Character.AI has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to sell substantially all of its assets, with Disney offering $20 million as a "stalking-horse bidder" for select intellectual property and company claims. However, the company said Disney's bid is subject to "higher or better offers." Deadline reports: The company, which allows users to create and interact with AI-generated avatars, said it made the filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. It said it hopes the process will allow it to "facilitate a value-maximizing sale of all or substantially all" of its assets. The Character.AI platform will continue to operate during the bankruptcy.

The Disney agreement, reached prior to the filing, would give the media giant a non-exclusive perpetual license of select intellectual property and company claims from Character.AI. Disney would pay $20 million and provide resources during a transition period as the company explores a sale. [...] Character.AI said it is aiming to conclude the sale process by late November or early December. Character.AI has faced a series of controversies over the past year or so. Most notably, the company settled multiple lawsuits alleging its chatbots encouraged self-harm and suicide among teenagers, including a high-profile case involving 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III.

The company also faces lawsuits from Kentucky, which alleges its chatbots encouraged self-harm, and Pennsylvania, which claims the bots illegally impersonated licensed doctors. The latter allegations follow earlier complaints that Character.AI's therapy chatbots engaged in the unlicensed practice of medicine.

In September 2025, Disney accused Character.AI of copyright infringement and using its characters in chatbots that were "sexually exploitive and otherwise harmful and dangerous to children," prompting their removal from the platform. These mounting legal challenges and regulatory scrutiny ultimately contributed to this eventual bankruptcy filing.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Kroger says it will cut 3,000 corporate jobs over the next three years as it expands its use of AI and other technology to streamline operations. "Technology is reshaping what's possible," CEO Greg Foran wrote in a memo to employees on Monday. "The way work gets done is changing across every industry; we must adapt and take advantage of technology. We need to adopt capabilities, reduce duplicative work and look closely at where work is best fit to be done." ABC News reports: Kroger last month outlined its AI strategy, meant "to improve the customer experience, make work easier for associates and produce better business outcomes." Cincinnati-based Kroger is the largest standalone U.S. supermarket chain with 409,000 employees and more than 2,700 stores operating under various brands, including Ralphs, King Soopers, Smith's and Fred Meyer.

Kroger named former Walmart executive Foran CEO in February, 11 months after the abrupt resignation of its previous CEO. Foran has a reputation for being tech-savvy and detail-oriented. He led Walmart's U.S. division from 2014 to 2019, where he focused on cleaning up stores, ensuring items were in stock and improving the fresh produce selection. He also introduced online ordering and pickup, and accelerated Walmart's digital capabilities.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Longtime Slashdot reader AmiMoJo shares a report from BleepingComputer: Ledger has confirmed that some of its devices distributed through Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis were compromised with a hardware implant that drained users' cryptocurrency wallets. The company has been investigating reports of users losing funds from wallets purchased through CryptoBilis, a major Malaysia-based hardware wallet retailer operating across Southeast Asia. Some researchers have shown the implant in Ledger X since September 16, saying tampered devices were available for nearly half the price of the original hardware.

[...] In a report over the weekend, Tibane Labs notes that the threat actor made room for the malicious circuitry by replacing the original battery with a smaller one, which powers both the implant and the Ledger X. "Under the battery and antenna sits an ST STM32G431KBU6 (Arm CortexM4, 128 KB flash, UFQFPN32)," the researchers found inside one of the devices. For connectivity, the actor used "a tiny eSIM, an 8pad package just 2x2 mm, next to the MCU, and a shielded LTE module that sends the words out."

[...] Ledger is advising users to avoid purchasing from unauthorized resellers as they run an increased risk of getting counterfeit or modified devices. The company is also reminding its authorized resellers and distributors to get the products only through authorized channels and to avoid restocking returned products. Ledger provides a 'Genuine Check' mechanism to determine the authenticity of the device; however, it explicitly warns that it cannot detect added implants when the device's original Secure Element remains intact.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

New submitter CubicleZombie writes: Anthropic has updated its Usage Policy to prohibit "sustained and needless abusive or cruel behavior" toward its Claude AI models. While ordinary frustration, criticism, and adversarial testing remain acceptable, repeated cruelty could result in account restrictions. Anthropic acknowledges there's no evidence Claude can suffer but argues that uncertainty about AI consciousness warrants precaution. Critics contend the policy anthropomorphizes software, encourages unhealthy emotional attachments, and raises questions about how customers may interact with products they've paid for. The move raises an intriguing question: If an AI cannot demonstrably experience suffering, is abusing it an ethical problem, or is Anthropic simply policing human behavior?

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Weer voor Rotterdam ☁️ - 14-10-2026 01:15 CEST

In één oogopslag:
• 16.3°C · Bewolkt ☁️ | Min 13.6°C / Max 18.8°C | Kans op neerslag 17%

Verwachting voor vandaag:
• Min 13.6°C, Max 18.8°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 0.2 mm, Kans op neerslag 17%, 🧭 1028.2 hPa ↗️ +2.3 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 29.2 km/u (8.1 m/s), richting: ↗ 217°

Uurlijkse voorspelling voor de komende 12 uur:

• 02:00: 16.1°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1025.9 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 14.4 km/u (4.0 m/s), richting: ↘ 297°
• 03:00: 15.2°C (Helder) 🌕, 🧭 1026.3 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 11.2 km/u (3.1 m/s), richting: → 291°
• 04:00: 14.5°C (Helder) 🌕, 🧭 1026.8 hPa ↗️ +0.5 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 8.3 km/u (2.3 m/s), richting: → 291°
• 05:00: 13.9°C (Helder) 🌕, 🧭 1027.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 8.3 km/u (2.3 m/s), richting: → 280°
• 06:00: 13.5°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1027.8 hPa ↗️ +0.6 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 7.6 km/u (2.1 m/s), richting: → 279°
• 07:00: 13.2°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1028.0 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 7.6 km/u (2.1 m/s), richting: → 269°
• 08:00: 13.6°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1028.4 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 6.8 km/u (1.9 m/s), richting: → 273°
• 09:00: 14.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1029.1 hPa ↗️ +0.7 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 5.4 km/u (1.5 m/s), richting: → 263°
• 10:00: 15.7°C (Gedeeltelijk bewolkt) ⛅, 🧭 1029.5 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 6.1 km/u (1.7 m/s), richting: ↗ 224°
• 11:00: 16.5°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1029.9 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 7.6 km/u (2.1 m/s), richting: ↗ 220°
• 12:00: 17.2°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1030.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 9.0 km/u (2.5 m/s), richting: ↗ 224°
• 13:00: 17.7°C (Gedeeltelijk bewolkt) ⛅, 🧭 1030.0 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 10.8 km/u (3.0 m/s), richting: ↗ 218°

Voorspelling voor de komende dagen:

• donderdag 15 oktober: Min 13.1°C, Max 18.2°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1023.6 hPa ↘️ -4.6 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 14.4 km/u (4.0 m/s), richting: ↗ 228°
• vrijdag 16 oktober: Min 12.6°C, Max 20.3°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1018.5 hPa ↘️ -5.1 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 18.4 km/u (5.1 m/s), richting: ↑ 191°
• zaterdag 17 oktober: Min 11.5°C, Max 18.1°C (Matige motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 2.1 mm, Kans op neerslag 29%, 🧭 1026.7 hPa ↗️ +8.2 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 18.1 km/u (5.0 m/s), richting: → 256°
• zondag 18 oktober: Min 8.7°C, Max 13.3°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 2.1 mm, Kans op neerslag 38%, 🧭 1028.0 hPa ↗️ +1.3 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 17.7 km/u (4.9 m/s), richting: ↓ 348°
• maandag 19 oktober: Min 7.3°C, Max 11.9°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 1.2 mm, Kans op neerslag 12%, 🧭 1028.1 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 13.8 km/u (3.8 m/s), richting: ↙ 50°
• dinsdag 20 oktober: Min 8.1°C, Max 15.0°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 1.2 mm, Kans op neerslag 8%, 🧭 1028.4 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 19.3 km/u (5.4 m/s), richting: ← 69°

Details:
• 🌡️ Huidige temperatuur (om 01:15): 16.3°C (Bewolkt)
• 🤚 Gevoelstemperatuur: 13.9°C (-2.4°C)
• 💨 Windsnelheid: 13.3 km/u (3.7 m/s), richting: → 289°
• 🌬️ Windstoten: 32.0 km/h (8.9 m/s)
• 💧 Luchtvochtigheid: 66%
• 🧭 Luchtdruk: 1025.9 hPa ↗️ +0.9 hPa/3h
• 👁️ Zichtbaarheid: 50.0 km
• ☀️ UV-index: 0.0
• 🌅 Zonsopgang: 08:03 · 🌇 Zonsondergang: 18:52

Luchtkwaliteit:
• AQI: 35 🟢 (Goed)
• PM2.5: 4.1 μg/m³
• PM10: 11.0 μg/m³

Gegevens geleverd door Open-Meteo

#Rotterdam #Meteo #MeteoBot #MeteoNetherlands #OpenMeteo #FediMeteo

New recruitment campaign to target adults in their 30s and 40s in bid to create 10,000 new foster care places

Viennetta Basterfield, 67, spent two decades fostering more than 100 children in her west London home before she and her husband handed in the reins during Covid.

Her own mother had died when she was nine and she was brought up by another woman who took her in. There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to dedicate her life to passing that gift on to others.

Continue reading...

Former investor alleges BitMEX sold products in UK despite not being regulated by Financial Conduct Authority

A cryptocurrency exchange founded by the billionaire Reform UK donor Ben Delo is being sued for £20m over claims that the company mis-sold financial products in the UK.

Lewis Barber, who is a software engineer, alleges that BitMEX offered crypto derivative products to investors in the UK, despite not being regulated or approved to do so by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

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Research shows that the best linguists process unfamiliar foreign speech sounds more like non-speech sounds

If you want to get really good at French, Arabic or Hungarian, don’t start with rote learning vocabulary and grammar, focus on how they sound instead, research suggests.

A new study of how humans learn modern languages has found that the brains of the most talented linguists hear foreign terms as random noise, not words.

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Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was a father of 10-year-old daughter, and overcame two bouts of cancer, his family says

Police on Tuesday identified the victim of the fatal accident at Six Flags Over Georgia as 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem of Atlanta.

Kariem fell to his death after being ejected from his seat and several others were injured in an incident involving a rollercoaster at the theme park.

Continue reading...

• Inter 3-4 Club Brugge; Galatasaray 1-4 Barcelona

• Olise sent off as Bayern held 3-3 at Viking Stavanger

Club Brugge and their young forward Nicolò Tresoldi shocked Inter 4-3 at San Siro in the Champions League’s result of the night. Tresoldi, a 22-year-old Italian-born Germany Under-21s forward, scored the first three goals for the Belgian side.

A Hakan Calhanoglu foul on Carlos Forbs resulted in a penalty which Tresoldi slotted in just before the half hour. Tresoldi picked up his second after capitalising on a blunder by the Inter keeper Josep Martínez and reacted faster than the Inter defence for the third with a quarter of an hour to go.

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• Ronald’s last-minute winner keeps Welsh side on top

• Middlesbrough edge Stoke in thriller; Watford gloom

Substitute Ronald scored a last-minute winner to keep Swansea top of the Championship after their match at Millwall was held up for almost seven minutes due to a complaint about racist chanting at the Den.

The referee, Edward Duckworth, halted the match in the 65th minute and walked to the dugouts to speak with Lions manager, Alex Neil, Swans counterpart Vítor Matos and fourth official Ruebyn Ricardo.

Continue reading...

At first glance, the structure resembles a kind of elongated igloo or a giant, white snail. One one hand, it’s an immersive, pop-up room with a futuristic, bubble-like texture. It’s also a giant, walk-in camera (there are 221 lenses to be exact).

Premiering late last month at MODE Festival, a celebration of global photography, “Compound Camera 3” is the latest work by Pneuhaus, the Rhode Island-based studio known for its large-scale, architectural inflatables. Dozens of tiny cameras comprise the installation, which covers more than 700 square feet and invites visitors to walk around inside of a projection powered entirely by the sun. The images visible through the tiny apertures land on bulbous surfaces, and visitors can push on the soft material inside to distort what Pneuhaus describes as a “bug’s-eye view” of the sky and urban surroundings.

In our era of information, it’s impossible to describe Pneuhaus’ multi-lensed work without thinking about recent, crucial conversations about surveillance, especially when it comes to license plate readers and doorbell cameras that are tethered to enormous private data networks. In this case, though, the “information” is about being present. Nothing is recorded.

In “Compound Camera 3,” visitors step inside of a luminous viewing room, but there are no LED screens here; the sunlight simply illuminates everyday scenes through an essential analog method. Lenses pointing upward portray the sky across dozens of interior facets not unlike the structure of an insect’s eye. Those directed sideways show trees, buildings, and other people walking around. Everything appears multiplied, encouraging us to slow down and examine details more closely than we might if we were seeing the same scene just outside.

See more on Pneuhaus’ Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article 221 Camera Obscuras Fill Pneuhaus’ Immersive, Inflatable, Image-Capturing Installation appeared first on Colossal.

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

jspeter9191 has added a photo to the pool:

In the evening at Themeda Avenue Tallawong, Sydney, Australia.
God will be with you.

jspeter9191 has added a photo to the pool:

At Tallawong metro station, Sydney, Australia.
Have a good day.

stan.jernigan has added a photo to the pool:

I took this photo of a “Zen Path” with my iPhone 17 Pro Max during my visit to Amami no Sato in Kagoshima, Japan. I love its simplicity and the clean, raked path that leads you deeper into the garden…