Thanks to Sarah Lamont and Jaylen Darling for their contributionsEveryone talks about the $84.4T great wealth transfer in the context of liquid assets expected to be passed down over the next 20 years. However, fewer people are addressing the $15.5T in private business wealth that is much more operationally complex and obviously harder to inherit.SBA Office of Advocacy, Cerulli Associates, Federal Reserve, F-Prime Analysis F-PrimeDespite retirement-aged owners (boomers and older) owning 63.1 percent ($9.78T) of the private business wealth $4.25T of which we estimate is distributed amongst small business owners with less than 500 employees the inherent problems of transferring this portion of wealth creates ample market opportunity for startups in this space to address.For instance, only about 52 percent of heirs claim to actually want the family business which is exacerbated by the fact that the smaller the business, the less likely owners are to engage in exit planning. Stats like these suggest that many retiring SMB owners will need to consider alternative exit strategies outside of passing down their business to their children. More and more retiring owners will likely be selling their business to external buyers, which comes with a vast amount of challenges and pain points for both sellers and buyers.The challenges and pain points that SMB sellers and buyers face are vast:Many SMBs lack the technical knowledge to navigate the sale process, especially valuations.The sale process can be a highly emotional process to navigate.It can be even harder to sell businesses in specialized industries.Sellers are unsophisticated and oftentimes are not natively digital, which adds to the challenge of discoverability for buyersBuyers and sellers take a long time to close deals thanks to lengthy clearing price negotiations, financing processes, transition planning, and more.The Current State of Play of SMB Succession StartupsF-Prime AnalysisF-PrimeNumerous players are adding value along the process of business ownership transfer from document preparation to deal execution. Acquisition marketplaces like Beacon, Get Acquired, and Tresle are aggregating demand and providing value through free valuation estimation calculators, access to advisors that facilitate deal transactions, and an anonymous listings platform that allows sellers to match with and approve prospective buyer inquiries.Companies like Boom are supporting companies in the early selling phase, helping owners with key management issues and valuation services to get businesses ready for the marketplace. Baton which just raised $10M in Series A funding and Tresles Plus product offers custom marketing assets for sellers; Beacon vets their buyers even going so far as to conduct background checks in specific cases; and Baton and Acquire.com provide a virtual data room to standardize document review and initial due diligence.Buyer-focused acquisition marketplaces are also providing unique value-adds. Companies like Private Market Labs leverage AI to gather a database of on-market small business deals for buyers. OffDeal leverages AI to match and connect buyers with the best off-market acquisition targets. Village Wellth boasts a financing solutions product, Aquirewell, that links buyers with advisors to review financials and structure deals as well as assess their lending readiness and find the best lending options by connecting them with multiple lenders. Boopos offers acquisition financing loans for recurring revenue businesses.Alternative Solutions Employee OwnershipAlternatively, business owners who dont want to sell their business to external buyers can consider employee ownership transfer as an alternative exit strategy. Employee ownership as an exit strategy refers to an owner selling their majority stake in the business to the employees either directly or indirectly. There are multiple types of employee ownership structures with the most common model in the US being Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), with over 6,000 companies and favorable tax incentives.While each employee ownership type has its own tax and governance incentives, across the board employee ownership has shown to be a viable and compelling exit strategy that results in a preserved legacy and company culture and potential for ongoing involvement or gradual transition for the selling owner going through an already emotional process of selling their business.Common Trust is one startup that is taking advantage of the market opportunity by helping owners design and execute an employee ownership buyout using a customized purpose trust an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) that is cheaper than its more regulated ESOP counterpart. Startups in the space have the opportunity to get in front of selling owners who value company legacy preservation, tax benefits, and the flexibility of selling internally vs to external buyers.F-Prime AnalysisF-PrimeOn the other hand, the not-so-pretty side of business ownership transfer is that not all of them succeed. Companies like SimpleClosure and Sunset are addressing the clean up process for a sliver of the 80 percent of businesses that dont survive by efficiently managing the dissolution process for owners.The Opportunity for SMB Succession StartupsTraditional expectations of business owners to pass down their companies beyond generations are insufficient to deal with the impending demand of millions of business owners seeking retirement over the next decade. While the private business wealth transfer is well over trillions of dollars, numerous startups are adding value for selling owners and prospective buyers that are cheaper and more efficient than a traditional broker and go beyond a standard classified ad posting.The business wealth transfer space has never been more exciting, yet it needs serious investment in new infrastructure to scale and improve the investor experience. For entrepreneurs whove also spotted this opportunity, now is an opportune time to build category-defining companies.At F-Prime, we have been partnering with the builders of fintech infrastructure for more than 50 years, including early investments in Alibaba, Flywire, Toast, Quove/Plaid, Vestwell, and FutureAdvisor/BlackRock. We could not be more excited by the opportunity we see in business ownership transfer, and the chance to partner with the founders who will define this category. Here, weve outlined one view of how this industry is shaping up.

In a nutshell: Framework has introduced its first desktop PC, a mini-ITX system running AMD's latest Ryzen AI Max family of processors. The aptly named Framework Desktop ships with your choice of an AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (eight core / 16 thread) or AI Max+ 395 (16 core / 32 thread), Radeon 8060S graphics, and up to 128 GB of LPDDR5x memory. Notably, the components are soldered into place not exactly what you'd expect from a company that champions the right to repair movement. In fact, a standard desktop PC is far more flexible with regard to CPU, GPU, and memory upgrades.Framework partially addresses this shortcoming, noting that to enable the 256 GB/s memory bandwidth that Ryzen AI Max delivers, they had to solder the LPDDR5x into place."We spent months working with AMD to explore ways around this but ultimately determined that it wasn't technically feasible to land modular memory at high throughput with the 256-bit memory bus," the company said.Other features and peripherals afford more choice. For example, the Mini-ITX motherboard includes a broad set of rear I/O ports and can be installed in any compatible chassis should you not want to source one from Framework. Users are also free to bring their own fans to the table should they prefer not to use the ones Framework co-developed with Cooler Master and Noctua.Framework said it'll be publishing step-by-step installation guides and videos to help newcomers get up and running. // Related StoriesThe Framework Desktop is available is available to pre-order now. Pricing starts at $1,099 for a machine equipped with a Ryzen AI Max 385 and 32 GB of memory, and scales up to $1,999 for the top-end model packing a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and 128 GB of memory.A $100 deposit can get your name on the list. As DIY Editions, they come without storage and an operating you can either supply your own or add them on during checkout for an additional fee. It's also possible to pre-order the CPU, motherboard, and memory combo as a standalone unit with prices starting at $799.Systems ordered now are expected to ship in the third quarter of 2025.

A hot potato: Big tech companies have been quick to put an end to or cut back their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, a response to pressure from Donald Trump and his administration. Pushing back against the trend is Apple, whose shareholders voted down a proposal to dismantle its DEI initiatives this week. However, Trump has now personally urged the company to end these diversity policies. Meta and Google are just two of the tech firms to end their diversity hiring goals and scrap DEI programs in the wake of Trump's inauguration. The president has called these initiatives discriminatory against those whose race or gender does not align with those the programs are designed to help. There has even been the threat of legal action for not following the administration's wishes Trump suggested the DoJ could investigate if the programs violate any laws.Apple, which has long championed DEI initiatives, has been keeping relatively quiet.Conservative think tank The National Center for Public Policy Research had submitted a proposal titled Request to Cease DEI Efforts to Apple's shareholder meeting this week. It was defeated by 210.45 million votes in favor and 8.84 billion votes against.The group submitted a similar proposal to Costco's annual meeting last month, where it was also rejected.Apple CEO Tim Cook did admit that the company might have to make some changes to its diversity programs as the legal landscape changes, though he told shareholders that "We will continue to create a culture of belonging." // Related StoriesEarlier today, Trump urged Apple to get rid of its DEI programs, rather than "just make adjustments" to them. "DEI was a hoax that has been very bad for our country. DEI is gone," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.Last week, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a federal lawsuit against Target, alleging that its DEI initiatives misled investors and resulted in significant financial losses. The lawsuit claims that Target violated the Securities Exchange Act by failing to disclose the potential risks associated with its DEI and Pride Month campaigns, which led to consumer backlash and a decline in stock value.Cook has striven to form a closer relationship with Trump during the president's second term in office. Yesterday, Apple announced that the company would make a $500 billion investment in US manufacturing over the next four years, which includes building a new factory in Houston and hiring over 20,000 people in the US. Trump commended Apple for the announcement, saying the reason behind it was "faith in what we are doing."Masthead: Trump White House Archived

Later this year, the Team Fortress 2 Classic mod will arrive on Steam to let you step back in time to the early days of Valves class-based shooter, when it was more game than hat collection simulator. The mod has been available since 2020 (with consistent updates to boot), but this will be the first time its officially available on Steam.The announcement follows last weeks release of the TF2 source code. Valve has a history of supporting the modding community, but the companys full release of the source code came as a surprise. Now players and modders alike are taking full advantage of the opportunity to breathe new life into the 18-year-old game.Recommended VideosThe Team Fortress 2 Classic mod adds modern quality-of-life features while maintaining the feel of the game in the immediate post-launch years. It also adds in the Civilian, a new class that pays homage to the original Team Fortress Classic,as well as plenty of thematically-correct weapons that up the silliness.EminomaDeveloper Eminoma breaks the changes down into two categories: new-0ld features and new-new features. The new-old features include throwbacks, like the Civilian class or any of the prerelease weapons like the Nailgun or Tranquilizer Gun. Eminoma has also added in a Four-Team mode, where yellow and green teams can join the fray alongside red and blue.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe new-new features are never-before-seen additions like new modes. Domination, Territorial Domination, and VIP Race are all available if you tire of Capture the Flag. You can also look forward to a ton of graphical enhancements, custom weapons, and custom maps. Also a chicken, though we arent sure the relevance.By launching on Steam, Team Fortress 2 Classic will be available to more players than ever. Eminoma says they arent done yet, either. Anticipate new weapons, modes, and characters as Team Fortress 2 Classic grows, they write at the bottom of its Steam page.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsHow to find a burglar in The Sims 4How to stop the burglar in The Sims 4After years of waiting for the infamous burglars to return, The Sims 4 has finally brought them back in a free base game update! These thieves have been a thorn at Simmers' sides ever since The Sims 1, and they've been a notable absence in the franchise's latest installment.Recommended VideosDifficultyEasyDuration10 minutesNow you can finally confront burglars Robin Banks face-to-face in a fistfight, or you can hide in fear and hope that the cops save you. There are many different ways to goade burglars into coming to your property and to stop them entirely, so here's how to handle burglars in The Sims 4.Before you can even try stopping the burglar, you may want to find one on your property first. Whether it's because of your dangerous curiosity or your eagerness for confrontation, there are a few different ways to increase your chances of finding a burglar.Step 1: The first option for better chances at getting a burglar is to give yourself the Lot Challenge Heist Havoc. This is a new challenge you can add in Build/Buy mode by selecting the house icon in the top left-hand corner of your screen. Then select the tab with the question mark and you can find Lot Traits and Challenges.Heist Havoc is a challenge that makes burglars appear a lot more often at your lot than normal. Also, it makes your burglar alarms not work 100% of the time, so if Robin Banks does come sneaking to your door you may have to deal with the problem yourself.EAStep 2: If you don't want that Lot Challenge but you also don't want to just wait around for one, you can actually use cheats to summon a burglar to your property. First, turn on cheats by holding Shift + Ctrl + C, then type in 'testingcheats true'.Now that you have cheats enabled, hold the Shift key and left-click on your mailbox. One of the options available is 'Schedule Burglar Visit (Debug).' Select this option, and whenever it's night time you will get a burglar at your door.EARelatedIf a burglar actually appears at your home and you want to know how to fend it off, there are a few different options available to you. There is also a way to stop the chances of burglars appearing entirely if you're not a fan of Robin Banks.Step 1: The easiest and cheapest way to stop a burglar from stealing your valuables is to install an alarm. You can find the Alertz Burglar Alarm in Build/Buy Mode in the same section you find the fire alarm and thermostat. It only costs 85 Simoleans, and when placed near your front door, it will blare the alarm if a burglar breaks in.The alarm will wake up your household and it will scare off the burglar so none of your items are stolen. As a reminder, if you have a front and a back door you'll need an alarm for both of those entrances.EAStep 2: Without the alarm to help you, a typical Sim only has three options when confronting a burglar. You can fight them, which will sour your relationship with Robin Banks. You can do a simple confrontation, but this will typically do nothing to stop them. Finally, you can call the police station and a cop will show up to your lot. They don't appear as fast as I'd like them to, so if you don't want the burglar getting away with stolen goods, I recommend fighting them off.EAStep 3: Luckily, there are other ways you can fend off burglars depending on which DLCs you own. Certain Game and Expansion Packs offer new ways to play, and now with burglars there are different options when tackling a burglar break in. Here's every special Sim interaction listed by the official news post depending on which pack you own:Have a dog? Theyll chase the Burglar right out. (Requires: The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs Expansion Pack)Werewolves can intimidate the Burglar into leaving. (Requires: The Sims 4 Werewolves Game Pack)Spellcasters? Theyve got everything from confusion spells to full-on transformations. (Requires: The Sims 4 Realm of Magic Game Pack)Servos can zap the Burglar into place with their defense matrix. (Requires: The Sims 4 Discover University Expansion Pack)Scientists can use the Freeze Ray to immobilize them. (Requires: The Sims 4 Get to Work Expansion Pack)Vampires, of course, might take advantage of the situation for a quick warm-blooded snack before commanding the Burglar to leave. (Requires: The Sims 4 Vampires Game Pack)Step 4: If you're not a fan of burglars in the slightest and don't want to deal with them in your game ever, there is an option to turn them off. Go to Game Options, and under Gameplay will be the toggle 'Allow Burglar Visits.' After choosing to keep them or leave them, apply the changes and you're good to go.EAEditors Recommendations

Bank of New York Mellon Corp, also known as BNY, on Wednesday announced a multiyear relationship with artificial intelligence heavyweight OpenAI.

clad me up Volvo added plenty of charm to the EX30 Cross Country EV The mods should work as well on potholes as they do on forest roads. Chad Kirchner Feb 26, 2025 10:43 am | 15 Volvo's smallest electric vehicle is getting a variant that doesn't fear the end of the blacktop. Credit: Volvo Volvo's smallest electric vehicle is getting a variant that doesn't fear the end of the blacktop. Credit: Volvo Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreVolvo provided flights from Detroit to Sweden and accommodation so Ars could drive the EX30 Cross Country. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.When Volvo first announced its small, all-electric EX30, I was excited. Regardless of powertrain, a brand-new Volvo starting at approximately $35,000 was a big deal to me. I might have even suggested online that the EX30 was the most important Volvo ever, full stop. There's no reason why this vehicle shouldn't be a global sales success.Then, former-President Joe Biden gave the Volvo a reason why it wouldn't be a sales success: He attached a 100 percent tariff on all-electric vehicles coming from China. With Volvo's parent Geely manufacturing the EX30 in China, the value proposition quickly vanished. Fortunately for Volvo, there is a production facility in Ghent, Belgium, that can pick up the slack for export to the United States. The plant currently builds the EC40 and XC40 Recharge, so adding another battery-electric vehicle shouldn't take too much time.Why do I care? Because the EX30 I was the most excited about wasn't the street-focused standard model but the off-the-beaten-path-but-not-really-off-road Cross Country variant. There's more ground clearance and revised damping. Plus some body cladding. Volvo There's more ground clearance and revised damping. Plus some body cladding. Volvo The Cross Country additions make as much sense for rush hour in pothole country as they do in remote Sweden. The Cross Country additions make as much sense for rush hour in pothole country as they do in remote Sweden.There's more ground clearance and revised damping. Plus some body cladding. Volvo The Cross Country additions make as much sense for rush hour in pothole country as they do in remote Sweden.The Volvo EX30 Cross Country is powered by the same 65 kWh usable nickel-cobalt-manganese battery pack as the regular EX30 with all-wheel drive, along with the same electric motors fore and aft producing a combined 428 hp (315 kW) and 400 lb-ft of torque (543 Nm). For the Cross Country variant, Volvo is claiming a 062 mph (0100 km) acceleration time of 3.7 seconds. That's quite rapid in a car this size.Given the size of the battery pack, the peak DC fast-charging rate is 153 kW, which translates to a 1080 percent state of charge in 26.5 minutes. Volvo isn't providing EPA range or efficiency numbers yet, but on the generous WLTP cycle, the EX30 Cross Country is rated for 425 kilometers (264 miles) of range. For comparison, the EX30 Twin Performance with the 19-inch wheels is rated for 253 miles on the EPA cycle, and the Cross Country has some additional changes that should reduce range a bit.What makes a Cross Country a Cross Country?The original was conjured up out of a V70 wagon because the Swedish customers buying Volvos wanted something that would ride nicer on the pockmarked roads littering the landscape. For the new EX30 Cross Country, the directive was similar. Old meets new. Credit: Volvo "People expect a Cross Country to ride a certain way," said Engineering Manager John Lundegren, who is responsible for the ride and handling of the EX30 Cross Country. "They want the smoothness over bumpy roads."A Cross Country isn't a full-blown off-roader, nor does it claim to be. In the electric vehicle space, the directive would be like a Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT or even the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally. All three vehicles try to provide the same thing: a better ride and handling on broken roads, gravel, and other non-perfect trails, but no jumping sand dunes in Dakar or climbing Hell's Revenge in Moab.To achieve that goal, Lundegren and team raised the EX30 by 0.75 inches (19 mm), and the crossover features a 5-link rear suspension that Volvo describes as "tuned for a relaxed and comfortable driving experience."That tuning is unique to the Cross Country, but that's the extent of the technical changes. Visually, there is a new front shield with a topography map engraved in itthe Kebnekaise Mountain range in Arctic Sweden, complete with geographical coordinates.There are front and rear skid plates combined with wheel arch extensions to round out the look, and "Cross Country" is engraved on the rear diffuser. The coordinates check out. Volvo The coordinates check out. Volvo The EX30 is the smallest Volvo, which means there isn't a huge amount of room back here if you're also using the back seats. Volvo The EX30 is the smallest Volvo, which means there isn't a huge amount of room back here if you're also using the back seats. Volvo The coordinates check out. Volvo The EX30 is the smallest Volvo, which means there isn't a huge amount of room back here if you're also using the back seats. Volvo Ultimately, though, specs don't matter if the car doesn't deliver. So does the EX30 Cross Country deliver on the expectations that come with the badge?Yes, but with a few caveats. Volvo invited me to the Arctic Circle to experience the EX30 Cross Country in a very early pre-production guise. We were limited to driving the car exclusively on the ice track the company set up for us on a frozen lake. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take the Cross Country on the roads surrounding the lake, even for a short drive.Ice-capadesDriving on an ice lake is fun, and it was a thrill to attempt some poorly executed Scandinavian flicks in Scandinavia. The EX30 is a reasonably tossable vehicle, with the short wheelbase making it quite prone to sliding despite its Michelin X-Ice studded winter tires.Compared to the EX90 I was also able to take on the ice, the EX30 is more playful and a bit more of a handful. That's thanks to that wheelbase. But it's easy to get into a rhythm whether you have the stability control fully on or are driving in a reducedbut not completely offsetting.If you aren't set up properly for a corner, you'll experience a ton of safe understeer while the traction control tries to make sense of what you're doing. With speeds so low, the fear of death is nonexistent, so you can really focus on getting the line right and getting a feel for the car. And I do love this car.The retuned suspension might help on bumpy roads, but it also helps you understand and feel what the chassis is doing when you're in a slippery situation. Instead of snapping around, the body sits much more progressively as the suspension loads up. It's not trying to keep you flat, so you get more suspension to play with. There isn't more suspension travel than the standard car, but you can feel more of what is going on. That helps build confidence. Volvo uses an interesting mix of materials in the EX30 interior, and many of them are recycled. But the car uses no buttons; it's all controlled by that touchscreen. Volvo Volvo uses an interesting mix of materials in the EX30 interior, and many of them are recycled. But the car uses no buttons; it's all controlled by that touchscreen. Volvo There's lots of useful storage inside. Volvo There's lots of useful storage inside. Volvo The rear seats aren't too claustrophobic. Volvo The rear seats aren't too claustrophobic. Volvo There's lots of useful storage inside. Volvo The rear seats aren't too claustrophobic. Volvo The real smarts come in the tuning of the suspension rebound. Not only does it load up predictably, but it also unloads just as predictably. If there are any sudden movements on the ice, it's because you as the driver aren't getting something right. It is, however, extremely rewarding when you do get it right.Why it mattersIn the real world, all of this equates to controllable confidence in an emergency. If you pop over a Swedish hill, spot reindeer sleeping in the middle of the road, and must swerve (this happened to me), the car is less likely to do something scary on the broken tarmac.These suspension differences should make for a smoother-riding EV anywhere the tarmac freezes and thaws at least once a year. Other plus points are more horsepower than anyone reasonably needs and reasonably quick fast charging. I also like the look with the front shield, skid plates, and wheel arch extensions.Pricing is unknown at this point, but based on current Twin Motor setups, I wouldn't be surprised if the Cross Country starts somewhere below $50,000. That's getting a bit pricey for something of its size, but there's a lot to like in this package. 15 Comments

Revising Artemis Long-time advocate of SLS rocket says its time to find an off-ramp "A revised Artemis campaign plan should be a high priority for the new NASA Administrator." Eric Berger Feb 26, 2025 9:52 am | 38 Scott Pace, executive secretary of the National Space Council during President Trump's first administration, advises Mike Pence on space policy. Credit: NASA Scott Pace, executive secretary of the National Space Council during President Trump's first administration, advises Mike Pence on space policy. Credit: NASA Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe lights may be starting to go out for NASA's Space Launch System program.On Wednesday, one of the Republican space policy leaders most consistently opposed to commercial heavy lift rockets over the last decadeas an alternative to NASA's large SLS rockethas changed his mind."We need an off-ramp for reliance on the SLS," said Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, in written testimony. He issued the statement in advance of a hearing about US space policy, and the future of NASA's Artemis Moon program, before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.A physicist and influential policy expert, Pace has decades of experience researching and writing space policy. He has served in multiple Republican administrations, most recently as executive secretary of the National Space Council from 2017 to 2020. He strongly advocated for the SLS rocket after Congress directed NASA to develop it in 2011.Phasing out the SLS"Ideally, NASA should be able to buy heavy lift services to send payloads to the Moonup to about 45 metric tons to 'trans-lunar injection' which is about the same performance as the SLS Block 2," Pace wrote. "I was a supporter of SLS when it was created as NASA required heavy-lift vehicles to send humans to the Moon and Mars. At the time, it did not appear (to me) that a private sector heavy-lift vehicle would be feasible within two decades. Today, the situation is different, with heavy-lift options from SpaceX, Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance."As part of his policy recommendations, Pace said NASA should seek to use commercial providers of heavy lift launch so that NASA can send "multiple" crew and cargo missions to the Moon each year. He notes that the SLS rocket is not reusable and is incapable of a high flight rate. "It has had one flight, but has trouble supporting one flight per year, much less congressional targets of two 'cores' per year," Pace said.The US Congress has long championed the SLS rocket, in large part because it has delivered jobs to favored NASA centers and districts. Essentially, the program was established to continue jobs that were attached to the Space Shuttle program after that vehicle ended its tenure in 2011.Pace's comments may land with a thud on the desk of Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas), who chairs the House Science Committee, and may not have expected this tone toward the SLS when Pace was invited to the hearing. Earlier this month Babin reiterated his support for the rocket program, saying, Theres no other way were going to get back to the surface of the Moon before the Chinese without the SLS."Breaking with industryThis is why Pace's comments are so notable. He has long been a voice in favor of traditional space policy and served as a key architect of the Artemis program during the first Trump administration. However, in his testimony he says the use of commercial space technologies is necessary in order to have a more sustainable lunar program."A revised Artemis campaign plan should be a high priority for the new NASA Administrator," Pace wrote. "There may be some painful adjustments with industry and our international partners, but it is better to do so now than to continue on an unsustainable, unaffordable path. The Artemis policy is a good one, supported by Congress and multiple administrations. However, we need a more sustainable and credible approach."In terms of NASA's budget, to justify its funding or seek more resources, Pace says the agency needs to innovate more and that traditional programs of record should be used "only as a last resort." He also says the agency could consider options, such as ending the life of the International Space Station before 2030, due to its age and an increasing number of anomalies.Pace also said he believes that the space agency should target both the Moon and Mars.A rationale for settlementAlthough he does not think a human landing on Mars is feasible within the next five years, Pace said that a human flyby of the red planet might be possible during that time frame, or potentially a return of Mars soil samples.Pace also sets out the rationale for human expansion into the Solar System. The nation's long-term goal should be the sustainable development of spaceflight activities, and human expansion into the Solar System."In the near-term, lunar settlements might be similar to Antarctic research stations," Pace wrote. "In the longer term, those settlements and those on Mars have the potential to be entirely new communities much as the Great American Desert was transformed by the coming of the railroad. While there are massive technical, economic, and biological uncertainties, the vision of becoming a multi-planetary species is certainly an exciting one. The goal of 'Mars' is not just a race but can be thought of as a shorthand term for much bigger, indefinite objectives for Americas future."Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 38 Comments

John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorFebruary 26, 20255 Min ReadAndriy Popov via Alamy Stock PhotoTransforming a lackluster IT development team into a top performer isn't particularly difficult. It does, however, require a commitment to excellence that's achieved by practicing several essential traits.A focus on results is a key differentiator in high-performing IT teams that continue to be successful over the long term, says Shriram Natarajan, a director with technology research and advisory firm ISG. "For traditional IT teams, a customer focus would be sufficient, but development teams are one step removed from customer feedback," he observes in an email interview. "The team should be focused on the results they have set for themselves as measured by metrics, such as velocity, predictability, quality and acceptance."A high-performing development team consistently focuses on eliminating toil, says Matthew Sharp, CISO at Xactly, a provider of enterprise cloud-based sales performance management solutions. "This involves reducing or removing repetitive, manual, and tedious processes by building automated pipelines, tackling technical debt, and streamlining workflows," he explains in an online interview. "By minimizing unnecessary overhead, teams can focus their energy on impactful, innovative work, rather than on routine maintenance."Related:Achieving Full ProductivityEliminating toil not only enhances productivity, but also directly contributes to a better developer experience, Sharp says. "When teams feel empowered to focus on meaningful, creative tasks rather than repetitive ones, they tend to be happier, more engaged, and better equipped to deliver high-quality results."The most crucial habit of any high-performing IT development team is consistent, transparent communication coupled with systematic knowledge sharing, observes Harmeet Bhatia, a technical account manager at Amazon Web Services. "This habit goes beyond routine stand-ups or documentation -- it encompasses a culture where information flows freely and deliberately across all team members."In an email interview, Bhatia notes that open communication can be "extraordinarily effective," since it simultaneously addresses multiple critical development aspects. "When teams maintain open communication channels and actively share knowledge, they reduce bottlenecks, eliminate single points of failure, accelerate the onboarding of new members, and foster innovative problem-solving." A team member struggling with a complex bug, for instance, can benefit from a colleague's past experience with similar issues, potentially saving hours or days of troubleshooting.Related:High-performing teams need cooldown periods to stay at their best, observes Ludovic Dehon, CTO of Kestra, which offers an open-source orchestration and applications scheduling platform. "No one can keep up high-intensity work all of the time without burning out," he states via email. "We move through different seasons -- times of intense productivity that bring results, followed by rest seasons where we can take a breather, work on creative projects, or tackle lighter tasks."Knowledge SharingSuccessful teams treat knowledge sharing as a core part of their development process, not an optional add-on, Bhatia says. "They recognize that the time invested in communication and documentation pays dividends through improved code quality, faster problem resolution, and more resilient team structures," he explains. "This approach creates a positive feedback loop in which better communication leads to better outcomes, which in turn motivates more sharing." The key, Bhatia notes, is finding the sweet spot where communication enhances rather than impedes development work.Leaders should foster a culture of commitment, Natarajan recommends. Development work involves experimentation. "Leaders should focus on overall learning and progress rather than metrics like immediate velocity," he says. "This enables the development team to be creative in their approach and find power boosts -- like AI tools -- along the way."Related:Sharp suggests accepting a high tolerance for experimentation and learning from failures. "By accepting mistakes as part of the journey, teams can develop creative solutions and innovate more freely." He also recommends ensuring that every team member understands the "why" behind the project's goals. "When the whole team buys into the mission, they're more likely to take ownership of the processes that drive success."As a release deadline approaches, work grows increasingly intense as teams and their leaders race toward the finish line. "After we wrap-up the release, we get a breather -- two weeks to slow down, address technical debt, and think creatively about solving some of our toughest problems" Dehon says. "This natural cycle has helped our team bring fresh, creative ideas to some of our most challenging issues."Final ThoughtsSharp stresses the importance of aligning technical improvements with strategic business goals. "When IT and security teams understand the business impact of their work, they're motivated to innovate and reduce toil, knowing it benefits not only their efficiency but also the organizations overall success.""We all look forward to celebrating each release, knowing that once it's done, no one expects us to dive headfirst into the next cycle," Dehon says. "Instead, we get time to pause, appreciate what we've accomplished, and think deeply about what we want to tackle next."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

Slack, the popular workplace communications app, is experiencing issues as of Wednesday morning.Slack's status page lists "incidents" with login and messaging.There was also a spike in user reports to third-party outage-tracking website DownDetector.If your Slack isn't working, it's probably not your internet connection.The popular workplace communication platform was experiencing issues as of Wednesday morning around 11:30 am ET."We're still working to restore functionality to affected Slack features but have also discovered some workflows may also be experiencing issues," Slack said."We appreciate your patience as we sort this out and will be back with another update soon," it added.Slack's system status page listed multiple incidents, including the platform's login and messaging. A screenshot of Slack's Status dashboard showing issues on Wednesday morning. Slack Slack users also reported issues to third-party outage-tracking website DownDetector, which saw a spike in reports.This is a developing story