John Boss needed reliable oversight for a workshop packed with projects still under wraps. Standard internet cameras record events after the fact and offer little in the moment. He chose a different route and built Walter, a workshop sentry meets security robot, instead.

Walter hangs hung from the ceiling on a unique motorized mount, which at first view resembles a high-end pan-tilt security camera. The camera module, lights, and sensors sit in the tiny black shell, but a second look changes everything, as the inclusion of a full-fledged Nerf blaster gives the whole thing personality.

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A geared lazy Susan bearing controls the unit’s movement, allowing it to swivel smoothly in a full circle. Stepper motors control the pan and tilt movements through a pulley and gearing arrangement. A slip ring keeps the cables from twisting or becoming tangled as the joint rotates, while limit switches keep everything under control in either direction. Overall, the movement is relatively rapid and precise.

The Raspberry Pi 5 serves as the Walter’s brain, processing all of the video from the USB camera, running computer vision procedures to detect and track movement, managing network connections, and making major decisions. Meanwhile, an Arduino Nano clone serves as the motor control system, accepting direct orders from the Pi to ensure responsiveness while the Pi works on the vision and logic. An Android tablet combined with a gamepad allows you to control from anywhere while also providing a low-latency visual stream.

When Walter is left to its own devices, it operates in Sentry mode. Motion detection comes in and can even give you notifications, after which computer vision takes over and tracks whatever caused the movement. The camera and mount maintain focus on the subject without requiring human intervention at any point. Voice recognition adds an additional layer of control; a microphone listens for orders or a spoken password to activate or disable the system, and a small USB speaker allows Walter to respond, give a challenge, or send you an alert.

The defensive options are a little more intriguing, as you get two high-intensity LED floodlights that can either flood the area or generate some very blinding glare. A pair of lasers provides a couple of brilliant points of light that are useful for aiming and visual emphasis. Then there’s the Nerf blaster, which can shoot darts under human or automatic control, and the noise alone is enough to deter even the most determined unwanted visitor.

Walter is the real deal, as it watches the room like a standard camera, but also moves, speaks, shines a light, and generally participates when necessary. When not in use, the ceiling mount hides it, and the pan-tilt mechanics and software allow it to cover the entire space. For a maker space with work that isn’t quite ready for public viewing, the system provides an excellent blend of surveillance and active deterrence that seems like it’s on your side rather than simply sitting there looking technological.
[Source]

OpenAI burned through $3.7bn in the first three months of 2026, more than half its revenue of $5.7bn over the same period, according to The Information, which cited documents the company shared with shareholders.

Both numbers tripled from a year earlier, a symmetry that captures the company’s peculiar position: growing faster than almost any business in history, and spending faster still.

The tripling is the figure worth pausing on. Revenue of $5.7bn in a single quarter would be the envy of nearly any technology company; revenue that grew threefold year on year is rarer still. The trouble is that the cost of producing it grew at the same rate.

Scaling has not yet bought OpenAI the operating leverage that usually rewards a company this size, because the thing it sells, frontier-model inference, gets more expensive to deliver as more people use it.

The balance sheet looks, on its face, reassuring. OpenAI held more than $73bn in cash and marketable securities at the end of the quarter, up from $40bn at the end of December.

That jump reflects a large funding round announced at the end of March rather than money thrown off by the business, a distinction that matters when the quarterly burn is measured in billions. The cushion is real; it is also, in part, freshly raised.

That round was the one that closed at an $852bn valuation, a figure large enough that some of the company’s own investors have questioned it against the underlying revenue. The Q1 figures do not settle that argument so much as supply ammunition to both sides: the bulls point to the revenue curve, the bears to the burn beneath it.

OpenAI has also said it filed confidentially for a US initial public offering that could come as early as September and value the company at up to $1tn.

A flotation at that level would be among the largest in history, and it would put the kind of quarterly numbers reported this week in front of public-market investors who tend to ask harder questions about the path to profit than late-stage private backers do. The company has moved quickly on the filing as rivals race to list.

The pattern is not new for OpenAI, which has spent its way through every previous stage of its growth on the bet that scale eventually pays. The company has spoken about spending on the order of tens of billions in a single year on compute, research and infrastructure, and has indicated it does not expect to turn a profit until the end of the decade.

The Q1 burn fits that trajectory rather than departing from it. The novelty is the size of the numbers and the proximity of a public listing that will expose them to a different class of scrutiny.

None of the figures in the report came from OpenAI directly, and the company did not comment publicly on the specifics. What the numbers describe, if accurate, is a business operating at a scale and a loss that are both expanding in lockstep, ahead of a listing that will ask whether the second can ever stop chasing the first.

Samsung is turning a fictional gadget from the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day into a real-world experience.

The company has announced SpideyTracker.com, an interactive website inspired by a key feature from the new Marvel film.

In Brand New Day, Peter Parker’s friend Ned Leeds creates a website that helps New Yorkers track Spider-Man’s whereabouts in real time. Samsung has now recreated that idea for fans. Now, they can follow Spider-Man sightings and events leading up to the movie’s release.

The site features a pixel-art map and will track Spider-Man appearances at live events, creator collaborations and other promotional activities throughout the summer. Users can also sign up for notifications. This allows them to stay updated whenever a new sighting is reported.

Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, any opinions expressed below belong solely to the author.

The headlines will tell you that Singapore’s property market is finally cooling down. In early 2026, the HDB resale price index dipped by 0.1%, signalling a long-awaited breather for exhausted homebuyers.

But don’t pop the champagne just yet.

At the exact same time, million-dollar public housing transactions surged by over 17% quarter-on-quarter. In prime, mature estates, seven-figure price tags are no longer surprising—they are becoming the norm.

But it isn’t inflation, and it isn’t a failure of the public housing system. It is the system doing exactly what it was designed to do.

In fact, the slowdown in price appreciation may not be something to be happy about at all.

More than a home

Singaporeans complaining about rising prices are usually found among buyers, not sellers. And only those who are forced to purchase their homes in the resale market, rather than directly from the government, as BTOs come with significant discounts.

In reality, as long as you already own an apartment, then relative price movements don’t affect you too much, as the tide lifts all boats. You buy for more but you also sell for more.

However, from the very beginning of the HDB system, the government conceived it not only as a way to provide affordable homes to all Singaporeans but as an appreciating asset that adds to your pension when you retire.

The logic is very simple: you usually start a family in a larger apartment, fit for two adults with children, who then go on to buy their own when they grow up, making downsizing an attractive option for ageing parents.

As long as the apartment increases in value in line with or above general inflation, the difference you pocket from buying a smaller, cheaper flat can grow and supplement your retirement income—either directly or through a CPF top-up, which can also earn you an additional government grant.

Once we accept that prices should keep going up, then it’s only inevitable that they must reach the million-dollar mark at one point.

In fact, some are approaching S$2 million already, like the recent record-setter in Bukit Merah, sold for S$1.728 million with 92 years left on its lease. Expect to see more of those each year.

Apartments outpaced incomes by less than you think

Between 2015 and 2025, the Resale Price Index increased by about 50.7%. At the same time, the median household market income has gone up by 42.7%, against cumulative inflation of around 19 %.

So, yes, Singaporeans are paying relatively more for housing than a decade ago, but not by much, just 8%

Now, consider the opposite scenario: what if home prices had stayed level in the same conditions?

It would certainly be a boon for buyers of second-hand HDBs, but the elderly could lose close to 1/5th of their nest egg, eaten away by inflation. It wouldn’t be a reason to celebrate. On the contrary, it would suggest that the system has failed those it was supposed to help when they really needed it.

After all, new entrants still enjoy BTO benefits and make a substantial profit between the launch price and MOP. The elderly may, at most, receive a CPF grant of up to S$40,000, which wouldn’t cover their losses.

So, the ideal range within which resale HDB prices should fluctuate is above inflation but below salaries. It is where all Singaporeans benefit. Those still at work can afford bigger, better homes, while those in retirement can extract more value from theirs.

For the past 10 years, that range would fall between 20 and 42%—a bit below the 50.7% recorded. But even then, the number of million-dollar apartments reaching the market would still be high, and grow each year.

It’s inevitable.

And there’s no reason to complain, because one day, this relentless march upwards is going to benefit you too.

• Read other articles we’ve written on Singapore’s current affairs here.

Featured Image Credit: bill.roque/ depositphotos

As simple of a concept flow batteries are, the used chemicals can still be somewhat problematic in the context of a school experiment. To this end [Markus Bindhammer] decided to implement a flow battery version that uses compounds from green tea for its electrolyte, based on a German research paper from 2016.

These organic flow batteries can use gallic acid, pyrogallol as well as the polyphenols in green tea, making them rather safe even in the hands of more careless students. The demonstrated flow battery uses a carbon electrode with activated carbon around it to increase surface area, a platinum wire electrode, and a graphite foil as as third electrode.

In the paper a silver electrode is also used, along with the additional electrodes, and a terracotta flower pot as the barrier between the carbon and graphite electrodes, with [Markus] further explaining that there are fortunately cheaper options than what he is using, especially with the flower pot instead of a special ceramic vessel.

The electrolyte solution has epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) dissolved in it, which here comes in the form of finely ground green tea powder (commonly known as matcha), which so happens to be pretty rich in this substance. In the below graphic by [Markus] you can see the complete set of solutions and other relevant details.

Of course, the performance of this type of flow cell isn’t amazing, with a cell voltage of less than a volt and a few mA of current, but it’s enough to spin a small fan, and to light up a few LEDs. This would be more than enough to demonstrate the reaction and flow cells in general, as long as you don’t mind donating some tasty matcha to science.

The news comes amid the official opening of a new premises, which is also part of NTT Data’s €16.5m investment.

NTT Data, a Tokyo-headquartered AI, digital business and technology company has today (17 June) announced the creation of 50 jobs to be based out of a new Dublin office. The new premises replaces a previous Dublin-located base of operations and is part of a €16.5m investment into the local economy.

According to the organisation, the investment will focus primarily on jobs creation, as well as AI and digital services R&D in association with business and academic institutions. NTT Data has expanded its Ireland–based workforce by 50pc since 2025 and the newly announced roles are expected to be filled over the course of the next six months. 

NTT Data has stated it regards Ireland as a critical market and its Irish client base includes a range of insurance companies, banks, and telecoms firms such as Three Ireland and Eir. The company also said the new Dublin office will illustrate a commitment to supporting Ireland’s businesses with the latest research and technologies.

Commenting on the announcement, Michael Lohan, the CEO of IDA Ireland, said: “NTT Data’s new Dublin office and investment of €16.5m is a strong vote of confidence in Ireland and a clear sign of the company’s long-term commitment to growing its presence here. 

A key part of IDA Ireland’s strategy is to support Ireland as a global location for next-generation technologies, including AI and to help companies scale high-value capabilities from Ireland for international markets. 

“NTT Data’s focus on research and development strengthens the wider technology ecosystem, deepening collaboration with Irish talent and academia and driving innovation that will benefit businesses and communities across the country.”

Niccolo Spataro, the executive managing director for the UK and Ireland at NTT Data, added, “Ireland has a growing economy and a well-established and dynamic tech sector. Today’s announcement reflects our commitment to Ireland. The organisations that move decisively on AI will define their industries for years to come, and we intend to be the partner that helps Ireland’s leading enterprises do exactly that.”

In late May, in Galway, global healthcare technology company Medtronic also announced the creation of new roles amid the establishment of a European software development hub for its patient care systems function.  

New roles at the Galway site will be in areas such as leadership, software engineering and systems reliability and the hub will serve as a global ‘centre of excellence’ for cardiac digital health. 

Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

The Tour de Suisse 2026, the 89th edition of the race, will be five days long rather than the usual eight and in an innovative move to give the fans more chance to see the action each day, the stages will start and finish in the same town.

Heading the list of contenders is the GOAT himself Tadej Pogačar who will be racing for the first time since winning the Tour de Romandie at the end of April. Challenging for the overall will be Tom Pidcock, Primož Roglič and Richard Carapaz then of those looking for stage wins keep a close eye on Matthew Brennan and Mathieu van der Poel.

Cyber Essentials has always been the UK’s baseline cybersecurity standard.

It’s a practical floor designed to block common attacks and ensure business resilience when organizations implement them, rather than treating the scheme as lip service.

Microsoft confirmed that it’s working on a security patch for a Defender zero-day vulnerability named “RoguePlanet,” disclosed one week ago.

The security researcher who published a RoguePlanet exploit during the June 2026 Patch Tuesday (known as Nightmare Eclipse) said it affects fully patched Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices and allows attackers to spawn command prompts with SYSTEM privileges via a Microsoft Defender race condition.

He shared a proof-of-concept exploit in a self-hosted Git repository, claiming that Microsoft had previously targeted and removed their repos hosting exploits on GitHub and GitLab.

“The exploit is a race condition, so it’s a hit or miss. I have managed to get a 100% success rate on some machines while it struggled to work on others,” Nightmare Eclipse said.

“Microsoft is aware of the reported vulnerability and is actively investigating the validity and potential applicability of these claims. Microsoft is committed to investigating security issues and updating impacted products to protect customers as soon as possible,” a Microsoft spokesperson told BleepingComputer when asked for a statement at the time.

On Tuesday, one week after the RoguePlanet flaw was disclosed, Microsoft assigned the CVE-2026-50656 ID to this security flaw and confirmed it’s currently working on a patch, but didn’t acknowledge that Nightmare Eclipse was the one who found the vulnerability.

“Microsoft is aware of an elevation of privilege in the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine in Microsoft Defender publicly referred to as ‘RoguePlanet,’ it said in an advisory published yesterday. “We are working to provide a high quality security update that addresses this vulnerability. We will provide information in this CVE when the update is available.”

The RoguePlanet release is part of an ongoing dispute between Nightmare Eclipse and Microsoft over the latter’s bug bounty and vulnerability disclosure practices.

Over the past several months, the researcher has publicly leaked multiple Windows zero-day exploits, including for the BlueHammer, RedSun, GreenPlasma, MiniPlasma, YellowKey, and UnDefend flaws. Some of these zero-days affect Microsoft Defender, while others target BitLocker and Windows components.

The company reacted to Nightmare Eclipse’s disclosures by issuing warnings of legal action when people engage in “malicious activity causing real harm to our customers,” leading cybersecurity experts and researchers to believe that Microsoft was threatening the researcher.

Microsoft fixed the GreenPlasma, MiniPlasma, and YellowKey flaws last week as part of the June 2026 Patch Tuesdayupdates.

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