Technology

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says Volkswagen is recalling 356,649 vehicles in the United States because a software error can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying properly. The agency did not list which models are affected.

A severe heatwave warning covers parts of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales as temperatures are forecast to reach the mid-40s next week; a cool change is expected to bring relief in some areas around Sunday.

JBL announced three gaming headsets for the US market in 2026, led by the flagship Quantum 950X which features Hi‑Res certified audio, hot‑swappable batteries and a wireless base station.

After a Beijing summit, Mr Lee posted selfies with President Xi and their wives on X, saying he used a Xiaomi phone given by Xi; the two sides signed 15 agreements and South Korean business leaders joined the visit.

Samsung displayed a foldable screen at CES 2026 that appears to have no visible crease, and images shared alongside a Galaxy Z Fold 7 panel highlight a clear crease on the Z Fold 7 but not on the new panel.

Nvidia said it developed an autonomous driving system called Alpamayo with Mercedes‑Benz that it described as a 'thinking, reasoning' vehicle AI; the company said Mercedes CLA models with the system are due in the US in the first three months of the year and in Europe by mid‑year.

Sony centered its CES 2026 keynote on the Afeela electric vehicle and its software-led ecosystem, saying Afeela 1 is in production with deliveries to California expected later this year; the company described an 'Afeela Intelligent Drive' system that is currently at level 2+ and said it aims for higher autonomy in the future.

A new ramp replacing a 55-step staircase opened on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, creating a continuous cycle route from North Sydney into the CBD and allowing heavier e-bikes and trailers to cross; the project cost $39 million and the cycleway saw about 1,500 daily trips in 2025.

Papua New Guinea's regulator ordered Starlink to halt services in mid-December because it was not licensed, and Nicta says it is waiting on the ombudsman or the courts for a directive. The shutdown has disrupted internet access for remote communities, health clinics, schools and small businesses.

At CES, Nvidia said its Vera Rubin chip platform is in "full production" and will arrive later this year; the company said it can deliver about five times the AI computing of its previous chips.

Taiwan's National Security Bureau reported that cyberattacks attributed to China averaged 2.63 million per day in 2025, a 6% increase from 2024 and 113% above 2023 levels.

Samsung says it will increase devices running Google's Gemini AI from about 400 million to 800 million in 2026, the company's co‑CEO announced. The move reflects wider integration of Gemini across Samsung phones, tablets and other consumer products as part of the broader AI race.

Media previews and keynotes begin on January 5 ahead of the official CES opening on January 6, 2026, and coverage highlights a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence alongside new TVs, wearables, smart-home devices, EV innovations, phones and computing.

City officials say a fire on Jan. 3 damaged power lines near the Lichterfelde plant and they have blamed 'left‑wing extremists'; the blaze left more than 45,000 households and about 2,200 businesses without power.

Research shows rejection is common on dating apps — a 2025 study found about 80% of profiles were rejected in a simulated swiping task and other analyses show only a small share of shown profiles lead to a conversation — and many users report online sexual harassment and misrepresentation.

US forces captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife after an operation officials say lasted about two and a half hours following months of surveillance and planning; Maduro and his wife were removed from Venezuela and were reported aboard a US ship. Undetermined at this time.

Officials reported that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were seized in a US military operation and are being held in federal custody in Brooklyn; they are due to appear in Manhattan federal court on Monday at noon local time.

The article lists people Trump has punished or threatened since returning to office and reports a democracy scholar saying such attacks on opponents can signal democratic decline.

O2 has announced plans to retire its 3G network and says about 2% of its mobile data still uses 3G; the company reports remaining 3G coverage will be withdrawn as spectrum is reallocated to 4G and 5G.

Reddit has become Britain's fourth most visited social media site, reaching three in five UK internet users after an 88% rise over two years, and its growth has been fastest among 18–24-year-olds. Changes to search algorithms and data deals with Google and OpenAI are cited as key factors behind the surge.

President Trump ordered HieFo to divest Emcore assets and banned the $3 million acquisition, citing national security and China-related concerns; the Treasury said CFIUS identified a national security risk.

The article recommends using dedicated fitness technology rather than a phone for exercise and highlights GPS watches (Garmin), compact trackers (Fitbit Charge 6), smart rings (Oura Ring 4) and smart scales (Eufy) as options to track activity, sleep and body composition.

A freelance journalist said X's AI assistant Grok was used without her consent to create images that digitally removed her clothing; xAI acknowledged lapses in safeguards and said it is working to fix them.

A 33-year-old man died and a 33-year-old mother of two was critically injured after a scooter and car collision in North Kuta, Bali; the Australian government is providing consular support to the families.

PassMark shows the Ryzen 9 7950X at about 62,260 versus the Core Ultra 7 265KF at roughly 58,734, while retail prices cited are about $501 for the Ryzen and $270 for the Intel chip.

Anthony Joshua was one of five people in a car that collided with a stationary lorry. Two people died; Joshua was rescued with minor injuries and appeared disoriented.

Reuters reports that armoured vehicles were used in demolition operations in parts of Gaza City and Israel's military said it acted under the rules of war; satellite imagery analysis showed about 650 buildings in Sabra, Tel-al-Hawa and nearby areas were destroyed between Sept. 1 and Oct. 11.

Iran's prosecutor general said peaceful economic protests are legitimate but warned any attempt to create insecurity would be met with a legal, proportionate and 'decisive' response. The demonstrations began among shopkeepers in Tehran's mobile phone market and have been joined by students, but remain limited and concentrated in central Tehran.

Thousands attended Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks while authorities deployed more than 2,500 officers following the Bondi attack that officials reported left 15 people dead and dozens injured.

Stefania Glowka, 63, has been charged with murder after a woman died in a Wiltshire flat on Christmas Day; she has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Bristol Crown Court in March 2026.