Tinder Launches Facial Recognition in California to Curb Bots and Scams
Tinder is bringing facial recognition technology to the U.S. for the first time with a new security pilot launching in California. The Match Group-owned app has rolled out a program in the state that requires new users to verify their identity with a short video selfie. The feature, called Face Check, is meant to keep …
TSA Ends Shoe Removal Rule for Real ID Travelers
Starting this summer, most travelers flying out of U.S. airports will no longer have to remove their shoes at security—finally ending a 20-year-old requirement many saw as annoying, outdated, and unnecessary. The change was announced Tuesday by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a press conference held at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, …
Netflix Doubles Down on Anime as Global Viewership Soars
Anime is having a moment. According to The Hollywood Reporter, more than half of Netflix’s worldwide subscribers—around 300 million people—now watch anime. That’s a threefold increase in anime viewership on the platform over the past five years Netflix dropped the stats during its recent industry showcase at Anime Expo in Los Angeles, where it also …
TikTok’s American Remix
The clock is ticking on TikTok—and a reboot is in the works. As the U.S. government’s September 17 deadline approaches for ByteDance to sell the app or face a national ban, the company is reportedly building a separate version of TikTok specifically for American users. According to The Information, ByteDance has codenamed the project “M2” …
Public Swimming Legal in Seine for First Time in 100 Years
For the first time in over a century, Parisians and tourists are legally diving into the Seine. Saturday marked the official debut of three new public swimming areas along the iconic river — part of a long-anticipated effort by the French government to make the Seine swimmable again. “It’s a symbolic moment when we get …
Spotify Takes Flight with United Airlines
Spotify just took its streaming game sky-high. Starting this week, United Airlines passengers will have access to over 450 hours of curated Spotify content—including playlists, audiobooks, and for the first time ever, video podcasts—right from their seatback screens, according to CNBC. This marks Spotify’s first-ever partnership with an airline. Available titles include fan-favorite shows like …
Gauff and Alcaraz Make French Open History
The French Open wrapped this past weekend with rising stars Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz cementing their places in tennis history. Both athletes pulled off major wins in record-setting matches, showing off not just talent, but mental toughness that resonated beyond the clay courts of Roland Garros. Alcaraz, 22, took down world No. 1 Jannik …
Disaster Factory: Engineering the Storm
In an unassuming corner of South Carolina, a team of engineers is conjuring hurricanes, hurling fire, and pelting buildings with high-speed hail—on purpose. At the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), researchers simulate natural disasters at full scale to help communities survive them. Their lab features 105 high-powered fans capable of producing Category …
Mushroom-Based Material May One Day Replace Plastic
Mushrooms might shape the future of sustainable materials. Scientists at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have developed a biodegradable, plastic-like substance made from mushroom roots—or more specifically, mycelium, the dense root network that supports fungi. They recently published their findings in the scientific journal Advanced Materials. Using the split-gill mushroom …
Massive Saharan Dust Cloud Approaches U.S.
A giant dust cloud from the Sahara Desert in North Africa is currently drifting over the Atlantic Ocean toward the southeastern U.S., according to the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NOAA). Known as the Saharan Air Layer (SAL), this dust cloud has reached the Caribbean and is predicted to arrive in Florida, Mississippi, …