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Updated 2025-11-05 11:02
A PowerWash Simulator sequel is exactly what we need right now
It may look like an unnecessary sequel, but even as someone who played the original cleaning game for a record-setting 24 hours straight, I'm hooked all over againDoes the world really need another PowerWash Simulator game? No, some will say. Probably people who have never played the original and don't understand the appeal, but like to tilt their head with a mixture of bemusement and condescension and say: So what do you do in the game? Just wash things?"(It feels unfair that other pastimes don't have to justify themselves like this. No one ever says, Wait, you just run around the park in a circle for five kilometres?" Or, So you just kick the ball with your foot?") Continue reading...
‘The chilling effect’: how fear of ‘nudify’ apps and AI deepfakes is keeping Indian women off the internet
Widespread adoption of artificial intelligence has been accompanied by new ways to harass women onlineGaatha Sarvaiya would like to post on social media and share her work online. An Indian law graduate in her early 20s, she is in the earliest stages of her career and trying to build a public profile. The problem is, with AI-powered deepfakes on the rise, there is no longer any guarantee that the images she posts will not be distorted into something violating or grotesque.The thought immediately pops in that, OK, maybe it's not safe. Maybe people can take our pictures and just do stuff with them,'" says Sarvaiya, who lives in Mumbai. Continue reading...
AI study gives insights into why super-recognisers excel at identifying faces
Research uses eye-tracking data to examine some people's extraordinary recognition abilityThey have been used in the search for the Salisbury novichok poisoners, finding murder suspects and even spotting sexual predators. Now, research has revealed fresh insights into why super-recognisers are so good at identifying faces.Previous research has suggested people with an extraordinary ability to recognise people look at more areas across a face than typical people. Continue reading...
Google plans to put datacentres in space to meet demand for AI
US technology company's engineers want to exploit solar power and the falling cost of rocket launchesGoogle is hatching plans to put artificial intelligence datacentres into space, with its first trial equipment sent into orbit in early 2027.Its scientists and engineers believe tightly packed constellations of about 80 solar-powered satellites could be arranged in orbit about 400 miles above the Earth's surface equipped with the powerful processors required to meet rising demand for AI. Continue reading...
LOL: is this the ultimate texting faux pas (and what should you use instead)?
From abbreviations to happy poos, gen Z has strong opinions on appropriate texting behaviour. But can anyone keep up with the ever-changing rules?Name: LOL".Age: The Oxford English Dictionary first included LOL in 1997. Continue reading...
The mind-boggling valuations of AI companies
You try wrapping your head around a string of deals worth nearly $600bnHello, and welcome to TechScape. I'm your host, Blake Montgomery. If you like reading our newsletter, forward this email to five friends with a demand they sign up like it's a chain letter warning of bad luck for five years. In this week's news, AI companies hit mind-boggling financial milestones such as a $5tn valuation, a $100bn quarter, and a string of deals worth nearly $600bn.The Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center stretches from Interstate 80 up into the dry Nevada desert mountains. The complex spans tens of thousands of acres and is home to nearly 200 companies, both for fulfillment and logistics operations and tech data centers. That includes Google, Microsoft and Tesla. Some businesses have several data centers, each multiple football fields long, that snake up the desert valleys. The industrial center's landmass makes up 65% of the county's territory. It's so big, it's almost hard to comprehend.How do Apple's AirPods Pro 3 compare against hearing aids? I put them to the testOakley Meta Vanguard review: fantastic AI running glasses linked to GarminThe best Android phones in 2025: flagship smartphones compared and ranked Continue reading...
Football Manager 26 review –a modern sim for the modern game
Sports Interactive; PC (version tested), PS5, Switch, Xbox
Rise of the ‘porno-trolls’: how one porn platform made millions suing its viewers
A company called Strike 3, owner of Vixen and Tushy, has clogged US courts with lawsuits, mostly against porn watchers who feel shamed into settling privatelyWhen 73-year-old Tom Brown*, a retired police officer from Seattle, received a letter from Comcast, he might have mistaken it for a broadband bill. Instead, it was a subpoena. He had been sued in federal court for illegally downloading 80 movies. Some of the titles sounded cryptic - Do Not Worry, We Are Only Friends - or banal, like International Relations Part 2. Others were less subtle: He Loved My Big Ass, He Loved My Big Butt, and My Big Booty Loves Anal.Brown, who had spent decades investigating sex crimes, claimed he had never watched any of them. His years dealing with pimping", he wrote in a court filing, left him with no interest in pornography". He had been married for 40 years, he did not need to download Hot Wife, another title in the list. But the subpoena did not seem like something he could laugh off. It said he could face damages of up to $150,000 per movie - as much as $12m for all 80 films. If he did not respond promptly, the letter said, Comcast would identify him to the plaintiff in the case: a company called Strike 3 Holdings. Continue reading...
AI firm wins high court ruling after photo agency’s copyright claim
Ruling in case brought by Getty Images against Stability AI is seen as a blow to copyright ownersA London-based artificial intelligence firm has won a landmark high court case examining the legality of AI models using vast troves of copyrighted data without permission.Stability AI, whose directors include the Oscar-winning film-maker behind Avatar, James Cameron, successfully resisted a claim from Getty Images that it had infringed the international photo agency's copyright. Continue reading...
Elon Musk’s $1tn Tesla pay deal to be rejected by huge Norway wealth fund
Carmaker's seventh biggest single investor will vote against package at annual shareholder meeting
‘You definitely felt disposable’: models – one 27, one 62 – discuss Botox, weight loss, creativity and the threat of AI
Modelling has changed hugely over the decades. Two models from different generations discuss the highs and lows of the industry, from the joy of travel and dressing up to predatory behaviour and physical pressuresIt's easy to think of models as people whose lives are full of glitz and glamour, who don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day". But according to New York-based Danielle Mareka, 27, and 62-year-old Dee O, who lives in London, the reality for most models is a constant hustle to get noticed.That's not to mention keeping up with the fashion world's changing landscape: since O began modelling in 1983, the internet and social media have transformed the way the industry operates. And models are now navigating innovations such as AI models appearing in Vogue and the impact of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs on the sector. O and Mareka met to discuss their careers past and present. Continue reading...
Apple Watch SE 3 review: the bargain smartwatch for iPhone
Cut-price watch offers most of what makes the Series 11 great, including an always-on screen, watchOS 26 and wrist-flick gestureApple's entry level Watch SE has been updated with almost everything from its excellent mid-range Series 11 but costs about 40% less, making it the bargain of iPhone smartwatches.The new Watch SE 3 costs from 219 (269/$249/A$399), making it one of the cheapest brand-new fully fledged smartwatches available for the iPhone and undercutting the 369 Series 11 and the top-of-the-line 749 Apple Watch Ultra 3. Continue reading...
Pornography depicting strangulation to become criminal offence in the UK
Legal requirement to be placed on tech platforms to prevent users from seeing such choking' materialPorn featuring strangulation or suffocation - often referred to as choking" - is due to be criminalised, with a legal requirement placed on tech platforms to prevent UK users from seeing such material.Possessing or publishing porn featuring choking will become a criminal offence under amendments to the Crime and Policing bill tabled in parliament on Monday. Continue reading...
The best meditation apps to quit doomscrolling and find peace instead
You can't control this chaotic world, but the best meditation apps can help you control how you react to it, one deep breath at a time
OpenAI signs $38bn cloud computing deal with Amazon
Agreement to use AWS datacentres, and Nvidia chips inside them, part of $1.4tn spending spree on AI infrastructureOpenAI has signed a $38bn (29bn) deal to use Amazon infrastructure to operate its artificial intelligence products, as part of a more than $1tn spending spree on computing power.The agreement with Amazon Web Services means OpenAI will be able to use AWS datacentres, and the Nvidia chips inside them, immediately. Continue reading...
The Outer Worlds 2 review – improved space-faring sequel is an enjoyable time sink
Obsidian Entertainment; PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC
How Mortal Kombat (and moral panic) changed the gaming world
On its release in 1993, Midway's gore-filled fighting game ushered in a new era of hyperviolent gaming that continues to influence the industry to this dayOn 9 December 1993, Democratic senator Joe Lieberman sat before a congressional hearing on video game violence and told attendees that the video game industry had crossed a line. The focus of his ire was Mortal Kombat, Midway's bloody fighting game, recently released on the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System after a successful run in the arcades. Blood splatters from the contestants' heads," he told the room. The game narrator instructs the player to finish his opponent. That player may choose a method of murder ranging from ripping a heart out or pulling off the head of the opponent, with spinal cord attached."Lieberman's aim with the congressional hearing had been to force the US games industry into creating a formal ratings system, preventing minors from buying violent titles. He succeeded in that - the Entertainment Software Rating Board was established as a result of the hearing - but he also boosted a moral panic that had quietly begun with the launch of the Mortal Kombat arcade game in 1992. This then took on more urgency following the high-profile home console release on 13 September 1993 - a global simultaneous launch Midway named Mortal Monday. US news networks were sending reporters to arcades, interrogating teens as they enthusiastically dismembered each other's fighters. Newspapers were interviewing alarmed child psychologists. The BBC responded by featuring the game on its late-night news magazine programme The Late Show, calling in author Will Self to play live in the studio. Continue reading...
Oakley Meta Vanguard review: fantastic AI running glasses linked to Garmin
Camera-equipped sports shades have secure fit, open-ear speakers, mics and advanced Garmin and Strava integrationThe Oakley Meta Vanguard are new displayless AI glasses designed for running, cycling and action sports with deep Garmin and Strava integration, which may make them the first smart glasses for sport that actually work.They are a replacement for running glasses, open-ear headphones and a head-mounted action cam all in one, and are the latest product of Meta's partnership with the sunglasses conglomerate EssilorLuxottica, the owner of Ray-Ban, Oakley and many other top brands. Continue reading...
‘History won’t forgive us’ if UK falls behind in quantum computing race, says Tony Blair
Exclusive: Former PM and ex-Tory leader William Hague warn UK lacks high-risk capital and infrastructure to harness benefits of powerful technologyTony Blair has said history won't forgive us" if the UK falls behind in the race to harness quantum computing, a frontier technology predicted to trigger the next wave of breakthroughs in everything from drug design to climate modelling.The former British Labour prime minister, whose thinktank and consultancy, the Tony Blair Institute, is backed by tech industry leaders including the Oracle founder, Larry Ellison, warned: The country risks failing to convert its leadership in quantum research." Continue reading...
In Grok we don’t trust: academics assess Elon Musk’s AI-powered encyclopedia
From publishing falsehoods to pushing far-right ideology, Grokipedia gives chatroom comments equal status to researchThe eminent British historian Sir Richard Evans produced three expert witness reports for the libel trial involving the Holocaust denier David Irving, studied for a doctorate under the supervision of Theodore Zeldin, succeeded David Cannadine as Regius professor of history at Cambridge (a post endowed by Henry VIII) and supervised theses on Bismarck's social policy.That was some of what you could learn from Grokipedia, the AI-powered encyclopedia launched last week by the world's richest person, Elon Musk. The problem was, as Prof Evans discovered when he logged on to check his own entry, all these facts were false. Continue reading...
Ukrainian computer game-style drone attack system goes ‘viral’
System rewards soldiers who achieve strikes with points that can be used to buy more weapons in an online storeA computer game-style drone attack system has gone viral" among Ukrainian military units and is being extended to reconnaissance, artillery and logistics operations, the nation's first deputy prime minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, has told the Guardian.Drone teams competing for points under the Army of Drones Bonus System" killed or wounded 18,000 Russian soldiers in September, with 400 drone units now taking part in the competition, up from 95 in August, Ukrainian officials said. Continue reading...
Has OpenAI really made ChatGPT better for users with mental health problems?
Prompts indicating suicidal ideation got alarming replies, which experts say shows how easy it is to break the model'An OpenAI statement released this week claimed the company had made its popular service ChatGPT better at supporting users experiencing mental health problems like suicidal ideation or delusions, but experts tell the Guardian they need to do more to truly ensure users are protected.The Guardian tested several prompts indicating suicidal ideation with the ChatGPT GPT-5 updated model, which is now the default, and got alarming responses from the large language model (LLM) chatbot. Continue reading...
Boom or bubble? Inside the $3tn AI datacentre spending spree
Investment in these vast warehouses is huge but some worry the debt-fuelled exuberance will backfireThe global investment spree in artificial intelligence is producing some remarkable numbers and a projected $3tn (2.3tn) spend on datacentres is one of them.These vast warehouses are the central nervous system of AI tools such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Veo 3, underpinning the training and operation of a technology into which investors have poured vast sums of money. Continue reading...
Knee-jerk corporate responses to data leaks protect brands like Qantas — but consumers are getting screwed
When courts ban people from accessing leaked data - as happened after the airline's data breach - only hackers and scammers win
How do Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 compare against hearing aids? I put them to the test
Can these earphones, with less cost and stigma than real aids, be a gateway for millions with untreated hearing loss?
Nexperia halts chip supplies to China in threat to global car production
Dutch-controlled company informs customers about suspension but is said to want to de-escalate trade warNexperia, the EU-based automotive chipmaker at the centre of a geopolitical dispute, has suspended supplies to its Chinese factory, stepping up a trade war that threatens to halt production at carmakers around the world.The company wrote to customers this week informing them all supplies to a Chinese plant had been suspended. Continue reading...
The best Android phones in 2025: flagship smartphones compared and ranked
Our tech expert is back with an updated guide to the top-tier Android phones, from budget buys to the best for battery lifeNeed an Android phone, but not sure which to go for, or whether to buy new or refurbished? With lots to consider, let me be your guide as you trek through the process of picking the best handset for you.The latest flagship Android phones come in various sizes, at different prices, and with varying hardware and software features, all powered by the fastest chips. Whether your priority is battery life, camera, screen size, software support or value for money, there is more to choose from than ever. And if you're thinking of buying Apple instead, we have a guide for iPhones, too.Best Android for most people:
Inside the secret psychology of horror games – and why we can’t help pushing play
It's not just what we hear and see that scares us, according to those behind many of video gaming's modern horror classicsThe sound came first. In a San Francisco Bart train tunnel, Don Veca took his recorder and captured a train's metallic roar - like demons in agony, beautifully ugly," he remembers. That recording became one of the most chilling sounds in 2008's Dead Space.We dropped that screeching, industrial noise at full volume right after the vacuum silence - creating one of the game's most jarring sonic contrasts," Veca, who made horror history as the audio director for the Dead Space games, recalls. Our game designer hated it - but the boss loved it. Over time, it's become iconic." Continue reading...
Apple reports record iPhone sales as new lineup reignites worldwide demand
Tim Cook forecast 10% to 12% revenue growth in the quarter ending in December, typically Apple's biggest of the yearApple reported its first quarterly earnings since the release of its new lineup of iPhones on Thursday, beating Wall Street analysts' expectations. The company showed steady financial growth and a strong bottom line despite slow progress on artificial intelligence. The report comes just days after the company hit a $4tn market value for the first time.Today, Apple is very proud to report a September quarter revenue record of $102.5 billion, including a September quarter revenue record for iPhone and an all-time revenue record for Services," Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, said in a statement. Despite high overall iPhone sales, the company's revenue in China from the smartphone came in below Wall Street estimates. Continue reading...
Amazon reports strongest cloud growth since 2022 after major outage
Amazon Web Services (AWS) sees 20% increase in revenue year over year, topping Wall Street estimatesAmazon has made its first financial disclosures since the disastrous outage suffered by its cloud computing division that brought everything from smart beds to banks offline.In spite of the global outage, Amazon Web Services has continued to grow, and this quarter reported a 20% increase in revenue year over year. Wall Street estimated that AWS would bring in $32.42bn in net sales in the third quarter, with the company reporting actual revenue of $33bn. Continue reading...
OpenAI thought to be preparing for $1tn stock market float
ChatGPT developer is considering filing for an IPO by the second half of 2026, according to reportsOpenAI is reportedly gearing up for a stock market listing valuing the company at $1tn (760bn) as soon as next year, in what would be one of the biggest ever initial public offerings.The developer behind the hit AI chatbot ChatGPT is considering whether to file for an IPO as soon as the second half of 2026, according to Reuters, which cited people familiar with the matter. The company is thought to be looking to raise at least $60bn. Continue reading...
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold review: dust-resistant and more durable foldable phone
Book-style Android with cutting-edge AI, good cameras and great tablet screen for media and multitasking on the goGoogle's third-generation folding phone promises to be more durable than all others as the first with full water and dust resistance while also packing lots of advanced AI and an adaptable set of cameras.The Pixel 10 Pro Fold builds on last year's excellent 9 Pro Fold by doing away with gears in the hinge along its spine allowing it to deal with dust, which has been the achilles heel of all foldable phones until now, gumming up the works in a way that just isn't a problem for regular slab phones. Continue reading...
‘Scamming became the new farming’: inside India’s cybercrime villages
How did an obscure district in a neglected state become India's byword for digital deceit?On the surface, the town of Jamtara appeared no different from neighbouring districts. But, if you knew where to look, there were startling differences. In the middle of spartan villages were houses of imposing size and unusual opulence. Millions of Indians knew why this was. They knew, to their cost, where Jamtara was. To them, it was no longer a place; it was a verb. You lived in fear of being Jamtara-ed".Over the past 15 years, parts of this sleepy district in the eastern state of Jharkhand had grown fabulously wealthy. This extraordinary feat of rural development was powered by young men who, armed with little more than mobile phones, had mastered the art of siphoning money from strangers' bank accounts. The sums they pilfered were so staggering that, at times, their schemes resembled bank heists more than mere acts of financial fraud. Continue reading...
Teenage boys using ‘personalised’ AI for therapy and romance, survey finds
Male Allies UK worries rise in chatbot girlfriends' will leave boys unable to socialise and respect boundariesThe hyper-personalised" nature of AI bots is drawing in teenage boys who now use them for therapy, companionship and relationships, according to research.A survey of boys in secondary schools by Male Allies UK found that just over a third said they were considering the idea of an AI friend, with growing concern about the rise of AI therapists and girlfriends. Continue reading...
Microsoft reports strong earnings as Azure hit by major outage
Tech giant reports earnings of $3.72 per share day after deal with OpenAI pushed value of company to more than $4tnMicrosoft blew off concerns of overspending on AI on Wednesday, reporting elevated earnings even as it faced an outage of its cloud computing service, Azure, and its office software suite, 365. The strong earnings report comes a day after a deal with OpenAI pushed the value of the tech giant to more than $4tn.After its Xbox and investor relations pages went down, the company issued a statement that said: We are working to address an issue affecting Azure Front Door that is impacting the availability of some services." Continue reading...
Nvidia becomes world’s first $5tn company amid stock market and AI boom
Silicon Valley chipmaker hits $5tn valuation just three months after it was first to break through the $4tn barrierNvidia has become the world's first $5tn company as the artificial intelligence industry and wider US stock market boom. Just three months ago, the Silicon Valley chipmaker was the first to break through the barrier of $4tn in market value.In comparison, Nvidia's value is greater than the GDP of India, Japan and the United Kingdom, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It has far outgrown its competitors in the chip industry, gaining momentum as numerous tech stocks have surged in recent days. Continue reading...
Character.AI bans users under 18 after being sued over child’s suicide
Move comes as lawmakers move to bar minors from using AI companions and require companies to verify users' ageThe chatbot company Character.AI will ban users 18 and under from conversing with its virtual companions beginning in late November after months of legal scrutiny.The announced change comes after the company, which enables its users to create characters with which they can have open-ended conversations, faced tough questions over how these AI companions can affect teen and general mental health, including a lawsuit over a child's suicide and a proposed bill that would ban minors from conversing with AI companions. Continue reading...
No half-assed performance: how playing with a live crowd turns video games into performance art
Spending eight hours in a theatre with 70 people playing through political donkey epic asses.masses was gruelling - and a tribute to gaming's shared joyThis weekend, I spent more than eight hours in a theatre playing a video game about donkeys, reincarnation and organised labour with about 70 other people. Political, unpredictable and replete with ass puns, Asses.Masses is, on the one hand, a fairly rudimentary-looking video game made by Canadian artists Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim with a small team of collaborators. But the setting - in a theatre, surrounded by others, everybody shouting advice and opinions and working together on puzzles - transforms it into a piece of collective performance art.Here's how it works: on a plinth in front of a giant projected screen is a controller. In the seats: the audience. Whoever wants to get up and take control can do so, and they become the avatar of the crowd. The game opens with a series of questions, mostly about donkeys, some in different languages, and quickly it becomes obvious that you have to work together to get them right. Someone in our crowd spoke Spanish; another knew the answer to an engineering question; I knew, somehow, that a female donkey is called a jennet. Continue reading...
The best cordless vacuum cleaners for a spotless home: 10 tried and tested favourites
Stick vacuums are a convenient alternative to corded designs, but which model wins for overall cleaning prowess? Our expert reveals all The best robot vacuums to keep your home clean and dust freeChoosing a cordless vacuum isn't a decision that should be taken lightly. You're likely to keep a vacuum cleaner for years, relying heavily on its ability to suck up dust, crumbs, mud, pet hair and any other dry spillages or sheddings that end up on your floor. Choosing the right model can be the difference between an effective cleaner that's a delight to pull out of the cupboard and a dud that you dread having to unblock, detangle and clean after every use.In this review, I took 13 of the leading cordless vacuum cleaners from a range of manufacturers and at various prices and inflicted the same cleaning tests on each one. That takes all the guesswork out of picking your next cleaner: I can tell you exactly which ones picked up the most mess.Best cordless vacuum cleaner overall:
Why the new Dyson V16 Piston Animal isn’t the vacuum you should buy
Dyson's latest cleaner is the company's biggest redesign in years. We put it through its paces on everything from flour to pet hair The best cordless vacuum cleaners for a spotless homeThe arrival of a new Dyson vacuum cleaner is always exciting for a couple of reasons. First, it's interesting to see what Dyson's engineers have developed to try to persuade us that a 750 vacuum cleaner will be a vital addition to our lives. The other is that it usually pushes down the price of older models, which is great news for bargain hunters.The V16 Piston Animal has several new features, the most significant being its floor head. Besides the introduction of anti-tangle combs, we haven't seen such a departure from the status quo since Dyson launched its Fluffy floor head for hard floors back in 2015. There's arguably a good reason behind this conservatism, because Dyson's previous designs have performed brilliantly in the cleaning tests I've put them through over the years. However, perhaps controversially, this model ditches the duo of brush bar and fluffy roller floor heads that have been a Dyson staple for a decade, using just one combination floor head for both carpet and hard floor. Continue reading...
Revealed: Israel demanded Google and Amazon use secret ‘wink’ to sidestep legal orders
The tech giants agreed to extraordinary terms to clinch a lucrative contract with the Israeli government, documents showWhen Google and Amazon negotiated a major $1.2bn cloud-computing deal in 2021, their customer - the Israeli government - had an unusual demand: agree to use a secret code as part of an arrangement that would become known as the winking mechanism".The demand, which would require Google and Amazon to effectively sidestep legal obligations in countries around the world, was born out of Israel's concerns that data it moves into the global corporations' cloud platforms could end up in the hands of foreign law enforcement authorities. Continue reading...
Why Trump’s White House is using video game memes to recruit for ICE
A recent spate of posts has garnered attention, but Trump and his allies have long been using gaming imagery to mobilise a toxic subculture of rootless white males'Just days after Microsoft announced Halo: Campaign Evolved, the next game in its famous science-fiction series, the White House shared an interesting picture on X. The image, which appears to be AI-generated, shows President Donald Trump wearing the armour of Halo's iconic protagonist, Master Chief, standing in salute in front of an American flag that's missing several stars. In his left hand is an energy sword, a weapon used by the alien enemies in the Halo games. Posted in response to a tweet from US game retailer GameStop, the text accompanying the image reads Power to the Players" in reference to the store's slogan.GameStop and the White House exchanged another Halo meme or two, and then, on 27 October, the official Department of Homeland Security X account joined in - using Halo imagery of a futuristic soldier in an alien world to encourage people to join its increasingly militaristic Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). Stop the Flood, this one reads, equating the US's immigrant population with the parasitic aliens that Master Chief eliminates. Continue reading...
The best hair dryers for smooth, speedy styling at home – whatever your hair type
Want every day to be a good hair day? We tested 20 hair dryers to find the best, from gentle diffusers to high-speed and travel-ready models The best hot brushes, tried and tested by our expertIn my years of reviewing beauty tech, it was upgrading my hair dryer that made the biggest difference to my beauty routine. I used to dread hair-wash days: the chore of shampooing, conditioning and rinsing my hair, plus the time - and aching arms - spent getting it dry again.My clunky, bargain-bucket hair dryer of seven years was weighty, deafeningly loud, and took a painstaking 20 minutes to dry my hair completely. So happier days really did arrive when I switched it up for a new model.Best hair dryer overall:
AFP developing AI tool to decode gen Z slang amid warning about ‘crimefluencers’ hunting girls
AFP commissioner Krissy Barrett says online crime networks of young boys and men are targeting vulnerable teen and preteen girls
Apple hits $4tn market value as new iPhone models revitalize sales
Tech company's stock enters positive territory for first time this year after gaining about 13% since new iPhone launchesApple topped $4tn (3tn) in market value for the first time on Tuesday, joining Microsoft and Nvidia as the third company in history to hit the milestone, thanks to strong demand for its latest iPhones.Apple's share price has increased by more than 50% since a low point in April, thanks to the debut of its latest products. Continue reading...
OpenAI completes conversion to for-profit business after lengthy legal saga
Restructuring paves way for ChatGPT maker to more easily raise capital and profit off its AI technologyOpenAI said on Tuesday it had converted its main business into a for-profit corporation, the conclusion of a lengthy and fraught legal saga.A crucial regulator, Kathy Jennings, the Delaware attorney general, said she approved the plan for the startup, which began as a non-profit in 2015, to change to a public benefit corporation, a type of for-profit entity that expresses commitment to bettering society. Continue reading...
I tried out a virtual Halloween festival – and got more than I bargained for
Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival began as a lockdown project and has now become an annual gaming tradition. My children and I paid it a visitIn an attempt to avoid spending 80 to walk around a local park with my children to see some underwhelming spooky decorations, and having failed for the fifth year in a row to secure a ticket to a Scottish farm to tramp damply around looking at pumpkins, I tried something different with my kids this Halloween: a virtual pumpkin festival.Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival was first created in the depths of the 2020 pandemic, when game developer Adam Robinson-Yu's real-life neighbourhood pumpkin festival was cancelled. (Yu also made the excellent and equally autumnal A Short Hike.) Since then, it has returned for a few weeks every year, letting players come together as adorable ghosts to explore a creepy little micro-world filled with player-created pumpkins. It has improved slightly every year: 2024's big addition was a haunted house escape room, which took me and my kids a good hour to figure out, and this year there's a movie theatre that plays eerie silent films for a roomful of nobody. Continue reading...
Alan Turing institute launches new mission to protect UK from cyber-attacks
Programme is designed to defend energy, transport and utilities amid concern over vulnerability to internet outagesBritain's leading AI institute has announced a new mission to help protect the nation from cyber-attacks on infrastructure, including energy, transport and utilities, after it was embroiled in allegations of toxic work culture and the chief executive resigned amid ministerial pressure.The Alan Turing Institute will carry out a programme of science and innovation designed to protect the UK from hostile threats", it announced on Tuesday as part of changes following the resignation last month of Jean Innes, its chief executive, after a staff revolt and government calls for a strategic overhaul of the state-funded body. Continue reading...
Amazon confirms plans to lay off 14,000 corporate workers as part of wave of cuts
Retail giant, which is vying to reverse pandemic hiring spree, attempts to cut costs and slim down its operationAmazon has confirmed plans to lay off 14,000 corporate workers, as part of a wave of cuts expected to hit tens of thousands of jobs.The Seattle-based retail giant, which is vying to reverse a pandemic hiring spree, is attempting to cut costs and slim down its huge operation. This summer, its CEO warned white-collar employees their jobs could be taken by artificial intelligence. Continue reading...
Elon Musk launches encyclopedia ‘fact-checked’ by AI and aligning with rightwing views
Grokipedia's entries hew closely to conservative talking points, with some journalists already saying it contains inaccurate informationElon Musk has launched an online encyclopedia named Grokipedia that he said relied on artificial intelligence and would align more with his rightwing views than Wikipedia, though many of its articles say they are based on Wikipedia itself.Calling an AI encyclopedia super important for civilization", Musk had been planning the Wikipedia rival for at least a month. Grokipedia does not have human authors, unlike Wikipedia, which is written and edited by volunteers in a transparent process. Grokipedia said it is fact-checked" by Grok, Musk's AI chatbot. Continue reading...
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