Category Archives: Technology

All of the latest Technology news only on Mondo News

Australian Parliament Inquiry does not fully endorse ban on social media for under-16s

Posted on by
Reply

A parliamentary committee investigating the impact of social media on Australian society has recommended empowering users to change, reset, and disable algorithms, as well as enhancing privacy protections. However, the committee also proposed a ban on social media use by individuals under 16 years old. No final recommendations have been made yet regarding access to social media.

The inquiry primarily focused on the influence of social media on young people. Both the opposition coalition and the federal government have announced plans to regulate social media for individuals under 16, pending legislation to be introduced in parliament by the year’s end in response to the current usage policy.

One of the 12 recommendations in the final report suggests enabling governments to enforce laws on digital platforms more effectively, creating a duty of care for platforms, and requiring platforms to provide data access to researchers and public interest groups. The report also suggests that users should have more control over their online experiences, understand algorithms, enhance digital literacy education, and submit age-guaranteed technology testing results to Congress.

Final report

Although there’s bipartisan support for banning social media access for those under 16, the study suggests that ensuring children’s safety may not necessarily involve outright bans until they reach an appropriate age. It emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts with young people in designing regulatory frameworks impacting them.

The Commission highlights the importance of evidence-based decisions regarding age restrictions and the necessity of involving young people in the policymaking process.

The committee suggests that a blanket ban on social media for certain age groups may not be the optimal solution and underscores the need for comprehensive digital reforms to tackle harmful online practices.

Chairperson Labor MP Sharon Claydon emphasizes the complexity of the issue and the necessity for immediate action to safeguard Australian users.

The Greens propose lifting the review of online safety laws, banning data mining of young people’s information, providing more education, and considering a digital services tax on platforms.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Temu, China’s affordable shopping app, faces challenges in Southeast Asia despite initial success

Posted on by
Reply

CTemu, the Chinese online marketplace that has seen rapid international growth with its attractive and often incredibly affordable range of products, is facing increasing challenges with its price-cutting strategies.

In October, Indonesia ordered the removal of Temu from its app stores, citing the need to protect small local sellers. Recently, the Vietnamese government also threatened to ban Temu and another Chinese-owned retailer, Shein, for operating without authorization in the country.

Simon Tolling, co-founder of market insight firm Cube, explains that the influx of cheap Chinese products, often with minimal import taxes, cannot compete with the quality, speed, and pricing offered by local retailers online. This has led to disruptions for businesses and manufacturers.

“Tem has become a focal point for regulators, prompting concerns about potential changes to cross-border import regulations,” he remarked.

Poom Chotikavan, operations director at Taxa Toys in Thailand, is struggling to find local manufacturers for children’s toys as many suppliers have gone out of business. The closure of approximately 2,000 Thai factories and the loss of over 50,000 jobs last fiscal year, partly due to heightened competition and rising costs in China, have had a significant impact, according to Reuters.

“Sourcing products from China has become more challenging. Their sales have plummeted,” Chotikavan noted. “How can they survive when clients can directly contact a Chinese factory?”

Pinduoduo, the Chinese equivalent of Temu, has been in operation since 2015 and is set to launch globally in 2022. Temu is also expanding in Southeast Asia, starting in the Philippines and Malaysia in 2023 and expanding further into Thailand, Brunei, and Vietnam this year.

The growing consumerism among Southeast Asia’s middle class has made the region an attractive market, with online shopping sales projected to reach $160 billion in 2024, as per a Bain & Company analysis released in November.

Jiangang Li, CEO of venture firm Momentum Works, believes that TM’s international growth is timely as Chinese domestic customers reduce purchases from Pinduoduo due to the country’s economic slowdown.

However, Temu’s entry has provided a boost to the market, given the surplus capacity in Chinese factories resulting from the economic slowdown, forcing Temu’s main suppliers to sell larger quantities at lower costs.

“Surprisingly cheap”

Similar to Western markets, Temu combines affordably produced items with deep discounts and aggressive advertising, attracting shoppers with gamified experiences. This has appealed to hundreds of thousands of customers like Chotikavan, who purchased a MagSafe iPhone holder for $3, significantly cheaper than the market price.

While consumers benefit from access to cheaper goods, local businesses are calling for government intervention. Indonesia has implemented tax hikes and banned e-commerce on social media platforms to support struggling local sellers. Despite these measures, Temu continues to push for entry into the market.

“Their goal is to dominate the global market,” says Tolling.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Are constant photo updates of my kids camping really necessary?

Posted on by
Reply

aAt 7 a.m. on Wednesday, I drop my kids off for a two-night school camp. The first large-scale school training camp. Children hold pillows under their arms and drag suitcases, barely able to support the wheels or weight. they are nervous. I was excited. Some people cry. By 7:45 a.m., they were loaded. Through the tinted windows of the bus, I saw my daughter settling down next to her friend, so I waved goodbye and headed to work.

The phone rings just before 10am. Parents were asked to download an app so they could be contacted while the school was away. The app's post features 10 photos of the class crammed onto a ferry and arriving at camp. I feel a sense of relief. I was worried about the bus arriving safely, which I knew was irrational, but I felt relieved when I saw my child being beaten by his friends and smiling at the camera. I did.

The phone rings again soon. And again. And again. By the end of the day, I had received 20 posts of up to 10 photos each, which I believe was the largest.

There are 12 more posts by noon the next day.

I keep unlocking my phone because my day is interrupted by mail after mail, not only from camp but also after-school care and other children's school days. . I swipe through the carousel of photos of kids playing and scan my own photos to make sure they're safe and happy. This is an ongoing record of my childhood that took place away from my physical supervision.

Does anyone really want this?

BIt is estimated that by the time the child turns 13 72 million pieces of data About them will be collected. 80% of children in developed countries Creates a digital footprint by age 2. Much of this is being blamed on premature access to social media, the subject of a new federal plan to restrict access for teenagers. “Sharing” – Excessive sharing of photos of one’s children online.

It's not hard to picture tweens scrolling through TikTok or smug parents posting Instagram photos of their toddler sleeping next to a laser-cut wooden sign proclaiming their age.

We have a broader and more intimate culture of documenting our children. About taking pictures of our children. Receive and request data about children. It is found in cribs, nurseries and schools. It's eating up our phone's memory. And it's almost inevitable.

of Australian community attitudes towards privacy survey was released last year and spoke to around 700 parents. Half of respondents said they felt they had control over their children's data privacy. Three in five said they had no choice but to enroll their child in a particular service. Almost all said their children had the right to grow up without being profiled or targeted.

But we record from their first day. It is an act of love, narcissism, habit, and insurance against forgetting. These creatures that we create, that we nurture, that we worship – why not capture each unreproducible, beautiful, funny, gentle expression, moment, footsteps? Even when taken uncontrollably and almost unconsciously, it still feels private. A typical Saturday for my family can result in up to 32 photos being taken. Old-fashioned roll of film.

There's something else too. Since our earliest days, we have been conditioned to believe that surveillance is safe. Without data, parents cannot guarantee the health of their children. Baby monitor – promising “Complete sense of security” – Livestream a video of your baby sleeping, as well as data about oxygen levels, heart rate, and sleep behavior, to your phone in one of the rooms or half a city away.

It appeals to a parent's most basic instinct: to protect their baby.

However, as Edith Cowan University researcher Dr. Donnell Holloway writes, “Dataification” of childhood expands as children receive education. Children today are “going through a huge change.”


“Photography at early learning centers has become a runaway train in some ways.” Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP

When a child enters daycare, an app asks for a bunch of photos to be downloaded, and some parents welcome it, while others simply accept it. These photos serve as a kind of continuing evidence of life and a demonstration of safety and good practices for early education providers. Most sites provide information about children throughout the day, with up-to-date information such as what was served for morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea, how much they ate, when they went to bed, and which early learning curriculum touchstones they reached. I am posting a photo of. It can be a comfort and a source of joy. Once this expectation is established, the day you don't receive a photo can be worrying.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Early Education Consultant in 2019 Karen Hope writes on her industry blog:The Spoke says, “Photography in early learning centers has become, in some ways, a runaway train…a photo of a child in front of a puzzle is not necessarily evidence of learning, development, or engagement. How are you going to tell your family?” ? ”

It doesn't end with childcare alone.

“Schools play a major role in how children experience privacy on a daily basis,” the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Privacy wrote at the time. Reports published in 2021. The massive shift to online learning at the start of the pandemic sparked a technology boom in the classroom, adding that “the power disparity that existed between ed-tech companies and children, and between governments and children and parents'' Equilibrium has expanded even further.

One day during school camp, I received over 100 photos of children.

These posts evoke contradictory reflexes in me. First of all, I was relieved that she was safe. Second, leave her alone.

IIn the final section, which consists of 10 photos of the class returning by boat from the island, the daughter is not visible. For a moment, I felt uneasy. Was she left alone? Is she okay? This is an anxiety I would never have experienced otherwise. I would have worked alone. She is somewhere else, protected by people I trust. But on the contrary, I am worried. Until I found her behind photo 9. She's fine. Of course.

Expectations of information destroy healthy distance, healthy ignorance between children and parents. It may cause anxiety to parents. We are so burnt out that having to constantly evaluate and monitor our children doesn't help.

And it's an insult to a child's privacy.

Children now expect their intimate moments to be recorded. As a friend of mine pointed out, it's no longer “Mom, look at me!” it's “Mom, take a picture of me!”

They know to review their photos. My youngest daughter came home from daycare and was eager to watch her child. It was a hassle. It was a shitty photo.


Privacy is essential to children's development. Safety, absolutely. However, their privacy is being ignored and violated.

“Adult interpretations of children's privacy needs can hinder the healthy development of autonomy and independence and limit children's privacy in the name of protection,” the UN Special Rapporteur wrote. There is. “Adults' reliance on surveillance to protect children limits children's rights to privacy and autonomy.”

Privacy is critical to children's ability to develop self-esteem, self

Source: www.theguardian.com

Feeling lost? Try this simple trick to reconnect with your sense of direction

Posted on by
Reply

WWe're disoriented and our brains are shrinking – at least our hippocampus is shrinking. These seahorse-shaped parts of the brain are about 5 cm in size, located just above the ears, and are responsible for our spatial awareness and sense of direction. London taxi drivers are famous for taking Knowledge, a test that requires them to memorize the capital's central streets, and they have life-sized hippocampi. But in 2011, neuroscientists at University College London found that taxi drivers' hippocampi shrank significantly after they retired.


Hippocampal development may also be disrupted during childhood. Children living in urban environments rarely see the sunrise or sunset and cannot distinguish between east and west. When I volunteered to go to local schools and teach directions to children, I noticed that they had a hard time distinguishing between north and south, east and west. However, you should be able to tell the difference if you are allowed to use your phone.

Ever since Google Maps was launched in 2005 with the claim that it would help users get from A to B, and three years later when the iPhone 3G was launched with “live” location, the online tech giant The first generation of today's digitally native children would not have known what it meant to be lost. But is that a good thing? Their vision and direction, like the hippocampus, is diminished by the collusion of their online providers. Over four generations, children roamed up to six miles from home, but on average only 300 yards. Even before COVID-19, three-quarters of children spent less time outdoors than prison inmates, research has found. Many parents know that the subsequent 50% increase in agoraphobia has a significant impact on children's mental and physical health. But it also drives
biophobia
avoidance, and even fear of the natural world. When we become afraid of nature, the consequences are:
Indifference and even hostility towards environmental conservation.

No matter where your kids travel, they're probably following a blue dot on their phone screen to guide them, regardless of the world around them. Now more than ever, mobile phones allow us to have maps in the palm of our hands, but maps can be both liberating and tyrannical. Our phones map us and collect our likes and dislikes online.

The current study focuses on this so-called
Developmental topographical disorientation The same goes for mental health, as online experiences lead to digital contamination of our sense of space and place. Quite literally, we are becoming disoriented in the digital world, abandoning cognitive-enhancing tools like paper maps and magnetic compasses that allow us to move and orient ourselves in parallel to the physical world. . We have retreated from using the spatial skills that have sustained us for thousands of years. No wonder our feeling of being lost is as existential as it is directional.

To be disoriented means to be “lost in the East.” The word comes from the Latin word meaning the sun rising in the east. In ancient history, most societies were oriented primarily toward the east, the source of the sun, which gives light, heat, and life. Next we came to the west where the sun was setting. This was followed by north and south, and people determined their positions by astronomical observations of the sun's position at noon and the North Star, Polaris. Early polytheistic societies worshiped the sun rising in the east, and this tradition continues in the monotheistic Judeo-Christian faiths, which place the east at the top of the map as the place of the beginning of creation and resurrection. In the Old Testament, Creation begins in the East in the Garden of Eden. Medieval Mappa Mundi
Hereford Cathedral The upper part has East, depicting Adam and Eve in Eden, and the lower part has West. This was the orientation that defined European Christianity for over 1,000 years.

In contrast, early Islamic maps placed the south at the top, as the first converts to the faith lived directly north of Mecca. The easiest way to understand their sacred direction was to orient the map so that Mecca was “up”. We still talk about going up north and going south in the UK. This is the old hangover of understanding the four points of the compass: up and down, forward and backward, or left and right, depending on our body. South serves as a cardinal direction, just as in classical Chinese science a magnetic compass pointed south rather than north. they are called this
Ragyo“That which points to the south.” Australians know this. In 1979, Stuart MacArthur published a corrected map of the world with Australia at the top and facing south.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Elon Musk may not be America’s new king, but he could be the new Thomas Cromwell.

Posted on by
Reply

PThis is essentially what transpired at Mar-a-Lago on election night, when it became evident that Trump had emerged victorious. The scene was chaotic. Mr. Trump is a man of expansion. He is encircled by the members of a formidable clan and another individual. In his victory speech, the president-elect commended his campaign team, his running mate, and his family, each receiving brief praises.

But “AN Other” was allocated a full four minutes. He is Elon Musk, the wealthiest person in history. President Trump has referred to him as a “super genius,” “a unique individual,” and a “star.” Musk jetted straight from Texas on the Gulf Stream to revel in the adulation of his new master. He also invested hundreds of millions of dollars and a month’s worth of time to be present. Now, his moment has arrived.

Let that sink in. More on this later.

Now, consider what Musk’s counterparts in Silicon Valley were contemplating as they sat, pondering and composing sly congratulatory notes to Donald. And trust me, their disdain was palpable. The atmosphere in the valley was rife with frustration. The tech titans had been strategizing for months on how to curry favor with Trump in case he emerged victorious. Then along came Musk, sidestepping them and making his way into the inner circle of the new administration. It must have been exasperating.

Reflecting on the recent events, it’s evident that the situation has worsened. Trump has appointed Musk and aspiring mogul Vivek Ramaswami to lead his “Government Efficiency Division” (dubbed “Doge” after Musk’s favored cryptocurrency, Dogecoin). The duo is tasked with a concerted effort to streamline regulations, bureaucracy, and spending across the federal government. “Together, these two outstanding Americans will lay the groundwork for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, cut back on excessive regulations, eliminate wasteful spending, and restructure our federal agencies,” proclaimed their new chief.

Perhaps he will benefit from Musk’s assertion that he could slash at least $2 trillion from the $6.8 trillion government budget and Ramaswamy’s pledge to abolish the FBI, the Department of Education, and the nuclear regulatory agency during his unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination. It appears he was impressed by their proposals.

While this new entity is labeled a “department,” it does not function as a typical government agency. If it did, Mr. Musk would face a slew of conflicts of interest that could pose legal challenges if he starts curtailing regulators with whom he currently clashes. These include the Federal Aviation Administration, National Labor Relations Board, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Communications Commission, and Federal Trade Commission. Moreover, his various companies secured $3 billion in government contracts from 17 federal agencies last year. However, by operating “outside” the system, he would have more leeway to make cuts as he sees fit.

Skip past newsletter promotions

In 2018, author Michael Lewis released The Fifth Risk, a notable book exploring the consequences of President Trump’s political appointments during his initial term, particularly related to three government agencies: the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Commerce. According to Lewis, the book was born out of his curiosity about the lesser-known branches of government and their true nature, which he discovered mainly revolved around safeguarding people and societal safety.

If Mr. Musk’s track record is any indication, such safety concerns are unlikely to be assuaged. Following a court order in Delaware to proceed with the Twitter acquisition, he promptly laid off 6,500 employees, around 80% of his workforce by his own estimation. Among those terminated were individuals tasked with moderating content on the platform to maintain a certain level of “safety.” Their departure led to an open platform that attracted anti-wokeists, white supremacists, misogynists, conspiracy theorists, and other denizens of an alternative reality. Additionally, he tweaked the platform’s algorithms to prioritize his own posts for its 200 million users, effectively turning it into a broadcasting platform for airing political views and preferences.

By backing Trump, Musk appears to be employing an all-in strategy, reminiscent of his approach years ago when facing challenges in Tesla Model 3 production and claimed to have slept at the factory for weeks. He relocated to Pennsylvania for the final campaign month, actively engaging with supporters and enhancing the campaign’s visibility, particularly in rural areas.

In essence, he has positioned himself as indispensable to Trump, presenting a potential issue for his future. Narcissists are averse to being indebted to anyone, regardless of their assistance. Thomas Cromwell’s integral role in Henry VIII’s court in the 1530s, as depicted in Wolf Hall: Mirror and Light, illustrates that aligning with power may not always bode well. History may not replicate itself, but it might echo this time, as attributed to Mark Twain.

what i was reading

the narrow path from despair
Diane Coyle’s Beautiful and concise review of Sam Friedman’s book Enlightenment Economics Failed states: why nothing works and how to fix it.

Congratulations, boss
The Verge compilation All the disgustingly vile messages the tech giants sent to the incoming president.

Reason for continuing
Insightful discussion on 404 Media – Why the initiative remains crucial even under the Trump administration – Why honest journalism is needed now more than ever.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Can AI productivity apps enhance efficiency and streamline your daily tasks?

Posted on by
Reply

Steven Johnson, a research software enthusiast known for his nonfiction books, is constantly on the lookout for digital tools to enhance the creative process. When the rise of large-scale language models powering text-generating AI tools like ChatGPT caught his attention, he became intrigued by their implications for information organization. His articles on LLM in the New York Times attracted the interest of researchers at Google Labs, who approached him with a proposal to develop a digital research assistant. The result is NotebookLM, an AI-powered note-taking tool designed to organize and summarize information and answer questions. Johnson views it as a tool for enhancing understanding.

The productivity technology landscape is increasingly incorporating generative AI, with new and existing tools expected to offer features that streamline schedules, emails, and note-taking. Johnson, initially skeptical of such products, began to wonder if his workflow could benefit from AI enhancements. The NotebookLM platform, while warning of potential inaccuracies, differentiates itself from other text generators by only utilizing provided information. Users can create notebooks and upload various sources including PDFs, audio files, web links, and Google Docs.

NotebookLM enhances productivity by efficiently summarizing key points and extracting quotes. Its AI chat feature facilitates deeper interrogation of the material and quickly retrieving information. Johnson uses the tool for various projects, including his next book, finding it helpful in brainstorming ideas and structuring content. However, he notes drawbacks such as subjective summaries and the potential for AI-generated content to diverge from the original material.

NotebookLM aims to augment rather than replace cognitive functions, serving as a digital extension of memory and supporting creativity. The concept of a “second brain” resonates in productivity discussions, emphasizing the power of leveraging AI to handle lower-value tasks and freeing up time for more meaningful work. Other tools like Notion and Capacities offer diverse organizational features coupled with AI assistance, catering to different user preferences and workflow needs.

While AI-driven productivity tools like Reclaim.ai and Superhuman show promise in optimizing scheduling and email management, caution is advised in conflating busyness with productivity. Clear outcomes and emotional well-being play crucial roles in effective tool utilization. As AI continues to advance, the prospect of autonomous AI agents performing actions beyond mere chat interactions looms on the horizon, potentially transforming how we approach everyday tasks in the future.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Is the End Near for X? Musk and Trump’s Complex Relationship Sparks Growing Rivalry and Challenges for the Platform

Posted on by
Reply

Was it the week that X died? The platform, previously seen as an ideal marketplace for information exchange, has suffered its biggest breach to date.

Bluesky, the latest competitor to X, has amassed 16 million users. 1 million in 24 hours last week. Hundreds of thousands of people have quit Twitter since Donald Trump won the election on November 6th.

The impetus was Elon Musk, owner of Company X and the world's richest man, to transform the social media site and use it as a megaphone to push Trump into the White House.

The incoming US president said Musk will become head of the new Department of Government Efficiency. The acronym Doge, a play on the dog internet meme and the virtual currency Dogecoin, began as a joke by Dogecoin's creators and skyrocketed in value after Mr. Musk. In 2021, he named it “The People's Code.”

Although Musk now sits at the center of the U.S. government, his actions do not require Senate approval and he can continue to work in the private sector. He is allowed to keep X and its 204 million followers, as well as head electric car company Tesla and rocket company SpaceX. For the first time in history, big tech billionaires are directly shaping democracy, not just indirectly through the media.

“I don't know of any precedent for this approach,” said Rob Engdahl, president of technology analyst firm Engdahl, who has worked with companies such as Microsoft, Sony, and Dell.

Bluesky celebrates reaching 16 million users. Photo: Tamamario/Getty Images

As recently as 2022, Mr. Musk tweeted “For Twitter to be worthy of the public's trust, it must be politically neutral. That effectively means upsetting the far right and far left equally,” he tweeted. that “Mr. Trump will be 82 years old at the end of his term, far too old to be the CEO of anything, let alone the United States.”

A few months later, when Mr. Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion, he fired content moderators and charged for account verification. This meant that people could buy influence. Twitter rebranded to X, shed millions of users and reinstated Trump's account, which had been suspended after the January 2021 White House riot.

The proliferation of alt-right criticism, hate speech, and bots on X, as well as Mr. Musk's own clash with the British government during the August riots, has increased anxiety among X users. of guardian and observer announced last week that it could no longer maintain a presence on the site and would no longer post. Author Stephen King left, saying it had become “too harmful.” Oscar winners Barbra Streisand and Jamie Lee Curtis left the stage.

“X has effectively become Truth Social Premium,” said Mark Carrigan, author of “X.” academic social mediareferring to President Trump's far-right social media platforms. And the buzz in the tech world is that President Trump's “Truth Social” could be folded into “X.”

If this happens, whose interests will take priority? Will Mr. Musk suppress or encourage criticism of the authoritarian governments he does business with? Who is the puppet or paymaster in Donald and Elon's media show?

“If that happens, a political super app masquerading as social media could become the ultimate amplification machine for President Trump's ideas,” said James Kirkham of Iconic, who advises brands like Uber and EA Sports on digital strategy. It will happen,” he says. “Forget about Facebook and Fox News. The real heart of the Republican digital strategy may be X.”

“I'm hopeful that X and Truth Social will merge,” Engdahl said. “But given how overvalued Truth Social is right now, this could be one of those efforts between Musk and Trump.”

The bromance between the world's two biggest egos is mutually beneficial, as long as the two transactional, power-hungry, impulsive people get along. President Trump is hawkish on China, one of Tesla's most profitable markets. Mr. Trump essentially campaigned against electric vehicle manufacturing. Trump is a protectionist. Mr. Musk opposes tariffs. When it comes to climate change, they are against it.

Jonathan Monten, professor of political science at UCL, is skeptical about the sustainability of the relationship. “What Mr. Musk used against Mr. Trump was private money, both to provide a platform to, or to use, a more favorable pro-Trump agenda.” .

“It's unclear what continuing purpose or use Mr. Musk actually has. Yes, this is some kind of celebrity story, but that's the Trump brand. I've got one story, and tomorrow I'll tell another celebrity's story.'' The early 2010s connected and informed activists, artists, lawyers, academics, policymakers, journalists, and experts of all kinds. Share, exchange ideas and track events in real time.

Elon Musk speaks next to Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on October 5th. Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters

While it's easy to paint Mr. Musk as a bogeyman, some argue that it was the emergence of TikTok and algorithmic timelines that fundamentally disrupted Twitter. As social media optimizes for scale and profit at the expense of user experience, algorithms will prioritize the “best” content – content that screams loudest or is most specifically tailored to users. It has become. Curated accounts and “latest” content to follow have been pushed to the side.

“I think Mr. Musk has done some harmful things, and I think part of that is the logic of evolving social media platforms,” ​​Carrigan said. “The impact of the ad-based model encourages certain ways of organizing platforms, with negative consequences.”

Bluesky, which was the most popular app in the app store on Friday, has become an option for X refugees, but its 16 million users pale in comparison to Meta's Threads. reported With 275 million monthly active users, X Approximately 317 million..


Defender of “fediverse” is a single account for any social media network, just as a Gmail account allows you to send email to any email address or call users on other networks from your mobile phone number. argues that there must be.

Platforms have power when it comes to blocking social networks so users can't leave. Instead, new social networks, including Bluesky, are built on “ecosystems” that enable interconnection.

No one knows what will happen to X, with predictions ranging from collapse to turning into an anti-Trump platform if Musk and the president get into a spat, or even becoming a training ground for Musk's xAI venture. be. AI could engulf social media, with xAI valued at $40 billion, roughly the price Musk paid for Twitter.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Race is On: How Scientists are Using Drones to Track Grizzly Bears

Posted on by
Reply

TThe first time Terry Vandenbos saw a bear run away from a drone was on a spring day two years ago when he was chasing a bear himself. After seeing a grizzly bear cross a road near his property, a Montana rancher hopped in his all-terrain vehicle and planned to chase it away from his cattle if necessary.

However, when the bear was still far away from him, he began to sprint as fast as he could, looking over his shoulder, and Vandenbos also looked up. A small drone was chasing the bear overhead, its four propellers emitting a high-pitched whine as it flew toward a nearby lake.

“I don’t think I need to be here,” Vandenbos remembers thinking. He drove home. The bear never touched the cow.


At the other end of the drone was Wesley Sarmento, a grizzly bear management specialist with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP). For the past six years, he has been testing various non-lethal methods to scare bears away from human settlements. An act commonly referred to as “hazing.”

Sarmento, a doctoral student at the University of Montana, said in a study to be published in the journal Frontiers of Conservation Science that aerial drones outperformed all other hazing methods he tested in his experiments. These provide a way to keep grizzly bears away from humans that is safe for both humans and animals.

“Drones are now a tool that you can’t do your job without,” Sarmento said. “That’s how convenient it is.”

Increase in human-wildlife conflict


For nearly two centuries, prairies like those around Vanden Bosch Farm in northeastern Montana have had few large predators.

“The really good news is that we’ve done a good job recovering some of the large carnivores,” said Julie Young, a Utah State University wildlife biologist who studies ways to reduce human-wildlife conflicts.

Source: www.theguardian.com

“We will not venture into Ravenholm”: Unveiling the backstory of Half-Life 2’s most legendary stage

Posted on by
Reply

aIn Valve’s Half-Life 2, the seminal first-person shooter that celebrates its 20th anniversary this month, taciturn scientist Gordon Freeman finds himself trapped in a dystopian cityscape. Armed soldiers patrol the streets while innocent civilians wander around dazed, without purpose or future. Dr. Wallace Breen, Freeman’s former boss at the scientific “research center” Black Mesa, looks down from a giant video screen and defends the virtues of humanity’s benefactors, an alien race known as the Combine.

Freeman stumbles through the first few levels of Half-Life 2, as players become accustomed to the terrifying future unfolding before them. It’s not the most cheerful atmosphere, but there are some friendly faces (guards Barney, Alix, and Eli Vance), and a beaked face named Lamar, Dr. Isaac Kleiner’s pet. There are even moments of humor, such as an eating alien running amok in a lab. I feel safe. It will make you feel happy. It feels nostalgic. There’s also a crowbar! And that omen. “That’s the old passageway to Ravenholm,” Alix Vance tweeted during a tour of Freeman’s Chapter 5 Black Mesa East facility. “We’re not going there anymore.” I feel a shiver run down my spine. you know You’ll end up going there.

“[Ravenholm] It was a completely different environment than anything players had ever been in before,” said level designer and member of the unofficial City 17 Cabal, a group within Valve that worked on Half-Life 2’s most famous levels, Dario Casali. “This is an outlier in the map set that survived from a very early build of the game, and was born out of the need to give the newly introduced Gravity Gun a place to shine.”




“Ravenholme was a completely different environment to anything the players had been in before.” Photo: Valve

The lack of ammunition for Freeman’s traditional weapons is what propels Ravenholm and Half-Life 2 into the realm of horror games. Ravenholm, an old mining town previously hidden from the Combine, is now a desolate place, shrouded in darkness and its inhabitants corrupted by the heavy bombardment of Headcrabs (face-eating aliens). “We used the confined space to slow down the zombies. [headcrab-afflicted people] It can actually get closer to you,” Casali reveals. And players will no longer be able to blow them away with machine guns or pistols. You will have to rely on your heavy gravity gun to pick up whatever is around and throw it at the monsters that are closing in on Freeman. Pots of paint, pieces of wood, and even corpses became ammunition for players.

Like most of Half-Life 2, Ravenholm is a cinematic experience, taking cues from horror films like Saw and 28 Days Later. When the Combine forces attack Black Mesa East, Freeman escapes through a dark tunnel leading to Ravenholm. Immediately, a sudden change in atmosphere hits the player like a chill. A gloomy set of dark buildings, faint and almost non-existent music, two crashed headcrab rockets, and the sound of something swinging from a barren tree. When I looked closely, I discovered the lower half of my body, which had been pecked by a crow.

A headcrab zombie appears out of nowhere and screams in pain. But soon, Freeman has little to worry about. Designed to fit within the map, Ravenholm’s “fast” zombies climb drainpipes and run across rooftops, leaving adventurous scientists with little safe haven. Freeman also has to contend with hunched creatures that throw poisonous headcrabs at him.




“A desolate place.” Photo: EA

Fortunately, Freeman is not without help. Soon, he encounters Father Grigori, responsible for Ravenholm’s saw-like traps, and passionately redeems his “flock” with a shotgun. Casali said: “In my opinion, this man was slowly losing his mind due to the Headcrab and the zombification of his followers. Ravenholm was so isolated that he didn’t even know about the Combine invasion. , I imagined they thought the devil had come to town. Father Grigori and the zombie horde were the perfect excuse to double down on the creepiness.”

Freeman follows Grigori throughout Ravenholm until the final climactic battle in a (appropriate) graveyard. “I thought Ravenholme really needed an action-packed ending, worthy of a horror movie,” says Casali. “What better place to do that than in a cemetery?”

The final encounter between Freeman and Grigori, besieged by an army of zombies and headcrabs, releases some of the tension built up while exploring the spooky streets of Ravenholm, but this level is difficult to play It still leaves a lasting impression on those who did it. Changes in tone and style. This segment has essentially been around since the beginning of Half-Life 2’s long development (a version appeared in Valve’s famous 2003 E3 demo), and evolved into the final game’s ammo-starved spooky fest.

One of the standout games of the past 20 years, Half-Life 2 defined the future of video games with its innovative visuals and excellent physics engine. As part of the City 17 cabal, the activities of Casali and his colleagues were instrumental. “The desire to surpass the original Half-Life was so strong that we were constantly motivated by the quality of work other teams were doing,” he recalls. “It was magic.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

British flying taxi company seeks investors as funding runs low in the aerospace industry

Posted on by
Reply

On a gloomy November day in England’s Cotswolds, a VX4 that looked like a cross between a plane and a helicopter rose from an airport runway, hovered a few feet off the ground before sinking.

It may not have reached that high of an altitude, but it was a seminal moment for British owner Vertical Aerospace. The company has received millions of pounds of support from British taxpayers but is running out of money.

The flight came amid tense negotiations with investors that could see founder Stephen Fitzpatrick lose control to a US hedge fund, with the electric aircraft tethered to the ground for safety. We showed evidence that it is possible to transport people without having to carry them.

Verticals have already experienced what can happen when things go wrong. On a sunny day in August last year, the adhesive holding the blades of one of its eight rotors in place broke, causing the unmanned aircraft to crash onto the runway. The 3.7-ton aircraft crashed into a 30-foot crumpled heap, its blade landing 50 meters away. There were no injuries.

The accident and financial difficulties highlight the difficulty of making flying taxis a reality. Almost a century of effort. Vertical announced on Tuesday that the date its first aircraft would receive approval from UK regulators to carry passengers will be pushed back by another two years to 2028.




Stephen Fitzpatrick founded Vertical in 2016. Photo: Geoff Overs/BBC/Reuters

Vertical initially claimed the aircraft would have room for four people, a range of 160 miles, a top speed of 150 miles per hour, and would enter service by 2025. Vertical chief executive Stuart Simpson confirmed to investors this week that the company had chosen the UK as its destination. A factory that manufactures 200 aircraft a year. But cautious regulators and suppliers paid a price for the ambitious schedule.

A number of startups are trying to develop flying taxis, known in the industry as electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (Evtol). For several years, they seemed to be making rapid progress as investors sought empty Teslas, backed by cheap money.

Flying taxi companies such as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation in the US and Volocopter in Germany have raised large sums of money and built flying prototypes. Three major aircraft manufacturers are participating in this competition through their subsidiaries: Europe’s Airbus, America’s Boeing, and Brazil’s Embraer.

Vertical took advantage of that wave. Fitzpatrick, an entrepreneur who also invests in F1 teams and derives most of his £800 million fortune from energy company Ovo, founded Vertical in 2016. The company was listed on the US stock market in 2021 with a valuation of $2.2 billion.

But rising interest rates and slow development are causing investors to pause before pouring in more money. Vertical’s stock price has fallen 95% since the coronavirus pandemic bubble, valuing it at just $110 million.

U.S.-listed peer Lilium filed for bankruptcy for its German subsidiary last month and is looking for a buyer to rescue it. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Chinese automaker Geely is in talks to bail out its Volocopter after its value also fell. Britain’s Rolls-Royce has scrapped plans for a flying taxi business, nearly three years after its plane broke the airspeed record.




A prototype flying taxi being developed in the United Arab Emirates has been unveiled at a taxi rank outside Charing Cross station in London. Photo: David Parry/Pennsylvania

An industry official said, “A large-scale bubble has occurred.” “We’re finally nearing the end.”

In the longer term, concerns remain about how flying taxis in crowded skies will be regulated. However, the industry received some positive news after US authorities issued regulations on how such vehicles should be operated and how pilots should be trained.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Simpson told investors the company needs about $100 million to cover costs next year. Cash at the end of September was £42.8m.

If negotiations with major financial institutions are successful, the immediate funding crisis may be eased. Fitzpatrick and Vertical have been in talks for nearly a year with Jason Mudrick, an American distressed debt investor who made a fortune investing in “meme stocks” such as AMC Entertainment and GameStop during the pandemic. .

Mudrick proposed converting about half of Vertical’s previous $200 million in financing into equity in exchange for a cash infusion of up to $50 million.

However, in a letter to Vertical’s board last month, he said: “Mr. Fitzpatrick has refused to accept a contractual dilution of approximately 70% of his company’s shares, which he has repeatedly rejected. “There is,” he said.

Mr. Fitzpatrick is seeking a 30% stake, but the deal would leave existing shareholders with only 20% of the company. An agreement could pave the way for other investors to make new equity investments. Candidates could include Virgin Atlantic Airways, American Airlines, and previous investors such as Microsoft and control systems supplier Honeywell.

Vertical boasts a low-cost model of buying off-the-shelf technology from existing suppliers, but it could need $500 million to $1 billion to get through four years without revenue.

Despite investors expressing concerns about launch delays, Simpson said he was “optimistic” about the funding. But with Toyota investing another $500 million in Joby and Beta Technologies raising $300 million last month, some investors believe that if the technology can prove to work, the flying taxi company will still have the cash. He reassured them that they could secure the

“The funding environment is tough and there is a shakeout in the industry,” Simpson said. “I think we’ll be one of the winners.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Elon Musk enlists ‘high-IQ revolutionaries’ to volunteer on President Trump’s new project without compensation.

Posted on by
Reply

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswami are “high-IQ small-government revolutionaries” who are calling on Americans willing to work 80+ hours a week to join their new Ministry of Government Efficiency for no pay.

In a recent X post, which also served as an announcement of his appointment and a playful jab at Mr. Musk, the newly appointed president’s account stated: We are seeking ultra-high IQ small-government revolutionaries who are ready to work over 80 hours a week to bring costs down to earth.”

The department, not associated with the federal government, bears a resemblance to the popular Shiba Inu meme.

“If this sounds like you, please DM this account with your resume. Elon & Vivek will evaluate the top 1% of applicants,” the statement added.

Musk reiterated the call in another post, stating: “Yes, this may be a mundane job. You will make plenty of adversaries and receive no compensation.”

“How delightful!” Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, wrote with a laughing emoji. He pledged to reduce federal bureaucracy by a third and decrease U.S. government spending by $2 trillion, but acknowledged that the process “will inevitably involve temporary challenges.”

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump announced the appointment of Musk and Ramaswamy as president, emphasizing that they will lead efforts to streamline government bureaucracy, reduce excessive regulation, eliminate wasteful spending, and overhaul federal agencies. This is crucial to the “Save America” movement.

President Trump described the newly formed department as a “modern-day ‘Manhattan Project,'” likening it to the U.S.-led research program during World War II aimed at developing a nuclear bomb, which he noted came at a human cost. Estimation [Japan’s population in 1945 was 214,000].

Since the first attempt on Trump’s life in July, Musk has emerged as one of the president’s most devoted supporters, at one point dubbing himself a “Dark Maga” during the campaign. He contributed $120 million to the president-elect’s campaign, hosted rallies in Pennsylvania, and vigorously promoted Trump’s message on X.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Following Trump’s re-election, Musk shared an edited photo of himself holding a sink in the Oval Office, with text that read “Please sink.”

This image recalls a promotional campaign from October 2022, shortly after Musk sealed a $44 billion deal to acquire X (formerly Twitter). Musk entered the headquarters carrying Sink. According to new estimates from Fidelity, X’s value has dropped nearly 80% since Musk’s acquisition two years ago.

The caption with the featured photo was updated on November 14, 2024. A previous version erroneously identified the image as depicting Donald Trump when it was intended to be Elon Musk.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Amazon Introduces Affordable Online Storefront to Rival Temu’s Pricing

Posted on by
Reply

Amazon has introduced a budget-friendly online store featuring electronics, clothing, and other items priced under $20 to compete with discount retailers encroaching on its market.

The company announced the launch of Amazon Haul, a storefront primarily showcasing items under $10 with free delivery on orders over $25. Orders will be shipped to U.S. customers from Amazon warehouses in China, with delivery expected within one to two weeks.

Many products on Amazon Haul resemble those found on Chinese e-commerce platforms Shein and Temu, which have gained popularity in recent years.

Shein targets young women with affordable apparel, while Temu offers a variety of products for bargain hunters.

Both Shein and Temu have faced criticism for their fast-fashion business models and are under scrutiny from regulators for various issues.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Amazon’s new storefront on its shopping app and mobile website offers unbranded items like phone cases and hairbrushes for $2.99, and sleeveless dresses for $14.99, emphasizing “incredibly low prices” and “budget-friendly activewear.”

Vice President of Worldwide Sales Partners, Dharmesh Mehta, stated, “Finding great products at extremely low prices is important to our customers, and we continue to work with our partners to offer products at affordable prices.”

Importing goods from China could become costlier for Amazon due to new regulations targeting cheap Chinese products which aim to reduce U.S. reliance on China and might lead to price increases for U.S. consumers.

President-elect Donald Trump has also suggested imposing tariffs on Chinese products.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Pro Players Share 7 Tips to Level Up in Call of Duty Black Ops 6 | Call of Duty

Posted on by
Reply

LJust guessing, did you recently purchase Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, wander into the multiplayer mode, and find yourself being brutally beaten by hundreds of teenagers with suggestive usernames? Don’t worry. That’s completely normal. Call of Duty has always been an arcade twitchfest of the online shooting scene, but Black Ops 6 has a whole new feel thanks to its omni-movement system that lets you dive, roll, and sprint in all directions. And all weapons have been completely redesigned. As Olivia Rodrigo said, it’s cruel.

So I asked two talented professional players, Ethan “Fifakill” Pink and Liam “Jukeyz” James, for some tips. Instead of laughing and pointing at me, they agreed.

use the correct gun

If you’re new to CoD, stick with assault rifles or submachine guns [SMGs] – These are suitable for Black Ops 6’s small maps and intense engagement speed. “My favorite assault rifle” [AR] Probably Model L, but very good experts agreed not to use it, so we moved to AMES,” Jukeyz says. “The SMG is either the Jackal, which is fun to use, or the KSV, which is more difficult but way too powerful.”

Fifakill, on the other hand, recommends Kompakt 92. However, if you are a mid-range player, I think the Model L Assault Rifle is a very good option. It takes time to unlock, but it’s worth the effort – Super TTK [time to kill] and very low recoil.


Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Photo: Activision

Become a gunsmith

The Gunsmith is where you can make modifications to your weapons, which are essential to gaining an advantage in combat. “For the majority of players, it’s best to start by reducing recoil,” Fifakill says. “Focus on attachments that reduce load” horizontal Recoil – If your gun bounces up and down, it’s pretty easy to fix. But left and right makes it more difficult when you’re trying to track enemy players.”
Jukeyz prioritizes aim-down aiming speed (how quickly you can move the gun into the aiming position), but also suggests installing a vertical foregrip to counter recoil. “I also recommend Gunfighter Wildcard,” Fifakir added. “With eight attachments per gun, you get it all: better movement, bigger magazines, less recoil.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Rise of Lithium Ion Batteries: Understanding the Exploding Fire Hazard

Posted on by
Reply

A severe fire in a garage and home in south of Sydney may have been caused by a faulty lithium-ion battery in an electric scooter. Fire investigators discovered that this incident was part of a series involving lithium-ion batteries.

Another fire broke out at New Farm apartments in Brisbane city centre in early November, believed by authorities to be ignited by an electric scooter’s battery. In March, New South Wales experienced four battery-related fires in one day.

The New South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has identified lithium-ion batteries as the state’s fastest-growing fire hazard, responding to 272 battery-related fires last year. Fire authorities in Victoria and Queensland are responding to lithium-ion battery fires almost every day.

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in various devices due to their fast charging, power density, and long battery life. Australia’s largest lithium-ion battery, the Victorian Big Battery, can power over one million homes for 30 minutes.

What are lithium-ion batteries used for?

Different types of lithium-ion batteries are used in various devices, and when operated correctly, they are considered safe.

Lithium-ion batteries power cell phones, computers, electric scooters, electric bicycles, and electric cars, providing quick energy delivery and long battery life.

Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire due to overheating and physical damage, reaching high temperatures and producing toxic gases.

Why do lithium-ion batteries catch fire?

Lithium-ion batteries contain lithium ions in an electrolyte, and charging them too quickly can cause thermal runaway, leading to a rise in temperature and potential explosion.

Battery quality matters, as physical damage, defects, and overcharging can contribute to battery fires. It is essential to use approved chargers and follow manufacturer guidelines.

To prevent battery fires, avoid overcharging, charge batteries on hard surfaces, and recycle old batteries properly to reduce the risk of fire incidents.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Rise of the Golden Idol: A 1970s detective game with a dark, twisted, and captivating storyline

Posted on by
Reply

a Brutal Scene: A shadowy figure forces someone into a high-voltage circuit box. The victim becomes unable to move at the moment of death, his body convulsing and sparks flying. Downstairs, everyone froze in shock the moment the lights went out. You must scrutinize this scene to determine who everyone is, where they are, why they are there, and, of course, who committed this murder. Examine faces and objects, search everyone’s pockets to see what’s inside, and read notes, signs, and letters for clues. Eventually you’ll piece it together and fill in the report with the missing words that describe exactly who, what, when, where, and why.

Rise of the Golden Idol is a 1970s alternate reality detective game where, when solved, individual scenes tell us something about a larger mystery. This is a sequel to The Case of the Golden Idol, set 300 years after the game’s Age of Exploration mystery, but following the trail of the same cursed object. Some of these scenes are relatively harmless and even funny, such as a drive-in cinema where an unexpected fire breaks out and cosplayed patrons rush for the exit. There are other scary things too. In the opening incident, the strangulation unfolds in an endless loop, like an Instagram boomerang story.

Intentionally grotesque art style…the rise of the Golden Idol. Photo: Color Gray Games

Solving these cases is very satisfying, but you better hope your memory for names and faces is good. Scenes could include 10 or more people and required a notebook to record them. There are more and more obvious hints offered when you get stuck, but as the game warns, using them takes away the fun of using deductive reasoning. Nevertheless, when I understood the gist of the case but couldn’t get someone’s last name correctly, I was glad that there was a button to show me which blanks in the report were incorrectly filled in. I thought.

The strangeness of Rise of the Golden Idol is what makes it so memorable. The art style is intentionally grotesque, with the characters’ asymmetrical faces and eyes moving like crazy, and the backgrounds filled with paint pens. The murders, robberies, and other crimes here are strange, and the picture becomes unsteady in its eternal two-second loop of movement. Until I solved the problem, the scene stuck in my head and I ended up staring at my phone screen for half an hour at a time, thinking, cross-referencing, and taking notes. Where is the character’s gaze leading me? Why is that rug in disarray? Where did that dirt come from?


The big story that comes from these details is worth all the effort. As the chapters change, the fill-in-the-blank incident report turns into a fill-in-the-blank summary of everything you’ve learned from several past cases, helping you draw connections that make the story full of intrigue. This is not a game you can play while thinking about something else. You have to pay close attention, focus your thoughts, and see what your brain can do. I was pleasantly surprised by my own reasoning skills.

The crime scenes are so bizarre that you never know where this game will take you, but there’s always something you need to solve.

“Rise of the Golden Idol” is currently in theaters. £16.75 or included with your Netflix subscription

Source: www.theguardian.com

The record-breaking cost of a photograph: How one space image reshaped our perception of humanity

Posted on by
Reply

IThis was one of history’s monumental moments, but if John Glenn had not stopped at a supermarket on his way aboard Friendship 7 to pick up a Contax camera and 35mm film, the visual record may not have existed. A photograph taken by an American astronaut through the window of a capsule while in Earth orbit on February 20, 1962, provided unprecedented evidence of Project Mercury’s first orbital mission. The Soviet Union may have beaten the Americans in the race to human spaceflight, but the Americans were also taking the first color photographs of the galaxy.

German gallerist Daniel Blau points out that these photos are also “the most expensive photographs ever taken.” Billions of dollars were spent to obtain them. Blau has an original print of Glenn’s first photograph taken in space. Photos from Paris this yearalong with NASA’s cache of rare photographic prints, many of which have never been publicly displayed before, most of them by unknown scientists and astronauts.




A color-enhanced photo of Saturn taken from NASA Voyager II on July 12, 1981. Photo: © NASA, courtesy of Daniel Blau Munich

“At that time, NASA didn’t provide cameras to astronauts,” Blau says. “In a way, this was Glenn’s private photograph.” Despite their scientific motivations, Glenn’s images convey the inescapable mystery of the universe. A warm, glowing ball of light spreads out from the center of the frame. Luminescent flashes blaze into the deep darkness of the void, dancing like the “fireflies” described by Glenn. It must have been terrifying to watch. In fact, the spark turned out to be condensation.

Traveling at 28,000 km/h, humans managed to reach space, but they had not yet designed a photographic machine powerful enough to keep up with the journey. Lacking much visual information or detail, Glenn’s photographs probably reveal less about the universe and have become totems of human ambition. Glenn later added a personal caption, warning, “I guarantee you a photo will never be able to recreate the brilliance of a real scene.”




Rio Grande at 73,000 feet taken on May 27, 1948 using a V-2 rocket camera. Photo: © Daniel Blau, Munich

Blau began carrying vintage NASA prints in the 1990s. “The Space Race and the Cold War were the defining forces of the second half of the 20th century. Of course, my generation remembers all the important moments.” Some of the photos were published at the time, but original prints It is difficult to obtain. “These scientists and the people who worked on the missions passed down their personal archives to their children, and now their grandchildren, so there is still a lot of material on the market. It was natural for me to start searching and working with these photographs.”

At Paris Photo, a crowd gathered around a series of six silver gelatin photographs from 1948 overlooking the Rio Grande from a V-2 rocket at 73,000 feet. Also on display were humanity’s first close-up photo of Mars, taken in 1965, and the first panoramic photo of Earth seen from the moon. The latter was not photographed by humans, but was sent by radio signal from an unmanned mission in August 1966. They were then stitched together pixel by pixel into a single image at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

By 1979, the interstellar probe Voyager was able to take better pictures of the planet, and its images of Jupiter and its four moons suspended like marble in an onyx atmosphere were particularly startling.

The impressive large-scale mosaic of Mercury’s pockmarked surface, created in 1974, is “the only mosaic of this size I’ve ever seen,” Blau says. “It was probably produced for a NASA presentation, similar to Voyager’s photo of Mars.” This photo only shows part of the solar system’s smallest planet, but it doesn’t fit our understanding and You get another glimpse of what lies beyond your control.




A mosaic of Mercury taken from NASA’s Mariner X in March 1974. Photo: © NASA, courtesy of Daniel Blau Munich

By the late ’70s, photography had taken on a more central role in missions and the advancement of space science. “NASA was and still is dependent on public funding, but Glenn’s color photographs taken in Earth orbit showed that the best and most positive way for NASA to demonstrate its accomplishments was through photography.” It became clear that there was one thing,” Blau said. “Of course, the scientific side of things is the driving force, but photography tells a first-hand story.”

Blau’s footage was released the day after the US presidential election. He said he wanted to remind visitors of the “positive common efforts of many countries.” They are certainly humble. “Perhaps no photograph embodies more than this photograph the combination of mystical awe and mastery of nature that constitutes the human condition,” Blau muses. “Humans escape from the confines of the earth to see and record things that have never been seen or recorded before – the impossible.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

The podcast chronicles the real-life tale of the whale featured in Free Willy.

Posted on by
Reply

IIt’s ’90s week in Podcastland! At least, you’d think so, judging by the nostalgic homage to children’s entertainment from decades past. There’s an entire series dedicated to the fictional purple dinosaur Barney, and investigative news stalwarts Serial Productions literally digs deep into an important subject: What happened to the whale in Free Willy?

For a bit more extreme retro nostalgia, there’s also the Audible star’s new Agatha Christie adaptation, with Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage playing Poirot in Christie’s first novel, The Case in Stiles. Himesh Patel and Harriet Walter co-star as Hastings. Does the fact that they started at the beginning of the Christie canon mean they intend to publish all the books? We certainly don’t disagree.

But if that thought strikes fear into your time-pressed mind, don’t worry. For those who want to immerse themselves in a long-running show without digging through their entire back catalogue, we’ve rounded up the best listens. You can take inspiration from the proliferation of 1990s podcasts, but wait 30 years for retro, nostalgic podcasts before listening to the highlights.

Alexi Duggins
TV Deputy Editor-in-Chief

This week’s picks

Peter Dinklage in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Photo: Murray Close/Lionsgate

Mysterious incident at Stiles
All episodes now available on Audible
Peter Dinklage plays Hercule Poirot in this brilliantly cast adaptation of Agatha Christie’s debut novel. Rob Delaney, Harriet Walter, Jessica Gunning and Himesh Patel are joining the cast of the high-budget, immersive production. Dinklage’s Poirot transforms from a gritty force of nature into a wise and luminous soul in the story of the murder of a matriarch at the country estate where his Belgian detective friend Captain Hastings is recuperating from World War I. It covers a wide range of things. Alexi Duggins

good whale
Wide range of weekly episodes available
For an iconic investigative series like “Serial,” the whale from the ’90s movie “Free Willy” isn’t an obvious topic. But this fascinating series shows how, from his unhealthy years in captivity to becoming a Hollywood star, the PR-driven campaign to actually free him, and, sadly, how extremely difficult it was. We delve deep into the story of what happened to this creature, right down to how it turned out. Get used to it. advertisement

quilt
Wide range of weekly episodes available
Queer Britain, the UK’s first LGBTQ+ museum, has partnered with the producers of podcast The Log Books to produce this moving new series. Hosts Tash Walker and Adam Zumis travel around the UK collecting stories, starting with a trans woman in her 70s in Norfolk who sheds tears as she looks at an old photograph. Holly Richardson

generation barney
Wide range of weekly episodes available
Can a giant purple dinosaur provide a generation with much-needed solace during turbulent times? He certainly revolutionized children’s television in the 1990s, giving young viewers their first superstar. Host Sabrina Herrera, like any good children’s TV character, is full of joy as she tells the story of a dinosaur that provoked the hatred of outraged parents. Hannah Verdier

lady mafia
Weekly episodes widely available
Sarah King developed a reputation as the “female Bernie Madoff” after allegedly amassing large sums of money through loan sharks and spending them on jewelry, cars and extended stays at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas. Now, Michelle McPhee gets her lawyer to tell her side of the story and why she doesn’t think he’s a fraud. HV

There’s a podcast for that

Alex Cooper interviews presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Call Her Daddy. Photo: Call Daddy/Reuters

this week, Rachel Aroesti We choose the 5 best podcasts Can be soaked or soakedfrom Radio 4’s classics to Alex Cooper’s $60 million show.

please call her dad
Most podcasts, no matter how popular, feel like cult concerns. Their intimate banter and free-spirited vibe give the impression that they exist outside of mainstream cultural conversation. Even Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy, the second most listened to pod on the planet, has an upscale club vibe. But every once in a while, Cooper pulls off a headline-grabbing cut-through feat. The show, popular for its sex-positive take on femininity, has been in the news in recent months for interviews with Katy Perry (about her disastrous comeback) and Kamala Harris (about family life and campaigns). A must-listen episode for anyone looking to stay on top of the zeitgeist.

nymphet reunion
If you’ve ever been baffled by the endless reboots of TikTok’s aesthetic or confused by the latest (like, 10-minute-old) trends, Nymphet Alumni is here to help. The trio of hosts Biz Sherbert, Sam Cummins, and Alexi Alario explore cutting-edge fashion and hyper-online phenomena (from “mogging” to Mormonism in an unashamedly literate yet never approachable way). (down to style). Sometimes they name trends themselves (see: Brockett, a fusion of soccer shirts and samba-meets-girly-girl attire), or look back at the 20th-century fashion roots of various revivals. Immerse yourself in the feeling of understanding the modern world, even if it’s just for an hour.

off menu
Some podcasts succeed regardless of, or sometimes in spite of, their guests, while others rely heavily on the energy of the celebrities who participate. At this point, Ed Gamble and James Acaster are consummate professionals when it comes to eliciting dream meal-based jokes from their interview subjects, but they’re adamant about the off-menu episodes that are truly worth listening to. It includes a guest with eccentric tastes and the resulting spiral of hysterical callbacks. Highlights include Victoria Coren-Mitchell’s dinner party sandwich, Ivo Graham and Yeo Valley yoghurt, Nicola Coughlan’s Robbie Williams wrap and The Inbetweeners star Joe Thomas’ unparalleled madness, ‘Soft Touch’ and Buried Contains lamb.

desert island disc
Few podcasts can trace back decades of archives, let alone ones that date back to the 1940s. But that’s what you get when you convert Britain’s longest-running radio show into a podcast. Desert Island Discs currently has 2,482 episodes, and its taste-based premise has proven to be an influential template for modern podcasts (see the aforementioned Off Menu and many others). The back catalog alone is a fascinating cultural chronicle, featuring some very famous guests, as well as many forgotten guests.

good one
The old adage that analysis destroys comedy has now been completely debunked by critical forces that are more likely to take stand-up seriously. And Good Ones, a “podcast about jokes” by Vulture’s Jesse David Fox, certainly takes its comedy very seriously. Featuring guests such as John Early, Alex Edelman, Jack Whitehall, and Joel Kim Booster, Fox dives deep into the technique and background behind the routines and sketches. I talk about over two hours of post-mortems on my stand-up shows. It might be a bit too intense for serious listening, but it’s a thrilling and insightful peek behind the curtain, so be patient.

Why not try it…

Source: www.theguardian.com

Rise of the Titan: How World of Warcraft Triumphed Over the Geek World and Dominated the Gaming Industry

Posted on by
Reply

IIn 2004, Holly Longdale was a game designer at EverQuest and a champion of a new genre of video games that enabled massively multiplayer role-playing. These online fantasy worlds allow players to pursue quests together rather than alone, adding an engaging new social – and competitive – dimension to the static offline role-playing that Holly’s generation was accustomed to. I did. But whenever possible, Longdale would instead sneak in a few hours of play as EverQuest’s main competitor. That game was World of Warcraft (WoW).

“There were so many moments in WoW that I was jealous of,” she says. Then I saw another player running in the opposite direction. This is the druid who buffed me along the way. That’s when I knew I was going to be in this business for the long term. ” Twenty years later, Longdale is now vice president of WoW and executive producer at developer Blizzard, and one of the millions of people who have accepted the game as a part of their lives.

For two decades, World of Warcraft has been an icon of geek culture, referenced everywhere from South Park to The Big Bang Theory to Family Guy. WoW has become a convenient abbreviation for not only a certain type of gamer, but all sorts of nerds, nerds, and silly subcultures. In the ’00s, Ozzy Osbourne, Chuck Norris, Mr. T and more promoted it along with the infamous Night Elf Mohawk. Henry Cavill, Mila Kunis and Vin Diesel are among the fans, but the 2016 film did not do particularly well, grossing $439 million. In 2021, Blizzard revealed that players have combined for nearly 9 million years of play time.

“WoW is more than just a game”…Holly Longdale at BlizzCon 2023. Photo: Robert Paul/© Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

There were certainly other role-playing games before WoW was released in 2004. However, 3D graphics was still in its infancy. Games like Star Wars Galaxies and Everquest have vast, largely barren worlds that rely on copious amounts of in-game text and clunky rules removed from tabletop games for explanation. did. Then along came Blizzard, the developer company that made a name for itself and a small fortune with great online competitive strategy games like StarCraft and Warcraft III. Unlike its competitors, WoW’s world of Azeroth felt alive, with gorgeous scenery and a huge number of animals and monsters roaming the landscape. An iconic bright yellow exclamation point will float above your non-player character’s head, letting them know that a quest awaits them. And of course, there are other players everywhere, taming beasts, slaying monsters for quests, drinking at inns, mining ore, or just passing by in high-level gear. He would see you doing things like that, and he would get jealous as you struggled to tackle the pack. A despicable Murloc.

What came to define early WoW was the social aspect of the game. The world’s tightly controlled zones encouraged players to encounter other people as they explored Azeroth. Additionally, when creating a character, players had to choose between two factions: the Alliance and the Horde, giving players an instant sense of loyalty. Whether grouping up to take on a dungeon, rallying in a band of 40 to take down a giant raid boss, or storming into an enemy capital as an army of low-level cannon fodder, every player has the power to It seems to have a story about the era of. Azeroth.

A perfect storm is brewing…World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. Photo: Blizzard Entertainment

I still romanticize my role sneaking into the Alliance capital of Stormwind with a group of low-level undead rogues. I imagined it to be a daring attack, but in the end I had to run for my life. Another time, I asked a better-equipped passerby for help in defeating a particularly formidable monster in the Night Elf Zone of Darkshore, but ended up chatting with the person for hours. . Over the next few months, I messaged that same player.

WOW was a completely simple phenomenon. Blizzard had to more than double its workforce within a year to answer player questions, resolve technical issues, and keep servers running. WoW achieved impressive subscriber numbers, which were further increased by the release of two expansion packs: The Burning Crusade in 2007 and Wrath of the Lich King in 2008.

By 2010, over 12 million players had active monthly subscriptions. Some called themselves WoWaholics. Other players find WoW to be an escape from the constraints of real life, as evidenced by Mads Steen’s moving story recently told in the Netflix documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin. Although Mads suffered from muscular dystropy until his untimely death at the age of 25, he lived a vibrant life in WoW. His parents were completely unaware of his son’s life until online friends sent them long messages from all over Europe telling them how much their son had affected their lives. Five members of Mads’ WoW guild traveled to Norway for his funeral.

Skip past newsletter promotions

But no game can stay in the spotlight forever. WOW went from strength to strength over its first six years, but as the game got older, so did the players. Ion Hazzikostas, then lead game designer, now game director put it down 2014: “If you started this game in 2004, you were a student with a lot of free time, and now you’re a career woman with a family.” Blizzard maintains existing fans while attracting new generations. It was necessary to attract. The 2010 Cataclysm expansion decided to revolutionize the game by overhauling the world with a new design philosophy suited to the faster gameplay that modern gamers were thought to demand. . This change remains controversial.

Today, exploring Azeroth is an almost unrecognizable experience compared to its early days. WoW has had several different eras. The classic WoW era lasted until Wrath of the Lich King (2004-2008). The world overhaul that characterized Cataclysm (2010) to Warlords of Draenor (2014). From Legion (2016) to Shadowlands (2020), the pivot to a long endgame grind that allows players to become infinitely more powerful. and the modern era of WoW, starting with Dragonflight (2022) and continuing through the recently launched expansion The War Within (2024). These “eras” are so distinct that it feels like the game is being reinvented every six years.

Social aspects have also changed over time. As Taliesin – one half of a couple YouTube Duo Taliesin & Evitel – says: 2004 was the era of bulletin boards, forums, and a more “underground” Internet. Today’s internet is much shorter and crisper. It’s TikTok, a social media focused on one or two megasites. What we do socially on the internet has changed, and so has WoW. ”

Anger… 2021 Protesters. Photo: David McNew/AFP/Getty Images

I often hear complaints that WoW has changed so much that it has lost its original spirit. Players were often confused about design decisions that they felt conflicted with the traditional experience. Unfortunately for Blizzard, these peaked after the launch of Shadowlands in 2020, just as the perfect storm was brewing for the company. Not only has the coronavirus upended game development, but in 2021 Blizzard was hit with a lawsuit brought by the California Department of Fair Employment, accusing it of a “frat boy” workplace culture, including sexual harassment and poor treatment of women. He was accused of encouraging.

The lawsuit had far-reaching implications for the company and the gaming industry as a whole. Several senior executives, including Blizzard President J. Allen Black, fell downand the company agreed to pay millions of dollars to address concerns of sex discrimination and pay inequality. The lawsuit ultimately helped form the first labor union at a major U.S. gaming company.

Especially within WOW, this suit brought about rapid changes in the game. Characters named after accused abusers have been renamed, and many in-game assets deemed inappropriate in light of the accusations have been replaced or tweaked, including sexual depictions of women. Many of the changes were ridiculed by the player base, prompting Blizzard to combat toxicity. Instead of “turning women into fruit bowls””.

A showdown in Azeroth…a great battle. Photo: Blizzard Entertainment

Longdale had just joined Blizzard in 2020 when the lawsuit began. “It was heartbreaking,” she says. “I’d only been here a few months, and it was really heartbreaking to see the team so devastated thinking about what the future holds.” The fallout from this already exists about the state of the game. Combined with the discomfort it caused, it could easily have been the beginning of the end for WoW. However, the game was able to hold up due to the commitment of both the WoW team and new Blizzard leadership to come back better. “What I’m really proud of is the huge increase in diversity on our team,” Longdale says. The content we create now has more “voices” and people are creating highly personal content based on their own experiences. ”

Every time WOW has been in danger of losing relevance over the years, it has reinvented itself and managed to come back. And although its cultural influence has diminished over time, the influence it has had is undeniable. Countless fantasy role-playing worlds and characters draw inspiration from WoW’s pantheon of heroes. This game is in the DNA of subsequent generations of video games that have been developed since 2004.

Today’s WoW may not evoke the same sense of wonder that early players felt in 2004 when they roamed the green hills of Stranglethorn or boarded their first ships from Kalimdor to the Eastern Kingdoms. But the fact that it’s still going on and changing is a testament to the great foundation we laid 20 years ago. And what about the future of WoW? “My goal, and the team’s goal, is that WoW is more than just a game,” Longdale says. “It’s essentially part of your lifestyle. It could be for your friends, or it could be for parents playing with their children. It’s a fascinating fantasy world that connects you with people. ”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Discover the fascinating true story of Tetris in Tetris Forever

Posted on by
Reply

Believe me when I say that I thought I knew everything about the story of Tetris. The popular puzzle game’s journey from 1980s Moscow behind the Iron Curtain to becoming a multi-million selling video game has been extensively covered in numerous articles, a fun book, and recent movies. With over 30 years of experience playing Tetris across different platforms like Game Boy, Nintendo Switch, and even VR, I didn’t expect to learn anything new when I opened Tetris Forever, an interactive documentary by Digital Eclipse that delves into the 40-year history of Tetris.

Did you know about Hattoris, the 1990 sequel to Tetris where colorful hats are stacked on top of your head? Maybe vaguely. How about Spectrum Holobyte’s quirky twist on the game called Faces…Tris III, where players try to build a human face by stacking different facial features? Surprisingly, Henk Rogers, a key figure in Tetris’ global success, revealed interesting details about his past, including his days surfing in Hawaii and forging business friendships in Japan. Tetris Forever offers a treasure trove of images and videos documenting the game’s evolution and significant moments in its history.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/zz9LaO3w2EY?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Tetris® Forever – Launch Trailer – Nintendo Switch" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

The documentary is divided into five chapters, offering a comprehensive look at Tetris’ history post its codification by Alexei Pajitnov in the early days. It includes playable versions of games, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with key players in Tetris history. Tetris Forever sheds light on the game’s complete history, unlike the surface-level coverage seen in other media adaptations.

Tetris first appeared on Electronica 60 in 1985. Photo: Digital Eclipse/Tetris Company

While Tetris Forever may cater more to hardcore gaming enthusiasts, it offers a respectful reissue of the game’s history. The playable versions included are faithful to the originals, allowing anyone to experience Tetris’ evolution. Personally, I still believe Tetris Effect remains the pinnacle of the game’s adaptations, created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, known for his synesthetic music games.

Playing the first version of Tetris on Electronica 60 computers takes me back to the game’s humble beginnings. Despite the various iterations and controversies over the years, Tetris remains a timeless classic that has endured for four decades, largely unchanged.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Donald Trump Appoints Elon Musk as Chief of Government Efficiency

Posted on by
Reply

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswami will head the newly established Department of Government Efficiency.

Despite the name, this department is not a government agency. Trump stated that Musk and Ramaswamy will operate externally, offering “advice and guidance” to the White House, collaborating with the Office of Management and Budget to implement significant structural reforms and fortify an entrepreneurial approach. He expressed that this initiative would be a disruptor to the government system.

President Trump mentioned that this duo will lead the way for his administration to streamline bureaucracy, reduce unnecessary regulations, cut wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies.



Musk pledged on his social media platform X to document all department actions online for maximum transparency. He encouraged the public to provide feedback if they believe something important is being cut or something unnecessary is being retained.

Ramaswamy acknowledged his appointment on the X show, promising to work diligently alongside Musk, symbolized by an American flag emoji.

The operational model of this organization remains unclear and may be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which defines the operations and accountability of external bodies advising the government.

As Musk and Ramaswamy are not official federal employees, they are not obligated to disclose assets, divest holdings, or adhere to ethical restrictions imposed on federal employees.

Musk advocated for the government’s efficiency division, emphasizing the acronym “Doge” and promising a comprehensive audit of the federal government’s finances and performance for fundamental reforms.

Dogecoin’s value has surged post-Election Day amid hopes of deregulation under the Trump administration, benefiting Tesla stock which has also seen a rise since the election.

President Trump expects their work to conclude by July 4, 2026, presenting a more compact and efficient government as a “gift” on the Declaration of Independence’s 250th anniversary.

Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, endorsed Trump after withdrawing from the Republican nomination race last year. He has significant experience in cost-cutting within the corporate realm.

Musk aims to slash government spending by $2 trillion, which could impact his companies such as Tesla, SpaceX, X, and Neuralink due to deregulation and policy changes.



Incorporating a government portfolio into Musk’s endeavors could bolster his companies’ market value and specialties like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies.

Analyst Daniel Ives from Wedbush Securities believes Musk will have a significant impact in the Trump administration and on federal agencies.

Critics from Public Citizen, a consumer rights organization, oppose Musk’s appointment, citing his lack of experience in government efficiency and concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

President Trump indicated that Musk, due to his numerous commitments, will not serve full-time in the role but will act as a cost-cutting advisor.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Le journal français poursuit X pour avoir prétendument distribué du contenu gratuitement

Posted on by
Reply

A number of prominent French newspapers have declared their intention to take legal action against social media platform X for freely distributing their content.

The collective lawsuit, spearheaded by Le Figaro, Les Echos, Le Parisien, Le Monde, Telerama, Courier International, Huffington Post, Malsherbes, and Nouvel Obs, accuses the platform, previously known as Twitter, of violating “neighboring rights” mandated under a European directive adopted into French law.

The newspapers and Agence France-Presse (AFP) had previously sought an emergency injunction against Company X due to a lack of negotiations.

The Paris Tribunal has granted media companies two months to provide commercial data to evaluate the revenue earned from their content by X.

In their statement, the newspapers criticized X for failing to comply with the court’s decision and showing a continued disregard for legal obligations.

France has been at the forefront of efforts to protect publishing rights and media revenues from tech giants that share and display news content without compensation.

To address this issue, the EU introduced neighboring rights to allow news media to claim compensation for the use of their content.

France’s implementation of the neighboring rights directive has made it a test case for EU regulations, with major tech companies like Google and Facebook eventually agreeing to pay French media outlets for displaying their articles in search results.

A lawyer for X argued that the social network, based on user-generated content rather than published content, is not subject to the Neighboring Rights Directive, unlike Google and Facebook.

Skip past newsletter promotions

In a controversial post last year, X commented on the AFP incident, questioning the demand for payment from them for traffic redirected to their sites where they earn ad revenue.

Attempts to reach X for comment have been made.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Elon Musk’s TechScape: Is He Planning to Terminate a Third of the US Government?

Posted on by
Reply

Hello. Welcome to TechScape. I’m Blake Montgomery, the Guardian’s US technology editor. Newsletter of the Week: Elon Musk and Donald Trump want to create a “Department of Government Efficiency,” cryptocurrencies score big wins across the board, and the modern-day equivalent of Lysistrata takes hold on TikTok. Thank you for your participation.

US President-elect Trump has expressed his desire to appoint Musk, the world’s richest man, as the country’s “cost-cutting secretary” with the goal of reducing the federal government’s bureaucracy by about a third, or $2 trillion. President Trump announced in September the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk has been endorsing the idea and actively promoting it, focusing on the agency’s acronym Doge (a nod to the popular Shiba Inu meme). President Trump stated that the agency will conduct a thorough financial and performance audit of the entire federal government to propose fundamental reforms.

In a video posted on X, Two days after the election, President Trump stated, “I am immediately reissuing my 2020 Executive Order, restoring the President’s authority to remove corrupt officials.” He aims to “eradicate the deep state,” echoing his famous catchphrase from The Apprentice: “You’re fired!” Project 2025, President Trump’s controversial blueprint for a second term, outlines how bureaucrats can be dismissed.

The billionaire appears to have no illusions about what will happen after the proposed cuts.

Mr. Musk has a proven track record of reducing corporate spending and has pledged to cut down federal payroll costs in a similar manner. He mentioned that after acquiring Company X (previously Twitter) in 2022, the company downsized its workforce by 80%. Despite preventing a $3 billion shortfall, revenue has declined significantly, and a revival seems improbable. However, as the CEO of SpaceX, he has established a reputation for launching rockets at lower costs than competitors by efficient management and negotiations with suppliers.

Considering the proposed spending cuts, the billionaire acknowledged that they would likely lead to temporary challenges, reflecting Americans’ desire for decreased expenditure. Do they advocate for austerity and federal budget cuts? Are they willing to heed advice from the world’s wealthiest person on curbing expenses?

Mr. Musk has already urged Mr. Trump to appoint SpaceX employees to key government roles. According to a report by The New York Times, the president-elect has vowed to restrict bureaucrats from transitioning to roles in regulated companies, potentially blocking SpaceX executives from federal positions. However, nepotism is not unfamiliar to the president-elect, and there seems to be no effort to avoid conflicts of interest. Mr. Musk’s involvement in the government will likely be structured to allow him to retain control of his businesses, as covered in the Financial Times.

During his first term, President Trump’s administration struggled to fill numerous government vacancies required for effective governance. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s administration admitted that it never fully recovered from the inability to appoint officials. Perhaps incorporating Mr. Musk into the equation is an attempt to avoid a repetition of such challenges. In a radical approach, Trump and Musk might simply eliminate positions for which suitable appointees cannot be found. This scenario is reminiscent of John Kennedy Toole’s novel, The Confederacy of Dunces, where a clueless protagonist attempts to clean up an organization’s mess, but only makes matters worse. It’s not far-fetched to imagine Trump and Musk following a similar path.

However, labor laws pose a significant obstacle for Musk, as Tesla remains the only major US automaker without unionized workers. The billionaire CEO intends to maintain this status quo. In contrast, federal employees benefit from strong job protections that may hinder Musk’s cost-cutting strategies. Despite his experience in managing various companies, handling public sector employees could prove challenging, as they may not be as flexible as those he is accustomed to.

Click here for more information. wonderful 4 months This has taken Elon Musk from someone who refused to endorse candidates to perhaps the most powerful figure in American politics, second only to Donald Trump. Read more about how Trump’s second term could be richer Musk.

Cryptocurrency companies poured $135 million into the US election, but what did they get for it?

Cryptocurrency companies spent $10 million attacking Katie Porter, an advocate of stricter crypto laws, in the California Senate primary. Porter lost. Photo: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Rex/Shutterstock

The cryptocurrency industry witnessed significant victories in the 48 elections where FairShake, the largest crypto pack, donated, with all industry-backed candidates emerging victorious. According to Bloomberg, over 60% of the cash contributed supported Republican candidates or opposed Democratic contenders.

The industry’s major investment was in Ohio, where Republican Bernie Moreno, backed by a cryptocurrency company with $40 million, challenged popular Democratic incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown. Mr. Brown’s advocacy for stricter regulation of digital currencies conflicted with the industry’s interests. Earlier, crypto companies spent $10 million targeting Katie Porter, a proponent of tougher crypto laws, in the California Senate primary, resulting in her defeat. Another crypto advocacy group, Protect Progress, equally invested in Senate races in Arizona and Michigan, where crypto was less contentious, but successful candidates were supportive of industry-related legislation.

Apart from the future advantages of a favorable regulatory climate, the cryptocurrency industry has reaped immediate economic gains, with Bitcoin reaching record highs exceeding $75,000.

While Fairshake did not contribute to the presidential election, it stands to benefit from the outcome, as Trump now endorses cryptocurrencies and supports the industry, reversing his initial stance. Musk has actively promoted cryptocurrencies, particularly Dogecoin, for years, even before their surge in popularity. (Harris has remained neutral towards cryptocurrencies.)

Musk is particularly interested in the removal of stock exchange chairman Gary Gensler, aligning with his priorities for cryptocurrencies.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Coinbase, the world’s second largest cryptocurrency exchange, donated $25 million to Fairshake. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong remarked that DC has received a clear message that opposition to crypto could end political careers, as he observed following the US election. The industry ranks second in political contributions after fossil fuel companies, according to consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen.

This week on iPhone

Following President Trump’s victory, American women are focusing on the 4Bs. Composite: Getty Images; TikTok; Guardian Design

I am watching dystopian coffeehouse comedy on Instagram and exploring why South Korea’s 4B movement (a modern-day version of Lysistrata) has gained popularity on TikTok. My colleague Alaina Demopoulos elaborates:

The core concept: Women vow to abstain from heterosexual marriage, dating, sex, and childbearing in protest against institutionalized misogyny and abuse. (Dubbed 4B after these four specific commitments.) Originating from online protests against revenge porn around 2018, the movement evolved into a #MeToo-inspired feminist movement in South Korea.

In light of Trump’s win, American women are contemplating the 4Bs, as highlighted by Demopoulos.

Read the full article here.

Wider TechScape

AI companies are keen to reduce red tape. Photo: Graham Robertson/Guardian

Source: www.theguardian.com

Scientists warn that Musk’s influence on Trump may result in more stringent regulations for AI technology

Posted on by
Reply

A leading scientist who has worked closely with wealthy individuals to address the dangers of AI suggests that Elon Musk’s influence over Donald Trump’s administration could result in stricter safety standards for artificial intelligence. Concerns about AI were not a prominent feature of Trump’s campaign, but Musk’s support for AI regulation in California demonstrates his ongoing worries about the issue.

Musk has repeatedly cautioned against the uncontrolled advancement of AI, warning of potentially disastrous consequences for humanity. He has advocated for a moratorium on research into powerful AI technologies, emphasizing the need for safety standards to prevent the development of artificial general intelligence that surpasses human intelligence levels.

Max Tegmark, a professor specializing in AI at MIT, believes that Musk could influence Trump to introduce regulations that hinder the advancement of artificial general intelligence. Tegmark sees Musk’s backing of AI safety measures in California as a positive step, even though the bill was ultimately vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom.

Musk’s early support for AI safety initiatives aligns with the efforts of Tegmark’s Future of Life Institute, which advocates for responsible technology use. Musk’s increasing wealth post-Trump’s presidency victory could further bolster his influence in shaping AI regulations.

While Musk has warned of a dystopian future controlled by AI, other experts argue that focusing on catastrophic scenarios may divert attention from immediate concerns like AI manipulation. President Trump’s administration aims to overturn AI safety measures introduced by the Biden administration, citing them as politically biased restrictions on AI development.

These measures include mandatory safety testing for high-risk AI systems that could jeopardize national security, economic stability, or public health and safety.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Bluesky welcomes 700,000 new members as X users leave after US election

Posted on by
Reply

Bluesky, a social media platform, saw a surge of over 700,000 new users in the week following the US election, as users sought refuge from misinformation and offensive content on another platform, X.

The company reported reaching 14.5 million users globally, up from 9 million in September, with significant growth from North America and the United Kingdom.

According to social media researcher Axel Brands, Bluesky provides an alternative to X (formerly Twitter) with better mechanisms for blocking problematic accounts and addressing harmful behavior.

Brands mentioned, “Twitter users are turning to Bluesky for a more pure social media experience, free from far-right activity, misinformation, hate speech, and bots.”

CEO Jay Graeber stated that Bluesky, initially a project within Twitter, became an independent entity in 2022.

The platform’s growth is attributed to dissatisfaction with X and its owner, Elon Musk, leading to a significant user exodus from X following their rebranding.

Bluesky reported acquiring 3 million new users after X was suspended in Brazil and another 1.2 million after a policy change by Company X.

The platform’s user base is expanding rapidly, with notable figures such as historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat finding appeal in Bluesky’s community and features.

Bluesky is currently the second-largest social networking app in Apple’s US App Store, with a recent increase in monthly active users.

Recent updates to Bluesky, including direct messaging and video features, aim to differentiate it from meta-owned competitors and offer a user-friendly experience.

Overall, the platform is experiencing a resurgence reminiscent of the early days of social media, attracting users with its vibrant and active community.

Prominent figures like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have found a home on Bluesky, highlighting the platform’s appeal as a space for real connection.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Is the PlayStation 5 Pro upgrade worth the £700 price tag from Sony? | Games

Posted on by
Reply

The PlayStation 5 Pro was announced in September, and people immediately reacted in disbelief at the £699/$699 price tag without a disc drive. Accounting for inflation, it’s the second most expensive console ever released, surpassed only by the PlayStation 3, which quickly dropped in price once it turned out no one wanted it. do a side job can afford one. This is an addition, not a replacement, to the original PS5 model. All games released so far will work on the Pro, and all future PS5 games will work on both models.

For your money, you get an upgraded GPU (graphics processing unit) that’s 45% more powerful overall than the original PS5. AI upscaling makes images more detailed. Advanced ray tracing improves lighting. Simply put, all PS5 games should look better and be faster.

My partner and I bought an extra disk drive last week to top up the 2TB of storage (additional cost is £100, but it’s currently out of stock). Context: I primarily play games on a Steam deck or Nintendo Switch, and I only see the difference between 30FPS and 60FPS. I appreciate gorgeous games – I was impressed with God of War and Ratchet and Clank on PS5 – but graphical performance isn’t that important to me. My partner, on the other hand, is a lifelong early adopter and PC gamer. very invested in his technology. This is our verdict.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/6HaRMiTfvks?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="PlayStation 5 Pro Console – Reveal Trailer" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

The idea behind this console upgrade is to eliminate any compromises. The original PS5’s graphics options let you choose fidelity and performance: how good everything looks and how fast everything moves. Fidelity provides better lighting and detail for each scene, but at a lower frame rate. Choosing Performance will give you a higher frame rate and feel smoother while playing, but it will turn off some of the flashy lighting effects and detail. PS5 Pro removes the compromises and allows you to get more detail at higher frame rates.

Whether you can actually see this difference depends a lot on your TV. For example, if you don’t have a 4K TV, this console makes no sense at all. The difference may not be as big as you might expect, as most high-end TVs now have a number of built-in effects and features that smooth out frame rates and improve the look and performance of what you’re playing. yeah. Personally, as someone who hasn’t invested in any high-end technology, I can see and feel small but noticeable differences when comparing the same games on PS5 and Pro on a 4K TV. My partner finds the contrast more obvious because his eye for these things is better trained.

This lack of compromise is what tech-minded gamers expected from this generation of consoles in the first place, so it’s nice to finally see it. Indeed, I think the ideal customer for the PS5 Pro is someone who held off on purchasing a PS5 because they felt it was a poor upgrade from their PS4. Most people aren’t likely to play PS5 exclusive games like Spider-Man 2 or Horizon Forbidden West again just because they look a little better on the upgraded console. However, even if you’ve never played these games in the first place, you can now enjoy them at their best.




Sony’s attractive hardware design continues with PlayStation 5 Pro Photo provided by: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Speaking of gaming at its best, the console has a feature called PS5 Pro Game Boost that also boosts all 8,500+ backwards-compatible PlayStation 4 games. Some of PS4’s best games have already been remastered specifically for PS5, such as The Last of Us Parts I and II and Horizon Zero Dawn, but many games have yet to be remastered., has benefited greatly from this upgrade. The difference here is obvious to everyone.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Sony typically releases these upgraded consoles right after the midpoint of the PlayStation’s lifespan, so you can assume that you’ll get three to four years of use out of the PS5 Pro before the PlayStation 6 arrives. As for whether it’s worth the money? If you already have a really good TV, like to use the latest technology, and haven’t played all the PS5 games worth playing yet, like my partner, You will be satisfied. It’s more of a convenience than a necessity. If you, like me, are hesitant about paying this much for a gaming console, rest assured you’re not missing out on much.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Bitcoin reaches new all-time high of over $82,000 thanks to “Trump Pump”

Posted on by
Reply

Bitcoin prices surged above $82,000 for the first time as traders speculated on Donald Trump’s potential support for the cryptocurrency upon his return to the White House.

Bitcoin hit a record high of $82,413 before dipping by approximately 2.8% to around $82,000 on Monday. The price has more than doubled from about $37,000 a year ago.

While Trump had previously criticized Bitcoin, he appeared to shift his stance during the US presidential campaign, engaging with the crypto community and attending industry events. This shift raised hopes of relaxed regulations for individual investors looking to enter the cryptocurrency market, although specific policies have not been announced by President Trump.

Following Trump’s anticipated victory, Trump trading has impacted global markets with a strengthening of the dollar as investors await significant government spending in the US.

In China, investors brace for increased tariffs as Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 1.5% on Monday in response to what some view as an insufficient reaction to China’s recent stimulus measures.

Despite China’s debt exchange programs worth approximately 10 trillion yuan (£1.1 trillion), Deutsche Bank economists note a lack of direct fiscal stimulus or housing enhancements, leading to market disappointment.

The values of alternative cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Dogecoin have also risen in the wake of the election. Dogecoin, previously supported by Elon Musk, saw a significant increase in value, fueling further interest in digital assets.

Trump’s open support for his family’s cryptocurrency venture and potential deregulation of digital assets could raise concerns over conflicts of interest. Nevertheless, there is growing interest in cryptocurrencies as an alternative to traditional banking systems.

Efforts to deregulate digital assets may expose Trump to criticism over potential conflicts of interest, particularly concerning his family’s cryptocurrency venture. His son, Donald Trump Jr., has advocated for cryptocurrencies as a conservative-friendly alternative to traditional banking systems.

In anticipation of potential policy changes, publicly traded crypto companies like Coinbase and MicroStrategy have seen significant increases in their stock prices.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Market analysts suggest that Bitcoin price fluctuations are closely linked to the prevailing market sentiment, including investors’ reactions to political developments like the election results and potential policy changes under a new administration.

As Bitcoin’s price surge continues, interest in cryptocurrencies is on the rise. Online searches for “Bitcoin” have reached their highest levels in months, indicating growing curiosity and market activity in the digital asset space.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Can AI Take Over the Role of Translators? | Book

Posted on by
Reply

aAs anyone who has pointed their phone’s camera at a foreign menu recently knows, machine translation has come a long way since the early days of Google Translate. While the usefulness of AI-assisted translation in such situations is unquestionable, the proposed use of AI in literary translation is even more controversial.

Dutch publisher Veen Bosch & Keuning has announced that it will use AI translation for commercial novels, promising that no books will be translated this way without careful checks and that consent from authors is required. This infuriated both authors and translators, despite their attempts to reassure them.

“Translators don’t just translate words; we build bridges between cultures, taking into account the target audience every step of the way,” says Lukas Reinfeldt in The Discomfort of Evening. says Michelle Hutchison, winner of the 2020 International Booker Prize for translation. “We sneak in subtle hints that help readers understand particular cultural elements and traditions. We convey rhythm, poetry, wordplay, and metaphor. Even in novels, for example, agricultural Accurately study mechanical terminology.


Translators and authors also point out that AI translations require very careful checking and editing, ideally by someone who knows both languages. At that point, the person may end up translating the text themselves. Cultural sensitivity is of particular concern, as AI is known to produce grossly inappropriate material.

“Last year, a reader pointed out some problems with the French version of my book,” says Juno Dawson, author of the “On Her Majesty’s Royal Society” series. “The translators were using slightly outdated words to describe transgender people. They were able to change the terminology before publication. It’s these nuances that the AI misses. I think AI-generated content will require strict editing anyway.”

However, there are some scenarios where machine translation could possibly help creators of cultural works. For example, for writers working in minority languages whose work currently has no translations into English or other languages, AI-assisted translation could help them reach a wider audience. And in video games, localization can be one of the biggest costs for small independent developers, especially those whose first language isn’t English. AI translation of in-game text could theoretically help developers reach a wider audience and help players who speak minority languages enjoy their games more. But there are obvious limitations here as well.

Dr. Jack Ratcliffe is the designer and CEO of Noun Town, a mixed reality language learning game where players roam around a virtual city and converse with locals in one of 40 supported languages. “If you’re playing a simple game where you see text and you press left, right and A to jump, you could probably machine translate it and suddenly it becomes much more accessible to a lot of people in different languages.” he says. “However, if there are nuances like characters having a conversation with each other, and you want to convey that as a game creator… using AI can be scary.”




“If there is any nuance… using AI will be scary”…Screenshot from mixed reality language learning game Noun Town. Photo: Noun Street

Noun Town has approximately 50,000 lines of dialogue, all of which is translated by humans, voice-acted, and checked by language teachers. Ratcliffe said the studio experimented with AI translation and found that using it in languages ​​other than English produced significantly worse results.

“What we found in our tests is that into the Nothing is perfect when it comes to AI, but English is actually fine,” he says. “These large language models have learned a lot of English. When you get into other languages, especially less popular ones, the languages ​​become more and more and more confusing.”

Skip past newsletter promotions

Therefore, game developers who create games with lots of words and dialogue are considering the high cost of localization and probably care as much about the meanings and nuances of those words as book authors do. I’m sure there are.

There is a clear difference between practicality and technology when it comes to how people feel about AI translation. Few would argue against using AI like a dictionary to identify meaning. But translators do more than that, of course. Dawson says: “These writers are artists in their own right.”

“I started adding lines to my translations that said, ‘Created by hand, without the use of generative AI,’” Hutchison says. “As translators, given the current threat to our existence, we need to be vocal about what our work is now. It’s not just about typing.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Elon Musk could become wealthier under Trump’s potential second term: ‘There will be some retribution’, says Elon Musk

Posted on by
Reply

DDonald Trump’s resounding victory in the 2024 presidential election can be largely attributed to the unwavering support of the richest man in the world. Elon Musk, in the leading months to the election, fully embraced the MAGA movement, stood up for Trump on a significant podcast, and utilized his influence through X to shape political conversations. A staggering amount of around $120 million was injected into the former president’s campaign by Musk. Now, Trump is expressing his gratitude, mentioning that he intends to appoint Mr. Musk as the “cost reduction secretary.” Musk humorously suggested his interest in leading the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) to slash government spending by $2 trillion. This move could potentially impact Musk’s companies like Tesla, SpaceX, X, and Neuralink directly through deregulation and policy alterations.

Experts foresee a reciprocal relationship where the Trump administration might ease regulations and redirect federal resources in a manner that favors Musk. This transparent and transactional exchange sets a unique precedent in recent U.S. political history, as noted by Gita Johar, a professor at Columbia Business School. The possibility of quid pro quo benefits for Musk has raised concerns about conflicts of interest.

President Trump: “Bad for electric cars, good for Elon”

Although President Trump has been vocal in his criticism of electric vehicles, Tesla’s fortunes surged under his administration. Tesla’s stock price soared by 13% to reach a 52-week high following the announcement of Trump’s endorsement by the Associated Press. This bolstered Musk’s personal wealth by $26 billion, despite Trump’s public skepticism towards environmentally friendly cars and his plans to revoke Biden’s electric vehicle-related mandates.

However, Trump’s stance on EVs softened after Musk extended his support to him, displaying a shift in policy alignment. The potential reduction in tax credits for EV buyers under the Trump administration could adversely affect emerging EV startups and traditional automakers but benefit Tesla, which heavily relies on these incentives.

President Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and son Barron give their victory speech on Tuesday night. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush, highlights Tesla’s advantageous position due to its scale and scope in the EV market, which could provide a competitive edge amidst changing regulatory landscapes. However, the potential implications of Trump’s tariffs on Tesla’s supply chain from China pose significant challenges, especially concerning the production costs and materials sourcing for Tesla’s vehicles.

The Trump administration’s policies could reshape the environment for Musk’s autonomous vehicle ambitions, namely Tesla’s self-driving car rollout, by potentially streamlining regulations and federal approval processes. This could accelerate Tesla’s progress in catching up with more advanced competitors in the autonomous vehicle space.

SpaceX, Musk’s private space company, stands to benefit substantially from potential government partnerships under the Trump administration. Musk’s alignment with Trump could strengthen SpaceX’s position in securing space contracts, especially with the intensifying competition from other space ventures. The relationship between Musk and Trump could pave the way for SpaceX to capitalize on government contracts for projects like Starlink deployment and Mars missions.

Furthermore, Musk’s engagement with the Trump administration could influence policies favoring SpaceX’s interests, such as with regards to space exploration and satellite internet services. Republican-led initiatives may open doors for SpaceX to expand its services like Starlink, offering new opportunities for government collaboration and funding.

Musk’s push for Mars colonization aligns with Trump’s vision of space exploration and could lead to lucrative government contracts for SpaceX in the realm of interplanetary missions. The collaboration between Musk and Trump on space ventures could mark a new era of space exploration and government partnerships.

Preparing the ground for Musk’s self-driving cars

Musk’s involvement in shaping regulations for self-driving cars, particularly Tesla’s autonomous vehicles, could greatly impact the future of transportation. Trump’s administration may play a pivotal role in streamlining regulations and approval processes for advanced autonomous vehicles, potentially benefiting Tesla’s efforts in the space of self-driving technology.

Experts highlight the importance of regulatory decisions under the Trump administration that could influence Tesla’s autonomous vehicle roadmap, as well as the broader implications for the transportation industry.

Aside from Tesla and SpaceX, Trump’s presidency could affect other Musk-owned ventures like Neuralink and X. Regulatory changes under the Trump administration, particularly at the FDA, could potentially reduce oversight on Neuralink’s brain-computer interface experiments and X’s operations.

Despite concerns about conflicts of interest, Musk’s influence in the Trump administration could shape policies in ways that benefit his businesses. The dynamics of this relationship raise ethical questions about the intersection of business interests and governance in the political landscape.

“The conflict of interest seems pretty strange.”

Elon Musk’s expanding role in American politics and the Trump administration poses unique challenges and opportunities. Musk’s deep pockets and close ties to Trump signal a shift in the traditional power dynamics of politics and business. The potential conflicts of interest inherent in Musk’s involvement in policy decisions underscore the need for greater transparency and accountability in government and corporate relations.

The uncertain future of Musk and Trump’s alliance raises questions about the ethical implications of such relationships and the broader impact on governance and public trust. As Musk continues to navigate the political landscape, his influence and actions will undoubtedly shape the future of technology, business, and politics.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Elwood Edwards, famously known as the voice behind AOL’s “You’ve got mail” greeting, passes away at 74 years old

Posted on by
Reply

Elwood Edwards, the iconic voice behind AOL’s famous “You’ve got mail” greeting, passed away at the age of 74.

Edwards died at his residence in New Bern, North Carolina, on Tuesday, following complications from a stroke last year, as confirmed by his daughter Heather.

In 1989, Edwards recorded the greetings for AOL in his living room. The phrase “You’ve got mail” became widely recognized in the late 1990s, even inspiring a movie starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in 1998.

Elwood Edwards. Photo: Social Media

“He always blushed when people mentioned it,” shared his daughter. “He enjoyed the attention but never quite got used to it.”

Apart from “You’ve got mail,” Edwards also lent his voice to AOL’s “Welcome,” “Goodbye,” and “File Completed” messages, earning $200 for the recordings.

He landed the gig while his wife Karen, who worked at AOL as a customer service rep, heard about the voiceover opportunity and recommended him for the job.

Despite being unseen by most, Edwards’ voice resonated with millions daily. “For a while, America Online [AOL] kept me a secret, turning me into a bit of a mystery figure. But it’s out now, that’s that,” Edwards stated in 1999.

He made a memorable appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2015, delighting the audience by delivering his famous phrase, and even made a guest voice appearance on The Simpsons in 2000.

Before his AOL fame, Edwards worked in radio and later transitioned to television. His daughter fondly recalled his self-deprecating humor and cheerful demeanor.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Transitioning to TV, Edwards worked as a “graphics guru, camera operator, and all-around talent” at WKYC-TV in Cleveland, where he also did voice-over work for commercials in addition to freelancing for radio.

He is survived by his daughter Sally, granddaughter Abby, and brother Bill. The family plans to hold a memorial service in New Bern on Monday.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Resisting the Push for “Smart” Devices in My Home: A Tech Journalist’s Battle by Victoria Turk

Posted on by
Reply

TThis is one of the battles my husband and I have been fighting ever since we started living together. It’s about whether or not you want to include “smart” appliances in your home. An avid gadget fan, he happily connected all his household items to the internet so he could control them from his mobile phone. As a jaded technology journalist, I’m far too paranoid to have data-hungry surveillance machines around me.

So when I saw a recent article about a seemingly innocuous tool that apparently requires a little too much data, I felt somewhat vindicated. Consumer group “Which one?’ The company found that three of the air fryers it tested were connected to a phone app that requested permission to record audio. This is unlikely to be an important feature for an object whose sole purpose is to cook food. The device also wanted to know the exact location of the user.

To me, there’s no need to connect your air fryer, refrigerator, washing machine, or toaster to the internet, but I can see some merit to the concept. The main advantage of smart home appliances is that they can be controlled remotely. So you can finish a big load of laundry as soon as you get home from work, or check for missing groceries while you’re at the supermarket. However, many of these devices and the apps connected to them collect high levels of personal information with little transparency, despite regulations limiting the data they process.

All smart appliances need to collect some data in order to perform their promised functions. For example, voice activation services require audio access (obviously, some people want to talk to their light switches). However, devices often request more permissions than they actually need or use. Which are the most items? Reviewed also includes smart TVs, speakers, and watches
Connected to a third party tracker Data from your device can be monitored and used for various purposes such as marketing and advertising.

Many of us have a general feeling that technology is collecting more personal data than we are comfortable with. There’s a popular conspiracy theory that social media apps are spying on our private conversations, serving us ads, and secretly using our phones’ microphones to pick up on our consumer desires. I was talking to a friend about the tools I needed for a DIY project when I suddenly came across something. An ad for a power drill appears on your social feed.




“Consumer groups, which one?’ We found that the three air fryers we tested were connected to a phone app that requested permission to record audio.” Photo: Grace Carey/Getty Images

But if that sounds reassuring, all it really shows is that advertisers aren’t. need To listen to your private chatter in order to provide you with advertisements that are relevant to points that you find intrusive. They already have enough other data about you. And now it turns out that the innocent-looking appliance you bought to make dinner doesn’t respect personal boundaries either.

The problem is not just the possibility of eavesdropping. Smart devices can monitor us in all kinds of ways. A smart doorbell might monitor your coming and going from your home, and a fitness watch might track your location at all times. Even seemingly innocuous data collection can reveal more information than you expected. Robot vacuum cleaner can map and share the floor plan of your home. Connected sex toys can reveal your bedroom habits. Running the app could reveal the location of secret military bases. This also creates the possibility of abuse. Domestic abusers used
Smart doorbell, thermostat And even more
kids toys To stalk, surveil, and gaslight their victims.

As more and more things become “smart”, it becomes difficult to resist. My husband managed to sneak a color-changing light bulb into the house with an app, but I drew the line at Ring doorbell. I felt it was excessive to equip the door furniture with eyes and ears.

But in reality, you don’t have to completely avoid smart appliances just to protect your privacy. Despite my groaning, I actually like technology. We all want to use smart devices that make our lives easier without giving up a lot of personal data. In theory, regulations already cover this.
GDPR status What companies must do
be transparent about the data they collect, and
Limit data collection to what you need. But what is “required” is open to interpretation, and even if companies are honest about how they use data, how many people read the fine print when they’re just trying to set up an air fryer? Is it?

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator, plans to issue new guidance specifically for smart device manufacturers in spring 2025. Workshops with citizen juries earlier this year found that more people are learning about how smart devices handle personal information. They stopped trusting them. “The overwhelming feeling among participants was that IoT [Internet of Things] Products collect excessive and often unnecessary amounts of personal information.”
said
report We have prepared for the ICO.

This report includes a clearer privacy policy with bullet points and larger text, audio or visual signals that indicate a smart device is collecting information, and data not only during setup but also periodically over the life of the product. Some common sense solutions have been proposed, including collection reminders. Specific and prominent controls to opt-in or opt-out of having your personal data used for advertising.

It’s not exactly rocket science. The problem is that regulations are only effective if they are enforced. Editor, Harry Rose;
point out
to companies operating from other countries.

In the meantime, it might be a good time to check your phone’s settings to see what each app linked to your appliance can access. Or join the ranks of grumpy Luddites like me and think about how smart your kitchen appliances need to be.

Source: www.theguardian.com

5 Positive Impacts of Science on the World: A Source of Hope | World News

Posted on by
Reply

Stem cell transplant could reverse diabetes

ian sample

There are around 500 million people worldwide living with diabetes. This condition, characterized by elevated blood sugar levels, can lead to various health complications such as periodontal disease, nerve damage, kidney disease, blindness, amputation, heart attack, stroke, and cancer if not managed properly.

Current treatments for diabetes include medications, insulin, and lifestyle changes. However, a new approach involving stem cell transplants shows promise in reversing the disease. The first successful treatment of a woman with type 1 diabetes using stem cells from her own body was recently reported. Previously dependent on significant insulin doses, she is now able to produce insulin naturally.

Similarly, a 59-year-old man with type 2 diabetes was able to reduce his reliance on insulin after a stem cell transplant in April. Although there are still challenges in scaling up this treatment, the initial results have been impressive.

Cancer vaccine

ian sample

Following the success of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19, scientists are now exploring the use of similar technology to develop cancer vaccines. These vaccines aim to train the immune system to target and destroy cancer cells by producing specific proteins.

Clinical trials for personalized mRNA cancer vaccines have shown promise in melanoma and other types of cancer. These vaccines may have long-lasting effects and could potentially prevent cancer recurrence in high-risk individuals.

AI helps detect cancer faster

robert booth

Artificial intelligence is being increasingly used to improve the early detection of serious illnesses such as lung cancer and brain tumors. This technology has shown to enhance diagnostic accuracy and efficiency, leading to better outcomes for patients.

hannah devlin

The James Webb Space Telescope has provided stunning images of the universe, shedding light on the origins of stars, black holes, and the evolution of the cosmos. This powerful telescope opens up new possibilities for scientific discoveries and understanding the mysteries of the universe.

Renewable energy accelerates

Gillian Ambrose

The world is witnessing a rapid shift towards renewable energy sources. Projects utilizing renewable energy are expected to expand at a much faster pace, surpassing previous growth rates. This transition is crucial in reducing reliance on fossil fuels and combating climate change.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Elon Musk unexpectedly joins Trump and Zelensky phone call, reports say

Posted on by
Reply

Elon Musk made a surprise appearance on a phone call between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, during which he was appointed as Ukraine’s most influential private citizen in January as Tesla’s CEO. The role was confirmed.

Musk was reportedly on the call with Trump for approximately 25 minutes. Axios first reported the call. Trump handed the phone to Musk, and Musk briefly spoke with Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy thanked Musk for providing satellites to Ukraine through Starlink, as reported by AFP. Musk mentioned he would continue providing satellite internet connectivity.

Although Musk supported Trump’s campaign, his stance on issues related to Russia’s conflict with Ukraine has been mixed. Initially, Musk offered Ukraine free internet access through Starlink satellites, but later received funding from various organizations, including the U.S. government.

Zelenskiy’s call with Trump provided reassurance for the Ukrainian president. Trump assured Zelenskiy of continued support without going into specifics. Zelenskiy praised Trump and his team for their successful campaign in a statement.

Musk’s actions towards aiding Ukraine have been ambiguous at times. Following an emergency request from Ukraine to launch a satellite over Crimea, Musk refused, stating he wanted to avoid escalating conflict and war through Starlink’s parent company, SpaceX.

In a tweet, Musk presented a peace plan that some experts deemed pro-Kremlin. Zelenskiy responded by polling followers on whether they preferred Russia or Musk, who has been supportive of Ukraine.

Recent reports from the Wall Street Journal indicate Musk has been in communication with Vladimir Putin since 2022. The content of their discussions remains unknown, but Starlink was reportedly discussed in one instance, with Putin requesting Musk not activate Starlink over Taiwan as a favor to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Musk responded to a post on I can’t.

I had a great call with the president. @realDonaldTrump and congratulated him on his historic landslide victory. His incredible campaign made this result possible. I praised his family and team for their great work.

We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our bilateral relations.

— Volodymyr Zelensky / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 6, 2024


Source: www.theguardian.com

Dating Costs: Exploring the Price of Love and Who Foots the Bill

Posted on by
Reply

Being vulnerable, open, and risking rejection come with a price when putting yourself out there. Today, that price can be substantial.

Beyond just the cost of drinks and dinner, you may have already invested hundreds of pounds in a dating site to secure a date before even starting the awkward dance of who foots the bill.

How much does the app cost?

While some dating services are free, many now offer attractive add-ons for a small fee to help you find more compatible connections, get noticed faster, and get more dates. We’ve looked into what the main ones offer.

crater




Tinder is free, but you can upgrade to a paid version “to enhance your Tinder experience,” according to the website.
Photo: Martin Bülow/AFP/Getty Images

Tinder is free, but you can upgrade to a paid version for an enhanced experience, with prices starting at £7 per month and going up to around £50 according to their press team.

There are three subscription tiers (Plus, Gold, and Platinum) offered at varying prices. Plus options range from £4.99 to £19.94 per month in 2021, gold ranges from £13.99 to £29.49, and platinum from £18.14 to £36.49.

Different users may be charged different prices based on factors like age, as revealed by a survey by a consumer group “Which?”.

hinge

The free version of Hinge allows eight likes and messages to matches per day. Two paid subscriptions promise double the dates.

Hinge+ costs £14.99 per week, £24.99 per month, £49.99 for three months, and £74.99 for six months.

HingeX costs £24.99 per week, £44.99 per month, £89.99 for three months, and £129.99 for six months.




With Gold membership, it takes an average of 3 months to find a partner and leave Muzz.
Photo: Mikhailo Polenok/Alamy

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of the new Apple MacBook Pro M4: Improved speed, performance, and affordability.

Posted on by
Reply

Apple’s 2024 upgraded MacBook Pro ended the year on a high, with a significant power boost from the M4 chip, twice the memory than standard, longer battery life, and a lower price.

The Guardian’s journalism is independent. If you buy something through an affiliate link, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

Prices for the long-running laptop range start from £1,599 (€1,899/$1,599/AU$2,499), which is around £100 cheaper than last year’s M3 model. While it’s still an expensive, premium laptop, it does come with at least 16GB of RAM instead of the 8GB on previous models, which is worth paying extra for an upgrade.

The appearance has not changed from its predecessor. The body is still a solid, premium-looking aluminum shell that looks great in either gray or black. Although it’s not ultra-thin, its 14.2-inch size means it won’t feel cramped in your bag, making it perfect for working on the go.

This laptop has a premium look, feel, and feel for the price, and is available in black or gray aluminum. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The screen is still the star of the show. Super bright and crisp mini LED display with 120Hz refresh rate to keep things running smoothly. It’s noticeably brighter than many rivals for general tasks, and truly shines with HDR content. Apple is currently selling a special nano-textured display option for an additional £150, which significantly reduces glare when working in bright light or outdoors, if needed.

The on-screen webcam saw a very welcome upgrade to a 12MP Stage Center camera, similar to the one used on most iPads from 2021 onwards. It automatically pans and scans to stay in the frame. This is a killer feature for anyone who lives their life online. Work video calls. There’s a novel.”desk view” option uses an ultra-wide lens to view the space in front of your laptop and allows you to demonstrate it remotely. Although the built-in camera doesn’t provide a very clear view, it’s easier to use your iPhone as a secondary camera with various accessories.

The camera doesn’t yet support Apple’s Face ID system for iPhones and iPads. That’s a shame, even though the Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the power button works well.

Specifications

  • Screen: 14.2 inch Mini LED (3024×1964; 254 ppi) ProMotion (120Hz)
  • Processor: Apple M4, Pro, or Max
  • Ram: 16, 24, 32, or up to 128GB
  • Storage: 512GB, 1, 2, 4, or 8TB SSD
  • Operating System: macOS 15.1 Sequoia
  • Camera: 12MP center stage
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, 3x Thunderbolt 4/USB 4, HDMI 2.1, SD card, headphones
  • Size: 221.2×312.6×15.5mm
  • Weight: 1.55kg

All 14-inch MacBook Pro models have three USB-C ports that allow you to connect to two external monitors at the same time. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The big upgrade under the hood is the addition of Apple’s latest M4 series chip, first seen in the iPad Pro M4 earlier this year. The base 14-inch MacBook Pro comes with a 10-core version of the M4 chip and 16 GB of RAM (double the previous model), which is a welcome upgrade.

The M4 chip is up to 25% faster across the board than the traditional M3 chip, and up to 1.8x faster than the original M1 chip, making it extremely fast indeed. It feels very fast in everyday use, launching apps and processing data noticeably faster than a MacBook Pro with a 2021 or newer M1 Pro chip.

This laptop has best-in-class battery life, lasting around 21 hours of light browsing and regular usage with many tabs open in Chrome, a word processor, and various small utilities, note-taking and messaging apps can manage approximately 18 hours of work. light photo editing affinity photo. It also has a long battery life on standby, draining only about 1% overnight when closed.

For many use cases, the M4 chip is sufficient. However, if you’re looking to render 3D objects, crunch numbers, or write code, the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips are available, which add more high-performance processing and graphics cores. thunderbolt 5 Connectivity.

The base model M4 laptop has an additional Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 port compared to the previous model, allowing you to drive two external monitors and a laptop display simultaneously.

Sustainability

The Space Black color looks just as great as the high-end version of its predecessor and is now available on all MacBook Pro M4 models. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

MacBook Pro is made with 35% recycled materials, including aluminum, copper, gold, plastic, rare earth elements, steel, and tin. In its report, Apple provides a detailed analysis of the impact computers have on the environment.

The laptop is generally repairable, and Apple makes its repair manual available. The battery life is as follows: Over 1,000 full charge cycles and can Apple will replace it for £245. The company offers trade-in and free recycling programs, including for non-Apple products.

macOS Sequoia and the First Apple Intelligence

MacOS 15.1 now enables iPhone Mirroring, Siri input, AI Cleanup for Photos, and several other Apple Intelligence features. Composition: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

MacBook Pro runs the latest version of macOS Sequoia 15.1, which comes with a variety of new Messages and other features that are compatible with iOS 18.1. It features a very useful new window tiling system that snaps windows to the side or full screen when you drag them to the edge of your display, similar to the feature in Windows 11.

After newsletter promotion

It has iPhone mirroring allows you to wirelessly view a virtual representation of your iPhone on your Mac and control it with your mouse and keyboard, including using apps. A selection of notifications from your phone will appear in your Mac’s Notification Center. This is useful for certain services that only have a phone app.

But the new features that are getting the most attention are the first few features of Apple Intelligence. These include the same AI writing tools you’d find on your iPhone or iPad that can proofread, rewrite, and summarize text. Since they are built directly into the operating system, they are easier and faster to use than third-party options, but I have only found them useful a few times.

You can now type and talk with the new Siri. This works very well on Mac. Double-tapping the command button brings up a text box, which is more socially acceptable in an office or coffee shop than asking a question aloud. However, Siri’s capabilities are still far behind rivals such as Google’s Gemini.

Other small AI tools are scattered around various apps. The Photos app now has natural language search and a new AI cleanup tool to remove unwanted objects. Mail and Messages apps have AI smart replies and conversation summaries that stack and summarize notifications from all your apps for quick analysis.

I don’t think any of these tools are killer features for your Mac, but some of them can be useful in a pinch, and when they’re not, they usually don’t get in the way.

Price

Prices for the 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 start at £1,599 (€1,899/$1,599/AU$2,499). The M4 Pro model is priced from £1,999 (€2,399/$1,999/AU$3,299), while the M4 Max starts at £3,199 (€3,799/$3,199/AU$4,999).

For comparison, the MacBook Air M3 starts at £1,099, the iPad Pro M4 costs £999, the comparable Dell XPS 14 costs around £1,400, the Razer Blade 14 costs £2,150, and Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio 2 is priced at £1,090. £2,069.

Verdict

The MacBook Pro M4 shows that small improvements across the board can slowly add up to bigger results. It may not look all that different from last year’s M3 model, but it has significant speed and battery life upgrades that make a big difference in day-to-day operation when compared to a machine that’s just three years old.

14-inch laptops are still the best in terms of screen size and portability, thanks to Apple’s best-in-class keyboard, trackpad, and great display.

Finally having a good Center Stage camera on the MacBook Pro is a very welcome upgrade, even without Face ID. An additional USB-C port, double the boot memory, and the faster M4 chip also make this boot model even more appealing.

It’s still an expensive laptop, but it’s on par as a premium workstation that can be used at full speed away from a power socket and has a very long battery life, unless you specifically need Windows 11. There is no.

Strong Points: The M4 chip is faster, has more power options, a minimum of 16 GB RAM, very long battery life, a great miniLED ProMotion screen, a great center stage camera, plenty of ports and SD card slots, great speakers, It has Touch ID, a great keyboard and trackpad.

Cons: No Face ID, no USB-A, RAM or SSD cannot be upgraded after purchase, is expensive, and not a big upgrade on the M3 model.

Touch ID on the power button is a great feature, but it’s Apple’s best-in-class keyboard and trackpad that make working with your MacBook Pro a joy. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Source: www.theguardian.com

League of Legends finals: A showcase of unmatched talent and pure joy captured in a button push

Posted on by
Reply

GGiven the influx of bad news from the gaming industry over the past 10 months, it’s no surprise that this weekend, sitting in a crowd of 20,000 happy and passionate fans, the biggest event on the esports calendar, The League Being able to watch the Of Legends World Championship was somewhat reassuring. Finals. The event, held at London’s O2 Arena, was the culmination of a five-week global competition to discover the world’s best teams. Having never been to one before, I had no idea what to expect, mainly because the finals are usually held in Asia, where the best players usually gather. Can we track what’s going on? Would you care? The answers to these questions were “fairly well” and “well, yeah.”


For the uninitiated, League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena game (Moba for short) in which two teams of five players choose a warrior from a pool of 170 warriors to destroy their opponent’s home base. Fight to control the fantasy-themed map. . The arena is divided into three lanes, with an area known as the jungle in the middle, and similar to traditional team sports, each team member patrols their own specific section. Adding to the complexity is the fact that every champion character has unique skills, weapons, and magical attacks, and throughout the game you must defeat monsters and dragons to earn experience points that make you more powerful. Masu. It’s both a deep strategy game and a tremendous riot of stomping warriors, galloping horsemen, and hovering wizards.

This year’s final was between experienced Korean team T1 and Chinese newcomer team Bilibili Gaming (abbreviated as BLG). The latter had gained momentum by defeating local rival Weibo Gaming in the semi-finals, but T1 was the firm favorite to win the tournament having already won four times. They were almost eliminated from the competition early on, but they seem to have a habit of getting back into it the moment everyone quits. At the arena, I managed to get a seat next to James Lynch of the esports news site dexerto volunteer to tell me about the action. He describes T1 as the League of Legends equivalent of the 1974 Netherlands World Cup team. Free-spirited, unconventional, and full of neurotic genius. Lee “Faker” Sang-hyuk is widely considered to be the greatest player in league history, and at the center of it all is the master Johan Cruyff. “His movements are very strange and unpredictable,” Lynch says. “It’s very difficult to kill him.”




South Korea’s T1 team celebrates their victory over China’s Bilibili Gaming in the League of Legends world finals. Photo: Benjamin Kremer/AFP/Getty Images

Before the finals begin, there will be a 10-minute mini-concert featuring American rappers Ashnikko and Linkin Park, complete with fireworks, giant LED displays and incredible art direction from dozens of dancers. The whole thing has the feel of a major sporting event mixed with live K-Pop, a riot of color, passion, and performing arts. In the hours leading up to the finals, fans flocked to the venue to purchase original merchandise, meet friends from the community and, of course, dress up as their favorite League of Legends characters.

It turns out I was extremely lucky that this was my debut watching League of Legends. It’s an exciting encounter. Once the showdown begins, the best-of-five format is pushed to its limits, with the two teams taking turns killing each other for the first four games. Throughout the finals, Faker is a formidable playmaker, continually jumping into skirmishes, taking out opponents, and managing to escape with only a millimeter of health left. In the arena, 10 young players can be seen competing on a giant screen suspended above the stage. These displays draw us in rather than taking us out of the game. The crowd of mostly 20 fans loudly applauds the smart move and chants as their team gains the upper hand.

The showdown was a deliberate affair, with warriors gingerly roaming the map, poking and prodding at each other. Eventually, the whole thing explodes into a massive clash, making the battle between the Bastards look like a mini-brawl outside a kebab shop.




During the battle between Bilibili Gaming and T1. Photo: Benjamin Kremer/AFP/Getty Images

T1 was victorious, but it was also a victory for the entire concept of esports. The scene has struggled to live up to its 2010s hype, at least financially. At the time, the team’s overestimated global value attracted large investors and sponsors, which led to a bloated team organization and soaring salaries for star players. Last year saw many organizations, events, and tournaments shut down, including Activision Blizzard’s much-hyped Overwatch League. But this weekend’s event drew a peak audience of 6.94 million viewers, most of whom watched from home on streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube, setting a new record for esports.

It’s easy to think of video games as an industry rather than a culture that brings joy to people. Sometimes it’s more than just sales or viewership, it’s about sitting in an arena with 20,000 adoring fans. Outside the O2 Megaplex, I spoke to Morgan, an attendee perfectly dressed as Aphelios (or, more accurately, in his Heartsteel costume). He explained the appeal as follows: But he’s very friendly. Also, there are so many different communities in the league, and it’s great to see them come together and bond over something they have in common and one thing they’re really passionate about. That’s what’s really beautiful about this work.

Source: www.theguardian.com

At 36, I’ve rekindled my love for Pokemon cards – but this time on my phone | Pokemon

Posted on by
Reply

aEvery New York Millennial — and any parent — will be familiar with Pokemon cards, a mainstay of newsagent hustling since the turn of the century. The shiny metallic plastic packaging contains trading cards decorated with creatures of varying rarity, from the humble Squirtle to the special edition illustrated Snorlax. There have been several attempts to bring these expensive illustrated cards (and the fighting games you can play with them) to smartphones, but until now all was poorly received. The Pokémon trading card game Pocket, released last week, is the best game yet. That really hooked me.

Here, for the first time since the release of the Pokémon Trading Card Game on the Game Boy Color in 1998, we have a decent virtual version of the incredibly popular card game. This is good news because it's very funny, but it's also bad news Because it's alarmingly convincing. I've been playing for at least a few hours every day this week, but I'm starting to run out of things to do. I probably won't let my kids play with it. Because if I was left this helpless by the appearance of a glowing Charizard, the children would definitely have no hope.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/2rNXBt4go_g?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is Available Now!" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

Just like real cards, the appeal of this game revolves around the slim chance that a particular pack might contain an ultra-rare card. Tapping on a booster pack decorated with Mewtwo, Pikachu, or Charizard will reveal a shiny, shiny packet in a glittering carousel that you can select and open with a swipe of your finger. The virtual cards are beautifully rendered. The good news is that if you flip the pack before opening it, the cards will appear from the back to the front, prolonging that brief moment of suspense until you find out what the cards are. When you tilt the screen, rare items will sparkle. As I discovered this morning, when you get a really rare card, you get an entire mini-movie animation of the scene depicted on that card.

The game gives you one free booster pack every 12 hours. The £7.99 per month subscription gets you another daily pack, allowing you to play battles and earn more for money, but only up to a certain point. The Pokemon trading card game Pocket is not evil. It doesn't force you to pay for your time. A limit on the number of packs that can be opened each day is an effective brake on the randomized reward aspect of the game's dopamine mining.

Skip past newsletter promotions

The illustrated cards are the most beautiful and most coveted versions of each creature. Photo provided by: Pokemon Co., Ltd.

On the other hand, if you want to deploy cards in battle, you can do it as many times as you like for free. This is not a simulation of collecting real Pokemon cards, but rather a simulation of fighting Pokemon cards, which surprisingly few children actually collect. The rules for these battles are exactly the same as in real card games, but simplified. Build a deck of 20 cards of different Pokémon and useful item cards, such as potions to heal damage or Poke Balls to collect creatures from your deck. Every turn, you can generate energy and attach it to your Pokemon to increase their attack power. A good deck consists of one or two very powerful Pokémon and a small phalanx of other creatures and cards that complement their abilities. The important thing is that do not have It's about who has the rarest and flashiest Pokemon cards. If you think carefully, you can make great strategic decks from relatively common cards.

After a few fights, I quickly felt how my deck worked and made small adjustments between each match. While not as good (or deep) as the actual card game, this quickfire version is much better suited to play on your phone. It's still engaging and moderately challenging, especially when playing against other human players, but it's also intuitive. what? do not have All the different currencies and items you can earn in these battles are intuitive. I spent more time figuring out what they would be used for than worrying about deck composition. Every time you reach a small collection or combat milestone, you are always rewarded with gold, sparkling dust, tickets, and hourglasses.

This is the worst thing about the free-to-play Pokemon trading card game Pocket. But overall it doesn't feel overly manipulative, and certainly no more manipulative than the actual cards. everytime It costs money. I dread to think how much my family has spent on them over the years. The amount of things you can do without opening your wallet isn't as generous as Pokémon Go, but for me monetization doesn't get in the way of fun. Despite this, it looks like he's already earned a pretty impressive $24 million.

The 226 cards currently on offer are cleverly oriented towards the peak of early 2000s Pokémon millennial nostalgia. The trading card game Pocket has a lot of appeal for those of us who are part of the first generation of Pokémaniacs. Similar to Pokémon Go, the options expand over time, so I think you'll eventually get tired of it. For now, I'm enjoying this luxury every day.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Facebook requests U.S. Supreme Court to drop fraud lawsuit regarding Cambridge Analytica scandal

Posted on by
Reply

The U.S. Supreme Court discussed Meta’s Facebook’s attempt to dismiss a federal securities fraud lawsuit brought by shareholders. The lawsuit accuses the social media platform of deceiving users about its misuse of user data.

The Supreme Court heard arguments in Facebook’s appeal against a lower court’s decision allowing a 2018 class action lawsuit by Amalgamated Bank to move forward. The lawsuit aims to recover lost value of investors’ Facebook stock. Another lawsuit filed this month involves Nvidia, where litigants accuse the company of securities fraud, potentially making accountability more challenging.

The key issue is whether Facebook broke the law by not disclosing previous data breaches in its risk disclosures, portraying the risks as hypothetical.

Facebook argued in its brief to the Supreme Court that reasonable investors would see risk disclosures as forward-looking statements, eliminating the need to disclose previous risks that materialized.

Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Samuel Alito raised questions during the hearing, asserting that risk assessment is always forward-looking.

The plaintiffs accused Facebook of violating the Securities Exchange Act by misleading investors about a 2015 data breach involving Cambridge Analytica. The case was initially dismissed, but the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated it.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal led to various investigations and legal actions against Facebook. The Supreme Court is expected to reach a decision by June.

Despite the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, there are differing views on how investors interpret forward-looking risk disclosures.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Facebook’s stock price dropped after reports in 2018 regarding the misuse of user data by Cambridge Analytica in connection with President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Tom Rosenthal engages in conversation with unfamiliar individuals on a park bench | Podcast

Posted on by
Reply

Nobody wants to hear about men making comebacks right now, especially when it doesn’t involve Frank Skinner.

Skinner left Absolute Radio’s breakfast show in March after 15 years, stating, “I’m not going to pretend I got it.” Despite Absolute’s initial plans for more podcast series, they never materialized.

Skinner recently launched a twice-weekly podcast with Dean and Novelly, achieving the number two spot on Apple’s comedy podcast chart. He’s also relaunching his poetry podcasts, sans “Absolute,” showcasing podcasting’s embrace of diverse voices.

On a different scale, “Strangers on a Bench” offers lo-fi conversations with random individuals on public benches, covering various intriguing stories.

Alexi Duggins
TV Deputy Editor-in-Chief

This week’s picks

Unfit for Service explores what it means to be gay and in the U.S. military. Photo: dts News Agency Germany/REX/Shutterstock

Check out these podcast picks for a variety of engaging content this week.

sunshine place
Listen to Valerie’s harrowing experience in a drug rehabilitation program in the ’80s, along with other compelling stories.

unfit for service
Discover the struggles of Randy Taylor, a gay man serving in the U.S. military during the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ era.

bunny trap
Explore the dark reality behind the glamour of a ‘Playboy photographer’ in this eye-opening series.

cotton club murder case
Dive into the dramatic mystery surrounding a Hollywood murder case in this gripping podcast.

strangers on the bench
Experience raw and honest conversations with strangers in this captivating series.

There’s a podcast for that

Courtney Love is unsurprisingly outspoken about her “60 Songs That Describe the ’90s.” Photo: Mick Hutson/Redferns

Explore the best ’90s podcasts and delve into the nostalgia of the decade through music and football.

60 songs that describe the 90s
Discover iconic ’90s songs and interviews with music legends in this engaging podcast.

Hurry up Kevin.
Delve into ’90s football nostalgia with insightful discussions on the game and its cultural impact.

Popular: 1990s
Explore the fashion and style of the ’90s through discussions with industry insiders and iconic figures.

Head on: Surviving Y2K
Learn about the Y2K hysteria and its impact on society in this riveting podcast series.

Why not try it…

  • screen rotComedians break down the weirdest aspects of social media in this entertaining show.

  • Explore the multi-billion-dollar cocaine industry in The Times’ investigative podcast; cocaine company.

  • shrink boxJoin TV characters in psychotherapy sessions in this unique podcast.

Source: www.theguardian.com

AI Chatbot is Launched in UK Government to Assist Business Users – Results Are Mixed

Posted on by
Reply

Even though he knows a bit of Welsh and building regulations, he refrains from comparing Rishi Sunak to Keir Starmer or delving into the complexities of the UK corporation tax system. The UK government is introducing an artificial intelligence chatbot to assist businesses in navigating through a maze of 700,000 pages on the UK government website. Users can expect a range of outcomes from this new tool.

This experimental system will be initially tested with up to 15,000 business users and is expected to be widely available next year. However, users are cautioned about the limitations of AI tools like this one, which can sometimes provide false information with confidence. It is advised to cross-check the website link provided with each answer, which will be delivered within approximately 7 seconds. In a trial run in February, Paul Willmott, director of the Government’s Central Digital Data Agency, told reporters that there was a need for improvements to address hallucinations that may arise.

During a test run with reporters, it was observed that the chatbot, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o technology, displayed discrepancies in responses, including jumbled web links and short answers. The chatbot provided information on regulations for cannabis farmers but refrained from making predictions on cannabis legalization in the UK. It answered queries on building cladding regulations post-Grenfell Tower fire but steered clear of discussing the public inquiry findings on government failures.

On one occasion, the chatbot responded briefly in Welsh and avoided answering questions about the corporate tax system. However, it did offer information on incentives for installing solar panels. The chatbot’s training currently lacks coverage of all UK government documents, like ministerial speeches and press releases.

To ensure safe interactions, “guardrails” have been implemented to prevent the chatbot from providing illegal answers, divulging sensitive financial details, or taking political stances. Despite efforts to safeguard against hackers manipulating the chatbot, there remains a residual risk that cannot be completely eliminated.

Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science and Technology, expressed the government’s commitment to leveraging AI for enhancing public services in a secure manner. The aim is for the UK government to set an example in driving innovation and efficiency in public sector operations.

He emphasized the importance of streamlining government processes to save people time, noting that the average UK adult spends significant time dealing with public sector bureaucracy annually. Through initiatives like the UK Government Chat, the government is exploring innovative technologies to simplify interactions and improve efficiency.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Elon Musk files lawsuit over $1 per day election donation | Elon Musk

Posted on by
Reply

Elon Musk is facing a proposed class action lawsuit from registered voters who participated in a sweepstakes by signing a constitutional petition, hoping to win a month’s worth of donations each day. However, the lawsuit now alleges fraud.


According to a complaint filed by Arizona resident Jacqueline McCafferty in federal court, Musk and his organization, America Pac, allegedly misled voters into signing petitions under the pretense of a random selection process, when in fact, winners were chosen by members of the pack. Musk’s lawyer admitted that the sweepstakes results were not random, with the winner being pre-selected.

During a court hearing in Pennsylvania, Musk’s attorney Chris Gober stated, “The recipient of the $1 million was not chosen by chance. We know exactly who will be announced today and tomorrow as the recipients of $1 million.” Musk also mentioned at a campaign rally that the winners would be randomly selected.

McCafferty further claimed that the defendants used Musk’s social media platform “X” to gather personal information such as names, addresses, and phone numbers for potential profit. Representatives for Musk and McCafferty did not immediately respond to the allegations in the complaint.

The lawsuit was filed after a Philadelphia judge denied a request to stop the giveaway, which was deemed an illegal lottery by District Attorney Larry Krasner. The ruling was largely symbolic, as Musk had no plans for additional funding post the U.S. presidential election.

Musk, the world’s richest man, distributed gifts to voters in seven battleground states who supported free speech and gun rights through signed petitions. The lawsuit filed on Tuesday seeks at least $5 million in damages for all petition signatories.

During his presidential campaign against Kamala Harris, Musk backed Donald Trump and donated over $100 million through America Pac.

Read more of the Guardian’s 2024 US election coverage

Skip past newsletter promotions

Source: www.theguardian.com