Texas Instruments pledges $60bn US chip investment, Uber drivers earnings' cut after algorithm changes

Texas Instruments operates 15 sites around the world, including facilities in the US and Asia

Computer chip giant Texas Instruments (TI) will invest more than $60bn (£44.74bn) in the US, as President Donald Trump pressures big technology firms to increase manufacturing in the country. The company said it plans to build or expand seven chip-making facilities at three sites in Texas and Utah, and create 60,000 jobs. TI did not give a detailed timeline for the investment. The Dallas-based firm described the move as the “largest investment in foundational semiconductor manufacturing in US history.” BBC

Many Uber drivers are earning “substantially less” an hour since the ride hailing app introduced a “dynamic pricing” algorithm in 2023 that coincided with the company taking a significantly higher share of fares, research has revealed. The findings are in a study released on Thursday by academics at the University of Oxford. They analysed data provided by 258 UK Uber drivers responsible for 1.5m trips. Guardian

A SpaceX rocket has exploded before launch – sending a dramatic fireball high into the sky. Starship 36 was preparing for its 10th test flight at Starbase – SpaceX’s launch site at the southern tip of Texas – when the incident occurred on Wednesday evening. During take off procedures just after 11pm local time, the rocket exploded into a giant fireball. The company described the incident as a “major anomaly”. Sky News

If you were not already worried enough about where the heck you might be able to recharge your electric car during a long drive over the summer, now there is something else to fret about as well. You are more likely to break down than the other cars on the road. According to a poll of 30,000 drivers by WhatCar, EV’s suffer from a higher breakdown rate than petrol, diesel or hybrid vehicles, with 16.8 per cent of owners reporting some kind of fault, compared to 15.4 per cent for diesel, the second worst offender. Telegraph

AI chatbots can respond at a pretty rapid clip at this point, but Google has a new model aimed at speeding things up even more under the right circumstances. The tech giant has unveiled the Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite model as a preview, joining the larger Gemini family as the smaller, yet faster and more agile sibling to the Gemini 2.5 Flash and Gemini 2.5 Pro. Google is pitching Flash-Lite as ideal for tasks where milliseconds matter and budgets are limited. It’s intended for tasks that may be large but relatively simple, such as bulk translation, data classification, and organizing any information. Tech Radar

3D-printed guns could become “the weapon of choice” for criminals and violent extremists around the world, an expert has told the BBC. These DIY, untraceable firearms have been recovered in several recent criminal cases, including the alleged use of a partially 3D-printed gun in the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. BBC Trending has investigated the global spread of 3D-printed guns across social media platforms including Telegram, Facebook and Instagram, as well as websites offering how-to guides. BBC

The NFC Forum introduced version 15 of the NFC (Near Field Communication) standard. The most notable upgrade is the extended communication range. It’s now 2 cm, up from 0.5 cm. This makes tasks such as contactless payments faster and more stable.

NFC 15 comes with improved range and better features

With the increased range, the NFC no longer requires precise device alignment and enables more consistent connections. The new NFC 15 benefits compact devices like smartphones and wearables the most. The new NFC standard should reduce failed tap payments, for example, and simplify NFC use. It also enables smoother interactions in public transport, better “digital keys” experience and easier wireless charging alignment. GSM Arena