John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorJanuary 6, 20256 Min ReadSergei Kovalkov via Alamy StockAlthough most of the software development lifecycle is now automated, infrastructure continues to be a largely manual process requiring specialized teams. Yet with infrastructure demands rapidly growing, more organizations now look toward automation for help.GitOps uses Git project repositories as the single source of truth for managing application configuration and deployment information, says Elliot Peele, senior manager of software development at analytics software provider SAS. "By using declarative specifications stored in a Git repository, it ensures that the desired state of the system is always maintained and continuously reconciled," he explains in an email interview.Mike Rose, data and analytics director at technology research and advisory firm ISG, notes that a GitOps framework ensures that the entire system -- including infrastructure, applications, and configurations -- is described in a consistent manner within Git, allowing for consistent, repeatable, and auditable changes across environments. "It enhances transparency and traceability and significantly reduces the risk of configuration drift between the desired state and the actual state of the infrastructure." he states via email.Peele adds that the approach not only enables continuous integration and deployment, but also provides version management and rollback capabilities, which are crucial for maintaining consistency and reliability in infrastructure management.Related:GitOps in ActionGitOps implementations have a significant impact on infrastructure automation by providing a standardized, repeatable process for managing infrastructure as code, Rose says. The approach allows faster, more reliable deployments and simplifies the maintenance of infrastructure consistency across diverse environments, from development to production. "By treating infrastructure configurations as versioned artifacts in Git, GitOps brings the same level of control and automation to infrastructure that developers have enjoyed with application code."Rose states that GitOps reduces manual errors, allows increased deployment frequency, and generally improves overall system reliability. "Probably one of the most valuable but intangible benefits of GitOps is its ability to foster closer collaboration between development and operations teams as both groups work from the same set of Git repositories to manage application code and infrastructure configurations," he says. "This alignment will accelerate the feedback loop between development and operations."Related:GitOps will have a significant impact on infrastructure automation, Peele predicts. "By providing consistency, version control, continuous deployment, reduced configuration drift, and enhanced security and compliance, GitOps is a game changer in software development and deployment practices," he says. "It enables peer review for configuration changes and allows developers without prior operations experience to control their application's deployment."Multiple BenefitsGitOps' primary benefit is its ability to enable peer review for configuration changes, Peele says. "It fosters collaboration and improves the quality of application deployment." He adds that it also empowers developers -- even those without prior operations experience -- to control application deployment, making the process more efficient and streamlined.Another benefit is GitOps' ability to allow teams to push minimum viable changes more easily, thanks to faster and more frequent deployments, says Siri Varma Vegiraju, a Microsoft software engineer. "Using this strategy allows teams to deploy multiple times a day and quickly revert changes if issues arise," he explains via email. "This high deployment velocity accelerates releases, allowing teams to deliver business impact quicker."Related:Since infrastructure state is defined in code and stored in Git, static analysis can be performed to detect security misconfigurations, Vegiraju says. "This approach helps enhance the overall security posture by identifying and addressing potential vulnerabilities early."Rose reports that ISG research shows that an environment using GitOps -- along with complementary AI Ops improvements -- can see a productivity efficiency of at least 30% over a two-year time horizon.Top AdoptersGitOps is most likely to be adopted by enterprises that focus on automation and consistency, Peele says. "The peer review nature of GitOps lends itself to companies that are focused on compliance, requiring multiple reviews of any application configuration or deployment changes."Enterprises with cloud-native environments, and those heavily invested in DevOps practices, are also likely to adopt GitOps, Rose says. "This includes any organization prioritizing rapid, reliable software delivery and infrastructure management," he notes. Such enterprises often have a high rate of change in their infrastructure and applications, making the version control and automation aspects of GitOps particularly valuable.Enterprises undergoing digital transformation or moving toward microservices architectures are also prime candidates for GitOps adoption, Rose says. He notes that Gits "single source of truth" aligns well with container orchestration platforms, such as Kubernetes, making it especially attractive for organizations using such technologies.Possible PitfallsWhile GitOps offers numerous benefits, many new adopters face obstacles. "The significant challenge is the steep learning curve for teams unfamiliar with Git or DevOps concepts," Rose says. "This can lead to initial productivity slowdowns and may require a substantial investment in training and upskilling."GitOps requires a deep understanding of the organization's current IT infrastructure and applications, as well as advanced knowledge of Git, Peele warns. "This can be daunting for teams that are new to these concepts."Small organizations with simpler infrastructures may find GitOps adds unnecessary overhead, since the complexity of managing a GitOps pipeline may outweigh the benefits, Vegiraju says.Looking ForwardAn important emerging trend is the increasing intersection of GitOps and AIOps. "This convergence is leveraging AI and machine learning to enhance automation, predict issues, and optimize infrastructure management within the GitOps framework," Rose says. He notes that AI algorithms can analyze Git commit patterns to predict potential conflicts or issues before they occur or to optimize deployment strategies based on historical performance data.About the AuthorJohn EdwardsTechnology Journalist & AuthorJohn Edwards is a veteran business technology journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and numerous business and technology publications, including Computerworld, CFO Magazine, IBM Data Management Magazine, RFID Journal, and Electronic Design. He has also written columns for The Economist's Business Intelligence Unit and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Communications Direct. John has authored several books on business technology topics. His work began appearing online as early as 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he wrote daily news and feature articles for both the CompuServe and Prodigy online services. His "Behind the Screens" commentaries made him the world's first known professional blogger.See more from John EdwardsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Carrie Pallardy, Contributing ReporterJanuary 6, 20257 Min ReadNicoElNino via Alamy Stock PhotoCybersecurity leaders always have a lot on their minds. What are the latest threats to their enterprises? What emerging technologies can bolster their defenses? How can they secure the necessary talent and the budget? Whats on the regulatory horizon?As 2025 begins, InformationWeek spoke to four leaders in the cybersecurity space about some of the biggest issues on their minds.AI-Fueled Threats and DefenseAI was on everyones lips in 2024, and there is every reason to expect that this technology boom will continue to be top of mind in 2025.AI makes threat actors more prolific and sophisticated. They can use it to automate large-scale attacks. They can make phishing lures more convincing. Deepfake audio and video continue to improve, making them harder to spot. In 2024, scammers effectively manipulated a finance worker into paying them $25 million, thanks to a deepfake video conference.The same powerful capabilities of AI are, of course, being applied on the defensive side. AI-driven automation, for example, speeds threat detection and frees up analysts time for more complex work.But AI has myriad use cases. In addition to cybersecurity threats and defensive tools, this technology is being applied up and down the technology stack. Cybersecurity leaders must think about the security implications of AI throughout their enterprises.Related:We are seeing a lot of projects moving [forward] and it sort of feels like security is being asked to follow behind the business and reduce the risk after the fact, says Patrick Sullivan, CTO, security strategy at Akamai Technologies, a cloud computing and security company.Insider ThreatsIn 2024, KnowBe4 hired a North Korean hacker to fill an open IT position. The cybersecurity company recognized the insider threat early on, before the person was even onboarded. But this is not an isolated kind of threat.Aggressor nation states will continue to use this kind of approach to infiltrate US companies and critical infrastructure providers, whether to steal intellectual property and data or to cause disruption to essential services.We're really seeing a need now for advanced controls in that talent acquisition process and in our ongoing insider threat monitoring programs to be able to mitigate against these new kinds of attacks that are out there, Sharon Chand, principal of cyber risk services at consulting firm Deloitte, asserts.Escalating Geopolitical TensionsThe escalating geopolitical tensions across the world play out, in part, in the cybersecurity space. Nation state-backed threat actors and hacktivists targetorganizations in the US and across the world in the service of political goals.Related:The UK rangalarm bells regarding Russias ability to conduct cyber-warfare on British businesses, BBC reports. US Cyber Command warns of Chinas ability to disrupt US critical infrastructure in the event that conflict erupts between the two countries, according to Reuters.Disruptive CyberattacksThis year is set to be a record for ransomware payments, and blockchain data platform Chainalysis points out that big game hunting is a big driver.Sam Rubin, senior vice president of Unit 42 consulting and threat intelligence at cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks, tells InformationWeek that attacks that cause crippling business disruption are on the rise.These disruptive attacks especially for large organizations that have a big role in the economy or in their market are becoming the target and a way for the threat actors to get very large multimillion-dollar pay days, he explains.Zero Day VulnerabilitiesIn November, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and a number of their partners released a list of the top routinely exploited vulnerabilities in 2023. Of the 15 top common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs), 11 were zero days.Related:Some of that is nation state actors. Some of that is ransomware operators. So, all adversary classes seem to be pivoting more toward zero days, says Sullivan.Third-Party RisksIn the summer of this past year, business at thousands of car dealerships was upended following two cyberattacks on a single software provider: CDK Global. The health care industry experienced a major disruption when Change Healthcare, a payment and claims provider, was hit with ransomware. The potential of another cyberattack with a massive ripple effect looms large in 2025.There's just so much so much dependency on third parties among lots and lots of companies and different industries. And, I think there will be a large-scale attack on a company that impacts not only that company but those [that] depend on it, says Ann Irvine, chief data and analytics officer at Resilience, a cybersecurity risk management company.As enterprises incorporate more third parties into their supply chains, more web apps and APIs are exposed, Sullivan points out. [Businesses need] to understand where those vulnerabilities emerge, prioritize them, and then have an efficient patching process to remediate, he urges.The Need for Integrated Security PlatformsThe market for security platforms and tools is massive. If you can think of a security challenge, there are probably a host of vendors clamoring to serve up a solution. But there is a movement to consolidate those solutions.We're seeing continued creativity of the bad actors coming into multiple different types of attack vectors, and historically, some of our defenses have been quite siloed in their ability to prevent [and] mitigate those kinds of attacks, says Chand. We're seeing the need for enterprise clients to really think about integrated security platforms.Networking company Extreme Networks surveyed 200 CIOs and IT decision markers, and 88% reported a desire for a single integrated platform that includes AI, networking, and security.Upskilling the Cyber WorkforceThe cybersecurity challenge shortage is an ongoing concern. Consulting firm Gartner predicts that more than half of cyber incidents will stem from a lack of talent and human failure by 2025.In addition to filling roles, enterprises are also tasked with the prospect of upskilling their current cybersecurity talent. As threats evolve, in no small part due to AI, cybersecurity workers need to be able to keep up.And AI isnt the only area where cybersecurity teams will need to sharpen their skills. I do expect to see more and more attacks in that OT environment. So, we're going to need more and more humans that are focused on understanding and mitigating those attacks in the enterprise, says Chand.A Maturing Cyber Insurance IndustryInsurance is a big consideration for enterprise leaders wrangling with the management of cybersecurity risk. S&P Global anticipates that cyber insurance rates will continue to increase and the terms and conditions for policies will tighten. The market research company predicts premiums will increase 15% to 20%, hitting $23 billion by the end of 2026.Irvine points out that the cyber insurance space is still growing. As it matures, it has the opportunity to influence cybersecurity practices. The insurance industry is just going to continue to mature and demand good practices, which are good for their bottom line but also ultimately good for their customers, she says.The Spotlight on Security LeadersCISOs are increasingly being looked to as strategic enterprise leaders. The transition of the role is out of the IT tower into the boardroom to speak the language of risk, to speak the language of business and to help be a driver for that enterprise, says Rubin.In Deloittes The Global Future of Cyber Survey, about one-third of respondents reported that CISO involvement in strategic conversations increased over the past year.Boards and C-suites may be becoming more aware of the importance of cybersecurity, but there are personal liability concerns among CISOs. The 2024 Voice of the CISO report from cybersecurity company Proofpoint found that 66% of global CISOs are worried about their personal, financial, and legal liability.In recent years, there have been examples that fuel those concerns. Joseph Sullivan, the former chief security officer of Uber, received probation and a fine for his role in a 2016 data breach. The Security and Exchange Commission (SEC)filed a lawsuit against SolarWinds and its CISO Timothy Brown over 2019 cyberattacks that impacted the US government. A judge dismissed most of the charges, but it does not completely erase the possibility of personal liability for CISOs.A New AdministrationAs enterprise leaders consider the outlook for 2025, the incoming Trump administration is definitely a factor. A change in federal leadership means potential changes to regulation. Trump is also likely to make changes to CISA, and he has been vocal about his intentions to repeal the Biden administrations AI executive order.I am paying attention to is this change in US federal government says Irvine. It really does matter, and things could change quite dramatically.About the AuthorCarrie PallardyContributing ReporterCarrie Pallardy is a freelance writer and editor living in Chicago. She writes and edits in a variety of industries including cybersecurity, healthcare, and personal finance.See more from Carrie PallardyNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Andy Tay, Global Lead, Accenture Cloud First January 6, 20255 Min Readadempercem via Alamy StockWe seem to have entered a brave new world. A world being redefined by technological innovations at the speed of light, changing our reality and exerting a centrifugal force on companies. Generative AI is the new engine powering these innovations -- much like electricity once sparked the industrial age. Its reinventing processes, businesses, and entire industries at an unprecedented pace. Recent research from Accenture found that nearly all organizations (98%) now see technology as their top tool for reinvention, with 82% identifying generative AI as the driving force behind this shift.But to succeed, generative AI needs a robust digital core, built on a continuum of cloud capabilities across the enterprise, that integrates a secure digital foundation and digital platforms and creates seamless data and AI connections. All of this comes together through innovative engineering principles, and powers reinvention like an engine propels a car.The benefits are immediate and significant. Our research found that organizations with an advanced digital core, investments in strategic innovation, and a balanced approach to their technical debt achieved 60% higher revenue growth rate and 40% higher profits.Technical debt -- the accumulated cost of outdated technology -- is an important element to track and manage. As companies rush to adopt AI-driven innovations, technical debt grows alongside. But when used appropriately, generative AI can be a vehicle for remediating tech debt as well as minimizing tech debt creation. Related:The Cost of Technical DebtImagine a software engineer racing against an impossible deadline. To get the code into production by months end, the engineer skips error handling and documentation, cutting every corner to deliver something functional. This might seem like a quick win, but with each shortcut taken, the future cost mounts: Code becomes harder to maintain as errors pile up, and flexibility erodes. As new updates or fixes are needed, that initial debt goes into overdrive, slowing down progress and dragging innovation to a crawl.The cost of maintaining rushed decisions and outmoded systems is enormous. In the US alone, the price of technical debt has climbed to a staggering $2.41 trillion annually. This goes beyond a financial drain; it clogs IT systems, limits agility, and hinders innovation. Generative AI, while transformative, adds complexity to tech debt as companies integrate it with legacy systems that may lack the compatibility and security necessary to manage both human and AI interactions.Related:But technical debt doesnt have to be inherently negative. Even when it is an inadvertent means to an end, it can be balanced. We found that investing about 15% of the IT budget in debt remediation is the most effective way to sustain a modern digital core, while continuing to focus on innovation.3 Ways To Drive Down Tech DebtLooking beyond, the pace and proliferation of tech innovations, and therefore technical debt, calls for new and strategic approaches to strike a balance and enable reinvention.Heres how leaders can act today:1. Focus on the principalEffective management of technical debt begins with focusing on the principal -- the outdated technology that directly impacts current operations. Tracking and tackling principal debt first helps prevent interest costs, which accrue as organizations use workarounds and quick fixes to maintain outdated systems.For instance, Correios de Portugal (CTT), Portugals national postal service, addressed its technical debt by migrating to a hybrid, cloud-first infrastructure. CTT worked with Avanade, a joint venture between Accenture and Microsoft, to enhance and modernize its digital core. Just migrating to the cloud reduced costs by 15% and provided the flexibility to scale capacity up or down as needed. By focusing on the principal debt through a targeted cloud strategy, CTT was able to reduce technical debt while simultaneously enhancing operational agility.Related:As an essential part of a digital core, a cloud-first strategy will consolidate and optimize workloads, add flexibility and innovation capabilities, and cut costs in the process. Cloud-native practices such as pervasive automation, microservices, and continuous delivery can build systems that remove silos and remain consistent across a hybrid, multi-cloud estate.2. Create an inventory and trace debt to sourceBuilding a clear inventory of tech debt allows organizations to trace its origins and impact across code, architecture, data, and processes. This comprehensive inventory makes it easier to prioritize updates based on potential business value and technical risk. For instance, a major benefit of migrating to cloud as it relates to technical debt is that you can transfer some responsibility for handling technical debt -- such as patching -- to the cloud provider who can do it more consistently and more efficiently.Mondelz International demonstrates the value of this approach. Mondelz faced a complex IT environment with over 1,000 applications, creating inefficiencies and driving up operational expenses. Accenture worked with Mondelz to conduct a full assessment of each application, identifying those that were outdated or redundant, and charting a roadmap for remediation. This initiative has significantly lowered Mondelzs total cost of ownership, allowing the company to refocus resources on innovation.3. Use the right metricsYou cant manage what you cant measure, especially key if there are compliance requirements from sovereign clouds or intelligence from edge networks. Effective technical debt management relies on measurable insights, with metrics like technical debt density -- such as cost per line of code --providing a clear view of code health. Tech debt is not always a bad thing. If your tech debt remediation budget is increasing and your innovation and the business value you are delivering is outpacing that debt, thats a positive sign of the success of your strategic efforts.Being Reinvention ReadyAs generative AIs adoption continues to scale, companies need to actively manage their technical debt to prevent it from ballooning, especially relevant in modernization across public, private, hybrid, and multi-cloud options. Organizations that build their digital core, boost innovation, and focus on these three actions to balance tech debt can achieve remarkable results in streamlined operations, new opportunities, and revenue growth.The writing is on the wall: In todays fast-paced environment, a future-ready mindset is crucial. Its essential to scale GenAI securely, responsibly, cost-effectively, and in a manner that delivers real business value. Its time for C-suite leaders to think bigger, modernize across the enterprise, and employ a controlled, intentional reinvention strategy that leverages new technology capabilities to achieve not just faster outcomes, but better ones.About the AuthorAndy TayGlobal Lead, Accenture Cloud First Andy Tay leads Accenture Cloud First, comprising of a global team of 130,000+ skilled cloud experts focused on helping enterprises harness the full power of cloud to accelerate business value.See more from Andy TayNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Thermokarst lakes, formed from thawing permafrost, in AlaskaThe Asahi Shimbun via Getty ImagesAs the Arctic gets warmer, large quantities of greenhouse gas could be released from the sediment at the bottom of lakes, a source that has previously been overlooked.The frozen soil of the Arctic has already started to thaw, triggering the release of more methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This climate feedback is well known, but most modelling only accounts for thawing in the top 3 metres of Arctic soil.Deep

Mining for rare earth metals comes with environmental consequencesJoe Buglewicz/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesRare earth elements used in smartphones and electric vehicles could be extracted from the ground more sustainably using electric fields.Today, most rare earth metals used in electronics are mined by using toxic chemicals to extract the elements from mineral ore. During the mining process, thousands of tonnes of chemical waste are released, which can pollute nearby groundwater and soil. But concentrating those elements together using electric charges could drastically cut the amount of environmentally damaging chemicals needed. AdvertisementImagine a crowd being guided through a maze by directional lights similarly, rare earth elements are driven from the ore by the electric field toward specific collection points, says Jianxi Zhu at the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry in China. This controlled movement ensures efficient mining with minimal environmental disruption.Zhu and his colleagues created flexible, sheet-like plastic electrodes each 10 centimetres wide with customisable lengths made from non-metallic materials that can conduct electricity. At a rare earth deposit in southern China, they inserted 176 electrodes into individual holes drilled 22 metres into the rock.Next, they injected ammonium sulphate, a type of inorganic salt, into the ore to dissolve and separate out the rare earth elements as charged ions. They then activated the electrodes to create an electric field between positively and negatively charged electrodes. That electric field moved the rare earth elements toward the positively charged electrodes, concentrating them together. The elements could then be transferred to treatment ponds for additional purification and separation processes. Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox.Sign up to newsletterThe approach enabled the researchers to greatly reduce the amount of harmful chemicals used in extracting the rare earth elements, slashing the related ammonia emissions by 95 per cent. That could help prevent much of the water and soil contamination that todays rare earth mining operations produce.This electric field process also proved 95 per cent efficient in extracting rare earth elements from 5000 tonnes of ore, whereas chemical processes alone usually achieve just 40 to 60 per cent efficiency, says Zhu.But the new mining method would also raise electricity costs for rare earth mining operations and increased electricity consumption could mean more carbon emissions. The researchers have already shown how to reduce electricity costs by powering just one-third of the electrodes at any given time. Access to renewable power and improvements in electrode technology could also help bring down the energy demands and emissions of the mining process, says Zhu.This technology has potential to be a sustainable solution in the near future, saysAmin Mirkouei at the University of Idaho. But he warned that it faces practical challenges, including the energy costs of the method and the long time 60 days it requires to ramp up to 95 per cent efficiency.Journal reference:Nature Sustainability DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01501-9Topics:

A covid-19 hospital under construction in Wuhan, ChinaSTR/AFP via Getty ImagesIt has been five years since covid-19 emerged, triggering a global pandemic that has had lasting consequences on societies, economies and peoples health.Soon after the virus was identified, many countries started making plans for treating an influx of people severely ill with covid-19. The above image shows excavators at the construction site of Huoshenshan Hospital, built for this purpose, on 24 January 2020 in Wuhan, China the initial epicentre of the outbreak.AdvertisementPeople with covid-19 awaiting transitSTR/AFP via Getty ImagesHuoshenshan wasnt the only hospital built in Wuhan as officials prepared for the worst. In March 2020, people infected with covid-19 were photographed as they waited to be transferred from a regular hospital in Wuhan to Leishenshan Hospital, also newly constructed for the pandemic.Traffic thinned in New York CityREUTERS/Andrew Kelly Get the most essential health and fitness news in your inbox every Saturday.Sign up to newsletterLike many parts of the world, New York City started to introduce restrictions around mid-March 2020. The empty streets meant ballet dancer Ashlee Montague could perform in Times Square, while wearing a gas mask.Covid-19 wasnt the only thing going viral when this adorable baby started appearing on social mediaLILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty ImagesFace shields were initially suggested as alternatives to masks to protect people from infection, but as we learned more about the virus, they increasingly stopped being recommended. Nevertheless, the above photo of a newborn at a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, caught the internets attention in early April 2020.Social restrictions forced some people to get creativeJim West/ZUMA Wire/ShutterstockAlong with other public spaces, many parts of the world shut churches and other places of worship. A priest in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, creatively conducted an Easter service in April 2020 while practising social distancing, using a water gun to distribute holy water.Infection concerns saw people hugging through plasticDomenico Sartor/Handout via REUTERSMany care homes were badly affected by covid-19, as older people are particularly vulnerable to a severe infection. Restrictions meant that some visitors were offered the chance to hug their loved ones through a plastic sheet. The above photo was taken at a care home in Castelfranco Veneto, Italy, in November 2020.Some people channelled their experience of living during the pandemic into artworkREUTERS/Lim Huey TengThe pandemic inspired colourful and creative murals around the world. The above photo shows a boy being swabbed for the SARS-CoV-2 virus in front of a covid-19-related artwork in Shah Alam, Malaysia, in December 2020.Margaret Keenan of Coventry, UK, being vaccinated against covid-19Jacob King/POOL/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockHopes were raised when the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was approved in the UK on 2 December 2020, after demonstrating 95 per cent efficacy in a late-stage trial. Six days later, Margaret Keenan, who lived in Coventry, became the first person to receive the vaccine outside of a trial, aged 90 years old.The late Queen Elizabeth II practising social distancing at her husbands funeralJonathan Brady WPA Pool/Getty ImagesLike many others, the late Queen Elizabeth II had to adhere to social distancing rules at the funeral of her husband Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, UK, on 17 April 2021. Pandemic restrictions also meant only 30 people could attend.Monuments have been set up in memory of people who lost their lives to covid-19 around the worldLeon Neal/Getty ImagesThe UKs National Covid Memorial Wall in London was created in March 2021 to honour those who died from the infection. The above photo shows a woman leaving a message on the wall one year after it was created. Bereaved family members and volunteers have painted more than 240,000 hearts on the 500-metre-long wall, which runs alongside the river Thames.Public spaces eventually opened up, but some were alteredREUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonMuch of the world had opened up again by early 2022, but diners in Tokyo, Japan, still tried to protect themselves from covid-19 by eating within transparent lanterns.Read more in our special report about the five years since covid-19Topics:

This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. Introducing: MIT Technology Reviews 10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2025 Each year, we spend months researching and discussing which technologies will make the cut for our 10 Breakthrough Technologies list. We try to highlight a mix of items that reflect innovations happening in various fields. We look at consumer technologies, large industrial-scale projects, biomedical advances, changes in computing, climate solutions, the latest in AI, and more. Weve been publishing this list every year since 2001 and, frankly, have a great track record of flagging things that are poised to hit a tipping point. Its hard to think of another industry that has as much of a hype machine behind it as tech does, so the real secret of the TR10 is really what we choose to leave off the list.Check out the full list of our 10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2025, which is front and center in our latest print issue. Its all about the exciting innovations happening in the world right now, and includes some fascinating stories, such as:+ How digital twins of human organs are set to transform medical treatment and shake up how we trial new drugs. + What will it take for us to fully trust robots? The answer is a complicated one.+ Wind is an underutilized resource that has the potential to steer the notoriously dirty shipping industry toward a greener future. Read the full story.+ After decades of frustration, machine-learning tools are helping ecologists to unlock a treasure trove of acoustic bird dataand to shed much-needed light on their migration habits. Read the full story.+ How poop could help feed the planetyes, really. Read the full story. Roundtables: Unveiling the 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2025 Last week, Amy Nordrum, our executive editor, joined our news editor Charlotte Jee to unveil our 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2025 in an exclusive Roundtable discussion. Subscribers can watch their conversation back here. And, if youre interested in previous discussions about topics ranging from mixed reality tech to gene editing to AIs climate impact, check out some of the highlights from the past years events. This international surveillance project aims to protect wheat from deadly diseases For as long as theres been domesticated wheat (about 8,000 years), there has been harvest-devastating rust. Breeding efforts in the mid-20th century led to rust-resistant wheat strains that boosted crop yields, and rust epidemics receded in much of the world. But now, after decades, rusts are considered a reemerging disease in Europe, at least partly due to climate change.An international initiative hopes to turn the tide by scaling up a system to track wheat diseases and forecast potential outbreaks to governments and farmers in close to real time. And by doing so, they hope to protect a crop that supplies about one-fifth of the worlds calories. Read the full story. Shaoni Bhattacharya The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Meta has taken down its creepy AI profiles Following a big backlash from unhappy users. (NBC News)+ Many of the profiles were likely to have been live from as far back as 2023. (404 Media)+ It also appears they were never very popular in the first place. (The Verge)2 Uber and Lyft are racing to catch up with their robotaxi rivals After abandoning their own self-driving projects years ago. (WSJ $)+ Chinas Pony.ai is gearing up to expand to Hong Kong. (Reuters)3 Elon Musk is going after NASAHes largely veered away from criticising the space agency publiclyuntil now. (Wired $)+ SpaceXs Starship rocket has a legion of scientist fans. (The Guardian)+ Whats next for NASAs giant moon rocket? (MIT Technology Review) 4 How Sam Altman actually runs OpenAI Featuring three-hour meetings and a whole lot of Slack messages. (Bloomberg $)+ ChatGPT Pro is a pricey loss-maker, apparently. (TechCrunch)5 The dangerous allure of TikTokMigrants online portrayal of their experiences in America arent always reflective of their realities. (New Yorker $) 6 Demand for electricity is skyrocketing And AI is only a part of it. (Economist $)+ AIs search for more energy is growing more urgent. (MIT Technology Review)7 The messy ethics of writing religious sermons using AISkeptics arent convinced the technology should be used to channel spirituality. (NYT $) 8 How a wildlife app became an invaluable wildfire tracker Watch Duty has become a safeguarding sensation across the US west. (The Guardian)+ How AI can help spot wildfires. (MIT Technology Review)9 Computer scientists just love oracles Hypothetical devices are a surprisingly important part of computing. (Quanta Magazine)10 Pet tech is booming But not all gadgets are made equal. (FT $)+ These scientists are working to extend the lifespan of pet dogsand their owners. (MIT Technology Review) Quote of the day The next kind of wave of this is like, well, what is AI doing for me right now other than telling me that I have AI? Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy, tells Wired a lot of companies AI claims are overblown. The big story Broadband funding for Native communities could finally connect some of Americas most isolated places September 2022 Rural and Native communities in the US have long had lower rates of cellular and broadband connectivity than urban areas, where four out of every five Americans live. Outside the cities and suburbs, which occupy barely 3% of US land, reliable internet service can still be hard to come by. The covid-19 pandemic underscored the problem as Native communities locked down and moved school and other essential daily activities online. But it also kicked off an unprecedented surge of relief funding to solve it. Read the full story. Robert Chaney We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.) + Rollerskating Spice Girls is exactly what your Monday morning needs.+ Its not just you, some people really do look like their dogs!+ Im not sure if this is actually the worlds healthiest meal, but it sure looks tasty.+ Ah, the old bitten by a rabid fox chestnut.

I spent 17 months traveling with my partner while trying to stick to a budget of about $50 a day.My budget kept me on track for the first three months, in part because Peru felt affordable.I definitely spent more in countries known for being expensive to visit, like Japan and Singapore.After saving up for years, my partner and I spent 17 months traveling around the world.We started our trip in Peru and traveled north to Mexico before heading to Asia.Since my partner is an accountant, we thought it would be useful to track every expense along the way. My initial budget was $1,500 a month or roughly $50 a day. He had the same budget, but we kept our money separate.Here's what it was like exploring multiple countries while trying to manage my spending.I stayed under budget for only the first 3 months of the trip We hiked in Cocora Valley in Colombia. Sarah Bence We spent the first two months in Peru, where I spent $1,370.29 in July and $1,179.96 in August.Of all the countries we visited, I found Peru had some of the lowest prices for things like food and accommodations.Our real key to staying under budget the first few months, though, was traveling at a slow pace. We took long bus journeys instead of quick, pricey flights and got deals on accommodations for staying longer. We also frequently cooked for ourselves and didn't book any expensive tours or activities.I also stayed under budget in September, which we spent in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. I spent $1,325.07, with a daily average of $33.35 in Peru and $45.60 in Ecuador.Colombia was more expensive for me at an average of $57 a day, but we spent only a few days there at the end of the month.I didn't stay under budget any other months, but some countries still felt affordable to me While in northern Vietnam, I motorbiked the Ha Giang loop. Sarah Bence While exploring Central America, I didn't go over my monthly budget of $1,500 by too much. One month I spent $1,646, and another $1,888.My daily spend was below $50 in El Salvador ($38.70) and Costa Rica ($33.09).To be fair, though, my Costa Rica budget is skewed because my parents visited and paid for our accommodation for 10 days as our joint Christmas and birthday presents. Without their gift, I would've spent way more.I thought El Salvador, on the other hand, felt extremely affordable, but I spent only 12 days there. I wish I'd stayed longer both for my wallet and because I enjoyed the people, scenery, and food (pupusas forever!). We did a paddleboarding tour in Guatemala. Sarah Bence I also went over my daily budget but only slightly while visiting Colombia ($57), Honduras ($58.41), Nicaragua ($53.43), Guatemala ($62.72), and Vietnam ($54.23).Looking back, I think I could've stayed under budget in those places if I'd tried harder or reorganized my itinerary.Cutting out pricey experiences like the motorbiking trip in Vietnam or the overnight volcano hike in Guatemala would've lowered my expenses but those felt like once-in-a-lifetime opportunities I couldn't pass up.I also could've saved a significant amount by booking cheaper accommodations like hostel dorms, but the longer we traveled the more we opted for more comfortable (often pricier) stays like Airbnbs or private hostel rooms.Splitting accomodation costs between the two of us helped I couldn't have justified the upgrades as a solo traveler but we rarely chose the cheapest options.Some countries surprised me by how expensive they feltIn March, I spent $3,076.75 across Belize and Mexico double my monthly budget.I splurged on some experiences, like a snorkel tour in Belize and a mezcal tasting in Oaxaca, but the average prices for just about everything were higher than I expected.Though I overspent, I still refrained from certain activities, like a $125 cave tour in Belize, because I wanted to try to stay close to my budget. Looking back, I wish I'd just spent the money.In Indonesia, I spent $109.96 a day, which might seem high for a country that has a reputation for affordability, though I spent five days on its island of Sumatra on orangutan trekking tours.My flights, transport, and tours were expensive for that short amount of time, but it was one of my most memorable experiences.I knew in advance that my budget would be too tight for some countries I had a wonderful time traveling for over a year. Sarah Bence Before I left, I knew I'd likely exceed my budget in some countries that are known for being expensive to visit.My average daily spend in Panama was $98.38. My food and accommodations there were on the pricey side, and I also splurged on a five-day sailboat trip from Colombia to get there. (The alternative was an equally expensive flight, which was how I justified it.)I also knew Singapore would be expensive, so I limited myself to six days there across two separate layovers. I stayed in hostel dorms or used credit-card points for hotels and mostly did free activities. My spending in Singapore still came out to $95.74 a day.Finally, the most expensive country I visited was also my favorite: Japan. I spent an average of $121.79 a day, or $3,288.28 across 27 days aka more than double my monthly budget.Though I dipped more into my savings than I'd have liked, budgeting made this travel dream possibleTraveling for this long was incredible, and it wouldn't have been possible without my budget. Daily and monthly spending goals helped me keep my spending in check.Setting a conservative budget, having savings separate from the money I'd set aside for this trip, and earning some cash along the way meant I didn't stress too much when I went over budget.Looking back, I could've rearranged my itinerary to spend more time in countries where I spent less, but ultimately I don't have any significant regrets.In fact, my advice would be to splurge on bucket-list activities (within reason) I'll never forget seeing wild orangutans in Indonesia or learning to make sushi in Japan.Money can come back, but memories are forever.

3,800 North Koreans have been killed or wounded fighting alongside Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.But Ukraine's president told the Lex Fridman podcast that hundreds of thousands more could arrive.The estimate came amid a discussion of the danger to Europe if the US leaves NATO.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a podcast interview released Sunday that 3,800 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in Russia's Kursk region to date.Zelenskyy's figure suggests that a third of the North Korean troops brought over to fight alongside Russia have been taken out of action."12,000 has arrived. Today, 3,800 killed or wounded," he told podcaster Lex Fridman, but he cautioned that North Korea could send many more, giving a figure as high as half a million troops.Estimates of North Korean casualties have varied since intelligence agencies reported in October that it was sending troops to help Russian President Vladimir Putin defend territory seized by Ukraine in the summer.In late December, the White House estimated that more than 1,000 North Koreans had been killed or wounded in the space of a single week, amid mass dismounted attacks.And in his nightly address on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that the Russian army had lost "up to a battalion of infantry, including North Korean soldiers and Russian paratroopers," in fighting in the village of Makhnovka in Kursk.Concerns for EuropeZelenskyy offered the latest casualty figures as part of a broader argument about the dangers to Europe if the US retreats from NATO.President-elect Donald Trump has long been critical of NATO and the defense spending of some of its members, leading to concerns that he could slash support for the alliance or even walk away.Zelenskyy said that if Trump decides to leave NATO once back in office, "Putin will destroy Europe."He also argued that European countries are much less willing and able to raise massive armies compared to an autocracy like North Korea.While Ukraine has around 980,000 military personnel, the militaries of its European allies are a fraction of the size, Zelenskyy said."Can Europe bring people together? No," he said. "Will Europe be able to build an army consisting of two to three million people? No, Europe will not want to do this."Dmytro Ponomarenko, Ukraine's ambassador to South Korea, told Voice of America in November that the number of North Korean troops aiding Russia could soon reach 15,000, with troops rotated out every two to three months.That could mean about 100,000 North Korean soldiers serving in Russia within a year, he added.

156 accounting executives and partners were interviewed about why firms have been making more auditing errors.The auditors were split on whether a better work-life balance could reduce the number of errors.But they also have to consider whether remote work could help attract Gen Z workers amid a nationwide accountant shortage.US accounting firms are split on how to deal with the shift to remote work, a report published by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), a government-backed audit oversight board, has found.The report, published in December 2024, was part of the PCAOB's investigation into why auditing errors have surged following the pandemic and whether internal culture has contributed. Though deficiency rates slowed in 2023, they have consistently risen since 2020. Accounting errors can lead to embarrassing and costly legal challenges and can damage business integrity.The report was based on inspections of quality control systems and anonymous interviews with 156 executives and partners at six major firms: Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC, BDO, and Grant Thornton.64% of respondents said that improving work-life balance for firm personnel improves audit quality.However, roughly a third of senior executives and partners from the six major firms surveyed said that contemporary remote and hybrid work culture has negatively affected auditing firms' quality control.They said a loss of in-person interactions was making assimilation into the firm's culture more difficult, leaving newer recruits less attuned to the cultural importance of audit control.Development opportunities were another concern, with some respondents saying firms were losing the "apprenticeship culture" they traditionally favored."The delayed development of firm personnel affected productivity and made it difficult for some to meet deadlines and expectations," some respondents said.At one of the audit firms, managers and partners were stepping down a level to do audit work traditionally performed by more junior personnel. This led to reduced scrutiny of the audit work, respondents said.The Gen Z problemTied up with the questions about work-life balance and audit quality is the other big issue facing accounting firms: how to attract Gen Z talent.Respondents from all six firms included in the survey said that "resource challenges," in terms of hiring were a factor in the increasing audit deficiencies or were an overall concern for their companies.In recent years, auditing firms have struggled to attract younger generations who expect a better work-life balance."The younger generation have differing views on careers than their older counterparts, with many viewing their work more as a job, rather than a career, and are therefore more likely to leave the profession if presented with more attractive opportunities," the PCAOB found.The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants says about 65,000 students in the US completed bachelor's or master's degrees in accounting in the 2021-22 school year, 18% fewer than a decade earlier. Of those who study accounting, only a portion become certified public accountants. About 30,000 people took the CPA exam in 2022, compared with nearly 50,000 people in 2010.The fear of personnel leaving was one reason that return-to-office policies weren't being pushed at firms, according to some respondents.