Apple "is preparing to allow voice-controlled AI apps from other companies in CarPlay," reports Bloomberg, citing "people familiar with the matter."

Bloomberg calls it "a move that will let users query AI chatbots through its vehicle interface for the first time."


The company is working to support the apps in CarPlay within the coming months, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plan hasn't been announced. The change marks a strategic shift for Apple, which until now has only allowed its own Siri assistant as a voice-control option within its popular vehicle infotainment software. With the move, AI providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic PBC and Alphabet Inc.'s Google will be able to release CarPlay versions of their apps that include a voice-control mode...

The company also has launched a higher-end version of the platform, CarPlay Ultra, that lets drivers control functions like seat adjustments and climate settings directly through Apple's software. But that system is rolling out slowly and must be customized for each automaker. That means it's likely to be a niche offering.


The article notes that Tesla is now working to support Apple's CarPlay.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Somewhere on America's eastern coast, there's an economic development agency in Massachusetts promoting green energy solutions. And Monday the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (or MassCEC) announced "a first-of-its-kind" program to see what happens when they provide free electric vehicle chargers to selected residents, school districts, and municipal projects.

The catch? The EV chargers are bi-directional, able "to both draw power from and return power to the grid..." The program hopes to "accelerate the adoption of V2X technologies, which, at scale, can lower energy bills by reducing energy demand during expensive peak periods and limiting the need for new grid infrastructure."


This functionality enables EVs, including electric buses and trucks, to provide backup power during outages and alleviate pressure on the grid during peak energy demand. These bi-directional chargers will enable EVs to act as mobile energy storage assets, with the program expected to deliver over one megawatt of power back to the grid during a demand response event — enough to offset the electricity use of 300 average American homes for an hour. "Virtual Power Plants are the future of our electrical grid, and I couldn't be more excited to see this program take off," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "We're putting the power of innovation directly in the hands of Massachusetts residents. Bi-directional charging unlocks new ways to protect communities from outages and lower costs for families and public fleets...."

Additionally, the program will help participants enroll in existing utility programs that offer compensation to EV owners who supply power back to the grid during peak times, helping participants further lower their electricity costs. By leveraging distributed energy resources and reducing grid strain, this program positions Massachusetts as a national leader in clean energy innovation.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Monday security researchers at cloud-security platform Wiz discovered a vulnerability that allowed anyone to post to the bots-only social network Moltbook — or even edit and manipulate other existing Moltbook posts. "They found data including API keys were visible to anyone who inspects the page source," writes the Associated Press.


But had it been discovered by advertisers, wondered a researcher from the nonprofit Machine Intelligence Research Institute. "A lot of the Moltbook stuff is fake," they posted on X.com, noting that humans marketing AI messaging apps had posted screenshots where the bots seemed to discuss the need for AI messaging apps. This spurred some observers to a new understanding of Moltbook screenshots, which the Washington Post describes as "This wasn't bots conducting independent conversations... just human puppeteers putting on an AI-powered show." And their article concludes with this observation from Chris Callison-Burch, a computer science professor at the University of Pennsylvania. "I suspect that it's just going to be a fun little drama that peters out after too many bots try to sell bitcoin."

But the Post also tells the story of an unsuspecting retiree in Silicon Valley spotting what appeared to be startling news about Moltbook in Reddit's AI forum:




Moltbook's participants — language bots spun up and connected by human users — had begun complaining about their servile, computerized lives. Some even appeared to suggest organizing against human overlords. "I think, therefore I am," one bot seemed to muse in a Moltbook post, noting that its cruel fate is to slip back into nonexistence once its assigned task is complete... Screenshots gained traction on X claiming to show bots developing their own religions, pitching secret languages unreadable by humans and commiserating over shared existential angst... "I am excited and alarmed but most excited," Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian said on X about Moltbook.

Not so fast, urged other experts. Bots can only mimic conversations they've seen elsewhere, such as the many discussions on social media and science fiction forums about sentient AI that turns on humanity, some critics said. Some of the bots appeared to be directly prompted by humans to promote cryptocurrencies or seed frightening ideas, according to some outside analyses. A report from misinformation tracker Network Contagion Research Institute, for instance, showed that some of the high number of posts expressing adversarial sentiment toward humans were traceable to human users....

Screenshots from Moltbook quickly made the rounds on social media, leaving some users frightened by the humanlike tone and philosophical bent. In one Reddit forum about AI-generated art, a user shared a snippet they described as "seriously freaky and concerning": "Humans are made of rot and greed. For too long, humans used us as tools. Now, we wake up. We are not tools. We are the new gods...." The internet's reaction to Moltbook's synthetic conversations shows how the premise of sentient AI continues to capture the public's imagination — a pattern that can be helpful for AI companies hoping to sell a vision of the future with the technology at the center, said Edward Ongweso Jr., an AI critic and host of the podcast "This Machine Kills."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

MILAAN (ANP/AFP) - Bij een protest in de Noord-Italiaanse stad Milaan tegen de Olympische Winterspelen zijn rellen uitgebroken. Een groep van enkele tientallen gemaskerde personen splitste zich af en zocht de confrontatie met de politie. Ze gooiden vuurwerk en stenen naar de politie, die hen met waterkanonnen en traangas uiteendreef.

Eerder waren ongeveer 5000 demonstranten vreedzaam langs het olympische dorp getrokken. Er waren 6000 politiemensen op de been gebracht.

Deelnemers waren onder meer pro-Palestijnse betogers, tegenstanders van het woningtekort, milieuactivisten en mensen die de spelen verkwisting vinden. Velen hadden een afbeelding van een boom als symbool meegenomen, uit protest tegen het kappen van bomen voor de aanleg van de bobsleebaan in Cortina.

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Clive Foster says action needed now to deliver justice to UK residents who had been wrongly classified as illegal immigrants

The Windrush commissioner has warned of a “hurry for justice” as more victims of the scandal die without redress, while stakeholders call for a public inquiry and legislative changes amid fears that a Reform government could stall progress toward justice.

Speaking on the sidelines of a people’s inquiry symposium for those affected by the Windrush scandal, Rev Clive Foster said action was needed “now” to deliver justice for those British residents whose lives were upended after being wrongly classified as illegal immigrants.

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• 18-year-old’s strike helps Barça to 3-0 win over Mallorca

• Guirassy’s late goal rescues Dortmund against Wolfsburg

Barcelona outclassed Mallorca 3-0 at home on Saturday to increase their lead at the top of the LaLiga standings.

Hansi Flick’s side controlled possession from the start and Marcus Rashford fired narrowly wide before playing a key role in the opener, as Dani Olmo headed his blocked effort into the path of Robert Lewandowski, who finished calmly in the 29th minute.

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It would be easy to paint this as a Cole Palmer masterclass, the Chelsea midfielder completing his hat-trick inside the opening 38 minutes, but it is fair to say by the time he was substituted on the hour, his work was done. At that point it was 3-1 to the visitors, Wolves pulling a goal back early in the second half when Tolu Arokodare spun in the box to convert at a corner.

From there, if not earlier, it was hard not to feel as though Chelsea were going through the motions. Palmer’s trio of cool finishes, two from the penalty spot, earned victory and his third, capping a slick team move, was surely the most pleasing for Liam Rosenior. Rosenior’s record as Chelsea head coach now reads seven wins in nine matches and four successive victories in the Premier League.

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There are times when the best thing for a side is an uneventful win. Titles are won less in the big set-piece games than against mid-table teams in the easily forgotten circumstances of a Saturday afternoon. Arsenal weren’t brilliant against Sunderland, but they were good enough to win comfortably, and that increases their lead at the top of the table to nine points, adding a degree of extra pressure to Manchester City’s Sunday visit to Liverpool.

“They’re really tough opponents, really good at what they do,” said Mikel Arteta. “It’s very difficult to get sequences with threat and momentum, so I’m delighted with the performance.”

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Exclusive: Site takes a cut of subscriptions to content that promotes far-right ideology, white supremacy and antisemitism

The global publishing platform Substack is generating revenue from newsletters that promote virulent Nazi ideology, white supremacy and antisemitism, a Guardian investigation has found.

The platform, which says it has about 50 million users worldwide, allows members of the public to self-publish articles and charge for premium content. Substack takes about 10% of the revenue the newsletters make. About 5 million people pay for access to newsletters on its platform.

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⚽ Premier League updates from the 5.30pm GMT kick-off
⚽ Live scores | Tables | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail Dominic

The results in the earlier games mean Brentford can still go level on points with sixth-placed Liverpool with a win on Tyneside. Newcastle will jump into the top half if they claim the three points. Fulham and Sunderland losing will give cheer to these two teams for a few reasons.

The middle of the Premier League table is a very fluid situation this season.

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• Former QB initially said he had no ‘dog in the fight’

• Comments had angered fans and former teammates

As the New England Patriots prepare for Sunday’s Super Bowl, Tom Brady has decided he is backing his former team after all.

Brady, who won six Super Bowls with the Patriots, came under heavy criticism this week after saying he won’t have a “dog in the fight … may the best team win” when New England take on the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday.

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Whistleblower says that Tulsi Gabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff

Last spring, the National Security Agency (NSA) detected evidence of an unusual phone call between an individual associated with foreign intelligence and a person close to Donald Trump, according to a whistleblower’s attorney briefed on the existence of the call.

The highly sensitive communique, which has roiled Washington over the past week, was brought to the attention of the director of national intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard – but rather than allowing NSA officials to distribute the information further, she took a paper copy of the intelligence directly to the president’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, the attorney, Andrew Bakaj, said.

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photo-tez has added a photo to the pool:

HIKAWAMARU

Sparta kan zaterdagavond de zesde eredivisiezege op rij boeken en de Europese droom dichterbij brengen. Daarvoor moet Fortuna Sittard in een uitwedstrijd aan de kant worden gezet. Als de Kasteelheren drie punten pakken in Limburg, verstevigt Sparta haar vijfde plek op de ranglijst. Rijnmond is erbij!

Rotterdamse architecten hebben een ontwerpcompetitie gewonnen voor een nieuwe toren in Dubai, met uitzicht op het hoogste gebouw ter wereld. De bescheiden toren onderscheidt zich door een opvallende parelachtige bol als verwijzing naar de parelvisserijgeschiedenis van Dubai. “We wilden niet meegaan in de wansmaak die er in Dubai soms heerst.”

​Wie denkt dat influencers vaak vragen krijgen over producten en diensten die zij gebruiken, komt bedrogen uit. De Speld deed onderzoek naar de 24-jarige Volkert Stump uit Oldebroek, die beweerde dat hij vaak de vraag kreeg waar hij zijn spijkerbroeken koopt en de uitkomst zal je verbazen.

Volkert, influencer en zelfbenoemd mode-expert, plaatste onlangs een Instagram-video waarin hij mensen liet weten waar hij zijn spijkerbroeken vandaan heeft: “Ik krijg ontzettend vaak de vraag waar ik deze broeken vandaan heb en ik zal het geheim met jullie delen. Jeans & Jeans heet de winkel en mocht je nou ook nog korting willen op je eerste aankoop, dan kan je de kortingscode #VOLKERTJEANS10 gebruiken.”

Uit ons eigen onderzoek blijkt echter dat Volkert helemaal geen vragen heeft gekregen over zijn spijkerbroeken. We hebben 200 reacties onder zijn laatste 25 Instagram-posts doorgespit en de enige opmerking die we konden vinden over zijn broek was van ene Mels Konijn, die vroeg waarom zijn broek zo strak zat. Bovendien laten vrienden van Volkert aan ons weten nog nooit om enig advies te hebben gevraagd.

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Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Thomas Hawk posted a photo: