The launch is a key step in Europe’s goal to compete with US-based organisations for commercial space missions.

A rocket developed and controlled by German start-up Isar Aerospace has made history by becoming the first commercial launch to reach orbit from continental Europe. 

As part of the ‘Onward and Upward’ mission, the uncrewed Spectrum rocket lifted off from Isar Aerospace’s launch complex at Andøya Space in Norway carrying a payload of satellites and reached orbit in around four minutes. 

The achievement marks a major step in Europe’s ambitions to rival US counterparts for commercial space missions.   

This was Isar’s second launch attempt, as there had previously been a range of factors causing delays, such as weather conditions, technical difficulties and disruption by a rogue boat. The first attempt saw the rocket launch for only 30 seconds before experiencing a crash. 

Commenting after the successful launch, Daniel Metzler, the CEO and co-founder of Isar Aerospace, said: “Today, Isar Aerospace opened space from continental Europe. Launch continues to be the largest bottleneck for the global space industry and from today on, there is a true alternative for commercial and institutional customers.” 

He added: “We achieved within a few years what had taken the European space industry decades before. Europe now has sovereign access to space.  We have entered into a new chapter for European spaceflight. 

“I am incredibly proud of our team, that has made this success story from Europe possible. We will now focus on rapidly scaling launch vehicle production, deliver on our order pipeline, and meet surging global demand.”

According to a statement released by Isar Aerospace, the company’s model is designed to build scalable launch capabilities. There is also a keen focus on building the “machine behind the machine”, which includes a vertically integrated manufacturing model and a high degree of automation in production. 

And with the opening of a new 40,000 sq m production facility near Munich, Isar Aerospace will eventually have the capacity to manufacture up to 40 launch vehicles per year. 

“All launches are special, but what Isar Aerospace achieved today is historic, the first European company to reach orbit with their own launch vehicle” said Géraldine Naja, ESA’s director of space transportation.

“A huge congratulation to the teams involved, who with this launch also complete the first milestone of ESA’s European Launcher Challenge, looking forward to seeing many more European launches, including from Andøya Spaceport in Norway in the near future.”

In July, Isar Aerospace was included in new data from Crunchbase that explored how organisations fared financially in Q2 of 2026, with European start-ups reporting the strongest quarter in four years for venture funding. Isar made the list for its successful late-stage funding efforts. 

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software

Commission reportedly seeks third-party views, although no formal investigation is underway

The European Commission (EC) may be laying the groundwork for an investigation into Oracle’s software licensing practices, according to reports.

The scrutiny follows the EC’s investigation into fellow enterprise software vendor SAP, which ended with the Commission accepting legally binding commitments from the German company to abolish reinstatement fees and reduce back-maintenance fees, among other concessions.

MLex is now reporting that the EC – the EU’s executive arm – has started to examine Oracle’s licensing practices ahead of a possible formal investigation. One source told the publication that the EC was seeking views from third parties.

An EC spokesperson told The Register it had concluded an investigation into SAP, and “will continue to monitor possible further anti-competitive practices and abusive conduct in this sector. At this stage however, there is no formal investigation into any company.”

The Register invited Oracle to comment.

Big Red’s licensing practices have attracted criticism for years, although the vendor maintains they are fair. One frequently criticized example is its treatment of Java, which came under Oracle’s stewardship after it agreed to buy Sun Microsystems in 2009.

OpenJDK, the reference implementation of the Java platform, is open source, but vendors can charge for proprietary development kits, runtime environments, and support.

Oracle announced a new licensing regime for Oracle Java SE in January 2023. It said Java SE Universal Subscription would offer customers “a simple, low-cost monthly subscription that includes Java SE Licensing and Support for use on Desktops, Servers or Cloud deployments.”

Industry experts pointed out that even businesses with limited use of Oracle Java could have to pay according to their total employee count under the model, a dramatic departure from Oracle’s previous licensing terms. Gartner estimated the per-employee subscription model to be two to five times more expensive than the legacy version.

Another licensing mechanism that has attracted criticism is the Unlimited License Agreement. Some licensing advisors claim the all-you-can-eat option offers poor value, locks users in, and limits their choice of alternative products. Oracle maintains that the agreement offers flexibility and good value.

The EC accepted SAP’s commitments in July after opening an investigation into concerns that the German vendor may have restricted competition in the aftermarket for maintenance and support of its on-premises ERP software.

Gartner welcomed the commitments, saying they gave customers more options for their legacy SAP applications by making third-party support a more viable alternative to migration. Vendor support for some older SAP products is due to end in 2027. ®

Bose refreshed its everyday over-ears and left the price at $199 (was $359). QuietComfort Headphones now carry Immersive Audio, two-way USB-C sound, and smarter canceling that used to live on the more expensive Ultra models.

The former spherical silhouette has been replaced with pill-shaped earcups and a broader sliding headband. Protein-leather pads are removable, and the entire rig weighs roughly 230 grams. That number is important for a red-eye flight. The cushioning around the ears and across the crown is thick enough that most people cease noticing the headset within twenty minutes. Glasses wearers have a cleaner seal than they did with the original QuietComfort Headphones.

Sale

Bose QuietComfort Headphones – Wireless Bluetooth Headphones, Active Over Ear Noise Cancelling and Mic…

• NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES: Effortlessly combines noise cancellation technology with passive features so you can shut off the outside world, quiet…
• COMFORTABLE HEADPHONES: Plush over-ear cushions softly hug your ears, while a secure and comfortable padded band gently keeps your studio headphones…
• 2 LISTENING MODES: These wireless Bluetooth headphones feature Quiet and Aware Modes that let you toggle between full noise cancelling or full…

QuietControl is the new term for the canceling system, and ActiveSense is the component that responds to noise surges. A bus hiss, a blender, and a cabin roar: the headphones add extra silence without requiring a menu dive. When canceling was turned on, SoundGuys found that perceived loudness decreased by 85 percent. Aware mode still let street noise and conversation through. If you merely want raw isolation from the pads, you can use the full off setting.

The stock tune features warm bass and rich mids. Treble remains courteous rather than harsh. The Bose app includes a three-band equalization that allows you to increase or decrease bass, mids, and highs without having to navigate ten sliders. TrueSpatial audio, previously reserved for Ultra, is now available in three versions. Still mode keeps the mix in the room as you turn your head. In motion mode, the stage moves with you. Cinema mode broadens the scope of films while attempting to keep voices central.

USB-C now supports bidirectional audio transmission at up to 24-bit/48 kHz. You may listen as the battery charges. A USB-C to 3.5 mm cable is included in the container for airplane seats and older plugs. Bluetooth 5.4 supports two devices at once. Codecs remain at AAC and SBC. AptX remains an Ultra perk. With canceling turned on, the battery life lasts 24 hours, however it drops to 18 hours if Immersive Audio is left on. Fifteen minutes on a charging provides approximately 2.5 hours. You may wear them as they charge, eliminating the usual “dead battery” dread on a long day.

Six microphones are used to conduct calls. Bose claims that voice pickup is cleaner than the previous generation. Independent testers continue to rate talking as the poorest capability of these devices. There is no wear sensor, thus music will not stop when you lift a cup. There are no water ratings either. On paper, their competitors will outlast them by 50 hours.

BLUETTI has unveiled the Pioneer 5000 E-Generator, built for construction, rental and remote-site power with 5kW continuous and 18kW surge output.

Construction sites across the EU answer to Stage V emissions standards phased in from 2019, while sites in London have faced the Non-Road Mobile Machinery Low Emission Zone since 2015, and BLUETTI enters that landscape with an E-Generator category built around the Pioneer 5000.

That combination suits noise‑sensitive sites and intermittent tool use, the system’s 5.12kWh battery (expandable to 35kWh) powers short‑burst tools and lighting, with load‑dependent runtime, and features IP65, IK10, and a -20°C to 55°C environmental tolerance.

Charging follows the same practical logic, since 5 to 80 percent takes around 60 minutes at up to 5kW of AC input and combined AC-solar charging can reach 6.2kW, while BLUETTI rates noise at no more than 50 decibels, a level that could appeal to operators working in noise-sensitive locations.

Remote oversight comes through the BLUETTI App and an optional 4G module, which combine location tracking, fault alerts, remote diagnostics and over-the-air updates to cut routine site visits for fleet managers.

The Pioneer 5000 forms one part of a wider portfolio BLUETTI is showing at IFA 2026 under the theme From Balcony to Everywhere, and the range spans professional power, home energy storage and portable devices for life on the move.

Home energy and portable additions

Household electricity costs echo that same pressure, since Eurostat’s second-half 2025 figures show EU household prices plateaued near their post-crisis highs at around 0.29 euros per kWh, above pre-2021 levels, and the Balco 500 responds with a 5,024Wh LFP battery paired with up to 4,600W of solar input.

Balco 500 combines grid-tied and off-grid backup modes with an IP65 rating, a 10-year product warranty and a separately stated 8,000-cycle rating for the pack itself, per BLUETTI’s published specifications.

As the AI‑driven brain of Balco 500, BlueBot learns household usage patterns to build a dynamic energy model, and incorporates the Plug & Play Phase‑Match Energy System to auto‑coordinate three‑phase wiring for optimal solar self‑consumption.

What is more interesting is Bluetti’s EnergyFlex System, it connects a compatible portable power station to home circuits through a Balco Transfer Hub, turning that power station into part of a home energy system.

Alongside that home energy solution, BLUETTI previewed the Elite mini Series, three compact power stations spanning from 288Wh to 2,010Wh that measure up to 42 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than the equivalent Elite V2 models for camping or home use.

BLUETTI has not confirmed pricing or regional availability for the Pioneer 5000 or the wider lineup, and that figure will likely decide how compelling the E-Generator category looks to rental operators weighing it against diesel alternatives on purchase price and operating costs.

BLUETTI expects the Balco 500 to reach the market shortly after IFA concludes, and the wider range remains on display at Booth H2.2-176 during the event, which runs from 4 to 8 September at Messe Berlin.

Chromebooks offer some great advantages, but there are limitations to know before you start using one every day.

Pros of using a Chromebook

Cons of using a Chromebook

Savusia Konstantin/Getty Images

Changing your iPhone camera settings back to default is pretty simple, so long as you don’t mind flipping a few dozen toggles.

The default iPhone camera settings

Wongsakorn 2468/Shutterstock

Default camera settings for iOS 26

Studio4/Getty Images

• Think tank Ceres found power generation for data centers in seven states withdraws 3.4 trillion gallons of freshwater a year, or 10.4 million acre-feet
• The figure might be a bit overstated, as it counts withdrawals, including hydropower water returned to the river immediately
• 78% of electricity in those states comes from water-using plants, and 66% of those plants sit in water-stressed areas

Non-profit think tank Ceres has published a new report analyzing the water used to generate electricity for data centers across Virginia, Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio, and Arizona.

Ceres estimates data centers use 3.4 trillion gallons of freshwater a year, or 10.4 million acre-feet.

storage

PC buyers already had enough of helping to fund the AI revolution, only essential refreshes happening now

The relentless rise in memory prices may finally be losing steam, as PC and smartphone buyers reach the limits of what their budgets will allow them to pay. 

Taiwanese market watcher Trend Force estimates that rising DRAM contract prices drove a 59.5 percent quarter-on-quarter jump in industry revenue to $154.73 billion in calendar Q2.

The analyst now expects conventional DRAM contract price growth to “moderate” to 13 to 18 percent quarter-on-quarter in Q3. That reflects a shift in demand away from high-capacity RDIMMs toward lower-capacity products, as well as “the limited ability of PC and smartphone customers to absorb further price increases.”

That 13 to 18 percent is still a punishing increase by any normal standard. Supplier inventories remain at historic lows, TrendForce warns, and total bit shipments are expected to grow modestly. In other words, prices are climbing more slowly and supplies are likely to remain tight for the forseeable future.

The forecast follows a warning from market intelligence biz Context that European PC shipments are set to decline even more sharply as rising component costs push up system prices. 

Context forecasts a year-on-year decline in laptop shipments of 6.4 percent in Q3, followed by a 20 percent fall in Q4. The outlook is even worse for desktops, with shipments expected to decline around 20 percent in Q3 and almost 30 percent in Q4.

Despite declining shipments, PC makers have continued to bring home the bacon, as higher prices have so far more than compensated for the fall in volumes. Earlier this year, The Register reported how Lenovo boasted it had sidestepped the fallout from the memory crisis by shifting its focus to premium devices.

Context says corporate buyers are extending refresh cycles where possible and acquiring new PCs only when upgrades are unavoidable.

“The PC refresh cycle has not disappeared, but the economics around it have changed,” said Context senior analyst Marie-Christine Pygott.

“For the channel, the opportunity is increasingly about helping customers prioritize where refreshes are essential, where devices can remain in service for longer and where investment in newer, more capable systems makes commercial sense.”

As for the AI PCs that manufacturers hoped would trigger a mass upgrade wave, Context says the end of Windows 10 support was the principal driver of recent buying activity, as The Register noted at the start of this year. While AI-capable PCs account for an increasing share of systems entering the European supply chain, this is mostly because AI functionality is becoming standard in newer devices.

TrendForce notes that the three major memory makers continue to focus on high-end products for the AI market. Samsung benefited from its early move into HBM4 mass production, while SK hynix had the highest proportion of HBM in its total bit shipments among the three leading suppliers. Micron is prioritizing higher-priced server DRAM.

That has left second-tier manufacturers such as Nanya, Winbond, and PSMC to meet demand for mature-process products such as DDR4 and DDR3. ®