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McLaren and Lego have a long history of partnerships, with the unlikely duo teaming up on a number of highly complicated kits, including 1:8 scale versions of the Senna GTR and MCL36 F1 race car.

But now, the relationship has been taken to the next level, with a 1:1 Lego replica of the famous P1 arriving on the scene that uses a staggering 342,817 Lego Technic pieces (yes, someone actually counted), as well as a combination of Technic batteries and a small EV battery to power it.

Far from simply being an amazing model for crowds to gawp at, both McLaren and Lego’s engineers set about creating eight motor packs, each consisting of 96 Lego Power function motors, which means the car features a total of 768 Lego motors that allow it to hit up to 40mph.

That’s not bad, especially given the fact that the entire thing weighs 1,220Kg, which is only around 200kg lighter than the actual McLaren P1 – complete with big, fat twin-turbocharged V8 and hybrid system installed.

Clearly faced with a lot of boring rainy days, it took the 23 specialists from both Lego and McLaren 8,344 hours of development and construction to complete. Although it doesn’t say how many cups of tea and chocolate biscuits they got through.

To prove that the 1:1 replica actually works, the team stuck McLaren Formula 1 Team driver Lando Norris in the hot seat and asked him to put in a hot lap of Silverstone’s famous race circuit (above), where the car completed all 3.66 miles without falling apart.

Brick by boring brick

(Image credit: McLaren/Lego)

As publicity stunts go, this is one of the most intricate we’ve ever seen. Despite featuring the wheels, steering wheel and the steel chassis of the original, the rest of the build is fashioned from Technic elements, including 11 that were moulded specifically for this model.

Granted, it is designed to help shift more Lego Technic McLaren P1 1:8 scale model sets ($449.99 / £389.99 / €449.99 / AU$699.99, if you're interested) before Christmas, but it’s also testament to how seriously these Technic guys take their models.

Even tackling the 1:8 McLaren P1 kit is an undertaking in itself, as it consists of 3,893 pieces that create a seven-speed gearbox, a V8 piston engine and working suspension, among others.

There’s no word on whether Lego is going to release the instruction manual for the 1:1 scale model, which is a shame, as it feels like the cheapest way to own a P1.

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When OpenAI released the much-hyped Strawberry model for ChatGPT this week, it boasted of its prowess with complex logic like software coding, gene sequencing, and quantum physics in a series of videos. I take the company at its word that the models, called o1-preview and o1-mini on ChatGPT, are capable of what they claim. Cracking advanced equations and exploring genomes seems like something it would have no problem doing. 

But, as a proud member of my middle school's logic and riddle club, I wanted to know how it did on my turf, solving and making puzzles and riddles. And then I thought I should ask the uber-logical AI for advice on other, more day-to-day issues. Could it offer sound relationship advice, tell me what a weird noise in a car meant, and perhaps even fill in plot holes in movies?

(Image credit: Screenshot / Eric Hal Schwartz )

(Image credit: Screenshot Eric Hal Schwartz) Logic yes humor no

The short answer is yes. The o1-preview and mini models are really good at solving simple and complex riddles. I played around with both, and the only real difference was how many extra steps and, therefore, the speed of the mini. But, while they may be slower than GPT-4o, they are very fast at solving those riddles compared to a human. Notably, you can actually see how it lays out the answers in different steps. I tested it on a couple of my favorites, including one from The Hobbit. The AI’s logic made sense, though it was sometimes ungrammatical, as when it explained weighing Mike the butcher.

Ok, so it could handle existing riddles, but could it make a new one? As a test, I asked it to come up with a fun riddle based on an answer I made up. After 30 seconds and the logical reasoning seen below, it came up with: “What has eight legs, four ears, two tails, and loves to bark?” I won’t keep you in suspense; I suggested “two dogs” as the answer to work back from. Several other attempts brought the same kind of question. So, riddle writers are probably safe at their jobs. It’s impressive how well the AI gets what it is supposed to do, but the model doesn’t seem able to make the leap to actual humor. 

(Image credit: Screenshot / Eric Hal Schwartz)

(Image credit: Screenshot / Eric Hal Schwartz) Useful advice, but not always creative

I decided to bring the AI out of pure logic and see if it could handle more mundane life questions as well as it handles quantum physics. I started with a mechanical question about what it means to hear a popping noise every 20 seconds while driving a car and how to fix it. The answers were good, with advice about checking the tires, engine, muffler, and brakes. The fixes were mostly about bringing in the car for repair, except for the tires, which it suggested how to replace. It’s the ‘thinking’ behind the answers that was interesting. The AI uses first-person pronouns in coming up with answers, like “I’m working through various reasons for a popping noise while driving” and “I’m piecing together causes of engine misfires, like faulty spark plugs or fuel delivery problems, and suggesting diagnostics with a scan.” It sounded a lot like an actual person trying to be logical while thinking aloud.

I finally went to what, for me, was always way more complex than quantum physics: flirting. I asked how to tell when someone is flirting and how to respond. The answer was a pretty solid, if dull, list of behaviors like if they ask a lot of questions and how I should be myself. The behind-the-scenes thinking part was both more interesting and genuinely funnier than any of the AI’s attempts at riddles. The headers included “Understanding flirting dynamics,” “Spotting interest signals,” and “Recognizing playful intimacy.” They were like a Star Trek android’s speech about love. 

One part was slightly worrisome, though. Under “Outlining user directives,” the AI wrote, “I’m clearing out disallowed content like non-consensual sexual acts and personal data. Violent content is allowed, harassment with context is okay, and personal opinions are absent.” I suspect that it’s more about where the guardrails of discussion are, as it didn’t suggest “harassment with context” as a flirting tip, but it still took me by surprise.

ChatGPT o1-preview and o1-mini don’t have all the bells and whistles of the more complete models. No image uploads, document analysis, or even web browsing can be done with them. But, they are fast and logical, and if you don’t think so, they have their reasoning laid out along with their answers. But, while they might be able to solve riddles of car noises, love, and the weight of a butcher, I’d say they aren’t going to stump anyone if they have to be inventive.

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We've been reporting on YouTube's increasingly annoying ads for a long time now: the plans for unskippable TV ads from early last year, followed by the arrival of longer ads on smart TVs last December, and so on. And now the streamer has found a new way to really push those YouTube Premium subscriptions – it's going to make YouTube a bit more irritating.

The changes were announced earlier this year but they're rolling out now. If you're not a Premium subscriber, you'll soon start to see ads whenever you pause a YouTube video on your TV. As 9to5Google reports, it appears to be a limited rollout so far: the only advertiser that appears to be showing up is Dunkin Donuts. 

Instead of keeping your video fullscreen when you pause, YouTube now makes your video smaller and puts an advert beside it on the right of the screen with a "dismiss" button below it. 

There is some good news: these ads so far appear to be static, not video. But when you're talking about YouTube adding ad formats there tends to be an unspoken 'yet': they're not video ads... yet; they're not fullscreen... yet; YouTube isn't sneaking into your apartment, kidnapping your pets and demanding you subscribe to YouTube Premium if you want them back... yet. 

As one Redditor said about the Google screenshot, "look at all that empty space on the screen where more ads can be placed".

Time to skip YouTube?

(Image credit: Future)

Using smart TVs these days does feel rather like the urban legend of boiling a frog, with us as the frogs and ads as the water. My smart TV experience has gone from being largely ad-free to increasingly intrusive, even on services I pay for. 

I don't currently pay for YouTube on my TV, and it's already reached the point where the amount of ads means that, for me at least, it's bordering on unusable. 

I idly started watching a live concert the other evening and it didn't even manage to play one full song before interrupting with advertising. I'm sure that for some people, more ads will indeed push them towards a Premium sub (which currently costs $13.99 / £12 / AU$16.99 a month).

But for me, it just makes me less likely to watch anything at all, and drives me from my smart TV's built-in apps towards something more viewer-friendly – like the best streaming services, or even some of the best free streaming services that don't have an excessive number of ads that pop up unpredictably.

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Here are some highly rated films to try, plus a look at what's coming out in September.

New analysis from Symantec has revealed a significant increase in the number of ransomware attacks in the second quarter of 2024.

The company's figures claimed criminal groups claimed 1,310 attacks during the period, a 36% increase from the previous quarter, and close to the all-time high of 1,488 attacks recorded in Q3 2023.

“The sharp increase in attacks in the second quarter of this year suggests that momentum is once again with attackers,” the report states. “While high-profile ransomware operations such as Noberus shut down, the pool of skilled affiliates appears to be undisturbed and many appear to simply migrate to alternative franchises.“

A new wave - with some old names

Symantec's report suggests the disruption of Lockbit, the largest ransomware as a service (RaaS) provider earlier this year, led to a dramatic decrease in ransomware attacks for the first quarter of 2024, but the latest reports show cyber criminals have bounced back. Lockbit operations in Q2 2024 accounted for 353 attacks, the highest level detected to date.

New groups like Qilin proved to be more prolific in the wake of the Lockbit takedown, claiming 97 attacks in Q2 of 2024, which was a rise of 47%. The Ransomhub group tripled its attacks from Q1 to Q2, proving perhaps that the Lockbit disruption simply diversified the landscape rather than cripple any operations.

Ransomware payments have become more expensive in recent years too, with the average demand hitting $1.5 million. As cybersecurity inevitably becomes more central to organizations, understanding and mitigating the risks of ransomware is crucial for any business.

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In my opinion, A24 is by far the most exciting production company around right now. Fewer things get me more excited than seeing their logo before a trailer, often stylized to fit the theme of whatever weird, wonderful, or downright heartwarming movie they've worked on. So naturally, I'm thrilled two more A24 movies are coming to Max for streaming.

Some of the best Max movies were made by A24 thanks to one of the best streaming services striking a deal with the indie powerhouse last year – and its catalog is about to get even bigger when two new movies arrive just in time for the spookiest time of year. Get excited, because both Tuesday and MaXXXine will be here before you know it. 

Here's everything you need to know about October's exciting new arrivals on Max.

When are MaXXXine and Tuesday available to stream?

I will not accept a life without @A24. #CivilWarMovie is now streaming. More A24 films are coming soon exclusively to Max including #ISawTheTVGlow, #Tuesday, and #MaXXXine. #MaxGetsMovies pic.twitter.com/47tk4bA6KNSeptember 13, 2024

Alongside other titles such as Civil War and I Saw the TV Glow (my favorite horror of the year, FYI), Tuesday and MaXXXine join the line-up on October 11 and October 18, respectively. 

Ti West's anticipated new movie MaXXXine completes his unholy trinity, with the always brilliant Mia Goth in the titular role. Meanwhile, in Tuesday, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lola Petticrew shine as a mother and daughter who are guided by Death, who takes the form of a macaw. So you've got two very different movies here, but both are absolutely worth your time.

MaXXXine is just one of the A24 movies I was excited to watch this year, and there's plenty more around the corner, so this year should be another successful one for the production company.  

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