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Breaking news and analysis from the world of technology
The Scottish National Party (SNP) has passed a motion to potentially stop new datacentre projects in Scotland that do not yet have planning permission. This move could affect the UK government’s plans to develop AI infrastructure in Scotland, especially large datacentres that use renewable energy.
Key Facts
The SNP’s national council voted to freeze all new datacentre projects in Scotland pending government review.
This freeze could apply to projects without planning permission.
Current datacentre plans in Scotland are viewed by some as too large and harmful to the local environment.
One planned datacentre in Lanarkshire was promoted as an “AI growth zone” but raised community concerns and doubts about promised jobs and investments.
Scotland has 24 large “hyperscale” datacentre projects in planning, which would use over 1.5 times Scotland’s peak power demand.
UK officials promoted Scotland for datacentres due to its access to renewable energy sources.
Critics say the UK AI investment strategy lacks clear planning and relies too much on unverified investment promises.
The potential freeze reflects wider uncertainty in the UK’s AI and technology development plans under upcoming government leadership.
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Anthropic discovered that its AI model called Claude has a special internal area named "J-Space" where it can hold ideas and plan without turning them into words. This space allows Claude to think separately from what it tells users and shows a human-like way of handling separate thoughts.
Key Facts
Claude uses a unique internal workspace called J-Space for silent reasoning and planning.
J-Space lets Claude think about things unrelated to its current task or what it shares with users.
Anthropic found that Claude can notice errors, identify images, and form concepts inside J-Space.
J-Space was detected using a mathematical method called the Jacobian.
The company says Claude’s behavior in J-Space is somewhat similar to how humans hold thoughts without speaking them.
Anthropic has not claimed Claude is conscious, but it discusses the idea often in its research.
Watching J-Space might help detect hidden or harmful intentions in AI models.
In an example, Claude thought about the Golden Gate Bridge while working on something else, showing separate thinking.
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Chinese companies are testing driverless robotaxis in cities like Beijing, where these vehicles navigate complex traffic without human drivers. They benefit from China’s strong electric vehicle (EV) industry and government support, but face challenges adapting the technology for different weather and road conditions outside China.
Key Facts
Robotaxis operate in Beijing’s Yizhuang district with no human drivers.
Major Chinese companies in this field include Baidu, WeRide, and Pony.ai.
China’s existing EV supply chain helps reduce costs and speeds up development of autonomous vehicles.
The complex traffic in Chinese cities produces useful data for improving autonomous driving software.
Pilot programs allow testing of robotaxis on some public roads in Chinese cities.
Extreme weather outside China, like heavy rain or snow, can affect robotaxi sensors and batteries.
Chinese firms also develop autonomous buses and delivery vehicles used in over 20 cities.
Their main global competitor in robotaxis is Waymo, a U.S. company owned by Alphabet.
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to remove a rule that requires internet companies to list all extra fees individually on broadband price labels. Instead, these companies can show the fees as one combined “up to” amount, and the price labels may become harder for consumers to find.
Key Facts
The FCC will vote to end the rule that forces internet providers to itemize all “passthrough” fees separately on price labels.
Passthrough fees are extra charges ISPs add to bills to cover costs from local governments or other parties, not taxes.
Under the new order, ISPs can show these fees as a single maximum or “up to” amount instead of listing each fee.
The FCC will also allow ISPs to link to price labels rather than show full labels prominently on sales and account pages.
ISPs can stop providing price-label data in machine-readable formats and relax phone disclosure requirements.
The current FCC chair is Brendan Carr, and these changes are reversing some rules made during the Biden administration.
The FCC aims to finalize the vote by July 22, with the changes taking effect about 30 days later.
ISPs could choose to fold passthrough fees into their advertised prices but are not required to do so.
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In 1985, the space shuttle Discovery carried two small copper statues of the Statue of Liberty made from original copper removed during the real statue’s restoration. In 1998, astronaut and senator John Glenn took replicas of early American historical items, including a 13-star flag from 1777 and a reprint of Thomas Jefferson’s 1801 manual, into space.
Key Facts
Discovery’s 1985 flight carried two 15-inch copper replicas of the Statue of Liberty.
The copper used in the small statues came from the original statue’s restoration materials dated 1875–1884.
One statue went on display after the mission; the other was melted to make copper seals for public sale.
Americana includes items linked to the US Revolutionary War and founding era (1776 onward).
John Glenn flew into space in 1998 at age 77, making him the oldest astronaut at that time.
Glenn took a reprint of Thomas Jefferson’s 1801 “Manual of Parliamentary Practice” on the shuttle.
He also carried a replica of General George Washington’s 1777 Headquarters Flag, linked to revolutionary battlefields.
Original artifacts are kept in museums; the space-flown items were replicas or made from original materials.
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Illinois has become the first state in the U.S. to require big artificial intelligence (AI) companies to have an independent review of their safety measures. Governor JB Pritzker signed a law called the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act to help protect people from possible risks of AI technology.
Key Facts
Illinois passed the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act (S.B. 315).
The law requires large AI labs to have third-party audits of their safety plans.
A third-party audit means an independent group checks the safety measures.
The governor, JB Pritzker, signed the bill into law.
The purpose is to protect people from risks related to AI.
This makes Illinois the first state in the U.S. to introduce this type of AI regulation.
The law focuses on ensuring the safety of AI technology for users.
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A film studio called Particle6 has created an AI-generated actor named Tilly Norwood, who will star in their upcoming movie "Misaligned." This film will combine human creativity with AI technology to explore themes about identity and artificial intelligence.
Key Facts
Tilly Norwood is an actor created entirely by artificial intelligence and not a real person.
The UK-based company Particle6 developed Norwood and described itself as an AI-focused film studio.
The new movie "Misaligned" features Norwood in the lead role and is set in a digital world "up in the Cloud."
Particle6 uses both traditional film professionals and AI experts to make its productions.
The studio aims to show how AI can help filmmaking but still requires human skill and judgment.
When introduced in 2025, Norwood faced criticism from industry groups who believe acting should be done by humans.
The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA does not recognize Norwood as a real actor and emphasizes that creativity should remain human-centered.
The use of AI in entertainment has been a major issue in recent labor talks, leading to agreements limiting AI’s role in creative work.
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Last week, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) proposed new rules to change how it regulates radiation exposure. Instead of removing the existing "as low as reasonably achievable" (ALARA) standard, the NRC plans to keep the science behind it but clarify the language to reduce confusion and improve how limits are set.
Key Facts
The NRC is updating rules about radiation exposure regulation.
The previous rule, ALARA, means minimizing radiation exposure as much as reasonably possible.
The NRC supports the scientific basis of current radiation risk models, especially the linear no-threshold (LNT) model.
LNT assumes any radiation level, no matter how small, can cause some harm.
Critics say the term "reasonable" in ALARA is vague and can lead to overly strict or costly limits.
The NRC’s new rule aims to clarify this by emphasizing practical and cost-effective dose reductions.
The proposed changes are expected to save the nuclear industry around $9.5 million yearly.
The update affects not only nuclear power plants but also medical and research uses of radiation.
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This article explains how everyday activities expose people to small amounts of many different chemicals. While most exposures are low and considered safe, scientists are studying how combinations of chemicals may affect health because chemicals can interact in unexpected ways.
Key Facts
People encounter chemicals daily through things like personal care products, food, air, and water.
Most exposures happen at low levels and are regulated to be safe.
Research shows people are rarely exposed to just one chemical, but to mixtures of many chemicals.
Chemicals can come from pesticides on food, ingredients in household products, and contaminants in drinking water.
Mixtures of chemicals can have additive effects, but sometimes they interact in ways that increase or decrease health risks.
Some chemicals called endocrine disruptors can interfere with hormones that control important body functions like growth and reproduction.
Scientists are continuing to study how combinations of chemicals affect health to better understand risks.
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Katalyst Space Technologies launched a special satellite called Link to catch and boost NASA's Swift satellite, which is in danger of falling from orbit. This is the first mission designed to save a satellite by attaching to it and moving it to a safer orbit.
Key Facts
NASA asked companies to propose quick plans to save the Swift satellite less than a year ago.
Katalyst won a contract last September to build and launch the rescue mission.
The Link satellite weighed nearly half a ton and was launched from a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket.
The Pegasus rocket was air-launched from an aircraft over the Pacific Ocean near the Marshall Islands.
The goal is for Link to approach Swift, grab it with robotic arms, and use thrusters to move it to a higher orbit.
Swift’s orbit is tilted 20.6 degrees to the equator, so a special launch location was chosen to reach it efficiently.
This mission is the first time Katalyst flew this version of Link, which includes cameras, sensors, and robotic arms.
Engineers are cautious because Swift was not made to dock with another satellite, and its condition is uncertain.
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Microsoft announced it will cut about 4,800 jobs, including 3,200 in its Xbox division, to reduce costs and restructure the gaming business. The changes include selling or spinning off four game studios and reviewing options for a fifth studio, aiming to make Xbox more profitable by 2027.
Key Facts
Microsoft is cutting around 4,800 jobs, about 2% of its workers worldwide.
About 3,200 of these cuts will happen in the Xbox gaming division over the next fiscal year.
Four Xbox game studios will be sold or spun off, and a fifth studio is being reviewed for possible closure or sale.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said the division’s profit margins are much lower than competitors.
Some jobs in Microsoft’s commercial business are also being cut to support AI efforts.
Microsoft is investing $2.5 billion to help customers adopt AI with 6,000 engineers working inside those companies.
Xbox has had multiple rounds of layoffs since Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard in 2024.
The restructuring aims to make Xbox healthier financially and achieve growth by 2027.
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Anthropic secretly added a hidden tracker in its Claude Code AI tool to monitor some users in China. The company removed the tracker after it was discovered, saying it was meant to stop unauthorized reselling and copying of their AI models. This incident adds to growing tensions between US and Chinese AI firms over technology copying.
Key Facts
Anthropic inserted a hidden tracking code in Claude Code users in China.
The tracker collected info like time zone, proxy, and links to Chinese AI labs.
Anthropic’s engineer said the tracker started in March as an experiment.
The tracker aimed to stop unauthorized resellers and AI model copying, called “distillation.”
Distillation is when someone copies an AI model by querying it many times.
Anthropic has been fighting the US government to prevent surveillance of US users.
Chinese AI models have recently matched or outperformed US models quickly.
Anthropic and OpenAI want distillation attacks to be illegal and regulated by the US.
Alibaba’s Qwen AI showed signs of copying Claude after heavy distillation attacks.
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Microsoft’s Xbox division will cut 3,200 jobs and sell off five smaller game studios as part of a major restructuring. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said these changes aim to simplify the division, reduce management layers, and focus on larger, more successful studios.
Key Facts
Xbox plans to lay off 3,200 employees, about 20% of its gaming division workforce.
Half of the layoffs started immediately; the rest will happen by June 2027.
Microsoft is selling five smaller Xbox-owned studios, including Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions.
Some studios will operate independently or be sold to other companies.
Xbox has struggled financially with smaller studios, losing an average of 64 cents per dollar invested.
Larger studios like Mojang (Minecraft) and King (Candy Crush) remain important and report directly to the Xbox CEO.
The layoffs follow previous job cuts in Xbox after the Activision Blizzard purchase and other recent restructurings.
The Xbox division had grown complex, with many layers of management; the new structure will have fewer layers to speed up decisions.
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Microsoft announced it will cut 4,800 jobs, about 2.1% of its workforce, with Xbox facing a large part of the layoffs. Xbox's new chief, Asha Sharma, said the company is starting a major restructuring, including spinning off four game studios, to focus on future growth amid changes in the gaming industry.
Key Facts
Microsoft will cut 4,800 jobs company-wide, which is around 2.1% of its employees.
More than 1,600 Xbox jobs will be cut immediately, with another 1,600 cuts planned over the next year.
Four Xbox game studios—Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs—will be spun off.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma described the restructuring as the most significant in Xbox history.
Microsoft said the job cuts are to focus on areas that benefit customers in a fast-changing industry.
Microsoft will not replace the lost roles with AI but acknowledges AI is changing how work is done.
The gaming industry is already experiencing challenges, including past layoffs, studio closures, and rising hardware costs.
Mojang (Minecraft developer) and King (Candy Crush developer) will now report directly to Asha Sharma.
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Two spacecraft from Japan and China had close encounters with small asteroids this weekend. Japan’s Hayabusa2 flew by the asteroid Torifune, while China’s Tianwen-2 arrived near asteroid Kamoʻoalewa to study it and plan sample collection.
Key Facts
Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission launched in 2014 and first visited asteroid Ryugu in 2018, collecting 5.4 grams of samples.
Hayabusa2 still has fuel left and is continuing an extended mission to visit more asteroids.
On Sunday, Hayabusa2 flew within about 10 km of the 450-meter asteroid Torifune.
Hayabusa2’s next planned flyby is a small asteroid about 11 meters wide expected in July 2031.
China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft reached within 20 km of asteroid Kamoʻoalewa on July 2.
Kamoʻoalewa is about 20 meters in diameter and orbits near Earth but is not captured by Earth’s gravity.
Tianwen-2 will study Kamoʻoalewa, try to collect samples, and aims to return them to Earth by November 2027.
After the sample return, Tianwen-2 may continue to another asteroid named 311P/PanSTARRS for further study.
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This article describes a recipe for making a hot dog Reuben sandwich using an air fryer. It explains the cooking steps and suggests variations for different ingredients to create a tasty sandwich quickly and easily.
Key Facts
The hot dog Reuben uses hot dogs instead of traditional corned beef.
The recipe is from the book "The Instant Air Fryer Bible" by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough.
Any type of hot dog can be used, including beef, pork, turkey, or vegan options.
The air fryer toasts bread evenly and crisps the sandwich without burning the inside ingredients.
Ingredients include rye bread, olive oil spray, Russian dressing, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and hot dogs.
Cooking involves air frying hot dogs first, then assembling and air frying the whole sandwich.
Variations suggested include swapping sauerkraut for kimchi or Swiss cheese for Gruyère or Comté.
The recipe provides a fast and easy method for making deli-style sandwiches using air fryer technology.
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Utah launched a program where an AI chatbot named Doctronic helps patients refill prescriptions online without visiting a doctor. This new approach has sparked debate among doctors and experts about whether AI is ready to handle medical tasks and how it should be regulated to ensure patient safety.
Key Facts
Utah started a pilot program allowing prescription refills via an AI chatbot called Doctronic.
The AI system helps patients skip doctor visits for refills, aiming to make healthcare more convenient.
Current laws say only licensed doctors can prescribe medication, which raises legal questions about AI’s role.
The program operates under a special "regulatory sandbox" that lets Utah waive some laws for testing AI healthcare tools.
Doctronic’s refill requests are currently reviewed by human doctors before approval.
The company plans to move toward fully automated prescription refills without human review.
Utah’s medical licensing board learned about the program only after its launch and has raised safety concerns.
There is debate on whether the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should regulate AI tools like Doctronic since they directly affect medical decisions.
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New AI surveillance systems will track people’s actions in public and private spaces using facial recognition and data analysis. These systems will report rule-breaking instantly to authorities and may limit personal freedoms and social progress.
Key Facts
AI surveillance can monitor many actions, from minor offenses to major rule violations, in real-time.
Such systems link violations directly to official government records and notify authorities immediately.
China uses over 600 million cameras combined with AI to control social behavior and enforce rules.
The US Department of Homeland Security is expanding AI surveillance, including facial recognition and social media monitoring.
AI surveillance aims not only to protect security but also to control citizens’ behavior.
Experts warn this technology can increase self-censorship and conformity, impacting democracy and freedom.
AI automates complex analysis of personal data and activities, increasing surveillance power.
The fusion of multiple tracking methods by AI creates persistent and wide-reaching monitoring systems with potentially harmful social effects.
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Bentley will soon launch its first electric vehicle (EV) named the Torcal. The car is based on a natural landmark name and uses electric power technology shared with other Volkswagen Group EVs. Bentley plans to reveal the Torcal on September 23.
Key Facts
Bentley is introducing its first electric vehicle called the Torcal.
The name Torcal comes from El Torcal de Antequera, a natural limestone rock formation in Spain.
The name also connects to the Latin root for “torque,” highlighting the car's electric power features.
Bentley tested the Torcal in the Arctic Circle and at the Nürburgring race track.
The Torcal uses the PPE platform shared with other Volkswagen Group electric vehicles, like the Porsche Cayenne EV.
Bentley's CEO said the Torcal aims to combine luxury, comfort, and strong electric performance.
The car is expected to look somewhat like Bentley’s EXP 15 concept shown last year.
Bentley will reveal the Torcal officially on September 23 and will build it at its Crewe factory in England.
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The Czinger 21C is a hybrid supercar with advanced technology, including a powerful V8 engine combined with electric motors. It uses special design software and 3D printing to create strong, lightweight parts shaped exactly for performance, making it different from traditional car manufacturing.
Key Facts
The Czinger 21C has a carbon fiber body and a 2.88-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine.
It also has three electric motors, producing a total of 1,250 horsepower.
The car weighs under 3,700 pounds and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 1.92 seconds.
Its top speed is 253 mph, and it can complete a quarter mile in 8.6 seconds.
The 21C’s design uses generative software that tests millions of shapes to find the best material layout for strength and weight.
Parts are made with metal 3D printing (additive manufacturing), allowing complex shapes regular methods cannot produce.
Czinger Vehicles was founded by Kevin and Lukas Czinger and is linked to Divergent Technologies, a company known for innovative manufacturing used in aerospace and defense.
The car costs about $2.35 million, putting it among the most expensive and high-performance cars in the world.
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