Geeky international news on technology, business and culture.
Op-Ed: Can Europe’s Digital Networks Act deliver for AI and Startups?
22 January 2026 @ 8:00 am
As Europe races into the AI era, its policymakers are laying new pipes for the continent’s digital future. The European Commission’s proposed Digital Networks Act (DNA) promises to rewire the EU’s telecom landscape, with big implications for artificial intelligence infrastructure, connectivity equity, and the startup ecosystem. Exposed as part of a broader push to make Europe “fit for the Digital Age,” the draft law aims to modernize how networks are built and regulated, from 5G towers in rural villages to fiber links between data centers. I have to say it’s a bold vision of a more connected, innovative Europe, but…Berlin’s Cloover secures over $1.2 Billion to build the “Shopify of Energy”
21 January 2026 @ 9:44 am
Berlin’s energy transition sector got a defining boost today as Cloover, a climate fintech based in Berlin, announced it has secured more than $1.2 billion in total capital commitments, combining Series A equity and a substantial debt facility to accelerate the rollout of its software and financing platform across Europe. The financing package includes €18.8 million (approximately $22 million) in Series A equity, led by MMC Ventures and QED Investors, with participation from Lowercarbon Capital, BNVT Capital, Bosch Ventures, Centrotec, and Earthshot Ventures. Alongside that, a €1.02 billion debt facility provided by a major European bank will be deployed directly…When corporate knowledge becomes invaluable
21 January 2026 @ 8:53 am
To many readers, this may sound like a paradox: how can knowledge ever become invaluable? In this article, I want to explore how corporate knowledge, when poorly structured and rigidly transferred, can slowly transform from an asset into a disadvantage. Not only for companies, but especially for employees. And over time, that disadvantage compounds. The journey usually looks familiar. You apply for a job, speak with a recruiter, send your CV, go through interviews, and eventually receive the green-light email: “Congratulations, you’re hired.” This moment takes us directly to the real turning point: the onboarding process. Those first one, two,…Europe Inc is not law yet. It is a signal.
20 January 2026 @ 7:36 pm
In a Davos dominated by talk of tariffs, subsidies, and geopolitical risk, Europe used the stage to question its own economic limits. At the World Economic Forum, Ursula von der Leyen put forward one of the clearest signals yet that the European Union is preparing a structural shift in how it treats business, competitiveness, and economic power. The phrase that stuck, “Europe Inc”, is not the name of a regulation, nor a new Brussels invention ready to roll out. It is a political framing for a shift that the European Commission wants to accelerate. What Europe Inc actually refers to…ThiOdoo tops €7 billion valuation as General Atlantic increases stake
20 January 2026 @ 11:19 am
Belgian business software company Odoo, also a unicorn, has reached a fresh milestone. Growth investor General Atlantic has increased its stake in the firm, buying additional shares from regional backer Wallonie Entreprendre and pushing Odoo’s valuation to roughly €7 billion. This move isn’t a typical funding round where a company raises new capital. Instead, it’s a secondary transaction: General Atlantic bought existing shares that were previously held by Wallonie Entreprendre, the investment arm of Belgium’s Walloon region. After the deal, Wallonie Entreprendre still holds about 3 % of the company. Odoo was founded in 2002 in Belgium and has grown steadily…Where tech leaders now choose to meet
20 January 2026 @ 7:30 am
For a long time, tech events were built around scale. The bigger the crowd, the stronger the perception of success. Attendance numbers became a proxy for impact, and festivals grew year after year because that was what the industry expected. That model no longer fits how tech leaders work today. Over the past years, I have spent time in conversations with founders, executives, and operators who carry real responsibility inside their organizations. As a community builder, I often speak with them before they commit to attending events. Their questions are direct. They want to know who will be in the…Sequoia’s big bet on Anthropic
19 January 2026 @ 10:59 am
Venture capital powerhouse Sequoia Capital is preparing to invest in Anthropic, the AI startup best known for its Claude family of large language models, in one of the largest private funding rounds in tech this year. The deal is being led by Singapore’s GIC and U.S. investor Coatue, each contributing roughly $1.5 billion, as part of a planned raise of $25 billion or more at a staggering $350 billion valuation. This move stands out for two reasons: the size and speed of the valuation surge and the fact that Sequoia, already an investor in rival AI builders such as OpenAI…This story contEurope’s €307 million AI funding call
19 January 2026 @ 10:03 am
When the European Commission announced on 15th of January a €307.3 million funding call for AI and related tech under Horizon Europe earlier this year, the press materials presented it as a strategic push toward trustworthy AI and European digital autonomy. The funding targets trustworthy AI, data services, robotics, quantum, photonics, and what Brussels calls “open strategic autonomy.” Viewed in isolation, the number itself isn’t eye-popping. By global standards, where the private sector alone pours hundreds of billions into AI, €307 million is barely a rounding error. Yet this sum matters less for its scale and more for what it…TNW Weekly Briefing
18 January 2026 @ 1:37 pm
Legislation and digital policy European Commission opens call for evidence on Open Digital Ecosystems Signal: The EU is preparing a structural shift toward open, interoperable digital infrastructure. This marks a move from regulating dominant platforms to actively shaping alternatives and reducing strategic dependency. DMA and DSA enter an enforcement-heavy phase in 2026 Signal: Europe’s digital laws have moved from principle to execution. Compliance, fines, litigation, and operational constraints are now the central risk factors for large technology companies in the EU. Intellectual property and market structure EUIPO reports record trademark and design filings in 2025 Signal: European technology and business…ChatGPT’s Ads era is here
17 January 2026 @ 10:12 am
OpenAI’s decision to introduce advertisements inside ChatGPT for free users and its new $8 “Go” tier is already shaping up to be one of the most consequential pivots in generative AI’s short history. It’s not a simple business tweak. It’s a reframing of where digital intent, attention, and commercial influence intersect in an age where conversations increasingly replace search bars. OpenAI has not yet started showing ads in ChatGPT, but it plans to begin testing ads in the coming weeks. The first tests will target adult users in the United States on the Free tier and the new $8 ChatGPT…
Ecoldbrew, engineered by a team of designers with experience working for brands like Xiaomi, Philips, De’Longhi and Ningbo Borine, is a portable compact coffee machine that fits 40-oz Stanley tumblers or its own custom container. It can whip up a cup of fresh cold brew coffee on the go without the need for overnight steeping or pre-ground beans.Continue ReadingCategory: Around The Home, 
A team at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) has developed a new type of sodium-ion battery that uses lignin as a key electrode material.Continue ReadingCategory: Energy, TechnologyTags: Fraunhofer, Sodium battery, 
While heartburn medication can be a lifesaver for those suffering from gastric reflux, several studies over the years have indicated that the drugs could increase stomach cancer risks more than threefold. A new meta analysis says that's likely not the case.Continue ReadingCategory: Cancer, Illnesses and conditions, Body and MindTags: Gastric cance
The CRKT ToGo Driver, designed by John Wu, is a pocket-sized multi-tool that blends sleek design with practical utility, offering everyday carry enthusiasts a compact solution for quick fixes and precision work.Continue ReadingCategory: Knives and Multitools, Gear, OutdoorsTags: crkt, Driver, EDC, 
BenQ has heard the anguished cries of movie enthusiasts who don't have the luxury of large rooms for a home cinema setup. The W5850 4K projector sports a shorter-throw lens for big-screen visuals in smaller spaces.Continue ReadingCategory: Home Entertainment, Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: 
Each year, vast blooms of phytoplankton spread across the Southern Ocean, drawing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and fueling Antarctica’s marine food web. For decades, scientists have attributed these pulses of life to familiar forces – sunlight, winds, and ocean circulation. But new research suggests another, far less visible driver may be at work: earthquakes beneath the seafloor, whose activity may be influencing ocean surface conditions.Continue ReadingCategory: 
You're looking at what seems to be a neat little pry bar – but it surprisingly fits several more handy tools into its compact titanium build. The K-01 from EDC brand Lair features said pry bar, a bottle opener, a folding knife, a ruler, and an adjustable wrench. It can also work as a screwdriver, and hang off a backpack strap, belt loop, or lanyard.Continue ReadingCategory: Knives 
Using the largest sample of super-agers to date, scientists have found convincing evidence that supports what many of us have suspected: Longevity isn’t just about healthy lifestyle choices, but also a good draw in the genetic lottery.Continue ReadingCategory: Alzheimer's & Dementia, Brain Health, Body and MindTags: Age-Related
Never one to shy away from exploring potential avenues for the future of RVing, Dethleffs has hit this year's CMT show with a new camper concept. The C.Fold concept caravan was developed specifically for the latest vehicles, particularly electric cars and smaller autos. It tucks down low during driving before lifting at camp with the push of a button to essentially double its interior volume.Continue ReadingCategory: Camping Trailers, Ad
It's a sad fact that antibiotics are constantly entering the environment through the wastewater stream, boosting the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. There could soon be a cheap new way of removing those antibiotics from the water, however, using plentiful pine bark.Continue ReadingCategory: Environment, ScienceTags: Anti
I have a suspicion it may be because I have uninstalled Microsoft Edge. (Please note that this was a legitimate uninstallation, the functionality is offered to all EU residents and does not involve third-party tools or any "hacking".) The two shouldn't have any reason to rely on each other but it worked fine on my device until I removed Edge.
Is there a custom WSB or something I can use to bypass the requirement for Edge? Sandbox is not worth installing Edge for so I am hoping there is a happy medium I can strike.
(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
ProWritingAid VS Grammarly: