Tech Updates: Quantum Funding, AI Models, and Global Launches

It’s been a busy day in tech, with developments spanning from government-funded quantum research to consumer product launches and AI breakthroughs. The U.S. Department of Energy kicked off the Quantum Genesis Q Competition, putting up to $215 million on the line to build the world’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer useful for science. Over in the Netherlands, bicycle company Accell, which filed for bankruptcy this summer, is now in advanced talks to be bought by Singapore’s DuTech Holdings. On the AI front, PrismML in Shenzhen unveiled Bonsai 2 27B, a squeezed-down version of Alibaba’s large language model that now runs in just 5.9 gigabytes but still delivers nearly all of the original power. Meanwhile, in Tehran, a developer released a free, offline AI tool that can read and work with PSD files, offering a Photoshop alternative. Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max went on sale globally, drawing long lines outside stores as fans eagerly grabbed the latest models. But not all news was positive — hackers breached Flock Safety’s systems in the U.S., copying data from one of its license plate recognition cameras and sharing it with unknown parties. That wraps the latest in tech — innovation moving fast, with both promise and risk in play.