Business & Technology
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to feature live demo of home-assistance robot Stretch 4
Hello Robot co-founder Aaron Edsinger will demonstrate the Stretch 4 home-assistance robot live onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco this October. The robot is designed to help people with severe mobility impairments perform everyday tasks.
TechCrunch · 22 Sept, 17:46
Poland debates income threshold for widow's pension
Poland's social insurance institution ZUS says around 1.1 million people have received at least one widow's pension payment since the program began, while economists are calling for an income criterion to curb its rising costs.
PolsatNews.pl · 22 Sept, 16:56
ECB pushes for tougher EU crypto rules and broader ban on stablecoin interest
The European Central Bank is calling for an extended ban on stablecoin interest payments and stricter EU-wide rules on crypto exchanges and staking, as part of the review of the bloc's MiCA crypto regulation.
Euronews Business · 22 Sept, 16:49
Singapore's Nexstrom aims to bring 2D semiconductors into chip factories
Singapore startup Nexstrom has raised $12 million to develop technology for growing ultra-thin 2D material semiconductors directly on 300mm silicon wafers used in chip manufacturing.
TechCrunch · 22 Sept, 16:48
How to jump into VR on Steam without waiting for the Steam Frame headset
While Valve's $1,000 Steam Frame headset rolls out slowly through a reservation lottery, gamers can already play VR titles on Steam using the free SteamVR app with compatible existing hardware.
Engadget · 22 Sept, 16:46
How cheaper coding is changing which companies can even be started
Falling software development costs are letting small teams build businesses serving niche markets that were previously technically possible but financially uninteresting to venture capital. Europe's fragmented markets may be unusually well suited to this shift.
EU-Startups · 22 Sept, 16:44
Hamburg pushes for German-wide ban on artificial electric car engine sounds
Politicians from Hamburg's SPD and Green parties want Germany to ban artificial driving sounds that electric car makers add to mimic combustion engines, while keeping the safety warning system AVAS in place.
iAuto.lv · 22 Sept, 14:48
Six-month Euribor keeps climbing, nearing the 3% mark
The six-month Euribor rate, to which most Estonian home loans are tied, rose again at the start of this week, reaching its highest level in nearly two years. The rate is now less than a hundredth of a percentage point away from 3%.
ERR (rus) · 22 Sept, 14:47
GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Compact Cinema Camera Contender Faces Manual Focus Hurdles
Wired's review of GoPro's new interchangeable-lens Mission 1 Pro ILS camera found it delivers cinema-quality footage in a tiny body, though manual focusing on its small screen and lack of electronic aperture control present real challenges.
Wired · 22 Sept, 14:47
Ratcliffe's Ineos halts production at UK plants over gas costs
Billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos has suspended production at three Hull plants, saying UK gas prices are far higher than in the US and China. The move could affect up to 1,000 workers.
BBC England · 22 Sept, 14:44
Latvia's Economy Ministry proposes fuel VAT cut — prices could drop 17 cents per liter
Latvia's Economy Ministry has proposed lowering VAT on fuel from 21% to 12%, which could reduce diesel prices by 16–17 cents per liter and gasoline by 14–15 cents, but only if retailers pass the full discount on to consumers.
Jauns.lv · 22 Sept, 13:48
Finnish AI cloud company Verda becomes Europe's newest unicorn
Helsinki-based AI infrastructure company Verda has raised €164.8 million in new funding, reaching unicorn status. The capital will fund expansion of compute capacity and platform services.
EU-Startups · 22 Sept, 13:48
Wildberries Launches Test Ride-Hailing Service in Armenia
Russian retailer Wildberries & Russ has begun early testing of its WB Taxi ride-hailing service in Yerevan, aiming to challenge Yandex's regional dominance. Armenia is now the fourth country where the service is available.
The Moscow Times · 22 Sept, 13:45
How to Build a Home Security System Without a Monthly Subscription
Wired has compiled a list of smart home security devices that let users build a full security setup without recurring subscription fees, relying on local storage instead of the cloud. The trade-off is losing access to professional monitoring services.
Wired · 22 Sept, 13:44
Besançon startup Lightspring raises over €3.5 million to industrialise photonic chip packaging
French DeepTech startup Lightspring has raised over €3.5 million to move its 3D optical coupling technology from lab to production, targeting optical packaging costs that currently make up half of a photonic chip's price.
EU-Startups · 22 Sept, 11:49
EU plans to limit data centers' electricity and water use
The European Union is preparing minimum requirements for electricity and water consumption by data centers, Euronews reports.
LSM (rus) · 22 Sept, 10:46
Olpha awards scholarships to top RSU pharmacy students for the 16th time
Pharmaceutical company Olpha has for the 16th consecutive year granted scholarships to three outstanding pharmacy students at Riga Stradiņš University, bringing its total support to 96,000 euros. This year's recipients, all in their final year, will each receive 2,000 euros per month.
Dienas Bizness · 22 Sept, 10:45
Belgium's Spott raises €18.3 million to build AI system for recruitment agencies
Leuven-based Spott, which builds an AI-native applicant tracking and CRM platform for recruitment agencies, has raised €18.3 million in a Series A round. The funds will support expansion into the US and APAC markets.
EU-Startups · 22 Sept, 08:45
Subaru E-Outback: automaker's first in-house EV keeps off-road roots
Subaru has unveiled the E-Outback, its first fully in-house-built electric vehicle, which retains the off-road capability of the classic Outback wagon. Prices in Latvia start at €47,000.
iAuto.lv · 22 Sept, 08:44
Uzbekistan seeks City of London expertise for new financial centre
Uzbekistan is building closer ties with the City of London as it establishes the Tashkent International Financial Centre, which will operate under English common-law principles. The move aims to attract foreign investment and strengthen international business confidence.
Euronews Business · 22 Sept, 07:48
Government to review measures to cut fuel prices by 20 cents per liter
Latvia's Cabinet of Ministers will on Tuesday, September 22, consider measures that could reduce automotive fuel prices by 20 cents per liter, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs announced.
LSM (rus) · 22 Sept, 07:48
Global stock markets rise as oil prices continue to fall
World stock markets gained on Monday amid easing inflation concerns, while oil prices dropped sharply on hopes of a possible negotiated resolution to the Iran war.
Dienas Bizness · 22 Sept, 07:48
EU and Philippines reach 'substantial agreement' on free trade deal
The European Union and the Philippines have reached substantial agreement on the core terms of a free trade deal, though further negotiations will be needed in the coming months to formally conclude it.
Politico Europe · 22 Sept, 07:48
How to turn off your Google Maps location history
Google Maps can track and store everywhere users travel through its Timeline feature, but this tracking can be easily disabled through the app's settings. Google has also shifted to storing this data locally on devices rather than automatically in the cloud.
Engadget · 22 Sept, 06:50
PM Kulbergs Calls Emergency Cabinet Meeting Over Plan to Delist Russian Oligarchs from EU Sanctions
Latvian Prime Minister Kulbergs has called an emergency cabinet meeting for Tuesday after Latvia was asked to agree to removing oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the EU sanctions list in exchange for extending sanctions on everyone else for 36 months. Latvia is rejecting the proposal.
Dienas Bizness · 22 Sept, 06:47
Business leader: trade missions must deliver real deals, not just photo ops
Andris Ramoliņš, head of timber company Stiga RM, is calling for better preparation of state-organized trade missions so Latvian exporters meet genuinely interested partners rather than random contacts. He argues success should be measured by concluded deals, not by delegation size or media coverage.
Žurnāls Ir · 22 Sept, 06:46
How to turn an old Windows PC into a Chromebook for free
Google offers a free tool called ChromeOS Flex that gives aging computers no longer receiving security updates a new lease on life. Installation takes about an hour and requires no new hardware.
Engadget · 22 Sept, 05:48
BMW speeds up new iX3 launch in the US amid strong demand
BMW has accelerated the US market launch of its electric iX3 crossover due to high demand, with the American version offering more power and extended bidirectional charging features than European models.
iAuto.lv · 22 Sept, 05:48
Why your laptop fan gets so loud — and when to worry
A loud laptop fan is usually just normal cooling under heavy workloads, but constant noise during light tasks or rattling sounds can signal dust buildup or a failing bearing. Several settings changes can help reduce the noise.
Engadget · 22 Sept, 04:45
Saudi Arabia launches its first domestic automaker Ceer with two EVs
Saudi Arabia has established its first domestic car manufacturer, Ceer, a joint venture between the Public Investment Fund and Foxconn, unveiling two electric vehicles — a sedan and an SUV called Exobot. The project is part of the kingdom's Vision 2030 plan to diversify its economy away from oil.
Ars Technica · 22 Sept, 03:50
Apple's retail pioneer doubts AI will transform how people shop
Ron Johnson, who built Apple's retail store network, says tech companies are overestimating how much shopping people will hand over to AI agents. He believes physical stores will keep thriving.
TechCrunch · 22 Sept, 03:47
Apple's retail architect doubts Silicon Valley's AI shopping vision
Ron Johnson, who built Apple's retail store network, is skeptical that AI agents will take over major purchasing decisions, arguing physical stores will keep thriving as AI mainly makes shoppers better informed.
TechCrunch AI · 22 Sept, 03:47
Cut Fiber Cable Disrupts Hundreds of US Flights
Construction crews in New Jersey accidentally severed a Verizon fiber cable used for air traffic control, grounding flights at all three major New York City airports and contributing to over 1,000 flight cancellations nationwide.
The Verge · 22 Sept, 03:46
Why you should unplug your PC during a power outage
Power outages can damage a PC's internal components even when the device is switched off, so experts recommend unplugging it from the wall. A surge protector or uninterruptible power supply (UPS) offers additional protection.
Engadget · 22 Sept, 03:43
Spain's PM: Artificial intelligence must not fall under control of "tech oligarchs"
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for strict regulation of artificial intelligence to prevent the technology from falling exclusively under the control of large tech companies and so-called "tech oligarchs".
LSM · 22 Sept, 02:51
Trump touts major potash deal with Belarus, but Lukashenko says there's none left to sell
US President Donald Trump announced a forthcoming major deal to buy potash fertilizer from Belarus, but Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko says all of the country's output is already under contract.
Meduza · 22 Sept, 02:49