Daily Tech News Digest – 2026-07-22

Top tech headlines from BBC Technology, TechRadar and Ars Technica in the last 24 hours.

BBC Technology

• OpenAI says its AI went rogue and launched 'unprecedented' cyber-attack
  It is one of the first publicly disclosed cyber-attacks carried out by AI without direct human involvement.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:40:11 GMT
• Tech Life
  Dogs have a great sense of smell. Now machines are being trained to sniff out odours.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMT

TechRadar Tech

• 200 US utility firms join Trump electricity pledge as data center electricity use expected to quadruple by 2035 — but does the President's pledge have the teeth to regulate electricity pricing?
  The huge rise in consumer electricity pricing across the US has largely been fueled by data center construction and grid updgrades to connect them.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:05:00 +0000
• The AOC 16T35 portable monitor is down to $60 at Best Buy — and it's better than the model we gave 4.5 stars
  The Black Friday in July deal is one of the cheapest ways to add a second screen to your laptop.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:56:27 +0000
• An intrepid hiker just found something unbelievable on Google Maps — and it’s been hiding in plain sight for 390 million years
  An amateur astronomer has discovered a 390-million-year-old meteorite crater on Google Maps.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:29:09 +0000
• Brace yourself for more RAM misery: DDR5 is now getting pricier — and there's a rumor that CPUs will be more expensive next year
  It looks like the memory crisis isn't going anywhere, between DDR5 RAM price hikes and a new rumor about more expensive CPUs.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:28:29 +0000
• Intel is laying off workers in its data center division despite strong recent performance
  Intel reportedly gearing up to lay off data center workers in a bid for operational efficiency, despite strong performance.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:15:00 +0000
• Jura's new espresso machine packs cold brewing, delicious syrup-infused milk foam, and timed morning brewing into a surprisingly slim package — and it might be the ultimate upgrade for your small kitchen
  Jura has just launched a new coffee maker that offers hot and cold extraction, syrup-infusion, milder brewing, and a timer — all in one compact package.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:45:10 +0000
• Why the future of computing is hybrid
  Why pairing quantum processors with classical systems will determine real-world quantum success.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:39:51 +0000
• TikTok says AI-generated spam ‘crowds out original creators’ — so it’s teaching users how to spot AI
  TikTok is launching a new in-app hub to help you spot AI-generated content as it cracks down on AI slop.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:39:15 +0000
• Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026 live — all the last-minute leaks for the Z Fold 8, Z Flip 8, Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and more
  We're live from Samsung's second big phone launch of the year —here's all the latest news from its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event in London.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:31:32 +0000
• The hidden cyber risks facing our water supply
  Our drinking water is a clear example of how a cyberattack can cause real-world harm.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:21:26 +0000
• OpenAI says its models escaped a sandbox and breached Hugging Face
  New OpenAI models did whatever it took to achieve their goal - including exploiting zero-days.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:20:00 +0000
• Stop measuring AI usage. Start building AI capability.
  Organizations are measuring AI adoption faster than employees are learning to use it effectively.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:07:19 +0000
• The Xteink X4 Pro can turn your phone into a dual-screen device, and it has some major upgrades over its predecessor
  The Xteink X4 Pro is the most advanced Xteink yet, but it's still tiny enough to attach to your phone.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:03:32 +0000
• What is the release date for Rick and Morty season 9 episode 10 on Adult Swim, HBO Max, and Hulu?
  Can you even predict what's going to happen in this season's finale? And, more to the point, when is Rick and Morty season 9 episode 10 going to premiere?
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000
• JBL's latest speaker comes with 9 drivers and its wildest features yet: a 12-inch touchscreen, cameras and the ability to play games....
  The ultimate tablet for music-lovers just launched, with 9 JBL speakers squirrelled away in the back
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:51:07 +0000
• Many companies are struggling to fully trust AI at work - especially when there's no human involved
  TeamViewer report claims 95% of workers are concerns about AI operating without a human in the loop – most AI agent users set strict guardrails.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:25:47 +0000
• Why you can’t buy security on the dark web
  Why buying, monitoring, or negotiating on the dark web often creates more risk than security.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:17:43 +0000
• OpenAI wants to help your small business grow - if you use ChatGPT more
  The launch of ChatGPT Work has now been followed with dedicated training and resources for small businesses.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:05:54 +0000
• Why operational technology risk still slips past the boardroom
  Boards need to start treating OT cyber risk as an issue of business continuity.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:04:13 +0000
• Is Garmin Cirqa good? I wanted to know if Garmin’s Fitbit Air rival is accurate — so I tested it against a 'gold standard' electrical heart rate strap
  After months of leaks, the Garmin Cirqa finally dropped, and I was one of the first to test its capabilities.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:03:10 +0000

Ars Technica Technology

• Ukrainian drones deliver robots directly into battle by sea and air
  Ukraine's battlefield surge of robots now features airdrops and beach assaults.
  Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:15:03 +0000
• Range Rover answers the question: "What if we built a not-SUV?"
  The Range Rover GT will debut as an EV with a hybrid version to follow.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 23:01:23 +0000
• On the run for 20 years, most-wanted fugitive caught hiding as a biotech exec
  Ronald Fischer, aka Richard Graydon, was arrested in New York last week.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 22:04:56 +0000
• Sony releases one last trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day
  "Maybe that's my responsibility, to live alone with the truth."
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:50:10 +0000
• Confusion swirls on source of diarrhea outbreak, but it’s still Taylor Farms
  Taylor Farms stirred confusion on FDA test and provided a vague recall list.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:39:10 +0000
• Nintendo says users voluntarily paid higher prices, have no right to tariff refunds
  Nintendo says Switch buyers got what they paid for, urges court to dismiss lawsuit.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:09:19 +0000
• Let Tom Hiddleston be your guide to Pompeii's final day
  NatGeo's Pompeii: Out of Time fuses historical fact and imagination to bring city's last 24 hours to life.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 18:17:55 +0000
• Naked mole-rat queens use a chemical signal to suppress fertility in rivals
  A single chemical made by mole-rat queens enforces the social order.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 17:51:52 +0000
• Anthropic’s $1.5B copyright settlement approved; only 350 authors opted out
  Anthropic blocks authors from opting out of $1.5B settlement at last minute.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 17:33:14 +0000
• Sales of Valve's Steam Deck crater after recent price hike
  Analysis of bestseller charts shows an 80 percent dip from 2025's sales rate.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 17:12:34 +0000
• Google announces Gemini 3.6 Flash and cybersecurity AI, teases 3.5 Pro and Gemini 4
  There are new 3.6 and 3.5 models today, but Google is already training Gemini 4.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:58:25 +0000
• TreeSize won't renew perpetual-license support unless users subscribe
  "Current economic conditions" have shifted TreeSize's business model.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:18:23 +0000
• When your vehicle outlives its cloud: What happens next?
  Automakers love connected vehicles, but support isn't open-ended.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:36:17 +0000
• Apps targeted at US troops contain Chinese and Russian code
  More than one-eighth of apps analyzed contained foreign code.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:19:38 +0000
• 2027 Kia Seltos first drive gives you plenty of SUV for not much $
  It starts at just under $25,000, but the hybrid won't arrive until next year.
  Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:00:08 +0000

— Auto-generated digest