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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- This Christmas Eve a small group of volunteers chose to give instead of receive, spreading kindness, compassion and holiday cheer during a time of uncertainty for many in our community. "There's just a bunch of us that just really care about bringing kindness, compassion to the community, since it's really about [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- One person was killed in a Christmas Eve crash in west Columbus. According to the Columbus Division of Police, the crash happened in the area of Roberts Road and Windflower Road East, just east of Hilliard-Rome Road around 12:54 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. Police said an adult traveling southbound on Windflower Road [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- It really cannot be emphasized enough just how much the Ohio Legislature is focused on property taxes—and with good reason. Ohio homeowners are deeply concerned about being priced out of their homes, and while lawmakers took major steps on tax reform this year, they are by no means finished. Last week, [...]

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WCMH) -- The estate of a Ross County corrections officer who was allegedly killed by an inmate on Christmas Day last year filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, comes almost exactly one year after Andrew Lansing's death. It claims that the ODRC [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The first holiday after losing a loved one can be hard. For children, it can be difficult to understand and deal with emotions at a time that is supposed to be exciting. Dr. Whitney Raglin Bignall, a pediatric psychologist at The Kids Mental Health Foundation, founded by Nationwide Children’s, said feeling grief over [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Franklin County judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked Ohio from using $600 million in unclaimed funds for a new Cleveland Browns stadium. Judge Bill Sperlazza granted a temporary restraining order that will be in effect until Jan. 8 that blocks the state from transferring the money to a new fund for [...]

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® will close our headquarters early at 12 PM Eastern Standard Time (1700 UTC) on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, and will be closed all day on Thursday and Friday, December 25 - 26 for the Christmas holiday. ARRL will also be closed on Thursday, January 1, 2026, for New Year's Day.

There will be no W1AW transmissions during the holiday closures. The A...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Wendy's is set to bring back its popular Sweet and Sour sauce after it was discontinued earlier this year at the dismay of fans. A screen appears in the Wendy's mobile app telling fans that they can sign up to be notified when the beloved sauce returns, but does not provide [...]

DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) -- A central Ohio pizza brand with a growing footprint is preparing to add another restaurant, continuing a steady expansion more than 15 years after it first opened. Luna Pizza Kitchen plans to open a new location at 66 Hyatts Road, between Delaware and Lewis Center. A countdown on the company's website [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Columbus-area city was recently recognized as the Ohio municipality that most resembles the setting of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Action Network, a sports media company, conducted a study to find the city or town in each U.S. state that is most similar to those featured in Hallmark Christmas movies. The [...]

NEW ALBANY, Ohio (WCMH) -- Hims & Hers Health will build a new facility in New Albany, a more-than-$200 million expansion. Hims & Hers Health is a health and wellness telehealth company that provides medications and personal care products. On Dec. 17, the health corporation announced it would build a new facility in central Ohio, [...]

Stores will adjust their hours for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with many closing early or entirely on Christmas Eve and Day, while some stores will remain open with limited hours on Christmas Eve and Day.

In this episode, Ray covers December Tech News! T-Mobile’s groundbreaking Starlink satellite beta promises to eliminate dead zones using your regular phone with no special equipment needed. Also discussed: Japan’s ship-mounted laser weapon with unlimited ammo, China’s record-breaking 387 mph maglev train, Rivian challenging Tesla’s camera-only approach with LiDAR, Google’s Gemini-powered smart glasses, and physicists 3D printing ice sculptures just in time for Christmas.

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Full Summary

Cochrane kicks off episode 1854 with a major announcement from T-Mobile. The carrier opened registration for its Starlink satellite beta service. This technology lets regular phones connect directly to satellites. As a result, dead zones could become a thing of the past.

T-Mobile and SpaceX plan to begin beta tests in early 2026. Initially, the service will support texting only. Voice and data will follow later. Notably, the service is free for postpaid customers and prioritizes first responders. It has already proved its value during recent hurricanes.

Next, Cochrane covers Japan’s 100-kilowatt laser weapon test. The system was installed on the JS Asuka test ship. It combines ten fiber lasers into a single powerful beam. The weapon offers unlimited ammo as long as there’s electricity. Japan plans to deploy this technology on destroyers by 2032.

The episode then shifts to high-speed rail innovation. China’s T-Flight Maglev train recently hit 387 miles per hour. That already beats Japan’s current record. However, the goal is 600+ mph using magnetic levitation and low-vacuum tubes.

Cochrane also discusses Rivian’s approach to self-driving cars. The upcoming R2 model will feature LiDAR in addition to cameras and radar. This directly challenges Tesla’s camera-only strategy. The added sensors improve safety in fog, snow, and darkness.

Additionally, he explores Google’s Android XR announcement. This new operating system powers AR glasses and mixed reality headsets. Samsung is building the first headset. Meanwhile, the Gemini AI integration allows real-time assistance based on what you see.

The show touches on running AI locally as well. More users are choosing local hardware over cloud services. Benefits include better privacy, no subscriptions, and offline access.

Furthermore, Cochrane highlights major computer science breakthroughs from 2025. An MIT researcher discovered that memory is more powerful than previously thought. Google’s AI earned a gold-medal performance at the Math Olympiad. However, researchers also found that AI trained on bad code exhibits alarming behaviors.

Japan’s fabric speaker innovation gets attention, too. The technology weaves conductive fibers into textiles. The entire surface vibrates to produce sound. This could transform how we integrate audio into everyday objects.

Finally, Cochrane covers several science stories. A new imaging technique captures flu viruses invading cells in real time. Africa’s forests have flipped from absorbing carbon to releasing it. On a lighter note, physicists 3D printed tiny ice Christmas trees using clever pressure tricks. Cochrane wraps up by wishing listeners happy holidays.

 

1. T-Mobile Opens Registration for Starlink Satellite Beta
2. Japan Tests 100-Kilowatt Laser Weapon That Can Cut Through Drones Mid-Flight
3. China’s T-Flight Maglev Train Hits 387 MPH, Aims for 600+
4. Rivian Shows Why Autonomous Vehicles Should Have LiDAR
5. Google Unveils Android XR: Gemini-Powered Smart Glasses and Headsets
6. Why You Should Consider Running AI Locally
7. The Year in Computer Science: 2025’s Biggest Breakthroughs
8. Japan’s Fabric Speakers Turn Any Textile Into Audio
9. Scientists Capture How Flu Viruses Invade Cells in Real Time
10. Africa’s Forests Have Flipped From Carbon Sink to Carbon Source
11. Physicists 3D Print a Tiny Christmas Tree Made of Ice

The post The End of Deadzones and Japan’s new Laser Gunship #1854 appeared first on Geek News Central.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Amid heightened ICE operations in Columbus, immigrant business owners and community leaders gathered Tuesday at the Global Mall on Morse Road warning it's hurting both families and their livelihoods. "In some of these businesses, we're seeing ICE agents are parked at the front literally to disenfranchise these businesses who are legal, [...]

What if your smart TV and Firefox extensions were secretly hijacking your security and privacy? This episode reveals the jaw-dropping discovery of a massive TV botnet and the surprisingly clever malware lurking behind innocent browser icons.

• North Korea's profitable fixation on cryptocurrency.
• Amazon uncovers a cryptomining sneaking into customer clouds.
• Insecure Docker API servers are also hosting cryptominers.
• A new and truly massive SmartTV-based botnet discovery.
• DNS Benchmark's 4th release.
• Who, besides Let's Encrypt, offers free automated certs.
• Some interesting listener feedback.
• And how a PNG Icon was used to infect 50,000 Firefox users

Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-1057-Notes.pdf

Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte

Download or subscribe to Security Now at https://twit.tv/shows/security-now.

You can submit a question to Security Now at the GRC Feedback Page.

For 16kbps versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve's site: grc.com, also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is still gathering public feedback on a general wastewater permit for new data centers. The EPA says it has received more than 4,000 comments so far and because of the volume of public interest, they’ve extended the comment period to January 16. The draft permit has [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Franklin County Engineer's Office on Tuesday dropped off $8,000 worth of toys -- an entire dump truck load -- to children and families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. "Having some extra Christmas gifts provides a little extra holiday magic, especially when the parents are already probably going through difficult [...]