Technology

Floating wind turbine in Maine proves resilient in storm simulation, researchers say

Published

2 years ago

May 14, 2024

Floating wind turbine in Maine proves resilient in storm simulation, researchers say

Maine fishermen aim to sink Biden’s offshore wind farm plan

FOX Business’ Lydia Hu reports on President Biden’s wind farm plan opposed by Maine’s fisheries. New England Fishermen’s Stewardship founder Jerry Leeman explains how the plan poses a risk to marine life and the industry, saying ‘it’ll cripple us.’

The University of Maine is contributing to the global effort to improve floating machines to harness wind over deeper offshore waters.
Researchers envision turbine platforms floating in the ocean beyond the horizon, stretching more than 700 feet.
Floating turbines are the only viable option for U.S. states to capture large-scale offshore wind energy in waters too deep for traditional turbines.

As waves grew and gusts increased, a wind turbine bobbed gently, its blades spinning with a gentle woosh. The tempest reached a crescendo with little drama other than splashing water.

The uneventful outcome is exactly what engineers aimed for.

The demonstration featuring a 13-foot-tall floating wind turbine in an indoor pool aimed to ensure it can withstand the strain of powerful water and wind when much larger versions are deployed in the ocean.

US’S FIRST LARGE OFFSHORE WIND FARM OFFICIALLY OPENS IN NEW YORK, WITH MORE TO COME

It’s the University of Maine’s contribution to a worldwide race to improve floating machines to tap wind that blows across deeper waters offshore, too deep to attach turbines to the seabed with permanent pilings.

The University of Maine’s first prototype of an offshore wind turbine is seen in this Sept. 20, 2013, file photo, near Castine, Maine. Floating turbines are the only way for some countries and U.S. states to capture a massive amount of offshore wind energy. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, files)

In the next decade, UMaine researchers said, they envision turbine platforms floating in the ocean beyond the horizon, stretching more than 700 feet skyward and anchored with mooring lines.

“These structures are massive,” said Anthony Viselli, chief engineer for offshore wind technology at the university’s Advanced Composites Center, after the demonstration wrapped up. “These would be some of the largest moving structures that humankind has endeavored to create. And there would be many of them.”

THREE GROUPS ARE SUING NEW JERSEY TO BLOCK AN OFFSHORE WIND FARM

As the technology advances, dozens of designs are being promoted by experts who see floating wind turbines as a way to address climate change by shifting away from burning fossil fuels.

Floating turbines are the only way some countries and U.S. states can capture offshore wind energy on a large scale. In the U.S. alone, 2.8 terawatts of wind energy potential blows over ocean waters too deep for traditional turbines that affix to the ocean floor, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. That’s enough to power 350 million homes — more than double the number of existing homes in the U.S.

The first floating wind farm started operating off Scotland’s coast in 2017. In the United States, the Department of Interior two weeks ago proposed the first floating wind energy auctions for the Gulf of Maine, following lease auctions for the West Coast that began in 2022. The nearly 1 million acres up for auction off the New England coast could generate enough clean wind energy to power more than 5 million local homes, the department said.

UMaine is home to the nation’s largest team of engineers dedicated to floating offshore wind. Other big players include Equinor, which has installed a demonstration floating project of the coast of Norway; global company Principle Power, which has installed small-scale projects off Scotland and Portugal; and SBM Offshore, which has a demonstration project off France.

Floating offshore wind is still a nascent industry, however, making it expensive.

The Norwegian company Equinor postponed its Trollvind floating initiative, citing technology availability, rising costs and a strained timetable to deliver on the original concept.

BIDEN ADMIN APPROVES EIGHTH US OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT OFF MASSACHUSETTS COAST

Danish wind energy developer Ørsted decided to focus its efforts on fixed-bottom turbines, foregoing deeper offshore regions including Japan, Norway, Spain, Portugal and the U.S. West Coast. “We care a lot about affordability of renewable power, and floating wind is a lot more expensive than bottom-fixed,” said CEO Mads Nipper.

But others are moving forward.

Gazelle Wind Power is developing a modular platform system to make manufacture and assembly cost-effective and efficient.

“This is a global problem and this is an ideal solution in order to deliver power to shore,” said Gazelle Wind Power CEO Jon Salazar.

UMaine launched its first floating prototype a decade ago and became a surprise global leader after a study showed that the Gulf of Maine had the wind energy potential of 156 nuclear power plants, due to fast, consistent wind.

The state could meet all its home heating needs and power every car — if they were all electric vehicles — by tapping just 3% of that water. That improves the odds of successfully sharing the resource with fishermen, recreational boaters, the military and, of course, marine life. Indeed, the federal government’s lease proposal spares Maine’s key lobstering grounds from development, removing a potential obstacle.

Trailblazers in offshore wind are benefiting from work done by the oil industry, which engineered floating oil and gas rigs, said Habib Dagher, director of the Advanced Composites Center.

The university’s wind wave basin, which looks something like a swimming pool with wave and wind generators that can mimic ocean conditions up to a 500-year storm, takes that work to the next level.

On a recent day, the semi-submersible floating turbine was tethered to the bottom of the basin. Its 1:70 scale represented a real turbine standing about 800 feet (240 meters) tall atop a platform in the ocean. The goal is to have industrial scale turbines of 15 to 20 megawatts each, Dagher said.

Size and efficiency are keys to profitability. Larger wind turbines mean fewer are needed, reducing construction, installation and maintenance costs, Viselli said. With greater size and efficiency, developers envision only about 50 turbines needed to produce about the same amount of electricity as a nuclear power plant.

Full-size turbines generate peak power starting at about 20 mph. In powerful storms, they shut down automatically to avoid stressing the equipment or breaking. The mooring lines tethered to the ocean floor are made of rope nearly thick as a telephone pole and under heavy tension. That makes them safer for marine mammals.

For all the turbine technology, the platforms developed by UMaine can be built locally with concrete, a simple material that’s readily available. The university already has partners around the world interested in licensing its technology. The state of Maine plans to develop a port facility in the Searsport area to build the floating bases and attach turbines before sending them into the Gulf of Maine.

A brand new industry means some experiments in design will succeed and some will fail. And there is work to ensure that wind farms are good neighbors, overcoming objections from others using the ocean.

“We’re going to have some problems and we have to figure out how to roll up our sleeves and solve these problems,” Dagher said. “And I think we have no choice as a society but to do that.”

Technology

Anthropic upgrades Claude’s memory to attract AI switchers

Published

5 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Anthropic upgrades Claude’s memory to attract AI switchers

Anthropic is making it easier to switch to its Claude AI from other chatbots with an update that brings Claude’s memory feature to users on the free plan, along with a new prompt and dedicated tool for importing data from other chatbots. These upgrades could allow users who have been using rivals like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini to quickly copy the data their preferred AI has collected on them and bring it over to Anthropic’s chatbot. That way, they don’t have to “start over” teaching Claude the context and history their previous chatbot already knows.

The option to import and export memories from Claude has been available since October, when Anthropic also rolled out the option for users to turn on Claude’s memory. Up until now, the memory feature was only available to users on paid Claude subscriptions, but now all Claude users can turn it on by going into “settings” then “capabilities.” This menu is also where users can find the new memory importing tool, which has users copy a pre-written prompt into their previous AI then copy the output from that prompt back into Claude’s importing tool.

Anthropic is introducing the upgraded memory importing tool as Claude is seeing a rise in popularity, driven by tools like Claude Code and Claude Cowork. Last month, Anthropic launched its new Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 4.6 models, which the company says are better at coding and completing complex tasks like working through a spreadsheet or filling out forms.

Anthropic has also been experiencing a spike in attention recently after pushing back against demands from the Pentagon to loosen the guardrails on its AI models, with the company stating publicly that they drew “red lines” around mass surveillance and fully autonomous lethal weapons.

Technology

Why the Microsoft 365 Copilot bug matters for data security

Published

6 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Why the Microsoft 365 Copilot bug matters for data security

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You trust your email security settings for a reason. So when an AI assistant quietly reads and summarizes messages marked confidential, that trust takes a hit.

Microsoft says a bug in Microsoft 365 Copilot allowed its AI chat feature to process sensitive emails since late January.

The issue bypassed Data Loss Prevention policies that organizations rely on to protect private information. Put simply, emails that were supposed to stay locked down were being summarized anyway.

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Microsoft 365 Copilot’s work chat interface sits at the center of the issue after a bug allowed it to summarize confidential emails. (Microsoft)

Microsoft 365 Copilot bug summarized confidential emails

Microsoft says a coding error impacted Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, specifically the “work tab” feature. The AI assistant helps business users summarize content, draft responses and analyze information across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote.

Beginning Jan. 21, an internal bug labeled CW1226324 caused Copilot to read and summarize emails stored in Sent Items and Drafts folders.

The real concern runs deeper. Several of those messages carried confidentiality or sensitivity labels.

Companies apply those labels along with DLP policies to block automated systems from accessing restricted content. Despite those safeguards, Copilot still generated summaries.

We reached out to Microsoft, and a spokesperson provided CyberGuy with the following statement:

“We identified and addressed an issue where Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat could return content from emails labeled confidential authored by a user and stored within their Draft and Sent Items in Outlook desktop. This did not provide anyone access to information they weren’t already authorized to see. While our access controls and data protection policies remained intact, this behavior did not meet our intended Copilot experience, which is designed to exclude protected content from Copilot access. A configuration update has been deployed worldwide for enterprise customers.”

Why the Microsoft 365 Copilot bug matters for data security

AI tools feel helpful. They save time and reduce busy work. But they also rely on deep access to your data. When safeguards fail, even temporarily, sensitive content can move in ways you did not expect.

YOUR PHONE SHARES DATA AT NIGHT: HERE’S HOW TO STOP IT

For businesses, that could mean:

Legal discussions summarized outside intended controls

Financial projections processed despite restrictions

HR communications are exposed to automated analysis

Even if no data leaves the organization, the bypass itself raises concerns about how AI integrates with enterprise security systems.

Business users rely on Copilot to streamline work, but a recent bug raised concerns about how it handles sensitive email content. (Microsoft)

How Microsoft is fixing the Microsoft 365 Copilot bug

Microsoft says it began rolling out a fix in early February. The company continues to monitor deployment and is contacting some affected users to verify the fix works.

However, Microsoft has not provided a final timeline for full remediation. It has also not disclosed how many organizations were affected.

The issue is tagged as an advisory, which usually signals limited scope or impact. Still, many security professionals will want deeper clarity before feeling comfortable.

What this Microsoft 365 Copilot issue reveals about AI security

This incident highlights something many companies are wrestling with right now. AI assistants sit inside productivity platforms. They need access to email, documents and collaboration tools to work well.

TIKTOK AFTER THE US SALE: WHAT CHANGED AND HOW TO USE IT SAFELY

At the same time, those platforms contain your most sensitive information. When AI features expand quickly, security policies must evolve just as fast. Otherwise, even a small code mistake can create unexpected exposure.

The Copilot chat feature was designed to boost productivity, yet a code error let it process emails labeled confidential. (Microsoft)

Ways to stay safe after the Microsoft 365 Copilot bug

If your organization uses Microsoft 365 Copilot, here are practical steps to reduce risk:

1) Review Copilot access settings

Work with your IT team to confirm which folders and data sources Copilot can access.

2) Revalidate DLP policies

Test sensitivity labels and DLP (Data Loss Prevention) rules to ensure they block AI processing as intended.

3) Monitor advisory updates

Stay current on Microsoft service alerts and verify that the fix is fully deployed in your tenant.

4) Limit AI scope during investigations

If you have concerns, consider temporarily restricting Copilot features until verification is complete.

5) Train employees on AI boundaries

Remind staff that AI assistants can process drafts and send messages. Encourage careful handling of sensitive content.

6) Audit Copilot activity logs

Review audit logs to see whether Copilot accessed or summarized labeled emails. This helps determine actual exposure rather than assumed risk.

7) Review sensitivity label configuration

Confirm that confidential labels are configured to block AI processing where required. Misconfigured labels can create gaps even after a bug is fixed.

8) Reassess retention and draft policies

Because the issue involved Sent Items and Drafts, evaluate whether sensitive drafts should be stored long-term or deleted after sending.

9) Limit Copilot to specific user groups

Instead of enabling Copilot organization-wide, consider a phased deployment to departments with lower sensitivity exposure.

10) Conduct a post-incident security review

Use this moment to reassess how AI tools integrate with compliance controls. Treat it as a learning opportunity rather than a one-time glitch.

Pro Tip: This Copilot bug centers on enterprise controls. Even so, AI tools operate on your devices and accounts, so keeping software up to date and using strong antivirus software adds an important layer of defense. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

Considering a more private email provider

Enterprise AI bugs raise a bigger question: how much access should email platforms have to your data in the first place? If you want an added layer of privacy beyond mainstream providers, privacy-focused email services are worth exploring.

Some offer end-to-end encryption, support for PGP encryption and a strict no-ads business model that avoids scanning messages for marketing purposes.

AI WEARABLE HELPS STROKE SURVIVORS SPEAK AGAIN

Many also allow you to create disposable email aliases, which can reduce spam and limit exposure if one address is compromised.

While no provider is immune to software bugs, choosing an email service built around privacy rather than data monetization can limit how much of your information is accessible to automated systems in the first place.

For individuals, journalists and small businesses especially, that added control can make a meaningful difference.

For recommendations on private and secure email providers that offer alias addresses, visit Cyberguy.com

Kurt’s key takeaways

AI assistants are becoming part of daily work life. They promise speed, efficiency and smarter workflows. But convenience should never outrun security.

This Copilot bug may have a limited impact. Still, it serves as a reminder that AI tools are only as strong as the guardrails behind them.

When those guardrails slip, even briefly, sensitive information can move in unexpected ways. As AI becomes more embedded in business software, trust will depend on transparency, fast fixes and clear communication.

Here is the real question: If your AI assistant can see everything you write, are you fully confident it respects every boundary you set? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Samsung’s Digital Home Key lets you use your phone as your key

Published

17 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Samsung’s Digital Home Key lets you use your phone as your key

Just days after showing off the Galaxy S26, Samsung is finally rolling out the ability for users to unlock their home with a tap of their phone or by simply approaching their door. The new feature, called Digital Home Key, will live inside Samsung Wallet and is powered by the Aliro smart home standard.

Samsung first teased its Digital Home Key feature in 2024 and said the feature would be available in 2025. That didn’t pan out, as the CSA’s Aliro standard — which will let users unlock smart locks with any phone — only arrived in February of this year. The new standard uses near-field communication (NFC) for its tap-to-unlock technology. It also supports ultra-wideband (UWB), giving users the ability to unlock their door as they approach and without pulling out their phone.

To add a Digital Home Key to your wallet, you’ll need to set up a compatible smart lock through SmartThings using Matter. Only some Galaxy smartphones support both NFC and UWB, including the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and up, as well as the Galaxy S22 Ultra and up. You can view the full list of compatible devices on Samsung’s website.