Technology 3 February 2026

OpenAI eyes faster ChatGPT chips as it weighs Nvidia alternatives and $100B talks drag
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OpenAI eyes faster ChatGPT chips as it weighs Nvidia alternatives and $100B talks drag

OpenAI is seeking alternatives to Nvidia’s latest AI chips to speed up inference for products like ChatGPT, sources say. Nvidia, OpenAI, and Oracle denied reports of friction over Nvidia’s planned investment. Nvidia shares fell about 3% Tuesday morning as investors reacted to the news. OpenAI has held talks with AMD and startups but says Nvidia still powers most of its operations.
February 3, 2026
Waymo’s $16 Billion Cash Haul Pushes Valuation to $126 Billion — Here’s What Changes Now
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Waymo’s $16 Billion Cash Haul Pushes Valuation to $126 Billion — Here’s What Changes Now

Waymo raised $16 billion in new funding, lifting its valuation to $126 billion. Dragoneer, DST Global, and Sequoia led the round, with Alphabet staying as majority owner. Waymo says it logged 15 million trips in 2025 and now operates over 400,000 weekly rides across six U.S. metro areas. The company plans to expand its robotaxi fleet into at least 20 more cities in 2026.
February 3, 2026
China’s ‘Hidden’ Door Handle Ban Targets Tesla-Style Designs From 2027
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China’s ‘Hidden’ Door Handle Ban Targets Tesla-Style Designs From 2027

China will require all new cars to have visible door handles and a mechanical release that works without electricity starting Jan. 1, 2027. Existing models have until Jan. 1, 2029, to comply. The rule targets flush, electronic handles used by Tesla and others after safety concerns. An analyst warned the change could force costly redesigns and influence global regulations.
February 3, 2026
Google Cloud lands Liberty Global in five-year Gemini AI deal across Europe
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Google Cloud lands Liberty Global in five-year Gemini AI deal across Europe

Google Cloud and Liberty Global signed a five-year agreement to deploy Gemini AI and cloud technologies across Liberty’s European operations, the companies said Tuesday. The deal includes AI-powered TV search, automated customer service, and autonomous network management. Liberty will also expand sales of Google devices and run some Google Cloud services in its own data centres.
February 3, 2026
Paris prosecutors raid X offices, summon Elon Musk as Grok deepfake probe widens
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Paris prosecutors raid X offices, summon Elon Musk as Grok deepfake probe widens

French authorities raided X’s Paris office Tuesday as part of a cybercrime investigation now expanded to include AI chatbot Grok and sexually explicit deepfakes, some allegedly involving minors. Prosecutors summoned Elon Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino for questioning on April 20. UK and EU regulators have also launched probes into X and its AI services over data handling and harmful content. X has not commented on the raid or summons.
February 3, 2026
Siemens Energy’s $1 billion U.S. bet: new Mississippi switchgear plant taps AI power boom
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Siemens Energy’s $1 billion U.S. bet: new Mississippi switchgear plant taps AI power boom

Siemens Energy will invest $1 billion in U.S. manufacturing, including a new grid-equipment plant in Mississippi set to open in 2028. CEO Christian Bruch cited surging demand from data centres, with about 20 gigawatts of generation capacity tied to U.S. data-centre projects. Grid expansion faces delays due to equipment shortages and slow connections. The U.S. is now Siemens Energy’s top market for orders.
February 3, 2026
NXP’s upbeat forecast hints industrial-chip bottom — but telecom slump knocks shares
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NXP’s upbeat forecast hints industrial-chip bottom — but telecom slump knocks shares

NXP Semiconductors forecast first-quarter revenue of $3.05–$3.25 billion, above analyst estimates, citing strong demand in automotive and industrial markets. Fourth-quarter revenue reached $3.34 billion, with adjusted earnings of $3.35 per share, both beating forecasts. Shares fell about 5% after hours, pressured by an 18% drop in communications infrastructure revenue. Automotive sales totaled $1.88 billion for the quarter.
February 3, 2026
Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 quietly revamps Pixel Adaptive Connectivity — what the new toggles do
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Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 quietly revamps Pixel Adaptive Connectivity — what the new toggles do

Google has split Pixel’s Adaptive Connectivity feature into two separate toggles in Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2: “Auto-switch to mobile network” and “Optimize network for battery life,” both enabled by default. The change follows an update to Adaptive Connectivity Services. The new options replace the previous single switch and warn users about possible data charges. A stable rollout is expected in March.
February 3, 2026
Firefox adds an AI kill switch — Mozilla lets you block every generative AI feature
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Firefox adds an AI kill switch — Mozilla lets you block every generative AI feature

Firefox 148 will launch Feb. 24 with a new “Block AI enhancements” toggle, letting users disable all current and future generative AI features. Mozilla says the master switch covers tools like translations, AI alt text, tab grouping, and sidebar chatbots. Individual AI features can still be managed separately. Settings persist across updates and can be changed at any time.
February 3, 2026
Turning off Google’s AICore on Samsung phones sounds easy — here’s what changes
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Turning off Google’s AICore on Samsung phones sounds easy — here’s what changes

Tests on Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE showed some Galaxy AI features stopped working locally when Google’s AICore was disabled, shifting tasks to the cloud. Samsung says users can enable on-device processing, but many AI tools still rely on cloud services. Google’s AICore supplies up-to-date AI models like Gemini Nano for Android apps. Some users report better battery life after disabling AICore.
February 3, 2026
Apple warns of iPhone chip squeeze as DRAM prices tipped to jump up to 95% — Micron Technology back in spotlight
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Apple warns of iPhone chip squeeze as DRAM prices tipped to jump up to 95% — Micron Technology back in spotlight

Apple warned analysts its March-quarter results will be hit by shortages of advanced processors from TSMC and rising memory costs. CEO Tim Cook said supply constraints and surging DRAM prices are pressuring margins. Samsung and SK hynix expect shortages to persist into 2027. Apple shares rose 4% in early U.S. premarket trading Tuesday; Micron and TSMC also gained.
February 3, 2026
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