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US Army announces contract with Anduril worth up to B | TechCrunch

US Army announces contract with Anduril worth up to $20B | TechCrunch

The U.S. Army said late Friday that it has signed a 10-year contract with defense tech startup Anduril. The deal could be worth up to $20 billion.

According to the announcement, the contract starts with a five-year “base period,” with the option to extend the deal for an additional five years, and it includes Anduril hardware, software, infrastructure, and services.

The Army describes the agreement as a single enterprise contract consolidating what had been “more than 120 separate procurement actions for Anduril’s commercial solutions.” 

“The modern battlefield is increasingly defined by software,” said Gabe Chiulli, the chief technology officer at the Department of Defense’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, in a statement. “To maintain our advantage, we must be able to acquire and deploy software capabilities with speed and efficiency,”

Anduril was co-founded by Palmer Luckey, who was previously known for selling VR startup Oculus to Facebook (now Meta). Facebook fired Luckey after controversy erupted following a news report that he’d donated to a pro-Trump political group.

Luckey has repeatedly insisted that the media misrepresented his political views, but according to a recent feature in The New York Times, Luckey and Anduril have been embraced by the second Trump administration, thanks to his vision for remaking the U.S. military with autonomous fighter jets, drones, submarines, and more. The company (named, like Palantir, for a magical object in “The Lord of the Rings”) brought in around $2 billion in revenue last year, the NYT says.

Separate reports suggest that Anduril is in talks to raise a new funding round at a $60 billion valuation. 

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This announcement also comes as the Department of Defense is locked in a dispute with Anthropic, with the AI company suing the DoD over its designation as a supply chain threat following a failed contract negotiation, while OpenAI has faced consumer backlash and at least one executive departure after signing a Pentagon deal of its own.

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Mere moments after Argentina lost to France in a Round of 16 match during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, commentators were already predicting it would be his final time on a World Cup pitch. “This was Lionel Messi’s final World Cup match, surely,” one stated, “and maybe his final game for his country.” Messi was 31 at the time, and many assumed they had just watched his last appearance on soccer’s biggest stage.

They were wrong.

Instead, Messi came back four years later to lift the trophy in Qatar. Then he came back again this year at 39. However, Messi is not the exception any more.

Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has said that this World Cup will be his last after Portugal’s Round of 16 exit following the team’s loss to Spain. Brazil’s Neymar, 34, too, announced his retirement from international football, as did Germany’s Manuel Neuer, 40. Meanwhile, Guillermo Ochoa, who turned 41 this month, is stepping away from professional football after becoming the first goalkeeper to make six World Cup squads.

Even as this World Cup has felt like one long farewell tour, for many of these players, the goodbye came years later than anyone expected.

While there isn’t a definitive global dataset comparing retirement ages across generations, the evidence points in one direction: football’s elite has been getting older for decades. A 2019 peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers of Psychology tracking nearly 30 seasons of UEFA Champions League football found the average age of players rose from 24.9 years in 1992-93 to 26.5 years by 2017-18. That trend is now on full display at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which had eight players in their forties—more than every previous edition combined—including Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, one of the tournament’s breakout stars.

What’s striking is that this celebration of more veteran players on the pitch is happening during an era of football that has produced teenage stars like Lamine Yamal, Endrick, and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye. Soccer isn’t necessarily getting older because young players have disappeared; it’s getting older because veterans are leaving later.

Research suggests professional footballers still reach their physical peak in their mid-to-late twenties, though the exact age depends on position. And while aging is gradual, players in their thirties begin to lose their explosive speed and the stamina to maintain the high-intensity running that modern soccer demands most.

A long-term study of Spain’s top players found these reported losses in endurance were most notable among external defenders, external midfielders, and forwards, whose roles rely on explosive acceleration to either score a goal or shield their keeper’s box. Central defenders and central midfielders, meanwhile, became more accurate passers with age, suggesting that positioning, anticipation, and decisionmaking increasingly compensate for fading speed.

Messi may be the best example of how elite players adapt with age. Rather than constantly chasing the ball, he often spends long stretches walking, reading the game before deciding exactly when to get involved. According to The Athletic, FIFA tracking data shows Messi has spent 63 percent of his movement at this World Cup walking, conserving energy for the moments that matter most.

This just goes to prove that sports science hasn’t changed the biology of aging—it changed how soccer clubs respond to it. A 2024 review of athletes with extended careers found a correlation between professionals staying at the top of their game and increasingly individualized training.

Instead of prescribing the same program to an entire squad, coaches now tailor workloads around a player’s injury history, recovery, training response, and physical capacity.

However, as players get older, experience becomes a competitive advantage. Veteran footballers increasingly compensate for declining physicality with sharper decisionmaking, game intelligence, and a better understanding of their own limits.

#Lionel #Messis #Final #World #Cupand #Death #Early #Retirementworld cup 2026,sports,soccer,health,longevity">Lionel Messi’s Final World Cup—and the Death of Early RetirementMere moments after Argentina lost to France in a Round of 16 match during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, commentators were already predicting it would be his final time on a World Cup pitch. “This was Lionel Messi’s final World Cup match, surely,” one stated, “and maybe his final game for his country.” Messi was 31 at the time, and many assumed they had just watched his last appearance on soccer’s biggest stage.They were wrong.Instead, Messi came back four years later to lift the trophy in Qatar. Then he came back again this year at 39. However, Messi is not the exception any more.Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has said that this World Cup will be his last after Portugal’s Round of 16 exit following the team’s loss to Spain. Brazil’s Neymar, 34, too, announced his retirement from international football, as did Germany’s Manuel Neuer, 40. Meanwhile, Guillermo Ochoa, who turned 41 this month, is stepping away from professional football after becoming the first goalkeeper to make six World Cup squads.Even as this World Cup has felt like one long farewell tour, for many of these players, the goodbye came years later than anyone expected.While there isn’t a definitive global dataset comparing retirement ages across generations, the evidence points in one direction: football’s elite has been getting older for decades. A 2019 peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers of Psychology tracking nearly 30 seasons of UEFA Champions League football found the average age of players rose from 24.9 years in 1992-93 to 26.5 years by 2017-18. That trend is now on full display at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which had eight players in their forties—more than every previous edition combined—including Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, one of the tournament’s breakout stars.What’s striking is that this celebration of more veteran players on the pitch is happening during an era of football that has produced teenage stars like Lamine Yamal, Endrick, and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye. Soccer isn’t necessarily getting older because young players have disappeared; it’s getting older because veterans are leaving later.Research suggests professional footballers still reach their physical peak in their mid-to-late twenties, though the exact age depends on position. And while aging is gradual, players in their thirties begin to lose their explosive speed and the stamina to maintain the high-intensity running that modern soccer demands most.A long-term study of Spain’s top players found these reported losses in endurance were most notable among external defenders, external midfielders, and forwards, whose roles rely on explosive acceleration to either score a goal or shield their keeper’s box. Central defenders and central midfielders, meanwhile, became more accurate passers with age, suggesting that positioning, anticipation, and decisionmaking increasingly compensate for fading speed.Messi may be the best example of how elite players adapt with age. Rather than constantly chasing the ball, he often spends long stretches walking, reading the game before deciding exactly when to get involved. According to The Athletic, FIFA tracking data shows Messi has spent 63 percent of his movement at this World Cup walking, conserving energy for the moments that matter most.This just goes to prove that sports science hasn’t changed the biology of aging—it changed how soccer clubs respond to it. A 2024 review of athletes with extended careers found a correlation between professionals staying at the top of their game and increasingly individualized training.Instead of prescribing the same program to an entire squad, coaches now tailor workloads around a player’s injury history, recovery, training response, and physical capacity.However, as players get older, experience becomes a competitive advantage. Veteran footballers increasingly compensate for declining physicality with sharper decisionmaking, game intelligence, and a better understanding of their own limits.#Lionel #Messis #Final #World #Cupand #Death #Early #Retirementworld cup 2026,sports,soccer,health,longevity

World Cup pitch. “This was Lionel Messi’s final World Cup match, surely,” one stated, “and maybe his final game for his country.” Messi was 31 at the time, and many assumed they had just watched his last appearance on soccer’s biggest stage.

They were wrong.

Instead, Messi came back four years later to lift the trophy in Qatar. Then he came back again this year at 39. However, Messi is not the exception any more.

Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has said that this World Cup will be his last after Portugal’s Round of 16 exit following the team’s loss to Spain. Brazil’s Neymar, 34, too, announced his retirement from international football, as did Germany’s Manuel Neuer, 40. Meanwhile, Guillermo Ochoa, who turned 41 this month, is stepping away from professional football after becoming the first goalkeeper to make six World Cup squads.

Even as this World Cup has felt like one long farewell tour, for many of these players, the goodbye came years later than anyone expected.

While there isn’t a definitive global dataset comparing retirement ages across generations, the evidence points in one direction: football’s elite has been getting older for decades. A 2019 peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers of Psychology tracking nearly 30 seasons of UEFA Champions League football found the average age of players rose from 24.9 years in 1992-93 to 26.5 years by 2017-18. That trend is now on full display at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which had eight players in their forties—more than every previous edition combined—including Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, one of the tournament’s breakout stars.

What’s striking is that this celebration of more veteran players on the pitch is happening during an era of football that has produced teenage stars like Lamine Yamal, Endrick, and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye. Soccer isn’t necessarily getting older because young players have disappeared; it’s getting older because veterans are leaving later.

Research suggests professional footballers still reach their physical peak in their mid-to-late twenties, though the exact age depends on position. And while aging is gradual, players in their thirties begin to lose their explosive speed and the stamina to maintain the high-intensity running that modern soccer demands most.

A long-term study of Spain’s top players found these reported losses in endurance were most notable among external defenders, external midfielders, and forwards, whose roles rely on explosive acceleration to either score a goal or shield their keeper’s box. Central defenders and central midfielders, meanwhile, became more accurate passers with age, suggesting that positioning, anticipation, and decisionmaking increasingly compensate for fading speed.

Messi may be the best example of how elite players adapt with age. Rather than constantly chasing the ball, he often spends long stretches walking, reading the game before deciding exactly when to get involved. According to The Athletic, FIFA tracking data shows Messi has spent 63 percent of his movement at this World Cup walking, conserving energy for the moments that matter most.

This just goes to prove that sports science hasn’t changed the biology of aging—it changed how soccer clubs respond to it. A 2024 review of athletes with extended careers found a correlation between professionals staying at the top of their game and increasingly individualized training.

Instead of prescribing the same program to an entire squad, coaches now tailor workloads around a player’s injury history, recovery, training response, and physical capacity.

However, as players get older, experience becomes a competitive advantage. Veteran footballers increasingly compensate for declining physicality with sharper decisionmaking, game intelligence, and a better understanding of their own limits.

#Lionel #Messis #Final #World #Cupand #Death #Early #Retirementworld cup 2026,sports,soccer,health,longevity">Lionel Messi’s Final World Cup—and the Death of Early Retirement

Mere moments after Argentina lost to France in a Round of 16 match during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, commentators were already predicting it would be his final time on a World Cup pitch. “This was Lionel Messi’s final World Cup match, surely,” one stated, “and maybe his final game for his country.” Messi was 31 at the time, and many assumed they had just watched his last appearance on soccer’s biggest stage.

They were wrong.

Instead, Messi came back four years later to lift the trophy in Qatar. Then he came back again this year at 39. However, Messi is not the exception any more.

Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has said that this World Cup will be his last after Portugal’s Round of 16 exit following the team’s loss to Spain. Brazil’s Neymar, 34, too, announced his retirement from international football, as did Germany’s Manuel Neuer, 40. Meanwhile, Guillermo Ochoa, who turned 41 this month, is stepping away from professional football after becoming the first goalkeeper to make six World Cup squads.

Even as this World Cup has felt like one long farewell tour, for many of these players, the goodbye came years later than anyone expected.

While there isn’t a definitive global dataset comparing retirement ages across generations, the evidence points in one direction: football’s elite has been getting older for decades. A 2019 peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers of Psychology tracking nearly 30 seasons of UEFA Champions League football found the average age of players rose from 24.9 years in 1992-93 to 26.5 years by 2017-18. That trend is now on full display at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which had eight players in their forties—more than every previous edition combined—including Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, one of the tournament’s breakout stars.

What’s striking is that this celebration of more veteran players on the pitch is happening during an era of football that has produced teenage stars like Lamine Yamal, Endrick, and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye. Soccer isn’t necessarily getting older because young players have disappeared; it’s getting older because veterans are leaving later.

Research suggests professional footballers still reach their physical peak in their mid-to-late twenties, though the exact age depends on position. And while aging is gradual, players in their thirties begin to lose their explosive speed and the stamina to maintain the high-intensity running that modern soccer demands most.

A long-term study of Spain’s top players found these reported losses in endurance were most notable among external defenders, external midfielders, and forwards, whose roles rely on explosive acceleration to either score a goal or shield their keeper’s box. Central defenders and central midfielders, meanwhile, became more accurate passers with age, suggesting that positioning, anticipation, and decisionmaking increasingly compensate for fading speed.

Messi may be the best example of how elite players adapt with age. Rather than constantly chasing the ball, he often spends long stretches walking, reading the game before deciding exactly when to get involved. According to The Athletic, FIFA tracking data shows Messi has spent 63 percent of his movement at this World Cup walking, conserving energy for the moments that matter most.

This just goes to prove that sports science hasn’t changed the biology of aging—it changed how soccer clubs respond to it. A 2024 review of athletes with extended careers found a correlation between professionals staying at the top of their game and increasingly individualized training.

Instead of prescribing the same program to an entire squad, coaches now tailor workloads around a player’s injury history, recovery, training response, and physical capacity.

However, as players get older, experience becomes a competitive advantage. Veteran footballers increasingly compensate for declining physicality with sharper decisionmaking, game intelligence, and a better understanding of their own limits.

#Lionel #Messis #Final #World #Cupand #Death #Early #Retirementworld cup 2026,sports,soccer,health,longevity

SAVE $400: The 27-inch OLED LG Ultragear gaming monitor is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $899.99. That’s a 44% discount that matches the best price we’ve seen at Amazon.


$499.99 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $400

 

Summer is the perfect season to make home gaming upgrades. Even if you love the summer heat, gaming provides an occasional indoor reprieve. If you’ve been getting by with a less-than-ideal gaming setup, check out this gaming monitor deal.

As of July 15, the 27-inch OLED LG Ultragear gaming monitor is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $899.99. That’s a 44% discount that matches the best price we’ve seen at Amazon.

Once you go OLED, you won’t go back. The 27-inch LG Ultragear is perfect for smooth gameplay, getting a 240Hz refresh rate and a 0.03 millisecond response time. Your days of dealing with lag and ghosting will be long gone with this fresh upgrade. Plus, it comes with VESA DisplayHDR True Back 400 certification.

LG equipped the monitor with an anti-glare screen that helps minimize bothersome reflections that could spell a distraction. The 27-inch display means it’ll fit well on most desks without taking over the space.

The included stand can tilt and pivot to your desired position, and you can adjust the height. In addition, the monitor has a borderless design. Since not everyday can be filled with gaming, the monitor will also be great for work tasks or streaming a movie.

While it’s sitting at the record-low price from Amazon, make the upgrade to the 27-inch OLED LG Ultragear gaming monitor. It’s currently under $500 which is close to a 50% discount.

#monitor #deal #Ultragear #OLED #gaming #monitor">Best monitor deal: Take 44% off the LG Ultragear OLED gaming monitor
                                                            SAVE 0: The 27-inch OLED LG Ultragear gaming monitor is on sale for 9.99 at Amazon, down from the standard price of 9.99. That’s a 44% discount that matches the best price we’ve seen at Amazon.
    
    
    
        
                                        
                                        
                    
                                                    9.99
                                                             at Amazon
                                                        9.99
                                                                                         Save 0
                                                                        
                
                                         
                    
        
    

Summer is the perfect season to make home gaming upgrades. Even if you love the summer heat, gaming provides an occasional indoor reprieve. If you’ve been getting by with a less-than-ideal gaming setup, check out this gaming monitor deal.As of July 15, the 27-inch OLED LG Ultragear gaming monitor is on sale for 9.99 at Amazon, down from the standard price of 9.99. That’s a 44% discount that matches the best price we’ve seen at Amazon.Once you go OLED, you won’t go back. The 27-inch LG Ultragear is perfect for smooth gameplay, getting a 240Hz refresh rate and a 0.03 millisecond response time. Your days of dealing with lag and ghosting will be long gone with this fresh upgrade. Plus, it comes with VESA DisplayHDR True Back 400 certification.
        SEE ALSO:
        
            Grab this OLED Samsung Odyssey G5 gaming monitor for 0 on Amazon — save over 0
            
        
    
LG equipped the monitor with an anti-glare screen that helps minimize bothersome reflections that could spell a distraction. The 27-inch display means it’ll fit well on most desks without taking over the space. 

        
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The included stand can tilt and pivot to your desired position, and you can adjust the height. In addition, the monitor has a borderless design. Since not everyday can be filled with gaming, the monitor will also be great for work tasks or streaming a movie.While it’s sitting at the record-low price from Amazon, make the upgrade to the 27-inch OLED LG Ultragear gaming monitor. It’s currently under 0 which is close to a 50% discount.

                    
                                            
                            
    
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                                    #monitor #deal #Ultragear #OLED #gaming #monitor

27-inch OLED LG Ultragear gaming monitor is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $899.99. That’s a 44% discount that matches the best price we’ve seen at Amazon.


$499.99 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $400

 

Summer is the perfect season to make home gaming upgrades. Even if you love the summer heat, gaming provides an occasional indoor reprieve. If you’ve been getting by with a less-than-ideal gaming setup, check out this gaming monitor deal.

As of July 15, the 27-inch OLED LG Ultragear gaming monitor is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $899.99. That’s a 44% discount that matches the best price we’ve seen at Amazon.

Once you go OLED, you won’t go back. The 27-inch LG Ultragear is perfect for smooth gameplay, getting a 240Hz refresh rate and a 0.03 millisecond response time. Your days of dealing with lag and ghosting will be long gone with this fresh upgrade. Plus, it comes with VESA DisplayHDR True Back 400 certification.

LG equipped the monitor with an anti-glare screen that helps minimize bothersome reflections that could spell a distraction. The 27-inch display means it’ll fit well on most desks without taking over the space.

The included stand can tilt and pivot to your desired position, and you can adjust the height. In addition, the monitor has a borderless design. Since not everyday can be filled with gaming, the monitor will also be great for work tasks or streaming a movie.

While it’s sitting at the record-low price from Amazon, make the upgrade to the 27-inch OLED LG Ultragear gaming monitor. It’s currently under $500 which is close to a 50% discount.

#monitor #deal #Ultragear #OLED #gaming #monitor">Best monitor deal: Take 44% off the LG Ultragear OLED gaming monitor

SAVE $400: The 27-inch OLED LG Ultragear gaming monitor is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $899.99. That’s a 44% discount that matches the best price we’ve seen at Amazon.


$499.99 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $400

 

Summer is the perfect season to make home gaming upgrades. Even if you love the summer heat, gaming provides an occasional indoor reprieve. If you’ve been getting by with a less-than-ideal gaming setup, check out this gaming monitor deal.

As of July 15, the 27-inch OLED LG Ultragear gaming monitor is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $899.99. That’s a 44% discount that matches the best price we’ve seen at Amazon.

Once you go OLED, you won’t go back. The 27-inch LG Ultragear is perfect for smooth gameplay, getting a 240Hz refresh rate and a 0.03 millisecond response time. Your days of dealing with lag and ghosting will be long gone with this fresh upgrade. Plus, it comes with VESA DisplayHDR True Back 400 certification.

LG equipped the monitor with an anti-glare screen that helps minimize bothersome reflections that could spell a distraction. The 27-inch display means it’ll fit well on most desks without taking over the space.

The included stand can tilt and pivot to your desired position, and you can adjust the height. In addition, the monitor has a borderless design. Since not everyday can be filled with gaming, the monitor will also be great for work tasks or streaming a movie.

While it’s sitting at the record-low price from Amazon, make the upgrade to the 27-inch OLED LG Ultragear gaming monitor. It’s currently under $500 which is close to a 50% discount.

#monitor #deal #Ultragear #OLED #gaming #monitor

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