Author: Carter

In this guide, we create a Groq-driven autonomous research assistant that operates entirely through Groq’s free OpenAI-compatible inference API. We set up LangChain’s ChatOpenAI to interface with Groq by configuring the API key and base URL, enabling access to high-speed hosted models like llama-3.3-70b-versatile for reasoning with tools. Next, we integrate the model with essential utilities—web search, webpage retrieval, file operations, Python execution, skill loading, sub-agent task delegation, and persistent memory. By the conclusion of this guide, you’ll have a fully functional Groq-based multi-step agent capable of investigating topics, assigning specialized subtasks, producing structured outputs, and retaining valuable data for…

Best Onramp and Offramp Solution is a category within the BeInCrypto Institutional 100, an annual research-based initiative that highlights top-performing institutions in the digital asset space across 26 categories and six core areas. This category focuses on companies developing payment systems, wallet integrations, banking APIs, and regulated settlement frameworks that enable seamless movement of funds between traditional finance and cryptocurrency markets. A shortlist will be revealed in May 2026, with the winner announced at Proof of Talk in Paris on June 2–3, 2026. Key Facts Long list: 15 companies spanning consumer onramps, B2B infrastructure, aggregators, banking APIs, non-custodial platforms, and…

On May 5, 2026, at around 19:30 UTC, DENIC — the organization responsible for managing Germany’s .de country-code top-level domain (TLD) — began publishing faulty DNSSEC signatures for the .de zone. According to the DNSSEC standard, any validating DNS resolver that received these invalid signatures had to reject them and return a SERVFAIL response to clients. This included 1.1.1.1, Cloudflare’s public DNS resolver.The .de domain is one of the biggest TLDs on the Internet, representing Germany. On Cloudflare Radar, it regularly ranks among the most queried TLDs worldwide. When an issue occurs at this level of the DNS hierarchy, millions…

The Iranian state-sponsored hacking group known as MuddyWater (also called Mango Sandstorm, Seedworm, and Static Kitten) has been linked to a ransomware attack that appears to be a deliberate “false flag” operation designed to mislead investigators. According to a report from Rapid7, the attack — observed in early 2026 — relied on social engineering tactics through Microsoft Teams to begin the infection process. While the incident initially seemed to match the profile of a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group operating under the Chaos brand, deeper analysis revealed it was actually a targeted, state-backed operation disguised as a financially motivated extortion scheme. “The…

On 2 May 2026, the WHO was notified under the International Health Regulations (2005) of a cluster of severe acute respiratory illness aboard a Dutch-flagged cruise ship sailing in the South Atlantic. In just 48 hours the situation escalated to seven cases, with two confirmed hantavirus infections and three dead. More passengers were in intensive care and several others under observation. By 4 May the ship, carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries, was anchored off Cabo Verde as health authorities from multiple countries coordinated a joint response. The vessel had been on an expedition through some of Earth’s…

Prior to the AI & Big Data Expo held at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center from May 18–19, we sat down with Jerome Gabryszewski, HP’s AI & Data Science Business Development Manager, to discuss AI, strategies for making data suitable for AI training, and the choice between local and cloud computing.Technology outlets often state that data represents “the new oil.” However, the practical reality is that even when organizations have access to abundant internal information, using it effectively for commercial gains remains challenging, particularly for large-scale enterprises.Should businesses opt for cloud-hosted AI models or local hardware? How can a…

The deque (or “deck”) is a rarely discussed collection in Python. While lists, dictionaries, and tuples dominate online tutorials, deques often go overlooked. A deque (short for “double-ended queue”) is a unique and efficient data structure. Its key feature is that it only retains a fixed number of items—never exceeding a user-defined limit. A double-ended queue holds up to the specified number of items, and never more. It operates like a deck following the FIFO principle: First In, First Out. Once full, adding a new element automatically discards the oldest item from the left end. Let’s explore some simple examples.…

Government agencies face growing demands to upgrade their technology—boosting both efficiency and security—while working with tighter budgets. A key priority is keeping endpoint computing systems up to date so employees have the tools they need to stay productive and protected. This challenge is intensifying as threats targeting endpoints have sharply increased over the last two years, fueled by AI-powered cyberattacks. As agencies assess new hardware for endpoints and evaluate virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) vendors, cost-effectiveness is crucial. Many are rethinking current tech deployments with an eye toward long-term savings and greater adaptability, anticipating shifts in funding and operations by 2026.…

For decades, the RFID industry has worked tirelessly to refine what’s embedded within the card — the microchip, the antenna, the data encoding, and the encryption protocols. We’ve evolved from MIFARE Classic to DESFire EV3, patched known security flaws, and developed credentials that are genuinely tough to crack. Yet we’ve paid surprisingly little attention to the material the card itself is made from. Since the 1990s, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has been the go-to material for RFID hotel key cards. It’s inexpensive, prints easily, and behaves predictably from a structural standpoint. But there’s a hidden cost: the hospitality sector alone generates…

Johnson & Johnson created OTTAVA for operations like gastric bypass. Image: Adobe Stock Johnson & Johnson has shared findings from the initial clinical trial of its experimental OTTAVA robotic surgery platform. This forward-looking, multi-site study assessed how safe and effective the system is for performing gastric-bypass surgeries. According to J&J, the group of 30 patients achieved the study’s main safety and effectiveness goals within 30 days after their procedures. Every surgery was carried out entirely using the OTTAVA robot, with no need to switch to a traditional manual technique. Patients lost an average of 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms) by the…