All posts tagged: arent

How to Make Sure Your Private Signal Messages Aren’t Still Lurking on Your Phone

How to Make Sure Your Private Signal Messages Aren’t Still Lurking on Your Phone

Published by skeptic

Your private messages sent through the Signal messaging app might not be as hidden as you think — even if you delete the app. Reporting by 404 Media this week found the FBI was able to extract messages from inside an iPhone’s notification system, long after the user had deleted the privacy-focused messaging app.  In July 2025, a group of people set off fireworks and vandalized property at the ICE Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas, an incident that resulted in one police officer being shot in the neck and nine people being arrested and charged with domestic terrorism. It was revealed during the trial, 404 Media reported, that the FBI was able to extract Signal private messages, which were used as evidence, from an iPhone’s notification database.  An FBI special agent testified that the Signal app had already been removed from the phone when the FBI looked it over. A witness to the testimony told 404 Media that the messages were set to disappear, which is a feature of the app. The app successfully deleted …

Outside academia, people aren’t well informed about PhD research – and that’s a problem

Outside academia, people aren’t well informed about PhD research – and that’s a problem

Published by skeptic

Around 1% of the global population has a PhD. It’s the highest academic qualification, the result of years spent on original research. But – and this is a question that many PhD students will have faced, at some time or another – what’s the point? The number of PhDs being undertaken globally is rising. Around a fifth of all PhDs studied for by UK students are funded through UK Research and Innovation, a governmental public body that directs funding for research from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Given the ongoing cost of living crisis, alongside significant public investment in PhD programmes by UK research councils, it feels vital that the wider public is engaged in how public funds are used. PhDs play a key role in furthering global research. Students undertake advanced research training as part of their doctorate, developing skills that can be used to support innovation and complex problem-solving across different countries, industries and sectors. PhD graduates enjoy a greater earning potential than other graduates or non-graduates, providing a labour market …

Why high oil prices are good for oil companies — until they aren’t : NPR

Why high oil prices are good for oil companies — until they aren’t : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

A pumping jack is visible at sunrise on Feb. 24, 2025, in Hobbs, New Mexico. Julio Cortez/AP hide caption toggle caption Julio Cortez/AP Higher prices are good news for the oil industry — to a point. But they can bite, too. Crude oil prices were around $70 a barrel before the war in Iran. After the U.S. and Israel attacked, they started swinging wildly, shooting up to nearly $120; with the current ceasefire, prices are between $90 and $100. Some disruptions to supply could take months to unwind even if the ceasefire holds, which has some analysts predicting a prolonged period of higher prices. A clip from the TV show Landman recently went viral; in it, Billy Bob Thornton, as Texas oilman Tommy Norris, explains that the industry wants crude prices to live somewhere between $60 and $90 a barrel. “Don’t get me wrong — we’re still printing money at $90,” he says. “But gas gets up over $3.50 a gallon, it starts to pinch.” NPR doesn’t usually turn to TV dramas for economic analysis. …

LLM-referred traffic converts at 30-40% — and most enterprises aren’t optimizing for it

LLM-referred traffic converts at 30-40% — and most enterprises aren’t optimizing for it

Published by skeptic

For more than two decades, digital discovery has operated on a simple model: search, scan, click, decide. That worked when humans were the ones doing the web searching; but with the advent of AI agents, the primary consumer of information is no longer always human. This is giving rise to a new paradigm: Answer engine optimization (AEO), also referred to as generative engine optimization (GEO). Because agents look at data much differently than humans do, success is no longer defined by rankings and clicks, but whether content is understood, selected, and cited by AI systems. The SEO model that the web was built on simply isn’t going to cut it anymore, and enterprises need to prepare now. How LLMs interpret web content Traditional SEO is built around keywords, rankings, page-level optimization, and click-through rates. Users manually search across multiple sources and click around to get what they need. Simple, but sometimes frustrating and a definite time suck. But AEO operates on a whole different level. Agents are increasingly taking over users’ workflows: Claude Code, OpenClaw, …

California’s Creative Job Losses Aren’t AI Casualties, Report Finds

California’s Creative Job Losses Aren’t AI Casualties, Report Finds

Published by Daniella Wilson

Industry insiders know the story all too well. Over the last few years, as Hollywood restructured to meet the demand for streaming entertainment and as major businesses saw fit to merge, the entertainment industry whittled down budgets, shed jobs and in some cases outsourced work overseas. This painful moment of contraction happened to coincide with leaps forward in generative AI like the release of ChatGPT in 2022, the same year that Netflix, and the rest of Hollywood, began shifting their streaming models to focus on profitability. But don’t blame generative AI for the devastating recent shrinkage in California’s creative workforce, says the latest report from the L.A.-based Otis College of Art and Design, which produces research annually encompassing the state’s film, fashion, gaming, media, advertising, arts and architecture industries. “The pattern of job loss in terms of the types of jobs that are being lost and when they’re being lost does not support the fact that there’s been this displacement of workers by AI,” says the co-author of this year’s research Patrick Adler, a founding …

Gas prices aren’t the only factor fueling used EV sales

Gas prices aren’t the only factor fueling used EV sales

Published by skeptic

The most recent electric vehicle sales data provided a grim picture — at least for new EVs. Sales of new electric vehicles took a beating in the first quarter, falling some 28% year-over-year after the Trump administration axed the $7,500 consumer tax credit, according to Cox Automotive. Used EVs are moving in the opposite direction. And a couple of accelerants have combined to supercharge those sales. First-quarter used EV sales increased 12% compared with the same quarter last year, according to that same Cox Automotive report. There’s a bit of momentum over a shorter term too; used EV sales popped 17% between the fourth and first quarters. The rising cost of gas — the average price is above $4 a gallon — has helped spur interest and sales of electric vehicles. But there’s another factor at play here as consumers seek out affordable options: an abundance of expiring leases, the Financial Times reported. EV leases were a popular choice in the early 2020s, and now that they’ve expired, hundreds of thousands of pre-owned EVs are …

The viral 6-7 dating trend claims to prevent heartbreak — but experts aren’t convinced

The viral 6-7 dating trend claims to prevent heartbreak — but experts aren’t convinced

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more There’s a new approach to finding the one that’s gaining traction online: The 6-7 dating trend. While its name is reminiscent of the “6-7” expression that’s gone viral and seeped into the vocabulary of Gen Alphas, the two are very different. The 6-7 dating trend encourages people to consider partners who fall in the middle of the arbitrary attractiveness scale — a six or seven out of 10. The idea is that these “mid-range” partners may be more reliable, thoughtful, and emotionally available than someone who ranks higher. Proponents of the theory argue that those perceived as conventionally attractive — a 10 out of 10 — are often less mature or attentive in relationships because high desirability can foster self-focus and reduce the incentive …

Why people who don’t exercise aren’t lazy – and the simple fix that makes it easier

Why people who don’t exercise aren’t lazy – and the simple fix that makes it easier

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore The article below is an excerpt from my newsletter: Well Enough with Harry Bullmore. To get my latest thoughts on fitness and wellbeing pop your email address into the box above to get the newsletter direct to your inbox. Exercise is frequently seen as a battle of willpower. Gym bunnies are synonymous with extreme discipline and motivation, while those who don’t exercise are often labelled lazy or apathetic. But we are products of our environment. The “super-motivated” 21-year-old bodybuilder might have a pretty breezy schedule and plenty of time to train, whereas the “lazy” parent is juggling childcare, work stresses, and all manner of other commitments. Now, though my goal is to help people move more and feel better, I can’t force your boss to take work off your plate. Nor can I make your children immaculately well-behaved or your schedule …

There may not be a Christian revival, but Britain’s traditional churches aren’t doomed

There may not be a Christian revival, but Britain’s traditional churches aren’t doomed

Published by Sam Flores

In the same week that a new archbishop of Canterbury was installed, YouGov admitted that a poll suggesting there was a “quiet revival” of Christianity was a dud. It had been inflated by fraudulent results and should be ignored. To those of us who study the bigger picture of religion in Britain, this comes as no surprise. There are good reasons to doubt that Britain is experiencing a Christian revival today – but that does not mean it is dying out. Read more: Is there really a religious revival in England? Why I’m sceptical of a new report To understand what is happening in Britain, it is helpful to compare it with the US, which has has long been viewed as exceptionally religious in comparison. Recent evidence suggests something less clear-cut. In a major recent study, sociologist Christian Smith assembles the data. In the 1970s and ’80s, only around one in ten Americans identified as “nonreligious”. But from 1991, the proportion of people who identify as such has risen steeply, reaching 29% in 2021. Today, …

I’m autistic and non-speaking. Here are three common myths that aren’t true

I’m autistic and non-speaking. Here are three common myths that aren’t true

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore My travels with autism started long before my diagnosis at the age of three years and three months. My family noticed autistic features from around 15 months of age. I never looked at people and did not respond when called. I lined up toys instead of playing with them. When I wanted something, I took people’s hands to get it for me. I had frequent meltdowns in busy environments or when routines changed unexpectedly, but I couldn’t let people know why I was upset. I was later diagnosed with autism. My family grieved to hear that I might never be able to lead an independent or full life. But my mother wasted no time in organising support. Soon, my days were filled with home-based intensive behavioural programs, speech therapy and other supports. But unfortunately, I never learned to speak. But I …