-
It looks like monitor manufacturers can download bloatware without consent that will serve you pop-up ads
PC Gamer reports that some monitor manufacturers appear able to install software onto users’ PCs without explicit consent, with this bloatware then capable of serving pop-up advertisements. The concern matters because it suggests display hardware — not just laptops or pre-built systems — can act as a vector for unwanted software that affects the user…
-
Character.AI wants a piece of the microdrama pie
Character.AI has announced c.ai Series, a slate of short-form, episodic “microdramas” designed to be watched and interacted with on a phone, marking the latest step in the company’s push to become a broader storytelling platform beyond its LLM-powered chatbots. Unlike rival services such as ReelShort and DramaBox, which offer cheaply produced live-action shows with human…
-
The newest entrant in the military’s launch competition isn’t actually a launch company
The US Space Force has added two more companies, Impulse Space and Relativity Space, to the pool of firms eligible to bid for national security launch contracts. Winning a place in the military launch market is both a mark of maturity and a valuable revenue source for rocket firms. While Relativity Space’s inclusion is unsurprising…
-
Germany set to make rental e-scooter operators liable for accidents
Germany’s parliament is set to pass legislation making rental e-scooter operators such as Lime and Bolt legally liable for accidents caused by their vehicles, putting them on a similar footing to cars. The change matters because victims currently have to prove that an individual rider was at fault to claim compensation — a difficult standard…
-
Licence to drill? How a Trump-linked Texas oil company is elbowing its way into Greenland
A Texas-based oil company, Greenland Energy, is pushing to drill for oil beneath Jameson Land in eastern Greenland, backed by figures linked to Donald Trump. At a June meeting in the remote settlement of Ittoqqortoormiit, the company’s representative, Robert Price, told residents it had permission to land drilling equipment and had filed pending applications to…
-
Character.ai enters the microdrama arena with its own productions, but there’s a twist
Character.AI, the platform that lets people chat with customised AI avatars, has entered the fast-growing “microdrama” market by producing its own short-form series made with AI production tools. The distinguishing feature is that users over 18 can chat with the shows’ characters, ask them questions and role-play alternative storylines, drawing on the company’s core conversational…
-
AI Platform Character.ai Introduces Suite of Microseries Focused on Anime, Horror, Action Adventure: ‘Deeper Connection Between Fans and Characters’
Character.ai, the platform known for letting users create and chat with AI-generated characters, has launched “c.ai Series”, a collection of short AI-made microseries built around characters native to its platform. What sets the format apart, the company says, is that the experience does not end when an episode finishes: users aged over 18 can continue…
-
Character.ai’s New Business? Microdramas
Character.ai, the chatbot company founded by former Google engineers, is launching a microdrama division, marking a notable diversification for a firm best known for its AI companion chatbots. The company will announce on Thursday that it has created AI-generated animated vertical-video series, penned by hired Hollywood writers but produced using artificial intelligence rather than traditional…
-
Andy Burnham urged to scrap income tax and NI in radical fiscal overhaul
A group of prominent economists has written an open letter urging Andy Burnham, widely regarded as prime minister-in-waiting, to pursue a radical overhaul of the tax system once he takes office. The signatories — including Jim O’Neill, an ally of Burnham, alongside academics and think-tank leaders — argue that Britain’s structural fiscal problems have defeated…
-
Palm Beach airport’s President Donald J Trump International rebrand celebrated as Trump plane touches down
Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, has been officially renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport, opening under its new name on Thursday. The change marks another prominent public landmark carrying the Trump name and is tied to the president’s long-standing connections to the area, most notably his Mar-a-Lago estate located a…