Science & Technology — August 15, 2026

Tropical Storm Lala nears Hawaii. Forecasters expect Lala to strengthen into a hurricane before reaching the Big Island Saturday. If it does, it would be only the third recorded hurricane to make landfall there.

Direct hurricane strikes on Hawaii are unusual, according to Scientific American, which notes the islands rarely take a direct hit despite sitting in the Pacific. That history is what makes the current forecast notable: only two hurricanes are on record as having come ashore on the Big Island. Whether Lala joins them depends on intensification over the coming days, with the storm's approach expected by the weekend.

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Webb spots bizarre 'black hole star.' Astronomers found an object from a few hundred million years after the Big Bang that resembles an enormous star but shines 100 billion times brighter than one.

The object's luminosity is the puzzle driving interest, according to Science Daily. Its appearance suggests a single massive star, but its output far exceeds what any star could produce, leading researchers to the "black hole star" description. Its age adds significance: dating to only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, it offers a window into how the earliest luminous objects and black holes may have formed and grown.

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Judge orders Google Play changes. A judge gave Google one week to make third-party app stores more visible and easier to download within Google Play.

The ruling targets what the court described as anticompetitive conduct in how Google Play handles rival app stores, according to Ars Technica. The one-week deadline is notable for its speed in an antitrust context, and the outlet characterizes the order as a significant development for Android's broader app ecosystem, where Google Play has served as the dominant distribution channel. Compliance would let users find and install competing stores with less friction.

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Waymo expands to two California cities. The robotaxi company won approval to offer rides in Sacramento and San Diego and to grow its fleets across the Bay Area and Los Angeles.

The approval covers two fronts: entry into new markets and larger vehicle fleets in regions where the company already operates, according to Engadget. Regulators signed off on both the Sacramento and San Diego launches and the expanded Bay Area and Los Angeles operations, a combination the outlet says will put driverless ride service within reach of millions more people. California remains a central proving ground for the company's commercial robotaxi business.

Engadget · Read more →