The US Department of Justice has indicted Albert Sangier for defrauding investors with misleading statements about his Nate financial technology platform. Founded by Sangier in 2018, Nate claimed it could offer shoppers a universal checkout app thanks to artificial intelligence. However, the indictment states that the so-called AI-powered transactions in Nate were actually completed by human contractors in the Philippines and Romania or by bots. Sangier raised more than $40 million from investors for the app. This case follows reporting by The Information in 2022 that cast light on Nate's use of human labor rather than AI. Sources told the publication that during 2021, "the share of transactions Nate handled manually rather than automatically ranged between 60 percent and 100 percent." Many ambitious and ethically challenged entrepreneurs have attempted to make their fortunes by disguising human actions as a mechanical or technological innovation over the centuries. Claiming the results as AI work is just the most digital age application of the idea.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/tech-founder-charged-with-fraud-for-ai-that-was-secretly-overseas-contract-workers-225910022.html?src=rss

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The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. What’s in a claim? Sometimes a product can’t be defined by its claim, and that has become a huge problem for the consumer packaged goods industry. Take Dr. Bronner’s and Scrumbles, for example, which both recently announced they’re dropping their B Corp certification for what they perceive to be weakening standards that allow greenwashing.  The changing claims landscape  What B Lab Global has done is admirable. In 2006, they set out to recognize businesses that were a force for good—meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. They deserve credit for their part in starting a global movement that redefined the role of business in society and helped usher in a new era of capitalism where purpose and profit are both priorities.  But something pivotal happened along the way that revolutionized how deeply we’re able to understand products, yet B Corp and many of today’s product claims don’t account for it: the proliferation of data. Consumers initially saw the “B” and assumed it signified health, sustainability, or ethical practices. But as access to information increased, people started digging deeper. And what did they find? Sometimes, not much. The B Corp label, like many generic claims, became an umbrella term indicating different things to different people—or nothing at all.  A consumer reckoning is here  This problem isn’t unique to B Corp; it’s a symptom of a larger consumer reckoning. Consider the term “clean beauty.” It lacks a standardized definition, leaving its meaning up to interpretation. For some, it equates to products with safe ingredients; for others, it might be about sustainable packaging. But even “safe” and “sustainable” are too vague to tell us what we really want to know, such as if a fragrance is allergen-free or if its packaging is compostable. Shopping has almost become a guessing game; but it’s one the modern consumer refuses to play.  I had my own “aha” moment when I was pregnant with my first daughter and started to become hyperaware of what ingredients and materials were in the things I was putting in and on my body. Through my extensive research, I quickly discovered how much of what we’re exposed to is toxic to human health and even started an Excel spreadsheet of what to avoid, that I consulted every time I made a purchase. It’s what led me to found Novi Connect, which gives brands and retailers the tools to provide data, signals, and even stories to consumers about their products.  Ten years ago, this might have sounded excessive. But today, more consumers are demanding this level of transparency. They want clarity and precision, not ambiguity, and it’s time for brands and retailers to deliver.  The power of granular data  Here’s the good news: They can. With the proliferation of data and AI, we’re rapidly moving beyond binary labels and embracing a world of sophisticated, specific product attributes. This granularity allows brands and retailers to cater to the nuanced values of their customers.  My favorite illustrative example of how this can show up is glycerin. Glycerin is one of the most benign, noncontroversial ingredients and is present in almost every product we use. But based on how it’s made, it can cater to consumers with very different values. If it’s derived from plants, that means it’s vegan; but that also typically means it’s derived from palm oil. Was the palm oil responsibly sourced? If so, that claim can be made to provide assurance that no deforestation or unfair labor practices were used in the production of the glycerin. Or, maybe no palm was used and the glycerin was derived from a less common feedstock like coconut oil. Now a palm-free claim can be made, which might be important to those looking for products that align with their environmental values.  These are the questions shoppers are asking, and they’re demanding verified answers before deciding where to spend their money.  The retailer responsibility  While consumers are driving this change, the onus is on brands and retailers to embrace it and figure out how to make it work for their customer, and ultimately, their business. It’s important to note that there’s a delicate balance between presenting information for a seamless shopping experience and providing detailed product claims.  Amazon is a poster example of what this can look like. They use the green leaf symbol to provide a high-level signal and draw the customer in, then also allow you to explore the details of why a product earned that designation. Their program includes 55 unique certifications a product can qualify for. That might sound overwhelming; but it takes into account that not all shoppers care about the same things, and not all certifications are relevant for all products.   With this system, it’s easy to identify products that meet your personal criteria, whether you’re focused on ingredient health and safety; carbon emissions and reduction; agriculture and how products are grown and processed; and so forth. You can see how this approach respects the buyer’s need for both simplicity and depth. And Amazon is strengthening their bottom-line in the process, driving double digit increases in both page discovery and sales with their badge program. That’s how you align purpose and profit.  When companies properly leverage data to enable people to shop with purpose by aligning purchases with beliefs, it creates a more personalized shopping experience that keeps the customer coming back. In today’s market where there are endless options and instant access to information, loyalty is paramount. After all, if you don’t have repeat customers, you don’t have a business.  So the choice is clear: Embrace transparency or risk irrelevance. The future of retail belongs to those who empower consumers with the truth. Tell them exactly what’s in a claim.  Kimberly Shenk is cofounder and CEO of Novi Connect. 

Called 45°, this unique cakeshop and café was designed by TAKUYAHOSOKAI and is located in Niigata, Japan. The structure is crafted to harmonize with its natural surroundings, featuring rotating spaces set at 45-degree angles. This unconventional orientation challenges traditional layouts, creating a disorienting yet intriguing experience that blurs the lines between the café’s interior and the adjacent forest. Nestled within a sprawling, ancient forest covering 4,500 square meters, the site boasts gently sloping terrain, scattered trees, and dappled sunlight. This tranquil setting provides a peaceful backdrop, enhancing the café’s immersive experience. The building is elevated from the ground and offers views that connect visitors with the natural environment. The design captures the essence of the changing seasons, delivering a dynamic and engaging architectural experience, and adding a truly unique and refreshing perspective to the cafe culture. Designer: TAKUYAHOSOKAI Studio TAKUYAHOSOKAI Studio designed the structure to seamlessly blend interior and exterior spaces by extending or shifting walls, slabs, and frames to eliminate distinct boundaries. While defined by structural elements, each material retains its purity, highlighted at the intersections where walls, slabs, and frames converge. The use of large volumes minimizes the dominance of glass, further dissolving the line between the inside and outside. The rotating spaces establish four axes, creating discrepancies between the layout and structural frames. This design results in an environment where visitors experience a sense of ambiguous orientation, enhancing their immersion in the surroundings. The architecture employs simple yet effective 45-degree rotations to develop a complex and organic form. This design mirrors the natural movement of trees reaching skyward, with the structure appearing to grow and stretch alongside the forest. Initially, the space stands out as distinct and separate from its environment. And then, over time, it gradually integrates with the surrounding landscape, almost vanishing into it. This seamless blending into the natural surroundings highlights the design’s ability to harmonize with nature, enhancing the aesthetic and experiential quality of the space while maintaining its unique architectural identity. Built with traditional Japanese wooden construction techniques, the building is engineered to endure snow loads, accommodating a 1.0-meter snow depth due to its location in Niigata City. The structure features a diverse framework, with the second floor reinforced by joist beams to support substantial loads. The entrance canopy boasts a cantilevered design, supported by flat beams, ensuring stability against the area’s harsh weather conditions. The structural plan is both simple and varied, applying distinctive frameworks across different floor plans and elevations. This approach blends tradition with practicality, ensuring resilience and functionality in a challenging environment. The post Japanese Cake Shop With Rotating 45° Spaces Offers A Unique Cafe Experience In An Ancient Forest first appeared on Yanko Design.

Pixel art can be more than a hit of nostalgia.

On Thursday, Chinese officials retaliated against President Donald Trump’s tariffs by imposing new restrictions on US movies. That’s a big blow to America’s cultural cachet in the nation.

Macworld Believe it or not, the next iPhone is only six months away! So in this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we’re covering the latest iPhone rumors—and whether or not you’ll even be able to afford the new phone. This is episode 926 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola.  Watch episode 928 on YouTube Listen to episode 928 on Apple Podcasts Listen to episode 928 on Spotify Get info  Click on the links below for more information on what was discussed on the show.  That big iPhone redesign predicted for this year? It might not be so big after all  iPhone 17: Everything we know so far about the 2025 iPhones How tariffs will impact the price of Apple products Subscribe to the Macworld Podcast You can subscribe to the Macworld Podcast—or leave us a review!—right here in the Podcasts app. The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify and on the Macworld Podcast YouTube channel.  Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworld To find previous episodes, visit Macworld’s podcast page or our home on MegaPhone. Apple

The International Energy Agency states in a new report that AI could eventually reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, possibly by much more than the boom in energy-guzzling data center development pushes them up. The finding echoes a point that prominent figures in the AI sector have made as well to justify, at least implicitly, the gigawatts’ worth of electricity demand that new data centers are placing on regional grid systems across the world. Notably, in an essay last year, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote that AI will deliver “astounding triumphs,” such as “fixing the climate,” while offering the world “nearly-limitless intelligence and abundant energy.” There are reasonable arguments to suggest that AI tools may eventually help reduce emissions, as the IEA report underscores. But what we know for sure is that they’re driving up energy demand and emissions today—especially in the regional pockets where data centers are clustering.  So far, these facilities, which generally run around the clock, are substantially powered through natural-gas turbines, which produce significant levels of planet-warming emissions. Electricity demands are rising so fast that developers are proposing to build new gas plants and convert retired coal plants to supply the buzzy industry. The other thing we know is that there are better, cleaner ways of powering these facilities already, including geothermal plants, nuclear reactors, hydroelectric power, and wind or solar projects coupled with significant amounts of battery storage. The trade-off is that these facilities may cost more to build or operate, or take longer to get up and running. There’s something familiar about the suggestion that it’s okay to build data centers that run on fossil fuels today because AI tools will help the world drive down emissions eventually. It recalls the purported promise of carbon credits: that it’s fine for a company to carry on polluting at its headquarters or plants, so long as it’s also funding, say, the planting of trees that will suck up a commensurate level of carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, we’ve seen again and again that such programs often overstate any climate benefits, doing little to alter the balance of what’s going into or coming out of the atmosphere.   But in the case of what we might call “AI offsets,” the potential to overstate the gains may be greater, because the promised benefits wouldn’t meaningfully accrue for years or decades. Plus, there’s no market or regulatory mechanism to hold the industry accountable if it ends up building huge data centers that drive up emissions but never delivers on these climate claims.  The IEA report outlines instances where industries are already using AI in ways that could help drive down emissions, including detecting methane leaks in oil and gas infrastructure, making power plants and manufacturing facilities more efficient, and reducing energy consumption in buildings. AI has also shown early promise in materials discovery, helping to speed up the development of novel battery electrolytes. Some hope the technology could deliver advances in solar materials, nuclear power, or other clean energy technologies and improve climate science, extreme weather forecasting, and disaster response, as other studies have noted.  Even without any “breakthrough discoveries,” the IEA estimates, widespread adoption of AI applications could cut emissions by 1.4 billion tons in 2035. Those reductions, “if realized,” would be as much as triple the emissions from AI data centers, under the IEA’s most optimistic development scenario. But that’s a very big “if.” It requires placing a lot of faith in technical advances, wide-scale deployments, and payoffs from changes in practices over the next 10 years. And there’s a big gap between how AI could be used and how it will be used, something that will depend significantly on economic or regulatory incentives. Under the Trump administration, there’s little reason to believe that US companies, at least, will face much government pressure to use these tools specifically to drive down emissions. Absent the right policy incentives, it’s arguably more likely that the oil and gas industry will deploy AI to discover new fossil-fuel deposits than to pinpoint methane leaks. To be clear, the IEA’s figures are a scenario, not a prediction. The authors readily acknowledged that there’s huge uncertainty on this issue, stating: “It is vital to note that there is currently no momentum that could ensure the widespread adoption of these AI applications. Therefore, their aggregate impact, even in 2035, could be marginal if the necessary enabling conditions are not created.”In other words, we certainly can’t count on AI to drive down emissions more than it drives them up, especially within the time frame now demanded by the dangers of climate change.  As a reminder, it’s already 2025. Rising greenhouse-gas emissions have already pushed the planet perilously close to fully tipping past 1.5 ˚C of warming—and global climate pollution is still going up.  We are barreling toward midcentury, just 25 years shy of when climate models show that every industry in every nation needs to get pretty close to net-zero emissions to prevent warming from surging past 2 ˚C over preindustrial levels. And yet any new natural-gas plants built today, for data centers or any other purpose, could easily still be running 40 years from now. Carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. So even if the AI industry does eventually provide ways of cutting more emissions than it produces in a given year, those future reductions won’t cancel out the emissions the sector will pump out along the way—or the warming they produce. It’s a trade-off we don’t need to make if AI companies, utilities, and regional regulators make wiser choices about how to power the data centers they’re building and running today. Some tech and power companies are taking steps in this direction, by spurring the development of solar farms near their facilities, helping to get nuclear plants back online, or signing contracts to get new geothermal plants built.  But such efforts should become more the rule than the exception. We no longer have the time or carbon budget to keep cranking up emissions on the promise that we’ll take care of it later.

The Twopan Portable SSD 2TB is a good external storage option intended for your iPhone and iPad, but its retail cost is prohibitive, so wait for a good sale.Twopan Portable SSDBeating the storage limits of an iPhone or iPad can be done in two ways. You can use cloud storage, or your can attach an external storage device.All the second option requires is an external drive with a USB-C connection that can plug into an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. However, typical external drives take up space, and aren't great for carrying around. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Among the backlash Nintendo has been facing for its pricing decisions regarding the upcoming Switch 2 as well as its launch titles is also the fact that Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is not a pack-in title. Rather, players will need to spend $9.99 to play the game. In the meantime, former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime spoke about the decision to offer Wii Sports as a pack-in title for the immensely popular Wii. In a conversation with IGN during its Nintendo Voice Chat podcast, Fils-Aime recounted a story about an argument he had with Shigeru Miyamoto surrounding whether or not Nintendo should offer Wii Sports as a pack-in title for the console. According to the story, Miyamoto was quite against including the title as a free pack-in with the console. “It’s an understatement to say that Mr. Miyamoto pushed back,” said Fils-Aime. “During the development of the Wii and the Wii Sports software, you know again the goal was, we wanted the system to be attractive not only to the most active players, but to new players, and to bring them into the video gaming experience. And we saw Wii Sports as the way to be able to do that because each of these sports made great use of the [Wiimote]. Each sport was known by a global population… and my recommendation was that we pack Wii Sports in with the hardware.” “And literally, when I first made this suggestion, Mr. Miyamoto said ‘Reggie, Nintendo does not give away software for free. You don’t understand how hard our developers work to create compelling content like this,'” continued Fils-Aime. “Now, fortunately, because my SNES came packed in with software, I knew that in fact the company has given away software in the past. But it was against a very strategic objective. And that was my commentary back to Mr. Miyamoto. That, by including Wii Sports, we would immediately have value in the hardware as the consumers opening it up and setting it up. But more importantly, we would have a touchstone piece of software that so many consumers would experience” “It’s what led to Wii Sports being played in bars, being played on cruise ships, being played in retirement homes. It became this universal experience. But he was not happy when I first made the suggestion, to the point where, on a subsequent visit to Kyoto and the headquarters, the team showed me software that would become Wii Play. Those themselves were fun as well, but they didn’t have the connective tissue that Wii Sports had with all of the experiences. So then I proceeded to piss Mr. Miyamoto off again by suggesting that we bundle Wii Play with the Wii Remote.” “In the end, in the Americas and in Europe, Wii Sports was packed in with the Wii. It was not in Japan, which created a bit of a test market, and it was obvious that, in the markets where Wii Sports was packed in that the Wii became much more of a phenomenon. Wii Sports itself became much more of a phenomenon. And we did pack the Wiimote with Wii Play, and I think it became the fifth best selling piece of software in the history of Wii.” Incidentally, Nintendo hadn’t released any pack-in games with the Switch when it launched back in 2017. Rather, the company has been focused on selling even titles like 1-2-Switch separately, sticking to the philosophy that Miyamoto had told Fils-Aime about in the story. The story of Wii Sports pack in …https://t.co/LhflSFWaL3— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025