One in five young viewers go to platform first when they turn on TV, as older people also watch more of its content

Every year since 2016, Will Braden has devoted himself to assembling a feature-length film from snippets of moggies doing the darndest things - and it has started to bring in serious moneyName: Cat videos.Age: 131. Continue reading...

Rival taxi operators will not face a 20% tax charge on their profit margins outside London

PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox; Weta Workshop/Private Division

Digital distribution platforms Steam and itch.io have tightened their rules about adult content - under pressure from payment processors. Why has this happened and where will it lead?In the last two weeks, thousands of adult only" and not safe for work" games have disappeared from Steam and itch.io - two of the most prominent distribution platforms for PC video games - as they scrambled to comply with stricter rules mandated by payment processors such as MasterCard, Visa, and PayPal.These rules were established after a campaign by the organisation Collective Shout, which urged payment processors to stop facilitating payments to platforms hosting rape, incest and child sexual abuse-themed games". But the new rules have affected a far broader range of games - including some award-winning titles. Continue reading...

Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat are running ads and events saying their services are safe for children - with the possibility of a legal challenge

South Korean tech company will produce carmaker's next-generation semiconductors at new plant in Texas

While the future of the film franchise remains in flux, the developer of the forthcoming video game reveals how it pitched its origin story to Eon Productions, and reinvented the character for a new eraFour years after No Time to Die - the 25th 007 film and the final outing for Daniel Craig's version of the world's most famous spy - there is still no named successor to put on the tux, order a martini, or get behind the wheel of an Aston Martin. At least, not in cinemas. However, for the first time in Bond history, the world will meet a new James Bond in a video game, before a new 007 makes their debut on film.As developed by Danish studio IO Interactive for next year's 007 First Light, the new Bond is blandly handsome in a doll-like way. He is fresh-faced, with blue eyes that appear more cocksure than piercing, in contrast to the refined older Bond of most films or Craig's ruggedness - although he is clearly inspired by Craig's man-of-action approach. The implication is not that this Bond will eschew these traits but acquire them. First Light is an origin story intended to define one of the most durable protagonists in entertainment for a new generation of game-literate fans. Continue reading...

On r/openmarriageregret, users lay into bad husbands, AI girlfriends, and toxic throuples. It's very cynical - and very compelling

Students increasingly use AI chatbots for anything from academic queries to emotional quandaries. But are they missing out on the chance to make their own mistakes? Three undergrads reveal all ...Student life is hard. Making new friends is hard. Writing essays is hard. Admin is hard. Budgeting is hard. Finding out what trousers exist in the world other thanblack ones is also, apparently, hard.Fortunately, for an AI-enabled generation of students, help with the complexities of campus life is just a prompt away. Ifyouare really stuck on an essay or can't decide between management consulting or a legal career, orneed suggestions on what you can cook with tomatoes, mushrooms, beetroot, mozzarella, olive oil and rice, then ChatGPT is there. It will to listen to you,analyse your inputs, and offer up a perfectly structured paper, a convincing cover letter, oraworkablerecipe for tomato and mushroom risotto with roasted beetroot and mozzarella. Continue reading...

Shares in brands such as American Eagle and Wendy's have surged, harkening back to the GameStop craze of 2021Shares in struggling retailers and ageing consumer brands surged, as amateur traders cast aside Wall Street's skepticism and mobilized online. It's like 2021 all over again.But the latest meme-stock rally could be even bigger than its predecessor four years ago, when investors piled into recognizable but unloved stocks, such as the video games retailer GameStop and the movie theatre chain AMC, according to the founder of the Reddit forum that helped whip up the frenzy. Continue reading...

Anania Williams's viral show Gaydar quizzes guests like Zohran Mamdani and Chappell Roan on queer culture - and teaches viewers something along the wayAnania Williams is genreless. Some may know them from their comedic TikTok videos, which regularly amass hundreds of thousands of views. Others may recognize them as host of Gaydar, a viral entertainment-education show about queer culture, history and current events; an interview Williams did with the New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani did go viral, after all. There's also Williams's drag performances, including those where they opened for icons such as Chappell Roan and Bob the Drag Queen. Or their bevy of musical theater roles - Lola in Kinky Boots, Dominique in Lucky Stiffs, to name a few.For years, Williams has been launching their own creative universe. As a 25-year-old genderqueer, Black artist, Williams, who uses they/she pronouns, has used their ever-growing social media presence (more than 2.8 million followers across their social media platforms) to fashion the career of their dreams outside anyone's binaries. For their next project, Williams is set to perform in Saturday Church, a new musical at New York Theatre Workshop which opens 27 August. The play dives into the world of a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ youth. It's a feelgood musical," said Williams of the production. It's just queer, Black joy, and there's a beautiful message about it." Continue reading...

Przemysaw Dbiak, who beat OpenAI at world finals, says he may be last human to win due to incredible pace of technological progressComputers have taken the crown in chess, Go and poker, but when it comes to competitive coding, humans still have the edge - just.Przemysaw Dbiak, a Polish coder and mind sports champion, narrowly clinched a victory over OpenAI's entrant in the AtCoder World Tour Finals 2025 in Tokyo earlier this month. The elite coder, however, who goes by the online name Psyho, predicts he may be the last human to win the prestigious title given the incredible pace of technological progress. Continue reading...

The tech billionaire's retro-futuristic' drive-in and Tesla charging station has long lines, plenty of glitches - and adoring fansIt was just before lunchtime on its third day of operation, and the line outside Elon Musk's new Tesla Diner in Hollywood already stretched to nearly 100 people.The restaurant has been billed as a retro-futuristic" drive-in where you can grab a high-end burger and watch classic films on giant screens, all while charging your Tesla. Continue reading...

Chinese premier warns at global conference AI development must be weighed against security risks, urges further consensus from the entire society'Chinese premier Li Qiang has proposed establishing an organisation to foster global cooperation on artificial intelligence, calling on countries to coordinate on the development and security of the fast-evolving technology, days after the US unveiled plans to deregulate the industry.Speaking at the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Li called AI a new engine for growth, adding that governance is fragmented and emphasising the need for more coordination between countries to form a globally recognised framework for AI. Continue reading...

This docu-drama is cleverly built around the messages intercepted by the National Crime Agency when they penetrated a chat network between criminal organisations. It's hugely revealingPolice work rarely resembles The Shield or Line of Duty. It's mostly paperwork, online training and referring people to driver offender courses. But sometimes life imitates art. In 2020, international police hacked the encrypted phone network EncroChat, used by organised crime gangs across the globe. For 74 days, they had access to every message and picture used to coordinate drug trafficking, money laundering, kidnap and murder. It was the LinkedIn of organised crime," explains Matt Horne, a former gold commander at the UK's National Crime Agency (not the actor from Gavin & Stacey).Operation Dark Phone: Murder By Text (Sunday, 9pm, Channel 4) is a documentary-drama cleverly built around these messages, which appear like screenplay dialogue across scenes. It's an arresting insight into how criminal gangs work - and just as revealing, how they talk. Sweets" are bullets, while a pineapple" is a grenade. A violent British criminal known as Live-long, lying low in Spain, organises an acid attack on a rival, in between sending pictures of his breakfast. Cucumber slices on labneh with paprika - nice. The trick, he instructs, is to stop the victim getting to a sink. Hold them down a few minutes, so the acid can do its job. Less nice. Continue reading...

Millions spent by Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft and others appear to have paid off as president vows to cut red tapeDonald Trump's AI summit in Washington this week was a fanfare-filled event catered to the tech elite. The president took the stage on Wednesday evening, as the song God Bless the USA piped over the loudspeakers, and then he decreed: America must once again be a country where innovators are rewarded with a green light, not strangled with red tape, so they can't move, so they can't breathe."The message was clear - the tech regulatory environment that was once the focus of federal lawmakers is no longer. Continue reading...

After being served the same artists again and again, my tastes were narrowing - so I tried vinyl, iPods and radio to see if I could rediscover the joy of finding new music

From 25 July websites and apps will be required to protect children by filtering out harmful content and verifying agesChildren's online safety in the UK is having its seatbelt moment. On Friday social media and other internet platforms will be required to implement safety measures protecting children or face large fines.It is a significant test for the Online Safety Act, a landmark piece of legislation that covers the likes of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Google. Here is a guide to the new rules. Continue reading...

Ollie Holman created kits that mimicked charity and bank webpages so criminals could harvest victims' personal detailsA 21-year-old student who designed and distributed online kits linked to 100m worth of fraud has been jailed for seven years.Ollie Holman created phishing kits that mimicked government, bank and charity websites so that criminals could harvest victims' personal information to defraud them. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Study claims sites previously ranked first can lose 79% of traffic if results appear below Google OverviewNews companies have been warned of a devastating impact" on online audiences as search results are replaced by AI summaries, after a new study claimed it caused up to 80% fewer clickthroughs.The threat posed by Google's AI Overviews, which summarise a search result with a block of text, has rapidly risen to the top of the concerns among media owners. Some regard it as an existential threat to outlets reliant on search result traffic. Continue reading...

From foam wash to hammocks, these are the non-negotiables seasoned campers swear by - and the kit they'd happily skip The best camping mattresses for every type of adventure, testedPacking for a camping trip isn't easy, especially if you're not an experienced adventurer. Newbie campers often overpack while simultaneously leaving more useful items at home.As a lifelong city dweller, my lack of knowhow has been exposed on trips with my camping-savvy family in the US. It turns out that House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski and a medium-sized Bluetooth speaker aren't must-haves on a four-day wilderness hike. Who knew? An extra water bottle would have been a better use of that space, something I learned through a series of hardships. Continue reading...

Some are using Final Fantasy and GTA Online as dating sites and long-time lovers are finding comfort and connection through Resident Evil. Could video games be the ultimate relationship tool?Last week, Radio 4's Woman's Hour talked about the role of women in the video games industry. It featured interviews with gaming insiders, from esports presenter Frankie Ward to members of the inclusive online community Black Girl Gamers. It was wonderful to hear so many disparate, expert views on games culture being given so much time on the show.One of my favourite moments was when presenter Nuala McGovern read out some listener responses to the question: why do you play video games? I don't think there's enough recognition of gaming as an activity for couples," one replied. My husband and I bonded over our shared love of gaming. Our honeymoon was playing Borderlands 2 while we saved for a flat deposit, and now, with a young child, we explore stories, we visit new worlds, we solve mysteries ... There is an underappreciated romance to gaming - we communicate, encourage, collaborate and celebrate together. It's a joy." Continue reading...

Stephanie Dinkins challenges the racialized AI space by highlighting Black ethos and cultural cornerstonesAt the Plaza at 300 Ashland Place in downtown Brooklyn, patrons mill around a large yellow shipping container with black triangles painted on its side. A nod to the flying geese quilt pattern, which may have served as a coded message for enslaved people escaping to freedom along the Underground Railroad, the design and container serve as a bridge between the past and the future of the African diaspora. At the center of the art project by the Brooklyn-based transmedia artist Stephanie Dinkins, a large screen displays artificial intelligence (AI) generated images that showcase the diversity of the city.Commissioned by the New York-based art non-profit More Art and designed in collaboration with the architects LOT-EK, the AI laboratory If We Don't, Who Will? will be on display until 28 September. It seeks to challenge a white-dominated generative-AI space by highlighting Black ethos and cultural cornerstones. Continue reading...

Super-slim frame, improved display, enhanced camera and plenty of power give the pricey phone-tablet hybrid a major upgradeSamsung's latest flagship folding phone looks like it has been put on a diet. The result is a transformation into one of the thinnest and lightest devices available and radically changes how it handles, for the better.The Galaxy Z Fold 7 measures 8.9mm thick when shut - well within the realms of a standard smartphone if you ignore the camera bump on the back. It easily fits in a pocket but opens up to turn into a folding tablet just 4.2mm thick. Continue reading...

Sam Altman also said AI could already diagnose better than doctors, as his company expands into WashingtonDuring his latest trip to Washington, OpenAI's chief executive, Sam Altman, painted a sweeping vision of an AI-dominated future in which entire job categories disappear, presidents follow ChatGPT's recommendations and hostile nations wield artificial intelligence as a weapon of mass destruction, all while positioning his company as the indispensable architect of humanity's technological destiny.Speaking at the Capital Framework for Large Banks conference at the Federal Reserve board of governors, Altman told the crowd that certain job categories would be completely eliminated by AI advancement. Continue reading...

Select committee chair says public need to be reassured about the use of their data after major failures' in the pastMinisters are facing calls for greater transparency about public data that may be shared with the US tech company OpenAI after the government signed a wide-ranging agreement with the $300bn (222bn) company that critics compared to letting a fox into a henhouse.Chi Onwurah, the chair of the House of Commons select committee on science, innovation and technology, warned that Monday's sweeping memorandum of understanding between OpenAI's chief executive, Sam Altman, and the technology secretary, Peter Kyle, was very thin on detail" and called for guarantees that public data would remain in the UK and clarity about how much of it OpenAI would have access to. Continue reading...

Rules around lithium-ion batteries in spotlight after a portable charger caught fire on an Australian flight - but experts say risk is no higher in mid-air

Trial of technology comes as official report warns existing system has been failing for at least a decadeOfficials are to start using artificial intelligence to help estimate the age of asylum seekers who say they are children.Angela Eagle, the immigration minister, said on Tuesday the government would test technology that judges a person's age based on their facial features. Continue reading...

Not all electric kettles are created equal. We boiled litres of water to find the best, from hard-water heroes to vintage-style, repairable and wi-fi connected models The best air fryers, tried and tested for crisp and crunchDespite the march of progress, the humble kettle remains a kitchen staple. It's what we turn to in times of strife, when spirits are flagging, or to start our day. And when a visitor calls, one of the first things we do is put the kettle on.While many small appliances have evolved beyond their original form, the kettle's basic principles remain largely unchanged. Water goes in and heats up until a thermostat switches it off; the water then pours out, and we enjoy a cuppa. However, the technology that goes into a kettle has been slowly improving: better insulation to keep water hotter for longer and reduce reboils; different temperature settings to suit every drink from green tea to herbal brews; and more features such as filters and concealed elements to keep scale out of our cups.Best kettle overall:

Big tech is offering athlete-level pay to lure AI researchers in a high-stakes race for dominanceThe tech industry is in a high-flying war over who can dole out more millions to attract artificial intelligence specialists. Individual researchers, most equipped with PhDs in computer science, are commanding giant salaries and mammoth signing bonuses in hiring negotiations. You might call them talent. The Washington Post called them Olympians in a recent headline: Why AI superathletes could be winning $100 million bonuses in Silicon Valley." These are the most sought-after employees in the world.Tech companies are tasking the star players of their AI squads with developing technology that can outperform humans in any task, a goal known as artificial general intelligence", or with creating AI models that surpass human intelligence overall, an objective known as superintelligence". Continue reading...

Cigarettes and vapes are being smuggled into virtual spaces beyond the reach of regulation, creating a new battleground for health campaignersIn the image, a group of friends is standing in a bar, smoke winding upwards from the cigarettes in their hands. More lie in an open packet on the table between them. This is not a photograph taken before smoking bans, but a picture shared on social media of a gathering in the metaverse.Virtual online spaces are becoming a new marketing battleground as tobacco and alcohol promoters target young people without any legislative consequences. Continue reading...

Report finds that wealth divide widened in Silicon Valley at double the rate of the whole US over the past decadeEconomic inequality has reached a staggering milestone in Silicon Valley: just nine households hold 15% of the region's wealth, according to new research from San Jose State University. A mere 0.1% of residents hold 71% of the tech hub's wealth.The findings come from the 2025 Silicon Valley Pain Index", a report published by SJSU's Human Rights Institute each year since 2020. The report aims to quantify structured inequalities" in Silicon Valley, and measures pain" as both personal and community distress or suffering". Continue reading...

Wide-ranging agreement with artificial intelligence firm behind ChatGPT comes after similar UK deal with GoogleSam Altman, leader of one of the world's biggest artificial intelligence companies, has signed a deal with the British government to explore the deployment of advanced AI models in areas including justice, security and education.The chief executive of OpenAI, which has been valued at $300bn (220bn) and provides the ChatGPT suite of large language models, agreed the memorandum of understanding with the science and technology secretary, Peter Kyle, on Monday. Continue reading...

Two-thirds of UK under-30s have used a microwave to make a cuppa, and one in six say they do it every day ...Name: Kettles.Age: 132. First featured in a catalogue in 1893. Continue reading...

Technology happens because people make it happen. We can choose otherwiseTechnology happens because it is possible," OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, told the New York Times in 2019, consciously paraphrasing Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb.Altman captures a Silicon Valley mantra: technology marches forward inexorably. Continue reading...

Paid ads hosted on Facebook, Instagram and Threads seem to violate Meta's stated policies yet remain activeMeta is hosting ads on Facebook, Instagram and Threads from pro-Israel entities that are raising money for military equipment including drones and tactical gear for Israeli Defense Force battalions, seemingly a violation of the company's stated advertising policies, new research shows.We are the sniper team of Unit Shaked, stationed in Gaza, and we urgently need shooting tripods to complete our mission in Jabalia," one ad on Facebook read, first published on 11 June and still active on 17 July. Continue reading...

Progressives are seeking ideologically aligned matches as hot commie summer' heats up, but the apps aren't helpingZohran Mamdani gave Hinge an unofficial boost last month when the New York mayoral candidate revealed that he met his wife, Rama Duwaji, through swiping. There is still hope on those dating apps," he said on the Bulwark podcast a week before his stunning victory in the Democratic primary. The tidbit spread over social media, cementing the 33-year-old democratic socialist's status as a millennial everyman. A subsequent Cosmopolitan headline read: Zohran Mamdani could make history (as the first NYC mayor to meet his wife on Hinge)."Representatives for Hinge would not comment, but plenty of eligible New Yorkers did, claiming they would redownload the app due to Mamdani's success, in spite of their dating fatigue. Now I'm clocking in like it's a full-time job," one user posted on TikTok. If he can find love on that app maybe I can," another wrote in a caption. Continue reading...

Government sources say pressure from Washington, including JD Vance, could lead to Home Office climbdown, according to reportsPressure from Washington could lead the UK government to climb down on its demand that Apple provide British law enforcement agencies with backdoor access to encrypted customer data, it has been reported.In January, the UK Home Office formally asked Apple to provide law enforcement agencies access to heavily encrypted data held on behalf of its customers. But the US company resisted and withdrew its advanced data protection service from the UK market. It argues privacy is one of its core values". Continue reading...

Is the extreme output of X's AI chatbot Grok shifting the political dial? Chris Stokel-Walker reportsIn 2023 Elon Musk launched Grok, an AI chatbot marketed as providing unfiltered answers" on X. In part, it was reportedly created to counter other machines that Musk saw as being trained to be politically correct".Fast forward to 2025 and Grok is no stranger to controversy - sharing antisemitic content and white genocide conspiracy theories, and referring to itself as MechaHitler. One X user, Will Stancil, has even been the subject of extreme, violent, and individually tailored assault fantasies created by Grok, as he tells Nosheen Iqbal. Continue reading...

Instead of spending millions and taking years to complete, creative directors are producing high-grade work using the latest software, but critics voice copyright concernsA US stealth bomber flies across a darkening sky towards Iran. Meanwhile, in Tehran a solitary woman feeds stray cats amid rubble from recent Israeli airstrikes.To the uninitiated viewer, this could be a cinematic retelling of a geopolitical crisis that unfolded barely weeks ago - hastily shot on location, somewhere in the Middle East. Continue reading...

New codes developed by the tech sector and eSafety commissioner come into effect in December, with major ramifications for internet users

Chief executive of California Forever' says proposal to develop site would represent new home for frontier tech'The chief executive of California Forever", a Silicon Valley billionaire-backed project to build a new city on tens of thousands of acres of California farmland, has announced plans to develop a manufacturing site within the future town for defense, energy, robotics, aerospace and transportation companies.Speaking at the Reindustrialize summit in Detroit, Jan Sramek called the proposal the Solano Foundry". The 2,100-acre site would be located on the more than 65,000 acres in Solano county that the tech billionaires began purchasing in 2017 but have yet to develop. Continue reading...

Firm says technology used in El Eternauta is chance to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper'Netflix has used artificial intelligence in one of its TV shows for the first time, in a move the streaming company's boss said would make films and programmes cheaper and of better quality.Ted Sarandos, a co-chief executive of Netflix, said the Argentinian science fiction series El Eternauta (The Eternaut) was the first it had made that involved using generative AI footage. Continue reading...

AI agent can find restaurant reservations and go shopping for users, but OpenAI acknowledges there are more risks'Users of ChatGPT will be able to ask an AI agent to find restaurant reservations, go shopping for them and even draw up lists of candidates for job vacancies, as the chatbot gains the powers of a personal assistant from Thursday.ChatGPT agent, launched by Open AI everywhere apart from the EU, not only thinks" but also acts, the US company said. The agent combines the powers of AI research tools with the ability to take control of web browsers, computer files and software such as spreadsheets and slide decks. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Fellows called on academy to act over Tesla owner's role in Trump administration's attacks on researchThe Royal Society suggested to Elon Musk he should consider resigning his fellowship if he felt unable to help mitigate the Trump administration's attacks on research, the Guardian has learned.The owner of X, who is also CEO of Tesla and Space X, was elected a fellow of the UK's national academy of sciences in 2018 for his contribution to the space and electric vehicle industries. Continue reading...

Spate of incidents in Baltic Sea and around Taiwan are harbinger for further disruptive activity, cybersecurity firm saysThe risk of Russia- and China-backed attacks on undersea cables carrying international internet traffic is likely to rise amid a spate of incidents in the Baltic Sea and around Taiwan, according to a report.Submarine cables account for 99% of the world's intercontinental data traffic and have been affected by incidents with suspected state support over the past 18 months. Continue reading...

Texas has long been under threat from the launches and explosions of SpaceX rockets. Now Hawaii is emerging as another possible victimThe north-west Hawaiian island of Mokumanamana is said to be touched by the gods. Bisected by the Tropic of Cancer latitude line, it is deep in the Pacific Ocean, about 400 miles from Honolulu. The island's steep rocky cliffs give way to indigo blue waters dotted with monk seals and stony coral. No humans have lived on Mokumanamana, but it has the world's highest density of ancient Hawaiian religious sites.It sits as a boundary between what Native Hawaiians refer to as p', the darkness, and au', the light," said William Aila, the former chair of Hawaii's department of land and natural resources. When a Hawaiian passes, their soul makes its way from wherever it is in the main Hawaiian Islands, up to the North-western Hawaiian Islands. And at that juncture, at p, they're met by their ancestors." As Aila tells it, if a person has been good, they can pass into p and be with their ancestors, who inhabit the Pacific waters west of Mokumanamana. Continue reading...

As a 16-year-old I can tell you that teenagers will feel disconnected using this internet-safe smartphone Internet-safe iPhone for children goes on sale for 99 a monthI was intrigued to find out how this would work but a bit freaked out too. I use my iPhone non-stop: four hours each day during school terms; eight during holidays. Snapchat matters most, but I'm often following friends on TikTok and Instagram.The prospect of not having access to any apps or the internet was just ugh". Part of me wanted to scream at the thought of being cut off by this Sage phone. Would it make me want to divorce my parents? Continue reading...

Nintendo Switch 2; Nintendo