IT General

Now, think of the happiest things, it's the same as having wings, but it won't save you from a Xenomorph in Alien: Earth.

Noah Hawley's Alien TV series holds J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan close to its heart, as the primary thematic impetus behind trillionaire Boy Kavalier's (Samuel Blenkin's) revolutionary hybrid project. And because I'm like this, I've rounded up all the references to Peter Pan you'll encounter in the first two episodes of Alien: Earth.

SEE ALSO: 'Alien: Earth' review: Xenomorphs get upstaged in this sci-fi treat Prodigy's Neverland research facility Children never grow up in Neverland. Credit: Patrick Brown / FX

Boy Kavalier's secret island research lab is dubbed Neverland, after the fantastical world of Peter Pan. The world where children never grow up, Neverland is an apt name for the Prodigy facility where hybrids are made — the consciousness of terminally ill children implanted into synthetic bodies. They quite literally will never grow up.

The Lost Boys Gang's all here. Credit: FX

Not able to keep their own human names due to being part of a classified project, the hybrids are renamed for the characters from Peter Pan. Marcy (Sydney Chandler) takes on the moniker of Wendy, named for the matriarch of the group. As for the rest, they all take on the names of the Lost Boys, Peter Pan's gang of kid runaways: Tootles (Kit Young), Slightly (Adarsh Gourav), Curly (Erana James), and Nibs (Lily Newmark). The only one of the Lost Boys to have the name of a pirate from the story is Smee (Jonathan Ajayi), the villainous Captain Hook's boatswain. Leading them all is Boy Kavalier, who fancies himself quite the Peter Pan.

Disney's Peter Pan Think of the happiest things... Credit: Disney / RKO / Shutterstock

In the lab where hybrids are made, Boy Kavalier plays Disney's 1953 film Peter Pan during the procedure that transfers their consciousness from their human bodies to their synthetic bodies. You can see in episode 1, they're playing the scene in which Peter Pan teaches Wendy, John, and Michael to fly, whisking them all off to Neverland.

Boy Kavalier's nightly bedtime stories "...tidying up her children's minds..." Credit: FX

Each night, Boy Kavalier reads a bedtime story over the Neverland speakers to the Lost Boys, though through Blenkin's performance, the tale takes on a more sinister tone in the world of Alien: Earth.

In episode 1, he reads passages from Barrie's 1911 novel, Peter and Wendy (otherwise known as Peter Pan), all of which fittingly — and forebodingly — speak to the "tidying" of children's minds and the nature of Neverland, the namesake of the research facility:

From Chapter 1:

Mrs. Darling first heard of Peter when she was tidying up her children's minds. It is the nightly custom of every good mother after her children are asleep to rummage in their minds and put things straight.

When you wake in the morning, the naughtiness and evil passions with which you went to bed have been folded up small and placed at the bottom of your mind and on the top, beautifully aired, are spread out your prettier thoughts, ready for you to put on.

From Chapter 4:

In the old days at home the Neverland had always begun to look a little dark and threatening by bedtime. Then unexplored patches arose in it and spread, black shadows moved about in them, the roar of the beasts of prey was quite different now, and above all, you lost the certainty that you would win.

There'll be plenty more where that came from, we're sure, so we'll be updating this post as Alien: Earth episodes drop.

Alien: Earth premieres Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX with two episodes, then weekly on Tuesdays.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Related to the sun.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

SOLAR

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A sheet of paper.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

FOLIO

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To rub.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

CHAFE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A customer.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for August 4 Hurdle Word 4 answer

PAYER

Final Hurdle hint

Value.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

WORTH

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

When I caught a glimpse of an orange cat in Alien: Earth's first episode, I thought, "What a precious Easter egg!"

The cat appears during the show's extended opening sequence onboard the Weyland-Yutani deep space research vessel Maginot. The whole sequence pays tribute to Alien, capturing the crew dynamics and atmosphere of Ridley Scott's film. Alien: Earth's cat is just another part of that sequence, echoing the role Jonesy the cat played on the Nostromo in the original film.

SEE ALSO: 'Alien: Earth' review: Xenomorphs get upstaged in this sci-fi treat

Anyone who's seen Alien knows that Jonesy is the film's fuzzy MVP. One of the film's two survivors, alongs with eternal badass Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), he's the only Alien character who could hiss at a Xenomorph and somehow get away unscathed.

Because Jonesy is such an Alien icon, seeing his doppelgänger pop up in Alien: Earth feels like a sweet piece of fan service. I saw it as series creator Noah Hawley gesturing out to one of the most beloved elements of the franchise, and I believed that, just like Jonesy, no harm would befall the Maginot's cat.

How wrong I was.

In Alien: Earth's first episode, the Maginot crash lands on Earth, which certainly does not bode well for anyone onboard — including sweet cats! However, perishing in a crash landing would be infinitely better than what actually happens to the Maginot's cat.

SEE ALSO: The coolest tech of the 'Alien' universe, from medpods to X-ray torches

Viewers discover the cat's fate in episode 2, when Prodigy Corporation's team of hybrids explores the Maginot wreckage. There, they discover the Maginot's lab, where a familiar feline lurches into view. His meows are gurgled, his fur is caked in blood, and his back paws drag awkwardly behind his body.

The image is horrifying in itself, but any cat owner who's ever shepherded their pet through a medical emergency will feel an extra layer of dread. Aspects of the cat's movement and vocalizations reminded me of my own experience caring for my ill cat. Trust me when I say, from one former cat owner to the many cat owners out there who watch this show, that it's more than okay to take a break here.

Especially since the scene only gets worse.

SEE ALSO: 'Alien: Earth': Did you catch series creator Noah Hawley's sneaky cameo?

The Maginot's cat turns his head and reveals that one of his eyes is unnaturally large. That's because it's not actually its original eye — it's the creature known as T. Ocellus, a parasitic eyeball-octopus hybrid that replaces its hosts' eyes and takes over their brains.

T. Ocellus, recognizing the hybrids as being more advanced hosts, exits the cat's skull in a flood of tentacles and gore, leaving the poor animal well and truly dead. Justice for the Maginot cat!

The sequence doesn't even last a minute, yet it's among Alien: Earth's most disturbing. Obviously, as a cat lover, I'm inclined to be extra scared. But the frights here go beyond the blood and brain matter.

So much of the horror around the Xenomorph is tied to the primal fear of losing bodily autonomy. In the Xenomorph's case, hosts become unwilling parents, "birthing" the chestbursters into the world. T. Ocellus, on the other hand, moves away from reproductive anxieties and instead introduces the fear of having your very movement (really, all your brain functions) being co-opted by some outside force. It's a nightmare, pure and simple, and rendered extra effectively thanks to the death of the Maginot's cat in particular.

Anyone who's watched Alien knows the fear of thinking Jonesy will die, and the overwhelming relief when he survives. Hawley plays with these expectations coming into Alien: Earth, luring us into a false sense of security about the Maginot's cat.

"Surely this is just an Easter egg and won't come to anything," you might think, as I did. "Surely the cat will follow in Jonesy's footsteps and be fine!"

Not in Hawley's house of horrors! He makes an upsetting example of the poor cat, demonstrating both the terror of T. Ocellus and a chilling truth about Alien: Earth. Going forward, no one is safe.

Alien: Earth is now streaming on Hulu, with new episodes premiering Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX.

Alien: Earth boasts a stacked cast, from Timothy Olyphant as synthetic Kirsh to Sydney Chandler as human-AI hybrid Wendy. But the show welcomes another surprising performer to the fold: series creator Noah Hawley.

Hawley, who's also created series like Fargo and Legion, makes his acting debut in Alien: Earth's first episode, titled "Neverland." He plays Wendy and Joe's (Alex Lawther) father in brief flashbacks.

SEE ALSO: 'Alien: Earth' review: Xenomorphs get upstaged in this sci-fi treat

However, Hawley isn't the only member of his family to star in Alien: Earth. His 12-year-old son, Lev Hawley, plays young Joe in the flashbacks. Like his father, Alien: Earth marks Lev Hawley's acting debut — and his presence in the show is the reason Noah Hawley ended up in front of the camera.

In May, Hawley told Deadline that his son had asked whether there was a role he could play in the show.

"I thought, 'Okay, well, he could play Alex [Lawther] at a young age, but then what am I going to do?' Cast some day players to come in, when [Lev] has never acted before? I figured it would be easier if I did it," Hawley said to Deadline. "I get down on the floor with him and improvise, and I can make him relax. It felt like the best way to direct him."

He continued: "There's something nice and metaphorical about being my lead actor's parent."

However, the Hawley family appearance in Alien: Earth may just turn out to be a one-time thing. Hawley warned Deadline, "Don't look out for a lot of me in the show."

Alien: Earth is now streaming on Hulu, with new episodes premiering Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX.

The White Lotus Season 3 isn't the only major show of 2025 to film in Thailand. Noah Hawley's Alien prequel Alien: Earth shot there as well, with the series taking place in a futuristic version of the country, now called New Siam.

That's not the only overlap the two series share, though! They also share a star, as a White Lotus Season 3 actor pops up in Alien: Earth.

SEE ALSO: 'Alien: Earth' review: Xenomorphs get upstaged in this sci-fi treat

In Alien: Earth's very first episode, Tayme Thapthimthong, who played Gaitok the security guard on the third season of The White Lotus, makes a brief but memorable appearance. He plays Anant, a member of the search and rescue team that's sent to help survivors of the USCSS Maginot's crash in Prodigy City.

Tragically for Anant, this is an Alien project, and that means that most of the people who step foot in that crashed spaceship won't be stepping back out. They'll be fodder for the Xenomorph that's now running rampant in the wreckage — or for the four new alien species that were also part of the Maginot's cargo.

That's the fate that befalls Anant, who's one of the first victims of a gnarly new tick-like alien. It burrows into his flesh and sucks him dry, becoming a distended blood balloon in the process. What a spectacular entrance to the franchise for this new beastie!

While Thapthimthong won't be returning to Alien: Earth — losing all your blood will do that to you! — he does get to join the ranks of other actors who have died spectacular deaths at the hands of the franchise's horrifying extraterrestrials. Those ranks include Alien's John Hurt, the original chestburster victim, and Alien: Romulus' Isabela Merced, who birthed and then fell prey to a nightmarish Xenomorph/human hybrid.

Now that Alien: Earth has unknowingly opened the floodgates to a White Lotus crossover, who's another character from the show you'd want to pit against Alien: Earth's alien foes? The obvious answer, in my mind, is Parker Posey's Victoria Ratliff. Can I imagine Victoria embracing her inner Ripley (Sigourney Weaver)? Not really, but I'd still love to hear her Southern drawl take on Ripley's most quotable line, "Get away from her, you bitch."

New episodes of Alien: Earth premiere Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX.

If you saw the animated movie franchise Ice Age becoming an integral part of the Alien universe, then you've got some serious soothsaying skills.

As it turns out, the family-friendly films created by screenwriter Michael J. Wilson play a pivotal role in Noah Hawley's FX series Alien: Earth, serving as a crucial connection between two main characters. Here's how it plays out.

Where does Ice Age come up in Alien: Earth? Joe (Alex Lawther) watches "Ice Age" for sad reasons. Credit: FX

First things first, it's not just any old Ice Age — it's Ice Age: Continental Drift.

The fourth movie in the franchise appears in Alien: Earth's first episode, when Prodigy military medic Joe (Alex Lawther) gets home to his apartment in New Siam, Prodigy City. He sits down to watch the film, and it's obvious he's seen it many times before, as he quotes it aloud. (Notably, this movie came out in 2012; given Alien: Earth is set in 2120, it's an 108-year-old weeknight screening Joe's going for here.)

But he's not the only one watching. Joe's sister Marcy (Sydney Chandler), is watching Joe watch Continental Drift through security cameras back on Neverland, Prodigy's secret research facility. The thing is, Joe thinks Marcy is dead — she's not, her consciousness has been transferred into a hybrid called Wendy by Prodigy. But despite her new synthetic body, Marcy remembers watching this film with her brother (there's a flashback), and also quotes the scene aloud.

It's specifically a scene in which mammoth Manny, smilodon Diego, and ground sloth Sid encounter giant ape pirate Captain Gutt. "Surrender your ship or face my fury," says the captain. "Or face your furry what?" replies Sid.

Why is Ice Age: Continental Drift important in Alien: Earth?

Turns out quoting movies is the most human thing you can do in the reality that is Alien: Earth.

Ice Age: Continental Drift comes up again when Joe tries to resign from his post as medic to go to medical school on Mars, while Marcy watches on the cameras. He's rejected by the robot attendant, who says he has seven months left on his Prodigy contract. "Have a heart," Joe says. "Or face my fury."

At this moment, Marcy places her hand on the screen, somehow rewrites the code, and makes the robot attendant say, "Or face your furry what?" In the moment, Joe is stunned not only to hear this corporate robot quoting Continental Drift, but the specific response in Joe and Marcy's favourite scene.

It's a sign, an in-joke sent from Marcy to Joe, that she might not be gone for good. And luckily, they won't have to wait long to watch the whole movie together again.

Considering both the Alien and Ice Age franchises are produced by 20th Century Studios (formerly known as 20th Century Fox), it's also extremely convenient IP to drop into the narrative — much like those Disney movies on Boy Kavalier's roof. And honestly, if you haven't seen all the Ice Age films, then doom on you, doom on you, doom on you…

Alien: Earth premieres Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX with two episodes, with new episodes dropping weekly on Tuesdays.

Alien: Earth takes place before the first Alien movie chronologically, at a time when the globe — and some of space — is ruled by five different corporations.

Some of these are names we've heard before in the Alien universe, while others are brand new. Some appear to be more relevant to the story Alien: Earth is telling than others. To help you keep track, we've broken down the five corporations, and everything we know about them so far.

SEE ALSO: 'Alien: Earth' review: Xenomorphs get upstaged in this sci-fi treat What are the five corporations in Alien: Earth?

Although only three of the corporations have been mentioned so far in the show, the names of all five have been revealed in the official Alien: Earth press release. These are:

• Weyland-Yutani

• Lynch

• Dynamic

• Threshold

• Prodigy

We get a brief glimpse of the people who presumably run these five corporations near the start of episode 1, during an impromptu politics lesson given by Maginot engineer Shmuel (Michael Smiley) to his apprentice Malachite (Jamie Bisping).

What do we know about the corporations?

We know quite a bit about a couple, and basically nothing about some others. The two corporations that have been key to the Alien: Earth story so far are Weyland-Yutani, which owns the USCSS Maginot deep space research vessel that crashes on Earth carrying the alien specimens, and Prodigy, a newer corporation that owns Prodigy City in New Siam, where the ship lands, and the "Neverland" research island where the hybrids are based.

Featured Video For You 'Alien' was my gateway to horror. Now I'm obsessed with the franchise.

Prodigy is owned by Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blevin), the "youngest trillionaire ever" who we learn founded the company around a decade ago — Alien: Earth is set in 2120. Prodigy is known for synths and AI, but as we discover in episode 1, they're in the process of pioneering something new: hybrids, which are essentially synths with a downloaded human consciousness.

In terms of the other corporations, we know basically nothing about Lynch and Threshold — these haven't been mentioned in Alien: Earth yet — and the only thing we know about Dynamic is that they control the moon, thanks to a passing comment by Zaveri (Richa Moorjani) in the Maginot canteen. As Shmuel explains further in the scene, Weyland-Yutani has control of both North and South America and Mars and Saturn.

As we already know from the Alien franchise as a whole, Weyland-Yutani has an obsession with Xenomorphs, and acquiring alien species for its own shady purposes (often at the expense of the humans involved with said acquiring). Given the lengths the corporation has already gone to to gather the specimens onboard the Maginot, what lengths might they go to to try and get them back?

Alien: Earth premieres Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX with two episodes, then weekly on Tuesdays.

Alien: Earth is packed so full of near-sociopathic characters that it's sometimes easy to lose track of whether you're dealing with an AI, a human, or some combination of the two.

The good news is, although there are various artificially intelligent beings in Noah Hawley's Alien universe prequel, the show starts by providing us with a handy guide to remember them all. We've transcribed that opening lore below, along with some more information (and examples) of the different types of being in Alien: Earth, from cyborgs to synths and hybrids.

SEE ALSO: 'Alien: Earth' review: Xenomorphs get upstaged in this sci-fi treat What does the Alien: Earth intro tell us about cyborgs, synths and hybrids?

At the start of episode 1, text appears briefly explaining the difference between three beings: cyborgs, synths, and hybrids. We've transcribed it in full below:

"In the future the race for immortality will come in three guises:

Cybernetically enhanced humans: Cyborgs
Artificially intelligent beings: Synths
Synthetic beings downloaded with human consciousness: Hybrids

Which technology prevails will determine what corporation rules the universe."

Let's break those three down in some more detail.

What are cyborgs? Credit: Patrick Brown / FX

Cyborgs have a rich history in sci-fi, and Alien: Earth is no exception. A cyborg is essentially a human being with some kind of robotic enhancement. We meet our first one fairly early on in the form of Morrow (Babou Ceesay), the head of security onboard Weyland-Yutani's USCSS Maginot, the doomed ship carrying multiple alien species that crash lands into Earth.

Morrow may have a fairly robotic demeanour, but he has the brain of a human. His arm, on the other hand, is pretty much a Swiss Army Knife, complete with a blade and various handy power tool attachments.

What are synths? Credit: Patrick Brown / FX

Remember Ash (Ian Holm) from the original Alien movie? He was a synthetic, which is basically an entirely man-made being with an AI brain. Our main Alien: Earth synth is Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant), a Prodigy employee who works alongside Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) and his new batch of hybrids (more on those below).

What are hybrids? Credit: FX

Synthetics crossed with humans, hybrids are Prodigy's brand new experiment and the core focus of Alien: Earth. Wendy (Sydney Chandler) is the first of a group of terminally ill children who have their consciousness' transferred into the bodies of synthetics. This means Wendy is capable of super-human speed and strength, but still has the memories and emotions of the little girl she was before her procedure.

Alien: Earth premieres Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX with two episodes, then weekly on Tuesdays.

James Cameron has never hesitated to give good quotes on anything, so naturally, he has thoughts on generative AI.

The 70-year-old director is the all-time box office GOAT, with an impressive string of hits such as Titanic and the Avatar series. He recently took to a couple of different venues to discuss generative AI, which is impacting movie-making in the same way it's impacting virtually everything else.

In a conversation with Screen Daily, an international film industry publication, Cameron said that artists will need to "master" generative AI so they can harness its potential on their own terms.

“I can’t think of anything coming up that is bigger and more important to us right now than confronting this generative AI issue,” Cameron told Screen Daily. “It is critical that we master it and control it so that it remains an artistic tool and it doesn’t replace artists."

Cameron is known to be as verbose as he is opinionated, and he has consistently been on the cutting edge of visual effects technology. In general, generative AI has been extremely controversial in Hollywood, with even the smallest whiff of generative AI leading to fierce backlash. However, in recent conversations, Cameron staked out a more measured point of view.

"There are some very dangerous things ahead of us right now, but I’ve never been afraid of new technology,” the director said to Screen Daily. “I want to learn it, I want to master it for myself, then use my own best judgment about how I apply it to my personal art.”

SEE ALSO: ChatGPT fans are shredding GPT-5 on Reddit as Sam Altman responds in AMA (updated)

Cameron went on to tell Screen Daily that we're in a sort of "wild west" with AI right now. “We as the artists in movies, in television, have to set the rules for it. Right now, there are no rules. It’s the Wild West.”

And in an appearance on the Boz to the Future podcast, Cameron said that generative AI could be critical for filmmakers trying to drastically lower the costs of making big, effects-heavy films, citing Dune as an example. However, he stressed that doesn't mean taking away work from humans.

"Now that’s not about laying off half the staff and at the effects company," the director said, according to Variety. "That’s about doubling their speed to completion on a given shot, so your cadence is faster and your throughput cycle is faster, and artists get to move on and do other cool things and then other cool things, right? That’s my sort of vision for that."

If you haven't kept up with Cameron throughout his filmmaking career, this is entirely in keeping with his approach for the past few decades. He has consistently advocated for new technologies like CGI (pioneered in Terminator 2) and performance capture and 3D filmmaking, like the kind seen in Avatar. Where this gets tricky is that CGI and performance capture still require a human touch to work properly, while some generative AI advocates believe the technology can be used to write screenplays or make movies without human input at all.

Currently, the use of AI in Hollywood has become a battleground for unions like SAG-AFTRA negotiating with big studios.

U.S. antitrust regulators have been on a roll, and Google may soon be forced to sell its popular Chrome browser, which is by far the leading web browser among Americans.

Now, Google has reportedly received a massive 'longshot' offer from a surprising source: Perplexity AI.

The Wall Street Journal broke the news today that Perplexity AI has reportedly offered Google $34.5 billion to buy Chrome, which is surprising for a few reasons. Most notably, Perplexity itself is only valued at $18 billion, the Journal reports. Second, while the exact valuation of Chrome is not known, some estimates place the web browser's value at either $20 or $50 billion, depending on who's asking.

Perplexity is best known as an AI-powered search engine, but the company recently launched Comet, an agentic AI browser.

SEE ALSO: I’m testing Perplexity’s new AI browser Comet. Here are 3 features I tried right away.

So, how would Perplexity AI fund this offer? According to the Wall Street Journal, Perplexity has the backing of several venture-capital funds and other investors, who would back their offer.

OpenAI has also reportedly expressed interest in buying Google Chrome, though it's unclear if Google would be willing to sell such a popular asset to its chief AI rival.

All of this is unfolding as tech companies brace for the ripple effects of the Department of Justice’s landmark antitrust case against Google. Indeed, Google is unlikely to sell Chrome unless forced to do so.

The antitrust case over Google's monopoly of the search marketplace determined that Google “illegally [monopolized] the search engine and search advertising markets.” Google has already lost that case, and now U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta is weighing potential remedies, one of the most dramatic being a forced sale of Chrome.

At the same time, major tech companies are looking to a post-Google Search web economy and trying to get a head start in the race for AI browser dominance

Many analysts think a sale of Google Chrome is ultimately unlikely, but that hasn’t stopped rivals like Perplexity from moving fast to put their name in the hat. On top of the Chrome question, Judge Mehta could also restrict Google’s ability to pay for default search engine placement on browsers and devices — a move that reportedly had Apple eyeing Perplexity as a potential acquisition target in the first place.

Chrome boasts roughly 3.5 billion users worldwide and commands more than 60 percent of the global browser market — a dominance that makes any talk of a forced sale one of the most consequential antitrust remedies in tech history.

Pine64, the creator of the PinePhone line of Linux-focused smartphones, is apparently killing off the Pro edition of the PinePhone. You can still get the original PinePhone though.

Life with kids can be chaotic. Trust me, I know. So when I find something that works, I want to tell everyone about it. As a mom to a toddler and a preschooler, these are the Amazon finds that I use and rely on every single day.

Do you remember vibrating with excitement at the thought of a new video game when you were a child? What about being planted in front of a screen for a whole weekend, much to your parents’ disapproval?

Meta is quickly becoming the forerunner in Big Tech's chorus against "Woke AI," as it announces a collaboration with known conservative influencer Robby Starbuck to ensure its AI tools are free of "ideological bias."

SEE ALSO: Truth Social's new AI search is 'woke' enough to disagree with Trump

Starbuck, to clarify, is not an expert in developing or training AI tools or LLMs. Instead — as explained in an August 8 statement posted to the X accounts of Starbuck and Meta Chief Global Affairs Officer Joe Kaplan — he will provide guidance to the company's developers on how to further "mitigate" political bias in AI tools. Meta's stance is that removing such "DEI bias" makes its models "more accurate." The advisory role is part of a deal struck in a settlement between Meta and Starbuck, who sued the company for $5 million, alleging the company's AI chatbot falsely claimed he was at the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection.

“We don’t want a future where you’ve got AI putting the thumb on the scale when it comes to politics,” Starbuck said in an interview with CNBC, explaining his goal was "ethical" and "neutral" AI. Starbuck has previously advised the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and head Brendan Carr on eliminating DEI and equal opportunity initiatives in telecommunications, a strategy that includes withholding FCC approvals for companies that don't comply with the Trump administration's mandates.

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The move comes after President Trump announced a new federal AI Action Plan and executive order targeting what conservatives have deemed "Woke AI," or Large Language Models with ideological or political "bias" that promote liberal beliefs, including the concept of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Many considered the move to be a capitulation to Big Tech's leaders, most of whom funded and now advise the Trump administration.

Starbuck, a former music video director, has become a leading figure among conservative social media influencers, gaining popularity for videos that attack companies with diversity initiatives and galvanize his followers to boycott or pressure them to capitulate to right wing demands by removing DEI policies. Like many other conservative influencers, Starbuck often shares alarmist comments about gender affirming healthcare for trans youth, refers to liberal commentators as "mentally challenged" and "lunatics," and has declared DEI policies a "war on men." He's also a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind that crafted the controversial Project 2025 movement.

SEE ALSO: Metadata on U.S. government memos reveals authors linked to Project 2025

Even before the president's sweeping anti-DEI orders, Meta had already struck down its DEI mandates and related policies, including protections for LGBTQ communities, women, and people of color. Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg has been gradually shifting the company's policies and priorities to the right in the name of "free speech" — echoing the sentiments of the current administration — including donating $1 million to the Trump campaign in the company's name.

"Since engaging on these important issues with Robby, Meta has made tremendous strides to improve the accuracy of Meta AI and mitigate ideological and political bias," the company said in a statement.

Privacy-focused phones are not a new concept, even as they might be a little gimmicky and silly. You need to make a lot of uncomfortable compromises to go truly locked down. Another one of those privacy-first devices has just popped up, but you should probably not buy this one.

Although macOS isn’t known for being the most configurable operating system, the System Settings app provides many options. You name it; everything, from wallpaper slideshow timings to Dock magnification, is customizable. But more settings are hiding just below the surface, and this app can help you uncover them.

The current Nissan Leaf is in its final lap, with a next-gen crossover set to take its place soon. It’s been around since 2018 in this form and, while it never lit up the sales charts, it’s quietly remained one of the most important and most affordable electric cars out there.

Razer has released the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC, a brand new wireless controller designed for competitive PC gaming. This controller is packed with top-tier features that you expect from a brand name like Razer, but the price tag matches the features.

Finding a good budget phone can be a challenge, but there are some neat options out there. T-Mobile's Revvl line is a pretty good option for those wanting to save a buck, and the newest member is here—and while I think there are still some better options, there are a few reasons why this could also be fine for some.

Syncthing, the cross-platform file synchronization tool that doesn’t need cloud storage, has finally released its big 2.0 update. The new version has some great performance and reliability improvements, updated terminal commands, and much more.