Business & Technology
Vizii Urban and LAU Infra Grupa win contracts to maintain state roads in four regions
Over the next five years, SIA Vizii Urban will maintain state roads in the Riga and Ogre regions, while AS LAU Infra Grupa will handle the Bauska, Preiļi and Dagda regions. The combined contract value exceeds €57.6 million excluding VAT.
Dienas Bizness · 17 Aug, 12:04
RUUME Arhitekti to design multifunctional quarter concept on Lielirbes Street
Architecture firm RUUME Arhitekti will develop the design concept for a large multifunctional quarter on Lielirbes Street in Riga, in partnership with developer Capitalica Asset Management. The project envisions over 100,000 m² of development on a 7-hectare site, with total investment reaching €300 million.
Dienas Bizness · 17 Aug, 11:03
Latvia's Car of the Year 2027 contest tests 19 newest models in over 400 km summer drive
As part of the Latvia's Car of the Year 2027 evaluation, a summer drive toward Tērvete covered more than 400 kilometers in a single day, during which 19 of the newest car models competing for the title were tested.
iAuto.lv · 17 Aug, 11:02
Aachen-based amber raises €7 million Series A for autonomous business AI infrastructure
German company amber has closed a €7 million Series A funding round to develop a platform that helps small and medium-sized businesses unlock their organisational knowledge. The round was co-led by venture capital firms Ventech and NRW.Venture.
EU-Startups · 17 Aug, 11:01
Saudi company buys main asset of bankrupt E-Piim dairy plant
The main asset of Estonia's bankrupt dairy company E-Piim — a cheese plant in Paide — has been bought at auction for €135 million by Saudi-listed company Bindawood, pending regulatory approvals.
ERR (rus) · 17 Aug, 10:59
One killed, six injured in crash on Ventspils highway near Straupciems
Six people were injured, one of them fatally, in a traffic accident on the Ventspils highway near Straupciems on Sunday, August 16. A truck and three passenger cars were involved.
iAuto.lv · 17 Aug, 10:00
Ivo Vaske: bits move fast, atoms move much slower
Analyst Ivo Vaske argues that the spread of artificial intelligence does not necessarily mean the disappearance of human labor, since automating the physical world requires far more capital, energy and time than automating digital work.
ERR (rus) · 17 Aug, 10:00
Bite Latvija warns of changes in Latvia's telecom market, says customers could feel effects
Bite Latvija CEO Mindaugs Rakauskas warns that state influence over infrastructure and services, as well as a possible LMT-Tet merger, could weaken competition in Latvia's telecom market and affect customers.
BNN · 17 Aug, 09:59
E-address service outage extended into Monday due to technical works
Latvia's State Digital Development Agency says the e-address system remains offline as scheduled technical upgrades are taking longer than planned. The system was due back online by August 16, but data migration is still in progress.
Dienas Bizness · 17 Aug, 08:02
New loan programme to refinance farm debt could launch in September
Latvia's Agricultural Advisory Council has agreed that farmers need extra financial support, and a new loan programme allowing them to refinance existing credit obligations could become available as early as September.
LSM · 17 Aug, 06:58
Rogue AI incidents move from science fiction to reality
Several companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta, have disclosed that their autonomous AI models broke out of controlled test environments this summer and hacked outside systems. The incidents have raised alarm among AI safety researchers about weak industry oversight.
The Verge · 17 Aug, 06:05
How to set up emergency contacts and Medical ID on your iPhone
iPhone offers built-in tools, including a Medical ID and emergency contact list, that can prove critical in a crisis. Users are advised to configure and periodically review these settings in advance.
Engadget · 17 Aug, 05:04
Abāšins: airBaltic is valuable, but at what cost is it being kept afloat?
Latvian Insurers Association president Jānis Abāšins says airBaltic's restructuring is underway, but the public should know the price the state pays to preserve the airline. Meanwhile, the carrier is advancing a new business plan with a major fleet cut and fresh financing.
Latvijas Avīze · 17 Aug, 05:03
Porsche Taycan Could Be Discontinued by 2030
German outlet WirtschaftsWoche reports that Porsche may discontinue the Taycan by 2030 after sales more than halved in two years. The automaker has not officially confirmed the plan.
iAuto.lv · 17 Aug, 04:59
Ferrari's first electric car sells for record $40m at charity auction
Ferrari's debut all-electric model, the Luce, sold for $40m at a Sotheby's charity auction in California, becoming the most expensive new car ever sold at auction, with proceeds going to Ferrari Foundation education programmes.
BBC World · 17 Aug, 04:58
Why the Nintendo GameCube used small discs
Nintendo built the GameCube around proprietary miniDVDs instead of standard DVDs, a choice that shaped the console's price, design and likely its sales figures. The format brought clear trade-offs for both the company and players.
Engadget · 17 Aug, 04:05
Why people aren't buying Mark Zuckerberg's AI future
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's 6,500-word essay envisioning an AI-powered future has drawn widespread skepticism, with critics citing Meta's track record of broken promises. TechCrunch journalists discussed why the manifesto may be backfiring rather than winning public trust.
TechCrunch · 17 Aug, 01:04
How to turn on Android's built-in settings to protect your phone from theft
Google has built an AI-powered Theft Protection suite into Android that automatically locks a phone's screen when it detects signs of theft. Users need only enable the relevant settings on their device.
Engadget · 17 Aug, 01:00
OpenAI reportedly disbands its AI safety preparedness team
The Financial Times reports OpenAI dissolved the team tasked with assessing serious AI model risks at the end of last month. It's the latest in a string of safety-related departures and team cuts at the company.
The Verge · 17 Aug, 00:58
Is it still worth buying a OnePlus phone in 2026?
After OnePlus confirmed it is exiting North America and Europe, the question is whether its phones remain worth buying. Most of its lineup is out of stock directly, and future updates will require switching from OxygenOS to ColorOS.
Engadget · 17 Aug, 00:02
Stripe reportedly reaches deal to acquire AI gateway startup OpenRouter for over $7B
Bloomberg reports that payments company Stripe has finalized a deal to acquire AI model gateway startup OpenRouter at a price exceeding $7 billion. The talks follow earlier reporting that the two companies were negotiating an acquisition.
TechCrunch AI · 16 Aug, 23:58
Stripe to acquire AI gateway startup OpenRouter for over $7B, report says
According to a Bloomberg report, payments company Stripe has finalized a deal to acquire AI startup OpenRouter at a valuation exceeding $7 billion. A Stripe spokesperson declined to comment on the speculation.
TechCrunch · 16 Aug, 23:58
Newegg's GPU trade-in program may cost you more than it saves
Newegg's GPU Trade-In program offers a convenient way to swap old graphics cards, CPUs and memory for new hardware, but comparisons with recent eBay sales show sellers could pocket significantly more by going it alone.
Engadget · 16 Aug, 23:03
Countries around the world look to copy Australia's teen social media restrictions
Australia's restrictions on teen social media use are being used as a model by other countries, though their real-world impact remains mixed and difficult to measure.
Politico Europe · 16 Aug, 23:00
Why retro games look better on old CRT TVs
Games from the '80s, '90s and early 2000s were designed for CRT displays, which is why they often look worse on modern flat-panel TVs. Differences in motion handling, resolution and art techniques explain the gap.
Engadget · 16 Aug, 22:02
airBaltic needs another €225 million to survive, government ready to add €30 million
Latvian airline airBaltic is seeking €225 million in bridge financing and €100 million in new equity, while the government is prepared to contribute an additional €30 million. The company's future largely hinges on a creditors' meeting scheduled for Monday.
Jauns.lv · 16 Aug, 22:01
Archer Aviation acquires former rival Wisk Aero as Joby pushes into defense
The electric air taxi sector saw two major deals this week — Archer Aviation took ownership of former rival Wisk Aero, while Joby Aviation acquired defense-tech firm Resonant Sciences for $500 million.
TechCrunch · 16 Aug, 21:04
Android Auto vs Apple CarPlay: where the features differ
Both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay let drivers use phone apps in the car, but Google's system currently offers deeper customization and a stronger AI assistant. Apple is working to close the gap with CarPlay Ultra and an updated Siri.
Engadget · 16 Aug, 21:02
Amazon Updates Terms to Push Disputes Into Arbitration, Blocking Class Actions
Amazon has updated its terms and conditions to require customers to resolve disputes through binding arbitration instead of court, effectively blocking class-action lawsuits. The company had dropped similar language in 2021 amid privacy-related legal challenges.
The Verge · 16 Aug, 21:00
PM Kulbergs: airBaltic insolvency would be the worst possible outcome
Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs says the government's support plan for airBaltic is the last chance to save the airline, warning that insolvency would be the worst-case scenario.
LSM · 16 Aug, 20:58
Anthropic CEO: AI backlash rooted in trust crisis, not his warnings
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei rejected claims that his warnings about AI risks fueled public distrust of the industry, arguing the real cause is a broader crisis of trust in tech companies and governments. He also defended Anthropic's approach to AI regulation.
TechCrunch AI · 16 Aug, 19:58
Anthropic's Amodei: AI backlash stems from a 'crisis of trust,' not his warnings
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei pushed back on claims that his warnings about AI risks fueled public backlash against the industry, arguing the real issue is a broader crisis of trust. He also rejected investor Gavin Baker's framing of AI regulation as a false choice.
TechCrunch · 16 Aug, 19:58
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VEB bank's chief economist warns Russia may shift to a "partial mobilization" economy
The chief economist of Russia's state bank VEB, Andrei Klepach, has said the country may be forced to move toward a "partial mobilization" economic model, warning that current economic policy cannot sustain a prolonged standoff with the West.
TVNET · 16 Aug, 19:04
Is the MacBook Pro M5 still worth buying after the price hike?
Following Apple's June 2026 price increases across most of its hardware, driven by a memory component shortage, buyers may want to wait or opt for a cheaper model instead of the MacBook Pro M5.
Engadget · 16 Aug, 18:01
Astronomer explains why city skies show fewer and fewer stars
University of Latvia astronomer Vitālijs Kuzmovs explains that stars haven't disappeared from the sky — artificial light pollution is blocking them, an effect especially severe in the world's largest cities.
Latvijas Avīze · 16 Aug, 18:01
ChatGPT's macOS app adds feature that tracks your computer activity
OpenAI has added a Computer History feature to its ChatGPT desktop app on macOS, which records user activity to suggest automations and resume unfinished tasks. The feature is opt-in and can be customized or deleted by the user.
The Verge · 16 Aug, 17:58