As Brian Chesky tells it, the reinvention of Airbnb started with the coup at OpenAI. On November 17, 2023, the board of OpenAI fired company CEO Sam Altman. His friend Chesky leapt into action—publicly defending his pal on X, getting on the phone with Microsoft’s CEO, and throwing himself into the thick of Altman’s battle to retake OpenAI. Five days later Altman prevailed, and Chesky—“I was so jacked up,” he says—turned his buzzing mind to his own company, Airbnb.Thanksgiving weekend was beginning. The Chesky extended family had already held their turkey get-together a week earlier, and the Airbnb CEO had no holiday plan. He was completely alone in his sprawling San Francisco apartment except for Sophie, his golden retriever.Still wired out of his mind from the cathartic corporate rescue, Chesky began to write. He wanted to bust the company he’d cofounded out of its pigeonhole of short-term home rentals. Amazon, he was fond of pointing out, was first an online bookstore before it became the everything store. Chesky had long believed that Airbnb should expand in a similar way. But things kept getting in the way—dealing with safety issues, fighting regulation, coping with the existential crisis of a global pandemic. The company was in danger of being tagged with the word that ambitious entrepreneurs dread like the plague: mature.Now Chesky was emboldened to lay out his vision. Home rentals are simply a service, so why stop there? Airbnb could be the platform for booking all sorts of services. While other apps cover specific sectors—food delivery, home maintenance, car rides—Chesky figured that Airbnb’s experience in attractively displaying homes, vetting hosts, and responding to crises could make it more trustworthy than competitors and therefore the go-to option for virtually anything.In a frantic typing spree at the dining room table, on the couch, the bed, and at times in his office, Chesky specced out how he would redesign the Airbnb app. Its users—now at 2 billion—would open up the app not only at vacation time but whenever they needed to find a portrait photographer, a personal trainer, or someone to cook their meals. Chesky reasoned that Airbnb would need to significantly strengthen its identity verification. He even thought he could get people to use the app as a credential, something as respected as a government-issued ID. If he could transform Airbnb into a storefront for real-world services, Chesky thought, he’d catapult his company from a nearly $10-billion-a-year business into one that boasted membership in tech’s pantheon.Over the next few days, Chesky spilled these thoughts into an Evernote document. “I was basically going from room to room just pouring out this stream-of-consciousness manifesto, like Jack Kerouac writing On the Road,” he says, referring to the frenetically produced single roll of teletype paper that catalyzed the beat movement. “I dusted off all my ideas from 2012 to 2016,” Chesky tells me. “I basically said, ‘We’re not just a vacation app—we’re going to be a platform, a community.’” By Friday he had around 10,000 words, “incomprehensible to anyone but me.” He began to refine it, and by the time the weekend was over, Chesky had distilled his document down to 1,500 words.PHOTOGRAPH: GABRIELA HASBUNAfter the holiday, Chesky gathered his leadership team into a conference room. He handed the team copies of his memo à la Jeff Bezos and waited as his direct reports took it in. “Usually when I share ideas, people aren’t bought in,” he says. “But this time, there wasn’t a lot of feedback. People were really excited. And two years later, that document will now be executed with an exacting detail to what I wrote.”This month, Airbnb will launch the first stage of its more than $200 million reinvention: a panoply of more than 10,000 vendors peddling a swath of services in 260 cities in 30 countries. It is also revitalizing an unsuccessful experiment the company began in 2016: offering bespoke local activities, or what it calls “experiences.” The next stage, launch date unspecified, involves making your profile on Airbnb so robust that it’s “almost like a passport,” as Chesky puts it. After that comes a deep immersion into AI: Inspired by his relationship with Altman, Chesky hopes to build the ultimate agent, a super-concierge who starts off handling customer service and eventually knows you well enough to plan your travel and maybe the rest of your life.“Brian’s been badly underrated as a tech CEO,” Altman says of his friend. “He's not usually mentioned in the same breath as Larry Page or Bill Gates, but I think he is on a path to build as big of a company.”That’s a stretch—Airbnb is nowhere near the size of those oligarchic powers. But Chesky was feeling the need for big changes; While impressive, Airbnb’s growth rate doesn’t suggest that the company will soon reach the trillion-dollar heights of Google and Microsoft. “I’m 43 and at a crossroads, where I can either be almost done or just getting started,” he tells me. “There's a scenario where I'm basically done. Airbnb is very profitable. We've kind of, mostly, nailed vacation rentals. But we can do more.”In early April, I visited Chesky at the company’s lavish San Francisco headquarters. The relaunch was five weeks away. The second floor—where signs warn employees not to bring visitors—had become a sprawling eyes-only command center. The walls were covered with dozens of large poster boards, each one featuring a city, that read as if a group of McKinsey consultants had tackled a fourth-grade geography assignment. Austin, Texas, was written up as “a funky come-as-you-are kind of place” with a handful of “first principles,” one of which was “Outlaw of Texas,” with pointers to food trucks and vintage markets. Another so-called principle was “Live and Alive,” referring to music venues and bat watching; a third was “Dam Lakes,” referring to various water sports. Other blindingly obvious notations included barbeque, tacos, and the two-step. The Paris poster painted a “revolutionary” city marked by slow living and enduring culture.Chesky strode up and greeted me enthusiastically. Dressed in a slim T-shirt that exposed his swole physique, he bounced on his heels with a jittery energy that reminded me of the first time I met him, in January 2009. He had just joined Y Combinator’s famous program for startups, and he and his classmates were at a party at the home of YC cofounder Paul Graham. (Graham told me then that he thought Airbnb’s business plan was crazy but was impressed by their determination.) I mentioned to Chesky that I was headed to Washington, DC, for Barack Obama’s inauguration, and he and his cofounders immediately tried to convince me to use their service to sleep on someone’s couch. I declined, but somehow over the next 15 years they managed to sell the idea to 2 billion people, including me, and now the company has a market cap worth more than Marriott.Chesky ushers me into a conference room to get a preview of the new Airbnb app. His engineers and designers have rebuilt the app from scratch, and he waves around a stick of lip balm as a talisman as he talks me through the redesign. Also in the room is his product marketing head, Jud Coplan, while his vice president of design, Teo Connor, Zooms in from London. While customers likely think of Airbnb as a travel company, its leaders view the operation as an achievement in design. Which makes sense; both Chesky and his cofounder Joe Gebbia were students at the Rhode Island School of Design.Airbnb's new user interface featuring experiences and services.COURTESY OF AIRBNBChesky explains that historically, people used Airbnb only once or twice a year, so its design had to be exceptionally simple. Now the company is retooling for more frequent access. Open the app, and you see a trio of icons that act as gateways to the expanded functions. Within minutes Chesky and his lieutenants are applauding the cheery, retro style of the icons—a house for traditional rentals, a hotel bell for services, and a Jules Verne-ish hot-air balloon representing activities. “We really thought deeply about the metaphor—what was the right visual to express an experience?” says Connor. Once they decided on the balloon, they drilled into how much fire should belch from the basket. The icons were drawn by a former Apple designer whose name Chesky would not divulge. “He’s a bit of a secret weapon,” he says.A less-secret weapon is Chesky’s collaboration with the iconic, also ex-Apple, industrial designer Jony Ive. Chesky’s north star, it should be said, is Apple. “Steve Jobs, to me, is like Michelangelo or da Vinci,” he says. Despite never meeting Jobs, “I feel like I know him deeply, professionally, in a way that few people ever did, in a way that you only possibly could by starting a tech company as a creative person and going on a rocket ship,” Chesky says. By hiring Ive’s LoveFrom company and working with Jobs’ key collaborator, Chesky gets a taste of the famous Jobs/Ive dynamic. Ive himself doesn’t make that comparison, but he does praise Chesky’s design chops. “There are certain tactical things where I hope that sometimes I'm of use to Brian, just as as a fellow designer,” Ive says. “But the majority of our work has been around ideas and the way we frame problems and understand opportunities.”Another key part of the app is the profile page. “You need trust,” Chesky says—meaning a verifiable identity. Airbnb has been vetting the new vendors, which it calls “service hosts.” For months, Chesky says, an army of background researchers has been scrutinizing the résumés, licenses, and recommendations of chefs, photographers, manicurists, masseuses, hair stylists, makeup artists, personal trainers, and aestheticians who provide spa treatments such as facials and microdermabrasions. They’re all being professionally photographed.Airbnb's new guest profile interface.COURTESY OF AIRBNBFor the next phase—turning Airbnb’s user profiles into a primary internet ID—Connor and her team have engaged in some far-out experimentation. She rattles off a list of technologies they’ve been exploring, including biometrics, holograms, and the reactive inks used to deter counterfeiting on official ID cards. But it’s far from easy to become a private identity utility (hello, Facebook), and even Chesky notes that getting governments to accept an Airbnb credential to verify identity is “a stretch goal.”Now that a whole slew of people will have new reasons to chat with each other and coordinate plans, Airbnb has also enhanced its messaging functions. Fellow travelers who share experiences can form communities, stay in touch, even share videos and photos. “I don’t know if I want to call it a social network, because of the stigma associated with it,” says Ari Balogh, Airbnb’s CTO. So they employ a fuzzier term. “We think of it as a connection platform,” he says. “You’re going to see us build a lot more stuff on top of it, although we’re not an advertising system, thank goodness.” (My own observation is that any for-profit company that can host advertising will, but whatever.)This brings us to the services—the heart and soul of this reinvention. Those now on offer seem designed to augment an Airbnb stay with all the stuff that drives up your bill at a luxury resort, like a DIY White Lotus. It will be interesting to see how the company handles the inevitable cases of food poisoning or bad haircuts (and skeezy customers), but Airbnb can draw on its 17 years of experience with dirty sheets, all-night discos on the ground floor, or a host who is literally terrorizing you. Eventually, Chesky says, Airbnb will offer “hundreds” of services, perhaps as far-ranging as plumbing, cleaning, car repair, guitar lessons, and tutoring, and then take its 15 percent fee.Crafted cuts by Bryan, Chicago, IllinoisCOURTESY OF AIRBNB; LYNDON FRENCHTrain with Steve Jordan, Trainer to the Stars, Los Angeles, CaliforniaCOURTESY OF AIRBNB; JACKIE BEALEThe other key feature of the company’s reinvention, of course, is Experiences. If the idea sounds familiar, that’s because Airbnb launched a service by that name almost a decade ago, with pretty much the same pitch: special activities for travelers, like architects leading tours of buildings or chefs showing people how to fold dumplings.It flopped, although Airbnb never formally pulled the plug. Chesky’s excuses include tactical errors: After a big initial splash, the company didn’t follow up with more marketing, and it didn’t establish a strong flow of new experiences. But the big reason, he says, was that it was too early. Now the company has five times as many customers and an ecosystem to support the effort. “It was like our Newton,” says Chesky, referring to Apple’s handheld device that predated the iPhone. (Another Apple reference, for those keeping score.)Chesky’s crew has arranged for more than 22,000 experiences in 650 cities, including a smattering of so-called “originals,” with people at the top of their field—star athletes, Michelin chefs, famous celebrities. In the pipeline is Conan O’Brien selling a perch behind a mic in his podcast studio. (Don’t expect it to air.) Taking a lesson from his earlier flop, Chesky has planned a steady cadence of these short-term promotional stunts, which, of course, is what the Conan experience ultimately is. “We’re going to have thousands of originals and maybe one day hundreds of thousands—a regular drumbeat of some of the biggest iconic celebrities,” Chesky says.He shows me how someone could take a trip to, say, Mexico City and book experiences instantly. “Fun fact—I’ve always dreamed of being a professional wrestler in Mexico. I want to be a luchador!” he tells me, then immediately regrets it. Regardless: In an Airbnb experience, he says, you can meet a real luchador, get in the ring with him, and learn some moves. Can you keep the mask?“Probably,” says Chesky. In any case, you’d share the photos with others in your group. (But don’t call it a social network.)Megan Thee Stallion in Los Angeles, CaliforniaCOURTESY OF AIRBNB; ADRIENNE RAQUELHorseback riding through four hidden temples of the Inkas, Cusco, PeruCOURTESY OF AIRBNB; PAZ OLIVARES-DROGUETTAirbnb’s planned transformation tracks with another reinvention: that of its leader.Chesky had originally taken the title of CEO over his two pretty-much equal cofounders because his personality was more forward facing—it wasn’t even formalized until 2010. But then, in 2011, the company had its first real crisis when a host publicly shared a horror story about how an Airbnb guest from deep, deep hell pillaged and trashed her home. What wasn’t stolen—the customer broke into a locked closet to grab a passport, cash, and heirloom jewelry—was ravaged and burned in the fireplace. “The death-like smell from the bathroom was frightening,” wrote the host. The story threatened to destroy the cheerful person-to-person vibe the company had cultivated. It didn’t help that Airbnb’s initial response was clueless and weak.Chesky stepped up to become the face of the company and instituted overdue safety protocols. Over the next few years, Chesky cemented his alpha status. In 2018 his cofounder Joe Gebbia stepped down from daily duties, though he still sits on the board. (Recently Gebbia has been in the news for his very public participation in DOGE’s remaking of the US government. When asked about it at a Q and A session with employees, Chesky said that Gebbia was free to have his own opinions, but they are not the company’s. Chesky did not attend Trump’s inauguration.) The third cofounder, Nathan Blecharczyk, is still with the company, though it’s notable that as I sat in meetings with over a dozen executives, the only time his name came up was when I mentioned it.Chesky was totally in charge during the pandemic, when Airbnb lost 80 percent of its business in eight weeks. He laid off a quarter of the staff. Now that bookings surpass pre-2020 levels, he thinks the company is stronger. And he learned a big lesson: “The pandemic was the turning point of the company,” he says. “My first principle became ‘Don’t apologize for how you want to run your company.’ Most of all you should not apologize for being in the details. The number one thing people want to do is keep you out of the details.”When Chesky shared some of these views at a Y Combinator event in 2024, Paul Graham was inspired to write an essay called “Founder Mode.” Graham used Chesky’s story to argue that only the person who created a company knows what is best, and the worst mistake is to listen to management types who haven’t built their own. The essay struck a nerve; people were stopping Chesky on the street and yelling “Founder mode!” Someone dropped off a baseball hat for him with those words; it now sits on a shelf in his conference room.Chesky, meanwhile, has been deep in the details, especially on this reinvention, itself kind of a classic founder move. “I did review work before the pandemic, but people kind of hated it. There were negative associations to a CEO reviewing everything; it’s considered micromanaging.” Also, his idol Steve Jobs was famous—infamous?—for his unsparing criticism. Chesky contends that once he went all-in on dishing out criticism, with no sheepishness, people seemed happier. But even if they weren’t, he’d do it anyway. Curious to see how this worked, I arranged to attend a Chesky review.Gathered in a conference room, the design and engineering teams presented near-final app tweaks affecting how hosts set up their services. Chesky seemed fairly pleased with what he was seeing—so much so that he apologized to me afterward that I didn’t get to see him go animal with his underlings. Nonetheless, even during this lovefest of a product review, Chesky babbled a constant stream of minor corrections. The cursor is oddly centered … Those visual cues are a little confusing … We need a subtle drop shadow here … The next line doesn’t seem centered vertically … That address input is pretty awkward … That button looks oddly short, is it supposed to be that short? … That shimmer, do we think we need it? Get rid of it … That top module doesn’t make sense … We need to rewrite all the copy on this page … I think we need a better empty state … That title’s not clear …The group shuffles out satisfied and a bit stunned that they got away so easy. But when I meet Chesky a day later to sum things up, he tells me that I’d just missed a spicier product review. Then he gets serious, explaining what the reinvention means to him. “I felt a little bit like the vacation rental guy,” he says. “Like we as a company are a little underestimated.” He brings up Apple again, saying that both companies embody the idea that a business relationship can generate emotion. “My ambition is kind of like the ambition of an artist and designer,” he says.At that point Chesky gets a little woo. “Magic, in hindsight, is not technology,” he says as he reflects on Apple’s wizardry. What he’s realized is that magic lies in forging connections with those who offer you a bed, a microdermabrasion, a sparring match in a lucha libre ring. “The magic that is timeless is, like, the stuff you remember at the end of your life.”He lets that sit for a minute. Then he puts a cap on that insight, sounding less like a CEO than a life coach. “I’ve never had a dream with a device in it,” he says. Leave it to the subconscious to highlight what matters. That said, his day dreams certainly involve a new kind of device. In his off hours he’s helping with a secret project headed by his friends Altman and Ive to create a device that Altman says is the next step beyond computers. (“This is not theoretical memo-swapping,” Altman tells me. “We’re hard at work on it, prototyping.”)But that’s somewhere off in the future. In the realm of products that actually exist in the world, Chesky will have to face competition from dozens of domain leaders including Yelp, Instacart, DoorDash, Ticketmaster, Hotels.com, Tinder, OpenTable, and Craigslist, to name but a few. You can probably add Apple, Meta, and Microsoft, since Chesky wants Airbnb to be a universal credential and what certainly looks like a social network. Even Steve Jobs might have blinked at taking on that crowd all at once.Images styled by Jillian Knox.Featuring: Liv Skinner, Liv Well and Francesca Lopez, Zinnia Wildflower BakehouseLet us know what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor at mail@wired.com or comment below.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide The PS Plus May 2025 Essential games are available to grab right now. These include the excellent Balatro, the ARK Survival Ascended remake, and the fun Warhammer 40K Bolt Gun. While this month’s Essential selection is fantastic, Sony has just revealed the PS Plus Extra and Premium May 2025 games. These will be added to the subscription tiers soon, but at the expense of over 20 games leaving. PS Plus May 2025 Extra games Below are the PS Plus May 2025 games getting added to the Extra tier: Sand Land Soul Hackers 2 Five Nights At Freddy’s Help Wanted – Full Time Edition Battlefield V S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Humankind Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Gloomhaven Mercenaries Edition PS Plus May 2025 Premium games And below are the Premium games: Battle Engine Aquila Release date The release date for the new PS Plus May 2025 Extra and Premium games is May 20th. There are some great titles getting added for both tiers, so they are exciting additions. Once the games have joined Sony’s subscription service, we then have May 28th to look forward to. This is when Sony will pull the curtain aside on the PS Plus June 2025 Essential games that are set to be released on June 3rd as per the PlayStation Blog. There are no leaks for next month as of writing, but it’s already confirmed that FBC Firebreak is joining PS Plus day-one next month. It’s a co-op multiplayer shooter from Remedy, and it is set in the universe of Control. It looks fantastic, and it’s good that Sony is providing more day-one releases following in the footsteps of Blue Prince and Lost Records Bloom and Rage. Games leaving PS Plus Extra and Premium in May 2025 Below are all games leaving PS Pus Extra and Premium on May 20th: Grand Theft Auto V (PS5, PS4) MotoGP 24 (PS5, PS4) The Sims 4: Island Living (PS4) Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3) — Premium Resistance 2 (PS3) — Premium Walkabout Mini Golf (PS5) — Premium Synth Riders (PSVR2) — Premium Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord (PSVR2) — Premium Before Your Eyes (PSVR2) — Premium The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (PSVR2) — Premium The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution (PSVR2) — Premium LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 (PS4) Stranded: Alien Dawn (PS5, PS4) The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame (PS5) Ghostrunner (PS5, PS4) Payday 2: Crimewave Edition (PS4) Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (PS4) Journey to the Savage Planet (PS5, PS4) Portal Knights (PS4) Enter the Gungeon (PS4) Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4) inFAMOUS: Second Son (PS4) There are lot of big names listed above. It’s sad to see the departure of PlayStation IPs, InFamous and Resistance, and it’s also sad to see the departure of GTA 5, especially in wake of the delay to GTA 6. Batman Arkham Knight is another huge departure, meanwhile, so too are Journey to the Savage Planet, Payday 2, Ghostrunner, Bloodstained, and others. In addition to the above departures for Extra and Premium, don’t forget to claim the following Essential games before they leave on June 3rd: Balatro Warhammer 40K Boltgun ARK Survival Ascended In other PlayStation news, Sony is considering even more price increases in response to US tariffs, and there are rumors of a PlayStation Showcase or State of Play happening very soon. Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share

Source: Wright & Wright ArchitectsProposed scheme on Oxford High Street Wright & Wright Architects have secured planning permission for a major retrofit scheme for All Souls College, Oxford. The project is intended to create new academic and public-facing spaces within a group of conjoined historic buildings on Oxford’s High Street, expanding the college’s presence beyond its historic quadrangles. The scheme is intended to restore original architectural features across a series of existing buildings and shoprfronts, while introducing new facilities across multiple floors. The upper levels will include three seminar rooms, a lecture theatre with capacity for 100 people, fellows’ studies, staff offices and a rooftop garden. Historic elements such as 17th-century stone walls, ancient roof timbers and 18th-century ceilings are to be retained and revealed as part of the works. Clare Wright, founding partner at Wright & Wright, said: “It has been a privilege to help realise the College’s ambition to remodel an extraordinary set of historic buildings on an important site on Oxford’s High Street. In an era when city centres are languishing, this pioneering project can help preserve the soul of Oxford.” David Renton, estates bursar at All Souls College, said: “Our ambition is to create a place of learning that connects directly with the life of the city, while honouring the historic complexity of the site. We are excited to work with Wright & Wright to bring this vision to life.” Roof gardenSource: Wright & Wright Architects Front elevationSource: Wright & Wright Architects Proposed sectionSource: Wright & Wright Architects Front elevationSource: Wright & Wright Architects Study roomSource: Wright & Wright Architects 1/5 show caption The ground floor proposals include replacing existing shopfronts with bespoke joinery designed to reflect the proportions of earlier facades. The scheme also seeks to enhance the covered passageway linking the High Street to the Covered Market with improved signage, lighting and finishes. The project, comprising three conjoined structures, is described by the architects as a low-energy, deep retrofit. The design aims to reduce carbon emissions while safeguarding the building’s historic fabric. Later modern interventions are to be stripped out in order to improve environmental performance and expose earlier features. Founded in 1438, All Souls is one of the University of Oxford’s oldest and most academically distinctive colleges, known for its postgraduate-only focus on research and absence of undergraduates. Wright & Wright’s wider body of work includes projects for the British Museum, Lambeth Palace Library, the British Academy and several other Oxford colleges. A construction timeline has not yet been confirmed. Project team Architect: Wright & Wright Architects Structural & Civil Engineer: engineersHRW M&E, Sustainability Engineer: Max Fordham Acoustic Engineer: Max Fordham Heritage Consultant: Donald Insall Associates Project Manager: Ridge and Partners Cost Consultant: Gardiner & Theobald Property Management: Cluttons Planning Consultant: Carter Jonas Fire Consultant: OFR Consultants Landscape Consultant: Harris Bugg AV Consultant: Hewshott Retail Consultant: KLM Real Estate Accessibility Consultant: Mima Group Ltd Archaeological Consultant: Oxford Archaeology Building Regulations PD: Ridge and Partners Principal Designer Advisor: Stroma Visual Impact Assessment: Neaves Urbanism

Most of the first trailer for Ironheart reminds viewers of what we learned in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: that Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) is a genius. Under pressure and threat of danger, she figures out a way to escape an elevator death trap, establishing her credibility as the greatest engineering mind since Tony Stark. But there’s one thing that Riri Williams has in common with most people, including those watching the trailer at home. As her friend puts it, “You know nothing about this man.” The man in question is Parker Robbins, played by Anthony Ramos. He appears in the trailer as a sort of morally dubious benefactor to Riri, but the most notable part of him is his unique style of dress. In most scenes, Robbins wears a leather cloak, which appears to have mystical powers. Marvel Comics readers (and Marvel Snap players) recognize Robbins as “The Hood,” a relative newcomer to the world of comics but a character with the power to shake up the MCU. Robbins made his debut in 2002’s The Hood, written by Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Saga) and penciled by Kyle Hotz. As part of Marvel’s mature-readers MAX line, The Hood took a sideways glance at the Peter Parker archetype, giving us a likable everyman who operated in the world of Marvel’s criminals. When Parker took a burglary job to pay for his sick mother’s treatment, he discovered a mystical cape and pair of boots, clothing that granted him the powers of flight and invisibility. While that initial story made Parker more of a normal guy who makes bad choices in difficult situations, subsequent tales have leaned into soap opera, transforming him into more of an unrepentant supervillain. In Daredevil, he sought to become the new Kingpin of Crime and he regularly butted heads with the New Avengers. During the Secret Invasion and Secret Wars storylines, Parker became a member of the Cabal, a sort of evil Illuminati, alongside villains such as Norman Osborn and Doctor Doom. Later, he joined the Thunderbolts and clashed with Hawkeye, then the team’s leader. More recently, stories about the Hood have emphasized his mystical powers, tying him to Ghost Rider and Doctor Strange’s arch-enemy Dormammu. And that’s where Parker has real potential to change the MCU. Magic has always been a key part of the MCU, ever since Thor and the first scene of Captain America: The First Avenger. More recently, movies such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and shows such as Agatha All Along have explored the magical side of the universe, indicating how it underpins everything the characters do. As seen briefly in the Ironheart trailer, the MCU version of the Hood has those same mystical powers and, if the brief shot of Parker writhing as runes form on his back is any indication, the powers may overwhelm him. Clearly, the abilities are greater than even he realizes. Furthermore, rumors have once again suggested that Mephisto, the Marvel Universe’s equivalent to Satan and a character tied to the comic book version of the Hood, will finally appear in Ironheart, played by Sacha Baron Cohen. Yes, people have been saying that since WandaVision but, given the recent Mephisto name drop in Agatha All Along, it now seems more likely. All of which raises a question: Why all this magic in Ironheart, a show about a technical genius who uses her science skills? The answer is that this clash between technology and magic has long been a theme in the Marvel Universe, going back to Iron Man‘s battles with the Mandarin, a far more magical (and far more racist) character in the comics. The bigger question involves the show’s depiction of Parker Robbins. A veteran of Hamilton and, more recently, Twisters, Ramos knows how to play a fresh-faced and likable character. Will he be able to keep audiences on his side, even as he goes deeper into the dark arts? Or will he quickly become an unrepentant villain, like his comic book counterpart. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Ironheart comes to Disney+ on June 24, 2025

Ready for more racing? This month’s free update from the Polyphony team comes with four new cars to rip around on your favorite GT7 circuits: the ’17 Ferrari 812 Superfast, ’01 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, ’12 Suzuki Carry KC, and ’21 Honda CR-V e:HEV EX Black Edition. In addition, three new events are coming to World Circuits and Sophy, the AI racing agent, has been expanded to support the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix Layout. Update 1.59* for Gran Turismo 7 is available as of today Wednesday, May 14 at 11:00pm PDT / May 25 at 3:00pm JST / 8:00am CEST. Play Video New cars ’01 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C5) (Can be purchased from Brand Central / Used Cars) The peak of the 5th gen Corvette line-up revives the classic Z06 moniker. In 1999, a hardtop model was added to the Chevrolet Corvette C5 lineup. Though it removed the detachable roof and rear hatch from the coupé, this model utilises the increased rigidity from the new design to improve driving performance. Its dedication to performance is further evident from the fact that selecting the hardtop model included an automatic upgrade to the Z51 handling package and manual transmission. What’s more is that even with all these features, it was still cheaper than the standard coupé model. It’s no wonder that enthusiast drivers flocked to it despite its somewhat niche appeal. From 2001, the hardtop Corvette was equipped with a 384.6 BHP LS6 engine, an improved version of the LS1, and was renamed the Z06. The Z06 name was taken from a race package option code that had existed for the C2 Corvette. It featured a full titanium exhaust which is very unusual for a production car, along with reinforced suspension components with a specially tuned wheel alignment, and was only available with a manual transmission. However, in exchange for this wealth of equipment, there was a significant increase in the price. This made it the most expensive model yet, exceeding even the price of the convertible, which made it less obtainable to the users who had previously been attracted by its sturdy hardtop body and spartan equipment. Even so, further improvements were made to the Z06, with the maximum output increased to 405.3 BHP in 2002. Achieving over 394.5 BHP in a small block engine was an unprecedented feat, making it one of the fastest mass-production cars in the world. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image ’17 Ferrari 812 Superfast (Can be purchased from Brand Central) Adopting the classic V12 FR layout, this Ferrari achieves blinding speed while retaining usability. The 812 Superfast was released in 2017 as a successor to Ferrari’s historic tradition of front-engined 12-cylinder models. The 812 name itself refers to the engine’s power and layout, being ‘800 PS, 12 cylinders,’ while the Superfast moniker was carried over from the legendary ‘500 Superfast’ itself produced in 1964. The body styling was conceived by Ferrari’s own Styling Centre. With a long nose and short deck, the body proportions are typical of a 12-cylinder front-midship layout, however the refined aerodynamics and details give it the elegant aura of modern Ferrari design. The 788 BHP and 718 Nm (73.3 kgfm) produced by the naturally aspirated 6.5L V12 unit are routed to the rear tyres through a 7-speed DCT transaxle. The car is also notable for being the first Ferrari model to incorporate an electric power steering unit. Additionally, the running gear features an evolved version of the 4-wheel steering setup found on the previous F12berlinetta model, dubbed the ‘Virtual Short Wheelbase 2.0’ system. The prime benefit of this system is it allows the nose to turn in sharply on even the tightest corners, despite the relatively long 2,720 mm wheelbase. With trunk space behind the seats and a spacious cargo area in the rear end, the 812 Superfast may be the perfect supercar for grand touring. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image ’21 Honda CR-V e:HEV EX・Black Edition  (Can be purchased from Brand Central) The 5th generation model of this popular SUV is the first to feature a hybrid system. In the 1990s, Honda set their sights on creating cars for leisure activities, dubbing the category ‘Creative Movers’. The first such model was Odyssey which released to widespread commercial success in 1994, and was followed in ’95 by a high ground clearance SUV model. This was the first generation CR-V. From then, the CR-V became a long-selling hit, especially in the North American market. Eventually reaching the model introduced here, the 2021 model which is based on the 5th generation CR-V originally introduced in 2016. The model notable feature of the 5th generation is the introduction of a hybrid powerplant, the first ever in the series. This system combines a 2L Atkinson cycle engine with 2 electric motors, able to operate in both series or parallel. This highly efficient system also allows the petrol engine to provide power when cruising at high speeds. The availability of a 4-wheel drive option with this hybrid system further contributed to the CR-V’s popularity. Aesthetically, many characteristics have been carried over from the previous generation model, but the body has been slightly enlarged to increase leg room for rear passengers, improving their comfort. Additionally, the car is also able to carry a large amount of luggage with over 1,100L of cargo space available just by folding down the back seats. The petrol model also featured a 3-row 7-seater layout. The fifth generation CR-V is not only a refined SUV, it also features numerous driver assist systems like collision avoidance braking and adaptive cruise control. This makes it a perfect choice not only for leisure but for everyday driving as well. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image ’12 Suzuki Carry KC  (Can be purchased from Brand Central) A quintessential example of the ‘micro-truck’ trend that’s sweeping the globe. Japan’s micro-car segment, known natively as ‘kei’ cars, has grown into an indispensable tool for everyday life. The kei segment of course features many passenger models, along with SUVs and sports cars too, but there are also a large number of commercial vans and trucks which support infrastructure. The Suzuki Carry is one such microtruck that reflects commercial kei cars as a whole. The Carry has a long history behind it, which stretches back to its birth in 1961. The 10th generation model was introduced as a full model change in 1999 in order to meet changes to the kei car certification standard introduced in 1998. The model introduced here is the 2012 model, the final model of the 10th generation following several other facelift models. The body has been enlarged over the previous generation, now measuring 3,395 mm long and 1,475 mm wide. The engine is located under the feet of the occupants in a semi-cabover configuration, and has a displacement of only 658 cc though the initial line-up did also feature turbocharged models. The Carry is available in a number of different model grades to fit purpose and price, but the KC is the most luxurious, featuring power steering and air conditioning as standard equipment. Along with a rear-wheel drive layout, it was also available with four-wheel drive allowing it to perform to its fullest even in the snow or on uneven mountain roads. The kei truck’s adorable aesthetics and excellent usability have also earned it attention from overseas. Preowned Carrys have found themselves to be popular for agriculture and farming in the U.S. where right-hand drive models are automatically qualified road-worthy 25 years after their initial release. A small body housing enormous potential, the Carry is yet another example of a uniquely Japanese car finding worldwide appeal. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image World Circuits (New Events) The following new events have been added to ‘World Circuits’: Lightweight K-Cup: Eiger Nordwand American Clubman Cup 700: Autódromo de Interlagos Ferrari Circuit Challenge: Deep Forest Raceway ​​ Gran Turismo Sophy The next-generation racing AI agent, ‘Gran Turismo Sophy’ is now available on the following courses. Look for the Sophy icon in ‘Quick Race’ and ‘Custom Race’ on each track to test your skills against Sophy Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix Layout. Scapes ‘Shooting the perfect square’ has been added as a featured Curation in Scapes, enabling square-photos with geometric backgrounds for social media. *Internet connection and Gran Turismo 7 game required for update.

Apple Adds Brain-to-Computer Protocol to Its Accessibility Repertoire By John P. Mello Jr. May 14, 2025 5:00 AM PT ADVERTISEMENT Rubrik Foward 2025: The Future of Cyber Resilience is here When an attacker comes for your business, will you be ready? Chart your path to cyber resilience and keep your business running. June 4 | Virtual Event | Register Now Among a raft of upcoming accessibility tools revealed Tuesday, Apple announced a new protocol for brain-to-computer interfaces (BCIs) within its Switch Control feature. The protocol allows iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS devices to support an emerging technology that enables users to control their digital hardware without physical movement. One of the first companies to take advantage of the new protocol will be New York-based Synchron. “This marks a major milestone in accessibility and neurotechnology, where users implanted with Synchron’s BCI can control iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro directly with their thoughts without the need for physical movement or voice commands,” the company said in a statement. It added that Synchron’s BCI system will seamlessly integrate with Apple’s built-in accessibility features, including Switch Control, giving users an intuitive way to use their devices and laying the foundation for a new generation of cognitive input technologies. “This marks a defining moment for human-device interaction,” Synchron CEO and Co-Founder Tom Oxley said in a statement. “BCI is more than an accessibility tool, it’s a next-generation interface layer.” “Apple is helping to pioneer a new interface paradigm, where brain signals are formally recognized alongside touch, voice, and typing,” he continued. “With BCI recognized as a native input for Apple devices, there are new possibilities for people living with paralysis and beyond.” BCI Validation Tetiana Aleksandrova, CEO of Subsense, a biotechnology company in Covina, Calif., specializing in non-surgical bidirectional brain-computer interfaces, maintained Apple’s announcement marks a powerful signal showing the evolution of BCI. “I see it as Apple throwing open the gates — a single-stroke move that invites clinically-validated BCIs like Synchron’s Stentrode to plug straight into a billion-device ecosystem,” she told TechNewsWorld. “For patients, it means ‘mind-to-message’ control without middleware,” she said. “For the BCI industry, it’s a public stamp that neural input is ready for prime time — and yes, that’s a thrilling milestone for all of us building the next generation of non-surgical systems. It’s a shift, moving BCI from a nascent technology to more mainstream applications.” Aleksandrova maintained that BCI fits nicely into Apple’s overall accessibility strategy. “Apple’s playbook is to solve an extreme edge case, polish the UX until it’s invisible, then let the rest of the world adopt it,” she explained. “VoiceOver paved the way for Siri. Switch Control turned into Face Gestures. BCI support is the natural next rung on that ladder. Accessibility isn’t a side quest for Apple — it’s the R and D lab that future-proofs their core UI.” “Apple devices put unlimited information at users’ fingertips,” she added, “but for people with disabilities from TBI or ALS, full access can be out of reach. BCI technology helps bridge that gap, giving them a way to control and interact with their devices using only their brain activity.” Analysts See BCI as Long-Term Technology Apple’s embrace of BCI is significant, but its impact still lies in the future, noted Will Kerwin, technology equity analyst with Morningstar Research Services in Chicago. “While a particularly cool announcement, we think this type of feature is a long way away from full commercialization and not material to investors in Apple at this point,” he told TechNewsWorld. Kerwin pointed out that Synchron’s Stentrode BCI currently only has a sample size of 10 people. “Long-term, yes, this technology could have huge implications for how humans interact with technology, and we see it as an adjacency to AI, where generative AI could help improve the interface and ability for humans to communicate via the implant,” he said. “But again, we see this as an extremely long-term journey in its nascent days.” According to the Wall Street Journal, FDA approval of Synchron’s Stenrode technology is years away. The procedure involves implanting a stent-mounted electrode array into a blood vessel in the brain, so there’s no need for open brain surgery. “Some companies in the BCI space are focused on cortical control of prosthetics, others on cognitive enhancement or memory restoration,” Synchron spokesperson Kimberly Ha told TechNewsWorld. “What sets us apart is our focus on scalability and safety. By implanting via the blood vessels, we avoid open brain surgery, making our approach more feasible for potentially broader medical use.” Solving the BCI Scalability Problem Ha acknowledged that there are significant challenges to the broad adoption of BCI. “Scalability is one of the biggest,” she said. “Historically, many BCI systems have required open brain surgery, which presents serious risks and limits to who can access the technology,” she explained. “It’s simply not scalable for widespread clinical or consumer use.” “Synchron takes a fundamentally different approach,” she continued. “Our Stentrode device is implanted via the blood vessels, similar to a heart stent, avoiding the need to open the skull or directly penetrate brain tissue. This makes the procedure far less invasive, more accessible to patients, and better suited to real-world clinical deployment.” There are also challenges to developing the BCI apps themselves. “The biggest challenge in developing BCI applications is the trade-off between signal quality and accessibility,” Aleksandrova explained. “While a directly implanted BCI offers strong brain signals, surgery is risky. With non-invasive systems, the resolution is poor.” Her company, Subsense, is trying to offer the best of both worlds through the use of nanoparticles, which can provide bidirectional communication by crossing the blood-brain barrier to interact with neurons and transmit signals. Thought-Driven Interfaces for New Use Cases Ha noted that in addition to medical applications, BCI could be used for hands-free device control across all types of digital platforms, neuroadaptive gaming, or immersive XR experiences. “BCI opens doors to applications in mental wellness, communication tools, and cognitive enhancement,” Aleksandrova added. “You’ll fire off texts, browse AR screens, or write code just by thinking,” she said. “You’ll slip seamlessly into a drone or handle a surgical robot as though it were your own hand, and nudge your smart home with a silent impulse that dims the lights when focus peaks.” “Entertainment will read the room inside your head — dialing a game’s difficulty or a film’s plot to match your mood — while always-on neural metrics warn of fatigue, migraines, or anxiety hours before you notice and even surface names or ideas when your memory stalls,” she predicted. “Your unique brainwave ‘fingerprint’ will replace passwords, and researchers are already sketching ways to preserve those patterns so our minds can outlast failing bodies.” “I’m genuinely proud of Synchron and Apple for opening this door,” she said. John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John. Leave a Comment Click here to cancel reply. Please sign in to post or reply to a comment. New users create a free account. More by John P. Mello Jr. view all More in Science

John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorMay 14, 20255 Min ReadNicoElNino via Alamy Stock PhotoWhen it comes to AI, yesterday's comprehensive skillset may already be obsolete. Considering AI's ultra-rapid evolution, it's now important to help team members understand and utilize the latest skills without disrupting their already heavy workloads. A mix of hands-on experience and guided learning is the best way to build AI skills, advises Justice Erolin, CTO at software outsourcing company BairesDev. "Traditional education isn't keeping up with the rapid evolution of AI, so microlearning and peer learning programs can be more effective than a university course on AI," he says in an email interview. You no longer need AI experts; you need people who know their way around AI, says Mike Loukides, a vice president at technology and business training firm O'Reilly Media. "With appropriate training, the types of people you need can be developed from the staff you already have," he explains in an online interview. "Look for data engineers -- people who know how to build data pipelines, who know how to analyze data." Keeping Pace The AI landscape changes monthly, observes David Brauchler, technical director and head of AI and ML at cybersecurity consultancy NCC Group. To stay up to date on the latest advances, engineering teams should establish a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration, he advises in an email interview. "AI improvement is a continual process, not one that occurs piecewise." Related:It's a continual process, Loukides says. "Even if you manage to hire the perfect team of outsiders, their skills will start to go out of date immediately," he observes. "Continuous learning was never more important than it is now." Dive into hands-on projects using pre-built examples with data and evaluation techniques that are readily accessible, recommends Vamsi Duvvuri, technology, media, and telecommunications leader at business advisory firm at EY Americas. "Collaborating with diverse teams across the organization during this stage is critical, especially folks from teams that typically do not work with each other," he explains in an online discussion. A mix of perspectives can reveal blind spots and spark ideas. Consider bringing in challenger hires or even exploring acquihires, Duvvuri suggests. "Bringing in new talent who aren’t entrenched in the status quo can disrupt traditional thinking and introduce fresh, unexpected approaches." Essential Skills New team members often challenge existing processes and help spark innovation, Duvvuri says. "In some cases, if you spot an innovative startup or a talented team, acquiring them -- or even doing an acquihire -- can rapidly inject cutting-edge expertise into your organization," he notes. "This isn't just about filling a gap, it's about shaking up the norm and accelerating learning." Related:Learning how to collaborate with AI is becoming a skill in itself, Erolin observes. "Beyond technical expertise, soft-skill development will help hone the ability to collaborate with AI." Critical thinking, problem-solving, and business knowledge are key to understanding when it makes sense to use AI. A handful of universal skills stand out, Erolin says. These include: Prompt engineering for working with generative AI models. AI model evaluation and fine-tuning to ensure that models align with business goals. AI governance and ethics, especially around bias, privacy, and explainability. MLOps skills to integrate AI into production reliably and at scale. Frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or LangChain. Avoiding Mistakes A trap many IT leaders fall into is treating AI training as a one-off event, such as holding a single course or workshop. "If you skip the continuous cycle of learning, reflection, and even disruptive talent acquisition, you risk becoming stagnant and falling behind," Duvvuri warns. "In contrast, a culture that embraces ongoing education, diverse team dynamics, and bold moves, like challenger hires, fosters innovation and resilience." Related:Application architects and developers should consider the intricacies AI introduces to application threat models and skill-up in low-sensitivity environments, Brauchler suggests. "For example, AI presents new concerns related to data risk, including its inability to reliably distinguish between trusted and untrusted content," he says. "Consequently, application designers need to consider new risks that they might not be used to addressing in traditional software stacks." A Final Thought The companies that thrive in the AI era won't be the ones with the fanciest models, but the ones with the most adaptable teams, Erolin says. "The real differentiator is your people's ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn fast." At BairesDev, we've built our success around that belief, Erolin states. "We scale AI talent globally, but we also help our partners build internal cultures that keep pace with innovation. In this space, the only real risk is standing still."About the AuthorJohn EdwardsTechnology Journalist & AuthorJohn Edwards is a veteran business technology journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and numerous business and technology publications, including Computerworld, CFO Magazine, IBM Data Management Magazine, RFID Journal, and Electronic Design. He has also written columns for The Economist's Business Intelligence Unit and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Communications Direct. John has authored several books on business technology topics. His work began appearing online as early as 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he wrote daily news and feature articles for both the CompuServe and Prodigy online services. His "Behind the Screens" commentaries made him the world's first known professional blogger.See more from John EdwardsWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like

By Matt Novak Published May 13, 2025 | Comments (19) | U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks to reporters during a news conference on Newark Liberty International Airport at the Department of Transportation Headquarters on May 12, 2025 in Washington, DC. © Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy keeps going on TV and insisting it’s safe to fly in and out of Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey, despite a string of extremely frightening outages and workforce shortages recently. But Duffy has now admitted he changed a flight booked for his wife on Monday so that she wouldn’t have to travel through Newark. Duffy made the startling admission to David Webb, a conservative radio host, during his SiriusXM show on Monday. And it’s a shocking thing to hear from the guy who’s supposed to make sure American air travel is safe. “My wife was flying out of Newark tomorrow. I switched her flight to LaGuardia,” Duffy told the host of The David Webb Show as they discussed the recent problems at the airport. It’s not clear if Duffy really understood what he had just admitted to publicly. Because Duffy has repeatedly claimed that it’s perfectly safe to fly through Newark, even as things seem to be falling apart there. Trump’s Transportation Secretary after saying that Newark Airport was safe to fly from: “My wife was flying out of Newark tomorrow. I switched her flight to LaGuardia” [image or embed] — FactPost (@factpostnews.bsky.social) May 12, 2025 at 12:34 PM   Newark has had three significant tech outages in the past two weeks at the Philadelphia facility where air traffic is monitored for the New Jersey airport. Radar screens went black and radios fell silent on April 28 for about 30 seconds in an experience so harrowing that flight traffic controllers have taken trauma leave. Screens again went dark on May 9 for about 90 seconds, and on May 11, an equipment outage caused a group stop for 45 minutes. The New York Times also reported late Monday that just three air traffic controllers were monitoring traffic at Newark during a shift that day when 14 should have been working. The paper reported that the number of “fully certified controllers” on duty was sometimes even just “one or two” during a shift. Duffy was asked Tuesday morning on CNBC about Newark Airport specifically and appeared rather confident that it was safe. “It’s safe and that’s because we have numerous redundancies in place at the FAA,” Duffy told CNBC host Andrew Ross Sorkin. “So when you have issues with your telecom, we slow down traffic, which is exactly what we’ve done at Newark. And then even if you lose telecom, like you saw twice in the last two weeks, there’s procedures in place with the air traffic controllers and for pilots. And so it’s safe.” Duffy has repeatedly blamed President Joe Biden’s administration for the failures that have been experienced on his watch and deflected when asked about whether recent cuts by Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency have played any role. DOGE fired hundreds of people at the FAA, but Duffy insists none of them were critical to the agency’s safety mission. “We actually have staffed up. We’ve hired more air traffic controllers during this time,” Duffy said Sunday on Meet the Press. “There were probationary workers that were let go—those were employees who were there less than a year—and again, we excluded the safety positions… most of them have come back.” His assertion has not been independently verified, and we’re forced to just take him at his word on that one. Members of the Trump regime aren’t exactly known for their honesty. Republicans like Duffy also aren’t great at understanding how systems work. Many seem to believe that you can fire support staff and assume everything will continue operating smoothly. For example, the FDA under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently fired a bunch of staffers who booked flights and organized logistics for scientists who needed to conduct safety inspections in foreign countries like India, according to the Associated Press. Those people were vital to making sure the inspectors could do their jobs, something DOGE cost-cutters didn’t seem to get. Reached for comment about Duffy’s cancelled flight for his wife, a spokesperson at the FAA told Gizmodo to ask the folks at the Department of Transportation, which oversees the FAA. DOT has not yet responded to our questions. Gizmodo will update this post if we hear back. Daily Newsletter You May Also Like By Matt Novak Published May 9, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published April 30, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published April 25, 2025 By Matt Novak Published April 16, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published March 31, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published March 19, 2025

Glama develops and maintains the core infrastructure of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) ecosystem, empowering developers and organizations to build, deploy, and scale MCP services.What we doOperate the largest free, public directory of MCP servers with open API access.Host private MCP server instances for over 30,000 active users.Build open-source frameworks and tools, like FastMCP, mcp-proxy, and mcp-client.Maintain a gateway that connects users to LLMs from Anthropic, OpenAI, Grok, and others.Provide a ChatGPT-like MCP client that lets users access different LLMs.Run the two largest MCP communities on Reddit and Discord.RoleYou will be Glama's first full-time engineer. Until now, everything has been bootstrapped by the founder.You'll help design, build, and scale products and infrastructure used by thousands every day.What you'll work onImprove and expand the MCP server directory, gateway, and hosting systems.Design backend infrastructure for MCP server discovery, deployment, authentication, and observability.Build APIs, SDKs, and frontend interfaces for developers and end users.Contribute to and maintain open-source MCP tools and frameworks.Support and engage with developer communities on Reddit, Discord, and other platforms.What we are looking forAdvanced skills in TypeScript, React, Node.js, and PostgreSQL.Willingness to develop deep expertise in the Model Context Protocol ecosystem and stay current with ongoing advancements.Ability to recognize and articulate technical challenges within MCP systems, and actively contribute ideas and solutions to our product roadmap.Our tech stackTypeScriptReact (React Router v7)Node.jsPostgreSQLRedisDocker, KubernetesTemporalInterview processFollow up questions on your application (10-20 minutes)Technical interview (30 minutes)Technical Assessment (pair programming) (3 hours)This is a remote position, but will require up to 8 weeks per year of in-person coworking sessions in major U.S. cities such as San Francisco and Austin.Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now Meet JobCopilot: Your Personal AI Job HunterAutomatically Apply to Remote Full-Stack Programming JobsJust set your preferences and Job Copilot will do the rest-finding, filtering, and applying while you focus on what matters. Activate JobCopilot