TechCapsules

Microsoft has joined the fight to preserve the EU-US data transfer pact, a crucial agreement that enables the transfer of personal data between the European Union and the United States. The pact's fate is uncertain due to ongoing legal challenges, with the European Court of Justice set to review the agreement. Microsoft's involvement underscores the significance of the pact for US tech companies, which rely heavily on international data transfers. The company's participation may influence the court's [...]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined India's vision for Artificial Intelligence at the 10th edition of the VivaTech Summit in Paris. He emphasized the importance of democratizing AI to ensure its benefits reach everyone. Modi rolled out the red carpet for top tech companies, easing regulations and expanding ease of doing business. The India pavilion showcased emerging technologies, including AI solutions for detecting cancers and advanced genetic engineering therapies. Modi highlighted India's AI prowess, citing examples such as [...]

U.S. Representatives Mike Lawler and Pat Ryan introduced bipartisan legislation to establish a National Security Commission on Quantum Computing. The proposed bill creates an 11-member advisory panel to evaluate global quantum technology advancements and draft policy recommendations. The commission's directives include monitoring foreign investments, protecting the sovereign industrial base, and enhancing public-private interoperability. The bill aims to safeguard domestic intellectual property and cryptographic defense layers amid tightening global timelines for post-quantum cryptography readiness. The legislation has been [...]

Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, met with Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel at VivaTech 2026 in Paris to discuss deepening bilateral ties in fintech, space technology, and digital innovation. The meeting aimed to align economic and technological goals between India and Luxembourg, with a focus on emerging technologies and strategic sectors. Goyal also highlighted India's balanced AI policy and its growing role as a global tech and innovation hub.

The Public Utility Commission of Texas will consider a proposal to streamline the power approval process for data centers. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state's energy grid operator, is overwhelmed by a surge in interconnection requests from large energy users like data centers. The current process is struggling to keep pace, with 225 new requests in 2025, and ERCOT wants to evaluate data centers in batches. This change aims to address the challenge of evaluating [...]

The UK government plans to roll back its electric vehicle (EV) mandate, which currently requires 80% of new passenger vehicles sold in the country to be battery electric by 2030. The move follows a consultation on the 2030 target, which could see the percentage reduced to between 50 and 70%. Automakers and trade unions have been lobbying to water down the mandate, citing concerns about costs and job losses, but industry sources argue that the concerns are [...]

The Pentagon has expanded its "Chinese military companies" list to 188 names, its largest jump yet, including well-known brands such as Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD. China's Ministry of Commerce has strongly condemned the move, labeling it a "power abuse" and calling on the US to reverse the decision. The update means that direct Pentagon contracts with listed firms will end on June 30, 2026, with indirect contracts following in 2027. The move has sparked a backlash from [...]

Automate UK has partnered with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) to create Britain's first regulatory guidance for collaborative robotics in the workplace. The guidance aims to address uncertainty around compliance, particularly for collaborative robots, which is a key barrier to adoption in the UK. The UK ranks 24th globally for industrial robot density, despite ranking first for academic robotics research. The project will produce the first ever HSE-supported guidance on [...]