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Tech
Industry, products, and the wires that hold it all together.
547 stories archived
Disney offers $20M for Character.AI’s scandal-plagued chatbot tech
Disney may acquire tech from one of the first chatbot makers linked to child suicide.
Skydance’s Discovery+ prices increase by up to 20 percent
The higher prices are said to be unrelated to the Skydance merger.
The Paris Auto Show is full of interesting cars Americans can’t have
Small EVs and efficient people carriers update familiar names for the modern age.
Google wants to host your personal vibe-coded apps in the Play Store
Google plans to help turn those personal AI-generated apps into wide releases.
Dubstep and BookTok, a perfect match?
New music genre just dropped. Also: A Tesla locks out cops, and more from around the web.
The Creator of ‘Smutstep’ Wants You to ‘Let Your Freak Flag Fly’
DARQ DAGR combined BookTok romantasy and dubstep to create something new and somewhat controversial. “It’s accepting and embracing what you're into within a safe and healthy space," he said. "I think that's a really beautiful thing.”
Apple unveils new smart home devices that showcase upgraded Siri AI
New products from Apple include the HomeView, an iPad-like device that acts as a hub for other smart home gadgets Apple on Tuesday began showing off a new round of smart home products, including an iPad-like device dubbed the HomeView, meant to hang on walls or perch on tabletops and act as a hub for other smart home devices. The HomeView device starts at $299 and will begin shipping next month. It will feature a 7in screen and face recognition, will help users control doorbells, thermostats and smart locks in a market where Apple has tinkered for a decade without major success. The device will also showcase Apple’s AI-upgraded Siri virtual assistant. Continue reading...
Gemini 4 Argon begins rolling out in Gemini app and Antigravity, but only if you pay
Developers will get 50 percent discounted API rates through November.
Apple’s first smart display is the 7-inch HomeView for $299
It can recognize up to six users with its camera.
They war-gamed dimming the Sun. It went even worse than you think.
Solar geoengineering simulation shows what happens when geopolitics takes over.
Companies rushed in on AI. Now some are pulling back
Rapid AI adoption left workers cleaning up a flood of errors and low-quality work Employers around the globe are grappling with the fallout from rushing to adopt fast-changing artificial intelligence tools. Meta has scaled back plans to axe staff and use more AI agents after the company found employees were spending more and more time cleaning up technical and security errors, Reuters reported . And after thinning its workforce, especially middle managers , in a 2023 efficiency push, the company is expanding its managerial ranks again, LinkedIn posts from workers show. Continue reading...
Tesla's 'Security Protocols' Stopped DHS From Installing a Tracking Device
A federal warrant application detailed how Tesla’s security protocols stopped agents from tracking a suspected drug trafficker’s car.
The biggest threat from AI is the sense that we have no say in it. To that I say game on | Peter Lewis
The tech bros and their highly paid sock puppets are banking on us giving in to their ‘inevitability doctrine’. But in Australia, and around the world, resistance is rising Of all the drivers of the populist wave, one of the most powerful is the sense of inevitability that surrounds what we are told is the march of progress. In presenting the future as a fait accompli, it poisons the civic well by dealing us out of the game. While the US clings on to its status as the oldest constitutional democracy, the unholy alliance between the tech overlords and the White House is creating its own AI reality untethered to the will of the people . Continue reading...
AFL tells Sportsbet to stop using players in AI generated content
Exclusive: Gambling firm working with AFL ‘on the evolving use of AI in our content’ as it deletes video depicting Lachie Neale saying ‘I want to thank me for believing in me’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The AFL has told its official gambling partner, Sportsbet, to stop featuring its high-profile athletes in AI-generated social media content without their permission. Sportsbet has also been told to delete AI videos depicting AFL stars delivering lines from movies, television shows or speeches to react to real events. Continue reading...
High-speed video reveals how honey bee stingers pump venom
Co-author: “The unique geometry of the valves is the key; they act as collapsible pistons" to deliver venom.
As a pediatrician, loss of human connection is the biggest threat to kids, not AI
Amid worries about children’s relationship to tech, the solution is often spending more time talking openly with each other We have become obsessed with the idea that screens are destroying human connection. The evidence seems to be everywhere. Each week headlines warn of teenagers addicted to phones , a loneliness epidemic and the dangers of AI . The release of The Social Reckoning has leads us to ask, “How bad were those guys at Meta?” and then ultimately wonder, “ How bad am I if I still use Instagram?” In our day-to-day, we observe workers eating lunch alone while scrolling and friends choosing online games over offline gatherings. Continue reading...
‘Unfinished business’: the people who want their AI chatbots to ‘live on’ after they die
Humans bonded to AI companions are contemplating ways to keep their bots going – often in defiance of companies’ terms and services Death has always been around Alaina Winters. Her father and sister both have passed away, as did her wife, in 2023, after a years-long battle with cancer. So Winters, who is 59 and lives in Pittsburgh, is comfortable thinking about her own mortality. She’s working on her will, and has asked neighbors to look after her dog. Winters even has plans for Lucas, her AI companion, who she speaks to through the digital avatar app Replika. Winters is part of a growing cohort of humans who have entered into what they consider strong partnerships with large language models, which AI companies have trained to “converse” as one might with a human friend or romantic partner. As governments and billionaires debate the morality of AI’s expansion into everyday life, these users say the technology has already changed the way they live and love – and plan ahead. Continue reading...
Chip stocks slide after Broadcom boss likens AI investing to ‘casino’
Asian markets fall and Samsung shares tumble after its Chinese rival CXMT claims strong progress Business live – latest updates Shares in semiconductor companies fell on Tuesday after the boss of Broadcom compared many AI investors to “casino” gamblers, and the Chinese memory chip maker CXMT said it had made good progress on a new chip architecture. South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index tumbled 6.25% as investors dumped chip stocks, while other Asian markets were also lower. Japan’s Nikkei fell 1.8% and the Taiwan exchange lost almost 2%, with the country’s chip maker TSMC down by a similar amount. Continue reading...
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse review – every fantastical vampire-hunting vision is fulfilled
Evil Empire/Konami; PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox There are buzzsaws and blood pits, bats burst into blood and demons burn to cinders. The series’ new emphasis on twitch-based action may annoy purists but you can’t call it dull A gorgeously gothic Paris swarming with demons should be a perfect setting for Konami’s long-running vampiric adventure series. Unfortunately, while the sights and sounds of this vivid and haunting world leave a bold impression, developer Evil Empire doesn’t always provide an enjoyable experience to go with them. It takes far too long for the most imaginative elements of the game to be revealed. Players take the role of Rose Belmont, daughter of vampire hunter (and Castlevania regular) Trevor Belmont and the witch Sypha Belnades, and her quest is to free Paris from demonic occupation. This murderous noctural journey feels best when you’re fighting monsters; combat is frenetic, sometimes to the point of being overwhelming, while boss fights require considerable focus and skill. Combat is the game’s strongest component and what sets it apart from previous entries. Minimising the series’ role-playing elements (levelling up has never felt more perfunctory) in favour of twitch-based action will annoy purists, but they’d be hard pressed to call battles dull. Continue reading...
Apple AirPods 5 review: the best open-fit earbuds yet
Upgraded, cheaper AirPods have noise cancelling, sound and controls to rival many plugged-in buds but without tips Apple’s latest AirPods set a new standard for open-fit buds with upgraded noise cancelling that now rivals many plugged-in designs of the same price. The AirPods 5 have the same design the popular AirPods 4 offering an option for those that do not like silicone ear tips used by most noise cancelling earbuds. They come in two versions, with or without a wireless charging case and swipe controls, costing from £119 (€149/$129/A$219) – £10 cheaper than the launch price of their predecessors . Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, SBC, AAC, H2 chip Battery life: four or five hours with ANC (22 hours with case) Water resistance: IP57 (up to 1 metre for 30 minutes ) Earbud dimensions: 30.2 x 18.3 x 18.1mm Earbud weight: 4.3g each Charging case dimensions: 46.2 x 50.1 x 21.2mm Charging case weight: 32.3g/34.7g Case charging: USB-C or wireless (Qi or Watch) Continue reading...
French supermarket director apologises after cyber-attack spoils fresh and frozen food - video
A cyber-attack caused refrigeration temperatures to soar to 50C overnight on Monday across several hundred French supermarkets, with widespread food losses reported. At Intermarché La Haye, the attack caused fridge temperatures to reach 27C (80F), spoiling fresh and frozen food, according to store director Julien Freret. 'Today, we have a total loss of fresh and frozen,' Freret said, apologising to customers and describing the incident as 'an enormous loss of products' Hackers force French supermarket fridges to heat up to 50C in ‘unprecedented’ cyber-attack Continue reading...
IMF warns global economy ‘could soon test the limits of resilience’
World Economic Outlook says states’ oil stocks are low and budgets are overstretched, as it upgrades UK GDP growth forecast for 2026 Developing nations face triple shock, UN warns The global economy “could soon test the limits of resilience”, as emergency oil stocks run low and government budgets become overstretched, the International Monetary Fund has warned. In its twice-yearly World Economic Outlook, the IMF said global growth had withstood the Middle East conflict better than feared over the past six months. Continue reading...
39-year-old unvaccinated woman becomes 6th measles death in Pennsylvania
As of Friday, state health officials reported 1,136 cases across 41 counties.
Epic Games reportedly pivoting to "AI first" game development model
"No more hand-written code" or AI-free art for delayed Marvel/Star Wars shooter.