Used Waymo batteries will bolster California and Texas energy storage projects. Thousands of electric vehicles in Waymo’s autonomous robotaxi fleet may eventually give up their used batteries for a very different purpose—contributing up to hundreds of megawatt-hours of stationary energy storage to local power grids. That prospect comes from…
Some quantum computing companies we’ve covered have done recent progress updates. With dozens of companies, from small startups to tech giants, pursuing quantum computing, there’s a steady flow of results as they try to find a path to utility. We typically focus on new technologies and major landmarks, which…
Security advisory leaves out key details. Dashlane maintains complete silence. There’s a lot that doesn’t add up in a security advisory password manager Dashlane published Monday, warning that attackers managed to obtain 20 encrypted user vaults. “Starting on Sunday, May 31, 2026, an external party launched a brute force…
Plex is increaingly focusing on content discovery and streaming rentals. Plex is adding new social features to the platform. As of today, users can make and share “personalized lists on Plex of any movie, show or episode,” the company said in an announcement. Later this year, users will be…
Data shows Waymo’s robotaxis are empty for almost half of the miles they drive. The age of robotaxis, long the preserve of science fiction, is now a reality, at least in a handful of American cities. It took just over a decade to get from the DARPA Grand Challenges…
When they’re being eaten, bean plants release chemicals that draw in parasitic wasps. For decades, scientists have understood that plants can release volatile organic compounds—essentially airborne chemical signals—to attract the natural enemies of the things that eat them, like caterpillars. What we didn’t know was exactly how a plant…
“It’s a reminder of how human activity is changing the natural world in unanticipated ways.” Male bowerbirds are notorious for their complex mating rituals. They build intricate tunnels out of twigs—the bowers from which they get their name—and then decorate them with random colorful items gleaned from the environment.…
One hardware announcement and several software highlights from Microsoft Build. Microsoft’s Build developer conference kicked off today, and as with almost everything the company has done in the last few years, Microsoft’s opening keynote focused overwhelmingly on AI and other closely related technologies. There’s Microsoft Scout, an OpenClaw-based “Autopilot”…
Microsoft missed the boat on apps, so get ready for agents. Microsoft has been deeply committed to the growth of generative AI technology in recent years through its now-fragmented partnership with OpenAI. At Build 2026, the company remains all-in on AI, and it’s looking toward the future with a…
Neanderthals had some wild stuff in their toolkits. One way archaeologists learn how ancient people, including Neanderthals, did things is to attempt to do those things themselves, a process called experimental archaeology. Normally, that involves making stone tools, butchering deer, or distilling birch tar. But in a new study,…
