Geeky international news on technology, business and culture.
Ending graciously
29 September 2025 @ 12:00 pm
A few decades ago, when I was raising funding for a startup, I made a lasting impression on an investor by not only talking about how successful we would be, but also highlighting what would happen if we weren’t. Later, in an informal setting, I asked him what had persuaded him to invest in us. He told me that during the pitch, I had said, “And if all our predictions and expectations are wrong, we will use the last of our funding for a magnificent farewell dinner for all our investors. You’ll have lost your money, but at least you’ll…This story continues at The Next WebHow robotics could turn e-waste into a tech goldmine
24 September 2025 @ 9:00 am
E-waste has become a global problem. Unfortunately, the majority of discarded used technology, known as e-waste, is dumped or processed in unsafe conditions. Around 78% of electronic products aren’t properly recycled — and the garbage pile keeps growing. In 2024, the world churned out 1.22 billion smartphones. Add this to the billions of TVs, laptops, and computers, and what we have is a saturated market that fuels a throwaway cycle. A United Nations report forecasts that e-waste will grow to 80 million tonnes by 2030. “That’s enough to fill 1.5 million 40-ton trucks, which could circle the planet,” says Eric…Startup wisdom: 5 prompt engineering tips for vibe coding success
24 September 2025 @ 6:03 am
Startup wisdom is a new TNW series offering practical lessons from experts who’ve helped build great companies. This week, Dainius Kavoliūnas, head of no-code platform Hostinger Horizons, shares his tips on vibe coding. Vibe coding has become an indispensable tool, especially for entrepreneurial thinkers building apps and platforms for solving everyday problems, streamlining business processes, or enhancing digital experiences. It represents a paradigm shift in software development. Instead of writing lines of code, you can now describe your requirement and have AI bring it to life. Vibe coding is fast, intuitive and opens up a new realm of possibilities where code…How European battery startups can thrive alongside Asian giants
23 September 2025 @ 9:00 am
The global battery market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with projections showing the sector will reach $400bn by 2030. Yet European entrepreneurs often feel locked out, watching Chinese giants like CATL dominate headlines with record-breaking IPOs while homegrown champions like Northvolt file for bankruptcy, exposing the harsh realities of competing against established Asian supply chains. Still, Europe will never be entirely independent in green energy and will want to cooperate with Asia. Yet the continent has strong demand for on-shoring supply, including green power and critical manufacturing. There are also genuine competitive advantages available to European green battery startups: proximity to…The EU’s €2T budget overlooks a key tech pillar: Open source
23 September 2025 @ 8:30 am
On July 16, the European Commission proposed a €2tn seven-year budget – the largest in the EU’s history – to boost autonomy, competitiveness, and resilience. The spending plan addresses cybersecurity, innovation, and other key digital pillars, but omits a crucial component: open source. Open source software – built and maintained by communities rather than private companies alone, and free to edit and modify – is the foundation of today’s digital infrastructure. Since the 1990s, it has been ever-present in the digital infrastructure that European industry and public sector institutions depend on, creating huge dependencies on open source applications and libraries. From…Opinion: Europe’s VCs must embrace risk — or resign the AI era to US control
22 September 2025 @ 8:00 am
Europe’s AI startups are losing ground to the US — and their own investors are to blame. Only 5% of global venture capital is raised in the EU, according to the European Commission. The US, by contrast, attracts more than half, while China takes 40%. Yet Europe isn’t capital-poor: households save €1.4tn a year, nearly twice as much as in America. Still, very little of that money finds its way into startups, despite a plethora of incentives like the UK’s EIS tax relief for business angels. Even when funding is available, Europe’s venture capital firms are slow and cautious. Funds…VCs are growing wary of ‘AI-washing’ – but real innovation is still winning investors
18 September 2025 @ 10:00 am
Venture capital investment surged to a 10-quarter high of €108.3bn in Q1 2025, fuelled by artificial intelligence, which accounted for over €44.6bn raised. In recent years, AI has felt like a money-printing machine. Investors, eager to avoid missing out on the next big thing, were quick to back almost any startup that mentioned AI in their pitch deck. The idea didn’t need to be particularly well-implemented or useful. In some cases, even the illusion of innovation was enough to earn a unicorn valuation. But investors are now wising up to AI-washing. As the CEO of Gradient Labs — an AI…Opinion: Ukraine is becoming a global defence tech powerhouse
17 September 2025 @ 2:00 pm
The full-scale war has reshaped priorities for Ukraine’s tech sector. Innovative military technologies and advanced defence solutions are not only essential for the country’s security — they’re also among the most promising vectors for business growth. Ukrainian defence tech is tested directly on the battlefield, under the most challenging conditions. These circumstances allow products to prove their effectiveness, attracting interest from international partners, investors, and allied countries looking to strengthen their own defence capabilities. From my position at the heart of Ukraine’s tech ecosystem, I’ve seen how quickly the sector has shifted towards defence — and how global attention is now…Startup wisdom: Why resilience is the most underrated metric in startup success
17 September 2025 @ 7:00 am
Startup wisdom is a new TNW series offering practical lessons from experts who’ve helped build great companies. This week, global traction strategist Nina Aziz Justin — founder of The Resilience Mentor — shares her approach to building resilience. In the startup world, we’re taught to obsess over metrics. Burn rate, CAC, MRR — they dominate the dashboards and drive the decisions. And yes, data matters. But there’s something quietly more essential that rarely gets the same spotlight: resilience. This piece offers a balanced perspective — one that holds space for both sides. While execution metrics are essential for traction and…Europe’s AI boom is leaving femtech behind
16 September 2025 @ 8:00 am
Left unchecked, Europe’s narrow focus on AI investment will come at the health of half its population. As venture capital floods disproportionately into the AI sector, women’s health innovation — the definition of essential infrastructure — is once again left fighting for scraps. In 2021, global femtech investment peaked at €1.89bn before plunging to just €1.1bn the next year, amid a tech funding apocalypse and capital making a headlong dash towards AI. Several factors contributed to this decline — broader market conditions, withering investor risk appetite, and natural sector maturation. But the surge in AI funding coinciding with a plunge…
California startup Ecno Evil takes a big swing at the hardcore off-road trailer market but from different angle ... or at least a seemingly forgotten angle. Instead of weighing down its trailer with all the comforts of home, it strips it down to the barest of minimums and focuses on building a squaredrop that exudes the motto "rugged is not a look; it's a test." And even more exciting than the hardwearing build is a low base price that brings back attainability.Continue ReadingCategory: 
Robotic submarines are poised to become a major addition to the fleets of the world's major navies and as the technology matures more attention is being paid by the likes of the European Defence Agency (EDA) to making them quieter and stealthier.Continue ReadingCategory: Military, TechnologyTags: Submarine, Stealth, Robot
Bumblebees have a way of looking both adorable and slightly overserved, wobbling from flower to flower like fuzzy little potatoes. They seem simple, almost carefree. But a new study suggests there’s far more happening beneath those tiny wings than meets the eye – and something that few people ever associate with bees.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Bees, 
The Barred Owl is aimed squarely at full-time living. Its single-story interior provides an apartment-style layout that would be a good fit for someone looking to age in place or just avoid the nighttime gymnastics of climbing awkwardly into a loft bed.Continue ReadingCategory: Tiny Houses, OutdoorsTags: Building a
In recent months, AI-generated wildlife clips have flooded social media, merging real animal behavior with playful fabrications. From leopards in backyards and raccoons riding crocodiles, to bunnies on trampolines, scientists warn that these digital deepfakes are distorting people’s sense of what the natural world looks like. And when people cannot distinguish real wildlife from digital fiction, conservation loses something essential: A public that understands what is really at stake.Continue ReadingCate
When Volkswagen started showing off the new ID. Buzz as a modern take on the 1960s Microbus (aka “Bus” or "Kombi"), it got people’s attention. The new Buzz is a sort of modern revival of what people imagine the Bus was like, not what the Bus was really like.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportTags: Minivan, 
Looks like Norton wasn’t the only British motorcycle brand to get a new lease of life. Phelon & Moore is making a loud comeback after having been dormant for decades, with a retro-styled roadster called the Brighton-6 Roadster.Continue ReadingCategory: Motorcycles, TransportTags: Phelon & Moore, 
Archaeologists have uncovered the submerged ruins of a medieval Silk Road city beneath Lake Issyk-Kul. Located in northeastern Kyrgyzstan, high in the Tien Shan mountains, the lake sits at an elevation of about 1,607 meters (5,272 ft) above sea level and is the second-largest mountain lake in the world after Lake Titicaca.Continue ReadingCategory: History, ScienceTags: Archaeolo
Think America and motorcycles, and almost instantly, you’re bound to think of Harley-Davidson – such is the cultural weight the brand has carried for more than a century. But here’s the surprise: the Milwaukee-based bikemaker is no longer America’s top-selling motorcycle company. In fact, it’s not even second.Continue ReadingCategory: Motorcycles, TransportTags: Kawasaki, 
Finnish startup IXI is on a mission to reinvent what eyewear can be, and it now seems to be just a step away from turning that vision into reality. The company's autofocus glasses are currently in the final stages of development before their official launch.Continue ReadingCategory: Wearables, Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: Eyewear, 
(Arrival is a fantastic movie. Watch it, but don’t stop there – read the Story of Your Life novella it was based on
With early computers, you didn’t boot up to a fancy schmancy desktop, or a screen full of apps you could easily poke and prod with your finger. No, those computers booted up to the command
Users think they see Target ads. Not "targeted ads." Ads for Target.
How do you keep an antitrust-curious president from sinking your M&E deal? This is reportedly how.
Unless EA decides to sell off the 'Dead Space' IP to someone else, the sci-fi horror series has died a second death.
The former Billy Loomis speaks out on what his repeat hauntings would've led to in a different version of 'Scream 7.'
X's clapback came after the Commission fined it $140 million. The gesture appears to be toothless.
Looks like Giamatti's having a ball as a bad guy on 'Starfleet Academy' with an axe to grind against Holly Hunter.
Prepare to say goodbye or 'RIP' to Butcher, Homelander, and the rest of the gang when 'The Boys' ends next spring.
Samsung's 40-inch, curved gaming monitor will fit the needs of those who prefer to play in a dark, dank place.
Slop may be seeping into the nooks and crannies of our brains.
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first 'Lord of the Rings' by watching the longer versions of the trilogy in theaters next month.
ProWritingAid VS Grammarly: