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Scammer stories have become a hot topic in the world of streaming, particularly for Netflix with the likes of documentary The Tinder Swindler and the drama series Inventing Anna, and it's continuing to expand its documentary library with the latest installment: Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare, which lays bare a woman's nine-year catfish ordeal.

While Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare has taken the world by storm since debuting on the best streaming service on Wednesday, October 16, that's not the only catfish story being told this week as Hulu has also jumped on the catfish bandwagon with the upcoming documentary Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara, which will be released on October 18.

Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare has promise to become one of the best Netflix documentaries for its crazy and complex catfish scheme, which particularly shocks if you haven't listened to the hit podcast it's based on. But if you're eager to watch another true crime documentary, then Hulu's Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara will certainly grab your attention as it reveals how a music duo and fanbase were targeted by a cruel catfish plot.

What is Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare and Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara about?

Based on the Tortoise podcast of the same name, Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare follows Kirat Assi, a woman whose online romance takes a disturbing turn when she learns her mysterious fiancé is harbouring a dark secret that upends her life.

The podcast was a huge success and attracted thousands of listeners, but now Assi is re-telling her story in this Netflix documentary, which is ideal if you're unfamiliar with its source material like me. Assi realizes this in her interview with Radio Times as she revealed: "It's just sharing the story to a wider audience. Lots of people don't listen to podcasts and if this helps people to speak up [and] speak out, to fight for themselves a bit harder when it comes to not being believed, then that's what matters."

Meanwhile, Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara is an investigation into what the queer indie rock duo have experienced for over 15 years. Tegan Rain Quin enlists the help of documentary filmmaker and investigator Erin Lee Carr to find the person pretending to be her and terrorizing her fans with sinister and unexpected twists. The documentary exposes how terrifying and violating the nightmare has been for the identical twins, their families, and unsuspecting fans who were made to believe that they had formed a real friendship with Tegan.

In a Hulu press release it states: "This is a sprawling yet intimate story of how Tegan's identity was stolen and weaponized in a complex catfish scheme to ensnare members of the community. This film is an examination of the sevre ripple effect of mistrust, anxiety, and self-doubt that resulted from Fegan's (Fake Tegan) actions."

Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare is available to stream on Netflix now, while Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara is being released on Friday, October 18.

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Over 11 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry were recalled over listeria concerns, affecting salads, wraps, frozen meals and more from popular chains like Target, Trader Joe's and Walmart.

The former president took questions on immigration, the economy and abortion in the hour-long town hall in front of a friendly crowd of women in suburban Atlanta.

(Image credit: Megan Varner)

Aaron Kofsky, JD Vance’s financial policy adviser, called Vance “a Trump boot licker” and instructed users on how to transport drugs through TSA in the posts. “Coke then opiates is always my go-to,” he wrote.

Samsung's The Frame TV is based on a simple and brilliant idea: what if your TV could also be a picture frame for some of the world's greatest artworks? And now its catalog has been joined by nearly 30 new artworks courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art, or MoMA for short.

The new Art Store arrivals were selected by curator Daria Greene, who wanted to honor the museum's history and vision. The artworks include Frida Kahlo’s “Fulang Chang and I” (1937), the first time Kahlo's work has been available for display on the platform, Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” (1889), Henri Rousseau’s “The Dream” (1910) and Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Evening Star III” (1917).

Can't make it to the museum? Let the museum come to you

When we reviewed the 2022 version of the Samsung The Frame, we said that its new anti-reflective screen made it particularly good for viewing works of art. While even the best TVs can't quite match the experience of seeing an original artwork in place – Van Gogh's The Starry Night is available with massive zoom levels on the MoMA website, btu I'm told that it's still not as breathtaking as being up close with the original – the combination of a QLED display, 4K resolution and anti-reflective display is as good as you can get if New York isn't convenient to you.

The arrival of the artworks from MoMA is significant for another reason: until now the majority of artworks available for The Frame were public domain, either because they were so old their copyright had expired or in rarer cases, because the artist had given away their copyright.

That inevitably meant the catalog was skewed towards older works of art, and while they're of course valuable too it did mean that the choice of modern art was a little limited. So it'll be nice to see the MoMA collection take its place alongside other modern works by artists such as Keith Haring, Jen Stark and Shinique Smith.

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Historian Mary Ziegler talks about the legal battles shaping reproductive rights across the U.S. — including the scope of abortion access and the fate of invitro-fertilization.

Invincible fans just got their biggest update yet about the return of the superhero animation series: we finally have a teaser trailer and official premiere date, along with confirmation that the next installment won't see a midseason break.

The first three episodes of Invincible season 3 will be released on Prime Video on Thursday, February 6, 2025, with a new episode dropping on the same day every week until March 13, which means that there will be another eight episodes in the season.

This isn't a complete surprise for fans who are in the know, as co-showrunner Simon Racioppa had previously told TechRadar that launching the series in two parts "wasn't the original plan" for Invincible season 2, so we didn't expect it to happen again.

What we did expect, though, was a teaser trailer (see below) to be unveiled around the time that the release date was revealed, and this has turned out to be the case. You can watch the two-and-a-half minute clip below.

Mark never gets a break. Here’s your Invincible Season 3 update… pic.twitter.com/8Ahmmdpt8ROctober 15, 2024

What does the Invincible season 3 teaser trailer tell us?

The teaser shows Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) and Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins) in a cafe having a very meta conversation about the series. It shows the pair catching up about recent events and Invincible season 2's ending, while also poking fun at the show's hiatus since the finale.

Even the announcement for season 3's release date was done in true Invincible fashion too, with Mark turning to Cecil and asking: "when is this all going to start"? Like many of the best superhero movies, the series deploys a self-aware humor as a way to poke fun at its own delays and setbacks.

There's still no official synopsis for season 3 of the show, but we do know from this brief clip is that Mark will need to go through some extensive 'special training' to prepare for what's coming next.

Seeing as the next chapter of one of the best Prime Video shows has been in the making for over three years, you'd think that the leading superhero from the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman would be ready for anything, but even he's surprised by the idea of having to exercise...

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Alibaba’s international commerce business, Alibaba International Digital Commerce (AIDC) Group, has launched a new large language model focused specifically on translations (via SCMP).

The model – Macro MT – is hoped to aid with cross-border ecommerce and trade efforts by eliminating language barriers as well as integrating with other business scenarios and everyday communication.

The news comes not long after AIDC VP Zhang Kaifu committed to leveraging generative AI to help with translation, content creation and more (via Reuters).

Alibaba launches AI model for translation

“Macro MT will seamlessly integrate into Alibaba International’s overarching business strategies, fortifying the operational backbone of our diverse cross-border e-commerce platforms such as AliExpress, Lazada, Trendyol and more," Zhang confirmed.

The model offers integration into systems managing product listings, customer service and search, promising translations of titles, descriptions, image captions and keywords.

From launch, 15 languages will be supported, including Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Korean, however Alibaba is preparing to add more languages and improve translation quality in the future.

Beyond integration within Alibaba’s platforms, AIDC aims to make Macro MT available globally, extending its benefits to a wider range of merchants as well as individual and business users outside of ecommerce. Macro MT is intended to address the pitfalls of existing translation tools.

The decision to build such a model came after the company noticed that “existing translation tools fall short in navigating the intricacies of culturally nuanced and idiom-laden expressions.”

Zhang added the model had already surpassed some world-leading translation models, as demonstrated by its performance on the Flores benchmark which focus on translating to and from English and low-resource languages that typically get less support.

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The seven-time Super Bowl champion purchased a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, a deal unanimously approved by NFL team owners at the league's annual fall meeting.

(Image credit: Gareth Patterson)

Just a day after unveiling a new iPad mini, Apple’s App Store seems to have had an issue, specifically with not letting anyone download apps. We tracked a flurry of reported issues with downloading on social networks like Threads and X (formerly Twitter) and tested it ourselves.

The issue was all around downloading apps, either new ones or previously purchased ones. You could hit select or the cloud icon, but it would spin and then reset – at least that was the case for TechRadar’s Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff and me on our iPhones.

Down Detector saw a spike, too, with over 3,000 reported outages near 11:31AM ET, but since then, the reports have started to decline quite a bit. At the same time we’ve been able to successfully download apps once again from the App Store. 

You can see our live reporting during the main portion of this short disruption with the App Store below. The issues seem entirely resolved as of now – 12:08PM ET on October 16, 2024 – but we’ll keep an eye on it just in case this spikes again.

Here's a live look at the reported outages on Down Detector.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

As of now, I can still browse the App Store and search for apps, but the issue arises when trying to download an entirely new app or one that I've previously purchased on my iPhone. 

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Apple's System Status page doesn't show any outage for the App store as a whole or the specific platform versions – IE: Mac App Store. The only current systems with issues are the Volume Purchase Program (declared as an Outage) and Subscription Purchase (declared as an Outage).

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Reports on Down Detector spiked to 3,283 at 11:26AM ET but now appear to be declining, with 2,750 reported outages as of 11:41AM ET.

(Image credit: Future)

Well, this might have been quick. As of shortly before 12PM ET, I am now able to download apps – either new purchases or redownloading previously bought one – via the App Store. It seems that whatever blip this might have been, Apple's squashed it and reported outages on Down Detector are still declining.  

The App Store is back to normal 

Users have been complaining about a new, very specific issue with the Windows 11 24H2 update. This time it affects Western Digital SSDs, more specifically owners of the SN770 and SN580. The bug has been causing crashes and triggering Blue Screens of Death, and it’s not clear yet just how many are affected as the 24H2 update rollout continues.

Owners of Western Digital’s SN770 and SN580 SSDs began noticing the crashes over a week ago. At first, it wasn’t clear what caused them, but the common denominator was they started after installing the 24H2 update. Users have made various attempts to fix the issues, and a temporary workaround has been found.

The nitty-gritty details

The issue is caused by the way the SN770 and SN580 handle data. These SSDs are DRAM-less. DRAM is Dynamic Random Access Memory, and it’s used to store and quickly retrieve metadata about stored files. If an SSD lacks DRAM, it means it will have to rely on an NVMe feature, Host Memory Buffer (HMB), where that metadata is stored in your PC’s main memory.

Normally the SSDs ask your PC to allocate 64 MB of HMB to store temp info, but with the update, the SSDs are asking for up to 200 MB, and sending the system into a frenzy from which the only possible escape is BSOD.

DRAM-less SSDs are usually affordable, budget drives. They are cheaper to make, and also consume less power, making them suited to laptops and mobile phones. They usually have a smaller form factor, too, because the DRAM chip increases the size of the SSD.

Performance does take a hit for this saving. Accessing memory via HMB introduces latency, particularly with read and write operations. Drives of this type are also prone to more issues because improperly managed HMB can cause, yep, you guessed it, BSODs. And they might not last as long either; their cells wear out faster, not benefiting from DRAM’s ability to clear old data and make way for the new (garbage collection).

User woes

As far back as Sep 10, members of WD’s community forum shared news of the bug. One user wrote:

After installed Windows 11 24h2 I got this in event viewer:
The driver detected a controller error on \Device\RaidPort1.
Blue Screen ands restart.
WD SN580 2TB. Firmware is updated to 281040.
WD Dashboard showing Drive Health 100%.

Any fix?

edit: Since I bought my pc 6 months ago I didn’t have any problems with Windows 23h2. Today installed 24h2 and after 10-15 restarts I got 4-5 blue screens with the same error “The driver detected a controller error on \Device\RaidPort1”.

Another user on the same thread wrote:

hey man i’ve been looking everywhere for info on this. just got a new pre-built pc with windows version 24H2. I have a WD blue SN 580 2 TB NVME and keep getting blue screens when restarting the pc or opening certain files in file explorer. the event logs leading up to the blue screen in event viewer give the same event ID 11 stornvme and volmgr error. You’re saying the main reason is the new windows update? would it be wise to roll back or have you figured anything out since your last post.

Then on 8 October, a WD community forum member posted a potential workaround, apparently bemoaning the lack of response from Western Digital and Microsoft:

While we still have no official answer neither from WD or MS, there is a workaround!
Thank you @nissel! This will create two registry entries. If you want to remove them again, delete them by hand or use this: Registry file to remove the HMB policy entries · GitHub 22. Apparently for some devices it is enough to just disable HBM: Windows Registry disable HMB · GitHub 19.

Does Microsoft deserve the hate?

Of course, no major OS updates are without issue. Windows 10’s now-infamous April 2021 KB5001330 update caused a slew of crashes, performance issues, and the long-feared BSODs. There were installation failures, missing files, performance drops in games, system crashes, and more. So, far the Windows 11 24H2 bugs aren’t nearly as bad.

Microsoft and Western Digital are aware of the issue, and patches and firmware updates are likely on their way. It remains to be seen if more users with similar SSDs will encounter the same issues.

Whatever exciting bugs are yet to come with Windows 11’s new version, we’ll be here to tell you about them.

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In Milan, the fashion house and Axiom Space have revealed how astronauts will be decked out on the lunar surface during the Artemis 3 mission in 2026.

From made-to-measure smart shades to retrofit curtain bots, these are our favorite WIRED-tested drapes for your windows.

More than 140 people, including children, were killed and dozens were injured after an overturned tanker truck exploded in flames while they were trying to scoop up fuel pouring from the vehicle.

(Image credit: Sani Maikatanga)

The Kindle e-reader was the original ‘Amazon device,’ and the heart of its e-reading lineup has long been the Paperwhite. So much so that Panos Panay, Amazon’s head of devices, described it as the “most loved Kindle” and the one that, as he admitted, owners with the current or previous-gen models are hesitant to upgrade.

That reluctance notwithstanding, Amazon has set out to make the best Paperwhite yet, with the all-new Kindle Paperwhite and more premium Kindle Paperwhite Signature. There are a lot of similarities between the two – both are thinner, lighter, and faster than the previous Paperwhite, with a better, larger 7-inch display that’s designed to be easily readable in any conditions.

It’s still only black-and-white, though – you’ll need to opt for the new Kindle Colorsoft if you want a color display for comics and the like – and is only for reading – get a Kindle Scribe, or maybe a Remarkable, if you want to write.

(Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

The new Paperwhite's colors are fantastic, and Raspberry is certainly my favorite. While I haven’t read a book on it yet, I got to spend some time with the Signature Edition at Amazon’s hands-on launch event. So, let’s talk through the new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition.

Pricing and Availability

If you’re a Kindle lover, here’s some good news – the new Paperwhite and Paperwhite Signature Edition are shipping now. The Kindle Paperwhite costs $159.99 / £159.99 (we’re waiting for Australian pricing to be confirmed) and comes in a matte, soft-touch Raspberry, Jade (a green), or Black.

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition costs a bit more at $199.99 / £199.99 (again, we’re waiting for Australian pricing to be confirmed) and comes in metallic variants of those same three colors – aptly named Metallic Raspberry, Metallic Jade, and Metallic Black, which have some extra sparkle thanks to aluminum flakes being sprinkled in. That extra spend also doubles the storage to 32GB, and adds wireless charging capabilities and an auto-adjusting light sensor.

Both are shipping now, and Amazon has also debuted a bunch of new cases, including color-matched ones.

Kindle Paperwhite (2024): One Minute Review

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

As soon as I lifted up the new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition – technically now the 12th generation – it was clear that Amazon has focused on refining an already successful model. It’s the most popular e-reader in the Kindle lineup, and the one we’ve recommended for most people, at least with the last generation.

It’s still very comfortable to hold with just a hand, and while the back is more reflective on the Signature Edition, it’s still easy to get a grip. Amazon says the Paperwhite weighs in at just 211 grams, which is a good bit under half a pound at just 0.47lbs or 7.5oz. I found it easy to navigate the interface with just one hand, though I think most folks will use both. You’ll still turn pages, scroll through your library, and adjust settings like font size, brightness, or warmth, by touching the screen.

The thinness here shouldn’t be underestimated either – it’s super portable, and at just 7.8-millimeters thick, which is a small but considerable decrease from the 8.1mm of the previous Paperwhite. Just take a look at the photos; it’s thin, and it has a good center of gravity for easily holding it. It’s also still waterproof, so you can safely read in the bathtub or by the pool, and with an anti-reflective coating over the display, it’s easy to see the screen even in bright sunlight.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

The display here is a bit bigger than on the last-gen Paperwhite, and feels more front and center thanks to thinner bezels all around. It measures 7 inches diagonally, up from 6.8 inches on the previous version, and has 300 pixels per inch (ppi) resolution. Amazon says it also boasts a higher contrast rate, making it easier to read displayed text in any lighting.

I found that the text looked plenty inky, and it was easy to make out what was on the page… err, screen. The same goes for scrolling through Manga or a Comic on the Paperwhite; this is still very much a screen that’s easy on the eyes, and it’s even easier if you have the Signature Edition, thanks to its light sensor, it will automatically adjust the brightness and temperature throughout the day for better clarity.

What might be most impressive, though, is the speed, and how close to instant the new Paperwhite feels. Thanks to a new custom processor under the hood and a new Oxide back panel, the Paperwhite can refresh and update the E Ink display in record time. It’s 25% faster – at least what Amazon promises for both models – and it really shows when scrolling through a library or zooming through pages.

The Kindle Paperwhite simply flies. Unless you’re a speed reader, being able to quickly flip pages may not help, but it should make the Kindle Paperwhite feel more like a real book, or faster, since it can update what’s being displayed even quicker. This could make a really big impact, especially if you’re upgrading from an older model.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

You’ll also have plenty of room to store your books and other documents, with 32GB of storage on the Paperwhite Signature Edition or 16GB on the standard model. Remember, you can offload books to the cloud as well, should you run out of space.

The only physical button for the Kindle Paperwhite still lives on the bottom, slightly off-center to the right, next to the USB-C port. You’ll use this to jump into the Kindle’s interface from the lock screen’s E Ink lock screen or to put the Paperwhite to sleep. The USB-C port may not see much action either, as Amazon promises up to 12 weeks of use on a full charge, and judging by my experience with previous models, it may last even longer, depending on use. This is also an improvement of the previous generation, which topped out at 10 weeks. You can also charge your Kindle wirelessly if you get the Signature Edition, which is convenient as you can simply lay it on a charging pad to ensure it’s always topped off.

All-in-all, with a larger display to let you see more of whatever you might be reading (it’s likely a reread of Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen for me, or diving into The World’s Worst Assistant by Sona Movsesian), an even lighter design that does indeed suggest ‘paper’, faster performance, and even better battery life, there’s a lot to like here.

And at $159.99 / £159.99, or $199.99 / £159.99 with the bells and whistles of the Signature Edition, it’s a bit more than the previous generation, which was $149.99 for the standard and $189.99 for the Signature Edition. We’ll need to spend a bit more time with it, and do some serious reading, but from our early impressions, fans of previous Paperwhites will be happy with the latest one, and those looking for a Kindle that can go anywhere will be equally pleased.

Microsoft’s latest Surface Laptop was very well-received, indeed it tops our list of the best laptops currently, although some folks may still remain unconvinced about its Arm CPU and certain drawbacks therein – but if you’re waiting for a model with an Intel chip instead, it looks like that wait could soon be over.

Windows Central noticed that a purported Surface Laptop 7 with Intel Lunar Lake mobile CPU – as opposed to the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (Arm-based) processor that powers existing models – has surfaced (ahem) on Reddit.

The prerelease (sample?) model is actually up for sale on a Chinese auction site (Goofish), and the listing describes it as having an Intel Core Ultra 7 268V chip (which is Lunar Lake as mentioned) with 32GB RAM plus a 1TB SSD.

Add some healthy piles of salt at this point, of course, and we can have our usual doubts about such leaks, but that said, the listing seems to be authentic and it’s complemented with photos of the supposed Surface Laptop 7.

On top of that, reliable leaker Zac Bowden of Windows Central tells us that his sources have said that Microsoft is indeed testing an Intel Lunar Lake-toting Surface Laptop – but it isn’t clear whether this will be a variant of the existing Surface Laptop 7, or a new Surface Laptop (presumably a version 8).

However, the design remains the same – as stated in the sales listing – so the former seems to make more sense. Bowden further notes: “It’s likely that Microsoft intends to offer both Intel and Qualcomm variants of the Surface Laptop with its updated design going into 2025.”

That echoes the Goofish seller, who informs prospective purchasers (who really shouldn’t be risking going anywhere near this laptop, we should add) that the Core Ultra 7-packing notebook won’t go on sale until 2025.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) Analysis: Business as usual? We hope not

What’s the big deal about an Intel version of the Surface Laptop 7 (or indeed 8)? As noted, while the Snapdragon X Elite-powered notebook is fantastic – we gave the device a glowing review – the Arm chip still has some weaknesses, for example in terms of software (and games) support. Those compatibility quirks are bugbears that an Intel (x86) spin on the Surface Laptop won’t be hampered by.

The best bit, though, is that Lunar Lake CPUs have really impressed since their launch, and these chips won’t let the side down in terms of the strong suits of the Snapdragon chip – you should still get excellent battery life as well as performance with Intel.

The drawback, then, might be the price tag, and this leak doesn’t air good news in this respect.

The Goofish seller tells us that the price from the Microsoft Store for the model in question will be around 19,000 Chinese Yuan, which works out at about $2,700 (or £2,000 / AU$4,000). We’re assuming this applies to the mentioned 32GB plus 1TB model, anyway, but a ‘listing price’ (translation could be shaky) is also provided, pitched at 10,990 Chinese Yuan, which converts to around $1,500 (or £1,200 / AU$2,300). Might that be the entry-level price tag?

We don’t know, but we’re pretty heavy on the skepticism with these figures, given that the current Surface Laptop 7 with 32GB plus 1TB has an MSRP of $1,600 in the US, so for it to be inflated to the tune of two-thirds seems a bit ridiculous. That said, we anticipate a Lunar Lake chip will indeed push the price up a fair bit – but surely not that much.

Finally, Bowden mentions a potential major wrinkle here – could this Intel-toting Surface Laptop be a business-only device? That’s how Microsoft played it with Meteor Lake (in the Surface Laptop 6), and might the same be true for Lunar Lake? Could that go some way towards explaining the eye-watering pricing, perhaps?

Well, we’d forget about the prices put forward here, in all honesty, but we can’t so readily dismiss the idea of a business-centric launch. Let’s just hope consumer models are inbound, as it’ll be very disappointing if they aren’t in the cards.

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The Biden administration has taken significant steps to address the medical debt problem that burdens 100 million people in America, but gains would be jeopardized by a Trump win, advocates say.

(Image credit: VCG)

Facebook and Instagram parent company, Meta, has come under legal scrutiny in the US over allegations that its social media platforms are dangerous to teenagers’ mental health because they are overly addictive.

A federal court in California has now declined to grant the request made by Meta for dismissal of two lawsuits which were filed last year.

Both lawsuits, backed by more than 30 US states, accuse Meta of exploiting young users through addictive algorithms, raising concerns about mental and physical health consequences.

Meta of accused of addictive algorithms

It’s not an entirely black and white case – although the judge determined that Meta would be covered by Section 230, a federal law regulating online platforms, which in this case would afford the company protection from some claims, she noted that the states had presented enough evidence regarding misleading statements, therefore much of the case could proceed.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta commented: “Meta needs to be held accountable for the very real harm it has inflicted on children here in California and across the country.”

Meta has expressed disagreement with the ruling, stating that it has developed tools to support parents and teens, including Teen Accounts on Instagram with additional protections.

The ruling also affects other social media giants. Meta, along with TikTok, Snapchat and the Google-owned YouTube, have sought to dismiss related personal injury lawsuits brought by individual plaintiffs, however the judge has since rejected their motions, allowing those claims to continue as well.

A Meta spokesperson told TechRadar Pro in an email:

"While we welcome the Court’s decision to limit the focus of some claims, consistent with prior rulings on Section 230, we disagree with the overall ruling. We’ve developed numerous tools to support parents and teens, and we recently announced that we’re significantly changing the Instagram experience for tens of millions of teens with new Teen Accounts, a protected experience for teens that automatically limits who can contact them and the content they see. We believe the evidence will demonstrate our commitment to supporting young people."

José Castañeda, a spokesperson for Google, told us:

"Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work. In collaboration with youth, mental health and parenting experts, we built services and policies to provide young people with age-appropriate experiences, and parents with robust controls. The allegations in these complaints are simply not true."

TikTok and Snapchat did not immediately respond.

If you are concerned about screen time and social media usage, why not take a look at the best parental control apps.

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Let them pick out their own hiking boots. Instead, try gifting a useful app or a nature journal to delight your outdoorsy friend.

Several Apple researchers have confirmed what had been previously thought to be the case regarding AI—that there are serious logical faults in its reasoning, especially when it comes to basic grade school math.

According to a recently published paper from six Apple researchers, 'GSM-Symbolic: Understanding the Limitations of Mathematical Reasoning in Large Language Models', the mathematical “reasoning” that advanced large language models (LLMs) supposedly employ can be extremely inaccurate and fragile when those methods are changed.

The researchers started with the GSM8K's standardized set of 8,000 grade-school level mathematics word problems, a common benchmark for testing LLMs. Then they slightly altered the wording without changing the problem logic and dubbed it the GSM-Symbolic test.

The first set saw a performance drop between 0.3 percent and 9.2 percent. In contrast, the second set (which added in a red herring statement that had no bearing on the answer) saw "catastrophic performance drops" between 17.5 percent to a massive 65.7 percent.

What does this mean for AI?

It doesn’t take a scientist to understand how alarming these numbers are, as they clearly show that LLMs don’t properly solve problems but instead use simple "pattern matching" to "convert statements to operations without truly understanding their meaning." And if you slightly change the information found in those problems, it majorly interferes with the LLMs’ ability to recognize those patterns.

The main driving force behind these current LLMs is that it’s actually performing operations similar to how a human would, but studies like this one and other ones prove otherwise — there are critical limitations to how they function. It’s supposed to employ high-level reasoning but there’s no model of the logic or world behind it, severely crippling its actual potential.

And when an AI cannot perform simple math because the words are essentially too confusing and don’t follow the same exact pattern, what’s the point? Are computers not created to perform math at rates that humans normally can not? At this point, you might as well close down the AI chatbot and take out your calculator instead.

It’s rather disappointing that these current LLMs found in recent AI chatbots all function on this same faulty programming. They’re completely reliant on the sheer amount of data they horde and then process to give the illusion of logical reasoning, while never coming close to clearing the next true step in AI capability — symbol manipulation, through the use of abstract knowledge used in algebra and computer programming.

Until then, what are we really doing with AI? What’s the purpose of its catastrophic drain on natural resources if it’s not even capable of what it has been peddled to do by every corporation that pushes its own version of it? Having so many papers, especially this one, confirming this bitter truth makes the whole endeavor truly feel like a waste of time.

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