big tech

Google is preparing to launch an experimental satellite into orbit, marking the first move by a major technology company toward building AI data centers in space. The project signals how Big Tech firms are looking beyond Earth to find power and cooling capacity for energy-hungry artificial intelligence systems. The announcement, reported by the New York Times, has drawn wide attention to the feasibility of orbital computing infrastructure.

Google is mounting a legal challenge against European Union regulatory orders that would force it to give AI companies and rival search engines greater access to its services and data. The dispute is the latest clash between Big Tech and Brussels over competition rules, with regulators arguing open access is needed to level the playing field for emerging AI and search competitors.

Google is appealing European Union regulatory demands concerning access to Android's AI features and the sharing of search data with rivals. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the company is contesting requirements imposed under EU digital competition rules, arguing over how its Android platform and search data should be opened to third parties. The appeal sets up a fresh confrontation between the tech giant and European regulators.

A look back at gadgets that were promoted as revolutionary but ultimately disappointed consumers and critics alike. The piece argues that early skepticism toward these products was warranted, as many failed to gain lasting traction or deliver on their promises despite heavy marketing.

A satirical cartoon tagged 'TheVampiress' is circulating online, playing on themes of vampires, the Apple brand and religion. The piece, shared under the handle KätToon, draws a hissing reaction and uses vampire imagery to mock the intersection of big tech and religious devotion. It has drawn modest but amused engagement so far.

Antitrust regulators are positioning themselves as the next major regulatory challenge for the artificial intelligence industry, according to CNBC. As governments worldwide debate AI rules, competition watchdogs are increasingly scrutinising whether deals and partnerships among leading AI companies could concentrate too much power in a few big tech firms.

The Vatican has announced the theme for the next World Day of Social Communications, focusing on the pitfalls of the 'attention economy' — the business model in which tech platforms compete to capture and monetise human attention. The choice signals Pope Francis's ongoing concern with how digital media shapes public discourse, empathy and truth, continuing his criticism of manipulative online practices.

German media are asking whether the country's young startups could become its next big tech champions. The discussion highlights emerging companies and the question of whether Germany can produce globally competitive technology firms, a long-standing concern given the country's strong industrial base but relatively few new tech giants compared with the United States or China.

Privacy advocates are arguing that technology should be built around people rather than controlled by a handful of billionaire-owned corporations. The argument, gaining traction in online tech circles, holds that it is possible to create human-centric, empowering platforms owned by users themselves, and that anything less is a substandard approach to digital rights.

Barron's reports that Apple, Meta, Iovance, Carnival, Fair Isaac, Bloom Energy and SpaceX are among the stocks explaining the day's market action. The roundup highlights moves across big tech, travel, energy and biotech. Beyond the headline, no details are given on specific price changes or the drivers behind the moves.

Bloomberg Tech reports that AMD has acquired World Labs, the spatial-intelligence startup founded by AI researcher Fei-Fei Li, in a deal valued at $8.2 billion. The move signals AMD's push beyond chips into AI systems that understand 3D space and the physical world, a technology many see as a possible stepping stone toward more general artificial intelligence and advances in robotics.

An expert argues the technology industry operates as a 'winner takes most' market, meaning a small number of leading firms capture the bulk of profits and market share while competitors struggle to keep up. The observation points to the concentration of power among dominant tech companies in areas like software, cloud computing and artificial intelligence, a trend that continues to draw scrutiny from regulators and analysts.

Google has filed a legal challenge against European Union orders requiring it to share data with rivals under the Digital Markets Act, intensifying its conflict with Brussels over the landmark tech rules. The case marks one of the most significant legal tests yet of the DMA, which forces major online platforms to open up their services and data to competitors.

Alex Kantrowitz, who runs the Big Technology newsletter and podcast, says OpenAI is taking bigger risks and making bolder moves in artificial intelligence than Meta. His comments come as the two companies compete to shape the next generation of AI products, with OpenAI advancing new models while Meta pushes its own open-source alternatives.

A French-language essay argues that RSS feeds are essential to digital sovereignty, positioning the open web standard as a way to follow publications without depending on large platforms. The piece, shared with hashtags critical of Big Tech, frames RSS as a simple tool for reclaiming control over how people read the web, resonating with audiences concerned about digital independence.

A wave of new AI assistant launches is drawing attention, with Microsoft, Meta, Google and xAI each releasing products — Microsoft Autopilot, Meta Muse, Google Gemini Spark and Grok Bot — and OpenAI now joining with a tool called Dots. Commenters say the entire industry is rushing to stake out ground in the assistant space, with competition between the big AI players intensifying week by week.

Google has filed an appeal against a European Commission decision requiring the company to share search history data with rivals under the Digital Markets Act. The dispute centres on whether the EU's competition rules can force the search giant to hand over sensitive user data. The case adds to Google's long-running regulatory battles with Brussels over its market power.

More than a dozen Premier League media outlets have joined a network designed to operate independently of Silicon Valley-controlled distribution channels. The move signals a push by football clubs and affiliated publishers to take direct control of how their content reaches audiences, reducing reliance on major US tech platforms for distribution.

Huawei has unveiled the Mate 90 smartphone, featuring large camera systems and chips developed in-house rather than sourced from Western suppliers. The company has no plans to launch the device in Western markets, keeping availability focused on China and select regions. The phone highlights Huawei's continued push toward self-reliance in semiconductors despite ongoing export restrictions from the United States.

Google is suing the European Union, refusing a requirement to share search data with AI rivals including OpenAI. The company has filed a legal challenge, calling the rules an overreach that would hand valuable data to competitors. The dispute marks a new front in tensions between Big Tech and European regulators over control of data used to train AI models.