The partnership will bring together Bull’s supercomputing infrastructure and Equal1’s ‘breakthrough’ silicon-spin quantum computers.

Bull, a Paris-based high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence and quantum technology company, is to partner with Dublin start-up Equal1, a silicon-powered quantum computing technology provider. 

Equal1 and Bull stated that their deal will “advance the next generation of hybrid quantum-classical technologies with European solutions”, at a time when quantum computing is beginning to transition from promise to practical reality.

The pair said the partnership will combine Bull’s supercomputing infrastructure and quantum emulation expertise with Equal1’s breakthrough silicon-spin quantum computers, as agreed in a memorandum of understanding. 

The collaboration will focus on three core pillars – technical integration, joint research and development to advance innovation, and a focus on sovereign European projects whereby both companies will collaborate on EU-led quantum initiatives amid the global quantum race.

Commenting on the announcement, Bruno Lecointe, the senior vice-president and global head of HPC, AI and quantum at Bull, said: “The convergence of high-performance computing and quantum technologies is redefining how we address the world’s most complex challenges. 

“10 years after launching the first quantum emulator of the market, innovation has always been part of Bull’s DNA and we remain committed to designing hybrid architectures that help translate emerging technologies into operational capability.

“By integrating Equal1’s silicon-spin quantum servers into our Qaptiva ecosystem, we are enabling a seamless bridge between HPC, quantum emulation and quantum execution. This alliance ensures our customers can leverage quantum-centric supercomputing to achieve real-world outcomes with unprecedented efficiency and performance.”

Jason Lynch, the CEO of Equal1, added: “By building quantum processors on standard silicon, we are turning quantum from bespoke laboratory hardware into deployable infrastructure. This collaboration with Bull is a vital step in bridging the gap between breakthrough hardware innovation and industrial workloads. 

“Together, we are positioning our joint solutions as the standard for high-performance computing, enabling seamless integration into existing data centres and driving a more sustainable digital future.”

Earlier this year, Equal1 announced it had raised $60m in a funding round led by Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, with participation from Atlantic Bridge, the European Innovation Council Fund, Matterwave Ventures, Enterprise Ireland, Elkstone and TNO Ventures.

At the time, Equal1 said that the investment would enable deployment to HPC centres – including to the European Space Agency’s Phi-lab in Italy – advance the roadmap towards “millions” of on-chip qubits, scale manufacturing and grow its team.

Last week, the Dublin-based start-up said it would partner with Californian quantum infrastructure software maker Q-Ctrl for the deployment of rack-mounted quantum computers in enterprise data centres.

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• Intel and Google signed a multi-year deal to keep Xeon in cloud infrastructure
• Google Cloud instances C4 and N4 already run on Xeon 6 processors
• Intel and Google are co-developing custom IPUs for networking and storage

Intel and Google have announced a multi-year collaboration that will keep Intel Xeon processors at the heart of Google Cloud infrastructure for the foreseeable future.

The agreement spans multiple generations of Xeon chips and includes systems used for AI workloads, inference tasks, and general-purpose computing across Google’s global data centers.

The Kraken cryptocurrency exchange announced that a cybercrime group is trying to extort the company by threatening to release videos showing internal systems that host client data.

The company’s Chief Security Officer, Nick Percoco, stated that the incident did not put client funds at risk and involved an insider threat, with two instances of improper access to limited customer data by support employees.

Kraken says that it will not pay or negotiate with the threat actor.

“We are currently being extorted by a criminal group threatening to release videos of our internal systems with client data shown if we do not comply with their demands,” stated Percoco.

“It’s important to start with the most important points: our systems were never breached; funds were never at risk; we will not pay these criminals; we will not ever negotiate with bad actors.”

Kraken is a U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange that enables millions of users across 190 countries to buy, sell, and trade digital assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and 200 others.

It is considered one of the largest and most established exchanges, with a daily trading volume of hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars.

Following a “tip from a trusted source” in February 2025 about cybercriminals circulating a video demonstrating access to its client support systems, Kraken initiated an investigation and uncovered a support employee recruited by the threat actor.

More recently, Kraken received a tip about another, more recent video showing insider access to its systems.

In both cases, the company reacted quickly by revoking the employee’s access, launching investigations, and strengthening controls. Where user exposure was identified, Kraken notified affected users directly.

According to Percoco, the incident affects only about 2,000 accounts, which represents 0.02% of Kraken’s user base. For this small subset, the exposed information reportedly only concerns client support data.

Kraken stated that its investigation has gathered enough evidence to legally prosecute all involved individuals attempting to blackmail them, and the company is closely working with federal law enforcement across multiple jurisdictions towards this goal.

Insider threats and malicious recruitment are a broader problem impacting multiple industries, and especially the cryptocurrency sector.

In mid-2025, it was revealed that another major American cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase, suffered a data breach after hackers bribed employees of an India-based customer support agency to disclose to them private client support information.

In that case, the incident impacted 70,000 customers, with Coinbase estimating the total financial damages to be $400 million.

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Google has introduced a new app for Windows desktops and, unsurprisingly, it puts AI front at center. If you aren’t a big fan of Google’s Gemini chatbot, then skip on past this download. For those of you who are heavy Gemini users, though, this could mean a simpler and more integrated experience on Windows machines.

Once installed, you can pull up the app’s search bar with the Alt + Space shortcut. Queries typed into this open-ended search box can hunt down information from the web like typical Google search, where AI Mode will be enabled for an extra layer of artificial intelligence for follow-up questions or a deeper dive down a rabbit hole. But the app isn’t limited to web search. It can delve into your computer’s files, other installed apps or Google Drive files to retrieve information. Screen sharing is also built into the app, which enables using Google Lens to conduct AI-powered searches on content displayed on your monitor.

The app is rolling out globally today in English. Interestingly, this hasn’t been gated to the most recent Windows 11, but it does require a machine running at least Windows 10.

The Batman: Part II is now set for an October 1, 2027 release, following multiple delays that pushed the sequel well beyond its original 2025 window. The extended timeline reflects a longer development cycle for director Matt Reeves’ follow-up, with the script only recently completed and production now expected to begin in spring 2026.

The sequel continues Reeves’ grounded take on Gotham, which began with The Batman in 2022. That film earned over $770 million globally and established a more detective-driven version of Bruce Wayne, set within what Reeves has described as an “epic crime saga.” Part II is expected to build directly on that foundation, exploring the aftermath of Gotham’s collapse and Bruce’s evolving role within it.

The delays have been tied to both industry-wide disruptions and Reeves’ deliberate approach to the script. DC Studios co-head James Gunn has confirmed that a completed draft is now in place, allowing the project to move forward after a prolonged development phase. With production finally on the horizon, the sequel is shifting from uncertainty to execution.

Robert Pattinson will return as Bruce Wayne/Batman and there are details with regards to the other cast as well. In a recent interview to French reality show C à vous, Pattinson shared that  “The new script is so, so good, I’m very excited about it.” However, that is not all there is to update about this much-talked about film and thus, here is a complete rumor roundup.

When is The Batman Part II releasing?

The Batman: Part II has seen several release date changes. The Batman Part II was initially supposed to premiere on October 3, 2025. Unfortunately, nothing is guaranteed in the world of filmmaking.

The Batman Part II‘s release date was pushed by nearly a year to October 2, 2026. The film was then delayed again by almost another year. The Batman Part II is now scheduled to premiere on October 1, 2027. Oof.

Yes, the world will have to wait even longer to see Pattinson suit up again, marking a five-year span between the original film and the sequel. The delays stem from a combination of factors. The writers’ and actors’ strikes slowed development across Hollywood, while Reeves took additional time to finalize the script. Given the scale and expectations surrounding the sequel, the extended timeline appears to be a deliberate choice rather than a production setback.

The result is a five-year gap between the first film and its sequel — longer than typical superhero franchise timelines, but not unusual for director-driven projects of this scope.

What’s the plot of The Batman Part II?

Plot details remain tightly under wraps, but the sequel is expected to continue directly from the events of The Batman.

The first film ended with Gotham flooded and its institutions exposed as deeply corrupt. Bruce Wayne, having begun his transformation from a symbol of vengeance into a figure of hope, now faces a city in deeper chaos. Crime is likely to rise in the power vacuum left behind, setting the stage for a more complex and unstable Gotham.

My money is on Batman facing Thomas Elliot, a.k.a. Hush. Once a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne, this villain is famous for teaming up with the Riddler in the comics, as well as recruiting multiple other villains to battle and torment Batman with his knowledge of the hero’s true identity. At one point, Batman was even forced to fight a brainwashed Superman because of Hush.

The Batman did have the Riddler reveal that Bruce’s father inadvertently caused the death of a reporter named Edward Elliot. Given his surname, Edward may very well be Hush’s father. Combined with online rumors, it seems likely that the sequel will feature Hush as the main villain, seeking vengeance against Bruce for his father’s role in Edward’s murder.

Reeves also revealed that Bruce Wayne is going to have trouble being the hero Gotham needs.

“This was a time of great turmoil in the city, it’s literally the week after what happened,” he explained to Digital Spy. “Much of the city is in desperation, so police can’t get everywhere, there’s crime everywhere, it’s a very, very dangerous time. [Batman’s] out there trying to grapple with the aftermath of everything that happened, which to some degree he blames himself for.”

Even in the recent interactions, Reeves has indicated that the sequel will explore that instability, focusing on how both Batman and Bruce Wayne evolve in response to the city’s changing conditions.

Who is in the cast of The Batman Part II?

When Warner Bros. announced The Batman Part II in April 2022, only Pattinson was confirmed to return as Bruce Wayne/Batman. This seemed pretty obvious, given he plays the franchise’s lead character. Regardless, we’re almost 100% sure these core cast members will return: Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.

Reeves confirmed to SFX magazine that Colin Farrell’s character, Oz Cobb/The Penguin, will be part of the movie. Farrell also starred in HBO Max’s spinoff series, The Penguin, which chronicled Cobb’s rise to the top of Gotham’s criminal underworld.

Farrell already shared his expectations for the sequel and what his contract with the franchise entails. “I signed up for three Batman films, but I didn’t know if I’d be in the second film,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “Matt Reeves is a brilliant writer and an extraordinary filmmaker, and what I’m most excited-slash-nervous about in the second film is not what Oz does – or what predicaments he finds himself in, or what moments of success he gets to experience – but what his voice is.”

“I was told I have five or six scenes. I don’t have any hopes or any expectations. I’m really an open book, and that’s the way I get excited by shit or not,” he continued. “I think sometimes actors, if they have a career that has a certain length of time, they sometimes get to make too many decisions. Which isn’t to say I won’t push back or argue or fight in Oz’s corner – I do believe I know him better than anyone now.”