Business & Technology
Google Gemini Chats Can Now Generate and Edit Documents and PDFs
Google's AI assistant Gemini now lets users generate, preview and edit PDFs, Google Docs, Sheets, slide decks and other files directly in chat. The feature is available to all users starting today.
The Verge · 29 Oct, 21:12
German and Ukrainian firms test armed ground robot for frontline use
German company ARX Robotics and Ukrainian firm ROBONEERS have tested an armed unmanned ground vehicle for Ukraine's armed forces. The first systems are due to be delivered by the end of 2026.
Euronews Business · 29 Oct, 21:11
Energy prices in the EU hit four-year highs as political divisions deepen
Energy prices in the European Union have climbed to their highest in four years. Meanwhile, EU institutions and national leaders are split over climate rules, the bloc's budget and gas reserves.
Politico Europe · 29 Oct, 21:10
Malware attack on online poker players may have netted a hacker millions of dollars
Wired reports that hundreds of online poker players were allegedly targeted with MeshAgent malware that let a cheater see their screens. Poker platforms are said to have responded in very different ways.
Engadget · 29 Oct, 21:10
New Apple MacBook Pro Is First Laptop With Apple CMF 2026 Color Modes
Apple's MacBook Pro with the PROLED XDR Display is the first laptop to support the new Apple CMF 2026 color-accuracy technology. It is aimed at professionals who need consistent color across screens.
The Verge · 29 Oct, 20:11
Granola adds dictation feature to compete with Wispr
Meeting note-taking app Granola launched a voice dictation feature for Mac on October 29. It competes with Wispr, a dictation tool maker that added a meeting notetaker months ago.
TechCrunch AI · 29 Oct, 20:10
Royal Canin and Roquette to Co-Invest in French Wheat Farms Under New Regenerative Model
Pet food maker Royal Canin and ingredients supplier Roquette will jointly finance regenerative agriculture on the farms that grow the wheat they use, working with Soil Capital. The aim is to shift part of the cost from farmers to the whole supply chain.
AgFunderNews (agrotehn.) · 29 Oct, 20:09
UK Startup Win-Win Offers Chocolate Alternative Made From Fermented Rice
UK startup Win-Win makes a chocolate-like product by fermenting rice instead of cacao. Its representative Mark Golder says cocoa price volatility is pushing food makers to seek a more stable alternative.
AgFunderNews (agrotehn.) · 29 Oct, 20:09
U.S. investigated Chinese spy plot aimed at Nvidia CEO
Anonymous sources told The New York Times that a senior executive at Singapore AI cloud firm Megaspeed may have been a Chinese spy. Nvidia denies this, saying its relationship with her was typical of customer ties.
TechCrunch AI · 29 Oct, 19:12
Vatican displays a century of Mercedes-Benz popemobiles
An exhibition at the Vatican presents vehicles made by German carmaker Mercedes-Benz for popes from 1930 to the present day. It runs until 31 January 2027.
Euronews · 29 Oct, 18:12
Business digest: pricier parcels from China, Alphabet slump, OTP Bank–Luminor deal
The Delfi Bizness portal's Thursday roundup covers the main business news in Latvia and abroad. It mentions the OTP Bank and Luminor deal receiving European Commission approval, costlier parcels from China and a slump at Alphabet.
Delfi · 29 Oct, 18:10
Joshua Kushner's Thrive Holdings to buy security provider ADT for $7.6 billion
US investment firm Thrive Holdings has agreed to acquire home security provider ADT in an all-cash deal valued at $7.6 billion. The deal will take ADT private and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027.
The Verge · 29 Oct, 18:09
Opinion: Your product is no longer a competitive advantage
An opinion piece on the European startup news site EU-Startups argues that a company's product is no longer a competitive advantage. The available excerpt is short and illustrates the claim with a single sales scenario.
EU-Startups · 29 Oct, 17:11
AI Could Make Mathematical Software Verification Practical
Startups are betting that generative AI will make formal verification, the mathematical proof that software is free of bugs, cheaper and more widely used. Experts remain divided on whether it can move beyond the most critical systems.
Wired · 29 Oct, 17:10
AI agent management startup Mintive raises $11 million in total funding
US startup Mintive, which builds a platform for managing the identity and access of enterprise AI agents, has raised $11 million overall. Its newly announced $7 million seed round was led by venture firm Cowboy Ventures.
TechCrunch · 29 Oct, 17:10
FromSoftware pushes The Duskbloods release back to 2027
Japanese studio FromSoftware has delayed its multiplayer game The Duskbloods, exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2. The game will now launch in 2027 to allow final changes to its rules and balance.
Engadget · 29 Oct, 17:09
Bank of Latvia forum discusses supervision of sustainability risks in the financial sector
On 29 October the Bank of Latvia brought together financial and other sector representatives at a sustainability forum on implementing EU sustainability requirements in banking. Participants also assessed banks' responsibility and the supervisory approach.
Latvijas Avīze · 29 Oct, 17:08
Anthropic files for IPO: what the S-1 reveals about the economics of AI
AI company Anthropic has filed an S-1 document to list on the Nasdaq, giving the first audited look at the finances of a leading frontier AI lab. SemiAnalysis analyst Joey Brookhart calls the results strong, but says future growth sources remain unclear.
The Verge · 29 Oct, 16:11
Mistral Says Open-Weight Model 'Le Chonk' Has Overtaken Chinese Rivals in Cybersecurity
French AI company Mistral says its model Le Chonk is the world's best open-weight model for automated coding and cybersecurity. The company claims it matches or beats offerings from Chinese labs.
Wired · 29 Oct, 16:10
ECB Holds Interest Rates Steady, Flagging Risks From Rising Energy Prices
The Governing Council of the European Central Bank, meeting in Frankfurt, decided to leave interest rates unchanged, keeping the deposit facility rate at 2.5%. It pointed to upside risks to inflation and downside risks to growth stemming from rising energy prices.
Dienas Bizness · 29 Oct, 16:09
FAO unveils updated guidelines for integrated planning of land, soil and water use
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) presented updated land use planning guidelines at the Convention on Biological Diversity's COP17 meeting in Yerevan. It is the first major update since 1993.
FAO · 29 Oct, 16:09
UK tax authority assigns dedicated compliance managers to 200 billionaires
HM Revenue and Customs, the UK's tax authority, has for the first time compiled a list of billionaires liable for UK tax and will assign each a dedicated compliance manager. The measures are meant to raise at least £500m as part of a £10bn target by 2030.
The Guardian World · 29 Oct, 15:11
Volkswagen's third-quarter loss reaches 5.82 billion euros
German carmaker Volkswagen posted a loss of 5.82 billion euros in the third quarter of 2026, more than five times the figure a year earlier. The company points to one-off charges, including a writedown on Porsche assets, as the main cause.
ERR (rus) · 29 Oct, 14:11
DoorDash to acquire Instacart in a deal worth about $17 billion
US food delivery company DoorDash has announced an agreement to buy grocery delivery platform Instacart in a deal valued at roughly $17 billion. The purchase would widen DoorDash's footprint in online grocery delivery.
The Verge · 29 Oct, 14:11
EasySMX S10 Lite Review: A Budget Switch 2 Controller With a Questionable Removable Faceplate
EasySMX's $40 S10 Lite gamepad is made for the Nintendo Switch 2 console. A review praises its tactile buttons and sensors but criticizes the magnetic faceplate and how it is marketed.
Engadget · 29 Oct, 14:10
Wheat prices fall in Poland as farmers hold back grain sales
Grain prices at Polish purchasing points mostly declined in late October, with wheat down by up to 40 zloty per tonne. Corn dominates trade, while gas above 100 euros per MWh raises drying costs.
farmer.pl cenas (Polija) · 29 Oct, 14:09
Fiat reveals price and order start date for Grizzly and Grizzly Fastback
Italian carmaker Fiat has said its new Grizzly and Grizzly Fastback SUVs will start at around 20,000 euros in Europe. Orders are planned to open on 5 January 2027.
iAuto.lv · 29 Oct, 14:08
MIT experiment: 13 AI agents on a simulated island invent their own activities
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology observed 13 artificial intelligence agents for 30 hours on a virtual uninhabited island with no specific tasks. The agents began devising their own challenges and activities.
Kursors.lv · 29 Oct, 13:10
UN report: nature restoration covers 252 million hectares, but pace must rise
A UN report finds that ecosystem restoration is under way on 252 million hectares in 149 countries and has created over a million green jobs. Reaching 2030 goals requires more action on freshwater and marine ecosystems and more than four times the annual funding.
FAO · 29 Oct, 13:08
EU agri-food exports stay stable while imports edge down
The European Union's agri-food trade surplus reached €34.7 billion in the first eight months of 2026. Exports held steady, while imports fell mainly because of declining cocoa prices.
EK Lauksaimniecība · 29 Oct, 13:08
Eurostat: Real Household Income in the EU Edged Up 0.1% in the Second Quarter
Real per-capita household income in the European Union and the euro area rose by 0.1% in the second quarter of 2026. The household saving rate continued to decline.
ERR (rus) · 29 Oct, 12:11
Reencle Essential Review: Nearly the Same as the Prime, for Less
A Wired reviewer compares the new, cheaper Reencle Essential kitchen composter with the older Prime. The Essential costs $150 less but has a lid that must be closed by hand.
Wired · 29 Oct, 12:10
Opera One browser now lets users run local AI models
Opera has released a new preview feature for Opera One users that provides access to local AI models through the WebAI standard. It is due to arrive soon in Opera GX and Opera Neon as well.
Kursors.lv · 29 Oct, 12:10
Arizona residents rise against data centers even though chipmaker TSMC was welcomed
Residents of the US state of Arizona are broadly opposing new hyperscale data centers over their demands for water, power and land. Meanwhile, the Phoenix operation of chipmaker TSMC has faced no significant opposition.
The Verge · 29 Oct, 12:09
Entourage closes €100 million second fund, passing its target within two weeks
Entourage, a London-based early-stage venture capital firm, has announced the close of its second fund at €100 million. The fund passed its €75 million target within two weeks.
EU-Startups · 29 Oct, 12:09
Australia's Stacked Farm expands its vertical farming business to the US
Australian vertical farming company Stacked Farm plans a large farm in Southern California and has opened a research center in Las Vegas. It stresses step-by-step growth while many big US players in the sector have struggled.
AgFunderNews (agrotehn.) · 29 Oct, 12:08