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These Eureka robovacs are dirt cheap for Prime Day Australia

Mashable

Amazon Prime Day has unleashed some rip-roaring deals on Eureka's robot vacuum lineup, and I've rounded up the six best bargains that'll leave your floors flea-free and your dirty deeds done cheap. From carpet-shredding suction beasts to mop-marauding multitaskers, there's something here to suit every home, and every budget. Prime Day runs from July 8 to July 14, so if you've been putting off a cleaning upgrade, now's your chance to snag a must-own dust owner. And if you want even more Eureka intel, swing by our full hands-on look at the Eureka E10s over at Mashable. I'll admit, 16,200 Pa suction sounds like overkill until you see it in action on my shag-pile rug. The J15 Pro Ultra doesn't just hoover; it hunts, chops through pet hair with its active anti-tangle cutter, and leverages mop extension tech to terminate any secret dust bunnies hiding in corners.


Why don't we trust technology in sport?

BBC News

For a few minutes on Sunday afternoon, Wimbledon's Centre Court became the perfect encapsulation of the current tensions between humans and machines. When Britain's Sonay Kartal hit a backhand long on a crucial point, her opponent Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova knew it had landed out. She said the umpire did too. But the electronic line-calling system - which means humans have been fully replaced this year following earlier trials - remained silent. The human umpire eventually declared the point should be replayed.


Joe Rogan flips the God debate on its head with shocking theory that 'we created him'

Daily Mail - Science & tech

Joe Rogan has come to a mind-bending conclusion about life, fearing that humanity has misinterpreted what reality is and we're actually in the process of creating God. While interviewing computer scientist Roman Yampolskiy on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the men debated the possibility that reality is a giant simulation and humans are building a God-like supercomputer using artificial intelligence (AI). According to Rogan's theory, humanity has misinterpreted ancient prophecies regarding the second coming of Jesus Christ and Judgement Day, saying the creation of this AI super intelligence is the final chapter before our reality resets. Maybe we just completely misinterpreted these ancient scrolls and texts and what it really means is that we are going to give birth to this,' Rogan explained. Yampolskiy, an author and researcher in AI safety, added to Rogan's theory, suggesting that reality is just an ongoing cycle of Big Bangs - the explosion that kickstarted the universe - starting and restarting life over and over again.


Microsoft boss offers callous advice to workers who'd just been fired because of AI advances

Daily Mail - Science & tech

A Microsoft executive is facing backlash after suggesting that recently laid-off employees use artificial intelligence to cope with unemployment. The company cut approximately 9,000 jobs last week, many in its gaming division, as it continues to shift focus and invest tens of billions of dollars into artificial intelligence. Matt Turnbull, an executive producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing, posted AI-generated prompts to LinkedIn offering laid-off workers help with career planning, résumé writing, and even emotional support. The post, which has since been deleted, sparked swift criticism across social media where users called him'out of touch' and'tone-deaf.' 'These are really challenging times,' Turnbull wrote, encouraging displaced employees to use chatbots to help manage feelings of impostor syndrome and reframe their layoff experiences in a more positive light. His message included suggestions for using AI to develop 30-day job search plans and tailor résumés for different industries.


Chilling discovery exposes tiny differences between psychopaths and ordinary people

Daily Mail - Science & tech

Scientists have discovered what really separates a cold-blooded psychopath from the average person. A team from the University of Pennsylvania has uncovered stark differences in brain structure that may explain why psychopaths think, feel, and behave in profoundly disturbing ways. Using MRI scans, researchers compared the brains of 39 adult men with high psychopathy scores to those of a control group, and what they found was unsettling. In psychopaths, researchers found shrunken areas in the basal ganglia, which controls movement and learning, the thalamus, the body's sensory relay station, and the cerebellum, which helps coordinate motor function. But the most striking changes were found in the orbitofrontal cortex and insular regions, areas that govern emotional regulation, impulse control, and social behavior.


This teen 3D printed a beehive for his bedroom

Popular Science

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. While many 13-year-old boys might spend their summers playing video games or attending camp, Oliver Taylor decided to build a custom-made, 3D-printed beehive--in his bedroom. Oliver, who lives in Utah, built the DIY insect habitat with two hexagonal, 3D-printed units connected to his bedroom window. Bees enter through a ventilation tube attached to the window, which slightly resembles a stand-up air conditioning unit. The hexagonal hives are modular in design, meaning Oliver can theoretically continue expanding their size by connecting additional units.


AI slop artists are redoing the Squid Game series finale

Mashable

Was the series finale of the hit South Korean Netflix show Squid Game a good one? Depending on who you ask, not really. Judging by the endless online chatter, many viewers found the ending unsatisfying -- not necessarily because it didn't tie up loose ends (although it arguably did not), but because it left the characters in an especially grim place. For others -- particularly those with some extra time on their hands -- it became the perfect excuse to fire up Google's Veo 3 and craft an entirely new ending. Spoilers ahead, but the ending of Squid Game Season 3 is bleak.


Mysterious red sprite erupts in new astronaut photo

Popular Science

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. A US astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) recently caught a glimpse of one of Earth's least understood atmospheric phenomena. While orbiting in the early hours of July 3, Nichole "Vapor" Ayers snapped a photo of a transient luminous event, as she passed over North America. Better known as a sprite, these atmospheric events are common after a lightning strike. Wow," Ayers posted to social media later that day along with the stunning picture.


How Meta's new AI chatbot could strike up a conversation with you

ZDNet

Despite a major usage and monetization gap, Meta, like many AI companies, is going all in on AI chatbots -- even giving them the ability to strike up a conversation with you, unprompted. According to a report from Business Insider published last week, leaked documents indicate the company is now building AI chatbots that proactively initiate conversations with users. The new feature is intended to boost user engagement and retention at a time when many leading tech developers are seeking new ways to commercialize conversational AI chatbots, on which vast sums of R&D dollars are being spent. OpenAI's ChatGPT, for example, will often end its responses to user queries with suggestions for follow-up questions aimed at keeping the user engaged. BI reported that the proactive chatbot effort is being coordinated in partnership with Alignerr, a company that employs contractors with expertise across various fields to help label the training data AI models ingest.


US envoy hails Lebanon's response to Hezbollah disarmament proposals

Al Jazeera

A senior United States envoy has praised the Lebanese government's response to a US proposal aimed at disarming Hezbollah amid Israel's continued military presence in the country. Thomas Barrack, an adviser to US President Donald Trump who serves as Washington's ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy for Syria, returned to Beirut on Monday after delivering the US proposal during a June 19 visit. The plan called for the Shia Lebanese group Hezbollah to fully disarm within four months in exchange for a halt to Israeli air strikes and the full withdrawal of Israel's military from the five positions it continues to occupy in southern Lebanon. "What the government gave us was something spectacular in a very short period of time," Barrack told reporters on Monday after meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. "I'm unbelievably satisfied with the response." While Barrack confirmed that he had received a seven-page reply from the Lebanese side, he offered no details on its contents.