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Union bosses’ six-figure pay, Fayed trafficking victims, Trump holds off on Iran strikes
Six-figure trade union pay and new Fayed trafficking recognitions lead UK news, while Trump credits Gulf allies for staying his hand on Iran and Zelenskyy demands more Patriots after Kyiv’s deadly barrage.
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AI and Protecting a Celebrity’s voice through Trademark
As AI voice-cloning tools make it easier to replicate celebrities’ voices without permission, a growing number of high-profile entertainers are turning to federal trademark law for protection, rather than relying solely on the patchwork of state right-of-publicity statutes. Attorneys writing in Music Business Worldwide explain that stars are filing “sound mark” applications with the US…
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The Best Audio Players for Kids: Yoto, Toniebox, and More
WIRED has tested and rounded up the best screen-free audio players for children, a growing category of devices that let kids listen to music, audiobooks and interactive stories without needing a tablet or television. These gadgets appeal to parents seeking a break from screen time while still offering engaging, age-appropriate entertainment, ranging from simple tactile…
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UK manufacturing growth picks up as Trump tariff chaos eases
UK manufacturing output grew for a fourth consecutive month in July, expanding at its fastest pace in almost two years, according to a closely watched industry survey. The S&P Global purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed factories in an upbeat mood, buoyed by rising domestic and export orders, even as they remained wary of a prolonged…
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Sci-fi authors Scalzi and Stross decry AI’s dystopian impact on their craft
Science fiction authors John Scalzi and Charles Stross have publicly condemned the impact of generative AI on writing, accusing AI companies of stealing copyrighted work and creating legal and reputational hazards for authors. Stross, who is party to a class-action settlement over Anthropic’s alleged use of pirated ebooks to train its models, branded AI firms…
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The Ribbon Hero review – do-gooder princess battles giant flying earwigs in update of classic yarn
The Guardian’s review of The Ribbon Hero, director Yûki Igarashi’s first feature-length adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s postwar manga Princess Knight, finds the film a disappointingly conservative reworking of a pioneering source. Where Tezuka’s original was celebrated for its gender-bending premise, the reviewer argues this version narrows its focus to a conventionally feminine, saccharine heroine, sidelining…
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Forget ‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners,’ This Legendary Sci-Fi Thriller Is Coming to a New Streamer
Neon Genesis Evangelion, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential anime series ever made, is coming to a new streaming home. According to Polygon, the groundbreaking mecha series will launch on The Criterion Channel on 1 September 2026, through a partnership with North American distributor GKIDS, giving the show a fresh platform…
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A Marc Benioff-backed startup thinks AI can solve the AI deployment problem
June, a startup co-founded by former Salesforce executive Efrat Rapoport, has emerged from stealth with $20 million in pre-seed funding to tackle a growing problem: even as businesses rush to adopt AI, integrating it with existing enterprise software remains so difficult that companies are hiring armies of specialist “forward-deployed engineers” just to get systems working.…
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ICE Collected Nearly 1 Million People’s DNA Last Year—Including Young Children
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has dramatically expanded its collection of detainees’ DNA, with new research from Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology estimating that the agency added as many as 920,000 genetic profiles to a national criminal database in 2025 alone. This matters because the vast majority of people in ICE custody…
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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…