How AI Research Labs Became the New High-Stakes Global Arms Race
Abu Dhabi’s new national AI and Robotics Center shows how quickly nations are turning research labs into strategic assets.
Puzzle Corner
Ready for a fresh set of puzzles? Click here for the September/October 2026 Puzzle Corner, brought to you by Michael S. Branicky, ScD ’95, of the Puzzle Corner Puzzle Crew (aka PC2), which also includes Edward Faulkner ’03, MEng ’04, and Abe Kunin ’03. This column includes solutions to the May/June issue. Send problems, solutions (by October…
TopTechTrends
His Restaurants Won Awards — Then His Next Business Changed the Industry
Daniel Shemtob turned a kitchen injury into a business opportunity.
Toyota keeps betting on hybrid vehicles in the US
The investment follows an announcement last week that Toyota will spend up to $10 billion over the next five years in the United States.
Japan: Why the World’s Capital is Flowing East
From robotics and advanced manufacturing to green energy and digital technologies, Japan continues to lead in areas where the global economy is rapidly evolving. Companies are heavily investing in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and renewable energy solutions, aligning with worldwide transitions toward smarter and more sustainable industries. Japan’s strong intellectual property protections and deep R&D culture make it a fertile ground for venture capital, strategic partnerships, and joint ventures.
Founders Are Fleeing to Florida. Here’s When You Actually Need to Go.
Entrepreneurs are using Florida residency as a strategic tax move rather than a lifestyle choice.
Poe’s AI app now supports group chats across AI models
Quora’s AI platform Poe now lets users engage in group chats with up to 200 people across AI models and bots.
‘Our funds are 20 years old’: limited partners confront VCs’ liquidity crisis
Venture funds have longer timelines than anyone planned for, compelling LPs to rip up and rebuild their allocation models.
a16z leads $21M Series A into AI-native tax compliance software Sphere
Sphere helps automate registration, calculation, filing, and remittance obligations for companies.
Networking for AI: Building the foundation for real-time intelligence
The Ryder Cup is an almost-century-old tournament pitting Europe against the United States in an elite showcase of golf skill and strategy. At the 2025 event, nearly a quarter of a million spectators gathered to watch three days of fierce competition on the fairways. From a technology and logistics perspective, pulling off an event of…
Realizing value with AI inference at scale and in production
Training an AI model to predict equipment failures is an engineering achievement. But it’s not until prediction meets action—the moment that model successfully flags a malfunctioning machine—that true business transformation occurs. One technical milestone lives in a proof-of-concept deck; the other meaningfully contributes to the bottom line. Craig Partridge, senior director worldwide of Digital Next…