Commentary: How DOGE Will Use AI to Take Aim at Government Contracting

by  Derek Hoyt

The Department of Government Efficiency could revolutionize federal procurement, but contractors face uncertain future, writes GovSignals CEO Derek Hoyt.

President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency is both controversial and unavoidable.

Politics aside, most people can agree that there is certainly waste in government - time, money and resources. DOGE is intended to address it.

Government contractors are sure to be impacted, and while some contractors will benefit, most will face a reckoning.

How government procurement works today

Currently, the government contracting process is highly inefficient, plagued by red tape, delays and ill-defined requirements that make it all but impossible for anyone other than large incumbents to win prime contracts.

 Read full story at Washington Technology…

DARPA Taps Microsoft, PsiQuantum for Scalable Quantum Computer Research

by  Alexandra Kelley

As part of DARPA's Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, the two companies are now in negotiations under the validation and co-design phase of the quantum computing program.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced a new partnership Thursday working within the agency's Underexplored Systems for Utility-Scale Quantum Computing program within the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, a program centered around identifying the technology that could bring a fault-tolerant — meaning that it arrives at its calculations without unexpected mistakes — quantum computer to life within the next few years.

DARPA selected Microsoft and PsiQuantum, a startup focused on leveraging photonics and semiconductors to build a fault-tolerant quantum computer, to move into the

 Read full story at NextGov…

OpenAI Unveils AI Service Designed for U.S. Government Agencies

by  Ryan Kushner

ChatGPT Gov was designed to accommodate “non-public sensitive data” in a secure self-hosting environment, according to the company.

OpenAI—the Microsoft-backed developer of ChatGPT—introduced ChatGPT Gov, an artificial intelligence (AI) service the company says is designed for use by U.S. government agencies.

The new service was unveiled Jan. 28 and provides U.S. government agencies with “an additional way to access OpenAI's frontier models” and accommodate “non-public sensitive data” in a secure self-hosting environment, according to the company.

“By making our products available to the U.S. government, we aim to ensure AI serves the national interest and the public good, aligned with democratic values, while empowering policymakers to responsibly integrate these capabilities to deliver better services to the American people,” the company said in a statement.

 Read full story at American City & County…

7 Bad Habits That Are Destroying Your PC

by  Whitson Gordon

Want your computer to last longer? Stop doing these things immediately.

Nothing lasts forever—especially tech&mdash'but your computer can last you quite a few years, if you treat it well. However, if your laptop tends to break down earlier than you feel it should, there's a chance you're the one that's helping it along to an early demise with some especially bad habits.

It's ok; not everyone knows the best ways to take care of their tech. Here are some of the worst things you can do to a computer without even realizing you're doing anything wrong.

 Read full story at PCMagazine…

Google Introduces New Class of Cheap AI Models as Cost Concerns Intensify

by  Kenrick Cai

Alphabet's Google — announced updates to its Gemini family of large language models, including a new product line with competitive pricing to low-cost artificial intelligence models like that of Chinese rival DeepSeek.

The tech giant offers several versions of Gemini that vary in price and performance. It already offered a lightweight variant known as “Flash” but its new “Flash-Lite” model is even cheaper.

On Wednesday, Google released Gemini 2.0 Flash to the general public after previewing it to developers in December. It also launched Flash-Lite and released a new version of its flagship “Pro” model into test phases.

Google created Flash-Lite after receiving positive feedback about the 1.5 version of Flash, Koray Kavukcuoglu, chief technology officer of Google's DeepMind AI lab, said in a press release. Gemini 2.0 Flash is costlier than its predecessor.

 Read full story at Reuters…

The Best VPN Service for 2025

by  Katie Malone

These are the best virtual private networks out there, as reviewed and tested by experts.

Securing your online footprint can seem like a daunting task. We’ve become accustomed to giving up bits of data for convenience, and have been forced into trusting our internet service providers because access has become so vital to everyday life. You don't have to blindly accept this, though: using a virtual private network (VPN) can be an easy way to gain back some of your anonymity and security while browsing online. Still, it can be challenging to differentiate which service makes most sense for your online needs.

We tested nine of the most popular VPN services available now to come up with our top picks, and lay out what you should know before paying for one. Our top pick remains ProtonVPN thanks to its easy-to-use interface, no-logs policy and open-source framework, while other popular options like NordVPN didn'' quite make the cut. While we think ProtonVPN is the best VPN for most people, we lay out other good options you can consider, too.

 Read full story at Engadget…

DOE to Focus on Expanding Baseload Generation: Secretary Wright

by  Ethan Howland

“Net-zero policies raise energy costs for American families and businesses, threaten the reliability of our energy system, and undermine our energy and national security,” DOE Secretary Wright said.

The U.S. Department of Energy will focus on growing baseload and dispatchable generation to meet growing electricity demand, DOE Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday in an order outlining the department's priorities under the Trump administration.

“We must … permit and build energy infrastructure and remove barriers to progress, including federal policies that make it too easy to stop projects and far too difficult to complete projects,” Wright said.

DOE will focus on adding energy resources, not taking them away, according to Wright, who was confirmed by the Senate on Monday. “Net-zero policies raise energy costs for American families and businesses, threaten the reliability of our energy system, and undermine our energy and national security,” Wright said. “They have also achieved precious little in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.”

 Read full story at UtilityDive…

Utility Industry Trends to Watch in 2025

by Curated By Clarion Energy Content Directors

As 2025 unfolds, the utility industry and its workforce stand at a unique crossroads. Economic influences, evolving environmental policies and technological advancements are shaping the utility industry' future. Key trends such as decarbonization, enhancing grid resilience and transitioning to proactive management are becoming more prominent.

Decarbonization and Its Driving Factors in 2025

The first trend that is worth noting due to its complexity is the ongoing efforts surrounding decarbonization. Decarbonization efforts will be driven by a combination of economic factors, regulatory policies and societal demands.

As the costs of renewable energy sources like solar, wind and energy storage decrease, they are increasingly competitive in the market compared to traditional fossil fuels. Government policies, like those from the Environmental Protection Agency, further support this economic trend. These policies can contain carbon pricing mechanisms, renewable energy incentives and stricter emission regulations to progress decarbonization efforts. For example, the 2023 Renewable Power Generation Cost report, produced by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), reports that solar PV costs have declined by 90% since 2010.

 Read full story at Factor This…

Why Utilities Are Modernizing Operations With Real-Time Systems

by  Paul van Dijk

Dramatically Improve Grid Management With Integrated Solutions That Optimize Decision-Making Across The Organization

After decades of relative stability, multiple factors impact today's utility industry. The integration of renewable energy, increased demand, extreme weather, localized generation, as well as aging infrastructure, data management and privacy concerns, have converged to introduce complexity into the marketplace. That's why utilities are employing the transformative power of modern real-time systems in more use cases than ever to ensure grid stability, safety and efficiency.

Real-time data and analytics are no longer just buzzwords; they enable utilities to keep up with modern market complexity, enhance operational efficiency, improve grid reliability and meet evolving customer needs.

From managing distributed energy resources to predicting and preventing outages, real-time systems provide utilities with the agility and insights to navigate an increasingly complex and dynamic energy ecosystem.

 Read full story at TRC…