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Emerging from the chaos of supplying the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, the War Department sought to foster domestic production of standardized muskets. Out of this industrial project arose an invention that laid the foundation for automation and mass production. Thomas Blanchard’s copying lathe was a product of a fluid interchange between public and private interests, expertise, and capital. Born into the mechanical milieu of the nineteenth-century Connecticut River Valley, Blanchard embodied the period’s spirit of ingenuity. His creation enabled complex, irregular three-dimensional wood forms to be manufactured at scale. Prior to the copying lathe, this was an artisanal task…

Trending:Arman Tsarukyan vs. Charles Oliveira 2 cancelled as Tsarukyan set for new UFC 331 fightZuffa LLCGillian Robertson fell short in her bid for UFC gold this past Saturday, and now her head coach has retired from cornering. Din Thomas, a renowned MMA coach and UFC on Paramount+ analyst, appeared on the UFC 330 post-fight show after Robertson was defeated by women’s strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern. Thomas announced that his time cornering athletes is over (via MMAFighting). “For my announcement — I do have an announcement for you guys — I told myself I would continue to do this until I…

All New SunShift Ballistic Glasses in Flat Dark EarthAustin, TX — August 14, 2026 — ShellShock Protection is excited to announce the expansion of its SunShift Ballistic Glasses lineup with a new Flat Dark Earth (FDE) colorway, offering shooters and outdoor enthusiasts adaptive eye protection in a mission-ready frame. The SunShift FDE features a low-profile, field-ready frame paired with photochromic lens technology that transitions from clear to a protective gray tint when exposed to UV light. This allows wearers to move between varying light conditions without changing eyewear, maintaining a clear field of view from low-light environments to bright outdoor settings. “We built the SunShift lens to keep up with the dynamic nature that…

Travelers returning from China often report having seen the future. The country’s advances in frontier commercial technologies are visible in the robots that make and serve food in restaurants; the drones that deliver food and medicine; and the deployment of industrial and humanoid robots on factory floors. Even outside China, most of the world is now familiar with Chinese electric vehicles that are as affordable as they are sleek, with massage chairs and swappable batteries winning over passengers from London to Santiago.Most Americans, however, are unaware of this future. Chinese EVs are effectively absent from the U.S. market, blocked by…

Listen to the article 3 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Dive Brief: Automation technology company Symbotic recently began installation of its first SymMicro system for e-commerce fulfillment in the back of a Walmart store, advancing a pact announced last year between the two companies. The system is expected to “come to life” in about six months, Richard Cohen, Symbotic’s president and CEO, said on an earnings call last week. He declined to provide the store’s location but said “it will become obvious pretty soon.” “We have a second site that will follow…

The annual Steam and GOG promotion features CRPGs, tactical adventures, DLC, and bundles discounted by as much as 85% until August 19. Owlcat Games and META Publishing have launched the Isometric Sale 2026, bringing together more than 200 role-playing games, tactical titles, and story-driven adventures across Steam and GOG. The annual promotion began on August 13 and will remain active until August 19, 2026. Participating games are available with discounts reaching up to 85%, while selected DLC packs and bundles have also received temporary price reductions. Although the event is built around the isometric perspective, its lineup extends well beyond…

The Pentagon has given major defense contractors 21 days to submit plans showing that they can produce and deliver critical weapons systems at a much higher pace, as recent combat operations around the globe have severely dwindled some stockpiles. Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg issued the directive in an Aug. 5 memo to industry leaders. The memo calls for companies to propose an uptick in production for such weapons systems deemed critical. “Years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” Feinberg wrote. “We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now.” The memo was directed toward major defense…

Europe has long viewed the South Caucasus through a narrow security lens: a region shaped by Russian influence, energy vulnerabilities,  and persistent instability driven by the “frozen conflicts” of Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia. Today however, this region (Europe’s near neighbourhood), is quickly evolving into something more strategically important. Once seen as Europe’s periphery, the region is increasingly becoming a key geopolitical crossroads linking Europe to Central Asia, and beyond.  At the centre of this transformation sits the so-called “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), an emerging transport and connectivity initiative that could reshape the regional balance of…

The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. The U.S. Army is on the hunt for a new lower-cost strike missile capable of hitting targets more than 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) away. The Affordable High Speed Strike (AHSS) missile could be more of a traditional ballistic missile-like weapon or feature an air-breathing propulsion system. AHSSs could be fired from new uncrewed launcher vehicles that the Army is pursuing separately, as well as certain existing crewed types like the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The service sees these future…

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AFNS) —   Qilin Wu, a Chinese national who returned to Whiteman Air Force Base after being warned not to photograph the installation, was sentenced to six months in federal custody following a case built on a 76-year-old executive order signed by President Harry Truman. The conviction showed how a Cold War-era legal framework can be used against repeated, unauthorized photography around sensitive military installations, and how Special Agents will investigate similar cases before they develop into something more. “For our Special Agents, this isn’t about a single case,” said Col. David Bethel, commander of the Air…