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How to measure the returns on R&D spending

Sure, it’s easy to argue for the importance of spending on science by pointing out that many of today’s most useful technologies had their origins in government-funded R&D. The internet, CRISPR, GPS—the list goes on and on. All true. But this argument ignores all the technologies that received millions in government funding and haven’t gone anywhere—at least not yet. We still don’t have DNA computers or molecular electronics. Never mind the favorite examples cited by contrarian politicians of se

Salesforce launches ‘Missionforce,’ a national security-focused business unit

Salesforce is increasing its focus on national security. The customer relationship management giant announced the creation of a new business unit called Missionforce on Tuesday. It will be focused on incorporating AI into defense workflows in three main areas: personnel, logistics, and decision making, according to a company press release. Missionforce will be helmed by Kendall Collins, who joined Salesforce in 2023 and is currently the chief business officer and chief of staff to Salesforce C

Youth Group in Nepal Overthrows Government, Elects New Leader via Discord Poll

Nepal's government collapsed this week following an ill-advised attempt to ban social media outright. The lifting of the social media ban on Monday was unable to quell a surge in anger. Youth-led groups of disaffected "Gen Z" activists clashed with police in the streets of the capital, Kathmandu, protesting growing wealth inequality and government corruption. Over 50 people were killed in the clashes as angry crowds set government buildings ablaze, forcing prime minister Sharma Oli to resign o

Salesforce launches ‘Missonforce,’ a national security-focused business unit

Salesforce is increasing its focus on national security. The customer relationship management giant announced the creation of a new business unit called Missionforce on Tuesday. It will be focused on incorporating AI into defense workflows in three main areas: personnel, logistics, and decision making, according to a company press release. Missionforce will be helmed by Kendall Collins, who joined Salesforce in 2023 and is currently the chief business officer and chief of staff to Salesforce C

Albania Appoints an AI as Government Official

Albania has appointed the world's first-ever AI government official in hopes of rooting out some of the Balkan state's long-running corruption. As Politico Europe reports, the new AI minister — which should not be confused with a minister of AI, which a few countries already have, including Canada and the United Arab Emirates — has been dubbed "Diella," meaning "sunshine" in Albanian. Announced this week by Edi Rama, Albania's prime minster, Diella — which also serves as the avatar for e-Alban

North Korea executing more people for watching foreign films and TV, UN finds

North Korea executing more people for watching foreign films and TV, UN finds 12 hours ago Share Save Jean Mackenzie Seoul correspondent Share Save KCNA via EPA Life under Kim Jong Un's rule has become tougher and people are more afraid, the report claims The North Korean government is increasingly implementing the death penalty, including for people caught watching and sharing foreign films and TV dramas, a major UN report has found. The dictatorship, which remains largely cut off from the w

How Palantir is mapping the nation’s data

When the U.S. government signs contracts with private technology companies, the fine print rarely reaches the public. Palantir Technologies, however, has attracted more and more attention over the past decade because of the size and scope of its contracts with the government. Palantir’s two main platforms are Foundry and Gotham. Each does different things. Foundry is used by corporations in the private sector to help with global operations. Gotham is marketed as an “operating system for global

How China’s Propaganda and Surveillance Systems Really Operate

A trove of internal documents leaked from a little-known Chinese company has pulled back the curtain on how digital censorship tools are being marketed and exported globally. Geedge Networks sells what amounts to a commercialized “Great Firewall” to at least four countries, including Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Myanmar. The groundbreaking leak shows in granular detail the capabilities this company has to monitor, intercept, and hack internet traffic. Researchers who examined the files de

Google Is Telling People DOGE Never Existed

Here’s a Mandela effect event that you probably thought was real: The Department of Government Efficiency, the pseudo-agency run by Elon Musk to cut “fraud, waste, and abuse” from federal operations, didn’t actually exist. At least, that is what Google’s AI Overview response will tell you if you search certain content related to DOGE’s operations. A Bluesky user who goes by iucounu first pointed out this mistake in Google’s comprehension skills, finding that querying the search engine for infor

Nepal reverses social media ban as protests turn deadly

Nepal has made a dramatic U-turn, reversing a social media ban imposed last week after the decision sparked nationwide “Gen Z” protests that reportedly left at least 19 people dead. The ban, which blocked access to 26 platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X, was imposed following an August 25 directive requiring foreign social media companies to register their operations in Nepal and appoint a local contact within seven days. When most platforms failed to comply by the deadline,

14 Killed in protests in Nepal over social media ban

At least 14 people were killed and dozens injured on Monday as violent protests by youths rocked the Nepalese capital and certain other areas over the government's decision to ban social media sites, prompting authorities to deploy the army in Kathmandu to control the situation. Advertisement Thousands of youths, including school students, under the banner of Gen Z, converged in front of Parliament in the heart of Kathmandu and shouted anti-government slogans demanding immediate revocation of

A robot walks on water thanks to evolution's solution

Robots can serve pizza, crawl over alien planets, swim like octopuses and jellyfish, cosplay as humans, and even perform surgery. But can they walk on water? Rhagobot isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind at the mention of a robot. Inspired by Rhagovelia water striders, semiaquatic insects also known as ripple bugs, these tiny bots can glide across rushing streams because of the robotization of an evolutionary adaptation. Rhagovelia (as opposed to other species of water striders) ha

Don’t let outdated IGA hold back your security, compliance, and growth

If organizations want to have any chance of protecting their data from unauthorized access in 2025 and beyond, there is no way around Identity Governance & Administration. But conventional IGA solutions are the wrong option for most businesses. For companies trying to keep their data secure while maintaining a competitive edge, the stakes could not be higher. Faced with an onslaught of identity-based attacks, they need a way to efficiently manage their increasingly complex IT environments while

Nepal blocks most social media sites for failing to register with the government

The government of Nepal is blocking commonly used social platforms including Facebook, X, Instagram, WeChat, Reddit and YouTube due to noncompliance with a new law requiring them to register with the government, The Associated Press reported. Five platforms including TikTok and Viber that did register in the country were exempted from the ban. Social media companies were asked to provide a local contact, grievance handler and person responsible for self-regulation to avoid a shutdown and many a

Nepal moves to block Facebook, X, YouTube and others

The restrictions come after the social media giants failed to meet state registration requirements, says government. Nepal’s government has said it will shut off access to major social media platforms, including Facebook and X, after they failed to comply with authorities’ registration requirements. The move, announced on Thursday, is part of what the government says is an effort to curb online hate, rumours and cybercrime. Companies were given a deadline of Wednesday to register with the Min

Nepal blocks Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X over rule breach, amid censorship concerns

Nepal has ordered internet service providers to block access to major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X, after the companies failed to comply with local registration rules — drawing criticism from media rights groups and raising concerns over censorship and free expression. On Thursday, Nepal’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology directed the Nepal Telecommunications Authority to instruct internet service providers to restrict access to 26 so

Govee is ready to put on a smart light show with a couple of industry-first products

Govee TL;DR Govee has announced the latest additions to its lighting products. The TV Backlight 3 Pro features what’s claimed to be an industry-first HDR triple camera for accurate color matching. The Permanent Outdoor Lights Prism also has an industry-first feature — a triple color lighting effect with dynamic optical design. IFA 2025 is here, and many of the industry’s top names are in attendance. Included in the list of presenters is Govee, which has a slate of new smart lighting products

Topics: govee light lights pro tv

Govee’s trippy new light strip puts three lights in every bulb

is The Verge’s executive editor. He has covered tech, policy, and online creators for over a decade. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Govee has some colorful new ideas for how a light strip can decorate your home. Its latest, the Permanent Outdoor Lights Prism, puts three lights in every bulb along the strip, with a prism lens above them that’s designed to create three distinct or blended beams of light. The strip supports full color, and

Canada Raids Compound of QAnon-Inspired Cult Leader, ‘Queen of Canada’

The cultural curse of QAnon may have largely dissipated in the U.S., but an alleged offshoot of the cult has been festering in a remote region of Canada. This week, police say they busted the group in a raid on a compound in a small village in southwest Saskatchewan. Authorities in Canada say they arrested 17 people in the village of Richmound on Wednesday. The arrests took place at a building where the group—which calls itself “The Kingdom of Canada”—had been living for approximately two years

Sen. Rand Paul blasts Trump's stake in Intel as 'a step towards socialism'

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday criticized the Trump administration's decision to take a 10% stake in embattled chipmaker Intel , calling the investment "a step towards socialism." Intel announced last month that the U.S. government made an $8.9 billion investment in Intel common stock, purchasing 433.3 million shares at a price of $20.47 per share, giving it a 10% stake in the company. Intel noted that the price the government paid was a discount to the current market price. Rand said gov

A robot walks on water thanks to evolution’s solution

Robots can serve pizza, crawl over alien planets, swim like octopuses and jellyfish, cosplay as humans, and even perform surgery. But can they walk on water? Rhagobot isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind at the mention of a robot. Inspired by Rhagovelia water striders, semiaquatic insects also known as ripple bugs, these tiny bots can glide across rushing streams because of the robotization of an evolutionary adaptation. Rhagovelia (as opposed to other species of water striders) ha

Robotic bug literally walks on water

Robots can serve pizza, crawl over alien planets, swim like octopuses and jellyfish, cosplay as humans, and even perform surgery. But can they walk on water? Rhagobot isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind at the mention of a robot. Inspired by Rhagovelia water striders, semiaquatic insects also known as ripple bugs, these tiny bots can glide across rushing streams because of the robotization of an evolutionary adaptation. Rhagovelia (as opposed to other species of water striders) ha

Microsoft rewarded for security failures with another US Government contract

Microsoft, the latest tech firm to agree to big software discounts for the US government, is digging even deeper into its bargain bin than the competition by offering a year of free Copilot access to government agencies willing to put up with its other problem products. The General Services Administration (GSA) announced its new deal with Microsoft on Tuesday, describing it as a "strategic partnership" that could save the federal government as much as $3.1 billion over the next year. The GSA di

ICE obtains access to Israeli-made spyware that hack phones and encrypted apps

US immigration agents will have access to one of the world’s most sophisticated hacking tools after a decision by the Trump administration to move ahead with a contract with Paragon Solutions, a company founded in Israel which makes spyware that can be used to hack into any mobile phone – including encrypted applications. The Department of Homeland Security first entered into a contract with Paragon, now owned by a US firm, in late 2024, under the Biden administration. But the $2m contract was

The Tragic End of Natalia Nagovitsyna's Ordeal on Pobeda Peak

Although the fate of Russian climber Natalia Nagovitsyna, stranded at 7,150m on Kyrgyzstan’s Pobeda Peak since August 12, has been obvious for several days, the last wisps of hope ended today. A few hours ago, a military drone captured thermal imaging footage of Nagovitsyna’s tent on Pobeda Peak. The images, published on the official website of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (GKNB), revealed no signs of life in her tent. After more than two weeks, Kyrgyz authorities hav

Is AI Running the Government? Here’s What We Know

The Trump administration is letting the generative AI chatbots loose. Federal agencies such as the General Services Administration and the Social Security Administration have rolled out ChatGPT-esque tech for their workers. The Department of Veterans Affairs is using generative AI to write code. The U.S. Army has deployed CamoGPT, a generative AI tool, to review documents to eliminate references to diversity, equity, and inclusion. More tools are coming down the line. The Department of Educati

The US government drops its CHIPS Act requirements for Intel

Intel no longer has to fulfill certain requirements or meet milestones that it was originally supposed to under the CHIPS Act, now that the government is taking a stake in the company. According to the Wall Street Journal, Intel said in a filing that it can now receive funding from the government, as long as it can show that it has already spent $7.9 billion on projects that it agreed to take on under a deal with the Commerce Department last year. Reuters notes that Intel has already spent $7.87

MSNBC: Whistleblower accuses DOGE team of endangering Social Security data

Whistleblower accuses DOGE team of endangering critical Social Security data This article features Government Accountability Project whistleblower client Charles Borges and was originally published here. Within weeks of Donald Trump’s second inaugural, members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team showed up at the Social Security Administration and started demanding access to files. The efforts were not well received: Michelle King, in her capacity as the acting Social Securi

Court documents shed new light on UK-Apple row over user data

Court documents shed new light on UK-Apple row over user data 1 hour ago Share Save Graham Fraser Technology Reporter Share Save Getty Images The UK government may have wanted to force Apple to provide it with access to more customer data than previously thought, a court document has indicated. A row erupted between the two after it emerged the Home Office asked the tech giant for the right access to highly encrypted user data stored via a service called Advanced Data Protection (ADP). Now a

The White House reportedly ordered xAI's Grok to be approved for government use

Despite some fallout between President Trump and Elon Musk, the White House appears to still be in Musk’s corner. Wired is reporting , based on documents obtained by the outlet, that the White House allegedly directed leadership at the General Services Administration (GSA) to include xAI's Grok on its list of approved AI vendors. xAI is owned by Elon Musk and was not included in the slew of approvals the GSA issued in August that saw the agency add OpenAI, Google and Anthropic to its list of ve