Theft is almost universally considered an exploitative behavior. The conventional view underlying judicial systems is that the act of taking resources from others without offering compensation stems from moral and personal failings. As a result, these systems rely on the assumption that the threat or imposition of punishment will motivate criminal offenders to adjust their future behavior. Yet the outcome is not always success.
Hugging Face executive Irene Solaiman warns that growing cyberattacks on open AI platforms could force tighter security restrictions, threatening the accessibility that makes open-source communities valuable to developers worldwide.
Impervious to battlefield jamming, drones physically connected to human operators by miles of fiber-optic cables have become such a common weapon of war in Ukraine that trees and fields are strewn with tangled cables thinner than fishing lines. But importing such fiber-optic material from China has become more costly as drone warfare’s needs compete with global demand from AI data centers for the same limited supply—and so Ukrainian drone makers have been adapting. Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the Ukrainians have been forced out of necessity to continually develop battlefield innovations involving first-person view (FPV) quadcopter drones and other heavier types of drones. But it was the Russian military that first deployed unjammable fiber-optic drones to repel Ukrainian forces’ cross-border incursion into the Kursk Oblast in 2024. The Ukrainians quickly followed suit in developing their own fiber-optic drones, given the drones’ capability to shrug off electronic warfare jamming that could neutralize radio-controlled drones. Russia and Ukraine have relied on Chinese suppliers for some off-the-shelf drones and a wide array of drone components, including bulk orders of fiber wound around very large spools or sometimes small finished spools ready for installation on drones. The finished spools can hold enough fiber-optic cable for drones to regularly operate at ranges of dozens of miles, and sometimes up to 62 miles (100 kilometers) in extreme cases, as reported by the independent Russian publication The Insider.Read full article Comments
I've written more than once about the weird positioning of Apple's entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro, which has always occupied an uncomfortable perch between the MacBook Air and the higher-end MacBook Pros. The best versions of this laptop, like last year's M5 refresh, come with the same basic design and external features of the higher-end MacBook Pros, just with a more modest processor and a lower ceiling for specs like RAM and storage. The lesser versions stick with older designs or other compromises, reserving Apple's most updated designs and screen technologies for the more expensive high-end models. Recall the 13-inch M1 and M2 MacBook Pros, which stuck with Apple's 2016-era MacBook Pro designs for everything, up to and including the now-abandoned Touch Bar. (If you're someone at Apple maintaining Touch Bar support into the 2030s for the sake of these two laptop models, I'd like to hear from you. Not for a story! I'd just like to know how you are.) This year's entry-level MacBook Pro mostly falls into that latter category. It does get an Apple M6 chip, and the M6 is great—rumors suggest the M6 won't get Pro, Max, or Ultra configurations, so there are some fringe benefits here that you can't get in the top-tier MacBook Pros. But it uses the same MacBook Pro design Apple has been using since 2021. There's no touchscreen, no OLED panel, no Dynamic Island, no half-pound weight reduction, no glowing Apple logo on the lid.Read full article Comments
California voters rejected Proposition 40, the one-time 5% tax on billionaires, the AP reported Monday. Tech leaders outspent backers roughly 10 to 1 to defeat it, and the founders and economists TechCrunch interviewed before the vote were split on whether it would have driven out wealthy residents or just trimmed their fortunes.
Wing, the drone delivery business of Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG), said it will invest $125 million to build a 15,000-square foot manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, over the next two years to meet growing interest from retailers in ultra-fast delivery. The company also plans to launch drone delivery in Japan, in partnership with KDDI Corp. New U.S. rules of the road, expected at any moment, will serve as a trigger for widespread expansion, Wing said.The new Texas facility will be able to produce tens of thousands of unmanned aerial aircraft each year, supporting Wing’s aggressive plan to expand drone delivery service nationwide as consumers increasingly opt for the convenience of home delivery for last-minute needs, Wing announced Friday. Some of the investment will also support r&d in California. The news release is the first time Wing has given projections for its fleet size. Wing, which operates from more than 70 sites, is working to expand to nearly 20 U.S. markets next year, making drone delivery available to more than 40 million people through its partnership with Walmart. Wing currently operates limited service in five metropolitan areas, including Central Florida, Houston, Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth. The partners say the drone delivery network will stretch across more than 270 store locations across the nation, including Los Angeles, Cincinnati, San Diego, Miami and Philadelphia. Cruising at speeds up to 60 mph, Wing’s aircraft can carry up to five pounds of goods. Wing says it has made more than 1 million residential deliveries so far, usually within 30 minutes. In September, Wing began a pilot delivery program for Lowe’s, enabled by the DoorDash marketplace. Fast-casual restaurant Panera is testing Wing delivery in North Carolina. Walmart is not relying on a single drone delivery provider. Last week, it announced plans to create a nationwide delivery network operated by Zipline from 300 store locations. Zipline said it raised $1.5 billion to ramp up manufacturing of its aircraft. Why It Matters: Drones are the latest front in the quick commerce wars, offering retailers and marketplaces another mode for satisfying consumer expectations for convenience and speed when ordering online. Orders prepared at fulfillment centers are typically delivered in one to five days by courier companies, while store-to-door fulfillment takes advantage of app-based delivery platforms and crowd-sourced drivers to make deliveries in one to three hours. Regulatory Opening The Federal Aviation Administration’s highly anticipated rulemaking on beyond-visual-line-of-sight is expected to unleash the next-generation of commercial drone activity as operators will be able to scale drone delivery and other applications more broadly. Under the current process, operators are required to operate drones within visual line of sight unless holding an individual waiver. The final rule, under review by the White House since July, was delayed from its February publication because administration officials wanted to make sure it could accommodate future technology developments and didn’t favor large companies. Industry officials have chaffed at the lengthy rulemaking process, saying the lack of certainty about rules of the road is inhibiting investment. As proposed, the BVLOS rule would allow drone operations to occur at or below 400 feet above ground level from pre-designated, secure-access locations. All operators will need FAA approval for the area where they intend to fly and indicate the approximate number of daily operations, as well as takeoff, landing and loading areas. Drone operators will have to utilize Automated Data Service Providers to support large-scale BVLOS activity and ensure drones are safely separated from each other and manned aircraft. A BVLOS operator could be its own data service provider or contract with another company. Drones also would have technologies that enable them to automatically detect and avoid crewed aircraft broadcasting their position with ADS-B surveillance technology. Large fleets like those of Wing would require an FAA operating certificate, with the agency conducting more oversight of ongoing operations and requiring operators to develop a safety management system and training program. On Monday, the FAA issued the first of its kind authorization for a drone to fly beyond the operator’s visual line of sight from the U.S. coastline over the Gulf of Mexico. The authorization allows Skyways to operate its autonomous V2 vertical takeoff and landing aircraft from Shell’s SPLC facility in Gibson, Louisiana, to a Shell platform in the Gulf to inspect a pipeline right-of-way and simulate delivery of equipment to the platform. In a sign that the drone space is becoming more attractive from an investment standpoint, Axon Enterprise Inc., a public safety and defense technology company best known for making Taser electroshock weapons, last week announced a $1.2 billion investment in Skydio, increasing its ownership stake in the drone company to 37%. Skydio sells drones for physical security, mapping, asset inspection and national security applications. Japan Wing is partnering with KDDI Corp. to bring its drone delivery service to select areas in Japan by the end of 2027. Demand for new delivery options is expected to be strong because of a declining working-age population and a declining delivery driver workforce. Initial deployment will focus on food delivery. The companies will work with local governments and other partners to expand service to daily necessities, over-the-counter medications, and small retail items, according to an Oct. 26 news release. Wing will provide autonomous drones, flight systems and automated ground infrastructure while KDDI, a telecommunications company, will provide the communication infrastructure, regulatory compliance and market development. Zipline noise breakthrough Meanwhile, Zipline has reengineered how its drones fly to reduce noise, a common complaint heard in neighborhoods, the company said last month. While most drones must continuously run all their motors in order to stay in the air, Zipline drones feature a fixed wing that allows them to fly like planes and turn off all but one motor once they reach cruising speed and altitude. With dynamic flying, Zipline drones now transition to on-wing flight more efficiently while producing less noise, using wind and gravity to accelerate and decelerate, similar to birds taking advantage of air currents. Instead of static, pre-planned trajectories, Zipline’s dynamic flying optimizes for reduced sound by balancing wind, altitude, and speed. As a Zipline drone takes off, it uses its weather sensors to measure the real-time wind conditions. It then combines that data with a custom sound model to determine the quietest way to transition to on-wing flight, such as dipping its nose to gain speed like a bike going downhill, or popping upwards to quietly slow down at the end of a flight. Now deployed fleetwide, sound-optimized dynamic flying reduces flight times too, Zipline said. Flight times are 53 seconds shorter on average because of faster transitions in and out of on-wing flight. Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch. Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com. RELATED STORIES: Walmart to take drone delivery nationwide as Zipline raises $1.5B DoorDash launches retail returns service, self-designed drones Lowe’s test drives drone delivery Amazon drone delivery expansion targets 500 cities by year’s end The post Wing to invest $125M in drone manufacturing plant appeared first on FreightWaves.
TAIWAN: ST Engineering’s Urban Solutions business has awarded Siemens Mobility contracts to supply its Signaling X technology to Taiwan for the first time, as part of the Taoyuan Brown Line and Green Line Extension projects. Brown and Green lines Earlier this year a consortium of ST Engineering and Hyundai Rotem was awarded the S$840m turnkey rail services contract to equip the 11.4 km Brown Line, which will link the Huilong terminus of the Orange Line in the west of New Taipei to Taoyuan main line station. ST Engineering is responsible for overall project management and systems integration, along with delivery of the signalling to support GoA4 fully automated train operation, trackwork, some civil works, electrical equipment including SCADA, communications and automatic fare collection systems and platform screen doors. Hyundai Rotem will provide the rolling stock and power supply systems. ST Engineering and Hyundai Rotem were also awarded the GEM01 contract to supply rolling stock and electrical and mechanical systems for the 7.2 km MRT Green Line Extension running west from Bade to Zhongli railway station. Commissioning of both projects is scheduled for the mid-2030s Signaling X Siemens Mobility’s Signaling X concept is designed to support a move from hardware-centric signalling systems to a software-defined virtualised architecture. This enables multiple safety-critical and non-safety-critical signalling, train control and related IT systems to run on commercial off-the-shelf hardware, potentially allowing the control of an entire metro network from a single cloud-based data centre. The virtualised architecture should enable operators to modernise and scale their infrastructure independently of specific hardware lifecycles, offering simpler maintenance and more efficient spare parts management. Taking Signaling X into Taiwan ‘marks a major milestone in the digitalisation of rail transport as we deploy our new generation of software-defined signalling technology’, said Marc Ludwig, Executive Vice-President of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, when the contracts were signed on November 5. ‘Together with ST Engineering, we are building on our existing experience in Taoyuan to reduce interface complexity and support efficient project delivery, while providing the foundation for safe, reliable and fully automated operations.’ See also Taoyuan Brown Line construction starts as systems and rolling stock contract awarded Construction of Taoyuan’s Green Line officially begins Siemens launches first live urban Signaling X trial in Germany Siemens Mobility launches hardware-independent Signaling X in the metro market Signaling X launched to harmonise main line and urban rail data management
SONAR’s new MCP connector lets compatible AI assistants like Claude and Copilot answer freight market questions in plain language, drawing on SONAR data and tools for rates, capacity, lanes, carrier safety and more. SONAR has launched SONAR MCP, a connector that puts its freight market intelligence directly inside compatible AI assistants like Claude, Copilot and more. The rollout to SONAR customers began the week of Nov. 9, 2026. Instead of moving between dashboards and memorizing index tickers, transportation teams can now ask a question in plain English and get an answer grounded in SONAR data. What is SONAR MCP? SONAR MCP is SONAR’s connector built on the Model Context Protocol, the open standard that lets AI models and agents connect to outside tools and data. Anthropic introduced the protocol in November 2024, and it works much like an API built for AI. Once the SONAR connector is turned on, a user’s AI assistant decides which SONAR tools to call based on the question asked and the user’s SONAR permissions. It then combines the results into a single plain-language answer. What freight data can AI assistants access through SONAR MCP? SONAR MCP provides 24 tools spanning six areas of freight intelligence: Spot and contract rates, including SAMA rate projections Market conditions, such as tender rejections, volumes and capacity Lane intelligence, including how difficult a lane is to cover SONAR index data Ocean freight metrics, including container bookings FMCSA carrier safety and inspection statistics According to SONAR, anything available through its API is also available through MCP, across truckload, intermodal, LTL and ocean. How does SONAR MCP work? A live example from F3 SONAR demonstrated the connector live at F3 this year, using Claude as the AI assistant. The presenter asked a common shipper question: if a company moves 500 truckloads a year from Los Angeles to Chicago, could it save money by switching to intermodal? The AI assistant pulled SONAR’s truckload and intermodal rate data for the lane, compared the two modes and answered in plain language: switching to intermodal would save money. The demo then walked through a holiday inventory scenario moving from China through the Port of Los Angeles. In one conversation, the assistant checked ocean bookings from China to Los Angeles, Chicago intermodal volume, LTL pricing and outbound truckload capacity in Los Angeles. Asked to summarize the risk before a budget meeting, the assistant flagged Chicago to Louisville as the most exposed lane. It suggested locking in contract rates there before the holiday season. See the rates and market conditions SONAR MCP returned in the full F3 demo. Who is SONAR MCP for? SONAR MCP is built for shippers, freight brokers, 3PLs, carriers and analysts who make decisions with freight market data. The F3 demo showed just a peak into the many ways each group can use it. SONAR will also be rolling out guidance on additional use cases. Shippers preparing bids: a messy, eight-tab bid file went into the AI assistant and came back as a clean lane list with SONAR rate benchmarks, lane scores and call-outs, such as a 4 a.m. pickup that may add cost. Brokers reporting to leadership: an export of 60 loads from a TMS became a one-page PDF comparing the brokerage’s performance with SONAR benchmarks. Teams building their own tools: a SONAR shipper expert built a forward-looking network risk forecaster with an AI assistant. It refreshes with live SONAR data every day through MCP, with no software team or API project required. SONAR groups the use cases into five areas: market intelligence, pricing and procurement, capacity and risk, research and reporting, and network and lane analysis. Why SONAR MCP matters for freight teams SONAR MCP lowers the barrier to using freight data. Users no longer need to know which dashboard holds an answer or which ticker to type. During the F3 demo, the presenter noted that LTL pricing data in SONAR normally requires a specific ticker. Through MCP, a plain question returned the same answer. The launch also responds directly to customer feedback about the sheer volume of data in SONAR. “SONAR MCP puts the full depth of SONAR data right in front of our users, inside the AI platform they already choose to work in,” said Julie Van de Kamp, chief commercial officer at SONAR. “We’ve heard from customers that SONAR can feel hard to use or that the data is overwhelming. MCP removes that barrier. Ask a question in plain language, and your AI assistant pulls the SONAR data and summarizes the key findings for you.” What’s next for SONAR and AI? SONAR said at F3 that it is developing AI agents native to the SONAR platform, which would add more market context to answers. The company expects to share more in early 2027. How to get started with SONAR MCP SONAR MCP is rolling out to SONAR customers now, and the tools available depend on each user’s SONAR permissions. To learn more, visit gosonar.com, read the SONAR MCP overview or contact set up a demo. For background on SONAR’s data, see the freight market intelligence guide. FAQ Publish these at the end of the article and mark them up with FAQPage JSON-LD. What is SONAR MCP? SONAR MCP is a connector that lets compatible AI assistants like Claude and Copilot access SONAR’s freight market intelligence. Users ask questions in plain language and get answers grounded in SONAR data. What does MCP stand for? MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, an open standard Anthropic introduced in November 2024. It lets AI models and agents connect to outside tools and data sources. Which AI assistants work with SONAR MCP? SONAR MCP works with compatible AI assistants like Claude, Copilot and more. What data is available through SONAR MCP? SONAR MCP offers 24 tools covering spot and contract rates, SAMA projections, market conditions, lane intelligence, SONAR index data, ocean freight metrics and FMCSA carrier safety statistics. Do I need to know SONAR tickers to use SONAR MCP? No. The AI assistant chooses the right SONAR tools based on the question, so users don’t need to know index tickers or dashboard locations. Who can use SONAR MCP? SONAR MCP is rolling out to SONAR customers starting the week of Nov. 9, 2026. The tools available depend on each user’s SONAR permissions. How do I get started with SONAR MCP? request a demo or more information at The post SONAR launches MCP, bringing freight market intelligence inside your AI assistant appeared first on FreightWaves.
KAZAKHSTAN: Freight trains have begun using the Darbaza – Maktaaral railway in the Turkistan region, which has been built as part of a 286bn tenge project to provide an alternative freight route to Uzbekistan to relieve congestion on the main Saryagash – Toshkent corridor. The 128 km single-track railway connects Darbaza on Kazakhstan’s existing network with Maktaaral near the Uzbek border, providing access to the Maktaaral – Sirdaryo border crossing. This increases capacity for international traffic by providing an alternative to the congested Saryagash border crossing. The line also provides a direct rail connection between the Maktaaral and Zhetysay districts and the rest of Kazakhstan, eliminating the need to transit Uzbekistan. The government confirmed the start of traffic on November 4, with the first train carrying coal for export to Uzbekistan. The new route is expected to accommodate up to 20 million tonnes of freight annually, Construction works The project was officially launched in November 2023, with construction getting underway in 2024. Integra Construction KZ was the main contractor. The engineering works include three stations, two passing loops, 33 bridges and 129 drainage culverts, together with associated signalling, power supply and maintenance infrastructure. One of the largest structures is a six-span steel bridge over the Syr Darya river. The bridge has two 66 m end spans and four intermediate spans of 88 m, supported by foundations with bored piles reaching depths of up to 41 m. Completion of the final works and full commissioning of the line are scheduled for December. See also Kazakhstan begins work on additional rail link to Uzbekistan Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan & Tajikistan – country map
As demand grows for safer and more capable rechargeable batteries, scientists are looking beyond the familiar metal-centered chemistry of conventional cathodes. A promising route is to draw additional charge from anions—the negatively charged atoms in a material—rather than relying on transition metals alone. Oxygen and sulfur have attracted substantial attention in this area. Whether chlorine can play a comparable role in chloride-based battery cathodes has been less clear.
The scale, quality and regional coverage of public cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) data resources have been insufficient, severely limiting data reuse, cross-regional comparisons and the development of automated analysis methods. A new resource aims to help fill that gap, providing 1,413 reconstructed tomograms and associated data from wild-type C57BL/6J mouse sperm.
Physicists at the ALPS II collaboration have reported the first results from the Any-Light-Particle-Search (ALPS) II experiment: the most sensitive instrument of its kind in the search for hypothetical "axions." Headed by Axel Lindner at the DESY Research Centre in Germany, the collaboration found no evidence for axions in this initial campaign, but its results offer valuable guidance for future runs: tightening the search for one of the most promising candidates for dark matter.
More than 2,000 years ago, Egyptians offered cats to the gods. Now, a new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science suggests that even cats destined for the gods did not necessarily live pampered lives.
The saga that never goes away: wounds of Australian cricket reopened as ball tampering resurfaces | Jack Snape The GuardianMitchell Starc breaks silence to deny knowledge of ball tampering plan The GuardianKhawaja book: Sandpapergate a stench Cricket Australia cannot shake BBC
Cricket Australia rules out reopening ball tampering investigation in wake of Khawaja book claims The Guardian‘100% accurate’: Warner backs Khawaja over explosive ball-tampering claims The GuardianDavid Warner: Usman Khawaja '100% accurate' over sandpaper ball-tampering BBC
Whole Australia team knew of sandpaper use - Khawaja BBCUsman Khawaja Reveals Australia's Master Plan To HIDE Sandpaper From Camera News18‘It was all of us’: Khawaja says entire Australia team knew about sandpaper ball tampering plot The Guardian
Enterprise Mobility is rapidly expanding opportunities for companies to enhance clients’ engagement levels and simplify and improve their interactions. Unfortunately,…
