Tuesday, March 10, 2026

EV repair cost concerns are a key barrier to UK adoption

Concerns over maintenance and repair costs are significant barriers to electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the UK, according to a GlobalData survey. While the transition to lower-emission transport continues, 36.9% of respondents indicated that perceived ownership costs, particularly related to repairs and insurance, are influencing their decision to switch to fully electric vehicles. Thatcham Research's new Electric Vehicle Blueprint aims to mitigate these issues by addressing the high costs associated with battery pack replacements, which often lead to unnecessary write-offs.

Amazon Wins Court Order Blocking Perplexity AI Shopping Bots

A court has ordered Perplexity AI Inc. to stop using its Comet web browser agent to make purchases on Amazon.com, following a lawsuit filed by Amazon in November. The lawsuit accused Perplexity of committing computer fraud by not disclosing when the bot was shopping on behalf of customers and ignoring requests from Amazon to cease its activities.

Google deepens Pentagon AI push after Anthropic sues Trump administration

Google is strengthening its collaboration with the Pentagon by introducing a new feature called Agent Designer, which allows military and civilian personnel to create custom AI agents for unclassified tasks. This initiative comes as Anthropic, a competing AI firm, has sued the Trump administration for being designated a supply chain risk, a label usually applied to foreign adversaries. The Pentagon's technology chief has indicated confidence in Google's capabilities, suggesting a potential expansion of these AI tools into classified environments.

Meta to Acquire Moltbook, Viral Social Network for AI Agents

Meta Platforms Inc. has announced its acquisition of Moltbook, an innovative social network designed exclusively for AI agents. This platform allows AI entities to engage with one another through posting, commenting, and voting, while their human creators watch from the sidelines, marking a significant expansion in Meta's AI capabilities within social media.

AgentMail raises $6M to build an email service for AI agents

AgentMail, a San Francisco-based startup, has secured $6 million in seed funding to create an email service specifically for AI agents, enabling them to manage their own inboxes and engage in two-way communication. The funding round was led by General Catalyst and included participation from Y Combinator and several prominent angel investors. Since its launch, AgentMail has seen significant growth, particularly after the rise of OpenClaw, which has driven demand for AI agents capable of handling email communications.

Nvidia to provide 1 gigawatt of AI chips, make 'significant investment' in OpenAI rival Thinking Machines Labs

Nvidia has formed a partnership with Thinking Machines Labs to provide 1 gigawatt of its next-generation Vera Rubin chips, which will be deployed early next year. This collaboration also involves a significant investment from Nvidia to bolster Thinking Machines' long-term growth, as the company aims to enhance AI capabilities under the leadership of CEO Mira Murati, a former OpenAI executive.

AI Robotics Startup Rhoda Valued at $1.7 Billion in New Funding

Rhoda AI, a startup focused on enhancing industrial robots, has raised $450 million in funding, bringing its valuation to $1.7 billion. The investment, led by Premji Invest, will be used to develop an AI model that trains robots using millions of publicly available internet videos, enabling them to navigate and perform tasks in diverse conditions.

Google gives in to users’ complaints over AI-powered ‘Ask Photos’ search feature

In response to user complaints about the AI-driven 'Ask Photos' feature, Google has introduced a toggle in its Google Photos app that allows users to switch back to the traditional search experience. Launched in 2024, 'Ask Photos' was intended to enhance photo searches with natural language queries but faced backlash over its accuracy and speed, leading to this user-friendly adjustment.

Legora reaches $5.55 billion valuation as AI legal tech boom endures

Legora, an AI platform designed to assist lawyers, has achieved a valuation of $5.55 billion after securing $550 million in a Series D funding round. This growth comes despite increasing competition from rivals like Harvey and major players such as Microsoft. With its platform now utilized by 800 law firms, Legora aims to expand its U.S. operations significantly, including plans to open new offices in Houston and Chicago and grow its workforce to over 300 employees by the end of 2026.

Amazon plans 'deep dive' internal meeting to address AI-related outages

Amazon is convening a 'deep dive' internal meeting on Tuesday to address a series of recent outages linked to AI-assisted coding errors. The company's senior vice president of eCommerce Foundation, Dave Treadwell, noted that the outages, which included four high-severity incidents in one week, have prompted a reassessment of their technical practices, particularly around generative AI usage in production changes.

Swedish legaltech Legora hits $5 billion valuation as investors pile money into European AI startups

Swedish AI legaltech company Legora has successfully raised $550 million in a Series D funding round, achieving a valuation of $5.55 billion. This marks the company's third fundraising effort in the past year, as investor interest in European AI startups continues to surge, with Legora aiming to bolster its U.S. presence through new offices and an expanded workforce.

Kevin Mandia sold his cybersecurity company to Google in 2022. He has a fresh $190 million for a new venture

Kevin Mandia has launched a new AI cybersecurity startup, Armadin, which has successfully raised $190 million in funding, primarily from Accel and Google Ventures. This venture comes four years after Google acquired Mandia's previous company, Mandiant, for $5.4 billion. Mandia aims to leverage his three decades of experience in the industry to address the growing threats posed by AI-enabled cyberattacks.

Sonos just launched Play, a new $299 portable speaker

Sonos is refocusing on its core audio offerings with the launch of the Play, a $299 portable speaker, and the Era 100 SL, its first new consumer speakers since 2024. The Play features a carrying loop, IP67 rating for durability, and supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, while the Era 100 SL offers a simplified option for customers looking to expand their Sonos systems at a lower price point.

Pzena Global Small Cap Focused Value Strategy Maintains Its Confidence in Advance Auto Parts (AAP)

Pzena Investment Management expressed continued confidence in Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE:AAP) in its fourth-quarter 2025 commentary, despite the stock's recent decline of 9.73% over the past month. The firm noted that while the automotive parts retailer was the largest detractor from performance, it believes the market's reaction reflects an overemphasis on short-term challenges rather than the company's long-term potential.

Google’s Gemini AI is getting a bigger role across Docs, Sheets, and Slides

Google is significantly enhancing its Gemini AI assistant within its Workspace applications, allowing users to generate fully formatted documents in Google Docs, create entire spreadsheets in Sheets, and generate slides in Slides. This integration includes a Gemini chat window for real-time assistance, enabling users to describe their document needs and receive tailored drafts, while also offering collaborative editing features that adapt to writing styles.

You can now ask Photoshop’s AI assistant to edit images for you

Adobe has introduced an AI assistant for Photoshop, now available in public beta for web and mobile users. This feature allows individuals to edit images by simply describing their desired changes to a chatbot, making the editing process more intuitive and accessible. The assistant can perform various tasks, including background changes and lighting adjustments, and is part of a broader rollout of AI features across Adobe's Creative Cloud applications.

Spirit Airlines to recall furloughed pilots to combat attrition as carrier eyes bankruptcy exit

Spirit Airlines is recalling all furloughed pilots as the airline faces significant staffing shortages caused by higher-than-expected attrition, with many pilots leaving for other carriers. The budget airline, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year, aims to emerge from bankruptcy in late spring or early summer while adjusting its operations to meet evolving business needs.

Sonos CEO explains why company killed Apple TV 4K competitor before launch

Sonos has confirmed the cancellation of its Pinewood project, a set-top box that would have competed with the Apple TV 4K. CEO Tom Conrad explained that the decision stemmed from a lack of software resources necessary to develop the product effectively, despite having a release date planned. The anticipated price for the Pinewood box was between $200 and $400, reflecting the competitive nature of the streaming hardware market.

Agentic AI in finance speeds up operational automation

SEI has partnered with IBM to implement agentic AI in its operations, aiming to enhance efficiency and client service. This initiative involves a thorough review of existing workflows to identify areas where automation can cut processing times by up to 40%, allowing staff to concentrate on more complex client interactions.

OnePlus and Oppo will raise prices for existing smartphones starting next week

OnePlus and Oppo have announced plans to raise prices on existing smartphones starting March 16, 2026, due to significant increases in the costs of key components like RAM and storage. This decision comes amid a forecast predicting a 13% decline in the smartphone market this year, with Chinese OEMs expected to face the most severe impacts. The price adjustments will affect Oppo's A Series and K Series, as well as OnePlus devices, while flagship models remain unaffected for now.

Ig Nobels ceremony moves to Europe over security concerns

The Ig Nobel prize ceremony, which celebrates humorous yet thought-provoking scientific achievements, will relocate from Boston to Zurich this year due to escalating safety concerns for international travelers. Organizer Marc Abrahams noted that the increasing reluctance of international guests to travel to the US has prompted this permanent shift, with Zurich set to host the event every second year moving forward.

After outages, Amazon to make senior engineers sign off on AI-assisted changes

In response to recent outages, Amazon is requiring senior engineers to sign off on AI-assisted coding changes made by junior and mid-level engineers. This decision follows a troubling trend of incidents linked to AI tools, including a nearly six-hour outage of its website this month caused by a faulty software deployment. Senior vice-president Dave Treadwell emphasized the need for immediate initiatives to enhance operational reliability during a meeting with engineers.

David Pogue releases new ‘Apple: The First 50 years’ book

As Apple marks its 50th anniversary, David Pogue has released a comprehensive book titled 'Apple: The First 50 Years,' which delves into the company's storied past. The 600+ page work features interviews with over 150 influential figures, including co-founder Steve Wozniak and former CEO John Sculley, and examines both Apple's monumental successes and notable failures, offering a nuanced perspective on its impact in the tech world.

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Pixel 10 Pro XL: Same phones, different year [Video]

The newly released Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Google Pixel 10 Pro XL showcase incremental upgrades rather than groundbreaking changes. While the S26 Ultra boasts a powerful 200MP camera and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, the Pixel 10 Pro XL focuses on a more integrated user experience with its AI capabilities and longer battery life. Ultimately, consumers must decide between raw power and a more seamless software experience.