Proprietary note-taking apps lock your data in their ecosystems, making it hard to leave. Plain text files offer a simple, fast, and permanent alternative that you fully control. Here’s why the switch might be worth it.
Six years after its initial announcement, the Reiser5 file-system remains in an “unstable” development state. The project promises a novel approach to parallel scaling using file-system means, but its progress has been glacial.
New data shows a massive surge in cyber extortion, with phishing gangs tripling since 2020. The real story is how AI and new tactics like deepfakes and QR codes are making these attacks terrifyingly effective. Here’s what’s changing and why old defenses are failing.
Chinese AI chip designer Shanghai Biren Technology saw its shares skyrocket nearly 120% on its first day of trading in Hong Kong. The blockbuster debut, fueled by a $717 million IPO, signals intense investor hunger for China’s homegrown semiconductor sector. This surge is expected to be followed by
The flashy demos of AI are over. In 2025, the field shifted to hard questions about what works, what breaks, and the real-world costs of scaling. IEEE Spectrum’s top stories highlight this new era of practical, and sometimes problematic, integration.
Nvidia is in advanced talks to acquire Israeli AI startup AI21 Labs for up to $3 billion, according to reports. This comes amid data showing OpenAI’s stock-based compensation averaged an astonishing ~$1.5 million per employee in 2025.
Goldman Sachs is co-leading financing for a massive, off-grid power project in Texas designed specifically for AI data centers. The plan involves building modular natural gas plants to supply up to 5 gigawatts, with the first phase aiming to raise “hundreds of millions.” It’s a direct response to a
LibreOffice, the open-source office suite, is now available on Meta Quest VR headsets. The port is based on the Android app and supports hand tracking and gamepads. It’s a puzzling move in the push for VR productivity.
The much-hyped year of the AI agent has arrived, but not as promised. Instead of intelligent automation, agents are stuck simulating human clicks on websites never built for them, creating a massive infrastructure gap.
The private credit industry, once the high-flying alternative to banks, is losing its edge. With banks back in the game and returns compressing, the $2.4 trillion sector is starting to look a lot like plain old public debt markets.
