Author: Frank Salvato

Logitech Chief Executive Hanneke Faber is traveling across Asia and Switzerland in an increasingly difficult search for semiconductors as the artificial-intelligence boom absorbs chip-production capacity once available to traditional consumer-electronics manufacturers. Faber says practically every Logitech product depends on semiconductors and expects little meaningful relief from current shortages for another 12 to 18 months, as memory manufacturers prioritize high-bandwidth memory and other components needed for lucrative AI infrastructure. The squeeze comes despite strong fiscal 2026 results for Logitech, which recorded $4.84 billion in sales, up 6 percent from the previous year. Rather than simply raising prices on existing products, the…

A robotic hand that looks more like something from science fiction than a conventional industrial machine can detach from its arm, crawl across a surface, retrieve multiple objects and return to reconnect with its robotic host. Developed by researchers at Switzerland’s EPFL with involvement from MIT, the device abandons the traditional assumption that robotic hands should simply imitate human anatomy. Instead, its symmetrical design can accommodate as many as six reversible fingers capable of bending in both directions, allowing either side of the hand to function as a palm and any suitable pair of fingers to operate like opposing thumbs.…

McDonald’s is testing third-party advertisements on digital drive-thru menu boards at 450 company-owned U.S. restaurants, turning screens traditionally devoted to burgers, fries and promotions into potential advertising inventory after customers have placed their orders. The pilot, launched in August, includes advertisements from outside companies such as Geico and is part of the broader McDonald’s Media Network, which the company believes could eventually become a $1 billion business. The ads appear during the post-order waiting period, meaning customers should still have access to the regular menu while deciding what to purchase. McDonald’s says the concept can generate additional revenue with little…

The public debate over artificial intelligence increasingly sounds like the plot of a science-fiction movie. Will AI become conscious? Will machines decide humanity is unnecessary? Will some future superintelligence escape its restraints and seize control of civilization? These are fascinating questions, and perhaps someday they will become urgent ones. But they can also distract us from a danger that already exists. The greatest immediate threat from artificial intelligence may not be artificial intelligence at all. It may be the human beings who decide how it is built, what information it receives, what it is permitted to say, and ultimately whose…

A major cybersecurity breach at the Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data Center exposed sensitive personal information belonging to more than 3 million people with connections to the U.S. military, including approximately 2.76 million living individuals and 294,000 deceased individuals. Unauthorized users exploited a vulnerability in a DMDC file-sharing system and accessed files for roughly nine months, from October 2025 until the vulnerability was discovered on July 16, 2026. The compromised files contained unencrypted personally identifiable information that varied by individual but included Social Security numbers, names, dates of birth, contact information, demographic information and military occupational specialties. DMDC says it patched…

Eleven additional women have come forward with allegations of sexual assault and abuse in the technology world following revelations that a private Silicon Valley spreadsheet contains the names of more than 100 alleged sexual predators, including prominent investors, businessmen and people associated with major technology and artificial-intelligence companies. The women reportedly want their experiences added to the informal warning network, which developed partly because alleged victims fear professional retaliation for reporting powerful industry figures. One woman claims an alleged abuser hacked her phone and exploited confidential information against her, while another says she lost her job after reporting an alleged…

Apple’s new CEO John Ternus is reportedly considering a sweeping organizational overhaul designed to make the company leaner, accelerate product development and restore engineering to a more central role in corporate decision-making. Ternus, who succeeded Tim Cook on September 1 after spending 25 years at Apple, is considering eliminating some middle-management positions, reducing the layers separating engineers from senior executives, cutting costs and moving beyond Apple’s traditional spring-and-fall product-release schedule. Hardware engineering has already eliminated a number of engineering program-management positions, including several director-level jobs, while earlier reductions affected Siri, Vision Pro and AI software teams. Ternus also reportedly wants…

California’s artificial-intelligence boom is encountering growing resistance from communities concerned about the physical infrastructure needed to support it, with cities and counties across the Bay Area adopting or considering moratoriums on new data-center construction. San Francisco is considering a 45-day citywide moratorium, while Oakland officials have advanced a proposal for City Council consideration and communities including Gilroy, Oakley and Richmond have already enacted restrictions. Residents and officials have raised concerns about enormous electricity requirements, water consumption, noise, diesel backup generators, air pollution and the possibility that utility customers could ultimately shoulder infrastructure costs created by data centers. Industry representatives counter…

Anthropic co-founder and president Daniela Amodei and her husband, AI-safety researcher Holden Karnofsky, reportedly employed an unusual management technique while she worked at OpenAI: a collection of stuffed animals assigned distinctive personalities and used as a “personal advisory council” for managerial role-playing. The collection reportedly included Jinji, a lazy cat who encouraged Amodei to cancel meetings and avoid excessive workloads; Maura, a detail-oriented pink bear representing a demanding managerial personality; and Beary Bonds, a panda embodying generosity and empathy. The exercise was reportedly part inside joke and part serious method for thinking through workplace disagreements during an increasingly contentious period…

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is tightening restrictions on the city’s extensive network of automated license plate readers while rejecting demands to abandon a technology police credit with helping identify suspects, recover stolen vehicles and locate missing people. Under the new rules, data collected through Flock Safety’s system will be removed from the company’s platform after 30 days rather than remaining accessible there for up to a year, while police seeking older information must obtain command approval and connect the search to an active criminal investigation. Searches must also be documented, and the system will face additional auditing. The changes…