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If the markets reject OpenAI and Anthropic, the US should nationalize them | Bruce Schneier and Nathan E Sanders
Bruce Schneier and Nathan E Sanders argue that, if OpenAI and Anthropic fail to meet investors’ expectations, the US government should nationalise them and operate them as democratically controlled national laboratories. They say this could restore the firms’ original public-interest aims and prevent powerful AI systems from being governed chiefly by corporate profit motives. The…
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Reservoir raises $8M to make water heaters that people — and the grid — will actually want
Reservoir Climate has raised $8 million in seed funding to develop smarter, heat-pump water heaters designed to lower household energy use while helping electricity grids manage demand. The Boston-based company argues that water heaters are an overlooked but significant source of household costs and water damage, and aims to make its product attractive through practical…
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Google Pixel 11 launch: Live updates as the company unveils new devices, AI features and more
Google is due to unveil its latest Pixel devices and AI features at a hardware launch event in New York on 12 August. The event matters because it should provide official confirmation of products that have already been teased and widely rumoured. Expected announcements include the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro Fold…
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Big Tech Wants to Harvest Your Thoughts
Neuroscientist Rafael Yuste describes experiments in which his team decoded visual signals in mice and then used lasers to recreate those signals directly in their brains. The work made mice behave as if they were seeing moving images that were not actually present, illustrating both the potential of brain-computer technology and the ethical concerns around…
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We don’t serve pies, but we do like a Pi
A London pub’s electronic tipping device was found displaying the desktop of the Raspberry Pi computer powering it, apparently after a software failure exposed its underlying operating system. The incident matters chiefly as an example of a customer-facing payment system failing visibly, while also drawing attention to the growing use of card-based tipping machines in…
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Huge Helldivers 2 Patch Adds New Illuminate Enemies, a New Biome ‘Full of Fresh Horrors,’ a Level Cap Increase and Much More
Arrowhead has released Helldivers 2 update 7.0.0, a major patch centred on the campaign towards the Void. It introduces new Illuminate-related enemies, a new biome described as containing “fresh horrors”, and raises the player level cap, expanding both gameplay challenges and long-term progression. The update adds the regenerating Crusher and agile Wretch enemies, alongside a…
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Just 20 of 6,600 Defra staff working on climate adaptation amid drought and wildfires
A freedom of information request has found that only 20 of Defra’s 6,613 staff are working on climate adaptation, despite warnings that England is poorly prepared for worsening heatwaves, droughts, floods and wildfires. Critics say the small team reflects a lack of government focus on protecting communities, food security and nature from the effects of…
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Carcass Clad: stifling tank combat promises tension, terror and surprising laughs
Wrong Organ’s next game, Carcass Clad, shifts from the scripted space horror of Mouthwashing to a gameplay-led co-operative tank survival experience. Three players must operate different roles inside a cramped armoured vehicle while escaping a ruined city, combining intense pressure, body horror and the potential for accidental comedy. Players act as gunner, driver or commander,…
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Gemini Hits Billion as Marvel’s X-Men Recruits Its Creative Team
Google said on 11 August that its Gemini app had passed one billion monthly active users, a figure it described as making the service its fastest-growing product. The company said the total applies to the standalone Gemini app rather than all Google AI services, and reported that 63% of its users interact through voice, while…
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Bethesda Aware Of Feedback Asking For Additional Oblivion Remastered Patch
Bethesda has acknowledged player requests for a further patch for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, including concerns raised following its Switch 2 release. The company says it is examining whether optimisations made for the Nintendo version can be brought to other platforms, suggesting further support may be planned but without confirming a patch. On…