➀ Microsoft's salary ranges for various roles in Q1 2025, based on 5,400 job applications, reveal competitive pay tiers;

➁ Top-paying positions include Software Engineers (up to $284k), Data Science ($274.5k max), and Cloud Network Engineering roles;

➂ Microsoft declined to comment on the leaked data, which spans roles from Electrical Engineering to Financial Analysis.

➀ European VC deals declined for the fourth consecutive year, with H1 2025 seeing a 6.2% drop in value and 3.7% fewer deals;

➁ AI-related startups were a rare bright spot, accounting for over a third of all VC investment, with €10.1 billion deployed in H1;

➂ Exit activity and fundraising remained sluggish due to US tariff policy volatility, resulting in limited dry powder and suppressed market recovery prospects.

➀ DVCon Europe announces two keynote speakers: Ralph Schleifer from CARIAD discussing virtual development in automotive, and Amanda Brock of OpenUK on open-source software trends;

➁ Keynote topics include advancements in simulation technologies, digital twins, and the evolution of open source over the past decade;

➂ The conference, sponsored by Accellera, will take place in Munich from 14-15 October 2025, with early registration discounts available.

➀ The district of Mayen-Koblenz and Hochschule Koblenz collaborate on the RIOT project, enhancing flood warning systems using IoT and dual network technology for resilient data transmission;

➀ The project integrates LoRaWAN gateways and redundant connectivity to ensure real-time water level monitoring during crises, supported by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI);

➂ Solutions developed under the "Public Money, Public Code" principle will be open-source, enabling broader regional adoption as part of the Smart Region MYK10 initiative.

➀ Introduces the book *Designing Electronics That Work*, a practical guide for designing and manufacturing electronics;

➁ Targets hobbyists, graduates, and professionals, aiming to save time and costs in the development process;

➂ Available exclusively to registered users, requiring a quick sign-up or login for access.

➀ BBS Technik Cloppenburg and PHWT signed a cooperation agreement, enabling vocational students in mechatronics to earn credits for a dual study program in mechatronics/electrical engineering;

➁ Future collaborations include joint laboratory projects at PHWT Diepholz and an innovative IT module with BBZ Diepholz;

➂ PHWT offers schools campus visits, guest lectures, and STEM programs like the 'MINT-Uni' to promote technical education and dual studies.

➀ A team from Hochschule Kaiserslautern and ENSISA Mulhouse won the Trinatronics competition with "HelpFix," a low-cost robot guide dog that uses natural language processing and autonomous navigation to assist visually impaired individuals;

➁ Developed in 7 months under €500 via agile methods, the project combined mechatronics expertise from German and French universities;

➂ Competing against innovations like AI-powered hockey trainers and water-quality drones, HelpFix claimed the top prize (€1,500), with plans to explore open-source or commercialization pathways.

➀ Tesla, Waymo, and Baidu's Apollo Go are expanding robotaxi services in cities like Austin, Atlanta, and multiple Chinese locations;

➁ Challenges include safety regulations, fare disputes with traditional taxi drivers, and operational constraints like geofencing and remote safety operators;

➂ Trials such as GM’s Cruise in San Francisco and Motional in Las Vegas were suspended due to accidents, reflecting safety and scalability issues.

➀ Virtual PLCs (vPLCs) are software-based controllers that replace traditional hardware PLCs, operating on industrial PCs/cloud servers for enhanced flexibility and scalability;

➁ They utilize real-time systems, industrial protocols (EtherCAT, PROFINET), and IIoT/edge computing to enable predictive maintenance and smart manufacturing;

➂ While offering cost efficiency and innovation potential, limitations in deterministic performance and hardware dependencies suggest hybrid models will dominate future industrial automation.

➀ Skynopy, an end-to-end ground station service startup, secured €15 million in Series A funding involving the French government and CNES to deploy a global high-throughput ground station network;

➁ The funds will accelerate its AKAR project (S/X/Ka bands), targeting real-time satellite data downlink by 2028, especially for Earth observation, with a goal of sub-20-minute revisit time and doubled data per satellite pass;

➂ The company’s 'as-a-service' model integrates third-party infrastructure and proprietary antennas, supported by partnerships (AWS, Kinéis), while expanding technical and marketing teams.

➀ Prof. Dr. Mario Ragwitz is appointed as the spokesperson of the Fraunhofer Excellence Cluster CINES, succeeding Prof. Dr. Hans-Martin Henning, who led the cluster since its founding in 2019.

➁ CINES involves ten Fraunhofer institutes focusing on integrated energy systems, including energy system analysis, digitalization, power electronics, and heat, emphasizing collaboration to address energy transition challenges.

➂ Ragwitz highlights the cluster's role in developing solutions for decarbonizing industrial, heating, and transportation sectors, referencing projects like the TransHyDE hydrogen initiative and the need for systemic infrastructure integration.

➀ Fraunhofer IPK and partners developed an AI system to determine if end-of-life appliances should be refurbished or recycled, using image recognition and cloud-based analysis;

➁ The system employs visual quality scoring (1-5) via mobile apps and synthetic training data, aiming for over 97% identification accuracy;

➂ Integrated with robotic process automation and e-commerce platforms, the project targets reducing carbon footprints and advancing circular economy practices in Germany and Europe.

➀ Fraunhofer IPK, in collaboration with HaKiGo and YES Ecosystems, is developing a cloud-based AI system to assess whether used household appliances (e.g., refrigerators, washing machines) should be refurbished or recycled, aiming to reduce waste and promote a circular economy;

➁ The AI system uses image recognition and dialog-based mobile apps to evaluate device quality (scored 1-5), predict pricing, and automate resale processes via e-commerce platforms;

➂ The project integrates robotic process automation (RPA) and synthetic data training, targeting a 97% recognition accuracy and synchronization with recycling management systems to reduce CO2 emissions by 2026.

➀ Fraunhofer IDMT-HSA and CARIAD SE are testing new acoustic sensors and measurement technology in vehicles to enhance automated driving by detecting external sounds like emergency sirens and enabling voice interaction;

➁ The systems underwent rigorous testing in Sweden under extreme weather conditions (snow, ice, heat, and rain) to evaluate reliability and usability;

➂ The KI4BoardNet project focuses on developing AI-driven vehicle power and data networks, integrating sensor data with real-time vehicle metrics for future automotive applications.

① Bitcoin Depot accuses law enforcement of overreach for forcibly opening crypto ATMs to seize cash meant for scam victims, claiming it violates banking laws;

② The company argues funds in ATMs legally belong to them, and improper seizures "create another victim";

③ Lack of crypto transaction understanding leads to destructive enforcement methods, while scammers increasingly exploit such ATMs due to anonymity challenges.

➀ A Columbia Journalism Review study reveals generative AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini provided incorrect answers to over 60% of queries, with Grok 3 failing 94% of tests;

➁ Premium AI tools performed worse than free versions, often delivering overly confident yet inaccurate responses;

➂ These tools bypassed source citations, fabricated links, and disrupted traffic to original content providers, challenging digital content ecosystems.

➀ A critical directory traversal vulnerability (CVE-2025-6218) in WinRAR allows attackers to hijack directory paths and execute malicious code via malicious archives;

➁ Impacted versions (WinRAR 7.11 and earlier) pose high confidentiality risks, scoring 7.8/10 on CVSS;

➂ RARLAB has released WinRAR 7.12 Beta 1 with security patches, urging immediate manual updates for Windows users.

➀ The article guides users to install Heroic Games Launcher on Steam Deck, enabling access to Epic, GoG, and Amazon game libraries;

➁ Steps include switching to desktop mode, configuring Proton compatibility layer, and integrating Heroic into Steam's library;

➂ Custom artwork via steamgriddb enhances visual consistency within Steam OS.

❶ The article emphasizes the importance of transparency in AI decision-making, particularly in fields like medical diagnostics and recruitment, where understanding the rationale behind AI outputs is critical for trust and model improvement.

❷ It highlights two main focuses of Explainable AI (XAI): enhancing data/model quality for engineers and addressing ethical requirements to provide user-centric explanations, ensuring responsible AI deployment.

❸ The whitepaper advocates advancing XAI research, standardizing tools for large-scale models, integrating XAI into AI education, and encouraging corporate adoption to foster collaboration between human expertise and machine learning.