This digest compiles the latest from Tech Spot.
Today’s Tech Spot Roundup
Intel unveils Xeon 600 "Granite Rapids" workstation CPUs with up to 86 cores, 128 PCIe 5 lanes
The Granite Rapids-WS lineup is designed for Intel’s high-end W890 workstation platform and consists of 11 SKUs, including six X-series models with unlocked multipliers and five mainstream models without the X suffix. The full lineup includes the Xeon 698X, 696X, 678X, 676X, 674X, 658X, 656, 654, 638, 636, and 634.
Tesla expands the Model Y lineup with a lower-priced AWD option
The newly added AWD variant offers 294 miles of range, a top speed of 125 mph, and can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. These figures place it squarely between the rear-wheel-drive base model, which starts at $39,990, and the higher-end Performance trim. The configuration resembles Tesla’s recent Standard range offerings, designed for…
xAI launches Grok Imagine 1.0 with 10-second 720p video generation – here's what it looks like
Users on X can now prompt Grok to generate clips up to 10 seconds long and at resolutions up to 720p. xAI announced that users have created approximately 1.245 billion videos over the past 30 days. In the hours since the release of version 1.0, users have already begun posting videos showcasing its advancements.
Apple hits record US smartphone market share, widening the gap with Samsung
The US smartphone market was dragged down in Q4 due to the sub-$300 segment declining 7%, writes Counterpoint Research.
Microsoft begins testing Windows 11 26H2 with major fixes and Copilot changes
Build 26300.7674 is the first public test of what’s expected to become the major feature update for 2026. Unlike routine quality improvements, this new release is designed to bring deeper system-level changes, particularly around Copilot.
The Switch overtakes the DS to become Nintendo's best-selling console ever
Nintendo’s latest financial results revealed that the original Switch hybrid sold 1.36 million units in the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 that ended on December 31, 2025.
Homebrew demo shows real-time ray tracing on 1994 Sega Saturn console
Recent videos from Sega Saturn homebrew specialist XL2 showcase a rudimentary implementation of ray tracing running on Sega’s CD-ROM console, which launched in 1994. While the second demo uses an emulator, the first manages the feat on real hardware.
Ubisoft fires developer who publicly opposed its return-to-office mandate
David Michaud-Cromp, level design team lead at Ubisoft Montreal, says he was placed on unpaid disciplinary suspension last week for publicly speaking out against the company’s RTO plans. Ubisoft is forcing employees back into the office full-time five days per week, with a limited number of annual remote work days…
Elon Musk merges xAI into SpaceX with plans for space-based AI infrastructure
SpaceX has filed for permission to launch up to 1 million satellites configured as “orbital data centers.” These spacecraft would operate in low Earth orbit between roughly 500 and 2,000 kilometers in a mix of low-inclination and Sun-synchronous planes, forming a dense, solar-powered compute mesh interconnected by high-bandwidth links.
The new corporate alibi: AI is the go-to excuse for mass layoffs
In 2025, employers said artificial intelligence played a role in more than 50,000 planned job cuts, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That puts AI among the most commonly cited reasons for workforce reductions, alongside familiar corporate standbys like cost-cutting, restructuring, and shifting demand.
End of today’s Tech Spot roundup.
