TechNews

Google has made a significant change to its Workspace suite, offering all its AI features - previously exclusive to the Gemini Business plan - at no extra cost. Until recently, users needed to pay an additional $20 per user per month to access these tools within Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet, and other apps. Now, these features are included for free, signaling Google’s push to stay competitive with Microsoft, OpenAI, and others in the race to deliver the most advanced AI-powered office suite.

TikTok, the popular social media app with 170 million American users, faces imminent shutdown in the United States as a federal ban is set to take effect on Sunday. This development stems from a law signed in April requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. operations. If ByteDance fails to comply, U.S. companies will be barred from supporting TikTok’s distribution, maintenance, or updates, effectively rendering the app inoperable. Users attempting to access the app will see a message directing them to a website explaining the ban.

It’s been over three years since PHPStan 1.0 came out, and the progress has been incredible. With 176 releases since then, it’s clear this tool isn’t slowing down. PHPStan 2.0 is here with smarter features, better performance, and tighter checks to make PHP development more reliable and efficient. Let’s break down the highlights of what’s new.

United Airlines has announced a major upgrade to its in-flight internet service. Starting in 2025, the airline will roll out SpaceX's Starlink satellite-based Wi-Fi across its entire fleet, offering passengers faster, more reliable internet access for free. This shift is set to change the in-flight experience for passengers, making it easier to stay connected and enjoy a more smoother online experience while traveling.

During a large-scale distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) campaign targeting the financial services, internet, and telecommunications sectors, attacks reached an unprecedented peak of 3.8 terabits per second (Tbps), the highest recorded to date. This month-long assault consisted of over 100 hyper-volumetric DDoS attacks, which inundated network infrastructure with vast amounts of garbage data.

As part of its strategy to catch up with leaders in EV technology, Toyota is preparing to introduce its first electric vehicle equipped with an advanced self-driving system. GAC Toyota, a joint venture between Toyota Motor and Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC), announced that it will launch an EV with capabilities similar to Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system next year in China.

The latest Stack Overflow Developer Survey highlights a troubling trend: a majority of developers are dissatisfied with their jobs, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that plumbers and farmers are happier. The survey, which gathered responses from over 65,000 developers across 185 countries, focused on technologies, tools, artificial intelligence (AI), and workplace experiences. This year, dissatisfaction in the workplace emerged as a prominent theme, with more developers expressing discontent than ever before.

On August 1, 2012, Knight Capital Group experienced a major software failure that led to a significant stock market disruption and enormous financial losses. The problem began when a technician failed to update the Retail Liquidity Program (RLP) code on one of the eight SMARS servers, which was Knight's automated routing system for equity orders. This server still ran outdated code, specifically the "Power Peg" function, which was repurposed by the new RLP code. As a result, the server sent out orders indefinitely without properly recording their completion.

Intel is reducing its workforce by over 15 percent, which means more than 15,000 job cuts from its current 125,000 employees. This action is part of a broader $10 billion cost-saving plan set for 2025. As part of this strategy, the company plans to cut its research and development (R&D) and marketing budgets by billions annually through 2026, reduce capital expenditures by more than 20 percent this year, and restructure its operations to eliminate non-essential work. Additionally, Intel will review all active projects and equipment to ensure that resources are allocated efficiently.

Google is retiring the Chromecast brand and removing its Chromecast hardware from the market after 11 years, but it is not exiting the streaming device business. Instead, Google is introducing a new product called the Google TV Streamer, designed to compete with high-end streaming boxes like the Apple TV and Roku Ultra.