Month: July 2024

Deepfake clips of Gareth Southgate swearing at England team go viral

Videos of England football manager emblematic of growing internet trend for AI-generated memes It is not the calm and thoughtful Gareth Southgate the nation is used to and, in the rough and ready world of internet humour, that is probably the point. Within hours of England walking off the pitch after winning the semi-final against …

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‘Forever chemicals’ used in lithium ion batteries threaten environment, research finds

A subclass of PFAS has been found near manufacturing plants and landfills, and in remote regions of the world Toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” used in lithium ion batteries essential to the clean energy transition present a dangerous source of chemical pollution that new research finds threatens the environment and human health as the nascent industry …

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Money for nothing: is universal basic income about to transform society?

The concept of a guaranteed income is gaining traction as a solution to the impact of AI and way to encourage more rewarding and socially valuable work When Elinor O’Donovan found out she had been randomly selected to participate in a basic income pilot scheme, she couldn’t believe her luck. In return for a guaranteed …

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‘Let’s make history!’: Amazon staff at UK warehouse vote on union recognition

In Coventry, the GMB has been canvassing hard to represent workers officially – and the potentially historic result is due this week On a traffic island on the outskirts of Cov­entry, armed with handmade signs and a stack of orange bucket hats, a small but noisy team of organisers from the GMB union are taking …

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‘Advergames’: how games platform Roblox became a corporate marketing playground

Advertising to children is strictly regulated – but household brands are flooding the gaming platform Roblox with interactive marketing. Is this a danger to young users? In the blocky world of Chipotle Burrito Builder, players don the uniform of the Tex-Mex restaurant chain to make burritos for virtual customers. The available toppings are taken from …

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Smartphones are bad for kids – we don’t need to call on scientific data to know it

Jonathan Haidt’s claims about the effects of devices on children’s wellbeing have been criticised for lacking proof, but they tell us what we need to know Jonathan Haidt is a man with a mission. In his day job, he’s a professor of ethics at New York University’s Stern School of Business. But outside academia, he’s …

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‘There is mystery and it’s also slightly disturbing’: Phil Doherty’s best phone picture

The absence of a body adds intrigue to this shot of the photographer’s daughter on a rope swing Phil Doherty took this photograph on a family walk in a Warwickshire woodland in 2020. It was near the end of the first lockdown, and Doherty, his wife, Lisa, and their two daughters, Lulu and Pearl, had taken …

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‘I find them quite magical’: the UK’s obsession with weather apps

Queen Camilla is apparently fixated with the forecast on her phone, behind which lies not just granular details but surprisingly lucrative businesses Should I bring a brolly? Five of the best weather apps Several times a day, Francesca Simon, the author of the Horrid Henry children’s books, gets out her phone to check the weather …

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Apple’s Vision Pro headset is impressive – but it’s hard to know its ultimate purpose | Josh Taylor

The most obvious function is for watching 3D movies or TV shows, but it may wind up being most useful at work Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast The Vision Pro has landed in Australia five months after the US launch, retailing at $5,999. At that price, it’s …

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