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DHS Opens a Billion-Dollar Tab With Palantir

WIRED

"If you are interested in helping shape and deliver the next chapter of Palantir's work across DHS, please reach out," a Palantir executive wrote to employees about the massive purchasing agreement. The Department of Homeland Security struck a $1 billion purchasing agreement with Palantir last week, further reinforcing the software company's role in the federal agency that oversees the nation's immigration enforcement . According to contracting documents published last week, the blanket purchase agreement (BPA) awarded "is to provide Palantir commercial software licenses, maintenance, and implementation services department wide." The agreement simplifies how DHS buys software from Palantir, allowing DHS agencies like Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to essentially skip the competitive bidding process for new purchases of up to $1 billion in products and services from the company. Palantir did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


Orbital AI data centers could work, but they might ruin Earth in the process

Engadget

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026 is Feb. 25 A single collision could cause a cascading effect in orbit. Elon Musk's plan to launch millions of AI satellites could be disastrous for the planet. At the start of the month, Elon Musk announced that two of his companies -- SpaceX and xAI -- were merging, and would jointly launch a constellation of 1 million satellites to operate as orbital data centers. Musk's reputation might suggest otherwise, but according to experts, such a plan isn't a complete fantasy. However, if executed at the scale suggested, some of them believe it would have devastating effects on the environment and the sustainability of low Earth Earth orbit.


Gaza 'stabilization force' commander outlines security plans

Al Jazeera

'The next stage of the Gaza genocide has begun' How important is the Rafah crossing reopening? Gaza'stabilization force' commander outlines security plans NewsFeed Gaza'stabilization force' commander outlines security plans US Major General Jasper Jeffers said the Gaza "International Stabilization Force" will first deploy to Rafah and hopes to eventually have 20,000 soldiers. Indonesia, which has pledged 8,000 troops, will serve as deputy commander of the force. Palestinians in Gaza say'Board of Peace' will further occupation OpenAI's Sam Altman: Global AI regulation'urgently' needed Trump praises'magnificent' B-2 bombers that struck Iran in 2025 Jordan-Israel relationship'at its worst' after West Bank plans Trump's'Board of Peace' convenes for first time Amid tensions, Ukraine's Chernobyl site remains part of a war zone



Training Deep Neural Networks with 8-bit Floating Point Numbers

Neural Information Processing Systems

Firstly,when all the operands (i.e., weights, activations, errors and gradients) for general matrix multiplication (GEMM) and convolution computations are reduced to 8 bits, most DNNs suffer noticeable accuracy degradation (e.g., Figure 1(a)).




Reversible, detachable robotic hand redefines dexterity

Robohub

With its opposable thumb, multiple joints and gripping skin, human hands are often considered to be the pinnacle of dexterity, and many robotic hands are designed in their image. But having been shaped by the slow process of evolution, human hands are far from optimized, with the biggest drawbacks including our single, asymmetrical thumbs and attachment to arms with limited mobility. "We can easily see the limitations of the human hand when attempting to reach objects underneath furniture or behind shelves, or performing simultaneous tasks like holding a bottle while picking up a chip can," says Aude Billard, head of the Learning Algorithms and Systems Laboratory (LASA) in EPFL's School of Engineering. "Likewise, accessing objects positioned behind the hand while keeping the grip stable can be extremely challenging, requiring awkward wrist contortions or body repositioning." A team composed of Billard, LASA researcher Xiao Gao, and Kai Junge and Josie Hughes from the Computational Robot Design and Fabrication Lab designed a robotic hand that overcomes these challenges.


Ring denies being 'mass surveillance' but AI dog tracking will continue

PCWorld

Ring faces privacy backlash over its AI-powered'Search Party' feature, which uses outdoor cameras to track lost dogs and is enabled by default. PCWorld reports that Ring ended its Flock partnership but remains committed to expanding'Search Party' despite surveillance concerns from its Super Bowl ad. A leaked email from Ring founder Jamie Siminoff suggests the AI tracking feature may extend beyond pets to broader applications. Ring's been in damage-control mode ever since its now-infamous "lost dog" Super Bowl ad, furiously spinning the sinister imagery of digital "bounding boxes" locking in on a wayward pooch and a simulated aerial view of dozens of homes scanning the neighborhood. Rather than giving off warm fuzzies--your Ring camera can help find lost dogs!--the Super Bowl ad gave off serious "big brother" vibes to many viewers.