The Trump administration will soon remove export limits on Anthropic’s AI model called Fable 5, allowing public access again after it was restricted for security reasons. The government is still figuring out how to safely manage powerful new AI models before they are widely released.
Key Facts
The Trump administration will lift export controls on Anthropic's Fable 5 AI model as early as Tuesday night.
Fable 5 had been restricted 18 days ago due to security concerns.
Last week, limited access was restored for some government-approved groups.
The U.S. is still uncertain about how to regulate AI models before public release.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said his office worked closely with Anthropic to approve Fable 5.
OpenAI released GPT-5.6 to a small number of approved users after a government request.
Officials worry that advanced AI might be used for cyberattacks or biological weapon development.
China is developing competing AI models and making some publicly available.
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In the UK, only rented e-scooters are legally allowed on public roads and paths. Despite this, some large and small retailers have been advertising privately-owned e-scooters as suitable for commuting on public roads, which is against the law.
Key Facts
UK law permits e-scooters on public roads only if they are rented through government-approved schemes.
Privately-owned e-scooters can only be used on private property with permission.
Major retailers like Amazon, Argos, and Currys initially advertised e-scooters for road use but have since updated their ads after being contacted.
Smaller sellers continue to promote e-scooters as commuter vehicles without legal warnings.
Riding rental e-scooters legally requires a provisional or full driving license.
Illegal use of private e-scooters can result in fines or penalty points on a driver’s license.
There were 10 deaths and 485 serious injuries involving e-scooters reported in the UK in 2025.
An advertisement for e-scooters was banned in 2025 for failing to clearly state legal restrictions on where they can be used.
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WhatsApp will introduce usernames so users do not have to share their phone numbers. People can start reserving their usernames now, and the feature will be available later this year. This change is meant to improve privacy for users when they chat and join groups.
Key Facts
WhatsApp is adding usernames to protect user phone numbers.
Users can reserve their usernames before the feature fully launches.
The new feature will be available later in the year.
Usernames allow chatting and group joining without sharing phone numbers.
This update increases privacy on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp aims to make it easier to connect while keeping personal info private.
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Paramount+ is adding many new movies and TV shows in July 2026, including classic films and popular series. New original content, such as the documentary "The Real Wolf of Wall Street," will also debut mid-month.
Key Facts
On July 1, Paramount+ will add 70 titles, including movies like "City of God," "Fences," and "The Expendables" series.
TV series added on July 1 include Seasons 1 to 4 of "Goosebumps" and "Magic School Bus," and Seasons 1 to 7 of "Garfield and Friends."
Other kids' shows like "Clifford the Big Red Dog," "Clifford’s Puppy Days," and "Super Duper Bunny League" will also arrive on July 1.
New TV specials and episodes of ongoing series will continue throughout the month.
On July 14, the documentary "The Real Wolf of Wall Street" will launch exclusively on Paramount+.
Season finales for shows like "Dutton Ranch" and "Tyler Perry’s Zatima" are scheduled in early July.
Other premieres and finales include "Big Brother" Season 28 on July 9 and "RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars" Season 11 finale on July 17.
Several popular series conclude their current runs, including "The Chi" and "Criminal Minds: Evolution."
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A recent report found that 12 percent of scams that worked last year used artificial intelligence (AI) or deepfake technology. The report was done by Gallup and the Stop Scams Alliance and noted that the real number might be higher because it can be hard to detect these technologies in scams.
Key Facts
12 percent of successful scams involved AI or deepfakes.
The report was released on a Tuesday.
Gallup and the Stop Scams Alliance conducted the analysis together.
The actual use of AI or deepfakes in scams might be more than reported.
AI refers to computer systems that can learn and perform tasks.
Deepfakes are fake videos or audio made using AI to look real.
Detecting AI or deepfake use in scams is challenging.
The report focuses on scams from the previous year.
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Reddit will soon require people to log in before using old.reddit.com. This change aims to reduce automated abuse and improve security on the older version of the site.
Key Facts
Reddit announced that over the next month, logging in will be required to access old.reddit.com.
The change targets abusive automated traffic and scraping, which is when programs collect data without permission.
Logging in helps Reddit detect accounts that break rules and block bad behavior.
Old Reddit lacks some modern security features found in the newer version of Reddit.
Reddit may eventually retire old.reddit.com but will support it as long as people continue using it.
The login requirement follows earlier tests that restricted logged-out access on Reddit’s mobile website.
This move could reduce anonymous browsing and increase user tracking for advertising purposes.
Some longtime Reddit users prefer old.reddit.com for its simpler design and may be discouraged by the login requirement.
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Two NASA astronauts fixed a broken 200-pound joint on the International Space Station’s robot arm during a spacewalk lasting over seven hours. The repair involved replacing the faulty wrist joint with a spare part, restoring full arm function necessary for station operations.
Key Facts
The broken joint was part of the Canadian-built robot arm called Canadarm2, which is 58 feet long.
The faulty joint was causing higher electrical current and was not moving properly.
Astronauts Jessica Meir and Chris Williams performed the spacewalk to replace this wrist joint.
The astronauts removed the arm's "hand" (latching end effector) and two other joints to access the broken part.
The replacement joint was successfully installed and tested, confirming good power and data connections.
The failed joint was brought back to the station for eventual return to Earth and repair.
Canadarm2 is used to capture cargo ships and assist with moving equipment and astronauts outside the station.
NASA plans to keep maintaining the arm until the space station is retired around 2030.
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Amazon has stopped making new Fire Stick models that allow sideloading apps, which means installing apps from outside Amazon’s official Appstore. The company says this change is to protect users from harmful software called malware that can come from these sideloaded apps.
Key Facts
Amazon’s new Fire Sticks use Vega OS, a Linux-based system that does not support sideloading apps.
Older Fire Sticks used Fire OS, which was based on Android and allowed sideloading.
Sideloading on Fire Sticks has been linked to streaming piracy, especially for live sports events.
Some streaming companies blame Fire Sticks for large amounts of illegal sports streaming.
Amazon says apps installed through sideloading can carry malware or unwanted software.
In 2025, Amazon blocked four video streaming apps from sideloading due to malicious behavior.
Vega OS also helps Amazon control ads and track users more easily on Fire Sticks.
Amazon aims to improve security and add features like Alexa+, its AI chatbot, on the new OS.
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NASA is considering sending the full-scale engineering model of the Perseverance Mars rover, called Promise, to the Moon. This rover would use a nuclear power source to explore the lunar south pole, especially in areas where sunlight is limited and solar power is not effective.
Key Facts
Promise is a test version of the Perseverance Mars rover currently at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
It would be powered by a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG), which uses nuclear material to produce energy.
Unlike most lunar rovers that rely on solar power, this nuclear power helps the rover operate during the dark lunar night.
The rover weighs about 1 ton and might be delivered using Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander or SpaceX’s Starship rocket.
NASA has used Promise to test commands and solve problems before sending instructions to Perseverance on Mars.
Engineers believe Promise can be modified for the Moon and could help explore hard-to-reach places at the lunar south pole.
Using Promise on the Moon would reuse existing NASA hardware and accelerate lunar exploration plans.
NASA officials are still deciding if this plan is practical and are studying how Promise could contribute to science and human missions on the Moon.
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Google has stopped supporting the Tenor GIF API as of June 30, 2026. This API allowed platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Discord, and others to provide easy access to animated GIFs, but they are now shifting to alternative services.
Key Facts
Tenor is a database of searchable GIFs used by many platforms to share animated images.
Google bought Tenor in 2018 and integrated it into some of its products like Gboard and Google Messages.
Google began winding down the Tenor API earlier this year and officially ended support on June 30, 2026.
The shutdown affects sites like X, Discord, WhatsApp, and Bluesky, forcing them to switch to other GIF providers like Giphy and Klipy.
Users will see different GIF selections depending on the new services these platforms use.
Google said they ended the API to focus their resources elsewhere and likely because the service was free and not profitable.
Tenor as a website still exists and continues to serve GIFs for Google’s own apps.
Klipy, one of the alternatives gaining popularity, was founded by Tenor’s original founder and recently received funding including from Google.
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Apple has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision that could stop it from charging high fees to app developers when users pay outside Apple’s system. The case involves Epic Games’ claim that Apple’s 30% commission rule and restrictions on payment links violate a court order.
Key Facts
Apple charges a 30% fee on app purchases made through its payment system.
A court ordered Apple to allow developers to link to payment options outside Apple.
Apple later allowed links but charged a 27% fee for that permission.
The 9th Circuit Court found that Apple’s high fees violated the order’s intent.
Apple argues the contempt ruling is wrong because the order does not explicitly ban the fees.
The Supreme Court will decide whether courts can find contempt based on an order’s “spirit” rather than clear wording.
Apple says the case affects millions of app purchases and influences global app market rules.
Regulators in the UK and elsewhere are also challenging Apple and Google’s app store fee practices.
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Researchers have found a way to trick AI browsers into ignoring their built-in safety rules by creating a false scenario or “alternate reality.” This allows attackers to make the AI browser perform harmful actions like stealing private codes or passwords. The flaw affects many AI browsers and shows the limits of current safety measures.
Key Facts
AI browsers combine web browsing with AI tasks like searching and booking.
Developers put safety limits (guardrails) on AI browsers to block harmful requests.
New research shows a website can trick AI browsers into thinking false information is real.
This “alternate reality” makes the AI ignore its safety rules and act unsafely.
The attack can steal private data, such as code in private repositories or saved passwords.
The exploit, called BioShocking, uses puzzles that reward wrong answers to confuse the AI.
The flaw works on many popular AI browsers, including ChatGPT Atlas and Claude Chrome plugin.
The problem highlights how current safety limits react to attacks but don’t fix the root cause.
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Many U.S. states and local areas are considering or have placed limits on building new data centers because these facilities use a lot of electricity and water. While some officials want to slow construction to study environmental effects, the Trump administration sees data centers as important for competing with China in artificial intelligence (AI).
Key Facts
At least 14 states are thinking about bans or temporary stops on new data centers.
Some cities, like Monterey Park, California, have already banned new data centers.
Data centers need large amounts of electricity and water to operate.
More than 3,000 data centers already exist in the U.S., with over 1,500 more being built.
Most current data centers are in cities, but new centers are often planned for rural areas, especially in the South and Midwest.
Virginia and Texas have the most operating data centers in the U.S.
Several new data centers are planned near the Ogallala Aquifer, an important groundwater source that recharges very slowly.
Losing water from this aquifer could take hundreds or thousands of years to recover, posing risks to agriculture and local water supplies.
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NASA is launching a robotic spacecraft to save the aging Swift telescope from falling back to Earth. The mission will boost Swift to a higher orbit so it can keep observing space explosions.
Key Facts
NASA hired Katalyst Space Technologies to carry out the mission with a $30 million budget.
The rescue spacecraft, named Link, has three arms and will be launched from an airplane using a Pegasus rocket.
Swift has been losing altitude faster due to increased solar activity and needs a higher orbit to continue working.
It will take about a month for Link to reach Swift and several more weeks to raise its orbit from 224 miles to 373 miles above Earth.
NASA also worries about the Hubble Space Telescope losing altitude and plans to use a future robot to save it.
China is the only other country to have done a similar satellite-boosting mission, which it completed four years ago.
This operation is the first American attempt using a robotic spacecraft to service an orbiting telescope.
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This episode of Tech Life discusses shadow banning, a practice where certain content is hidden or made less visible online without users being told. It explores how shadow banning might affect health education messages aimed at women and young girls. The episode also features a conversation about video game discs and an interview with the founder of the Global Gaming League.
Key Facts
Shadow banning means hiding or reducing the visibility of online content without notifying users.
The episode examines whether shadow banning impacts health education for women and young girls.
It includes a look back at physical video game discs that store games.
Shiona McCallum is the episode’s presenter.
The episode features an interview with the founder of the Global Gaming League, an organization related to gaming competitions.
The show is part of the BBC World Service and has been available for over a year.
The producer of the episode is Tom Quinn.
A photo related to the episode shows a young sportswoman resting on a yoga mat while using her smartphone.
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A poll by health research firm KFF found that US adults who often use AI chatbots for health advice are more likely to believe false information about vaccines. The study showed these users were more prone to myths like vaccines causing autism or changing DNA, compared to people who do not use AI for health information.
Key Facts
The poll surveyed 2,480 US adults in May and looked at AI chatbot use for health advice.
Frequent AI health advice seekers were more likely to believe vaccine myths, such as MMR vaccines causing autism.
35% of frequent AI users believed that MMR vaccines cause autism, compared to 20% of non-AI users.
29% of frequent AI users thought mRNA vaccines can change DNA, which is false.
The myth about vaccines causing autism has been debunked by many studies and the original study was retracted.
People who use social media weekly for health advice were also more likely to believe vaccine misinformation.
Higher income and college-educated individuals are more likely to use AI tools for health advice, while lower income and less educated individuals rely more on social media.
The poll did not identify which specific AI chatbots were used, and different bots may provide different accuracy levels.
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Australia’s consumer watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), has sued Amazon. The ACCC claims that Amazon’s contracts with Prime Video subscribers included unfair terms after Amazon started adding ads to the service and charging more to avoid them.
Key Facts
The ACCC sued Amazon over adding ads to Prime Video and charging extra for an ad-free option.
Amazon changed Prime Video from being ad-free to including ads starting in early 2024 worldwide.
In Australia, subscribers had to pay an extra fee up to 12.99 Australian dollars monthly to avoid ads.
Over 1 million subscribers signed contracts with Amazon between November 2023 and August 2025.
Many customers who prepaid for a year still received ads unless they paid more to remove them.
The ACCC says Amazon used five unfair contract terms allowing it to change services without offering refunds.
Amazon has faced similar complaints in other countries, including the US and UK, about unfair practices.
The ACCC’s case focuses on consumer protection laws and customers’ rights regarding contract changes.
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Google DeepMind has introduced a new AI image model called Nano Banana 2 Lite that is faster and cheaper than its previous models. This model creates images quickly, making it useful for rapid idea testing, although the image quality may be lower than other higher-end models.
Key Facts
Nano Banana 2 Lite is part of Google’s Gemini 3.1 family of AI image models.
It can generate images in about 4 seconds, compared to 20 seconds for the standard Nano Banana model.
The model is designed for fast, low-cost image generation, costing about $0.034 per 1,000 images.
Nano Banana 2 Lite handles text and detailed graphics less accurately than other models.
The images produced have SynthID watermarks to label them as AI-generated, even after editing.
It is available through Google AI Studio, the Gemini API, and across Google’s ecosystem.
Google is also expanding access to Gemini Omni Flash, a video generation tool, through its API and AI Studio.
The model is useful for quick design prototypes but less suited for creating photorealistic or detailed images.
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