TL;DR: The Pentagon’s personnel records system was accessed for about nine months before officials discovered and fixed the security flaw, exposing personal information on more than three million people. It contained a particularly sensitive combination of data: Social Security numbers and information about the jobs of military and civilian personnel – a pairing that poses … Read more
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has conducted an underground test of chemical explosives in Nevada to study how to identify hard-to-detect nuclear explosions. The experiment took place at the Nevada National Security Site and was intended to improve the detection of low-yield explosions related to possible tests by China and … Read more
What just happened? In another move that highlights the military’s evolution toward a future where machines fight, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the creation of a new military command to expand the use of autonomous and robotic capabilities across the U.S. military. It’s called Autonomous Warfare Command or the somewhat scary AutoWarCom. Hegseth announced … Read more
Q/C Technologies, a San Francisco-based developer of optical computing systems, is working with a U.S. Department of Energy nanotechnology center to develop an optical processor that could eventually run artificial intelligence workloads using light rather than relying solely on electronic calculations. The company announced a collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories’ Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT) … Read more
A new commercial payload agreement will demonstrate advanced AI computing capabilities in lunar orbit. Starcloud announced that its computing payload, designated SC-1L, will fly aboard Firefly’s Elytra orbital vehicle to validate the core capabilities of a future lunar data center capable of supporting the lunar surface and orbital infrastructure. We pair Starcloud’s AI computing payload … Read more
Future-oriented: A team of researchers at Northwestern University wanted to harness melanin’s many talents against neurotoxins, a class of dangerous organic chemicals. The newly designed facility is based on nature and could represent an effective “antidote” to one of the most problematic legacies of the Second World War. Researchers developed a melanin-inspired nanotechnology designed to … Read more
Stratolaunch is adding a Boeing 777-200ER to its hypersonic test fleet, giving the company another aircraft capable of carrying its Talon-A vehicles into the air. The Mojave, California-based company announced the acquisition on September 30. It said the additional airline will increase its total flight capacity by 35 percent and expand operational capabilities. The 777 … Read more
The takeaway: Microsoft has officially released Windows 11 26H2 to the stable channel and is making it available to all eligible users. The update is described as an “activation package” that only activates dormant features provided with previous monthly updates. It’s a tiny 174KB download for devices that are already up to date with all … Read more
Siemens Energy will supply 119 gas turbine cores to mobile power systems across the United States, adding more than 1.7 gigawatts of planned generation capacity as data center and industrial power demand continues to rise. The multi-year contract with Dynamis Power Solutions covers SGT-400 gas turbine cores, each capable of producing approximately 15 megawatts. Delivery … Read more
Face palm: The iPhone Duo was announced earlier this month after years of leaks, rumors and speculation and is expected to go on sale next month. However, Foxconn, the contract manufacturer responsible for producing the device, is reportedly facing severe production constraints that could limit early production. According to an unnamed insider quoted by Chinese … Read more