Banks around the world are continuing to be penalized heavily for their inability to meet with ever-changing and complex financial regulations. Regulatory fines imposed in 2017 alone proved this to us in many ways. For example, financial intelligence regulator Austrac handed gaming giant Tabcorp a fine of AUD 45 M (USD 35 M) for non compliance, the highest ever civil penalty in corporate Australian history. We also saw U.S. authorities hit BNP Paribas with fines amounting to approximately USD 600 M for market misconduct and trader collusion that took place over 6 years. The big fines also keep coming for Deutsche Bank, the German lender was hit with about USD 630 million in penalties on a USD 10 billion Russian money-laundering scheme.

Computers don't exist in a vacuum. They serve to solve problems, and the type of problems they can solve are influenced by their hardware. Graphics processors are specialized for rendering images; artificial intelligence processors for AI; and quantum computers designed for…what? While the power of quantum computing is impressive, it does not mean that existing software simply runs a billion times faster. Rather, quantum computers have certain types of problems which they are good at solving, and those which they aren't.

Lockheed Martin is developing a powerful new pair of cannons that can shoot down drones using high energy laser beams. Under a $150 million contract from the US Navy, the firm plans to develop, manufacture, and test the new weapons by 2020. The goal is to demonstrate one on land, and the second aboard an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, according to Motherboard. Under the new contract, Lockheed Martin will develop the laser weapons for land and for an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. Lockheed Martin's newest weapons will come under a contract with the US Navy to build a High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical-dazzler with surveillance system, the Department of Defense says.

There can be no doubt, artificial intelligence (AI) helps defend government and business systems from cyberattacks, but conversely, AI systems can be used to augment attacks against government and corporate, even SMB systems. For TechRepublic and ZDNet, I'm Dan Patterson and it's a pleasure today to speak with Mark Gazit, the CEO of ThetaRay. One of the biggest targets for cybercriminals, and cybercriminals deploying AI solutions, is the financial service industries. I wonder if you could help us understand how financial crime is being transformed by technology and artificial intelligence. So Dan, thank you very much for inviting me and I have to say it's an exciting topic, but also a bit dangerous for us as human beings and you're absolutely right, the world of financial crime has changed.

There are several worlds and layers, a bit like the different levels of a company headquarters, but with escalators between some floors and others connected by wobbly ladders and others with no link whatsoever. The politicians converge on their floor, they hold speeches, meet with or avoid each other and then leave to continue their travels either inspired or exhausted. Their importance is measured by whether they get to speak in the big auditorium and for how long, and whether they will be welcomed and interviewed by WEF founder Klaus Schwab. The stars of the financial world, along with many lobbyists, also come to Davos to cultivate their networks, cut deals and celebrate at nighttime parties, like the one held by consulting firm McKinsey with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Making public appearances at Davos isn't always crucial and some guests never even enter the congress center.

A variety of headlines appear in the Scottish papers this morning, including new research on beating cancer and how the PM alleges that bullying on social media is a threat to democracy. The UK front pages cover calls for a pardon for suffragettes and reaction to Trump's comment on the NHS among other issues.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk says he's "very proud" of their latest launch of the Falcon Heavy. The rocket lifted a $100,000 Tesla Roadster into Space with a mannequin named "Starman" in the driver's seat. This still image taken from a SpaceX livestream video shows "Starman" sitting in SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's cherry red Tesla roadster after the Falcon Heavy rocket delivered it into orbit around the Earth on February 6, 2018. Neil Armstrong's iconic photograph of fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin standing on the surface of the moon has always been the epitome of iconic moments in space photography. However, thanks to SpaceX visionary Elon Musk, there's a new image burned into our brains: A spacesuit-clad mannequin in the driver's seat of a red Tesla Roadster.

SpaceX's three-core Falcon Heavy rocket fired up the afternoon sky over Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX's newest rocket, the Falcon Heavy, lifted off Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018, on its first demonstration flight from Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A. CAPE CANAVERAL -- The only blemish in what otherwise appeared to be a flawless debut by SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket Tuesday was the demise of the first stage's center booster. After the rocket's 3:45 p.m. ET launch from Kennedy Space Center, two side boosters returned safely to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for nearly simultaneous, side-by-side landings that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described as "epic" and one of the most exciting things he's ever seen. But the middle booster missed the "drone ship" that was its landing target and hit the Atlantic Ocean at about 300 mph.

Images released by SpaceX last week showed Musk's original Tesla Roadster perched on a large cone inside Falcon Heavy on what appeared to be a secure mount to keep it stationary as the rocket made its maiden flight.

Highly automated vehicles (HAVs) have gone from fantasy to reality in the past decade. It is remarkable to witness the various prototypes motoring about courses and taking test drives on America's roads. Already, related technology helps people parallel park their cars -- some don't even require the driver be in the car. Among other benefits, HAV technology has the potential to save lives and reduce insurance costs by greatly decreasing human errors, which cause 94 percent of accidents. Computers, note two keen observers, don't get drunk or drowsy.