Author: bibhuti

Three-year-old Mach Industries has acquired solid rocket motor startup Exquadrum in a $50 million cash-and-equity deal, the Huntington Beach-based defense startup tells TechCrunch. Exquadrum — now rebranded as Mach Energetics — has been fully folded into Mach’s operations, giving it direct control over one of the most important, and constrained, components in modern unmanned systems. The deal itself started with a lucky break. The two companies first connected last September when an Exquadrum customer at an MIT recruiting event happened to overhear a Mach recruiter mention that the company was in the market for a solid rocket motor supplier. Introductions…

Key TakeawaysCoinbase detected possible coercion as attackers tried moving assets from a customer account.Blockchain records helped investigators trace crypto and connect wallet activity.Further monitoring upgrades and police partnerships may strengthen crypto-related crime responses. Blockchain Evidence Connects Robbery to Five Convictions Crypto exchange Coinbase (Nasdaq: COIN) revealed its assistance in a U.K. criminal investigation in a blog post on May 18. The company said its blockchain intelligence work helped investigators after internal systems detected signs that a customer was being coerced during a robbery. The case ended with five convictions involving kidnapping, false imprisonment, conspiracy to rob, and money laundering. A…

V&M Store, in the former Flower Burger premises, at 62 North Street, Brighton, has applied for a licence to sell alcohol from 10am to 10pm daily. The business, owned by Satpal Singh, 42, is in an area of Brighton where the council’s policy is to turn down new off licences because the area is saturated with alcohol-led outlets. Mr Singh said in his application that all drinks would be stored behind the sales counter and would be supplied only by trained staff on request. The business would not sell strong beer or cider, he said, and would sell only multipacks…

Messaging platform giant Discord has switched on end-to-end encrypted voice and video messaging for every user. The end-to-end encryption feature means that Discord users can now communicate privately without anyone else being able to listen in to their calls, not even Discord. This is a major privacy win for the community’s hundreds of millions of users, soon after social media giant Meta pulled the plug on Instagram’s end-to-end encrypted messaging feature earlier this year. TikTok said it would also not end-to-end encrypt user messages after it became a U.S. company. Discord launched the end-to-end encrypted voice and video calling feature…

Last week was Mental Health Awareness Week, and my inbox was flooded with corporate platitudes about yoga apps, mindfulness and taking a stroll in nature.But if, like me, you run a pub, café or restaurant in 2026, a 10-minute park promenade isn’t going to cure your anxiety.You know what would though? Knowing that your energy bill isn’t going to double next month.The reality of running an independent F&B brand right now is exhausting. We’re coming off the back of the April tax hike squeeze with a staggering number of SME owners actively losing sleep over business survival. I’m not lying awake…

Most students use AI—but their attitudes toward it are ambivalent. On the one hand, they see it as helpful for working more efficiently, broadening their knowledge, and overcoming writing difficulties. On the other, they worry about becoming overly dependent on it and losing important skills, while also recognizing the value of writing without AI support. These are among the findings of a recent survey conducted by Goethe University’s Schreibzentrum with 4,048 participants. The key question now is how universities should respond. Source link

At the Google I/O 2026 keynote, the tech giant revealed new agentic capabilities in Search, where users can create, customize, and manage multiple AI agents to stay updated on topics of interest. The announcement is part of Google’s larger push toward agentic AI systems that can take initiative and assist with ongoing tasks instead of answering one question at a time. Unlike traditional search tools that respond only when prompted, Google’s information agents are designed to operate continuously in the background, 24/7, helping users stay informed about their interests without needing to repeatedly search for the same information every day.…

Wednesday 20 May 2026 12:01 am  |  Updated:  Tuesday 19 May 2026 5:24 pm The ads by John Lewis, Debenhams and Boots were ‘misleading’ John Lewis, Debenhams and Boots have been censored over “misleading” Black Friday ads after being accused of overstating the discounts on offer to shoppers.The three retail giants have had their adverts banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which monitors ads using an AI-powered tool. The watchdog has been cracking down on retailers’ pricing claims in recent months, as looming inflation means shoppers feel more motivated to snap up deals.Department store giant John Lewis was cautioned by the ASA…

Assaggini, known for its modern dining experience and Italian small plates, will be permanently shutting its Byres Road spot on May 23. The eatery will also be closing its Edinburgh restaurant on May 30. Announcing the news on social media today, Assaggini thanked customers for their support over the years. The post said: “After so many memories, late night catch ups, cocktails, celebrations and plates of pasta shared together, Assaggini will soon be closing its doors. “Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years, whether you joined us once or made us part of your weekly routine.…

Botanic Avenue prosecution follows one for Lisburn Road cafe earlier this monthStock image of Botanic Avenue(Image: Google Maps)A second cafe in a month has been fined in Belfast for allowing hookah smoking on its premises.The owner of Sahara Shisha, a café on Botanic Avenue, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a failure to prevent people smoking shisha within his premises.Mr Mesut Savcun was fined a total of £1350 plus costs of £79 for breaching smoke-free legislation under The Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006.Belfast City Council brought the prosecution following repeated visits to the cafe by Tobacco Control Officers. On five occasions,…