Business & Technology
US Candidates Sign Pledge for Tougher Data Center and AI Regulation
More than 15 candidates running for office across US states have signed the AI Pact, a pledge promising stronger regulation of data centers and artificial intelligence. The move reflects growing voter anxiety over data centers' environmental and economic impact.
Wired · 26 Aug, 20:43
Google unveils new Gemini model that turns rambling speech into structured text
Google has introduced Gemini 3.5 Transcribe, a new audio model that converts unstructured speech into formatted text and will soon work in any web field in Chrome. The model recognizes more than 85 languages and can distinguish up to three speakers.
Engadget · 26 Aug, 20:38
Meta to roll out sweeping restrictions for teens on Instagram and Facebook after states settlement
As part of an $18 billion settlement with 29 U.S. states over children's safety, Meta has agreed to introduce major new restrictions for teen users on Instagram and Facebook, including a daily time limit and a nighttime lockout.
TechCrunch · 26 Aug, 19:40
Apple sets September date for iPhone event, foldable phone expected
Apple has scheduled its next product event for September 9th, where it may finally unveil a long-rumored foldable iPhone. It will also be the first event under incoming CEO John Ternus.
The Verge · 26 Aug, 19:39
Study: Switching from gas heating to solar and heat pumps could pay off for German households
A new study finds that German households replacing gas heating with a solar panel, battery and heat pump system could save more than €12,000 over 25 years. This comes as Germany has recently eased earlier planned heating requirements.
Delfi · 26 Aug, 19:38
Xbox opens preorders for $900 25th anniversary bundle
Xbox has opened preorders for a limited 25th anniversary bundle priced at $900, featuring a translucent green Series X, though initially only select fans have access. General preorders open August 27.
Engadget · 26 Aug, 19:36
Frankfurt prepares for large-scale Automechanika 2026 auto aftermarket show
Automechanika Frankfurt 2026 will take place from September 8 to 12, 2026, bringing together more than 4,400 companies from over 80 countries. Organizers say participation has grown by about five percent compared to the previous edition.
iAuto.lv · 26 Aug, 18:41
Meta agrees to pay $17 billion to settle US lawsuits over kids' safety features
Meta has reached a preliminary agreement to pay $17 billion to settle lawsuits in the United States over children's safety features on its platforms, in what is being described as a major concession by the tech giant.
Politico Europe · 26 Aug, 18:38
Russians Rush to Cash as Digital Ruble Rollout Nears — How Worried Should the Kremlin Be?
Russian households and businesses have added 2.1 trillion rubles to their cash holdings this year, the largest increase since the war began, driven by communication outages, deposit fears and tax avoidance.
The Moscow Times · 26 Aug, 18:37
Volvo's electric cars will start warning each other about road hazards
Volvo has announced a new safety feature for three of its EV models that lets the cars communicate directly with one another to warn about animals, pedestrians and other hazards ahead. The system relies on vehicle-to-vehicle data sharing rather than crowdsourced reports used by typical navigation apps.
The Verge · 26 Aug, 18:36
WAN vs LAN: what the router ports on the back of your device actually do
Router ports may all look identical, but WAN and LAN serve very different purposes, and plugging a device into the wrong one can leave it without internet access.
Engadget · 26 Aug, 18:35
Seattle firm sets out to prove Moon helium-3 mining is actually feasible
US company Interlune is investigating whether the rare isotope helium-3, deposited in lunar soil by billions of years of solar wind, could realistically be extracted. Before any full-scale mining hardware is sent to the Moon, the underlying process needs to be shown to work.
Ars Technica · 26 Aug, 17:42
Ten European EdTech startups reshaping how students learn
Europe's EdTech sector continues to grow, with startups offering personalised learning tools for children, students and professionals. EU-Startups has compiled a list of ten such companies, ranging from literacy platforms to AI-powered tutors.
EU-Startups · 26 Aug, 17:40
Mystery solved: Z.ai revealed as maker of the buzzy Ox Alpha model
Chinese AI lab Z.ai has been confirmed as the creator of Ox Alpha, an anonymously released open-weight model that quickly climbed to the top of benchmark leaderboards over the weekend. The company said Ox Alpha is the latest entry in its GLM series and will release its weights on Wednesday.
TechCrunch AI · 26 Aug, 17:39
Meta to pay up to $18 billion to settle lawsuit over harms to young users
Meta has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by dozens of US states alleging it built Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to teens and improperly collected children's data. The company will pay up to $18 billion and roll out new safeguards for young users.
Engadget · 26 Aug, 17:38
Xbox unveils feature to convert physical game discs into digital copies
Microsoft has officially announced a new Xbox feature letting owners digitize their existing physical game libraries. Testing begins August 31st, with a wider rollout to follow in the coming months.
The Verge · 26 Aug, 17:38
Businesses must shift from automation to orchestration in customer service, says Tata Communications executive
A Tata Communications executive warns that companies are bolting AI tools onto outdated legacy systems, creating fragmented customer experiences. The fix, he says, is moving from automating single tasks to full orchestration.
VentureBeat AI · 26 Aug, 17:37
Meta to pay $17 billion, ending US states' lawsuit over harm to teens
Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add child-safety features to Facebook and Instagram to settle a lawsuit brought by 47 US states over social media's harm to teen mental health.
France 24 · 26 Aug, 17:36
Irish VC body urges government to mobilise €1 billion for startups, modelled on Denmark
The Irish Venture Capital and Private Equity Association wants the government to set up a fund-of-funds capable of unlocking around €1 billion in institutional capital for domestic startups, modelled on Denmark's Dansk Vækstkapital. The proposal is part of IVCA's Pre-Budget Submission 2027.
EU-Startups · 26 Aug, 16:43
Robot 'brain' builders admit physical AI is still in its early days
At the Actuate conference, developers building AI systems for robots acknowledged that physical AI remains far from mature, while Chinese robot maker Unitree lost nearly half its market value this week. Experts point to a lack of quality data as the key barrier to robots reliably performing useful work.
TechCrunch · 26 Aug, 16:37
Robot AI developers are trying to break out of their “GPT-2 era”
Physical AI and robotics are attracting massive investment, but developers admit robot “brains” still lack the data and reliability to perform genuinely valuable work — underscored by a sharp stock drop for China's Unitree just after a blockbuster IPO.
TechCrunch AI · 26 Aug, 16:36
Meta settles with 29 US states, accepts new safety limits for teen users
Meta has reached a settlement with 29 US state attorneys general over child online safety, avoiding a trial that could have cost hundreds of billions of dollars. The company agreed to new age-verification standards and usage limits for teens.
The Verge · 26 Aug, 16:35
Estonian firm plans €200 million ammunition plant in Jēkabpils municipality
Estonian company "Wolfram Europa" is planning to build an explosives and ammunition plant in Jēkabpils municipality worth up to €200 million, creating around 200 jobs. Production is expected to start in the second half of 2027.
LSM · 26 Aug, 16:35
NKHP Grain Terminal Repairs After Ukrainian Attack May Take Up to Four Months
Russia's NKHP grain export terminal in Novorossiysk says repairs following a Ukrainian drone attack could take as long as four months. The mid-August strike temporarily knocked out all three grain terminals at the port.
The Moscow Times · 26 Aug, 15:39
Rietumu Bank awards scholarships for outstanding economics master's theses for the first time
Rietumu Bank has for the first time awarded scholarships recognizing outstanding master's theses in economics. The initiative aims to support academic research contributing to Latvia's economic development.
Labs of Latvia · 26 Aug, 15:35
Latvia's Dobeles Dzirnavnieks Draws Nearly 70% of Revenue from Exports
Dobeles Dzirnavnieks, Latvia's largest food producer, reported turnover of 289 million euros last year, with most of it coming from exports. Its CEO describes daily competitive battles abroad, including efforts to break Italy's dominance in pasta.
LSM · 26 Aug, 14:42
IBM releases Granite 4.2, a new generation of open-weight AI models for local use
IBM has released Granite 4.2, a new family of open-weight language models that can be downloaded and self-hosted. The release focuses on stronger reasoning capabilities and expanded tool-use skills.
Ars Technica · 26 Aug, 14:42
Livestock tech platform Breedr secures €23 million for global expansion
UK-founded agtech company Breedr has raised €23 million in a Series B round to grow its digital cattle-tracking platform across more markets. Total funding raised to date now stands at nearly €40 million.
EU-Startups · 26 Aug, 14:41
Russia's bank branch network shrinks sharply as cash withdrawals surge
Russia has closed 1,370 bank branches since the start of the year while residents and businesses increasingly move funds into cash or abroad, Ukraine's intelligence service reports.
Latvijas Avīze · 26 Aug, 13:40
Canadians Stand Firm as Trump's New Tariffs Threaten Jobs
The latest round of U.S.-Canada trade talks has collapsed, and new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump are putting Canadian jobs at risk, though many Canadians are showing defiance.
The New York Times · 26 Aug, 12:43
Nvidia to report earnings tonight in the market's most watched event of the quarter
Nvidia will release its quarterly results after the US market close, around 22:00 CET, in what is being called the most consequential corporate event of the quarter. Investors are focused less on the headline numbers and more on CEO Jensen Huang's outlook for the months ahead.
Euronews Business · 26 Aug, 12:41
12th class of Junior Achievement Latvia's Leadership Programme graduates 13 young people
Thirteen young people across Latvia have completed Junior Achievement Latvia's Leadership Programme, having spent the year developing their own community-focused projects with mentors and coaches.
Dienas Bizness · 26 Aug, 10:40
Survey: drivers know residential speed rules but admit breaking them
A survey by the Latvian Automobile Association found that most drivers understand and support speed limits in residential zones, yet a majority admit to breaking them anyway.
TVNET · 26 Aug, 10:37
SKDS survey: Latvians name "Maxima" as the retail chain with the lowest prices
A survey by research centre SKDS shows most Latvians consider "Maxima" the retail chain with the lowest prices, followed by "LIDL". The survey was commissioned by Maxima Latvija itself.
Latvijas Avīze · 26 Aug, 09:36
“Idea Cup” business idea competition offers €40,000 prize fund this year
Applications are open until September 13 for the “Idea Cup” business idea competition, which has a €40,000 prize fund this year. It is described as the only competition in Latvia specifically supporting businesses at an early stage of development.
Labs of Latvia · 26 Aug, 09:35
Latvian Roads: Bitumen price compensation could require €4.5 million
State enterprise Latvian State Roads estimates that compensating road builders for rising bitumen costs could preliminarily require about €4.5 million, funded from procurement savings.
iAuto.lv · 26 Aug, 08:35