By Sabina Graves Published April 7, 2025 | Comments (1) | Labubu "Exciting Macaron" on display at a Pop Mart store © io9/Gizmodo Recently, the charm of Labubu made its way onto my social feed with friends sharing their new companion accessory, a tiny nine-toothed fuzzy monster keychain plush as an adornment on their purses or backpacks. As fandom and fashion evolves, the latest trend is to personalize your daily carry-ons with charms, and right now none are more popular than Pop Mart’s x Kasing Lung’s The Monsters, with their slate of whimsical Labubu elven playful entities. Creator and picture book artist Kasing Lung was inspired by Nordic mythology about enchanted forest elves while creating his Labubu characters. As a fantasy creature mark, I have found myself drawn in to the toy collector space, but have also been tempted by Pop Mart’s Disney collabs too. Their appeal to me was based off the deeply adorable Henson Creature shop aesthetic mixed with Where the Wild Things Are vibes by way of Donnie Darko‘s Frank the Bunny. Labubu taps into a visceral nostalgia of child-like make-believe I haven’t felt in a while. I’d seen one of my dearest friends, a devoted K-pop fan, post hers in various photos on her red carpet and concert adventures. Initially, I believed it must be a K-pop thing—and to an extent the craze did receive a swell of fans thanks to Blackpink singer and The White Lotus star Lalisa accessorizing her designer bags with her collection of Labubus from the “Exciting Macaron” and “Have a Seat” drops, which she recently showed off to Vanity Fair. The curiosity was there and I was getting alerts that more Pop Mart locations were opening up soon, so I hoped to maybe take a peek eventually. © Pop Mart So I hesitated but watched from afar. My interest grew further when another spooky kawaii-invested friend messaged me about her hunt for one too. I lived vicariously through her journey, encountering sold-out Pop Mart queues on the official website and immediate drops at locations which only had them momentarily available on online pre-order. This was necessary, in order to avoid customers having any potential misunderstanding or delays if the shop dared to put them out on the floor; an employee at my local Pop Mart confirmed this when I called around to see if any were available to buy. Labubus, like the mischievous creatures that inspired them, make only limited appearances before being quickly snatched up. Fantasy folklore and fandom fashion collided and I was in. The need to know more grew and I dove into YouTube videos to discover as much as I could (Lalisa’s video helped the most). There’s little bits of character stories pieced together about the relationships between the Labubus, how the main character is Labubu but she is also a Labubu (think Toad from Mario Bros.), and they come in different plush sizes that inspire mad cuteness aggression. Combine that with Pop Mart’s blind box itch and that’s a dangerous combo. But it was probably finding out that Labubus have their own land in a Pop Mart theme park (that I need to go to!) which really cinched the deal. I write about theme parks and love fantasy monsters… let’s freakin’ go.   Listening to my friends’ different journeys to find their coveted Labubu inspired a weekend trip to the mall to check the Pop Mart vending machine and retailers I was familiar with having product. Storefronts were taped off with customers queuing to get in and shelves were empty. My spooky-cute collector friend started researching how to verify a legitimate Labubu from a third party seller. When io9 talked to the blind box toy titan about this approach, the official line is “Pop Mart can’t officially comment on third-party purchases” and “the best way to guarantee your Labubu is authentic is by purchasing directly from Pop Mart retail stores,” but a quick TikTok search could assist your search if you exercise caution. The hunt for these elusive cute creatures is that serious as with any collector item. As someone who grew up hanging out at the mall and still can’t grow out of weekend trips to get my steps in, I attempted multiple times at various places to get my hands on an “Exciting Macaron” plush keychain blind box. I encountered toy islands charging an outrageous $30 for the sought-after boxes, which was the first red flag of many—including differences in the boxing, which online searches suggest are clear warning signs of a fake. Meanwhile mall mainstays known for selling Pop Mart products, have begun to mark up their inventory from $45 to $70, as opposed to the cost of $21.99 straight from the source. After weeks of constant “sold out” notifications—likely from the bot-fueled frenzy of flippers—I stood before a Pop Mart, contemplating my next move. I walked in and looked at Labubus on display with little digital signs reading “out of stock.” Defeated, I went to get a tea latte at a coffee stand where the employees displayed Labubu stickers; they may have directed me to a shop where boxes were available for $45, and I may have caved. But until I get my hands on a Labubu straight from the source, I won’t know if I got the real deal or not. So now I’m eagerly waiting for the next drop so I can finally get some peace of mind—and proudly display a chaotically cute creature companion on my arm, too. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. Daily Newsletter You May Also Like By Sabina Graves Published April 4, 2025

When thinking about Japan, the first thing that comes to mind is the bustling streets of Tokyo, old fortified castles, and the cherry blossom-lined rivers in the urban areas. However, little is discussed regarding a real estate market problem currently ongoing in the country: Akiya, a Japanese term that translates to an empty house. In 2024, the number of Akiya in Japan went up to a record high of nine million units. Some believe that at the root of the issue is depopulation. When homes are passed down through family inheritance, they frequently become burdens rather than assets. As younger generations increasingly move to cities or live in apartments, they usually have no interest in living in or maintaining the old family home, especially if it's located in a less convenient or rural area. Cities like Tokyo see a smaller number of Akiya due to the elevated price of the land. Nonetheless, issues such as elevated costs of adapting the house to the new earthquake regulations and higher taxation on vacant land, still cause people to abandon them even in urban areas.

Redbox is getting ready for one final sale. The defunct DVD rental chain’s assets, and those of its corporate siblings Crackle and Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, are being auctioned off in New York later this month, according to a court filing published Monday morning.  The asset sale is just the latest chapter in Redbox’s tumultuous downfall: Once one of the country’s biggest DVD vendors, the rental chain saw its revenue evaporate nearly overnight during the pandemic, leading to its bankruptcy in June of 2024.  Much of this had to do with consumers switching to streaming, but the exact circumstances of Redbox’s demise remain highly contested: Last month, the trustee in charge of the bankruptcy proceedings filed a lawsuit against Chicken Soup for the Soup Entertainment’s former executives and board, alleging that the company and its subsidiaries were “victim of mismanagement and pillaging by insiders on a scale rarely seen with public companies.” For sale: Everything but the kiosks When the assets of Redbox and its corporate siblings go on sale April 23, potential buyers will be able to bid on Redbox’s and Crackle’s trademarks, patents, and other intellectual property. Among other things, the sale also includes various rights associated with hundreds of movies and TV shows produced and distributed by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment subsidiary Screen Media Films. Titles mentioned in Monday’s filing range from Jeepers Creepers to Machine Gun Woman to the 2021 Nicholas Cage flick Willy’s Wonderland. While it’s hard to estimate what the assets will ultimately be selling for, there does appear to be some interest in those film catalogs. The court-appointed trustee noted in a legal filing earlier this year that he had received offers “in excess of $100 million.” Notably exempt from the firesale: Redbox’s once-ubiquitous red rental kiosks. The filing does not explain why the DVD vending machines aren’t being sold at this point, but one reason could be that many of them have already found their way to landfills and Ebay auctions. When Redbox went bankrupt, it still operated about 27,000 kiosks, located in front of grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retailers. Redbox had stopped paying many of these retail partners contractually owed commission fees long before it went bankrupt, leading to lawsuits from major chains including CVS and 7-Eleven. After the company went under, the kiosks became even more of a nuisance for retailers, with Albertsons complaining in a legal filing that its electricity bill for the machines amounted to $184,000 a month. Eventually, the bankruptcy court granted most retailers the right to dispose of the kiosks themselves. A few machines were saved by enthusiasts, while others apparently have been stripped for parts that are now being sold on Ebay. “Wildly unrealistic projections” The story of Redbox’s downfall has few parallels in modern corporate history: The company surpassed $1 billion in revenue in 2018, and had long planned a transition to streaming. Those plans were thrown into upheaval when the pandemic hit in 2020, with many of its consumers embracing much-larger streaming competitors, including Netflix and Disney+, overnight. Redbox’s revenue declined to around $250 million in 2021, and the company was effectively out of money by early 2022. That’s when Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book publisher, swooped in to acquire Redbox for $375 million. The deal included the assumption of $325 million in debt, but Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s leadership forecast at the time that DVD rentals would quickly recover. That didn’t happen. Instead, Redbox’s revenue continued to crater. The company found itself in a cash crunch, unable to buy new DVDs, which further depressed rentals. In early 2024, the company’s cash on hand was so low that it wasn’t able to pay most of its bills, even leaving its service technicians stranded because corporate credit cards meant to pay for gas for company vehicles stopped working for days at a time. Employees would later discover that they had lost their health insurance while still working for the company. This was all too expected, according to the bankruptcy trustee. Redbox’s recovery “never could have reasonably been expected to happen” and were based on “wildly unrealistic business projections and plans,” the trustee claimed in his recently filed lawsuit. The lawsuit also alleges that Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s corporate leadership used the company as their “personal piggy bank” by relying on unusual fee arrangements: Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and its subsidiaries were obligated to pay 10% of their revenues to the book publisher every month in exchange for management services as well as the right to use the publisher’s trademarks.  These fees allegedly ballooned to $18.4 million a year following the Redbox acquisition, despite the fact that Redbox was losing money hand-over-fist. Payments even continued after Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment stopped paying payroll taxes in late 2023. The trustee now wants executives to pay back those fees; any money recovered through such legal actions as well as this month’s auction is likely going to go to the company’s primary lender HPS, which is reportedly owed $500 million.

Equispheres, Canadian supplier of specialized aluminum powders, and Fieldmade, a developer of mobile 3D printing systems, have partnered to expand access to laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) in environments where traditional manufacturing infrastructure is limited or unavailable. The collaboration aims to facilitate on-demand production of aluminum components in the field. The initiative centers on Fieldmade’s NOMAD®03 micro factory—a portable, deployable additive manufacturing system—that has been adapted to produce aluminum components using Equispheres’ NExP-1 non-explosive aluminum powder. With adjustable processing parameters, NExP-1 enables fast build rates, consistent part quality, and reliable repeatability, reducing both the lead time and expense associated with delivering replacement parts. “There has always been demand for aluminum parts in the field. By collaborating with Equispheres, we are now able to meet that demand,” says Svein A. Hjelmtveit, Chief Technology Officer at Fieldmade. “Equispheres NExP-1 non-explosive powder simplifies the transport and operation of the NOMAD 03 system while optimizing performance, giving customers portability, speed and superior quality without the need for specialized handling, storage or extensive post-processing.” Fieldmade’s NOMAD®️03 micro factory. Photo via: Equispheres Commercialization Timeline and Technical Overview The NOMAD 03 system, integrated with Equispheres’ NExP-1 aluminum powder, is in the final phase of verification testing and is expected to be commercially available by mid-2025. NExP-1 is produced in North America using Equispheres’ proprietary manufacturing process.  Certified as dust-free and non-explosible under ASTM E1226—the Standard Test Method for Explosibility of Dust Clouds—NExP-1 features an optimized AlSi10Mg composition. The powder supports high layer thickness processing and stable melt pool dynamics, contributing to efficient printing and robust mechanical properties in finished parts. “The NOMAD 03 system is a game-changer for any remote operating environment that requires a rapid supply of spare parts. Instead of waiting for weeks for replacements to arrive, aluminum parts can be produced onsite in a few hours, often at a lower cost, using technologies that aren’t currently accessible for remote operations,” says Sascha Rudolph, Chief Operating Officer at Equispheres. “We’re excited to collaborate with Fieldmade in breaking down the barriers for Additive Manufacturing while opening up a whole new landscape for the industry.” Prototypes 3D printed from Equispheres’ NExP-1 material. Photo via Equispheres. Potential for 3D Printing Aluminium This collaboration reflects a broader trend in aluminum additive manufacturing aimed at improving material performance and system accessibility. Australian 3D printer manufacturer AML3D extended its $280,000 USD ($370,000 AUD) contract with BlueForge Alliance for Nickel-Aluminium-Bronze (NAB) alloy testing, supporting the US Navy’s submarine program. The extension validates AML3D’s ARCEMY 3D printed alloys against Navy standards. Aligned with AML3D’s US expansion strategy amid AUKUS alliance interest, this effort integrates ARCEMY technology into the US military. It also involves the sale of a large-scale ARCEMY 3D printing system, currently housed at Tennessee’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, valued at approximately $1.0 million AUD. Aluminium Materials Technologies (AMT) also collaborated with the University of Birmingham to explore the metallurgy of 3D printed aluminum alloy, dubbed A20X. Focusing on laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and direct energy deposition (DED) techniques, the partnership investigated compositional changes, heat treatments, and additive manufacturing process parameters. A20X, known for its isotropic properties, is a high-strength aluminum-copper alloy extensively used in aerospace and motorsports.  Who won the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards? Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to keep up with the latest 3D printing news. You can also follow us on LinkedIn, and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry Youtube channel to access more exclusive content. Featured image shows Fieldmade’s NOMAD®️03 micro factory. Photo via: Equispheres Paloma Duran Paloma Duran holds a BA in International Relations and an MA in Journalism. Specializing in writing, podcasting, and content and event creation, she works across politics, energy, mining, and technology. With a passion for global trends, Paloma is particularly interested in the impact of technology like 3D printing on shaping our future.

The Jordy tiny home occupies only around 24 feet, showcasing a humble length of 7.2 m. But despite a compact footprint, Konpak Tiny Homes has managed to create a smart and efficient space-saving layout, one that features a new folding staircase, and a pretty spacious living area, as well as tons of storage. The little home is founded on a triple-axle trailer, and it features a finishing of galvanized steel and wood. It is also blessed with a wooden deck that helps to expand the living area, creating a more spacious and comfortable home. Designer: Konpak Tiny Homes You can enter the home through huge bi-fold glass doors that create a serene connection to the outdoors, forming a living environment that opens up to the outside. The living room is impressively large for such a compact tiny home, and it is well-furnished with a sofa and a coffee table. Some generous glazing allows natural light to stream in throughout the day, resulting in a well-illuminated and open space. The home also has a pretty high ceiling, which adds a sensation of spaciousness. Located close to the living room is the kitchen, which is equipped with a breakfast bar for two, forming a cozy spot to have your meals in. It also includes the essential amenities – a sink, fridge/freezer, and an oven with a propane-powered stove. It features quite a bit of cabinetry and some shelving as well, ensuring there is more than enough space to store other kitchen essentials. The bathroom has been placed behind the kitchen, and it is functional and feasible with a vanity sink, shower, and a flushing toilet. Now focusing on the star attraction of the home – a clever space-saving ladder/staircase designed by Bcompact. This nifty feature was added to save floor space and to place the positioning of the stairs in a space that would in another scenario block the entrance to the bathroom. This space-saving ladder or staircase can be folded out from the wall when it needs to be used. This design element isn’t very common, and some may even find it an uncomfortable addition to their home, but its functionality cannot be denied, because once you unfold it, it offers easy access to the house’s loft room. The bedroom is situated in the loft, and it is furnished with a double bed, as well as a generous amount of storage. The room includes a low ceiling which is quite typical in the bedrooms of most tiny homes, so no shocker there. Konpak Tiny Homes has given this compact yet superbly designed home the price tag of around US$78,000. You can also opt for certain add-on optionals such as full off-the-grid functionality. This is an excellent option if you’re interested in pursuing a mobile lifestyle, but obviously, this will increase the price quite a bit. The post Compact Tiny Home Feels More Spacious Than It Actually Is Thanks To A Clever Space-Saving Layout first appeared on Yanko Design.

Midjourney doesn't make the list.

jijomathai - stock.adobe.com News UK government to address balancing energy sustainability with AI growth demands The government is to host its inaugural AI Energy Council meetup, as it seeks a route to ensuring its goal of making the UK an artificial intelligence superpower does not come at the expense of the nation’s energy security By Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK Published: 08 Apr 2025 0:01 The government is turning its attention to ensuring its commitment to positioning the UK as an artificial intelligence (AI) superpower does not come at the expense of the environment or the nation’s energy security. It is a balancing act the UK’s newly formed AI Energy Council will be tasked with managing, while also exploring ways that AI can be deployed across the UK’s energy network itself during its inaugural meeting today (8 April 2025).   The council will be co-chaired by technology secretary Peter Kyle and energy secretary Ed Miliband, with the first meeting geared towards establishing how industry and government can work together to build a sustainably powered AI economy. “The work of the AI Energy Council will ensure we aren’t just powering our AI needs to deliver new waves of opportunity in all parts of the country, but can do so in a way which is responsible and sustainable,” said Kyle. “This requires a broad range of expertise from industry and regulators as we fire up the UK’s economic engine to make it fit for the age of AI – meaning we can deliver the growth which is the beating heart of our Plan for Change.” On that point, it is expected the meeting will be attended by representatives from various energy market stakeholders, including the National Grid, regulator Ofgem, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and Scottish Power, to name a few. “AI can play an important role in building a new era of clean electricity for our country, and as we unlock AI’s potential, this council will help secure a sustainable scale-up to benefit businesses and communities across the UK,” added Miliband. Representatives from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, Microsoft and Nvidia are also expected to attend, to share their views on how to build hyperscale AI datacentres that are energy- and water-efficient. Alison Kay, vice-president for the UK and Ireland at AWS, said the public cloud giant’s views on sustainably meeting the growing demand for AI technologies very much align with what the AI Energy Council is looking to achieve. “As the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for the fifth year in a row, we share the government’s goal to ensure the UK has sufficient access to carbon-free energy to support its AI ambitions and to help drive economic growth,” she said. News of the council’s creation was first announced in January 2025, as part of the government’s response to the AI opportunities action plan, which included a pledge to create AI growth zones that would become home to datacentres housing AI workloads to accelerate the pace of developments in this field. However, as reported by Computer Weekly at the time, concerns were raised about the green impact of ramping up the UK’s AI datacentre footprint, as well as how the National Grid would cope with an influx of facilities drawing power from it. In response, the UK government has now confirmed that the AI growth zones will be sited in areas with access to at least 500MW of power. “AI will play an increasingly important role in transforming our energy system to be cleaner, more efficient and more cost-effective for consumers, but only if used in a fair, secure, sustainable and safe way,” said Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley.  “Working alongside other members of this council, Ofgem will ensure AI implementation puts consumer interests first – from customer service to infrastructure planning and operation – so that everyone feels the benefits of this technological innovation in energy.” Read more about AI and datacentres Labour government has wasted no time in lowering planning permission barriers to new datacentre builds, with its disclosure that two previously denied projects are being placed under review. The AI opportunities action plan has been largely well received, but there are plenty of questions about how it will be achieved. In The Current Issue: Behind the scenes at Amazon UK’s robotic-powered warehouse All change: Weighing up the options for enterprises as open source licences evolve Download Current Issue Google Cloud VP: Beyond monolithic AI into heterogeneous harmony – CW Developer Network Nutanix cloud VP: A complete and open Kubernetes on any infrastructure – CW Developer Network View All Blogs

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNETChatGPT essentially ushered in this new age of generative AI. And though a host of other chatbots have surfaced since then, OpenAI's AI remains one of the best. Whether using the website, the Windows app, or the mobile app, I often turn to ChatGPT to answer questions, conduct research, and tackle tasks that other AIs can't always handle, at least not as well.I have a ChatGPT Plus subscription, which offers certain benefits, such as the full range of models, priority access, fewer limits, deep research, and an early look at new features. But even the free flavor offers enough capabilities to make it helpful and effective.Also: How to use ChatGPT: A beginner's guide to the most popular AI chatbotHere are five things that always prompt me to use ChatGPT. 1. Searching the web Move over Google. ChatGPT has its own search capabilities. This comes in handy when I want to run an AI-powered search or engage in a conversation that taps into the latest online sources. Yes, Google does provide its own AI overview when you run a regular search, and that can be helpful. But ChatGPT's web search always gives me a straight answer with no distractions. I can easily ask follow-up questions to expand the search or take it in a different direction. Show more Available in both the paid and free versions of ChatGPT, the search option is easy to use at the website or in the mobile app. Just select the Search button and type your query. You're able to use natural language to describe your request, and ChatGPT should respond with the latest information.For example, I ran a ChatGPT web search asking which 14-inch and 15-inch laptops have the most tactile feel keyboards. I used the search option to ensure the AI consulted the latest online sources. In response, ChatGPT described several models and listed the sources where I could get more details. Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET 2. Conducting deep research Available with a paid ChatGPT subscription (and coming soon to free users), Deep Research saves me a lot of time and effort by searching the internet on my behalf. With this type of agentic AI, ChatGPT will scan the web for sources to address my topic and compile a detailed report using the information it gathered. Depending on my request, Deep Research can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes from start to finish. But that's much faster than the hours it would take me to do the same thing.Initially available to ChatGPT Pro subscribers, Deep Research is accessible to ChatGPT Plus, Team, Edu, and Enterprise users. However, non-Pro users are limited to 10 Deep Research requests per month, so you'll want to use this option judiciously.Also: Is ChatGPT Plus worth your $20? Here's how it compares to Free and Pro plansAs an example, I asked ChatGPT's Deep Research to explore how time travel is portrayed in film and television and what it says about our values, fears, and desires. The AI suggested a few possible angles for the topic to help steer it in the right direction. After I narrowed the focus, Deep Research took to the web to start its research, keeping me updated along the way. It also explained why it chose one source over another.The entire process took around 25 minutes. ChatGPT delivered a lengthy (but not too lengthy) report with solid details and depth into my topic. It also cited a variety of movies and TV episodes as examples, including one of my favorite Doctor Who stories from the 1970s, "Genesis of the Daleks," and my favorite Star Trek episode, "City on the Edge of Forever." Although written by an AI, the report was interesting and informative. Show more Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET 3. Personalizing my chats I like my AIs to know a little about me to make the conversations more personal. That doesn't mean I'm going to share any private or confidential information. But knowing my name, my profession, and a few other tidbits can help the AI feel more like a friendly aide and less like a cold, robotic voice.With that in mind, ChatGPT lets you add certain personal details with both free and paid accounts. For this, browse to the ChatGPT website, launch the Windows program, or fire up the mobile app for iOS or Android. At the website or in the Windows program, click your profile icon in the upper right, select Settings, and then click Personalization. In the mobile app, tap the double lined icon in the upper left, select your profile icon, and tap Personalization.Also: The most popular AI tools of 2025 (and what that even means)From there, select and turn on the option for Customize ChatGPT (Custom Instructions on Android). Add your name and your occupation. You can also add certain traits you'd like ChatGPT to adopt, such as chatty, witty, serious, friendly, encouraging, imaginative, or empathetic. Further, you can include other details the AI should know about you. When done, select Save.Next, turn on the switch for memory. Head back to the chat screen and add details or preferences at the prompt you'd like the AI to incorporate. ChatGPT suggests the following: "Remember that I like concise responses." "I just got a puppy!" "What do you remember about me?" "Where did we leave off on my last project?"You can then refer to your customizations in your chats. For instance, I've asked ChatGPT to reference my favorite TV shows or books that I've written. I've also asked for advice on dealing with my sweet tooth, my desire to get more exercise, and other goals that I've shared with the AI. Show more Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET 4. Helping me write a prompt Devising the right prompt can be tricky, not just with ChatGPT but with any AI bot. That's why I often ask ChatGPT itself to write a good prompt for me. I used this recently when I was testing OpenAI's Sora video generator.To try Sora's Storyboard feature required three separate prompts, all descriptive and creative. Instead of struggling on my own, I asked ChatGPT to generate the prompts based on my own character and scenario. In response, it served up three prompts with the right details and the right touch that I was then able to adapt to use with Sora. Show more Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET 5. Replacing Siri The most helpful way that I use ChatGPT is as a replacement for Siri on my iPhone and iPad. With Apple's voice assistant so often unable to understand or answer even simple questions, ChatGPT is a much more adept alternative. If Siri is unable to respond to a request, it may automatically pass it along to ChatGPT. Otherwise, you can specifically ask Siri to call on ChatGPT.To set this up on a supported iPhone, iPad, or Mac, go to Settings (System Settings on a Mac). Select Apple Intelligence & Siri and make sure the switch is on for Apple Intelligence. Next, select ChatGPT on the same screen, turn on the switch for Use ChatGPT and then follow the steps to set it up.Also: Forget the new Siri: Here's the advanced AI I use on my iPhone insteadFor example, I might say: "Siri, ask ChatGPT to give me some travel tips for Paris." That's a question that would stump Siri. But ChatGPT delivers a concise yet helpful list of tips to respond to my request. Show more Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNETWant more stories about AI? Sign up for Innovation, our weekly newsletter.Artificial Intelligence

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China has tightened control over the global rare earth supply by introducing new export restrictions that could disrupt industries dependent on these materials. The latest measures, announced late last week, target seven elements – including scandium and dysprosium – used in smartphones, electric vehicles, and military tech. Rather than a blanket ban, the rules require exporters to obtain licenses and specify how buyers intend to use the materials, creating bureaucratic friction that could delay shipments and drive up costs. Rare earth minerals play a critical role in modern technology thanks to their unique chemical and physical properties. Scandium, for instance, enables high-performance RF front-end modules in telecom devices by forming Scandium Aluminum Nitride, which boosts signal strength and efficiency. Manufacturers use this material in high-frequency wave filters for 5G smartphones, Wi-Fi systems, and base stations. Although each semiconductor wafer requires only a small amount of scandium, leaving it out would compromise the performance of critical telecom components. Dysprosium supports a wide range of industries. Manufacturers add it to neodymium-iron-boron magnets in hard disk drives and electric vehicle motors to stabilize magnetic properties at high temperatures. Engineers also use dysprosium for radiation shielding in nuclear reactors and satellites. Its use in Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) strengthens stability in the device's magnetic layers. Other restricted elements – including gadolinium, terbium, yttrium, lutetium, and samarium – also serve critical functions across advanced technologies. Substituting them often requires expensive workarounds or leads to noticeable performance losses, making them difficult to replace without compromise. China's dominance in rare earth production stems from decades of investment in mining, refining, and processing infrastructure. The country produces nearly 70 percent of the world's rare earth mining output and over 85 percent of refined production. Although rare earths are not geologically scarce, their extraction and refinement are complex and expensive. China's ability to efficiently produce these materials has allowed it to maintain a near-monopoly on supply chains essential to industries from consumer electronics to defense systems. The export restrictions seem to be a strategic response to rising trade tensions with the United States. Beijing has presented these measures as necessary for protecting national security, citing tariffs imposed during the Trump administration. However, they also function as a geopolitical lever to influence global technology markets. These new restrictions represent the third round of export controls China has enacted recently, following earlier limitations on key materials like gallium and germanium used in semiconductor manufacturing. // Related Stories The restrictions could have profound implications for chipmakers like Broadcom, Qualcomm, TSMC, Samsung, Seagate, and Western Digital. Rare earths play a critical role at various stages of semiconductor production, from wafer-level materials to high-performance components. Supply disruptions could send ripples through supply chains strained by ongoing global chip shortages. Analysts warn that prices for restricted materials may double or even quintuple as manufacturers scramble to secure alternative sources. China's export controls have far-reaching consequences, impacting commercial markets and national security. Rare earths are vital for advanced defense systems, from fighter jets and guided missiles to surveillance drones. If supply disruptions persist, they could delay key military projects or drive up costs significantly. The U.S. remains highly dependent on Chinese imports for these materials, with only one domestic mine, a vulnerability that policymakers have flagged as a serious strategic risk. Despite China's dominance, efforts to diversify rare earth supply chains are underway globally. Countries like Australia and Vietnam have expanded production, while others focus on developing recycling technologies and alternative materials. Japan, for instance, has decreased its reliance on Chinese rare earths from 90 percent to 60 percent by opening domestic mines and forming partnerships with suppliers like Australia's Lynas Corporation. However, Beijing's control over these materials remains unrivaled for the most part.