Recent announcements feature Apple's new affordable MacBook Neo and other product refreshes like the iPhone 17e, with a review of Google's Pixel 10a also published.

• MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e, and everything else Apple announced this week — TechCrunch -
• MacBook Neo hands-on: Apple build quality at a substantially lower price — Ars Technica -
• Google Pixel 10a review: The sidegrade — Ars Technica -

• Meet the MacBook Neo, Apple’s colorful answer to the Chromebook, starting at $599 — TechCrunch -
• The $599 MacBook Neo is Apple's long-awaited colorful, lower-cost MacBook — Ars Technica -

Key developments include Google and Epic Games reaching a settlement over app store antitrust issues, PopSockets' bootstrapped success story, and X's new payments service launch with William Shatner.

• Google and Epic announce settlement to end app store antitrust case — Ars Technica -
• Google settles with Epic Games, drops its Play Store commissions to 20% — TechCrunch -
• His house burned down. He used the insurance money to build PopSockets. — TechCrunch -

• X taps William Shatner to give out invites to its payments service, X Money — TechCrunch -
• Host a Side Event during TechCrunch Founder Summit Week in Boston — TechCrunch -
• Eight Sleep raises $50M at $1.5B valuation — TechCrunch -

Major news includes TerraPower gaining approval to construct its first nuclear plant, NASA being empowered by the US Senate for lunar space race engagement, and innovative solutions for data center power consumption being explored.

• TerraPower gets OK to start construction of its first nuclear plant — Ars Technica -
• Space Command chief throws cold water on the question of UAPs in space — Ars Technica -
• The US Senate empowers NASA to fully engage in lunar space race — Ars Technica -

• Are consumers doomed to pay more for electricity due to data center buildouts? — Ars Technica -
• Who needs data centers in space when they can float offshore? — TechCrunch -

In digital security, authorities successfully shut down LeakBase, a major site for stolen passwords, while TikTok faces scrutiny for not implementing end-to-end encryption for direct messages.

• US and EU police shut down LeakBase, a site accused of sharing stolen passwords and hacking tools — TechCrunch -
• TikTok won’t add end-to-end encryption to direct messages, report says — TechCrunch -

A significant shift in gaming is Sony's decision to cancel future single-player PC game releases, opting to keep titles exclusive to its PlayStation hardware.

• After a rocky six years, Sony cancels future single-player PC game releases — Ars Technica -

An interesting look into the past reveals new insights into the complex cuisine of prehistoric Europeans, based on detailed analysis of ancient pottery residues.

• Re-creating the complex cuisine of prehistoric Europeans — Ars Technica -