Good morning! It's Friday, July 31, 2026, and this is The Morning Shift, your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. This is where you'll find the most important stories that are shaping the way Americans drive and get around.
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MAY 02: Golden Tempo #19, ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz, crosses the finish line to win the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby past Renegade #1, ridden by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., at Churchill Downs on May 02, 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Meta's update isn't enough to stop covert recording.
Karissa Bell for Engadget
A bright LED is supposed to flip on when Meta's smart glasses record their surroundings to alert bystanders they're being filmed. This has led to a cat-and-mouse game where Meta issues new security measures, and those wishing to use the devices for covert recording find workarounds. The latest of these are little more than light-blocking stickers. I've tested out a few of these products and they are cheap and surprisingly effective.
Dimitar Dimitrov is the founder and Managing Partner at Accedia, a leading European AI & Custom Software Development Company.
getty
Over the past year, I have spoken with technology leaders at automotive manufacturers and suppliers, and one pattern keeps repeating. They have grown their software teams faster than ever, yet they keep missing their launch dates.
There are few things more infuriating than a video buffering, a game lagging or a file downloading slower than you had hoped it would. Of course, the first thing to check for is your internet speed. If you are receiving upload and download speeds close to what your internet service provider has advertised, your connection isn't the bottleneck. In fact, statistics from the Speedtest Global Index show that the median broadband speed in the United States is over 300 Mbps — that's more bandwidth than most streaming services demand and is even quite fast for downloading large files.
SAINT-FRANCOIS LONGCHAMP, FRANCE - AUGUST 02: Pauline Ferrand-Prevot of France and Team Visma | Lease a Bike celebrates at finish line as stage winner during the 4th Tour de France Femmes 2025, Stage 8 a 111.9km stage from Chambery to Saint-Francois Longchamp - Col de la Madeleine 1986m / #UCIWWT / on August 02, 2025 in Saint-Francois Longchamp, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)