Author: Isabella Sorvani
Spotify has introduced a new in-app messaging feature, giving users a dedicated space to share songs, podcasts, and audiobooks directly with friends and family. Rolling out this week to Free and Premium users aged 16 and older in select markets, Messages aims to make music and content recommendations more seamless while opening new opportunities for creators to reach audiences through word-of-mouth sharing. A New Hub for Sharing For years, Spotify users have relied on external platforms to share music and podcasts. Messages now consolidates those conversations inside the app. Whether recommending a new audiobook for a book club, bonding over…
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI filed a lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI in U.S. federal court in Texas, accusing the two companies of conspiring to suppress competition in the fast-growing AI sector. The complaint alleges that exclusive partnerships and restrictive practices have prevented xAI’s products, including the X and Grok apps, from competing fairly in the Apple App Store. Allegations of Market Suppression According to the lawsuit, Apple and OpenAI “locked up markets to maintain their monopolies and prevent innovators like X and xAI from competing.” xAI claims that Apple’s exclusive deal with OpenAI directly led to the suppression…
Typhoon Kajiki made landfall in Vietnam on Monday, battering the country’s central provinces with winds of up to 133 kph (82 mph) and forcing authorities to evacuate more than 40,000 residents. The powerful storm, the fifth to hit Vietnam this year, caused widespread damage to homes, infrastructure, and power networks, while raising concerns about the growing impact of climate change on extreme weather events. Storm Impact and Destruction Kajiki struck Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces at around 3 p.m. local time, unleashing powerful gusts that tore through properties, uprooted trees, and brought down lampposts. Torrential rains and tidal surges…
The European Union and the United States unveiled a new trade framework that caps US tariffs on European goods at 15 percent, secures exemptions for key industries, and sets joint pledges on energy, digital trade, and supply chain security. The announcement follows months of negotiation and is the first major trade move since US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met in Scotland in July. Tariff Cap and Core Provisions EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič described the agreement as a first step that can expand to more sectors. The framework grants exemptions for aircraft parts,…
New research by the Institute for Policy Studies reveals that executive pay at some of America’s lowest-paying large firms rose nearly 35 percent between 2019 and 2024, while worker wages failed to keep pace. The findings highlight a widening CEO-to-worker pay gap, raising concerns about inequality, labor conditions, and corporate governance. The Widening Pay Gap The 100 S&P 500 companies with the lowest median worker pay – dubbed the “Low-Wage 100” – saw the CEO-to-worker pay ratio increase from 560 to 1 in 2019 to 632 to 1 in 2024. CEO compensation grew by 34.7 percent, while median worker pay…
Historic Night for the Rookie Star Paige Bueckers delivered one of the greatest performances in WNBA history on Wednesday night, scoring 44 points in the Dallas Wings’ narrow 81-80 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. The top draft pick broke the league’s rookie scoring record, surpassing Candace Parker’s 40 points from 2008. Bueckers’ total was also the highest single-game output by any player this season and tied for 10th on the all-time scoring list. Efficiency That Made History Bueckers’ scoring feat was not only about volume but also remarkable efficiency. She hit 17 of 21 shots, went 4-for-4 from three-point…
Pixel Launch Shifts Focus to AI Google’s latest Pixel 10 release highlighted not just hardware but a slate of AI-driven features, underscoring its ambition to compete with OpenAI and Perplexity in consumer AI. Tools like “Magic Cue,” which pulls data across apps, “Camera Coach,” which helps optimize photo framing, and live translation for phone calls, reflect Google’s push toward an “agentic AI” future — assistants capable of executing complex tasks seamlessly. Android as Google’s Key Advantage While Google has just 0.3% of the global smartphone market through Pixel sales, its true strength lies in Android, which powers over three billion…
Death During Live Stream French authorities are investigating the death of a 46-year-old man, identified as Raphael Graven, known online as Jean Pormanove, who died in the village of Contes near Nice during a live broadcast on the Kick platform. Prosecutors have ordered an autopsy and opened a judicial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death. Graven had appeared regularly in livestreams where he endured acts of humiliation and violence from co-streamers in front of online audiences. Government and Platform Response France’s junior minister for AI and digital technology, Clara Chappaz, called the incident “absolutely horrific” and stressed that platforms…
FDA Warning and Recall Details Walmart has issued a recall of certain frozen shrimp products in the United States after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) detected radioactive contamination. The affected products, sold under Walmart’s Great Value label, were linked to a shipment where one sample of breaded shrimp tested positive for Caesium-137, a radioactive isotope. The FDA confirmed that the contaminated sample never reached U.S. consumers, but advised shoppers in affected states to discard shrimp from three identified batches. States and Products Affected The recall impacts Walmart locations in 13 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri,…
Visa Revocations and Legal Violations The U.S. State Department has revoked more than 6,000 international student visas, citing violations of American law and overstays. Officials reported that the majority of cases involved criminal offenses such as assault, driving under the influence (DUI), burglary, and what they described as “support for terrorism.” The announcement underscores the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on immigration and foreign student programs. Breakdown of Revocations Of the 6,000 visas rescinded, roughly 4,000 were revoked because students were found guilty of breaking U.S. law. An additional 200 to 300 were canceled under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality…