2026-08-17

The DOJ is investigating Andreessen Horowitz over competing board seats

The US Justice Department is investigating Andreessen Horowitz. At issue is whether partners at the venture capital firm improperly sit on the boards of competing artificial intelligence companies. Bloomberg reported the investigation on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. Those sources put the investigation at nearly a year old. Monday’s story is the first […]<br /> This sto [...]

2026-08-17

US vaccination rates fall again as exemptions continue to rise, CDC data shows

Again, the CDC did not publish a full report and instead simply put the data online. [...]

2026-08-17

Former SpaceX engineers are building a robotic factory for making steel parts

“We're not necessarily building in a dogmatic fashion towards full autonomy.” [...]

2026-08-17

An AI agent built a working exploit for this macOS flaw in four hours

A security company built working exploits for two pre-authentication root bugs in macOS. It took four hours. The firm, Calif, used an AI agent. It now withholds technical details of one of those bugs, CVE-2026-65400, until most Macs carry the patch. The reason is the speed. Producing the exploit was too easy. Attackers are using […]<br /> This story continues at The Next Web [...]

2026-08-17

45 MQ-9 Reaper drones have been destroyed in the Iran war - a quarter of the fleet worth $1.3 billion obliterated

The Iran war has destroyed roughly 45 American Reapers, exposing expensive drone losses while Washington searches for cheaper replacements. [...]

2026-08-17

Opening statements begin in the biggest consumer protection case in the US

Opening statements in the states’ case against Meta begin today in Oakland. The court seated a jury last week. The trial should run about five weeks. Twenty-nine state attorneys general brought the case in 2023. Lawyers for California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey will argue it. They allege that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to […]<br /> This story continues at The Next Web [...]

2026-08-17

Wispr raised $280mn at $2bn to argue the text box is finished

Wispr has raised $280mn at a $2bn valuation. Menlo Ventures led the round, having led the last one too. Total funding now stands at $361mn. The company makes Wispr Flow, a dictation app that turns speech into cleaned-up text in whatever application your cursor happens to be in. Reuters reports the previous round valued it […]<br /> This story continues at The Next Web [...]

2026-08-17

China says new AI missile system can track US F-35s with 90% accuracy

Chinese researchers report lightweight AI can recognize simulated F-22 and F-35 infrared signatures, though combat performance remains unverified. [...]

2026-08-17

Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone Secures £300M Financing as Dell Establishes Scottish Base

The Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone has secured a £300 million financing package to expand its data center capacity, with the UK's National Wealth Fund providing a £202 million guarantee to unlock the lending, the Cabinet Office announced on August 18, 2026. Dell Technologies will separately establish its Scottish base at the zone's AI Innovation Park. The financing will allow developer Dat [...]