The European Commission has approved the 2025-2027 Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) work program, allocating €1.3 billion to advance key technologies essential for the EU’s future and technological sovereignty.

DIGITAL is an EU funding initiative designed to bring digital technology closer to businesses, citizens, and public administrations. Digital technology is essential for communication, work, science, and tackling environmental challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted Europe’s reliance on external systems, while Russia’s war against Ukraine exposed vulnerabilities in digital supply chains. To ensure security and self-sufficiency, the EU must invest in cybersecurity and strengthen its digital infrastructure.

Apple’s ambitions for the expansion of satellite communications for the iPhone is facing an opponent in Elon Musk, with SpaceX reportedly trying to put a hold on the efforts.

The iPhone has benefited from a number of satellite features in recent years, with Emergency SOS via Satellite and Roadside Assistance via Satellite assisting users in trouble. However, progression to make the features even more useful with expanded coverage has hit a large roadblock.

Apple works primarily with Globalstar to power its satellite features, though it is working with SpaceX’s Starlink service with T-Mobile to expand its coverage in the summer. The problem is that Elon Musk isn’t happy about Apple’s investments with Globalstar and in satellite communications, since it directly competes with Starlink.

In a new interview, Apple executives who worked on the AirPods Pro 2 hearing feature reveal how long the development was, and how the H2 chip proved to be crucial.

Apple has allowed journalists into its AirPods Pro audio testing labs before. But now that the hearing aid feature has been released in Australia, the company has discussed more details of the development with local media.

Bergeron said that it was really with the release of the first generation of AirPods Pro in 2019 that the company to think it might have the ability to create a hearing aid feature. Even then, it was not a full development program, and she implies it wouldn’t become so until the H2 was being designed.

It has been rumored that a new Apple TV will launch later this year, and it might support the faster Wi-Fi 7 standard.

All four iPhone 17 models coming later this year will be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip, according to Apple supply chain analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu. A new Apple TV is also expected to be released this year, and it will also have an Apple-designed Wi-Fi chip, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

This means the next Apple TV should support Wi-Fi 7, unless Apple chooses to artificially limit the device’s specifications.

The current Apple TV 4K model from 2022 supports Wi-Fi 6.