The AI training-data company micro1 has offered $12.5M for Spirit Aviation’s internal records, topping Google’s agreed $10M and proposing an ombudsman chosen by Spirit’s advisers rather than the buyer. European law would treat the deidentification promise as a question about capability rather than a label, but none of it applies to an American liquidation.

An AI training-data company has offered $12.5M for the internal records of a dead airline, $2.5M more than Google agreed to pay. micro1 made the offer in a court filing on Thursday, Bloomberg News reported.

Spirit Aviation Holdings stopped flying in May and is being liquidated. The records include 500 million Microsoft Teams items, 100 million emails and roughly 16 million customer chat sessions.

TNW reported last month that under the Google agreement Spirit must hand the material to parties the buyer designates. Google picked and paid for the deidentification firm, and that cost does not come off the price.

micro1’s pitch is aimed squarely at that. It proposes an ombudsman selected by Spirit’s own advisers, and says the data would be stored in the United States.

The court filing also excludes disciplinary and investigatory material, and anything connected to collective bargaining with the unions that represented Spirit staff. Those unions have already challenged the Google sale on privacy grounds.

Google says it will not receive any personal information from the dataset and will pay a third party to strip out sensitive customer details. A judge considers its purchase on 9 September.

Courts rarely reopen an auction that has already closed, so micro1 faces a procedural problem rather than a pricing one.

One detail complicates the premium. Google’s agreement left customer chat sessions out of the sale, along with loyalty records and call recordings, and micro1’s offer names roughly 16 million sessions.

In Europe none of this would turn on the word deidentified. The Court of Justice ruled last September that pseudonymised data is personal data or not depending on whether the recipient can realistically identify anyone.

That is a question about capability, not labelling. The Google contract requires preserving referential integrity, which keeps pseudonymous records linked to each other across systems.

The European Data Protection Board has also said a model trained on personal data is not automatically anonymous, and that regulators may examine whether training data was lawfully obtained.

Purpose limitation would bite too. Records generated to fly aircraft and pay 17,000 staff were not gathered to train models, and reusing them in the EU needs its own legal basis.

None of that applies here. Spirit’s estate is wound up under American law, which is why this is a bidding war rather than a regulatory question, and why EU data laws would have made it one.

We’ve tested plenty in the Anker Solix line of portable power stations, and they’ve continually impressed us. And as part of the Labor Day sales, the Anker Solix S2000 has dropped to $650 (was $1199) at Amazon.

The 2,010Wh power station is smaller and lighter than other units in its capacity class, aimed squarely at everyday home backup. It’s capable of keeping a fridge, router, or medical device like a CPAP machine running through an outage rather than powering a whole house.

Why we recommend it

For more top-performers we’ve tested, see our guide to the best portable power stations.

Also consider

Price Context & Historical Value

The Catch: What to know before you buy

Google patched 12 Chrome vulnerabilities on 3 September including CVE-2026-85046, a type confusion bug in V8 already being exploited, the sixth such flaw this year. Eight days later the Cyber Resilience Act starts requiring manufacturers to report actively exploited vulnerabilities within 24 hours of becoming aware.

Google patched 12 vulnerabilities in Chrome on 3 September, most of them high severity. One was already being used in attacks, TechRadar reported.

The bug is CVE-2026-85046, a type confusion flaw in V8, Chrome’s JavaScript engine. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 and lets a remote attacker run code inside the sandbox through a crafted web page.

The fixed builds are 152.0.7977.82 and .83. Google’s release notes say an exploit exists in the wild, and the company withheld the details until most browsers are patched.

It is the sixth actively exploited Chrome zero-day this year. Every Chromium browser inherits the flaw, so Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi need the same update, and the rollout is gradual rather than instant.

Salvatore Gulizia reported the bug on 4 August and was paid $1,000. Chrome’s programme pays up to $250,000.

Google has not explained the figure. Reward levels turn on report quality and on whether somebody else found the same bug first, and the company says nothing about either.

The timing is what makes this patch worth more than a version number.

Eight days after it shipped, the rules change for anyone selling software into Europe. Chrome is a product with digital elements.

The Cyber Resilience Act starts applying its reporting obligations on 11 September. Manufacturers must report actively exploited vulnerabilities and severe incidents.

An early warning is due within 24 hours of becoming aware. A full notification follows within 72 hours, and a final report within 14 days once a corrective measure exists.

Reports go through a single platform to the relevant national response team and to ENISA at the same time, which then passes them to every country where the product is sold. TNW has looked at what that 24-hour clock does to software supply chains.

The clock starts at awareness of exploitation, not at a bug report. Google knew by 3 September at the latest, because it said so in public.

Nothing about this patch broke any rule, because the rule was not yet in force. From next week the same sequence becomes a filing, at a company that recently signed a letter calling for cyber defence to be treated as a leadership priority.

A factory reset erases everything on your Android phone and returns it to its out-of-box state. If your phone works normally, do it through Settings. If it’s frozen or won’t respond, use the hardware button method instead.

People factory reset a phone before selling it, before donating it, or to fix software problems that won’t go away any other way. It’s also common after buying a secondhand phone that still has old data or account locks on it.

Whatever the reason, two things matter more than the reset itself: backing up what you want to keep, and removing your Google Account first so you don’t lock yourself out. If you’re resetting a phone because you’re switching to a new one, switching carriers to save money is often part of that same move, and worth checking before you finish setting up the new phone.

Quick Take

Two things can go wrong, and both are avoidable. You can lose data you meant to keep, and you can lock yourself out of your own phone if you don’t remove your Google Account first. One more thing worth knowing upfront: “erased” doesn’t always mean completely unrecoverable. On a modern encrypted phone, a factory reset genuinely destroys your data. On an older or unencrypted device, some of it can still be recovered. The troubleshooting section below explains the difference.

Prerequisites

Do these before you touch the reset button, not after.

Which Path Applies to You

Once you’ve done the prerequisites above, check which situation you’re in.

• Path A: your phone turns on and responds normally. Use the Settings method. It’s simpler and gives you more control over the process.
• Path B: your phone is frozen, stuck on a logo, or you can’t get into Settings at all. Use the hardware button method instead. It works even when the screen or software won’t cooperate.

If you’re not sure, try turning the phone off and back on first. A surprising number of “frozen” phones just needed a restart, and that alone might get you into Path A.

Path A: Reset Through Settings

The exact menu wording differs by phone brand, but the idea is the same everywhere.

1. Open Settings and find the reset option.
   On a Pixel or most stock Android phones, go to Settings, then System, then Reset options. On a Samsung Galaxy phone, Samsung’s own instructions say to go to Settings, General management, Reset, then Factory data reset.
2. Read the warning screen.
   It tells you what’s about to be erased. This is your last chance to back out if you skipped a prerequisite.
3. Confirm with your credentials.
   You’ll likely need to enter your screen lock PIN or password, and on Samsung phones, log out of your Samsung account, which needs a network connection to complete.
4. Tap the final confirmation.
   This is usually labeled “Erase all data,” “Factory data reset,” or “Delete all,” depending on your phone.
5. Wait for the phone to finish.
   It restarts on its own, sometimes more than once. Don’t interrupt it or remove the battery if it’s removable.

If your phone has an encrypted SD card, Samsung specifically warns that you should decrypt it before resetting, or the card’s data can become inaccessible even though it’s still physically inserted. The whole process can take up to an hour, so don’t assume it’s stuck just because it’s taking a while.

Path B: Reset From Recovery Mode (Unresponsive Phone)

This method uses hardware buttons instead of the touchscreen, so it works even if your phone won’t boot normally or the screen is unresponsive.

The steps below are Google’s own instructions for Pixel phones. Other brands use similar ideas with different button combinations, so check your manufacturer’s support site for your exact model rather than guessing.

1. Enter Fastboot mode.
   On Pixel 6 and later, hold Volume Down and Power together for up to 30 seconds. On earlier Pixel models, hold Volume Up and Power instead.
2. Navigate to Recovery Mode.
   Use the volume buttons to highlight it, then press Power to confirm.
3. Get past the “No command” screen.
   Hold Power and briefly press Volume Up once. This opens the actual recovery menu.
4. Select “Wipe data/factory reset.”
   Scroll to it with Volume Down, then confirm with Power.
5. Confirm “Factory data reset.”
   Then select “Reboot system now” once it finishes.

You’ll see “Data wipe complete” when it’s done. The phone restarts into the normal setup screen from there.

This method looks intimidating the first time, mostly because there’s no on-screen guidance telling you what to press next. Go slowly, and double-check each menu item before confirming, since there’s no easy way to back out mid-process on some devices.

Verify the Reset Worked

Troubleshooting

Where This Approach Has Limits

A factory reset doesn’t guarantee true data destruction on every phone. As covered above, that depends on encryption, and older or unencrypted devices can leave real data behind.

It doesn’t wipe external SD cards either. Those need to be erased separately, or physically removed, if you’re getting rid of the phone.

It won’t fix hardware problems. A cracked screen, failing battery, or damaged charging port stays broken after a reset, since the reset only touches software.

A phone managed by a school or workplace may block resets entirely, or wipe it back to a locked-down company configuration instead of a clean slate. Check with whoever manages the device before relying on this method.

And if you’re buying a secondhand phone, a reset that wasn’t done properly by the previous owner can leave you locked out by Factory Reset Protection with no way in. This is exactly why buying a factory-unlocked phone from a source that confirms a clean reset matters, not just a phone that turns on and looks fine in the listing photos.

Key Takeaways

FAQ

Rumor mill: AMD is on its RDNA 5 graphics architecture as the successor to the RDNA 4-based Radeon 9000 series. A reputable tipster has now revealed that Team Red’s next-generation GPUs could ship with clock speeds up to 3.4 GHz, roughly 15% higher than the 2.97 GHz boost clock on the RDNA 4 flagship, the Radeon RX 9070 XT.

According to a post on the AnandTech Forums by the generally reliable leaker Kepler_L2, internal AMD documentation points to a 3.1 to 3.4 GHz target frequency range for RDNA 5. The comment came in response to another forum member questioning whether the integrated graphics in AMD’s next-generation APUs could clock as high as 4 GHz.

Kepler_L2 didn’t clarify whether that frequency range applies to a specific card or to RDNA 5 as a whole. Since the new architecture is expected to underpin discrete, integrated, and console graphics alike, it’s likely only the high-end SKUs will clock above 3 GHz, while entry-level parts settle for lower frequencies.

Earlier leaks suggest the flagship Navi 5X die could pack up to 96 compute units, each with 128 cores, for a total of 12,288 cores. It’s also tipped to carry a 384-bit memory bus, 50% wider than the 256-bit bus on the 9070 XT. That wider bus, combined with denser VRAM dies, could pave the way for up to 32GB of GDDR7 memory on the flagship card.

Meanwhile, the mid-tier die is rumored to pack 40 compute units and 5,120 cores, with a memory bus scaling up to 384-bit and as much as 24GB of memory.

A step below that, the low-tier die reportedly features 24 compute units (3,072 cores), a 256-bit to 128-bit memory bus, and 8 to 16GB of VRAM. The entry-level die is tipped to feature 12 CUs with 1,536 total cores, a 64-bit memory bus, and between 8 and 16GB of VRAM.

If the leaks prove accurate, that would mark a massive upgrade over RDNA 4, which caps out at 64 cores per compute unit. AMD could still tweak the RDNA 5 lineup, though, given the ongoing spike in memory prices. With prices unlikely to ease anytime soon, it remains to be seen whether gamers will have to wait for yet another generation before a 32GB graphics card becomes reality.

AMD is now expected to unveil RDNA 5 in late 2027 or early 2028. Board partners had originally anticipated a mid-2027 announcement, but the ongoing memory crunch has pushed the launch back.

Nvidia, for its part, was also expected to launch its Rubin-based gaming GPUs sometime in 2027, though the company has gone quiet on that front for months.

Tesla’s Cybercab, a distinctive two-seater without a steering wheel or brake pedals, is set to start picking up members of the public in Austin, Texas, this evening. But the vehicle is already under investigation by the US federal government, which is probing whether it meets federal safety standards.

The investigation comes just hours after the electric automaker welcomed hundreds of fans to downtown Austin to ride in the driverless Cybercabs. Tesla plans to deploy the vehicles on its Robotaxi ride-hail network, which is currently operating in a handful of cities in Texas and Florida.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is updating vehicle standards to make it easier and faster for driverless cars to deploy on public roads. It’s currently tweaking eight rules, including those requiring car parts that driverless cars don’t really need: brake pedals, windshield wipers, and rearview mirrors. But for now, years-old standards remain in place.

Meanwhile, unusually shaped robotaxi companies have been told to apply for an exemption from federal rules before they start picking up passengers. Amazon subsidiary Zoox, whose vehicles do not have steering wheels or manual controls, won the first of these exemptions this summer, which limits its operations to 2,500 vehicles this year.

Tesla, however, has said it doesn’t need an exemption because its vehicles comply with all existing safety standards.

The investigation, called an Audit Query, will examine the data and process that Tesla used to make that determination, according to a government filing.

In a statement, NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said his agency “fully supports the safe development and deployment of automated vehicles. But as the federal regulator, we need to ensure that all of our laws are followed.”

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ann Carlson, a former acting NHTSA administrator who is now a professor of environmental law at UCLA, says the investigation is likely “an indication that NHTSA is super frustrated with Tesla.” The agency made clear through the Zoox case that it expects driverless vehicle developers to go through the exemption process. “For Tesla to slap them in the face and ignore that—that is gobsmacking,” she says.

This kind of federal investigation can prove consequential. NHTSA can require an automaker to change its vehicle or process. The agency can also pursue enforcement actions, including civil penalties. Volvo Group North America paid $130 million in penalties in 2023 after an investigation into its recall process. The company also agreed to three years of oversight by a third-party auditor.

The Cybercabs are, in many ways, symbols of Tesla’s intended future. CEO Elon Musk has said that Tesla should no longer be regarded as an automaker, but as a robotics and autonomous vehicle company. While 45 of these vehicles are in Texas’ Tesla fleet right now, a state database shows, the company intends to deploy millions annually.

Updated at 3:55 pm ET on September 4: We’ve added comments from acting NHTSA administrator Ann Carlson.