Consumer Technology
- Google Pixel 10 Event Teased: Google has officially set August 20 for its next Made by Google hardware event, where it’s expected to unveil the Pixel 10 smartphone lineup theverge.com. Leaks suggest notable upgrades, including a triple-camera system on the base Pixel 10 (adding a telephoto lens for the first time) and possibly an on-device photography assistant for real-time tips. Google even released a teaser image hinting at the new camera setup and its next-gen Tensor G5 chip, building anticipation ahead of Apple’s fall iPhone launch ts2.tech ts2.tech.
- Apple iPhone 17 Rumors Swirl: Early reports about Apple’s iPhone 17 (expected next month) point to features previously reserved for Pro models. The base iPhone 17 is rumored to finally get a 120 Hz ProMotion display and a larger 6.3-inch screen (up from 6.1″), matching the iPhone 17 Pro’s size macrumors.com macrumors.com. An upgraded 24 MP front camera is also anticipated, along with a new ultra-thin “iPhone 17 Air” model replacing the current Plus variant macrumors.com macrumors.com. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 lineup at a September 9 event, alongside refreshed Apple Watches and AirPods, with pricing speculated around $800 for the base model up to ~$1,250 for the Pro Max.
- Kodak Denies Shutdown Rumors: Iconic camera maker Eastman Kodak moved to quash reports that it was on the brink of bankruptcy. After a gloomy earnings report raised “going concern” flags over $477 million in debt due within a year, Kodak issued a blunt statement that it has “no plans to cease operations, go out of business, or file for bankruptcy protection,” and is “confident it will repay, extend, or refinance its debt” on time kodak.com kodak.com. The company plans to use an incoming $300 million cash infusion (from terminating a pension plan) to pay down a large portion of its debt and refinance the rest techcrunch.com techcrunch.com. Executives noted that rising nostalgia for analog tech (like 35mm film and vintage cameras) has given Kodak a recent boost, pushing back on what they called misleading reports overstating its distress ts2.tech ts2.tech.
Enterprise IT & Software
- Pentagon Pauses $800 M in Software Projects: In a controversial move, the U.S. Navy and Air Force are halting or canceling several nearly-completed software contracts worth over $800 million, reportedly to reroute the projects to new platforms (allegedly favoring vendors like Salesforce and Palantir) reuters.com reuters.com. Lawmakers slammed the decision as potentially wasteful and politically motivated. “The Pentagon has yet to show that it had a good reason for halting these contracts in the last inning… If it can’t show its homework… this announcement… reeks of corruption,” said Senator Tim Kaine in a statement reuters.com. The pause – coming just days after Palantir’s CEO addressed a gathering of Trump-aligned donors – prompted suspicions of favoritism. Pentagon officials declined to comment, even as Democrats warned the move could squander taxpayer dollars on a redundant “do-over” of already-paid-for work reuters.com reuters.com.
- Data Centers Fight for Green Energy Rules: A coalition of major data center operators – including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft – is urging the U.S. Treasury to preserve existing clean energy tax credit rules that have spurred massive investments in wind and solar power for cloud data centers reuters.com reuters.com. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the Data Center Coalition warned that proposed stricter rules on project eligibility “could slow development” of new renewable generation at a time of surging power demand driven by the digital economy reuters.com. “Any regulatory friction that slows down deployment of new generation today directly impacts our ability to meet AI-era electricity demands tomorrow,” the group wrote, arguing steady incentives have helped the industry stay ahead of Chinese competition reuters.com reuters.com. The pushback follows President Trump’s July order to review and tighten clean energy credit criteria, and comes as the Treasury is set to issue updated guidance as soon as August 18 reuters.com reuters.com. Data center operators fear that a sudden policy change could stall projects and hamper their ability to secure affordable green power for growing cloud infrastructure.
Telecommunications
- Ukraine’s Kyivstar Debuts on NYSE: Ukrainian telecom operator Kyivstar made history as the first Ukrainian company ever listed on a U.S. stock exchange. Kyivstar’s shares began trading on the Nasdaq on Friday, opening amidst high-level U.S.–Russia talks in Alaska aimed at peace in Ukraine reuters.com. The stock dipped over 9% in early trading, after the company raised $178 million in the listing (slightly shy of its $200 million target) reuters.com reuters.com. Still, the milestone is being hailed as symbolic of Ukraine’s resilience and its tech sector’s appeal to global investors during wartime. “We will be the best asset for the international investment community to invest in Ukraine’s recovery and support,” Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov told Reuters, adding that a true peace deal would greatly boost the company’s value reuters.com. Majority-owned by Amsterdam-based VEON, Kyivstar intends to use proceeds from the SPAC-enabled listing to expand its network and help rebuild digital infrastructure in Ukraine. The company has 24 million subscribers and even forged a deal with SpaceX’s Starlink to bolster connectivity during the conflict reuters.com. Komarov noted the U.S. listing strengthens critical ties between the United States and Ukraine and showcases the potential of Ukrainian businesses on the world stage www.reute<div class=
