Insta360 Unveils Lighter, More Affordable X4 Air 360-Degree Action Camera

Insta360 has introduced the X4 Air, a new addition to its 360-degree X camera family. This model serves as a more affordable, lighter alternative to the Insta360 X5, which was announced in April 2025.

Credit: Insta360

The X4 Air weighs 165g, compared to the Insta360 X5 at 200g and the 2024 Insta360 X4 at 203g. Its basic package costs USD 399.99.

A bundle, which includes a selfie stick, a lens cap, and an additional battery, is priced at USD 439.99. This makes the Insta360 X4 Air USD 120 less than the Insta360 X5.

Credit: Insta360

The Insta360 X4 Air has a pair of 1/1.8-inch camera sensors. These are smaller than the 1/1.28-inch sensors of the X5, but notably still larger than the 1/2-inch sensors of the older Insta360 X4.

Insta360 designed the camera for approachability, featuring a stick-like design. This form does not necessarily require a constantly attached selfie stick.

Insta360 co-founder Max Richer stated, "It lets creators stay present while capturing everything around them."

Richer added, "It is for anyone who wants to film real life without the weight or complexity—a lighter, simpler way to tell stories."

Credit: Insta360

The X4 Air is not the family's most affordable member. Insta360 continues to offer the older Insta360 X3, priced at USD 299.99.

The Insta360 X3 features a slightly lower native dynamic range due to its smaller sensor. Insta360 claims to have made substantial dynamic range improvements in the new generation's software through AdaptiveTone.

AdaptiveTone addresses a challenging aspect of 360-degree image processing. This involves managing exposure when a 360-degree field of view often results in significant light disparities across the frame.

Insta360 states AdaptiveTone manages exposure across the two lenses "independently." This process occurs without creating jumps in brightness at the lens seam lines.

The Insta360 X4 Air provides improved ActiveHDR compared to the X3. This HDR shooting mode supports up to 8K/30 capture.

In contrast, the Insta360 X3 offers ActiveHDR at up to 5.7K/30.

Other capture mode maximums include 50fps at either 6K or 4K 360-degree resolution. When used as a single-lens action camera, it supports 4K/60, producing flat video.

Slow-motion frame rates are available at 1080p, with a maximum capture of 120fps.

Other key features include replaceable lenses, a useful capability for a 360-degree camera. It also offers 15m of water resistance, matching the Insta360 X5.

The Insta360 X4 Air is available to order. It includes a one-year subscription to Insta360's cloud storage service, offering 200GB of space for clips.

This cloud storage service currently costs USD 29.99 annually.

---

• The Insta360 X4 Air is a new, more affordable, and lighter 360-degree action camera.

• It is available for a basic package price of USD 399.99.

• The camera features 1/1.8-inch sensors, which are larger than the Insta360 X4's 1/2-inch sensors but smaller than the X5's 1/1.28-inch sensors.

Source: FORBES

Chinese Robotaxis Accelerate Global Expansion, Challenge US Dominance

Chinese robotaxi companies are expanding their operations internationally, outnumbering American counterparts in projects progressing towards commercialisation, according to a BloombergNEF analysis.

Credit: WAYMO

While American companies like Alphabet’s Waymo have primarily focused on domestic deployment, Chinese firms are establishing a presence in new markets.

Credit: WeRide

These Chinese companies, including Baidu’s Apollo Go, WeRide, and Pony.ai, are setting up operations in locations such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. They are also exploring launches in Germany, the United Kingdom, and other European countries.

China views autonomous-driving technology as a strategic sector, with Beijing aiming for the nation to become the world leader in driverless vehicles by 2035. The government has resumed issuing robotaxi testing permits, a step intended to maintain competitiveness with the United States.

Regulators had frozen approvals for new autonomous vehicles or for expansion into additional cities for several months in the second half of 2024. This pause followed concerns from human taxi drivers regarding potential job displacement, but national interest in the emerging industry has now taken precedence.

Weisong Shi, a professor at the University of Delaware and director of its Connected and Autonomous Research Laboratory, noted that comparing progress is complex. He added that the technology is not yet robust enough to operate in severe weather conditions like significant snowfall.

In the United States, Waymo is a leading industry player, with fully driverless cars deployed in five cities and testing underway in at least 10 others. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary probe into a report regarding a Waymo autonomous vehicle operating in Atlanta that failed to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights.

Tesla has launched a limited number of Model Y vehicles with human supervisors in Austin, Texas. Zoox, whose shuttle lacks a steering wheel or pedals, is seeking broader clearance to expand services beyond its current offerings in Las Vegas, Nevada, and parts of San Francisco, California.

Meanwhile, fully autonomous services have emerged in some of China’s largest cities. WeRide operates a fully driverless service in Guangzhou, while Baidu offers one in Wuhan. Pony.ai transports passengers in driverless cars around Guangzhou and Shenzhen, holding permits for Beijing and Shanghai.

Pony.ai, headquartered in Guangzhou and backed by Toyota Motor, plans to increase its fleet to 1,000 vehicles by the end of this year. The company has partnered with local authorities in Dubai and Qatar. Its American depositary shares have risen approximately 29% this year.

James Peng, Pony.ai’s chief executive officer, stated that while American peers began development earlier, Chinese companies are rapidly catching up. He cited access to cheaper components, such as sensors from China’s extensive electric vehicle supply chain, and a pool of talented graduates from top Chinese science universities as advantages.

Baidu’s latest Apollo Go model, the RT6, costs around 204,600 yuan (US$28,800), the company said at an event in May last year. The four-seater, manufactured by Jiangling Motors, features voice controls, a massage function on reclining seats, and nearly 40 onboard sensors, including eight lidar units and 12 cameras.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled a prototype Cybercab a year ago that he said could cost less than US$30,000 and 'probably' will go into production in 2026. However, Tesla has faced challenges in meeting self-driving predictions and pricing announcements.

Ming Hsun Lee, head of Greater China auto and industrials at Bank of America, noted that Chinese companies’ low-cost vehicles appeal to global service operators seeking profitability. Lee also indicated that US companies appear less aggressive due to higher per-car bill of materials costs.

Chinese robotaxi firms encounter minimal local competition in overseas markets, as most American rivals are not yet prioritising global expansion. However, US companies interested in autonomous-car development have formed partnerships with Chinese firms. Uber Technologies has joined WeRide in Abu Dhabi, and Lyft has partnered with Baidu to launch robotaxi services in Europe starting next year, pending regulatory approval.

WeRide and Pony AI plan to launch limited service in Singapore as soon as this year with local partners including ride-hailing operator Grab Holdings and transport group ComfortDelGro. The Middle East is emerging as a key region for the widespread deployment of Chinese autonomous technology.

The Middle East offers a favourable climate, well-developed road infrastructure, and supportive policy regimes. Opposition from human drivers is also less significant in Gulf countries, where guest workers in service industry roles have limited influence, according to Paul Gong, head of China autos research at UBS.

Pony.ai, WeRide, and Apollo Go have all secured deals with Uber or local transport authorities in the region. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 includes a national network of autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, and charging stations. Dubai aims for 25% of the city’s trips to be autonomous by 2030, with Abu Dhabi targeting a similar goal by 2040.

The most populous city in the United Arab Emirates previously had an exclusive partnership with General Motors-backed Cruise to deploy robotaxis. After Cruise closed its business late in 2023, the emirate quickly forged deals with China’s Baidu, WeRide, and Pony.ai early in 2024. By September, the three companies’ vehicles were testing on designated streets in Dubai.

The region’s investment capital and eagerness to recognise autonomous innovation are also attractive. Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund Mubadala co-led a USD 2.3 billion financing round for Waymo in 2020. Saudi Arabia’s Neom project invested USD 100 million in Pony.ai in 2023. Dubai authorities awarded approximately USD 900,000 in prize money to WeRide for winning the 2025 World Challenge for Self-Driving.

For WeRide, the Middle East serves as a springboard for further global expansion, allowing the company to demonstrate its business model, according to Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Li. Li anticipates having several hundred robotaxis in the region soon and aims for per-vehicle profitability as the fleet size increases.

---

• Chinese robotaxi companies like Baidu’s Apollo Go, WeRide, and Pony.ai are rapidly expanding internationally, surpassing US firms in commercialisation stages.

• China views autonomous driving as a strategic sector and aims to be a world leader by 2035, with government policies supporting this goal.

• Chinese companies are establishing operations in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, with plans for Europe, leveraging cost advantages and a strong local supply chain.

Source: SCMP

Millions of Gmail Passwords Exposed in Recent Data Leak

More than 183 million login credentials, including confirmed Gmail passwords, have emerged from a recent data breach. Troy Hunt, owner of Have I Been Pwned, added website URLs, email addresses, and passwords to the widely used database.

Credit: GOOGLE

The data consisted of "stealer logs and credential stuffing lists," Hunt said. This breach follows an earlier report this year about a data leak involving more than 184 million passwords and logins affecting various online services.

Credit: GOOGLE

Have I Been Pwned serves as a free, essential resource for individuals concerned about their account login security. It helps users discover when their email addresses, accounts, or passwords appear in data leaks and dark web breach lists.

Benjamin Brundage from Synthient revealed that the data came from monitoring infostealer platforms for nearly a year. Synthient provided Have I Been Pwned with 3.5 terabytes of data, comprising 23 billion rows.

Hunt explained the output of the stealer logs primarily consisted of website addresses, email addresses, and passwords. He noted that "Someone logging into Gmail," for example, would have their email address and password captured against gmail.com.

An analysis of a 94,000-credential sample revealed 92% were not new. Most previously observed data came from ALIEN TXTBASE stealer logs, Hunt confirmed.

However, 8% of the data was new, representing more than 14 million credentials. The final tally was 16.4 million addresses previously unseen in any data breach.

Have I Been Pwned verifies credentials by sending details to impacted subscribers. One respondent, already concerned about his Gmail account, validated an entry as "an accurate password on my Gmail account."

All users are advised to check their account credentials at Have I Been Pwned. A Google spokesman stated that this report covers "broad infostealer activity that targets many types of web activities."

Google advises users to enable two-step verification and adopt passkeys as a simpler, stronger alternative to passwords. Gmail users who suspect their account has been compromised should immediately sign in and review account activity.

If unable to sign in, users can access the Google account recovery page and answer the presented questions to the best of their ability. Google also stated, "Additionally, to help users, we have a process for resetting passwords when we come across large credential dumps such as this."

Users can check if their Gmail password is exposed, weak, or reused via the Chrome password manager. This feature is accessible in Chrome by selecting Passwords and autofill from the top-right menu, then Google Password Manager | Checkup.

This process reveals compromised or weak passwords, similar to other password manager applications and the Have I Been Pwned database check. Google will prompt users to change unsafe Google Account passwords, even without using Password Checkup.

The company also informs users about passwords reused across multiple accounts and services. "We recommend that you change any compromised passwords as soon as you can," Google advised. Reusing passwords across services significantly increases security risks.

---

• More than 183 million login credentials, including Gmail passwords, exposed in a recent data breach.

• Data, originating from infostealer platforms, totalled 3.5 terabytes and included website URLs, email addresses, and passwords.

• Have I Been Pwned confirmed 16.4 million previously unseen email addresses in the leak.

Source: FORBES