tech-news
Musk’s robotaxis under regulatory spotlight after video shows wrong-lane driving
U.S. traffic safety regulators have launched an inquiry into Elon Musk’s self-driving “robotaxi” trials in Texas following viral videos showing Teslas braking abruptly, veering down the wrong side of the road, and crossing intersections from incorrect lanes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed on Tuesday that it has contacted Tesla for more details about the incidents. Although other clips show the robotaxis functioning smoothly, any significant findings from the inquiry could raise concerns over Musk’s repeated assurances about the technology's safety and his ambitious vision of an autonomous future dominated by Tesla vehicles — potentially without steering wheels or drivers.
“NHTSA is aware of the referenced incidents and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information,” the agency said in a statement.
Passengers testing Tesla robotaxis on Austin roads have generally reported positive experiences, and Tesla’s stock price rose by 8% on Monday. However, news of the federal inquiry caused the stock to fall more than 2% on Tuesday.
Tesla has yet to comment publicly.
Google may be forced to link to rival search platforms in the UK
Dan Ives, a bullish Tesla analyst at Wedbush Securities who experienced a flawless ride during Sunday’s launch of the test program, dismissed the concerning footage circulating on platforms like X and YouTube.
“Any issues they encounter will be fixed,” Ives said, calling the test program a “huge success” over the past three days “despite the skeptics.”
One such skeptic, vehicle technology expert Sam Abuelsamid of Telemetry Insight, argued the footage was worrying enough to pause public testing altogether.
“The system has always had highly erratic performance, working really well a lot of the time but frequently making random and inconsistent but dangerous errors,” Abuelsamid wrote in a message. “This is not a system that should be carrying members of the public or being tested on public roads without trained test drivers behind the wheel.”
One widely shared video shows a Tesla entering a left-turn-only lane, but instead of turning, it drives straight through the intersection and into an oncoming lane. The vehicle then swerves several times, with the steering wheel jerking back and forth, before stabilizing.
The car proceeds down the wrong side of the road for around 10 seconds. Luckily, no oncoming vehicles were present.
The passenger who filmed the incident, money manager Rob Maurer, downplayed the situation.
“There are no vehicles anywhere in sight, so this wasn’t a safety issue,” Maurer said in his video commentary. “I didn’t feel uncomfortable in the situation.”
Another video shows a Tesla braking suddenly in the middle of the road, possibly reacting to the flashing lights of parked police cars, though the officers appeared to be handling a separate matter nearby.
NHTSA has been monitoring Tesla’s autonomous technology closely. The agency launched an investigation last year into how Teslas with Musk’s so-called Full Self-Driving system performed in low-visibility conditions, following several crashes — one of them fatal. Tesla had to recall 2.4 million vehicles at the time.
Musk insists his Full Self-Driving Teslas are safer than human drivers, and he claims the upgraded robotaxi system will be so reliable that hundreds of thousands will be deployed by the end of next year.
OpenAI pulls Jony Ive partnership details after court ruling in trademark dispute
Despite the Austin trials, Musk faces stiff competition. Rivals such as Amazon-owned Zoox and Waymo — the current leader in self-driving taxis — have already launched services in multiple cities. Waymo recently announced it had completed its 10 millionth paid ride.
Musk is under pressure to deliver a robotaxi breakthrough. His recent role in the Trump administration as a cost-cutting czar has alienated Tesla’s core buyer base, traditionally made up of liberal, environmentally conscious Americans, contributing to declining sales. European markets have also cooled after Musk publicly supported far-right politicians in Britain and Germany earlier this year.
Source: Agency
6 months ago
Google may be forced to link to rival search platforms in the UK
Google may soon face new requirements in the UK aimed at providing consumers with more choice over which online search services they use, according to the country’s competition watchdog.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating the tech giant under a new law that allows the regulator to demand changes if it finds that a company holds too much power in a particular market.
Google currently dominates the UK search market, accounting for over 90% of searches, with approximately 200,000 businesses using its search advertising services to reach customers, as reported by the BBC.
Alphabet, Google's parent company, has criticized the CMA's proposed changes, calling them "broad and unfocused." However, the company has said it will "work constructively" with the regulator moving forward.
The CMA, which is not accusing Google of anti-competitive behavior at this stage, has outlined a "roadmap" for potential changes to the company’s operations.
These changes could include requiring "choice" screens for users to access different search providers and offering more transparency and control for publishers whose content appears in search results. A final decision is expected in October.
According to the CMA, the average person in the UK conducts between five and ten searches per day, and businesses spend an average of £33,000 annually on Google advertisements. The watchdog believes that, if competition were functioning properly, this figure could be lower.
"Google search has delivered tremendous benefits but our investigation so far suggests there are ways to make these markets more open, competitive and innovative," said CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell.
She added that the proposed changes would give UK businesses and consumers more choice and control over how they interact with Google’s search services.
However, Google expressed concerns over the potential outcomes of the investigation. A company spokesperson said that while the CMA has reiterated that "strategic market status" does not equate to accusations of anti-competitive behavior, the investigation and proposed changes "could have significant implications for businesses and consumers in the UK."
Google faces major setback in appeal against EU antitrust fine over Android
They also cautioned that the UK has historically benefited from early access to Google innovations, but this could change as a result of what they described as "punitive regulations."
Concerns from Businesses and Publishers
The CMA’s investigation, which was launched in January, aims to ensure fair competition in online search. It has heard from 47 organizations, including airlines, adult online retailers, and media publishers, about how Google's search practices help or hinder their businesses.
EasyJet, for example, noted that changes to the search engine resulting from the European Union’s Digital Markets Act had diverted more customers to online travel agencies, which misrepresented the airline’s services and prices.
In response, Google stated that increasing the visibility of rival search engines and comparison sites was part of the required changes under the EU law. However, the company claimed this move had hurt airlines and hotel operators by reducing direct traffic to their websites.
Meanwhile, LoveHoney and Ann Summers, which sell sex toys, lingerie, and sexual wellness products, raised concerns about Google’s SafeSearch feature, which censors explicit results and has affected the "discoverability" of their sites.
Trade association UK Hospitality also warned that the UK should be cautious about adopting similar search requirements to those in the EU, fearing they could create "unintended consequences" for both businesses and consumers.
Implications for Artificial Intelligence
Sebastian Cuttill, of the News Media Association, highlighted that the CMA's intervention could have significant implications not just for traditional search engines but also for AI-powered alternatives, such as Google's own AI Overviews.
He argued that increasing transparency over how news content is used by tech firms to develop AI tools would be "massive" for publishers.
News organizations, including the BBC, have expressed concerns about the use of their content to train AI systems without consent or compensation. "This measure would pursue the statutory objectives of fair dealing and trust and transparency," Cuttill said.
Global Scrutiny
Google’s search operations have come under increased scrutiny by regulators in other countries as well.
In August, a US judge ruled that the company had operated an illegal search monopoly. Additionally, the European Union has imposed multiple enforcement actions, including a €2.4 billion (£2 billion) fine for allegedly "self-preferencing" its Shopping comparison service, a penalty that was upheld by the bloc’s top court last year.
6 months ago
OpenAI pulls Jony Ive partnership details after court ruling in trademark dispute
A promising collaboration between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and renowned iPhone designer Jony Ive to create a new AI hardware product has encountered a legal obstacle after a federal judge ordered a temporary halt to the marketing of the venture.
Last month, OpenAI announced the acquisition of io Products, a product and engineering firm co-founded by Ive, in a deal reportedly worth nearly $6.5 billion.
However, the project quickly ran into legal trouble when a startup named IYO, which is also working on AI hardware, filed a trademark infringement complaint. The startup claims its product was pitched to Altman’s personal investment firm and Ive's design company in 2022 and alleges that the new venture's name is confusingly similar to its own.
Tesla begins robotaxi test run in Austin
U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson ruled on Friday that IYO has a sufficiently strong trademark infringement claim to move forward with legal proceedings, scheduling a hearing for October. Until then, Altman, Ive, and OpenAI are barred from “using the IYO mark, and any mark confusingly similar thereto, including the IO mark, in connection with the marketing or sale of related products.”
In response to the ruling, OpenAI removed all references to the new venture from its website, including the original May 21 announcement. The replaced webpage now displays a message stating the content is "temporarily down due to a court order" and adds, "We don’t agree with the complaint and are reviewing our options."
IYO CEO Jason Rugolo welcomed the court's decision, issuing a statement on Monday asserting that the company will firmly defend its brand and technology.
"IYO will not roll over and let Sam and Jony trample on our rights, no matter how rich and famous they are," Rugolo said.
6 months ago
Japanese firm blames laser glitch for latest 'Lunar Crash'
A malfunction in a laser navigation tool led to the crash of a Japanese company’s lunar lander earlier this month, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Tokyo-based ispace revealed that its lander, named Resilience, failed to make a safe touchdown on the moon’s surface — marking the company’s second lunar crash in as many years.
The mission aimed to land near the moon’s far northern region known as Mare Frigoris, or the Sea of Cold. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter later captured images of the crash site, showing debris from Resilience and its mini rover.
According to ispace, the laser range finder responsible for measuring the lander's altitude did not activate promptly, resulting in a failure to calculate the distance to the surface. As a result, Resilience was descending at roughly 138 feet (42 meters) per second when communication was lost. The spacecraft crashed just five seconds later.
The company's first lunar mission also ended in disaster in 2023 due to faulty software, with both incidents occurring during the critical final descent phase.
Tesla begins robotaxi test run in Austin
Out of seven recent private-sector attempts to land on the moon, only one succeeded — Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander, which touched down in March. Interestingly, Blue Ghost had shared the same SpaceX launch from Florida as Resilience back in January.
So far, successful moon landings have been achieved by five nations: the United States, Soviet Union, China, India, and Japan. Among them, only the U.S. has sent astronauts to the lunar surface, during NASA's historic Apollo missions over 50 years ago.
Despite consecutive failures, ispace remains committed to lunar exploration. The company is preparing for a third landing attempt in 2027 with support from NASA, along with a fourth mission. Additional tests and technical upgrades are expected to raise project costs by approximately 1.5 billion yen (over $10 million), company officials said.
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CEO and founder Takeshi Hakamada emphasized that ispace remains undeterred by recent setbacks and is determined to restore customer confidence. Independent experts will assist with the crash investigation, and the company plans to strengthen its technical cooperation with the Japanese Space Agency.
“We are determined to move forward with our future missions,” Hakamada said in Japanese.
Source: With inputs from agency
6 months ago
Best Free AI Content Writers in 2025
By 2025, AI content writing tools have become indispensable for bloggers, marketers, and creators aiming to save time and enhance productivity. With a wide array of options available, finding the perfect fit can be challenging. That is why we have curated a list of the top free AI content writers you can start using right now to streamline your content creation process. These tools offer impressive features without costing a dime, perfect for creating high-quality content with ease and efficiency.
Best 8 Free AI Content Writers
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ChatGPT
ChatGPT stands out as one of the best free AI writing tools in 2025 due to its versatility, user-friendly interface, and powerful content generation abilities. Whether you are writing blog posts, marketing copy, emails, or even creative fiction, ChatGPT delivers fast, coherent, and engaging output.
It adapts well to different tones and writing styles, which makes it a reliable assistant for professionals and casual users alike. While the free version offers plenty of value, the $20/month premium unlocks even more precision and speed.
With frequent updates and strong community support, ChatGPT continues to set the standard in AI writing. Its only real drawback is the occasional need for detailed prompting to avoid robotic responses. Overall, it remains a top-tier choice for AI-assisted writing.
Read more: Ai and Future of Content Writing: Will Artificial Intelligence replace writers?
Copy.ai
Copy.ai earns its spot as another popular free AI writing tool for its impressive content quality, especially for long-form writing, ad copy, and blog generation. With over 90 AI templates, it is built for versatility, covering everything from social media posts to product descriptions.
What sets Copy.ai apart is its ability to produce content that passes most AI detection tools. This feature has made it ideal for marketers and bloggers seeking authentic-feeling text. While the free version has limitations, it still allows you to explore its intuitive interface and streamlined workflows.
The only downsides are occasional interface glitches and the lack of a content history feature. Even so, Copy.ai’s combination of high-quality output, user-friendly design, and efficient workflow automation firmly positions it as a leading AI writing tool in 2025. Its free plan offers limited features, while paid plans start at $36/month (billed annually) and $49/month.
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Writesonic
Writesonic is one of the best free AI writing tools, especially for bloggers and digital marketers. Its clean, user-friendly interface and access to 90+ AI templates make it ideal for creating SEO-optimised blog posts, ad copy, and email content.
Writesonic delivers high-quality, refined outputs across most use cases, and its long-form editor is particularly strong for content-heavy projects. Pricing starts at just $12.67/month, making it one of the most affordable premium AI tools. Even at its free level, Writesonic offers decent output volume and solid results.
While tone customisation and tech-specific writing could use improvements, its affordability and ease of use make up for it. The sharing feature is also a bonus, letting users collaborate easily. Despite some customer service complaints, Writesonic remains a top choice available without breaking the bank.
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Deepseek
DeepSeek AI is another advanced and cost-effective free AI writing tool. With its powerful Mixture-of-Experts architecture and massive 128k token context window, it handles long-form content and complex queries with remarkable ease.
DeepSeek excels in technical writing, mathematical reasoning, and content generation. These offer near-human fluency while passing AI detection tools effortlessly. Currently, Deepseek is totally free, making it one of the best choices for businesses and developers.
Its open-source nature promotes innovation and accessibility, attracting startups and researchers alike. While it occasionally needs prompt refinements to meet specific writing tones, the overall quality and depth of its output are top-tier.
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Rytr
Rytr is an excellent free AI writing tool for those looking for a straightforward, affordable solution to create short-form content quickly and efficiently. It offers over 40 use cases, supports 30+ languages, and includes 29 writing tones—ideal for everything from social media posts to product descriptions. Its clean interface is perfect for beginners, and the built-in plagiarism checker adds an extra layer of trust.
With pricing starting at just $9/month, it is one of the most affordable AI tools on the market. While it lacks a long-form editor and some advanced blogging tools, Rytr excels at delivering polished, ready-to-publish content fast. If you are a freelancer or marketer looking for efficiency without complexity, Rytr is a reliable and cost-effective choice worth considering in 2025.
Frase
Frase is a powerful AI writing tool built specifically for SEO and content marketing. It combines content generation with in-depth SERP analysis which allows users to create optimised content briefs, FAQs, introductions, and more—all within one streamlined platform. Its real strength lies in managing the full content workflow, from research to optimisation.
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Pricing starts at $14.99/month, but it is important to note that to generate over 4,000 words, you will need the Pro Add-On for an extra $35/month. While Frase lacks a robust free plan and can fall short in SEO keyword accuracy, its integration of AI writing and SEO insights makes it an excellent tool for digital marketers. For anyone managing content at scale, Frase delivers both speed and structure in one package.
Sudowrite
Sudowrite is another excellent free AI writing tool for fiction writers, especially those battling writer’s block or seeking creative inspiration. Unlike general-purpose tools like ChatGPT or Rytr, Sudowrite is laser-focused on storytelling. Its standout features—like Describe, Brainstorm, and Expand—help deepen scenes, enhance character development, and shape compelling narratives.
It is not built for business writing, but that is the beauty of it. For novelists and short story writers, it is like having a creative partner who never runs out of ideas. Even if you do not use every suggestion, it pushes you forward when you are stuck. Its pricing starts at $19/month, but there is a limited free trial to explore. If you are serious about fiction, Sudowrite is a must-try creative companion.
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In a Nutshell
In the current time, free AI writing tools offer powerful solutions for every type of content creator—from marketers and bloggers to novelists. SEO-driven articles, ad copy, or immersive storytelling—there is a tool tailored to your needs. With options like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Sudowrite, crafting high-quality content has never been more accessible or affordable. It is time to start exploring and elevate your writing today!
6 months ago
Telegram founder Pavel Durov says all his 100+ children will receive share of his estate
Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of instant messaging app Telegram, plans to leave his fortune to the more than 100 children he has fathered.
The Russian-born tech tycoon has revealed that his estate will be split between his six children from relationships and the scores of others whom he fathered through sperm donation.
In a wide-ranging interview published Thursday in French political magazine Le Point, 40-year-old Durov revealed that he does not differentiate between his legal children with three different women and those conceived with the sperm he donated.
“They are all my children and will all have the same rights! I don’t want them to tear each other apart after my death,” he said, after revealing that he recently wrote his will.
Durov revealed the number of children he has fathered on his social media last year. He said a doctor told him that it was his “civic duty” to donate his “high quality donor material,” which he did over the course of 15 years.
According to Bloomberg, Durov is worth an estimated $13.9 billion, but he dismissed such estimates as “theoretical,” telling Le Point: “Since I’m not selling Telegram, it doesn’t matter. I don’t have this money in a bank account. My liquid assets are much lower – and they don’t come from Telegram: they come from my investment in bitcoin in 2013.”
Regardless, his children will have a long wait for their inheritance. He said: “I decided that my children would not have access to my fortune until a period of 30 years has elapsed, starting from today. I want them to live like normal people, to build themselves up alone, to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create, not to be dependent on a bank account. I want to specify that I make no difference between my children: there are those who were conceived naturally and those who come from my sperm donations.”
Cybernews researchers report billions of login credentials leaked online
When asked why he has written his will now, Durov, who lives in Dubai, said: “My work involves risks – defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states. I want to protect my children, but also the company I created, Telegram. I want Telegram to forever remain faithful to the values I defend.”
Telegram, which has more than a billion monthly users, is known for its high-level encryption and limited oversight on what its users post.
Last year, Durov was arrested in Paris on charges relating to a host of crimes, including allegations that his platform was complicit in aiding money launderers, drug traffickers and people spreading child pornography.
Google faces major setback in appeal against EU antitrust fine over Android
Durov, who is Telegram’s sole shareholder, has denied the charges, which he described as “absurd.”
“Just because criminals use our messaging service among many others doesn’t make those who run it criminals,” he told the French magazine.
Source: CNN
6 months ago
Cybernews researchers report billions of login credentials leaked online
Researchers at cybersecurity outlet Cybernews say that billions of login credentials have been leaked and compiled into datasets online, giving criminals “unprecedented access” to accounts consumers use each day.
According to a report published this week, Cybernews researchers have recently discovered 30 exposed datasets that each contain a vast amount of login information — amounting to a total of 16 billion compromised credentials. That includes user passwords for a range of popular platforms including Google, Facebook and Apple.
Sixteen billion is roughly double the amount of people on Earth today, signaling that impacted consumers may have had credentials for more than one account leaked. Cybernews notes that there are most certainly duplicates in the data and so “it's impossible to tell how many people or accounts were actually exposed.”
It's also important to note that the leaked login information doesn't span from a single source, such as one breach targeting a company. Instead, it appears that the data was stolen through multiple events over time, and then compiled and briefly exposed publicly, which is when Cybernews reports that its researchers discovered it.
Various infostealers are most likely the culprit, Cybernews noted. Infostealers are a form of malicious software that breaches a victim's device or systems to take sensitive information.
Many questions remain about these leaked credentials, including whose hands the login credentials are in now. But, as data breaches become more and more common in today's world, experts continue to stress the importance of maintaining key “cyber hygiene.”
If you're worried about your account data potentially being exposed in a recent breach, the first thing you can do is change your password — and avoid using the same or similar login credentials on multiple sites. If you find it too hard to memorize all your different passwords, consider a password manager or passkey. And also add multifactor authentication, which can serve as a second layer of verification through your phone, email or USB authenticator key.
6 months ago
Google faces major setback in appeal against EU antitrust fine over Android
Google suffered a significant blow on Thursday in its ongoing effort to overturn a multibillion-euro antitrust fine from the European Union, as a top legal adviser to the EU’s highest court sided with regulators.
Juliane Kokott, the advocate general of the European Court of Justice, issued a non-binding opinion recommending that Google’s appeal against the penalty—worth over 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion)—be dismissed.
The case originated in 2018 when the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, fined Google 4.134 billion euros. The Commission concluded that Google had misused the dominance of its Android mobile operating system to suppress competition and limit consumer choices.
Google challenged the ruling, and in 2022 a lower court slightly reduced the fine to 4.125 billion euros. However, Google proceeded to appeal that decision as well, taking it to the European Court of Justice.
In her advisory opinion, Kokott recommended that the court uphold both the fine and the lower court’s ruling. Her opinion was summarized in a press release issued by the court.
Responding to the development, Google expressed disappointment, arguing that if the court accepts the advocate general’s recommendation, it could have a chilling effect on investment in open platforms. The company said this would negatively impact Android users, developers, and business partners.
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“Android has created more choice for everyone and supports thousands of successful businesses in Europe and around the world,” Google said in a statement.
Although advocate general opinions are not legally binding, they are often influential and commonly adopted by the judges in their final rulings.
The European Court of Justice confirmed that the judges have now begun their deliberations, with a final judgment to be issued at a later date.
This Android-related fine is one of three major antitrust penalties imposed on Google by the European Commission in the past decade, amounting to over 8 billion euros, as the EU intensifies its regulatory efforts against Big Tech firms.
Google also remains under investigation in Brussels in a separate antitrust case concerning its digital advertising operations, with a decision still pending.
6 months ago
SpaceX Rocket explodes during test in Texas; no injuries reported
A SpaceX rocket undergoing testing at the company’s Starbase facility in Texas exploded late Wednesday, creating a large fireball but causing no injuries, the company confirmed.
The explosion occurred around 11 p.m. during preparations for the Starship vehicle’s tenth test flight. SpaceX described the incident as a “major anomaly” while the rocket was still on the test stand.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX assured that all personnel were safe and that a designated safety perimeter had been maintained throughout the operation.
The company emphasized there was no risk to nearby communities and urged the public not to approach the area. SpaceX also said it is coordinating with local authorities in response to the incident.
6 months ago
Google faces setback in EU android antitrust appeal
Google faced a big setback Thursday in its attempt to overturn a multibillion-dollar European Union antitrust penalty involving Android after a top court's legal adviser sided with regulators.
The European Court of Justice's advocate general, Juliane Kokott, recommended in a preliminary opinion that Google's appeal against the fine worth more than 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) should be dismissed.
The case dates back to 2018, when the EU’s executive Commission slapped Google with a 4.134 billion euro fine after finding that the US tech company used the dominance of its mobile android operating system to throttle competition and reduce consumer choice.
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After Google filed an initial appeal, a lower court trimmed the penalty to 4.125 billion euros in 2022, which the company also appealed to the Court of Justice.
Kokott advised that the Court of Justice confirm the fine and uphold the lower court's judgment, according to a press release summarising her opinion.
Opinions from the advocate general aren’t legally binding but are often followed by judges.
The judges “are now beginning their deliberations in this case. Judgment will be given at a later date,” the court said.
The fine was one of three antitrust penalties totaling more than 8 billion euros that the European Commission slapped on Google in the last decade, as the 27-nation bloc launched its crackdown on Big Tech companies.
Google still faces a decision from Brussels in an antitrust case targeting its digital ad business.
6 months ago