After months of political jockeying and procedural hurdles, the Senate approved a massive science and technology bill Tuesday to boost US competitiveness with China. The bill invests billions into emerging technology industries like artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and quantum computing in the US. The bill — titled the US Innovation and Competition Act or USICA —… Continue reading Senate approves billions for US semiconductor manufacturing
Author: The Verge Online News
The US wants to fix its broken lithium battery supply chain
The US announced plans to build out a domestic supply chain for lithium batteries, which are critical for electric vehicles and renewable energy. Its new goal is to be able to do nearly everything — from mining to manufacturing and recycling batteries — within its borders by the end of the decade. If it fails,… Continue reading The US wants to fix its broken lithium battery supply chain
The next generation of startups is remote
My guest on Decoder this week is Michael Seibel, managing director of Y Combinator, one of the most well-known and successful startup incubators in Silicon Valley. YC has funded some of the biggest names in tech, including Dropbox, Airbnb, and Stripe. It’s a big deal. Michael is also a co-founder of Justin.tv, known now as… Continue reading The next generation of startups is remote
Waabi, the rare autonomous vehicle startup with a woman CEO, raises $83.5 million
Waabi is a new autonomous vehicle startup with a few things going for it to help it rise above the fray. For one, it’s founded by Raquel Urtasun, a renowned expert in computer vision who ran Uber Advanced Technology Group’s Toronto outpost, making it one of the few women-led AV startups in the world. Second,… Continue reading Waabi, the rare autonomous vehicle startup with a woman CEO, raises $83.5 million
Elon Musk tweets that Tesla’s Plaid Plus is ‘canceled’ because ‘Plaid is just so good’
Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted Sunday that the automaker’s Model S Plaid Plus is “canceled,” since the basic Plaid is “just so good.” Tesla has been teasing its Model S Plaid since 2019, and Musk said late last month that delivery for the vehicle — which will have top speeds of 200 mph and range… Continue reading Elon Musk tweets that Tesla’s Plaid Plus is ‘canceled’ because ‘Plaid is just so good’
Apple heads into developer conference under more scrutiny than ever
Apple needs a distraction, and it needs one fast. On Monday, the company will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2021) during one of the most fraught moments for developer relations in Apple history. While Apple emerged from the Epic v. Apple trial in a seemingly strong legal position, its reputation took a body… Continue reading Apple heads into developer conference under more scrutiny than ever
Square will invest $5 million to build solar-powered bitcoin mining facility
Financial services firm Square Inc. will partner with blockchain technology provider Blockstream Mining to build an open-source, solar-powered bitcoin mining facility, Blockstream announced in a press release Saturday. Square confirmed the news in a tweet, saying it was “committed to driving further adoption and efficiency of renewables within the bitcoin ecosystem.” According to the release,… Continue reading Square will invest $5 million to build solar-powered bitcoin mining facility
Cruise gets permit from California to provide passenger test rides in driverless vehicles
The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) said Friday (pdf) it has authorized General Motors-owned self-driving vehicle company Cruise to provide driverless passenger service to the public in its robotaxis. The CPUC said Cruise is the first entrant in its driverless pilot program, which lets companies give test rides in vehicles without drivers. Under the terms… Continue reading Cruise gets permit from California to provide passenger test rides in driverless vehicles
Memorials to honor COVID-19 dead begin to take shape
How can we possibly memorialize the brutal toll of COVID-19? It’s something I’ve been thinking about this week. The US observed Memorial Day on May 31, honoring people who died in military service. Artists, politicians, and activists are now starting to think about how to memorialize the more than 3.7 million people around the world… Continue reading Memorials to honor COVID-19 dead begin to take shape
Apple employees push back against returning to the office in internal letter
Apple employees are pushing back against a new policy that would require them to return to the office three days a week starting in early September. Staff members say they want a flexible approach where those who want to work remote can do so, according to an internal letter obtained by The Verge. “We would… Continue reading Apple employees push back against returning to the office in internal letter