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Neil deGrasse Tyson, Neal Stephenson, Mira Lane, Rod Roddenberry to Judge XPRIZE Sci-Fi Film Competition
XPRIZE has named astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, novelist Neal Stephenson, Google executive Mira Lane and Roddenberry Entertainment chief Rod Roddenberry as judges for its Future Vision sci-fi film competition. The initiative seeks short films presenting optimistic, technology-enabled futures, with the winning concept receiving funding to develop it further. Entrants worldwide have until 15 August to…
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Judge gives Google one week to fix “anticompetitive” app store download in Google Play
A US judge has ordered Google to make third-party Android app stores easier to find and install through Google Play within a week, finding that its current approach adds unnecessary anticompetitive barriers. The ruling matters because it strengthens remedies from Epic Games’ successful 2023 antitrust case and could give Android users more practical access to…
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Does Mark Zuckerberg really believe AI is ‘for everyone’?
Meta has released Glimmer, an open-weight AI model that people can download and run on their own hardware, alongside Mark Zuckerberg’s argument that AI should be available to everyone rather than concentrated among a small number of laboratories. The article centres on a TechCrunch Equity podcast discussion questioning how far that claim holds, given Meta’s…
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Get the best battery life for your MacBook by changing these settings
Engadget outlines practical macOS settings that can help MacBook users extend battery life immediately and preserve battery capacity over time. The most significant recommendation is to use Low Power Mode when running on battery, while checking the menu bar battery control for high-energy apps and current power settings. Users are advised to check Battery Health…
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Rideshare Stimulator finally gets its genAI disclosure after much Saber-rattling, and it turns out the game also uses the tech for in-game music
Saber Interactive has added a generative-AI disclosure to the Steam page for Rideshare Stimulator after a public dispute with former lead writer Stella Sacco. The disclosure says the game uses AI for passenger dialogue and in-game music, making the issue significant because Saber had initially denied replacing writers while acknowledging AI in an experimental mode.…
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Wild-eyed boy, 17, killed mom and brother, 14, at $1m home after ChatGPT ‘murder my family’ search – then spent $2,000 on CEREAL BARS, prosecutors say
A 17-year-old boy from Acton, Massachusetts, has appeared in court accused of murdering his mother and younger brother at the family’s $1 million home, after allegedly using ChatGPT to research “killing his family” beforehand. Arjun Aravind was arraigned in Concord District Court after being charged over the deaths of his mother, Sudha Venkatesan, 45, and…
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Labour’s Bridget Phillipson tells Left-wing councils to abide by guidance on single-sex spaces after they complained new rules are ‘harmful to trans people’
Bridget Phillipson has told Labour-led councils that they must follow official guidance on single-sex spaces, after some local authorities said the proposed rules could harm transgender people. The dispute highlights divisions within Labour over how public bodies should apply equality law following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the meaning of sex in the Equality Act.…
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HBO’s Harry Potter Officially Returns to Hogwarts 2 Weeks Early
Filming on HBO’s second season of Harry Potter appears to have started two weeks earlier than expected, after actor Asha Soetan said she was back on set. The development suggests HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery are moving quickly on the adaptation, which plans to devote one season to each of J.K. Rowling’s novels. Soetan, who…
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A Queensland man enjoyed soaring profits from a crypto trading app. Then his money started disappearing
A 29-year-old Queensland man lost more than A$166,000 after investing through a seemingly legitimate cryptocurrency trading app whose displayed profits encouraged him to deposit more money. Unauthorised transfers later drained his crypto wallet, and he discovered that the platform’s customer service was only a basic chatbot, revealing it as an AI-built investment scam. Experts warn…
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Beast of Reincarnation is a Pokémon-inspired soulslike without the cruelty of Dark Souls – and it’s better for it
GamesRadar argues that Beast of Reincarnation borrows the precise, parry-focused combat associated with soulslike games while avoiding their most punishing conventions. The article presents this as a significant choice because it could make Game Freak’s new action RPG more welcoming without removing the satisfaction of mastering difficult encounters. The game follows Emma and her dog…