Google has rolled out a new AI technology, Project Genie, that claims to allow users to create interactive worlds "generated in real time." Apparently some video game investors are spooked, as a number of gaming companies saw their stock prices get hammered today.
In particular, Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two’s stock price took a massive beating, falling by more than 9% today, wiping out billions in market cap along the way. Roblox Corp., which makes the hugely popular game Roblox, saw an even steeper sell-off, with the share price dipping by more than 12% today alone. Unity, the company that makes the popular Unity game engine, saw a massive 30% stock price slip today.
Stock prices are known to bounce around in this way based on real-world news headlines, but the sell-off happening today is more substantial than normal. People have already used Project Genie to make worlds that rip off Mario, and it’s not hard to imagine how things may snowball from here and invite lawsuits.
Lithium-ion batteries are used in smartphones, laptops, electric cars, and stationary energy storage systems. Although their design has hardly changed in years, one key problem remains: the gradual aging of cells. That’s why lithium-ion batteries lose capacity over time.
A team of researchers at the University of Maryland (via NewScientist) have discovered a new solution that could extend the service life of lithium-ion batteries, all without changing internal cell structure or existing production processes.
Why do lithium-ion batteries age?
Every lithium-ion battery consists of two electrodes: a negative anode and a positive cathode. Between them is a liquid electrolyte through which lithium ions migrate when charging and discharging. Over time, this electrolyte deteriorates and the byproducts are deposited as extremely thin layers on the electrodes.
This byproduct effect is actually desirable on the anode, where it forms a stable layer that protects the electrode from further wear and tear, making the battery more durable. Unfortunately, not so for the cathode, which operates under highly oxidizing conditions and doesn’t form a comparable protective layer. Thus, aging and deterioration.
How the new solution works
The team, led by materials scientist Chunsheng Wang, investigated a new approach that doesn’t tweak the electrodes but rather the electrolyte in between. Inspired by known reactions from organic chemistry, they adjusted its properties so that ion transfers are more controlled.
The effect is that the electrolyte no longer deteriorates randomly but in a controlled manner, forming a uniform and stable protective layer on the cathode, which slows down further degradation. Crucially, no exotic materials are required for this. According to the researchers, it uses chemicals and processes already used in the battery industry.
Another advantage of this process is its flexibility. The composition of the protective layer on the cathode can be varied. A thicker layer increases stability and extends the battery’s service life but slows down ion transport, while a thinner layer allows for higher power and energy densities but results in faster wear.
This would allow batteries to be tailored to their specific application—for example, maximum durability in stationary energy storage systems or maximum performance in electric vehicles.
What does this mean for you?
It remains to be seen how much this new solution will actually extend the service life of lithium-ion batteries. The technology is in an early testing phase and reliable long-term data isn’t yet available.
Nevertheless, experts are optimistic about it. Energy storage expert Michel Armand from Spanish research center CIC energiGUNE described the controlled formation of a protective layer on the cathode as an important step towards longer-lasting batteries.
For consumers, nothing will change in the short term. In the medium-to-long term, however, this solution could help batteries in everyday devices retain capacity and improve longevity without manufacturers having to develop completely new cell types.
It was a perfect June evening in New York when I received my first email from the source who would ask me to call him Red Bull. He was writing from hell, 8,000 miles away.
A summer shower had left a rainbow over my Brooklyn neighborhood, and my two children were playing in a kiddie pool on the roof of our apartment building. Now the sun was setting, while I—in typical 21st-century parenting fashion, forgive me—compulsively scrolled through every app on my phone.
The message had no subject line and came from an address on the encrypted email service Proton Mail: “vaultwhistle@proton.me.” I opened it.
“Hello. I’m currently working inside a major crypto romance scam operation based in the Golden Triangle,” it began. “I am a computer engineer being forced to work here under a contract.”
“I’ve collected internal evidence of how the scam works—step by step,” the message continued. “I am still inside the compound, so I cannot risk direct exposure. But I want to help shut this down.”
I knew only vaguely that the Golden Triangle was a lawless jungle region in Southeast Asia. But as a reporter who has covered cryptocurrency crime for the past decade and a half, I understood that crypto scamming—specifically the version of it that’s come to be known as “pigbutchering,” in which victims are lured with promises of romance and lucrative investments, only to be tricked into handing over their life savings—has become the most profitable form of cybercrime in the world, pulling in tens of billions of dollars annually.
This sprawling scam industry is, today, staffed by hundreds of thousands of forced laborers in compounds across Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. They’re trafficked there from the poorest regions of Asia and Africa and pressed into the service of Chinese organized crime groups. The result is a self-perpetuating, constantly growing, globe-spanning money funnel that destroys lives on both ends—bankrupting one kind of victim, enslaving another.
I had read harrowing reports of scam compounds where laborers are beaten, tortured with electric shock batons, starved, and even murdered by their captors. Those stories have mostly come from the rare survivors who have escaped or been rescued by law enforcement. Never before, though, had I heard of someone currently working within a scam compound offering to act as a whistleblower—an actual source on the inside.
A Booz Allen contractor had leaked confidential tax information that showed how wealthy people like Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos manage to minimize their tax obligations.
After repeated Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid, Ukrainians face long outages during a cold winter at war. On social media, Ukrainians share tips for keeping warm at home.
You wouldn’t think it, but for years people have looked at the humble umbrella and seen more than just a way to keep dry during a rainstorm. They see it as a challenge. Can human ingenuity perfect it? Are there ways to use it we never thought of before? Can it be both more practical and insanely complicated? The answer to all of this appears to be “Yes.”
There are currently more than 11 registered patents for backpack umbrellas, and their designs range from simple extendable parasols that reach out from standard backpacks to giant shell-like hoods that cover your entire head. There are full-body umbrellas that make you look like you’re walking around in a hamster ball, there are shoe umbrellas for keeping you dry when you’re wearing open-toe footwear, and even personal vehicles to escort you through inclement weather (at some point in the not-too-distant future).
Despite the creativity, these attempts at innovation are still cumbersome and, well, frankly impractical. But John Tse, an engineer and filmmaker who runs the I Build Stuff YouTube channel, has really thought outside the box with his fascinating flying umbrella.
The opposite of a cartoon character walking around with a tiny raincloud hovering over their head, Tse’s invention utilizes drone technology to keep your head covered without the need to hold anything, wear anything, or strap yourself into anything.
Originally designed and prototyped in 2024, Tse provided a detailed behind-the-scenes update on the project just a few weeks ago to his audience of 160K+ subscribers (and beyond). In the video, Tse describes how his initial drone umbrella relied on a handheld controller, making it impractical and limited in its usability. Responding to customer suggestions, he set out to add a tracking system so that the flying umbrella could simply follow its user around, hovering just a few feet above their heads.
The process involved testing different tracking systems, from cameras, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors and even, facetiously, a remote human operator.
Tse is exhaustive in the details–explaining how flight controllers and Raspberry Pi single-board computers were used to test methods of identifying and eventually following specific targets. The inventor also manages to be skillful, clever, and funny in the storytelling. At one point, he lectures to himself in an empty classroom.
Not to spoil the ending of a video titled “I Built a Fully Autonomous Flying Umbrella,” but Tse is able to achieve his goal…sort of. As he says at the end of the video, “I’d be lying if I said this project turned out perfect, but at the same time I would also be lying to say that this moment didn’t bring us joy.”
Tse’s channel is sparse (he currently has 16 videos) but they clearly represent someone asking the questions no one else is. Apart from “wouldn’t it be cool to have a flying autonomous umbrella?” he ponders adding aimbots to a bow and arrow or building a working flight stick out of LEGO.
Even in its imperfect state, Tse’s umbrella invention is fun, potentially practical, and certainly better than…whatever this is.
If you’re in the market for a new Tesla, your fancy new electric car is going to be a little less smart—unless you pony up for a subscription. According to reporting from Elektrek and buying experiences from drivers, the company is ditching the basic Autopilot mode that used to come standard in new vehicles, and is now pushing buyers to subscribe to Full Self-Driving instead.
Before, Autopilot consisted of two minor but helpful driving assist features. The first was Traffic Aware Cruise Control, which automatically adjusts speed based on the speed limit and surrounding cars, and the second was Autosteer, which helps keep you in the center of your lane. The idea was that, while highway driving, you could turn on Autopilot and essentially let your car drive itself (while still remaining attentive and aware, of course).
Now, though, Autosteer will only be available as part of a Full Self-Driving, or FSD, subscription. Traffic Aware Cruise Control will still come standard on new vehicles, but highway drivers who aren’t paying Tesla a monthly fee will now need to make tiny corrections every once in a while to keep from veering into the wrong lane.
Making its cars dumber by default is an odd move for a company that wants to be seen as cutting-edge, although if removing Autopilot encourages more FSD subscriptions, that would see more users with Tesla’s most-advanced self-driving tech on the road. Unfortunately, that goal will be pretty costly for consumers. A Full Self-Driving subscription currently costs $99 per month, although until Feb. 14, you are able to buy a lifetime FSD subscription for $8,000.
Which features you’d get with an FSD sub depends on what’s legally available in your area, but in addition to bringing back Autosteer, upgrading could also net you assistance with parking, pickups, and lane changes. However, if all you want is to get your basic functionality back, disgruntled drivers are pointing out that the discontinued features continue to be offered standard on lower-cost models from competing brands, like Toyota.
The move to push Full Self-Driving subscriptions also comes alongside a promise from Tesla owner Elon Musk that pricing for the feature will go up as it improves, although the statement seemed to mostly focus on hopes of a future unsupervised FSD mode rather than more minor upgrades.
At any rate, it’s getting more expensive to buy a Tesla that lives up to the futuristic dreams the marketing promises. The company does still offer a slightly less expensive $6,000 "Enhanced Autopilot" add-on in some international regions, which combines the features from basic Autopilot with a few FSD features, but North American customers will now have no choice but to subscribe.
