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Major tech manufacturers, including Dell and Lenovo, are set to raise laptop and system prices by up to 20% due to surging costs for memory and storage components, driven by increased demand for AI infrastructure. This timing poses challenges for new product announcements and shipments, affecting both manufacturers and complementary component makers.

Aaru, an AI-driven startup, secures funding from Redpoint Ventures, offering varying valuations to investors. Aarus AI model simulates customer behavior, providing insights faster than traditional surveys. Founded in 2024, the company has already partnered with major firms and accurately predicted political outcomes, demonstrating the potential of their technology.

Yoodli, an AI-powered startup, has seen its valuation skyrocket to over $300 million, following a $40 million Series B funding round led by WestBridge Capital. The company, co-founded by Varun Puri and Esha Joshi, uses AI to create simulated scenarios for communication practice, shifting from a consumer product to enterprise training.

Waymo, Alphabets self-driving car company, issues voluntary software recall for robotaxis interaction with school buses. The update, made on November 17th, significantly improves vehicles performance in these situations, surpassing human drivers capabilities. This recall comes after NHTSAs investigation and criticism from cities like Atlanta and Austin, following incidents of robotaxis not properly stopping or maneuvering around school buses. Waymo emphasizes safety as their top priority and commitment to continuous analysis and necessary fixes.

Scientists in South Korea have developed Octoid, a soft robot that mimics an octopuss movements and color changes. This innovative robot, made from photonic crystal polymer, can change color and capture prey, marking a significant step in biomimetic robotics. Potential applications include self-aware robots, military camouflage, deep-sea exploration, and medical micro-robots.

Winters arrival, marked by the winter solstice on December twenty-first, brings the shortest day of the year due to Earths tilt. This event, historically celebrated for thousands of years, has influenced modern holiday traditions like Christmas. Despite the lack of daylight in places like Utqiagvik, Alaska, the solstice remains a significant event, reminding us of the Earths impact on our daily lives.

NHTSA Investigates Teslas Full Self-Driving Software for Traffic Law Violations: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received numerous complaints and reports of Teslas Full Self-Driving software breaking traffic laws, including running red lights and driving into the wrong lane. This marks a significant increase from the initial fifty violations cited in October. NHTSA is now investigating whether Teslas software can accurately detect and respond to traffic signals, signs, and lane markings, as well as if it provides sufficient warnings to drivers. Tesla is required to respond to these inquiries by January 19, 2026.

Cloudflares recent outage, affecting one-third of its hosted sites, including LinkedIn and Zoom, was caused by a system error during a critical vulnerability update. The issue was resolved within 25 minutes, but its the second such incident in recent weeks, following an Amazon Web Services outage in October. These events underscore the internets interconnectedness and the potential impact of a single point of failure.