Business & Technology
Europe's Housing Crisis: Eviction Protests in Spain, Berlin Weighs Removing Property Investors
High rents and a shortage of apartments are pushing European cities to look for radical solutions. Spain has seen protests over evictions, while Berlin is considering getting rid of real estate investors.
Žurnāls Ir · 12 Oct, 00:58
Apple Reportedly to Unveil HomeView Smart Home Hub on Tuesday
According to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, US tech company Apple will unveil a new smart home device called HomeView, with a display and Siri, on Tuesday. Updated Apple TV and HomePod mini models are also expected.
TechCrunch · 12 Oct, 00:57
Open-source Nanolathe engine brings classic strategy game Total Annihilation to modern computers
The Nanolathe project offers an MIT-licensed, open-source engine for playing the strategy game Total Annihilation on modern computers. A browser demo and a public desktop beta are available.
Hacker News (≥150 p.) · 11 Oct, 23:59
iFixit: Valve's Steam Frame VR Headset Is Repairable, but Its Fan Is Hard to Reach
A teardown of Valve's Steam Frame VR headset by repair site iFixit finds the device fairly repairable overall, but its cooling fan is buried deep inside. Replacement batteries and displays will not be available when the parts store opens.
Engadget · 11 Oct, 23:59
Illinois college could not end its Flock contract, so it covered the cameras with trash bags
Elgin Community College in Illinois asked Flock to remove its safety cameras and was refused. The standoff lasted until the contract expired in April 2026.
The Verge · 11 Oct, 23:57
Sorkin's 'The Social Reckoning' Gets Weak Box Office Start
Aaron Sorkin's "The Social Reckoning", the sequel to "The Social Network", is on track for about $5.5 million in its opening weekend in the US and Canada, below the studio's $7–8 million projection.
TechCrunch · 11 Oct, 23:56
Anbernic unveils RG DDS, a dual-screen handheld suited to 3DS games
Handheld console maker Anbernic has revealed the RG DDS, a dual-screen clamshell device powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 chip. Pricing and a release date have not been announced.
Engadget · 11 Oct, 22:59
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 tech conference to open in San Francisco
Tech news outlet TechCrunch's Disrupt 2026 conference runs October 13–15 in San Francisco. Organizers expect more than 10,000 attendees and over 250 speakers.
TechCrunch · 11 Oct, 22:59
Silicon Valley companies adopt Trump’s preferred term “super intelligence”
US President Donald Trump wants artificial intelligence to be called “super intelligence.” Several powerful tech leaders have already adjusted their language or company names to match.
The Verge · 11 Oct, 21:58
The iPhone Clock App Hides a Few Little-Known Quirks
Scrolling through alarm times on the iPhone Clock app hits a dead end at 4:39, and the app icon shows the real time. Apple has not explained the oddity.
Engadget · 11 Oct, 21:57
Rumor: New Apple TV Could Get a Built-In Microphone and a Remote With a Speaker
According to the latest rumors, the next version of Apple's Apple TV set-top box will include a built-in microphone, while the upgraded remote will get a speaker. The report comes from the technology site The Verge.
The Verge · 11 Oct, 20:58
Neste Easy Charge EV station opens in Jūrmala
Neste Latvija has recently opened a high-power electric car charging station with several connectors in Jūrmala, Latvia. Until now the company mainly placed its stations along Via Baltica, but it is now moving into urban areas.
iAuto.lv · 11 Oct, 19:58
Strong magnets can interfere with the iPhone's rear camera
Apple warns that magnetic accessories such as mounts or power banks can disrupt the stabilization sensors in the iPhone's rear cameras and cause blurry photos. The fix is to avoid accessories that place magnetic fields near the cameras.
Engadget · 11 Oct, 19:57
Amazon drops NDAs in data center talks with local governments
Amazon has said it will stop using nondisclosure agreements when negotiating data centers with local governments, following Microsoft's lead. Commentators on TechCrunch's Equity podcast see it as a first step that won't by itself end opposition.
TechCrunch · 11 Oct, 19:56
NASA posts more than 800GB of Artemis II mission data online
The US space agency NASA has published over 800 gigabytes of images, video, audio and science data from the crewed Artemis II mission to the Moon. The archive includes crew-annotated images and footage of astronauts reporting impact flashes on the Moon's far side.
The Verge · 11 Oct, 18:57
How Long Google Pixel Phones Will Receive Software Updates
Google guarantees seven years of updates for the Pixel 8 and newer models, and five years for older ones. The support window counts from the month a phone went on sale in the Google Store in the US.
Engadget · 11 Oct, 18:57
Voice AI hasn't had its "ChatGPT moment" yet, industry executives say
Executives at PolyAI and Otter say voice AI has yet to reach its "ChatGPT moment" despite the arrival of full-duplex models. Fast reasoning, accurate speech recognition and transparency remain the key challenges.
TechCrunch · 11 Oct, 17:59
Why it's worth backing up data on old USB thumb drives
Tech outlet Engadget explains why files on old USB flash drives should be copied elsewhere: they face physical damage, loss and data corruption. It recommends following the 3-2-1 backup rule.
Engadget · 11 Oct, 17:58
Buyers now ask for blueberry and mulberry saplings instead of blackcurrant, farmer says
Pēteris Heimanis has run a sapling nursery in Pure parish, Tukums region, for 28 years, now together with his children. According to the grower, buyer interest has shifted from blackcurrants to blueberries and mulberries.
LSM (rus) · 11 Oct, 17:57
The PlayStation 5 now costs more in the US than it did at its 2020 launch
Sony's PlayStation 5 console costs more in the US after price hikes in 2025 and 2026 than it did at launch in 2020. Sony points to a memory chip shortage driven by the AI boom.
Engadget · 11 Oct, 16:57
Denmark tests humanoid robots in supermarket to restock shelves at night
At a Føtex supermarket near Copenhagen, humanoid robots have been training since June to restock shelves. They are expected to work independently, mainly at night, by early 2027.
Euronews · 11 Oct, 15:57
Why CPU Overclocking Has Largely Fallen Out of Favor
Overclocking, once a popular hobby among PC enthusiasts, has faded because modern processors and motherboards boost clock speeds automatically and leave less performance untapped.
Engadget · 11 Oct, 15:57
Google's Playground Lets Anyone Build Video Games From a Text Prompt, but Results Are Mediocre
Google Labs this week launched Playground, an experimental service that generates playable browser games from plain-language descriptions. A Wired writer built three games in one day but found the results limited and strikingly similar to one another.
Wired · 11 Oct, 14:58
Ukrainian drones halt Yandex data centre operations in Vladimir
A Ukrainian drone attack has halted the operation of a data centre belonging to Russian technology company Yandex in Vladimir, east of Moscow. It is the third strike on the company's infrastructure within four days.
Kursors.lv · 11 Oct, 13:57
Asus launches ProArt P14 and P16 laptops with Nvidia RTX Spark chip
Electronics maker Asus has unveiled the ProArt P14 and ProArt P16 laptops, aimed at content creators and professionals. They are the company's first models built around the Nvidia RTX Spark N1X superchip.
Kursors.lv · 11 Oct, 12:58
LDz Cargo Sells 36 Used Containers at Auctions for More Than €63,000
Auctions run by LDz Cargo, a subsidiary of the state-owned Latvian railway company Latvijas dzelzceļš, have sold 36 used containers. The total amount raised is €63,954.
TVNET · 11 Oct, 12:57
Australian workplace regulator uses humour to explain taking a day off for “GTA 6” release
Australia’s employment watchdog, the Fair Work Ombudsman, has posted a humorous infographic on social media about workers’ right to take unpaid leave on the release day of the video game Grand Theft Auto VI.
Kursors.lv · 11 Oct, 11:58
Trump Announces Diesel Purchases From Russia; Zelensky Calls It a Gift to Putin
US President Donald Trump has announced the purchase of diesel from Russia in order to lower global fuel prices. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called it a gift to Putin and warned of more Russian terror.
iAuto.lv · 11 Oct, 11:58
Panel-Block Apartment Prices in Ogre Up 11% Since Start of Year
A report by real estate company Arco Real Estate shows that prices of standard-series apartments rose again in August 2026 in Ogre, Salaspils and Kauguri, a part of Jūrmala. In Jelgava they were unchanged over the month.
Latvijas Avīze · 11 Oct, 10:58
Microsoft Creates New Xbox Division to Bring Its Biggest Game Franchises to Film and TV
Microsoft has announced a new division within Xbox XP aimed at widening the audience of popular video game franchises beyond the games themselves. It will work on TV series, films, licensed products and live events.
Kursors.lv · 11 Oct, 10:58
Volkswagen Unveils Electric ID. Tiguan SUV, Sales Due in Early 2027
German carmaker Volkswagen has presented the electric ID. Tiguan SUV, successor to the ID.4 and ID.5. Sales are planned for early 2027, and the price has not been announced.
iAuto.lv · 11 Oct, 09:59
IKEA launches "Stengrönska" alarm clock with built-in sensors and wireless charging
Swedish furniture and household goods company IKEA has introduced a new alarm clock, "Stengrönska", with a built-in thermometer, hygrometer and wireless charging. For now it is sold through the brand's online stores in Japan and China.
Kursors.lv · 11 Oct, 09:58
Europe's gas market after its dependence on Russia: how the supplier map has changed
Five years ago Europe's gas market depended entirely on Russia, but the picture changed substantially after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A Latvian Radio programme examines how the market works now and what supplier diversification means geopolitically.
LSM · 11 Oct, 09:56
Dienas Bizness Receives Recovery Fund Support for Digital Transformation
On 9 January 2025, the publisher Izdevniecība Dienas bizness signed an agreement with the Central Finance and Contracting Agency for Recovery Fund support to modernise its media processes. The project covers digital solutions for the DIENAS BIZNESS newspaper and DIENAS ŽURNĀLI magazines.
Diena · 10 Oct, 19:58
New EU Requirements Encourage Repair of Electrical Appliances
A broken household appliance does not always mean buying a new one, as many electrical devices can be repaired. New European Union requirements are meant to encourage such repairs.
LSM (rus) · 10 Oct, 19:58
Cloudflare acquires Deno to improve its Workers programming model
Internet infrastructure company Cloudflare announced on Friday that it is acquiring Deno, the startup behind the programming runtime of the same name. The deal is meant to improve the Cloudflare Workers platform for building and running software.
TechCrunch · 10 Oct, 19:57