46 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Thomas Ricker

Thomas Ricker

Deputy Editor

Deputy Editor

    More From Thomas Ricker

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Daniel Ek, Spotify CEO and drone warfare profiteer.

    Ek’s investment company Prima Materia dumped its first €100 million in Helsing, the German defense tech group with roots in AI software, back in 2021. Now it’s leading a €600 million round to capitalize on the shift to drone warfare. Per the Financial Times:

    “The world is being tested in more ways than ever before. That has sped up the timeline” for Helsing’s financing, Ek said, pointing in particular to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, where drones and other AI-powered systems have been deployed at scale for the first time. “There’s an enormous realisation that it’s really now AI, mass and autonomy that is driving the new battlefield.”

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Meta teases Oakley AR glasses.

    “The next evolution is coming on June 20,” reads the caption to a teaser video republished by Meta CTO Andrew “Boz” Bosworth. The Oakley x Meta tie-up was first reported back in January as the sporty alternative to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, meant to appeal to cyclists and other outdoor athletes.

    VanMoof’s new S6 e-bikes fix everything but trust

    A test ride of its first new electric bikes since bankruptcy shows lots of promise.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Waymo fires suspend LA service.

    At least five of Alphabet’s autonomous cars have been set on fire, according to the New York Times, as protesters rage against the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. “We will not be serving any rides in the protest area until it is deemed safe,” a Waymo spokesperson said.

    A protester wearing an ‘Abolish ICE’ shirt gestures near a burning Waymo car.
    A protester wearing an ‘Abolish ICE’ shirt gestures near a burning Waymo car on June 8th, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
    Image: Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images
    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Aventon takes control of Gocycle e-bikes.

    JW Zhang, founder of US-based Aventon, now has control over UK-based Gocycle — the financially troubled maker of premium, fast-folding electric bikes. “Aventon is going to help Gocycle unleash its true potential and bring more exciting products to people in the future,” said an unidentified Aventon spokesperson speaking to Cycling Electric.

    What comes next is unclear, but it should accelerate global expansion for both brands once the deal is settled, and finally make Gocycle’s CX lineup of electric folding cargo bikes a reality.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    1 million Powerwalls.

    While sales of Tesla cars have suffered greatly since Elon Musk extended his arm and wallet to politics globally, his Starlink and Tesla Energy products have continued to do well. There’s lots of EV competition, but zero alternatives for cheap and fast consumer internet that can be quickly deployed in data dead zones, or whole home battery backup systems with a proven track record and terrific user experience. Although the competitors are quickly gearing up to address the latter.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Starlink’s massive May.

    Elon Musk’s SpaceX is surging ahead in the race to cover the planet with fast, low-latency internet beamed down from space. Xi Jinping and Jeff Bezos are just getting started while Europe, to nobody’s surprise, is mired in bureaucracy and woefully behind despite launching its first internet satellites back in 2019.

    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    Google’s Pixel 10 flagship leaks again.

    Google’s yet to say anything official about the Pixel 10, but it was recently caught mid commercial shoot on a Vancouver beach by @MarksGonePublic on X. Separately, Mystic Leaks says we should expect color options for the Pixel 10 to include a black Obsidian, blue, purple Iris, and yellow Limoncello, and the 10 Pro and XL models to come in choice of white Porcelain, black Obsidian, green, and gray Sterling.