A company called dumb.co offers a program called Month Offline (MO), where participants give up their smartphones and use special simplified flip phones instead. These flip phones have some modern apps but limit distractions, helping users reduce screen time and potentially improve their well-being.
Key Facts
Month Offline (MO) is a program where people give up smartphones for a month and use "dumbphones" instead.
Participants paid $75 to join MO and $25 to rent the simplified flip phone.
The flip phones are upgraded from old models and include apps like WhatsApp, Google Maps, and Uber.
The company behind MO, dumb.co, aims to help people regain freedom from constant phone use.
Dumb.co's CEO, Danny Hogenkamp, started the company after seeing benefits from reducing screen time in his workplace.
Research supports that lower screen time links to better quality of life.
Hogenkamp explored several projects promoting less phone use, including phone-free events and phone-locking pouches.
The MO program attracted 28 participants in New York for its latest trial using these updated dumbphones.
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A UK online safety minister visited Australia to learn about the country's social media ban for children under 16. The UK government may introduce similar rules soon, aiming to limit young teens' access to social media and improve age verification methods.
Key Facts
The UK is considering a social media crackdown targeting children under 16, possibly by the end of 2024.
Australia introduced an under-16s social media ban in December.
Despite the ban, about two-thirds of under-16 teens in Australia remain on social media.
Five major platforms (Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook) are under investigation for not fully following the Australian ban.
Australia’s eSafety commissioner reported some poor practices like allowing many attempts to pass facial age checks.
Since issuing fines threats, companies improved age checks and parental reporting features.
The UK and Australia signed an agreement to share information on AI developments and cybersecurity risks.
The UK believes it can learn practical lessons from Australia's experience to improve policy and enforcement.
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Meta, the company that owns Facebook, will start offering paid social subscriptions. These subscriptions will give users special features like unique reactions and customizable themes.
Key Facts
Meta is launching paid social subscriptions.
Subscribers will get exclusive features not available to free users.
Features include "super reactions," which are special ways to respond to posts.
Users can also customize the appearance of their social profiles with new themes.
The company aims to provide more personalized experiences through these paid options.
This change is part of Meta’s effort to innovate and offer new ways to engage on social media.
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The governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania are trying to stop or slow down the building of big data centers used for artificial intelligence (AI). Local people in these states are unhappy about the fast growth of these centers in their communities.
Key Facts
New Jersey and Pennsylvania governors want to limit AI data center expansion.
Residents in these states have raised concerns about the growth of AI data centers.
AI data centers use large amounts of electricity and space to support AI technologies.
The expansion of these centers has caused debates about community impact.
Local officials are considering rules or policies to control future AI data center construction.
These data centers are important for running AI applications but can affect local areas.
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A new gene-editing drug called VERVE-102 has been tested in a small early trial to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) with a single treatment. The drug was safe and reduced bad cholesterol by up to 62% in the highest dose group, potentially lowering heart disease risk if effects last long-term.
Key Facts
VERVE-102 uses gene-editing technology delivered by mRNA in nanoparticles targeting liver cells.
The drug edits the PCSK9 gene to stop production of a protein that raises bad cholesterol levels.
In the trial, 35 patients received different doses to test safety and effectiveness.
The highest dose group (1 mg/kg) saw an average 62% drop in LDL cholesterol.
The lowest dose group (0.3 mg/kg) saw a 9% drop in LDL cholesterol.
No serious side effects were reported, only mild and temporary liver enzyme increases.
The drug’s positive effects were sustained during the follow-up period of up to 18 months for some patients.
Lowering LDL by this amount may reduce heart disease risk by about 50% if sustained over 20 years.
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Oura, a company that makes small smart rings to track health, has launched its newest product, the Ring 5. This ring is smaller and lasts longer on a charge than before, and it focuses on tracking sleep, stress, readiness, and heart health. Oura is preparing for a public stock offering later this year and is growing quickly, with many users worldwide.
Key Facts
Oura’s Ring 5 is 40% smaller and has a longer battery life than the Ring 4.
The Ring 5 is 2.28mm thick and costs about $399, with a monthly subscription fee of about $6.
The ring tracks health aspects such as sleep, stress, readiness, and heart health.
Oura was founded in 2013 in Finland and has sold 5.5 million rings across 150 countries.
The company has about 5 million paying subscribers and earned $1 billion in 2025.
Oura is valued at $11 billion before its expected initial public offering (IPO) later this year.
The company has offices in Finland, the US, and the UK, employing over 1,200 people.
Oura has partnerships with sports organizations like the Football Association and the US Open.
The ring is popular partly due to its comfort and less invasive design compared to other wearables.
High-profile users include celebrities and athletes, boosting the ring’s visibility and appeal.
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Valve has increased the prices of its Steam Deck OLED handheld gaming PCs by more than 40%, citing higher costs for memory and storage parts. The price rise affects the 512GB and 1TB models, making them significantly more expensive despite no changes to the hardware itself.
Key Facts
Valve raised Steam Deck OLED prices by 43% for the 512GB model and 46% for the 1TB model.
The 512GB Steam Deck OLED now costs $789 (£649, €779), and the 1TB version costs $949 (£779, €919).
Valve said the Steam Deck hardware remains unchanged; price increases come from higher component and logistics costs worldwide.
Valve no longer sells the cheaper LCD Steam Deck models directly, pushing buyers toward the OLED version.
The Steam Deck OLED officially launched in November 2023 and had been out of stock for months before the price hike.
Other gaming hardware and subscription services have also raised prices recently due to inflation, tariffs, and chip shortages.
Valve also recently released a Steam Controller priced at £85, which received mixed feedback.
The price increase may affect Valve’s future Steam Machine PC, which currently has no release date or price.
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China has sent synthetic human embryo models to its Tiangong space station to study how microgravity affects early human development. The experiment aims to improve knowledge about human biology in space, which is important for future long-term missions on the moon or Mars.
Key Facts
China launched synthetic embryo models to the Tiangong space station, operational since 2021.
The embryos are not real and cannot develop into human beings; they only imitate early development stages.
The study compares space samples to identical ones kept on Earth under normal gravity.
The experiment will last five days, then samples will be frozen and sent back to Earth.
Researchers want to understand how microgravity might impact early human growth, a little-studied area.
This research supports China’s and other countries’ goals for long-term human presence on the moon and Mars.
NASA is also working on plans for a permanent moon base, with missions increasing through 2029 and beyond.
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China has an advantage in the race to develop artificial intelligence (AI) because it has access to large amounts of cheap electricity to power data centres. These data centres use a lot of energy to run AI models, and China is investing heavily in renewable energy and building data centres in areas with abundant clean power.
Key Facts
Data centres run AI chips and need a huge amount of electricity, sometimes as much as millions of homes.
China generates over twice as much electricity as the United States and plans to increase this gap by investing in energy infrastructure.
Much of China’s new power capacity comes from renewable sources like solar and wind energy.
China’s “East Data, West Computing” plan places new data centres in less populated inland areas where renewable energy is plentiful.
A large wind and solar project in Ningxia is China’s first major renewable energy project directly linked to a cloud data centre.
The US still has more data centres overall and spends much more on AI data centre infrastructure than China.
China’s data centre racks have grown 30% per year from 2016 to 2023.
Experts say cheap, stable, and low-carbon electricity will be a big advantage in building AI infrastructure.
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China is using artificial intelligence (AI) to help children learn faster and better. The government supports AI in education and wants students to not only use AI but also understand how it works. A company called Squirrel Ai offers a platform that adapts lessons to each student’s needs and is used by over 10 million students in China.
Key Facts
Squirrel Ai is an AI learning platform that customizes teaching for each student to speed up learning.
More than 10 million students in China use Squirrel Ai.
The Chinese government ordered a “tiered AI education system” for schools from primary to senior high levels.
The system also trains teachers to teach with AI tools.
China aims to reduce education gaps between rich cities and poorer regions using AI.
Squirrel Ai has around 3,000 learning centers where students study with tablets after school.
The Chinese government supports AI in education as part of its broader technological and economic goals.
In contrast, the U.S. has a less coordinated approach to AI education without a national mandate.
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Scientists from King's College London will use Google’s advanced quantum computer chip called Willow for research. The team aims to study natural processes like photosynthesis, which may help improve solar energy and discover new medicines.
Key Facts
King’s College London is the first UK academic team to access Google’s Willow quantum chip.
Quantum computers can solve some problems much faster than traditional supercomputers.
Google says Willow can solve a problem in 5 minutes that supercomputers would take 10 septillion years to complete.
The research will focus on understanding natural processes that involve tiny particles, such as how plants convert sunlight into energy.
Better understanding these processes could lead to improved solar cells, energy systems, and new drugs.
Quantum computers work using the rules of quantum mechanics, which govern particle behavior at very small scales.
The UK government is investing £2 billion into quantum research and is partnering with industry to grow this field.
Other UK universities, like Cambridge, are also advancing quantum computing with corporate partnerships.
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Steven Spielberg’s new movie, Disclosure Day, has released its final trailer showing an alien with grey skin, a large head, and big dark eyes. The film, starring Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor, will come out on June 12 and features themes related to extraterrestrial life and government UFO files.
Key Facts
The final trailer for Disclosure Day shows a grey-skinned alien with a large head and big dark eyes.
The alien design echoes common images of extraterrestrial beings.
Steven Spielberg is the director of Disclosure Day.
The movie stars Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor.
Disclosure Day will be released on June 12.
The film’s themes involve aliens and relate to recent U.S. government releases of UFO files.
Some people think there might be a connection between the movie and the government UFO disclosures.
The story is still developing, and more information may come later.
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An independent group called Appeals Centre Europe reviewed thousands of complaints from social media users in the EU who said they were wrongly banned from Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Meta, the company that owns these platforms, rarely responded to the group’s requests for evidence, making it hard to review the bans. The group also found that hate speech content often stayed on social media sites despite rules against it.
Key Facts
Appeals Centre Europe examined about 4,600 cases of users claiming wrongful bans on Meta’s platforms but received evidence from Meta in fewer than 100 cases.
Under EU law, social media companies are expected to work "in good faith" with dispute bodies, but Meta’s cooperation was very limited.
More than 500 people contacted the BBC last year reporting they were banned from Facebook or Instagram without a way to appeal.
Users described serious impacts from bans, including worries about police involvement and harm to their businesses.
The Appeals Centre reported that over two-thirds of hate speech content flagged was not removed by platforms, with TikTok having the highest rate of hate speech left up.
Examples of unremoved hate content include racist comments on Instagram, antisemitic videos on YouTube, and misinformation videos on TikTok related to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Social media companies failed to provide content for review in 72% of over 10,000 cases involving flagged content.
The dispute body disagreed with platforms’ decisions about 59% of the time when it was able to review the content.
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Apple’s new 27-inch Studio Display XDR is a high-end monitor with a bright, sharp 5K screen designed for professional users like content creators. It features advanced display technology, built-in speakers, microphones, a webcam, and multiple ports, making it suitable for creative work and video calls.
Key Facts
The Studio Display XDR costs around £2,599 ($2,899) without the stand, or about £3,000 with a height- and tilt-adjustable stand.
It has a 27-inch 5K IPS LCD screen with miniLED backlighting and 2,304 dimming zones for better contrast and brightness.
The display reaches 1,000 nits brightness for everyday use and peaks at 2,000 nits for HDR content.
It includes six speakers, three microphones, and a 12MP webcam with Apple’s Center Stage and Desk View video features.
The monitor uses the A19 Pro chip from the latest iPhone for its features, and it has silent cooling fans.
It supports two Thunderbolt 5 ports and two USB-C ports, supplying up to 140W of charging power.
The screen is factory-calibrated for color accuracy covering P3 and Adobe RGB color ranges, important for professional photo and video editing.
There is an option for a nano-texture coating to reduce glare in bright environments.
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Robots, especially humanoid ones, are making fast progress and showing new abilities. Some humanoid robots recently ran in a half marathon in Beijing, demonstrating their growing speed and endurance.
Key Facts
Humanoid robots are robots designed to look and move like humans.
These robots showed quick improvements in their abilities.
A recent event was the Beijing half marathon, where humanoid robots participated.
The robots ran faster and longer than in previous attempts.
The advancements are part of a larger global effort in robotics technology.
The article includes clips from news sources such as Global News, BBC, and CGTN.
The podcast is linked to a report from The Guardian about the robotics revolution.
The photo in the article comes from VCG/Getty Images.
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Federal prosecutors charged Michele Spagnuolo, a Google software engineer, with insider trading related to Polymarket, a prediction market platform. The Department of Justice said Spagnuolo used confidential, nonpublic information from Google to make trades on Polymarket.
Key Facts
Michele Spagnuolo is a 36-year-old software engineer at Google.
He was charged by federal prosecutors with insider trading.
The case was filed in the Southern District of New York federal court.
The Department of Justice alleges Spagnuolo used secret Google data not available to the public.
The trading involved Polymarket, a platform where users bet on future events.
The complaint document is seven pages long.
The insider trading charge is linked to Spagnuolo exploiting his job access to information.
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A Google software engineer, Michele Spagnuolo, is charged with making over $1.2 million by using secret Google search data to bet on Polymarket, a prediction market platform. He allegedly used inside information before it was public to place bets on which celebrities would be most searched in 2025.
Key Facts
Michele Spagnuolo used a Google internal tool to see top-trending searches for 2025 before public release.
He placed millions in bets on Polymarket, a site where people bet on future events.
His bets included predicting that singer D4vd would be among the most searched people of 2025.
After the public release of the data, Spagnuolo transferred millions in cryptocurrency from Polymarket.
He faces charges including commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
Spagnuolo was arrested in New York and released on $2.25 million bond.
Google put Spagnuolo on leave and is cooperating with law enforcement.
Polymarket flagged the suspicious activity and worked with federal authorities on the case.
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The article shares an artist's strong feelings against AI-generated art, saying it lacks soul and originality. The writer values art made by human effort and worries AI art misses the personal connection and creative struggle behind true art.
Key Facts
The author attended a concert by Split Enz and appreciated the real human experience in their music.
The artist sees AI-created art as boring, lifeless, and harmful to the environment due to energy use.
Some art festivals, like Perth Comics Arts festival, refuse to promote or include AI-generated art.
The author was invited to train AI to imitate their style but declined, feeling it would remove meaning from their work.
Real art comes from the artist’s creative process and personal struggle, which AI cannot replicate.
Audiences are interested not only in art but also in the human story and effort behind it.
Questions about who owns AI “art” (machine, user, or creator of AI) remain unresolved.
The article reflects on ancient humans creating art and how art expresses human life and presence.
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A Google engineer named Michele Spagnuolo was arrested for using secret company information to place bets on Polymarket, a digital prediction platform. He allegedly earned $1.2 million by betting on outcomes related to Google’s internal data, breaking insider trading laws.
Key Facts
Michele Spagnuolo worked as an information security engineer at Google for over 12 years.
He used confidential marketing data accessed through Google’s employee tools to make bets on Polymarket.
Polymarket is a platform that accepts cryptocurrency and allows users to bet on future events.
Spagnuolo placed $2.7 million in bets between October and December 2023, winning over $1 million.
His bets included predicting who would be the most searched person on Google in 2025.
He made bets against certain names like Bianca Censori and President Donald Trump, betting on musician D4vd to be the most searched person.
Authorities tracked Spagnuolo’s Polymarket accounts through his Italian ID and arrested him in New York.
Google is cooperating with law enforcement and has placed Spagnuolo on leave during the investigation.
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Top AI leaders like Jensen Huang from Nvidia and Sam Altman from OpenAI are now saying earlier warnings about large job losses due to artificial intelligence were exaggerated. They believe AI has not yet caused the massive layoffs some predicted and may create new jobs as well.
Key Facts
Jensen Huang says linking AI to recent job cuts is incorrect because AI became productive only recently.
Huang argues that layoffs seen in companies started before AI’s rise and were not caused by AI.
Sam Altman admitted he underestimated how little AI has affected entry-level office jobs so far.
British bank Standard Chartered plans to cut thousands of jobs by 2030 because AI will replace some roles.
Social network company Snap cut 1,000 jobs, crediting AI for boosting efficiency.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei predicts most tasks could be automated but humans will still do some work more efficiently.
These leaders are adjusting their public statements as concerns grow about AI disrupting jobs.
The companies OpenAI and Anthropic are expected to continue advancing AI technology despite the debate on job impact.
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