also what? Also, a Rivian EV spinoff, wants us to move beyond cars Think e-bikes and scooters, not cars or SUVs. Jonathan M. Gitlin Mar 26, 2025 12:51 pm | 28 Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThere's a new "exciting, small EV" on the way, to be launched early next year by Also, a spinoff of the electric vehicle maker Rivian. Details are light on exactly what that product will be, but don't go expecting a $20,000 electric hatchback or the likethink more like an e-bike. Also will be into micromobility, not competing with Mini or Smart.Also started out as an internal project to see if Rivian could use its knowledge of electric powertrains, vehicle electronics, and software to build other "small vehicle form factors." In fact, in 2023, news broke of a Rivian e-bike in the works at Rivian, although it was unclear if it would be something with pedals or more like an electric motorcycle.Things are still rather vague. Also's announcement says its "flagship product" will launch in early 2026 and that the company will focus on the US and Europe at first. It will build "an exciting range of electric vehicles that are efficient, sustainable, and delightful to use," using in-house technology.But Rivian founder RJ Scaringe told TechCrunch that "theres a seat, and theres two wheels, theres a screen, and theres a few computers and a battery."Since Also doesn't have the cost of having to buy that tech like most e-bike makers do, it may be able to make its products a lot cheaper.Also will be independent of Rivian, but Rivian will own a minority stake in the startup, which is also being financed by Eclipse, a venture capital company. Scaringe will be a board member, but Chris Yu, Rivian's former VP of future programs, will be Also's president.Jonathan M. GitlinAutomotive EditorJonathan M. GitlinAutomotive Editor Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC. 28 Comments

Giraffes in the Tarangire ecosystem in TanzaniaMonica BondThe beautiful mottled patterns of a giraffes coat work as more than camouflage the size of the spots seems to be linked to how well the animals survive during unusual temperatures.Every giraffe has a unique array of spots. Patterns with larger and rounder spots can increase the chance of a baby giraffe surviving its first four months, because they help them blend into the background in the dappled light near bushes. But because the spots are darker than the rest of the fur, it is also thought they

The distant galaxy JADES-GS-z13-1-LA appears as a red dot in this image from the James Webb Space TelescopeESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, JADES Collaboration, J. Witstok, P. Jakobsen, M. ZamaniA galaxy found at the dawn of the universe appears to be the earliest known evidence of cosmic reionisation, the period when the universe was lit up for the first time.Following the big bang, the early universe was filled with hot hydrogen and helium gas that scattered photons, making the cosmos somewhat opaque. Over the next few hundred million years, as stars began to shine, their light ionised the hydrogen and helium, enabling photons to flow freely and making the universe transparent, though the exact timing of this is uncertain. AdvertisementJoris Witstok at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and his colleagues used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to study a galaxy called JADES-GS-z13-1-LA. The galaxy is seen 330 million years after the big bang, making it one of the earliest known galaxies in the universe.Ultraviolet light from the galaxy suggests it was surrounded by a bubble about 200,000 light years across, which might be the result of its starlight interacting with the surrounding cosmic hydrogen. Seeing evidence for this so early in the universe is beyond even our wildest expectations, says Witstok.Michele Trenti at the University of Melbourne agrees that the observations are consistent with the process of cosmic reionisation. Its both surprising and exciting, says Trenti. I would not expect the ultraviolet light emitted from this galaxy to reach JWST. The cold neutral hydrogen gas that we were expecting would have surrounded the galaxy should have blocked the photons. We are witnessing the onset of reionisation.Voyage across the galaxy and beyond with our space newsletter every month.Sign up to newsletterThe nature of the small galaxy itself is not entirely clear; it might be shining brightly because of a population of massive hot and young stars, or a powerful central black hole. This would be the earliest known evidence for a supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy, says Trenti.While astronomers have seen other, later galaxies with a similar bubble around them, JADES-GS-z13-1-LA is the earliest known example. Its a benchmark, says Richard Ellis at University College London. It tells us that this galaxy must have been around for quite a while, and pushes that little bit further back to the beginning of when galaxies first emerged from darkness.JWST was able to unearth the secrets of this galaxy only by staring at it for a relatively long time, about 19 hours. Witstok is hopeful we might soon see other early evidence for cosmic reionisation. We have a few more candidates, he says. We might find it even further [back in time], or maybe this is the most extreme that it gets.Journal reference:Nature DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08779-5Mysteries of the universe: Cheshire, EnglandSpend a weekend with some of the brightest minds in science, as you explore the mysteries of the universe in an exciting programme that includes an excursion to see the iconic Lovell Telescope.Find out moreTopics:

Sam Altman, against all odds, made a funny tweet. Sean Gallup/Getty Images 2025-03-26T18:22:19Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Sam Altman did a funny tweet about the popularity of OpenAI's latest feature.ChatGPT will do images now, and people are using it to turn real photos into anime-style images."wake up one day to hundreds of messages: 'look i made you into a twink ghibli style haha'"On Tuesday, OpenAI launched an image generator inside ChatGPT. In theory, this could create a world of new possibilities for art and creative expression.In practice, people started immediately using it for one thing: turning their photos into a Studio Ghibli version. (Studio Ghibli is the anime studio behind movies like "The Boy and the Heron."And, of course, after people turned themselves into anime, they moved on to other things.You may have conflicted feelings about OpenAI's mission. You may be concerned with whether this image generator was trained on images that were improperly licensed or used without permission. That is all reasonable.But you have to admit, this is a pretty funny tweet:I just call it like I see it.

Juan Moyano/Getty Images 2025-03-26T18:18:52Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Solace is raising a Series B funding round led by Menlo Ventures, Business Insider has learned.Solace connects patients with healthcare advocates to simplify tasks like scheduling and payments.Sources with knowledge of the deal said the new round values Solace at more than $300 million.Buzzy healthcare startup Solace just raised a fresh round of funding led by VC firm Menlo Ventures, Business Insider has learned.Solace, which connects patients with healthcare advocates, is raising a Series B funding round that values the startup at over $300 million, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the deal.These sources said Solace was seeking to raise around $40 million in the Series B round.Solace didn't respond to requests for comment for this story. A Menlo Ventures spokesperson said the firm doesn't comment on rumors or speculation.Cofounders Jeremy Gurewitz, CEO, and Sara Sargent, chief product officer, launched Solace in 2022 to help patients navigate the many complexities of the healthcare system, from scheduling hard-to-get appointments to appealing insurance denials.The startup matches Medicare patients with former doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other clinical professionals in all 50 states. Solace says it provides virtual support for over 100 conditions, including autoimmune diseases, chronic conditions, and hospitalizations.Medicare didn't cover patient advocacy services until last year. Solace says its services are now covered by federal Medicare and many Medicare Advantage plans.At the beginning of 2025, Solace had a revenue run rate of $10 million, according to multiple people familiar with the company's financials.Before its Series B, Solace has raised $21 million to date, including $14 million in Series A funding in August led by Inspired Capital. Other firms, including Craft Ventures and Torch Capital, and angel investors Anne Wojcicki, the former CEO of 23andMe, and the late Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube, joined the Series A.Solace's Series B raise comes after months of growing public ire toward the healthcare system, particularly health insurance companies, following the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December. Dozens of startups have popped up to deconstruct or simplify parts of that system, with many using AI to automate healthcare payment processes on behalf of providers.Fewer startups have attempted to tackle healthcare's complexities by working directly with patients. Oncology startup Thyme Care has taken a similar approach to specialty care, raising $178 million from Andreessen Horowitz and other VC firms to guide patients through their cancer treatments.

Another report has seemingly pegged Nintendo Switch 2 for a June release, while also suggesting Nintendo will focus on its first-party strategy right out of the gateTech17:00, 26 Mar 2025The Switch 2 is tipped for a June releaseThe Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a full reveal next week, with a new Nintendo Direct just announced for the current console which will take place tomorrow.We're still not sure where one ends and one begins, though, since we don't have a release date for the new console but more and more reports appear to be suggesting it'll be June 2025.Article continues belowThe latest of these reports suggests that April 2's Nintendo Direct will confirm the console's price and preorder time, and seemingly focus on its own games rather than third-party titles.Insider Gaming has said Nintendo will kick off a "three-phase strategy" with its own games getting the limelight here's all we know.Switch 2 could have some neat tricks up its sleeve"According to various sources, the Nintendo Switch 2 will launch its games in a three-phase strategy, starting with primarily first-party games on launch," the report explains."According to sources, the second-stage will arrive in October-November for third-party studios, most of which are expecting the dev kits for the Switch 2 to be sent in June. Finally, it was said that the third phase for games will be in the holiday period."While we know some developers already have Switch 2 dev kits, if this report is accurate then we could be waiting a while to see third-party hits on the system.What does that extra button do?Thankfully, more than arguably any other brand in gaming, Nintendo has a huge repertoire of exclusives it can work with. Between Mario, Zelda, Animal Crossing, Metroid, and the potential return of the Super Smash Bros. series, the company has a whole host of games you can't play anywhere else not even PC.Prior reports had suggested Bandai Namco will play a major role in the Switch 2's early months, but this could throw that into doubt.While Insider Gaming suggests the initial slate will feature "primarily" Nintendo games, that doesn't mean the likes of Elden Ring or Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero won't be there shortly thereafter.Thankfully, this time next week we'll know the Switch 2 reveal event will happen on April 2, and we can't wait.Article continues belowFor more on Switch 2, be sure to check out all we know about how the console could use AI, and a report it could already be on US soil.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

EA's Formula 1 series has a confirmed release date, with the new entry skidding onto consoles and PC on May 30 check out everything we know, including the return of Braking PointTech16:01, 26 Mar 2025Updated 16:05, 26 Mar 2025The game launches in just a couple of months(Image: EA)The Formula 1 is here, and while Lewis Hamilton will grace the Iconic Edition cover of F1 25 from EA despite his disqualification at the Chinese GP, the publisher has revealed its latest trailer and other cover stars for the title.Unlike last year, the title won't be coming to PS4 or Xbox One, and will now focus on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, leaving last generation behind.Article continues belowWhile that'll leave some fans feeling blue, there is plenty of good news, including the return of Braking Point.The story mode tends to skip a year, and after its absence last year it's back for 2025 and better than ever, including multiple difficulty settings.The new title will launch on May 30, but fans preordering the Iconic Edition will get access up to three days early alongside 2025 liveries for F1 24.Away from Hamilton's appearance on the Iconic Edition, Carlos Sainz is flanked by Oscar Piastri and Oliver Bearman.EA promises My Team will add additional responsibilities for team managers to take on, while circuits should feel even more realistic after being LIDAR scanned.The Iconic Edition offers up to three days of early access(Image: EA)Braking Point will feature the fictional Konnersport team's return, this time vying for trophies, while races inspired by the upcoming Apple Original F1 movie, starring Brad Pitt, will be adding after launch.F1 25 delivers more ways for players to experience Formula 1 and race their way, from the drama of Braking Point to making headlines in the pursuit of World Championship glory, said Lee Mather, Senior Creative Director at Codemasters via a press release.This year, there are new opportunities for players to connect, collaborate, and compete than ever before. We look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks.EA has promised F1 25 Deep Dives in the coming weeks running up to launch.Article continues belowFor the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

RoboCops best sequel for decades (Nacon)Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus line-up for April, and fans of classic films and/or Digimon will be extremely happy.Video games based on movies have a spotty track record at best, but in recent years thats become less and less true, especially for titles that go back to older cinematic classics.Recent titles like Indiana Jones And The Great Circle prove games are sometimes better suited than movies to continue older franchise, a rule which also applies to RoboCop: Rogue City. Developed by Teyon, the first person shooter features an original storyline, set after the events of 1990 film RoboCop 2.The game is far better than anyone expected and, ahead of its standalone expansion Unfinished Business later this year, it will be available to all PlayStation Plus subscribers from April 1, 2025.As confirmed by Sony, RoboCop: Rogue City will be free for PlayStation Plus subscribers across all tiers on PlayStation 5 next month.Another surprisingly good adaptation of an older film franchise is 2023s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, will be available across PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.Its a asymmetrical multiplayer survival horror in the vein of Dead By Daylight, only more polished and with a very goofy system where you level up grandpa with blood to help killers spot survivors.While it was somewhat overlooked when it originally came out, its a surprisingly faithful recreation of the classic 1974 horror film complete with several maps and characters pulled from the not-so iconic sequels.More TrendingThe final game on the PlayStation Plus line-up for April is Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Hackers Memory, which is a sequel to 2015s Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth. It is a role-playing game in the Digimon universe, where you command up to three companions in battles.All of these games will be available to claim from April 1 to May 5, 2025. Its worth noting you can just add them to your library during this time and download them later, as long as you have a PlayStation Plus subscription.You still have until March 31, 2025 to pick up this months PlayStation Plus games, which includes Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Sonic Colours, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection. Its a big throwback in April (Sony Interactive Entertainment)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

By Florence Ion Published March 26, 2025 | Comments (0) | Samsung's cheap batch of smartphones come with Google's Circle to Search features. Samsung Affordable smartphone season remains in full swing, with Samsung entering the ring with its own affordable set of Android devices. The budget-priced Galaxy A36 and A26 were teased earlier this month alongside a third device. The phones are now available online and through participating carriers, starting at $400 and $300, respectively. Both devices feature mid-range specifications and Samsungs Awesome Intelligence suiteessentially Galaxy AI, pared down for its affordable smartphones. If its a bright, vibrant screen you want under $500, Samsung is the way to go. The Galaxy A36 and the Galaxy A26 both feature a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a maximum 1,200 nits of brightness. Both phones have Qualcomms Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processors with 6GB of RAM. Theyre both limited to a middling 128GB of storage, so youll want an active cloud account if youre looking to hoard photos and files. The Samsung Galaxy A36 has a better-equipped camera system, with a triple-array rear camera with an 8-MP ultra-wide camera, a 50-MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS, and a 5-MP macro camera. Theres also a 12-MP front-facing camera for selfies. The Galaxy A26 has most of the same camera specs, save for a 2-MP macro camera on the rear and a 13-MP front-facing camera. If youre into artificial intelligence, the Galaxy A36 and A26 have some of Samsungs fancy AI features, though they had to be pared down for this particular set of specifications. Thats why its called Awesome Intelligence instead of Galaxy AI. The abilities youll have access to through these devices include Circle to Search, which is mainly tied to Googles Gemini, and Samsungs AI-driven Object Eraser, which nixes distracting subjects from your photos. Its enough of a taste of Samsungs AI that maybe youll spring for the full-priced thing.Samsungs Galaxy A36 is available in black, lavender, and a unique lime color at Best Buy starting at $400.Samsungs Galaxy A26 only comes in black and starts at $300.Samsungs Galaxy A-series devices arent thebest deal in the business. For instance, Googles Pixel 9a, which was announced but remains delayed, features two more gigs of RAM and more of Googles Gemini features, since it runs natively on Googles Tensor processors. But its delayed and still technically $100 more than the Galaxy A36. With a Samsung phone, you should get a big, bright screen for a decent pricemaybe free, if your carrier will subsidize it.Samsung Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Sherri L Smith Published March 26, 2025 By Kyle Barr Published March 25, 2025 By Jorge Jimenez Published March 13, 2025 By Kyle Barr Published March 7, 2025 By Florence Ion Published March 6, 2025 By Florence Ion Updated March 4, 2025

In a case of product synergy no one asked for, you can now control Samsungs 2025 line of televisions with the companys smartwatches. Yep, for those cases where your remote goes M.I.A. to the Isle of Lost Things, you can still watch the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again or The Residence but you will need an a Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 or Galaxy Watch Ultraand a brand new Samsung TV. I recently had the opportunity to try out the new technology with the Samsung Neo QLED 4K (QN90F), one of the companys newest flagship televisions and while it takes some getting used to, it works fairly well. Photo: Charles Anthony Davis/DreamSmith LLC For my demo, I donned the Galaxy Watch Ultra, where I controlled the QN90F via a series of gesture controls and strategic arm movements. A cursor appears when the TV and smartwatch are connected that can be used like a cursor by moving your arm around. Think of a one-man Hokey-Pokey session and you have a picture of what I looked like. In order to select something like a streaming service, you simply hover over the desired icon and pinch your fingers together. Its actually more responsive than I expected. When I wanted to exit a show, I made a fist and when I needed to access the home screen I did it twice. To scroll, I ran my ringer along the interior of the watch bezel. Photo: Charles Anthony Davis/DreamSmith LLC Connecting the Watch Ultra to the QN90F is a little counterintuitive as you have to disable the Universal Gestures on the watch. From there, you need to shake your wrist until a message pops up on the TV informing you the devices are connected. Simultaneously, a Pointer Mode prompt appears on the watch and youre ready to go. You can also adjust the volume via the watch which is cool in a pinch. While the watch controls work as advertised, they can also need a little help. For instance, I hate seeing the cursor and the scroll bar when Im watching a YouTube video. Usually, all you have to do is stop moving the mouse and those distracting elements will disappear, especially on a screen as pretty as the QN90Fs. But what happens when the pointer is connected to your arm? I never really thought about how much I fidgeted around until I had to focus on keeping my arm still to get rid of the mouse. Photo: Charles Anthony Davis/DreamSmith LLC A couple of other things that need some tweaking are the precision and hit boxes. Using your arm to navigate is fine for larger, sweeping movements, but when it comes to smaller movements like hovering over the play/pause button in YouTube or grabbing and dragging the cursor in the progress bar can be a hassle. Also, I really want a way to adjust the scroll speed on the bezel control because if youre not very deliberate with how you move your finger along that bezel, you can zoom past whatever youre looking for at breakneck speed which is no bueno.Overall, using your smartwatch is a cool gimmick, but Im not sure if theres enough there to move it into must-have tech feature. To really be viable, I think thered have to be a way to input channels or at least switch to your favorite channels, but thats asking a lot of a relatively tiny screen designed to tell time and track your exercise.