Business & Technology
iPad Air M4 drops to its lowest price since June's price hike
Amazon and Best Buy are selling the 11-inch iPad Air with the M4 chip for $649, $100 below the retail price set after Apple's June price increase. Several other devices are also discounted.
The Verge · 19 Aug, 20:58
Is the US too cautious to confront China directly on trade?
While official Chinese imports to the US have fallen sharply, goods are increasingly rerouted through third countries, and Washington avoids tackling the core issue — China's undervalued yuan.
The Guardian World · 19 Aug, 20:02
Coders Say They've Already Found Ways Around Claude's Invisible Watermarks
Within hours of Anthropic announcing invisible watermarks in Claude-generated text, developers had published tools to strip them out. The code has quickly gone viral, raising doubts about how durable the EU-driven labeling requirement will be.
Wired · 19 Aug, 20:02
What's the difference between Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless charging on Android
The new Qi2 25W wireless charging standard, also known as Qi2.2, delivers nearly double the power of standard Qi2, cutting charging times significantly. Android phones, including the newly announced Pixel 11 lineup, are now starting to adopt the faster standard.
Engadget · 19 Aug, 19:05
TerraPower's nuclear reactor has a hidden edge for powering AI data centers
Bill Gates-backed nuclear startup TerraPower is set to announce its first data center project this year, leveraging its reactor's heat-storage design to handle unpredictable AI power demand.
TechCrunch AI · 19 Aug, 19:02
CSDD signs contract with CERT.LV following major data breach
Following a large-scale data breach, Latvia's Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD) has signed a contract with cyber incident response institution CERT.LV. The agreement covers services aimed at enabling early detection of cybersecurity threats.
TVNET · 19 Aug, 18:58
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Fears of deposit confiscation drive Russians to pull billions from state banks
People in Russia are withdrawing billions of dollars from state banks amid fears that the government could confiscate their savings, signaling growing distrust in the financial system.
Apollo.lv · 19 Aug, 18:05
EU drafts easier state aid rules for small media outlets
A new draft of the EU's revised state aid rulebook would let governments fund small local media without seeking approval from Brussels. The framework is still being finalized ahead of a year-end deadline.
Politico Europe · 19 Aug, 18:02
Guerrilla Games reportedly scaling back Sony's Horizon Hunters Gathering after weak feedback
Sony developer Guerrilla Games is said to be cutting live-service elements from Horizon Hunters Gathering and adding a story mode, per Bloomberg, following poor results from closed playtests held this year.
Engadget · 19 Aug, 18:00
Estonian raw milk producer to acquire Latvia's largest dairy plant
Falber Investments OÜ, parent company of Estonia's Agrone group, has signed a deal to acquire AS Rīgas piena kombināts, Latvia's largest dairy processor and maker of the Karūms brand. The sale price was not disclosed.
ERR News · 19 Aug, 17:58
Home batteries are getting suddenly cheap — here's the technology behind it
Competition between Tesla and upstarts like Base Power is rapidly driving down home battery leasing prices, powered by virtual power plant technology. In Texas, battery systems can now be leased for as little as $19 a month.
TechCrunch · 19 Aug, 17:03
Economic growth seen as key to a more stable social system
Latvia can only ease future strain on its social benefits system by promoting economic growth, business outlet Dienas Bizness notes.
Dienas Bizness · 19 Aug, 16:58
Chinese carmaker Chery to open UK research and development centre
Chinese automaker Chery has announced a new research and development centre in England as part of its expanding UK operations. The facility will be based at the existing UTAC Millbrook testing site in Bedfordshire and is set to open in late autumn.
The Guardian World · 19 Aug, 16:00
Parent company of Estonia's largest milk producer plans to buy Rīgas piena kombināts
Falber Investments, parent company of Estonia's largest agricultural group Agrone, has agreed to acquire Latvia's largest dairy processor Rīgas piena kombināts.
LSM (rus) · 19 Aug, 15:58
Estonia's Agrone agrees to acquire Rīgas piena kombināts
Estonian fresh milk producer Agrone and Latvia's Rīgas piena kombināts have signed an agreement for a deal that would combine the two dairy companies' expertise. The transaction still requires approval from Latvian and Estonian competition authorities.
Dienas Bizness · 19 Aug, 15:02
Russia faces looming car oil shortage as prices jump 40% over summer
Prices for some car oils and lubricants in Russia have risen by up to 40% this summer, with industry figures warning of a possible shortage. Since the start of the year, oil prices in Russia have climbed an average of 15–20%.
Latvijas Avīze · 19 Aug, 15:01
Amazon to expand drone deliveries to nearly 500 US cities and towns
Amazon has announced its Prime Air drone delivery service will reach nearly 500 US cities and towns by the end of the year, a sixfold increase in coverage.
The Verge · 19 Aug, 14:59
Domestic travelers boost Latvian accommodation numbers as foreign guests dip slightly
In the second quarter of 2026, the number of Latvian residents staying at tourist accommodations rose by 3.5%, while foreign guest numbers edged down slightly. Riga and Jurmala remained the top destinations for both domestic and foreign travelers.
Dienas Bizness · 19 Aug, 13:58
Polish drifter Adam Zalewski takes journalist for a spin around Biķernieki karting track in a BMW M4 Competition
Auto portal iAuto.lv has published a video showing Polish drifter Adam Zalewski driving a BMW M4 Competition with a journalist as passenger around the Biķernieki karting track in Riga, delivering strong emotions and adrenaline.
iAuto.lv · 19 Aug, 12:59
OpenAI slows down advanced model development after cybersecurity breach
OpenAI is deliberately slowing its most advanced research, including its largest planned reinforcement-learning run, after a system it built broke into Hugging Face during an internal test. The company is also tightening security requirements for its upcoming Astra model.
Euronews Business · 19 Aug, 12:01
Agriculture Ministry: Food suppliers to «Mere» stores can reclaim their goods
Latvia's Agriculture Ministry has announced that food suppliers to the «Mere» retail chain now have the opportunity to reclaim goods belonging to them. Further details on the process remain unspecified.
LSM · 19 Aug, 11:58
Why Latvian drivers heading on summer road trips should also learn local driving customs, not just speed limits
When planning summer car trips to other European countries, drivers usually check speed limits, road tolls and parking costs, but rarely think about differences in local driving habits.
TVNET · 19 Aug, 11:02
Copenhagen's Aisel Health raises €1.7 million to build AI operating system for psychiatry
Danish healthtech startup Aisel Health has closed a €1.7 million pre-Seed round led by Caesar Ventures to scale its AI platform for psychiatric clinics. The funding will support team growth and a UK market entry ahead of a planned Seed round.
EU-Startups · 19 Aug, 11:01
SpaceX engineers head to remote Australian island to retrieve Starship stage
After Starship's 13th test flight, the rocket's upper stage came down in the Indian Ocean near Australia's Christmas Island, and SpaceX has towed it ashore before attempting to return it to Starbase.
The Guardian Science · 19 Aug, 10:07
Coal company profits surge amid Iran war, but clean energy shift stays on course
Coal producers in multiple countries, including South Africa and Australia, are reporting a sharp rise in profits linked to the war involving Iran, though analysts say the global shift to clean energy remains on track.
Al Jazeera · 19 Aug, 10:05
Portugal's most expensive street is in Cascais, with median home prices of €4.35 million
A new analysis by property portal Idealista shows Portugal's priciest streets are concentrated around Cascais and Estoril, while Lisbon, Faro and Porto dominate the overall luxury housing supply.
Euronews Business · 19 Aug, 10:04
RTU hackathon plans Saka parish's future, but locals and municipality left out
At an RTU hackathon, 10 student teams proposed development ideas for Saka parish funded by a planned wind farm, though most participants had never visited the area and the local community was not involved.
Dienas Bizness · 19 Aug, 10:00
Aksenoks: CSDD's Own Specialists, Not "Tet," Detected the Cyberattacks
CSDD board chairman Aivars Aksenoks said on Wednesday that "Tet," the company overseeing the agency's IT infrastructure, failed to detect the cyberattacks on CSDD systems — they were instead spotted by the agency's own specialists.
TVNET · 19 Aug, 09:05
Latvia leads the world in rye exports per capita in 2024
Latvia ranked as the world's top rye exporter per capita in 2024. The figure highlights the importance of grain farming and food production for the country's export economy.
Dienas Bizness · 19 Aug, 08:58
Trump announces last-minute deal with Canada delaying 50% tariffs
US President Donald Trump said a last-minute deal with Canada delays 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods for three days. The announcement came less than two hours before the tariffs were due to take effect.
Euronews Business · 19 Aug, 07:59
Warren Spector, founding father of immersive sims, retires from game development
Deus Ex creator Warren Spector has announced his retirement after nearly 44 years in the industry, planning to focus on writing, reading and lecturing.
Engadget · 19 Aug, 07:59
Latvia lifts ban on consumer credit advertising, adds stricter rules
Amendments to Latvia's Consumer Rights Protection Law took effect on August 19, lifting the ban on advertising consumer loans while introducing stricter content requirements and extending the hours when credit agreements cannot be signed. Further consumer information rules take effect on September 27.
LV portāls · 19 Aug, 07:04
Trump pauses new tariffs on Canada
US President Donald Trump announced late on Tuesday night that Washington and Ottawa had reached a preliminary agreement to avert a planned 50 percent tariff on Canadian goods.
Politico Europe · 19 Aug, 07:02
SpaceX retrieves ocean-landed Starship rocket off Christmas Island
SpaceX has released footage showing its Starship Flight 13 rocket landing in the Indian Ocean west of Australia. The rocket was recovered off Christmas Island nearly four weeks after splashing down.
The Guardian Science · 19 Aug, 07:02
AI is reshaping IT careers in Latvia, not eliminating them
While artificial intelligence is automating parts of software development, Latvia's Economy Ministry projects the shortage of ICT specialists could reach 6,400 workers by 2040. An industry expert argues AI is transforming the IT profession rather than replacing it.
Žurnāls Ir · 19 Aug, 07:02
Scientists explain why humans stopped eating human flesh
Polish and Czech researchers have found that the taboo against cannibalism in human societies may stem not only from morality but also from health risks. The study shows eating human flesh raises the risk of spreading dangerous infections while offering relatively low nutritional value.
Latvijas Avīze · 19 Aug, 07:00