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Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,129

Al Jazeera

Four people were killed in a Russian drone attack on Friday in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. The regional governor said 19 people were injured and a large fire broke out in a hotel and restaurant complex that consumed a high-rise apartment building and 10 homes. Ukraine's military said its air force had struck a border post in Russia's Bryansk region, destroying infrastructure it said was used for drone launches. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement that the attack was in response to "dozens of daily strikes by attack drones". Ukrainian troops have staged an incursion into Russia's Belgorod region, according to Russian military bloggers.


Deadly Russian drone attack reported on Ukrainian city

BBC News

Overnight, air sirens were heard sounding in several other Ukrainian regions, including the capital Kyiv. It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties. The Russian military has not commented on the issue. In his video address late on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again accused Russia of targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure - in violation of a temporary moratorium agreed earlier this month in talks involving the US. Moscow has also repeatedly blamed Ukraine for attacking Russia's energy sector. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week suggested that Ukraine should temporarily be placed under UN control to elect what he called a more "competent" government.


OpenAI responds to criticism of ChatGPTs Studio Ghibli-style images

Mashable

After ChatGPT-generated images in the style of Studio Ghibli drew criticism online, OpenAI has shared a response addressing the backlash. OpenAI released native image generation in GPT-4o earlier this week, with a live demo showing CEO Sam Altman and OpenAI staffers using ChatGPT to turn a selfie into an anime-style image that looked a whole lot like the unique and painstakingly crafted animated films of Studio Ghibli. Soon, Studio Ghibli-style versions of memes, selfies, and family photos, all automated by ChatGPT, went viral on X. Altman himself turned his X profile picture into a Studio Ghibli-esque image of himself and directly mentioned the distinct style in an X post, writing, "wake up one day to hundreds of messages: 'look i made you into a twink ghibli style haha.'" But the larger issue that troubled many users was how the artwork of Hayao Miyazaki's studio, which famously hand-paints almost every frame of their animated films, could be quickly automated and commodified for the purpose of promoting a new OpenAI product. This was especially prescient given Miyazaki's stance on AI-generated work based on a clip that went viral where Miyazaki expressed his disgust, saying, "I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself." Our goal is to give users as much creative freedom as possible.


If youre sick of Googles AI Overviews, try this genius hack

Mashable

You can't completely turn off Google's AI Overviews, but users have discovered a profanity-laced workaround. If you add "fuck" or a variation of the word to your Google search, it turns off the AI-generated summary at the top of the page. The origins of this hack are unclear, but LA Times reporter Keri Blakinger posted a TikTok about it in early March, saying she had heard about it from an episode of the Scriptnotes podcast. But it appears to have originated from a Jan. 27 Tumblr post by user flootzavut, who wrote, "Swear in your search request. I know it sounds ridiculous, but the most effective way I've found of it not doing the AI summary is just to add'fucking' go [sic] my search."


The best Roomba deals from Amazons Big Spring Sale

Mashable

Amazon's decision to ghost its acquisition of iRobot in January 2024 hasn't kept Roombas from participating in any of Amazon's big sale events. Its now-live Big Spring Sale (from March 25 to 31) has been no different, though Roomba deals have been trickling in slower than robot vacuums on sale from other brands. Either way, Amazon's Big Spring Sale might not be the wisest time to buy a Roomba this year. It just so happens that iRobot casually completely overhauled the Roomba lineup in the middle of March, with a fleet of new Roombas becoming available to purchase just two days before Amazon's sale starts. Could it be an attempt to mitigate iRobot's increasingly bleak financial situation as of late?


10 self-emptying robot vacuums on sale during Amazons Spring Sale

Mashable

Unless you're really trying to save space on the floor, there's little reason to not opt for a self-emptying robot vacuum these days. Automated vacuuming likely means more frequent vacuuming, and more frequent vacuuming means faster dustbin filling. And at this point, that shouldn't be your problem. Automatic dustbin emptying has become such a mainstream robot vacuum feature that a ton of self-emptying robot vacs are solidly in the sub- 500 range -- and even more models join that club when there's a big sale event. The latest one happens to line up perfectly with spring cleaning season: Amazon's second Big Spring Sale is happening from March 25 and March 31. And Amazon is extremely well-versed in robot vacuum deals.


Let the robots do your dirty work: the Eufy Robot Vacuum C10 is nearly 50% off

Mashable

SAVE 210: As of March 28, get the Eufy Robot Vacuum C10 for 269.99, down from its usual price of 479.99. Tired of trying to keep the carpets clean with daily, fruitless vacuuming? Leave that chore behind and employ a robot to do it. And not one that just sweeps and picks nothing up. One that can deep clean your floors and give you some peace of mind that they're actually getting scrubbed.


Amazons spring sale has a robot vac with self-washing mopping pads for under 400

Mashable

SAVE 400: As of March 28, the Ecovacs Deebot N30 Omni robot vacuum is on sale for 399.99 during the Amazon Big Spring Sale. As fire as my favorite robot vacuum deal at Amazon's Big Spring Sale is, 800 is still kind of steep for a robot vacuum at the end of the day. For those looking to spend less, consider the similar Ecovacs Deebot N30 Omni. After a combination of a steep flat discount and a casual 100 coupon tacked on, you can secure many of the same high-end specs of my beloved Roborock Qrevo Master for 399.99. First things first: A robot vacuum and mop combo that not only self-empties, but self-washes and dries its own mopping pads is a rare find under 400.


PetSafes Litter-Robot dupe is on sale for under 350 at Amazons spring sale

Mashable

As of March 28, the PetSafe ScoopFree SmartSpin automatic litter box has a 59.99 coupon during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, bringing it down to 339.96. Self-emptying litter boxes of the coveted egg shape typically require setting 600 to 800 aside -- a steep ask for the average person when other recurring cat supplies keep adding up. But there's an affordable hidden gem amongst the Litter-Robots and Leo's Loo Toos of the world. The PetSafe ScoopFree SmartSpin is already much more approachable at 399.95 when it's not on sale, but Amazon's Big Spring Sale has delivered a nice little 59.99 coupon to tack on. Now 339.96, you could technically buy two ScoopFree SmartSpins for less than the price of a single Litter-Robot 4. That's also 60 cheaper than the next-best automatic litter box deal live during this sale, the Petkit PuraMax 2 for 399.99.


This is the cheapest the Dreame D10 Plus robot vacuum and mop combo has ever been

Mashable

SAVE 145: As of March 28, the Dreame D10 Plus robot vacuum and mop combo is down to just 254.99 at Amazon during the Big Spring Sale. The price of a new robot vacuum that also mops can come with a bit of sticker shock. If you just want something that can tidy up your floors and you're not picky, we suggest opting for something more affordable, like this Dreame D10 Plus. Usually pretty reasonable at 399.99, you can pick up the Dreame D10 Plus for even cheaper during Amazon's Big Spring Sale. It even beats its Black Friday price by 5.