Newsbreaker

Illustration 33180952 © Krishnacreations | Dreamstime.com Scientists aren’t just playing ball; they’re creating them. In an incredible stride within the field of reproductive biology, a team led by Dr Nitzan Gonen at Bar-Ilan University has created lab-grown testicles, opening up a whole new playbook for understanding testicular function and promoting male fertility. Read full article

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The A’ Design Award and Competition, one of the leading competitions in the field, offers a stage for designers, brands, and other creatives to show off their best work and get recognition from influential figures and platforms for doing so. The accolade not only highlights exceptional projects but also promotes the principles of good design, pushing the boundaries of form and function and considering their role in driving positive change around the world. Whether you’re an architect or a packaging designer, there’s a prize for you. The competition welcomes designers and makers of over 100 disciplines from all around the world, including those focused on Graphics and Visual Communication Design; Advertising, Marketing and Communication Design; Furniture, Decorative Items and Homeware Design; Fashion, Apparel and Garment Design; and Architecture, Building and Structure Design. You’ll find a full breadth of categories here. Read full article

Image generated on AI As London Fashion Week (LFW) gears up for its next showcase, PANTONE is painting the town with its Fashion Color Trend Report for Autumn/Winter 2024/2025. This season, designers are threading the needle between retro vibes and futuristic visions, with 10 standout colors predicted to dominate while five core classics underpin their laces. Read full article

Video screenshot via OpenAI After conquering art with DALL-E and language with ChatGPT, OpenAI is taking on animation and footage with its latest artificially intelligent brainchild, Sora. Borrowing its name from the Japanese word for sky, Sora translates text prompts into videos that last up to 60 seconds. Read full article

Video screenshot via Minions Disney adversary Illumination is truly taking the mickey out of its classic animation, cheekily channeling Mickey Mouse’s iconic Steamboat Willie persona in the leadup to Despicable Me 4. With Mickey’s earliest iteration venturing out into public domain waters this year, the floodgates have opened for all sorts of interpretations of the beloved character. And the Minions’ homage is bananas. Read full article

Images via Duolingo Duolingo is learning the language of Gen Z and using humor to get them curious about education… as well as to have them dig deep into their pockets. Read full article

Image via LEGO Heigh-ho, heigh… wuh-oh? LEGO has recently unveiled what could be a dream come true for Disney diehards: a set embodying Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ cottage. And yes, it took a while for this fairytale to transpire, but happily ever after is still a little ways down the road. Read full article

Image via Guo et al / Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (CC BY 4.0) Biologically accurate critters were nowhere to be found in (supposedly) peer-reviewed research published in the highly credible Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology journal, where AI-generated illustrations have surfaced. Read full article

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Image generated on AI South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has found itself in an unusually prickly situation and is cautioning the public against a peculiar and potentially hazardous dietary fad: the consumption of fried toothpicks. And you thought girl dinners were odd. Read full article

Photo 79835272 © Prykhodov | Dreamstime.com Apple has recently decided to put a lingering legal challenge behind it by agreeing to a US$35 million settlement over a class-action lawsuit. This case centered around claims that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models were plagued by audio issues, attributed to a faulty chip within the devices. Read full article

Photo: Stephen Freiheit, via Fischer et al, 2024, PLOS ONE / EurekAlert (CC-BY 4.0) Over a century after his remains were unearthed in a Danish peat bog, the Vittrup Man is finally telling his story, thanks to impressive research published on February 14, 2024, in PLOS ONE. This Neolithic individual, whose life journey took him from the Scandinavian coast to Denmark, met a grim end through sacrifice, according to a study led by Anders Fischer of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and his team. Read full article

Image courtesy of Casio Casio is winding back the clock to celebrate a monumental milestone, marking 50 years since the debut of its beloved timepieces with the launch of the TRN-50, a modern homage to the pioneering Casiotron QW02. Read full article

Image generated on AI Parents of young victims of gun violence have found a way to let their children speak volumes beyond the grave. The Shotline, a poignant campaign launched on the sixth anniversary of the tragic Parkland shooting, utilizes artificial intelligence to recreate the voices of those silenced by gun violence. Read full article

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Video screenshot via Carl’s Jr Carl’s Jr has cooked up a flipping humorous campaign to make way for Free Burger Day. Teaming up with Austin-based creative agency Callen, the fast-food chain released a series of “leaked” training videos supposedly aimed at prepping employees for the chaos expected when hungry customers swarm in for their free fix. Read full article

Image generated on AI Dictionary.com has once again refreshed its lexicon, bringing us a delightful—and sometimes bizarre—array of new words to spice up our conversations and understanding of the ever-evolving English language. Read full article

Image via Build-A-Bear A not-so-cuddly waltz is unfolding between two toymakers. Jazwares, the company behind the wildly popular Squishmallows, has engaged in a legal tussle with Build-A-Bear Workshop, accusing the latter of stepping on its plush paws by launching a rival product line called Skoosherz. Read full article

Image via Ratboot A gritty pair of boots caused quite the squeak at New York Fashion Week, reflecting the city’s notorious residents. Read full article

Image via Nvidia Nvidia wants to turbocharge the way we interact with artificial intelligence with the introduction of Chat with RTX, a demo app that brings the power of smart chatbots directly to your desktop. This tool, designed for Windows PCs equipped with NVIDIA RTX, allows for local, speedy, and customized generative AI interactions, moving beyond the cloud servers to offer a more personal and immediate AI experience. Read full article

Photo 302890075 © Claudine Weber Hilty | Dreamstime.com Paris’ skyline is once again crowing with the silhouette of Notre Dame Cathedral’s spire, a beacon of resilience and renewal following the tragic fire of April 2019. The first sighting of the structure’s new spire, complete with a golden rooster and cross, offers Parisians and the world a preview of the landmark’s rebirth. Read full article

Image generated on AI Its robots: 1, humans: 0 as a California district judge has recently made a page-turning decision leaning in favor of OpenAI amid allegations of copyright infringement by book authors. The lawsuit, initiated by a group of writers including well-known figures like Sarah Silverman, Michael Chabon, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, accused the artificial intelligence giant of training its sophisticated chatbot, ChatGPT, on pirated book copies without obtaining permission. They’ve labeled the technology a high-tech “grift.” Read full article

Image via Xbox Wire Microsoft is elevating the game experience, quite literally, with what it’s calling the “world’s first floating Xbox controller” to mark the release of Dune: Part 2 on March 1. Read full article

Video screenshot via Sun Day Red Tiger Woods is teeing off a new venture with the launch of Sun Day Red, a lifestyle brand that marks a significant shift in his illustrious career. After wrapping up a 27-year partnership with Nike, Woods is swinging into new territory with TaylorMade Golf, introducing a collection that spans cashmere sweaters to stylish footwear. Read full article