Tech updates: quantum funding, chip deals, and cyber threats

It’s been a busy day in tech, with big moves across quantum computing, chips, and cybersecurity. The U.S. Department of Energy kicked things off by launching a $215 million competition to push forward fault-tolerant quantum computers — a key step toward making quantum tech practical and reliable. Over in India, Nexperia and Tata Electronics announced they’re teaming up to make chips locally, using facilities in Dholera and Jagiroad, marking a shift as Nexperia splits from its former partner Wingtech. On the security front, two oil tankers headed for Texas were hit by hackers who disabled communications and pushed engines into overdrive in the Gulf of Mexico — the FBI has already boarded at least one ship to look into it, with Iran possibly involved. Separately, researchers showed how they used Anthropic’s Claude AI models to break into OpenAI employee accounts in under three days, highlighting new risks in AI-powered attacks. On the product side, Prism ML released Bonsai 2 27B, a compact AI model that can run on everyday hardware, Apple launched the iPhone 18 Pro Max in New York City, and NASA gave SpaceX three more crew flights to the International Space Station. That’s a snapshot of where the tech world is heading — more public investment, global manufacturing shifts, and growing pressure on digital security.