The Royal Society is facing pressure to remove technology mogul Elon Musk from its membership due to concerns about his behavior.
As reported by The Guardian, Musk, known for owning the social media platform X, was elected to the British Academy of Sciences in 2018. Some view him as a contemporary innovator comparable to Brunel for his contributions to the aerospace and electric vehicle sectors.
Musk, a co-founder of SpaceX and the CEO of Tesla, has been commended for advancing reusable rocket technology and promoting sustainable energy sources.
Nevertheless, concerns have been raised by several Royal Society fellows regarding Musk’s membership status, citing his provocative comments, particularly following recent riots in the UK.
Critics fear that Musk’s statements could tarnish the reputation of his companies. In response to inquiries, Musk’s companies, including X, provided comments.
Musk’s social media posts during the unrest were widely condemned, with Downing Street rebuking his remarks about civil war and false claims about UK authorities.
The concerns around potentially revoking Musk’s membership focus on his ability to promote his beliefs responsibly and not on his personal views.
The Royal Society’s Code of Conduct emphasizes that fellowship entails upholding certain standards of behavior, even in personal communications, to safeguard the organization’s reputation.
The Code stipulates that breaching conduct rules may result in disciplinary measures, such as temporary or permanent suspension. Specific procedures are outlined if misconduct allegations are raised against a Fellow or Foreign Member.
Expelling a member from the Royal Society is rare, with no records of such action in over a century. Previous controversies included a dean resigning over remarks about teaching creationism in schools.
A Royal Society spokesperson assured that any concerns regarding individual Fellows would be handled confidentially.
IIt’s no exaggeration to say that the video game industry is currently undergoing a period of alarming turmoil: studios are closing, development budgets are exploding, and lucrative genres are becoming saturated with a host of entirely interchangeable big-budget contenders.
Into this uneasy market comes Sony’s new 5v5 “hero” shooter, Concord, a subgenre of multiplayer online blasters in which players control characters with elaborate special abilities rather than generic special forces soldiers or space marines. Set in a war-torn galaxy ruled by a dictatorial government called the Guild, the game puts players in control of a variety of freelance gunners, mercenaries who roam the space lanes in search of work and throw one-liners at each other in the game’s highly polished cutscenes. In-game, though, they do fight.
Heroism…Concord. Photo: Sony Interactive Entertainment
All the standard characters from hero shooters are there: regular soldiers, floating witches, teleporting weirdos, sassy tanks, etc., but they don’t have the instant appeal of Overwatch’s denizens D.Va and Mei. But they bring a lot of variety to the combat zone. Lark is a weird mushroom alien who plants spores to slow enemies and heal allies. Kipps is a stealthy assassin who can reveal enemy locations to his team. A chunky robotic one-off throws exploding trash cans. I like the innate flexibility of these skills and how they can be combined between characters. The submachine gun-toting Duchess can throw up a defensive barrier, which is useful as cover, but can also be used to block objective points for the enemy team or lure enemy soldiers into an ambush. Davers can bombard an area with a napalm-like substance called Burnite, which can be ignited by other players’ incendiary bombs, doubling its effect.
The 12 launch maps are mostly super-colourful takes on the sci-fi industrial spaces we’ve come to expect from Quake: Spine Works and Sorting Hub are labyrinthine complexes, all interconnected steel corridors, shipping containers and box-like warehouse choke points; Water Hazard is an abandoned oil rig with the remains of a giant sea monster lying on top like a nightmarish, Lovecraftian sushi plate; and my favourite is Train Trouble, a post-apocalyptic railroad graveyard where Mad Max meets Tatooine.
Lovecraft Sushi… Concord. Photo: Sony Interactive Entertainment
The crux of the matter is the excitement and tension of every moment of team-based combat, and Concord really does fly at times. There’s a bit of Destiny floatiness to movement that works brilliantly on this very vertical map, with players making full use of their double jump to make combat truly three-dimensional. The guns feel great; from shotguns to laser pistols, every weapon is solid and easy to read, and the audio and visual feedback perfectly communicates each weapon’s unique capabilities. There are sublime moments when the whole team comes together and all their abilities combine in unexpected ways to create an explosive, euphoric shooter experience that rivals the best moments in Overwatch.
But the big question at this point is whether the game is enough to draw players away from Activision’s games, or Valorant, or Apex Legends, or any of the others. It’s beautifully made, but most of it is painfully familiar, not just in character types and anime-esque visual aesthetics, but in structure as well. The game modes are all the standard types: team deathmatch, one where you have to capture three objective zones, one where there’s only one zone but it’s always moving, one where you have to pick up tokens from fallen enemies to score a kill, etc. This is what we’ve been playing since Doom. Meanwhile, the dialogue and humor are the same post-Whedon, cynical aloof approach that Marvel and Netflix YA dramas have been forcing on us for a decade. Oh, I miss the dark, anarchic satire and anarchic teammate-slaughtering mayhem of Helldiver 2.
The most interesting thing about Concord is the “meta” of the game, that is, the strategic part outside the main action. The game introduces some deck-building elements, where players must organize their own crew of characters. Each character has slight differences in their normal abilities. These characters all have their own buffs, called crew bonuses, which slightly boost the health, armor, or firepower of your team every time you play in a match. These buffs accumulate throughout the battle. So, if you’re playing in an organized team, you can work together to build a strong statistical advantage, just like having a good hand in Hearthstone. It’s an interesting idea, but in the chaos of a public server, where only a small percentage of participants play as part of an organized team, it’s unclear whether it will work.
Perhaps the bravest thing about Concorde is that it’s a premium-priced product rather than a “live service” free-to-play — meaning all subsequent content will be free rather than the run-of-the-mill season pass model — and it’s also unashamedly and vociferously pro-diversity, which will likely anger players who are increasingly jaded by modern online games. Should Frankly, it pisses me off because this small group of misanthropic, gatekeeping blabbermouths are ruining the fun for everyone else.
Ultimately, Concord needs time, space, and a healthy community to gain an advantage over its older, wiser competitors. Right now, players are getting a feel for the place, but the game is choppy and unfocused, yet at times surprisingly fun. Its attitude, detail, and elaborate backstory (explorable in a visual encyclopedia undoubtedly inspired by The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) give it the feeling of being something the development team really cares about, and if it’s not taken off life support by publisher funding anytime soon, it has a chance of finding an audience that feels the same way.
ohBut out in the desert, the skies begin to darken. You are here to hunt Dosha-gama – fearsome, scaly, lion-like, squashed-faced beasts that roam the dunes in small herds. But a looming storm suggests something much bigger is approaching. Soon, a giant shadow descends from the heavens: Lei Dau, a horned, gold-trimmed dragon who wields lightning. Are you strong enough to face it? Or is it time to flee to the hills?
Monster Hunter is one of Capcom’s most successful game series, but it wasn’t always that way. When I started playing it on the PlayStation Portable in 2006, very few people were interested. It was notoriously cumbersome, demanding, and difficult, and online play didn’t work well. On the other hand, when I moved to Japan in 2008, it was hard not to see someone playing Monster Hunter on the train or in a cafe. It was 2018’s Monster Hunter: World that really made the game a global hit. Technology finally allowed for vast natural settings worthy of gigantic, intimidating, and highly realistic monsters, and smooth online play became a reality.
Watch the trailer for Monster Hunter Wild
“It was a challenge to bring the series to a global level that hadn’t been there before,” recalls Ryozo Tsujimoto, who worked as a designer on the original Monster Hunter, which was released in Japan and North America in 2004, and has led the series ever since.
“In order to make it a global hit, there are some things we haven’t done before… It may not be so visible to players, but compared to the past, we are in much closer communication with our Western offices and staff around the world, so we’re in a much better position than before to listen to player feedback and reactions to the game and decide how to approach the next title.”
Today marks the first day of Gamescom, the Cologne trade show that is currently the biggest event on the video game calendar. This year, I wasn't among the 300,000 or so spectators that flocked to Germany, but I did watch the two-hour livestreamed Opening Night broadcast yesterday. But don't worry if you didn't: here we bring you all the most interesting news, organized by theme, because we're tired of writing simple lists of games and trailers.
Frustrating news Xbox The biggest fanboy A new trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a new first-person adventure from Bethesda and MachineGames, has been released. In it, long-time video game actor Troy Baker looks charmingly excited about playing Indiana Jones. The game will be released on Xbox and PC on December 9th, but it was also announced that it will be released on PlayStation 5 in spring 2025. Earlier this year, Xbox head Phil Spencer said that Indiana Jones will be do not have It's planned to be a multi-platform game, so I'm interested to see how it unfolds.
An unexpected comeback Borderlands 4 is due to be released in 2025, and the trailer revealed very little – perhaps developer Gearbox was trying to capitalize on the anticipation of this month's film, but unfortunately, it wasn't very good.
Master of Albion. Photo: IGN
Peter Molyneux has released a new game, ” Master of Albionhas been kept very quiet (probably unsurprising as some of its recent games have been high-profile flops and the latest, Legacy, is Web3/blockchain and has gone very quiet after making £40m in NFTs in 2021). It's a mash-up of Molyneux's biggest god-game hits: Fable, Black & White, and Dungeon Keeper. By day, you build a town, design food, weapons, and armor to feed and equip your townsfolk, and generally play the role of a god. By night, you possess your warrior subjects and wield clubs to defend your town from fantasy creatures.
Ten years on from the first game, Monument Valley 3 is coming from Ustwo and Netflix, featuring the usual Escher-esque puzzles and mesmerizing colors. It'll be released on December 10th, and the previous two games will also be re-released on Netflix.
And the long-running Mafia series will see a new installment from Brighton-based Hangar 13, Mafia: The Old Country.
A debut game from a nervous developer Glowmade's multiplayer Rick and Morty-style cartoonish gameshow coliseum game, King of Meat, lets players create fearsome gauntlets that other players can challenge, much like a cartoonish Takeshi's Castle, and there was also Lynked: Banner of the Spark, a new cooperative action-adventure game that reminds me a bit of Hi-Fi Rush, from the new studio FuzzyBot, in which you kill evil robots and rescue cute ones to fuse with your arm for fighting powers.
Zombies and men with guns
Dying Light: The Beast. Photo: Techland
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has been shown off again ahead of its October launch, revealing one entire level of its single-player campaign, an overwhelmingly silly Cold War action-adventure. (Your character's analog camera is treated with the dignity of a gun, right down to the elaborate reload animations.) Techland is adding a new zombie game to its Dying Light series, The Beast, promising another 20 hours of open-world undead parkour action. There'll be even more zombies to shoot in the upcoming eight-player co-op survival game No More Room in Hell 2. And co-op survival shooter Arc Raiders, previously announced as a free game, will be released in 2025, and do not have You can play freely.
Most delayed TV shows Netflix's 100-player Squid Game was the show's most obvious video game tie-in, and I'm surprised it took this long. It's a selection of Fall Guys-esque cartoonish, sadistic challenges that look like a lot of fun.
Meanwhile, Deadpool director Tim Miller breathlessly teased his company Blur's new Amazon Prime TV series, The Secret Level, an anthology similar to Love, Death + Robots (also a Blur production) and described as a love letter to video games, due for release in December.
game I don't understand it, but it'll probably sell millions of copies.
Dune Awakening has received a tremendous response. Photo: Funcom
Billed as “the coziest open-world game ever,” Infinity Nikki seems like a completely baffling game, featuring pink-haired anime girls and a bunch of weird, cute singing creatures that look like adorable Noah's Ark. I'm not sure what to make of it.
And the upcoming Dune MMO, Dune: Awakening, in which hundreds of players explore the desert planet Arrakis and compete for abandoned technology and spice resources, drew a big response at the event.
For tasteful horror fans The trailer for Tarsier's upcoming Little Nightmares game looks very promising: a complex, intimate side-scrolling horror game. It's called ReanimalMeanwhile, Little Nightmares itself has been handed over to new developer Supermassive, a company with a long history in horror, and a trailer for it has now been released, maintaining the Tim Burton-esque toy-like atmosphere of the first two games.
game It looked especially cool
Majestic…Monster Hunter Wild. Photo: Capcom
With its menacingly majestic creatures, harsh weather, and expensive-looking production, Monster Hunter Wilds is a fantastic piece of work. I'm a long-time fan of the series and can't wait for this new game. Keep an eye out for an interview with the developer on the site soon.
There was an extended preview of Civilization VII, the latest attempt to capture the entire chaos of human history on a computer monitor.
meanwhile, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage The film depicts four kids in the summer of 1995, playing music in their garage and discussing their hopes for the future. But things don't always go as they hoped.
Finally, I note Shepherding the FlockDue for release in 2025, the game has a gentle Last Guardian vibe to it, as a young boy herds giant horned beasts through mountainous terrain.
A turn-based military tactics game…Tactical Breach Wizards. Photo: Suspicious developments
I was looking forward to Tactical Breakthrough Wizard For years, this game has been the third in the Defenestration Trilogy, a series of indie games about fun ways to throw enemies out of windows. It's made by the unfairly fun and talented developer Tom Francis. (Disclosure: I've known Tom since he was a games journalist.) In this turn-based, destructive military tactics game, you play a group of misfit wizards who make up for their uselessness as humans with some very useful abilities, like seeing a second into the future and raising the dead.
Our reviewer, Rick Lane, was totally enthralled by the game, writing, “Its blend of inventive, flexible puzzles and wickedly entertaining writing should be enough to warrant active play on anyone's console. But what qualifies it for the Bureau of Special Arcane Arts is how boldly it critiques the murky morality of military-themed games.”
Based on satellite analysis, it has been found that the construction of Tesla’s megafactory near Berlin resulted in the cutting down of approximately 500,000 trees.
The establishment of the German plant has sparked significant controversy, leading to widespread protests and discussions regarding the trade-offs associated with developing a green economy.
Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla, criticized local police for allowing “left-wing protesters” to escape.
Satellite imagery reveals that 329 hectares (813 acres) of forest were cleared at the site between March 2020 and May 2023, as reported by environmental information company Queiroz. This amounts to around 500,000 trees.
Since May, environmental activists have been protesting the expansion plans of the Gigafactory, occupying treehouses at a nearby campsite and attempting to storm the plant. In March, one group set fire to a utility pole, resulting in the halting of production at the plant for several days.
Germany: Police clash with hundreds of climate protesters trying to storm Tesla factory – VIDEO
Karolina Dujewo from the campaign alliance “Turn off the tap at Tesla” emphasized that the analysis points to the detrimental impact of the company’s electric car production on the local and global environment. She stressed the urgency to prevent increased deforestation and further environmental destruction in one of the driest regions in Germany, which also puts protected drinking water areas at risk.
Tesla did not provide a response to the request for comment.
Antoine Haruf, chief analyst at Queiroz, stated, “The Tesla factory in Germany has resulted in the loss of a substantial number of trees, which must be balanced against the advantages of transitioning from internal combustion vehicles to electric vehicles.” He highlighted that the felled trees equate to about 13,000 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to annual emissions from 2,800 people driving average internal combustion engine vehicles. Haruf emphasized the importance of acknowledging and mitigating these trade-offs.
In July, Tesla announced plans to double annual production to 1 million units at the Gigafactory in Germany, following approval from the Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment.
Numerous environmental accidents have occurred at the facility, which also manufactures millions of battery cells and has experienced incidents like leaks and spills of diesel fuel, paint, and aluminum.
While Tesla initially did not respond, they later stated that several accidents occurred on the factory premises during construction and operation, but no environmental harm was caused, and corrective measures were swiftly implemented when necessary.
Deforestation monitoring is conducted by Kayrros using publicly available optical imagery from the Sentinel-2 satellite with a resolution of 10 meters. This data is automatically processed and reviewed by remote sensing experts to ensure quality.
Queiroz mentioned the development of deforestation detection tools to assist companies in compliance with the upcoming EU Deforestation Regulation, which aims to prohibit the import of deforestation-linked goods by early 2025. The tool can also be utilized to independently oversee forests utilized as carbon offsets in voluntary carbon markets.
IIf there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m really into drugs. I read Empire of Pain by Patrick Raddon Keefe earlier this year, which has long been on my “to-read” pile, and found its story of the rise and growth of the Sackler drug dynasty to be truly horrifying (although isn’t artist turned oxycodone campaigner Nan Goldin a total hero?).
Naturally, I script This week, I’m writing about the new Atlantic miniseries, Brain Drugs and the Stories to Tell Them. It’s sensitively done, but all of this stuff is scary. The story of two brothers who are treated for the same heroin addiction but end up living very different lives will stay with me for a while. As with Dan Taberski’s recent series, Hystericalis about a group of girls who simultaneously develop a Tourette’s syndrome-like condition, but while it features real people battling an incredibly difficult illness, we’re also never far from bigger questions about how we think about mental health and the self.
Read on for this week’s picks, from con man dads to gritty Paralympic shows, plus five podcasts we recommend for fans of classic film, from old Hollywood hits to the history of Hammer horror.
Hannah J. Davis Newsletter Deputy Editor
This week’s picks
Michael Jordan and Gary Binder. Photo: Public Relations
#1 Dad Widely available, all episodes available now Comedian Gary Vidor hasn’t spoken to his con man father in 24 years. As a child, his dad made him pose as a young journalist to sneak into Michael Jordan’s locker room (above) and help him photocopy dollar bills to earn money for his school lunches. In this wild journey, Gary tries to track down his dad, find out if he’s still the same fake accent, court-waging man he always was, and hope it doesn’t tear his family apart.Alexi Duggins
Fraud Clinic Widely available, with weekly episodes Nick Stapleton, presenter of BBC One’s Bafta award-winning show Scam Interceptors, tries his hand at helping members of the public in this investigative show. The opening double feature features a startling interview with the man alleged to be the mastermind behind a £100,000 theft, and he’s just so keen to have a fun conversation about podcasting equipment that it’s mind-blowing to listen to. advertisement
Head Number 7 Widely available, with weekly episodes You’d think that if you were to donate your body for scientific research, Harvard Medical School would manage it. So when families found out that parts of their loved ones’ bodies had been sold and misplaced, it became a horrific scandal. Now, DNA expert Dr. Tuli King is asking where the bodies went, starting with the NYPD officer’s noticeably large head. Hannah Verdier
Don’t drink milk Widely available, with weekly episodes Sex, drugs and turf are promised in the second series of this series which explores the unexpected backstories of familiar things. Reality TV and the missionary position will make an appearance, but first Rachel Stewart heads to Scotland to put an entertaining spin on witch hunting and investigate the history of misogynistic medieval conspiracies. HV
Rising Phoenix: What does it take? Widely available, with weekly episodes It’s a cliché to say anything Paralympic-related is inspiring, but this podcast, full of courage and humour, is just that: armless archer Matt Stutzman and fellow medallist Michael Johnson interview athletes including Kadeena Cox, who talks about her determination to return to sport after suffering a stroke and being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 23. HV
There is a podcast
Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot, explored in detail on the Unspooled podcast. Photo: United Artists/All Star
this week, Graham Virtue Pick the top 5 A podcast for classic film fansFrom highlights of the Hammer Horror catalogue to series re-evaluating films like Some Like It Hot.
Keep this in mind Meticulously written and narrated by film historian Karina Longworth, recent seasons of this riveting show charted the rise and fall of the erotic thriller of the 1980s and 1990s. But YMRT became an early big hit with Longworth’s immersive dive into Hollywood’s Golden Age, unravelling rumors surrounding doomed starlets and spotlighting the sins of amoral moguls. To mark its 10th anniversary earlier this year, the “lost” first episode, long in limbo due to music licensing issues, was remastered and re-released. An insightful profile of Vertigo star Kim Novak will have you revisiting her lavish 200-plus-movie back catalogue. Hammer House Most profiles of the British film studio Hammer focus on its golden age of illuminating, badly received horror films from the mid-1950s through the 1970s. But the biweekly podcast The House of Hammer has been patiently working its way through the studio’s filmography chronologically since 1934, applying detailed context and affectionate irony to forgotten films like the nylon-smuggling crime drama River Patrol (1948). Between hosts Sev Moore, Ben Taylorson, Adam Roche, and a first-person voice, Smokey, the overall atmosphere is laid-back and welcoming. But things have certainly heated up over the past year, as the show has tackled such foundational Hammer texts as The Quatermass Experiment (1955), The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), and Christopher Lee’s immortal Dracula (1958).
Rewound Are there any so-called classic films that should be left out? When the slickly produced Unspooled first launched in 2018, film critic Amy Nicholson and actor/writer/comedian Paul Scheer aimed to take a fresh look at the prestigious Motion Picture Association of America’s 2007 Top 100 Movies list. Two years later, the affable but studious hosts have removed 60 titles from the original ranking and added new ones in an attempt to formulate a more representative selection of films (intended to be launched into space to educate and entertain passing aliens). But it’s worth scrolling through Unspooled’s extensive list of episodes, all the way back to the early days when the pair debated the value of hallowed titles like Ben-Hur, The African Queen, and Some Like It Hot.
movie theatre Consciously or not, many podcasts about classic movies try to evoke the decadent cocktail-and-cigarette spirit of Old Hollywood, often using seductive sound mixes to help you forget the decades that have passed. The Movie Palace is more down to earth, but what it lacks in sonic flourishes it more than makes up for in thoughtful discussion. In each episode, Dr. Carl Sweeney invites a knowledgeable guest to discuss a notable film, from influential noir to fraught westerns. The result is a concise, accessible primer on classic cinema. Hitchcock appears repeatedly throughout the show’s 130-plus episodes, particularly in a comprehensive eight-part miniseries analyzing Psycho.
The conspiracy deepens Not all film podcasts have a direct connection to Hollywood’s Golden Age, but US network Turner Classic Movies’ The Plot Six is hosted by Ben Mankiewicz, the grandson of Citizen Kane screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, the subject of David Fincher’s 2020 biopic Mank. Previous seasons of The Plot Six have delved into the careers of Peter Bogdanovich (a director obsessed with Hollywood’s past) and righteous blaxploitation powerhouse Pam Grier. But the current episode, Unlocking the Mystery of John Ford, seeks to assess the notoriously difficult but Oscar-winning king of 20th-century filmmaking, with the help of previously unreleased interviews with co-stars such as John Wayne, Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart.
Give it a try…
after schoolOur newsletter for the general public, Decoding Gen Z, “ ,” will be delivered in podcast form.
Frank Skinner and Faye Ripley star in Radio 4 workplace comedy Good People.
Google’s latest flagship phone is a significant advancement, focusing on battery life, camera quality, and intelligent features. It represents a new era of Android devices that can run Google’s Gemini AI system along with a next-generation conversational voice assistant.
Priced starting at £1,099 ($1,099/AU$1,849), the Pixel 9 Pro XL is Google’s largest phone offering. This year, a smaller 9 Pro model with identical specifications and cameras is also available for £999 ($999/AU$1,699). The XL variant caters to users who prefer a large screen and extended battery life.
Featuring a bold design with a noticeable camera bar reminiscent of Google’s Nest Doorbell, the Pixel 9 Pro XL stands out visually. Its aluminum body with flat edges bears similarities to Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL boasts a large, vibrant 6.8-inch screen, ideal for multimedia consumption and outdoor use. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
Equipped with Google’s Tensor G4 chip, the Pixel offers faster browsing and app launching compared to its predecessor. The phone efficiently handles games and apps, leveraging AI enhancements to boost performance.
Notably, the Pixel 9 Pro XL delivers extended battery life, lasting up to 52 hours under mixed usage conditions, setting it apart from competitors in the market.
The ultrasonic fingerprint scanner on the Pixel 9 Pro XL offers enhanced speed and accuracy, providing a seamless user experience. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
circleWhen Aleksandar Matkovic initially received a life-threatening message, he believed it was a prank. The message, sent to his Telegram account just after midnight on August 14, stated, “We’re going to chase you until you disappear, you bastard,”.
“Initially, I brushed it off as a joke, but then the next morning I received another message: ‘How’s the fight against Rio Tinto going?’ It came from an unfamiliar profile, and the app indicated the sender was only 500 meters away,” recounted Matkovic, a prominent activist involved in protests against proposed lithium mines in Serbia. “Keep away,” he added.
While in Split visiting a friend, Matkovic, who resides in Belgrade, felt as though he was being followed, especially given the recent mass protests against Rio Tinto’s plan to construct a $2.4 billion lithium mine in Serbia’s Jadar Valley.
“I scanned the area and thought, ‘What is happening?’ It was unsettling, contemplating the possibility of someone tailing me, so I reached out to my lawyer. Soon thereafter, I received a third, more menacing message,” he shared.
The third message, written in German, stated: “We are aware of your ties to the leaders of the uprising. It all commenced with you. Even if you commit a heinous act and vanish, we will hunt you down. However, you won’t be able to turn to the authorities for help, because you know it’s futile. Rest assured, if you value your life and freedom, stay out of the public eye for some time. Conduct yourself impeccably on social media. Understand that you must fear for your safety and that of your sibling.”
Following this, Matkovic reported the threat to Belgrade police, who are presently investigating the matter based on the threat and related documents seen by the Guardian.
This rapidly evolving situation is intricate and carries repercussions beyond the Belgrade prosecutor’s office.
The opposition to the lithium mine in Serbia has evolved into a focal point for societal discontent, uniting ultranationalists, environmentalists, leftists, and individuals concerned about economic ties with the West and the domestic environment. Groundwater contamination is a pressing issue.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic recently issued a warning, accentuating the reported plotting of a “color revolution” by the opposition in the Balkans.
Serbia, a former Yugoslav republic, boasts substantial lithium reserves crucial for electric vehicle batteries. The EU has committed to banning a minimum of 10% of critical minerals, including lithium, from European mining operations by 2030.
Julia Poliscanova, director of vehicles and supply chains at the think tank Transport and Environment, emphasized the necessity of lithium for European transport electrification. She stressed the importance of sourcing lithium sustainably and responsibly to support Europe’s transition towards electric mobility.
In response to the threats against Matkovic, Rio Tinto denounced violence, affirming, “Rio Tinto vehemently condemns any direct or implicit threats of violence, whether online or in person, against individuals engaged in discussions regarding the Jadar project.”
Rio Tinto employees have faced online threats and intimidation during local protests, highlighted a company spokesperson.
To safeguard himself and his family following multiple distressing emails, Matkovic has taken precautions, including seeking refuge at various European embassies in Belgrade. Additionally, he intends to request intervention from the UN Special Rapporteur on environmental activists.
“Since August 14th, my life has been a precarious blend of normalcy and turmoil,” Matkovic reflected. “How does this fit into our strategy for combating climate change? What does the green transition we aspire to entail if it necessitates violence?”
Recently, ChildLine counselors have been receiving an alarming number of calls regarding a specific issue.
In one case, a 17-year-old boy reached out for help after being blackmailed for sending intimate images to someone he thought was his age. This type of sextortion, driven by financial motives, is becoming more prevalent among UK teenagers.
Childline supervisor Rebecca Hipkiss revealed that these incidents have increased significantly over the past year, with over 100 cases reported. Victims often feel embarrassed and fear the repercussions of having their personal images shared with their friends and family.
Childline, operated by the NSPCC children’s charity, offers a “Report Remove” service to help victims of sexual blackmail take control of their images online. The service creates a digital fingerprint of uploaded images to prevent them from being circulated on major platforms.
With the rise of sophisticated AI tools, teenagers are now facing threats of deepfake content being created using their photos. These fake images are then used to extort money from victims, causing significant distress.
Victims of sex blackmail often feel helpless and worried about the consequences of these incidents. Childline advises them not to pay the scammers and to report the extortion attempts to the authorities.
It’s crucial for teens to be cautious and set boundaries in their online interactions. Understanding the risks and knowing when to say no are essential in protecting themselves from falling victim to such scams.
circleWhen Atomfall was first revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase in June, many people asked, “Is this the British Fallout?” “In some ways it is, and in some ways it’s not,” says Ben Fisher, vice head of design at Rebellion, the Oxford-based studio that developed Atomfall as well as games like Sniper Elite 5 and Zombie Army 4. He explains that Rebellion head Jason Kingsley’s original idea was to look at Fallout’s free-form, self-guided experience and think about how it could be applied to something more familiar.
The difference with Atomfall is in its structure. “It’s a much denser experience,” Fisher says. “One of our benchmarks is Fallout: New Vegas, which is a denser experience than Fallout 3 or 4 in that it’s primarily one interconnected storyline, with layers driven by the player’s choices.” Rather than one giant open-world map, Atomfall features a series of interconnected maps, similar to the levels in the Sniper Elite games. “That’s what we’re good at,” Fisher says, adding that many of the game’s most interesting secrets are buried in bunkers deep underground.
Buried secret…Atom Fall. Photo: Rebellion
Atomfall tells an alternate history of the Windscale fire, Britain’s worst nuclear disaster, which occurred in 1957, which led to a large swath of the Lake District being placed under long-term quarantine in the game’s world. Atomfall’s Windscale factory is in a slightly different location to the real factory (now renamed Sellafield), which is part of a science park and where sinister secret experiments take place. Players wake up in a quarantined area five years after the disaster, but with no idea who they are. “Your role in the game then is to uncover what happened and, to some extent, decide what to do about it,” says Fisher.
The feel of the gameplay is reminiscent of the film Children of Men. “It’s a desperate battle for survival,” Fisher says. “You’re not a master assassin; it’s more like a pub brawl.” Players must craft weapons like hatchets, Molotov cocktails and bows and arrows, but because Atomfall is set in Britain there are very few guns or ammo, although there are cricket bats. “The fights are intense,” Fisher says. “It’s kill or be killed, and you or your enemy go down quickly.”
But far from gritty realism, Atom Fall boasts influences from pulp novels, with Fisher citing The Quatermass Experiment, The Prisoner, classic Doctor Who and The Wicker Man as major inspirations. “The Day of the Triffids was also a big inspiration,” he adds. “The idea of a feel-good catastrophe, of waking up in the middle of something and not knowing what’s happened.” It’s no coincidence that there’s a village called Wyndham, where you can also encounter a strange, deadly plant.
Folk horror runs deep in Atomfall. Some villagers trapped in the quarantine zone have rekindled an old pagan cult that dates back to the dissolution of the monasteries. “There was an old monastery, and the monks may have been worshipping things they shouldn’t have been worshipping,” Fisher hints, adding that the cult is based on ancient British symbolism, such as the Green Man. This is just one of the factions you can ally with in the game. The other is the Protocols, a remnant of the military sent to control the population after the disaster. But after five years of isolation from the outside world, the soldiers have become more authoritarian. “They’re kind of a warlord at this point.”
Other beings players might face include a fire-breathing ’50s robot from a British Atomic Research Department facility, disaster-related wildlife and flocks of bats, rats and crows that have “gone a bit crazy”, says Fisher. There’s also a local vicar and a jolly woodland witch, while the game’s bandits are a cross between Morris dancers and football hooligans. “There’s a distinctive Britishness that comes through in the features,” he says, adding that it could be the first game to include a Last of the Summer Wine Easter egg.
Freedom is at the core throughout. “We don’t offer a main quest in the traditional sense,” Fisher says. “We’ve made the game structure around discovering clues and piecing them together to figure out what you can do next.” After that, what you do with that information is entirely up to you. “We even allow you to kill every single character in the game,” Fisher says. “Nobody has plot armor.”
debtOr when he advertised a free online tech-skills class, it got hundreds of likes on Facebook and eventually 1,500 people signed up. But on the first day last week, only a handful of those registrants were able to log in to the live session, and the internet was moving at a snail’s pace.
“We received hundreds of complaints,” said Warda Noor, founder and course instructor at XWave, an IT training company based in Raya, Punjab province, Pakistan.
What is the domestic internet speed? Dropped The Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (Wispap) said internet connection speeds have fallen by 30-40 percent in the past few weeks, costing Pakistani businesses hundreds of millions of dollars, according to IT companies.
Those who were able to connect to Noor’s lecture complained of audio dropouts and poor connection. “We were forced to cut the two-hour lecture to one hour, and the Q&A portion of the program was cut,” she said.
Although live sessions have now been replaced with recorded lessons, Noor says it’s “just not the same.”
Many in the IT and software industry believe the turmoil is due to the government’s testing of a new nationwide Internet firewall.
“On the one hand, the new government is promising an information technology revolution in Pakistan, but on the other hand, it is completely suppressing it,” Noor said.
The government has repeatedly denied responsibility for the problem but has acknowledged plans for a firewall to regulate and block malicious content and protect government networks.
Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Sunday that her team had been working “tirelessly” with internet service providers to resolve the issue. Blaming Pakistan for its “large population” To put strain on the network.
“Given the cyber attacks Pakistan is facing, it is the government’s right to take steps to safeguard its national interests,” she said.
Khawaja said the firewall would give the Pakistani government access to those conducting “anti-national propaganda.” Iran, China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and several other countries already have such firewalls in place.
After the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan last year sparked riots, the Pakistani government blocked and slowed down social media sites that had fostered support for Khan.
Platform X has been blocked since the February election over “national security” concerns, and supporters of Khan’s party point out that he is the most popular Pakistani on the platform, with nearly 21 million followers.
If the new firewall is the cause of the massive chaos the country is experiencing, there should have been some kind of warning. Pasha The association has approximately 1,500 member software and IT companies.
“It makes sense to take steps in the interest of national security, but in retrospect it could have been better planned and managed,” he said.
Azam Mughal, a cybersecurity expert at P@SHA, said his members are reporting huge financial losses. “International clients are telling these companies that they no longer want to commission projects from them because in the tech world, everything has to be delivered on time,” Mughal said.
He said companies could have been given warning: “Whenever new software is implemented, it is tested in a close lab environment to anticipate any initial struggles. But that was not done.”
“Our investigation found that internet outages over the past few months have cost the country up to $300 million in losses,” he said.
Pakistan recorded $298 million IT exports were worth £228 million in June, up 33% from a year ago. IT exports were worth $3.2 billion in the financial year that ended in June, up from $2.5 billion in 2023.
Condé Nast and OpenAI have announced a long-term partnership to feature content from Condé Nast’s brands such as Vogue, Wired, and The New Yorker in OpenAI’s ChatGPT and SearchGPT prototypes.
The financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. OpenAI, backed by Microsoft and led by Sam Altman, has recently signed similar deals with Axel Springer, Time magazine’s owner, Financial Times, Business Insider, Le Monde in France, and Prisa Media in Spain. This partnership allows OpenAI to access extensive text archives owned by publishers for training large language models like ChatGPT and real-time information retrieval.
OpenAI launched SearchGPT, an AI-powered search engine in July, venturing into Google’s long-dominant territory. Collaborations with magazine publishers enable SearchGPT to display information and references from Condé Nast articles in search results.
OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer, Brad Lightcap, expressed the company’s dedication to collaborating with Condé Nast and other news publishers to uphold accuracy, integrity, and respect for quality journalism as AI becomes more assimilated in news discovery and dissemination.
Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch mentioned in an email reported by The New York Times that this partnership will help offset some revenue losses suffered by publishers due to technology companies. He emphasized the importance of meeting readers’ needs while ensuring proper attribution and compensation for the use of intellectual property with emerging technologies.
On the contrary, some media companies like The New York Times and The Intercept have taken legal action against OpenAI for using their articles without permission, indicating an ongoing legal dispute.
IIt’s been eight years since Civilization 6 launched, the latest in the long-running strategy game series in which you lead a nation from the first town in prehistoric times through centuries of development to the space age. Since 2016, the game has accumulated a plethora of expansions, scenario packs, new nations, modes, and systems for players to master, but Dennis Shirk, series producer at Firaxis Games, feels like he’s had enough. “It was getting out of hand,” he says. “It was time to build something new.”
“Even completing the whole game is a struggle,” says designer Ed Beach, citing a key problem Firaxis is trying to solve with the upcoming Civilization 7. While the early turns of Civilization 6’s campaign may be quick, when you’re only deciding what the inhabitants of a single town will do, “after a while you explode with the number of systems, units, and entities you have to manage,” Beach says. From turn one to victory, a single campaign can take more than 20 hours, and as you start to fall behind other nations, you might want to start over long before you see the endgame.
To that end, Civilization 7’s campaign is split into three eras — Ancient, Exploration, and Modern — with each era ending in a dramatic explosion of global crisis. “By dividing the game into chapters, we’re giving people a better sense of history,” Beach says.
Mongolian city in Civilization 7. Photography: Firaxis Games
When you start a new campaign, you choose a leader and civilization to rule, and lead your people to establish their first settlements and encounter other peoples in a largely undeveloped land. Choose which technologies to research, which cities to expand, and who to befriend or conquer. Every turn completed and every scientific, economic, cultural and military milestone passed adds points to a meter running in the background. When the meter reaches 200, you and all other surviving civilizations on the map will move on to the next era.
Choose and lead a new civilization as you move from Ancient to Exploration and from Exploration to Modern. You’ll keep all the cities you previously controlled, but you’ll have access to different technologies and attributes. This may seem odd, but it’s designed to reflect history – think of London, once ruled by the Romans, then replaced by the Anglo-Saxons. No empire lasts forever, but not all fall.
Dividing Civilization 7 into chapters also gives the campaign a new rhythm. As you approach the end of an era, you start to face global crises. In ancient times, for example, you see a surge of independent factions similar to the tribes that toppled Rome. “We don’t call them barbarians anymore,” Beach says. “It’s a more nuanced way of describing it.” These crises increase and intensify until you reach the next era. “It’s like a sci-fi or fantasy series that has a big, crazy ending, and then the next book is a calm, feel-good beginning,” Beach says. “There’s a moment of relief when you get to the next era.”
Veteran players will recognize the flow of Civilization 7’s franchise-wide offerings, but this new structure is certainly a radical change, introducing more chaotic and dramatic moments to every campaign. Whereas previously you were assured of victory (or defeat) after a few hours of play, each new era brings with it climactic crises and plenty of opportunities for game-changing moments. “Not everyone will survive,” Shirk says. “It’s a lot of fun to play.”
aThe best place to start with Tactical Breach Wizards, a game that relies heavily on glimpses into the future, is a little further down the line. Let’s start with the fact that this special ops tour of magical mystery is the most important turn-based tactics game since the classic XCOM 2. Its blend of inventive, flexible puzzles and highly entertaining writing is enough to warrant active play on anyone’s console. But what makes the game worthy of Special Arcane Service is how boldly it critiques the murky morality of military-themed games.
In Tactical Breach Wizards you take command of a ragtag team of witch detectives, necromancers, time-manipulating wizards and druid hitmen and use your team’s diverse abilities to overcome escalating tactical siege scenarios. A typical level requires you to break into and enter a room, neutralize six enemies, seal a door to stop reinforcements, and reach a computer that will open a passage to the next room.
This is a simplified example of the format where you don’t have to worry about base management or higher layers of strategy. Instead, it focuses on creatively using magical powers to resolve scenarios as cleanly as possible. Jen, a freelance storm witch, casts lightning spells that can push people away without causing damage and knock out enemies by pushing them into objects or out of windows. Zan, a naval seer, can foresee events a second ahead, allowing him to roughly predict how his enemies will attack, but also to set up ambushes or give his teammates extra actions. Combining powers to maximize efficiency is a key tactic, for example, using Zan’s time boost ability to have Zan use his lightning power twice.
Each room you enter introduces a new ability, enemy, or idea that increases the challenge and your ability to face it. For example, you can recruit the necromancer Dessa to kill people and resurrect them to heal them, or place interdimensional portals in your walls to push through enemies and eliminate them quickly.
Tactical Breach Wizards wants to maximize the puzzle potential by having you move lots of small enemies around a room. But unlike XCOM, it doesn’t extend lateral thinking with brute force. Most scenarios are relatively easy to solve, as you can undo decisions you made on any given turn. However, each stage also has bonus objectives, such as completing a stage without taking any damage at all. Rather than punishing mistakes and killing your allies, Tactical Breach Wizards gently guides you towards excellence.
This more tolerant attitude is also reflected in the game’s themes. Tactical Breach Wizards is never a serious game – evidenced by objectives like “jump through the Pyromancer’s window” and the fact that Zan’s “assault rifle” is a machine gun frame with a wizard’s wand rather than a barrel – but it does treat its characters and the problems they face seriously. One of my favorite bits is the heartfelt exchange that happens every time the team gathers to breach another door. Not only is it a great joke, but the conversation that follows is also incredibly witty and offers great insight into each wizard’s inner life.
But the game’s most impressive trick is how it spins a truly intriguing spy thriller out of its ridiculous concept, while refusing to abide by the uncomfortable ethics of modern military games. The team is made up of rebels and outcasts rather than government-sanctioned wizards, and their enemies are enforcers of a religious dictatorship and people hired by private military companies (plus a traffic warlock called Steve). Even when facing these foes, the team only follows non-lethal rules of engagement. You might wonder how they can do this when people are constantly being kicked out of windows, and the answer is simple: they’re wizards.
This is a nearly perfectly balanced game, with nothing wasted. do not have A wicked ode to turn-based tactics, it embraces the genre’s creative puzzles while rejecting its worst excesses. In Tactical Breach Wizards you can see into the future, raise the dead and smash windows with a witch’s broomstick, but the most powerful magic of all is empathy.
The European Commission has updated its extensive investigation into Chinese government subsidies for electric cars. They have announced that Tesla will be subjected to a 9% tax on Chinese-made cars exported to the EU.
The tariffs imposed on Tesla are significantly lower than the average of 21.3% on cooperating companies and 36.3% on non-cooperating companies. These tariffs were applied after Tesla requested individual action as part of the broader EU investigation.
Compared to the 100% tariffs imposed by the US, the 9% EU tariffs are relatively low and will be added on top of the existing 10% tariffs on EVs from China.
EU officials visited Tesla’s Shanghai facility in June and stated that the company has benefitted from low-cost batteries and Chinese government subsidies, including cheap land and export subsidies.
The 9% tariffs are expected to be in effect by October 31st, pending approval from EU member states.
Furthermore, the European Commission announced a slight reduction in tariffs on Chinese-made EVs after discussions with the companies. Under the latest proposal, BYD would face a 17% tariff, Geely 19.3%, and SAIC 36.3%. These tariffs have been revised downwards since the provisional measures were first announced and could change again.
EU officials confirmed that companies will not have to pay provisional tariffs until the deadline, as concluded that European automakers are under a “threat of harm” rather than actual harm like factory closures or job losses.
EU officials emphasized the need for action to prevent the surge in Chinese EV exports from causing significant harm to EU producers. They stated that their laws allow them to act before actual harm occurs in terms of job losses or factory closures.
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy estimated that China’s EV support will reach $5.6 billion by 2022, when direct payments to manufacturers are phased out.
BYD has been the largest beneficiary, receiving $3.7 billion in support, while Tesla received about $426 million for its Shanghai factory.
According to a report by China trade website Soapbox, 45% of Beijing’s electric car exports between June 2020 and June 2024 were headed to the EU.
Chinese manufacturers ramped up exports in April ahead of expected tariffs, with import registrations of Chinese-made EVs increasing from April to May before declining, as shown by customs data.
“I Last week, I sent out TechScape to our readers, hoping to take a break from writing about Elon Musk. However, my news editor had other plans: “Can you keep an eye on Elon Musk’s Twitter feed this week?”
Reading Musk’s tweets, I felt like my brain was melting. Even though I’d covered him for years, his online presence surprised me. From promoting Tesla and SpaceX to sharing cheesy nerdy jokes and diving into right-wing politics, his chaotic behavior had a new twist.
His briefest overnight break came on Saturday night, when he retweeted controversial content and then dived back in hours later with more questionable tweets.
Musk’s involvement in UK politics pushed him further into the far-right spectrum. Engaging with controversial figures like Lauren Southern and supporting Britain First’s co-leader, Musk’s online persona was more divisive than ever. Now, they are his supporters.
Well, that’s fine.
Today I’ll give you a good example from the world of AI that shows the difference between a scientific press release and a scientific paper. University of Bath’s press release claims AI poses no existential threat to humanity, but the actual research paints a different picture.
The study questions the capabilities of large-scale language models, suggesting that they are not as groundbreaking as claimed.
While the press release version is attention-grabbing, the scientific paper delves deeper into the limitations of AI capabilities. It highlights the challenges of ensuring AI safety in the face of emergent capabilities.
The paper reveals that emergent AI capabilities might not be as groundbreaking as they seem and are more controllable than believed. This sheds light on the complexity of AI safety in the face of evolving technology.
The pain of training
Nvidia’s use of YouTube data to train AI has led to legal troubles. A federal lawsuit alleges Nvidia stole videos from YouTube creators to train its AI, sparking a debate about intellectual property rights.
This lawsuit underscores the challenges AI companies face when sourcing training data. While some companies openly disregard copyright restrictions, others like Nvidia face legal battles over data usage.
On the other hand, companies like Google have a different approach due to their dominant position in the tech industry. Many websites allow Google to use their content for AI training to maintain visibility in search results.
Ask Me Anything
In my final TechScape after 11 years at the Guardian, I’m answering readers’ questions. Feel free to ask me anything tech-related, and I’ll do my best to provide insights and recommendations.
“Fortnite” is making a comeback on mobile phones after four years of being absent from Apple and Google app stores. Android users worldwide can now download the new app store from the company to access the game along with two other titles from Epic Games.
In the EU, only iPhone users can enjoy the relaunch, as Epic Games embraces the looser regulations imposed on Apple by the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Founder Tim Sweeney expressed gratitude to the European Commission for enabling competition between app stores and preventing Apple and Google from hindering it. The three games will also be available in Alt Store PAL, the largest independent app store in the EU under Apple’s new terms.
This marks the end of a long-standing battle between Sweeney and mobile platforms regarding revenue sharing. In 2020, Epic took action by allowing users to make in-game purchases directly from the company to avoid the 30% fees charged by Apple and Google, leading to the game being blocked from their App Stores.
Despite the relaunch, Sweeney mentioned that the battle is not over, as both companies still impose hurdles for users to install alternative app stores. Epic is also working towards making Fortnite available to mobile users in the UK following similar legislation to the EU’s DMA.
Apple’s control over user activities on iPhones has been loosened by regulations, but the company continues to tighten restrictions in other areas. Patreon, a creator economy service, was recently instructed by Apple to end a longstanding exception to the 30% commission rule.
By November 2024, Patreon will phase out its in-app purchase system and implement a 30% fee on new memberships purchased through the App Store. Patreon creators can either increase subscription fees by 30% or absorb the loss from the additional fee.
ohOn a sweltering summer day in London, I found myself working in the middle of snow-covered Yosemite National Park, surrounded by floating apps and browser windows. Later, I’d reminisce about holidays from years ago, staring out at windswept Oregon beaches, sitting in a speeder on Tatooine watching Rogue One in 3D, and spending the night with a guided meditation.
These are the sort of immersive experiences Apple’s latest, and most expensive, gadget offers, blending the real and virtual worlds, all controlled by your eyes and hands. The Vision Pro may resemble virtual reality headsets like Meta’s Quest series, but it aims to be something much more.
But with a prohibitive price tag of £3,500 (€3,999 / $3,499 / AU$5,999) that most buyers won’t even consider, this cutting-edge tech marvel is best thought of as a glimpse into the near future of computing.
You can use your Mac’s screen, keyboard, and trackpad streamed to a simulated 4K display, alongside other windows and apps. Photo: Martin Godwin/The Guardian
Put on the headset and you’re transported to a photorealistic exotic location, or use the Digital Crown to increase or decrease immersion, seamlessly blending reality and the virtual world. The real world is sent through the camera to a crystal-clear display and displayed as pass-through video — far better than the competition, and so clear that you can read on your phone without taking off the headset.
Your content appears in a floating window fixed in 3D space, as big or small as you like. Even if you walk by the window, your content stays where you were and is instantly visible when you return. Just see the content you want and select it with a pinch of your fingers. Type directly by “touch” on the hover keyboard or scroll through sites like a giant virtual iPad.
Step into an immersive experience and go one step further by walking with dinosaurs, exploring the solar system or flying along neon-lit highways in rhythm games.
Third-party apps offer a variety of mixed reality and immersive experiences. astronomy (Top left), Jetpack Joyride 2 (Top right), Disney+ (Bottom left) and Luna (Bottom right). Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
Heavyweight Technology
Vision Pro is the pinnacle of headset tech: The same M2 chip found in the 2022 MacBook Air runs apps, and its R1 chip processes input from the headset’s 12 cameras, five sensors, and six microphones. Combined, this delivers a smooth experience in both the real and virtual worlds displayed on two high-resolution Micro-OLED displays in front of your eyes.
The exterior cameras and sensors create a map of the real world, including objects like furniture and walls, and track the user’s position and hand movements. The interior camera monitors eye movements to interact with buttons and objects, making sure what you’re looking at is clear. The headset also features “Optic ID,” an alternative to Face ID, to seamlessly unlock and authenticate payments by scanning your iris.
The experience is exponentially better than anything that came before, and at times, it’s magical.
The various parts of the Vision Pro attach to each other via magnets and quick-release clips, including two types of straps. Photo: Martin Godwin/The Guardian
All the technology packed into the Vision Pro creates one major problem: weight. At up to 650 grams, it’s heavier than Apple’s largest iPad Pro and competing headsets like the Quest 3, which weighs 515 grams. And that doesn’t include the 353 gram battery, which connects to the headset with a cord so you can put it in your pocket or keep it on the desk in front of you.
During the ordering process, your face is scanned with an iPhone and a custom fit is created from nearly 200 combinations of strap sizes, “light seals” and cushioning, making it more comfortable than any other headset and leaving no goggle marks on your face.
What remains is the strain on my neck. After wearing the headset daily for a month, I can now manage sessions up to about two hours long. However, I still feel like I’ve given my neck a workout, and wearing it for long periods without taking proper breaks causes the same neck, shoulder and back pain I get when I’m hunched over a laptop all day.
The battery lasts for about 2-3 hours, which is plenty long enough for you to easily charge it while sitting at your desk or on the couch, but this headset isn’t designed to be easily shared, and even if you manage to get a good fit on your guest’s face, you’ll need to redo the eye-tracking setup for five minutes to get it to work temporarily.
We’re only scratching the surface in productivity improvements
I placed my Mac display in the center with various windows around it, and some behind and above it, and the screenshots in the headset don’t do justice to how it will look in person. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The Vision Pro is different from other headsets in that it’s fully integrated into the Apple ecosystem — more like a Mac than an iPhone — allowing you to create an entire app and productivity environment anywhere, without the need for multiple monitors.
It comes with many familiar apps, including Apple’s Mail, Messages, Notes, Keynote, Freeform, and Photos, and many others are available as “compatible” apps, including Microsoft’s Word and Excel, but it doesn’t include Google apps like Gmail or Drive, and only some of them work properly as web apps in Safari.
The headset tracks your hand movements relative to virtual objects, and here we see the common two-handed pinch-to-zoom gesture to increase the size of a photo. Photo: Martin Godwin/The Guardian
Using the Vision Pro as part of a productivity setup is great, but that’s only scratching the surface of what the headset can do.
Apps for Vision Pro are varied: some simply drag 2D experiences into the 3D space of the headset, like games played on a TV screen placed within the environment, while others are fully immersive environments you can walk around in.
The Apple TV app lets you enter a virtual cinema and choose your row and seat, while Disney+ lets you sit on a couch in Avengers Tower or the aforementioned speeder on Tatooine. On both services, the 3D movies look especially good.
But where Vision Pro really shines is when you combine real and virtual worlds, such as playing on a virtual chessboard placed on a table in front of you. Apple’s Encounter Dinosaur demo experience shows what’s possible by creating a portal to a prehistoric land that’s fixed to the actual wall of a room. A butterfly emerges from the portal and lands on your outstretched finger. The dinosaur then comes into view and locks eyes with you. The dinosaur’s head and eyes follow you as you move around the room, before scaring off rival dinosaurs and roaring at you.
There are only a handful of truly great experiences available on the App Store right now, but most of the best ones are controlled directly by your hands and body. Other headsets can do similar things, but none do it as easily, accurately, or with the same high fidelity as Vision Pro.
Relive your memories like never before
When you view your holiday panoramas with Vision Pro, the photos expand all around you, filling your field of vision completely for an immersive experience. Photo: Apple
One of the most unexpected and wonderful things about Vision Pro is its ability to relive past moments through photos, videos, and panoramas.
Loading a panorama photo made me feel like I was standing in Death Valley again, enjoying the dramatic colors of a sunset over the vast desert. Or sitting in a packed Capital One Arena watching the Washington Capitals play ice hockey. And a photo I took from the top of Seattle’s Space Needle gave me the same feeling of height dread I had when I took it seven years ago.
Vision Pro can also display spatial and 3D videos shot with a headset or iPhone 15 Pro. These look like the little holograms you often see in sci-fi, giving you a real sense of depth and the feeling of being back in the moment, but it takes practice to get it right
A song about immigration, whose music, vocals, and artwork were all created using artificial intelligence, has entered the top 50 most-listened-to songs in Germany, possibly a first in a major music market.
“Verknallt in einen Talahon” is a parody song that blends ’60s schlager pop with modern lyrics based on racial stereotypes about immigrants.
The song reached the 48th spot in Germany, the world’s fourth-largest music market. Within a month of its release, it garnered 3.5 million streams on Spotify, ranking third on the platform’s charts in the Global Viral Charts.
The songwriter of the song, Joshua Wagbinger, known as Butterbro, mentioned that he composed the song’s chorus by inputting his lyrics into Udio, an AI tool that generates vocals and instruments from text prompts.
He then added the verses using music tools after the chorus gained popularity on TikTok. In an interview with German podcast Die Klangküche (Sound Kitchen), the IT specialist and amateur musician expressed his aim to turn the song into a creative project.
The song has garnered attention in the German media not only for its production methods but also for its lyrical content. Translated as “In Love with Tarahon,” the song references the German version of the Arabic phrase “taeal huna,” commonly used in Germany to describe groups of young men with immigrant backgrounds.
The lyrics satirize the classic “good girl falls for the bad boy” narrative from ’60s songs like “Leader of the Pack” by The Shangri-Las, portraying the AI-generated love interest as someone who wears luxury brands and gives off a strong perfume scent.
Waghubinger aimed to create a song that humorously addressed macho behavior without discrimination and set out to make it viral on social media, as he revealed in an interview with Die Klangküche magazine.
However, Marie-Louise Goldman, culture editor at the conservative tabloid Die Welt, raised concerns about the song potentially straddling the line between parody and discrimination.
Felicia Agaye, a writer for the music magazine Diffus, expressed concerns about the song’s popularity and how the term “Tarahon” had turned into an insult against immigrants among young people in Germany and Austria.
Numerous AI-generated songs in a similar style have been circulating on German social media, blending ’60s MOR schlager pop with suggestive lyrics.
Music producers are increasingly utilizing AI to create vocals resembling those of famous artists. In 2023, The Beatles released “Now and Then,” featuring an AI-assisted rendition of John Lennon’s vocals.
A song using Tupac Shakur’s voice generated by AI was briefly posted on Canadian rapper Drake’s Instagram account in April but was taken down after legal threats from the late rapper’s estate.
“Bcontinue @thread
“This week has felt like sitting on a half-empty train early in the morning as gradually more people board with horror stories of how awful the service is on the other line,” actor David Harewood wrote on Meta’s Twitter/X rival, which, judging by the number of “Hey, how does this work?” questions from newcomers, seems to be seeing echoes, at least in the UK, following last week’s far-right riots.
Newcomers to the thread might be wondering why it took so long. To say Elon Musk’s tenure as owner of the social network formerly known as Twitter and now renamed X has been outrageous would be a criminal understatement. Recent highlights include the unbanning of numerous far-right and extremist accounts, as well as his own misinformation campaign regarding far-right anti-immigrant riots in the UK.
Before Musk bought the company in 2022, few alternatives to Twitter existed, but several have emerged in the past few years. Today, there are the generally left- and liberal-leaning Blue Sky and Mastodon, the right-leaning Gab, and Donald Trump’s Truth Social Network.
But perhaps the biggest threat to X is Threads, in part because it was launched by Meta, the giant behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. But a simple question remains: is Threads any good?
For Satnam Sanghera, an author and journalist, the reason for the move is simple: “This place is corroding the very fabric of British society so I am trying to avoid it as much as possible and hoping it will be regulated,” he explained in a direct message on X. “Systemic abuse has been an issue for me, and for many people of colour, for years.”
But the force behind the switch is not so much the allure of Threads, a popular new social network, but the power to drive people away from X. “Threads has some great things, especially the fact that it links with Instagram, which is probably the most convenient social media platform,” Sanghera says. “But a lot of my loved ones aren’t on it. I’m hoping that will change, or maybe it’s just that it’s time to quit social media altogether.”
The integration with Instagram allows Insta users to open a Threads account with just a few clicks, which seems to have really accelerated Threads’ growth. Threads hit the milestone of 200 million active users earlier this month, just one year after its initial release. In comparison, Bluesky has just 6 million registered accounts and 1.1 million active users, while Mastodon has 15 million registered users, but no public data on active users.
Social media outlet Bluesky is one of X’s current alternatives. Photo: Jaap Arrians/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
“Threads has one big advantage,” says Emily Bell, director of the Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University in New York. “It has a built-in user base of celebrities and athletes. If you really want to kick everyone off Twitter, you can have Taylor Swift, Chapel Rowan, [Italian sports journalist] “Fabrizio Romano”
Bell believes that because all of these users are already on Instagram, it may be easier to attract them to Threads than to convince them to start from scratch with an entirely new social network.
But she says this is a shame, and thinks Threads is a terrible product. “To me, Threads is a platform designed to compete with Twitter, and it feels like it was designed by a company that hates everything about Twitter,” she says. “Threads is boring as hell – presentation, participation, everything.”
From my personal experience trying out Threads for this article, it seems like Meta doesn’t see Threads as a huge, exciting new product that they want new users to use. Having around 88,000 followers on X has always made me hesitant to join other social networks, which is why I’ve never had an Instagram account.
To join Threads, I had to join Instagram first, which took about 24-36 hours because I got some weird error messages while signing up. I finally managed to create a Threads account, but after following five accounts I was limited. A few hours later the limit was lifted, I was able to follow three more accounts, and then I was limited again. I quickly gave up.
Those who found it easy to join the site say that once they were on it, it was more comfortable than X, but that’s mainly for the simple reason that it still has moderation staff and doesn’t actively try to attract the far right.
“Threads have a different vibe because they’re almost always participated in by small, self-organized groups,” says misinformation researcher Nina Jankowitz. “They’re usually want Something different than Twitter/X. It definitely helps that they are actively moderating it and that the site’s leadership is not actively promoting conspiracy theories.”
Both potential rivals to X are keen to differentiate themselves from the original. Meta has said it doesn’t want Threads to focus on news and current events like X. Mastodon is perhaps the most consciously “woke” of the alternatives, with very different norms around content warnings and sharing. As such, Bluesky offers the closest experience to the “rebellious” and playful “old Twitter” that many still miss.
Even some of the early successes on Threads are a bit sceptical about its actual value: Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, has more than 20,000 followers on Threads (166,300 on X), but she confesses that she never actually posts there.
“I just cross-post it to Instagram,” she says, sounding a little guilty. “So I [following] Nothing happens and there is no involvement whatsoever.”
That’s not to say Chrissy has shunned social media: she still posts on X, and is now in a local WhatsApp group with up to 700 members, where her supporters can interact with her directly. While she says she “doesn’t understand” TikTok (“I don’t feel like dancing in public”), she created an account there because “local Asian moms told me that’s where it’s at.”
Chrissie noted that this fragmentation of social media has made her job as a member of Congress more difficult during the recent turmoil: Trying to connect with an audience and provide accurate information is harder on six platforms than it is on one.
Threads’ success may be due to the ease of joining by default: If you use Instagram, it’s the easiest thing to join, and once you’re there, it’s… fine. But if other users seem to be operating on autopilot, they probably are.
“It’s a little bit overloaded here, you’re just in the media and you don’t know what to do,” Creasy says, “and ironically, that’s why I don’t do threads. I know that’s where I get my momentum and that’s where I’m not doing anything.”
OpenAI announced on Friday that it had taken down the accounts of an Iranian group using its chatbot, ChatGPT, to create content with the aim of influencing the U.S. presidential election and other important issues.
Dubbed “Storm-2035,” the attack involved the use of ChatGPT to generate content related to various topics, including discussions on the U.S. presidential election, the Gaza conflict, and Israel’s involvement in the Olympics. This content was then shared on social media platforms and websites.
A Microsoft-backed AI company investigation revealed that ChatGPT was being utilized to produce lengthy articles and short comments for social media.
OpenAI noted that this strategy did not result in significant engagement from the audience, as most of the social media posts had minimal likes, shares, or comments. There was also no evidence of the web articles being shared on social media platforms.
These accounts have been banned from using OpenAI’s services, and the company stated that it will continue to monitor them for any policy violations.
In an early August report by Microsoft threat intelligence, it was revealed that an Iranian network called Storm 2035, operating through four websites posing as news outlets, was actively interacting with U.S. voters across the political spectrum.
The network’s activities focused on generating divisive messages on topics like U.S. presidential candidates, LGBTQ rights, and the Israel-Hamas conflict.
As the November 5th presidential election approaches, the battle between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican opponent Donald Trump intensifies.
OpenAI previously disrupted five covert influence operations in May that attempted to use their models for deceptive online activities.
ohRan Knowles, a British teenager with a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, became the first person to try the new brain implant last October, with astonishing results: his daytime seizures reduced by 80 percent.
“The device has had a huge impact on my son's life as he no longer falls and injures himself like he used to,” said his mother, a consultant paediatric neurosurgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London (Gosh), who implanted the device. She added that there has been a huge improvement in her son's quality of life as well as his cognitive abilities. He is more alert and outgoing.”
Oran's neurostimulator is implanted under the skull and sends constant electrical signals deep into the brain with the aim of blocking the abnormal impulses that cause seizures.The implant, called Picostim, is about the size of a cell phone battery, is charged through headphones and works differently during the day and at night.
“The device has the ability to record from the brain, to measure brain activity, and we can use that information to think about how to improve the effectiveness of the stimulation that children are receiving,” says Tisdall. “What we'd really like to do is to make this treatment available on the NHS.”
As part of the trial, three children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome will be fitted with the implant in the coming weeks, with a full trial planned for 22 children early next year. If the trial is successful, academic sponsors Ghosh and University College London plan to apply for regulatory approval.
Tim Denison, a professor of engineering science at the University of Oxford and co-founder and chief engineer at Amber Therapeutics, a London-based company that developed the implant in collaboration with the university, hopes that the device will be available on the NHS and around the world within the next four to five years.
The technology is one of a number of neural implants being developed to treat a range of conditions, including brain tumors, chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson's disease, incontinence and tinnitus. These devices are more sophisticated than traditional implants in that they not only decode the brain's electrical activity but also control it, and this is where Europe is racing against the US to develop life-changing technology.
The latest generation of brain implants can not only detect brain activity but also control it. Photo: UCL
Amber isn't the only company working on brain implants to treat epilepsy. California-based Neuropace has developed a device that responds to abnormal brain activity and has been cleared by US regulators for use by people aged 18 and over. But the battery is not rechargeable and must be surgically replaced after a few years. Other devices are implanted in the chest with wires running to the brain that must be reinserted as the child grows.
When most people think of brain chips, they think of Neuralink, another California-based startup from Elon Musk that just implanted a brain chip in a second patient with a spinal cord injury. The device uses tiny wires thinner than a human hair to capture signals from the brain and translate them into actions.
The first recipient, Noland Arbaugh, was in January and is paralyzed from the neck down. Some of the wires had shifted and the implant needed to be adjusted. The implant allows Arbaugh to control a mouse cursor on a computer screen with his mind, as if he were watching a movie. Star Wars A Jedi who “uses the Force.”
Other US companies, such as Syncron, backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, have also recently implanted brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) in people who cannot move or speak.
But scientists say these implants simply decode electrical signals. In contrast, a number of companies in the U.S., Britain and Europe, like Amber, are working on so-called “BCI therapy,” or modulating signals in deep brain stimulation to treat disease. Amber's implants are also being used in academic trials for Parkinson's disease, chronic pain and multiple system atrophy, a condition that gradually damages nerve cells in the brain. The company is also sponsoring an early trial in Belgium to treat incontinence, with promising results.
Professor Martin Tisdall led the team that gave Oran Noorsson, who suffers from severe epilepsy, the implant last October. Photo: UCL
A different kind of technology will be tested in humans in clinical trials starting in a few weeks, using the first brain implant made from graphene, a “miracle material” discovered 20 years ago at the University of Manchester.
Medical teams at Salford Royal Infirmary will implant a device with 64 graphene electrodes into the brains of patients with glioblastoma, a fast-growing form of brain cancer. The device will stimulate and read neural activity with high precision, to spare other parts of the brain while removing the cancer. The implant will be removed after surgery.
“We use this interface to map out where the glioblastoma is and then remove it. [cut it out] “Without affecting areas of function such as language or cognition,” says Carolina Aguilar, co-founder and CEO of InBrain Neuroelectronics, the Barcelona-based company that developed the implant in collaboration with the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and the University of Manchester.
Traditionally, platinum and iridium have been used in implants, but graphene, made from carbon, is ultra-thin, harmless to human tissue, and can be decoded and modulated very selectively.
InBrain plans to conduct clinical trials of similar artificial intelligence-powered implants in people with speech disorders caused by Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and stroke.
Professor Costas Kostarellos, head of nanomedicine at the University of Manchester, co-founder of InBrain and principal investigator on the glioblastoma trial, says the company's goal is to “develop more intelligent implantable systems”.
Equipped with AI, the device, with 1,024 electrical contacts, “will help provide optimal treatment for each patient without the neurologist having to program all those contacts individually, as they do today,” he says.
InBrain has partnered with German pharmaceutical company Merck to use its graphene device to stimulate the vagus nerve, which controls many bodily functions including digestion, heart rate and breathing, to treat severe chronic inflammatory, metabolic and endocrine diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Galvani Bioelectronics, founded in 2016 by the UK's second-largest pharmaceutical company GSK and Alphabet's Verily Life Sciences, has a pioneering treatment that treats rheumatoid arthritis by stimulating the splenic nerve. Galvani has begun clinical trials with patients in the UK, US and the Netherlands, with first results expected within the next 6-12 months.
Bioelectronics, which combines biological sciences and electrical engineering, is a market worth $8.7 billion today and is predicted to reach more than $20 billion (£15 billion) by 2031. According to Verified Market Research:The field focuses on the peripheral nervous system, which transmits signals from the brain to organs and from organs to the brain. When brain-focused neuromodulation and BCIs are added, Aguilar believes the overall market could be worth more than $25 billion.
While U.S. neuromodulation companies are making waves with devices targeting chronic pain and sleep apnea, a growing number of European startups are also working on the technology. MintNeuro, a spinout from Imperial College London, Working on developing next-generation chips The company is developing an implant that can be combined into a smaller implant and has partnered with Amber. With the support of an Innovate UK grant, its first project will be to develop an implant to treat mixed urinary incontinence.
Geneva-based Neurosoft has developed a device that uses a thin metal film attached to stretchy silicon – soft enough to put less pressure on the brain and blood vessels – to target severe tinnitus, which affects 120 million people worldwide.
“Tinnitus begins with ear damage, typically caused by loud noise, but it can also cause changes in the wiring of the brain, making it effectively a neurological disorder,” said Nicholas Batsikouras, the company's chief executive officer.
Founded in 2009 by 13 neurosurgeons, neurologists, engineers and other scientists from the Policlinico Research Center and the University of Milan, Neuronica has developed a rechargeable deep brain neurostimulator that can be used to treat Parkinson's disease. The device provides closed-loop stimulation and adapts moment-to-moment to the patient's condition, and is currently being tested on patients.
“Europe and the UK can compete head-to-head with the US when it comes to getting treatments onto the NHS and distributing them around the world,” Denison said. “It's a fair competition and we're going to give it our all.”
Over the past five years, there have been more than 1,400 ambulance dispatches to Amazon warehouses, a figure that has been described as shocking by the GMB trade union. This raises concerns about the safety of Amazon’s UK workplaces.
The Dunfermline and Bristol Amazon centers had the highest number of ambulance attendees in the UK, with 161 and 125 respectively during the period.
In Dunfermline, a third of Scottish Ambulance Service call-outs were for chest pain, along with incidents related to convulsions, strokes, and breathing difficulties.
Since 2019, Amazon Mansfield has had 84 ambulance calls, with over 70% of them being for serious incidents such as heart attacks and strokes.
Accidents related to pregnancy, miscarriages, traumatic injuries, and suspected heart attacks have been reported at some Amazon sites, as well as exposure to harmful substances and severe burns.
The data was obtained through freedom of information requests to 12 emergency services covering more than 30 Amazon sites. However, the actual numbers may be higher as complete data was not available for all sites.
GMB staff campaigned for union recognition outside an Amazon warehouse in Coventry. Photo: Fabio De Paola/The Guardian
In Coventry, Amazon workers and GMB union members narrowly lost a crucial union recognition vote amid allegations of intimidation by the company.
Amanda Gearing, a GMB organizer, called for investigations into Amazon’s working practices, citing the shocking figures as evidence of unsafe working conditions.
Martha Dark from Foxglove emphasized the danger of working at Amazon, criticizing the company’s disregard for safety.
Workers work at an Amazon fulfillment center in Peterborough ahead of the store’s annual Black Friday sales. Photo: Daniel Leal Olivas/AFP/Getty Images
An Amazon spokesperson denied claims of dangerous working conditions, stating that safety is a top priority and ambulances are always called for emergencies.
The spokesperson also refuted claims that ambulances were not called, emphasizing that the majority of calls were for pre-existing conditions, not work-related incidents.
They encouraged individuals to visit Amazon fulfillment centers to see the truth for themselves.
pictureRon Musk isn’t stopping tweeting. In just seven days last week, he made nearly 650 posts on the social network he bought in November 2022 and reluctantly rebranded as X. He also spent nearly three hours wrestling with technical issues in what he would later conclude was the result of an unproven hacking attack while trying to host a “conversation” with Donald Trump, and livestreamed himself playing Blizzard’s sword-and-sorcery game Diablo IV for several hours.
The volume of his content alone is impressive enough, but even for someone who was so into posting that he spent more money on a site than the Manhattan Project budget, Musk’s consistency is astonishing.
In the week of tweets analysed by The Guardian, there was a 90-minute period when he posted nothing, between 3am and 4:29am local time, but he tweeted at least once every other half hour throughout the day and night: at 4:41am on Saturday morning, 2:30pm on Wednesday night, and at 11pm on six of the seven days.
The longest Musk went without tweeting that week was seven and a half hours, when he slept until 8:10 a.m. after a late-night posting session. On Saturday night, Musk logged out after retweeting a meme likening the Metropolitan police to the SS, then returned online four and a half hours later to retweet a tweet from a cryptocurrency influencer complaining about the prison sentences of British protesters.
Awesome, awakened, cool
Not all of Musk’s posts on X are loaded with meaning. Most are simple one- or two-word replies to fans, followers and allies. Two minutes after he replies “Cool” to a construction influencer’s AI-generated photo of himself, he replies “Cool” to a montage of photos of the Tesla Cybertruck driving through North America, and a minute later an AI-generated cartoon of himself points to a sign that reads “Criticism is welcome on this platform” and replies “💯.”
One-word replies can sometimes be a good thing and a bad thing. Musk, who has never been one to follow traditional “online etiquette,” occasionally replies to messages with a “😂” emoji and then copies the exact same thing to his own feed without credit. It’s unclear why some posts get Musk’s treasured retweets while others get stolen and reposted.
Musk is sometimes careful with his praise, especially when it comes from users he’s not comfortable being too vocal about. An End Wokeness post about a California early release bill, a Malaysian far-right influencer’s post about Haitian criminals, and a Libs of TikTok post about another California bill have all been marked with a simple “!!” by Musk, while a post by Dom Lucre, a far-right influencer who was banned from the site for posting child abuse imagery, doesn’t even get that mark. Personally covered In 2023, I received just one “!” from a billionaire.
Riot and Grok
Musk’s outrage over the UK riots seems to be deepening his ties to the far-right: Over the past week, he has begun a conversation with Canadian influencer Lauren Southern, one of three anti-Muslim activists named in the UK riots. Banned from entering the UK It was launched by Theresa May’s government in 2018. Though the pair share a distrust of the media, Musk is now a paying subscriber to her feed, supporting her – along with more than 160 other users – for £4.92 a month.
But Musk’s crazy behavior makes sense. A showman, the memes and chatter he retweets and reposts are full of promotions he wants to make that day. Sometimes, it’s professional. On Wednesday and Thursday, when his AI company xAI released the latest version of its large-scale language model, Grok, a significant percentage of his posts were sharing quotes and images generated by it.
In the UK in 2030, you could be executed for posting a meme…
And then there are the riots. During the week, Musk’s attention was diverted from tensions in the UK, but the spate of rulings handed down over the weekend meant he was primed for a bit of mayhem.
He latched onto right-wing memes about Keir Starmer promoting a “two-tier” policing system and downplayed their contribution to the violence while constantly drawing attention to the punitive sentences given to rioters. Early on Friday morning, he expanded on his criticism of the SNP's Humza Yousaf, calling the former Scottish First Minister a “super super racist” and challenging him to take legal action in response.
Trump and Tesla
On Monday and Tuesday, Musk drew attention to his conversation with Donald Trump, sharing posts before the livestream in which fans excitedly wondered how many people would tune in and what the two smartest people in the world would discuss, then reposting posts after the livestream in which fans were upset that biased media wouldn’t write more positive headlines and asking fans to shorten the conversation into a more manageable hour-long highlights reel.
Despite this friction, another side of Musk shows up when he talks about his two biggest companies, Tesla and SpaceX. With Tesla being a public company, Musk has to be careful with what he says. He has a fiduciary duty to shareholders and legal obligations on how to disclose material information. Those obligations came to a head when the SEC sued him over his infamous tweets in which he falsely claimed he had “secured funding” to take Tesla private. In a subsequent settlement with regulators, Musk agreed to have his lawyers review all of his tweets about Tesla, a deal he has since regretted.
But after an appeal all the way to the Supreme Court, the deal remains valid, meaning Musk’s final chance to escape the “Twitter guards” may be… It was scrapped in April this year.His posts about Tesla have been surprisingly muted. Shortly after his conversation with Trump, he posted a lengthy, mostly standard, statement retracting some of his comments about climate change: “To be clear, I believe global warming is real.” He startedWhat he meant was that even without global warming, high levels of CO2 It was dangerous.
“Guardians are trash…”
Musk also used the opportunity to take aim at another favorite target, The Guardian. After the paper quoted experts in what he called “the dumbest climate change debate in history,” Musk slammed others he follows who shared the article, telling author Stephen King that “The Guardian cannot be considered objective” and entrepreneur Vinod Khosla that “The Guardian is rubbish.”
This week, New Google smartphone series Cameras with AI image generation capabilities are now available, but for an increasing number of people, the allure of a less cutting-edge gadget: a compact camera.
US soccer player Megan Rapinoe was spotted taking a photo from the stands at the Paris Olympics, with model Alexa Chung captioning the photo: A recent Instagram photo of her with her camera“I’m part of the photo-dependent millennial generation, and I’m fighting the digital threat with analog mode.” Recent Glimpse Photos of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s home life show disposable cameras placed amongst clutter, while Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift have both been photographed holding compact cameras.
While there’s still a mix of digital and film cameras from the early 2000s, the new generation is also embracing the older technology. On Instagram this week, Mihara, star of Industry, which just wrapped its third season, posted a selfie with a compact camera. Ayo Edebiri took her own camera to the Emmy Awards Both are 28. Model Bella Hadid, 27, is a fan. Online, Gen Z content creators are giving the camera a TikTok-esque treatment, stealing public clout from the latest It products and offering up expensive model dummies.
According to a Cognitive Market Research survey conducted earlier this year: The global film camera market is expected to reach £303 million by 2030, up from £223.2 million in 2023. Kodak has seen demand for film nearly double in recent years, and in July Harman, the UK’s only 35mm film maker, announced that Multi-million pound investment in new facilities announced Spurred by rising demand: Tesco, which still has more than 480 photo-printing locations, has seen demand for its film-developing services rise, with take-up up by nearly 10% this year.
The Pentax 17, released earlier this summer, was “the first film camera produced by a global camera brand in 21 years,” according to Paul McKay, co-founder of Analog Wonderland, a company that sells film products while seeking to support the growing analog film photography community. Pentax “has had to bring back retired engineers to mentor younger engineers because they believe this market is “growing and not going to go away.”
Stores targeting young people, such as Urban Outfitters, sell Hello Kitty-themed disposable cameras, lilac and matcha green Fujifilm Instax Minis and Lomography cameras.
Part of the appeal of film cameras compared to digital cameras is the way the photos look. Dazed magazine’s art and photography editor Emily Dinsdale described the aesthetic as romantic: “Even the mistakes are romantic: the light leaks, the red-eye, the grain in the first few frames of a new roll of film.” In a feed full of glossy photos, analog commands attention.
Images taken with real film cameras often have a “nostalgic, grainy, film-like texture” and are full of charm and imperfections, says Eliza Williams, editor of Creative Review magazine.
For some older users, it’s nostalgia, but for younger people in particular, “part of what draws us to the camera is this idea of it as an object — it’s a beautiful thing to hold in your hand, and it looks really cool compared to other people holding their phones,” Williams says.
The camera is tapping into Gen Z’s resurgence in all things Y2K, from low-rise jeans to velour. “There’s a well-known resurgence of the ‘indie sleaze’ era of the mid-to-late 2000s,” says Louise Iames, strategy director at Digital Fairy, a creative agency that specializes in internet and youth culture. “Digital cameras have been pretty much ever-present during this period.”
She noted the re-emergence of nostalgic technologies across internet culture, This video From Super 8 photos of 80s parties to early internet design codes like Frutiger Aero, [that] is once again attracting attention.
The coolness of cameras is in play even when the technology isn’t being used: In the new season of “Emily in Paris,” which premiered this week to a furor of derision and delight, the protagonist’s phone case mimics the look of a point-and-shoot camera, cloaking her always-on smartphone with more analog flourishes.
According to Yems, “On a deeper level, Gen Z is the first generation that has the ability to document their lives in a completely seamless way. They never have to fill up their memory cards, and they don’t have to spend hours transferring videos and photos between devices and to Myspace and Facebook,” so, she said, “the process of using a point-and-shoot camera gives the output meaning, intention and tactility.”
In a survey McKay conducted this week, the most common reason cited for shooting with film was that it allowed them to slow down (66%). “There’s a mindfulness element to it,” McKay said. “When this generation talks about film photography, they talk a lot about mental health.” Those who choose to develop their own photos, rather than relying on snapshots, may be even slower.
Dinsdale believes the increased use of analog cameras indicates a desire for authenticity in an age when deepfakes mean a distrust of visual imagery. “People trust photos taken with a film camera more than digital photos,” he said, adding, “As AI-generated imagery becomes more prevalent, this sentiment will only increase.”
She continues, “Given how digital photography and smartphones have really changed the value of images, it comes back to the idea that photos taken on a phone are not as special as photos taken on film.”
For Williams, “at a time when all of us, especially Gen Z, are looking for relief from the pressures of daily life and the addictive nature of screens, cameras and taking photos bring nostalgic joy, give us a sense of wholesomeness and artistry, and make us look cool all at the same time.”
Russia has been attempting online fraudulent activities using generative artificial intelligence, but according to a Metasecurity report published on Thursday, these efforts have not been successful.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, discovered that AI-powered strategies have only brought minimal benefits in terms of productivity and content generation to malicious actors. Meta was successful in thwarting deceptive influence campaigns.
Meta’s actions against “systematic fraud” on its platform are in response to concerns that generative AI could be employed to mislead or confuse individuals during elections in the U.S. and other nations.
David Agranovich, Meta’s director of security policy, informed reporters that Russia continues to be the primary source of “coordinated illicit activity” using fake Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia, these efforts have been aimed at weakening Ukraine and its allies, as outlined in the report.
With the upcoming U.S. election, Meta anticipates Russian-backed online fraud campaigns targeting political candidates who support Ukraine.
Facebook has faced accusations of being a platform for election disinformation, while Russian operatives have utilized it and other U.S.-based social media platforms to fuel political tensions during various U.S. elections, including the 2016 election won by Donald Trump.
Experts are worried that generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Dall-E image generator can rapidly create on-demand content, leading to a flood of disinformation on social networks by malicious actors.
The report notes the use of AI in producing images, videos, translating and generating text, and crafting fake news articles and summaries.
When Meta investigates fraudulent activity, the focus is on account behavior rather than posted content.
Influence campaigns span across various online platforms, with Meta observing that X (formerly Twitter) posts are used to lend credibility to fabricated content. Meta shared its findings with X and other internet companies, emphasizing the need for a coordinated defense against misinformation.
When asked about Meta’s view on X addressing scam reports, Agranovic mentioned, “With regards to Twitter (X), we’re still in the process of transitioning. Many people we’ve dealt with there in the past have already gone elsewhere.”
X has disbanded its trust and safety team and reduced content moderation efforts previously used to combat misinformation, making it a breeding ground for disinformation according to researchers.
IIn the past, whenever I’ve written enthusiastically about the latest retro consoles, like the Nintendo Classic Mini: SNES or Analogue Duo, there have been a few comments below the article asking why people don’t just buy a Raspberry Pi mini computer, download emulators, and play their favorite games for next to nothing. My answer is usually ease of use and accessibility. When you buy a mini console, you get a plug-and-play product with no complicated setups or potential compatibility issues. Simple.
However, having recently purchased a Raspberry Pi to write an article about the beautiful PiDP-10 machine, I thought I’d check out its retro gaming capabilities as well. This is what I found.
Hardware
Raspberry Pi with case, SD card, and SD card reader Photo: Keith Stewart/The Guardian
To put together your retro machine, you’ll first need a Raspberry Pi computer. It’s a tiny PC built on a circuit board a little bigger than a credit card. There are currently two supported models: the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (£34) and the newer Raspberry Pi 5 (£58), which has a more powerful processor and is better suited for emulating later consoles. I bought the 5 model on the Pi Hut site, which offers a decent starter kit including a compatible power adaptor and HDMI cable, a cute case to house the Pi in (with a little fan to cool the CPU), and an SD card, which you’ll need as the computer doesn’t have a built-in hard drive. The kit costs £94. However, the Raspberry Pi 4 is good enough to run emulators for old machines, so if you go for it, you’ll be ready for retro gaming for around £60.
emulator
Lakka emulator. Photo: Raqqa
Here’s where it gets a bit complicated. There are a number of retro gaming apps that are compatible with the Raspberry Pi, with the main contenders being RetroPie, Recalbox, Batocera and Lakka. All of these are essentially a collection of different, mostly open-source emulators that let you play games from a range of systems, from very early home computers to later consoles like the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. Want to experience Manic Miner on Oric or Rainbow Islands on the Wonderswan? UtopiaCan you recreate the Dragon 32 games you made with your friend John in 1987? Now you can. It also supports MAME, which runs hundreds of classic arcade games. There are differences between the two, such as how the games run and how many configuration options you have. For example, you might want to tweak the visual settings to add realistic scanlines. Here is a very good comparison. hereHowever, most people agree that RetroPie is the most versatile.
It’s all very easy to do. First, connect the SD card to your PC or Mac using a USB SD card reader and download Raspberry Pi Imager. This is a small program that will install the operating system onto the card. It’s very user friendly and has three drop-down menus to choose from:[オペレーティング システムの選択]With the click of a button, you can designate your machine as a retro console and it will automatically download the emulators. Currently, your options are limited to either Recalbox for Model 5, or RetroPie or Recalbox for Model 4 (Retropie doesn’t have a native Model 5 version yet). To get anything else, you’ll need to download their own installation imagers separately and select your custom OS in the Raspberry Pi imager.
Don’t panic, there are plenty of guides online to help you solve this problem.
game
Rev your engines… in the classic 80s driving game Out Run. Photo: SEGA
Now, this is Really Here’s the complicated part. To run retro games on these emulators you need game ROMs – software versions of the original programs, chips or cartridges. Downloading them from ROM sites on the internet is effectively copyright infringement and illegal. “Computer games are protected from copying by intellectual property law,” explains Alex Tutty of law firm Sheridans. “Generally, in the UK and around the world, games are protected by copyright and cannot be copied without the owner’s permission.
“Copyright law has various exceptions, such as personal copying, but emulation of the games or making them available online is not permitted. Even if a game is discontinued, copyright remains in place even if it is not being used, so copying is not permitted.”
that teeth It’s possible to find games that have had their copyrights removed by their developers. These tend to be found on abandonware sites or software archives. (I won’t sue you if you download Utopia, but you might want to sue me if you play it.) In any case, I won’t tell you how to find ROMs, but I can tell you that it’s a risky business. Game files on unofficial sites might be full of viruses and malware, or they might simply not work, or be in a foreign language.
Getting the ROMs onto your Raspberry Pi from your computer where you downloaded them is also a bit complicated. The basic method is to plug the Raspberry Pi SD card into your PC and download the ROMs directly to the board, but there are more elegant solutions that use SD card shared folders or file manager apps. To be honest, I struggled with all of them.
Conclusion
Here’s how to build a retro gaming machine for under £100. I prefer the more expensive but legally clear methods – keeping your original console, buying a retro gaming compilation such as Sega Genesis Classics or Rare Replay, downloading digital versions of old games from sites such as Steam, Gog or the online store of your current gaming console, or buying a mini retro machine that runs fairly stable versions of your favourite games.
However, I’m a big fan of the Raspberry Pi, so I think it’s worth buying one and giving it a try. If you’re worried about downloading retro ROMs, Huge game library Anything made specifically for your device or downloaded Dos Box or later DosBox-X A program that lets you play hundreds of old PC games, including shareware. Alternatively, you can use your Raspberry Pi to access cloud-based gaming services such as: Xbox Cloud Gaming. you too Stream games from your PC to your Raspberry PiDiscovering games on new platforms is fun, and having something to run on a computer that fits in your pocket is a fascinating experience.
New Zealand’s justice minister has announced that Kim Dotcom will be extradited to the United States to face criminal charges related to the file-sharing site Megaupload. This decision could finally bring an end to a legal battle that has spanned over a decade.
Kim Dotcom, a German-born resident of New Zealand, has been contesting his extradition to the US since a 2012 FBI-ordered search of his Auckland home. Despite repeated legal challenges, New Zealand’s courts have upheld the decision for his extradition, with the country’s Supreme Court affirming the ruling in 2020.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has signed the extradition order for Dotcom, stating, “Having carefully considered all the information, I have determined that Mr. Dotcom should be extradited to the United States to stand trial.”
Dotcom, who is facing charges including money laundering and copyright infringement, has argued against being held accountable for the actions of users on his site. Despite his claims, the courts have ruled in favor of his extradition, citing violations under New Zealand law.
US authorities allege that Dotcom and other Megaupload executives caused significant financial losses to film studios and record companies by profiting from copyrighted material shared on the website.
Following the shutdown of Megaupload, the site was rebranded as Mega in 2013 with a New Zealand domain. Dotcom is no longer associated with the company, which now focuses on online privacy services.
Megaupload executives who were arrested alongside Dotcom have faced legal consequences, with some striking plea deals and others receiving sentences. The unfolding legal saga has drawn attention to issues of copyright infringement and online file-sharing.
TThe story begins on a road miles from the border of another American state. The danger is clear, even when everything else is clear. Pax, the player character, is a black woman in her 30s who has just finished a robbery with friends. The border means freedom. A police car telling you to pull over means trouble.
Pax and her allies are anomalies, people with manipulative voice abilities called Vox. Pax is able to manipulate people into doing what she wants by making them feel bad for her, using abilities she calls “Triggers” and “Cancels.” Her ex-partner, Noam, is able to placate people with an ability she calls “Gaslighting.” What Dustborn is trying to communicate is certainly not subtle. Soon, we encounter people infected with weaponized disinformation.
Vox is available in certain situations, such as dialogue choices, often when the issue is time-sensitive. When you tap on a dialogue choice, you're presented with Pax's thoughts before you decide. Does Pax think it would be better to use a block to stop someone from asking a question, or would using a trigger to start a fight be the better option?
“The story you actively shape”…Dustborn. Photo: Red Thread Games
This is a very handy feature, especially when it's not clear what a one-word dialogue option represents. In my case, my first run-in with the police ends with an agitated officer stepping onto the highway and a truck doing the rest. This is just one of many tense encounters between the group on their way to safely delivering the stolen data drive to Nova Scotia, Canada.
It's amazing how well Dustborn remembers your choices: a little comic book icon appears on screen whenever a character mentions a past event that was influenced by a choice you made. This often happens multiple times in a single conversation, making Dustborn feel like a narrative experience that you're actively shaping.
“A balancing act between serious themes and the supernatural”…Dustborn. Photo: Red Thread Games
Dustborn also has hack-and-slash combat, but it's very easy and monotonous. If you're not enjoying it, you can reduce the frequency of encounters. There's also a small rhythm game section, as the group travels around undercover as a touring punk rock band. It's a fun diversion, but the songs are pretty awful. Maybe it's because of the band's undercover story, but I can't stand songs that rhyme the word “born” with “born.” Three times.
The game will certainly irritate some people by stating the characters' politics loudly and explicitly – Nazis are bad – but it also doesn't say anything else of note beyond that. The setting, for example, doesn't stand up to casual examination. A paranoid JFK is said to have “basically resurrected Nazi Germany” after surviving an assassination attempt. To be clear, Dustborn's setting doesn't reflect the horrors of Nazi Germany in any way. The problem is, it might think it does. There are stories of people talking about book burnings and “fighting,” but it never really connects to anything substantial. A lot of ideas are vying for space – robots, a near-apocalyptic event, the dangers of totalitarianism – but none of them get the space they deserve.
Meanwhile, real-world problems are transformed into supernatural ones, and later in the game you learn how to cure people infected with disinformation. Point the device at a person, and the person regains consciousness screaming something like “Wait, the awakened mind virus doesn't exist! What was I saying?”. Transforming the real fight against disinformation into a supernatural element is very damaging to the game. What's even more offensive is that issues like racism don't seem to be involved. Every member of the team is from a minority background, and none of the characters feel the need to comment on it. This is a good thing, but from my experience as a minority, it's just as offensive as not having any diverse characters at all. The game didn't need this kind of set dressing, it didn't even need supernatural powers. A lot of it would just make the well-intentioned message worthless.
Meanwhile, the characterization is fantastic throughout. Dustborn is a game where characters talk about their feelings openly and in detail, which is charming and complemented by regular check-ins with friends around the campfire after each mission.
Dustborn's fundamental problem is its apparent desire to balance serious themes with the supernatural, and to alternate between fun moments, activism, and drama, but it ultimately fails to achieve this balance. For example, a raccoon's birthday party is held after a tragedy befalls the entire community. I enjoyed it more once I stopped taking it so seriously, because the standout moments come when Dustborn leans into the ridiculousness of its supernatural storyline. In Dustborn, you might expect a tense journey across the United States, but what you actually get is the equivalent of an interactive Marvel movie, and that's fine.
THow do we solve the world's problems? Apparently with a podcast. Today. Assembly requiredA Fine Mess is a new show from former US politician Stacey Abrams that aims to help listeners understand the planet's biggest ills and how they can be part of solving them. The show airs on the heels of A Fine Mess, in which entrepreneur Sabrina Merage Naim tackles some of society's toughest problems and “finds a way out of this chaos” by approaching them with curiosity rather than fear. Will it work? Who knows. But at this point, we're willing to try anything.
This week we're also highlighting the best podcasts about love, from profiles of Hollywood romances to a binge-worthy audio drama about two men falling in love, told over an answering machine. We're also featuring a moving confession from a former professional football player turned match fixer, a fascinating investigation into psychiatric medication, and a preview of the inspiring story of the Olympic refugee team. We hope one of them will bring you joy, even if it can't save the planet.
This week's picks
Dorsa Yavarivafa at the Paris Games. Along with fellow refugee swimmer Matin Barsini, she talks about her Olympic journey on the Unsung podcast. Photo: Kinh Chun/AP
Confession of match fixing BBC Sounds, weekly episodes “I would load up my car with cash and drive around London to see which footballers I could get to throw out,” Moses Swaibu says at the start of this confessional podcast. The former professional footballer admits he had the power to manipulate scores and make millions for overseas betting cartels. His voice is filled with regret as he tells Troy Deeney how he went from promising young player to traitor to the sport he loves. Hannah Verdier
script Radio Atlantic, full episodes available Can a “safe” opioid save you after another has ruined your life? If buprenorphine helped people quit heroin in France, why hasn't it worked in the U.S.? The Atlantic's Ethan Brooks asks these questions in a nuanced, thought-provoking examination of the withdrawal drug. HV
Hidden stars of unknown sports Widely available, available now Formed in 2016, the Refugee Olympic Team made history at Paris 2024 when boxer Sindy Ngamba won the team's first medal. In this special episode of our series celebrating unsung athletes, fellow Refugee Olympians badminton player Dolsa Yabalivafa and swimmer Matin Barsini share what such a journey is really like. Holly Richardson
A wonderful mess Widely available, with weekly episodes Philanthropist and investor Sabrina Meraj Naim lives a seemingly perfect and fulfilling life, but she's not in top shape. So she invites guests to help her face the big questions “with curiosity, not fear.” Questions on AI, cannabis legalization, the meaning of success, and more are all addressed here, with contributions from comedian Samantha Bee and reformed “girl boss” Samhita Mukhopadhyay. HV
Master Plan Widely available, with weekly episodes For two years, David Sirota, former speechwriter for Bernie Sanders and co-author of Don't Look Up, and his highly talented team have been investigating corruption and scandal at the U.S. Supreme Court. From Watergate to the 2020s, this podcast shows how corruption impacts everyday life and offers a frightening vision of what the future may hold. HV
There is a podcast
John Lennon and Yoko Ono was one of many celebrity romances detailed on the Significant Lovers podcast. Photo: Pacific Press/Shutterstock
this week, Charlie Lindler 5 best podcasts A wonderful love storyFrom stories of celebrity couples like John and Yoko to Dolly Alderton's fascinating miniseries
Precious Lover A reimagined Twilight podcast, hosts Melissa Duffy and Kelly Anderson (known to listeners as Mel and Kel) delve into Hollywood romances in detail that borders on obsession, digging into the classics (John and Yoko, Brangelina) as well as a host of millennial-friendly couples, including Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson, Alex Turner and Alexa Chung, and Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. Their investigative skills and genuine empathy with each couple make every episode heartbreaking.
Hook up and hitch Page Six's podcast about celeb rock-solid marriages ran from 2020 to 2022, but — with apologies to Jason Momoa, Lisa Bonet and co — much of the content is still relevant today. Reporters Eileen Lethreng and Brian Firth dig into showbiz's biggest names' love stories, asking how their marriages have endured long-distance relationships, scandals, and the occasional infidelity. While other podcasts downplay the twists and turns in a tabloid-style manner, Hooked Up to Hitched is surprisingly short, with each episode taking fans on a whirlwind ride through history in under 10 minutes.
The Justice Department is weighing various options, including the breakup of Alphabet Inc.’s Google, with a reported market capitalization of approximately $2 trillion, following a court ruling that tech giants monopolized the online search market illegally. The New York Times and Bloomberg News.
According to reports, one of the potential remedies frequently discussed by Justice Department lawyers is the sale of the Android operating system.
Authorities are also reportedly exploring options such as forcing the sale of Google’s search advertising program, AdWords, and its Chrome web browser.
A spokesman for the Justice Department stated that they are assessing the court’s decision and will determine the appropriate next steps in compliance with the court’s directives and applicable antitrust laws.
No decision has been made yet, as per a spokesman, and Google declined to comment. Google intends to appeal the ruling and faces a separate antitrust trial filed by the Department of Justice next month.
Other potential measures being considered by the Justice Department include mandating Google to share data with competitors and implementing safeguards to prevent unfair advantages with its AI products, according to sources familiar with the matter.
In the recent trial outcome, it was revealed that Google had paid over $26 billion in 2021 to secure agreements with companies like Apple to maintain its search engine as the default option on Safari, leading to monopoly allegations and anti-competitive practices, as ruled by the judge.
Following the judge’s ruling, rival search engine DuckDuckGo proposed banning exclusive agreements of this nature.
The ruling, issued last week, found Google in violation of antitrust laws and spending billions to establish an illegal monopoly that cemented its position as the global default search engine. This ruling marks a significant win for federal regulators challenging the dominance of tech giants in the market.
In the last four years, federal antitrust regulators have sued Meta Platforms Inc., Amazon.com Inc., and Apple Inc. for allegedly maintaining monopolies unlawfully.
In 2004, Microsoft reached a settlement with the Department of Justice over claims that it compelled Windows users to use its Internet Explorer web browser.
Google, the creator of Android, is set to release a range of new devices including smartphones, smartwatches, and earbuds featuring advanced AI technology like Gemini Live. This move is aimed at surpassing competitors like Apple and Samsung.
The new Pixel products unveiled at the event in California showcase Google’s commitment to integrating AI into its devices, showcasing their superiority over the competition.
Pixel 9 Series
The Pixel 9 Pro is Google’s first “pro” phone with a smaller screen size. Photo: Google
The new Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL feature Google’s advanced Tensor G4 chip with a faster AI processor, setting them apart from their competitors.
An exciting new AI feature, Gemini Live, promises natural conversations with AI assistants, reminiscent of sci-fi movies like Iron Man’s Jarvis.
Other notable features include the Pixel Studio image generator and the camera’s “Add Me” function, merging two consecutive images to include the photographer in group photos.
The Pixel 9 comes with a 6.3-inch screen and dual-camera system, the Pixel 9 Pro adds a telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL features a 6.8-inch screen similar to last year’s model.
The “Pro” smartphones are direct competitors to Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro series, offering similar features and a year of access to Gemini Advanced.
All models include two years of free satellite SOS messaging in the U.S., akin to Apple’s latest iPhones.
Prices for the Pixel 9 start at £799, the 9 Pro XL at £1,099, and the 9 Pro at £999, available for shipping in August and September.
Pixel 9 Pro Foldable
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is equipped with a large foldable screen. Photo: Google
Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold boasts a thinner, lighter design with an 8-inch flexible internal screen and a 6.3-inch external screen.
Featuring the Tensor G4 chip and advanced AI capabilities, the Pro Fold surpasses its predecessor and rivals other foldable phones on the market.
With 5x optical zoom, the triple camera system outperforms competitors like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6, offering innovative features like “Made You Look” animations.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is priced at £1,749 and will be available for shipping in September.
Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2
The Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2 offer advanced AI technology. Photo: Google
Google also revealed new accessories including the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2. The smartwatch features improved health and fitness tracking, longer battery life, and advanced health monitoring capabilities.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 offer enhanced noise cancellation and support for Gemini Live, allowing users to interact naturally with their AI assistant.
The Pixel Watch 3 is priced at £349 and the Pixel Buds Pro 2 at £219, set to ship in late September.
aAbout 700 well-heeled Democrats packed San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel on Sunday to see Kamala Harris return to the city for the first time since launching her presidential campaign. The crowd at the fundraiser, where the cheapest tickets cost $3,300 and the highest was $500,000, included tech billionaires, corporate executives, and Silicon Valley venture capitalists who are quick to endorse Vice President Harris in her bid for the White House.
The event, which raised more than $12 million, was the latest in the Harris campaign’s outreach to tech Democrats and an extension of ties to Silicon Valley elites that go back more than a decade.
Harris, a former California attorney general and then senator, has extensive ties to some of the tech industry’s most influential figures and big donors. Her campaign has yet to release detailed policy positions on issues such as tech regulation, but tech executives speculate that her track record suggests she could take a more industry-friendly approach than Joe Biden.
Democrats from the tech industry who have promoted or donated to the Harris campaign include former Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg; LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who attended the fundraiser in San Francisco; philanthropist Melinda French Gates; IAC Chairman Barry Diller; and Silicon Valley venture capitalist Ron Conway. Laurene Powell Jobs, the billionaire philanthropist and former wife of Apple’s Steve Jobs, is a longtime friend of Harris’ and held a fundraiser for her at her home in 2013. Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings, who publicly called on the president to drop out after his disastrous debate performance, publicly endorsed Harris for the race. Donated $7 million It funded a pro-Harris super PACac within days of her becoming the presumptive nominee.
Some of these donors have come to Harris’ campaign with their own agendas. Most notably, Hoffman and Diller have called for the removal of Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, whose agency has aggressively regulated big tech companies, angering the industry with lawsuits against companies like Microsoft and Amazon. (Hoffman sits on the Microsoft board of directors.) Targeted of the FTC’s antitrust lawsuit.
That Hoffman and Diller are donating heavily to Harris while also calling for the removal of Khan gives the appearance of billionaire donors trying to sway policy for their own benefit. Hoffman’s denial Harris claims Hoffman’s donations were made in exchange for influence. While she has not yet commented on the donations from Khan or her critics, her campaign hosted him at an organizing event in early August after his attacks on the FTC chairman.
Harris has received public pledges of support from big-name donors as well as hundreds of venture capitalists and technology industry insiders. “VCs For Kamala” website More than 800 signatures were collected from various companies. Bloomberg reported Tech4Kamala’s open letter has garnered more than 1,200 signatures, and the two groups are planning to hold an event later this month.
Trump battles Harris to build new relationships in Silicon Valley
Harris may have more vocal tech advocates than Biden, but the industry has also seen a shift toward conservatism and embrace of far-right ideology, and she faces a host of strong opponents. Last month in San Francisco, venture capitalists David Sachs and Chamath Palihapitiya hosted a fundraiser for Donald Trump that raised about $12 million, while Silicon Valley powerhouses Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz announced plans to make large donations to the former president.
Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, also ran his Ohio Senate campaign with roughly $15 million in contributions from tech billionaire Peter Thiel, who was briefly employed by Thiel’s venture capital firm in 2015. Before becoming a senator, Vance worked in Silicon Valley and was connected to a wide network of wealthy conservatives in the tech industry.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has openly supported Trump while promoting attacks on Harris and the Democratic Party on his social media platform, X. Last month, Musk shared a deepfake parody video on the platform that showed manipulated footage of Harris saying, “I’m the ultimate diversity hire.” Musk’s Grok chatbot has also Spreading disinformation Harris drew condemnation from Democrats after suggesting she was ineligible to appear on the ballot in some states.
On Monday, Musk spoke with Trump in a more than two-hour interview in which he praised the president and did not refute a variety of falsehoods and baseless election conspiracy theories.
“The Trump campaign is run by self-centered rich people like Elon Musk and Trump himself who have betrayed the middle class and won’t be able to live stream in 2024,” Joseph Costello, a spokesman for the Harris campaign, said in a statement after the interview.
California’s ties to big tech companies
Harris, who served as California’s attorney general and then senator from 2010 to 2020, served during a pivotal period in the rise of Silicon Valley’s largest social networks, including Facebook. Her record on tech legislation and litigation has been praised by regulatory and privacy advocates, but she has also been criticized for not trying to rein in companies that have accumulated monopolies.
Harris, as attorney general, had close ties to the industry, and had been close to Sandberg, who was Facebook’s COO, and had worked on the PR campaign for her memoir, “Lean In.” Sandberg made the maximum legal individual contribution to Sandberg’s 2016 Senate campaign, Emails obtained by HuffPostsent Harris a message two days after the election saying, “Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!! We need your help now,” but Harris did not respond.
aAt first glance, Wanderstop seems to stimulate the same restless urge as many other feel-good games: the desire to escape a stressful life into a secluded wilderness. The game begins with you taking a job as an assistant in a tea shop in the forest, where you spend your days cleaning, tending to the garden, and researching the perfect tea blend to satisfy the needs of visiting customers. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll find that the game rips away the hollow rewards of escapist fantasies.
This idyllic setting was born from an idea that game designer Davey Redden had in mind a few months after the game’s release. Beginner’s Guide for 2015He had a recurring daydream about going to a coffee shop in the woods and lying on a bench by the water. He drew various sketches of that scene for several months, before finally deciding that it would be his next game.
“I thought feel-good games would soothe my soul. But I was so wrong” … Wanderstop. Photo: Ivy Road
“I was feeling extremely exhausted,” he says, “like I was trying to summon up some energy within myself to rest and relax. I thought that some feel-good games would soothe a part of me. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that this was completely wrong.”
Making a feel-good game is a marathon of hard work, just like making any other game, and one that’s not made easier by a cute sensibility, but Wreden was also consumed by the same illusion at the heart of the genre: that the satisfaction of completing a series of tasks is the same as solace.
It wasn’t until Carla Zimonja, one of the creators of Gone Home, came on board that Welden realized he was making a seemingly heartwarming game about trauma.[We realized Wanderstop’s] “The characters were really conflicted and in a really bad situation,” he says. “And they’re not going to be magically cured by having tea in the middle of the woods.”
The protagonist, Alta, is at the heart of Wonderstop’s heartwarming fantasy, a character who seeks healing through escapism and the mundane. Once a champion fighter and human weapon, she was sharp and violent. “Her whole life and mind is focused on progressing and achieving future accomplishments,” says Redden. Her time in the arena left her traumatized, and she believes completing the tea shop job will help her heal.
If Alta were a player, she’d be a quintessential min-maxer, figuring out the most efficient way to get the coffee shop’s work done in the shortest time possible. She sweeps her broom as if she were swinging a sword. But without spoiling the story, Ureden makes it clear that running through a checklist of wholesome tasks won’t lead to the solace Alta or her customers are looking for. “A character who offers you a cup of tea and says, ‘Great, well done, thank you for cheering me up. Here’s a token of my appreciation!’ and then just walks away is the last thing we can do,” Ureden says. “I think this place is a place where you can be yourself and not just be yourself.” [challenge] If she doesn’t, the activity won’t have the predictable results that players are accustomed to.”
“WonderStop was created not to shatter the comfort zone of gamers and their escapist fantasies, but to change our understanding of where healing comes from,” he said. “In Studio Ghibli films, [we watch] “This is someone doing chores,” Zimonja says, “sweeping the floor, washing dishes, tidying up. You can see that these ritualistic elements, these ongoing acts of maintenance, are important and meaningful parts of living in the world.”
Through Arta’s story, we learn that tasks are restorative only because of the intrinsic pleasure of performing them, and not, as Redden puts it, “because of the promise of future reward.” As Zimonja adds, “It’s our daily rituals that are the foundation of our lives.”
TThe current social media trend is familiar, with self-absorbed individuals posting excessively on the platforms they dominate, a scenario we’ve seen play out in the past. Donald Trump’s incendiary tweets post-election loss resulted in the Capitol siege on January 6, 2021. Following this, the then-president was banned from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and even Pinterest, disappointing those aiming to emulate the Mar-a-Lago style on their mood boards.
The situation is likely to evolve differently this time, especially with social media provocateur Elon Musk at the helm of the platform he utilizes.
During Trump’s tenure, I was stationed at Twitter as its highest-ranking official outside the U.S. Over my eight-year tenure, it became apparent that there was a disparity in the interpretation of free speech between the UK and the U.S., with the latter often championing a libertarian outlook on the concept.
As the UK subsidiary of an American entity, we witnessed a daily fervent defense of free speech. Twitter’s founding legal advisor, Alex MacGillivray, famously dubbed the company as “the free speech wing of the free speech party.” While the U.S. often assumes its freedoms are unique, the UK’s Human Rights Act of 1998 guarantees freedom of speech while also acknowledging its responsibility, stressing that it should not be used to incite criminal activities or spread hatred.
For American tech firms, the interpretation of “free speech” varies. During my tenure at Twitter under a more enlightened leadership, the UK team quickly realized that the Silicon Valley notion of “free speech” wasn’t always geared towards fostering an ideal world. Instead, it often allowed certain groups to target marginalized sections of society, such as women, the LGBTQ+ community, and ethnic minorities, with impunity, detracting from the platform’s original enjoyable nature.
Working within the UK office felt akin to operating within a parliamentary system devoid of a written constitution, relying more on external expectations to shape the organization’s direction.
Efforts to brand “free speech” as a philosophical conviction notwithstanding, its appeal to tech companies is primarily economic. As journalist Kara Swisher notes, Silicon Valley’s approach is more profit-driven than principle-based, evidenced by the support for Trump within San Francisco’s venture capital realm. Holding tech oligarchs accountable for their platforms’ content is feasible and necessary.
Considerations around Musk’s tweets often offer insights into his actions. For instance, his posts on social media platforms like Instagram highlight his late-night musings, providing clues about his mindset and geographic location. Musk’s propensity for controversial posts and real-world ramifications underscores the need for accountability on social media platforms.
The discussion centers on whether billionaire oligarchs like Musk should be allowed to influence societal discourse unchecked. Calls for regulation and accountability in the social media landscape are imperative to address the challenges posed by influential figures like Musk.
Bruce Daisley served as Twitter’s vice president for Europe, Middle East, and Africa from 2012 to 2020.
If you have any comments on the topics discussed in this article and wish to submit a response of up to 300 words for publication in our Letters section, please click here.
What actions can the UK government take regarding Twitter? Should What are your thoughts on Twitter? What interests does Elon Musk have?
The billionaire proprietor of the social network, still officially referred to as X, has had an eventful week causing disruptions on his platform. Besides his own posts, which include low-quality memes sourced from 8chan and reposted fake concerns from far-right figures, the platform as a whole, along with the other two of the three “T’s,” TikTok and Telegram, briefly played a significant role in orchestrating this chaos.
There is a consensus that action needs to be taken: Bruce Daisley, former VP EMEA at Twitter, proposes individual accountability.
In the near term, Musk and other executives should be reminded of their legal liability for their actions under current laws. The UK’s Online Safety Act 2023 should be promptly bolstered. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his team should carefully consider if Ofcom, the media regulator frequently criticized for the conduct of organizations like GB News, can effectively manage the rapid behavior of someone like Musk. In my view, the threat of personal consequences is much more impactful on corporate executives than the prospect of a corporate fine. If Musk continues to incite unrest, an arrest warrant could create sparks from his fingertips, though as a jet-setting personality, an arrest warrant could be a compelling deterrent.
Last week, London Mayor Sadiq Khan presented his own suggestion.
“The government swiftly realized the need to reform the online safety law,” Khan told the Guardian in an interview. “I believe that the government must ensure that this law is suitable immediately. I don’t think it currently is.”
“Responsible social media platforms can take action,” Khan remarked, but added that “if they fail to address their own issues, regulation will be enforced.”
When I spoke to Euan McGaughey, a law professor at King’s College London on Monday, he provided more precise recommendations on what actions the government could take. He mentioned that the Communications Act 2003 underlies many of Ofcom’s authorities and is applied to regulate broadcast television and radio, but extends beyond those media.
Simply as section 232 specifies that “television licensable content services” involve distribution “by any means involving the use of an electronic communications network,” this Act empowers Ofcom to regulate online media content. While Ofcom could exercise this power, it is highly improbable as Ofcom anticipates challenges from tech companies, including those fueling riots and conspiracy theories.
Even if the BBC or the government were reluctant to interpret the old law differently, minor modifications could subject Twitter to stricter broadcasting regulatory oversight, he added.
For instance, there is no distinction between Elon Musk posting a video on X about (so-called) two-tier policing, discussing “detention camps” or asserting “civil war is inevitable” and ITV, Sky, or the BBC broadcasting the news… Online Safety Act Grossly insufficient, as the constraints merely aim to prevent “illegal” content and do not inherently address false or dangerous speech.
The law of keeping promises
Police in Middlesbrough responded to a mob spurred by social media posts this month. Photo: Gary Culton/Observer
It may seem peculiar to feel sympathy for an inanimate object, but the Online Safety Act has likely been treated quite harshly given its minimal enforcement. A comprehensive law encompassing over 200 individual clauses, it was enacted in 2023, but most of its modifications will only take effect once Ofcom has completed the extensive consultation process and established a code of practice.
The law introduces a few new offenses, such as bans on cyber-flashing and upskirt photography. Sections of the old law, referred to as malicious communications, have been substituted with new, more precise laws like threatening and false communications, with two of the new offenses going into effect for the first time this week.
But what if this had all happened earlier and Ofcom was operational? Would the outcome have been different?
The Online Safety Act is a peculiar piece of legislation: an effort to curb the worst impulses on the internet, drafted by a government taking a stance in favor of free speech amidst a growing culture war and enforced by regulators staunchly unwilling to pass judgment on individual social media posts.
What transpired was either a skillful act of navigating a tricky situation or a clumsy mishap, depending on who you ask. The Online Safety Act does not outright criminalize everything on the web; instead, it mandates social media companies to establish specific codes of conduct and consistently enforce them. For certain forms of harm like incitement to self-harm, racism, and racial hatred, major services must at least provide adults with the option to opt out of such content and completely block it from children. For illegal content ranging from child abuse imagery to threats and false communications, it requires new risk assessments to aid companies in proactively addressing these issues.
It’s understandable why this legislation faced significant backlash upon its passage: its main consequence was a mountain of new paperwork in which social networks had to demonstrate adherence to what they had always purportedly done: attempting to mitigate racist abuse, addressing child abuse imagery, enforcing their terms of use, and so forth.
Advocates of the law argue that it serves more as a means for Ofcom to impose its promises on companies rather than forcing them to alter their behavior. The easiest way to impose a penalty under the Online Safety Act – potentially amounting to 10% of global turnover if modeled after GDPR – is to announce loudly to customers that steps are being taken to tackle issues on the platform, only to do nothing.
One could envision a scenario where the CEO of a tech company, the key antagonist in this play, stands before an inquiry, solemnly asserting that the reprehensible behavior they witness violates their terms of service, then returning to their office and taking no action.
The challenge for Ofcom lies in the fact that multinational social networks are not governed by cartoonish villains who flout legal departments, defy moderators, and whimsically enforce one set of terms of service on allies and a different one on adversaries.
Except for one.
Do as I say, don’t do as I do
Elon Musk’s Twitter has emerged as a prime test case for online safety laws. On the surface, the social network appears relatively ordinary: its terms of service prohibit the dissemination of much of the same content as other major networks, with a slightly more lenient stance on pornographic material. Twitter maintains a moderation team that employs both automated and human moderation to remove objectionable content, an appeals process for individuals alleging unfair treatment, and progressive penalties that could ultimately lead to account suspensions for violations.
However, there’s an additional layer to how Twitter operates: Elon Musk follows through on what he says. For instance, last summer, after a prominent right-wing influencer shared child abuse images, the account’s creator received a 129-year prison sentence. The motive remains unclear, but the account was swiftly suspended. Musk then intervened:
The only people who have seen these photos are members of the CSE team. At this time, we will remove these posts and reinstate your account.
While Twitter’s terms of service theoretically prohibit many of the egregious posts related to the UK riots, such as “hateful conduct” and “inciting, glorifying, or expressing a desire for violence,” they do not seem to be consistently enforced. This is where Ofcom may potentially take aggressive actions against Musk and his affiliated companies.
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and othersLast spring, one of my favorite brand tie-ins of 2023 came when cosmetics giant Lush teamed up with Nintendo to create a range of products based on Super Mario. It was a riot of brightly coloured shower gels and super sweet fragrances, including an amazing Princess Peach body spray that I still wear because I don’t give a damn about gender-based perfume norms.
Rush has released a new video game series. Celebrating Minecraft’s 15th AnniversaryThere are 12 items in the collection, including a TNT block, the most literal bath bomb Lush has ever made, as well as grass and lava blocks, a creeper head shower bomb, and a diamond pickaxe bubble bar, which is pretty heavy despite its small size.
The collection is the result of a year-long collaboration with game developer Mojang, and has been a popular project among the company’s employees. Melody Morton, creative director at Lush Concepts, is a frequent player, but she’s not the only one. “We have a lot of Minecraft players within the company, so we had a lot of input and resources to draw from in terms of product, creative, and messaging,” says Kareem Brinkworth, creative lead on the Lush collaboration team.
How much you want to try these will depend on your love of the game, and Lush’s famously rather strong scents. “Choosing the scent for a product is often the last part of putting everything together, so we all have fun with this part,” says Brinkworth. “Some items had a clear and obvious scent direction. For example, the Glass Block Bath Bomb needed to smell clean, fresh and green – just like grass. We developed a freshly cut grass scent a while back, so this combination was in the cards from the start.”
Brinkworth says some of the other items required trial and error with multiple scents. “We look at the color of the bath bomb and the properties of the item to determine the overall feeling we want to evoke, and that often leads to the perfectly matched scent.” The TNT bath bomb is an explosion of ylang-ylang and jasmine that paints your bath a vibrant red, like you’re immersed in a hippie horror movie. In contrast, Creeper Block has a delicate lemongrass scent that belies the creature’s sinister role in the game. Totem of Undying is a soap made with Brazilian orange and bergamot oils that some people might find off-putting, but as someone who likes to smell like fruit salad chews, I love it.
But what’s really cool about this collection is the way it thinks about form factor: Most of the pieces are cube-shaped, so you can stack them up next to your bath.You can also hit them with an axe. The Lush Bath Bombs add-on for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition is also available to download for free from the Minecraft Marketplace, which allows you to create your own bath bombs to use in the game. I found this really useful a few years ago when I was trying to give my Minecraft-obsessed young sons a bath. For any other desperate parents out there, remember that if you have kids who want to smell like a creeper or the Ender Dragon, you’ll need to hurry up and buy one, as the set will only be available until the end of August.
HHow do you follow up on a game that made the world cry? It’s a question that’s vexed writer Graham Parks since his 2021 BAFTA-winning Before Your Eyes. Released during the height of lockdown, Parks’ webcam-controlled story uses the player’s blinks to fast-forward through protagonist Benny’s memories, blinking through each uplifting and heartbreaking moment of his existence. It quickly gained a reputation as Twitch’s tearjerker, its moving story and the misery of the pandemic’s last few months creating a perfect, tissue-paper-shredding storm. “As a writer, it was definitely a scary thing,” Parks says. “I’m interested in using games to tell concise, emotional stories, but I can’t say they’re going to make you cry every time.”
Still, tears or no tears, things are already looking pretty promising for Goodnight Universe, an intriguing sequel to Before Your Eyes. Developed by Nice Dream, an all-new studio founded by creators Graham Parks and Oliver Lewin, Goodnight Universe has already won the 2024 Game of the Year award at the TriBeCa Film Festival, beating out the excellent Thank Goodness You’re Here!
So moving…Goodnight universe Photo: Nice Dream
What’s the premise of Goodnight Universe? “It’s a game where you play as a baby with psychic powers,” Parks says with a coy laugh. Using a webcam or a VR headset, players step inside the tiny body of baby Isaac, who begins to develop mysterious abilities. The slithering psychic must grasp his rapidly blossoming new powers and use his eyes to bend the vast world around him to his will – preferably without scaring Isaac’s poor parents, Parker explains.
“Before Your Eyes was a game about disempowering the player,” Parks says, “but we always felt that mechanics like blinking and eye tracking could also be used to empower the player and give them a sense of magic.”
Second grade angst…Goodnight universe. Photo: Nice Dream
Sounding more like Boss Baby than indie darling, Goodnight Universe’s storyline was definitely a tonal shift, and one that took the team a while to realise. “We had been anxious about the second album for a really long time,” Parks says. “We even had to make a rule in ideation sessions that we couldn’t even talk about ‘Before Your Eyes’.”
Luckily, inspiration struck from a new face in the room. “Our lead designer, Bella, had just had her first child,” says Parks. “She started coming into meetings and was at an age where you’d sit down and she’d just stare at one thing for an hour and you’d forget she was there. We’d become known as people who make games that don’t move around a lot… I noticed her quietly staring at me, and that was my ‘Oh, noooo!’ moment.” Goodnight Universe was born.
From kinetically changing TV channels to sending wooden blocks flying, Goodnight Universe takes players on Isaac’s strange but heartwarming journey to understand his powers, be accepted by his family, and avoid being kidnapped by a shady tech company. The diaper-clad protagonist is voiced by Top Gun Maverick’s Lewis Pullman, and the supporting cast includes actors from TV shows like Veep, Barry, and The Daily Show, and the LA studio cleverly takes advantage of its proximity to Hollywood.
“Many indies [the union] “Some actors only do film or TV,” adds the game’s director and composer Oliver Lewin, “but the truth is, these actors are really excited about this.”
Thanks to its BAFTA win, Before Your Eyes has transcended its webcam origins, making its way to PlayStation VR2 and joining Netflix’s steadily growing library of mobile games. But while you can play Goodnight Universe in VR and turn off face tracking, for Lewin, the game’s story is still tied to the humble webcam. “For us, the face-tracking technology is there to enhance immersion,” Lewin says. [few] Developers are researching this…There’s a lot you can do with just a simple webcam, and everyone has one.”
“Our game is, in many ways, a playable movie,” Parks adds. “I think what motivates us more than any exciting controls is how we can use this medium to tell a story in an interesting and unique way.”
In a medium that revolves around slaying dragons, crushing demons and embarking on intergalactic power fantasies, there’s something fresh and quaint about Goodnight Universe, but after shedding a fair few tears over Before Your Eyes, if anyone can do justice to this strange premise, it’s the quirky LA Art Games collective.
Just as the much-anticipated conversation between Donald Trump and Elon Musk was set to begin, users of X (formerly Twitter) were met with a message stating, “This space is no longer available.”
X’s livestreaming audio feature, Spaces, was supposed to host the conversation, but technical difficulties prevented it from working. Clicking on a link to Trump’s inactive account, @RealDonaldTrump, caused the site to freeze and become unusable, leading to complaints from users about being unable to join and browsers crashing.
Musk, the owner of X, posted that it seemed the platform had been hit with a massive DDOS attack. However, the rest of X seemed to be functioning without issues.
The interview was scheduled for 8pm ET, but due to resolving technical problems, Musk announced a 30-minute delay. Eventually, users were able to join the broadcast by clicking a link.
When the hold music on X stopped at 8:30 p.m. ET, a rustling sound could be heard from Trump’s microphone, leading to 10 minutes of silence before the interview finally began. X showed a high listener count of over 1 million as the interview progressed.
Musk mentioned that the DDOS attack had been mostly overcome, stating, “There is strong opposition to listening to President Trump, as evidenced by this massive attack.”
Trump expressed satisfaction with the incident, calling it an honor alongside millions of others.
This mishap is particularly damaging for X’s image as a tech innovator and a reliable advertising platform. The company recently filed a lawsuit against major advertisers for monopolistic practices.
Despite some challenges, Musk continues to position X as a platform at the forefront of politics and free speech.
A former Twitter executive has suggested that Elon Musk should be subject to “personal sanctions” and the possibility of an “arrest warrant” if he is found to be disrupting public order on his social media platform.
Bruce Daisley, Twitter’s former vice president for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, expressed in the Guardian that it is unfair to let tech billionaires like Musk tamper with discord without facing personal consequences.
He urged Chancellor Keir Starmer to toughen online safety laws and assess whether media regulator Ofcom is equipped to handle fast-moving individuals like Musk.
Daisley emphasized that the threat of personal sanctions is more effective against executives than the risk of corporate fines, as it could impact the lavish lifestyles of tech billionaires.
The UK government has urged social media platforms to act responsibly following recent riots, attributing them to false information spread online, including claims about asylum seekers.
Musk’s inflammatory posts, such as predicting civil war in the UK, have garnered criticism from government officials, with some calling his remarks unacceptable.
Daisley, who worked at Twitter from 2012 to 2020, described Musk as someone who behaves like a reckless teenager and suggested that an arrest warrant might make him reconsider his actions.
He emphasized the need for legislation to establish boundaries for acceptable behavior on social media and questioned whether tech billionaires should be allowed to influence society without consequences.
Daisley urged for immediate strengthening of the Online Safety Act 2023 to hold tech executives accountable for their actions and to prioritize democratic governance over the influence of tech billionaires.
He also suggested that views deemed harmful, such as those from individuals like Tommy Robinson, should be removed from platforms under the guidance of regulators like Ofcom.
Daisley concluded that the focus should be on upholding acceptable behavior on social media rather than prioritizing profits, especially when influential tech figures like Musk are involved.
He emphasized the possibility of holding tech billionaires accountable for the content allowed on their platforms and called for stricter measures to prevent abuse of power.
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