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Google pokes fun at Apple during confident Pixel 10 event

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Google pokes fun at Apple during confident Pixel 10 event


Today’s big Made by Google event for the Pixel 10 was… something, but if nothing else, it showed a Google that was confident in the product it was bringing to the table. That included Google making a lot of jokes directed straight at Apple while talking about the Pixel 10’s various updates and features.

Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Google’s latest event for the Pixel 10 was always going to be an interesting one, but I’m not sure anyone was prepared for what we ended up getting – I sure wasn’t. After attending the launch in person, I’ve got a lot of thoughts, but one thing that really stood out was just how confident Google was during this event. The company tried something new, was clearly confident in its products, and wasn’t scared to throw some shade at Apple – a continuation of the jokes found in recent teasers for Google’s new phones.

Throughout the event, Google peppered in little digs at Apple, such as “broken promises” in reference to the various delays with Apple Intelligence that Rick Osterloh mentioned within just the first few minutes.

There has been a lot of hype about this, and frankly, a lot of broken promises too. But Gemini is the real deal. We’ve got the best models, we’ve got the best AI assistant, and it means this can just unlock so much helpfulness on your phone.

That was quickly followed with Osterloh reminding everyone that Pixel was the first phone to add Car Crash Detection back in 2019, years before Apple.

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In the next segment, Fallon went over Google’s new portfolio with SVP Adrienne Lofton, who threw out a few jokes about Apple. She not-so-subtly took a jab at the walled garden approach that “some companies” take to their phones, adding that Android is “the most open platform that’s built for true freedom of choice.”

The segment evenutally landed on Pixelsnap, where Lofton flat out said that the Pixel 10 series will “work perfectly fine with all of your Apple MagSafe accessories,” to which Fallon joked about the use of “the A-word.” Lofton, talking about how confident Google is in its products – again, something you could feel through this entire launch –, said that “we love everybody in the game so we can say anyone’s name we want on this stage.”

Closing out that segment with one more jab at Apple (and its fanbase), Lofton touched on the “green bubble” situation, calling the conversation “tired” in the post-RCS world.

We realized the idea of switching your phone brand can seem scary. It can even maybe be a little bit daunting. And so we talked about and have tackled the two top concerns that people have when it comes to switching… Thing two is we know that you need to seamlessly communicate with your loved ones. That’s probably the most important thing.

…RCS simply means there is now one text standard for all. And what you should know is that Android has been using RCS for many many years, but Apple recently adopted it as well. What does that mean? It means that now when you’re chatting with your i-friends, you can say goodbye to blurry photos and videos, you can react with all the cute emojis to the text messages, and finally the group chat is for the whole group.

I want to say, personally, the green/blue bubble battle is silly, and it’s tired. And at Google we’re done with that conversation.

You can see that full clip in the embed below:

Of course, prior to Apple’s adoption to RCS, Google heavily leaned on the “green/blue bubble battle” in an effort to push Apple to “Get the Message” about RCS. Ultimately, Google’s efforts were probably not the main reason Apple gave in, but Lofton is certainly right that, at this point, that whole debate is” tired.”

The rest of the event focused more on Google’s new software features – and several more celebrity appearances – and skipped over more jabs at Apple, but the tone was very much set. Google wanted everyone to know that they are excited for what they’re releasing, and that’s pretty refreshing. Often times, new Android device launches feel like they’re caught in the iPhone’s shadow in one way or another, but this one really stood out, for better or worse.

What did you think of the Pixel 10 launch event? Check out our coverage on the new devices below:

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Massachusetts police watchdog decertifies officers from 3 towns

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Massachusetts police watchdog decertifies officers from 3 towns



A police officer accused of rampant sexual harassment, another who faced charges of raping a teenage homeless girl and a third charged with possessing explicit images of children are among the latest crop of officers decertified by the Massachusetts law enforcement watchdog.

Stripped of their state-issued policing licenses, the three officers — former Fitchburg Police Officer James McCall, former Lowell Police Officer Kevin Garneau and former Methuen Police Officer Matthew Bistany — will be barred from working for a police department or sheriff’s office in the Bay State.

The state’s police oversight board, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, revoked the officers’ certifications in closed-door votes last week, according to documents posted on its website.

The board, known by the acronym POST, has decertified 60 officers since 2023, determining that they should be banned from carrying a badge and a gun in Massachusetts.

James McCall — Fitchburg

In its order decertifying McCall, the commission outlined allegations of years of on-the-job sexual misbehavior over his 19-year career.

In one instance, McCall texted a photograph of his genitals to a female coworker. In another case, he made sexual advances on a teenager who would later be hired by the Fitchburg Police Department, according to the commission.

The commission’s findings, based on internal investigations and testimony from Fitchburg Police officials, lay out a range of other workplace harassment, as well as two consensual sexual encounters with female civilians during work hours.

The investigations also probed a February 2023 incident in which McCall was accused of making sexually suggestive remarks to a teenage high school student over Snapchat. The department investigated and ultimately fired McCall in August 2023, according to the commission.

McCall challenged the decision with the state’s Civil Service Commission. In December 2023, after a Fitchburg Police investigation found he had sexually harassed several coworkers, he settled with the city and dropped the appeal of his termination. In return, the city rescinded the firing and allowed McCall to resign. The agreement did not include any admission of wrongdoing on McCall’s part, the POST Commission wrote in its notice of his decertification.

In an email to MassLive, McCall said he plans to challenge the decertification.

“I strongly disagree with the Commission’s decision, which I believe is both erroneous and unjustified,” he wrote. “I will be initiating a formal appeal through the appropriate legal channels to ensure the matter receives the thorough and impartial review it warrants.”

Kevin Garneau — Lowell

Garneau was charged in 2019 with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl who was then living in a tent in Lowell.

While on duty and working as part of an outreach group established to prevent drug overdoses, Garneau entered the girl’s tent and told her he had warrants for her arrest. If she provided sexual services, he said he would not arrest her, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

Garneau sexually assaulted the girl several other times in the months following, prosecutors said.

However, the state dropped its two rape charges in 2023 as the case was set to go to trial. Garneau’s accuser declined to take the stand, and without her testimony, prosecutors felt they could not prove the case, the Lowell Sun reported at the time.

Robert Normandin, an attorney for Garneau, told the paper his client disputed the girl’s account. He argued she had come forward because Garneau arrested her father, leading to his deportation.

On behalf of Garneau, Normandin declined to comment when reached by MassLive on Wednesday.

In its decertification order, the commission also cited Garneau for “a pattern of unprofessional police conduct,” including pointing his stun gun at colleagues, making offensive comments about a female colleague’s physical appearance, disclosing health conditions of people he worked with through the outreach group and behaving in a manner “that caused his colleagues to fear or distrust him, including having explosive outbursts of anger.”

Like McCall, Garneau was fired by his department and appealed to the Civil Service Commission, but withdrew his petition in return for a settlement with the town that allowed him to retire.

Matthew Bistany — Methuen

Members of the Massachusetts State Police arrested Bistany in 2023 at his home in Methuen, charging him with one count of possessing explicit images of children. The state police had begun an investigation after receiving a tip that the images had been uploaded to an IP address later linked to Bistany.

The case concluded in May when Bistany agreed to plead guilty to the single charge in Essex Superior Court. He was sentenced to three years of probation with conditions that he register as a sex offender and receive ongoing treatment and counseling.

The commission is required to decertify any officer convicted of a felony.

An attorney for Bistany did not respond to a request for comment.

Garneau and Bistany agreed to their decertifications with the POST Commission, akin to a plea deal a criminal defendant may take to avoid a lengthy legal process.

The board is the product of state-level policing reforms established after the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.

Of the 60 police officers it has decertified since 2023, many — though not all — had been convicted on criminal charges. The cases ranged from financial crimes to child exploitation to drunk driving.

The commission can also decertify officers for egregious but noncriminal misconduct. It has used that power to ban officers accused of repeatedly using excessive force, falsifying records and using drugs or alcohol on the job.

The names of all decertified officers are also submitted to a national registry of decertified police, a move designed to alert faraway departments to the officers’ histories if they cross state lines in search of police work.

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Even Rogers and Max Haot join the Space Stage at Disrupt 2025

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Even Rogers and Max Haot join the Space Stage at Disrupt 2025


The next era of the space economy isn’t just about rockets and satellites — it’s about infrastructure, autonomy, and entirely new models for building and defending off-Earth assets. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 this October 27–29 in San Francisco’s Moscone West, the Space Stage is where this shift gets real.

If you’re ready to explore how next-gen tech meets the cosmos, grab your ticket before prices rise on September 1 and save your seat at the Space Stage.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 Evens Rogers Max and Haot

Building the new backbone of space

In this forward-looking panel, Even Rogers, co-founder and CEO of True Anomaly, and Max Haot, serial entrepreneur and founder of Launcher (acquired by Vast), and CEO of Vast, take the stage to explore what’s changing — and what’s needed — to unlock a more sustainable and scalable space economy.

Rogers brings deep national security and defense experience from his years as an Air Force officer and space systems strategist, including time as a DARPA Service Chiefs Fellow and contributor to the foundational doctrine of the U.S. Space Force. Now he’s deploying cutting-edge space technologies to protect orbital assets and reimagine how the U.S. ensures freedom of action in space.

Haot, meanwhile, brings the commercial side of the equation — he’s CEO of Vast, a multi-exit founder with companies spanning aerospace, livestreaming, and connected devices. Most recently, he led Launcher to acquisition by Vast as part of a mission to build artificial gravity space stations, making him a key voice in turning science fiction into capital-backed reality.

The future of space isn’t theoretical — it’s operational

From new government-commercial partnerships to venture-backed orbital platforms, this session looks at the strategies and tech fueling the next wave of growth. It’s a candid conversation for anyone betting on the intersection of space, innovation, and private enterprise. More space tech leaders will join this panel discussion, so stay tuned for the update.

Join the new pioneers on the Space Stage

Disrupt 2025 will bring together more than 10,000 founders, investors, and operators — don’t miss the chance to hear what’s next in space before it makes headlines. Get your pass before prices rise on September 1 and be there when the future lands.

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Everything to know about the newest lineup

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Everything to know about the newest lineup


With August already two-thirds out the door, it means we’re getting closer to the Apple iPhone event, which typically takes place in September. During that event, we’ll finally get to put our eyes on the iPhone 17 lineup. The latest iOS 26 features will come preinstalled on the new models, as well as any additional features Apple reveals at the launch event. But since we still have to wait a few weeks (presumably) until the iPhone event, we can at least speculate what the new phones will look like. As with most unreleased iPhone models, rumors and leaks have trickled in about the hardware side ahead of the official introduction. Here’s what we’re expecting and what we can reasonably assume we’ll get from Cupertino in September.

What are the latest iPhone 17 rumors?

Could new “TechWoven” cases be introduced with the latest iPhone 17 lineup? That’s what leaker Majin Bu claims, per a MacRumors report. The cases match the rumored design on the iPhone 17 models, with the wide camera bump. MacRumors says this could be a revamped version of the much-maligned FineWoven case, which was discontinued due to being susceptible to scratches and stains.

The leaker noted there are two lanyard holes for “convenient and secure carrying,” so it could be worn around your neck.

This is just a rumor and we won’t know what the actual iPhone 17 models or accessories will look like until Apple’s iPhone event next month. That said, the shared photos (including the one embedded above) are more convincing than usual.

How much will the iPhone 17 cost?

Apple’s announced plan to expand US-based manufacturing partners seems to give it at least some shielding from the steepest Trump administration tariffs that have already triggered price increases on everything from Switch consoles to high-end cameras to Sonos speakers. But given that President Trump’s trade policies can change from week to week, and Apple’s continuing reliance on Asia-based supply chains, price shocks remain an ongoing possibility. The bigger question is: Will Apple absorb any higher costs, or pass them on to consumers?

If prices do creep up, Apple may choose to pair it with an “upgrade.” Consider this recent rumor posted by MacRumors from a leaker known as “Instant Digital,” suggesting that the default storage of the iPhone 17 line may start at 256GB, doubling the current 128GB baseline. While that could be accompanied by a price increase of $50, Apple could at least pitch it as a “better value.” That said, the company doubled the default RAM of its Mac computers from 8GB to 16GB at no extra cost in 2024 — but that was before the current Trump tariff cycle started.

When will the iPhone 17 series be announced?

Most years, the flagship smartphones are introduced in September. MacRumors highlighted a story originally reported by iphone-ticker.de that the Apple iPhone 17 event could be Tuesday, September 9, according to information gleaned from German mobile phone providers.

It’s still too early to have the specific dates; some years, Apple only gives a week or two of lead time between sending invites and hosting the event. But years of past precedent show that sometime in September should be when the 17 models make their debut. This family of smartphones may be the last to follow that trend, however. There have been hints that the introduction of the iPhone 18 collection in 2026 will be split into a pro-tier announcement in the fall and a standard model announcement the following spring.

What will the new iPhone 17 lineup include?

Design leaks suggest that Apple is building an ultra-thin smartphone, likely to be named the iPhone 17 Air to match Apple’s ultralight laptop designation. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, often a solid source of advanced intel about Apple, reported in January that the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with a basic A19 chip and will only have a single camera lens. It may also use Apple’s new in-house modem, which was introduced in February on the iPhone 16e. More details about this development may leak ahead of September, but that’s what we know for now.

An investor note from Apple analyst Jeff Pu indicated that the Air will have a titanium frame. If his reports are accurate, the lightweight smartphone will be the only entry in the iPhone 17 lineup to use that metal; the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to be made of aluminum, which is oddly a lighter material than titanium. Other speculation had suggested that the Air would use a blend of aluminum and titanium, so the exact materials may not be known until the official announcement.

Additionally, an August 4 MacRumors report says the internal battery pack of the iPhone Air is just 2.49mm thick — half the thickness of the iPhone 17 Pro battery. The leak was posted on the Korean-language Naver blog, where they show the alleged batteries of the iPhone 17 Air and 17 Pro side by side. The same account claimed the 17 Air’s battery capacity was a mere 2,800 mAh, MacRumors notes. (That’s below the battery capacity of current iPhone 16 models.)

On a similar topic, an iPhone 17 Pro production leak appears to have revealed an all-aluminum chassis, according to MacRumors. Originally posted by leaker Majin Bu, the image shows a shell that has a large round hole on the back (where the Apple logo typically is) to allow for MagSafe charging. MacRumors says this could just be a molding but notes that the aluminum frame (versus the current titanium in Pro iPhone models) would yield a significantly lower weight.

That same leaker (Majin Bu), whom MacRumors classifies as a “hit-or-miss leaker,” suggests the iPhone 17 Pro will have better wireless signal strength thanks to an updated antenna design. The individual posted a render on X that shows a new antenna system that wraps around the iPhone 17 Pro’s supposedly wider rear camera bump. Again, this is a render, not a real-world photo. That said, we can’t knock the goal of better wireless reception, so we’re hoping this one has a degree of truth to it.

Each new roster includes a base model, but over the years, Apple has shaken up the variety of phones it offers. Most likely there will be an iPhone 17 and an iPhone 17 Pro. Apple has also committed to the size matters philosophy, and has been building an iPhone Pro Max option with an even bigger screen and better battery life; the 17 roster will almost certainly have one as well.

The new Pro iPhones are said to have a full-width “camera island” on the rear, which would mark the first time an Apple model opted for that design. This feature can be seen in the purported iPhone 17 “spotted in the wild.” The pics, highlighted on MacRumors, show a black cased iPhone (17 Pro?) with the distinct back panel. Is it the real deal? The dual angles lend a degree of credibility in a social media landscape increasingly polluted with AI-enhanced fakes, but your guess is as good as ours.

The iPhone 17 Air seems primed to take the place of a potential iPhone 17 Plus. Since the iPhone 16e was only just introduced in February at a surprisingly high price point, it seems unlikely that there will be a new addition to that lower end of the spectrum, the models that were previously called SE.

At the very least, it sounds like the iPhone 17 Air won’t take away the charging port and rely only on wireless connectivity. Bloomberg said that while Apple had investigated making the iPhone 17 Air without a single port, the company (fortunately) changed plans. He also says that the rumored phone will have a 6.6-inch screen and include the Dynamic Island and Camera Control button. Finally, the price is rumored at $900 — likely more than the standard iPhone 17 but less than the Pro.

We’ve also gotten what seems to be a reliable look at what the color lineup will be for the new smartphones. Macworld reported that the iPhone 17 will be available in black, white, steel gray, green, purple and light blue. The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly have four color options: black, white, light blue and light gold. While the Air colors will be less saturated, the visuals for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will go bold. The options for the Pro models are expected to be black, white, gray, dark blue and orange.

On July 30, Tom’s Guide highlighted an X post from Sonny Dickson — a longtime and generally reliable leaker of unreleased iPhone information — showing “dummy” iPhone 17 models in the new colors that were the source of the aforementioned Macworld story. While these are literally just mock-ups — not real, leaked iPhones — it’s interesting to see how the design and color rumors translate into a real-world look and feel.

To add the the rumors, a Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station suggests the iPhone 17e will come equipped with a new design that includes the Dynamic Island, MacRumors reports. According to the post, the new phone will have the A19 chip and could have a 6.1-inch OLED display with a front-facing 12-megapixel camera and a rear-facing 48-megapixel camera. However, it’s important to note this report refers to the 17e model that would be expected to launch no earlier than February 2026, if it followed the same release pattern as the iPhone 16e.

What will iOS 26 be like?

Apple upended its numbering conventions with WWDC 2025, and will match the name of each new operating system to the year it’s released. So when the next wave of iPhones hits, they’ll be running on iOS 26.

On the design side, the smartphone OS introduced during the big developer showcase took a contentious approach dubbed Liquid Glass. Apple has been scaling down the amount of transparency effects in the subsequent beta tests of iOS 26, but it will still have a glass-like visual.

The feature list includes big and small updates. On the more impactful side, the Phone and Photos apps have been redesigned. There will be several features leveraging artificial intelligence, such as live translation capabilities coming to Phone, FaceTime and Messages. Apple is also currently testing a sensitive content warning for child accounts that will freeze FaceTime video if nudity is detected by on-device machine learning tools. And the company is also launching Visual Intelligence, which will use AI to search for elements in an image.

iOS 26 also has a litany of minor, quality of life improvements. Group texts are getting support for polls. And for the slow risers out there, iOS 26 will finally let you escape the tyranny of the nine minute snooze alarm.

The next iOS is now available as a public beta. Here are our initial impressions of the Liquid Glass design and other new features. iOS 26 is compatible with all models back through iPhone 11.

What other products are expected to be released alongside the iPhone 17?

If Apple follows its usual pattern, the iPhone 17 will be announced alongside new Apple Watch products. That would be the Apple Watch Series 11 (if Apple sticks to the same naming scheme), and maybe an Apple Watch Ultra 3 and/or an updated Apple Watch SE. (They’ll all run watchOS 26, of course.) Other possibilities — and this is, again, speculation — could include refreshed Apple AirPods Pro (which received its last big update in 2022) and maybe new AirTags trackers (first released in 2021).

The Apple rumor mill got a big shot in the arm this week thanks to the reported inclusion of product ID numbers in recent beta software builds. Per MacRumors, it’s a laundry list of new hardware, including long-rumored product updates like the Apple TV, HomePod mini, new Apple Studio Display monitor and two fresh iPads.

Of course, even if that list is totally accurate, we may not see those products until 2026 — if ever. So don’t expect all of products to share the stage with the iPhone 17, especially since Apple likes to keep its star performer at the center of attention.

That said, keep in mind that Apple has recently been having Mac-centric announcements in late October (as it did last year to debut new M4 Macs), so there’s always the chance of another shoe dropping a few weeks down the road.

Update, August 20, 2025, 7:12PM ET: Added new rumor about potential TechWoven case for iPhone 17 series.

Update, August 18, 2025, 6:23PM ET: Added new rumor about the iPhone 17e potentially having the Dynamic Island.

Update, August 15, 2025, 2:05PM ET: Added new rumor about the all-aluminum chassis on the iPhone 17.

Update, August 13, 2025, 10:02PM ET: Added a list of the products that are expected to be released alongside the iPhone 17s.

Update, August 11, 2025, 7:27PM ET: Added a render of a rumored new antenna design for the iPhone 17 Pro.

Update, August 8, 2025, 4:43PM ET: Added new speculation and reports about iPhone 17 pricing.

Update, August 6, 2025, 4:05PM ET: Added latest details about the potential iPhone 17 event date.

Update, August 4, 2025, 5:23PM ET: Added latest battery leaks about the iPhone 17 models.

Update, August 1, 2025, 8:15AM ET: Added new photos showing potential iPhone 17 colors.

Update, July 30, 2025, 11:08AM ET: Added latest leaks and rumors about the iPhone 17, and updated information on the iOS 26 public beta.

Update, July 17, 2025, 4:40PM ET: Added latest information about iOS 26, possible materials for the Air, and the color options for the different models.

Update, March 17, 2025, 2PM ET: Added details about the rumored price and features of the iPhone 17 Air.

Update, April 11, 2025, 3:45PM ET: Added details from Front Page Tech’s new video that claims to reveal details from a leaked iOS 19 build.

Katie Teague contributed to this story.



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Here’s everything new in Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1 [Gallery]

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Here’s everything new in Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1 [Gallery]


The Android 16 preview cycle continues today with QPR2 Beta 1 today for Pixel devices.

Over the coming hours, we’ll dive into all of Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1’s new features and every single change. (The newest updates will be at the top of this list. Be sure to check back often and tell us what you find in the comments below.) Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3.1 screenshots appear on the left and QPR2 Beta 1 on the right.

If you want to quickly install Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 on your compatible Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8a, Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and Pixel 9a, be sure to check out our step-by-step guide.

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More edge-to-edge Settings app

90/10 split-screen

M3 Expressive for restored Users widget

Screen saver > Low light mode

Settings > Parental controls

  • Google Family Link + new on-device controls to:
    • Set screen time limits
    • Set downtime schedules, restricting device access at specific times, like bedtime
    • Set time limits for individual apps or block specific apps
    • Filter out mature content from browsers and search engines like Google Chrome and Google Search

Always-on display page now has an accompanying graphic

Enhanced HDR brightness

Mobile network security

  • More prominent placement in Settings > Network & internet instead of at the bottom of the SIM card/mobile network page
  • “2G network protection avoids 2G networks, which are less secure. This may limit connectivity in some places. 2G is always allowed for emergency calls, but calls may not connect if you’re roaming internationally.”

‘Remove’ option when long-pressing a homescreen app icon

Lockscreen widgets / ‘hub mode’ on phones

  • First launched on the Pixel Tablet.
  • After enabling “Widgets on lock screen,” swipe left to access hub mode

More

Themed -> ‘Minimal’ icons

  • Icon will forcibly get a Minimal look, see: the NotebookLM app and PWA in the example below
  • “Create” option coming

Live Transcribe, Sound Amplifier, and Sound Notifications moved into Accessibility QS category

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WooSox welcome Jarren Duran, Janet Marie Smith and JP Ricciardi into newest Hall of Fame class

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WooSox welcome Jarren Duran, Janet Marie Smith and JP Ricciardi into newest Hall of Fame class



WORCESTER — The Worcester Red Sox inaugurated their second-ever Hall of Fame class on Wednesday, welcoming long-time baseball executive and current WooSox commentator JP Ricciardi, renowned ballpark planner and Polar Park’s Ballpark Design Advisor Janet Marie Smith, and current Red Sox outfielder and former WooSox Jarren Duran.

Though Wednesday night’s game was rained out, the Hall of Fame ceremonies went off without a hitch inside Polar Park’s DCU Club, with Smith and Ricciardi in attendance and WooSox manager Chad Tracy accepting on behalf of Duran, who is already in New York with the Red Sox ahead of this weekend’s series with the Yankees.

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Group14 lands $463M from SK, Porsche, and others to make silicon anodes for EVs

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Group14 lands $463M from SK, Porsche, and others to make silicon anodes for EVs


Battery materials startup Group14 announced Wednesday it has closed a $463 million funding round to expand its manufacturing footprint, a sign that investors remain confident in the future of electric vehicles.

The startup manufactures silicon anode materials, which significantly boost the storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries. Group14 currently operates three factories, two in the U.S. and one in South Korea.

Despite headlines about softening demand growth for electric vehicles, the global market for lithium-ion batteries remains strong. Over the next decade, its expected to grow more than 15% annually, quintupling in size, according to Precedence Research. And automakers and investors are still in pursuit of companies working on technology that will make EVs more efficient and affordable.

The round was led by battery manufacturer SK with participation from ATL, Lightrock, Microsoft, Porsche, and OMERS. Alongside the round, Group14 also announced it had “acquired full ownership” of a joint venture with SK in South Korea, which includes its BAM 3 factory. SK had owned 75% of the JV. When asked whether the value of the JV transaction was included in the Series D total, Group14 spokesperson Kristen Caron said the company was “not disclosing any additional details about the round.”

Silicon has long been targeted as a potential replacement for graphite, today’s go-to anode material, because it can hold up to 10 times more electrons. But with every charge and discharge, pure silicon anodes have a tendency to crumble as the material expands and contracts, something that graphite is more resistant to.

Startups like Group14 and its competitor Sila have accommodated silicon’s propensity to swell by creating structures that keep silicon in place without sacrificing the anode’s overall integrity. Group14’s material is a scaffold with internal voids that hold the silicon, giving it room to expand. 

The material itself can be blended with graphite or replace it entirely. Many companies still opt for the latter because of graphite’s inherent stability. But the more silicon used, the more energy a single cell can store. Group14 says its material can improve energy density by up to 50% and cut fast-charging times below 10 minutes.

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8BitDo’s charging dock for Xbox controllers costs just $20 right now

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8BitDo’s charging dock for Xbox controllers costs just $20 right now


8BitDo is predominantly known for its excellent gamepads of all and , but it makes other accessories too, including a for the Xbox Wireless Controller that is currently 20 percent off. Right now you can grab the officially licensed dock for $20, down from its regular price of $25.

8BitDo’s charging dock is compatible with the and Xbox One variants of the Xbox Wireless Controller and uses magnetic contact charging to juice up your pad. It comes with a 1,100mAh battery pack and a battery door for each version of Microsoft’s controller. Note that you get a USB-C cable included, but not a power adapter.

Image for the large product module

8Bitdo

Charging time is around three hours, and a light indicator tells you the status of your pad’s battery: It’s amber while charging, and white when the controller is fully charged.

The is one of the few modern pads that still ships with AA batteries out of the box. While they tend to last for a while, you’ll likely want to upgrade to a rechargeable alternative eventually, and 8BitDo’s currently discounted accessory ensures you’ll never have a flat controller again.



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Google Calendar rolling out M3 Expressive widgets

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Google Calendar rolling out M3 Expressive widgets


With the in-app redesign widely available, Google Calendar for Android is now rolling out M3 Expressive homescreen widget updates.

At full width, the Calendar schedule widget switches from a floating action button-esque rounded square to a pill for adding events. The reduced height translates to letting you see one more line of text or so. Meanwhile, the font for the month is a bit thicker.

Old vs. new

Google Calendar M3 Expressive widget

If you make this widget narrower, Google is dropping the two-column interface where the day and date appear in a pill at the left. Instead, it appears at the top for a standard list design with less abbreviation. It’s a more straightforward look (and possibly easier to miss on your homescreen), but the increased information density is nice.

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The only change to the Calendar month view widget is the ‘plus’ pill at the top-right corner.

We’re seeing these M3 Expressive widgets with Google Calendar 2025.32.0.x, but the server-side update is not yet widely rolled out.

Google Calendar M3 Expressive widget

More on Google Calendar:

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Mass. State Lottery winner: Final $2M grand prize claimed in this $10 game

Eye Observer
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Mass. State Lottery winner: Final $2M grand prize claimed in this $10 game



A Massachusetts lottery player claimed the last $2 million grand prize remaining in a $10 scratch ticket game on Tuesday.

The $2 million prize was from “$2,000,000 50X Cashword,” a crossword-style lottery ticket game released in 2024.

All five $2 million grand prizes have been claimed in the game as of Wednesday, and there’s still three $1 million prizes to be claimed.

The winning $2 million ticket was sold in Lawrence at Union Supermarket 4.

Additionally, someone bought a winning $1 million lottery ticket from the Town Mart in Belchertown and claimed their prize Tuesday. The prize was from the “$1,000,000 Bonus Wins” scratch ticket game.

Lastly, a winning $100,000 “Mass Cash” ticket was sold at the Dairy Mart in Revere on Tuesday night. The winning numbers for the evening drawing were 1, 13, 16, 22 and 30.

“Mass Cash” drawings are now held twice per day at 2 p.m. and 9 p.m., and tickets to play cost $1 each. Players still choose five numbers between 1-35.

Overall, at least 481 prizes worth $600 or more were won or claimed in Massachusetts on Tuesday, including 11 in Springfield, 14 in Worcester and 42 in Boston.

The Massachusetts State Lottery releases a full list of winning tickets every day. The list only includes winning tickets worth more than $600.

The two largest lottery prizes won so far in 2025 were each worth $15 million. One of the prizes was from a winning “Diamond Deluxe” scratch ticket sold in Holyoke, and the other was from a “300X” scratch ticket sold on Cape Cod.

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