The 1,100-pound mystery object landed in Kenya at the end of December. Experts are still baffled.

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Amazon will be winding down its Prime Try Before You Buy program, which let Prime members try on clothes before paying for them, reports The Information. It will shutter on January 31st, according to a banner at the top of the services landing page.Amazon spokesperson Maxine Tagay said in a statement emailed to The Verge that the company is discontinuing the service because it only worked for a limited number of items and customers have been increasingly using our newAI-powered features to decide what to buy. Tagay gave examples like Virtual Try-On AR feature that puts 3D renders of shoes from certain brands on your feet using your smartphones camera. She also mentioned the companys LLM-powered personalized size recommendations that tweak size recommendations based on customer reviews.Prime Try Before You Buy launched in 2018 for all Prime subscribers as Amazon Wardrobe before the company later changed its name. Through it, Prime members can order up to six items, try them for seven days, then pay for what works and send back the rest like a very basic version of Stitch Fixs curated clothing service. But a big part of that is returns, which is something the company has been trying to cut back on.The discontinuation of Prime Try Before You Buy comes after years of cost-cutting at the company, as CNBC points out. Thats included massive layoffs and shuttering physical stores, as well as scaling back some of its efforts in the grocery industry.Here is the full statement Tagay provided to The Verge: Given the combination of Try Before You Buy only scaling to a limited number of items and customers increasingly using our newAI-powered featureslike virtual try-on, personalized size recommendations, review highlights, and improved size charts to make sure they find the right fit, were phasing out the Try Before You Buy option, effectiveJanuary31, 2025. Of course, customers will continue to enjoy fast, free shipping, with easy, free returns on our full apparel selection.

The inventive gadgets and gizmos at CES can often define the year, but most everything that appears on the showroom floor isnt going to be available until later in the year, if at all. Fortunately, thats not the case with Ankers 140W GaN charger, which is already available in black or silver for $79.99 ($10 off) when you clip the on-page coupon at Amazon or use promo code WSCPV2LBR7KR at Ankers online storefront.RelatedOut of all the chargers to come out of CES this year, the Anker Charger (140W) easily offers one of the more refreshing designs. The wall charger is unique in that it positions all four USB ports on the underside of the device, thus reorienting its center of gravity and helping prevent it from falling out when loaded with weighty cables. Two of those ports are USB-C ports that supply up to 140W of power letting you top off everything from a Nintendo Switch to the latest MacBook Pro while a third USB-C port maxes out at 40W. It also features a single USB-A port limited to 33W, as well as a built-in info display for viewing temperature data and the power output for each port.$80$80$9011% offAnkers latest GaN charger features an integrated display and four USB ports on the underside of the device, as opposed to the side, which helps keep it in place while charging.$80 at Amazon (with on-page coupon)$80 at Anker (with code WSCPV2LBR7KR)More ways to save this weekendAmazon is selling its Smart Air Quality Monitorfor $49.99 ($20 off), which is only $5 more than its best price to date. The compact device uses phone and voice alerts (via Echo speakers) to let you know when it detects abnormal changes in particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, humidity, and temperature. It can even automatically trigger Alexa-enabled air purifiers, along with humidifiers and other connected devices.Samsungs budget-friendly Galaxy Buds FE are down to $59.99 ($40 off) at Amazon, nearly matching their lowest price to date. Theyre a good bet if you could care less about multipoint support and wireless charging, as they offer reliable performance, enjoyable sound, and surprisingly good noise cancellation for the price. They also sport a wing tip design, which can provide a more secure fit if you struggle with traditional in-ears. Read our review.Note: Quentyn Kennemer also contributed to this post.

2025 looks to be a huge year for handheld gaming. After many years in the wilderness, pushed aside by the rise of mobile games and the departure of PlayStation from the handheld market, theres now a medley of portable consoles and gaming PCs enjoying a renaissance in quality on-the-go gaming experiences.The biggest name among them: the Nintendo Switch 2. The company pulled off an incredible comeback with 2017s Switch, reversing its fortunes after a limp response to the Wii U, selling 150 million units over the next seven years, recycling its underutilised Wii U library, and launching two of the best Zelda games ever made. With a new version expected in early 2025, everyone is waiting with baited breath to see what Nintendo has up its sleeve, though its likely Nintendo will play things safe to continue its current winning streak.The Switch 2 looks to be less of a revolution, and more of an evolution, with backwards compatibility for Switch games and a similar form factor to the 2017 console. However, while were low on official details, we are high on leaks.Reports so far suggest an expanded 8-inch LCD screen, 1080p output in handheld mode, 4K upscaling in docked mode, electromagnetic Joy-Cons that ditch the current Switchs rail attachment system, and a custom version of Nvidias T234 mobile processor that should at least beat the PS4 and Xbox One for performance. You might even be able to use a Joy-Con as a mouse!PlayWhile Ill personally miss the benefits of the Switch OLEDs display, I cant deny the draw of a more powerful LCD Switch, and its very likely to be a hot purchase for many years to come. Its just worth asking whether the Switch 2 is going to be quite as successful, or desirable, in a market now crowded with excellent handheld competitors,Alongside the ongoing success of Valves Steam Deck, weve just seen a fleet of new gaming PCs unveiled at CES, many of which build on previous 2024 devices and have allowed manufacturers to iterate faster than Nintendos near-decade-long console cycles. So can the Switch 2 repeat its victory lap in 2025, or not?The First Switch Era Comes to a Close, Will a New One Begin?For the first few years of the Nintendo Switchs lifespan, there was no meaningful competition handheld gaming had been largely abandoned by other electronics manufacturers, content to leave the space to mobile gaming and the steady succession of Nintendo DS consoles.The Switch blew apart the assumption that handheld consoles had fallen out of favor with the gaming public, showing a massive appetite for on-the-go gaming bolstered by modern display technologies and a pinch of Nintendo ingenuity (Home console? Handheld? Why not both?).However, success naturally breeds imitators. In 2022 we got Valves Steam Deck, a gaming PC that cost a little more than the mainline Switch, but managed to ride on Nintendos popularisation of handheld gaming while offering a distinct modus operandi bringing a PC gamers entire Steam library on the go. The Steam Deck cleaves pretty close to the Switch in many areas, including an equivalent 1280x800 resolution and a price tag only slightly higher than the $350 Switch OLED (for the base Steam Deck model, at least). However, its set apart by access to the Steam library, and a chunkier, more ergonomic build that isnt as focused on fitting a childs hands.PlayWhile theres no immediate Steam Deck 2 in sight likely not until 2026 or beyond Valves machine is still very much in demand, and now surrounded by competitors. Theres a wide range of handheld gaming PCs running on the Windows operating system, from the Asus ROG Ally X to the GPD Win 4, which offer the full benefits of a Windows desktop PC, with access to Steam, Epic Games, Xbox, GOG, and itch.io stores alongside other apps and services. And with a new suite of AMD Z2 chipsets launching in 2025 for improved performance and battery life, these portable gaming PCs look better placed than ever to take on a Switch successor.Whos the competition?The biggest story in new handhelds is the Lenovo Legion Go S, a newer, lighter version of last years Legion Go that ditches the formers removable controllers for an all-in-one design, doubles its RAM to 32GB, and packs a 120Hz display.Whats most interesting is that it comes in both Windows 11 and SteamOS configurations, meaning you can opt for a third-party Steam Deck or a more fleshed-out Windows ecosystem. Youll also be able to choose between models with the new Z2 Go chipset and an older Z1 processor, meaning a wide range of prices from $599 to $729 when taking all the different configurations into account. A next-gen Legion Go 2 is also on the horizon this year, packing in a new AMD Z2 Extreme processor and doubling its battery capacity helpful given the Legion Go tended only to last an hour or two between charges.Handheld Gaming Consoles in 2025 (That We Know Of)Elsewhere, Acers Nitro Blaze range is expanding with an 11-inch handheld with a 2560x1600 120Hz display that should make the Switchs screen look positively scrawny even if it costs $1199 and sounds like a literal handful. And the MSI Claw 8 AI+, an update to the MSI Claw, has a new Intel Lunar Lake chipset, an improved 80WHr battery, an 8-inch 120Hz display, a $899 price tag, and a lot to prove after the dour reception of last years model.I also wouldnt rule out the Asus ROG Ally range. The $799 ROG Ally X topped our best handheld gaming PC guide last year, thanks to a hefty 80WHr battery, 1TB of storage, and brilliant on-the-go performance. We said in our review that, with more and faster memory and double the battery as the original Ally, the Ally X will run any modern game without dying in an hour and a half. Theres no official announcement for a 2025 successor, but the Ally X could well find a 2025 audience, or get a replacement later in the year.Which Handheld Will Win 2025?These souped-up Windows (and SteamOS) handhelds have some key benefits over the Switch 2. They largely sidestep the sub-$400 market, leaving that easily-won territory to Nintendo or less capable devices, and focusing on more impressive specs. Compared to the Switch ecosystem, you can generally expect more powerful processors, higher resolutions and frame rates, and the openness of a Windows ecosystem that can access multiple game storefronts and therefore a greater variety of games. Even if youre locked into SteamOS, Steam alone has over 70 thousand games, compared to only a handful of thousand on Nintendo Switch. So its worth remembering that the Switch, for all its charm and first-party exclusives, has a much smaller list of available titles overall.However, Windows 11 is not an ideal interface for a handheld gaming PC, given it was never designed with that purpose in mind. Theres something to the focus and simplicity of Nintendos operating system, which is often what draws people to a dedicated console in the first place. A new Switch will likely fall short on specification compared to many handhelds released in 2025, without the pure power that comes with pricier processors and a focus on playing AAA PC games. But an improved handheld experience, and some AI upscaling to boost its capabilities in docked mode, should go some way to plugging the gap. And given its domination of the sub-$400 market, and the strength of the Nintendo Switch name, I dont think any of these competitors are going to meaningfully dent the Switch 2s success, or come close to its sales numbers, and Id call Switch 2 the best choice for most gamers in 2025.PlayFor committed PC gamers, or anyone with a lot more than $400 cash to splash, then the Lenovo Legion Go S may be the best shout especially with a SteamOS option for those who dont want to bother with Windows 11s nonoptimal interface. Until we see an official Steam Deck 2, this is likely the best way to play your Steam library on the go.For a Windows handheld, it gets a little trickier. I dont have too high hopes for MSIs latest handheld, and while Acer may have cornered the 11-inch handheld market, it probably wont be a good fit for most, uh, hands. Id probably recommend the Legion Go S in a Windows formulation, or stick to the Asus ROG Ally range.A decade ago, a surge in portable consoles would have seemed ludicrous, but the category is seeing explosive growth with no sign of letting up just yet. Now, theres a huge suite of options to enjoy, whether youre after a portable Steam library, a Windows gaming handheld, or a souped-up Zelda machine. Theres only one real winner in 2025 and thats handheld gamers. Henry St. Leger is a freelance writer for IGN.

Scientists in the UK have forged 5.5 tonnes of a new kind of steel capable of withstanding the searing heat and intense neutron radiation of nuclear fusion, the same reaction that powers the Sun and stars. The breakthrough is another boost to Europes growing flock of fusion energy startups.A UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) working group called NEURONE produced the reduced-activation ferritic-martensitic steel, or RAFM for short. It marks the first time that RAFM has been produced on an industrial scale in Britain.This is really positive and potentially has relevance for all fusionenergy projects, Ryan Ramsey, COO at British startupFirst Light Fusion, told TNW.Fusion reactors superheat hydrogen atoms to extremely high temperatures, forming a charged gas called plasma. Using magnetic fields or lasers to compress the plasma, they force the atoms to fuse, releasing huge amounts of energy that can be used to generate electricity.When running, the plasma inside a fusion energy machine reaches temperatures of 150 millionC temporarily making them the hottest points in our solar system. Giant magnets suspend this plasma in mid-air keeping it away from direct contact with the metal walls. The walls are also cooled to stop them from overheating. Nevertheless, no ordinary steel is up to the task.The of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!The biggest problem isnt the heat, its neutron damage, said Ramsey. Neutron radiation can quickly degrade the inner walls of a nuclear reactor.If you dont manage that, then youll be shutting down the fusion reactor regularly to replace the walls, which means youre not producing power during that time frame, he explained.The inner walls of fusion reactors, like the retired JET tokamak machine pictured here, must withstand searing heat and intense radiation. Credit: EUROfusionNEURONEs new steel can withstand high neutron loads and temperatures of up to 650C, potentially improving the operational efficiency of future fusion powerplants.For startups like Oxford University spinout First Light, the development marks another step towards the moonshot goal of building a commercially viable fusion reactor.NEURONE forged the steel using an electric arc furnace, which runs on electricity instead of coal, housed at the Materials Processing Institute (MPI) in Middlesbrough. The UKAEA said that its new forging method could make producing RAFM up to 10 times cheaper than was previously possible.The production of 5.5 tonnes of fusion-grade RAFM steel lays the foundation for cost-effective manufacturing of these types of fusion steel for future commercial fusion programmes, said David Bowden, who heads up the NEURONE programme.Despite huge progress, fusion energy has always seemed to be that 20-years-away technology. But the tides might be changing. According to a poll at the International Atomic Energy Agencys (IAEA) forum in London last year, 65% of industry insiders think fusion will generate electricity for the grid at a viable cost by 2035, and 90% by 2040. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

"They let us get probably a thousand times more radiation than they would now."Under-ReactingAs his national funeral unfolds, you've probably heard tales of the good deeds of former president Jimmy Carter.One story that's gotten surprisingly little attention, though: nearly three-quarters of a century ago, a youthful Carter was brought in during the world's first nuclear reactor meltdown to lead a toxic cleanup crew,where he led the charge into the hazardous scene.AsFox 5 Atlanta recounts, the Georgia-born late president who died on December 29 at the ripe old age of 100 was just 28 years old when he was brought in to help clean up nuclear waste at an NRX research reactor in Chalk River, Canada.During a cold December day in 1952, the reactor located just a few hours away from the Canadian capital of Ottawa suffered a partial meltdown when some of its fuel rods burst, Fox 5 notes. As a result, more than a million gallons of radioactive water flooded to the facility's basement and somebody with expertise was needed to clean it up.As it turned out, Carter was the man for the job.Bottom of EverythingAfter working as a Naval submarine officer, the young military man had just begun his tenure at the US Atomic Energy Commission when the meltdown occurred. As he toldCNN back in 2011, Carter was at the time "one of the few people in the world who had clearance to go into a nuclear power plant."Carter and a team of 22 men were sent in to do the cleanup, and the officer who'd grown up on a peanut farm outside of Atlanta was himself lowered into the depths of the Canadian reactor.Despite the danger, the late president told CNN's Arthur Milnes that the incident was "a very exciting time for me."Still, exposure to the waste had lasting effects on Carter."We were fairly well instructed then on what nuclear power was, but for about six months after that I had radioactivity in my urine," he told CNN. "They let us get probably a thousand times more radiation than they would now. It was in the early stages, and they didn't know."The cleanup was a success, and the Chalk River reactor was reopened two years later. Carter's career in the military, however, ended less than a year after the incident in 1953, when he was honorably discharged from the Navy and began running his family's peanut farm.More on disasters: NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab Evacuated as Los Angeles BurnsShare This Article

Talk about advanced squeezing technique. Party On, ChickenChick-fil-A has built an armada of robots to squeeze citrus for its delectable lemonade, turning the God-fearing fast food chain's lemonade plant into a veritable lemon party.AsBloomberg reports, the chicken chain's Santa Clarita, California plant is home to driverless forklifts, gigantic mechanic lemon-grabbing arms, automated rollers, and even robotic reamers that deliver, drop, clean, and squeeze the fruits.Using the bots, Chick-fil-A not only creates the lemonade that's become its staple beverage, but also extracts oils to sell to cosmetics and fragrance companies hungry for that coveted lemony scent. Whereas human squeezers were only able to use about 40 percent of the fruit, this army of robotic juicers apparently manages to use nearly the whole thing.Per figures that Chick-fil-A shared with the business publication, this automation saves up to 10,000 hours of work per day. According to one human worker who oversaw that hand job, the labor-intensive nature of that dirty work will not be missed."Squeezing lemons was not a fun job," Kurt Cahill, a senior leader at the company who helped develop the lemonade plant, told Bloomberg. "Nobody liked doing it."Life Gives You LemonsWhereas workers used to have to load small amounts of lemons into in-store juicers, the Santa Clarita plant's only human intervention comes on the conveyor belts that require people to pick out the bad apples er, lemons.After the driverless forklifts bring the fruits into the facility, they're sent through automated rollers that look like ginormous versions of the hot dog rollers seen inside convenience stores except these ones have tiny teeth on them that extract the oils that now provide Chick-fil-A with a revenue stream that it didn't have before.Human workers on the conveyor line then collect fruit that exploded from their intensive massages before they're loaded into one of nine huge extractors, which slice and ream the lemons before they're squeezed to completion by rapidly-spinning automated mixers. The pure juice that results is mixed after the fact with pulp before being shipped off in Franzia-style bags to stores, where employees add water and sugar or Splenda to finish the job.Amid anxiety about artificial intelligence and robots replacing human workers, the removal of this tedious task doesn't seem all that bad and the videos Bloomberg published of these fruits dancing at their lemon party are delightful, anyway.More on automation: Amazon Robots Struggling to Keep Up With Human WorkersShare This Article

Are baby elephants, which weigh hundreds of pounds at birth, tiny enough to fit squarely within the bounds of a human palm? Common sense would say no but Google's AI Overview, or the AI-generated summary of web content that now often pops up at the top of Google results pages, seems to think the answer is yes.A Google search for "baby elephant" returns an incongruous AI summary that, despite accurately noting that newborn elephant calves "weigh between 200 and 364" pounds and "stand about 3 [feet] tall," inexplicably includes an obviously fake image of a teacup-sized elephant nestled into the palm of a human hand. It's smaller than Demi Moore's dog and yes, it's clearly AI-generated.Things only get worse from there. A simple click on the image reveals that it was created by an Etsy user named DazzlingVisions, who's selling the synthetic photo along with many other similar images depicting a variety of tiny versions of definitely-much-larger animals as a "digital print" for a dirt-cheap $1.69. The critter is described in an associated caption as an "adorable/impossible baby elephant."The Overview slip-up is a fascinating instance of Google's AI search feature blending sound information with glaring fabulism, resulting in a confusing information stew and again calling the discernment of the search giant's AI Overview how it sources text and imagery, and what it considers reliable into question.The Etsy seller themself, after all, noted that the elephant was "impossible." How did it make its way into Google's AI summary?The bizarre inclusion is the latest hiccup for Google's AI search function, which has drawn widespread ridicule and numerous controversies since its release in 2023. Growing public controversy around the feature's oft-questionable results reached a fever pitch in 2024, when the tool was found telling people they should eat rocks for their health, or consider mixing Elmer's glue into pizza sauce to ensure optimal cheese stickiness.Meanwhile, among plenty of other gaffes, users also found that the tool falsely referred to Barack Obama as the "first Muslim president" a troubling harkening back to the debunked Birther conspiracy. Our reporting has found the AI Overview offering terrible, deeply mangled geography information, as well as some very gross not to mention ill-advised! guidance for parents hoping to bathroom-train their kids.In each of these varied instances, the issue seemed to come down to one very important quality: nuance.Take the example of the AI suggesting that users might consider chowing down on rocks. Its source for this very bad piece of advice wasThe Onion the satirical website that publishes news-likecomedy articles, which the AI seemingly took at face value. As for the the glue-on-pizza advice? That brain blast came from a decade-old Reddit comment posted by a user who went by the moniker "Fucksmith." Not exactly a reliable source.And now, of course, we have AI Overview's embrace of "adorable/impossible baby elephant," which speaks once again to the AI's apparent lack of media literacy and, by the same token, renews concerns around the search tool's usefulness. Over a year in, is Google's AI Overview making searchers' lives easier? Or is it muddying information waters, and causing more problems than it's worth?More on Google's Search AI: Google Is Stuffing Annoying Ads Into Its Terrible AI Search FeatureShare This Article

MediaBuyer.com is seeking a Head of Operations & Client Success who has a strong background in operations management, client success, or marketing-related roles.If you have excellent operational and problem-solving skills or have worked with any type of paid advertising, this would be a great long-term fit for you with very high growth potential.At MediaBuyer.com, we exclusively work with large VIP clients and renowned brands spending hundreds of thousands/millions per month in paid ads, such as Google and YouTube ads, Meta and IG, TikTok, etc. Our approach centers around personalized, 1-to-1 client attention.As Head of Operations at MediaBuyer.com, you'll own critical business operations while ensuring exceptional customer experiences and building the operational backbone to scale to hundreds of active clients. You will become a very high value connector in the paid ads industry collaborating with some of the best ad talent in the world to help brands maximize their reach and impact.If youre interested, please send your resume along with a short video highlighting your favorite superhero or movie character and explaining the main reason behind your choice.RequirementsYOU MUST have these skills:Experience building and optimizing operational systems and processesAbility to prioritize and organize multiple projectsExperience with paid advertising (Google/YouTube, Meta, TikTok, etc)Past experience managing multiple high-end clients, preferably for online businessesPerfect written and verbal communication skillsExtreme attention to detailPreferable:Past experience running ads or hiring/managing media buyersFamiliar with standard recruiting practicesResponsibilities:Operations:Build and optimize the operational backbone needed to scale to 100+ active clients and deliver the highest level of experience to customersHandle core business operations, including team coordination, process optimization, vendor and client relationships, and billing.Collaborate with leadership team to define and execute strategic initiatives for scaling operations and enhancing customer satisfaction.Create documentation, SOPs and playbooks for ongoing improved efficiency and scaling operationsTrack and improve key customer success metricsIdentify and implement efficiency improvements across the customer successClient Success:Own the end-to-end client experience from onboarding to ongoing Rolls-Royce level concierge supportManage daily communication with clients and team, primarily written communication via Slack (minimal meetings)Lead client calls with leadership team, including kick-off calls, and monthly performance reviewsInterface with our community and Media Buyer talent to support them when neededWe are very close to scale mode at our company, so there is very high potential for growth and impact here. We bring on brands that you have probably heard of already. We serve well-known brands, including large celebrity influencers, major commerce brands, and people you see on TV or advertising on TV.If youre looking to work with exciting and impactful online businesses that contribute useful products & services to humanity, we got them. As we scale, you'll have the opportunity to build teams and shape our companys operations while growing alongside industry leaders.BenefitsAt MediaBuyer.com, we hire people to work with us for 5-10 years plus. Our main focus is fostering long-term relationships, coaching our team members and helping them grow in the company to become more valuable long-term assets.We are not looking for short-term mercenary types.We are 100% remote.You will be looked after and part of our online tight-knit family. There is also significant potential for career growth, and we offer profit-sharing with core team members. Our team leaders started in support roles, and we prioritize promoting and hiring from within! We hire based on culture first, ability to learn a fast second, and skills last.VisionWe are building the most transparent and merit-based media buyer marketplace on the web. Though our ultimate mission is to transform advertising into a force for good by uniting purpose-driven brands with proven media buyers who can help them grow.We want to be a 1-click catalyst that enables entrepreneurs to instantly and ethically promote morally good products that contribute to humanity. Ultimately, we aspire to make advertising more truthful, informative, and entertaining.This role begins part-time with clear transition to full-time.