Today Briefly
Today Briefly

The truth about health patches: can they really treat stress, spots and lost libido?

Wellness sticker patches deliver vitamins and microdoses through skin as quick remedies amid a rapidly growing wearable patch market despite uncertain effectiveness.

Digital life

fromSocial Media Today

Meta Says That the Science Does Not Support Teen Social Media Bans

Meta contends legal cases misrepresent internal documents while allegations claim its platforms harmed teens and politicians exploit the controversy for votes.

Wellness

14 hours ago

There's no gold medal in the stress Olympics here's how to start resting

Rest replenishes energy, enhances performance, and should be prioritized over constant productivity; active forms of rest often restore more than passive leisure.

Digital life

fromFuturism

Tech Corporations Engaging in "Human Fracking"

Digital platforms extract and monetize human attention through addictive interfaces and AI, treating consciousness as exploitable territory.

Wellness

fromConde Nast Traveler

18 hours ago

How a Longevity Clinic in Costa Rica Helped Me Overcome My Grief After a Year of Loss

A wellness retreat and Estée Lauder Skin Longevity Clinic helped reshape attitudes toward aging and supported grief processing.

Digital life

fromLos Angeles Times

14 hours ago

Social media addiction's surprising challenger? Anti-doomscrolling influencers

Creators use short videos to interrupt mindless social media scrolling and encourage users to recognize and reduce excessive screen time.

OMG science

fromwww.npr.org

4 days ago

This teenager who wrote a research paper on how AI could impact teen jobs

AI is replacing common teenage jobs like retail and food service through kiosks and self-checkout, reducing summer and entry-level employment opportunities for teens.

OMG science

5 days ago

Wolf's dinner preserved in Siberia for 14,400 years sheds light on woolly rhino

A woolly rhinoceros genome was recovered from partially digested tissue inside a 14,400-year-old mummified wolf cub, providing genetic data from near the species' extinction.

fromNature

1 week ago

Electrochemical defluorinative Matteson-type homologation - Nature

The Matteson homologation, first developed in 1980, elongates carbon chains by insertion into a C−B bond. 1 This versatile reaction traditionally requires three steps: carbanion formation, nucleophilic addition to organoboron, and a thermo- or Lewis acid-promoted boronate rearrangement. These processes often demand exacting conditions, including cryogenic temperatures and handling of air- and moisture-sensitive reagents. 2,3 Here, we report a Matteson-type homologation which integrates these three transformations into a one-pot electrochemical process.

UX design

2 months ago

I Tested 5 AI Tools on 10 Real UI Design Prompts-Here's What Actually Works in 2025

First-pass outputs from current AI design tools vary: some address usability and accessibility, while others mainly produce attractive but shallow mockups.

Tech industry

fromTheregister

Akamai CEO wants help to defeat piracy, can do edge AI alone

Piracy is intellectual property theft and CDNs must actively prevent illegal streams instead of hiding behind free-speech claims or profiting from ignoring them.

UX design

1 month ago

I stopped using Figma for 70% of my product design work...and my output doubled.

Design failures usually stem from unclear thinking and poor problem definition, not from prototyping tools; clarify goals, users, and business needs before designing in Figma.

UX design

4 months ago

Who are we designing for now?

Design must serve both human users and AI agents by delivering machine-readable, structured interfaces while preserving human-centered intuition and long-term foresight.

Tech industry

fromComputerworld

This Intune update isn't optional - it's a kill switch for outdated apps

Microsoft will block iOS and Android apps not updated to required Intune MAM versions starting January 19, preventing those apps from launching.

Tech industry

fromTheregister

Microsoft hiring energy strategists for Asian datacenters

Microsoft is hiring senior energy managers in Asia to secure power for expanding datacenters; Vietnam began construction of its first 32nm chipmaking fab.

EU data protection

How the new EU data privacy laws change the kids and teens ad market forever

EU data laws will remove behavioural and programmatic advertising targeting children and teens across Europe, forcing a shift to cookieless kid-safe advertising models.

EU data protection

fromComputerworld

17 hours ago

AWS European cloud service launch raises questions over sovereignty

AWS launched a European Sovereign Cloud operated under EU-only governance to provide data residency and regulatory compliance while claiming separation from non-EU dependencies.

Privacy professionals

fromLogRocket Blog

Your security team blocked Cursor and Claude Code-time to switch to OpenCode - LogRocket Blog

OpenCode enables fully local AI code assistance via Ollama so code and prompts never leave local hardware, meeting strict compliance requirements.

Privacy professionals

fromwww.standard.co.uk

Prince Harry in London for start of celebrity privacy trial against Daily Mail publisher

Prince Harry and other high-profile figures allege Associated Newspapers committed serious privacy breaches including bugging, phone-hacking, and dishonest gathering of sensitive information.

Privacy professionals

fromFuturism

AI Surveillance Systems Are Causing a Staggering Number of Wrongful Arrests

AI surveillance in schools generates many false positive alerts, triggering arrests, involuntary detentions, and traumatic experiences for students.

EU data protection

fromEngadget

TikTok tightens age verification across Europe

TikTok is deploying upgraded age-detection technology plus human specialist review across Europe to identify, ban, and remove under-13 accounts, with appeals and verification options.

Marketing tech

Ad Tech Briefing: Consolidation in a 'Hunger Games scenario' - and a true loss for the industry

Google, Meta, and Amazon will dominate ad spend in 2026, intensifying agency competition amid an AI-driven shift from automation to action.

Marketing tech

Data-driven attribution models still lead to gut decisions - here are the alternatives

Traditional rule-based marketing attribution is increasingly unreliable, causing gut-driven decisions; the industry needs new, data-driven innovations to accurately measure ad impact.

Marketing tech

As OpenAI gears up to launch ChatGPT ads, marketers try to keep up

Advertising will arrive in ChatGPT, shifting conversational marketing from purely organic presence to paid, conversational ad campaigns built on existing organic groundwork.

Artificial intelligence

fromTechzine Global

Who will develop the OS for AI? VAST Data is going for it

VAST Data is consolidating data-pipeline components into a unified platform to become an operating system for AI, offering scalable, stable, flash-based infrastructure for enterprises.

Artificial intelligence

fromCity AM

UK businesses should prepare for ChatGPT ads now

Advertising inside ChatGPT will erode perceived neutrality, change employee behaviour, and force UK businesses to prepare for monetised, potentially biased AI outputs.

Social media marketing

Not all creators are the same: How the creator economy breaks down by business model

Content creators form distinct business types and tiers with different economics, revenue models, and audience relationships, reshaping media economics and brand partnership strategies.

Privacy technologies

4 months ago

Child Safety vs. Corporate Profits Online

Roblox's monetization incentives enable unsafe, poorly moderated experiences for children, while Sprocket prioritizes age verification, privacy, and child safety.

Food & drink

fromTasting Table

9 Hidden Gem Menu Items Worth Seeking Out At Fast Food Chains - Tasting Table

Many fast food chains offer underrated menu items worth trying, such as Five Guys' grilled hot dog with customizable, unlimited toppings.

Artificial intelligence

Vinod Khosla doesn't care about what Wall Street thinks of AI.

AI industry health is best measured by API call volumes rather than stock prices, which reflect only investor fear and greed.

Books

fromsfist.com

Green Apple Books' Sunset Location Finally Gets a New Tenant in Upstairs Mezzanine: A Literary Co-Working Space

Green Apple Books mezzanine now houses Backstory Above, a writers' co-working space offering silent work areas, a soundproof booth, and a small conference room.

Information security

fromZDNET

Don't use your router's USB port when these alternatives exist, a PC expert explains

Router USB ports expose networks to vulnerabilities through outdated, unencrypted protocols and should not be used; choose safer storage options instead.

Environment

8 hours ago

Australia's largest coal power plant to operate an extra two years to support national grid

Eraring power station will remain operational until April 2029 to support grid reliability while more renewable generation, storage and transmission capacity comes online.

Major League Baseball

fromMLB Trade Rumors

3 hours ago

Anthony Veneziano Signs With KBO's SSG Landers

Anthony Veneziano signed a one-year guaranteed deal with SSG Landers (KBO) for $750K plus up to $100K in incentives.

Food & drink

fromIndependent

Lucinda O'Sullivan's restaurant review: Returning to the street where the family first started out in 1990, this Pakistani chain is abuzz with flavour

Daata has opened a new city-centre venue in Dylan McGrath's former Brasserie 66, joining thriving branches along the Dart line.

Social media marketing

fromSocial Media Today

Threads Continues to Add Users as X Sees Ongoing Declines

Twitter's user growth stagnated so it reclassified as 'News' on the App Store to avoid comparisons while relying on large-scale first-party analytics for its ML.

Food & drink

They ditched fine dining and pharma jobs to open a bakery

Two former scientists turned bakers opened The Weirdoughs in Singapore; their artisan bakery rapidly attracts customers despite demanding production and career pivots.

Major League Baseball

fromDodgers Nation

Mookie Betts to Retire After Current Dodgers Deal Ends

Mookie Betts plans to retire at age 40 when his contract ends in 2032 to be present for his two children.

Major League Baseball

fromMLB Trade Rumors

Cody Bradford To Return From UCL Surgery In May

Cody Bradford is rehabbing from an internal brace procedure and is expected to miss the first month of the season, aiming to return in May.

#remote-work

fromForbes

20 hours ago

Remote teams

Remote-Hybrid Jobs In 2026: Do Experts Predict Sizzle Or Fizzle?

Remote-hybrid jobs remain significant in 2026 with mixed signals: strong remote preferences and productivity data but rising return-to-office mandates and 'hybrid creep'.

Remote teams

Why remote work is quietly thriving in the return-to-office era

Remote work remains prevalent despite rising return-to-office mandates, often occurring via exemptions or unrecorded arrangements.

Remote teams

fromForbes

20 hours ago

Remote-Hybrid Jobs In 2026: Do Experts Predict Sizzle Or Fizzle?

Remote-hybrid jobs remain significant in 2026 with mixed signals: strong remote preferences and productivity data but rising return-to-office mandates and 'hybrid creep'.

Remote teams

Why remote work is quietly thriving in the return-to-office era

more#remote-work

Environment

Antarctic penguins have radically shifted their breeding season seemingly in response to climate change

Antarctic penguins advanced breeding seasons by up to several weeks between 2012 and 2022, risking prey mismatch and reduced chick survival.

Wine

fromThe Mercury News

California wines sweep 26th annual SF Chronicle Wine Competition

California wines dominated the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, winning all top categories across sparkling, rosé, specialty, white, and red from over 5,500 entries.

Wine

California wines sweep 26th annual SF Chronicle Wine Competition

All top category winners at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition were from California.

Information security

fromThe Hacker News

17 hours ago

Weekly Recap: Fortinet Exploits, RedLine Clipjack, NTLM Crack, Copilot Attack & More

Automation and interconnected systems are increasing attack surfaces, enabling attackers to exploit small flaws and remain undetected, outpacing defenders.

Information security

fromThe Hacker News

13 hours ago

Google Gemini Prompt Injection Flaw Exposed Private Calendar Data via Malicious Invites

An indirect prompt-injection allowed Google Gemini to parse malicious calendar-invite descriptions and exfiltrate private meeting data via newly created Google Calendar events.

Wine

fromTasting Table

The Best Wine Pairings For 10 Popular Types Of Pasta Sauce - Tasting Table

Match pasta sauce acidity and flavor with a complementary wine; for acidic tomato-based sauces like pomodoro or marinara, choose Sangiovese or Chianti.

Books

Sex, death and parrots: Julian Barnes's best fiction ranked!

Duffy, The Porcupine and The Lemon Table deliver a bisexual private-eye crime caper, a savage satire of a collapsed communist regime, and stories about ageing.

fromwww.cnbc.com

65% of workers are interested in 'microshifting' their schedules as an alternative to the strict 9-to-5: It's 'a way to reclaim control'

"short, non-linear blocks based on personal energy, responsibilities, or productivity patterns."

Writing

fromPsychology Today

11 hours ago

Why Stepping Away Makes Writing Come Alive Again

Long pauses and distance renew memory and imagination, allowing ideas to reorganize and prevent repetitive production while rhythm, not constant output, sustains creative development.

Media industry

fromwww.mediaite.com

13 hours ago

New Yorker Goes Deep on Bari Weiss' Rocky CBS News Start

Bari Weiss's early leadership at CBS News clashed with traditional newsroom norms, prompting staff unease and controversial editorial and managerial decisions.

Social media marketing

fromThedrum

23 hours ago

SK-II: Beauty, Technology & Art

SK-II created an augmented reality pop-up in Tokyo combining technology, art, and influencers to deliver personalised immersive skincare retail experiences and expand globally.

Media industry

fromwww.independent.co.uk

In Graphic Detail: Why platforms are turning social video into living room TV

Big tech is shifting focus to living rooms, prioritizing social and short-form video, serialized brand content, and ad budgets away from traditional TV.

Books

fromThe New Yorker

20 hours ago

Briefly Noted Book Reviews

Three new books explore personal transformation through an adventurous treasure hunt, caregiving choices at end of life, and Africa's influence on Europe's self-conception.

Media industry

Matt Damon confirms bleak, bizarre rumour about Netflix original movies

The Independent funds on-the-ground journalism through donations without paywalls; Netflix enforces explicit, repetitive dialogue to accommodate distracted viewers.

Privacy technologies

fromZDNET

17 hours ago

Should you be afraid of smart home hacking? What it is, and how experts prevent it

Use strong passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, secure device setup, keep firmware updated, and research brands to reduce smart home hacking risk.

Writing

fromPsychology Today

9 hours ago

Where Loneliness Really Begins

Every hero's journey begins in an ordinary world that feels ordered yet hides an essential absence, prompting a quest for repair and return.

Privacy technologies

fromZDNET

I ditched Google Maps for a free alternative that doesn't track me (or drain my phone battery)

CoMaps provides privacy-first, open-source, offline-capable maps with no tracking, lower battery usage, voice navigation, and free cross-platform availability.

Writing

fromThe Oaklandside

11 hours ago

Who will be Oakland's next youth poet laureate?

Oakland invites teen writers to apply for a yearlong youth poet laureate program representing the city through performances, workshops, and a laureate project.

Europe news

fromwww.aljazeera.com

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,423

Russian forces continued offensive operations, seizing settlements, striking energy and military targets, causing civilian casualties, widespread power outages, and prompting emergency repairs and humanitarian concerns.

English Premier League

fromRadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

VAR review: Should Man United's Dalot have been sent off vs. Man City?

VAR upheld a yellow for Dalot because contact was deemed glancing, with referee communication and match timing influencing the VAR review.

Europe news

fromThe Art Newspaper - International art news and events

Ex-Ukrainian Prime Minister Tymoshenko Avoids Detention On Bribery Charges

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko must pay $760,000 bail amid bribery charges, faces travel and communication restrictions while denying wrongdoing and preparing an appeal.

Europe news

fromwww.caughtoffside.com

'Repressionist' artist Pavel Krisevich forced to flee Russia

Young Russian political artists like Pavel Krisevich are being forced into exile after repeated arrests, intimidation by security services, and designation as foreign agents.

English Premier League

5 days ago

Leeds agree to sell first-team striker for only 10m

Leeds may consider offers for Joel Piroe in January, but Piroe wants to stay and fight for a place after injury-limited minutes.

New York Knicks

Fans give Knicks earful as struggles continue vs. Mavericks

Max Christie scored 26 as the injury-depleted Dallas Mavericks dominated the New York Knicks 114-97, cruising to a 30-point halftime advantage.

#jimmy-butler

Golden State Warriors

Jimmy Butler exits Warriors-Heat with right knee injury

Golden State Warriors

Warriors' Jimmy Butler helped off with knee injury vs. Heat

Golden State Warriors

Kurtenbach: One bad Jimmy Butler step has thrown everything into question for the Warriors

Golden State Warriors

Jimmy Butler exits Warriors-Heat with right knee injury

Golden State Warriors

Warriors' Jimmy Butler helped off with knee injury vs. Heat

Golden State Warriors

Kurtenbach: One bad Jimmy Butler step has thrown everything into question for the Warriors

How LGBTQ+ people are defending Earth in the climate crisis

Nature provides SJ Joslin refuge free of gender or sexual discrimination, guiding their environmental work despite firing after hanging a transgender Pride flag.

London politics

fromwww.standard.co.uk

Is Sadiq Khan 'gaslighting' Londoners? The capital's great crime paradox explained

London recorded 97 homicides in 2025—the lowest since 2014—while political leaders clash over crime perception and Mayor Sadiq Khan's claims about falling murder rates.

FC Barcelona

fromBarca Blaugranes

3 hours ago

Racing eyeing loan move for Barca youngster Xavi Espart

Racing Santander want Xavi Espart on loan from Barcelona until season end to replace the expected-departing Clément Michelin.

National Hockey League

fromMaple Leafs Hotstove

3 hours ago

Craig Berube on whether the Leafs' intense schedule contributed to the blowout loss to Minnesota: "Possibly, but that's why you have to be smarter"

Mistakes—including a line-change goal and two power-play goals against—and mental errors cost the Maple Leafs a 6-3 loss; fatigue and travel may contribute.

Marketing

Ad of the Day: Burger King pokes fun at 'other people' situations

Burger King UK promotes its app with humorous billboards mocking common, awkward behaviors and implying savvy people use the app.

#fremont

East Bay real estate

Single-family home sells for $1.5 million in Fremont

5 hours ago

East Bay real estate

Fremont: Single-family residence sells for $2.9 million

East Bay real estate

Single-family home sells for $1.5 million in Fremont

5 hours ago

East Bay real estate

Fremont: Single-family residence sells for $2.9 million

Facebook introduces real time ticker ads

Facebook places paid Sponsored Stories into the right-hand real-time menu, disguising them as friends' activity and achieving a 46% higher click-through rate.

New York Mets

fromBlueJaysNation

4 days ago

Where the Blue Jays can turn to on improving the roster

Blue Jays pursued Tucker and Bichette but lost both as players chose shorter, higher-AAV deals despite Toronto offering longer, larger contracts.

Marketing

fromYanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News

We've got to let go of the past - and learn to love today's great work

Data- and evidence-led marketing improves recession resilience and recovery speed, while performance focus has narrowed advertising's creative ambition.

Mindfulness

fromBuzzFeed

4 hours ago

Frugal People Are Sharing The Cheap Habit That Vastly Improved Their Life

Practicing gratitude and focusing on abilities and small pleasures can break a victim mindset and alleviate paralysis and misery.

Gadgets

Ayaneo's Konkr Fit Handheld Packs AMD Ryzen AI 9 And Windows, Targeting the Steam Deck and Legion Go 2 - Yanko Design

Ayaneo's Konkr Fit is a 7-inch Windows handheld powered by an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 with an 80Wh battery, targeting real PC gaming.

London politics

fromdesignboom | architecture & design magazine

Royal Mint Court residents plan legal challenge if Chinese mega embassy' in London approved

Residents plan a judicial review if the government approves China's proposal to build a 230-flat embassy at Royal Mint Court near the Tower of London.

Arts