TechCapsules

HIFI Bridge secured $37 million in a Series A round led by Left Lane Capital, aiming to broaden its stablecoin payment, card, and tokenized securities infrastructure. The company currently processes over $7 billion in annualized volume across 87 countries, linking traditional bank rails with on‑chain settlements. The funding will support expansion into stablecoin‑backed card products and infrastructure for tokenized capital‑market transactions, following recent collaborations with DTCC, Visa, and major financial institutions. The round underscores HIFI’s role as a bridge between [...]

Apple released the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, adding new colors such as Glacier, Burgundy, and Deep Black. The article reviews several protective cases, highlighting ultra‑thin options from Pitaka and Nomad, a customizable E‑Ink case from Xtremm Inno, a rugged Rokform model with a locking system, a leather alternative from Andar, and a budget-friendly Spigen Nano Pop. Each case is evaluated on weight, thickness, protection, and unique features, with prices and availability on Amazon noted.

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max now allow users to fully customize the Pro Controls layout, a feature that lets photographers pin essential tools—such as shutter speed, focus, or ISO—where they prefer. The new interface is accessed by long‑pressing any side‑panel icon, revealing an overlay of all manual settings. Users can select two to eight controls, drag them into a desired order, and save the arrangement. This update follows Apple’s gradual rollout of manual controls, offering a more tailored shooting [...]

At the Snapdragon Summit, Microsoft Surface VP Brett Ostrum explained why Surface has not entered the low‑cost gaming laptop market, citing the success of OEMs like Dell and ASUS in that segment. Ostrum noted that Surface focuses on premium tiers—Entry Premium, Premium, and Ultra Premium—starting above $1,000, and that the company will consider future options but currently sees no need to compete directly with Apple’s MacBook Neo. The discussion highlighted Surface’s strategic shift toward high‑end devices, with [...]

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max now allow users to fully customize the Pro Controls layout, a feature long requested by enthusiasts. By opening the camera app and long‑pressing a side icon, users access an overlay with all manual settings and can select two to eight controls. Dragging icons into a preferred order and saving the layout lets photographers position tools like shutter speed or focus sliders exactly where they need them. This tweak enhances the device’s manual shooting experience, [...]

A jury ruled that Apple must pay Taction Technologies more than $5.7 billion for infringing patents tied to the Apple Watch’s Taptic Engine. The verdict found Apple infringed two claims in one patent and one claim in another, though it did not find willful infringement. Apple failed to invalidate the claims and was ordered to pay $5,721,961,750. Taction celebrated the win, while Apple maintains it did not use the technology and will appeal.

Tesla has started delivering its first all‑electric Semi trucks to customers at a ceremony in Reno, Nevada, nearly ten years after the model’s 2017 debut. The new Semi factory is slated to reach an annual capacity of 50,000 units and generate roughly 3,000 jobs. The top‑spec version promises a range of 500 miles or more per charge, depending on payload, and carries a base price just under $300,000 before incentives. Tesla has also introduced megawatt‑scale charging stations [...]

Synthesia, the UK‑based video‑generation startup valued at $4 billion, created an interactive digital avatar of journalist Alexandru Voica after he visited its new New York office. The avatar was built from a two‑minute voice recording and a photo shoot, then trained on a specific article about venture‑backed startup fraud, allowing it to answer only questions related to that story. Synthesia’s platform combines its own video and voice models with optional third‑party services, offering three product lines: scripted avatar videos, [...]