Data briefs

The news, measured.

Each brief starts from a story on the wire and adds one open dataset the story did not show. 15 briefs, 41 open sources. Saved · RSS

Hot nowmost covered and discussed today

  1. 27Apple changes full-disk access permissions to curb abuse from AI agents2 outlets · 767 HN points
  2. 24Trump unveils his new Super Intelligence Force4 outlets
  3. 20"Muse Gadgets" turns AI hardware into an open-source DIY project2 outlets · 18 HN points
  4. 20OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra found a way to play World of Warcraft without seeing the screen1 outlet · 364 HN points
  5. 19Federal judge calls Flock ‘indiscriminate mass surveillance’1 outlet · 498 HN points
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12 briefs

MachinesPlug-ins took 25% of global car sales in 2025, up from 0.7% in 201516.5%Battery-electric share, 2025 (IEA)AITen open-weight models passed 1T parameters. All ten came from China1 trillionMistral Large 4 (total params)SpaceArctic ice's 2026 low: 4.60 M km², 11th lowest in 48 years4.60 million km²2026 minimum (5-day mean)AIBots now make up 36% of English Wikipedia pageviews, up from 28% in May28.1%Bot share, week of 4 MayGadgetsGarmin Enduro 4 claims 36 days of smartwatch battery, 17x Apple Watch Ultra 436 daysEnduro 4, smartwatch modeAIChina's best open model leads the US by 46 Arena points, down from 721491Best Chinese open model, 2 Oct 2026MachinesMedian EPA range for new EVs climbed from 82 to 295 miles since 2012295 milesMedian EPA range, MY2026EnergyWater and sewer prices rose 41% since 2016, vs 34% for all items+41.3%Water & sewerage CPI, 2025 vs 2016EnergyGoogle's data centers used 42.4 TWh in 2025, 2.9x their 2020 level42.4 TWhData-center electricity, 2025SpaceStarlink is 64.5% of every active satellite in orbit17,257Active payloads in orbitEnergyPlanned US gas capacity through 2030 rose 49% in EIA filings, to 60 GW40.4 GWPlanned gas through 2030, Dec 2025 fileEnergyUS solar capacity hit 228 GW by July 2026, nearly 7x its 2016 level228.2 GWUS solar PV, July 2026 (EIA)