SubscribeJoin the newsletter to get the latest updates.The doge.gov website that was spun up to track Elon Musks cuts to the federal government is insecure and pulls from a database that can be edited by anyone, according to two separate people who found the vulnerability and shared it with 404 Media. One coder added at least two database entries that are visible on the live site and say this is a joke of a .gov site and THESE EXPERTS LEFT THEIR DATABASE OPEN -roro.Doge.gov was hastily deployed after Elon Musk told reporters Tuesday that his Department of Government Efficiency is trying to be as transparent as possible. In fact, our actionswe post our actions to the DOGE handle on X, and to the DOGE website. At the time, DOGE was an essentially blank webpage. It was built out further Wednesday and Thursday, and now shows a mirror of the @DOGE X account posts, as well as various stats about the U.S. governments federal workforce.Two different web development experts who asked to remain anonymous because they were probing a federal website told 404 Media that doge.gov is seemingly built on a Cloudflare Pages site that is not currently hosted on government servers. The database it is pulling from can be and has been written to by third parties, and will show up on the live website.Both sources told 404 Media that they noticed Doge.gov is pulling from a Cloudflare Pages website, where the code that runs it is actually deployed.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

Bonus GearDiablo 4's not-so-double-XP event returns next week with a big changeBlizzard is bringing back Mother's Blessing in Diablo 4 soon, and it's adding one major bonus to the list which may actually be the best one. News by Sherif Saed Contributing Editor Published on Feb. 14, 2025 Mothers Blessing, Diablo 4s bonus XP and Gold event - though not quite double - is returning next week. For all intents and purposes, however, its the games version of Call of Dutys well-known double everything events.Something is different about this version, however, and it all has to do with the currently ongoing Season of Witchcraft.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Firstly, Mothers Blessing returns Tuesday, February 18 and will be live in-game for one week, wrapping up the following Tuesday, February 25. Once it goes live, the events bonuses will be automatically active for all players across all Realms and World Tiers. They stack with any other XP or Gold-boosting you might have, too, such as from Elixirs, Incense and Seasonal Urns.Now, the reason this next one is interesting is that it adds gear to the offering for the first time. The standard version of Mothers Blessing offers a 35% increase in XP, and a 50% Gold increase (multiplicative). On top of that, this next one will also grant players a Gift of the Tree cache each time they return a Grim Favor.Caches contain random pieces of gear, weapons as well as gems and crafting materials, effectively making the grind easier. This is especially relevant this season because the entirety of the Seasonal Journey revolves around the Tree of Whispers and its caches, meaning youd be doing those anyway, and earning a bonus cache every time.It is worth noting, however, that the bonus cache will always be a Collection of Chaos, so you wont get to optimise the resulting gear. Still, its a pretty generous bonus that rewards you for what youre already doing.Season 7 has been well received by players so far. While the core changes, features, and new quest have garnered praise, veteran players are even happier about a few undocumented changes that really help improve the games quality of life.

Whole Gang's HerePlayStation State of Play hit Tides of Annihilation shows off some fresh gameplay, and Baldur's Gate 3 fans are in for a special treatHere's an extended look at the kind of Arthurian bottom-kicking you'll be getting up to.Image credit: Eclipse Glow Games News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Feb. 14, 2025 One of the games that may well have caught your eye in this week's PlayStation State of Play was Tides of Annhilation, a freshly-announced action-adventure thing that'll see you slice through ruined London with a gang of knights King Arthur would've invited to his round table.Well, Chinese developer Eclipse Glow Games has now shown off an extended look at its gameplay. Plus, it's been revealed that the game's not just packing the obvious Baldur's Gate 3 star whose voice you heard the other day - there are at least two of them donning their chainmail for ToA.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. First of all, you can take a look at the new gameplay via IGN. It runs for about 11 minutes, and in that time you get to see protgonist Gwendolyn - played by Shadowheart voice actor Jennifer English - walk through some ruined streets that feature the likes of red post boxes so you know this is the capital of Sadness Island.Gwendolyn spends a time chatting with a companion character called Niniane, walking past bodies if people frozen in place by the "abrupt invasion from another realm" that's knocked London into this state, and battling knights in hack-and-slash combat that allows you to warp about and has some verticality to it.One cool section in a "fold realm" sees her run up the side of a magically-crumbling skyscraper, before she reaches a museum. Here, she battles a boss called Mordred - who says she's "Pendragon", so sounds pretty damn key to the Arthurian stuff going on - in a pretty cool multi-stage fight. To see this content please enable targeting cookies.That's about it for the gameplay, but there is one other interesting thing that's been revealed, as Baldur's Gate 3 voice actor and performance director Aliona Baranova has tweeted that she's playing Mordred."You all guessed Gwendolyn is voiced by Jen in 0.05 seconds, but not many recognised me as this blonde badass in the trailer, and thats on range," she wrote, Jen and I are finally playing opposite each other in Tides of Annihilation!!"So, a cool thing if you're big into BG3, and have enjoyed watching English and Baranova stream the game together. Tides of Annhilation's looking pretty interesting regardless, even if I'm only saying that because I've enjoyed some games in which London's a bit worse for wear over the past year.

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kAfter a handful of delays, Level-5 has today announced the new new release date for Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, which we can now expect to put down roots on Switch on 21st May 2025.This highly anticipated life-sim has felt like a long time coming. Initially announced in the 2023 February Direct, The Girl Who Steals Time was billed for a release later that year before being pushed to Summer 2024. This date then moved to October '24, before a further delay moved things to an April 2025 window. Phew.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kWatch on YouTube So yes, it's with some hesitancy that we look towards the new May launch date, but the accompanying trailer has us hopeful nonetheless. The new footage (which appears to mainly be taken from the PS5 version) provides a rundown of the game's story, 'Life' job system, customisation and more. It looks increasingly like Animal Crossing: New Horizons every time we see it particularly with all that terraforming but that's no bad thing.The new trailer also clarifies that that game will support cross-save and cross-progression at launch, with two-player local co-op and four-player online play also included. Heck, there's even set to be a Digital Deluxe Edition, which packs in bonus outfits, weapons and a dragon.Image: Level-5Let's hope Fantasy Life i can stick the landing on this new date, eh? If anything, we just want Level-5 to be able to give us more info on Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road and Professor Layton and the New World of Steam! Stealing more timeWill you be picking up Fantasy Life i later this year? Let us know in the comments.[source youtube.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:00 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Talks About Future Switch Support Ahead Of Switch 2 Launch"We would like to continue releasing new titles"Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Adds Characters From "SEGA Universes"Update: IGN has an exclusive preview upLunar Remastered Collection Physical Release Will Not Be Up For Pre-Order (North America)You'll have to wait until release

Internal customer support platforms are moving from platforms like email ticketing systems and chat to channels like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and even Discord. But with Slack, for instance, able to host hundreds of channels, the whole thing can become quite unwieldy.Plain, out of the UK, thinks it has the answer. Its API-first platform consolidates all these communication channels, allowing businesses to streamline their support.It means you can literally talk to your customers wherever they are, CEO Simon Rohrbach told TechCrunch over a call.It can also do chat and email in the same way that a traditional Help Desk will, such as ZenDesk or Intercom, but also power Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Discord via one UI.Its just really fast to use. People really love using it, and it has all the traditional support functionality, metrics around SLAs, response times, and so on, said Rohrbach.We see this big shift happening from support being really siloed, to support working together with customer success and engineering and all the other teams really closely. And we power that internal collaboration as well, he added.The startup has now raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Battery Ventures, with continued participation from Index Ventures and Connect Ventures.The funding will be partly used to establish its first U.S. office in San Francisco.Plain was founded by Rohrbach and Matt Vagni. The two previously worked at Deliveroo from the early days, with Rohrbach leading Deliveroos 40-person content, research, and design team, while Vagni worked on design systems and internal tooling.Customers for Plain include companies like Sanity, Laravel, Stytch, and Raycast.In a statement, Neeraj Agrawal, a Battery Ventures general partner, said: B2B support is moving into this new era of collaboration and AI.However, Plain isnt the only player in the business of aggregating these customer support channels. In the US there is also Thena and Pylon.Last year, Pylon landed $17 million in investment to build a full-service B2B customer service platform, in a round led by Andreessen Horowitz with participation from existing investors General Catalyst, Y Combinator and other unnamed angels. It now has over 250 customers.Meanwhile, Thena has raised over $7 million and included Lightspeed and First Round Capital as investors.

Daniel - stock.adobe.comNewsGovernment renames AI Safety Institute and teams up with AnthropicAddressing the Munich Security Conference, UK government technology secretary Peter Kyle announces a change to the name of the AI Safety Institute and a tie-up with AI company AnthropicByBrian McKenna,Enterprise Applications EditorPublished: 14 Feb 2025 9:52 Peter Kyle, secretary of state for Science, Innovation and Technology will use the Munich Security Conference as a platform to re-name the UKs AI Safety Institute to the AI Security Institute.According to a statement from the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology Press, the new name reflects [the AI Security Institutes] focus on serious AI risks with security implications, such as how the technology can be used to develop chemical and biological weapons, how it can be used to carry out cyber attacks, and enable crimes such as fraud and child sexual abuse.The AI Security Institute will not, the government said, focus on bias or freedom of speech, but on advancing the understanding of the most serious risks posed by AI technology. The department said safeguarding Britains national security and protecting citizens from crime will become founding principles of the UKs approach to the responsible development of artificial intelligence.Kyle will set out his vision for a revitalised AI Security Institute in Munich, just days after the conclusion of the AI Action Summit in Paris, where the UK and the US refused to sign an agreement on inclusive and sustainable artificial intelligence (AI). He will also, according to the statement, be taking the wraps off a new agreement which has been struck between the UK and AI company Anthropic.According to the statement: This partnership is the work of the UKs new Sovereign AI unit, and will see both sides working closely together to realise the technologys opportunities, with a continued focus on the responsible development and deployment of AI systems.The UK will put in place further agreements with leading AI companies as a key pillar of the governments housebuilding-focused Plan for Change.Kyle said: The changes Im announcing today represent the logical next step in how we approach responsible AI development helping us to unleash AI and grow the economy as part of our Plan for Change.The work of the AI Security Institute wont change, but this renewed focus will ensure our citizens and those of our allies are protected from those who would look to use AI against our institutions, democratic values, and way of life.The main job of any government is ensuring its citizens are safe and protected, and Im confident the expertise our AI Security Institute will be able to bring to bear will ensure the UK is in a stronger position than ever to tackle the threat of those who would look to use this technology against us.The AI Security Institute will work with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, the Ministry of Defences science and technology organisation, to assess the risks posed by what the department called frontier AI. It will also work with the Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR), and the national security community, including building on the expertise of the National Cyber Security Centre.The AI Security Institute will launch a new criminal misuse team which will work jointly with the Home Office to conduct research on a range of crime and security issues. One such area of focus will be on tackling the use of AI to make child sexual abuse images, with this new team exploring methods to help to prevent abusers from harnessing AI to commit crime. This will support work announced previously that makes it illegal to own AI tools which have been optimised to make images of child sexual abuse.The chair of the AI Security Institute, Ian Hogarth, said: The institutes focus from the start has been on security and weve built a team of scientists focused on evaluating serious risks to the public. Our new criminal misuse team and deepening partnership with the national security community mark the next stage of tackling those risks.Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder of Anthropic, added: AI has the potential to transform how governments serve their citizens. We look forward to exploring how Anthropics AI assistant Claude could help UK government agencies enhance public services, with the goal of discovering new ways to make vital information and services more efficient and accessible to UK residents.We will continue to work closely with the UK AI Security Institute to research and evaluate AI capabilities in order to ensure secure deployment.Read more about the UK government and AI securityUK government commits an initial pot of 4m to fund research into AI risks, which will increase to 8.5m as the scheme progresses.UK government launches AI assurance platform for enterprises.UK government launches first national artificial intelligence strategy.In The Current Issue:Digging into the CMAs provisional take on AWS and Microsofts hold on UK cloud marketInterview: Digital tech fuels AutoTraders drive into the futureDownload Current IssueShould the UK spend hundreds of billions on AI? 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ZDNETOpenAI recently announced Operator, an AI agent designed to perform tasks on the web.After testing it (yes, I paid the $200 bucks, but, more importantly, I kept the subscription), this is a game-changer, but not for the reason you think.This article will probably get me in trouble with my business partner.Also: Will AI kill creativity and destroy human innovation? Here's the unsettling truthI'm about to snitch on myself for your benefit. I'm going to tell you the secret sauce behind how our ecom business generates millions in revenue and how Operator can help.In this article, I'll break down:What Operator is and why it mattersThe good, the bad, and the ugly of using itThree ways you can turn Operator into a side hustleGrab a pen and paper if you're into this kind of stuff. You'll want to take notes. Quick introTo understand why this is a game changer, first, you must understand who I am and what I do for a living.If you are new to my work, my name is Lester, but feel free to call me Les.I'm a founder with a successful exit under my belt. These days, I'm the exec chair for a group of ecom brands, but at my core, I'm an award-winning performance marketer. Also:From zero to millions? How regular people are cashing in on AINeedless to say, data and insights are my jam. We operate more like a data company than an ecom brand. Our secret sauce? Pairing data and insights with ideas that generate revenue.If you are into leveraging AI or emerging tech to help your workflow or generate revenue, check out my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I break down what is working in the world of AI along with actionable insights to implement no fluff, just facts (see what I did there).But enough about me. I have to tell you why Operator is a game changer! What is Operator and why it's a game changerOperator helps US-based PRO users perform browser activities like filling out forms and ordering groceries; apparently, it can even help you create memes. It interacts with web pages by clicking, typing, and scrolling like a human.A new AI model powers Operator called Computer Using Agent (CUA), combined with GPT-4's vision and capabilities for advanced reasoning. This is what allows it to understand what is happening on a website.Now that you're all caught up, let me share the opportunities. Also:The billion-dollar AI company no one is talking about - and why you should carePrice is the biggest complaint among users. At $200 per month, it's a significant jump from the $20 plan, and many don't see enough value to make the upgrade worthwhile, which is a valid point.But instead of comparing it to the cheaper plan, I look at it in terms of the time and resources it can save.A big part of my day job is validating ideas, visiting different websites, looking at trends, and documenting them. While this is not the best use of time, it is still necessary and has a cost, whether I do it myself or hire an assistant to do it for me.$200 is a lot of bread, especially in this economy, but the alternative could cost thousands of dollars per month and tens of thousands per year. Operator allows small business owners and professionals to automate without hiring or paying a developer to create an internal tool.Sure, there are online tools that can perform similar functions, but that is yet another tool to learn. OpenAI is already part of my workflow, so having everything in one place is beneficial.Also:Have a genealogy mystery? How I used AI to solve a family puzzleOperator is a great tool to handle the mundane, time-consuming tasks I don't want to do.And for $200 bucks? Pffft. Have at it, Operator.Let me know when you're done or if you need me.The biggest limitation may not be Operator itself, but our imagination when using it.How I use OperatorAh yes, the reason why my biz partner may beat my you-know-what.First, I need to explain the core of any business. Most businesses operate on some form of arbitrage, whether it's sourcing a product at a lower cost and selling it at a higher price, or offering a service where the cost to deliver is lower than the price charged.Whether you are selling a product or service, the core of what is happening is the same.The key is creating value while managing cost differences between markets.Now that we understand that, let's dig into how we build businesses. Everyone sees Amazon as a place to buy, but we consider it a place to validate product ideas.Let's say we have an idea for a funny candle. We go to Amazon first to see if the concept already exists. If it does, we document things like:Product namePriceSales rank Lester MappThis information is critical. The arbitrage is then sourcing that product and introducing it to our audience.Bonus tip: We do not just copy. We look at how a product can be improved and offer our audience the new and improved version on our website.Make sense?Now that we have that out of the way, let me explain how we used Operator. As I mentioned, part of the job is endless scrolling -- looking and looking. I instructed Operator to do my product research for me.Here is the exact prompt I used:"I need you to go to www.amazon.com and search 'funny candles.' I then need you to tell me the price and name of each listing. Then, I need you to tell me the sales rank for the first 48 product listings."After a CAPTCHA and a little finessing with the prompt, I got the exact output I needed.Operator was able to handle the most critical role in our business, which is product research.It freed up my time and allowed me to focus on things like talking to customers. Nobody likes doing these types of tasks as they are monotonous and tedious. It's all the "ous-es" you can think of.But it is vital for staying ahead.Operator did it autonomously for the most part.Like I said, it's a game changer.The good, the bad, and the kind of uglyThe goodI like the fact that I can operate independently without having to wait for a coworker or a developer to help. If you are anything like me, you know exactly what I mean by that. I would rather wash my eyes with bleach than wait for someone.I also love that I can speak, and it appears. I do not have to write a fancy brief or send ten gazillion emails to get what I want.I love the fact that it is centralized. I don't need ten apps and integrations to do one thing. I allow it to log into things like Google Sheets and copy the info.The badIt's not all the way there. It is AI. It does weird AI stuff, like hallucinating and providing incorrect and nonsensical information. I stay patient and keep it pushing.It's slow, but still faster than me at getting the job done. Honestly, I can't even call that a real complaint.It was asking me for confirmation way too much. This meant Operator would stop and sit there waiting for my input while I was off living my best life. Time wasted. To combat this, I turned on notifications to see if that improves the time between confirmations. I will let you know how it goes.The kinda uglySure, there are flaws and things that could be better, but at this moment, the real issue is me. I wish I could think of even more creative ways to use it.To be clear, I'm not talking about everyday stuff like grocery shopping. That's table stakes.I mean, how do I get this thing to 10x my business while I am on vacation? How to make money with OpenAI OperatorWith any emerging technology, there will always be a group of people who:Need help implementingDo not have the time to do it themselvesThere's potential to build a business around either of these scenarios. In my humble opinion, this is a great place to start, especially if you are an early mover, as it could position you as the go-to resource.That said, here are a few more ideas on how you can use Operator to generate income.1. AI automation as a serviceOffer automation services to businesses that want to streamline repetitive tasks like data entry, email responses, or customer support.2. AI-powered lead generation and sales automationUse Operator to send personalized messages to potential leads on LinkedIn about your product or service.3. AI-powered e-commerceUse Operator to automatically list, update, and optimize product listings on eBay, Amazon, or Shopify.These are just a few ideas, but the biggest opportunity is using Operator to enhance what we are already doing.Rather than looking for some magical new opportunity, the best move is to integrate it into your current workflow.Operator is a tool that makes us more efficient and provides an opportunity to win back some of our time.The real opportunity is looking within and asking yourself, what can AI help me do? As I mentioned earlier, it really comes down to your imagination and how you use it in your existing workflow or even how you create a new one.The critics aren't wrong about its limitations, but the tool is still incredibly powerful. Unlocking its full potential just requires a bit of creativity and a willingness to work around its constraints.Writing the technology off entirely because it is not there yet is unwise. My two centsSo, is Operator worth it?Like most things in life, it depends. The price of $200 is relative and depends on how you use it.If you are using it to book your Airbnb or something like that, I am hard-pressed to find any reason to justify paying $200 for the luxury of not doing it yourself (unless this is your job).I can see a future where Operator, when used effectively, becomes one of the best business assets in your toolkit by automating repetitive tasks.However, it's not a magic fix. You still need to build a strong business by solving real problems and maintaining solid unit economics.Also: The work tasks people use Claude AI for most, according to AnthropicWe are not at a place where AI can do everything for us. A do-it-with-me approach would be the better way to look at it.All that said, I am bullish on Operator as a business tool and look forward to seeing where it goes. Hope this helps; I am rooting for you.By the way, if you want to learn more about leveraging AI or emerging tech to optimize your workflow or generate revenue, check out my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I break down what is working in the world of AI, along with actionable insights you can implement and the occasional pep talk. If this sounds like your jam and you wanna be besties forever, click here to sign up. It's totally free. Artificial Intelligence

ToplineThe four planet-strong planet parade mistakenly called a planetary alignment by some currently visible to the naked eye in the night sky for a short time after sunset will peak this weekend as Venus reaches its most brilliant.Although six planets are in the night sky, only four are visible to the naked eye. (This is a ... [+] composite image using NASA images)gettyKey FactsMulti-planet sightings are not rare. Six planets (Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus and Saturn) are currently in the night sky, which occurs about once about every three years or less. However, only four planets Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn are visible to the naked eye.Stand outside shortly after sunset when you are and youll see Mars low in the east and Jupiter high in the southeast, with Uranus positioned in the south. Neptune, Venus and Saturn are all low in the west, so set soon after sunset. Earths rotates from west to east, so stars and planets appear to rise from below the eastern horizon and set below the western horizon.Other sights to see while you observe the parade of planets include the twin stars of Gemini next to Mars, Orions Belt and its spectacular nebula below Jupiter, and the glittering Pleiades open cluster of stars just to the right of Jupiter. All can be seen with the naked eye.A bright light in the sky after sunset, Venus is the most obvious planet to the naked eye. Shining in the western sky, it will reach -4.5 magnitude brightness on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, the brightest it will get in its current apparition. Venus is always the third-brightest object in the night sky, after the sun and the moon, but it waxes and wanes in brightness as its distance from Earth changes.The parade of the planets in 2025 is one of the best line-ups weve had for 45 years, said Robin Scagell, vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy and chairman of National Astronomy Week in the U.K from Feb. 1-9, 2025. Not since April 1980, when Mars was close and we could see Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus, has there been such a fantastic opportunity to see half the solar system in all its glory.Venus will henceforth be seen lower in the sky as it gradually sinks into the suns glare, reaching inferior conjunction (pass between Earth and the sun) on March 22, 2025. Before that, on March 12, 2025, Saturn will reach superior conjunction (pass around the far side of the sun), effectively ending the current planet parade. With the disappearance of Venus and Saturn from the post-sunset night sky in March, only Mars and Jupiter will remain easily visible.Key BackgroundThe phases and relative size of Venus as seen from Earth as it moves around the sun. (Photo by ... [+] SSPL/Getty Images)SSPL via Getty ImagesVenus is moving closer to Earth on its shorter orbit of the sun, which takes 225 Earth days for it to complete. The distance between the two planets will be shortest on the date of inferior conjunction, at 38 million miles (61 million kilometers) about two-fifths of the distance between Earth and the sun though the planet will not be visible from Earth.For a few months on either side of inferior conjunction, Venus is seen first in the evening sky (when it's called the Evening Star) and then in the pre-dawn sky (when its termed the Morning Star). For a few weeks, on either side of the inferior conjunction, its disk both increases in size and shrinks to a slim crescent, similar to how we see the moon close to the new similarly invisible new moon phase. Something similar happens to Mercury, the other inner planet from Earths point of view. On Feb. 16, 2025, Venus will be just 26%-lit and a good pair of binoculars or any telescope will display it as a crescent.planetary Alignment MisinformationAlthough its being reported by many media outlets as a rare planetary alignment, the line-up of the six worlds is nothing of the sort. Planets never align. They are spread out across the night sky, as they always are. Planets are always seen along an imaginary path through the sky called the ecliptic, the path of the sun through the daytime sky and the plane of the solar system. All thats different is that more planets than usual are visible from the night side of Earth.Further Reading

What just happened? Apple and Google have brought TikTok back to their respective US stores almost a month after it was removed. It comes after President Trump signed an order stopping the app's ban from being enforced and assured the companies they would not be fined for hosting or distributing it. A letter from US Attorney General Pam Bondi assured Apple and Google that the ban on TikTok would not be immediately enforced, allowing the pair to bring the app back to their stores without consequences.TikTok briefly blocked access for US users last month, hours before it was due to be banned under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which requires its US operations to be sold to a US owner or one of its allies to avoid a ban. It returned after around 14 hours with a thanks for Trump for promising to reinstate the app when he took office.Trump signed an executive order on January 20 directing the Department of Justice not to enforce the ban for 75 days. Trump also said that companies would not face penalties for hosting the app.But Apple and Google, which had removed TikTok from their mobile app stores on January 18 to comply with the act, wanted more assurance before bringing it back; the companies could be fined billions of dollars for doing so under the Act.TikTok posted a message on X stating that the latest version of the app is now available to download in the US.TikTok might have returned to the US stores, but its future remains uncertain. Trump has reportedly handed responsibility for saving the company's US operations to Vice President JD Vance and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz. The president also said he could extend the 75-day deadline. // Related StoriesElon Musk had been one of the favorites to buy TikTok Trump had put the DOGE leader forward as a potential candidate but he ruled himself out earlier this week, claiming he prefers to build companies from scratch rather than acquire them; Twitter was an exception made for free speech reasons, apparently.Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has also expressed interest in buying TikTok, as has a consortium that includes YouTube star MrBeast.Masthead: Collabstr

A social trend in South Korea has seen a resurgence in demand for old Apple iPhone models, specifically for the cameras and the type of photos they can take. The interest goes beyond vintage smartphone cameras and even extends to dated, discontinued digital cameras, according to a report published in English by The Korea Times, from a story in the Korean Hankook Ilbo newspaper.Its part of a trend referred to as youngtro, a portmanteau of young and retro, and is most popular among Millennials and Gen Z. The interest is being further driven by well-known singers and celebrities embracing the same trend, appearing in photos shared on social media where the old cameras and smartphones take an equally centerstage role in the image.Recommended VideosBut why, when the iPhone 16 series has an incredibly versatile camera on the back, would someone choose to use an original iPhone SE to take photos? One student interviewed for the piece said, I find the design of old iPhones from the Steve Jobs era more vintage and aesthetically pleasing than the latest models, and another said, The colors in photos taken with an old iPhone are more unique than those from newer models.Jisoo (left), SinB, and Kim Chaewon InstagramWhats even more interesting is the individuals caught up in the trend tend to carry both a new iPhone (other smartphones are available, of course) and an old model or aging digital camera for taking photos. Whats also interesting is these cameras are being used over a retro-style filter, the main feature which rocketed Instagram to popularity when it first launched. Its not only decade-old smartphone and digital cameras that fall into the youngtro trend, with wired headphones seeing a similar level of interest and social media hype from stars in mid-2024. The same group of people also pushed the instant camera back into vogue, resulting in recent research indicating the segment is still growing, despite being surpassed, technically, by smartphones.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe trend has seen prices of the most popular devices increase as demand rises. Retailers indicate the price of a used digital camera has tripled over the last few years, and more people are selling outdated iPhone models such as the iPhone 6S in the hope of turning a profit. Nostalgia-fueled crazes are nothing new see vinyl records and retro gaming consoles for evidence but its interesting to see how relatively recent smartphones are now falling into the category.Apple is preparing to release a new version of the iPhone SE, which is expected to replace the old 12-megapixel rear camera with a 48MP camera, meaning that old iPhone SE (2022) may become a desirable collectors item soon, at least in South Korea.Editors Recommendations