Investments and Business

Tech giants like Apple, Google, and Microsoft are racing to develop smartphones and computers powered by artificial intelligence (AI). These devices promise to make our lives easier by automating tasks like editing photos or scheduling meetings. But there’s a problem: They require a lot of data from us. More data, more convenience, less privacy? These new AI capabilities come at the cost of more data collection. Companies imagine Windows PCs taking screenshots every few seconds, iPhones stitching together data from multiple apps, and Android phones analyzing calls in real time to detect scams. That raises privacy concerns. To deliver personalized…

Disease shows no respect even for pop music's most revered figures In “I Am: Celine Dion,” a documentary about the global singer on Amazon Prime Video, it quickly becomes clear that Dion can’t even move her body, let alone sing a soulful ballad with all the strength she has, since she was a teenager, has raked in millions. The film, from director Irene Taylor, records the singer’s painful reality as she battles the rare neurological condition called Stiff Person Syndrome. In a December 2022 Instagram post, Dion tearfully revealed her diagnosis to fans, but by then the documentary was already…

USA Today Editor-in-Chief Terence Samuel announced Monday he was stepping down after a year in office. Samuel, a veteran journalist, had joined USA Today in July of the previous year from National Public Radio, where he had been a senior executive overseeing all news programs. Neither Samuel nor USA Today gave a reason for his departure. In an email to the newsroom, Monica Richardson, a senior vice president at USA Today, said Samuel’s resignation was “effective today.” Caren Bohan, the political editor, will temporarily take over as managing editor while the publication conducts a national search for a new chief…

The leader of the Universe gang, Vova, brother of Marat, has just returned from the harrowing Soviet-Afghan war. Despite the horrors he has witnessed, he seems unfazed, and his peers show no curiosity about his experiences. This sets the tone for the series: a world so devoid of meaning that it becomes impenetrable. Director Zhora Kryzhovnikov confines the camera to the stark, rectilinear apartment blocks, never venturing beyond. While the period details are surprisingly accurate, the true essence of Kazan remains elusive. The plot oscillates between frenetic activity and inertia. The play takes place at a crucial moment in history.…

U.S. defense officials raised the security alert level at military bases in Europe over the weekend in response to vague threats from the Kremlin about Ukraine using long-range weapons on Russian soil, U.S. and Western officials said. Officials noted that no specific information has been gathered about potential Russian attacks on U.S. bases. However, any such attack by Russia, overt or covert, would mean a significant escalation of its war in Ukraine. Russia has stepped up its sabotage efforts in Europe, aiming to disrupt the flow of materials to Ukraine. So far, no U.S. bases have been targeted in these…

Julien Bernard’s Tour de France journey took an emotional turn on Friday, but it came at a surprising price. Riding on his home turf of Burgundy during the stage seven time trial, Bernard veered off the course for a quick embrace with his cheering wife and son. The touching moment, greeted with cheers from the crowd, earned Bernard a 200 Swiss franc ($223) fine from the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) for "unsporting conduct." The governing body's decision sparked a debate online, with some questioning how a show of family support could tarnish the image of the sport. “It was a…

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Biden administration in a case involving social media, scoring a significant practical victory. The ruling rejected a Republican challenge that sought to prevent the government from communicating with social media platforms to combat misinformation. In a 6-3 decision, the Court found that the plaintiffs, including states and individuals, had not suffered direct harm that would have entitled them to sue. The decision leaves unresolved broader questions about the First Amendment’s limits on government influence over tech companies, which control much of the flow of information online. The case arose from the government’s…

When French filmmaker Catherine Breillat was 40, her husband left her for a much younger woman. Soon after, she began dating a man 12 years her junior. "Men often dismiss their older wives, saying they can no longer be loved," Breillat said in a recent interview, through an interpreter. "But that's not true. I want to tell other women that there is no reason to despair." In her new film Last summerhitting theaters on Friday, explores this concept through a provocative plot. Since the 1970s, the acclaimed director, now 75, has focused on the troubled sexual awakenings of young girls,…

At the climax of Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music," the orchestra reaches what Sondheim called its Max Steiner moment, evoking the great scores of "Casablanca" or "Gone with the Wind." During a pivotal scene, Désirée and Fredrik, former lovers on the verge of losing their happiness, meet and kiss as the orchestra swells to a stirring reprise of "Send in the Clowns." Jonathan Tunick’s new orchestration premiered Thursday at David Geffen Hall with the 53-piece St. Luke’s Orchestra. Strings and winds soared, supported by rich, staggered chords and flourishing counterpoint, creating a moment fit for both film and opera.…

What does AI sound like? Hollywood has been thinking about this for a long time, and now AI developers are following suit, creating voices for real machines inspired by movie adaptations. OpenAI recently introduced updates to its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, which now boasts the ability to hear, see, and speak in a natural voice. This voice, called Sky, bears a striking resemblance to the operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson in the 2013 film “Her.” With a husky, soothing tone, Sky’s voice was designed to be pleasant and versatile. However, Johansson has expressed concerns about the similarities, having previously declined…