The Int'l Man's Hot Links Archive 2023: January 1 -

Hot Links Archive 2023: January 1 -

February 4, 2023

• Coronavirus: A-Z - everything you need to know | Face Masks - "3800+ Coronavirus COVID-19 Advice, News & Resources." UPDATED DAILY!
• Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases - by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
• CORONAVIRUS GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TRACKER - "Governments are taking a wide range of measures in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This tool aims to track and compare policy responses around the world, rigorously and consistently."
• Tracking Covid-19 vaccinations worldwide - "At least 218 countries and territories have administered more than 10 billion doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, since the first Covid-19 case was reported in China in late 2019. Several different vaccines have been developed at record speed, in large part due to years of research on related viruses and billions of dollars in investment."
• Climate Change - "Check out all about climate change: 1300+ evidence, facts, information, news, reviews and resources."
• Our world in data - "Research & data to make progress against the world’s largest problems."
• Artificial Intelligence (AI), ChatGPT & OpenAI News, Reviews, Resources & Tutorials - "Everything you want to know about AI!"
• Ukraine war live - "Live coverage of the all the latest developments in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine."
• THIS WEEK'S ACRONYM - TMI.
• THIS WEEK'S THREE BUZZWORDS - ACTIVIST SHORT SELLER.
• Spy balloon row: High-altitude spying marks new low for US-China ties - "Even before America's top diplomat Anthony Blinken postponed his visit to Beijing, the US-China relationship was at an all-time low."
• What spy balloons can do that satellites can't - "What is a suspected Chinese spy balloon doing above the US?"
• Grammys 2023: music’s A-list prepares for a potentially historic ceremony - "This weekend’s assemblage of the biggest names in music could make Beyoncé the most awarded artist in Grammy history with Adele and Harry Styles also tipped for success."
• How Jennifer Lopez's iconic Grammy Awards gown changed the internet forever - "More than two decades ago, Jennifer Lopez changed the internet forever when she wore a dress so striking it inspired engineers to build Google Image Search."
• How ChatGPT Kicked Off an A.I. Arms Race - "Even inside the company, the chatbot’s popularity has come as something of a shock."
• ChatGPT is suddenly everywhere. Are we ready? - "The disinformation crisis is about to get so, so much worse."
• There’s Already a Better Search Engine Than Google. It’s YouTube - "One of these places is Reddit, a site whose outsize role in my life I plan to write about in a future column. The other is YouTube. The gargantuan video site is a lot of things to a lot of people — in different ways, YouTube is a little bit like TikTok, a little like Twitch and a little like Netflix - but I think we underappreciate how often YouTube is a better Google."
• 10 Philosophical Concepts You Should Know - "Did you know that philosophers have proposed answers for many of the questions we ask ourselves? Here are some philosophical concepts that everyone should know."
• The most important secret George Santos is keeping - "There’s one particularly disturbing aspect that points to a dangerous weakness in American democracy: Who paid for Santos’ election campaign? In other words, who has the most influence over the congressman?"
• People vs. Donald Trump: An Inside Account - "A fascinating inside account of the attempt to prosecute former president Donald Trump, written by one of the lawyers who worked on the case and resigned in protest when Manhattan’s district attorney refused to act." Amazon.com
• Marlon Brando's breakup letter to girlfriend is up for sale - "A handwritten letter sent by a young Marlon Brando to break up with his French girlfriend in the late 1940s could fetch up to $15,000 at auction. The rare letter was addressed to Solange Podell, Brando's love interest when he was a budding Broadway star. Boston's RR Auction is in charge of the online sale, which ends on February 9."
• Paco Rabanne dies at 88 - "Paco Rabanne, Spanish fashion designer known for his Space Age creations, dies at 88."
• The people who live inside airplanes - "After losing her house to a fire, Jo Ann Ussery had a peculiar idea: to live in an airplane. She bought an old Boeing 727 that was destined for the scrapyard, had it shipped to a plot of land she already owned, and spent six months renovating, doing most of the work by herself. By the end, she had a fully functional home, with over 1,500 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and even a hot tub – where the cockpit used to be. All for less than $30,000, or about $60,000 in today’s money."
• ‘It’s a control thing’: why are we so fascinated by super-organised homes? - "It’s the age of decanting - never before have household perfectionists removed so many things from packages only to put them in other packages. Extreme tidiness is a modern obsession. But is it healthy?"
• Bugatti Chiron ProfilÉe Sets A World Record At Auction, Selling For $10.7 Million - "On February 1, Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac announced the news that the sole Bugatti Chiron Profilée on the planet has set a global record of 'most expensive new car ever sold at auction,' fetching $10.76 million at RM Sotheby’s. With taxes, the total is approximately $13.1 million."

February 3, 2023

• ChatGPT reaches 100 million users two months after launch - "Unprecedented take-up may make AI chatbot the fastest-growing consumer internet app ever, analysts say. It had about 590m visits in January from 100 million unique visitors, according to analysis by data firm Similarweb. Analysts at investment bank UBS said the rate of growth was unprecedented for a consumer app."
• Colombian judge says he used ChatGPT in ruling - "Juan Manuel Padilla asked the AI tool how laws applied in case of autistic boy’s medical funding, while also using precedent to support his decision."
• Microsoft rolls out Teams Premium with OpenAI-powered features - "The service will soon offer automatically generated meeting notes with the help of GPT-3.5."
• Meta Soars by Most in Decade, Adding $100 Billion in Value - "Mark Zuckerberg’s company recorded its biggest daily market gain in nearly a decade, as the mood brightens among tech investors."
• Paris Olympics: Up to 40 countries could boycott Games, says Poland sports minister - "Up to 40 countries could boycott the next Olympic Games, making the whole event pointless, said Poland's sport and tourism minister Kamil Bortniczuk. His comments came after Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia jointly rejected an International Olympic Committee (IOC) plan to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete in 2024."
• How many times can you wear pajamas, jeans & other clothes without washing them? Experts weigh in - "The number of times it’s appropriate to wear clothing items without washing them often seems based more on folklore or a person’s upbringing than professional advice. Not knowing when to wash your clothes can have consequences on both ends of the spectrum. Washing them too seldom could lead to skin problems or infections, and washing them too often could harm your clothing. The latter can also result in unnecessary laundry and use of resources. Here are some guiding principles to help you determine when a garment can be worn again without washing and when it’s time to toss it in the hamper."
• Saunas Are Filling Up, but Are They Actually Good for You? - "Sweating in small hot rooms has been a wellness staple for centuries. But don’t believe everything you hear."
• Amateur detectorist finds stunning gold necklace linked to Henry VIII - "Weighing 300 grams (10.6 ounces), the pendant itself is heart-shaped. One side is decorated with a Tudor rose entwined with a pomegranate bush growing from the same branch. The reverse shows the letters H and K - for Henry and Katherine - linked together. Both sides are inscribed with writing TOVS + IORS underneath, a pun on the French word "toujours" meaning 'always.'"
• Inside Lily Allen & David Harbour's 'weird & wonderful' Brooklyn townhouse - "Two and a half years after Lily Allen and David Harbour tied the knot in Las Vegas in 2020 - complete with an Elvis impersonator - the couple is opening the doors to their dream home in the tree-lined Brooklyn neighborhood of Carroll Gardens."
• New Porsche mistakenly put on sale at bargain price in China - "A Porsche dealership in the the city of Yinchuan listed the brand new vehicle for 124,000 yuan ($18,300). That is just a fraction of what it should have been. The Panamera has a starting price of $148,000. The country is now Porsche's largest single market globally, with sales totalling $6.2bn in the first six months of last year."
• How country-pop superstar Shania Twain became a Gen Z icon - "Already a legend thanks to 90s mega-hits including LP Come On Over, Twain is now popular with a new generation of fans and musicians. Nick Levine looks at why she is riding so high."
• Viking warriors sailed the seas with their pets, bone analysis finds - "A Viking cemetery in England doesn't just hold the cremated remains of these warriors but also the beloved animals they brought from Scandinavia."
• Italy Names 14 New Beautiful Villages - Here’s Why To Visit Them Now - "While Italy may be best known for its epochal cities, the country’s small towns and villages have long played a pivotal role in the peninsula’s millennia-spanning history. There are thousands of these places; some have even gained worldwide renown, like Portofino and Positano, once quiet fishing villages, later must-stops for celebrities and international tycoons who brought a jet-set gleam to the rocky shorelines and sirenesque seascapes. In recent years tourist throngs have descended upon the hamlets of Cinque Terre, their numbers exploding to more than two million in prime season. But a good many villages remain unexplored, even though their unvarnished charms provide the chance to experience that authentic Italy so coveted by travelers today."
• Revived Bizzarrini Announces New V12-Powered Giotto Supercar - "Bizzarrini, the Italian car company that began life in 1964 and was reborn in 2020, has revealed a new supercar called the Giotto. Named after company founder Giotto Bizzarrini, the car is to be powered by a mid-mounted, naturally-aspirated V12 engine. An Italian engineer born in 1926, Giotto was best known for his work on the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. He was later involved with a project that turned a 250GT into the one-off Ferrari Breadvan."
• Hasselblad X2D 100C: Incredible resolution, beautiful imperfections - "Stunning painterly images and a beautiful design, but fairly basic technology."

February 2, 2023

• THIS WEEK'S THREE BUZZWORDS - ACTIVIST SHORT SELLER.
• OpenAI announces ChatGPT Plus at $20 a month - "For those that don’t want to wait to talk to the AI and who want faster responses."
• Introducing ChatGPT Plus - "We’re launching a pilot subscription plan for ChatGPT, a conversational AI that can chat with you, answer follow-up questions, and challenge incorrect assumptions."
• Gmail creator says ChatGPT-like AI will destroy Google's business in two years - "'Google may be only a year or two away from total disruption. AI will eliminate the Search Engine Result Page, which is where they make most of their money.'"
• A.I. Bots Can’t Report This Column. But They Can Improve It - "ChatGPT isn’t the only writing assistant that has emerged to replace editors. We tested it alongside two others to assess their strengths and weaknesses."
• Cold weather testing: Airplanes endure punishing extremes - " With extremely cold temperatures gripping much of the United States, travelers may be wondering how their planes are made safe for flying. The short answer: Along with regular deicing of planes before take-off, airlines put their aircraft through rigorous testing in some of the coldest places on the planet before they are ever pressed into service."
• Can board games teach us about the climate crisis? Game creators say yes - "Board games might be the best learning device to think creatively about impending climate disaster."
• A Fashionable Investment: These 19 Handbags Have the Highest Resale Values - Vogue.
• Are the Airpods Max the Latest Celebrity “It” Item? - "New year, new headphones. This appears to be the case as Apple’s Airpods Max fast becomes the chunky, oversized flex of the moment. Celebrities such as Bella Hadid, Timothée Chalamet, Sarah Jessica Parker, and others have adopted the over-the-ear headphones as their off-duty wardrobe staples. When worn over a cozy beanie or a pulled-up hoodie, the headphones signify a casual and unfussy luxury."
• How a luxury watch brand has become the ultimate status symbol for young celebrities - "rom Joe DiMaggio to Albert Einstein, Princess Diana to Victoria Beckham, watchmaker Patek Philippe has long been a celebrity favorite. But the Swiss brand's reputation has taken an unexpected turn in recent years."
• George Santos’s lies are so big you almost have to admire them - "The New York congressman’s increasingly wild claims have all the thrill-seeking of a man running across a football field naked. Here’s Every Single Lie Told by George Santos."
• Greece’s secret green ‘virgin island’ - "The Greek island of Samothrace is a vision in green. The craggy rocks of Mount Saos, the island’s highest mountain at 5,285 feet (1,611 meters), give way to gentle slopes covered in oddly shaped plane trees, oak woodlands and majestic cedars."
• The chefs reviving the Arctic's forgotten food - "A group of revolutionary chefs in the Arctic and subarctic have joined forces to celebrate indigenous culture by developing a new kind of cuisine using traditional ingredients."
• Have we reached mass-media overload? - "The infinite imagery and information of the internet may be at saturation point. Emily Steer explores the art of 'incomprehension' from the 1960s to today."
• How to make the perfect French toast - recipe - "A step-by-step guide to the breakfast (or any time) classic."
• The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a minor update to a spec monster - "The kitchen sink of phones gets a 200-megapixel camera this year, a souped-up Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, and a slightly boxier design."

February 1, 2023

• What is ‘the green comet’ & how can you see it? - "C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was last visible during the stone age so if you miss it this time you’re unlikely to get another chance."
• Trump sues Bob Woodward for releasing audio of their interviews - "Former President Donald Trump has sued journalist Bob Woodward for copyright violations, claiming Woodward released audio from their interviews without Trump’s consent. The former president has a long history of filing lawsuits that ultimately get tossed out of court. Woodward and the publisher Simon & Schuster said Trump’s case is without merit."
• Alec Baldwin Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter - "D.A. Uses Baldwin's TV Interviews Against Him."
• Questions are swirling around Andrea Riseborough’s Oscar nomination - "Andrea Riseborough may not be a name that rings many bells for the average moviegoer. But, chances are, your favorite actor in that one movie you love knows exactly who she is. And they want her to win an Oscar."
• Gillian Anderson on why she is collecting sexual fantasies - "‘Women enjoy as rich an erotic life as men.’"
• Cheaters beware: ChatGPT maker releases AI detection tool - "The maker of ChatGPT is trying to curb its reputation as a freewheeling cheating machine with a new tool that can help teachers detect if a student or artificial intelligence wrote that homework. The new AI Text Classifier launched Tuesday by OpenAI follows a weeks-long discussion at schools and colleges over fears that ChatGPT’s ability to write just about anything on command could fuel academic dishonesty and hinder learning."
• Google's experimental ChatGPT rivals include a search bot & a tool called 'Apprentice Bard' - "Employees are currently testing the products that use Google's LaMDA conversation technology."
• Boeing says farewell to ‘Queen of the Skies’ with last 747 delivery - "More than half a century since the original jumbo jet ushered in a glamorous new jet age, helping bring affordable air travel to millions of passengers, the last-ever Boeing 747 was delivered on Tuesday, marking the start of the final chapter for the much-loved airplane."
• Why these chunky, ugly running shoes are selling like crazy - "Sneakers designed to feel like running barefoot used to be the hottest phenomenon in exercise. Now, the opposite is true. The ugliest, chunkiest sneaker brand is flying off the shelves. Hoka, which started in 2009 in France as a running shoe for hardcore marathoners, is growing rapidly with casual runners, hikers and weightlifters. The brand, which hawks $125-and-up ultra-cushioned shoes, has also become something of a fashion symbol outside of exercise. Hoka is appealing to consumers looking for everyday walking shoes, and it’s been spotted on celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Emily Ratajkowski."
• Montessori: The world's most influential school? - "Tech geniuses, nation builders and famous artists have praised the benefits of a Montessori education - but does it hold up to scientific scrutiny?"
• PhotoPills App Review 2023 - Plan Your Astrophotography Shots! - "Photography is a 'scientific' form of art, deeply rooted in optics and to infuse your artistic vision in the process of crafting an image, you need to understand and use at your advantage the 'rules of the game.' PhotoPills is one of the most complete and flexible apps for photography, offering a photo planner, ephemerides, and a number of useful calculators."
• The secret life of AndrÉ Leon Talley: what an auction reveals about the late fashion legend - "From monogrammed luggage to unerring faith, a sale of Talley’s belongings shows the caring, complicated man behind the unforgettable image."
• Rail route of the month: a steam-hauled climb through Germany’s Harz mountains - "Our slow travel expert explores villages and forests on a narrow gauge line that terminates at the top of the Brocken, northern Germany’s highest peak."
• One-Of-A-Kind $6 Million Bugatti Chiron ProfilÉe Is Up For Auction In Paris This Week - "Hypercar collectors will have one last opportunity to buy a new Bugatti Chiron this week, as the unique Profilée goes under the hammer at an auction in France on 1 February."

January 31, 2023

• China claims Covid wave is ‘coming to an end’ as tourism & factory activity rebound - "Government figures, which cannot be verified, showed big rises in travel and hospitality activity during lunar new year compared to the same time last year."
• WHO says Covid-19 remains a global health emergency, but pandemic is at a ‘transition point’ - "WHO’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee discussed the pandemic on Friday at its 14th meeting on Covid-19, and Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus concurred that the public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC, declaration should continue."
• Clouds part to reveal colossal Antarctic iceberg - "The EU's Sentinel-2 satellite has obtained a crystal clear image of Antarctica's new monster iceberg."
• Spain’s prized jamÓn ibÉrico under threat from climate crisis - "Rising temperatures and low rainfall threaten key ingredient of pigs’ diet - acorns from the dehesa oak forests."
• Here's how Netflix will stop you from sharing passwords - "We’ve known for some time that Netflix is going to start clamping down on people sharing their account and password with others, and recent reports suggest that we could see the streaming service get much tougher on the practice as soon as March 2023; but exactly how will Netflix stop users from sharing passwords?"
• ChatGPT explains Warren Buffett's investment strategy - "And names 2 stocks that could align with the billionaire's portfolio."
• The Wives & Partners Of The 11 Richest Men In The World - "While it's likely you're familiar with famous billionaires such as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft creator Bill Gates, you may not know about their wives and partners! In some cases, the women in these men's lives have become financially successful themselves.Elon Musk dated singer Grimes but the two never married, and spouses like Zuckerberg's wife Priscilla Chan and Melinda Gates have gone on to make a name for themselves. Click through our gallery to find out more about their current (and in some cases, past) wives and partners!"
• Bill Gates Car Collection: A Look Inside The Billionaire's Private Garage - "Bill Gates is a billionaire many times over. As one of the world's most influential techies, what does he drive?"
• Alec Baldwin Didn’t Have to Talk to the Police. Neither Do You - "Shortly after a prop gun Alec Baldwin was holding fired a bullet that killed a cinematographer and wounded a director on the set of the movie 'Rust,' in October 2021, he told the police in New Mexico that he’d be willing to do whatever they requested, including sitting for an interview at the station."
• Desperate to get fit but hate doing it in public? Here are seven ways to beat gymtimidation - "All those machines, all the mirrors, all that grunting: gyms can be offputting places if you’re just taking your first steps towards fitness. We have the answers ..."
• How Long Does It Take to Get Fit Again? - "We all stray from exercise sometimes. Here’s how your body will bounce back."
• Would you want a stranger’s fingers in your mouth? I find out why celebrities love buccal massage - "Jennifer Lopez and the Duchess of Sussex are said to enjoy this ‘inner facial’. But what’s it like to have someone manipulate your cheek muscles from the inside? There’s only one way to know ..."
• The Anatomy of a Sneaker Explained - "Everything You Need to Know About the Parts of Your Shoes & How They Work."
• How Barnes & Noble Came Back From Near Death - "I remember when Barnes & Noble first opened in my hometown. Before that, we had a cramped Crown Books and some lovely but limited libraries. Barnes & Noble was a revelation. There was something wondrous about a room with that many books, each of them a doorway to unknown worlds, ideas and lives. That’s still the feeling, for me, of walking into a great bookstore: limitlessness."

January 30, 2023

• Covid in China: Officials say current wave is 'coming to an end' - "Chinese health officials say the country's current wave of Covid-19 infections is 'coming to an end'."
• £58,000 bounty on Western tanks - "Russian company offers cash reward to first troops who destroy or capture allied armoured vehicles sent to Ukraine."
• 11 Hidden iOS 16 Features That Will Make Using Your iPhone So Much Better - "Your iPhone can do more than you know."
• Here's Everything Coming to Netflix in February - "Love is in the air, and what could make for a more romantic Valentine's Day than curling up with the object of your affections (which, it should be said, could definitely be a friend or a pet - they count!) and watching a bunch of Netflix? Luckily, the streaming service has a whole new crop of TV shows and movies dropping next month; see the full list below."
• ChatGPT: Everything you need to know - "In November, artificial intelligence startup OpenAI launched a chatbot named ChatGPT. The future of education, the internet, and the tech industry have felt somewhat uncertain since. WIRED has spent the past few weeks exploring the eloquent bot’s power—and shortcomings."
• Google’s new AI turns text into music - "The examples the company has shared are music to my ears."
• How to use the Apple HomePod’s temperature & humidity sensors - "Your HomePod Mini can now tell you how hot it is in your room, as well as clock the humidity. The new HomePod will be able to do this, too, so here’s how to put it to use."
• Raiders of the Lost Artifacts - "The debate over who owns ancient objects has turned art investigators into modern-day Indiana Joneses, swinging through museums and, increasingly, the living rooms of private collectors looking for looted antiquities. The line between preserving and purloining the past has never been less clear."
• Grammys 2023: The Ultimate Party Guide - "With the 2023 Grammy Awards a little more than a week away, invitations for the hottest pre- and post-Grammy parties and events have already begun to circulate around Los Angeles ahead of the big show at the Crypto.com Arena on February 5."
• Ranking all 12 versions of Windows, from worst to best - "It’s a bit of a meme, how bad Windows Vista was. It’s often found at the top of everyone’s “Worst Windows” lists, but we think it gets unfairly maligned — at least a little. Its hardware requirements were incredibly steep at the time, demanding a 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 15GB of storage space just to install it. It also needed a DirectX 9-supporting graphics chip with 128MB of VRAM. That might not seem like much now, but this was 10 times the storage demands of XP, and almost 20 times the RAM requirements." Digital Trends.
• All the smart home products that work with Matter - "All the Matter-compatible devices you can buy now, plus what’s coming soon to the new Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung-backed smart home standard."
• 11 of the best TV shows to watch this February - "Caryn James picks out the biggest offerings - from the return of Netflix hit You to a revival of cult sitcom Party Down and a new travel series with Schitt's Creek star Eugene Levy."
• This 136-year-old London coffee store doesn’t need to move with the times - "Algerian Coffee Stores was founded in 1887 and is run as a family business today."
• Rare Van Dyck painting sells for $3 million. The owner originally bought it for $600 - "Once abandoned in a farm shed, a rediscovered Anthony van Dyck painting has sold for over $3 million at auction. The piece is a study for a later painting produced by the Flemish master called 'St Jerome.' The final painting is currently held by the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam."
• Alpine retreats: 10 of the best wellness breaks with spas & mountain views - "Give yourself a regenerating boost at 10 of the most energising and uplifting mountain wellness resorts and spas."

January 29, 2023

• Unanswered questions from videos of Tyre Nichols' arrest - "Why did police pull him over?"
• 101 Very Simple Habits That Will Improve Your Life Today - "We talk a lot about habits and self-improvement. Sometimes it involves a huge, lifestyle-changing effort. But sometimes it involves making tiny changes, or doing very simple things that can have an outsized and positive effect on your day. Want some examples? Here are 101 incredibly simple short habits that can improve your life on any given day. Keep the list handy for those moments when you don't know what to do next. And help us come up with No. 102 in the comments."
• What it’s like to travel to every country in the world - "After decades of traveling, both separately and together, Rachel Davey and Martina Sebova had each visited over 100 of the 195 UN-recognized countries and territories on the globe."
• 10 tips for solo travellers - "‘It’s all about stepping out of your comfort zone.’ Travelling alone needn’t mean feeling lonely and left out: hostels, guided walks and foodie tours are great ways to both explore and meet new people."
• Google AI can create music in any genre from a text description - "MusicLM is surprisingly talented."
• ChatGPT passes exams from law & business schools - "ChatGPT is smart enough to pass prestigious graduate-level exams - though not with particularly high marks."
• A.I.: Actually Insipid Until It’s Actively Insidious - "The alien invasion has begun. Some experts say that when artificial intelligence takes off, it’s going to be like Martians landing on the National Mall."
• Tears, blunders & chaos: inside Elon Musk’s Twitter - "In the three months since Musk bought Twitter for £44bn, thousands have been sacked and the company has nosedived. Here, staff tell of a firm in disarray and an owner whose reputation is also plummeting."
• Those Weight Loss Drugs May Do a Number on Your Face - "People using drugs like Ozempic are discovering an unwanted side effect: facial aging."
• Europe's stunning digital divide, in one map - "In 2021, just 8% of the EU’s population had never used the internet. But that figure varies widely, with markedly more holdouts in the southeast. It won’t last. As access improves and older people die, internet usage will be at or near 100%."
• AP apologises & deletes widely mocked tweet about ‘the French’ - "Organisation clarifies initial advice, which included term in list of phrases it thought could be dehumanising."
• iOS 16 Home Screen tips, tricks & hidden features - "iOS 16 Home Screen master class: 85 tips, tricks, and hidden features - do you know them all?"
• Amazon issues new mandatory Kindle for PC or Mac update to download new e-books - "Amazon has issued a new Kindle update for PC and Mac that is mandatory for users to install if they wish to continue downloading any Kindle e-books published as of January 3, 2023."
• 6 Best Recommended E-Readers 2023 - Good e-reader.
• The Amazon Halo Rise would be a neat sleep tracker, if it weren’t for my cat - "Amazon’s smart sunrise lamp knows when you’re sleeping but struggles to figure out when you’re awake, especially if you have a needy feline that gets in the way."

January 28, 2023

• Video appears to show police hit Tyre Nichols 9 times in 4 minutes - "Officials released violent video of Tyre Nichols arrest. Here's what we know."
• Bodycam footage shows moment of Paul Pelosi attack - "A US court has authorised the release of footage showing the hammer attack on the husband of former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi."
• Big Tech was moving cautiously on AI. Then came ChatGPT - "Google, Facebook and Microsoft helped build the scaffolding of AI. Smaller companies are taking it to the masses, forcing Big Tech to react."
• ChatGPT could make these jobs obsolete: ‘The wolf is at the door’ - "Artificial intelligence is here, and it’s coming for your job."
• ChatGPT can’t be credited as an author, says world’s largest academic publisher - "But Springer Nature, which publishes thousands of scientific journals, says it has no problem with AI being used to help write research - as long as its use is properly disclosed."
• Want a Rolex? This Miami Beach Hotel’s $25,000 Whisky Tasting Comes With a ‘Batman’ GMT - "Fontainebleau Miami Beach is offering you the ultimate whisky experience - and it’s paired with a coveted Rolex for you to take home, no wait-list required."
• On Trump’s Social Network: Ads for Miracle Cures, Scams & Fake Merchandise - "Truth Social, the social network started by former President Donald J. Trump, has struggled to attract large brands."
• Real-life ‘Succession’ story of world’s richest man, Bernard Arnault, & his kids - "Bernard is 73 years old, but he shows no interest in stepping away from his luxury empire nor relinquishing his roles as executive chairman and chief executive. LVMH shareholders recently extended the company’s working age limit to 80, and many expect Bernard will never retire."
• Adani Group: Fortune of Asia's richest man hit by fraud claims - "Indian billionaire Gautam Adani saw more than $20bn wiped off his fortune on Friday, after investors fled his companies for a second day prompted by fraud claims made by a US investment firm."
• One of Princess Diana's most famous dresses sells for $604,800 - "The late royal wore the dress for both an official royal portrait in 1991 and an intimate Vanity Fair spread in 1997, just before her death."
• 43rd Razzie Nominations - "Blonde, Disney’s Pinocchio and Morbius Among Top Contenders."
• 62 dating green flags that shout ‘this one’s a keeper’ - "Gives you space, doesn’t use voicemail, is liked by dogs: our guide to the telltale signs that a relationship is the real deal."
• Every Apple chip compared in the ultimate speed test! - "From A to Ultra: How the M2 Pro and M2 Max stack up to every other Apple chip."
• Why flavour begins with saliva - "The secrets inside your saliva. Saliva is more than just a way to keep your mouth comfortably lubricated. Its cocktail of substances, scientists are discovering, are the x factor behind the flavours we taste."
• How to create a cosy minimalist home - "How to make your home minimalist - but also comfortable. When it comes to interior design, there is a happy medium to be found between minimalist and maximalist. Dominic Lutyens speaks to the advocates of 'relaxed minimalism'."
• Inside Air France’s new business class cabin - "Sliding doors and lie-flat beds in Air France's new biz class."
• Victrola's Stream Carbon turntable works seamlessly with Sonos, at a price - "The Stream Carbon sounds great and is easy to set up, but will vinyl purists want to play records digitally?"
• Bowers & Wilkins Px8 review: Incredible sound comes at a cost - "The $699 headphones sound amazing, but other areas are lacking."
• Ultra-Rare 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss Up For Auction - "The 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss is one of those vehicles, and one of them is up for auction at Sothebys starting January 31."

January 27, 2023

• Tanks for Ukraine once seemed unthinkable. Could fighter jets be next? - "The decision by Germany, the United States, and others to send main battle tanks to Ukraine has gone further than many thought realistic just months ago. Western nations, showcasing unity and wanting to head off a renewed Russian offensive, have cast aside fears that more advanced weaponry risked provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin. With tanks checked off the list, Ukrainian leaders have renewed their public appeals for Western fighter jets."
• Is WHO preparing for nuclear war? - "Health body publishes list of medicines for nations to stockpile in case of 'radiation or nuclear emergency' as EU warns 'Russia is at war with the West.'"
• After 3 years of Covid, CNN went into rural China for Lunar New Year - "Here’s what we found and how officials tried stopping us."
• ChatGPT passes exams from prestigious law & business schools - "ChatGPT is smart enough to pass prestigious graduate-level exams - though not with particularly high marks. The powerful new AI chatbot tool recently passed law exams in four courses at the University of Minnesota and another exam at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, according to professors at the schools."
• 10 Best ChatGPT Chrome Extensions You Need to Check Out - "ChatGPT currently runs in a Chrome tab, but did you know that you can bring its capabilities to other websites as well? We have scoured the internet and found the 10 best ChatGPT Chrome extensions for you to do just that. So no matter how you want to use ChatGPT, there’s an extension for that. So without further delay, let’s check out the top 10 ChatGPT Chrome extensions."
• 8 Best ChatGPT Alternatives (Free & Paid) - "In this guide, we have listed a variety of ChatGPT alternatives you should try out. So without further delay, open additional tabs on your browser, and let’s chat with some AI bots."
• Science journals ban listing of ChatGPT as co-author on papers - "Some publishers also banning use of bot in preparation of submissions but others see its adoption as inevitable."
• 3 Steps to Age Exuberantly - "An 86-year-old author has a few rules to live by even when the trials of getting older make it easy to complain."
• 11 of the best films to watch this February - "Including the third Ant-Man and Magic Mike films, Cocaine Bear and a Pamela Anderson documentary in which she tells her own story."
• Elon Musk ‘doesn’t seem like’ right person to own Twitter, says co-founder - "Biz Stone, one of quartet who set up company, says positive changes he oversaw have been undone by Tesla chief executive."
• The Earth's core is changing. What does that mean for us? - "The Earth is not a solid ball; it consists of several layers. There is the innermost core, which is a solid sphere about the same size as the planet Mars. Surrounding that is the outer core, which is liquid rock. The next layer is the mantle, which is sort of taffy-like in consistency. Finally there is the crust, which is the outermost layer - the place where we live."
• From 7 billion years ago to the World Cup: Inside Qatar’s best museums - "Qatar hasn’t only been busy building soccer stadiums but also a slew of architecturally striking and accessible museums in its well-documented quest to be recognized as the arts capital of the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar travel guide. Most of the Gulf nation’s major museums have opened or been renovated during the past decade, with three additional art institutions scheduled to expand Qatar’s cultural offerings by 2030: the Lusail Museum showcasing Qatar Museums’ Orientalist collection; the Art Mill Museum focused on contemporary art; and the Qatar Auto Museum celebrating the nation’s obsession with luxury cars."
• Hilton Salwa: The gigantic luxury hotel in the middle of nowhere - "Nothing much lies on Qatar’s border with Saudi Arabia. A few sunbaked outposts and miles and miles of vast, empty desert in all directions. Then, earlier this year, something very different appeared in the middle of this nowhere: A huge, gleaming luxury hotel complex, complete with its own theme park."
• How to Apply Cologne Without Overdoing It - "You want to smell good without imposing your fragrance on everyone who comes within 10 feet. Apply from 6 inches away: This distance allows you to focus the scent on a specific target (the pulse point), without over or under concentrating it. It's the perfect balance between turning your skin red from too much alcohol concentration, and from losing too many of the particles from a poorly targeted spritz."
• AirPods are earplugs now - "Noise-canceling wireless earbuds aren’t just great for listening to music or podcasts - they are also great for turning down the volume of the world around you."
• Feline uncertain? Cats do give clues if the fur’s about to fly, study finds - "Study of 105 pairs of interacting felines decodes the cat behaviour that puzzles humans - and flags up the unsubtle battle cry of claws and yowling."
• Forget The Market - You Should Have Invested In These Vintage Cars For Maximum Returns - "We’re counting down the 40 collectible cars Classic.com identifies as increasing the most in value during 2022, noting the percentage of growth and both beginning and year-end values. You can find the complete list of 100 big gainers here."
• Why Swiss Watches Are Held Hostage During Divorce Proceedings - "Married Swiss watch collectors, beware: these treasured timepieces can cause cataclysmic custody battles in divorce court. As New York-based marital law attorney Peter Bronstein related, 'I have a case now in which a wife who was unhappy with her situation went to the family safe and removed a collection of watches that clearly belonged to the husband and moved them to a vault box that’s under her control before she filed divorce papers.' Bronstein, who is representing the husband, had a watch expert for his client’s side value his collection at over $600,000."

January 26, 2023

• Bill Gates is ‘very optimistic’ about the future - "‘Better to be born 20 years from now...than any time in the past.’"
• WORLD’S THIRD RICHEST PERSON SAYS HE’S DEVELOPED "ADDICTION" TO CHATGPT - "ChatGPT 'was the buzzword at this year's Davos event,' Gautam Adani wrote on LinkedIn."
• Higher education, Vladimir? Image-obsessed 5ft 7in (170cm) Putin wears high-heeled shoes while posing for pictures with Moscow students - "Russian President Vladimir Putin was pictured in high-heeled shoes among students in Moscow yesterday."
• Meta says it will restore Donald Trump’s Facebook & Instagram accounts - "Facebook-parent Meta said on Wednesday that it will restore former President Donald Trump’s accounts on Facebook and Instagram in the coming weeks, just over two years after suspending him in the wake of the January 6 Capitol attack."
• Bangkok air pollution prompts advice to work from home - "Thai capital’s already bad air made worse by forest fires and burning on farms."
• Live music: How buying concert tickets could be made better - "Fans, politicians and even musicians have been complaining about the painful process of trying to buy tickets for concerts for years. From soaring prices to intractable online queues and the prevalence of touts, everyone has a horror story."
• The 3 James Bond Movies That Saved The 007 Franchise From Dying - "These three James Bond films rescued the franchise from extinction, resurrecting the series from their lackluster predecessors and winning fans back."
• The Verge’s favorite desktop accessories - "Our workday companions include cats, smart speakers, SAD lamps, and kitchen timers."
• Everyone Wants Your Email Address. Think Twice Before Sharing It - "Your email address has become a digital bread crumb for companies to link your activity across sites. Here’s how you can limit this."
• Where to Stream 2023 Oscar Nominees - "Where to Stream ‘The Banshees of Inisherin,’ ‘Elvis’ and More 2023 Oscar Nominees. Many of the top contenders can be watched at home. Here’s a guide to help you get a jump on the field."
• Netflix crackdown on password sharing to begin in coming months - "Sharing accounts across multiple households likely to attract additional fee as streaming giant looks to recoup subscriber losses."
• Chess is changing & the game can't keep up - "The increase in interest has culminated in the launch of a revamped online competition which will be the richest chess circuit in the game’s history. This year’s Champions Chess Tour will be the new online home for the world’s best players, as they battle it out for a share of more than $2 million."
• Why we need new words for life in the Anthropocene - "The Bureau of Linguistical Reality is assembling a new lexicon for people's experience of climate change and environmental upheaval."
• UNESCO adds three sites to 'in danger' list - "The historic center of the Ukrainian port city of Odesa and sites in Yemen and Lebanon were added to the World Heritage List Wednesday by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)."
• What’s red & sounds like £400,000? An electric Ferrari - once you add fake engine noises - "The famously loud sports car is going battery-powered. And the makers are determined that it will keep its trademark roar."
• Bentley Bentayga EWB review: a hyper-luxury SUV you’ll prefer to be chauffered in - "Usually, the handcrafted cars from Crewe are for driving - but this one is all about the opulent rear seats."
• F1's randiest racer who bonked 33 stewardesses in two weeks used hotel trick for romps - "James Hunt was known for being Formula 1’s biggest playboy during his racing days and even kept up his womanising while on the brink of a first world title in Japan."
• Only two bodies from the Battle of Waterloo had ever been found - "Scientists are now analyzing the human remains to try to learn more about the identity of those who died."
• Colette: The most beloved French writer of all time - "An icon in her native France, Colette's scandalous life and works still captivate readers 150 years on from her birth."
• Low-rise waistlines: the return of Y2K’s most debauched trend - "Until now, the 00s revival seemed like harmless fun. Then stars including Dua Lipa and Julia Fox began wearing the era’s trickiest, most controversial look."

January 25, 2023

• Doomsday Clock Moves Closer to Midnight Than Ever - "The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the clock at 90 seconds to midnight on Tuesday, citing the war in Ukraine as well as climate change, online disinformation and other threats."
• From China to Japan, extreme cold is gripping East Asia. Experts say it’s the ‘new norm’ - "Tens of millions of people across East Asia braved a severe cold snap Wednesday as subzero temperatures and heavy snow brought travel chaos during the Lunar New Year holiday, with climate experts warning that such extreme weather events had become the 'new norm.'"
• China Covid: Coffins sell out as rural losses mount - "The BBC has found evidence of a considerable number of Covid-related deaths in China's rural regions, as the virus spread from big cities to more remote areas with older populations."
• High-ranking Russian officials are defecting. This man is aiding them - "Vladimir Osechkin says he was walking toward his dining room table, plates of spaghetti for his children in his hands, when he spotted the red laser dancing across the wall. He knew what was coming. He’s become the champion of a growing number of high-level Russian officials defecting to the West, emboldened and disgruntled by the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. He says ex-generals and intelligence agents are among their number."
• Are ski trips coming to an end? - "How climate change threatens to close ski resorts. From the Swiss Alps to the Rocky Mountains, ski resorts are grappling with the impacts of climate change. How are they adapting in a warming world?"
• Elon Musk tells court he lacked ‘specific’ funding to take Tesla private - "CEO of electric carmaker says finance was ‘not an issue’ but he did not have binding commitments from investors."
• Apple Releases watchOS 9.3 With New Watch Face, Bug Fixes - "Apple today released watchOS 9.3, the third major update to the watchOS 9 operating system that first launched in September. watchOS 9.3 comes over a month after watchOS 9.2, an update that added new Workout functionality and Crash Detection optimizations."
• If You're Not Already Doing These 10 Productivity Hacks in ChatGPT, You're Definitely Missing Out - "You can start right away. In case you've missed the buzz, OpenAI just publicly launched its latest language generation robot, ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a powerful language model that uses deep learning techniques to generate human-like text. In other words, the robot is capable of answering all of your questions and prompts like an intelligent human would. The model can be fine-tuned for specific tasks, such as language translation, summarization, and question answering. Here are 10 different ways you can use ChatGPT to do work for you and increase your productivity."
• Fine Dining & the Ethics of Noma’s Meticulously Crafted Fruit Beetle - "Recent reports have spurred a backlash against the 1 percent of restaurants. What is the human cost of this type of eating, and will it last?"
• Warren Buffett Ditched His Flip Phone for an iPhone in 2020 & Drinks 5 Cans of Coke a Day - "That's What Makes Him One of the Greatest Investors of All Time."
• Nasa to test nuclear rockets that could fly astronauts to Mars in record time - "Project, in concert with US government agency Darpa, aims to develop pioneering propulsion system for space travel."
• How to recycle the world's largest passenger plane - "After its debut in 2005, Airbus ended up building only 251 A380s - far fewer than it originally intended - and production ended in late 2021. Although most of them are still flying, amid a post-Covid resurgence of the aircraft, several have already been scrapped or recycled - way ahead of the usual schedule for a passenger aircraft."
• The Eddie | 'Super Bowl of surfing' - "Also known as The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, is a big wave surfing tournament held at Waimea Bay on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii."
• Why Italian cheesemakers buried their pecorino - "When Covid hit Italy in 2020, the pecorino industry careened towards life support. But thanks to the ingenuity of several producers, the cheese is now perhaps better than ever."
• Car Tire Dust Is Killing Salmon Every Time It Rains - "A growing body of research by scientists worldwide is tracking the effects of this overlooked source of automotive pollution that’s been linked to the decimation of coho salmon in the Pacific Northwest and threatens other fish species."
• How Rapper Iggy Azalea Is Making Money On OnlyFans - "Azalea’s OnlyFans isn’t just any old OnlyFans. It is a year-long, collaborative multimedia project entitled Hotter Than Hell that will feature music, photography, video, art, and, according to a press release, content from 'her upcoming fourth studio album.' For $25 a month, subscribers will get a front-row seat to the project as it drops, before the rest of the world sees it. The concept was inspired by Pamela Anderson, 90s supermodels, and Madonna’s controversial book Sex and culminates with a coffee table book to be released in December 2023."

January 24, 2023

• Oscar nominations announced: Read the list - “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “The Fabelmans” were among the leaders in Oscar nominations. “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” snagged best picture nominations.
• Apple Releases iOS 16.3 With Security Keys for Apple ID, New HomePod Support, Bug Fixes & More - "Apple today released iOS 16.3, the third major update to the iOS 16 operating system that first came out in September. iOS 16.3 comes over a month after the launch of iOS 16.2, an update that added the Freeform app, Apple Music Sing, Advanced Data Protection, and more."
• iOS 16.3 fixes multiple security vulnerabilities along with iOS 15.7.3 & other updates - "Apple on Monday released iOS 16.3, macOS Ventura 13.2, and other software updates to the public. The new versions of the company’s operating systems come with new features but also bring multiple security patches. Not only that, but Apple also released updates with security patches for users running iOS 15. Read on as we detail what has been patched with the updates."
• Denmark brings back the Bocuse d'Or 2023 - thanks to an impressive platter based on monkfish and their very convincing "Feed the kids" menu where the squash was worked from A to Z.
• Bocuse d'Or Grand Final 2023 - Official Website.
• Eddie Aikau surf contest - "Local lifeguard beats world’s best big wave surfers to take title. Luke Shepardson claims victory in Hawaii event, which is only held when waves at Waimea Bay consistently reach 30ft or bigger."
• Why this fish head pie is only cooked once a year - "On a hot summer day in the Cornish seaside village of Mousehole. In the kitchen of The Old Coastguard hotel, chef Jamie Porter is bent low over a bench, unfolding a marvelous fish fantasy that’s all heads, no tails. He’s shoving mackerel noggins into slits in a pastry lid, tweaking bulging eyeballs so that they stare straight into the sky, egging crust with soft strokes as if it’s a Franciscan fresco."
• A journey to Earth's most remote flower - "Tagimoucia is so rare that it only grows on one of Fiji's 330 islands, it's found high atop a steep mountain ridge and it blooms for less than three months a year."
• Microsoft confirms it's investing billions in the creator of ChatGPT - "Microsoft, an early investor in OpenAI, said it plans to expand its existing partnership with the company as part of a greater effort to add more artificial intelligence to its suite of products. In a separate blog post, OpenAI said the multi-year investment will be used to 'develop AI that is increasingly safe, useful, and powerful.'"
• America’s Most Generous Givers 2023: The Nation's 25 Top Philanthropists - "Despite a rocky stock market that sent many fortunes plunging, the country’s most generous billionaires doled out more money than in each of the previous two years. Warren Buffett tops the list of givers yet again, as measured by total amount given away. He's been handing over billions of dollars worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock annually for 17 years–and continued that tradition last June."
• Richest Country in the World 2023 Top 25 Richest Countries List - "Countries like America, Qatar, Norway, etc., are on the list of the wealthiest countries in the world, but a small region remains on the top of this list."
• I’m a corporate fraud investigator. You wouldn’t believe the hubris of the super-rich - "While the fraudsters I’ve encountered are often cunning, sooner or later they get carried away."
• ‘Wheeler-dealer’ Boris Johnson and his tricky relationship with money - "That former PM secretly secured a loan of up to £800k no surprise as financial reliance on others stretches back many years."
• China’s northernmost city just saw its coldest day ever - "Temperatures in China’s northernmost city plunged to minus 53°C (minus 63.4 degrees Fahrenheit) - its coldest ever recorded, meteorologists said."
• Iconic London hotel reveals lavish transformation - "The ground floor of The Dorchester hotel in London’s upscale Mayfair district has just unveiled a glamorous makeover. The floor’s new look is part of what the storied hotel is calling its “most comprehensive transformation for over 30 years.” The Dorchester’s lobby Promenade has been revamped with designs by Pierre-Yves Rochon that take inspiration from the British landscape. Sage green, pink and yellow soften a dramatic space lined with dark columns with gold-leaf accents. Elegant afternoon tea service returns to The Promenade on January 23."
• The Mediterranean's coastline of secret beaches & little Venices - "Croatia’s secret beaches and little Venices."
• 8 of the world's best forest homes - "A new book features forest-dwelling designs across the globe, from tiny off-grid treehouses to experimental eco-friendly architecture - even in a city centre."
• Edinburgh’s dark corners: a walking tour of the city’s hidden stories - "Invisible Cities’ tours take visitors to the Scottish capital’s juiciest and least-known stories – and with guides who have known homelessness, they are rooted in real experience."
• ‘The Playboy Murders’: How a model’s breast implants helped cops ID her body - "In July 2022, when Holly Madison, a one-time Playboy bunny and girlfriend of Hugh Hefner, began probing into the 2009 murder of 28-year-old Playboy party hostess Jasmine Fiore, the ex-pinup was startled by an ugly similarity."

January 23, 2023

• Warren Buffett Says the Ultimate Test of a Life Well Lived Boils Down to 1 Simple Principle - "How big is your bank account? In the end, it really doesn't matter."
• ‘No chance’ of global heating below 1.5C but nuclear tech ‘promising’ in climate crisis, Bill Gates says - "Billionaire and founder of Microsoft tells Sydney audience it is ‘great to have Australia on board on climate’. The world will be lucky to avoid 2.5C of heating, but emerging technology may help avert even worse, Bill Gates has told a Sydney audience."
• Will Covid reinfections pose increased health risks? Experts aren’t sure - "A study found that repeat infections increases the possibility of hospitalization or death, but some experts refute those findings."
• 5 Best Vitamins to Boost Your Energy in 2023 - "Looking for an extra lift of energy? Try these B vitamins."
• 5 of the Best Foods for Heart Health - "Making smart decisions at the grocery store is an easy way to boost your heart health."
• 'Avatar: The Way of Water' crosses $2 billion mark in worldwide box office - "As has frequently been the case throughout his unparalleled career, James Cameron made film history again this weekend. His long-awaited sequel 'Avatar: The Way of Water' has now made over $2 billion in worldwide grosses, as reported by Deadline."
• Razzie nominations: Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde leads with eight - "A biopic of Marilyn Monroe's life, Blonde, has received the most nominations for this year's Razzies with eight."
• Five ways to be calm & why it matters - "Is being calm about passivity and numbness, or is it a superpower that makes us strong? Lindsay Baker explores the ideas behind serenity, and ways that we can achieve it."
• How gut bacteria are controlling your brain - "Looking after the multitudes of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms living in our guts could help us think better and even offer new ways of treating mental health conditions."
• ‘It’s the opposite of art’: why illustrators are furious about AI - "AI art generators may provide five minutes of fun for most users, but the blurring of creative and ethical boundaries is leaving many artists raging against the machine."
• The third-party apps Twitter just killed made the site what it is today - "A surprising amount of the Twitter experience came from alternative apps - and now they’re gone."
• The Easiest Ways to Sync iMessages Across All Your Devices - "If your iMessages aren't syncing from your iPhone to your other devices, here's the fix."
• Rolex Now Has a Resale Program. The Watch World Quakes - "The privately owned Swiss brand dominates the market by virtually every measure. Will it swallow up resales, too? All this goes a long way toward explaining the seismic shift in the global watch trade that occurred on Dec. 1, when Rolex announced it was introducing a certified pre-owned (C.P.O.) program for secondhand Rolex watches that have been inspected, refurbished and met the company’s minimum standards."
• How Noma Made Fine Dining Far Worse - "The food world glorified a Copenhagen restaurant built on uncompensated labor."
• Joseph Stiglitz: tax high earners at 70% to tackle widening inequality - "Nobel prize-winning economist calls for new top rate of income tax and 2-3% wealth tax on fortunes."
• Shania Twain on childhood, stardom, divorce & survival - "The record-breaking singer is back with her sixth album. She discusses deprivation, domestic violence and feeling triumphant after stage fright and surgery."

January 22, 2023

• China says 80% of population have had Covid-19, as millions travel for Lunar New Year - "Eight in 10 people in China have now been infected with Covid-19, a prominent government scientist has claimed. Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Saturday – the eve of the Lunar New Year – that the present “wave of epidemic has already infected about 80% of the people” in the country of 1.4 billion people."
• Lunar New Year 2023 around the world - in pictures - "From Indonesia, Panama, Vietnam to Australia, families ring in the year of the rabbit."
• Chinese zodiac fortune predictions: What's in store for the Year of the Rabbit? - "Say goodbye to the Tiger; it’s time to hop into the Year of the Rabbit. For many people, Lunar New Year, which falls on January 22 this year, is a time to consult the stars to find out what lies ahead in the coming months. Most people know the basics: The 12-year Chinese zodiac calendar cycle is represented by 12 different animals - the Chinese zodiac signs. Your zodiac animal is determined by your year of birth. But that’s only the start. For faithful followers of the system, a year isn’t just categorized by its animal. There’s also a complex sexagenary cycle made up of 10 heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches."
• Everything you need to know about The Year of the Rabbit - "The Year of the Rabbit: An illustrated guide to Lunar New Year."
• Buckingham Palace reveals details of three-day celebration to mark King Charles III’s coronation - "Three days of celebrations will take place, with the coronation on Saturday May 6, a 'Coronation Big Lunch' and 'Coronation Concert' the following day, and an extra bank holiday on Monday. The public will be invited on the last day to join 'The Big Help Out' by volunteering in their communities."
• The British Aren’t the Only Ones With Royal Drama - "Dysfunction and disorder are hardly restricted to the House of Windsor. Here’s a look at some of the world’s other messy monarchies."
• how the science behind Covid vaccines might help to fight cancer - "The success of mRNA-based drugs in combating coronavirus is inspiring scientists to create similar vaccines for melanoma and other tumours."
• The Ultimate Guide to Chatbots - "With live chat, bots begin the conversation, collect data, and answer all ... chatbot AI can create and learn new responses in real-time."
• Google is freaking out about ChatGPT - "The New York Times reports Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have discussed its response to ChatGPT, with plans to launch over 20 AI products this year, including a demo of its own search chatbot."
• Laziness isn’t why you procrastinate. This is - "Laziness is like, ‘I have absolutely no desire to even think about this.’ Procrastination is, ‘It troubles me to think about this. And therefore, it’s hard for me to get the job done.’ That’s a big difference."
• Clothes Make the Con Man - "George Santos used fashion to flout the rules."
• Buzz Aldrin marries for the fourth time, aged 93 - "The former US astronaut Buzz Aldrin has got married for the fourth time on his 93rd birthday."
• Elizabeth Holmes tried to ‘flee’ US with one-way Mexico ticket, prosecutors say - "New court filing says ex-Theranos founder booked flight departing 26 January last year, shortly after fraud conviction."
• cycle-mad city in Finland that doesn't stop for snow - "Oulu in northern Finland has snow on the ground for five months - but that doesn’t stop residents using their bikes."
• Entry to Machu Picchu suspended amid unrest in Peru - "Tourist entry to Machu Picchu Citadel and the Inca Trail Network has been suspended until further notice due to ongoing unrest in Peru, officials in the country said Saturday."
• The Most Expensive U.S. Real Estate Sales Of 2022 - "Billionaire Larry Ellison’s $173 million Palm Beach estate topped the list last year, along with a $100 million Malibu dream house bought by media mogul Byron Allen and a $75 million Beverly Hills mega-mansion owned by rap superstar Drake."
• Who was Beethoven’s mysterious Elise? Historian concludes she never existed - "The identity of the muse for Für Elise has long puzzled experts. A new book suggests it was named by someone else, after the composer’s death."
• The most surprising camera I have used in years - "Nikon’s Z9 is a truly professional mirrorless camera that’s only gotten better since it was released."

January 21, 2023

• Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 makes up nearly half of U.S. COVID cases - CDC - "The fast-spreading Omicron XBB.1.5 is estimated to make up nearly half of U.S. COVID-19 cases, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed on Friday, putting it on track to become the dominant subvariant in the country. It is estimated to account for 49.1% of COVID cases in the country in the week ended Jan. 21, a jump from 37.2% last week."
• The British royal family’s response to Prince Harry’s memoir is telling - "There appears little evidence of a coordinated effort from an army of unnamed palace sources, as Harry has asserted, to debunk his grievances. And, of course, there continues to be radio silence from the palace whenever the book is raised."
• Why Prince Harry Leaking Kate Middleton's Texts to Meghan Markle Is Such a Big Deal - "In Spare, Prince Harry includes a text exchange between Kate and Meghan, which many view as hypocritical after Meghan sued a newspaper for printing a private letter she sent her father."
• Intermittent fasting may not be as helpful for losing weight as once thought, study finds - "The study tracked the portion sizes and eating times of 547 people, in addition to data on their health and weight, over the course of six years. The data showed no association between an interval of the day in which people had their meals and their weight, according to the study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association."
• ‘All-natural’ Simply Orange Juice has high toxic PFAS levels, lawsuit alleges - "Coca-Cola claimed juice was healthy despite toxic ‘forever chemicals’ levels ‘hundreds of times’ above federal limits, suit says."
• A Simple, 5-Minute Breathing Technique Is a Powerful Tool to Reduce Anxiety - "Everyone breathes. Most of the time we do it without even thinking about it. But those who consciously focus on each inhalation and exhalation could reap some impressive health benefits, especially for those that struggle with meditation."
• 5 Ways to Get More Movement Throughout the Day - "When it comes to health and longevity, consistent daily movement might be just as important as full-on workouts."
• 8 Best Exercises, According to Personal Trainers - "With the help of personal trainers, we've determined the best exercises that fit a wide range of fitness goals. These expert-approved exercises are perfect to add to your exercise regimen."
• TikTok’s Secret ‘Heating’ Button Can Make Anyone Go Viral - "'The heating feature refers to boosting videos into the For You feed through operation intervention to achieve a certain number of video views,' an internal TikTok document titled MINT Heating Playbook explains. 'The total video views of heated videos accounts for a large portion of the daily total video views, around 1-2%, which can have a significant impact on overall core metrics.'"
• See the Full List of 2023 BAFTA Nominations - "The 2023 BAFTAs will be held on Sunday, February 19."
• Tom Cruise & the Insanity of the Oscars - "Did Tom Cruise give an honest-to-goodness performance - one that involved disappearing into a character versus reveling in his own ageless and sinewy glory - in 'Top Gun: Maverick'? I missed it. Maybe I was blinded by his toothy gleam."
• ChatGPT: CEOs at Davos are using it to write work emails - "Jeff Maggioncalda, the CEO of online learning provider Coursera, said that when he first tried ChatGPT, he was 'dumbstruck.' Now, it’s part of his daily routine. He uses the powerful new AI chatbot tool to bang out emails. He uses it to craft speeches 'in a friendly, upbeat, authoritative tone with mixed cadence.' He even uses it to help break down big strategic questions - such as how Coursera should approach incorporating artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT into its platform."
• Google Calls In Help From Larry Page & Sergey Brin for A.I. Fight - "A rival chatbot has shaken Google out of its routine, with the founders who left three years ago re-engaging and more than 20 A.I. projects in the works."
• Bond 26 Must Completely Drop A Classic 007 Trait - "Not that 007 can never say never again to a one-night stand, but it's time to stop womanizing being such a major feature of Bond's character."
• From cutting curfews to grid penalties - 10 rule changes you need to know about for the 2023 F1 season - "While F1’s rules are remaining largely the same in 2023 following last year’s major reset, there are still technical and sporting changes of note for the campaign ahead, as we explain in our pre-season rundown..." Formula 1.
• The beginner's guide to... the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend - "As the fastest, most technically advanced motorsport on the planet, Formula 1 can seem extremely complex. But if you’re a new fan of the sport, there’s absolutely nothing to fear as we can explain it all in our beginner’s guide. Here’s everything you need to know about the Formula 1 race weekend..." Formula 1.

January 20, 2023

• Taliban start buying blue ticks on Twitter - "The Taliban have started using Twitter's paid-for verification feature, meaning some now have blue ticks on their accounts."
• Elon Musk was never really the world’s richest man - "The perverse maths of wealth meant the Tesla owner lost billions by selling shares that made up his net worth."
• AP Top 25 Movies, ranking 2022's best: What made the cut? - "The AP Top 25 Movies ranking is a distinctive honor roll of films released in 2022, as determined by a truly representative panel of 26 of the U.S.? smartest movie experts."
• Alec Baldwin to be charged with manslaughter in set shooting - "Alec Baldwin and ‘Rust’ movie armorer are to be charged with involuntary manslaughter in fatal set shooting. Here’s what to expect next."
• The Best Smart Home Devices for 2023 - "These products are sure to be the buzz for the year."
• The new smart home trends we'll be adding to our homes in 2023 - The emerging smart home trends we're keeping an eye on for the new year.
• This Chinese billionaire has lost over 90% of his fortune - "The past few years have not been great for the super-rich in China, particularly those who built their fortune in the country’s once red-hot property market. The net worth of Hui Ka Yan, chairman of real estate developer China Evergrande, has plunged nearly 93%, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Once the second-richest person in Asia, Hui’s wealth has fallen from $42 billion at its peak in 2017 to about $3 billion, Bloomberg said."
• Mega Billions: Inside The Battle To Capture America’s Lucrative Lottery Market - "Startups funded by billionaires Jerry Jones, Mark Cuban and other venture capitalists are betting big to disrupt the $100 billion lotto industry."
• Why Egypt is asking its people to eat chicken feet - "Egypt’s economic situation is so dire that the government is asking people to eat chicken feet."
• Even a Little Alcohol Can Harm Your Health - "Recent research makes it clear that any amount of drinking can be detrimental. Here’s why you may want to cut down on your consumption beyond Dry January."
• How to Become a Morning Exercise Person - "Despite the challenge of waking up early enough for a workout, Dr. Friel said, mornings are better for most people because they have more control over their time before the commitments of the day kick in. You’re usually not being asked to work or do errands at 7 a.m., he said. Friends rarely invite you to happy hour at 6 o’clock in the morning."
• Morning Exercise May Offer the Most Weight Loss Benefits - "In a study, people who worked out before noon lost more weight, on average, than those who typically exercised after 3 p.m."
• 10 Nutrition Myths Experts Wish Would Die - "We surveyed some of the country’s leading authorities to reveal the truth about fat, dairy, soy and more."
• The hotel that's in both Switzerland & France - "Hotel Arbez: Where you can sleep in two countries at the same time."
• 10 of the best health & wellness retreats in Europe for 2023 - "Need to rebalance your life? From sunny Greece to snowy Finland we pick the best restorative breaks."
• Monte-Carlo Rally gets off to roaring start in front of Casino - "After a thrilling previous edition, the World Rally Championship returns to the Principality once more for the 91st edition of the Monte-Carlo Rally. From 18:30 on Thursday, January 19 the drivers and co-pilots began the first stage of the rally from the picturesque starting point of the Place du Casino, which allowed the public to get a glimpse of their WRC heroes right in the heart of Monaco."
• Kim Kardashian buys Attallah Cross pendant worn by Princess Diana - "Kim Kardashian has acquired the diamond-lined Attallah Cross pendant worn on several occasions by Diana, Princess of Wales for £163,800 (about $200,000)."
• The 90s cop show that changed TV - "Why cop show Homicide: Life on the Street was revolutionary. The Wire is considered a high point in TV history, but it owed a lot to another series involving creator David Simon, writes Natasha Tripney - this gritty drama about Baltimore's homicide unit."
• The laptops I’m most excited to test in 2023 - "From dual screens and hidden touchpads to 18-inch gaming behemoths and RGB Chromebooks, here are this year’s most exciting upcoming laptops from Lenovo, Razer, LG, and more."
• Inside A $23 Million Hawaiian Home With High-Fashion Touches & Immaculate Views - "This stunning, single-family home, known as Casa di Alta Moda, or the House of High Fashion, recently listed for $23 million and is located in a private gated community with incredible ocean views. The clifftop home has five bedrooms and six bathrooms and spans nearly 8,795 feet on a half-acre plot of land."

January 19, 2023

• Davos day three live: Greta Thunberg says it is ‘absurd’ to be listening to those ‘responsible for causing climate crisis’ - "Rolling coverage of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Greta Thunberg has spoken at a debate outside the centre."
• Germany says it is no longer reliant on Russian energy - "Germany no longer depends on Russian imports for its energy supply, the country's finance minister has told the BBC."
• King Charles redirects £1bn windfarm profits towards ‘public good’ - "Energy agreements have generated windfall that would normally go towards monarchy."
• Greenland temperatures hottest in 1,000 years - "A new study of Greenland's ice cores indicates that rising temperatures bear the 'clear signature of global warming'."
• First batch of nuclear-armed drones Poseidon manufactured for special-purpose sub Belgorod - "According to the source, various trials of core components of Poseidon underwater drones, including the nuclear power." TASS.
• What is Russia's Poseidon nuclear drone & could it wipe out the UK in a radioactive tsunami? - "A popular Russian state TV anchor has warned that Moscow could wipe Britain off the map with a nuclear tsunami in retaliation for supporting Ukraine." Euronews Next.
• What is the US debt ceiling & what happens if it isn’t raised? - "The US treasury secretary warned ‘extraordinary measures’ will have to be put in place to prevent defaulting - here’s what that means for the government."
• 18 Most Beautiful Countries in the World 2023 - "Have you been to any of these marvelous places?"
• World's 'most powerful' tourism city revealed - "Paris is a city beloved for fine food, fine art and fine fashion. But a new index from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) also says that Paris is the world's most powerful city for tourism."
• iOS 16.3 Coming Next Week: Here's What's New - "Apple announced today that iOS 16.3 will be available for iPhone customers next week, bringing just a few new features and enhancements toiPhon customers around the world."
• iOS 16.3 brings iCloud Advanced Data Protection feature to all users worldwide - "All users can now enable iCloud Advanced Data Protection, an opt-in feature to get end-to-end encryption for almost all data stored in iCloud, including messages, photos, and device backups."
• 5 Things You Need to Know About M2 Pro & M2 Max - "Apple this week expanded its lineup of Apple silicon chips with the new M2 Pro and M2 Max processors, building on the M2 chip announced in June. The new lineup ofM chips represents the second generation of Apple silicon that can now now be found in the latest Macs."
• Cartier Tank FranÇaise watch: directed by Guy Ritchie - "The Tank Française watch is surrounded by an international cast of strong personalities: Rami Malek, one of the most singular actors of his generation, and Catherine Deneuve, the French legend of cinema and style."
• 6 Signs Your Body Gives Off When You Lack Vitamin D - "At this time of year, when the days are darker, and we spend less time outdoors, many of us risk becoming vitamin D deficient. Research shows that one billion people around the world are vitamin D deficient, a reality that has ramifications for our health (more on which later)."
• How to make fruit & vegetables last longer - "From hi-tech coatings to improving the state of the roads, there is a plethora of ways we can reduce the amount of fruit and veg that goes bad before it reaches our plates."
• A remedy for low motivation & passion - "The mindset to re-kindle lost passion. It’s easy to lose the spark for work you once loved. Five strategies can help re-ignite your fire."
• Apple’s new HomePod unsurprisingly sounds close to the original - "The resurrected smart speaker still has big sound and a very familiar design. We’ll need more listening time to determine whether some internal changes affect more than just the price."
• Wikipedia's first desktop design update in a decade doesn't rock the boat - "The changes make it easier to read and search."
• Italian Wine Producer Reminisces About Past Truffle Hunts In New York City's Central Park - "As a group of people were led by a very enthusiastic dog, they were sometimes distracted by the diverse natural beauty of their surroundings - gentle slopes that were accented by a range of colorful autumn trees one minute and the next minute, a swath of flat grassy land that would lead to rocky ravines. From the viewpoint of onlookers, it was just a bunch of people going for a fast-paced walk with an adorable Lagotto dog that seemed like a living stuffed animal with its abundant curly, wool-ish coat. Even though some dog owners passed the Lagotto dog with their own dogs, she wasn’t dissuaded from her mission as her owner gave her an important task. Truffles, she was searching for truffles! In New York City’s Central Park of all places!"
• 2023 Met Gala Dress Code Is Announced - In case you missed it, this year’s Costume Institute exhibition is dedicated to the legacy of fashion’s most hyperactive and prolific mastermind, Karl Lagerfeld—a polymath designer who put even the most adroit multitaskers to shame, and whose uniform (staunchly starched collars, Ancien Régime-esque ponytail) became the stuff of legend. With 'Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,' Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute’s Wendy Yu Curator in Charge, and longtime Lagerfeld collaborator Amanda Harlech, the exhibition’s creative consultant, have the tall order of synthesizing the designer’s career into about 150 looks. But thankfully, at this year’s Met Gala, paying tribute to Mr. Lagerfeld is not solely a task for the curators, as the 2023 dress code is 'In honor of Karl.'
• The 2024 Corvette E-Ray Brings The First Electrification To Chevrolet’s Sports Car - "It’s 70 years since Chevrolet debuted a fiberglass bodied two-seater named after the smallest of naval combat ships. By the standards of what the car would eventually become, the first 1953 and 1954 Corvettes were not particularly impressive. But with the substitution of the first small-block V8, it eventually became an automotive icon and every production Corvette has been powered by a V8 engine. But this year, the Corvette engineering team has whipped up something new with the debut of the first Corvette E-Ray. For the first time, a Corvette adds electric propulsion and all-wheel drive."

January 18, 2023

• UN head accuses fossil fuel firms of business models ‘inconsistent with human survival’ - "Criticism at Davos for big companies who, ‘like the tobacco industry’, ride roughshod over their own science."
• NEOM: Video shows progress on Saudi Arabia’s US$500 billion mega-project - "Saudi Arabia’s NEOM has unveiled a new video showing rapid progress being made on the futuristic $500 billion mega business and tourism project and a key part of the Kingdom’s 2030 diversification plans. With NEOM having moved to the building phase of the project and the first destination - Sindalah - due to open its doors in 2024, the progress film shows real-world footage of the large-scale construction across NEOM regions including THE LINE, TROJENA, OXAGON and Sindalah Island."
• Luxury giant LVMH hits 400 billion euro in market value - "LVMH (LVMH.PA) shares rose to a fresh record high on Tuesday, giving the luxury goods group a market capitalisation of 400 billion euros ($434 billion) for the first time and cementing its lead as Europe's most valuable company. Like other luxury companies which are heavily exposed to China, LVMH has benefited this year from the fast reopening of the world's second biggest economy. However, some analysts said further gains in the share price could become harder to achieve."
• Elon Musk trial: Prospective jurors call him narcissistic, smart - "Prospective jurors in a civil lawsuit against Elon Musk have a range of opinions of him, from 'smart, successful' to 'off his rocker'. Mr Musk, who is being sued by Tesla shareholders arguing he manipulated the firm's share price, has said he cannot get a fair trial in San Francisco."
• Hands-On With The Redesigned 2023 Cartier Tank FranÇaise - "The New Cartier Tank Française, Sleeker And More Modern (Live Pics & Price). A modernised, sportier version of the Tank on bracelet is in for 2023."
• Simplicity, bare torsos & fine tailoring at Men's Fashion Week in Milan - "Difficult times can lead to outbursts of folie or a definitive affirmation of reason. It was the latter that ruled over the Milan Men's Fashion Week that closed on Monday: a very rational, very efficient, very product-centered Fall-Winter 2023 season full of perfectly fine if largely flavorless clothes. It was less a celebration of normality than an exaltation of rigor, simplicity and purity."
• Golden Globes: Several celebrities announce Covid days after awards - "A number of celebrities have tested positive for Covid-19, following appearances at the Golden Globes. Several stars, including Collin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michelle Pfeiffer announced they had contracted the virus in the days following the awards."
• Expert's warning to US Navy on China: Bigger fleet almost always wins - "As China continues to grow what is already the world’s largest navy, a professor at the US Naval War College has a warning for American military planners: In naval warfare, the bigger fleet almost always wins."
• India is set to become the world’s most populous country. Can it create enough jobs? - "India will overtake China this year to become the world’s most populous country. The likelihood of India passing that major milestone within a few months shot up Tuesday, when China reported that its population shrank in 2022 for the first time in more than 60 years. This shift will have significant economic implications for both Asian giants, which have more than 1.4 billion residents each."
• Malacca Strait: How one volcano could trigger world chaos - "It's only a few hundred miles long, but when a natural disaster strikes near the Malacca Strait, the consequences could be global."
• Is It Bad to Drink Coffee on an Empty Stomach? - "Your gut is adaptable, experts say, but there are a few facts you should keep in mind."
• Victoria Beckham has eaten the exact same meal every day for 25 years - "David Beckham has admitted he and wife Victoria Beckham have only ever shared the same meal once throughout their entire marriage - with the former footballer calling the solo incident 'the most amazing thing'. 'Unfortunately, I'm married to someone who has eaten the same thing for the last 25 years. Since I've met Victoria, she only eats grilled fish, steamed vegetables. She'll very rarely deviate away from there.'"
• American Inheritance: Liberty and Slavery in the Birth of a Nation, 1765-1795 - by Edward J. Larson on Amazon.com.
• Le Doulos: the violent French film that changed crime cinema - "Transplanting features of US film noir to Paris, with added brutality, the 1962 film shocked in its time - and has inspired Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, among others."
• Gina Lollobrigida: a life in pictures - "Actor, photographer, sculptor and style icon, Gina Lollobrigida has died at the age of 95. La Lollo’s heyday was the 1950s and 60s and here we look back at her fabulous life."
• Devil's dung or dinner delight? The story behind hing, one of India's most divisive ingredients - "An appetizer or an abhorrent? A medicine or a pesticide? Asafoetida sounds innocent enough - it's a wild fennel plant native to Afghanistan, Iran and Uzbekistan. The resin from its roots is used in Indian cooking - usually after it's ground into powder and mixed with flour. To say it has a powerful smell would be an understatement. In fact, its scent is so pungent it might just be the most divisive ingredient in the country. 'Asa' means gum in Persian, and 'foetida' means stinky in Latin. But in India, it's just called hing."
• How dogs could save Italy's olives - "The plan to save Italy's dying olive trees with dogs. A deadly and hard-to-detect disease has been ravaging the treasured olive trees of southern Italy for 10 years. A highly trained squad of super-sniffer dogs could save them."
• Ron Jeremy found ‘not competent’ to stand trial for multiple rape charges - "Los Angeles judge rules porn star is in “incurable neurocognitive decline”, sparing him trial on rape and sexual assault charges."
• 2023 will be the year of the display - "Improved display technology will be a big focus of many companies’ new laptops this year."
• 10 reasons iOS could be considered better than Android [Video] - "Variety is the spice of life, and even if we prefer Android, iOS has some commendable aspects that we envy. Over the past few years, the gulf between the two systems has become less pronounced. We often see features lifted directly from each side of the fence - or should that be 'walled garden' in the case of iOS? Here are a few key components of Apple’s mobile operating system we admire from afar..."
• What happens when smart bulbs meet dumb software? - "The official Philips Hue app sucks. You'd think that, being the oldest name in the smart lighting world, Philips would have the best app on the market. More than a decade of iterative improvements and a mature hardware world would see the app rise proudly above its competitors. Sadly for me, and every other Hue user, the company seems to have fallen asleep behind the wheel."
• Sound & Vision: If you love music, get a portable music player - "It’s widely considered that if you’re going to listen to music on the go, you’re going to do so through a smartphone. With that said, if you’re devoted to the art of music then there is a better option in the form of a dedicated portable music player (even if that means having an extra device to carry on your person)."
• The Evolution Of The Iconic Aston Martin DBS - "A Look Into Its History And Development. The Aston Martin DBS is a high-performance luxury sports car that has been in production in various forms since 1967. The car was first introduced as a replacement for the DB6, and has since become one of the most iconic and recognizable models in Aston Martin's lineup."
• The New Nobu Marrakech Marks The Brand’s First Venture In Africa - "In case you need another reason to visit the bustling beauty of Marrakech, Nobu Hotel Marrakech is set to open its doors in town later this month. The global lifestyle brand’s first property to open in Africa will be situated in the heart of the city’s Golden Triangle in the Hivernage district."

January 17, 2023

• China’s population falls for first time in more than 60 years - "Shift marks the start of a long period of population decline as China wrestles with demographic time bomb."
• Spending the night in an igloo, in the Alps. Sounds cool, but is it? - "And it is, though mainly literally."
• Industrial espionage: How China sneaks out America's technology secrets - "It was an innocuous-looking photograph that turned out to be the downfall of Zheng Xiaoqing, a former employee with energy conglomerate General Electric Power. According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) indictment, the US citizen hid confidential files stolen from his employers in the binary code of a digital photograph of a sunset, which Mr Zheng then mailed to himself."
• Alarmed by A.I. Chatbots, Universities Start Revamping How They Teach - "With the rise of the popular new chatbot ChatGPT, colleges are restructuring some courses and taking preventive measures."
• Ivana Trump Left Behind $34 Million. Here’s What Is In Her Will - "A Manhattan townhouse, a Miami Beach condo, some French property and her dog Tiger Trump are among the items to be split between Ivana Trump’s kids, a former nanny and a mysterious friend."
• Love cheese & hate tofu? 14 vegan obstacles & how to push past them - "A few weeks into Veganuary, you may be wondering how to keep a plant-based lifestyle going. Whether you’re worried about supplements, expense or food aversions, here’s everything you need to know."
• The battle of the standards: why the US & UK can’t stop fighting the metric system - "Metric units have conquered the globe, but in the US and the UK, their presence has become part of a culture war between ‘traditional’ and ‘progressive’ values."
• How donkeys changed the course of human history - "From bearing the burdens of the Roman Empire to enabling trade over long distances, the humble donkey has been surprisingly influential."
• Netflix streaming turns 16 today, which explains its non-committal temperament - "The teenage streaming years have presented the company with major competitors from the likes of Amazon and Apple, but 16 years ago it was all about mailing DVDs and Blockbuster."
• Gina Lollobrigida, Italian star of the 1950s & 60s, dies aged 95 - "Actor and photojournalist best known for appearances in films such as Beat the Devil, Solomon and Sheba and Buona Sera, Mrs Campbell."
• How to share your location using an iPhone - "Use Messages, Maps, Family Sharing and more to let people know where you are."
• All the Data Apple Collects About You & How to Limit It - "Cupertino puts privacy first in a lot of its products. But the company still gathers a bunch of your information."
• Switzerland’s Most Luxurious Lakeview Hotels - "Switzerland. A place where there is 'No Drama', as Roger Federer likes to say. Instead, Switzerland has beautiful lakes, perfect landscapes, nature, the Alps - and endless views. See for yourself."
• 6 tourist destinations around the world where you CAN'T take photos - "Photography is banned at these tourist hotspots - and some of them even consider it a crime!"
• Boss explains the 'coffee cup test' he uses in every job interview to decide who not to hire - "The tech company boss said those who fail the test would be blacklisted for any future positions. He added: 'You can develop skills, you can gain knowledge and experience but it really does come down to attitude, and the attitude that we talk a lot about is the concept of 'wash your coffee cup.'"
• The 10 Most Expensive Private Jets in The World - "Worth US$900,000,000." Luxury Zone. YouTube 12:15.
• Rarest whiskies tot up as a world-class investment - "Rarest whiskies tot up as a world-class investment ... Rare whiskies are being sold for huge amounts at auction as interest grows."

January 16, 2023

• Europe’s warm winter is robbing Putin of a trump card - "Ever since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine, one question has troubled European governments more than almost any other: What happens if Moscow turns off the gas? The threat of cutting Russian gas supplies for European countries, many of whom have relied on it for years to heat their homes and power their factories, was a trump card that Putin could play if the war he started last February dragged into a long winter."
• It's now minus 50 in the world's coldest city - "The city of Yakutsk in east Siberia, widely identified as one of the coldest places in the world, has seen an abnormally long cold snap."
• Prince Harry shocks audience with more than 15 references to his private parts in bombshell memoir - "Prince Harry's frequent references to his 'penis' and 'todger' in new memoir, 'Spare,' has shocked readers."
• Why wealth matters. The Global Wealth Report - "The most comprehensive and up-to-date resource of its kind. Our Global wealth report analyzes the household wealth of 5.2 billion people across the globe."
• Call for new taxes on super-rich after 1% pocket two-thirds of all new wealth - "$26tn of new wealth created since start of pandemic went to richest, Oxfam report reveals."
• Nike is going all in on luxury-obsessed Gen Z - "Nike CEO John Donahoe on CNBC this week said the company is focused on Gen Z in China. Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, spent big this holiday season. Other sneaker brands, including JD Sports and Anta, also are targeting the generation."
• What is Blue Monday & is it really the most depressing day of the year? - "The third Monday in January has been coined 'Blue Monday' and is suggested to be the saddest day of the year."
• How ChatGPT Hijacks Democracy - "Launched just weeks ago, ChatGPT is already threatening to upend how we draft everyday communications like emails, college essays and myriad other forms of writing. Created by the company OpenAI, ChatGPT is a chatbot that can automatically respond to written prompts in a manner that is sometimes eerily close to human."
• Men may not ‘perceive’ domestic tasks as needing doing in the same way as women, philosophers argue - "By adding a gender dimension to the theory of 'affordance perception' and applying it to the home, a new hypothesis may help answer questions of why women still shoulder most housework, and why men never seem to notice." University of Cambridge.
• The five-minute fix: how to improve your fitness, strength & posture at super-quick speed - "In the time it takes to make a cup of tea, you can build your core muscles, increase hip flexibility and stave off the effects of sitting at your desk all day."
• Hunting for Truffles Is a Perilous Pursuit, Especially for the Dogs Who Dig - "Truffles are big business, and some are trying to take out the competition by poisoning the dogs that accompany those known as 'truffle hunters.'"
• Are Protein Bars Actually Good for You? - "Or are they just glorified candy bars? Despite the advertising, though, nutrition experts say that protein bars aren't all that healthy. 'You can put 'keto' or 'protein' on a candy bar and sell it, and people don't even question it,' said Janet Chrzan, an adjunct assistant professor of nutritional anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania."
• 8 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PALM OIL - "Our palm oil scorecard shows that many of the foods we eat are still contributing to deforestation. Here’s what you need to know."
• Ten little-known facts about Martin Luther King - "As America pauses to honour Dr Martin Luther King, Jr's legacy, experts say his fight against poverty and inequality is still just as relevant today as it was during the US civil rights movement."
• The Evolution of the Men’s Wristwatch - "A Decade-by-Decade Guide."
• How extinct animals could be brought back from the dead - "From an Australian frog that swallowed its own eggs to woolly mammoths, scientists are getting ever closer to being able to bring long-lost species back from the dead."

January 15, 2023

• China says 60,000 people have died of Covid since early December - "Close to 60,000 people have died of Covid in China since the country abruptly abandoned its tight 'zero-Covid' policy in early December, a medical official from the National Health Commission (NHC) told a press conference in Beijing on Saturday."
• Greta Thunberg calls for protest against expansion of German coalmine - "Climate activist also denounced ‘police violence’ against campaigners at the abandoned village of Lützerath."
• Davos’s elite will need to do some soul-searching in a world falling apart - "The first proper World Economic Forum for three years will take place against a humbling backdrop of crisis and conflict."
• Jesus baptism site makeover aims to draw a million Christians in 2030 - "Today the River Jordan lacks its biblical proportions, but some 200,000 visitors still flock to the traditional spot for Christian baptisms in Jordan in a typical year."
• Why Prince Harry is such a threat to a certain kind of man - "The tension between the Prince’s two personas is really a microcosm of a wider cultural clash between different versions of masculinity. In the so-called 'culture war' that the Sussexes have found themselves embroiled in, millennial masculinity has become a key battleground."
• The State of Kate - "Catherine, Princess of Wales, seems to live in a state of perpetual waiting. What does that do to a woman?"
• The chess variants changing the professional game for good - "From classical to bullet, the different variants of chess explained."
• Last orders: how we fell out of love with alcohol - "More and more young people are choosing not to drink. But what would society be like without alcohol? And could a new alcohol substitute really give us a risk-free buzz?"
• Trying to Live a Day Without Plastic - "It’s all around us, despite its adverse effects on the planet. In a 24-hour experiment, one journalist tried to go plastic free."
• ORIENT EXPRESS SILENSEAS - "The legendary train heads out to sea as the world's largest sailing ship is unveiled. 140 years after the launch of its first luxury trains, the Orient Express legend continues with the unveiling of the world’s largest sailing ship, Orient Express Silenseas. This revolution in maritime history is an ambitious undertaking that pushes the limits of what is possible. The result of a unique French partnership between world leader in hospitality Accor and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, a globally leading shipbuilding company, this extraordinary sailing yacht of the future with spectacular interiors will set sail in 2026."
• How to use your phone to find hidden cameras - "If the camera is using an infrared light, your phone can pick up what your eyes can’t."

January 14, 2023

• Prince Harry Tells Anderson Cooper He Didn't Believe Princess Diana Was Dead - "On 60 Minutes tonight, Prince Harry shared that for 'many, many years' he thought his mother was still alive."
• The Royal Family Reads the Tabloids at Breakfast Every Morning, According to Prince Harry - "'It's laid out at breakfast when everyone comes together,' Harry told Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes."
• China residents scramble to secure Western medications amid Covid drug shortages - "Frustration is rising over Covid drug shortages in China, and there are no easy answers."
• CDC identifies possible safety issue with Pfizer’s updated Covid-19 vaccine but says people should still get boosted - "The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that there is a possible safety issue with the bivalent Covid-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech but that it is unlikely to represent a true risk. The agency said it continues to recommend that people stay up-to-date with Covid-19 vaccines."
• Private jet emissions quadrupled during Davos 2022 - "Climate campaigners accuse leaders of hypocrisy as flights emit as much CO2 in a week as 350,000 cars."
• COP28: Why has an oil boss been chosen to head climate summit? - "The United Arab Emirates has named the head of the state oil company, Sultan Al Jaber, as the president of this year's UN climate conference, COP28. But how can one man dedicate himself both to selling fossil fuels and tackling the climate crisis?"
• Julia Roberts Learns She Isn't Actually a 'Roberts' After DNA Test: 'My Mind is Blown' - "Julia Roberts discovered a centuries-old marital affair involving her great-great-grandfather on PBS' Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr."
• Bill Gates wants you to know that he still doesn’t use an iPhone - "Bill Gates has said many times that he prefers Android over iPhone, and that apparently hasn’t changed. In a recent 'Ask Me Anything' on Reddit, the Microsoft co-founder revealed that he unsurprisingly hasn’t made the switch to an iPhone nor does he use an iPad, Mac, or Microsoft Surface Duo."
• Mega Millions US$1.35 billion jackpot won in Maine - "Friday the 13th proved to be a very lucky day for one lottery player and it's the seventh time that the Mega Millions has been won on a Friday the 13th. The estimated $1.35 billion with a cash option of $724.6 million was won by someone in Maine, according to the Mega Millions website. It was the only ticket to match all six balls correctly. The prize was the second largest Mega Millions ever and fourth largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history."
• 10 TV Shows to Look Forward To in 2023 - "2023 is poised to be a bumper year for TV. From the juggernauts that are set to return, to the new hard-hitting dramas and literary adaptations that are due to dominate water cooler conversations, these are the 10 upcoming shows worth cancelling plans for."
• The first Orient Express cruise ship will set sail in 2026 - "Orient Express Silenseas: The Legendary Train Heads Out to Sea as the World’s Largest Sailing Ship Is Unveiled."
• Your Gas Stove May Be Killing You. How Much Should You Worry? - "The dangers are well documented. Gas-fired water heaters - even the more efficient, tankless kind - regularly puff out clouds of methane, a greenhouse gas that, in the short term, traps at least 100 times more atmospheric heat than carbon dioxide (per unit). Every minute that it’s in your house, even when it’s turned off, your gas stove may be flatulating dangerous pollutants and climate-warming gases into your kitchen."
• US-born princess vows to stay in Rome villa despite eviction order - "Saga continues over property housing Caravaggio’s only ceiling fresco as fifth auction fails to attract bids."
• Five famous artworks that were accidentally hung upside-down - "Art will always inspire and provoke, but it also continues to baffle and confound. To kick off the New Year, we look at some of the lighter examples of a world turned upside-down, with even some of the most experienced curators not quite getting the hang of it."
• Lisa Marie Presley to be laid to rest at Graceland - "'Lisa Marie’s final resting place will be at Graceland, next to her beloved son Ben,' said a representative for her 33-year-old daughter, Riley Keough. She is also survived by twin 14-year-old daughters Finley and Harper."
• Another viral iPod app was pulled from Apple’s App Store - "Retro Pod, which turns your iPhone into an iPod, amassed hundreds of thousands of downloads before it was removed from the App Store."
• Study links sugary drinks to male hair loss - "A new Nutrients journal study explored the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and Male pattern hair loss (MPHL) in young men in China."

January 13, 2023

• Prince Harry’s memoir Spare shifts more than 1.4m copies in a day - "The much-anticipated account of the troubled prince’s life has broken publisher’s previous record for first-day sales in the UK, US and Canada."
• Spare by Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex - on Amazon.com.
• Is Harry the next James Corden? The prince’s TV appearances, in order of greatness - "After a week of major TV stand-offs - some with added tequila shots - the spare to the throne hasn’t stumbled. He’s a smooth operator ... and truly his mother’s son."
• Covid cases in China touch 900 million - study - "Some 900 million people in China have been infected with the coronavirus as of 11 January, according to a study by Peking University."
• Study: Exxon Mobil accurately predicted warming since 1970s - "The study in the journal Science Thursday looked at research that Exxon funded that didn’t just confirm what climate scientists were saying, but used more than a dozen different computer models that forecast the coming warming with precision equal to or better than government and academic scientists."
• Elon Musk breaks Guinness World Record for largest loss of personal fortune - "Elon Musk can add a new title to his resume: Guinness World Record holder. The 'Technoking' of Tesla made it into the record books thanks to an abysmal 2022 which saw his fortune shrink by $182 billion, the organization announced Friday in a release that cited data from Forbes."
• Inside Lisa Marie Presley's final week - "Elvis's daughter, 54, 'had become a recluse' and looked 'incredibly sad' as she gave poignant speech to fans at Graceland just days before her death."
• How diarrhea gave us an iconic Indiana Jones scene - "Raiders of the Lost Ark is iconic for many reasons, but one of its most memorable scenes only came to be because Harrison Ford needed to be near a toilet."
• 8 Most Expensive Jewelry Brands - "Here are the brands that make some timeless, elegant pieces and managed to establish their names for centuries."
• The hidden history of Versailles - "Louis XIV's iconic "bachelor pad" is one of the most-visited palaces in the world. But to understand his vision for the place, leave the crowds, head outside and hop on a bike."
• The best islands in Europe for getting away from almost everyone - "From legendary nightlife hotspots to volcanic outposts far off the continent's mainland, Europe has islands in spades. But for every Mykonos, Ibiza or Santorini, there's someplace lesser known and equally lovely to escape to where you can ditch the crowds and get closer to nature."
• Hunting for Nazi gold in a Dutch village - "Exasperated residents have appealed to treasure-hunters to stay away after they descended on the Dutch village of Ommeren searching for riches potentially worth millions, allegedly hidden by Nazi soldiers during World War Two."
• Chocolate coats tongue to give melt-in-mouth sensation, study finds - "Scientists say sensual discovery could be used to design low-fat product that mimics feel of high fat."
• Humans Still Have The Genes For a Full Coat of Fur, Scientists Discover - "Fur is a defining feature of being a mammal. But bald is beautiful for several mammalian weirdos, including dolphins, mole rats, elephants, and of course, humans. Not to mention a handy adaptation. Yet all our ancestors had plenty of fur. According to a new study on relatively hairless mammals, we still have the means to be hirsute. Those genes, it seems, have simply been switched off."
• Elvis Presley’s Dilapidated Private Jet Sat in the Desert for 40 Years. It Just Sold for $260,000 - "Noting her husband's love of winged transport, Priscilla Presley spoke about the King's aircraft collection at the auction."
• F.D.A. Approves New Treatment for Early Alzheimer’s - "The drug, Leqembi, may modestly slow cognitive decline in early stages of the disease but carries some safety risks. Still, data suggests it is more promising than the small number of other available treatments."
• Aging can be reversed in mice. Are people next? - "Old mice grow young again in study. Can people do the same? In Boston labs, old, blind mice have regained their eyesight, developed smarter, younger brains and built healthier muscle and kidney tissue. On the flip side, young mice have prematurely aged, with devastating results to nearly every tissue in their bodies."
• Adidas loses stripes row trademark battle with luxury designer Thom Browne - "The sportswear giant argued that luxury brand Thom Browne Inc's four stripes were too similar to its three stripes. Browne argued that shoppers were unlikely to confuse the two brands as - among other reasons - his had a different number of stripes. Adidas had planned to ask for more than $7.8m in damages - but a jury in New York sided with Browne."
• the simple error that 16% of us make - "Why some people can't tell left from right. It can seem like an almost childish mistake, but a surprising number of adults confuse left from right and scientists are only just starting to understand why."
• Third-party app brings Dynamic Island to any iPhone, but is it just a party trick? - "A developer has just brought the Dynamic Island - currently exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max - to any iPhone running iOS 16 through iOS 16.1.2. While the Pro iPhones have a physically different shape to the screen for this island, the software portion is still able to be run in the location of the notch on previous iPhones and show directions, battery charging, and currently playing media in the updated style."
• LVMH Watch Week 2023: Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton - "The Defy Skyline collection is celebrated by the new and innovative Defy Skyline Skeleton, ramping up the design of the Skyline with a solid example of 'skeletonization.' And when paired with the openworked version of Zenith’s famed El Primero movement visible through the dial side of the watch, as well as through the caseback, the result is dramatic and overtly architectural. The Defy Skyline Skeleton is available in two color variations: blue and black. Both are priced at $11,000."
• Electric air dusters rock - "It’s a simple low-tech device and seems fairly obvious, but if you don’t have one, it can change your life."

January 12, 2023

• How to know when it’s time to walk away from a sibling - "As Prince Harry’s accounts of a troubled relationship with his brother, Prince William, in his new memoir 'Spare' make waves, you may be wondering if there’s any hope for a relationship so fraught - especially if you’re navigating a similar sort of rift."
• 11 Takeaways From Prince Harry’s Memoir, ‘Spare’ - "The much-anticipated book offers few revelations, in the wake of leaks and high-profile interviews, but it tucks familiar incidents into a broader narrative."
• Does the Royal Family Have Any Secrets Left? - "Last night’s Golden Globes were ... eventful! ... but the talk of the town still seems to be the rollout of Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare. Emerging details are delicious and moreish: Sibling fisticuffs! A frostbitten penis! Losing one’s virginity to a pony girl in a field! King Charles doing a headstand in his boxer shorts!?"
• King Charles III's Coronation on Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey - "Everything you need to know. When is King Charles III Coronation, what happens during the ceremony, will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle be there, and when is the extra bank holiday? Q&A on historic day for UK."
• Elon Musk breaks world record for largest loss of personal fortune in history - "The tech billionaire has reportedly lost $182bn since November 2021, largely due to the drop in Tesla’s share price."
• Boris Johnson reportedly joked about being at ‘UK’s most unsocially distanced party’ during lockdown - "Former prime minister allegedly made remarks to No 10 staff at alcohol-fuelled leaving do."
• SAG Awards 2023 Nominations: The Complete List, Snubs & Surprises - "'The Banshees of Inisherin' and 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' pick up important nods. Michelle Williams is shut out."
• What Is an Acceptable Age Gap Between Partners? - "Now there's a general rule that always starts this game. The equation, of course: Half your age then add seven to work out if someone is too young for you to date; take seven off your age then double it to work out if someone is too old for you to date."
• You Can Do This 10-Minute Workout at Home With No Equipment - "Build strength and mobility anywhere, anytime."
• Sitting too much is bad for your health, but offsetting the impact is easy, study shows - "Five minutes of light walking every half hour can help alleviate some of the increased risk that comes with sitting for long stretches of the day, according to the study published Thursday in the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine."
• 10 Most Expensive Sunglasses In The World - "Cartier, Dolce & Gabana And Other Fancy Brands. What are the most expensive sunglasses in the world for 2023? Unbelievably, They cost more than a Ferrari FF. The Chopard Sunglasses at $400,000 tops the list. Using a special technique, sunglasses maker De Rigo used diamonds that are laid out so closely together they refract fiery brilliance. It’s been worn by big names like Elton John, Tom Jones and Gwyneth Paltrow. For the complete list of the top ten most expensive sunglasses, we’ve updated this list for 2023."

January 11, 2023

• Golden Globes 2023: The Banshees of Inisherin & The Fabelmans win big - "The 80th annual ceremony saw a diverse slate of winners as host Jerrod Carmichael took shots at its troubled history."
• Golden Globe winners list - "See who won at the Golden Globes."
• Golden Globes 2023 red carpet: Margot Robbie, Jenna Ortega, Michelle Yeoh & others - in pictures - "On this year’s red carpet many of the men wear colour, while others embrace a more gothic mood."
• Prince Harry shows off necklace broken by William - with charms for his children - "Prince Harry revealed he has since fixed the necklace his brother William allegedly ripped off his neck in an ugly row during his latest TV interview with Stephen Colbert."
• This Is What Shanghai’s Covid Outbreak Looks Like - "Shanghai is being gripped by China’s massive Covid wave, leading to a surge in hospitalizations and crowded funeral homes. Local health officials said last week that up to 70 percent of the city’s 26 million residents had been infected, and they expressed confidence that its outbreak had peaked."
• The covert winter wave of Covid-19 - "The coronavirus that caused the pandemic has largely vanished from public discourse - but it's still causing deaths."
• Oceans were the hottest ever recorded in 2022, analysis shows - "Seas dominate global weather patterns and the climate crisis is causing profound and damaging changes."
• What happens when a huge ship sinks? A step-by-step guide to averting disaster - "From the EverGiven blocking the Suez, to the Costa Concordia cruise ship hitting a reef, what exactly do you do when a vessel comes to grief - and how do you prevent catastrophic pollution?"
• Revered Danish restaurant Noma to close for reinvention at end of 2024 - "Copenhagen eatery, regularly ranked as one of world’s best, will become a test kitchen, billed as a food laboratory."
• Alchemist: Is this the world's most creative restaurant? - "In a former theatre set building workshop, chef Rasmus Munk and his team offer Michelin-starred meals from food waste, drinks from rabbit's ears and a new way to look at food."
• The Scandinavian folk clothing right for now - "How do you respect tradition while also making sure you feel like yourself? Matilda Welin explores how re-invented, non-binary national dress is gaining popularity with a new generation."
• The world's most powerful passport for 2023 revealed - "A trio of Asian passports offer their holders greater global travel freedom than those of any other countries, according to a new quarterly report released by London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners."
• 'Shamefully good': Stephen Colbert reacts to Tom Hanks' new cocktail creation - "During an appearance on 'The Late Show,' actor Tom Hanks recreated his unusual cocktail creation with host Stephen Colbert. See how the duo react to The Diet Cokagne, a mix of Diet Coke and champagne."
• Duncan Taylor Releases An Exceptionally Rare 52-Year-Old Macallan - "Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky, one of Scotland’s legendary independent bottlers, has announced the release of an exceptionally rare 52 YO Macallan single malt Scotch whisky. The release is part of Duncan Taylor’s “Rarest of the Rare” portfolio."
• Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here’s how to stay focused - "'With the exception of a few rare individuals, there is no such thing as multitasking. Unless one of the tasks is automatic, like chewing gum or walking, you cannot do two effortful things at the same time.'"
• Ice rink opens 100 floors above New York - "Where to go ice skating 100 floors above New York City streets. Edge at Hudson Yards, the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere, is opening up an ice skating rink on Tuesday. A 1,024 square foot rink has been placed in the indoor portion of the sky deck, but skaters will still be able to take in the New York City skyline as they make their way around the rink."
• Restored Pompeii house offers extraordinary glimpse into life in Italy's ancient city - "A Pompeii house most likely owned and filled with ancient art by two freed slaves is open to the public after 20 years of restoration."
• Last king of Greece, Constantine II, dies aged 82 - "Constantine was forced into exile in 1967 after clashing with military rulers, who later abolished monarchy."
• Everyone deserves a Pinecil - "The Pinecil by Pine64 (makers of single-board computers and affordable Linux laptops) is an efficient, nimble soldering iron that runs on an open-source firmware called IronOS by Ralim. It has a bright little OLED screen, easy-to-understand controls, a 32-bit RISC-V SOC, and can be powered by either a DC adapter or a USB-C charger."

January 10, 2023

• Spare by Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex - on Amazon.com.
• Spare by Prince Harry review - a flawed attempt to reclaim the narrative - "By turns sympathetic and absurd, this is a memoir that deals in the tropes of tabloid storytelling even as it lambasts them."
• The key takeaways from Prince Harry’s explosive memoir - "Harry reveals who first called to inform him about the ailing Queen."
• Prince Harry says any return to royal fold would be ‘unsurvivable’ - "In US interview to promote book, Duke of Sussex also points finger at Camilla but says she is not an ‘evil stepmother’."
• Harry: The Interview review - so horribly sad it could have turned the Queen anti-monarchy - "In the space of one hour and 40 minutes, the king’s second son is moving, charming - and absolutely devastates the royals and all they stand for."
• Why Has America Fallen So Hard for Harry & Meghan? - "Whether out of Anglophilia, nostalgia, masochism, traditionalism or just a particular strain of fealty to the rich and famous, America’s quixotic devotion to the British monarchy remains strong. What, then, explains America’s particular crush on the semiroyal Sussexes? Harry and Meghan haven’t been especially kind to the monarchy since fleeing Frogmore, their renovated royal 'cottage,' in 2020. Nor did they ever fully deliver on the prospect of an American infiltration of the crown."
• Meghan & Harry are ordered to evacuate as Montecito residents are told to 'LEAVE NOW' - "A relentless string of storms has slammed the Golden State, swamping roads, battering coastlines with high surf, turning rivers into gushing flood zones and forcing the evacuation of thousands in towns with histories of deadly mudslides."
• The Juiciest Royal Memoirs to Snap Up Right Now - "'In honor of Prince Harry's tell-all, find our favorite royal reads of years past.'"
• The Golden Globes: How to Watch the Show’s Rehabilitation Attempt - "The group that puts on the ceremony has promised reforms since it plunged into scandal two years ago. On Tuesday, it will try to win back viewers."
• A green comet will appear in the night sky for the first time in 50,000 years - "Discovered on March 2, 2022 by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility’s wide-field survey camera at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, the comet will make its closest approach to the sun on January 12, according to NASA. Named C/2022 E3 (ZTF), the comet has an orbit around the sun that passes through the outer reaches of the solar system, which is why it’s taken such a long journey - and long time - to swing by Earth again, according to The Planetary Society."
• Ozone layer may be restored in decades, UN report says - "Human action to save the ozone layer has worked as hoped, and it may recover in just decades, the UN says."
• Omicron offshoot XBB.1.5 could drive new Covid-19 surge in US - "On Friday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Covid-19 variant dashboard revealed a new dark horse that could soon sweep the field: XBB.1.5."
• Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy & Hold In 2023 - "Take the best of Warren Buffett's portfolio and you're likely to beat the market, again and again. Two of his big winners in 2022 include ChevronCVX -0.8% (CVXCVX -0.9%) and Occidental PetroleumOXY +0.5% (OXY), up about 52% and 116%, respectively in 2022. That's incredible performance in a year the S&P 500 is down 18%."
• A.I. Is Becoming More Conversant. But Will It Get More Honest? - "At a new website called Character.AI, you can chat with a reasonable facsimile of almost anyone, live or dead, real or (especially) imagined."
• China's airlines launch new routes for 2023 - Where Chinese tourists are flying this year. A few significant new routes are also making it easier than ever for travelers in Budapest, Istanbul, Johannesburg and other major cities to visit China - and vice versa.
• Why reclining seats are vanishing from airplanes - The airplane seat recline button - so controversial that it inspired an entire micro-industry of devices to stop the passenger in front leaning into your space. At one point in time all economy class airline seats had built-in recline. Today, there are entire seat models that simply don't have the option.
• Why is Spotify full of faster versions of pop hits? Let’s bring you up to speed - "Sped-up versions of existing songs are becoming more popular than the original versions. But who’s behind the trend?"
• The top 3 ways to prevent so many diseases - "Extend your life with these New Year’s resolutions. Looking for New Year’s resolutions that can extend your life? Master these three science-based healthy habits during 2023, and you’ll reduce stress, improve your sleep, raise your immunity, lower inflammation, increase muscle strength and mobility, boost your brain power and mood, battle disease and more - all keys to a long, happy life."
• How to eat to live longer, according to a new study - "You can reduce your risk of an early death for any reason by nearly 20%, just by eating more foods from your choice of four healthy eating patterns, according to a new study. People who more carefully followed any of the healthy eating patterns - which all share a focus on consuming more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes - were also less likely to die from cancer, cardiovascular illness, and respiratory and neurodegenerative disease."
• Why hasn't ET phoned Earth? Maybe aliens are waiting for the exact right moment - "A new search for alien signals focuses on planetary transits, when exoplanets pass right in front of their suns."
• The King's Highway: The road that reveals Jordan's history - "It's mentioned in the Bible, it been used by a succession of empires and it links some of Jordan's most important historical sites."
• What parents get wrong about childhood 'milestones' - "Developmental milestones are an important medical tool - but is our obsession with them causing unintended harm?"
• Exploring Bentley Mulliner Edition: A One-Of-A-Kind Luxury Experience - "It's always nice to drive a Bentley, but when it comes to the Mulliner Edition vehicles, it's an elevated level of customization with unique design characteristics you won't find on any other Bentley. Want a Bentley to match your prive jet? No problem."
• The most prized vinyl record in the world - "On paper, that title goes to the Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. The album resides as the most expensive record ever sold by far. In 2015, it was bought for $2 million by the disgraced pharmaceutical mogul Martin Shkreli. However, that wasn’t because it was a mystic rarity. In fact, the price was manipulated because the hip-hop collective only produced one single copy and enshrined it in a glitzy box, along with a contract that stipulated that the owner cannot sell or attempt to make money from the album for 88 years."

January 9, 2023

• Prince Harry could be barred from the US - "Has put visa 'at risk' after his admission he has taken drugs."
• Prince Harry defends tell-all memoir in furious ITV interview - "King, queen consort and Prince William all criticised as Harry says silence ‘allows the abuser to abuse’."
• 90% of people in China province infected with Covid, says local health official - "Data from the health commission for central Henan suggests 88 million people in the province may have had the virus."
• CES 2023 in Photos: Welcome to Gadgetville, USA - "WIRED photographer Roger Kisby captures the glory, madness, and optimism of the consumer tech extravaganza."
• Has the Amazon Reached Its ‘Tipping Point’? - "Some Brazilian scientists fear that the Amazon may become a grassy savanna - with profound effects on the climate worldwide."
• Global pollinator losses causing 500,000 early deaths a year - study - "Insect declines mean reduced yields of healthy foods like fruit and vegetables and increased disease in people."
• Will the metaverse be your new workplace? - "When we look back in 50 years' time, it is likely that the 2D internet we now all use will seem laughably archaic."
• The rise of flashy new job titles - "What's the problem with inventing flashy new job titles? Employees’ roles and seniority have generally been defined with straightforward terms. But new - even somewhat arbitrary - titles are emerging as work changes. What’s the harm?"
• HISTORIC SALES RECORD COMPLETES LANDMARK YEAR FOR ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS - "Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reports record 6,021 sales in 2022, up 8% on same period in 2021. Highest value Bespoke commissions in the marque's 118-year history reflect company’s position as a true House of Luxury."
• Kathleen Turner on booze, health & falling in love with Michael Douglas - "‘I’ll never drink like that again.’"

January 8, 2023

• This destination is No. 1 on Chinese travelers' bucket list - "Where are Chinese travelers heading now that borders have reopened? The most popular destinations so far are Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand, based on Trip.com Group bookings. For long-haul destinations, the US, UK and Australia lead the pack."
• Why now is the best time to book your 2023 vacation - "The year's off to a dramatic start with storms lashing the United States' West Coast, a renewed volcanic eruption in Hawaii, and January heat records in Europe that are forcing some ski resorts to close due to a lack of snow. But it's still looking like a great year to travel."
• The Verge’s best of CES 2023 - "Rounding up the best and boldest tech news to come out of Las Vegas in 2023."
• Why Prince Harry can't stop oversharing - "What we’re seeing is a little brother desperate to fight back against a lifetime of feeling inferior, but doing so in the dirtiest way possible."
• Watch: William & Harry, a life in the spotlight. Royal brothers through the years - "From birth the brother's lives have been closely watched by fans and critics alike."
• Prince Harry’s book could be ‘beginning of end’ for royals, warns Charles’s biographer - "Catherine Mayer says anger over racism, misogyny and wealth in the royal family can undermine public consent for a monarchy."
• How Zelenskiy became Hollywood’s man of the hour - "From Ben Stiller to Jessica Chastain, celebrities have embraced Ukraine’s president and offered support to the country’s war effort."
• How to really torch plenty of calories walking on a treadmill - "Walking has long been lauded as one of the best exercises for overall health. This physical activity can strengthen your heart, lower blood pressure, keep your bones strong and burn calories. When done outside, you reap the additional benefits that come from spending time in nature, such as lower levels of stress, improved attention and a better mood. It’s not always possible to take your daily constitutional alfresco though. When the weather or other factors drive you indoors, consider a treadmill workout instead."
• The promise of batteries that come from trees - "As demand for electric vehicles soars, scientists are searching for materials to make sustainable batteries. Lignin, the stuff that makes trees woody, is shaping up to be a strong contender."
• I am a housesitter & stay in amazing places all over the world for free - "Fancy staying in a mansion or lakeside pad for absolutely nothing? Sign up as a housesitter and the place is yours in return for pet care and plant-watering duties."
• Last Crumb: The World’s Most Luxurious Cookie Launches New Platinum Collection - "If you’re a fan of cookies and super exclusive limited availability then Last Crumb is right up your alley. This LA-based cookie company is known for its cookie drops that sell out in minutes and the price tag on these babies is not cheap, yet they sell out time and time again - which is a true testament to how ooey, gooey, and delicious they are. Founded by longtime friends Derek Jaeger and Alana Arnold, Last Crumb launched in August of 2020 and almost instantly there was a waitlist to get ahold of these shareable cookies."
• Rolex Rolls Out New 2023 Prices - "Rolex has rolled out newly hiked prices on some models to kick off 2023. We break down the Europe and US increases."

January 7, 2023

• Spare by Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex - "It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow - and horror. As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling - and how their lives would play out from that point on. For Harry, this is that story at last." On Amazon.com.
• What’s in Prince Harry’s memoir Spare? Here’s all we know so far - "Duke of Sussex writes about tussles with his brother, that Nazi uniform, his mother’s death, and losing his virginity."
• Chameleon cars, urine scanners & other standouts from CES 2023 - "AI-ovens, dual-display or 3D screen laptops and satellite SOS texting shine at Las Vegas tech show."
• The Verge Awards at CES 2023 - "At a show of wild concepts and far-out tech, this year’s best gadgets got real."
• The best of CES 2023 - "Engadget's top picks from 11 categories, and our overall favorite from this year's show."
• The Mediterranean Diet Really Is That Good for You. Here’s Why - "It has become the bedrock of virtuous eating. Experts answer common questions about how it leads to better health."
• Here’s what will drive markets this year - "Welcome to the first trading day of 2023. Markets are pushing higher but don’t get comfortable just yet - if last year taught us anything it’s to expect the unexpected."
• 11 of the best TV shows to watch this January - "Caryn James picks out the biggest offerings - from HBO's adaptation of hit videogame The Last of Us to Rian Johnson's murder mystery series Poker Face and reality show The Traitors."
• Mystery of why Roman buildings have survived so long has been unraveled, scientists say - "They found that white chunks in the concrete, referred to as lime clasts, gave the concrete the ability to heal cracks that formed over time. The white chunks previously had been overlooked as evidence of sloppy mixing or poor-quality raw material."
• Iconic 90s velvet gown owned by Princess Diana is headed to auction - "It might not be as famous as her head-turning 'revenge dress,' but an aubergine-colored silk velvet piece is still one of Princess Diana's most iconic gowns. The late royal wore it for both an official royal portrait in 1991 and an intimate Vanity Fair spread in 1997, just before her death."
• Meghan Markle Used A Neumann Mic To Make Her Spotify Podcasts Sound Warm & Engaging - "When Spotify signed up Meghan Markle - the Duchess of Sussex - to present a series of podcasts for a staggering $20m, the streaming giant was duty-bound to ensure the Duchess sounded great. The words in the podcast may have been Meghan’s, but the sound of those words was down to Neumann, the legendary German microphone manufacturer that’s part of the Sennheiser Group."
• United said it had this woman's missing bag. She tracked it to a residential address - "The story she has to tell of how her bag was lost and found, and how United Airlines dealt with her case, is enough to make you never check a bag again."
• Witchcraft beliefs around the world: An exploratory analysis - "Witchcraft beliefs are a global contemporary phenomenon that is not restricted to just a few selected areas."
• Norges Bank Investment Management | Government Pension Fund Global - "We work to safeguard and build financial wealth for future generations." The aim of the oil fund is to ensure responsible and long-term management of revenue from Norway’s oil and gas resources, so that this wealth benefits both current and future generations. The fund’s formal name is the Government Pension Fund Global. The fund's market value: 12 876 282 696 080 NOK as of December 7, 2023.

January 6, 2023

• China Covid: Celebrity deaths spark fears over death toll - "The growing number of Chinese public figures whose deaths are being made public is prompting people to question the official Covid death toll."
• China Covid: Young people self-infect as fears for elderly grow - "When Mr Chen's 85-year-old father fell ill with Covid in December, it was impossible to get an ambulance or see a doctor. They went to Chaoyang Hospital in Beijing, where they were told to either try other hospitals or sit in the corridor with an IV drip."
• Half of glaciers will be gone by 2100 even under Paris 1.5C accord, study finds - "If global heating continues at current rate of 2.7C, losses will be greater with 68% of glaciers disappearing."
• Prince Harry: One unanswered claim at the heart of his story - "At the heart of his story is one allegation that has gone entirely unanswered by the palace - that his family leaked and planted negative stories 'against me and my wife' to the press."
• 'Harry broke an unwritten rule': Veterans say Duke should never have revealed Taliban kills - "Duke writes in his memoir that he personally killed 25 fighters in Afghanistan. Colonel Richard Kemp said troops are not trained to treat fighters as 'subhuman'."
• Charles pleaded with sons Harry & William not to 'make my final years a misery' - "William attack claim, drugs admission and concerns about Camilla detailed in reports on Harry’s new book."
• ‘Mad Dog’ surfer dies riding giant waves in NazarÉ, Portugal - "Freire was one of the three Brazilian surfers who became known as the 'Mad Dogs' after conquering the giant wave 'Jaws' in Hawaii. They featured in the 2016 documentary Mad Dogs."
• King Charles made jokes about Prince Harry's 'real' dad - "Harry, 38, grew up amid public speculation that his true father was Princess Diana’s former lover Major James Hewitt."
• Jeremy Renner 'completely crushed' by snowplow - Jeremy Renner posts video update: ‘ICU spa moment to lift my spirits’.
• CES 2023 Day 1 recap: Catch up on the biggest news from the year's biggest tech show - "All the TV, car and laptop announcements you might have missed."
• 20 of the best films to watch in 2023 - "From Cocaine Bear and Barbie - starring Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie - to The Little Mermaid and Oppenheimer, and the latest instalments of Dune, Indiana Jones and Mission: Impossible, our critics pick the best releases slated for 2023."
• 12 Workouts to Try in 2023 - "This year, resolve to create a stable fitness routine out of whatever you enjoy most."
• How a Bit of Awe Can Improve Your Health - "Experts say wonder is an essential human emotion - and a salve for a turbulent mind."
• When did humans start wearing clothes? Discovery in Germany offers rare clue - "Archaeologists in Germany have uncovered some of the earliest evidence of the use of clothing, with newly discovered cut marks on a cave bear paw suggesting the prehistoric animals were skinned for their fur some 300,000 years ago."
• Why the world loves comfort foods - "Why not all comfort food is the same. Every food culture has certain dishes that people turn to in times of need. And no one food is a comfort food staple right across the world. Here's why."
• The New York Bakery Where Frank Sinatra Liked to Buy Pastries - "Founded in 1894 and run by members of the same family ever since, Veniero’s is an icon of Italian American New York."
• George Santos’ Cartier Santos Watch Is Worth $7,800 - Unless It’s A Fake - "International man of mystery George Santos reported for his first day in Congress wearing what appears to be a Cartier Santos, which retails for $7,800. At least, that’s what the real ones cost. Knockoffs go for just $150. An expert in luxury watches, who independently identified the timepiece for Forbes, cautioned that it is impossible to be sure of the type of watch—let alone its authenticity—from the available photos. Santos did not respond to emails, and calls to his office went straight to voice mail, which could not accept new messages."
• Need More iPhone Storage? You Can Get It Without Deleting Anything - "Stop removing photos, videos and apps from your phone to free up more storage on iOS."

January 5, 2023

• China ‘under-representing’ true impact of Covid outbreak, says WHO - "The World Health Organization has accused China of 'under-representing' the severity of its Covid outbreak and criticized its 'narrow' definition of what constitutes a Covid death, as top global health officials urge Beijing to share more data about the explosive spread."
• What is known about new Covid variant XBB.1.5? - "A new Covid sub-variant is causing some concern in the US, where it is spreading rapidly."
• Prince Harry details physical attack by brother William in new book - "Harry writes in new autobiography Spare that William ‘knocked me to the floor’ during confrontation in London in 2019."
• European ski resorts close because there's no snow - "Ski resorts across the Alps, particularly those in the lower regions, have temporarily shuttered their slopes as this warm weather, teamed with torrential rain, washes away December's snowfall."
• CES 2023: all the news from the year’s biggest tech conference - "At the year’s biggest tech show, we’ll see next-gen TVs, stylish laptop updates, questionable smart home tech, and a lot of strange and surprising gadgets."
• 10 of the best new luxury hotels opening in Asia in 2023 - "From a remote luxury lodge in the Himalayas to urban sanctuaries sporting ambitious designs, we've rounded up 10 hotels and resorts scheduled to open in 2023."
• From Barbie to Creed III: the 2023 films Guardian writers are most excited about - "The next 12 months offers a wide range of tantalising new movies. Here are the ones our critics are most intrigued about."
• The world's most punctual airlines in 2022 were... - "Welcome to 2023, where an airline actually being punctual is headline news. The airline in question is South American carrier Azul Brazilian Airlines, which last year had the best on-time performance globally, according to a new report by aviation analytics firm Cirium."
• The Etiquette Guru Who Broke Up With a Boyfriend Over Text - "Sara Jane Ho offers practical manners for a new, global world."
• How Benedict Cumberbatch's family made a fortune from slavery - "And why his roles in films like 12 Years A Slave are a bid to atone for their sins."
• The Somali gold rush endangering frankincense & myrrh - "The three kings of the biblical nativity carried three precious gifts to mark the birth of Jesus - but a modern-day gold rush in Somaliland is putting the ancient perfume trade in frankincense and myrrh at risk."
• The $100 Trillion Global Economy in One Chart - "Global GDP 2022."
• Top Heavy: Countries by Share of the Global Economy - "Countries by Share of the Global Economy."
• Japan's beloved slow-motion train - "The Japanese are obsessed with bullet trains - but they're equally smitten by those that aren't so speedy."
• Why AI audiobook narrators could win over some authors & readers, despite the vocal bumps - "Apple and Google’s AI turn in a booming market may sound less than human and raise the ire of voiceover actors, but it has cost benefits."
• Panasonic’s portable Nanoe X air purifier filters odors & pollutants while you drive - "Put away the Little Trees air freshener, Panasonic has a more advanced solution the next time you want to make your car smell its best. The small device can fit in most cup holders."
• Harry Winston Unveils Year Of The Rabbit Watch Based On The Jade Rabbit Legend - "For Chinese New Year, certain top watch brands help celebrate by introducing a timepiece geared for that year’s zodiac sign. This year’s Chinese New Year celebrates the rabbit, a creature that symbolizes generosity, ingenuity and empathy. Now, Harry Winston releases its Premier Chinese New Year Automatic 36mm watch, which recalls the legend of the Jade Rabbit."
• Sony & Honda just announced their new electric car brand, Afeela - "The two companies’ joint venture aim to have an EV ready for the North American market by 2026."
• 17 Surprising Ways You're Ruining Your Clothes - "You've been washing, folding, and storing your clothes all wrong."
• Glenfarclas’s New 50-Year-Old Single-Malt Scotch Whisky Is Limited to Just 836 Bottles - "And it was bottled at 50 percent ABV. In addition to winning Distiller of the Year at the 2023 Icons of Whisky Awards, the Speyside distillery just launched a 50-year-old single malt—and it’s not the first time this venerated whisky producer has released an expression this old."

January 4, 2023

• China’s President Xi battles to save face as Covid U-turn weakens his grip on power - "Despite public bullishness, overflowing hospitals across the country suggest its leader may have made a huge miscalculation."
• China threatens ‘countermeasures’ over other countries’ Covid travel restrictions - "US among several countries defending virus tests for China passengers as Beijing threatens to retaliate."
• European weather: Winter heat records smashed all over continent - "Temperatures for January have reached an all-time high in a number of nations across Europe."
• The expensive things LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault bought with his billions - "He has a staggering net worth that stands at US$190.8 Billion as on January 4, 2023. This makes one wonder how the business magnate spends his wealth and what the most expensive things owned by Bernard Arnault are. We take a look."
• Twitter sued over $136,260 in unpaid rent after Elon Musk takeover - "Landlord alleges the social media company owes back rent for its California Street branch in San Francisco."
• Infographic: The Longest Lasting Cars, in Miles - "When properly maintained, well-built cars can last an impressive amount of miles."
• The 7-Day Happiness Challenge - "Try these simple steps for a joyful, more connected 2023."
• ‘Eight hours’ sleep & you must eat breakfast!’ The truth behind 10 of the biggest health beliefs - "Should we really be aiming to walk 10,000 steps a day, or drink two litres of water? Time to sift fact from fiction."
• Why you are probably eating plastic - "How microplastics are infiltrating the food you eat. Plastic pollution is one of the defining legacies of our modern way of life, but it is now so widespread it is even finding its way into fruit and vegetables as they grow."
• Trouble falling asleep at night? Chase that daytime light, study shows - "Published online Dec. 7 in the Journal of Pineal Research, the study found that UW students fell asleep later in the evening and woke up later in the morning during - of all seasons - winter, when daylight hours on the UW’s Seattle campus are limited and the skies are notoriously overcast."
• Daytime light exposure is a strong predictor of seasonal variation in sleep & circadian timing of university students - "In the absence of electric light, sleep for humans typically starts soon after dusk and at higher latitudes daily sleep timing changes seasonally as photoperiod changes."
• The new aircraft, routes & airplane cabins taking off in 2023 - "IATA, the trade association for most airlines worldwide expects airlines to return to profitability in 2023 after a loss making 2022, mostly the result of a Covid-19 shutdown hangover, but also the rise in fuel prices. And long-awaited new airplanes could also be taking to the skies, helping usher in the next era of commercial aviation."
• These Are The Best & Worst Airlines Of The Year For Customer Service - "What are the best airlines of the year for customer service? Ask passengers, and they'll mention favorites like JetBlue and Southwest (despite that airline's holiday meltdown). And they'll criticize legacy carriers like American and United, and low-fare airlines that love to charge fees. Travelers have been doing a lot of talking lately."
• Space & Astronomy: What to Expect in 2023 - "As years in space and astronomy go, 2022 is going to be a tough act to follow."
• Would you be tempted by Brad Pitt's $370 face serum for men? - "From Harry Styles and Brad Pitt to Jared Leto, what's behind the A-list male beauty brand trend?"
• France urges energy firms to help bakers with soaring bills - "Energy suppliers are not doing enough to help France’s trademark bakeries cope with soaring energy bills, Finance Minister Bruno le Maire said on Tuesday."
• How to Spare Yourself From Shoulder Pain - "Shoulder pain can make your days more challenging and keep you up at night. Ward it off with a few smart exercise habits."
• Dramatic photos cast Europe's ancient castles in a new light - "For centuries, medieval castles - hulking, isolated triumphs of masonry - have held a special place in the Western imagination, evoking at once a sense of history, fantasy, war and romance. They are the perennial backdrops for period dramas and children's books, travel brochures and fashion spreads. But in his latest book, 'Stone Age: Ancient Castles of Europe,,' writer and photographer Frédéric Chaubin set out to disrupt the familiar stereotypes, using prose and photography to link the medieval with the Modernist."
• Europe's most misunderstood country? - "The Peak of the Balkans Trail: Europe's last true wilderness. Stretching 192km, the Peak of the Balkans Trail bridges three previously war-torn nations and crosses through some of the continent's least-explored landscapes. Albania is filled with up to 500,000 concrete bunkers and was once 'the North Korea of Europe.'"
• These 15 Colleges Have the Best Return on Investment - Harvard Isn't One of Them - "Spoiler alert: only three universities on this list are Ivies."
• The historical origins of the de-cluttered home - "Religion, art and politics have all led to the minimalist idea of 'less is more'. Dominic Lutyens explores the ideas and aesthetics behind pared-back simplicity."
• 11 Stylish Earmuffs for Keeping Warm & Looking Cute This Winter - "Bundle up in style with these oh-so-cozy ear coverings that are equal parts chic and functional."
• 20 Best Yoga Mats of 2023 According to Models, Athletes & Yogis - "Out of all the fitness purchases to be made, perhaps it’s as simple as choosing the best yoga mat. Whether exercising, stretching, or meditating, it’s inherently designed for 'any person, no matter the level of experience.'"
• Withings wants you to pee on its latest device - "The U-Scan is a noninvasive device that you stick in your toilet to monitor metabolic and reproductive health."

January 3, 2023

• 52 acts of kindness: how to spread joy in every week of 2023 - "Whether fostering kittens, donating blood or delivering boxes of biscuits to striking workers, there has never been a better time to help out. And it will improve your life too."
• Environmental review of 2022: another mile on the ‘highway to climate hell’ - "Deadly floods in Pakistan and record heat in the UK were just two symptoms this year of the global crisis."
• Fireworks & a Trump party: new year’s best photos - "The Guardian’s picture editors select photo highlights from around the world."
• Elon Musk has lost a bigger fortune than anyone in history - "Elon Musk’s wealth destruction has become historic. The CEO of Tesla (TSLA), SpaceX and Twitter is worth $137 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, good enough for second place on the list of the world’s richest behind LVMH (LVMHF) Chairman Bernard Arnault. But at its peak in November 2021, Musk’s net worth was $340 billion."
• North Korea: What we can expect from Kim Jong-un in 2023 - "North Korea had a record-busting 2022. It fired more missiles than ever before in a single year. In fact, a quarter of all missiles North Korea has ever launched hit the skies in 2022. It was also the year that Kim Jong-un declared that North Korea had become a nuclear weapons state and that its weapons were here to stay."
• How Many Clothes Should We Own, Exactly? - "'Buy less and buy better' has become a common refrain in fashion’s sustainability movement. But how much should we actually be buying? If a new report is anything to go by, it’s likely a lot less than you think. Researchers from Berlin’s Hot Or Cool Institute found that we should only be purchasing five new garments a year in order to stay in line with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius, if nothing else changes. That would mean shoppers in the U.K. alone would need to reduce their consumption by up to 80 percent in some cases."
• Quit Your Job & Move Abroad: 10 Cheapest Places To Live - "This is the year to pursue the dream: Quit your job and move to one of the cheapest (and best) places to live in the world, a country where it costs so little you might be able to stop working. For the past six years, I have been examining the cheapest countries to live around the globe (you can see the reports from 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017). For 2023, I once again tapped into the experts at International Living, which releases an Annual Global Retirement Index of the top places to retire."
• ‘Avatar’ & the Headache of High Frame Rate Filmmaking - "Why do James Cameron and others experiment with this? Intended to eliminate blur, it is actually unnerving in scenes involving humans or real objects."
• Prince Harry tells Anderson Cooper why he’s not stepping out of the limelight - "He sat down with Anderson Cooper for a '60 Minutes' interview, described by CBS as Prince Harry’s 'first U.S. television interview to discuss his upcoming memoir ‘Spare’ and recount his childhood, the loss of his mother and life as the Duke of Sussex living in the UK and now in America.'"
• The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time - "From Sinatra to SZA, from R&B to salsa to alt-rock." RollingStone.
• The mindset that brings unlimited willpower - "Many people believe willpower is fixed and finite. Yet powerful strategies exist that can help us increase it."
• ‘Fuah!’ sure: the vegan foie gras selling out across Spain - "The plant-based pate has exceeded the Spanish startup’s expectations as orders fly in."
• The best sleep apps & gadgets for a better night's sleep - "Let technology help you snag more z’s this year."
• Bentley Teams Up With ‘Shoe Surgeon’ Dominic Ciambrone To Produce Limited-Edition Sneaker - "If this is your first time hearing about Los Angeles’ Dominic Ciambrone, aka 'The Shoe Surgeon,' check this out: Ciambrone’s last major project in 2022 was designing Los Angeles Rams wide-receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s cleats which, at $200,000, are the most expensive cleats ever to be worn in NFL history. Bentley unveiled its 1-of-1 Bentley x The Surgeon vehicle recently during design week at Art Basel Miami to illustrate the collaboration."

January 2, 2023

• Five political trends that could make 2023 a momentous year - CNN Politics.
• Third of world in recession this year, IMF head warns - "A third of the global economy will be in recession this year, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned. Kristalina Georgieva said 2023 will be 'tougher' than last year as the US, EU and China see their economies slow. It comes as the war in Ukraine, rising prices, higher interest rates and the spread of Covid in China weigh on the global economy."
• The hidden underwater forests that could help tackle the climate crisis - "Kelp absorbs carbon dioxide and has high nutritional value, but it is under threat from rising temperatures, pollution and invasive species."
• Elon Musk teases release of bombshell Fauci Files in this week's Twitter document dump - "'One thing is for sure, it won't be boring.'"
• There’s never been a better time to stop tweeting - "Twitter, how do I leave thee? Let me count the ways."
• Bring back personal blogging - "Twitter is creaking. Social media seems less fun than ever. Maybe it’s time to get a little more personal."
• Where to travel in 2023: The 23 best destinations to visit - "New year equals new outlook. Apply this formula liberally to travel planning in 2023. After nearly three years of travel disruptions and complications, many countries have dropped most of their pandemic restrictions. People are traveling internationally in large numbers, and there's plenty of pent-up demand to spread around the world. Many travelers are charging full steam ahead into the new year - with good reason."
• Is modern life ruining our powers of concentration? - "Is the ping of a text stealing our focus or do we just lack willpower? And could mindless scrolling ever be good for our brains? Elle Hunt unpacks some surprising truths."
• The 'sexy' reality behind Sicily's 'White Lotus' hotel - "The award-winning show charts the tangled, erotic and sometimes dangerous adventures of super-rich vacationers staying at the beautiful clifftop San Domenico Palace, a five-star resort operated by Four Seasons in the town of Taormina."
• Staying hydrated is linked to lower risk for disease, faster aging & early death, study finds - "You may know that being adequately hydrated is important for day-to-day bodily functions such as regulating temperature and maintaining skin health. But drinking enough water is also associated with a significantly lower risk of developing chronic diseases, dying early or being biologically older than your chronological age, according to a National Institutes of Health study published Monday in the journal eBioMedicine."
• The crucial link between motivation & self-awareness - "To achieve a goal, a drive to do so is key. Yet not all motivation is created equal - and some factors driving a desire to succeed can even be harmful."
• A secret site for the Knights Templar? - "Three centuries after it was rediscovered, Royston Cave remains one of Britain's most mysterious places."
• Sony’s A7R V camera is a technical triumph, so why is using it such a pain? - "The 61-megapixel full-frame sensor is brilliant, the autofocus tracking is impeccable, the articulating screen is the best around, and yet Sony cameras are still plagued by terrible ergonomics."
• The best Apple Watch accessories for 2023 - engadget.

January 1, 2023

• 2023 - Events and Predicted and Scheduled Events.
• New Year’s Eve: celebrations around the world as 2023 begins – as it happened - "Jubilant crowds ushered in 2023 with the first large gatherings without restrictions in many cities since before the pandemic."
• New Year's Eve in pictures: World celebrates arrival of 2023 - "The Pacific nation of Kiribati was the first to see in the new year, followed by New Zealand an hour later - and thousands gathered in Sydney for the Australian city's renowned fireworks display. Later, as the new year swept west through Europe, Africa and the Americas, more cities celebrated with large crowds, fireworks, concerts and parties. Here are some of the best pictures from around the world."
• Do New Year's resolutions really work? - "January might be a good time to set a new goal." Live Science.
• Myths & facts about treating a hangover - "Are you celebrating the first day of 2023 with a hangover? If so, you might be looking for a method to ease your misery. There are certainly a lot of so-called hangover cures, some dating back centuries."
• Xi Jinping urges unity as China’s Covid fight enters ‘new phase’ - "Chinese leader speaks of continuing struggles as thousands gather in Wuhan, epicentre of the pandemic three years ago."
• New year in Putin’s Russia - nothing is normal - "There was nothing 'normal' about Vladimir Putin's New Year address to the Russian people. For his annual speech the president normally stands alone outside the Kremlin. This year, standing behind him, were men and women in combat uniforms."
• Zelensky tells Russians - Putin is destroying you - "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has told Russians that their leader is destroying their country. Speaking after Vladimir Putin delivered a New Year address flanked by people in military uniform, Mr Zelensky said the Russian president was hiding behind his troops, not leading them."
• CNN’s top 100 digital stories of 2022 - "2022 was not just another year that tried patience and frayed nerves, it was historic and deadly. Russian President Vladimir Putin did what was unimaginable to many, launching the largest land war in Europe since World War II. All too common horrors were unleashed once more on American schoolchildren in Uvalde, Texas, and in many, many other mass shootings in the United States. And, inevitably, luminaries who brought light to our lives were extinguished."
• All of the moments & discoveries that provided us with wonder in 2022 - "This year was full of moments that remind us why we look at the stars and dig into the past. Wonder and curiosity are some of the most powerful traits humans have, and together, they drive us to ask questions that lead to untraveled roads filled with revelations. Researchers, explorers and innovators found previously unknown species across the globe, the Artemis I mission ventured to the moon and back, and countless discoveries shed light on some of history’s mysteries."
• 2023 in books: highlights for the year ahead - "The best fiction and nonfiction to look forward to in the new year, from Zadie Smith to Simon Schama, Margaret Atwood to Rory Stewart."
• What happened to the world's ozone hole? - "Back in the 1990s, the hole in the planet's ozone layer was a pressing global crisis - if we had ignored it, today there would be several."
• Taiwan willing to offer help to China to deal with Covid-19 surge - "Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said the self-ruled democratic island is willing to provide assistance to help China deal with its Covid surge after Beijing eased its hardline approach last month."
• ‘Battle for the nation’s soul’: Norway faces debate about gas & oil wealth - "Russia’s war in Ukraine has earned Norway billions - and caused controversy."
• Magnus Carlsen becomes triple world champion for the third time in his career - "Magnus Carlsen won both the World Rapid and World Blitz chess titles in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in the latest landmark of his glittering career. The 32-year-old Norwegian is now the holder of all three world chess championship titles - in Classical, Rapid and Blitz - for the third time in his career, while no other player has ever won both the Rapid and Blitz titles in the same year."
• ‘I did not let Kim Philby go. He gave me the slip’ - "'What an MI6 spy told me over lunch.' A new TV series highlights the part played by the UK intelligence service’s Nicholas Elliott in unmasking the 1960s Cambridge spy ring - events he recalled years later over lunch at his club."
• The button on Canon’s image-stabilized binoculars unlocked superhuman sight - "Button of the month: the one on Canon’s image-stabilized binoculars, which makes long-distance sight feel much more like what Hollywood promised."
• How to set up your new Apple Watch - "Tweak these settings when you strap on your Watch for the first time."