Intel shares fell 6.2% to $47.13 in after-hours trading Tuesday, extending recent declines amid weak U.S. retail sales and investor caution ahead of a delayed jobs report. The company lags chip sector
Vista Equity Partners is leading a Series E funding round of over $350 million for AI chip startup SambaNova, according to sources. Intel plans to invest about $100 million, with commitments possibly reaching $150 million. The round remains open and terms could change. Vista, SambaNova, and Intel declined to comment.
A fire broke out at the GSI Helmholtz Center in Darmstadt on February 5, forcing evacuation and delaying the FAIR particle accelerator project’s test phase indefinitely. Authorities blamed a short circuit in the high-voltage supply; no injuries were reported. Residents nearby were told to stay indoors. Damage estimates remain unknown.
Democratic U.S. senators have urged the Pentagon to investigate SpaceX over allegations that Chinese-linked investors secretly acquired stakes in the company. Lawmakers cited national security concerns tied to SpaceX’s military launches and Starlink network. The senators requested a response from the Defense Department by February 20.
Apple has released release candidate versions of its 26.3 OS updates to developers, including macOS Tahoe 26.3. Supply chain reports point to new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips arriving between February and March. An OLED MacBook Pro redesign is expected in late 2026, with Samsung Display set to begin production in May. Apple has not yet announced new MacBook Pro hardware.
Roblox launched a beta AI tool called “4D creation” that generates interactive in-game models from natural language prompts. The company says the tool aims to broaden creator access beyond experienced developers. Early users created over 160,000 objects using the feature. Roblox ended Q3 with more than 150 million average daily active users.
Two U.S. senators introduced a bill requiring federal rules for synthetic DNA sales, mandating providers to screen orders for sequences linked to dangerous pathogens. The proposal directs the Commerce Department to create regulations and maintain a federal “sequences of concern” list. Violations could trigger fines up to $750,000. The bill includes compliance audits and privacy-preserving order checks.
Google began rolling out the February 2026 Android 16 update to supported Pixel devices, including Pixel 7a and newer, Pixel Fold, and Pixel Tablet. The update addresses a high-severity VPU driver vulnerability, CVE-2026-0106, but adds no new features. Pixel 6 and 7 series are not included. Versions and rollout timing vary by region and carrier.
SpaceX has paused Falcon 9 launches after a second-stage issue followed Monday’s Starlink mission, which deployed 25 satellites from Vandenberg. The company is reviewing data and gave no timeline for resuming flights. NASA now targets February 11 at the earliest for its Crew-12 launch to the ISS. The FAA could not comment due to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown.
RELX, Wolters Kluwer, and Thomson Reuters shares dropped over 10% Tuesday after Anthropic launched a legal AI plug-in for its Claude chatbot. RELX lost up to 17%, its biggest one-day fall since 1988. Publicis also declined following earnings and a Barclays survey highlighting ad agencies' AI risk. The selloff spread to U.S. software stocks, with Microsoft, Oracle, and others falling in early trading.
Disabling Google’s AICore system service on a Samsung Galaxy S24 FE caused several Galaxy AI features to stop working locally, shifting some tasks to the cloud. Samsung says users can enable on-device processing, but many AI tools still rely on online servers. Google states AICore supplies up-to-date AI models for Android apps, including Gemini Nano. Some users report better battery life with AICore off, but storage use remains similar.
Scientists have detected methane directly in the coma of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, using data from the James Webb and Hubble space telescopes. Preprints report the comet’s nucleus measures about 2.6 km wide, larger than expected. 3I/ATLAS is fading as it leaves the inner solar system. Only three interstellar objects have been observed passing through our solar system to date.
NOAA reported a major X8.1 solar flare from sunspot region 4366, with minor effects from solar material possible around February 5. NASA detected four X-class flares between February 1 and early February 2, with the X8.1 event the strongest. U.S. forecasters raised the risk of radio blackouts and noted a slight chance of a minor radiation storm over the next two days. Most ejected material is expected to miss Earth.
Meta’s Reality Labs reported a $19.2 billion operating loss for 2025, with fourth-quarter losses at $6 billion on $955 million revenue. Meta expects Reality Labs’ losses in 2026 to remain near 2025 levels. The company has cut about 10% of the division’s staff, with reports suggesting up to 1,000 jobs affected. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said most investment will now target smart glasses and wearables.
Garmin released iOS app update 5.21.1 to fix sync issues between watches and phones after recent software changes. Some users must re-pair devices, which deletes Garmin Pay data. The problem affects only iOS, with reports from Fenix 8, Venu 4, and Forerunner 970 owners. Users say the update does not resolve all cases; some watches still fail to connect.
Android 16 runs on 7.5% of devices as of December 1, 2025, according to Google’s latest data. Android 15 leads with 19.3%, while Android 14 holds 17.2%. The distribution chart now tracks active devices on Google Play over a seven-day period. Android 4.4 KitKat no longer appears in the statistics.
Apple may delay the launch of higher-end MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips until the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3, now expected in February, according to multiple reports. Mac sales fell 7% year-over-year last quarter to $8.39 billion. A major MacBook Pro redesign with OLED and touch features is rumored for late 2026.
Samsung launched the Galaxy A07 5G in Malaysia, featuring a 6,000mAh battery, 6.7-inch 120Hz display, and Google Gemini integration. The phone starts at 699 ringgit and comes with six years of security updates. Samsung plans an India launch in early February. The device is also available in the Philippines and Myanmar, with prices starting around $140.
NASA’s TESS spacecraft captured new images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in January as it moves out of the solar system. The data, collected January 15–22, are now public. Scientists aim to analyze brightness changes to study the comet’s rotation and activity. 3I/ATLAS is only the third known interstellar object observed passing through the solar system.
Apple on Monday launched its second-generation AirTag, keeping the $29 price but boosting tracking range and speaker volume. Precision Finding now works on Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. iOS 26.2.1 adds AirTag (2nd gen) support, with no reported security vulnerabilities. Over 50 airlines now use Apple’s Share Item Location tool for baggage tracking.
Instagram suffered an outage Tuesday morning, with over 2,800 users reporting issues by 11:39 a.m. Pacific, according to Downdetector. Most complaints involved the mobile app. Reports dropped to normal levels by early Thursday. The cause of Tuesday’s outage remains unknown.
The FDA halted clinical trials of Regenxbio’s gene therapies RGX-111 and RGX-121 after a brain tumor was found in a child who received RGX-111. Shares dropped about 20% in early trading. The company is investigating whether the tumor is linked to the therapy. Regenxbio has not yet received the FDA’s full clinical hold letter.
C3.ai is in merger talks with Automation Anywhere, which could take the private software firm public through a reverse merger, according to The Information. C3.ai shares jumped about 4% in early trading after the report. Automation Anywhere was valued at $6.8 billion in a 2019 funding round. Neither company has commented on the report.
Cloudflare shares jumped 14% Tuesday, extending gains tied to buzz over a viral AI agent now called Moltbot. The company reports earnings February 10, giving investors an early look at whether AI-driven traffic translates into higher revenue. The agent uses Cloudflare’s network for secure, low-latency connections. Cloudflare says about 80% of top AI firms already rely on its infrastructure.
Leaked screenshots from an internal Android 17 build show Google testing a broader blur effect on core menus, including volume and power controls, and adding a new “Lock app” shortcut. The panels appear transparent, revealing wallpaper colors underneath. The design shift echoes Apple’s recent focus on translucent interface layers and raises concerns about readability. (9to5Google)
Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S26 at an Unpacked event on February 25, with South Korean sales starting March 11, according to leaker Ice Universe. Rumors suggest prices will match last year’s models, but rising component costs could affect some markets. The launch comes as rivals prepare spring releases. Samsung has not confirmed event details.
A security researcher discovered an unsecured database with 149 million usernames and passwords, including tens of millions linked to Gmail and Facebook accounts. The cache, traced to infostealer malware, was taken offline after the alert. The data included emails, passwords, and login URLs for banking, streaming, and crypto services. The database lacked encryption and had been exposed for nearly a month.