Artur Ślesik

Japan-U.S. $550B plan eyes synthetic diamond plant in U.S. as China export curbs bite

Japan-U.S. $550B plan eyes synthetic diamond plant in U.S. as China export curbs bite

Japan and the U.S. are in talks to build a synthetic diamond plant in the U.S., sources say, as part of Japan’s $550 billion investment plan. The move comes as China tightens export controls on artificial diamonds, which are critical for chipmaking and precision tools. No formal agreements have been signed, and discussions involve Element Six, a De Beers division. A Hitachi-linked power project is also in early stages.
January 27, 2026
EU tightens screws on Google: Brussels moves to open Gemini features and Search data to rivals

EU tightens screws on Google: Brussels moves to open Gemini features and Search data to rivals

The European Commission opened two proceedings against Google on Tuesday to enforce the Digital Markets Act, focusing on Android interoperability for third-party AI and access to Google Search data on FRAND terms. Preliminary findings are expected in three months, with the process set to conclude in six. Google says it already complies, while EU officials stress equal access for rivals.
January 27, 2026
Nike investigates alleged 1.4TB data leak after “World Leaks” hacking claim

Nike investigates alleged 1.4TB data leak after “World Leaks” hacking claim

Nike is investigating a possible data breach after the group World Leaks claimed to have leaked 1.4 terabytes of company files online. Cybernews and The Register reported the files appear to contain design and manufacturing data, not customer or employee personal information. Nike has not confirmed what was stolen or if a ransom was demanded. Shares of Nike were unchanged late Monday morning.
January 26, 2026
VinFast’s cheap self-driving play: Autobrains deal targets Tesla-style “Robo-Car” tech

VinFast’s cheap self-driving play: Autobrains deal targets Tesla-style “Robo-Car” tech

VinFast and Autobrains announced a partnership to develop affordable autonomous driving tech using a camera-based “Robo-Car” system, now piloted on VF 8 and VF 9 models in Hanoi. The setup uses seven cameras and a chip, avoiding LiDAR, radar, and high-definition maps. Broader testing is planned for larger cities and international markets. The companies aim to expand beyond current Level 2 driver-assistance features.
January 26, 2026
EU puts WhatsApp Channels under toughest Digital Services Act rules, giving Meta until May

EU puts WhatsApp Channels under toughest Digital Services Act rules, giving Meta until May

The European Commission has designated WhatsApp’s Channels as a “very large online platform” under the Digital Services Act, citing 51.7 million monthly EU users. Meta must comply with stricter rules targeting illegal and harmful content by mid-May. The new obligations apply only to Channels, not private messaging. Oversight will involve both the Commission and Ireland’s digital regulator.
January 26, 2026
New James Webb dark matter map exposes the universe’s hidden “cosmic web” in record detail

New James Webb dark matter map exposes the universe’s hidden “cosmic web” in record detail

Scientists using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have produced the most detailed dark matter map of the COSMOS field, covering an area 2.5 times the size of the full Moon. The map, created through weak gravitational lensing, reveals the distribution of unseen mass by analyzing shape distortions in nearly 800,000 galaxies. Researchers say the data is twice as sharp as previous maps.
January 26, 2026
Nvidia’s open-source Earth-2 AI weather models drop as a U.S. winter storm tests forecasts

Nvidia’s open-source Earth-2 AI weather models drop as a U.S. winter storm tests forecasts

Nvidia unveiled new open AI weather models at a Houston meteorology conference, including Earth-2 Medium Range, which it says outperformed Google DeepMind’s GenCast on over 70 variables. The models run on GPUs for faster, more frequent forecasts and allow users to operate and customize them on their own hardware. Nvidia is releasing the models and tools as open source via Hugging Face.
January 26, 2026
Treasury Drops Booz Allen After Trump Tax Leak, Rattling Federal Contractor Trust

Treasury Drops Booz Allen After Trump Tax Leak, Rattling Federal Contractor Trust

The U.S. Treasury canceled all contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton, citing failures to protect sensitive IRS data. The department holds 31 contracts with the firm, totaling $4.8 million annually. The move follows the conviction of ex-contractor Charles Littlejohn, who leaked tax records of hundreds of thousands, including Donald Trump, between 2018 and 2020. Booz Allen has not responded to the termination.
January 26, 2026
Microsoft’s Maia 200 AI chip takes a swing at Nvidia’s CUDA lock-in as Azure rollout starts

Microsoft’s Maia 200 AI chip takes a swing at Nvidia’s CUDA lock-in as Azure rollout starts

Microsoft unveiled its Maia 200 AI inference chip on Monday, built on TSMC’s 3-nanometer process and featuring 216GB HBM3e memory. Initial deployment begins this week in Iowa, followed by Arizona. Microsoft claims Maia 200 outperforms Amazon’s Trainium and Google’s TPU in key benchmarks and will power OpenAI’s GPT-5.2 models on Azure. New software tools for Maia 200 include a development kit compatible with PyTorch.
January 26, 2026
Apple’s new AirTag goes louder and longer-range — and the price stays $29

Apple’s new AirTag goes louder and longer-range — and the price stays $29

Apple unveiled a new AirTag with a 50% louder speaker and extended Bluetooth and Precision Finding range, priced at $29. Precision Finding now works on newer Apple Watch models. The tracker supports temporary location sharing with airlines and remains compatible with existing accessories. Online orders opened Monday; retail availability starts later this week.
January 26, 2026
EU launches fresh X probe after Grok sexual deepfake outcry, widens algorithm case

EU launches fresh X probe after Grok sexual deepfake outcry, widens algorithm case

The European Commission has launched a formal Digital Services Act probe into X, focusing on Grok’s image tools and the spread of illegal sexual deepfakes. Regulators also expanded a separate investigation into X’s recommender algorithms. X says it has restricted image editing and location tracking, but the Commission warns new risks persist. No deadline has been set for the case.
January 26, 2026
IonQ to buy SkyWater for $1.8 billion to bring quantum chipmaking in-house

IonQ to buy SkyWater for $1.8 billion to bring quantum chipmaking in-house

IonQ will acquire SkyWater Technology in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $1.8 billion, giving SkyWater shareholders $35 per share. IonQ aims to use the foundry to accelerate development of quantum processors, targeting 200,000-qubit systems by 2028. SkyWater will operate as a subsidiary and keep its name. IonQ raised its 2025 revenue forecast following the announcement.
January 26, 2026
SpaceX GPS III-9 launch set for late Monday after Space Force swaps out ULA’s Vulcan

SpaceX GPS III-9 launch set for late Monday after Space Force swaps out ULA’s Vulcan

SpaceX plans to launch the U.S. Space Force’s GPS III-9 satellite late Monday from Cape Canaveral after the military reassigned the mission from ULA’s Vulcan rocket. Liftoff is set for 11:42 p.m. EST, with weather and booster recovery conditions still uncertain. The Falcon 9 booster will attempt a droneship landing in the Atlantic. Lockheed Martin built the satellite, the ninth in the GPS III series.
January 26, 2026
Windows 11 January 2026 update chaos: Microsoft probes boot failures as emergency fixes pile up

Windows 11 January 2026 update chaos: Microsoft probes boot failures as emergency fixes pile up

Microsoft is investigating Windows 11 boot failures tied to January security updates, with some users seeing “UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME” errors. Affected devices may need manual recovery, though virtual machines appear unaffected. On Jan. 24, Microsoft released patch KB5078127 to fix cloud storage and Outlook hangs. The company has not identified the root cause of the boot issues.
January 26, 2026