Financial Times:
A look at the rise of AI companion apps; a researcher counts 206 such apps on the App Store and 253 on Google Play, with 220M+ total downloads as of July 2025  —  The technology is changing the way many people meet and form relationships but some experts believe it may do more harm than good

Nilesh Christopher / Los Angeles Times:
Hundreds of megawatts of new data center capacity are being planned in Vernon, a city near LA, which is a key US-Asia cable-linking hub and is becoming crowded  —  - 6 min Click here to listen to this article  — Vernon, an industrial town with just a little more than 200 residents …

George Hammond / Financial Times:
Sources: SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic could IPO in 2026; those three deals alone would exceed the total proceeds from roughly 200 US IPOs in 2025  —  Three biggest US private tech groups plan listings as early as this year, raising hopes of windfall for banks, lawyers and investors

Wall Street Journal:
Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 28% in 2025, its best percentage performance since 2017, driven by tech, AI, and semiconductor stocks  —  The city's benchmark Hang Seng Index finished the year up 28%  —  Hong Kong stocks ended 2025 with a second consecutive annual gain …

Song Jung-a / Financial Times:
Analysts and manufacturers expect smartphone, PC, and consumer electronics prices to rise by as much as 20% in 2026, as AI demand drives up memory chip costs  —  Manufacturers and analysts warn AI data centre build-out is crowding out market for semiconductors