ByteDance dismissed person in August it says maliciously interfered' with training of artificial intelligence modelsThe owner of TikTok has sacked an intern for allegedly sabotaging an internal artificial intelligence project.ByteDance said it had dismissed the person in August after they maliciously interfered" with the training of artificial intelligence (AI) models used in a research project. Continue reading...
Tesla owner says his America Pac will give money to people who sign petition to support first and second amendmentsElon Musk said on Saturday that America Pac, the Donald Trump-allied political action committee he founded, will give $1m every day until the presidential election to someone who signs his petition that appears to be a way to incentivize Republicans in battleground states to register to vote.We are going to be awarding $1m randomly to people who have signed the petition," Musk said at a town hall event in Pennsylvania. One of the challenges we're having is how do we get the public to know about this petition because the legacy media won't report on it." Continue reading...
The owner of X is just one of many who may prefer Donald Trump to greater regulation under the DemocratsWay back in the 1960s the personal is political" was a powerful slogan capturing the reality of power dynamics within marriages. Today, an equally meaningful slogan might be that the technological is political", to reflect the way that a small number of global corporations have acquired political clout within liberal democracies. If anyone doubted that, then the recent appearance of Elon Musk alongside Donald Trumpat a rally in Pennsylvania provided useful confirmation of how technology has moved centre-stage in American politics. Musk may be a manchild with a bad tweeting habit, but he also owns the company that is providing internet connectivity to Ukrainian troops on the battlefield; and his rocket has been chosen by Nasa to be the vehicle to land the next Americans on the moon.There was a time when the tech industry wasn't much interested in politics. It didn't need to be because politics at the time wasn't interested in it. Accordingly, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon and Apple grew to their gargantuan proportions in a remarkably permissive political environment. When democratic governments were not being dazzled by the technology, they were asleep at the wheel; and antitrust regulators had been captured by the legalistic doctrine peddled by Robert Bork and his enablers in the University of Chicago Law School - the doctrine that there was little wrong with corporate dominance unless it was harming consumers. The test for harm was price-gouging, and since Google's and Facebook's services were free", where was the harm, exactly? And though Amazon's products weren't free, the company was ruthlessly undercutting competitors' prices and pandering to customers' need for next-day delivery. Again: where was the harm in that? Continue reading...
A gripping audio series about a killer-for-hire scam on the dark web is a reminder of how technology holds up a mirror to human natureThis column comes to you as a break from listening to a riveting podcast series called Kill List. It's about a secret website that journalist and author Carl Miller discovered on the dark web, the slimy underbelly of the internet. The site essentially runs what one might call an assassination market" or a murder-for-hire service. Customers identify and profile someone whom they wish to have killed and pay (in bitcoin, natch) for the service they require. Hence the title of the podcast series.The story starts in 2020 in the early days of the pandemic lockdown when a gifted IT expert and hacker, Chris Monteiro, was browsing the site and found a security vulnerability that, once exploited, gave him complete access to it. Inside, he found a kill list", rather like an Excel spreadsheet, of 175 people all over the world whom clients wanted murdered. For each target, there was usually lots of detailed information - address, photographs, habits, routes regularly travelled etc. It looked, I guess, superficially mundane - until you read the instructions" attached for each one. How much bitcoin should I pay?" Tell me the execution time in advance - I can't be there." I would just like this person to be shot and killed. Where, how and what with does not bother me at all." You get the idea. Continue reading...
The Dutch-Israeli author on a demonic club hit, her fish fixation, and her love of furniture restoration videosBorn in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1987, Yael van der Wouden is a writer and teacher who lectures in creative writing and comparative literature in the Netherlands. Her work has appeared in publications including LitHub, Electric Literature and Elle.com, and she has a David Attenborough-themed advice column, Dear David, in the online literary journal Longleaf Review. Her essay on Dutch identity and Jewishness, On (Not) Reading Anne Frank, received a notable mention in the 2018 Best American Essays collection. The Safekeep, published by Viking earlier this year, is Van der Wouden's debut novel and is shortlisted for the Booker prize. Continue reading...
Road safety agency opens evaluation over reported collisions in low visibilityThe US government's road safety agency has opened an investigation into 2.4m Tesla vehicles with the automaker's Full Self-Driving software after four reported collisions, including a fatal crash.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Friday said it was opening the preliminary evaluation after four reports of crashes when Full Self-Driving was engaged during reduced roadway visibility like sun glare, fog or airborne dust. Continue reading...
Matt Garman, head of AWS unit, says there are other companies around', according to transcriptA senior Amazon executive has suggested that staff who do not like the company's new five-days-a-week office-working policy should quit.The head of the tech company's cloud computing business told an internal meeting that if employees did not support the change they could look for a job elsewhere, according to a transcript reviewed by Reuters. Continue reading...
by Nick Robins-Early and Rachel Leingang on (#6RJG1)
Tesla and SpaceX chief's behavior sets him apart from even the most politically active billionaires - serving as a Trump policy adviser and mega-donorLess than a month before the presidential election, Elon Musk has made himself a near-constant presence in the race. At a rally for Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, Musk jumps with glee wearing a custom black Maga hat. On social media, he posts AI-generated images attacking Kamala Harris. Behind the scenes, he bankrolls one of the largest pro-Trump political action committees.The billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX has emerged as a unique influence on the campaign in ways that set him apart from even the most politically active billionaires and tech elite. He is all at once a vocal Trump surrogate, campaign mega-donor, informal policy adviser, media influencer and prolific source of online disinformation. At the same time, he is the world's richest man and the owner of one of the United States' most influential social networks, while also operating as a government defense contractor and wielding power over critical satellite communications infrastructure. Continue reading...
From gamifying your to-do list to going for a regular morning walk, top tips for improving concentration from psychotherapists, health coaches and other expertsForty-seven seconds. That was the average length of time an adult could focus on a screen for in 2021, according to research by Gloria Mark, aprofessor of informatics at the University of California. Twenty years ago, in 2004, that number stood at two-and-a-half minutes.Our attention spans - how long we're able to concentrate without being distracted - are shrinking. Our focus - how intensely we can think about things - is suffering too. The causes: technology that's designed to demand our attention; endless tools for procrastination at our fingertips; rising stress and anxiety disorders; and poor sleep quality. But there are solutions. From quick-fix hacks to major lifestyle changes, we asked experts for their tips on how to think harder for longer. Continue reading...
Data is vital to AI systems, so firms want the right to take it and ministers may let them. We must wake up to the dangerImagine someone drives up to a pub in a top-of-the-range sports car - a 1.5m Koenigsegg Regera, to pick one at random - parks up and saunters out of the vehicle. They come into the pub you're drinking in and begin walking around its patrons, slipping their hand into your pocket in full view, smiling at you as they take out your wallet and empty it of its cash and cards.The not-so-subtle pickpocket stops if you shout and ask what the hell they're doing. Sorry for the inconvenience," the pickpocket says. It's an opt-out regime, mate."Chris Stokel-Walker is the author of TikTok Boom: China's Dynamite App and the Superpower Race for Social Media Continue reading...
Using World of Warcraft-style animation, this documentary tells the story of Mats Steen, a boy with muscular dystrophy whose online popularity was only revealed after his deathIt's probably just an accident of scheduling, but this deeply affecting documentary is arriving just when there's a debate raging at the school gates about children's use of smartphones and social media. So while it's undoubtedly troubling how tech platforms set out to addict and exploit young minds, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin provides a fascinating counterargument about how online gaming at least can be a lifeline for some individuals who find themselves isolated in the real world, or IRL as the kids like to say.Born in 1989, Mats Steen started out like many other Norwegian children of his generation: energetic, sweet-natured, unusually pale. However, his parents Robert and Trude soon discovered that he had Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic condition that eroded his ability to move and breathe and which would eventually kill him at the age of 25. By that point in 2014, Robert, Trude and Mats' sister Mia knew that Mats spent hours of his life online playing World of Warcraft using special equipment to accommodate his disability and had been publishing a blog about his life. Continue reading...
Internet Watch Foundation says illegal AI-made content is becoming more prevalent on open web with high level of sophisticationChild sexual abuse imagery generated by artificial intelligence tools is becoming more prevalent on the open web and reaching a tipping point", according to a safety watchdog.The Internet Watch Foundation said the amount of AI-made illegal content it had seen online over the past six months had already exceeded the total for the previous year. Continue reading...
Oversight Board says parent company Meta has serious questions' to answer over two posts allowed to remain onlineMark Zuckerberg's Meta must answer serious questions" about its handling of anti-immigration material, according to the company's content watchdog, as it opened an investigation into two Facebook posts.The Oversight Board is investigating Meta's decision to keep the posts online after acknowledging that it receives a significant number of complaints from users over content that shares anti-immigrant views. Continue reading...
Home computing and the gaming industry have their origins in the iconic early 80s hardware, documented here in an homage to an eccentric pioneerYou'll need a pretty high geek tolerance level for this very detailed and specialised account of Sir Clive Sinclair's bestselling ZX Spectrum home computer, whose appearance in 1982 with its rubbery keys was thought to be as lovably eccentric as the man himself. But with this he revolutionised the market, educated the British public about the importance of computing, and virtually created the gaming industry from scratch. It was originally to be called the Rainbow" in homage to its groundbreaking colour graphics; Sinclair instead insisted on Spectrum" as it was more scientific-sounding.Interestingly, the film shows that Sinclair's flair for the home computing market arose from his beginnings in mail order and assembly kits for things such as mini transistor radios targeted at hobbyists", that fascinatingly old-fashioned word. His first home computers were available as kits and to the end of his days, he was more interested in hardware than software; perhaps this intensely serious man never quite sympathised with the gaming culture that drove his product around the world. Continue reading...
by Alexi Duggins, Hannah Verdier, Hollie Richardson a on (#6RHF3)
The TV icon turned midlife expert hears from gutsy guests on their radical life changes in Begin Again. Plus: five of the best comfort listen podcasts Don't get Hear Here delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereBegin Again
Company says it signed three agreements on developing small modular reactor nuclear power technologyAmazon.com said on Wednesday it has signed three agreements on developing small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power technology, becoming the latest big tech company to push for new sources to meet surging electricity demand from data centers.Amazon said it will fund a feasibility study for an SMR project near a Northwest Energy site in Washington state. The SMR is planned to be developed by X-Energy. Financial details were not disclosed. Continue reading...
Known for her wild Imogenation', Heap has always reworked pop with tech, but her new data-mining project is her boldest yet. She explains why you can't stop progress'It's a very Imogen Heap way to say hello: I've got to show you this thing - it's going to change your life!"She beams at me, showing off a mysterious black device. The musician and technologist is an electric, eccentric presence even on video call, talking passionately and changing thoughts like a rally driver turns corners. She whirls me from her kitchen floor to her living room in her family home in Havering near London, familiar to thousands of fans (AKA Heapsters) who tune in to watch her improvise, via livestream, on a grand piano. She points to a glamorous white tent on the edge of a well-kept lawn: That's my tent I've been sleeping in, by the way," she laughs, enjoying the surprise. Continue reading...
Nima Momeni had no motive to stab Bob Lee to death, opening day of trial in San Francisco hearsThe tech consultant charged in Cash App founder Bob Lee's stabbing death had no motive to kill him and in fact was forced to defend himself against Lee, who had become aggressive while on a multi-day drug bender, lawyers for Nima Momeni said in opening statements on Monday.Prosecutors say Momeni, 40, planned the 4 April 2023 attack after a dispute over his younger sister, Khazar, with whom Lee was friends. They say Momeni took a knife from a unique set in his sister's condo, drove Lee to a secluded area and stabbed him three times, then fled. Continue reading...
Plus: art on Samsung TVs, babies' faces online and the iPhone 16 Pro reviewed Don't get TechScape delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereHello, and welcome to TechScape. I'm Blake Montgomery, technology news editor at the Guardian US. Thank you for joining me. Continue reading...
by Samuel Gibbs Consumer technology editor on (#6RFPH)
Sleek, celeb-favoured gadget tracks sleep, activity and heart health without a smartwatch, but comes at high costOura's stylish smart ring worn by celebrities and athletes alike has slimmed down for its fourth iteration, making it easier to put on, more comfortable to wear and last longer between charges.The Ring 4 swaps the clear plastic insides of its predecessor for shiny titanium to look even less like a cutting-edge piece of tech on your finger. It still weighs practically nothing - 3.3g to 5.2g depending on size - and comes in an expanded choice of 12 sizes and six finishes, including black, silver, gold and rose gold. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#6RFC0)
The safer phones bill could ban companies from applying algorithms for young doomscrolling' teensSocial media companies could be forced to exclude young teens from algorithms to make content less addictive for under-16s, under a new bill with heavyweight backing from Labour, Conservatives and child protection experts.The safer phones bill, a private member's bill from a Labour MP that has high priority in parliament, will be discussed by ministers this week. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6RFN4)
Exclusive: Josh Simons, close ally of Starmer, suggests Musk manipulates platform's algorithm to boost his own interestsWestminster needs to wean itself off X, a close ally of Keir Starmer has said, as he suggested that Elon Musk was deliberately manipulating its algorithm to boost his own political and personal interests.Josh Simons, the MP for Makerfield and former head of the Starmerite thinktank Labour Together, said he believed the British political class was dangerously addicted to the platform, formerly known as Twitter. Simons maintains an active X profile, but says he is keen not to overuse" it. Continue reading...
Creatures can converse and share their stories by voice or text through visitors' mobile phones at Museum of ZoologyIf the pickled bodies, partial skeletons and stuffed carcasses that fill museums seem a little, well, quiet, fear not. In the latest coup for artificial intelligence, dead animals are to receive a new lease of life to share their stories - and even their experiences of the afterlife.More than a dozen exhibits, ranging from an American cockroach and the remnants of a dodo, to a stuffed red panda and a fin whale skeleton, will be granted the gift of conversation on Tuesday for a month-long project at Cambridge University's Museum of Zoology. Continue reading...
German city's Sinfoniker says aim is not to replace humans but to play music human conductors would find impossibleShe's not long on charisma or passion but keeps perfect rhythm and is never prone to temperamental outbursts against the musicians beneath her three batons. Meet MAiRA Pro S, the next-generation robot conductor who made her debut this weekend in Dresden.Her two performances in the eastern German city are intended to show off the latest advances in machine maestros, as well as music written explicitly to harness 21st-century technology. The artistic director of Dresden's Sinfoniker, Markus Rindt, said the intention was not to replace human beings" but to perform complex music that human conductors would find impossible. Continue reading...
Freedom from the temptations pushed at us on a daily basis is now a class issueThey are problems of success, really, these modern ills. Social media addiction, gaming disorders, the compulsive over-eating of sugar and processed gloop: they are products of a society with more than enough food, leisure time and boredom, and without the life-or-death excitement that kept our ancestors busy.We could perhaps think of our rising addiction problems as something like a peacock's tail or companionable parasite - the costly signal that we no longer need to strain every nerveto stay alive. Only a species that is this superfluously good at survivalcould afford to hack its own anti-survival neural circuitry, targeting the pathways that insteadmake it more likely to die. Problems of success are harder, not easier, to deal with, of course - you wouldn't want to reverse the conditions that got us here. Releasing wolves back among us is not the right policy for tackling TikTok-addled teens. But the troubling fact is that a large portion of the economy now runs on addiction.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at observer.letters@observer.co.uk Continue reading...
Formerly reviled music technology is more popular than ever as designers experiment for a growing group of enthusiastsQueen refused to use them. The Musicians' Union tried to ban them. Then computers overtook them. Synthesisers have been mocked, despised and discarded throughout their history, yet somehow they are entering a new golden era.A new wave of synth makers has emerged, creating machines that are more ambitious and often quirkier than their bleep-making predecessors, feeding the appetites of an expanding pool of enthusiasts. Continue reading...
The computer scientist's dogged belief in the potential of neural networks helped unlock machine learning. But he'd be wise to remember the experience of a fellow laureateWay back in 2011 Marc Andreessen, a venture capitalist with aspirations to be a public intellectual, published an essay entitled Why Software Is Eating the World", predicting that computer code would take over large swaths of the economy. Thirteen years on, software now seems to be chomping its way through academia as well. This, at any rate, is one possible conclusion to be drawn from the fact that the computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton shares the 2024 Nobel prize in physics with John Hopfield, and that the computer scientist Demis Hassabis shares half of the Nobel prize in chemistry with one of his DeepMind colleagues, John Jumper.The award to Hassabis and Jumper was, in a way, predictable, for they built a machine - AlphaFold2 - that enables researchers to solve one of the toughest problems in biochemistry: predicting the structure of proteins, the building blocks of biological life. Their machine has been able to predict the structure of virtually all the 200m proteins that researchers have identified. So it's a big deal - for chemistry. Continue reading...
What the Bangladeshi photographer saw at a city's garbage dumpThe word Ziaul Huque uses to describe the recent deadly violence against student protesters in his country of Bangladesh is despicable".In the end, the government could not survive by resorting to violence," says Huque, who was once a university student himself. History has repeatedly shown that no government can survive for long against a radical movement of students." How quickly that political change can translate into solutions for the country's many social and environmental problems remains to be seen, though. Continue reading...
A sequel to the Bafta-winning 2019 RPG was recently cancelled by developer ZU/AM. Now, some of its original team have set up a new studio to make a successorA new developer, Longdue, is being set up to develop a spiritual successor" to the award-winning 2019 computer role-playing game Disco Elysium.The new studio currently comprises 12 people, including some who worked on the original game and on its cancelled sequel, and former staff from Bungie (Destiny, Halo) and Rockstar (Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption). Its debut game is described in a press release as a psychogeographic RPG" that explores the delicate interplay between the conscious and subconscious, the seen and unseen. Set in a world where choices ripple between the character's psyche and environment, players will navigate a constantly shifting landscape, shaped by both internal and external forces." Continue reading...
A sleep-saving knee pillow, a grater that makes dinners healthier, and a hairdryer that saves time: these products have changed daily routines for the betterHave you ever bought something small that changed your everyday life for the better? It could be a product that helped you sleep more soundly, eat more healthily, or save money at the salon? Something that, for a minimal outlay, made a significant difference.We asked our team about the things that improved their lives, no matter how small. From a reading light to a hairdryer, a pair of walking shoes to tweezers, their answers inspired us - and we hope they inspire you, too. Continue reading...
Tech companies aren't transparent about what they do with our photos - we asked experts about best baby-pic practicesWelcome to Opt Out, a semi-regular column in which we help you navigate your online privacy and show you how to say no to surveillance. If you'd like to skip to a section about a particular risk you're trying to protect your child against, click the Jump to" menu at the top of this article. Last week's column covered how to opt yourself out of tech companies using your posts to train artificial intelligence.You've got the cutest baby ever, and you want the world to know it. But you're also worried about what might happen to your baby's picture once you release it into the nebulous world of the internet. Should you post it? Continue reading...
Finally, Lara Croft no longer looks like a strong wind would knock her over. Netflix's new animated series boldly reimagines the adventurer - with no thought to the male gazeHot on the heels of that Oasis reunion comes news of the return of another 90s icon - Lara Croft. She bounds back on to our screens with a new animated series, still sporting that holy triumvirate of classic ponytail, backpack and combat boots. From the get-go she's performing seemingly impossible feats in the name of archaeology: she outswims a ravenous crocodile, and uses her signature blend of parkour and gymnastics to avoid a pit of sharp spikes. But this isn't the Tomb Raider star quite as you might remember her.The eponymous star of Netflix's Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft - voiced by Agent Carter's Hayley Atwell - looks different to how she appeared in the original games. Her thighs are now strong enough to realistically run, climb, stomp, swim and do all the other myriad things Lara has to do on a daily basis, while her waist is more realistically proportioned. Her shoulders are broader, her arms more defined (biceps, triceps and flexors; oh my!), and those impossibly perky and oh-so-pixelated breasts have been deflated to a size that fits somewhere within the realms of reason. Continue reading...
by Alexi Duggins, Hannah Verdier, Hollie Richardson a on (#6RC6J)
Two journalists leaf through vintage magazines and reflect on their legacy in Mag Hags. Plus: five of the best US election podcasts Don't get Hear Here delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereRumble: Ali/Foreman and the Soul of '74
Car was bought as part of the drug abuse education program that uses flashy vehicle to make police seem approachableA police department in California has purchased a flashy new piece of equipment to impress local children: a $150,000 Tesla Cybertruck.In a Facebook video featuring lightning graphics, the Irvine police department said it believed the vehicle to be the first police cybertruck in the nation". It's unlikely to be in any high-speed chases: police say it will mostly be used by officers for school programs, though it is able to respond to emergencies. Continue reading...
The assistant, which has sparked privacy concerns, can also be accessed on 299 Ray-Ban Meta sunglassesMeta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, has launched its artificial intelligence assistant in the UK, alongside AI-boosted sunglasses modelled by Mark Zuckerberg.Meta's AI assistant, which can generate text and images, is now available on its social media platforms in the UK and Brazil, having already been launched in the US and Australia. Continue reading...
In this week's newsletter: JRPGs can be an acquired taste - but fortunately it's one I can't get enough of. Plus, a bumper crop of games for horror fans Don't get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereWhat I have always admired about Japanese role-playing games is their unashamed grandiosity. The likes of Final Fantasy, Persona and Shin Megami Tensei don't restrict themselves to the familiar trappings of good v evil, wizards-and-goblins, swords-and-magic; they absorb all of those things, and plenty else besides, from science fiction and mythology and comic books and psychology and classical art and whatever else interests their creators, and construct these absurdly ambitious worlds and narratives out of them. The themes are never small, the playtimes never short. Think of them as the operas of the video game world: a theatrical synthesis of different virtual arts, from storytelling and stagecraft to music and movement. And as something of an acquired taste.Metaphor ReFantazio - out this week - is the most extravagant example of this genre that I've played in many years. It is lavishly over-the-top. In the first few hours, you are introduced to a world segregated by a controlling monarchy, military and religion into strict racial hierachies, where people with cat ears and tails are subservient to those with horns, or longer elven ears. (Your perfectly manageable task? Dismantle all of this and bring forth a new age of equality.) Characters pull out their own metal hearts, engrave them and transform into robot-styled manifestations of their inner power. You encounter your enemies: monstrous, powerful chimeric grotesqueries, tangles of legs and tongues and spikes and teeth. They are called humans", and they are more powerful and crueller than any of the game's races. Subtlety is never on the table. Continue reading...
Snatch thefts of mobile phones soared by 150% in the last year, with victims left unable to work, use their bank, travel or use their diaries. Why are police finding it so hard to stop?Jenny Tian, 29, a comedian from Australia, had been in London for two weeks when she saw a group of guys in ski masks on a street in east London. I thought to myself: They're probably on their way to rob a home, they're not going to bother me.'" It was 5pm, still broad daylight, and she had her phone out, trying to find a venue on Google Maps. You know when you're turning yourself into a human compass, pivoting around, trying to work out where it's sending you? I looked very lost, I guess." The next thing she heard was the sound of running, then a whoosh of air, and her phone was gone.This was not OK. London's first independent victims' commissioner, Claire Waxman, stressed in a statement that she definitely gets it. Our lives are on our phones - our contacts, family photos, social media accounts, contactless payments, travelcards, emails. They are a form of safety and comfort for people but taking someone's device robs them of that security." For Tian, there was weeks of work on her phone - notes for her standup, edited videos for her Instagram feed, all her contacts with bookers, all her connections to home, her Apple Pay, her banking details, her diary, never mind she didn't know where she was. Continue reading...
Social platform was blocked after tech billionaire failed to name local representatives and pay finesBrazilians are set to regain access to X after a supreme court judge lifted a ban introduced nearly six weeks ago as a result of Elon Musk's failure to comply with the South American country's laws.X was blocked in Brazil, where it had more than 22 million users, at the end of August in what was the culmination of a months-long arm wrestle between the network's billionaire owner and the Brazilian supreme court. Continue reading...
TechScape's new writer on why a $60k-a-year middle school banned tech for a week and how to opt out of AI training Don't get TechScape delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereHello, and welcome to TechScape. I'm Blake Montgomery, the technology news editor at Guardian US.I'm taking over TechScape from Alex Hern, and I'd like to introduce myself and my ideas for this newsletter. Continue reading...
by Johana Bhuiyan, Nick Robins-Early and agencies on (#6RAJY)
Lawsuits allege platform's dopamine-inducing' algorithm can lead to anxiety, depression and body dysmorphiaMore than a dozen states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits against TikTok on Tuesday, alleging the popular short-form video app is damaging children's mental health with a product designed to be used compulsively and excessively.The lawsuits stem from a national investigation into TikTok, which was launched in March 2022 by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from several states, including California, Kentucky and New Jersey. All of the complaints were filed in state courts and claim that TikTok's algorithm is especially dangerous given the platform's widespread use among young people and its ability to deliver quick hits of dopamine. Design choices such as infinite scrolling, push notifications and in-app purchases prey on youth and create addictive habits among users, prosecutors allege. There are over 170m monthly active TikTok users in the US, and over a billion worldwide. Continue reading...
An addictive example of a burgeoning genre, its elaborate widgets and logistics demand long shifts that have re-engineered my unconscious mindEveryone knows about the Tetris effect, named after the puzzle game that is so compelling players can find themselves visualising falling blocks and imagining how real-world objects could fit together long after turning off the Game Boy. Similarly, playing too much Burnout or Grand Theft Auto gave some of my uni friends pause before they got behind the wheel in real life. But few video games are so enthralling that they begin to invade one's subconscious. I would like to nominate a new candidate for this dubious pantheon: a factory-building game called, beautifully, Satisfactory.Satisfactory is part of an emerging genre of factory games. They're like a jacked-up version of survival-crafting games such as Minecraft. You craft things that build widgets you can use to build other things, in order to accomplish some far-off goal ... except the quantities of things needed are so ridiculously large that you need to automate it. So you set down extractors and feed raw materials into other machines via conveyor belts, and pretty soon you have a whole mini-factory ticking along, happily producing screws or plates or whatever while you run off to rig up another project elsewhere. Continue reading...
Questions raised about registration in Czech Republic of one of first models to reach continentTesla's Cybertruck is too big and sharp for European roads, transport campaigners have warned, as questions are raised about the registration of one of the first of the electric pickup trucks to hit the continent.There had been confusion about whether the Cybertruck could be driven in Europe, owing to strict road safety rules that ban sharp edges and require speed limiters on vehicles that weigh more than 3.5 tonnes when full. Tesla's manual lists the angular steel vehicle as having a gross vehicle weight of 4 tonnes. (The equivalent of a standard family car, such as a Ford Focus, is 1.9 tonnes.) Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6R9XP)
Almost half of girls aged 11 to 21 in Girlguiding survey say sexism and misogyny makes them feel less safeGirls and young women are seeing more unwanted sexual images and suffering more cyberstalking online, but still don't want to take a break from social media because of a fear of missing out, a survey for Girlguiding has found.Fomo" is keeping more than half of 11- to 21-year-olds on apps such as TikTok, Snapchat and WhatsApp despite nearly one in five saying they have been being stalked online and more than a third saying they are seeing sexual images they didn't wish to see, the survey of more than 2,000 girls and young women found. Continue reading...
Google must make Android apps available from competing sources and cannot forbid use of in-app payment methodsA US judge on Monday ordered Alphabet's Google to overhaul its mobile app business to give Android users more options to download apps and to pay for transactions within them, following a jury verdict last year for the Fortnite game maker Epic Games. The injunction by US district judge James Donato in San Francisco outlined the changes Google must undertake to open up its lucrative app store, Play, to greater competition, including making Android apps available from rival sources.Donato's order said that for three years Google cannot prohibit the use of in-app payment methods and must allow users to download competing third-party Android app platforms or stores. Continue reading...
The series' return was heralded by a Tears for Fears song - an unexpected tone for its chainsaw-guns and gore. We revisit how a splintering marriage gave birth to gaming's saddest shooterAt the Xbox Games Showcase this June, Microsoft debuted a trailer for the eighth game in the violent, grandiose and unexpectedly maudlin Gears of War series: a prequel. The sight of series heroes Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago as younger men is an emotional homecoming like no other", as Microsoft's Xbox blog put it. But the real tug at the heartstrings comes with the first notes of a slow, instrumental rendition of Tears for Fears' Mad World. As a 41-year-old man, that piano got me tearing up," wrote one YouTube commenter.It's a throwback to the original, iconic Gears of War trailer from 2006, in which a lonesome Fenix picks through his ruined world to Gary Jules' plaintive cover of the same song. And you can't blame Microsoft for leaning on nostalgia. As Mad Men's Don Draper once said, it's delicate, but potent. Eighteen years on, that Gears of War trailer is still some of the most effective video game marketing ever. It really spoke to the melancholy heart that beats within this superficially macho game. Continue reading...
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