Robotaxis are real now — so is the pushback
Robotaxis are real now — so is the pushback

Robotaxis are expanding. So is the fight over the rules governing them. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul withdrew a proposal earlier this year that would have opened the door to driverless robotaxis outside New York City after taxi drivers, unions, and state lawmakers opposed it. Six months later, commercial driverless service remains illegal in […]

A Silicon Valley Startup Aims To Fill A Battery Supply Chain Gap

This week’s Current Climate newsletter also looks at how DOGE broke America’s weather machine and using AI to create new materials for green hydrogen and batteries

TikTok will pay $400 million to settle DOJ child privacy lawsuit
TikTok will pay $400 million to settle DOJ child privacy lawsuit

The US Department of Justice announced on Friday that TikTok will pay $400 million to settle a lawsuit filed in 2024 over allegedly violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). In the lawsuit, the DOJ alleged that TikTok collected data from children without notifying parents or obtaining consent and did not delete the accounts […]

Australia says Roblox hasn’t fixed its child predator problem
Australia says Roblox hasn’t fixed its child predator problem

Roblox is promising more changes to its child safety features following testing from Australia’s online safety regulator, eSafety. eSafety has been looking into concerns that the company hasn’t been in compliance with Australia’s Online Safety Act, including “allegedly failing to have sufficient measures in place to prevent contact between adults and children under 16.” While […]

FCC officially decides gigabit speeds are too good for you
FCC officially decides gigabit speeds are too good for you

Another day, another sad thing to report about our compromised Federal Communications Commission. Chairman Brendan Carr has followed through on his 2025 threat to kill long-term broadband speed goals established during the Biden administration, which aimed for eventually getting us to gigabit download and half-gigabit upload speeds. How dare we dream of spreading great download […]

Meta glasses are a workplace menace
Meta glasses are a workplace menace

In August, Toru Hinkle was stocking shelves at their job at Target when they noticed two customers and asked if they needed any help. The men requested a price check on an item – but even after Hinkle told them the item was $20, the customers asked for the price again and again. “After a […]

White House cuts data centers, batteries, and AR from the US critical technology list — post-quantum cryptography, integrated photonics, high entropy alloys among new additions
White House cuts data centers, batteries, and AR from the US critical technology list — post-quantum cryptography, integrated photonics, high entropy alloys among new additions

Appendix A of the 24-page document rewrites the federal Critical and Emerging Technologies list for the first time since February 2024.

Apple squashes EU beef with new App Store rules
Apple squashes EU beef with new App Store rules

Apple is once again overhauling App Store rules in the European Union, which the company says will resolve its “disagreements with the Commission over business terms and alternative distribution.” As part of the changes, every developer that distributes apps will be moved to a single set of business terms, and digital transactions for apps distributed […]

ABC sues the FCC over Trump and Carr’s campaign of threats
ABC sues the FCC over Trump and Carr’s campaign of threats

ABC is suing the Federal Communications Commission over claims the agency “waged a retaliatory campaign” against its networks over the content they broadcast. In a lawsuit filed in federal court on Tuesday, ABC and its parent company Disney accuse the FCC of “punishing ABC for its speech” by threatening its broadcast licenses. It’s the latest […]