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Streaming platforms are rebuilding cable-style channels and bundles
Streaming began as a cheaper, more flexible alternative to cable, with Netflix’s shift from DVDs helping transform entertainment and prompting rivals such as Amazon and Disney to launch their own platforms. However, the crowded market, repeated price rises and difficulty retaining subscribers are now pushing streaming companies towards models that resemble traditional cable. Free ad-supported…
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How Texas Instruments came to dominate graphing calculators in classrooms
Texas Instruments has dominated the graphing-calculator market for decades, with its devices becoming a routine back-to-school purchase since the early 2000s. The article previews a Version History podcast episode examining how TI established and maintained this unusually durable position in classrooms. The episode features David Pierce, Nilay Patel and Victoria Song, and forms part of…
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Ukraine’s largest Moscow drone assault kills two, damages refinery
Ukraine carried out its largest drone attack on the Moscow region, striking the city’s main oil refinery and residential buildings. Russian officials said 450 drones heading for the capital were intercepted, though the assault still killed at least two people and wounded 20 others. The strike damaged three key units at the refinery, which supplies…
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New Miss Marple novel sends Christie’s sleuth to the Alps
A writer has been commissioned to write the first full-length Miss Marple novel in fifty years, reviving Agatha Christie’s most celebrated detective for a new generation. This marks the first time Christie’s family has authorised a continuation of the character, whose last case appeared in “Sleeping Murder,” published posthumously in 1976, making this a significant…
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EU must reduce reliance on China for rare-earth supplies, says miner
Rafael Moreno, head of Viridis Mining and Minerals, says China’s dominance of rare-earth supplies must be reduced to protect industries such as automotive, renewable energy and defence. His comments come as Donald Trump and Xi Jinping prepare for a summit amid concern that China could reimpose tighter export restrictions, making global manufacturers and supply chains…
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AI industry’s debt-fuelled bubble may burst before safety fears
The article argues that whilst AI safety warnings dominate headlines, the more immediate threat may be a financial collapse of the AI industry itself. Major technology firms have accumulated massive debts—£99 billion in debt issuance this year alone—to fund rapid datacentre expansion, and the fundamental economics of their AI business models are unsustainable. This financial…
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US subs guard cables from Russian sabotage as Trump launches AI Force
The US deploys nuclear submarines to defend critical undersea cables from potential Russian sabotage. President Trump announces an AI Force to compete with China in artificial intelligence.
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Ned Bennett’s Curious Incident transforms Christopher’s London journey into sensory theatre
Ned Bennett’s new Birmingham Rep and Melting Pot production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time turns Christopher Boone’s journey from Swindon to London into an energetic sensory experience. Its inventive staging conveys the overload of unfamiliar sights, sounds and social interactions, while Alex Keenan’s performance captures Chris’s bewilderment, determination and enthusiasm.…
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West and Geldof clash over Byron and Yeats at poetry festival
Actor Dominic West backed Lord Byron as his favourite poet during a poetry battle with musician Bob Geldof at Somerset’s Big Brue festival. West praised Byron’s notorious sex life and “proto-rock star” image, while arguing that rappers continue poetry’s modern tradition and that AI cannot replicate human emotional depth. Geldof championed WB Yeats, whom he…