• OpenAI buys tiny health records startup Torch for, reportedly, $100M

    January 13, 2026

    OpenAI announced it has acquired a tiny startup called Torch for an undisclosed sum. An unnamed source told The Information that OpenAI paid $100 million worth of equity for the startup. Torch’s four-person team is joining OpenAI, both companies said. Torch was working on an app that combined all of a person’s medical information for AI use from a range of sources such as doctor visits, lab tests, wearables, and other portals, including consumer wellness tests and the like. The Torch team called their tech “a medical memory for AI, unifying scattered records into a context engine.” The Torch team…

  • Volkswagen ID.Era 9X is brand’s first range-extender electric SUV

    January 13, 2026

    The Volkswagen ID.Era 9X six-seat SUV is the automaker’s first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), and is scheduled to go on sale in China later in 2026. Developed with Volkswagen’s Chinese joint venture partner SAIC – which owns brands such as LDV and MG – specifically for China, the ID.Era 9X was first shown in concept form at the 2025 Shanghai motor show. Now, details of the production SUV – including exterior dimensions and powertrain specifications – have been released. Measuring 5207mm long, it’s one of the largest vehicles the brand has produced, eclipsing the Touareg (4902mm) sold here and even…

  • Police crackdown on hoons at Summernats

    January 13, 2026

    A total of 19 vehicles have been impounded by police during the annual Summernats festival in Canberra, with 85 defect notices issued. ACT Policing says 22 drivers were found to be impaired in the week of the event, with almost 20 vehicles seized during a high-visibility operation in the nation’s capital. With temperatures reaching 35 degrees, the 38th running of Summernats attracted approximately 130,000 attendees from across the country, with 3000 vehicles entered into the car show, according to ABC News. One yellow Holden VN Commodore with expired Victoria club permit number plates was impounded in the lead-up to the…

  • Mark Zuckerberg announces new ‘Meta Compute’ initiative for its data center and AI projects

    January 13, 2026

    On the heels of Mark Zuckerberg announcing that Meta’s former board member, Dina Powell McCormick, would be formally joining the company as president and vice chairman, the CEO has shared new details about her purview at the company. The executive will play a key role overseeing Meta’s sprawling infrastructure investments as part of a newly announced initiative called Meta Compute. “Meta is planning to build tens of gigawatts this decade, and hundreds of gigawatts or more over time,” Zuckerberg said in an update. “How we engineer, invest, and partner to build this infrastructure will become a strategic advantage.” Zuckerberg said…

  • More than 100 new tech unicorns were minted in 2025 — here they are

    January 13, 2026

    With AI igniting an investor frenzy, every month, more startups obtain unicorn status.  Using data from Crunchbase and PitchBook, TechCrunch tracked down the VC-backed startups that became unicorns so far this year. While most are AI-related, a surprising number are focused in other industries like satellite space companies Loft Orbital and blockchain-based trading site Kalshi.    This list will be updated throughout the year, so check back and see the latest powerhouse startups that are now worth over $1 billion.  December    Heven Aerotech —$1 billion: This startup, founded in 2019, is creating hydrogen powered drones. It last raised a $100 million Series B, and…

  • Framework increases Desktop prices by up to $460 due to RAM crisis

    January 13, 2026

    Computer brand Framework has hiked the prices on RAM for its Desktop systems and Mainframes in response to rising costs with its suppliers. Compared with when the Desktops were announced, the 32GB and 64GB options each cost $40 more, but its 128GB variation now costs an extra $460. The current pricing for machines is $1,139 for 32GB, $1,639 for 64GB or $2,459 for 128GB. Since the company began altering its pricing structure last month, it committed to remaining transparent with customers about the changes happening to RAM prices. Framework also said it would reduce prices again once the market calms…

  • Mark Zuckerberg says Meta is launching its own AI infrastructure initiative

    January 12, 2026

    When Meta announced capital expenditure projections last year, the company made it known that it planned to spend big to build out capacity for its AI business. “We expect that developing leading AI infrastructure will be a core advantage in developing the best AI models and product experiences,” said Susan Li, Meta CFO, during an earnings call last summer. Now the tech giant appears to be making good on that promise. On Monday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch of Meta Compute, a new initiative designed to bolster the tech giant’s AI infrastructure. Zuckerberg said the company intended to drastically…

  • Nissan Aura Nismo RS Concept previews track-ready hybrid hot hatch

    January 12, 2026

    The 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon has played host to the reveal of the Nissan Auro Nismo RS Concept, a sporty widebody version of the brand’s Japanese-market hybrid hatchback. Nissan says the Auro Nismo RS show car was “designed as a technical validation exercise”, though the company “is exploring the potential of bringing this concept to market as a production car”. Based on the Japanese-market Aura Nismo RS AWD, a hybrid competitor to the Toyota Yaris, the Nismo RS Concept gets 145mm wider fenders and a 20mm ride height reduction for a lower centre of gravity and a more aggressive silhouette.…

  • Lego’s first Pokémon sets are now available for pre-order

    January 12, 2026

    We learned that Lego and Pokémon would be joining forces and the first results of their partnership are here. Pre-orders for all three kits are open now, with an expected ship date of February 27. As one might have guessed from the lightning bolts on the previous promotional image, one of the debut pocket monsters getting the brick treatment is , complete with a Poké Ball. The 2,050-piece kit can be built to show Pikachu either leaping out of the open Poké Ball into battle or at rest staring up at the builder, closed Poké Ball between his paws. The…

  • Why Amazon bought Bee, an AI wearable

    January 12, 2026

    Smart rings, smart screens, smart TVs, smart pins, smart … ice cube makers? Sure, why not! AI was everywhere at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where companies large and small were showing off how they’re bringing AI to more devices. For Amazon, CES was a time to show off its newest acquisition in the space: Bee, an AI device that can be worn as a clip-on pin or a bracelet. Amazon already has an entry in the AI consumer devices space with Alexa, whose upgraded AI-powered version, Alexa+, can run on 97% of the hardware devices Amazon…