Memorial Day Sunday 200 mph for 500 miles: How IndyCar drivers prepare for the big race Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson talk to us about the Indy 500. Jonathan M. Gitlin – May 24, 2025 11:30 am | 8 #28, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global Honda prior to the NTT IndyCar Series 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 15, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Credit: Brandon Badraoui/Lumen via Getty Images #28, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global Honda prior to the NTT IndyCar Series 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 15, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Credit: Brandon Badraoui/Lumen via Getty Images Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more This coming weekend is a special one for most motorsport fans. There are Formula 1 races in Monaco and NASCAR races in Charlotte. And arguably towering over them both is the Indianapolis 500, being held this year for the 109th time. America's oldest race is also one of its toughest: The track may have just four turns, but the cars negotiate them going three times faster than you drive on the highway, inches from the wall. For hours. At least at Le Mans, you have more than one driver per car. This year's race promises to be an exciting one. The track is sold out for the first time since the centenary race in 2016. A rookie driver and a team new to the series took pole position. Two very fast cars are starting at the back thanks to another conflict-of-interest scandal involving Team Penske, the second in two years for a team whose owner also owns the track and the series. And the cars are trickier to drive than they have been for many years, thanks to a new supercapacitor-based hybrid system that has added more than 100 lbs to the rear of the car, shifting the weight distribution further back. Ahead of Sunday's race, I spoke with a couple of IndyCar drivers and some engineers to get a better sense of how they prepare and what to expect. This year, the cars are harder to drive thanks to a hybrid system that has altered the weight balance. Credit: Geoff MIller/Lumen via Getty Images Concentrate It all comes "from months of preparation," said Marcus Ericsson, winner of the race in 2022 and one of Andretti Global's drivers in this year's event. "When we get here to the month of May, it's just such a busy month. So you've got to be prepared mentally—and basically before you get to the month of May because if you start doing it now, it's too late," he told me. The drivers spend all month at the track, with a race on the road course earlier this month. Then there's testing on the historic oval, followed by qualifying last weekend and the race this coming Sunday. "So all those hours you put in in the winter, really, and leading up here to the month of May—it's what pays off now," Ericsson said. That work involved multiple sessions of physical training each week, and Ericsson says he also does weekly mental coaching sessions. "This is a mental challenge," Ericsson told me. "Doing those speeds with our cars, you can't really afford to have a split second of loss of concentration because then you might be in the wall and your day is over and you might hurt yourself." When drivers get tired or their focus slips, that's when mistakes happen, and a mistake at Indy often has consequences. Ericsson is sponsored by the antihistamine Allegra and its anti-drowsy-driving campaign. Fans can scan the QR codes on the back of his pit crew's shirts for a "gamified experience." Credit: Andretti Global/Allegra Simulate Being mentally and physically prepared is part of it. It also helps if you can roll the race car off the transporter and onto the track with a setup that works rather than spending the month chasing the right combination of dampers, springs, wing angles, and so on. And these days, that means a lot of simulation testing. The multi-axis driver in the loop simulators might look like just a very expensive video game, but these multimillion-dollar setups aren't about having fun. "Everything that you are feeling or changing in the sim is ultimately going to reflect directly to what happens on track," explained Kyle Kirkwood, teammate to Ericsson at Andretti Global and one of only two drivers to have won an Indycar race in 2025. Andretti, like the other teams using Honda engines, uses the new HRC simulator in Indiana. "And yes, it's a very expensive asset, but it's also likely cheaper than going to the track and doing the real thing," Kirkwood said. "And it's a much more controlled environment than being at the track because temperature changes or track conditions or wind direction play a huge factor with our car." A high degree of correlation between the simulation and the track is what makes it a powerful tool. "We run through a sim, and you only get so many opportunities, especially at a place like Indianapolis, where you go from one day to the next and the temperature swings, or the wind conditions, or whatever might change drastically," Kirkwood said. "You have to be able to sim it and be confident with the sim that you're running to go out there and have a similar balance or a similar performance." Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood is the only driver other than Álex Palou to have won an IndyCar race in 2025. Credit: Alison Arena/Andretti Global "So you have to make adjustments, whether it's a spring rate, whether it's keel ballast or just overall, maybe center of pressure, something like that," Kirkwood said. "You have to be able to adjust to it. And that's where the sim tool comes in play. You move the weight balance back, and you're like, OK, now what happens with the balance? How do I tune that back in? And you run that all through the sim, and for us, it's been mirror-perfect going to the track when we do that." More impressively, a lot of that work was done months ago. "I would say most of it, we got through it before the start of this season," Kirkwood said. "Once we get into the season, we only get a select few days because every Honda team has to run on the same simulator. Of course, it's different with the engineering sim; those are running nonstop." Sims are for engineers, too An IndyCar team is more than just its drivers—"the spacer between the seat and the wheel," according to Kirkwood—and the engineers rely heavily on sim work now that real-world testing is so highly restricted. And they use a lot more than just driver-in-the-loop (DiL). "Digital simulation probably goes to a higher level," explained Scott Graves, engineering manager at Andretti Global. "A lot of the models we develop work in the DiL as well as our other digital tools. We try to develop universal models, whether that's tire models, engine models, or transmission models." "Once you get into to a fully digital model, then I think your optimization process starts kicking in," Graves said. "You're not just changing the setting and running a pretend lap with a driver holding a wheel. You're able to run through numerous settings and optimization routines and step through a massive number of permutations on a car. Obviously, you're looking for better lap times, but you're also looking for fuel efficiency and a lot of other parameters that go into crossing the finish line first." Parts like this anti-roll bar are simulated thousands of times. Credit: Siemens/Andretti Global As an example, Graves points to the dampers. "The shock absorber is a perfect example where that's a highly sophisticated piece of equipment on the car and it's very open for team development. So our cars have fully customized designs there that are optimized for how we run the car, and they may not be good on another team's car because we're so honed in on what we're doing with the car," he said. "The more accurate a digital twin is, the more we are able to use that digital twin to predict the performance of the car," said David Taylor, VP of industry strategy at Siemens DISW, which has partnered with Andretti for some years now. "It will never be as complete and accurate as we want it to be. So it's a continuous pursuit, and we keep adding technology to our portfolio and acquiring companies to try to provide more and more tools to people like Scott so they can more accurately predict that performance." What to expect on Sunday? Kirkwood was bullish about his chances despite starting relatively deep in the field, qualifying in 23rd place. "We've been phenomenal in race trim and qualifying," he said. "We had a bit of a head-scratcher if I'm being honest—I thought we would definitely be a top-six contender, if not a front row contender, and it just didn't pan out that way on Saturday qualifying." "But we rolled back out on Monday—the car was phenomenal. Once again, we feel very, very racy in traffic, which is a completely different animal than running qualifying," Kirkwood said. "So I'm happy with it. I think our chances are good. We're starting deep in the field, but so are a lot of other drivers. So you can expect a handful of us to move forward." The more nervous hybrid IndyCars with their more rearward weight bias will probably result in more cautions, according to Ericsson, who will line up sixth for the start of the race on Sunday. "Whereas in previous years you could have a bit of a moment and it would scare you, you usually get away with it," he said. "This year, if you have a moment, it usually ends up with you being in the fence. I think that's why we've seen so many crashes this year—because a pendulum effect from the rear of the car that when you start losing it, this is very, very difficult or almost impossible to catch." "I think it's going to mean that the race is going to be quite a few incidents with people making mistakes," Ericsson said. "In practice, if your car is not behaving well, you bring it to the pit lane, right? You can do adjustments, whereas in the race, you have to just tough it out until the next pit stop and then make some small adjustments. So if you have a bad car at the start a race, it's going to be a tough one. So I think it's going to be a very dramatic and entertaining race." Jonathan M. Gitlin Automotive Editor Jonathan M. Gitlin Automotive Editor Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC. 8 Comments

You lied.I once interviewed someone who completely falsified their skillset. I asked them to do a drawing test, and it turned out that they didn’t have the skills they purported to have. You can only fake it for so long. Never pretend you’re someone you ’re not. —Jeff DeGraw, DeGraw and DeHaan ArchitectsAnd During the ChatYou’re too detail-oriented.The biggest mistake I’ve witnessed repeatedly: candidates who spend way too much time walking us through every tiny detail of their portfolios. It feels like it goes on forever. —Lauren Buxbaum Gordon, Nate Berkus AssociatesYou didn’t ask questions.At the end of every interview I ask candidates if they have any questions and appreciate when someone has insightful ones, not just what time they can take lunch. —Elizabeth Lawrence, Williams LawrenceYou forgot the basic rules of human interaction.Eye contact is essential. I always prefer someone who appears calm and confident. —Alex Papachristidis, Alex Papachristidis InteriorsHow to Create a Portfolio When You’re Just Starting OutFresh out of design school? In the middle of a career change? We quiz industry insiders on how to best present yourselfI pay attention to the small stuff—it tends to amplify on a day-to-day level. It could be a handshake or a perfume [choice]. I don’t want to say that it breaks getting a job in my office, but it [could be] a signifier for compatibility—and if we are compatible, chances are we are going to work well together. —Miles Redd, Redd KaihoiYou missed the memo.There is always a technical aptitude I am looking for a candidate to possess, but beyond that, and perhaps even more importantly, I very much pay attention to communication skills and a candidate’s ability to quickly think on his/her feet. A large part of what we do as designers is problem-solve, so I really want to understand a candidate’s agility. —Maureen Ursino, Ursino InteriorsYou’re just copycatting.We look for individuality that will become a great addition to our team. We receive so many inquiries where the prospective hire says they want to “be me.” Although flattering, it’s uninspiring. —Alison Rose, Alison Rose New YorkYou kept yourself under wraps.I get really excited when a portfolio has photos of the person’s own home or something they had helped work on for a friend or family member. It doesn’t have to be completely finished or professional photos. It’s a nice insight into what they are doing and thinking about for themselves. As a result, you usually learn a lot about them, and sometimes it is just the thing that puts that person ahead of others. —Elizabeth Lawrence, Williams LawrenceEverything You Need to Know About Interior Design Jobs and Their SalariesLooking to start or advance your interior design career? Here’s your guide to the interior design jobs to look out for—and what they payYou’re not a team player.We look for a certain kind of character in candidates that fits with the distinctive spirit of our studio. Exhibiting basic skills and clear communication are, of course, essential; however, of even greater value is finding talent innately capable of positive contribution to Yabu Pushelberg’s culture of working collaboratively within and between teams, fostering an environment of both learning and teaching. —George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, Yabu PushelbergYour focus is too narrow.It’s important for a candidate to be dedicated to design, even obsessed with it. I am impressed when candidates have clearly researched historical furniture designers and have a sense of the various design periods. I want my team to be functional and successful with a project regardless of what style a client desires. —Margaret Naeve Parker, M.NaeveYou didn’t sell yourself.I once interviewed a candidate whose portfolio wasn’t the strongest—the work samples they provided weren’t what we were used to seeing. On paper, they might not have stood out, but as soon as the interview began, their personality took center stage. They were engaging and warm, with a genuine enthusiasm for the role. They didn’t try to overcompensate for their portfolio; instead, they openly acknowledged where they were in their career and shared stories about their journey. We decided to give them a chance, and they ended up exceeding expectations, quickly growing into a strong contributor who brought a fresh perspective and energy to our culture. —Caroll Conway, Hoerr SchaudtAPPLY NOWGrow your business with the AD PRO DirectoryArrow

Jennifer Meyer always knew she wanted to work in fashion. It probably comes, she says, from the hours she spent in her grandmother’s Santa Monica, California, apartment, playing with art supplies, and the small kiln her grandmother kept on the kitchen counter. “She did a lot of enameling,” says Meyer, an LA-based jewelry designer. “She had all of these colors and plaques to put things on; wiring. I would design things with her for fun; I have this love of design from her.”  Still, as the daughter of an entertainment executive, Meyer didn’t really have a road map for a career in design. She completed her education on the East Coast, studying child and family psychology, and landed her first job in magazines, which she ultimately parlayed to PR jobs at Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren. “I wanted to start my own thing,” says Meyer. “I had this idea for jewelry, but I had no idea how to do it.”  In 2005, Meyer made some basic sketches—her first a riff on a leaf design—and began knocking on doors, armed with equal parts curiosity and tenacity. So began the launch of her line, Jennifer Meyer Jewelry. Now, 20 years later, Meyer describes herself as self-taught. She’s leveraged her love of the natural world and her instincts for a simple, unfussy aesthetic to guide a business that’s become as popular with Jennifer Aniston and Meghan Markle as millennials and suburban fortysomethings.  If the door said jeweler, I knocked on it. I knew nothing. It was trial and error. I had a bad sketch of a leaf on paper. I had no clue what I was doing—which, by the way, as I look back was the best way to learn. I made a few pieces, and that’s how I understood what I was doing.   There is a Star Wars quote, “Do or do not; there is no try.” I started in 2005. My boyfriend at the time, who became my husband, said, “What do you want to do?” I said, ”I don’t know.” He said, “That’s a lie; Everybody wants a thing and we’re embarrassed to say it. You think you’re too old, or too young. What do you want to do? Act? Write? Work for NASA? It can be anything.” He said, “You have to say it out loud.” I said, “I want to design jewelry. I don’t know how to do it.”   When I started, I was doing everything from designing to FedEx. I was alone, and I did it all. I have such an amazing group of people I work with now. Now it’s shorthand: We can have one quick conversation and say, “Hey do you remember the leaf with the baguette diamonds?”  I like when things feel organized. When I walk into a room and I know where everything is . . . organization is inspiring to me.  As a business owner, I’m available 24/7. I don’t care what time you text me, I don’t care what time you call or email me. If it’s 11 p.m. on a Saturday and you work with me and you said, “Jen, do you have five minutes?” I have five minutes. Unless I’m sound asleep, other than that I am available. I do, though, [I] still think it’s important to set boundaries to make you feel good, but I don’t have a boundary with my time.  I love a reminder. When someone says, “Just bumping this to the top of your emails. Or, hey, making sure you did this.” You cannot bug me. It is the greatest feeling in the world. Bother me until it’s finished.  I always get up by 7 a.m. I always make sure my kids are fed and out the door. They drive now, which is such a weird thing. I love to work out and I go to bed thinking about my coffee. I drink decaf. I used to have really bad panic attacks. They were debilitating. If I’m drinking caffeine first thing, that’s not good for anybody. I always have a book with me. Everything is written down. I have to write it down and I have to take a highlighter to it. That is it for me. That’s how I do things. When people have notes on their phones, it gives me hives.  Being creative is throwing it all out there, making mistakes and making it your own. How many times have you looked at something and thought, “I would never wear that, what is that? No.” And then, somehow six months later you’re around it enough and you see that woman whose aesthetic you love and you’re like, “I get it now.”  Hard work pays off. You have got to develop those relationships; you have to sit with people and get to know their wives and children and husbands. You have to get in there and spend the time and energy and the focus and you have to develop the same aesthetic, which is really challenging. Everyone has their own idea of how things should be made. It’s a lot of working together and explaining yourself and being clear. You talk about boundaries. Those that are the boundaries that are important. Clarity is kindness. I grew up going to art galleries with my dad. He loved going to galleries. I remember I was like 8 years old and he bought this art and it was on our wall. It was literally a green and blue triangle—nothing else. Half was blue and half was green. I remember saying to him, “What is that? I could have done that.” He looked at me and said, “But you didn’t.” It never left my head. That artist did it and thought of it and created it. It was easy for me to have a 10-minute opinion, but I didn’t do it. I was like, “He’s damn right.”

I don't mean to be alarmist, but I do think it's time to start assuming everything you see online is fake. The internet is full of content produced by real people, of course (this article included). But AI-generated media is getting so realistic, that it almost puts you at a disadvantage to presume the content you're scrolling past on your feeds is legitimate. Don't skip this article because you know what AI content looks like—the current stuff your algorithm delivers to your social media feeds is easy to spot if you know what you're looking for. But even if you can identify AI slop the second it hits your eyeballs, you need to know you're not ready for the next wave of AI-generated videos. That wave isn't just on its way—it's already here. AI content is already fooling peopleMost of us are acutely aware of the "AI video" look: This "tragic" video of a cat parent saving their kitten by throwing it out of a burning airplane is obvious AI slop to most who watch it. You probably know Trump isn't working this construction site, and you most assuredly can understand this family of cat farmers is, in fact, AI-generated.But there are the videos that aren't so obvious, especially to those of us not quite so in tune with AI, or technology in general. You might know this video of babies dancing in a circle is AI, but plenty of the people in the comments didn't (assuming they aren't bots, either). You might also be able to tell that this family of pets isn't really watching a bird investigate a toy alligator, but, again, plenty can't. And there is no end to the America's Got Talent videos that feature "realistic" yet impossible visuals—that still capture the hearts of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people. (I weep.)But I'm not writing this piece today because I'm concerned about how many of these "believable" AI videos are tricking way too many people into thinking they're real. I am worried about that, but those worries pale in comparison to my new fears.So far, most of the AI videos taking over social media feeds rely mainly on their visuals and background sounds to sell their alleged authenticity. You'll notice none of the characters in any of these videos actually speak. If they do, it's immediately off-putting, with out of sync lip movements and, typically, robotic voices. It's been easier for AI creators to put the emphasis on the realism of the people and animals in their videos, and hope you're wowed enough by a baby dancing with a lion to not think, "this is bullshit, right?"Even OpenAI's Sora video model, which shocked me with its quality in February of last year, was working off of its realistic visuals. A video of woman "filming" her reflection through a train window too real for comfort, but Sora wasn't spitting out fully-rendered conversations. If you see such a scene on your feeds, you probably assume, of course, it's a real video—or at least one generated by humans.AI video is about to change completelySomething happened this week that only made me more pessimistic about the future of truth on the internet. During this week's Google I/O event, Google unveiled Veo 3, its latest AI video model. Like other competitive models out there, Veo 3 can generate highly realistic sequences, which Google showed off throughout the presentation. Sure, not great, but also, nothing really new there. But Veo 3 isn't just capable of generating video that might trick your eye into thinking its real: Veo 3 can also generate audio to go alongside the video. That includes sound effects, but also dialogue—lip-synced dialogue. In order to demonstrate Veo 3's audio/video capabilities, Google showed off a clip of an old sailor at sea. The video quality is sharp and realistic, and the words the man speaks are synced to his lip movements. Of course, knowing the video is AI, you notice quirks that give away the game (to my eye, this looks like a high quality animation more than a live action shot) but I am quite confident this video would fool a lot of fans of fake AGT videos. But even this clip wasn't what inspired my newfound fears—it was the videos that users started making once they got their hands on Veo 3. PetaPixel has a great roundup of some of the "best" Veo 3 videos people have made so far, but I'll highlight some of the ones that should scare you most. This clip shows a streamer playing Fortnite. Everything, including the game footage, was generated with Google's AI: This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This clip shows three concerts that never happened, featuring musicians and crowds that do not exist. The music isn't good, but that's not the point. The music, from the vocals to the instrumentals, was generated entirely by the AI, and then synced to lips, drums, guitars, and strings: This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. But this clip is, without a doubt, the one that should sound the alarm for each and every one of us. Someone generated a fake video of a fake car show, featuring fake interviews with fake attendees. It's far from perfect, but any AI quirks are totally overshadowed by the surface-level realism here. Not only would the AI's Got Talent fans buy this, I would buy this, especially if I wasn't looking out for it: This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. It's the visuals; it's the dialogue; it's the crowds; it's the lighting; it's the candid laughter at "mistakes;" it's the sound of the mic being "bumped" into. Congratulations on noticing the dialogue often doesn't make sense, or that the people in the background defy the laws of physics—you won't notice it when it hits mid-scroll on TikTok or Instagram. Even Veo 2, which isn't as powerful as Veo 3, now offers tools for realism, like the ability to dictate how you want the camera to move. And both models are available in Flow, Google's AI video editor of sorts. Creators now have the ability to generate highly realistic AI content that feels like it was filmed in-person, and the tech is only getting better. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Google's best AI video generator tools cost $250 a month through its new AI Ultra subscription plan. That's expensive, but not out of reach for plenty of people interested in making AI-generated content. But the $20 per month plan, AI Pro, still comes with Veo 2 and Flow access. The rate limits are lower, but I wouldn't be shocked to see some realistic slop come out of those limitations, too. It's time to be a full-time skepticNone of this tech is perfect. I'm not here to tell you that everything Veo 3 spits out is indistinguishable from real content, or that the videos are absent any of the usual AI tells. In fact, there's clearly something up with Veo 3's training data: As 404 Media reports, the model continuously generates the same weird "dad joke" whenever you ask for a generation of a comedian performing standup. What I'm saying is, it's time to turn on your bullshit detectors and keep them active full time. When engaging with videos on the internet—especially short-form algorithmic clips—you might be safer operating under the assumption the content is fake from the jump, and require proof beyond a reasonable doubt that what you're seeing wasn't generated with a simple prompt and a $250 budget. That feels extreme, but after what I've seen this week, I don't really see another way to engage with this content going forward.We're in scary territory now. Today, it's demos of musicians and streamers. Tomorrow, it's a politician saying something they didn't; a suspect committing the crime they're accused of; a "reporter" feeding you lies through the "news."I hope this is as good as the technology gets. I hope AI companies run out of training data to improve their models, and that governments take some action to regulate this technology. But seeing as the Republicans in the United States passed a bill that included a ban on state-enforced AI regulations for ten years, I'm pretty pessimistic on that latter point. In all likelihood, this tech is going to get better, with zero guardrails to ensure it advances safely. I'm left wondering how many of those politicians who voted yes on that bill watched an AI-generated video on their phone this week and thought nothing of it.

Shutterstock 2025-05-24T10:44:01Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? This post originally appeared in the BI Today newsletter. You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here. Welcome back to our Saturday edition! Are you headed to the movie theater this weekend to see Tom Cruise's next big flick, "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning"? Find out why he's had such staying power. Hint: It rhymes with punts.On the agenda:Living in the forest for four years shaved a decade off a researcher's biological age.Rich Americans are booking fancy vacations. Everyone else is cutting back.Morgan Wallen is the man of the moment because of his controversies, not in spite of them.A week on Mexico's "Happy Coast," the hidden getaway of the wealthy.But first: It's cookout time.If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Business Insider's app here.This week's dispatchIt's time to sizzle and serve gorodenkoff/Getty Images Summer, is that you? :squints:With Memorial Day on Monday serving as the unofficial kick-off for summer, it's my favorite time of the year — grilling season. Get out the burgers. Get out the hot dogs. And if you'd rather not eat meat, get out the vegetables.Luckily for you, BI's Lifestyle team has been speaking with various chefs for tips on how to ensure people will be coming back to your grill asking for more.Chef Alissa Fitzgerald tells BI that a good burger starts with the kind of beef you buy. Try to aim for beef with "80% meat and 20% fat," allow them to thaw completely, and don't season them too early."Right before placing it on the grill, take a large pinch of kosher salt and gently cover the outside of the patty with a thin layer," she suggests. "Add the burger salt-side down on the grill and sprinkle some on the other side."If you're putting other types of meat on the grill, however, like steaks, you'll want to season them "a few hours before you plan on cooking it and let it sit in the fridge," Chef Marcus Jacobs tells BI.Meanwhile, when grilling chicken, Jacobs suggests creating a "blend of salt, white and black pepper, paprika, coriander, and several different types of chilies."No matter how you season or what you're throwing on the grill, check out the chefs' other tips to make sure you're not the talk of the neighborhood for the wrong reason.Touching grass David Furman When David Furman discovered his body was prematurely aging because of stress, he and his family moved to a one-room cabin in the woods to reset. Furman changed what they ate and how he exercised, and scaled back use of electronics.To his delight, the experiment worked: It dramatically improved his longevity and energy. He continues to reap the benefits now, even after leaving the forest.Travel is for the rich now Slim Aarons/Getty Images Almost half of summer travelers this year make over $100,000, according to a Deloitte survey. The wealth gap is growing, and middle-income vacationers are either staying home or opting for more budget-friendly trips.Even as demand wavers, luxury travel is booming. New accommodations are under construction, and "luxury" short-term rentals are increasing in price faster than other listings.Morgan Wallen's country John Shearer/Getty Images There's nothing sonically special about Morgan Wallen's music, and he has a habit of attracting controversy. Still, in the wake of scandals involving slurs and disorderly conduct, Wallen is more popular than ever.That's because Wallen's messiness is a key part of his brand, writes BI's Callie Ahlgrim. Fans see his scandals as proof of his authenticity, and he embodies an idea of freedom.A Happy Coast hideaway Monica Humphries/Business Insider A 155-mile stretch of Mexico's Pacific coast is a quiet vacation hot spot for the ultrawealthy. Costalegre, Spanish for "Happy Coast," is practically impossible to reach — for those without a private jet, at least.BI's Monica Humphries spent a week resort-hopping in Costalegre. Each had a different appeal, from the neighborhood feel and star-studded history at Careyes to the ATVs and private beaches at Las Alamandas.What we're watching this weekend Netflix; Chelsea Jia Feng/BI "Sirens": Julianne Moore, "The White Lotus" actor Meghann Fahy, and "House of the Dragon" standout Milly Alcock all star in Netflix's new dark comedy set in a beachside town."The Last of Us": Season two of HBO's TV show adaptation of the popular video game series ends this weekend."Nine Perfect Strangers": Nicole Kidman returns as a wellness guru in season two of the Hulu series, this time set in the Austrian Alps.See the full list iStock; Rebecca Zisser/BI Deals we loveMemorial Day savings: Mattresses are almost always on sale, but our deal experts know that Memorial Day is when we see the steepest discounts. Here are the best mattress deals for the holiday weekend.Business (Insider) casual: Our men's style editors are here to help you look sharp at the office without feeling stiff. Check out our brand-new guide to the best men's business casual clothes for work.Le Creuset vs. Staub: Our kitchen experts hate to break it to you, but there's a reason the more expensive option is better. Here's why we recommend Le Creuset.More of this week's top reads:I stayed at a luxurious resort in Barbados with my young daughter. From the private pool to the stunning beach, our stay was nearly perfect.Keke Palmer said she didn't feel adequately paid in Hollywood until Jordan Peele's 'Nope' — two decades into her career.Four sandal trends that are in this summer and four that are out, according to stylists and designers.The patent behind a $182 cult-favorite skincare product recently expired. So where are all the dupes?I visited the most expensive city in Utah and spotted five signs of over-the-top wealth and luxury.Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter's choreographer shares how she gets her clients so fit they can sing and dance — in just 12 weeks.Five style mistakes a menswear designer wishes you would stop making.A 56-year-old personal trainer on how to build muscle after 40 — with rucking, body weight exercises, and short workouts.I visited Universal's new theme park, Epic Universe. I see why some people wouldn't like it, but I'd happily go back.The BI Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City. Grace Lett, editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago.

Roborock Saros Z70 review: an innovative robot vacuum with a robotic arm that just can’t get a grip MSRP $2,600.00 Score Details “The Roborock Saros Z70 is a powerful robot vacuum and mop, but its robotic arm isn’t quite ready for the spotlight.” Pros 22,000 Pa suction Auto-detaching mopping pads Reliable navigation Slim profile Robotic arm is cool (when it works) Cons Robotic arm functionality isn't great Expensive “Why you can trust Digital Trends – We have a 20-year history of testing, reviewing, and rating products, services and apps to help you make a sound buying decision. Find out more about how we test and score products.“ Recommended Videos The Roborock Saros Z70 is the most innovative robot vacuum I’ve ever tested. Along with the ability to vacuum and mop, this unique gadget is equipped with a robotic arm. As it cruises around your home, it’ll pick up objects left on the ground, move them to a designated area, then continue with its cleaning routine. Or rather, that’s what it’s supposed to do. In reality, things are a bit of a mixed bag. First and foremost — the Saros Z70 does an excellent job of cleaning all types of floors. With heaps of suction and a premium spinning mop setup, it’s designed to tackle spills and debris with ease. But the robotic arm is the big selling point here, and it doesn’t do enough to justify its eye-watering price tag of $2,600 (inflated from the original price of $1,900 due to tariffs). Roborock offers products at a much lower price point capable of cleaning just as well as the Saros Z70. And because the robotic arm isn’t quite ready for the modern household environment, it’s hard to recommend to anyone except those who need to be on the cutting edge of the robot vacuum industry — which is a pretty niche crowd. Still, I’m excited to see where the technology goes. The Saros Z70 might not be ready for the spotlight just yet, but its successors will most definitely learn from its mistakes. It’s all about the arm Jon Bitner / Digital Trends The Roborock Saros Z70 can automatically vacuum, mop, detach and reinstall its mopping pads, empty its dustbin, and wash itself — but the reason you’re even thinking about spending $2,600 is because of its wild robotic arm. No other robot vacuum on the market offers this functionality. One of the biggest limitations of current robot vacuums is that they must clean around your mess. Forget to pick up a sock, shoe, or other object, and that portion of your home will be missed. The Saros Z70 attempts to fix this pinch point. Forget to pick up your dirty socks? It’ll pick them up for you, then return them to a specified point in your home. This should, in theory, result in a more comprehensive clean, as it doesn’t have to work around your mess — instead, it’ll simply clean up for you. It’s a remarkable idea for a robot vacuum, and the Saros Z70 is a fine first attempt at bringing this idea to life. Much like any new technology, it’s quite rough around the edges, but the proof of concept is there. It successfully picked up socks, slippers, and crumpled paper left out in my home. It would then bring them to a designated spot before continuing with its cleaning routine. When it works, it’s one of the coolest things you’ll ever see in the world of robot vacuums. Roborock But the successes of the robotic arm are overshadowed by its limitations. To be clear, Roborock is quite transparent with its restrictions. For example, detection doesn’t work very well (or at all, in some cases) on carpet. The grip is only capable of picking up items of 300 grams or less. If the robot detects furniture above it, the arm won’t fully deploy — protecting itself and your belongings from a collision. This means you’re essentially limited to picking up small, lightweight objects like socks and slippers from hard surfaces. Even if the robot detects something it should, theoretically, be able to handle, the grip often struggles. Designed as a set of prongs that reach down to lift objects, it frequently misses the object or grabs it awkwardly and later drops it. Simply put, the system takes way too long to be an effective solution for your home. When not in use, the arm stows away into a chamber at the front of the robot vacuum. This results in a streamlined footprint capable of slinking under most furniture for a robust cleaning. The entire system looks nice (as is par for the course with Roborock), though the functionality of the robotic arm leaves much to be desired. Mopping and vacuuming Jon Bitner / Digital Trends While the robotic arm is a bit of a letdown, this isn’t the case for the rest of the Roborock Saros Z70. It’s essentially a superpowered version of the fantastic Saros 10R, featuring 22,000 Pa of suction, the accurate StarSight Autonomous System 2.0 for navigation, an anti-tangle system to keep brushes free of debris, and detachable mops that can automatically be left behind in the dock while vacuuming. Several secondary features are bundled in for added convenience, such as the ability to check in on the device remotely via video calls and a child lock to prevent curious kids from meddling with the expensive robot. Toss in a side brush capable of rotating outward for enhanced coverage and a mopping pad capable of the same, and you’ve got a robot well-suited for providing one of the best cleans on the market — plus a few fun extras. Verdict As innovative as the Roborock Saros Z70 is, it’s not the right fit for most customers. Its combination of price and lackluster robotic arm performance means it’s just not capable of living up to expectations, and you’d be better off with the Roborock Saros 10 or Saros 10R. Both products provide similar cleanings at a fraction of the price. Having said all that, the Saros Z70 is still an exciting product. The first time its robotic arm deployed to pick up a sock, I literally shouted in excitement. It’s hard to overstate how cool this technology is — and how it could seriously revolutionize robot vacuums. The Saros Z70 is (hopefully) the first step on a much longer journey, and I can’t wait to see where Roborock takes us.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans. Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.What is Connections Sports Edition?The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media. Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up! Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:Yellow: Teams located in the Volunteer StateGreen: Baseball statsBlue: Recent world championsPurple: Cup Competitions Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:Yellow: Tennessee Pro TeamsGreen: Baseball Stat AbbreviationsBlue: Last Four Teams to Win A Super BowlPurple: Soccer "Cups"Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.Drumroll, please!The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #243 is...What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition todayTennessee Pro Teams - GRIZZLIES, NASHVILLE SC, PREDATORS, TITANSBaseball Stat Abbreviations - HR, PA, SO, WHIPLast Four Teams to Win A Super Bowl - BUCCANEERS, CHIEFS, EAGLES, RAMSSoccer "Cups" - CARABAO, FA, MLS, WORLDDon't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections. Topics Connections

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More It was a big week for AI announcements following events from Microsoft, Google, and Anthropic. But OpenAI is finishing things out with news of its own. And no, we’re not just talking about its $6.5 billion acquisition of Jony Ive’s design team to lead a new hardware effort, “io” at OpenAI. Today, the company upgraded its Operator autonomous web browsing and cursor controlling agent within ChatGPT from using the prior GPT-4o multimodal large language model to the newer and more powerful o3 reasoning model. The update, released globally today, May 23, 2025, is available as a “research preview” to paying subscribers of OpenAI’s $200 USD-monthly ChatGPT Pro plan. Basically, that is OpenAI’s way of saying it’s not a fully “sanded down” or perfected product yet — it may still have kinks and issues. But with rival Google offering its own top tier AI subscription bundle for a price of nearly $250 USD regularly (currently running a discount down to $125 for the first three months) to access its latest Gemini multimodal, Imagen image generation, and Veo video generation models, suddenly OpenAI’s ChatGPT Pro plan seems more affordable by comparison. What is OpenAI’s Operator and what is it for? Operator first debuted in January 2025 as OpenAI’s initial step into semi-autonomous agents, specifically Computer Using Agents (CUAs). The idea is to go beyond the chatbot interface of ChatGPT and allow OpenAI’s powerful AI models to start taking more actions on behalf of the user. Thus, Operator was designed to autonomously point, click, scroll, and type to complete web-based tasks such as booking dinner reservations, compiling shopping lists, or ordering event tickets. This agentic capability allows it to complete user tasks directly through a browser interface, from booking reservations to gathering online data. For safety, privacy and security purposes, Operator didn’t use any existing web browser on a user’s PC or Mac. Instead, it ran in a cloud-hosted virtual browser accessible via a standalone site—operator.chatgpt.com—where users could input requests and observe the agent perform tasks in real time. It combined vision, reasoning, and interaction capabilities based on GPT-4o, marking a new direction for OpenAI in agentic AI. The product was launched as a research preview for ChatGPT Pro subscribers and featured built-in safety measures like user confirmations, Watch Mode, and restrictions on high-risk web platforms. It was also being tested in enterprise contexts, including travel planning and civic services, demonstrating its potential across both consumer and business environments. o3 offers improved accuracy, structure, and success rates With this update, OpenAI aims to enhance performance across several key dimensions. The new o3-based Operator demonstrates improved persistence and accuracy during browser interactions. In practical terms, this means it is more likely to complete user tasks successfully and with less need for correction or repetition. Moreover, users can expect responses that are clearer, more structured, and more comprehensive. In comparative evaluations, the new model shows a distinct preference advantage over its predecessor. Human preference studies reveal that users favor the o3 model for its style, comprehensiveness, and clarity. It also performs strongly in instruction following and efficiency, though results for factual correctness are more balanced between versions. Performance on third-party evaluation benchmarks reflects these enhancements. On the OSWorld benchmark that measures completion of browser-based tasks, the o3 model scores 42.9 compared to 38.1 for the previous version. However, OpenAI notes that due to limitations in the automated grading system, the actual performance gain could be closer to 20 percentage points! On WebArena, the new model achieved a score of 62.9, up from 48.1. The most dramatic improvement appears on the GAIA benchmark, where the o3 model scores 62.2, vastly surpassing the prior model’s 12.3. Side-by-side task comparisons further illustrate these gains. In one example involving a restaurant booking request, the new model provided a clearer and more detailed list of available reservations, including locations, Michelin ratings, and seating notes, presented in a well-formatted table. The previous version, while functional, delivered less information in a less organized manner, according to an image included with the new o3 Operator release notes: The o3 model also inherits the safety measures introduced with earlier versions, with further fine-tuning for its role as an agentic system. OpenAI has integrated enhanced training against harmful task execution, prompt injection vulnerabilities, and mistakes involving user intent. Evaluations show that the model now confirms 94% of sensitive actions before executing them, with 100% confirmation in financial transactions. Prompt injection susceptibility has also decreased from 23% to 20%. Notably, the o3 Operator maintains a cautious boundary on certain high-risk web interactions, such as email or financial platforms, where it may require user supervision via Watch Mode or explicitly refuse to proceed. These measures are part of a layered approach to safety that combines model-level robustness with real-time monitoring. While the upgrade to Operator marks a technical improvement, it also reflects OpenAI’s ongoing commitment to responsible AI deployment. The system’s ability to take real-world actions introduces new risks, and the development team continues to refine its safety protocols accordingly. According to OpenAI’s updated o3 system card documentation, the model remains below high-risk capability thresholds in categories such as biological and chemical misuse and has no native coding environment or terminal access, further reducing potential misuse vectors. Operator remains a research preview and is accessible only to ChatGPT Pro users. The Responses API version of Operator will continue to be based on the GPT-4o model, at least for now. Implications for enterprise technical decision-makers The upgraded Operator stands to significantly enhance the workflows of professionals in AI engineering, orchestration, data management, and IT security. For those building or maintaining machine learning models, the model’s improved accuracy and structured outputs reduce the overhead of test validation and troubleshooting. In orchestration contexts, it offers a practical, reliable tool for automating browser-based components of complex pipelines. Data engineers can delegate manual web interactions—such as data verification and scraping—with more confidence, freeing time for higher-level optimization work. Security professionals, meanwhile, gain a safer way to simulate user behavior in audits and incident response exercises, thanks to the model’s layered safety mechanisms. Across these disciplines, the o3-based Operator introduces both a capability upgrade and a risk mitigation framework, making it a practical addition to the modern technical toolkit. Daily insights on business use cases with VB Daily If you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI. Read our Privacy Policy Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here. An error occured.