iPhone 17 Air video leak reveals incredibly thin design | Mashable

April 25, 2025April 24, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A new video purports to show off what the iPhone 17 Air will look like in your hands. Spoiler alert: You’re going to want to see this.

The rumored super-thin model of the upcoming iPhone 17 appeared in dummy model form in a new video from Unbox Therapy on YouTube, via 9to5Mac. In the video, host Lewis George Hilsenteger takes a look at dummy models allegedly from manufacturers in China of various new iPhones, but the iPhone 17 Air is the one you really ought to see. If the leak proves to be legitimate, then the Air could be even thinner than expected.

Google faces $6.6 billion lawsuit in Britain for alleged abuse of dominance in online search | CNN Business

April 24, 2025April 23, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google is being sued in Britain for potential damages of up to £5 billion ($6.6 billion) in a class action alleging the company abused its dominant market position in online search. The class action, filed at the Competition Appeal Tribunal Tuesday, argues that Google’s actions enabled it to charge higher prices for the advertisements that appear in search inquiries than it otherwise could in a competitive market. It said the US company, owned by Alphabet (GOOGL), contracted phone makers to pre-install Google Search and the Chrome browser on Android devices and paid Apple to make it the default search engine on iPhones, with the intention of shutting out competition.

How tariffs could change the way Americans buy video games | Fast Company

April 21, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In a time where tariff price hikes are invading seemingly every element of life, diving into a video game could offer a welcome reprieve, both spiritually and fiscally. Digital video games do not require materials, shipping, or manufacturing costs, allowing them to cross borders without incurring extra fees. And the video game industry has been shifting to digital long before Trump’s so-called Liberation Day.

“In terms of software, PC gaming is now overwhelmingly digital, and physical versions are largely obsolete,” says Manu Rosier, market intelligence director at Newzoo. “We do not expect tariffs to significantly impact the price of video game software.”

Google just changed Android 15 and it might kill off some phones | Digital Trends

April 15, 2025April 14, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google just made an announcement that could represent the death of a lot of Android phones.

Starting with Android 15, Google says, the minimum storage capacity of devices will jump up – leaving some devices obsolete.

The new requirement will mean phones, and tablets, will need at least 32GB of capacity in order to run the Android OS.

Prada buying rival fashion brand Versace in $1.36bn deal | BBC News

April 11, 2025April 10, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Prada has agreed to buy its smaller rival Versace in a billion-dollar deal to unite two of the biggest designer fashion labels.

The deal to unite the two Italian brands has an estimated value of $1.36bn (£1.06bn), the Prada Group said on Thursday.

“We aim to continue Versace’s legacy, celebrating and re-interpreting its bold and timeless aesthetic,” said Prada chairman Patrizio Bertelli.

The Prada Group already owns several other designer labels, including Miu Miu and luxury footwear brand Church’s.

Two American Airlines jets clipped wings on the ground at Reagan airport | BBC News

April 11, 2025April 10, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Two American Airlines jets have had a minor collision on the ground at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport – just three months after a deadly crash near there.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the wingtip of one aircraft struck another on the taxiway on Thursday afternoon. Six members of Congress were aboard one of the jets.

Nick LaLota, a New York Republican, said no-one was hurt when the wing of their stationary plane was “bumped” by another jet.

States Are Banning Forever Chemicals. Industry Is Fighting Back | WIRED

April 10, 2025April 9, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

IN 2021, JAMES Kenney and his husband were at a big box store buying a piece of furniture when the sales associate asked if they’d like to add fabric protectant. Kenney, the cabinet secretary of New Mexico’s Environment Department, asked to see the product data sheet.

Both he and his husband were shocked to see forever chemicals listed as ingredients in the protectant. “I think about your normal, everyday New Mexican who is trying to get by, make their furniture last a little longer, and they think, ‘Oh, it’s safe, great!’ It’s not safe,” he says. “It just so happens that they tried to sell it to the environment secretary.”

The AI Race Has Gotten Crowded—and China Is Closing In on the US | WIRED

April 10, 2025April 9, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

THE YEAR THAT ChatGPT went viral, only two US companies—OpenAI and Google—could boast truly cutting-edge artificial intelligence. Three years on, AI is no longer a two-horse race, nor is it purely an American one. A new report published today by Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) highlights just how crowded the field has become.

The institute’s 2025 AI index, which collates data and trends on the state of the AI industry, paints a picture of an increasingly competitive, global, and unrestrained race toward artificial general intelligence—AI that surpasses human abilities.

OpenAI and Google are still neck and neck in the race to build bleeding-edge AI, the report shows. But several other companies are closing in. In the US, the fiercest competition comes from Meta’s open-weight Llama models; Anthropic, a company founded by former OpenAI employees; and Elon Musk’s xAI.

Fraud experts brought in over student loan allegations | BBC News

March 25, 2025March 24, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The education secretary has asked counter-fraud experts to lead an investigation into reports millions of pounds in student loans are being claimed by people with no intent to study.

It follows a report in the Sunday Times which says it found evidence of some individuals enrolling on degree courses at small colleges just to access loans, with no intention of paying them back.

Bridget Phillipson has called in the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) to coordinate the government’s response to the allegations and to support investigations already under way.

23andMe files for bankruptcy protection | BBC

March 25, 2025March 24, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Popular DNA testing firm 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy protection, and announced that its co-founder and CEO, Anne Wojcicki, has resigned with immediate effect.

The company will now attempt to sell itself under the supervision of a court.

23andMe said in a press release that it plans to continue operating throughout the sale process and that there “are no changes to the way the company stores, manages, or protects customer data.”

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection watchdog, said on Monday it had notified the company of its intent to hand down a £4.59m fine over a 2023 data breach.