New York Governor Kathy Hochul signs RAISE Act regulating AI safety
Governor Kathy Hochul signed the RAISE Act, making New York the second state in the U.S. to enact major AI safety legislation. The state Legislature passed the RAISE Act in June, but Hochul proposed changes to scale back the bill after lobbying from the technology industry. The New York Times reported that Hochul ultimately agreed […]
US Department of Justice charges $54 for ATM jackpotting scheme using Ploutus malware
December 20, 2025Ravi LakshmananCybercrime/ATM Security The US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced this week that it has indicted 54 people in connection with a multi-million dollar ATM jackpot scheme. This massive conspiracy involved deploying malware named Ploutus to hack Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) across the United States and force them to withdraw cash. The indicted […]
This week’s science news: Japan’s laser weapons test bids farewell to Comet 3I/ATLAS, AI solves ‘impossible’ math problem
This week’s science news featured some amazing innovations, including the development of a new type of quantum processor that will last 15 times longer than those used by Google and IBM. Manufactured from the rare earth element tantalum, this processor is an important step toward stable quantum computing. But scientists must overcome significant challenges, including […]
Scientists build ‘most accurate’ quantum computing chip ever thanks to new silicon-based computing architecture
After building a new kind of architecture, silicon quantum computing physicists have developed what they claim is the most accurate quantum computing chip ever designed. Representatives of the Sydney-based startup say its silicon-based atomic quantum computing chips have advantages over other types of quantum processing units (QPUs). That’s because the chip is based on a […]
Scientists discover ‘unprecedented celestial phenomenon’ around ‘Eye of Sauron’ star, just 25 light-years from Earth
Astronomers hoping to observe planets around nearby stars have witnessed an “unprecedented astronomical phenomenon” that is much rarer, the researchers said. It is the violent aftermath of not one, but two collisions between the planet’s rocky components. Over the past two decades, astronomers have witnessed two catastrophic collisions around the star Fomalhaut, located just 25 […]
What is the fastest rate a human can grow?
If you have teenagers or were once a teenager yourself, you’ve probably experienced this. Your child’s jeans may have fit perfectly in September, but by December they’re showing their ankles. Growth during adolescence can seem surprisingly rapid, with some teens growing 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 centimeters) per year. But is this really […]
Sequoia partners debunk Brown shooting theory and test new leadership
Sean Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital, is once again drawing unwanted attention to his high-profile venture firm after falsely accusing a Palestinian student of involvement in the Dec. 13 Brown University shooting and subsequent killing of an MIT professor. In a since-deleted post to X, Maguire noted that Brown was “actively erasing his online […]
Resolve AI, a startup led by former Splunk executives, reaches $1 billion Series A valuation
Resolve AI, a startup developing Autonomous Site Reliability Engineer (SRE), a tool to automatically maintain software systems, has raised a Series A led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, according to three people familiar with the deal. The maximum valuation for the new round is $1 billion, the people said. However, the company’s actual blend valuation was […]
Establish a venture-backable company in a highly regulated field
Building in a regulated industry adds a huge hurdle to the already difficult journey of building a startup. And this week on Build Mode, Startup Battlefield editor Isabel Johannessen speaks with two founders who are trying to make progress in an industry ripe for disruption, despite regulatory issues that may have deterred many others. In […]
Cursor continues acquisition spree with deal with Graphite
Cursor, an AI coding assistant, announced it has acquired Graphite, a startup that uses AI to review and debug code. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Axios reported that Cursor paid “well above” Graphite’s final valuation of $290 million. This valuation was set when the five-year-old company raised $52 million in Series B […]