ARTICLES

Samsung plans to launch the Galaxy S26 series soon, and expectations around charging have sharpened. Many users hoped at least one model would include native Qi2 magnets. A new report indicates that feature will not arrive this year. Charging performance, however, still looks set to improve. Battery anxiety drives everyday behaviour. People position phones carefully on bedside tables, hoping they wake to a full charge rather than a blinking low-battery warning. Qi2 magnets ex

Apple is preparing to expand its more affordable smartphone lineup with the new iPhone 17e, combining stronger performance with a familiar starting price. The device is expected to launch soon, continuing Apple’s strategy of offering a budget-friendly option without compromising on key features. Reports suggest the iPhone 17e will feature the same A19 chip found in the flagship iPhone 17, giving it a significant boost in processing power and efficiency compared to previous “e

In a parallel move that underscores mounting concerns over the infrastructure demands of artificial intelligence, New York state legislators have introduced legislation to impose a sweeping moratorium on new data centres. The bill, sponsored by Democratic State Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Anna Kelles, would freeze permits for data centres exceeding 20 megawatts for at least three years. During this period, the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Public

Benchmark Capital has made an unusually large commitment to one of its earliest bets, raising $225 million through special-purpose funds to deepen its exposure to AI chipmaker Cerebras Systems. The move follows a blockbuster financing for Cerebras this week. The company raised $1 billion in new capital at a $23 billion valuation, almost tripling its worth from the $8.1 billion valuation it achieved just six months ago. Tiger Global led the round, but a significant share of th

Boston Dynamics has spent years training audiences to expect spectacle from its robots. The latest footage of its new Atlas humanoid delivers again, but this time with a quieter message about persistence, failure and steady progress in advanced robotics. Early attempts at a backflip did not go smoothly. On its first try, Atlas lost a hand. Now, the robot links a backflip directly out of a cartwheel, lands cleanly and keeps its balance. The achievement signals how quickly the

The European Union has escalated its scrutiny of Meta Platforms, issuing a stark warning that could force the tech giant to reverse course on restricting rival AI tools within WhatsApp. On Monday, the European Commission dispatched a statement of objections to Meta, outlining preliminary findings that the company has breached antitrust rules by excluding third-party AI assistants from the messaging platform. Since 15 January 2026, Meta's updated policy has permitted only its

TikTok has been told by the European Union that it must change parts of its app design or risk facing massive financial penalties, after regulators found the platform may be harming users’ wellbeing, particularly children. The warning follows an investigation launched in 2024 by the European Commission into whether TikTok complies with the EU’s Digital Services Act. In its preliminary findings, the Commission said TikTok failed to properly assess the risks created by features

Apple is expected to release the iOS 26.4 beta in the coming days, offering developers and early testers a first look at the next wave of updates for the iPhone operating system. The release is widely anticipated as a refinement focused on stability, performance and incremental feature improvements rather than a major redesign. Sources familiar with Apple’s development cycle suggest that iOS 26.4 will continue to expand Apple’s artificial intelligence features while addressin

Amazon shares fell sharply after investors reacted nervously to the company’s announcement of a massive long term investment plan focused on artificial intelligence infrastructure. The technology giant has signalled that it expects to spend up to 200 billion dollars over the coming years to expand data centres, develop proprietary AI models and secure specialised chips needed to power next generation services. The scale of the commitment has raised concerns among shareholders

Google executives are under mounting pressure from staff over the company’s links to the US government’s immigration enforcement efforts, as raids and removals have escalated and turned deadly. An open letter published on Friday and signed by nearly 900 full-time Google employees demanded greater transparency over how the company’s technology is used by federal agencies. Google provides cloud services to parts of the US government and has connections to work supporting immigr

Bitcoin slid to its weakest level in 16 months, testing investor faith even as US president Donald Trump continued to champion cryptocurrency both publicly and through his own ventures. Traders pushed a single Bitcoin down to $60,000 (£44,000), the lowest point since September 2024, before buyers stepped in and lifted it modestly. The fall marked a sharp turn after a long rally that carried Bitcoin to a record $122,200 in October 2025. "Those who bet too big, borrowed too muc

Published: February 2026 Category: Tech Industry Developments Apple appears poised to update its MacBook Pro line sooner than expected, with new models powered by M5 Pro and M5 Max chips likely arriving alongside macOS 26.3, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter. The upcoming MacBook Pros are not expected to introduce a new design. Instead, Apple is focusing on performance gains, keeping the current chassis while delivering faster processors aimed squarel

Published: February 2026 Category: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Artificial intelligence is no longer confined to experimental tools or isolated pilot projects. It is rapidly becoming a foundational layer of modern business infrastructure. Against this backdrop, Cisco is hosting its AI Summit 2026 on 3 February, bringing together some of the most influential leaders in global technology to define how AI will scale, govern, and reshape industries in the years ah

Researchers have taken a significant step towards scalable quantum computing with the development of a new microscopic light trap that could help support machines containing millions of qubits. While quantum computing has long promised revolutionary gains in processing power, progress has been constrained by a stubborn problem: how to control vast numbers of qubits reliably without the system collapsing under its own complexity. The new approach focuses on trapping light at a

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has launched a renewed campaign calling on Apple, Google and Meta to expand default end-to-end encryption across their products, arguing that private communication should be a baseline feature rather than an optional setting. The effort comes as digital surveillance concerns grow and more everyday conversations, from banking to family chats, move online. The EFF’s position is straightforward. Encryption that users must actively switch on fai

Google Cloud and Liberty Global have signed a landmark five-year strategic partnership that will embed artificial intelligence across the telecom group's European operations. Announced on 3 February 2026, the agreement centres on deploying Google's Gemini models and other cloud tools to serve Liberty Global's roughly 80 million fixed and mobile connections. Customers stand to gain directly from the collaboration. New services, devices, and television experiences will harness

Amazon has confirmed it will eliminate approximately 16,000 corporate positions worldwide, marking the second major round of redundancies in under six months. The cuts, announced on 28 January 2026, follow October's reduction of 14,000 roles and bring the total corporate headcount reduction to more than 30,000 since late last year. In Washington state alone, where Amazon maintains its headquarters and a substantial corporate footprint, nearly 2,200 employees face redundancy.

Mozilla is preparing a new update to the Firefox web browser that will allow users to turn off artificial intelligence features with greater ease. The change is aimed at giving people more control over how AI is used while browsing the web, particularly for those who prefer a simpler, more traditional experience. The update adds a dedicated section to Firefox settings where AI powered tools can be disabled entirely. A single master switch will turn off all current and future

New leaks about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra suggest the flagship phone will retain a 5,000 mAh battery instead of upgrading to cutting-edge silicon-carbon cells, according to reports ahead of its expected launch in early 2026. That means the Ultra model may stick with the same battery capacity as its predecessor, despite rising expectations that Samsung would move into next-generation battery technology. The information, sourced from a specification leak, also point

Amazon has begun enforcing a major crackdown on illegal and unauthorised apps on its Fire TV Stick devices in the UK, making it far harder for sideloaded software used to access pirated TV shows, films and sports to run on its hardware. The changes mean that apps downloaded from outside the official Amazon Appstore that offer unlicensed content are now being blocked from launching when users try to open them. Instead of playing content, users are greeted with a message saying