Eroad faces ‘distraction’ as largest shareholder tries to overhaul board
Eroad’s chair says a reset towards the New Zealand and Australian market is being distracted by a shareholder’s board takeover effort.

Alongside publishing full-year results on Monday that showed flat revenue and a $161.1 million loss, the fleet technology company said its largest single shareholder, Ampfield Management, was seeking to overhaul its board. ⌘ Read more

Disney’s ‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Opens to ‘Mixed’ Box Office Results
It’s “the first time in seven years that a new Star Wars film has launched on the big screen,” writes CNBC. And Variety notes it’s expected to earn $102 million through Monday:

[B]ox office analysts are mixed on the results. On one hand, it’s significant for any film to debut above $100 million in post- … ⌘ Read more

Zespri nears year-round kiwifruit supply goal within two to three years
Zespri is two or three years away from “bridging the gap” in supply between its New Zealand and Northern Hemisphere fruit.

In the north it is grown largely in Europe as well as Japan and South Korea, and the kiwifruit marketer sold 32.3 million trays of Northern Hemisphere fr … ⌘ Read more

‘Underminr’ CDN Vulnerability Hides Malicious Traffic Behind Trusted Domains
Slashdot reader wiredmikey writes: Threat actors are exploiting a vulnerability in shared content delivery network (CDN) infrastructure to hide connections to malicious domains. Researchers say the vulnerability could impact roughly 88 million domains and can bypass DNS filtering and protective DNS controls, potentially enab … ⌘ Read more

Microsoft Flight Simulator’s new collaboration with NSW Rural Fire Service
The NSW Rural Fire Service has teamed up with Microsoft for a new aerial firefighting mission in Flight Simulator. 9news.com.au spoke to the game’s director, Jörg Neumann, to learn all about it, and how they’ve used a million-dollar camera to capture real life locations for the game. ⌘ Read more

ICE Awards $25M Iris-Scanning Contract to Bi2 Technologies
Article URL: https://www.projectsaltbox.com/p/ice-awards-25-million-iris-scanning

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48252720

Points: 17

# Comments: 1 ⌘ Read more

Samsung Chip Workers To Get $340,000 Average Bonus In AI Boom
Samsung is reportedly set to pay chip-division workers an average bonus of about $340,000 after reaching a tentative deal with its union, according to Bloomberg (paywalled). The deal ended a standoff that “could have cost the economy as much as 1 trillion won ($658 million) daily, with losses potentially multiplying to 100 trillion won ($68 billion) if in … ⌘ Read more

Oceania Healthcare posts record result but still no dividend
Oceania Healthcare says the year to March 31 marked a “step-change” in financial performance, although free cash flow remains negative and dividends are still off the table.

The retirement village and aged care service operator’s proforma underlying ebitda lifted 20% to $97.7 million, while proforma underlying net profit lifted 34% to $64.1m. ⌘ Read more

‘Creepy’ Listening Tool for Targeted Ads Didn’t Actually Work, FTC Says
Three firms will pay nearly $1 million for selling “Active Listening” technology that they claimed tapped people’s phones for advertising. The FTC alleges the “tech” was just pricey email lists. ⌘ Read more

Turners Automotive is betting on branches and Bunnings-style footprint to hit $100m target
How can Turners Automotive Group hit its $100 million profit target?

Look to the South Island for the blueprint. ⌘ Read more

Lume Music app raises $1.34m
A group of Kiwi tech entrepreneurs, including Substack’s Hamish McKenzie, The Spinoff’s Duncan Greive and Tim Harper of Glorious, are behind a new music app.

Lume Music – trading as Lume – has already raised $1.34 million in a friends and family round. ⌘ Read more

Government puts $2.5m towards billion-dollar underground asset striking problem
The Government is putting $2.5 million towards a possibly $1.45 billion problem: the accidental damage of underground cables and pipes.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop announced on Thursday that work on a national underground asset … ⌘ Read more

SpaceX Listed Grok’s ‘Spicy’ Mode as a Risk in Its IPO Filing
The rocket company has set aside more than $500 million for potential litigation losses, in part to account for complaints alleging Grok created sexualized images. ⌘ Read more

Google Publishes Exploit Code Threatening Millions of Chromium Users
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Google on Wednesday published exploit code for an unfixed vulnerability in its Chromium browser codebase that threatens millions of people using Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and virtually all other Chromium-based browsers. The proof-of-concept code exploits the Browser Fetch programming inte … ⌘ Read more

My Food Bag lifts profit and revenue as board weighs possible sale
Listed meal-kit company My Food Bag has reported revenue growth of 6.2% for the second half of the 2026 financial year.

In an NZX announcement on Thursday, My Food Bag (MFB) announced a net profit after tax of $6.7 million, up 5.3% year on year. ⌘ Read more

Anna’s Archive Hit With Global Domain Takedown Order
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TorrentFreak: A coalition of thirteen major publishers has won a massive $19.5 million default judgment against shadow library Anna’s Archive. A New York federal judge fully approved the publishers’ requests, issuing a broad permanent injunction that orders more than twenty specific global registries, hosts, and service providers t … ⌘ Read more

Software startup Factor bursts out of Taiawa tech hub into the big time
Wellington technology hub Taiawa is celebrating the first exit of one of its in-house startup companies in a $24 million deal announced this week.

The day before BusinessDesk visited Taiawa, NZ company Gentrack revealed it was acquiring Taiawa’s resident startup Factor for $ … ⌘ Read more

Webb Discovers One of the Universe’s First Galaxies
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified an ultra-faint galaxy seen just 800 million years after the Big Bang. The galaxy contains almost no heavy elements, shows signs of intense early stellar radiation, and could offer a rare glimpse into the first stages of galaxy formation. Phys.org reports: In a paper published in the journal Nature, a team o … ⌘ Read more

From dispute to deal: Mevo acquired by car-share rival Carbn
New Zealand car-share business Mevo has been acquired by the company it was in a dispute with, after being tipped into liquidation this month, owing $4.3 million.

Carbn Group acquired the business assets of Mevo and plans to relaunch a Wellington-only model initially, keeping the Mevo brand. ⌘ Read more

Serko outlook lifts as AI travel tools offset Middle East war war
Serko’s chief executive says the corporate travel company is weathering the travel disruptions caused by the US and Israeli war with Iran surprisingly well, recording a “very strong” final quarter despite the global volatility.

Serko on Wednesday reported a 34% increase in total income to $120.9 million in the 12 months ended March 31, 2026, compared with $90.5m a year earlier. ⌘ Read more

Three Ubco companies in liquidation owing over $35m
Tauranga-based electric motorcycle maker Ubco has been placed in liquidation, owing creditors over $35 million.

The company entered receivership with debts of $35.7m in January 2025 but was rescued by a group of New Zealand investors by July of the same year. ⌘ Read more

Ample Meats losses deepen as 2024 accounts finally filed
The Chinese-owned Taranaki meat processor that blamed its accountants for delayed financial statements deepened its loss in 2024 as revenue dropped, according to newly filed accounts.

Ample Group posted a loss of just over $1.9 million in the 12 months to the end of September 2024, compared with … ⌘ Read more

Google New Zealand increases profit, sends $1.2b offshore to Singapore
Google New Zealand’s 2025 financial results were again dominated by payments to related parties offshore.

The tech giant’s local subsidiary reported revenue of $92 million for the 12 months to December 31, 2025, a 6% increase over 2024’s $87.2m. ⌘ Read more

FBI Wants to Buy Nationwide Access to License Plate Readers
The FBI is seeking up to $36 million for nationwide access to automated license plate reader (ALPRs) data, which could let it query vehicle movements across the U.S. and its territories through a commercial database. 404 Media reports: “The FBI has a crucial need for accessible LPRs to provide a diverse and reliable range of collections across the United S … ⌘ Read more

Councils begin to tally cost of Iran war, rates impact unknown
Councils are beginning to understand the million-dollar cost of the fallout from the Iran conflict.

Auckland Council is anticipating cost increases possibly totalling $50 million in the coming financial year, depending on how long high fuel prices last. Greater Wellington says cost increases on its open contracts have been as high as 23%. ⌘ Read more

Gentrack earnings drop on project delays in Utilities business
Gentrack on Monday reported lower first-half earnings due to delays in revenue from new projects and announced the purchase of Prospero Energy, trading as Factor.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation, excluding acquisition costs of $0.6 million, was $7.9m in the six months to March 31 compared to $13m in the prior period. ⌘ Read more

Why Is the US Job Market So Tough, Especially for Recent College Grads?
What’s going on with the U.S. job market? “The economy is growing. Unemployment is low,” notes the Washington Post. “And yet, for millions of workers, finding a job has become harder than at almost any other point in decades,” with the hiring rate “well below pre-pandemic levels for more than a year.”

Part of the problem? “Of the net … ⌘ Read more

OpenAI Now Wants ChatGPT To Access Your Bank Accounts
OpenAI is previewing a feature that lets ChatGPT Pro users connect bank and investment accounts through Plaid, allowing the chatbot to analyze spending, subscriptions, balances, portfolios, debt, and major financial decisions. “More than 200 million people are already going to ChatGPT every month with finance questions – from budgeting to tips on how to cut back on s … ⌘ Read more

AI start-up boss who faked millions in revenue faces jail time
The former chief executive has been told by his own lawyer that a jail sentence is unavoidable after pleading guilty to fraud. ⌘ Read more

Anthropic Forms $200 Million Partnership With the Gates Foundation
Anthropic announced today that it is partnering with the Gates Foundation to “commit $200 million in grant funding, Claude usage credits, and technical support for programs in global health, life sciences, education, and economic mobility over the next four years.”

“This commitment is central to Anthropic’s efforts to extend the benefits of A … ⌘ Read more

KDE Receives $1.4 Million Investment From Sovereign Tech Fund
The German Sovereign Tech Fund has invested 1.2 million euros ($1.4 million USD) in KDE Plasma technologies to help strengthen the structural reliability and security of the desktop environment’s core infrastructure, including Plasma, KDE Linux, and the frameworks underlying its communication services. Longtime Slashdot reader jrepin shares an excerpt fro … ⌘ Read more

Sovereign Tech Fund invests in KDE
The KDE project has announced
that it has been awarded over €1 million from the Sovereign Tech Fund
to improve its desktop-environment software. “The investment will be
used to strengthen the structural reliability and security of KDE’s core
infrastructure, including Plasma, KDE Linux, and the frameworks underlying
its communication services.” ⌘ Read more

KDE Receiving Over 1.2 Million EUR Investment From Sovereign Tech Fund
KDE today announced a significant investment into the project by Germany’s Sovereign Tech Fund. KDE will be receiving €1,285,200 EUR (or roughly 1.5 million USD) over the years 2026 and 2027 to make some significant improvements into their software stack… ⌘ Read more

A Data Center Drained 30 Million Gallons of Water Unnoticed
A Georgia data center developed by QTS used nearly 30 million gallons of water through two unaccounted-for connections before residents complained about low water pressure and the county utility discovered the issue. “All told, the developer, Quality Technology Services, owed nearly $150,000 for using more than 29 million gallons of unaccounted-for water,” … ⌘ Read more

DroneShield insiders sold $67 million in shares. The watchdog has questions
ASIC has launched an investigation into the counter-drone group’s disclosures, six months after a botched contract announcement and a $67 million director sell-off. ⌘ Read more

A Chevron Texas Power Plant Seeks School District Tax Break
The move could save the oil company hundreds of millions, even as Texas lawmakers start looking at reining in incentives for data centers. ⌘ Read more

L’ancienne ministre Caroline Cayeux condamnée pour fraude fiscale
L’ex-maire de Beauvais, éphémère ministre d’Emmanuel Macron en 2022, a plaidé coupable dans l’enquête ouverte sur une minoration de son patrimoine de plus de 11 millions d’euros. Elle a été condamnée à dix mois de prison avec sursis, 100 000 euros d’amende et vingt-quatre mois d’inéligibilité. ⌘ Read more

Rocket Lab Reports Growing Demand for Commercial Space Products. Stock Surges 34%
For just the first three months of 2026, Rocket Lab’s launch business reports $63.7 million in revenue, reports CNBC — plus another $136.7 million from its space systems business. Besides beating Wall Street’s expectations, Rocket Lab also announced that its backlog has more than doubled from a year ago to $2.2 … ⌘ Read more

Rush Rescue Mission for NASA’s $500M Space Telescope Passes Key Milestone
NASA’s $500 million Neil Gehrels Swift space observatory was launched in 2004. But it’s now “at risk of falling back through the atmosphere and burning up without intervention,” reports Spaceflight Now.

Fortunately, a mission to prevent that “just passed a notable prelaunch testing milestone.”
On Friday, NASA announced that th … ⌘ Read more

Social Media Sites Got Information from Ad Trackers on US State Health Insurance Sites
All 20 of America’s state-run healthcare marketplace sites “include advertising trackers that share information with Big Tech companies,” reports Gizmodo, citing a report from Bloomberg:

Per the report, seven million Americans bought their health insurance through state exchanges in 2026, and many of them ma … ⌘ Read more

Motherboard Sales ‘Collapse’ By More Than 25%
Motherboard sales are sharply declining as AI demand drives shortages and price hikes for memory, storage, CPUs, and other PC components. “Because of this, users who don’t have deep pockets are putting off upgrading their PCs and holding on to their current devices longer,” reports Tom’s Hardware. From the report: Asus, which sold 15 million motherboards in 2025, has only shipped a … ⌘ Read more

Morgan Stanley Undercuts Rivals On Pricing In Crypto Trading Debut
Morgan Stanley is adding crypto trading to E*Trade, with a pilot now underway and a broader rollout planned for the platform’s 8.6 million customers later this year. The bank is reportedly undercutting rivals with a 50-basis-point trading fee as it bets traditional finance and DeFi will converge.

“By contrast, Robinhood Markets’ (HOOD) fees … ⌘ Read more

Silicon Valley Bets $200 Million On AI Data Centers Floating In the Ocean
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Silicon Valley investors such as Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel have bet hundreds of millions of dollars on deploying AI data centers powered by waves in the middle of the world’s oceans – a move that coincides with tech companies facing mounting challenges in building AI d … ⌘ Read more

A Library Dedicated Solely to the Epstein Files Is Opening in New York
The Institute for Primary Facts has compiled more than 3.5 million pages of the Epstein files for public display at the newly opened Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room. ⌘ Read more

Apple Will Pay $250 Million to Settle Lawsuit Over Siri’s AI Features
If you bought an iPhone 15 or 16 in the US, you could be set to pocket up to $95 per device as Apple settles class-action lawsuit. ⌘ Read more

CO2 Levels In the Atmosphere Hit ‘Depressing’ New Record
Atmospheric carbon dioxide hit a new record in April, averaging about 431 parts per million at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory. That’s up from under 320 ppm when the site began measurements in 1958. Scientific American reports: Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are measured as a proportion of the total atmosphere. The numbers are presented as the number of mo … ⌘ Read more

Apple Agrees To Pay iPhone Owners $250 Million For Not Delivering AI Siri
Apple has agreed to a proposed $250 million settlement over claims that it misled iPhone buyers about the availability of Apple Intelligence and its upgraded Siri features. The settlement would cover U.S. buyers of the iPhone 16 lineup and iPhone 15 Pro models between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025. The Verge reports: The settl … ⌘ Read more

Linux 7.1 Features: New NTFS Driver, New Intel + AMD Hardware, Performance Optimizations & Modernization
The Linux 7.1 development kernel that amounts to nearly 40 million lines has a lot of new features and changes in tow. While Linux 7.1 stable won’t be out until mid-June, here is a look at the interesting changes coming with this next stable version of the Linux kernel. ⌘ Read more

What to Know About Sony’s $7.85 Million PlayStation Settlement
Are you eligible for a payout? Probably, but it might take a while and will likely be pretty small. ⌘ Read more

Can Investors Trust AI Sales Figures? Asks Wall Street Journal Opinion Piece
A Wall Street Journal opinion piece warns of “a troubling trend” in AI’s growth. “Rather than selling software, some AI companies are paying their partners to use it.”

It cites OpenAI’s $1.5 billion joint venture with private-equity firms, Anthropic’s $200 million contribution to a private-equity firm joint venture, and Google’ … ⌘ Read more