Technology
'Patriot entrepreneurs' fight against DOD bureaucracy to green light future tech: defense expert
Military leaders have bought into advanced tech that “patriotic entrepreneurs” are inventing, but the Pentagon’s bureaucratic slog has created major challenges to getting those innovations onto the battlefield, according to a defense expert.
“Now we have this thing where this great landscape of patriot entrepreneurs that are devoting their whole life to building cool tech that helps the broader citizenry,” said Doug Philippone, who invests in defense tech through his firm Snowpoint Ventures. The real challenge, he told Fox News, is getting the Department of Defense to adopt the inventions at a competitive speed.
“That’s something that the DOD is just — I’m just thinking of some word to insult them — but they just cannot do it,” Philippone said.
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Pentagon spokesperson Jeff Jurgensen, however, noted the speed DOD has moved since Russia invaded Ukraine and pointed to strategies military initiated this year and last to expand the defense industrial base.
“DOD remains committed to using the full range of acquisition and contracting tools Congress has provided in order to deliver capabilities that outpace the current and future threat environment — quickly, cost-effectively, and most importantly, at scale,” Jurgensen said. “Since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, DOD has shown it can — and is — moving rapidly, having obligated more than $30 [billion] on contract under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and to replace equipment drawn down from U.S. stocks.”
“Contracts that used to take months are being awarded in a matter of weeks,” Jurgensen added. “For example, a contract to accelerate Stinger production was awarded in just 22 days.”
Philippone, who’s headed Palantir’s Global Defense team since 2008, has a history of casting blunt judgment on the Pentagon, particularly when it comes to acquisition.
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Doug Philippone believes Gecko Robotics’ devices, which can crawl over infrastructure in order to identify and predict weak points, could save the Navy significant taxpayer money. (Courtesy of Snowpoint Ventures)
“We started out politely, but now our basic message to them is, ‘What you’re asking for won’t work and will waste money, so you’re either stupid or corrupt,’” Philippone told Fortune in 2017 as Palantir was fighting to upend how the Defense Department doles out contracts.
In one legal filing, Palantir called the Pentagon officials “irrational,” driven by “a desire to cover up the failures of their own program” and motivated by “an instinct to preserve relationships with entrenched ‘inside the Beltway’ contractors (and perhaps the ‘revolving door’ relationships often entailed in those relationships,” Fortune reported.
While he told Fox News he owned those words, admitting he “was a younger, more immature version” of himself, Philippone also said he and Palantir “were fighting like hell to break in just to give soldiers something that they were already asking for, and bureaucrats were blocking us.”
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“They were reinforcing failing instead of buying something that the soldiers were saying, ‘this works,” continued Philippone, an Army veteran who commanded multiple Joint Special Operations Command outstations. “It’s cheaper, faster, better, and just out of stubbornness [the bureaucrats] just weren’t doing it.”
Pentagon bureaucrats created time-consuming hurdles that make it challenging for stat-ups to get innovative, effective and cheap tech to the troops, Doug Philippone says. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
At the time, the Pentagon had decided to update what Fortune called “a deeply flawed system” created by some of the staple D.C. beltway defense contracts, including Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Palantir, a young outsider, was blocked from bidding on the contract.
Philippone said the specs on Palantir’s product “would lead a normal person to believe that you should just buy this thing.”
“But sometimes the Department of Defense does things, or the broader government does things that, you know, are not what normal citizens would think were rational decisions,” he told Fox News.
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Since then, military leadership has accepted that start-ups can deliver game-changing tech, but “it’s still harder than it needs to be by a long shot,” Philippone said.
A firm within Snowpoint Ventures’ portfolio, Shield AI, developed the V-BAT. The drone, capable of vertical take off, can complete its missions even in warzones where comma or GPS is cut. (Courtesy of Snowpoint Ventures)
“I do think that the leadership landscape across the broader government, for the most part and across the DOD, for the most part, has bought into this,” he continued. “It’s just that either the frozen middle or the bureaucratic state, whatever you want to call it—we got to get through that.”
It’s not just about Palantir and Snowpoint or its portfolio, Philippone said. A number of smaller firms are pushing to sell better —and cheaper — equipment to the military and “to help out the world.”
“Is it going to be hard? Yes,” Philippone added. “But I guess that’s my raison d’etre.”
Microsoft Edge is adding a new feature that will allow its Copilot AI chatbot to gather information from all of your open tabs. When you start a conversation with Copilot, you can ask the chatbot questions about what’s in your tabs, compare the products you’re looking at, summarize your open articles, and more.
In its announcement, Microsoft says you can “select which experiences you want or leave off the ones you don’t.” The company is retiring Copilot Mode as well, which could similarly draw information from your tabs but offered some agentic features, like the ability to book a reservation on your behalf. Microsoft has since folded these agentic capabilities into its “Browse with Copilot” tool.
Several other AI features are coming to Edge, including an AI-powered “Study and Learn” mode that can turn the article you’re looking at into a study session or interactive quiz. There’s a new tool that turns your tabs into AI-powered podcasts as well, similar to what you’d find on NotebookLM, and an AI writing assistant that will pop up when you start entering text on a webpage.
You can also give Copilot permission to access your browsing history to provide more “relevant, high-quality answers,” according to Microsoft. Copilot in Edge on desktop and mobile will come with “long-term memory” as well, which can tailor its responses based on your previous conversations. And, when you open up a new tab, you’ll see a redesigned page that combines chat, search, and web navigation, along with the Journeys feature, which uses AI to organize your browsing history into categories that you can revisit.
Meanwhile, an update to Edge’s mobile app will allow you to share your screen with Copilot and talk through the questions about what you’re seeing. Microsoft says you’ll see “clear visual cues” when Copilot is active, “so you know when it’s taking an action, helping, listening, or viewing.”
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If you bought a newer iPhone because Apple made Siri sound like it was about to become your personal artificial intelligence sidekick, you may want to pay attention.
Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over claims that it misled customers about new Apple Intelligence and Siri features. The case centers on the iPhone 16 launch and certain iPhone 15 models that were marketed as ready for Apple’s next wave of AI. The settlement still needs court approval, and Apple denies wrongdoing.
The lawsuit argues that Apple promoted a smarter, more personal Siri before those features were actually available. For some buyers, that was a big deal. A new iPhone can cost hundreds of dollars, and many people upgrade only when they think they are getting something meaningfully new.
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WHY IPHONE USERS ARE THE NEW PRIME SCAM TARGETS
U.S. buyers of certain iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro models may qualify for payments if a judge approves Apple’s proposed settlement. (Getty Images)
What Apple is accused of promising
Apple introduced Apple Intelligence in June 2024 and promoted it as a major step forward for iPhone, iPad and Mac. A key part of that pitch was a more personalized Siri that could understand context, work across apps and help with everyday tasks in a more useful way.
The lawsuit claims Apple’s marketing made consumers believe those advanced Siri features would arrive with the iPhone 16 or soon after. Instead, buyers received phones that had some Apple Intelligence tools, but not the full Siri overhaul that many expected.
That gap is the heart of the case. Plaintiffs say customers bought or upgraded devices based on AI features that were not ready. Apple says it has rolled out many Apple Intelligence features and settled the case, so it can stay focused on its products.
How much money could iPhone owners get?
The proposed settlement creates a $250 million fund. Eligible customers who file approved claims are expected to receive at least $25 per eligible device. That amount could rise to as much as $95 per device, depending on how many people file claims and other settlement factors.
That means this will not be a huge payday for most people. Still, if you bought one of the covered phones, it may be worth watching for a claim notice. A few minutes of paperwork could put some money back in your pocket.
Which iPhones may qualify?
The proposed settlement covers U.S. buyers who purchased any iPhone 16 model, iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025.
Covered iPhone 16 models include the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16e. The settlement also includes the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, but not every iPhone 15 model.
The key details are the device model, the purchase date and whether the phone was bought in the United States.
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Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle claims it misled customers about Apple Intelligence and Siri features on newer iPhones. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg)
How will you file a claim?
You do not need to do anything immediately. The settlement still needs a judge’s approval. Once the claims process opens, eligible customers are expected to receive a notice by email or mail with instructions on how to file through a settlement website.
That notice matters because scammers love moments like this. A real settlement notice should not ask for your Apple ID password, bank login or payment to claim your money. If you receive a message about this settlement, do not click blindly. Go slowly, check the sender and look for the official settlement administrator details once they are available.
Why this case matters beyond one Siri feature
This case hits a bigger nerve. Tech companies are racing to sell AI as the next must-have feature. That creates a problem for shoppers. You are often asked to buy now based on what a company says will arrive later.
That can be frustrating when the feature is the reason you upgraded. A smarter Siri sounds useful. A phone that can understand your personal context, search across apps and help with daily tasks could save time. But if those tools are delayed, limited or missing, the value of the upgrade changes.
This settlement also sends a message about AI marketing. Companies can talk about future features, but consumers need clear timing and plain explanations. “Coming soon” can mean very different things when you are spending $800, $1,000 or more.
We reached out to Apple for comment, but did not hear back before our deadline.
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Apple denies wrongdoing but agreed to settle claims tied to its marketing of Apple Intelligence and Siri features. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)
What this means to you
If you bought a covered iPhone during the settlement period, keep an eye on your email and regular mail. You may qualify for a payment if the court approves the deal.
You should also keep your receipt or proof of purchase if you have it. Your Apple purchase history, carrier account or retailer receipt may help if the claim process asks for details.
More broadly, this is a reminder to treat AI features like any other big tech promise. Before you upgrade, ask one simple question: Can the feature do what is being advertised today, or is the company asking me to wait?
That question can save you from buying a device for a future feature that may arrive much later than expected.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Apple has built its brand on making technology feel polished, personal and easy to use. That is why this Siri settlement hits a nerve. People were buying phones they use every day for texts, photos, directions, reminders and everything in between. Many expected AI to make those everyday tasks easier, which is why the delay felt frustrating. The proposed payout may be modest, but the bigger issue is trust. When a company sells AI as a reason to upgrade, customers deserve to know what actually works now and what is still coming later.
Would you still buy a new phone for promised AI features, or would you wait until they actually show up? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Instagram is once again cribbing from competitors like Snapchat and BeReal with a new photo-sharing format it calls “Instants,” which are ephemeral photos that you can’t edit and that you can only share with your close friends or followers that follow you back. Instants are available globally beginning on Wednesday as a feature in the inbox in the Instagram app and as a separate app that’s now in testing in select countries.
To access Instants from the Instagram app, go to your DM inbox and look in the bottom-right corner for an icon or a stack of photos. After you post a photo, your friends can emoji react to it and send a reply to your DMs, but after they see it, the photo disappears for them. Instants also disappear after 24 hours, and they can’t be captured in screenshots or screen recordings.
However, your Instants will remain in an archive for you for up to a year, and you can reshare them as a recap to your Instagram Stories if you’d like. You can also undo sending an Instant right after you post it or delete it from your archive.
The Instants mobile app, which popped up in Italy and Spain in April, gives you “immediate access to the camera” and only requires an Instagram account, Instagram says. “Instants you share on the separate app will show up for friends on Instagram and vice versa. We’re trying this separate app out to see how our community uses it, and we’ll continue to evolve it as we learn more.”
Instagram, in its testing, has seen that people “tend to use Instants to share much more casual, much more authentic moments about their day,” according to Instagram boss Adam Mosseri. “And we know that this type of sharing of personal moments with friends is a core part of what makes Instagram Instagram, but we also know that a lot of people don’t really share a lot to their profile grids anymore.”
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