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Automotive Industry

Volvo Cancels Contract with Luminar Amidst Financial Troubles

Swedish automaker Volvo has cancelled a five-year contract with Luminar due to Luminar's failure to meet contractual obligations. This escalation occurs as Luminar faces financial difficulties, including defaulting on loans and a potential bankruptcy. Luminar has laid off 25% of its staff and is exploring a sale of the company.

The relationship between Volvo and Luminar was previously beneficial, with Volvo investing in Luminar and integrating its technology into their vehicles. However, Volvo has decided to limit its supply chain risk exposure due to Luminar's performance. Luminar has made a claim against Volvo for significant damages and suspended further commitments of Iris sensors.

Volvo stated that its products can deliver high levels of safety with or without lidar, but the situation has affected some customer orders. Luminar has also stopped spending money on Iris sensors, leading to a breach of agreement with its supplier.

Cybersecurity

Protei Breach: Surveillance Tech Firm Hacked, Data Exposed

Russian telecom company Protei, a developer of web surveillance and censorship technology, suffered a data breach and website defacement.
The company, headquartered in Jordan, provides surveillance equipment and web-filtering products to phone and internet providers in numerous countries.
The hack, which occurred around November 8, resulted in the theft of 182 gigabytes of data, including emails. The hacker defaced Protei's website with a message referencing deep packet inspection (DPI) and SORM, the Russian lawful intercept system.
Protei's technology is used for surveillance and censorship in regions with limited freedom of speech, and the company has been linked to Iranian telecoms for internet traffic logging and website blocking.

Travel and AI

Google Expands AI Travel Planning Features Globally

Google is expanding its AI-powered travel planning features, including the "Flight Deals" tool, to over 200 countries and territories, supporting more than 60 languages.
The AI Mode now integrates with the Canvas tool, enabling users to create and organize travel plans with real-time data for flights, hotels, and local information.
Agentic capabilities in AI Mode are being rolled out to more users, allowing for AI-assisted booking of restaurant reservations and event tickets.
Future updates will enable booking flights and hotels directly within AI Mode, providing comprehensive information and comparisons.

Semiconductors

PowerLattice Secures Funding for Revolutionary Energy-Efficient Chiplet Technology

PowerLattice, a startup founded in 2023 by electrical engineers from Qualcomm, NUVIA, and Intel, has emerged from stealth with a $25 million Series A funding round. The company is developing a chiplet that reduces the power needs of computer chips by more than 50%.

The funding round was led by Playground Global and Celesta Capital, bringing the total funding to $31 million. Pat Gelsinger, former CEO of Intel and general partner at Playground Global, expressed strong support for PowerLattice's technology.

PowerLattice's first batch of chiplets is being produced by TSMC, in partnership with an unnamed manufacturer for testing. The company plans to make its product available for testing by other customers in the first half of 2026, targeting major chip manufacturers like Nvidia, Broadcom, and AMD.

PowerLattice competes with Empower Semiconductor in addressing the energy problem. However, Gelsinger believes PowerLattice's 50% energy efficiency gain is an "extraordinary" result, expecting a larger funding round to follow.

Artificial Intelligence

Open Source AI: A Race Between the US and China

Databricks co-founder Andy Konwinski warns that the U.S. is losing its edge in AI research to China, posing a threat to democracy and U.S. AI labs. He highlights that Chinese AI innovation benefits from government support and open-source practices, fostering broader development.

Konwinski contrasts this with the U.S., where he observes a decline in open scientific exchange, with major AI labs prioritizing proprietary innovations and attracting top talent with high salaries. He advocates for open-source AI to foster innovation and ensure the U.S. remains a leader in the field, emphasizing the importance of freely exchanged ideas.

Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI's Financial Scrutiny Intensifies: Revenue vs. Inference Costs Revealed

Leaked documents reveal insights into OpenAI's financials, particularly its revenue and compute costs. Microsoft received $493.8 million in revenue share payments from OpenAI in 2024, jumping to $865.8 million in the first three quarters of 2025. OpenAI shares 20% of its revenue with Microsoft, but Microsoft also shares revenue with OpenAI from Bing and Azure OpenAI Service. Based on a 20% revenue-share, OpenAI's revenue was at least $2.5 billion in 2024 and $4.33 billion in the first three quarters of 2025. OpenAI may have spent roughly $3.8 billion on inference in 2024, increasing to roughly $8.65 billion in the first nine months of 2025. These numbers suggest OpenAI could be spending more on inference costs than it earns in revenue.

Business and Entertainment

YouTube TV and Disney Resolve Dispute, Restoring Channels

YouTube TV and Disney have reached an agreement, ending a two-week blackout of Disney-owned channels. The deal restores networks like ABC, ESPN, and FX to YouTube TV subscribers.

The agreement also includes making ESPN's new direct-to-consumer service available on YouTube TV at no extra cost. YouTube will have the option to sell select Disney networks and the Disney+/Hulu bundle as part of different packages.

To compensate for the disruption, YouTube TV offered subscribers a $20 credit. This resolution follows a previous renegotiation in 2022 that also involved a brief blackout.

Technology

Data Centers Surge: A Race Between AI Demand and Renewable Energy Solutions

According to the International Energy Agency, global spending on data centers will reach $580 billion this year, surpassing investments in new oil supplies. This shift highlights the growing demand for data centers driven by generative AI and raises concerns about their potential impact on climate change. The surge in data center construction is expected to strain electrical grids, but opportunities exist for renewable energy sources like solar to power these projects. Companies like OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic are committing significant investments to build data centers. Redwood Materials is exploring the use of recycled EV batteries to create microgrids for AI data centers, potentially alleviating grid pressure. The government's role in supporting these investments through tax credits and infrastructure development is also under consideration. The construction of data centers at this scale may transform landscapes and raise questions about the balance between ambitious plans and actual construction.

Technology

Amazon's Satellite Internet Program Rebrands to 'Leo,' Shifts Focus to Commercial Contracts

Amazon's satellite internet program, previously known as Project Kuiper, has been rebranded as 'Leo,' signaling a shift in focus from serving unserved communities to securing larger commercial contracts. The name change reflects the network's location in low-Earth orbit (LEO).

While Project Kuiper initially emphasized affordability and aimed to provide fast, affordable broadband to underserved communities, recent changes in messaging and partnerships with companies like Airbus and JetBlue suggest a move towards competing with services like SpaceX's Starlink.

The new Leo website highlights the network's capabilities for home and commercial internet service, including seamless video calls and 4K video streaming, with less emphasis on serving rural and remote locations. Despite the rebranding, Amazon claims the mission remains the same.