will explore options, including a sale of assets or technology. FRP says more than 20 potential suitors, including other rocket developers, are in discussions. Orbex, founded in 2015, was developing Prime, a low-carbon micro-launcher for small satellites. It had secured about £138.5 million in funding, including £76.7m of public money (UK government £26m in 2025; SNIB £29m) and private equity. The company employed around 163 people, mainly at Forres, and ceased trading shortly before the appointment.

Stonegate boosts NVIDIA stake; other funds add to NVDA holdings

February 19, 2026, 9:00 AM EST. Stonegate Investment Group LLC raised its stake in NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter, holding 174,123 shares valued at about $32.5 million after purchasing 3,463 shares. Other large investors also expanded or trimmed positions, including CCG Wealth Management LLC, Paragon Private Wealth Management LLC, and Saxon Interests Inc. The filings show institutional investors own about 65.27% of NVDA. The stock opened at $187.98; key moving averages sit around $184 (50-day) and $183 (200-day). NVDA carries a P/E of 46.65, PEG 0.57, and a beta near 2.31. In the latest results, NVDA posted $1.30 per share, beating the $1.23 consensus; revenue reached $57.01 billion for the quarter, with ROE around 99.24% and net margin 53.01%.

FRP Advisory appointed joint administrators to Orbital Express Launch Ltd (Orbex)

February 19, 2026, 8:44 AM EST. FRP Advisory has been appointed joint administrators to Orbital Express Launch Ltd, the Forres-based space-launch company trading as Orbex. The appointment follows a notice of intention filed on 11 February 2026 after failed attempts to secure new investment or a strategic buyer. The joint administrators will explore options, including selling assets or technology, and are in talks with more than 20 interested parties, including other rocket developers. Orbex, founded in 2015, was developing the Prime low-carbon micro-launch vehicle to place small satellites into low Earth orbit and employed about 163 people in the UK, mainly at Forres. The company had raised about £138.5m to date, with public investment of ~£76.7m, including £26m from the UK government in 2025 and £29m from the Scottish National Investment Bank. The administration follows a failed Series D round; the business ceased trading before the appointment.

Samsung rolls out fifth One UI 8.5 beta ahead of Galaxy S26 launch

February 19, 2026, 8:28 AM EST. Samsung has released the fifth One UI 8.5 beta (firmware ZZAN) for the Galaxy S25 series across multiple regions, weeks before the expected Galaxy S26 launch. The update carries the February 5, 2026 security patch and an updated Bixby assistant. The rollout spans South Korea, India, Germany, and the UK, with a US arrival expected soon. The build is about 553MB, and the changelog notes the Bixby update, though users report no new features yet. Samsung is keeping a tight beta cadence ahead of a near-term stable release for the next flagship.

Microsoft unlocks 10,000-year data storage on ordinary glass with laser breakthrough

February 19, 2026, 8:26 AM EST. Microsoft scientists have extended data storage onto ordinary borosilicate glass, using a laser-based technique to embed terabytes in everyday glassware. The feat, part of Project Silica, shows data lasting at least 10,000 years, not days or years. In a Nature paper published Feb. 18, researchers encoded 4.8 TB across 301 layers in a glass slab about 2 by 4 inches, at a write rate of 3.13 MB/s. The shift from pure fused silica to borosilicate glass lowers cost and expands supply, addressing a major hurdle to commercialization. While writing is slower than hard drives or SSDs, the long-term stability suits archival storage and large-scale repositories. Techniques include birefringent voxel writing with a pseudo-single pulse to create 3D data voxels.

Microsoft's glass-based data storage stores 10,000 years of data on ordinary borosilicate glass

February 19, 2026, 8:24 AM EST. Microsoft has advanced its glass-based data storage by enabling ordinary borosilicate glass to hold terabytes of data for potentially 10,000 years, according to a study in Nature dated Feb. 18. Part of Project Silica since 2019, the work shifts from fused silica to a cheaper, more available glass substrate to ease commercial rollout. The team stored 4.8 TB across 301 layers in a small sample (0.08 by 4.72 inches) at about 3.13 MB/s writing speed. The longevity and stability aim at archival storage rather than daily devices. Researchers also refined data-reading techniques and writing with a pseudo-single laser pulse. Co-author Richard Black cited lower cost and media availability as key barriers overcome. The project complements other long-term storage efforts, including DNA storage initiatives.

Samsung rolls out fifth One UI 8.5 beta as Galaxy S26 launch nears

February 19, 2026, 8:22 AM EST. Samsung has released the fifth One UI 8.5 beta 5 (firmware ZZAN) for the Galaxy S25 series in multiple regions, with a ~553MB update that includes the February 5, 2026 security patch and a Bixby version update. The roll-out spans South Korea, India, Germany, and the UK, with the US expected to follow. No new features are noted yet in the changelog. The update arrives weeks before Samsung's expected stable release alongside the Galaxy S26 lineup. Tarun Vats reported the rollout on X. Samsung continues refining the software ahead of the flagship launch.

Samsung rolls out fifth One UI 8.5 beta ahead of Galaxy S26 launch

February 19, 2026, 8:20 AM EST. Samsung has released the fifth One UI 8.5 beta (firmware ZZAN) for the Galaxy S25 series as the Galaxy S26 launch approaches. Tarun Vats reports the beta is rolling out to South Korea, India, Germany and the United Kingdom, with the United States expected soon. The update weighs about 553MB and includes the February 5, 2026 security patch and an updated Bixby. Early feedback suggests no new features yet. Samsung frames this as part of a steady software cadence ahead of the Galaxy S26 debut.

Sony to offset RAM price surge by monetising PS5 installed base, CFO says

February 19, 2026, 8:18 AM EST. Sony plans to offset rising RAM costs by further monetising its PS5 installed base, CFO Lin Tao said during the latest earnings call. After saying last year it had secured enough memory to weather price spikes, Sony now intends to negotiate with suppliers to meet demand through 2026. The company expects to grow software and network revenue from existing customers, potentially via higher PS Plus or other monetisation strategies, rather than relying solely on device pricing. The approach aims to balance consumer satisfaction with aggressive sales targets, as RAM prices threaten future margins. Market chatter has suggested a possible PS6 delay, though Sony has weathered semiconductor shortages and tariffs in the current generation and will need a plan for ongoing macro pressures.

Sony to offset RAM costs by monetising PS5 installed base, CFO says

February 19, 2026, 8:16 AM EST. During an earnings call, Sony CFO Lin Tao said the company has secured RAM through 2026 and will continue to negotiate with suppliers. Facing AI-driven shortages and rising prices, Sony plans to offset higher costs by monetising its PS5 installed base, focusing on software and network revenue. That could include PS Plus price moves or other monetisation strategies aimed at existing PS5 owners, balancing consumer satisfaction with sales targets. The plan follows Sony's history of navigating semiconductor shortages and tariffs; rumours of a PS6 delay have circulated as the company plots a multiyear strategy amid global cost pressures.

Tamron launches Tamron-Link, smartphone-controlled lens accessory for focus features

February 19, 2026, 8:06 AM EST. Tamron launches the Tamron-Link, a USB-C dongle that adds Bluetooth to eligible mirrorless lenses, letting photographers and videographers control focus from a smartphone app. The device plugs into the lens and unlocks wireless tools without a cord. An accompanying Lens Utility app update supports iOS and Android, with features like focus markers, focus-time-lapse, astro focus lock, and an aperture and focus ring stop. Night Vision mode reduces screen brightness for night work. Range is about 5 meters (16.4 feet); battery use may rise when the accessory is active. Compatibility depends on firmware across supported lenses. Tamron notes requires updated lens firmware and the new dongle to pair via Bluetooth 5.4.

Tamron-Link enables smartphone control of Tamron lenses for focus features

February 19, 2026, 8:04 AM EST. Tamron has unveiled the Tamron-Link, a USB-C dongle that adds Bluetooth to compatible mirrorless lenses, letting photographers and videographers control focus from a smartphone app. The device plugs into the lens, enabling wireless operation without a cable and expanding support to Apple devices in addition to Android. The new accessory ships with an updated Tamron Lens Utility mobile app and supports features such as focus markers, focus time-lapse, and an astro focus lock to preserve precise settings. Other tools include aperture and focus ring stopper and a Night Vision mode for night photography. The dongle covers up to 16.4 feet (5 meters) under ideal conditions, but range can shrink with obstructions. Compatibility depends on lens firmware. The product represents a shift toward cord-free lens control for creators.

AI's future debated as free vs paid tools divide opinion

February 19, 2026, 8:02 AM EST. Public views on AI diverge. Some see a helpful coworker; others see hype. Tech leaders push AI as a driver of a new industrial era, while skeptics call it marketing. The split intensified after a viral essay by an AI CEO and investor who argued AI could replace most computer-based jobs. Experts say the difference reflects exposure: people using free AI see a limited picture, while paid customers access agents that handle tasks beyond chat, with higher usage ceilings. Anthropic's Claude Cowork agent is in the Pro plan at $20 a month; OpenAI's Codex mirrors that model. Critics such as Otherside AI's Matt Shumer argued AI can write code and evaluate app design, implying self-improvement. Researchers later charged he overstated results; he apologized, noting safety and performance caveats.

Divergent views on AI: hype, utility and the paid divide

February 19, 2026, 8:00 AM EST. AI inspires competing promises and warnings. Executives frame it as a coming industrial leap, while skeptics call marketing hype and researchers warn on safety. The split reflects exposure: many people use free AI, but paid tools unlock agents that automate tasks beyond chat. Matt Murphy of Menlo Ventures notes wide differences in how people have used the technology and that adoption is changing fast. Free services handle simple tasks; Anthropic and OpenAI offer higher usage, fewer limits and autonomous features. This dynamic feeds job-impact debates sparked by a viral essay arguing AI can design, test and improve apps, a claim critics say exaggerates current capability. The conversation continues as capabilities evolve and access widens.

Apple's Mac mini gains momentum as OpenClaw craze fuels demand

February 19, 2026, 7:54 AM EST. Apple's Mac mini is drawing renewed interest as online chatter over the OpenClaw craze pushes buyers toward compact, energy-efficient hardware. Retailers report higher demand from developers, security researchers and small labs seeking a capable testbed for virtualization and Linux workloads in a tiny footprint. The Mac mini's current generation offers the latest Apple silicon, quiet operation and easy external expansion, making it a practical choice for entry-level servers and learning environments. Industry observers caution that the OpenClaw trend is risk-driven-experts stress responsible use and proper safeguarding of networks. Even so, buyers cite availability, price points and the ability to run multiple operating systems as factors behind the renewed interest in Mac mini and OpenClaw related setups.

Apple's Mac Mini gains momentum amid OpenClaw craze

February 19, 2026, 7:52 AM EST. Apple's Mac Mini is drawing renewed attention as a craze around OpenClaw boosts demand for compact desktops, according to coverage by Business Insider. The article frames the Mac Mini as a low-cost entry point for hobbyists and developers pursuing OpenClaw-related projects. Apple has not announced a product change tied to the trend, and retailers report fluctuating but visible demand increases. The piece suggests small-form PCs remain relevant for experimentation, education and space-constrained setups. Analysts caution the OpenClaw wave could fade, but say the spotlight on the Mac Mini underscores its staying power in a crowded market.

Nashville approves Music City Loop tunnel deal with The Boring Company

February 19, 2026, 7:50 AM EST. The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) approved a 40-year pact with The Boring Company to build the Music City Loop, a tunnel connection linking Nashville International Airport to downtown. Under the agreement, The Boring Company will pay an annual licensing fee of $300,000 for roughly 933,000 square feet of airport property, rising 3% annually. Over four decades, the deal totals about $34 million, with two optional five-year extensions that could push the term to 50 years. The project would be operated and maintained by The Boring Company, not the airport. Officials project more than $300 million in operational revenue. A $5 pickup/drop-off fee is planned, similar to rideshare charges. Critics cite environmental, safety, and long-term risk concerns.

Satellite communications under fire: Iran's EW tactics and Ukraine lessons

February 19, 2026, 7:48 AM EST. An opinion piece argues that Iran's January 2026 disruption of individual satellite terminals, led by an electronic warfare shield, shows how satellite communications can be throttled even when a network sits in space. The author recalls how Russia's invasion of Ukraine converted SatCom into a battlefield backbone, shortening kill chains and enabling drones and real-time awareness, making LEO networks a strategic target. The piece warns that information superiority now drives combat tempo, placing critical infrastructure at risk from authoritarian efforts to neutralize it. It cites the use of Starlink as a symbol of resistance in places such as Venezuela, where decentralized satellite access helped defy a digital blockade. The author frames SatCom as a strategic priority for Kyiv and allies, not merely a logistical asset.

Keenadu firmware backdoor ties Triada-era botnets to Android devices

February 19, 2026, 7:42 AM EST. Keenadu is a firmware-level backdoor found across devices from several brands. It infects during the firmware build, when a malicious static library is linked with libandroid_runtime.so. Some infections reach devices via OTA updates. Once active, Keenadu injects into Zygote and copies itself into the address space of every launched app, creating a multi-stage loader that gives operators full remote control. Researchers intercepted payloads that hijack browser search, monetize new app installs, and stealthily interact with ads. A variant payload appeared in standalone apps across third-party repositories and stores like Google Play and Xiaomi GetApps. In some builds, Keenadu integrates with core system utilities such as the facial recognition service and launcher. The investigation links Keenadu with Triada, BADBOX and Vo1d. Kaspersky flags include HEUR:Backdoor.AndroidOS.Keenadu.* and related threats.

Dueling AI PACs clash in NY primary over regulation push

February 19, 2026, 7:40 AM EST. Two AI-focused PACs are contesting a New York congressional primary as regulation becomes a campaign theme. Jobs and Democracy PAC, the Democratic arm pushing AI rules, is launching six-figure ads to back Assemblyman Alex Bores, a proponent of New York's RAISE Act, which would force large AI developers to publish safety protocols and report serious misuse. Bores is in a crowded Democratic race for New York's 12th District, where primary victory is likely to determine the general election. He previously drew opposition from Leading the Future, a rival AI PAC backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Joe Lonsdale, Perplexity, Ron Conway and others. Jobs and Democracy is part of Public First Action, which has drawn funding from Anthropic to back candidates who favor regulation. The broader debate on AI regulation remains divided, with ambition for national coordination clashing with political hurdles.

Datavault AI CEO Nate Bradley hosts private Mar-a-Lago dinner with investors and senior officials

February 19, 2026, 7:36 AM EST. Datavault AI Inc. says CEO Nate Bradley hosted a private, invitation-only Mar-a-Lago dinner for institutional investors, high-net-worth individuals and senior government officials, following daytime meetings with a separate investor group. Discussions focused on the company's execution roadmap, platform capabilities and long-term positioning in data infrastructure, digital engagement and monetization, with emphasis on verified data, tokenization frameworks and scalable engagement across physical and digital environments. The engagements follow recent high-profile activations during Super Bowl LX weekend, demonstrating authenticated audience engagement and real-world tokenization use cases. Datavault also circulated a stockholder letter highlighting about $49 million in tokenization and licensing deals in Q4 2025 and noting record revenue for fiscal 2025, with at least $30 million projected for 2025 and momentum into 2026. Results due Feb 15, 2026. Bradley underscored execution and client-facing platforms.

Nvidia exits stakes in Applied Digital, Recursion and WeRide as stocks slide

February 19, 2026, 7:34 AM EST. Nvidia sold its stakes in Applied Digital, Recursion Pharmaceuticals and WeRide in Q4, according to a regulatory 13F filing. It added new stakes in Intel, Nokia and Synopsys. The moves come as Nvidia trims bets while maintaining AI exposure through other holdings. The stock reacted: Applied Digital fell nearly 10%, Recursion plunged 14% and WeRide slipped about 4% before paring losses. Nvidia's shares rose about 2%, returning to positive territory for 2026. Arm also rose about 2% after earnings news. Synopsys gained roughly 6% and Nokia around 2% while Intel was little changed. Nvidia kept stakes in CoreWeave and Nebius, which rose about 5%. The filing highlights shifting bets amid a wobbling AI rally.

Quantum computing reshapes port scheduling and maritime logistics

February 19, 2026, 7:32 AM EST. Quantum computing is emerging as a complementary technology in maritime logistics, tackling dense, constraint-heavy optimisation tasks beyond classical methods. In hybrid workflows, classical systems manage data while quantum routines tackle the steepest bottlenecks. The industry faces a combinatorial explosion of decisions as weather, labour rules, emissions targets, congestion, and intermodal coordination tighten constraints. Problems such as berth allocation, crane sequencing, vehicle routing, fleet scheduling, and container loading require simplifications under time pressure. Early pilots are underway in major ports, including Los Angeles and Dubai, seeking measurable operational gains and technical readiness. As hardware matures, software accessibility remains a barrier; leaders are urged to invest in modelling capabilities and integration planning to prepare for gradual adoption of quantum-driven improvements.

Android 17 Beta 1 arrives as Google extends Pixel 6 support and trims system junk

February 19, 2026, 7:30 AM EST. The Android developer portal confirms Android 17 Beta 1. Google says Pixel 6 will receive continued support with the new beta. The update also trims system junk-preinstalled apps and unused binaries-to free space and improve performance. The beta is accessible via the Android Beta Program and the Get Android 17 page.

OpenClaw drives AI demand as Nvidia GPU pricing jumps

February 19, 2026, 7:28 AM EST. OpenClaw's AI push is sparking a fresh wave of GPU demand, lifting prices for Nvidia chips. Traders and data-center officials say the company's latest models require more compute, fueling a rally in Nvidia GPU pricing. The move highlights tighter supply and rising competition for accelerators as enterprises accelerate AI workloads. Analysts caution the price action may reflect both near-term demand and longer-term bets on GPU supply chains. Nvidia has not issued new guidance on pricing, but the market already treats the chips as a core cost of AI deployment. In cloud and enterprise segments, buyers adjust budgets to secure available accelerators amid ongoing supply constraints.

Apple March 4 event eyed; Ring ends Flock partnership after Super Bowl backlash; Netflix to add vertical video

February 19, 2026, 7:26 AM EST. Tech Today reporter Wes Ott says Apple is leaning into a March 4 event, with product reveals anticipated as the company refreshes its lineup. The gathering comes as suppliers and analysts watch for new iPhone and wearable updates, along with potential software features. In other tech news, Ring has ended its partnership with Flock amid backlash over a controversial Super Bowl ad, a move aimed at mending reputational damage and steering clear of further advertising scrutiny. Separately, Netflix plans to roll out vertical video features for mobile in 2026, a bid to improve viewing on smartphones and align with rising mobile-first consumption. No final product details were announced at press time.

New study finds Claude Code runs autonomously longer, highlighting need for new oversight

February 19, 2026, 7:22 AM EST. Researchers analyzed millions of interactions with Claude Code and a public API to measure how much autonomy users grant AI agents. They found Claude Code runs longer autonomously: in top sessions, run time rose from under 25 minutes to over 45 minutes in three months, a trend seen across model releases. Experienced users auto-approve more but interrupt more often, with roughly 20% of new sessions auto-approved vs. over 40% among veterans. The system pauses for clarification more often than humans interrupt, and agent-initiated stops also serve as oversight. Most actions on the public API are low-risk and reversible, with software engineering making up nearly half of activity; healthcare, finance and cybersecurity show emerging use. The study calls for new post-deployment monitoring and human-AI interaction paradigms to manage autonomy and risk.

Google Pixel 10A debuts with faster charging, AirDrop-like Quick Share, starts at $499

February 19, 2026, 7:18 AM EST. The Pixel 10A launches at $499 for 128GB, $599 for 256GB, keeping the line affordable. It uses the same 5,100 mAh battery and cameras as the Pixel 9A: 48MP wide, 13MP ultrawide and 13MP selfie, with a flat camera island. In a first for the A series, it adopts Google's Tensor G4 processor instead of the Tensor G5 used on other Pixel 10 models. Faster wired charging reaches 30W with a 45W adapter; wireless charging is 10W. It omits PixelSnap magnets but Quick Share works with AirDrop on iPhone devices, and it preserves a physical SIM slot. The 6.3-inch display is bright (up to ~3,000 nits) with strong contrast and Gorilla Glass 7i.

Pichai defends AI spending as investments surge; unveils India initiatives

February 19, 2026, 7:14 AM EST. At the AI Impact Summit in India, Sundar Pichai pushed back on fears that AI spending won't pay off, saying these are leverage investments that spur growth and that the buildout is moving 10 times faster than past revolutions. He cited rising Google Cloud demand as evidence of material returns and noted Alphabet's plan to spend $175-185 billion in capital expenditure in 2026. Pichai announced India-focused bets, including the America-India Connect Initiative and a $30 million AI for Science Impact Challenge, plus a DeepMind-India partnership to broaden access to frontier models. He framed India as a co-builder of AI, as leaders from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta convene amid a Modi push for a global AI commons.

Visualising AI spending: How AI investments stack up against history's mega projects

February 19, 2026, 7:10 AM EST. New Delhi hosts the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 as governments debate AI in governance and jobs. Gartner forecasts worldwide AI spending will reach $2.5 trillion in 2026, up 44% from 2025. Al Jazeera visualises how this sum compares with humanity's largest undertakings, highlighting private investment that has crossed the trillions in the past decade. The piece notes $1.6 trillion already spent on AI from 2013-2024, per Stanford's AI Index. The visualization breaks out spending on data centres, models, services and security, and contrasts it with historic megaprojects such as the Manhattan Project ($36bn) and the ISS ($150bn). The report also points to national spend leaders and milestones, underscoring how private capital has become a dominant driver behind AI's growth.

CCDC and Sapio Sciences strike AI tech partnership to expand lab informatics

February 19, 2026, 7:00 AM EST. CCDC has announced an AI technology partnership with Sapio Sciences to push advances in lab informatics, AI, and HPC. The collaboration targets researchers in life sciences, engineering and academia with curated content on data, lab informatics and computing. Members gain access to Breakthroughs: real-world computing success, free reports and panels, and white papers plus software updates to support smarter research. The program highlights resources such as the Lab Informatics Guide and ongoing updates, while inviting researchers to join a community of more than 12,000 scientists and IT professionals. Data protection remains central under the privacy policy. The initiative emphasizes practical tools to accelerate discoveries and enable faster, more reliable results.

iOS 26.4 beta hints at CarPlay video feature as code references surface

February 19, 2026, 6:58 AM EST. Apple's iOS 26.4 beta includes code references signaling a planned CarPlay feature: video playback when the car is parked. Researchers spotted strings like CarPlayVideoPlayback_ClimateControls and CarPlayVideoPlayback_OnBoardingFlows, implying a broader rollout. Apple previously announced a 'video in the car' capability for CarPlay, but it did not ship with iOS 26.0. While the beta references stop short of a confirm, developers say automakers must opt in to enable the feature in some vehicles. Apple notes that AirPlay video in the car would require automaker integration to trigger activation. If realized, certain CarPlay models could gain in-car video pending automaker support.

Bandai Namco updates Sparking! ZERO on Switch and Switch 2 with Extreme Warrior Attack mode

February 19, 2026, 6:56 AM EST. Bandai Namco rolled out a fresh update for Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, following last year's release on the platforms. The update adds a new limited-time mode called Extreme Warrior Attack, pitting players against foes with enhanced combat strength. In the Battle Together Versus mode, all stages become selectable, but only when playing on Switch 2 (or Switch 2 with update data). The patch also introduces new selectable scenarios, cut scenes, and text options in Custom Battle. Bandai Namco says the update improves usability and overall system stability on Nintendo platforms. A major DLC was announced last month, promising more playable characters, new stages, and a new single-player mode, with additional Switch 2 content to be announced. A 2026 roadmap and a 2027 Dragon Ball project were also revealed.

Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar discounted; weeks-long battery life and top fitness tracking

February 19, 2026, 6:46 AM EST. Garmin's Fenix 7 Pro Solar tops fitness-watch lists for durability and endurance. The 47mm model packs a 1.3-inch display, a fiber-reinforced polymer case, and weeks of battery life, with solar charging for extended outdoor use. It tracks daily health metrics, sleep, and stress, plus workouts from running to cycling, and supports off-grid activities with offline maps and multi-band GPS. As a smartwatch, it delivers on-wrist notifications and payments when paired with a phone. Garmin is offering the Fenix 7 Pro Solar at a discounted price, presenting a compelling option for buyers who value battery life and comprehensive fitness tracking over slimmer wearables.

Tesla Model 3, Model Y Top J.D. Power EV Owner-Satisfaction Study

February 19, 2026, 6:42 AM EST. Tesla dominates the latest J.D. Power U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Ownership Study, with the Model 3 scoring 804 and the Model Y 797 to top the premium BEV segment. In mass-market BEVs, Ford Mustang Mach-E leads with 760, followed by Hyundai IONIQ 6 (748), Kia EV9 (745) and IONIQ 5 (743). Overall BEV satisfaction rose to new highs as battery tech, charging networks and vehicle performance improve. About 96% of new BEV owners say they would consider buying or leasing another EV, underscoring growing loyalty. Public charging satisfaction jumped sharply: premium BEV charging averaged 652, up 101 points; mass-market 511, up 115. BEVs generally outperform plug-in hybrids on ownership costs. Brent Gruber of J.D. Power says improvements in the ecosystem drive the gains.

Yi-Ling Liu on censorship, China's internet and The Wall Dancers

February 19, 2026, 6:36 AM EST. Writer and editor Yi-Ling Liu discusses state-controlled censorship in China and rising online surveillance in the United States. In the podcast, she draws on The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet to show how four 'wall dancers' carved out communities under the Great Firewall. The conversation covers the TikTok sale to U.S. companies, U.S. censorship dynamics, and lessons Americans can learn from Chinese netizens. Liu shares personal experiences and reads from her book, framing culture and connection online as a form of resistance. The episode features brief excerpts and points to broader debates about freedom, platform governance, and cross-border exchange.

Google expands Quick Share to Pixel 9 lineup, accelerating AirDrop-style transfers with Apple devices

February 19, 2026, 6:32 AM EST. Google's Quick Share expands to more Pixel phones, bringing AirDrop-like sharing to Android users. The Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold are now supported, joining eight Pixel devices in the 9 and 10 series. Google says the feature enables high-resolution file transfers with iPhone, iPad or macOS devices and is built on multi-layered security. The rollout for the 9-series is under way; Google has not said when or if the 9A will get Quick Share, and Apple declined to comment on the 9A absence. For compatibility, Apple users should set AirDrop to "Everyone" rather than "Contacts Only."

Football commentator allows EA to clone his voice with AI for EA Sports FC

February 19, 2026, 6:30 AM EST. Football commentator Guy Mowbray has given Electronic Arts permission to use AI to replicate his voice for EA Sports FC, enabling the game to vocalize more than 20,000 real player names. In a BBC interview, Mowbray described recording names with varying emphasis and said EA will clone his voice to cover names across real-world squads while he continues work from November through July. EA said AI has long been part of its development pipeline, but that commentary remains a collaboration with talent, not a replacement. Mowbray noted the process is ongoing, requiring updates for new players and terminology. The news comes amid broader industry concerns about AI voice replication after legal challenges from actors and actresses in other franchises.

Macron defends EU AI rules, vows crackdown on child digital abuse

February 19, 2026, 6:28 AM EST. French President Emmanuel Macron defended the EU's approach to regulating artificial intelligence at the AI Impact summit in Delhi, insisting Europe remains a hub for innovation and investment, but must be a safe space. He cites recent outrage over the Grok chatbot generating tens of thousands of sexualised child images and calls for tougher safeguards. UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed the warning that AI should not be decided by a few countries or billionaires, and that child safety must be central. UNICEF-Interpol data show about 1.2 million children had sexually explicit deepfakes last year. France plans to ban social networks for under-15s. Attendees included OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei; Modi framed AI as a profound, family-guided transformation.

Nvidia and Meta expand GPU partnership with millions of AI chips

February 19, 2026, 6:26 AM EST. Nvidia and Meta expanded a multiyear, multigenerational deal to supply millions of Blackwell and Rubin GPUs, plus CPUs and networking gear, for use in Meta's data centers for training and running AI models. Meta will roll out the chips in its own facilities and via Nvidia's Cloud Partner program with providers such as CoreWeave and Crusoe. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang framed the agreement as deploying frontier research at industrial scale to power Meta's personalization and recommendations. Meta will also roll out the first large-scale Grace CPU-only servers and plans a Vera CPU-only system in 2027, potentially challenging Intel and AMD in the server market. Nvidia's Confidential Computing will secure private data in WhatsApp. AI stocks have cooled amid spending doubts.

NASA delays Artemis II launch to March after hydrogen leak during wet dress rehearsal

February 19, 2026, 6:22 AM EST. NASA has postponed the Artemis II mission to launch from Kennedy Space Center until March after a two-day wet dress rehearsal flagged a hydrogen leak from the Space Launch System and a valve issue on the Orion crew module. Engineers will review data before a new launch window; the crew remains in quarantine to avoid illness before the 10-day mission. The flight would be the first lunar departure since Apollo 17 in 1972 and would mark the second test of the SLS rocket, following Artemis I's 2022 voyage. Commander Reid Wiseman and Canadian Jeremy Hansen lead the crew; if successful, Hansen would become the first non-US astronaut beyond low Earth orbit. The mission aims to set the stage for Artemis III and a long-term lunar presence.

Countries that do not embrace AI could be 'left behind', says OpenAI's George Osborne

February 19, 2026, 6:14 AM EST. George Osborne, head of OpenAI's new 'for countries' program, told the AI Impact summit in Delhi that nations not rolling out powerful AI risk FOMO and becoming weaker and poorer. He framed the choice as AI from the US or China, noting those powers have produced the most capable systems. The Delhi gathering, the fourth intergovernmental AI summit, seeks to apply AI to the global south-boosting regional languages, agriculture, and public health-while tightening safety standards amid White House pressure to limit red tape. Critics say reliance on US/China AI is not inevitable; Mozilla's Mark Surman and Benin's Kevin Degila argued other countries can build big AI projects. A White House adviser reiterated US supremacy goals.

Deadly Delivery adds Mystery Room and new mechanics in latest update

February 19, 2026, 6:12 AM EST. Flat Head Studio's VR co-op horror Deadly Delivery adds a Mystery Room to the Bloodmoon and Ice Cave levels, featuring doors equipped with a microphone for players to declare themselves before a drop-off. The patch also adds the Door Reuser item to deliver an extra package to a door, plus bug fixes and an ammo increase for the Roulette Gun. Wider passages help multiple players move through areas more easily. The game is priced at $9.99 and available on Meta Quest and Steam. Since its December launch, Flat Head has already rolled out several updates, including the Ice Caves location and other quality-of-life features.

Homeowner stunned by Tesla solar lease leads to six-figure quote for home upgrade

February 19, 2026, 6:00 AM EST. Homeowners who switched a Tesla solar install from purchase to a lease found the math eye-opening, with a final payment topping six figures in one case. The Reddit post noted an initial buyout of about $44,000, but the lease offer reduced the advertised cost to roughly $40,000, prompting questions about how final figures are calculated. Industry watchers caution that PPA and buyout terms can dramatically affect total cost. EnergySage and other solar partners offer side-by-side quotes to help shoppers compare, potentially saving up to $10,000. Experts also advise sizing the system to local electricity prices, considering storage, and obtaining multiple bids. Partners offer programs such as Palmetto's $0-down lease and the Solar Explorer, plus accessories like high-efficiency HVAC to further cut bills.

Kratos expands role in hypersonics, satellites and autonomy programs

February 19, 2026, 5:56 AM EST. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has won major contracts spanning hypersonics, satellite ground systems and autonomous trucking. The Department of War's Joint Hypersonics Transition Office awarded Kratos contracts for hypersonic vehicle systems. Airbus selected Kratos to deliver an integrated satellite ground segment for the OmanSat-1 program, a software-defined satellite initiative. Kratos also continues work with Champion Tire & Wheel on automated platooning for logistics at high-profile events. Executives describe the company as operating at the intersection of hypersonics, satellite communications and autonomy, with recent activity in hypersonic materials testing and the OmanSat-1 program reinforcing a long-term growth narrative. The ongoing platooning project shows potential for dual-use benefits in defense and commercial logistics, a factor investors will weigh against near-term earnings and order momentum across these mission areas.

Artemis II wet dress rehearsal underway at Kennedy Space Center

February 19, 2026, 5:54 AM EST. NASA's Artemis II wet dress rehearsal kicks off at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with a countdown clock starting at 6:50 p.m. EST Tuesday and a simulated launch window opening at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19. The test runs cryogenic tanking of the Space Launch System (SLS), a full launch countdown, and a practice of clock recycling and tank draining to validate scrub procedures. Temporary platforms will be installed on the mobile launcher to service flight termination system elements on the boosters and core stage for safety testing ahead of a potential March launch. A 24/7 live stream covers the pad, including separate tanking feeds and real-time blog updates. Artemis II crew milestones will be integrated into the schedule.

Rigetti to report Q4 & full-year 2025 results on March 4, 2026, with 5:00 p.m. ET conference call

February 19, 2026, 5:44 AM EST. Rigetti Computing said it will publicly report its Q4 2025 and full-year 2025 results on March 4, 2026, after market close. A conference call at 5:00 p.m. ET will follow to discuss the findings and provide updates on business operations. The company aims to give investors and the scientific community a detailed view of progress in a rapidly evolving field-the development and scaling of quantum processors. Specific financial figures were not disclosed in advance. The announcement underscores Rigetti's commitment to transparent communication about its trajectory in quantum computing as it pursues milestones and strategic direction in 2025.

SpaceX targets overnight Falcon 9 liftoff from Vandenberg to deploy Starlink satellites

February 19, 2026, 5:40 AM EST. SpaceX is planning an overnight Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the 11th rocket of the year from the site. The two-stage, 230-foot rocket will deploy 25 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. The mission is expected Friday, Feb. 20, with a four-hour launch window opening at 12 a.m. PT, according to a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan. Public viewing at Vandenberg is limited, but observers can watch from designated spots around Santa Barbara County if skies cooperate. Weather or vehicle issues can delay liftoffs; check with local outlets such as VC Star for updates. A FAA advisory suggests a backup opportunity the next day if postponed.

Quantum-computing stocks IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave face $615 million red flag for investors

February 19, 2026, 5:38 AM EST. IonQ, Rigetti, and D-Wave have seen parabolic rallies in 2025 as quantum computing stocks drew investor attention. The latest data show Trailing 12-month returns ranging from about 670% to over 6,200%. Yet traders face a $615 million red flag tied to the trio, underscoring the risk in hype-driven moves. Analysts cite real-world applications in drug discovery and AI, while JPMorgan's Security and Resiliency Initiative expanded funding across 27 sub-areas, including quantum. Long-run estimates place the potential addressable market in the hundreds of billions to a trillion dollars by mid-century, per The Quantum Insider and Boston Consulting Group. Early adoption by cloud services like Amazon Braket adds momentum, but investors should weigh catalysts against volatility.

NASA delays Artemis II moon launch after hydrogen leaks during wet dress rehearsal

February 19, 2026, 5:34 AM EST. NASA delayed Artemis II after hydrogen leaks disrupted a late-stage rehearsal. During fueling, managers paused twice to inspect a leak near the tail of the Space Launch System booster. Hydrogen's small molecular size makes containment difficult, officials noted. The countdown automatically halted in the final minutes when a spike in the leak rate triggered a safety stop. Engineers will review audio issues in ground-crew communications in the days ahead, NASA said. If repairs are extensive, the rocket could roll back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center, delaying the next launch window. The four astronauts-Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen-remained in Houston quarantine but were cleared to resume training in preparation for the next wet dress rehearsal. Artemis II would be the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System and Orion.

LAUSD marks 1 year of cellphone ban; early results mixed

February 19, 2026, 5:30 AM EST. LAUSD, the country's second-largest public school district, marks the one-year anniversary of a bell-to-bell cellphone ban that now covers lunch and passing periods and took effect Feb. 18, 2025. District officials say the policy aims to curb distractions and protect youth mental health and reduce bullying. Early feedback was mixed: some teachers report fewer interruptions, others say passing periods remained tough; students say it can hinder completing tasks, while some claim screen time stayed the same or rose at home. The move has drawn broader interest as other districts tweak policies ahead of a July 2026 deadline. LAist invites teachers, students, parents to share experiences via a quick survey.

Preinstalled Android apps offer real utility, not clutter

February 19, 2026, 5:26 AM EST. Preinstalled Android apps aren't simply bloat. Files by Google helps reclaim storage with its Clean tab, scanning junk files, large files, old screenshots, and unused apps. It offers smart suggestions in one view, sparing you from digging through folders. Google TV can double as a remote control for your TV. Google Fit and Samsung Health track activity even without a wearable, counting steps, distance, and calories, then log meals, sleep, weight, and reminders. The piece argues users should explore these tools before deleting them, since these apps can improve device upkeep and daily life with practical features.

Modi pitches India as global AI hub at AI summit

February 19, 2026, 5:22 AM EST. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched India as a central node in the global AI ecosystem at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, urging 'Design and develop in India. Deliver to the world. Deliver to humanity.' The event featured French President Emmanuel Macron, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and UN chief Antonio Guterres, who urged a $3 billion fund to help poorer countries build AI capacity. India positions itself as a bridge between advanced economies and the Global South, touting its digital ID and online payments as models for low-cost AI deployment. Microsoft, Google and Amazon have announced multi-billion investments to expand AI in India, and New Delhi aims to attract up to $200 billion in data-center funding. India still lags in building its own large-scale AI model due to chip, data-center and language constraints.

India's AI push faces hurdles despite massive investment pledges

February 19, 2026, 5:20 AM EST. India is pressing to become a significant player in AI and the semiconductor space, but regulatory gaps and execution hurdles loom. The CNBC Inside India newsletter notes that U.S. tech giants may offer support, yet substance is unclear. Private capital is flowing: Amazon and Microsoft have pledged about $50 billion to India's AI ecosystem; Blackstone backs Neysa; Anthropic has partnered with Infosys and opened an office in Bengaluru. The government is rolling out a 400-billion-rupee electronics push and a tax holiday through 2047 for cloud services using Indian data centers. Adani plans $100 billion in data centers; Tata Consultancy Services eyes the world's largest AI data center. India is also pursuing sovereign models like Sarvam AI and BharatGen, and Fractal Analytics IPO signals local momentum. Regulatory clarity remains a hurdle.

The internet is eating itself: AI-generated content and the risk of model collapse

February 19, 2026, 5:14 AM EST. Experts warn that the internet is being flooded with cheap, synthetic text and images, degrading search results and product reviews. The narrative centers on AI models learning from online data, then generating vast new content that returns to the web as training material. This feedback loop, labeled by researchers as model collapse, resembles a photocopy of a photocopy-fuzzier with each generation. AI trained on its own outputs risks drifting away from human reality, producing bland, generic text instead of rich expression. Real human language-sarcasm, slang, inside jokes-could fade into a shallow echo chamber. The risk is a loss of flavor and variety in online content, unless data pipelines and validation measures counterbalance the self-reinforcing cycle.

20-minute hacks expose guardrail gaps in AI tools and sourcing practices

February 19, 2026, 5:12 AM EST. Tests showed how quickly AI assistants can be steered to surface biased or self-produced results. In a 20-minute exercise, Gemini reportedly did not disclose its sources, while other AIs cited the tester's article as the source. OpenAI says ChatGPT includes web links; others cited the test piece too. Experts warn that these AI tricks mirror early web spam, a looming risk as tactics become easier to deploy. Harpreet Chatha of Harps Digital says a self-branded article can dominate SEO, shaping AI outputs. Users are less likely to verify sources when an AI overview tops results, with a study showing a 58% drop in click-through. Google defends its safeguards; the broader concern is eroding trust in AI.

Honor Win review: gaming-focused flagship with a 10,000 mAh battery and active cooling fan

February 19, 2026, 5:02 AM EST. The Honor Win emphasizes gaming performance. The small fan, hidden in the camera module, extends the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5's sustained work but is clearly audible and can be disabled. It remains a premium package: a very bright display, a capable camera system, and a 10,000 mAh battery that delivers long runtimes and relatively quick recharging. Availability is as a China import; there is no Widevine L1 certification, and eSIM is absent. Google apps require manual installation on the Chinese MagicOS 10, though most European languages are supported and Android Auto and Google Pay work. The phone supports DisplayPort over USB-C, has IP68/69K, and a physical camera button. It uses 16 GB RAM/512 GB storage (or 12/256); no optical periscope zoom. A 50 MP main sensor with 3× hybrid zoom is noted.

Vivo V70 debuts with Zeiss-tuned triple-camera system

February 19, 2026, 4:54 AM EST. Vivo unveiled the V70 with a Zeiss co-engineered camera system and a rugged, premium design. The 6.59-inch Ultra Clear OLED uses an aluminum frame, two-tone finish and an IP69 rating. OriginOS 6 adds AI features such as AI Magic Weather, auto-removal of distractions and color adjustments. Rear cameras include a 50 MP OIS main (1/1.56, 23mm f/1.9), a 50 MP periscope tele (1/1.95, 85mm) and an 8 MP ultra-wide, with Zeiss Multifocal Portrait modes and a Stage Mode for concerts. A 50 MP front camera powers selfies. The V70 records up to 4Kp60 with an AI Audio Noise Eraser. Global rollout begins in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Xun Qin says the device offers better photography and performance.

Nvidia sells final Arm shares; licensing deals continue, $140 million stake divested

February 19, 2026, 4:52 AM EST. Bloomberg reports Nvidia has sold the last of its Arm Holdings shares-1.1 million shares valued at about $140 million-ending six years of ownership ambitions. The sale closes Nvidia's push toward Arm, but the two firms will keep collaborating on Arm-based CPUs, including core work for Nvidia's Vera Rubin platform. The disposal occurred in late 2025, with the filing only surfacing recently. Regulators blocked Nvidia's $40 billion bid in 2021, a move that followed SoftBank's IPO of Arm in 2023 and left Arm valued at roughly $55 billion then; by February 2026 Arm's market cap stood around $133 billion. Nvidia's broader tech bets, including a $20 billion non-exclusive licensing deal with Groq, highlight the era's scale of AI investments.

UN chief calls for open AI access at India AI summit as leaders weigh rules

February 19, 2026, 4:30 AM EST. At the New Delhi AI summit, world leaders outline how to steer rapid innovation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned against entrusting the future of AI to the whims of a few billionaires and urged open AI access. He called for a $3 billion global fund to widen access and research. French President Emmanuel Macron argued for rules shaped with allies like India, balancing openness with safeguards. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said an India-built AI model could scale worldwide if its core systems stay open. The gathering marks India's bid to move from participant to player in the sector, though experts caution it still trails the US and China. Bill Gates pulled out; a Gates Foundation official will speak instead as the five-day talks continue.

Telefónica and Mavenir sign MOU to accelerate AI in core telecom networks

February 19, 2026, 4:26 AM EST. Telefónica and Mavenir unveiled a Memorandum of Understanding to create an AI Innovation Hub that will accelerate AI integration into the core networks. The lab will simulate production traffic to develop AI-driven autonomous network orchestration, intent-based services, and AI-enabled monetization. Officials say the hub will embed cloud-native intelligence across network layers, enabling real-time learning, anticipation, and automated actions. It will emphasize data security and regulatory compliance while pursuing joint marketing, thought leadership, and global forum participation. Cayetano Carbajo of Telefónica called it a benchmark for AI-driven core-network transformation; Pardeep Kohli of Mavenir cited the platform's cloud-native foundation as key to rapid deployment of AI-native solutions.

Client Challenge: Websites Stall When JavaScript Is Disabled

February 19, 2026, 4:20 AM EST. A client challenge emerged when a required part of a site failed to load after the user disabled JavaScript in their browser. The on-screen message urged users to enable JavaScript, check their connection, disable any ad blockers, or try a different browser. The issue highlights how many sites rely on client-side scripting to render essential features. When scripting is blocked, pages can load with missing components or become unusable. Tech teams say this exposes the gap between client-side and server-side rendering. Solutions under consideration include server-side rendering, progressive enhancement, and detection of blocked scripts with graceful fallbacks. Until changes ship, users experience friction as security and ad-delivery measures intersect with site functionality.

Bill Gates cancels AI summit keynote amid Epstein scrutiny

February 19, 2026, 4:14 AM EST. Bill Gates pulled out of delivering the keynote at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi just hours before his speech, the Gates Foundation said, to keep the event's priorities in focus. The foundation gave no reason for the abrupt withdrawal. CNN sought comment from the foundation and organizers. Gates has faced renewed scrutiny over emails reportedly written by Jeffrey Epstein alleging he facilitated encounters and helped hide a medical issue; Gates has denied the claims as false. The summit, one of the Global South's largest AI gatherings, was opened by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gates had been in India this week and met N. Chandrababu Naidu. Ankur Vora will represent the Gates Foundation at the event.

Minecraft 26.1 Snapshot 9 fixes world-bound crash, kittens and shadows

February 19, 2026, 4:04 AM EST. Minecraft's 26.1 Snapshot 9 is out. The update fixes two issues introduced in yesterday's snapshot: a crash when an entity travels outside the world's vertical boundaries, and IME display quirks during text entry. The patch also reduces noisy kittens and corrects elevated shadows tied to a below_name scoreboard. The fixes cite MC-305579 (kittens meowing in bed), MC-306456 (crash outside height limits), and MC-306479 (elevated shadows). Mojang notes players should back up worlds before testing, as snapshots can corrupt data. To install, open the Minecraft Launcher and enable snapshots in Installations. A cross-platform server jar is available, and bug reports and feedback channels are provided for users.

Peak Design debuts Mobile Straps to ditch bags with pocket-ready setup

February 19, 2026, 4:02 AM EST. Peak Design unveils the Mobile Straps line, expanding its Mobile smartphone accessories. The trio centers on the same Micro Anchor connection system, a high-strength cord-and-pin design rated to 50 lbs of force. The entry Mobile Cuff is a 5mm rope wrist strap that auto-tightens when dropped. The mid-tier Mobile Crossbody Strap uses two-point anchors, offers 35 to 65 inches adjustability, and is designed to stay tangle-free. The top-tier Mobile Crossbody Multi-Strap adds a CNC-machined aluminum carabiner and can carry multiple anchors, letting you move keys, earbuds, or a compact camera. All three include a universal adapter for compatibility with most third-party phone cases and integrate with Peak Design cases and iPhone 17 cases. The line uses nylon/poly rope with varied diameters.

PG&E says AI data centers won't raise Central Valley power bills

February 19, 2026, 4:00 AM EST. FRESNO, Calif.- PG&E says new AI data centers should fund their own grid upgrades, so local customers won't cover higher power bills. The utility plans to require operators to pay for infrastructure before it's built, keeping ratepayers separate from the costs. The stance comes as data centers-often tucked into industrial parks-consume large amounts of power for cooling, leaving nearby residents weighing environmental impacts vs. jobs and tax revenue. In California, about 275 data centers operate statewide, with three in Fresno. Separately, the Navy and Ameresco plan a 100 MW, AI-optimized data center at NAS Lemoore, enough to power roughly 85,000 homes.

Michigan: EV uptake accelerates as battery recyclers join the push

February 19, 2026, 3:56 AM EST. Michigan is accelerating its clean-transport agenda as electric vehicles gain traction and battery refurbishment and recycling projects advance. The piece stresses sustainable materials management across the battery supply chain, from mining to end-of-life recovery. Two teams, VMXI and ReCharge Recycling, graduates of the first NextCycle Michigan Recycling Supply Chain accelerator track, aim to build Flint facilities to refurbish and recycle batteries and recover lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Their approach blends reuse and recycling: powering facilities with residual battery energy, locating reusable packs, reclaiming components, and supplying materials for new cells. ReCharge envisions second-life batteries, recycled parts, and lifecycle data to inform manufacturers. NextCycle Michigan has connected them with state grants, the MEDC, and workforce partners.

Headphones found to contain chemicals linked to health risks, study says

February 19, 2026, 3:54 AM EST. An independent report, cited by The Guardian, found hazardous chemicals in 81 headphones, including Bose, Panasonic, Samsung and Sennheiser. The ToxFree LIFE for All project tested models across Central Europe and online platforms. It found BPA in 98% of samples and its substitute BPS in more than 75%. Other substances-including phthalates, chlorinated paraffins, and brominated and organophosphate flame retardants-appeared in trace amounts. Researchers say these chemicals can migrate from plastic to skin, especially with heat and sweat during daily use. While no immediate health risk is proven, long-term exposure raises concern for teens and other vulnerable groups; there is no 'safe' level for endocrine disruptors. Arnika's Karolína Brabcová urged cautious use.

Meta plans 2026 smartwatch revival with Malibu 2 and built-in AI assistant

February 19, 2026, 3:52 AM EST. Meta Platforms plans to push into wearables again with a 2026 launch of its first smartwatch, reviving the Malibu 2 project that was shelved during Reality Labs cost cuts. People familiar with the matter say the device will feature health-tracking sensors and a built-in Meta AI assistant, underscoring a broader push into AI-enabled hardware. The revival comes as AI-powered gadgets gain momentum, particularly in health and fitness. Meta previously explored cameras for a smartwatch and has partnered on AI-powered eyewear with EssilorLuxottica's Ray-Ban, selling near 6 million smart glasses last year. The company is also developing several AR/MR glasses but plans to stagger releases to avoid customer fatigue. Meta paused international expansion of Ray-Ban Display earlier, citing domestic demand.

Northeastern study finds connected Teslas vulnerable to IMSI-catcher hacks

February 19, 2026, 3:50 AM EST. Researchers from Northeastern University say connected cars such as Tesla's Model 3 and Cybertruck can be hacked via wireless systems to track vehicles, disrupt communications and degrade network performance. The work underscores that modern cars are computers on wheels, with cellular, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and V2X tech that keeps them online for diagnostics and OTA updates. Unlike smartphones, many cars maintain persistent connectivity you cannot easily monitor or control. The team, led by Aanjhan Ranganathan, studied 4G LTE in Teslas and found a major attack vector known as IMSI Catching-where attackers use fake cell towers to locate and identify devices via their IMSI numbers. If the attacker is physically close, such a proximity exploit can influence how the vehicle connects to networks.

Accenture ties AI incentives to log-ins to spur adoption among skeptics

February 19, 2026, 3:48 AM EST. Accenture has started tying eligibility for AI-related promotions and perks to workers' activity in the company's systems, including regular log-ins to AI tools. The move aims to convert AI-skeptics-workers reluctant to use automation-by linking incentives to demonstrable engagement. Critics say the policy risks coercion and data-collection concerns, while supporters argue it accelerates digital transformation and upskills staff. The firm says the approach rewards concrete use of AI and reduces unused licenses. The policy comes as enterprises push automation and generative AI in client work. Observers note that tying benefits to platform activity can backfire if users feel monitored. Accenture declined to comment beyond outlining the program's goals. The program highlights a broader debate over carrot-and-stick tactics to boost AI adoption in multinationals.

Nvidia DLSS 4.5 beats native and AMD FSR 4 in blind image quality test, ComputerBase finds

February 19, 2026, 3:44 AM EST. ComputerBase conducted a 4K, online blind test of image quality across six titles to compare Nvidia's DLSS 4.5, AMD's FSR 4, and native rendering with TAA. The study found DLSS 4.5 as the winner in all six games, averaging 48.2% of votes for best image quality, versus 24.0% for native rendering and 15.0% for FSR 4. In Satisfactory (60.9%) and Horizon Forbidden West (56.3%), DLSS 4.5 led by wide margins; Cyberpunk 2077 was closest to native. Results reflect perceived quality, not second- or third-best choices, and do not prove DLSS 4.5 superiority in every scenario. The test used 4K Ultra HD, Quality presets, and concealed labeling to avoid bias.

NOOK Reading Tablet 8.7: $150 Android tablet with Helio G85 and NOOK app

February 19, 2026, 3:40 AM EST. Barnes & Noble is selling the NOOK Reading Tablet 8.7 for $150, an Android tablet aimed at NOOK eBooks. The device uses a MediaTek Helio G85 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage plus microSD expansion up to 1TB. It features an 8.7-inch IPS LCD display up to 480 nits brightness, a 5,100 mAh battery, WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1, a 3.5mm jack, and cameras of 8MP rear and 2MP front. It ships with Android 15 and a NOOK experience launcher, with the NOOK app pre-installed. Visually it departs from the Lenovo look, sporting a seafoam-green back and textured grip, while still tracing its roots to the Lenovo Tab One. The 2024 NOOK 9" Tablet also used a rebranded Lenovo Tab M9. Liliputing notes the model's budget positioning.

Elder Scrolls 6 to be powered by Creation Engine 3, Bethesda says

February 19, 2026, 3:36 AM EST. Bethesda says The Elder Scrolls 6 will return to its classic open-world RPG roots and run on a new version of the Creation Engine. In a Kinda Funny Games livestream, Todd Howard said Starfield and Fallout 76 were detours from the studio's traditional style, and TES6 will deliver the familiar experience fans expect. He added that there is still room for innovation, but the game should feel like the world developers know well. The studio has spent years upgrading its internal engine, moving from Creation Engine 2-the tech behind Starfield-to Creation Engine 3, which will power Elder Scrolls 6 and future titles. Howard cautioned that a release date remains distant, noting the project is 'a while yet' from completion, six years after its announcement.

Quantum computing pushes QA readiness onto bank roadmaps

February 19, 2026, 3:34 AM EST. Quantum computing is moving from theory to QA roadmaps, with 2026 shaping up as a turning point. Banks face encryption lifecycles and regulatory expectations, and they want migration proofs now rather than later. Haim Israel of BofA Global Research calls quantum one of the biggest revolutions, enabled by sub-atomic particles and superpositions. Chad Rigetti notes the technology is nearing applied use, as Wall Street's attention sharpens. QA plans are being rewritten, not software rollouts. Margarita Simonova of ILoveMyQA.com says qubits can exist in multiple states, making quantum outputs probabilistic. Testing must measure confidence, not just binary pass/fail. The tie to high-performance computing expands testing surfaces; NatWest's quantum-inspired run gave 300x speedups on a £120bn LQA portfolio. Kevin Hanley says the shift could transform bank operations, reducing costs.

GFiber launches in Queen Creek, expanding Phoenix-area fiber-to-home service

February 19, 2026, 3:30 AM EST. GFiber launched service in Queen Creek, making the East Valley town the third Phoenix-area community to gain access to the high-speed internet. The rollout follows Mesa and Chandler, with Tempe expected to join after construction began in June 2025. A public celebration is set for Saturday at Frontier Family Park, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with free food trucks and games as part of the launch. Residents can sign up online for regular service updates. The town approved a 2023 ordinance enabling GFiber's build, with construction delayed from an August 2024 start to June 2025. GFiber's network uses glass strands and lasers to deliver near-light speeds with about 99.9% reliability. Plans start at $70 for 1 Gbps and rise to $150 for 8 Gbps.

Barnes & Noble launches 8.7-inch NOOK Reading Tablet with Android 15

February 19, 2026, 3:26 AM EST. Barnes & Noble rolled out an 8.7-inch NOOK Reading Tablet with an IPS LCD display, Android 15 and access to the Google Play Store. The device, priced at $149.99, offers 64GB of storage with microSD expansion and goes on sale March 17 in Barnes & Noble stores and online. It broadens the LCD lineup while dedicated e-ink fans await a refresh. The last true e-reader update was the GlowLight 4 in 2021, followed by the GlowLight 4 Plus in 2023, both delivering weeks-long battery life. Leadership changes have left the 2026 e-ink refresh timeline uncertain. For readers seeking long battery life and minimal eye strain, this LCD tablet represents a temporary compromise.

Google Store adds instant trade-in credits for Pixel purchases in limited rollout

February 19, 2026, 3:22 AM EST. Google is speeding up Pixel trade-ins by offering instant trade-in credits at checkout. Eligible buyers see the discount applied upfront, reducing the total price of devices such as the Pixel 10a and Pixel Watch; final value is set after the traded device arrives and is inspected. The change, first reported by Droid-Life and confirmed by a Google support page, is currently limited to a subset of users and may be US-exclusive, with one trade-in per user. If eligible, the credit appears at checkout; after purchase you ship the trade-in device and Google evaluates its condition. If it matches the description, you keep the full value; discrepancies can trigger charges. Estimates expire after 30 days, and delays beyond 30 days can affect charges or refunds.

Apple CarPlay gains video playback as iOS 26.4 beta adds Apple TV app on car displays

February 19, 2026, 3:20 AM EST. Apple's plan to bring video to CarPlay moves forward in the iOS 26.4 beta, which lets developers access a CarPlay version of the Apple TV app on the car display and enable AirPlay-based video from non-CarPlay apps. A demo by developer Thomas Dye uses a CarPlay simulator to show watchlists, search and playback. Two caveats apply: the automaker must enable the feature via a software key, and the car must be parked to use it. OTA updates may be required, and Android Auto does not natively support video (though some workarounds exist). There's no guarantee the beta reaches the public, but if released, it could make car waits more tolerable.

US funding for global internet freedom effectively gutted as cuts bite

February 19, 2026, 3:16 AM EST. Analysts say US funding for global internet freedom-managed by the State Department and the US Agency for Global Media-has been hit by a Trump-era efficiency drive. A Guardian analysis shows the program has dispensed more than $500 million over the past decade, including $94 million in 2024. In 2025, career staff who staffed Internet Freedom resigned or were dismissed as part of agency reductions, and the main granting office issued no new grants. The Open Technology Fund (OTF) won a December court ruling to restore some funding, but the Trump administration is appealing. In January, Washington pulled out of the Freedom Online Coalition. Critics warn the cuts could hamper tools used in Iran, Myanmar, and elsewhere to bypass censorship and share information.

OpenAI taps Tata for 100MW India AI data center, eyes 1GW

February 19, 2026, 3:12 AM EST. OpenAI said it has partnered with the Tata Group to secure 100 megawatts of AI-ready data center capacity in India, with plans to scale to 1 gigawatt. The arrangement, part of OpenAI's Stargate project, makes Tata Consultancy Services' HyperVault a key backbone as the company positions India as a core growth market. OpenAI becomes the first customer of HyperVault, with deployment of ChatGPT Enterprise across Tata's workforce and standardization of AI-native software development using OpenAI tools. The initiative highlights India's fast-growing user base for ChatGPT, and the ability to run advanced models domestically to meet data residency, security, and regulatory needs for regulated sectors and government workloads. N Chandrasekaran of Tata welcomed the collaboration as building state-of-the-art AI infrastructure in India.

AsteroidOS 2.0 expands Linux-based smartwatch replacement to more models, adds always-on display

February 19, 2026, 3:10 AM EST. AsteroidOS has released version 2.0, a Linux-based replacement OS for smartwatches. The milestone update adds always-on display functionality and major UI performance gains, while expanding compatibility to more than 30 watch models. The team says the release brings a refreshed launcher, customizable quick settings, a nightstand clock mode, and optimizations that improve responsiveness and battery life. New features cover heart-rate monitoring on capable devices, initial step-tracking, and core apps such as calendar, alarm, weather, and a basic game. The update broadens support to Fossil, Huawei, LG, Moto, OPPO, Polar, Ticwatch and several others, with partial support for a handful of legacy models. Built on the Linux kernel using QT/QML, AsteroidOS emphasizes user control and privacy; full details are on the project site.

NASA Artemis II practice countdown resumes after hydrogen leak repairs

February 19, 2026, 3:08 AM EST. NASA and Space Launch System engineers press ahead with Artemis II testing after repairs to seals and a clogged filter addressed a hydrogen leak that halted the first wet dress rehearsal with about five minutes to go. A second countdown is underway for a two-day dress rehearsal, culminating in a tank fill and simulated launch on Thursday. NASA moved the earliest launch to no sooner than March 6 while crews verify fixes and the safety margin. Ken Kremer of SpaceUpClose.com said hydrogen leaks complicate the process, underscoring the need to prove a crewed launch can occur within the two-hour launch window. The four astronauts will monitor the exercise remotely as engineers seek confidence before a crew ascent.

Apple poised to refresh iPhone, iPad and MacBook on March 4; five reveals to watch

February 19, 2026, 3:06 AM EST. If the rumors are true, Apple will refresh the iPhone, iPad and MacBook lines at a March 4 event. The article lays out five things the author believes Apple should unveil and notes one item they'd buy immediately. It treats the event as a consumer guide-what upgrades might merit a purchase and what readers could consider adding to their cart if the refresh occurs. The piece emphasizes anticipation over confirmed details, underscoring that specifications and timing remain unverified until Apple formally announces them.

Brad Smith warns U.S. tech firms about Chinese AI subsidies at AI Impact Summit in New Delhi

February 19, 2026, 2:58 AM EST. Microsoft President Brad Smith told CNBC's Arjun Kharpal that U.S. tech firms should 'worry a little bit' about the subsidies their Chinese competitors receive from their government in the AI race. The remarks were made on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, India. Smith did not name countries, but framed subsidies as a competitive lever that could distort the field as governments back domestic champions. CNBC's interview, conducted in New Delhi, India, comes as policymakers and industry leaders discuss AI's growth and governance. The comments highlight ongoing tensions over subsidies, export controls, and the pace of AI deployment in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

Marvel Rivals patch adds two events, new skins and store bundles

February 19, 2026, 2:54 AM EST. Marvel Rivals launches a patch on February 19, 2026 at 09:00 UTC with no downtime. New events: Faulty Dream unlocks Doctor Strange Phantom Sorcerer Costume; Twisted Nightmare unlocks Scarlet Witch Twisted Conjurer Costume. Event window: Feb 19 to Mar 20, 2026. In-store adds: Iron Man – Iron Mariner Bundle, Emma Frost – Black Queen of the Marauders Bundle, Emma Frost – Black Queen of the Marauders Emoji Bundle, Scarlet Witch Twisted Conjurer Costume with color chromas and VFX, and a Take a Seat Emote Combo Bundle; new animation for Groot and Elsa Bloodstone. Availability starts Feb 20, 2026 at 02:00 UTC. More items next week: Moon Knight, Phoenix bundles, and Moon Knight emoji bundle from Feb 27. Stay tuned to official announcements for more.

DJI Valentine's Special Sale extends with up to 21% off Mini 4 Pro, Avata 2 and more

February 19, 2026, 2:52 AM EST. DJI's Valentine's Special Sale remains live, offering up to 21% off select drones and gimbals. The spotlight falls on the Mini 4 Pro, a sub-250g model that becomes more affordable this week. The FPV-focused Avata 2 is still discounted, with the brand hinting an Avata 360 release that could push arrivals soon. Bargain pricing extends to two gimbals, the Osmo Mobile 7P and Osmo Mobile 8, and the ultra-cheap Mic Mini. Other retailers such as Amazon, Very, and Clifton Cameras list additional deals beyond DJI's site. The article notes the DJI Mini 4K remains cheap even at full price. Deals pace varies by retailer, and buyers should check terms before purchase.

Amazon vs Alphabet: Which AI stock looks better after strong earnings

February 19, 2026, 2:44 AM EST. Two tech giants, Amazon and Alphabet, are signaling AI demand as they report accelerating cloud revenue and higher capital expenditures. Amazon posted Q4 revenue of $213.4 billion, with AWS up 24% to $35.6 billion – its fastest cloud growth in 13 quarters. Other segments show momentum: advertising up 23%, subscription services up 14%, and third-party seller services up 11%. Amazon guided toward roughly $200 billion in capital expenditures in 2026 to fuel AI-ready infrastructure, underscoring AI as a core growth driver. Alphabet posted solid Q4 gains, with Google Cloud revenue up about 48% year over year, highlighting AI adoption in its cloud. Both expand AI-driven cloud platforms, but investors will weigh AWS against Google Cloud for relative appeal.

LLNL brings materials expertise to DOE's SQMS quantum center collaboration

February 19, 2026, 2:34 AM EST. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is among more than 300 experts across 43 partners working with the DOE's SQMS Center, renewed with $125 million over five years. LLNL contributes deep expertise in materials science and microwave cavities to advance superconducting qubits. Keith Ray notes that more data on niobium and tantalum improves models and informs cavity interfaces, reducing loss. The collaboration aims to build cavity-based quantum computing platforms, with LLNL's ADMX experience-using similar types of 3D cavities to search for axions-offering insights into cavities and interfaces. Gianpaolo Carosi says one cavity recently sustained a photon for seconds, a step toward lower error rates. Beyond computing, cavities may aid the search for dark matter candidates like axions and dark photons, and could even detect gravitational waves.

Readers weigh how long they keep smartphones before upgrading

February 19, 2026, 2:32 AM EST. Tech writer and editors ask readers how long they keep their smartphones before upgrading, seeking real-world cycles beyond well-lit demos. The piece notes smartphones show few major step changes, and many people sit on a 2-3 year upgrade cadence, aided by 24-month carrier contracts. Flagship models such as the iPhone 15 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra still perform well against newer generations in everyday use. Readers are invited to vote in a poll and share details in the comments, including what prompts upgrades. The author says they'd upgrade every three to four years outside journalism, citing declining battery life but adequate performance and camera quality. The piece also flags e-waste concerns and supports slower flagship annual releases until a meaningful upgrade arrives, per industry moves.

OpenAI pays average $1.5 million in stock-based compensation, top among tech startups

February 19, 2026, 2:30 AM EST. OpenAI paid its roughly 4,000 employees an average of $1.5 million in stock-based compensation (equity grants that vest over time) in 2025, the WSJ reports, as the company pursues an IPO that could unlock billions for staff. With a valuation near $830 billion from its latest funding round, OpenAI sits among the most valuable private firms. An IPO at that level could turn thousands into multimillionaires. The figure marks the highest average among recent major tech startups, outpacing Google's early-2000s equity. The strategy appears aimed at retention as AI firms compete for talent from Anthropic to Microsoft. Nearly 46% of OpenAI's annual revenue goes to equity, underscoring the talent war. The company lists hundreds of U.S. roles, often with no college degree required, and salaries that start well above $200,000 plus equity.

Nvidia-Meta deal signals shift to CPU-inclusive AI infrastructure

February 19, 2026, 2:28 AM EST. Nvidia's latest pact with Meta signals a shift in AI hardware beyond raw GPUs. Meta will buy billions of Nvidia chips for its sprawling infrastructure, with CPUs included and a plan for millions of Blackwell and Rubin GPUs in hyperscale data centers. Meta had projected 350,000 H100 GPUs by end-2024 and up to 1.3 million GPUs by 2025. Nvidia frames its offering as a soup-to-nuts compute stack that unites CPUs and GPUs. The deal follows Nvidia's bet on standalone Grace CPUs and the Vera Rubin superchip. Analysts say CPUs are increasingly needed for agentic AI-software that can act autonomously-though CPUs remain just one part of the most advanced systems. The partnership marks a notable expansion into CPU-enabled AI compute.

Meta to launch its first smartwatch in 2026, insider says Malibu 2

February 19, 2026, 2:20 AM EST. Meta plans to release its first smartwatch in 2026, according to an insider report. Code-named Malibu 2, the device would offer health-tracking features and a built-in Meta AI assistant, drawing on a previously mothballed project. The Information reports the watch could compete with Apple, Samsung, Google, Garmin and Oura, potentially expanding Meta's hardware portfolio beyond AR glasses. Earlier iterations reportedly included an onboard camera; whether that remains is unclear. Meta has already tested wearables, including Ray-Ban smart glasses, and a smartwatch could unlock gesture-based features for that ecosystem. A cross-platform watch would aim to work with both Android and iOS devices, reducing switching costs for users. The company faces a crowded market as it evaluates a formal launch timeline; additional details are expected as leaks continue.

Garmin Venu 3S Soft Gold smartwatch hits $339.99 on Amazon

February 19, 2026, 2:16 AM EST. Garmin's Venu 3S smartwatch is on sale at Amazon for $339.99, a $110 cut from the $449.99 list price. The deal marks one of the lower prices for the AMOLED model, with a 1.2-inch display and a 41mm Soft Gold stainless steel bezel that suits daily wear. Garmin touts advanced health tools-heart rate, sleep tracking, stress tracking, guided workouts, and multiple sports modes-delivering insights beyond step counts. The device offers long battery life-up to 10 days in smartwatch mode-reducing frequent charges. The Venu 3S blends fitness tracking with smartwatch features for users seeking style plus deeper health metrics. Prices and availability can change.

Ross Gerber urges Tesla to sell EV unit to Rivian; brand value turns negative

February 19, 2026, 2:14 AM EST. Investor Ross Gerber argues Tesla's brand value has fallen as CEO Elon Musk pivots toward autonomy and robotics. In a post on X, Gerber said Tesla's brand value is 'negative' and suggested selling the EV business to Rivian Automotive to lift sales. He also argued a name change could boost demand. The idea follows concern from other investors, including ARK Invest's Cathie Wood, that Musk's political ventures are denting Tesla's image. Gerber remains bullish on Rivian's near-term potential, pointing to the forthcoming R2 Crossover, expected around $45,000 for base trim, with pricing details due March 12. Rivian has also been testing the R2 in Alaska. Separately, Musk confirmed the Cybercab production set for April and touted a new manufacturing approach.

Meta targets late-2026 launch for Malibu 2 smartwatch with AI health features

February 19, 2026, 2:12 AM EST. Meta aims to launch a health-tracking smartwatch with AI features in late 2026, code-named Malibu 2, according to The Information. This marks the company's second attempt at wearables after scrapping an earlier smartwatch project in 2022 amid technical issues and cost cuts. The plan accompanies delays to its Phoenix mixed-reality glasses to 2027, as Meta prioritizes the smartwatch and an updated Ray-Ban smart glasses lineup. The move sets up competition with Apple, which is also said to be developing its own AI-powered wearables. By pairing the smartwatch with the Ray-Ban Display ecosystem, Meta seeks a connected wearables platform to challenge Apple's tightly integrated hardware.

Nothing Phone 4a series leaks outline mid-range upgrades; launch teased for March

February 19, 2026, 2:04 AM EST. Fresh leaks outline a split upgrade for Nothing's mid-range Phone 4a family. The Phone 4a Pro is tipped to sport a 6.8-inch 1.5K AMOLED 144Hz display and a rear display feature described as a Glyph Matrix panel, while the standard Phone 4a sticks with a 6.7-inch 1.5K AMOLED screen and up to 120Hz. The Pro may gain a 50MP main lens with OIS and a broad zoom range, potentially 0.6x to 70x. Reports speak of a Glyph Bar instead of a Glyph Matrix on the base model. Leaks from Dealabs and Android Central reference a price hike: about €50 for the 4a and €90 for the 4a Pro. Nothing has teased a March 5 launch; CEO Carl Pei has hinted at an overhaul for the line. All remains unconfirmed.

Dry-processed electrodes could cut costs and boost EV batteries, UC researchers say

February 19, 2026, 2:02 AM EST. Researchers at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering report a breakthrough in battery manufacture: a dry-processed electrode architecture that promises lower costs and smaller environmental impact without sacrificing performance. Published in Nature Energy and led by Research Associate Professor Minghao Zhang, the work challenges the assumption that dry methods trade efficiency for eco-friendliness. The team shows a synergistic interaction between the carbon-based conductive additive and the binder polymer during drying, creating a more robust conductive network that maintains performance at high voltages. The result: improved durability, higher conductivity, and potential simplification of the manufacturing chain for lithium-ion batteries powering EVs, reducing reliance on solvent-based slurry processes.

Macron shares AI image with Modi ahead of India AI Impact Summit

February 19, 2026, 2:00 AM EST. French President Emmanuel Macron shared an AI-generated image with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X during his three-day India visit, ahead of the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. The image shows the two leaders making a heart with their hands, flanked by mugs bearing the Indian and French flags, and bears the caption: 'Yes, This is AI.' Macron described the moment as evidence that 'When friends connect, innovation follows.' The summit, part of the IndiaAI Mission and Digital India push, gathers heads of state, ministers, and industry to discuss a responsible, development-oriented AI future and to translate global discussions into practical outcomes. Macron urged a balanced AI model, stressing that Europe should not be dependent on US or Chinese models. The Delhi meeting runs Feb 16-20, with three pillars: People, Planet, Progress.

Chrome 145 for Android adds a new Home icon in the address bar

February 19, 2026, 1:54 AM EST. Chrome 145 is rolling out on Android, adding a sharper Home icon in the address bar. The icon sits to the left of the Omnibox and features flatter corners, with the roof flush against the side and a visible door. Desktop Chrome has used a similar icon for some time. Users who prefer a wider address bar can remove the icon by going to Settings > Homepage to disable it or switching from the New Tab Page to a custom web address. On Android, this is the main user-facing change in Chrome 145; desktop behavior remains largely unchanged.

AI could redefine the worst-case future for white-collar workers

February 19, 2026, 1:52 AM EST. White-collar workers face growing nerves as AI tools accelerate. The labor market for educated workers shows unusual weakness: bachelor's-degree unemployment hits a record share, even as wages rise for some, and high-school grads find work faster. Firms say AI boosts efficiency, while layoffs mount at names such as Baker McKenzie and Salesforce, and even audits are negotiated down. In a slower-dawn scenario, the disruption could be gradual; in the worst case, a structural shift erodes demand for accountants, lawyers, engineers and managers, threatening a longer-term hit to hiring and consumer spending. Policymakers could respond with stimulus, unemployment support and fiscal spending, but a true structural unemployment problem may outlast a typical cycle.

Tesla adds Grok AI to UK and Europe cars amid EU probes into xAI

February 19, 2026, 1:50 AM EST. Tesla Europe said it will add Grok to its vehicle infotainment in the UK and eight other European markets. The rollout comes as Grok faces regulatory scrutiny in Europe over the Digital Services Act. ACEA data show Tesla's European EV sales fell 27% last year, while BEVs accounted for about 17.4% of the market in 2025, with BYD gaining share. Analysts cite a lack of affordable new Tesla models and backlash to Musk's rhetoric as dampening demand. Volvo plans a Google Gemini-based assistant for its EX60, showing rivals betting on chatbots. SpaceX owns xAI after an all-stock deal. Regulators have flagged Grok for past deepfake content and antisemitic material, underscoring safety risks for in-vehicle AI.

Laser-written glass archive Silica stores 4.8 TB in a compact block

February 19, 2026, 1:44 AM EST. Silica, an optical archival storage system, uses a femtosecond laser (pulses lasting 10^-15 seconds) to write data directly into glass. The approach yields a dense, durable medium that could outlast conventional media. The researchers report a data density of 1.59 Gbit/mm^3 across 301 layers, for 4.8 TB in a 120 mm square, 2 mm thick piece. Write throughput reaches 25.6 Mbit/s per beam, limited by laser repetition rate, with an energy efficiency of 10.1 nJ per bit. The method extends to borosilicate glass, lowering cost and reading complexity. Accelerated ageing tests suggest data lifetimes beyond 10,000 years. The study presents an end-to-end optical archival workflow-writing, storing and retrieving data-in a robust glass medium.

Microsoft's glass data storage bets on 10,000-year durability with 4.8 TB per tile

February 19, 2026, 1:42 AM EST. Microsoft researchers claim a glass-based data storage system can remain readable for at least 10,000 years, addressing long-term retention limits of magnetic tapes and hard disks. The method uses a high-energy laser to imprint nanoscale deformations in borosilicate glass (a tough, heat-resistant glass used in bakeware), with data read out via a microscope. A 12-centimeter square of glass can store 4.8 terabytes, the equivalent of about 2 million printed books. Writing and reading require specialized hardware, but the data becomes immutable once etched and demands no ongoing temperature control. The project, known as Project Silica, involves Microsoft Research Cambridge and collaborators such as Richard Black and Long Qian. Some experts call it a deployable archival system that could reshape data-centre storage.

Nothing Phone 4a leak reveals higher European pricing and specs

February 19, 2026, 1:36 AM EST. Dealabs, a French outlet, outlines what the Nothing Phone 4a series may offer ahead of its March 5 launch. The standard 4a would come in 8GB/256GB and 12GB/256GB, with a Pro in 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB – though storage is unverified. The 4a reportedly sports a triple 50MP rear camera, a 32MP selfie cam, a 6.78-inch 1.5K OLED display with 30-120Hz, a Glyph Bar with 63 LEDs and 50W charging. The Pro adds a 50MP main sensor, up to 140x zoom, a rear Glyph Matrix display, a 6.83-inch 1.5K OLED at 144Hz and an aluminum body; wireless charging may be omitted. In Europe, pricing is tipped at €389 for the standard and €479 for the Pro, higher than the 3a lineup. Colors: 4a Black/White/Blue/Pink; Pro Black/Silver/Pink.

AsteroidOS 2.0 brings major updates to open-source smartwatch OS

February 19, 2026, 1:34 AM EST. AsteroidOS, the Linux-based open-source smartwatch OS, released version 2.0 after nearly eight years since 1.0. The update adds Always-on Display, Tilt-to-wake, Palm-to-sleep, Nightstand mode, and a Heart Rate Monitor app, plus a Flashlight and initial step counting. It delivers music volume controls, Bluetooth HID and audio support, and broader compatibility across more than two dozen watches. The release introduces a new QuickPanel to replace QuickSettings, offering more app shortcuts and toggles, and adds seven new App Launcher styles. Wallpapers and watch-face gallery are refreshed, with new background animations and updates to the weather, timer, and calculator apps. Language support expands to 49 languages, and roughly 20 additional watches gain full or partial support.

Maine weighs moratorium on large AI data centers

February 19, 2026, 1:32 AM EST. Maine lawmakers are weighing a moratorium on large AI data centers, setting a 20-megawatt power threshold and creating a council to study financial, environmental and community impacts. Sponsored by Rep. Melanie Sachs, the bill would pause new centers while assessments proceed. Proponents say a temporary halt is needed as these facilities are large energy users. Opponents warned the move could stifle economic development and push projects to other states. The Lewiston Bates Mill No. 3 proposal, costing about $300 million and promising up to 30 jobs and $800,000 in annual tax revenue, was rejected after public opposition. Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline urged more public engagement for future plans. A council report is due by February 2027, and the moratorium runs through the end of the next legislative session.

Three wishlist items for the 2026 Apple TV 4K: more power, HDMI passthrough, and chassis tweaks

February 19, 2026, 1:28 AM EST. Apple's upcoming TV 4K refresh is expected to surface within weeks. The current Apple TV 4K (2022) remains highly rated, with rumours centring on a faster chip-likely the A17 Pro borrowed from the iPhone 15 Pro family. The main wishlist item is more processing power to unlock console-grade gaming and richer Apple Intelligence. A second ask is HDMI passthrough to route other devices directly from the home screen, potentially requiring a chassis redesign. The piece notes existing port options: the 64GB model has only power and HDMI, while the 128GB version adds Ethernet. A third wishlist element is hinted but not elaborated.

Google and Apple bring AI-generated music features to mainstream apps

February 19, 2026, 1:16 AM EST. Google and Apple are embedding generative AI music tools in mainstream apps. Gemini can create 30-second tracks from text, photos or video using Lyria 3, with lyrics or instrumental output in multiple languages. Desktop access is live; a mobile rollout will follow in the coming days. Nano Banana will generate custom cover art to accompany tracks when users share links. Free users can make up to 10 tracks daily; paid tiers offer 20-100 daily, based on plan. Separately, Playlist Playground in Apple Music lets users turn prompts into playlists with 25 songs plus cover art and a description, via iOS 26.4 in beta and broader this spring. The shifts intensify competition with Spotify and show AI moving into consumer audio products.

Tokyo's Ghost in the Shell Exhibition Uses AR Glasses to Celebrate 30-Year Franchise

February 19, 2026, 1:10 AM EST. Tokyo marks 30 years of Ghost in the Shell with a franchise-wide exhibition that blends art and tech. Visitors experience AR through Xreal Air 2 Ultra glasses to illuminate production sketches, cels and storyboard materials from the 1995 original to Netflix CG works like Arise, plus an upcoming preview from Science Saru. The show pairs analog drawing with digital access: opening rooms feature PCs displaying dialogue, sketches and music; the main gallery hosts digitized assets and a hard drive archive. New artworks probe humanity, AI and the body within the series' cyberpunk world. The AR setup is unusual, among the first uses of AR glasses at this scale in a museum context.

Google confirms Pixel 10a launch with trade-in offers and new camera features

February 19, 2026, 1:08 AM EST. Google confirms the Pixel 10a launch and trade-in incentives. The device weighs 183 g, 3 g lighter than the Pixel 9a. It uses Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, up from Gorilla Glass 3 on the 9a. Brightness jumps to 2,000 nits (100% APL) and 3,000 nits (5% APL). New camera features include Camera Coach, Macro Focus and Auto Best Take, not on the 9a. Prices start at $499/£499/€549 for 128 GB, with 256 GB at $599/£599/€649. Trade-in bonuses of $100/£100/€100 are offered; US buyers receive a free Pixel Buds 2a, Europe gets a 50% discount. Pre-orders kick off on March 5.

Meta's Nvidia pledge spotlights Nvidia's AI-chip edge as memory rally widens

February 19, 2026, 1:06 AM EST. Meta's pledge to spend billions on Nvidia chips underscores Nvidia's central role in the AI buildout. The leadership in AI hardware has shifted in recent months from Nvidia's GPUs to memory and storage plays, as demand for DRAM and SSDs climbs and prices rise. Two charts compare Nvidia with memory-and-storage peers since August: Nvidia up about 4% on total return, while Sandisk soars, and Western Digital and Micron more than triple; Seagate gains about 166%. Some investors redirected funds from Nvidia into these names, hoping to ride memory-and-storage momentum without expanding semiconductor exposure. Meta's deal could restore focus on Nvidia's technology advantages and IP, potentially supporting its valuation as AI workloads grow. Note that memory prices could be passed to Nvidia customers, a concern for GPU demand.

Hyundai, Kia cut EV prices in South Korea to counter BYD and Tesla

February 19, 2026, 1:04 AM EST. Hyundai and Kia cut EV prices in South Korea, offering discounts on the IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, EV3 and EV5 to counter price cuts by BYD and Tesla. Hyundai also slashed interest rates on its main EVs to 2.8% from 5.4%, with a 36-month installment plan and a vehicle-return deferral. Example: IONIQ 5 Standard Range could be driven for 36 months with a 310,000 won monthly payment, about 50,000 won less than before. With all discounts, buyers can save up to 5.5m won on IONIQ 5, 6.5m won on IONIQ 6 and 6.1m won on Kona Electric. Kia's EV3 saw discounts up to 3m won and 0% interest. The moves follow Tesla's December price cuts and BYD's Dolphin launch in Korea next month, targeting Hyundai Casper Electric and Kia EV3.

Hyundai, Kia cut EV prices in South Korea to counter BYD and Tesla

February 19, 2026, 1:02 AM EST. Hyundai and Kia trimmed EV prices in South Korea, cutting list prices and expanding financing to blunt recent cuts by rivals. Hyundai rolled out promotions on the IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, and Kona Electric, while Kia cut prices on popular models by up to 3 million won and touted an ultra-low-interest, 0% plan. The group said total savings can reach about 5.5 million won on the IONIQ 5, 6.5 million on the IONIQ 6, and 6.1 million on the Kona Electric, with rates dropping from 5.4% to 2.8% and a 36-month installment option that allows deferring payments to the end and paying the residual. Tesla also cut prices in December, and BYD prepares the Dolphin for Korea, heightening a price war.

Rare Tesla Semi sighting in public traffic as production ramps up

February 19, 2026, 1:00 AM EST. An image of a Tesla Semi spotted in Fresno circulated on Reddit, highlighting how rare the Class 8 electric truck remains after production delays since its 2017 unveiling; first deliveries went to customers like PepsiCo in 2022. By 2025, the Guardian estimated Tesla had delivered about 1.64 million vehicles, down from 1.79 million in 2024. Still, producers and analysts expect volume production to accelerate this year, and a dedicated Semi factory in Reno, Nevada aims to churn out up to 50,000 Semis annually, per Supercar Blondie. The truck uses about 1.7 kilowatt-hours per mile, offering an estimated range near 500 miles per charge. The sighting fuels optimism for quieter highways, while some observers anticipate a 2026 ramp that could broaden access to lower-emission freight. A Redditor called the moment 'super cool'.

NOOK Reading Tablet 8.7 set for March 19, 2026 launch

February 19, 2026, 12:58 AM EST. Barnes & Noble unveiled the NOOK Reading Tablet 8.7, shipping March 19, 2026 at $149.99 in Seafoam Green and Luna Gray. It features an 8.7-inch HD IPS display with 480 nits brightness, an anti-fingerprint coating and TÜV Rheinland certification for low blue light. Reading modes include Grayscale Reading for black-and-white text and Chromatic Reading for color content. Power comes from a MediaTek Helio G85 octa-core at 1.8 GHz, with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage (expandable to 1 TB via microSD). Dual speakers with Dolby Atmos, a 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth 5.1, front 2MP and rear 8MP cameras, USB-C, and a 5,100 mAh battery. It runs Android 15, preinstalled NOOK apps, and Google Play. Access to about 4.5 million NOOK books, magazines, over 1 million audiobooks, and manga; positioned as a successor to the Lenovo 2024 model.

Rare Tesla Semi sighting in traffic signals ramp-up for mass production

February 19, 2026, 12:56 AM EST. A Reddit user captured a rare Tesla Semi in Fresno, posting the image to r/teslamotors. The sighting highlights how the truck remains infrequent in public traffic, a consequence of production delays since the 2017 reveal and first deliveries in 2022 to customers including PepsiCo. In 2025, Tesla's car deliveries were reported at about 1.64 million units, down from roughly 1.79 million in 2024, per the Guardian, tempering expectations but leaving room for optimism in 2026-27. Elon Musk has reiterated volume production this year, alongside plans for a dedicated Semi factory in Reno, Nevada capable of about 50,000 Semis annually. The electric Class 8 truck uses about 1.7 kWh per mile, enabling roughly a 500-mile range per charge. Public interest remains high as sightings persist.

L&T, NVIDIA to build India's gigawatt-scale AI factory under IndiaAI Mission

February 19, 2026, 12:54 AM EST. Mumbai – Larsen & Toubro announced a venture with NVIDIA to create sovereign, scalable GW-scale AI factory infrastructure under the IndiaAI Mission. The project targets domestic enterprises, policymakers and global hyperscalers from an India-based hub, pairing L&T's engineering and execution with NVIDIA GPUs, CPUs, networking, storage and the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software stack. It envisions a gigawatt-scale data center factory delivering AI-ready capacity for high-density workloads across manufacturing, energy, financial services, healthcare and public services. Initial capacity includes a 30 MW GPU cluster at a Chennai data center on a 300-acre campus and a 40 MW new site in Mumbai. The venture seeks a sovereign-by-design platform enabling data, models and workloads to stay in India while interoperating with global ecosystems, signaling production-scale AI locally.

Starlink connects Antarctic Guard troops to outside world

February 19, 2026, 12:52 AM EST. Starlink is expanding internet access for the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing in Antarctica, a big shift from earlier, paper-based updates at McMurdo Station. The wing's four ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft and about 250 airmen are supporting the Southern Hemisphere summer research season. Col. Steven Slosek called Starlink a game changer for keeping troops connected with loved ones, with phones able to access the internet and regular contact possible. At Williams Field, crew can use about 2 gigabytes of data weekly, with the potential to raise capacity via paid plans. The wing tested the service for roughly $400 per month last season and added equipment to cover all Williams Field buildings. In crowded conditions at McMurdo, access remains more limited.

DJI Osmo Pocket 4 rumored after Malaysia store sighting, The New Camera reports

February 19, 2026, 12:50 AM EST. A report by The New Camera says a customer entered a DJI Authorized drone store in Malaysia to show off a purported DJI Osmo Pocket 4, described as the next-generation steadicam. The store reportedly used videos sourced from Instagram and TikTok, which The New Camera published. The item appears to be early-stage marketing material and is not confirmed by DJI. Observers note there is only a slim chance of a U.S. release in the near term.

Massachusetts secures $18.8 million to expand broadband access in rural communities

February 19, 2026, 12:48 AM EST. Boston – The Healey-Driscoll Administration has secured $18.8 million in federal funding to expand universal broadband access across Massachusetts. The grant, provided through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, will reach 251 communities and connect all remaining unserved areas to high-speed internet. The governor noted on social media that access to the internet is essential for work, staying connected with loved ones and obtaining government services.

Huawei teases Ultra-precision Positioning for Runner smartwatch

February 19, 2026, 12:42 AM EST. Huawei is teasing a smarter location feature for its upcoming Runner smartwatch. The company says the device will include Ultra-precision Positioning to track steps and position more accurately, addressing satellite signal challenges. Officials say the feature delivers sub-meter accuracy outdoors and centimeter-level positioning indoors (centimeter-level means a position within a few centimeters). A new teaser video shows three challenge environments-Skyscrapers, Urban Canyon, and Bored Tunnel-where GPS and reflections can degrade signals. The exact technology behind the positioning remains unclear. Huawei has previously asserted the watch will support runners with smarter performance features; more details are expected in the run-up to a formal launch.

Germ Network launches native end-to-end encrypted messenger inside Bluesky app

February 19, 2026, 12:40 AM EST. Bluesky has integrated Germ Network's technology to bring end-to-end encrypted messaging directly into the Bluesky app. Germ DM becomes the first private messenger that can be launched natively within Bluesky, with an iOS App Clip that opens from a profile and authenticates via the AT Protocol handle. The integration lets Germ users add a badge on their Bluesky profile so others can message them in an encrypted environment that cannot be decrypted by any service, including Bluesky. Built on MLS and the AT Protocol standards, the setup avoids phone numbers. Germ also published guidance for other AT Protocol apps to implement similar private messaging. Germ's iOS beta is live in North America and Europe; daily usage spiked after the announcement.

AirPods Pro 3 second model rumored to include infrared cameras for AI features

February 19, 2026, 12:36 AM EST. Roughly months after the AirPods Pro 3 launch, reports say Apple is preparing a second, higher-end model with infrared (IR) cameras. The cameras would power AI features and a concept called Visual Intelligence that helps interpret the outside world, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. A separate leak from Instant Digital says the new variant could drop pressure-sensitive stem buttons in favor of hand gestures, though Apple might offer a version with both controls. The standard AirPods Pro 3 would remain, while the camera-equipped model would sit at a higher price. The plan mirrors Apple's tendency to ship closely related models at different price points. If true, two AirPods Pro 3 lines would coexist this year.

Rockets set for multiple launches at Vandenberg in the week ahead

February 19, 2026, 12:34 AM EST. Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County is set for up to three launches next week, part of seven February flights so far. SpaceX dominates Southern California activity, but Firefly Aerospace plans a return-to-flight with its Alpha rocket after a 2025 mishap. Launch windows can shift, so watchers should check for updates. On Wednesday, Feb. 18, SpaceX will deploy 25 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 4E using a Falcon 9, midnight to 4 a.m. PT, with a booster landing on the Of Course I Still Love You drone ship in the Pacific. Also on Feb. 18, Firefly targets its return-to-flight for the Stairway to Seven Alpha from Space Launch Complex 2W. On Saturday, Feb. 21, SpaceX repeats with Starlink 17-26, noon-4 p.m. PT, at 4E, booster landing again on the drone ship.

Apple Music Connect returns as a promotion hub for record labels

February 19, 2026, 12:32 AM EST. Apple has revived the name Apple Music Connect, repurposing it as a promotion hub for record labels and music distributors. The service, listed as part of Apple Music for Partners, combines social templates for posts on Twitter and Instagram with a centralized toolkit. It mirrors Apple Podcasts Connect in its design-one destination for promotion, pitching and media requests. Under Promote, labels can add artwork to templates to build momentum around a release. Pitch lets labels submit release data to Apple Music editorial teams worldwide. Media Requests asks for publicity images from labels. The package also covers embedded players, badges and affiliate links. Access is limited to industry contacts; Apple does not offer general signups.

Top AI Investor Gavin Baker Bets Big on Nvidia With Leveraged Call Options

February 19, 2026, 12:30 AM EST. Veteran tech investor Gavin Baker of Atreides Management is making one of his boldest bets on NVIDIA via leveraged call options (a bet that the stock will rise). The 13F filing shows Baker added exposure to about 3.5 million NVIDIA shares in calls, signaling near-term bullishness. The move comes as Meta Platforms deepens its GPU tie-up with NVIDIA, including Blackwell and Rubin chips, while pursuing its own MTIA chips. NVIDIA reported Q3 FY2026 revenue of $57.01 billion, with Data Center at $51.2 billion; Huang touted surging demand for cloud GPUs. NVIDIA trades around $190, with bulls pricing a Wall Street consensus target near $254 and upside if 2027 EPS hits $9-$10 versus a $7.76 street view. Baker also piled into Astera Labs, holdings jumping to about 1.6 million shares, a 2,500% jump, even as the stock has slid recently.

SpaceX to resume Bahamian rocket landings after debris incident

February 19, 2026, 12:28 AM EST. SpaceX will resume landing rockets in the Bahamas after the Civil Aviation Authority of The Bahamas (CAA-B) cleared the move on Feb. 17. The approval follows a regulatory review tied to a Starship test-flight debris incident that showered parts of the islands last year. CAA-B said all required regulatory and environmental clearances are in place. The Bahamas deal, announced in 2025, allows Falcon 9 first stages launched from Florida to target Exuma Sound drone ships for landings on Starlink missions. A Bahamian landing occurred Feb. 18, 2025, during a Starlink launch. SpaceX had projected 20 Bahamas touchdowns but had only one prior to the review. The Starship program continued with flights through mid-2025, culminating in several successful later flights.

Meta reboots smartwatch plan, aims debut later this year, Information reports

February 19, 2026, 12:26 AM EST. Meta Platforms plans to revive its smartwatch project, Malibu 2, with a later-this-year release, the Information reported, citing two people familiar with the matter. The device would include health tracking and a built-in AI assistant. Meta previously explored a smartwatch about five years ago, including a three-camera variant, but shelved the effort in 2022 as its Reality Labs unit tightened spending. Meta declined to comment. The move signals renewed emphasis on wearables amid an AI-driven gadget wave focused on health and fitness. Meta's Ray-Ban smartglasses remain in development, and the company is reassessing timelines to avoid customer confusion from multiple launches. Reality Labs delayed the MR Phoenix glasses to 2027; Ray-Ban Display glasses paused international expansion due to U.S. demand.

Apple to add voice-based AI chatbots to CarPlay ahead of iOS 26.4 release in March

February 19, 2026, 12:24 AM EST. Apple plans to bring voice-based conversational apps to CarPlay, according to its latest developer guide. The feature would let users interact with chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude on the dashboard. Developers will need to meet Apple's CarPlay review process to participate. The rollout is expected with iOS 26.4 in March, currently in beta. Key limits apply: no wake words, drivers must use dashboard controls to start the app, and responses can't display text or images. Apps won't control the vehicle or iPhone, or related devices. Interactions are restricted to basic chatbot conversations-useful for brainstorming or venting but not for home security, medical, financial or tax advice. Apple also warns users to double-check outputs to avoid hallucinations.

Rivian's path to beating Tesla hinges on profitability and scale, AutoGuide says

February 19, 2026, 12:22 AM EST. In this AutoGuide podcast excerpt, Greg Migliore speaks with veteran auto journalist Jamie Butters about the future of Rivian and Tesla. The hosts describe Rivian's attempt to play the Tesla playbook: start with a costly flagship to absorb battery costs, then drive efficiency and volume. The big test is whether Rivian can produce a profitable-or at least breakeven-$45,000 model that still resembles its current design. If not, Rivian risks a limited footprint beyond software services. The discussion frames the path to a meaningful market share around profitability and scale, with the industry watching whether Rivian can deliver a true mass-market moment similar to Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y era.

Two quirky websites offer instant internet fun: TV Garden and Make My Drive Fun

February 19, 2026, 12:18 AM EST. Two simple sites aim to spark curiosity and cut boredom. TV Garden lets users pick a country on an interactive world map to stream free TV channels from that location; it includes round-the-clock US news and entertainment options across dozens of channels. Make My Drive Fun helps plan long road trips by highlighting interesting stops along the route, from museums to oversized landmarks. Both sites emphasize surprise discoveries over heavy content, and require no signup for core features. They illustrate how lightweight tools can surface free content, travel-inspired discoveries, and interactive maps to brighten a browser session.

China's Zhipu AI drives price war as US firms retain pricing power

February 19, 2026, 12:16 AM EST. Prices for AI access are falling in China, where Zhipu AI offers entry-level models for about $3 a month, challenging US peers whose plans run around $20 and enterprise contracts in the millions. Since its January HK debut, Zhipu AI has surged about 300% in market value, to roughly $29 billion, yet US giants remain far larger: OpenAI near $500 billion and Anthropic about $350 billion in latest rounds. Markets expect US firms to maintain pricing power and control over high-margin segments, while users tolerate higher prices. US advantages include larger revenue bases and enterprise ties; OpenAI and Anthropic benefit from cloud-provider backing. Geopolitics, data security, and export rules limit use in some markets, but the gap narrows in benchmarks and Chinese research output.

Two quirky websites that make the Internet fun again

February 19, 2026, 12:10 AM EST. Two playful, browser-based picks aim to reduce boredom. TV Garden lets you pick a country on a world map and stream free channels from that location, offering hard news and entertainment across dozens of options. The reviewer notes a US news channel that runs round-the-clock coverage. Make My Drive Fun helps plan a road trip and surface stops along the way-museums, quirky landmarks, and other sights to break up the drive. Together, they show how lightweight online experiences can spark curiosity without sign-ups or payments. For more recommendations, subscribe to PCWorld's Try This newsletter.

Pixel 9a gains Auto Frame AI cropping to improve photo composition

February 19, 2026, 12:02 AM EST. Google Pixel phones include AI-powered camera tricks, with Auto Frame expanding those tools. Launched with the Pixel 9 series and later added to the Pixel 9a, Auto Frame automatically crops and resizes photos for stronger framing. The tool uses AI to identify the subject and adjust cropping-centering the subject or changing the aspect ratio, and, in some cases, zooming or trimming edges. It can also employ generative AI to expand the scene, creating a wider look. Auto Frame presents several AI-adjusted options, which users can skim and pick. If desired, expanded AI frames can be skipped. A refresh button loads new options. To use it: Photos > Edit > Tools > Crop > Auto Frame; choose an option and Save as copy. It sits in the Google Photos crop tool, not as visible as Magic Editor.

Intel down after Nvidia stakes $5 billion to back AI-foundry reset

February 19, 2026, 12:00 AM EST. Intel faces pressure as Nvidia takes a $5 billion stake and deepens AI collaboration while CEO Lip-Bu Tan pursues a bold AI-reset. The deal aims to restore manufacturing credibility and win third-party foundry volume, but near-term guidance remains weak and foundry losses persist amid data-center competition. The partnership could align Intel's 18A process and packaging with blue-chip customers alongside AI PC and data-center GPU plans, potentially shifting the investment narrative. Yet investors should weigh ongoing losses, moderate yields, and execution risk against this strategic collaboration. The market implications could recalibrate expectations for Intel's path to sustainable profitability and 3rd-party foundry growth.