Science & Technology — July 15, 2026

Apple sues OpenAI over alleged trade secret theft. The suit accuses OpenAI of conspiring with former Apple employees to steal trade secrets; OpenAI says it has seen no evidence supporting the claims.

Ars Technica reports the case centers on a former Apple engineer who allegedly exploited a software bug to extract confidential material. Apple's complaint characterizes the alleged theft as a coordinated effort involving multiple ex-employees who went on to work with OpenAI, according to the outlet. OpenAI has pushed back, stating it has seen nothing to substantiate Apple's accusations. The dispute now heads to court, where Apple would need to prove the alleged conspiracy.

Ars Technica · Read more →

New York pauses new data centers. Gov. Kathy Hochul made New York the first state to halt approvals of large data centers for a year, arguing the AI building boom shouldn't raise residents' electricity costs.

TechCrunch · Read more →

SpaceX targets Thursday for Starship Flight 13. The 13th test flight will carry the first V3 Starlink satellites and test booster recovery and upgraded flight systems.

Space.com · Read more →

OpenAI may launch a ChatGPT smart speaker this year. The company's first hardware device is reportedly a screenless, camera-equipped speaker designed to feel like a physical companion for ChatGPT.

The Verge · Read more →