Today: 7 February 2026
Subscribe

Global Tech Roundup: Musk’s $29 B Windfall, Security Scares & Satellite Shakeups (Aug 4–5, 2025)

Global Tech Roundup: Musk’s $29 B Windfall, Security Scares & Satellite Shakeups (Aug 4–5, 2025)

Spotify raised its Premium Individual plan price to €11.99 from €10.99 across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, effective September, and shares jumped almost 8% on the news. Nintendo offered a late-July Switch 2 showcase, signaling more simultaneous third-party launches and no official release date yet. Figma debuted on July 31 with a $68 billion valuation, but by August 4 its stock was about 23% below the post-IPO peak and its market cap hovered near $60 billion, roughly three times Adobe’s 2023 offer. Microsoft briefly crossed a $4 trillion market capitalization on August 1, 2025, up nearly
5 August 2025
··
AI’s Big Bang: Billion-Dollar Deals, Breakthroughs & Backlash (Aug 4–5, 2025 AI Roundup)

AI’s Big Bang: Billion-Dollar Deals, Breakthroughs & Backlash (Aug 4–5, 2025 AI Roundup)

OpenAI raised $8.3 billion at a $300 billion valuation in a funding round led by Dragoneer with a $2.8 billion check, as SoftBank commits up to $40 billion in total (with $10 billion already in April and $30 billion more by year-end) and new backers include Blackstone, TPG, and Sequoia. AI-driven M&A surged to $2.6 trillion in the first seven months of 2025, up 28% in value year over year despite a 16% decline in deal count, led by U.S. mega-deals over $10 billion. In Europe, Engie, RWE, and Enel are repurposing aging coal and gas plants as AI data
5 August 2025
··
Drone Laws in Stockholm 2025: Complete Guide to New Rules, Permits & No‑Fly Zones

Drone Laws in Stockholm 2025: Complete Guide to New Rules, Permits & No‑Fly Zones

Stockholm follows the EU Open, Specific and Certified drone categories, adopted by Sweden on January 1, 2021. Open Category Subcategory A1 (C0/C1) drones are typically under 900 g, or under 250 g for C0, and may fly in populated areas but must avoid flying directly over uninvolved people, with crowds strictly prohibited. Open Category Subcategory A2 (C2) drones up to about 4 kg may not fly over people and must maintain at least 50 meters from bystanders, or comply with the 1:1 rule in low-speed mode; an A2 certificate is required. Open Category Subcategory A3 (C3/C4) drones up to 25
5 August 2025
··
AI Showdown 2025: ChatGPT vs Google Gemini vs Anthropic Claude – Which Model Leads the Pack?

AI Showdown 2025: ChatGPT vs Google Gemini vs Anthropic Claude – Which Model Leads the Pack?

OpenAI’s ChatGPT runs on GPT-4o (GPT-4 Omni), introduced in early 2025 as a multimodal model that handles text, images, and voice. GPT-4.5, code-named Orion, was rolled out to ChatGPT Pro in February 2025 to boost performance ahead of GPT-5, which is under development for late-summer 2025. Anthropic released Claude 4 in May 2025, with two main variants—Claude 4 Opus and Claude 4 Sonnet—featuring a 200K token context and an extended thinking mode for chain-of-thought reasoning. Google’s Gemini 2.5 arrived in mid-2025 as the first publicly available multi-agent model, with Pro and Flash variants and a full 1M token context. Gemini
4 August 2025
··
Ultimate 2025 Showdown: iOS vs Android vs HarmonyOS — Which Mobile OS Reigns Supreme?

Ultimate 2025 Showdown: iOS vs Android vs HarmonyOS — Which Mobile OS Reigns Supreme?

HarmonyOS Next, released in late 2024, runs on a fully self-developed system base with no Android dependencies. At launch, HarmonyOS Next offered over 15,000 apps and meta-services, and Huawei reported more than 6.75 million HarmonyOS developers by late 2024. Huawei claimed HarmonyOS powers over 1 billion devices as of 2024. Global smartphone OS market shares in early 2025 place Android at about 76–80%, iOS at around 19%, and HarmonyOS at roughly 5%. In China by late 2024, HarmonyOS reached 19% market share, overtaking iOS at 17%. The iOS App Store contains about 2 million apps, and in 2024 iOS generated
4 August 2025
··
Drone Laws in the Maldives (2025 Update)

Drone Laws in the Maldives (2025 Update)

Drone use in the Maldives is allowed only on a case-by-case basis under strict regulations, with no casual recreational flights. The maximum permitted altitude is 120 meters (about 400 feet) and drones must yield to manned aircraft, with night flying prohibited. There is no mandatory local drone pilot license for hobbyists, and no mandatory insurance, though foreign visitors may be asked to show proof of competency. Tourists must obtain MNDF security clearance via the oneGov portal (using the eFaas system) before applying for an MCAA flight permit, providing drone specs, exact flight coordinates, dates, and passport copies; processing can take
4 August 2025
Ultimate Robot Vacuum Showdown 2025: Roomba Combo J9+ vs Roborock S9 MaxV Ultra vs Deebot X2 Omni

Ultimate Robot Vacuum Showdown 2025: Roomba Combo J9+ vs Roborock S9 MaxV Ultra vs Deebot X2 Omni

Roomba Combo J9+ uses a single mop pad on an auto-retract arm with Dry Rug Intelligence that lifts the pad completely off carpet to keep rugs dry, and its Clean Base dock empties into a disposable bag for about 60 days and refills the 210 ml water tank, but it does not auto-wash the mop pad. Roborock S9 MaxV Ultra (Saros 10) delivers 22,000 Pa max suction, uses VibraRise 4.0 with up to 4,000 vibrations per minute and up to 20 mm mop lift, and its Ultra dock washes and dries the mop while refilling water (battery 5,200 mAh; about
4 August 2025
·
Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router Showdown: Eero Max 7 vs. Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 7 vs. TP-Link Deco BE95 – Which Reigns Supreme in 2025?

Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router Showdown: Eero Max 7 vs. Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 7 vs. TP-Link Deco BE95 – Which Reigns Supreme in 2025?

TP-Link Deco BE95 is a quad-band Wi‑Fi 7 system with BE33000 up to 33 Gbps theoretical throughput across four bands, two 6 GHz radios, a 16‑stream (4×4) setup, 12 internal antennas, plus a SFP+ option and a USB 3.0 port. The Eero Max 7 is a tri‑band Wi‑Fi 7 router with about 20.8 Gbps combined theoretical throughput (BE20800) and up to 4.3 Gbps wireless link rate to a single client. Google’s Nest Wi‑Fi Pro 7 had not been officially announced by August 2025, but is expected to be tri‑band like the current Nest Wi‑Fi Pro 6E, which offered 5.4 Gbps
4 August 2025
··
17-Inch Portable Monitor Showdown: Asus ROG Strix XG17AHP vs LG Gram +View 17 vs Espresso Display 17 Pro (2025 Comparison)

17-Inch Portable Monitor Showdown: Asus ROG Strix XG17AHP vs LG Gram +View 17 vs Espresso Display 17 Pro (2025 Comparison)

The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHP is a 17.3-inch 1080p IPS portable monitor with 1920×1080 resolution, ~127 PPI, 240 Hz refresh, ~3 ms response, Adaptive-Sync, and a built-in 7800 mAh battery for roughly 3–4 hours of wireless use. The LG Gram +View 17 uses a 17-inch WQXGA 2560×1600 IPS panel in a 16:10 aspect, ~350 nits brightness, ~99% DCI-P3, and weighs about 780 g, with two USB-C ports (DP Alt Mode + 45W PD) and a mini HDMI but no internal battery. The Espresso Display 17 Pro features a 17.3-inch 4K UHD 3840×2160 IPS panel, 16:9, ~255 PPI, 100% DCI-P3, 10-bit
4 August 2025
··
Inside the Struggle for Internet Access in Western Sahara: From Political Blackouts to Satellite Lifelines

Inside the Struggle for Internet Access in Western Sahara: From Political Blackouts to Satellite Lifelines

As of January 2024, Western Sahara had about 398,000 internet users, roughly 67.1% of the population, up by 65,000 users (a 19% increase) from 2023. By early 2024 about 87% of the population lived in urban areas (Laayoune, Dakhla, Smara, Boujdour), while about 32.9% remained offline, concentrated in rural or nomadic communities. The median fixed broadband speed in early 2024 was about 19.9 Mbps, a 30% year-over-year improvement but still behind global averages. Over 57% of Western Sahara’s population uses social media, totaling around 341,000 people, with social media penetration near 58%. Connectivity in Western Sahara is dominated by Maroc
4 August 2025
Next‑Gen Dash Cam Showdown: Nextbase iQ 4K vs Garmin Dash Cam Live vs BlackVue DR970X Plus – 2025’s Ultimate Smart Dashcam Battle

Next‑Gen Dash Cam Showdown: Nextbase iQ 4K vs Garmin Dash Cam Live vs BlackVue DR970X Plus – 2025’s Ultimate Smart Dashcam Battle

Nextbase iQ 4K uses a tri-camera setup with a front 2160p Ultra HD (30 fps), an interior cabin camera at 1440p (30 fps), and an optional rear camera at 1440p (30 fps). Garmin Dash Cam Live records a single front lens at 1440p Quad HD up to 30 fps with a 140° diagonal FOV and provides built-in LTE via Garmin Vault subscriptions. BlackVue DR970X Plus is a dual-channel system with a front 4K UHD (3840×2160) 30 fps and a rear 1080p 30 fps camera, using about 146° diagonal front FOV and Sony STARVIS 2 sensor tech. Nextbase iQ powers through
4 August 2025
Samsung The Premiere 9 vs Epson LS800 vs Hisense PX3-Pro: Ultra Short Throw Projector Comparison

Samsung The Premiere 9 vs Epson LS800 vs Hisense PX3-Pro: Ultra Short Throw Projector Comparison

Samsung The Premiere 9 (model LPU9D), Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS800 (LS800B/LS800W), and Hisense PX3-Pro TriChroma Laser Cinema are the three flagship 4K laser UST projectors compared in the article. Samsung The Premiere 9 is rated at 3,450 ISO lumens, but in Dynamic “Peak Brightness” mode it measured about 3,140 ANSI lumens. In Movie or Filmmaker modes, the Premiere 9 outputs roughly 1,600–2,000 lumens for color-accurate viewing. Epson EpiqVision LS800 is rated at 4,000 lumens, with test results around 2,600–2,700 lumens in Cinema/Natural modes. Hisense PX3-Pro is rated at 3,000 ANSI lumens, with peak around 3,400 lumens in vivid mode and
4 August 2025
Smart Ring Showdown 2025: Oura Ring 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Ring vs Amazfit Helio – Which Wins?

Smart Ring Showdown 2025: Oura Ring 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Ring vs Amazfit Helio – Which Wins?

Oura Ring 4, announced in October 2024, features a fully titanium design with recessed sensors, six finishes (Silver and Black at $349; Gold or Rose Gold at $499), US sizes 4–15, and a weight of about 4–6 grams, requiring a $5.99/month membership to unlock full features. Samsung Galaxy Ring was unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked on July 10, 2024, began shipping July 24, 2024, costs $399.99 upfront, uses a titanium outer casing in Titanium Black, Gold, or Silver, initially offered in US sizes 5–13 (later 14–15), and weighs about 2.3–3.0 grams with IP68/10 ATM water resistance. Amazfit Helio Ring debuted in
4 August 2025
·
Foldable Phone Face-Off: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Google Pixel Fold 2 vs OnePlus Open 2

Foldable Phone Face-Off: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Google Pixel Fold 2 vs OnePlus Open 2

Galaxy Z Fold 7 uses an Armor FlexHinge with 69 components, is 8.9 mm thick folded (4.2 mm unfolded), weighs 215 g, and uses an Advanced Armor Aluminum frame with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back and Ceramic Glass 2 cover glass, plus IPX8 water resistance. Its cover display is 6.5 inches with a 21:9 aspect, the inner main display measures 8.0 inches LTPO OLED with 120 Hz, and peak brightness reaches about 2,600 nits. Pixel Fold 2 features a 6.3-inch external display with a 20:9 ratio and an 8.0-inch inner LTPO OLED at 2076×2152, weighing 257 g with a flush
4 August 2025
Ultimate Electric Scooter Showdown 2025: Segway GT2P vs Xiaomi 5 Pro vs Apollo Phantom 2.0 – Speed, Range & Surprises

Ultimate Electric Scooter Showdown 2025: Segway GT2P vs Xiaomi 5 Pro vs Apollo Phantom 2.0 – Speed, Range & Surprises

The Segway GT2P uses dual 1500W motors for up to 70 km/h (43.5 mph) in uncapped mode, with 0–48 km/h acceleration in about 3.9 seconds in BOOST mode. The Xiaomi Electric Scooter 5 Pro tops out at 25 km/h (15.5 mph) with a 400W rear motor (1000W peak), a 477 Wh battery, and a 22.4 kg weight, offering about 60 km range. The Apollo Phantom 2.0 (52V) features two 1600W motors (3000W+ continuous, ~3500W peak), a claimed top speed around 44 mph (≈71 km/h), and 0–15 mph in ~2.3 seconds in Ludo mode. Range figures show GT2P up to 90
4 August 2025
Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard Showdown: Keychron Q1 Pro vs GMMK Pro 2 vs Logitech G Pro X TKL Lightspeed

Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard Showdown: Keychron Q1 Pro vs GMMK Pro 2 vs Logitech G Pro X TKL Lightspeed

Keychron Q1 Pro is a 75% keyboard (81 keys) with an all-aluminum CNC chassis weighing about 3.8 pounds (1.7 kg). It uses a gasket-mounted design with foam dampening and a polycarbonate plate for a cushioned, bouncy typing feel, with stock K Pro switches in Red (45g linear), Brown (tactile), or Banana (tactile) and tall KSA-profile PBT keycaps. It is fully hot-swappable with 5-pin MX sockets, allowing switch changes without soldering. It offers three wireless/wired modes: wired USB-C at 1000 Hz, Bluetooth 5.1 with multi-device pairing up to 3 devices, and 2.4 GHz wireless via a dongle, with wireless polling at
4 August 2025
The Ultimate Smart Glasses Showdown (2025): Meta’s Ray-Ban Wayfarer 2 vs Xreal Air 2 Ultra vs Rokid Max 2

The Ultimate Smart Glasses Showdown (2025): Meta’s Ray-Ban Wayfarer 2 vs Xreal Air 2 Ultra vs Rokid Max 2

The three standout 2025 smart glasses are Meta Ray-Ban Wayfarer 2 (Gen 2), Xreal Air 2 Ultra, and Rokid Max 2. Ray-Ban Wayfarer 2 has no AR display, but includes a 12 MP camera and 1080p video, plus open-ear audio and a 5-microphone array. Wayfarer 2 supports livestreaming POV to Facebook/Instagram and integrates Meta AI with multimodal features added in late 2024. Xreal Air 2 Ultra delivers a 52° diagonal FoV with dual 1080p HDR micro-OLED displays at up to 120 Hz and 6DoF spatial computing via Snapdragon AR1. Air 2 Ultra can connect to Windows PC, Mac, Android, iPhone
4 August 2025
·
Color E‑Reader Showdown: Kindle Paperwhite Color vs Kobo Libra Colour vs PocketBook Era Color – Which One Wins?

Color E‑Reader Showdown: Kindle Paperwhite Color vs Kobo Libra Colour vs PocketBook Era Color – Which One Wins?

All three color e-readers use a 7-inch Kaleido 3 display with a base 1264×1680 (300 ppi) monochrome resolution and an effective 632×840 (about 150 ppi) when displaying color, supporting up to 4,096 colors. Kindle Paperwhite Color (Colorsoft) offers two color modes (Standard and Vivid), a brighter front light, lacks an accelerometer, is IPX8 waterproof, and promises up to about 8 weeks of battery life, with the Signature Edition adding wireless charging and 32 GB of storage (launched October 2024). Kobo Libra Colour uses a 7-inch Kaleido 3 panel with 300 ppi monochrome and 150 ppi color, measures 161×144 mm, weighs
4 August 2025
··
EcoFlow Delta 2 Max vs Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus vs Bluetti AC200L: 2025 Portable Power Showdown

EcoFlow Delta 2 Max vs Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus vs Bluetti AC200L: 2025 Portable Power Showdown

EcoFlow Delta 2 Max: 2048 Wh LiFePO4, rated for up to 3,000 cycles to 80% capacity, with a 2,400 W continuous inverter (4,800 W surge). Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus: 2042 Wh LiFePO4, roughly 4,000+ cycles to 70% capacity, and a 3,000 W continuous inverter (6,000 W surge). Bluetti AC200L: 2048 Wh LiFePO4, around 4,000+ cycles, and a 2,400 W continuous inverter with a 3,600 W Power Lifting mode. Delta 2 Max weighs about 50.7 lb (23 kg) with a carry-friendly design, Jackery 2000 Plus about 61.5 lb (27.9 kg) with wheels, and Bluetti AC200L about 61.7 lb (28 kg) with
4 August 2025
Action Camera Showdown 2025: GoPro Hero 13 vs DJI Osmo Action 5 vs Insta360 Ace Pro – Which Reigns Supreme?

Action Camera Showdown 2025: GoPro Hero 13 vs DJI Osmo Action 5 vs Insta360 Ace Pro – Which Reigns Supreme?

GoPro Hero 13 Black launched in September 2024 as the flagship, retaining a 1/1.9″ 27MP sensor with up to 5.3K60 and 4K120 HDR video and HyperSmooth 6.0 stabilization. The Hero 13 Black introduces HB-Series interchangeable lens mods—Ultra Wide 177° FOV, Macro, Anamorphic, and ND filter set—that auto-detect and optimize settings. The Hero 13 Black adds a Snap and Go magnetic latch mount, a built-in 1/4-20 tripod thread, and a redesigned 1,900mAh Enduro battery for longer runtimes and improved heat management. GoPro also includes built-in GPS with telemetry stickers, Wi‑Fi 6, and Bluetooth audio support, while remaining backward-compatible with Hero9–12 accessories.
4 August 2025
·
1 … 1,581 1,582 1,583 1,584 1,585 … 1,636

Stock Market Today

Novo Nordisk stock: Class B shares face Monday test after FDA squeeze forces Hims to pull $49 Wegovy copycat

Novo Nordisk stock: Class B shares face Monday test after FDA squeeze forces Hims to pull $49 Wegovy copycat

7 February 2026
Novo Nordisk Class B shares closed up 5.3% at 295.50 Danish crowns in Copenhagen after Hims & Hers said it would stop offering a compounded pill version of Wegovy following U.S. regulatory warnings. The move came after Novo called the Hims product “illegal mass compounding” and threatened legal action. Shares had fallen nearly 8% Thursday after Hims launched the pill. Trading resumes Monday.
Linde stock price falls as LIN heads into weekend; JPMorgan downgrade and guidance in focus

Linde stock price falls as LIN heads into weekend; JPMorgan downgrade and guidance in focus

7 February 2026
Linde plc shares fell 2.5% to $448.24 Friday after reporting Q4 sales up 6% to $8.76 billion and adjusted EPS of $4.20. The company guided 2026 adjusted EPS to $17.40–$17.90, below analyst consensus. JPMorgan downgraded the stock, while Morgan Stanley and UBS raised price targets. Linde repurchased $1.4 billion in shares in Q4 and returned $7.4 billion to shareholders in 2025.
Go toTop