The Pentagon’s Brewing a Build-a-Cloud Program for Defense Agencies

by  Lauren C. Williams

 The young platform, dubbed Olympus, is designed for self-service commercial cloud needs

The Pentagon’s IT agency wants to make it easier for defense organizations to create their own cloud solutions. So it’s launching a program to demystify the process.

The program, called DOD Olympus, will serve as a ready-made kit for defense agencies to launch commercial cloud solutions without the hassle.

There are a lot of elements that go into creating a usable cloud environment in which teams and organizations can share information seamlessly, said Korie Seville, the Defense Information Systems Agency’s deputy chief technology officer for compute.

 Read full story at Washington Technology…

Report: Microsoft to Face Antitrust Case Over Teams

by  javier Espinoza

 Unbundling Teams from Office has apparently failed to impress EU regulators.

Brussels is set to issue new antitrust charges against Microsoft over concerns that the software giant is undermining rivals to its videoconferencing app Teams.

According to three people with knowledge of the move, the European Commission is pressing ahead with a formal charge sheet against the world’s most valuable listed tech company over concerns it is restricting competition in the sector.

Microsoft last month offered concessions as it sought to avoid regulatory action, including extending a plan to unbundle Teams from other software such as Office, not just in Europe but across the world.

 Read full story at arsTechnica…

State and Local Governments Can Get More Life from Mainframes

by  Francisco Ramirez

 For agencies using legacy technologies, there are options for minimizing downtime and protecting citizen services.

Sixty years after the introduction of the first mainframe family, the IBM System/360, the monolithic computers remain in demand. As many as 89 percent of state CIOs reported relying on mainframes in some capacity, according to a recent study.

There are good reasons for this longevity. One is that if a system functions well for a given purpose, then there’s a business case for prolonging that ROI. Another is that rearchitecting mainframe applications and data can be costly, and many state and local IT departments simply lack the budget.

 Read full story at StateTech…

Apple and Google Roll Out a Cross-Platform Feature to Tackle Unwanted Bluetooth Trackers

by  Kris Holt

 Android and iOS users will receive an alert if an unknown tracker moves with them over time.

… When an unknown Bluetooth device is seen moving with someone over a period of time, they'll get an alert that reads “[Item] Found Moving With You," no matter which platform the tracker is paired with. Apple and Google are rolling out the capability in iOS 17.5 and across Android 6.0 and later devices starting today.

The companies announced a partnership to tackle this issue last May with backing from industry partners such as Samsung and Tile. Apple says that Chipolo, Eufy, Jio, Motorola and Pebblebee are among the companies who say that their future Bluetooth tags will work with the new standard.

 Read full story at engadget…

Apple Will Revamp Siri to Catch Up to Its Chatbot Competitors

by  Tripp Mickle, Brian X. Chen and Cade Metz

 Apple plans to announce that it will bring generative A.I. to iPhones after the company’s most significant reorganization in a decade.

Apple’s top software executives decided early last year that Siri, the company’s virtual assistant, needed a brain transplant.

The decision came after the executives Craig Federighi and John Giannandrea spent weeks testing OpenAI’s new chatbot, ChatGPT. The product’s use of generative artificial intelligence, which can write poetry, create computer code and answer complex questions, made Siri look antiquated, said two people familiar with the company’s work, who didn’t have permission to speak publicly.

 Read full story at NY Times…

Microsoft Will Open a Mobile-Game Store to Challenge Apple, Google

by  Cecilia D'Anastasio

 Microsoft will launch its own online store for mobile-game consumables in July, creating an alternative to Apple and Google’s app stores and their fees.

The browser-based store will debut with Microsoft’s own games, offering discounts on in-game items associated with titles like Candy Crush Saga. Xbox President Sarah Bond announced the move Thursday at the Bloomberg Technology Summit. Later, Microsoft will open the store to other publishers.

Bond says the store is launching on the web, versus an app, so it’s “accessible across all devices, all countries, no matter what, independent of the policies of closed ecosystem stores.”

 Read full story at Seattle Times…

FERC’s ‘Watershed’ Transmission Rules Are Here. Here’s What to Know About Orders 1920 and 1977

by  John Engel

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission unveiled two transmission rulings that, in combination, represent a “watershed” moment for the U.S. energy system. 

During an open meeting on May 13, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission unveiled two transmission rulings that, in combination, represent a “watershed” moment for the U.S. energy system, according to Chair Willie Phillips.

… Order 1920, the regional transmission planning and cost allocation rule, is named as a tribute to the creation of the Federal Power Commission, FERC’s agency predecessor, in 1920. The notice of proposed rulemaking for regional transmission planning received approximately 1,400 pages of comments, which appears to be the largest record ever considered by the agency.

The rule passed by a 2-1 vote.

 Read full story at PowerGrid International…

Legal Challenges Fly Over EPA Power Plant Rules

by  Kevin Clark

 States, rural co-ops say the emission cutting rules are “unlawful” and will undermine reliability.

A coalition of 23 states and the trade association representing nearly 900 local electric cooperatives filed separate lawsuits Thursday challenging the power plant rules finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in April.

The rules targets coal-fired plants and new natural gas-fired plants, which would have to capture their emissions or retire by various compliance dates in the 2030s.

 Read full story at PowerEngineering…

The Future of Work in the Energy and Utilities Industry

by  Huron

A wave of automation is transforming industries worldwide, and the energy and utilities sector is no exception.  

In this dynamic industry landscape, automation and digital transformation are paving the way for profound advancements. At the same time, they’re revolutionizing job roles and creating a dynamic shift in career paths within the industry.

To keep up with the pace of change in the industry, energy and utility companies must understand the role automation plays in reshaping their labor market, identify opportunities to further embrace emerging technologies, and help their teams adapt to changes in the current roles and future career paths.

 Read full story at UtilityDive…