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AI Conquered Coding. Fast Food Is Next
AI-powered voice ordering is rapidly spreading through US fast-food drive-thrus, moving from a novelty that surprised customers to a mainstream feature at major chains. Taco Bell has rolled out the technology at 890 drive-thru lanes (over 10% of its US locations), Dairy Queen is deploying it across 25 states with plans to expand chain-wide, and…
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Remembering When NBC Presented Its Own Alternative to MTV in 1983
Friday Night Videos, launched by NBC in July 1983, was one of the most notable network television responses to MTV’s rise as a cultural force. While MTV had debuted two years earlier and was gradually spreading across cable systems, NBC’s late-night offering brought music videos to a national broadcast audience who might otherwise have had…
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FIFA backs off World Cup private equity pitch after global fury: 5 things to know
FIFA has abandoned a proposal to bring private investors into a new commercial company managing revenues from the World Cup and other major tournaments, following strong opposition across football. The retreat matters because the plan had raised concerns about governance, the future ownership of football’s most valuable competitions and FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s leadership. -…
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Watch Charli XCX make it rain panties as she delivers first full ‘Music, Fashion, Film’ headline show at Lollapalooza 2026
Charli XCX performed her first full “Music, Fashion, Film” headline show at Lollapalooza 2026 on Friday 31 July, topping the Chicago festival bill alongside The Smashing Pumpkins. The set, her first complete concert since releasing the album last month, mixed hits from “Brat” with newer material and marked a live debut for two tracks from…
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Nothing Ear (3a) Wireless Earbuds Review: Style Meets Value
Wired has reviewed Nothing’s Ear (3a) wireless earbuds, the company’s eighth earbud release, praising their standout design and strong value in an increasingly crowded market of over 2,000 earbud models sold on Amazon alone. The £/€/$99 buds build on the previous Ear (a) model with a new case, a larger 12mm driver and distinctive recording…
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In ‘Donkey Princess,’ a Young Royal Travels Through Worlds – and Film Genres – in Search of Love (Exclusive Trailer)
Chilean filmmakers Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña will world premiere their third feature film, Donkey Princess (Princesa Burro), in the international competition at the 79th Locarno Film Festival on 7 August. Known for The Wolf House and The Hyperboreans, and for their collaborations with Ari Aster, the pair have made an envelope-pushing fairy tale that…
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Born 101 Years Ago Today in Tennessee, the Leader of the World-Famous Vocal Quartet Who Backed Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, and Jim Reeves
Gordon Stoker, born in Gleason, Tennessee, on 3 August 1925, would have turned 101 today. He led the Jordanaires, the world-famous vocal quartet whose backing harmonies supported Elvis Presley from 1956 to 1970 across live shows, recordings and films, and who also lent their voices to country classics by Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, George Jones…
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Remi Wolf Returns New Single ‘Twiggy’
Remi Wolf has released her new single ‘Twiggy’, marking her first new music in two years and following a surprise live debut of the track during Hayley Williams’ Newport Folk Festival set last weekend. Written during a retreat in Big Bear, California with close collaborators after a long stretch of touring, the song sees the…
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‘Family stress’ forces Scotland boss Fukofuka to step down
Scotland Women’s head coach Sione Fukofuka has stepped down from his role, citing the strain of being separated from his family, who remain in Australia. Forwards coach Dave Butcher will take interim charge as the team prepares for the upcoming WXV Global Series, with Scotland’s next match against Canada in six weeks. Fukofuka, who was…
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Martin Clunes accuses ‘pious’ council officers of failing to enforce planning rules after traveller row
Actor Martin Clunes has accused council planning officers of being “pious” and failing to enforce planning rules, following a dispute involving travellers. The row appears to centre on how local authority officers have handled enforcement action, with Clunes publicly criticising their approach as inadequate. The article’s full details were not available beyond the headline, so…