U.S. House lawmakers want to know how hackers broke into education tech giant Instructure twice, and stole reams of data from students who use the company's flagship student data software Canvas.

Spools of cable are critical for internet infrastructure and jam-proof drones but skyrocketing costs are making it hard to field them.

Are the pockets of Jeff Bezos not as deep as everyone thinks?

Scale data protection with automated governance in Unity CatalogAs data estates grow...

Blake Benson with his children, Yliee, 3, and October, 1. Courtesy of Blake Benson Blake Benson is a single dad who shares social media videos about life with his toddler and baby. He has nearly 200,000 combined followers on TikTok and Instagram. The content often shows the meals he makes for his kids and his introverted, vulnerable side. This interview is based on a conversation with tattoo artist Blake Benson, 29, of Tennessee. It has been edited for length and clarity. I bounced around a lot in my childhood and teenhood, doing stuff I shouldn't have at a young age, like drinking alcohol. After I was adopted at 15, my new family instilled in me what being a normal functioning adult involved if I wanted to be a member of society. They had a large house, and I got to see a different side of the world. When I was a kid, there were times when our home didn't have electricity. I always wanted to be a tattoo artist But I'm actually grateful for that upbringing because it taught me humility. Some people are sheltered their whole lives and don't realize that others might not be able to afford their bills. At 18, I started working in blue-collar jobs like construction and as an automechanic. But I wasn't fulfilled. I'd always wanted to be a tattoo artist, and thought it was out of my reach. Somehow, I made it happen, beginning as an apprentice who made barely any money and working my way into better tattoo places. Benson shares an apartment with his two children. Courtesy of Blake Benson. Then I met my kids' mom. We had our son, Yliee, now 3, before we got married, and then our daughter, October, now 1. We separated soon after she was born, and I was sad and miserable. I had this idea of what my family was going to look like — with the big house and white picket fence — and now it seemed impossible. I was pretty selfish during that phase, prioritizing myself and numbing myself with alcohol. I couch-surfed with friends. It wasn't as if I was a bad dad, but I wasn't stepping up in the way that I needed to. Then, around eight months ago, I realized that I had to be the adult here. I got sober, and the children came to live with me. Homemade food can make you feel loved We found our footing and got our own apartment. It has two bedrooms, but only one person can go into the bathroom at a time because it's so tiny. The kitchen is the size of a small closet. It would have been easier to live off fast food that was convenient to prepare. But I'd grown up seeing that you can provide love through cooking. My grandmother would make us Southern dishes, like biscuits and gravy, and it made us feel loved. I wanted my kids to feel the same way by taking the time to nourish them in the best way I could. I buy fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat from Walmart because I prefer to feed them meals made from scratch rather than processed. One of the dishes — steak with pesto pasta — that Benson likes to feed his children. Courtesy of Blake Benson. Breakfast might be French toast, lunch could be fruit, salad, and a kids' charcuterie board, and dinner might be something like pesto pasta and steak. I'm lucky because Yliee and October are adventurous eaters and are willing to try pretty much anything. It's become a game as they decide what they like the most. But I'm not above doing the occasional "lazy" meal like chicken nuggets and fries. It's all about balance. I want to show authenticity as a single parent I launched my Instagram and TikTok in March to record our lifestyle and the meals I make. The idea is to create a digital scrapbook for my kids. Still, I'm no longer afraid to be vulnerable in the videos. It could be why they've become so popular. It's gotten to the point where people seem genuinely to care about the kids and me. Some of the comments are so kind, they're enough to make me cry. We have our challenges, but I want to show an authentic picture of what it's like to be a single parent or guardian. I'm hoping that it will help people like me feel less alone. Read the original article on Business Insider

Attendees at Anthropic's developer conference in San Francisco Alistair Barr/Business Insider Anthropic has surpassed OpenAI in business AI adoption, according to Ramp's AI Index. Anthropic's rise has been driven by surging Claude Code adoption. AI market competition remains volatile, Ramp's economist said. Anthropic has crossed a symbolic threshold in the AI race: businesses are now spending more on Anthropic than OpenAI for the first time, according to one closely watched measure. New data from Ramp's AI Index shows Anthropic reached 34.4% business adoption in April, overtaking OpenAI at 32.3%, a dramatic reversal in a market OpenAI once dominated. Ramp helps companies pay their bills. It analyzes corporate card and bill-paying activity on its platform from more than 50,000 US businesses to track billions of dollars spent on AI services each month. The index doesn't capture all corporate spending on AI, but it's a popular way to track how this key part of the AI market is trending. Ramp's AI index Ramp Anthropic's milestone marks one of the most significant shifts in the generative AI era. Not so long ago, OpenAI was the clear leader in enterprise AI. In January, Ramp data showed OpenAI far ahead of rivals, with adoption surging across software development, research, finance, and customer support. Now, the company that ignited the modern AI boom has been overtaken by its biggest challenger. Anthropic has steadily gained momentum with corporate customers over the past year. Then, in late 2025 and early 2026, adoption surged as companies embraced Claude Code for software development. Anthropic is trying to extend that success into other enterprise workflows, such as legal operations, finance, and research. Still, the victory may prove fragile. Ramp economist Ara Kharazian warned that AI competition remains unusually volatile, with businesses rapidly switching models based on factors including cost, performance, and reliability. Rising token costs, compute shortages, and growing interest in cheaper open-source alternatives could reshape the market again within months. "We have never seen a software industry as dynamic, where newcomers can disrupt market leaders in a matter of months, and where the pace of development overrides the typical forces of vendor stickiness," Kharazian said. "So these results should not be construed to suggest Anthropic is the definitive leader in business adoption." Sign up for BI's Tech Memo newsletter here. Reach out to me via email at abarr@businessinsider.com. Read the original article on Business Insider

From October 13-15, TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will feature 200+ sessions across six stages, led by 250+ tech leaders shaping the industry today. Register now to save up to $410, plus 50% off a second pass.

The company says its new Incognito Chat allows you to use its AI chatbot without anyone else—including Meta—being able to access your conversations.

Meta said these incognito conversations are not saved, and messages will disappear by default once you close the chat.

For the first time, Anthropic has more verified business customers than OpenAI, according to this month’s AI Index from the fintech firm Ramp.

The teams say the new “touch dreaming” system can boost humanoid robot success rates by 90.9%.

The Physical AI Conference shaping the future of robotics, autonomous systems and real-world AI deployment lands in Silicon Valley this May, bringing together the engineers, builders and AI pioneers turning intelligence into physical action.  Physical AI Expo North America will take place on May 18–19, 2026 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, uniting global AI innovators, robotics leaders, […] The post Physical AI Conference Comes to San Jose as Robotics & Autonomous AI Go Mainstream  appeared first on AI News.

Western militaries aren't as used to fighting the drone threat as they are aircraft and missiles. Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images Western militaries are preparing for a new threat in drones. Their air defense systems, while capable against drones, were primarily designed with different threats in mind. With drones in the mix, combating aerial bombardments is demanding new defensive setups. Western militaries are grappling with a growing drone threat their air-defense networks were not primarily built to handle: large numbers of small, low-flying, relatively cheap targets that can be difficult to detect, classify, and defeat cost-effectively. Many traditional air-defense systems were designed around combating aircraft and missiles, threats that are usually larger, faster, higher-flying, and more distinct than small drones. "You've got very, very different requirements from a radar point of view to be good at both of those things," Justin Bronk, a top airpower expert at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute think tank, told Business Insider. The radar needs to be able to distinguish drones from birds, civilian aircraft, friendly aircraft, helicopters, and other objects, while the defenses need to be stacked. Flying low, hostile drones can remain below the line of sight of some ground-based radars until they are relatively close, which is why Ukraine has had to rely on more dispersed sensors, mobile fire teams, acoustic detection, visual observers, and other defensive layers. The advanced Western systems that Ukraine is using, such as Patriot, can detect and engage enemy drones, but they were not built primarily for that fight and are not particularly cost-effective. They are high-end defenses designed mainly for aircraft and missile threats, not cheap drones. While they can defeat drones, they are not considered the most efficient answer to the smaller, lower-flying drone technology appearing in increasing numbers on the battlefield. The advanced US-made Patriot system works against drones, but that's not the threat for which it was primarily developed. SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images Integrating purpose-built counter-drone systems into the traditional defense architecture becomes key, which militaries are starting to recognize. Robin Radar, a Dutch company making drone detection radars used by Ukraine and by US allies in the Middle East, said the challenge that drones present became very clear early in Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion. For many of the systems in Ukraine's arsenal, "the radars were too big and not designed to detect drones, maybe to detect missiles and planes," Kristian Brost, the head of the company's US operations, told Business Insider. Drones are being used in the war in Ukraine on a scale not seen before, pushing defense companies to develop solutions for detecting drone threats, even as the need to detect and stop powerful missiles remains a necessity as well. Robin Radar's CEO, Siete Hamminga, described the basic function of a radar, explaining that it "shouts and listens to the echo, which works fine if you want to detect hard ships or planes, which is what it was developed for." But he said detecting a small drone is "really a different ballgame," as they are "typically relatively slow-moving and very small." The company had to upgrade its systems to keep up with the evolving threats, like Russia's Iranian-designed Shaheds and Russian-made variants. That experience in Ukraine helped the company prepare its radars to help US allies detect Iranian drones in the Middle East. Hamminga described detecting a drone as one challenge among many. Operators may see a dot on their screen and need to determine whether it is a drone rather than, say, a bird. The company started out as a bird-detection operation protecting aircraft from bird strikes, but then it branched into drones in 2014. Now, it is assisting militaries in distinguishing between real threats and clutter. After detection comes the challenge of defeating them. Militaries need to be able to visualize the target's flight path and have the right mixture of interceptors or other weapons to take it down. Russia's war against Ukraine has sparked a surge in spending on air defenses across the NATO alliance, including on new types of air defenses that Ukraine is using and that were designed specifically to stop drones. Ukraine has built new air defenses specifically to deal with the drone threat. Francisco Richart Barbeira/NurPhoto via Getty Images In the current threat environment, militaries need air defenses that can handle a wide range of threats at once, from small drones to cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and aircraft. Mixed bombardments can put tremendous stress on a defensive system. "You also need to be aware that there's no silver bullet," Hamminga said. "You need to combine multiple sensors, you need to integrate them with different forms of intervention, bring all of that together in a command and control setting." Bronk, the RUSI airpower expert, explained that air defense is "hugely complicated and requires linking together lots and lots of different types of sensors that are all kind of placed and optimized for covering different geographical areas, but also different altitude blocks and different, broadly speaking, speeds of threats." He said a highly effective air defense system that can deal with a host of threats "requires you to layer multiple types of air and missile defense systems around an object or area that you want to protect," ranging from the high-end systems that can stop ballistic missiles to ones that can stop small drones, and systems in between. That's an expensive task, requiring many advanced systems along with operator training and maintenance. However, it is not possible to stop everything. It's usually harder and more expensive to defend than to attack, and it's not possible to spend enough to protect everything from an attacker with a big drone and missile arsenal. Having enough protection for a whole country against the modern missile and drone threat is "just not feasible," Bronk said. So countries will have to plan out their protection strategies accordingly. Read the original article on Business Insider

I took a ferry to Martha's Vineyard for a short trip and had a positive experience. Andrea McHugh I took an hourlong ferry ride to Martha's Vineyard, a stunning island in New England. The Seastreak ferry had a full-service bar on board, and I enjoyed ocean views throughout the ride. After this fun and efficient experience, I'm planning to take more day trips to Martha's Vineyard. Martha's Vineyard, an island 7 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, has been a popular summer destination for years. Only accessible by boat or plane, the island is known for its beautiful scenery and selection of mom-and-pop shops. Many visitors have made it their seasonal escape, whether they're renting cozy cottages or staying in their own multimillion-dollar estates. Several celebrities, including James Taylor, Carly Simon, and the Obamas, have even owned properties on the island. When I visit, I usually take a Seastreak ferry from New Bedford, Massachusetts, to the island. Here's what the experience is typically like. I purchased a round-trip ticket from New Bedford to Oak Bluffs in Martha's Vineyard. Andrea McHugh I purchased my ticket from New Bedford to Oak Bluffs in Martha's Vineyard the day before my departure on the Seastreak ferry website. Passengers can also purchase walk-up tickets, but the ferries can sell out, so I'd recommend buying them in advance. At the time of my visit, I paid $79 for a round-trip ferry ticket. Since then, round-trip ticket prices have increased to $84 for adults. When I arrived, I headed inside the terminal. Andrea McHugh My husband dropped me off at Seastreak's New Bedford terminal, which had a lobby area with a ticket counter and a sign directing passengers to the docks. When it was time to board the ferry, the process was easy. Andrea McHugh Like most folks, I lined up under the covered waiting area on the pier. I saw a lot of people carrying suitcases and large bags, but I packed light. Ferry passengers can each bring a carry-on and a personal item, and any larger bags must be checked (for no extra cost). To board the ferry, a staff member scanned my digital ticket. The line moved quite fast. I chose a seat near the snack bar. Andrea McHugh The exact boat model Seastreak uses to transport passengers from New Bedford to Martha's Vineyard varies depending on the time of year. Seastreak ferries used during the peak season, like the Martha's Vineyard Express or the Whaling City Express, usually have a 149-passenger capacity, so it can get pretty crowded. The ferry I took offered four-person seating nooks with tables on the enclosed lower deck, and seats were taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Most of the single seats on the ferry were arranged similarly to those in an airplane cabin. I chose a seat in the main cabin just a few rows from the snack bar. Fortunately, the ferry was only about half full, so there was plenty of room. The ferry had a lot of amenities for a comfortable ride. Andrea McHugh Once I got settled, I went to the ferry's top deck to take in the views. I loved seeing the blue water as we headed to our final destination. I then headed to the snack bar, where I saw chips, pastries, bars, nuts, and other prepackaged goodies. I got a coffee, though I saw some passengers were ordering Bloody Marys and mimosas at a full-service cash bar. Travelers can also bring their own food aboard, so I saw a handful of people with coolers. The onboard restrooms were clean and spacious, and moving around the boat was easy if I wanted to get fresh air outside — though there were whipping winds when we were cruising. The ride was smoother and quicker than I remembered. Andrea McHugh I had to get some work done, so I returned to my seat, pulled down the tray table, and comfortably situated my laptop on top.  Before I knew it, I heard an announcement that we were preparing to dock in Oak Bluffs, a town in Martha's Vineyard. As we approached, I packed my belongings and went outside to see the island's stunning coastline.  Disembarking was organized, making our arrival quick and easy. Andrea McHugh Docking at the Seastreak ferry terminal at Oak Bluffs was smooth and orderly. An announcement prompted passengers to prepare to disembark, and the entire process took about five minutes. Once again, I was impressed by how efficient the ferry's operations were. When I arrived, I headed to my final destination: the Martha's Vineyard Food and Wine Festival. Taking the ferry was easy, and I'd happily do it again. Andrea McHugh Taking the Seastreak ferry was the quickest, cheapest option for me to get to Martha's Vineyard. Its flexible schedule, affordable fares, and no-hassle ticketing made my experience stress-free.  For under $100 for a round-trip, my ticket felt like a great value, and I'd definitely take this ferry again for a fun day trip to the island. It was well worth the price to feel a world away, even if I ended up just a few miles from mainland Massachusetts. This story was originally published on July 30, 2024, and most recently updated on May 13, 2026. Read the original article on Business Insider

I spent a weekend trying to convince a language model it was C-3PO. Here's what actually worked. The post What’s the Best Way to Brainwash an LLM? appeared first on Towards Data Science.

Cinematographer Hillary Fyfe Spera on how she kept things visually fresh for Born Again’s second season.

Italy has the third-highest percentage of residents aged 65 and older in the world. Sean Pavone/Shutterstock The World Bank Group identified the countries with the highest shares of people aged 65 and over. The number of elderly residents varies across different regions. Japan was the only non-European country among the top 25. Global life expectancy is on the rise, meaning a greater percentage of the population than ever before is made up of the elderly. But not every country has experienced this elder boom equally. The World Bank Group gathered data in 2024 on the percentages of populations aged 65 or older in different countries. The data overwhelmingly indicated that European countries have the most elders in their populations per capita. Japan was the only non-European entry in the top 25 countries. In the United States, which came 39th in the data, 18% of the population is 65 and older. While this outpaces the global population's percentage of 10%, it is significantly lower than the countries with the highest percentages. A 2025 study by Brown University also found that Europeans are more likely to live longer than Americans, regardless of wealth level. The study's author, health economist Irene Papanicolas, said systemic issues in the US, such as "economic inequality or risk factors like stress, diet or environmental hazards" contribute to lower life expectancy. Using the World Bank Group report, which drew on figures from the United Nations Population Division, we listed the top 25 countries with the largest percentages of the population aged 65 and older. The data also indicated significant elderly populations in territories such as Puerto Rico and regions such as Hong Kong, but we have only included countries. See the 25 countries with the highest percentage of elders in their populations, listed from No. 25 to No. 1. 25. In the Netherlands, 20.50% of the population is aged 65 and older. Amsterdam, Netherlands. Sam Tanno/Shutterstock In the Netherlands, 19% of men are 65 and older, while 22% of women are 65 and older. 24. In Belgium, 20.56% of the population is aged 65 and older. Brussels, Belgium. xbrchx/Shutterstock In Belgium, 19% of men and 22% of women are 65 and older. 23. In Austria, 20.61% of the population is aged 65 and older. Vienna, Austria. Travel Smart Seniors/Shutterstock Among men in Austria, 18% are 65 and older, while 23% of women are 65 and older. 22. In Liechtenstein, 20.73% of the population is aged 65 and older. Schaan, Liechtenstein. Allard One/Shutterstock In Liechtenstein, 19% of men are 65 and older, while 22% of women are. 21. In Sweden, 20.75% of the population is aged 65 and older. Stockholm, Sweden. kavalenkava/Shutterstock In Sweden, 19% of men and 22% of women are 65 and older. 20. In Czechia, 20.85% of the population is aged 65 and older. Prague, Czechia. Sven Hansche/Shutterstock In Czechia, 18% of men are 65 and older, while 24% of women are. 19. In Denmark, 20.87% of the population is aged 65 and older. Copenhagen, Denmark. Eyesonmilan/Shutterstock Among men in Denmark, 19% are 65 and older, while 22% of women are 65 and older. 18. In Hungary, 20.99% of the population is aged 65 and older. Budapest, Hungary. A.Pushkin/Shutterstock In Hungary, 17% of men and 25% of women are aged 65 and older. 17. In Spain, 21.15% of the population is aged 65 and older. Barcelona, Spain. ByDroneVideos/Shutterstock In Spain, 19% of men are 65 and older, while 23% of women are 65 and older. 16. In Estonia, 21.30% of the population is aged 65 and older. Tallinn, Latvia. Xseon/Shutterstock In Estonia, 16% of men are 65 and older, while 26% of women are 65 and older. 15. In Latvia, 21.41% of the population is aged 65 and older. Riga, Latvia. Dmitry Rukhlenko/Shutterstock In Latvia, 16% of men and 27% of women are 65 and older. 14. In Slovenia, 21.77% of the population is aged 65 and older. Ljubljana, Slovenia. Mazur Travel/Shutterstock In Slovenia, 19% of men and 25% of women are 65 and older. 13. In Bulgaria, 22.03% of the population is aged 65 and older. Sofia, Bulgaria. saiko3p/Shutterstock In Bulgaria, 18% of men are 65 and older, while 26% of women are 65 and older. 12. In France, 22.15% of the population is aged 65 and older. Paris, France. saiko3p/Shutterstock In France, 20% of men and 24% of women are 65 and older. 11. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 22.23% of the population is aged 65 and older. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mazur Travel/Shutterstock Among men in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 18% are 65 and older, while 26% of women are 65 and older. 10. In San Marino, 22.41% of the population is aged 65 and older. San Marino. trabantos/Shutterstock In San Marino, which has a population of just 35,000 residents, according to 2026 US Census estimates, 21% of men are 65 and older, while 24% of women are 65 and older. 9. In Serbia, 22.69% of the population is aged 65 and older. Belgrade, Serbia. Esin Deniz/Shutterstock In Serbia, 20% of men and 25% of women are aged 65 and older. 8. In Croatia, 23.19% of the population is aged 65 and older. Zagreb, Croatia. Aleksandr Medvedkov/Shutterstock In Croatia, 20% of men and 26% of women are 65 and older. 7. In Germany, 23.20% of the population is aged 65 and older. Hamburg, Germany. Torben Knauer/Shutterstock In Germany, 21% of men and 25% of women are 65 and older. 6. In Finland, 23.90% of the population is aged 65 and older. Helsinki, Finland. Oleksiy Mark/Shutterstock In Finland, 21% of men are 65 and older, while 26% of women are 65 and older. 5. In Greece, 23.94% of the population is aged 65 and older. Athens, Greece. f11photo/Shutterstock In Greece, 21% of men are aged 65 and older, while 26% of women are. 4. In Portugal, 24.53% of the population is aged 65 and older. Porto, Portugal. Neirfy/Shutterstock In Portugal, 22% of men and 27% of women are 65 and older. 3. In Italy, 24.62% of the population is aged 65 and older. Florence, Italy. Artmim/Shutterstock In Italy, 22% of men and 27% of women are 65 and older. 2. In Japan, 29.78% of the population is aged 65 and older. Osaka, Japan. Sean Pavone/Shutterstock In Japan, 27% of men are 65 and older, while 33% of women are 65 and older. 1. In Monaco, 36.17% of the population is aged 65 and older. Monte Carlo, Monaco. Gaspar Janos/Shutterstock In Monaco, which has an estimated population of just 38,000 residents in 2026, 35% of men are 65 and older, while 37% of women are 65 and older. Read the original article on Business Insider

We got Haotian AI, the Chinese-language deepfake software powering scams. We also talk about a man finding $1 million of Yu-Gi-Oh cards, and how the AI hard drive shortage is impacting internet archiving.

Discussion | Link

“It's making me dumber for sure.”