Tesla released its second quarter financial earnings today, offering the latest evidence of the damage Elon Musk’s political activities have done to his flagship company.Tesla said it earned $1.17 billion in net income on $22.5 billion in revenue. That’s above Wall Street expectations of $22.3 billion but represents a 12 percent decrease year over year compared to $25.5 billion in revenue in Q2 2024.The company’s profits also slid dramatically, logging a 16 percent decrease in net income for the second quarter year over year. And Tesla’s automotive revenue — the money it earns from car sales — slid 16.6 percent year over year, from $19.9 billion in Q2 2024 to $16.6 billion in this most recent quarter. The sale of $439 million in regulatory credits once again buoyed Tesla’s finances — though those are expected to dry up soon after congressional Republicans approved President Donald Trump’s plan to zero out fines for automakers who exceed fuel-efficiency targets.The company’s profits also slid dramatically, logging a 16 percent decrease in net income for the second quarter year over year. The earnings comes on the heels of another terrible quarterly sales report for the company. Tesla said it delivered a total of 384,122 vehicles, a 14 percent decline compared to Q2 2024. (For a direct-to-consumer company like Tesla, deliveries are a proxy for sales.)Tesla said its operating income decreased 42 percent year over year to less than $1 billion, with almost half coming from the sale of regulatory credits to other automakers (again, revenue that is expected to almost vanish in the months to come). Tesla’s cash pile decreased by $200 million in Q2 to $36.8 billion, and free cash flow (or the amount of cash the company has generated after accounting for its day-to-day operating expenses and capital expenditures) was at just $100 million. Some analysts predict that Tesla’s free-cash flow could actually turn negative later this year, which could trigger a steep drop in share price.In its report, Tesla said it has completed “first builds of a more affordable model in June, with volume production planned for the second half of 2025.” These affordable models are expected to be stripped down versions of the Model 3 and Model Y, rather than a new vehicle program altogether, which is what many investors had hoped for. The company said it also is continuing to develop both the Tesla Semi and Cybercab, which are expected to enter volume production in 2026. Tesla also gestured at the economic uncertainty caused by the Trump administration’s trade war, as well as “political sentiment” that has turned its brand toxic for many customers. That said, the company failed to mention politics or Musk’s growing unpopularity in its reasons for the drop in revenue, instead citing falling sales, lower regulatory credit revenue, a reduced average vehicle selling price, and decline in energy generation and storage revenue. After years of exponential growth, the sudden reversal in Tesla’s fortune has left many investors and supporters with whiplash. Tesla now serves as a sobering example of what happens when a company is left on autopilot (or Autopilot, as it were) while its high-profile CEO gets distracted by questionable side quests. After years of exponential growth, the sudden reversal in Tesla’s fortune has left many investors and supporters with whiplash. Musk publicly stepped away from his controversial position as the head of DOGE, the Trump administration’s effort to slash “waste, fraud, and abuse” from the federal government that has mostly resulted in huge cuts to global humanitarian aid and the firing of thousands of federal workers. But even though he is now publicly feuding with Trump, Musk hasn’t completely backed away from his political activities. Earlier this month, he said he would create a new political party called “the America Party,” following through on his threat to challenge Republicans who supported Trump’s budget bill.As Musk slides deeper into politics, investors have urged him to stay focused on Tesla and its costly — and questionable — project to build more self-driving cars and humanoid robots. The company rolled out its first robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, last month — although the service fell short of Musk’s earlier predictions. The vehicles were only available to a group of pro-Tesla influencers, and each car came with a safety monitor in the passenger seat who had access to a kill switch. While Musk would like investors to focus on Tesla’s work with AI and self-driving cars, the company is still in the business of making and selling cars. But as competition heats up in China and Europe, here in the US, federal incentives that lower the price of most EVs are scheduled to disappear by the end of September — again, thanks to Trump’s bill. After that happens, Tesla’s sales are predicted to drop even more. Tesla’s response to its demand crisis has been — you guessed it — deals, deals, and more deals. In recent days, the automaker has rolled out a series of discounts and financing incentives on all of its models, as it seeks to capitalize on what is likely to be its last best chance at a successful sales quarter this fall.

Whether you're building a new PC or just upgrading one component, it's hard to resist the temptation to buy more than you need. Even if you know that you'll never realistically use a particular feature, you tend to justify its usefulness in your mind. This becomes a problem when you willingly overspend on these good-to-have features, wasting the money that could have been spent on components that would have improved your PC's performance. In that vein, here are the features I think I genuinely overspent on, only because I never really used them.

My inbox used to be an absolute mess. Between press releases, bills, bank statements, and random PDFs, it was impossible to find anything when I actually needed it. Gmail’s search is straight up bad when it comes to documents, and digging through years of emails just to find one attachment is not how I want to spend my time. Honestly, I should’ve created a separate email just for documents a long time ago.

Microsoft's PowerToys suite is a very interesting one. I can't imagine using a Windows PC full-time without it these days, which makes it really strange that the company hasn't incorporated some of its features directly into the operating system. As a power user, it can be easy to convince yourself that something is essential for everyone just because you rely on it, but many of the features in PowerToys feel like they would just make a ton of sense to have out of the box.

The White House unveiled its long-awaited “AI Action Plan” on Wednesday, and it included a zombie: a resurrected form of the controversial AI law moratorium that died a very public death. The failed congressional moratorium would have stipulated that no state could regulate artificial intelligence systems for a 10-year period, on pain of being barred from a $500 million AI development fund and potentially losing rural broadband funding. Trump’s new plan has a similar, albeit more vague, provision buried within it. It states that “AI is far too important to smother in bureaucracy at this early stage” and that the government “should not allow AI-related Federal funding to be directed toward states with burdensome AI regulations that waste these funds,” though it should also “not interfere with states’ rights to pass prudent laws that are not unduly restrictive to innovation.”The White House’s Office of Management and Budget will work with federal agencies that have “AI-related discretionary funding programs to ensure, consistent with applicable law, that they consider a state’s AI regulatory climate when making funding decisions and limit funding if the state’s AI regulatory regimes may hinder the effectiveness of that funding or award.” Essentially, states that do choose to enforce their own AI regulations may be punished for it on a federal level, under a different sort of AI law moratorium — one with, as described in this plan, no expiration date. The AI Action Plan also states that the Federal Communications Commission will lead a charge to “evaluate whether state AI regulations interfere with the agency’s ability to carry out its obligations and authorities under the Communications Act of 1934.” No word yet on what the penalties for that will be. The official White House press release made no mention of the state guidelines. More detail about Trump’s plan — which encourages rapid adoption of AI tech and expansion of AI infrastructure, as well as attempts to root out diversity and climate science in AI systems used by the government — will come in a series of executive orders this week.The congressional moratorium initially passed the House of Representatives, but it was largely condemned by Democrats and divisive among some Republicans. Some industry activists believed it would prohibit not just new AI regulation, but data privacy, facial recognition, and other tech-related rules in states like Washington and Colorado.After an intense 24-hour period of lobbying and back-door dealmaking — including 45 rounds of votes — 99 out of 100 senators voted for the moratorium’s exclusion from Trump’s funding bill. Now, against all odds, the provision may be coming back from the dead.

If you're on the hunt for a new GPU, why not give the RTX 50 series a look? There's a range of different GPUs, all of which are designed to meet a specific demographic. From the budget-friendly models to the almighty 5090, there's something for everyone.

T-Mobile’s satellite service is now available to people across the US — and not just T-Mobile customers. On Wednesday, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert announced that the Starlink-powered service is officially out of beta, though it only supports text messaging and location-sharing for now.The new satellite coverage option is called “T-Satellite,” and it’s currently available as a standalone subscription. It’s being offered at $10 per month for a “limited time,” before increasing to $15 per month. It also comes included for customers on the carrier’s $100 per month Experience Beyond or older Go5G plans.Your device will automatically connect to T-Satellite if you’re in an area with no cellular coverage. As long as there isn’t a heavy amount of cloud coverage or trees blocking your view of the sky, you should be able to send and receive text messages, including to 911, as well as share a link that temporarily tracks your location. T-Mobile’s support page says the ability to send pictures is available on “most” Android phones, and the company plans on adding support for more devices soon.T-Mobile is also aiming to enable voice messages and will eventually allow devices to connect to “satellite-optimized” apps, which it previously said could include AllTrails, Accuweather, and WhatsApp. The more than 650 Starlink satellites used by T-Mobile cover the continental US, Hawaii, parts of southern Alaska, and Puerto Rico. The carrier says it’s working on offering satellite connectivity while abroad and in international waters as well.Apple currently offers the ability to send texts and emergency messages from the iPhone 14 and later for free, but it plans to eventually charge for it (there still aren’t any details on price). Google also added a satellite SOS feature to the Pixel 9 that’s free to use for two years after activation. While signing up for satellite service through T-Mobile may seem redundant, the carrier offers support for more phones, and also plans on adding new capabilities like picture and voice messaging.In order to use T-Satellite, you’ll need to have an unlocked device with support for eSIMs and satellite connectivity. Right now, more than 60 different phones can use T-Satellite, including the iPhone 13 and up, Google Pixel 9, and the Samsung Galaxy 21 and newer. You can view the full list of eligible devices on T-Mobile’s website.Verizon launched its free satellite messaging service with Skylo earlier this year, but unlike with T-Satellite, the service is only available to Verizon customers who have newer devices like the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9. AT&T is also partnering with AST SpaceMobile to launch satellite texting and voice capabilities.

Android Authority isolated the image of the four phones it found on the Play Store banner. | Image: Android Authority Google seems to have revealed its entire Pixel 10 lineup a little less than a month before its launch event. On Wednesday, Android Authority said it managed to uncover a banner of the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, and 10 Pro Fold while “poking around” on the Google Play Store on Android.The banner doesn’t appear directly on the Play Store right now, which means Android Authority likely took some extra steps to enable it. Still, it clearly shows all four devices with the text, “Meet the new Pixel 10 Series.” The Pixel 10 Pro XL, 10 Pro Fold, and 10 Pro seem to appear in the silver-blue “Moonstone” color, while the base Pixel 10 is shown in bright blue.The designs — and colors — of the devices in the banner line up with the flood of leaks we’ve seen in recent weeks, including the teaser shared by Google itself. The banner also shows a promotion offering $50 off the devices that will remain in effect until October 13th.Rumors suggest that Google is planning updates across the Pixel 10 lineup, including adding a third camera to the base Pixel 10, giving the Pixel 10 Pro a spec bump, and dustproofing its Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Google is set to launch its Pixel 10 lineup during its Made by Google event on August 20th.

You’re getting a lot of TV at the discounted price. | Image: The Verge Finding a quality budget TV isn’t as hard as it used to be, with numerous deals happening throughout the year. Case in point, the 65-inch configuration of Amazon’s Fire TV Omni QLED Series is back down to its Prime Day low of $449.99 ($270 off). The discount makes it cheaper than the starting price of the smaller 55-inch model.Amazon Fire TV Omni QLEDAmazon’s Fire TV Omni QLED features built-in microphones for Alexa commands, low input lag, and support for two-way video calling with a compatible webcam. It also provides access to Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and most major streaming services.Where to Buy: $719.99 $449.99 at Amazon (65-inch)The Fire TV Omni QLED Series sits above Amazon’s standard Fire TV Omni Series and 4-Series sets, but it’s not quite as advanced as the newer Omni Mini-LED Series. It features a 4K resolution and uses a layer of quantum dots to improve aspects like color accuracy and brightness. It also supports full-array local dimming, offering better backlighting and contrast than an edge-lit set. The technology also helps reduce blooming, which is that annoying glow of light around bright objects on dark backgrounds. Both of these technologies can have a big impact on overall image quality when watching movies and playing games.There are three HDMI 2.0 ports and one HDMI 2.1 port with eARC. While the TV features a 4K panel, its refresh rate tops out at 60Hz. That means you won’t get to enjoy the smoother animations offered by 120Hz, which is supported by current generation consoles. That said, the TV offers support for advanced HDR formats and boasts a built-in sensor that automatically optimizes the brightness based on the ambient light in your room.Additionally, the Fire TV Omni QLED Series features Amazon’s ambient experience. This turns the TV into a canvas for displaying over 2,000 works of fine art and photography, personal photos, and helpful Alexa widgets. Speaking of Alexa, the TV has integrated microphones (with an on/off switch) that offers hands-free control, making it easy to set timers, check sports scores, and turn on your favorite movie. You can also bring up a live camera feed from your home security system when someone approaches your front door.

Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) and President Donald Trump during the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh on July 15. | Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images At an AI and fossil fuel lovefest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last week, President Donald Trump - flanked by cabinet members and executives from major tech and energy giants like Google and ExxonMobil - said that "the most important man of the day" was Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin. "He's gonna get you a permit for the largest electric producing plant in the world in about a week, would you say?" Trump said to chuckles in the audience. Later that week, the Trump administration exempted coal-fired power plants, facilities that make chemicals for semiconductor manufacturing, and certain other industrial sites from Biden-era a …Read the full story at The Verge.

Google is all-in on AI, and based on the company’s latest quarterly earnings, AI has been good for its bottom line. In a press release for Alphabet’s Q2 2025 earnings, CEO Sundar Pichai said that “AI is positively impacting every part of the business” and that features like AI Overviews and AI Mode are “performing well.”The company is also planning to increase its planned capital expenditures for the year up to $85 billion, according to Pichai. That’s an increase of $10 billion, and could be a sign that Alphabet wants to keep pace with massive data center buildouts from companies like OpenAI and Meta. “Our updated outlook reflects additional investment in servers, the timing of delivery of servers, and an acceleration in the pace of datacenter construction, primarily to meet cloud customer demand,” CFO Anat Ashkenazi said during Alphabet’s Q2 earnings call.For the quarter, Alphabet reported revenue of $96.4 billion, up 14 percent year over year, with revenues for its “Google Search” segment reaching $54.1 billion.Pichai’s comments in the press release on AI align with recent findings from Pew, which suggested that AI Overviews appear to be successful at getting people answers but at the expense of clicks through to the websites that would otherwise offer them. AI Mode also has more than 100 million monthly active users in the US and India, while AI Overviews has more than 2 billion monthly users across “more than 200 countries and territories and 40 languages,” Pichai said during the call. “We are also seeing that our AI features cause users to search more as they learn that Search can meet more of their needs,” which is “especially true for younger users.” Pichai also said that the Gemini app now has 450 million monthly active users, “with daily requests growing over 50 percent from Q1.”During the second quarter, Google hosted its annual I/O developer conference, which was jam-packed with AI-focused announcements like the rollout of AI Mode for Search (which news publishers have called “theft”), upgrades to its video and image generation models, Gemini AI in Chrome, and much more powerful smart replies in Gmail. (Based on that event, Google’s future is Google googling.) And just ahead of I/O, Google hosted an Android-focused show where it revealed the youthful new design language for Android 16.At the same time, Google is anticipating the ruling from the remedy phase of the Department of Justice’s lawsuit, which took place during the second quarter as well. Last August, a judge ruled that Google “is a monopolist” in that antitrust case, and remedies could include Google getting broken up. (A lot of companies have expressed interest in buying Chrome.)The company also changed its “G” logo for the first time in nearly a decade.Alphabet will be hosting its earnings webcast beginning at 4:30PM ET.Update, July 23rd: Added details from Alphabet’s earnings webcast.

Ask any Raspberry Pi tinkerer about their must-have SBC accessory, and you’ll hear microSD cards show up in the conversation more than a couple of times. Unlike their SSD and HDD counterparts, microSD cards are fairly inexpensive – to the point where you can dedicate multiple cards to separate distributions and swap between them without breaking the bank.