Microsoft acknowledges it supplied AI technology to Israel's Ministry of Defense, but "no evidence" it's been used to "target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza" Following calls to boycott the company. Image credit: Microsoft News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on May 20, 2025 Microsoft has acknowledged it has supplied AI technology to the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) but has stated it "found no evidence" the technology had been used to "target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza". Microsoft published a statement last week, where it admitted to providing IMOD with "software, professional services, Azure cloud services, and Azure AI services, including language translation". It added: "As with many governments around the world, we also work with the Israeli government to protect its national cyberspace against external threats". The statement follows reports of Israel using AI in its conflict in Gaza, which has resulted in thousands of Palestinian deaths. As reported by The Guardian last year, the Israeli military employed its own AI system, called Lavender, with intelligence sources claiming Israeli military officials permitted large numbers of Palestinian civilians to be killed. As Microsoft has now acknowledged, there were concerns from its employees and the public regarding the use of its Azure and AI technologies by the Israeli military. In response, it has conducted an internal review, alongside an external firm the company has omitted to name. "Based on these reviews, including interviewing dozens of employees and assessing documents, we have found no evidence to date that Microsoft's Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza," the company said. "Our relationship with the IMOD is structured as a standard commercial relationship," it continued. "Like all our customers, the IMOD's use of our technology is bound by Microsoft's terms of service and conditions of use, including our Acceptable Use Policy and our AI Code of Conduct. These require customers to implement core responsible AI practices - such as human oversight and access controls - and prohibit the use of our cloud and AI services in any manner that inflicts harm on individuals or organisations or affects individuals in any way that is prohibited by law." Microsoft noted it does occasionally provide special access to its technologies beyond the terms of its commercial agreements. It did this in the weeks following 7th October 2023 by providing limited emergency support to the Israeli government to help rescue hostages, but with "significant oversight and on a limited basis". It also noted militaries "typically use their own proprietary software or applications from defense-related providers for the types of surveillance and operations that have been the subject of our employees' questions. Microsoft has not created or provided such software or solutions to the IMOD." The company also acknowledged it does not have visibility into how its customers use its technology on their own servers, typically the case for "on premise software". As such, it does not have visibility to the IMOD's government cloud operations. "In sum, Microsoft has long defended the cybersecurity of the State of Israel and the people who live there," the statement concludes. "We similarly have long been committed to other nations and people across the Middle East. Our commitment to human rights guides how we engage in complex environments and how our technology is used. We share the profound concern over the loss of civilian life in both Israel and Gaza and have supported humanitarian assistance in both places. The work we do everywhere in the world is informed and governed by our Human Rights Commitments. Based on everything we currently know, we believe Microsoft has abided by these Commitments in Israel and Gaza." Last year, a group of current and former Microsoft employees launched the No Azure for Apartheid petition, which currently has 1527 signatures. The group has now called for Microsoft to make this investigation public. "It's very clear that their intention with this statement is not to actually address their worker concerns, but rather to make a PR stunt to whitewash their image that their relationship with the Israeli military has tarnished," said former employee Hossam Nasr to Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Nasr was fired in October for helping to organise an unauthorised vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza at Microsoft's headquarters. As RockPaperShotgun reported, the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement called for a boycott of Microsoft products last month in protest against the company's reported connections with the Israeli military. Back in February, the Associated Press published a report into the use of AI technology by the Israeli military, including Microsoft and OpenAI. Similarly, the developer of indie role-player Tenderfoot Tactics removed the game from sale on Xbox in support of the boycott.

The age of video analytics AI agents is here. Video is one of the defining features of the modern digital landscape, accounting for over 50% of all global data traffic. Dominant in media and increasingly important for enterprises across industries, it is one of the largest and most ubiquitous data sources in the world. Yet less than 1% of it is analyzed for insights. Nearly half of global GDP comes from physical industries — spanning energy to automotive and electronics. With labor shortage concerns, manufacturing onshoring efforts and rising demand for automation, video analytics AI agents will play a more critical role than ever, helping bridge the physical and digital worlds. To accelerate the development of these agents, NVIDIA today is making the AI Blueprint for video search and summarization (VSS), powered by the NVIDIA Metropolis platform, generally available — giving developers the tools to create and deploy highly capable AI agents for analyzing vast sums of real-time and archived videos. A wave of vision AI agents and productivity assistants powered by vision language models (VLMs) are coming online. Combining powerful computer vision models with the skills of super intelligent large language models (LLMs), these video analytics AI agents allow enterprises to easily see, search and summarize huge volumes of video. By analyzing videos in real time or reviewing terabytes of recorded video, video analytics AI agents are unlocking unprecedented value and opportunities across a range of important industries. Manufacturers and warehouses are using AI agents to help increase worker safety and productivity. For example, agents can help distribute forklifts and position workers for optimal efficiency. Smart cities are deploying video analytics AI agents to reduce traffic congestion and increase safety, and the uses go on and on. A Blueprint to Create Diverse Fleets of Video Analytics AI Agents The VSS blueprint is built on top of the NVIDIA Metropolis platform and boosted by VLMs and LLMs such as NVIDIA VILA and NVIDIA Llama Nemotron, NVIDIA NeMo Retriever microservices, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) — a technique that connects LLMs to a company’s enterprise data. The VSS blueprint incorporates the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform, including NVIDIA NIM microservices for VLMs, LLMs and advanced AI frameworks for RAG. With the VSS blueprint, users can summarize a video 100x faster than watching in real time. For example, an hourlong video can be summarized in text in less than one minute. The VSS blueprint offers a host of powerful features designed to provide robust video understanding, performance and scalability. This release introduces expanded hardware support, including the ability to deploy on a single NVIDIA A100 or H100 GPU for smaller workloads, offering greater flexibility in resource allocation. The blueprint can also be deployed at the edge on the NVIDIA RTX 6000 PRO and NVIDIA DGX Spark computing platforms. The VSS blueprint can process hundreds of live video streams or burst clips simultaneously. In addition to visual understanding, it offers audio transcription. Converting speech to text adds contextual depth in scenarios where audio is critical — such as training videos, keynotes or team meetings. Industry Leaders Deploy Video Analytics AI Agents to Drive Business Value Everyone from the world’s leading manufacturers to smart cities and sports leagues are using the VSS blueprint to develop AI agents for optimizing operations. Pegatron, a leading electronics manufacturing company, uses the VSS blueprint to study operating procedures and train employees on best practices. The company is also integrating the blueprint into its PEGAAi platform so organizations can build AI agents to transform manufacturing processes. These agents can ingest and analyze massive volumes of video, enabling advanced capabilities like automated monitoring, anomaly detection, video search and incident reporting. Pegatron’s Visual Analytics Agent can be used to understand operating procedures for printed circuit board assembly and identify when actions are correct or incorrect. To date, the agents have reduced Pegatron’s labor costs by 7% and defect rates by 67%. Additional leading Taiwanese semiconductor and electronics manufacturers are building AI agents and digital twins to optimize their planning and operational applications. Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, is using a unified smart city vision AI application developed by its partner, Linker Vision, to improve incident response times. Previously, city departments such as waste management, transportation and emergency response were isolated by siloed infrastructure — leading to slow response times due to lack of access to critical information. Powered by the VSS blueprint, Linker Vision’s AI-powered application has agents that combine real-time video analytics with generative AI to not just detect visual elements but also understand and narrate complex urban events like floods or traffic accidents. Linker Vision currently delivers timely insights to 12 city departments and is on track to scale from 30,000 city cameras to over 50,000 by 2026. These insights are providing improved situational awareness and data-driven decision-making across city services, and reducing incident response times by up to 80%. The National Hockey League used the VAST InsightEngine with the VSS blueprint to streamline and accelerate vision AI workflows. It manages massive volumes of game footage. With the VAST InsightEngine, the NHL is positioned to search through petabytes of video in sub-seconds, enabling near-instant retrieval of highlights and in-game moments. AI-driven agentic workflows further enhance content creation by automatically clipping, tagging and assembling video content for ease of access and use. In the future, the League could potentially use real-time AI reasoning to enable tailored insights — such as player stats, strategy analyses or fantasy recommendations — generated dynamically during live games. This end-to-end automation could transform how media is created, curated and delivered, setting a new standard for AI-driven sports content production. Siemens is using its Industrial Copilot for Operations to assist factory floor workers with equipment maintenance tasks, error handling and performance optimization. This generative AI-powered assistant offers real-time answers to equipment errors using information about operational and document data. The copilot was built with a fusion of VSS components like VLMs, LLMs and NVIDIA NeMo microservices. The Industrial Copilot has resulted in rapid decision-making and reduced machine downtime. Siemens has reported a 30% increase in productivity, with the potential to reach 50%. Supported by an Expanding Partner Ecosystem Creating Sophisticated AI Agents NVIDIA partners are using the VSS blueprint to expedite the creation of agentic AI video analytics capabilities for their workflows, reducing development time from months to weeks. Superb AI, a leader in intelligent video analytics, set up a sophisticated airport operations project at Incheon Airport to reduce passenger wait times in a matter of weeks. In Malaysia, solution provider ITMAX is building advanced visual AI agents with the VSS blueprint for the City of Kuala Lumpur to improve overall city management and reduce incident response times. In the advertising sector, PYLER integrated the VSS blueprint into its brand safety (AiD) and ad targeting (AiM) solutions in just a few weeks. Using AiD and AiM, Samsung Electronics increased advertising effectiveness with brand- and product-aligned, high-value ad placements. BYD saw its ad-click through rates increase 4x by targeting contextually relevant and positive content, while Hana Financial Group surpassed multiple brand campaign goals. Fingermark is the application provider of Eyecue, a real-time computer vision platform used by quick service restaurants. Fingermark is adding the VSS blueprint into Eyecue to turn video footage into clear, actionable insights regarding drive-thru wait times, service bottlenecks and staff-related incidents at scale. Try the VSS blueprint on build.nvidia.com and read this technical blog for more details. Watch the COMPUTEX keynote from NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang, as well as NVIDIA GTC Taipei 2025 sessions.

Vernacular Building and AI: Can Data Alone Bridge the Gap?Presented by:Save this picture!100 Classrooms for Refugee Children / Emergency Architecture & Human Rights. Image © Martina RubinoAs artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in society, it's essential to pause and reflect on the foundations that sustain it—and the dimensions to which it extends. At the heart of AI's learning are datasets, whose structure and content shape how these systems interpret and respond to the world. This reliance creates a deep interdependence—one that not only informs AI's capabilities but also defines its potential blind spots. In light of this, we must ask: What forms of understanding might this process exclude, especially those not easily captured in digital form?Indigenous wisdom, passed down orally or embedded in daily practices, conveys a deep connection to place and history. Vernacular construction technologies, local materials, and ways of inhabiting—rooted in specific conditions—embody a collective memory and intelligence that algorithms may struggle to grasp fully in their cultural and material depth. Are we capturing this material memory? And if so, what might still be missing or diluted in translation? Organizations such as UNESCO have raised questions around AI, especially in the context of increasing digitization of content on the Internet, which brings to the forefront the complex and often tenuous intersection with traditional knowledge systems. Save this picture!The gap between technology and the vernacular was evident not so long ago. Today, with the rapid acceleration driven by AI, that gap persists—and may even be widening. While innovation moves in one direction, local materials and vernacular techniques lie on the other side, generating an increasingly marked disparity. It's true that generative AIs can recognize visual patterns and accurately replicate the fractal designs of the Kassena tribe or the self-supporting tents of Mongol nomads. But can it truly understand the techniques or narratives behind them?Save this picture!Save this picture! Collective Intelligence and the Contextual Understanding of Building Materials When comparing "modern" materials with vernacular ones, a fundamental difference emerges in how knowledge is transmitted. AI can easily process modern materials—quantified in data, yields, and imagery—while traditional materials rely on knowledge passed through practice and shared experience.In vernacular cultures, people understand materials in a deep and situated context: climate, harvest time, thermal behaviors, accessibility, and symbolism. They are not just objects of construction, but living elements within a shared ecosystem. This form of knowledge moves away from systematization. It is nourished by direct experience, rooted in everyday life, in what we call a collective intelligence that emerges from the constant interaction of the community with its environment.Save this picture!Save this picture!We can also consider what Juhani Pallasmaa reflects on traditional African cultures in an interview, where building practices are transmitted more through the haptic sense than visual codes or styles. Rather than being defined by abstract or aesthetic concepts, the teachings pass through sensation, touching, feeling, and experiencing the materials. Thus, we understand that the téchne—art, craft, skill—and logía—study, knowledge—are not limited to plans, data, and technical specifications, but are expressed in direct contact with the environment: a palpable knowledge, inherited across generations, a collective wisdom transmitted not only rationally, but from body to body, from generation to generation.Save this picture!Contemporary Technology as a Bridge Between the Natural and the ArtificialRather than positioning artificial intelligence in opposition to vernacular traditions, it may be more productive to explore their points of convergence. Contemporary technology serves as a bridge. Depending on the perspective, people may see it either as a manifestation of the artificial or as a tool grounded in technique.In this view, contemporary technologies provide new ways of engaging with vernacular knowledge—through documentation, analysis, and even production. Applications such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanning allow for high-precision 3D mapping and digitization of space. This technology is beneficial for preserving and studying constructions, generating detailed digital models that provide valuable data for analysis. A related technique is photogrammetry, which allows the creation of three-dimensional models from images through photographs and software. This measurement and modeling technology helps document and reproduce construction techniques digitally. The data collected by these technologies can intersect with artificial intelligence to predict materials' durability, behavior, or adaptability under changing conditions, thus offering options to optimize their use.Save this picture!Save this picture!But documentation is only one part of this convergence. To translate this integration to the physical plane, technologies such as digital fabrication have been key in linking materials and technological systems. Additive methods—such as 3D printing with earth-based materials—make it possible to recreate complex forms that would be difficult to achieve manually with traditional labor. These technologies open up the possibility of creating prototypes or architectural components based on vernacular techniques, adapting them to new needs.Save this picture!Save this picture!Throughout this process —whether scanning, documenting, or fabricating/printing— it is essential to continually ask: Why? This questioning sustains critical reflection. For contemporary architectural production to incorporate contextualized construction techniques, it must go through an understanding of the climate, the link with the territory, and, why not, even community life. Only in this way can they be considered a form of living heritage. Without these elements, an earth block is nothing more than a collection of minerals compressed in a mold.This type of knowledge may not be fully transferable to a digital environment, nor may it need to be fully "understood" by artificial intelligence. What matters most is that we, as human beings, recognize the value each of these elements brings to the construction of our environment. It is often said that knowledge of the past offers valuable guidance in the face of environmental degradation, the climate crisis, and other pressing issues. In light of this, it is pertinent to rethink the notion of "intelligence" as the capacity to adapt to the environment, from a perspective interconnected with different disciplines and forms of knowledge.Save this picture!This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: What Is Future Intelligence?, proudly presented by Gendo, an AI co-pilot for Architects.Our mission at Gendo is to help architects produce concept images 100X faster by focusing on the core of the design process. We have built a cutting edge AI tool in collaboration with architects from some of the most renowned firms such as Zaha Hadid, KPF and David Chipperfield.Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us. Image gallerySee allShow less About this authorEnrique TovarAuthor••• Cite: Enrique Tovar. "Vernacular Building and AI: Can Data Alone Bridge the Gap?" 20 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1030019/vernacular-building-and-ai-can-data-alone-bridge-the-gap&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Work Hours: United States Eastern Time (8 PM - 6 AM EST) Salary Range: $1,800-$2,200 (USD) per monthAbout BitByBit (BBB) BitByBit (BBB) is a dynamic Managed Service Provider (MSP) dedicated to helping small and medium-sized businesses overcome their technical challenges. We are seeking a skilled and dedicated Storage Engineer based in Indonesia to provide outstanding technical support to our US-based clients. Join a fast-paced, technology-driven environment that offers opportunities for growth and skill enhancement. Position SummaryThe Data Protection Engineer will be responsible for the architecture, installation, management, operation, upgrade, and data migration of the Enterprise Data Protection (EDP) environments within the organization. The Data Protection engineer ensures critical data is protected and available in the event data recovery is required.   This role includes oversight and administrative responsibilities for the day-to-day operation, strategic planning, and data retention/recovery polices for enterprise storage and data backup environments. This position will support an enterprise Backup environment on premise, both physical and virtual in a Microsoft Azure Cloud environment. The purpose of the role is to ensure the availability, stability, and consistent performance, scalability, maintainability, and reliability of our enterprise backup/data protection environments, for databases, applications, and end users. This is a "hands-on" position requiring strong technical skills, as well as excellent informal leadership, interpersonal and communication skills.Responsibilities Responsible for the Support and administration of the Enterprise Data Protection environment using DELL/EMC Avamar and Data Domain technologiesSupport and administer a Cyber Vault utilizing DELL/EMC Cyber Recovery Vault and Cyber Sense softwareSupport of cloud-based storage solutions in the Microsoft Azure environment utilizing DELL/EMC DDVEWork with application development, business team and end user to specify and implement data retention and recovery plans and strategies.Knowledge of SAN/NAS environments and switching fabric with new installations, upgrades and patching/firmware upgrades consisting of DELL/EMC, PURE and IBM devices a plus.RequirementsCore SkillsStrong time-management, prioritization, multi-tasking, problem-solving skills·       Ability to think critically, analytically, and strategically.Expert experience to maintain and administrate an Enterprise Data Protection environment using DELL/EMC Avamar, DataDomain and Cyber Recovery Vault technologiesWorking with various application development and database teams to define the backup schedules and retention policies required to protect critical data and restore systems in an emergency.  Strong knowledge of DDBoost for backing up data base environments requiredExperience maintaining and administering Cyber Recovery Vault for critical data protectionExperience maintaining and administering a backup environment in the Azure cloud utilizing DELL/EMC Avamar and DDVEExperience in administration of SAN and NAS devices utilizing DELL/EMC storage systems (such as VNX, XIO, PowerStore), PURE Storage and IBM (XIV, V9000, etc.) a plusExperience configuring and maintaining storage pools in a Azure cloud environment a plusWorking within a ServiceNow environment is preferredExperience Minimum of 8 years in Storage / Data Protection Administration. Education Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (master's degree preferred). Relevant certifications are a plus.Why Join Us?Opportunity to work on cutting-edge automation and infrastructure projects.Collaborative and innovative team environment.Competitive salary, benefits, and professional growth opportunities.BenefitsCompetitive salary based on experience + bonus. Paid vacation. Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now Meet JobCopilot: Your Personal AI Job HunterAutomatically Apply to Remote All Other Remote JobsJust set your preferences and Job Copilot will do the rest-finding, filtering, and applying while you focus on what matters. Activate JobCopilot

An appeals court has cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees while a lawsuit plays out.The Friday ruling came after the Trump administration asked for an emergency pause on a judge’s order blocking enforcement at roughly three dozen agencies and departments.A split three-judge panel in the nation’s capital sided with government lawyers in a lawsuit filed by unions representing federal employees. The majority ruled on technical grounds, finding that the unions don’t have the legal right to sue because the Trump administration has said it won’t end any collective bargaining agreements while the case is being litigated.Judge Karen Henderson, appointed by Republican President George H.W. Bush, and Justin Walker, appointed by Trump, sided with the government, while Judge Michelle Childs, appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, dissented.The government says Trump needs the executive order so his administration can cut the federal workforce to ensure strong national security. The law requiring collective bargaining creates exemptions for work related to national security, as in agencies like the FBI.Union leaders argue the order is designed to facilitate mass firings and exact “political vengeance” against federal unions opposed to Trump’s efforts to dramatically downsize the federal government.His order seeks to expand that exemption to exclude more workers than any other president has before. That’s according to the National Treasury Employees Union, which is suing to block the order.The administration has filed in a Kentucky court to terminate the collective bargaining agreement for the Internal Revenue Service, where many workers are represented by the National Treasury Employees Union. They say their IRS members aren’t doing national security work.Other union employees affected by the order include the Health and Human Services Department, the Energy Department, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Communications Commission. —Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press

Tech Chinese wearable eVTOL jetpack makes historic first flight This personal flying machine could change how we move and live in the future Published May 20, 2025 6:00am EDT close 'CyberGuy': Chinese wearable eVTOL jetpack makes historic first flight Tech expert Kurt Knutsson reports on China’s Zhiyuan unveiling the world’s first tri-ducted wearable eVTOL with hands-free control. Have you ever imagined what personal flying could look like in the near future? China's Zhiyuan Research Institute, based in Hangzhou, is bringing that vision closer to reality. They just unveiled what they're calling the world's first tri-ducted wearable electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for individual use, and their recent demo flight is already sparking curiosity about the future of personal flight. Tri-ducted wearable eVTOL for individual use (Zhiyuan Research Institute) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)What's so special about this flying machine?The coolest thing about this eVTOL is its tri-ducted propulsion system. That means it has three powerful propellers, one on the left, one on the right and one in the back, all working together to keep the aircraft stable and efficient. This setup isn't just for show. It actually helps the vehicle fly smoother, cut down on noise and hover more reliably. It's the first time a manned aircraft has used this kind of design, which is pretty groundbreaking.Safety is a huge focus for the Zhiyuan team. They built in a one-click separation system that lets the pilot quickly detach from the aircraft and deploy a low-altitude parachute if something goes wrong. That way, the pilot can land safely even in an emergency, which is a big comfort for anyone flying solo.Flying this thing isn't just for experts. Zhiyuan developed a ground control system that helps keep things simple. The eVTOL can hover steadily and fly on its own without the pilot having to constantly control it, and it can make quick, agile moves when needed. The controls are designed to be easy to use, so even people without much flying experience can handle them.On the power side, the team created a new propulsion system with a high thrust-to-weight ratio. They used advanced ducted motor designs to make the whole thing more efficient. Plus, the flight control system can handle turbulent weather, so the ride stays smooth even when the air gets rough. Tri-ducted wearable eVTOL for individual use (Zhiyuan Research Institute) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)What could you use this for?This wearable eVTOL isn't just a cool gadget. Zhiyuan sees it as being useful in all kinds of real-world situations. It could help with emergency rescues, maintaining electrical infrastructure or cleaning skyscrapers. It also has the potential for sightseeing and leisure flights, and it could be used for border patrol or customs inspections. With its versatility and easy controls, this aircraft could be a game changer for both professionals and adventure seekers.However, there is currently no official information on the commercial availability or price of Zhiyuan's tri-ducted wearable eVTOL. The aircraft has completed its first public demonstration, but details about when it will be available for purchase and at what cost remain undisclosed. Tri-ducted wearable eVTOL for individual use (Zhiyuan Research Institute) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)China's growing low-altitude economyThis new eVTOL is part of a much bigger trend in China. The country is working hard to grow what it calls its "low-altitude economy," which includes drones, eVTOLs and other aircraft that fly below about 3,280 feet. The government has made low-altitude aviation a priority and is promising support for commercial spaceflight and next-generation air mobility technologies. Experts estimate that this industry could be worth more than $137 billion by 2030 as these aircraft find more uses in areas like logistics, tourism and public services. Tri-ducted wearable eVTOL for individual use (Zhiyuan Research Institute) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Kurt's key takeawaysIt’s pretty crazy to watch personal flying tech take off like this. Zhiyuan’s tri-ducted wearable eVTOL is already up in the air, giving us a peek at what getting around might look like down the road. As these things become easier to use and more common, flying could end up being just another way we get from place to place, whether for work, emergencies or just for fun.Would you be excited or nervous to try out this kind of personal aircraft? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Dutch universities have found themselves in the grip of American tech giants and are now urging their governing boards to chart a different course.   In an open letter, which has been signed by thousands of staff members, they call for significantly reduced dependence on Microsoft, Google and Amazon within three years.  “As universities, we should manage our own digital infrastructure,” said José van Dijck, a professor of media and digital society at Utrecht University and co-initiator of the campaign together with her colleague and public innovation academic Albert Meijer. “We are the heart of innovation and expertise in the Netherlands. If we don’t maintain control over our digital systems, then who will?”  The call may sound radical, but Van Dijck qualified it: “This isn’t an action against Big Tech, but for digital autonomy. Given recent developments, universities must strive to keep their infrastructure in their own hands. “When you become dependent on a commercial company, you lose the freedom to act autonomously in your research.”  The current situation didn’t develop overnight. “Ten years ago, we were still quite autonomous,” said Van Dijck. “Universities had their own facilities. Each university, for example, had its own computing centre. Fourteen universities, fourteen computing centres. At present, we have only one left.” That single remaining facility is the Snellius supercomputer in Watergraafsmeer, Amsterdam, which, according to Van Dijck, is already “completely full”.  In 2019, the rectors of Dutch universities warned about digital vulnerabilities in the newspaper de Volkskrant, followed by an open letter from cyber security scientists in 2021. But between these two moments, the world changed dramatically due to Covid-19, which Van Dijck identifies as a turning point.  “The pandemic pushed us deep into the Big Tech trap,” Van Dijck said. “There was an acute need to switch to online education en masse. All universities had to arrange this at breakneck speed. This time pressure led us to rely heavily on Big Tech companies because they could provide ready-made solutions immediately.”  While universities – together with SURF, the ICT cooperative for education and research in the Netherlands – were still actively developing their own solutions before the pandemic, such as the Jitsi video conferencing service, the need for speed meant these in-house developments were put on hold. “We simply didn’t have the time and resources to further develop our open source alternatives,” said Van Dijck. Even SURF, which could have served as a buffer, was drawn into this development. The result was that universities became even more deeply entwined with the systems of large tech companies.  The result of this accelerated digitisation is that universities are now often completely dependent on a single supplier. “In Utrecht, we’ve almost become a Microsoft university,” said Van Dijck. “All services are interconnected. Once you’re on Microsoft’s Azure cloud, you’re virtually forced to use their other services as well. This leads to a ‘vendor lock-in’ – we’re increasingly trapped in their ecosystem, with no possibility to switch.”  The situation is becoming ever more urgent due to geopolitical developments. The American Cloud Act gives the US government access to data stored on American clouds, even if physically hosted in Europe. “With the previous administration, I think we still trusted that,” said Van Dijck, “but since Trump took office, it has become crystal clear that he has little respect for existing rules and laws.”  Van Dijck points to developments in the US, where universities are already under pressure. “In recent conversations with American colleagues, it’s become clear that Trump not only wants to influence university funding but also has a direct impact on what can be researched,” she warned. “A climate is emerging where certain research areas are undesirable. Think of climate research, specific health research, and other topics that are now considered forbidden territory.”  The consequences could be directly felt in scientific practice. “Look at climate research,” said Van Dijck. “Scientists worldwide work on this and are strongly interdependent on each other’s data and insights. If American restrictions make certain information inaccessible, it undermines our entire research field. We simply cannot fully carry out our own work.”  The integration of AI technology into everyday software also reinforces dependency. Microsoft’s Co-Pilot and Google’s Gemini are becoming increasingly interwoven with the basic software that universities use. “These AI tools give Big Tech companies even more influence over how we teach and conduct research,” said Van Dijck.  The biggest problem, according to her, is the lack of transparency: “These systems are partly fed with our data, while we gain no insight into how that data is used to train AI models.” This touches on fundamental scientific principles. “There are serious questions about copyright, but also about accuracy, verifiability and replicability – core values in scientific research that are completely lacking in these AI models.”  The academics are not advocating for a radical break with Big Tech, but rather for a pragmatic two-track policy. “We shouldn’t throw everything overboard, but we do need to step out of that vendor lock-in so that we regain real freedom of choice,” added Van Dijck.  In the letter, which was sent to all Dutch university boards, SURF, KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and NWO (Dutch Research Council), seven concrete steps are proposed:  Inventory and safeguard existing autonomous services. Map critical vulnerabilities and develop exit strategies. Create secure storage havens for research data. Experiment with and strengthen open source alternatives. Prioritise open source learning environments in future contracts. Explore European collaboration opportunities via networks such as Géant. Develop independent identification methods via SURF Conext. “We first need to identify which services can already be offered autonomously and secure and strengthen those,” said Van Dijck. “In addition, it’s essential to map our vulnerabilities and develop exit strategies and emergency scenarios for cloud services.”  In all these steps, one organisation is indispensable according to the initiators: SURF must play a key role by expanding existing services such as SURF Drive, SURF Conext and SURF File Sender and testing new open source alternatives. “Open source solutions are essential for regaining our autonomy,” said Van Dijck. “They offer us transparency, control and the ability to adapt the software to our specific needs.”  SURF has always been a crucial buffer for Dutch universities against complete dependence on commercial services. “SURF has developed various essential services, such as our own identification system via SURF Conext, tools for securely sharing large files, and access to supercomputing facilities,” said Van Dijck. But even SURF has not proven immune to the Big Tech temptation: “They too have gradually outsourced more and more to Microsoft and Google, at the expense of developing and maintaining their own tools.”  With increasing concern, Van Dijck sees how these in-house services are being phased out: “When I now approach the service desk, I hear that SURF Drive is making way for OneDrive. This is alarming, because these in-house services form the backbone of our digital autonomy.”  The Dutch situation contrasts sharply with other European countries. “France and Germany have already invested much more consciously in digital sovereignty,” said Van Dijck. “While the Netherlands placed most data in American clouds without many questions, French institutions have consistently maintained a more autonomous strategy. German universities have also invested more heavily in open source solutions.” An example of this is Nextcloud, an open source alternative to commercial cloud storage, which has already been implemented by fifty German universities.  The loss of autonomy harbours a hidden danger: the disappearance of crucial expertise. “When you give up control of your infrastructure, you also lose the knowledge to manage it,” warned Van Dijck. “Once you’ve outsourced everything, you can’t easily recover that expertise.” This loss of knowledge is particularly problematic for knowledge institutions, according to Van Dijck: “Universities are breeding grounds for innovation. Digital infrastructure is not a peripheral facility but central to our teaching and research.”  The initial reactions from university administrators are hopeful. “Our executive board immediately shared our concerns and recognised the increased urgency,” said Van Dijck. Other universities have also responded positively to the call.  Much is at stake for the Dutch knowledge economy. “We have seen how quickly the geopolitical situation can change,” said Van Dijck. “The question is not whether we should strengthen our digital autonomy, but how quickly we can do it.” Time is pressing for universities to take their digital fate back into their own hands – not against Big Tech, but for academic independence. Read more about Dutch digital independence

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Windows 10 emergency update KB5061768 fixes BitLocker boot loops Taras Buria Neowin @TarasBuria · May 19, 2025 15:10 EDT As promised, Microsoft is rolling out an out-of-band emergency update for Windows 10 to address problems with Intel-based systems booting into BitLocker recovery due to LSASS issues caused by KB5058379. The company recently acknowledged a known issue on devices with Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) on 10th-gen and later systems and promised to release a fix as soon as possible. The company did not take too long to address the issue, and the necessary fix is now available on the Microsoft Update Catalog as KB5061768, with build numbers 19044.5853 (Windows 10 version 21H2) and 19045.5853 (Windows 10 version 22H2). Here is the changelog with a single fix: [OS Security (Known Issue)] Fixed: A known issue on devices with Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) enabled on 10th generation or later Intel vPro processors. On these systems, installing the May 13, 2025, Windows security update (KB5058379) might cause the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) process to terminate unexpectedly, triggering an Automatic Repair prompting for the BitLocker recovery key to continue. In the updated post on the Windows Health Dashboard website, Microsoft says that KB5061768 is recommended for those who use affected systems and have not yet deployed KB5058379 (May 2025 security update). It will prevent BitLocker problems from happening. As for systems that already cannot boot due to BitLocker loops, Microsoft suggests the following: To start Windows, temporarily disable Intel VT for Direct I/O (also known as VTD or VTX) and Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) in your BIOS / UEFI settings. This step will require entering your BitLocker recovery key. Install update KB5061768 via the Microsoft Update Catalog. After restarting Windows, return to your BIOS / UEFI settings and re-enable Intel VT for Direct I/O (also known as VTD or VTX) and TXT. (This step will require entering your BitLocker recovery key.) As for known bugs, there is one issue with the Noto font (introduced in the recent preview update as a fallback font): text can appear blurry or unclear in Chrome, Edge, and other Chromium-based browsers in certain languages like Chinese, Japanese, and Korean when the display scaling is set to 100% (96 DPI). Microsoft is investigating this problem, and users can mitigate it by setting the display scaling to 125% or higher. KB5061768, which fixes BitLocker boot loop issues, is only available in the Microsoft Update Catalog. Microsoft is not rolling it out via Windows Update, so grab it using this link. Tags Report a problem with article Follow @NeowinFeed

For many months now, the city of Milwaukee has been grappling with a lead poisoning crisis that has forced at least four schools to temporarily close and dozens more to undergo rigorous inspections.It began on January 13, when Milwaukee first notified parents at one grade three to five school that a child had tested positive for high levels of lead in their blood. Local health officials determined the lead exposure did not occur at the child’s home, which left their school as the obvious culprit. City investigators found chipped lead paint and lead-laden dust throughout the school building; press and government reports indicate that the school district has struggled to keep up with paint maintenance requests, due to a lack of funding and manpower. Local officials soon realized they had a big problem on their hands, as the vast majority of the city’s school buildings (roughly 125 out of 150) were built before 1978, when lead paint was banned. Lead, a dangerous neurotoxin that can lead to development problems in children after prolonged exposure, has now been detected in at least nine public schools, and at least four students have tested positive for high lead levels in their blood. So far, no children have been hospitalized for acute lead poisoning, which can be life-threatening, but the affected kids continue to be monitored. Several buildings have been temporarily closed so workers can do a deep clean. Milwaukee has been inspecting all of its public schools for lead, with the goal of completing the review by September.Normally, cities navigating such a crisis could depend on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for federal support. When the lead poisoning was first detected in January, at the tail end of the Biden administration, city health officials were immediately in contact with the CDC environmental health team, which included several of the country’s top lead poisoning experts, Milwaukee health commissioner Mike Totoraitis told me. A group of federal experts were planning a trip to the city at the end of April.But not anymore. In early April, the Trump administration denied Milwaukee’s request for support because there was no longer anybody on the government’s payroll who could provide the lead poisoning expertise the city needs.On April 1, the lead exposure team within the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health was laid off as part of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s massive restructuring of the federal health department. The planned trip was canceled, and no federal officials have stepped foot in Milwaukee since to aid in the response. “We were talking to [the federal experts] multiple times each week,” Totoraitis said, “before they were let go.”Milwaukee has pushed ahead with its own inspection and free blood testing clinics. The city reported on May 13 that it had replaced 10,000 lead water service lines, in an attempt to remove another possible source of exposure for local children. But they still have 55,000 more left to go, and local officials have said they would need state or federal funding to finish the job. (It is estimated to cost the city about $630 million.)Ordinarily, Totoraitis said, the CDC experts would serve as the city’s subject matter experts, guiding them through their epidemiological investigations. Federal officials are especially adept at the detective work that can determine whether a child was exposed at home or at the school. Milwaukee officials had recent experience with lead exposures in homes but not in schools; they were relying on federal expertise to interpret lead dust levels that were found during the school inspections. Without them, they’ve been left to navigate a novel and dangerous health threat on their own.“They were there for that sole purpose of having some of the best subject matter expertise on lead poisoning, and it’s gone now,” Totoraitis said. “Now we don’t have any experts at the CDC to reach out to.”In this uncertain new era for public health, Milwaukee’s experience may become all too common: a city left to fend for itself amid an emergency. What in the past might have been a national scandal could become all too routine.This is what happens when the federal government won’t respond to a health crisisWhen I spoke with Totoraitis, he was already contemplating the next public health problem he would have to deal with. “If we have a new emerging health issue, that I don’t have internal expertise on and neither does the state, we don’t have anyone to call now,” Totoraitis said. “That’s a scary endeavor.”He can’t be sure what kind of help he will be able to get from the federal government as the restructuring at the US Department of Health and Human Services continues. The department just rehired hundreds of health workers focused on workplace safety, but other teams, including the lead team, have not been brought back.The turmoil makes it harder for local officials to keep track of which federal experts are still on staff, where they are located, and who has actually been let go. But the message is clear: President Donald Trump and his senior deputies want state and local governments to take on more of these responsibilities — without a helping hand from the feds.The US public health system has been set up so that the state and local health departments are the front line, monitoring emerging problems and providing personnel in a crisis. The federal government supplies insights that state and local officials probably don’t have on their own. That is what Totoraitis was depending on; Milwaukee was inexperienced with lead exposures in large public buildings before this year’s emergency. (One of the laid-off CDC scientists has since sought to volunteer to help Milwaukee, as Stat recently reported; the person told me they were hoping to help with community engagement, which federal officials would usually assist with.)Health crises happen all the time. Right now, there is a small tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas; a Florida town experienced the unexpected spread of hepatitis last December. A dozen people have been hospitalized in a listeria outbreak. And the US is currently facing its largest outbreak of measles in decades, with more than 1,000 people sickened. At one point, local officials said that the federal government had cut off funding for the outbreak response as part of a massive clawback of federal funds at the end of March, although the CDC has since sent additional workers to West Texas where the outbreak originated.There used to be little doubt the federal government would step up in these scenarios. But Totoraitis warns that Milwaukee’s experience of the past few months, left to fend for itself in an emergency, could soon be repeated elsewhere.“Let’s say next year this time, St. Louis is in a similar situation — they could call us, but we don’t have the bandwidth to consistently support them,” Totoraitis said. “This unfortunately is a great example of how quickly changes in the federal government can affect local government.”Kids are being poisoned by lead. Trump is letting it happen.Kennedy, Trump, and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency gleefully cut 10,000 jobs from US health agencies this spring. The cost of those losses will be felt every time a city is confronted with an unexpected health threat. Today, in Milwaukee, families are facing the fear and uncertainty of lead exposure — and they know federal help isn’t coming. As one Milwaukee mom told ABC News recently: “It really sends the message of, ‘You don’t matter.’”See More:

For the 110 people working on Anno 117: Pax Romana, the upcoming city-builder from Ubisoft Mainz, every game in the franchise has led to its Winter 2025 release. The Anno series has had some hits and misses — its most recent game, 2019’s 1800, is widely considered one of its best, while future-focused titles 2205 and 2070 had mixed results. But Pax Romana has something for die-hard tactics players, beauty builders, and even newcomers like me: the franchise’s first-ever simultaneous release on PC and console, the reintroduction of land combat, the promise of finally bringing Anno to Rome, and major updates to existing game systems. Recommended Videos Some team members have worked on the series for 10, 15, or 20 years, know exactly what diehard Anno fans want (prettier palettes that take advantage of improved graphics, a greater variety of choice, more robust gameplay systems, and diegetic moments of hilarious catastrophe), and are determined to deliver. I travelled to Rome to be one of the first people in the world to go hands-on with Anno 117: Pax Romana and chat with creative director Manuel Reinher and game director Jan Dungel, emerging from the experience thoroughly jet-lagged and with a newfound appreciation for the series and the genre. Andiamo! A new Anno Anno 117: Pax Romana is the first game in the series since the beloved 1800, which was set during the Industrial Revolution. It’s also the series’ biggest historical leap backwards. The team didn’t want to set the next Anno game during the bloody, war-fueled throes of the Roman Empire, but during the height of a 200-year-long period of peace and prosperity.  “Our fans have asked for this for a very long time,” Reinher tells Digital Trends. “The power of Rome, it’s a very appealing setting, but we struggled because with Rome there’s a certain fantasy that is well-delivered, and delivered so often people have a certain expectation … We found Pax Romana is the playground for us, it ticked all the boxes. It’s almost 200 years of stability in the empire, peak growth … and it’s a good fit because conflict is not the core of the Anno experience.” U In Anno 117, you’ll play as a freshly appointed Roman governor in Latium, a province close to the center of the Empire, tasked with upholding that aforementioned peace and prosperity. Will you govern with an iron fist and hope that fear keeps the peace, or show empathy and kindness and pray to one of your chosen Gods that rival governors don’t step on your exposed toes? And then there’s Albion, the fog-covered Celtic lands where no “civilized” Roman dares tread lest they face the ire of the strange, savage locales. You can go there, as well (though I didn’t get to that during my hands-on), and decide what to do with the land and its people.  Anno 117: Pax Romana hopes to offer players deeper, more meaningful choices than any other game in the franchise. A massive discovery tree, with over 150 “discoveries” divided into three main categories (economy, civic, and military), will help “soften the linearity” players may have felt in previous titles.  Researching improved storage capacities can help you store more product to trade with neighboring provinces, while civic research allows you to explore different religions, or build new public buildings. And you won’t be locked to a certain branch on this discovery tree, you’re free to research paved roads, or learn Latin, or beef up your military presence.  Like any Anno game, 117: Pax Romana is centered around economic simulation with some traditional city builder mechanics and 4X strategy features sprinkled in. But 117 is bringing back a controversial feature players haven’t seen in the franchise in a very long time: land combat. Ub The team is pretty close-lipped about it during our preview, but confirmed Anno 117: Pax Romana will have both land and naval combat, with more depth when it comes to integrating the two, and the promise that only big, powerful cities can have a thriving military. But don’t fret — Anno is not a war sim franchise, and the team considers land combat to be “another choice, another tool.” Diplomacy could be your vibe, rather than wielding steel. Aside from gameplay features, the team wants 117 to be the “most beautiful builder gamer, period.” There’s a new day and night cycle that elicits some big “ooohh” moments, like when the flickering fires of the lucernae come alive as the sun sets, or when burgeoning cities are cut through with gorgeous lavender fields. The added ability to create curved roads allows for more freedom in city layouts, and the team’s attention to detail can be found in every pixel, from the waves breaking around a sailing ship to grain crops shifting softly in the wind. Ubisoft is excited to show people how multicultural ancient Rome was, how it pulled inspiration and even religions from Celtic and Egyptian lands, and how the expansion of the empire led to cultural exchange. “Religious ideas, technologies, resources, they travel from one province to the other,”  Reinher explains.  This ancient melting pot helped stabilize the empire. “People are surprised by that fact … This happened 2,000 years ago. Ideas travelled like this, and it’s a fascinating story that breaks the boundaries of what we all have in our minds when we think about such an economic empire.” Roman onboarding Ubisoft Mainz promises Anno: 117 Pax Romana’s gameplay experience is for both newcomers and old heads alike, thanks to an improved onboarding system. “Anno can be quite complex, but it’s rewarding step-by-step,” Dungel says. “You don’t need to completely understand the universe to enjoy [the games].” To describe sitting down to play an Anno game for the first time while surrounded by the cold stone walls of an ancient Romane estate as “surreal” wouldn’t do it justice. Overwhelmed by the game’s systems and in awe of the Horti Sallustiani (the gardens of Sallust), I worry I won’t be able to create an Empire my ancestors would be proud of. I consider lingering around the craft services table and eat as much olive bread (a staple of the Romane diet) to avoid embarrassing myself. But I have a job to do, and gawking at the marble structure soaring overhead won’t do me any good.  So I sit down, load in, and am immediately tasked with placing my governor’s villa somewhere on this newfound island that’s far enough inland to avoid getting attacked by coastal invaders, but central enough that it can easily connect to warehouses and other important commerce buildings. Ubi An in-game pop-up urges me to ensure that my villa is connected to another important building, but fails to tell me I have to build that second structure. I glance around, helpless, until someone comes over and walks me through it, just for me to immediately get stuck again because I can’t see a missing pixel of road that means the buildings were technically still not connected.  I let out a grunt of frustration. I am jetlagged and my brain is functioning at its lowest possible capacity. I need more olive bread. Soon enough, my Italian ancestors smile upon me. I start to get the hang of things after my little roadblock (teehee). I build a sawmill in the center of a forest to ensure we have a steady supply of wood, and place a collection of houses for my lowest class working folks probably a bit too close to the governor’s house for a man of his stature’s liking (I believe in solidarity across classes in my ancient Rome). I ring the workers’ homes with purple wildflowers, place a tavern and a market close enough to their quarters so that they buff everyone who lives there (which helps you earn more money faster), and send my sole ship out to treaty with a neighboring isle.  “[Building Anno 117] was a little bit challenging, because we have very different audiences,” Dungel admits. “Some people want to collaborate, they are super hardcore, they want to value share and network, but some people are more casual. For the first time, we decided we would try to find a way to please both of these groups, not make it less deep and less complex, but give an option for people who want to go more casual. That’s why you don’t have to deliver all the needs [requirements for every population tier that must be filled in order to progress] … you don’t have to immediately go to another province.” Ub Though I stumble at first, after about 1.5 hours of playtime, I have a tier 3 city sprawling out before my eyes, complete with soap production, ship-building, tunic and sandal makers, tilers, and a temple to worship our chosen goddess, Ceres, who helps boost our farms’ output. There’s a plethora of emergency services, including doctors, Vigiles Urbani (basically Rome’s NYPD), and firefighters, the last of whom successfully snuff out a fire that starts near my sheep pasture. I even have a massive new ship that can carry far more cargo than the one I started with.  But my city is net negative, and losing money fast. I get a loan, then another, then another, and then I start to panic. Despite my efforts, there just aren’t enough people to produce my much-needed products (the pretty lady on a neighboring island really wants tunics), or enough raw material for the people to form into something usable for the empire. I need to build more homes to get more able-bodied workers, but I don’t have enough lumber, and my island is looking more and more like a desert every minute.  Even the Anno experts next to me are struggling with their financials. “I can’t take another loan,” one player bemoans.  Before I can right my ship, the hands-on is over. I had just gotten my negative income out of the triple digits and was in the process of conquering another island that had some crucial resources (olives, mackerel), when we were given a times-up signal. “I was getting the hang of it!” I protest. “I just need more plebeians!” The Ubisoft dev who pulled me from the depths of dirt road despair two hours earlier laughs. He has just seen a new city builder player be born before his eyes. Anno 117: Pax Romana releases later this year for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.