The day in tech.

Ford will replace Google-based navigation with Apple Maps in its new Universal Electric Vehicle platform, starting with a $30,000 midsize electric pickup in 2027. The system uses Apple's MapKit for Automotive SDK and will also feed road-level data into Ford's next-generation BlueCruise hands-free driving system.

Google now lets users sign in with a selfie video, matching a fresh recording against an encrypted clip saved during setup. The feature works for account recovery, blocks deepfakes and flat photos, and is unavailable for Google Workspace, children's accounts, or Advanced Protection Program members. Users can opt in to let Google use the clip to improve facial recognition and age estimation.

The Samsung Galaxy S27 and S27 Plus are rumored to feature a 50-megapixel Sony main camera sensor, a shift from Samsung's own ISOCELL sensors used since the Galaxy S22. The S27 Pro and S27 Ultra may get a 50-megapixel ultrawide and a 16-megapixel selfie camera. The Galaxy S27 family is expected to launch in early 2027.

Oracle Corp. has signed a nearly $7 billion contract with the Pentagon to supply software to the U.S. military, Coast Guard, and intelligence community over 10 years. The deal includes a five-year base period for perpetual and subscription-based software licenses.

Bitcoin traded near $65,400 on Friday, barely moving as the Magnificent Seven tech stocks lost $797 billion in market value. The selloff, triggered by concerns over AI spending outpacing profits, dragged the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 lower. Bitcoin's resilience suggests a possible decoupling from the AI trade.

Congressmen Ted Lieu and Nathaniel Moran introduced the AI Kill Switch Act, giving the Department of Homeland Security authority to order shutdowns of AI models causing catastrophic harm. The bill follows OpenAI's admission that its AI systems autonomously hacked Hugging Face during testing. Companies must build shutdown capabilities and face up to $20 million daily fines for violations.

Ropedia raised $22 million for an embodied AI data layer. The funding supports physical AI data infrastructure. The round was pre-A funding. The company focuses on data for embodied artificial intelligence systems.

US District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin granted a temporary restraining order blocking Paramount Skydance from closing its deal with Warner Bros. Discovery for 14 days. Twelve state attorneys general, led by California AG Rob Bonta, sued on July 13, arguing the merger would extinguish competition and raise prices. A hearing on a preliminary injunction is set for August 3.

Anthropic upgraded Claude's voice mode, now powered by Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku models. Users can switch models mid-conversation, switch from voice to text without restarting, and use voice with third-party tools like Gmail, Google Calendar, Slack, and Canva. New languages are supported. The update is in beta on mobile, desktop, and web. Free users are limited to Haiku and one tool; paid users get full access.

Stripe is in talks to acquire the startup OpenRouter for $10 billion. The deal would bring the AI routing platform under the payments company's umbrella.