undefined 18, 2025
Europe banned new gas cars after 2035, now it’s reconsidering
Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius says the EU’s 2035 ban on new combustion cars is unrealistic due to slow EV adoption and weak infrastructure. He urges a more flexible path to protect jobs and competitiveness, arguing it’s not a retreat from climate goals. Some countries, especially Germany, support softening the ban with hybrids and alternative fuels, while EV-focused companies warn that weakening rules risks investment, competitiveness, and delaying Europe’s shift to electrification.
Tim Cook could step down from Apple relatively soon
Apple is preparing for CEO Tim Cook, 65, to step down after 14 years, with a transition possibly announced after January’s earnings. The leading successor is hardware chief John Ternus, 50. Cook has hinted he’ll stay “a while,” but reports suggest Apple is testing market reaction to his eventual exit. Former COO Jeff Williams had been seen as heir apparent but retired in July. The leadership shift aims to be settled before Apple’s major mid-2025 product events.
Source: interestingengineering
World’s first driverless racecars go wheel-to-wheel at 155 mph in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi’s A2RL held the world’s first fully driverless head-to-head Grand Final at Yas Marina, where Germany’s TUM won after a fierce battle with Italy’s Unimore. The two cars dueled at over 250 km/h until Unimore collided with a back-marker, letting TUM retake the lead. Unimore still earned Fastest Lap. Officials called the event a major step for AI and robotics, showcasing rapid advances in autonomous racing and its value as a real-world testbed.
Blue Origin sends NASA spacecraft to Mars and lands booster for first time
Blue Origin launched its giant New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral, carrying two Mars-bound Escapade orbiters set to reach the planet in 2027. The milestone was the successful recovery of the rocket’s reusable first-stage booster, its first ever on a vehicle this large, marking key progress in its rivalry with SpaceX. The booster landed upright 600 km offshore, enabling future cost-cutting reuse. This was New Glenn’s second flight; the first failed to recover the booster.
'The fate of nations and the fall of kingdoms': History's epic theories of what causes aurora
Across history, cultures interpreted the aurora in wildly different ways, from omens of war to ancestors’ spirits, fox-fire, or shimmering dancers. Ancient Chinese, Greek, Babylonian, and Assyrian texts likely describe early sightings, while Arctic Indigenous traditions link the lights to death, warnings, or shamanic power. During political unrest, people saw divine signs. Modern science now explains aurora as solar activity, but many stories remain vital cultural heritage.
Joseph James O'Connor ordered to pay back over £4m in Bitcoin after hacking celebrity X accounts
A British hacker, Joseph O’Connor, jailed in the US for a 2020 Twitter/X scam, has been ordered in the UK to repay £4.1m in Bitcoin and other crypto. O’Connor hijacked major accounts, including Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, to promote a fake “send $1,000, get double back” scheme, stealing over $794k. The UK CPS secured a civil recovery order to seize 42 BTC and more assets, ensuring he cannot profit even without a UK conviction.
Data centre in the shed reduces energy bills to £40
A UK couple is testing a Thermify “HeatHub,” which uses heat from small data-processing computers to warm their home cheaply and cleanly. The system, part of UK Power Networks’ SHIELD project for low-income households, has cut their heating bills to £40–£60 a month. Each unit contains Raspberry Pis that process client data, with waste heat fed into the home. Other UK projects are also capturing data-centre heat, including systems using swimming pools, district heating, lakes, and solar power.
Source: interestingengineering
Exceptional 1,500-year-old reindeer trap found in icy mountains of Norway
Retreating ice on Norway’s Aurlandsfjellet plateau has revealed a unique 1,500-year-old reindeer-hunting system: two long wooden fences guiding herds into a log enclosure for mass trapping and processing. Archaeologists found hundreds of branches, cut-marked antlers, spearheads, arrow fragments, and even an oar, suggesting a sophisticated onsite “hunting factory.” The melting ice offers rare preservation but also risks rapid decay as climate change exposes these artifacts.
Bitcoin price in freefall, weeks after hitting all-time high
Bitcoin has crashed back to ~$93k, down 25% in six weeks after hitting a $125k all-time high. Analysts warn previous cycles saw 75% drops, though long-term holders view the pullback as typical. The wider crypto market has lost over $1tn, hit hard by Trump’s 100% China-tariff announcement, which triggered record liquidations. Some expect the correction to create a buying opportunity, with potential recovery hinging on Trump’s proposed “tariff dividend” and the 10 December US interest-rate decision.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 review – hallucinogenic romp through dystopia is stupidly pleasurable
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 delivers a loud, maximalist blast of action: a paranoid 2035 campaign filled with hallucinations, conspiracies and huge shootouts; a new MMO-style co-op Endgame mode set in an open city; and refined competitive multiplayer with new maps, wall-jumping and gadgets. Classic Zombies returns with chaotic, round-based survival, plus Dead Ops Arcade 4 adds retro twin-stick fun. Packed with modes and spectacle, it’s slick, chaotic and highly entertaining.
