The Int'l Man's Hot Links Archive 2023: July 1 - Dec 31

Hot Links Archive 2017 - 2018 (1): - June 30	Hot Links Archive 2018 (2): July 1 - December 31
Hot Links Archive 2019 (1): January 1 - June 30	Hot Links Archive 2019 (2): July 1 - December 31
Hot Links Archive 2020 (1): January 1 - June 30	Hot Links Archive 2020 (2): July 1 - September 30
Hot Links Archive 2020 (3): Oct 1 - December 31	Hot Links Archive 2021 (1): January 1 - June 30
Hot Links Archive 2021 (2): July 1 - December 31	Hot Links Archive 2022 (1): January 1 - June 30
Hot Links Archive 2022 (2): July 1 - December 31	Hot Links Archive 2023 (1): January 1 - June 30
Hot Links Archive 2023 (2): July 1 - December 31	Hot Links Archive 2024 (1): January 1 - June 30
Hot Links Archive 2024 (2): July 1 - December 31

Hot Links Archive 2023 (2): July 1 - December 31

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• Climate Clock - "The science is clear: we are in a Climate Emergency. Decades of increasing carbon emissions are harming the natural and societal systems upon which humanity depends, threatening untold ecological and human devastation if we do not #ActInTime. The good news: there is still time."
• Climate Change - "Check out all about climate change: 1500+ evidence, facts, information, news, reviews and resources."
• Our world in data - "Research & data to make progress against the world's largest problems."
• Artificial Intellignce: Apps, Books, Chatbots, News, Resources & Tutorials - "Everything you need to know about AI and Chatbots! 500+ resources."
• Ukraine war live - "Live coverage of the all the latest developments in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine."
• Israel-Hamas war live - "Follow live coverage of the Israel-Hamas war here."
• THIS WEEK'S BUZZWORD - PHUBBING.
• Sydney New Year's Eve - "The official Sydney New Year's Eve site: Your complete guide to experience the celebrations."
• Why this city considers itself the world's capital of New Year's Eve - "Sydney's plan to be ‘the New Year’s Eve Capital of the World’."
• The New Year's Resolutions That Changed Your Lives - "We asked about the goals and intentions you set for yourselves. Here are some of our favorites." The New York Times.
• Top 100 Biggest High-End Luxury Champagne Brands & Houses - Check out France's top 100 biggest high-end prestigious champagne brands and greatest champagne houses.
• How To Build A Champagne Tower - "Step one: The first step is to figure out how many tiers tall you want your tower to be. You have 1 glass on the top (1×1=1) and then 4 on the ..."
• Why are Bloody Marys only for the morning? - "The Bloody Mary, a viscous, vegetable- and vodka-filled garnished cocktail, often serves as a refuge for those hoping to subdue the ringing remnants of the prior eve's overindulgences."
• A brief history of the Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop - "How did this New Year's Eve celebration start, and why do we commemorate the occasion by watching a ball descend down a pole? Since crowds first began gathering in Times Square to commemorate New Year’s Eve over a century ago, it has been a ritual to flock to midtown’s brightly lit chaos to ring in new beginnings. At 11:59 p.m. a dazzling ball descends down a pole, while attendees - and millions of people tuning in from home - count down from 60. At the stroke of midnight, the crowd erupts into a cacophony of sound, often pulling their loved one in for a ceremonial kiss."
• Tom Wilkinson: The Full Monty actor dies at 75 - "British actor Tom Wilkinson, known for films like The Full Monty, Shakespeare In Love and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, has died aged 75."
• Tom Wilkinson's career in pictures: The Full Monty, Shakespeare in Love, Rush Hour & more - "Tom Wilkinson, one of the UK's most acclaimed and versatile actors, starred in British films like The Full Monty as well as Oscar-winning dramas and Hollywood hits."
• Venice to ban large tourist groups & loudspeakers - "Venice is to ban loudspeakers and tourist groups of more than 25 people, in a bid to ease the impact of mass tourism on the Italian city. The new rules will come into effect from June, the city said in a statement."
• I Tried the 5-Hour Rule, Favored by Bill Gates & Oprah - "The 5-hour rule is about devoting one hour a day, five days a week, to learning something new. Successful people like Oprah, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Elon Musk all allegedly follow it."
• Could exercise pills help create a healthier society? - "Could exercise pills help create a healthier society? Finding drugs that mimic the benefits of a workout has long been a goal of science. As a new trial begins, the hope is to assist not just the time-poor or the lazy but elderly people and those with disease or disability."
• How to Choose Between Spotify & Apple Music - "If you're after the best sound quality, then Apple Music is a better option than Spotify. Apple Music allows you to listen to lossless audio files at no extra charge. With the right kind of wired audio equipment, you'll be able to hear the difference in sound quality."
• MORE THAN WORDS: 10 CHARTS THAT DEFINED 2023 - "Some years are defined by a single event or person - a pandemic, a recession, an insurrection - while others are buffeted by a series of disparate forces. Such was 2023. The economy and inflation remained front of mind until the war in Gaza grabbed headlines and the world’s attention - all while Donald Trump's candidacy loomed in the background."
• Why 2023 was an uncomfortable year for the West - "The past 12 months have seen a number of setbacks for the US, Europe and other major democracies on the international politics stage. None has been disastrous, for now. But they point to a shifting balance of power away from the US-dominated, Western values that have held sway for years."
• 10 major events that shaped business in 2023 - "Soaring profits, stellar collapses, court cases and more - this year, big business moments abounded."
• 10 Ways to Support Your Mental Health in 2024 - "These simple and proven strategies will help you manage stress and find meaning in the new year."
• 5 Health Lessons We Learned in 2023 - "Ozempic was everywhere, cottage cheese made a comeback and data piled up on alcohol."
• Cottage Cheese Makes a Comeback - "The diet staple of the '70s is jiggling back into the mainstream - bringing with it a host of health benefits. Experts say cottage cheese has lots of nutritional value if consumed appropriately."
• Inside the dark side of France's world-renowned restaurant industry plagued by violence & sex crimes - "The dark side of France's world-renowned restaurant industry came into focus when French star chef Aurelien Largeau quit his luxury hotel job after an alleged hazing ritual."
• Bill Granger, Chef Who Brought Avocado Toast to the World, Dies at 54 - "His breakfast cuisine catapulted Australian cafe culture to international acclaim, although some saw his best-known dish as an example of millennial excess."
• He's Been Hiding Celebrities Since 2007 - "With haunts like The Bird Streets, Bootsy Bellows and Delilah, John Terzian is the rare club owner that famous people trust. But when everyone is a paparazzo, how does he keep a secret?"
• 2023's worst destinations for overtourism - "These were some of 2023's worst destinations for overtourism. Here’s how to avoid the crowds next year. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the industry is expected to bring in some $9.5 trillion in 2023 - which accounts for 95% of its pre-pandemic levels."
• Kuxiu foldable magnetic wireless chargers review - "Kuxiu has several travel charger options for powering your iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch that look great and fold to fit for storage. Travel chargers need to be small, but charge your essential devices like iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods at once. Kuxiu's options are competitively priced and designed to look great with your Apple products."
• Best note taking apps of 2023 - Evernote, OneNote, Google Keep & more - "Capture all your ideas with the best note taking apps for your smartphone."
• The photographs that defined 2023 & the stories behind them - "The year has been dominated by the Israel-Gaza and Ukraine wars, and protests around the world. But there have been moments of joy, too - from Elton John's Glastonbury show to Vanilla the chimp's first taste of freedom. Photographers reflect on their striking pictures."
• Who Decided January 1st Is the New Year? - TIME.
• The 7 Best Champagnes to Pop This New Year’s Eve - "Ring in 2024 with these superb bottles of bubbly."
• 25 top recommended products for your health & wellness in 2024 - "The new year is a perfect time to form a healthy habit, whether sleeping more soundly, clocking more steps, or reducing stress."
• 10 Nutrition Tips for a Healthy New Year - "We’ve learned plenty about eating well. Here’s the advice we’ll carry with us into 2024." The New York Times.
• The films to look forward to in 2024 - "Timothée Chalamet is back for Dune's epic conclusion, Joaquin Phoenix returns as the Joker and Paddington heads to Peru - there's a host of great cinema coming in the new year."
• Headscarves, PDA & alcohol: What to know about visiting Saudi Arabia - "Saudi Arabia has set an ambitious goal for itself: 150 million tourist visits by 2030. Travel e-visas, a growing number of international air links and a new 96-hour layover program have all made it logistically easier to visit."
• FranÇoise Bettencourt Meyer: L'OrÉal heiress first woman to amass $100bn fortune - "The French beauty empire founded by her grandfather is on track for its best stock market performance in decades. L'Oréal shares rose to a record high in Paris on Thursday."
• 5 cities where your travel cash goes further - "From Toronto to Tokyo, these five cities remain surprisingly affordable compared to their more costly neighbours."
• 33 of the best books of 2023 - "Sandra Newman to Justin Torres. From a reimagining of Orwell's 1984 to the story of Renaissance painter Artemisia Gentileschi, these are BBC Culture's picks of the best fiction of the year."
• Our tech editors' 11 favorite gadgets of 2023 - "In a year filled with major updates to the iPhone, MacBook Pro and Meta Quest as well as a ton of surprise winners from every category in between, here are the 11 products that truly stood out to our tech experts in 2023." CNN Underscored.
• Copyright for original Mickey Mouse persona to run out 1 January 2024 - "Steamboat Willie, created by Walt Disney, to enter public domain after 95 years - taking earliest Minnie with him."
• 2023 in pictures: Striking photos from around the world - "A selection of the most powerful pictures taken by news-agency photographers around the world this year."
• BBC Travel's favourite stories of 2023 - "Of the hundreds of stories BBC Travel ran this year, these are the ones we can't stop talking about."
• The beautiful town you've probably never heard named one of Europe's best places to live - "This town mixes old and new in a unique way, and is a perfect destination for lovers of history and art."
• Inside the tiny European town described as a ‘living fairytale’ that inspired Pinocchio & other Disney classics - "In the heart of Germany lies a picturesque town that has inspired a number of Disney classics. Bavarian town Rothenburg is said to have been the inspiration for the Disney classic Pinocchio, as well as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
• How humans have changed the Earth's surface in 2023 - "From new artificial islands to the environmental devastation caused by the breach of Ukraine's Kakhovka Dam – this is how humanity has changed the face of our planet throughout the past year."
• 2024 brings new airplanes, seats & airport improvements to passengers - "Passengers will fly in 2024 with airlines that are putting their post-lockdown plans into place. And that includes shiny new airplanes containing new seat designs arriving at a rapid pace. A scattering of new airports and terminals will change the game in a few key regions."
• Steve Ballmer is set to make $1 billion a year for doing nothing - "For most people, passive income is a bit of extra pocket change that requires minimal effort to earn to supplement a main source of income. For Steve Ballmer, it’s $1 billion. Ballmer, the sixth richest person in the world, is due to collect that much in dividends from Microsoft in 2024. This comes after the tech giant boosted its quarterly dividend payout to 75 cents a share, or $3 a share annually."
• Gaston Glock: Inventor of popular handgun dies aged 94 - "The weapon has been used by armed forces, security personnel, gun owners and criminals around the world. Its rise was cemented by American pop culture and appearances in Hollywood blockbusters including science-fiction action film The Matrix Reloaded."
• The World's Best Champagne - According To The 2023 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships - "The formidable title of 'Supreme World Champion' went to a 2008 vintage of Millésime Rare Champagne from producer Piper-Heidsieck."
• The Best & Worst of “The Crown” - "The Best and Worst (and Dumbest) From 6 Seasons of ‘The Crown’. As the Netflix series depicting the royal family concludes, it’s time to hand out some superlatives."
• The Real Story of Princess Diana's 'Revenge' Dress - "How She Nearly Didn't Wear It. Princess Diana made a huge statement without saying a word."
• I test AI for a living & these are the 5 most amazing AI tools of the year - "This will go down as the year of AI."
• 12 Workouts to Try in 2024 - "Here are some of our favorite moves to help you feel strong and age well, no matter your fitness level. Sign Up for Well's 6-Day Energy Challenge. Put one foot in front of the other."
• How to use the iOS 17 contact sharing feature - swap phone numbers in seconds - "It's also known as NameDrop. This cool little perk, a spin off from AirDrop, lets you easily swap contact details with other iPhone users."
• James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan is hit with court date for WALKING into 'delicate' & dangerous 'Mammoth Terraces' hot spring tiers at Yellowstone National Park - "Leaving designated paths is punishable by up to six months in jail or $5000 fine. The action star has a court date set for next month."
• Bloomberg Billionaires Index - "View profiles for each of the world's 500 richest people, see the biggest movers, and compare fortunes or track returns." The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world's richest people. Details about the calculations are provided in the net worth analysis on each billionaire's profile page. The figures are updated at the close of every trading day in New York.
• 11 of the most controversial culture moments of 2023 - "Prince Harry's Spare, Gwyneth's trial and Try That In a Small Town. Among all the highs and lows of the year in the arts, here are the people, works and incidents that really got everyone talking."
• 10 work buzzwords that took over in 2023 - "Largely originating on social media, this year's top jargon explains what workers want - and who they've become in a post-pandemic world."
• 'Sustainable luxury' is all the rage. But how does it actually work? - "Travelers are more interested than ever in sustainable travel options - and are willing to pay a premium for it. According to Euromonitor's Sustainable Travel Index from August 2023, nearly 80% of travelers are willing to pay at least 10% more for sustainable features."
• How to use ChatGPT - 7 tips for beginners - "1. Get creative with your prompts. ... 2. Ask follow-up questions. ... 3. Tell ChatGPT more about yourself. ... 4. Get ChatGPT to think again. ... 5. Share links to your conversations. ... 6. Give ChatGPT some text to work with. ... 7. Speak to ChatGPT using your voice."
• 13 Ways the World Got Better in 2023 - "As in most years, much of the media focus in 2023 was on the myriad crises people all over the world faced, from horrific wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East to devastating natural disasters (many climate-change-related) in Turkey, Southeast Africa, Hawaii, Canada, and more. At the end of this long year, though, it's worth taking a step back and considering some of the ways things improved. Here are some examples, gathered together by TIME's climate and health journalists."
• Midnight Mass & surfing Santas: Pictures of Christmas around the world - "From Australia to the Americas, services, events and Santa runs have been taking place to mark one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar. Here are some of the best Christmas images from around the world."
• This is how Ancient Romans would feast - "Lying down and vomiting between courses. Game meat such as venison, wild boar, rabbit and pheasant along with seafood like raw oysters, shellfish and lobster were just some of the pricey foods that made regular appearances at the Roman banquet."
• Eurovision to Indiana Jones: 15 flops & fails in culture in 2023 - "Celebrities provide a vital public service throughout the year by keeping us all entertained - even if it isn't always on purpose. In a world where the news is so often depressing, here's a light-hearted look at some of the mishaps, blunders, flops and fails from 2023."
• I was there for Diana & Dodi’s summer of love & it wasn’t like The Crown - "As Mohamed Al-Fayed’s biographer, Mark Hollingsworth witnessed Dodi and Diana’s romance first-hand - and the inside story he tells here is more gripping and surprising than anything portrayed in the hit Netflix show..."
• The second most popular spoken language in each European country revealed - "Europe is home to almost 750 million people in just under 50 countries. Here are the second most popular languages for countries across the continent."
• How to translate speech using the Action button on iPhone - "In this tutorial, we will show you how to set up the Action button on your iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max to translate words and sentences into another language."
• Study seems to confirm secret ingredient for better coffee - "The ideal amount of water can change based on parameters such as the type of roast and the coarseness of the grind, so there is no one-size-fits-all rule, but on average, the study found that adding water increases the extraction yield by 10%."
• A Portable Coffee Machine For The Future - "In a world where time is of the essence, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is a daily necessity, Brewster emerges as the ultimate solution for coffee enthusiasts on the go. This battery-powered coffee machine of the future takes your random coffee cravings to a new level of convenience and precision, allowing you to enjoy a perfect cup of coffee anytime, anywhere."
• All about the HermÈs family & the world-famous luxury fashion brand - "Hermès International, or simply Hermès, has woven itself into the fabric of luxury for centuries with timeless products such as the Birkin bag and the aesthetically beautiful silk scarves. Its opulent creations, steeped in tradition and craftsmanship, have captivated the world’s elite."
• What Does it Mean to 'Dress Your Age'? - "And that's the thing about that issue of 'dressing your age.' It isn't about a list of garments you can or can't wear. It's about all the associations and assumptions embedded in those garments. Strict social or cultural rules about what to wear as you age don't really exist anymore."
• Africa’s richest woman set to lose Monaco property - "A ruling in the UK’s High Court is likely to cost Isabel dos Santos her real estate holdings in Monaco." Monaco Daily News.
• I wear my Apple Watch every single day & these are the 9 watchOS apps I can't live without - "I'm a firm believer that the best Apple Watch apps will help you make the most of your smartwatch. Here's how I make the most of my Apple Watch."
• Apple Watch Tips: Change These Settings for a Better Experience - "Whether you've been wearing an Apple Watch for years or just got one for the holidays, changing a few settings can make a big difference. For example, you can decide how you'd like to activate Siri, make your apps appear in a list view rather than a grid and set Portrait Mode photos from your iPhone as your watch background."
• Get an iPhone for Christmas? Here are 3 time-saving iOS settings to activate now - "Make your iPhone even more efficient with these hidden features."
• 5 must-have accessories for your new MacBook - "Unlock your MacBook's potential with these essential accessories."
• 11 tips for setting up your new ipad - "These 11 tips for setting up your new iPad will ensure you get the most out of your Apple tablet."
• 7 countries, 7 traditional Christmas feasts - "The typical Christmas meal may be different by destination, but the idea of indulging in a feast, be it on the day itself or the night before, isn't. Here's a look at how locals celebrate Christmas through cuisine in seven countries."
• Where billionaires spend the holidays - "Many people spend the holiday season at home with friends or family. Meanwhile, the world's richest people jet off to ski towns, second homes, and destination resorts. Here's a look at some of the most popular destinations for the ultrawealthy during the holidays."
• The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time - "Variety breaks down the best TV shows of all time. From The Sopranos to Community, these are the best series ever aired."
• The World's Best Bordeaux - "The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, and since we've no place to go, drink Bordeaux, drink Bordeaux, drink Bordeaux... The heady blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot - the perfect marriage of black forest fruits, cassis and tannin - are surefire wines for all those festive feasts from glazed ham and spiced cranberry to Christmas pudding."
• Healthy Snacks for Planes, Trains & Automobiles - "Eating well on the road takes a bit of forethought, but it’s doable."
• iOS 17 Cheat Sheet: The Latest on Apple's iPhone Update - "From recent updates to hidden features, here's what to know about iOS 17."
• Chart: Income Inequality by Country, Before & After Tax - "This chart shows how taxes offset income inequality by country, revealing differences in living standards around the world."
• See Sam Altman's Ultra-Rare, Half-Million Dollar Watch - "Sam Altman's $480,000 watch, the Greubel Forsey Invention Piece 1, is so rare only 33 were ever made."
• The island where it's Christmas every day - "It's Christmas every day on Christmas Island, the 52-square-mile jungle paradise that sits in the Indian Ocean about a 3.5-hour plane flight northwest of Perth, Australia. Its thriving reefs and 250 endemic species have earned it the nickname 'The Galapagos of Australia,' but geographically, this remote gem lies closer to Indonesia than the Australian mainland."
• Inside the $760m restoration of Notre Dame cathedral - "The spire of Notre Dame, crowned by a brand new golden rooster, regained its place in the Paris skyline last week."
• Five cautionary tales of business leadership in 2023 - "Corporate missteps have been on full display during a tumultuous, unprecedented year in business and work."
• Travel 101: Our Favorite Hacks, Hints & How-Tos - "Successful trips take thorough preparation, from picking the right destination to nailing down all the details. We've done the homework so you don't have to."
• How to Survive Long-Haul Flights - "1. Save up entertainment. Plan how you will fill the rest of the time onboard: A 10-episode narrative arc of a TV series will stretch out a lot longer than one movie. ... 2. Never stop hydrating. The air onboard is extremely dry. ... 3. Move when you can. ... 4. Think ahead to your final destination."
• Hands-on: Kuxiu's new foldable 3-in-1 wireless charger - "KU XIU Foldable Magnetic Charger, Aluminum Alloy 3 in 1 Charging Station for Apple, 15W Fast Wireless Charger for iPhone 15, 14, 13, 12 Pro/Max/Plus, for AirPods 3/2/Pro, iWatch, with 20W Adapter-Black."
• TOP 10 AUDIO INNOVATIONS EVERY AUDIOPHILE ENTHUSIAST MUST EXPLORE - "There’s something that every audiophile out there needs - an arsenal of excellent audio devices to blast out some groovy music at their parties, or to sing along to their favorite tunes alone in the comfort of their room. We’ve curated a collection of unique and innovative audio designs to cater to people’s diverse range of diverse audio requirements. From an invisible turntable to a Nothing-inspired resurrected iPod - there’s an ideal audio device in here for everyone!"
• The Oura Ring is my favorite gadget of 2023 - 3 best ways to use yours during the holidays - "The Oura Ring has some recovery features worth knowing."
• Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch: A side-by-side comparison - "Why I’ll never go back to an Apple Watch after switching to Oura Ring. I wore them at the same time for a month to really test them out."
• Wham!'s Last Christmas crowned Christmas number one - "Wham! has been declared the UK's official Christmas number one with Last Christmas - 39 years after first being denied the festive top spot. Written and produced by the late George Michael, Last Christmas was beaten to the festive top spot in 1984 by Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas?"
• Merry Christmas. I Got You a Tiny Cow - "Miniature livestock are a hot-ticket item this holiday season."
• From Taylor Swift to Barbenheimer, the cultural trends that defined 2023 - "Here are some of the forces that, for better or worse, captured the zeitgeist in the past 12 months."
• 23 Best Travel Gadgets That'll Make Your Next Trip Even Better - "For more organized, manageable, and unforgettable adventures."
• Visualizing 60 Years of Stock Market Cycles - "To give some context on the current stock market cycle, this graphic shows 60 years of bull and bear markets."
• A brief history of the end of the world - "Every mass extinction, including the looming next one, explained."
• What to Know About ‘Maestro’: A Guide to Bradley Cooper’s Bernstein Biopic - "Now on Netflix, the movie tracks the life of the American conductor and composer and his wife, the actress Felicia Montealegre, played by Carey Mulligan."
• George Clooney Q&A - "‘The Boys In The Boat’, Matthew Perry Memories, The $150M SAG-AFTRA Offer & ‘Wolfs’ Sequel With Brad Pitt & Jon Watts."
• Introducing MultiButton: Assign Two Shortcuts to the Same Action Button Press on iPhone 15 Pro - "Wouldn’t it be great if instead of just one shortcut, I could toggle between two shortcuts with the same Action button press? That’s exactly what my new MultiButton shortcut does."
• Apple releases iOS 17.2.1 with mystery bug fixes - "The unexpected update mentions no specific bugs fixed or security holes patched."
• The worst-behaved tourists of 2023 - "Stripping off from the waist down at a sacred site. Driving a car across a medieval bridge, as fragile as it is famous. Carving your name into a world icon, and going on a punishing hike... to take illegal drugs. These are just some of the things tourists have got up to in 2023. They’ve damaged heritage sites, eaten endangered species, and - in the case of one couple - stolen nearly $2 million worth of wine from a Michelin-starred restaurant."
• The 10 Best Books Through Time - "Each fall, the editors of the Times Book Review select the best fiction and nonfiction titles of the year. Now, we call this list the 'Ten Best Books' and have done so since 2004."
• 'You've Got Mail' Was the Last Great New York Rom-Com - "On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, a look back at what the movie tells us about love, books, money, urbanism and the internet."
• The 12 Best (& Worst) Fake Noses in Cinema History - "‘Maestro’ isn’t the first time a supersize sniffer set off a whiff of controversy. Here’s a look at the most notable schnozzes onscreen."
• Have 10 hours? IBM will train you in AI fundamentals - for free - "I already took IBM's AI ethics class and plan to complete the rest to earn my digital credential in AI over the holiday break."
• 5 Cheap(ish) Things to Upgrade Your Coffee - "Even with quality beans, it’s hard to be a good home barista without the right tools. Wirecutter’s coffee experts can help. Here are five affordable things that can vastly improve your morning experience."
• The Beatles created a painting together while on tour in Japan. Now it’s up for auction - "That painting, believed by some experts to be the only artwork jointly made by all four Beatles (or at least signed by all four), will be up for sale at Christie’s auction house in New York on February 1."
• Hidden layer discovered in famous Rembrandt painting solves decades-old mystery - "When conservators used X-rays to peer below the varnish and paint of “The Night Watch,” they discovered something unexpected under its surface: a layer that was full of lead."
• The 12 Best Calendar Watches of 2023 - "It’s worth noting that, thanks to the sheer complicated nature of most calendars, it’s generally only the big brands that can really tackle them, be they established giants of the watch world or esoteric high-end independents."
• Dozens of documents naming Jeffrey Epstein’s victims & associates to be made public in 2024 - "The order, issued Monday by Judge Loretta A. Preska, is the latest filing in a settled case by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an American woman who claimed Epstein sexually abused her while she was a minor and that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend and longtime accomplice, aided in the abuse."
• How to create stickers on the iPhone using your photos in iOS 17 - "You can even send animated stickers with Live Photos in iMessage."
• How to Create Realistic Images with ChatGPT - "Creating realistic images with ChatGPT, which is significantly augmented by its integration with the advanced DALL-E image generation AI, represents a state-of-the-art endeavor in the realm of artificial intelligence. This in-depth guide aims to provide a detailed roadmap for effectively navigating this innovative process."
• 5 ChatGPT Prompts To Unlock World-Class Communication Skills - "Even if you’re the best in the world at what you do, if your communication is ineffective, you won’t get far. Being able to share your story, engage with others, make people care, and explain your progress makes all the difference to your business success. Communication skills are well worth honing. Get ChatGPT to help you become better at communication, for more success in business and life, and to stop opportunities passing you by. Copy, paste and edit the square brackets in ChatGPT, and keep the same chat window open so the context carries through. Get your message across like never before."
• Do You Really Need That Antibiotic? - "It’s antibiotic season. Brush up on how you should use them - and when to avoid them. An estimated 28 percent of antibiotics prescribed to children and adults are unnecessary. When a virus like those that cause the flu or Covid is causing your symptoms, antibiotics not only don't help, they can hurt."
• What You Need to Know About Sleeping Pills - "A guide to the different types of medications for treating insomnia, their risks and when experts recommend using them."
• Winter solstice: The shortest day & longest night of the year - "Winter solstice, the shortest day of the year and the official first day of winter, is on Thursday, December 21, this year (well, for the vast bulk of the Americas anyway). How the solstices - along with the spring and fall equinoxes - work has fascinated people for thousands of years."
• The 12 Vibes of Christmas - "Christmas Decorations: 12 Unique Aesthetics and Vibes. Soft lights in warm colors or bright LEDs? Handcrafted wooden ornaments or modern, minimalist baubles? Real tree or fake?"
• Apple loses attempt to halt Apple Watch sales ban - "Apple has lost its bid to delay an import and sales ban on the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2. In a filing on Wednesday, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) denied Apple's motion to stay the ban while awaiting an appeal."
• Iceland volcano: What it's like to live with the fires of Reykjanes - "After 800 years, volcanic activity has returned to Reykjanes, Iceland, and it might last hundreds of years. Watching from Reykjavík, the writer Andri Snaer Magnason reflects on the Icelandic relationship with volcanoes - and a close encounter he had with lava."
• Is It Bad to Eat Late at Night? - "It’s linked to heartburn, disrupted sleep, metabolic issues and more. Research suggests that, if possible, it's best to avoid eating for three to four hours before your usual bedtime, Dr. St-Onge said. That timing is likely better for your long-term health, and may also reduce symptoms of acid reflux, which can interfere with sleep, Dr. Hanlon added."
• What’s Your ‘Biological Age’? - "Is Biological Age Testing Accurate or Useful? New tests promise to tell you if you have the cells of a 30-year-old or a 60-year-old. Here’s what to know about them."
• A Visit To The HermÈs Manufacture Shows That The Brand Takes Watchmaking Very Seriously - "A photo report of a visit to the sites where Hermès produces and assembles its cases, dials, and leather straps."
• HermÈs billionaire wants to bequeath fortune to his former gardener - "A descendant of Europe’s richest family has reportedly begun a process to adopt his middle-aged former gardener, planning to leave him at least half of his roughly €12 billion ($13 billion) fortune."
• Oreo: The cookie that can't be perfected - "In her new cookbook, The Cookie that Changed My Life, Nancy Silverton takes the classic Oreo to a new level with her recipe for the ultimate chocolate cookie."
• Christmas Around the World: 10 International Destinations to Visit - "Cities all over the world celebrate Christmas in unique and memorable ways. Here are a few to consider for your last-minute Christmas trip." The New York Times.
• Oprah Proves Diet Culture Spares No One - "Oprah's legacy will include the ideas that every woman's body is a battleground and that our appetites are to be mistrusted and subdued."
• The 50 best TV shows of 2023 - 50 to 1 - "At the top table sits a series that added a fresh serving of joy to its intense, fork-throwing family drama for its second season. Yes Jeff!"
• iPhone 15 Pro Max Camera vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Which Is Best? - "Apple's latest iPhone has an amazing camera. But then, so does Samsung's. Here's our expert comparison. The iPhone 15 Pro Max's 5x zoom has delivered a much better-looking shot than the S23 Ultra's 3x lens, with more natural-looking colors and exposure."
• How to add a music streamer to your hi-fi system - "It's any component that allows you to play music wirelessly - using a streaming service app and/or network storage device - to your hi-fi system. Complement, rather than replace, your existing kit."
• Top 40 Swiss Watches: Timeless Excellence in Horology - "Swiss watches are renowned for their quality, precision, and craftsmanship. This article delves into the world of Swiss horology to highlight the top 40 Swiss watch brands that have set the benchmark for excellence in watchmaking. We’ll explore each brand’s heritage, design ethos, and technological contributions to the industry. Our report includes insights and analysis from industry experts and connoisseurs, providing an in-depth look at these timeless timepieces."
• 2023: The year in pictures - "It was a year filled with tragedy, historic firsts and inspiring performances."
• I tried Apple’s Journal app for a week - here’s what I found - "Journaling has been reported to be good for one's mental health, with a study by the University of Rochester Medical Centre reporting that it can help control mental health symptoms and improve your general mood."
• Journaling for Emotional Wellness - "Journaling helps control your symptoms and improve your mood by: Helping you prioritize problems, fears, and concerns. Tracking any symptoms day-to-day so that you can recognize triggers and learn ways to better control them. Providing an opportunity for positive self-talk and identifying negative thoughts and behaviors." University of Rochester Medical Center.
• Strathberry: the brand fast becoming a quiet luxury stalwart - "With an emphasis on quality that rivals top-end labels, the royals' favourite accessories label is going from strength to strength."
• Even a Little Alcohol Can Harm Your Health, Research Shows - "Recent research makes it clear that any amount of drinking can be detrimental. Here’s why you may want to cut down on your consumption beyond Dry January. After decades of confusing and sometimes contradictory research (too much alcohol is bad for you but a little bit is good; some types of alcohol are better for you than others; just kidding, it's all bad), the picture is becoming clearer: Even small amounts of alcohol can have health consequences."
• What Is the Ideal Retirement Age for Your Health? - "Average life expectancy has risen by 16 years since the national retirement age was set at 65. We asked health experts when they think people should stop working now." The New York Times.
• 2023 Products of the Year - Part-Time Audiophile.
• The Seychelles island where travelers stay for months - "North Island: Travel operator Natucate sets up sabbatical breaks for people on the Seychelles' North Island. During stays ranging from weeks to months - and even years - travelers help out with conservation projects."
• The luxury train ride from Paris to Italy that will cost $8,500 for a one-way ticket - "The train - whose full mouthful of a name is the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, A Belmond Train, Europe - will pootle from Paris to Portofino across two days in June."
• Twelve South AirFly SE, Premium Bluetooth Wireless Audio Transmitter for AirPods or Wireless Headphones - "I’ll never travel without the Twelve South AirFly Bluetooth adapter again. Here’s why. Very seldom does a product come along that completely changes how we travel. With this Bluetooth wireless transmitter, it becomes possible to watch and listen to films, TV shows and more from an in-flight entertainment system via your own wireless headphones. In other words, you can say goodbye to the often-terrible airline-supplied wired headphones and keep your favorite noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones in your ears."
• Bitcoin’s growing water footprint - "Amid growing concerns over the impacts of climate change on worldwide water security, Bitcoin’s water footprint has rapidly escalated in recent years."
• 10 Hidden Features in tvOS 17 (2023) - "Apple added many useful new features and quality-of-life changes in tvOS 17 and really leaned into the capabilities of the latest hardware."
• How to Clean a Remote Control - "Remote controls are among the most-touched objects in many households, right up there with doorknobs and toilet handles. But can you remember the last time you cleaned your remote? Let us walk you through it."
• Optimized Battery Charging on iPhone: Should you use it? - "This feature is useful to increase the lifespan of the battery, but at the end of the day, it all depends on your usage. Losing 20% of your battery life on a daily basis could be an issue. If this is going to impact your life in a negative way, it's probably not worth it."
• New Apple iOS 17 feature is 'changing people's lives' - "A viral video on X, formerly known as Twitter, has shown a camera feature that they believe could change their lives and prevent them from ruining expensive clothes."
• Bill Gates: Why I'm optimistic about the future of AI - "I believe there is huge potential to use AI to improve lives in low- and middle-income countries."
• How To Build Your Own Custom ChatGPT Bot - "When you're ready to start building your own, click Create a GPT at the top. There are two tabs to swap between: Create for building a GPT through a question-and-answer routine and Configure for more deliberate GPT production."
• ChatGPT vs Bard vs Grok comparison using identical prompts - "Understanding the nuances of different language models is key. For those of you exploring AI to enhance your professional or personal endeavors, a comparative look at ChatGPT, Bard, and Grok can offer valuable insights. Each model, with its unique strengths, caters to varied needs ranging from creative writing to technical support."
• Rolex, Omega, Breitling & more - "These are the best watches James Bond ever wore."
• Pressures of the holiday season can take a toll. Here’s how to cope, Danish-style - "Understanding the Danish word “overskud” can help you find more balance during a period of joy and competing commitments. Some Danish therapists maintain that having more overskud can lead you to experience more contentment, calm and presence."
• Mark Zuckerberg is building one of the biggest homes in US history - "$270M Hawaiian compound will include its own village and huge underground bunker."
• Regent Hong Kong: The hotel that changed the definition of luxury for an entire city - "'(Luxury is) having the opportunity to reset and not being distracted by someone trying to push you with ‘service.’ We are very proud of our legacy, but we aren’t hostage to that legacy. We are moving into the hospitality of today and tomorrow.' One key ingredient of their 'new luxury' concept is the need to pay attention to the minutest details - from design to service - in a discreet manner."
• The Billionaire, His Mexican Hideaways & Me - "The financier Sir James Goldsmith created two lavish retreats in Mexico that are now hotels. A writer checked in to get a peek inside the world of the superwealthy."
• It's My Privilege: Glorious Memoirs by the Very Rich - "A look back at a time when the super-wealthy felt they had nothing to lose by letting readers inside their gilded corridors."
• A Ski Resort Rebrands as Ultraexclusive & Some Locals Feel Left Out - "The Windham Mountain Club, with $200,000 memberships, is looking to seize on the potential of luring the wealthy from New York City."
• Finding a Way Back to ‘Perfect Beach’ - "On the spectacular northern coast of Puerto Rico, a writer’s favorite stretch of golden sand beckoned, but getting there legally would take some creativity."
• 52 Places to Go in 2023 - "Travel’s rebound has revealed the depth of our drive to explore the world. Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? This year’s list has all those elements, and more." The New York Times.
• Bought for $3.99 from a Virginia thrift store, this vase just sold for over $100,000 - "It transpired that the vase is from the 'Pennellate' series that Carlo Scarpa, an architect who also dabbled in glassware and furnishings, designed for Venini in 1942, during his tenure as the company’s creative director."
• 15 Best MagSafe Accessories You Should Add to Your iPhone - "These unique gadgets capitalize on your iPhone's internal magnets."
• What can you connect to the iPhone 15 with USB-C? - "On the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, Apple finally got rid of the Lightning port and replaced it with USB-C. This opens up a whole new world of convenience of connecting accessories and peripherals."
• How to access your computer's files on your iPhone or iPad - "Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner on your iPhone; the same button is in the top-right corner of the left sidebar on your iPad. Tap Connect to Server. You will be asked for a server name; type the name of the local computer you're trying to connect with."
• Get 10TB of Cloud Storage for Life for Just $100 - "This Degoo online backup solution offers a ton of space and no recurring monthly fees."
• iPhone users in uproar over Apple's new Journal app - "iPhone users in uproar over Apple's new Journal app that is automatically downloaded to your device and can detect strangers nearby. iOS users are calling out Apple's new AI-powered Journal app for fears it is misusing people's private thoughts, emotions and experiences."
• The iPhone’s Notes App Is the Purest Reflection of Our Messy Existence - "This deceptively simple app, where we deposit both our grocery lists and our darkest thoughts, is the medium of our time."
• iOS 17.2 finally gives me a reason to use the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action button - "All told, though, it's extremely impressive that you're now able to carry an instantaneous translation tool around in your pocket. Now, with a single click, my iPhone 15 Pro can start a translation session in the Dynamic Island, allowing me to quickly translate phrases into another language without needing to boot up the full-blown Translate app (or indeed any rival translation app). Muchas gracias, Apple!"
• The world’s top city destinations for 2023 revealed - "Paris has once again been named the world’s most attractive city destination, according to an annual report by global market research company Euromonitor International."
• 5 Great Reasons To Visit Denmark In 2024 - "From a new visitor center dedicated to Carlsberg to a long-distance cultural hiking trail, here are five reasons to visit Denmark in 2024."
• Curb Your Enthusiasm to officially end after 24 years - "Larry David will bid farewell to the fictionalised version of himself that formed the basis of 12 series of Curb Your Enthusiasm. The 12th season of the show, which is due out in February, will be the last. The award-winning series, created by and starring Larry David as a fictionalised version of himself, is HBO's longest running scripted comedy series."
• The one thing The Crown got wrong - "As the finale of Peter Morgan's six-season series of The Crown is released on Netflix, why did the once-admired British Royal Family drama go downhill? What went wrong with the show?"
• Every episode of The Crown - ranked! - "From devastatingly poignant drama about unforgettable events to ghost Diana and a breakdancing Prince Charles - the royal saga has been a rollercoaster ride. Here are the highs and lows."
• Trump Is Selling Pieces of His Mug Shot Suit - "It’s not just a piece of political memorabilia - it’s a strategy."
• According to 46 Experts, the Year’s Best Watch Brand Is... - "Dealers, collectors, and journalists weigh in on the most influential watch brands of 2023."
• Understanding Watch Depreciation: A Closer Look at the Value of Timepieces - "This article seeks to demystify watch depreciation, providing readers with insights into what drives the loss in value of watches over time. Through examining factors such as brand reputation, supply and demand, innovation, and market trends, we aim to offer a comprehensive understanding of how watch values are affected."
• Peach Fuzz is Pantone's color of the year for 2024 - "Embrace the Warmth." The gentle, pinkish-orange hue was chosen to reflect a collective desire for respite.
• What Good Is a 5-Minute Workout, Really? - "Short bursts of exercise might provide some benefits, but don’t cancel your gym membership just yet."
• Benefits of Physical Activity - "Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities." CDC | U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
• Photos: People we've lost in 2023 - "Here are some of the most famous people who have died in 2023."
• These were the top trending Google searches of 2023 - "The Israel-Hamas war, Damar Hamlin and 'Barbie' were among the top Google search trends of 2023. If you turned to Google these past few months to make sense of the Israel-Hamas war, you aren't alone."
• Dream of Talking to Vincent van Gogh? A.I. Tries to Resurrect the Artist - "Can doppelgängers of the Dutch painter help museums generate new interest and income? A.I. Vincent fields our questions (and makes some mistakes)."
• The 10 most iconic jewellery pieces to buy now & wear forever - "From the Cartier Love bangle to the Boodles tennis bracelet, these are the classic pieces that will last a lifetime."
• Why Yoga Teachers Are Learning to Dissect Cadavers - "Thousands of fitness professionals and massage therapists have participated in cadaver workshops. They say it makes them more effective at their jobs."
• Best laptop power banks 2023: The best battery packs to keep your devices juiced up on the go - "Laptop battery banks need enough wattage to charge up your device."
• A Simple Trick To Make Better Coffee: Cut The Static - "To make richer coffee in the morning, simply spritz a little water on your beans before grinding them. That’s it!"
• Stolen Device Protection: How the new iOS 17.3 feature keeps your iPhone safer - "The new feature in iOS 17.3 aims to make it harder for thieves to mess up your digital life using a stolen passcode. The basic idea is simple: with Stolen Device Protection activated, your iPhone will require biometric identification (Face ID or Touch ID) to perform many actions - your iPhone passcode will no longer serve as a fallback for most of them."
• Marie Antoinette Chair Sells for a Record US$2.8 Million - "A royal chair created for the boudoir of Marie Antoinette achieved €2.6 million (US$2.8 million) Thursday evening at Sotheby’s in Paris, setting a record for a single 18th-century chair."
• Exploring the Cost of 10-Seater Private Jets - "To give an estimate, prices can range from approximately $3 million for an older, pre-owned model to well over $50 million for a new, state-of-the-art model with the latest in aviation technology."
• 24 Things That Stuck With Us in 2023 - "Films, TV shows, albums, books, art and A.I.-generated SpongeBob performances that reporters, editors and visual journalists in Culture couldn’t stop thinking about this year."
• Watch theft is a big deal & Rolex is stolen more than any other timepiece: Report - "Reselling stolen items has always been a huge market, with certain goods favored for their solid returns."
• The Watch Register - "The leading global database of lost and stolen watches."
• Google’s New AI, Gemini, Beats ChatGPT In 30 Of 32 Test Categories - "Google has released a new Pro model of its latest AI, Gemini, and company sources say it has outperformed GPT-3.5 (the free version of ChatGPT) in widespread testing."
• Beatles Biographer Grapples With the ‘Paradox’ of George Harrison - "Philip Norman, the author of books about Paul McCartney, John Lennon and the Beatles as a group, discovers that Harrison was, among other things, a puzzle."
• The Times Publishes Its 60,000 Issue - "With Issue No. 60,000, One Correction Comes to Mind. In 1999, a news assistant's number crunching revealed that The Times had gotten ahead of itself."
• 2023 Golden Ear: Krell KSA-i400 Power Amplifier - The Absolute Sound.
• Nespresso Vertuo Creatista: the best single-serve machine I've used - "All stainless steel and style the Nespresso Vertuo Creatista is an incredible single-serve machine. It makes excellent single-serve coffee in minutes."
• Why I’m Still in Love With Waikiki - "It’s fashionable to look down on the famous Honolulu beach as touristy and inauthentic. But you can still find the tropical paradise that inspired dreams of the islands, if you know where to look."
• Cop28 live: landmark deal to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels agreed - "Cop28 president says summit ‘should be proud of our historic achievements’."
• 7 Little-Known Perks of Flying Business Class - "Flying in business class differs greatly from the standard economy class travel experience. The most attractive benefits include a more spacious and comfortable seat, not being pressed against strangers, and the ability to recline your seat much more than a few inches. But a business class ticket includes other valuable benefits that can improve your travel experience."
• The World of Luxury Travel: A Look Into the Private Jet Gulfstream - "Luxury and efficiency converge in the realm of private jets, where the Gulfstream series stands out as a hallmark of opulence, speed, and technology. Renowned for their unparalleled comfort and performance, Gulfstream aircraft have been the choice for executives, celebrities, and dignitaries seeking private and secure travels."
• Emirates is making luxury luggage from recycled plane parts - "If you’ve ever wanted to own a piece of the iconic A380 superjumbo, here’s your chance: Emirates is preparing to launch a limited-edition collection of luggage and accessories made from upcycled parts, sourced from the carrier’s Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. The collection includes suitcases, backpacks, handbags, cardholders, toiletry bags, belts and shoes, all fashioned in-house and handmade by a team of tailors at an Emirates Engineering facility in Dubai."
• 36 Hours in Vienna, Austria: Things to Do & See - "The Austrian capital beckons as a wintry escape with ice skating paths, cozy coffeehouses and a Christmas market in a palace."
• The best power banks for 2024 - "Never run out of battery again, no matter where you are with these best portable chargers."
• 81st Golden Globes 2024: Full Nominations List - "Greta Gerwig’s 'Barbie,' a feminist phenomenon that traces its origins to toy store shelves, dominated nominations for the 2024 Golden Globe Awards. Its 10 nods makes the movie the second most-nominated in the 81-year history of the show, tying it with 'Cabaret.'"
• iOS 17.2 arrives with new Journal app & spatial video capture support - "As well as a host of smaller additions like new features for Weather and Messages and a translation option for the Action Button."
• The 31 Best Gifts for People Who Work From Home - "Chances are good that you know (and maybe are) someone who works from home—someone who craves comfort, an aesthetically pleasing workspace, and the ability to work in peace. This year, give a practical gift that any remote employee can enjoy throughout the day, from simple tech upgrades to little luxuries that put the 'home' in 'home office.'"
• 10 Ways the Napoleon Movie is Historically Accurate - "Napoleon starring Joaquin Phoenix is the newest historical drama from Gladiator director Ridley Scott, but how historically accurate is the movie?"
• Understanding the Rolex Oyster Perpetual - "Summary: The Rolex Oyster Perpetual is a line of luxury wristwatches known for its classic design and precise timekeeping. It inherits the 'Oyster' trademark, showcasing robustness and waterproofness, while 'Perpetual' refers to the self-winding movement that powers the watch continuously."
• Montblanc’s MeisterstÜck Fountain Pen Is a Masterpiece - "What's more, it's currently celebrating 100 years at the summit of luxury. Distinctively chunky and cigar-shaped, with a smooth body of black resin edged in precious metal, it is technically not 'a Montblanc' but a Meisterstück - 'masterpiece' in German."
• Finally, a tiny car charger that can power your laptop, tablet & phone - "Looking for a car charger that can output a massive 160W of power, enough to charge all your devices? Baseus has one that passed my tests."
• Review: Lock Socket is a clever way to keep iPhone chargers from disappearing - "Ever wish you could bolt down your iPhone or iPad charger to an outlet so it doesn’t walk away? A neat little accessory lets you do just that, so we tested it out to see how it works. Read on for a hands-on look at the Lock Socket for iPhone and iPad chargers."
• Exploring Alternatives to Rolex: Navigating the Luxury Watch Market - "This article aims to introduce a range of options for those looking to explore the luxury watch market beyond Rolex, as well as to provide insight into what makes these alternatives appealing."
• Best Watches in the World: Timeless Craftsmanship & Innovation - "Championing the Pinnacle of Timekeeping. While horological excellence can come from any corner of the globe, certain brands have solidified their status as makers of the best watches in the world. These brands include ..."
• In Watches, Yellow Gold Is Back - "Brands see the trend gaining in popularity throughout 2024."
• TOP 10 MUST-HAVE KITCHEN TOOLS EVERY ASPIRING CHEF WILL LOVE AS GIFTS - "The key to preparing amazing dishes is having a streamlined and efficient cooking process, which can be achieved with the help of the right kitchen appliances and tools. With the perfect kitchen accessories, you can create fantastic meals within no time, and with minimum hassles. And, we’ve curated a collection of unique, innovative, and functional kitchen tools for you."
• Bordeaux Wine Snobs Have a Point, According to This Computer Model - "With machine learning, scientists are trying to chemically define the murky concept of terroir. The models might be useful for detecting wine fraud."
• How to use Personal Voice on iPhone with iOS 17 - "Save a copy of your voice for future use on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Mac. When you're ready, go to the Personal Voice menu by opening Settings and finding Accessibility > Personal Voice (under Speech). Select Create A Personal Voice, and Apple will give you a summary of what to expect. Hit Continue, and you'll see instructions like 'Find a quiet place' and 'Take your time.'"
• Reasons why international tourists find Puducherry so irresistible - "Over two centuries of French influence is visible in the town's architecture, cuisine, and way of life. The French Quarter in Puducherry is one of the few well-preserved historic quarters in India. One can still walk on its cobbled streets and walk past the pastel-coloured colonial buildings, and charming boutiques."
• I pitted Google Bard with Gemini Pro vs ChatGPT - "The only exception was on programming as Bard flat out refused to even try. However, in the end, the winner is Bard, winning on three questions to ChatGPT only taking victory on two - but it's a hollow victory as Bard flat-out refused one entire question."
• Google’s AI note-taking app is now available to users in the US - "NotebookLM is also getting a feature that transforms your notes into another type of document."
• Hemingway, Jack London & Unabomber Typewriters Go to auction - "You Can Buy Hemingway’s Typewriter. But Would You Use It? Coming to auction is a clattering collection of machines once owned by the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Shirley Temple, Andy Rooney and ... the Unabomber."
• This May Be the World's Smelliest Cheese - "Scottish cheesemaker, claims to have made the world’s stinkiest cheese. Customers can’t get enough."
• The best Nespresso machines in 2023, tried & tested - "Whether it’s a morning eye-opener, afternoon pick-me-up or after-dinner decaf, espresso fans take their java seriously. But if learning to become a home barista sounds overwhelming, a Nespresso automatic home coffee maker may become your new BFF."
• 33 debut products that defined hi-fi history - "A (rather long) meander down memory lane."
• Ryan O’Neal, Hollywood actor & star of Love Story, dies aged 82 - "Star of Love Story, Paper Moon and Barry Lyndon who remained a prolific screen actor despite his stormy personal life."
• Ryan O’Neal: a life in pictures - "Hollywood actor Ryan O’Neal, who starred in Peyton Place, Love Story, What’s Up, Doc? and Barry Lyndon, has died at the age of 82. We look back at his career."
• Fossil of the Day awards - "Awards given by CAN to the countries who are 'doing the most to achieve the least' in terms of the progress on climate change."
• Are Low-Fat Dairy Products Really Healthier? - "For decades, experts have said that less is more when it comes to dairy fat and health. But recent research has called this into question."
• 6 Cheap(ish) Things to Fly With - "Squishing into a cramped economy seat on an overcrowded aircraft can be trying, but you can invest in affordable things that will make your in-flight experience much more comfortable. Here are six carry-on items that can help you throughout the flight."
• The Best AI Tools for Taking Notes - "Whether you have pages of details for a work project or copious notes from school, artificial intelligence can help you organize, summarize, and leverage your ideas more efficiently."
• BOOX Tab Ultra C Pro: The Smart Tablet That Finally Feels Like Putting Pen to Paper - "Enter the $650 Boox Tab Ultra C Pro, an Android-based e-paper tablet made for handwriting, but with the functionality and searchability of a computer. Its Pen2 Pro stylus has 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, so writing and sketching render naturally."
• Google's Gemini isn't the generative AI model we expected - "Google's Gemini model is finally here. But it's probably not what you were expecting."
• Gemini - release date: December 6. "Gemini is built from the ground up for multimodality - reasoning seamlessly across text, images, video, audio, and code." Multimodal large language models developed by Google DeepMind, serving as the successor to LaMDA and PaLM 2, positioned as a contender to OpenAI's GPT-4.
• 6 Giveaway Signs Of ChatGPT-Generated Content - "1. Lengthy introductions. 'Throat clearing' is where a journalist takes a long time to give (arguably) unnecessary context before diving into a piece. 2. Ethical considerations. 3. Generic thoughts and advice. 4. Lack of personal stories. 5. Specific phrases. 6. Signature structure."
• The 71 Most Stylish People of 2023 - "OK, some weren’t people, but they all made us talk: about what we wear, how we live and how we express ourselves."
• A painting valued at $15,000 turned out to be by Rembrandt. Now it has sold for almost $14 million - "'Adoration of the Kings' had been virtually unseen since the 1950s, when it first came to light. It was acquired by collector J.C.H. Heldring in Amsterdam in 1955. His widow sold it to a German family in 1985, where it remained until it was sold by Christie’s in Amsterdam two years ago."
• Best Hi-fi Of 2023 - "The Ear picks the best hi-fi of 2023."
• Ranked: Per Capita Carbon Emissions by Country - "Which Country Has the Highest Per Capita Carbon Emissions?"
• How To Use a Moka Pot For Perfect Coffee Every Time - "Assemble the moka pot, ensuring a tight seal, and place it on a medium heat source. Remove the pot from the heat once you hear the coffee extraction gurgling sound to prevent over-extraction. Allow the moka pot to cool slightly before pouring and enjoy the rich flavor of moka pot coffee."
• The European towns & cities that are magical at Christmas - "From Austria’s Vienna, to Sweden’s Gothenburg, here are the European towns and cities that revel in Christmas like no other place."
• AI Can Tell a Wine's Vineyard With 100% Accuracy - "AI may have just replaced another profession: wine tasters. By applying machine learning tools to chemical data, researchers say they have succeeded in identifying, 'with 100% accuracy', the molecular signature of red wines from seven major estates in the Bordeaux region."
• I DIDN’T KNOW HOW DESPERATELY I NEEDED A KNOCK BOX FOR MY ESPRESSO MACHINE - "The tamping station lets you quickly tamp your portafilter, while the knock box itself lets you whack out that puck of coffee after it’s been brewed and extracted."
• How to use 'Check In' on iOS 17 - "Learn how to take advantage of this new iOS 17-only safety feature."
• Earth on verge of five catastrophic climate tipping points, scientists warn - "Humanity faces ‘devastating domino effects’ including mass displacement and financial ruin as planet warms."
• Person of the Year 2023: Taylor Swift - "This was the year Taylor Swift perfected her craft—not just with her music, but in her position as the master storyteller of the modern era."
• Gold has never been this expensive - "Prices for the yellow metal jumped as much as 3/ in Monday trade to reach $2,135 per ounce, rising above the previous record of $2,072 notched in August 2020."
• He Sold the World’s Most Expensive Artwork. Now He’s Calling It a Day - "The Christie’s president Jussi Pylkkänen, who held the hammer for the auction house’s biggest sales, is leaving after nearly 40 years. Much changed in that time."
• The 14 Best Watches of 2023 - "Resurrected and unexpected designs are where we found inspiration for this year's GP100."
• Don’t Try This on Vacation: Learning From Other Travelers’ Mistakes - "We’ve all seen misbehavior while traveling - and some of us have even been that tourist. But every misstep can lead to a lesson, so we asked readers to share their stories."
• History According to Ridley Scott - "Ultimately what we learn in Napoleon says far more about the director than it does about Napoleon."
• How Many Press-ups You Should Be Able to Do Per Day - "Plenty of guys have a daily press-up habit. Here's how many they should actually be trying to pump out."
• 60 best practical gifts that are actually useful in 2023 - "Our general advice when it comes to giving a practical gift is to find the sweet spot of items that are useful, but also feel like a true gift."
• Rizz named word of the year by Oxford University Press - "Have you got charm, style and charisma? Do you use it to attract a romantic partner? Then you might just have Oxford's 2023 word of the year."
• films that made people emigrate - "If The Lord of the Rings had you yearning for New Zealand, or Julia Roberts on a bike made you fall in love with Bali, you’re not alone. But did you grab your passport and start packing? Meet the people who did."
• Pickup or Lunar Lander? Tesla’s Cybertruck Enters a Crowded Market - "Two years behind schedule, the electric model has an unusual design that sets it apart from rival pickups, which could limit its sales."
• From a 100-mile city to a desert ski resort: why is Saudi Arabia spending billions on architectural ‘gigaprojects’? - "The Saudi crown prince is creating wildly ambitious projects masterminded by renowned architects, curators and designers. The upshot is either progressive modernisation or image-laundering, depending who you ask."
• Bond villains in the frame - "In his third decade as a celebrity photographer, Gotts realised he had photographed a lot of actors who had played the baddie in Bond films. Gotts made it his "mission to shoot them so I had the full set". The resulting images form his NEMESIS exhibition on show in London, 70 years on from when author Ian Fleming introduced James Bond to the world."
• Vintage technology: Researchers create AI tool with a nose for fraudulent wine - "Machine learning used to analyse compounds in a bottle of wine and trace them back to estate."
• Ego, Fear & Money: How the A.I. Fuse Was Lit - "The people who were most afraid of the risks of artificial intelligence decided they should be the ones to build it. Then distrust fueled a spiraling competition."
• Who’s Who Behind the Dawn of the Modern Artificial Intelligence Movement - "Before chatbots exploded in popularity, a group of researchers, tech executives and venture capitalists had worked for more than a decade to fuel A.I."
• Henry Kissinger, Social Fixture - "After leaving the White House, he returned to New York and became an in-demand guest, hitting the party circuit with the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Madonna."
• Cop 28: What sea level rise will look like in cities that have hosted climate summits - "A new analysis shows how the host cities of previous summits could be inundated - if not entirely submerged - by rising ocean waters."
• How To Recognize When A Vintage Watch Was Made At A Glance - "Can you pinpoint a decade when you see a vintage watch?"
• Inside Chopard’s new ‘anti-hotel’ for the ultra wealthy - "Luxury jewelry and watch maker Chopard has quietly opened an “anti-hotel” in the heart of Paris, a new development in a growing category of hospitality in the French capital. Much about the brand’s first-ever hotel project - starting with its name, 1 Place Vendôme, and the property’s unusual lack of fanfare and self-promotion - seem atypical at first."
• 8 Things You Should Never Say to Your Partner, According to Therapists - "Having a fight? 'You’re overreacting' will only make it worse." The New York Times.
• Best Movies of 2023 - "It was a terrific year for film, whether art house or mainstream, even if the main subject the movies wrestled with was deeply pessimistic." The New York Times.
• Hidden tricks to customize the new Messages design in iOS 17 - "One of the more noticeable design changes in iOS 17 this year is in the Messages app. Apple has revamped the interface and moved access to iMessage apps and shortcuts to a new pop-up menu. Here’s a closer look at these changes, with a trick to get one-tap access to the Photos picker."
• Rich people who build ‘really fancy houses’ become ‘less happy’ - "Charlie Munger lived in the same home for 70 years."
• Kim Kardashian's Ginormous Birkin Bag Starts at $110K - "The reality star was spotted with an oversized version of the Hermès Birkin bag."
• The Notebook by Roland Allen review - notes on living - "From plans for flying machines to philosophy - the remarkable joy of jotting things down."
• The whisky regions of Scotland: Each has its own history & flavor profile - "Your cheat sheet to Scotch whisky regions."
• 5 ChatGPT Prompts To Master Any Topic & Apply It To Your Business - "Prompt ChatGPT to explain a topic using mind mapping techniques. Simply explain what you want to learn and why, and it will aim to teach the ..."
• What We'll Be Obsessing Over in 2024 - "We asked 46 artists, filmmakers, chefs and other creative people to forecast next year’s cultural trends. (Spoiler: We’re all going to be wearing a lot of brown.)"
• Andy Warhol’s Patek Philippe pops-up at Christie’s New York sale - "A yellow gold Patek Philippe perpetual calendar, once owned by Andy Warhol, is the star lot at Christie’s New York’s upcoming Important Watches auction."
• Napoleon’s Kindle: Discover the Miniaturized Traveling Library That the Emperor Took on Military Campaigns - "'The Emperor wishes you to form a traveling library of one thousand volumes in small 12mo and printed in handsome type.'"
• May the 'Star Wars' vocabulary be with us - "The word "Jedi," for example, occurs more than four times per million words in the American COCA corpus."
• 2023 will be hottest in history, says UN chief, as climate summit opens - "The COP28 climate change summit has opened in Dubai as the UN chief confirms that 2023 will be the hottest year on record."
• The Dirty Secret of Alternative Plastics - "A proposed ban on single-use plastics is a boon for the bioplastic industry, but are they really good for the environment?" TIME.
• Henry Kissinger, a dominating & polarizing force in US foreign policy, dies at 100 - "Henry Kissinger, a former US secretary of state and national security adviser who escaped Nazi Germany in his youth to become one of the most influential and controversial foreign policy figures in American history, has died."
• Best TV Shows of 2023 - "Series like 'The Bear,' 'Beef,' 'Happy Valley,' 'Reservation Dogs' and 'Succession' dazzled in a year when much of the TV business was in disarray." The New York Times.
• Maria Callas Was Opera’s Defining Diva. She Still Is - "Callas would have turned 100 on Dec. 2. She and her flash of a career remain beacons of artistic integrity and profundity."
• How to Improve Short-Term Memory - "Now, What Was I Looking For? Why your short-term memory falters, and how to make it better."
• Charles T. Munger, Much More Than Warren Buffett’s No. 2, Dies at 99 - "A billionaire himself, he was the witty vice chairman of Mr. Buffett’s powerhouse investment firm Berkshire Hathaway. But he had far more influence than his title suggested."
• Royal Caribbean takes ownership of the world’s biggest cruise ship, the 1,198-foot Icon of the Seas - "The 20-deck, 250,800-tonne ship was officially handed over to the cruise company at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, on November 27. Its inaugural voyage is set to depart from Miami, Florida on January 27, 2024 and will tour the Caribbean for seven days."
• Two Royal Family members appear to have been named as the 'royal racists' in Omid Scobie's new book Endgame - "Dutch royal journalist Rick Evers revealed on ITV's Good Morning Britain that the first name was 'very specific', while the second one was 'a little bit vague'."
• Endgame - "An unpopular king, a power-hungry heir to the throne, a queen willing to go to great lengths to preserve her image, and a prince forced to start a new life after being betrayed by his own family." The explosive new book from longtime royal journalist Omid Scobie. Amazon.com.
• How to spot a fake Rolex: 3 dead giveaways - "Don't get duped by a fake."
• 7 Books Every Man Should Read - "This selection of seven essential books is tailored to broaden your horizons and equip you with timeless wisdom and practical insights into various aspects of life. From navigating the intricacies of human relationships to developing resilience in adversity, these books offer a roadmap to a more fulfilled, well-rounded existence."
• 100 Notable Books of 2023 - "Each year, we pore over thousands of new books, seeking out the best novels, memoirs, biographies, poetry collections, stories and more. Here are the standouts, selected by the staff of The New York Times Book Review."
• How To Use The Color Wheel To Design The Perfect Colorful Garden - "The secret to creating a visually stunning and beautiful garden doesn't require any particular expertise. It simply requires you to reflect on a tool you have probably known about since kindergarten: the color wheel!"
• 6 ChatGPT Prompts To Create An Entire Ebook & Grow Your Business - "Produce your ebook, make it available on Amazon Kindle or give it away in return for an email address. Here are the six ChatGPT prompts to use to create a game-changing ebook today."
• Merriam-Webster’s 2023 word of the year is the real deal - "As the all-important question of truth and facts continues to dominate current affairs, it may come as no surprise to learn that Merriam-Webster’s word of the year is 'authentic.'"
• The truth about how often you should wash your hair - "Experts say there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to how often you should wash your hair - or what you can do to maintain it on off days."
• 5 tips for dating in the digital age - "1. Understand the purpose of the app - 2. Less is definitely more - 3. Climb out on the proverbial limb - 4. Think of reasons to say ‘yes’ - 5. Don’t hurry, be happy."
• Forget squats - you only need 1 dumbbell and 5 exercises for this full-body workout - "Don’t have time for the gym this week? Try this instead."
• What is fast fashion & why is it so controversial? - "Fast fashion accounts for 'quick designs, quick manufacturing, quick marketing, quick retailing - it doesn't leave the time to consider these bigger needs, like ethical considerations or rights of workers,' Osnes said."
• The Secret To Better Gut Health & Boosted Brain Function? It Could Be Your Morning Cup Of Coffee - "The energising benefits of coffee are well documented, but less so is its impact on everything from improving your gut health to reducing inflammation and protecting against liver disease. Keep reading for all of the benefits of your daily brew."
• The 50 Most Important Watches Ever - "From design landmarks to technical firsts to models that invented a whole new category, these watches have had a substantial impact on watchmaking."
• $300 Million Watch Collection - "Patrick Getreide amassed the one-of-a-kind OAK Collection over five decades. Now the French entrepreneur believes the time is right to sell 142 of his rare treasures at Christie’s this month."
• Bill Gates Could Be A Trillionaire Today If He Had 'Diamond-Handed' His Original Microsoft Shares - "The narrative begins with Microsoft’s initial public offering (IPO) in 1986. Had Gates maintained his 45% stake, it would equate to $1.23 trillion today - a figure that dwarfs the net worths of Musk and Bezos."
• How to Use & Access GPT-4 for Free - "You may already be using ChatGPT, the phenomenally powerful and useful AI tool, but the free version is based on GPT-3.5. GPT-4 is said to be ten times more advanced, with enhanced creativity, reliability, up-to-date information."
• How Helmut Newton created some of the world’s most sexy & subversive images - "In the 1970s, photographing with carte blanche for Vogue France, he invented a bold monochrome visual language - black lingerie, insouciant countenance, power plays and decadent interiors - that has been widely imitated in the years since."
• The 10 greatest opening shots in movie history - "The best opening shots in movie history, including movies from David Lynch, Francis Ford Coppola, Paul Thomas Anderson, Orson Welles and many."
• Brian Cox reveals his all-time favorite Succession line - "I loved that line and I just thought, 'Why didn't I say that earlier?"
• the bitterest music-duo spats - "We look at the pop pairs who fell out of harmony."
• Revealed: King Charles secretly profiting from the assets of dead citizens - "Assets of thousands of people in north-west England used to upgrade king’s property empire via archaic custom."
• ‘I cannot stress too much about it’: Monaco yacht buyers shrug off climate concerns - "At annual yacht show, only a handful of customers said they were troubled by vessels’ disproportionate carbon footprint."
• Forget Siri. Turn your iPhone’s ‘Action Button’ into a ChatGPT voice assistant instead - "With news that OpenAI’s ChatGPT Voice feature is now available to all free users, you can ditch Siri as your main voice assistant on your iPhone."
• OpenAI ‘was working on advanced model so powerful it alarmed staff’ - "Reports say new model Q★ fuelled safety fears, with workers airing their concerns to the board before CEO Sam Altman’s sacking."
• 5 ChatGPT Prompts To Boost Your Income Easily - "CEO of AI Tool Report, Martin Crowley, shares his top 5 ChatGPT prompts to make more money."
• iOS 17: What to Know About Apple's Upcoming Journal App - "Apple said the iPhone writing tool will arrive before the end of this year."
• 26 New Things Your iPhone Can Do With Next Month's iOS 17.2 Update - "We've listed 26 new things that are coming to your iPhone when the finalized version is publicly released in December."
• Jeff Bezos’ $500 million Koru superyacht emits an astounding 1,500 times more greenhouse gases than an average person - "Inspite of being the largest sailing yacht in the world the 417-feet long vessel will be responsible for more than 7,150 tonnes of CO2 every year."
• List of centibillionaires - "A centibillionaire is someone with a net worth of 100 billion United States dollars ($100,000,000,000) or more. The following is a list of everyone who has ever been a centibillionaire."
• TSA rules: What’s allowed in - and prohibited from - your carry-on bag this holiday season - "If you’re hoping to optimize the way you pack your hand luggage, read on. We’ve outlined everything you need to know about what’s allowed in a carry-on bag."
• Bard can now watch YouTube videos for you - "Bard’s YouTube extension can now handle complex queries about specific video content, like recipe quantities and instruction summaries."
• The Anatomy of a Watch: A Guide to Watchmaking Jargon - "From the crown to the pushers to the subdials, here's what you need to know."
• An Eye on Complicated Watches at Phillips Hong Kong - "Phillips: Watches Auction - November 24-25, Hong Kong."
• What is the September Issue & why is it so important? - "The importance of the September Issue is that each year it helps decipher key insights into consumer habits, influences, and relevant topics."
• Sam Altman returns to OpenAI in a bizarre reversal of fortunes - "The announcement appears to bring to an end days of chaos for the AI industry that included negotiations over who should lead OpenAI and how the firm should be run."
• The Science Behind the Dreaded Red Wine Headache - "A compound in grape skins called quercetin might disrupt alcohol metabolism, causing some people to get headaches after drinking red wine, a lab study suggests. That pain may stem from a compound called quercetin, which disrupts the body's ability to break down alcohol, scientists have discovered. Quercetin is an antioxidant found in fruit and vegetables, including grape skins, and some people take it as a supplement for its purported health benefits."
• Red-wine headache explained & it is not about volume - "US researchers say they may have discovered why some people get a headache after just one small glass of red wine."
• The jet set: 200 celebrities’ aircraft have flown for combined total of 11 years since 2022 - "Jets belonging to entertainers, CEOs, oligarchs and billionaires produce equivalent to emissions of almost 40,000 Britons."
• What Happens When the Super Rich Are This Selfish? (It Isn’t Pretty) - "Today’s rich, their wealth largely preserved through the Great Recession and the Covid-19 pandemic, have opposed reforms aimed at tapping their resources to fund mitigation policies of all kinds."
• Is the towel skirt really the latest fashion trend? - "Balenciaga has launched a £695 skirt that is ... just a towel. Is this high fashion? Using much lower budgets, we try to find out."
• 12 billionaires’ climate emissions outpollute 2.1m homes, analysis finds - "Research shows impact from lifestyles and investments of likes of Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Elon Musk."
• Richest 1% account for more carbon emissions than poorest 66%, report says - "‘Polluter elite’ are plundering the planet to point of destruction, says Oxfam after comprehensive study of climate inequality."
• Airplane etiquette: Dos & don’ts for your next flight - "Don’t put your bare feet on another passenger’s armrest & more etiquette tips for a smoother flight."
• World’s ‘most sought-after’ whisky sells for $2.7 million - "Jonny Fowle, Sotheby's global head of whisky, unveils a bottle of The Macallan 1926, the world's most expensive whisky on October 19, 2023 in London, England."
• Jeff Bezos wore a cowboy hat again. Real cowboys are rolling their eyes - "Billionaire’s look compared to ‘a sprinkler head’ after he wears getup in a Vogue feature with his fiancee."
• Hat worn by Napoleon fetches record €1.9m at Paris auction - "Black bicorne hat is one of 20 remaining that once belonged to French emperor, who famously wore them sideways."
• Elon Musk agrees with tweet accusing Jewish people of ‘hatred against whites’ - "Owner of X responds to antisemitic tweet calling it ‘the actual truth’ and criticizes Anti-Defamation League."
• 252-item Chanel collection up for auction in Paris - "Many of the pieces owned by French entrepreneur and socialite Mouna Ayoub have never been worn."
• 40 outrageous photos that changed fashion - From teenage Kate Moss to Twiggy in a mini and Lady Gaga’s meat dress.
• Oprah’s Favorite Things 2023 list has arrived: Here’s what to buy - "We rounded up our favorites so you know exactly what we think is worth buying."
• Bill Gates: AI agents could change how we live our lives - "Bill Gates says today's software is still 'pretty dumb,' but believes AI will 'utterly change how we live our lives.'"
• 100 most influential climate leaders in business 2023 | TIME - "The inaugural TIME100 Climate list includes leaders driving climate action in the businesses of energy, finance, culture, health, and more."
• 100 Must-Read Books of 2023 | TIME - "The fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that entertained and enlightened us."
• Running vs. Walking: Which Is Better for Lasting Health? - "They’re both beneficial physically and mentally, but there’s a clear winner."
• ST. MORITZ - "The Ultimate Jet Set & High-Society Winter Resort."
• National Geographic: The Cool List 2024 - "The 30 most exciting destinations to visit in 2024. From Argentina to Australia and Norway to Nova Scotia."
• Global Corruption Barometer - "Since its debut in 2003, the Global Corruption Barometer has surveyed the experiences of everyday people confronting corruption around the world."
• iPhone 15 has a semi-secret menu you might be overlooking - "The Action button is almost limitless."
• Lonely Planet’s top places to go in 2024 - Best in Travel 2024.
• Most Iconic Watches of All Time - "The most notable timepieces ever designed, all in one place."
• 5 ChatGPT Prompts To Achieve Financial Freedom Faster - Know your numbers - Design your days - Do it faster - Visualize it happening - Make your plan.
• iOS 17 Cheat Sheet: What You Need to Know About the iPhone Update - "From hidden features to what's in the latest beta software, here's what you should know about iOS 17."

September 30, 2023

• Record rain in New York City generates ‘life-threatening’ flooding, overwhelming streets & subways - "Record-setting rain overwhelmed New York City’s sewer system Friday, sending a surge of floodwater coursing through streets and into basements, schools, subways and vehicles throughout the nation’s most populous city. The water rose fast and furious, catching some commuters off guard as they slogged through Friday morning’s rush hour. First responders jumped into action where needed, plucking people from stranded cars and basements filling like bathtubs. More rain fell in a single day at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport – nearly 8 inches - than any other since 1948."
• Why New York & other cities still aren’t prepared for floods - "New York declared a state of emergency as heavy rain led to flash floods in the city and other parts of the Northeast Friday. The Verge spoke with an expert about why cities shouldn’t be caught off guard but often are with floods."
• The hottest summer in human history - a visual timeline - "From June to August 2023, a series of extreme weather events exacerbated by climate breakdown caused death and destruction across the globe."
• 10 things I wish I knew before I moved from New York to London - "There are a LOT of differences between the United States and the United Kingdom that I wish I had known before I crossed the pond. Whether you’re thinking of moving to the UK, or just heading over for a visit, here are some top tips to help you fit in with the locals and get the full English experience."
• ‘No one is safe’: France vows action as bedbugs sweep Paris - "The French government has vowed action to 'reassure and protect' the public as its capital Paris reports a 'widespread' rise in bedbugs."
• The world’s longest river may be about to lose its title. Here’s why - "The title of 'world’s longest river' is officially bestowed upon Africa’s Nile by authoritative sources like Encyclopedia Britannica and Guinness World Records. But an upcoming Amazon River expedition by a team of international explorers and researchers - traveling via rafts, horseback and solar-paneled boats - is readying to contest that designation."
• Forget Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. We tested cheaper ones that support ChatGPT - "You can literally wear ChatGPT on your face."
• The synthetic social network is coming - "Between ChatGPT’s surprisingly human voice and Meta’s AI characters, our feeds may be about to change forever."
• iPhone screens have a hidden QR code to help Apple control production costs - "According to the report, the bar codes are engraved on the iPhone's glass at different stages of manufacturing. The Information mentions that the company developed this system in 2020, and it helps Apple to “track and reduce defects” in its production line."
• 16 Dishes to Make for Someone Going Through a Hard Time - "Divorce, death, a big move, illness: Food may not fix anything, but a lovingly prepared meal can bring some much-needed comfort and nourishment."
• Want to Eat Less Meat? Try Something Sour - "Chickpeas and plantains get a piquant punch with a vinegar-rich escabeche."
  
• Mick Jagger says his kids ‘don’t need $500 million’ as he hints he may give away their inheritance - "Jagger’s eight kids, Karis, Jade, Elizabeth, James, Georgia May, Lucas, Gabriel and Deveraux, range in age six to 52."
• Bonhams: Sir Roger Moore The Personal Collection - "Black tie, fast cars, and shaken Martinis - it has to be Bond." On 4 October, we will offer lots from his personal collection in a dedicated sale, on the 50th anniversary year of his first appearance as 007.
• Private jet service for rich dog owners condemned by climate campaigners - "UK-based charter firm launches ‘ludicrous’ £8,166 Dubai-London route for clients who want to fly with pets."

September 29, 2023

• How to Be Happy - "Behavioral scientists have spent a lot of time studying what makes us happy (and what doesn’t). We know happiness can predict health and longevity, and happiness scales can be used to measure social progress and the success of public policies. But happiness isn’t something that just happens to you. Everyone has the power to make small changes in our behavior, our surroundings and our relationships that can help set us on course for a happier life."
• Want to Believe in Yourself? 'Mattering' Is Key - "This overlooked concept has been linked to better relationships - with oneself and others. Dr. Flett, now a professor at York University and the author of 'The Psychology of Mattering,' is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the subject. He and other experts agree that a sense of mattering is necessary for human flourishing, and while some factors are out of our control, there are steps, both big and small, that everyone can take to enhance it." The New York Times.
• The Who’s Who Behind the Most Expensive Private Jets in the World - "Celebrities are used to living lives full of luxurious items that the average Joe can’t afford. From sprawling mansions to top-of-the-line cars, being rich has never looked so good. While driving a fancy car is one thing, every A-lister knows they’ve truly made it when they buy a private jet. These multi-million-dollar aircraft aren’t just a means to an end, but an investment that allows the world’s elite to get from A to B. From Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett to talented artist power-couple Beyonce and Jay-Z, these famous faces know all about traveling in style."
• ‘Saint-Tropez has become LVMH Ville’: locals slam super-rich ‘takeover’ - "The annual influx of billionaires is leading to ‘odious’ practices in the French Riviera town. Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, which owns restaurants, shops, hotels and cafes in Saint-Tropez."
• Bernard Arnault faces money laundering probe in France over 'ski-resort property deal' - "French billionaire Bernard Arnault and Russian oligarch Nikolai Sarkisov are under investigation for alleged money laundering at a luxury Alpine resort, according to Paris prosecutors. The probe concerns their activities in Courchevel, a ski resort in the French Alps known for being a playground for the ultra-rich."
• New Apple Watch Weather app: How it looks & works - "This detailed guide with screenshots covers how the new Apple Watch Weather app looks and works in watchOS 10."
• Here’s what’s new with the Fitness app in iOS 17 - "iOS 17 comes with an updated Fitness app to more easily view your activity tracked by Apple Watch along with a redesigned trophy case, updates to sharing, and even tips from Apple Fitness+ trainers."
• How to use iOS 17's Check In feature in iMessage to let friends know you got home safe - "The function automates the old 'text me when you get home' safety check."
• Apple ‘Punishing’ iPhone 15 Users By Disabling New iOS Battery Feature - "Apple’s iPhone 15 includes a feature that shows how many cycles the battery has been through, which appears to be a direct response to concerns about rapid battery degradation in the iPhone 14. But a repair specialist has found that the new feature is disabled when the battery is replaced." Forbes.
• I demoed the $299 Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses & they're way better than I expected - "Can Meta's second attempt at smart glasses finally capture the hearts (and life moments) of users? I think so."
• The Zoom backgrounds that make you look more - or less - trustworthy, according to experts - "To inspire the most trust in those you interact with during video meetings, ensure you have plants or books strategically positioned behind you. That’s according to new research, which looks at how people’s choice of Zoom background could be helping or hindering them."
• Martin Scorsese suggests regret over divisive Leonardo DiCaprio collaboration - "Scorsese appeared to make the admission in a new interview promoting ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’."
• Oliver Stone tells Wallace he’s not giving Putin ‘a break’ - "CNN host confronts Oscar winner over his relationship with Putin."
• Michael Gambon: a life in pictures - "The celebrated actor, as accomplished on stage in Shakespeare as he was on screen at Hogwarts, has died at the age of 82. We look back at his career."
• ‘I’m 90. I worry if I’m gonna make it to lunch’: Michael Caine & John Standing on wives, war & feeling like the Queen - "The actors star alongside the late Glenda Jackson in The Great Escaper, the moving real-life story of a D-day veteran. They reflect on class, communism and female cage-fighting"
• Sharon Osbourne offers Ozempic warning - "Sharon Osbourne is sharing her experience taking Ozempic. She said she endured a few weeks “where I felt nauseous the whole time” and said she was also often thirsty, but had no desire to eat. Ozempic and its sister drug Wegovy work by mimicking a hormone that the body naturally makes to slow the passage of food through the stomach, which helps people feel fuller longer."
• Retinoids work, wipes don’t: 21 things I’ve learned about skin care - "What to spend your money on and what not to: Sali Hughes's lessons from 33 years in the beauty industry."
• How to Take Care of Your Skin in the Fall & Winter - "There are easy ways to avoid dryness and irritation when colder weather arrives." The New York Times.
• The mysteries of the world's eighth continent - "A new map of Zealandia is revealing how it formed - and why it sank. In 2019, an international team of scientists mapped the geology of South Zealandia. Their research revealed that at some point, Zealandia had been stretched - pulled apart by tectonic forces, thinning the continent compared to regular continental plates and creating ruptures that later became oceanic crust."
• A $1.5 Million Frank Lloyd Wright Home Lists for the First Time in 70 Years - "The property is the only single-family design in Milwaukee by the late architect."
• Europe's oldest shoe found in Spanish bat cave - "Scientists say they have identified Europe's oldest shoes, sandals woven from grass thought to be around 6,000 years old. Low humidity and cool winds in the cave kept them unusually well-preserved."
• From Killers of the Flower Moon to The Exorcist: Believer: 10 of the best films to watch in October - "Including Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, Dicks: The Musical and The Exorcist: Believer - Nicholas Barber lists this month's unmissable movies to watch and stream."
• Aston Martin Valhalla Supercar To Arrive In 2024 With F1 Technology - "Aston Martin says its next mid-engined supercar, called the Valhalla and to sit below the Valkyrie flagship, will go into production in 2024. The car is powered by a 998-horsepower hybrid powertrain comprising a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine and three electric motors. Aston says 999 examples will be built and that the latest set of images are of the final production car - not the prototype we all caught a glimpse of in the latest James Bond movie No Time To Die. Expected to cost in the region of $800,000 (plus options, of course), the carbon-tubbed Valhalla is the strongest sign yet that Aston Martin wants to take on the Ferraris, McLarens and Lamborghinis of this world. This is the first mid-engined car to be mass-produced by Aston, and although 999 units is still somewhat limited, it’s plenty more than the 150 bespoke Valkyrie coupes (plus 85 spiders and 40 track-only AMR Pros)."

September 28, 2023

• The spectacular superyachts on display at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show - "‘If you’re not there, then you don’t exist’: Billionaires sail in for world’s largest superyacht event."
• Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 & iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones & iPads - "According to Apple's release notes, iOS 17.0.2 fixes an issue that could prevent transferring data directly from another iPhone during setup, an issue that affected the iPhone 15 models. The iPad release notes are the same, but mention transferring from another iPad."
• Widespread iPhone 15 overheating reports, with temperatures as high as 116F - "Measurements taken with an infrared camera show temperatures as high as 116F. The issue appears to affect all four iPhone 15 models, with some owners reporting that their phones get too hot to even hold without a case - including 9to5Mac's Ian Zelbo ..."
• How Much Coffee Is Too Much Coffee? - "In most cases, you would need to consume at least 10,000 milligrams of caffeine - or the equivalent of about 50 to 100 cups of coffee, depending on the strength - for it to be potentially fatal, Dr. Hughes said." The New York Times.
• ‘We are just getting started’: the plastic-eating bacteria that could change the world - "When a microbe was found munching on a plastic bottle in a rubbish dump, it promised a recycling revolution. Now scientists are attempting to turbocharge those powers in a bid to solve our waste crisis. But will it work?"
• Russians queue up to see Barbie film despite sanctions - "Officially, the Barbie movie isn't showing in Russia. But unofficially..."
• More than minimalism: designers expand Scandi style at Paris fashion week - "From gothic to upcycling, labels are going beyond the neutrals that defined the region."
• The iPhone 15 Pro case market is a minefield right now - "Apple’s new Action Button is causing a lot of havoc for third-party case makers. If you've got an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max and are looking for a good case to go with your new phone, right now the options are quite limited. There's a good chance the case that fits your style and budget might not support the Action Button well."
• Forget FineWoven: These iPhone 15 leather cases look great & are built to last - "While the company’s push for reduced carbon emissions is great to see, its FineWoven cases aren’t faring well with reviewers, and lots of consumers may simply want the premium craftsmanship and feeling of a leather case for their shiny new iPhone 15. If you’re one of those folks, we’ve rounded up nine of the best that you can get." CNN Underscored.
• These are our favorite iPhone 15 Pro Action Button customizations so far - "It’s only been around for about a week, but the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action Button has quickly become one of our favorite new iPhone features in years. That’s thanks in big part to its customizability - with the ability to run a shortcut, this little button can do almost anything you want it to. From the delightfully silly to seriously useful, we’ve seen a lot of creative applications as newly minted iPhone 15 Pro owners put the new hardware to work."
• Meta announces AI chatbots with 'personality' - "Meta has announced a series of new chatbots to be used in its Messenger service. The chatbots will have "personality" and specialise in certain subjects, like holidays or cooking advice. It is the latest salvo in a chatbot arms race between tech companies desperate to produce more accurate and personalised artificial intelligence."
• Video of Mona Lisa in Crowded Louvre Starts Debate on iPhone Zoom - "A tourist started a social media debate about the iPhone zoom after he used it to impressively focus on the Mona Lisa painting in a crowded Louvre museum."
• Her family inherited a 900-year-old Italian castle. Here’s what it’s like living there - "When Ludovica Sannazzaro Natta introduces herself to new people, she always leads with the key facts: She’s 21, about to turn 22. She’s Italian. She’s a 'very proud Scorpio.' She studied musical theater in Los Angeles and New York. Sannazzaro Natta moved into the 45-roomed, turreted, fairytale Castle Sannazzaro when she was four years old. Sannazzaro Natta is descended from Italian nobility and her father is a count. This medieval fortress, located in picturesque countryside near Giarole, northern Italy, has been in her family for 28 generations."
• What does spending more than a year in space do to the human body? - "Nasa astronaut Frank Rubio has just returned from a record-breaking 371 days in space onboard the ISS, but the trip may have altered his muscles, brain and even the bacteria living in his gut."
• ‘Every bottle has a story’: most valuable wine collection ever sold could fetch £41m - "Billionaire Pierre Chen selling 25,000 bottles including burgundies valued at £156,000 and a very rare 1982 Pétrus."
• Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses hands-on: Techy sunglasses you might actually want to wear - "There's a new frame style called the Headliner and major hardware upgrades across the board."

September 27, 2023

• New York judge finds Donald Trump liable for fraud - "A New York judge has found Donald Trump and his adult sons liable for fraud and canceled the Trump Organization’s business certification, saying the Trumps provided false financial statements for roughly a decade."
• North Korea has decided to ‘expel’ US soldier Travis King, state media reports - "North Korea has decided “to expel” US Army Private Travis King, who had crossed into the North from South Korea during a tour of the joint security area in July, state media KCNA reported on Wednesday. 'The relevant organ of the DPRK decided to expel Travis King, a soldier of the U.S. Army who illegally intruded into the territory of the DPRK, under the law of the Republic,' KCNA said."
• After USB-C win, EU tells Tim Cook that Apple must ‘open up its gates to competitors’ - "The iPhone 15 has USB-C, a move largely due to impending legislation in the European Union requiring smartphones and other products to use a common charger. Apple also might soon be forced to open the iPhone up to third-party app stores and sideloading thanks to the Digital Markets Act in the EU."
• Apple's new AirPods won't have to be taken out of your ears as often, thanks to sophisticated AI - "Instead of taking out your AirPods or turning off noise-canceling entirely when you're navigating a treacherous street or having a conversation with a co-worker, users can now leave in their AirPods and rely on Apple's software to intelligently decide what the user needs to hear."
• Warren Buffett Says Apple Is Better Than Any Businesses Berkshire Owns - "Unmatched Brand Loyalty Proven As Consumers Would Give Up A Second Car For An iPhone. At the 2023 Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting in May, Buffett emphasized that it is 'a better business than any we own.' He clarified that while Berkshire Hathaway has invested a considerable amount in Apple, it still doesn't surpass its investment in railroads."
• The World’s Tallest Skyscraper Resumes Construction After Half a Decade of Pause - "When finished, the tower will stand at 3,281 feet tall - nearly eleven times the height of the Statue of Liberty."
• How to buy a Richard Mille watch without selling a body part (according to the experts) - "When prices start just south of six figures, it's important to ascertain as much intel as you can. But one thing is for sure - with Richard Mille you know you'll be getting something special."
• ‘Lachlan Murdoch is a Hamlet figure’: Michael Wolff unpicks the real-life succession drama - "The author has returned to the Murdoch empire for his latest book, after a bestselling trilogy on Trump. He discusses power, politics, the media and why a person can be a moron and a genius."
• Secret World War II tunnels to open to public - "Plans have been revealed for what promises to be London’s most spectacular underground tourist attraction ever: the $268 million transformation of a mile-long series of World War II tunnels into a glitzy immersive experience."
• Christmas lights go up in London's Oxford Street ahead of the big switch-on in November - "The event is expected to run from early November to early January."
• Milan Fashion Week: Stars & style align at the Spring-Summer 2024 shows - "Milan Fashion Week picked up where London left off last Wednesday, at least weather-wise. Just like in the last days of the British capital’s fashion bonanza, torrential rain with brief sunny spells marked much of the five-day event, bringing delays to many of the presentations and, in a few cases - most notably, the Gucci show - forcing organizers to move their venues."
• Want a Vacation Souvenir? Buy Toothpaste - "The quotidian joys of this pocket-size keepsake." The New York Times.
• Lady Elliot Island: A paradise island where you make a pledge - "On Australia's Great Barrier Reef, tourists can play a role in an island's epic regeneration story."
• The Iliad by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson review - a bravura feat - "Six years on from her translation of the Odyssey, Wilson revels in the clarity and emotional clout of Homer’s battlefield epic."
• David McCallum: a life in pictures - "The Scottish actor has died at the age of 90. From Illya Kuryakin in The Man from UNCLE to Professor Plum in Cluedo, here we look back at his life and career."
• Bo’s sublime e-scooter of the future is finally ready to buy - "All of its technology has changed, but it remains exactly the same."

September 26, 2023

• Six of the most striking images of 2023 - "Kelly Grovier picks six of the most powerful photos from this year - including Trump's mugshot, a traffic jam in the desert at Burning Man, and a Russian missile attack on a Ukrainian cathedral - and compares them with iconic artworks."
• ‘Staggering’ green growth gives hope for 1.5C, says global energy head - "IEA’s Fatih Birol says uptake of solar power and EVs is in line with net zero goal but rich countries must hasten their broader plans."
• The Action Button is the most significant new iPhone feature in years - "A little button that you can program to do virtually anything you want unlocks a lot of possibilities for the computer that’s with you the most often."
• OpenAI Gives ChatGPT the Ability to Speak in Five Different Voices - "The popular AI chatbot will soon be able to read text out loud. The generative AI engine is also getting image search."
• Now you can speak to ChatGPT & it will talk back - "OpenAI, the startup behind the wildly-popular chatbot, announced Monday that it is rolling out new features including the ability to let users engage in a back-and-forth voice conversation with ChatGPT. In a company blog post Monday, OpenAI teased how this new feature can be used to 'request a bedtime story for your family, or settle a dinner table debate.'"
• Cassidy Hutchinson’s new book reveals a Trump White House even more chaotic than previously known - "In her new book 'Enough,' former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson paints the closing days of the Trump White House as even more chaotic and lawless than she previously disclosed in her shocking televised testimony last summer."
• 'Shrinkflation' isn't a trend - it's a permanent hit to your wallet - "Products are getting smaller, and you're paying the same. The problem won't go away, even if the economy rebounds and inflation abates."
• Can you make up for a bad diet by working out harder? - "What happens if you exercise but don’t eat well? The idea of eating anything you want without consequences might sound like a dream — especially if you’ve convinced yourself that you’re going to burn it off in your next cardio session. But the reality is that it doesn’t matter whether you work out longer or at a higher intensity, experts say. Exercise cannot completely reverse the effects of a bad diet."
• Top 20 Wine Exporting Countries in the World - "Wine is gaining huge popularity among millennials and youngsters, owing to its refreshing appeal and low ABV offerings. The rising demand for premium and luxury wines, increasing consumer awareness about the health benefits of wine, and growing popularity of wine tourism are some of the key factors driving the growth of the wine market."
• ‘Dementia is hard’: Emma Heming Willis shares update on husband Bruce Willis’ condition - "It’s 'hard to know' whether Hollywood star Bruce Willis is aware that he is suffering with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), his wife, Emma Heming Willis, has said in an update on his condition."
• A Tale of Family Intrigue & Inheritance - "The Pierre Cardin heirs are in an epic battle over the designer's legacy. The French fashion world is getting the popcorn ready." The New York Times.
• The objects we keep when loved ones die & what they say about mourning - "After Jody Servon’s father died, she kept his hairbrush safe in a Ziploc bag. 'That way it still preserved his smell,' the artist and professor said over Zoom."
• Harry Styles, Bjork & celebrating fashion’s rebels - "Rebel is on at The Design Museum, London, until 11 February 2024."
• The tour companies changing group travel for the better - "Group travel used to have a bad reputation. Not anymore. Often associated with traffic-blocking buses, screechy megaphones and overcrowded landmarks, group tours don’t exactly have the best reputation. But a new crop of travel companies is totally redefining the concept, catering to millennials and Generation Z."
• Europe is at its best right now. Here’s where to go - "Why you should be traveling to Europe in fall, not summer."
• You Can Now Spend Christmas On Richard Branson’s Private Island - "Necker Island, Richard Branson's famed private island, is breaking with tradition this holiday season. Known for its exclusivity and hefty price tag, the island is offering unprecedentedly for the December 20-27 festive week. Usually, those wanting to experience the lush life on Necker Island have to cough up a substantial sum, as the island has predominantly been available for complete buyouts. A night here usually costs a guest a whopping $115,000. But for a brief window this Christmas, Branson is allowing individual room bookings, making the renowned luxury of Necker Island more accessible for travelers keen on a different kind of festive experience." Forbes.
• Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann denies using vibrating sex toy to cheat - "Online platform Chess.com was also sued by Niemann after an investigation by the firm claimed he had 'likely' cheated in more than 100 games online."
• David McCallum: NCIS & The Man from U.N.C.L.E. actor dies aged 90 - "In a statement released by CBS, his son Peter McCallum said: 'He was the kindest, coolest, most patient and loving father. He always put family before self. He was a true renaissance man - he was fascinated by science and culture and would turn those passions into knowledge. For example, he was capable of conducting a symphony orchestra and (if needed) could actually perform an autopsy, based on his decades-long studies for his role on NCIS.'"
• From Ali to the Bayonne Bleeder: a brief history of heavyweight boxing’s battle scars - "Strength, footwork and hand speed are vital attributes for a fighter. But it is often blood that decides who emerges from the ring victorious."
• Reddit is going to let you turn gold into money - "Reddit’s new Contributor Program will let you cash out gold given to your posts by other users in real money."
• Crypto king or conman: is Sam Bankman-Fried about to be sent down for a century? - "His company managed billions in assets and made him one of the world’s richest people. Then, almost overnight, it collapsed. With a fraud trial beginning next week, a documentary asks how he bewitched so many."
• Where Fashion Knows No Bounds - "During London Fashion Week, the streets become a laboratory for experiments in getting dressed."
• Who Scored a Perfect 10 at Milan Fashion Week? - "Bottega Veneta and Diesel take some winning risks; Versace and Moschino go spelunking in the archives."
• DJI Mini 4 Pro review: The best lightweight drone gains more power & smarts - "Better range, tracking and crash protection, plus ultra slow mo 4K. The Mini 4 Pro is still under 250 grams so it can be flown without a license or registration in many regions, but it has subtle design changes all around."

September 25, 2023

• iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. DSLR photos: Real world camera comparison - "With the right glass, the DSLR is certainly capable of capturing higher quality photos than the iPhone's, but there's something to be said for the versatility of the iPhone. I used two different lenses and I still couldn't get quite as wide a shot as the iPhone could." 9to5Mac.
• How to use NameDrop in iOS 17 - "Share your contact information with ease. NameDrop is extremely simple. Just hold your iPhone near the top of someone else's iPhone. That's it. You'll see a faint glow emerge from the top of both devices to indicate a successful connection and NameDrop will appear on both screens."
• How to Set up & Customize Contact Poster in iOS 17 - "A Guide to Make a Contact Poster for Yourself and Other Contacts!"
• How to use StandBy mode on your lock screen in iOS 17 - "Turn your phone into a bedside alarm clock or even a picture frame."
• 9 best AirPod tips & tricks for new earbud owners - "Find everything you need to know about getting the most from your AirPods."
• Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds vs AirPods Pro: which is best? - "Premium ANC earbuds go up against each other - which will win? They're super convenient, sound great, pack top-notch noise cancellation, and have plenty of premium features that blast out the competition."
• WatchOS 10 has an Easter Egg on Sundays that you probably missed - "The default watch face (called Sunday Surprise!) has a grey background - only Snoopy and Woodstock are in colour. On Sundays, however, the background changes from grey to a 'surprise' colour. This is a fun little Easter Egg that not only honours Snoopy's heritage as a comic character but is also fun to experience."
• Google’s AI is trying to one-up ChatGPT & Bing with new everyday AI features - "Accuracy still needs improvement in all AI being made available to Americans."
• Experts disagree over threat posed but artificial intelligence cannot be ignored - "Some say the existential dangers of a ‘God-like’ AI is overplayed but even then there are other impacts to be wary of. For some AI experts, a watershed moment in artificial intelligence development is not far away. And the global AI safety summit, to be held at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire in November, therefore cannot come soon enough."
• A cut too far: The people who can't give up paper - "The world's gone digital and yet many professions and industries still rely on paper every day. When will they scrunch up and toss away the last page?"
• Death Wish Coffee Review: 5 Things You Need To Know - "Have you heard of Death Wish Coffee? Before you drink it, make sure you read this entire post for my Death Wish Coffee Review."
• The seven iconic films Quentin Tarantino calls "perfect" - "1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974) - 2. Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975) - 3. The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973) - 4. Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977) - 5. Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks, 1974) - 6. Back To The Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985) - 7. The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckinpah, 1969)."
• Joan Collins on love, loss & lust at 90 - "‘You have to eat life or life will eat you!’ She has been famous for more than seven decades - and has as much zest and ambition today as she did at 18. She discusses fame, politics, the casting couch, motherhood and marrying five times."
• How Covid Changed the World's Top Tourist Destinations - "The tourism industry is slowly recovering from the pandemic after having experienced its deepest shock in history, according to a newly published UN World Tourism Organization report."
• This airport has more global flight connections than anywhere else in the world - "There are three international airports that punch above their weight when it comes to their rich array of connecting flights around the world. London Heathrow is No. 1, according to a new report by aviation data firm OAG, followed by New York’s JFK and Amsterdam’s Schiphol. World-class cities need world-class airports after all, and the top five is rounded out by two Asian megahubs: Kuala Lumpur International and Tokyo Haneda."
• Why massive shoes are the trend of the year - "A new design launching this week at Paris fashion week is the latest in this year’s most surprising trend - comically oversized footwear. Daisy Woodward dips a toe into the clompy world of cartoon shoes."
• Forever fashion: the art & craft of making clothes with lasting appeal - "Crafting imaginative, individual works of lasting quality, two designers, a textile artist and a luggage maker explain why attention to detail is at the heart of their work."
• Arthur Brand: ‘I never give up informants - they will shoot you dead’ - "The ‘Indiana Jones of the art world’ on receiving that stolen Van Gogh, how he gains the trust of criminals and police, and how he got into his unusual career."

September 24, 2023

• The iPhone 15 Pro is teaching me to embrace digital zoom - "With new crop options and processing upgrades, digital zoom is finally worth your time."
• iFixit tears down... Apple’s FineWoven cases - "Apple’s new premium cases have received some bad reviews, but what do they look like under the microscope? iFixit found out - literally."
• Developer Shows The iPhone 15 Pro Can Become A Desktop Computer When Connected To The Studio Display - "But The Experience Is Far From Perfect. Connecting an iPhone 15 Pro to the Apple Studio Display causes noticeable lag, but optimizations are expected to be rolled out."
• apple watch widgets in watchOS 10 - how-to - "How the new Apple Watch UI works. 1. On Apple Watch running watchOS 10, scroll up on your Digital Crown or swipe up on your screen (Control Center now opens with the side button in watchOS 10). 2. Now you'll see the new widget UI."
• Prince Harry must now 'give notice' if he wants to visit the King - "Prince Harry must now give notice if he wants to visit the King and stay at any royal properties, it has emerged, after he was denied a room at Windsor Castle earlier this month."
• Let’s hear it for England’s royals & centuries of incompetence, criminality & failure - "We’re often told the current crop lack the dignity that monarchy deserves. But what about the losers, adulterers and delusional brutes who came before?"
• Even 1.4 billion people can’t fill all of China’s vacant homes, ex-official admits - "Even China’s population of 1.4 billion would not be enough to fill all the empty apartments littered across the country, a former official said on Saturday, in a rare public critique of the country’s crisis-hit property market."
• This country has more of the world’s 50 best restaurants than any other - "That distinction goes to Spain, where six restaurants earned honors this summer on the 2023 list. (Italy had five and France had four, as did Peru, where the capital city of Lima is home to the No. 1 spot)."
• ‘Climate villain’: scientists say Rupert Murdoch wielded his media empire to sow confusion & doubt - "The tycoon, who is stepping down from News Corp and Fox, has used his outlets to promote denial and delay action, experts say."
• The Latest Cool Amenity? A Name Brand. How About Porsche? - "The market for branded luxury condos is growing, and now includes fashion houses and luxury carmakers, especially in Miami. In some buildings, a car elevator will lift you to your own parking spot." The New York Times.
• Danish dictionary to weed out gender stereotypes - "In a major review of the language, ‘career women’ are now paired with ‘career men’ and manslaughter is a linguistic offence."
• Sony ZV-E1 review: The best vlogging camera to date, by a big margin - "A cheaper, stripped down, A7S III on AI steroids."
• The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3, A Bronze-Gold MIL-SPEC Inspired Model - "Vintage meets modernity in a handsome bronze-gold watch that brings back the original late-1950s Mil-Spec look."
• IWC Unveils $169,000 Portugieser Tourbillon Designed With F1 Driver Lewis Hamilton - "WC Schaffhausen, known for its precision engineering and timeless design, has unveiled a horological masterpiece in collaboration with seven-time Formula One world champion and IWC brand ambassador, Lewis Hamilton. The Portugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph Lewis Hamilton is a limited-edition timepiece that marries the worlds of haute horlogerie and motorsport-inspired aesthetics."

September 23, 2023

• Want to live in London or New York? Good luck if you’re renting - "Average rents in New York and Sydney grew by an inflation-busting 4.7% and 6.9% respectively in the year to August, according to real estate firm Knight Frank. While growth in rental costs in both cities has slowed compared with its pandemic peaks, average rents are still at all-time highs. In other places, rents are rising even faster. In London, the average annual rise in the cost of a rental property exceeded 17% in April and again last month, the biggest jumps since real estate agency Hamptons started collecting the data in 2014."
• Oprah, Zuckerberg, Ellison: Billionaires Continue to Acquire Land in Hawaii - Here's The Extent of Their Holdings - "Hawaii, with its breathtaking landscapes and serene beauty, has always attracted those seeking a piece of paradise. For years, billionaires such as Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Ellison have been making headlines for their significant land acquisitions across the islands. As the allure of Hawaii’s natural wonders remains strong, it’s worth taking a closer look at the extent of these billionaires’ holdings and what it means for the local communities."
• The story behind Michael Jordan’s ultra-private, ultra-exclusive personal golf course - "Grove XXIII: Inside Michael Jordan's ultra-exclusive golf club."
• How to build a habit in 5 steps, according to science - "Most of us assume those superachievers who are always able to squeeze in their workout, eat healthy foods, ace their exams and pick their kids up on time must have superhuman self-control. But science points to a different answer: What we mistake for willpower is often a hallmark of habit. People with good habits rarely need to resist the temptation to laze on the couch, order greasy takeout, procrastinate on assignments or watch one more viral video before dashing out the door. That’s because autopilot takes over, eliminating temptation from the equation. Having established good habits, little to no willpower is required to choose wisely."
• Eat beans & scratch your own back - expert advice on how to age better, inside & out - "From exercise and eating tips to brain health and balance challenges: this is what you need to know."
• 5 ChatGPT Prompts To Make Tough Business Decisions - "Use ChatGPT to simplify decisions and gain control of your future. Copy and paste these simple prompts and move forward with confidence." Forbes.
• A Theory of Elon Musk’s Maniacal Drive - "Some historians and psychologists have marveled at how many of the most significant figures in history lost a parent at an early age, either to death or abandonment - from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. These are what one psychologist termed 'eminent orphans.'"
• What makes Elon Musk tick? I spent months following the same people as him to find out who fuels his curious worldview - "Tucker Carlson, Greta Thunberg, Covid sceptics, military historians, the royal family ... What would my time immersed in the Twitter/X owner’s feed reveal about the richest man in the world?"
• Long Covid: MRI scans reveal new clues to symptoms - "People living with long Covid after being admitted to hospital are more likely to show some damage to major organs, according to a new study."
• The vast majority of NFTs are now worthless, new report shows - "Two years after tech trend that swept up artists and celebrities, researchers estimate 23 million people hold worthless investments."
• How To Rule Your Own Country: Inside The Outrageous World Of Micronations - "With political turmoil worldwide, divided beliefs, and mandates facing ordinary citizens, the idea of creating your own country might seem like a dream. But with micronations launching around the world, this dream has become a reality despite not being recognized by governments. According to legal experts, a micronation is a political entity whose representatives claim that they belong to an independent nation or sovereign state, but which lacks legal recognition by any sovereign state. Micronations are classified separately from states and rebel movements and are not considered autonomous or self-governing as they lack the legal basis in international law for their existence."
• The 21 Most Iconic Military Watches in History - "From the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms to Rolex MilSub, here are history's most iconic and hardwearing military watches."
• How fashion became one of Denmark's biggest exports - "That means fashion now accounts for 5% of the total export of Danish goods. ?After the established New York, London, Milan, and Paris fashion-week stalwarts, Copenhagen is now widely regarded as 'fashion’s fifth city'."
• iPhone 15 Pro Teardown Reveals Internals, Battery Capacity & More - "Overall, the iPhone 15 Pro has a similar internal design as the iPhone 14 Pro, but with a redesigned mid-frame chassis that allows for the back glass panel to be easily removed from the device during repairs."
• 11 Million New Oysters in New York Harbor (but None for You to Eat) - "The oysters, which act as nonstop water filters, were added to the Hudson River as part of an ongoing project to rehabilitate the polluted waterways around the city. The restoration of New York Harbor has reached a new milestone as 2021 draws to a close: 11.2 million juvenile oysters have been added in the past six months to a section of the Hudson River off the coast of Lower Manhattan, where they are helping to filter the water and creating habitats for other marine life."
• Meet the Kindle rival that thinks it's a phone - "The BOOX Palma 2 has an e-ink display but looks and works like an iPhone or Android phone."

September 22, 2023

• Apple releases iOS 17.0.1/2 with iPhone 15 fix, new macOS Sonoma RC, watchOS 10.0.1, more - "iOS 17.0.1 and watchOS 10.0.1 are rolling out now. The new versions include 'important bug fixes and security updates' and are 'recommended for all users,' according to the release notes."
• I'm going to do something crazy with my iPhone 15 Pro Max - "I’m going to make a controversial suggestion: Don’t put your iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max in a case - use it naked instead."
• Why Safari is no longer my browser of choice on MacOS & what I use instead - "Safari is a good browser, but there are certain behaviors that make it too frustrating to use as the default browser."
• The most important reason you should be using Linux at home - "Linux is the Burger King of operating systems. Its customizability is unmatched. But there is a more urgent reason that everyone should consider using it. As I said earlier, with Linux you get to do things your way. If you don't like the way a Linux distribution works, you can change it. You won't find that level of freedom with MacOS or Windows. There are also tons of software titles you can install and use for free, some of which are even proprietary."
• 8 things you can do with Linux that you can't do with MacOS or Windows - "Why should you try Linux? This is why."
• King Charles makes historic speech at French senate as he hails ‘indispensable’ UK-France relationship - "King Charles III became the first British monarch to make a speech from France’s senate chamber on Thursday, praising the 'indispensable relationship' between the UK and its neighbor which he said was 'as firm as it has ever been.'"
• The 70s/80s Stars Who Are Still Millionaires Today - "It’s hard to say who best did it, but it’s safe to say some stand out. And many of those super-rich celebs of yore remain mega millionaires today, all these years later. Without further ado, let’s remember the stars and icons who got crazy rich in those crazy days, and still managed to save up till this day."
• Rupert Murdoch's media empire through the years - "Rupert Murdoch built one of the world's most influential media empires over a 70-year career, and is now stepping down as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corp. After his father died, he inherited a half-share of local newspapers in the Australian city of Adelaide in the 1950s, before going on to own some of the most influential newspapers and TV stations in the world. Here is archive footage of some of his biggest acquisitions."
• 4 Productivity Habits That Pave The Way To Success - "1. Develop Routines to Reduce Decision-Making - 2. Organize Your Tasks and Your Space So You Can Find Things Quickly - 3. Keep an Inventory - 4. Be Wary of Time-Saving Technology - That Doesn't."
• The slimy ingredient we should all be eating more of - "From soups to cheese: what seaweed can bring to the dinner table."
• Amal Clooney Starts Her Day With This Superfood - "The fact that seaweed is a superfood is nothing new. Rich in minerals and fiber, flavorful and low in calories, seaweed has been prominent in Asian cuisines for millennia."
• They bought a cheap home in Italy. Then they bought another - "When Italian villages started selling houses for the price of a cup of coffee, most foreign buyers rushing to grab a slice of the action saw it as a fun property hunt - a search for the ultimate bargain. But for some, buying an old home in an offbeat location has turned out to be a life-changer."
• Beyond the Colosseum: Eight sites that reveal Rome's hidden history - "From the palace of Domus Aurea to the Mussolini-planned EUR quarter, few cities are better for exploring the legacy of the Roman Empire. Here are eight hidden gems to explore."
• Why are men obsessed with the Roman Empire? - "History expert says it’s a ‘very American thing’. NatGeo's Amy Briggs says men are compelled by the era due to interest in engineering and military: 'Full of good stories'."
• ‘You could fill a museum with it’: the $963m Roman Abramovich art collection revealed - "Leak suggests the oil and gas tycoon and his ex-wife Dasha Zhukova amassed one of the most significant collections of modern art in private hands."
• Foreign Exchange: Get the Best Rate - "The primary rule of managing purchases abroad is ensuring you are not using a credit card that charges foreign transaction fees." The New York Times.
• How to Change Your Mind-Set About Aging - "People who think positively about getting older often live longer, healthier lives. Here is how to reconsider your perspective." The New York Times.
• The basics of dementia & cognitive impairment - "Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning - the ability to think, remember, or reason - to such an extent that it interferes with a person's daily life and activities. These functions include memory, language skills, visual perception, problem solving, self-management, and the ability to focus and pay attention." National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
• King Charles & Queen Camilla’s state visit to France - in pictures - "Charles and Camilla’s three-day state visit to France started on Wednesday with a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and a dinner at the Palace of Versailles. They later visited a Paris flower market named after Queen Elizabeth II and then rejoined Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron at Notre Dame Cathedral to view restoration work after the 2019 fire."

September 21, 2023

• iOS 17 imessages apps: hidden tricks to customize the new design - "Two ways to optimize Apple’s redesigned iMessage apps experience in iOS 17."
• Here are the new Apple Shortcuts app features in iOS 17 - "Apple describes the Shortcuts app as 'a quick way to get one or more tasks done with your apps.' Users have endless possibilities for creating automations using native iOS features as well as integrations with third-party apps."
• After You Upgrade to iOS 17, Clear Your Cache - "Whether you have a new iPhone or you're upgrading to iOS 17, now's a great time to clear your browser's cache."
• With iOS 17, the iPhone feels like a mature platform - "StandBy is the standout feature, but iOS 17 is an improvement across the board. Yes, 17 feels like a big number. And in many ways, iOS has reached a point of stability and maturity that we are all looking for. If you're updating from iOS 16, you will feel right at home. Sure, iOS 17 features many small and big changes."
• How to turn on double tap-like gesture control on almost any Apple Watch - "One of the main new features of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 is something called “double tap” which lets users control the wearable by pinching their thumb and pointer finger. While the full functionality and new UI of the feature are indeed limited to the newest hardware, anyone with Apple Watch Series 3 and later can turn on double tap-like gestures to get the feature working for many of the same use cases right now, here’s how."
• OpenAI releases third version of DALL-E - "DALL-E 3 integrates with ChatGPT so users don’t have to think of prompts anymore."
• US spending in Ukraine explained in four charts - "The United States has poured more than a hundred billion dollars into Ukraine's effort to repel Russia's invasion, spending far more than any other nation. But as President Volodymyr Zelensky comes to Washington to ask for more, there is growing Republican scepticism about funding the war effort."
• The businessses staying in Russia - "Business in Russia: Why some firms haven't left. Hundreds of companies have exited Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, but others cite revenue concerns - and even humanitarianism - as reasons to stay put."
• The 20 Best Sneaker Brands, According to Fashion Experts - "Even if you’re not a so-called sneakerhead." Harper's BAZAAR.
• the 5 best contemporary luxury handbag brands to know in 2023 - "Welcome to a New Era of Luxury Bags. For brands like Self-Portrait, Aupen, and Cult Gaia, it’s about the richness of feeling, not the price tag." Elle.
• Anti-obesity drugs can shrink more than patients - "Originally developed to tackle diabetes, they're gaining traction as treatments for obesity. In one clinical trial, patients taking Eli Lilly's soon-to-be-launched weight-loss drug lost about 50 pounds (23 kg). The benefits for public health are potentially huge."
• “Quiet Luxury”: 8 Spaces Evoking the Immaculate Aesthetic of HBO’s Succession - "The precise, subtle and refined characteristics of Quiet Luxury have hit the interior design industry like a loose chandelier on a polished marble floor."
• The transformation of Kim Jong Un’s sister - "The most dangerous woman in the world." Since stepping into the international spotlight in 2018 with a history-making visit to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea - the first member of her family since the end of the Korean War to set foot in the South - she has become a key mouthpiece of the regime.
• ‘Why are 500,000 people watching paint dry?’ The man behind YouTube’s DIY sensation - "Martijn Doolaard has released 83 videos documenting his restoration of an Alpine cabin. They are slow, quiet, uneventful - and hugely successful. He explains his secret."
• Key takeaways from Michael Wolff’s book on Murdoch, Fox & US politics - "Here’s what we’ve learned so far from the eagerly awaited book The Fall: The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty."

September 20, 2023

• This world-class airport will soon go passport-free - "Starting in 2024, officials say Singapore’s Changi Airport will introduce automated immigration clearance, which will allow passengers to depart the city-state without passports, using only biometric data."
• Sleeping on long-haul flights: Here are the top tips for snoozing in the sky - "The first tip for sleep in this setting is to relax your expectations a little. Humans are just not well designed to sleep in an almost upright position. Unless you’re lucky to fly in a class with a lie-flat seat, you’re very unlikely to step off a long-haul flight having had a solid eight hours of sleep."
• Elon Musk woos world leaders, courting controversy - "He is 'very impressed' with Emmanuel Macron. Narendra Modi can count him as 'a fan'. And Benjamin Netanyahu just dropped in to see him. A parade of foreign leaders on recent US trips, including on official state visits at the White House's invitation, have added sit-downs with Elon Musk to their schedules. This year, the world's richest man has met with, to name a few, the heads of France, Italy, India, South Korea - and, in just the past two days, Turkey and Israel."
• Elon Musk’s Neuralink approved to recruit humans for brain-implant trial - "Company is seeking people with paralysis to test its experimental device after getting green light from independent review board."
• iOS 17 finally makes it easier to scan & tap QR codes - "iOS 17 includes a small but much-needed change to the process of scanning QR codes via the Camera app. With this year’s update, the button that pops up when you scan a QR code now appears at the bottom of the Camera app, right above the shutter button, and it doesn’t move..."
• 5 Best VPN apps for Apple TV - "Setting up a VPN on your Apple TV 4K allows you to avoid geographic region restrictions and access services not normally available to you. With tvOS 17, VPN apps can now be installed on the Apple TV directly."
• 15 Netflix series with perfect 100% scores on Rotten Tomatoes - "Not every Netflix series is a winner, but here's a look at more than a dozen that have all landed perfect scores on Rotten Tomatoes."
• Google’s AI assistant can now read your emails, plan trips, “double-check” answers - "Google admits that Bard isn't always accurate; ropes in Gmail through new Extensions."
• Bard can now connect to your Google apps & services - "Use Bard alongside Google apps and services, easily double-check its responses and access features in more places."
• The sleep secret: how lucid dreams can make us fitter, more creative & less anxious - "Freud described dreams as windows into our repressed desires. Today, researchers are using them to boost athletic performance and help veterans with PTSD, unlocking huge benefits for us all."
• Olive oil prices surge over 100%, leading to cooking oil thefts - "Olive oil prices spiked to fresh records as severe droughts in major producing continue to crimp supplies - driving desperate people to resort to stealing it. Global prices of olive oil surged to $8,900 per ton in September, driven by 'extremely dry weather' in the Mediterranean, according to the USDA."
• Apple’s new $19 EarPods are a smarter purchase than the $549 AirPods Max - "Lossless and USB-C for less than $20. When Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 series with USB-C last week, the company didn’t forget about wired headphone fans. Apple updated its EarPods for the first time since 2016, giving them a USB-C connector too - and if you need a pair of headphones, you might want to give them a look."
• Netflix Billionaire Buys North America's Largest Ski Resort - "The latest news in the ski world is the marriage of a 21st-century tech billionaire and a troubled ski mountain. In one fell swoop, Reed Hastings, the co-founder of Netflix, has made a $100 million investment in Powder Mountain, Utah, the country's largest resort."
• Rare cache of pink diamonds formed when a supercontinent broke apart, study says - "Pink diamonds are extremely rare and coveted - a now-closed mine in Australia has been the source of 90% of the colored gemstones. Polished pink specimens of the highest grade can sell for tens of millions of dollars. But a discovery made in the same area may help reveal new deposits of the jewels, researchers say."
• This designer's house is a masterclass in minimaluxe decor - 'designed to be a place to chill' - "Designer Katie Harbison’s Brooklyn home exudes a serene stillness thanks to its perfect balance of contemporary pieces, traditional materials and vintage pieces."
• Where to find London's 'lost' palaces - "A royal tour of London's best palaces and parks with historian Tracy Borman. From hidden spots at the Tower of London to the 'lost' and little-known Jewel Tower, Tracy Borman shares her tips and tricks for getting the most out of London's royal sites."
• The secret to a perfect paella - "The Simple Art of Rice: Seafood paella with lime. In his new cookbook, The Simple Art of Rice, chef JJ Johnson shares a recipe for a giant seafood paella inspired by the one his grandmother used to make."
• Inside The Exclusive Cannes Beach Club Accessible Only By Yacht - "Off the coast of Cannes on a small island called Île Sainte-Marguerite lies one of the most exclusive private beach clubs in the world: La Guérite. Frequented by yacht owners and celebrities - Elton John, Leonardo DiCaprio, Beyonce and Jay Z, The Beckhams and The Kardashians are among the clientele - it’s a clear winner with the jetset of the French Riviera for a number of reasons. Firstly, La Guérite is accessible only via boat. This added layer of privacy and exclusivity makes it an ideal place to escape the summer crowds or take a break from events such as the Cannes Yachting Festival and the Cannes Film Festival." Forbes.

September 19, 2023

• iOS 17 Features: The Ultimate Mega Guide - "Lock Screen Updates - Messages - Privacy and Security - Safety - CarPlay - Siri - Safari - Phone and FaceTime." MacRumors.
• Top 10 features to try out with iOS 17 - "While there are many more than 10 changes and new features with iOS 17, here’s a look at the ones that are likely to be the most interesting and useful." 9to5Mac.
• iOS 17 iPhone StandBy: How to use & customize the smart display feature - "One of the headlining new features with iOS 17 is a smart landscape display mode for iPhone when it’s charging. Coming with different clock faces, widgets, access to photos, and more, here’s how to use and customize the iOS 17 iPhone Standby display."
• Best Apps With New iOS 17 & watchOS 10 Features - "Flighty (Free, Premium Subscription) - Carrot Weather (Free, Premium Subscription) - Slopes (Free, Premium Subscription)."
• Carrot will report the weather in your own voice on iOS 17 - "Version 5.12 of Carrot has been redesigned for Apple Watch and can imitate a user’s own voice on iPhones running iOS 17."
• Things adds interactive widgets, StandBy widgets & Apple Watch widgets - "Cultured Code is out with a big update for its awesome task manager app Things. The new version is packed with features that take advantage of iOS 17, watchOS 10, and iPadOS 17."
• Apple releases iPadOS 17 with new Lock Screen, flexible & interactive widgets, more - "While the major update doesn’t include as many changes as recent years, it comes with a refreshed Lock Screen, interactive and more flexible widgets, Stage Manager upgrades, and more."
• AirPods Pro Adaptive Audio preview: Automatically adjusting to your day - "Testing the new feature, as well as Personalized Volume and Conversation Awareness."
• Elon Musk: Social media platform X could go behind paywall - "In a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the billionaire said a payment system was the only way to counter bots."
• ChatGPT: The 9 Crucial Components Of An Effective Prompt - "How to create effective prompts for ChatGPT: Set your objective. ... Specify the format. ... Create a role. ... Explain the audience. ... Give context. ... Provide examples. ... Outline the scope. ... Apply constraints."
• What you need to know about visiting Maui after the wildfires - "In the days following the deadly wildfires, many Hawaiians told tourists to stay away. But a month later, officials are asking people to return responsibly."
• How I rewired my brain in six weeks - "There is growing evidence that simple, everyday changes to our lives can alter our brains and change how they work. Melissa Hogenboom put her own brain in the scanner to find out."
• You Won’t Lose Weight on Ozempic Forever - "People taking the drug and similar medications will hit an inevitable, and necessary, plateau. Here’s why." The New York Times.
• Should you trust personal finance advice from a 'finfluencer'? - "A growing number of creators are doling out tips online for how to spend, save and invest. Is it a modern approach to financial literacy - or a big red flag?"
• Danish artist who submitted empty frames as artwork told to repay funding - "Jens Haaning must return about 532,000 kroner loaned by Kunsten Museum in Aalborg, court says."
• The colourful trend that makes small rooms look bigger - "With its powerful monochromatic impact, colour drenching reduces visual noise and makes even small rooms appear larger."
• 10 Plants With Year-round Colourful Foliage - "Hosta. These plants are easily recognisable for their large green leaves with striking patterns and textures. Coleus - Amaranthus Tricolor - Ninebark - Coral Bells - Smoke Tree - Begonia."
• Do You Need To Wash Rice Before Cooking? Here’s The Science - "Yes, but likely not for the reason you are thinking."
• The Restaurant List 2023 - "The 50 places in the United States that we’re most excited about right now." The New York Times.
• The Cartier Tank CintrÉe RÉÉdition, now in Platinum - "The handsome curves of the ultra-thin Cartier Tank Cintrée Reedition are back in platinum with a new limited edition."
• Honda's weird new suitcase-shaped scooter is a throwback to one of its coolest vehicles of all time - "Honda launched a rectangular electric scooter that costs $995. It's a throwback to the Motocompo, a foldable Honda scooter from the 1980s that fit in a trunk."

September 18, 2023

• Here's When iOS 17 Will Release in Your Local Time - "What time will Apple release iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10 on September 18? Apple typically releases its software updates at 10:00 AM Pacific Time and iOS 17 is no exception. If you are not familiar with when the update will be available in your region of residence, we have made a list of regions with their respective time zones."
• Apple continues to use our own mortality as marketing - "Apple wants you to know that not only can its watch save your life - the iPhone can, too."
• Everything you need to know about switching to USB-C - "For those planning to preorder the iPhone 15 but aren’t sure about what the switch from Apple’s Lighting port to USB-C entails, we’ve got you covered."
• Forget Apple Watch 9 - these watchOS 10 fitness features instantly upgrade older models - "Some of the Apple Watch 9’s best features will come to older models."
• Unesco world heritage list - "New Inscribed Properties 2023+2022."
• Dramatic aerial footage of some of the most remote sections of the Great Wall of China - "Six of the most beautiful sections of the Great Wall of China."
• It's time to eat more mussels - "‘Mussel’ up to a bowl of bivalves this fall. The adage of only eating oysters in months that end in R no longer holds true as advances in aquaculture have made farmed shellfish available and safe to eat year-round. However, in the case of mussels, fall is an ideal time to indulge in these succulent bivalves."
• Why we personify threatening events - "As hurricanes Lee and Margot sweep across the US, David Robson looks at why we name the things that threaten us - and whether this is helpful."
• The world’s happiest man? Matthieu Ricard on the secrets of a serene, successful, satisfying life - "The Buddhist monk and bestselling author’s latest book tells the story of his spiritual journey. He discusses joy, suffering and how to foster happiness and health."
• Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson review - pillock, genius, or both? - "The tech mogul is portrayed as a brutal visionary with father issues in this comprehensive biography."
• Elon Musk likes to think he saved us from Armageddon. He’s just brought it closer - "Whatever his new biography says, by giving into Russia’s nuclear blackmail the X boss can only encourage more threats from Putin."

September 17, 2023

• iOS 17 Is Arriving Monday With These Amazing New iPhone Features - "iOS 17 comes with some amazing new privacy and security features, many of which will change the way you use your iPhone."
• iPhone 15’s new USB-C port unlocks robust support for external displays - "iPhone 15’s new USB-C port unlocks a number of new features, including the ability to charge other accessories like AirPods and Apple Watch. In a new support document, Apple also explains that iPhone 15’s USB-C port allows you to connect your iPhone to external displays as well."
• Get the awesome new Modular Ultra Apple Watch face - "Apple is about to launch a cool new watch face for the Apple Watch Ultra called 'Modular Ultra.' The new face does a lot: It allows up to eight complications, including the customizable bezel that can show water depth, elevation or seconds. I think it looks super-cool. And just wait until you see the night mode."
• Lightning was great, actually - It’s time to retire Lightning, but it had a very good run.
• Heatwaves, wildfires, air chaos & overcrowding. How this year’s summer vacations fell apart - "From the litany of bad headlines surrounding the world of travel, you could be forgiven thinking it’s been the summer from hell for vacationers. Environmental disasters, aviation industry mishaps and strikes, dirty beaches, soaring temperatures, deluges, price hikes and overcrowding all seem to have conspired to ruin getaways for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people this year."
• Will Playing Golf Damage Your Mechanical Watch? - "We asked a few brands and have some answers. They do not indicate that playing golf with a watch on would damage the movement or influence the watch's performance. In the end, for these brands, the main concern is the risk of damaging the watch's exterior."
• Science Museum celebrates the inventor of the self-winding watch, Abraham-Louis Breguet - "The man who invented the self-winding wristwatch is the subject of a new exhibition at the Science Museum to mark the 200th anniversary of his death."
• How to use Philips Hue’s new smart security system - "Philips Hue just added new security features to its smart lighting line, and you can turn them on for free."
• Why I prefer my Kindle to 'real' books - "Despite a recent survey about the supposed superiority of physical books, there are a surprising amount of advantages to settling down with an e-book."
• Rucking is an easy way to fitness - "If you enjoy walking for exercise, there’s a simple way to maximize your efforts - change your walk into a ruck. Rucking is walking with weight on your back, and it’s an increasingly popular form of exercise."
• The Super Models - documentary brings to life the fab four of gen X fashion - "The new film about the four first ladies of 80s and 90s modelling shows their industry’s dark side, but its heart is the their genuine bond."
• Rebel, rebel: how Lee Miller’s defiance in fashion, photography & life still endures - "Miller counted Picasso and Man Ray as friends, took devastating war photos and dressed outrageously. A new film starring Kate Winslet and exhibition explore her renegade spirit."
• Harvard psychology expert shares the No. 1 thing she sees holding people back from success - "Anxiety, discomfort and change are all part of life, but they are not enemies. The No. 1 silent saboteur of success is how we react to them. As a Harvard psychologist, I’ve observed this struggle firsthand. I coined a concept about it, 'psychological avoidance,' based on my 20 years of research and clinical work. Psychological avoidance is any response to a perceived threat that brings immediate emotional relief, but comes with long-term consequences."
• Unlock Your Inner Hero: Triumph Over Avoidance & Reclaim Your Life - "Have you ever thought about embarking on an empowering journey towards self-discovery, resilience, and your dream life, but find anxiety holding you back? Let me share with you a captivating tale of triumphing over the challenges that hold you back and stepping into your role as the hero of your own life."
• How Emotionally Intelligent People Overcome the Door-in-the-Face Technique to Stop Saying Yes to Things They Don't Want to Do - "Tired of agreeing to things you later regret? Be on the lookout for the rule of reciprocal concession."

September 16, 2023

• It’s Cozy & Cheap, but Do You Want to Live in This Social Media Magnet? - "Social media platforms are awash with videos of microapartments and tiny homes, amassing tens of millions of views. But do clicks translate into new occupants?" The New York Times.
• In Rome, It’s Luxury vs. Squalor - "The city’s newest attempt to reimagine itself includes palatial accommodations that cost up to $41,000 a night. Cynics point to overflowing garbage and stalled public works. How will deluxe hotels fix those problems?" The New York Times.
• Monaco, EU, fail to agree closer ties - Association Agreement abandoned - "The prospects of concluding an Association Agreement with the European Union are dead, Monaco’s Government announced on Friday, albeit more circumspectly."
• Emergency Department of the St. Tropez hospital has closed on several occasions this summer due to staff shortages - "On September 7 a German tourist waited for four hours before leaving without being seen. He was found dead in his car later."
• Rainforest carbon credit schemes misleading & ineffective, finds report - "System not fit for carbon offsetting, puts Indigenous communities at risk and should be replaced with new approach, say researchers. Rainforest conservation projects are not suitable for carbon offsetting and a different approach should be used to effectively protect critical ecosystems such as the Amazon and Congo basin, a report has concluded. New research by UC Berkeley Carbon Trading Project looking into rainforest carbon credits certified by Verra, which operates the world’s leading carbon standard, found that the system is not fit for purpose."
• Nearly 50 global treasures could be about to get UNESCO’s World Heritage status. Here’s what’s on the list - "A collection of tombs from Korea’s ancient Gaya confederacy, a Viking age ring fortress in Denmark, an ancient Thai town and a 2,000-year-old earthworks in Ohio are among the contenders for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List this year. Following much deliberation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is shortly expected to announce which sites have been given the honor of a place on its list of World Heritage Sites."
• Venice ‘not at risk’ after all? UNESCO leaves city off its heritage in danger list - "The Italian city of Venice and its lagoon were not listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage in Danger list during a meeting of the UN agency in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, according to Italy’s culture ministry. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee had warned in July that Italy was not doing enough to protect the city from the threat of overtourism, development and climate change."
• Historic Ukrainian sites in Kyiv & Lviv added to UN danger list - "Major historical sites in two Ukrainian cities are in danger of destruction due to the war with Russia, the UN's heritage body Unseco has said."
• iPhone 15 fulfills a vision for photography shared with Steve Jobs over a decade ago - "iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have the ability to capture depth data from photos with people or pets, allowing you to adjust the focus after the shot. That's a concept that was reportedly on Jobs' radar before his death in 2011."
• iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max Shipping Estimates Extend Into November - "Apple began accepting pre-orders for the new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max today, and shipping estimates for the devices on Apple's online store are already beginning to slip into November for many configurations."
• Apple will release software update to address iPhone 12 radiation concerns - "The company says it's not a safety issue and blames France’s testing protocols."
• Watches I Like To Look At But Can’t Wear - Examples From Roger Dubuis, TAG Heuer, Bvlgari & HYT - "Why can something that looks so good feel and wear so wrong? Art is in the eye of the beholder. Is that true for watches too? Yes, your particular taste in watches is highly personal. But what looks nice on the screen of your smartphone and in the shop window might not look so good on your wrist."
• Why do cats love tuna so much? Scientists may finally know - "Study identifies taste receptors that give our feline friends a craving for meat - and one fish in particular. But it wasn't just umami in general the cats craved. The felines showed a particular preference for bowls containing histidine and inosine monophosphate - compounds found at particularly high levels in tuna. 'It was one of the most preferred combinations,' McGrane says. 'It really seems to hit that umami sweet spot.'"
• Vogue World: Stars flock to Britain’s answer to the Met Gala - "It was billed as Britain’s answer to the Met Gala, and last night’s inaugural 'Vogue World' at the Theatre Royal on London’s Drury Lane didn’t disappoint."
• Fernando Botero: 1932-2023 - The Maestro of Volume & Monaco’s artistic gem - "In the panorama of the 20th century, where the lean and angular have so often been exalted, the voluptuous curves of Fernando Botero’s sculptures and canvases hold a unique fascination. It is with a mixture of sadness and profound respect that we bid adieu to this master of rotundity. His creations defy categorisation and stand out, quite literally, in bold relief against the flatness of much contemporary art. Despite his international renown, Botero’s relationship with the diminutive city state of Monaco remains one of the less celebrated chapters in his illustrious career. He died in Monaco on Friday, September 15, 2023."
• The assassination of JFK: One of the US's biggest mysteries - "With new revelations calling into question the theory of the 'lone gunman', Clare Thorp explores how JFK's assassination continues to live on in popular culture."
• The 'cosmic dust' sitting on your roof - "It comes from outer space. Mary Westover talks to the scientists searching for hidden micrometeorites in Antarctica and on cathedral roofs."
• In the tracks of the Orient Express: my train ride from London to Istanbul - "The fabled railway service returns in 2025. But you don’t need to wait until then, or pay the eyewatering fares, to ride this classic route."
• New York fashion week’s key collections - in pictures - "With front rows heaving with A-listers, a highly anticipated designer debut and the return of a fashion legend, NYFW’s SS24 was in jubilant spirits."

September 15, 2023

• Should we be worried about older politicians? - "How old is too old to lead? With the top contenders for the US presidential election in 2024 both well past the typical retirement age, debate is raging over the trade-offs of being led by older politicians."
• Princess Diana’s ‘black sheep’ knit is the most valuable sweater ever sold at auction - "It was the star lot at Sotheby’s latest Fashion Icons auction in New York, where it fetched $1,143,000 in just 15 minutes of bidding."
• Why these imperfect Korean ‘moon jars’ sell for millions - "Old, round, imperfect and beautiful - that’s how fans of Korean art describe the moon jar, or dalhangari. These unassuming, plain white pots have entranced everyone from rapper RM, of K-pop sensation BTS, to philosopher Alain de Botton. If price is any indicator of popularity, one recently sold for over $4.5 million at a Christie’s auction."
• Reanimated spiders & smart toilets triumph at Ig Nobel prizes - "Electric chopsticks and ‘jamais vu’ studies also scoop awards recognising research that makes people ‘laugh, then think’."
• Greenland cruise ship pulled free after three days stuck in mud - "The Ocean Explorer and its 206 passengers and crew were rescued on Thursday by a Greenland research trawler after it was grounded within the Northeast Greenland National Park."
• What are medicanes? The ‘supercharged’ Mediterranean storms that could become more frequent - "The term is an amalgamation of the words Mediterranean and hurricane. The flash flood that has killed thousands of people in Libya this week followed the ‘medicane’ storm Daniel."
• New files shed light on ExxonMobil’s efforts to undermine climate science - "ExxonMobil executives privately sought to undermine climate science even after the oil and gas giant publicly acknowledged the link between fossil fuel emissions and climate change, according to previously unreported documents revealed by the Wall Street Journal."
• Scientists finally confirm what’s inside the Moon & it’s not cheese - "That's one mystery about the Moon we can take off of the list. According to the latest mathematical models, the moon has a fluid outer core and a solid inner core, similar to Earth's. The inner core is made up of a metal with a density similar to that of iron and measures about 500 kilometers in diameter, which is about 15% of the Moon’s total diameter."
• A 17-minute flight? The super-rich who have ‘absolute disregard for the planet’ - "Kylie Jenner has faced a torrent of criticism for her decision to take her private jet on a flight that lasted just 17 minutes. But the practice of taking brief journeys on luxury aircraft appears to be common among the rich and famous despite mounting concerns over the climate crisis."
• Vogue World’s red carpet - in pictures - "Some of the biggest names in fashion arrived at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, for London’s answer to the Met Gala. Organised by Vogue editor Anna Wintour, it aims to raise funds for London’s struggling art scene."
• 5 Fun Facts About Oktoberfest, The World’s Largest Beer Festival - "Munich, Germany’s famed Oktoberfest began in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Since then, it has grown into the world’s largest and most famous beer festival. This year’s Oktoberfest runs from September 16th to October 3, 2023. Here are five fun facts about the festival." Forbes.
• The iPhone Mini’s long goodbye is complete - but it’s not all bad news - "The truly small smartphone has left the building. The 6.1-inch flagship phone seems to be here to stay, and sure, it’s no Mini, but it’s proving itself to be an entirely acceptable middle ground between tiny and gigantic."
• Five important iOS 17 security features coming to iPhone - "Here are all the important security and privacy features coming to iPhone with iOS 17, including one that auto-deletes verification codes."
• The true story of Coco Chanel's childhood: In search of Gabrielle - "Until Gabrielle Chanel became Coco, she left barely a footprint. However, by tracing her history through rural France, Justine Picardie has been able to piece together her childhood."
• Cartier's Baignoire Watch Is Having a Moment - "The New Sold-Out Watch That Isn’t Really New. An early version of the Cartier Baignoire was introduced in 1912. But this summer, as one editor said, ‘It’s the talk of the town.’" The New York Times.
• Will 'Superfood Powders' Actually Make You Healthier? - "These once-daily supplements claim to boost energy, nourish your gut, support your immune system and more. But health experts aren't convinced." The New York Times.
• Secrets of a Healthy Breakfast - "The ideal breakfast is the one that makes you feel your best, experts say, though there are some important nutrients to keep in mind." The New York Times.
• Does Coffee Make You Gain Weight? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say - "Although coffee affects everyone differently, there are several reasons why some individuals may experience unintentional weight gain from regular coffee consumption."
• Altra vs Hoka: Discover Which Shoe Is Right for You - "We explored the merits of two very different shoe companies, Altra vs Hoka, to help you choose your next hiking or running shoe."
• I bought this $20 accessory to organize my gadgets & it’s a game changer - "Within reach but no longer cluttering up my desk."
• TOP 10 LIGHTING DESIGNS TO UPGRADE THE ILLUMINATION GAME AT YOUR HOME - "Gone are the days when lighting designs were boring and typically designed objects that did nothing but add light to a living space. A well-designed lighting fixture should not only have the ability to illuminate any living space but also add that extra oomph factor! From a stunning Brutalist-inspired tabletop lamp to sleek lighting designs that incorporate wireless charging trays - these unique lighting designs are what you need to elevate your living or working space!"
• Seriously, Clear Your Cache - "Do you clear your iPhone cache every month? Here's how it can help keep your mobile browsers fresh and your web browsing snappy."
• Galaxy Ring & Apple Ring will shake up the wearable market - "Samsung and Apple might soon shake up the smart wearable market in a big way. The two companies are reportedly gearing up to enter a new wearable segment through the Galaxy Ring and Apple Ring, and it's not hard to imagine how these products might impact the wearable market at large."

September 14, 2023

• Global Wealth Report 2023 - "Global wealth is expected to rise by 38% over the next five years, reaching USD 629 trillion by 2027. How has global household wealth developed in 2022? What are the projections for the years ahead? Find out with the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on global household wealth."
• Earth ‘well outside safe operating space for humanity’, scientists find - "First complete ‘scientific health check’ shows most global systems beyond stable range in which modern civilisation emerged. Earth’s life support systems have been so damaged that the planet is 'well outside the safe operating space for humanity', scientists have warned."
• Tech leaders agree on AI regulation but divided on how in Washington forum - "Bill Gates, Sundar Pichai, Sam Altman and others gathered for ‘one of the most important conversations of the year.’"
• 5 ChatGPT Prompts To Feel Invincible At Work - "When you feel powerful, you act in powerful ways. You bring your best self to conversations, you do your best work. You show up as the version of you who can make more money and a bigger impact. But left to your own devices, this version of you might not persevere. The day’s events will wear you down. Other people will grind your gears. Challenges will take their toll and you might start to question if you’re cut out for the journey. But you are. When you feel like you need a personal cheerleader, but don’t want to ask your friends, enter ChatGPT. Use these 5 prompts to dig into your feelings and transform them, for the benefit of your life, work and happiness." Forbes.
• Warren Buffett & Charlie Munger's epic success is down to 3 key things - "Berkshire Hathaway stock has skyrocketed by over 4,300,000%, or about 20% a year, since Warren Buffett took over as CEO in 1965."
• Apple Shares Lists of All New Features in iOS 17 & macOS Sonoma - "A key new feature of iOS 17 is StandBy, a new full-screen view that provides glanceable information designed to be viewed from a distance when an iPhone is on its side and charging. The customizable interface can show a clock in various styles, a calendar, favorite photos, the weather forecast, music playback controls, widgets, and more."
• iPhone 15 Pro Max first impressions: Lights, camera, action button - "A closer look at the new action button, zoom lenses and USB-C."
• Here’s why Apple’s charger switch is such a big deal - "Apple retired its Lightning charger on Tuesday exactly 11 years to the day it was first announced. The effort marks a milestone moment for the company by finally adopting USB-C, a universal charging system. That’s noteworthy not only because Apple has been resistant to do so for years but because it’s about to make charging that much easier for its customers. But, as with most things, there’s a catch: The switch to a universal standard means Apple is giving up control of its wired charging ecosystem, and identifying good chargers from bad ones won’t be obvious to many consumers."
• If It’s Expensive, Does That Make It a Luxury Watch? - "There are several reasons brands increased their prices in recent years, and positioning certainly was one of them." The New York Times.
• The Battle to Save Marilyn Monroe's Los Angeles Home - "The Los Angeles City Council has saved the actress’s Brentwood home from demolition - temporarily. Sixty years after her death there from an overdose, fans still leave flowers at the gate." The New York Times.
• ‘My ultimate goal? Don’t die’: Bryan Johnson on his controversial plan to live for ever - "The tech entrepreneur is waging a one-man war against ageing. But is taking 100 pills a day, finishing your meals by 11am, giving up both alcohol and a social life, really worth it?"
• Anna Wintour stages starry gala as tensions rise at Vogue - "‘It’s about asserting her power.’ ‘London’s answer to Met Gala’ reveals behind-the-scenes power struggle between editors. Some of the biggest names from fashion and Hollywood will descend on the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the West End on Thursday night for an event that is being hailed as London’s answer to the Met Gala."
• A trip back in time to Tranquebar, Denmark’s forgotten outpost in India - "In the long history of colonial rule in Asia, the shadow of Denmark does not loom large. It would be fair to say that few Indians and even fewer Danes are aware that this northern European nation had a foothold in India from 1620 to 1845. That foothold was Tranquebar, a small trading outpost far down eastern India’s Coromandel Coast."
• What Princess Diana's sheep jumper really means - "The sweater currently being auctioned by Sotheby's, with bids ending tomorrow, is a symbol of Princess Diana's journey from whimsical, Sloaney ingenue to powerful communicator - and eventual outsider, writes Lindsay Baker."
• When Does a Style Become a Classic? - "It's pretty much impossible to pinpoint a moment when a piece of work becomes a classic because the label is one that gets added in hindsight. History is written by the victors, goes the adage, and, similarly, classics are anointed by the future." The New York Times.
• Why Are So Many Millennials Going to Mongolia? - "In an era of Instagram tourism, some young people are searching for less curated travel experiences. So they’re flocking to the open spaces of this East Asian nation." The New York Times.

September 13, 2023

• Apple iPhone 15 event: the seven biggest announcements - "Here’s a roundup of all the news from Apple’s ‘Wonderlust’ showcase."
• iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max hands-on - "The high-end iPhones still look like iPhones, but this is no warmed-over iPhone 14 Pro. It has new buttons, new ports, and a new body."
• iPhone 15 Pro & Grade 5 Titanium: A Detailed Overview - "Grade 5 Titanium, also known as Ti-6Al-4V, is a titanium alloy consisting of titanium along with small amounts of aluminum and vanadium."
• iPhone 15 battery life: What you’ll get & how it compares to iPhone 14 & more - "iPhone 15 battery specs: Official ratings."
• MTV VMAs 2023: Shakira & Taylor Swift are the big award winners - "Shakira crowd-surfed her way to a lifetime achievement prize at the MTV Video Music Awards, as she performed a career-spanning medley of hits."
• Pink leather armchairs & bomb-proof floors: inside Kim Jong-un’s armoured train - "The North Korean leader’s preferred mode of transport is slow-moving but luxuriously appointed."
• C.D.C. Recommends New Covid Vaccines for All Americans - "Everyone aged 6 months and older should get at least one dose, the agency said." The New York Times.
• The world’s biggest carbon capture facility is being built in Texas. Will it work? - "The plant will inject 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the ground each year - but is it just greenwashing from big oil?"
• Why Are Watch Brands' Most Expensive Offerings Usually Less Desirable? - "How Come Brands’ Most Expensive Offerings Usually Aren’t The Most Desirable? Are they marketing exercises more than actual watches?"
• Four takeaways from Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk - "'You’ll never be successful,' Errol Musk in 1989 told his 17-year-old son Elon, who was then preparing to fly from South Africa to Canada to find relatives and a college education."
• Eight things we learned from the Elon Musk biography - "Widespread access to world’s richest man allowed biographer Walter Isaacson to detail a number of illuminating anecdotes."
• Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson - Amazon.com.
• Ex-Secret Service agent reveals new JFK assassination detail - "Six decades later, new details are still coming to light in one of the most scrutinised events in American history: the assassination of President John F Kennedy."
• Site for the first atomic blast opens for one day in October - here’s how to go - "Saturday, October 21, presents a rare opportunity to visit not just one but two scientifically significant and movie-famous destinations on the same day - each occupying opposite ends of the electromagnetic spectrum. Trinity Site is the national historic landmark that’s home to mankind’s first nuclear blast on July 16, 1945, where plutonium gamma rays lit up the night sky. It hosts only two open house events each year."
• Marriage Equality Around the World - "Marriage Equality Legal in 34 Countries."
• Michael Jordan's Forgotten New Balance Moment - "This old photo of Jordan led to the creation of the Jumpman logo and, years later, a lawsuit."
• The case against pets: is it time to give up our cats & dogs? - "A growing number of people argue that owning pets is unethical - and that animals can never really have a good life in a human home."
• What to know about the 'beach towel revolt' taking back Greek beaches - "Across Greece, locals are taking matters into their own hands by throwing their towels down to reclaim their beaches and access to nature - without the hefty price tag."
• Venice awaits Unesco heritage ruling as beds for tourists outnumber residents for first time - "‘We feel like foreigners in our own home,’ says activist as city’s population dwarfed by visitors."
• The $1,600-a-night luxury hotel that was 30 years in the making - "With 190 rooms and suites, 25 luxury residences, a rooftop restaurant, and a spa with a 25-meter indoor swimming pool, The Peninsula London is undoubtedly one of the most highly-anticipated properties in the UK capital."
• A Food-Lovers Tour Through Emilia-Romagna - "The cheese, the pasta, the restaurants with Michelin stars? On a trip to this food-rich region of Italy, a writer’s checklist overflows with delicious options."
• The Best Rolex Watches For Different Stages Of Your Career - "No matter how much or little you know about luxury watches, one thing is universally known and understood: Rolex is king. We take a closer look at the best luxury Rolex watches for the different stages of your career."

September 12, 2023

• How to Watch Apple's 'Wonderlust' iPhone 15 Event on Tuesday, September 12 - "Apple is hosting an online streaming event for the public and press on September 12 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. YouTube. Apple also plans to stream the event live on YouTube, which is perhaps the easiest and most efficient way to watch because the YouTube live stream can be viewed on every platform where YouTube is available, which is pretty much all platforms, from smartphones and tablets to consoles and smart TVs."
• Apple Events Website - "'View online at apple.com or on the Apple TV app.' You can watch the event live on a Mac, iPhone, iPad, PC, or any other device with a web browser. The Apple Events website works in Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and other main browsers."
• What to expect from Apple’s iPhone 15 reveal - "Apple is expected to announce the new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, Apple Watch 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and possibly USB-C AirPods - and maybe even a new iPad mini 7."
• Apple’s Lightning connector was the first great port & USB-C might be the last - "It’s all but certain that the next iPhone will have a USB-C port. But the future of charging may be no port at all."
• The benefit of Lightning accessories goes away with the USB-C iPhone 15 - "Some say it’s too soon, others say it can’t happen soon enough. When Apple announces the iPhone 15 lineup tomorrow, a notable part of the news will be switching from a Lightning port to a USB-C port for charging. The iPhone certainly isn’t the first Apple product to adopt USB-C, and it won’t be the last. Why is Apple changing the charging port now? In part, it’s because the company has to if it wants to continue selling iPhones in EU countries. But it’s also true that Apple has steadily been moving new products to USB-C for years."
• Who is the Apple Watch Ultra really for? - "While I’ve loved using the Ultra this past year, I don’t think this is as much a smartwatch for adventurers as it is for... Actually, I’m still trying to figure that out."
• Google trial: US takes on tech giant in landmark case - "On Tuesday, the legal battle will begin - a high-stakes trial that pits the government against Google. The company is accused of unfairly cementing its position as the world's go-to search engine by paying billions of dollars to phone-makers like Apple and web browsers like Mozilla to be installed as the default option."
• US sets new record for billion-dollar climate disasters in single year - "Country has experienced 23 extreme weather events costing $1bn or more already this year, passing previous mark of 22 in 2020."
• Train carrying Kim Jong Un arrives in Russia - "The armored train has crossed into Russia ahead of the North Korea leader’s expected meeting with Putin."
• An explosive Elon Musk biography is just hitting shelves - "But the book’s acclaimed author is already walking back a major claim."
• Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson - Amazon.com.
• Japan Airlines wants to help you leave your suitcase at home - "Unsure what to pack from your wardrobe for a vacation to Japan? If you’re flying with Japan Airlines, the answer could be nothing at all. Japan’s flag carrier has started a year-long trial of a service that allows travelers to book a set of clothes - covering different sartorial styles and seasons - and receive it at their hotel upon arrival. At the end of the stay the clothes are returned, to be washed and cycled back into the system. Called Any Wear, Anywhere, the service runs through the end of August 2024 and Japan Airlines says it could cut carbon emissions by reducing the weight carried by its airplanes."
• Venice to back €5 fee for day-trip tourists - "The Italian city of Venice is expected to approve the trial of a €5 ($5.35) fee for daily visitors, in a bid to control tourism."
• Warren Buffett's Classic Genie Story Is a Great Lesson in Taking Care of Your Mental Health - "Buffett says, 'You only get one mind and one body. And it's got to last a lifetime.'"
• While Warren Buffett Says, 'I Just Sit in My Office & Read All Day' - "This Lifelong Habit Is Just as Crucial to His Success. A lifelong pursuit of knowledge clearly matters. But so does building the right relationships."
• 'You can't produce a baby in 1 month by getting nine women pregnant' - "Buffett says the key to investing is emotional control - not great talent or effort. 3 'forever' stocks for the long haul."
• 10 things successful people do differently every day - "Success isn’t just about luck or natural talent. In fact, it’s more of a routine - because successful people have daily habits that set them apart from the rest of us."
• The Best Ways to Reuse Wine Corks Instead of Throwing Them Away - "This would-be trash can be surprisingly useful around the house."
• The world’s biggest national park is larger than most countries - "Sprawling across nearly half of the world’s largest island, Northeast Greenland National Park is currently the globe’s single largest national park and biggest land-based protected area. It’s hard to wrap your brain around its sheer size - 972,000 square kilometers (375,000 square miles) - which makes it larger than all but 29 of the United Nations’ member states. The vast Greenland Ice Sheet comprises most of the park, but there’s also a long, rugged coastline that’s home to musk oxen, polar bears and many other Arctic creatures."
• The Links - The Most Powerful Club in the World? - "When Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his farewell address in January 1961 he warned the country about the potential unwarranted influence of a growing “military-industrial-complex.” We just obtained a copy of the Links Club (the name of the club is technically The Links) by-laws and membership handbook from 1955 and looking through it made us think a lot about Eisenhower’s speech. He had to look no further than the membership roster of the club he was a member of to see almost the entire complex he was speaking about. The concentration of power within the club, which is located in a beautiful townhouse on East 62nd Street in New York City, is stunning."
• Lotus Goes After Porsche With 905-Horsepower Emeya Electric Sedan - "Lotus has announced a new high-powered electric sedan called the Emeya. To be sold alongside the Eletre SUV, the new car promises almost one thousand horsepower and a 0-60 mph time under three seconds. With the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT set firmly in its sights, the Emeya is the first four-door car to carry a Lotus badge since the Calton from 1990. The Emeya is part of Lotus’ lifestyle-oriented range (rather than its British-built sports cars), which all share the company’s Electric Premium Architecture platform and are built in China."

September 11, 2023

• Two more victims of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks are identified by cutting edge DNA - the first in two years - "New York City officials have identified the remains of two more victims who died during the 9/11 attacks, 22 years after the tragedy."
• J.F.K. Assassination Witness Breaks His Silence & Raises New Questions - "The account of Paul Landis, one of the Secret Service agents just feet away from John F. Kennedy when he was struck down, could change the understanding of what happened in Dallas in 1963. He still remembers the first gunshot. For an instant, standing on the running board of the motorcade car, he entertained the vain hope that maybe it was just a firecracker or a blown tire. But he knew guns and he knew better. Then came another shot. And another. And the president slumped down." The New York Times.
• The Final Witness: A Kennedy Secret Service Agent Breaks His Silence After Sixty Years - "Dallas, Texas. November 22, 1963. Shots ring out at Dealey Plaza. The president is struck in the head by a rifle bullet. Confusion reigns. Special Agent Paul Landis is in the follow-up car directly behind JFK’s and is at the president’s limo as soon as it stops at Parkland Memorial Hospital. He is inside Trauma Room #1, where the president is pronounced dead. He is on Air Force One with the president’s casket on the flight back to Washington, DC; an eyewitness to Lyndon Johnson taking the oath of office." Amazon.com.
• Apple event rumor roundup: What to expect at the 'Wonderlust' iPhone 15 keynote - "So long, Lightning. Hello, USB-C."
• The decoy weapons Ukraine wants Russia to destroy - "True to life but without the price tag. They are created with one single aim in mind: to be destroyed as quickly as possible. And in that, the steelworks company behind them boasts, these decoy weapons are remarkably successful: hundreds have been targeted by Russian forces almost as soon as they were deployed."
• Mount Fuji in trouble: How Japan’s highest peak fell victim to overtourism - "They are scenes few would associate with Japan’s highest peak: human traffic jams, foothills littered with garbage and inappropriately attired hikers - some attempting the ascent in sandals. When Mount Fuji was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2013, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), UNESCO’s advisory organ, urged mountain officials to manage the crowds."
• The Technology Facebook & Google Didn’t Dare Release - "Engineers at the tech giants built tools years ago that could put a name to any face but, for once, Silicon Valley did not want to move fast and break things." The New York Times.
• China considering ban on clothing that ‘hurts feelings’ of nation - "China’s legislature has proposed changes to a law that if approved would allow authorities to fine and detain people who wear clothes that 'hurt the nation’s feelings,' sparking new concerns over freedom of expression in the country."
• Why do we work 9 to 5? The history of the eight-hour workday - "It’s just the norm, many assume. Same as it ever was. Except, it wasn’t always so. It has just held steady at that level since World War II."
• Ranked: Which Countries Drink the Most Beer? - "Every region in the world increased its overall beer consumption in 2021 compared to 2020, with global consumption rising by 4%. Asia holds a 31% share of the global beer market, remaining the world’s largest beer-consuming region over the last 14 years."
• I never want to be apart from my home espresso machine - "Zen and the art of espresso machine maintenance."
• Urnex Espresso Machine Cleaning Powder - 566 grams - Cafiza Professional Espresso Machine Cleaner - "Eliminates coffee residue and oils from espresso machine group heads, valves and lines. Specially formulated to clean heavily soiled equipment in a professional setting. Powder format allows for easy and controlled dosing."
• Google Maps just got a handy upgrade & it's like an extension of your brain - "Personalize your Google Maps experience with emoji. Google uses the example of a coffee cup for all your favorite coffee places, but that’s just one example. Considering there are thousands of emojis to choose from, you could pick whichever one you like - just as long as you know what it means on the map icon."
• The MacBook Air M2 is so good it's given Apple a problem - "Where does the MacBook Air go next?"
• Apple Watch Ultra 2: Three features that would make me upgrade from the last model - "Last year's Apple Watch Ultra exceeded my expectations, but these features would convince me to upgrade to what comes next."
• Dynamic Island isn’t such an exciting destination after all & that’s okay - "Exciting is overrated, anyway. Last fall, Apple introduced us to the Dynamic Island with all of the usual hyperbole. The new free-floating, pill-shaped notch on the iPhone 14 Pro was described as “magical.” It would enable “an entirely new iPhone experience.” And while we take everything with a grain of salt from the company that pitched the Digital Crown as the eighth wonder of the world, the Dynamic Island did seem promising at the time."
• I used the LifeSaver Wayfarer to filter well water on holiday - here's what happened - "Is it safe to drink filtered well water abroad? There was only one way to find out..."
• Hip-hop's rise to the top of fashion - "From street style to cultural dominance - it's been quite a journey. Precious Adesina talks to Tommy Hilfiger, Dapper Dan and others to find out why."
• Italy's best pasta & potatoes dish? - "Italy's classic pasta e patate (pasta and potatoes) dish. This comforting and creamy blend of pasta, potatoes and melted cheese is a perfect example of Italy's humble form of peasant cooking known as 'cucina povera'."

September 10, 2023

• 18 months after Putin invaded Ukraine, Russia's sanctioned oligarchs are still rich & even less likely to stand up to him - "Their political influence has waned since it started, and their wealth now depends more on Putin."
• Bill Gates Booked Entire Michelin-Star Restaurant For Two Days Just To Sip A Diet Coke - "Leaves Without Trying A Single Bite Of The $313 Meal - Chef Says, 'People With Money Value Things Less'."
• 'It gave me a big advantage': Warren Buffett & Bill Gates were asked to give the secret to their success in 1 word - "They both gave the exact same answer."
• Wegovy: the slimming drug that keeps Denmark’s economy growing - "Novo Nordisk, the maker of the blockbuster obesity injection, has singlehandedly saved the country from a recession."
• Going solo: why eating & travelling on my own is such a pleasure - "Time alone is a chance to relax - and reboot your creativity."
• The Last Politician review: the case for Joe Biden, polling be damned - "Franklin Foer delivers the goods on a president stuck with stubbornly low ratings and ever-present worries about his age."
• Caribbean nations set to demand royal family makes reparations for slave trade - "Lloyd’s of London and Church of England also to be approached over role in past exploitation."
• Living doll’s house: a remarkable renovation in Amsterdam - "This Dutch apartment started life as a storage space, but a touch of toy design transformed it into a live/work eyrie."
• 8 best dishes in Hong Kong - "Hong Kong must-eats: Iconic Cantonese dishes and where to try them. From Tsim Chai Kee's prawn wonton noodles to char siu pork on rice at Sun Kwai Heung, head to these eight tried-and-tested spots to feast on beloved Cantonese classics."
• In pictures: Coco Gauff victorious in US Open women’s final - "Coco Gauff won her first career grand slam Saturday with a dramatic 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open women's singles final. At 19, Gauff is the first American teenager to win the US Open since 23-time major champion Serena Williams took the title in 1999."
• Paul McCartney’s photos show the craziness of ‘Beatlemania’ but also some of the quieter moments - "‘Beatlemania’ through the lens of Paul McCartney. Sixty years ago, 'Beatlemania' was born. During this pivotal time in the Beatles’ history, a young Paul McCartney was taking photos of all the excitement around him and his bandmates. For decades, these photos - shot with his 35 mm Pentax camera - were mostly unseen, stored away in his archive as negatives and contact sheets. They were rediscovered just a couple of years ago."
• Can you guess how many apps we have on our phones? - "Because Fridays can sometimes get weird, The Verge staff started discussing how many apps they have on their phones - and why."
• It’s settled: 6.1 inches is the ideal smartphone screen size - "Is it small? Is it big? Nobody can tell."
• Treasures from Rothschild family collection could fetch $30 million at unprecedented auction - "A vast collection of art, furniture, silver, ceramics, and jewelry long held in the private collection of the Rothschild banking dynasty is expected to sell for as much as $30 million over several auctions this fall at Christie’s New York."

September 9, 2023

• What is the G20 & why does the Delhi summit matter? - "Presidents and prime ministers are meeting for the annual G20 leaders' summit in India's capital, Delhi, from 9-10 September."
• 2023 World Press Freedom Index - "Journalism threatened by fake content industry. The 21st edition of the World Press Freedom Index, compiled annually by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), sheds light on major and often radical changes linked to political, social and technological upheavals."
• Why Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast could be the next big luxury tourism destination - "Travelers are running out of new places to discover, but there could be one treasure hidden in plain sight. Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast stretches for more than a thousand miles, from the northern border with Jordan in the Gulf of Aqaba to Yemen in the far south. Much of that, outside of big cities like Jeddah, is undeveloped coastline of turquoise water, offshore islands, pristine beaches and coral reefs."
• China’s automakers take the world by storm with electric vehicle push - "Chinese makers of electric vehicles have come out in force for this week’s IAA Mobility auto show in Munich, Germany."
• The coolest smart home gadgets I saw in Berlin - "New Nanoleaf lamps, smart windows, smart charging, and ceiling lights are among the shiny objects that caught my eye at this year’s IFA tech trade show."
• Apple could be about to make the biggest change to the iPhone in 11 years - "The iPhone 15 is heavily rumored to ditch Apple’s proprietary Lightning charger in favor of USB-C charging, marking a milestone for the company by adopting universal charging. The change could ultimately streamline the charging process across various devices - and brands."
• Good News: Flu Shots Should Work Well This Year - "Different strains of influenza circulate from year to year, which means making the annual flu shot is always a bit of a gamble. Twice a year, the World Health Organization consults experts from around the world to help inform its recommendations about which strains should be targeted by the shots used in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Experts' predictions aren’t always perfect, which is why flu shot efficacy varies depending on the season."
• Activists spray red paint over billionaire Walmart heiress’s superyacht for a second time - "Spanish climate activists sprayed red paint across a superyacht owned by billionaire Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie in Barcelona on Friday, the second time the yacht has been the target of protests in the past two months."
• Elon Musk says he withheld Starlink over Crimea to avoid escalation - "Elon Musk says he refused to give Kyiv access to his Starlink communications network over Crimea to avoid complicity in a 'major act of war'."
• Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson - Amazon.com.
• Trump overstated net worth by up to $3.6bn, says New York attorney general - "Donald Trump overstated his net worth by as much as $3.6bn between 2011 and 2021, the attorney general of New York state said in a court filing first reported by CNBC on Friday - a $1.4bn increase on a previous filing that put the top amount at $2.2bn."
• The case for owning stocks over bonds is crumbling - "The allure of owning stocks over less risky investments is at its lowest level in decades, according to one measure, despite the equity market’s race upward this year. The benchmark S&P 500 index has gained 16% this year, pushed higher by Wall Street’s obsession with artificial intelligence that has propelled mega-cap technology stocks to dizzying heights."
• John Lennon’s Long-Lost Patek Philippe 2499 Has Been Found, Phillips Watch Exec Claims - "Has one of the great watch mysteries finally been solved? On Thursday, Phillips executive Arthur Touchot announced on his Instagram that one of the great mysteries plaguing the watch world has been solved: John Lennon’s long-lost Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph has been found."
• How much it costs to attend the Burning Man festival - "Attending Burning Man in the Nevada desert can cost big money. Veterans and first-timers reveal their economics of life on the playa - and why it's worth it."
• What it's like to experience one of the world's most famous pilgrimages - "The Camino de Santiago is arguably the world’s most famous pilgrimage. At least in terms of ones that must be taken on foot, across hundreds of miles, while carrying your simplified, reduced world in a rucksack on your back. When most people talk about 'the Camino,' they are referring to the 500-mile route from the French village of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port at the base of the Pyrenees."
• 8 Chess Terms Every Player Should Know - "Every player of Chess should be familiar with these terms."
• Can you outrun DEMENTIA? Exercise-induced hormone reduces Alzheimer's plaque in lab - "The reason exercise can prevent Alzheimer's disease has been discovered and could lead to new treatments for the incurable condition. A hormone called irisin released during a workout reduces plaques in the brain."
• A year of Marcos Jr: how a dictator’s son has changed the Philippines - "Marcos has stood up to China, and he remains popular, despite running the country ‘under cruise control’, according to one expert."
• Coco Chanel exhibition reveals fashion designer was part of French resistance - "Previously unseen documents to go on display at V&A alongside evidence of her collusion with Nazis."
• Monte Carlo, Larvotto: a Manhattan by the sea - "Part 23 in our History of Monaco series." Monaco Daily News.
• The best robot vacuums of 2023: Expert tested & reviewed - "ZDNET tested the best robot vacuums from iRobot, Roborock, and Dreametech to help you get the most for your money. Roomba j7+ - Best robot vacuum overall."

September 8, 2023

• The 100 Most Influential People in AI 2023 - TIME 100/AI.
• Trench by trench, inch by inch, a visual guide to Ukraine’s counteroffensive - "Ukraine’s counteroffensive has been underway for months, but the country’s hopes of a rapid and decisive breakthrough have long faded."
• Elon Musk ordered Starlink to be turned off during Ukraine offensive, book says - "Elon Musk ordered his Starlink satellite communications network to be turned off near the Crimean coast last year to hobble a Ukrainian drone attack on Russian warships, according to a new biography."
• Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson - "From the author of Steve Jobs and other bestselling biographies, this is the astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating and controversial innovator of our era - a rule-breaking visionary who helped to lead the world into the era of electric vehicles, private space exploration, and artificial intelligence. Oh, and took over Twitter." Amazon.com.
• Hong Kong hit by heaviest rain storm in 140 years - "Hong Kong and southern Chinese cities are battling widespread flooding as the region endures some of its heaviest rainfall on record. On Friday, streets and subway stations were under water in Hong Kong as officials shut schools and workplaces."
• In pictures: India gets ready for G20 - "India is poised to host the prestigious G20 summit in the national capital this weekend. This is the first time the country will be hosting such a high-profile event and the authorities have pulled out all the stops when it comes to the preparations. Many parts of the city have undergone a beautification drive - but several homes of poor people have also been demolished near the venue of the summit."
• Why is Xi Jinping missing the G20? - "China’s leader will not attend the meeting in Delhi, prompting speculation over tensions with India, pressing domestic issues and a tactical retreat."
• iOS 16.6.1 for iPhone now available with important security fixes - "While iOS 17 is just days away from being released, Apple is out with an important update for iOS 16 users today. iOS 16.6.1 is now available and Apple says it includes some important security fixes. There are also new updates for Apple Watch and Mac users out today."
• Apple shares slide after China government iPhone ban reports - "The firm's stock market valuation has fallen by more than 6%, or almost $200bn, in the past two days. China is the technology giant's third-largest market, accounting for 18% of its total revenue last year. It is also where most of Apple's products are manufactured by its biggest supplier Foxconn."
• Queen Elizabeth had no regrets - "'She was at peace in the days before she died and her thoughts dwelled upon her faith, on her father and upon the sheer beauty of Balmoral.'"
• What a year of King Charles has shown us about how he wants to reign - "Clues to the king’s aspirations can be seen in the ‘informal formality’ of his royal receptions, reforms to his household and his upcoming anti-food waste project."
• TOP 60 richest countries (1980-2023) - "This is the list of UN member states only. Dependent territories or disputed areas such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Aruba, Puerto Rico, Gibraltar, Greenland, Virgin Islands, Bermuda... are not listed." TOP 10 Channel.
• The ancient civilisation that inspired US democracy - "A 540km trail along Turkey's Mediterranean Coast introduces hikers to the rich heritage of Lycia, an ancient maritime republic that's recognised as the world's first democratic union."
• Does the MIND Diet Prevent Dementia? - "Healthy eating might help protect your brain, experts say, but other factors play in as well." The New York Times.
• 
• Diet Review: MIND Diet | The Nutrition Source - "The Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND diet, targets the health of the aging brain. Dementia is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, driving many people to search for ways to prevent cognitive decline." Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
• 17 reasons to love yoga - even if you are sceptical - "‘It improves everything.’ Would you welcome the health benefits of yoga, but find yourself put off by the spirituality? Cast those doubts aside ..."
• This Asian nation’s food is finally getting its due - "Little island, big flavors: Sri Lankan food finally gets its due."
• How Covid Affects the Heart - "Three years into the pandemic, the short- and long-term risks are becoming more clear." The New York Times.
• The fear of a nuclear fire that would consume Earth - "In the early years of nuclear research, some scientists feared breaking open atoms might start a chain reaction that would destroy Earth."
• How mapping Mars could help us live there - "Understanding daily and seasonal weather patterns can help researchers identify the safest time and location to land. Landing is just one challenge that accurate atlases can help to overcome: identifying the best locations for human settlements in terms of landscape, temperature and resources is another. 'If there is ice available, we can convert it to water which can be used for habitation,' explains Atri."
• Don’t steamroll & go easy on the stats: how to win an argument - without making things worse - "An MP, a standup comic, a barrister, a divorce expert and a debating coach give tips on the art of debate - and why you need to listen, not just argue."
• Inside a luxury home in one of Africa's most exclusive neighborhoods - "The ‘Lantern House’ is built on some of the most expensive property in Africa. Take a look inside. Architect Tosin Oshinowo is no stranger to versatility. She has designed one of the largest malls in Lagos, Nigeria, beach houses on the city’s coast and homes for internally displaced people in the north of the country."
• I walked 1,000 miles alone through Europe & learned that fear is the price of freedom - "I take risks on solo hikes, navigating animal traps and dangerous terrain. But for a woman, men are the biggest threat. I do it to be more open to the world, in the hope it will be more open to me."
• Via Francigena - "More than 3000 kilometers, from Canterbury to Rome and Santa Maria di Leuca, to walk step by step on mountain paths, mule tracks, rural and secondary roads, cypress-lined dirt roads or among majestic pines. Under your feet are the oldest streets of these beautiful countries. Streets paved with river stones worn by the passage of time, until you reach the 'cobblestones' of Rome. The trail will take you through villages where all roads lead to Rome. The official route of the Via Francigena is the safest, and was carefully designed to be traveled by all ages."
• BMW drops plan to charge a monthly fee for heated seats - "Customers can now toast their tushies without paying a monthly subscription after the German automaker removed it from its digital store of added features."
• Test-Driving The Rolls-Royce Spectre - "Rolls-Royce Spectre redefines The Grand Entrance. Wherever this car goes, jaws drop, children giggle, and bystanders are left speechless until they cannot resist initiating a conversation, clearly dying to see inside. Social impact is equal to the most outrageous of supercars and high-winged hypercars. After an hour behind the wheel, the urge for hyperbole took over and I concluded Spectre is among the coolest cars visiting our planet at this moment in time."
• TAG Heuer Carrera Chronosprint X Porsche Watch Celebrates 60 Years - "It was two years ago in 2021 that TAG Heuer and Porsche began their global partnership in celebration of the history of famed Carrera. TAG Heuer with its Carrera watch that Jack Heuer conceived of and created in 1963 during the heady days of the Carrera Panamericana races and Porsche with its famed Porsche 911. Now, TAG Heuer unveils two versions of its newest co-creation: Carrera Chronosprint × Porsche. It is a tribute to the 60th anniversary of the TAG Heuer Carrera collection and of the Porsche 911."
• Polaroid I-2 review: A return to high-end instant cameras - "What exactly constitutes 'high-end' when it comes to a Polaroid camera? The $599 price tag and unpredictability will keep all but the fanatics away. The new Polaroid I-2, however, retains all of the quirks and charm people turn to instant film for, but packs a number of modern amenities and features that might appeal to a more serious photographer. There’s a lot to like, but there is one immediately obvious obstacle: the price."

September 7, 2023

• The US government is investigating China’s breakthrough smartphone - "The United States government is seeking more information about the Huawei Mate 60 Pro, a Chinese smartphone powered by an advanced chip. The new flagship device, which reportedly includes a new 5G Kirin 9000s processor developed specifically for Chinese manufacturer Huawei, recently shocked industry experts who didn’t understand how the company would have the technology to make such a chip following sweeping efforts by the United States to restrict China’s access to foreign chip technology."
• China intensifies its crackdown on officials using iPhones - "Apple dominates high-end smartphone sales in the nation. China has widened a ban on the use of iPhones and other imported devices by government officials, according to The Wall Street Journal. State employees were reportedly told in chat groups and meetings not to bring foreign-branded device into the office or use them for work, according to 'people familiar with the matter.' The aim is reportedly to reduce reliance on foreign technology and improve cybersecurity."
• India or Bharat? G20 invitations throw up question dating back centuries - "Some say use of ‘Bharat’ is move to finally throw off colonial chains, others call it disastrous Narendra Modi vanity project. In 1947, when British rule was finally overthrown, India ostensibly had three coexisting names, each with its own history, connotation and legitimacy."
• How Burning Man festival descended into mud & chaos - in pictures - "Heavy rains turned this year’s Burning Man festival in Nevada’s Black Rock desert into a quagmire of mud. Tens of thousands of attendees were stranded for days and when the roads became dry enough for people to leave, the mass exodus produced hours-long traffic jams ten lanes wide."
• Why do I have to take my laptop out of the bag at airport security? - "The main reason you have to remove your laptop from your bag is because its battery and other mechanical components are too dense for X-rays to penetrate effectively - especially if the scanning system is old. The same goes for power cords and other devices such as tablets and cameras."
• The Rise Of The Six-Figure Vacation - "The ultra-rich are spending extravagantly on travel - and high-end tour operators are seeing an unprecedented rise in trips with price tags of $100,000 or more." Forbes.
• Big hair, don’t care: What styles through the ages tell us about life - "France’s hairiest exhibition explores history’s hirsute trends. Boasting 600 works dating from the 15th century to today, the show, in the museum’s words, 'demonstrates how hairstyles and the grooming of human hair have contributed to the construction of appearances for centuries.'"
• Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington star in first trailer for ‘Super Models’ docuseries - "Four of the women who inspired the term 'supermodel' are getting some majorly overdue recognition in a new docuseries set to premiere on Apple TV+ later this month."
• Elon Musk is pictured for the first time with Neuralink director Shivon Zilis & the twins they quietly had together via IVF in November 2021 - "Strider and Azure were born just weeks before their half-sister Exa Dark Sideræl. Elon Musk has nine children aged 19 to just one from three different mothers."
• Michael Schumacher health update: "Hope" ruled out after son Mick's devastating admission - "Michael Schumacher, the seven-time world champion and arguably the greatest Formula 1 driver ever, has been out of the public eye for almost a decade after a horror skiing accident which caused life-changing injuries. Speaking on Schumacher's condition and recovery recently, son Mick simply replied: 'No. There is only one answer to this question and that is what his son Mick gave in one of his rare interviews in 2022, 'I would give anything to talk to dad.' 'This sentence says everything about how his father has been doing for over 3500 days. A case without hope.'"
• In the face of climate change & food insecurity, New Zealand considers lab-grown fruit - "Scientists will attempt to create fruit without the parts that are normally discarded like the core of an apple or orange pith."
• World meteorologists point to ‘vicious cycle’ of heatwaves & air pollution - "The climate crisis and soaring temperatures are worsening air quality, WMO says, with ‘knock-on effects’."
• Night train between Berlin & Paris to return after nine years - "Austrian rail operator ÖBB says service will resume partly in December and daily from October 2024."
• North Korea hints at tourism reopening, but doubts remain - "North Korea may be known as the hermit kingdom, but the isolated nation could be edging toward opening its borders to small numbers of tourists for the first time since the pandemic."
• Trump & the US Open: the rise & fall of a transactional love match - "Both parties entered into a relationship that boosted their profile in New York’s celebrity culture. But a parting of ways was inevitable. Donald Trump’s last trip to the US Open did not go as smoothly as his 2015 presidential campaign kickoff."
• How to update AirPods firmware - "Learn how to update AirPods firmware to make sure you’re running the latest version."
• Sonos announces Move 2 speaker with stereo sound & 24-hour battery life - "At $449, it costs slightly more than the original. But you’re getting stereo playback, much longer battery life, and more versatility than the first Move was ever capable of."

September 6, 2023

• Russia is covering attack aircraft with car tires - "Moscow’s forces have started covering some of their attack aircraft with car tires, in what experts say could be a makeshift attempt to protect them from Ukrainian drone strikes that have had increased recent success in targeting Russian military airports. Satellite imagery from Maxar of Engels Airbase, deep inside Russia, shows two Tu-95 strategic bombers with car tires on top of the airframes."
• Wagner to be declared a terrorist organisation by UK - "Wagner, the Russian mercenary group, is set to be proscribed as a terrorist group by the UK government - meaning it will be illegal to be a member or support the organisation."
• Scientists say they have pinpointed the moment humanity almost went extinct - "Ancient humanity was almost wiped out about 900,000 years ago when the global population dwindled to around 1,280 reproducing individuals, according to a new study. What’s more, the population of early human ancestors stayed this small for about 117,000 years."
• Cancer cases in under-50s worldwide up nearly 80% in three decades, study finds - "More than a million under-50s a year dying of cancer and figure projected to rise by another 21% by 2030."
• Linda Evangelista reveals long, private battle with breast cancer - "The supermodel told the Wall Street Journal that she first underwent a bilateral mastectomy after an annual mammogram detected the cancer in December 2018. She thought she 'was good and set for life,' she explained, but last July she discovered a new lump on her chest. Now, she says, her prognosis is 'good' having undergone more surgery, chemo and radiation."
• Ultra-processed foods: the 19 things everyone needs to know - "The risks are becoming ever more evident. Here is how to recognise UPFs and find healthier alternatives."
• 15 Incredible Things You Should Expect From Doing Planks Every Day - "Explore some mind-blowing benefits of doing the simple, yet practical planks every day. Engage multiple muscles as you improve your fitness level."
• The Immortals: meet the billionaires forking out for eternal life - "A fascinating and often terrifying new podcast delves into the lengths ‘longevity superstars’ will go to make 90 the new 50, from swapping blood with the young to designing the first ‘post-humans’."
• Elon Musk paid for our attention, but the price to keep it is getting higher - "Is it possible for Musk to be overexposed?"
• Fierce falcon photo takes top prize in bird photography contest - "A breathtaking image of a peregrine falcon attacking an enormous pelican with its bright orange talons won top prize in this year’s Bird Photographer of the Year competition."
• Preview: The Best Boats At The 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival - "With less than two weeks until the start of the European yacht festival season, some of the world’s best yachts are setting sail for the southern France for the inaugural event, the Cannes Yachting Festival (12-17 September). As the largest in-water boat show in Europe, the annual festival is an excellent showcase of the latest launches and innovations from the nautical world. This year, guests can discover around 130 yachts, including many world premieres. New for 2023 is a new small boat marina plus activations themed around the concept of ‘green’ yachting." Forbes.
• 25 Must-See Museum Shows Beyond the US to Visit This Fall - "This is a year without a Documenta or a Venice Biennale, or even a Berlin Biennale or a Biennale of Sydney, but the lack of major biennials has left plenty of room for international museums to make up for it with big retrospectives and touted surveys. The trend continues across the globe this fall as institutions ready their marquee exhibitions before a quiet winter."
• Disney to add a theme-packed sixth ship to its cruise line - "It will be christened the Disney Treasure, and it’s brimming with the kind of colorful, pop-culture theming you’d expect, with nods to 'The Lion King,' Marvel superheroes, '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,' 'Star Wars' and others."
• Brora, the best British beach you’ve never heard of - "With great water sports, coastal walks, wildlife and an ice-cream parlour, this idyllic spot in Sutherland is the perfect hangout - and no one seems to know about it."
• Vietnam pilot who disregarded direct order gets Medal of Honor - "Retired Army Capt Larry Taylor, now 81, flew his Cobra helicopter into a firefight to rescue four US troops from near certain death in 1968. He had been ordered to return to base, but refused when he learned there was no other rescue helicopter being sent."
• The hidden treasure inside our phones - "The gold jewellery made from old phones. E-waste is mounting. Now the UK Royal Mint has found a new way to extract the precious metals hidden in laptops and phones to reduce our reliance on raw materials."
• Emmentaler: Switzerland's king of cheeses - "'Swiss cheese' with its iconic holes is known throughout the world, but true Emmentaler is a handcrafted, carefully controlled product."
• Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury & the Philosophy of Fashion by Charlie Porter review - style revolution - "The fashion journalist links the sartorial choices of Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell, TS Eliot et al to their modernist art and outlook on life."
• Predictions for the Upcoming Swatch × Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Collaboration - "The Swatch × Blancpain collaboration is certain, the Fifty Fathoms theme almost sure... but what about the rest?"

September 5, 2023

• The world’s highest navigable lake is drying out - "Shocking water level decline hits lake relied on by 3 million people."
• Has the US learned to cope with extreme heat? Next summer could be even hotter - "This year’s heatwaves have been a huge challenge - and scientists predict 2024 will likely break records again."
• How to use less water: 15 essential tips - "From beef burgers to megabutts to cutting back on clothes."
• Jill Biden: US first lady tests positive for Covid-19 - "She is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House says, while President Joe Biden tested negative."
• What Not to Expect at Apple's 'Wonderlust' September 12 Event - "To help set expectations ahead of Apple's 'Wonderlust' event, we've compiled a list of products that Apple is unlikely to announce in September, but rather later on in the year or in 2024 and beyond."
• New iPhone, new charger: Apple bends to EU rules - "Apple's latest iPhone will almost certainly feature a USB-C charge point when it is unveiled on 12 September."
• Elizabeth II honored with basketball-sized gold coin worth ‘around $23 million’ - "Made from almost 8 pounds of gold and some 6,426 diamonds, a new coin honoring the life of Queen Elizabeth II may be 'among the most valuable coins of all time.' In fact, the creator of this one-off luxury object has valued it at 'around $23 million.'"
• Breathtaking installations and over-the-top events: This celebrity florist does it all - "Celebrity florist Jeff Leatham is in full bloom."
• Moutai coffee, anyone? Luckin is adding the fiery liquor to its lattes - "Luckin Coffee has joined forces with Kweichow Moutai, the maker of China’s fiery national liquor baijiu, for an unusual offering: alcoholic lattes."
• Wegovy: Weight-loss drug firm becomes Europe's most valuable - "The maker of weight-loss drug Wegovy has become Europe's most valuable firm, dethroning the French luxury conglomerate LVMH. Shares rose after the Danish pharmaceutical giant, Novo Nordisk, launched the popular drug in the UK. At the close of trading on Monday, the firm had a stock market valuation of $428bn."
• A Gentleman's Guide to Social Climbing - "Publishing legend George Weidenfeld lived a quest to make friends in high places. All in the name of great literature, of course."
• Woody Allen Considers Retirement After Latest Film, Still Maintains Innocence & Calls Cancel Culture ‘Silly’ - "Woody Allen returned to the Venice Film Festival this weekend for the world premiere of 'Coup de Chance,' a romantic thriller that marks his 50th, and he suggests, quite possibly his last, feature film."
• Coup de Chance review - Woody Allen’s tale of ill-fated lovers is his best film in a decade - "An adulterous affair between bored millionaire’s wife Fanny and struggling writer Alain is surely bound for disaster. Coup de Chance is variously funny and sad, energetic and easygoing; a stumbling but satisfying autumnal drama that wanders amid the fading light and the golden leaves."
• Benedict Cumberbatch's new Netflix movie debuts with 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating - "He stars in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar."
• Priscilla Presley’s Emotional Reaction to Sofia Coppola’s New Elvis Film - "The story of her life with the rock star lacks major musical moments because the singer’s estate wouldn’t support the warts-and-all treatment." The New York Times.
• Sebastian Kneipp: The wellness guru that few know - "Most people outside of Germany will not have heard of Sebastian Kneipp. But this 19th-Century priest-turned-wellness-guru is the godfather of some of today's hottest wellness trends."
• Is it okay to kiss your pet? The risk of animal-borne diseases is small, but real - "It is best to not let your dog or cat lick your face - and always wash your hands after playing with your pet or cleaning up their poo."
• Proust, ChatGPT & the case of the forgotten quote - "In search of a half-remembered passage among the French writer’s voluminous work, I turned to AI to help me find it. The results were instructive - just not about Proust."
• Inside the Changing Landscape of Swiss Watch Fairs - "At Geneva Watch Days 2023, CEOs of Bulgari and Breitling fuelled the fire of an ongoing rivalry with Watches and Wonders. The comments come as Swiss watchmaking’s calendar fills up with more events both in Switzerland and abroad."
• 10 Best Record Players For Any Budget: Our Picks & Recommendations - "We have identified the most common record player categories and buyer budgets before whittling down the vast selection currently available to land our top picks. Several criteria were considered, including aesthetics, features, components, and, crucially, their build quality and sound performance."
• The best power bank for MacBook Pro owners - "With a whopping 140W output, the Anker 737 140W power bank is designed to handle heavy workloads."
• The new Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 gives me serious mouse envy - "At almost half the weight of my G502 with a new sensor and USB-C, I’m tempted to go Superlight."

September 4, 2023

• Elon Musk's biographer saw him fly into 'demon mode' - "Walter Isaacson said Elon Musk could be 'brutal' and would go into 'demon mode' at times. It's hard to watch - but it also gets stuff done, he says. The biographer said the criticism was productive but made some people afraid to tell him the truth. Musk previously said he gave 'clear and frank' feedback to employees and hadn't 'rage-fired' anyone."
• The Rise Of Luxury Brands Of Everything - "Luxury brands have shown exceptional resilience during financial crises and steady growth over the last several decades. To keep the momentum, some of the biggest brands are tempted to expand even further and explore new categories." Forbes
• Threats, insults & Kremlin 'robots': How Russian diplomacy died under Putin - "Russia's diplomats were once a key part of President Putin's foreign policy strategy. But that has all changed. In the years leading up to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, diplomats lost their authority, their role reduced to echoing the Kremlin's aggressive rhetoric."
• In Japan, the young find dating so hard their parents are doing it for them - "With rising living costs, poor economic prospects and the demanding work culture conspiring against them, fewer Japanese today are opting to get married and have children. Their parents, alarmed at their diminishing chances of grandchildren, are stepping in."
• Beat the crowds & the heat by traveling in the fall - "Summer is nice, but fall is better - for travel. If you can wait until the season winds down, the rewards can be significant - both in terms of savings and experience. And after the summer the world has had - with record heat, uncomfortably warm ocean water, devastating wildfires, epic crowds and high prices - the relative calm of traveling in September and October will be right on time for many travelers."
• The road that's the 'Eighth World Wonder' - "The 1,300km Karakoram Highway cuts through some of the most astounding rock faces on the planet. It's a road trip of dreams, yet few have ever heard of it or how it came to be."
• Train versus plane - "With many domestic flights banned in France, we test its rail network. Visionary policy or pipe dream? An 18-day, 3,000km loop from Paris to the Atlantic and Mediterranean and back should tell us."
• The Loathe Boat: the honking cruise ships ‘ruining’ Istanbul’s port - "Two years after Galataport opened to fanfare as a tourism success story, not everyone is happy about how it has transformed the Turkish coastline. Even if you don’t see them, the sound is inescapable. Mammoth cruise ships have become so familiar to those living near the Istanbul port that some local people have taken to studying the arrival times to avoid having to look at them. But they can’t escape the noise: a booming horn that ricochets over the surrounding hills. Ships from one particular cruise line even honk the theme to the television show The Love Boat as it pulls into port."
• These tiny creatures are losing their battle to survive. Here’s what we can do to save them - "The Rufous Hummingbird is magical. The male’s iridescent throat glows brighter than a shiny copper penny and like most hummingbirds, whizzes through the air curiously hovering right in front of humans who ponder them. They are one of the smallest hummingbirds at just over 3 inches long - but one of the feistiest."
• The animals that dream just like humans do - "It was once thought that the ability to dream was a peculiarly human trait. But a surprisingly wide range of species can do so as well."
• Why your burger may not always look like the advert - "Customers are expected to be smart enough to recognise that ads will often contain a certain amount of 'puffery'. Burger King has said the burgers it sells do not have to look 'exactly like the picture'. Perhaps the burger you buy has suffered from being wrapped and left under a heat lamp, with the result that the bun is a bit squashed. But it's also possible the patty has been moved forward, or that a particularly small bun was used, making the meat appear 'more abundant'."
• Roman Polanski's The Palace Debuts With a Splat at Rotten Tomatoes With 0% Score - "'[The Palace is] a film that wears its bad taste like a mink coat while offering little in terms of fun, less still in terms of style,' writes Rory O'Connor of The Film Stage."
• ‘Napoleon’: Ridley Scott Has A “Fantastic” Four & a Half Hour Cut He’d Like to Release - "Features more of Joséphine’s life before she meets Napoleon."
• Picking the Right Wall Color Isn’t Easy. Here’s How the Pros Do It - "We tagged along to see how Brigette Romanek, a celebrity designer in Los Angeles, chose a new color for her bedroom. Narrow your choices and throw some paint on the wall: 'I like to do really large samples' - about four-by-four feet each. Pick your favorite - but only after you've lived with the samples for several days. 'You have to see them in different types of light,' Romanek said. Finish the job." The New York Times.
• After party in Ibiza: inside a glorious island home - "A bright and modern house in the woods is the ultimate chill-out zone on the island. Right at the centre of Ibiza, between Santa Gertrudis and San Rafael, a newly renovated house sits quietly under swaying forest trees. It’s not the typical kind of home in this area - and that was exactly what the owner, interior designer Rodrigo Izquierdo, was looking for."
• A new start after 60 - "‘I was scouted by a model agency. Now I get to show that mature people can be cool’."
• The best portable chargers & power banks - "Always stay connected. We’re not exaggerating when we say that portable chargers and power banks are essential accessories. OK, it’s not quite the end of the world if your phone runs out of juice, but we’re so plugged into our smart devices these days, it probably does mean the end of your working day or social life — until you can find a power point."
• Ryan Reynolds shoots obscure British motorcycle company ‘into overdrive’ with Instagram plug - "Owner insists the star paid full price and wouldn’t jump the line. Taking to his Instagram account with nearly 50 million followers, the Deadpool star sang the praises of British brand Arc, a relatively obscure motorcycle manufacturer from Coventry, England."
• James Bond Movie Henchmen Ranked from Worst to Best - "Behind every villain in the 007 universe, there’s a henchman who lives to kill James Bond."

September 3, 2023

• When Will iOS 17 Be Released? - The iOS release likely somewhere between Monday, September 18, and Wednesday, September 20.
• Want to Maximize Your iPhone Battery? Disable These Two iOS 16 Features - "A few minutes in your iOS 16 settings could save you hours in battery life."
• Smart Home Devices Cheat Sheet: Tips for Amazon Alexa, Google Home & Apple HomeKit - "Utilize these expert-approved tips to optimize your smart home experience."
• Google's search for an AI future as it turns 25 - "That company - now part of a larger parent group called Alphabet - has since diversified into pretty much every area of tech and dominates some of them to an extent which sometimes troubles anti-competition regulators. Right now it is trying to Google itself into pole position in the AI race - but some say it has already fallen behind."
• Wegovy weight-loss pill's success is destabilizing Denmark's economy - "The buoyant pharmaceutical sector, which contributes a third of the Scandinavian country's growth, has brought in a rush of foreign currency, forcing the central bank to act."
• 14 things you don’t realize you’re doing because you have low self-esteem - "Confidence is key to living a fulfilling life. Unfortunately, not everyone is born with an endless supply of self-assuredness. If you’re struggling, you already know that you tend to talk down to yourself and compare yourself to others. But are you aware that lacking confidence affects many other areas of your life?"
• Would Your Partner Cheat? These ‘Testers’ Will Give You an Answer - "Loyalty-Test, a paid online service, was created to help you trap your partner. But what is it actually testing?" The New York Times.
• One Last Chance to Be Lazy - "Loafers and idlers, including the heads of the Lazy Butt Club, extol the virtues of the not-so-busy life, even as many big companies start cracking down on return-to-office policies." The New York Times.
• Why American families are leaving the US for Europe - "The turmoil of the past few years has made a lot of people rethink their priorities and decide to start their lives afresh."
• Three-year-cruise becomes ‘the cruise that never ends’ - "If the idea of spending three years on a cruise ship made you claustrophobic, it’s time to look away now."
• The robovacs are coming & they’re edgier than ever - "The IFA 2023 trade show floor was overrun by robot vacuums on a quest to clean your floors. From one that does the splits with its mops to the return of the square robot, these robots are coming for those corners."
• ‘The scent of eternal life’ resurrects an ancient Egyptian aroma - "Some of our strongest memories can be rooted in scents and sounds. However, opportunities to connect with bygone sounds or smells have been more rare - until now."
• ‘I’ve got a few ideas’: Jesse Armstrong on Succession, strikes & what he will do next - "After seven years of ‘mad triage’ on possibly the best drama series ever, its creator is up for a lot of noodling, and football, and maybe a return to his first love - the sitcom."
• ‘An expression of you’: fashion virtuoso Matthew Williamson on redesigning his world - "When the feted designer traded fashion for interiors, he found a more natural fit. Now, with a new book out - part memoir, part style guide - Matthew Williamson shows Eva Wiseman round his stunning London home."
• Mohamed Al Fayed: perennial outsider, savvy businessman & grief-broken father - "The larger-than-life ex-Harrods owner, who has died aged 94, was never far from the headlines or controversy but was an indomitably bold figure."
• Mini Cooper Electric gets a brand new look & up to 250 miles of range - "BMW has announced its fifth-generation Mini Cooper, and it's the first Mini EV to get a unique design that doesn't completely mirror its combustion counterparts. The first model is the Mini Cooper E, with a 135 kW/184 hp motor, 290Nm of torque and an acceleration from zero to 62 miles per hour in 7.3 seconds. It boasts a much higher range, stretching from 145 miles to 190 miles."
• Corum Introduces $465,000 Concept Watch With Unique Design & Recycled Materials - "Ahead of the Geneva Watch Days exhibit that begins tomorrow, Corum unveils its all-new concept watch that was years in the making and demonstrates the brand’s commitment not only to innovation and technology, but also to the environment. The Concept watch, which retails for $465,000, will be made in extremely limited numbers."

September 2, 2023

• New audio of Princess Diana claims Charles was disappointed at having boy, not girl, when Prince Harry was born - "The late princess recorded a series of audio tapes in the 1990s and had them secretly delivered to author Andrew Morton before her death in a high-speed car crash in 1997."
• Mohamed Al Fayed dies aged 94: Former Harrods & Ritz Paris Hotel owner - "Passes away nearly 26 years to the day since his son Dodi was killed in car crash with Princess Diana."
• Ukraine war: Putin influencers profiting from war propaganda - "Russia's pro-war influencers are generating big advertising revenues from their social media coverage of the conflict, the BBC has found. Alongside a daily ration of gruesome videos of drone strikes and false claims about Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, they share ads for anything from cryptocurrency to fashion. Known in Russia as 'Z-Bloggers' because of their support for a war often symbolised by the letter Z, they are often embedded with the Russian army and post footage from the front line where they call on young Russians to enlist."
• Himalayan avalanches are increasing risk for climbers in warming climate - "Experts warn that global heating is exacerbating inherent dangers of high altitude mountaineering."
• Do you really need to walk 10,000 steps a day & 17 other fitness ‘rules’, tackled by the experts - "From stretching before a workout to the truth about protein, we separate the facts from dodgy exercise ‘wisdom’."
• Tesla’s upgraded Model 3 has a new design, rear touchscreen & range improvements - "Tesla has made design changes inside and out on the Model 3 that should improve comfort, acoustics, and range."
• It’s totally OK to buy the new iPhone every year - "The decision to upgrade to the new iPhone each year can feel torturous. Replacing a perfectly fine iPhone with one that’s better in one or two ways can feel like some kind of moral failure. Personally, I’ve very intrigued by and appreciate the latest experience Apple provides with the iPhone. Much less so with updating my wardrobe on a regular basis."
• We Used A.I. to Write Essays for Harvard, Yale & Princeton. Here’s How It Went - "A.I. chatbots can do a passable job of generating short essays. Whether their use on college applications is ethical is the subject of fierce debate." The New York Times.
• 7 Best Japanese Watch Brands - "Japanese Timekeeping Mastery: Uncovering Japan's Best Watch Brands." 1. Casio. 2. Citizen. 3. Orient. 4. Seiko. 5. Credor. 6. Minase & 7. Kurono Tokyo.

September 1, 2023

• Trump, Under Oath, Says He Averted ‘Nuclear Holocaust’ - "'I think you would have nuclear holocaust, if I didn’t deal with North Korea,' he explained, and then added: 'And I think you might have a nuclear war now, if you want to know the truth.'" The New York Times.
• Can’t Sleep? Try This Proven Alternative to Medication - "Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is considered the most effective treatment for people who continually struggle to fall or stay asleep." The New York Times.
• You snooze, you muse: how to nap like a genius - "Backed by science and endorsed by luminaries, the daytime nap has many benefits. Good timing means the difference between inspiration, energy or full sleep inertia."
• The Art of Being a Morning Person (Even if You’re Actually Not One) - "Night owls may never truly love the early hours. But there are simple ways to make them feel a little less painful." The New York Times.
• Is It Time to Wear a Mask Again? - "Experts recommend when and how to use them, as Covid continues to circulate." The New York Times.
• Historic war office used by Winston Churchill is transformed into luxury Raffles London hotel - "It’s been hidden from public eyes for more than a hundred years. But in a few weeks time, the former Old War Office in London, Whitehall will finally open its doors after a multi-million-dollar transformation. Previously home to the operations of military leaders like Winston Churchill, the property has been reinvented as the UK’s first Raffles hotel, with luxurious rooms starting at £1,100 (around $1,392) per night."
• Does Blending Fruit in a Smoothie Affect Its Nutrients? - "We have good news and a little advice for smoothie lovers. Unlike juicing, blending can incorporate all of the edible parts of fruits and vegetables - including the skin, seeds and pulp - so a smoothie can be nutritionally very similar to eating the produce whole, said Mary Ann Lila, a professor of food, bioprocessing and nutrition sciences at North Carolina State University." The New York Times.
• Give me shelter: IKEA-inspired emergency homes - "Home in a box: Rethinking disaster relief, IKEA style. With so many left homeless, officials and NGOs rushed to provide shelter. Rather than sending tents, however, Indian nonprofit SEEDS partnered with Sweden’s Better Shelter to distribute over 100 of its IKEA-inspired temporary houses."
• Yevgeny Prigozhin spoke of threats to his life days before death, video appears to show - "'So for those who like to speculate about my liquidation, my private life, my work there, or anything else: everything’s fine,' Prigozhin says."
• Hans Niemann reinstated by Chess.com, vows to become ‘best chess player in the world’ after alleged cheating scandal - "American chess grandmaster Hans Niemann has been reinstated by Chess.com following the conclusion of a legal dispute between Niemann, Magnus Carlsen and the online platform, among others. In June, a US judge dismissed a $100 million defamation lawsuit filed by Niemann against Chess.com, five-time world champion Carlsen, and popular streamer and player Hikaru Nakamura."
• The greatest spy novel ever written? - "Why John le Carré's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is the ultimate spy novel. As it turns 60, Adam Scovell celebrates the gritty power of this tale of a disillusioned British agent who's the opposite of James Bond, which was rooted in Le Carré's own experiences in espionage."
• Christie’s Cancels the Heidi Horten Jewelry Sales, Following Months of ‘Intense Scrutiny’ Over the Nazi Roots of the Late Austrian Heiress’s Wealth - "Bowing to months of international pressure, Christie’s said it will not continue the sale of jewels from the estate of Heidi Horten, whose wealth was rooted in Nazi profiteering by her late husband. In May, Christie’s sold $202 million of Horten’s jewels by Cartier, Bulgari, and Harry Winston, surpassing the totals from previous record-setting troves of jewelry belonging to Elizabeth Taylor and the Al Thani family. The remaining 300 items from Horten’s collection were originally scheduled to be sold in November in Geneva."
• Acid with Pink Floyd & harems with Paul McCartney ... the wild life of Stash, the playboy prince - "He wooed Nico, saw Syd Barrett lose his mind and got busted for drugs with the Stones. Now, at 81, Prince Stanislas Klossowski de Rola has become a TikTok sensation."
• A hidden Tesla feature nicknamed 'Elon mode' is under scrutiny from regulators - "A hacker discovered a way to get rid of a prompt to drivers to keep their hands on the wheel."
• JPMorgan allegedly processed more than $1bn for Epstein over 16 years - "Lawyers for US Virgin Islands claimed the bank reported the transactions as suspicious to the treasury following his death. JPMorgan reported the transactions as suspicious to the US treasury department following Epstein’s suicide in 2019, Mimi Liu, a lawyer for the territory, said at a hearing concerning its lawsuit against the largest US bank."
• Vacheron Constantin, Rolls-Royce Unveil Unique Bespoke Collaboration - "In a fusion of horology and automotive excellence, Vacheron Constantin and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars joined forces to present a unique creation: Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon. The highly complex watch is a bespoke piece that is designed to fit into the interior of a custom one-off Rolls Royce Amethyst Droptail. Both the car and the watch were created for a single collector of luxury automobiles and watches." Forbes.
• Every Season of 'Succession', Ranked - "'Succession' was one of HBO's wildest and most groundbreaking dramas. Of its four seasons, which was the Roy family's finest hour?"
• LG’s suitcase TV is as sturdy as it is bizarre - "A suitcase with a built-in TV? Now I’ve seen everything. LG’s StanbyME Go, its bizarre $999.99 27-inch suitcase TV announced for the US earlier this month, is on show in Berlin at a corner of its booth at IFA 2023."
• Anker's new MagGo lineup supports magnetic Qi2 charging - "The company announced seven new accessories at IFA 2023."
• We sent the top ANC headphones to a lab to test their noise-canceling abilities - "We compared the AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM5, Bose QuietComfort 45, and the original Bose QC1 on the streets of New York City and in Head Acoustics’ state-of-the-art audio lab."

August 31, 2023

• What to expect from Apple’s iPhone 15 event on September 12th, at 1PM ET / 10AM PT. - "The launch of the iPhone 15, new Apple Watches, and more, is right around the corner - here’s what you should know. The company has named the event 'Wonderlust.' It will take place live from Apple Park in Cupertino, California."
• IFA 2023: the biggest announcements from Europe’s big tech show - "CES may rule the roost in the States, but over in Europe, it’s IFA that serves as the year’s biggest tech trade show. It means we’re likely to see plenty of product announcements, as well as showcases that’ll cast a light on where consumer tech is now and where it’s heading in the next 12 months."
• Watch: Where had the best view of the blue supermoon? - "The blue supermoon - a rare spectacle not to be seen again until 2037 - has lit up skies across the world. See for yourself who got the best view of it."
• The ‘blue moon’ won’t be the only rare sight in the night sky this week - "August began with a bright supermoon and will end the same way as another one lights up the night sky this week. The ringed planet Saturn will also make its closest and brightest appearance of the year near the moon. The full moon will peak at 9:36 p.m. ET on the evening of August 30, but will appear full through Friday morning, according to NASA."
• Why there's a rush to explore the Moon's enigmatic South Pole - "India's Chandrayaan-3 mission is already revealing new insights about the Moon's enigmatic South Pole. Future missions to this region are planned by the US, China and Russia, so what makes it so fascinating?"
• Venice film festival: T-shirts replace red carpet glitz as striking stars lie low - Support for the Hollywood strikes is evident as festival hopes its strong line-up makes up for lack of glamour.
• How marijuana impacts pain, sleep, anxiety & more, according to the latest science - "Are you using - or considering using - marijuana to help with anxiety, pain, muscle spasms, nausea during pregnancy, poor sleep and more? You may be surprised to discover there is little quality evidence on the benefits of marijuana, according to a new analysis of more than 100 clinical trials and meta-analyses."
• AI needs ‘human control’ to avoid being weaponized, says Microsoft’s president - "Brad Smith, president and vice-chairman of Microsoft, said that AI, like any other technology, has 'the potential to become both a tool and a weapon.' That is why we need human control to 'slow things down or turn things off,' he told CNBC in an exclusive interview. Tech leaders around the world have warned that AI poses a human extinction risk on par with nuclear war after generative AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT exploded in popularity for its ability to produce humanlike responses."
• Baidu & SenseTime launch ChatGPT-style AI bots to the public - "Chinese tech firms Baidu and SenseTime launched their ChatGPT-style AI bots to the public on Thursday, marking a new milestone in the global AI race. Baidu has opened public access to its ERNIE Bot, allowing users to conduct AI-powered searches or carry out an array of tasks, from creating videos to providing summaries of complex documents."
• How Richard Mille Became the Cult Watch Brand of the Ultra-Rich - "The timepieces priced above $250,000 signal a very specific kind of status. A Richard Mille Co. watch is a powerful symbol of wealth for anyone who’s in-the-know enough to recognize its familiar contours. The French company produces only about 5,300 a year, which cost an average of $250,000. Designed to withstand high gravitational forces, they’re worn by athletes at Formula One races, golf tournaments and yachting regattas. They also grace the wrists of musicians including Pharrell Williams and Ice-T."
• Why young children don't understand 'pranks' - "Recent social media trends that involve parents 'pranking' their kids for comedic effect may miss an important factor - young children may not have a sense of humour developed enough to be able to find it funny."
• Empire of dust: what the tiniest specks reveal about the world - "Nobody normally gives a second thought to dust, but it is inescapable. And if we pay close attention, we can see the biggest things - time, death and life itself - within these tiny floating particles."
• Fish doorbells! Historic sandwiches! 50 of the weirdest, most wonderful corners of the web - picked by an expert - "Can’t face another minute thinking about war, inflation or the climate catastrophe? Give your brain a break in a strange, surprising or entrancing corner of the internet. We’ve got riddles, we’ve got webcams, we’ve got an owl in a box ..."
• Jurassic Park review - Steven Spielberg’s meaty dino-fest is as delicious as ever - "The classic movie’s unforgettable performances and CGI effects remain glorious 30 years after its original release. This has long since become a tired franchise, but’s a treat now to revisit Steven Spielberg’s original film for its 30th anniversary. It is a spectacular and thrilling movie about Jurassic Park, the hubristic tourist attraction offering real-life dinosaurs cloned from dinosaur blood that has been extracted from insects encased in ancient amber. But what if something goes wrong and the dinosaurs turn out to be bigger, stronger and angrier in captivity than we thought?"
• ‘Robinson Crusoe-style living’: the Australians turning to private islands - "Sale of Temple Island on the Great Barrier Reef for $1.75m reflects trend towards Australians seeking isolation and pristine environments."
• Vietnamese collector revealed as buyer of world’s biggest bottle of whisky - "Viet Nguyen Dinh Tuan bought 311-litre bottle of 32-year-old Macallan single malt for £1.1m at auction. The previously anonymous buyer of the world’s largest bottle of whisky, which at 5ft 11in is taller than the average human, has been revealed as a Vietnamese businessman who already owns a spirits collection valued at more than £150m."
• Ulysse Nardin Debuts $137,000 Blast Free Wheel Marquetry - "Ulysse Nardin’s newest timepiece, the Blast Free Wheel Marquetry, uses silicon as a material in both highly technical and artistic applications. The Swiss watch brand pioneered the use of silicon for escapement wheels with its first Freak timepiece in 2001. The new Blast Free Wheel Marquetry is every bit as freaky as the Freak. The feature of this collection of timepieces unveiled in 2018 is that many of the movement’s parts appear as separate components above the dial, moving as if they are independent of one another. This includes the movement’s wheels, tourbillon with the proprietary Ulysse Anchor Constant Escapement, barrel and power reserve display. All of this is achieved with the UN-176 caliber. It consists of 249 components, beats at 18,000 vph (2.5Hz), has 23 jewels and has an exceptional 7-day power reserve."
• When hi-res audio can't compete with vinyl... - "Why bother with vinyl in 2023 when hi-res audio versions of selected titles are streamable? It's not an unreasonable question. The short answer is that the streaming file and the vinyl record are very often made from different masters."
• bang & olufsen joins with ferrari to launch collection of audio products - "Bang & Olufsen and Ferrari's collaboration marks two renowned brands coming together for a moment in history."
• The Fairphone 5 is boring... how exciting! - "The modular, repairable smartphone has matured."

August 30, 2023

• Prince Harry slams his family again - "Prince Harry appears to take another jab at Royal family by saying he didn't have a support network after return from Afghanistan, his 'trauma was never discussed' and he 'curled up on floor in foetal position' in new Netflix documentary."
• I Don’t Need to Be a ‘Good Person.’ Neither Do You - "You want what you want because you want it." The New York Times.
• Russia will not probe Prigozhin plane crash under international rules - "Russia has informed Brazil's aircraft investigation authority that it will not probe the crash of the Brazilian-made Embraer (EMBR3.SA) jet that killed mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin under international rules 'at the moment', the Brazilian agency told Reuters on Tuesday."
• Why it may be time to stop using the polar bear as a symbol of the climate crisis - "The warming planet is causing steep declines among some of the world’s 26,000 wild polar bears, but it is not universal and the picture is complicated, say experts."
• Inside Kanye West's wild Italian trip with 'wife' Bianca Censori - "From public nudity and PDA-filled outings to risking arrest over THOSE racy outfits."
• US tech companies face new EU rules - "The world’s largest tech companies must comply with a sweeping new European law starting Friday that affects everything from social media moderation to targeted advertising and counterfeit goods in e-commerce - with possible ripple effects for the rest of the world."
• Chess rivals settle long-running cheating dispute - A Norwegian world champion and the US prodigy who unexpectedly beat him have resolved a year-long cheating row that rattled the world of chess. Magnus Carlsen accused Hans Niemann of foul play after he lost in the Sinquefield Cup in September. Mr Niemann sued his rival, the online platform Chess.com, and a second grandmaster for defamation. Chess.com now says the row is settled, Mr Niemann's account is restored and Mr Carlsen accepts there was no cheating. Mr Niemann said that he was 'pleased' that his lawsuit had been 'resolved in a mutually acceptable manner' and that he looked forward 'to competing against Magnus in chess rather than in court'.
• The business of silence: is there a hidden cost to noise cancelling? - "Headphone and earplug sales are booming, but individual efforts to turn down the volume may alter our brains and surrounds in unexpected ways."
• 16 best headphones of the 21st century - "Somewhat ashamedly, years after we have created lists for the best speakers, turntables and stereo amplifiers of this century, it is well and truly time to salute what are, in our books, the very best headphones of the past 23 years." What Hi-Fi?
• Google’s Duet AI is now available in Gmail, Docs & more for $30 a month - "Now, you can use Google’s AI to make spreadsheets, whip up slide decks, and summarize all those documents you were never going to actually read."
• OpenAI releases enterprise-grade version of ChatGPT - "Companies using ChatGPT Enterprise have access to fast ChatGPT, more security, and unlimited GPT-4 queries. With the release of an enterprise-grade ChatGPT, there's bound to be more competition for many of these companies. Recently, OpenAI announced it opened GPT-3.5 for custom fine-tuning, allowing users to customize specific tasks for ChatGPT, which now seems like a prelude to the larger enterprise offering for ChatGPT."
• US Copyright Office wants to hear what people think about AI & copyright - "The US Copyright Office is opening a public comment period around AI and copyright issues beginning August 30th as the agency figures out how to approach the subject."
• Hue Secure: The new security system from Philips Hue - "Cameras and contact sensor in detail. This week Philips Hue will present its new surveillance system called “Hue Secure”. In the past few weeks, a lot of information has already leaked out. I would like to provide you with the most important details shortly before the official presentation and also give you some assessments."
• Documents show Putin’s order to move superyacht before Ukraine invasion - "Russian president ordered urgent removal of Graceful from Hamburg shipyard, investigation claims. Vladimir Putin moved his $100m superyacht from a German shipyard to Russia just weeks before he ordered the invasion of Ukraine, according to secret documents released in a new investigation."
• Venice Film Festival: Is Hollywood self-destructing? - "With the release of Dune Part Two delayed, and many of the world's biggest stars not attending the Venice Film Festival, the impact of the actors and writers' strikes is really set to hit home this autumn, writes Leila Latif."
• Why Aperol Spritz is the drink of the summer - "The new popularity of Aperol is leaving some Venetians perplexed. How has a drink that, until 20 years ago could only be found in humble taverns and bars, conquered the world?"
• Gin, vermouth ... chicken stock?! How did martinis get so weird & are they more fun to make than drink? - "First came James Bond’s shaken variation. Now, the aperitif has been remixed with salt and vinegar, beetroot, bone and even seaweed. Are bartenders just having a giggle - or creating modern classics? There’s only one way to find out ..."
• Beats connection: Allen Ginsberg’s inner circle - in pictures - "A new exhibition of the Howl author’s intimate personal photographs finds him hanging out with Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs and Patti Smith."
• A beauty moment for brows - "The big business of brows. The global market size for brow gel alone was valued at $264.9 million in 2021, and is predicted to be worth $431.7 million by 2031, according to Allied Market Research. In the past 12 months, 73% of US beauty-buying consumers surveyed by The Benchmarking Company say they’ve purchased both eyelash makeup products and tools and eyebrow products or tools - up from 66% in 2018."
• She is bullied for her brows. Who decides what's beautiful? - "CNN Style meets model and anti-bullying activist Sophia Hadjipanteli along with a number of other inspiring people questioning the beauty standards that dictate what makes someone beautiful."
• Samsung's 85-inch outdoor Terrace TV costs $20,000 - "Its Neo QLED screen should be ideal for direct sunlight."
• Test-Driving The 2023 Maserati MC20: Where Racing DNA Meets Timeless Elegance - "The roar of a lion, the grace of a cheetah, and the elegance of a swan; three attributes rarely embodied simultaneously. Yet, against the backdrop of its storied past, Maserati's new MC20 emerges as a phoenix, defying expectations and amalgamating these disparate qualities in a dance of power and beauty. This isn't just the launch of another car; it's a celebration of the rich tapestry that is Maserati's heritage, a nod to its racing triumphs, luxury sedans, and grand tourers that have graced roads and racetracks alike." Forbes.

August 29, 2023

• No ‘silver bullet’: Ukraine faces many challenges in getting the F-16 into combat - "There is a big difference between basic training (take-off, fly, land) and operating in combat mode as one of a group of planes in range of well-entrenched Russian air defenses."
• Yevgeny Prigozhin is alive & plotting his revenge on Putin after body double was killed in plane assassination plot - "Prigozhin is 'alive, well, and free' in an unnamed country, according to Dr Valery Solovey, even as Russia stages his funeral which Vladimir Putin is refusing to attend."
• ‘Off-the-charts records’: has humanity finally broken the climate? - "Extreme weather is ‘smacking us in the face’ with worse to come, but a ‘tiny window’ of hope remains, say leading climate scientists."
• Not Over Yet: Late-Summer Covid Wave Brings Warning of More to Come - "Hospitalizations are still low but have been rising in recent weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." The New York Times.
• 'I Think The Best Road Ahead To Human Happiness Is To Expect Less' - "Charlie Munger's Less-Than-Optimistic Advice."
• 'I flew 40+ hours on the world's best business class, and it definitely lived up to its title' - "'I spent 40+ hours flying business class to Qatar, Kenya, and Tanzania on Qatar Airways. The culinary options, luxury amenities, and service from the staff were top-notch.'"
• Google Flights unveils new feature to help travelers save money - "Regular users of Google Flights might notice a new feature the next time they go to the site to check out airline schedules and compare flight prices."
• Move over Wordle; the New York Times might have found its next hit game - "A new puzzle called Connections is officially joining the newspaper’s portfolio of games this week. Connections, which also can be played on desktop and mobile web, is a word association game that presents players with 16 words and challenges them to group them together in four different topics. Players have four chances to solve the puzzle before losing."
• A New Study Declares One Airport The Most Stressful In Europe - "There's no denying that France is one of the most popular destinations around the globe, and that Paris is particularly a big draw. With Paris being such a major hub, it comes as no surprise that France's largest airport, Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), is technically located in Paris. However, there's a bit of stretch to that truth, as the airport is a whopping thirty-five kilometers, or roughly twenty-three miles, from the city center. While twenty-three miles doesn't seem like too far a distance if you're in a small town, in a major city like Paris, that translates to between one and two hours driving. That is hardly where the headaches stop when it comes to traveling in or out of Charles de Gaulle International Airport."
• Poe’s new desktop app lets you use all the AI chatbots in one place - "Poe’s goal is to be the web browser for accessing AI chatbots, and it just got a bunch of updates."
• 5 ChatGPT Prompts To Apply The Art Of War To Your Business - "The The Art of War is written on the topic of military warfare, but its lessons have since been applied to business and entrepreneurship. The ancient Chinese text, created over 2500 years ago and attributed to Sun Tzu, is divided into 13 chapters, each covering a different aspect of war but framed in such a way that the principles have broad application. Thoughtfully and ethically using these principles will generate gains for your business on a whole new level. Here are five ChatGPT prompts to apply The Art of War to your business."
• 6 ChatGPT Prompts To Apply Atomic Habits To Your Business - "Atomic Habits by James Clear has sold over 15 million copies worldwide and been translated into over 50 languages. Described as engaging, relatable and accessible, the book helps people 'build good habits and break bad ones.' For entrepreneurs especially, good habits are essential. With so much relying on you: people, clients and your family, there’s no room for inefficient practices that slow you down and prevent you from achieving your potential. While the 320-page text is packed with stories and concepts that you can apply, there are six that are especially relevant for ambitious leaders. Combining these with insights from your work and responses from ChatGPT, you can make powerful changes that will bring benefits for years."
• TOP 10 APPLE WATCH ACCESSORIES TO GIVE YOUR FAVORITE SMARTWATCH A FUN UPGRADE - "We’ve curated a collection of innovative and nifty accessories to perfectly complement your Apple Watch. From the Elago W3 Stand that will teleport users onto a nostalgic journey of time and functionality, to NASA-themed Apple Watch bands - these innovative accessories are a must-have for Apple Watch fanatics!"
• 10 Best Tie Brands for Men, From HermÈs to Ralph Lauren - "Because wearing a tie is still worth it."
• Google just made it a lot easier for people to begin automating their smart home - "Plus, its script editor gets its first new features."
• Do antibiotics really wipe out your gut bacteria? - "Antibiotics are a staple of modern medicine and save millions of lives every year. But they can be harming the normal bacterial system our health relies on."

August 28, 2023

• Ultra-processed food raises risk of heart attack & stroke, two studies show - "Research presented to annual meeting of European Society of Cardiology prompts calls for action."
• Tired, grumpy, self-medicating with KitKats & coffee? Here’s how the experts handle sleep deprivation - "Running on fumes after yet another night battling insomnia, noisy neighbours or small children? We’ll get you through the day."
• Study casts doubt on Neanderthal ‘flower burial’ theory - "Bees may be source of pollen near remains but evidence still suggests bodies were buried with care."
• 10 Things To Expect As A First Time Ferrari Owner - "Owning a Ferrari is every car enthusiast's dream, but here's why living with one may not be for everyone. Ferrari owners love the performance that they get out of their cars, but there are some things no owner wants to admit."
• Top 15 Luxury Watch Brands in the World - "The demand for luxury watches is associated with status and class, indicating a need for companies to establish a consistent brand image and perception of class and luxury."
• Rolex is buying Swiss retailer Bucherer in historic push into consumer space - "With no heir to the throne, Bucherer sold to Rolex."
• Bespoke Rolls-Royce Spectre, Ghost Builds To Bow At Salon PrivÉ Concours 2023 - "Two all-electric Spectres and two Ghosts will be showcased at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, UK. Rolls-Royce at Salon Privé 2023."
• What makes Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail the world's most expensive car? - "The custom-made motor is thought to have sold for more than $30 million, and is the first in a series of four Droptail commissions."
• Stealth Wealth: The Art Of Silent Financial Success - "The practice of stealth wealth offers numerous benefits, from greater financial freedom and flexibility to reduced stress and a more ordinary lifestyle."
• When 10 Homes Isn’t Enough: Which Billionaires Own The Most Properties - "Take a peek into the sprawling real estate portfolios of America’s richest people." Forbes.
• The new ‘private jet’-style airline set to fly to Maldives - "Traveling to Maldives - the 1,000-island archipelago off the western coast of India that’s one of the world’s most glamorous beach destinations - is always a special occasion. Now, a new airline aims to make it even more so. Beond - pronounced 'beyond' - aims to create a 'private jet' experience by using narrow-body aircraft (rather than the wide-body often used on routes to the Maldives), and offering an all-premium cabin with lie-flat seats which share components with Ferrari cars."
• There’s more to St Tropez than a glitzy playground for the rich - "This pretty French town still retains plenty of its original fishing village charm, if you know where to look."
• Amsterdam: The European capital fighting bad tourists - "The Dutch capital is only home to about 800,000 people but draws up to 20 million tourists a year. Now, new policies are encouraging sustainable tourism to everyone."
• 5 Film Cameras for Capturing Life’s Best Moments, From Leica to Hasselblad - "Despite the ubiquity of digital photography, camera makers continue to turn out analog tools that feel like works of art."
• The diaries of Amy Winehouse: ‘I’m the nutter of the class - loud & mouthing off!’ - "Using family photographs, journals, letters and handwritten lyrics, a new book sheds fresh light on the great singer’s life – while hinting at the tragedy to come."
• In pictures: Redheads celebrate fiery locks at Dutch festival - "Hundreds of redheads from around the world have gathered in the southern Dutch town of Tilburg for an annual festival celebrating their amber locks."
• How the workplace became the star of TV - "Whether in the kitchen or finance world, work-centric shows have rocketed in popularity. This entertainment is hitting the sweet spot for audiences in spades."
• ‘They should be called Bruce-’em-ups’ - how Bruce Lee shaped fighting games - "Fifty years since the death of the martial arts film superstar, we look at how he inspired generations of games developers - and helped take the beat-’em-up mainstream."
• 17 wonderful ways with blackberries - "From crumbles and cakes to mousses and muffins."
• Bentley Unveils Its New Flagship: The Bentayga EWB Mulliner - "Bentley’s latest masterpiece, the Bentayga Extended Wheelbase Mulliner, offers impressive specifications and intricate details that define its class and luxury. The design aesthetics and highlights of this opulent SUV speak of Bentley’s commitment to craftsmanship and innovation." Forbes.

August 27, 2023

• Ukraine war: Fighter ace & two other pilots killed in mid-air crash - "Andrii Pilshchykov won fame taking part in dogfights over Kyiv during the early phase of Russia's invasion. The crash involved two L-39 training planes flying over northern Ukraine."
• Putin’s war is forcing Russians to ditch a favorite holiday destination - "For more than nine years, Russian tourists vacationing in Crimea didn’t need to give much thought to the fact that their country was waging war on Ukraine - or that their sun lounger was parked on occupied territory. But with Kyiv’s counteroffensive underway, the southern Ukrainian peninsula is no longer the safe haven such holidaymakers had become accustomed to since Moscow annexed it in 2014."
• The Quest to find Nessie begins with the biggest search of the Loch for more than 50 years - "The Loch Ness Centre."
• In pictures: Wildfires scorching Greece - "In July, deadly wildfires tore through parts of the Greek island of Rhodes, forcing thousands of tourists to flee their hotels in what Greek officials said was the largest evacuation effort in the country's history."
• Bare electrical wire & leaning poles on Maui were possible cause of deadly fires - "Experts who watched videos showing downed power lines agreed wire that was insulated would not have arced and sparked, igniting a line of flame."
• Austria offers free rail travel for a year - if you get a tattoo - "You’ve probably heard the adage that 'there are no bad ideas.' But that was before Austria’s climate minister endorsed a campaign to give people a year’s free public transport if they got the rail card logo tattooed on their body."
• SpaceX, NASA launch four astronauts from four countries - "The four astronauts on the mission include NASA’s Jasmin Moghbeli, who is serving as mission commander; Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen representing the European Space Agency; Satoshi Furukawa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA; and Russian cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Roscosmos."
• The hell of being married to Hugh Hefner by his Playboy Bunny third wife: Crystal Hefner, 37 - "Describes how he took so much Viagra it made him deaf and imposed a 6pm curfew so she'd stay home and share his chicken soup."
• Swipe right? Using beauty filters in male Tinder profiles reduces women's evaluations of trustworthiness - "BUT increases physical attractiveness and dating intention."
• Why you rarely believe celebrity apologies on social media - "On social media, posts of contrition from public figures are endless. They usually flop."
• OnlyFans: Who is Leonid Radvinsky, the elusive owner of a porn empire? - "OnlyFans' profits have skyrocketed in the past year and news that its owner earned more than $300m in dividends has ignited fresh questions about the pornography mogul."
• Salt-free diet ‘can reduce risk of heart problems by almost 20%’ - "Research has documented how adding salt to food increases the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and premature death. Now experts have established just how big a difference you could make to your heart health - simply by reducing the number of meals to which you add salt or by ditching it altogether."
• Rome authorities tackle Colosseum rat infestation - "Tourists have posted videos on social media showing the rodents roaming close to the ancient amphitheatre."
• Roman Holiday at 70: Audrey Hepburn’s star-making role remains luminous - "The 1953 romantic comedy may lack heft but the Oscar-winner’s charming lead turn makes it an escape worth taking again."
• What’s the Matter with the smart home? - "Speakers, smartphones, and a whole lot of smart home: what to expect from IFA - the world’s largest consumer electronics and home appliances show - taking place in Berlin next week."
• Google, Amazon, Nvidia & others put $235 million into Hugging Face - "AI model repository Hugging Face is now worth $4.5 billion."

August 26, 2023

• Nerve agents, poison & window falls. Over the years, Kremlin foes have been attacked or killed - "The attacks range from the exotic - poisoned by drinking polonium-laced tea or touching a deadly nerve agent - to the more mundane of getting shot at close range. Some take a fatal plunge from an open window. Over the years, Kremlin political critics, turncoat spies and investigative journalists have been killed or assaulted in a variety of ways."
• Yevgeny Prigozhin obituary - "Multimillionaire Russian businessman and head of the Wagner mercenary army that played a key role in the war in Ukraine."
• Russia’s richest man Andrey Melnichenko, cleverly saved his warship inspired $300 million superyacht from being seized by the Western authorities - "With its tracker turned off for a year and docked near Dubai, the 390-foot-long vessel may now be seized by Russian itself. Multi-billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, Russia’s richest man worth $24.4 billion per Forbes, is in trouble almost as big as his megayacht, 470 feet long Sailing Yacht A. He has become the target of a lawsuit from the Russian government concerning a deal to buy an energy company. What will entail now is the possible seizure of his company Sibeco, and his prized possessions. That also depends on whether the government can get its hands on them. Melnichenko is no ordinary billionaire but one of Russia’s leading businessmen, the founder of EuroChem, and Suek, worth $24.4 billion."
• Trump’s return to Twitter solidifies a sharp right turn for Musk’s platform - "By posting his mugshot, Trump joins Ron DeSantis and Marjorie Taylor Greene in transforming site now known as X."
• Carbon credit speculators could lose billions as offsets deemed ‘worthless’ - "Many credits in the voluntary market going unused, with study finding some offsetting could make global heating worse. Carbon credit speculators could lose billions as scientific evidence shows many offsets they have bought have no environmental worth and have become stranded assets."
• Scientists have finally decoded mysteries of the Y chromosome. Here’s why it matters - "Scientists have fully sequenced the Y chromosome for the first time, uncovering information that could have implications for the study of male infertility and other health problems."
• NASA supersonic passenger jet could fly from NYC to London in 90 minutes - "Oh for the glory days of travel, when the seats were bigger, the food was better, and you could jet across the Atlantic in less than three hours. Since the 2003 end of Concorde, of course, flitting quickly across the Atlantic has been a thing of the past. Flights between London and New York take around eight hours, or closer to seven in the other direction. The record currently stands at just under five hours from New York to London, pushed on by a favorable jetstream."
• Nearly 400 remain unaccounted for in Maui after wildfires, new list shows - "As hundreds remain missing after Maui wildfires, electric company admits evidence on how blaze started may be compromised."
• I used TikTok to plan my vacation. Here’s how that went - "TikTok doesn’t only cater to those seeking the newest dance trend or funniest comedy skit. I put a stint of endless scrolling to good use by using the app to decide the itinerary for my latest vacation. The hashtag #TravelTok has more than 11.4 billion views on TikTok and #TravelTikTok has 39.3 billion, so there’s no doubt that the app is a popular tool for vacation inspiration and planning."
• The World’s Highest-Paid Tennis Players 2023 - "With Roger Federer finally exiting the stage, a new No. 1 leads a top ten that made a combined $196 million over the past 12 months."
• France to spend €200m destroying wine as demand falls - "The French government is allocating €200m to destroy surplus wine and support producers. It comes amid a cocktail of problems for the industry, including a falling demand for wine as more people drink craft beer. Overproduction and the cost of living crisis are also hitting the industry."
• 'I'm Italian & you're drinking coffee all wrong' - "'You should NEVER have a cappuccino after lunch. It's a breakfast drink and should not be consumed past noon! When you're eating a meal, 'you've got enough going on' in your mouth and your stomach. All you need is a quick espresso.'"
• Venice film festival 2023: our critic’s picks of 10 to watch - "Yorgos Lanthimos goes more surreal than ever, Adam Driver pulls on Ferrari’s racing gloves and Polish auteurs get political in this year’s lineup."
• From Top Boy to Sex Education: 11 of the best TV shows to watch in September - BBC Culture.
• The 'girl' trend prefix explained - "'Girl' trends are sticky and fun. But they can also be problematic. Lazy girl jobs, girl math, girl dinner - feminised trends are everywhere on social media. There's community and levity in them, but also a darker side."
• KvÆfjord cake: Norway's best cake - "Made with vanilla sponge, meringue, almonds, custard and whipped cream, Norwegians love this cake so much they nicknamed it 'the world's best cake'."
• 10 of the best seawater swimming pools in the UK & Europe - "From the Canaries to Norway via Brittany and Scotland, these coastal havens offer safer sea swimming without the swell of waves."
• Why note-taking apps don’t make us smarter - "They’re designed for storage, not sparking insights. Can AI change that?"
• The rival to the Panama Canal that was never built - "The Panama Canal is essential to global trade, but a recent drought has left large numbers of ships waiting to pass along it, raising questions about whether an alternative route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans is needed."
• Sean Connery's own '007' Aston Martin DB5 sold for $2,425,000 - "007 star bought the car in 2018. The car had a pre-auction estimate of $1.4 to $1.8 million, but the winning bidder paid $2,425,000, which included a chauffeured drive in it by Formula One legend Jackie Stewart, a fellow Scot and longtime friend to Connery."
• MB&F Unveils $490,000 HM9 Sapphire Vision Watches - "In advance of the Geneva Watch Days exhibition taking place next week, MB&F unveils two new versions - reworked in dimensions and with new colorations - of its much coveted HM9 watch. MB&F, independent Swiss watch brand led by Max Busser (and friends) has been creating legendary collector’s dream watches since its inception. The Horological Machines turned out by this company are three-dimensional works of art and mechanics for the wrist, from spaceship-like creations to auto-inspired shapes, animal likenesses and more. Now, the brand unveils one of its beloved machines, HM9, in two bold new colors: green and blue."

August 25, 2023

• Trump booked as inmate No. P01135809 after turning himself in on charges related to efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia - "Donald Trump surrenders in Atlanta in fourth criminal case brought against ex-president this year."
• Donald Trump returns to X / Twitter to post his mug shot - "Elon Musk reinstated former President Donald Trump’s account months ago, and the first thing he has posted is his own mug shot."
• Prigozhin precedents: a history of assassinations by plane crash - "Yevgeny Prigozhin joins a long list of figures suspected to have been killed by attacks on planes."
• Embraer Legacy 600 business jet - "Competes on the upper end of the small to mid-sized range of business jets and is considered a 'Heavy Jet' aircraft. It has nearly the opposite design progression as the rival Canadair Challenger."
• Maui county sues Hawaiian Electric over wildfires that killed more than 100 - "Maui county sued the Hawaiian Electric company on Thursday over the fires that devastated Lahaina, saying the utility negligently failed to shut off power despite exceptionally high winds and dry conditions. Witness accounts and video indicated that sparks from power lines ignited fires as utility poles snapped in the winds, which were driven by a passing hurricane. The 8 August fire killed at least 115 people and left an unknown number of others missing."
• Europe is about to start charging for entry. Here’s how that works - "Everything you need to know about ETIAS and Europe’s city taxes. The ETIAS visa waiver program will allow entry into EU countries from $7.70. As the name suggests, it isn’t a visa - it’s a system for visitors from countries who don’t require visas to enter Europe, to preregister their visits. Those who currently need visas to enter will still need them."
• The ‘Norway of Arabia’ is home to the world’s only desert fjords - "The Musandam Peninsula, at the northeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, has sometimes been compared to Norway, and not just because it happens to be next to oil-rich waters."
• Lars von Trier defends ‘Russian lives matter also’ comment - "Danish film-maker and provocateur Lars von Trier has defended himself from backlash after writing a social media post that criticised Denmark’s donation of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. 'Russian lives matter also!' he wrote on Instagram on Tuesday after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to Denmark, where he and Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, inspected the F-16s to be delivered to his country."
• And Just Like That Series 2 finale: How the Sex & the City sequel became the ultimate 'cringe-watch' - "With a Kim Cattrall cameo finishing off the season with a flourish, the show has become mocked and loved in equal measure. Why does it inspire such conflicting emotions, asks Laura Martin."
• Asia's iconic 'Jungle Railway' - "Malaysia's iconic 'Jungle Railway': One of Southeast Asia's greatest train journeys. It may soon be obsolete, but the Jungle Train is still a nostalgic jaunt across the heart of the Malay Peninsula, taking in forgotten towns steeped in colonial history."
• Endless fallout: the Pacific idyll still facing nuclear blight 77 years on - "The film Oppenheimer has shone a global spotlight on the dawn of US nuclear weapons tests. In the Marshall Islands, where 23 of those earth-shattering blasts happened, people have never been able to forget."
• Bring Back the Parasol - "And other time-tested ways to cope with extreme heat from cultures around the world." The New York Times.
• Blue-Light Glasses Are Unlikely to Help Eye Strain. Here’s What Does - "There are cheaper and more effective ways to salvage your eyes from all that screen time." The New York Times.
• Interventions for the Management of Computer Vision Syndrome - A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
• Dementia risk study finds 11 key factors behind condition - "Predictive tool ‘significantly outperforms’ others available and could help avert about 40% of cases. Scientists have identified 11 risk factors for dementia and used them to develop a tool that can predict whether someone will develop the condition in the next 14 years."
• New York Times, CNN & Australia’s ABC block OpenAI’s GPTBot web crawler from accessing content - Chicago Tribune and Australian newspapers the Canberra Times and Newcastle Herald also appear to have disallowed web crawler from maker of Chat GPT.
• Claude Ruiz Picasso, youngest son of Spanish artist, dies aged 76 - The son of Picasso and French painter Françoise Gilot, who also died this year aged 101, managed his father’s hugely valuable estate until July.
• Oddly satisfying: what’s behind our drive to collect useless items? - "Fans say their collections of mugs, Crocs and plush toys ‘scratch an itch’. You might call it one-in-every-colour capitalism."
• Bloop reel: Ibiza’s street art festival - photo essay - "Since 2011, Ibiza has been home to Bloop, a festival involving mural artists from around the world."
• Almuerzo & the super-sandwiches of Valencia - "The sandwich as 'sacred' as paella. Valencia's late-morning tradition of 'almuerzo' includes a giant sandwich, peanuts, beer and plenty of conviviality."
• The Arts & Crafts Story Behind Rolls-Royce Coachbuild La Rose Noire Droptail - "The Rosa Black Baccara has a distinct personality with deep burgundy-red velvety blooms on tall, elegant stems. It is the creation of the rose hybridizer Jacques Mouchotte who, alongside the French rose breeder Meilland, set out to cultivate a unique flower among fresh roses. They wanted a shade as close to black as possible, achieved using traditional breeding methods. Following much experimentation, Mouchotte found his perfect rose noir by crossing the two dark red hybrid teas, Celica and Fuego Negro. And in 2000, Black Baccara was born. So, it feels somewhat fitting that this rose, with so much thought, craft, and unique beauty, should inspire one of Rolls-Royce’s most artistic projects, La Rose Noire Droptail."

August 24, 2023

• Putin silent after Wagner boss Prigozhin 'killed in plane crash’ - "Former MI6 boss Sir John Sawers says he thinks it's highly likely that Vladimir Putin is behind the reported death of Yevgeny Prigozhin." BBC News.
• At a glance: Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin ‘dead in plane crash’ - what we know so far - "Allies of Wagner boss accuse Russian defence ministry of assassinating him; flight data shows plane dropped suddenly."
• Yevgeny Prigozhin: the hotdog seller who rose to the top of Putin’s war machine - "Russian officials have said the Wagner group founder was on a plane that crashed outside Moscow. Some of those who knew him describe – what had been up to his abortive rebellion this summer - an extraordinary journey from prison to power."
• Who was Dmitry Utkin? What we know about Wagner commander onboard plane in fatal crash - "Mercenary group said to have been named after commander whose call sign was ‘Wagner’ but who stayed out of the spotlight."
• Record heatwave persists in US as 130 million under alerts in 22 states - "Temperatures above 100F (37.7C) stretched south to states on the Gulf coast, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned in a morning advisory, with 'brutal humidity levels' pushing the heat index as high as 120F (48.8C) in some areas."
• Marine traffic jam: More than 200 ships waiting to cross the Panama Canal - "After facing the drought of the century, the Panama Canal has limited daily transfers in order to ensure safe operation."
• Prince Harry's 'painful' decisions are catching up with him, expert says - "It has been three years since Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, decided to leave the Royal Family and relocate to the US."
• The Inheritance Case That Could Unravel an Art Dynasty - "How a widow’s legal fight against the Wildenstein family of France has threatened their storied collection - and revealed the underbelly of the global art market." The New York Times.
• 7 Grains That Are Good Sources of Protein - "Grains like wild rice, kamut, and quinoa, are high-quality sources of carbohydrates, the body’s preferred source of fuel. Proteins serve as the building blocks for bones, muscles, and skin. Grains certainly won’t make up the bulk of your protein intake, but high quality starches can contribute to your daily protein goal. Here are seven grains that can add a surprising amount of plant-based protein to your plate."
• Fancy Multivitamins Cost $700 a Year. This $15 Option Is Just as Good - "Vitamin prices are confounding - and they vary wildly. You can spend less than $15 for a year’s worth of Kirkland Signature multivitamins. Or you can shell out nearly $700 for Garden of Life MyKind Organics multivitamins (for women or men)."
• “Forgetting” Might Not Be a Bad Thing - "Scientists Propose That It Could Be a Functional Feature of the Brain. Neuroscientists suggest that “forgetting” might be a form of learning that benefits flexible behavior in dynamic environments, and their experimental tests demonstrate that memories are not truly lost but are stored in engrams that can be reactivated."
• How wrinkly skin causes ageing - "The curious ways your skin shapes your health. Weathered or unhealthy skin is emerging as a major risk factor for almost every single age-related disease, from Parkinson's to type 2 diabetes."
• Hydra: The Greek island of calm where cars are banned & time stands still - "What sets Hydra apart is its favored mode of transportation. Locals have resisted the clamor of honking horns, instead embracing the rhythmic sound of horse hooves. Here, cars are not just absent; they’re intentionally kept away. A ban on motorized vehicles (except fire and refuse trucks and ambulances) is enshrined in local legislation. The Greek island’s population of about 2,500 locals get around using mules, donkeys and small horses."
• Meet Apollo, a robot designed to do jobs humans don’t want - "Humanoids that handle household chores or build habitats on the lunar surface may sound like something from science fiction. But the team at Austin-based robotics startup Apptronik envisions a future where general-purpose robots will handle 'dull, dirty and dangerous' jobs so humans don’t have to. The design for Apptronik’s latest humanoid robot, named Apollo, was unveiled on Wednesday. The robot is on the same scale as a human being, standing at 5 feet, 8 inches (1.7 meters) tall and weighing 160 pounds (72.6 kilograms)."
• Lego to sell bricks coded with braille to help vision-impaired children read - "Bricks with studs corresponding to braille numbers and letters will be available to buy from September. The Danish toymaker has been providing the specialist bricks, which were tested and developed in partnership with blind organisations around the world, free of charge to a selection of schools and services catering for vision-impaired children since 2020."
• Artificial intelligence chip giant Nvidia sees sales more than double - "Technology giant Nvidia says its sales have hit a record after more than doubling as demand for its artificial intelligence (AI) chips soars. The company says revenue jumped to above $13.5bn for the three months to the end of June."
• The 1 Key to Investing Success, According to Warren Buffett - "It's simpler than you may think to build wealth in the stock market. There is one key to investing success that applies to everyone regardless of investing preferences, and it's one that billionaire investor Warren Buffett uses himself: be a business picker."
• Summer box office 2023: what were the big hits & misses? - "It was the season of Barbenheimer but also one that saw some of the costliest flops that the industry has ever seen."
• From Dumb Money to Saw X: 10 of the best films to watch in September - BBC Culture.
• Heavy kettle! The making of Arnold Schwarzenegger - in pictures - "A new Taschen book traces the bodybuilder’s journey from childhood poverty to musclebound movie star - and unlikely governor of California."
• Bugatti’s ‘Golden Era’ Masterpiece: A Testament To Bespoke Brilliance - "As the world of automobiles is witnessing a flurry of innovations, Bugatti once again solidified its position as the paragon of bespoke luxury and craftsmanship with the unveiling of the Chiron Super Sport ‘Golden Era’ and the shimmering W16 Mistral. Each model, meticulously crafted and radiant, serves as an emblem of the brand's commitment to unparalleled excellence. The Chiron Super Sport ‘Golden Era’ is not just another hypercar in Bugatti's illustrious lineage. It stands as a testament to the brand's dedication to merging automotive engineering with artistic mastery. This car emerged as the crowning jewel of the Sur Mesure program - a service that has redefined the very essence of bespoke craftsmanship in the automotive realm."
• Best stereo amplifiers 2023: the best integrated amps you can buy - "A stereo amplifier is the beating heart of any hi-fi separates system; the necessary middleman between a source (such as a CD player or turntable) and pair of passive loudspeakers. Without one, you simply don't get a sound. And which one you pick will have a huge impact on the sonic quality and character of your whole system."
• Best Kobe Bryant Sneakers Of All-Time - "With Mamba Day, Thursday, August 24th, within reach, we have decided to look at five of Kobe’s best Nike sneakers from throughout his career. Overall, there are some pretty amazing offerings to be found here."

August 23, 2023

• India makes history as Chandrayaan-3 lands near Moon’s south pole - "India's Chandrayaan-3 becomes the first spacecraft to land near the south pole of the Moon."
• G20 poured more than $1tn into fossil fuel subsidies despite Cop26 pledges - report - "The G20 poured record levels of public money into fossil fuels last year despite having promised to reduce some of it, a report has found. Scientists estimate the air pollution from fossil fuels kills up to 10 million people a year."
• Climate change is redrawing the disaster map - "From tropical storms to wildfires, climate disasters aren’t confined to the places we’re used to seeing them."
• It may be time to break out the masks against Covid, some experts say - "If you’re at high risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19, it’s time to dust off those N95 masks and place them snugly over your nose and mouth to protect yourself from a recent uptick of the virus, according to a growing number of experts."
• Elon Musk to strip headlines off news links on Twitter in latest overhaul - "Move by the billionaire owner of the social media site may be an attempt to drive up subscription of the app’s premium service."
• Fyre Festival 2 tickets are now on sale & selling out - "According to embattled founder Billy McFarland. Fyre Festival 2, according to McFarland, is heading to the Caribbean sometime toward the end of 2024, but no specific date or any musical headlining acts have been announced yet."
• Running vs swimming: Which burns more calories? - "We crunched the numbers and the results surprised us. If you tot up the maths, you could burn an estimated 130-400 kcal swimming for 30 minutes versus 189-318 kcal for a run, depending on intensity and speed. There isn’t much in it, but you’d need to put more effort into your swim than your run to yield the same calorie burn. Our verdict? Running and swimming are different exercises with their own range of benefits, but if you're looking to burn calories fast, running might just have the edge over swimming, depending on your effort."
• 5 ways to spot a narcissist - "Not all narcissists are CEOs, celebrities or characters in a crime show. In fact, they may be around you more than you think. There is narcissistic personality disorder, which is rare at 1% or 2% of the population, said Dr. W. Keith Campbell, professor of psychology at the University of Georgia."
• French airport to be renamed after Queen Elizabeth II in tribute - "Le Touquet, in northern France, received the blessing from the King on Monday, its town hall said. Touquet-Paris-Plage airport will be Elizabeth II Le Touquet-Paris-Plage International Airport. The town hall said the tribute to the 'Great Queen' would also recognise the 'most British of French resorts'."
• 5 of the best countries for expats in 2023 - "A new survey on living and working abroad has revealed the best countries for expats to live. From Malaysia to Mexico, residents explain what makes them love their new home."
• How hunger hijacks your brain - "How hunger can warp our minds. Research is starting to reveal that fasting can negatively affect everything from our emotions to our cognition and judgement, at least in the short term."
• Is this the summer of bad tourists? - "From vandalising ancient sites to disrespecting local culture, we're increasingly aware of travellers misbehaving - and this could ultimately be a good thing."
• Joan Collins, 90, slips into a white bikini as she joins husband Percy, 58, in the pool on holiday in St Tropez - "The 90-year-old look positively radiant as she proved she's still got it while soaking up the rays over in St Tropez in the white halter neck two piece."
• The key to depression, obesity, alcoholism & more? Why the vagus nerve is so exciting to scientists - "This ‘electrical superhighway’ helps to control everything from our breathing to our immune system. Could stimulating it transform physical and mental health?"
• Inside A Colorful Silicon Valley Home Splashed With Barbie Pink - "Barbie’s global influence is here to stay. California-based interior designer Kendall Wilkinson created a client’s very-own Barbie dream house with a Barbie pink-colored living room, pops of pink furniture, and textiles with unexpected pops of color. The home - and the use of pink - was conceptualized years before Barbie reclaimed the mainstream media and took five years to build. It was completed in late summer 2022, yet couldn’t be more on trend."
• The Only 5 Color Trends That Matter For Fall 2023 - "These are the biggest fashion color trends to know from the runways for fall 2023."
• Full of beans: scientists use processed coffee grounds to make stronger concrete - "Australian engineers say they can make concrete nearly 30% stronger by incorporating processed grounds into the material."
• Copenhagen Fashion Week SS24: the key shows - in pictures - "Not even torrential rain could dampen the Danish high spirits with designers focusing on innovative fabrics, inclusive casting and striking show concepts."
• 2023 Monterey Car Week Celebrates The World’s Best Cars & Car Events - "Monterey Car Week is back to full strength after its brief Covid contraction the past 2 years, with this year’s vibrant, well-attended week featuring the traditional headline events: the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance, The Quail - A Motorsports Gathering, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance."
• OpenAI opens GPT-3.5 Turbo up for custom tuning - "OpenAI says that by fine-tuning its chatbot to focus on specific tasks - like code completion or maintaining a consistent tone - businesses can make ChatGPT a more efficient tool."
• The 14 Best Train Cases of 2023 - "These vintage-style travel cases are chic and practical." Travel + Leisure.
• Philips Hue's new security cameras leak in FCC filings - "Two of the four rumored models have now been approved by the FCC, giving us a glimpse at the camera’s specs and cylindrical design."
• Forget AirPods Pro 2, these 'made for iPhone' wired earbuds deliver true lossless audio - "These 'made for iPhone' wired earbuds are what Apple Music lossless audio users have been waiting for, but there's a catch. Questyle's wired earbuds deliver true lossless audio for iPhones."
• Is the World Ready for a $1,000 Swiss-Made Timex? - "The most expensive Timex ever features a Swiss automatic movement, part-titanium construction and copious details. The man behind it, Timex global creative director Giorgio Galli, gives us the scoop."
• We built a truly superb yet very affordable five-star turntable system - "A stellar trio of five-star products to suit your record collection."

August 22, 2023

• China’s economy is in trouble. Here’s what’s gone wrong - "China has long been the engine of global growth. But in recent weeks, its economic slowdown has alarmed international leaders and investors who are no longer counting on it to be a bulwark against weakness elsewhere. In fact, for the first time in decades, the world’s second economy is itself the problem."
• Our secret superpower! 16 amazing facts about sweat, from armpit transplants to artificial BO - "Why do we perspire? Do men do it more than women? Can you really ‘sweat out the toxins’? Here’s all you need to know."
• Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop calls it ‘legendary’. But would you pay £22 for a loaf of bread? - "There are 16 ingredients in the Happy Tummy Loaf, including chia seeds and ‘generatively farmed’ egg. But even if it can give you ‘perfect poos’, it’s not exactly a bargain."
• The fight to save Ukraine's cultural spaces & heritage - "How are the creativity, spaces and heritage of the war-torn country being supported?"
• How to make the perfect omelette - "A rich and creamy omelette is a test of a young chef's ability in French kitchens. Yves Camdeborde shares his story behind the illustrious dish, and best practices for making it."
• The bohemian paradise that became a magnet for superyachts - " Antalya is a city bathed in sunlight and baked in history. Standing on Turkey’s beautiful Turquoise Coast, it is the hidden jewel of the Mediterranean. A place where luxury hotels, vast beaches, striking ruins and quiet villages create something that’s truly unique. The city is the largest on this stretch of Turkey’s southern coastline. Dating back to 150 BCE it was settled by the Greeks, ruled by the Romans and expanded by the Ottomans. Today it is the heart of Turkish tourism, with thousands coming to relax by the water and explore the riches that lie along the coast and just inland."
• India gripped as teen chess prodigy prepares to take on Magnus Carlsen for world title - "Millions in India will be cheering on the teen chess prodigy known as Pragg as he takes on Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen for the title of World Chess Champion on Tuesday. Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, 18, is set to square off against the five-time world champion in Baku, Azerbaijan after defeating Fabiano Caruana in a tense match to secure his place in the final."
• Tesla's iPhone app can now control your car through Siri - "You now have an easier way to control your Tesla from your iPhone."
• Rolls-Royce Reveals Custom Two-Door Droptail Containing an Audemars Piguet Timepiece - "For the latest installment in its Coachbuild series, Rolls-Royce has unveiled its first-ever two-seat vehicle. The first release comes in the form of the Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail, inspired by Black Baccara, a tea rose that was the favorite of the woman who commissioned the car."
• The Stealthiest Luxury Accessory in 'Succession'? The Baseball Cap - "The off-duty staple gets a touch of opulence and we are all on board."
• 30th anniversary of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore: Here Come ‘The Beasts’ - "The Royal Oak Offshore ‘The Beast’, the original Offshore model, has been on the market for over twenty years. It is difficult to find out how many of the 7308 steel examples of reference 25721 reported by Apchronicles have the original petite tapisserie dial in navy blue, since models with dials in other shades were also produced with this reference. However, there is every reason to believe that a large portion of the 25721 is ‘The Beast’ with its classic navy blue dial. The last deliveries took place in 2016, when only two timepieces were delivered."

August 21, 2023

• Scientists hope weight-loss drugs could treat addiction & dementia - "Medications with semaglutide such as Ozempic and Wegovy are being studied to see if they can help other conditions."
• Loch Ness monster enthusiasts gear up for biggest search in 50 years - "Using drones and acoustic equipment, hundreds of volunteers from around the world with take part in the surface watch."
• Row over restaurant ‘wealth screening’ boils over in French resort of St-Tropez - "Mayor threatens sanctions over reported practices of large minimum spends and selecting diners by size of previous bills."
• Brigitte Bardot: ‘I don’t understand why the whole world is still talking about me’ - "The French film star has spoken of her frustration at her lasting fame, but has agreed to a drama series about her life."
• Chandrayaan-3, Luna-25: The race to unravel the mysteries of Moon's south pole - "Deep craters provide a haven for unending darkness. Some of these areas have been shielded from sunlight for billions of years. In these regions, temperatures plummet to astonishing lows of -414F (-248C) - because the Moon has no atmosphere to warm up the surface. No human has set foot in this completely unexplored world."
• JetZero: Is this new plane design the future of aviation? - "The basic shape of commercial airplanes hasn’t changed much in the past 60 years. Could this design change that?"
• How to find a morning routine that works for you - "I wake up at 4 a.m. every day, but you do not need to be like me."
• Rules Of The Rich - 1. Pay yourself first. 2. Leverage other people's time and money. 3. Always have multiple streams of income. 4. Never rely solely on earned income. 5. Understand the power of compound returns. 6. Prioritize financial education. 7. Avoid lifestyle inflation. 8. Build and maintain a strong network. 9. Invest in assets, not liabilities. 10. Take calculated risks.
• Nearly 30 Years Ago, Steve Jobs Said There's 1 Simple Habit That Separates the Doers From the Dreamers - "This simple act taught him one of the greatest lessons of his brilliant career."
• Neymar Flies from Paris to Riyadh in a Boeing 747BBJ - "Saudi Prince Prince Alwaleed bin Talal sent a Boeing 747BBJ to Paris to pick up the new signing for Al Hilal, Neymar, who has left PSG and flew to Riyadh earlier today."
• Three-Michelin-star Danish restaurant to relocate to London for one day - "Collaborative ‘series of bites’ to be served up as Noma looks to a future without its celebrated Copenhagen restaurant."
• Why are TikTok creators so good at making people buy things? - "TikTok has major power to move consumers to spend on the products creators feature. Why is the pull so strong?"
• North Korea-Russia flights due to take off for first time since the pandemic - "Air Koryo, North Korea’s national airline, is operating four flights between Pyongyang and Vladivostok, in southeast Russia, this month for the first time since 2020."
• People are only just realising how pre-packaged sandwiches are really made - "And they're vowing never to eat them again."
• Apple Music will help you find new songs & artists with Discovery Station - "Apple has quietly launched a new feature for its music streaming service that could help you expand your playlists and find new artists to listen to. It's a personalized radio station called 'Discovery Station,' which picks the songs it thinks you'd be into from Apple Music's catalog."
• 5 of the best survival watches - "An increasing desire to escape the normalities of life, the art of survival is more popular than ever. Whether you crave the personal challenge of subjecting yourself to nature’s toughest conditions, or you just want to live a more sustainable, closed-loop life, owning the right watch could be a significant tool. Let’s take a look at some of the best survival watches across the cost spectrum."
• 5 ways cities are dealing with record-breaking heat - "Cities are hotter than ever. Here are 5 things they can do about it."
• The Real Story Behind the Great Green Vault Grift - "An elite squad of criminals was convicted for the theft of $130 million in jewels. Was getting caught the cost of doing business or the beginning of a more ambitious con?"
• Ridley Scott’s Napoleon: Was the French leader really a monster? - "Ahead of his new epic, with Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon, Scott has caused anger with his comments about his lead character, comparing him to Hitler and Stalin."
• Parmigiano-Reggiano makers are putting edible microchips the size of a grain of sand into their 90-pound cheese wheels to combat counterfeiters - "The next time you dig into a bowl of pasta with freshly grated parmesan, you could accidentally be eating a microchip. That's because makers of Parmigiano-Reggiano are implanting microchips into the casings of their 90-pound cheese wheels as the latest move to ward off counterfeiters, The Wall Street Journal reported."

August 20, 2023

• Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft CRASHES into the Moon after spinning into an uncontrolled orbit - "Russia's first moon mission in 47 years failed after its Luna-25 space craft spun out of control and smashed into moon."
• WHO is closely monitoring another new COVID-19 variant, nicknamed Pirola - "Here's what we know about BA.2.86. It's only been detected in four countries: Denmark, Israel, United Kingdom and USA."
• Michael Jackson: Sexual abuse cases against star’s estate can be revived, court docs show - "Wade Robson and James Safechuck - two men who have long alleged that the late Michael Jackson sexually abused them when they were children, and who were featured in the 2019 documentary 'Leaving Neverland' - are now able to revive their since-dismissed lawsuits against Jackson’s estate, according to a court opinion filed on Friday and obtained by CNN."
• $2 to cut a sandwich in half: The outrageous rip-offs targeting tourists in Italy - "An Italian holiday may be a priceless experience for those who have enjoyed all this country has to offer. But the summer of 2023 will go down as one of the priciest in history after a slew of price gouging scandals at cafes and restaurants that have affected foreign tourists and Italians alike. Take the couple charged 2 euros ($2.20) to cut their ham sandwich in half on the shores of Lake Como, or the young mother in the Roman seaside town of Ostia charged 2 euros to have her baby’s bottle heated in the microwave."
• Albania: Italy pays bill for tourists' dine & dash - "In a unique act of diplomacy, Italy's government has settled the restaurant bill of four Italian tourists in Albania who left without paying."
• This airport has the longest walk times in the US - "Why you have to walk so far to your gate at the airport. Treks at the airport have been getting worse ever since security changes were implemented after the September 11, 2001, attacks. More changes came during the pandemic. Larger aircraft - which mean planes tend to be spaced out farther for takeoff and landing safety - have made hikes at the airport even longer. But it’s mostly because bigger is better for the airport business, even if it’s harder on your feet. In Newark, Chicago and other cities’ airport terminals, moving walkways have been removed to make room for more shops and restaurants."
• AI-generated art cannot be copyrighted, rules a US Federal Judge - "DC District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell says human beings are an 'essential part of a valid copyright claim.'"
• The World Isn’t Ready for the Next Decade of AI - "Mustafa Suleyman, cofounder of DeepMind and Inflection AI, talks about how AI and other technologies will take over everything - and possibly threaten the very structure of the nation-state."
• Olive oil is in trouble as extreme heat & drought push the industry into crisis - "The scorching temperatures that have swept southern Europe this summer are not only claiming lives and priming the land for devastating wildfires - they’re also very bad news for olive trees, with olive oil industry experts warning of skyrocketing prices and potential shortages. When it’s too hot, olive trees drop their fruit to save moisture or produce fruit at the expense of the health of the tree, said Kyle Holland, who covers oils and oilseeds at market research group Mintec. Very high temperatures are particularly dangerous in spring, during flowering."
• Ranked: World's Biggest Wine Producers by Country - "Wine production has stayed relatively stable for the last decade but climate change is coming for this industry as well."
• How past mega lottery winners have used their fortunes - "Lottery winners across the US can cash in millions - and even billions - of dollars if they get lucky, but have you ever wondered what they do after they rake in all that money?"
• Did Australia's boomerangs pave the way for flight? - "Likely developed 10,000 years ago by Aboriginal Australians, boomerangs may contain the design invention that makes flight possible."
• The rise of ‘house hushing’: is it the key to a tranquil life? - "‘House hushing’ is a new interiors trend that’s making (the right kind of) noise in these troubling times. Here, experts reveal how to turn down the volume and create peace."
• He once worked at McDonald's & now he has a 347-foot-long superyacht with its own snow room - "Canadian billionaire Michael Latifi’s $200 million vessel also features a glass-bottomed swimming pool with a waterfall, a theater, and a beach club."
• Rupert Murdoch has a thing for women aged 66. But what could be in it for them? - "The media mogul’s new girlfriend, just like recent exes, falls within his favourite demographic."
• The 1929 Bentley Blower Is Electrified, Scaled Down & Road Legal - "The 85%-Scale Bentley Blower Jnr Is The Perfect Electric City Car. The first all-electric Bentley has been revealed at Monterey Car Week in California - and it’s probably not what you expected. Instead of a battery-powered version of the Continental GT or Flying Spur, the Bentley Blower Jnr is the latest - and fully licensed – creation by UK startup The Little Car Company. Based in Bicester, Oxfordshire, TLCC has also previously collaborations with Bugatti, Aston Martin and Ferrari to produce scaled-down, battery-powered replicas of some of the world’s most iconic cars. And for its latest EV, the company has a trick up its sleeve - because, for the first time, the Bentley Blower Jnr is street legal in the US, UK and Europe. Thanks to electric quadricycle laws - and TLCC paying close attention to the rules when designing a replica of a 1920s race car - the scaled-down Bentley can be driven on the public roads." Forbes.

August 19, 2023

• Scientists race to understand highly mutated coronavirus variant spotted in four countries, including the US - "A highly mutated new variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 has countries on alert as scientists scramble to understand how far it has spread and how well our immunity will defend against it. The new variant, called BA.2.86 and nicknamed Pirola by variant hunters on social media, has more than 30 amino acid changes to its spike protein compared with its next closest ancestor, the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, according to Dr. Jesse Bloom, who studies viral evolution at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle."
• ‘Ruthless’ King Charles is ‘more decisive on Harry & Meghan Markle than the Queen’ as ‘bitterness’ towards them remains - "This week the Duke's HRH title was quietly removed from the Royal Family website in what seemed like yet another snub."
• Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Latest Netflix Series, ‘Heart of Invictus,’ Sets Premiere Date - "More than two years after the streamer gave the go to 'Heart of Invictus,' the docuseries will debut Aug. 30 on Netflix. The five-part doc will follow international competitors at the Invictus Games, an international sporting event that Prince Harry founded in 2014 for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women."
• Ukraine war: US allows transfer of Danish & Dutch F-16 war planes to Kyiv - "The US has approved the transfer to Ukraine of American-made F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands when Ukrainian pilots are fully trained to operate them."
• Cat & dog influencers help Ukrainians cope with war - "From fundraising to detecting explosives, cats and dogs have been helping Ukrainians deal with the devastating impact of Russia's invasion."
• Blocking feature to be removed from former Twitter platform X, says Musk - "Social media company X, formerly known as Twitter, will remove a protective feature that lets users block other accounts. Loss of protective feature may bring it into conflict with safety guidelines on App Store and Google Play."
• Bradley Cooper: Why Bernstein nose row is complicated - "Actors transforming themselves for roles is incredibly common - whether it inolves changing their body, hair colour or even using prosthetics."
• Ryanair, British Airways & easyJet ban specific kind of carry-on bag - "Some kinds of ‘smart bags’, or luggage with built-in electronics equipping them to do things like charge devices, be a Wi-Fi hotspot, and connect to Bluetooth, have been banned from these companies’ planes. If you can’t take the battery out, you can’t take the bag with you."
• This twisted hunk of metal that used to be a Ferrari just sold for nearly $2 million. Here’s why - "A hulk of dented, torn and scorched metal that was, decades ago, a Ferrari race car just sold at an RM Sotheby’s auction in California for $1.9 million. While that may be surprising, it’s not quite as horrible an investment as it looks, especially if the buyer is after something more than money: racing history and, for the new owner, a shot at a glory all their own. One of only 13 made, this 1954 Ferrari Mondial Spider Series I wasn’t one of Ferrari’s fabled V12 models but an entirely different design. The four-cylinder car was designed for driving on twisting tracks with lots of curves and few straightaways, where a smaller, lighter engine was desirable."
• Your Apple Watch band is likely covered in bacteria, new study says - "Right off the bat, the study found that 95% of all bands were 'contaminated with some kind of dangerous bacteria.' The most common type of bacteria attracted by Apple Watch bands is Staphylococcus spp, which can cause staph infections, and it was found on 85% of bands."
• The end of work: which jobs will survive the AI revolution? - "Smart machines are meant to work for us, but there are already signs that we will end up working for them. What will the workplace of the future look like, and will your role still exist?"
• Google’s co-founder left retirement to work on AI - "During a recent surprise Q&A, Sergey Brin opened up about why he’s back in the trenches at Google to work on generative AI."
• Forget planks - this seated ab workout sculpts your core in just 10 minutes - "Put your yoga mat to one side and give this a go."
• How coin tosses can lead to better decisions - "Our modern lives can often leave us overwhelmed with choice - so might it make sense to let an external agent help us to make difficult decisions?"
• 10 Vinyl Record Player Accessories Every Collector Should Own - "From unique pieces of home decor to vinyl storing essentials, we rounded up some accessories every vinyl collector should own."
• What Dermatologists Wish You Knew About Sun Protection - "For starters: Don’t spray sunscreen like perfume." The New York Times.
• The microwave lemon trick & 10 other household hacks that actually work - "Clean pans, blitz stains, make your own fertiliser ... experts share their best domestic shortcuts."
• What is white noise podcast? - "These kinds of podcasts play various types of relaxing sounds on a loop - like static, crashing waves, or rain - and they’re more popular than you may think."
• A Classic Yachting Watch Gets a Second Wind - "TAG Heuer’s new timepiece is inspired by one that commemorated the 1967 America’s Cup." The New York Times.
• The Patek Philippe Harry Kane wore for his Bayern unveiling proves he is the most underrated player in the watch world - "Munich know they’ve just signed a new goal machine but are they aware of how deadly his watch collection is? After all, you don’t just stumble across a new Patek Philippe Platinum Grand Complication ref 5470P - the watch Kane was snapped wearing in his first appearance at the German giants - by accident. Aside bypassing the waitlists and the small matter of an estimated £750,000 price tag, you need to have some serious watch chops - and appreciation for the finer things - for this timepiece to even be on your radar."
• Part 20 in our History of Monaco series: The run-up to a fairytale wedding - "The arrival of Onassis gave Monte-Carlo a new impulse, but not everyone was happy with this development. At the same time, Prince Rainier III came under fire after a strange affair in which the government speculated on the stock exchange with a lot of money on his recommendation." Monaco Daily News.
• Grace Kelly's CÔte d’Azur Vacation Villa Is for Sale - "The Princess of Monaco stayed at Les Moulins du Villars regularly."
• Look of the Week: Olivia Rodrigo wears fashion’s most subversive shoe - "When Belgian designer Martin Margiela first released the split-toe Tabi silhouette in 1988, he dipped the soles in red paint and sheathed the runway in white gauze; ensuring the cloven footprints left a haunting mark. 'It’s for a tiny group of women, and not everyone will like it,' Margiela reportedly said after his second show in 1989. 'It’s important to do what you want and there will always be some people who agree.' The uncanny boot - part hoof, part human foot, often stitched in soft leather that looks like a second skin - was inspired by the 15th Japanese worker shoe and has long been considered one of fashion’s most subversive items, polarizing opinion for 35 years."

August 18, 2023

• Hawaii wildfires: Maui emergency chief quits after sirens criticism - "Maui's emergency management chief has quit a day after defending his agency's failure to activate its alarm system in last week's fatal wildfire. Herman Andaya, who had no prior experience in emergency management, cited 'health reasons' for resigning."
• How wildfires fuel the climate crisis - "Extreme wildfires are increasing due to rising emissions, but they also disrupt the climate in return. Weighing up the overall impact, however, is tricker than it seems."
• Xi Jinping is building a dream city. Devastating floods raise questions about his plan - "At the time, the plan to launch the Xiong’an New Area raised questions - including over how the new city would cope with the environmental challenges known to plague the low-lying, marshy area, which is prone to flooding and drought. Six years on, those questions have returned as Beijing and surrounding Hebei province, where Xiong’an is located, grapple with the fallout from record rains and flooding that killed dozens and displaced more than 1.5 million people in late July and early August."
• Leonard Bernstein’s Children Defend Bradley Cooper’s Prosthetic Nose in ‘Maestro’ - "A teaser for the Netflix biopic has ignited a new round of criticism that the family described as a misunderstanding." The New York Times.
• 'Jewface'? Bradley Cooper Wears Fake Nose to Portray Jewish Composer Leonard Bernstein - "Part of Bradley Cooper’s transformation into Jewish composer Leonard Bernstein involved him donning a prosthetic nose, something that many found to be antisemitic - especially since Cooper is not Jewish."
• What is ‘Barbie Botox,’ TikTok’s latest beauty obsession? - "40 units of the neurotoxin injected into each trapezius, the muscle holding up her neck. The procedure was originally devised to aid the release of severely overworked trapezius muscles which could cause migraines and intense neck tension. Now, it’s being administered off-label to cosmetically diminish the size of shoulders, elongating the neck. And it’s gaining traction on social media."
• You Probably Aren’t Getting Enough Fiber - "Here’s why that’s a problem, and how to fix it." The New York Times.
• Inside Pharrell's World at Louis Vuitton & the New Era of Fashion He's Leading - "With Pharrell Williams freshly enthroned at Louis Vuitton, a grand new convergence between fashion and pop culture is underway. GQ followed along for the audacious opening of Pharrell’s reign - and learned more about the ambitious revolution he’s planning to mount."
• You can stay in Ashton Kutcher & Mila Kunis’ California beach house on Airbnb for free - "The celebrity couple are listing their Santa Barbara County beach house with its views of the ocean and the Santa Ynez mountains on Airbnb for one night only, offering up to four guests an 'unforgettable summer stay' for free."
• Sourdough or sliced white? Gin or vodka? Pick a side & yes, you will be judged - "Think carefully about your answers - because food choices can speak volumes."
• 8 of the world’s best new theme parks - "From the super subtle and surreal, like Ghibli Park in Japan, to a tidal wave of fun at Columbia Pictures Aquaverse in Thailand, here’s a look at a few of the most noteworthy new theme parks for those unforgettable family memories."
• The greatest martial arts movie ever - "The inside story of how Bruce Lee's martial-arts epic Enter the Dragon changed cinema forever."
• Adult Obesity Facts | Overweight & Obesity - "Obesity is a common, serious, and costly disease. Obesity affects some groups more than others. Obesity and socioeconomic status."
• 10 Best Fitness Apps For Your Apple Watch In 2023 - "The proliferation of health and fitness apps that have emerged in the wake of the smartphone era have truly revolutionized personal training. No matter the sport or form of exercise, there is an app for that, putting the kind of performance tracking and guidance usually only available through working with a professional in the palm of every user's hand."
• Is it Allowed to Carry Power Banks in Flights? - "It is allowed to carry power banks in your cabin luggage, but not in your checked-in luggage."
• The airline lost his bags. He spent $4,000 & crossed the Atlantic to find them - "The bag contents were mostly replaceable – clothes and shoes. But then 14 year old Carolina mentioned something that changed everything. She’d quietly packed some of her grandmother’s jewelry into her bag for her trip of a lifetime – all the better for the photos she was planning to take. It was, of course, irreplaceable. 'Once I heard that, I thought, I have to go back, it’s the only way,' says Bunce. The bag with grandma’s jewelry was found. But since he’d flown nearly 5,500 miles to find them, he wanted to find his, too. Of the other four people in the group with Bunce, three found their bags too. They were never lost - they’d just been stored instead of sending to passengers. Bunce estimates that over the course of that hour-long search – four hours in the airport overall - he saw around 2,000 unclaimed bags."
• New AP guidelines lay the groundwork for AI-assisted newsrooms - "But there's no guarantee that other outlets will be as restrained in their use."
• 3 reasons you may want to take Leica seriously as a watchmaker - "When Leica initially announced that they were getting in on the luxury watch game however, more than a few eyebrows were raised. But, after seeing and wearing Leica’s first forays into watchmaking for myself, I’m utterly convinced by the seriousness and value of Leica’s offering." TIME + TIDE.
• Death masks help recreate face of Bonnie Prince Charlie - "De-aged image offers likelife image of how prince may have looked during unsuccessful Jacobite rising of 1745."
• Stolen British Museum treasures worth up to £50,000 were offered on eBay for as little as £40 - "Thefts of jewels from the British Museum were announced by police yesterday. An internal investigation led the museum to sack Peter Higgs, 56, a curator of Mediterranean cultures who had been with them for over 30 years."
• This Milanese Presidential Suite Has Its Own Pompeii-Inspired Pool - "How Hotel Principe Di Savoia Has Remained One Of Milan’s Most Stylish Hotels For Nearly A Century. Since opening its doors as the Principe di Savoia, Milan in 1927, the hotel has offered the traditional hospitality of a grand resort - not unlike the kind you would find in Sicily - in an unapologetically urban setting. While its location far removed from the heart of Milan, just south of the central railway station, was at first seen as illogical, it soon became its advantage, as it made the hotel easily accessible for the burgeoning business tycoons of the early 20th century." Forbes.
• Fisker's Alaska EV pickup has absurd big gulp & cowboy hat holders - "The rear bed can be expanded from the standard 4.5 up to 9.2 feet."

August 17, 2023

• Wish you weren’t here! How tourists are ruining the world’s greatest destinations - "Overtourism has long been a problem - and besieged cities are fighting back. But can angry locals stop the tide of stag parties, ‘anus burners’, noise and graffiti?"
• Video shows tourist climbing into Rome’s Trevi Fountain to fill up water bottle - "The footage, filmed last month, shows the woman walking over a row of rocks to reach the center of the 18th-century landmark as onlookers watch in horror. Tourists can be fined up to 500 euros for entering the fountain, which is widely considered one of the city’s best known landmarks. Legend states that anyone who throws a coin into its waters will ensure their return to Rome."
• Global Wealth Report 2023 - "Global wealth is expected to rise by 38% over the next five years, reaching USD 629 trillion by 2027. How has global household wealth developed in 2022? What are the projections for the years ahead? Find out with the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on global household wealth."
• What are ‘Big Short’ Michael Burry & Warren Buffett seeing that we aren’t? - "The S&P 500 index is up nearly 17% year to date, and the Nasdaq composite is more than 30% higher. Americans keep spending money, unemployment is low, the Federal Reserve may soon pause its painful interest rate hikes as inflation rates steadily - albeit slowly - come down. But Securities and Exchange Commission filings out Monday showed that Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA) sold almost $8 billion more in shares than it bought in the second quarter of 2023. That’s not too much by his standards, but a significant move when the market is up."
• Apple issues warning about the dangers of giving handsets a boost at night - "Why you shouldn't charge your iPhone while you sleep."
• OK, we can relax. The iPhone ‘hang up’ button might not be moving much after all - "Almost a week after the Apple faithful collectively gasped at the first evidence that the iPhone’s red 'end call' button might soon be vacating its center position to take up residence one column to the right, it looks like it might have been mostly a false alarm."
• You can eavesdrop on private conversations with your iPhone - here’s how to use Live Listen - "Live Listen is a great accessibility feature for those hard of hearing, but did you know that you can use it to eavesdrop on conversations? Here’s how to set it up."
• ‘Forever Chemicals’ Are Everywhere. What Are They Doing to Us? - "PFAS lurk in so much of what we eat, drink and use. Scientists are only beginning to understand how they’re impacting our health - and what to do about them." The New York Times.
• ‘AI cannot taste the way a chef can’: are chatbots a threat to fine dining? - "Artificial intelligence could take personalized service a new, possibly sinister level - but can it really replace a chef?"
• Oman unveils plans for 100,000-person ‘smart’ city - "Set across 14.8 square kilometers (5.7 square miles), Sultan Haitham City will be roughly equivalent in size to Beverly Hills - but with almost three times as many residents. The plan, which was shared exclusively with CNN by the US architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), includes 20,000 homes, as well as a university, schools, health facilities and mosques. It is due to be built on a largely undeveloped site in Al-Seeb, several kilometers west of Muscat."
• What passing gas can say about your health - "Gas isn’t as much of an indicator of gut health as bowel movement frequency and texture. But dietary choices can lead to more or less gas, and there are certain points at which gas is worth mentioning to a doctor."
• The farmers boosting crops with electricity - "Electrical horticulture is on the horizon, as farmers search for ways to boost productivity without harming the environment. Could we all be enjoying electrified vegetables soon?"
• Bradley Cooper: Leonard Bernstein's family defend actor over Maestro nose row - "The family of Leonard Bernstein have defended actor Bradley Cooper in a row over his biopic of the late composer."
• Million Dollar Bodyguards: The Sky-High Cost of Protecting the World’s Elite - "Being famous comes with many luxuries that the general public can’t afford. Disney stars, pop singers, and actors, and actresses don’t have the freedom that we take for granted, but they do have the money to hire help to make their lives easier. In Hollywood, a good bodyguard is like finding a needle in a haystack, which is why these stars pay through the nose to keep them. Luckily, they can afford it."
• Art Auctions: See the Top Ten Lots Sold in Every Major Category - "The Best-Seller List: From Ultra-Contemporary to Old Masters, here's what made the cut."
• Travel Photography: How to Make the Most of Your Cellphone Camera - "A cellphone allows travelers to have a camera always at the ready. The latest phones offer multiple lenses with better resolution and enhanced macro and telephoto capabilities, enabling virtually every moment to be captured for posterity. This can be both a blessing and a curse. When should we be taking a photograph and when should we simply be taking the time to look and wonder at the world around us? Here are a few tips on when and what to shoot, and how to better frame what we see when we travel." The New York Times.
• Michael Parkinson, broadcaster & talkshow host, dies aged 88 - "Parkinson was best known for hosting his self-titled talkshow between 1971 and 2007 and interviewing an estimated 2000 celebrities."
• Amy Winehouse's heartbreaking private teenage journals are released by her parents - "Late singer wrote she was 'pleased to be different' and questioned if 'love was ever going to cross her path'."
• This enclave’s ‘Russian doll’ borders are some of the most complex in the world - "Nahwa is one of only two counter-enclaves that exist in the world. A counter-enclave adds a further layer of complexity: it’s an enclave within an enclave."
• Ötzi the Iceman’s true appearance revealed by new DNA analysis - "Ötzi the Iceman, whose frozen remains were found in a gully high in the Tyrolean Alps by hikers in 1991, is perhaps the world’s most closely studied corpse. 'The application of new methods makes Ötzi a scientific gift that just keeps on giving.'"

August 16, 2023

• How Fire Turned Lahaina Into a Death Trap - "When a historic coastal town in Hawaii was overrun by fire, many residents fled for their lives - but there was nowhere to go." The New York Times.
• Michael Burry, of ‘Big Short’ fame, just bet $1.6 billion on a stock market crash - "Burry is making his bearish bets against the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, according to Security Exchange Commission filings released Monday. Burry’s fund, Scion Asset Management, bought $866 million in put options (that’s the right to sell an asset at a particular price) against a fund that tracks the S&P 500 and $739 million in put options against a fund that tracks the Nasdaq 100. Burry is using more than 90% of his portfolio to bet on a market downturn, according to the filings."
• This country has finally scrapped the last of its Covid restrictions - "New Zealand scrapped the last of its Covid restrictions Tuesday, bringing the final curtain down on one of the world’s strictest pandemic policies as the government said the country suffered a far lower mortality rate than many other nations."
• Fitness earlier in life reduces cancer risk when older, study shows - "Data from more than 1 million males between 16 and 25 over five decades shows cardiorespiratory fitness can reduce risk up to 42%."
• Twitter appears to delay links by five seconds to sites Elon Musk dislikes - "When content posted from critical news outlets and competitor apps was clicked, it opened a blank screen, delaying access."
• The secret to cult status success - "What rockets a brand into cult following status? It's not a product - it's a lifestyle. Some brands, products and people reach a level of fandom others only dream of. The recipe is savvy marketing and a little serendipity."
• Tom Brady Rocked One of Rolex’s Wildest New Watches Over the Weekend - "The watch he chose was one of Rolex’s new 2023 Day-Date models, affectionately nicknamed the emoji watch. The timepiece was unveiled during March’s Watches and Wonders event in Geneva, Switzerland, in three metals: 18-carat white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold colors. But what really stands out about the new reference are its dials: Over a colorful field of jigsaw pieces, there are colorful baguette-cut sapphire hour markers, alongside a day wheel that displays sentiments and emotions (Happy, Eternity, Gratitude, Peace, Faith, Love, and Hope), and a date wheel showcasing 31 emoji."
• Janet Yellen explains her ‘magic mushroom’ experience in China - "US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ate a “magic mushroom” on a recent trip to Beijing, but the aftereffects don’t sound that special. CNN’s Erin Burnett spoke to her Monday, asking about the 'mushroom experience' that set off a social media frenzy and dramatically boosted business for a Yunnan restaurant chain, where Yellen ate the local jian shou qing. 'There was a delicious mushroom dish. I was not aware that these mushrooms had hallucinogenic properties. I learned that later,' Yellen said about the group dinner that clarified that she didn’t organize nor did she do the ordering."
• The Gender Orgasm Gap: Scientist reveals why women climax less than men during sex - "A professor at the University of Florida found just four percent of heterosexual women orgasm through penetration, but 96 percent of women can do so by clitoral stimulation."
• ‘A real stroke of genius.’ How Apple’s iMac G3 became an object of desire - "Beige, boring and a bit too complicated - in the 1990s, personal computers had about as much charisma as an underwhelming date. Compaq and IBM dominated the market, churning out homogenous boxy monitors, keyboards and modems. But, out of the (Bondi) blue in August 1998, soon after its cofounder Steve Jobs had returned to a company in crisis, Apple introduced a bold new design that drastically shifted our relationship with technology. Twenty-five years ago today, the unusual jewel-toned line of iMac G3 desktops came onto the tech scene; shaped like an egg and with a 15-inch CRT display, the intricacies of its hardware visible beneath a translucent plastic shell."
• VinFast: Vietnam EV maker valued at more than Ford or GM - "Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) maker VinFast's stock market valuation has soared above Ford and General Motors (GM) on its first day of trading. Shares in the firm, which has yet to make a profit, closed above $37 each in their New York's debut. That gave VinFast a stock market valuation of $85bn, much higher than Ford's $48bn and GM's $46bn."
• Metal detectorists find 2,000-year-old Iron Age gold treasure in Welsh first - "The 15 coins, which have been declared treasure, are known as staters. They were found the Welsh island of Anglesey, off the northwest coast of the country’s mainland. Struck between 60 BC and 20 BC, the coins belonged to the Corieltavi tribe, who at the time inhabited the geographical area that is now England’s East Midlands, according to a National Museum Wales press release."
• This RV costs between $2-4 million & takes about two years to build - "Mansion on wheels: Step inside the Elemment Palazzo Superior, a double-decker RV with a pop-up rooftop lounge. The term 'luxury vehicle' usually brings to mind Rolls-Royce Phantoms, Lamborghinis or Ferraris. But what about an ultra-extravagant recreational vehicle? Enter the Elemment Palazzo Superior."
• Eight of the world's most stunning floating homes - "From Scandinavia to the US, people are finding community and freedom living on water."
• Take the high road: the man who visited every country in the world - without boarding a plane - "At 34, Torbjørn Pedersen embarked on a seemingly impossible journey that would take 10 years - and involve cerebral malaria and being held up at gunpoint. He reflects on the highs, the lows and the joy of getting married en route."
• Texas woman awarded $1.2bn in revenge porn case - "All US states, with the exception of Massachusetts and South Carolina, have anti-revenge porn laws in place."
• It’s time to rethink our relationships with streaming services - "With streaming services across the board raising their prices, you owe it to yourself to have a good deep think about what you want out of all these subscriptions and what you’re actually getting for your money."
• Prediction: These 2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Growth Stocks Will Join Apple and Microsoft in the $2 Trillion Club by 2033 - "Artificial intelligence has changed the technology landscape, and these two companies should profit from that revolution"
• The best DACs for Apple Music Lossless in 2023 - "All the equipment you need to listen to hifi audio wherever you are."

August 15, 2023

• Mark Zuckerberg says he’s ‘out of town’ as Elon Musk drives to his house to fight - "Facebook founder called off the planed bout saying Tesla CEO ‘isn’t serious’ about fighting."
• Elon Musk sells off even more Twitter collectibles as part of rebranding auction including famous blue bird logo - "Items including oil painting of Ellen DeGeneres' Oscars selfie will be available. Bidding for all items will start at $25 following Musk's controversial rebrand to X. Musk's latest auction will last two days, beginning on Tuesday September 12."
• Investors cashing in purchasing scorched Hawaiian land - "'Shame on you!': Hawaii resident slams investors she says are already calling distraught families offering to buy their scorched land while they pick over the ashes of their homes as death toll rises to 99 and hundreds more are still missing."
• One of the scariest places on Earth - "Elizabeth Rush on her epic journey to Earth's 'doomsday glacier'. In her latest book, The Quickening, the Pulitzer Prize finalist embarked on an epic odyssey to one of the most important - and least-explored - places in the world."
• Hawaii wildfires: Crews may find 10 to 20 wildfire victims a day - governor - "Recovery crews combing through charred homes and vehicles in Hawaii are likely to find 10 to 20 more victims per day, the governor has warned. The death toll from the fire now stands at 99, making it the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century."
• 20 Countries With Highest Rate of Economic Growth in 5 Years - "We have ranked the 20 countries with the highest rate of economic growth in 5 years, using real GDP growth rates between 2018 and 2022."
• The 13 Fastest Superyachts in the World - "These boats prove that size doesn't have to mean slow."
• AirPods Pro 2 Review - "Is Apple’s Next-Level Noise Cancelling Worth It? They cancel more noise, sound better and last longer - yes, it’s an iterative update but if your Pros are ageing or you’re replacing earphones from another brand, you can’t go wrong with these."
• ChatGPT Was Given $20K To Invest in Stocks & Crypto - Here’s How It Made $2,000 in a Month - "$1,946 profit was made after following ChatGPT's advice for a month, with crypto investments making 130% more than stocks."
• What Happened to All Those Jobs ChatGPT Was Supposed to Nuke? - "Why ChatGPT hasn’t ignited the employment apocalypse that so many predicted."
• Why the Great AI Backlash Came for a Tiny Startup You’ve Probably Never Heard Of - "A literary analytics project called Prosecraft has shuttered after backlash from the writing community. It's a harbinger of a bigger cultural tide shift."
• These kids get free vacations thanks to their YouTube fame. But what happens behind the scenes? - "The most popular content creators can easily clear six or seven figures per year with advertising revenue and brand partnerships."
• What Happens When a Pop Star Isn’t That Popular? - "Pop’s middle class enjoys loyal online fan bases. For these artists, pop stardom isn’t a commercial category, but a sound, an aesthetic and an attitude." The New York Times.
• What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? A psychology theory, explained - "Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is the kind of 'see it everywhere, can’t remember where you learned it' concept that pops up every so often in conversations about psychology, social issues and self-improvement."
• Do Supermodels Age, or Just Get Airbrushed? - "The cover of Vogue’s September issue has ignited a new debate about beauty standards." The New York Times.
• Giant spiders invade the New York dining scene - "Meet the New York chef who wants to change our diets one bug at a time. Tried meatless Mondays? How about black fly Fridays or scorpion Sundays? New York City-based chef Joseph Yoon started cooking insects four years ago for an art project. He now wants to change our perceptions of creepy crawlies so that we can have 'delicious,' 'nutrient-dense,' and 'sustainable' insect diets."
• Vegan diet massively cuts environmental damage, study shows - "Detailed analysis finds plant diets lead to 75% less climate-heating emissions, water pollution and land use than meat-rich ones."
• Why Britain doesn't build - "The history of attempts to reform planning in Britain is proof that political willpower is not enough: you need to be smart, not just brave."
• Why fidgeting is good for you - "Often seen as a sign of rudeness, nerves or simply that you are not paying attention, it may be time to change our view of people who jiggle, tap and fiddle."
• Inside Heesen’s ‘Best Yacht Ever’ - Built For A Young Billionaire & His Dog - "'This is best Heesen yacht that’s ever been made,' the captain of Ultra G tells me as he shows me around the new 197-foot superyacht, built by Heesen. 'There are nuggets on this boat that are way better than others - truly.' He’s not wrong. Of all the superyachts I’ve seen up close, Ultra G is one of the most considered. The personality of her 'young' owner shines through in every element, from her dynamic red and black exterior to her abundance of bespoke features that cater to each facet of the client’s interests - including their pets."
• Spiky Stilettos Give This Season’s Fashion a Sharp Edge - "These shoes, in black and red, add a dramatic kick to any outfit."
• Want a $4,000 smart door? The Home Depot has you covered - "The Masonite M-PWR smart door is a fully-powered door with a Ring video doorbell and Yale smart lock built-in."

August 14, 2023

• Walking just 4,000 steps a day can cut risk of dying from any cause, analysis finds - "Study also finds each additional 1,000 steps daily are associated with a further 15% reduction in risk."
• Which is the best position to sleep in? - "Some swear by a night on their side, others on their back. But which sleeping position is the best for a good night's rest?"
• What we know about the deadliest US fire in over a century - "The death toll from the Maui wildfires stands at 93."
• Zuckerberg says Musk 'not serious' about cage fight - "Elon Musk 'isn't serious' about holding a cage fight and 'it's time to move on', Mark Zuckerberg has said."
• The Day the Earth Caught Fire: The 1961 film that predicted a 'boiling planet' - "Released in 1961, the cult British sci-fi film The Day the Earth Caught Fire offers a stark warning that resonates with a heating planet today."
• Nights at the opera & days in the piazza: the joy of visiting Verona - "It’s Italy’s most romantic city, but there’s a lot more to Verona than Romeo and Juliet."
• How to pick the perfect broccoli at the supermarket - "A professional fruit and vegetable supplier has revealed the five features you should look out for when you're buying broccoli at the supermarket."
• 3 Daily Habits that Often Drain 90 Percent of Our Potential in Life - "As you age you will learn to value your time, genuine relationships, meaningful work, and peace of mind, much more. Little else will matter."
• Meta's Twitter rival, Threads, struggling to keep users - "CNN technology reporter, Brian Fung, talks to Isa Soares about why Meta's Threads app is suffering from a fall in engagement as it struggles to keep up with rival, Twitter."
• iOS 17 beta 3 is live - here's the biggest new features for your iPhone - "Live Transcription and Locked Private Browsing headline the new beta."
• All the keyboard improvements & upgrades included in iOS 17 - "There are several keyboard improvements with iOS 17 for iPhone that make typing, organizing, and navigating messages much simpler and more intuitive." 1. Autocorrect. 4 Images. ... 2. Autofill. 2 Images. ... 3. Grammar correction. 4 Images. ... 4. Swipe to reply. 2 Images. ... 5. Dictation. 2 Images. ... 6. Using stickers as emoji. 3 Images.
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review: the most powerful folding phone-tablet - "Lighter, slicker, gapless folder has great multitasking software and rapid chip – but extremely high price."
• The video call revolution is dead - "All we actually got was slightly better video chat."
• The music industry battles the Internet Archive - "The big music labels, led by Sony and Universal, are filing a lawsuit against the Internet Archive to stop the non-profit’s Great 78 Project. It’s an effort to digitize and preserve recordings on old 78 RPM records, a format discontinued in 1959. The labels feel the Archive, the closest thing the web has to a public library, is infringing its copyrights after digitizing tracks from big names like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. And the labels are asking for damages of $150,000 per still-copyrighted recording - the better part of $372 million in total."

August 13, 2023

• Hawaii has a robust emergency siren warning system. It sat silent during the deadly wildfires - "The state’s vaunted integrated outdoor siren warning system - the largest in the world, with about 400 alarms - was not activated during the fires, according to Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Adam Weintraub."
• Maui fire: 93 killed as governor warns of 'significant' death toll rise - "Ninety-three people have been confirmed killed in the Maui fire that razed the historic town of Lahaina, marking the most deadly US fire in a century. The number of victims could rise 'significantly', Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned on Saturday, as forensic work continues to identify the victims. Hundreds remain unaccounted for while hundreds of others fill shelters across Maui after fleeing the flames."
• Hawaii congresswoman says state underestimated lethality of wildfires - Jill Tokuda says Hawaii ‘did not learn lesson’ from previous hurricane as death toll from devastating fires reaches 89.
• Why the Maui wildfires spread so devastatingly fast - video - "Unprecedented wildfires burning on the Hawaiian island of Maui have killed at least 53 people, displaced thousands of residents and destroyed parts of a centuries-old town. The disaster is one of the deadliest US wildfires in recent years."
• Why a hotter world will be bad for our health - "From the strain extreme heat puts on your heart to the damage it may do to your mental health, not to mention the increased air pollution, the forecast isn’t good."
• Stunning photos as Perseid Meteors light up skies - "The annual Perseid meteor shower has lit up skies across the world to the delight of those hoping to catch a glimpse of a shooting star."
• This Paris book market has been here for 450 years. Now it’s being moved for ‘security reasons’ - "Booksellers have plied their trade along the banks of the River Seine for about 450 years, their time-battered green boxes a Paris institution as treasured as freshly baked baguettes. But this piece of French history is now at the center of a political storm after the city’s police ordered that the vendors and their stalls be relocated for “security reasons” to make way for the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in 2024."
• China’s sitting on a goldmine of genetic data & it doesn’t want to share - "Better cancer treatments, advances in longevity, groundbreaking medicines and vaccines: these are just some of the potential prizes on offer in an emerging global race to advance the biosciences. And China has been pouring billions of dollars into its efforts to become the preeminent force, with experts claiming its massive population of 1.4 billion people can provide a treasure trove of data. Vast amounts of this data already exists in biobanks and research centers around the country - but the government is now launching a 'national genetic survey' to collect information about and assert more oversight over these resources, say experts."
• Modern romance: falling in love with AI - "Established players in the online dating business like Tinder and Hinge are integrating AI into their existing products. New apps like Blush, Aimm, Rizz and Teaser AI (most of them free or with many free features) offer completely new takes on virtual courtship."
• Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg is ON! X billionaire claims Italian officials have AGREED to hold fight at 'epic location' in Rome - "Elon Musk has further hinted that his showdown with Mark Zuckerberg will occur at Rome's Colosseum."
• IS THAT U? iPhone owners are just realizing AI trick clones your voice & speaks just like you - unlock it in your Settings - "You can now hear an artificial intelligence version of your voice right on your iPhone."
• The era of cheap streaming is officially over - "The disruptive streaming model birthed by Netflix that dangled all-you-can-eat menus of films, shows, and endless entertainment without pesky advertisements for extraordinarily low prices came to an official close on Wednesday."
• Virgin Galactic’s first space tourists had a ‘surreal experience’ - "If your dream involved venturing to the stars, space tourism has opened up another avenue for those who didn’t study to become astronauts - albeit at a hefty price. Those who have been willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a ticket to ride to the edge of space have also endured a lengthy wait, and for most of them it’s not over yet."
• Shoppers embrace ‘girl math’ to justify luxury purchases - here’s how it works - "The latest way, coined 'girl math,' breaks down the price of an item by the cost per wear. If you use an expensive handbag every day for a year, for example, then it might only set you back a few bucks each time you wear it."
• The History of Bucket & Jet Set Bucket - "The modern bucket bags started its real form from the champagne bottles’ bag produced by Louis Vuitton. This fabulous bag was designed to carry 5 bottles of champagne at a time safely."
• 9 Elegant Timepieces From Watchmakers That Make ‘Quiet Luxury’ Look Easy - "While it might be the latest fad, watchmakers from Rolex to Patek Philippe have this approach at the core of their brands."
• 9 watch brands that Silicon Valley millionaires love - "Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos wear Omega, and Bill Gates goes for Casio, while Silicon Valley CEOs are fans of Cartier, Rolex - and Apple Watches, of course."
• Mutanjan: The meat & rice dessert loved by Indian royals - "It's a multicoloured spectacle - a carnival on a plate. A bed of pristine white grains of syrup-soaked rice is offset by a bright pop of colours from a mix of dyed rice and comes studded with dried fruits and nuts, tutti frutti, glazed cherries and chamcham - sugary orbs of cottage cheese, in pastel hues - and crescent slivers of toasted coconut. Some versions are even finished with slices of boiled egg."
• Do These Shoes Make Me Look Like a Tourist? - "A reader asks: to sneaker or not to sneaker? By your shoes, they shall know you. I’m not entirely kidding. Shoes may not be the windows to the soul, but for a long time they were the source of national stereotype. Germans, it was said, were the travelers in sandals and white athletic socks. You could tell an Italian banker because he was the one in brown shoes, no matter what color his suit. The British, on the other hand, went around intoning 'no brown in town.' American tourists wore sneakers. But that was then! Between the explosion of sneaker culture, the 'fashionization' of Birkenstocks and the general rise of comfort clothing, those old lines have started to blur." The New York Times.
• The Frothy Saga of the Jacuzzi Family - "An immigrant story, an American dream, a machine that defined bourgeois sensuality. Candido Jacuzzi didn’t set out to turn his last name into a global brand. Nor did he intend to power a business which, though it created the family fortune, nearly tore them apart. He just wanted to ease the physical pain suffered by his son, any way he could." The New York Times.
• SNAPCHAT ENGINEER DESIGNS AI-CAMERA THAT RUNS STABLE DIFFUSION TO TURN YOUR PHOTOS INTO AI ART - "Created by Twitter-user Kyle Goodrich, the DreamGenerator is a compact handheld shooter that runs Stable Diffusion to transform the photos you take. With as many as 30 themes to choose from, you can prompt the camera to make your photos retro, sci-fi, zombie, pirate-themed, and much more. The photo you take is displayed on the DreamGenerator’s viewfinder display, and in a matter of seconds, is transformed into something totally new, created by the Stable Diffusion program running within the camera."

August 12, 2023

• Perseid Meteor Shower 2023 Guide | When & How to See It - "In 2023 the Perseid meteor shower is active between 17 July and 24 August. The shower will peak 12-13 August."
• Aftermath of the Hawaii wildfire - in pictures - "The fire that tore across Lahaina in Maui caught many by surprise, claiming dozens of lives and burning more than 1,000 buildings. Aerial photographs reveal the extent of the damage."
• Devastating Hawaii fires made ‘much more dangerous’ by climate change - "Global heating is causing vegetation to dry out, priming it as fuel for an outbreak of fire, says scientist at Nature Conservancy."
• Global heating likely to hit world food supply before 1.5C, says UN expert - "Water scarcity threatening agriculture faster than expected, warns Cop15 desertification president."
• Biden administration earmarks $1.2 billion for two large-scale carbon capture projects - "The Department of Energy is still trying to bring down the cost of direct air capture tech too."
• What to Know About the New Dominant Covid Variant - "EG.5 is spreading quickly, but experts say it’s no more dangerous than previous versions." The New York Times.
• Drugmaker Novo Nordisk helping Elon Musk shed weight worth more than Denmark - "A pharma company helping Elon Musk shed weight is now worth more than the entire economy of Denmark. Manufactured by Danish pharma company Novo Nordisk, Wegovy is the only weight-loss drug approved by the FDA."
• ‘There’s no such thing as a neutral algorithm’ - "The existential AI exhibition confronting Sydney. Artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s Atmospheric Memory allows visitors to interact with generative tech - and become part of the show in unexpected ways."
• Laughter: People do it, dogs do it, even rats do it - "Laughter is an everyday reminder that we humans are animals. In fact, when recorded laughter is slowed down, listeners can’t tell whether the sound is from a person or an animal. We throw our heads back and bare our teeth in a monkeylike grin."
• Italy could host Musk v Zuckerberg cage fight - "Italy's culture minister on Friday said that he had spoken to Mr Musk about hosting the showdown as a charity event."
• Bill Gates watched ChatGPT ace an AP Bio exam & went into ‘a state of shock’ - "‘Let’s see where we can put it to good use.’" Even tech icon Bill Gates says he was caught off-guard by the rapid development of artificial intelligence programs like ChatGPT. On Thursday, Gates opened up about “the most stunning demo I’ve ever seen in my life” - a demonstration of ChatGPT’s capabilities on an AP Biology exam in August 2022, he said on an episode of his “Unconfuse Me” podcast featuring Khan Academy CEO Sal Khan.
• Jeff Bezos Nabs $68 Million Estate on Miami’s “Billionaire Bunker” Island - "The Amazon founder has greatly expanded his real estate portfolio in recent years."
• Robert De Niro at 80: his best films - "On the eve of the actor’s 80th birthday, delve into his epic back catalogue, which runs the gamut from Taxi Driver and Meet the Parents to Falling in Love."
• Cashmere demand is threatening Mongolia’s steppe - "Why demand for cashmere comes at a cost. Can the industry go sustainable?"
• ChatGPT's 'Custom Instructions' now available to free users - "Tell ChatGPT your preferences and it will remember them for future responses. ChatGPT's Custom Instructions, which lets users customize the chatbot's responses or output, is now available to free users. Users tell ChatGPT once about themselves and responses they prefer. The chatbot will apply this lens to future responses."
• What cash discounts tell us about payment defaults - "'I think a lot about what our society’s default modes are, because those things are 'normal' and thus invisible.' Sure, there are benefits to letting customers pay with cards: they are likely to spend more (the Capital One report says three times as much), you can track them."
• Chip implants get under your skin so you can leave your keys at home - "Unlock doors, authenticate your identity or show off a cool party trick."
• rules of the internet - "Rules of the internet refers to a humorous list of unofficial rules guiding online conduct or listing axioms about what the internet is and how users should behave on it."
• The best pen - "After evaluating 26 contenders and conducting three rounds of testing, our experts found one clear winner."
• List of films with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes - To date, Leave No Trace holds the site's record, with a rating of 100% and 252 positive reviews.
• The Classic Cocktail Anthony Bourdain Called The 'Perfect Mixed Drink' - "A traditional negroni is made with one part gin, one part sweet vermouth, and one part Campari and garnished with an orange twist. When speaking to Barron's, Bourdain praised the negroni as 'the perfect drink.'"
• Supermodels recreate iconic Vogue cover 30 years on - "Image will run across UK and US Vogue covers and coincides with upcoming documentary The Super Models."
• Mission to the Moon: Who will win Russian & India's race to the lunar South Pole? - "Two spacecraft - one built by India and the other by Russia - are hurtling on missions towards our Moon by very different routes. But does it matter which touches down first?"
• Why William Friedkin's undersung masterpiece Sorcerer represents everything Hollywood has lost - "Friedkin, who died this week, may be best known for The Exorcist, but this wild 1977 thriller, which was a huge flop at the time, deserves just as much recognition, writes Christina Newland."
• Prince Rainier’s hesitant start to ‘Monte Greco’ - "Part 19 in our History of Monaco series: In the first months after the death of his grandfather, Louis II, Prince Rainier III made a shy impression but also a very ambitious one. He had clearly not been prepared by his predecessor and had to learn all the tricks of governing himself."
• Farewell to a Store That Was Gap for Billionaires - "At Tiina the Store, Tiina Laakkonen specialized in minimalist clothing, accessories and housewares - and no logos, ever. Her fashion paragon is Georgia O’Keeffe. And the shop Tiina Laakkonen ran for over a decade from a frame house on Route 27 in Amagansett, N.Y., halfway between East Hampton and Montauk, seems like the sort of place where you could imagine the legendary artist augmenting her chic if austere wardrobe - that is, if Georgia O’Keeffe had been dressed by the Row." The New York Times.
• The Var side: the quieter corner of the French Riviera - "The less-visited Var region of the Côte d’Azur is full of glorious beaches, heritage-rich towns and bucolic vineyards."
• Cher's Former Home On A Private Island In Miami Is On The Market For $42.5 Million. Take A Look Inside - "The 12,450-square-feet home comes with 158 feet of waterfront land and a resort-sized pool."
• Google Nest Smoke Detector review with HomeKit - "Does Google make the best smart smoke detector once added to HomeKit?"

August 11, 2023

• How Climate Change Turned Lush Hawaii Into a Tinderbox - "Declining rainfall, rising temperatures and invasive species have left the islands more susceptible to wildfires." The New York Times.
• What caused the Hawaii wildfires? - "Hawaii is no stranger to wildfires, but those of the past few days are being called some of the worst in the archipelago's history. Their toll has been devastating, though what sparked the deadly fires is still under investigation. Hurricane winds and dry weather, however, helped fuel the flames."
• Maui fires: Hawaii blazes fanned by Hurricane Dora - in pictures - "At least 55 people have died in the Lahaina fire in Hawaii, local authorities have said, adding that the fire remains active."
• Scientists are fighting to save the ‘blue heart’ of Europe - "The Neretva River carves its way through Bosnia and Herzegovina’s impenetrable forest. A mesmerizing blue-green, it runs 140 miles (225 kilometers) from deep within the Dinaric Alps to the Adriatic Sea – at some points disappearing into subterranean channels before re-emerging in bubbling springs. One of the coldest rivers in the world, it is home to unique ecosystems and myriad rare species, from marble trout and yellow-bellied toads to the elusive olm – blind salamanders that live in the river’s network of caves."
• 300,000-year-old skull found in China unlike any early human seen before - "An ancient skull dating back 300,000 years is unlike any other premodern human fossil ever found, potentially pointing to a new branch in the human family tree, according to new research. An international team of researchers from China, Spain and the United Kingdom unearthed the skull - specifically the mandible, or lower jaw - in the Hualongdong region of eastern China in 2015, along with 15 other specimens, all thought to originate from the late Middle Pleistocene period."
• Warren Buffett Transformed His Neighbor's Life Savings Of $67,000 Into $400 Million - "In 1965, a middle-aged couple in Omaha, Nebraska, faced a common yet challenging predicament: how to effectively plan for retirement. Dorothy and Myer Kripke had diligently saved and received a modest inheritance, placing them well ahead of their peers in terms of retirement planning. By that year, their savings amounted to approximately $67,000, which, when adjusted for inflation, would equate to around $650,000 today."
• Meta spends $14 million on Mark Zuckerberg’s security & Tesla is ‘highly dependent’ on Elon Musk - "But no one can actually stop them from maiming each other in a cage."
• Steve Jobs had a ‘beer test’ he used for Apple job interviews - "Going slightly against the idea that job interviews should be pretty formal affairs, the late Apple CEO wanted to buck the trend of people turning up to interviews with pre-planned answers and scripted responses. A key question for Jobs when interviewing someone was: 'Would I have a beer with this person? Would I talk to him or her in a relaxed way while taking a walk?' So, that’s exactly what he did."
• Wear a rainbow Swatch watch in Malaysia & you could face 3 years in jail - Wearing a rainbow-themed Swatch watch in Malaysia could now land you three years in jail, after the government banned what it described as the brand’s 'LGBTQ related' products - claiming they are 'harmful to morality.' Anybody who wears, sells, imports or distributes the Swiss watchmaker’s rainbow-themed products - including watches, accessories or related packaging - faces not only the possibility of a jail term, but also a fine of up to 20,000 ringgit ($4,375) if convicted, according to official gazetted documents seen by CNN.
• Why this viral photo of the world’s largest cruise ship is polarizing opinion - "The world’s largest cruise ship hasn’t welcomed a single passenger aboard yet, but it’s already set the internet on fire. The Icon of the Seas - which recently completed its first set of sea trials in preparation for its maiden voyage in January 2024 - has amazing credentials: 1,198 feet long (316 feet longer than the Titanic), 159 feet wide, 20 total decks and a maximum capacity of almost 10,000 people including all passengers and crew. But when an image of its stern section went viral in July, it polarized opinions, eliciting passionate reactions on all sides. The artist’s impression depicted the fully laden ship in vibrant colors, emphasizing its massive water park - featuring record-breaking water slides - and conveying the ship’s extraordinary size and density."
• In Darwin’s footsteps: sailing ship to retrace round-the-world voyage of the Beagle - "On Monday, a three-masted schooner will set sail from Plymouth with a crew of young naturalists on a two-year educational trip. Crew members still needed ..."
• Travel Insurance: What It Covers & When to Buy It - "In the wake of Covid, travel insurance sales have spiked with the rebound in travel as people seek to protect their investments against flight delays and cancellations, extreme weather events and the persistence of the virus. But travel insurance is complicated with a range of benefits, inclusions and prices. Here’s what you need to know before you buy."
• A Wealthy Teenager, a 5-Star Hotel & a Bizarre Defamation Fight - "A teenager turned away by a bar in one of Manhattan’s fanciest hotels started a campaign to sully its reputation, a lawsuit says. The hotel is suing him for defamation." The New York Times.
• 5 Wellness Trends to Watch - "A look back at pills, products and practices that popped up in the first half of this year." The New York Times.
• 20 greatest Venice film festival Golden Lion winners - ranked! - "With the 80th instalment of the festival on the Lido around the corner, we sort through the winners of one of cinema’s most prestigious accolades."
• US golfer wagered 'more than $1 billion during the past three decades' - "Phil Mickelson considered a $400,000 bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup - in which he was participating - according to a book that will be released later this month by professional gambler Billy Walters."
• How to use AI to create a logo for free - "Generative AI is perfect for producing code, writing letters, and creating images. But how does it fare generating logos?"
• Get ready for a repositioned end call button in iOS 17 - "Apple’s redesigned call interface repositions the red end call button, moving it closer to the other controls."
• Philips Hue just reinvented the table lamp & track lighting - here’s how - "Philips Hue unveiled the coolest new smart lights in years."
• Lego’s new $200 Concorde is a fantastic homage to the supersonic passenger jet - "Lower the nose and deploy the landing gear with clever Lego tricks."

August 10, 2023

• France’s clean air sticker poses challenge for visiting drivers - "British drivers taking their car across the Channel to France this summer will need to display a Clean Air sticker if they plan to enter one of several cities, or face a fine of up to €180. In a similar move to the clean air Ultra Low Emission Zones that are paving very unpopular in the UK, France has more than 12 zones, including Paris and several others cities popular with UK tourists, including Nice."
• Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $1.35 billion - here are the 10 biggest lottery prizes of all time - "If a ticket holder matches all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball, they’ll win the fourth-largest U.S. lottery jackpot of all time. However, without a winner, the jackpot amount will keep growing. Here’s a look at the all-time highest jackpots, as well as the state where winning tickets were purchased, according to Powerball and Mega Millions data."
• New Covid variant is on the rise - "New variant EG.5 is on the rise as Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations go up. Nationally, EG.5 is causing about 17% of new Covid-19 cases in the country, compared with 16% for the next most common lineage, XBB.1.16, according to the latest estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
• The Leaning Tower of Pisa was once tilting dangerously. Today it’s a different story - "This week, as the monument celebrated its 850th birthday, the tilting monument’s future appearances in jokey tourist photos was assured for years to come as its guardians gave it a clean bill of health."
• The real reason you can’t use your phone until inside the terminal building - "Cell phones are not allowed to be used while on a plane because they can interfere with the airplane’s navigation instruments and cause various safety and social issues. As soon as the plane lands, we’re permitted to turn off flight mode, but at some airports we can’t get much of a signal. That’s because airports are known as phone signal 'dead zones' due to a lack of mobile towers - they can’t be placed at the airport itself due to height restrictions."
• Five new features coming to AirPods Pro 2 - "Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Mute or Unmute, Personalized Volume, and Automatic Switching improvements will be available through a free software update. We expect iOS 17 and the new AirPods firmware to be released in September."
• YouTube Premium just got a big upgrade & it's not just for iPhones anymore - "A new and improved 'enhanced bitrate' version of the 1080p video quality feed, which first hit iPhones in April, is finally available to all Premium subscribers - at least on the web, Chromecast and video game consoles (sorry Android folks, they can't have forgotten about you)."
• 'I'm a baby name expert & these 6 common names are best avoided' - "The experts scoured their website for the most 'polarizing' names and disclosed six of them in the video. Many TikTok users were shocked about the six contentious baby names."
• The best cameras for 2023 - "Compacts, DSLRs, action cams and of course, mirrorless cameras."
• What really is plus-size fashion? Experts weigh in on the term’s ever-evolving meaning - "Having a bigger, curvier body, and needing the type of clothing that accommodates or even highlights it, has become (somewhat) more accepted by the fashion and retail industries. Recent years have seen greater commitments to size diversity from clothing brands and the rise of plus-size models such as Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, Precious Lee and Tess Holliday. But what’s really considered a plus-size body or garment?"
• 6 ChatGPT Prompts To Supercharge Your LinkedIn (And Build A Huge Following) - "Don’t underestimate the intensity required to do something well. That applies to your business and sport, your customer service and your writing. Your Twitter, LinkedIn or Threads activity. If you’re going to do LinkedIn, do it properly. Learn from the experts, put your plan together and commit to showing up even when you don’t feel like it. Start on the route towards mastery to hit the results that hardly anyone achieves."
• Vistagen's stock soars 1,272% after social anxiety nasal spray hits phase 3 goals - "The biotech’s stock skyrocketed 1,272% from market close Friday, rising from $1.68 per share to $24.70 as the market opened Monday. The stock has evened out a bit since then, hitting $12.07 per share at 11 a.m. ET."
• Cadillac’s Escalade IQ makes all other EVs look small - "Cadillac’s $130,000 all-electric Escalade IQ is a completely new take on the larger-than-life luxury SUV."
• 20 Barn-Find Ferraris To Be Auctioned At Monterey Car Week - "A collection of classic Ferrari road and race cars, hidden in a barn and unused for decades, will be auctioned in California next week between 17 and 19 August. The so-called ‘Lost & Found Collection’ consists of some of the rarest Ferraris ever built, including one of just three factory-built examples of the 512 BB Competizione, presented exactly as it was after competing in the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans. There’s also a one-of-four 250 GT, and the crumbled wreck of a 1954 500 Mondial Spider Series I that raced at both the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio. To be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s during Monterey Car Week in California later this month, the 20-car set could sell for $20 million."

August 9, 2023

• Prince Harry's HRH title is stripped from Royal Family website profile page - "Three years after Meghan's was removed following 'Megxit' departure to Los Angeles. Under the terms of the 2020 Megxit agreement, the Palace said Harry and Meghan Markle could retained their HRH titles but would not be allowed to use them after stepping down as senior royals. Even so, parts of the royal website have mistakenly referred to Harry as HRH for the last three years."
• Arrowhead made from meteorite 3,000 years ago found near lake in Europe - "A Bronze Age arrowhead unearthed in Switzerland was made from a meteorite, a new study has found. Dating back to between 900 and 800 BC, the 39-millimeter-long (1.5-inch-long) arrowhead was found on a pile-dwelling site in Mörigen on Lake Biel, Switzerland, during excavations in the 19th century, according to the study conducted by a team of researchers at the Natural History Museum of Bern."
• 10 Hard Things that Are Always Worth Doing for Yourself - "(Before it’s Too Late). Even when the struggle is real, remind yourself that it almost always feels better to be exhausted from taking tiny steps forward, than it does to be tired of doing absolutely nothing."
• How the world fell for the sari - "The ancient sari is having a moment in the Western world."
• Hoodies sell out in Tonga as El NiÑo brings wintry chill - "Residents on island rush to buy warm clothing and heaters amid unusually cold winter weather for the Pacific nation."
• Kanye West's 'wife' Bianca Censori has angered locals with her racy outfits in Italy - "These tourists have been dress-coded in much less revealing clothing."
• Threads is rolling out some new features amid a user slump - "The platform now allows users to see their likes and organize their follower lists. The Twitter clone's growth has stalled after it failed to entice users to return."
• The isometric secret: 15 ways to get much fitter - without moving a muscle - "What are the best exercises to reduce your blood pressure? The plank and the wall sit. Here is how to do them - and some other great poses - whatever your current fitness level."
• Lina Hurtig considers VAR penalty tattoo if Sweden win World Cup - "Sweden’s Lina Hurtig might immortalise her shootout-winning penalty against the United States with a tattoo, but only if her country wins the World Cup."
• Exploring the Importance of the Watch Strap - "The watch strap frames the watch (both figuratively and literally) in a particular genre or setting. That genre can be active, modern, vintage, traditional, black tie, casual, or sporty. In much the same way the clothes make the man, the watch strap makes the watch. All watch straps use the tools of texture, color, material, size, and shape to set the stage, create a mood, and most importantly support the main character - the watch. A good watch strap selection should highlight the watch and help you to tell the story you want told."
• How to use Meta’s new LLaMa 2 generative A.I. tool as a chatbot & how it compares to ChatGPT & Google Bard - Fortune.
• Google says AI systems should be able to mine publishers’ work unless companies opt out - "The tech company’s latest proposal about generative AI turns copyright law on its head, and could especially hurt smaller content creators, say experts."
• Why cemeteries never run out of space - "Funeral director reveals truth behind the myth that cemeteries never run out of space (and what happens to the bodies when they do!)"
• The world's largest landlocked country - "Kazakhstan: A road trip through the nation's immense landscapes."
• British Museum, London: China’s Hidden Century review - how opium & Christianity demolished a civilisation - "From Looty the stolen dog to the story of the last emperor, via glittering gowns and bloody rebellions, this show has a shock round every corner."
• Test-Driving The 2023 Rolls-Royce Ghost - "Having a 2023 Rolls-Royce Ghost in the driveway is like adding an addition to your house. You’ll lounge in the Ghost’s heavenly back seat on breezy summer nights, shoes off, feet coddled on the plush rug, perhaps enjoying a meal (carefully), watching the world go by, perhaps holding hands with a loved one. You might even have someone driving up front while you guys eat peeled grapes. And why shouldn’t you, in a vehicle whose MSRP is $348,500, $488,050 as tested? The world is harsh and the Ghost is soft and muted, a respite. But don’t let the calm fool you. Underneath its hood there is a Godzilla - a 6.75I V, Twin-Turbocharged 563 horsepower 12-cylinder engine mated to a 8-speed automatic gearbox."
• Bob Dylan’s Stately Mansion In The Scottish Highlands Hits The Market For $4 Million - "The Times They Are A-Changin’. Music legend Bob Dylan is parting with his Scotland estate. The musician recently listed the 25-acre property - known as the Aultmore House - for $3.9 million. The home is set within the Scottish Highlands’ beautiful Cairngorms National Park, with views of the Abernethy Forest and Cairngorm mountains. Dylan, whose real name is Robert Zimmermann, purchased the property in 2006 with his brother for $2.9 million, reports say. The property features a 16-bedroom mansion, Victorian greenhouse, woodland, an orchard, walled garden, a fountain, croquet lawn, and three standalone four-bedroom cottages. The Edwardian mansion is located near the village of Nethy Bridge and clocks in at 18,357 square feet. There are also 11 bathrooms, two kitchens, a billiards room, a butler’s pantry, staff wing, and four reception rooms, including a lounge, TV room, and music room."

August 8, 2023

• 9 of the best Caribbean islands to visit - "With hundreds of Caribbean islands to choose from, it can be daunting to decide on a destination in this sun-splashed region. The good news: It’s hard to go wrong in a turquoise paradise. But each spot offers something a little different. Here are nine of the best choices for a variety of travel appetites."
• Want to cope with heatwaves? Look to Japan's creative cooling solutions - "As extreme heat hammers the globe, one traveller discovers a wealth of cooling solutions, from high-tech underwear to ancient philosophies, on a journey round Japan."
• New Barbie dolls inspired by Greta Gerwig movie are revealed by Mattel - "Including Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling's rollerblading looks and Kate McKinnon's 'weird' doll."
• Elon Musk says he might need surgery before any cage fight with Mark Zuckerberg - "The owner of X (formerly Twitter) is getting an MRI and will know more later this week."
• A Rich Stranger Wants to Give You All His Money. There’s a Catch - In 'Anansi’s Gold,' Yepoka Yeebo delves into the origins of a venerable scam - and the man who got away with it for decades. The New York Times.
• Ukraine creates database of art linked to sanctions-hit Russians - "Corruption agency hopes portal will ‘make it difficult for Russian oligarchs to sell such assets’."
• Apple Music launches a Discovery Station to help you find new songs - "The new station will play a curated selection of songs based on what you’ve been listening to but haven’t heard before."
• Google Search now has an AI-powered grammar checker - "It could be a handy way to make sure your words and punctuation are just right."
• Italian man crushed to death under falling cheese wheels - "An Italian man has been crushed to death under thousands of wheels of a Parmesan-style cheese, authorities said."
• Will electric flying taxis live up to their promise? - "In a year's time the Summer Olympics will be underway in Paris. The athletes will, of course, be hoping to make history, but so will one aviation start-up, Volocopter."
• The Exorcist & French Connection director William Friedkin - a life in pictures - "Film-maker William Friedkin has died at the age of 87. Famous for a string of classics in the 70s and 80s, here we look back at his career."
• Shoppers Are Buying Multiples of This Clever, Best-Selling Bag Organizer That’s as Little as $8 Right Now - "Totes are wonderful because you can store what feels like an endless number of must-have items inside. But the biggest downfall about this type of bag is that it can feel like an abyss when you’re trying to quickly find something specific inside. To solve this annoying problem, Amazon shoppers uncovered this clever tote bag organizer that has an impressive 19,100 five-star ratings."
• 23 Best Denim Brands of 2023 to Shop Now & Always - "Every day is a good day when you wear your favorite jeans. But before you found the one, you likely had to sort through the many denim brands on the market and engage in a try-on-and-error journey. When you know who makes your very perfect pair of jeans, the task becomes all the easier." VOGUE.
• The best power banks for 2023 - "Never run out of juice again, no matter where you are."
• From a Working Roulette Game to Rotating Gemstones, 7 Watches With Wild Complications - "For all their supposed devotion to tradition and restraint, plenty of luxury watchmakers like to let their freak flags fly. And never has that been truer than this year, as a tide of wild and wacky timepieces have come to market."
• 9 of the best gold watches - "A gold watch is the ultimate status symbol. Though the recent horological trend has skewed towards steel as the material of choice, the timelessness of gold is continuously proven by brands like Vacheron Constantin and Parmigiani Fleurier, introducing flagship models in precious metals. Don’t get me wrong - gold done incorrectly can be gaudy and overcompensate for lacklustre personality - but when properly executed, there’s a particular gravitas that only a gold watch carries. Read on for our selection of nine pieces that hit the nail squarely on the head."
• 47% of Warren Buffett's $375 Billion Portfolio Is Invested in 3 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks - "The Oracle of Omaha is (indirectly) betting big on Wall Street's next-big-thing investment."
• Italy won't say who's paying for the care of a $700 million superyacht tied to Putin - "The Scheherazade superyacht was impounded by the Italian government in May 2022 in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Instead of falling into disrepair, Italy has allowed its owner to maintain and refit the vessel, but it won't disclose who is footing the bill."
• SuperYacht Fan - "Luxury Yacht Owners and Private Jet Owners, SuperYachts and Mega Yachts."
• This $30 Million Bel-Air Mansion Overlooks A Secret Body Of Water - "The ornate mansion for sale at 1940 Bel-Air Road that was built on a low hill overlooking scenic Stone Canyon Reservoir. The setting provides a natural and scenic setting for the 17,000-square-foot home with eight bedrooms and 15 bathrooms built a decade ago." Forbes.

August 7, 2023

• 7 Luxury Items You’ll Regret Buying - "What’s the most you’d spend on one particular thing? We’re not talking houses or cars, but rather luxury items that can cost a fortune. Chances are there’s something you feel is worth an extravagant amount of money. But what specific products genuinely justify the splurge?"
• 10 musicians who killed their careers in seconds - "Just because your time in the spotlight is gone doesn’t mean it’s entirely over, and many artists have successfully made second acts, either on the indie circuit or building themselves back up to at least a modest position in the music industry. Some may have been able to muscle through their controversial pasts, but they would never see the heights of their glory years ever again."
• X, formerly Twitter, commandeers ‘@music’ handle from user with half a million followers - "Social network Twitter, recently rebranded as X, has commandeered the handle '@music' from open-source software developer Jeremy Vaught, who told CNBC he created the account in 2007, and had built a community of around half a million followers there."
• map shows europe's most expensive countries from switzerland to iceland - "According to recent statistics, the most expensive country in Europe is Switzerland. In fact data from Numbeo, the world’s largest cost of living database, suggests that Switzerland is second only to Bermuda in terms of the most expensive countries in the world."
• GOBankingRates - "We are here to guide you through every step of your financial journey. We empower our audience to live richer in your bank account, richer in your personal goal fulfillment, and richer in how you explore the world."
• Most Dangerous & Safest Countries Index - "Travel Safe - Abroad. Click on the name of the country to see more information regarding its safety."
• Safety Index by Country 2023 - "Numbeo is the world’s largest cost of living database. Numbeo is also a crowd-sourced global database of quality of life data: housing indicators, perceived crime rates, healthcare quality, transport quality, and other statistics. Share and compare information about quality of life. Numbeo is the leading global database for housing (real estate) prices and related indicators."
• Putin’s Forever War - "The conflict in Ukraine is hardly felt in Moscow. The impact is shunted to Russia’s poorest regions." The New York Times.
• Mark Zuckerberg not ‘holding breath’ for cage fight with Elon Musk - "In social media quibble, Musk causes confusion by saying he will livestream fight - and one day later saying he has back problems."
• Arnold, as you’ve never seen him before - "It’s hard to find people who don’t know Schwarzenegger, the bodybuilding legend from Austria who became a Hollywood superstar and, later, governor of California. The 76-year-old remains one of the most famous people in the world."
• How opera is aiming for net zero amid worsening climate change - "Many opera companies are working towards full sustainability, and Glyndebourne is among those aiming to be a force for good, according to a new documentary."
• What's the Price of a Complete Google Smart Home? We Did the Math to Find Out - "We break down the costs of building a fully connected Google smart home, from smart speakers to cameras to bulbs and so much more."
• a guide to every single seiko watch you can buy - "Seiko offers some of the best value in watches. We break down each of its modern product lines to help you understand what's available."
• A local’s guide to ReykjavÍk, Iceland - "The best bars, cafes, beaches and geothermal pools."
• Club Vivanova Monaco - "Luxury Lifestyle Networking." Based in Monaco, we bring together an affluent group of international business leaders. Europe’s leading and most dynamic business networking and luxury gourmet wine club.

August 6, 2023

• Warren Buffett's $31,500 House Is Now Worth $1.44 Million But He Says He Would Have Made Far More Money By Renting Instead - "Dubbed the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett is renowned for his simple and frugal lifestyle. Despite being the sixth richest person globally, with a net worth estimated at $117.9 billion, Buffett continues to live in the same modest home in Omaha that he purchased in 1958 for just $31,500. Adjusted for inflation, that amount today would be approximately $328,990.80, a mere 0.000279% of his total net worth."
• Elon Musk says X will fund legal bills if users treated unfairly by bosses - "Elon Musk has said X, formerly known as Twitter, will pay the legal bills of anyone who is treated unfairly by their employer for their activity on his social media platform. He asked users to 'let us know' if they had experienced unfair treatment for posting or liking something. Mr Musk is a self-described 'free speech absolutist' and has been vocal in his criticisms of the platform's policies on moderating content prior to his takeover."
• MrBeast: How the world's biggest YouTuber made his millions - "Jimmy Donaldson, the person the online world knows as MrBeast, is the biggest YouTuber on the planet - and with that popularity comes large sums of money. In November 2022, Forbes estimated he earned $54m in a year from the platform, combining advertising revenue from videos and sponsorship deals. Since then, he has gained 60 million more subscribers on his main channel, taking his total 172 million."
• The Russians hunting for cheap flats in occupied Mariupol - "It is one year since the Ukrainian city of Mariupol was largely destroyed by Russian forces and captured. It is now being transformed and presented as a showcase for rule from Moscow - and some Russians are even hoping to buy homes there."
• ‘HermÈs smells soft & smoky, Gucci more like wood’: how fake hunters tell designer knock-offs from the real deal - "With fashion lovers increasingly turning to secondhand luxury, bogus goods are rife. But at what cost?"
• Netflix: The most-watched documentary worldwide only one day after its premiere - "Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About You Food, the new documentary trending on Netflix."
• ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Is on the Road Again - "The popular Netflix legal thriller just released a batch of new episodes. In an interview, Ted Humphrey, one of the showrunners, discusses Season 2 and what every good lawyer show needs." The New York Times.
• Tired of Dating Apps, Some Turn to ‘Date-Me Docs’ - "Writers of the online text profiles, which can read like 1,000-word versions of the personal ads of yore, hope for a more meaningful connection than a swipe might allow. Instead of using dating apps, some have turned to the date-me doc, which is a single, view-only page about the individual. It's appealing, because it's a flexible format that lets you include what you want and how you want."
• Directory of date-me docs - FlowingData.
• What Is It About Montecito? - "Trying to understand the allure of a place that’s home to Oprah, the self-exiled royals, a celebrity juicer, Katy Perry’s dad - and the New American Dream." The New York Times.
• World’s smallest bear finally has its time in the sun. Here’s why some experts are worried - "Public interest in sun bears, one of Asia’s most endangered and intriguing animals, has rocketed after video footage emerged showing a bear named Angela in her enclosure at the Hangzhou zoo in eastern China standing upright on a rock and waving her paw."
• I’m a Wi-Fi expert - follow my ‘rule of 30’ to unlock much faster internet speeds in any home - "A RULE of 30 can help you get optimal Wi-Fi speed and it is super easy to implement. The rule is intended to evenly distribute the Wi-Fi signal across your home."
• Jet Lag: Get Back in the Rhythm - "Insomnia, drowsiness and bain fog can all take some of the fun out of your first days in a faraway place. You can't avoid jet lag, but you can follow some tips to bounce back faster." The New York Times.
• Is good posture overrated? Back to first principles on back pain - "For ages, bad posture has been assumed to cause back pain. Now some physiotherapists are rethinking what we should be doing with our spines."
• More Baby Boomers are living alone. One reason why: ‘gray divorce’ - "Nearly 16 million people ages 35-64 and those 65 years and older lived by themselves in 2022. There are many reasons behind this shift in our society, including the economic gains women made when they entered the workforce and changing attitudes toward marriage."
• Why Patek Philippe is the king of high watchmaking - "We look at two key models that demonstrate how and why Patek Philippe is the very best when it comes to high watchmaking."
• Philips Hue Review: the Wall Switch module makes your existing light switches smart - "The module allows you to use your existing light switch to control the Hue lights, in a way that always keeps the bulbs powered so you can still do smart stuff with them too."
• $2,490 wireless podcasting kit is absurd, but at least Nomono's sounds great - "It’s easy to use and delivers great audio quality. But it's expensive and doesn't work offline."
• Philips Hue Go Portable Table Lamp review: Lighting up your home & garden - "The Philips Hue Go Portable Table Lamp has been transforming my living space for a few months, but should you buy it? Here's my full review."

August 5, 2023

• From ‘Mr President’ to ‘Mr’: strongman Donald Trump cut down to size in court - "Trump has always loved beating his chest, but away from the TV cameras, the former president appeared meek and shrunken."
• $9.3 Million Birkin Bag Stolen At Airport Check-In Counter - "A bag with $9.3 million worth of valuables was stolen at the Emirates check-in counter at Barcelona Airport. Here's how this happened."
• Mark Zuckerberg leaves his wife fuming after building an octagon in the backyard - "To prepare for potential billionaire bout with Elon Musk. Zuckerberg put up a poll asking his followers if the ring should stay or go."
• When should you upgrade your TV? Here’s how long it should last - "According to the research, here's how often people upgrade their TVs."
• Greta Thunberg accuses Edinburgh book festival sponsor of ‘greenwashing’ - "Climate activist pulls out of event, saying sponsor Baillie Gifford invests heavily in fossil fuel industry."
• Wildfires: The changing face of the Mediterranean landscape - "Heatwaves across southern Europe have brought devastating wildfires to the region. How is the Mediterranean's vegetation likely to recover and adapt as climate change increases the risk of these blazes?"
• OpenAI adds ‘huge set’ of ChatGPT updates, including suggested prompts, multiple file uploads - "Even while users and researchers continue to debate how the performance of ChatGPT has changed over time, OpenAI is not letting up on adding new features to its signature generative AI chatbot product. This week, Logan Kilpatrick, OpenAI’s first developer advocate and developer relations expert, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that a 'huge set of ChatGPT updates are rolling out over the next week.'"
• 5 ChatGPT Prompts To Write Your Business Plan - "A dream without a plan is just a wish, so get ChatGPT to help make your plan. Tell it your hopes and dreams and see everything laid out in front of you, ready to share with the world. Convince investors you’re the real deal, secure a business loan and set the mission firmly in your mind with a solid business plan that stands up to questioning. You could write your own from scratch. You could enrol in a business course or find a YouTuber to talk you through the process. But following these prompts will create you a business plan in record time. As with all ChatGPT-generated text, add further prompting to iterate your message and keep editing until you’re happy. Get 80% there with the following guides and fine tune the rest yourself."
• Mark Margolis, ‘Breaking Bad’ & ‘Better Call Saul’ actor, dead at 83 - "Margolis received an Emmy nomination in 2012 for portraying Hector 'Tio' Salamanca in Breaking Bad. Tio, a fan-favorite character, was a former cartel enforcer who communicated using a brass bell attached to his wheelchair. He later played Tio as a younger man, before he was in a wheelchair, in the prequel series 'Better Call Saul.'"
• From Here to Eternity at 70: an unusually soulful, feel-bad blockbuster - "Fred Zimmerman’s sturdy adaptation of James Jones’s army melodrama remains an underrated slice of homoerotic, bittersweet war-is-hell film-making."
• Border terrier makes incredible journey 100 miles across Switzerland - "Lucky was left in kennels in Bern but escaped and made her way to Lake Geneva before being found and traced to owners."
• From ponchos & prints to ski jackets & garters: 10 Copenhagen fashion week designers to watch - "With CPHFW about to start and Scandinavian style leading the charge when it comes to eco-conscious design, here are 10 designers to have on your radar."
• Fisker unveils the Alaska electric pickup & sub-$30,000 Pear EV - "It also announced that the Ronin EV supercar will cost a whopping $385,000."

August 4, 2023

• Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) - Country Overshoot Days 2023 - "A country’s overshoot day is the date on which Earth Overshoot Day would fall if all of humanity consumed like the people in that country."
• Ocean heat record broken, with grim implications for the planet - "The oceans have hit their hottest ever recorded temperature as they soak up warmth from climate change, with dire implications for our planet's health."
• Elon Musk’s unmatched power in the stars - "The tech billionaire has become the dominant power in satellite internet technology."
• Gwyneth Paltrow’s California guesthouse is listed on Airbnb for $0 - "The one-bedroom, one-bath guesthouse at her home in Montecito opens for booking at 1 p.m. EDT on August 15 for an overnight stay on Saturday, September 9, for up to two guests."
• From BÉis to Rimowa, These Are the Best Luggage Brands For Your Next Adventure - "Travel in style with today’s top suitcases, as carried by Gigi Hadid, Olivia Wilde, Lily James and more jet-setting stars."
• The Best Carry-On Suitcases For Every Type of Trip, From Business Class Bags to Eco-Conscious Rollers - "From classic rollers to backpacks, these compact suitcases by Rimowa, Béis, Away, Calpak and other top brands will get you through the airport with ease."
• What Can You Do When A.I. Lies About You? - "People have little protection or recourse when the technology creates and spreads falsehoods about them." The New York Times.
• Google can now alert you when your private contact info appears online - "You can receive notifications when your address, phone number, or email pops up in its search results."
• Google to launch privacy tools which remove unwanted personal images - "Google is launching new privacy tools to allow users to have more control over unwanted personal images online and ensure explicit or graphic photos do not appear easily in search results. Updates to Google policies on personal explicit images mean that users will be able to remove non-consensual and explicit imagery of themselves that they no longer wish to be visible in searches."
• Boom wants to bring back the days of Concorde, but for the masses - "The Colorado-based company aims to reintroduce commercial supersonic flight, which has been on hiatus since Concorde was retired in 2003. But unlike Concorde, an elitist engineering marvel that only a handful of airlines ever operated, Boom hopes its supersonic aircraft - called Overture - will democratize this type of travel, making it accessible to the masses."
• Freddie Mercury’s piano revealed as star lot at London auction - "Bought in 1975 and imported to England from Japan, Mercury’s Yamaha G2 is estimated to fetch between £2-£3 million ($2.5-$3.8 million) when it goes under the hammer in September. It was the instrument he used to compose the seminal track 'Bohemian Rhapsody' that same year. The instrument reportedly traveled from apartment to apartment with the 'Queen' star, until his final resting place at Garden Lodge in West London where Mercury died in 1991. It was at this flat where the piano took pride of place, in a sunbathed spot in the musician’s drawing room. Over 33,000 items from Freddie Mercury's house are being sold at Sotheby's auction house in September."
• Killer Queen sale: Freddie Mercury’s possessions go up for auction - "Almost 30,000 items including clothing and hand-written lyrics that belonged to Queen frontman exhibited before sale. 'Freddie was a hoarder, he didn’t throw anything away,' said Thomas Williams, a Sotheby’s director. 'His possessions give us an extraordinary 360-degree view of the man, from his childhood until his death.' Freddie Mercury, A World of His Own is at Sotheby’s, New Bond St, London until 5 September."
• What is patriarchy? What does it mean & why is everyone talking about it? - "Greta Gerwig's Barbie film is garnering high-profile attention for its commentary on patriarchy. The film is premised on the idea that Barbie and Ken visit the human world where men are in charge and Ken, relishing his treatment in a patriarchal society, sets out to try and turn Barbieland into one."
• Juul seeks authorization on a new vape it says can verify a user’s age. Here’s how it works - "E-cigarette company Juul Labs is seeking US authorization to sell a 'next-generation' vape with age verification capabilities in the United States. To verify a user’s age, the proposed vape pairs with a phone app, requiring a customer to either upload their government ID and a real-time selfie or input personal information and allow a third-party database to verify their identity, according to a Juul spokesperson. A unique Pod ID chip within the Juul device can also detect counterfeit cartridges made by other companies, many of which have flooded the market with illegal fruity flavors that appeal to minors."
• How You Should Change Your Workout Once You Hit 40 - "Making a few tweaks to your fitness habits - and mind-set - as you hit middle age can set you up for long-term mobility with less pain." The New York Times.
• The people living in heat bunkers - "The town where people live underground. In one unusual outback town, everything is subterranean - from churches to campsites. As the world heads for 2.7C (4.9F) of global warming, should we be heading underground?"
• ‘Stardom is not a worthy pursuit’: Julia Louis-Dreyfus on sexism, ageing & fighting fascism - "The star of Seinfeld, Veep and new film You Hurt My Feelings has barely put a foot wrong in her 40-year career. She discusses juggling parenting and working, dark days on SNL – and celebrating older women."
• White Lamborghini Countach From ‘Wolf Of Wall Street’ Is Going Up For Auction - "The actual Lamborghini Countach that starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street will be available to buy later this year. Believed to be one of only 12 US specification cars delivered new in Bianco Polo over Bianco - white paint with a matching white interior - the Countach 25th Anniversary is one of two such cars used to shoot the 2013 Martin Scorsese movie. Of the two, one was depicted with lifelike damage, having been driven carelessly by an inebriated Jordan Belfort, the stockbroker played by DiCaprio. The crashed car “remains in the same condition to this day, solidifying its own place as a Hollywood icon with its now infamous battle scars,” said auction house RM Sotheby’s, Auction location: Sotheby's New York, 1334 York Avenue, December 8, 2023." Forbes.

August 3, 2023

• The best clothing for heatwaves - "What is the best clothing to keep you cool? Is it dry or humid? This is the ultimate question when choosing what to wear."
• 6 ChatGPT Prompts To Improve Your Time Management - "ChatGPT can help business owners become more productive. Here's how to prompt ChatGPT to be your personal AI productivity coach."
• Google’s AI search is getting more video & better links - "Search Generative Experience is getting better, bit by bit - and it’s very clearly the future of Google."
• Could Trump go to prison & other key questions - "Former US President Donald Trump has been indicted in connection with the events surrounding the 6 January 2021 riots at the US Capitol. He has already been charged in two other cases - with mishandling classified files and falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to a porn star. Here are some of the key questions surrounding the case."
• Why this Spanish city stands apart from other Mediterranean hot spots - "Marbella even has a popular hashtag on social media, 'Marbs,' that has become shorthand to convey a certain upscale lifestyle (#marbslife)."
• Superyacht used by Princess Diana during her final summer holiday in France before her death sinks off the French Riviera - "A boat used by Princess Diana on her final holiday is now at the bottom of the sea. The Cujo sank off the Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, on Saturday. It was once owned by her then-boyfriend, millionaire heir Dodi Al-Fayed."
• Barbie, who? Kylie Jenner launches herself as a Bratz doll - "With Bratz dolls uplifting the feline-eyed, full-lipped, high-cheekboned 'Instagram-face' into a beauty standard - and an aesthetic that Jenner and her family have codified - before Instagram was even a twinkle, it’s unsurprising that Jenner has gone full uncanny valley by becoming the doll to which she’s sometimes drawn comparisons."
• A newly discovered colossal whale might be the heaviest animal ever, study finds - "A colossal ancient whale discovered in Peru might be the heaviest animal on record, according to a new study. At an estimated body mass of 85 to 340 metric tons (187,393 to 749,572 pounds), the heft of the now-extinct Perucetus colossus is equivalent to or exceeds that of the blue whale, which had indisputably been considered the animal with the greatest body mass until now, said Giovanni Bianucci, first author of the study published Wednesday in the journal Nature."
• 11 of the best TV shows to watch in August - "From Heartstopper and Star Wars: Ahsoka to the return of Only Murders in the Building, starring Meryl Streep, Caryn James picks 11 of the best TV series to see this month."
• All 12 Christopher Nolan Movies, Ranked by Rewatchability - "From pleasing blockbusters to mind-bending (even time-bending) thrillers, how rewatchable are Christopher Nolan's movies?"
• Don’t check the clock! 15 ways to get back to sleep when you wake at 3am - "It is normal and natural to wake in the early hours - but it can feel disastrous. Follow these simple steps to help you drift off."
• How Elon Musk took over Tesla using money, strong-arm tactics & his own popularity - "Episode two of Land of the Giants: The Tesla Shock Wave features interviews with Tesla’s co-founders, early employees, and investors to tell the story of the company’s origin."
• Chinese zoo previously 'passed off Golden Retriever as a lion' - "Years before claim that bears at another wildlife park are 'men in suits'."
• Sonos Move 2 is coming in September with stereo sound & 24-hour battery life - "Sonos’ next portable speaker will carry over the redesigned controls that debuted on the Era 100 and 300. Its USB-C port supports line-in audio and can also charge your phone."
• Canon's new security-focused 'SPAD' camera can capture color video in complete darkness - "Designed for applications like security monitoring, it retails for around $25,000. anon has just unveiled the MS-500, an unusual model that's one of the most sensitive non-infrared cameras ever developed. It uses the highest-resolution 1-inch SPAD (Single-photon avalanche diode) sensor yet (3.2 megapixels), and an interchangeable lens mount that allows clear color shooting in light as low as 0.001 lux, according to Canon - less than a clear moonless sky. It's designed to work in 'areas with extremely high-security levels, such as seaports, public infrastructure facilities, and national borders,' the company said."

August 2, 2023

• Takeaways from the indictment of Donald Trump for efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat - "Special counsel Jack Smith unveiled his case alleging that former President Donald Trump broke several laws in his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, with a grand jury indictment returned Tuesday that illustrated the depth and breadth of the federal criminal investigation. Prosecutors said in the new charging documents that Trump 'was determined to remain in power' after losing the 2020 election, and that he and six unindicted co-conspirators orchestrated a plot to overturn the results on and leading up to January 6, 2021."
• Sturgeon Moon: Supermoon pictures from around the world - "Stargazers across the world were treated to a bigger and brighter full Moon than usual on Tuesday night."
• Turns out there’s another problem with AI - its environmental toll - "AI uses huge amounts of electricity and water to work, and the problem is only going to get worse - what can be done?"
• Man who visited every country without flying has finally returned home - "On October 10, 2013, Torbjørn 'Thor' Pedersen left his job, girlfriend, and family behind in Denmark to embark on an epic journey. His goal? To visit every country in the world without flying. Pedersen set three cardinal rules for himself. He’d spend at least 24 hours in each nation, live off a budget of roughly $20 a day and resist returning home until he finished. On May 24, that day finally came. After nearly ten years of travel, Pedersen successfully visited his 203rd and final country, the Maldives, and began his long-awaited voyage back to Denmark."
• Elon Musk wants a second chance to fail at X - "Let’s put an X through it!"
• The Morning After: The Zuck vs Musk fight may not happen - "What hobby or sport can they ruin next?"
• Tired after eating? Here’s why & how to fix it - "Feeling tired after lunch, or post meals in general, is known as postprandial somnolence - or, colloquially, the food coma."
• Pizza party: 14 versions of the world’s favorite food - "The ultimate comfort food that traces its roots to Naples, Italy, has been adapted by cultures all over the world. Italians have even devised a series of lists of the best pizzas outside of Italy."
• No-shows, cork-sniffers & salt addicts: restaurateurs on 21 dining habits to avoid - "Standing on chairs, invading the kitchen, complaining about the bill ... customers’ manners often leave a little to be desired. Here, chefs, restaurant owners and sommeliers reveal what really irks them."
• 5 phrases I never say to raise smart & emotionally intelligent kids - "I’m a neuroscientist and mom. I know how hard it is to raise capable and emotionally intelligent kids. But the key is to practice supportive communication."
• Favorite Drinks of All the Top Stars? He Has Them Memorized - "'Joe' Petrsoric, the longtime bartender at Broadway’s go-to saloon, is finally retiring.This week, Mr. Petrsoric, Sardi’s avuncular bartender known to all as Joe, is ending his nightly performance of stirring, shaking and pouring after 55 years." The New York Times.
• Succession’s daddy issues & The Flight Attendant’s rampant id: why Freud looms over TV in 2023 - "Prestige TV is full of characters Sigmund Freud would have a field day with. But what does a modern-day psychoanalyst make of the likes of Roman Roy?"
• Eager for a mind-bending trip? A ‘psychedelic concierge’ can help - "They say they’re not drug dealers - merely intermediaries who assist those looking for a transcendent experience."
• 10 ways to find the perfect swimwear. Tall, short or super-shy? - "It can be a vulnerable business, wearing the equivalent of your underwear in public. Here is how to buy beachwear that makes you feel comfortable and confident."
• 5 Cheap(ish) Things to Keep Your Bedroom Cool - "An air conditioner is the obvious best fix for a hot bedroom. But if you don’t have one, there are some relatively simple and affordable steps you can take to keep your bedroom cool."
• Nike Takes SNKRS Day 2023 Global On September 9th - "Since 2017, Nike has celebrated SNKRS Day, a fictional holiday highlighting the industry-changing app."

August 1, 2023

• UNESCO recommends putting Venice on its heritage danger list - Venice is one of 1,157 places currently designated a World Heritage Site, which have 'outstanding universal value' because of their cultural or natural offerings.
• The Tigris: The river that birthed civilisation - "This once-mighty river is where humans first developed agriculture, writing and the wheel. But now the lifeblood of the ancient world is under threat."
• Archaeologists are too scared to look inside the tomb of China's first Emperor - "The tomb complex of Qin Xi Huang is famous the world over, but archaeologists are too scared to look inside."
• Prepare for a stunning double-supermoon display in August - "Big, bright lunar displays will bookend August as the moon nears its closest point to Earth. When the moon reaches this position in its orbit while also appearing full, the result is a supermoon - and there will be two this month."
• Why Trump's poll lead went up after criminal indictments - "Most Republican voters see charges as politically motivated."
• Jack Smith: The special counsel investigating Donald Trump - "He is currently overseeing two separate criminal investigations into a former American president, but Jack Smith is no stranger to bringing high-stakes cases."
• Why Twitter’s rebrand to X feels 'shocking' to users - "So long Twitter, hello X. The change doesn't sit right with many of its devoted users, and there may be reasons why."
• Giant glowing ‘X’ sign atop Twitter office in San Francisco removed - "The city building department had logged 24 complaints after the new logo went up, with neighbors upset over its intrusive lights."
• How To Get Rich In Crypto: Four Tether Executives Are Now Billionaires - "Members of the secretive management team behind the $83 billion Tether stablecoin have literally minted their own fortunes."
• Hands-free driving is becoming more popular - but is it safe? - "GM thinks it can teach its customers to use its hands-free Super Cruise system safely. But Tesla may be muddying the waters."
• Is Marmite good for you? - "As everyday staples including Marmite, wholemeal sliced bread and baked beans are classed as potentially risky to our health... Can ultra processed foods EVER be good for you?"
• The plastic lawn backlash: why people are pulling up their fetid fake grass - "Lockdown was boom time for artificial turf - but last year demand plummeted. The reason? Well, it retains the smell of dog urine, for a start ..."
• 'Oppenheimer': 10 Historical Figures, Ranked by Accuracy - "In a film with so many scientific minds to keep track of, how accurate were their portrayals?"
• How Much Keanu Reeves Was Paid For All 4 John Wick Movies - "Keanu Reeves has played John Wick in four movies, and though it's a huge franchise, the actor's salaries are a fraction of his Matrix paychecks. Keanu Reeves has made $22 million for playing John Wick, with the bulk of that being his $15 million salary for John Wick: Chapter 4. Reeves' salaries for the earlier John Wick movies ranged from $1-2 million to $2-2.5 million, showing a significant increase over time. Reeves' net worth is $386 million, largely due to negotiating high salaries and earning a percentage of gross profits for successful movies like The Matrix sequels."
• The 5th-gen Amazon Echo Dot with Clock is a great addition to any smart home - "There’s a reason Amazon’s Echo Dot speakers are so popular. Compact and easy on the eyes, these smart speakers are conducive to any room in the house and offer an affordable way to add smart home functionality for just $50 to $60. And it doesn’t hurt that Amazon was the first out of the gate with Alexa’s virtual assistant technology back in 2014."
• 10 Most Underrated Motorcycle Accessories - "The obvious accessories are, well, obvious, but these are equally useful and don't get the attention they deserve."

July 31, 2023

• Twitter neighbours complain of lit-up ‘X’ sign working at high intensity - "New logo for Elon Musk’s social network strobes over San Francisco neighbourhood, prompting complaints and mobilising building inspectors."
• Twitter's rebrand: Why 'x' could be the most powerful letter in English - "From its origins with the Phoenicians to Twitter's rebrand, 'x' is one of the English alphabet's most powerful and alluring letters."
• Elon Musk reactivates Kanye West’s Twitter account following X rebrand - "X, formerly known as Twitter, has reinstated Kanye West’s account on the social media platform. West will not be able to monetize his account, and no ads will appear next to his posts, the company told the Wall Street Journal on Saturday."
• Madonna feels lucky ‘to be alive’ after hospitalization - " One month after Madonna was hospitalized in the ICU after suffering a bacterial infection, the queen of pop is reflecting on how her loved ones are helping her heal."
• Britney Spears joins Spotify's 'Billions Club' - "It’s been seven years since Britney Spears released her last album, but she’s still making news in the music space. Over the weekend Spears became a member of Spotify’s 'Billions Club,' when her 2003 hit single 'Toxic' hit a billion streams according to the streaming platform."
• BILLIONS CLUB - playlist by Spotify - "All the songs with more than 1 BILLION streams on Spotify."
• Are luggage-free trips the future? - "With sustainably minded destinations and progressive tour operators advising passengers to pack less, are travellers being primed for an ultralight future?"
• The Stealthiest Luxury Accessory in 'Succession'? The Baseball Cap - "The off-duty staple gets a touch of opulence and we are all on board."
• TINY 14-IN-1 TITANIUM KEY MULTITOOL IS MORE VERSATILE THAN A SWISS ARMY KNIFE - "The KeyMaster: An EDC Tool that supports all your needs."
• 5 mistakes everyone makes with Google Assistant - "What not to do with Google Assistant and what to do instead."
• Google Warns Gmail & Photos Content Deletions To Start December 2023 - "There are a staggering 1.8 billion Gmail active users, according to the latest statistics. Regarding Google Photos, there are an estimated 2 billion active users. Google has recently warned that starting in December, inactive accounts will be purged on security grounds. But how does Google define an inactive account, and how can you prevent emails, photos, and other content from being deleted?"
• chatgpt to bard, unlimited ways to override ai chatbots safety measures exposed - "Researchers uncover loopholes in major AI chatbots."
• The 10 Fastest Cars In The World Right Now, Ranked - "Bugatti already broke the mythical 300-mph barrier, but it seems a few other cars are still aiming to be even faster."
• TOP 10 OFFICE CHAIRS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE ULTIMATE WORKING EXPERIENCE - "We often underestimate the importance of a great office chair. When in reality we really shouldn’t. We spend the majority of our day sitting on chairs, whether we’re working in our home office or a corporate one. Hence, this piece of furniture needs to be not only comfortable but ergonomic, and aesthetic as well. And we’ve curated a collection of chair designs that meet all these criteria! From a task chair that is made using 70% recycled materials to a fortune cookie-inspired wooden work pod - these innovative chair designs are not only a boon to your back, and help you maintain a healthy posture, but are also super comfy to sink into, and will perfectly match the interiors of your modern office. Enjoy."
• The World’s Largest Wind Turbine Has Been Switched On - "China Three Gorges Corporation announced that the 16-megawatt MySE 16-260 turbine had been successfully installed at the company's offshore wind farm near Fujian Province on July 19. The behemoth is 152 meters (500 feet) tall, and each single blade is 123 meters (403 feet) and weighs 54 tons."
• Capote’s Women by Laurence Leamer review - super creeps in haute couture - "A rehash of Truman Capote’s fallout with a coven of Manhattan socialites lacks their style and his imagination."
• Historic stone villa on the Riviera hits market for 11.5 million euros - "A stone villa on the Riviera that’s full of headline-grabbing features, from its Roman history and natural springs to visits from Princess Grace, has come to the market for 11.5 million euros, Mansion Global reports."

July 30, 2023

• Heatwave: How hot is too hot for the human body? - "Sometimes it can feel like the world is on fire."
• Apple rejects new name 'X' for Twitter iOS app because... rules - "Turns out, Apple's App Store can't accept the new name for Twitter's iOS app because of minimum character requirements."
• Elon Musk wants to turn tweets into ‘X’s’. But changing language is not quite so simple - "Elon Musk may want to send “tweet” back to the birds, but the ubiquitous term for posting on the site he now calls X is here to stay - at least for now. For one, the word is still plastered all over the site formerly known as Twitter. Write a post, you still need to press a blue button that says 'tweet' to publish it. To repost it, you still tap 'retweet.' But it’s more than that."
• WeChat: Why does Elon Musk want X to emulate China's everything-app? - "Earlier this week Elon Musk rebranded Twitter to X - another step in his plan to emulate Chinese mega app WeChat."
• AI prompt engineering: learn how not to ask a chatbot a silly question - "Understanding how to interact with ChatGPT and its rivals so that their output matches your expectations will soon be a key office skill. Here’s what you need to know."
• What’s the Status of Flaunting Your Status? - "In the world of the ultrawealthy, luxury is only quiet if you don’t know what to listen for." The New York Times.
• Doom busters: why some things aren’t (quite) as bad as we think - "We live in worrying times. From the climate crisis to the culture wars, there is always something to keep us fretting. But sometimes the facts tell a different story - a more hopeful one. Here, we speak to experts in search of some optimism and find 13 reasons to be a little more cheerful."
• Quiz: If you answer these 10 questions correctly, you have higher emotional intelligence than most people - "When you have high emotional intelligence, you have a deep understanding of your feelings - and everyone else’s. Highly emotionally intelligent people are successful in both their professional and personal lives. Their ability to truly connect and empathize with people makes them better leaders, communicators and relationship builders. Unfortunately, many people lack the basic skills. So let’s see where you rank. Can you tell what’s the emotionally intelligent reaction to these 10 situations?"
• Air conditioning: the benefits, problems & alternatives - "Amid record-breaking heat, increased access to air conditioning could save lives - but AC units are damaging the environment. Are there other options?"
• The 26 best luggage tags of 2023, perfect for frequent flyers - "Easily keep track of your suitcase with these 26 versatile luggage tags. These days, you can walk through the airport and see dozens of pieces of luggage that look similar - or even identical. When it comes to telling your bags apart from other travelers’, a simple luggage tag can play a huge role. The main purpose of luggage tags is to keep your suitcase safe and ensure it makes its way back to you if lost. Luggage tags protect your belongings and help airport staff and everyone else know that your bag is yours."
• The Best Watches of 2023 (So Far) - "From affordable Seikos to artisanal pieces covered in 'dragon scales,' these are GQ's favorite watches of the year."
• Jack Nicholson Almost Starred in One of the Greatest Films of All Time - "Jack Nicholson actually turned down a major role in what many consider the best movie ever."
• ‘Preppy Killer’ Robert Chambers is released again from prison after serving years for unrelated drug crimes - Robert Chambers, known as the 'Preppy Killer' for murdering a teenager in Central Park in 1986, was released again this week from prison after serving time for unrelated drug crimes. Chambers, then 19, strangled Jennifer Levin, 18, to death in the case that became a tabloid sensation. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter after admitting in a taped confession to killing Levin during rough sex, CNN previously reported. He was imprisoned again in 2008 on unrelated charges of first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and second-degree assault, according to Department of Corrections records. Chambers will be under post-release supervision until July 2028, Department of Corrections records say.

July 29, 2023

• ‘Something weird is going on’: search for answers as Antarctic sea ice stays at historic lows - "There would usually be about 16.4m sq km of sea ice in the Antarctic by now, but this week there was just 14.1m sq km. An area bigger than Mexico has failed to freeze, worrying scientists."
• How Long Should It Take for My Workouts to Produce Results? - "Patience is a virtue - but it helps to understand when you'll begin to make gains."
• Inside Elon Musk’s X - "With the Twitter brand now gone, what’s in it for the remaining employees at the X Corporation? Also: I got my eyeballs scanned by Sam Altman’s Worldcoin orb."
• Even OpenAI has given up trying to detect ChatGPT plagiarism - "OpenAI, the creator of the wildly popular artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT, has shut down the tool it developed to detect content created by AI rather than humans. The tool, dubbed AI Classifier, has been shuttered just six months after it was launched due to its “low rate of accuracy,” OpenAI said."
• Uncensored & ‘Insane’: A Look at OpenAI’s Secret Image Generator - "OpenAI apparently removed its safety filters to test the model's full potential. Users said it can generate violent content and nudity without hesitation. However, knowing OpenAI’s stance towards NSFW content, it’s highly unlikely that an official public version is released under such standards."
• Airline secrets: When to book & why you shouldn’t check your bag - "When you’re facing potential delays, cancellations and sweatbox waiting areas, it’s best to be fully prepped before hitting the airport. That’s where flight attendants’ secrets for surviving summer travel come in. Our explainer has the inside scoop on everything you need to know - from the best time of day to fly to when a tight connection becomes too tight." CNN Travel.
• Google To Offer All 1.8 Billion Gmail Users Enhanced Security Option - "First launched for Chrome in 2020, Google’s enhanced safe browsing feature is a worthy addition to the security arsenal of the average user."
• Google rolls out tracker alerts to combat unauthorised AirTags & other Bluetooth trackers - "With unknown tracker alerts, a user will get notified on their compatible Android device if an unknown Bluetooth tracker is separated from its owner and is found to be travelling with them."
• Tor’s shadowy reputation will only end if we all use it - "It's not the criminal hacking browser you think it is."
• Tor - since 2002. "Browse Privately. Explore Freely." Defend yourself against tracking and surveillance. Circumvent censorship.
• SinÉad O’Connor & the bald history of the buzzcut - "Celebrities such as Florence Pugh, Kristin Stewart, Amber Rose, Iris Law, Willow Smith and Saweetie have worn their buzz cuts with pride. But the shorn head has a complicated and contradictory history that has led to it becoming a symbol of non-conformism - particularly for women."
• The Most Sought After Birkin: The Birkin 25 - "The Birkin 25 is the smallest standard Birkin and measures 25 cm across the top. The overall size of the Birkin 25 is 20 cm tall, 25 cm wide and 13 cm deep with a 6.35 cm handle drop or 2.5 inches. While this is the smallest Birkin and some may refer to it as the Baby Birkin, it is still large enough to hold all of our essentials but not large enough for a standard laptop."
• How Monaco ‘survived’ in World War II - "When World War II broke out on September 1, 1939, Monaco officially took a neutral position. Louis II, however, paraded through the streets of his country in a French general’s uniform. Although he was already 70, he was appointed general of a division in Cannes. No one had to doubt which side of the global conflict he was on." Monaco Daily News.
• Reframed: Marilyn Monroe review - a persuasive look at the icon’s ferocious intelligence - "She read James Joyce. She wrote about predatory men. She questioned pay disparity. Jessica Chastain narrates an all-female documentary about Monroe’s overlooked intellect."
• Today I learned they make delightfully retro cassette tape power banks - "Shenzhen accessories manufacturer Remax has apparently been on it for over a year, debuting “10,000mAh” batteries that look like classic cassettes. Depending on the color - yellow, red, or the new green 2023 model - you can charge them up with USB-C, micro-USB, or even an Apple Lightning cable, then output up to 22.5W over USB-A or USB-C to fast-charge a phone."

July 28, 2023

• ‘Era of global boiling has arrived,’ says UN chief as July set to be hottest month on record - "Head of World Meteorological Organization also warns ‘climate action is not a luxury but a must’ as temperatures soar."
• Is the decline of oil in sight? - "The International Energy Agency thinks peak oil use is in sight this decade as the world switches to renewables. What is driving this shift - and what is still standing in the way?"
• Downsizing: Six Watches Under 40-mm from Top Brands - "Over the past several years, we’ve seen an influx of modestly-sized timepieces from the dominant industry players. Even the leaders of the 'wrist-saucer' trend, Panerai and Breitling, have changed their strategy and started developing a more approachable range."
• Silver sneakers are this summer's must have footwear trend - "Sorry, but white trainers are over - how it became all about silver. Thanks to Wales Bonner and Cecilie Bahnsen, chrome sneakers are the shoe of the summer - and beyond."
• BRAD PITT & ANGELINA JOLIE: LET'S STOP WINING!!! - "Willing to Settle Winery Dispute Out of Court, But ..."
• Hunter Biden: what happened with his plea deal & why? - "Joe Biden’s son unexpectedly pleaded not guilty to tax and gun charges after judge raised questions over plea agreement."
• Elon Musk capitulates: Twitter will default to dark mode, but still offer a light option - "Just when you think Elon Musk can’t get any more divisive, he’s weighed in on the light mode versus dark mode debate - and Twitter, currently undergoing a rebranding to X, is apparently going all in on the latter. Early this morning, Musk posted that 'this platform will soon only have ‘dark mode’. It is better in every way.'"
• Key points from Coutts' dossier on Nigel Farage - "The 40-page document reveals all of the evidence Coutts accumulated about Nigel Farage to feed back to its Wealth Reputational Risk Committee. They decided that his mortgage, professional and personal accounts would be 'exited' from July 2023."
• Vacations as we know it are over - "As wildfires, driven by record-breaking heat, tinder-box conditions and strong winds, raged across the islands of Rhodes, Corfu and Evia, thousands of visitors, along with residents, had to flee the flames - many with just the clothes they were wearing. It would be a big mistake to regard these as freak events and to continue holidaying as usual in the years ahead. On the contrary, the extreme weather conditions across southern Europe this summer are a wake-up call - a reminder that not even our vacations are insulated from the growing consequences of global heating."
• Sydney's best beaches, beyond Bondi - "Sydney's best beaches, by Bondi lifeguard Bruce 'Hoppo' Hopkins. From family-friendly Bronte to Palm Beach from Home and Away, one of the world's best-known lifeguards shares his shares his favourite places to go, beyond Bondi."
• Blood pressure is best lowered by 2 exercises, study finds - "When it comes to lowering blood pressure, studies have typically shown that aerobic or cardio exercises are best. Now, new research suggests another type of physical activity is worth including as an effective tool to prevent and treat hypertension, or high blood pressure. Exercises that engage muscles without movement - such as wall squats and planks - may be best for lowering blood pressure, according to a large study published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine."
• 300 Squats Every Day for 30 Days - What Happens to your Body? - "Time to send your leg strength, power and physique to the next level."
• The Benefits of Morning Meditation - "Starting a regular practice doesn’t have to be hard - it can take as little as five minutes as soon as you wake up." The New York Times.
• Taylor Swift fans ‘Shake It Off,’ causing record-breaking seismic activity during Seattle shows - "Taylor Swift fans are in their record-breaking era. After two nights of earth-shaking dancing at Swift’s Seattle 'Eras' tour concert at Lumen Field, enthusiastic Swifties caused seismic activity equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, according to seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach."
• 10 of the best films to watch in August - "Including Blue Beetle, Bottoms and Red, White & Royal Blue." BBC Culture.
• Is It Time to Toss My Skin Care Products? - "Moisturizers, serums and other items degrade over time. Here’s how to know when it’s time to stop using them." The New York Times.
• Period After Opening Symbol - "The Period After Opening symbol identifies the useful lifetime of a cosmetic product after its package has been opened for the first time."
• Rare stamp that offered fast track to heaven to go on display in UK - "Stamp for papers that enabled ‘fast-track’ through purgatory will be on show at a Hampshire priory. A seal matrix used to authenticate medieval indulgences and offer a fast track to heaven in exchange for cash is to go on display at a Hampshire priory after spending 500 years buried in a field."
• Emperor Nero’s lost theatre found under site of hotel in Rome - "Archaeologists hail ‘exceptional finds’ at venue whose existence was previously known only from mentions in ancient texts."
• Test-Driving The 2024 Jaguar F-Type R75 - "The Final Roar: Celebrating The 2024 Jaguar F-Type R75. 2024 marks an end of an era and a celebratory milestone for the iconic British brand, Jaguar. With the commemoration of its 75th birthday, the brand has decided to bid a splendid adieu to the F-Type. This farewell is not a subdued one, but a glorious exit featuring two remarkable special editions, the 75 and the R75, available in both coupe and convertible versions." Forbes.
• 10 Mercedes Models That Are Built Like Tanks - "While not all Mercs are created equal, here's why these models earned a reputation for being some of the toughest cars to wear the three-pointed star."
• Why charge an EV when you can just swap its battery? - "For fleets, it feels like a no-brainer; for everyone else... it’s complicated."
• EBTH: Everything But The House - "Marketplace For The Uncommon. Securely discover and bid on our unique collection of items. Everything starts at $1. Professional Processing."
• Best Bluetooth speakers 2023: portable speakers for every budget - "The best Bluetooth speakers for your at-home and on-the-go needs." What Hi-Fi?
• Rolex makes more than 123 watch models - most of them are worth more used - "Over the last few years, the luxury watch resale market focused on the top three Swiss brands, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and of course, Rolex. Eighty-nine of Rolex's 123 current models are worth more used than new."
• What you need to know about iconic luxury watch brand Patek Philippe - "Learn what is important about the Swiss watch icon."

July 27, 2023

• July 2023 Is Hottest Month Ever Recorded on Earth - "Preliminary analyses show that this July is virtually certain to be the hottest month on record for the planet by a wide margin, largely because of global warming."
• How an exotic fruit became the ultimate status symbol - "‘Like eating a Gucci handbag’. In a painting from 1675, England’s King Charles II stands on a terrace as the royal gardener kneels before him offering up a curious present. It’s one of the most desirable items of the era, representing the ultimate in luxury and prestige. Imported from a faraway land, it’s among the first of its kind to have made the journey from the New World to Britain. It’s a pineapple."
• UFOs & aliens bring a divided US Congress together - "If the truth is out there, the US Congress wants to know. Over the course of two hours, three witnesses shared their encounters with objects that defied physics and told of pilots afraid to speak up, biological material recovered from crafts, and alleged retaliation against whistleblowers. All acknowledged that anomalous phenomena were a potential national security threat."
• The one thing Oppenheimer gets wrong - "Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is surprisingly authentic, but, explains Dorian Lynskey, there are two key scenes where the film deviates from reality."
• Can Elon Musk really use that X logo for Twitter? - "Elon Musk’s new ‘X’ logo raises some legal questions. The drastic rebranding doesn’t come as much of a surprise to Musk-watchers. Musk has long touted his idea of X as an 'everything' app that offers audio, video, messaging, and support for digital payments. He has also founded a company called X.com before it merged with PayPal in the year 2000. While that name never resurfaced, that didn’t stop Musk from incorporating the letter X into all his other brands, including SpaceX, xAI, X Corp., and now Twitter."
• ChatGPT: The 5 Most Popular Prompts Used By Entrepreneurs - "Opening up ChatGPT without an idea of what you want isn’t a good idea. If you’re missing a plan of attack, the blank input box can feel daunting and you can feel silly. But when the possibilities of what you can ask and retrieve are endless, how do you decide how to narrow your search and get some business-changing insights? Entrepreneurs are using ChatGPT to co-create and ideate, to make more money and save time. They’re using it to write their emails, training it to be their personal AI business coach and finding out how to outrank their competition with SEO-optimized articles. They test various prompts to engage with ChatGPT and seek assistance. According to ChatGPT itself, here are five that they commonly use."
• Stop phubbing! The 10 rules of smartphone etiquette - from the bathroom to your bed - "How do you use your phone without snubbing everyone around you? Experts explain when to pick it up and when to switch on ‘do not disturb’."
• Why it’s impossible to compete with Google Search - "A couple of ex-Googlers set out to create the search engine of the future. They built something faster, simpler, and ad-free. So how come you’ve never heard of Neeva?"
• Japan’s new food trend: insects - "Tokyo’s insect restaurant brings water bug cider to the table."
• SinÉad O'Connor obituary: A talent beyond compare - "Sinéad O'Connor saw music as the therapy to escape a turbulent childhood."
• SinÉad O’Connor: a life in pictures - "The Irish singer, songwriter and activist has died aged 56."
• Take a sneak peek at NASA planes that could transform air travel by the 2030s - "Snazzy new liveries have been revealed for two of NASA’s hottest aircraft projects. These upcoming planes want to be the next generation of sustainable flight - and also to look good when doing it."
• 14 best TSA-approved locks for trusted luggage security - "It makes sense that travelers want to protect their valuables while sending their gear into the unknowns of the airport, but it’s equally important for the TSA to be able to inspect checked luggage if and when the need arises. That’s where TSA-approved and recognized locks come into play. These specially-made locks were designed to secure luggage and valuables but also allow the TSA to open your baggage when necessary."
• ‘Wait, am I the fool here?’: why our fears of being scammed are corrosive & damaging - "Is our tendency to expect the worst of people preventing us from supporting those who really need help?"
• The $9,995 Fuell Fllow electric motorcycle is available for pre-order today - "The Fllow has 150 miles of range and will offer an option for swappable batteries."

July 26, 2023

• The world's most liveable cities for 2023 - "We speak to residents in five of the highest-ranked cities to get the low-down what makes them so special. fter a pandemic slump, quality of life is again on the rise in many of the world's cities. In fact, overall liveability has reached a 15-year high, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual Global Liveability Index, which rates 173 cities on factors including stability, healthcare, culture & environment, education and infrastructure."
• The Global Liveability Index 2023 - "EIU’s liveability index quantifies the challenges presented to an individual’s lifestyle and standard of living in 173 cities worldwide. This year’s average liveability score has risen to a 15-year high, with a return to order after the covid-19 pandemic and better healthcare and education in developing countries."
• X: The Brand, the Generation & Elon Musk - "One little letter, so much baggage." The New York Times.
• Apple releases iOS 16.6 with ‘important bug fixes & security updates’ for all users - "Apple has officially released iOS 16.6 for all iPhone users. The latest software update includes 'important bug fixes and security updates,' according to the release notes. Apple has also dropped iPadOS 16.6, tvOS 16.6, watchOS 9.6, and macOS 13.5 with the same release notes. A separate update for HomePod delivers 'performance and stability improvements.'"
• A crucial system of ocean currents is heading for a collapse that ‘would affect every person on the planet’ - "A vital system of ocean currents could collapse within a few decades if the world continues to pump out planet-heating pollution, scientists are warning - an event that would be catastrophic for global weather and 'affect every person on the planet.' A new study published Tuesday in the journal Nature, found that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current - of which the Gulf Stream is a part – could collapse around the middle of the century, or even as early as 2025."
• Kevin Spacey is CLEARED of sexually assaulting four men after he sobbed ‘I lost everything’ - "The Oscar-winning star, 63, was branded a "sexual bully" for allegedly attacking the men in charges dating back as far as 22 years. The American Beauty star has today been cleared of four charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. He was also found not guilty of four charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent."
• Unstoppable Kenergy: how did Ryan Gosling steal the Barbie movie? - "The Oscar-nominated actor delivers a knockout comic performance in Greta Gerwig’s Mattel movie, playing on male insecurities and toxic masculinity."
• The surprising list of actors who were up to play Ken in ‘Barbie’ - "Ryan Gosling may or may not be your ideal Ken in the new 'Barbie' movie, but one of the film’s casting directors has shared who else might have gotten the role. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Allison Jones - who cast the hit film along with Lucy Bevan - talked about who else might have joined Barbie in her dream house. According to Jones, Covid restrictions at the time meant having to spend three months in London where a great deal of the movie was filmed. And that meant Bowen Yang, Dan Levy, and Ben Platt were out of the running to play Ken."
• ‘Oppenheimer’s’ Netflix release date's been announced - Geo.tv.
• Symphony for the devil: Mick Jagger’s 80 greatest moments, on his 80th birthday - "The singer who invented the very idea of the frontman has reached his ninth decade. We pick out the Jagger-iest moments of all, from killer lyrics to self-mocking sketches."
• The Ongoing Mystery of Covid’s Origin - "We still don’t know how the pandemic started. Here's what we do know - and why it matters."
• India is home to one of the world’s most beautiful hotels. Take a peek inside - "Villa Palladio: India meets Italy at this boutique hotel."
• Bonaire: Why so many visitors want to move to this secret island - "Sometimes it only takes one visit to convince visitors to pack up their belongings and move to Bonaire permanently."
• The world’s most shark-infested beaches - "This time of year, the shark-related news stories start to circle. New York increases patrols after five bites in two days; a shiver of at least 50 sharks is filmed off Long Island; beachgoers spot a shark swimming near a crowded Florida shore. Let’s take a look at the locations worldwide with the highest rates of shark attacks between 2012 and 2021 and the reasons they’ve become hot spots."
• 9 Spectacular Superyacht Swimming Pools - "From Glass-Bottomed to Infinity Designs. These swimming pools are for more than just lounging. Some are standalone water sculptures, others are glass ceilings to decks below. All are integral to each yacht's exterior design."
• I’ve traveled to more than 50 countries. Here are the 23 items I don’t leave home without - "When it comes to travel, there are essentials that are guaranteed to make any journey more comfortable and enjoyable. Especially as airplane seats become smaller, planes and hotels become fuller and tickets become more expensive, we could all use a little respite from the frustrations of travel. Thankfully, that list of travel gear essentials is long - and continues to grow. Of course, every trip is different. For some, I might want to travel with just a carry-on bag, while some require more space and are a better fit for a piece of checked luggage. Here are the 23 things I travel the world with."
• Planks & wall sits best exercise for lowering blood pressure, study says - "Analysis finds isometric exercises that involve engaging muscles without movement the most effective for reducing blood pressure."
• The best of Boston's hidden history with author & guide Dina Vargo - "From a secret Underground Railroad station to the Witch House of Lime Street to the Debutante Murderer House in Beacon Hill, this guide is sure to enrich and surprise you."
• Travis King: How the US negotiates with North Korea - "The fate of Travis King, a US soldier who crossed into North Korea, remains unknown and experts say the US is at a critical stage to try and negotiate his return home."
• ‘I felt Ingmar Bergman was looking over my shoulder, laughing at me’: my month writing at the maestro’s desk - "An invitation to be a writer-in-residence at the Swedish director’s remote Baltic island house seemed too good to miss. Would some of his genius rub off?"
• I can’t believe it’s not denim: it costs thousands to make fake jeans look this real - "Intricate beadwork, silk and printed leather - haute couture turns the everyday trousers into quiet luxury for the uber-rich."
• In the ‘Succession’ era, wardrobes of the wealthy are subtler than ever - "The rich identify each other with luxury that only a highly trained eye can detect."
• Elegant fashion tips I learned from ‘old money’ - "A certain blouse is a must-have, & the style to wear when in doubt."
• Complete Guide to Buying & Selling a Birkin - "Sotheby's has a curated selection of Birkins available for immediate purchase. The available Birkins changes weekly since bags sell quickly."
• How to maintain the value of your HermÈs Birkin Bag - "When it comes to Birkin bags on the secondary market, condition plays a huge role in determining value. While store-fresh bags in the most popular colors and sizes tend to command top-dollar, there are vintage Birkins so rare that condition issues have little bearing on value. The most desirable regular leather Birkin bags currently top-out around $35,000 on the secondary market, and the most worn, least popular examples bottom out around $5,000."
• DJI Air 3 review: A high-quality zoom adds new creative options - "Plus more range and battery life in a quieter drone."

July 25, 2023

• Heat waves in US & Europe would have been ‘virtually impossible’ without climate change, new report finds - "The scientists found that climate change not only drastically increased the likelihood of these heat waves happening, but it is also making them hotter. Planet-heating pollution made Europe’s heat wave 2.5 degrees Celsius hotter, the North American heat wave 2 degrees Celsius hotter and China’s heatwave 1 degree Celsius hotter, according to the report."
• When should you buy holiday travel tickets? - "Christmas in July: Is it time to shop for winter airfare bargains? Before buying a ticket, it’s good to know what to anticipate in airports and this skies this winter."
• Elon Musk has officially killed Twitter. The zombie platform lives on as X, a disfigured shell of its former self - "Twitter, the text-based social media platform that played an outsized role on society by serving as a digital town square, was killed by its unhinged owner Elon Musk on Sunday. It was 17 years old. A zombie Twitter, known only as X, reluctantly endures. A warped and disfigured platform, X marches on like a White Walker, an ugly shell of its former self under the command of a loathsome leader. Whereas Twitter was once a fountain of authoritative information, X is a platform where trolls can pay a small fee to have their ugly content boosted ahead of reputable sources. X is a platform where identity verification no longer exists and impersonation is only a paid subscription away. X is a platform where journalists are banned and smeared while the most repellant and dishonest voices are elevated."
• Why Elon Musk Bid Twitter Goodbye - "Rebranding the social network as X marks the billionaire’s latest gamble to reinvent the company, after buying it last year for $44 billion." The New York Times.
• Elon Musk hits X rebrand hiccup as police stop Twitter sign removal - "Authorities intervene to halt ‘unauthorised work’ but later say no crime has been committed."
• RIP Twitter’s iconic bird logo - "For over a decade, the Twitter bird logo has been inseparable from the social media platform. But with the service’s X rebrand, Musk is saying goodbye to ‘all the birds.’"
• TikTok adds text-only posts as social media battle escalates - "Chinese-owned video streaming app TikTok says it will offer text-only posts as competition between social media giants heats up. The platform says the new feature gives users 'another way to express themselves'."
• LVMH strikes Paris Olympic Games sponsorship deal - "It has been expected to cost around 150 million euros ($166 million). Luxury giant LVMH unveiled on Monday a deal to sponsor next year’s Olympic Games in Paris with top fashion brands Louis Vuitton and Dior, Moët Hennessy champagne and spirits labels and jeweler Chaumet, which will design medals for the event. The group will also sponsor athletes, including French swimmer Léon Marchand, and its beauty retailer Sephora will sponsor the Olympic torch relay, LVMH said. The French delegation will be dressed by one of LVMH’s 'maisons.'"
• Paris to bring back swimming in Seine after 100 years - "With a year to go to the Olympics, Paris is in the final phase of a historic clean-up which will soon see swimmers and divers back in the River Seine."
• These 8 habits could add up to 24 years to your life, study says - "Want to live up to an additional 24 years? Just add eight healthy lifestyle choices to your life at age 40 and that could happen, according to a new unpublished study analyzing data on US veterans. Starting at age 50 instead? No problem, you could prolong your life by up to 21 years, the study found. Age 60? You’ll still gain nearly 18 years if you adopt all eight healthy habits."
• Oppenheimer: How he was influenced by the Bhagavad Gita - "Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's sweeping new biographical thriller about the "father of the atomic bomb", has opened to a glowing reception around the world. In India, it's been a hit too but some have protested against a scene depicting the scientist reading the Bhagavad Gita, one of Hinduism's holiest books, after sex. Oppenheimer learnt the ancient Sanskrit language and counted the book as one of his favourites."
• Is the Entire Economy Gentrifying? - "Companies are trying to maintain fat profits as the economy changes, making “premiumization” their new favorite buzzword. As products grow more expensive and exclusive, big swaths of the economy are at risk of becoming gentrified, raising the possibility that poorer consumers will be increasingly underserved."
• Louis Vuitton Watches Move Upmarket - "As it announced a watch case redesign, the brand said it will make fewer, but more sophisticated, timepieces for higher prices." The New York Times.
• ‘A certain danger lurks there’: how the inventor of the first chatbot turned against AI - "Computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum was there at the dawn of artificial intelligence - but he was also adamant that we must never confuse computers with humans."
• The big idea: Why the laws of physics will never explain the universe - "We should think of the cosmos as more like an animal than a machine."
• Ominous signs that someone may be a serial killer - "What causes someone to become a serial killer? It’s a malignant combination of factors, experts say. For decades, criminologists and true crime documentaries have attempted to understand what causes serial killers to commit the atrocities they do. Dennis Rader, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert DeSalvo and Ted Bundy are just a few of more than 3,600 serial killers documented in the United States as of 2020, according to the University of Michigan."
• How breathing may slow Alzheimer's - "Can slow breathing guard against Alzheimer's? There are believed to be many benefits to slow, controlled breathing. Researchers may have found another - a surprising protection against Alzheimer's."
• The ultimate heroes of children's books - "What our childhood heroes teach us. From Pippi Longstocking to Matilda, the quirky, fictional outsiders who fight authority and injustice are the most memorable."
• This may be Ronaldo Island but there’s more to Madeira than the football star’s hotel - "Don’t forget Funchal, but explore away from the capital for lush vistas, hiking trails, whale-watching and cocktails to blow your socks off."
• The World’s Best Bourbon - According To The 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge - "W.L. Weller Full Proof is named the highest rated bourbon at this year's Ultimate Spirits Challenge. As we revealed last week, the Ultimate Spirits Challenge has just named its top-rated liquors of the year. The panel of expert judges threw some real curveballs into the mix this time around. For example, the only 99 point scores went to an Armagnac - a rich and elegant 1973 vintage from Bhakta, and a ready-to-drink vodka cocktail by Boyd & Blair. When it came to American whiskies, however, the highest honor couldn’t have gone to a more predictable producer. The folks from Buffalo Trace have done it again, this time with W.L. Weller Full Proof. The 114-proof expression of wheated bourbon recorded 98 out of a possible 100 points at USC. Here were the judges official tasting notes."

July 24, 2023

• Elon Musk begins process of rebranding Twitter as X - "In a radical rebranding, Twitter owner Elon Musk has begun the process of replacing Twitter’s iconic bird logo with X."
• Elon Musk: Twitter unveils X logo to replace Larry the bird - "A picture of Twitter's new logo, a white X on a black background, has been unveiled by Twitter's chief executive, after its owner Elon Musk said he wanted to get rid of the bird logo."
• Why Threads will never be the new Twitter - "While Threads does look eerily similar to Twitter, there are critical differences. The search experience is limited to finding accounts, with no ability to find people's posts or search by topic. There is no trending page, making it impossible to see what issues are dominating the discourse."
• Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard fails to win over public - "The Dane, champion for the second time, lacks the warmth and humanity to capture the imagination of the French people."
• AI investment is booming. How much is hype? - "The release of ChatGPT to the public in November was the catalyst for the current buzz, according to Moyroud at Lightspeed. He has seen an increasing number of founders mention generative AI in their pitches for funding — but he takes some of those pitches with a pinch of salt."
• Greta Gerwig makes history as Barbie has biggest opening weekend for film directed by a woman - "Barbie made $377m while Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer took home $174m, making ‘Barbenheimer’ biggest box office weekend of 2023 so far."
• Greta Thunberg flashes a smile as she arrives at court to discover if she will be JAILED - "Thunberg was detained after stopping traffic in a Swedish port's oil terminal. The charge can at most result in a six-month jail term, but a fine is more normal."
• Who is Ken, really? The history of the world’s most misunderstood doll - "Delve into the history of Barbie’s male counterpart, from his origins as Kenneth Carson to his tumultuous breakup with Barbie in the mid-2000s to his rebirth, via Ryan Gosling, on the big screen."
• How my smart home almost saved my vacation - "My smart thermostat warned me, and the rest of my connected home helped me figure out what was going on."
• I wore the Apple Watch 8 & Garmin Epix Pro for a 300-calorie workout & was surprised by the results - "I looked at the differences between the two popular watches."
• The slow running revolution: how to move at a ‘sexy’ pace & really enjoy the race - "Forget personal bests, stopwatches and numbers on the scales. More and more people are taking up running to enjoy time in nature, chatting with friends and stress reduction."
• Why is technology not making us more productive? - "We are often told that we are in the midst of a technological revolution. That business and the world of work continue to be transformed and improved by computers, the internet, the increased speed of communication, data processing, robotics, and now - artificial intelligence. There is only one small problem with all this - none of it seems to show up in the economic data. If all this technology really is making us all work faster and better, there is precious little evidence."
• Apple is already using its chatbot for internal work - "The company’s chatbot reportedly helps its employees work, and Apple GPT may be considering using it to help with customer support."
• Party over for Champagne as sales set to drop after two record years - "Champagne sales and exports are expected to fall this year, pressured by inflation and a return to a more normal rhythm after record sales in the past two years due to the lifting of pandemic-related curbs, producers said on Wednesday. Sales are expected to reach around 314 million bottles in 2023, French industry group Comite Champagne (Champagne Committee) said in a statement. That compared with 326 million sold in 2022."
• Are sharks attracted to bright colours? - "Sharks were long thought to have poor eyesight, but recent research is revealing new insights into their ability to see colours and if they can distinguish prey from people."
• Greenland sharks can live for at least 400 years, scientists estimate - "Sharks are millions of years older than dinosaurs and 5 other facts that may surprise you."
• The world’s most dramatic saltwater ‘sea pools’ - "Found on coastlines around the world, man-made “sea pools” are designed to offer swimmers a safe haven from the dangers of rough waters and unpredictable currents. From Australia’s 82-foot beachside Avalon Rock Pool to the 'Mermaid Pool' in Cornwall, UK, they can provide a serene saltwater oasis against a backdrop of crashing ocean waves."
• 21-year-old French swimming star smashes Michael Phelps’ last remaining world record - "On Saturday, Phelps’ last remaining world record was smashed by 21-year-old Leon Marchand at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukoka, Japan, as the Frenchman completed the 400 meters individual medley in 4:02.50, shaving an enormous 1.34 seconds off Phelps’ previous mark."
• How to build a watch collection you won't regret - "6 essential words of advice from aficionados. Not sure where to start or if your choice of timepiece is 'right'? Take a tip or two from watch connoisseurs who reveal lessons learnt from their own collecting journeys."
• Parisian panache: six of the most spectacular Paris MÉtro stations - "Grand designs will feature in a major expansion of the Paris Métro, but there is plenty of theatricality, beauty and swagger on show at existing stations."
• These White Dots On Strawberries Are Not Strawberry Seeds - "This taxonomic rollercoaster is very confusing. The strawberries' pitted accessories are called achenes, and they are in fact the plant's fruit, with each containing a single seed inside. The term 'achene' actually refers to the simple dry fruit produced by many different flowering plant species, including quinoa, buckwheat, and cannabis."

July 23, 2023

• Time is running out on the Climate Clock - "The world has less than six years left to hit crucial global climate goals, according to the clock. An ominous, 62-foot-long clock looms over New York City’s iconic Union Square, and it’s about to tick past a worrying milestone. It’s called the Climate Clock, and it counts down how much time the world has left to stop climate change from becoming exponentially worse."
• 
• Climate Clock - "The science is clear: we are in a Climate Emergency. Decades of increasing carbon emissions are harming the natural and societal systems upon which humanity depends, threatening untold ecological and human devastation if we do not #ActInTime. The good news: there is still time."
• Box Office Fusion: ‘Barbie’ Heads for Staggering $155M-Plus Opening, ‘Oppenheimer’ Eyes $77M - "Thanks to the Barbenheimer phenomenon, it is the first time in history that a three-day weekend has seen one movie open to $100 million or more and another to $50 million or more. And it could be the fourth-biggest weekend of all time at the domestic box office."
• What does 'Barbenheimer' really mean for Hollywood? - "The meme-filled pop culture phenomenon has deeper reverberations, 'more like a celebration of the past than the dawn of a bright new future', writes Nicholas Barber."
• Artificial intelligence boom generates optimism in tech sector as stocks soar - "The rush into AI has given the flagging technology industry a share price lift, but some investors still remain cautious."
• Elon Musk says Twitter logo to change, birds to be gradually abandoned - "Elon Musk tweeted on his official account on Sunday that Twitter would be changing its logo to an 'X' and that all the birds will be disappearing from the platform."
• Why America stopped building public pools - "While public pools are a rarer sight today, governments built enormous pools during the twentieth century. There is one outdoor public pool for every 38,000 people in America - from 34,000 in 2015 - according to the National Recreation and Park Association."
• China is drilling some of the world’s deepest holes in hunt for natural resources - "Chinese engineers on Thursday broke ground on a new super deep borehole that will burrow far into the Earth’s crust as the country steps up its search for natural resources hidden tens of thousands of feet underground. The hole will eventually reach 10,520 meters (34,514 feet) into the ground at the Sichuan Basin in southwest China, according to state-run news agency Xinhua. The region is a major area for gas production and engineers expected to find a natural gas reserve there, the report said."
• What would happen if we stopped fishing? - "Less than a century ago, the world's oceans were swarming with giant fish. Could we ever get them back?"
• Terrorist Anders Breivik’s manifesto was listed for sale on Waterstones website - "The notorious manifesto of far-right terrorist Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway’s worst peacetime atrocity, was listed for sale by Britain’s biggest book chain, Waterstones."
• ‘No more cover-up’: Nazi concentration camps on Channel Island finally to be officially investigated - "Review could show that thousands more Jews and prisoners of war died on Alderney than previously thought."
• Tartiflette - "This gooey, creamy baked casserole of potatoes, cream, cheese, bacon, and onions is true French mountain food."
• Tony Bennett’s 10 Essential Songs - "Over a career of 70-plus years, the singer infused his performances with a huge range, dramatic flair, rhythmic agility and an inquisitive approach to interpreting lyrics." The New York Times.
• Jane Birkin: Decades of Effortless Elegance - "The British-French singer, actress and style icon may have been known as the inspiration for the Birkin bag, but she was so much more." The New York Times.
• Yoko Ono & the Dakota - "Word that the pop culture icon has left the fabled Upper West Side apartment building that she defined for a generation has sparked reflection on her impact as a resident there for 50 years." The New York Times.
• The 2024 Range Rover Sport SV Has Seats Designed To Reduce Anxiety - "The new Range Rover Sport SV is a seriously fast SUV, rocketing to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and boasting a claimed top speed of 180 mph. It is also designed to corner unlike any other Land Rover product, thanks to a new ‘6D Dynamics’ suspension with a lower ride height and the uncanny ability to almost entirely eradicate roll, pitch and squat." Forbes.

July 22, 2023

• Climate records tumble, leaving Earth in uncharted territory - scientists - "A series of climate records on temperature, ocean heat, and Antarctic sea ice have alarmed some scientists who say their speed and timing is unprecedented."
• Tony Bennett - a life in pictures - "Tony Bennett, whose genial jazz songcraft won him multiple generations of fans, has died aged 96. Take a look back at his long career."
• ‘I Can Do Things to You With My Voice’ - "Fifty-one years of acting. Hundreds of roles. One Samuel L. Jackson."
• Matt Damon said no to a huge film franchise that he thinks could have made him $250 million - "Appearing on Friday’s episode of 'Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace,' Damon spoke with the host about how in 2009, he was offered not just the lead role in James Cameron’s 'Avatar,' but a percentage of the film’s earnings. 'It’s something awful like that,” Damon joked when asked about his $250 million calculation, going on to say he’s “sure it’s the most money an actor ever turned down.' Damon said he was obligated to finish production on the 'Bourne' series that he starred in between 2002 and 2016, and he didn’t want to 'leave them in the lurch' to go do 'Avatar.'"
• 34 Clothing essentials for every man's wardrobe - "Want to build a wardrobe of clothing essentials that aren’t dictated by seasonal fashion trends? Take a tip from GQ’s clothing essentials capsule."
• A guide to choosing your next Rolex Daytona watch - "As one of the most desirable watches in the world, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona is a representation of luxury, style, and exclusivity."
• A Guide To Every Air Jordan Sneaker Release (1 to 38) - "Step into the world of iconic style with our comprehensive guide to every Air Jordan sneaker release. From the classics to the must-haves!"
• The biggest AI release since ChatGPT - "Meta’s new AI model, Llama 2, has big implications - and some unusual restrictions."
• ChatGPT's Android app arrives in the last week of July - "You can now pre-order the app on Google Play."
• Experts say ‘cocaine sharks’ may be feasting on drugs dumped off Florida - "Erratic behavior observed in some sharks could be result of them ingesting bales of cocaine cast overboard by passing traffickers."
• ‘Cats are like mini gurus’: the feline path to inner peace - "By marrying Japanese philosophy with cat psychology, Australian author Carla Francis learned to pause, slow down and reflect."
• ‘Brain fog’ of long Covid comparable to ageing 10 years, study finds - "Symptoms of infection can last two years, but researchers find no lasting cognitive impairment after individuals fully recover."
• The British isle with its own language - "The secret British language that was used to outwit the Nazis. Very few people outside the island know that Jersey has its own language - or that it was cannily used as a clandestine code during German occupation in WW2."
• Christopher Nolan: ‘Very strong parallels’ between Oppenheimer & scientists worried about AI - "Clear similarities between J Robert Oppenheimer’s views and those who want AI reined in, film’s director says."
• Who’s Who in ‘Oppenheimer’: A Guide to the Real People & Events - "Christopher Nolan’s complex drama depicts the development of the nuclear bomb and midcentury political machinations. Here’s the back story." The New York Times.
• American Prometheus: The Triumph & Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer - "NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - PULITZER PRIZE WINNER - The definitive biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer. 'A riveting account of one of history’s most essential and paradoxical figures.' - Christopher Nolan, Director." Amazon.com.
• 6 Vintage Hamilton Watches Have Cameos In ‘Oppenheimer’ - "Three of the main characters are seen wearing Hamilton watches. However, in this case, instead of wearing current production models, Hamilton and Nolan chose to achieve the highest level of period accuracy and expression of character through vintage timepieces from 1930s and 1940s. All of the vintage models were sourced by Hamilton from its network of collectors and enthusiasts."
• The Watches Of Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' Movie - "Cillian Murphy Wears Three Vintage Hamiltons As J. Robert Oppenheimer In Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer'."

July 21, 2023

• Train fares are up to 30 times more expensive than planes in Europe, says Greenpeace - "As Europe swelters in a heat wave, and the climate crisis accelerates, many travelers are looking towards trains rather than polluting planes. But those wanting to make their travel more carbon-conscious face hefty bills. According to a new report, taking a long-distance train in Europe can cost nearly 30 times as much as flying. The report, compiled by environmental campaign group Greenpeace, compared the cost of flight and train tickets on 112 European routes on nine different dates."
• Ticket prices of planes vs trains - a Europe-wide analysis - "How low-cost carriers destroy the climate while their unfair and agressive pricing strategies go unchecked." Greenpeace.
• Tony Bennett, US singer with seven-decade career, dies aged 96 - "Publicist confirms death of American pop and jazz singer who became torchbearer for Great American Songbook."
• I used to ride private planes. Now I’d rather get arrested protesting them - "Our planet faces ecological catastrophe - and 50% of aviation carbon emissions are caused by private flights. That’s untenable."
• ‘Facekinis’ become popular in China as temperatures soar - "Facekinis - full-face masks with holes for the wearer’s eyes and nose - separate sleeves to cover arms, as well as wide-brimmed hats and lightweight jackets made out of UV-resistant fabric, have become especially popular."
• Xi hails ‘old friend’ Kissinger during meeting that harks back to an era of warmer ties - "Xi met Kissinger at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, a diplomatic complex in western Beijing where Kissinger was received during his first visit to China in 1971, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Since then, Kissinger has visited China more than 100 times, Xi noted in the meeting."
• Barack Obama shares his summer playlist & it’s fire - "Tupac Shakur, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner make the cut."
• Amsterdam bans cruise ships to limit visitors & curb pollution - "It comes months after young British men were urged not to hold bachelor parties in the Dutch capital."
• 36 Hours in Copenhagen - "For decades, Copenhagen has been lauded for its design, its food, its dedication to sustainability, even the general good cheer of its residents. But this year, architecture is the focus after UNESCO named the city the World Capital of Architecture for 2023. What that means for visitors is a yearlong slate of events, exhibitions and tours of the city’s most innovative architectural projects." The New York Times.
• Everyone Is Wearing These Shoes to Disney World & You Should Too - "When considering what to pack for your upcoming Disney World vacation, shoes play a key role in ensuring that you stay comfortable all day long. Trust us, blisters have totally ruined an experience or two for us while on a Disney World vacation."
• Vegan diet massively cuts environmental damage, study shows - "Detailed analysis finds plant diets lead to 75% less climate-heating emissions, water pollution and land use than meat-rich ones."
• Riviera police call on luxury watch owners to be discreet - "The latest theft of a luxury watch in Cannes has prompted the authorities to advise owners not to wear the valuable timepieces 'too ostentatiously.' The German tourist was attacked from behind during the robbery, which happened two hours after sunset near the Carlton hotel on the Croisette."
• How to spot an AI cheater - "Students, lawyers and others are passing off writing drafted by artificial intelligence as their own. Alex O'Brien investigates the technological tools and critical thinking skills needed to identify if AI is the real author."
• Best Rolex Replica Watches 2023: Where to Buy Fake Rolex 1:1 Super Clones? - "Did you know that Rolex replicas make up 50% of the entire replica watch market? Interestingly, replicas are getting more popular, and with this high demand, their quality and class are improving too. These Rolex replicas are much more sophisticated and elegant, and it is hard to spot a difference between the original and the replica unless you are an expert."
• Why Sunscreen Is the Only Anti-Aging Product You Need - "The sun’s rays cause the majority of skin changes as you grow older. Here’s how sunscreen helps prevent the damage." The New York Times.
• Sotheby's Is Selling These Ultra-Rare Apple Sneakers for $50K USD - "The kicks were part of a one-time giveaway at a national sales conference in the mid-’90s".
• People are getting fed up with all the useless tech in their cars - "For the first time in 28 years of JD Power’s car owner survey, there is a consecutive year-over-year decline in satisfaction, with most of the ire directed toward in-car infotainment."
• Emily Blunt: ‘Women are still pressured to be warm & likable. Men are not’ - "The star of Christopher Nolan’s nuclear epic Oppenheimer discusses sexism in cinema, her support for the strikes and speaking a secret language with her sister."
• Here’s why the best IMAX movies still need a Palm Pilot to work - "Oppenheimer is 600 pounds of 70mm IMAX film, and it wouldn’t work so well on-screen if it weren’t for a 21-year-old PDA."
• One of the world’s most dangerous places to fly: Nepal grapples with deadly air crashes - "The expansion of air travel has brought huge benefits to the mountainous country - but a poor safety record puts jobs and tourism at risk."
• They quit their jobs & sold everything to drive around the world with two young children - "The couple met in Laos in 2011. At the time, Matt was raising money for the British Red Cross while driving a London black cab around the world, while Leah was on a year-long globe-trotting adventure after teaching in South Korea for a few years. They instantly connected and maintained a long-distance relationship for a year after his road trip ended before moving to Hong Kong to start a life together. During that same trip, Matt ran into the Zapp family, who traveled the world for 22 years in a 1928 Graham-Paige classic car and welcomed four children during the journey. 'Leah and I talked about the Zapp’s adventure soon after we met, and from then on, the seed was planted - maybe one day we could do something similar,' Matt Prior tells CNN Travel."
• Judit Polgar still an icon nearly a decade after retirement - "The Hungarian gave up competitive play in 2014 but her online commentaries show that she is as sharp as ever."
• Why Did 488 Golden Retrievers Gather in Scotland? - "About every five years, owners and their dogs travel to Guisachan in the Highlands to celebrate the anniversary of the breed’s founding. This year’s edition was the biggest yet." The New York Times.
• Tears As Vet Tech Reveals Why Dogs Like To Lick Their Owners Before Sleep - "According to Gabby, the act of licking 'releases endorphins' that can help soothe a dog to sleep. She said it also provides the pooch involved with a 'sense of security' while also reminding them of 'puppyhood' and being 'groomed' by their moms."

July 20, 2023

• Extreme weather: the climate crisis in four charts - "As much of the northern hemisphere endures blistering heatwaves and parts of Asia are deluged with rain, a number of climate records are being challenged."
• In Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie,’ Ken’s clothes are his key to emancipation - "For the last 62 years, Ken has been the original accessory - designed only to match or complement his predestined life partner, Barbie. If Ken is a compass, Barbie is north. According to toy manufacturers Mattel, just one Ken doll is sold for every seven Barbies."
• Oppenheimer review: A "magnificent" story of a tragic American genius - "Oppenheimer is a flat-out masterpiece. Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated latest film tells the story of the man who created the atomic bomb. It's boldly imaginative and his most mature work yet, writes Caryn James."
• St John: The tiny island where Robert Oppenheimer escaped his legacy - "A new biopic is shedding light on rise and fall of 'the father of the atomic bomb'. But few people know that he spent many of his final days as a Caribbean castaway."
• OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush created ‘mousetrap for billionaires’, says friend - "Karl Stanley says Rush ‘definitely knew it was going to end like this’ and that he had warned Rush the craft was dangerous."
• ‘Mystery object’: space junk moved from Western Australia beach to secret location but origin still unknown - "Australian Space Agency working to identify unknown origin of the mysterious cylinder that washed up on a remote beach near Green Head, 250km north of Perth."
• AI takes 40 years off Harrison Ford’s face in ‘Indiana Jones’ - "This technology made Harrison Ford look 40 years younger on screen."
• Disinformation reimagined: how AI could erode democracy in the 2024 US elections - "Advances in generative artificial intelligence could supercharge the propaganda playbook, experts warn."
• Apple is reportedly developing an AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT - "It's called Ajax, though nobody knows how it'll be implemented."
• A Closer Look at 3 of Rolex's Coolest 2023 Releases - "All hail the king."
• What muscles do pushups work? - "The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Press-Ups. Learn how to do press-ups and build upper-body muscle mass with the king of calisthenics exercises."
• A funeral for fish & chips - "Plenty of people will tell you the East Neuk of Fife in Scotland is the best place in the world to eat fish and chips. So what happens when its chippies - and chippies across the UK - start to disappear?"
• Malaysian cuisine: the foods you must try - "Malaysia’s top 40 foods."
• Netflix password crackdown fuels jump in subscribers - "A burst of people signed up for Netflix this spring, after the streaming giant cracked down on password sharing."
• 12,795 possessions! Meet the woman who photographed every single thing she owns - "Barbara Iweins spent four years taking pictures of every object in her home, from her own clothes to her kids’ toys. She realised she could live without 99% of them."
• A ticket sold in California has won the $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot - "The winning numbers were 7, 13, 10, 24, 11 and the Powerball was 24. The lucky ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $1.08 billion or a lump sum payment of $558.1 million, both before taxes, according to Powerball."
• Pooping every 3 or more days linked with cognitive decline, research finds - "In the first research to look at constipation’s impact on the aging brain, scientists have found some concerning links. Being chronically constipated, defined by the authors as having a bowel movement only every three or more days, has been linked with a 73% higher risk of subjective cognitive decline, according to research presented Wednesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam."
• Microsoft Teams is adding Maybelline’s AI-powered ‘makeup’ filters - "The Maybelline Beauty app adds 12 AI-powered ‘digital makeup’ looks for Teams Enterprise users to apply during meetings."

July 19, 2023

• Pvt. Travis King: Everything We Know About the Soldier Who Ran into North Korea - "Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday said that King 'willfully and without authorization' crossed the border - one of the most tensely guarded areas in the world - and that the Defense Department is closely monitoring and investigating the situation."
• PICTURED: US soldier, 23, who ran into North Korea after being released from South Korea prison - "Private 2nd Class Travis King had been held on assault charges in South Korea and was released on July 10 after serving his time. Instead of getting on a plane to be taken back to Texas, he left and joined a tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom, where he ran across the border."
• US heatwave sees hospitals use body-bag ice treatment - "An unrelenting heatwave continues to scorch much of the southern US, leaving more than 90 million Americans under a heat advisory."
• Heatwave scorches Europe, in pictures - "A heatwave is continuing across parts of Europe, with temperatures on the Italian island of Sardinia expected to reach a high of 46C (114.8F) on Tuesday."
• The fiery row behind Europe's mythological heatwave names - "Two sweltering heatwaves in Europe have been named Cerberus and Charon, but there is no internationally-agreed naming system for these events - and some experts fear it could be counterproductive."
• Lavrov to replace Putin at South Africa summit amid ICC arrest warrant - "A statement released by South Africa’s presidency on Wednesday said: 'By mutual agreement, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation will not attend the summit but the Russian Federation will be represented by foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov.'"
• Henry Kissinger meets with sanctioned Chinese defense minister in Beijing - "Kissinger, who turned 100 this year, played a key role in the US rapprochement with China while serving as national security adviser under the Nixon administration."
• After no change for 5 years, there’s a new most powerful passport - "The world’s most powerful passport for 2023 revealed. Japan’s been knocked down into third place and the new titleholder is Singapore, whose citizens are able to visit 193 destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free."
• How Jane Birkin Helped Design HermÈs’ Most Popular Handbag - "Her Inspiration, Royalties and What She Really Thinks About Its Namesake. Jane Birkin, who died on Sunday at age 76, made her mark on French cinema and music, but she had just as much influence in the fashion world, serving as the inspiration behind Hermès’ best-selling handbag: the Birkin. Released in 1984, the iconic tote has become a universal status symbol, with Birkins boasting record-high resale prices and countless celebrity collectors."
• why the hermÈs birkin bags cost so much - "Everything you need to know about the world’s most coveted tote. What fits your personal belongings and can cost a full year’s salary - or two, or three? In the 1990s, you might have said 'a house,' but today a valid answer could also be a Hermès Birkin bag, the capacious saddle-stitched status symbol that has become A-Listers’ accessory of choice."
• Tragic details of Jane Birkin’s last moments are revealed - "It emerges she was spending a night alone for the first time in two years when she died as she tried to regain independence during cancer battle."
• there's a good reason why shoes are so important in the Barbie movie - "The controversial history of Barbie’s classic stiletto mule heels."
• How AI is bringing film stars back from the dead - "Celebrities such as James Dean can be brought back to life as digital clones thanks to the power of artificial intelligence, but it is raising troubling questions about what rights any of us have after we die."
• 'Breakthrough' geothermal tech produces 3.5 megawatts of carbon-free power - "Fervo Energy's Nevada site is slated to power Google data centers."
• iPhone dubbed the ‘Holy Grail’ sold for $190,000 - "A first-edition 2007 Apple iPhone has sold for more than $190,000 at auction, far exceeding the estimate. Dubbed the 'Holy Grail' by auctioneer LCG Auctions, the 4GB model was expected to fetch in the region of $50,000-$100,000. But after attracting 28 bids online, the phone’s value quickly rose and Sunday’s final sale price was $190,372.80."
• The Best Self Defense Keychains for Everyday Carry - "From keychain knives to Kubatons to knucks, keychain-style self-defense weapons not only come in an enormous variety of forms but can also massively differ in terms of quality and construction - an area that’s particularly important considering these weapons are typically deployed in life-threatening situations. Knowing just how abundant this space is, we’ve scoured the segment for the most effective and trustworthy items currently on the market in order to deliver this guide to the best self-defense keychain tools."
• The Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer - "Christopher Nolan's film delves deeply into what this country did to its most famous scientist." The New York Times.
• My Impossible Mission to Find Tom Cruise - "The action star has gone to great lengths to avoid the press for more than a decade. But maybe our writer could track him down anyway?" The New York Times.
• Male grooming is booming. Here’s why - "Men’s grooming is booming. According to data gathered by market insight company Statista this year, the global male grooming market is expected to be worth $115 billion by 2028, up from nearly $80 billion in 2022. The same market was worth an estimated $74.8 billion in 2021. So what’s behind the growth?"
• Asia's 50 Best Bars 2023 - "Hong Kong Coa bar crowned the best in Asia for third straight year."
• Astonishing new finds in the ancient city of Pompeii - "Kitchen shrine serpents and more fascinating new Pompeii discoveries. A kitchen shrine adorned with serpents, a bakery, human skeletons, exquisite frescos, and yes, a picture of something that looks very much like pizza. These are among the new finds being turned up at the Pompeii Archaeological Park."
• POMPEII - Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, with approximately 2.5 million visitors annually. Was an ancient city located in what is now the comune of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of volcanic ash and pumice in the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
• The secret hack to reveal if your pillows are past their sell-by-date - "Social media phenomenon Lynsey, aka Queen of Clean, revealed there are two secret hacks to find out if your pillows are past their sell-by date."
• Microsoft puts a steep price on Copilot, its AI-powered future of Office documents - "Microsoft 365 businesses will have to pay $30 per user per month extra to get access to Copilot."
• 331-Foot-Long Superyacht Concept ‘Stardom’ Unveiled - "Superyacht designer T. Fotiadis Design is well known for creating attention-grabbing concepts. And the new 331-foot-long Stardom design has certainly grabbed my attention. But it turns out Stardom is actually the second of four concepts from the Berlin-based designer’s IBO series." Forbes.
• Test-Riding The 2023 Harley-Davidson Fat Bob 114 - "The 2023 Fat Bob had stiff competition during a two-day test in Milwaukee and its outskirts this last weekend - the Harley-Davidson Homecoming festival was going full-tilt at the same time. It was a gas, of course - the 'Wall of Death' motorcycle show, demonstrations of the new LiveWire S2 Del Mar, the 120th Harley motorcycle parade as well as the people, the food, the music and the merch. But the highlight of the trip was navigating this angry, stylish, handsome motorcycle in and out of town." Forbes.

July 18, 2023

• 'Heat hell is worldwide' - "Extreme heat scorches across the globe."
• Excessive heat: Why this summer has been so hot - "It is hot. Very hot. And temperatures show no signs of easing. Nearly a third of Americans - over 113 million people - are under some form of heat advisory, the US National Weather Service said."
• Why celebrities are striking: The average pay for actors may surprise you - "$27.73 per hour - That’s how much the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported as the average pay for California actors in 2022. However, the BLS noted in the data that actors aren’t paid full-time year-round due to the nature of the job."
• The Morning After: Russia bans Apple devices for state officials - "The country's intelligence agency claimed it had uncovered an iPhone spying operation."
• Threads users are already spending less time in the app - "Engagement has dropped off after a blockbuster first week, according to analytics firms."
• In pictures: Jane Birkin’s enduring style legacy - "Jane Birkin, who died Sunday aged 76, will be remembered for many things: Her collaboration with long-time partner Serge Gainsbourg, her vocals on his hit 'Je T’aime... Moi Non Plus' and her acting on both stage and screen, among much else. It is in fashion, however, that her legacy may endure the longest."
• Warren Buffett's wife grumbles about $4 coffee at Sun Valley - "The wife of legendary investor Warren Buffett was overheard at Allen & Co’s annual 'summer camp for billionaires' complaining to a resort staffer about having to pay $4 for a cup of coffee."
• How 2013 film The Congress predicted Hollywood's current AI crisis - "With US actors striking in part because of the threat of AI to their livelihoods, a 10-year-old, little-seen movie starring Robin Wright now seems eerily prescient, writes Caryn James."
• 6 Ways To Make ChatGPT Your Productivity Machine - "You’re probably already pretty productive. Given your large brain, insane work ethic and capacity to produce, you can smash through tasks at lightning speed and take days to generate output that would take others years. Learning how to prompt ChatGPT effectively could make you unstoppable. Human plus machine, making light work of complex labor, amplifying your impact for the benefit of your customers. Here are 6 ways to make ChatGPT your productivity machine in 2023, so you can get more done in less time."
• The mysterious items washing up on beaches - "From unexplained metal balls to Garfield-themed phones, the strange material that drifts ashore from the oceans can reveal a surprising amount."
• Why are aircraft painted white? - "What are the benefits of painting an aircraft white? How much paint does it take to cover a large aircraft? Which airlines break the mould? White is a color that reflects sunlight, which has the result of keeping the aircraft cool. This benefit comes into its own at high speed, where friction from the air can heat the skin of an aircraft to extreme temperatures."
• Pan Am flight attendants had the most glamorous jobs in the sky - "Here’s what happened when the airline vanished."
• Picchiotti Unveils a New Line of Gentleman’s Yachts Inspired by Classic 1960s Cruisers - "The four models pair classic exteriors with luxurious modern interiors."
• Rail route of the month: the gentle beauty of a ride from Hamburg into Denmark - "This cross-border journey through fenlands and small towns is so idyllic our writer breaks up this short trip with overnight stays."
• Experts urge health regulators to approve ‘turning point’ dementia drugs - "As results show 35% slowing in cognitive decline, health leaders say swift decisions crucial."
• The world’s new largest office building is bigger than the Pentagon - "The Belgian city of Antwerp may be known as the world’s diamond trading hub, while most rough stones are mined in Russia or Africa. But some 150 miles north of Mumbai, India, lies a lesser-known gem capital: Surat, where around 90% of all the planet’s diamonds are cut. Now, the city in Gujarat state has a record-breaking building to house its mammoth industry. The newly-opened Surat Diamond Bourse is billed as a 'one-stop destination' for over 65,000 diamond professionals, including cutters, polishers and traders. Featuring a succession of nine rectangular structures spilling out from - and interconnected via - a central 'spine,' the sprawling 15-story complex has been built across more than 35 acres of land. The trading center’s architects say it comprises over 7.1 million square feet of floor space, which would mean it has surpassed the Pentagon as the world’s largest office building."

July 17, 2023

• hundreds of millions from US to Europe & Asia hit by severe heat - "Italy told to prepare for most intense heatwave ‘of all time’ and 100 million Americans remain under extreme heat advisories as climate crisis bites."
• ‘Hell on earth’: Phoenix’s extreme heatwave tests the limits of survival - "Residents of Arizona’s capital are used to scorching heat, but the summer’s unyielding sizzle is making it harder to live there."
• ‘We used to check every day, now it’s every minute’: how we got addicted to weather apps - "As unprecedented weather leads to increasing climate anxiety, there’s a raft of different apps catering for every kind of forecast."
• Jane Birkin obituary - "Singer and actor who duetted with Serge Gainsbourg on Je T’aime ... Moi Non Plus in 1969 and went on to a prolific film career."
• Jane Birkin: a life in pictures - "British model, actor, singer and muse Jane Birkin has died aged 76."
• History of the bag: HermÈs Birkin - "The ultimate fashion symbol, the bag every woman dreams about; the Birkin Bag. This insanely popular Hermès bag is on many wishlists all over the world!"
• Why The HermÈs Birkin Bag is a Better Investment Than Gold - "Skip the gold and steer away from the tumbling stock market, according to a new study the best option for long-term investors is to buy a Hermès Birkin bag. According Baghunter, an online marketplace for buying and selling handbags, the Birkin bag outpaced both the S&P 500 and the price of gold in the last 35 years - a time period chosen to reflect the date when Birkin bags were first produced in 1981. They say that the annual return on a Birkin was 14.2%, compared to the S&P average of 8.7% a year and gold’s -1.5%."
• Taylor Swift becomes first woman to have four albums in US Top 10 at once - "Singer is just third artist in history to have four albums in top 10 concurrently, with Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) becoming her 12th album to reach No. 1."
• Barbie, Inc: How A $3 Toy Inspired A Multi-Billion-Dollar Dream World - "She’s here, she’s there, she’s every pinkin’-where. With Margot Robbie’s summer blockbuster arriving in theaters and ubiquitous merchandise collaborations, the world’s favorite doll is about to launch the Mattel cinematic universe." Forbes.
• How America fell out of love with ice cream - "America’s age-old love affair with ice cream appears to be winding down. Consumption of regular dairy ice cream, which does not include frozen yogurt, sherbet or non- and low-fat ice creams, has been falling for years, according to the US Department of Agriculture. In 1986, the average American ate 18 pounds of regular ice cream, according to the USDA. By 2021, the most recent year of the data, that was down a third to just 12 pounds per person."
• Behind the staggering success of MrBeast - " In the fall of 2016, Jimmy Donaldson did not seem like a future celebrity multimillionaire. The shy 18-year-old had been posting videos on YouTube for five years from his mom’s North Carolina house without much traction. After he quit school, his mother was so disappointed that she kicked him out of the house, he says. Seven years later, Donaldson, better known online as MrBeast, has 167 million YouTube subscribers – more than any other individual creator on the platform. At 25, he oversees a fast-growing empire that may be worth more than $1 billion."
• Why You Shouldn't Book a Room at the Front of a Cruise Ship - "I took my first cruise on the largest ship of its kind. Booking the wrong room was my biggest regret. Booking a room at the front of the ship was my biggest regret on my first cruise. On Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, I learned that rooms at the front are bumpier than others. I booked the very front room of deck eight and felt seasick for the majority of my voyage."
• How close are we really to flying cars? - "What's standing in the way of the flying car? The era of the flying car appears to be coming closer - but huge challenges remain to be solved."
• Christopher Nolan wants Oppenheimer to be a cautionary tale for Silicon Valley - "The film about a man who regrets his great technological innovation because he failed to consider its ramifications certainly does have some potential parallels."
• Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One: Is Tom Cruise the last action hero? - "Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford and Sylvester Stallone are among today's leading action heroes - is Hollywood too dependent on the ageing stars of the 1980s, asks Nicholas Barber."
• Sustainable smartphones calling? The eco-friendly new design rules to extend the life of your handset - "EU legislation will herald greener devices, with greater longevity for software and access to user-replaceable parts."
• Crumbs & cat poo: Renaissance women’s ‘astonishing’ beauty tips revealed - "The era is known for the white mask of makeup worn by Queen Elizabeth I, but academics reveal that cosmetic recipes then were more sophisticated than previously thought."

July 16, 2023

• ‘I’ve never seen heat this bad. It’s not normal’: Italy struggles as temperature tops 40C - "Anticyclone Caronte could send thermometer to 48C/118F as Mediterranean heatwave intensifies."
• US heatwave: 'Dangerous’ temperatures could set new records - "Parts of the US are expected to see record temperatures on Sunday, with warnings of "dangerous" heat levels into next week across the south-west."
• Smart ways to save money in Europe this crazy, crowded summer - "Still hoping to get to Europe this summer but wondering if there’s a way to finagle a vacation there during what remains of this record-breaking season without completely busting your budget? With full airplanes crisscrossing the Atlantic Ocean and hotels having no trouble filling rooms across tourist hot spots, you’re going to need to play it smart."
• British actress & singer Jane Birkin dies aged 76 - "British actress and singer Jane Birkin was found dead at her home in Paris, Le Parisien newspaper and BFM television reported on Sunday, citing people close to her."
• How To Make Wimbledon's Signature Pimm's Cup - "Wishing You Were At Wimbledon? Try Making Their Signature Cocktail." Forbes.
• Over 100 people trapped for several hours in mystery writer Agatha Christie’s former home - "Over 100 people were trapped for several hours in Greenway, the former home of famed British mystery writer Agatha Christie, in the English countryside on Friday. In a series of events which could have been lifted straight out of the pages of one of Christie’s mystery novels, the group of tourists were left stranded after stormy weather knocked down a tree, blocking the road leading down to the property in the county of Devon, southwest England."
• The 'QAnon Shaman' & other Capitol rioters who regret pleading guilty - "A growing number of Capitol rioters have gone back on their guilty pleas and apologies - including one of the most recognisable faces from 6 January."
• Leaps of faith: the Spanish festival where men jump over babies - "For 200 years, men have been hopping over infants in a tiny hamlet in the Cantabrian mountains. Why do they do it?"
• The Maverick Design Choices That May Have Doomed Titan - "Until the Titan disaster on June 18, no one had ever died while piloting or riding a submersible into the deep’s unending darkness. This remarkable safety record stood for nearly a century, despite explorers making many thousands of dives. Federal investigators say it could take them up to 18 months to determine why Titan imploded, killing its five passengers. But engineers interviewed by The New York Times point out possible weak points in the sub’s design."
• Easy does it: 23 nifty fitness hacks for busy lives - "How to get fitter, stronger and more flexible without going anywhere near the gym."
• Streaming: the best films about the atomic bomb - "Ahead of Christopher Nolan’s biopic of ‘father of the atomic bomb’ J Robert Oppenheimer, in cinemas next week, we explore the bomb’s legacy on film, from Hiroshima Mon Amour to Dr Strangelove."
• We can’t predict the future, but appreciating its uncertainties will make us happier - "Coincidences are more likely to happen than we think - so we should expect the unexpected and avoid magical thinking."
• Scientists find vital missing ingredient for healthy vegan diet - algae - "Natural aquatic supplement could be used to make up for lack of key vitamin B12 in plant-based diets. Vitamins for vegans made from algae could soon prove to be the most effective solution to replacing an important nutrient missing from plant-based diets, thanks to recent research by scientists at Cambridge University."
• Is It a Meal? A Snack? No, It’s ‘Girl Dinner’ - "Women across TikTok are showing off their suppers - snack plates made by one person, for the consumption and enjoyment of one person." The New York Times.
• I almost can’t believe it, but Google Tasks is finally kind of good - "It’s still no power-user tool, but at least Google now has a functional app for keeping your to-do list."

July 15, 2023

• Europe heatwave: Red alerts issued in 16 Italian cities - "Red alerts have been issued for 16 cities across Italy as extreme heat continues to affect southern Europe."
• How Texas is racing to thwart the heat - "Amidst a record-breaking heatwave, cities across Texas are exploring ways to keep people cool. But the state also needs to tackle historic inequalities affecting who is most impacted by excessive heat."
• Which drink is best for hydration? Hint: It isn’t water - "You can always reach for a glass of water - but plain H20 isn’t the most hydrating beverage around, according to a study from Scotland’s St. Andrews University that compared the hydration responses of several different drinks. The researchers found that while water - both still and sparkling - does a pretty good job of quickly hydrating the body, beverages with a little bit of sugar, fat or protein do an even better job of keeping us hydrated for longer."
• WHO says soda sweetener aspartame may cause cancer, but it’s safe within limits - "The World Health Organization classified the soda sweetener aspartame as a possible carcinogen, but said the designation is based on limited evidence and more research is needed. The WHO said aspartame is safe to consume within a daily limit of 40 milligrams per kilogram of a person’s body weight. An adult weighing 70 kilograms or 154 pounds would have to drink more than nine to 14 cans of aspartame-containing soda daily to exceed the limit and potentially face health risks."
• Aspartame hazard & risk assessment results released - World Health Organization.
• Want to avoid parched holiday hair? Easy - protect it from the sun - "It’s high summer, so time to use suncreams on your hair as well as your skin. Here are five of the best."
• 10 Life Choices We Will All Regret in 10 Years (If We Aren’t Careful) - "1. Letting others tell us what we are worth. - 2. Being too busy impressing others and forgetting about our priorities. - 3. Letting uncertainty ..."
• The Hollywood actors’ strike: everything you need to know - "Exactly why are they striking, who are the big names aboard, is it all streaming and AI’s fault and when will we see actors on screen again?"
• Brian Cox says actors’ strike could last until the end of the year - "Succession star says Hollywood actors strike could get ‘very unpleasant’ in Sky News interview."
• George Clooney says Hollywood at ‘inflection point’ as actors join picket lines - "'This is an inflection point in our industry,' Clooney told CNN in a statement on Friday. 'Actors and writers in large numbers have lost their ability to make a living. For our industry to survive that has to change. For actors that journey starts now'."
• I had no power wand to force people into bed, Kevin Spacey tells UK court - "Actor rejects claims against him during combative exchanges on second day in witness box."
• ‘He is taking it to the next level’: the expert verdict on Tom Cruise’s epic Mission: Impossible stunts - "Amy Johnston, a stunt veteran of Suicide Squad, Deadpool and more, analyses the new blockbuster’s hair-raising action sequences - and praises the star’s commitment to realism."
• Lisa Marie Presley died from weight-loss surgery complications, autopsy finds - "January death of Elvis Presley’s daughter, 54, ruled as being from natural causes due to effects of small bowel obstruction."
• Can Barbie be the new Iron Man in a Mattel universe? - "It may sound like an unlikely comparison, but the boss of toy company Mattel would like Barbie to be the next Iron Man."
• Who was the real Robert Oppenheimer? - "As the movie Oppenheimer is released, Ben Platts-Mills explores the true story of the enigmatic Manhattan Project scientist, and the atomic bomb that made him a 'destroyer of worlds'."
• The 15 Most Beautiful Beaches In Europe, According To European Best Destinations - "Dreaming of basking in the glorious summer sunshine at one of Europe’s most beautiful beaches? Fine golden sand, crystal clear waters, eternal summer....this year’s selection of the Best Beaches in Europe assembled by the European Best Destinations (EBD) organization has something for everyone: secluded, hidden, popular or wild beaches, for romantic escapes or family adventures, from intense water sports to unspoiled nature."
• Royal Caribbean Bets on a Giant Candy-Colored Cruise Ship - "The ship, by some measures the world’s largest, will depart from Miami in January on its maiden voyage. Some can’t wait to board. Others call it a “monstrosity” that is bad for the environment."
• 'Unspoken rules' of each plane seat explained by an expert - "What are your 'unspoken’ rights on a flight? Hidden advantage of the middle seat explained."
• Is it possible to cure jet lag? ‘Sleep in the week before travel is our most important’ - "A sleep scientist, an elite athlete and a former flight attendant share their best tips for resetting your internal clock before, during and after travel."
• How to Preserve Priceless Documents at the National Archives - "The National Archives and Records Administration is devoted to preserving the priceless records of the United States, including handwritten parchment from President George Washington’s era to 20th-century typewritten documents and modern electronic files." The New York Times.
• High Weight, Low Reps? Or Low Weight, High Reps? New Study Ends Debate - "A new study finds that it doesn't really matter what type of resistance training you do - so long as you do it consistently. The main takeaway is simply that any type of strength training is good strength training. But the researchers also found that if your goal is to bulk up, smaller weights with more reps is ideal. And if you hope to build strength, heavier weights with fewer reps is the way to go."
• Tech CEO who takes 61 pills a day & eats 70 pounds of veggies a month to stay young forever - "Says he’s never been happier: ‘I pity the previous version of me’. Bryan Johnson takes 61 pills every day, and eats 70 pounds of vegetables every month. He wakes up at 4:30 a.m. and goes to bed at 8:30 p.m. Every hour of his day is regimented by an algorithm built from rigorous bodily monitoring and the science of over 2,000 academic publications."
• The Real Difference Between Toyota & Lexus - "Everyone is well aware that Lexus vehicles are Toyota derivatives that focus on offering a more luxurious and premium ownership experience. We take an up-close look at the similarities and differences between mainstream and luxury brands."

July 14, 2023

• Hollywood actors join screenwriters in historic industry-stopping strike as contract talks collapse - "Leaders of Hollywood’s actors’ union voted Thursday to join screenwriters in the first joint strike in more than six decades, shutting down production across the entertainment industry after talks for a new contract with studios and streaming services broke down. It’s the first time two major Hollywood unions have been on strike at the same time since 1960, when Ronald Reagan was the actors’ guild president."
• Fran Drescher’s fiery speech against Hollywood studios goes viral as actors strike - "The Nanny star turned Sag-Aftra union president wins praise for her passion as performers join writers in action expected to halt majority of US film and TV production."
• Which movies & TV shows are impacted by the Hollywood strike? - "A Hollywood mega-strike involving writers and performers is likely to grind to a halt the production of most movies and many popular television shows. The last time members of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) walked out was in July 1980."
• Actors say Hollywood studios want their AI replicas - for free, forever - "In a statement about the strike, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said that its proposal included 'a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses for SAG-AFTRA members.'"
• In ‘Oppenheimer,’ Christopher Nolan builds a thrilling, serious blockbuster for adults - "Christopher Nolan has never been one to take the easy or straightforward route while making a movie."
• iOS 16.5.1 (c) - Update Now Warning Issued To All iPhone Users - "The latest Rapid Security Response should patch issues some people had with previous updates."
• Acropolis temporarily closed to public due to heatwave; tourist faints - "The Acropolis of Athens will be closed to public for several hours on Friday, July 14, as the heatwave that hits Greece reaches its peak with temperatures over 41 degrees Celsius also in the Greek capital."
• Meet Microsoft Office’s new default font: Aptos - "Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel all get a new default font today. Microsoft is replacing its Calibri default font with Aptos, a new sans-serif typeface that’s inspired by mid-20th-century Swiss typography. Previously known as Bierstadt, Microsoft has been on the hunt for its new Aptos default font over the past couple of years. The software giant commissioned five new custom fonts for Office in 2021, and the Aptos font was picked as the default after years of feedback."
• Expensive court fight over Aretha Franklin’s will provides cautionary tale - "The long, expensive court fight over the will of soul singer Aretha Franklin provides a cautionary tale for people who want to make sure their wishes are carried out after their death - and for their families."
• Boundaries are suddenly everywhere. What does the squishy term actually mean? - "The notion of ‘boundaries’ is a seductive metaphor for how our relationships should work - but where did it come from?"
• Yes, AI could profoundly disrupt education. But maybe that’s not a bad thing - "Humans need to excel at things AI can’t do - and that means more creativity and critical thinking and less memorisation."
• Beachgoers beware, this controversial swimwear is back in style - "After decades of banishment from mainstream wardrobes, one of fashion’s most divisive garments - the men’s swimming brief - is making a tentative return across the globe. Some would argue the garment has never gone away. Beaches and pools in Europe (in France in particular) has long been a safe space for fans of the Speedo style, ditto Brazil. Racing briefs are also de rigeur for swimmers, water polo players and divers, and widely embraced by the gay community."
• Famed luxury train is returning to Southeast Asia with two new routes - "Lovers of luxury rail journeys have a couple of new routes to add to their travel wish lists now that one of the world’s most iconic trains has announced its return to the tracks of Southeast Asia. In February 2024, The Eastern & Oriental Express, A Belmond Train will launch two seasonal return-trip journeys out of Singapore that take in the landscapes of its northern neighbor, Malaysia."
• Get your eyes checked to keep your brain healthy, study says - "Regular exams and corrective measures may be easy ways to reduce dementia risk, according to the study. People with untreated visual impairments were significantly more likely to develop dementia, according to a new study. Previous studies have shown a link between cognitive and vision health. This latest research, however, was unique in the rigor with which vision was assessed and in how representative the sample was, said clinician-scientist Dr. Joshua Ehrlich, the lead author of the report published Thursday in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology."
• Sleep Better at Every Age - "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has age-specific recommendations for how much sleep people should get each night. Understanding your sleep needs throughout different life stages - and troubleshooting the problems that arise - can clear the way for a better night’s rest. 'At every major age period in our lives, our sleep is going to shift a little bit.'"
• The 10 best TV shows of 2023 so far - "From The Last of Us and The Diplomat to Silo and The Bear, Caryn James and Hugh Montgomery pick the year's greatest programmes to watch and stream right now."
• Fifteen to love: the best tennis scenes in cinema - ranked! - "As Wimbledon wows the crowds in London and tennis drama Challengers is set to open the Venice film festival next month, we serve up the best on-screen matches - but who has the advantage?"
• ‘Heart-stopping’: censored pages of history of Elizabeth I reappear after 400 years - "British Library uses new technique to uncover passages of Camden’s Annals, the first official account of Elizabeth’s reign."
• The 2023 Comedy Pet Photography awards - in pictures - "Shortlisted entries for the 2023 Comedy Pet Photography awards. The competition was created by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam to celebrate the positive and vital role that pets have in our lives and to encourage engagement around animal welfare."
• Nothing Phone 2 review: novel mobile is more than just flashing lights - "Cool design, competitive price, solid performance and good battery life - but let down by lack of support."
• You only need this 3-move dumbbell workout to build muscle & functional fitness - "Want to pack on more muscle and strength? Try this. A functional fitness workout means you’ll move your body using multi-joint, multi-muscle compound exercises, targeting, strengthening and building muscle across your entire body. Using exercises like pulling, lunging or pushing, you can build functional strength, muscle and power, which all sit under that big old functional umbrella of workouts with or without weights."

July 13, 2023

• Land temperatures in Spain surpass 60C as deadly heatwave sweeps Europe - "Ground so hot that fiery red areas on map turn black."
• Elon Musk launches AI firm xAI as he looks to take on OpenAI - "'The goal of xAI is to understand the true nature of the universe.'"
• Google's Bard AI chatbot has learned to talk - "It understands 40 languages and can speak its responses."
• Google’s AI-assisted note-taking app gets limited launch as NotebookLM - "Google is making its 'AI notebook for everyone' available to a select few and renaming it from Project Tailwind to NotebookLM. If you struggle to make sense of the pile of information in your Google Drive, a light coating of AI could be just the thing."
• Why your favourite brand may be taking a social media break - "As new social media apps including Threads pop up, some companies are choosing to eschew the platforms. What’s going on?"
• Emmys 2023: Succession’s final season scores 27 nominations - "The acclaimed business drama leads the pack with The Last of Us, The White Lotus and Ted Lasso following."
• Hyperloops, supersonic jets & electric aircraft - Here’s what transport could look like by 2050.
• How often should you poop? The answer might not be what you think - "Everyone poops, but it turns out we don’t all need to poop every day. That’s a misconception, said gastroenterologist Dr. Folasade May, an associate professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles."
• 5 Steps to Staying in Shape for the Rest of Your Life - "We call it 'Permanent Fitness.' Here's how it works."
• 11 hidden iPhone camera tips everyone needs to know - "You'll never go back to shooting in just automatic."
• iOS 17 is a lot of little updates that make a big impact - "There’s no single must-have feature in Apple’s latest iPhone OS update, but a lot of little improvements make it worth getting excited about."
• Vladimir Putin’s lavish 22-car ‘ghost train’ seen in newly leaked images - "Gym, spa, beauty equipment: Leaked documents reveal hidden details of Putin’s ‘ghost’ train."
• Can Stress Cause Hair Loss? - "If your hair is thinning during particularly tense times, experts have thoughts on what might be going on."
• The Essential John le CarrÉ - "His clever, melancholic mind produced some of the most enduring heroes in spy fiction. Here are his best books." The New York Times.
• How ancient 'skywells' are keeping Chinese homes cool - "In the eras before air-conditioning, southern China's skywells played a key role in keeping people's homes cool. Could they do it again today?"
• Ancient windcatchers in Iran give architects cooling inspiration - "Tall chimney catches breeze, channelling it into house, displacing warm air that is then expelled through windcatcher."
• The End of the Magic World’s 50-Year Grudge - "In 1973, Uri Geller claimed to bend metal with his mind on live television. Skeptics couldn’t beat him. Now they’ve joined him." The New York Times.
• World’s 50 Best Vineyards Revealed - "Catena Zapata in Mendoza was voted number one in the World’s Best Vineyards Awards for 2023 in a ceremony tonight in Spain’s Rioja wine region."
• Jury reaches verdict in battle over Aretha Franklin’s estate - "Kecalf Franklin testified Monday that he believed the signature on the 2014 document is valid, particularly because it contains the smiley face 'characteristic' of Franklin’s signature."
• Blackpool illuminated: resetting the jewel in Britain’s seaside crown - "After years of decline, Blackpool is undergoing a renaissance and is becoming a precious heritage destination."

July 12, 2023

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• Scientists say they’ve found a site that marks a new chapter in Earth’s history - "Scientists have identified the geological site that they say best reflects a proposed new epoch called the Anthropocene - a major step toward changing the official timeline of Earth’s history. The term Anthropocene, first proposed in 2000 to reflect how profoundly human activity has altered the world, has become a commonly used academic buzzword uniting different fields of study."
• Americans are flocking to Europe’s hot spots. Here’s where Europeans are going instead - "If this past summer’s influx of American tourists in Europe’s favorite summer hot spots – from the French Riviera to the Greek islands - was a flood of epic proportions, then the continent should expect an all-out tsunami from across the pond for the rest of this summer. American arrivals in Europe this crazy summer are expected to surpass last summer’s numbers by 55%, according to analysis by travel insurance provider Allianz Partners. And you hardly have to wait in an Instagram-famous gelato line or queue up to pack into the Vatican for a tour to feel the crunch of Europe’s summertime crowds."
• Brad Pitt accused of ‘looting’ Chateau Miraval’s assets in new legal filing - "An ongoing legal dispute over a French estate and winery Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie formerly owned together continues to escalate. In a new court filing obtained by CNN, Jolie’s former investment company Nouvel accuses Pitt and 'co-conspirators' of attempting to retain control of Château Miraval by 'stripping' and 'looting' its assets. Nouvel is seeking at least $350 million in damages."
• Breakfast around the world - "It’s impossible to determine the single most-common breakfast dish for an entire nation. Trust us, we tried. In America, for example, the breakfast of choice might be bacon and eggs, or smoothie bowls, or fluffy buttermilk pancakes — all depending on who you ask. Regardless, most countries have a signature dish that stands out as uniquely theirs."
• The tastiest hotels around the world - "For gastronomes on vacation, few places feature cuisine more high end than Michelin-starred restaurants in the world’s finest hotels and resorts. From Bangkok to Piedmont and Hanoi to Tokyo, these ridiculously lovely hotels let you indulge in the finest culinary arts, enjoy world class wines and then stagger back to the comfort of your room. Here are 20 of the finest tables around the world, some of the dishes you can expect to enjoy, and the rooms in which to lay your head after an epic feast. Just bear in mind that menus change with the seasons - and culinary inspiration - so the dishes mentioned here may not necessarily be available on your visit."
• Millionaire sells his private jet: ‘I just can’t continue to do this’ - "The global private jet fleet has more than doubled in the last two decades and the market is on fire, with new industry records set for transaction and dollar volume in 2021 and 2022, according to a new report by the US Institute for Policy Studies. Private jets emit at least 10 times more pollutants than commercial planes per passenger, disproportionately contributing to the aviation sector’s climate impact, according to the report, which was published in May 2023."
• Ukraine weapons: What tanks & other equipment are the world giving? - "Nato members are considering sending more weapons and ammunition to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia's invasion. The US is the largest contributor of military aid by far - followed by the European Union (EU), Germany and the UK."
• $44 billion & eight months later. It’s finally all over for Elon Musk - "Twitter is now threatening to sue Meta and Elon Musk is resorting to personal attacks, tweeting 'Zuck is a cuck' and literally challenging Zuckerberg to a d*** measuring contest."
• Musk v Zuckerberg: why so many celebrities crave the the brutal honesty of a cage fight - "When you’re as rich and famous as they are, an ego-fuelled row over tech platforms just isn’t enough."
• Google quietly ditched plans for an AI-powered chatbot app for Gen Z - "Called 'Bubble Characters,' the app featured cartoon-like characters engaging in conversations with young users and even offering advice."
• Got a Flight? Don’t Even Think About Checking a Bag - "The ultralight packing trend says a lot about the state of travel these days." The New York Times.
• The mega-strike that could take down Hollywood - "Hollywood's writers have been on strike for two months and soon the actors may join them, swapping the red carpet for the picket lines."
• Barbenheimer is just the beginning of this year’s summer blockbuster season - "We’re already well into July, but this year’s summer of blockbuster movies is really only just beginning with Barbie and Oppenheimer."
• Chats, carpentry & sunshine: Die Hard director John McTiernan on why prison was ‘great’ - "He directed the most famous action films of the 90s - then was jailed in a wiretapping case. He talks about what he learned about America while inside - and the famous friends who stuck by him."
• World Architecture Festival 2023 shortlist - in pictures - "The World Architecture Festival’s 2023 shortlist has been announced, revealing projects from around the world spanning categories such as religion, energy, transport and health. This year’s festival will be held in Singapore from 29 November to 1 December, where shortlisted entries will present their projects to a 140-person judging panel in hopes of winning awards."

July 11, 2023

• Twitter’s future is in doubt as Threads tops 100 million users - "Twitter has weathered months, if not years, of mismanagement as well as mass layoffs, frequent service disruptions and an exodus of top advertisers, but the launch of a rival app from Meta could prove to be the final straw. Threads surpassed 100 million users this weekend, less than a week after it launched, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Monday, marking a staggering feat for any social network and one that puts it on pace to rapidly pass Twitter’s audience size."
• Threads profile can only be deleted by deleting Instagram account, Meta says - "Threads, Meta’s Twitter rival, is drawing users at an astounding pace, amassing 10 million sign-ups in just seven hours, according to co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. But the highly anticipated new service, which requires an Instagram account for onboarding, features an intriguing stipulation: Deleting a Threads account requires deleting the linked Instagram account."
• Here’s why Threads is delayed in Europe - "Europe’s Digital Markets Act could prevent Meta from connecting Instagram to Threads accounts."
• How AI could help local newsrooms remain afloat in a sea of misinformation - "The AI & Local News Initiative seeks to 'harness the power of artificial intelligence to drive success.'"
• iOS 16.5.1 (a): Apple Suddenly Releases Urgent iPhone Rapid Security Response Update - "The update patches an issue that may have been actively exploited."
• ‘Pure magic’: snow falls on Johannesburg for first time in 11 years - "Residents of the South African city delight in rare snow day caused by a surge in humidity and cold temperatures."
• The orca uprising: whales are ramming boats - but are they inspired by revenge, grief or memory? - "A pod in the strait of Gibraltar has sunk three boats and damaged dozens of others, and their story has captivated the world. What explains this unprecedented behaviour?"
• 15 Habits That Distinguish The Poor From The Rich - "We all wonder what makes the self-made rich different from the people unable to escape being poor. How do self-made millionaires achieve their wealth, and what keeps it growing? Through extensive studies and research, I’ve been able to identify a variety of habits that distinguish the two."
• Don’t shower during a thunderstorm. Here’s why - "Since lightning can travel through plumbing, 'it is best to avoid all water during a thunderstorm. Do not shower, bathe, wash dishes, or wash your hands,' the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted."
• How to reduce your exposure to microplastics - "'They’re in the air, drinking water, dust, food ...' No corner of the planet is free from minuscule fragments of plastic packaging, textiles or utensils. We ask scientists what this means for our health - and what we should do to protect it."
• How to buy men’s jeans: ‘The perfect pair can be your favourite garment for decades’ - "From rear-flattering fits to choosing the hardest-wearing fabric, menswear experts share their secrets for good jeans."
• AirTags are a must-have for travel & not only for finding lost luggage - "In addition to helping keep track of missing luggage, I have another fun use case for AirTags for checked bags. Once I deplane at my final destination, I use the Find My app on my iPhone to watch my AirTag-equipped bag make its way to baggage claim. This allows me to take my time getting to baggage claim and stop for any errands I need to do rather than rush to baggage claim only to stand there aimlessly for 20 minutes. For instance, I oftentimes stop and grab a coffee and pick up my rental car keys while monitoring the location of my checked bag on my iPhone."
• In Pictures: Five of the world's most remarkable treks - "From walks through history to adventures in lost worlds, a new book - with spectacular imagery - showcases more than 50 of the world's best hiking routes. Here are five favourites."
• Superyacht Summer: From St. Tropez To Capri, The Hottest Billionaire Escapes - "The legendary superyacht showdown started early this Summer with several high-profile billionaires (Jeff Bezos, David Geffen) starting in Ibiza and heading to Capri, Sardinia and St. Tropez. Yachts will anchor off the coast and send their high-profile guests via tender to popular seaside restaurants like Lo Scoglio in Sorrento and Casa Jondal in Ibiza. Many will stay throughout the Summer visiting neighboring islands while shuttling back to the mainland to pick up their owners and guests." Forbes.
• Why Silicon Valley’s Big Spenders Are Lining Up Behind RFK Jr. - "The Kennedy scion’s presidential bid is getting a financial boost from the tech world, where his love of Bitcoin and hatred of vaccines is finding libertarian fans."
• The eight best gothic books of all time - "Gothic lit and its moody sister, 'dark academia', are ruling TikTok. From The Secret History to Frankenstein, here are eight shadowy goth-lit must-reads from past and present, selected by the novelist Freya Berry."

July 10, 2023

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• How hot is too hot for the human body to function optimally? - "A new study suggests that once temperatures hit 104 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, our bodies may stop working optimally."
• France bans buying fireworks for Bastille Day after riots - "France has banned the sale, possession and transport of all fireworks during the upcoming Bastille Day festivities."
• Instagram’s Threads surpasses 100 million users - "It handily beat ChatGPT to the milestone while Twitter traffic is ‘tanking,’ according to Cloudflare CEO."
• ChatGPT Drops About 10% in Traffic as the Novelty Wears Off - "Worldwide traffic dropped 9.7% and unique visitors were down 5.7% in June."
• Mark Zuckerberg concealed his kids’ faces on Instagram. Should you? - "When Mark Zuckerberg shared a photo on Instagram of his family on July 4, two things stuck out: the billionaire CEO wore a striped souvenir cowboy hat, and the faces of his children were replaced with happy face emojis. Zuckerberg’s post was promptly criticized by some who saw the decision to obscure the faces as a reflection of his privacy concerns for sharing pictures of his children online, despite his creating massive platforms that allow millions of other parents to do just that."
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• 18 Health Benefits Of Tomatoes, How To Consume & Recipes - "Learn how this humble fruit helps boost your nutrition, health, and immunity. Tomatoes contain vital nutrients, such as vitamin K, folate, potassium, and vitamin C. These nutrients are involved in proper blood clotting, bone health, immune function, blood pressure, protein metabolism, digestion, and skin health."
• The 20 Best New TV Shows to Watch on Streaming - "From Max to Netflix, these are the best of the best new TV shows you can watch on streaming services right now."
• ‘Snatched jawline’: how the chin became fashion’s new pressure point - "The term has exploded in recent years online, as people try everything from chewable balls to cosmetic surgery to achieve the look."
• What makes us flourish in life? I set off to find out - "From cabin dwellers to chateau owners, it’s a zest for life - even the small things - that makes us flourish."
• ‘Bread is much easier’: how Japan fell out of love with rice - "The traditional staple is losing the battle with more convenient and cheaper alternative foods."
• Go ahead, check a bag - "There are lots of travel guides that advise perfectly packing a carry-on. But you, you glamorous beast? You should check a bag. The carry-on queens can’t feel virtuous unless they have you to compare themselves to - so do them a solid."
• TOP 10 MINIMAL HOMES FOR LOVERS OF ALL THINGS MINIMALISTIC - "There’s something about Minimalism that simply never goes out of style. And, minimal homes occupy a soft spot in my heart! Minimal architectural designs will always leave you with a warm feeling in your heart, an intense admiration for the attention to detail, and the delicate touches each structure consists of. They’re simple but smartly designed spaces that radiate an aura of warmth and calmness."
• Aretha Franklin’s sons battle over handwritten wills 5 years after her death - " Five years after her death, the final wishes of music superstar Aretha Franklin are still unsettled. An unusual trial begins next Monday to determine which of two handwritten wills, including one found in couch cushions, will guide how her estate is handled."
• Whale Swallows Two People in a Kayak & Spits Them Back out - "Video shows a whale swallowing two people in a kayak. Thankfully the whale will spit them out and they survived."
• Why Do Couples Tie Cans to Wedding Cars? - "Once used to show disapproval of a union, this clamorous custom now signifies a happy beginning for newlyweds." The New York Times.

July 9, 2023

• Elon Musk is the gift that keeps on giving to Mark Zuckerberg - "If Musk is a boon to Zuckerberg’s fortunes, he’s an unlikely one. Zuckerberg and Musk have often been at odds over the years."
• Bed rotting: TikTok’s latest trend reveals the toxic side of self-care - "The phrase describes staying in bed all day by choice, thereby 'rotting' there, according to Gold, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis."
• Elton John farewell tour ends after years of 'pure joy' - "Elton John told his millions of fans on Saturday night that they would remain in his 'head, heart and soul', concluding his marathon farewell tour in Stockholm with one of his biggest hits - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."
• 14 promises Donald Trump has made in his campaign for a second term - "Former President Donald Trump has hit the 2024 campaign trail and is giving voters a preview of what a second Trump presidency could look like if he’s elected. He’s made many campaign promises - many of which are often vague and lacking in details or specifics - including ending the war in Ukraine, building 10 new cities and giving drug smugglers the death penalty. Here are some of the policies he says he would enact if elected for a second term."
• This is what happens when ChatGPT tries to create crochet patterns - "For every crochet pattern I generated, I used the prompt 'Create a crochet pattern for (blank).'"
• Code Interpreter comes to all ChatGPT Plus users - "7 ways it may threaten data scientists. OpenAI has made its in-house Code Interpreter plugin available to all its ChatGPT Plus subscribers. Here’s a look at some of its amazing capabilities."
• Apocalypse not now? AI’s benefits may yet outweigh its very real dangers - "A new Cambridge University institute will try to harness the good and anticipate the bad effects of artificial intelligence. The Cambridge Institute for Technology and Humanity will amalgamate three university establishments: the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence; the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, which is dedicated to studying all threats that could lead to human extinction or civilisational collapse; and the newly created Centre for Human Inspired Artificial Intelligence, which will focus on finding ways to advance AI for the benefit of humanity."
• Saudi crown prince MBS’s $400 million megayacht has a dedicated snow room for the royal to beat Riyadh’s blistering heat - "The mammoth 439 feet long vessel has a saltwater swimming pool, a climbing wall, a submarine, two helipads, and a $450 million Da Vinci painting."
• OcomtÚn: A long-lost Maya city that was just discovered - "Archaeologist Ivan Šprajc has spent nearly 30 years uncovering long-lost cities buried deep in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. His latest discovery is capturing the world's attention."
• 16 of the best films of 2023 so far - "BBC Culture film critics Nicholas Barber and Caryn James pick their highlights of the year so far, including Suzume, Polite Society and John Wick: Chapter 4."
• ‘It had to be totally bananas’: Greta Gerwig on bringing Barbie to life - "Greta Gerwig’s subtle and beautifully nuanced touch has led to her being hailed as one of Hollywood’s greatest directors. But when she got her teeth into Barbie, she went all-out massive, pink and ‘completely unhinged’."
• The Last Days of John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Kennedy - "Questions swirled around John and Carolyn in the summer of 1999—about their marriage, their careers, their futures, and most of all, what led them to make the tragic choice to board John’s tiny airplane that foggy night in July."
• Cottage Cheese Makes a Comeback - "The diet staple of the ’70s is jiggling back into the mainstream - bringing with it a host of health benefits." The New York Times.
• Ja! you can: how to travel in Scandinavia on a budget - "Free and affordable activities, travel, food and accommodation in Sweden, Denmark and Norway that won’t break the bank or harm the hygge."
• International Travel - "The highest priority of the Bureau of Consular Affairs is to protect the lives and?serve?the interests of U.S. citizens abroad.?Across the globe, we serve our fellow citizens during some of their most important moments - births, adoptions, medical emergencies, deaths, arrests, and disasters." U.S. Department of State.
• world's 10 best universities 2024 - QS World University Rankings - "Institutions in both Europe and America dominate the top 10 rankings, many of which received perfect scores of 100 in indicators such as: ‘Academic reputation’, ‘Employer reputation’ and ‘Faculty/Student ratio’."
• Google Introduces Enhanced Web-Based Google Photos Editing Features - "The new web-based features include a range of 'suggested edits' which can be applied to your photo with a single click."

July 8, 2023

• This week’s record-breaking global temperatures are likely highest in ‘at least 100,000 years’ - "It’s been a week of record-breaking temperatures. On Monday, the average global temperature reached 17.01 degrees Celsius (62.62 degrees Fahrenheit), the highest in the NCEP’s data, which goes back to 1979. On Tuesday it climbed to 17.18 degrees Celsius, where it remained on Wednesday."
• The simple ways cities can adapt to heatwaves - "Satellite images reveal how green spaces, white roads and water features are helping keep cities cool during deadly heatwaves."
• What would net-zero shipping look like? - "The International Maritime Organization has set a net-zero goal 'by or around 2050'. What is needed to reach this? At the annual meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), countries agreed to cut emissions by 20% by 2030 and 70% by 2040, compared to 2008 levels, and 100% by or around 2050. Small island nations and richer countries had called for a 50% reduction by 2030 and 96% by 2040."
• Meta’s Threads upends social media in less than 48 hours - "In less than 48 hours, Meta’s Twitter rival Threads has surpassed 70 million sign-ups, upended the social media landscape and appears to have rattled Twitter enough that it is now threatening legal action against Meta."
• Why Wimbledon's dress code is so strict - "Wimbledon: The controversy of tennis's strict 146-year-old dress code. For the first time in its history, Wimbledon has relaxed its dress code rules. Why are they so strict?"
• In world’s most expensive property market, homes for the dead can cost more than for the living - "Starting at $53,000 for a space not much larger than a shoebox, it is a pricey place to stay, even in a city famed for the world’s most expensive property market. But then the ornate white marble interiors of the 12 story Shan Sum tower in Hong Kong are not aimed at your average sort of buyer. They are meant for a more discerning type of customer altogether, one seeking that little something extra: a resting spot for the afterlife."
• Laziness isn’t why you procrastinate. This is - “Laziness is like, ‘I have absolutely no desire to even think about this.’ Procrastination is, ‘It troubles me to think about this. And therefore, it’s hard for me to get the job done.’ That’s a big difference.”
• First look at Brad Pitt’s F1 movie & car as filming gets underway at Silverstone - "Apple Original Films has unveiled details of Oscar winner Brad Pitt’s eagerly awaited Formula 1 feature film, as crews begin filming scenes with the actor at Silverstone, where Sunday’s British Grand Prix is being staged. The movie is being made in collaboration with F1, and stars Pitt as a former driver returning to the sport with fictional team APXGP, alongside 'Snowfall' actor Damson Idris as his teammate."
• The new Google trick making economy more comfy - "Why this clever new extension is north short of leg-endary. Now there is a free new Chrome Extension, available through the Chrome Web store, which allows to automatically compare - wait for it - leg room on various airlines."
• Are These the Most Expensive Jeans in the World? - "Jeans - or their very fancy doppelgängers - have been the biggest trend of the week. Valentino and Balenciaga make the case that sometimes the most spectacular clothes are the hardest to recognize - and replicate. Chanel takes it easy." The New York Times.
• Lord’s Prayer opening may be ‘problematic’, says archbishop - "The archbishop of York has suggested that opening words of the Lord’s Prayer, recited by Christians all over the world for 2,000 years, may be 'problematic' because of their patriarchal association."
• Test-Driving The 2023 Range Rover Sport First Edition - "Stepping into the universe of the 2023 Range Rover Sport First Edition is akin to embarking on an odyssey where untamed adventure and unrivaled luxury meld seamlessly. The all-new Range Rover Sport is a testament to the evolution of a legendary lineage, an anthology of stories written on tarmac, gravel, and everything in between. The Range Rover Sport, since its inception, has been the epitome of an intriguing paradox - blending the rugged DNA of Land Rover with the aristocratic elegance of Range Rover. It has consistently set benchmarks, redefining our understanding of what a Sports Utility Vehicle could and should be. This new generation takes it a step further, pushing the envelope by accentuating its dual persona - more luxurious and sportier than ever before." Forbes.
• Boat of the Week: Inside Giorgio Armani’s New Rule-Breaking 236-Foot Superyacht - "Giorgio Armani’s third superyacht, a 236-foot Admiral, the Milanese designer has stepped from catwalk to dockwalk to give the boat’s design his signature tailored appeal. To date, Armani has largely cruised the Mediterranean enjoying its hidden bays and beauty. Now it seems his sights are set farther afield in harsher climates. The yacht, known only as Project Metamorphosis, has an ice-classed hull, a transatlantic, 6,000-nautical mile range and a touch-and-go helipad for exploring away from the mothership."
• BMW’s CE 02 electric scooter sets sights on urban mobility - "The company expands its EV lineup with two wheels and stylish HUD glasses."
• Jony Ive's first post-Apple hardware project is a $60,000 turntable - "Ive has moved from digital music devices to an analog one."
• A Harvard genetics professor who only sleeps 6 hours a night & doesn’t exercise every day swears 3 habits helped reverse his biological age by a decade - "Sinclair swears by resveratrol, a polyphenol or natural antioxidant commonly found in berries, peanuts, and red wine. He consumes it in a supplement form each morning with 'a couple of mouthfuls of yogurt.' Along with the yogurt, Sinclair has green matcha tea - full of polyphenols such as ECGC catechins."

July 7, 2023

• UN says climate change ‘out of control’ after likely hottest week on record - "After record breaking days on Monday and Tuesday, unofficial analysis shows the world may have seen its hottest seven days in a row."
• Twitter threatens to sue Meta over rival Threads app - "In a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a lawyer for the Elon Musk-owned app said Meta had unlawfully misappropriated trade secrets."
• Twitter owner Elon Musk has taken first steps in creating an ‘everything app’ to rival WeChat. It’s going to be an uphill battle - "Elon Musk wants Twitter to be an 'everything app,' which includes peer-to-peer payments, and has taken the first steps toward that goal by securing crucial financial licenses in three states. But, according to company insiders who spoke to Fortune, the next steps are unclear as chaos reigns, regulatory hurdles loom, and potential competitors like Venmo and PayPal dominate the market." Fortune.
• Berlusconi leaves control of business empire to two eldest children - "Partner Marta Fascina is left 100 million euros. Friend and Mafia convict Dell'Utri given 30 million euros."
• Wigs, guns & a giant sledgehammer: Russian media attacks mercenary chief over lavish home - "Footage of what appears to be Yevgeny Prigozhin’s home shows lavish decor, a private helicopter pad and a spa alongside well-equipped medical rooms."
• Bedbugs are a nasty nuisance. Here’s how to avoid bringing them home from your travels - "A big thing to avoid: Don’t place your suitcase on the floor in the corner. That’s the best chance of bringing bedbugs home, Potter said. Put it instead on an elevated surface such as the top of a dresser or a luggage rack. If there are two beds in a room, Potter does not put his suitcase on the other bed."
• Flight attendant shares how to use shower caps to prevent suitcase nightmare - "A flight attendant shared why hotel goers should bring shower caps with them in their suitcases. This simple item can prevent a packing disaster."
• Do Your iPhone a Favor & Clear Your Cache - "Clearing your iPhone cache every month can help keep your mobile browsers fresh and keep your web browsing snappy."
• Five great places to put an Airtag & the one genius place I did - 1. Inside luggage. I briefly mentioned luggage but it's a good one to consider. ... 2. A pet's collar. ... 3. Under your bike seat or scooter. ... 4. A child's school bag. ... 5. Your car.
• FDA grants full approval to new Alzheimer's drug meant to slow disease - "The first approved drug to slow the progression of the illness will come with a strong safety warning about potentially life-threatening side effects."
• Three Vaccines for Fall: What You Need to Know - "Here’s who should get the flu, Covid and R.S.V. vaccines, and when." The New York Times.
• Google MusicLM review - "Google’s AI-powered, browser-based tool uses machine learning to generate an infinite variety of sounds. Is this the future of sound design or just a gimmick?"
• Amazing Fact Generator - Mental Floss.

July 6, 2023

• The planet saw its hottest day ever this week. The record will be broken again & again - "This week saw the hottest global temperature ever recorded, according to data from two climate tracking agencies. On Monday, the average global temperature reached 17.01 degrees Celsius (62.62 Fahrenheit), the highest in the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction’s data, which goes back to 1979. On Tuesday, it climbed even further, reaching 17.18 degrees Celsius and global temperature remained at this record high on Wednesday. The previous record of 16.92 degrees Celsius was set in August 2016."
• How to sign up for Instagram Threads - "Not yet in the EU because of regulatory concerns." Digital Trends.
• Meta officially launches Twitter rival Threads - "Facebook has tried to compete with Twitter in numerous ways over the years, including copying signature Twitter features such as hashtags and trending topics. But now Facebook’s parent company is taking perhaps its biggest swipe at Twitter yet. Meta on Wednesday officially launched a new app called Threads, which is intended to offer a space for real-time conversations online, a function that has long been Twitter’s core selling point. The app appears to have many similarities to Twitter, from the layout to the product description. The listing, which first appeared earlier this week as a teaser, emphasizes its potential to build a following and connect with like-minded people."
• Threads: Ten million join Meta's Twitter rival, Zuckerberg says - "Experts say Threads could attract Twitter users unhappy with recent changes to the platform. Threads allows users to post up to 500 characters, and has many features similar to Twitter. Threads is now available to download in over 100 countries including the UK, but not yet in the EU because of regulatory concerns."
• We tried Threads, Meta’s new Twitter rival. Here’s what happened - "Kari Paul tested the social network minutes after its launch - did it fail to impress, or should Elon Musk be shuddering?"
• Twitter was locked in a chaotic doom loop. Now it’s on the verge of collapse - "Since the ‘genius’ bought Twitter last year, he’s made a series of poor decisions - and now the platform is almost unusable."
• The Biggest, Best & Worst (So Far) - "Mid-way through 2023, Swift, Musk, Nvidia, Zelda and Johannes Vermeer are all big winners."
• Japan will soon release Fukushima radioactive water into the ocean. How worried should we be? - "The plan to release treated wastewater has been in the works for years, with the environment minister declaring in 2019 there were 'no other options' as space runs out to contain the contaminated material."
• ‘He lived by the troll, he dies by the troll’: Putin takes on Prigozhin’s business empire - "Kremlin appears to gain control of Wagner warlord’s troll farms as Patriot media operations shut down."
• Never underestimate a droid: robots gather at AI for Good summit in Geneva - "Ai-da, Desdemona, Nadine and Geminoid join world’s largest gathering of humanoids to promote AI as force for good. They are all at the world’s largest gathering of humanoid robots, which is under way at the United Nations AI for Good global summit in Geneva."
• OpenAI is forming a team to rein in superintelligent AI - "The announcement comes as governments debate how to regulate AI technologies."
• Google Says It'll Scrape Everything You Post Online for AI - "An update to Google's privacy policy suggests that the entire public internet is fair game for its AI projects. Google updated its privacy policy over the weekend, explicitly saying the company reserves the right to scrape just about everything you post online to build its AI tools. If Google can read your words, assume they belong to the company now, and expect that they’re nesting somewhere in the bowels of a chatbot."
• World’s 722 biggest companies ‘making $1tn in windfall profits’ - "The world’s 722 biggest companies collectively are making more than $1tn a year in windfall profits on the back of soaring energy prices and rising interest rates, according to research by development charities. The companies made $1.08tn this way in 2021 and $1.09tn last year, according to analysis of Forbes magazine data by the charities Oxfam and ActionAid. The collective profits were 89% higher than the previous four-year average covering 2017-2020."
• The 27 best luxury tech gadgets of all time - "There are bathroom scales that know your heart health and lipstick machines that know your perfect colour. There are radars for bikes and lidars for vacuum cleaners. There are computers that fold and trainers that bounce. Most of all there are a lot of previously-inanimate objects - from tables to board games - that suddenly require bluetooth compatibility. Here is a list of some of the top luxury technology releases of recent months. And if it seems out of your reach? It soon, most likely, won’t be. The thing about gadgets is that they start off as luxury, and rapidly become necessity. Today’s luxury tech all too often becomes tomorrow’s ubiquitous tech. Better get updating your table’s wifi settings."
• 10 Iconic Rock Albums from the 1970s Everyone Should Own - "The 1970s were flush with excellent - truly excellent - rock albums that icons have to be left off this list - say it ain’t so, George Harrison! Not only that but while we highlight groups like the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, they have multiple albums that could be on this list. But there is only room for one apiece. Albums everyone must not only listen to but listen to on repeat. Albums that should be owned on vinyl as well as digitally."
• Formula 1 announces calendar for 2024 - "The calendar features 24 races and begins in Bahrain on March 2 and finishes in Abu Dhabi on December 8."
• Three key stand outs from the 2024 F1 calendar - "The season begins with two Saturday races. Races move position to support regionalisation. Formula 1 set for bumper 24-race calendar."
• This futuristic entertainment venue in Las Vegas is the world’s largest spherical structure - "It squats on the Las Vegas skyline like an enormous spaceship, black and mysterious - until night falls, when it will glow like the Earth from space. The MSG Sphere won’t open to the public for almost three more months, when U2 christens the entertainment venue with a series of concerts. But anticipation is growing."
• The saga of the three-year cruise gets a new twist - "The three-year cruise is going ahead - with a bigger ship. The project appears to be back on, with a bigger ship confirmed for those three years of exploration. The launch date is still set for November 1, 2023."
• Blueberries have joined green beans in this year’s Dirty Dozen list - "Blueberries, beloved by nutritionists for their anti-inflammatory properties, have joined fiber-rich green beans in this year’s Dirty Dozen of nonorganic produce with the most pesticides, according to the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit environmental health organization. In the 2023 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, researchers analyzed testing data on 46,569 samples of 46 fruits and vegetables conducted by the US Department of Agriculture. Each year, a rotating list of produce is tested by USDA staffers who wash, peel or scrub fruits and vegetables as consumers would before the food is examined for 251 different pesticides."
• Is this the world's best chocolate? - "How the Chocolate Islands are rediscovering their roots. São Tomé and Príncipe, once the biggest producer of chocolate in the world, is revitalising its chocolate trade."
• How A.S.M.R. Became a Sensation - "The brain-tingling feeling was a hard-to-describe psychological oddity. Until, suddenly, it was a YouTube phenomenon."
• Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is 'ultra-modern' - "Tom Cruise's latest is 'high tech', full of stunts, and pays homage to past crime capers."
• Footpaths to the past: ‘We must keep our ancient tracks alive by walking them’ - "The UK’s paths and holloways should be protected for their environmental appeal and historic worth - but they also need to be maintained by using them."
• Ultramarathoner Racing Against the Course & Himself - "Nickademus de la Rosa, an ultrarunning prodigy who has run across Death Valley and the Alps, is taking a pause from the sport as he copes with borderline personality disorder."
• HOKA Vs ASICS Running Shoe Comparison: 5 Main Differences - "HOKA and ASICS running shoes are among the most popular running shoe brands. Both companies offer a variety of styles of running shoes, yet there are some pretty notable differences between HOKA vs ASICS running shoes."

July 5, 2023

• Fourth of July marked in the US - in pictures - "People across the US braved heat and heavy rain to take part in Fourth of July activities on Tuesday, celebrating the nation’s founding with parades, fireworks and hot dog eating contests."
• About Those July 4 Fireworks & Air Pollution - "As concerns over wildfires and air quality mount, drones and laser shows offer an alternative to fireworks on July 4 and other holidays." The New York Times.
• The buck supermoon from around the world - in pictures - "July’s supermoon has lit up skies from Britain to Argentina. Its proximity to Earth means it appears 5.8% bigger and 12.8% brighter than an ordinary full moon. This month’s full moon is also known as a buck moon - its Native American name - as male deer begin to regrow their antlers in July."
• Inside most star-studded party in history - "The most famous celebrities on the planet have descended on the Hamptons for an ultra-exclusive all-white bash. Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez: a US billionaire has just hosted what might be the most A-list party of all time."
• Elon Musk trains with UFC legend ahead of Mark Zuckerberg fight - "‘The obvious conclusion is that I need a *lot* more training,’ billionaire tweets. Elon Musk has taken part in a training session with former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre ahead of a potential bout with Mark Zuckerberg."
• Outspoken climate activist Steven Spielberg has taken delivery of his $250 million superyacht - "Even longer than a football field, the diesel-powered 4,444 ton vessel has two swimming pools and, in all possibility, a plush movie theater and a helipad."
• Billionaire Yachts: Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, Sergey Brin - "Tech billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, and Google cofounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page have all purchased mini vacation hubs at sea."
• 10 Daily Habits that Often Drain 90 Percent of Our Joy - "1. Focusing on how life “should be” every step of the way. Try to use frustration and inconvenience to motivate you rather than annoy you."
• 12 best luggage brands, explained by GQ's globetrotting travel editors - "The choice between hard-side luggage or soft-sided suitcases will largely hinge on whether you’re checking it in on the plane or carrying it on with you."
• Incredible Sydney Opera House design secret wows the internet - "Architects found an ingenious solution for the project. The Sydney Opera House's shells proved to be impossible to make, until the architect realised that they could be produced as sections of a sphere."
• Meet world's richest man once - "According to reports, Nizam Mir Osman, who was once the richest person in world, used to live very dirty and his bedroom was cleaned only once a year."
• The 91-year-old male model with the face of a classic cinema star - "He’s louche and sun-kissed, effortlessly cool and 91 years old. The Spanish King - real name Andrés García-Carro - became a model somewhat accidentally thanks to his granddaughter, Celine van Heel, who began photographing him three years ago and chose the moniker for his Instagram."
• Japan’s tallest skyscraper, part of ambitious ‘urban village,’ completed in Tokyo - "The tower, with gently curved edges and a crown resembling flower petals, reaches 330 meters (1,083 feet) in height, with 64 floors above ground. That surpasses the Abeno Harukas skyscraper in Osaka, now Japan’s second tallest building at 300 meters (984 feet)."
• Can Couture Be More Socially Responsible? - "Renaissance, a French nonprofit, focuses on producing upcycled pieces made in the couture style while providing job training opportunities."
• AI translates 5000-year-old cuneiform tablets instantly - "It's like combining Google Translate with a time machine. Researchers have unearthed hundreds of thousands of cuneiform tablets, but many remain untranslated. Translating an ancient language is a time-intensive process, and only a few hundred experts are qualified to perform it. A recent study describes a new AI that produces high-quality translations of ancient texts."
• The trauma of Cary Grant: how he thrived after a terrible childhood - as told by his daughter - "Born into extreme poverty, Grant was told as a child his mother had died. She had actually been placed in a psychiatric institution. It was the start of a life of repression and extraordinary reinvention."

July 4, 2023

• Billionaires: Musk nearly doubles Zuckerberg wealth gain - "Elon Musk nearly doubled Mark Zuckerberg’s wealth gain through the first 6 months of 2023 with a massive $96.6 billion surge. Each member of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index made an average of $14 million per day over the past six months, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It was the best half-year for billionaires since the back half of 2020, when the economy rebounded from a Covid-induced slump."
• Facebook owner Meta set to launch Twitter rival on Thursday - The app, which is called Threads and is available for pre-order on the Apple App Store, will be linked to Instagram. Screengrabs show a dashboard that looks similar to Twitter. Meta describes Threads as a 'text based conversation app'. The move is the latest in a rivalry between Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter owner Elon Musk.
• Twitter’s TweetDeck will only be available to verified users, company says - "Restriction on previously free dashboard tool is latest dramatic change to platform under Elon Musk. The popular and previously free tool allows users to organize the accounts they follow into different columns to easily monitor content. It has been popular with businesses and news organizations."
• So where are we all supposed to go now? - "It’s the end of a social era on the web. That’s probably a good thing. But I already miss the places that felt like everyone was there."
• Unilever named ‘international sponsor of war’ by Ukraine - "Protest at London HQ highlights taxes company pays in Russia and new law requiring it to contribute to war effort."
• People only just realising how to make sure your suitcase is FIRST off the plane - "If you hate waiting for your luggage at the airport, you'll do anything to make the process speed up - and thankfully, there are some clever tricks you can try this summer."
• Personality Test: Your Nail Shape Reveals Your Hidden Personality Traits - "Nail Shape Personality Test: Do you have vertically long nails? horizontally wide nails? round nails? or square nails? Read this nail personality test to know what your nails say about your personality. SHARE this Nail Shape Personality Test with your friends and family!"
• How we survive - "'I was lost in the desert for nine and a half days – and sustained myself with raw bats and urine.' In 1994, Mauro Prosperi was running an ultramarathon through the Sahara when he was blown off course by a sandstorm. Alone and dangerously dehydrated, he found nourishment in unexpected places."
• A Piece Of Plastic Wrap Will Help You Remove Those Pesky Price Tag Stickers - "All you need to do is spray the sticker with your oil of choice, and then do the same to a paper towel. Lay the towel over the sticker, cover it with plastic wrap, and tape down the edges to create a seal. Let it sit for a few minutes, and afterward, the sticker should peel right off."
• Buck Moon: July supermoon appears brighter than usual in the sky - "July's supermoon is appearing full for up to three days, according to Nasa. Known as a Buck Moon, it is closer than normal in its orbit around the Earth. This is because the Moon's orbit is not a perfect circle due to the Earth's gravitational pull; instead it is elliptical, like an elongated circle or oval."
• The Secret to an Excellent Sandwich - "In search of the perfect, flavor-layered bite, sandwich shops are focusing on restraint, approaching every element with a high level of care." The New York Times.
• Robot takes podium as orchestra conductor in South Korea - "An android robot, EveR 6, took the conductor’s podium in Seoul on Friday evening to lead a performance by South Korea’s national orchestra, marking the first such attempt in the country. The two-armed robot, designed by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, made its debut at the National Theater of Korea, leading musicians in the country’s national orchestra. The robot, with a humanoid face, first bowed to the audience and started waving its arms to control the tempo of the live show."
• Turkey’s hidden alpine wonderland - "Rize province, on the Black Sea coast near Turkey’s northeast border with Georgia, is still largely unknown to many international travelers. Yet it is here that some of the country’s most untouched alpine terrains continue to fascinate nature lovers who want to take the road less traveled."
• The Idol: why the HBO show became 2023’s biggest TV disaster - "The co-creation of music superstar Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, the series seemed to have everything going for it. So what went so wrong, asks Laura Martin."
• Why our voices change with age - "Our voices are not immune to the effects of ageing. But there are some things that can help to keep them in good condition."
• Cowboy Cruiser e-bike offers a more upright ride - "The new model allows for a Dutch riding style and has a wider saddle."

July 3, 2023

• Greta Thunberg has accused Russia of ‘ecocide’. What does that mean? - "On June 6, Ukraine suffered an environmental catastrophe. The collapse of the Kakhovka dam in the south of the country sent water thundering downstream, killing more than 100 people according to Ukrainian officials. It wiped out villages, flooded farmland and nature reserves, and swept up pollutants like oil and agricultural chemicals as it made its destructive path towards the Black Sea. And Ukraine is calling it 'ecocide.'"
• Travel Light With These 35 Carry On Packing Tips - "Save that checked luggage fee to spend on your actual trip."
• Before Wimbledon, There’s Practice on Grass at an English Garden Party - "The Boodles, which draws elite players on their way to the All England Club, is unlike nearly anything else on the tennis calendar - a Gatsby-like few days on an estate outside London."
• How Twitter’s new drastic changes will affect what users can view on the site - "Elon Musk says ‘temporary limits’ address security issues, while some users suspect move is to lift Twitter Blue paid subscriptions."
• To fridge or not to fridge? Ketchup company clears the air on how you should store the popular condiment - "With just five words, a recent tweet from Kraft Heinz sparked a bit of a debate about how you should store your ketchup. 'FYI,' began the tweet from the United Kingdom-based branch of the food and beverage company. 'Ketchup. Goes. In. The. Fridge!!!' Kraft Heinz, whose ketchup is among its popular condiments, shared the heavily punctuated statement on Tuesday in a tweet that reached over 4 million people."
• Four cities putting disabled travellers first - "With one in six people living with disability, ensuring that cities around the world are accessible to all is vital. But which cities are doing it best, and how?"
• Are your clothes making you sick? The opaque world of chemicals in fashion - "Our outfits contain BPA, PFAS and other dangerous substances - but we still know little about their cumulative impact."
• Apple’s next AirPods Pro may check your hearing health & take your temperature - "Along with switching to USB-C, Apple could be adding new health features - but we may not see them soon."
• A.I. & TV Ads Were Made for Each Other - "A string of uncanny videos show what generative A.I. and advertising have in common: They chew up the cultural subconscious and spit it back at us."
• Animated: Change in Russian Billionaires’ Wealth Since 2022 - "The 22 wealthiest Russian billionaires in April 20, 2023 lost a collective $90.4 billion in net worth since January 5, 2022."
• Dolly Parton uninterested in having her own AI hologram - "‘I don’t want to leave my soul on Earth’."

July 2, 2023

• Putin claim that Russia funds Wagner group may make it easier to try him for war crimes - "Admission that Russia paid 86bn roubles to Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mercenaries this year is potentially significant, say legal experts."
• Deciphering Vladimir Putin's many appearances since mutiny - "Where's Vladimir Putin? That's what we were wondering most of Monday - two days after a dramatic insurrection by the Wagner Group that saw a convoy of mercenary fighters headed to Moscow."
• French teen shooting: Piecing together what happened - "Prosecutors have begun piecing together what happened before the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Nahel M by a police officer."
• A ‘Cage Match’ Between Elon Musk & Mark Zuckerberg May Be No Joke - "Talks over a matchup between the two tech billionaires have progressed and the parameters of an event are taking shape." The New York Times.
• Elon Musk blames data scraping by AI startups for his new paywalls on reading tweets - "You need an account just to read tweets now, and you’ll have to pay for Twitter Blue 'verified' access to see more than 600 posts per day."
• White people meals? The story behind China’s ‘coldest’ food trend - "In China – the land of hot noodles, steaming rice and warm soups - a new and unlikely food trend has swept across the country’s social media platforms in recent weeks. People have been sharing images of what most would consider incredibly bland foods, such as raw carrots wrapped in cheese, two-ingredient sandwiches and dressing-free salads - all unified by a single hashtag: #bairenfan."
• Inside the giant shop where you can buy millions of items lost on planes - "Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro, Alabama sells millions of items including iPhones, Burberry coats and Birkin bags lost in airports across the US for a fraction of their original price."
• 57 'Buy it for Life' products: cast-iron, tools, speakers, chairs & more - "Here's a good rule of thumb: Just because something is well made doesn't mean it doesn't require proper maintenance. Take care of your stuff, and it'll last years."
• How to buy a Rolex, according experts - "The simple guide to getting your hands on the ultimate grail watch."
• How would Princess Diana have dressed today? - "The late Princess Diana’s wardrobe has been immortalized in books, exhibitions, Netflix series, tribute photo shoots in Vogue and even a musical. From her fairytale wedding gown to the so-called “revenge dress” she wore after the now King Charles III admitted to infidelity, the world witnessed her style transformation into the 'People’s Princess.'"
• Princess Diana’s original ‘black sheep’ sweater goes to auction for $50K - "The late Princess Diana’s famous sheep sweater is going up for auction at Sotheby’s this summer as a part of their inaugural Fashion Icons sale in New York, after it was discovered in the designer’s attic more than 40 years later."
• This North Korean player stunned the soccer world - then disappeared - "In 2017, Han Kwang Song became the first North Korean to score a goal in one of Europe’s five major soccer leagues and even made a shock transfer to Italian giant Juventus in 2019, then later to Qatar’s Al-Duhail. But his promising career was cut short when he disappeared from the world soccer stage in 2020, leaving fans with a question: 'Where is that North Korean player?'"
• Australia ushers in a new era of psychedelic medicine - "Australia is set to become the first country in the world to legalize clinical prescribing of MDMA, better known as ecstasy, and psilocybin - the main psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms - for certain mental health disorders. Starting July 1, authorized psychiatrists will be able to prescribe MDMA for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, according to a February news release. Both drugs are otherwise illegal in Australia."
• Hachiko: The world's most loyal dog turns 100 - "The Chinese tagline on the movie poster says it all: 'I will wait for you, no matter how long it takes.' It tells the true story of Hachiko, the faithful dog that continued to wait for its master at a train station in Japan long after his death."
• What to do when you see a bear - "Bears are returning to the Alps and other regions, raising the risk of bear attacks - but there is decades of evidence of how to keep safe in bear territory."
• Indiana Jones & the Dial of Destiny review - Harrison Ford does the heavy lifting in lightweight sequel - "The octogenarian star gives it his all in James Mangold’s fun but formulaic action adventure co-starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge and a scenery-sucking Mads Mikkelsen."

July 1, 2023

• Apple’s market value breaches $3tn mark for first time since January 2022 - "Shares of Apple, which is also the world’s most valuable listed company, ended the day up 2.3%, valuing the company at just over $3tn."
• That essential morning coffee may be a placebo - "Scientists testing coffee against plain caffeine found that plain caffeine only partially reproduces the effects of drinking a cup of coffee, activating areas of the brain that make you feel more alert but not the areas of the brain that affect working memory and goal-directed behavior."
• Curly hair allowed early humans to ‘stay cool & actually conserve water’ - "Curly hair may have been an adaptation in early humans that helped them stay cool while conserving water. ‘We think scalp hair provided a passive mechanism to reduce the amount of heat gained from solar radiation’."
• Warner Bros. Knew Exactly What It Was Doing With That Racy French ‘Barbie’ Poster - Here’s Why - "The raunchy pun embedded in the French poster for the film was too obvious not to be deliberate."
• Tour de France 2023: race begins with stage one in Bilbao - live updates - The Guardian.
• Tour de France 2023: stage-by-stage guide to this year’s race - "The Grand Départ will be in the Basque Country this year before crossing the Pyrenees and then heading across the Massif Central."
• Tour de France: Vingegaard vs. Pogacar Is the Race to Watch - "The 110th edition of cycling’s greatest race begins Saturday in Spain. Here’s a primer on the stars, the squads and the story lines." The New York Times.
• Tourists in Italy are behaving badly this year: Here’s why - "Swimming in UNESCO-protected canals. Breaking into historic sites. Driving down the world’s most famous staircase and smashing priceless sculptures in a fit of pique. And just when you thought that was as bad as it gets: vandalizing one of the world’s iconic monuments."
• Could Queen Elizabeth's II Diaries Be Published? - "Her former footman is working to decide what will remain confidential."
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at 70: Marilyn Monroe remains a dazzling star - "Howard Hawks’ eye-catching comedy sees the actor at the height of her talents in a tale with more depth and intellect than even its director knew."
• The relaunch at the Oceanco shipyard. Originally called Al Mirqab - "The shipyard that built Jeff Bezos’ megayacht has completely transformed this Saudi billionaire’s $100 million superyacht. He got his vessel extended by 10 meters to include a 23-foot-long infinity pool, a beach club, a climate-controlled winter garden, & a lot more."