Robotaxis, Rocket Launches, and Record Profits – Tech Highlights (July 17–18, 2025)

Tech news on July 17 and 18, 2025 saw breakthroughs and surprises across consumer gadgets, industry deals, financial results, regulatory moves, and even outer space. Below we break down the major developments in consumer technology, enterprise & industry, markets, regulation, and infrastructure/space tech – complete with expert quotes and sources.

Consumer Tech: Gadgets, Apps & Gaming

• Smartphone Sneak Peeks: Apple’s upcoming iPhones continue to leak. The iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to feature an exclusive scratch-resistant, anti-reflective display layer to reduce glare and improve durability macrumors.com. They, along with a new ultra-thin “iPhone 17 Air,” are expected to run on Apple’s next-gen A19 chip fabricated on a cutting-edge 3nm process macrumors.com. Meanwhile, Google confirmed its next hardware showcase: the Pixel 10 series (and Pixel Watch 4) will be unveiled at a Made by Google event on August 20, 2025 in New York theverge.com. In preparation, Google expanded its customer service – launching same-day repair centers in 21 Indian cities (with free pickup/drop-off) to fix ~80% of Pixel phone issues within a day gadgets360.com gadgets360.com.
• Android Devices & Wearables: Samsung is keeping busy globally. In India, the company just launched the Galaxy F36 smartphone (a mid-range 5G device) and opened pre-orders for its new Galaxy Watch 8 series, including the top-end Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025). The Watch Ultra boasts a 47mm titanium case, military-grade durability (IP6X dust-proof and 10ATM water resistance), and advanced health tracking features timesofindia.indiatimes.com timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
• Mini PC for Power Users: ASUS rolled out the NUC 15 Pro mini-desktop in India – an ultra-compact PC packed with Intel’s latest “Core Ultra” processors and aimed at AI developers and content creators. It supports up to 96GB of DDR5-6400 RAM and next-gen connectivity like Wi-Fi 7 (up to 46 Gbps speeds) and Bluetooth 5.4 hindustantimes.com hindustantimes.com. The Intel silicon inside can execute up to 99 trillion AI operations per second, making the NUC 15 Pro “AI-ready” for heavy workloads hindustantimes.com.
• Gaming & Apps – Safety Updates: In the online gaming world, Roblox introduced new safety measures for teens on its platform. The company is rolling out a “Trusted Connections” feature that lets verified 13–17 year-olds chat more freely with friends, plus a selfie-based age estimation tool to verify users’ ages techcrunch.com. “This additional freedom reduces the incentive for teens to move interactions off platform where they may be exposed to greater risk,” said Ryan Ebanks, a Roblox product manager, explaining the balance between safety and socialization techcrunch.com. The move comes as Roblox faces scrutiny over child safety and works to “appease both lawmakers and parents” with stricter controls techcrunch.com.

Enterprise & Industry Tech

• Autonomous Mobility Alliance: In a headline-grabbing deal, Uber announced a partnership to deploy 20,000 robotaxis across the U.S. starting in 2026. The ride-hailing giant is investing $300 million in EV maker Lucid Motors and teaming up with self-driving tech startup Nuro reuters.com reuters.com. Over six years, Lucid Gravity SUV models equipped with Nuro’s autonomous driving system will join Uber’s fleet. The tie-up underscores a renewed robotaxi race – “We are expanding beyond our traditional EV technology leadership…going now into areas that in the past we have not really focused on,” Lucid’s interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said of the move into autonomous taxis reuters.com. Nuro President Dave Ferguson noted they’re also in talks to integrate the Nuro Driver into consumer vehicles down the road reuters.com. Lucid’s stock surged ~26% on the news as investors bet on this bold push into self-driving services reuters.com.
• Cybersecurity Incidents: It was an eventful 48 hours in cyber. On July 17, reports emerged of active exploits targeting Fortinet’s FortiWeb software, a key web firewall connector used in many enterprises. At least 49 FortiWeb instances had already been compromised by a critical SQL injection flaw (CVE-2025-25257) – prompting urgent warnings for admins to patch or disable the vulnerable interface cybersecuritydive.com cybersecuritydive.com. “This is a critical unauthenticated…vulnerability that must either be patched immediately or mitigated by fully disabling the affected web interface,” stressed Ryan Dewhurst of watchTowr, noting how quickly attackers have pounced on exposed systems cybersecuritydive.com cybersecuritydive.com. Meanwhile, in Australia, medical tech firm Compumedics disclosed a ransomware breach that exposed 320,000+ patient records across three countries cybernewscentre.com cybernewscentre.com. And in a win for law enforcement, an international operation dismantled the pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16), known for DDoS attacks on Ukraine and its allies cybernewscentre.com. Finally, Google rushed out a patch for the 5th Chrome zero-day vulnerability of 2025, highlighting the ongoing browser security arms race cybernewscentre.com.
• Semiconductors Soar & Stumble: The chip industry saw both triumph and caution. TSMC, the world’s leading chip foundry, reported record Q2 profits (up ~60% year-on-year) fueled by booming demand for advanced processors reuters.com. Taiwan’s tech crown jewel raised its full-year revenue growth forecast to around 30% (in USD), higher than earlier estimates reuters.com. “Demand for [AI] is only getting stronger and stronger,” CEO C.C. Wei noted, as TSMC predicted another major leap in sales next quarter reuters.com. However, in Europe, chip equipment maker ASML issued a wary outlook. Despite solid Q2 results, ASML warned it “may not achieve growth in 2026,” citing an order slowdown – a rare red flag that sent its stock plunging ~11% in a day reuters.com. That caution reverberated through chip stocks globally, showing that even as 2025’s AI-driven chip boom continues, the industry is keeping an eye on potential speed bumps ahead.
• Telecom & Network Tech: While no singular telecom event stole the show, the global 5G rollout marches on. Industry reports indicate worldwide telecom infrastructure spending has plateaued after the initial 5G boom, even as 5G adoption keeps climbing ts2.tech ts2.tech. Ericsson’s latest Mobility Report projects 2.9 billion 5G subscriptions by the end of 2025 (roughly one-third of all mobile users) ts2.tech. Innovative use-cases like Fixed Wireless Access are growing, but monetizing 5G remains a challenge. “We are at an inflection point, where 5G and the ecosystem are set to unleash a wave of innovation…but [this] depends on deploying standalone 5G cores and broad mid-band coverage to enable new services,” Ericsson CTO Erik Ekudden observed, urging continued investment in advanced 5G networks ts2.tech. In practice, this week saw smaller milestones like Bolivia’s first 5G trials ahead of a planned H2 2025 launch and Malaysian carrier U Mobile leveraging new towers to extend 5G coverage developingtelecoms.com developingtelecoms.com – incremental steps toward the next-gen connectivity future.

Tech Financial & Market News

• Netflix’s Blockbuster Quarter: Streaming giant Netflix kicked off Big Tech earnings season with a record-setting Q2 2025. Revenue jumped ~16% year-on-year to $11.08 billion, and earnings per share leapt 47% to $7.19 – beating Wall Street expectations businessinsider.com businessinsider.com. The company also raised its full-year revenue forecast to $44.8–45.2 billion (up from ~$44 billion) on the back of strong subscriber growth and its expanding ad-supported business businessinsider.com businessinsider.com. Co-CEO Greg Peters told analysts that advertising revenue is on track to double this year, with plans to introduce new “interactive ads” formats in H2 2025 to further boost ad sales businessinsider.com businessinsider.com. While Netflix no longer reports subscriber counts publicly, one of its big content hits this quarter was the finale of “Squid Game,” which the company revealed was its sixth-most viewed season ever (122 million views) businessinsider.com. Despite the earnings beat and optimism ahead, Netflix shares traded flat post-report – possibly reflecting that much of this success was expected by investors.
• Stocks and Deals: In tech stocks, the Uber–Lucid robotaxi alliance lit a fire under Lucid’s shares, which skyrocketed over 25% on July 18 reuters.com. Investors cheered the EV maker securing a guaranteed buyer for tens of thousands of vehicles plus a hefty cash infusion from Uber – a vote of confidence in Lucid’s long-term prospects. Meanwhile, TSMC’s stellar results buoyed sentiment in the semiconductor sector (its Taiwan-listed shares hit multi-month highs), though ASML’s warning triggered a selloff in European chip equities as mentioned reuters.com. On the IPO front, no major tech listings priced during these two days, but market buzz continued around upcoming offerings (eyes are on Arm and others later this year). In other moves, Synopsys completed its $500M acquisition of PikeTec (a German automotive software firm) prnewswire.com, reflecting ongoing M&A appetite in niche tech sectors. And crypto markets briefly rallied as U.S. lawmakers advanced pro-crypto legislation (more on that below), giving Bitcoin a modest mid-week bump.

Regulatory & Legal Developments

• U.S. Passes Landmark Crypto Law: In a rare display of bipartisan agreement, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the Guiding and Ensuring National Unity in Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act on July 17 – the country’s first major legislation regulating stablecoins reuters.com reuters.com. The bill establishes strict rules requiring dollar-pegged crypto tokens to be fully backed by liquid reserves (like cash or Treasury bills) and mandates monthly disclosure of reserve holdings reuters.com reuters.com. It now heads to President Trump’s desk for signature, heralding a new era of federal oversight in crypto. Industry advocates hailed the move. Summer Mersinger, CEO of the Blockchain Association, called it a “defining moment in the evolution of U.S. digital asset policy” reuters.com reuters.com after years of regulatory uncertainty. Alongside the stablecoin act, the House also passed a broader Clarity Act to delineate when crypto assets are securities vs. commodities, as well as a bill to ban a U.S. central bank digital currency reuters.com reuters.com – signaling Congress’s intent to both foster crypto innovation and rein in potential risks. These measures still await Senate approval (except the stablecoin law, which is expected to be signed imminently).
• Tech Antitrust & Privacy: Across the Atlantic, regulatory pressure on Big Tech stayed in the spotlight. In Brussels, nine civil society groups lodged formal complaints against Elon Musk’s X (Twitter) for allegedly breaching the EU’s Digital Services Act via targeted ads that exploit sensitive personal data (like politics or religion) reuters.com reuters.com. They urged the European Commission and France’s ARCOM regulator to investigate X’s ad practices, which may violate DSA rules against using protected data categories for ad targeting reuters.com reuters.com. This adds to the EU’s broader crackdown on social media content and privacy standards. Meanwhile, antitrust cases continue percolating: no verdict yet in the U.S. Google search monopoly trial, but a recent separate ruling (July 15) found Google’s ad tech business illegally monopolistic, bolstering regulators’ efforts to potentially break up parts of Alphabet’s empire reuters.com. And in Australia, a court pushed back the Epic Games vs. Apple/Google App Store antitrust decision to August mlex.com, extending that high-profile legal saga. Overall, these days underscored how tech giants remain squarely in regulators’ crosshairs on multiple fronts – from crypto to app stores to data privacy.

Infrastructure & Space Tech

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 24 Amazon Project Kuiper satellites from Cape Canaveral, Florida – an unprecedented collaboration between Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Amazon (July 16, 2025) techcrunch.com techcrunch.com.

• SpaceX’s Surprise Payload: “Strange bedfellows” is how analysts described it techcrunch.com – SpaceX launching Amazon’s satellites. In the early hours of July 17, a SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully lofted 24 of Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband satellites into orbit from Florida techcrunch.com techcrunch.com. This is the third Kuiper deployment mission, but the first carried out by SpaceX (previous batches used ULA rockets) geekwire.com geekwire.com. The fact that rivals Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos struck a launch deal is remarkable: Bezos’ Amazon aims to build a 3,200-satellite constellation to compete directly with Musk’s Starlink for satellite internet service techcrunch.com techcrunch.com. Amazon, facing FCC deadlines to deploy at least half the network by mid-2026, needed SpaceX’s proven launch capacity to stay on schedule techcrunch.com techcrunch.com. Panos Panay, Amazon’s devices chief, publicly thanked SpaceX for “the ride to space” and congratulated the Kuiper team on a successful launch geekwire.com geekwire.com. With this mission, Amazon now has 78 Kuiper satellites in orbit and plans to begin limited customer service by late 2025 geekwire.com geekwire.com. Notably, just hours before launching Amazon’s payload, SpaceX also launched 26 of its own Starlink satellites from California, underscoring its unmatched launch cadence geekwire.com geekwire.com. The cosmic rivalry between Starlink and Kuiper is officially heating up, even as their rockets share the sky.
• Other Space and Infrastructure News: In China, CASIC’s Kuaizhou-1A rocket placed a new Earth observation satellite into orbit on July 17 (bolstering China’s remote sensing capabilities), while Europe’s ESA marked a milestone as its Euclid space telescope began commissioning tests in deep space (aiming to study dark matter). Back on Earth, telecom infrastructure upgrades continued: Bolivia completed successful 5G trial runs ahead of launching its first 5G network later this year developingtelecoms.com, and Malaysia’s U Mobile announced a partnership to use state-owned towers for accelerating 5G rollouts in Malacca state developingtelecoms.com. In the U.S., carriers like Verizon and AT&T prepared to bid in the upcoming 3.1 GHz spectrum auction – part of efforts to expand mid-band 5G coverage. And for the skyward-looking, Boeing revealed it has begun assembly of new satellites for Project Kuiper under its contract, while rival OneWeb (now merged with Eutelsat) achieved full deployment of its first-generation LEO constellation. All told, the past two days underscored a trend: infrastructure investment is shifting into high gear – whether it’s internet satellites above or 5G networks below – to meet surging global demand for connectivity.

Sources: The information in this report is compiled from reputable news outlets and official releases, including Reuters reuters.com reuters.com, TechCrunch techcrunch.com techcrunch.com, Bloomberg, The Verge theverge.com, Business Insider businessinsider.com, MacRumors macrumors.com, GeekWire geekwire.com, and other cited sources. Each development is linked to its original source for further reading.