Technology

Slate raises $650 million to make its budget electric truck

The Verge • 2026-04-13T12:38

Slate Auto, the EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, raised $650 million to fund its effort to build an affordable electric pickup truck expected to start in the mid-$20,000s. The company plans on delivering its first EV later this year. The Series C round was led by TWG Global, headed by Guggenheim Partners founder and […]

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Slate Auto, the EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, raised $650 million to fund its effort to build an affordable electric pickup truck expected to start in the mid-$20,000s.

The company plans on delivering its first EV later this year.

The Series C round was led by TWG Global, headed by Guggenheim Partners founder and […]

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This story helps build a stronger internal English tech archive around Technology, giving search visitors more reasons to keep browsing the site instead of bouncing after a single headline.

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https://www.theverge.com/transportation/911085/slate-truck-ev-fundraise-twg-global-bezos

Many countries are pursuing social media bans for anyone under 16, but a recent poll is putting the effectiveness of such laws into question. The Molly Rose Foundation , a charity organization that focuses on preventing online harm, recently published a study that polled 1,050 Australian children between ages 12 and 15 in March. The study's results showed that 61 percent of those between 12 and 15 who previously had access to affected social media platforms still have one or more active accounts. Australia made a first-in-the-world decision to ban social media for those under 16 years old, beginning on December 10. While it's only been a few months since the ban went into effect, the foundation's poll concluded that the ban doesn't have a "clear positive or negative impact on children’s wellbeing." The study also noted that 70 percent of children trying to get on restricted platforms said that it was easy to get around the ban. "These results raise major questions about the effectiveness of Australia’s social media ban and show it would be a high stakes gamble for the UK to follow suit now," Andy Burrows, the CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation, said in a statement. The Australian government has also published its own findings in March that examined how social media platforms are complying with the ban. According to the government's report, Snap, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are currently being investigated for potential non-compliance. The report added that Australia's eSafety agency is finalizing these investigations and will make a decision about enforcement by the middle of 2026. According to the eSafety report, the agency's enforcement powers include issuing infringement notices, seeking court-ordered injunctions and "civil penalties up to A$49.5 million," or around $35 million USD. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/majority-of-australian-kids-are-still-on-banned-social-media-platforms-study-finds-162922768.html?src=rss

Microsoft is testing OpenClaw-like AI bots for 365 Copilot

Microsoft is looking into ways it can integrate OpenClaw-style features into 365 Copilot, according to a report from The Information. The test reportedly comes as part of efforts to make its 365 Copilot AI assistant "run autonomously around the clock" while completing tasks on behalf of users. Omar Shahine, Microsoft's corporate vice president, confirmed to […]

Roblox defends expanded age‑checks after parents raise concerns over errors

With 144m daily users, the gaming company is extending its tech to introduce two age‑specific accounts.