Trump Signs Orders Calling for Powerful Quantum Computer, Targeting 2028
June 23rd, 2026Via: Reuters:
U.S. ?President ?Donald Trump on Monday ordered ?a push to build a powerful quantum computer for scientific research and ?speed efforts to protect government systems from related cyber threats, bolstering U.S. efforts in its race with ?China for a technology that could ?upend science and cybersecurity.
“We believe this can happen by 2028,” Michael Kratsios, director of the ?White House Office ?of Science and Technology Policy, said in a call previewing the moves ?and referring to the quantum computer.
Trump signed two executive orders, one of which seeks to protect government computers against quantum computer-fueled cyberattacks by setting a goal of migrating key government computing systems to post-quantum cryptography ?by 2030 or 2031.
Quantum computers use the laws of quantum physics to process information in ?ways that ?can solve certain complex ?problems far faster ?than even today’s supercomputers. They could unscramble the encryption that protects computers from hacking, raising ?fears of aggressive cyberattacks.
SpaceX Launches Starfall Cargo Delivery Capsule
June 23rd, 2026Via: Ars Technica:
Most of what we know about Starfall comes from the FAA’s environmental assessment. In that document, the FAA writes that Starfall will “enable point-to-point delivery of critical cargo through space on rapid timelines” and provide access to space for commercial in-space manufacturing, a nascent market that, so far, is largely geared toward pharmaceuticals. Starfall could bring those materials back to Earth for commercial use. A private company named Varda Space Industries is already working in this area.
…
The Starfall vehicle is cylindrical in shape, with a diameter of 10.2 feet (3.1 meters) and a height of 2.5 feet (0.75 meters). Starfall weighs approximately 4,600 pounds (2.1 metric tons) with a capacity for about 2,200 pounds (1 metric ton) of payload, for a total weight of 6,800 pounds (3.1 metric tons). Designed exclusively for cargo, Starfall is smaller than SpaceX’s human-rated Crew Dragon spacecraft, which ferries astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
Never Give Them Your Face
June 22nd, 2026Via: Never Give Them Your Face:
They want your face. It will be called safety. Verification. Age assurance. A small step to protect children. But strip the language away and the demand is plain: before you may speak, post, or read, you must first prove who you are. And the only way they’ve figured out how to do it is with your government ID, or with your face held up to a camera that decides whether you are old enough to be trusted. This is the deal now being written into law on three continents, and you are meant to accept it quietly. Don’t.
Identity Verification on Claude
June 21st, 2026About a week ago, I complained about being asked for my mobile phone number to use Claude.
And now…
Via: Claude:
Being responsible with powerful technology starts with knowing who is using it. Identity verification helps us prevent abuse, enforce our usage policies, and comply with legal obligations.
We are rolling out identity verification for a few use cases, and you might see a verification prompt when accessing certain capabilities, as part of our routine platform integrity checks, or other safety and compliance measures.
We only use your verification data to confirm who you are and not for any other purposes.
How are we verifying?
We selected Persona Identities as our verification partner based on the strength of their technology, privacy controls, and security safeguards. Follow the steps below to complete your identity verification process.
What you’ll need
Before you start, have these ready:
A valid government-issued photo ID: the physical document, in hand
A phone or a computer with a camera: you may be asked to take a live selfie with your phone, or your webcam
A few minutes: verification typically takes under five minutes
General Joshua Rudd, Director of National Security Agency and the Pentagon’s Cyber Command, Told Senator Mark Warner that Mythos, “Broke Into Almost All of Our Classified Systems, Not in Weeks, But in Hours”
June 21st, 2026It would be very fascinating to get a bit more precision on what, “Almost ll of our classified systems” means!
Does this include any systems that are not physically connected to the Internet?
On June 11th Mark Warner, the vice-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that General Joshua Rudd, who leads the National Security Agency and the Pentagon’s Cyber Command, had told him that Mythos “broke into almost all of our classified systems, not in weeks, but in hours”.
Related: “Ahh, ye olde oh shit moment?”
We’re Already Living in an Alien Invasion Movie
June 20th, 2026Via: Truthstream Media:
Leak Exposes Members of Peter Thiel’s Secretive ‘Dialog’ Society
June 20th, 2026Via: Wired:
A trove of internal records from a secret society for powerful figures in US politics, finance, and tech was left exposed online, WIRED has confirmed, naming participants in its events and revealing sensitive personal details they were assured would stay private.
The group, called Dialog, is a private, invitation-only organization cofounded in 2006 by the billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel. It convenes US officials, foreign government figures, and Silicon Valley executives at off-the-record annual retreats. Dialog has spent two decades declining to disclose its members.
Iran’s New “Insurance” Rule: Controlling the Strait of Hormuz
June 19th, 2026Via: What’s Going on With Shipping?:
Flashback: Take it through, Pepe!
Here’s Why Iran Got Everything It Asked For
June 19th, 2026Via: Peak Prosperity:
Norway Imposes Near Ban on AI in Elementary School
June 19th, 2026Via: Reuters:
Norway is imposing a near ban on the use of generative AI tools by elementary school pupils while also restricting their ?use in the education of older children to prevent a ?negative impact on learning, the country’s prime minister said on Friday.
Facing a broad decline in education test scores, the government in 2024 banned smartphones from schools and has ?given teachers back more powers to enforce discipline in the ?classroom.
