Bodyarmor just unveiled the brand’s biggest-ever packaging refresh after nearly 15 years on the shelf. The sports drink brand’s new look coincides with the debut of a new national TV advertising campaign called “Choose Better,” which will air beginning this weekend during the National Hockey League playoffs and stars professional athletes including NHL all-star Connor McDavid and Women’s National Basketball Association champion Sabrina Ionescu. Bodyarmor says the rebrand was a nearly yearlong effort and includes newly designed labels across the entire portfolio, placing nutritional claims more boldly on the front of the packaging, a refreshed wordmark, and a brand new icon that evokes a battle shield. The company developed the new visual identity with Jones Knowles Ritchie, the agency behind the rebrands for Impossible Foods and Burger King. The investments in a new look and Bodyarmor’s largest-ever media investment reflect the company’s view that the nearly $20 billion sports and performance drinks category has gotten more competitive and that consumers are craving more functional products, which now include newer innovations like rapid rehydration and single-serve powder sticks. “This is a consumer that’s evolving and we need to evolve to continue to have that edge,” says Federico Muyshondt, CEO of Bodyarmor Sports Nutrition. Coca-Cola is the second-largest sports drink seller in the U.S. with the beverage giant’s Powerade and Bodyarmor brands, the latter fully acquired in an all-cash deal valued at $5.6 billion in 2021. But PepsiCo’s Gatorade still commands roughly two-thirds of the market, according to beverage insights publication Beverage Digest. Volume of Coke’s sports drinks slipped 1% in 2024 from the prior year, while the trademark Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, sparkling flavors, and tea all grew. Muyshondt says the sports drink category has doubled in size over the past decade and will continue to grow in the years to come, adding that his north star goal is to become the top seller—meaning he wants to usurp Gatorade’s market dominance. “That’s what we’re focused on,” says Muyshondt. Market researcher Mintel has estimated that total sports drink category sales are projected to reach $27.5 billion by 2028. Bodyarmor Chief Marketing Officer Tom Gargiulo says the new packaging will help differentiate the brand’s more expansive product range, which includes the mainstay sports drink along with low-calorie and zero-sugar options, as well as an alkaline water and Flash I.V. Bodyarmor also incorporated real imagery of fruit on pack. [Photo: Bodyarmor] “We wanted to make sure that flavor was front and center and super prominent at the top of the bottle,” says Gargiulo. Bodyarmor says 59% of consumers always read the ingredients or nutrition facts on new foods and beverages they buy, citing data from food industry marketing researcher the Hartman Group. That helped influence the decision to list more nutritional claims and ingredients for the core sports drink range, including the use of coconut water, natural flavors and sweeteners, vitamins, and even the precise level of electrolytes in each drink.  Laurie Demeritt, CEO of the Hartman Group, says consumers have gotten more savvy about hydration and understanding that not all beverages quench thirst equally. “This idea of hydration has really changed, in terms of how consumers perceive it,” says Demeritt. “It used to be: I’m thirsty and I need to hydrate. Hydration now has this multifaceted meaning in most consumers’ minds.”  Demeritt cautions that while consumers do want to know more about what food and drinks they consume, typically only one or two considerations are top of mind before making a purchase. “We have to guard against a proliferation of claims being made across packaging,” says Demeritt. “There’s limited real estate.” Bodyarmor acknowledges that it will need to do some work educating consumers on electrolytes. The standard Bodyarmor sports drink has 1,390 mg of electrolytes, but that figure isn’t as easily digestible to consumers as more familiar numbers for calories and sugar. “We talk a lot about the science of hydration, why hide it in the back?” asks Muyshondt. “This category has existed for 65 years and people are not familiar with the number of electrolytes.” Electrolytes come from the food and fluids that humans consume and include sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, and calcium. They are essential for basic life functions, including controlling the nervous system and keeping muscles functioning.  Katherine Brooking, a registered dietitian, says food industry trade shows like Expo West are often inundated with powders and drinks that make big claims regarding their ability to replenish electrolytes. But she says electrolytes can also be obtained through a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans, and whole grains. “Always look at labels and be mindful of the calories you might be consuming in these products and the amount of sugar, because they can get really high, really quick,” says Brooking.  Sabrina Niland, VP of innovation at Bodyarmor, says the brand has also sought to differentiate itself from the crowd by selling sports drink mainstays like fruit punch, but also more unique combinations like strawberry banana and peach mango. “What we have found is people that love Bodyarmor, really love the unique combinations of flavors that we have,” adds Niland. [Image: Bodyarmor] The “Choose Better” campaign will also be featured throughout programming by sports media website Barstool Sports, in social media content created by the comedy baseball team the Savannah Bananas, and in partnership with sports and comedy group Dude Perfect. Created by Bodyarmor’s in-house team and the advertising agency Cartwright, the TV spot depicts a dystopian world with athletes mindlessly going through the motions of lifting weights, running on treadmills, and riding on stationary bikes, always with an unbranded, glowing orange sports drink beside them. But the scene quickly changes and shows athletes running outside, on a basketball court, and biking through the forest, all powered by Bodyarmor, of course. Prior Bodyarmor ad spots focused exclusively on star athletes and as a result, the brand says it struggled a bit with relatability. The new campaign features McDavid, Ionescu, and the NFL’s CeeDee Lamb and Joe Burrow, but Bodyarmor is also featuring nonprofessional athletes. “We see an opportunity to speak to people outside of hardcore sports,” says Gargiulo. “Now, we’re really focusing on everyday people as part of the campaign.”

French company Strong Locks has invented this V-160, a permanently-mounted bike lock that automatically snaps shut. The company reckons it's a lot easier than fussing with a D-lock or a chain. The lock attaches to your bike's head tube with an aluminum bracket, which you secure using screws followed by tamper-resistant rivets. To lock the bike, you pop the two steel arms open with a key, then press the lock against whatever tube-like object you're locking it to. This depresses a trigger which, like a bear trap, causes the two arms to snap shut.The convenience of this mechanism does come at a UX cost. The lock weighs 3.2kg (7 lbs), which might be more weight than you'd like to add for a daily commute. It also can't be installed if you've already got a basket or headlights attached to your head tube. The company has also designed a T-160 model that's specifically for scooters. Both are up on Kickstarter; at press time there were 27 days left to pledge and funding had not yet reached its target. The V-160 is going for $239 (expected retail: $359), and the T-160 for $189 (expected retail $299). If successfully funded, they'll ship in November.

The likes of Victorinox and Benchmade may be on the pinnacle of durable and reliable EDC (every day carry) knives, but you cannot rule out what a James Brand blade is capable of. The latter has its own merits in construction and performance, established well already, which it is taking to a new level of convenience with the launch of the all-new Folsom Pro. Whether you’re cooking in the wilderness or fishing by the lake, the Folsom Pro is built to be your unfaltering companion. Ready to deal with water, corrosion and dust, the foldable pocket knife is wild and nothing like we have seen from The James Brand before. This foldable pocket knife has a wild spirit unlike anything I’ve seen from The James Brand before. The design language remains distinctively theirs, but it’s the construction and material choices that truly redefine what’s possible in a premium EDC knife. Of course, the design is not the striking difference, it’s the construction and material usage that is redefining the wheel. Designer: The James Brand Already very famous for exceptional everyday carry knives, especially the pocket-friendly options, the James Brand is now surprising us with the Uncharted Collection, which includes the Folsom Pro. Other notable knife in the collection is the Humboldt, which the company says is its first fillet knife. In this article, we will stick to the Folsom Pro, which has state-of-the-art durable construction and an ambidextrous design. Its blade measures 3.2 inches, while the handle has an ergonomic feel and the signature thumb hole in it, making it a joy to use even during extended cutting tasks. The Folsom Pro blade is made from LC200N steel by Zapp Precision Metals in Germany, which is corrosion-resistant, almost rustproof, yet effortless to sharpen. Owing to this and the machined G10 handle with titanium hardware, the knife is made to last a lifetime in the worst imaginable environments. Behind the stonewashed steel blade is the ceramic ball bearing (on which the knife pivots) and a titanium clip to hold the knife secure when you’re on the move. In total with the knife, including the blade, measures a compact 7.8 inches in length when open. Only 0.4 inches thick, the Folsom Pro is 4.6 inches in length when closed. The 4.1-ounce knife’s handle features a milled pattern for a better grip in wet, slimy conditions. It can also deal well with gloves on, making it a good choice for working in saltwater, mud or grit. And when you’re done, the Folsom Pro, having endured all that you had, can just be rinsed and dried for reuse only minutes later. For those interested, the Folsom Pro is now available on the James Brand website starting at $279. If the price suits your pocket, rest assured, the knife will. In fact, it will not just suit your pocket – held firm with a deep-carry titanium clip – it will also suit every task you throw at it and still stand strong! The post The James Brand Folsom Pro is Here to Conquer Your Adventures: Game-Changing EDC for Urban Men first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Neoclassical Apartment in Paris, by the Vizline Studio team, is timeless and luxurious. With its soaring ceilings, intricate mouldings, and grand French doors, this neoclassical space is the very definition of refined romance. But beyond the classic bones lies a softer story. One of thoughtful minimalism—and a palette that whispers rather than shouts. This is where tradition flirts with modernity… where every detail feels intentional. The open-concept living and dining space is framed by soaring windows and ornate mouldings. A sculptural, curved sofa defines the lounge zone. This is anchored by a contemporary marble-and-ink rug and a low, monolithic coffee table. Just steps away, the elongated dining table in creamy stone is paired with sculpted chairs. This creates a setting that’s equally suited for intimate dinners or lively gatherings. A cascading glass chandelier ties it all together—dramatic yet weightless. Rooted in tradition but refreshed with modern detail, the kitchen features soft cream cabinetry and a standout curved island in warm wood. A marble countertop is simply luxurious, while the herringbone backsplash in sea-glass blues adds life. With natural light pouring through tall windows and refined pendant lighting above, this kitchen feels both elevated and inviting—perfectly suited to its Parisian address. The dining room exudes understated elegance, bathed in soft daylight and framed by classic wall panelling. A smooth, stone pedestal table takes centre stage, surrounded by gently curved chairs. Overhead, a cloud-like chandelier floats effortlessly—adding whimsy to the otherwise poised space. With its sheer drapery and architectural glass doors, this room is a quiet celebration of neoclassical restraint. The bedroom is a serene fusion of old-world romance and contemporary ease. A low, burgundy-toned platform bed introduces a grounded, modern contrast to the crisp wall mouldings and ceiling medallion. Layered curtains and warm neutrals create a cocoon-like ambiance. Simultaneously, a petite vanity and reading nook add moments of personal luxury. Bathed in Parisian light, the space feels grand as well as intimate.

3D art of the week: Brian Micalucci.

Should you splurge for the new Series 10 or stick with the SE? Let us help you figure out which version to get (and which to avoid).

Macworld What I really love about smartphones is the extensive app catalog, which lets users try and pick between a wide range of options. If you don’t like how a certain application works, you can typically find solid alternatives in the same category that better match your expectations. However, this generally doesn’t apply to social media and communication apps, as the network effect locks us into the platforms our contacts use. In many regions, WhatsApp has become the default instant messaging service, connecting billions of users to their friends and family members, and even some businesses. Despite that, some people, including myself, still rely on iMessage for a number of reasons, such as concerns over Meta’s privacy practices. Nevertheless, when I text my friends on iMessage, I can’t help but notice how bare-bones the experience feels. Here are seven WhatsApp features that iMessage needs right now: 1. Enhanced roaming experience My biggest annoyance with iMessage is how fragile and high-maintenance the service can be when roaming. The moment you eject your physical SIM card or turn off the eSIM, your phone number gets deregistered from iMessage. This downgrades all of your chats to SMS (as most international carriers haven’t adopted RCS yet) and incurs fees when chatting with friends abroad. Mahmoud Itani / Foundry To avoid this, you could either expose and use your Apple Account’s email address as the iMessage ID or register the new SIM card’s foreign number on iMessage. Both routes are far from ideal; especially the latter, requiring your contacts to become aware of and save a new number whenever you travel. While newer iPhones with dual-SIM support make this problem more manageable, there are still instances when it causes a headache. WhatsApp, on the other hand, lets you use the phone number you’ve registered—as long as no one with physical access to the associated SIM card tries to create an account. So, you can remove the SIM card from your iPhone for whatever reason without worrying about disconnection. There’s nothing stopping Apple from copying this intuitive, safe approach. 2. Extensive user profiles Other WhatsApp perks I like include profile bios and social media links (currently in beta). These enable users to introduce themselves and showcase a more comprehensive profile. Contact cards on iOS already support social account handles, notes, location pins, etc. All Apple has to do is let us optionally reveal some of these fields to our iMessage contacts, just as we can now with names and profile photos. Mahmoud Itani / Foundry 3. Status updates and stories Despite Instagram being the go-to platform for uploading ephemeral stories, some users opt for WhatsApp when sharing more private moments. While it’s not technically texting, posting stories in the form of status updates—shared photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours—has become an integral part of everyday communication, and iMessage should catch up—it doesn’t even have an online status feature. Apple could put its own twist on it, with settings to limit visibility, add Animoji, and hook into Apple intelligence, or offer the option to turn off the feature altogether as Signal does. ButiMessage needs to get with the times. 4. Customized conversations Another trend I’ve noticed in modern-day texting is the prevalence of chat themes. When I glance around in crowded public spaces, colorful chat bubbles and wallpapers always stand out to me. The feature, long supported by Instagram DMs, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram, recently launched on WhatsApp, and I’d love to see it on iMessage, too. The latest iOS updates have enabled users to personalize the iPhone experience more than ever before. From the Lock and Home Screens to the Control Center and Photos app, layouts have never been so customizable. It’s time for iMessage to catch up. Mahmoud Itani / Foundry 5. Simpler file sharing One thing I love about WhatsApp is the efficiency of its file-sharing functions. There’s an in-app attach document button, letting you directly browse through your local files without exiting the messenger. Conversely, iMessage requires you to leave the Messages app when someone requests a file. You need to find the Files app, launch it, locate the desired document, tap the share button, pick the iMessage contact, and hit send. Apple could address this unnecessary complexity by introducing a Files app in iMessage, similar to the existing Photos, Music, and Camera mini apps. 6. Better group chats Beyond one-on-one conversations, iMessage should upgrade the group chat experience. Currently, the service still doesn’t support typing indicators and read receipts in groups. Another ridiculous iMessage limitation is the inability to leave a group when it has only three members. A workaround (of sorts) is adding a fourth person to the group then leaving, but the new member will be stuck with the other two in said group. Additionally, a neat WhatsApp group feature is polling, which makes organizing and planning events more seamless. iMessage should copy this handy function, complementing the new Apple Invites app. Mahmoud Itani / Foundry 7. Managed conversations Lastly, iMessage should borrow the ability to star individual messages for future reference. While the service lets you pin conversations and certain types of attachments and mark messages as unread, there’s no straightforward way to bookmark texts for future reading. Similarly, Apple’s Messages app still lacks support for archiving conversations and creating custom lists to organize them. This omission makes it impossible to filter chats based on their type or context. Texting has evolved, but iMessage hasn’t It’s no secret that Apple tends to avoid shocking its users with major changes. Nonetheless, the gradual evolution of iMessage has been too slow compared to rival IM solutions. Third-party developers have been innovating and baking fun and useful features into their texting platforms, while iMessage hasn’t dramatically changed in years. Given the widespread adoption of iMessage, it would take years for it to lose relevance in the US. That’s not to say it’s impossible, though. People are slowly warming up to alternative apps, and WhatsApp continues to grow in North America. (Outside the U.S., it’s already huge.) If Apple wants to maintain its position in the texting space, a position which helps to cement the dominance of its overall product ecosystem, it must upgrade iMessage meaningfully, not just give it a superficial glassy UI in the next update.

AI agents are more than a productivity boost; they’re fundamentally reshaping customer interactions and business operations. And while there’s still work to do on trust and accuracy, the world is beginning a new tech era — one that might finally deliver on the promises seen in movies like Minority Report and Iron Man, according to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. Benioff, who recently spoke with Foundry’s “Today In Tech” host Keith Shaw on a variety of IT topics, differentiates AI agents from just generative AI (genAI), calling agents “the magical layer” that turns raw AI potential into real business value. He emphasized their ability to handle tasks with context, personality, and deep data awareness — something earlier AI tools lacked. Much of the Today in Tech conversation focused on AI agents, the software programs powered by AI that can make decisions, take actions, and interact with people or systems — often autonomously — to complete a business task or goal. “When a lot of people think of [AI] agents, they think of Jarvis in the Iron Man movies, and that’s what we want. We want a personal assistant who can go and do all of these things for us.” — Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff Benioff mentioned a scene from Minority Report where customers walk into a futuristic Gap store and a hologram greets them by name and recommends products based on what they’ve bought before. He said current AI technology isn’t that advanced yet, but it’s definitely heading in that direction. “I know what the Gap store is going to look like in the future,” Benioff said. “When a lot of people think of [AI] agents, they think of Jarvis in the Iron Man movies, and that’s what we want. We want a personal assistant who can go and do all of these things for us.” GenAI tools like ChatGPT, Grok, or Gemini “are impressive,” but they still make mistakes. With more data and context, they’ll keep getting better, he said. Salesforce’s take on genAI and AI agents Salesforce has deeply embedded AI into its CRM product ecosystem through a strategy it calls the “Einstein 1 Platform.” It also offers Agentforce, a platform that enables businesses to create and deploy autonomous AI agents across various functions such as sales, service, marketing, and commerce.   Salesforce has also integrated genAI into its platform through Einstein GPT and Einstein Copilot, which function as intelligent assistants within applications. They can draft emails or customer responses, summarize case histories, auto-fill CRM records, and answer internal questions by leveraging a company’s own knowledge and data. Using Salesforce clients such as Singapore Airlines as examples, Benioff said when an AI agent is layered atop corporate data, it creates a hybrid customer support service with both humans and AI, offering an overall better experience. A customer can say, “Book me a flight to New York, and make sure it’s on Delta,” and an AI agent will check the passenger’s calendar, search flights, and book it with their loyalty number. It will then email anitinerary, all without the person ever clicking on a single button. Benioff also pointed to Lennar Corp., a Florida-based homebuilder that ran a hackathon after Salesforce’s Dreamforce and developed five AI agent use cases to improve customer service and save money. And he noted how Disney uses AI agents to help employees understand its vast ecosystem and personalize customer experiences in real-time — even rerouting guests to other rides if one breaks down. “Disney is an amazing company but let me tell you a secret about Disney that a lot of people don’t really think about, which is it’s really hard for their employees to understand all their products,” Benioff said. “This idea that an employee has to understand all those products, to talk to the customer, to put together the perfect package, the perfect idea for that customer. That’s pretty complicated.” Pandora Jewelry, he said, uses Salesforce AI agents to recommend products based on a customer’s existing purchases, enhancing real-time retail interactions. Data security and trust remain issues While AI agents are powerful, issues like privacy, data security, and trust still need to be solved. Though many companies consider AI agents as still in the experimental stage that comes with risk, others are looking to quickly adopt the tech anyway in the hopes of creating new efficiencies. As the adoption of autonomous AI agents explodes, vulnerabilities that allow them to be gamed or even weaponized are already emerging. Salesforce’s AI agents, Benioiff said, operate within strict security and data-sharing rules, so they only access what each user is allowed to see. Because the genAI tools are built directly into the platform, they understand both data and metadata, ensuring accurate, secure, and compliant responses — essential for sensitive industries like banking or airlines. The accuracy of Salesforce’s AI tech, Benioff acknowledged, currently stands at about 85%. But while current agentic AI is not perfect, next-gen “multisensory” models could change that. Benioff admitted that early genAI tools like Microsoft’s Copilot were overhyped in the enterprise, but said newer tools like Cursor and Surf Rider are surpassing earlier models. He also praised open-source AI, cost-saving innovations like Mixture of Experts (MoE), and said he supports emerging alternatives like DeepSeek. Most current genAI tools based on large language models (LLMs) are little more than next-word predictors based on patterns in text.  However, in the same way humans can draw on past experiences, and everything around them – sight, sound and touch – next-gen AI will be able to consider metadata, past experiences and information shared with AI models or multi-sensory inputs. The rise of genAI in healthcare And the technology is expected to improve healthcare by enabling a more complete patient diagnosis through near-instantaneous access to a vast depth of history and diagnostic tests. Patients will also be able to use the tech to be their own best advocates. Last September, Benioff said he ruptured his Achilles tendon, and his doctor suggested surgery. Taking advice from GPT, Benioff instead told the doctor he was going with a self-regenerative approach inspired by Tony Robbins’ book Life Force. Six months later, he said, his Achilles is fully healed. “I’m walking around without a boot and it regenerated. My doctor…is like, whoa. How’d you do that?” Benioff said. “It’s not magic.” “Think about if the agent is really there to help guide you and make help you have those decisions, make the right steps and go forward,” he continued. “You know cancer patients who are dealing with complex treatments like chemotherapy and others, being able to have that  24/7 care, I think, is going to make a huge difference.” In rural areas with limited access to specialists, genAI could augment orthopedic surgeons and others, helping them make better, data-driven decisions about treatments like surgery or regenerative options. That said, the technology remains limited in its abilities. Until there is a “multi-sensory model,” which is the next generation of AI, it will continue to be good, “but not perfect,” Benioff said. GenAI and the workforce One subject that has had the IT industry on edge is in recent years involves workforce reduction brought about by AI. As the technology becomes more competent at automating tasks, the fear is that human employees will be replaced. In the interview, Shaw referenced an opinion column Benioff wrote for Wall Street Journal in which he said a Morgan Stanley report showed a 20% to 50% cost savings from AI developments, largely from reduced headcount, office space, and overhead. “I think that we have to deal with reality here,” Benioff said. “So, I think it would be a huge mistake for me to not directly address this issue head on and to really talk about what is happening. That is that, yes, this is doing some of the roles that are being done by human beings. So, we need to start to adjust. We need to look at what is really going on.” “I think that it’s all about education that we’re going to need to make sure people are well trained, well educated — they can reskill.” — Marc Benioff Companies, he said, have to invest in reskilling workers, rather than just “making promises” there won’t be layoffs. Salesforce, he said, is investing in reskilling, but he also stressed the importance of corporate responsibility for helping to advance public education. “You can’t just talk about it; you have to fund it,” he said. “Our biggest grantee is our San Francisco and Oakland public schools, because I think that it’s all about education that we’re going to need to make sure people are well trained, well educated, they can reskill,” he said. “And reskilling is another area that we put a huge amount of money into the last 20 years, and this is important. And yes, we’re all going to have to think about this.” Despite its size, Benioff sees Salesforce as a startup at heart that’s focused on emerging tech and driven by vision, values, and innovation. He recalled the early days — bootstrapping with angel investors like IDG founder Pat McGovern, and how industry events like IDG’s DEMO shaped the company’s beginnings. Notable products introduced at DEMO include Salesforce.com itself, TiVo, VMware, Evernote, E*Trade, WebEx, and Fusion-io. (Until last month, Foundry was owned by IDG.) “Salesforce started in a super adverse environment where funding was highly constrained. So, we had to raise all our money — you know, privately. No venture capitalists would even invest in the company, which was amazing,” Benioff said. “And that’s why people like Pat McGovern…[were] angels in technology investing.” ​

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. US office that counters foreign disinformation is being eliminated The only office within the US State Department that monitors foreign disinformation is to be eliminated, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, confirming reporting by MIT Technology Review. The Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (R/FIMI) Hub is a small office in the State Department’s Office of Public Diplomacy that tracks and counters foreign disinformation campaigns.The culling of the office leaves the State Department without a way to actively counter the increasingly sophisticated disinformation campaigns from foreign governments like those of Russia, Iran, and China. Read the full story. —Eileen Guo What is vibe coding, exactly? When OpenAI cofounder Andrej Karpathy excitedly took to X back in February to post about his new hobby, he probably had no idea he was about to coin a phrase that encapsulated an entire movement steadily gaining momentum across the world. “There’s a new kind of coding I call ‘vibe coding’, where you fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists,” he said. “I’m building a project or webapp, but it’s not really coding—I just see stuff, say stuff, run stuff, and copy paste stuff, and it mostly works.”  If this all sounds very different from poring over lines of code, that’s because Karpathy was talking about a particular style of coding with AI assistance. His words struck a chord among software developers and enthusiastic amateurs alike.  In the months since, his post has sparked think pieces and impassioned debates across the internet. But what exactly is vibe coding? Who does it benefit, and what’s its likely future? Read the full story. —Rhiannon Williams This story is the latest for MIT Technology Review Explains, our series untangling the complex, messy world of technology to help you understand what’s coming next. You can read more from the series here. These four charts sum up the state of AI and energy You’ve probably read that AI will drive an increase in electricity demand. But how that fits into the context of the current and future grid can feel less clear from the headlines. A new report from the International Energy Agency digs into the details of energy and AI, and I think it’s worth looking at some of the data to help clear things up. Here are four charts from the report that sum up the crucial points about AI and energy demand.  —Casey Crownhart This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. We need targeted policies, not blunt tariffs, to drive “American energy dominance” —Addison Killean Stark President Trump and his appointees have repeatedly stressed the need to establish “American energy dominance.”  But the White House’s profusion of executive orders and aggressive tariffs, along with its determined effort to roll back clean-energy policies, are moving the industry in the wrong direction, creating market chaos and economic uncertainty that are making it harder for both legacy players and emerging companies to invest, grow, and compete. Read the full story. This story is part of Heat Exchange, MIT Technology Review’s guest opinion series, offering expert commentary on legal, political and regulatory issues related to climate change and clean energy. You can read the rest of the pieces here. MIT Technology Review Narrated: Will we ever trust robots? If most robots still need remote human operators to be safe and effective, why should we welcome them into our homes? This is our latest story to be turned into a MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which  we’re publishing each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it’s released. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 The Trump administration has cancelled lifesaving aid to foreign childrenAfter Elon Musk previously promised to preserve it. (The Atlantic $)+ DOGE worker Jeremy Lewin, who dismantled USAID, has a new role. (Fortune $)+ The department attempted to embed its staff in an independent non-profit. (The Guardian)+ Elon Musk, DOGE, and the Evil Housekeeper Problem. (MIT Technology Review) 2 Astronomers have detected a possible signature of life on a distant planetIt’s the first time the potential for life has been spotted on a habitable planet. (NYT $)+ Maybe we should be building observatories on the moon. (Ars Technica) 3 OpenAI’s new AI models can reason with imagesThey’re capable of integrating images directly into their reasoning process. (VentureBeat)+ But they’re still vulnerable to making mistakes. (Ars Technica)+ AI reasoning models can cheat to win chess games. (MIT Technology Review)  4 Trump’s new chip crackdown will cost US firms billionsIt’s not just Nvidia that’s set to suffer. (WP $)+ But Jensen Huang isn’t giving up on China altogether. (WSJ $)+ He’s said the company follows export laws ‘to the letter.’ (CNBC) 5 Elon Musk reportedly used X to search for potential mothers of his childrenSources suggest he has many more children than is publicly known. (WSJ $) 6 Local US cops are being trained as immigration enforcersCritics say the rollout is ripe for civil rights abuses. (The Markup)+ ICE is still bound by constitutional limits—for now. (The Conversation) 7 This electronic weapon can fry drone swarms from a distanceThe RapidDestroyer uses a high-power radio frequency to take down multiple drones. (FT $)+ Meet the radio-obsessed civilian shaping Ukraine’s drone defense. (MIT Technology Review) 8 TikTok is attempting to fight back against misinformationIt’s rolling out an X-style community notes feature. (Bloomberg $) 9 A deceased composer’s brain is still making musicThree years after Alvin Lucier’s death, cerebral organoids made from his white blood cells are making sounds. (Popular Mechanics)+ AI is coming for music, too. (MIT Technology Review) 10 This AI agent can switch personalitiesDepending what you need it to do. (Wired $) Quote of the day “Yayy, we get one last meal before getting on the electric chair.” —Jing Levine, who runs a party goods business with her husband that’s heavily reliant on suppliers in China, reacts to Donald Trump’s plans to pause tariffs except for China, the New York Times reports. The big story AI means the end of internet search as we’ve known it We all know what it means, colloquially, to google something. You pop a few words in a search box and in return get a list of blue links to the most relevant results. Fundamentally, it’s just fetching information that’s already out there on the internet and showing it to you, in a structured way. But all that is up for grabs. We are at a new inflection point. The biggest change to the way search engines deliver information to us since the 1990s is happening right now. No more keyword searching. Instead, you can ask questions in natural language. And instead of links, you’ll increasingly be met with answers written by generative AI and based on live information from across the internet, delivered the same way.  Not everyone is excited for the change. Publishers are completely freaked out. And people are also worried about what these new LLM-powered results will mean for our fundamental shared reality. Read the full story. —Mat Honan We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.) + Essential viewing: Sweden is broadcasting its beloved moose spring migration for 20 days straight.+ Fearsome warlord Babur was obsessed with melons, and frankly, I don’t blame him.+ Great news for squid fans: a colossal squid has been captured on film for the first time! + Who stole my cheese?