Week in Review: Most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of May 4, 2025
Get caught up on the latest technology and startup news from the past week. Here are the most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of May 4, 2025.
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Most popular stories on GeekWire
Statsig lands $100M at $1.1B valuation, aiming to unify product development as AI upends industry
We have a new unicorn. Four years after it was founded by a former Facebook engineering leader, Statsig has raised $100 million at a $1.1 billion valuation, accelerating its efforts to unify product development tools as AI reshapes how software behaves and gets built. … Read More
Lawmaker behind controversial 'Tesla tax' explains why Washington is targeting EV credits
Critics of a Washington tax that would largely impact Tesla accuse the state's Democratic lawmakers of taking punitive action against Elon Musk, dubbing it the 'Tesla tax.' The state leader behind the controversial legislation says that's patently false. … Read More
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Android Authority
23 minutes ago
- Android Authority
The main issue with Windows handhelds is Windows, but the Xbox ROG Ally tries to fix that
TL;DR Microsoft has announced the Xbox ROG Ally and Xbox ROG Ally X handhelds, coming this holiday season. These Windows handhelds boot directly into a controller-friendly UI and feature an Xbox button to summon the Game Bar overlay. Microsoft has also turned off various Windows elements in the name of gaming performance. We've heard for a while now that Microsoft and ASUS were working together on an Xbox-branded ROG Ally handheld. Now, the companies have indeed announced the Xbox ROG Ally and ROG Ally X devices. These machines aren't actually handheld Xbox consoles, as they're still running Windows 11. However, Microsoft says it's made plenty of changes to the software experience. This is good news, as the UI and software experience have long been the biggest issues with Windows-based handhelds. Major software changes For starters, Microsoft says the Xbox ROG Ally handhelds will boot directly into the 'Xbox full screen experience' for a more intuitive and efficient handheld environment. 'With new modifications that minimize background activity and defer non-essential tasks, more system resources are dedicated specifically to gameplay,' Microsoft added. A Microsoft executive told The Verge that it managed to claw back 2GB of RAM by turning off the desktop wallpaper, taskbar, and a 'bunch' of other Windows processes. However, users can still jump into the traditional Windows environment if they'd like to do so. These handhelds also offer an Xbox button to summon the Game Bar overlay, which includes ASUS Armory Crate integration. Finally, Microsoft notes that it's also optimized the lock screen and task switcher for controller input (better late than never, I guess). Otherwise, you can still access other stores on the device, including Steam. Xbox ROG Ally: What about hardware? The two Xbox ROG Ally models share several features, namely a 7-inch 120Hz IPS LCD screen (1080p, Gorilla Glass Victus), microSD expansion, M.2 2280 SSDs that can be swapped out, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 6E, and 65W charging. The standard Xbox ROG Ally has an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, a 60Wh battery (up from 40Wh in the original Ally), 16GB of RAM, 512GB of internal storage, and two USB-C ports (USB 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort 2.1). However, the Xbox ROG Ally X model ups the ante with an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip (an upgrade from the vanilla ASUS ROG Ally X), an 80Wh battery, 24GB of RAM, 1TB of internal storage, and a USB-C port (USB 4.0 with Thunderbolt 4 compatibility). Interestingly, ASUS claims that playing in Silent Mode on the Xbox ROG Ally X will 'feel like' playing in Performance Mode on the previous Ally X while still offering more battery life. Unfortunately, the company isn't dishing out specific battery life figures just yet. Microsoft and ASUS haven't revealed pricing just yet, either, while only confirming that the handhelds will be available this holiday season. Expect to find the Xbox ROG Ally line in a variety of markets, including Australia, Europe, Japan, the Middle East, the UK, and the US. However, Microsoft adds that the handhelds will eventually be available in other markets where ROG Ally models are already sold. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Bloomberg
44 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
US-China Trade Talks; LA Immigration Clashes Escalate
The US and China are ready to resume trade talks in London today... with the flow of rare earth minerals set to be a key focus; clashes between law enforcement and demonstrators in Los Angeles over anti-deportation protests escalate. President Trump's deployment of the National Guard inflames residents... California's Governor says he will file a law suit to block the federal government's intervention; and Bloomberg learns Meta is in talks to invest in startup Scale AI. The financing may exceed $10 billion, making it one of the largest-ever private company funding deals. (Source: Bloomberg)
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
US-China Trade Talks Resume In London Today
Good morning. The US and China start another round of trade talks in London today. Los Angeles reels in its third day of anti-deportation protests. And visiting the pyramids is becoming easier. Listen to the day's top stories. US and Chinese negotiators open their second round of tariff talks today in London. Beijing said it's already approved some rare-earth exports, but a key goal for China will be to ease US chip controls. Chinese exports to the US plunged 34.4% in May, the most since 2020.
