Many third-party background check providers use advanced technology, but how can businesses know which provider is right for them?

Apple has just revealed the new content coming to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV for 2025. There are new episodes of the popular Time to Walk app on the Watch, a workshop-style yoga program and a surprise collaboration with Strava.Apple FItness+Apple Apple Fitness+ is a subscription service that started just over four years ago. From the beginning, it has had an Everybody welcome attitude to encourage people of all levels of confidence to take up exercise. The video sessions are exceptionally high-quality, produced from Apples multi-million dollar Apple Fitness Studios in California. You can watch on your iPhone, iPad or Apple TV and your heart rate, gathered from your Apple Watch, shows up on screen.In addition to the existing exercise types, which range from HIIT to dance, meditation to yoga, this year sees the introduction of a progressive strength training program to help users to build and maintain strength with a new three-week course that targets every major muscle group in a series of half-hour workshops.And now theres pickleball, or at least something called a Strength, Endurance and Agility for Pickleball program, guided by Catherine Parenteau, who has been ranked number 1 in the world in both singles and doubles, Apple says. The exercises are inspired by Parenteaus own training.MORE FOR YOUTheres also something I really cant wait for: Yoga Peak Poses. Apple makes every session accessibleif you cant keep up with the main trainer, theres always someone doing gentler, simpler exercises so nobodys excluded.But if youve ever yearned for something a bit more challenging in a particular discipline, this kind of new element could be ideal. New sessions will focus on just one pose, such as Dancer, Twisted Hand to Big Toe and Crow, to help build confidence. If youve ever seen me do Crow (and you havent because in yoga youre just focused on yourself, right?) youll know I need all the help I can get.Yoga Peak Poses in Apple Fitness+Apple Theres a new section to introduce Breath Meditation, with five 10-minute meditations to choose from, such as ocean breathing. Artist Spotlights continue, where workouts have playlists from just one artist. Upcoming are workouts with music from Janet Jackson, Coldplay and Bruno Mars.Time to Walk is a special Apple watch-only strand, an intimate listen where one person tells a little of their life, and chooses three tracks meaningful to them. Over the years these have ranged from Dolly Parton to Prince William. New episodes begin on Jan. 13 and include actor Adam Scott, Tiffany Haddish and Rita Ora.Apple Watch's special edition award.AppleTheres also a collaboration with Strava, improving the integration between Strava and Fitness+ so that if you share a Fitness+ workout to Strava, it shows more detail, such as episode number and image, trainer name and metrics.And a new Apple Watch limited-edition award: close all three Activity Rings for seven consecutive days to achieve this.Apple Fitness+ is a spectacular fitness service and Apple is ensuring it continues to be cutting-edge, with something for absolutely everyone. The new content begins to land on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.

Editor's take: In a nostalgic nod to its roots ahead of CES 2025, Nvidia has launched a giveaway campaign offering fans a chance to win five iconic GPUs from its storied history. The first prize is the groundbreaking GeForce 256, often hailed as the world's first GPU a term that Nvidia defined and popularized. While some may view this as a marketing ploy, the appeal of owning a piece of PC gaming history signed by one of the industry's most influential figures is undeniable. The GeForce Greats competition kicked off with a post on X as Nvidia unveiled a framed GeForce 256 graphics card, complete with its original box, bearing the signature of CEO Jensen Huang. This piece of computing history, dating back to 1999, marks the beginning of Nvidia's computer graphics journey.While the company has kept the identities of the four remaining GPUs under wraps, speculation is rife among tech enthusiasts. Many predict that the legendary GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, released in 2017 and still revered for its performance, might be among the prizes. Nvidia plans to reveal one GPU per day in the lead-up to Jensen Huang's CES opening keynote.Participation in the giveaway is straightforward: fans are invited to comment #GeForceGreats on Nvidia's social media thread and share their fondest gaming memories. This engagement strategy not only generates buzz but also taps into the nostalgia that many PC gamers hold for these classic cards.The timing of this promotion is no accident. With CES 2025 on the horizon, Nvidia is drumming up excitement for its upcoming announcements, including the much-anticipated GeForce RTX 50 series. The company is also planning a 48-hour gaming marathon from January 4th to 6th, further fueling the hype for its CES presentation.This giveaway is more than just a trip down memory lane; it's a celebration of Nvidia's impact on the gaming industry. // Related StoriesThe GeForce 256, for example, which was built on TSMC's 220nm process node and featured a 139mm chip with 17 million transistors, boasted several advanced features for its time. It revolutionized PC gaming by offering significantly improved performance and visual quality, providing up to 50% or greater improvement in frame rates compared to previous high-end 3D game accelerators. Ultimately, it set a new standard for graphics processing, influencing the development of subsequent GPUs.The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, released in March 2017, also stands as a landmark achievement in the history of computer graphics. The card's ability to handle 4K gaming and support for advanced technologies like VR and Nvidia G-Sync was hailed by gamers. What truly set the GTX 1080 Ti apart, though, was its price-to-performance ratio. Retailed for $699, it offered Titan X-level performance for nearly half the cost. This aggressive pricing strategy disrupted the high-end GPU market and put pressure on competitors like AMD, which was struggling to match Nvidia's performance at the top end.

Why it matters: Asus and other companies have spent years exploring ways to remove cables from the custom PC building process. The manufacturer's BTF standard aims to make installing graphics cards safer and easier, and the latest version dramatically increases the power budget to accommodate more components. DIY-APE recently unveiled a new iteration of the Back to the Future (BTF) standard that aims to minimize the number of cables needed for installing PC components. The new design can deliver up to 1,500W while shifting all non-chassis-related wiring to the back of the motherboard.Asus proposed BTF a few years ago as a method for installing GPUs without running power cables in front of the motherboard, which often contributes to messy cable arrangements. Using designs demonstrated in 2023 and 2024, a graphics card can receive up to 600W directly from the motherboard without cables.The new system from DIY-APE adds a 50-pin connector to the rear of a 12VO motherboard a power standard Intel introduced to simplify cable management. By delivering 1,500W, DIY-APE's connector can replace traditional EPS dual 8-pin CPU connectors, 24-pin motherboard connectors, and 12V-2x6 GPU connectors.In custom PCs built to the BTF 3.0 standard, the last remaining components requiring additional cables are coolers and SATA devices like storage drives. With most users transitioning to NVMe SSDs that connect directly into M.2 motherboard slots, only front panel buttons, fans, and RGB lights would reveal front-facing cables.Compliant designs could make assembly easier for newcomers and reduce the risk of bad connections or fires, which plagued early RTX 4090 power connectors. Conversely, BTF could theoretically make troubleshooting more difficult, as individual components would be less isolated.However, the primary downside is that BTF requires new motherboards, graphics cards, and power supply units to support the new connection types. Builders interested in BTF PCs would have to use BTF-compliant parts. // Related StoriesFor BTF to become viable, other PC companies must adopt the standard. A cable-free future would require manufacturers of motherboards, GPUs, PSUs, and cases to approve a common set of connectors so users can build cableless PCs without worrying about viable upgrade paths.Although BTF's chances of mainstream acceptance remain unclear, CES, which starts in a few days, might present an opportunity to showcase its advantages. Asus revealed a BTF version of the RTX 4090 at last year's trade show.

Mark Wahlberg almost always plays the hero. In Flight Risk, Wahlberg showcases his villainous side and a new hairstyle.In the latest trailer forFlight Risk, Wahlberg plays Daryl Booth, a pilot tasked with transporting Air Marshal Madolyn Harris (Michelle Dockery) and her government witness, Winston (Topher Grace), across the Alaskan wilderness. During the flight, Booth reveals his true identity as a hit man hired by the mob to kill Winston to prevent him from testifying in a major case. Madolyn manages to apprehend Daryl after several altercations, but now she must fly the plane to safety.Recommended VideosYall need a pilot, Daryl sarcastically says while chained to the plane. One of the jarring components of Wahlbergs performance is his hair. Wahlberg elected to shave parts of his head instead of wearing a bald cap.Please enable Javascript to view this contentCheck out keep it real no bald cap pic.twitter.com/mU1kIYcYbc Mark Wahlberg official (@markWahlberg_90) January 2, 2025Flight Riskis directed by Mel Gibson from a screenplay by Jared Rosenberg. Gibson is a producer onFlight Riskalongside John Davis, John Fox, and Bruce Davey. Gibson and Wahlberg previously collaborated on 2022sFather Stuand 2017sDaddys Home 2.This marks Gibsons first directorial feature since 2016s Hacksaw Ridge, which resulted in an Oscar nomination for Best Director. Gibson famously won Best Picture and Best Director for 1995sBraveheart, an epic historical drama about William Wallaces crusade during the First War of Scottish Independence. Gibson also directed 2004sThe Passion of the Christand 2006s Apocalypto,with the former potentially receiving a sequel in the near future.Flight Riskwas originally scheduled to come out on October 18, 2024. It will now be released theatrically on January 24, 2025.Editors RecommendationsMark Wahlberg breaks bad in the trailer for Mel Gibsons Flight Risk

WEAK LINK IN THE CHAIN Time to check if you ran any of these 33 malicious Chrome extensions Two separate campaigns have been stealing credentials and browsing history for months. Dan Goodin Jan 3, 2025 7:15 am | 1 Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreAs many of us celebrated the year-end holidays, a small group of researchers worked overtime tracking a startling discovery: At least 33 browser extensions hosted in Googles Chrome Web Store, some for as long as 18 months, were surreptitiously siphoning sensitive data from roughly 2.6 million devices.The compromises came to light with the discovery by data loss prevention service Cyberhaven that a Chrome extension used by 400,000 of its customers had been updated with code that stole their sensitive data.Twas the night before ChristmasThe malicious extension, available as version 24.10.4, was available for 31 hours, starting on December 25 at 1:32 AM UTC to Dec 26 at 2:50 AM UTC. Chrome browsers actively running the Cyberhaven during that window would automatically download and install the malicious code. Cyberhaven responded by issuing version 24.10.5, and a few days later 24.10.6.The Cyberhaven extension is designed to prevent users from inadvertently entering sensitive data into emails or websites they visit. Analyses of version 24.10.4 showed that it was configured to work with different payloads that were downloaded from cyberhavenext[.]pro, a malicious site the threat actor registered to give the appearance it was affiliated with the company. One recovered payload, Cyberhaven said, scoured user devices for browser cookies and authentication credentials for the facebook.com domain. A separate payload recovered by security firm Secure Annex stole cookies and credentials for chatgpt.com; Cyberhaven said the payload didn't appear functional.The malicious version came through a spear phishing email sent to the developers Google listed for the Cyberhaven extension on Christmas Eve. It warned that the extension wasnt in compliance with Google terms and would be revoked unless the developer took immediate action. Screenshot showing the phishing email sent to Cyberhaven extension developers. Credit: Amit Assaraf A link in the email led to a Google consent screen requesting access permission for an OAuth application named Privacy Policy Extension. A Cyberhaven developer granted the permission and, in the process, unknowingly gave the attacker the ability to upload new versions of Cyberhavens Chrome extension to the Chrome Web Store. The attacker then used the permission to push out the malicious version 24.10.4. Screenshot showing the Google permission request. Credit: Amit Assaraf As word of the attack spread in the early hours of December 25, developers and researchers discovered that other extensions were targeted, in many cases successfully, by the same spear phishing campaign. John Tuckner, founder of Security Annex, a browser extension analysis and management firm, said that as of Thursday afternoon, he knew of 19 other Chrome extensions that were similarly compromised. In all cases, the attacker used spear phishing to push a new malicious version and custom, look-alike domains to issue payloads and receive authentication credentials. Collectively, the 20 extensions had 1.46 million downloads.For many I talk to, managing browser extensions can be a lower priority item in their security program, Tuckner wrote in an email. Folks know they can present a threat, but rarely are teams taking action on them. We've often seen in security, one or two incidents can cause a reevaluation of an organization's security posture. Incidents like this often result in teams scrambling to find a way to gain visibility and understanding of impact to their organizations.The earliest compromise occurred in May 2024. Tuckner provided the following spreadsheet:NameIDVersionPatchAvailableUsersStartEndVPNCitynnpnnpemnckcfdebeekibpiijlicmpom2.0.1FALSE10,00012/12/2412/31/24Parrot Talkskkodiihpgodmdankclfibbiphjkfdenh1.16.2TRUE40,00012/25/2412/31/24Uvoiceoaikpkmjciadfpddlpjjdapglcihgdle1.0.12TRUE40,00012/26/2412/31/24Internxt VPNdpggmcodlahmljkhlmpgpdcffdaoccni1.1.11.2.0TRUE10,00012/25/2412/29/24Bookmark Favicon Changeracmfnomgphggonodopogfbmkneepfgnh4.00TRUE40,00012/25/2412/31/24Castorusmnhffkhmpnefgklngfmlndmkimimbphc4.404.41TRUE50,00012/26/2412/27/24Wayin AIcedgndijpacnfbdggppddacngjfdkaca0.0.11TRUE40,00012/19/2412/31/24Search Copilot AI Assistant for Chromebbdnohkpnbkdkmnkddobeafboooinpla1.0.1TRUE20,0007/17/2412/31/24VidHelper - Video Downloaderegmennebgadmncfjafcemlecimkepcle2.2.7TRUE20,00012/26/2412/31/24AI Assistant - ChatGPT and Gemini for Chromebibjgkidgpfbblifamdlkdlhgihmfohh0.1.3FALSE4,0005/31/2410/25/24TinaMind - The GPT-4o-powered AI Assistant!befflofjcniongenjmbkgkoljhgliihe2.13.02.14.0TRUE40,00012/15/2412/20/24Bard AI chatpkgciiiancapdlpcbppfkmeaieppikkk1.3.7FALSE100,0009/5/2410/22/24Reader Modellimhhconnjiflfimocjggfjdlmlhblm1.5.7FALSE300,00012/18/2412/19/24Primus (prev. PADO)oeiomhmbaapihbilkfkhmlajkeegnjhe3.18.03.20.0TRUE40,00012/18/2412/25/24Cyberhaven security extension V3pajkjnmeojmbapicmbpliphjmcekeaac24.10.424.10.5TRUE400,00012/24/2412/26/24GraphQL Network Inspectorndlbedplllcgconngcnfmkadhokfaaln2.22.62.22.7TRUE80,00012/29/2412/30/24GPT 4 Summary with OpenAIepdjhgbipjpbbhoccdeipghoihibnfja1.4FALSE10,0005/31/249/29/24Vidnoz Flex - Video recorder & Video sharecplhlgabfijoiabgkigdafklbhhdkahj1.0.161FALSE6,00012/25/2412/29/24YesCaptcha assistantjiofmdifioeejeilfkpegipdjiopiekl1.1.61TRUE200,00012/29/2412/31/24Proxy SwitchyOmega (V3)hihblcmlaaademjlakdpicchbjnnnkbo3.0.2TRUE10,00012/30/2412/31/24But wait, theres moreOne of the compromised extensions is one called Reader Mode. Further analysis showed it had been compromised not just in the campaign targeting the other 19 extensions but in a separate campaign that started no later than April 2023. Tuckner said the source of the compromise appears to be a code library developers can use to monetize their extensions. The code library collects details about each web visit a browser makes. In exchange for incorporating the library into the extensions, developers receive a commission from the library creator.Tuckner said that Reader Mode is one of 13 Chrome extensions known to have used the library to collect potentially sensitive data. Collectively, these extensions had 1.14 million installations. The full list is:NameIDVersionPatchAvailableUsersStartEndReader Modellimhhconnjiflfimocjggfjdlmlhblm1.5.7FALSE300,00012/18/2412/19/24Tackker - online keylogger toolekpkdmohpdnebfedjjfklhpefgpgaaji1.31.4TRUE10,00010/6/238/13/24AI Shop Buddyepikoohpebngmakjinphfiagogjcnddm2.7.3TRUE4,0004/30/24Sort by Oldestmiglaibdlgminlepgeifekifakochlka1.4.5TRUE2,0001/11/24Rewards Search Automatoreanofdhdfbcalhflpbdipkjjkoimeeod1.4.9TRUE100,0005/4/24Earny - Up to 20% Cash Backogbhbgkiojdollpjbhbamafmedkeockb1.8.1TRUE100,004/5/23ChatGPT Assistant - Smart Searchbgejafhieobnfpjlpcjjggoboebonfcg1.1.1TRUE1892/12/24Keyboard History Recorderigbodamhgjohafcenbcljfegbipdfjpk2.3TRUE5,0007/29/24Email Huntermbindhfolmpijhodmgkloeeppmkhpmhc1.44TRUE100,0009/17/24Visual Effects for Google Meethodiladlefdpcbemnbbcpclbmknkiaem3.1.33.2.4TRUE900,0006/13/231/10/24ChatGPT Applbneaaedflankmgmfbmaplggbmjjmbae1.3.8TRUE7,0009/3/24Web Mirroreaijffijbobmnonfhilihbejadplhddo2.4TRUE4,00010/13/23Hi AIhmiaoahjllhfgebflooeeefeiafpkfde1.0.0TRUE2297/29/24As Tuckner indicated, browser extensions have long remained a weak link in the security chain. In 2019, for example, extensions for both Chrome and Firefox were caught stealing sensitive data from 4 million devices. Many of the infected devices ran inside the networks of dozens of companies, including Tesla, Blue Origin, FireEye, Symantec, TMobile, and Reddit. In many cases, curbing the threat of malicious extensions is easy since so many extensions provide no useful benefit.In the case of other abused extensions, such as the one used by Cyberhaven customers, it's not as easy to address the threat. After all, the extension provides a service that many organizations find valuable. Tuckner said one potential part of the solution is for organizations to compile a browser asset management list that allows only selected extensions to run and blocks all others. Even then, Cyberhaven customers would have installed the malicious extension version unless the asset management list specifies a specific version to trust and to distrust all others.Anyone who ran one of these compromised extensions should carefully consider changing passwords and other authentication credentials. The Secure Annex post provides additional indicators of compromise, as do posts here, here, here, and here.Dan GoodinSenior Security EditorDan GoodinSenior Security Editor Dan Goodin is Senior Security Editor at Ars Technica, where he oversees coverage of malware, computer espionage, botnets, hardware hacking, encryption, and passwords. In his spare time, he enjoys gardening, cooking, and following the independent music scene. Dan is based in San Francisco. Follow him at here on Mastodon and here on Bluesky. Contact him on Signal at DanArs.82. 1 Comments

New year, new rockets Rocket Report: Avio named top European launch firm; New Glenn may launch soon "We are making it simpler for new competitors to get consistent access to the spectrum they need." Eric Berger Jan 3, 2025 7:00 am | 2 A Falcon 9 rocket lofts a Starlink mission on Dec. 30, the final SpaceX mission of 2024, completing the company's 134th orbital launch. Credit: SpaceX A Falcon 9 rocket lofts a Starlink mission on Dec. 30, the final SpaceX mission of 2024, completing the company's 134th orbital launch. Credit: SpaceX Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreWelcome to Edition 7.25 of the Rocket Report! Happy New Year! It's a shorter edition of the newsletter this week because most companies (not named Blue Origin, this holiday season) took things easier over the last 10 days. But after the break we're back in the saddle for the new year, and eager to see what awaits us in the world of launch.As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets, as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.Avio lands atop list of European launch firms. You know it probably was not a great year for European rocket firms when the top-ranked company on the continent is Avio, which launched a grand total of two rockets in 2024. The Italian rocket firm earned this designation from European Spaceflight after successfully completing the final flight of the Vega rocket in September and returning the Vega C rocket to flight in December.Three European launches in 2024 ... The only other firm to launch a rocket on the list was ArianeGroup, which had a single launch last year. Granted, it was an important flight, the successful debut of the Ariane 6 rocket. Germany-based Isar Aerospace came in third place, followed by a company I had never heard of, Germany-based Bayern-Chemie. It builds solid-fuel upper stages for sounding rockets. It's hard to disagree with too much on the list, although it certainly demonstrates that Europe could do with more companies launching rockets, and fewer only talking about it.India launches space docking demonstration mission. The Indian Space Research Organization launched a space docking experiment on a PSLV rocket at the end of the year, NASASpaceflight.com reports. This SpaDeX missionyes, the name is a little confusingwill demonstrate the capability to rendezvous, dock, and undock in orbit. This technology is important for the country's human spaceflight plans as well as future missions to the Moon.Target and chaser ... The SpaDeX experiment will be conducted around 10 days following launch when the two satellites, the SDX01 Chaser and the SDX02 Target, will be released with a small relative velocity between them. The pair will drift apart for around a day until they are separated by a distance of around 10 to 15 km. Once this is achieved, Target will eliminate the velocity difference between itself and Chaser using its propulsion system. The Ars Technica Rocket Report The easiest way to keep up with Eric Berger's and Stephen Clark's reporting on all things space is to sign up for our newsletter. We'll collect their stories and deliver them straight to your inbox.Sign Me Up!HyPrSpace conducts hot-fire test. French launch services startup HyPrSpace has completed the first test of its second hot fire test campaign for its subscale Terminator stage demonstrator, European Spaceflight reports. HyPrSpace is developing a two-stage launch vehicle called Orbital Baguette One (OB-1) that will be capable of delivering up to 250 kilograms to low Earth orbit.Like a finely baked bread ... In July, the company completed an initial hot fire test campaign of Terminator, an eight-tonne demonstrator of a hybrid rocket stage. Over the course of this first test campaign, HyPrSpace completed a total of four hot fire tests. HyPrSpace CEO Alexandre Mangeot said the company achieved an average engine efficiency of 94 percent during the latest test. Mangeot added that this represented the "propulsive performance we need for our orbital launcher."A new annual record for orbital launches. The world set another record for orbital launches in 2024 in a continuing surge of launch activity driven almost entirely by SpaceX, Space News reports. There were 259 orbital launch attempts in 2024, a 17 percent increase from the previous record of 221 orbital launch attempts in 2023. That figure does not include suborbital launches, such as four SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy test flights or two launches of the HASTE suborbital variant of Rocket Labs Electron.SpaceX v. world ... That increase in overall launches matches the increase by SpaceX alone, which performed 134 Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches in 2024, up from 96 in 2023. The company performed more orbital launches than the rest of the world combined. China performed 68 launches in 2024, breaking a record of 67 launches set in 2023. Russia performed 17 launches, followed by Japan (7), India (5), Iran (4), Europe (3) and North Korea (1).Russian family of rockets reaches 2,000th launch. The Russian space program reached a significant milestone over the holidays with the 2,000th launch of a rocket from the "R-7" family of boosters. The launch took place on Christmas Day when an R-7 rocket lifted off, carrying a remote-sensing satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Ars reports. This family of rockets has an incredible heritage dating back nearly six decades. The first R-7 vehicle was designed by the legendary Soviet rocket scientist Sergei Korolev. It flew in 1957 and was the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile.Good and bad news ... Although it's certainly worth commemorating the 2,000th launch of the R-7 family of rockets, the fleet's longevity also offers a cautionary tale. In many respects, the Russian space program continues to coast on the legacy of Korolev and the Soviet space feats of the 1950s and 1960s. That Russia has not developed a more cost-competitive and efficient booster in nearly six decades reveals the truth about its space program: It lacks innovation at a time when the rest of the space industry is rapidly sprinting toward reusability.Overview of Chinese launch plans for 2025. New Long March rockets and commercially developed launch vehicles are expected to have their first flights in 2025, boosting Chinas overall launch capabilities, Space News reports. The launchers will compete for contracts to launch satellites for Chinas megaconstellation projectsThousand Sails and Guowangspace station cargo missions and commercial and other contracts, helping to boost the countrys overall access to space and launch rate in the coming years.Many new faces on the launch pad ... Among the highlights for the coming year is the Long March 8A rocket, a variant of the existing Long March 8, but with a larger, more powerful second stage, boosting payload capacity to a 700-kilometer Sun-synchronous orbit from 5,000 kilograms to 7,000 kg. It is likely to be a workhorse for megaconstellation launches. The Long March 12A rocket could undergo vertical takeoff and landing tests. And the privately developed Zhuque-3 rocket could make its first orbital launch this year.To deal with more launches, FCC adds spectrum. The Federal Communications Commission has formally allocated additional spectrum for launch applications, fulfilling a provision in a bill passed earlier this year, Space News reports. The FCC published December 31 a report and order that allocated spectrum between 2360 and 2395 megahertz for use in communications to and from commercial launch and reentry vehicles on a secondary basis. That band currently has a primary use for aircraft and missile testing communications.Keep rockets talking to the ground ... Both the FCC and launch companies have said the additional spectrum was needed to accommodate growth in launch activities. By identifying more bandwidth for vital links to launch vehicles, we are making it simpler for new competitors to get consistent access to the spectrum they need, Jessica Rosenworcel, chairwoman of the FCC, said in a December 19 statement calling for approval of the then-proposed report and order.New Glenn completes static fire test. On Friday, December 27, Blue Origin successfully ignited the seven main engines on its massive New Glenn rocket for the first time, Ars reports. Blue Origin said it fired the vehicle's engines for a duration of 24 seconds. They fired at full thrust for 13 of those seconds. Additionally, several hours before the test firing, the Federal Aviation Administration said it had issued a launch license for the rocket.New Glenn wen? ... These two milestones set up a long-anticipated launch of the New Glenn rocket in January. Although the company has yet to announce a date publicly, sources indicate that Blue Origin is working toward a launch time of no earlier than 1 am ET (06:00 UTC) on Monday, January 6, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, though it could slip a few days. If all goes well with the debut flight of the vehicle, Blue Origin will also attempt to recover the first stage of the rocket on a drone ship down range in the Atlantic Ocean. (submitted by Jay5000001)Next three launchesJan. 4: Falcon 9 | Thuraya 4-NGS | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida | 01:27 UTCJan. 6: New Glenn | Blue Ring pathfinder | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida | 06:00 UTCJan. 6: Falcon 9 | Starlink 12-11 | Kennedy Space Center, Florida | 16:19 UTCEric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 2 Comments

Derek Bentley, Partner and Head of Energy Transition, Solomon PartnersJanuary 3, 20254 Min ReadRazvan Ionut Dragomirescu via Alamy StockTwo generational megatrends are colliding and, without bipartisan collaboration and partnerships among public and private entities, the fallout could have catastrophic economic and social implications.The transition to clean energy is one of our centurys great societal megatrends. Global investment in clean energy infrastructure is on track to hit $2 trillion this year, approximately twice the worldwide investment in fossil fuels but still short of the $4.5 trillion per year needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and avoid the most extreme effects of climate change.A second generational megatrend is complicating the energy transition: The sudden and meteoric rise of artificial intelligencehas led to a surge in demand for electricity. Grid operators are expecting electricity demand to increase by 40% to 100% by 2030, largely driven by data centers associated with AI, and this degree of growth is unprecedented since power grids were established nearly 150 years ago.The intersection of energy and AI will reshape both industries, but, currently, no single technology can fill the substantial gap between demand and supply. Solutions will require collaboration across the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Department of Justice, utilities, grid operators, state and local agencies, as well as the private sector.Related:Power-Hungry AIA ChatGPT AI query uses about 10 times more energy than a Google search. The force behind AI -- the hyperscalers -- have aggressive decarbonization targets. However, most AI computing requires consistent power that naturally intermittent renewable power generation cannot provide.Without enough consistent power generation to meet data center demand, the US risks falling behind in the global AI race. That would be catastrophic on several fronts: from ceding economic growth and productivity gains; to jeopardizing national security; to conceding the leadership position that would allow a nation to shape global standards and steer the overall direction of AIs development and deployment.Pressure on the GridWith unprecedented levels of new demand, grid operators are increasingly concerned about their ability to provide the power generation that data centers need while also maintaining grid reliability, especially while decarbonizing the broader energy mix.Consider Loudoun County, Virginia, where over 35% of hyperscaler data centers are located -- and where Dominion Energy has seen a 500% increase in power demand from data centers from 2013 to 2022.Dominions solar capacity has grown by more than 630% since 2015, but its 2023 Integrated Resource Plan would add up to seven new gas-powered plants, more than doubling the companys gas fleet in Virginia to maintain reliability. The plan also proposes delaying by more than a decade the closure of two existing coal-fired power plants.Related:Even with these adjustments, Dominion has been telling large purchasers that the utility wont be able to provide sufficient new power to meet demand for at least five years due to grid constraints. Keep in mind that a data center takes only about one year to build.Multiple SolutionsAnalysts estimate that the US will need to spend$665 billion through 2030on generating capacity alone, not to mention spending on transmission and grid upgrades. Europes grid, which is older, could need on the order of$1 trillionin investment.While energy storage is on a long-term trajectory to solve renewables intermittency problem, deployment remains nascent as technical performance and safety track records improve and costs decline. Small modular nuclear reactors offer another potential solution, but substantial improvements are required which many experts estimate will take 10 or more years to achieve.Related:To meet the insatiable interim appetite for carbon-free power, several previously uneconomic, decommissioned nuclear power plants -- including Three Mile Island, scene of the worst commercial nuclear accident in US history -- are slated to reopen and they still would not provide enough new power. Parties are even starting to discuss possibly building new nuclear reactors.Perhaps even more vital and beyond technological solutions, legislation must create uniform permitting processes for such large amounts of new generation and transmission to be built. Currently, these differ by state and county, which creates enormous inefficiencies and results in moving targets that are prone to change based on partisan politics.Interconnection reform is also required to enable new power generation to dispatch onto the power grid. According to POWERGRID International, interconnect timelines from making an initial request to having an operational plant have increased from less than two years for projects built in 2000-2007, to more than four years for those built in 2018-2023.Unless we advance collaborative and holistic solutions, the energy transition and AI are two megatrends thatwill continue to collide and intersect in ways that create considerable challenges.About the AuthorDerek BentleyPartner and Head of Energy Transition, Solomon PartnersDerek Bentley is a Partner and Head of Energy Transition at Solomon Partners, a leading financial advisory firm.See more from Derek BentleyNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

A fluorescent protein based on one made by the bioluminescent crystal jelly can be used as a quantum sensorAlex Archontakis/AlamyQuantum sensors made from a glowing protein can be produced by living cells and could be used to much more accurately measure tiny changes in the body. This could one day help with early disease detection or tracking how cells form.Sensors based on the quantum mechanical property of spin can measure temperature, magnetic fields and other phenomena much more sensitively than conventional devices. They have already been shown to work in living animals, such as detecting the magnetic

A new industrial facility in suburban Seattle is giving off a whiff of futuristic technology. It can safely treat fecal waste from people and livestock while recycling nutrients that are crucial for agriculture but in increasingly short supply across the nations farmlands. Within the 2.3-acre plant, which smells lightly of ammonia, giant rotating spindles turn steaming-hot septic sludge and biosolids from local wastewater treatment plants into what an engineer calls poop crepes. Giant scrapers then deposit the baked biomatter onto a combination conveyor belt and dryer to yield a growing pile of sterilized fertilizer. The waste-processing method uses compressed steam generated in an earlier step, cutting the electricity needed by 95%. Besides the dry fertilizer, the process yields nearly pure ammonia and water. This system, called Varcor, was designed by the Seattle engineering firm Sedron Technologies and is owned by the SanFranciscobased company Generate Upcycle. Wastewater treatment plants across the country are using high heat, composting, and devices akin to pressure cookers to transform leftover biomass into rich fertilizers, mulches, and other soil additives with names like Bloom and TAGRO (short for Tacoma Grow). Some process the wastewater in a separate step to extract phosphorusan essential plant nutrient and a common element in the human dietand layer it to form round pellets, in a technique a bit like building pearls. This technology, developed by a St. Louisbased company called Ostara, creates a slow-release fertilizer that can be sold back to farmers. We love tackling the yuck factor head-on, says the CEO of Epic Cleantec, which transforms wastewater into clean water and a natural soil additive. Even portable toilets can be vehicles for nutrient recovery, through nitrogen-capturing methods developed by peecycling groups like the Rich Earth Institute and Wasted in Vermont and by Sanitation360 AB in Sweden. Because our protein-rich diets contain abundant nitrogen, the element can be readily recycled from both urine and feces. Making fertilizer from the nutrients that we and other animals excrete has a long and colorful history; for generations it helped Indigenous cultures around the world create exceptionally fertile soil. These systems fell out of favor in Western culture, but researchers and engineers have joined advocates in reframing feces, urine, and their ingredients as invaluable natural resources to reuse instead of waste products to burn or bury. Several companies are now showing how to safely scale up the transformation with energy-efficient technologies. We love tackling the yuck factor head-on, says Aaron Tartakovsky, cofounder and CEO of Epic Cleantec, which uses a chemical reaction and heat to transform wastewater into clean water and a natural soil additive. A small sample of the truckloads of waste being transformed into dry fertilizer.BRYN NELSON A recent review in the Journal of Environmental Management, in fact, touts wastewater treatment plants as renewable biological nitrogen mines that can supply the essential but expensive component from reclaimed sewage sludge at a time when many farmers are finding it harder to obtain. Sewage can, the authors conclude, become an important raw material for the sustainable production of organic-mineral fertilizers from renewable resources available locally, with a low carbon footprint. Extracting nitrogen and phosphorus for reuse can also help remove those pollutants from the plants outflow and reduce the amount of organic matter destined for landfills and manure lagoons, which store and manage huge concentrations of livestock waste. Reinserting ourselves into natures recycling system, in other words, could help us meet the planets growing food needs without unduly fouling the environment. The Varcor system heats the incoming poop and separates it into solid matter and vapor. A process called mechanical vapor recompression allows the compressed steam to be reused as a heat source while the water and ammonia vapor are separated and distilled. The conveyor belt/dryer carries the remaining solids to the giant crepe-making spindles and then into a waiting truck below. The plant is now selling three to four truckloads of this dry fertilizer to farms every week. Stanley Janicki, chief revenue officer for Sedron Technologies, says several companies are also interested in using the ammonia product to make fertilizer instead of deriving it from fossil fuels. It could be really exciting to have a technology like this work if it can help us close the environmental loops on fertilizers and clean water access, Kimberly Worsham, founder and CEO of the sanitation and hygiene consulting agency FLUSH (an acronym for facilitated learning for universal sanitation and hygiene), says of Varcor. I love seeing new technologies coming on that can revolutionize how we use and reuse. But Worsham worries that managing such complex technology could prove unsustainable if it doesnt attract enough workers with the necessary skills. Securing regulatory permits and licenses could also pose challenges. When I look at why this has not been done before, it has very little to do with the technology, says Tartakovsky. It has everything to do with the regulatory framework. Many existing regulations, advocates say, simply never contemplated the potential for wastewater to generate useful products instead of pollutants. The water released by the Varcor plant, for example, is clean enough to be reused, but local officials are proceeding cautiously. To meet discharge regulations, the plant is sending its outflow to a nearby wastewater treatment plant instead of an adjacent wetland. Despite the challenges, the underlying technology is spreading: Two Midwestern dairies have adopted the system, and a third is working on it. Janicki says the biggest one installed, in Indiana, is five times the size of the Seattle-area septic conversion system, with the potential to convert 250 million gallons a year of cow manure into reusable water, organic fertilizer, and ammonia. The energy-efficient transformation of waste into naturally derived products could eliminate greenhouse-gas emissions from stored manure and traditional fertilizer production while offsetting the energy needed to run the farm. Waste-to-fertilizer strategies, even if scaled up, wont be enough on their own to help feed the planets burgeoning population. By viewing people as not only consumers but also producers, however, they could help us take far better advantage of some underrated natural assets that wont run dry anytime soon. Bryn Nelson is a Seattle-based science writer and the author of Flush: The Remarkable Science of an Unlikely Treasure.