Stitching together an archive of an endangered Palestinian art

Palestinian embroidery is a centuries-old tradition. Can digitizing hard-to-access patterns help preserve it for a new generation?

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The Mandalorian, Loki, and WandaVision are headed to Blu-ray

Image: Disney

Disney is releasing physical copies of The Mandalorian, Loki, and WandaVision. All three Disney Plus shows will become available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray later this year, marking the first time that Disney has brought its streaming-only series to home video.

While the physical edition of WandaVision will include the complete series, the release of Loki on Blu-ray will only include the first season. Additionally, The Mandalorian’s first and second seasons will be split into two separate discs.

Image: Disney

You can preorder the physical copies starting on August 28th, with the release date for each one as follows:

• Loki: The Complete First Season: September 26th, 2023
• WandaVision: The Complete Series: November 28th,...

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YouTube is figuring out its AI strategy by working with music labels

YouTube is partnering with record labels to establish rules for how AI-generated music is treated on its platform, including monetization opportunities for both companies and creators.

The platform said in a blog post it would invest in building its rights management system Content ID, update its policies on uploading manipulated content, and deploy generative AI tools to help detect videos that violate its rules.

“Generative AI systems may amplify current challenges like trademark and copyright abuse, misinformation, spam, and more,” YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said. “But AI can also be used to identify this sort of content, and we’ll continue to invest in the AI-powered technology that helps us protect our community of viewers, creators,...

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Misfiring Lenovo hires Ford director to help with revamp

Hold onto your hats people, Lenovo to invest $1B in AI as hardware sales falter

Lenovo has hired an experienced executive with financial, M&A and AI chops following a year of declining revenues amid continued efforts to reduce its over-reliance on the struggling PC market.…

Rare hybrid dolphins spotted off Cornish coast

Falmouth sighting of cross between common and striped dolphins thought to be UK first

Rare hybrid dolphins have been spotted off the coast of Cornwall in what is thought to be a UK first.

The pair of cetaceans, seen in Falmouth, are a cross between a common dolphin and a striped dolphin.

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Wandavision, Loki, and The Mandalorian Will All Get Physical Home Releases

As the streaming era devolves into a wave of cutbacks, consolidation, and the removing of original content for the sake of tax breaks, it’s become more important than ever that physical releases of streaming original media offers a legal path to people still being able to actually access that content. Thankfully,…

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Man to council: Here are some pictures of potholes that damaged my car, so you should pay up as required by law. Council: That's nice, but what was the EXACT pothole? [Facepalm]

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Bidens travel to Maui to meet survivors of Hawaii fires and first responders

President and first lady will also visit damaged town of Lahaina and be briefed by officials on response efforts

Joe Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, are traveling to Maui on Monday to comfort survivors of the devastating wildfires that ripped through the western part of the Hawaiian island earlier this month, as his administration responds to the devastation whose full scope is still unknown.

The Bidens are taking a detour from their weeklong vacation in the Lake Tahoe area for the day trip to Lahaina, a historic town of 13,000 people that was virtually destroyed by the flames. While there, the first couple will meet with first responders and be briefed by state and local officials about the response.

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‘Tone deaf’: MPs call for University of Sydney to return gambling research money

Independents Zoe Daniel, Andrew Wilkie and others say university’s Centre of Excellence in Gambling Research’s funding from casino and gambling companies should be scrapped

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The University of Sydney’s reputation has been tarnished by its partnership with Australia’s biggest sports gambling companies, according to multiple federal MPs who want hundreds of thousands of dollars to be immediately returned to bookmakers.

The university has announced its Centre of Excellence in Gambling Research will be funded by a $600,000 investment from the International Centre for Responsible Gaming, which the university has described as “a global leader in research and education on gambling disorder and responsible gambling”.

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Essential poll: three in four Australians say rents should be capped to inflation or frozen until economy improves

Housing tussle between Labor and the Greens does not impact PM’s popularity with 37% feeling positive about Anthony Albanese

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Three in four Australians believe rents should either be capped to inflation or frozen until economic conditions improve, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll.

Presented with choices about rental policies, 44% of the 1,151 respondents supported an annual increase to rents by no more than inflation, while 34% believed rents should be frozen until the economy turns around.

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Russia's Long-Awaited Return to the Moon Crashes and Burns

The Luna-25 mission crashed on the surface of the Moon this weekend, ending Russia’s quest to prove it still has what it takes to land on the lunar surface.

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Loch Ness monster enthusiasts gear up for biggest search for nothing in 50 years [Stupid]

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Apple’s sci-fi drama Invasion ramps up the tension in season 2

Image: Apple

Invasion was a curious addition to the sci-fi TV landscape when it debuted in 2021. For much of its runtime, it barely felt like science fiction at all. We all knew something alien was happening — it’s right there in the show’s title, after all — but the story was much more focused on the human-level drama going down as the world steadily succumbed to the invading forces. The result was a show that started very slowly, though things did eventually pick up mid-season. Ultimately, season 1 felt like a prologue to a much bigger story.

With all of that setup out of the way, the second season starts out much more exciting — and it doesn’t let up for the first few episodes.

Note: this write-up is based on the first five (of 10) episodes of...

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David Tennant Teases How Different His Return to Doctor Who Is

Could a fifth Thor movie really be on the way? Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures is getting ready to celebrate Life Day. Al Gore strikes back in new Futurama pics. Plus, what’s coming on Riverdale’s final episode. To me, my spoilers!

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Tesla Says Massive Data Breach Was an Inside Job

Tesla’s data breach in May, which affected more than 75,000 people, was an inside job, the company said in a notice released to its customers on Friday. According to the notice, German news outlet Handelsblatt informed Tesla of the breach on May 10 after obtaining the confidential information.

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California DMV hits brakes on Cruise's SF driverless fleet after series of fender benders

50% chop effective 'immediately' as department investigates traffic and safety issues

San Francisco Bay Area techies who want to hail a driverless Cruise robo-taxi have fewer to pick from after officials said it must reduce its fleet "immediately" in the wake of several incidents, just a day after a collision between an emergency vehicle and an AV on Thursday night.…

Amazon’s Fire TV Channels adds a sidebar and more free streaming content 

Image: Amazon

Amazon is updating its recently launched Fire TV Channels app. The free, ad-supported streaming platform has a new sidebar that lets you navigate through different categories of content along with a new slate of shows.

Fire TV Channels first launched in May with a lineup of free shows, live news, music videos, and sports from over 400 different providers, such as ABC News, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, America’s Test Kitchen, Martha Stewart, and others. But now, Amazon says the app will also include content from Variety, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, TV Line, Funny or Die, GameSpot, Honest Trailer, and more.

Meanwhile, the new app’s sidebar lets you sift through all the different types of content available on the platform,...

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Police re-investigation of Birmingham pub bombings has failed, families told

Exclusive: bereaved accuse authorities of cover-up as police say there will be no criminal charges

The families of the 21 people killed in the Birmingham pub bombings have been told a police re-investigation of the 1974 atrocities has failed and will lead to no criminal charges, the Guardian has learned.

The fresh disappointment led the bereaved families to accuse the authorities of a continuing cover-up and the government of disrespecting their suffering.

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Charles Martinet, Longtime Voice Actor for Mario and Luigi, Retires

Nintendo has announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Charles Martinet, who has been the video game voice actor for Mario since 1991, is retiring.

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Recall rules to be eased on indefinite jail sentences in England and Wales

Licence period could be terminated from five years after release instead of current 10 years, in ‘positive step’

Prisoners released on licence after serving time under an abolished and much-maligned indefinite sentencing scheme in England and Wales could have the period in which they can be recalled to prison halved under new rules.

The changes to the imprisonment for public protection (IPP) scheme would mean that IPP prisoners could in theory have their licence period in which they can be recalled terminated five years after release rather than the current 10 years.

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New Texas Law Requires Schools To Display Image Of God Hung Like A Horse In Every Classroom

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Mario voice actor Charles Martinet is stepping back from voicing the character

Martinet at the launch of Super Mario Galaxy_._ | Photo by Stephen Kelly - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario for 27 years, will no longer be voicing the iconic character according to a tweet from Nintendo. Martinet took on the role with 1996’s Super Mario 64, and has voiced the character in numerous games since, including both mainline Mario releases like Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario Galaxy, as well as countless spinoffs.

“Charles is now moving into the brand-new role of Mario Ambassador. With this new transition, he will be stepping back from recording character voices for our games,” Nintendo’s statement reads. “It has been an honor working with Charles to help bring Mario to life for so many years and we want to thank and celebrate him.”

We have a message for fans of the Mushroom Kingdom. Please...

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UK petrol prices rise above 150p a litre for first time since January

Supermarkets have faced claims they are overcharging customers for fuel

The average cost of petrol at UK forecourts has risen to break 150p a litre for the first time since the start of the year, despite close scrutiny of fuel prices during the cost of living crisis.

The latest increase in pump prices means that with petrol at 150.51p a litre, the highest level since early January, and diesel rising to 152.41p a litre, the AA said.

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Three found dead after Moscow guided sewer tour hit by heavy rain

Several others missing after water levels in Russian capital’s sewers rose quickly after downpour

Three people were found dead and several others were missing after taking part in a guided tour of Moscow’s sewer system that was hit by heavy rain, state-run media said.

“The body of an unidentified woman has been found in the Moskva River, making her the third person to die after a tour of the underground sewers,” a source in the emergency services was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.

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Using Generative AI to Resurrect the Dead Will Create a Burden for the Living

AI technologies promise more chatbots and replicas of people who have passed. But giving voice to the dead comes at a human cost.