News

• HP’s new workstation carries 192GB of memory for demanding local AI workloads
• The ZBook Ultra G3a can reportedly handle models reaching 300 billion parameters
• The workstation combines a 96Wh replaceable battery with an 180W adapter

HP has debuted the ZBook Ultra G3a 16, a workstation built around AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 processor and substantial unified memory.

The laptop combines up to 192GB of LPDDR5X memory with integrated Radeon graphics and support for demanding local AI workloads.

HP says the highest-memory configuration can run large language models with up to 300 billion parameters directly on the laptop.

The ZBook Ultra G3a uses 16 processor cores and 32 threads, with clock speeds reaching 5.2GHz and an integrated neural processor.

Its 192GB memory pool can allocate up to 160GB toward the Radeon 8065S graphics processor, leaving substantial capacity for system tasks, and will allow users to load models that exceed the graphics memory available on many conventional notebooks with discrete GPUs.

AI workloads are handled by a 55 TOPS neural processing unit, adding dedicated hardware alongside its integrated graphics processor.

The storage of this device reaches 8TB through a single PCIe Gen5 x4 slot, although there are other models with lower capacities.

This workstation sustains power up to 100W, nearly twice the 55W figure from its earlier model.

It is equipped with a 96Wh replaceable battery which can last up to 14 hours, and its 180W adapter can reach 50% charge within 30 minutes.

The ZBook Ultra G3a 16 uses a dual-fan cooling system with copper heat pipes, and a shared heat spreader covering the processor and memory components.

The official price of this device has not been released; however, the price estimate using HP's Local AI Value Calculator shows that the Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 model with 192GB memory and 512GB storage costs $7,449.

A 128GB version using the same processor costs $5,999, while the Ryzen AI Max PRO 490 configuration with 64GB costs $3,899.

“Professionals need AI experiences that are powerful, reliable, and integrated into the way they work,” said Jim Nottingham, senior vice president at HP.

HP is actually promoting the workstation through its calculator that estimates potential costs when AI workloads move from cloud services onto local hardware.

The company’s calculation assumes roughly 6.3 million tokens daily under its heavy workload profile and models electricity use from continuous operation.

Independent testing remains necessary to establish how the ZBook Ultra G3a performs when handling large models under sustained workloads.

The highest-priced configuration uses an FHD display, despite HP offering higher-resolution IPS, OLED, and DreamColor display choices for buyers.

The workstation measures 17.9mm thick and starts at 4.2 pounds, despite carrying a larger cooling system and 16-inch display.

Display options include a 3840 × 2400 IPS panel, a 2.8K OLED touchscreen, a 2.5K panel, and a lower power WUXGA configuration.

For connectivity, this laptop includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB-C, USB-A, HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and optional 5G networking support.

It supports Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home, FreeDOS, and Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, giving professional users several software environment choices.

Via Videocardz

• Air Force explores unmanned tankers to replace its ageing refuelling fleet
• The MQ-25's progress has revived plans for autonomous Air Force tankers
• Range remains the biggest obstacle to building an unmanned tanker today

The US Air Force is considering whether its next refueling aircraft, expected to replace the KC-135 and KC-46, could fly with no crew aboard.

The idea gained ground because the Navy's Boeing MQ-25 Stingray, an unmanned refuelling drone, flew for the first time earlier in 2026.

On Thursday, the Navy cleared the MQ-25 for low-rate production and purchased three additional units, raising its order to 14 aircraft.

At the recent Air, Space & Cyber 2026 conference in National Harbor, Maryland, the Air Force said its future refueling aircraft might not need a crew.

“I do not believe that it has to be manned, a future air-refuelling solution…But then, how do we, the U.S. Air Force, bring that to bear in scope, scale, and range?” said Lt. Gen. Daniel Tulley, commander of Air Mobility Command

The service is still buying Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tankers, and it spent $12 million this year to study a new tanker design.

However, its proposed fiscal 2027 budget drops that funding entirely and asks for $13 million instead, labelled as money for advanced refuelling systems.

Tulley said a tanker able to cover the needed distances would be huge, and no fully autonomous aircraft of that size flies today.

The current KC-46 has a range just short of 7,400 miles and carries over about a hundred tons of fuel.

However, the autonomous MQ-25, which is driving this idea, manages roughly 500 miles and holds up to 7.5 tons, which is a small share of what the KC-46 offers.

Boeing’s aircraft can currently take off, follow programmed routes, and land on autopilot, though the Air Force does not use them autonomously.

The Air Force is probably hoping to build on this autopilot capability, aiming to turn the partial automation into full autonomy.

Merlin Labs, a company that builds autonomous flight systems, plans to install its autonomous pilot software on the C-130J, an aircraft similar in size to the KC-135.

The aircraft will still carry a human crew, which lets Merlin add autonomy step by step instead of jumping straight to an unmanned tanker.

“That's a way that you can start to chip away at that without actually going fully to the unmanned tanker right away,” said Matthew George, CEO of Merlin Labs.

“The goal is that the unmanned tanker is ready, and the autonomy ends up being ready at the same time.”

The company must next win certification, and it is working with the Air Force this year to get that approval.

“None of this matters unless it's certified and safe. So for us, getting certification done is important, and that's what we're working really closely with the Air Force on this year,” George said.

Merlin has not announced a date for the C-130J to carry its autonomous pilot, though the company's technology has completed a critical design review.

With no set flight date and unfinished certification, the Air Force's plan for an unmanned tanker the size of the KC-46 remains far off.

Via Defense One

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, September 25 (game #1202).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MINT
• PRESS
• GRAIN
• BEANS
• STARCH
• CAT
• CUCUMBER
• RINGS
• GUM
• FOLD
• KNOTS
• CUSTOMER
• WASH
• MOUTHWASH
• BURL
• SPRAY

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Oral hygiene methods
• GREEN: Stages of attire care
• BLUE: Timber markings
• PURPLE: The opposite of hot stuff

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: BREATH FRESHENERS
• GREEN: THINGS DONE TO A DRESS SHIRT AT THE LAUNDRY
• BLUE: FEATURES OF WOOD
• PURPLE: "COOL" THINGS, IN EXPRESSIONS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

The answers to today's Connections, game #1203, are…

• YELLOW: BREATH FRESHENERS: GUM, MINT, MOUTHWASH, SPRAY
• GREEN: THINGS DONE TO A DRESS SHIRT AT THE LAUNDRY: FOLD, PRESS, STARCH, WASH
• BLUE: FEATURES OF WOOD: BURL, GRAIN, KNOTS, RINGS
• PURPLE: "COOL" THINGS, IN EXPRESSIONS: BEANS, CAT, CUCUMBER, CUSTOMER

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Today I scored another Purple First to add to my collection.

Whenever I see the word CAT I immediately think of the word cool, as it’s an expression that’s always amused me in part because of the song Cool For Cats by Squeeze and equally because of Top Cat, my favorite cartoon as a kid.

From here I just said the word cool to myself in front of every tile. Fortunately, I had the office to myself as I did this, so I was able to maintain my reputation as a cool CUSTOMER.

• YELLOW: LUXE: BOUGIE, FANCY, POSH, SWANK
• GREEN: PARTS OF A MECHANICAL CLOCK: ESCAPEMENT, PENDULUM, RATCHET, SPRING
• BLUE: FAMOUS DANS: AYKROYD, LEVY, RATHER, SAVAGE
• PURPLE: TAXONOMIC RANKS PLUS A LETTER: BORDER, CLASSY, FOAMILY, GENIUS

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

• Bitdefender launches privacy tool built specifically for autonomous AI agents
• Each agent task gets a disposable, temporary connection that deactivates when the task is done
• VPN for AI Agents runs on a Model Context Protocol server architecture entirely

Bitdefender has introduced VPN for AI Agents, a standalone privacy tool built specifically for the autonomous software agents now browsing, researching, and transacting on behalf of everyday users.

The company says this public beta is a direct answer to the growing anxiety over machine-driven data exposure.

Unlike a conventional privacy tool that stays connected at all times, this tool activates only when an AI agent needs it, then deactivates once the task is done.

Cybersecurity researchers have increasingly warned that autonomous agents occupy an ambiguous identity space, often borrowing a person's own credentials or shared workload logins to complete tasks online.

Without a clear separation, every website an agent visits and every transaction it completes remains traceable back to a single household IP address.

Recent Pew Research Center data found 71% of adults in the United States believe wider AI adoption will make their personal data less secure, a fear that extends well beyond American borders.

Bitdefender's new offering, built on a Model Context Protocol server architecture, spins up a disposable digital workspace for each prompt and discards it when the task is done.

Each prompt opens its own encrypted tunnel and exits through the VPN server's IP address, so no cookies, cache, or session state carries over to the next task.

The tool covers network transport and IP masking only, leaving the actual content of a prompt exchanged directly between the user and whichever AI provider is running it.

"AI agents are quickly becoming an extension of the people who use them, showing up in both our workdays and our personal lives," said Ciprian Istrate, senior vice president of operations, Consumer Solutions Group at Bitdefender.

"That means security can no longer stop at protecting the person behind the screen; it has to extend to the agent itself acting on their behalf."

This approach treats each agent like an independent team member requiring its own security boundary rather than inheriting the user's existing protections wholesale.

Bitdefender also describes this as clean-IP browsing, useful for QA checks on pages that display different content depending on the visitor's country.

The tool supports up to four simultaneous exit locations, or eight under the recommended testing configuration.

For now, the tool works only on macOS devices, though Bitdefender has confirmed plans to expand to additional operating systems after beta testing.

The beta specifically requires macOS 13 or later and an Apple silicon processor, meaning Intel Macs are not supported.

Bitdefender recommends macOS 15, 16 GB of memory, and roughly 10 GB of free disk space for smoother testing.

Once installed, it operates automatically across several popular AI platforms, including Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex, and OpenCode, without requiring manual configuration from the user.

Bitdefender lists several practical use cases, including letting an agent compare prices across regions or complete multi-country research in one session.

The company frames these tasks as a productivity gain too, since they would otherwise need manual, country-by-country effort from a person.

Bitdefender is explicit about the tool's limits as well. It does not protect a device's other apps or browser.

It also does not hide prompts from the AI provider running them, and does not override a site's terms of service, rate limits, or an existing IP ban.

"With Bitdefender VPN for AI Agents, we're giving students, workers, and everyday consumers the confidence to let their AI agents work freely, knowing their identity and activity stay protected," Istrate added.

VPN for AI Agents public beta is currently available for free, but whether the free offering continues after the beta testing remains to be seen.