India has once again pushed back a contentious plan to limit major technology companies control of the nations digital payments system, extending a regulatory uncertainty that has weighed on the sector for years.The National Payments Corporation of India said on Tuesday it would extend the deadline for implementing a 30% cap on any individual apps share of transactions on the Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, the countrys ubiquitous digital payments network, to December 31, 2026.The decision provides temporary relief to Walmart-backed PhonePe and Google Pay, which together handle more than 85% of transactions on UPI. The network, which processes over 13 billion transactions monthly, has become the backbone of Indias digital economy since its launch eight years ago.The regulator, which operates under the supervision of Indias central bank and is backed by more than 50 retail banks, has struggled to find ways to implement the market share restrictions without disrupting service for hundreds of millions of Indians who rely on these payment apps daily.On Tuesday, India also lifted restrictions on WhatsApps mobile payments service, letting the Meta-owned instant messaging app roll out WhatsApp Pay to all its 500 million-plus users in the South Asian market. Throughout this year, officials held extensive discussions with industry leaders about ways to enforce the caps, but found no feasible solution that wouldnt risk disrupting the consumer experience, according to people familiar with the discussions.Earlier this year an Indian parliamentary panel urged the government to support the growth of domestic fintech players that can provide alternatives to PhonePe and Google Pay.The market share limits were first proposed in 2020, with an initial deadline that was later pushed to 2025. Tuesdays decision marks another delay in Indias efforts to check the growing power of global technology giants in its booming digital economy.For PhonePe, which controls nearly half of Indias digital payments market, the extension provides crucial clarity as it weighs plans for an initial public offering. The companys top executive had previously cited the regulatory uncertainty around market share caps as a key obstacle to their IPO timeline.The UPI network, which facilitates interoperability among different payment apps and banks, has become the most popular way Indians transact online, used for everything from street vendor payments to taxi fares.

India has removed restrictions on WhatsApps payments service in a significant victory for Meta in its largest market by users as the social media giant seeks to compete with entrenched fintech rivals.The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the payments body overseeing the popular instant payments rail called UPI, said Tuesday that WhatsApp can now roll out WhatsApp Pay to all its users in the market. WhatsApp has more than 500 million users in India.The decision lifts the previous 100 million user cap on WhatsApp Pay. The move signals a shift in the regulators cautious approach to WhatsApps payments ambitions.NPCI, which reports to Indias central bank, previously insisted on a gradual rollout, first limiting the service to 40 million users in 2020 before extending the cap to 100 million in 2022.WhatsApps expansion comes as Indias UPI platform, which processes more than 13 billion transactions monthly, is wrestling with market concentration concerns. Google Pay and Walmart-backed PhonePe currently control more than 85% of UPI transactions.On Tuesday, NPCI once again pushed back a proposal to implement a 30% cap on any individual apps share of transactions on the UPI network. NPCI said the rule will now not go into effect for two years until December 31, 2026.Were committed to making payments on WhatsApp simple, reliable, and secure, a WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement sent to TechCrunch via the app.Our goal is to add value and convenience to users lives through various use-cases like bill payments, ticket booking, and shopping. We aim to accelerate digital payments and UPI adoption and continue contributing to Indias digital and financial inclusion agenda.

Published December 31, 2024 6:00am EST close Improve your password security with your Windows PC From face recognition to dynamic lock, there are options you may be unfamiliar with. Lets be honest: How many times have you used something like "123456" or "123123" as your password? With so many online accounts to juggle, its tempting to go for simple passwords, even though we know theyre weak. Unfortunately, a report from NordPass shows were still making the same mistakes when it comes to keeping our accounts secure. Facebook login page (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)2024's most popular (and insecure) passwordsNordPass has released its compilation of the top200 most popular passwords used for personal and business purposes. Collaborating with threat management company NordStellar, NordPass analyzed a massive 2.5TB database of global passwords, including those sourced from the dark web. Spoiler alert: Theyre still shockingly insecure. Login page (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)The password hall of shameWe're all guilty of using weak passwords at some point, but the extent of this digital negligence is truly staggering. For the sixth consecutive year, "123456" claims the dubious honor of being the most common password used by over 3 million people.It's followed closely by its slightly more "complex" cousins: "123456789" and "12345678." But wait, it gets worse. The password "password" still ranks high on the list, used by nearly 700,000 people. It's as if we're collectively daring hackers to break into our accounts. Instagram login page (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Top 10 most common passwordsHere are the top 10 most common passwords of 2024, according to NordPass:1) 1234562) 1234567893) 123456784) password5) qwerty1236) qwerty17) 1111118) 123459) secret10) 123123Corporate carelessnessYou might think that in professional settings, where sensitive data is at stake, people would be more cautious. Think again. The corporate world mirrors personal password habits alarmingly closely. The same weak passwords dominate business accounts, with "123456" leading the pack, used in over 1.2 million instances. Login page (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)The consequences of weak passwordsUsing such easily guessable passwords is like leaving your front door wide open in a neighborhood full of burglars. These passwords can be cracked in less than a second, potentially leading to account compromise,identity theft and a host of other digital nightmares. Login page (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Strengthening your digital defensesSo, how can we break this cycle of password mediocrity?1) Go long: Aim for passwords that are at least 20 characters long.2) Mix it up: Use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special symbols.3) Unique is key: Never reuse passwords across multiple accounts.4) Regular reviews: Periodically assess and update your passwords.5) Consider using a password manager: A password manager will securely store and generate complex passwords. It will also help you to create unique and difficult-to-crack passwords that a hacker could never guess. In addition, it keeps track of all your passwords in one place and fills passwords in for you when you're logging into an account so that you never have to remember them yourself.The fewer passwords you remember, the less likely you will be to reuse them for your accounts.What qualities should I look for in a password manager?When it comes to choosing the best password manager for you, here are some of my top tips:DeployssecureWorksseamlessly across all of your devicesCreatesunique complicated passwords that are different for every accountAutomatically populates login and password fields for apps and sites you revisitHas abrowser extension for all browsers you use to automatically insert passwords for youAllows afail-safe in case the primary password is ever lost or forgottenChecks that your existing passwords remain safe and alerts you if ever compromisedUsestwo-factor authenticationsecurityGet more details about mybest expert-reviewed password managers of 2024 here.6) Start using passkeys:Passkeys are designed to replace traditional passwords and are steadily gaining traction, particularly among major companies and websites. Far more secure and reliable than conventional passwords, passkeys enable automatic sign-ins to websites and apps using facial recognition, fingerprint authentication or a physical security key.Kurts key takeawaysIts clear that we need to step up our password game. Using weak passwords like "123456" is a gamble we cant afford to take, especially with so much of our lives online. By taking simple steps, like creating longer, more complex passwords and using a password manager, we can better protect ourselves from cyber threats. Lets make 2025 the year we prioritize our digital security and leave those outdated passwords behind.Whats the worst password youve ever used, and did anything bad happen because of it? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com.All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

University of Cambridge research suggests most of the freight moved around the UK to serve retailers, hospitality and other sectors is carried on trucks it reportedly accounts for circa 80% of the 200 billion tonne km in 2022. It also states that 20% of the UKs domestic transport greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2021 were caused by truck freight.Other more recent figures shared by UK government show freight accounts for 31% of all UK transport CO2 emissions. But perhaps the most interesting statistic in this space comes from the Department for Transport, which estimates 30% of trucks on UK roads are running with empty loads.Herein lies an opportunity for the logistics sector, and the retailers and wholesalers it supports, for reducing GHG emissions through efficiency. A consortium of tech companies have developed a sophisticated combination of platform, data feeds and algorithms to address this challenge.Whats more, a pilot programme using the new technology with wholesaler and Spar convenience store operator AF Blakemore has illustrated the potential to optimise the use of existing vehicles on the UKs road. Now, the plan is to scale it up.Digital Catapult has led the Logistics Living Lab (L3) project, which is a UK Research and Innovation-backed initiative delivered as part of the bodys efforts to trial digital solutions in real life. Also in the cohort are Incept Consulting, which specialises in optimising fill rate of vehicles and already works with several large UK retailers; routing tech firm Fuuse; Microsoft UK; Pairpoint; and Parity Technologies.Digital Catapult, which describes itself as a deep tech innovation organisation, is leading the work and has developed a distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based platform called Sequence. This permits the sharing of data across a transport and logistics network, allowing participating retailers, suppliers and vehicle operators to communicate with each other.The pilot highlights how a digital infrastructure can establish more intelligent vehicle slot filling, routing and tracking. Digital Catapult says scaling the offering would allow competing logistics providers to safely share information on available truck space across their collective fleets and it argues it would not require a single party to have full control or visibility of the entire system.Tim Lawrence, director of Digital Catapults digital supply chain hub, an initiative focused on making supply chains smarter through use of technology, says Sequence could become an asset thats available to the industry and used to optimise and share fleet routes.If you imagine in the future, for example, the M1 corridor a busy area between the distribution hubs in the midlands some trucks are full and some are empty, he says. We want to use this platform so everything is running full.Lawrence sees progress if this is rolled out gradually, and predicts interest will build as more retailers get involved. However, he acknowledges a plan is still required to cater for the different needs of ambient goods and fresh food haulage.But there is no reason why, if everyone collaborates in the right way, you cant optimise that, and reduce congestion and traffic on those roads, he adds. And, in the future, if theyre all running on hydrogen or electric power, we will have created a low-carbon, optimised system. Thats the vision.Fuuse has developed the algorithms around route optimisation and related supply data and, for example, can calculate how far off a route a truck can deviate to pick up another load before it becomes less efficient, as well as the logical retailer journeys.Incept, which has been working with AF Blakemore for six years already and is the innovation arm of Simply Supply Chain, boasts several large UK retailers as existing customers. It offers tech to optimise the use of a particular vehicle itself, such as best use of pallets, and provides the retail operational knowledge and expertise to L3.Retailers were working with are already optimising orders and flows, and therefore they are already taking costs out which can offset inflation, says Nick Gazzard, a director at Incept and Simply Supply Chain, adding that there are significant savings to be made by retailers who open up their end-to-end supply chains.The L3 programme began looking for last-mile logistics problems, but ultimately honed in on the middle mile and particularly backhaul when trucks return to their depot after making a delivery. With so many trucks fulfilling goods and then returning to warehouses and distribution centres empty, it was agreed there was huge potential for using the tech to allow retailers to pick up future supplies on their return route.One of the things often discussed when looking to decarbonise is the move to different technology and diesel fuel alternatives and, ultimately, that is what we all want to move towards, says Lawrence.But one of the first steps is improving efficiency of existing vehicle fleets known in the industry as resource efficiency. Through products and platforms like ours, you can drive a certain reduction in CO2 and generate cost savings because youre taking trucks off the road.This represents methodical thinking because the transition from diesel-powered trucks to alternatively fuelled vehicles is not a rapid process. For example, AF Blakemore introduced four electric HGVs to its fleet in the first quarter of 2024, and baked goods manufacturer Warburtons added three electric HGVs in March after successfully running a comprehensive trial using a single Renault e-truck.Last year, furniture and furnishings retailer Dunelm invested in one electric vehicle for store deliveries alongside nine home delivery tractor units powered by compressed natural gas. There are other examples, but the stock of non-diesel HGVs is still limited, and retailers are only able to tentatively add them to their fleets at present.Aiming for a fully decarbonised economy, the first curve you hit on is efficiency, then you get into more green energy and vehicles, but thats going to take 10-15 years, says Lawrence. Unless you do some of these efficiency initiatives first, I seriously dont think well hit the emissions targets were setting ourselves.Read more about sustainabilityThe past 12 months have seen companies row back on their sustainability commitments, in response to economic pressures, but could doing so harm their bottom line in the long run?The pursuit of sustainability is not without its challenges but, with the right strategies and a dedicated approach, it is an attainable goal for enterprises in 2025L3 has been trialled in a real-world industrial environment, combining DLT, the internet of things and an algorithm developed by Fuuse, to optimise route planning and truck use. By matching vehicle transport capacity with shipment needs, its argued that AF Blakemore could decrease overall transport costs by 37%, improve its vehicle fill rate by 9%, and achieve carbon savings of 15-30% by utilising trucks already on the road.Gazzard says the platform can fix one of the biggest bugbears in the industry the problem of empty running transport costs, which he argues are through the roof.If we can get this working, youre talking about bringing 80% of the goods maybe more on backhaul, he says. The apps are working; the question now is industrialising them and expanding the range of people using them.The projects activities and outcomes are now detailed in a report, accessible through the Digital Supply Chain Hub.Were now at the stage where we want to scale it up with AF Blakemore and roll it out with other retailers as well, says Lawrence. We need some further work technically, but we want to build knowledge and excitement in the marketplace.According to Lawrence, its no longer the capability of technology holding back the potential for improving efficiency and environmental performance of supply chains: its industry mindset. It should be a no-brainer, he says.The problem we need to overcome is the industry sharing mindset, and whether retailers are happy to collaborate effectively, in terms of data sharing and suppliers sharing information on loads and timing, says Lawrence. There is evidence retailers are more willing to move towards greater transparency in the name of environmental improvement. One of the reasons we focus this on manufacturers and retailers is we worry logistics companies themselves may not see the benefit.Gazzard says: The proposition for retailers is simple: you have all this backhaul, so why dont we look at suppliers youre ordering from and synchronise things so you can order on same day and find out who you can collect from on your last drop? Then, youll be utilising your own vehicle to bring your own goods to your own shed.He adds that supply chain collaboration and efficiency illustrated in the L3 project can help the retail industry overcome some of its key challenges saving money at a time of growing operational costs, smoothing demand and helping business supply chains become more robust, and decarbonisation to meet sustainability goals.There is clear industry demand for it, and several of the UKs largest retailers are already involved in supply chain optimisation projects. Analyst Gartner also reports global supply chain reorganisation is high up on chief supply chain officers agendas, and its research shows success in this field tends to come from a radical approach to redesigning their operations, which suggests the time is right for rethinking strategy.Marc Deakin, supply chain director at AF Blakemore, says: Following the successful L3 project with Incept, Fuuse and Digital Catapult, AF Blakemore is excited to collaborate with Simply Supply Chain to support operational trials of the collaborative transport optimisation tools used in L3, and to develop a business model to ensure that using the tools would be a commercial success for our business and suppliers.We look forward to collaborating on this crucial work, enabling years of innovation collaboration to translate into long-term impact, through our existing and future end-to-end programmes, he says.

Among the many extraordinary surveillance, journalism and encryption stories this year, revelations of covert and unlawful monitoring of journalists and their confidential sources by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Metropolitan Police attracted the most attention.Five years ago, journalists Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney filed a complaint to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), acting on a hunch that their phones had been monitored when they exposed police collusion in the paramilitary murders of six innocent Catholics.The IPT found they were right. The PSNI and other police forces had accessed McCaffreys phone records at least four times between 2009 and 2018. Altogether, police gathered the data of about 4,000 texts and phone communications from the two journalists and more than a dozen journalists working for the BBC.The PSNIs chief constable subsequently admitted it has spied on more than 500 lawyers and 300 journalists over a 14-year period.The force has commissioned a barrister to conduct an independent investigation, but there are growing calls supported by MP David Davis, journalists and campaigners for a public inquiry with statutory powers to find out the truth.Other notable stories include the National Crime Agencys (NCAs) decision to sack a senior director, Nikki Holland, for sending sensitive and secret information over WhatsApp. Holland was responsible for one of the NCAs most high-profile investigations into criminals using the encrypted phone network, EncroChat.Also under investigation was an allegation that NCA staff have been told to set messages they sent about the EncroChat operation on WhatsApp and Signal to auto-delete, which, if true, would have prevented the disclosure of potentially relevant evidence in crown court trials. It has also emerged that the NCAs technical expert on Operation Venetic was unable to supply the court with his Signal messages relating to the investigation after replacing his phone and forgetting to create a backup.Another highlight was Computer Weeklys investigation with Byline Times into the lobbying activities of a network of right-wing Brexit supporters led by former MI6 chief Richard Dearlove, and sweeping government proposals to monitor the bank accounts of people in receipt of any government benefit, including pension credit.Here are Computer Weeklys top 10 surveillance, journalism and encryption stories of 2024.Russia hacked ex-MI6 chiefs emails what they reveal is more Dads Army than deep stateAn investigation by Computer Weekly and Byline Times reveals how a network of right-wing elites funded by wealthy donors used their links with government and the intelligence services to influence government policy on science and technology.More than 70 hard Brexit supporters, led by former MI6 chief Richard Dearlove and retired academic Gwythian Prins, set up encrypted email and WhatsApp accounts to campaign against the Soros-funded Remaniac operation, the Green blob and the Chinese Communist Party.Their targets included science journal Nature and its editor-in-chief; Chinese tech company Huawei; and those in the intelligence services that argued the company posed no threat to the UK telecoms infrastructure.NCA director sacked after WhatsApp and email security breachesA senior director at the National Crime Agency lost her job after sending sensitive and secret information over her personal email and on WhatsApp, in what was described as a serious information security breach.A disciplinary panel found that Nikki Holland had committed gross misconduct by using a personal email address to transmit sensitive and secret NCA material and by declassifying secret material to enable it to be sent from an NCA email account to a non-NCA email account.Hollands most high-profile role was her responsibility for the NCAs Operation Venetic investigation into organised criminals using the EncroChat encrypted phone network, which was compromised in an international police operation in 2020.Canadian arrested by France after cooperating with US on Sky ECC cryptophone investigationA Canadian businessman accused of helping to facilitate organised crime through his involvement with an encrypted messaging service was arrested by French police despite fully cooperating with US law authorities.Thomas Herdman, now 64, assisted US authorities in their investigation of Canadian-encrypted phone supplier Sky Global under a proffer agreement with the US, but his lawyers claimed foul play after he was arrested and extradited to France.Herdman is the only person held by France under an indictment issued by the French authorities against 30 individuals involved in Sky ECC.US investigators claimed he was the right-hand man of former Sky CEO Jean-Franois Eap. But Herdman worked for a phone distributor, LevUp, and argues in court filings that he had no involvement in the development of Sky ECC or the running of the company.Police arrested journalists as part of surveillance operation to identify confidential sourceDurham Police and the Police Service of Northern Ireland made repeated and entirely unjustified attempts to put two journalists under surveillance without seeking judicial authorisation.Durham Police, working with the PSNI, raided the journalists homes and film production company Fine Point Films, and seized computers, notes, mobile phones and terabytes of journalistic data.Northern Irish police used covert powers to monitor over 300 journalistsPolice in Northern Ireland have made 323 applications for communications data relating to journalists since 2011.The chief constable of the PSNI disclosed the figures in a report commissioned by the Northern Ireland Policing Board.Police chief Jon Boutcher disclosed that the PSNI had made 10 applications to use covert powers to identify journalists confidential sources between 2021 and March 2024.Northern Irish police also authorised four covert human intelligence sources to provide intelligence on journalists or lawyers.Lawyers and journalists seeking payback over police phone surveillance, claims former detectiveA former detective regarded as a key witness in an investigation into allegations that police unlawfully monitored the phones of journalists has accused their lawyers of seeking payback against law enforcement.Former Durham Police detective Darren Ellis claimed in an email to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal that lawyers and journalists were riding roughshod over people who dare challenge them.He claimed in an email to the court that he was unwilling to give evidence to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal as the journalists lawyers were unwilling to accept clear explanations and were attempting to rewrite history.The applicants and their legal teams operate in a community when no-one ever holds them to account, wrote Ellis. In a system that simply allows them to ride roughshod over people who dare challenge them. For too long, they shout and they brawl and intimidate others. I consider it to be a strategy to frighten and softly intimidate, and hence place a ring of steel around corrupt activity.Investigatory Powers review will undermine privacy of UK citizensGovernment plans to update the UKs surveillance laws could divert tech companies away from safeguarding the privacy and security of their customers towards meeting the surveillance needs of government..The warning from technology companies came in a briefing for government ministers on the risks posed by government plans to modernise the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, which governs state surveillance in the UK.Sellafield local authority slammed over response to North Korean ransomware attackFormer bosses at Copeland Borough Council blamed a 2017 ransomware attack for the authoritys failure to submit audited accounts for its final four years of business.A council source told Computer Weekly that the council still doesnt know who did it and what [information] was lost during the 2017 attack.DWP anti-fraud measures will allow monitoring of bank accounts of landlords, carers and parentsProposed anti-fraud powers were intended to allow the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to monitor the bank accounts of landlords, parents, carers and partnersof people receiving state benefits, including the state pension.The wording of the bill allowed the DWP to ask banks and financial companies for any information specified by the DWP, raising concerns that the powers outlined on the face of the bill could be used to obtain intrusive financial information on benefit claimants.MPs warned in an open letter that the proposals would require banks to sift through tens of millions of bank accounts to identify people in the welfare system, around 40% of the population.Government agrees law to protect confidential journalistic material from state hackingThe government has agreed to bring in legislation to require MI5 and GCHQ to seek independent authorisation before accessing confidential journalistic material obtained through the bulk hacking of phones or computer systems.The Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill, which was debated in the House of Commons, requires the intelligence services to seek independent approval from the investigatory powers commissioner before accessing journalistic material or material that could identify a confidential journalistic source.The concession follows a seven-year legal challenge brought by human rights organisation Liberty with the support of the National Union of Journalists.It follows separate warnings from technology companies and rights organisations that proposed changes to the Investigatory Powers Act would disrupt the ability of technology companies to apply security updates and introduce end-to-end encryption.

LG's 2025 Gram Pro laptops include the company's first-ever Copilot+ PC, armed with the 'Lunar Lake' Intel Core Ultra processor.

With so many step-function changes in automotive hitting the Valley of Disappointment, here are five ... [+] (5) predictions that suggest how the coming year will unfold.gettyIn the year 2000, Visteon was launched from the electrical division of Ford, and part of the visioning exercise of this burgeoning, multibillion dollar corporation was to predict what radical changes would impact the auto industry in the year 2025. These neophytes to the Supply Base imagined many technological innovations that have either come to fruition (e.g., remote start) or have flirted with reality (e.g., autonomous driving, flying cars). Like many companies, imaging such a future helps to guide strategic planning and investments.And after 9/11, the Great Recession, COVID, and wars in multiple regions, 2025 arrives in just a few days. Nevertheless, the necessity of predicting the future is still a required exercise, so here are five (5) predictions for the auto industry in 2025.Software recalls continue to grow at an alarming rate while software-related content shows no signs ... [+] of slowing.ENVORSO#1 Software Recall Spends Will Double AgainThe curve on software recalls is going the wrong direction: exponentially upwards. In the past year, the number of vehicles affected with a software-related recall jumped to 42% from 13% in 2023. I alone have experienced seven (7) trips to the dealership in 2024 for software-related glitches. A recent article where the Detroit Free Press interviewed Todd Warren, a professor at Northwestern University and Founding Advisor for Envorso, only an estimated 13% of software-related recalls can be addressed via Over-The-Air (OTA) updates. Although that cost-savings capability should increase slightly in 2025, several automakers have paused architectural issues that would permit OTA since they were tied to Electric Vehicle (EV) launches that were delayed due to softening market demand for EVs.Some automakers and suppliers have quietly attempted to address these quality issues, but escalating content and cost pressures have caused recalls and non-safety repairs to skyrocket in an impactful way. The escalating price of this inattention to quality will cause the second prediction (below).MORE FOR YOUWASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 13: Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, will be amongst the executives who ... [+] needs to find an economical way forward with Software-Defined Vehicle (Photo by Anna Moneymaker)Getty Images#2: GM Or Ford: Either M&A Or Alliance In Near FutureIn the world of Do It Yourself (DIY) there are always two major assumptions: 1) having or acquiring the know-how to get er done, and 2) itll be economically advantageous to proceed without help.Neither are true for General Motors or Ford.Both have repeatedly attempted to solve the quandary of Software-Defined Vehicles that permit OTA and cloud-based offerings with a brand new, high-tech architecture via acquiring executives or high-priced talent from Silicon Valley, but have failed and postponed vehicle launches for years.The price of DIY has become enormous its essentially redesigning the entire electrical system from the ground-up and automakers can no longer wait for this enabler to reflashing software over-the-air.Collaboration is the only way forward, states Dr. Ludmilla Derr, the Managing Director of Elite Expert Conferences and facilitator of several development alliances. In this market, companies need to be cautious where to invest, and only having to fund half of the investment is even better. Not to mention, such opportunities to collaborate frequently create unforeseen synergies.The prediction of mergers, acquisitions or alliances of/with these two iconic brands seems bold prima fascia, but the industry has already seen Volkswagen invest $5.8B USD in a joint venture with Rivian for its software-defined architecture, and recently Honda and Nissan have discussed an alliance for sharing software and electrification components to decrease development costs. Both Ford and GM need to rethink DIY and find a willing co-investor.Voice has already become a steering-wheel mainstay, but adaptation of voice interfaces within the ... [+] vehicle will expand further.getty#3: Voice Assistants Will Become More ProminentHigh-resolution screens have become more pervasive and extended in the past few years (see A Bug To The Light: The Attraction To Touchscreens in Cars), and market predictions expect further expansion. Couple that with the delays of autonomy, and two automaker-needs emerge: 1) the need to differentiate in technology and 2) the need to mitigate driver inattention.The solution: a personalized voice assistant (i.e., not Siri, not Alexa).Users are overwhelmed, suggests Nils Schanz, Executive Vice President of Product and Technology at Cerence AI. Cognitive overload and driver distraction are just too high, and this is what [automakers] are recognizing. They want to bring back balance where end users actually use the systems, and so were seeing voice assistants gaining more prominence.Not only will this gain popularity due to customization, but also Artificial Intelligence will enable a more seamless integration into the interactions, rather than the historical hard-button-followed-by-structured-voice-commands.With places like Argentina increasing in technological talent, automakers will look to leverage ... [+] cost-competitive labor.getty#4: South American Tech Centers Will IncreaseAutomotive has for many decades struggled with profit margins and, in the midst of needing to trim costs while increasing content, has sought geographies with lower-cost laborers. Some of this motivation was the impetus for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA, 1992) which caused both manufacturing and development to move to Mexico an expected growth to $1B USD in India in 2025 from $128M USD in 1990, and a 15x growth in China since 2000.However, the pandemic and recent political strife has caused automakers to rethink their development distribution around the globe. The U.S. Congress voted on a bill that will limit U.S. investments in artificial intelligence and other technologies sectors in China that could threaten safety and security. Additionally, in the last decade, labor in these areas has risen significantly (e.g., India rose 55% from 2010 to 2021).Therein, North American companies will begin moving to newer, economically-driven South American areas since there are fewer political restrictions and/or time zone coordination issues. For example, Argentia alone has 1,200 active startups which is a 25% increase from just 2020, and Alcor reports a rise to 7.1M tech positions by 2034, which equates to a 8.3% CAGR over the next decade.Online or hybrid work environments were required over the past few years, but onsite employment will ... [+] rise in 2025.getty#5: In-Person Will Reemerge82% of conference attendees prefer in-person experiences, and 75% of exhibitors plan to keep or grow their marketing budget. 83% of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) anticipate a full-time return-to-office within the next three years, which increased significantly from 64% in 2023. The hybrid experience has grown wearisome since the binge-Zoom years of the pandemic.The actual number of personnel that return to the office full-time will be less than these numbers since theres a noted gap in employee expectations (e.g., 86% of employees want 2+ days from home per week), but the number of onsite workers will assuredly rise in 2025.

HAIKOU, HAINAN, CHINA - 2020/08/23: In this photo illustration a "TikTok" logo seen displayed on a ... [+] smartphone with an American flag in the background. ByteDance, parent company of popular video-sharing app TikTok on Sunday confirmed it would be filing a lawsuit on Monday local time against the Trump administration over the executive order signed by President Donald Trump banning its service in the United States. (Photo Illustration by SheldonCooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesAs creators wind down 2024 and set their strategies for 2025, an urgent challenge looms on the horizon - a potential TikTok ban thats just two weeks away.President-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to delay implementing legislation that would either ban TikTok or force its sale, stating he needs time after taking office to seek a "political resolution." The Court will hear arguments in the case on January 10th.However, for creators and brands who have built their businesses on TikTok, preparation for a ban isn't just prudentit's essential. Full disclaimer, I am not a lawyer and these are just personal recommendations based on industry experience.Contract ConsiderationsThe first priority for creators and brands should be reviewing and updating their legal agreements. Any partnership or sponsorship agreement must include specific provisions addressing TikTok unavailability. This includes establishing backup platform requirements and defining clear compensation adjustments if deliverables cannot be posted on the original platform.For existing contracts, reviewing Force Majeure clauses becomes crucial. These provisions may determine how partnerships proceed if TikTok becomes unavailable. Creators and brands should proactively discuss contingency plans with their partners rather than waiting for a crisis.MORE FOR YOUProtecting Your Brand and ContentImmediate steps for brand protection include securing usernames on emerging platforms like Threads and Bluesky. For creators who haven't yet protected their intellectual property, trademark registration should be a priority for early 2025.Content protection requires immediate action. Creators should download and archive all their TikTok content, ensuring they maintain access to their creative assets regardless of platform availability. This includes:Video contentPerformance metricsAudience engagement dataPartnership historyAudience Communication and MigrationClear communication becomes crucial during platform transitions. Creators should develop explicit plans for notifying their audience about where to find them if TikTok becomes unavailable. This includes providing clear calls-to-action (CTAs) directing followers to other platforms and establishing backup communication channels.Information ManagementIn times of uncertainty, distinguishing between reliable information and speculation becomes crucial. Creators should focus on monitoring:Official ByteDance communicationsU.S. government press releasesEstablished legal news sourcesAvoiding speculative social media commentary and clickbait becomes essential for making informed business decisions.Building Platform IndependenceThe potential TikTok ban highlights a broader truth about the creator economy: platform dependency creates inherent business risks. Forward-thinking creators should use this moment to think about building more resilient business models:Developing direct-to-consumer productsCreating owned media eg email newslettersEstablishing private communitiesDeveloping platform-agnostic brand partnershipsLong-term Strategic ConsiderationsWhile the immediate focus centers on TikTok, the lessons extend to all digital creators. Whether or not a ban materializes, building platform independence and direct audience relationships will create a more sustainable creator business.

A total lunar eclipse behind the Colorado State Capitol building on September 27, 2015, in Denver, ... [+] Colorado. (Photo by (NASA/Bill Ingalls)Getty ImagesThe last year saw a total solar eclipse in North America, stunning global displays of the aurora and a naked-eye comet. Can 2025 compete? From a couple of blood moon lunar eclipses to dark sky meteor showers and rare planetary alignments, the night sky won't disappoint.With 2025 the peak of the suns 11-year solar cycle, expect intense geomagnetic storms that fuel auroras. Yes, they may well reach the U.S. and Europe, but if you want the best chance of having the best views for over a decade, get yourself to high-latitude regions like Alaska, Iceland, northern Norway, northern Finland, and northern Sweden.Heres your definitive guide to the most exciting stargazing events of 2025.1. Quadrantid Meteor ShowerWhen: Jan. 34, 2025Kick off the year with this brilliant (and much underrated) meteor display. Under dark, moonless skies, the Quadrantids promise between 25 to 200 meteors per hour.MORE FOR YOU2. Full Wolf Moon Occults MarsWhen: Jan. 13-14, 2025Just a few nights shy of opposition, Mars will be briefly occulted by a near-full moon. Visit In-The-Sky.org for exact times for all locations. In the U.S., it will take place between 9:00-11:00 p.m. EST).3. Mars at OppositionWhen: Jan. 15, 2025Mars will glow a bright golden color all January, on either side of its opposition its closest alignment with Earth. This once-every-26-month event offers excellent views of the red planets surface details through a telescope.Mars at opposition in 2005. Photograph by Jamie Cooper. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)SSPL via Getty Images4. Planet ParadeWhen: Jan. 25, 2025Although Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars will be easy to see right now with the naked eye and will continue to be in January this date is being touted as the best night to see the planet parade. Its certainly the last best chance because the moon will be gone from the early evening sky, and Saturn will soon transit into the pre-dawn sky. If you have a telescope, Neptune will be close to Venus and Uranus close to Jupiter.5. Venus at Its Brilliant BestWhen: Feb. 19, 2025Venus barreling towards Earth as it catches up on its shorter, faster journey around the sun will shine tonight at a breathtaking magnitude of -4.5, making it the brightest object in the night sky after the moon. Thats despite it being a slim crescent.6. Total Lunar Eclipse (And Northern Lights?)When: March 1314, 2025Witness the moon turn reddish as it passes through Earths inner umbral shadow for the first time since late 2022. North America will enjoy the best views of this eerie phenomenon, with totality lasting 65 minutes in the middle of the night. Could aurora strike, too? It could be an incredible night with the full moon blotted out for an hour.The aurora borealis fills the sky with pink and blue waves of color over a farmhouse in Mercer, ... [+] Maine on May 11, 2024. (Photo by Michael Seamans/Getty Images)Getty Images7. Solar Max Northern Lights At EquinoxWhen: the weeks around March 20 and September 22, 2025Solar maximum in 2025 means more frequent and vivid auroras. However, the geomagnetic storms that produce them tend to be more frequent and intense around the equinoxes. Keep your eyes peeled and your travel plans fluid.8. Partial Solar EclipseWhen: March 29 and Sept. 21, 2025A dramatic sunrise eclipse awaits skywatchers in northeastern North America on March 29. Depending on your location, the moon will obscure up to 94% of the sun. Europe will see it mid-morning, and North America will see it at sunrise cue a chance for a rare crescent sunrise. A second partial solar eclipse on September 21 will be visible from New Zealand and parts of Antarctica.9. Lyrid Meteor ShowerWhen: April 2122, 2025Known for its bright fireballs, the Lyrids will streak across a moonless sky. Expect up to 20 meteors per hour during its peak.10. Eta Aquariid Meteor ShowerWhen: May 67, 2025Halleys Comet's annual legacy is the Eta Aquariids, a meteor shower best viewed in the Southern Hemisphere, though Northern Hemisphere observers can still enjoy the show.BRILL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 20: Jupiter and Saturn are seen coming together in the night sky, over ... [+] the sails of Brill windmill, for what is known as the Great Conjunction, on December 20, 2020 in Brill, England. The planetary conjunction is easily visible in the evening sky and will culminate on the night of December 21. This is the closest the planets have appeared for nearly 800 years. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images)Getty Images11. Venus and Jupiter ConjunctionWhen: Aug. 12, 2025Dont miss this celestial duet as the two brightest planets appear just one degree apart in the pre-dawn sky. Their combined brilliance will be mesmerizing.12. Saturn at OppositionWhen: Sept. 21, 2025Saturn will dominate the night sky as it reaches opposition. Though its iconic rings appear edge-on this year, they will remain a stunning sight through a telescope.13. Draconid Meteor ShowerWhen: October 89, 2025This unique meteor shower peaks after sunset, offering an early evening treat. While its usually modest, the Draconids may surprise with sudden outbursts.14. Biggest Supermoon Of 2025When: November 5, 2025Get ready for the biggest and brightest supermoon of the year. This will be the closest the moon has been to Earth since 2019, making for a stunning sight at moonrise. Expect hype and a beautiful celestial sight.15. Leonid Meteor ShowerWhen: Nov. 1718, 2025Known for its periodic meteor storms, this years Leonids will feature about 15 meteors per hour under dark skies. A slim crescent moon ensures excellent viewing conditions.Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.

In a nutshell: The world has woken up to the need to secure and diversify our global internet infrastructure. As NATO and its partners work to achieve this goal through Project HEIST, the race is on to stay ahead of potential threats. On February 18, 2024, a missile attack by Houthi militants in Yemen struck the cargo ship Rubymar in the Red Sea, setting off a chain of events that would expose a critical vulnerability in the world's internet infrastructure. As the disabled vessel drifted for weeks before finally sinking, its anchor dragged across the seafloor for an estimated 70 kilometers, severing three vital fiber-optic cables that carried approximately a quarter of all internet traffic between Europe and Asia.This incident served as a stark reminder of the fragility of the world's submarine fiber-optic network, which carries more than 95% of intercontinental internet communications. "They're not buried when they cross an ocean," Tim Stronge, vice president of research at TeleGeography, told IEEE. "They're sitting right on the seafloor, and at oceanic depths, at deep-sea depths, they're about this thick" he gestures, forming a circle with his fingers "less than a garden hose. They're fragile."The global undersea cable network, spanning approximately 1.2 million kilometers, consists of 500 to 600 cables that form the backbone of our digital world. These cables are crucial for more than just casual internet browsing; they facilitate an estimated $10 trillion in daily financial transactions and carry encrypted defense communications.In response to this vulnerability, NATO has launched a pilot project called HEIST (Hybrid Space-Submarine Architecture Ensuring Infosec of Telecommunications). The project aims to develop strategies to protect global internet traffic and create alternative pathways when disruptions occur.HEIST's objectives for the coming years include developing systems to quickly locate cable breaks with 1-meter accuracy and exploring ways to divert high-priority traffic to satellites. "The name of the game when it comes to enabling resilient communication is path diversity. Something in the sky rather than [just] what's on the seabed," said Gregory Falco, NATO Country Director for HEIST and an assistant professor at Cornell University. // Related StoriesThe project will begin testing at the Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) in Karlskrona, Sweden, in 2025.The project is urgently needed, said Henric Johnson, who serves as the vice-chancellor of BTH and coordinates the HEIST testbed initiative, pointing to recent real-world incidents of sabotage targeting undersea cables connecting Sweden, Estonia, and Finland. "What we're talking about now is critical infrastructure in the society," he said.While satellite links offer a potential backup solution, they face significant limitations in terms of data throughput. Current fiber-optic cables can handle up to 340 terabits per second, far outpacing the 5 gigabits per second typically achievable via satellite communications in the Ku band.To address this disparity, the HEIST team plans to explore higher-bandwidth laser optical systems for satellite communication. NASA's recent experiments with optical communications have shown promising results, demonstrating the potential to carry at least 40 times more data than traditional radio transmissions.However, laser transmissions are not without their challenges. They can be easily disrupted by atmospheric conditions such as clouds, haze, or smoke, and require precise aiming. Additionally, signal latency remains a concern, particularly for satellites in higher orbits.As HEIST progresses, the team is taking an open-source approach, inviting scrutiny and feedback from the broader scientific community. "We're going to make it super-public, and we're going to want people to poke a lot of holes in it," Falco said. "We're going to enable this capability faster than anyone would have believed."