News

Pittsburgh – September 13, 2026 -- MSA Safety has launched the A1X, a vacuum anchor weighing 7 kg, 35% lighter than its predecessor, designed to speed up fall-protection deployment during aircraft maintenance checks.

Smaller footprint opens access to more aircraft types

The A1X reduces its pad diameter to 350 mm from 480 mm, allowing use on executive jets, private aircraft and smaller commercial planes previously outside the range of MSA's WinGrip technology. The system is approved by Airbus and Boeing, giving maintenance teams clearance to adopt it into standard procedures.

Pittsburgh – September 13, 2026 -- MSA Safety has launched the WinGrip A1X vacuum anchor, a fall-protection device for aircraft maintenance that weighs 7kg, 35% lighter than its predecessor, and shrinks its pad diameter from 480mm to 350mm.

Smaller footprint opens new aircraft segments to WinGrip technology

The reduced pad diameter allows the A1X to be deployed on business jets and private aviation aircraft that previously fell outside the scope of MSA's WinGrip system, alongside commercial airliners. The device is approved for use by Airbus and Boeing, positioning it for adoption as standard equipment across major maintenance operations.

Research Triangle Park, N.C. – September 13, 2026 -- RTI International has secured $5.5 million in combined federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for two projects converting common minerals and used cardboard into high-value industrial materials.

DOE funds dual technology tracks at expanded pilot facility

Both projects will run at the RTI Pilot Xcelerator, a pilot-scale testing platform on RTI's campus. The institute is set to open a $14 million facility expansion on Sept. 10, doubling its infrastructure for testing energy and industrial process innovations before they reach commercial scale.

St. Louis – September 13, 2026 -- Island Roadhouse Data Centers has detailed design plans for an atomic-powered, low-water data center campus in Missouri offering up to 154 MW of sellable IT load in its first phase, targeting commercial operation in 2034.

Campus design generates its own power behind the meter using advanced atomic reactors

The facility is planned to run on advanced atomic reactors in an N+1 configuration for reactor-level redundancy, with heat converted to electricity via an indirect closed supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle. The campus is not designed to export power to the grid; all generation is intended to serve the on-site compute load directly.

Chicago – September 13, 2026 -- Connectbase has signed a strategic advisory agreement with IG Group, the affiliate advisory firm of InterGlobix, to pursue high-value prospects in data centers, cloud services, AI neoclouds, hyperscalers, and subsea infrastructure.

Advisory deal targets executive access across digital infrastructure sectors

Under the agreement, IG Group will identify and engage prospects, facilitate executive introductions and meetings, and support deals from initial contact through contract finalization and project execution. IG Group specializes in strategic advisory across connectivity, data centers, digital infrastructure, and economic development.

Barnard, Vt. – September 13, 2026 -- MIB Agents began accepting letters of intent on September 9 for its 2027 OutSmarting Osteosarcoma research grant cycle, offering a combined $150,000 to fund translational studies on the pediatric bone cancer.

Two grants totaling $150,000 target established and emerging researchers

The 2027 cycle includes a $100,000 Hero Grant and a $50,000 Hope Young Investigator Grant. Since launching in 2017, the program has distributed more than $2.9 million across 37 investigators studying osteosarcoma, an aggressive primary bone cancer diagnosed in roughly 1,000 people annually in the United States, nearly half of them children, adolescents and young adults.

Milpitas, Calif. – September 13, 2026 -- NOHOLD, Inc. has launched Front Desk AMI, an AI-powered backup assistant designed to ensure dental practices never miss a patient phone call.

AMI answers calls, captures appointment requests and handles routine patient inquiries

The tool is built specifically for dental offices, where front desk staff face growing pressure from patient expectations, staff turnover and administrative workload. AMI provides practice-specific information and frees front office teams to focus on patients physically present in the office.

Non-developers can configure AI Assistants for web and phone in minutes

The platform includes setup tools for branding, content customization and integration, accessible via secure login. Each deployment is configured around the individual practice to ensure patients receive accurate, practice-specific responses.

Plano, Texas – September 13, 2026 -- Fox Corporation's planned $22 billion acquisition of Roku underscores the strategic value of controlling the platform layer that connects viewers, content, and advertisers, according to new data from Parks Associates.

Roku dominates US streaming hardware with 43% device share

Parks Associates' Tech Ecosystem Dashboard, based on surveys of more than 8,000 US internet households, found 43% report a Roku device as their most-used streaming media player. Among smart TV owners, 17% said their primary TV runs on Roku OS.

Fox deal would combine premium content with Roku's 100 million-household reach

Fox reports that Roku reaches more than 100 million streaming households globally. The acquisition would pair Fox's live sports and news programming and its Tubi service with Roku's operating system, The Roku Channel, Frndly TV, Howdy, advertising infrastructure, and first-party viewer data.

Chicago – September 13, 2026 -- A new leadership framework aimed at C-suite executives argues that workforce judgment, not additional software, is the strongest defense against AI-generated fraud, including cloned voices and deepfake video. The book, "H.I.V.E. Human Intelligence for Vigilant Enterprise: A Leadership Framework for Cyber Readiness in the Age of AI-Enabled Deception" (ISBN: 979-8234193643), by technology executive Rockwell L. Scott, will be released worldwide on October 1, 2026, in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major retailers.

Chicago – September 13, 2026 -- The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) is deploying 56 Taiwanese manufacturers to IMTS 2026, opening September 14 at McCormick Place under the Taiwan Flagship Showcase banner.

Taiwan concentrates 56 manufacturers at a single North Building booth

The showcase occupies Booth #236834 in the North Building, giving international buyers direct access to engineers and executives from Taiwan's machine tool and precision component sector for the duration of the show.