Facepalm: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg complained about company leaks during an all-hands meeting, only for the audio to leak online almost immediately. Sensing the irony, Meta's security chief issued a stern memo, warning that leakers would be fired. And in a twist that feels straight out of a sitcom, that memo leaked too. The saga kicked off during Mark Zuckerberg's all-hands meeting with Meta employees on Thursday, where he vented about recent leaks exposing his private remarks to staff.In an attempt to tighten control, HR made some changes. Questions that could be problematic if leaked were skipped, employees could no longer see ranked questions, and the comment section was disabled during the live stream.Zuckerberg addressed these changes directly: "We try to be really open and then everything I say leaks. It sucks." He added that he would now be less transparent due to the leaks.Ironically, those comments leaked almost immediately.Enter Chief Information Security Officer Guy Rosen, who wasted no time issuing a stern warning. Less than an hour later, he declared that leakers would be "terminated" if identified, noting that some employees had already been fired for "exfiltrating sensitive documents."In a memo obtained by The Verge, Rosen argued that leaks do more than compromise security they demoralize teams and waste valuable time that should be spent advancing Meta's products, goals, and mission. // Related StoriesYou can probably guess what happened next. Yes, this tough-talking memo leaked almost immediately.The surge in leaks appears tied to Zuckerberg's growing ties with Donald Trump in recent months. In December, Meta donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, a stark reversal from its previously nonpartisan stance over the past decade.This is the same company that banned Trump in 2021 after he allegedly incited the Capitol riot. Yet, by October 2024, Trump described his relationship with Zuckerberg as "much better."So, will Meta ever fix its leaky faucet? At this rate, we'll probably just have to wait for the next leak to find out.

They keep on coming.We're well and truly into 2025 now, and we've finally got official word that Switch 2 exists and is coming this year. So that means Switch 1 is dead, right?Wrong! Looking at the schedule, the original Switch has plenty of life in it yet. We've rounded up our regular selection of games and accessories heading to shop shelves over the coming weeks.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)In a market inundated with Metroidvanias, Laika: Aged Through Blood does something remarkable: it actually tries something new. Thats not to say that recent examples havent had a good crack at standing out amongst the crowd Animal Well is certainly testament to that but many largely stick to the same rulebook. Laika tears it apart and chucks it into the fires of Mount Doom.So what makes this one so different? Well, its all about the traversal: Laika expertly blends motocross gameplay with more traditional Metroidvania mechanics, doing away with segmented rooms and corridors in favour of sprawling, interconnected landscapes. Youre specifically encouraged to travel at high speeds, launch yourself into the air, and pull off badass flips that will have Trials fans giddy.Unlike other Metroidvanias, where the environment begins to fade into the background as you familiarise yourself with its layout, Laika demands that you continue to pay attention, as one false move can result in your bloodied carcass staining the ground. Its not just your control of the bike that youll need to keep an eye on, however, as a band of Bird soldiers will be dotted around the landscape, eager to put a bullet in your head and end your journey.Accessibility FeaturesGameplayAssistsControlsVisualAudioFull Accessibility Report Data by Family Gaming DatabaseTaking more than a few aesthetic cues from Mad Max, Laika stars the titular heroine who, as a resident of a rundown settlement called Where We Live, is the only one with the authority to head out into the Wasteland to find supplies. After tragedy strikes early on, Laika must embark on a deadly quest to vanquish the Bird clan while fulfilling parental duties to her young daughter, Puppy.To put it bluntly, Laika is a bleak and brutal game: dark, mature themes are tackled head-on, NPCs swear with reckless abandon, and gory scenes occur with such regularity that it frankly makes the likes of RetroRealms: Ash vs Evil Dead look tame by comparison. Dont let the bright colours and anthropomorphic animals fool you; this is absolutely not for youngsters.To contrast this, however, Laika is beautiful to behold. The character and environment design is impeccable and theres always something interesting to look at or interact with on your travels; quite an achievement given the barren, post-apocalyptic setting. Quieter moments where youre simply tearing down a dirt track are also bolstered significantly by a sublime OST largely made up of vocal tracks from composer Beatriz "Becoli" Ruiz-Castillo. Were going to go on record and say that its probably one of the strongest video game soundtracks weve heard in years; marvellous stuff.Of course, this would all be rendered moot if the gameplay wasnt up to scratch, but as we've alluded to, the motocross traversal mixed with the deadly encounters with the Bird clan is magnificent. Initially, youre granted a simple handgun with opportunities to increase its measly two-bullet chamber at stores dotted around the landscape, but for most scenarios, two bullets at a time is all you need.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)Getting to grips with the controls can take a few minutes, but the gist is that you accelerate with L, shoot with R, balance your bike with the left analogue stick, and aim with the right. You can reverse direction by briefly holding down Y, and this will also neatly deflect bullets if you manage to time it just right. Its not what you might be used to in a Metroidvania, so if it feels a bit weird at first, dont panic; it wont be long until youre performing multiple flips and popping the heads off countless Birds in one go.That said, its a bloomin difficult game. The gameplay's very nature means that if you bail or get shot, you die immediately. To offset this, however, checkpoints are provided at a generous rate, meaning youll never have to travel very far if you want to get back into the action. In addition, holding down R will activate bullet-time, giving you a few moments to line up your shots and pull off some of the most incredible stunts. Its much appreciated given that the majority of your enemy encounters will likely happen while youre mid-air.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)Acrobatic flips aren't just for show, either (although it does always look cool): they're actually necessary to ensure that youre well equipped for battles. Flipping backwards reloads your gun, while flipping forward recharges your ability to manually deflect bullets. You can also skip a lot of encounters, if you wish, but taking on as many enemies as possible is encouraged in order to gain viscera, the literal internal Bird guts that act as the games currency. Gross.With this, you can purchase a number of additional weapons, including shotguns, crossbows, machine guns, and more, or you can upgrade your current arsenal, stock up on crafting materials, and even purchase cute little presents for Puppy back home. Theres also a merchant who will fill in your map for a small fee; a vital purchase that will make exploration exponentially easier, even if he does always call Laika a Well, we wont say it. Such a potty mouth.With multiple major areas to uncover, dungeons to explore, and formidable boss characters to vanquish, Laika will likely take you around 15 or so hours to complete; a handful more if youre looking to gather up all optional collectibles and store purchases. The difficulty might prove a bit much for some, and unfortunately despite its lengthy delay on Switch (in fact, some of you may have grabbed the game off the eShop last year before it was hastily recalled), there are still some minor performance hitches to be ironed out. Nothing that completely derails the experience, but a handful of moments in which the frame rate stutters, or the camera bugs out a bit after transitioning to a new area.ConclusionNow that the Switch version Laika: Aged Through Blood has finally arrived, it can finally join Hollow Knight, Animal Well, and Blasphemous II as a true modern classic in the Metroidvania genre. The premise and gameplay are like no other, seamlessly combining motocross gameplay with badass bullet-time shootouts that constantly feels satisfying. Chuck in one of the best soundtracks we've heard in years and maybe iron out the remaining performance hiccups, and Laika could well be an early contender for Switch GOTY 2025.Superb motocross gameplay mixed with Metroidvania mechanicsBrutal combat encountersA tragic story alleviated by hilarious charactersSoundtrack is one of the best we've heard in yearsProvides a hefty yet satisfying challenge...... though some may not like its difficultyA few minor performance issues persistExcellent 9/10

Thanks to the advent of cloud computing and distributed digital infrastructure, the one-person micro-enterprise is far from a novel concept. Cheap on-demand compute, remote collaboration, payment processing APIs, social media, and e-commerce marketplaces have all made it easier to go it alone as an entrepreneur.But what about scaling that one-person business into something meatier an enterprise of unicorn proportions?Historically, this would have been an unfathomably tough task, due to the skills and resources required, not only to scale a product but also to grow and maintain a sufficiently bountiful customer base. But AI agents could unshackle the would-be solo-preneurs of the world.AI agents are all about embedding human workflows into software, freeing the human to do more in less time. Agents can be assigned tasks, and they can make decisions with varying degrees of autonomy. Multiple AI agents could even collaborate on complementary tasks, paving the way for getting some real work done entirely autonomously.In an interview last year with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, OpenAIs Sam Altman predicted this exact scenario.In my little group chat with my tech CEO friends, theres this betting pool for the first year that there is a one-person billion-dollar company, Altman said. Which would have been unimaginable without AI and now [it] will happen.In a discussion at the World Economic Forums annual meeting in Davos last week, a panel of entrepreneurs and investors also discussed the prospect of the single-person billion-dollar enterprise and, more importantly, what this might mean for the future of employment.In humans we trustRecent history reveals a slew of svelte billion-dollar companies. Microsoft doled out $2.5 billion for Minecraft maker Mojang, which had a reported 40 employees. Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion when the messaging app maker had just 55 employees. Two years before that, Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion with just 13 employees in its ranks.This proves that internet technology has already generated huge companies with minimal headcount. But this isnt the same as a one-person unicorn.Kanjun Qiu, CEO of AI research lab Imbue, which is building agents capable of reasoning and coding, reckons that the kind of one-person businesses that AI will most likely help hit the big time are those where the product is largely self-serve.I think the places where itll be easiest, and first, are bottoms up either consumer or prosumer products that dont require large go-to-market teams, Qiu explained during the panel discussion. I think go to market is actually one of the places where its going to be difficult to automate all of these relationships with other people.When it comes to generating sales, its not always the better product that wins out; its the people behind the product that have done a better job of building trust with customers. So if you need to proactively sell your product, you still might need to staff up.That human-to-human trust, I think, is still very necessary and very important, Qiu added.Benjamine Liu, CEO of AI drug development company Formation Bio, is bullish on the growing role that AI is having in his company and beyond.I think were living in one of the most exciting areas to be building companies, Liu said at Davos. We have PhD-level intelligence in our pockets, and were beginning to see AI systems do the work of entire teams. I think in that world, AI-native companies have a pretty significant advantage.However, Liu echoed Qius sentiments: Though the potential for one-person mega-businesses is real, it might not actually make sense from a business or entrepreneurial perspective and it all comes down to the human condition that values relationships.The potential to get there is earlier than people think, Liu said. My view is that its gonna take a long time, because being an entrepreneur is kind of a lonely journey, and you want a co-founder. Companies are still started by humans. I think you will want some people to share the journey with.So the reality is, we might actually end up in a place where companies have always started out: a founding team with complementary skill sets. But rather than scaling through incremental hiring, they maintain that initial slenderness with AI agents plugging the gap.But even if the fabled one-person unicorn never happens, theres little question that the oncoming agentic AI freight train will disrupt the workforce in a big way. The era of AI employeesIf this still all seems hypothetical, think again. Agentic AI is already entering the workforce in the form of lawyers like Harvey or software engineers such as Cognitions Devin.AI sales agents are also booming, with VC-backed companies such as Artisan boasting that it wants to replace the human workforce as its dystopian billboard ad in San Francisco demonstrates.An ad for AI company Artisan.Image Credits:Justin Sullivan / Getty ImagesPlenty of other companies are also laying the foundation for agentic AI to flourish.Lattice, an HR and people management platform last valued at $3 billion, is going further by giving digital workers official employee records, meaning that its customers AI agents actually show up in the organizational chart, replete with profile photo and a manager assigned to them.Sarah Franklin, who joined Lattice as CEO last year, called this transition a great new age of collaboration, where humans and AI agents work side by side. And what this means is managing these agents in a similar fashion to humans, to foster transparency and accountability.We want to prioritize the success of people as the primary, and when youre working with AI agents, its important to understand what they are assigned to be doing, Franklin explained at Davos. Its not saying that AI is human; its more that we need to clearly identify where AI is. As AI speaks on behalf of brands and people, makes decisions on behalf of brands and people, and integrates with other systems, we need to be able to track that.Lattice organizational chart with Piper AI included.Image Credits:LatticeBut if companies can operate at scale without any significant human workforce, what does this mean for society? People need to earn money; they need purpose wouldnt society just implode on itself if people arent able to work?As with previous industrial revolutions, a common refrain around the AI revolution is that new jobs will crop up in the longer term we just dont know what they are yet.Theres going to be a lot of job creation, too, Mitchell Green, founder of investment firm Lead Edge Capital, said at Davos. If you think about when the iPhone came out in 2007 Uber and Airbnb are now $100 billion companies. [They] could not have existed before this. Where the opportunities can be are the companies that were not even thinking about yet they are going to be these next giant businesses.That doesnt mean there wont be a whole heap of pain in the short term, though. And as were already seeing with Chinese AI sensation DeepSeek, the rate of AIs advance is significant in terms of cost-to-performance ratio of AI models. And this could be a key differentiator versus previous industrial and technological revolutions: We might not be able to adapt quickly enough.I do think theres a lot of talk about in terms of retraining and upskilling, Liu said. But theres something quite unique about the pace of developments and how quickly these models are getting better, specifically where were seeing these AI systems do the work of entire teams.Manager of AIsThere was a general consensus among the panel that regardless of the rate of change, everyone will have to learn not only to live with AI, but also learn how to use it to thrive in the workplace.With You.com, for example, companies can access its API to bring real-time web search to any large language model (LLM). While it offers its own suite of agents for specific tasks, companies can also create their own custom agents, choosing their preferred AI model and giving it instructions based on whatever sources of data they need to connect.We, as CEOs, are going to be the first generation that manages people and AI, You.com CEO Richard Socher said at Davos. But I think the most interesting change here is actually that every individual contributor, every employee, is going to become a manager of AIs. And in that sense, everyone is going to become kind of an entrepreneur.So the jury is still very much out on whether well ever see a true one-person unicorn company. However, the principle behind the sentiment has already kind of been proven, as weve seen with the insanely high value-to-headcount ratio of WhatsApp, which worked out at $345 million for each employee at the time Facebook bought it.Even Nvidia, with a market cap of more than $3 trillion, has a relatively slender workforce of fewer than 30,000 employees thats the equivalent of around $100 million in value per employee.With the right type of company, and the right execution, its difficult to see how AI wont nudge these dollar figures north as the headcount heads south. But in all likelihood, it will just come down to whether there is a desire for one person to build alone, with enough entrepreneurial knowledge to embed a strong, defensible business model that someone else cant just replicate at the drop of a hat.But whether society will be ready to handle this is an entirely different question.

Recommended By Fox News Staff Fox News Published February 1, 2025 8:30am EST close Is China leading the artificial intelligence race? Yurts founder and CEO Ben Van Roo breaks down concerns over DeepSeek on 'The Will Cain Show.' Welcome to Fox News' Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.IN TODAYS NEWSLETTER:- Alibaba touts new AI model it says rivals DeepSeek, OpenAI, Meta's top offerings- DeepSeek is the newest front in the AI competition between the US and China- DeepSeek fallout: GOP Sen Josh Hawley seeks to cut off all US-China collaboration on AI development People visit Alibaba booth during the 2022 World Artificial Intelligence Conference at the Shanghai World Expo Center on Sept. 3, 2022, in Shanghai, China. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)HEATING UP: Chinese tech giant Alibaba is flexing its muscles in the global race for artificial intelligence dominance, claiming the latest version of its Qwen 2.5 can take on the top models from rivals both foreign and domestic.NEWEST FRONT: OPINION: DeepSeek's release of a high-profile new AI model underscores a point we at OpenAI have been making for quite some time: the U.S. is in a competition with the Chinese Communist Party that will determine whetherdemocratic AI wins over the Chinese Communist Party's authoritarian version of the technology.The U.S. must come out on top and the stakes could not be higher. Sen. Josh Hawley. (C-SPAN)DEEPSEEK DANGER: This week the U.S. tech sector was routed by the Chinese launch of DeepSeek, and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is putting forth legislation to prevent that from happening again.'NEXT WEAPON': Ask Sage founder Nicolas Chaillan addresses the emergence of the Chinese A.I. app DeepSeek, its threat to American A.I. dominance and his skepticism over the model.REAL-LIFE TETRIS: In a groundbreaking development for warehouse automation, Ambi Robotics just launched AmbiStack, a multipurpose robotic system that promises to transform the way items are stacked onto pallets and into containers. AmbiStack (Ambi Robotics)FOLLOW FOX NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIASIGN UP FOR OUR OTHER NEWSLETTERSDOWNLOAD OUR APPSWATCH FOX NEWS ONLINEFox News GoSTREAM FOX NATIONFox NationStay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox Newshere. This article was written by Fox News staff.

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Kerry Wan/ZDNETIt's only February, but it feels like we've already seen the best Android phones of 2025. With theSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultraand OnePlus 13, you're looking at two of the most complete handsets on the market right now, with both devices featuring the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, enough RAM to power various AI tools, and other key advances that we'll likely see and hear more of later this year.Also: I replaced my iPhone 16 Pro with the Galaxy S25 Ultra - and there's a clear winnerEven so, the latest from Samsung and OnePlus aren't perfect, and their most notable shortcomings are the reason why this comparison exists in the first place. To help you decide which of the two devices to upgrade to, you'll want to consider factors like software experience, battery and charging, and the features that make each one unique. I break down the list of key buying reasons below. Specifications Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraOnePlus 13Display 6.9-inch QHD LTPO AMOLED with 120Hz6.82-inch QHD LTPO OLED with 120HzProcessor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for GalaxyQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite RAM/Storage12GB RAM with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB16GB with 256GB, 512GBBattery5,000mAh with 45W wired and 15W wireless charging6,000mAh with 80W wired and 50W wireless chargingCamera200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto (5x), 10MP telephoto (3x), 12MP selfie50MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto (3x), 32MP selfieDurabilityIP68 with Corning Gorilla Armor 2IP69 with Crystal Shield super-ceramic glassWeight218 grams210 - 213 grams (depending on color)PriceStarting at $1,299Starting at $899 You should buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra if... Kerry Wan/ZDNET 1. You want the more capable camera systemWhile the S25 Ultra doesn't necessarily push the envelope this year with its upgraded camera system, it's still one of, if not the most versatile options on the market. You're getting a 200-megapixel wide lens that pulls in more detail than most phones, the same 50MP and 10MP telephoto lenses from last year's S24 Ultra, and a new 50MP ultrawide that, from our testing, can capture crisp and sharp-looking landscape and macro photos. (With close-up shots, you just have to be extra patient as the phone adjusts its focus.)Also: 4 useful Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra features that power users will drool overThe larger camera enhancements with the S25 Ultra come in the form of software, from computing photo details to editing subjects with generative AI tools. For example, there's a new Audio Eraser feature that lets you adjust the volume of various sound profiles in videos (both newly and previously recorded ones). The ability to capture footage in Galaxy Log mode also means that creatives and video professionals have better control of lighting, contrast levels, and overall colors when editing. 2. You want the best of AI experiences right nowIf you told me years ago that Google Pixel users are consideringswitching to Samsung because of software, I would've thought you were crazy. But here we are, with the S25 Ultra taking the lead this year in AI capabilities and updates, and Google is helping to add fuel to the tank. The newest Galaxy phones feature a swath of AI features, but the standout for me is cross-app integrations with Gemini.By linking services from Samsung, Google, and other third-party applications, users can now ask Gemini to fulfill a chain of tasks with a single command. For example, you can long-press the power button -- which can be configured to activate Gemini instead of Bixby now -- and ask the assistant to search for a local Mexican restaurant that's pet-friendly and send the address to a contact. Such a feature is currently exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy S25 series and Google Pixel 9 series.3. The Samsung-exclusive benefits entice youBuying a flagshipSamsung phone entitles you to several benefits, including a longer-than-average software update policy -- with the S25 Ultra supporting up to seven years of OS and security patches, wider access to repair services and parts, and more options for cases, screen protectors, and other third-party accessories.Also:I've used every Samsung Galaxy S25 model - and the one I love most isn't the UltraWith the Galaxy S Ultra model in particular, there's the benefit of having a built-in S Pen stylus, which gives you precision inputs for notetaking, sketching, and other creative tasks. Just know that this year's S Pen no longer has a rechargeable battery and, therefore, loses the ability to control the phone wirelessly. You should buy the OnePlus 13 if... Kerry Wan/ZDNET 1. You want the best phone for the moneyFlagship phones can cost a pretty penny, so if bang for your buck is what you're after, the OnePlus 13, which starts at $799 when you trade in any phone in any condition to OnePlus, is a far better deal than the $1,299 Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. In ways, you're getting more and better specs on the OnePlus than the Samsung, even though the former costs $500 less. For example, while the OnePlus 13 features a non-overclocked variant of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, tests have shown that the difference in performance is negligible.Review:OnePlus 13: This flagship costs hundreds less than S25 Ultra - but wins in key waysAt the time of writing, the OnePlus 13 also comes with a free storage upgrade, which nets you a 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage configuration for the same price as the base tier. That's compared to the S25 Ultra, which starts at 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage (if you take advantage of Samsung's free upgrade offer). 2. You'd rather not have to sit by the outletOne of the key reasons to buy a OnePlus phone is its fast charging speeds. This year's model features the same 80W wired charging and 50W wireless charging as its predecessor, but even then, those numbers outpace what Samsung is offering with the S25 Ultra. With 80W wired charging (via the SuperVooc charger included in the box), the OnePlus 13 can charge from 0% to 100% in less than 40 minutes. To put things into perspective, even the 50W wireless charging is faster than the S25 Ultra's wired charging, which caps out at 45W.Also: The best Android phones to buy in 2025The OnePlus 13 also features a larger 6,000mAh silicon-based battery, compared to the S25 Ultra's 5,000mAh lithium-ion battery. Choosing this material over the traditional lithium-ion allows the phone maker to embed a denser battery capacity without adding bulk. From our tests, there's a noticeable difference in battery life that favors the OnePlus. 3. Water damage traumatizes youTo protect the tech within, the OnePlus 13 is one of the first phones in the US market to feature an IP69 rating. Compared to the IP68 rating typically found on flagship phones like the S25 Ultra, the higher water resistance allows the OnePlus 13 to withstand high-pressure, high-temperature water jets and steam cleaning. So, if you happen to leave the handset in your pants as they're in the washer, or the device slips through your fingers and falls into a pot of boiling water or soup, it should be able to still function properly after a wipe.Alternatives to considerSamsung Unpacked

Odishas carrier pigeon service still maintains a fleet of around 150 birds, though their purpose ... [+] has grown increasingly ceremonial.gettyThe image of a pigeon soaring across the sky with a message tucked securely in its leg may seem like a scene from history. Yet, in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, carrier pigeons still play a role in police operations, serving as a poignant reminder of their once-critical role in communication.This enduring service is a testament to the resilience and reliability of these remarkable birds who have repeatedly proven their worth, particularly during catastrophic events in the previous century when modern communication systems faltered.The Last Of Its KindOdishas carrier pigeon service is a unique institutionthe only operational government-run pigeon messaging system in the world today.Established in 1946, the service has since dwindled in scale but remains functional. The Odisha police currently maintains a fleet of about 150 Belgian homing pigeons, primarily housed at the Police Pigeon Service Center in Cuttack. The pigeons are trained to cover distances of up to 500 kilometers (311 miles) and maintain an impressive accuracy rate.While often dismissed as relics of the past, the pigeons still demonstrated their utility during large-scale disasters in the state in the late 20th century.When Odisha was inundated by the devastating floods of 1982, and again when it was battered by the super cyclone of 1999, communication networks crumbled under natures fury. In these desperate times, the state police turned to their trusted feathered messengers to carry critical information.MORE FOR YOUFlying through the chaos, these pigeons carried life-saving messages between remote areas and emergency response teams, ensuring timely coordination of relief efforts.A Slow March Toward ObsolescenceCarrier pigeons were heroes in some of Odishas darkest hours, though that has not stopped the future of their service from hanging by a thread.Once the backbone of military and civil communication, these birds began to lose relevance with the advent of the telegraph in the 19th century. The development of radio, telephone and eventually, the internet further marginalized their role.By the mid-20th century, most countries had retired their carrier pigeon services. However, their contributions during both World Wars, where they delivered important, sensitive information across enemy lines, remain legendary.Despite their obsolescence in most parts of the world, Odishas police have clung to pigeons as a backup communication, a nod to tradition and practicality. But thats not to say they have escaped clutches of progress.Advances in technology over the last quarter centurycellphone towers have now made their way to even the most remote regions of Indiahave rendered these carrier pigeons largely obsolete even in Odisha, with younger generations seeing little value in preserving this practice.The state government spends around $6,000 annually for the upkeep of the pigeons and the salaries of the staff who train them and look after them daily. Its a cost theyre finding increasingly harder to justify, especially since the pigeons are now used only for ceremonial purposes like Independence Day and Republic Day parades.A Tale Of Two Pigeons: Passenger vs. CarrierCarrier pigeons are a general term for various varieties of domestic pigeons. Belonging to the subspecies Columba livia domestica, a domesticated variant of the rock pigeon, they have been selectively bred for their homing ability.These pigeons can find their way back to their lofts from unfamiliar locations with astonishing precision. Its an ability linked to their use of visual landmarks, the Earths magnetic fields and even olfactory cuesa combination of biological adaptations that makes them unparalleled navigators.On the other hand, their more famous cousins, passenger pigeons (Ectopistes migratorius) tell a tragic story of extinction. Passenger pigeons once numbered in the billions in North America, forming some of the largest flocks ever recorded. However, relentless hunting and habitat destruction wiped them out, with the last known individual, Martha, dying in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.Passenger pigeons were built for long-distance migration and speed but lacked the navigational ... [+] instincts of carrier pigeons. Tragically, they were driven to extinction by overhunting and habitat destruction, with the last known individual, Martha, dying in 1914.gettyUnlike passenger pigeons, which were wild and relied on safety in numbers, carrier pigeons are highly trained and disciplined. While they are losing relevance, they are not threatened or endangered.A Symbol of ResilienceBudgetary constraints and a lack of interest have threatened to clip the wings of Odishas once-thriving carrier pigeon service. Yet, as history has shown, we cannot underestimate the utility of these birds in emergencies.These birds have proven they are more than just a communication tool; they are symbols of an enduring bond between humans and animals.They remain a living legacy of communication methods that, though archaic, hold lessons in resilience and adaptability. As the world hurtles toward an increasingly digital future, preserving such traditions will serve as a reminder of the ingenuity and resourcefulness of generations past.Ever wondered how deeply you connect with animals? As carrier pigeons fade into history, our bond with pets remains stronger than ever. Take the Pet Personality Scale to uncover your pet's unique traitsand understand your own connection with them.

Stranger ThingsNetflixWhile it was unfortunate to learn that Stranger Things season 5 was going to be chopped up into two parts, like so many other Netflix series these days, now we have new information that it could misse its advertised release year.A new interview with the Duffer Brothers from Variety indicates that despite 2025 being advertised for the series since this year began, it is still possible that it misses that entire year. In terms of the release date:A lot of it hasnt been decided, in terms of exactly the release dates and cadence, Matt Duffer says. Thats one reason Im not allowed to talk about it. Were getting on a call in about a couple weeks about it. I just know it was very important for us and Netflix that we get it out this year. But even that is quite the push.That sounds like things are not set in stone yet, and Im sure that even though the goal is to get it out in 2025, if that comes at the cost of quality, that may not be worth the sprint to the end here. As we remember, Stranger Things season 4 was originally cut into parts because the final two episodes still were not finished with post-production. That ended up being okay, but if getting things out in 2025 is quite the push, that may be a problem.Stranger ThingsNetflixMORE FOR YOUWhy is it so important? Other than the fact that the show has already been advertised as being out in 2025 and Netflix does not want to announce a delay, I think theyre aware of fans not wanting to wait well over three years for the show to return. Stranger Things season 4 aired in May of 2022. Spring 2025 would be three years. Thats not happening. So scraping by and getting it out by say, December of 2025 would be three and a half years. And 2026, youre pushing four years, which even for Netflix or the modern streaming era, is kind of ridiculous. That would be an entire decade to get through five seasons and 42 episodes of a show. We used to do that in 2-3 years with TV series.Netflix may in fact put enough pressure on here to make sure it hits the 2025 date, but again, if its the very end of the year, thats still a huge 3.5 year gap. Through all this, theres also the question of when another big Netflix show will arrive in 2025, Wednesday season 2, though we have not heard any reports that it could be pushed back from there. That too will be around a three year gap between seasons. Not loving this era of TV, Ill be honest.Follow me , and .Pick up my sci-fi novels the and

Hype Money: SoftBank is a Japanese investment holding company primarily focused on technology ventures. In the past, the financial giant has backed some of the world's most influential companies, ranging from unprofitable "unicorns" to high-growth tech firms that have delivered substantial returns. More recently, the group has shifted its focus toward artificial intelligence, with a particular interest in U.S.-based OpenAI. According to sources cited by the Financial Times, SoftBank is planning to significantly increase its investment in OpenAI. The AI company, which transitioned from an open-source research initiative to a for-profit business, is now seeking new investors beyond Microsoft's influence. The investment firm led by Masayoshi Son could emerge as the major partner OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been looking for.SoftBank could invest as much as $25 billion in OpenAI, sources say, in addition to its recent involvement in the Stargate project, an initiative focused on building data centers and computing infrastructure in the United States. SoftBank has already announced a $15 billion investment in Donald Trump's ambitious AI project, in which OpenAI is also a participant. Taking all these investments into account, SoftBank's total commitment to AI related ventures could reach approximately $40 billion.Discussions between the two companies are still in the early stages, according to FT, and no formal agreement has been reached yet. If SoftBank commits $15 billion or more, it would become OpenAI's largest single investor. Currently, Microsoft holds the biggest stake in OpenAI, but Altman is actively seeking to reduce the company's dependence on the Redmond-based tech giant. As part of the Stargate initiative, Microsoft has already agreed to relinquish any exclusivity rights to OpenAI's technology.SoftBank's ambitions in the AI sector have been known for years, and CEO Masayoshi Son is a firm believer that AI will revolutionize nearly every industry. Son has been quoted saying that artificial general intelligence (AGI) AI capable of outperforming humans in nearly all intellectual tasks could be developed by 2030. Son believes AGI will fundamentally reshape society, however achieving AGI and other cutting-edge AI advancements will require substantial financial investment.Meanwhile, the most recent GenAI development this year has come from China's DeepSeek which could potentially disrupt current industry expectations, alongside Wall Street's most ambitious profit projections. DeepSeek's accomplishment is particularly noteworthy given the company's claim to have trained a model with 671 billion parameters using just 2,048 Nvidia H800 GPUs and $5.6 million, a small fraction of the resources typically required by industry giants like OpenAI and Google. // Related StoriesWhile awaiting SoftBank's potential investment, OpenAI has already secured significant funding in recent years, raising approximately $20 billion. Microsoft has contributed about $13 billion, and SoftBank got its slice of the AI cake by spending $2 billion. Meanwhile, Sam Altman continues working to transition OpenAI into a fully for-profit business an effort that has drawn criticism, particularly from early backer Elon Musk, who has positioned himself as a challenger to OpenAI's evolving business model.