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The UK’s Advanced Research and Innovation Agency (ARIA) was established in 2023 with the goal of pursuing “high-risk, high-reward” moonshots in sectors ranging from bolstering food security to new ways of ramping up human immunity.With more than £1 billion (about $1.3 billion) worth of government funding earmarked between now and 2030, one of ARIA’s most ambitious programs is a £69 million initiative that aims to develop more tailored ways of modulating the human brain. The hope is to eventually address an entire range of disorders, from epilepsy to Alzheimer’s.Reports have previously estimated that this suite of neurological conditions costs the…
Australia is getting serious about making Big Tech pay for news. The country’s government unveiled draft legislation on Tuesday that would require companies like Meta, Google, and TikTok to pay for the journalism they aggregate or reshare, or face a levy on their local revenues. Communications minister Anika Wells said at a press conference today: “People are increasingly getting their news directly from Facebook, from TikTok, and from Google.” The proposed law, called the News Bargaining Incentive (NBI), would impose a 2.25% levy on the Australian revenues of the three platforms unless they strike commercial deals with local news publishers.…
Greg Hogan, an affiliate of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), will serve as acting assistant commissioner of the Technology Transformation Services (TTS), a unit within the General Services Administration (GSA). There, he will oversee Login.gov, the government’s secure login and identity service.Gregory Barbaccia, the federal chief information officer and acting director of TTS, wrote in an email to TTS staff that Hogan will be focused on growing Login.gov’s user base, with the ultimate goal of the product “becoming a world-class identity platform recognized beyond the federal government.” Until earlier this year, TTS was led by Thomas Shedd, a…
When soccer fans watch the FIFA World Cup this year, Budweiser wants them to let everything—emotions, memories, team spirit, and, of course, beer—pour out.The Anheuser-Busch InBev beer brand is debuting a new campaign, “Let It Pour,” partnering with soccer superstar Erling Haaland of Norway and former player and manager Jürgen Klopp of Germany.Both Haaland and Klopp appear in the ad, “Let It Pour,” created by Grey Global. Set to the soundtrack “Feelin’ Alright” by Joe Cocker, the film opens with Klopp sitting in a bar as his pint of Budweiser begins to rumble. “It’s happening again,” he says.The spot then…
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday heard arguments in a landmark legal case that could redefine digital privacy rights for people across the United States. The case, Chatrie v. United States, centers on the government’s controversial use of so-called “geofence” search warrants. Law enforcement and federal agents use these warrants to compel tech companies, like Google, to turn over information about which of its billions of users were in a certain place and time based on their phone’s location. By casting a wide net over a tech company’s stores of users’ location data, investigators can reverse-engineer who was at the…
The United Arab Emirates has announced it will leave OPEC and OPEC+ effective May 1, ending a membership that began in 1967—four years before the UAE was founded as a country. This signals a turning point in the UAE’s role in global energy.The government statement, published on state news agency WAM, cited a comprehensive review of the country’s production policy and capacity as the basis for the move, calling it a reflection of “the UAE’s long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile.”The decision, it said, is rooted in national interest and a commitment to meeting what it described…
Paris Hilton and her media company, 11:11 Media, are deepening their partnership with food giant McCormick. Having brought Hilton on board earlier this year to create content and recipe inspiration featuring McCormick spices, seasonings, and extracts, the pair have now announced plans to launch a limited-edition seasoning range co-created by the celebrity in February 2027.The range, unveiled Tuesday (April 28) at POSSIBLE in Miami, includes a curated mix of seasonings for meals, snacks, appetizers, and beverages. This launch will be supported by a dedicated digital platform showcasing recipes, fun moments with Hilton, and more.Product visuals are not yet public. However,…
Apple is giving App Store developers a new way to attract subscribers with lower-priced plans tied to a yearlong commitment. The company announced on Monday it will introduce a new subscription option that lets customers pay for their auto-renewing subscriptions on a monthly basis, while committing to a 12-month plan. This model will allow developers to offer discounted rates to customers in exchange for more predictable long-term revenue. This also caters to how many developers have already been marketing their annual subscriptions in their apps. Often, app developers will display the lower monthly price to highlight the discount the customer…
I’m a nighttime reader. I usually read in the dark with my e-reader of choice in its native dark mode (if you’re unfamiliar, it’s the mode that turns the background black and all text and lines white, making it much dimmer but still easy to read). That allows my husband and even my almost-4-year-old to snooze next to me while I read, with no beacon of light blasting from my device.It’s no surprise that, as such a nighttime reader, the lack of dark mode on the Kindle Colorsoft or Kindle Scribe Colorsoft was a big complaint for me. Yes, you can turn the page…
Stagwell is pitching its Agent Cloud AI software to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and in-house agencies as part of a push to drive revenue through subscription software products. The network’s software arm, The Marketing Cloud, announced the latest expansion of its Agent Cloud platform this week, rolling out a 10-agent “marketing toolkit” designed to help lean teams execute campaigns without adding staff. The launch underscores how Stagwell is increasingly monetizing its software offerings beyond its traditional services business.In the final quarter of 2025, The Marketing Cloud exceeded $105 million in revenue and grew 41%. In its latest earnings report, Stagwell CEO…
Snapchat announced on Tuesday that it’s rolling out “AI Sponsored Snaps,” which will allow users to interact directly with brands’ AI agents. Sponsored Snaps are the ads placed directly into the app’s main Chat tab. Until now, users couldn’t interact with these ads, but with the launch of AI Sponsored Ads, they’ll be able to do things like ask questions and get recommendations. Of course, not everyone will be on board with AI-sponsored ads, as they introduce AI into yet another part of the Snapchat experience. Plus, not everyone is eager for more advanced advertising. However, Snapchat said in a…
The next gadget you put on your head could scan your brain. Neurable, a Boston-based company that embeds its noninvasive brain-scanning technology into hardware to monitor a person’s focus levels, announced on Tuesday that it is transitioning to a licensing platform model. By certifying third parties, Neurable expects its tech to be in a “flood” of consumer gadgets this year and next.Neurable has until now focused its efforts on a pair of consumer-grade headphones—made in partnership with audio brand Master & Dynamic. It also has a contract with the US Department of Defense to see how its technology can monitor…
Starting soon, Snapchat’s 900 million monthly active users will be able to converse directly with branded Snaps that appear in their messages, thanks to a new agentic ad offering. New AI Sponsored Snaps appear as standard promoted ads in the Snapchat Chat tab, but when a user clicks into it, they’re encouraged to ask questions, using their own queries or a set of preset prompts. For example, if a user receives an AI Sponsored Snap from a travel brand, they might input: “I’m interested in visiting the Caribbean. Do you have any recommendations?” or “What hotels are available in the area?”…
AI meeting notetaker apps have realized that transcribing meetings and providing summaries alone is not enough to justify their business models and valuations. They now want to act as a full workspace where users bring in data from different sources, search across all of it, and make decisions about their business. Following notetakers like Read AI, Fireflies.ai, and Fathom, Otter is now launching enterprise search by acting as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) client. That means it can connect to and pull data from outside apps and services using a common standard that AI tools are rapidly adopting. Otter has…
To achieve a smart home, you need a voice assistant to run it. A smart home assistant, usually folded into a smart speaker, will let you command your smart home with your voice and run your various routines. It also acts as a center for every gadget you want to add to your home. And you can add almost anything these days, from smart garage control to even voice-commanding your blinds.But which assistant should you choose? Each of the big players comes with its own pros and cons, but I recommend choosing based on what you already use day-to-day. Your…
Chipotle has hired Fernando Machado, the former chief marketing officer (CMO) of Burger King, as chief brand officer (CBO). The marketer will lead strategy, brand positioning, and customer engagement efforts for the business, starting June 1. He fills a role left vacant by Chipotle veteran Chris Brandt, who stepped down in January. Stephanie Perdue, who has served as interim CMO since Brandt’s departure, has now been promoted to senior vp of brand marketing.Machado spent over seven years in senior marketing roles at Restaurant Brands International (RBI), working across brands including Burger King, Popeyes, and Tim Hortons. During his tenure, he…