Author: Carter

The Agriculture Department is launching a broad initiative to transfer staff from various agencies to locations beyond the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. USDA is shifting significantly more positions nationwide compared to efforts during the first Trump administration, though officials anticipate greater employee acceptance of relocation offers this round. Nevertheless, two unions representing affected USDA staff argue that the moves will create more chaos than department leadership predicts. For the second time in seven years, USDA wants to move Washington-based employees from the Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to Kansas City. In 2019, USDA…

A continuing data extortion campaign aimed at Canvas—a widely adopted education technology platform—has thrown school districts and universities across the United States into turmoil today. The disruption occurred after a cybercrime group hijacked the service’s login page, displaying a ransom note that threatened to expose data belonging to 275 million students and faculty members at close to 9,000 educational institutions. A reader-shared screenshot captures the extortion message that appeared on the Canvas login page earlier today. Instructure [NYSE:INST], the company behind Canvas, took the platform offline in response to today’s defacement. Canvas is relied on by thousands of schools, universities,…

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Google Maps excels with speedy navigation, AI integration, and robust search and discovery tools.Apple Maps offers a streamlined, intuitive experience, ideal for Apple enthusiasts.While both apps are competitive, Google Maps holds a slight edge in overall capability.To be honest, I’m a dedicated Google Maps user. Whether I’m driving, walking, searching for restaurants, scouting parking lots, planning a trip, or getting lost in a Street View deep dive — which might start with checking out my old childhood home and end with me virtually…

# The Big Picture Chances are you’ve heard someone refer to something as being “normally distributed,” as if that alone explains everything. But here’s the truth without the mystery: probability distributions are simply descriptions of how data points tend to appear in everyday situations. Some follow smooth, predictable patterns. Others are uneven. And a few are essentially coin flips dressed up in more sophisticated clothes. This guide offers an approachable walkthrough of seven key distributions you’ll recognize once you understand what they look like in practice. Skip the complex formulas and exclusive jargon. Instead, you’ll pick up a straightforward sense…

Inference efficiency has quietly become one of the most critical bottlenecks in deploying AI systems. As agentic coding platforms like Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor evolve from niche developer tools into foundational infrastructure powering large-scale software development, the inference engines behind these systems face mounting performance pressure. Researchers at the LightSeek Foundation have responded with TokenSpeed—an open-source LLM inference engine released under the MIT license, purpose-built for the unique demands of agentic workloads. TokenSpeed is currently available in a preview release. Why Agentic Inference Presents Unique Challenges Grasping TokenSpeed’s design significance requires first understanding what makes agentic inference particularly demanding.…

Microsoft is considering pushing back or even dropping one of its key clean energy goals for 2030, as it rapidly expands data centers to meet growing demand for AI and cloud computing, according to people familiar with the matter speaking to Bloomberg.The initiative in question, unveiled in 2021 and labeled “100/100/0,” calls for Microsoft to cover 100% of its electricity consumption—every hour of every day—with clean, zero-carbon energy sourced from the same power grids where it operates. Unlike simpler annual offset models that merely balance total yearly usage with renewable purchases, this target demands real-time alignment between energy draw and…

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysA simple restart or power cycle can resolve many performance delays on Roku devices.Updating or reinstalling specific apps helps eliminate bugs and sluggish behavior.Always verify your network connection before assuming the issue lies with your Wi-Fi router.I use several Roku TVs and accessories—like soundbars and speakers—and generally think highly of the platform. That said, I’ll be the first to admit that my Roku occasionally misbehaves. It’s especially frustrating when apps stall during loading, menus respond slowly, or screens freeze so long that I’m tempted to…

The power electronics system of an electric car governs how electrical energy travels from the battery to the motors and other components. It supplies power in a precise, controlled way, at a set voltage and with a specific AC or DC current waveform. For instance, an onboard battery charger regulates the flow of electrical energy from the AC charging network into direct current that is compatible with the battery. This process demands efficient power factor correction and requires galvanic isolation to maintain safety. The task is made more complex because the charger must work with residential single-phase AC charging, commercial…

Stay updated with ZDNET: Set us as your preferred source on Google.2026 has proven to be an impressive year for Windows-based laptops designed for content creation. One powerful device after another has hit the market, each boasting robust hardware, quality audio, and vivid screens. The Galaxy Book6 Ultra and Dell XPS 16 stood out as leading examples of this wave. I assumed those two would set the standard for the category—until a new contender arrived: the Lenovo Pro 9i Aura Edition.Also: Top Lenovo laptops in 2026: Tested and reviewed by expertsLenovo’s latest offering steps in as a strong third choice,…

Ryan Cohen’s surprise $55.5 billion bid to acquire eBay has caught the corporate world off guard. His proposal sounds appealing at first glance: he pledges to cut $2 billion in excessive operating expenses and boost eBay’s diluted GAAP earnings per share from $4.26 to $7.79 within the first year. However, beneath the polished presentation sits a major obstacle: a highly speculative financing structure that would require $20 billion in new debt from TD Securities, while significantly diluting GameStop’s existing shares to absorb a company four times its size. Investors and analysts remain deeply doubtful, which is reflected in eBay’s stock…