February 22, 2025

US AI Safety Institute could face big cuts

The National Institute of Standards and Technology could fire as many as 500 staffers, according to multiple reports — cuts that further threaten a fledgling AI safety organization. Axios reported this week that the US AI Safety Institute (AISI) and Chips for America, both part of NIST, would be “gutted” by layoffs targeting probationary employees […]

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September 2023

Revel, the car subscription startup from Spain, raises $123M to take its business up a gear

September 15, 2023
The market for car sales has been on rocky ground in the last several years as consumers, facing tougher economic conditions, get presented with an ever-larger range of alternatives, from ride-hailing apps and multimodal alternatives through to new propositions for private car use. Today, a startup out of Spain called Revel is announcing €115 million […]

California’s right to repair bill heads to Governor’s desk

September 15, 2023
California state Assembly has voted in favor of a right to repair legislation that increases consumer ability to fix devices at home. After winding its way through state legislature, the bill is headed to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Senate Bill 244 isn’t the first right to repair bill passed by a U.S. state – nor […]

Bose upgrades its QuietComfort line

September 15, 2023
Seeing as how 700 is the largest number known to humankind, Bose has shifted into Ultra mode for its top of the line QuietComfort wireless headphones. The QuietComfort 700s were received (as high-end Bose headphones tend to be), but it’s been four years since they hit the market, making them roughly 250 in consumer electronics […]

Rivian CEO’s plan to make EVs cheaper starts with their computers

September 14, 2023
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe provided more details Thursday on the company’s plans to update the hardware in its EVs next year — under a program internally called Peregrine — that he says will result in major cost savings. One of the biggest payoffs? Changing the electronic control unit (ECU) architecture inside its EVs, Scaringe emphasized […]

GM boosts wage offer as autoworker strike deadline approaches

September 14, 2023
General Motors said Thursday it boosted its contract offer to a 20% wage hike for U.S. autoworkers, including 10% in the first year, in a move to avoid a strike that is scheduled to begin at 11:59 p.m. if no deal is agreed on. The strike by the United Auto Workers union, which represents about […]

French battery maker Verkor scores $2.1B to build gigafactory

September 14, 2023
Another day another monster raise for an EV battery company. This time it’s Verkor, the Renault-backed french battery builder, which said on Thursday that it secured “more than €2 billion” — roughly $2.1 billion USD — to speed up construction of its Dunkirk gigafactory. Verkor produces pouch and cylindrical battery modules for electric vehicles and […]

California hits Google for $93M over deceptive location data options

September 14, 2023
A lawsuit filed against Google by California’s Attorney General over the company’s deceptive and misleading options for managing location data has resulted in a $93 million settlement — and new protections for consumers in the state. As detailed in an incredibly straightforward complaint, Google in several ways appeared to promise users that they could choose […]