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Daily Tech News Roundup - 2025-12-31

1. Two cybersecurity employees plead guilty to carrying out ransomware attacks
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/851467/cybersecurity-employees-plead-guilty-alphv-blackcat-ransomware
Summary: Two former employees at cybersecurity firms - one of whom was a ransomware negotiator - have pleaded guilty to carrying out a series of ransomware attacks in 2023. The Department of Justice announced the guilty pleas on Tuesday, saying 40-year-old Ryan Goldberg and 36-year-old Kevin Martin extorted $1.2 million in Bitcoin from a medical device […]

2. Almost 80 European deep tech university spinouts reached $1B valuations or $100M in revenue in 2025
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/30/76-european-deep-tech-university-spinouts-reached-unicorn-or-centaur-status/
Summary: According to Dealroom’s European Spinout Report 2025, 76 European deep tech and life sciences spinouts have either reached $1 billion valuations, $100 million in revenue, or both.

3. The OneXSugar Wallet is the first gaming handheld with a folding screen
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/851401/one-netbook-onexsugar-gaming-handheld-wallet-folding-oled-screen-android
Summary: Folding OLED displays are still most commonly found on premium smartphones and laptops, but One-Netbook is bringing the tech to a new gaming device. Its new OneXSugar Wallet is reminiscent of the company's folding OneXSugar Sugar 1 handheld that launched earlier this year. But instead of two screens, the Wallet handheld unfolds to reveal just […]

4. 12 investors dish on what 2026 will bring for climate tech
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/30/12-investors-dish-on-what-2026-will-bring-for-climate-tech/
Summary: After a tumultuous year, venture investors are still optimistic about climate tech's long-term prospects, especially as data centers continue to drive demand for electricity, manufacturing, and materials.

5. The best AI-powered dictation apps of 2025
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/30/the-best-ai-powered-dictation-apps-of-2025/
Summary: AI-powered dictation apps are useful for replying to emails, taking notes, and even coding through your voice

6. GameSir put a tiny force feedback steering wheel on its new Swift Drive controller
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/851259/gamesir-switch-turbo-drive-controller-steering-wheel-wireless-force-feedback
Summary: GameSir is no stranger to experimenting with unique controller features - its Tarantula Pro can automatically swap its face button labels to accommodate alternate layouts, and its Pocket 1 clamps Game Boy controls onto your phone. What sets its new Swift Drive controller apart is a small steering wheel located smack-dab in the middle of […]

7. Anker’s portable backup battery is an even better investment now that it’s nearly half off
Source: https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/851016/anker-521-powerhouse-google-tv-streamer-4k-deal-sale
Summary: Winter storms across the country are bringing heavy snow, rain, and — in some cases, as this Californian who briefly lost power a few days ago can attest — outages. If you want to prepare, Anker’s 521 PowerHouse can help keep your essential devices running and it’s on sale for $129.99 ($120 off) at Amazon. […]

8. The FCC has probably killed a plan to improve smart home security
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/851271/cyber-trust-mark-program-lead-administrator-withdraws
Summary: The US Cyber Trust Mark Program, an Energy Star-style certification for smart home security, could be winding down less than a year after it launched. Safety testing company UL Solutions has announced that it is stepping down as the program's lead administrator, just a few months after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began investigating it […]

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