Innovation News: 7 August 2025 - 12 August 2025

November 19, 2025, 5:18 AM EST. Tesla is recalling about 10,500 Powerwall 2 AC Battery systems installed nationwide from November 2020 through December 2022 after the CPSC logged reports of overheating, including six cases of smoking and five fires. The incidents caused minor property damage but no injuries. The recall cites a lithium-ion cell issue that can cause certain units to stop functioning during use, leading to overheating. Tesla has remotely discharged affected online systems to reduce risk and will replace recalled units at no cost. Owners can check recall status in the Tesla App and contact Tesla at 1-877-961-7652 for replacement information.

November 19, 2025, 5:16 AM EST. Tech giants Nvidia and Microsoft announced a strategic investment in private AI startup Anthropic: Anthropic will buy about $30 billion of cloud computing capacity from Microsoft and commit up to 1 gigawatt of additional capacity, with the first gigawatt running on Nvidia's Grace Blackwell and Vera Rubin systems. In return, Nvidia and Microsoft will invest up to $10 billion and $5 billion in Anthropic, respectively. The deal deepens a web of ties among AI software makers, chipmakers and cloud operators, fueling concerns about an AI bubble on Wall Street. Shares of Nvidia and Microsoft slid after the news as investors questioned whether AI revenue will justify heavy data-center spending.

November 19, 2025, 5:14 AM EST. Apple releases iOS 26.2 public beta 2 with a raft of features. Highlights include AirDrop codes enabling contact-free sharing for 30 days, a refined Liquid Glass Level design in Measure, and iPadOS 26.2 multitasking updates that let you drag an app icon to enter Slide Over or Split View from the Dock. Leaked code hints at a default voice assistant option for the side button in Japan. The Games app gains sorting, filtering, and real-time score updates. Other changes include a Measure redesign, Edge Light on macOS 26 Tahoe, revised Sleep Score thresholds, and AI-powered enhancements to Apple Podcasts and Apple News. Detailed comments and read links accompany each item.

November 19, 2025, 5:12 AM EST. Illinois residents with iPhones will soon be able to add their driver's license or state ID to Apple Wallet, allowing secure presentation at participating businesses, online platforms, and select TSA checkpoints-including O'Hare and Midway in Chicago, and Lambert in St. Louis. Illinois becomes the 13th state to offer digital IDs in Apple Wallet. The launch is described as a 'game changer' by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, though a physical ID remains required. To add, open Apple Wallet, tap +, scan the physical card and submit a selfie for verification. A free Mobile ID Verifier app for businesses will also be available in the App Store to verify age for restricted purchases. The program will expand to Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet soon.

November 19, 2025, 5:10 AM EST. Amazon's AI shopping assistant Rufus is expanding with more than 50 upgrades to speed and usefulness, improving knowledge of shopping categories, product research, evaluation, search, and recommendations. The company says Rufus launched in beta last winter and rolled out nationwide in July 2024, and now sees triple-digit growth: more than 250 million customers used Rufus this year with monthly active users up 149% and interactions up 210% year over year. Customers who use Rufus while shopping are over 60% more likely to make a purchase on that trip. Analysts describe such bots as digital concierges, reshaping how merchants present data, while Amazon continues to invest in advertising and broader shopping experiences like Haul and Bazaar.