Tech

Microsoft debuts Surface RTX Spark Dev Box to run large AI models without cloud costs

Published

3 weeks ago

5 June 2026

Microsoft on Monday unveiled the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, a compact desktop computer designed to let software developers run large AI models on their desks instead of paying for cloud computing — a move that directly challenges the per-token pricing model that has defined the AI industry’s economics since ChatGPT launched three and a half years ago.

The device, announced at Microsoft Build 2026, packs Nvidia’s new Blackwell-architecture RTX Spark processor and 128 gigabytes of unified memory into a small-form-factor chassis, delivering what Nvidia rates at one petaflop of AI compute. In practical terms, that means a developer can load, run and interact with AI models exceeding 120 billion parameters without sending a single API call to the cloud.

“These class of devices, we think, will get to about 100 billion parameter model running,” Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s executive vice president of Windows and Devices, said during a press briefing ahead of the event. He emphasized that raw model size is only part of the equation: “The model size is one thing, but for the model to be effective, it kind of needs to be able to have enough context, because a larger model, you feed it larger context.” At 100,000 tokens of context, he noted, the key-value cache alone can consume 40 to 50 gigabytes of memory — which is precisely why Microsoft and Nvidia engineered the device around a 128-gigabyte unified memory pool shared dynamically between the CPU and GPU.

The machine will be available later this year in the United States, sold exclusively through Microsoft.com. The company did not disclose pricing.

Why Microsoft is betting that AI’s future runs on fixed costs, not cloud meters

The Surface RTX Spark Dev Box arrives at a moment when the economics of AI development have become a boardroom-level concern. Companies large and small are grappling with cloud GPU bills that scale unpredictably: every fine-tuning run, every inference call, every agentic workflow that loops through a frontier model accumulates cost. For a developer iterating rapidly on a prototype — running the same model dozens or hundreds of times a day — those charges compound fast.

Microsoft is framing the Dev Box as a release valve for that pressure. Andrew Hill, corporate vice president of Surface, wrote in the announcement blog post that the device “changes that equation” by letting developers “reserve frontier model calls for truly frontier problems and handle the rest on their own hardware.” The pitch is not that cloud computing is obsolete, but that much of the work currently being sent to remote data centers does not require state-of-the-art models and would be better served by capable local hardware with predictable, fixed costs.

This is a significant strategic shift for Microsoft, a company that derives tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue from Azure cloud services. By selling hardware that explicitly reduces customers’ cloud dependency, Microsoft is acknowledging a tension that has been building across the industry: the marginal cost of AI inference at scale is unsustainable for many teams, and the market is demanding alternatives. The bet appears to be that developers who prototype locally will still deploy to Azure when they need to scale — and that owning both ends of that workflow is more valuable than owning only the cloud.

Inside the 128GB unified memory architecture that makes local AI possible

The technical architecture of the Dev Box reflects a set of deliberate engineering choices aimed at sustained, not peak, performance — a distinction that matters enormously for AI workloads that can run for hours.

At the center is Nvidia’s RTX Spark system-on-chip, which combines an ultra-efficient ARM-based CPU with a Blackwell-generation RTX GPU. In a traditional Windows PC, Davuluri explained during the briefing, this configuration would require four separate components: a CPU, a discrete GPU, dedicated graphics memory and system RAM. The RTX Spark collapses all of that into a single chip paired with a single unified memory pool.

That unification is the critical design decision. Conventional gaming laptops with high-end Nvidia GPUs top out at roughly 24 gigabytes of GPU-accessible memory. The Dev Box’s 128 gigabytes of unified memory — accessible to both the CPU and GPU through what Nvidia calls its Unified Memory Access architecture — is what makes it possible to load models that would otherwise require cloud GPU instances with specialty high-bandwidth memory configurations.

Microsoft did substantial work at the operating system level to exploit this architecture. The company implemented new memory management logic in Windows that raises the ceiling on how much system memory the GPU can address, introduces smarter page-size allocation for shared memory regions and ensures that heavy GPU workloads do not starve the CPU of the resources it needs for multitasking. The Windows scheduler was also optimized for RTX Spark’s heterogeneous core layout, routing demanding workloads to performance cores while keeping efficiency cores available for background tasks.

How a 3D-printed aluminum chassis doubles as a heatsink

The thermal design is equally deliberate. The Dev Box operates within an approximately 100-watt sustained thermal envelope — modest by desktop standards, but meaningful for a device intended to run training jobs and inference workloads continuously. The aluminum chassis itself is engineered to function as a passive heatsink, and the method Microsoft used to build it is among the most striking details about the machine.

The top panel is manufactured using metal 3D printing, a process that enables internal geometries too complex for conventional CNC machining or injection molding. The perforations are not simple through-holes; they are angled in multiple directions around the internal fan to optimize airflow from cold-air intake through heat dissipation. During the press briefing, Harry, a Surface industrial designer, explained the rationale: “The complexity is something other manufacturers wouldn’t be able to do, like CNC, or like any molding, because of the complexity of shape.”

When asked whether 3D printing would constrain mass production, the designer acknowledged the challenge but suggested Microsoft had developed a process robust enough to scale. The result is a machine that runs quietly enough for an open office while sustaining the kind of continuous GPU workloads that would throttle most conventional desktops of similar size. For a device that Microsoft expects developers to leave running overnight on fine-tuning jobs, quiet sustained performance is not a luxury — it is a requirement.

A developer-first setup that eliminates hours of configuration

Microsoft is shipping the Dev Box with Windows 11 Pro pre-configured at the image level for development work — a detail that sounds minor but reflects a growing recognition that the out-of-box experience for developer hardware has historically been poor.

The machine boots into a dark theme with a simplified taskbar, widgets removed and Do Not Disturb enabled. Developer Mode is turned on. PowerShell 7 is the default shell. WSL 2 — the Windows Subsystem for Linux — comes pre-installed with GPU passthrough and CUDA support already configured. Visual Studio Code, GitHub Copilot, Git, Python and Node.js are all installed and ready.

“We’ve said, ‘Hey, you know what, we got you, you want to go fast,’” a Microsoft engineer who demonstrated the configuration during the briefing told VentureBeat. The philosophy, he explained, is that developers were going to install all of these tools anyway — the friction was in the hours of setup and configuration that stood between unboxing a machine and writing the first line of code.

The Dev Box also ships with integration points across Microsoft’s AI stack: AI Toolkit for VS Code for model conversion and fine-tuning, Windows ML and Windows Copilot Runtime for local inference, and Microsoft Foundry for connecting local prototypes to cloud deployment pipelines. For enterprises, the device integrates with Entra ID and Intune for identity and device management, and includes Secured-core PC architecture, BitLocker encryption and Microsoft Defender.

Why Apple’s Mac Mini may not be the real competition anymore

The most obvious competitive comparison is Apple’s Mac Mini, which has dominated the compact-desktop category and has been widely adopted by developers drawn to Apple Silicon’s unified memory architecture and power efficiency.

Davuluri addressed the comparison directly during the briefing, saying the Dev Box is “in a different class of performance than Mac Minis, intentionally.” He declined to share specific benchmarks, noting that detailed specifications and performance targets would come closer to the fall launch. But the architectural advantage Microsoft is claiming is clear: while the current Mac Mini with M4 Pro tops out at 48 gigabytes of unified memory and the M4 Max configuration reaches 128 gigabytes, the RTX Spark Dev Box pairs its 128 gigabytes with a Blackwell-class GPU that has a fundamentally different CUDA-based compute model — one that the vast majority of the AI/ML ecosystem’s tooling (PyTorch, TensorRT, llama.cpp, Hugging Face frameworks) is already optimized for.

That CUDA ecosystem advantage is difficult to overstate. While Apple’s Metal framework has made progress, the overwhelming majority of AI training and inference frameworks are built and tested first against Nvidia’s CUDA stack. A developer running models on the Dev Box can use the same code, the same libraries and the same workflows they would use on a cloud GPU instance — a level of portability that Apple Silicon cannot currently match.

From laptop to supercomputer: Microsoft’s three-tier plan for local AI hardware

The Dev Box is one piece of a three-tier hardware strategy Microsoft laid out at Build. The Surface Laptop Ultra, announced days earlier at Computex, brings the same RTX Spark silicon into a 15-inch laptop form factor for developers and creators who need portability. At the other end of the spectrum, the DGX Station for Windows — built on Nvidia’s GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Superchip — targets organizations that need to run frontier models up to one trillion parameters on a deskside system. That machine is expected in the fourth quarter of this year.

The three devices map to a tiered computing model that Microsoft is calling “unmetered intelligence”: small on-device language models (the company’s new Aion 1.0 family) handle lightweight tasks at zero marginal cost; RTX Spark-class hardware runs mid-range models locally for the bulk of development work; and cloud resources are reserved for genuinely frontier-scale problems.

The GitHub Copilot CLI is getting a concrete implementation of this model with a new feature called /fleet, which allows a cloud-based primary agent to build a plan, assess the complexity of each task and route appropriate subtasks to a local model running on the developer’s hardware. The cloud agent handles what requires frontier capability; the local model handles what does not. The result, in theory, is lower cost without lower quality.

The real question is whether hybrid AI can shift from buzzword to business model

Whether Microsoft’s bet pays off depends on questions that will take months to answer. How does the Dev Box actually perform under sustained, real-world workloads? What will it cost? How quickly will the open-source model ecosystem continue to produce capable models in the 70-to-120-billion-parameter range that fit within its memory envelope? And perhaps most critically: will enterprise procurement teams, trained to think of AI as a cloud line item, accept a capital expenditure on desk hardware as an alternative?

The strategic logic, however, is difficult to dismiss. For three years, the AI industry has operated on an implicit assumption: serious AI work happens in the cloud, and the economics of that arrangement are simply the cost of doing business. Microsoft, a company with every incentive to reinforce that assumption, is now selling a machine that undermines it. That is not a contradiction — it is a recognition that the market is moving, and that the company that controls the developer’s local environment and the cloud they deploy to has a more durable advantage than one that controls only the cloud.

Every dollar a developer does not spend on cloud inference is a dollar that can fund another experiment, another iteration, another prototype. For years, the AI industry told developers they needed to rent their intelligence by the token. Microsoft is now asking a different question: what if you could just buy it?

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Cyrus Audio 80 PRE and 80 PWR Set for First Public Demo at North West Audio Show 2026

Published

3 minutes ago

27 June 2026

NewsAdmin

Cyrus Audio will give visitors their first public opportunity to hear its forthcoming 80 PRE streaming preamplifier and 80 PWR power amplifier together at the North West Audio Show 2026. The pair will be demonstrated ahead of its official launch in the Doug Brady HiFi room at De Vere Cranage Estate in Cheshire on June 27 and 28.

Cyrus has spent more than four decades building its reputation around compact half width components, so the 80 Series is not a subtle change of direction. It is the company’s first full width range, aimed at listeners who want the convenience of BluOS streaming, HDMI eARC, vinyl playback, balanced connections, and real Class A/B power without assembling a rack full of unrelated boxes. Cyrus first unveiled the 80 Series during High End Munich 2025, showing the new full-width components at Motorworld Munich.

Cyrus has never quite received the attention it deserves from North American listeners. That is not because the Cambridgeshire manufacturer lacks engineering chops or musical credibility. eCoustics has spent the past several years covering and reviewing Cyrus components, including the One HD, i7-XR, CDi-XR, 40 Series, and now the 80 Series, and the pattern has been rather consistent: thoughtfully engineered products with real sonic authority, strong phono stages, and a design language that has always been more distinctive than universally embraced.

In a market where Naim, Rega, Cambridge Audio, and Linn command far more dealer-floor oxygen, Cyrus has remained something of a cult favorite. The 80 PRE and 80 PWR may finally give the brand a more obvious path into larger North American systems and conversations.

Related Reviews:

Cyrus 80 PRE Brings Streaming, Vinyl and TV Into One Box

The 80 PRE is far more than a conventional line stage. Cyrus has built BluOS streaming directly into the preamplifier, along with an ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M DAC and support for lossless playback up to 24 bit/192 kHz. It is also Roon Ready, supports AirPlay 2 and MQA decoding, and uses a five inch color TFT display rather than the tiny windows and ancient button arrays that still plague more than a few upscale components.

Connectivity is properly comprehensive. The 80 PRE includes four analog inputs, MM and MC phono inputs, two optical and two coaxial digital inputs, asynchronous USB B, HDMI eARC, balanced XLR input and output, plus both standard and balanced headphone outputs. That makes it a legitimate control center for a mixed system with a turntable, television, computer, streamer, and power amplifier all under one roof.

For Cyrus, the larger chassis is the story. The company has finally given its engineers more physical space to work with, while still allowing the 80 Series to pair with its smaller 40 Series components. That means owners could use the 80 PRE with the 40 CD, 40 PPA phono stage, or TTP turntable rather than being forced into a single all or nothing ecosystem.

Cyrus 80 PWR Adds 200 Watts of Class A/B Power

The matching 80 PWR is a Class A/B power amplifier rated at 200 watts in stereo mode and 300 watts when bridged for mono operation. It uses balanced XLR inputs and can be run as a stereo amplifier initially, with a second unit added later for a monoblock system. That is a sensible upgrade path for listeners with difficult loudspeakers or rooms that require more headroom than an integrated amplifier can comfortably provide.

Cyrus has not yet published the usual deeper measurements that serious buyers will want to see, including the impedance at which those power ratings are measured, damping factor, distortion, and dynamic output into lower loads. The published specifications confirm the basic architecture and headline power, but not the full engineering autopsy.

The Bottom Line

The 80 PRE and 80 PWR are significant because they represent Cyrus’s first serious full width separates platform, combining BluOS streaming, HDMI eARC, MM/MC phono, balanced connectivity, and Class A/B power in a system designed to grow with the owner.

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What we still do not know is just as important: final pricing, release timing, 4 ohm output, distortion and damping figures, power supply details, and whether the new larger format delivers the authority Cyrus is promising. Cranage will reveal whether this is a proper Yorkshire pudding or merely a well dressed soufflé that collapses the moment the DALI speakers get demanding.

Demo System & Availability

Doug Brady HiFi will demonstrate the 80 PRE and 80 PWR with the Cyrus TTP turntable, Cyrus 40 Series phono preamplifier, and DALI Epikore 3 standmount loudspeakers in the Stephenson 2 room. The setup is clearly intended to show that Cyrus sees the 40 and 80 Series as complementary rather than competing ranges.

Cyrus’s product pages currently list no pricing or formal retail date. UK retailer listings, however, show the 80 PRE at $5,995 (£4,499) and the 80 PWR at $5,295 (£3,999), with availability expected in August 2026. Those figures should be treated as dealer information until Cyrus confirms final pricing and availability market by market.

For more information: cyrusaudio.com

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2027 MacBook Pro rumors: OLED, Dynamic Island, touchscreen

Published

30 minutes ago

27 June 2026

NewsAdmin

Apple’s MacBook Pro is set to receive an overhaul, with a redesign, an an OLED touchscreen expected to be the key changes. Here’s what the rumor mill has to say about the device.

While AppleInsider readers have wanted a Mac with an OLED screen for years, actual claims of an OLED-equipped MacBook Pro date back to at least 2019. As for when such an upgrade might arrive, it depends on who you ask.

Leakers and analysts alike have had a lot to say about the future of the MacBook Pro, with claims of hardware changes, performance upgrades, and more. Some have even claimed Apple’s touchscreen laptop will be called the MacBook Ultra.

Here’s everything rumored for the next major MacBook Pro upgrade.

OLED MacBook Pro: Release date rumors

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs had called touchscreen laptops “ergonomically terrible” in 2010, and software chief Craig Federighi echoed the sentiment in 2018, when he called touchscreen laptops “experiments.”

Open laptop on a dark surface displaying a forest wallpaper with tall sunlit trees, green undergrowth, and a digital clock reading 12:27 centered near the top

Apple is expected to introduce a redesigned MacBook Pro in either early 2027 or late 2026.

“We really feel that the ergonomics of using a Mac are that your hands are rested on a surface, and that lifting your arm to poke a screen is a pretty fatiguing thing to do,” said Federighi in 2018. However, rumors of a touchscreen MacBook Pro surfaced the very next year.

Reports from May 2019 and August 2021 said Samsung was reportedly set to produce OLED MacBook Pro screens. In January 2020, an Apple patent revealed the company hadn’t ruled out the idea of a touchscreen MacBook Pro.

Since then, multiple sources have chimed in on the matter, all saying that an OLED MacBook Pro with a touchscreen was in development. Opinions on when it would be released, however, differed.

A November 2021 report from The Elec said the MacBook Pro would only gain an OLED panel in 2026. The same publication, however, said in July 2023 that the touchscreen MacBook Pro would actually be released in 2027 with an eighth-generation OLED panel.

Just days later, the same source went on to say that the MacBook Pro would actually be updated with a sixth-generation OLED panel in 2025. Then, in February 2024, they said the MacBook Pro with an OLED screen would actually arrive in 2027.

In January 2025 and February 2025, however, the same publication said the MacBook Pro would receive a hybrid OLED panel in 2026.

In February 2026, the same source claimed that mass production of MacBook Pro OLED panels would start in May 2026. In June 2026, however, The Elec then said that mass production would begin in July 2026, which contradicted a separate leaker, who said trial production had already started in January 2026.

The publication behind these claims has a mixed track record, and it has continued flip-flopping over the years, saying that the OLED MacBook would arrive in 2025, 2026, or 2027 at different points in time.

Close-up of a laptop screen bezel showing a centered built-in webcam and microphone, with a sleek thin frame and soft reflections along the glossy display edge

Apple is expected to replace the camera notch with a punch-hole design on the next-generation MacBook Pro.

In general, however, rumored release dates for the OLED MacBook have been all over the place. In January 2023, analyst Ming Chi Kuo said Apple would ship an “OLED MacBook by the end of 2024 at the earliest.”

2024 has obviously come and gone, but Kuo has continued to make claims about the OLED MacBook Pro. In September 2025, he said the device would arrive in late 2026.

Separately, in May 2024, Omdia analysts said the MacBook Pro with an OLED screen would actually arrive in 2026. This claim resurfaced in December 2024 and July 2025. In June 2026, the analyst firm said Apple’s touchscreen-equipped MacBook Pro could debut in July 2026, which seems unlikely.

Display analyst Ross Young said in April 2023 and October 2023 that the MacBook Pro would receive an OLED panel and touch screen in 2026.

Korean publication ET News claimed in January 2023 that Apple had ordered OLED panels for the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro, for devices expected to debut in 2026. This claim was reiterated a month later, and another Korean publication said the same thing in August 2025.

Meanwhile, in January 2023, a generally reliable leaker claimed the touchscreen-equipped MacBook Pro would arrive in 2025. However, by August 2025, their claim had changed to “late 2026 or early 2027.”

This alleged late 2026 through early 2027 release date was reiterated in November 2025 and January 2026 by the same source.

In February 2026, the leaker was more specific, saying that the OLED MacBook Pro would debut in late 2026. In April 2026, however, they claimed that the revamped MacBook Pro was more likely to arrive in 2027, due to an ongoing industry-wide memory shortage.

More recently, in June 2026, they suggested that Apple has abandoned its plans for M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, opting to focus on the AI-focused M7 line of Apple Silicon system-on-chips instead.

On June 26, 2026, they claimed Apple would use the current M5 Pro and M5 Max chips for its touchscreen MacBook Pro. The laptop is still expected to debut “between late 2026 and early 2027.”

Over the years, the same source listed 2025, 2026, and 2027 as release dates for the OLED-equipped MacBook Pro, so it’s still not entirely clear when the laptop will arrive.

As for verifiable information, AppleInsider learned in July 2025 that MacBook Pros bearing the device identifiers K114 and K116 were in development. The two laptops were tested with internal distributions of macOS Tahoe and were seemingly never intended to debut before macOS 26.5, as we learned in October 2025.

In short, the revamped OLED MacBook Pro will most likely debut in early 2027 or late 2026, depending on who you ask. In any case, though, there’s no doubt Apple has been researching the concept.

Apple’s touchscreen MacBook patents

Ideas for touchscreen Macs can be seen in Apple patents as far back as August 2010, and the company hasn’t abandoned associated research efforts.

Line drawing of an open laptop, labeled personal computer, showing a large touch screen above a keyboard and a rectangular track pad area below the keyboard

A 2024 Apple patent with an illustration of a MacBook Pro equipped with a touchscreen. Image Credit: Apple.

An Apple patent, filed in 2023 and granted in September 2024, titled “Touch Sensing Utilizing Integrated Micro Circuitry,” featured an illustration of a MacBook Pro with a touchscreen.

The text, meanwhile, repeatedly refers to “an example personal computer that includes a trackpad and an integrated touch screen.” Another Apple patent from March 2024 detailed an all-glass MacBook Pro with a touchscreen, further suggesting the company has plans for a radical MacBook Pro redesign.

An Apple patent from August 2024 details a different approach, with multiple touchscreens across different areas of a MacBook Pro. An October 2020 patent, meanwhile, outlined how a traditional MacBook keyboard might be replaced with a deformable touchscreen.

Apple executives Greg Joswiak and Craig Federighi said, in April 2021 and June 2025, respectively, that the company has no plans to merge the iPad and Mac. However, Apple’s own research suggests the Mac will become more iPad-like, thanks to the addition of a touchscreen.

OLED MacBook Pro: Display & hardware rumors

The cornerstone of the K114 and K116 MacBook Pro models is expected to be the addition of an OLED panel and touchscreen.

Open laptop on a wooden desk showing a large analog clock on a dark screen, with soft orange light glowing on the wall behind it

Apple’s OLED-equipped MacBook Pro will likely be powered by the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.

With macOS Golden Gate offering support for touch-based input via Sidecar on iPad, a touchscreen Mac would make sense. In June 2026, a leaker with a mixed track record said that the touchscreen MacBook Pro is “100% confirmed,” which isn’t much of a surprise, given that all previous reporting mentioned a touchscreen.

According to an October 2025 rumor, Apple has developed a reinforced hinge meant to offset any display bounce when the MacBook Pro touchscreen is used. The same report also says that the updated MacBook Pro will feature a hole-punch design for the built-in camera, meaning it may not have a notch like the M5 models.

A hole-punch camera design would be a good hardware fit for the new-and-improved Siri AI. On iOS 27, Apple’s virtual assistant shows up as part of the Dynamic Island, so Apple might opt for a similar approach with the MacBook Pro.

While a touchscreen is sure to change the way users interact with their MacBook Pros, an OLED panel would significantly improve the visual experience. Relative to the LCD screen of the M5 MacBook Pro, an OLED panel offers an improved contrast ratio and better response time.

The difference between an OLED panel and an LCD screen is especially noticeable when viewing images and videos with the color black. Movie scenes with lots of darkness or shadows typically look better on an OLED screen, appearing black rather than the sort of blue-ish gray you’ll often find on LCD screens.

To be more specific, though, according to a July 2023 rumor, Apple will use an eighth-generation OLED panel with LTPO TFT technology.

LTPO TFT is short for Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-Film Transistor. This display technology combines the benefits of both LTPS (Low-Temperature Polysilicon) TFT and IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) TFT technologies.

LTPO TFT would allow for improved power consumption and longer battery life on the MacBook Pro, compared to traditional TFT technologies. Samsung Display is expected to be the supplier for MacBook Pro OLED panels, per multiple sources.

The touchscreen MacBook Pro is expected to feature a reinforced hinge design.

As for what will power the OLED MacBook Pro, the device is expected to feature the current M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, per a rumor published on June 26, 2026. This means performance will be comparable to the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max variants of the MacBook Pro, which debuted in March 2026.

According to an earler to a June 2026 rumor from the same source, Apple has abandoned the development of M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. The second-generation touchscreen MacBook is, instead, expected to use Apple’s M7 Pro and M7 Max chips.

Apple still has plans for a base M6 chip, which is expected to feature a memory bandwidth of 200GB/s, up from 153GB/s on the base M5 chip. However, according to a November 2025 rumor, it will only be used in the base-model 14-inch MacBook Pro, which will use the existing M5 design without a touchscreen or OLED screen.

Our own findings suggest this will be the case as well. As AppleInsider pointed out in October 2025, the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro bears the identifier J806, while the OLED MacBook Pros are broadly known as K114 and K116.

While chip and performance upgrades are to be expected, Apple is also said to have been exploring another upgrade for the MacBook Pro. According to a February 2024 rumor, Apple at one point considered adding a proprietary cellular modem to the MacBook Pro.

Devices like the iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e, and M5 iPad Pro already feature Apple-designed modems. A December 2024 report claimed Apple was exploring adding a second-generation cellular modem to the MacBook Pro, and that the upgrade would not occur before 2026.

As for what the OLED-equipped MacBook Pro might be called, an April 2025 rumor says Apple will choose “MacBook Ultra” as the marketing name. This would expand the “Ultra” branding used for the Apple Watch and top-tier Apple Silicon chips.

However, this might not happen anytime soon. Apple was similarly expected to unveil an iPhone Ultra back in 2023, though that never amounted to anything.

As of late June 2026, there are no significant rumors about the battery capacity, speaker count, ports, or color options of the touchscreen MacBook Pro.

Hardware elements aside, the revamped MacBook Pro will likely be quite expensive. In June 2026, Apple increased the starting price of the M5 Pro MacBook Pro to $2,499, and that of the M5 Max MacBook Pro to $4,099.

The touchscreen-equipped models will likely hit an even higher price. The current memory chip shortage isn’t expected to end in 2027, and at this point it’s not reasonable to expect it to end in 2028 either.

What to expect with the 2027 MacBook Pro

Overall, it looks as though the next-generation MacBook Pro will deliver the following improvements over the current M5 lineup:

OLED screen with better contrast, faster response times
Touchscreen and touch-compatible apps, features
Dynamic Island
Redesigned thinner chassis with a reinforced hinge

The touchscreen-enhanced MacBook Pro is expected to debut either in early 2027 or late 2026.

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How to watch New Zealand vs Belgium: Free Streams & TV Channels for World Cup 2026

Published

44 minutes ago

27 June 2026

NewsAdmin

New Zealand and Belgium go head-to-head for the first time ever, in a crucial World Cup 2026 Group G fixture that’s a virtual knockout. The Red Devils guarantee progress with a win, while the All Whites will need other results to go their way.

Belgium may be overwhelming favorites against the 84th-ranked Kiwis, but they have blown tepid and cold so far, the goalless draw with Iran particularly dispiriting. Even their 1-1 draw against Egypt came courtesy of an own goal, sparked by Romelu Lukaku’s introduction. Yet the Napoli forward and Kevin De Bruyne looked off the pace against Iran and coach Rudi Garcia will need Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard on form to extend Belgium’s 15-match unbeaten streak with a necessary victory.

New Zealand, meanwhile, are bottom. They let a lead slip twice against Iran in a 2-2 draw and then squandered another early advantage against Egypt, eventually falling to a 3-1 defeat. With recent form not on their side – four losses from their six games in 2026 – Darren Bazeley will hope for a stronger defensive display and rely on the likes of Chris Wood and Elijah Just to provide the goals at the other end.

New Zealand need to win to have a third-place route, while hoping Iran fail to beat Egypt if they’re to finish second.

So, read on as we show you exactly how to watch New Zealand vs Belgium for free from anywhere in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

How to watch New Zealand vs Belgium for free

New Zealand vs Belgium is available to watch for free in multiple countries, including the UK, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey.

Abroad? Can’t access your free stream? Unblock your free World Cup stream with Norton VPN – more on that below.

Use a VPN to watch New Zealand vs Belgium live streams

It’s the World Cup, and if you’re traveling, you might discover your usual New Zealand vs Belgium stream is suddenly unavailable due to geo-restrictions.

Don’t worry, that’s exactly where a VPN can help. A virtual private network lets you connect to servers around the world so you can securely access your usual World Cup coverage as if you were back home.

We recommend Norton VPN. Here’s why:

How to watch New Zealand vs Belgium in the US

US viewers can watch New Zealand vs Belgium on Fox and Telemundo (Spanish comms).

You can watch every World Cup game on Fox, FS1 and Telemundo, which are available on cord-cutters like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

Those looking for a streaming service instead can watch New Zealand vs Belgium on Fox One (3-day free trial). Telemundo is available via Peacock as well.

Visiting the US from the UK? You can still watch your World Cup stream for free thanks to Norton VPN (try for 60 days).

How to watch New Zealand vs Belgium in the UK

UK customers are in luck as they can stream New Zealand vs Belgium for free on BBC iPlayer. Live coverage is also available on the BBC One TV channel.

You require a TV Licence and a valid UK postcode for an account (e.g. SE1 7PB).

Norton VPN can unlock your stream if you’re abroad today.

How to watch New Zealand vs Belgium in Australia

New Zealand vs Belgium will be shown for free in Australia on SBS On Demand.

The streaming platform has every game of the tournament for free, making it the perfect place for your World Cup viewing.

Traveling for work or on holiday? A VPN like Norton VPN can help unlock your free stream.

How to watch New Zealand vs Belgium in Canada

In Canada, TSN and free-to-air channel CTV will be broadcasting New Zealand vs Belgium.

You can live stream via the TSN+ streaming platform, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.

CTV will require your TV provider login details, but is also available via pay-TV streaming platform Crave if you want an alternative.

Outside of Canada? Use Norton VPN whilst you’re traveling away from home to unlock your stream.

New Zealand vs Belgium: Match Information

What time does New Zealand vs Belgium start?

New Zealand vs Belgium kicks-off at 4am BST / 1pm AEST on Saturday, June 27. That’s 11pm ET on Friday, June 26 in the US.

What are the squads for New Zealand vs Belgium?

New Zealand

Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe (Millwall), Alex Paulsen (Lechia Gdansk), Michael Woud (Auckland FC)

Defenders: Tim Payne (Wellington Phoenix), Francis de Vries (Auckland FC), Tyler Bindon (Sheffield United), Michael Boxall (Minnesota United FC), Liberato Cacace (Wrexham), Nando Pijnaker (Auckland FC), Finn Surman (Portland Timbers), Callan Elliot (Auckland FC), Tommy Smith (Braintree)

Midfielders: Joe Bell (Viking), Matthew Garbett (Peterborough United), Marko Stamenic (Swansea City), Sarpreet Singh (Wellington Phoenix), Elijah Just (Motherwell), Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix), Ben Old (Saint-Etienne), Callum McCowatt (Silkeborg), Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle), Lachlan Bayliss (Newcastle Jets)

Forwards: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest), Kosta Barbarouses (Western Sydney Wanderers), Ben Waine (Port Vale), Jesse Randall (Auckland FC)

Belgium

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Racing Strasbourg)

Defenders: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting), Maxim de Cuyper (Brighton), Koni de Winter (AC Milan), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Nathan Ngoy (Lille), Joaquin Seys (Club Brugge), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Midfielders: Kevin de Bruyne (Napoli), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Girona)

Forwards: Charles de Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Matias Fernandez-Pardo (Lille), Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica), Diego Moreira (Strasbourg), Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal)

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Group G Table
Position Advertisement	Team	GD	Points
1 Advertisement	Egypt	2	4
2 Advertisement	Iran	0	2
3 Advertisement	Belgium	0	2
4 Advertisement	New Zealand	-2	1

Can I watch New Zealand vs Belgium on my mobile?

Of course, most broadcasters have streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or via your phone’s browser.

You can also stay up-to-date with all of the key World Cup moments on the official social media channels on X/Twitter (@FIFAWorldCup), Instagram (@FIFAWorldCup), TikTok (@FIFAWorldCup) and YouTube (@FIFA).

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Ford rehired 350 engineers to fix what its AI systems got wrong

Published

57 minutes ago

27 June 2026

NewsAdmin

TL;DR

Ford rehired 350 engineers after AI failed to replicate veteran expertise, then hit No 1 in JD Power quality for the first time in 16 years.

Ford has admitted that it had to rehire experienced engineers after its AI systems failed to deliver the quality the company expected. Charles Poon, Ford’s VP of vehicle hardware engineering, told reporters that the automaker mistakenly believed it could swap in AI and still produce a high-quality product. The admission, first reported by The Verge, comes as Ford earned the top spot among mainstream brands in JD Power’s initial quality ranking for the first time in 16 years.

The problem was not that the AI was fundamentally broken, Poon explained, but that experienced workers left before they could transfer their institutional knowledge into the systems meant to replace them. Without decades of engineering judgment encoded in the training data, Ford’s automated tools amplified weak inputs rather than catching design flaws. The company rehired, newly hired, or promoted 350 experienced engineers to fill the gap.

Poon was vague about why those workers left, but the broader picture is not. Ford has shed roughly 5,300 salaried positions since its 2020 employment peak, part of a wider contraction across Detroit’s automakers that has eliminated more than 20,000 white-collar jobs. CEO Jim Farley has said publicly that AI “is going to replace literally half of all white-collar workers in the US,” a prediction his own company’s quality crisis now complicates.

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The 350 returning engineers were tasked with mentoring junior staff, rebuilding the data pipelines that feed Ford’s AI training, and refining the automated systems they were originally supposed to be replaced by. Ford also created a dedicated 40-person software quality assurance team and added more than 100,000 AI-powered automated tests to catch edge cases and revalidate software changes late in development.

The turnaround was enough to push Ford to the top of JD Power’s 2026 initial quality study, which measures problems reported by owners in the first 90 days of ownership. Ford scored 152 problems per 100 vehicles, ahead of Nissan and Buick. The F-150, Mustang, and Super Duty each won best in segment for the second consecutive year.

The quality win does not erase a rougher track record. Ford has led US automakers in recalls this year, issuing 51 so far in 2026 covering more than 11 million vehicles, more than double the next-closest manufacturer. It also joins a growing list of companies discovering that removing human judgment from AI-driven workflows creates problems the technology cannot fix on its own.

The episode lands at a moment when AI companies and policymakers are scrambling to figure out what the transition means for workers. OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon, and Microsoft this week backed RAISE US, a $500 million nonprofit led by former commerce secretary Gina Raimondo to retrain American workers for the AI economy. Ford’s experience suggests the harder problem is not retraining but knowing which workers you cannot afford to lose in the first place.

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12 Power Tools You Can Skip (For Now) If You’re Starting A Tool Collection

Published

1 hour ago

27 June 2026

NewsAdmin

Getting started with power tools can be rather overwhelming. There are quite literally hundreds to choose from, and a dozen or more competent brands that make them. There is often no indication of what tools a beginner should or shouldn’t purchase. So, how does one choose? Well, the first thing one might do is come to an article just like this one because sometimes, asking another human being is the best possible way forward.

The good news is that there are absolutely power tools that a beginner should start with. We have a whole separate article for those, and most beginners will do just fine with that starter list of tools. On the other end of the spectrum are tools that may seem like a good idea at first but will ultimately either end up gathering dust or prove too much for the task you have planned. Unlike hand tools, which can sit on a shelf for decades without degrading, power tools need batteries. If you have a bunch of tools you never use, those batteries will simply degrade over time.

So, if you’re a beginner and you’re looking for power tools to buy and avoid, we highly recommend clicking the link in the prior paragraph for tools you should start with and then scrolling down for tools that you can skip for now until you get a better idea of what you need or want to do with them.

Hammer drill

A cordless drill and even a cordless impact driver make for great beginner power tools. They have tons of uses, and if you’re active in home improvement projects or home repair, you’ll use them all the time. However, there is such a thing as a hammer drill, which is the stronger, burly older brother to the drill and impact driver. Many brands sell these, and you’ll easily find them at your local Harbor Freight, Home Depot, or Lowe’s. They use the same batteries as their smaller counterparts, so it may seem like a good idea to have one.

Well, this is today’s edition of bigger is not always better. Hammer drills do have specific purposes and aren’t good at everything. They work by having an internal mechanism that acts like a mini jackhammer. In short, take a normal drill, use it, and imagine someone smacking the back of it with a hammer very quickly, and you get the general idea. That extra forward hammering helps the hammer drill into masonry materials like stone, concrete, brick, and cinder block. This is vastly overkill for most home repair uses, where the strongest materials you’re likely to run into are wood and drywall.

For now, get yourself a good cordless drill, and you can often find them in combo kits with impact drivers. Save the hammer drill for later when you’re sure that you’re going to actually need one, or borrow one from your neighbor.

Tile saw

A tile saw is another good example of a tool you’ll probably use only once and then never again. It’s made for cutting tile like the kind you see on floors or kitchen backsplashes. There are two types of tile saws. Dry ones score the tile, making it easier to snap it into the shape you want, while wet tile saws use diamond-tipped saw blades cooled with water to cut all the way through the tile for more precise cuts. Most major power tool brands make both types, and as a beginner, you don’t need either of them.

The reason is pretty simple. Most DIYers will only need to work with tile a few times. Tile lasts a very long time. We’re talking decades between replacements. That means most first-time homeowners wanting to redo all their tile will probably only need to do so once or twice in their entire lives. Thus, it seems like a good idea to buy a tile saw for that big renovation, but after that renovation is done, you won’t really need it anymore, and it’ll sit on a shelf somewhere collecting dust.

For projects like the ones described above, your best bet is to rent a tile saw, which you can do at places like Home Depot and other tool rental companies. It costs less to rent one of these for a few days than it does to buy a tile saw, and you won’t have to deal with storing it after you’re done.

Pipe crimper

Pipe crimper tools, also known as press tools, are excellent tools for plumbers. They work by essentially pressing pipes and fittings together, alleviating the need to solder them. When used properly, the connections won’t leak. This saves plumbers tons of time, effort, energy, and fume inhalation versus soldering a pipe together. The most well-known ones are made by Milwaukee, and if you’ve ever hired a plumber to replace or repair pipes in the recent past, there’s a good chance they had one. As a DIYer, you don’t need one of these.

There are a few reasons. For starters, a pro-level press tool costs roughly $2,000, and while Milwaukee’s version does work with its other M12 tools, $2,000 to fit a few pipes is massive overkill for home repair. There are cheaper models out there, but the same rule of thumb applies anyway. Beginners probably shouldn’t be doing complex plumbing tasks on their first time out anyway, and buying a tool specifically for a task they may only have to do a couple of times just isn’t a good idea.

In most cases, beginners should be calling a plumber for complex pipe fixes. For simpler, minor fixes, you can get by with a hacksaw and something like a SharkBite connector that will connect two pipes together without soldering or pressing. As long as it’s installed properly, it won’t leak, and as long as you check it every now and then, you should catch any potential problems while they’re still small. Save the press tools for the pros.

Lathe

Lathes are rather large machines that fill a niche. The machine works by securely wedging an object in its jaws and spinning it around really quickly. You can then set the tool to carve or shape the material as you prefer. You put a length of wood on the lathe, spin it, and you can easily carve out a design for your chair leg. This is a hobbyist-level tool that DIYers probably won’t ever need unless they want to get into fabricating their own stuff.

There are two major reasons for this. The first is that you can usually go buy the stuff you need at a local hardware store that’ll fit just fine. Lathes are best for custom-making stuff, and unless that’s on your docket, there’s no reason to have one. The other is that lathes are large tools that take up quite a lot of space. Thus, if you own one and don’t use it, you have almost a whole table dedicated to a big machine that doesn’t get any use.

You can buy decently powerful lathes from most hardware stores, including Harbor Freight. If you make it past the beginner stage of power tools and find yourself wanting to start making your own stuff, then a lathe should be on your list. Otherwise, just buy it from a hardware store and go about your day. It’s easier and cheaper that way.

Biscuit joiner

There comes a time when you may need to get two pieces of wood to connect together in such a way that screws or nails won’t work. Biscuit joiners, also known as plate joiners, help with that. They work by affixing two pieces of wood together using “biscuits,” which are small pieces of compressed wood that fit into slots cut into each piece of wood that needs to be fit together. The joiners then press that wood together (in combination with something like wood glue) to turn two wood boards into one.

If you’re having trouble visualizing how that process works, then you probably don’t need this tool. It’s a woodworking tool often used in woodworking and by hobbyists who make their own furniture, cabinets, and things like that. There is virtually no reason to own this as a beginner since you’ll have virtually no occasion to use it, and thus, having one is almost entirely a waste of money. There are YouTube videos and other sources that will sing the praises of this thing. Don’t listen to them, at least not yet.

The kinds of projects that require something like this are well within the bounds of intermediate or expert levels. You should definitely know what it does in case you ever feel like getting into woodworking or building your own stuff. However, that is not usually a place where beginners begin, so keep it in your bookmarks for right now.

Cordless ratchet

Cordless ratchets are a real thing. They work just like regular ratchets and are often used in automotive applications, often in place of pneumatic ratchet wrenches, when someone has to loosen or tighten a whole bunch of nuts and bolts. These also come in a couple of different flavors, although the most common ones tend to be the type where you just grip it and rip it, and the tool does all the work. There are real benefits to these, but as a beginner, you probably don’t need one.

There are two reasons why. The first is that you probably don’t need to loosen so many nuts and bolts that having a tool that does it that quickly will save you any measurable amount of time. People who use these are often professionals or hobbyists who have to deal with nuts and bolts all the time. Spending upwards of $300 for the tool and batteries to loosen the occasional nut just isn’t a good idea, especially since most of them don’t come with sockets.

That takes us to our second reason, which is that you can find reasonably priced ratchet and socket sets that cover all your common bases. Since hand tools often come with a lifetime warranty, you’ll get more bang for your buck by getting a ratchet and socket set first, and then if you find yourself needing one all the time, then you should consider something like a cordless ratchet, since you’ll already have the sockets at home.

Router

Routers are another woodworking tool that no beginner should ever need. They’re used to cut wood. This can be used for decorative purposes if you’re crafting something or to cut channels, notches, or grooves into wood for functional uses like joining two pieces of wood together. If you’ve ever seen a cool beveled edge on a cabinet or cutting board, there’s a good chance it came from a router. You can buy these at any hardware store, and most of them are pretty decent for their intended purpose.

The reason beginners should stay away from these is virtually identical to the biscuit joiner and other woodworking tools. These are used for creating things, and beginners usually don’t start by designing cabinet doors or cutting boards, nor are they performing surgery on wood to combine pieces together. This is definitely an intermediate or advanced tool, and not a great choice if you’re just starting out.

To compound the issue, there are various types of routers, including fixed-base, plunge, combination, and trim routers, each of which has its own features, functions, and use cases. However, if you are stubborn and must get one, the combination router is the most beginner-friendly since it combines fixed-base and plunge routers. This gives it more versatility, making it more likely to be a tool you’ll actually use. However, if you don’t intend on doing a lot of woodworking, you can skip owning a router entirely.

Cultivator, tiller, or auger

Yard tools are a whole animal, and there are many that beginners should absolutely get, like a lawn mower, string trimmer, and leaf blower. These aren’t traditionally powered with electricity, but there are many electric brands and models today. That means there are a lot of other power tools designed for outdoor use, like augers, cultivators, and tillers. These tools specialize in breaking up soil and digging holes for the purposes of replanting, gardening, or other such activities, and unless you’re really into messing with your lawn (or gardening), you can skip these tools altogether.

These ones are tricky because they seem like a good idea at the onset. After all, you have a lawn, and it needs work, and these tools essentially do that exact thing. However, most of the jobs that these tools handle really only need to be done once in a great while unless you have a garden, which you may want to cultivate more frequently. This is much the same as woodworking tools. They’re great if you enjoy the hobby or work on this stuff professionally but are mostly worthless if you don’t do either of those things.

There is one exception. Many brands now have string trimmers that support attachments. These give you a way to add extra versatility to your string trimmer, like a cultivator add-on, without needing a whole other tool to do it. For one-off projects, you can also rent these tools pretty easily.

Table saw

Table saws are some of the most common and popular power tools in the world. They’re widely considered the heart of a woodworker’s kit, and they’re useful for a lot of things. Their claim to fame is the ability to make long, clean cuts, which is perfect for cutting down wood into all sorts of shapes for various home improvement projects. Most major brands make them, and they’re available at almost any hardware store. As a beginner, you can probably skip this one if you’re just starting out.

Table saws are undoubtedly useful, and one day, when you make it to intermediate status, this is likely to be the first tool on your list, especially if you get into building stuff like tables, chairs, or other furniture. However, if you’re just starting out, you can do most of your cutting with more beginner-friendly tools like circular saws. It may not be as clean, but you only need to consider investing in one of these if you’re doing some bigger projects on a regular basis.

So, like most of the other saws on this list, it’s a matter of experience rather than use. If you end up getting into building your own shelves or building a deck on the regular, then a table saw is a valuable asset to have in your shop. Otherwise, keep it simple and save the time, money, and space, and avoid it for now.

How we chose these tools

This list was actually pretty easy to make. There are two types of tools that beginners really want to avoid. The first is pro-use tools, like the press tools that squeeze pipes together, as these perform tasks that DIYers will rarely have to deal with more than once or twice if at all. That makes them a waste of space and money. The other is tools with niche use cases, like a lathe, where they’re really only useful for folks who perform that kind of work often or as a hobby. The list above has several of these, but the list is also not exhaustive. For example, this Milwaukee M12 16 Gauge Variable Speed Nibbler isn’t on the list above, but it’s both a pro-use and niche tool, and is completely pointless for a beginner to own.

To narrow down the list, we chose tools that most people have at least heard of and may have seen in use around their neighborhood or in a high school shop class. After that, I drew on nearly a decade of experience as a homeowner and DIYer to narrow the list even further. For example, I still don’t have a reason to own my own table saw, and I’m hardly a beginner anymore.

Finally, this list isn’t about brands, but more about the tools themselves. The recommendation is for beginners to hold off on buying tile saws in general, rather than focusing on any particular brand.

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Linux Foundation Launches Akrites To Coordinate AI-Driven Open Source Security

Published

1 hour ago

27 June 2026

NewsAdmin

BrianFagioli writes: The Linux Foundation has announced Akrites, a new initiative to coordinate vulnerability disclosure and remediation for critical open source software as AI dramatically speeds up vulnerability discovery. Founding members include AWS, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Red Hat, NVIDIA, IBM, Cisco, JPMorganChase, and others. Akrites will provide a shared Security Incident Response Team (SIRT), a standardized coordinated vulnerability disclosure process, and act as a “maintainer of last resort” for abandoned but widely used packages.

The goal is to reduce duplicate reports, avoid conflicting patches, and help upstream maintainers address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. As AI makes it easier to find security flaws, can a coordinated industry effort help protect open source, or does it risk giving large corporations too much influence over the ecosystem? “Akrites is the largest coordinated effort in history to create systems and deploy tooling that leverages the collective power of the community to make everyone safer,” the Linux Foundation said in an open letter. “Akrites participants will contribute engineering resources; work to build and ship fixes; or fund the engineers who do. Some companies have contributed mightily already. The reality is, collectively, we need to contribute more.”

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Ukrainian Company Unveils Portable Armored Bunkers For The Front Lines

Published

2 hours ago

27 June 2026

NewsAdmin

The Russo-Ukrainian War has been a proving ground for many advancements in military technology, including the latter’s experimental anti-aircraft laser weapon that first broke cover in early 2026. Similarly, Ukrainian company Parabella has developed a fascinating new miniature bunker that it showcased at the Eurosatory international defense exhibition in Paris, France, from June 15 to 19. This bunker’s main selling point is that it’s designed for easy transportation and setup on the frontlines, but those features are just the start.

As reported by Militarnyi, these defense capsules are intended to take serious beatings. They feature a 16-mm-thick (0.63 inches), three-layer armored steel body, with openings covered by metal screens to protect those inside without compromising their view of the outside. The bunker allows up to 10 armored occupants a full 360-degree field of view, ensuring they can keep abreast of developments on the battlefield. Overall, it looks as if Parabella’s new bunker could prove to be another notable innovation to come out of Ukraine. That said, it’s far from the first small bunker to be deployed during a military conflict.

Small bunkers aren’t new to the battlefield

A dilapidated military pillbox shelter on a beach.

Jim B 105/Shutterstock

The Parabella bunker is the latest in a long line of small warfare shelters. Such structures have seen battlefield use for decades, including in some of history’s biggest conflicts. For instance, WWI and WWII saw Europe become a hotbed for small concrete fortifications known as pillboxes. They often featured small holes to fire out of, and were often built to blend in with their environments. Unlike the Parabella bunkers, though, these shelters weren’t intended to move around once set on the ground.

Ukraine has form with small armored structures, too. It introduced the MOS-2 — a hexagonal metal structure designed to withstand small-arms fire and provide soldiers a point from which to shoot back — back in 2015 (via LB.ua). Additionally, in the early 2020s, the Metinvest Group notably created several dozen mobile, military-grade steel shelters for Ukrainian forces. These were highly durable tube-like shelters capable of withstanding 152 mm artillery fire and came equipped with beds, stoves, weapon storage, and other essentials. These shelters were set into the ground and covered with wood beams, but were also mobile enough to be moved without cranes or special equipment.

The new Parabella mobile bunker seems an impressive step forward in troop defense, alongside other Ukrainian developments such as its impressive new fleet of interceptor drones. The bunker appears to be a logical evolution of some of the small battlefield shelters that came before it, although time will tell just how viable it will be under real-world conditions.

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Spain To Require Carriers To Keep Mobile Networks Live During Power Outages

Published

2 hours ago

27 June 2026

NewsAdmin

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Spain will require mobile networks to have backup systems that maintain connectivity when power outages occur. Per a royal decree that will be approved by the end of 2026, mobile network operators (MNOs) and infrastructure companies will need to install batteries or other backups to keep service active for at least four hours during a blackout.

The mobile network rules will apply to businesses that serve at least 500,000 users or generate upwards of 50 million euros ($56.9 million) in annual revenue. The decree will stipulate that half of the population will need to be covered by this failsafe within the first year, then 65 percent in the second year and three quarters in the third.

[…] The decree will require other key infrastructure elements to remain up and running for a certain period after a power outage. For instance, control centers that could impact all of Spain if they were to go offline will need to remain in service for at least 24 hours. Emergency call centers will also need to have plans in place to maintain operations, as Reuters notes. The move is in response to the widespread blackout across the Iberian peninsula in 2025, which left more than 50 million people without power. Experts called it “the most severe and unprecedented blackout that had occurred in Europe in the past 20 years.”

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13 companies recruiting experts in the Industry 4.0 space

Published

2 hours ago

27 June 2026

NewsAdmin

If you are looking for a new opportunity in an Industry 4.0 career check out these 13 organisations.

Careers in Industry 4.0 are wonderfully broad, in that there are a range of opportunities open to professionals with the necessary qualifications.

Connected factory floors, industrial IoT, smart manufacturing and sustainability are among the fields redefining working life for STEM professionals. With that in mind, SiliconRepublic.com has compiled a list of some of the organisations creating opportunities for innovative and future-focused early-career starters and experts.

Accenture

Irish technology consulting platform Accenture is looking for a consultant or team lead for infrastructure and capital projects in advisory and whole life cycle management. The role is available in Dublin and Cork, with some travel expected, and combines “deep industry expertise with leading-edge digital technologies to help clients transform how capital projects are executed and how assets are managed”, from early strategy and design through to operations, optimisation and decommissioning.

On the advisory side, the right candidate will work at the intersection of business consulting, programme delivery and digital asset transformation, across sectors such as utilities, transport, energy, healthcare and public infrastructure.

Also based out of Dublin and requiring some travel, is a role for an AI and machine learning (ML) solutions lead. Among other responsibilities, the job will involve leading AI solution delivery across the full life cycle, from architecture and build through to production deployment, across financial services, public sector and industry clients. Professionals will also design and build multi-agent AI systems and manage and develop a team of AI/ML engineers.

Amgen

Pharmaceutical company Amgen is looking to recruit a senior automation engineer at is Dún Laoghaire facility. The professional who gets the role will be a member of the ADL plant automation team which is responsible for supporting drug product manufacturing, maintaining automation systems in a GMP environment and implementing optimisation projects.

Among the expectations for whomever fills this role will be system ownership and reliability, support and troubleshooting, continuous improvement and championing Industry 4.0 initiatives.

Deloitte

Global professional services company Deloitte is looking to recruit an SAP extended warehouse management specialist, in a hybrid capacity for both the Cork and Dublin facilities. Experience in the manufacturing, retail, FMCG and pharmaceutical sectors is highly valued, as is expertise in warehouse management processes including inbound/outbound logistics, inventory management, slotting, labour management and automation technologies.

There is also a Dublin and Cork AI and data delivery lead role that would be suited to professionals with skills in Industry 4.0 type roles. Responsibilities will include leading the end-to-end delivery of AI and data programmes across discovery, development, and deployment phases, managing and mentoring delivery teams specialising in AI, machine learning and data analytics solutions, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and data governance frameworks throughout project life cycles, driving innovation by integrating emerging AI technologies into complex enterprise environments and overseeing project risks, timelines and budgets to ensure successful delivery.

Henkel

German multinational chemical and consumer goods company Henkel currently has an opening for a process safety engineer. The role is Dublin-based and the process safety engineer will be expected to develop and maintain a detailed understanding of the manufacturing processes under their responsibility through direct engagement with plant operations, review of process documentation, participation in production activities and independent use of plant information systems.

Though not necessarily a requirement, the right candidate could benefit from having qualifications or certification in areas such as science, engineering, chemicals, mechanics, process safety, industrial engineering or a related discipline.

Someone with Industry 4.0 skills may also be interested in applying for the currently vacant project engineering and shift process supervisor roles, which demand many of the skills and qualities suited to other jobs in the sector.

Liberty IT

For professionals with the necessary skills, there is a software engineer MLOps position available to jobseekers based in Galway and Belfast, at Liberty IT, the technology arm of the insurance company Liberty Mutual Insurance.

The successful candidate will join the analytics tech engineering group and will focus on building experimental computer vision pipelines to improve underwriting analysis, help to train model pipelines and work collaboratively in a data science and engineering team. There is also a similar principal software engineer MLOps position available, also out of the Belfast and Galway offices.

MSD

At MSD, there is a senior manufacturing biotech associate role open to a qualified expert looking to work out of the Dunboyne, Meath facility. Critical skills for the role include biopharmaceutical manufacturing, good manufacturing practices (GMP), production operations, regulatory compliance, teamwork and the ability to work independently.

Optum

At Optum, there is a principal data scientist, network analytics and AI enablement job on offer in both Dublin and Donegal. The primary responsibilities of the job include coding, contributing to the development of big data systems, pipelines, tools and models, building LLM-assisted workflows using prompt engineering, retrieval and human-in-the-loop reviews, triaging AI and ML opportunities, defining business requirements and contributing to the evolution of data science infrastructure, among others expectations.

Also in Dublin, there is a relevant product manager for AI and ML solutions role. The professional who gets this job will be part of the AI/ ML solutions team for underwriting at Optum Rx and will be responsible for re-imagining key business processes leveraging AI and will work with business and technical stakeholders across multiple teams.

PwC

Global professional services company PwC has plenty of roles focused on AI and automation, for professionals looking to work in Industry 4.0. Job vacancies include a Dublin-based AI Azure architect manager position in data and AI, a role for an Azure cloud engineer and a data and AI transformation senior manager or director.

Rent the Runway

Galway’s Rent the Runway has multiple opportunities for a professional to excel in a role aligned with Industry 4.0 goals and expectations, such as a manager for data engineering position.

The person who earns the job will lead the team responsible for building, operating and evolving the company’s core data platform, combining strong engineering leadership with a deep understanding of data systems, data quality, platform reliability and stakeholder needs.

They will be responsible for leading a team of data engineers, setting technical direction, driving delivery of strategic data initiatives and ensuring that the data warehouse, pipelines, models and data platform infrastructure are reliable, scalable, secure and well-governed.

There are also opportunities for professionals qualified to work as a software engineer.

TCS

IT services, consulting and business solutions platform TCS has opportunities open to professionals based around a number of Irish locations. Currently advertised jobs include Azure data engineering, senior software engineer for SCALA and staff software engineer.

Viatris

Healthcare company Viatris has room in its Dublin-based operations for a supply chain network manager whose role will involve governing supply chain flows at a global level. The right candidate will coordinate activities for documentation, evaluation and approval of new supply chain flows and connect with business stakeholders, subject matter experts and approvers. They will be actively involved in the business integration projects of markets, supply chain hubs and internal manufacturing sites.

There is also a planning master data analyst position, as part of a 12-month contract. The role involves defining, governing and maintaining high-quality planning master data across SAP and advanced planning systems in support of global supply chain operations.

Workhuman

Irish human capital management firm Workhuman has two positions well suited to a professional eager to work in an Industry 4.0 capacity. The first is an open role as an AI architect, where the right person for the job will work across product, data and enterprise to architect and ensure the viability of the AI strategy.

The second job vacancy is for a software engineer III.

Yahoo

If you are thinking of embarking upon a career at tech giant Yahoo and have skills aligned with jobs in the Industry 4.0 space, then there are two opportunities that you might be interested in. The first position is as a senior data engineer and the second is as a senior software apps engineer.

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.

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Airbus Is Ordered To Inspect 16 Jets After Cracks Are Found In Wings

Published

2 hours ago

27 June 2026

NewsAdmin

schwit1 shares a report from The Wall Street Journal: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has ordered (PDF) urgent inspections of 16 Airbus A380 planes operated by Emirates and Qantas, after cracks were found in a wing component on some aircraft (source paywalled; alternative source).. Cracks were found during earlier inspections of the wing spars structure, a key component of the wing, EASA said in a directive effective Wednesday. EASA determined that they “could reduce the structural integrity of the wing.”

“To address this potential unsafe condition, Airbus determined that an additional special detailed inspection has to be accomplished,” EASA said. The first group of five aircraft, operated by Emirates, need to be inspected immediately, while the second group of 11 aircraft can be inspected later but within 25 flight cycles, EASA said in a separate statement. From the second group, 10 are operated by Emirates and one by Qantas, the aviation safety agency said.

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