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Defense Tech

From Silicon Valley to Athens: Delian Alliance's Challenge to Defense Industry

In 2021, Dimitrios Kottas left Apple to found Delian Alliance Industries in Athens, focusing on defense technology. Delian develops solar-powered surveillance towers and concealed sea drones. Kottas aims to penetrate Europe’s fragmented defense market, emphasizing that autonomy is central to future weapon systems.
Geopolitical events motivated Kottas to address the shortcomings of European militaries. Delian's surveillance towers and 'Interceptigon' series of autonomous drones are designed for rapid deployment and low-cost manufacturing. A recent funding round secured $14 million, bringing total funding to $22 million.
Despite technological achievements, challenges remain in the European market due to preferences for homegrown defense companies and pressure from the U.S. to buy American weapons. Kottas believes EU initiatives like Safe and ReARM Europe signal changing dynamics and points to the success of companies like Tekever and Quantum Systems.
Delian focuses on building resilient, efficient, and affordable technology, distinguishing itself from U.S. giants like Lockheed Martin by emphasizing the personal connection to defense. Kottas is betting that superior technology and competitive pricing can overcome European fragmentation.

Data Security

Tea Dating App Faces Second Breach Exposing Private User Messages

The Tea dating safety app experienced a second data breach, exposing over 1.1 million private messages between users. This follows an initial breach last week that exposed 72,000 sensitive images. The recent issue revealed messages including phone numbers, discussions about abortions, and infidelity. Independent security researcher Kasra Rahjerdi discovered the vulnerability. Tea, which launched in 2023, released a statement about the initial breach, but Rahjerdi's findings revealed messages from early 2023 up to last week.

Cybersecurity

Orange Faces Disruptions Following Cyberattack on Its Systems

Orange, a major telecommunications provider, reported a cyberattack on July 25 that affected some of its information systems.

The company isolated affected services, leading to disruptions for business clients and public services, primarily in France.

Orange is working to restore services and stated that there is no evidence of data exfiltration. The company has filed a complaint with authorities and is informing affected customers.

The company serves 291 million customers worldwide.

Transportation

Nashville Embraces Underground Innovation: The Boring Company's Loop Project

The Boring Company and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee have announced a plan to construct a 10-mile underground "loop" in Nashville, connecting downtown, the convention center, and the airport. Privately funded, the project aims to ease traffic congestion with potential operation starting as early as fall 2026. This initiative follows The Boring Company's similar project in Las Vegas, while addressing past challenges and safety concerns highlighted by Fortune.

Social Media & Music Streaming

TikTok Integrates YouTube Music for Saving Songs

TikTok has expanded its music streaming integration by adding YouTube Music as an option for users to save songs from video clips. This feature, initially launched in the U.S. and U.K. with Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music in November 2023, has since been rolled out to over 160 countries.

Users can now save songs directly to YouTube Music via the "Add Song" button, with the option to set a default music streaming service in the settings. TikTok reports that this feature has driven hundreds of millions of track saves, translating into billions of streams for the music industry.

Data Security

Lovense Security Flaws Expose User Data and Allow Account Takeovers

A security researcher, BobDaHacker, revealed that Lovense, a sex toy manufacturer, has not fully addressed two security vulnerabilities. These flaws expose users' private email addresses and enable the takeover of any user account.

The first flaw leaks email addresses during app use, visible through network analysis. The second allows account takeovers using just an email address, enabling remote control without a password. This poses a significant risk, especially for cam models.

BobDaHacker disclosed the bugs to Lovense via Internet of Dongs and was awarded $3,000. However, Lovense requested 14 months to fix the flaws, prompting the researcher to go public. The company declined a faster fix that would require users of older products to upgrade immediately.

Artificial Intelligence

Julius AI Secures $10M Seed Funding to Revolutionize Data Analysis

Julius AI, an AI data analysis startup, has successfully raised a $10 million seed round led by Bessemer Venture Partners. The funding round also included participation from Horizon VC, 8VC, Y Combinator, and notable angel investors.

Founded by Rahul Sonwalkar, Julius AI aims to function like a data scientist, capable of analyzing large datasets, creating visualizations, and performing predictive modeling using natural language prompts.

The platform has garnered over two million users and generated more than 10 million visualizations. Julius AI's specialization in data science has attracted attention, including from Harvard Business School, where it is used in a new course called Data Science and AI for Leaders.

Sonwalkar emphasized the importance of focusing on specific use cases, differentiating Julius AI from broader AI models. He also mentioned a past prank involving a fake layoff at Twitter (now X), but asserts that Julius AI is now gaining more recognition.

Artificial Intelligence

Harmonic Launches 'Aristotle': An AI Chatbot for Hallucination-Free Math Reasoning

Harmonic, an AI startup founded by Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, has launched 'Aristotle,' an AI chatbot app for iOS and Android. Aristotle aims to provide accurate, 'hallucination-free' answers to math-related questions using its AI model. Harmonic plans to release an API for enterprises and a web app for consumers, claiming Aristotle achieved gold medal performance on the International Math Olympiad (IMO) through a formal test. The company recently raised $100 million in a Series B round led by Kleiner Perkins, valuing it at $875 million. Harmonic aims to create 'mathematical superintelligence' and believes that math is a critical domain for AI development due to its verifiable nature.

Artificial Intelligence & Browsers

Microsoft Edge Integrates AI with 'Copilot Mode' for Enhanced Web Browsing

Microsoft Edge has introduced 'Copilot Mode,' an AI-powered feature designed to assist users while browsing. Copilot Mode aims to understand user research, anticipate needs, and take actions on their behalf. The feature is currently experimental and opt-in, available for Mac and PC users with Copilot access. Copilot Mode allows users to search, chat, and navigate the web with AI assistance. It can also assist with tasks such as suggesting recipe substitutions or presenting recipe information. Copilot can handle booking appointments, creating shopping lists, and drafting content. It can view open tabs with user permission to aid in product comparison or online research. Microsoft emphasizes user control over browsing content access, with visual cues indicating when Copilot is active.

Technology & Manufacturing

Nemo Industries: Social Media Founder's Bold Move to Reinvent Steelmaking with AI

Daniel Liss, co-founder of Dispo and TeaserAI, is venturing into steelmaking with his new startup, Nemo Industries. Inspired by a war game exercise at the National War College, Liss identified a critical vulnerability in the U.S. steel supply chain. Nemo Industries aims to modernize pig iron production using AI, addressing the industry's reliance on outdated methods. The company plans to build its own natural gas-powered furnaces, potentially incorporating carbon capture technology to leverage Inflation Reduction Act incentives. With a team including Michael DuBose, a former Cheniere Energy investor, Nemo has already raised $28.2 million and is seeking $100 million in Series A funding. The company has also received offers for over $1 billion in incentives from two southern states.