PLUG

Plug-in electric vehicles accounted for roughly one in four new cars sold worldwide last year, according to figures highlighted by InsideEVs. The share suggests that talk of an EV slowdown may be overstated, with electric and plug-in hybrid models continuing to take market share from combustion cars despite headlines about slowing demand in some markets.

Hyundai has presented the next generation of its Tucson SUV. German outlets report the model gets more interior space and a bolder, more off-road-oriented look, with hybrid and plug-in-hybrid drivetrains available. Notably, the new Tucson will still be offered with conventional engines, including a manual gearbox, alongside extensive technology features. Coverage is circulating across German automotive media this week.

An Oklahoma oil company has plugged a well that was potentially leaking toxic waste, following an investigation by ProPublica and The Frontier. The reporting revealed that state regulators had approved the well in violation of rules designed to protect public drinking water, raising questions about oversight of oil and gas operations and the safety of water supplies in the state.

Activists are escalating their opposition to artificial intelligence companies with direct action tactics, under the banner 'Pull the plug'. The Guardian reports on protests targeting AI firms, reflecting growing public frustration with the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and its perceived environmental and social harms. The story is being shared widely in world news and technology circles.

A driver whose ten-year-old gas Hyundai Elantra was hit in a collision says it is regrettably time to replace the car. With no home charging but public options nearby, including one at the local library, they are leaning toward a cheap, reliable plug-in hybrid, prompting discussion about practical EV ownership without a home charger.

Tesla has introduced an emergency feature that lets drivers drive away from a Supercharger without unplugging the cable, following a fatal shooting at a charging station. French tech outlet Numerama reports that the update allows vehicles to release the connector automatically in urgent situations, sparing drivers from fumbling with the plug while trying to flee danger. The move is being discussed as a rare case of a carmaker adapting charging hardware to personal safety concerns.

Demonstrators opposing artificial intelligence companies are escalating from online criticism to direct action, according to a report headlined 'Pull the plug'. The protests target AI firms over concerns about the technology's environmental impact, labour displacement and rapid, under-regulated deployment. The report highlights a growing activist movement that frames AI development as a public harm requiring confrontation rather than debate.

The San Francisco 49ers have turned to a group of new defensive linemen as injuries hit their front line. The Athletic reports that the team's recently added backups, brought in to plug the gaps, share a common drive to earn their place on the roster and fit into the defensive system quickly. The story highlights how a patchwork group of linemen is competing to establish itself amid the club's injury problems early in the NFL season.

An oil company in Enid, Oklahoma, has permanently plugged a wastewater disposal well after reporting by The Frontier and ProPublica showed state regulators had approved it in violation of rules designed to protect municipal groundwater. The well had posed a threat to the city's drinking water supplies. The closure follows scrutiny of how Oklahoma regulators cleared the project despite protections meant to safeguard local aquifers, raising fresh questions about enforcement of environmental safeguards in the state's oil and gas industry.

SPH Media's chairman has weighed in on artificial intelligence's impact on journalism, arguing in a piece carried by The Straits Times that journalists cannot be replaced by the technology. He frames the choice facing newsrooms as whether to 'hunker down' against AI or 'plug in' and adopt it, while stressing that core journalistic work still requires human judgement and trust.

A circulating joke imagines how programmers talk in 2026: one boasts of writing C in Vim with no plugins, styled as 'Sir Kernelton III, Duke of Segfaultshire', while another insists 'I used AI, but I actually understand what I built', only to be told 'BEGONE, PEASANT. LEAVE MY REPOSITORY.' The gag pokes fun at lingering status hierarchies among developers, where AI-assisted coding is mocked even as it becomes routine.

A developer has released a small open-source plugin for Claude Code that breaks down Anthropic's 5-hour and 7-day usage limits by individual project and skill. It works entirely from local transcripts, without sending data anywhere. The tool is being shared among developers interested in productivity tooling and in understanding how their AI coding allowance is actually consumed across different work.

Plug-in solar panels — small units that can be plugged directly into a household outlet — are now legal in California, opening up a simple option for residents looking to cut electricity bills. Coverage from ABC10 notes the change comes with a catch, and reports point to conditions on how the systems must be installed and connected that limit how straightforward the new rules are in practice.

Cursor has released a plugin specification alongside a set of official plugins, hosted in a public repository under the name cursor/plugins. The project is written in TypeScript and describes how developers can build extensions for the Cursor tool. Developers are discussing the spec and what official plugin support means for extending the platform.

EmDash 1.0 has been released as a free, open source content management system. Its distinguishing feature is a decentralized plugin registry, an alternative to centrally controlled plugin marketplaces common in platforms like WordPress. Coverage so far is limited, and details on licensing, supported platforms, or adoption have not yet been widely reported.

Activists campaigning against artificial intelligence companies are moving beyond petitions and lawsuits toward direct action, under the slogan 'pull the plug', according to a Guardian report. The piece examines protests targeting AI firms' infrastructure and operations, reflecting growing public frustration over data centres, energy use and the pace of AI development, and prompting debate over whether such tactics will influence the industry.

Audio technology outlet Sonicstate is asking whether a storm is coming to the music plugin market, suggesting significant change or disruption may be underway in the industry that makes software instruments and effects. Beyond the headline, no specific company, product or event is named, leaving the nature of the anticipated shake-up unclear.

Tesla has introduced a feature in North America that lets drivers drive away from a Supercharger while the charging cable is still plugged in, with the cable detaching automatically. The convenience is not being extended to European vehicles, where connectors and charging regulations differ. Drivers and auto commentators are weighing the practicality and safety of the change.

A repair shop took in a wrecked Tesla and plugged it in despite the damage, drawing the caution 'I wouldn't do that.' The story highlights the risks of charging a crash-damaged electric vehicle, since damaged battery packs can short or catch fire. It is prompting wider discussion among drivers and technicians about how badly damaged EVs should be handled before any recharging attempt.