TechCapsules

NASA has filed a procurement notice to add six post-certification missions to SpaceX's existing Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract. The agency will order up to three missions immediately, with the remaining three available as needed through 2030. The decision is due to shortened ISS mission durations, technical issues, and schedule delays encountered by Boeing, which has not certified its CST-100 Starliner for crewed flights. SpaceX is now the only American company capable of rotating crews to the [...]

Samsung's One UI 8.5 update has removed video filters in the camera app, according to user reports on the Galaxy S23 Ultra subreddit. The feature allowed users to apply filters directly while recording videos, which is now gone. Users have confirmed the removal of the feature on their devices, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The update brought other features like AI call screening and image editing tools, but the removal of video filters has disappointed some users. [...]

Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft announced billions in AI spending, with Alphabet's stock rising 7% after-hours due to strong Google Cloud growth. Meta's stock dropped 6% after CEO Mark Zuckerberg's comments on AI investments failed to reassure investors. Microsoft's stock remained flat. The companies' capital expenditures are expected to exceed $600 billion in 2026, with investors seeking returns on investment. Alphabet's Cloud revenue grew 63% year-over-year to $20 billion.

Socomec and Daitron have partnered to deliver power conversion solutions in Japan, combining Socomec's equipment with Daitron's engineering team. The partnership covers uninterruptible power supplies, power conversion systems, and static transfer switches, targeting data centres, semiconductor plants, and industrial facilities. The deal includes training, spare parts, and long-term service contracts, aiming to meet Japan's growing power demands, driven by data centres and semiconductor factories.

Intel and AMD stocks rallied due to fresh bullish coverage from analysts, with Susquehanna raising its price target on AMD to $375 and Freedom Broker upgrading Intel to "buy". The upgrades were based on strong Data Center and AI growth, as well as improving manufacturing credibility. The rally is tied to near-term catalysts and a potential Q4 inflection. The stocks extended gains on Wednesday morning, reigniting momentum in the semiconductor sector with upbeat analyst commentary.

Sony has confirmed a new round of price increases for its PlayStation hardware in Australia, with the PS5 console rising to nearly $1,000. The standard PS5 will retail for $999.95, up from $829.95, due to rising chip costs and supply chain disruptions. This is the third price hike since launch, and may dampen consumer demand as the console generation matures. Sony also lifted prices in the US, Europe, and Japan, citing global economic pressures.

Google's new AI algorithm, TurboQuant, reduces memory usage to a sixth of current levels, sparking market concerns about reduced demand for AI-driven memory. Shares in memory makers like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix dropped over 8 percent, but some analysts believe the technology may not be bad news for chipmakers, as it could drive innovation and investment in the industry, potentially creating new opportunities.

Google has reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with Epic Games, the developer of popular video game 'Fortnite', in an antitrust case. The deal is reportedly worth $800 million, allegedly aimed at resolving long-standing disputes over Google's dominance of the mobile app market and its app store, Google Play. Epic shall be paying Google $800 million to Google over six years as part of the deal.