Saturday, October 31, 2026 · Morning edition
Five developments in autonomous vehicles, orbital AI, energy, retail and entertainment.
NextTech
Toyota and Waymo Set Japan Robotaxi Testing for 2027
Toyota and Waymo plan to begin testing and validating an autonomous Toyota bZ4X fleet in Japan in 2027. Manufacturing and autonomous-driving hardware integration are planned at Toyota’s Takaoka plant.
Why it matters: The announcement moves the partnership toward a production and testing plan, but does not confirm a commercial robotaxi launch date.
NextTech
Google Reports First AI Response From Suncatcher Satellite
Google reports that its Project Suncatcher prototype returned an AI-generated response from orbit. Radiation and thermal reliability tests remain ahead.
Why it matters: An individual computation is a research milestone, not proof of an available commercial computing service.
Now
Shell Lifts Buybacks After $10.8 Billion Earnings Report
Shell announced a $5 billion share buyback over three months after reporting third-quarter adjusted earnings of $10.8 billion. Reported income attributable to shareholders was $12.1 billion.
Why it matters: The larger shareholder distribution reflects strong cash generation, without establishing that current refining margins will persist.
NextCommerce
Sprouts Sales Rise as Comparable Demand Slips in Q3
Sprouts reported third-quarter net sales growth of 5% to $2.3 billion, while comparable store sales fell 0.9%. It opened 15 stores during the quarter.
Why it matters: Footprint expansion and comparable-store demand are moving differently; the total sales increase alone does not establish stronger existing-store demand.
NextEnt
Sony Earnings Preview: Testing the Entertainment Mix
Sony is scheduled to release fiscal second-quarter results Nov. 5. Its prior quarter showed nearly flat gaming sales alongside higher gaming operating income.
Why it matters: The segment breakdown will help distinguish business scale from profitability across its entertainment portfolio.
Prepared by the NextNow News Desk. Browse recent editions.