Feed aggregator

State leaders in both parties say they're ready to redraw political lines ahead of 2026, but state laws and constitutions make mid-decade redistricting virtually impossible in many places.

(Image credit: Leah Willingham)

Residents across Washington have different takes on crime in their communities. Overwhelmingly, however, people opposed President Trump's takeover of the city with federal agents and National Guard troops.

(Image credit: Maansi Srivastava)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised Donald Trump's "energetic and sincere" efforts to end the war in Ukraine. But on the streets of Moscow while many hope for an end to the war, they disagree on how to get there.

(Image credit: Dmitri Lovetsky)

Generative AI has the potential to boost productivity in key parts of the technology sector, largely by automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, with McKinsey projecting it could add between $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion in economic value each year.

Software development is one particular area where automation and AI could make a huge difference. Due to the current digital skills shortage and the long, arduous DevOps process, pipeline automation could - if done right - save businesses time and money.

However, implementing AI is generally not straightforward, and if not done carefully, it risks backlash from developers and customers alike. Amazon showed how this can go wrong, with recent AI-led reforms causing backlash from engineers.

Stress increased, standards and morale dropped; and this was just an internal issue. When new tech rollouts impact customers or draw attention from regulators, the financial and reputational impact can be worse.

Both the potential gains and risks are increased for large enterprises. As the vast majority have at least some of their tech stack on-premises, and most innovation is targeted at cloud-based Software-as-a-Service products, enterprise pipelines often get left behind. To make matters worse, they are also harder to modernize due to the scale and complexity of the organizations' pipelines, and there is more to lose, with far-reaching reputational and regulatory risks.

To avoid this upheaval while capitalizing on productivity gains, enterprises should avoid broad implementations. Focused, lower-risk, and clearly defined problem areas are key - particularly the automation of code testing and issue prioritization, which is both the main source of developer friction and the simplest to automate.

Addressing developer toil

Developer productivity and morale is the most valuable resource for enterprise IT teams, and also the one facing the most strain. AI has the potential to be a game-changer for addressing this ‘developer toil’; providing developers with more time to focus on creative tasks rather than mundane and repetitive ones.

Arduous and repetitive tasks and high workloads, do more than demoralize. Developer toil causes delayed projects, poor performance, and unsustainable staffing levels as developers quit - further contributing to an industry struggling to find and retain talent. In 2024, developer toil was reported as the reason for team members quitting by over half (52%) of developers.

In software development, the main culprit for creating this toil, and therefore the priority for automation, is in the ‘post-commit to production process’, also known as ticket creation. AI can be used to automate the triage process - quality assurance (QA), continuous integration (CI), and vulnerability management - by categorizing, grouping, and prioritizing failures without human assistance. This frees up valuable time, and makes sure this time is spent on the most pressing issues in the software pipeline.

Priorities in AI adoption

Most enterprises are very open to using AI, with almost half of technology leaders in a 2024 PwC survey reporting that AI was “fully integrated” into their companies’ core business strategy. It can be done, but it must be done correctly, and having technological eyes bigger than your operational stomach can lead to data privacy and governance concerns, alienated staff and customers, and ultimately a slowed digital transformation.

Scope is essential. Targeted applications, focused on protected ‘sandboxes’ without access to direct outcomes minimizes risk and allows the process to be better observed, learnt from, optimized, and then rolled out further. Businesses must also keep in mind that outsourcing a whole generation of software to AI code generation risks more than just poor outcomes; any ‘black box’ will make it impossible to diagnose and fix potential errors down the line.

The future of AI in DevOps

In the future, AI has the potential to transform pipelines into intelligent, self-optimizing systems with better powers of prediction and iteration. For now though, as across all other sectors, it must go hand-in-hand with close human oversight.

The most important part of any AI adoption is still, and forever will be, the humans working alongside and overseeing it. As with all tech rollouts, staff need sufficient training and the ability to feedback any issues with team structure, or the technology itself, to uphold morale and to make best use of the new solution itself.

Furthermore, any issues around developer toil won’t be fixed if AI is only used as an excuse to work DevOps teams harder.

We list the best sites for hiring developers.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

I just had to reconsider what I already have in my linen closet to reduce my night sweats.

Maybe you've had it with the big traditional carrier plans that include more than you need. Getting a prepaid plan with more fixed costs is a worthwhile option.

Seemingly every celebrity has their own brand these days, whether it’s booze (Cameron Diaz, Matthew McConaughey) or cosmetics (Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga) or squeezy food pouches (Jennifer Garner). IToday on the show, what is fueling the celebrity business bonanza? We hear from two legendary singers, Lisa Loeb AND John Legend, who are pursuing ventures outside of show business

Related episodes:
The celebrity crypto nexus
The Olympian to influencer pipeline (Apple / Spotify)

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

The 25th amendment. A few years before JFK was shot, an idealistic young lawyer set out on a mission to convince people something essential was missing from the Constitution: clear instructions for what should happen if a U.S. president was no longer able to serve. On this episode of our ongoing series We the People, the story behind one of the last amendments to the Constitution, and the man who got it done. This story originally published in March 2025.

Guest:
John Feerick, Norris Professor of Law at Fordham Law School and author of The Twenty-Fifth Amendment - Its Complete History and Applications.

To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.

A lawsuit challenging construction and operations of an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades known as 'Alligator Alley' has wrapped up with several key questions unanswered.

(Image credit: Rebecca Blackwell)

Gallup, which started tracking Americans' alcohol habits more than 80 years ago, says the drop in drinking rates coincides with Americans' growing concerns that even moderate drinking is unhealthy.

(Image credit: Julio Cortez)

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Aug. 14

A federal appeals court handed President Trump a victory on Wednesday. The court ruled the administration can continue to freeze or terminate billions of dollars that Congress approved in foreign aid.

(Image credit: Ben Curtis)

Home security cameras and a standalone smart display are also coming, the report says.

Jones has lost control of his media empire to a newly-appointed receiver who will sell it off to pay the Sandy Hook Elementary School families who sued Jones for defamation after the 2012 shootings.

(Image credit: Joe Buglewicz)

Whether you’re looking for high-speed fiber plans or affordable cable internet, these are the most dependable internet providers in San Antonio.

Taylor Swift broke the internet again, as the acclaimed superstar has a habit of doing, by queuing up a surprise countdown on her website. This led to the confirmation of her twelfth studio album – The Life of a Showgirl – getting a formal reveal soon, and we’re set to learn more on the latest episode of the New Heights podcast that drops tonight, August 13, 2025, at 7 PM ET. The show is hosted by Travis Kelce, NFL Star and Swift's boyfriend, along with his brother Jason Kelce.

You can bet that we’ll learn more about the forthcoming album – including a proper title, track listing, who produced it, and when it will arrive – so that we can all go and pre-save it on some of the best music streaming services, like Spotify and Apple Music. But, from the episode’s teasers, we’re in for a fun, lively, and hopefully long podcast, complete with the superstar rocking a pretty well-acclaimed pair of headphones from Sony.

While these aren’t the new WH-1000XM6, they are more designed for podcasters, musicians, and folks in the studios. Sony’s MDR-7506 are professional mixing cans with 40mm drivers in each cup and a cushioned, foldable design. The latter makes a lot of sense when you think that a podcaster is wearing them for the duration of the recording or for an artist mixing their next big thing.

(Image credit: Sony)

The MDR-7506 are also well-fitted enough for Swift to wear them while also pulling out a custom briefcase designed to hold a brand-new vinyl – we’ll see the full reveal when the podcast drops.

And if you want to rock the same pair as Swift, these wired Sony headphones are readily available on Amazon and are 9% off at $99.95 (from $109.95).

If you’re looking for a bit more full-featured set, and one that TechRadar has tested, we’d point you in the direction of the Sony WH-1000XM6. These launched earlier this year in May, and we called them “a fantastic pair of over-ear headphones that combine the best design elements of their predecessors, while levelling up the sonic and ANC capabilities.”

These cost a bit more, with an MSRP of $449.99, though they’re slightly discounted to $428 at Amazon as of this publishing.

Either route, I bet The Life of a Showgirl, will sound great on the XM6, and we’re all excited to learn more about it when the Taylor Swift episode of New Heights drops later this evening. It’ll be live on the show's YouTube channel with video, as well as in audio form, wherever you stream your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts.

A post shared by New Heights (@newheightshow)

A photo posted by on

You might also like

• Netflix's new look is now rolling out for the Apple TV 4K
• It's drawn mixed reactions since its debut in May
• Beyond the new user experience there are new sounds that can't be disabled as of yet

Netflix is one of the best streaming services around, and its entirely new look, which the streamer dubbed a “giant leap forward,” is now arriving on one of the most popular streaming box ecosystems, the Apple TV.

As spotted by some users on Reddit and within Apple’s tvOS App Store, the new look is a redesign of the homepage and adds sounds, and is officially landing on the Apple TV and Apple TV 4K streaming boxes, after debuting on other platforms.

This is likely a situation of ‘love it or hate it’ or ready or not, though. Subscribers have been vocal about their distaste for the redesign, particularly the change to the homescreen, which many have grown accustomed to – a classic scrolling through rows – without a clear reason. Netflix defended the new look in June 2025, and it appears the UI redesign is still rolling out as planned.

Netflix new UI ON APPLE TV from r/appletv

Netflix’s new look starts off with a main, rectangular top bar that'll rotate between content – potentially new seasons arriving soon or top picks – but still has rows underneath, mainly the all-important ‘Continue Watching’ feature.

Similar to other streaming services, Amazon Prime Video included, there’s a top bar centered with search, Home, Shows, Movies, Genres, and My Netflix – the latter is where you’ll find your list, continue watching, and other picks that Netflix thinks will pique your interests.

Considering this is the arrival of the new Netflix look on the Apple TV, after it’s arrived on other streaming boxes like Roku and smart TVs, this doesn’t represent the arrival of anything new, just for Apple’s tvOS platforms. Netflix remains committed to not supporting or integrating itself as a Channel within the Apple TV app, despite the wishes of many, including myself, for its arrival. You may recall that there was a brief period when Netflix enabled this functionality in February 2025, but it was short-lived... very short-lived.

Folks are quick to voice opinions of the new Netflix look arriving on Apple TV, though, with many sharing early opinions on the r/appletv subreddit. One complaint that’s come up several times is around the sounds that Netflix has enabled for scrolling and even clicking through different content.

Comment from r/appletvComment from r/appletv

It seems that the beeps can get repetitive, and there is seemingly no way to turn them off. That happens even if you turn off menu sounds in tvOS settings, as Netflix is apparently overriding it and not bound by this.

Others have simply called the refreshed UI “Horrible” or "Gross" and others are hoping for a slow rollout. There’s a good amount of sarcasm being used here as well, and while Netflix says that many subscribers are being quiet about how much they like it, it seems that the most vocal ones are still pleased with the fresh look.

Comment from r/appletv

One way to make subscribers who watch on Apple TV 4K a bit happier would be to integrate with the Apple TV app, but I don’t think Netflix will take the hint.

You might also like

• Forget the airplane food, I’m getting a full-serving of Severance on my next United flight
• This glorious iPhone app brings back the lost joy of watching family VHS tapes – only with your forgotten smartphone videos
• Yes, Sam Altman will be played by Andrew Garfield in 'Artificial', but all we want to know is who’s playing Elon Musk

The new case makes a bold style statement, but there's no official confirmation that it correctly reflects Apple's upcoming phone.

All eyes are on Alaska ahead of President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting there on Friday. We revisit the history of Russia’s sale of the Alaskan territory to the U.S.. NPR’s Greg Myre describes how some Russians still question whether Alaska is truly American.

OpenAI expected it would offer fewer options with the launch of GPT-5. That hasn't lasted.