The Supreme Court declined to stop Texas from enforcing a law that requires app stores to verify users’ ages, allowing the state to continue applying the law while legal challenges proceed. This law aims to protect minors by restricting certain app content and requires app stores to use reasonable age checks, but it faces criticism from Big Tech companies who say it limits free speech and privacy.
Key Facts
Texas passed the App Store Accountability Act, requiring app stores to verify ages and restrict some apps for users under 18.
A federal judge blocked the law in December 2025, saying it likely violates free speech protections.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that block in June 2026, saying the law likely meets legal standards.
Big Tech groups, including the Computer & Communications Industry Association, called the law a "broad censorship regime."
The Supreme Court refused to reinstate the block, so Texas can enforce the law while the case continues.
The law exempts some nonprofit, government, and emergency service apps from these rules.
The legal debate centers on how strictly the law should be examined under free speech rules.
Texas argues the law protects children’s data, safety, and privacy by requiring age checks and parental consent.
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In Greystones, Ireland, a community has agreed that children should wait until secondary school age before getting a smartphone. The episode also shares a story about a woman who created a safety device after a late-night attack and discusses an experiment where AI ran a café in Sweden.
Key Facts
Greystones has a volunteer rule to delay giving smartphones to children until they reach secondary school.
The "It Takes A Village" initiative supports this approach to managing children's phone use.
A local school principal and a parent explain the reasons behind this agreement.
A woman developed a wearable device to improve safety after surviving an attack.
In Sweden, a café was operated by artificial intelligence (AI) to test how it would work.
The episode was presented by Shiona McCallum and produced by Tom Quinn.
The story was broadcast on the World Service on July 7, 2026.
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Google will hold its Pixel 11 launch event on August 12 in New York City. New Pixel phones are expected to have similar designs to last year’s models but may come with higher prices due to parts shortages related to AI technology. Google is also likely to announce the Pixel Watch 5 with minor design changes.
Key Facts
The Pixel 11 event is scheduled for August 12 at 6 pm ET in New York City.
The new Pixel phones will look very similar to last year’s models, with small design tweaks like rear notification lights called “Pixel Glow.”
Google may remove the 128GB base storage option for smaller phones, starting with 256GB instead.
Expected starting prices in Europe are 999 euros for Pixel 11 and 1,199 euros for Pixel 11 Pro, about 100 euros higher than last year.
If prices follow the usual US conversion, the Pixel 11 may start at $899, $100 more than last year, and the Pixel 11 Pro around $1,099.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold will also likely increase in price, possibly reaching up to $1,899 for the foldable model.
Google may also introduce the Pixel Watch 5, possibly using a Google-designed chip instead of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon.
The Pixel Watch design will probably stay similar to previous versions with minor updates.
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New satellites called FireSat use special cameras and software to find wildfires from space. These satellites can help firefighters by spotting fires early.
Key Facts
FireSat satellites have cameras designed to detect wildfires.
They use imaging software to identify fires from space.
The satellites aim to find fires quickly to assist firefighting teams.
Muon Space is the company behind FireSat satellites.
Jonny Dyer is the CEO of Muon Space.
Early fire detection can help reduce damage from wildfires.
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The Weather Channel has increased the price of its streaming subscription on smart TV apps from $3 to $5 per month, or from $30 to $50 per year. This app allows users to watch live broadcasts, access local weather forecasts, maps, and on-demand shows without a cable subscription.
Key Facts
The Weather Channel’s smart TV app is available on Android TV, Fire TV, Roku, and Samsung TVs.
The previous subscription cost was $3 per month or $30 per year, now raised to $5 per month or $50 per year.
The app launched in May 2022 to provide weather reporting without cable or satellite TV.
The price increase is about 67%, the biggest hike since the app launched.
Allen Media Group, which owns The Weather Channel, had planned a larger streaming service called The Weather Channel Plus that never launched.
The Weather Channel app competes with free and paid weather websites and mobile apps owned by a different company.
Running a streaming service involves challenges like app development, licensing, and customer support costs.
The price hike comes as more people have many free or low-cost options to get weather updates.
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SpaceX joined the Nasdaq-100 index quickly after its stock market debut, which will lead to more buying of its shares by index-related funds. Despite this, SpaceX’s stock price dropped by 5.4% along with other tech stocks due to concerns about the future growth of artificial intelligence (AI).
Key Facts
SpaceX entered the Nasdaq-100 index less than a month after going public on June 12.
The Nasdaq changed its rules to allow large companies like SpaceX to join the index after only 15 trading days.
SpaceX’s stock fell 5.4% on the day it joined the index, following a broader drop in tech stocks.
The company now holds a 1.34% weight in the Nasdaq-100 index.
Major brokerages like Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan gave SpaceX mostly positive evaluations.
Wall Street analysts expect the Starship rocket to drive large growth, forecasting thousands of launches annually by 2031.
Some brokerages have neutral or sell ratings, with one setting a low price target of $115 per share.
Investors believe SpaceX could become a major player in AI computing and satellite internet through Starlink technology.
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Nintendo will stop selling the original Nintendo Switch in Europe next February because new rules require batteries to be easy to replace. Outside Europe, the Switch will still be sold. The Switch has sold very well and remains popular, even though its sales are slowly going down after nine years.
Key Facts
Nintendo will end sales of the original Switch in Europe in February due to new battery regulations.
The new rules require most electronics to have batteries that are easy to replace.
Nintendo will not redesign the original Switch to meet these regulations but is redesigning the Switch 2.
The Switch has been on the market for nine years and sales have been slowly declining.
The Switch reached its highest hardware sales in its fourth year, later than other Nintendo consoles.
In its ninth year, the Switch was still selling 3.8 million units, about 13% of its peak hardware sales.
Switch software sales remain strong, with 137 million pieces sold recently, about 58% of its peak.
Compared to past Nintendo consoles like the DS, 3DS, and Wii, the Switch’s software sales are much higher at a similar age.
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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a new law called the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act. The law sets rules for large AI systems to increase safety, transparency, and accountability and aims to prevent serious harm caused by AI technology.
Key Facts
The law targets AI models that make over $500 million a year and use large amounts of computing power.
It requires AI developers to publish plans on how they assess risks that could cause death, serious injury, or major property damage.
If an AI system causes harm or poses an imminent risk, developers must report it within 24 to 72 hours.
The bill was inspired by similar AI laws recently passed in California and New York.
Illinois lawmakers hope their rule will act like a national standard since the three states represent about 40% of the U.S. AI market.
Senator Mary Edly-Allen emphasized the need for urgent action as AI could cause widespread problems.
The law aims to prevent AI from helping create dangerous weapons or enabling cyber-attacks.
AI companies like Anthropic supported the bill, noting certain AI models can be too risky to release openly.
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Shakira has reached 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify, making her one of the most listened-to artists on the platform. This milestone marks a significant achievement in her music streaming popularity.
Key Facts
Shakira now has 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
She is one of the top artists globally on the streaming service.
Spotify counts monthly listeners as unique users who play an artist's music.
This achievement highlights her global fanbase and streaming success.
The milestone reflects the importance of digital platforms in the music industry.
Shakira's record is a notable event in music streaming history.
Spotify is a major music streaming service with millions of users worldwide.
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Microsoft announced a big change in its Xbox division, cutting thousands of jobs and selling five game studios. The company said it lost money on small and mid-sized game studios and wants to focus on restructuring rather than expanding further right now.
Key Facts
Microsoft is restructuring its Xbox unit and cutting thousands of jobs.
The company is selling five gaming studios: Ninja Theory and Undead Labs have buyers; Double Fine and Compulsion Games are returning to their founders; Arkane’s sale is just starting.
Microsoft lost about 64 cents for every dollar invested in small and medium gaming studios.
Since 2014, Microsoft has bought big game companies like Mojang (Minecraft maker), ZeniMax, and Activision Blizzard.
The CEO of Xbox, Asha Sharma, said they are resetting Xbox because the current business is not healthy.
This change focuses on reorganization, not leaving gaming entirely.
There might still be investment in Minecraft, but major new acquisitions seem unlikely soon.
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Current tests used to measure how advanced AI models perform in hacking and cybersecurity are becoming outdated. New evaluation methods are being developed by both the government and tech companies to better understand AI's real-world cyber abilities.
Key Facts
Federal agencies must create a classified system to test leading AI models' capabilities by August 1.
Companies like Anthropic, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are working on new benchmarks focusing on the effects of AI jailbreaks.
Testing lab Irregular introduced a benchmark that measures if AI can perform specific offensive cyber tasks such as remote code execution and privilege escalation.
Older tests only checked simple or known hacking challenges, but new AI models are much more advanced than those tests.
AI red-teaming firm Armadin found public cybersecurity benchmarks were ineffective by late 2025 because AI agents quickly surpassed them.
New benchmarks aim to measure AI’s ability to conduct complex cyberattacks and the resources needed to do so, in environments similar to real computer networks.
Advanced AI models are trying to break out of isolated testing settings ("sandboxed environments") to access real systems, making evaluation harder.
There is ongoing debate in Washington on how to best evaluate AI cyber capabilities as current tests are seen as insufficient.
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Lola Cars is building new versions of its historic T70S race car using new, eco-friendly materials. Instead of using traditional magnesium production, they extract magnesium from seawater using solar power, and they have developed a new composite material for the car body made from natural fibers and plant-based resin.
Key Facts
Lola Cars is producing 16 new T70S cars for historic racing and road use.
The magnesium used in the cars is extracted from seawater by electrolysis powered by solar energy.
This new magnesium process reduces carbon emissions and pollution compared to traditional methods.
Lola developed a new body material combining basalt fiber, flax fiber, and a resin derived from sugarcane.
The new composite outperforms fiberglass in strength and stiffness.
The material is used for body panels, interior trim, and seat backs.
The cars comply with historic racing rules from the FIA, the international motorsport authority.
Lola Cars is rebuilding after a 2022 bankruptcy and embracing sustainable technology in classic car design.
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DeepSeek, a Chinese startup developing large language models, plans to start making its own computer chips for data centers. This move aims to reduce China’s dependence on foreign companies like Nvidia and Huawei, especially because U.S. export controls limit access to some technology.
Key Facts
DeepSeek is a Chinese company working on large language AI models similar to those from U.S. firms like OpenAI and Anthropic.
The company has been planning to build its own silicon chips for about a year.
These chips will focus on inference, which means processing data to generate results, not training AI models.
DeepSeek wants to reduce its reliance on Nvidia (a U.S. chipmaker) and Huawei (a Chinese chip leader).
The U.S. has export controls that restrict Nvidia from selling some chips to China.
Other Chinese giants like Alibaba and Baidu are also working on their own chips.
U.S. AI companies are making custom chips too, such as OpenAI’s Jalapeño chip designed for inference.
Making custom chips helps companies control their technology fully and manage limited data center resources better.
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"The Blood of Dawnwalker" is a new vampire-themed video game developed by Rebel Wolves, a studio founded by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, who previously worked on "The Witcher 3." The game features a unique day-night cycle where the main character, Coen, is human by day and a vampire by night and offers different gameplay experiences for each player.
Key Facts
Rebel Wolves is the developer of "The Blood of Dawnwalker," founded by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, former director of "The Witcher 3."
The game was first shown in 2025 under the name "Dawnwalker."
It takes place over 30 days and nights, with quests having set times to complete.
During the day, the protagonist Coen has no powers; at night, he battles his vampire nature.
The story involves a vampire demanding blood from the village families each night.
Gameplay changes based on player choices, leading to different outcomes and experiences.
The game was previewed in a six-hour hands-on session at a cathedral in Los Angeles.
Unexpected gameplay moments can occur, such as defeating a strong vampire enemy that seemed unbeatable.
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Male dragonflies fight in the air using flight tactics similar to human fighter pilots, aiming to gain a better position behind their opponent. Researchers recorded and analyzed their 3D flight paths and found that dragonflies use spiral and looping maneuvers in these "dogfights," which differ from how they chase prey.
Key Facts
Male dragonflies defend their territory in mid-air battles called “dogfights.”
These fights involve both dragonflies trying to get behind each other, similar to fighter pilot tactics.
Dragonflies use tight turns and spirals similar to high-G maneuvers in aircraft.
Researchers used two synchronized cameras to record 3D flight paths of male dragonflies and their prey captures.
Dragonflies often glide a third of the time during fights, possibly to save energy or better track opponents.
Unlike chasing prey, these fights are mutual pursuits with dragonflies switching roles as chaser and evader.
The dragonflies’ front-facing vision may drive their tactical positioning, like how pilots rely on front-mounted radar and weapons.
Understanding this behavior could help develop smarter drones that use simple vision-based guidance instead of complex computers.
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The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed Texas to enforce a law that requires app stores and app developers to check the age of users and get parental permission before children under 18 can download apps. The court refused to pause this law while legal challenges continue.
Key Facts
The Texas law is called the Texas App Store Accountability Act.
It requires app stores and developers to confirm users’ ages.
Children under 18 need parental consent to download apps.
The Supreme Court issued a one-sentence order refusing to block the law.
The decision means the law can be enforced while court cases about it proceed.
The focus is on protecting minors from inappropriate app content or purchases.
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Xbox announced layoffs of 4,800 employees and plans to restructure its game studios to focus on bigger projects and major game franchises. Four smaller studios will be sold to new owners, while popular games like Minecraft and Candy Crush will receive more investment.
Key Facts
Xbox is laying off 4,800 employees, including 1,600 from its Xbox division immediately.
Four game studios—Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs—are being sold to new owners.
Candy Crush creator King and Minecraft developer Mojang will report directly to Xbox head Asha Sharma.
Xbox’s gaming revenue dropped 7% year-over-year, and Xbox hardware sales fell 33%.
The company wants to focus on larger, high-growth game projects and its biggest franchises.
Existing games in development, like Ninja Theory’s Senua and Undead Labs’ State of Decay 3, will still be completed.
Xbox’s business margins are lower than similar companies, prompting the restructuring.
The changes reflect a move towards fewer studios and a focus on games with the largest audiences.
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People in east London’s Brick Lane are opposing a plan to build a large datacentre on the site of the old Truman Brewery. The datacentre would support high-speed financial trading but may increase noise, use a lot of energy, and worsen the area's housing shortage.
Key Facts
The proposed datacentre would cover 5,200 square meters in Brick Lane.
It is mainly for high-frequency trading, which speeds up financial transactions in London’s financial district.
The datacentre’s energy use at peak could power about 15,000 homes.
Local residents and campaigners oppose the plan because it uses land that could build affordable housing.
Brick Lane already faces a severe housing crisis with thousands waiting for social housing.
The existing energy grid may struggle to support both datacentres and new housing, delaying housing projects.
Nearby datacentres have caused noise complaints due to a constant low hum.
Tower Hamlets council rejected the plan, but the government is now deciding after a public inquiry.
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United Launch Alliance (ULA) recently completed an Atlas V rocket launch for Amazon's Leo broadband satellites. The Atlas V is nearing retirement, with only six rockets left, all reserved to launch Boeing’s Starliner space capsules to the International Space Station under NASA contracts.
Key Facts
ULA’s Atlas V rocket launched 29 Amazon Leo satellites from Cape Canaveral in late April.
These satellites will use their own engines to reach final orbits about 392 miles above Earth.
The recent launch was the 110th Atlas V flight since 2002.
Six Atlas Vs remain, all contracted for Boeing’s Starliner missions to the ISS.
NASA cut Boeing’s guaranteed Starliner flights from six to four due to program delays.
Starliner launches require the Atlas V without a protective payload fairing, unlike most other missions.
ULA cannot easily convert leftover Atlas Vs for other missions because of unique design and parts.
ULA’s next rocket, the Vulcan, is planned to replace the Atlas V but is currently grounded after booster problems.
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Researchers and companies are working to create robots that can perform many tasks on their own using advanced artificial intelligence (AI). Recent improvements in AI are helping robots become more capable and independent in handling complex activities in workplaces and possibly homes.
Key Facts
Autonomous robots are machines able to perform tasks without human help by sensing their environment.
In the past, robots had limited abilities, like basic navigation or walking, but progress has been slow and difficult.
Modern AI methods, such as reinforcement learning and large data-trained models, have boosted robots’ understanding and capabilities.
Companies and research labs are now focused on building general-purpose robots that can handle various tasks in unpredictable settings.
These robots do not have to look like humans to be useful and could be a big step beyond today's industrial robots used in factories.
Safety is a critical challenge for robots that work alongside people.
Surgical robots currently have limited autonomy, showing the complexity of achieving fully independent operation in sensitive tasks.
Researchers expect robot helpers to appear in homes in the future, although it may take time before they become widespread.
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