Plotting

UK is going full Minority Report with 'murder prediction' research

Engadget

The Guardian reported that the UK's Ministry of Justice has been developing an algorithm designed to identify people who could become killers. Initially dubbed the "homicide prediction project," this tool used data from UK police forces, possibly including victims and witnesses as well as suspects. Civil liberty watchdog Statewatch discovered the program through Freedom of Information Act requests. Based on the documents acquired by the group, Statewatch claimed that the program developed its prediction tool based on police data about between 100,000 and 500,000 people. Different categories of information shared with the Ministry of Justice appeared to also cover sensitive topics such as mental health, addiction, suicide and disability.


Bafta games awards 2025: full list of winners

The Guardian

In a video game year dominated by dark, bloody fantasy adventures โ€“ and continued job losses and studio closures โ€“ it was a cute robot that stole the night at the 2025 Bafta video game awards. Sony's family-friendly platformer Astro Bot won in five categories at yesterday evening's ceremony, including best game and game design. The rest of the awards were evenly spread across a range of Triple A and independent titles. Oil rig thriller Still Wakes the Deep was the next biggest winner with three awards: new intellectual property, performer in a leading role and performer in a supporting role. Clearly actors looking for Bafta-winning roles need look no further than the North Sea.


Trump signs orders to allow coal-fired power plants to remain open

The Guardian > Energy

Donald Trump signed four executive orders on Tuesday aimed at reviving coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel that has long been in decline, and which substantially contributes to planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. Environmentalists expressed dismay at the news, saying that Trump was stuck in the past and wanted to make utility customers "pay more for yesterday's energy". The US president is using emergency authority to allow some older coal-fired power plants scheduled for retirement to keep producing electricity. The move, announced at a White House event on Tuesday afternoon, was described by White House officials as being in response to increased US power demand from growth in datacenters, artificial intelligence and electric cars. Trump, standing in front of a group of miners in hard hats, said he would sign an executive order "that slashes unnecessary regulations that targeted the beautiful, clean coal".


Dr. Oz Pushed for AI Health Care in First Medicare Agency Town Hall

WIRED

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the new administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), spent much of his first all-staff meeting on Monday promoting the use of artificial intelligence at the agency and praising Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again Initiative," sources tell WIRED. During the meeting, Oz discussed possibly prioritizing AI avatars over frontline health care workers. Oz claimed that if a patient went to a doctor for a diabetes diagnosis, it would be 100 per hour, while an appointment with an AI avatar would cost considerably less, at just 2 an hour. Oz also claimed that patients have rated the care they've received from an AI avatar as equal to or better than a human doctor. Because of technologies like machine learning and AI, Oz claimed, it is now possible to scale "good ideas" in an affordable and fast way.


White House: US will lead in AI, but China is catching up

FOX News

Kurt'CyberGuy' Knutsson on President-elect Trump's plan to deregulate cryptocurrency and A.I. in his second administration. EXCLUSIVE: China's innovation in artificial intelligence is "accelerating," according to Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology. He told Fox News Digital that the United States' "promote and protect" strategy will solidify its standing as the world's dominant power in AI. Kratsios, who served as chief technology officer during the first Trump administration, sat for an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on Monday. FLASHBACK: US TECHNOLOGY CHIEF WARNS CHINA'TWISTING' ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO TARGET CRITICS, AS AMERICA JOINS GLOBAL PACT "The White House in the first Trump administration redefined national tech policy to focus on American leadership in emerging technologies, and those were technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum computing and 5G, [which] were big back then," Kratsios said.


Nintendo says the Switch 2 Joy-Cons don't have Hall effect thumbsticks for reducing stick drift

Engadget

While the Nintendo Switch 2 had its splashy debut last week, including details about the hardware and launch games, there's still lots about the console that Nintendo has yet to clear up. For instance, the company hasn't gone into specifics about the CPU and GPU that are powering the Switch 2, other than to touch on the performance enhancements that they offer over the Switch (NVIDIA separately confirmed that the Switch 2 uses its Deep Learning Super Sampling tech). However, since last Wednesday's blockbuster Direct, Nintendo has touched on some new Switch 2 details in interviews with the press. For one thing, Nate Bihldorff, Senior Vice President of Product Development & Publishing at Nintendo of America, told Nintendo Life that the console's Joy-Con 2 controllers do not use Hall effect tech. "The Joy-Con 2's controllers have been designed from the ground up," Bihldorff said.


All-terrain space truck hopes to drive astronauts on the moon

Popular Science

In April 2024, NASA selected three finalists to design, build, and pitch their own Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) for the Artemis program within 12 months. Ever since, Intuitive Machines, Venturi Astrolab, and Lunar Outpost have raced to meet the impending deadline to deliver the best moon car plan possible. Lunar Outpost's Lunar Dawn team revealed its latest high-fidelity prototype, the Lunar Outpost Eagle, on April 8. The vehicle will officially debut at Space Symposium 2025 in Colorado Springs and provide attendees with the closest look yet at the Artemis program hopeful. Eagle is the fourth prototype iteration so far, and was built in collaboration from General Motors, Goodyear, MDA Space, and Leidos, the Eagle is envisioned as the "quintessential Space Truck," according to AJ Gemer, Lunar Outpost CTO.


US federal agencies to 'unleash' coal energy after Biden 'stifled' it: 'Mine, Baby, Mine'

FOX News

FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency are set to announce a bevy of new actions Tuesday afternoon that will "unleash" coal energy following President Donald Trump's expected signature on an executive order reinvigorating "America's beautiful clean coal industry," Fox News Digital learned. "The American people need more energy, and the Department of Energy is helping to meet this demand by unleashing supply of affordable, reliable, secure energy sources -- including coal," Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a Tuesday statement provided to Fox News Digital. "Coal is essential for generating 24/7 electricity generation that powers American homes and businesses, but misguided policies from previous administrations have stifled this critical American industry," he said. "With President Trump's leadership, we are cutting the red tape and bringing back common sense." Trump is expected to sign an executive order Tuesday afternoon that will cut through red tape surrounding the coal industry, including directing the National Energy Dominance Council to designate coal as a "mineral," end a current pause to coal leasing on federal lands, promote coal and coal technology exports, and encourage the use of coal to power artificial intelligence initiatives, Fox News Digital learned of the upcoming executive order.


Vint Cerf on how today's leaders can thrive in tomorrow's AI-enabled internet

ZDNet

In a recent episode of my weekly podcast DisrupTV, Constellation Research's R "Ray" Wang and I had the privilege of hosting two remarkable visionaries who have shaped our digital landscape: Dr. Vinton G. Cerf, vice president and chief internet evangelist at Google, and Dr. David Bray, distinguished chair of the accelerator at the Henry L. Stimson Center and Principal/CEO of LeadDoAdapt Ventures, Inc. As we navigate the transformative era of artificial intelligence, their insights on leadership, technology's societal impact, and creating better futures offer invaluable guidance for today's leaders. Their decades of experience bridging technological innovation with human needs provides a crucial blueprint for executives seeking to harness emerging technologies while avoiding the pitfalls that can undermine both business success and societal well-being. Cerf, in his role at Google, Widely known as one of the "Fathers of the Internet," Cerf is the co-designer of the TCP/IP protocols. In December 1997, President Clinton presented the National Medal of Technology to Cerf and his colleague, Robert E. Kahn, for their work in founding and developing the internet.


Amazon's Zoox starts testing its robotaxis in Los Angeles

Engadget

It has deployed a small fleet of retrofitted test vehicles throughout the city for the purposes of mapping and data-collection. This will, eventually, lead to paid rides for consumers. Our test fleet is expanding to the Los Angeles metro area. Give us a wave if you see us around. The company is sending out manually-driven Toyota Highlanders at first.