In the early 2000s, mesh networks were on the verge of being everywhere and connecting everything. Daisy-chaining many devices like beads on a string would “accommodate hundreds or thousands of nodes” and provide “low, up-front cost, easy network maintenance, robustness, and reliable service coverage,” according to mesh-networking forecasts from 2004 and 2005, respectively.But it would take over two decades to get there. During that time, a range of mesh protocols and standards emerged, each claiming to be the solution—only to flame out or splinter into new incompatibilities.In 2026, mesh networks that can work together in real-world settings are finally arriving.…
Author: Team_Benjamin Franklin Institute
Jimmy Kimmel stirred controversy on Christmas Day after using a high-profile holiday broadcast to launch a sharp critique of Donald Trump. The late-night host delivered Channel 4’s Alternative Christmas Message to UK viewers, turning what is typically a reflective address into a politically charged moment. Kimmel’s remarks quickly sparked backlash and debate on both sides of the Atlantic, reigniting his long-running feud with the president and drawing intense reactions across social media.Article continues below advertisementJimmy Kimmel Uses UK Christmas Address To Target Donald TrumpKimmel was chosen to deliver Channel 4’s Alternative Christmas Message, an annual broadcast known for its provocative voices and…
LEADERS TO REFINE DETAILS IN US MEETINGZelenskyy added that his meeting with Trump aimed to “refine things” in the drafts and discuss potential deals on Ukraine’s economy.He said he was not ready to say if any deal would be signed during his visit, but Ukraine was open to it.A security guarantees agreement between Ukraine and the US was “almost ready” and the 20-point plan draft was at 90% completion, Zelenskyy added.Wary of failed guarantees from allies in the past, Ukraine is seeking robust and legally-binding deals to prevent any further Russian aggression.The White House did not immediately respond to a…
Tensions are flaring along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border in Central Asia with the Tajik government reporting multiple armed incursions this month, straining its fragile relationship with Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders.More than a dozen people have been killed in attacks by men whom Tajik authorities call “terrorists” and the resulting clashes with Tajik forces, officials in Dushanbe and Beijing said. Victims include Chinese nationals working in remote areas of the mountainous former Soviet republic.In the latest fighting this week, at least five people were killed in Tajikistan‘s Shamsiddin Shokhin district, including “three terrorists”, officials said.Tajikistan has long opposed the rise of the Taliban…
Michigan is searching for a new head football coach following the recent dismissal of Sherrone Moore, and the school has reportedly identified its top candidate.ESPN’s Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel reported on Friday that Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has “emerged as the focus” of Michigan’s search for a new head coach. It is believed that a deal could come together rather quickly if University of Michigan officials give the green light to athletic director Warde Manuel to make Whittingham an offer. Michigan fired Moore for cause on Dec. 10 after an investigation determined that he allegedly engaged in an…
If you’re embarrassed every time you have to hand over that Gmail address you came up with in 2006, you’re in luck. Google is finally allowing users to change their Gmail username without creating an entirely new account. The update will allow you to edit your email address to any that isn’t taken. Until now, Google only offered the option to create an alternate email and forward your mail to a new @gmail.com address. But, if you wanted any of your documents, pictures, or other media, then it required you to transfer all the data over—a process that is far…
Mount Etna eruptingEuropean Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery Mount Etna in Sicily is the world’s most active stratovolcano, which is a high, conical volcano created by repeated eruptions of viscous lava. In February, it erupted with ash clouds and a lava flow that travelled 3 kilometres, forcing a local airport to partially close. One of the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites captured this image of the lava flow on 12 February. An iceberg in Innaarsuit, GreenlandDennis Lehtonen / SWNS A giant iceberg drifted into the harbour in Innaarsuit in western Greenland in July, looming over the village of 180 for…
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has published its latest list of number plates that will be banned from registration in 2026, prompting drivers and plate enthusiasts to check their vehicle registrations ahead of the new year. The annual update comes as part of efforts to prevent offensive, misleading or otherwise inappropriate combinations from appearing on UK roads.Each year the DVLA reviews thousands of potential registration numbers and removes combinations that could be deemed offensive, discriminatory, or confusing — particularly those that could be mistaken for emergency service identifiers. For 2026, the list of banned plates includes a range…
Rarely a week went by in 2025 without some newsworthy development related to rare earth elements, magnets, and electric motors. IEEE Spectrum was on top of the big ones, starting with the production of industrial quantities of the rare-earth oxides of neodymium and praseodymium at the Mountain Pass mine and processing facilities in California’s Mojave desert.Between 1965 and the mid 1980s, the Mountain Pass mine produced as much as 70 percent of the world’s annual supply of rare earths, which are used in nearly all powerful permanent magnets. But following a string of reversals and environmental mishaps, the facilities began…
QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong, I understand the previous Japanese government did to you with the letter asking to confirm $10 billion when it was $1 billion and they never explained how they could make such a mistake. Here in Japan, we are still struggling as you had warned would be the case with the collapse of the bubble economy 36 years ago. The recently elected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has proposed an ambitious 21 trillion yen ($135 billion) spending program that puts new stresses on already heavily overdrawn government coffers. Would you ever consider coming to Japan to advise the…