undefined 4, 2025
Source: interestingengineering
AI-enhanced acting? Adrien Brody’s 2025 Oscar win stirs fears in Hollywood
Hollywood’s AI debate hit new heights at the 97th Academy Awards! Adrien Brody’s Oscar-winning role in The Brutalist sparked controversy after AI was used to tweak actors' accents. Meanwhile, Dune: Part Two and A Complete Unknown leaned on AI for VFX, and Emilia Pérez altered vocals with machine learning. As AI reshapes cinema, the industry wrestles with ethics, artistry, and job security. Will AI be Hollywood’s next great tool or its biggest threat?
Google’s Sergey Brin urges workers to the office ‘at least’ every weekday
Sergey Brin is pushing Google’s AI team to work harder, urging them to be in the office daily and hit 60-hour workweeks to win the race to artificial general intelligence (AGI). In a memo, he stressed using AI tools for coding efficiency and warned against minimal effort. While Google’s official hybrid policy remains, Brin’s stance aligns with tech giants like Amazon and JPMorgan reversing remote work. Since ChatGPT’s launch, Brin has been hands-on, helping Google compete with OpenAI, Microsoft, and Meta in the AI arms race.
You can now talk to Google Gemini from your iPhone’s lock screen
Google Gemini users can now access the AI chatbot directly from their iPhone’s lock screen via a new widget, making real-time voice interactions with Gemini Live easier than ever. As Apple’s AI-powered Siri faces delays until 2027, Google and OpenAI are stepping in to fill the gap. The update also adds widgets for quick text chats, reminders, and photo uploads. Meanwhile, Android users will soon get real-time AI answers for video and onscreen content—exclusively for Gemini Advanced subscribers.
A private space mission just successfully landed on the moon for the first time
Firefly Aerospace has become the first private company to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon. Its Blue Ghost lunar module touched down at Mare Crisium on March 2, standing upright and operational. The mission, part of NASA’s Artemis program, will run for 14 Earth days, carrying 10 scientific instruments to study the lunar environment. Unlike previous private missions that failed or landed improperly, Firefly's success positions it as a leader in NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. The lander, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, will also capture high-definition images of the upcoming lunar eclipse.
Microsoft is shutting down Skype: What other technologies have become obsolete?
Microsoft will shut down Skype in May 2025, marking the end of an era for the once-dominant video call service. Acquired for $8.5 billion in 2011, Skype peaked with over 300 million users but had dropped to 36 million by 2023. Microsoft will transition users to Teams, allowing them to log in with existing accounts. Skype now joins a long list of once-ubiquitous technologies that have faded into obsolescence, including Blackberries, landlines, floppy disks, VHS tapes, CDs, and fax machines—replaced by modern digital alternatives.
Google is hobbling popular ad blocker uBlock Origin on Chrome
Google is disabling uBlock Origin on Chrome as it moves to Manifest V3, limiting ad-blocking capabilities. uBlock Origin Lite will still work but lacks advanced features. The changes make blocking YouTube ads harder, benefiting Google’s ad business. Firefox still supports full uBlock Origin, and Safari with AdGuard is an option for mobile. While Manifest V3 improves security, critics argue it prioritizes Google’s ad revenue over user control.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra review: ugly phone, beautiful camera
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra refines last year’s model with a new 200MP periscope lens, enhancing its already strong camera system. While the photography is impressive, the design suffers from an asymmetrical, oversized camera module. The phone packs flagship specs, solid battery life, and fast charging, but Xiaomi’s HyperOS comes with bloatware and limited customization. Despite its flaws, the camera’s performance makes it a compelling choice, though competition from Vivo and Oppo is closing in.
BP slashes renewables investment and boosts fossil fuel production
BP is scaling back its renewable energy investments by $5bn annually, reducing funding to just $1bn-$2bn, while increasing fossil fuel production by $10bn a year. The company is shifting focus back to oil and gas, aiming to grow production to 2.5 million barrels a day by 2030. This strategy reversal comes after pressure from activist investor Elliott Management and lower-than-expected profits. BP also plans job cuts and reduced capital for biogas and renewables projects amid global climate concerns.
1,500-year-old skeleton found in chains in Jerusalem was a female 'extreme ascetic'
Archaeologists have uncovered a fifth-century burial near Jerusalem that reveals a woman who practiced religious asceticism, a rare discovery. The individual, found wrapped in heavy chains at the Khirbat el-Masani monastery, likely used the chains during life to restrict mobility as part of her spiritual practice. While male ascetics are known to have used chains, female ascetics typically pursued less extreme practices. Analysis of tooth enamel confirmed the individual’s sex, highlighting her unique commitment to asceticism. This burial may have been a way to honor her spiritual devotion, ensuring it was recognized after death.
Typewriters, stinky carpets and crazy press trips: what it was like working on video game mags in the 1980s
In the summer of 1985, as a 14-year-old gamer, I visited the Commodore computer show in London and was starstruck by Julian Rignall, a Zzap!64 reviewer. Games magazines like Zzap, Crash, and Computer & Video Games were the social media influencers of the 80s, making reviewers the stars. Behind the scenes, it was chaotic—manual production processes and teams working in cramped, low-budget offices. Yet, they defined an era, pushing the boundaries of game journalism, and paving the way for future publications.
Source: interestingengineering
China turns liquor waste into battery power with 91.9% retention after 100 cycles
Researchers at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) have turned baijiu, a popular Chinese liquor, into a high-performance material for sodium-ion battery anodes. By using the sediment from baijiu production, they created silicon-doped hard carbon, improving battery efficiency. This material showed a reversible capacity of 281.5 mAh/g, retaining 91.9% of its capacity after 100 cycles. Unlike traditional hard carbon sources, baijiu sediment is cost-effective and environmentally friendly, with plans to scale up production.
How to see the total lunar eclipse and blood moon this month
On March 14, a total lunar eclipse will be visible across America. During the event, the moon will turn a deep red, known as the "blood moon," as Earth’s shadow blocks sunlight. The eclipse will start at 8:57 pm PT in the US, with totality occurring at 11:26 pm PT, lasting about an hour. This rare celestial event is caused by sunlight scattering in Earth’s atmosphere, with red wavelengths reaching the moon. Observers are advised to view the eclipse away from city lights, using binoculars or a telescope for better visibility.
