The strike would have impacted Samsung’s memory chip production.

A new study suggests YouTube’s recommendation algorithm may be shaping political perspectives differently for men and women – even when both groups start with the same interest in political content. The research, published in Cornell University’s arXiv repository, explored how YouTube’s recommendation system responds to different viewing behaviors.

Researchers created 160 automated social bots, splitting them into two groups with “male-coded” and “female-coded” viewing habits. While both sets of accounts showed identical interest in YouTube’s News & Politics category, their recommendations reportedly evolved in dramatically different directions over time.

Different algorithms, different political experiences

To conduct the experiment, researchers programmed 80 bots with viewing habits associated with traditionally male-oriented content, such as gaming and sports. Another 80 bots were assigned habits linked to female-oriented content, including fashion, lifestyle, and vlog videos.

Each account then completed 150 consecutive interaction sessions, allowing researchers to monitor how YouTube’s recommendation engine responded.

The results suggested that male-coded accounts were more frequently directed toward confrontational and politically charged topics such as crime, law enforcement, immigration, and defense-related issues. These accounts were also reportedly shown more content linked to powerful state institutions like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Justice.

Female-coded accounts, meanwhile, encountered a broader mix of political content that leaned toward international affairs, culture, arts, and lifestyle-related policy discussions. Researchers also found that these accounts received more politically neutral recommendations overall.

Perhaps more notably, the study claimed that male-coded profiles became trapped inside tighter recommendation loops, repeatedly encountering overlapping videos that reinforced similar viewpoints. Female-coded accounts experienced a more varied and less concentrated information ecosystem.

Why the findings matter

YouTube remains one of the world’s largest content platforms and an increasingly influential source of news and political information. During the 2020 US election cycle, for example, political campaigns heavily invested in YouTube advertising to influence voters and shape narratives online.

However, the new study shifts attention away from paid promotions and toward the platform’s recommendation engine itself – the system that decides what users watch next. Jonathan Gray, codirector of the Center for Digital Culture at King’s College London, said the findings contribute to growing concerns surrounding algorithm-driven political influence and online radicalization. Gray argued that recommendation systems remain largely opaque despite their enormous societal impact.

The research also adds to broader debates about whether large tech platforms unintentionally amplify polarization by creating personalized echo chambers around users. As scrutiny surrounding AI-driven recommendation systems intensifies globally, studies like this may increase pressure on platforms such as YouTube to provide greater transparency into how their algorithms shape public discourse and political behavior.

Google showed off a lot of new Gemini features and tools at Google I/O 2026, including the powerful new Google Omni video creator and editor. But the Gemini 3.5 Flash model is supposed to be the real workhorse, according to the company. Google has positioned it as faster and stronger at coding, long context reasoning, multimodal understanding, and more. More importantly, it’s supposedly capable of managing the kind of tangled requests real people actually throw at AI.

To see where Gemini 3.5 Flash really stands, I gave it five prompts designed to test very different strengths. Some were practical. Some were deliberately ridiculous. All of them highlighted capabilities Google has emphasized as part of Gemini 3.5 Flash’s evolution beyond earlier Flash models and Gemini 3.1.

1. Simulating space

What’s better than one slushy machine? Two, of course. At least that’s Ninja’s philosophy with the launch of the Ninja Slushi Twist, a two-in-one slushie maker that can churn out two concoctions at once, then dispense them at the same time.  

Ninja hopes to capitalize on the wild success of its previous frozen treat makers like the Creami and {insert more examples here]

The new perfect-for-summer appliance has none other than Jersey Shore star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi’s stamp of approval, who collaborated with the brand alongside fellow Shore star Jenni “Jwoww” Farley to create exclusive recipes. 

I tested the Slushi Twist and spoke with the Jersey Shore star while she sipped on a creation she made in the machine.. Here’s what to know about Ninja’s newest summertime appliance, which has already sold out twice.

What’s different about the Ninja Slushi Twist?

Most noticeably, the size. Measuring 17.48 x 11.93 x 16.26 inches, the new Slushi Twist looks nearly as big as the slushy machines you’d spot behind a bar holding strawberry daiquiris and pina coladas, and both sides of the machine can make 72 ounces of slushies, frappes or anything of the frozen drink variety. It’s also not a light machine by any means and weighs around 34 pounds before any liquid is added. 

Polizzi told us that she’s most excited to use the Ninja Slushi Twist at her Shore house this summer with her family. 

“I feel like the kids would do a regular lemonade, and the other side would be a vodka lemonade,” Polizzi said. “We would just have to label it.” 

How does the Ninja Slushi Twist work?

Each side of the machine can hold 48 ounces of liquid and make up to 72 ounces of frozen drinks, since the liquid expands as it freezes. You can create your own recipe or follow one of Ninja’s; just ensure it contains dairy, sugar or alcohol so the mixture freezes. It’s not a blender, though, so don’t add chunks of fruit or other ingredients. 

When you click the “Dual Slush Assist” button, both sides of the machine begin mixing, and you can feel the plastic containers cool to the touch almost immediately. If you only want to use one side of the machine, that’s possible, too. 

Each side has identical buttons for slush assist (what starts the machine), extra icy and a rinse button to help with clean-up at the end. There are also twin chambers that freeze the liquid while continuously mixing it. Even when the drinks are frozen and ready, keep dual assist on until the mixture is gone. 

How long does it take to make a batch

For my mixture, a cherry slush on one side and an orange-flavored slush on the other, it took about 40 minutes for them to come together as a slushy. Later, when I wanted it slightly thicker, I put it on the extra icy option, and it took an additional 20 or so minutes. So if you’re hosting a party, make sure you start the machine roughly an hour before you want the drinks ready for guests. 

After the mixture is gone, add water to both sides, then hit rinse before removing the chambers to empty out the mixture. For being such a large machine, it was fairly easy to clean thanks to the rinse function.

Who is the Ninja Slushi Twist good for?

If you ask Polizzi, everyone. 

“You could basically try anything, and I think it would taste good,” Polizzi said while coming up with new ingredients to try in the machine, including rosé.

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I tend to agree with “Snooki”, and I think this machine would be especially great for large families or those who often host gatherings, since it can make so many slushies in one swoop. 

If you’re in a smaller household or even have less kitchen space, the original Ninja Slushi machine might be the better buy since it’s half the size, $140 cheaper, and can still make a slushie, albeit only one flavor at a time.  

The Ninja Slushi Twist sells for $400 and is currently available at Best Buy.

If you owned an Android during the last nine years, you could soon see a little extra cash. For years, Google has been accused of harvesting data from Android phones without users’ consent. Following a California lawsuit that was settled for $314 million last year, a new settlement could mean payouts for another 100 million people.

A class action lawsuit alleging “Google caused Android mobile devices to transfer a variety of information to Google without users’ permission, consuming users’ cellular data,” is nearing its end. The two sides in Taylor v. Google LLC (PDF) have agreed to a settlement and have begun resolving it. 

Without admitting fault, Google agreed to a preliminary settlement in January, committing to pay $135 million in damages. The settlement website is now live. 

The final approval hearing won’t occur until June 23, when the court will hear objections and consider whether Google’s settlement is fair. After that, the court will decide whether to approve the $135 million settlement. 

In the meantime, if you qualify and want to be paid as part of the settlement, you can select your preferred payment method on the official website. There, you can find information on speaking at the June 23 court hearing and on how to exclude yourself or write to the court to object by May 29.

As part of the settlement, Google will update its Google Play terms of service to clarify that certain data transfers do occur passively even when you’re not using your Android device, and that cellular data may be relied upon when not connected to Wi-Fi. This can’t always be disabled, but users will be asked to consent to it when setting up their device. 

Google will also fully stop collecting data when its “allow background data usage” option is toggled off. 

Who can be part of the Google data settlement?

In order to join the Taylor v. Google LLC settlement, you must meet four qualifications:

1. Be a living, individual human being in the US.
2. Have used an Android mobile device with a cellular data plan.
3. Have used the aforementioned device at any time from Nov. 12, 2017, to the date when the settlement receives final approval.
4. You’re not a class member in the Csupo v. Google LLC lawsuit, which is similar but specifically for California residents.

To set your payment information on the official settlement website, you’ll need a Notice ID and Confirmation Code, which the settlement administrators mailed or emailed to eligible claimants.

The final approval hearing is on June 23, so you can add your payment method until then. The hearing’s date and time may change, and any updates will be posted on the settlement website. 

If you choose to do nothing and are eligible, you will still be issued a settlement payment, but not selecting a payment method might increase your risk of not getting paid.

Even if you didn’t receive a notification letter or email, you still might be eligible for a payout from Google. To find out, you can call the toll-free information number at 1-844-655-4255 or email info@FederalCellularClassAction.com. You can also mail a letter requesting more information to: Federal Cellular Class Action, 1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103. 

Watch this: Your Phone is Disgusting: Let’s Fix That

05:07

How much could I get paid by Google?

It’s not currently known exactly how much each settlement class member will receive, but the maximum is $100. Payments will be distributed after final court approval and after the resolution of any appeals.

After all administrative, tax and attorney costs are paid, the settlement administrator will attempt to pay each member an equal amount. If any funds remain after payments are sent, and it’s economically feasible, they will be redistributed to members who were previously and successfully paid. If it’s not economically feasible, the funds will go to an organization approved by the court.

from the pew-pew dept

I assume at one point America was a serious big boy country, but we are certainly not that any longer. You can get examples of the unserious nature of our government in spades, of course, but I’m just going to keep hammering on what is going on at HHS and its child agencies as the prime example. With the recent resignation of Marty Makary as FDA Commissioner, the country is left without Senate confirmed commissioners for the FDA, CDC, as well as Surgeon General. This is because of a combination of RFK Jr. being incapable of hiring any normies for those roles combined with the Trump administration’s general apathy towards doing the business of government. It’s a clown show, currently resting on the shoulders of acting commissioners in these roles.

Which isn’t to say that the clownery hasn’t infected those acting commissioner appointments as well. It absolutely has. And you need look no further than the new acting FDA Commissioner to see that.

Soon after Trump posted Makary’s resignation text to Truth Social, Kyle Diamantas, 38, an obscure Florida lawyer who first landed at the FDA in 2025 as director of the human foods program, following his previous role as Don Jr.’s hunting buddy, was named acting FDA commissioner.

In March 2021, Don Jr. and Diamantas posed holding dead Osceola wild turkeys, as I had first reported. Mike Tussey, the founder of the hunting outfit Osceola Outdoors, described the scene on X as: “Don Jr. With his good friend Kyle Diamantas! Kyle’s first Osceola!” A picture of Trump Jr., Diamantas, and Tussey, with a single turkey, is featured on Osceola Outdoors’s website.

While a great deal of attention has been paid to Diamantas’ brief role defending Planned Parenthood in one legal case, which he claims he eventually got out of over his moral objections to the organization, his more salient work history was his legal defense of Abbott Laboratories for selling harmful baby formula and the tobacco industry. He spent a decade doing his lawyerly work before being appointed acting deputy commissioner of human food at the FDA last year. There he dabbled in a little conflict of interest by being in charge of reviewing infant formula safety, given his past legal work defending the industry, and embraced the whole MAHA movement.

So what else qualifies Diamantas for that role, or his new role running the larger FDA? Nothing, that’s what. Nothing at all, other than being Don Jr.’s pal. The real government, it seems, was the friends we made along the way.

And so we have another nepo-appointment in the Trump administration, but this one is responsible for food and drug safety across the entire country. I’m sure there’s nothing that will go wrong as a result.

Filed Under: donald trump jr., fda, health & human services, kyle diamanatas, mark makary, rfk jr.

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software is no longer a single-country experiment in Europe. Lithuania became the second EU member state to approve FSD (Supervised) on Tuesday, just weeks after the Netherlands became the first. Greece and Belgium are expected to follow shortly.

The Lithuanian transport safety administration adopted the Dutch RDW’s prior certification rather than running its own testing programme. Under EU rules, member states can recognise another country’s type approval and allow the certified system onto their roads. It is a shortcut, but a legally valid one.

Tesla Europe confirmed the rollout on X, posting that FSD Supervised was now live for Lithuanian owners. The Greek transport ministry said an upcoming bill would grant approval, according to Reuters. Belgium is expected to follow the same RDW recognition route.

The 💜 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

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The expansion matters for Tesla’s broader strategy. CEO Elon Musk’s $1 trillion compensation package is tied to hitting a series of product milestones, including 10 million active FSD subscriptions by 2035. The company currently has roughly 1.3 million FSD users globally, comprising 824,000 who purchased the software outright and 476,000 active monthly subscribers.

That subscriber count is growing fast. Tesla added 180,000 new FSD subscribers in Q1 2026, a 51 per cent jump from the previous quarter. In February, the company dropped the one-time purchase option entirely, making FSD available only through a $99 monthly subscription. The move removed the $15,000 upfront barrier and is generating roughly $546 million in annualised recurring revenue.

But the European rollout faces headwinds. The RDW is pushing for formal EU-wide recognition through the European Commission’s Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles. That requires a qualified majority: 55 per cent of member states representing 65 per cent of the bloc’s population. No vote has been scheduled yet, with the next committee meetings expected in July and October.

Emails obtained by Reuters revealed significant scepticism from Scandinavian regulators. Officials in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Norway raised concerns about FSD’s tendency to exceed speed limits and its performance on icy roads. Tesla’s stated goal of EU-wide availability by summer 2026 looks increasingly ambitious.

For now, the country-by-country approach continues. Outside Europe, FSD (Supervised) is available in Australia, Canada, China, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the United States. The system still requires active driver supervision at all times, handling steering, lane changes, and parking but expecting the human behind the wheel to take over when needed.

FSD Unsupervised, the version that handles all driving without human intervention, remains limited to Tesla’s own robotaxi fleet operating in Austin, Dallas, and Houston. Musk has suggested that unsupervised capability could begin rolling out to eligible customers by the fourth quarter of 2026, though he has made and missed similar promises repeatedly over the past six years.

The gap between FSD’s European ambitions and Europe’s regulatory reality remains wide. Two countries down, 25 to go, and the ones raising objections are among the continent’s most influential on road safety policy. Tesla may be creeping into Europe, but the pace is set by Brussels, not by Musk’s timeline.