In BriefPosted:11:27 AM PST March 4, 2025Image Credits:Thos Robinson/Getty Images for The New York Times (opens in a new window)Amazon is reportedly developing its own AI reasoning modelAmazon reportedly wants to get in on the AI reasoning model game. According to Business Insider, Amazon is developing an AI model that incorporates advanced reasoning capabilities, similar to models like OpenAIs o3-mini and Chinese AI lab DeepSeeks R1. The model may launch as soon as June under Amazons Nova brand, which the company introduced at its re:Invent developer conference last year.Reasoning models take a step-by-step, more considered approach to answering queries. This tends to boost their reliability in domains like math and science.The report says Amazon aims to adopt a hybrid reasoning architecture for its new model, along the lines of Anthropics recently released Claude 3.7 Sonnet. Should that come to pass, the model could provide quick answers and more complex extended thinking within a single system.Amazon also hopes to make its Nova reasoning model more price-efficient than competitors, Business Insider claims. That might be a tall order. DeepSeek has developed a reputation for pricing its models incredibly cheaply.Topics

Hi Everyone,Im working on a project in Unreal Engine and need to spawn 10 mesh particles in a straight line using Niagara. I want all the particles to spawn at the same time, but with each particles Z position moving upwards sequentiallyone after the other.Im currently using the Spawn Particles from Grid module, but Im struggling with adjusting the Z position of each particle individually.Has anyone encountered a similar challenge or have suggestions on how to achieve this effect with one emitter?Thanks in advanced for the help!

Old coastal cities all over the U.S. have them: Rows of defunct fishing piers within walking distance to former warehouses where trade used to flow, once supplying millions of people with food and goods. Bostons Faneuil Hall (restored by Goody Clancy) fits this bill, and so does Pike Place Market in Seattle. New York Governor Al Smith, when asked where he went to college (he didnt), liked to flippantly reply FFM, short for Fulton Fish Market, as noted in Robert Caros The Powerbroker. Smith worked there as a boy, just like his father, before entering Tammany Hall, and passing some of the most progressive legislation in New York history, laying the groundwork for the New Deal which came next, transforming the entire U.S. Indeed, much of New York City below the Brooklyn Bridge went by way of the wrecking ball, sadly erasing this history, famously depicted by photographer Danny Lyon in his 1969 book, The Destruction of Lower Manhattan, published around the same time Richard Haas was making his murals in Soho to tell the story of what came before, and when Caro was doing his research that would earn him a Pulitzer. In Lower Manhattan, a few blocks remain, however, where the cobblestone pavers are preserved and bricks still tarred by Smiths cigar smoke.Aerial view of South Street Seaport Museum District circa 1976 (Courtesy South Street Seaport Museum)A masterplan 45 years in the making by Beyer Blinder Belle to conserve the area where Smith cut his teeth (or at least what was left of them) is now finished. The New York office has successfully adaptively reused the A. A. Thomson & Co. Warehouse, an 1868 loft building on Water Street held up by masonry side walls and heavy timber floors and columns. The 5-story building was the last remaining vestige to be fortified from the 1980 South Street Seaport Historic District Master Plan. This process entailed preserving nine blocks of land sandwiched between the Brooklyn Bridge to the north, Fulton Street to the South; and Pearl Street to the West, and FDR Drive to the east. The Seaport: Then and NowThe A. A. Thomson & Co. Warehouse is home to the South Street Seaport Museum, an institution tasked with telling its neighborhoods multivalent history, and that of New York City more broadly: How did Manahatta (Munsee Lenape for Hilly Island) become New Amsterdam, and overtime the global culture and economic capital it is today? Beyer Blinder Belle (BBB) worked alongside structural engineering firm TYLin to fortify the 19th-century building, while Marvel Architects provided exhibition design services. The masterplan itself for the 9-block area was commissioned in 1980 by the South Street Seaport Museum and New York City Economic Development Corporation, and was guided by Benjamin Thompson & Associates. This delivered preservation projects like the Bogardus Building by BBB, which sits across Fulton Street from the beloved McNally Jackson bookstore, and the Tin Building restored by SHoP and Roman & Williams.BBB successfully conserved most of the 1868 buildings original elements. (Courtesy South Street Seaport Museum)Visitors enter the South Street Seaport Museum from Water Street into a light-filled lobby, with a welcome desk. From there, they enter a tall space with exposed, original timber columns, and nautical ephemera which tells the Seaports history (think: schooner ship wheels, anchors, photographs of longshoremen smoking cigarettes, etc.) The ground level can easily be reconfigured thanks to Marvels design for future exhibitions, but also lectures, book talks, and parties. The second and third floors of the South Street Seaport Museum are more densely packed with permanent cases for display. South Street Seaport Museums inaugural exhibition, Maritime City, gives visitors a look at 540 artifacts from the institutions vast collection of over 80,000 items. The building itself is hurricane proof, because it has to be. Hurricane Sandy did a number on the Thomson Warehouse in 2012, causing water damage and structural problems. In anticipation of future natural disasters, to ensure climate resiliency, all mechanical equipment at the South Street Seaport Museum is placed on the buildings second floor. A new elevator, two new fire stairs, and a new exterior lift provide optimal accessibility throughout the entire building to ensure safe egress, no matter the predicament. Floors four and five are meant for flexible, future uses, like temporary exhibitions, programming spaces, and administration, so those are left open without any fixtures planted to the ground. The design team deliberately left traces of what was once there, such as ink stains on the ground from a former printing press, graffiti on the walls, and old mechanical artifacts (pulleys, leather belts, cogs), harkening back to the scenes from Lyons photography book.The ground floor has cases fixed to the walls and moveable furniture, which is ideal for quick spatial reconfiguration. (Richard Bowditch)The upper levels have cases fixed to the ground. (Richard Bowditch)Jonathan Boulware, president and CEO of the South Street Seaport Museum, said the revitalization project was essential for helping the institution welcome its 90,000 annual visitors, many of which are New York City public school students. Richard Southwick, a partner at BBB, joined the firm in 1984, so the South Street Seaport Museums overall completion marks a major milestone. Weve come full circle by completing this project. After all the changes the district has gone through, it is immensely gratifying to watch it become a stronger and stronger destination, and the Thomson Warehouse will continue to play a role in that evolution, he said. The inaugural exhibition features 540 artifacts from the museums collection of 80,000 items. (Richard Bowditch)Dennis Vermeulen and Justine Ala led the exhibition design team at Marvel, which resulted in beautiful, bespoke cases that display large, and oftentimes very heavy objects. These vitrines were fabricated by Object Mounts, a Greenpoint, Brooklyn studio. Duggal Visual Solutions, Full Point Graphics, GK Framing, Renfro Design Group, and UOVO were also on the exhibition design team. Over the years, Marvel has worked closely with the South Street Seaport Museum to protect and revitalize spaces, Vermeulen shared.This re-emergence from a decade in storage provides an opportunity to reposition the Museums collection alongside the history of industry, craft, and the movement of goods and people, Vermeulen added. Placement of objects within a system of modular oak boxes, inside cabinets, on top of pallets, and within immersive videos provides multiple points of view and invites fresh perspectives. The design encourages visitors to connect to the textures, stories, and functions of artifacts to their respective containersshipping crates, trunks, sea-going vessels, and warehousesand affirms our fascination with unpackingeverything from internet merch to our ever-evolving relationship to history.

Overview of a large fresco inside an excavated banquet gall in Pompeii. Image courtesy of Parco Archeologico di PompeiBuried for Nearly 2,000 Years, a Monumental Dionysian Fresco Sees the Light of Day in PompeiiMarch 4, 2025Kate MothesWhen Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 C.E., the enormous explosion buried the city of Pompeii in an astonishing 19 meters of ash and debris. (A recent study concludes that in the neighboring town of Herculaneum, the blast was so intense that it vitrified a young mans brain.) Since excavations of the area began in 1748, discovery after discovery has revealed lavish, poignant, and complex details about what life was like nearly 2,000 years ago in the Roman port town.When Vesuvius buried everything, the ash provided an extraordinarily protective covering for delicate frescos and structures, like an expansive fresco recently excavated in a banquet hall that sheds light on the mysteries of Dionysus in the classical world, says a statement from Italys Ministry of Culture.Image courtesy of Parco Archeologico di PompeiThe large-scale painted frieze archaeologists are calling house of Thiasos shows the procession of Dionysus, god of wine, along with satyrs and bacchantesalso known as maenadswho are portrayed simultaneously as dancers and hunters.In the center of the composition, a woman is accompanied by Silenus, an elderly companion and tutor to Dionysus, holding a torch. The woman indicates that she is an initiand, the Ministry of Culture says, a mortal woman who through a nocturnal ritual is about to be initiated into the mysteries of Dionysus, the god who dies and is reborn and who promises the same to his followers.Spanning three walls of a buildingthe fourth had been open to a gardenin the so-called Regio IX district, the painting depicts a frieze known as a megalography, derived from the Greek for large painting and comprising a cycle of paintings with nearly life-size figures. Archaeologists date the fresco to around 40 to 30 B.C.E., nearly 100 years old already by the time Vesuvius erupted.Archaeologies typically categorize Roman and Pompeiian painting into four chronological periods or styles: incrustation (structural), architectural, ornamental, and intricate. Each style adapted elements of the previous period to generate new motifs and trends.Photo by Agnese Sbaffi and Emanuele Antonio Minerva, courtesy of Ministero della CulturaThe new banquet hall example is thought to be indicative of the second style in which figures or tableaux are framed within faux architectural niches and trompe-lil compositions. Curiously for art historians, all of the figures are depicted on pedestals as if they were statues, the Ministry of Culture says, while at the same time their movements, complexion, and clothing make them appear very alive.Investigations into the Regio IX district, which covers approximately 3,200 square meters, began two years ago. So far, the excavation of the entirely buried block has revealed two atrium housesalready partially explored in the 19th centuryplus two workshop houses, some residential rooms of a large domus, a black hall with scenes from the Trojan saga, and a shrine with a rare blue background. More than 50 new rooms have been identified, and there is plenty more yet to uncover.As archaeologists gradually chip away at the ancient pile of volcanic detritus, new finds like a food stand and a primitive pizza continue to awe and inspire our understanding of ancient Roman life. The site is open for public visits, and you can explore more on the Archaeological Park of Pompeiis website.Image courtesy of Parco Archeologico di PompeiPhoto by Agnese Sbaffi and Emanuele Antonio Minerva, courtesy of Ministero della CulturaPhoto by Agnese Sbaffi and Emanuele Antonio Minerva, courtesy of Ministero della CulturaPhoto by Agnese Sbaffi and Emanuele Antonio Minerva, courtesy of Ministero della CulturaPhoto by Agnese Sbaffi and Emanuele Antonio Minerva, courtesy of Ministero della CulturaNext article

Despite the vast popularity of this ad-blocking extension, Google doesn't want it around. But there is a silver lining.

ZDNETBuying stuff online can be a risky proposition. Sure, the big vendors do their best to make you feel safe, but what if you have to give up your credit card digits to a vendor you don't know?As it turns out, there's a type of financial instrument -- called a virtual card -- that can help. A virtual debit card can be turned on and off, spending limits can be set, and create unique card numbers created. Not only will a virtual card come in handy when shopping at unfamiliar online merchants, but you can also use it for those free trials that renew automatically -- and can be difficult to cancel. Use a virtual card, allow it to have one charge, and then it shuts down. No unfair renewals. Similarly, you can use it to prevent overcharges on subscriptions. Set a maximum limit, and you won't suddenly find yourself with a huge bill you must dispute.I use a service that enables me to limit how my card is charged without my express permission. Privacy.com lets me limit the amount that can be spent on any card I create, limit how many times a card can be used, and more.Let's discuss how to get started, how the process works, and the benefits you get from Privacy.com. Getting started with Privacy.com To get started, point your browser to Privacy.com. Note: Privacy asks you for some personal information, including your name, residential address, date of birth, and possibly a copy of your driver's license. They may also request other documents.Why? The company explains its reasoning for these fairly intrusive requests:To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens a Privacy Account. You'll also need to set up a funding source. This is the account from which Privacy will pull your money in order to pay it out to the vendor you're paying. Remember that although Privacy will issue you credit card numbers, it does not provide credit. Everything you pay using Privacy will be removed from your bank account directly or via a debit card linked to your bank account.Those are your two funding source possibilities: a personal bank account or its associated debit card. Privacy -- at least the free version -- will not work with a business bank account. You'll be asked for a funding source when you first create your Privacy account. If you later want to change sources, go to the Account menu item under the little head icon in the upper-right corner of the page.You can have multiple bank accounts as funding sources, but you can't have multiple debit cards, and you can't have both a bank account and a debit card.It's been a while, but I recall it taking a few days after I signed up for Privacy to fully enable my account. So, if you plan on using this service, don't wait until the last minute when you really need it. Using Privacy.com's virtual credit cards As you can see, I have two Privacy cards set up. They are for two hosting providers I was reviewing, where I needed to provide a card number. Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNETThese two cards are currently active with a total spend limit of $1. I could have set it up for any amount I wanted, but I chose $1 since it should never actually be used. If I change my mind, I can change the transaction limit later.Before we create a new card, let's do a little housekeeping with these two cards. First, I want to pause the Bluehost card. Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNETPausing prevents the card from being charged but keeps the card number viable in case I want to turn it back on later. On the other hand, let's say I want to close the WP Engine card. Using the same drop-down menu in the corner of the card, I can select Close. Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNETThis permanently retires the card number and shuts down the card. If I want to pay WP Engine again, I'll need to use a different card number.Now, let's create a card. On the main dashboard, click Create Card. Notice that there are columns for Cards (showing open cards) and Activity (showing the last eight transactions). Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNETOnce you hit Create Card, you'll be invited to create a Virtual Card. Privacy has paid plans that provide other services, like locking cards to certain purchase categories. In this article, I'm only showing the free plan, which has worked fine for me. Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNETClick Virtual Card. Next, assign a name to describe the card. You can select from various brands; sometimes, the card's graphic will reflect the brand. If you click the "See other popular cards" button, Privacy will give you a bunch of other brand logos.I've found that some brands, even though they're not shown on that list (like Bluehost), will also be created with their proper logos. Don't worry about whether or not the vendor you want to pay has a logo in Privacy or not. I've found their cards work equally well for giant vendors and the small companies I've had to work with over the years. For the free plan, each Privacy card is tied to a given vendor once it is used at that vendor. Once used, it can't be used at any other vendor. Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNETI went ahead and chose the nickname Boasty Hosty. As far as I know, there aren't any hosting providers with that name, but it will serve as an example here. Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNETNow that the Nickname is chosen let's go ahead and click Create Card. You'll see a card number, as well as what funding source is going to be applied to it. Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNETWhenever you click on a card in the dashboard, you'll see this detail screen. Here, you can easily see all transactions (including declines) and pause, close, and change the financial transaction limits.The Transaction Limit area contains much of Privacy's power. When you click on the words, this screen appears. Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNETFor a hosting provider review account, where I have to give my digits, I usually set a spending limit of $1. I also set the card as single-use, which means the card automatically terminates and ceases to exist the first time it's charged.You can also choose to set a spending limit per month (for example, no more than $20 per month), per year, per transaction (use it as often as needed, but never charge more than $5), and a total spend (when $100 is spent over the life of this card, stop).Remember that Privacy cards don't have the same protections as credit cards. They work like debit cards. So, if you give a vendor unlimited use and that vendor overcharges you, that money will be removed from your account. I recommend always setting conservative spending limits.Personally, I prefer the single-use option. I can issue a card for an amount I want to spend, and as soon as that card is charged, it shuts down. If I want to make another charge, I have to purposely create a new virtual card.Just be aware that Privacy does assign certain usage limits for free accounts. If you plan on using this service a lot, be sure to read up on the limits assigned to your account.That's it. Beyond using Privacy cards for review accounts, I also often use virtual cards for software purchases when those purchases are out of the country. Most of the software vendors I've encountered are very much above board, but it gives me peace of mind knowing that whatever digits I share turn into a pumpkin at first use.And, for the record, I've shut down the Boasty Hosty card already. Will you use this service? Have you ever been unexpectedly charged for a service you thought you had canceled? How do you usually protect your credit card information when dealing with unfamiliar online vendors?Have you tried using virtual credit cards like Privacy.com? If so, what has your experience been? Do you think services like this add an extra layer of security, or do you have other preferred methods for safeguarding your online purchases? Let us know in the comments below.You can follow my day-to-day project updates on social media. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly update newsletter, and follow me on Twitter/X at @DavidGewirtz, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz, on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz, on Bluesky at @DavidGewirtz.com, and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV.Featured Editorial standards

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak (right) delivered a wide-ranging critique on current tech ... [+] developments, including reminiscing about the pre-subscription era.Bettmann ArchiveIn a candid address to the tech world, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak delivered a wide-ranging critique touching on three critical areas tech executives like Elon Musk stepping into politics, the evolution of AI and how big techs subscription models are reshaping user relationships.Speaking to hundreds of attendees at Barcelonas Talent Arena developers fair today (which runs alongside the Mobile World Congress), the 74-year-old engineering pioneer offered a unique perspective as someone who helped launch the personal computing revolution and didn't mince words about executives like Musk stepping into government roles."I think that the skills required in politics are very different to those skills needed in technology companies," Wozniak stated emphatically. He believes "it does make sense to run a government like a business," but added, "I don't see that happening in the case of Elon Musk" referring to the Tesla CEO who now leads President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).The Apple co-founder, who stepped away from the company he started with Steve Jobs in 1976 long before it became todays trillion-dollar giant, also emphasized the fundamental differences in leadership approaches."When you run a business, you look for a consensus and a sharing," Wozniak explained. "If half your employees feel one way and half the other way, you negotiate, you compromise." This collaborative approach, he suggested, stands in stark contrast to what he perceives as Musk's style of wiping the slate clean and starting fresh a strategy he believes is ill-suited for government.Wozniak's comments come at a pivotal moment in the relationship between Silicon Valley and Washington. The boundaries between the tech industry and government have become increasingly blurred during the Trump administration's second term, with several tech leaders taking formal and informal roles.Most notably, Musk's appointment to head DOGE has given the world's richest man unprecedented influence over federal government operations. Peter Thiel, PayPal co-founder and early Facebook investor, has also maintained close ties to the administration.This trend marks a significant evolution from the traditional lobbying approach that tech companies have historically employed. While Wozniak acknowledged that technology businesses have "always" hired lobbyists to exert political influence, he views direct governmental roles as a concerning development.AI Skepticism: Trust the Intelligence, Not the ArtificialElsewhere, Wozniak also touched on AI, expressing a nuanced position that separates the technology's capabilities from its limitations."I trust the I, but not the A," he quipped, suggesting confidence in intelligence while remaining skeptical about artificial systems. While acknowledging AI will provide "a lot of ideas and directions on how to proceed," he emphasized that AI lacks human emotional capacity.Wozniak also raised concerns about AI's potential for misuse, particularly regarding misinformation. "AI can trick you into things," he warned, adding that blindly trusting AI output makes one vulnerable to manipulation.The Subscription Economys Hidden CostsWozniak's critique extended to address fundamental shifts in how technology companies now operate, by expressing nostalgia for an earlier computing era when ownership was straightforward."When Apple started, it was you who would set up your computer and it was all of your own work," he reflected. "But after the internet came, now you have to subscribe, subscribe and subscribe to everything and once you have subscribed, you still do not own it."This shift toward subscription models represents a profound change in the relationship between tech companies and their users. The Apple co-founder lamented how major tech companies have become "very big and they own our lives," pointing to cloud dependence as particularly problematic. "The cloud is a problem as before you were able to protect your work, but now you need to trust" companies with your creations.As the tech industry continues to evolve and exert growing influence across all aspects of society, Wozniak's perspective serves as a valuable counterbalance from someone who helped launch the personal computing revolution, but seemingly maintained enough distance to critically evaluate its trajectory.His comments also underscore the need for thoughtful consideration of appropriate boundaries between technology, business and government power a conversation that will likely intensify as digital platforms become increasingly central to both economic and political systems worldwide.

Tariffs increasing concept with Red graph in the backdrop of a signboard.gettyThe Trump administration just levied tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada with a message: its not about trade, its about fentanyl. Fentanyl is a deadly scourge, but as I previously wrote, AI can now onshore production of the drug to U.S., so what then? Also, few details outline the parameters of what happens on April 2nd when reciprocal tariffs kick-in possibly bringing pharmaceuticals manufactured in India into the mix which could raise the stakes to a completely different level.The American public lacks transparency regarding the origin of their medications, and the assumption that their drugs come from domestic producers is largely inaccurate. The U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain is highly globalized and complex, with 80% of drug ingredients sourced from overseas. China alone operates 230 (13%) active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facilities for the U.S. market. (An additional 62% of API manufacturing facilities are also offshore.)The Trump administration has advocated a goal of returning pharmaceutical manufacturing to the U.S.. And recent steps like the Eli Lilly announcement of a $27B commitment to build four new manufacturing facilities in the U.S. to make its weight loss and diabetes injectables and for innovative research in new drug development are important. But this commitment does little to address the critical need of generic and especially antibiotic manufacturing today.Generic drugs, which account for about 90% of all prescriptions dispensed in the U.S., will be particularly vulnerable to these tariffs. Approximately 50% of generic medications consumed in the U.S., including cancer treatments, antibiotics, and anticoagulants, are produced overseas, with lower production costs.In the short term, because of the U.S.'s dependence on foreign manufacturing, experts predict that tariffs will raise drug prices in the coming months. While the full impact may take some time to materialize due to existing contracts and inventory stockpiles, price increases are expected to be substantial. About seven in ten experts predict drug costs will rise by at least 10%.As China swiftly responded with retaliatory tariffs on select American imports these actions could if applied to manufactured drugs drive up the cost of prescription medications and worsen existing drug shortages.The tariffs could likely exacerbate existing drug shortages in the U.S. as companies struggle to absorb the additional costs. Some may discontinue certain products or reduce production, leading to supply chain disruptions and potential shortages of critical medications.Tariffs could likely have far-reaching effects on the pharmaceutical industry and the healthcare system. Reduced profit margins for drug manufacturers could lead to decreased investment in research and development, and increased pressure on healthcare providers will force insurers to reduce drug coverage and raise consumer out-of-pocket expenses to maintain their profit margins.A Reminder Of HoardingRemembering the realities of Covid-19, any tariffs imposed are likely to lead to hoarding behavior in the pharmaceutical industry at multiple supply chain levels. This behavior is driven by concerns about potential drug shortages, expectations of rising drug costs, and the desire to ensure continuous patient care at the hospital and pharmacy levels. It is reasonable to assume that drug distributors and manufacturers may also engage in hoarding-like behaviors, such as stockpiling raw materials and APIs to mitigate supply chain disruptions and increasing inventory of finished products to buffer against potential shortages.Hoarding behavior by hospitals, pharmacies, and individuals leads to artificial scarcity of certain medications, worsening existing shortages or creating new ones. As some entities stockpile drugs, it can result in an imbalanced distribution, leaving some areas or facilities with insufficient supplies. Hoarding can drive up prices due to reduced availability and increased demand. In extreme cases, this leads to price gouging, making medications less affordable and accessible for patients. Large-scale hoarding disrupts normal supply chain operations, making it difficult for manufacturers and distributors to forecast and meet demand accurately.Stockpiling large quantities of drugs increases the risk of medications expiring before they can be used, leading to waste and financial losses. As supplies become concentrated in the hands of hoarders, patients who genuinely need certain medications face difficulties obtaining them. Hoarding behavior in one country can have ripple effects on the global pharmaceutical supply chain, potentially affecting access to medicines in other nations, particularly in lower and middle-income countries.It's important to note that while hoarding may provide short-term security for individual institutions, it can contribute to systemic problems in the pharmaceutical supply chain and potentially worsen overall drug accessibility and affordability for patients. As is often the case, those most affected by the tariff wars are the most vulnerable.It is a critical reality that the U.S. must return to a self-sufficient status in making critically needed drugs. But any pronouncement that the American people may have a little short-term pain, and people understand that must make sure that the pain also addresses the ability to fix the long-term consequences of the lack in US drug manufacturing. This resolve must focus on the impact of drug availability, accessibility, and affordability, which also has the potential to inflict severe pain, both in the short-term and the long-term, if a trade war takes place.

Key TakeawaysChinese mobile company Honor has promised to invest over $10 billion in AI over the next 5 years.The company, which has primarily focused on mobiles so far, now wants to focus on developing an AI ecosystem consisting of a variety of devices.The company has also planned to join hands with Google to further its AI initiatives.Chinese mobile company Honor has promised to invest over $10 billion in developing AI for its devices over the next 5 years.The company has highlighted three major investment areas:Infusing AI into hardwareCreating a next-gen AI assistantCreating a platform for a wide array of AI devices, including those from other companiesThis is not limited to our own devices, but also AI devices from different partners, so the different kinds of AI devices can talk to each other, and consumers can have more choices and seamless experiences Honor spokespersonA small percentage of the money will also be used to prepare for the AGI era. The company did not specify how exactly this money will be used, though.The announcement was made on Sunday by CEO James Li at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade show in Barcelona. The company had focused on mobile phones forever, but it now wants to shift focus towards creating an AI ecosystem consisting of multiple types of devices, such as PCs, tablets, and wearables.Apart from this, the company also wants to expand its roots outside of China.Collaborating with GoogleIn addition to its independent pursuits, Honor has also decided to join hands with Google on its AI journey. Itll be working closely with tech giant Google and chip designer Qualcomm to create its new AI agents the ones we talked about above. These agents, by the way, will be built on the same technology as Google Gemini.Honor is keen to make its AI smarter than most of its contemporaries. The company showed a live demo in which the AI agent was given some dietary preferences and restrictions and was asked to make a reservation. And it passed with flying colors.However, the company hasnt yet specified an exact timeline for the release.A US-China TieThe timing of this collaboration is particularly interesting, seeing as Google is an American company and Honor is a Chinese company. Both countries have been involved in a tech war for quite some time now.Google hasnt collaborated much with Chinese companies so far. But looks like its about to break this status quo with Honor.On a related note, Honor has also made a 7-year commitment to use the Android operating system in its upcoming Magic series phones. Although this isnt a direct collaboration, Google is the creator of Android, and after Samsung and Xiaomi, Honor is on its way to becoming the next frontline user of this OS. A win-win for both companies? It certainly looks to be the case.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Amy Clark has extensive knowledge of the SaaS market. She started her journey managing and supporting the content at systeme.io before becoming a writer and then in-house managing editor for Techreport, where she manages the delivery and quality of the content, spanning reviews, comparisons, and buyer guides. When she's not advocating for animal rights, you'll find her lost in the world of video games. View all articles by Amy Clark Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Forward-looking: Google adds its voice to the growing consensus for an industry-wide progress towards secure programming practices. There is a standardization opportunity for every player involved in the software business, with billions in savings to gain and better security for all. Security vulnerabilities related to memory safety are becoming increasingly troublesome among companies and organizations dealing with software products. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently urged developers to eliminate buffer overflow bugs. Google is now pushing for the entire software industry to step up against the dreadful flaws in memory-related routines."Memory safety" means protecting a software project or code snippet against various flaws related to memory access, like buffer overflows or wild pointers. When the code doesn't provide enough protection to memory routines, cyber-criminals or adversarial state actors (Russia, China, Iran) can exploit memory-access bugs to compromise systems, steal sensitive data, or gain access to protected networks.Google noted that the abuse of memory safety vulnerabilities has eroded trust in technology and caused damages for billions. Traditional approaches conceived to strengthen popular programming languages are helpful but aren't enough to stop the tide of easily exploitable vulnerabilities anymore.Newer programming languages such as Rust, Kotlin, or safe "subsets" for traditional languages like Safe Buffers for C++ are designed to enforce memory safety from the get-go. These tools have already proven themselves effective, with a "significant" reduction in vulnerabilities in Android. New hardware technologies, such as Arm's Memory Tagging Extension or the Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions, provide a complementary defense for existing (potentially unsafe) code.Google proposed a new collective commitment to a common goal: eliminating this class of vulnerabilities through strong secure-by-design programming practices. The CISA also suggested the secure-by-design approach, but Google is pushing the goal even further with its blueprint.Google's framework for an industry-wide memory safety standard supports diverse approaches, with different security properties programmers need to achieve rather than specific implementation details. Developers should tailor memory safety requirements based on various needs, with varying levels of memory security for different applications. So, it's more of a guideline approach than a template. // Related StoriesThe framework should also define criteria and metrics for an objective security compliance assessment, similar to how we assess energy efficiency. This technology-neutral framework should be practical and actionable, with best practices for existing technologies and guidance on leveraging specific solutions to meet the new standards.Google isn't simply theorizing a novel approach to build a more secure software industry. The company has partnered with industry players and academic institutions to develop these standards."The journey towards memory safety requires a collective commitment to standardization," Google said. "We need to build a future where memory safety is not an afterthought but a foundational principle, a future where the next generation inherits a digital world that is secure by design."