Following more than a week of tariffs on Chinese imports, the Trump administration released new rules on Friday that exempted smartphones, computers, semiconductors, and other electronic devices from certain fees. This move significantly lowered prices for high-tech companies like Apple and Dell, as well as benefiting consumers who purchase products like iPhones.
A message was issued by US Customs and Border Protection on Friday, listing the products that had previously been subjected to tariffs on Chinese goods. Certain exclusions were granted for modems, routers, flash drives, and other tech products not commonly manufactured in the US.
The exemption does not completely eliminate tariffs on electronic devices and smartphones. The administration previously imposed a 20% tariff on Chinese goods due to concerns about the country’s involvement in fentanyl trade. Additionally, tariffs on semiconductors, crucial components in electronic devices, are expected to increase.
This exemption marks a significant development in the ongoing trade war with China and is expected to have far-reaching effects on the US economy. Tech giants like Apple and Nvidia will benefit from avoiding heavy taxes that could have impacted their profits. Consumers rushed to purchase iPhones to avoid potential price hikes, relieving concerns about inflation and economic instability.
While the tariff relief provides temporary respite for the tech industry, the Trump administration has indicated plans for further trade investigations, particularly targeting semiconductors. The aim is to secure the US supply chain for vital technologies used in various products, including smartphones and automobiles.
President Trump’s shift in trade policy has implications for various industries, especially as it relates to China. The tech sector, in particular, has closely engaged with the administration to navigate the changing landscape of tariffs and taxes on imports. Apple CEO Tim Cook has been instrumental in lobbying for exemptions and advocating for US manufacturing of tech products.
As the trade tensions continue to evolve, the tech industry remains a focal point in the US-China trade relationship. Consumers may see fluctuations in prices for electronic devices as the two countries negotiate their trade terms.
Baite Dance, a Chinese internet giant, has developed some of the world’s most popular apps: Tiktok and in China, Douyin and Toutiao.
Tiktok claims 170 million users in the US, while around 700 million people use the domestic version of Douyin and 300 million use Toutiao in China. Bytedance gathers data on user interactions to improve user experience and content recommendation.
Bytedance is investing in artificial intelligence infrastructure, including data centers in China and Southeast Asia, to enhance its AI systems. Tiktok has faced bans in multiple countries over national security concerns.
Bytedance’s data usage has raised concerns, leading to Washington lawmakers pressuring Tiktok to sell its US business. In China, Bytedance’s data capabilities have expanded beyond social media into advanced AI technology.
Bytedance is investing heavily in infrastructure, spending billions on data centers and equipment. Chinese tech companies are encouraged to focus on cutting-edge technologies, including semiconductors and artificial intelligence.
Last year, Bytedance invested around $11 billion in infrastructure such as data centers, networking equipment, and computer chips.
The Biden administration’s rules aim to restrict Chinese companies’ access to certain chips. Bytedance has found ways to acquire computing power needed for AI training, despite these restrictions.
Bytedance’s investments have made it a popular AI app in China, with services like the chatbot Doubao attracting millions of users. Bytedance demonstrates the connection between app ecosystems and AI efforts.
Bytedance launched Volcano Engine in 2021, offering addictive technologies and tools for analyzing algorithms to other companies.
Bytedance’s expertise in creating filters for apps like Douyin and Tiktok has led to collaborations with companies for developing technology like movement tracking for smart appliances.
GAC Group and Mercedes-Benz are among the companies using Bytedance’s Volcano Engine for data management and in-vehicle technology.
Bytedance, a leader in AI technology, is focused on achieving artificial general intelligence, similar to human intelligence.
Many Chinese companies are investing in AI projects, but only a few have the resources to advance the technology. Bytedance is among those leading the way in AI innovation.
tDuring his week I took my son Zack with me to watch a new Minecraft movie. This is not a surprising statement in the world of highly video game brands of cinemas in the 21st century. At least, it’s not yet.
As we’ve seen in many bewildered news reports over the past few days, Minecraft films quickly created a community of extremely enthusiastic and enthusiastic fans. Spurred by Tiktok Meme posts, a huge portion of the film’s audience screams and sings to the song, citing important lines when they happen. At one key moment when the game’s rare character, the zombie chicken jockey, is introduced, they absolutely go crazy, throwing drinks and throwing popcorn. Escorted from a police screening.
Our small independent cinema in Fromm had a little more calm reaction, but there was still a line of teenagers who saw all of Tiktok posts screaming about them all. It was loud enough for cinemas to post on Facebook about antisocial behaviour and illegality of recordings in the film.
There is much to unfold here about the exclusive nature of internet culture, cinema etiquette, and the online community’s transition to physical space. Most of the audience’s reactions were fine. It’s a deliberately a Daft film made for fans, and it’s thrilling to celebrate fandom with like-minded peers in a crowded space. The film itself always rewards people who are immersed in fiction. We also enjoy finding a lot of Easter eggs (“Oh, that’s hero blin!”) and small cameos from Minecraft Youtubers and game developers. There are also some really funny moments of slapstick and sarcasm, depending on the committed performances from Jack Black and Jason Momoa.
Flying as high as the popcorn in the movie… a Minnecraft movie. Photo: Warner Bros./AP
But for Zack, who is 19 and with autism, and for many of the little kids in the auditorium, the atmosphere can be confused and a bit intimidating. Although screenings for Marvel films such as Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home were compared to wild responses, mostly spurred by events at FILM Infilm. We all understood why Captain America successfully caught Thor’s hammer and people cheered on.
With Minecraft films, the prompts for audience responses are primarily from memes and are a branch of inexplicable internet comedy in its nature. The joke is that you can see jokes from other people who get jokes. Out of context, memes are private jokes where you are. Perhaps the closest analogy is the culture around rocky horror picture shows That legendary fan screening It features a water pistol and drug outfit at Fleapit Cinemas. However, these events were opt-in. Everyone knew what they were getting. I don’t know if the same can be said for all parents who leave my screening picking my screening from my hair.
But we really enjoyed watching the movie. When Zack was young and had a hard time communicating, Minnecraft was a precious outlet for him, allowing him to be creative and make friends. He still plays to this day. It was his comfortable blanket and it changed our lives – especially because I ended up writing a novel, a boy made with blocks, inspired by our experiences in the game. It was an emotional experience to hear that refined piano music in the film, share those jokes, and see what had a huge positive effect on my family portrayed on a huge screen among other fans.
Of course, teenagers are Assumption To be confused and intimidating – that’s their job. You can’t wander around by handing over an uneasy generation, saying, “They’re pranks so let’s ban them from the cinemas.” Also, during these challenging times for the film industry, filmmakers need to find ways to engage with teenage audiences who are out, whether it is due to the cost, social anxiety, and the all-inclusive nature of digital culture. Minecraft movies are the most perfect unicorns in the entertainment business. A multi-million dollar blockbuster that has reached the most unreachable generation of modern history. Many studios get busy solving how to film this meme-soaked magic on a bottle.
Perhaps the film owners will be wise and organize their dedicated autism-friendly screening, or on the other side of the scale, embrace chaos and do a special fan night. They need to prepare to pay a little extra to the cleaning staff.
What to do
Like an old war comic… Commandos: Origin. Photo: Kalypso Media
Hundreds of years ago (well, 1998), my favorite example of the busy genre of real-time strategy at the time was Commandos. Commandos: Origin It is a rethink of the series, modernizing the intricately detailed isometric landscape of the original, focusing on stealth and sabotage. It’s like you’re in your own interactive version of an old war cartoon Warrior and Combat actionand I am ready to lose repeatedly trying to take the sniper to the Guard Tower without being discovered by the Nazis on the patrol.
Available at: PC, PS5, Xbox Estimated playtime: Over 20 hours
The Nintendo Switch 2 still wraps some specs. Photo: Richard Drew/AP
I have a polygon Some interesting follow-ons Since recently Nintendo Switch 2 Announcement: The console’s highly heralded group chat feature is not free. Instead, owners will have to pay a monthly fee to talk to their peers while playing.
Elsewhere, it was produced by the Digital Foundry team at Eurogamer Typically a good deep dive Inside Console technical specificationswe still don’t know much.
UsingGame development AI It continues to be debated This aftermath feature Talking to a game maker who has to deal with artificial intelligence is eye-opening and important.
What to click
Question block
They haven’t lost the plot… Dragon Ball Fighters. Photo: Namco Bandai
This week’s question comes from Stephen Man Blueski, asked:
“Fighting games tend to have some of the deepest stories. But there’s a stigma that fighting games are just a button-click competitive. What can developers and players do to break this stigma?”
I think this comes from the disconnect between the action in the fighting game and the content of the story. Usually, all stories occur with cutscenes and pre-match taunts, so players can feel separated from lore. Some fighting game designers have begun to draw more stories interactively to express the story using specific locations, costumes and movements. I think Injustice and Blazblue Do a good job with this during Namco’s anime-based fighter jets Dragon Ball and Naruto It really packs the ongoing plot into the fight. Fighting game developers may be able to consider splitting the match to enter story sequences, so players will invest more money in the story and understand the stakes. As for players, I have always found the fighting gaming community to be extremely welcome. That’s all they really need to do.
If you have a question blocking question or anything else to say about the newsletter, please click reply or email us at butingbuttons@theguardian.com.
The rocket carrying the initial batch of Amazon satellites, set to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink, faced weather-related delays on Wednesday, causing a setback in the Project Kuiper network.
The United Launch Alliance (ULA), a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, cited challenging weather conditions like cumulus clouds and strong winds that made it unsafe for liftoff at the scheduled time of 7pm (2300 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
ULA emphasized the dangers of cumulus clouds for rocket launches due to the potential for lightning strikes.
Live video footage showed the Atlas V Rocket releasing steam as it waited to launch 27 Project Kuiper satellites.
Similar to Starlink, Project Kuiper aims to provide internet access to remote areas, including regions affected by disasters or conflicts.
These satellites, once in orbit, will form the backbone of Project Kuiper, which Amazon plans to expand with over 3,200 satellites.
Amazon, led by Jeff Bezos, intends to launch its internet service later this year, promising competitive pricing in line with its reputation as a cost-effective retailer.
This launch puts Amazon in direct competition with SpaceX’s Starlink and other satellite internet providers.
SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, launched its initial batch of over 6,750 operational Starlink satellites in 2019, establishing itself as a major player in the industry with millions of customers globally.
Unlike traditional internet services that rely on satellites stationed 35,000 km above Earth, Musk and Bezos opt for low Earth orbits between 550-1,300 km for faster data transmission to unserved areas.
Amazon notes the challenges of traditional connectivity in remote regions, making satellite-based solutions more attractive.
While low Earth orbits enhance data transmission speed, the coverage area is limited, necessitating more satellites for global reach.
Amazon sees this as a lucrative opportunity to compete against established players in the satellite internet market.
The company plans to ramp up satellite launches in collaboration with ULA, Blue Origin (Bezos’ space venture), and even SpaceX, with over 80 flights ordered.
As more satellites are deployed in low Earth orbits, competition in the sector intensifies, with players like OneWeb, Guwan, and Starlink vying for market share.
Concerns about satellite congestion and collisions raise questions about the impact of commercial satellite ventures on space activities and astronomy.
The involvement of private entities in space operations also sparks political debates, especially given Musk’s advisory role in the Trump administration.
oThe NE drone is lifted into the sky in a shopping centre outside Dublin, then another shopping centre. They rise to 70 feet (21 meters), tilted forward and zipped in different directions, each carrying a paper bag.
On sleepy mornings in the Irish capital, takeoffs became stable every few minutes, with few people exchanging the constant flow of aircraft.
“No one looks up – no one looks up,” says Bobby Healy, director and founder of Dublin’s startup Mannaaero.
People should probably be aware that drones are part of an effort to realize the ambitions shared by Amazon, Google Sister Company Wing, California Startup Zipline: Instant and Autonomous Home Delivery. Healy and his big tech rivals hope that drone distribution will change courses in Ireland’s retail industry and will soon be transformed into the UK this year.
Drones have already had a huge impact, from photography to light shows, humanitarian missions to wars in Ukraine. The promise is clear. Skip the Earth’s crowds. But companies now have to persuade investors and the public. Previous Wing trials in Australia faced public opposition.
“In the suburbs, those delivery drivers are broken models,” says Bobby Healy, founder of Manna Aero. Photo: Patrick Bolger/Guardian
Amazon operates in Texas, Arizona and Italy, and is seeking permission to fly drones from British warehouses, but Wings are already operating in several countries. However, Manaero seems right in the mix. We flew 200,000 delivery services in Blancherstown, outside Dublin, and Helsinki, Finland. Working with Just Eat and Doordash helps to expand and attract businesses such as restaurants, tool stores, and bookstores.
In Manna’s app, the Guardian orders two coffees to be borrowed and delivered to the rented house. Spots on the horizon gradually resolve to a quadcopter as you gazed through the skyline of Dublin’s suburban. It approaches the garden, hoveres temporarily, then drops a paper bag onto the biodegradable strings. The drone flies off and leaves behind two warm, unpainted coffees.
The coffee arrived 16 minutes after I ordered it from the app, including preparation time. This is compared to the preparation time and minimum 11 minutes for those who offer the same thing on an e-bike.
Importantly, drones do not need to be hanging around humans. This means lowering energy, says Healy. Each aircraft makes about 80 deliveries a day, he says — more than twice what delivery drivers and riders generally do. In addition to that, Drone “pilots” can oversee up to 20 aircraft at a time, Healy adds.
Autonomous drones mean fewer people need it. “Pilots” can oversee up to 20 aircraft at a time, says Manna CEO. Photo: Patrick Bolger/Guardian
Autonomous drone
The drone is autonomous from the point that is given a loaded and lifted from the base. Six minutes later, on average, the drone arrived home and floated over the garden. The only intervention from the pilot is for the video to flick its back on the base to see if people or vehicles are exempt from the ground.
“In the suburbs, those delivery drivers are broken models,” Healy says. “There’s no way to do that with delivery drivers and make them profitable.”
Dubliner’s Healy describes himself as a “technical person.” He left school at the age of 17 to make video games and then started and sold six businesses. Recently, we have sold Cartrawler, which operates a vehicle rental service on the airline’s website. He founded Mana in 2018. Because he wanted to create “measurable impacts across the planet,” he took on the challenge of bringing the coder to create an autonomous drone.
The drones were designed by the Manna teams in Monmouth, Wales and Dublin and featured aerospace-grade parts, mainly made in China. Each weight is 23kg (51lb) (including up to 4kg of cargo), and is the weight that can fly in the US.
The Mana drone can carry cargo weighing up to 4 kg, and is sufficient to carry four 15-inch pizzas. Photo: Patrick Bolger/Guardian
Despite being “weight more difficult than weight”, it’s easy enough to carry four 15 inch pizzas for your family or transport some books. Delivery of one of Finland’s 24 toilet rolls had to be halved as they all didn’t fit. “It must have been an emergency,” Healy said.
The drone has eight motors, but in the event of a disaster you can easily fly to four. There is also a built-in parachute, which has been used only once on 200,000 flights over four years, and European aerospace regulators have audited the company’s technology.
The drone works from a slung base with several shipping containers and 5 meters square fitted landLanding zone. Mana employees in the container prepare orders, charge the batteries that are replaced after each flight, and oversee the drops in a 2.1 mile (3.4 km) circle.
Expansion plan
Mana’s catchment covers 150,000 people in Blanchardstown. By the end of the year, the company expects to cover approximately 1 million people across Dublin. It is most of the city outside the centre, and for now there are fewer shorter distances and fewer drop gardens, excludes mana. (While rooftop delivery in the city centre holds promises, there seems to be an unlikely idea of delivery to a flat on the fourth floor.) By the end of the year, Healy hopes to reach a rate of 2 million flights per year.
Mana has flew 200,000 delivery services in Blanchardstown, on the outskirts of Dublin and Helsinki, Finland. Photo: Patrick Bolger/Guardian
According to Healy, UK launches are supported by regulations, but if EU drone standards are adopted on April 1, they will “undetectedly” open the door in 2026 this year. Instead, businesses pay a fee.
Mana still has many obstacles. Currently, each flight is profitable, but the expansion costs are still high for companies that add losses. So far, it has been featured as an investor with Patrick Collison, founder of Coca-Cola and fintech company Stripe, wearing shoes worth 60 million euros in venture capital money.
Healy also knows that some people will acknowledge the idea of instant retail satisfaction. Although birds know they’ll move away, the company may have to solve the problem of avoiding rival operator aircraft in the future.
However, Healy is creepy about the future of drone delivery.
“It would allow for a completely different form of commerce than what we have today,” he says. “Small business people beating the Giants. If they can get everything going in three minutes, they have Amazon Slayer.”
Elon Musk’s critics expressed their frustration with Tesla executives and billionaires by wearing protective helmets and wielding sledgehammers.
The Public Art Project was organized by a Social Media Campaign Group. An anonymous donor provided the 2014 Tesla model “to spark a conversation about wealth inequality,” according to a group spokesperson.
Participants gathered at Hades Studios in South London on Thursday to take turns smashing the car with sledgehammers and baseball bats. The destroyed electric vehicle, priced around £14,000, will be auctioned in the coming weeks, with all proceeds going to Food Bank charities.
“We are giving Londoners the chance to speak out against far-right ideology and billionaires and voice their concerns about the current state of the world,” the group stated. “The therapy is expensive, but this is free.”
32-year-old writer Talia Dennisenko, draped in the Ukrainian flag, joined Britney Spears in smashing the car’s hood and shared her sentiments about the situation. “My family is Ukrainian and Elon Musk’s intentions towards us are concerning,” she expressed. “Things feel really bleak at this point. This is a form of therapy.”
“Musk’s actions are veering into unconstitutional territory. I am alarmed by what I am witnessing,” added Alice Rogers, a 24-year-old researcher from Illinois.
A spokesman for the anti-Elon group mentioned that the event allowed people to express their views on the current state of the world. Photo: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images
There is a widespread animosity towards Elon Musk. He recently drew attention for distributing stickers with the message “Don’t buy a Swastistar.” Musk clarified that the London vs. Musk event should not be replicated outside the organized setting.
“This is a private event involving a used Tesla headed for the Scrapyard. It is a controlled, supervised art piece with proper safety measures in place,” the spokesperson emphasized. “We implore individuals not to damage other Teslas or vehicles.”
The scrap car’s battery was safely removed and recycled.
“I am appalled by the current state of affairs in America,” expressed 45-year-old university lecturer Lee Woods, who traveled from Hampshire for the event. “I believe Musk leverages his immense wealth to push far-right ideologies.”
Protests calling for a boycott of Tesla have been taking place on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Photo: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images
Tesla’s stocks dropped by 13% in the first quarter of 2025, indicating a backlash from buyers due to Musk’s political leanings. Protests advocating for a boycott of electric car manufacturers have been ongoing on both sides of the Atlantic in recent months, including global actions targeting numerous Tesla outlets by US Tesla Takedown protesters.
“My view on Musk,” shared 32-year-old Giles Pearson, who participated in the event, “I don’t usually do this, but I have always wanted to smash a car.”
Tesla has halted orders in China for two models previously imported from the US in response to the imposed tariffs due to Donald Trump’s trade war.
The company, led by Trump’s close ally Elon Musk, has removed the “Order Now” option for the Model S Saloon and Model X Sport Utility vehicles.
The reasons for these changes were not disclosed by Tesla, but they coincide with the escalating trade tensions between the US and China. As a result of the tit-for-tat tariff increases, the cost of imported vehicles from the US to China has become significantly higher compared to locally produced cars.
New orders for these models are no longer available on Wechat, a popular Chinese social media platform, according to Reuters. The “Order Now” button on Tesla’s US website for the Model S and Model X has been replaced by “available cars,” with some vehicles being accessible to Chinese buyers.
Since 2020, Tesla has been manufacturing Model 3 and Model Y cars at a large factory in Shanghai, reducing the impact of customs duties. However, the company’s supply chain may still be affected due to the trade tensions between the two countries.
Elon Musk, a key figure in the Trump administration, has been advocating for lower tariffs, which contradicts the policies implemented by Trump. This discrepancy in views could potentially impact Tesla’s operations and sales.
Recently, Tesla warned the US government about the potential negative effects of tariffs on American businesses. This development poses a significant economic challenge for Tesla, particularly in the European market where demand is declining.
Analysts suggest that Tesla, despite its high market value, is currently undervalued and facing a significant crisis that may require Musk to distance himself from the Trump administration.
IIn the early 00’s, off-beat sports games were king. From the slam dunking shenanigans on NBA Street to the absurdity that stops the Mario Striker show, once serious competition has been rethought as a surprising, stupid grim match. But with the arrival of the era of live services, Sports Sims was not about playing pulse pumps, but about collecting more and more expensive virtual trading cards.
Please enter a rematch. This is a refreshing action-packed rethink of a beautiful game. Channel the crude thrills of five sides of the Power League and rematch tactics focused on FIFA teams and put you in a single player studded boot. With third-person action game-like controls, developer Sloclap has guided the channel to create heavy, skill-driven soccer, with martial arts-heavy experiences in previous titles SIFU and Absolver. It’s wonderfully agile, fast, and ferocious. The pass is delivered manually, the shot is curled in the heat of the moment, and the goalkeeper sprints down the half-hearted line, as Oliver Kahn owns. Free slide tackles and bike kicks are the order of the day, and I can’t stop grinning as I win my teammates and each half-line screamer.
“FIFA is a football simulation, and the rematch is a football player simulation,” says Pierre Tarno’s creative director. “In the game, there is no more kick action to pass to this type of pass, so “Let’s make it happen!”
Reflex test… a rematch. Photo: Sloclap
Sifu has also recursively tested the gameplay of the recursive test to kickabout, where you knocked out 7 shades from many martial arts masters. Thanks to high levels of player control, the match is surprisingly quick. Without the other 10 controllable players, the rematch is a game of constant movement. Sprints take valuable stamina and keeping the “Do” button at all times is always a quick way to FIFA. Thankfully there is a hidden trick underneath the knee pads. The tap on the bumper allows for a sudden, fast-speed explosion. Tied to another meter, this emergency boost is perfect for chasing a striker in a box or for throwing away a defender snapping on his heel. Immediately, I balance my midfield and defensive play and charge my goalmouse scramble in a true, crude way.
Sport the art style, a Breath of the Wild, some French Impressionism, and animated speed lines, and sprint through each rendered pitch. Scoring the goal will distort the virtual environment around you, change the Smash Bros style that has changed the background of the stage, and align the main team’s home stadium as the ball hits the back of the net with an explosion of color.
According to Tarno, Rematch’s visuals were an attempt to recreate the soft, dreamy look of paintings inside an immersive 3D stadium. But despite its charming cartoonish look, there is a welcome lack of feats against the super’s movements and gravity that fills the screen. “We once built up running the wall into the game,” he says.
A game of constant movement… a rematch. Photo: Sloclap
This is a world with a bright aesthetic and outlook. Instead of taking place within the normal Grimm Dark Dystopia of video games set in 2065, Sloclap offers a refreshing optimistic view of the future. The environment focuses on renewable energy and natural landscapes. One stadium is wrapped in a dam that generates hydraulic power, while another sees a match unfolding under the hillside with rotating wind turbines.
“We wanted to dream of a world where humanity made the right choice. It’s worth sharing cooperation and resilience on and off the pitch,” Tarno says. “It’s really about the joy of playing with friends.”
When the control finally clicks, you’ll be fully invested in the Ramshackle team. Just like Sloclap’s previous output, the rematch is about mastery. This is a game where the avatar begins with high power. In the world of Rematch, offsides, fouls, and merciless, Var is a thing of the past, and futuristic footies can’t slow the action. “I think players who are not soccer fans will be surprised that they can still enjoy football games because it’s so intense and dynamic,” Tarno says.
Since rematches are only online, the ball call system allows players to raise their hands as they scream and ask for the ball. Rematch’s futuristic footy has more to do than the touch of an Overwatch. I find the squad-driven approach and accurate manual aim as satisfying as setting goals as it scores. The rematch also shares the sense of Rocket League and Arcade relatives, but the rematch delivers a more reasonable approximation of the game, as Psyonix’s unstoppable hit watch players launch Hot Wheels-like vehicles into comical, big football.
The rematch is full of fun player customizations and you can design everything from choosing avatar earrings from your home or away kit. There are even vitiligo selectors and options for customizable prostheses for players to match a more comprehensive vision of the future. The rematch is a paid release, with additional items being sold in in-game currency, which is said to result in roughly half of the cosmetic items being unlocked through play.
Regardless of price range, Tarno is keenly aware that only one is really important. “There is no secret formula in game development,” he says. “The only way to achieve commercial success is to make a very good game. It’s more true about gaming than any other entertainment industry… Gamers are very discerning viewers. They are often very analytical, and the mechanisms and what works and what doesn’t work… If the game isn’t good enough, it simply doesn’t succeed.”
This month’s open beta is essential for a tweak rematch. That was promising in the first half, at least so far. I went into the demo, hoping for disposable fun like a Mario striker, leaving me with sweaty hands. Sloclap’s mission is to bring the pleasant sensation back to virtual football, and based on what he’s banded about this colorful pitch so far, the rematch has the depth to reach the big leagues.
Elon Musk, the billionaire, was rebutted by ChatGpt developer Openai, who accused him of harassing the company. Openai requested a US federal judge to intervene and halt Musk’s “illegal and unfair behavior” towards the company.
Established in 2015 by Musk and CEO Sam Altman, Openai has seen ongoing disputes between the two founders, transitioning from a complex non-profit structure to a more conventional for-profit business.
Musk criticized the restructuring plan about a year ago, alleging that it betrayed the company’s fundamental mission by prioritizing profits over human interests. Although Musk withdrew the lawsuit in June, he filed a new one in August.
In February of this year, Musk led a consortium of investors in a surprising $97.4 billion bid for the company. Altman promptly rejected the offer, mentioning that Musk had acquired Twitter for $44 billion, rebranded as X in 2022.
In a recent filing in California’s district court, Openai accused Musk of using various tactics to harm the company, including press attacks, malicious campaigns to Musk’s large social media following, demands for access to corporate records, legal harassment, fake bids on Openai’s assets, among others.
Openai urged the judge to put a stop to Musk’s attacks and hold him accountable for the damages he has caused. The trial is set to commence in the spring of 2026.
Musk left Openai in 2018 and founded his own company, Xai. This year’s bid for Openai had the backing of Xai and other investment firms, including one led by Joe Lonsdale, a co-founder of Spy Technology Company Palantir.
Tesla executives have criticized Openai for deviating from its original charitable mission by creating a for-profit subsidiary to raise funds from investors like Microsoft. Despite its nonprofit beginnings, Openai argues that new models are required to advance the development of superior AI models.
Recently, Openai secured $400 billion in funding rounds from investors like SoftBank, valuing the company at $300 million. The funds will be used to further AI research, enhance computer infrastructure, and provide enhanced tools for the millions of people using ChatGPT weekly.
Since the viral success of ChatGpt in 2022, Openai has encountered various corporate controversies. In 2023, the board removed Altman, citing issues with his communication transparency. After much internal unrest, Altman was reinstated within a week following threats of resignation from many company members.
President Trump’s tariffs had raised concerns about Apple’s manufacturing in China even before they threatened to disrupt it. This, coupled with the company’s struggle to innovate, has led to doubts within its Silicon Valley headquarters about its magic.
The introduction of tariffs on April 2nd led to a $773 billion loss in market capitalization in just four days, temporarily dethroning Apple as the world’s most valuable public company. Investors were already showing signs of dissatisfaction, with the stock dropping by 8% in the first four months of the year, outpacing the S&P 500’s decline.
Apple’s attempts to turn its fortunes around with products like virtual reality headsets, Vision Pro, and AI systems called Apple Intelligence have been met with disappointment. The headset sales were lackluster and the AI system’s key features faced delays due to functionality issues.
These challenges highlight the erosion of Apple’s reputation for innovation, causing anxiety and dissatisfaction among employees. Insiders fear that the company is mired in political infighting, cost-cutting, and talent drain, despite years of being a magnet for top talent.
Apple declined to provide a comment on the situation.
It’s been a decade since Apple’s last major commercial successes with the Apple Watch and AirPods. New services like Apple TV+ and Fitness+, launched in 2019, are lagging behind their subscription-based competitors. The iPhone, now 18 years old and accounting for half of Apple’s sales, continues to see incremental improvements annually.
While Vision Pro’s sales disappointed, Apple’s struggles with Apple Intelligence have revealed dysfunction within the company.
Last summer, Apple showcased AI products that could summarize notifications and provide enhanced writing tools for emails and messaging. However, the new iPhone shipped without the AI features as planned due to inaccuracies discovered during internal testing. This led to the postponement of the enhanced SIRI release.
After the delay, Apple’s software chief announced plans to restructure the executive team, shifting responsibility from AI head John Giannandrea to Vision Pro Headset leader Microcwell.
Technology analyst Michael Gartenberg, a former Apple product marketer, expressed concerns about the company’s handling of Apple Intelligence, calling it a case of overestimation and lack of boundaries.
Reports on changes within Apple’s SIRI team and challenges were previously covered by sources like Bloomberg and information.
Apple’s AI efforts faced setbacks in early 2023, with Giannandrea scrambling to procure GPUs for AI development, highlighting the lack of resources compared to competitors like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta.
Apple’s struggles with AI development were compounded by a shortage of GPUs, forcing teams to rely on external providers like Google and Amazon for computing power.
Disagreements within Apple’s software teams and leadership clashes contributed to delays and challenges in launching new AI capabilities like Siri.
The departure of key Apple design and product development leaders has left the company with a mix of experienced and inexperienced executives in critical roles.
Apple’s lack of clear leadership and communication has been cited as a major factor contributing to its current challenges in product development.
Despite setbacks, Apple plans to release an improved Siri virtual assistant in the fall, aiming to address previous shortcomings.
While delays have raised concerns among some Apple leaders, others believe it’s crucial to get AI right, even if it takes time to perfect.
My husband is with his IP, Advertisement or his phone. That’s the last thing he does before going to bed and the first thing he attends to in the morning.
We have toddlers and are pretty good at sharing childcare, but the moment we show up after work, he gets me.pad out. It grabs me more than I can say (especially if I’m eating the dinner I’ve cooked). Parenting is lonely and boring, and I think he likes to relax at the end of the day, but I hope we spend time together as a family.
I know that there’s nothing sexier and more fun than devices designed by a lot of rich people silicon. I’m a volleyball expert, but I try so hard not to be on my phone all the time with my kids, as I don’t want it to impact them negatively. The phone seems more important to him than spending time with me. We thought we were on the same page about this, but it appears that my partner doesn’t see the disconnect between “our kids aren’t getting an iPad” and “I’ll be on mine all the time.”
I feel like I’m becoming more isolated, and I don’t know how to address it. Despite my love for him and thinking he is kind, fun, and cheerful, I miss having a relationship without the constant device presence.
In rare cases, we have a date night away from the baby, and he spends time with me without reaching for his phone. It was amazing, and I desire more of these moments in our daily lives. I want to establish some boundaries, but there never seems to be a good time to discuss it since we are always tired. How can I request one screen-free night a week together?
Eleanor says: I see multiple issues here. The screen use is affecting your connection with each other and potentially your child. When he falls into an iPad Vortex, it may feel like he’s bringing work home. There’s also the challenge of finding the right time to address this, but he may not realize how you feel unless you communicate your concerns to him.
It appears that each screen use case may require a tailored approach to resolve.
It’s easy to assume that once the screen is out of the equation, everything will return to normal. However, in today’s age, there is a new void created when we push away the iPad, where old hobbies and social connections used to exist.
On the flip side, excessive screen use can lead to neglecting other aspects of life. When we put down the screens, it might feel like we are waiting for something that never comes. This realization can lead to a sense of emptiness. By immersing in screens, we may inadvertently isolate ourselves from non-screen activities.
I believe the antidote to excessive screen use isn’t just avoiding screens but engaging in activities outside the digital realm that make screens seem less appealing.
You might find it helpful to propose positive alternatives for the various aspects of your lives. Not only should you aim for screen-free nights, but also plan concrete activities – games, outings, or movies that you both enjoy. Don’t just focus on avoiding the screen with your kids; think about creating meaningful experiences together.
Even activities that were once considered recreational – like date nights, movie nights, or reading to your kids – may feel burdensome due to screen immersion. Instead of considering them as chores, view them as opportunities to connect and recharge.
Given his willingness to abstain from the phone on date nights, it seems like he values your time together. If not, expressing your feelings about missing him and cherishing the moments spent with him, even when tired and stressed, could be enlightening. It’s evident how much you appreciate his company.
Asking him to reduce screen time shouldn’t feel like an imposition. Instead, it can be a way of showing him your love for spending time together. This could serve as a gentle reminder of the connection you share beyond the digital realm. Communicate your feelings, and it may pave the way for a positive change.
France has implemented stricter rules on the use of mobile phones in middle schools, with students aged 11 to 15 required to keep their devices in lockers or pouches during school hours and can only access them again at the end of the day.
The Education Minister informed the Senate that the goal was for children to be completely separated from their phones throughout the school day in all French middle schools starting in September.
Elisabeth Borne stated, “Given the widespread concerns about the negative impact of screen time, this measure is crucial for the well-being and academic success of children in school.”
In 2018, a ban was imposed on mobile phone use for children in all middle schools in France – Colege. Phones must remain switched off in school bags and cannot be used anywhere on school premises, including during breaks.
Schools have reported positive outcomes such as increased social interactions, more physical activity, decreased bullying, and improved focus. However, some students still find ways to access their phones, such as sneaking into the restroom or watching videos during breaks.
The government is now requiring children to be completely separated from their devices for the entire school day, enforcing a “digital suspension.” Pilot schemes at around 100 middle schools over the past six months have shown that children have been willing to surrender their phones upon arrival.
Mobile devices are prohibited at elementary schools as well.
Borne informed the Senate, “Feedback from the trials has been overwhelmingly positive, with strong support from parents and teachers for enhancing the school environment.”
In response to concerns about costs and logistics from some unions, Borne stated that principals can choose the format for implementing the ban, such as lockers or pouches.
Referring to a recent study by the National Council of France, Borne mentioned, “Currently, young people spend an average of five hours a day on screens but only three hours a week reading books.”
Last year, a scientific report commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron recommended that children should not use smartphones until age 13 and should not have access to social media platforms like Tiktok, Instagram, and Snapchat until age 18.
According to the report, children should not own phones before age 11 and should only have phones without internet access until age 13.
Macron expressed his support for measures to limit children’s screen time.
The largest education union in England called for a statutory ban on mobile phone use in schools, with a survey revealing that 99.8% of elementary schools and 90% of middle schools in Britain have implemented some form of ban.
On Thursday, researchers released the most accurate measurements of neutrinos, reducing the maximum possible mass of ghostly speckles of matter permeating our universe.
result, Published Science journals do not define the exact mass of neutrinos, but do not define just the upper limit. However, this discovery helps physicists get closer to understanding what is wrong with the so-called standard model. One way physicists know that it is not accurate at all is that they suggest that neutrinos have no mass at all.
In Grander Scales, learning more about neutrinos can help cosmologists fill in hazy pictures of the universe. This includes how galaxies gather and what will affect the expansion of the universe since the Big Bang.
“The new research is a great opportunity to learn more about the world,” said John Wilkerson, Chapel Hill, a physicist at the University of North Carolina and author of the new study. “And that’s what neutrinos may play a key role.”
Physicists know a few things about neutrinos. They are prolific across the universe and are actually created whenever atomic nuclei snap together or fall apart. However, they are notoriously difficult to detect because they do not carry charges.
There are three types of neutrinos, which physicists describe as flavors. And, strangely enough, they change from one flavor to another when they travel to space and time, a discovery recognized by the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2015. The underlying mechanism that allowed these transformations meant that neutrinos had to have some mass.
But that’s the case. Neutrinos are dauntingly light, and physicists don’t know why.
Revealing the exact values of neutrino masses, Alexei Lokhov, a scientist at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, said that new physics could lead to “some kind of portal.” “At the moment, this is the biggest limitation in the world,” he said of the team’s measurements.
Dr. Rokhov and his colleagues conducted an experiment using Karlsrue tritium neutrinos or catrine to narrow down the neutrino mass. One end of the 230-foot-long device is a heavy version of hydrogen, a source of tritium and with two neutrons in its nucleus. Tritium is unstable and collapses into helium. A neutron is converted into a proton, and in the process the electrons are ejected. It also spits out antinutrinos, the antimatter twins of neutrinos. The two require the same mass.
The original tritium mass is divided into helium, electrons, and antioxidant spoilage products. Neutrinos and anti-anti-utrinos cannot be directly detected, but the sensor on the other side of the experiment recorded 36 million electrons over 259 days and was washed away by attenuated tritium. By measuring the energy of electron movement, they were able to indirectly infer the maximum possible mass for antinutorino.
They found that the value was less than 0.45 electron volts, one million times lighter than electrons, in the unit of mass used by particle physicists.
The upper limit of mass was measured only for one flavour of neutrinos. But Dr. Wilkerson said that nailing one chunk would allow you to calculate the rest.
Latest measurements reduce the potential mass of neutrinos Previous limit Set in 2022 by Katrin Collaboration under 0.8 Electronvolts. It’s also almost twice as accurate.
University of Washington physicist Elise Nowitzky praised the Catlin team for their careful efforts, although not involved in the job.
“It’s really the power of tours,” she said of her experiments and discoveries. “I’m totally confident in their outcome.”
The Catlin team is working on further boundaries of neutrino masses from 1,000 days of data and is expected to be collected by the end of the year. This allows physicists to measure even more electrons, leading to more accurate measurements.
Other experiments also contribute to a better understanding of neutrino mass. Project 8 Seattle and deep underground neutrino experiments spread across two physical facilities in the Midwest.
Astronomers studying the structure of the universe, thought to be influenced by the vast collection of universes, have a vast collection of neutrinos that are flooded into the universe, and have their own measurements of the maximum mass of particles. However, according to Dr. Wilkerson, the boundaries that astronomers stare at the void do not match what particle physicists calculate in their lab when scrutinizing the subatomic world.
“There’s something really funny going on,” he said. “And the possible solution to that would be physics beyond the standard model.”
For months, Nintendo, the maker of famous video game series like Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong, had expected the morning of April 2nd to be a celebration.
For many fanfares, the company has announced the price and release date for the Switch 2, a new video game console for eight years. At an event in New York City, Nintendo’s US President Doug Bowser took to the stage as fans cheered on the arrival of the new game to accompany the console. Mario Kurt, Donkey Kong, Kirby.
That same day, President Trump announced tariffs that piqued the global stock market and put the Mario Party at risk. The new switch took place in Vietnam, one of the countries on the tariff list.
Two days later, Nintendo said it could delay pre-orders for the Switch 2 and raise the price from $450. It was unclear how expensive it was. But on Wednesday, Trump said he has been slowing the expansion of tariffs in Vietnam and many other countries for 90 days. Nintendo has yet to say how delays will affect the price of the Switch 2.
Nintendo’s Whip Saw Experience shows the wider disruption Trump has caused for technology makers and the uncertainty of what the market will look like for consumer technology in the coming months.
In a statement before Trump delayed the expanded tariffs of countries other than China, Nintendo said it plans to release the Switch 2 in June, but did not set a date on whether to resume pre-orders or announce new prices.
Gamers had already taken thousands of people to social media sites like X and Reddit to complain. It is a common practice in the industry for gamers to blame the high costs of corporate greedy consoles and games, but instead they have denounced Trump.
Gamer and Philadelphia writer Jake Steinberg visited New York last week to perform a Switch demonstration.
“People were always saying this modest and they always said, ‘we’re going to keep politics out of the game,’ so the irony is extreme,” Steinberg said. “Well, I’m here.”
For years, Nintendo has been making game consoles in China. However, it moved most of its production to Vietnam during Trump’s first term in 2019, moving into tariffs and the threat of trade war between China and the United States.
These operations appeared to be nothing as Trump’s plans announced last week threatened heavily new tariffs on goods from Vietnam (46%), Japan (24%), Malaysia (24%) and Cambodia (49%).
However, due to the delay announced Wednesday, Nintendo may be one of the lucky ones. The majority of home appliances, including smartphones and other gaming consoles, are still made in China. And they are expected to be subject to a 145% tariff, which is larger than a few days ago. Like most countries, products made in Vietnam still suffer from 10% tariffs.
According to Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, the delay will increase production and inventory over 90 days, and increase inventory in US inventory. However, for other tech companies like Apple that normally don’t start producing new iPhones until a few months before the release date, that may not be an option.
Nintendo has ended up playing a sensitive game where they decide how much they can raise prices without chasing away gamers who already feel $450 is steep enough, or ultimately, how much they can raise prices without retaining hope that they won’t be hit by the expanded tariffs.
For gaming companies like Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, selling consoles is just one aspect of their business. If a customer chooses not to purchase a new console, they will not be able to purchase software for the game itself that sells at a higher margin than the hardware.
Pachter added that the cost of consumer tech products could rise all the way, but he added that prices for buzzy items people have been waiting for for years, like the Switch 2, the first console Nintendo released since 2017. He estimated that if the Trump administration proceeded with tariffs, the new costs for Switch 2 could increase by up to $100.
“No one is waiting for a TV to buy on June 5th, so you’re not sure if the TV prices will go up,” Patter said. “They will notice it gradually, but it’s different with the launch of such a product.”
In an interview with news media before Trump’s tariffs were announced, Nintendo’s Bowser said the expected costs of future tariffs were not taken into account at the console’s $450 price. However, analysts are primarily disputing the claim, referring to the $340 price for Switch 2, which is sold in Japan. (Nintendo spokesman said that Japanese models are limited to Japanese, so some are low cost reasons.)
Nintendo will likely wait for the dust to settle down in Trump’s tariff disruption before announcing new prices, said Doug Creutz, an analyst at investment firm Cowen. He added that there is still a possibility that Trump will withdraw from tariffs entirely.
“They don’t need to change prices again,” Krutz said. In the decision, he said he weighed the company: “Are we willing to make less profits in the US? Do you want to protect our profit margins?”
Nintendo has not delayed pre-orders for Switch 2 elsewhere in the world, where costs vary from region to region. $442 in the UK, $435 in Australia and $450 in Canada. Nintendo still does about 30% of its manufacturing industry in China, which it uses to supply non-US buyers, says David Gibson, an analyst at MST Financial.
In the short term, it helps offset some of the costs by the end of February, Nintendo had already shipped 746,000 units of Switch 2 to the US.
“It protects them in a quarter,” he added. “But then the price will be total duties.”
Nintendo is not just a high-tech company that places importance on the trade-off of increasing product prices. Similarly, Apple moved part of its manufacturing industry from China to Vietnam in 2019. Other console manufacturers, such as Sony and Microsoft, will face a similar dilemma when they manufacture their next console, scheduled to be released around 2027.
“We’re going to be attacked by all the big appliance companies, including Samsung, LG, Apple, major TV makers, gaming consoles,” Gibson said. “That’s everything.”
Apple is reportedly launching ferry iPhone cargo flights from its manufacturing plants in India to the US in order to counter Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Since March, the tech giant has transported 600 tonnes of iPhones, equivalent to 1.5 million mobile phones, from India after ramping up production at its local factories, as reported by Reuters.
Following President Trump’s call for a 90-day suspension and the pending 26% threatened tariffs on Indian imports, Apple faces the pressure of escalating tariffs on goods from China, where most iPhones are assembled, to a rate of 125%.
A source familiar with Apple’s strategy revealed to Reuters that the company’s objective is to evade tariffs. While India incurs import taxes based on Trump’s actions, it imposes a 10% tax rate.
Analysts caution that iPhone prices could soar after the US imposes hefty tariffs on Chinese imports, with estimates suggesting that the iPhone 16 Pro Max with 256GB storage could see a price increase from $1,199 (£925) to over $2,000.
Reports indicate that Apple aimed for a 20% production boost at its iPhone facility in India, achieved by scaling up the workforce and extending operations at Foxconn’s largest factory in Chennai over the weekends.
The Chennai factory, which churned out 20 million iPhones last year, including the latest models, is part of Apple’s trio of manufacturing plants in India operated by Foxconn and Tata.
This week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple planned a temporary surge in iPhone shipments from India to the US to navigate through a “short-term suspension,” while also trying to secure a tariff waiver in China. If all iPhones made in India are redirected to the US, they would meet about half of the US demand this year, according to US Bank analyst Wamsi Mohan.
Experts caution that relocating iPhone production to the US is financially impractical due to factors like labor costs, with analysts at Wedbush Securities indicating a price tag of $3,500 for a domestically manufactured iPhone.
In a note to investors this week, WedBush analyst Dan Ives stated, “If consumers want a $3,500 iPhone, they need to make them in New Jersey, Texas, or another state.”
Former President Sinn Fair Jerry Adams is contemplating legal action against Meta for potentially using his book to train artificial intelligence.
Adams claims that Meta, and other tech companies, have incorporated several books, including his own, into a collection of copyrighted materials for developing AI systems. He stated, “Meta has utilized many of my books without obtaining my consent. I have handed the matter over to lawyers.”
On Wednesday, Sinn Féin released a statement listing the titles that were included in the collection, which contained a variety of memoirs, cookbooks, and short stories, including Adams’ autobiography “Before the Dawn: Prison Memoirs, Cage 11; Reflections on the Peace Process, Hope, and History in Northern Ireland.”
Adams joins a group of authors who have filed court documents against Meta, accusing the company of approving the use of Library Genesis, a “shadow library” known as Libgen, to access over 7.5 million books.
The authors, which include well-known names such as Ta-Nehisi Coates, Jacqueline Woodson, Andrew Sean Greer, Junot Díaz, and Sarah Silverman, have alleged that Meta executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, knew that Libgen contained pirated material.
Authors have identified numerous titles from Libgen that Meta may have used to train its AI system, Llama, according to a report by the Atlantic Magazine.
The Authors Association has expressed outrage over Meta’s actions, with Chair Vanessa Fox O’Laurin stating that Meta’s actions are detrimental to writers as it allows AI to replicate creative content without permission.
Novelist Richard Osman emphasized the importance of respecting copyright laws, stating that permission is required to use an author’s work.
In response to the allegations, a Meta spokesperson stated that the company respects intellectual property rights and believes that using information to train AI models is lawful.
Last year, Meta launched an open-source AI app called Llama, a large language model similar to other AI tools such as Open Ai’s ChatGpt and Google’s Gemini. Llama is trained on a vast dataset to mimic human language and computer coding.
Adams, a prolific author, has written a variety of genres and has been identified as one of the authors in the Libgen database. Other Northern Ireland authors listed in the database include Jan Carson, Lynne Graham, Deric Henderson, and Anna Burns as reported by BBC.
When it comes to tariffs increasing costs, the term “cheap” can provide a sense of relief for many. Google has recently launched its affordable smartphone shortly after Apple introduced a slightly cheaper iPhone.
This week, Google unveiled Pixel 9a, priced at $500, as a budget-friendly alternative to the $800 Pixel 9 flagship. It directly competes with the $600 iPhone 16E, which is the more affordable version of Apple’s $800 iPhone 16.
Both these new phones offer essential features that users prioritize, such as excellent cameras, quality screens, fast performance, updated software, and long-lasting battery life. To keep costs low, some advanced camera features have been omitted.
Is it smart to save money or invest in a more luxurious phone? To find out, I tested all four phones rigorously last week while lugging them around in a fanny pack.
Results show that, as expected, you get what you pay for. The $800 phone offers slightly better functionality and performance than the lower-priced model, while the $600 iPhone boasts a better camera compared to the $500 Pixel.
Interestingly, in some of my tests, the cheaper Pixel and iPhone models were almost indistinguishable from their pricier counterparts. In some aspects, the budget phones even outperformed, especially in terms of battery life.
The future of smartphone pricing remains uncertain, but an upward trend is likely. Following President Trump’s announcement of tariff suspension but an increase in tariffs on products from China, where many phones are manufactured, consumers may need to act fast and consider more affordable options.
While Apple has not confirmed any price adjustments for the iPhone, analysts predict potential increases due to tariffs, possibly raising the cost of the iPhone 16 Pro model to as high as $2,300. Google, on the other hand, has stated no changes for the $500 Pixel 9a price but did not comment on the pricing of the $800 Pixel 9.
The cheaper iPhone and Pixel models bear a striking resemblance to their pricier counterparts. Here’s a rundown of their key differences:
Phone Screen: Both have the same size which is 6.1 inches diagonal for iPhone 16E and 6.3 inches for Pixel 9a. The iPhone 16E screen appears slightly dimmer than the iPhone 16, but the variance is minimal.
Camera Features: Neither budget phone includes all the camera functions present in their pricier versions. The Pixel 9a has a smaller camera sensor than the Pixel 9, resulting in less light and detail. The iPhone 16E features a single camera lens, lacking the capability for certain special effects like “ultra-wide” photos.
Processing Power: Both budget phones are slightly less powerful than their higher-end counterparts. They share the same processor, but the Pixel 9a has less memory for multitasking, and the iPhone 16E has a slightly weaker graphics processing unit for handling graphic-intensive games.
Magsafe Feature: The iPhone 16E omits the Magsafe functionality available on the iPhone 16, which allows the attachment of accessories using magnets. Although wireless charging is still possible, it utilizes a slower standard called QI.
Artificial Intelligence: Both phones support AI capabilities. The iPhone 16E leverages Apple’s AI for tasks like text summarization and image generation, while the Pixel 9a utilizes Google’s AI for various applications. However, the AI software is still in development and may not be critical for most users.
Battery Life
For many new phone buyers, the extended battery life of the budget-friendly Pixel 9a and iPhone 16E stands out as a major advantage. These phones incorporate larger batteries due to the absence of certain features found in their pricier counterparts.
Both the iPhone 16E and Pixel 9A typically last a day and a half with regular usage like web browsing, photography, and video playback, surpassing the battery life of the higher-priced models that last only about a day.
Camera Test
One notable drawback of cheaper phones is evident in their camera performance.
During my camera tests, both the Pixel 9a and Pixel 9 captured clear and accurate photos in various lighting conditions, with the Pixel 9 suffering in challenging light situations where details were lost.
In more demanding lighting scenarios, such as shadows cast by trees with filtered sunlight, the Pixel 9a struggled to differentiate light and dark, resulting in overexposure. (The Pixel 9 handled this situation better.)
The camera performance of the iPhone 16E and iPhone 16 excelled during these tests, displaying consistent results with minimal variations.
Both iPhones surpassed the Pixel phones in video recording. Videos of Max, the Corgi, taken on an iPhone were smoother and clearer compared to the choppier footage captured on the Pixel Phone.
The primary limitation of budget iPhone cameras is the absence of certain features. For example, the iPhone 16E lacks a second lens, preventing the capture of wide-angle shots.
Speed
Higher-priced phones exhibited slightly better speed performance than budget phones.
According to GeekBench speed test results, the Pixel 9a is approximately 4% slower than the Pixel 9, while the iPhone 16E lags behind the iPhone 16 by 3%.
In everyday use, most users might not notice these speed differences. When I compared the phones side by side, launching various apps and games, the performance felt largely similar to me.
Implications for Users
Whether you opt for the iPhone 16E or Pixel 9a, you’ll likely be satisfied with a smartphone that offers long battery life and good camera capabilities. However, if premium features like detailed photography or Apple’s Magsafe charging are important to you, investing in a higher-end model remains a viable choice.
With potential price hikes on the horizon, considering your smartphone as a long-term investment like a car is advisable.
The rapid adoption of AI technology globally is projected to consume a substantial amount of energy equivalent to Japan’s current energy consumption by the end of the decade. However, only half of this energy demand is expected to come from renewable sources.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) report suggests that the electricity consumed by processing data with AI in the United States alone will be significant by 2030. The overall electricity demand from data centers worldwide is anticipated to more than double by 2030, with AI being a key driver of this surge.
One data center currently consumes as much energy as 100,000 households, but newer ones under construction may require up to 20 times more. Despite these demands, fears that AI adoption will hinder efforts to combat climate change are deemed “exaggerated” in the report, which highlights the potential for AI to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Executive Director of IEA, Fatih Birol, emphasizes that AI presents a significant technological shift in the energy sector and underscores the importance of responsible use. AI has the potential to optimize energy grids for renewable sources and enhance efficiencies in energy systems and industrial processes.
Furthermore, AI can facilitate advancements in various sectors like transportation, urban planning, and resource exploration. Despite the energy challenges posed by AI, strategic government intervention is crucial to ensure a sustainable balance between technological growth and environmental preservation.
However, concerns persist regarding the potential negative impacts of AI, such as increased water consumption in arid regions and potential reliance on non-renewable energy sources. To address these challenges, transparent governance and proactive measures are essential to harness the benefits of AI while mitigating its adverse effects.
The UK startup, valued at $20 billion (£1.6 billion), is utilizing artificial intelligence to create lifelike avatars. They have recently partnered with Shutterstock, a stock footage company, to enhance their technology.
Synthesia is paying Shutterstock undisclosed amounts to access their video library for training their AI models. By incorporating these clips into their models, Synthesia aims to improve the realism, vocal tones, and body language of their avatars.
Synthesia has licensed the actors’ portraits for a three-year period and compensates them for up to six hours of filming work. Illustration: Synthesia.io
In a statement, Synthesia expressed their goal of enhancing the realism and expressiveness of AI-generated avatars through this partnership with Shutterstock. They aim to bring these avatars closer to human-like performance standards.
The collaboration has sparked discussions around the use of copyrighted material by AI companies without proper permission. The UK government’s proposal to relax copyright laws has faced criticism from creative industry experts.
Synthesia creates digital avatars using human actors, which are then utilized by various companies including clients like Lloyd’s Bank and British Gas. Their technology is also employed by organizations like the NHS, the European Commission, and the United Nations for different purposes.
Recently, Synthesia announced that they would provide stock options to the actors featured in their popular avatars. The company licenses the actors’ portraits for three years and compensates them for filming work.
Synthesia prohibits the use of stock avatars for political or news-related purposes. Illustration: Synthesia.io
Synthesia does not allow the use of stock avatars for political or news-related purposes. Instead, they utilize Shutterstock footage to enhance their models’ understanding of body language and workplace settings. This helps in creating more realistic scenarios for the avatars.
Established in 2017 by two Danish entrepreneurs and two academics, Synthesia, based in London, reached a valuation of $2.1 billion this year through a funding round that raised $180 million.
Beeban Kidron, a vocal critic of the government’s copyright policies, highlighted the significance of the Shutterstock agreement as an indication of the government’s flawed stance on copyright issues.
The government argues that current copyright regulations need to evolve to support the full potential of AI and technology in the creative industry, media, and technology sectors.
Apple’s MacBook Air, a beloved consumer laptop, has received a significant power boost for 2025, along with a better webcam and unexpected price cuts, making it even more appealing.
The thinnest laptops from the company now start at £999 (€1,199/$999/$1,699), which is £100 less than last year’s model. With Apple’s top M4 chips and a minimum of 16GB of memory, even the cheapest model is significantly more powerful.
Externally, there haven’t been many changes apart from a new light blue color replacing the long-standing “space grey” since 2022. The aluminum body remains well-crafted, thin, and lightweight. The keyboard is excellent, the power button touch ID fingerprint reader is fast, and the trackpad is generous and perfect for everyday use.
The 13.6-inch LCD screen, while limited to 60Hz, is crisp and of good quality. This year’s new features include upgraded webcams supporting 12 megapixels and featuring Apple Center Stage Technology with automatic panning and scanning. Desk view M4 MacBook Pro, to display things remotely.
The center stage camera at the top of the screen is a major upgrade for those who spend time on video calls. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
Two significant internal changes have been made. The new M4 chip essentially makes the MacBook Air as fast as the MacBook Pro. In tests, it performs slightly slower than the PRO and faster than the iPad Pro with an M4 chip, despite not having fans to keep it cool for extended periods. The air can handle external workstation-class workloads without any issues. Note: The cheapest models have two fewer graphics cores, making them slightly more powerful in certain apps and games.
All MacBook Air models now come with at least 16GB of memory, the minimum recommended amount for modern laptops. Previous models started with only 8GB of memory and cost significantly more starting from £200.
In addition to the powerful performance, the main selling point of the air – a long battery life – remains. For typical light workloads involving browsing, note-taking, word processing, image editing, chatting, and emailing, the air lasts over 16 hours between charges. Even with slightly more demanding tasks like development and photo editing, the air offers over 10 hours of battery life.
Full charge using a power adapter of 70W or more and the included Magsafe cable took about 105 minutes, reaching 50% in 28 minutes. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
specification
screen: 13.6in LCD (2560×1600; 224 PPI) True tone
Processor: Apple M4 with 8-core GPU or 10-core GPU
Ram: 16, 24, or 32GB
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB SSD
operating system: MacOS 15 SECOIA
camera: 12MP Center Stage
Connectivity: Wifi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3, 2x Thunderbolt/USB 4, Headphones
size: 215 x 304.1 x 11.3mm
Weight: 1.24kg
Sustainability
The recycled aluminum lid on the Sky Blue MacBook Air looks grey on some lights and blue on others. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The MacBook Air is made from 55% recycled materials such as aluminum, cobalt, copper, glass, gold, lithium, plastic, rare earth elements, steel, tin, and more. Apple provides detailed reports on the environmental impact of the laptop.
The computer is Generally repairableand the battery can be replaced by Apple for £159. The machine received a repairability score of 5 out of 10 from the repair specialists at aquixit. Apple also offers trade-in and free recycling programs for non-Apple products.
MacOS Secoia 15.4
MacOS continues to be one of the best operating systems for laptops, with many customization options and a very useful new window tile tool. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The MacBook Air runs the same MacOS Sequoia software as the rest of the Mac lineup and has been recently updated to version 15.4.
The Mac Mail app now resembles an iPhone app with AI email classifications such as promotional emails, receipts, and more. The AI notification overview and iPhone mirroring features are useful for users with an Apple smartphone. The new snap and window tile tool is very convenient and allows for quick window placement using either the mouse or keyboard shortcuts, eliminating the need for third-party tools.
Price
The Apple 13-inch MacBook Air starts at £999 (€1,199/$999/$1,699) with an 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The 15-inch version starts at £1,199 (€1,499/$1,199/$2,099).
For comparison, the M4 MacBook Pro starts at £1,599, while the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge is priced at £1,399, and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 starts at. £1,049.
Verdict
The MacBook Air is a top-notch consumer laptop that stands out unless you specifically require Windows. It offers a superior combination of performance, battery life, speakers, keyboards, and trackpads compared to its competitors.
The M4 chip upgrade, with a fanless design, keeps it ahead of the competition, always running silently. The new centrestage webcam is also a major improvement for users who rely heavily on video calls for work. While the screen is still great, it may be an area where competitors offer better displays at a higher cost. The device has only two USB-C ports, but they can be utilised for connections via the Magsafe port.
With a minimum of 16GB of memory and price reductions of around £1,000 on the 13-inch model, the MacBook Air is highly appealing.
Strong Points: Ultra-fast M4 chip, silent and cool running, extremely long battery life, good 13.6 inch screen, great keyboard, best-in-class trackpad, magsafe, good speakers, center stage webcam, touch ID.
Cons: Two USB-C ports and no USB-A or SD card slots, Face ID, RAM and SSD upgrades are expensive and cannot be changed after purchase. There is no WiFi 7.
The Touch ID Power button is perfect for storing up to three fingerprints and logging in to your laptop. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
Openai requested a federal court on Wednesday to prohibit Elon Musk from unfairly attacking them through a lawsuit he filed last year.
In a filing in federal court in San Francisco, Openai stated that Musk “initiated his project to defeat Openai.” The company insisted that the tech billionaire cease all actions against Openai and is seeking damages caused by Musk.
This filing highlighted the ongoing conflict between Musk, the founder of Openai, and the company regarding the direction of advancing technology. Last year, Musk sued Openai and its founders, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, accusing them of prioritizing commercial interests over public interest in technology.
Openai stated: “Elon continues to engage in bad faith tactics to hinder Openai’s progress for his own benefit. These actions are anti-competitive and contradict our mission.”
Musk and his legal representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(The New York Times filed a lawsuit against Openai and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement related to AI Systems. Openai and Microsoft denied these allegations.)
Musk played a role in founding Openai as a nonprofit organization in late 2015, alongside Altman and others. However, disputes over control of the company hindered AI progress, leading Musk to exit the organization. Openai has since launched ChatGpt and become a prominent AI player with millions of users. Altman secured significant funding for Openai to develop AI technology.
Last year, Openai began transitioning from a nonprofit entity to a company owned by investors. Shortly after, Musk sued Altman and Brockman, alleging violations of the company’s incorporation agreement by prioritizing commercial gains over public interest.
This year, Musk and investors proposed acquiring assets of the managing nonprofit for over $97 billion, which Openai’s board rejected.
In a recent filing, Openai criticized Musk’s bid as “deceptive” and misrepresenting the company’s intentions to change its structure.
“Musk is making false claims that Openai plans to convert from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity,” the filing stated.
Openai clarified that they are considering restructuring as a public benefit corporation (PBC), aiming to serve public and social interests as a for-profit organization.
In another development, a coalition of nonprofit, labor, and charity leaders submitted a petition urging California Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate Openai’s efforts to convert into a public benefits corporation. The petition can be viewed here.
The billionaire battle in space between Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk has entered a new arena, the satellite internet.
Started as an online bookstore 30 years ago, Amazon is Merchandising Behemoth, the owner of the James Bond franchise, and is a seller of electronic gadgets like the echo smart speaker and one of the most powerful providers of cloud computing.
So it’s not surprising that Amazon is launching the first few of the thousands of satellites known as Project Kuiper, offering another option to keep them connected in the modern world. The marketplace that brings high-speed internet from orbit to the ground is now dominated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX Rocket Company, which operates similar services. Starlink has thousands of satellites in orbit and has more launches almost every week, and Starlink already serves millions of customers around the world.
When will it be released and how can I see it?
The first 27 projects Kuiper Satellites are scheduled to lift from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7pm Eastern time on Wednesday.
They fly on Atlas V, a rocket created by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. ULA plans to do it Provides live coverage From 6:35pm
The forecast only predicts 20% of the chances that winds and showers from coastal storms are likely to cause potential problems. However, there is a two-hour window where the load of propellant on the rocket begins and the launch may occur.
The spacecraft deploys the Kuiper satellite in a circular orbit 280 miles above the surface. The satellite’s propulsion system gradually raises its orbit to an altitude of 393 miles.
What is Project Kuiper?
Project Kuiper is the constellations of Internet satellites aimed at providing high-speed data connections to almost every point on Earth. To make this a success, you’ll need thousands of satellites. Amazon’s goal is to operate more than 3,200 over the next few years.
The company competes with SpaceX’s StarLink, which was originally sold primarily to residential customers.
Kuiper aims to make its market, especially remote locations, but will also be integrated with Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud computing product popular with large companies and governments around the world. This could make it more attractive for businesses with satellite images and weather forecasts that need to perform data calculations, as well as moving large amounts of data throughout the Internet.
Ground stations connect Kuiper satellites to the web service infrastructure in a way that allows businesses to communicate with their own remote devices. For example, Amazon suggests that energy companies can use Kuiper to monitor and control remote wind farms and offshore drilling platforms.
In October 2023, two prototype Kuiper satellites were launched and the technology was tested. Amazon said the test was successful. These prototypes were not intended to be useful in operational constellations, and after seven months they returned to a burnt-out atmosphere. company I said Since then, we have updated the design of “subsystems on all systems and subsystems.”
“There’s a huge difference between launching two satellites and launching 3,000 satellites,” said Rajeev Badyal, Amazon executive who works for Kuiper, in a promotional video before its launch.
When does Amazon offer internet services from the space?
Amazon told the Federal Communications Commission in 2020 that the service would start after deploying the first 578 satellites. The company says it expects customers to connect to the internet later this year.
A fully functional constellations require thousands of satellites, but the company is able to serve in certain regions with far fewer orbits before expanding into later, more global coverage.
The approval of the FCC constellations required that at least half of the satellites be deployed by July 30, 2026. Industry analysts say if they show significant progress by then, the company can get an extension.
Putting a satellite into orbit also depends on the launch of the rocket that occurs on a schedule. This can be a problem if sufficient rockets are not available. Amazon also needs to build hundreds of ground stations to relay signals to users.
The tariffs implemented in the US overnight on Wednesday are expected to raise the prices of new smartphones. However, opting to repair an old or damaged device to save money may not necessarily result in a lower bill.
“Unfortunately, I anticipate having to increase my prices for parts,” explained Elizabeth Chamberlain, sustainability director at IFIXIT, a device repair company. “While we are actively seeking domestically-sourced parts, even with higher prices, repairs are still more cost-effective than purchasing new devices.”
Donald Trump’s tariffs could impact smartphone repair costs due to the global supply chain for device components. Many parts for popular Apple and Samsung mobile phones are manufactured outside the US. iPhones are primarily made in China, and companies exporting to the US face over 100% customs duties. India, where Apple and Google also have production facilities, is subject to a 26% tariff. Samsung’s supply chain is mainly in South Korea and could see a 25% tariff if agreements are not reached with the Trump administration.
The tariffs could drive up the demand for phone repairs as individual parts remain more affordable than buying new devices, even with higher prices. Customs duties could add nearly $300 to the price of the latest iPhone.
“It’s too early to determine if the tariff news is leading to increased repair demand, but it makes more sense than ever to repair what we have,” Chamberlain noted. “I believe tariffs could also stimulate demand for renovations and local parts sourcing in the repair industry.”
Increase in Parts Prices
Both large and small repair shops are bracing for higher prices for imported parts. A Brooklyn shop manager, who preferred not to be named, revealed that a national repair chain location is anticipating a 20% price hike for many necessary repair parts.
Dan Fernando, owner of Tecquecia, an independent repair shop in Philadelphia, has already seen fluctuations in prices for components like specific hard drives used for computer repairs. Fernando sources parts from a supplier called MobilesEntrix, which imports parts to the US.
“For phone screen replacements, we charge a $50 flat fee plus the screen cost,” Fernando explained. “Customers may now expect to pay between $80 and $90 for a screen replacement, with the new tariffs potentially resulting in a 50% increase.”
Fernando is also exploring cheaper repair options, stating, “Some people buy parts from eBay or Amazon which I don’t use due to quality concerns.”
With the rising costs of new devices and repairs, the second-hand device market, such as Swappa, offers a viable alternative for consumers. Swappa’s top-selling devices currently include the iPhone 13 and 14, according to Ben Edwards, the site’s founder.
“If tariffs persist and drive up new device prices further, I believe many buyers will turn to Swappa and similar platforms,” Edwards predicted. “The latest generation may not offer enough technical advantages to justify the increased costs.”
However, the prices of refurbished devices on Swappa could also rise as sellers adjust to the higher costs of new devices. Edwards explained that market dynamics determine prices on Swappa, with individual sellers setting their own prices.
“Ultimately, demand dictates prices,” Edwards highlighted. “In the Swappa marketplace, sellers have the freedom to set prices based on supply and demand.”
For consumers in the market for second-hand devices, Edwards advised, “Don’t wait.”
Following a helicopter collision with a Washington passenger jet, 67 people lost their lives in January, waking Joe Ellis up to a flurry of text messages two days later.
Ellis, a transgender helicopter pilot for the Virginia Army National Guard, found herself at the center of a social media frenzy where she was wrongly identified as the pilot involved in the crash. Online mobs tied the incident to diversity initiatives due to Ellis being transgender.
To debunk the false claims, Ellis posted a “Proof of Life” video on Facebook, reassuring everyone of her well-being despite the rumors swirling around her.
“At that moment, my life turned upside down,” Ellis shared in an interview. She recounted how her employer provided armed guards for her family’s protection, and she felt the stigma of being labeled as ‘that transterrorist’ for the rest of her life.
In response to the false allegations, Ellis filed a defamation lawsuit against Matt Wallace, a prominent influencer with millions of followers, for spreading misinformation about her.
After Ellis’s video gained traction online, Wallace deleted the posts related to her and issued an “important update” clarifying that she was not involved in the helicopter collision.
The lawsuit accuses Wallace of launching a damaging and irresponsible campaign against Ellis. Her lawyers have filed the case in the U.S. District Court in Colorado, seeking financial damages from Wallace.
Wallace has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter.
The legal action against influencers and creators for spreading false information online is gaining momentum as a way to combat misinformation in the digital age.
Ronell Andersen Jones, a law professor at the University of Utah, highlighted the growing trend of honor loss lawsuits, like the one filed by Ellis. These legal actions aim to restore a person’s reputation and combat social falsehoods.
Recent successful honor loss cases against major entities, such as Dominion and Alex Jones, have paved the way for similar action against individuals like Wallace.
Ellis’s lawsuit was supported by the Equality Legal Action Fund, a group of volunteer lawyers advocating for LGBTQ rights.
Challenges such as constitutional hurdles and free speech laws complicate honor loss lawsuits. Proving intentional and malicious intent behind spreading false information is crucial in such cases.
Ellis expressed her intention to donate any financial compensation she receives to the families of the crash victims.
She emphasized the consequences of freedom of speech and the impact it can have, especially when false information incites online mobs. The speculation linking the transgender pilot to the crash emerged as a conspiracy theory shortly after the incident.
Despite the challenges, Ellis remains determined to seek justice and hold those accountable for spreading harmful misinformation online.
The UK government is in the process of developing a predictive programme aimed at identifying potential murderers by utilizing personal data from individuals known to law enforcement authorities.
Researchers are utilizing algorithms to analyze data from thousands of individuals, including crime victims.
Originally named the “Murder Prediction Project,” the initiative has been renamed to “Share data to improve risk assessment” by the Ministry of Justice. While officials hope the project will enhance public safety, critics have labeled it as “chilling and dystopian.”
The existence of the project was brought to light by the advocacy group Statewatch, with details of its operations available through a Freedom of Information request.
Statewatch alleges that data from individuals without criminal convictions will be utilized in the project, including sensitive details related to self-harm and domestic abuse. Authorities vehemently deny this, stating they only collect data on individuals with at least one criminal conviction.
While the government maintains the project is solely for research purposes at this stage, detractors argue that the data used could introduce biases in predictions, particularly affecting ethnic minorities and low-income populations.
The project, commissioned during Rishi Snack’s tenure at the Prime Minister’s Office, analyzes crime data from various official sources, including the probation service and Greater Manchester Police prior to 2015.
Information processed includes names, dates of birth, gender, ethnicity, and unique identifiers on the police national database.
Statewatch’s claim regarding the inclusion of data from innocent individuals and those seeking police assistance is based on a data sharing agreement between the Ministry of Justice and Greater Manchester Police.
The shared data encompasses a range of personal information, including criminal convictions and details such as age at first reporting domestic violence or seeking police intervention.
Moreover, sensitive information categorized as “Special Categories of Personal Data” includes health indicators deemed predictive, mental health, addiction, and vulnerability data.
Responding to criticisms, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson stated: “This project is strictly for research purposes. It utilizes existing data from prison, probation, and police records of convicted offenders to enhance understanding of probationer risks.”
Current risk assessment tools used by correctional services will be supplemented with additional data sources to gauge effectiveness.
In summary, the Ministry of Justice asserts that the project aims to enhance risk assessment for serious crimes and ultimately contribute to public protection through improved analysis.
According to my pathetic map, I should have been near the Royal Palace. However, in Casablanca’s bustling Mars Sur Tank Quarter, streetcars rang past shoe stores and cafes, making them seem less cool remote. I tried one street and the following: Finally, I approached a teenage girl wearing jeans and headscarf downing diet coke outside the snack bar.
“I’m looking for a palace,” I said in elementary French, pointing to my map. “I say it should be near here.”
One of the girls glanced at the wrinkled paper and in a voice loaded with teenage emptying, “You don’t have one?” phone?
No, I didn’t have a phone. Rather, I did, but I wasn’t using it.
Except for buying a plane ticket, my plan was to explore Casablanca, a Moroccan city I’ve never visited, without using the internet. That is, there were no online research, GPS, Uber, Airbnbs, virtual dictionaries, and no mindless scrolling to avoid social awkwardness.
When many of us feel more and more of the need for digital detox, I am deeply aware of how the internet has deteriorated due to all its benefits. It not only played an important role in overtourism, it flattened the sense of discovery. By perusing restaurant menus, visualizing the site and compiling a must-see list, the Internet will tell you what you will experience before you arrive.
I could have used the guidebook, but it seemed to be against the spirit of effort. After all, my main goal was to see if I would recover the chances of exploration. And along the way I learned some retro travel lessons.
Lesson 1: Get a good map
After leaping into Mohammed V airport in Casablanca, my first business was to find a map. I approached the woman sitting at what I took to become an information desk. “Of course I have a map,” she replied. “I have a phone.”
But she led me towards the train to the city centre. When I arrived at the airy station, I realized how difficult it is to have the plugs unplugged here. There was no sign for “You’re here” and there was no place to hide my luggage while I was pointing in the direction, and a clear sign of that direction led to the city centre.
There was no map yet, so I chose the direction and started walking. The palm-lined boulevards looked like a good bet, and soon I was inside the shops and restaurants. Over the gates of what became an old medina, I saw a hand-drawn sign.Ryad 91.
Lesson 2: Ask me to see the room
I have known from previous trips, from trips to other Moroccan cities that “riad” or “riad” means “inn.” Soon, Mohammed, a tall, glasses-wearing man, welcomed me in the cushioned-bedecked lobby and didn’t seem to offend me when he asked me to see the only remaining room, a dig of 360, or about $37. It was simple and clean, but claustrophobic and had an open window in the interior courtyard. The next day, I decided to look for something more spacious and got into my room.
In the meantime, I asked Mohammed for a map. “A minute,” he said, sitting on his computer and printing it out from Google. There are about 12 streets named above. The rest was tangled in the lines.
Lesson 3: Accept your ignorance
The good thing about ignorance is that it can turn everything into discovery. And there were many things that fascinated me along the winding alleys of Casablanca: the elegant minaret. A bakery that pulls hot, flat bread from an outdoor oven. A splash of vibrant street art on a whitewashed wall named after Casablanca.
My wandering began outside the inn door. Keeping the harbor to the right, I meandered west through the noisy food market. There, vendors were selling fat walnuts from their carts. As I walked along the fortress that was built when Portugal ruled the harbor, I saw a huge structure. We asked the boys jumping into the sea from the rocky beach and what it was. “C’est La Plus Grande Mosquéedu Monde” was the reply.
Did I really stumble at the largest mosque in the world? Alas, my informants were not entirely reliable. Hassan II Mosque It may have one of the world’s biggest minarets, but it is not the biggest in itself. And when the tour bus around the corner proves, it is Casablanca’s main attraction.
I understand why the boy exaggerated it. With the ability of 25,000 people, the mosque is designed not only to its size, but also to be respectful. Every centimeter is covered in intricate craftsmanship, from plaster work to mosaics and fretwork. At the attached museum, I learned that 12,000 artisans were required to complete it.
My walks have brought more discoveries. Downtown streets lined with Art Deco buildings. Elegant modern Moroccan art Villa de Arts; Abderrahman slaoui There is a museum, Berber gems and colonial travel posters.
By traveling without expectation, you can also be more abiding in normal life. I loved coming across a square man selling coffee from a small pot. Then the desperate woman from Zigella Bass scrambled to get an air fryer that had just been on sale.
Casablanca wasn’t working hard for tourists. It was busy living my life.
Lesson 4: Let go of FOMO
We found a second hotel on the streets of the villa decorated with bougainvillea. Room Doge (approximately 2,200 Dirhams) once in a private home, leaning hard against the origins of the jazz era, featuring velvet-lined walls and at least one photo of Josephine Baker. Staying there in inlay furniture and orange flower scented soap, I tried not to wonder if there was even a more exquisite Casablanca hotel It wasn’t Found.
Unplugged travel means letting go of the fear of missing out. The Internet can convince us that its best list is objective truth and that fewer travelers have settled down because they do not pass through them.
I had to fight the sparkle in the central market. There, dozens of seafood stalls served fresh oysters and fish tagin. How to choose? Thanks to the local businessman, I settled in Nadia. Did the juicy grilled sardines drizzle with the charming chelmoura sauce? They were the best I had.
The same applies to perfectly spice chicken shawarma sampled in the upscale Racine district, and delicate gazelle horn pastries at bakeries in Gautier Quarter.
However, that strategy did not work in the quest for sit-in restaurants serving traditional Moroccan food. Because local diners choose different dishes than what they get at home. So when I came in Le Quistot I’ve heard the tiled dining room and Castilian Spanish, British English and New Jersey accents, but I didn’t have high hopes.
However, my couscous tfaya was fluffy, the vegetables were flavorful, and the caramelized onions and almonds added just the right amount of sweetness and crunch. When chef and owner Aziz Berada said his couscous was the best in Casablanca, I believed him.
If so, it was one of his talents. Before Aziz became a chef, he told me, he was a photographer of King Hassan II, the same monarch who ordered the construction of the impressive mosque. When the monarch died, Aziz decided it was time for a career change.
Lesson 5: Talk to people
My conversation with Aziz – It didn’t happen if he was buried on the phone while eating, but I wanted to see the palace where he worked. On my last day, the Doge receptionist printed yet another Google Map.
That’s when I got lost. After no help from the soda drinking teenager, I wandered the block and finally asked for instructions from an older man pointing to the far-flung red flag: the palace.
That was not the only thing that was open to the public. clearly.
The internet would have made this clear. But when I tackled the realization that I had spent hours reaching those mysterious walls, I spied on the streets lined with bookstores. At least I thought I might find a decent map.
And I did. But the streets also sold shops selling hand-woven rugs and copper tea sets, courtyards filled with olive barrels, and even before I came across a small museum of Andalusian instruments, they sold warrens in whitewashed alleys that reminded me of Andalusia.
Designed by the French in the 1920s and 30s, the habous neighborhood looked like a Moroccan stage set.
I learned this from a woman who introduced herself as Iman when I stopped for mint tea at Imperial Cafe. Salutes from passersby were frequently made as she sat near me and appeared to be either a celebrity or mayor. I asked if I could talk to her about the neighborhood.
“Of course, lover,” she said in perfect English. “I love Americans. You’re very spontaneous.”
Lesson 6: Stay open
Iman suggested moving the conversation to a nearby location. I think I might overcome my skepticism and get local recommendations.
As we walked, Iman’s Rapid Fire Monologue left a small space to ask about her favorite restaurant. However, I learned that she once lived in the US, sold real estate, worked for a jewelry company, and drove an Uber.
Finally, we arrived at a wall that was slightly less than the set of palaces. The guards led us through doors carved into a gorgeous building with green and blue geometric tiles and intricate plasterwork walls and courtyards dotted with orange trees. I still didn’t know where I was (later I learned that it was Pasha’s former court and residence, and is now used for cultural events). And I was given a mystery to staff, including a bureaucrat with a stern look on my face and a cleaning lady who effectively greeted Iman.
UK Communications Regulators have announced the first investigation under the new Digital Safety Act, with an investigation into an online suicide forum.
Ofcom is investigating whether the site has violated the Online Safety Act by failing to take appropriate measures to protect users from illegal content.
The law requires tech platforms to tackle illegal material, such as promoting suicide, or face the threat of fines up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue. In extreme cases, Ofcom also has the power to block access to UK sites or apps.
Ofcom said it didn’t name the forum under investigation, focusing on whether the site has taken appropriate steps to protect users in the UK, whether it failed to complete an assessment of harm that could be requested under the law, and whether it responded appropriately to requests for information.
“This is the first investigation open to individual online service providers under these new laws,” Ofcom said.
The BBC was reported in 2023 The easy-to-access forum for anyone on the open web has led to at least 50 deaths in the UK, with tens of thousands of members with debate, including methods of suicide.
Last month, the obligation came into effect under a law requiring 100,000 services under that range, from small sites to large platforms such as X, Facebook and Google. This Act contains 130 “priority violations” or illegal content. This should be addressed as a priority by ensuring that a moderation system is set up to address such material.
“We were clear… we may not comply with the new online safety obligation or we may not be able to properly respond to information requests, leading to enforcement action and we will not hesitate to take prompt action suspecting there is a serious violation,” Ofcom said.
Robert W. McShesney, an influential, left-leaning media critic who argued that corporate ownership was bad for American journalism and that the Silicon Valley billionaire who dominated online information was a threat to democracy, died on March 25th at his home in Madison, Wisconsin.
The cause was glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor, said his wife, Inger, stole it.
Both Professor McChesney were grounded in academia. He had a PhD. I’m taught communication and at university. And Ink-On Paper Journalism: He was the founder of Rocket, the Seattle music magazine that reviewed Nirvana’s first single.
His main papers were expressed in more than a dozen books and numerous articles and interviews, but the corporate-owned news media was overly compliant with a certain political force, limiting the views that Americans were exposed to. He further argued that the internet (the promise of the wild west market of opinion) was squeezed by some huge owners of online platforms.
An early book, Rich Media, Poor Democracy (1999) warned that the integration of journalism undermines democratic norms. Perhaps his most famous work, “Digital Cutting: How Capitalism Does the Internet Against Democracy” (2013), he rejected the utopian view that the digital revolution would arrive at the public frontier of sources and stimulate democracy.
Instead, he shows how the internet is destroying the business model of newspapers, while local government civilly hearted coverage features the lowest common denominator fluff, celebrity gossip, cat videos, and personal naval gaze.
Professor McChesney condemned capitalism.
“Profit motivation, commercialism, public relations, marketing, advertising – all the critical features of modern corporate capitalism – are the basis for an assessment of how the Internet can develop and potentially develop,” he writes.
The Trump administration has disbanded Justice Department troops responsible for investigating cryptocurrency crimes, criticizing the Biden administration for being too aggressive towards the fast-growing industry.
In a memo issued late Monday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche denounced his predecessor for investigating cryptocurrency operators in a way that he was called “pregnant and not executed properly.” He instead directed the department to narrow the focus of cryptocurrency investigations into crimes such as fraud, drug trafficking and terrorism.
The directive coincides with President Trump’s broad embrace of the crypto industry during his campaign and as he moves to ease enforcement.
The Trump family expanded business profits in the industry, including establishing a crypto venture, World Liberty Financial. Just before he took office, Trump issued his own memo coin. Trump Media & Technology Group, a social media company whose majority shareholder, also said it plans to introduce many digital asset investment products this year.
The Department of Justice directive follows a similar move in the Securities and Exchange Commission. This dismissed lawsuits and pending investigations that included issues that the crypto company had not registered as an exchange. Many SEC attorneys in these cases have left the regulatory authority.
The SEC has also significantly reduced staffing for crypto enforcement units. On a policy issue, the SEC says it will not attempt to regulate memokine because novelty digital assets are not securities.
In its memo, the Justice Department accused the Biden administration of “a reckless regulatory strategy through prosecution” towards the world of digital currency.
Going forward, Blanche writes that prosecutors should only pursue cryptocurrency cases that “include the actions of victim investors,” and that fund fraud, hacking, and other crimes such as fentanyl and human trafficking. The prosecution said “is important to restore stolen funds to customers and build investors’ trust in the security of the digital asset market and the growth of the digital asset industry.”
He ordered a group of prosecutors investigating market integrity and major fraud to halt the pursuit of cryptocurrency enforcement and instead focus on immigration issues and contractor fraud.
He also disbanded the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement team, a group within the Department of Justice headquarters that was recently created to handle such cases. Blanche writes that the office of a personal lawyer may still pursue cases that include cryptocurrency investigations.
This new approach appears to be aimed at preventing cases like those submitted in 2023 against Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, a violation of the Bank’s Secret Act. The company has agreed to pay a $4.3 billion fine as part of its guilty plea.
During the first days of the administration, Trump officials signaled their dissatisfaction with such cases when they effectively demoted the prosecutor who founded the cryptocurrency enforcement team, Eun Young Choi.
The team was created in 2022 to help prosecutors penetrate the frequently vague world of cryptocurrency as cross-border criminals began to use digital money more and more to promote crime.
Matthew Goldstein Contributed with a report from New York.
President Trump’s 25% tariff on imported vehicles, which came into effect last week, has already sent tremors through the automotive industry, urging businesses to halt ship cars to the US, shutting down factories in Canada and Mexico, and firing workers in Michigan and other states.
The UK-based Jaguar Land Rover said it will temporarily suspend luxury car exports to the US. Stellantis Idled Factory in Canada and Mexico fired 900 US workers who built Chrysler and Jeep vehicles and supply engines and other parts to those factories.
Volkswagen’s luxury division, Audi, has also suspended exports of cars from Europe to the US, telling dealers to sell whatever they still have on their lot.
If other car manufacturers move in the same way, the economic impact will be severe, leading to rising car prices and widespread layoffs. Auto tariffs are one of the first of several industry-specific collections Trump has in his vision, and can provide early clues as to how companies will respond to his trade policies, such as whether to raise US prices or increase manufacturing prices. The president also said he would like to tax the imports of medicines and computer chips.
Applying new tariffs on imported vehicles could increase costs to consumers by thousands of dollars and significantly reduce the demand for those vehicles. For some Jaguar Land Rover or Audi models, customs duties can be over $20,000 per car.
While many of the initial effects of tariffs were destructive, in at least one case, Trump’s obligations had the intentional impact of increasing production in the United States. Last week, General Motors said it would increase production of light trucks at its Fort Wayne, Indiana plant.
The long-term impact of the 25% tariff is unknown. Many automakers are still trying to find ways to avoid rising prices because consumers can’t afford a new car. Investors are pessimistic. Stocks of Ford Motor, GM and Tesla have declined in trading over the past few days.
“Everyone in the automotive supply chain is focused on what they can do to minimize the impact of tariffs on their balance sheets and prices,” said Kevin Roberts, director of Economic and Market Information at Cargurus, an online shopping site.
However, automakers have never had to sign such high tariff levys with such little notice. Analysts and dealers also had little insight into what the president would do next.
In the dimly lit room, broken symphonies of rattles, hums, and wobbles danced off the walls. However, the musicians responsible were nowhere to be seen.
Upon closer inspection, fragments of performers could be discerned, although their presence was not palpable.
In the midst of the room, spectators floated around an elevated pedestal, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the brain behind the operation. Beneath the magnifying lens lay two white masses resembling miniature jellyfish. Together, they constituted a “mini-brain” cultivated in the laboratory of the late American composer Alvin Lucier.
“You’re peering into the Abyss”: the central pedestal of the revival, housing the “mini-brain” grown in Lucier’s lab. Photo: Rift Photography
Lucier, a trailblazer in experimental music, passed away in 2021. However, here in the art galleries of Western Australia, his legacy has been resurrected through cutting-edge neuroscience.
“Gazing down at its central pedestal, one pierces the veil,” remarks Nathan Thompson, the project’s artist and creator. “You peer deep within, observing what is alive. Unlike yourself.”
The Four Monsters who orchestrated the resurrection: Guy Benley, Matt Gingold, Nathan Thompson, and Stuart Hodgitz. Photo: Rift Photography
The revival is the handiwork of a self-proclaimed “four monsters” alongside a tight-knit team of scientists and artists who have dedicated decades to pushing the boundaries of biological arts: Thompson, along with fellow artists Ben Ally and Matt Gingold, and neuroscientist Stuart Hodgetts.
Lucier proved to be an ideal collaborator. In 1965, he became the first artist to utilize brain waves to produce live sounds in innovative solo performances. In 2018, the revival team, long-time admirers of Lucier’s work, brainstormed ideas with him. By 2020, at the age of 89 and battling Parkinson’s disease, Lucier consented to provide blood for the resurrection.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has purchased a mansion in Holland Park for nearly £42 million, joining a string of significant transactions in London’s prime real estate markets.
As reported by the Financial Times, Schmidt, who led Google from 2001 to 2011, acquired a two-level stucco apartment in west London last May.
The Grade II listed building, as per official Land Registry records, includes a MEWS house at the back and was last sold in 2022 for £36.2 million. This sale follows other notable deals in London’s real estate market, including the recent £139 million sale of a 40-bedroom mansion in Regent Park.
Schmidt, now planning to rent out the property, is part of a trend where wealthy Americans are investing in luxury London real estate. In 2020, Americans surpassed Chinese buyers in the capital, accounting for 9.3% of foreign buyers compared to 5.6% in 2019, according to Knight Frank.
The interest in British citizenship among Americans has also seen a sharp increase, with over 6,100 US citizens applying for UK citizenship – a 26% rise from 2023 and the highest number since data collection began in 2004.
While there have been large transactions at the top end of the London market, overall activity has slowed. In 2021, there were 443 London homes sold for over £5 million, up from 308 in 2019 pre-pandemic levels, as per Savilles.
London’s capital price growth has been modest, recording its lowest annual price growth in the UK at 1.9% compared to the national rate of 3.9% in February. Northern Ireland saw the highest growth at 13.5%, followed by Scotland at 3.9% and Wales at 3.6%. London remains the most expensive location to buy a home, with an average price of £529,369.
A representative for Schmidt declined to comment. A spokesperson informed the FT: “Eric is making investments in luxury real estate properties worldwide.”
Meta is enhancing safety measures for teenagers on Instagram by implementing a LiveStreaming block, as social media companies extend their under-18 safety measures to Facebook and messenger platforms.
Individuals under the age of 16 will now be restricted from using the live Instagram feature unless they have parental authorization. Additionally, parental permission is required to disable the ability to obscure images containing suspected nudity in direct messages.
These changes come alongside the expansion of Instagram’s teen account system to Facebook and Messenger. Teen accounts, introduced last year, are automatically set for users under 18, with features like daily time limits set by parents, restrictions on usage at specific times, and monitoring of message exchanges.
Facebook and Messenger teen accounts will initially launch in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. Similar to Instagram accounts, users under 16 must have parental permission to adjust settings, while 16 and 17-year-olds can make changes independently.
Meta disclosed that Instagram teen accounts have fewer than 54 million users globally, with over 90% of 13-15-year-olds adhering to default limits.
These announcements coincide with the UK enforcing online safety laws. Since March, websites and apps covered by the law must take steps to prevent or remove illegal content like child sexual abuse, fraud, terrorist material, etc.
The Act also includes provisions to shield minors from harmful content related to suicide or self-harm, requiring protection for those under 18. Recent reports suggest the law may be softened as part of a UK-US trade deal, sparking backlash from critics.
At the launch of Instagram restrictions, Nick Clegg, then Meta’s President of Global Affairs, highlighted the goal of shifting the balance in favor of parental controls. These developments follow Clegg’s recent remarks on the lack of parental use of child safety features.
President Trump’s inauguration saw major technology companies and their CEOs donating millions, hosting lavish events in his honor, and allowing him to announce new multi-billion dollar projects. But Trump has not reciprocated these gestures, instead imposing a cleaning fee that affects Apple’s supply chain and technology giants like Amazon, Meta, Google, and Microsoft. The president has also cut federal funding for emerging technologies and sparked fears of talent loss due to his immigration policies.
The Trump administration’s aggressive regulatory stance includes an upcoming antitrust trial against Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Since Trump took office, the market value of tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft has dropped significantly. Efforts to engage with Trump have not been fruitful, with the tech industry facing challenges under his administration’s policies.
Tech leaders, including Zuckerberg and Pichai, have met with the White House in an attempt to navigate regulatory challenges.
Tech companies seek to engage with Trump on various issues but have faced hostilities dating back to 2016. Trump’s first administration was marked by strict regulations and antitrust actions against tech giants.
Despite challenges, tech leaders continue to try to influence Trump’s policies.
Tech leaders who supported Trump during his inauguration have faced setbacks under his administration, with regulatory pressures mounting.
Trump’s appointments to key positions signal continued antitrust actions against tech companies.
The tech industry faces intense pressure under Trump’s administration, with ongoing antitrust lawsuits and regulatory challenges.
Key appointments in the Department of Justice and the FTC indicate a tough stance on tech regulation.
Tariffs imposed by Trump have hit the tech industry hard, affecting companies like Apple and raising consumer prices.
The UK’s attempt to make details of its legal battle with Apple public has been unsuccessful.
The Investigatory Powers Court, responsible for investigating potential illegal actions by the national intelligence agency, rejected a request from the Home Office to keep “details” of the case confidential on Monday.
Presidents of the Investigatory Court, Judges Singh and Johnson, initially disclosed some aspects of the case on Monday.
They confirmed that the case involves Apple challenging the Home Office regarding a technical capability notice under the Investigatory Powers Act.
The Home Office argued that revealing the existence of the claim and the identities involved would jeopardize national security.
The judge stated, “We do not believe that disclosing specific details of the case would harm public interest or endanger national security.”
Reports from The Guardian and other media outlets claimed that the Home Office issued a Technical Capability Notice to Apple, seeking access to Apple’s advanced data protection services.
Apple has stated it will not comply with the notice, refusing to create a “backdoor” in its products or services.
Judges Singh and Johnson noted that neither Apple nor the Home Office confirmed or denied the accuracy of the Technical Capability Notice and media reports on its contents.
The judge added, “This ruling should not be taken as confirmation of the accuracy or inaccuracy of media reports. Details about the Technical Capability Notice remain undisclosed.”
A journalist was denied access to a hearing last month related to the incident.
Various media organizations requested the court to confirm the participants and the public nature of the hearing on March 14th.
Neither journalists nor legal representatives were allowed at the hearing, with the identities of the involved parties remaining anonymous beforehand.
The judges mentioned the potential for future hearings to have public elements without restrictions, but the current stage of the process does not allow it.
Recipients of Technical Capability Notices cannot reveal the order unless authorized by the Home Secretary, and hearings should only be private if absolutely necessary, as per the rule on the court’s website.
Ross McKenzie, a data protection partner at Addleshaw Goddard law firm, stated that despite the ruling, it is unlikely that detailed information regarding the Home Office’s case for accessing Apple user data will be disclosed.
An Interior Ministry spokesperson declined to comment on the legal proceedings but emphasized the importance of investigative powers in preventing serious threats against the UK.
Apple chose not to provide a comment on the matter.
Last Wednesday, the Trump administration believed there was a plan to save Tiktok.
With the Chinese owner of Tiktok and some of its US investorsOfficials in Washington said they were working together on a new ownership structure for the popular video app, and the four of them said they were familiar with the situation. The structure said it would help Tiktok meet the conditions of federal law that require apps to find new owners in order to address national security concerns or face a US ban.
Under the plan, new investors will own 50% of the new American Tiktok companies, while Chinese owners will hold less than 20%, the restrictions specified by the law are two. Byte Dance told the White House that Beijing is happy with the general structure, the two people said.
By Thursday morning, a summary of the draft executive order from Trump had been circulating, according to a copy viewed by The New York Times.
The plan then hit the wall. Baitedan, called the White House in the news: Now that President Trump has announced many tariffs on China’s imports, Beijing has not let Tiktok deals go ahead, the two said.
In response, Trump bought more time. On Friday, he suspended federal law enforcement and extended the deadline for the Tiktok contract to mid-June.
“The report says they made the transaction for Tiktok, not for a deal, but for a fairly close Tiktok. China then changed the transaction due to tariffs,” Trump told reporters Sunday to Air Force 1.
The outage highlights how video apps are plagued by the geopolitical struggle between the US and China over trade and technology advantages. It also reveals China’s power over Tiktok’s future in the US, raising questions about whether Tiktok’s deal will end.
“The parties are so proud to negotiate that we are stuck between two huge economies that are stabbing each other’s heads,” said Ampam Chander, a professor of law and technology who targeted Tiktok, a professor of law and technology at Georgetown University. “Tictok was a mouse that got caught up in his feet between these two elephants.”
The Chinese embassies in Washington, Tiktok and Baitedan did not respond to requests for comment. The White House introduced the Times to Trump’s post on true social that announced an extension of his for debate over the app.
The administration and ordinances were struggling the structure that allowed Tiktok’s biggest US investors, including the Atlantic General and the Susquehanna International Group, while government officials brought in new funds to dilute Chinese ownership of the app.
The interim terms of the transaction said new investors will own 50% of the new American Tiktok group. Current investors own 30% and Chinese ownersIt’s under 20%, two people on the issue said. Private equity giants like Blackstone and Silver Lake were acquiring stakes in new entities along with venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.
The proposal is described in a long, detailed document aimed at investors, said three people with knowledge of the issue.
The two involved in the deal said there was more work to do. Certain potential new investors considered any transaction conditional and were subject to due diligence associated with large-scale transactions, they said.
China has always been a wild card to some extent. Before the president’s announcement on tariffs last week, Baitedan believed that Beijing was happy that he was together in Washington, and the two people are familiar with the issue. However, even before the tariff announcement, there was no guarantee that Beijing would provide informal blessings or formal approval.
Discussions about Tiktok can become even more complicated as the trade war between the two countries escalates. China launched retaliatory tariffs after Trump’s announcement, urging the president on Monday to warn the country on an additional 50% tariff if it persists.
Trump has repeatedly proposed considering lowering China’s tariffs in exchange for approval of the Tiktok deal.
Using tariffs for negotiations is “like a truly amazing effort to force foreign companies to sell,” Chander said.
However, the trade war could still be ongoing in June, he said.
Tiktok is part of it and keeps it unsold for most of the year.
On Friday, ByteDance confirmed for the first time that he was involved in negotiations with the US government regarding the future of the app, but ultimately there was no decision in the hands of other parties.
“There are important issues that need to be resolved,” a bytedance spokesman told reporters in an email. “The contract is subject to approval under Chinese law.”
Maggie Haberman contributed to the report from Washington.
Experiencing physical anxiety due to height is not something I’ve ever encountered, unlike the frustration I feel when my legs are cramped in a plane seat. This realization dawned on me after stumbling upon celebheights.com, which sparked a mix of excitement and anger.
In 2019, while working as a cadet journalist in Hasting, I found myself banned from a brewery tour for lacking size 13 protective boots. Sitting alone in the rest room, cursing my oversized feet, I came up with a wild theory involving an aspiring prime minister hoarding the last size 13s. That’s when I turned to celebheights.com and discovered a whole new world.
The site’s strict mission statement, promising height estimates based on various sources like quotes, resumes, photo comparisons, and face-to-face encounters, deeply impressed me.
The most popular page grid at celebheights.com – “A thriving community of keyboard warriors wrapped in height.” Photo: celebheights.com
celebheights.com isn’t just a database of celebrities’ heights; it’s a lively community of height-obsessed keyboard warriors.
At its core is Admin Rob, the self-appointed judge who meticulously assesses and debates celebrities’ heights, down to the quarter-inch for some.
Launched in 2004, the site gained prominence after being featured in the (Criminally Short-Lived) Mystery Show Podcast in 2015, revealing the passion and dedication of its users.
The debates on the site can get intense, especially when it comes to celebrities like Mariah Carey, whose height listing has attracted over a thousand comments over the years.
Rob’s commitment to personally verify celebrities’ heights by comparing them to his own 5’8″ stature is a testament to his dedication.
Even celebrities whose heights have been confirmed by Rob can still spark debates among users on the site.
The furious debate is furious at Mariah Carey’s height. Photo: celebheights.com
The speculation and arguments about heights continue unabated on the site, with Rob’s firm belief that these debates can go on indefinitely.
Often, moderators on this site conduct field research in the form of celebrity encounters and gifts. Photo: celebheights.com
When not engaged in heated debates online, the site’s moderators undertake field research, often interacting with celebrities to verify their heights.
The height controversies even extend to celebrities with verified measurements, as seen in the case of actor Brendan Fraser, whose height listing underwent revisions despite Rob’s personal verification.
Commenters on the site provide diverse perspectives, with some offering valuable insights based on personal encounters with celebrities.
Even celebrities like Danny DeVito, who humorously downplays his height, find themselves embroiled in debates over their true measurements, making the height discussions a truly engaging saga.
Ken Harvey has been focusing on developing the business of Honda and Mazda dealers in Northern California, particularly in the area of selling used Teslas over the past few months.
Harvey frequently acquires second-hand Teslas at local car auctions and sells them at very reasonable prices, sometimes below $20,000, especially for the Model 3 sedan which is a popular choice among consumers eligible for state incentives.
As the owner of four Honda dealers and two Mazda franchises in Alameda County, Harvey mentioned that they have sold multiple Teslas this year, with most cars not staying in stock for long.
In a backlash against Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and a close confidant of President Trump, the used Tesla business has seen significant growth over the years.
This surge in the used Tesla market has been attributed to price cuts and decreased value of second-hand models by Tesla, which has led to a surge in sales.
Musk’s political activities, including his association with Trump, have sparked protests and encouraged Tesla owners to sell their vehicles, impacting Tesla’s business globally.
Dr. Jerome Winegarden of Ann Arbor, Michigan, recently traded his Model 3 Tesla for a Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup due to his disillusionment with Elon Musk’s actions.
The number of used Teslas for sale in the US has been increasing, with many owners opting to replace their Teslas due to various reasons, including political concerns.
Tesla’s sales have been impacted in various regions due to Musk’s political affiliations, leading to a decline in demand for the vehicles.
Protests against Tesla and Elon Musk have been on the rise, with some incidents of vandalism and destruction of Tesla properties reported.
Musk’s political activities have significantly impacted Tesla’s sales globally, including in European countries where sales have declined.
Analysts believe that Musk’s political involvement has influenced Tesla’s sales trends in the US, although the exact impact is hard to determine.
The number of used Teslas for sale in the US has been increasing, with more vehicles being traded in for new models or sold at dealerships.
Experts suggest that Musk’s political stance is damaging the Tesla brand, leading to changes in consumer behavior.
Enzo Costa, sales director for Patrick Dealer Group in Chicago, observed a decrease in the value of used Teslas in the market, prompting customers to trade them in for other vehicles.
Despite the challenges, Ken Harvey in California noted a steady demand for affordable Teslas, especially among customers looking to switch to electric vehicles.
Changes in the Tesla market have driven different strategies among dealers, with some opting to sell at auctions rather than to individual buyers.
Dear reader, I have a confession: I suffer from the illness that young people call “Brain corruption” Things I can’t think deeply after scrolling too much on my phone. It’s difficult to complete a book these days.
Many people have this problem. Many have created a category of minimalist tech products that strive to eliminate us to be distracted, from AI pins, the artificially intelligent lapel pins that take notes to phones that only have basic features.
The latest example, $600 Light Phone IIIa peeled mobile phone that does little from a Brooklyn startup. The latest version, which began shipping in March and has been set to a wider release in July, can call, text, take photos, view map instructions, play music and podcasts, and many others can’t.
There is no web browser. Also, there is no app store. That means there are no Ubers who welcome rides, slacks, or social media. There’s no even an email.
“When you use it when you need it and turn it back on, it goes away in your life,” said Kaiwei Tang, chief executive of Light, a startup that has developed multiple iterations of light phones over the past nine years. “We tell many customers that they feel less stressed, they become more productive and creative.”
I used it as my main phone for a week, because I wanted to know if a light phone can cure me brain rot. There was a moment when I enjoyed it. I didn’t want to stare at the phone screen while I was waiting for the train, resting at the gym or eating alone. The phone sounded wonderful and clear. The Maps app did an amazing job navigating me around town.
It reminded me of a simple time when we mostly used our phones for Converse before we put them away to focus on other tasks.
But for a week, the flaws of the stupid phone call were lacking in my enjoyment. I suddenly realized I couldn’t enter the station. We looked up the names of our new restaurants and controlled the garage doors.
Part of it has nothing to do with the light phone itself, which is a decent product, but how society as a whole relies on advanced smartphone capabilities.
This is how my week ran errands, commute, and went out on Lower Technology phones.
Get started
When I set up a light phone review unit over the weekend, the phone, which looked like a black rectangular slab, was quite bare bones. The phone’s menu was a black screen showing a white text list for mobile phones, cameras, photo albums and alarm functions. To add more tools, I had to access the dashboard using a web browser on my computer. There, we were able to install features such as the map app, notepad, and timers.
I was ready to go, so I decided to live without my iPhone for at least a while.
I’m commuting
On Monday morning, I took the train from Oakland, California to San Francisco and started commuting. When I arrived at the station I realized that I couldn’t get in without an iPhone. This is because many years ago, I had converted my physical transit pass, Clipper cards, into virtual cards stored in my smartphone’s mobile wallet.
The light phone didn’t have a mobile wallet to load a virtual transit card, so I went back home badly to get my iPhone and eventually showed up in the office 30 minutes late.
Go to the gym
One night, I got a similar hit at a rock climbing gym. To enter, members use their mobile phones to log in to the gym website and generate a temporary barcode that is scanned at the entrance. The light phone didn’t have a web browser and could not create a barcode, so we had to wait in line at the front desk.
Text a friend and take photos
I added some of my closest friends to my address book over a light phone and texted them explaining my experiment. When I typed the device’s keyboard, some felt slow as there was no auto-correct feature to fix typos. As a result, the conversation was concise.
The cheer continued as I sent pictures of people. The unlit and grainy image appeared to have been created with telephone cameras for at least 15 years.
“Retro!” said one friend in response to a blurry photo of my daughter.
“Wow, that’s bad,” another friend said of the dimly lit photo of my corgi Max.
Photo taken on the author’s Corgi’s light phone, Max looked unlit and grainy.credit…Brian X. Chen/New York Times
The founders of Light said they are proud of the Light Phone camera, which has a nostalgic feel to it.
I’m running errands
One afternoon I had to drop off Amazon’s return at the UPS store. We have selected the most convenient shipping options, including displaying QR codes for scanning.
problem? Light phones didn’t have an email app or web browser to download codes. Instead, I loaded it onto my computer screen and snapped mediocre photos on my phone.
When I brought the package to UPS and presented the photos, I held my breath and hoping the image was clear enough. UPS employees kept the scanner and after three attempts they heard beeps and transport labels printed.
Not only is it a relief, but how troublesome.
lunch
Another afternoon my wife and I went out for an improvised lunch. I had to back out the car and ask my wife to use her iPhone to close the garage door with the app myq. (Our physical garage door opener stopped working years ago.)
After that, I was trying to remember the name of a new sushi restaurant I read recently on my food blog. It was inevitable that I would dig deeper into my blog posts on a light phone. In the end we speculated and went to the wrong restaurant. However, it was good to have lunch together without the temptation to check my email.
Conclusion
I admire the goal of light phones, but my experience shows that there is nothing realistically possible or can buy to bring us back to a simpler era. Many aspects of our lives revolve around highly capable smartphones, travelling around town, working, paying for things, dominating home appliances.
This light cell phone experiment reminded me of glamping.
I can’t think of many people who make them work to make light phones realistically use only their mobile phones. Many of us rely on tools like Slack and email to communicate.
A light phone may be a good choice for unplugging while you’re off work, as a secondary leisure phone similar to a weekend car. But even so, camera quality may be a contract breaker for some.
Light’s CEO Tang admitted that Light Shone is not for everyone, but added that parents are considering buying a mobile phone for their children not distracted at school. The company is also working on adding more tools, including the ability to request mobile payments and Lyft cars.
Three young children huddle in front of the camera, nibbling and fidgeting. “Support us. We are extremely poor,” the boy says, gazing into the lens.
They appear to be in a mud brick hut in Afghanistan, experiencing severe poverty. Despite this, their live broadcasts have reached audiences in the UK and worldwide through Tiktok Live.
They spend hours soliciting virtual “gifts” that can later be exchanged for money. When they receive a gift, they politely applaud. In one live stream, a girl jumps up and exclaims, “Thank you, we love you!” After receiving a digital rose from a woman in the US, which costs approximately 1p on Tiktok, when converted to cash, it’s worth less than a third of a penny.
Tiktok claims to prohibit child begging and other forms of exploitation, deeming it exploitative, and states that there is a strict policy for users participating in live shows.
However, research by Observer has revealed widespread practices of begging on live streams, actively promoted by algorithms and benefiting Tiktok, which takes up to 70% of fees and charges.
Olivier de Schutter, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, has criticized this trend as “a shocking development,” accusing Tiktok and its intermediaries of profiting from people’s misery. He urges Tiktok to take immediate action, implement stringent policies against exploitative begging, and scrutinize the individuals profiting from the world’s most vulnerable.
“We have put a lot of effort into saving you,” said Jeffrey Demarco, a Digital Rights expert at Save the Children. “Documented practices reveal serious abuses that require immediate action to ensure the platform no longer allows or benefits from such content.”
An analysis conducted between January and April 2025 found evidence of live begging and related behaviors in countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Egypt, and Kenya.
Many live streams show families begging in domestic settings, while some streams seem to involve organized begging activities.
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