With many Americans opposing the construction of giant AI data centers in their neighborhoods, some tech companies are proposing an unconventional solution: attaching mini data centers directly to people’s houses. At least one major startup backed by Nvidia is looking into this prospect, though it will likely prove controversial.

How would these mini data centers work?
People typically associate data centers with big buildings churning out massive quantities of AI datasets. But the home version would be a “unit about the size of an air conditioner mounted in the side yard,” said Scientific American. It could perform “artificial intelligence tasks, drawing power from your home’s energy supply” and theoretically “earning you discounted electricity and internet in exchange.”

Span, an electrical panel startup, recently began manufacturing these types of units in partnership with Nvidia. Its mini data centers would be “less of a financial burden on residents” and “have a potentially lower ecological footprint than warehouse data centers,” according to the company, said Fortune. Span’s units are also quiet, thereby “mitigating the problem of noise pollution that has drawn the ire of residents of areas with nearby warehouse data centers.”

Industry experts hope the home models like those proposed by Span could help alleviate the financial and energy constraints created by large buildings. A typical AI data center “consumes as much electricity as 100,000 households,” according to the International Energy Agency. Instead of “building a single large data center that requires its own substation upgrade or on-site gas turbines,” the AI “spreads compute across thousands of homes that are already connected to the grid,” said Scientific American.

What has the reaction been?
Creating more energy-friendly data centers is a “cool idea on paper, but it’s almost completely unproven in real-world use,” said Fast Company. And even if the home data centers took off, the “main point of resistance” is the fact that these centers will result in “higher electric bills for everyone in the area,” even if they are at people’s homes. 

“Distributed power generation has been around for years,” said The Arizona Republic. But it has never been “harnessed at the scale needed for feeding data centers.”

President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) has no known national security experience. But the new interim intelligence director, Bill Pulte, does have a history of going after Trump’s rivals. And this combination is raising alarms in Congress.

The 38-year-old Pulte is an “unusual selection” to be the interim intelligence chief following Tulsi Gabbard’s resignation, said The Hill. Before leading the Federal Housing Finance Agency under Trump, he owned a construction company and private equity firm and has “no high-level national security experience.” The nominee has “deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America,” said Trump, per The Hill. 

‘Vocal attack dog’
“Everybody hates Bill Pulte,” said The New Republic. That may not be entirely correct — Trump is clearly a fan — but Pulte has a knack for inspiring bipartisan revulsion even within Trump’s own cabinet. At a 2025 event involving White House officials, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Pulte he was “going to kick his ass,” according to Bessent’s testimony in a Senate hearing this week, per CBS News.

Pulte’s willingness to scrap with Trump’s enemies both online and through official channels has earned him a reputation as a “vocal attack dog,” said The Washington Times. But his dearth of national security credentials may be a challenge. The law that created DNI says the director “shall have extensive national security experience.”

‘Senate GOP rebellion’
Trump’s announcement prompted pushback from Democrats. Pulte’s willingness to investigate the president’s enemies demonstrates he “can’t be entrusted to protect our national security,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), per Roll Call.

The pick has also prompted a “Senate GOP rebellion,” said Axios. Pushback is coming from Thune, along with Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas). So Pulte might not have the support to get Senate confirmation for the long term.

Senate Democrats may tank efforts to “renew a powerful surveillance program” over the Pulte pick, said The Guardian. Reapproval of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has an even more difficult path forward, said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) to NPR, as long as “someone with no intelligence background” and a “record of misusing private information” is in the running to lead DNI.

Visitors lose themselves in “Cloud #07156,” an immersive “fog sculpture” by Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya, in the circular Rotunda of the Bourse de Commerce in Paris. The installation uses high-pressure pumps and custom nozzles to release water into the air as a shifting mist.
Stephane de Sakutin / AFP / Getty Images

With more people looking to unplug from the digital world, analog “grandma hobbies” are making a comeback. Crafting activities like crocheting, baking, painting and knitting are especially popular among young people looking for a way to slow down. And they have been shown to help with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Here’s how to get your granny on.

Let go of perfectionism
Grandma hobbies are therapeutic because they allow us to make mistakes and focus on the joy of creating. Amid the pressure to “constantly hustle and be productive,” they offer a “refreshing pressure-free way to achieve fulfillment and well-being,” said Forbes. And they remind you that “time spent doing something slow, quiet and meaningful is not wasted; rather, it’s restorative.”

Embrace taking a break from the digital world
It’s hard to “doomscroll while embroidering,” said Verywell Mind. Crafts offer an “immersive experience that pulls us out of the (often addictive) digital world.” And picking up a “crochet hook, a paint brush or a bread recipe reconnects you with simple, sensory pleasures,” said Emily Sharp, an art therapist, to Verywell Mind. 

Don’t forget community
You can obviously do these hobbies alone, but there’s a lot to be gained from doing them with other like-minded people. If possible, “learn from someone who already does it,” said Shelly Dar, a mental health and well-being specialist, to The Good Trade. These hobbies are “always meant to be passed hand to hand, and that exchange is part of the healing.”