-
Meta releases code for custom Muse AI gadgets with household controls
Meta has released open-source code enabling users to build their own Muse AI gadgets tailored to their specific needs. The move democratises access to Meta’s new AI assistant by allowing hobbyists and developers to create customised hardware implementations using readily available components like ESP32 boards or Raspberry Pi units. The company has also manufactured a…
-
Amazon pledges $1bn for data centre neighbours amid environmental concerns
Amazon has pledged more than $1 billion over five years to communities near its data centres, funding priorities such as education, job training, affordable energy and water. The company says it will prevent its centres from raising power bills or depleting local water, but environmental advocates say the plan understates pollution and other impacts as…
-
Meta wants people to build their own Muse gadgets, too
Meta is opening up its Muse AI agent to third-party developers through a new open-source project called Muse Gadgets, providing them with the firmware and tools needed to build custom hardware. This move could accelerate innovation around the Muse platform beyond Meta’s own devices, allowing hobbyists and developers to create diverse hardware implementations for interacting…
-
Batomon Showdown adds monster collecting to the auto battler formula
Batomon Showdown is a new auto battler that combines team building, resource management and tactical positioning with monster collecting. The article’s author says its familiar but distinctive gameplay has made it hard to stop playing, and argues that its variety of creature abilities gives the genre an appealing new entry. Players spend daily funds on…
-
US growth has continued as carbon emissions fell since 2008
The 2008 financial crisis created a turning point in the US economy’s relationship with carbon emissions. For decades, economic growth and fossil fuel consumption rose together, but since 2008 the US has achieved declining carbon emissions alongside continued economic growth, a phenomenon economists describe as “opening the scissors.” Sweden provided an earlier example, cutting carbon…
-
Has Penny put her foot down and told Rod it’s time to quit the spotlight, look after his health… and finally sail off into the sunset?
Rod Stewart has announced that his 2027 tour, The Final Encore, will “most definitely” be his last, following a serious heart scare. The article suggests his wife, Penny Lancaster, has helped push him to take his health and the limits of touring more seriously after years of resisting calls to slow down. During a 2026…
-
New York households use batteries to keep air conditioning running during grid peaks
A New York City startup called Every Electric has deployed batteries to roughly 1,000 households to power window air conditioners during peak demand periods, allowing residents to maintain comfort whilst participating in demand response programmes that pay them to reduce electricity use. This approach creates a “virtual power plant” that gives the electrical grid more…
-
Rivian deliveries climb 45% as its more affordable R2 gains traction
Rivian reported a sharp rise in third-quarter production and deliveries, as its more affordable R2 begins to contribute to growth. The increase stands out in a US electric vehicle market where sales have fallen, and the R2’s success matters to Rivian’s prospects as an independent, scaled manufacturer. The company produced 19,751 vehicles and delivered 19,248,…
-
Global Diesel Crisis: G7 Releases Strategic Reserves as Prices Hit Records
G7 countries have agreed to release up to 100 million barrels of emergency reserves, including a substantial amount of diesel, after Donald Trump threatened to ban US diesel exports. The move aims to ease shortages and price pressures, but has drawn criticism from experts who say the US threat pressured European leaders into acting. The…
-
Neighbours recount three-hour police search at slain executive’s widow’s home
New York Times games executive Jonathan McKinsey was shot dead in Dublin, California, on Saturday, days before a divorce hearing. His in-laws, Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, both 77, have been charged with murder; authorities have not publicly stated a motive. Neighbours say investigators questioned them about McKinsey’s widow, Candice Jang, and her care of…