Datacentre industry representatives disputed the findings and said the sector boosted the economy. Datacentre industry representatives disputed the findings and said the sector boosted the economy. 'Hidden datacentre tax' costing Irish households millions, report says Datacentres used 22% of country's electricity last year, pushing up household bills, study suggests Thu 28 May 2026 09.01 EDTLast modified on Thu 28 May 2026 09.32 EDT Energy demand by datacentres in Ireland has added hundreds of euros to household electricity bills in a pattern that could be replicated across Europe, according to a report. Ireland's growing number of datacentres last year used 22% of the country's electricity, more than all urban homes combined, according to the Central Statistics Office. The equivalent figure in the US and UK is 6%.

The world's first'hovertrain' could reach speeds of 270 mph in the 1960s But the futuristic Aérotrain never saw the light of day. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. This cancelled Mongolian postage stamp shows the Aérotrain Orleans, circa 1979. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

Mathematicians have never been so sought after by the world's richest people. At universities across the world, academics are seeing their colleagues mysteriously disappear and join private companies. Some of these companies are household names, like OpenAI and Google, but others are newly formed and just months old, hoping to capitalise on a moment in which mathematics is seen as the secret ingredient with which to improve artificial intelligence - which may in turn transform mathematics itself. "Last May, I was honestly kind of grieving for my scientific identity," says Ken Ono, who in 2025 went on leave from a professorship at the University of Virginia to join Axiom Math, a start-up aiming to build a maths-focused AI. Ono had been asked by a different company, called Epoch AI, to help craft a set of hard-to-solve maths problems that would test AI's problem-solving ability .

PCWorld reports Acer unveiled two new Snapdragon-powered laptops at Computex 2026: the Swift Spin 14 AI and budget-focused Aspire Go 15. The Swift Spin 14 AI features Snapdragon X2 Elite/Plus chips with 80 TOPS AI performance, while the Aspire Go 15 uses a Snapdragon C chip prioritizing portability. Acer emphasizes exceptional battery life with the Aspire Go 15 offering up to 23 hours, marking the company's first Snapdragon entry into budget laptops. Acer showed off two new Snapdragon-powered laptops at Computex 2026: the Swift Spin 14 AI and the Aspire Go 15. The Swift Spin 14 AI is definitely the flashier one, but the cheaper Aspire Go 15 feels like the bigger story and I want to tell you why. Acer is finally bringing a lower-end Snapdragon chip into its budget lineup. Most people shopping for a cheap laptop care more about battery life anyway, and that's what Snapdragon chips do well.

Plus: Illinois just passed what could become America's strongest AI safety law. Climate tech companies are going public. Solar and battery company Solv Energy went public in February, hitting a $6 billion valuation. X-energy, which builds small modular nuclear reactors, followed at $11.5 billion. Then came geothermal company Fervo Energy, reaching a market cap of about $12.4 billion. All three have been IPO success stories.

Oura's New Ring 5 Is Smaller and Lighter--and Adds an AI Health Coach But the real upgrade is Oura's push into AI-powered health insights and proactive monitoring. Two years on since the Oura Ring 4, Finnish health tech company Oura is back with a new smart ring --right in time to compete with the other screenless fitness tracker of the moment, the Fitbit Air . The Oura Ring 5 doubles down on the company's minimalist ethos with a smaller ring design, upgraded durability, and--unsurprisingly--a suite of AI-powered wellness features . The Ring 5 is available for preorder today and begins shipping June 4. It starts at $399 in silver and black, while premium finishes--Stealth, Brushed Silver, an updated Gold, and a new Deep Rose color--cost $499.

Japan is one of many locations in Asia where Chinese companies access American AI chips -- by renting hardware that's owned by foreign firms and installed in overseas data centers. Taiwan prosecutors suspect that three individuals successfully smuggled at least one shipment of Nvidia artificial intelligence chips to China after first exporting them to Japan, people familiar with the matter said. The trio was detained last week by Taiwan's Keelung District Prosecutors Office for allegedly falsifying documents related to exports of Super Micro Computer servers containing advanced Nvidia chips, which the U.S. has barred from sale to China without a license from Washington. The move marked the island democracy's first public crackdown on AI chip diversion after years of pressure from the U.S. to take a more active role in curtailing China's tech access. When Taiwan authorities apprehended the three defendants -- who've now been officially detained -- they also seized about 50 servers for which they accuse the trio of preparing fraudulent export documents. But at least one shipment had already gone through Taiwan customs, according to the people familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to speak about an ongoing criminal investigation.

Moment Dame Helen Mirren is called an'evil Zionist b****' as she is accosted by pro-Palestine stranger on London street'Hell on Wheels' teen Mackenzie Shirilla's diva demands and disturbing obsession with fame revealed in prison calls with mom Girl, 14, was enjoying evening walk through her leafy Midwest neighborhood... then a stranger in a black car pulled up alongside her and horror ensued Scandalous underbelly of America's new high-stakes obsession: Secret backroom games, brazen cheating allegations... and savage public humiliations I know the devil, he's far more terrifying than in the movies... you can feel his power He became a MAGA star at Trump rallies dressed as the border wall... find out what happened to'Brick Suit Guy' in the free DC Insider newsletter Rich Christians in the'Hamptons of South' are turning on their new neighbor - beach-baptizer and MAGA convert Russell Brand Hugh Jackman's girlfriend Sutton Foster admits she feels'really alone' after she was pictured looking tense with actor and says'women shouldn't be pitted against one another' amid ongoing comparisons to his ex-wife Naomi Osaka doubles down with new French Open'fashion show', despite infuriating opponent, as she adds an ivory train to her'problematic' Eiffel Tower dress as part of £7.5m Nike deal Every man I date has the same vile bedroom kink... it's a total turn off, but I keep saying yes: DEAR JANE Russia's tactics in Ukraine reach a new hellish low as troops are forced to crawl for miles through underground pipes - with a life expectancy of ten minutes at the other end Our perfect summer body secrets: We've found the ultimate shortcut to the'after' photo... and the easy '30:30' diet that sparked a 22-pound transformation Triumphant Trump nominee's bold statement: Cheater Ken Paxton struts out in Margaritaville mode as secrets of his love nest with mistress are exposed Iran attacks US airbase after Trump condemns Tehran's peace plan and strikes regime drone site near Strait of Hormuz Kim Kardashian is introduced to Lewis Hamilton's mother Carmen Larbalestier as new couple dine out with their families in Los Angeles Trump's DHS chief rocked by wild rumor about his WIFE... as furious staff leak scandalous details about his life of luxury Meghan Markle adds luxury matchboxes to As Ever product range as she reveals'limited edition' item will be part of £190 candle set How I dropped from 17.5st to 10st WITHOUT getting loose, saggy skin. So many women struggle with unsightly wrinkles and flapping folds left by extreme weight loss. Here's how to avoid them Uber is making a major update to improve safety for millions of passengers in the UK. Riders will now be able to make audio recordings of their journey through the Uber app if they feel unsafe. Users can activate the feature either before or during the trip and start recording at any point with the press of a button.

The transport ministry urged executives of infrastructure operators to play active roles in taking measures against cyberattacks and secure sufficient funding and personnel. The transport ministry called on railway firms and other infrastructure operators Thursday to take measures against the misuse of high-performance artificial intelligence models, including U.S. startup Anthropic's Claude Mythos. The instructions were made at a meeting with operators from six infrastructure sectors, also including ports, airports, logistics and water supply. The ministry said that it will set up support desks for those operators regarding cybersecurity. Mythos is said to have advanced capabilities in detecting system vulnerabilities. The Japanese government has already made similar requests to telecommunications operators, broadcasters, financial institutions and local governments.

PCWorld explains how to navigate Roku's biggest home screen redesign in over a decade, featuring recommendation rows, quick action tiles, and genre subsections. The permanent update aims to improve content discovery but may frustrate long-time users with limited customization options and automatic changes. Key adjustments include hiding recommendation rows, pinning favorite apps to Quick Access, and manually updating subscription lists for better accuracy. Detailed instructions are provided below. Roku is shaking up its home screen with its most substantial changes in over a decade.