TechCapsules

Tesla has extended its Robotaxi operating hours in Austin from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., a modest shift that reflects the company’s cautious approach to full 24/7 service. The change follows a rapid increase in the Cybercab fleet, with registrations climbing to 169 vehicles after adding more than 100 in recent weeks. Elon Musk cited the need to improve nighttime detection of pets, especially small animals, as a key safety hurdle. The extension is a precursor to the anticipated [...]

In San Francisco, content creator Frankie LaPenna staged the first human‑versus‑humanoid robot cage fight, organized by robotics entertainment firm REK. LaPenna faced three remotely controlled robots, including two full‑size EngineAI T800s, in a series of bouts that were filmed and shared online. The most viewed clip shows LaPenna advancing on a T800, delivering punches before the machine responds. The event highlights the growing trend of live robotic combat entertainment and the increasing public visibility of humanoid robotics technology. [...]

Tesla expanded its Robotaxi service hours by one hour, now operating until 11 p.m. in Austin. CEO Elon Musk cited difficulty detecting small pets at night, especially grey kittens blending with road surfaces, as the main obstacle. The change restores only a fraction of the original 18‑hour window that launched on June 22, 2025. Tesla’s Cybercab fleet has grown to 169 vehicles, and a full 24‑hour rollout is tied to the upcoming FSD v1.5 software release.

Microsoft released Windows 11 26H2 last week, delivering modest but tangible performance gains. The update reduces RAM consumption, with users reporting up to 2 GB less usage on 16‑GB laptops and similar drops on systems with 48 GB of memory. It also expands the Low‑Latency Profile, now available to most PCs, which accelerates the Start menu, search, and app launches by temporarily boosting CPU clock speeds. While the changes are incremental, they target older or low‑spec machines, potentially extending their [...]

Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has appointed Alexander Dahm as its new chief executive officer, succeeding Professor Dr. Indulis Kalnins. Dahm brings 30 years of aerospace and defense leadership, including experience with the Ariane 5 program, senior roles at Airbus, and recent work at HENSOLDT. He will oversee the company’s RFA ONE rocket program, aiming for its first orbital launch from the SaxaVord spaceport in the Shetland Islands. RFA, a 2018 spin‑off from MT Aerospace and OHB SE, has received UK [...]

Nvidia and CoreWeave announced a joint effort to address CPU bottlenecks in agentic AI infrastructure. Nvidia’s Vera CPU, designed for high‑core count, low latency, and high memory bandwidth, will be deployed alongside CoreWeave’s existing cloud services. The partnership targets the growing demand for CPU‑heavy tasks such as tool calls, API requests, and SQL queries that accompany model reasoning on GPUs. CoreWeave reports a three‑fold improvement in sandbox startup times when using Vera CPUs, enhancing reinforcement learning and [...]

Tesla announced a modest refresh of the Model 3 lineup, keeping U.S., Puerto Rico, and Mexican prices unchanged. All variants receive a new 16‑inch central display with higher pixel density, replacing the 15.4‑inch screen. The Performance model’s peak power rises to 528 hp from 510 hp, and its 0‑60 mph time remains 2.9 seconds, while range improves from 309 to 316 miles. The Premium AWD sees its 0‑60 time cut from 4.2 to 3.8 seconds through electronic tuning, though power [...]

Googlebook, a new Android‑based device, launched with a full retail rollout but immediately faced a critical issue: the Slack web app cannot be installed as a progressive web app (PWA). While native Android apps and other PWAs like Photopea and Squoosh work, Slack’s PWA triggers an error stating “this app cannot be installed.” Users can create a Chrome tab shortcut, but it lacks a standalone window. Slack’s absence on day one may disappoint early adopters who rely [...]