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Researchers in Japan have developed an innovative, scalable method to adjust thermal conductivity in thin films through the application of femtosecond lasers. Study: Scalable Thermal Engineering via Femtosecond Laser-Direct-Written Phononic Nanostructures. Image Credit: VVVproduct/Shutterstock.com The study was recently published in Advanced Functional Materials. It illustrates how their method could be pivotal in achieving both laboratory-scale precision and industrial-scale throughput simultaneously. The researchers reported how femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures effectively manage thermal conductivity in thin film solids. Their technique uses high-speed laser ablation to generate parallel nanoscale grooves with a throughput that is 1,000 times greater than traditional methods, thereby strategically modifying…

Software engineering techniques continue to evolve and improve, with SEI research playing a key role in helping the Department of Defense (DoD) gain the benefits of these improvements and drive changes to revolutionize software acquisition. Our work helps simplify rules, adapt practices to enable decisive actions, improve workforce capability, and accelerate adoption of commercial and scientific innovations. Since its inception, the SEI has been leading the DoD’s embrace of modern software engineering methods, such as Agile and DevSecOps. The SEI contributed its expertise to the development of the Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP), which was issued in 2020 as Department of…

This fall’s weekslong government shutdown only added to concerns about the state of federal cybersecurity—creating the possibility of blind spots or gaps in monitoring while so many workers were furloughed and contributing in general to the already extensive IT backlog at agencies across the government.“Federal IT workers, they are good jobs, there’s not enough resources for the issues that they have to deal with,” one former national security official, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the press, told WIRED. “It’s always underfunded. They always have to catch up.”Amélie Koran, a cybersecurity consultant and former chief…

More and more, there are Android tips — and then there are Pixel tips. Owning a Google Pixel phone has become a ticket of sorts to a uniquely top-tier type of Android experience. With Google’s pure vision for the way the operating system itself should work (and none of the experience-harming and often even privacy-compromising layers other device-makers love to lard into the software) — not to mention all the extra bits of exceptionally helpful Googley goodness that are available only in the Pixel environment — the Google Pixel increasingly represents Android at its best. And as anyone who’s spent…

import dataclassesimport os import datasetsimport tokenizersimport torchimport torch.distributed as distimport torch.nn as nnimport torch.nn.functional as Fimport torch.optim.lr_scheduler as lr_schedulerimport tqdmfrom torch import Tensorfrom torch.distributed.checkpoint import load, savefrom torch.distributed.checkpoint.state_dict import StateDictOptions, get_state_dict, set_state_dictfrom torch.distributed.pipelining import PipelineStage, ScheduleGPipe  # Build the model@dataclasses.dataclassclass LlamaConfig:    “””Define Llama model hyperparameters.”””    vocab_size: int = 50000  # Size of the tokenizer vocabulary    max_position_embeddings: int = 2048  # Maximum sequence length    hidden_size: int = 768  # Dimension of hidden layers    intermediate_size: int = 4*768  # Dimension of MLP’s hidden layer    num_hidden_layers: int = 12  # Number of transformer layers    num_attention_heads: int = 12  # Number of attention heads    num_key_value_heads: int = 3  # Number of key-value heads for GQA  class RotaryPositionEncoding(nn.Module):    “””Rotary position encoding.”””     def __init__(self, dim: int,…

As a developer, tell me if you relate to this – Docker commands are easy to understand but difficult to apply meaningfully. Out of the countless tutorials that I followed, most stopped at syntax, leaving me unsure about what to build next. (Here is an exception – A step-by-step Docker tutorial for complete beginners) As a solution, I decided to try my hand at real-life Docker projects, meant to give beginners like me a taste of the platform. I quickly found that the fastest way to understand containers, images, networking, and Docker Compose is to build small but practical projects…

The rapid adoption of generative AI and agentic AI is spurring demand for AI infrastructure and the need for a rich ecosystem that can deliver the complete AI lifecycle. In this environment, a new breed of AI cloud providers—often referred to as neoclouds—has emerged as agile, technically sophisticated players building highly specialized AI cloud services to serve new markets and needs. At Cisco, we are dedicated to working with the full range of ecosystem participants. This includes the traditional hyperscalers, as well as these newer neocloud providers and foundational model builders. It also includes communications service providers, colocation providers, and…

A new sample of the ToneShell backdoor, typically seen in Chinese cyberespionage campaigns, has been delivered through a kernel-mode loader in attacks against government organizations. The backdoor has been attributed to the Mustang Panda group, also known as HoneyMyte or Bronze President, that usually targets government agencies, NGOs, think tanks, and other high-profile organizations worldwide. Security researchers at Kaspersky analyzed a malicious file driver found on computer systems in Asia and discovered that it has been used in campaigns since at least February 2025 against government organizations in Myanmar, Thailand, and other Asian countries. Evidence showed that the compromised entities had prior infections with older…

Are your solar lights not working as they should be? While solar lighting is a fantastic option for your outdoor areas, you’ll likely run into an issue or two with this technology at some stage. Here are five common reasons why your solar lights aren’t working: Battery needs replacing. The pull tab for the battery. Dirty solar panel. Faulty or damaged sensor. Water ingress/intrusion. In this article, you’ll learn about each of these issues and how to remedy them so that you can confidently fix solar lights.…

What lessons can we learn from 2025, as it relates to the construction worker shortage? And how can we use this information to prepare for 2026? These are the questions we are going to answer in today’s blog. The labor challenges facing construction are well documented and as we close out 2025, they remain front and center. Across the United States, demand for labor continues to outpace supply in nearly every region and trade. According to estimates from ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) earlier this year, the construction industry needs hundreds of thousands of new workers just to keep pace…