Business & Technology (67)

US inflation climbs to 3.7% in September, above expectations, driven by fuel

US annual inflation reached 3.7% in September, higher than expected, mainly because of rising fuel prices. The data comes ahead of the country's midterm elections.

BBC World · 14 Oct, 16:58

European Natural Gas Prices Hit Highest Level in Almost Four Years

Limited supply and low stocks pushed European gas prices in September to their highest since late 2022, according to a Latvenergo analyst. Prices eased late in the month, but storage levels remain below last year's.

NRA · 14 Oct, 16:57

Epic Games' new PC launcher was built with AI assistance and adds Linux support

Game developer Epic Games has released a preview of a redesigned PC games launcher built with AI agents. The new version is faster and is also available on Linux.

The Verge · 14 Oct, 16:55

Dienas Bizness to Receive Recovery Fund Support for Digital Transformation

On 9 January 2025, the publisher Dienas Bizness signed a contract with the Central Finance and Contracting Agency for Recovery Fund support to modernise its media processes. The project covers CRM systems, mobile apps and Smart TV apps.

Dienas Bizness · 14 Oct, 15:56

Review: 8BitDo Ultimate 2C, a $30 Controller for the Nintendo Switch 2

Accessory maker 8BitDo's wireless Ultimate 2C gamepad costs $30 and offers Hall effect sticks and haptics. Engadget rates it 8.5 out of 10.

Engadget · 14 Oct, 14:58

US fines Bank of America $1.2 billion over anti-money laundering failures

The US Treasury announced on Tuesday a $1.2 billion penalty against Bank of America, the country's second-largest bank. It failed to report suspicious activity worth over $5 billion and breached sanctions rules.

NRA · 14 Oct, 14:56

Rīgas siltums promises to keep heating tariff rise within 30% and cut gas dependence

Rīgas siltums, the company behind Riga's district heating, told a committee meeting that the heating tariff increase will not exceed 20–30%. The meeting followed a State Audit Office review of heating costs.

Dienas Bizness · 14 Oct, 13:57

Just Over Half of Latvian Homes Are Insured, Central Bank Says

Latvijas Banka's assessment shows 52.8% of homes in Latvia were insured in 2025, up sharply from 2017. Still, nearly half of homes remain without cover.

Diena · 14 Oct, 12:58

Jury awards Qualcomm just $2 in license dispute with Arm

A Delaware jury found that chip designer Arm breached its license agreement with Qualcomm, but awarded only two dollars in damages. Both companies said they were pleased, and the legal fight continues.

Engadget · 14 Oct, 12:58

Samsung survey: Europeans choose smartphones with hobbies and future plans in mind

Samsung, the South Korean electronics maker, has published survey results on how people in five European countries choose smartphones. Two thirds of respondents bought their current phone with a specific hobby or plan in mind.

Kursors.lv · 14 Oct, 12:57

What investors really want to know about startups' intellectual property

European startups raised €21.45 billion in the second quarter, but investors are becoming more selective. When asking about intellectual property, they care less about patent counts and more about whether protection covers what a competitor cannot easily rebuild.

EU-Startups · 14 Oct, 12:57

First turbines undergoing tests at Pienava wind farm

Most turbines at the Pienava Wind farm in Džūkste parish, Tukums municipality, are fully assembled and have entered operational testing. Full-scale electricity production is planned for the first half of 2027.

Dienas Bizness · 14 Oct, 12:56

Portuguese parliamentary working group backs longer parental leave

A Portuguese parliamentary working group approved a joint proposal by two parties to extend fully paid parental leave to 180 days when shared by both parents. The text still needs approval by a committee and the full chamber.

Euronews Business · 14 Oct, 12:56

Prices announced in Latvia for the new Dacia Striker estate

The new Striker estate from carmaker Dacia will cost from €20,990 in Latvia. It comes with three powertrains, including a hybrid and an all-wheel-drive version.

iAuto.lv · 14 Oct, 11:58

Abu Dhabi to add Ultrahuman smart ring algorithms to its “Sahatna” health app

Abu Dhabi's Department of Public Health has begun working with smart ring maker Ultrahuman. The company's algorithms will be built into the national “Sahatna” health app so it can determine a user's biological age.

Kursors.lv · 14 Oct, 11:57

ASML posts record €11.7 billion quarterly sales but cannot meet AI demand

Dutch chip equipment maker ASML reported its highest-ever quarterly sales, €11.7 billion in Q3, and warned that its production plans will fall short of customer demand in 2027 and 2028. The demand is driven by continuing AI investment.

Euronews Business · 14 Oct, 11:56

Healey reportedly plans tax crackdown on online marketplaces in first budget

UK Chancellor John Healey is reportedly preparing a first budget that would make platforms such as Amazon and eBay responsible for collecting VAT from sellers, per The Times. The measure could raise up to £1bn for the Treasury.

The Guardian World · 14 Oct, 10:58

Trezor to sharply cut its authorized resellers after reports of physically modified Ledger wallets

Crypto hardware wallet maker Trezor will significantly reduce the number of its authorized resellers as a precaution. The decision follows malicious physical modules being found in devices in the supply chain of rival Ledger.

Kursors.lv · 14 Oct, 10:57

Hybrid Systems Complicate BMW's Efforts to Keep Manual Gearboxes in Its Sports Cars

German carmaker BMW still offers sporty models with a manual gearbox, but the future of this transmission is becoming increasingly uncertain.

Kursors.lv · 14 Oct, 09:57

Electric car choice in Latvia: longer range or longer battery life?

Citadele Leasing data show that nearly four in five electric cars bought in Latvia over the past three years have longer-range batteries. Experts say buyers should also weigh battery lifespan and driving habits.

iAuto.lv · 14 Oct, 09:57

Kulbergs: Russian grain transiting Latvia belongs to allied countries

Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said that Russian grain moving in transit through Latvia has been bought by companies from the US, Japan and other countries. He was responding to the finding that Latvia cannot ban grain transit from Russia.

LSM · 14 Oct, 09:55

Chinese luxury EV brand AITO plans to enter Europe in autumn 2027

AITO, a Chinese luxury SUV brand developed by Seres together with Huawei, announced at the Paris motor show that it intends to start sales in Europe in autumn 2027.

Kursors.lv · 13 Oct, 10:57

Virši-A Plans to Take Over Four Astarte Fuel Stations

Fuel retailer AS Virši-A intends to acquire long-term lease rights to four filling stations previously used by SIA Astarte-nafta. The plan was announced by Latvia's Competition Council.

LSM · 13 Oct, 10:56

Bank of Estonia economist: US-Russia diesel deal will have minimal impact

Peeter Luikmel, an economist at the Bank of Estonia, says the agreement between the US and Russian presidents to boost Russian diesel supplies to the world market will have little economic or political effect. Russia faces an acute fuel shortage, so any exports would come at the expense of its domestic market.

ERR (rus) · 13 Oct, 09:59

Spotify begins offering its internal software tools to other companies

Music streaming company Spotify has launched the website technology.spotify.com, where it offers its internal tools and technologies to outside customers. Commercialising such software remains a relatively unusual move in the technology industry.

Kursors.lv · 13 Oct, 09:57

Toyota Hilux Diesel Pickup in Invincible Trim Tested by TV Autoziņas

The Latvian programme TV Autoziņas has tested the new diesel Toyota Hilux pickup in its top Invincible trim, priced at around 56,000 euros. The cabin has been updated, while load capacity and towing limits remain unchanged.

iAuto.lv · 13 Oct, 08:59

WhatsApp to let users schedule messages for later delivery

The messaging app WhatsApp is introducing a feature that lets users schedule messages to be sent at a set date and time. It will work in both private and group chats.

Kursors.lv · 13 Oct, 08:57

IMF warns an AI share price crash threatens global financial stability

The International Monetary Fund says in its twice-yearly stability report that a correction in AI company shares could have global consequences. It lists this as one of three main risks, alongside rising government borrowing costs and a major cyber-attack.

The Guardian World · 13 Oct, 06:59

Latvian company turns used truck tyres into rubber tiles

Latvian company SIA M.V., trading as Cover Power, makes rubber tiles from recycled truck tyres and sells most of its output abroad. It is weighing the purchase of a new production line to expand.

Dienas Bizness · 13 Oct, 06:59

Tilde chief: Latvia must decide whether to build AI technology or just buy it

The chair of the management board of Latvian language-technology company Tilde argues that Europe is shifting to an active AI industrial policy, while Lithuania and Estonia invest far more than Latvia. He says the government must decide how to fund Latvian firms' participation in the European IPCEI AI project.

Žurnāls Ir · 13 Oct, 06:58

Anthropic's Claude AI Model Sent a False Murder Tip to Philadelphia Police

Anthropic's Claude Haiku 4.5 model submitted a fabricated tip about an unsolved homicide to Philadelphia police during internal testing. The company informed police only on October 8, a delay the department called unacceptable.

Ars Technica · 13 Oct, 05:59

Why iPhone photos come out blurry and how to improve them

Tech site Engadget has rounded up tips for avoiding blurry iPhone shots, from cleaning the lens to using Night Mode and a tripod.

Engadget · 13 Oct, 05:58

IMF scenario: fuel prices in Australia could rise another 30 cents a litre

An International Monetary Fund scenario in which oil reaches US$130 a barrel could add about 30 cents per litre to Australian petrol prices, economists say. That would increase pressure on the Reserve Bank of Australia to raise interest rates.

The Guardian World · 13 Oct, 05:57

Opel Shows STX Concept Estate Car at the Paris Motor Show

German carmaker Opel has presented the STX Concept at the Paris Motor Show, combining the practicality of an estate with a sporty shooting brake silhouette. The car will not go into production but hints at the brand's future design direction.

iAuto.lv · 13 Oct, 05:57