Those Brits make excellent speakers, and today one of the countrys finest purveyors of audio goodness, Q Acoustics, announced a trio of powerful active subwoofers that it hopes will make integration into any system easy, while not blowing out your wallet. The Q Sub series woofers include the 8-inch Q SUB80, the 10-inch Q SUB100 and a 12-inch model, Q SUB120, range from $900 to $1,200, and are available now.Q AcousticsMade to integrate into both existing home theater or two-channel music systems, be it a Q Acoustics setup or another brand of speakers, the three sizes of Q Sub speakers make it easy to properly pair them up with your speakers as well as the size of room you need to fill with sound. Ranging in power from 200- to 300-watts of continuous power (400- to 600-watts peak), its unlikely youll be wanting for more.The Q Acoustics SUB80. Q AcousticsSubwoofer placement and setup can be a fickle beast, so Q Acoustics is putting an emphasis on easy system integration and setup with the Q Sub series. Employing DSP (digital signal processing) and easy phase and delay fine-tuning, as well as low pass filtering and frequency response adjustments (from a wide 40 to 250 Hz) for matching with a broad range of speakers, Q Acoustics hopes to tame the setup beast. The Q Sub subwoofers also use automatic source detection that identifies the source signal type (be that stereo, mono, integrated amplifier, or set of powered speakers) and its level so it can automatically adjust the subs volume. The auto detection will also out the sub in standby mode after 20 minutes of inactivity.The Q Acoustics SUB100. Q AcousticsAll three Q Sub woofers are built using 18 mm high-density MDF with a 36-mm double-thickness baffle, and internal dart bracing, which Q Acoustics says offers big strength and stability that reduces something called cabinet ballooning all this translates to excellent performance under huge amounts of low frequency pressure.Recommended VideosThe drivers in each of the Q Sub speakers are made up of a heavy-duty steel chassis, paper cone, and rubber surround and, as mentioned above, come in 8-, 10-, and 12-inch sizes. Heres a more detailed rundown of each Q Sub subwoofer:SUB80 (8-inch), 200-watts continuous, 400 watts peak, size: 12.4 x 12.4 13.6 inches, 33 pounds, $899SUB100 (10-inch), 250-watts continuous, 500 watts peak, size: 13.7 x 13.7 x 15 inches, 36.8 pounds, $1,049SUB120 (12-inch), 300-watts continuous, 600 watts peak, size: 15.7 x 15.7 x 17 inches, 49.6 pounds, $1,199Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe Q Acoustics Q Sub series subwoofers are available in two finishes Satin Black with a black grille or Satin White with a grey grille and are all available now at the Q Acoustics website.Editors Recommendations

Parasite director Bong Joon-ho returns with a zany dystopian film starring the actor as a man who takes a job in which he is repeatedly killed and brought back to lifeuntil the cycle is unexpectedly interrupted.

The actress stars in a dark drama about a woman remounting the Strauss opera, directed by Atom Egoyan and filmed during a revival of his own production in Toronto.

Drink up When Europe needed it most, the Ariane 6 rocket finally delivered "For this sovereignty, we must yield to the temptation of preferring SpaceX." Stephen Clark Mar 6, 2025 4:19 pm | 38 Europe's second Ariane 6 rocket lifted off from the Guiana Space Center on Thursday with a French military spy satellite. Credit: ESA-CNES-Arianespace-P. Piron Europe's second Ariane 6 rocket lifted off from the Guiana Space Center on Thursday with a French military spy satellite. Credit: ESA-CNES-Arianespace-P. Piron Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreEurope's Ariane 6 rocket lifted off Thursday from French Guiana and deployed a high-resolution reconnaissance satellite into orbit for the French military, notching a success on its first operational flight.The 184-foot-tall (56-meter) rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 11:24 am EST (16:24 UTC). Twin solid-fueled boosters and a hydrogen-fueled core stage engine powered the Ariane 6 through thick clouds on an arcing trajectory north from the spaceport on South America's northeastern coast.The rocket shed its strap-on boosters a little more than two minutes into the flight, then jettisoned its core stage nearly eight minutes after liftoff. The spent rocket parts fell into the Atlantic Ocean. The upper stage's Vinci engine ignited two times to reach a nearly circular polar orbit about 500 miles (800 kilometers) above the Earth. A little more than an hour after launch, the Ariane 6 upper stage deployed CSO-3, a sharp-eyed French military spy satellite, to begin a mission providing optical surveillance imagery to French intelligence agencies and military forces."This is an absolute pleasure for me today to announce that Ariane 6 has successfully placed into orbit the CSO-3 satellite," said David Cavaillols, who took over in January as CEO of Arianespace, the Ariane 6's commercial operator. "Today, here in Kourou, we can say that thanks to Ariane 6, Europe and France have their own autonomous access to space back, and this is great news."This was the second flight of Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket, following a mostly successful debut launch last July. The first test flight of the unproven Ariane 6 carried a batch of small, relatively inexpensive satellites. An Auxiliary Propulsion Unit (APU)essentially a miniature second engineon the upper stage shut down in the latter portion of the inaugural Ariane 6 flight, after the rocket reached orbit and released some of its payloads. But the unit malfunctioned before a third burn of the upper stage's main engine, preventing the Ariane 6 from targeting a controlled reentry into the atmosphere.The APU has several jobs on an Ariane 6 flight, including maintaining pressure inside the upper stage's cryogenic propellant tanks, settling propellants before each main engine firing, and making fine adjustments to the rocket's position in space. The APU appeared to work as designed Thursday, although this launch flew a less demanding profile than the test flight last year.Is Ariane 6 the solution?Ariane 6 has been exorbitantly costly and years late, but its first operational success comes at an opportune time for Europe.Philippe Baptiste, France's minister for research and higher education, says Ariane 6 is "proof of our space sovereignty," as many European officials feel they can no longer rely on the United States. Baptiste, an engineer and former head of the French space agency, mentioned "sovereignty" so many times, turning his statement into a drinking game crossed my mind."The return of Donald Trump to the White House, with Elon Musk at his side, already has significant consequences on our research partnerships, on our commercial partnerships," Baptiste said. "Should I mention the uncertainties weighing today on our cooperation with NASA and NOAA, when emblematic programs like the ISS (International Space Station) are being unilaterally questioned by Elon Musk?"If we want to maintain our independence, ensure our security, and preserve our sovereignty, we must equip ourselves with the means for strategic autonomy, and space is an essential part of this," he continued. Philippe Baptiste arrives at a government question session at the Senate in Paris on March 5, 2025. Credit: Magali Cohen/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images Baptiste's comments echo remarks from a range of European leaders in recent weeks.French President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised address Wednesday night that the French were "legitimately worried" about European security after Trump reversed US policy on Ukraine. America's NATO allies are largely united in their desire to continue supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russia's invasion, while the Trump administration seeks a ceasefire that would require significant Ukrainian concessions."I want to believe that the United States will stay by our side, but we have to be prepared for that not to be the case," Macron said. "The future of Europe does not have to be decided in Washington or Moscow."Friedrich Merz, set to become Germany's next chancellor, said last month that Europe should strive to "achieve independence" from the United States. "It is clear that the Americans, at least this part of the Americans, this administration, are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe."Merz also suggested Germany, France, and the United Kingdom should explore cooperation on a European nuclear deterrent to replace that of the United States, which has committed to protecting European territory from Russian attack for more than 75 years. Macron said the French military, which runs the only nuclear forces in Europe fully independent of the United States, could be used to protect allies elsewhere on the continent.Access to space is also a strategic imperative for Europe, and it hasn't come cheap. ESA paid more than $4 billion to develop the Ariane 6 rocket as a cheaper, more capable replacement for the Ariane 5, which retired in 2023. There are still pressing questions about Ariane 6's cost per launch and whether the rocket will ever be able to meet its price targetand compete with SpaceX and other companies in the commercial market.But European officials have freely admitted the commercial market is secondary on their list of Ariane 6 goals.European satellite operators stopped launching their payloads on Russian rockets after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Now, with Elon Musk inserting himself into European politics, there's little appetite among European government officials to launch their satellites on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The second Ariane 6 rocket on the launch pad in French Guiana. Credit: ESAS. Corvaja The Falcon 9 was the go-to choice for the European Space Agency, the European Union, and several national governments in Europe after they lost access to Russia's Soyuz rocket and when Europe's homemade Ariane 6 and Vega rockets faced lengthy delays. ESA launched a $1.5 billion space telescope on a Falcon 9 rocket in 2023, then returned to SpaceX to launch a climate research satellite and an asteroid explorer last year. The European Union paid SpaceX to launch four satellites for its flagship Galileo navigation network.European space officials weren't thrilled to do this. ESA was somewhat more accepting of the situation, with the agency's director general recognizing Europe was suffering from an "acute launcher crisis" two years ago. On the other hand, the EU refused to even acknowledge SpaceX's role in delivering Galileo satellites to orbit in the text of a post-launch press release."For this sovereignty, we must yield to the temptation of preferring SpaceX or another competitor that may seem trendier, more reliable, or cheaper," Baptiste said. "We did not yield for CSO-3, and we will not yield in the future. We cannot yield because doing so would mean closing the door to space for good, and there would be no turning back. This is why the first commercial launch of Ariane 6 is not just a technical and one-off success. It marks a new milestone, essential in the choice of European space independence and sovereignty."Two flights into its career, Ariane 6 seems to offer a technical solution for Europe's needs. But at what cost? Arianespace hasn't publicly disclosed the cost for an Ariane 6 launch, although it's likely somewhere in the range of 80 million to 100 million euros, about 40 percent lower than the cost of an Ariane 5. This is about 50 percent more than SpaceX's list price for a dedicated Falcon 9 launch.A new wave of European startups should soon begin launching small rockets to gain a foothold in the continent's launch industry. These include Isar Aerospace, which could launch its first Spectrum rocket in a matter of weeks. These companies have the potential to offer Europe an option for cheaper rides to space, but the startups won't have a rocket in the class of Ariane 6 until at least the 2030s.Until then, at least, European governments will have to pay more to guarantee autonomous access to space.Stephen ClarkSpace ReporterStephen ClarkSpace Reporter Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the worlds space agencies. Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet. 38 Comments

TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.What Is Going on with US Cyber Command in Regard to Russia?What Is Going on with US Cyber Command in Regard to Russia?Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly called for a halt of offensive cyber operations against Russia, but the DoD denies those reports.Carrie Pallardy, Contributing ReporterMarch 6, 20253 Min ReadPJF Military Collection via Alamy Stock PhotoLast week, it was widely reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a pause on US Cyber Commands (USCYBERCOM) offensive operations against Russia. The Record initially reported the news, with other media outlets quickly picking it up. AP News reported that an anonymous US official confirmed the pause.Such an action would mark a major pivot in US cybersecurity strategy. Russia is considered a top cyber threat.But the Pentagon denied these reports. In a post on X, DOD Rapid Response said: TO BE CLEAR: @SecDef has neither canceled nor delayed any cyber operations directed against malicious Russian targets and there has been no stand-down order whatsoever from that priority.What can we make of this conflicting information? If we do see this kind of cessation of offensive cyber operations against Russia, what could the consequences be?Russia and Cyber PolicyQuestions about the US approach to Russian cyber threats come amidst attempts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.For now, the Pentagon denies any pause in operations. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) chimed in to deny any change to its tracking of Russian cyber threats.The current reporting situation as it stands at the moment is that sources close to the US secretary of defense are denying all reports, says Craig Watt, threat Intelligence consultant at cybersecurity companyQuorum Cyber.Related:US Cyber Command is not the only federal agency involved in cybersecurity activities. CISA tracks and reports on cybersecurity risks. The National Security Agency also (NSA) conducts offensive operations, Jared Smith, distinguished engineer atSecurityScorecard, a cybersecurity ratings company, points out.But if a pause of US Cyber Command activity were to move forward, it could have a significant impact. If we remove this deterrent, that causes cascading effects, says Smith. CISA might lose critical intelligence that they get from these offensive operations to know what to defend against.A pause in activity could also give Russian cyber threat groups a leg up. Any planning that would halt would then allow the Russian government to potentially patch security vulnerabilities, for example. That would then leave the US Cyber Command to be in a weakened position after the planning halt was over, says Watt.NATO AlliesAny changes to US cybersecurity policy could ripple beyond its borders. A shift in how the US approaches its cyber policy in relation to Russia could have a potential impact on its NATO allies, who have made cyber pledges.Related:NATO countries in particular could interpret any potential situation involving the US Cyber Command as a strategy to get the Republican party to convince the Russian government to accept the peace deal, says Watt.Any pause of US Cyber Command activity, if it does occur, could potentially weaken NATO allies own abilities.They depend a lot on our infrastructure, says Smith. I could see there being an impact on NATO's ability, the other party states [ability] to conduct their offensive operations without the support of our USCYBERCOM.Potential Impact on Public and Private Sector OrganizationsPublic sector organizations and private sector companies are frequent targets of cyber threats.One of the functions of the US Cyber Command is to take down or dismantle networks, infrastructure, and any capabilities that are offered by Russian criminal networks, says Watt. Theoretically, any temporary relief of disruption of those capabilities of the criminal organizations [would] likely allow them to develop their attacks and almost certainly embolden their efforts against Western companies moving forward.Leaders in the public and private spheres will need to remain vigilant. Russian cyber threats will continue to be a concern, whether US Cyber Command stays the course as the Pentagon is stating or not.Related:Watt recommends intelligence sharing between public and private sector and also keeping up-to-date with industry standard recommendations for defensive strategies going forward.About the AuthorCarrie PallardyContributing ReporterCarrie Pallardy is a freelance writer and editor living in Chicago. She writes and edits in a variety of industries including cybersecurity, healthcare, and personal finance.See more from Carrie PallardyWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like

Vaccinating animals on poultry and dairy farms could help contain the bird flu outbreakIuliia Zavalishina/AlamyAs farmers across the US struggle to contain a deadly bird flu virus, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering adding animal vaccines to its strategy for controlling the outbreak.Until now, vaccination was largely off the table given some countries restrict trade on inoculated birds. This includes Canada, one of the largest importers of US poultry products. The concern is that vaccinated flocks can harbour residual amounts of the virus,

2025-03-06T22:38:58Z Read in app A seating area at 200 West Street Emmalyse Brownstein This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Goldman Sachs has a grand plan to thin its ranks and cuts costs.The plan is codenamed "Project Voyage," Business Insider has learned.See what Project Voyage entails and who stands to be impacted.Goldman Sachs has a grand plan to thin its ranks and cut costs and it's codenamed "Project Voyage." CEO David Solomon has tasked staff with providing the bank with lists of executives who could help save the company money through layoffs or relocations, Business Insider has learned. The plan, which has been nicknamed "Project Voyage," kicked off in the fourth quarter of 2024 and is expected to be rolled out over a number of years, according to a former Goldman employee, who was not authorized to speak to the press and asked to remain anonymous. The initiative will be rolled out firmwide, affecting divisions including global banking and markets, asset and wealth management, engineering, operations, communications, marketing, and back-office functions, this person said.A Goldman spokeswoman pointed BI to comments Solomon made in January about "a three-year program" to better manage the bank's expenses. "As discussed at length on our fourth-quarter earnings call, we're focused on operating the firm effectively and prudently over the long term, managing our business to meet the needs of our clients and re-investing for growth," a Goldman spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. Who could be impactedEvery year, Goldman Sachs cuts as many as 5% of its bottom performers through a process known internally as the Strategic Resource Assessment, or SRA. Employees who routinely fail to comply with Goldman's five-day-per-week office attendance policy, for example, could be vulnerable to a cut through the SRA particularly if they're found to be underperforming in their job.This year's SRA, however, will be informed to some degree by "Project Voyage," the ex-Goldman insider said. The bank's vice presidents a title that sits between associate and managing directors will be eyed for cuts in good part because of Project Voyage, which has pinned this group as too large. As BI reported on Wednesday, Goldman's VP ranks have become so bloated that its VPs have been increasingly reporting to other VPs rather than managing directors. Compensation for client-facing VPs can reach $1 million, including base salary and bonuses, the former employee estimated.In addition to thinning out bloated parts of the organizational chart, Project Voyage will pinpoint employees to relocate from Goldman's New York City headquarters, located in lower Manhattan, to lower-cost locations such as Dallas, Texas; and Salt Lake City, Utah, according to people familiar with the program.The plan also calls for jobs lost through the SRA to be backfilled in lower-cost locations rather than New York, this person said. Goldman divisional heads are compiling their lists of cuts and relocations through their chief operating teams. On Wall Street, divisional COOs tend to oversee the administrative functions for their teams. Goldman's office in Dallas is on track to increase from its current headcount of about 4,600 employees to 5,000 by the time it opens a $500 million state-of-the-art campus in 2028. The city's mayor previously authorized $18 million in tax incentives for the firm if it meets that target. The incentives are valid through the end of 2028.Reed Alexander is a correspondent at Business Insider covering Goldman Sachs and Wall Street banks. He can be reached via email at ralexander@businessinsider.com, or SMS/the encrypted app Signal at (561) 247-5758.

2025-03-06T22:18:53Z Read in app President Donald Trump has worked closed with Elon Musk to pursue his agenda of cutting government spending and reducing the federal workforce. Alex Brandon This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Trump says he wants his Cabinet to lead his federal overhaul, not Elon Musk.Musk has had broad authority to reshape the government, but Trump now appears to be tightening his leash.Lawmakers and judges express concern over DOGE's rapid cuts and unclear leadership.President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he wants his Cabinet to lead the overhaul of the federal government, not DOGE's de facto leader, Elon Musk."I had a meeting, I said I want the Cabinet members to go first, keep all the people you want, everybody you need," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "It would be better if they were there for two years instead of two weeks, because in two years they'll know the people better. I want them to do the best job they can."Trump appears to be trimming Musk's mandate after essentially allowing the White House DOGE office unrestrained authority to reshape the federal government. Musk has frequently bragged about all the things he's done as the unofficial leader of DOGE to gut the federal workforce, like offering millions of staffers a buyout, and to reduce government spending, like "feeding USAID into the "wood chipper."It doesn't mean Trump is upset with Musk. Trump told reporters the billionaire is doing "an amazing job" and rejected the idea that the DOGE office was moving too quickly. At the same time, Trump still wanted his Cabinet to assert more power when it comes to cutting staff.Although DOGE was originally Musk's idea, now that the task force has an official administrator, Trump is distancing the billionaire from it, at least in some public channels."We say the 'scalpel' rather than the 'hatchet,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "The combination of them, Elon, DOGE, and other great people will be able to do things at a historic level."Lawyers suing the DOGE office noted Trump's comments during his address to Congress on Tuesday when he twice called Musk the "head" of DOGE. A White House official had previously declared in court that Musk is not leading the DOGE office.Members of Congress, including some Republicans, have expressed unease with the extent and speed of DOGE's cuts. Some of those lawmakers had received an earful from their constituents when they returned home. Federal judges have also taken issue with some of the DOGE-linked cuts.Multiple times Justice Department lawyers haven't been able to answer who leads the DOGE office or whether that command structure had changed. These questions still remained after the White House named Amy Gleason as acting administrator of the DOGE office. Trump has blurred that line repeatedly by saying Musk leads DOGE, even though the world's richest man isn't a DOGE office employee.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

President Donald Trump made the surprising announcement Thursday that his Cabinet secretaries do in fact run the government agencies they head and that Elon Musk doesnt. And though the president added that secretaries would work with DOGE (the Department of Government Efficiency) on spending cuts going forward, he said that they should be precise in making job cuts using a scapel and not a hatchet.Trumps statements made first in private during a Cabinet meeting, before a version of it was posted on TruthSocial were widely interpreted as a reining in of Musks rampage through the federal workforce, and could mark the end of the first phase of the DOGE project.Yet hours later, Trump gave a warning of sorts to his agency heads. Were gonna be watching them, he told reporters. Elon and the group are gonna be watching them. And if they can cut, its better. And if they dont cut, then Elon will do the cutting.It has not even been two weeks since Trump urged Musk to GET MORE AGGRESSIVE a request that sparked days of chaos Musk emailed federal workers asking them what did you do last week and claimed that not responding would entail resignation, some agencies instructed their employees not to answer, and Musk publicly fumed about the rude awakening that was coming.But on Thursday, Trump struck a different tone and signaled a shift in approach at least for now.There are a few possible reasons for that. For one, the questions of what authority Musk has and whether his position is constitutional have been the subject of several lawsuits that are moving forward in the courts. The administration has engaged in some legal game-playing to try to obfuscate whether Musk is calling the shots, but the new clarification of his role could be made in hopes of providing a stronger defense to judges.Another possibility is that, amid some worrying economic signs and trouble in the markets, Trump has chosen to hit pause on the chaos for a bit on both his trade war and on DOGE. In addition to the various substantive blunders Musk has made and bad headlines he has generated, his widespread layoffs and contract cancellations have economic consequences.DOGE may also have simply run out of easy agency targets. With USAID and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau semi-dismantled, and the Department of Education reportedly next, it isnt easy to determine whats the next agency he could take a wrecking ball to with limited political consequences. So perhaps DOGE will retain its grand ambitions, but will simply take a bit more time to plot out the exact details of the deep cuts theyll recommend rather than smashing everything up immediately. Finally, its too soon to say this is a permanent change. Trumps governance approach often goes through a cycle in which he causes chaos, gets tired of the chaos and pulls it back, and then gets bored and causes chaos again. Right now, he may want to rein Musk in. But how will he feel in a week or two? See More: Politics

South Africa is facing tough environmental, social, and economic challenges. With high unemployment rates and increasing pressure on natural resources, the need for sustainable solutions is greater than ever.In this short film, part of our Of The Future film series produced in partnership with the European Union, we meet Thandisile Fatyela, a South African entrepreneur who is proving that tackling inequalities and promoting sustainable economic growth can go hand in hand.Through his company, Thandisile is taking on some of South Africas most pressing environmental challenges, while also creating green job opportunities and skills for young people, and uplifting local communities.Thandisile tells the story behind Climate Change Champs, an initiative supported by the European Union that educates young people on sustainability and environmental protection, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed for the green economy.Through Thandisiles story, we see how the European Unions partnership with South Africa is empowering young people to be the green changemakers of the future.