You know how sometimes you see some awesome tech that makes you go “wow” and “whoa” and “I want that”?
Well, this is one of those times.
A California-based start-up called AC Future has unveiled a cool electric RV concept called eTH, which they claim will revolutionize the way we travel and live.
eTH stands for “electric transformer house.” It is the result of a collaboration between AC Future and the legendary Italian design house Pininfarina, known for creating some of the most iconic cars in history.
eTH RV exterior.(AC Future)
The eTH is not your typical RV. It is designed to function like an expandable luxury mini-home, offering a lot of interior space and many futuristic features and amenities. The eTH is described as a mobile living solution that will make you truly feel at home wherever you go. It offers a perfect combination of luxurious amenities, smart technology and eco-friendly features.
The electric RV measures 20 feet long and 11 feet high, but it has a neat little trick up its sleeve. The highlight of the eTH is its transformable design with expandable walls that unlock up to 400 square feet of living space inside the cabin.
Side-outs are very common with large-size RVs, and the expandable walls share the same concept. But these extend way further than traditional slide-outs, opening up a lot more interior space. At the press of a button, the RV goes into House Mode, in which the length increases to 29 feet, and the total width goes up by 8 feet. As a result, the RV turns into a well-appointed 400-square-foot house with all the necessary amenities and features.
Another interesting feature of the eTH is its cockpit, which can transform into a work desk thanks to a retractable steering wheel that lowers away. This allows you to work comfortably and productively while on the road, or enjoy some entertainment and relaxation. The cockpit also features a touchscreen display that can control various functions of the RV, such as lighting, temperature, security and entertainment.
ETH RV when expanded(AC Future)
The eTH also has a spacious living room which can also be converted into a bedroom with a queen-size bed and a closet.
Inside the eTH RV cockpit(AC Future)
In addition, it offers a kitchen with all the necessary appliances, such as a sink, a stove, a microwave, a refrigerator and a dishwasher.
ETH RV living area(AC Future)
A bathroom with a shower, a toilet and a sink is one of the many features that make the eTH functional and elegant.
AC Future has hinted that there will be an electric and a gasoline-powered version or a combination of both. They also claim that the RV will have a gross vehicle weight rating of 19,000 pounds, which is quite impressive for an electric vehicle.
The eTH also focuses on sustainability and off-the-grid operability. It features a retractable solar panel roof that can generate about 25kWh of power, enough to run the RV for a day.
An atmospheric water generator system that can turn air moisture into clean water is another unique feature that the eTH offers. The company claims that the system can generate more than 13 gallons of clean water daily, which can be used for drinking, cooking, washing and other purposes.
With Starlink connectivity for satellite internet on the go, the RV lets you stay connected wherever you are. Thanks to all of these features, the eTH offers seven days of off-grid capabilities, allowing you to explore the world without any limitations.
ETH RV atmospheric water generator system(AC Future)
The eTH is still a concept, but AC Future says it might enter “mass production” sometime in the fourth quarter of 2025. They have not announced the price or availability of the eTH yet, but they say they are aiming to make it affordable and accessible to a wide range of customers.
The eTH is certainly an ambitious and innovative project that could change the future of RVs and mobile living. It combines the best of both worlds: the comfort and convenience of a home and the mobility and flexibility of a vehicle. It also showcases the potential of electric and sustainable technologies.
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.
IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:
– Candace Cameron Bure says AI frightens her, won’t be used in family films – Biden’s push to protect American tech from China garners mixed reviews from experts – Creepy embodied AI avatar gives a face and a voice to ChatGPT interaction
Candace Cameron Bure.(Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Inaugural Lemons Foundation Gala hosted by Taylor & Taylor Lautner)
‘A LITTLE FRIGHTENING’:Candace Cameron Bure finds artificial intelligence “a little frightening” when it comes to filmmaking.
‘LAYERS OF BUREAUCRACY’: A Biden administration push to force cloud companies to disclose when a foreigner uses their platforms to power artificial intelligence could be seen as an escalation in the ongoing tech war between China and the U.S., though experts are split on how effective the strategy will be.
CREEPY FACE:AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Bing Chat and Bard are becoming more and more popular, but what if they could also have a human-like appearance, voice and even emotions? That’s the idea behind WEHEAD, an artificial intelligence device that transforms ChatGPT into a lifelike avatar that can interact with you in real time.
LIVING HISTORY: A Cincinnati museum is using artificial intelligence in a creative new way, hoping the growing technology will help future generations to better understand the Holocaust.
‘SHOW ME THE MONEY’: Many businesses that integrated generative artificial intelligence tools into their operations last year have not seen the returns they expected, leading some to believe the new technology is over-hyped. One expert says this is the year those businesses will be demanding results.
POWERFUL THREAT: North Korea has been developing artificial intelligence across various sectors, including in military technology and programs that safeguard nuclear reactors, which could create international threats, according to a new report.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox News here.
Meetings are about to get a wild, sci-fi makeover with Apple’s latest strap-on gizmo, the Vision Pro headset.
Coming to a conference room near you (well, virtually, at least) as of Friday, you can toss your tired old office attire and swap it for a digital avatar that can mimic your every smirk and eyebrow wiggle in real time.
Zoom is gearing up to let you be your pixel-perfect self in meetings with its new visionOS app, all from the comfort of whatever reality you choose to be in.
Imagine dialing into your work status meeting not just from your cluttered home office but as a sleek avatar, complete with hand gestures and all. Your boss’s avatar might have a floating cup of joe, and your coworker’s digital self might don a virtual Hawaiian shirt — because why not? Zoom’s new persona feature is basically FaceTime on steroids for the Vision Pro, making you wonder if you’re in a meeting or a video game.
But hold onto your ergonomic chairs, there’s more. Zoom isn’t just stopping at turning us all into glorified Sims characters. With the Vision Pro’s AR powers, video calls will pop up as floating windows in your real space, and soon you’ll be able to pin your colleagues’ avatars around your room like futuristic sticky notes. Forget about sharing boring old spreadsheets; 3D object sharing is on the horizon, so you can bring your latest 3D models to virtual life right before your eyes.
Now, not all is perfect in a virtual paradise. Netflix and YouTube are playing hard to get, opting out of the launch party. So if you were hoping to sneak a Netflix binge during your budget review, you’ll have to settle for a less immersive browser experience. But with almost 200 other apps on board, including all the streaming heavy hitters from Disney+ to Crunchyroll, it’s not all doom and gloom.
The Vision Pro: the next big thing or another tech fad?
The Vision Pro will cost you a pretty penny at $3,499, and the jury’s still out on whether it’ll be the next big thing or just another tech fad. But one thing’s for sure — with the new Zoom app, your work meetings are about to get a lot less predictable. So, strap on your headsets and prepare for takeoff, because the future of work is here, and it’s looking… interesting, to say the least.
Woman wearing Apple Vision Pro headset.(Apple)
Kurt’s key takeaways
The Apple Vision Pro and the new Zoom app are promising to revolutionize the way we work and communicate in the future. They offer us a chance to escape the mundane and embrace the extraordinary, to express ourselves in new and creative ways, and to collaborate with others in immersive and interactive environments. But they also raise some questions about the impact of such technologies. Are we ready to blur the lines between the real and the virtual, the human and the avatar, the work and the play?
What do you think of the Apple Vision Pro and the new Zoom app? Would you use them for your work meetings or personal calls? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact
For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
With some 70% of teenagers and children dropping out of organized sports by age 13, experts are chiming in on potential reasons for early burnout.
The dropout stat was revealed in a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) — “Overuse Injuries, Overtraining, and Burnout in Young Athletes” — published in the journal Pediatrics on Jan. 22.
Given the growing trend of young athletes participating on multiple teams at the same time while training year-round, pediatricians told Fox News Digital they’re seeing more cases of burnout and stress injuries at young age.
“Burnout is real and it’s something that parents and coaches have to be attuned to,” Dr. James Barsi, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital on Long Island, New York, who is not affiliated with the AAP report, said to Fox News Digital.
A current quarterback of a high school football team, who also plays travel baseball on Long Island, New York, said he sees burnout among some of his peers.
Approximately 70% of teenagers and children drop out of organized sports by the age of 13, a new report found.(iStock)
“[There’s] definitely pressure on kids these days because they’re trying to be the best athlete they can be and it’s just always on their shoulders, like, ‘I gotta train more and more to be the best,’” he said, adding that his former teammates told him they “just can’t do it anymore.”
The AAP report, which was an update to a previous report published in 2007, said overscheduling and excessive levels of training could lead to burnout, contributing to the high dropout rate in sports.
This intense volume of training could also affect a young athlete’s sense of well-being and quality of life, the report noted.
There’s a growing trend of young athletes participating in multiple teams at the same time — and pediatricians say they are seeing more cases of burnout and stress injuries.(iStock)
“Whether training is specialized or multisport, it becomes a problem when an athlete no longer has any free play time or opportunity to engage in other non-sport-related activities,” Dr. Andrew Watson, M.D., co-author of the report, said in a news release.
“The old saying ‘no pain, no gain’ doesn’t necessarily hold true.”
Some level of stress can be productive, experts agree — but excessive amounts can become a problem.
“Athletic competition and training will always prompt some stress that, when delivered in an appropriate way, leads to adaptation, success and enjoyment,” Watson said
The new AAP report noted that overscheduling and excessive levels of training could lead to burnout, contributing to the high dropout rate in sports among young people.(iStock)
The AAP defines overtraining as “a decrease in performance due to an imbalance of training and recovery that is often accompanied by persistent fatigue, impaired sleep and alterations in mood.”
Dr. Kristin Hopkins, director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Center at Stony Brook Medicine and team physician at Stony Brook University athletics on Long Island, New York, was not affiliated with the report but commented on it.
She said that in today’s sports landscape, there is “no off-season” for kids who are passionate about one sport and have aspirations to play that sport in college — which can leave young athletes at risk for burnout and injuries.
“That sort of continuous play can put kids’ joints at risk for what we call overuse injuries, things we weren’t really seeing before, because a kid would play a sport for a season and then move on to another sport and use a different muscle group,” Hopkins told Fox News Digital.
‘Micro-trauma’ to bone and soft tissue
An overuse injury typically occurs when the body is exposed to repetitive stress without enough recovery time, the AAP noted.
This can lead to “cumulative micro-trauma” to bone and soft tissue, such as muscles or tendons.
Pain typically occurs after an activity and then progresses to occurring even at rest, the report said.
A New York pediatric orthopedic surgeon said he is seeing spine stress fractures about 10 times a month.
Children and adolescents are at an increased risk for these types of injuries because their bones are still growing and do not tolerate stress as well as adults’ bones, experts said.
“I’m seeing spine stress fractures about 10 times a month,” Barsi, the pediatric surgeon, told Fox News Digital, amid what he called an “increasing epidemic” of overuse injuries in kids.
It is important that athletes incorporate rest days and stretching in their workout regimen, physicians said.(iStock)
Recovery from this type of injury typically requires rest, said Barsi, which is a difficult message to deliver to a young teen who feels pressure to perform and maintain a spot on a sports team.
“I always emphasize the long-term picture,” Barsi said. “A brief period of rest in the short term is probably better for them.”
He added, “If injuries progress, it can cause long-term harm — then instead of missing a few weeks, they might be missing an entire season.”
“I tell parents and kids that if you’re playing one sport for more hours of a week than your age, you’re doing too much of that sport.”
It’s important that athletes incorporate rest days and stretching in their workout regimen, physicians said.
“So often, these kids are really tight at baseline, which is probably a combination of not stretching, going through a little bit of a growth spurt and just getting tight naturally,” Barsi said. “When you’re tight, you get predisposed to these injuries, so stretching can actually prevent them.”
He also said athletes should listen to their bodies.
“Pain is their body’s way of telling them to take it easy,” he said. “The old saying ‘no pain, no gain’ doesn’t necessarily hold true.”
An intense volume of training could affect a young athlete’s sense of well-being and quality of life, the new report noted.(iStock)
Dr. Joel Brenner, M.D., one of the authors of the published report, noted in the release, “Sports are such a powerful and fun motivator to keep youth physically and mentally active, but some youth may feel pressure from parents, coaches and others to measure success only by performance.”
Practices like mindfulness and time away from sports could help prevent burnout and injuries, he suggested.
Hopkins said avoiding burnout and overtraining starts at home.
“I tell parents and kids that if you’re playing one sport for more hours of a week than your age, you’re doing too much of that sport.”
Both experts recommended incorporating weight training to help strengthen muscles.
The young athletes should also work with an experienced trainer, said Hopkins, who can monitor the athlete’s form to avoid injuries.
The athletes should “avoid ego lifting” and gradually build up weight resistance, noted Barsi.
If an athlete displays signs of overtraining or burnout, it’s best to change the contributing factors and consult with a mental health professional if needed, the AAP advised.(iStock)
For clinicians working with families, the AAP report included specific recommendations to help encourage healthy participation in athletics.
Some suggestions include having the athlete undergo a pre-participation exam by their pediatrician, promoting skill development and avoiding overtraining and overscheduling.
Other means of preventing burnout and injury include encouraging athletic autonomy; fostering positive experiences with coaches, parents and peers; and keeping workouts interesting and fun by incorporating age-appropriate games and training.
If an athlete displays signs of overtraining or burnout, it’s best to change the contributing factors and consult with a mental health professional if needed, the AAP advised.
Fox News Digital reached out to the AAP for additional comment.
“We woke up very early,” remembers Mariano Janin of the morning of March 12 2021, when his happy life as an architect and family man in north London with his wife Marisa and 14-year-old daughter Mia came crashing down.
“My wife went down to the kitchen to prepare Mia’s breakfast. I was still waking up when I heard Mia’s alarm go off. My wife was calling her. Then I heard a very haunting scream from Marisa. It will be with me until I close my eyes.”
Marisa, like her husband originally from Argentina, had found their daughter dead in her bed. She had taken her own life, a coroner’s court in north London ruled this week, after repeated bullying by a group of boys in her year group at the Jewish Free School (JFS).
“I picked Mia out of her bed,” her 59-year-old father continues in his heavily-accented English, “placed her on the floor and tried…”
He can’t bring himself to say it out loud. Instead, he gestures with his hands to show that he tried to resuscitate his daughter and then shakes his head before looking away out of the window.
At the end of the garden stands some children’s gym equipment. Though it is almost four years since he lost Mia, he later explains, he still sometimes thinks he can see her there, on sunny days, practising her moves and smiling. “Being her father,” he tells me, “was a pleasure.”
Mariano Janin, his wife Marisa, their daughter Mia and her dog, Lola
If she is watching over him, he needs someone. Three months after Mia’s death, his wife at the age of 59, was diagnosed out of the blue with untreatable acute myeloid leukaemia. Within weeks she was dead. “She was in good health and she was a fighter, but she just couldn’t take what happened to Mia.”
Marisa and Mia, like Mariano, were Jewish, so he has chosen to bury them side by side in Israel. “I didn’t want Mia to be in an English Jewish cemetery with all the bullies,” he explains. JFS, a mixed comprehensive in Harrow with a strong reputation for academic excellence, is a pillar of the Jewish community in north London.
“I wanted to take her somewhere else and a friend suggested Israel.” Covid restrictions were still in place in the spring of 2021, but the couple managed to arrange the journey.
“We went on an empty plane, just the three of us.” Marisa had a son, Douglas, now 32, by an earlier marriage; he had lived with them until after university.
“I watched when they put Mia’s coffin on the plane. We arrived in Israel at midnight, in the rain. And then, a few months later, I was sitting in the same plane, arriving at the same hour in Tel Aviv, doing exactly the same thing with Marisa’s.”
He stops as his eyes fill with tears. We pause. “Yes,” he finally says quietly, “impossible”.
This, though, is a man who manages to live with the impossible every day, with just Mia’s dog, Lola, “a toy poodle made in China”, for company. He filled his time last year building an extension to his house – the large, white, many-windowed sitting room where we are sitting.
Mariano Janin: ‘My life is gone. I don’t have a future. I cannot see my daughter at university or having kids’
“I’ve lived in England since 2001 and I even like the weather, but I am also Latino. I need to let the light in.”
There is nothing about Mariano that is angry, or self-pitying. He is not giving up on life or letting himself go. Yet there is a strange stillness about him, as if he is watching a receding tide.
“I am still alive,” he tries to explain, “but my life is gone. I don’t have a future. I cannot see my daughter at university or having kids.”
What gets him up every morning, he says, is a determination to do everything he can to “put in place a system to avoid these things happening again to another family”. For him that means three things: more accountability from schools; more action from the police; and a campaign against bullies.
Mia Janin ended her life after repeated bullying by a group of boys in her year group at the Jewish Free School (JFS)
“We have a law against bully dogs,” he points out, “but what about bully humans?” The coroner’s report on his daughter’s death is not the end of the story if he has anything to do with it.
There are photographs of Mia and her mother all around us as we talk, some with candles burning in front of them. “Mia was discovering the world by herself. She was very curious, always finding the bright side of life, very optimistic. And beautiful.”
Mariano Janin, his wife Marisa and their daughter Mia in Paris, France
When she was at Fitzjohn’s Primary in nearby Hampstead, she had been happy at school. “There was such a lovely community of parents. I’m still in touch with some of them. And Mia’s best friend Evie was there.”
They chose JFS for Mia’s secondary education because of its academic reputation. She was clever, had talked of wanting to be a doctor, and latterly of becoming an architect like her parents.
“It felt like the right choice, but now I think it was a big mistake.” Marisa’s Hungarian father had been the only member of his large Jewish family to survive the Holocaust. “She would say to me, after Mia’s death, he was the only survivor, Mia was the grand-daughter, but look what happened to her in a Jewish school.”
In Mia’s first year at JFS, her parents had contacted the teachers over their concerns about her failure to integrate into her year group. Her father is today adamant that in those conversations the question of bullying was raised by them.
The school denies this. “Prior to Mia’s death,” says Dr David Moody, the current headteacher, “there were no concerns raised from anyone regarding bullying. Mia was a quiet, thoughtful and considerate girl who was morally driven and she remains deeply missed.”
At the inquest, the coroner accepted the school’s account, but Mariano was not impressed. “I sat in that court each day and I heard witness statements from pupils for the first time. Some said it was so obvious and notorious that she was being not just bullied but badly bullied.”
Mariano Janin, father of Mia Janin, speaks to the media outside Barnet Coroner’s Court, north London, after the inquest of his daughter on January 26 2024
With no help from the school, the family arranged for her to see a therapist. These sessions, Mariano and Marisa had believed, helped her settle in more at JFS. But the reality, he now knows, was different.
“Part of the school was a clique. And when you have a clique, you have people who feel entitled. And Mia was different, Argentinian, her mother tongue was Spanish, and we were old parents.”
Mia wasn’t a passive victim, he insists. “She was resourceful and created a group of friends with all the people who were unpopular and misfits and they would have lunch. The bullies called them ‘the suicide squad’.”
In the sense of wanting to drive them to suicide? He shakes his head again. “I don’t know this.”
When lockdown struck, with her mother’s support with online lessons, Mia appeared to be coping. He treasures memories of the time the three of them spent together, unable to go out.
Mia Janin and her mother Marisa
After the second lockdown ended, Mariano drove her to school on March 11 2021, her first day back. “She was talking about the drama classes she was taking at Sylvia Young [theatre school], and being a cheerleader. She was over the moon because she had been invited on holiday to Greece with Evie’s family. She was going with the girls to Camden Market on Saturday.”
But a very different teenager returned home that evening after a day at school. “At dinner she was very quiet. We had a custom every night at 10pm to go to Mia’s room, to hug her, give her a kiss, and say night-night.”
He was surprised when, as Mia was sitting there with her parents, she said she was having a “rough” week and would like to change schools. “My wife said, ‘If you don’t want to go to school, you can carry on homeschooling and then we will see.’ Mia wanted to go to Evie’s school, and we said ‘OK, but it will take time.”
It was their last conversation. “I didn’t go to bed worried,” he recalls. “I thought it was because it had been her first day back at school.”
In her bedroom the next morning they found two letters, one to them, the other to her friends. “I just wanted to let you know I do love you guys very much,” Mia had written. “I have been brought up well by you both. I have learned many things. I loved all of you very much.”
But then she went on: “I know this decision is the right one for me. On Earth I never felt connected. I felt a longing to leave for a while. I know this is a shock to you. Let my friends have my things, please. I love you lots.”
“It was a nice message for us,” he says blankly when I remind him of some of what was in it. I am not sure whether to go on, but then he asks, “Do you have kids?” and I stare briefly into the abyss.
When he is ready to resume, I wonder what he thinks she means about being “unconnected”. He grins. “Mia was a little bit, not philosophical, but she always asked difficult questions.”
Mariano Janin and his daughter Mia on December 30 2019
After informing the police of her death, they let the school know. The deputy head and a colleague came to the family home, but the visitor who brought them up short was a fellow pupil at JFS who lived nearby and had heard the terrible news. “She gave us a piece of paper and said, ‘This is the list of the ones who bullied Mia.”
It was a bolt out of the blue. What subsequently emerged was that, after her parents had gone to bed, Mia had sent a voice note to her friends. It was played at the coroner’s court this week.
“Tomorrow’s going to be a rough day. Stand by me,” she began. “I’m taking deep breaths in and out. I’m currently mentally preparing myself to get bullied tomorrow.”
Two days previously, on the eve of her return to school, Mia had posted on TikTok a video where she defiantly called out the bullies. Mariano has now seen that video.
“She was up to here with the bullying, challenging them, and she was very South American, very fiery. But I believe there was another video they then did about her and she saw it. I haven’t seen it because it was deleted.”
No copy survives to confirm his worst fears. In its absence, the coroner could not rule that it contributed to her death. He did, however, refer to the bullying she had been suffering.
“From what I know now,” says Mariano, “she was bullied on the street when she was with her friends. The main group of bullies were boys, but there were three girls as well, all in her year. She was bullied on the bus coming home. They used to take pictures of Mia multiple times. She was bullied when at school, and she was bullied online.”
Marisa shared that list of bullies they had been given with the school. They heard nothing back, but three months after Mia’s death, JFS was in crisis. Judged “inadequate” by Ofsted, the school’s safeguarding was highlighted as of concern as a result of the inspectors’ visit in late April and early May.
There is no reference to Mia Janin in the report, but it does state that “leaders do not ensure all pupils are safe from harm” and “many pupils report sexual bullying, including via social media”. The head, Rachel Fink, left soon afterwards with retired chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, drafted in to steady the ship.
Moody insists that JFS is today a completely different school to that which was placed into special measures in 2021. “Following a change in the leadership team, there have been a significant number of changes in the school over the course of the last three years, recognised in the ‘Good’ Ofsted judgement received in 2022,” he says.
If Mariano feels he was left in the dark by the school, then he feels the police who were called in to investigate did little better. No criminal charges have ever been made against the alleged bullies.
Mariano Janin: ‘Mia was a little bit, not philosophical, but she always asked difficult questions’
Would Mariano like to see those he believes are guilty taken to court? “Yes,” he replies. but this is not about revenge… They need to understand for themselves what they did. I don’t know how they will deal with this during life.”
He was also subsequently told by a pupil at JFS that, immediately after Mia’s death, a teacher took the boys in his daughter’s year group to one side and told them to delete their online group account. The school strongly disputes this, and points out that any pupil involved in such a group would have deleted it long before they were told to do so by a teacher. The coroner accepted this explanation.
“I think the coroner concentrated more on prevention of future deaths and all the improvements the school has made, rather than on what happened with Mia,” reflects Mariano.
All these frustrations he must now navigate alone. He met his wife in Argentina in 1995. She had left the country after graduating to live and work in London, but returned home to work on a building project.
The two of them quickly discovered they had been at the same university, the same primary school and had even sat on the same table at a mutual friend’s wedding. They embarked on a “lovely life” together, at first in Argentina, and then in London.
“She was a remarkable woman, very strong and very intelligent. In every couple there is one more strong and one less strong. I was less strong than Marisa, but Mia’s death killed her. Afterwards she never went upstairs again. She’d sleep on the sofa and I’d sit with her until she was asleep and then go up to bed.”
Marisa Janin and her daughter Mia, who took her own life aged 14 on March 12 2021
After Marisa’s diagnosis, it all happened so quickly, he remembers. “We’ve always liked going to different parts of London and really liked Angel in Islington. We went there the day before she died to buy a sofa. We had a lovely time. Home, dinner. Watch a movie.”
The justice he hopes to gain by his continuing fight is for Marisa as well as Mia. To progress it, he is talking, among others, to Ian Russell, the father of 14-year-old Molly, who five years ago killed herself after viewing images online that promoted suicide and self-harm, and to the film-maker Baroness Kidron who, as a member of the House of Lords, campaigns around children’s safety online.
“This is not about left and right in politics,” he says. “This week in America we have seen all the social media giants participating in a hearing in Congress. They said ‘sorry’ to parents who had lost children, but it is not enough when we don’t have legislation to make them responsible for the content they carry. We have to start putting in boundaries to protect our children.”
And boundaries, Mariano insists, will work better than banning mobile phones in schools, as proposed by the Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan. “That won’t sort it. We need the right legislation and we also need to teach our kids how to navigate this better. The internet is a wonderful tool, but like a hammer, you can use it to build something or to harm someone.”
And what of him? He shrugs. He is lucky to have a circle of good old friends, he reports, and being in contact with Mia’s old friends is a comfort. Therapy is also helping.
He was, he reveals, recently offered a job in Miami, but he turned it down. “If I can get some closure then maybe I will start a new life, but in the state of grieving I am in now I don’t think it is possible.”
“Real Time” host Bill Maher railed against President Biden and Republican lawmakers over their posturing in their ongoing border crisis battle, insisting their “acting” is worthy of an award.
During a panel discussion Friday night, the subject of immigration being a major election was brought up by Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, telling Maher that Biden’s vulnerability on that issue among voters is “very real.”
“Immigration is real but the reaction to it is not real,” Maher responded. “It’s all a bunch of acting. They should be getting an award this awards season.”
“The Republicans act like they want to solve this but the Democrats called their bluff,” Maher said. “I mean, there is a bill right now that a lot of them, Mitch McConnell and some pretty conservative senators saying this is as good a deal as you’re gonna get. They don’t want it because they don’t want this issue to be solved because they need it as an issue so you can make speeches like the one you just made about ‘working class’ and blah, blah, blah.”
“Real Time” host Bill Maher slammed both President Biden and Republicans for their “acting” as they battle over the border crisis.(Screenshot/HBO)
Sununu conceded Maher’s argument, calling for all the lawmakers on Capitol Hill to be fired, “every one of them.”
“But make no mistake about it, Joe Biden has a lot of power to change a lot of policy and affect the immigration issue,” Sununu added.
“That’s true,” Maher agreed. “I was gonna say part two of the acting is Joe Biden saying ‘You know what? If you just give me a new law.’ A new law?! The president can fix this and he already has an existing law. This is all so silly! ‘I need a piece of paper from Congress to deal with the border.’ No you already have that.”
President Biden insisted Congress needs to give him ‘authority’ to quell the migrant crisis at the southern border. (Julia Nikhinson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Fox News’ Jessica Tarlov pushed back, insisting Biden does not have as much power “as the Republicans are telling you that he does.” She also warned Republicans that they shouldn’t “exclusively” run on immigration in 2024.
“‘Caravans’ failed in 2018, failed in 2020, failed in 2022, it’s a losing cause for Republicans to run exclusively on that. You need to diversify,” Tarlov told Sununu.
Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to joseph.wulfsohn@fox.com and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.
Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin has the latest on the retaliation against the drone attack on U.S. service members in Jordan on ‘Your World.’
Iran backs multiple terrorist groups in the Middle East, including Iraq’s Kata’ib Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
Each group, which receives support from Iran through a number of methods, have increasingly become a threat to members of the U.S. armed forces, U.S. allies, commercial global shipping and the regions in which they operate.
WHAT IS KATA’IB HEZBOLLAH?
Kata’ib Hezbollah is an Iraq-based, Iran-backed terrorist group believed to be responsible for the recent attack that killed three U.S. soldiers in Jordan.
Iranian missiles exhibited in a park Jan. 20, 2024, in Tehran, Iran.(Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
Originally formed in 2003, Kata’ib Hezbollah, which translates to “Brigades of the Party of God,” is responsible for a large majority of the more than 160 attacks against U.S. forces operating in Iraq and Syria since mid-October.
The group has an apparent headquarters in Baghdad and has operated across Iraq. Believed to have approximately 3,000 members, the group has also operated in Syria, both in Aleppo and Damascus, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).
The group was “an umbrella organization for several Shiite militant groups until 2007, when it issued a statement announcing a merger,” according to FDD.
The group, which has an allegiance to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claimed it is suspending military activity in the region this week.
“We announce the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces — in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government,” the group’s leader, Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, said in a statement late Tuesday.
WHO ARE THE HOUTHIS?
Iran-funded proxy the Houthis have recently escalated their attacks against vessels in or near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and have stated their support of Hamas, which is engaged in a war with Israel. The group has also attempted to insert itself into the war by firing drones and missiles at Israel, resulting in fears the fighting could escalate into a regional conflict.
The attacks by the Houthi rebels have prompted some shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through the maritime route where the Houthis initiated attacks on commercial ships.
Houthi fighters stage a rally in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and against the U.S.-led airstrikes on Yemen, in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024.(AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
The Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, launching a years-long, bloody war. The conflict soon became a proxy war between Saudi Arabia, which backed the Yemeni government in exile, and Iran, which backed the rebels.
The war created a major humanitarian crisis that resulted in widespread hunger and misery in Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab world. The war reportedly killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.
A cease-fire that technically ended a year ago has largely been honored. The Houthis control most of Yemen and trace their history to a religious revival movement for the Zaydi sect of Shi’ite Islam in the late 1990s. The sect ruled Yemen for centuries but was marginalized under the Sunni regime that came to power after a 1962 civil war.
As friction with the government grew, a series of guerrilla wars with the national army were fought, as well as a brief border conflict with Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters.
Following a year of relative calm in Yemen, the Houthis have launched a number of missiles and drones. On Oct. 31, they attacked Israel, saying at the time there would be more “to help the Palestinians to victory.”
Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of training, arming and funding the Houthis, a claim Tehran continues to deny.
WHAT IS HEZBOLLAH?
Backed by Iran, Hezbollah is a terrorist group that holds major influence over Lebanon. It operates with a broader goal of bolstering Iranian objectives.
Since Oct. 7, Hezbollah and Israel have traded fire in what’s been described as low-intensify warfare. Hezbollah has fired more than 1,000 rockets, missiles and drones into Israel while losing almost 200 of its fighters, who were killed by the IDF in its targeted response against the terror group.
Fighters from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah carry out a training exercise in Aaramta village in southern Lebanon in May 2023. (AP/Hassan Ammar)
Hezbollah was founded during the 15-year Lebanese Civil War that started in 1975. Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) provided funding and training to the group of Shiites who began fighting against Israeli forces. The group became known as Hezbollah, which means “The Party of God.”
The party’s original objective was to remove the Israel Defense Forces(IDF) from southern Lebanon. Although Israel withdrew its troops in 2000, Hezbollah justified its ongoing conflict based on Israel’s presence in Shebaa Farms, an area within the Lebanon-Syria-Israel border region.
A 1985 manifesto consecrated Hezbollah’s mission to expel Western influence from the Middle East and destroy Israel. The manifesto listed Ayatollah Khomeini, the Iranian Islamic revolutionary, as its leader. Khomeini ruled Iran as its supreme leader from 1979 until his death in 1989.
Hezbollah’s reach extends beyond the Middle East. The group is responsible for attacks and plots across Bulgaria, Peru, Cyprus, Thailand, Argentina and elsewhere. While Hezbollah has not succeeded with a terrorist attack in the United States, the group attempts to develop the ability to do so.
Hezbollah operates networks inside and outside Lebanon to execute various criminal activities, including a series of attacks against U.S. interests. These attacks included the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 United States Marines, the deadliest day for the United States Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945.
Led by Hassan Nasrallah, the terrorist organization has a history of carrying out terrorist attacksto support its mission stated in the manifesto.
The group is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the State Department. According to the U.S., EU and Israel, it has maintained an iron-clad grip on Gaza since violently taking over the territory in 2007, after Israel unilaterally withdrew in 2005.
Palestinian Hamas militants march in support of the group in Gaza City Dec. 10, 2022.(Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images)
On Dec. 14, 2022, Yahya Sinwar, leader of the Hamas terror group, and others celebrated the 35th anniversary of Hamas’ founding at the Gaza Strip.
The terrorist group, which receives funding and training from Iran, imposes a strict Islamic code on its 2 million-plus residents and continues to engage in fighting Israel, including firing endless rounds of rockets and incendiary devices into Israeli territory and mass protests along the border fence.
On the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, the Hamas terror organization attacked and infiltrated areas of southern Israel with thousands of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip. That invasion resulted in 1,200 deaths, and the ensuing war between Hamas and Israel has resulted in the deaths of thousands more, mostly Palestinians.
Fox News’ Louis Casiano, Breana Scheckwitz, Anders Hagstrom, and Gabriele Regalbuto contributed to this report.
Kyle Morris covers politics for Fox News. Story tips can be sent via email and on X: @RealKyleMorris.
The HOVERAir X1 is a self-flying camera drone that can fly inches from your face and take amazing shots from different perspectives.
Imagine a camera that is able to fly around you and capture your best moments and the perfect shot from just about any angle.
Think of it as your personal flying photographer.
That is the latest innovation from China called the HOVERAir X1, a self-flying camera drone that can fly inches from your face. The HOVERAir X1 is not like any other drone you have seen before. It is small, simple, and smart.
The HOVERAir X1 has the ability to fly on its own without any controller. It uses its main camera and artificial intelligence to follow you wherever you go and capture videos and photos.
You can choose from five different flying modes, each with a single button press on the drone. Whether you want it to hover, zoom out, follow, orbit, or capture a bird’s eye view, the HOVERAir X1 will do it for you. You can totally enjoy the moment while the drone captures it for you instead of worrying about manually piloting it.
To record clear audio, you should wear a microphone to plug into your phone. You could use your phone, but it may not be as clear. To use the microphone, you’ll need to have the drone’s HoverAir app downloaded on your phone.
The pocket-sized drone flies without FAA registration
With folded dimensions smaller than your mobile phone, it can fit in your pocket, so you can take it with you anywhere you go. It also weighs only half a pound, which means it’s ultra-light, and you don’t need to register it with the FAA or worry about any regulations.
The drone’s advanced technology for a smooth and safe flight
The HOVERAir X1 is also equipped with advanced technology that helps it avoid obstacles and stay stable in the air. It uses visual inertial odometry (VIO) and a ToF laser altitude positioning system to sense its surroundings and adjust its flight accordingly.
HOVERAir X1 flying(HOVERAir)
It also has a triple stabilization system that combines a gimbal, electronic image stabilization, and horizon leveling to ensure super smooth videos.
The HOVERAir X1 can take stunning videos up to 2.7K resolution and photos with a 12-megapixel camera. It has 32GB of storage, enough to hold hours of footage and thousands of photos. The battery lasts for about 20 flights per charge and can be recharged in 35 minutes with a charging hub or 55 minutes with onboard charging.
If you ever want to take control of the drone, you can do so with the HOVERAir X1 app on your smartphone. You can enter manual mode and fly the drone with a virtual joystick. You can also view the live feed from the drone’s camera and adjust the settings.
A person using the HOVERAir X1 app(HOVERAir)
How safe is the camera drone?
The fully enclosed design makes it safe to launch from your hand and fly around crowds or children. However, the HOVERAir X1 is not waterproof, and the company says it should not be used in rainy conditions. They also recommend that it not be used in a strong wind environment.
How to get your hands on one of these camera drones
The HOVERAir X1 is a self-flying camera that can fly inches from your face and take amazing shots from different perspectives. It is a drone that you can take anywhere and use anytime. It is a drone that can do almost anything. What can’t drones do these days?
What do you think of the HOVERAir X1? Would you buy one for yourself or as a gift for someone else? How would you use it to record your memories? Let us know in the comments below. Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.
For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
This latest rendition in Samsung’s Galaxy lines is the company’s first foray into the world of mobile artificial intelligence, featuring a ton of advanced intelligence features. It also features an upgraded camera and better battery than previous phones in the Galaxy S line.
We got the chance to test out the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra to see just how the phone’s new AI features translate in the real world. Let’s break it down for you.
First and foremost, let’s get the technical stuff out of the way. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is big. It boasts a 6.8-inch screen, which is nearly the size of a phablet. That said, it feels really good in your hand and doesn’t feel too bulky in your pocket.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in man’s pants pocket(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Its partly made from recycled steel, which gives the phone some heft that gives you a sense of security in case you drop it. The Corning Gorilla Armor screen also gives you some peace of mind.
Speaking of the screen, the phone features a QHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2x display, with a 120Hz refresh rate. In layman’s terms, the video looks fantastic. Streaming 4K video was a breeze.
Out of the box, Samsung included the S Pen stylus and a charger. While using a stylus comes with a bit of a learning curve, it does make navigating the phone and using certain features so much easier. It also pops right into the phone, making storage convenient.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra & S Pen stylus(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera
Samsung has a reputation for having some of the best cameras on the market, but the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra really outdoes itself. It features five back-facing cameras, ranging from a 10-megapixel telephoto lens to a 200-megapixel-wide camera.
If you’re like me and struggle to get the perfect shot every time, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with generative AI photo editing. It allows you to select a subject and either move it or erase it from the photo entirely. If you use the S Pen, it’s super easy to do. You can also use your finger, but I found using the stylus allowed you to select things more precisely.
However, it’s not perfect. While it does a solid job at removing an object, generating a background seems like it’s a struggle. In several tests, the area where you removed the object becomes a jumbled mess. And if you missed a part of the object you were trying to remove, cleanup can be a bit of a headache.
That said, this is Samsung’s first attempt at a generative AI photo editor. So it’s understandable if it’s not quite the best on the market just yet.
Photo taken with Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
One of the big goals of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series seems to be normalizing AI in everyday life. This phone is packed with AI features designed to make tasks more efficient.
Summarize and translate web content with Samsung’s browser
For instance, if you use Samsung’s built-in browser, you have the option to summarize and translate articles and web pages. All you have to do is click the AI option and select which option you’d like to use. As you can see below, the summary option sums up an article in just a few bullet points. Again, it’s not perfect as it couldn’t summarize some articles. Generally speaking, however, it gets the job done.
Example of AI photo editor use with Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Chat assist: A smart editor for your messages
The phone also comes with a chat assist. The feature is like having a mini editor in your pocket. It analyzes what you write and shows you ways to say your message in different tones, depending on who you’re having a conversation with. If you’re using Android Auto, it will automatically summarize messages and even suggest replies to keep you focused on the road.
Samsung Notes: A powerful AI-enhanced note-taking app
The Samsung Notes app also gets a big boost from AI. Not only does it include summarization and translation features, but it also includes options to let AI format your notes, turn them into bullet points, and even transcribe voice recordings with multiple speakers.
How to buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Series
The Samsung Galaxy S24 is out now. You can purchase a Galaxy S24 for $799, a Galaxy S24+ for $999, and a Galaxy S24 Ultra for $1,299. You can get up to $550 off the Galaxy S24, up to $650 off the S24+, and up to $750 off the S24 Ultra with an eligible trade-in on Samsung.com.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Using this phone for the past few days has been a great experience. I use an iPhone regularly, but I love to research and test new tech products, and with all the buzz around the Samsung Galaxy S24, I was curious to see how it stacks up. Using Android came with a bit of a learning curve. But after a day and a half, operating the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra was easy. The phone is super powerful, and I found myself utilizing some AI tools, especially in the Samsung Notes app.
That said, I would like to see Samsung really perfect the AI photo editing and the summary option in the browser. I’d also like to see AI integration outside of Samsung’s native apps — such as exporting the AI tools to Google Chrome and bringing its live translation feature in the phone app to a service like WhatsApp.
Which AI feature of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series are you most interested in or excited about? Let us know in the comments below. Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.
For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
There’s nothing like a nostalgic song to transport you back to a special time and place — and now a new study has shown that music could help protect those memories for a lifetime.
Researchers at the University of Exeter discovered that people who “engage in music” over the course of their lives tend to have improved memory and better overall brain health as they age, according to a press release.
The findings were published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
“The main message here is that different ways of engaging with music throughout life could be linked to different benefits,” lead researcher Anne Corbett, professor of dementia research at the University of Exeter, told Fox News Digital.
“This has implications for public health, on the importance of including music in general education, and of keeping it up throughout life, or revisiting in mid to late life,” she went on.
A new study has shown that music could help protect memory and cognitive function for a lifetime.(iStock)
The scientists analyzed data for more than 1,107 people 40 and older who had not been diagnosed with dementia. They were all participants in the PROTECT study, a long-running U.K. research initiative focused on brain health and dementia that has been running since 2015.
The data for this particular study was collected between March 2019 and March 2022. Participants completed questionnaires in which they reported their experiences with playing a musical instrument, singing, reading music and listening to music.
They also rated the level of their abilities.
The participants, who were 83% female and had an average age of 67, also took an online cognitive test to gauge their memory and executive function.
Those who regularly sang were also shown to have better brain health, the study found, but researchers noted that could also be a result of social factors.(iStock)
The participants who played a musical instrument were found to have higher cognitive skills and enhanced memory compared to those who did not.
The piano was shown to have the biggest cognitive benefit. The longer the person played, the greater the benefits.
Those who regularly sang were also shown to have better brain health, the study found, but researchers noted that could also be a result of social factors.
“Our findings indicate that learning and engaging with music can enhance the brain’s resilience in a similar way to learning a new language.”
“Because of the scale of our study, and the information we have available, we were able to break down the results to look at the association from different types of musicality,” said Corbett. “Singing was associated with better executive function, which could be because of the social aspect of being in a choir.”
People who learn more through written music seemed to have better numerical memory abilities, she noted, whereas playing a keyboard was linked to benefits across the board.
“We found no effect from listening to music alone – formal learning was key,” Corbett added.
Participants who played a musical instrument were found to have higher cognitive skills and enhanced memory compared to those who did not.(iStock)
Based on these findings, the researchers recommend promoting musical education and engagement — from childhood onward — as a means of protecting brain health.
“We think this could be incorporated into general lifestyle advice such as eating healthy and being active, which is geared toward keeping our brains sharp in later life,” said Corbett.
“Our findings indicate that learning and engaging with music can enhance the brain’s resilience in a similar way to learning a new language.”
The study did have some limitations, the researcher shared.
“The number of people in our study who played certain instruments was quite small, so this may have accounted for part of the effect we found,” Corbett said.
“We also didn’t look at whether taking up an instrument for the first time in later life would have benefit, though it certainly doesn’t do any harm and people would benefit from enjoyment and social interaction. Looking at any impact on the brain could be an interesting avenue for future research.”
The piano was shown to have the biggest cognitive benefit. The longer the person played, the greater the benefits.(iStock)
Dr. Brandon Crawford, a functional neurologist at the NeuroSolution Center of Austin, who was not involved in the study, confirmed the “profound impact” that musical activities, including playing instruments and singing, have on the brain.
“Playing musical instruments and singing engage and strengthen various cognitive processes, including memory, attention and executive functions,” he told Fox News Digital.
“The key is consistent engagement and enjoyment, which are crucial for sustaining the activity and reaping the neurological benefit.”
“They enhance neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new neural connections, fostering an environment conducive to learning and growth,” Crawford went on. “Music also stimulates emotional processing and can improve mood, offering a therapeutic benefit.”
The benefits of musical activities are both preventative and rehabilitative, the doctor said.
“For individuals without cognitive impairments, these activities can help maintain and even improve cognitive functions, serving as a protective measure against cognitive decline,” he said.
“Instruments like the piano or violin demand coordination between both hands, reading music and emotional expression, engaging a wide range of brain areas,” a neurologist said. (iStock)
“Meanwhile, [for] those already experiencing symptoms of cognitive decline, musical activities can slow the progression of such symptoms and, in some cases, restore cognitive functions thanks to the brain’s remarkable ability to adapt and change.”
Some of Crawford’s own patients have experienced noticeable improvements in memory, mood and cognitive functions as a result of musical activity, he said.
“For example, patients with early signs of dementia who started playing the piano or singing regularly have shown improvements in recall abilities and a reduction in the progression of their symptoms,” he shared.
While all musical activities offer benefits, Crawford noted that some instruments might provide more significant cognitive stimulation due to the complexity of the skills they require.
“Singing was associated with better executive function, which could be because of the social aspect of being in a choir,” said the lead researcher.(iStock)
“Instruments like the piano or violin demand coordination between both hands, reading music and emotional expression, engaging a wide range of brain areas,” he said.
The most important thing is that the person enjoys the activity, according to Crawford.
“The key is consistent engagement and enjoyment, which are crucial for sustaining the activity and reaping the neurological benefits,” he said.
Corbett added, “We know that lifestyle factors are important for keeping our brains as sharp as possible in later life.”
“Engaging with music throughout life could form part of this lifestyle advice, alongside factors including exercise, eating a healthy diet, giving up smoking and not drinking too much alcohol.”
