SubscribeJoin the newsletter to get the latest updates.If it wasnt already obvious, the last 72 hours have made it crystal clear that it is urgent to build and mainstream alternative, decentralized social media platforms that are resistant to government censorship and control, are not owned by oligarchs and dominated by their algorithms, and in which users own their follower list and can port it elsewhere easily and without restriction.Besides all of the normal problems with corporate social mediathe surveillance capitalism, the AI spam, the opaque algorithmslets take stock of what has happened in the last few days.First, millions of small business owners and influencers who make a living on TikTok were left to beg their followers in TikToks last moments to follow them elsewhere in hopes of being able to continue their businesses on other corporate social media platforms. This had the effect of fracturing and destroying peoples audiences overnight, with one act of government.TikTok has since come back, but it is still unclear what the future of the platform is, and TikTok now exists at the whim of President Trump and is beholden to him to an unknown extent. TikToks status in the Untied States is still up in the airit is still not available for download in the iOS App Store or the Google Play Store, and it could disappear at any moment if service providers like Oracle decide that Trumps executive order and assurances that they will not be prosecuted or fined are not enough assurance to keep the app online.Elon Musk, who had already turned X into a cesspool of hate and an overt tool to get President Trump elected, is now formally part of the Trump administration, meaning the platform is literally owned by a member of the Trump White House.Meta has made an overt shift to the right, and Mark Zuckerberg has himself become a Trump booster. The platform is making its content moderation worse, has declared that immigrants and LGBTQ+ people are legitimate targets for hate speech, and has made many of these changes at the behest of the Trump White House and Stephen Miller, according to The New York Times.This post is for paid members onlyBecome a paid member for unlimited ad-free access to articles, bonus podcast content, and more.SubscribeSign up for free access to this postFree members get access to posts like this one along with an email round-up of our week's stories.SubscribeAlready have an account? Sign in

Anti-Trump Searches Appear Hidden on TikTok After App Comes Back Online: 'TikTok is Now Trump's Propaganda'One video showed that #f***biden was allowed, but #f***trump did not pop up.By Elizabeth Urban Published 01/21/25 AT 12:07 PM ESTSearches for anti-Trump content are reportedly appearing hidden on TikTok for many users after the app came back online in the U.S.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla; Getty ImagesSearches for anti-Trump content are now appearing hidden on TikTok for many users after the app came back online in the U.S.TikTok users have taken to X to share that when they search for topics negatively related to President Donald Trump, a message pops up saying "No results found" and that the phrases may violate the app's guidelines.One user said that when they tried to search "Donald Trump rigged election" on a U.S. account, they were met with blocked results. Meanwhile, the same phrase searched from a U.K. account prompted results.Another user shared video of them switching between a U.S. and U.K. VPN to back up the user's viral claims, which has since amassed more than 187,000 likes."Apparently this is a bit inconsistent depending on the phrasing used, but remains something that is (as far as i can tell) exclusive to Americans, and IS still part of a blatant effort to censor progressive discussion," the user added in a comment under the viral post.Other users shared that searches for the same content that contained spelling errors would result in the content being shared with U.S. users. In one video of a user sharing searches for different hashtags, #f***biden was allowed but #f***trump did not pop up."Just tried and basically they're censoring certain words.. so if you make typos they're going to show up... TikTok is now Trump's propaganda arm," one user commented."So I guess the stipulation for TikTok to stay was to turn into a Trump propaganda machine," another user wrote.Some users added that they received warnings from the app while trying to repost political videos. One user explained that they were told they had connectivity issues despite no previous issues scrolling through the app."I'm trying to repost a video criticizing Trump for his anti-trans political agenda and it's claiming I am not connected to the internet even though I'm clearly connected and can scroll with no issues..." the user wrote on X.While American users shared that they had no issues with the app, others suggested that the blocked terms could be related to restricted searches following the 2020 election.However, many users expressed dismay at the situation. "We are in a bad place," one user commented. "'The land of the free' my ass," another user wrote.TikTok is not the only platform that users have expressed problems searching for political content on. Several users reported that #Democrats was being restricted on Instagram or was not available for them.Meta said in a statement to the BBC that the "error affecting hashtags across the political spectrum" was being addressed.TikTok has not yet publicly commented on users' claims of restricted political searches.Originally published by Latin Times.Donald trump Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

0:05:00 The journey to recording the podcast amidst LA fires0:09:30 Growing up in a creative household and early inspirations0:15:00 Early days at ILM and learning from top VFX supervisors0:20:40 Collaborating on Tron: Legacy with Paul Lambert0:25:25 Founding Wylie Co. and transitioning to running a VFX company0:30:10 Challenges of balancing creative and technical aspects in VFX0:35:45 Insights from Dune: Part One and preparing for Dune: Part Two0:41:20 How Wylie Co. adapted to the rise of AI in visual effects workflows0:47:15 Contributions to The Last of Us and episodic content0:53:50 Reflecting on Alien: Romulus and working on sci-fi projects1:00:10 The evolution of VFX and staying relevant in a competitive industry1:05:40 Final thoughts on the future of filmmaking and upcoming projects

Update: Confirmed for March 2027.We're just one day away from the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie which introduces Shadow the Hedgehog to the blockbuster franchise hitting cinemas worldwide. But Variety is reporting that Paramount Pictures has already greenlighted a fourth film.Shocked? Nope, not us. According to the report, the movie is aiming for a Spring 2027 release. We know nothing else yet, but given that director Jeff Fowler has stuck around for the first three movies, we wouldn't be surprised if he's also on board for a fourth run.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Alexandr Wang, the CEO of Scale AI, has taken out a full-page ad in The Washington Post asking the Trump administration to invest more in AI.Wang, who attended Trumps inauguration on Monday like many other tech CEOs, posted a copy of the ad on X, which reads Dear President Trump: America must win the AI War.In the full letter published online, Wang explains that the US should take five broad steps to win what he considers an AI war against China.Scale, whose core business is data labeling and processing for AI projects at large organizations, was valued at $13.8 billion last year.Wang wants the U.S. government to emulate tech giants by spending more on data and compute. He also recommends the U.S. review its own regulations to ensure theres plenty of AI-related jobs in the future.Wang further calls for making federal agencies AI-ready by 2027, launching an aggressive plan for cheap electricity that can be consumed by AI-centric data centers, and offered ideas on how to implement some AI safety measures.Scale could benefit from at least some of these recommendations, like a surge in U.S. government spending on data. Scale already counts the U.S. government as a customer and is reportedly part of plans for a U.S. defense startup consortium.More friendly regulations and encouraging AI-related jobs could help Scale as well, as it relies heavily on contract workers, a few of whom have recently filed lawsuits alleging they are misclassified.Wang, however, has framed the recommendations as part of an effort to keep the U.S. ahead of China in AI. We are in a new kind of technological arms race, his letter states. The Chinese government is investing in AI at an unprecedented pace.Chinese models like DeepSeek have been getting attention for their strong performance on certain industry benchmarks. Wangs letter says China is now catching up to the U.S. after being at least a year behind, comments echoed by other AI leaders.But Wangs framing of US-China AI competition as a war has raised concern from some.This is a horrible framing we are not at war. We are all in this together and if we make AI development into a war we are likely to all die, posted Emmett Shear, the ex-Twitch CEO who was briefly OpenAIs CEO in 2023.How the Trump administration responds remains to be seen. So far, President Trumps main action on AI has been to revoke his predecessors Executive Order on AI, which created guidance for companies to help correct flaws and biases in their models.

With data centers expected to consume as much as 12% of electricity in the U.S. by 2028, its no surprise that tech companies are looking for power no matter the source, whether it be nuclear, renewables, or something else entirely. But solar produces a very different type of electric current from a nuclear plant, and integrating various power sources can be challenging.Weve got about 90 gigawatts [of data centers] globally in 2023, and thats going to increase to over 185 gigawatts by 2028, so its only just around the corner, Gary Lawrence, CEO of Amperesand, told TechCrunch.Todays equipment, the transformers that convert power from one format to another, are up to the task, but Amperesand is betting that its technology can do it better and more efficiently.At its core, Amperesands technology replaces the iron cores that define old transformers with silicon carbide. Existing transformers follow the same basic design that has worked well for over a century, but they have their shortcomings. For one, they arent good at regulating surges and dips in voltage or frequency. Plus, they have to be tailored to the specific format of electricity theyre looking to transform.Solid-state transformers made with silicon carbide promise to change that. The solid-state transformer platform is multi-port by design, its modular, said Brian Dow, Amperesands new chief product officer.We can make different AC phases, AC to AC, AC to DC. You can natively integrate DC sources like photovoltaic [solar] and batteries. You can integrate with turbines, small modular reactors. And you can basically seamlessly transition between them, so if the grid has an issue, you can back up but also you can come back online.Amperesand is in the process of raising a Series A round after it landed a $12.5 million seed round last year, the company exclusively told TechCrunch. Weve just kicked off a Series A, and its moving really quickly, said Phil Inagaki, managing partner at Temaseks Xora Innovations. The company is targeting EV charging and grid applications in addition to data centers, and the solid-state nature of the technology makes it easier to control with software. It demonstrated a 6 megawatt transformer last year.Xora incubated Amperesand, and Inagaki led the company through its initial formation. Recently, with some funding and a firm strategy in place, he handed the reins to a new leadership team, including Lawrence, Dow, and Tommy Joyner, the companys new chief technology officer.The Singapore-based startup is also in the process of opening an office here in the U.S. to be closer to the massive market and to tap local talent. Dow and Joyner, for example, both did stints at Tesla and Generac.The U.S. is still where theres amazing talent that we can capture, Inagaki said. We have some in Singapore, but we wont be able to scale that quickly. So definitely, that talent angle was a big factor.

H.H. Richardson, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wrightthese are just a few famous architects who contributed to the urban fabric of Buffalo, New York. Even Buffalos more utilitarian structures like the citys grain elevators captured the imaginations of Walter Gropius, Albert Kahn, Erich Mendelsohn, and Le Corbusier. Buffalo, in its postindustrial aughts, produced one of the most progressive art movements in U.S. history, now remembered as the 1970s Buffalo Avant-Garde which included Cindy Sherman, and Gordon Matta-Clark. Bingo, a house deconstruction project by Matta-Clark, was sited at Niagara Falls in 1974.Today, a new historic preservation program by a University of Buffalo (UB) architecture professor seeks to tap into the citys radical legacy.Dennis Mahera designer, artist, and educator at UBhas partnered with the City of Buffalo and Buffalo History Museums Melissa Brown for an initiative that engages with the legacy of historic architecture, not unlike what Matta-Clark did a few decades back in the region.The initiative is about honoring buildings that were lost to demolition, according to press materials. The collaboration will result in a framework to salvage and repurpose meaningful elements from significant buildings, ensuring these materials inspire future storytelling, design, and reflection. Mahers vision is predicated on three key principles: the artful reimagination of historic buildings, fostering educational collaboration between UB architecture students and apprentices at Assembly House 150, and promoting visionary leadership.Maher founded Assembly House 150 in 2014. He describes it as part interactive architectural museum, part art/design studio, part construction trades workshop. The organization works from an 1850s church and helps create job opportunities for architecture students and affiliated tradespeople. Adrienne Economos Miller visited Buffalo and reported on Assembly House 150 in a feature story for ANlast year.The cast iron pilasters of the Dearing Building will be salvaged. (Courtesy Dennis Maher)The new program helmed by Maher started after two beloved barsThe Pink and Mulligans Brick Barwere lost due to fires. We know this can never replace the loss of a cherished space, said Catherine Amdur, Buffalos commissioner of permit & inspection services, but it ensures the stories, memories, and tangible pieces of these places are preserved for future generations to recall and connect with our shared history.Mulligans Brick Bar was located in the Dearing Building, which was completed in 1897. It burned in down early in the morning on Sunday. January 5. The building was going to be torn down, but the City of Buffalo intervened to delay demolition. Now it seems portions of the historic structure will be salvaged by Maher, including the cast iron pilasters, made by Washington Iron Works.Buildings are containers of our memories, and their pieces often move unseen, like a current beneath the surface, Maher said in a statement. This project allows the city to breathe in and breathe out these pieces, giving the memories back again.What comes next? The program will look towards collecting, curating, and publicly displaying salvaged architectural elements that will allow Buffalos residents to engage with their citys history and cultural identity.

Nina Raemont/ZDNETWhat's the deal?Training for a marathon in 2025? The Nothing Ear Openis on sale for $60 less than its asking price of $189. That means you can get these impeccable open earbuds that I've run many miles in for $129 right now.ZDNET's key takeawaysThe Nothing Ear Openis the design-forward brand's first open earbuds, available now for a discounted $129 on Amazon.They feel amazing to exercise with thanks to their comfortable build and wonderfully loud sound, but they also would work well as an alternative to noise-canceling earbuds.My only gripe is that the Multipoint Bluetooth didn't always work.Earbuds work best when you forget that they exist, even as they are in your ears or wrapped around your head. In actuality, a good earbud is a conduit for something else, like a good workout with bone conduction headphones or a locked-in eight hours of uninterrupted work at your chatter-filled desk job with noise-canceling earbuds.So when I was sent theNothing Ear Open earbuds, the latest from one of my favorite design-forward tech companies, I was eager to see just how much of a difference the headset would make on my afternoon runs and walks. The short answer? The Nothing Ear Open earbuds are a runner's new best friend and exceed its price tag. For the long answer, keep reading. details View at Amazon This is Nothing's first pair of open-ear headphones, which are designed less for noise cancellation and quiet listening and more for situational awareness and people on the go. If you don't like how noise-canceling earbuds build up pressure within your ear and take you out of your environment, open earbuds may be a better choice.First and foremost, open earbuds are great for exercise, but the best open earbuds work in many situations if they have loud enough sound and a comfortable build.Also: Forget the Pixel 8a: Nothing's $399 Android phone may be your best budget optionThe Nothing Ear Open check both boxes. Let's start with comfort, an essential factor of open earbuds. These are the lightest and most comfortable open earbuds I've tried, and much of this is credited to the flexible and lightweight ear hooks, which are wrapped in a sticky silicone. The earbuds hang from your ears in an unnoticeable way that bodes well for all-day wear.The speaker is positioned right above your ear without fully covering it, which keeps it open for sounds nearby to come through. There is absolutely nothing uncomfortable about these, especially on my runs or during my mat workouts when they stay around my ears and deliver pleasant sounds. Nina Raemont/ZDNETThese earbuds get miraculously loud while also keeping situational awareness at the forefront. You can turn your volume halfway up and hear everything clearly while running on a busy street or exercising at a packed gym. The highest possible volume is too loud for me when listening in a silent room, but is fine while I'm out running in a busy street.You might think that because these don't fully seal into your ears, the Nothing Ear Open produces lots of sound leakage. On the contrary: at mid-range volume, the volume that most people will listen to these earbuds on, my roommate couldn't hear my music. A foot apart from him and on high volume, however, he began to hear the music. This is thanks to Nothing's Sound Seal tech, which minimizes leakage through its directional speakers.Also: Best headphones for working outThe soundstage is wide, clear, and crisp on the earbuds, and the earbuds offer a detailed, bass-forward listen. Turning up the volume all the way promises an immersive experience while also maintaining environmental awareness. As I type this article, the earbuds' volume is maxed out, but I can still hear the clicks and clacks of my keyboard.I have had no issue with the earbuds' eight-hour battery life nor the 30 hours of battery stored in the case. They've powered me through a few days of desk work and park runs without any battery light going off. Multipoint Bluetooth also works well (most of the time), and the connection, like for the rest of the Nothing earbuds I've tried, is a breeze.ZDNET's buying adviceIn truth, I can't think of one bad thing about the Nothing Ear Open, especially considering the $129 price point. The quality of these open earbuds exceeds the asking price by a couple of miles. I'd recommend these to active people who are in the market for an aware earbud to power them through long-haul workouts and stay comfortable in the ear for the whole day.I think people outside that demographic would also like wearing these on walks, on calls (that, by the way, deliver clear audio), and to pass the day with music and podcasts in the office, where you may not want to be fully separated from the work chatter around you. You can have conversations, clearly hear what's happening around you, and listen to your favorite songs.

We might not get Samsung's second-generation smart ring at its Unpacked event tomorrow, despite rumors that it's coming. Here's why.

PARIS, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 13: In this photo iIllustration, the Netflix logo is seen on the screen of ... [+] an iPhone in front of a computer screen showing a Netflix logo on February 13, 2019 in Paris, France. Netflix, the US giant of online video subscription, has more than 5 million subscribers in France, 4 and a half years after its arrival in France in September 2014, a spokesman for the company revealed on Wednesday. Netflix offers movies and TV series over the internet and now has 137 million subscribers worldwide. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)Getty ImagesYour Netflix subscription is about to get even more expensive. News of the price hike follows the streaming giants Q4 2024 financial earnings report. The company revealed its largest-ever quarterly increase in subscribers, with 18.9 million new subscribers boosting Netflixs global subscription base to over 300 million.Naturally, with such a huge subscriber gain the next order of business is charging everyone more. Heres how the new rates will impact your monthly bill:Standard Plan without ads: This tier increases from $15.49 to $17.99 (a $2.50/mo price hike).Ad-Supported: The cheapest tier will now be $7.99 per month up from $6.99 (a $1/mo price hike).Premium: This tier will cost $24.99 per month, up from $22.99 month (a $2/mo price hike).The cost of adding an Extra Member to a primary account is going up from $7.99 to $8.99 per month (a $1/mo price hike).As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix, the company told investors. To that end, we are adjusting prices today across most plans in the U.S., Canada, Portugal and Argentina (which was already factored into the 2025 guidance we provided in October 2024).The last time Netflix increased prices was in October 2023 when the Basic plan went from $9.99 to $11.99 and the Premium tier saw a $3 bump from $19.99 to $22.99. The Premium tier is now $5/month more than the subscription cost just over two years ago. The streamer also cracked down on password sharing, a de facto price increase for many subscribers.Streaming services across the board have seen price increases in the past couple years, including video game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus. Despite most of these price hikes only amount to a dollar or two a month, but it all adds up, especially if you subscribe to a lot of these (like I do).The price increase will go into effect on your next Netflix billing cycle.