Tesla showed its second-generation Roadster at an event in Waco, Texas, where the car drove upside down, briefly flew using cold-gas thrusters, and accelerated to 60mph in under a second. Reserving the thruster-equipped version costs $250,000, and CEO Elon Musk promised the car will arrive in 2028.
Why it matters Tesla's halo vehicle has moved from promise to demonstration, but an airborne road car will need to satisfy aviation regulators.
OpenAI has filed a lawsuit claiming an employee who left Apple, spent six months at OpenAI and then returned to Apple took confidential details about OpenAI's hardware projects with him, linked to the newly announced Apple HomeView hub. Apple has publicly rejected the allegations.
Why it matters It widens a legal fight between two of the most prominent names in consumer AI hardware, after Apple sued OpenAI in July.
Meta releases open-weight Muse Spark Open built to run on Macs
Meta launched Muse Spark Open, which it calls the most capable US open-weight model to date, developed with Apple so it runs locally on Apple silicon via the MLX framework; Engadget notes it needs roughly 1TB of RAM.
Why it matters A rival pairing on local hardware signals that top-tier AI may increasingly run on your desk rather than in a data centre.
A mobile phone displaying the ChatGPT logo outdoorsImage: cnet.comIllustration: A laptop, tablet, music player, headphones, and plant on a deskIllustration: Pixabay · licence
Eight states filed separate lawsuits accusing OpenAI of endangering children and misleading customers about ChatGPT's safety. A further complaint concerns children's data used in training and the chatbot's exchanges with a 12-year-old.
Why it matters State attorneys general have become a serious regulatory front against the largest AI company, and the cases could shape how chatbots are built for minors.
Apple's first smart display, HomeView, arrives November 13
Apple's HomeView smart display goes on sale November 13 at $299.99, alongside a refreshed Apple TV 4K, a HomePod mini 2 and the Apple Home Collection. Early hands-on impressions praise its simple shared interface, while noting Siri still needs work.
Why it matters It is Apple's first smart display and the centerpiece of a broader reset of its smart home lineup.
An OpenAI employee, 35-year-old Abdulrahman Alfozan, was arrested after the company found a covert recording device in a conference room; FBI director Kash Patel said the aim was to capture sensitive discussions about OpenAI's superintelligence work. The device is the kind of hobbyist board that sells for about $13.99.
Why it matters It is a reminder that insider risk and corporate espionage are now part of life at the labs building the most advanced AI.
Smartphone shipments hit a 14-year low as memory crunch bites
New figures put global smartphone shipments at their weakest level in 14 years, with the memory shortage cited among the causes, though Apple and Samsung are holding up better than most brands. In China, shipments fell 15.4% year on year in Q3 2026, while Apple's share of the market still grew even as its own iPhone shipments slipped 4.3%.
Why it matters A shrinking market and stretched upgrade cycles put pressure on every handset maker's pricing and product plans.
Apple's smart home push: HomeView display, new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2
Apple unveiled a $299 HomeView smart display, a $299 Apple TV 4K and a $149 HomePod mini 2 with Siri AI and a new Sound Glow feature, all now up for pre-order on Amazon. Apple has also published HomeView repair estimates and warned that the wall-mounted version ships without a power adapter and needs a compatible one.
Why it matters It is Apple's biggest step yet into the smart home, a category where Google and Amazon have had a head start.
