Author: Susan Hauser

Boston — Women-focused cycling apparel brand Jelenew hosted a winter charity ride in the Boston area last week, combining outdoor recreation with fundraising for global reforestation efforts. The event, called Hot Coco Cycling, took place on December 22 and was co-organized with the Boston University Cycling Club. Despite cold temperatures following snowfall, 19 riders turned out for the 29-mile group ride, which linked cycling with environmental advocacy and community discussion. Participants began the morning in Arlington before riding toward Bedford along the Minuteman Bikeway, a historic route tied to the early days of the American Revolution. The group passed landmarks…

Pickleball, once a niche backyard game, is now emerging as one of the fastest-growing recreational sports in the United States, and health experts say its benefits extend well beyond the court. Blending elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, pickleball is easy to learn and accessible to players of nearly any age or fitness level. That simplicity has helped fuel its rapid rise, particularly among older adults and those seeking a low-impact way to stay active. Health researchers and recreation specialists point to several physical and mental benefits tied to regular play. Pickleball raises heart rate without placing excessive strain…

Brampton, Ont. — Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst at Toronto Metropolitan University has launched a new national initiative aimed at drawing more girls and gender-diverse youth into cybersecurity, a field where women remain significantly underrepresented. The program, called CyberStart Canada, is a gamified learning experience designed for high school girls, young women, and non-binary students. Organizers say it combines interactive challenges with mentorship and career exposure to make cybersecurity approachable, collaborative, and safe for beginners. The initiative is led by Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst and is funded through Public Safety Canada’s Cyber Security Cooperation Program, with additional support from the SANS Institute. In…

Brampton, Ont. — Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst at Toronto Metropolitan University has launched a new national program aimed at introducing more girls and gender-diverse youth to cybersecurity through interactive, game-based learning. The initiative, called CyberStart Canada, is designed for high school girls, young women, and non-binary students, with a focus on improving cyber awareness while helping close the gender gap in a field where women remain significantly underrepresented. The program is funded by Public Safety Canada through its Cyber Security Cooperation Program, with additional support from the SANS Institute. Organizers say the use of gamification will help participants build practical cyber…

Baton Rouge, La. — For most of his life, Phil Larimore rarely spoke about the war. To his sons, the most visible reminder of his World War II service was the missing right leg he carried with quiet resolve. Beyond that, Larimore said little about how he lost it or what he endured overseas. That silence lasted nearly 50 years. It was not until 1994, when a pastor at St. Alban’s Chapel asked him to preach on the idea that freedom comes at a cost, that Larimore finally opened up. Prompted by the invitation and pressed by his four sons,…

Revolut Ltd. is launching a one-click payment feature in a bid to rival PayPal Inc. and other tech giants at online checkouts. Revolut Pay has signed up retailers including Shopify Inc., Prestashop, WH Smith Plc and Funky Pigeon, and will be available within the airline industry in the coming months, according to a statement from the London-based fintech. Thibaut Genevrier, head of merchant acquiring, said in an interview from New York that Revolut Pay was a sign the firm has reached critical mass, having branched out from its original prepaid card into a range of financial services for both consumers…

Dubai — Fintech entrepreneur Vehid Abdullahi, chief executive of Pallapay, says his company has developed what it describes as the first crypto-to-fiat point-of-sale system designed to let merchants accept cryptocurrency payments without directly handling digital assets. The system is aimed at retailers and e-commerce businesses that want to offer crypto payment options while avoiding exposure to price volatility or the technical complexity typically associated with digital currencies. According to Pallapay, transactions are automatically converted, allowing merchants to receive payments in traditional fiat currencies even when customers pay in crypto. The launch comes as cryptocurrency use for payments continues to expand…

Ramat Gan, Israel — Cybersecurity firm SCADAfence has identified previously unknown vulnerabilities in widely deployed building management system devices, prompting U.S. authorities to issue the first-ever security advisories for the affected products. According to SCADAfence, its research team uncovered multiple critical flaws in Alerton industrial Building Management System (BMS) devices, which are owned by Honeywell. Following the findings, the National Institute of Standards and Technology issued four new Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, marking the first time such weaknesses have been formally recorded for Alerton systems. One of the vulnerabilities received a severity score of 8.8, placing it in the high-risk…

Speaker Nancy Pelosi was expected to arrive in Singapore on Monday, beginning a closely watched tour of Asia that has intensified diplomatic anxiety over whether she might also visit Taiwan, a move that could sharply escalate tensions with China. Pelosi has declined to confirm whether Taiwan is on her itinerary. The island, a self-governing democracy of about 23 million people, is claimed by China as its territory. A visit by Pelosi would make her the highest-ranking U.S. official to travel there in decades, a prospect that has unsettled officials in both Beijing and Washington. While remaining silent on specific plans,…

A mysterious fire at an Iranian steel factory is raising fresh concerns about the ability of cyberattacks to cause real-world destruction, after a hacking group claimed it deliberately triggered the incident. The group, known as Predatory Sparrow, said it was responsible for a cyber operation that led to a serious blaze at the facility around two weeks ago. The claim has drawn attention because it suggests hackers may have crossed the line from digital disruption into physical damage, something experts say remains rare but deeply troubling. Predatory Sparrow released a video, which it said shows the aftermath of the attack.…