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Technology News

  • XPRIZE Quantum Applications Names Seven Finalists for $5M Global Competition Backed by Google Quantum AI and GESDA
    December 10, 2025, 9:18 PM EST. XPRIZE Quantum Applications, a $5 million global challenge backed by Google Quantum AI and GESDA, has named seven Finalist teams from 133 submissions and 20 semifinalists. The competition, launched in March 2024, seeks deployment-ready quantum algorithms that tackle real-world problems aligned with the UN SDGs. Finalists advancing to Phase II must provide resource estimates, architectures and error-correction assumptions, plus demonstrations of quantum advantage with quantified impact evaluated by domain experts. The seven teams are: Calbee Quantum ( Pasadena, US ); Gibbs Samplers (Budapest); Phasecraft - Materials Team (London); Q4Proteins (Zurich); QuantumForGraphproblem (Houston); The QuMIT (Cambridge); and Xanadu (Toronto). Notably, Phasecraft proposed two new algorithms for materials properties relevant to next-gen batteries. Details on the XPRIZE site and finalists book are linked.
  • Astound Expands High-Speed Internet in Placer and Yolo Counties
    December 10, 2025, 9:16 PM EST. Astound is expanding its high-speed internet service to more communities in Placer and Yolo counties, boosting broadband access for residents and businesses. The rollout aims to improve online performance, support remote work and education, and drive local economic growth by delivering faster, more reliable connectivity. Customers can expect increased speeds, improved reliability, and potential new plans as the deployment progresses across the region.
  • Cyberpunk 2077 Celebrates Five-Year Anniversary With Trailer, Collectors Set, and New Partnerships
    December 10, 2025, 9:04 PM EST. CD PROJEKT RED marks five years of Cyberpunk 2077 with a nostalgic anniversary trailer and a slate of new reveals. Highlights include a fifth anniversary trailer retracing V's Night City journey, the announcement of Cyberpunk Trading Card Game, and partnerships around Corsair gear, Displates posters, and Viture XR Glasses. A new Collector's Set with a light-up Relic biochip, USB drive, tarot cards, and pins is available, with or without Ultimate Edition. The celebration also references Update 2.0 and Phantom Liberty, alongside discounts on Ultimate Edition across stores. Since its 2020 launch, the open-world RPG has sold ~35 million copies and cemented itself as a fan-favorite in Night City and beyond.
  • Google elevates Amin Vahdat to chief technologist for AI infrastructure
    December 10, 2025, 8:58 PM EST. Google elevated Amin Vahdat to a newly created role, chief technologist for AI infrastructure, reporting to CEO Sundar Pichai, as the company pledges up to $93 billion in capital expenditures through 2025. A veteran of Google's AI backbone for 15 years, Vahdat's background spans UC Berkeley, Duke, UC San Diego, and leadership of the seventh-generation TPU (Ironwood) rollout. He has steered the ecosystem behind custom TPU chips, the Jupiter internal network (scaling to 13 petabits per second), and the Borg cluster-management system, including the Axion Arm-based CPUs. His elevation signals Google's deep prioritization of scalable AI compute and data-center innovation in the race to lead the field.
  • TTP Finds U.S.-Sanctioned Firms with Apps in Apple and Google App Stores
    December 10, 2025, 8:46 PM EST. TTP's investigation found that Apple App Store hosted 52 apps tied to U.S.-sanctioned entities, including Russian banks and a Chinese paramilitary-linked company. The Google Play Store hosted 18 such apps. The findings raise questions about whether Apple and Google are properly vetting apps and could involve sanctioned entities in transactions, since both platforms charge developers fees. Apple has previously been fined for sanctions violations and agreed to strengthen its screening tools; the current probe suggests gaps six years later. Apple declined to comment but provided the app list; 18 apps were removed from the App Store during the research. Google removed 17 of the 18 identified apps after being asked. Both companies say they comply with Treasury Department sanctions and sanctions laws.