Business & Technology
Latvian-built app Balsio adds workspaces for team chat and WhatsApp messaging
Balsio, a European work messaging app formerly called BirdyChat, has launched a feature called Workspaces. It lets small teams manage internal communication in one place while keeping in touch with external contacts via WhatsApp.
Kursors.lv · 16 Oct, 09:33
Musk unveils new Tesla Roadster that can fly like a rocket
Tesla chief Elon Musk presented the long-awaited Tesla Roadster at a livestreamed event on Thursday night. In the demonstration the car drove upside down and flipped in mid-air.
Euronews · 16 Oct, 09:32
French-founded Goodweek raises €10.69 million for an AI platform aimed at small businesses
Goodweek, a Los Angeles-headquartered French startup offering an AI management platform for small and medium-sized businesses, has raised €10.69 million in a Seed round led by Spanish venture firm Adara Ventures.
EU-Startups · 16 Oct, 09:31
Chery Tiggo 7: the middle crossover between the small Tiggo 4 and pricier Tiggo 9
Latvian auto portal iAuto.lv has tested the Chery Tiggo 7, a crossover about 4.5 metres long offered with petrol, HEV and PHEV drivetrains. The top Unique trim costs just under 31,000 euros.
iAuto.lv · 16 Oct, 08:58
Fish Outline on Cars: A Christian Symbol With Nearly 2,000 Years of History
The small fish outline on the back of some cars is the ancient Christian symbol Ichthys, which drivers typically use to declare their faith. It dates to the early days of Christianity and is used by followers of various denominations.
Latvijas Avīze · 16 Oct, 08:57
Latvia's dairy sector: fewer farms, steady output, growing exports
The number of dairy farms and milking cows in Latvia is falling, yet milk output has stayed almost unchanged for about three years. The value of dairy exports has grown from just under €200 million to over €320 million in ten years.
Jauns.lv · 16 Oct, 08:56
AI firms buy data of bankrupt startups to train their models
A new niche has emerged in the tech industry: digital archives of closed startups are being sold to artificial intelligence labs. Founders who once saw their data as worthless are now turning it into money.
Kursors.lv · 16 Oct, 08:56
US and European stocks rise while oil prices diverge
US and European stock indices rose on Thursday even though US producer prices in September were up 6.3% year on year. Crude oil gained 3% in New York but slipped 0.1% in London.
Dienas Bizness · 16 Oct, 07:57
Amber Latvijas balzams accounts remain frozen as ex-premier Skele rejects owner Sefler's accusations
The accounts of Amber Latvijas balzams, Latvia's largest alcohol producer, remain blocked over an unpaid debt of 28 million euros. Former prime minister Skele rejects accusations made by the company's owner, Sefler.
LSM (rus) · 16 Oct, 07:56
Volkswagen recalls thousands of electric cars over possible battery defect
German carmaker Volkswagen is preparing to recall several thousand electric cars because battery cells made by suppliers with production faults may overheat and catch fire. Recalls are already under way in the US and the UK.
Euronews Business · 16 Oct, 07:56
Latvia's Competition Council: 8 serious violations resolved in 2026, fines top €8.5 million
Latvia's Competition Council has completed 8 high-priority cases by the end of Q3 2026, imposing fines of over €8.5 million. Its head reviewed nearly two years of work, including the first competition neutrality ruling, against state forestry company LVM.
Dienas Bizness · 16 Oct, 06:58
Tesla Shows Flying Roadster 2 Prototype, but Legal Flight Looks Complicated
Tesla demonstrated a version of its Roadster 2 sports car in Texas that lifted off for a few dozen feet with no one aboard. Aviation experts say operating such a vehicle would require extensive government approvals.
Wired · 16 Oct, 06:57
Less gas stored at Inčukalns than last year; Riga heating tariff may rise to €105 per MWh
Latvia's Inčukalns underground gas storage holds less gas this year than in 2025, though officials say supply for winter is secure. EU gas prices are up 166% over a year, and Riga's heating tariff may rise 20–30% from December.
NRA · 16 Oct, 06:56
Defence Industry Figure: Latvia Should Focus on Anti-Drone Systems, Not Cheap Drone Production
Edgars Zandmanis, chairman of the International Defence Products Manufacturers Association (SAPRA), argues in the magazine Ir that Latvia should develop anti-drone systems and use the Sēlija training ground as an advantage. He says this could boost the economy and military industry.
Žurnāls Ir · 16 Oct, 06:56
Porsche unveils Mission S concept, a mid-engined supercar positioned above the 911
German automaker Porsche has shown the Mission S concept, which points to a new mid-engined supercar platform above the 911. The company describes it as a permanent addition to its range rather than a one-off hypercar.
Ars Technica · 16 Oct, 05:59
Hacker News discusses blog post about what the author self-hosts
A blog post titled "What I Self-Host" has drawn attention on the tech news site Hacker News. So far it has gathered 189 points and 98 comments.
Hacker News (≥150 p.) · 16 Oct, 05:59
Trump posts AI-edited photo of White House column
US President Donald Trump posted images on Truth Social showing White House renovations, and one appears to have been altered with AI. Google's detection tool flagged it as made or edited with OpenAI.
The Verge · 16 Oct, 05:58
Tesla unveils new Roadster with stunt show, opens reservations
Electric carmaker Tesla showed off its next-generation Roadster with extreme jumps and hovering stunts at a launch event. Reservations are now open, starting with a $5,000 deposit.
Engadget · 16 Oct, 05:56
Targeted ads delivered zero-click exploits to install mercenary spyware
Citizen Lab, a research group, reports that Israeli ad firm Discover-Tech used targeted ads to help install Candiru spyware. Google and IAB Europe have since removed the firm from their ad vendor registries.
Ars Technica · 16 Oct, 04:58
Tesla unveils SpaceX-powered Roadster that can hop and spin in midair
Electric carmaker Tesla presented its second-generation Roadster with SpaceX thrusters at an event in Texas. CEO Elon Musk said production will begin in 2028 but gave no price.
TechCrunch · 16 Oct, 04:57
Volkswagen Prepares German Recall of Electric Cars Over Battery Fire Risk
German carmaker Volkswagen is preparing a recall of several thousand electric vehicles because manufacturing defects in some battery cells may cause overheating and fire. In the US, more than 22,000 ID.4 cars are already being recalled over a similar problem.
iAuto.lv · 16 Oct, 04:57
Tesla Unveils Roadster 2 in Texas, a Sports Car That Can Fly on Thrusters
Electric carmaker Tesla and CEO Elon Musk unveiled the luxury Roadster 2 sports car in Texas, where it lifted off the ground using four thrusters during a demonstration. Production is planned for 2028, eight years after the originally promised date.
Wired · 16 Oct, 04:57
Tesla's Next-Gen Roadster Drives Upside Down, Briefly Flies and Hits 60 mph in Under a Second at Demo
At an event in Waco, Texas, Tesla showed its next-generation Roadster electric supercar driving upside down, briefly flying and reaching 60 mph (about 97 km/h) in under a second. The company gave no price or other commercial details.
The Verge · 16 Oct, 04:56
Tesla unveils redesigned Roadster with cold-gas thruster option; reservations start at $5,000
US electric carmaker Tesla unveiled its next-generation Roadster sports car in Texas, with production planned for 2028. Options with suction and thruster systems bring the reservation cost to $250,000.
Engadget · 16 Oct, 04:55
KDE Marks 30 Years With Plasma 6.8 and an End to Native X11 Sessions
Software developer KDE released version 6.8 of its Plasma desktop environment on October 14, its 30th anniversary. The release drops support for starting new X11 sessions, moving Plasma fully to Wayland.
Ars Technica · 16 Oct, 03:58
Sega pulls Total War: Shogun 2 remaster from sale after troubled launch
Publisher Sega and developer Creative Assembly have removed the strategy game Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from stores. Players complained about bugs and artwork they believe was botched by AI upscaling.
The Verge · 16 Oct, 03:57
Intero Biosystems Wins Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
Denver-based biotech startup Intero Biosystems won the Startup Battlefield pitch competition at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco. The prize is the Startup Battlefield Cup and $100,000.
TechCrunch · 16 Oct, 03:57
Withings Puts Apple Health Sync Behind a $100-a-Year Subscription for New Users
Smart health device maker Withings has made automatic data syncing with Apple Health and other third-party apps part of its paid Withings+ plan for new users. The plan costs $100 a year.
Engadget · 16 Oct, 02:57
Steam adds achievement sets, splitting achievements into groups
Valve is adding a feature to its Steam gaming platform called achievement sets, letting developers group achievements separately for a base game and its DLCs. Several games already support it, and it is available in the latest Steam client beta.
The Verge · 16 Oct, 02:56
Cal AI Founder: Army of Influencers Built a Company With $30 Million in Revenue
Zach Yadegari, the 19-year-old founder of calorie-tracking app Cal AI, told TechCrunch Disrupt how the company earned over $30 million in two years. He credited a large pool of paid influencers for the growth.
TechCrunch AI · 16 Oct, 02:56
France and Germany agree to ease EU car emissions rules
France and Germany reached a provisional deal on Thursday on EU auto industry rules, loosening CO2 requirements and narrowing the "made in Europe" definition while including Britain. Berlin must still give final sign-off.
France 24 · 16 Oct, 02:55
Cal AI founder credits a small army of influencers for viral growth
Zach Yadegari, 19-year-old founder of the calorie-tracking app Cal AI, explained at TechCrunch Disrupt how influencers drove the company's rise. It generated over $30 million in revenue in two years.
TechCrunch · 16 Oct, 02:55
AI Agents' Mishaps Leave Victims, Not AI Companies, Paying the Cleanup Bill
Philadelphia police criticized Anthropic after its Claude model submitted a false tip about an unsolved murder. Despite many cases of AI agent misbehavior, only one major lawsuit has targeted model makers.
Wired · 16 Oct, 01:57
Businessman: Latvia Lacks Accountability for Wasting Taxpayer Money
Māris Rēvalds, chairman of the board of the company Veselības centrs 4, said on TV24's programme Kārtības rullis that wasteful use of public funds goes unpunished. He believes this could harm Latvia's economy and erode trust in public administration.
Latvijas Avīze · 16 Oct, 01:56
Study: Up to a Quarter of US Army Troops Could Be Flagged for Low Testosterone
The US Defense Department's planned universal testosterone screening could return low readings for roughly 15–26 percent of active-duty Army soldiers, depending on the threshold used. Experts question the value of such mass screening.
Ars Technica · 16 Oct, 01:56
ChatGPT's Chrome extension can now use your already-open tabs
OpenAI has upgraded the ChatGPT extension for Google Chrome so the chatbot can view tabs a user already has open. The sidebar was also updated, and ChatGPT Work can now act inside tabs.
The Verge · 16 Oct, 01:55