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The Xteink X4 Pro is a tiny ereader with more features than you might expect
The Xteink X4 Pro is a newly announced ultra-compact ereader from Xteink, a brand specialising in tiny, distraction-free reading devices. Measuring just 5.95mm thick and weighing 72 grams, it is smaller than rivals such as the Boox Palma 2 Pro and is designed to slip into a pocket, offering a screen-free-adjacent alternative to scrolling on…
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Fiscal hawk or big spender – what kind of chancellor will John Healey be?
Andy Burnham, the new UK prime minister, has appointed John Healey as chancellor in what is being described as an unexpected but strategically safe choice following a bitter behind-the-scenes contest between rival factions. Healey, previously defence secretary, is regarded as diligent and broadly popular within Labour, having spent his career largely avoiding association with any…
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Even sexy Skyrim mods aren’t safe from AI slop anymore
AI-generated “slop” mods have spread through Skyrim’s modding community, including in the popular category of sexually explicit content, as tools that make coding easier let creators churn out low-effort mods with slick, misleading thumbnails. This matters because it undermines modders who spend months on detailed, hand-crafted work, who report being outpaced in downloads and awards…
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Naked mole-rat queens use a chemical signal to suppress fertility in rivals
Scientists at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin have discovered how naked mole-rat queens prevent other females in their colony from breeding, resolving a long-standing puzzle about these unusual rodents. Naked mole rats live in large underground colonies where, as with ants or bees, only one female reproduces, but researchers had struggled…
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How Real Is the Pickleball in ‘The Dink’? A Pickleball Pro Takes on the Cast
Apple TV+’s pickleball comedy “The Dink” arrives on 24 July, and The Hollywood Reporter enlisted a PPR-certified pickleball instructor to judge how authentically the film portrays the sport. The film, produced by Ben Stiller and directed by Josh Greenbaum, stars Jake Johnson as a former tennis prodigy who takes up pickleball, with Mary Steenburgen and…
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What time does Black Ops 7 Season 5 start in your time zone?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s Season 5 update launches on Thursday, 23 July, bringing a large batch of new content across every mode as developer Treyarch continues its pattern of substantial post-launch support. The update includes new multiplayer maps and modes, additional zombies content, endgame features, and Warzone updates, giving players who have stayed…
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Nintendo Basically Says That Splatoon 4 Will Happen
Nintendo has indicated that competitive multiplayer will remain part of the Splatoon series, prompting expectations that a traditional fourth instalment will eventually follow. The comments matter because the newly released Splatoon Raiders spin-off takes the franchise in a different direction, but Nintendo says this does not replace its established competitive format. Producer Seita Inoue addressed…
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NFMLA Expands NewNarratives Grants and Adds Absurd Fellowship for Emerging Auteurs to Use AI
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA), a nonprofit supporting emerging filmmakers, has expanded its NewNarratives grant scheme, raising total available funding to $35,000 and introducing a new AI-focused fellowship in partnership with Absurd. The move builds on a programme launched in 2021 with Warner Bros. Discovery, which has so far attracted more than 1,175 applications from over…
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Anthropic’s $1.5B copyright settlement approved; only 350 authors opted out
A US judge has approved a $1.5 billion (£1.18 billion) settlement between Anthropic and a class of authors, closing the largest copyright class-action ever certified and the largest copyright settlement on record. The case arose after a court ruled that Anthropic’s use of books to train its AI models was fair use, but that it…
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Here’s what that trash can with an X icon means on your electronics
The small crossed-out wheeled bin icon found on most electronic devices is the official marking of the European Union’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, which prohibits electronics from being thrown out with regular household rubbish. It signals that a device must instead be collected separately for proper recycling, reflecting growing global concern over…