Industry
Ofcom asks X about reports its Grok AI makes sexualised images of children
Ofcom has made urgent contact with Elon Musk's company xAI following reports its AI tool Grok can be used to make sexualised images of children and undress women. A spokesperson for the regulator said it was also investigating concerns Grok has been producing undressed images of people. The BBC has seen several examples on the social media platform X of people asking the chatbot to alter real images to make women appear in bikinis without their consent, as well as putting them in sexual situations. X has not responded to a request for comment. On Sunday, it issued a warning to users not to use Grok to generate illegal content including child sexual abuse material.
Sega co-founder David Rosen dies aged 95
It is difficult to think of a more influential figure in the arcade game industry than David Rosen, who has died aged 95. The co-founder of Sega, who remained a director of the company until 1996, was instrumental in the birth and rise of the video game business in Japan, and in the 1980s and 90s oversaw the establishment of Sega of America and the huge success of the Mega Drive console. As a US Air Force pilot during the Korean war, Rosen found himself stationed in Japan, and once the conflict was over, he stayed on, intrigued by the country and seeing possibilities in its recovering economy. In 1954 he set up Rosen Enterprises and noticing that Japanese civilians now required an increasing number of new ID cards he started importing photo booths from the US to answer the demand. From here he expanded to pinball tables and other coin-operated machines, importing them for installation in shops, restaurants and cinemas.
Never Out of Date: How Hannah Arendt Helps Us Understand Our World
Fifty years after her death in New York, Hannah Arendt has become the most popular philosopher of our time. For good reason: Her views are just as timely as ever. It must be so nice to play Hannah Arendt. No fewer than five actresses are on stage this evening at the Deutsches Theater Berlin to portray the philosopher. The piece is an adaptation of the graphic novel by American illustrator Ken Krimstein about the philosopher's life, called The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt," combined with scenes from the famous interview that journalist Gรผnter Gaus conducted with Arendt in 1964 for German public broadcaster ZDF. The article you are reading originally appeared in German in issue 49/2025 (November 28th, 2025) of DER SPIEGEL. They play Arendt and a few of her contemporaries, the philosopher Martin Heidegger, the writer Walter Benjamin, her husband Heinrich Blรผcher. There is a great deal of speech in the play, especially from Arendt herself. The places of her life are ticked off, her ...
Chess isn't fair--so rearrange the pieces
Science Chess isn't fair--so rearrange the pieces A new study suggests the standard chessboard setup needs restructuring. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. The arrangement of the 32 pieces on a standard chess board has remained the same for centuries, but a forthcoming study suggests an overhaul is in order. Based on recent statistical calculations, the fairest and most balanced setup for both players can be found among the 960 possible starting positions popularized by former world champion Bobby Fischer over 30 years ago. The standard rules of chess grant most people a lifetime of dynamic and challenging matches, but that's not always the case for the world's best players.
What if the idea of the autism spectrum is completely wrong?
What if the idea of the autism spectrum is completely wrong? For years, we've thought of autism as lying on a spectrum, but emerging evidence suggests that it comes in several distinct types. These three words have become synonymous with autism, yet behind them lies a common misunderstanding. The idea of "the spectrum" suggests that all autistic people share similar experiences and behave in similar ways - only to a greater or lesser extent. The reality couldn't be further from the truth. Some autistic people may not speak at all; others are hyperverbal and extremely fluent.
Anker's Soundcore Work AI voice recorder offers transcription in an ultra-compact form factor
Anker's Soundcore Work AI voice recorder offers transcription in an ultra-compact form factor The company revealed the cute little doodad at CES. Anker's sub-brand Soundcore just announced a new AI voice recorder at . The appropriately-named Work voice recorder is primarily intended for professionals, but also seems useful for students and anyone else who wants an AI to transcribe conversations. To that end, the company promises 97-percent transcription accuracy via the AI algorithm. The affiliated app will also provide summaries of conversations, like many modern AI tools. Users can double-tap the gadget during important parts of a conversation to ensure it gets preferential treatment.
Anker's CES smart home lineup includes a 1,600 Eufy robovac
It seems like only a few years ago that Anker made nothing more than batteries and chargers . But 15 years into its history, the company's CES portfolio continues to illustrate how much it's expanded. Among other announcements, the company has a new robot vacuum, video doorbell, outdoor light and smart lock. The company hopes its Eufy Clean Robot Vacuum Omni S2 will be your next robovac. Anker claims the vac works on shag carpets up to about 2 inches (5 cm) in pile height.
The overlooked driver of digital transformation
Clear, reliable audio is no longer optional, say Genevieve Juillard, CEO of IDC, and Chris Schyvinck, president and CEO at Shure. When business leaders talk about digital transformation, their focus often jumps straight to cloud platforms, AI tools, or collaboration software. Yet, one of the most fundamental enablers of how organizations now work, and how employees experience that work, is often overlooked: audio. As Genevieve Juillard, CEO of IDC, notes, the shift to hybrid collaboration made every space, from corporate boardrooms to kitchen tables, meeting-ready almost overnight. In the scramble, audio quality often lagged, creating what research now shows is more than a nuisance. Poor sound can alter how speakers are perceived, making them seem less credible or even less trustworthy. Audio is the gatekeeper of meaning," stresses Julliard. "If people can't hear clearly, they can't understand you. And if they can't understand you, they can't trust you, and they can't act on what you said. And no amount of sharp video can fix that. For Shure, which has spent a century advancing sound technology, the implications extend far beyond convenience.
How to watch today's Bosch CES 2026 press conference live
How to watch today's Bosch CES 2026 press conference live The German engineering and tech giant will share new car cabin tech and AI enhancements. How to watch today's Bosch CES 2026 press conference live You might think of Bosch as the modern European equivalent to what the GE brand once was in America. It's a home appliance name (thanks to its partnership with Siemens), but the German multinational brand's core business is really about providing the underlying technology and engineering that powers cars, homes and factories around the world. That focus is reflected at CES 2026, where much of what Bosch is unveiling is intended to be licensed to other companies rather than sold as Bosch-branded products on store shelves. Case in point is Bosch's automotive plans at CES.
Samsung unveiled AI-powered products at CES 2026: Everything announced from the year's first press conference
Samsung unveiled AI-powered products at CES 2026: Everything announced from the year's first press conference CES 2026 kicked off with a big press conference from one of the biggest companies at the show: Samsung. The tech giant held its first look presentation to show off new home products and make a plethora of AI-infused announcements. New TVs, speakers, projectors and more were among the headliners, along with updated gaming monitors and soundbars. Many of the products announced on stage were not actually new, but instead had been dripped out by Samsung recently. We did get a closer look a previously undisclosed set, a flagship 130-inch Micro RGB TV framed by a giant metal easel with embedded speakers.