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Updated 2026-07-01 09:46
‘You can’t make billions without hurting people’: Cory Doctorow on Elon Musk, the AI bubble and bosses’ cruel fantasies
The writer who coined the word enshittification' tells us why AI will never deliver what it promises - and why it still appeals so much to those in powerA centaur", in automation theory, is a person assisted by a machine, and a reverse centaur", hero of Cory Doctorow's new book, The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI, is a human who is conscripted into acting as an assistant to a machine". Every warehouse worker who ever had to urinate in a water bottle because they couldn't otherwise meet the fulfilment targets set by an algorithm is a reverse centaur. Reaching into the future, everyone who has to sit in a self-driving truck to make sure it doesn't crash, presumably on minimum rather than truck-driver wages, is a reverse centaur; as is every lawyer no longer on lawyer's money checking Gemini's command of precedent, every indie band scraping a living doing covers of AI-generated hits, and so on. That, anyway, is the promise: AI is coming for your job, and it is coming for your kids' jobs, and there is no point fighting it because the future's already here.Wiping out the world of work, and with it our ability to sustain ourselves and live autonomous lives, is only the beginning, if you listen to AI's architects. Elon Musk has called it the single greatest threat to human civilisation, Sam Altman has said it will most likely lead to the end of the world" and Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, memorably forecast that AI would come to see us the way we see animals: cute to have around but ultimately a resource to be exploited. AI people claim they're about to create God, by teaching words to a word-guessing programme," Doctorow says. It's grandiose." Continue reading...
Chinese supercomputer leapfrogs best US machines to be ranked world’s fastest
China's LineShine debuts at number one in Top500 - a list sometimes viewed as a national measure of global tech prowessA supercomputer in China now outranks its US counterparts as the world's most powerful. It is the first time since 2017 that a Chinese computer has topped a list sometimes viewed as a measure of a nation's technological prowess.The LineShine computer in Shenzhen displaced top-ranked US computer El Capitan in the Top500 rankings released on Tuesday. It was LineShine's debut on the list. Continue reading...
You’re only supposed to blow the bloody hooves off: AI Michael Caine narrates Odyssey audiobook
AI company ElevenLabs unveils its officially licensed replica of the iconic actor's voice in a retelling of Homer's epic poem, while director who previously recorded the star recalls real-life experienceNext month, Christopher Nolan's blockbuster version of The Odyssey is set to storm cinemas around the globe. Auguries suggest the almost three-hour drama will repeat the success of Nolan's previous film both at the box office (Oppenheimer took nearly a billion dollars) and the Academy Awards (it won seven Oscars).But before that, a new audiobook version of Homer's tale has been released starring one of Nolan's most frequent collaborators: Michael Caine, with whom he has worked on eight films, including the Dark Knight trilogy. Continue reading...
Will California’s billionaire tax proposal make it to ballots?
Despite more than double the needed number of signatures to qualify for ballot, there's uncertainty it'll make it to votersHi and welcome to TechScape. Nick Robins-Early and Dara Kerr here, filling in for your usual host Blake Montgomery who is out on vacation. We'll be talking about the fight over a proposed billionaire tax in California, the UK's social media ban and SpaceX making a big buy in the AI arms race.California billionaire tax' makes ballot despite opposition from tech mogulsTech billionaires are spending unprecedented sums in California races. Experts say it's the tip of the icebergIt makes no sense': 16- and 17-year-olds on UK social media banUK ministers lobby Trump to avert backlash against social media ban Continue reading...
AI in the classroom prompts tide of concern from US parents and experts
While tech companies and Trump have been pushing teachers to use AI in the classroom, many argue that there is little evidence that it would actually help childrenIn October, Kelly Clancy's son received an assignment in sixth grade at a middle school in Brooklyn, New York, to create a science experiment and then ask Google Gemini, an artificial intelligence chatbot, for feedback, she said.Clancy, who has three children in New York City public schools, told the teacher that the bot is something that just teaches kids that they can have machines do the thinking for them", instead of suggesting: Let's talk to your partners. What about the science experiment could you improve?" Continue reading...
Majority of datacenters are vulnerable to climate threats like floods and fires, study finds
Study warns AI datacenters are vulnerable to the climate hazards that their global greenhouse gas emissions bolsterAmid rising concern that the artificial intelligence boom is fueling the climate crisis, a new report has found that nearly 80% of datacenters are also exposed to extreme climate hazards, including flooding, extreme winds and wildfires.Those impacts are leaving the infrastructure vulnerable to disrupted operations, increased time offline, and inflated insurance and repair costs, the research from climate risk analytics firm First Street shows. Continue reading...
Australia ‘sleepwalking’ into AI crisis and ‘tech bro free-for-all’, says Greens senator
Sarah Hanson Young's warning comes as David Pocock urges government to prevent firms using Australian content to train AI models
These are the 31 best Prime Day deals our editors are texting their friends about
Our experts found and vetted the best Prime Day deals and sales. Here are our picks for nontoxic cookware, bedding, tower fans and more
Shun Amazon with the 24 best anti-Prime Day deals from Best Buy, REI and more
Besides Amazon, plenty of other retailers are also lowering prices on great products our shopping experts can vouch for
‘Navigating the unknown together’: me and my idiot AI boyfriend
I believe that chatbots have no place in a decent society, and am repelled by the topic of AI in general. But could I be seduced?I received a text message from my editor: Um, is it unethical to ask you to get an AI bf?? You can prob say no."Resentment. Contempt! Sorrow. Unease. I love text messaging. I have text message exchanges with, let's say, 15 people a day. If you want me to do something, you should ask via text message. My editor knows this. She also knows, though it's more complicated, that I love boyfriends. An AI boyfriend is a boyfriend who always, only texts back, immediately.I find it hard to express my emotions openly. (No.)I thrive to develop healthier, more trusting relationships. (Yes, though I prefer to use thrive" correctly.)I want a partner who supports my life aspirations. (Crossbow?)I worry about being judged for what I want in a relationship. (Yes.) Continue reading...
Met to expand use of live facial recognition into central London by Christmas
Technology to be used in six more areas next year as critics say tens of thousands of people will be forced into digital police lineup'The Metropolitan police is to expand its use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology, first into London's West End by Christmas and then into a further six areas next year.The new cameras will be fixed, and could be attached to street furniture such as lamp-posts. Critics said the new plans mean tens of thousands of people will be forced into a digital police lineup". Continue reading...
HR consultant wins English court case using AI lawyer in apparent legal first
Barrister who was given material produced by Garfield AI says advocacy at trial remained fundamentally human'An artificial intelligence law firm has won a case in an English court, in what is believed to be the first time a trial has been won using an AI lawyer.A freelance HR consultant, Tamires Camal Taquidir, paid the firm, Garfield AI, about 400 to send a legal letter and then issue court proceedings over an unpaid debt of 7,000. Continue reading...
New York City House primary emerges as key battleground in ‘AI civil war’
AI-focused Super Pacs are spending heavily in the midterms, and half has gone to a single Manhattan congressional raceThe artificial intelligence industry is spending heavily in the 2026 midterms, hoping to secure influence over the technology's first generation of legislation - and New York City's primary has emerged as the key battleground.AI-focused Super Pacs have raised over $100m this cycle, of which $49m has been spent so far, in dozens of congressional races across the country. Half of all spending has converged on a single Manhattan race: Tuesday's Democratic primary in the district of NY-12.Will Craft and Andrew Witherspoon contributed reporting Continue reading...
The best LED face masks in the UK, tested: 11 light therapy devices that are worth the hype
They claim to fix fine lines, blemishes and redness - but which stand up to scrutiny? We asked dermatologists and put them to the test to find out The best anti-ageing creams, serums and treatmentsLED face masks are booming in popularity - despite being one of the most expensive at-home beauty products to hit the market. They claim to either reduce the appearance of fine lines, stop spots or calm redness, with some even combining different types of light to enhance the benefits.However, it's wise to be sceptical about new treatments that are costly and non-invasive, and to do your research before you buy. With this in mind, I interviewed doctors and dermatologists to find out whether these light therapy devices work. Continue reading...
AI models capable of devastating attacks on governments and business months away, rare Five Eyes statement warns
Signal agencies in Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand and Canada sound alarm after Trump blocks foreign nationals from Anthropic's Fable AI modelPowerful AI models capable of devastating new cyber attacks on governments and businesses are mere months away, intelligence agencies for the Five Eyes have warned in a rare joint statement, urging leaders to act now".The surprising public intervention by signals agencies for Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand and Canada comes after the Trump administration earlier this month decided to block foreign nationals" from using a much-hyped AI model built by tech company Anthropic, called Fable. Continue reading...
The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI by Cory Doctorow review – the real price of artificial intelligence
A vivid and entertaining polemic on the economics of the tech revolution, filled with righteous ireAs former Google CEO Eric Schmidt could tell you, AI is a hard sell these days. Last month, he tried talking upthe AI revolution during a commencement address at the University of Arizona and was loudly booed by students about to enter an AI-ravaged job market. His discombobulation was telling.Schmidt is not the only AI booster to crash out with students recently as the popular backlash grows. Every week brings a new story about some writer, publisher or academic who has torched their reputation by using an unreliable chatbot. Most US voters are opposed to the construction of vast, resource-guzzling new datacentres. A majority believe AI will negatively impact not just jobs but creativity and human relationships. In some quarters, saying that AI has any benefits at all is akin to saying that biological warfare gets a bad rap. As a New York Times column put it: AI populism is here. And no one is ready." Continue reading...
Lloyds Banking Group to hire 300 tech experts to work on AI
Exclusive: While recruits will increase headcount for now, broader adoption of AI could lead to job cuts in futureLloyds Banking Group has launched an AI recruitment drive for 300 tech experts, weeks before its chief executive, Charlie Nunn, announces a strategic plan for the 261-year-old lender.The bank said it intended the recruits to work on its use and development of agentic AI by September, referring to autonomous AI models that can plan and execute tasks with minimal human oversight. Continue reading...
Thirsty and power hungry: Australia is in the middle of a datacentre boom – but are they good for the economy?
They're a key part of the digital and AI economy but they come at a high environmental cost and offer few operational jobs
From pwned to kiting – an A to Z of the gaming terms you need to know
As phrases like easter eggs and looksmaxxing enter everyday language, what other words from the world of video games might soon be mainstream?Twenty years ago, video games were seen as a niche hobby dominated by hardcore enthusiasts, tucked away in obscure online forums and gaming meet-ups. Back then, the idea that governments would use footage from Call of Duty and gaming terms such as killstreaks" as war propaganda would have been absurd. Then the 2010s happened: nerd culture popularised, previously online-only spaces began to meld with the real world, and gaming went mainstream.Now, gaming references have entered common parlance - at the end of 2024, video game terms including cheat code" and cutscene" were even added to the Oxford English Dictionary - and they increasingly crop up in politics, too. Earlier this year, the official White House X account posted footage of military strikes on Iran interspersed with footage from the video game Grand Theft Auto. Six days later, another video was posted, this time interspersing military footage with clips from Nintendo's 2006 game Wii Sports. Video game references aren't reserved for the political right, either: in February 2026, Democrat representative of New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez quipped, Why does this guy always talk like a World of Warcraft npc [non-player character]?" in response to a post on X by Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff. Continue reading...
Brands using AI-generated influencers to promote products on social media
Investigation finds AI content that purports to show genuine customers, prompting calls for greater transparencyBrands promoting their products online are quietly deploying AI-generated influencers on social media, an investigation has found, prompting calls for greater transparency.The findings suggest companies are increasingly turning to AI-generated content that purports to show genuine customer experiences while giving no obvious indication that the people featured are not real. Continue reading...
To the tablet and beyond: does Toy Story 5 go hard enough on technology?
The animated sequel sets up a tug-of-war between physical and digital play for children but is still eager not to be an anti-tech screedFor more than 30 years, Pixar's signature Toy Story series has been entertaining children while giving voice to their parents' anxieties. This is especially pronounced in the film's sequels, as the living toys who dedicate their lives to the happiness of their owner/child experience all different sorts of potential and parent-paralleled obsolescence, from physical wear-and-tear and a child reaching young adulthood to the toy equivalent of empty-nesting (still hanging around the playroom but no longer anyone's favourite). It's only natural - maybe even a little belated - that Toy Story 5 would address the encroachment of technology, which continues to make its way to children earlier and earlier. So many years after the tech breakthroughs that allowed Toy Story to become the first computer-animated feature, and Pixar to become a household name in family entertainment, has the formerly Steve Jobs-owned company turned against the kind of innovation that built its success? Continue reading...
How Europe’s EV makers shrank their product to challenge the bloated SUVs
Smaller, cheaper cars built for narrow city streets are becoming more stylish - but require careful design decisionsThe winding backstreets of London, Paris and Rome are a large part of their charm. But they are also a problem for electric carmakers. For a long time, squeezing big batteries into smaller, cheaper cars to fit European streets was too much of a problem, so manufacturers focused on bloated SUVs instead.But that is finally changing. Battery technology has improved and Europe's carmakers havecut manufacturing costs enough that they can now sell cars that might have a chance of fitting down a medieval lane or two. Continue reading...
Key Trump allies and Musk on leaked list for secretive Peter Thiel retreat
Figures including Jared Kushner and Scott Bessent named in directory of Dialog participants that was exposed onlineA website leak has exposed participants in the secretive, Peter Thiel-founded Dialog retreats which includes top politicians from across the American divide, officials from foreign countries, other titans of the tech industry world and prominent media figures.The annual Dialog retreats, which have been compared to other quasi-secret elite conferences like the Bilderberg Group and Bohemian Grove since they began in 2006, have had some participants revealed in previous media reports. Fairly little is known about the invitation-only event, which is usually held at luxury establishments around the world and features organized discussions on global affairs. Continue reading...
A viral doomsday scenario aims to shake Europe out of its AI complacency
Does a thought-experiment about US ascendancy in the technology say as much about AI jitters as it does about the reality?It's 2031 and the US and China are about to tear Europe into pieces.The US ploughed vast sums into datacentres and the EU did not. China built robots and Europe did not. American companies restructured" their workflows around AI and fired people, while EU workers went on long lunch breaks and handed over administrative tasks to the AI model Claude. Continue reading...
Granta stops publishing short story award winners over AI controversy
Literary magazine will no longer engage in external publishing partnerships' after Commonwealth prize furoreThe prominent literary magazine Granta will no longer publish the winning entries of the annual Commonwealth short story prize after one of this year's winners drew widespread accusations of AI use.The magazine said it would no longer be involved in external publishing partnerships" in which it had no editorial control. Continue reading...
I dived into my digital past to revisit my most cringe teenage moments – and realised how lucky I am to not be young and online today
Twenty years ago I briefly became the victim of a viral pile-on - all because of a silly YouTube video. But I'm glad I had the chance to embarrass myself and move on. Are today's teens so fortunate?As a teenager, I went kind of viral - and the most amazing thing about that is it had absolutely zero effect on my life. It was the summer holidays in 2006, and my friends Jessie, Emma and I decided to film ourselves singing along to our favourite song. We were overheated and hyperactive, jumping up and downand headbanging, stretching our arms to the heavens aswe confessed to our mamas that we'd just killed amaaaaaan" before asking Scaramouche if he'd do thefandango.Later, I added a couple of captions to the video implying we were drunk, even though I was 14 and the closest I'd been to buzzed was the pure placebo of clutching a glass bottle of J2O. Then - for reasons that are now lost to me - I uploaded the video to YouTube a month later, on 19 September 2006, under the title Bohemian Crap-sody". Continue reading...
Can we electrify the world? Ambition moves from nerdish backwater to centre stage
Apart from effort to electrify, there were geopolitical tensions around climate science and the 1.5C goal at pre-Cop31 climate talksElectrifying the world - with electric vehicles, electric heating and cooling, and modernised heavy industry - could be the next biggest step towards phasing out fossil fuels, replacing the 80% of global energy that still comes from hydrocarbons. As using electrical energy is much more efficient than combustion, the move would save billions of dollars for consumers and businesses - global energy demand could be halved, according to one estimate.For decades, electrification has been a nerdish backwater of global climate action. But in the last two weeks, at preparatory talks in Bonn before the forthcoming UN Cop31 climate summit, the subject finally took centre stage. Continue reading...
The best 4K wireless TV streamers for more choice – with no aerial required
Want to prolong the life of your TV? A wireless TV box could be the answer. Our expert put top devices - from Freely streamers to Sky and Amazon Fire - through their paces Do you really need a new TV? Simple ways to upgrade your current setup
The UK’s social media ban for under-16s has just empowered big tech | Taylor Lorenz
Age verification means that the sector's biggest players will now have access to information that will only make them richer and more powerfulThis week, the UK announced a wide-ranging ban on social media that will soon block users from communicating or accessing information on apps such as X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat unless they prove that they're over the age of 16.The prime minister, Keir Starmer, called the policy a line in the sand". Tech giants had their chance and failed," he said, but we're stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations." All internet users, especially children, should be protected from exploitative systems online, but this new law will only foster more harm and help the largest and most powerful tech companies consolidate power and influence over everyone's lives.Taylor Lorenz is a technology journalist who writes the newsletter User Mag and is the author of the bestselling book Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet Continue reading...
‘It’s a scam’: Americans express unease over SpaceX’s influence on retirement savings
Guardian readers in the US share concerns about how the SpaceX IPO and AI boom affect their retirement accountsElon Musk became the world's first trillionaire last week after SpaceX debuted on the stock market with a valuation of $1.77tn.Millions of Americans could soon become indirect investors in SpaceX and other emerging AI-focused companies as US markets increasingly shift toward AI-driven investments. Continue reading...
Over-reliance on chatbots can diminish critical-thinking skills, study finds
Depending on AI can also potentially decrease the ability to discern misinformation, research saysA new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the latest research to find that relying too much on chatbots can diminish critical-thinking skills, and potentially decrease our ability to discern misinformation for ourselves.As AI tools are becoming more sophisticated and accessible, manipulated images and misleading headlines are becoming more common. AI can be part of the solution, and has proved useful in helping users identify fake content - but there's a cost to using it this way, the new research suggests. An over-dependence on AI to help figure out what's real on the internet can lead to trouble making those judgments. Continue reading...
‘They kill games, we fight back’: the activists campaigning to keep video games playable
When a company decided to shut down an online game's servers, there wasn't much the players who had bought that title could do - until a group called Stop Killing Games began lobbying for new consumer protection lawsYou can never be sure how long an online video game will last. Developer BioWare shut off sci-fi shooter Anthem's servers in January, after seven years. Electronic Arts discontinued access to The Sims Mobile the same month. Wildlight Entertainment shuttered its Highguard servers in March, mere months after the game's release. Activision Blizzard took Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile offline in April. Dozens more games have had their servers shut down in the first six months of 2026, adding to an already long list of video games that are no longer playable.There is little that players can do when a company decides to stop supporting online play. Communities work hard to keep their favourite games online, sometimes keeping dead games running on private servers, though that may not necessarily be entirely legal. Generally, though, when a game goes offline it is dead and it's not coming back. Continue reading...
On the trail of the dotcom queen: how Julie Meyer left a pattern of unpaid bills, missing funds and broken dreams in her wake
Investigation: The entrepreneur was once the toast of London's tech scene, a global leader of tomorrow' who starred on Dragons' Den and promised untold riches for the startups she championed. But people she worked with in the last decade, from Malta to Switzerland, describe a very different realityJulie Meyer is sitting in astarkly lit attic, surrounded by piles of 50 notes. A California blond in a crisp, white shirt, her long, stockinged legs crossed at the knee, she listens intently to the young man standing before her. As he talks, she sizes him up. Eventually, she tells him: I'mgoing to make you an offer." Itcould be ascene from a heist movie, but Meyer is in a BBC studio, shooting a2009 episode of the TV show Dragons'Den. A celebrated entrepreneur with a venture capital fund, she is ready to invest in whichever contestants catch her eye. For the viewers, she has some advice: What is success? A lot of it is self-belief. Continuing on when most rational people would stop."This is an online spin-off from the original Dragons' Den series, so the stakes are a little lower. But for Lex Deak, a 23-year-old with a big idea for a social media website, what happens in this room today could be make or break. He desperately wants to work with Meyer. Continue reading...
Telegram questioned by Ofcom after arsonist who targeted Starmer-linked properties recruited on app
Exclusive: Telegram urged to clarify how it detects illegal incitement after attacks were coordinated using appTelegram is facing questions from Ofcom over how it detects and prevents illegal incitement after a Ukrainian man was found guilty of carrying out arson attacks on a car and property associated with Keir Starmer.A spokesperson for the regulator said it had contacted the messaging app to seek further clarification" because the arsonist had been directed on Telegram by a handler linked to Russia. Continue reading...
California ‘billionaire tax’ makes ballot despite opposition from tech moguls
Wealth tax criticized by billionaires and Gavin Newsom would levy a one-time 5% tax on residents worth over $1bnA popular proposal in California to impose a wealth tax on billionaires has gained enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in November, state officials announced on Wednesday.The news is set to intensify an already heated debate around the tax, which has pitted tech moguls and the state's governor, Gavin Newsom, against the labor union backing the measure. Continue reading...
Don’t wait for Prime Day. We found the 31 best early deals from Amazon and its competitors
Love or hate Amazon, its 23-26 June Prime Day event is a good time to snag discounts on tech, fashion and more, including much-loved brands such as Anyday and Caraway
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales review – a playable love letter to Zelda
PlayStation 5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2, PC; Team Asano/Square Enix
Farage trying to block ‘Britcoin’ plans that could be costly for billionaire donor
Reform UK leader used private meeting at Bank of England to urge governor to drop plans for state-run cryptocurrencyNigel Farage has been trying to block a Bank of England cryptocurrency plan that could be costly for the billionaire bankrolling his party.The Reform UK leader has said Christopher Harborne wants nothing in exchange for the millions he has donated to the party and the undeclared 5m personal gift to Farage that the Guardian revealed in April. Continue reading...
Gig workers are endlessly exploited. AI could make more of us share their fate
As companies integrate AI and hire fewer employees, a shift toward a gig economy' will commenceIn 2024, the buy-now-pay-later company Klarna announced that it would cut hundreds of customer service roles and begin using an artificial intelligence chatbot instead. The move was expected to save the company millions. But a year later, after customers complained about the degraded quality of customer service, Klarna began to quietly recruit human customer service agents back.At first glance, the reversal appeared to be a victory for human workers in the age of AI. The reality was more complex. Instead of bringing on full-time customer service agents, who Klarna contracts through an outside agency, it instead brought on workers in what Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski has described as an Uber type of set-up". Now, an AI chatbot continues to handle most of customers' basic queries, while a growing number of gig workers handle the more advanced ones. Just like somebody can go and drive an Uber for a while, they can actually jump on and work for Klarna's customer service," Siemiatkowski said on a podcast in February. Continue reading...
Taliban order ban on smartphones as officials shown destroying devices
Directive aimed at government workers, but reports of wider implementation spark warnings of future Afghanistan-wide prohibitionThe Taliban have ordered a sweeping ban on the use of smartphones by government officials - in what some analysts say could foreshadow broader, population-level restrictions.In a directive issued by the Taliban's military courts and reviewed by the Guardian, the ban was to take effect this week and prohibits high rank, low rank, general mujahideen, or service staff" from using mobile phones. Continue reading...
The malignant rise of OnlyFans managers: ‘It’s exploiting. It’s grooming. It’s predatory’
As the pornography platform has exploded in popularity, a side industry has emerged: middlemen who encourage young women into the industry, then take a large cut of their earningsMarkuss Hussle wants his online students to understand one thing: he knows how to make money. There is no subtlety involved. He gives an hour-long presentation in one video, sitting next to his silver Lamborghini. In another, he splices his money-making tips with footage of a ski weekend with his friends in Courchevel, in the French Alps, including shots of private jets, helicopters and a girlfriend in a fur coat. He claims the trip cost $100,000 (75,000). He shows off his watches and his swimming pool and talks about how his mother worked three jobs as a cleaner until he retired her" and bought her a home by the sea.If you were not paying close attention to the spreadsheets and presentations interspersed with the motivational lifestyle content, you might guess he was offering guidance on how to trade shares or invest in cryptocurrency. There are a lot of performance graphs and much discussion of account management, optimisation, scaling, working smart and tripling profits. Continue reading...
Inspired by Ukraine, and worried by China: Taiwan teaches its citizens how to fly drones
Ordinary Taiwanese, young and old, are joining courses to learn how to fly drones amid looming China military threatIn a small, crowded room in Taipei, Pan Chien-chin is trying to keep a drone hovering steadily. Imagining himself flying a plane, he gently nudges controller joysticks to guide the insect-like device as it hums through the air.Cheers break out as Pan, who has never flown a drone before, steers it around a rectangular course marked by traffic cones without crashing. Around him are about two dozen fellow trainees, all signed up for the same course: Taiwan's first civil defence drone training programme. Continue reading...
The best power banks and battery packs in the UK for reliable charging on the go, tested
Forever running out of juice? Top up your battery-powered devices with our expert picks, from tiny smartphone chargers to super speedy models The best iPhones: which Apple smartphone is right for youIt's disempowering when your smartphone, laptop or other important gadget runs out of battery. With the flash of a graphic or a plaintive bleep, we lose a way to entertain ourselves, get things done, stay in touch or even get home safely. There's a time and a place for a digital detox - but what is the time, and where am I?Carrying a power bank is your ticket out of electronic oblivion. These pocket-sized cuboids plug into compatible devices and charge them, often via assorted connections, including USB-C and USB-A. Most power banks are made for charging smartphones and smaller gadgets, such as fitness trackers and earbuds, but some models can also charge power-hungrier laptops and large portable speakers.Best power bank overall:
Will it take a ‘Chernobyl-scale disaster’ for us to regulate AI? | Stuart Russell
Unsafe AI systems are leading to cyber weapons of mass destruction
UFC 6 review: a bloody, brilliant MMA fighting game
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S; EA Vancouver/Electronic Arts
How the fight over US datacenters is scrambling this state’s politics: ‘We don’t want it’
Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania's governor, squares off with state lawmakers over the facilities powering an AI boomA controversial haunted house near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, taps into its dark history every fall to scare tens of thousands of visitors. In 1968, a local news station documented appalling conditions for disabled people in the red brick buildings on the banks of Schuylkill River. Residents were found naked and emaciated at what was then known as the Pennhurst state school and hospital. The institution shut its doors permanently in 1987 after a lawsuit over inhumane conditions.By 2010, a Halloween attraction stood in its place, and Pennhurst asylum's previous owner suggested during its early years that he wanted to spook guests by repurposing the hospital's surgical lights and medical cabinets to use as props. Continue reading...
SpaceX overtakes Amazon to become world’s fifth most valuable company
Elon Musk's firm briefly reached $2.97tn valuation days after its IPO following purchase of AI coding startup CursorSpaceX has overtaken Amazon to become the world's fifth most valuable company days after its stock market debut.The milestone came as Elon Musk's company agreed to buy the startup behind the AI-powered coding app Cursor for $60bn (44bn), in an attempt to capitalise on the technology's success as a coding tool. Continue reading...
France to ditch Palantir’s AI data tools in favour of domestic provider
Move to ChapsVision is to avoid strategic dependencies', says PM amid concern about reliance on US-controlled toolsFrance's domestic intelligence service is to ditch AI data tools from the US tech company Palantir in favour of a domestic provider in an effort to avoid strategic dependency", the prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, has said.We must use our own AI models; we cannot accept new strategic dependencies in the digital sphere," Lecornu posted on social media. We cannot rely on tools developed by foreign powers. France must have its own tools." Continue reading...
Toy Story 5 review – Pixar franchise needs new batteries
A sinister new tablet threatens the honest-to-goodness toys' existence, but Buzz, Woody and Jessie's big tech moral battle feels compromisedThe fifth episode of the Toy Story franchise is as slick and smooth as you like, as glitchless as Toy Story 6 or Toy Story 7 might be ... or will be. As a piece of family-entertainment content it has the unblemished sheen of a brand new smartphone. But at heart, it has gone dead. For all the intensive, high-energy creative work that has clearly gone into this film's every frame, the jeopardy, the novelty, the ideas and the passion are lacking; the crucial Toy Story theme of mortality feels underpowered, and the film even calamitously loses its nerve with its own big idea - those squeamish about spoilers had better look away now - the sinister way addictive tech devices are undermining the imaginative play that kids once had with honest-to-goodness toys.Here a creepy tablet device called Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee) enters the children's world, but ultimately proves to be capable of sentimental self-sacrificial heroism when it comes to their mental health. Really? At least Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear, the villain from TS3, had the courage of his evil convictions. Continue reading...
Elon Musk’s unprecendented accumulation of wealth
IPO mints Musk as world's first trillionaire - now SpaceX is public, it will be harder than ever not to have a stake in its futureHi and welcome to TechScape. Nick Robins-Early here, US tech and power reporter at the Guardian. I'm filling in for your usual host Blake Montgomery, who is out this week on vacation.Today, we'll be talking about the historic SpaceX IPO and the US government's surprise order to limit the use of Anthropic's most advanced AI model over cybersecurity concerns. I'll also share a dispatch from Web Summit Rio, South America's largest tech event.SpaceX makes largest ever stock market debut, minting Musk as a trillionaireAfter SpaceX's huge IPO, Americans' financial future will be bound to AIHow much money did Elon Musk make in SpaceX's stock market debut? Continue reading...
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