Focused search for science

1+ min ago (155+ words) Investing.com -- Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is developing its next major AI model using thousands of Nvidia's advanced Blackwell chips that are banned from export to China, according to a report from The Information, citing six sources familiar with the situation. The Blackwell chips were reportedly smuggled into China through a complex operation involving initial shipment to data centers in approved countries, followed by server dismantling and importing the components in pieces to China. Most Nvidia chips are produced in Taiwan and distributed through a complex global network of distributors and resellers. Access to Nvidia's latest technology gives DeepSeek a competitive advantage in the AI sector both domestically and internationally. Despite the Chinese government's efforts to promote locally-developed alternatives, Chinese AI chips still lack the capabilities needed for training AI models, according to executives and employees at Chinese AI companies....

5+ min ago (682+ words) Rails 8.1 was released on October 24, 2025. Being a Rails developer, I know how it feels when a new Rails version drops and you're stuck wondering whether upgrading is worth the headache? I've been there. The reason is simple: upgrades feel risky. There's fear of breaking production, introducing subtle bugs, or discovering that half the codebase depends on gems nobody has touched in years. And when an app has been running reliably for a long time, even necessary upgrades can feel like unnecessary disruption. But most Rails upgrade failures don't happen during the upgrade. They happen before it, when teams rush in without preparation. If you want your upgrade to be predictable instead of painful, confidence comes from groundwork. This article walks through everything you should have in place before touching a Rails upgrade. Rails itself isn't the problem. The framework evolves…...

5+ min ago (530+ words) A leading technology expert has warned that the emergence of Artificial Intelligence could drive humanity to extinction. One AI researcher fears that the technology could result in the end of life as we know it. Leading artificial intelligence researcher Roman Yampolskiy has issued a warning to the world, claiming there is a "99.9 percent" chance that robots powered by AI could wipe out the entirety of humanity within 100 years . He said he fears human extinction will become a reality within the next century, and says we all need to be wary of allowing such technology to take over. The computer expert specialises in AI safety and cybersecurity and lectures at the University of Louisville, in America and spoke of his fears in a recent interview during Lex Friedman's podcast, which was aired last Sunday December 7. He said that he has concerns…...

6+ min ago (74+ words) [Techmeme permalink] Stevie Bonifield / The Verge: Google unveils Emergency Live Video, similar to iOS' Emergency SOS Live Video, letting US users on Android 8 or later to share live video with 911 responders" " "Emergency Live Video is rolling out today on phones running Android 8 or later. " A new feature coming to Android " This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 12:45 PM ET, December 10, 2025....

6+ min ago (266+ words) TAMPA, Fla. " Two defense technology companies from Norway and Germany have joined forces to bolster Europe's sovereign intelligence and communications capabilities, with plans to start deploying small satellites in about three years. The partnership, announced Dec. 10 between Germany's Helsing and Norway's Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA), comes as European governments seek greater deterrence amid increasing strategic importance of space-based intelligence. German defense firm Hensoldt plans to provide sensors for the effort, which would use German launch startup Isar Aerospace's facilities in And'ya, Norway, as preferred launch provider. Trond Hegrestad, KDA's vice president of small satellites, said the partners are plotting to deploy "a substantial number" of low Earth orbit spacecraft. "This is not a single program, but a strategic cooperation covering multiple needs (ISR, satcom, and space situational awareness) leveraging our combined capabilities," he said via email. The companies declined to…...

8+ min ago (273+ words) Experience the freedom of Bluetooth with the security of wired headphones. Experience both the security of wired headphones and the freedom of wireless Bluetooth tech with the Beats Flex Earbuds. I like to call these the "Goldilocks" of earbuds because of their connecting wire that keeps the earbuds together while also allowing Bluetooth pairing. And at 57% off right now, you really can't beat it. The Beats Flex Earbuds are one of our top-selling products featured in our Best Christmas Gifts gift guide. Recommended by contributor John Gilpatrick, he loves gifting them to any forgetful friends or family because'thanks to the Flex-Form cable'they're difficult to lose. "Simply pop one bud in each ear and drape the wire connecting them across your neck," Gilpatrick says. "It's unobtrusive and gives your earbuds a natural place to sit when you pop them out." For…...

9+ min ago (99+ words) I have a Samsung Galaxy S23, running Android 16. Every so often (quite often tbh) I tap on a message notification, from Slack, Messages, Signal, or similar, and the app opens in a movable window. If I drag the window around, a little "Close" button appears at the bottom of the screen. Until I close the "window" the app won't open to its usual full-screen self. What is this called and how do I stop it from happening? I don't even know what term to search for. Windows on Android are annoying and I want them to stop...

10+ min ago (221+ words) How I Built a Generic Kafka Consumer in .NET with Strategy Pattern Ever found yourself writing a separate Kafka consumer for every single topic? Yeah" me too. " When I started working on our project, we had this pattern: one consumer per topic. Sounds simple? Well, it quickly became a nightmare: So I decided to tackle this problem and make one consumer to rule them all " generic, modular, and scalable. Here's how I did it using Strategy Pattern in .NET. The Problem Imagine having a consumer that only handles "createEntityType" topic: This works" until you add the next topic. Or the one after that. Suddenly, every new topic is more boilerplate, more headaches. The Solution: Generic Kafka Consumer Instead of writing a consumer per topic, I refactored the code so that: Why This Approach Rocks " Maintainable" Add new topics without touching…...

11+ min ago (597+ words) Supernovae aren't one of the JWST's main science themes, but the perceptive telescope is full of surprises. Recently, it pinpointed a single star in a galaxy when the Universe was only about 730 million years old. It wasn't just any random star; this one was a supernovae responsible for a gamma-ray burst (GRB) detected back in March, 2025. This stunning accomplishment trumps the telescope's previous most distant supernova, which the JWST discovered only 1.8 billion years after the Big Bang. "Only Webb could directly show that this light is from a supernova - a collapsing massive star," said lead author Levan in a press release. "This observation also demonstrates that we can use Webb to find individual stars when the Universe was only 5% of its current age." Finding a supernova from the Era of Reionization is no small feat, since the Universe was only…...

12+ min ago (549+ words) India has made a significant advancement in high-performance computing by deploying 37 supercomputers under the National Supercomputing Mission, enhancing research capabilities nationwide. This initiative aims to build a self-reliant supercomputing ecosystem supporting diverse scientific fields and innovation. India expands supercomputing network with 37 new high power systems India has made a significant advancement in high-performance computing by deploying 37 supercomputers under the National Supercomputing Mission, enhancing research capabilities nationwide. This initiative aims to build a self-reliant supercomputing ecosystem supporting diverse scientific fields and innovation. India has taken a major leap in high-performance computing (HPC) with the deployment of 37 supercomputers across the country under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology informed the Lok Sabha. Together, these systems offer a combined capacity of 40 petaflops, marking one of India's most significant technological infrastructure expansions in recent years. Launched in 2015, the…...