I'll be watching Gemini Live will learn to peer through your camera lens in a few weeks Google's Project Astra demo is almost ready for prime time. Ryan Whitwam Mar 3, 2025 12:14 pm | 26 Credit: Google Credit: Google Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreAt Mobile World Congress, Google confirmed that a long-awaited Gemini AI feature it first teased nearly a year ago is ready for launch. The company's conversational Gemini Live will soon be able to view live video and screen sharing, a feature Google previously demoed as Project Astra. When Gemini's video capabilities arrive, you'll be able to simply show the robot something instead of telling it.Right now, Google's multimodal AI can process text, images, and various kinds of documents. However, its ability to accept video as an input is spotty at bestsometimes it can summarize a YouTube video, and sometimes it can't, for unknown reasons. Later in March, the Gemini app on Android will get a major update to its video functionality. You'll be able to open your camera to provide Gemini Live a video stream or share your screen as a live video, thus allowing you to pepper Gemini with questions about what it sees. Gemini Live with video. It can be hard to keep track of which Google AI project is whichthe 2024 Google I/O was largely a celebration of all things Gemini AI. The Astra demo made waves as it demonstrated a more natural way to interact with the AI. In the original video, which you can see below, Google showed how Gemini Live could answer questions in real time as the user swept a phone around a room. It had things to say about code on a computer screen, how speakers work, and a network diagram on a whiteboard. It even remembered where the user left their glasses from an earlier part of the video.We don't yet know if the version of this technology that's coming to the Gemini app will be as capable as Google's clearly staged I/O demo. However, Google is talking a big game in advance of Gemini Live's upgrade. The company claims this update to the Gemini 2.0 platform will finally make Gemini a "true assistant." Google suggests you could use Gemini Live's video chops to have an informative conversation with the robot while you explore new places or get help with piecing together an outfit by sharing your screen while online shopping. Gemini Live with screen sharing. The more powerful Gemini Live will arrive on Android phones in the Gemini app later this month. Piping a continuous stream of video into the model is undoubtedly going to consume much more processing than churning through some text. The video features will be part of Gemini Advanced, so you'll need to be on the $20 per month AI Premium plan. That subscription also provides access to Google's largest and most expensive AI models. The Project Astra demo from I/O 2024. Even with the subscription requirements, Gemini Live will probably lose Google even more money with this update. No company has cracked the code on making money from generative AI just yet. Adding video to the mix will only deepen Google's losses on each user, but this is the kind of feature that could get people to use Gemini more. Securing market share versus the likes of OpenAI is seemingly worth the short-term loss. Despite Google's enormous mobile footprint, its monthly Gemini usage numbers are only in the tens of millions, which is an order of magnitude lower than OpenAI's tools.Ryan WhitwamSenior Technology ReporterRyan WhitwamSenior Technology Reporter Ryan Whitwam is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering the ways Google, AI, and mobile technology continue to change the world. Over his 20-year career, he's written for Android Police, ExtremeTech, Wirecutter, NY Times, and more. He has reviewed more phones than most people will ever own. You can follow him on Bluesky, where you will see photos of his dozens of mechanical keyboards. 26 Comments

Yersinia pestis bacteria viewed with an electron microscopeConnect Images/AlamyAn ancient ancestor of the pathogen that would later cause the Black Death and other major pandemics has been identified in a Bronze Age domestic sheep in Russia making it one of the oldest pathogens ever found in an animal.Its DNA closely matches that of plague bacteria found in European human skeletons from the same period, providing the first evidence that the disease could have spread between humans and their own livestock well before the pathogen evolved to jump from rodents to people via fleas.

2025-03-03T18:20:19Z Read in app Elon Musk is set to attend Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. Ricky Carioti/Getty Images This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Elon Musk will attend Trump's joint address to Congress on Tuesday night.It's similar to a State of the Union address.The DOGE leader recently attended Trump's first Cabinet meeting.Elon Musk is coming back to Capitol Hill on Tuesday night.The defacto leader of the White House DOGE office will attend President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress, a White House spokesman confirmed to BI on Monday.The speech, expected to begin at 9 p.m. Eastern time, is akin to a State of the Union address, where the president delivers a nationally televised speech before senators and members of Congress in the House chamber.Trump's address is expected to cover his presidential agenda, and the president could make new announcements on tariffs, taxes, AI, and DOGE.Musk, a special advisor to Trump, recently attended the president's first Cabinet meeting, standing off to the side in a "tech support" T-shirt while providing an update about DOGE's work.The Tesla and SpaceX CEO last attended a speech in the House chamber in July, when Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress.

Kroger has abruptly replaced its CEO with an interim leader, the grocery chain said on Monday.Rodney McMullen resigned, and Ronald Sargent is taking over his role.The chain said it learned about conduct "inconsistent with Kroger's Policy on Business Ethics."The grocery chain Kroger is replacing its longtime CEO after an investigation into his personal conduct, it said Monday.Kroger said that it learned about conduct by Rodney McMullen that was "inconsistent with Kroger's Policy on Business Ethics.""On February 21, the Board was made aware of certain personal conduct by Mr. McMullen and immediately retained outside independent counsel to conduct an investigation, which was overseen by a special Board committee," Kroger said.No Kroger associates were involved in McMullen's conduct, Kroger said. It added that the behavior wasn't related to the company's financial performance.McMullen has resigned from the CEO role, Kroger said. He was appointed Kroger's leader in 2014 and became chair of the company's board of directors the following year.The company has appointed Ronald Sargent, a member of its board of directors who's a former CEO of Staples, as interim CEO and board chair while it searches for a permanent replacement. Mark Sutton will take over as the company's lead independent director.Kroger is the largest supermarket chain in the US by sales. The company operates grocery stores under multiple names, including Harris Teeter and Fry's.The company is expected to report fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday. It said it expects full-year identical sales excluding fuel to be at the high end of its guidance range and adjusted EPS to be "slightly above" the high end of its guidance.McMullen started his first job at Kroger in 1978, when he worked part-time as a stocking clerk at a store in Lexington, Kentucky, according to Kroger.He earned accounting degrees at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, where he has been honored as a distinguished alumnus. He was the first in his family to go to college, according to a 2014 profile by The Cincinnati Enquirer.McMullen built his career at Kroger and held several different roles at the grocer, including as CFO from 1995 to 2000."He was a key player on every major decision after 1987 when he was just a kid," Bill Sinkula, Kroger's former CFO, told the Enquirer in the 2014 profile.As CEO, he oversaw Kroger's growing online and delivery business and a rebrand of Kroger in 2019.McMullen was also CEO when the nearly $25 billion proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons fell apart after two years of attempts to win approval from regulators.On a Reddit page for Kroger employees, many posts expressed surprise at McMullen's sudden departure and curiosity about what exactly led to his resignation."We NEED TO KNOW," one poster wrote.A couple of posts pointed to Kroger's decision not to award McMullen a 2024 bonus or give him any unvested equity on his way out. Kroger confirmed those decisions in a filing Monday with the SEC."Whatever it is, it definitely pissed the board off," one commenter wrote.Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at abitter@businessinsider.com or Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that hed include select cryptocurrency tokens in a U.S. Crypto Reserve but what that actually means, and whether it will actually happen, is just about as clear as mud.In a TruthSocial post, Trump said hed directed his advisers to move forward on creating a Crypto Strategic Reserve, and that it would include the cryptocurrencies XRP, Solana, and Cardano. In a follow-up post, he added that Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other valuable Cryptocurrencies will be at the heart of the Reserve.Naturally, the announcement sent crypto prices which had been trending downward since Trumps inauguration shooting higher on Sunday, particularly among the specific tokens Trump named. But some of the market enthusiasm wore off on Monday as questions deepened about what Trumps announcement actually meant and whether it would be meaningful.The announcement also set off alarm bells from those concerned about corruption and cronyism. Not only did Trump seem to suggest government plans to favor an industry some of his top supporters have heavily invested in, but he called out specific cryptocurrencies, including some lesser-known ones, by name. How exactly did he come up with that list? And was he proposing to spend taxpayer money not only on buying crypto, but on picking favorites in the market, to make his allies richer? Even some Trump fans werent on board with that idea. Libertarian venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale complained on X that its wrong to tax me for crypto bro schemes, adding, cut it out with these schemes guys.Nobody announced a tax or a spending program, David Sacks, the White House adviser for AI and crypto, soon fired back, adding: Maybe you should wait to find out whats actually being proposed.But it remains very unclear what, exactly, is being proposed.The background here is that some crypto backers have been pushing this idea for a US crypto reserve for some time, hoping it would give the stamp of government approval and legitimacy to an industry often associated with speculation, money laundering, and either criminal activity as well as, of course, juicing prices.One version of that proposal would amount to law enforcement agencies simply holding onto crypto theyve seized from criminals rather than selling it an idea Trump backed last July. But another more ambitious and controversial version would involve the government actually buying a whole lot of crypto itself, perhaps through the Federal Reserve. Is Trump talking about one of those, the other, or something in between? And what does he have the power to do via executive action rather than legislation? Details remain scant, though more may come at a White House crypto summit Friday.Spotlight on David SacksThe summit will be chaired by Sacks, a venture capitalist and close ally of Elon Musk who was one of several major tech figures to endorse Trump in the middle of last year hence his appointment to the White House AI and crypto czar post.Sacks a pugnacious online presence was roundly criticized on social media this weekend due to the perception that he was steering crypto policy to make himself and his friends richer. Sacks was an early backer and major investor in Solana, one of the lesser-known cryptocurrencies named by Trump for inclusion in the reserve. Sacks said on social media Sunday that he had sold all his cryptocurrency holdings before he joined the administration.The Financial Times reported, though, that Sackss investment firm still had stakes in some crypto start-ups. His White House ethics paperwork has not yet been made public.See More: Politics

Ready for some fresh games? We've got you covered here's when you can play possibly the best Essential games month for PS Plus in March 2025, as Dragon Age The Veilguard landsTech13:56, 03 Mar 2025PlayStation Plus is bringing more new games to Sony console owners(Image: Sony )PS Plus is in a pretty decent spot now that last month's PSN outage is done and dusted, and fans will get five free days to make up for the inconvenience.They're also getting a staggering trio of games at the Essential tier, headlined by Dragon Age: The Veilguard which only launched just a few short months ago.Add in a great Sonic platformer in Sonic Colors: Ultimate and an amazing retro collection in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, and you've got a recipe for a lineup that's even stronger than last month's.Here's when you can download the PS Plus March Essential games.Dragon Age: The Veilguard is an action-packed RPG(Image: BioWare)The PlayStation Plus games are usually available by around 10am, although there's no official timing on that from Sony's side. Expect them to drop on Tuesday, March 4.Before then, don't forget to grab the February monthly games before they're gone. Otherwise, you'll have to pay full price for Payday 3, High on Life, and Pac-Man World Re-Pac.Content cannot be displayed without consentIn case you missed it, here's the full lineup for Essential subscribers, as per the PlayStation Blog:Dragon Age: The Veilguard | PS5Unite the Veilguard and defy the gods in this immersive single-player RPG where you become the leader others believe in. When a pair of corrupt ancient gods break free from centuries of darkness, the vibrant land of Thedas needs someone they can count on.Rise as Rook, Dragon Ages newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight back and lead your team of seven companions, each with their own rich story. Together you will become The Veilguard.Sonic Colors: Ultimate | PS4The evil Dr. Eggman has built an interstellar amusement park but hes powering it with a captured alien race called Wisps. Use Sonics speed to free the Wisps and gain their amazing powers as you explore six unique worlds, filled with hurdles to overcome. Now with stunning upscaled visuals, additional features, a new game mode and enhanced gameplay its the Ultimate Sonic Colors experience.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection | PS4, PS5Article continues belowThirteen classic Konami TMNT games are assembled in one incredible package! Experience 13 immensely popular and influential TMNT games in a totally radical collection from Konami. These retro nostalgia trips come with a range of new quality-of-life features, including online play for certain games and local couch play, the ability to save anytime and rewind, button mapping, unique development art & sketches, historic TMNT media content and more!For more PlayStation news, don't forget to download Multiversus before the Warner Bros brawler is gone forever!For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

One innocuous Reddit comment has been traced back to being from a potential Rockstar employee, and seemingly confirms that GTA 6 is still on track for release in 2025Tech13:54, 03 Mar 2025GTA 6 is still aiming for this year, apparentlyGrand Theft Auto 6 is so big even John Cena is posting about it, and while its launch is still expected this year, Rockstar's radio silence has fans expecting the worst a delay to 2026.While publisher Take-Two won't stop talking about GTA 6, the studio making it has been so quiet fans are still finding fresh details from the game's only trailer so far.Fans have been piecing together clues that may or may not be there, but now we have a suggestion that one potential Rockstar employee has actually spoken about the effect leaks have on the team's morale.Over on the GTA 6 subreddit, one user has shared a comment from a post about the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Remakes we reported on last week.Discussing how leaks affect developers, the commenter said the following: "They don't discourage devs, but it can be an absolute mood killer to work on something for years and have the reveal/announcement pulled from under your feet by a leaker looking for some internet fame/clout.""I'm at a studio working on what will be 2025's biggest release, and we had celebration plans for releasing our reveal trailer which were completely thwarted when the trailer leaked the night before.""We all found out our game was revealed overnight via Twitter/Reddit and group chats. It was a strange atmosphere in the studio the next day - excited to finally reveal our game while simultaneously gutted over how it went down. And management were not happy on what should have been a monumental day for the studio."Rockstar's silence has some fans jumpy(Image: Rockstar Games)That could be from just about any developer, but if you cast your mind back to the initial trailer for GTA 6, it launched the day after a bizarre watermarked version emerged from a leaker.The community isn't entirely sure, though. While news of a possible 2025 release is welcome, some suggest it's an elaborate hoax."Nobody's putting their job at risk to post comments on Reddit," one commenter said, while another pointed out the account has been deleted.Is it all a big goof? It's quite likely, but the longer we go without an update, the more common (and elaborate) these are likely to become.Article continues belowFor more from Rockstar, check out this unsettling new horror title from former GTA devs, or the much more GTA-like MindsEye from Leslie Benzies.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

Scalebound never took flight (Microsoft)The director behind Resident Evil 2 and kami has called for the return of a cancelled Xbox exclusive, as he reminisces about its development.There are countless cancelled projects in the history of video games but only a few (rest in peace, Silent Hills) continue to be mourned to this day.For some, one of these projects is Scalebound, from developer PlatinumGames. The action role-playing game, which we saw several times in previews, saw players control human character Drew, who can issue commands to a giant dragon called Thuban during battles.The Xbox One exclusive was scheduled to be released in 2017, but was cancelled in January of that same year. There have been rumbles of a potential revival for years, but the games director, Hideki Kamiya, has now pitched the idea to Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer.In a post on X, from Kamiyas new studio Clovers who are working on the sequel to kami the director is seen reminiscing about Scalebounds development in a video. The caption of the post notes how hed love to make it again someday.Kamiya has since shared the post on his own personal account, with the caption: Lets do it, Phil! :D.Spencer hasnt responded to the post, but there has been sheepish language around the possibility of a revival in the past. Spencer was previously dismissive back in 2022, when asked about its chances, saying: Theres currently nothing to say about Scalebound.In the same year, PlatinumGames similarly offered a no comment on the subject.Kamiya, meanwhile, has been very keen on the idea. Speaking to VGC in 2022, the director said he was totally serious about bringing Scalebound back, before alluding to the idea that talks were happening. I cant confirm or deny anything, but we could be talking to Microsoft, he said. But we could also be talking to Nintendo, Sony, Capcom, Konami, or anybody!More TrendingMicrosoft owns the rights to the Scalebound IP, so it could potentially collaborate with Kamiyas new studio on a revival. With his team at Clovers working on a new kami, however, it might be some years before it could potentially see the light of day.As for why Scalebound was cancelled in the first place, Kamiya previously spoke about how it presented a big challenge for PlatinumGames.We were working in an environment we werent used to, Kamiya told YouTube channel Cutscenes. We were developing on the Unreal Engine, we also lacked the necessary know-how to build a game based on online features. The hurdles we had to overcome were very big.He also apologised to both players and Microsoft, adding: Im sorry to the players who looked forward to it, and moreover Im sorry to Microsoft who had placed their trust in us as a business partner. I want to apologise both as a creator and as a member of PlatinumGames. Drew the dragon tamer (Microsoft)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 an indie game that looks anything but (Kepler Interactive)A Japanese role-player made by French developers, that replaces anime sensibilities with Gothic fantasy, is one of the most interesting RPGs of the year.French indie developer Sandfall Interactive hasnt released a completed game yet, but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 looks set to be a very impressive debut. Although its multiformat, you may recognise it from the recent Xbox focused Developer Direct and now weve played a roughly four hour long preview a period encompassing most of the start of the game and it seems the game plays just as good as it looks.Clair Obscur (French for chiaroscuro the difference between light and shade in a drawing or painting) instantly impresses with its lush visuals, with a dark fantasy version of the Belle poque period in French history, as previously seen in Lies Of P.Its also got an agreeably weird premise and is set in a nameless world, where a seemingly god-like creature called the Paintress plucks a number out of the air every year, and all the humans of that specific age simply disappear. The Paintress resides on another continent, so every year, military types set off on expeditions to sail to that continent, hunt down the Paintress, and eliminate her.Unfortunately, the Paintresss territory is full of dangerous enemies and many previous expeditions have failed. Expedition 33 already starts badly: the crossing is difficult and when the party finally achieves landfall a mysterious man, clearly older than any surviving humans across the sea, instantly wipes out most of the crew. Two survivors, Gustave and Lune, band together and begin to make inroads, into the mysterious land.Sandfall has created an incredible game world, which cleverly merges the gorgeous and the unsettling. Weird environmental touches abound and different areas have distinct visual identities. In one, for example, despite not being below the sea, you encounter glowing corals and transparent squid fly past you. It sounds gratuitously weird but somehow, it isnt. Clair Obscurs game world has an indefinable sort of logic to it and is a welcome alternative to the Tolkien-esque norm.At the same time, the visual style is starkly different to most Japanese role-players, with anime stylings replaced by crisp-looking, almost photorealistic imagery. Visually, the game is like nothing else, but in terms of the battle system the similarity to Japanese titles is very obvious.You constantly encounter groups of enemies and bosses and as well as gun and melee attacks, each of the characters in your party amasses a growing portfolio of magic style attacks, which channel different elements (and you soon find out which enemies are vulnerable to which elements). So far, so ordinary but Clair Obscur also works hard to bring a real-time element to the otherwise turn-based proceedings.For example, your magic attacks can be given added heft if you hit quick time event button presses at the right time after unleashing them, not unlike the Paper Mario series. But the key mechanic when battling is to avoid taking damage from incoming attacks, and that involves either dodging, parrying or jumping at the precise moment an attack is about to land. Thus, you must learn the timing of all the different enemies attacks and, at first, that means you will take more damage than you perhaps should.Clair Obscur has a full and deep levelling system, which allows you to improve attributes, level up weapons when you set up camp, and acquire new elemental skills. Theres a lot of satisfaction to be had from nailing a perfect parry, which triggers a hugely damaging counterattack, but dodging is a lot more forgiving, so you have to strategise carefully about which to rely on. The end result is some very thoughtful and relatively unique turn-based battles. The game really is very pretty (Kepler Interactive)As you traverse the world, you find more party members, as well as surprising pockets of friendly creatures. Theres a modicum of platforming and puzzle-solving to be done too you can climb up ropes and grapple to specific points, and the best loot is found in weird organic cages that have locks nearby which you must find and shoot.You have to look very carefully to find elements which betray Clair Obscur: Expedition 33s start-up indie origins. In some of the more exotic locations, your characters appear to skate over the surface somewhat, and picking up useful items from the environment triggers an annoyingly generic speech sample.More TrendingAt times, the rather overblown music can grate, too. But elements which you would expect to be substandard in an indie game including motion-captured cut scenes and dialogue prove to be anything but. Clair Obscurs overall production values are impressively high.After only four hours there are plenty of aspects to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that we cant yet assess, such as how the story will progress and how long the game might take to play through. But judging by the overall size of the game worlds map, it looks like it should offer a pretty meaty experience.And it has such a distinctive feel, mixing impressionistic fantasy with an underlying Gothic influence, that even if its storyline flounders there should still be plenty left to impress. Clair Obscur seems strange and unpredictable and that is very much a good thing and so, especially after this hands-on preview, we very much look forward to playing the full game.Formats: PC (previewed), Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5Price: 44.99Publisher: Kepler InteractiveDeveloper: Sandfall InteractiveRelease Date: 24th April 2025Age Rating: 18 Combat is familiar but still unique (Kepler Interactive)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

At least 175 wildfires have been burning in the Carolinas since this past weekend, with one fire near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, burning about 1,600 acres and forcing residents to evacuate, according to CNN. Enormous wildfires are atypical for North and South Carolina, but dry and windy conditions, with gusts over 130 mph, explain why these fires are so difficult to fight. Thats not good enough for conspiracy theorists, of course. X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has been flooded in recent days with conspiracy theories insisting the fires were started by powerful tech figures like Mark Zuckerberg as part of some dastardly attempt to turn Myrtle Beach into a so-called smart city. And while thats an absurd claim, its becoming an extremely common one as climate change creates the ideal conditions for intense fires in very odd places. Right-wing influencer John Sabal, tweeting as The Patriot Voice, insisted that what was happening in Myrtle Beach was so unusual it must be something suspicious, even claiming that local news held clues about what was in store. WHEN is the last time you have EVER heard of Myrtle Beach having damn wildfires?!?!?! Sabal tweeted. They think we are STUPID. If you pay close enough attention, they ALWAYS tell you in advance what they are planning, like on this news broadcast. Sabal went on to insist the fires were started with directed energy weapons, another way of saying that these wildfires were probably started by some kind of space laser.The wildfires are being set off INTENTIONALLY by DEWs (Directed Energy Weapons) so they can easily burn down the area, where Blackrock can then come in and buy it all up cheap and rebuild it into a 15 minute smart city PRISON, Sabal continued. Sabal claimed this is EXACTLY what happened in other recent fires in Hawaii, Texas, and California, all places where conspiracy theorists have previously claimed space lasers were being used to create destruction. Then, Sabal pointed out this was happening even as Donald Trump was president and claimed that Zuckerberg might be behind it.It looks like this time, Mark Zuckerberg has his hands ALL over this one, VERY CONCERNING considering he was just at the Inauguration and now is looking at moving D.C. to be close to Trump, Sabal claimed. Zuckerberg has indeed been cozying up to Trump ever since the assassination attempt against the president last summer. The Meta CEO even donated money and showed up at Trumps inauguration. But everything else about what Sabal is saying isnt true. Sabal shared a video from TikTok about Metas plans to add new technology to Myrtle Beach. The local news clip from June 2023 talks about how technology was helping add 3D simulations for tourism promotion and how gunfire detection tech might make the city safer. Reasonably, people can debate whether these are good uses of taxpayer resources, but its not exactly evidence of some grand conspiracy to burn Myrtle Beach to the ground. Sabal was far from the only one spreading these conspiracy theories on social media. HustleBitch, a right-wing account you may recognize from previous debunkers, tweeted Sunday the same baseless conspiracy theories, making similar connections to fires in Lahaina and Maui, Hawaii.HustleBitch also shared the same video from WMBF in South Carolina as some kind of gotcha moment, as though trying to introduce some extremely tame tech upgrades to any city is evidence of anything more nefarious. Responses to HustleBitchs tweets insist the fires are also being caused by weather modification, something thats apparently easier to believe than pointing at climate change. And that seems to be the crux of the problem. Whenever something terrible is happening, people naturally look for ways to prevent it from happening again. That sometimes leads people to find causal connections that simply arent there. Theres no evidence that any Big Tech figures are intentionally starting wildfires to buy up land and start their own cities from scratch. There is, however, lots of evidence that the wealthiest guy in the world is currently dismantling the federal government and setting the U.S. economy on a path of destruction to line his own pockets. But believing a guy like Elon Musk could be doing everything he promised doesnt quite fit with their worldview. No, we need space lasers for some reason. Apparently, its more exciting that way.Musk doesnt need space lasers. But hes going to do a lot more damage than any space laser has ever done if hes allowed to continue.