On Wednesday, Google released patches for a handful of security bugs in its Chrome browser, noting that one of the bugs was being actively exploited by hackers before the company had time to patch it. But on Friday, Google updated the page to say that the bug was discovered by Apple's security engineering team and Google's Threat Analysis Group, whose security researchers primarily track government hackers and mercenary spyware makers, indicating that the hacking campaign may have been orchestrated by government-backed hackers. According to the security advisory for iPhones and iPads, Apple patched two bugs and the company said it was aware 'that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals' running devices prior to iOS 26. That language is Apple's typical way of saying that it knows some of its customers and users were targeted by hackers exploiting zero-days, meaning flaws that at the time of exploitation are unknown to the software makers. Often, these are cases where government hackers used hacking tools and spyware made by companies such as NSO Group or Paragon Solutions to target journalists, dissidents, and human rights activists....

The robot swerved through the cafeteria of Rivian's Palo Alto office, shelves adorned with chilled canned coffees ' until it didn't. Five minutes later, a man carefully pushed it out of everyone's way, the words 'I'm stuck' flashing yellow on the poor droid's screen. It was an inauspicious start to Rivian's 'Autonomy & AI Day,' a showcase for the company's plans to make its vehicles capable of driving themselves. Rivian doesn't make the cafeteria robot and isn't responsible for its abilities, but there was a familiar message in its foibles: this stuff is hard. The EV equipped with the automated-driving software drove myself and two Rivian employees on a switchback route near the company's campus. As we glided past Tesla's engineering office, I noticed a Model S in front of us slow to turn into the rival company's lot. The R1S eventually noticed this, too, braking hard just before the Rivian employee nearly intervened. During my demo drive, there was one actual disengagement. The employee in the driver's seat took over as we passed through a one-lane section of road due to some tree-trimming. Minor stuff overall. But it wasn't exactly rare either; I spotted multiple other demo rides that had disengagements, too....

The rocket and satellite company is considering raising more than $25bn in an offering that could come as early as June, according to a person familiar with the plans. Retail demand is expected to be substantial, despite the significant capital requirements and operational risks associated with commercial space ventures. Shay Boloor of Futurum Equities Research said enthusiasm is likely to overwhelm concerns about Musk's unconventional approach. He said the IPO is going to be the 'craziest' in the 'history of the stock market,' and noted that a $1.5tn valuation could surge above $2tn once trading begins. Musk's confrontations with regulators and past governance controversies remain part of the risk profile. The Tesla CEO has previously clashed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and threatened to leave Tesla earlier this year over compensation disputes. Investors said such drama is intrinsic to backing high-growth ventures run by powerful founders. Institutional exposure already exists. GAMCO Investors owns SpaceX shares through a spectrum deal with EchoStar, though it is undecided on participating in an IPO. Neuberger Berman holds unlisted shares and believes strong fundamentals underpin demand, citing the combination of a proven launch business and the rapid expansion of Starlink services. Portfolio manager Dan Hanson said SpaceX offers both 'the steak and the sizzle.'...

Good morning & happy end of the week! Fridays are for the good stuff, and today's newsletter is exactly like that ' We're diving into Stripe Agentic Commerce suite and the new era of AI-powered payments (what it's all about & why it's huge, why FinTech giant's strategy here is brilliant & what to expect next + bonus dive into Stripe's quest to become the financial backbone of the AI economy & 100+ battle'tested tools and frameworks to accelerate your AI projects insde), and Klarna, which is now moving deeper into digital assets (what their Privy parntership is all about & why it makes sense + bonus deep dives into Klarna & Affirm inside). So let's just jump straight into the finnovative stuff '' The BIG News '' $106 billion FinTech titan Stripe just introduced its Agentic Commerce Suite. And honestly, this isn't only big' More importantly, it represents a pivotal strategic initiative to establish the financial technology company as the foundational infrastructure layer for AI-driven commerce....