Jan 22, 2025Ravie LakshmananVulnerability / Network SecurityThreat actors are exploiting an unspecified zero-day vulnerability in Cambium Networks cnPilot routers to deploy a variant of the AISURU botnet called AIRASHI to carry out distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.According to QiAnXin XLab, the attacks have leveraged the security flaw since June 2024. Additional details about the shortcomings have been withheld to prevent further abuse.Some of the other flaws weaponized by the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) botnet include CVE-2013-3307, CVE-2016-20016, CVE-2017-5259, CVE-2018-14558, CVE-2020-25499, CVE-2020-8515, CVE-2022-3573, CVE-2022-40005, CVE-2022-44149, CVE-2023-28771, as well as those impacting AVTECH IP cameras, LILIN DVRs, and Shenzhen TVT devices."The operator of AIRASHI has been posting their DDoS capability test results on Telegram," XLab said. "From historical data, it can be observed that the attack capacity of the AIRASHI botnet remains stable around 1-3 Tbps."A majority of the compromised devices are located in Brazil, Russia, Vietnam, and Indonesia, with China, the United States, Poland, and Russia becoming the primary targets of the malicious swarm.AIRASHI is a variant of the AISURU (aka NAKOTNE) botnet that was previously flagged by the cybersecurity company in August 2024 in connection with a DDoS attack targeting Steam around the same time coinciding with the launch of the game Black Myth: Wukong.A frequently updated botnet, select variations of AIRASHI have also been found incorporating proxyware functionality, indicating that the threat actors intend to expand their services beyond facilitating DDoS attacks.AISURU is said to have temporarily suspended its attack activities in September 2024, only for it to reappear a month later with updated features (dubbed kitty) and refreshed again a second time at the end of November (aka AIRASHI)."The kitty sample began spreading in early October 2024," XLab noted. "Compared to previous AISURU samples, it has simplified the network protocol. By the end of October, it started using SOCKS5 proxies to communicate with the C2 server."AIRASHI, on the other hand, comes in at least two different flavors -AIRASHI-DDoS (first detected in late October), which primarily focuses on DDoS attacks, but also supports arbitrary command execution and reverse shell accessAIRASHI-Proxy (first detected in early December), which is a modified version of AIRASHI-DDoS with proxy functionalityThe botnet, in addition to continuously tweaking its methods to obtain the C2 server details via DNS queries, relies on a completely new network protocol that involves HMAC-SHA256 and CHACHA20 algorithms for communication. Furthermore, AIRASHI-DDoS supports 13 message types, while AIRASHI-Proxy supports only 5 message types.The findings show that bad actors continue to exploit vulnerabilities in IoT devices both as an initial access vector and for building botnets that use them to put added weight behind powerful DDoS attacks.The development comes as QiAnXin shed light on a cross-platform backdoor named alphatronBot that has targeted the Chinese government and enterprises to enlist infected Windows and Linux systems into a botnet. Active since the start of 2023, the malware adopted a legitimate open-source peer-to-peer (P2P) chat application named PeerChat to talk to other infected nodes.The decentralized nature of the P2P protocol means that an attacker can issue commands through any of the compromised nodes without having to route them through a single C2 server, thus making the botnet a lot more resilient to takedowns."The 700+ P2P networks built into the backdoor consist of infected network device components from 80 countries and territories," the company said. "The nodes involve MikroTik routers, Hikvision cameras, VPS servers, DLink routers, CPE devices, etc."Last year, XLab also detailed a sophisticated and stealthy payload delivery framework codenamed DarkCracks that exploits compromised GLPI and WordPress sites to function as downloaders and C2 servers."Its primary objectives are to gather sensitive information from infected devices, maintain long-term access, and use the compromised, stable, high-performance devices as relay nodes to control other devices or deliver malicious payloads, effectively obfuscating the attacker's footprint," it said."The compromised systems were found to belong to critical infrastructure across different countries, including school websites, public transportation systems, and prison visitor systems."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Lisa Morgan, Freelance WriterJanuary 22, 20259 Min ReadSiarhei Yurchanka via Alamy StockIT operating models continue to evolve as new tech and business trends emerge. Its a constant state of change that needs to be well thought out and managed, with an eye toward fueling innovation.In 2025, the IT operating model will inevitably undergo a profound transformation, especially in automation, intelligence and flexibility, says Alex Li, founder of StudyX at AI education company StudyX.AI in an email interview. With the continuous advancement of technology, emerging technologies such as cloud computing, AI, and machine learning will be the key driving forces for upgrading the IT operating model.However, the core factors driving this transformation are not just the technology itself, he says. As consumer demands for personalization and high-quality services continue to rise, the IT operation model must be adaptable and responsive.Trevor Fry, founder & tech consultant at TreverFry.tech, says IT leaders are facing two big trends this year.First, AI is maturing. Its growing beyond the wild west phase and is becoming a useful, everyday tool. Thats exciting, but means we need to be more mindful about data security and ethical usage. We are also just barely starting to discover the ecological impacts of utilizing these tools, says Fry in an email interview. Second, theres a workplace revolution happening.Related:Specifically, employees are burned out and disillusioned about the cultures and flexible schedules they were promised only to discover that company policies have changed. Alternatively, they may be too scared to exercise the rights their employers give them -- such as flexible work hours -- for fear of being first on the cut list, Fry says. As organizations become leaner, employees are job-hoarding, doing anything they can to keep their position while managers are stretched thin. Since that model doesnt scale well, its forcing IT to rethink how their operating models should work.Alex Li, StudyX.AIEfrain Ruh, field CTO continental Europe at SaaS-based autonomous enterprise software provider for IT and business operations Digitate, foresees enterprises making heavy investments to reduce IT operating environmental complexity. Some companies will focus on moving to SaaS and PaaS platforms, but they will need to maintain certain critical workloads running on legacy systems until they figure out the best way to migrate.In 2025, enterprises are looking to achieve autonomous and self-healing IT environments, which is currently referred to as AIOps. However, the use of AI will become so common in IT operations that we wont need to call it [that] explicitly, says Ruh in an email interview. Instead, the term, AIOps will become obsolete over the next two years as enterprises move towards the first wave of AI agents, where early adopters will start deploying intelligent components in their landscape able to reason and take care of tasks with an elevated level of autonomy.Related:All that will lead to a ticketless IT operating enterprise known as ZeroOps, he says. It wont happen overnight, and to achieve it applications must be resilient by design. Attempting to apply ZeroOps to a complex existing environment requires an enormous amount of effort that may not be justifiable.I see similarities between the auto industry struggl[ing] to provide a full-autonomous driving experience, and IT ops trying to deploy a fully autonomous solution for operations, says Ruh. It is not that the technology is not available, it has [more] to do more with liability: Who do we blame when an AI agent makes a mistake with catastrophic results?"Kent Langley, founder at strategic technology advisory firm Factual, says organizations must embrace agility, using AI as a connective tissue to enable transparency, autonomy, and alignment across teams, but decentralization without structure risks redundancy and chaos.Related:The IT operating model of 2025 must adapt to a landscape shaped by rapid decentralization, flatter structures, and AI-driven innovation, says Langley in an email interview. These shifts are driven by the need for agility in responding to changing business needs and the transformative impact of AI on decision-making, coordination and communication. Technology is no longer just a tool but a connective tissue that enables transparency and autonomy across teams while aligning them with broader organizational goals.Challenges With TransformationFry says IT leaders are facing the challenge of creating the right culture, since IT operating model evolution isnt just a tech issue.Trevor FryIT leaders need to get better at listening to the people doing the work. Theyre the ones who see the cracks and inefficiencies that leadership might miss, says Fry. But -- and this is critical -- aligning that feedback with a strategic vision is key. We cant just hand over the reins [to the business], but we also cant succeed without their insights. We are seeing many legacy companies start to cycle out of the old ways and dip their toes into modern technologies as they are falling behind their competitors and no longer able to work around legacy tools and processes.Therefore, the IT operating model of 2025 needs to prioritize adaptability and focus.Its about giving teams the tools and clarity they need to do great work while protecting them from unnecessary burdens, says Fry. Technology, like AI and automation, can help streamline operations, but we cant lose sight of the human element. Success will come from leaders who actively support their teams, not just direct them.Factuals Langley believes decentralization will be challenging. Without clear structures, organizations risk redundant work, fragmented knowledge and reduced cohesion.IT leaders must transition from traditional hierarchical roles to facilitators who harness AI to enable autonomy while maintaining strategic alignment. This means creating systems for collaboration and clarity, ensuring the organization thrives in a decentralized environment, says Langley. In 2025, we anticipate leveraging AI-driven tools to evolve our IT model toward more autonomy, coordination and resilience. By emphasizing these principles today, were preparing to thrive in an agile, AI-empowered future.Raviraj Hegde, SVP of growth at non-profit online fundraising platform Donorbox, believes the two major challenges continue to be keeping data secure and controlling costs.The biggest challenge will be a balancing act between innovation and stability. IT teams will have to adopt new tools but also make sure systems stay reliable. Collaboration with other departments will be very important in understanding what the business really needs, says Hegde in an email interview. [T]he IT model at DonorBox will be more integrated with AI and automation to serve nonprofits even better. Most [likely], we will be working on smart usage of data and enhancement of our systems to scale efficiently.Dan Merzlyak, senior vice president, global head of data, analytics and AI at Postgres data and AI company EnterpriseDB, says the need for faster innovation, operational efficiency and seamless customer experiences are pushing IT to the forefront.The rapid advancements in AI, like GenAI and predictive analytics, further amplify ITs role in enabling smarter decisions and faster outcomes. In 2025, IT wont just facilitate better, faster outcomes; it will shape them, serving as the backbone for competitive, technology-driven business strategies, says Merzlyak in an email interview. Corporate, personnel, and data security will remain top challenges. As new technologies -- whether traditional, cloud-based, or AI-drivenbecome easier to adopt, the risk of exposing sensitive business assets grows. IT must lead the charge in modernizing operational strategies while maintaining a relentless focus on safeguarding the companys most critical data and systems. Balancing innovation with robust security will be the key to long-term success.In 2025, EnterpriseDB will continue exploring ways to enhance traditional IT practices through automation and AI so IT leaders can focus on high-value, high-impact initiatives that drive exponential growth. By leveraging automation and AI, IT will be in a better position to support the companys expansion while maintaining security and operational excellence.In the Industrial Sector, Composability Will Be KeyKevin Price, global head of enterprise asset management at enterprise cloud and Industrial AI software provider IFS, says in the industrial sector, asset lifecycle management is problematic because its complicated and IT structures have a lot of problems.Its [convoluted] because people in those application roles tend to focus on what that function does, and they try to extend it. [Or] they think about of how specific that individual function should be, says Price. [W]hat we lose when we do that is a focus on what matters, and what matters in the industry matters in the business.He sees composability being a major trend in 2025, so instead of running everything with general industrial applications, individual functions can be combined as necessary for the specific industry and use case.[M]id-stream oil and gas [is] pretty asset intensive and risk critical. When it fails, it's a big disaster. People [and] the environment get hurt. There's just loads of concerns from a technology security perspective, says Price. I should have models or agents, so I [can] have a system that composes for that need of mid-stream oil and gas, but I should have agents that I can selectively deploy.That way, organizations can avoid using a system designed for a mining operation in a manufacturing or oil and gas environment, for example, and instead use components that were designed with the specific use case in mind.Bottom LineAs tech and business requirements change, so must the IT operating model. Because agility and speed remain top priorities, tech choices and IT operations need to align to make that happen.About the AuthorLisa MorganFreelance WriterLisa Morgan is a freelance writer who covers business and IT strategy and emergingtechnology for InformationWeek. She has contributed articles, reports, and other types of content to many technology, business, and mainstream publications and sites including tech pubs, The Washington Post and The Economist Intelligence Unit. Frequent areas of coverage include AI, analytics, cloud, cybersecurity, mobility, software development, and emerging cultural issues affecting the C-suite.See more from Lisa MorganNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Nathan Eddy, Freelance WriterJanuary 22, 20255 Min ReadCagkan Sayin via Alamy StockNegotiating a higher salary or better benefits can be daunting, but IT professionals can strengthen their case by aligning their contributions with organizational goals and adopting strategic approaches.The key to securing a raise lies in preparation, communication, and demonstrating measurable value to higher-ups. Quantifiable metrics are crucial during salary discussions, as they provide clear evidence of your impact. Key performance indicators (KPIs) to highlight include revenue generation, cost savings, productivity improvements, customer satisfaction, and security or risk mitigation.Demonstrating how your contributions align with these metrics makes a compelling case for your value to the organization.Scott Wheeler, cloud practice lead at Asperitas, says its important to start raise negotiation preparations by understanding the organizations strategic and tactical goals.Taking on projects that are both impactful and achievable shows alignment with the companys priorities. Identify work that aligns with those goals and has reasonable delivery timelines, preferably under a year, Wheeler says.He adds that building a productive rapport with managers is another cornerstone of effective salary negotiations. Understand what your manager values and what they will be evaluated on, Wheeler says. Align your work with their goals and share progress on your projects regularly.Related:He says establishing a personal connection with higher-ups can also help. Knowing what your manager values, both in and outside of work, creates a better partnership and makes communication easier, Wheeler explains.Megan Smith, head of HR at SAP North America, says she agrees the more an employee can master the art of communicating proactively with their manager, the greater the trust they can build.This includes things like sharing the right level of information at the right time, she explains via email.For example, providing a heads up around possible risks in a project, and sharing summary updates regularly of what is being accomplished, helps the manager trust they have the right degree of visibility necessary for the overall success of the team.Salary as Reflection of PerformanceSmith says having a conversation with your manager about your salary is really a conversation about how you are achieving your goals, because a salary increase reflects your performance.Discuss your performance with your manager early and often, so that when you want to connect it to salary, which can be done at any time but recommend at least a couple months prior to the salary review timeline of your company, this is a natural connection, she says.Related:She recommends approaching salary conversations with curiosity, for example by asking your manager how they perceive your salary aligning to your contributions and impact.Get educated on your own point of view, she adds. Do you have any data from internal salary ranges to suggest if you are positioned low?Smith says its important that you dont make it about asking for a raise but rather, make the conversation about an informed discussion about how your salary reflects your contributions, and if that presents opportunity for an increase in the next salary review cycle.IT as a Leadership ProfessionFrom the perspective of Mark Ralls, president at Auvik, the nature of IT work provides ample opportunities for IT pros to show leadership even if they are not in a formal managerial role.Cross-functional or team-based project work allows IT pros to demonstrate the ability to manage through influence, where they help coordinate the efforts of others through relationship building and persuasion rather than formal authority, he says.Wheeler also emphasizes the importance of teamwork and collaboration in achieving goals.Related:Form partnerships, either internally or externally, that can help you deliver results, Wheeler says. Most work requires a team effort, and sometimes moving to a different internal team may be necessary to produce the desired outcome.Documenting and showcasing these successes are critical to building a strong case during salary discussions.Success in salary negotiations also depends on effective communication and the ability to understand and address the motivations of various stakeholders to align everyone with a common objective.Gaining buy-in and achieving desired outcomes by establishing credibility and trust is a key indicator that someone is ready for that next step to management, earning a raise and potentially a promotion in the process, Ralls says.A recent engineering career mobility report by SignalFire indicates specialization is a key way to turbocharge upward mobility -- and with it, salary bumps.Jarod Reyes, head of developer community at SignalFire, says instead of focusing on a general KPI around developer productivity, he would focus on finding a project, or place in the engineering organization where one can become the specialist.We can see in the data that specialization is the key to rapid upward mobility for engineers happy in their current role, he says. We could see engineers who wanted to move into management roles would take paths that developed more broad skill sets, expanding their surface area and sphere of influence.This includes finding ways to lead a project and looking for opportunities to improve the business or reduce costs -- what Reyes calls sure fire bets.He notes that engineers who wanted to move up a non-management path (down a specialist path, like principal or staff engineer) focused on narrowing their skill sets, taking roles where they were expected to be the directly responsible individual like a site-reliability engineer or data architect.Reyes says from personal experience managing engineering teams and building engineering teams for the last 13 years he could say communicating often with the team about the values that are rewarded is very important.Having direct conversations not just annually, but monthly with your engineers is an important way of building trust and earning loyalty, he says. I think more important than upward mobility I have found that engineers really enjoy working on a team that is crucial, efficient and impact oriented.About the AuthorNathan EddyFreelance WriterNathan Eddy is a freelance writer for InformationWeek. He has written for Popular Mechanics, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine, FierceMarkets, and CRN, among others. In 2012 he made his first documentary film, The Absent Column. He currently lives in Berlin.See more from Nathan EddyNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Time zones: EST (UTC -5), CST (UTC -6), MST (UTC -7), PST (UTC -8), AKST (UTC -9), HST (UTC -10), ART (UTC -3), UTC -4, UTC -4:30, UTC -3, UTC -2Position: AI-First Senior Full-Stack / DevOps Engineer (Open Source, MotiaHub, & AI)Location:Type: Full-timeAbout MotiaMotia is an open-source, event-driven framework that orchestrates multi-language Steps into dynamic Flows. Our Workbench helps developers visualize, debug, and refine these flows, while MotiaHub is our enterprise production platformenabling one-command deployments, advanced observability, environment management, and versioning.Were a driven startup, setting out to unify everything from business process automation to AI-based agent flows under a single, event-driven architecture. We value:Ownership & Accountability Inspired by authors like Jocko Willink, we prioritize individuals who take genuine ownership of their work and see tasks througheven when its not easy.Embracing Challenges Echoing JFK, We choose to do this, not because it is easy, but because it is hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills.Pragmatic Decision Making As a fast-moving company, we make smart tradeoffs while staying focused on delivering robust, high-impact solutions.Role OverviewYoull split your time between Open Source Core + Workbench and MotiaHubs production-facing features and DevOps architecture:Open Source, Workbench & MotiaHubStrengthen our Node/TypeScript engine, ensuring seamless cross-language Step integrations (Python, Ruby, etc.).Enhance the React + Vite-based Workbench UI for better visualization, debugging, and the upcoming AI/agent workflows.MotiaHub, DevOps & ProductionWeb Application front and back end for hosting, deployment, observability, etcDrive orchestration (AWS, Kubernetes, or similar).Improve CI/CD pipelines, implement environment versioning.Collaborate on advanced environment strategiesmulti-tenant staging, ephemeral test setups, secure multi-environment deployments, and real-time cluster management.A Typical Week Could Include:Core: Open Source Framework: Implement a new cross-runtime Step runner so devs can incorporate AI logic seamlessly.Workbench: Improve open source React-based flow visualizationse.g., better node grouping and advanced logging insights.Hub: Design secure, zero-downtime deployment flows for enterprise customers.DevOps: Tune automated QA checks, add new performance instrumentation, and ensure container updates integrate smoothly with minimal downtime.What Were Looking ForProfessional Experience:Minimum of 5 years in software development, with a focus on full-stack development and DevOps practices.Proven experience in managing Linux-based infrastructures and Linux/Unix administration.Demonstrated experience in leading software engineering teams and managing complex projects.Technical Skills:Proficiency in Node.js and TypeScript, with experience in integrating multiple programming languages such as Python and Ruby.Strong front-end development skills using React and Vite, including experience in building intuitive user interfaces.Expertise in cloud services, particularly AWS, including Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like CloudFormation and Terraform.Hands-on experience with containerization technologies like Docker and orchestration tools such as Kubernetes.Proficiency in building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, with tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, or CircleCI.Strong scripting skills in languages such as Python, Perl, or Ruby for automation purposes.Open-Source Contributions:Active participation in open-source projects, with a demonstrable history of contributions.Experience in collaborating within open-source communities, including code submissions, issue tracking, and peer reviews.Familiarity with open-source development workflows and tools, such as Git and GitHub.AI-First Development:Experience in integrating AI capabilities into software applications from the ground up, ensuring intelligent and adaptable solutions.Understanding of machine learning models and their application in enhancing software functionality.Ability to design systems that leverage AI to improve user experience and operational efficiency.AI-Driven Workflow Automation:Proven experience in implementing AI-powered workflow automation tools to streamline business processes.Familiarity with AI workflow automation platforms such as Zapier, Make, or Microsoft Power Automate.Ability to design and deploy AI-driven solutions that enhance productivity and reduce manual intervention.DevOps Expertise:Experience in designing and implementing secure automation solutions for development, testing, and production environments.Ability to manage and maintain system architecture, ensuring scalability and reliability.Familiarity with monitoring and observability tools to ensure system performance and availability.Soft Skills:High Ownership: You approach tasks like youre the owner. You proactively solve problems and dont pass the buck.Hard Work & Drive: You thrive when challenges are steep, whether its scaling an AI-based system or orchestrating complex containers in production.Pragmatism: You know when to refactor for the long haul and when to be mindful of immediate milestonesespecially in a startup environment.Our Culture & ValuesTeam Unity: We openly discuss design ideas, share code reviews, and celebrate each others wins.Fearless Exploration: Were not satisfied with typical solutions. We push boundaries with AI agent flows, concurrency, and advanced automation.Real-World Impact: Both Motia Core (open source) and MotiaHub (production) are used by teams solving tough problems. Your work can influence entire ecosystems.Why Join UsShape the Future: Be part of a young platform bridging open-source collaboration with enterprise-scale needs (AI, advanced orchestration, etc.).Ownership & Growth: You wont be a cog. Youll get to design, build, and see your changes deliver real outcomesfast.Respect for Craft & Balance: We believe in building robust systems. At the same time, we make practical decisions to move forward as a startup.Open Source Impact: Your code is in the open, benefiting from and contributing to a global developer community.How to ApplyEmail your resume/GitHub/portfolio to [emailprotected] with Senior Full-Stack/DevOps in the subject.In a short note, tell us about a tough challenge you tackled (technical or otherwise), what you learned, and how you owned that outcome.

Many organizations have experimented with AI, but they havent always gotten the full value from their investments. A host of issues standing in the way center on the accuracy, fairness, and securityof AI systems. In response, organizations are actively exploring the principles of responsible AI: the idea that AI systems must be fair, transparent, and beneficial to society for it to be widely adopted. When responsible AI is done right, it unlocks trust and therefore customer adoption of enterprise AI. According to the US National Institute of Standards and Technology the essential building blocks Validity and reliability Safety Security and resiliency Accountability and transparency Explainability and interpretability Privacy Fairness with mitigation of harmful bias DOWNLOAD THE REPORT To investigate the current landscape of responsible AI across the enterprise, MIT Technology Review Insights surveyed 250 business leaders about how theyre implementing principles that ensure AI trustworthiness. The poll found that responsible AI is important to executives, with 87% of respondents rating it a high or medium priority for their organization. A majority of respondents (76%) also say that responsible AI is a high or medium priority specifically for creating a competitive advantage. But relatively few have figured out how to turn these ideas into reality. We found that only 15% of those surveyed felt highly prepared to adopt effective responsible AI practices, despite the importance they placed on them. Putting responsible AI into practice in the age of generative AI requires a series of best practices that leading companies are adopting. These practices can include cataloging AI models and data and implementing governance controls. Companies may benefit from conducting rigorous assessments, testing, and audits for risk, security, and regulatory compliance. At the same time, they should also empower employees with training at scale and ultimately make responsible AI a leadership priority to ensure their change efforts stick. We all know AI is the most influential change in technology that weve seen, but theres a huge disconnect, says Steven Hall, chief AI officer and president of EMEA at ISG, a global technology research and IT advisory firm. Everybody understands how transformative AI is going to be and wants strong governance, but the operating model and the funding allocated to responsible AI are well below where they need to be given its criticality to the organization. Download the full report. This content was produced by Insights, the custom content arm of MIT Technology Review. It was not written by MIT Technology Reviews editorial staff.

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. OpenAI has upped its lobbying efforts nearly sevenfold OpenAI spent $1.76 million on government lobbying in 2024 and $510,000 in the last three months of the year alone, according to a new disclosure filed on Tuesdaya significant jump from 2023, when the company spent just $260,000 on Capitol Hill. The disclosure is a clear signal of the companys arrival as a political player, as its first year of serious lobbying ends and Republican control of Washington begins. While OpenAIs lobbying spending is still dwarfed by bigger tech players, the uptick comes as it and other AI companies are helping redraw the shape of AI policy. Read the full story.James ODonnell A new company plans to use Earth as a chemical reactor Forget massive steel tankssome scientists want to make chemicals with the help of rocks deep beneath Earths surface. New research shows that ammonia, a chemical crucial for fertilizer, can be produced from rocks at temperatures and pressures that are common in the subsurface. The research was published yesterday in Joule, and MIT Technology Review can exclusively report that a new company, called Addis Energy, has been founded to commercialize the process. Ammonia is used in most fertilizers and is a vital part of our modern food system. Its also being considered for use as a green fuel in industries like transoceanic shipping. The problem is that current processes used to make ammonia require a lot of energy and produce huge amounts of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Read the full story.Casey Crownhart There can be no winners in a US-China AI arms race Alvin Wang Graylin and Paul Triolo The United States and China are entangled in what many have dubbed an AI arms race. In the early days of this standoff, US policymakers drove an agenda centered on winning the race, mostly from an economic perspective. In recent months, leading AI labs such as OpenAI and Anthropic got involved in pushing the narrative of beating China in what appeared to be an attempt to align themselves with the incoming Trump administration. The belief that the US can win in such a race was based mostly on the early advantage it had over China in advanced GPU compute resources and the effectiveness of AIs scaling laws. But now it appears that access to large quantities of advanced compute resources is no longer the defining or sustainable advantage many had thought it would be. Read the full story.Meet the divers trying to figure out how deep humans can go Figuring out how the human body can withstand underwater pressure has been a problem for over a century, but a ragtag band of divers is experimenting with hydrogen to find out. This is our latest story to be turned into a MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, whichwere publishing each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as its released. The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Donald Trump has pardoned the creator of Silk Road Ross Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, money laundering, and hacking. (BBC)+ The 40-year old has been in prison since 2015. (NYT $)+ Its a clear attempt to curry favor with the crypto community. (Bloomberg $)2 The US is embarking on a major AI data center pushOpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle will create $100 billion in computing infrastructure. (NYT $) + Sam Altman says the project will facilitate the birth of AGI in America. (Insider $)3 What Trumps executive orders mean for you From a national energy emergency to pausing wind projects. (Fast Company $)+ The new President also officially established DOGE. (Ars Technica)4 YouTuber Mr Beast is considering buying TikTok His lawyer insists hes deadly serious. (CNN)+ What is the true value of TikTok, exactly? (The Information $)+ Trump is open to Elon Musk bidding for ownership too. (The Guardian)5 Microsoft will foot the bill to restore part of the Amazon rainforest In exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars worth of carbon credits. (FT $)+ Google, Amazon and the problem with Big Techs climate claims. (MIT Technology Review) 6 Google sold AI tools to Israels military in the wake of the Hamas attackIn stark contrast to its public stance distancing itself from Israels security apparatus. (WP $) 7 Inside the fight raging over NASAs first deep space stationSome experts argue we should start building living quarters directly on the moon instead. (Undark) + Heres what an exploding rocket looks like. (New Scientist $)+ Whats next for NASAs giant moon rocket? (MIT Technology Review) 8 How the Parcae satellite program helped to win the Cold WarAnd ushered in a new age of eavesdropping in the process. (IEEE Spectrum) 9 Startup founders are hustling for deals at inauguration parties Networking is so back, baby. (TechCrunch)+ How a Greenwich Village bar became a MAGA mecca. (NY Mag $)10 How AI could revamp treatment for snake bites Courtesy of a recent Nobel chemistry prize winner. (Economist $)Quote of the day Its not at all like being an employee. Theres nobody you can talk to. Everything is automated. A gig economy driver tells the Guardian about his frustration in navigating the platforms apps. The big story How tactile graphics can help end image poverty June 2023 Chancey Fleet In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic lockdown, my husband and I bought a house in Brooklyn and decided to rebuild the interior. He taught me a few key architectural symbols and before long I was drawing my own concepts, working toward a shared vision of the home we eventually designed. Its a commonplace story, except for one key factor: Im blind, and Ive made it my mission to ensure that blind New Yorkers can create and explore images. As a blind tech educator, its my joband my passionto introduce blind and low-vision patrons to tools that help them move through daily life with autonomy and ease. Read the full story. 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.) + To prevent sore shoulders and bad backs, it helps to know the muscles that cause them.+ Its time to join the crispy gnocchi club.+ If youre lucky enough to win an Academy Award, dont even think about trying to sell it.+ Space-age bachelor pad music looks like a pretty great genre to me.

Proposals would have included replacement Travis Perkins branchCGI showing how the scheme would look if built1/6show captionWestminster council has refused plans for a 20-storey student accommodation building designed by Make Architects for a second time.Councillors voted to ignore a recommendation by the councils planning officers to approve the 605-bedroom scheme in a committee meeting yesterday evening.The proposals, designed for clients Unite Students and Travis Perkins, were for a canal-side site behind Paddington station and neighbouring Fletcher Priests Brunel Building.They would have seen the demolition and replacement of an existing Travis Perkins branch on the site with the student accommodation scheme located above, along with a new canal path and public realm.Makes earlier version of the scheme, refused in 2022The councils refusal comes three years after a larger scheme also designed by Make for the same clients was thrown out due to concerns over the buildings massing and its impact on nearby residents.The original 2022 proposals, which had been recommended for refusal, would have contained 768 student rooms, down from 843 in an earlier 22-storey version of the scheme which had been amended prior to its committee hearing.Although the latest scheme, submitted in May last year, had broken up the building into two main blocks on the advice of planning officers, it still received more than 100 objections from locals due to its height and scale.

Project delivery functions to be transferred from Cabinet Office to the TreasuryThe merger of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) and Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) will take effect from the start of April, the prime minister has announced.The combined body, which will be known as the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), will be a joint unit of the Treasury and Cabinet Office, with Darren Jones named as the responsible minister for the body.Source: HM Treasury / FlickrChief secretary to the Treasury, Darren JonesJones, a rising star in the Labour party who is second in command at the Treasury after chancellor Rachel Reeves, has been at the forefront of the governments plans for infrastructure and first announced the plans for NISTA last May, before the general election.In a written statement to the House of Commons, Keir Starmer announced the upcoming machinery of government change.This change will bring infrastructure strategy and delivery together to address systemic challenges to growth, and combine the expertise and functions of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority and the National Infrastructure Commission, he said.As part of the changes, the IPAs functions and responsibilities, including the Governments project delivery expertise and functions, and assurance reviews for the Governments largest projects, will moved from the Cabinet Office to HM Treasury.The chief secretary to the Treasury, currently Jones, will be the lead minister for NISTA, while the departments permanent secretary will be the principal accounting officer.Last September, Jones hit out at the previous government for having a dismissive attitude towards the NIC.Speaking at the launch of the Labour Infrastructure Forum, he said the NIC had done a brilliant job but the Conservatives were not really listening or taking it seriously.The NIC was doing a brilliant job on strategy, he said.I think everybody agrees that their outputs are actually great, but lets be frank, the government wasnt really listening or taking it seriously. So it produced great reports but it wasnt informing decisions.He also argued that the IPA had also been reduced to a compliance function and it needed to be more about speeding up delivery and focusing on delivery.The chair of the NIC, John Armitt, recently questioned the benefits of greater ministerial oversight of major public projects.Speaking at a House of Commons transport committe, he said that transport is an intensely political area which he said made it very difficult for ministers to stand back.Theyre the ones who, at the end of the day, have to stand up here and defend whats happening, he said.On the other hand, that is bound to lead to delays, its bound to lead, I fear at times, to too much desire to actually meet every concern and objection and requirement for extra facilities within a scheme.

See at Willow Watch Test cricket for $10 a month Willow See at Willow See more details See at ExpressVPN Best VPN for streaming ExpressVPN See at ExpressVPN See more details See at TNT Sport Watch Australia vs. India live in the UK TNT Sports See at TNT Sport See more details See at Kayo Sports Watch India vs. England in Australia for AU$25 Kayo Sports See at Kayo Sports See more details See at Hotstar Showing this Test series in India Disney Plus Hotstar See at Hotstar See more details Table of Contents England kick off their first white-ball series against India in three years today in Kolkata, with head coach Brendon McCullum looking to mould his side ahead of next month's Champions Trophy.The fallout from England's disappointing performance at last year's T20 World Cup saw McCullum take charge of the limited-overs squad, having already revitalized the Test team with his aggressive approach.India, meanwhile, come into this series looking to put their recent defeat in the Border-Gavaskar trophy to Australia behind them, with Suryakumar Yadav's team aiming to maintain their dominance of cricket's shortest format.Australia take on India in the 1st T20 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday, Jan. 22. Play is set to start each day at 7 p.m. IST local time in India, which makes it a 1:30 p.m. GMT start in the UK.The time difference in the US and Canada means this first T20 encounter between the two sides begins at 8:30 a.m. ET and 5:30 a.m. PT, with play getting underway for viewers in Australia at12:30 a.m. AEDT in the early hours of Thursday morning.Below, we'll outline the bestlive TV streaming servicesto watch the series, no matter where you are in the world. Suryakumar Yadav will captain India in this five-game T20 series. Pankaj Nangia/Getty ImagesHow to watch India vs. England 1st T20 in the US and Canada without cableThis T20 series is available to watch live on cricket streaming serviceWillow TV. Willow TV Willow TV, a dedicated cricket streaming service, is available with a broad range of cable providers, including Spectrum, Dish and Xfinity. The service is also available via OTT providerSling TVvia its Desi Binge Plus or Dakshin Flexplans. Willow TV is also an add-on for OTT provider Fubo, with plans starting at $87 per month, which covers the base Fubo subscription plus another $7 for the add-on package that includes Willow TV. See at Willow How to watch online from anywhere using a VPNIf you find yourself unable to view this Test series locally, you may need a different way to watch the action -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic. It's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like ourEditors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Australia, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. Be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other greatVPN dealstaking place right now. James Martin/CNET 2024 Latest Tests DNS leaks detected, 25% speed loss in 2024 testsNetwork 3,000 plus servers in 105 countriesJurisdiction British Virgin Islands ExpressVPN isour current best VPN pickfor people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 a month, but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100 you'll get three months free and save 49%. That's the equivalent of $6.67 a month.Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. 61% off with 2yr plan (+4 free months) See at ExpressVPN Watch India vs. England 1st T20 in the UKThis T20 series is being shown live in the UK by TNT Sports. TNT Sports You can access TNT Sports via Sky Q as a TV package, as well as the option of streaming online. It costs 31 either way and comes in a package that includes the Discovery Plus library of documentary content. See at TNT Sport Stream the India vs. England 1st T20 in Australia for freeThis T20 series can be watched Down Under on Fox Sports via Foxtel. If you're not a Fox subscriber, your best option is to sign up for the streaming service Kayo Sports. Kayo Sports A Kayo Sports subscription starts at AU$25 a month and lets you stream on one screen, while its Premium tier costs AU$35 a month for simultaneous viewing on up to three devices.The service gives you access to a wide range of sports, including F1, NRL, NFL, NHL and MLB, and there are no lock-in contracts.Better still, if you're a new customer, you can take advantage of a one-week Kayo Sports free trial. See at Kayo Sports Stream India vs. England 1st T20 in IndiaCricket fans in India can watch this Test series via Star Sports. The cheapest way to watch is via theDisney Plus Hotstar app, but those looking to catch all the action on a device with a larger display will need to sign up for one of its more expensive tier subscriptions. Disney Hotstar/Screenshot by CNET Disney Plus Hotstar starts at 499 rupees for its Mobile plan, going up to 899 rupees for its Super tier, and 1,499 rupees for the service's all-access Premium content plan. See at Hotstar Quick tips for streaming India vs. England 1st T20 using a VPNWith four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming this Test series series live may vary.If you don't see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the "search for city or country" option.If you're having trouble getting the game after you've turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don't have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you'll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you're using (like your phone), so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network's sports app, you'll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you're using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We recommendBrave.

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