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  • Apple accuses former Apple Watch staffer of conspiring to steal trade secrets for Oppo

    Apple accuses former Apple Watch staffer of conspiring to steal trade secrets for Oppo

    Apple is suing a former employee on the Apple Watch team who left to join Oppo, alleging that he “conspired to steal Apple’s trade secrets relating to Apple Watch and to disclose them to his new employers.”

    Ahead of starting his new job at Oppo, the employee, Dr. Chen Shi, attended “dozens” of meetings with technical members on the Apple Watch team to learn about their work and downloaded 63 documents “from a protected Box folder” that he loaded onto a USB drive, according to the lawsuit. Shi allegedly sent a message to Oppo saying that he was working to “collect as much information as possible” before starting his job. And he searched the internet for terms like “how to wipe out macbook” and “Can somebody see if I’ve opened a file on a shared drive?” from his Apple-issued MacBook before leaving the company.

    Shi was formerly a sensor system architect at Apple, and the company says he had “a front row seat to Apple’s development of its cutting-edge health sensor technology, including highly confidential roadmaps, design and development documents, and specifications for ECG sensor technology.”

    He now heads up a team working on sensing technology at Oppo — which Apple says it learned because of “messages he left on his Apple-issued work iPhone.” In his resignation letter to Apple, Shi said he was leaving “due to personal and family reasons.” Via that iPhone, Apple also says it found messages from Oppo demonstrating that it “encouraged, approved, and agreed to Dr. Shi’s plan to collect Apple’s proprietary information before leaving Apple.”

    When The Verge tried to contact Oppo for comment, the email bounced back because the mailbox was full.

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  • SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites into orbit-Xinhua

    LOS ANGELES, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) — U.S. private space company SpaceX launched 24 Starlink satellites into orbit on Friday.

    The satellites lifted off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 10:04 a.m. Pacific Time (1704 GMT), according to SpaceX.

    After stage separation, the rocket’s first stage booster landed on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You,” positioned in the Pacific Ocean.

    Starlink will deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable, according to SpaceX. ■

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  • Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of coupling coordination between digital technological innovation and economic resilience in the Yangtze river economic belt

    Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of coupling coordination between digital technological innovation and economic resilience in the Yangtze river economic belt

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  • Zverev ‘happy’ to face Sinner and Alcaraz for perfect Slam win – ATP Tour

    1. Zverev ‘happy’ to face Sinner and Alcaraz for perfect Slam win  ATP Tour
    2. Alexander Zverev ‘got professional help’ after heartbreaking mental health revelation  Tennis World USA
    3. Alexander Zverev’s Quest for U.S. Open Glory: A Personal and Professional Rebirth  Devdiscourse
    4. Alexander Zverev makes mental health revelation in Cincinnati after concerning statements  Tennis365
    5. Alexander Zverev is gradually regaining certainty ahead of the US Open  Tennis World USA

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  • US health department moves to strip thousands of employees of collective bargaining rights | Trump administration

    US health department moves to strip thousands of employees of collective bargaining rights | Trump administration

    The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has moved to strip thousands of federal health agency employees of their collective bargaining rights, according to a union that called the effort illegal.

    HHS officials confirmed Friday that the department is ending its recognition of unions for a number of employees and reclaiming office space and equipment that had been used for union activities.

    It’s the latest move by the Trump administration to put an end to collective bargaining with unions that represent federal employees. Previously affected agencies include the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

    In May, an appeals court said the administration could move forward with Donald Trump’s executive order that the president aimed at ending collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees while a lawsuit plays out.

    “This action ensures that HHS resources and personnel are fully focused on safeguarding the health and security of the American people,” department spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement.

    Officials with the American Federation of Government Employees said strong union contracts do not hinder strong responses to public health emergencies. Rather, they help make agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have a stable, experienced and supported workforce, the union said.

    Some CDC employees said the union has been a source of information and advocacy for the agency’s employees during layoffs this year and in the wake of the 8 August shooting attack at the CDC’s main campus in Atlanta.

    Since then, the union has been trying to advocate for a better emergency alert system and better security.

    Other affected agencies include the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the Administration for Children and Families.

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  • 28th anniversary of club’s fifth Spanish Super Cup

    28th anniversary of club’s fifth Spanish Super Cup

    On 23 August 1997, Real Madrid lifted their fifth Spanish Super Cup. In that edition, the Whites beat Barcelona 5-3 on aggregate in the final. The first leg was played at Camp Nou, where Madrid lost 2-1. Three days later, they came from behind to win the trophy with an emphatic 4-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu.

    Raúl was the standout performer, scoring the only Madridista goal at the Camp Nou and then bagging a brace at home to guide the team to victory. In the return leg, Mijatovic and Seedorf were also on target.

    FIRST LEG (Camp Nou, 20/08/1997)
    2-Barcelona:     Hesp, Reiziger, Nadal (Ferrer, 66’), Sergi, Amunike (Ciric, 71’), Giovanni, Guardiola, Amor, Sonny Anderson, Luis Enrique (Dugarry, 62’), Rivaldo.
    1-Real Madrid: Cañizares, Chendo, Sanchís, Karanka, Roberto Carlos, Amavisca (Guti, 62’), Jaime (Zé Roberto, 62’), Seedorf (Dani, 81’), Suker, Mijatović, Raúl.

    Goals
    0-1     (min. 5): Raúl.
    1-1     (min. 11): Nadal.
    2-1     (min. 85): Giovanni, penalty.

    RETURN LEG (Santiago Bernabéu, 23/08/1997)
    4-Real Madrid:     Cañizares, Panucci, Hierro, Karanka, Roberto Carlos, Zé Roberto (Sanchís, 82’), Guti (Jaime, 63’), Seedorf, Suker (Víctor, 73’), Mijatović, Raúl.
    1-Barcelona: Hesp, Ferrer, Reiziger, Abelardo, Sergi, Figo, Amor (Ciric, 57’), Giovanni, Guardiola, Sonny Anderson (Dugarry, 68’), Rivaldo.

    Goals
    1-0     (min. 42): Raúl.
    2-0     (min. 54): Raúl.
    3-0     (min. 58): Mijatović.
    4-0     (min. 65): Seedorf.
    4-1     (min. 80): Giovanni.

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  • Silksong’ Gets September Release Date (Gaming News Roundup)

    Silksong’ Gets September Release Date (Gaming News Roundup)

    Following seven long years of many questions and very few answers in response, video game studio Team Cherry has announced “Hollow Knight” sequel “Silksong” will be released Sept. 4.

    Additionally, the developer dropped a trailer to show the first look at the game they’ve offered in six years, which readers can view in the video below.

    Per Team Cherry’s description for the game on Steam, “As the lethal hunter Hornet, adventure through a kingdom ruled by silk and song! Captured and taken to this unfamiliar world, prepare to battle mighty foes and solve ancient mysteries as you ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to the kingdom’s peak. ‘Hollow Knight: Silksong‘ is the epic sequel to ‘Hollow Knight,’ the award winning action-adventure. Journey to all-new lands, discover new powers, battle vast hordes of bugs and beasts and uncover secrets tied to your nature and your past.”

    Game features will include:

    • Discover the fallen insect kingdom of Pharloom! Explore mossy grottos, gilded cities and misted moors as you ascend to the shining citadel at the top of the world.
    • Engage in lethal acrobatic action! Wield a huge suite of deadly moves as you dance between foes in swift, beautiful combat.
    • Craft powerful tools! Master an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons, traps, and mechanisms to vanquish your enemies and explore new heights.
    • Solve shocking quests! Hunt down rare beasts and solve ancient mysteries to grant the wishes of the downtrodden and restore the kingdom’s hope.
    • Face over 200 ferocious foes! Beasts and hunters, monsters and knights. Defeat them all with bravery and skill!
    • Vanquish over 40 legendary bosses! Battle fabled heroes and fallen kings in epic combat to decide the kingdom’s fate.
    • Challenge Steel Soul mode! Once you conquer the kingdom, test your skills in a new mode that presents a more formidable challenge.
    • Experience a stunning orchestral score! Hollow Knight’s award-winning composer, Christopher Larkin, brings melancholy melodies, symphonic strings and heart-thumping, soul strumming boss themes to the adventure.

    See more gaming news from this week in the roundup below.

    TRAILERS

    Sega released a new competition-focused trailer for “Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds” ahead of its Sept. 25 release.

    *

    Funcom released a trailer announced previewing a free content update and paid DLC for “Dune: Awakening.”

    Per Funcom, “Set to arrive on September 10th, Chapter 2 will be ‘Dune: Awakening’s’ first free major content update, continuing the gripping main story – which ended on a cliffhanger – and adding new world content and contracts. Releasing in parallel, ‘The Lost Harvest’ DLC, priced at $12.99, brings a new standalone story and unique cosmetics.”

    *

    Arc Games and Chief Rebel revealed that their multiplayer online dungeon adventure (MODA) game, “Fellowship,” will launch in PC Early Access on Oct. 9 for $24.99 and revealed a new trailer.

    *

    “Dungeons & Dragons Online’s” latest expansion “The Chill of Ravenloft” has been released and a new trailer dropped to promote the launch.

    *

    “Bounty Star” has received an Oct. 23 release date from Annapurna Interactive. A new trailer debuted to announce the launch date.

    *

    Bandai Namco launched a new trailer for “Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree” that shows some key features in the game.

    *

    Tripwire Presents, the publishing division of Tripwire Interactive, and developer Arctic Hazard today shared a new gameplay trailer for their upcoming Viking-age, turn-based tactical title “NORSE: Oath of Blood.”

    *

    V Publishing dropped a new trailer for “RAEV: Kingdom on the Distant Shores.”

    *

    Kasedo Games released a gameplay trailer for “Warhammer 40,000 Mechanicus II.”

    *

    Amazon Games unveiled an Oct. 7 release date for its upcoming console and PC game, “King of Meat,” along with a new trailer.

    HARDWARE

    Xbox and Republic of Games announced handheld gaming consoles ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X will be released Oct. 16. Pricing for the devices will be revealed at a later date.

    NEWLY ANNOUNCED GAMES

    Wolcen Studio revealed its currently in development “Project Pantheon” is formally titled “Gods, Death & Reapers.” Per the studio, the title features “high-stakes Extraction gameplay with deep Hack-and-Slash mechanics.”

    Here’s the description for the game: “‘Gods, Death & Reapers’ is a free-to-play ExtrAction RPG that throws players into a brutal afterlife where mythology is real, and the gods are gone. Starting in Norse Mythology, Death himself has chosen players to help restore balance to realms left in chaos.”

    *

    Netmarble announced new cozy crafting game “Project Bloomwalker.”

    Per developer Netmarble Neo, “Bloomwalker translates to ‘one who walks while blooming flowers,’ reflecting a vision of a world where the protagonist’s footsteps bring life back with every step. The title symbolizes the power of players to be a force of healing and renewal that transforms the world around them. Aboard their moving house, players and their adorable spirt companions called Oddling embark on a journey to explore uncharted territories, cleanse tainted landscapes, gather resources for crafting and decoration, and forge bonds with their Oddling friends as they prepare for new adventures.”

    *

    Swedish indie publisher Raw Fury announced “Deep Dish Dungeon” a dungeon crawler with an emphasis on exploration and player ingenuity. The game will be developed by Behold Studio (“Knights of Pen & Paper,” “Chroma Squad”). 

    PLATFORM RELEASES

    Xbox’s “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl” will debut on PlayStation 5 Nov. 20.

    EVENTS

    Ahead of the start of Gamescom, Devcom wrapped with a record-high of 5,400 registered attendees (up 6% year over year) at the Koelnmesse’s Confex Center in Cologne, Germany, representing over 2,500 companies from 89 countries. 

    Additionally, the event’s organizers announced that beginning in October 2025, the conference will officially be renamed Gamescom Dev, “firmly positioning it as the central developer platform at the heart of Gamescom.”

    TECH

    Google Cloud outlined several gaming partnerships and initiatives this week during Gamescom and Devcom. Per the company, these include:

    • Atlas, an AI-native company, is using Google Cloud’s infrastructure and Vertex AI to power its 3D content creation platform, helping developers build vast game worlds.
    • Embody is using our GPU compute power to scale its personalized spatial audio technology, enhancing immersion in titles like Sea of Thieves.
    • Ludeo is working with us to bolster its core infrastructure to create a low-latency infrastructure for its “playable moments” platform, which lets players instantly jump into game highlights without a download.
    • NACON is using Google Cloud to embed AI into its operations to accelerate game production and achieve its goal of increasing its annual game launches.
    • Nitrado is using a hybrid-cloud solution with our global network to provide game server hosting that can scale instantly to support traffic spikes.

    ACCESSORIES

    Sony Electronics Inc. is expanding the INZONE gaming gear line with additional products aimed at PC gamers.

    Developed in collaboration with esports team Fnatic, the INZONE H9 II wireless noise canceling gaming headset joins the range alongside the new INZONE E9 in-ear monitors for gaming. Rounding out the lineup is the INZONE KBD-H75 gaming keyboard, the INZONE Mouse-A gaming mouse and the INZONE Mat-D and Mat-F mousepads.

    Per Sony Electronics, the INZONE E9 in-ear headphones have been approved for use at the Apex Legends Global Series Year 5 Championship, “helping professional players concentrate on their competition with comfortable gameplay, FPS optimized sound, and superior noise isolation.”

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  • Why studios keep making live-action adaptations of anime

    Why studios keep making live-action adaptations of anime

    Grace Tsoi

    BBC World Service

    Courtesy of Netflix Sung Jin-woo, the protagonist of Solo Leveling, holds a sword in the snowCourtesy of Netflix

    Netflix’s latest live-action remake of anime, Solo Leveling, was first published as a Korean web novel

    When Netflix announced plans for a live-action remake of a beloved anime series, it was met with doubtful and even divided fans.

    Solo Leveling – which charts a lowly monster hunter’s rise to power – is a classic tale of the triumph of an underdog. Originally a hit Korean web novel from 2016, its popularity surged globally after it was made into an anime series eight years later.

    Fans love it but that has only made them sceptical of a live-action adaptation.

    “I have never had a great experience with live-action and I do not see a future or need for them to exist,” says Swedish fan Andre Denisson.

    Anime has captured imaginations for decades now, but the art, and its fans, have always seemed beyond the reach of mainstream film studios.

    Hollywood has struggled to pull off live-action remakes, and yet its successor – on-demand streaming – is keen to cash in on the genre.

    Why has it proved so hard to bring anime alive on the screen?

    An elusive art

    Live-action remakes are a “hit or miss”, says Ander Guerrero, an anime fan based in Spain.

    He is concerned that the CGI for Solo Leveling will not be able to do justice to the source material: “The anime looks incredible mainly because of the fight sequences, which could be hard to replicate in live-action.”

    There are plenty of such moments in Solo Leveling, which is set in a world where mankind’s survival depends on “hunters” – humans with special abilities – battling and defeating magical monsters that appear through mysterious portals, or “gates”.

    Monster hunters’ abilities are pre-determined and cannot change. When we meet the main character, Sung Jin-woo, he is mankind’s “weakest weapon” – but after a near-death experience, he becomes the only one with the ability to “level up” his abilities.

    The story, and the rich sequences it portrayed, even unseated fan favourites like Demon Slayer and One Piece to become the most watched series in the history of Crunchyroll, an anime streaming site for audiences outside Asia, according to Sony, which owns the platform.

    Courtesy of Netflix Sung Jin-woo, the protagonist of Solo Leveling, throws a punchCourtesy of Netflix

    Solo Leveling is the story of how underdog hero Sung Jin-woo becomes a powerful hunter

    So fans are unconvinced Netflix can deliver what they expect.

    Those who watch the live-action remake “will not get the same experience,” insists Mr Guerrero, who expects the result to be “a half-baked story” where key plot points will be missing.

    Turning anime into live action is a formidable creative challenge and a balancing act: on the one hand is a discerning fandom and on the other hand, an irresistible opportunity to find new audiences.

    Casting and production aside, it is essential to get the tone right, says Geoff Thew, who reviews anime on his YouTube channel “Mother’s Basement” for nearly 1.4 million followers.

    “Things that work, dramatically and aesthetically, in the heightened reality of animation don’t always translate to live action,” he says.

    “The most iconic moments of the original anime might not work in live action, but whatever changes you make, those moments still need to be recognisable to fans.”

    Hollywood dreams

    Hollywood first adapted anime into live-action in the 1990s but it did not go well.

    The 2009 adaptation of Dragonball Evolution was so ridiculed by fans of the four-decade-old iconic franchise that the scriptwriter felt compelled to publicly apologise years later.

    A 2017 film inspired by Japanese manga and 1995 anime film Ghost in the Shell, starring Scarlett Johansson, was lambasted for whitewashing and bombed – its losses reportedly exceeded $60m.

    Yet Hollywood is determined to try again with several big-ticket projects now under way.

    Legendary, the US film production company behind movies like Dune and Jurassic World, will be making a movie of Gundam, a military science fiction anime series about a giant robot that began in 1979. Sydney Sweeney is in final negotiations to star in it, according to media reports.

    Global content giant Lionsgate is reportedly developing Naruto, an anime about a young, underdog ninja who works his way up to become the village protector.

    “There is almost a desire now to make the perfect live-action, to somehow figure out what the formula is,” says Emerald King, a Japanese culture expert at the University of Tasmania, Australia.

    Getty Images General atmosphere of a special fan event of the Paramount Pictures title "Ghost In The Shell" at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on February 28, 2017 in New York City.Getty Images

    The Hollywood adaptation of Ghost in the Shell was heavily criticised by fans

    The size of the market may have something to do with it.

    The wider anime market, which also includes merchandising and music, was valued around $34bn in 2024, according to Grand View Research, and is projected to grow to over $60bn by 2030.

    Netflix doesn’t usually release detailed viewership figures, but its latest data only appears to confirm the appetite for anime is growing.

    In July it said more than half of its 300 million subscribers watch anime, and the genre was watched more than one billion times in 2024, a three-fold rise in the last five years.

    Niche to mainstream

    “Watching anime used to be like ‘for weirdos’ when I was younger,” says Parisa Haghighat, a 34-year-old fan from the UK.

    She discovered anime like Doraemon and Sailor Moon in school when she used to spend her summer holidays in Thailand.

    She still watches anime, she says, although now “it’s more common and cool, so some people that used to make fun of me now watch it themselves!”

    Reviewer Geoff Thew believes the pandemic played an important role in the “seismic shift” of attitudes towards anime: “Being locked inside, people had a lot of free time and not much to do besides binge TV.”

    To some, anime is “a refreshing alternative”, says Cathy Boxall, global head of entertainment at marketing agency Dentsu. “Audiences find it offers emotional complexity, genre diversity and cultural specificity.”

    Fatigue with Hollywood franchises has emerged as a factor in research.

    One in 10 respondents to a Dentsu study said they watched anime because they were tired of Hollywood tropes. In the US, as many as three in 10 people watch anime when they want a break from Hollywood.

    So why bother with live-action adaptations, when anime itself is so appealing?

    With anime available so widely, Netflix likely sees live-action remakes as a differentiator, says Alex Cameron of Parrot Analytics. Regular watchers may want to watch the original anime after streaming the live-action – and that’s longer retention and engagement, he added.

    Courtesy of Netflix South Korean actor Byeon Woo-seok Courtesy of Netflix

    Byeon Woo-seok has been cast as Sung Jin-woo in the Netflix adaptation of Solo Leveling

    Netflix also appears to be learning from past mistakes.

    Six years after the universally panned adaptation of Death Note, its 2023 live- action version of One Piece, featuring an international cast, won widespread praise.

    While there are attempts to make live-action treatments feel more authentic, Dr King says it needs a more thoughtful approach: “You can go too far in trying to be respectful and end up exoticising it.”

    The cast and crew should be “aware of the product that’s being made”, he adds.

    For example, One Piece, at its heart, is a series about pirates. “It allows them to interpret the text in the spirit of the original. Without being a slave to the adaptation, it’s allowed to be free,” he says.

    Will the live-action version of Solo Leveling replicate One Piece’s success?

    “The overall tone of the series is comparable to a darker superhero movie. If the fights are cool and Sung Jin-woo gets a few chances to be a badass each episode, fans likely won’t complain too much,” Mr Thew says.

    Fans are indeed hopeful because Solo Leveling will be led by a Korean cast and crew.

    “It is a good way to maintain most of the core of the story – some of the Hollywood casting leads to the loss of small cultural or story nuances, and these are sometimes the backbone of the story, ” says Archie Moyo, a fan from Zimbabwe.

    “I’m excited about the live-action because it will introduce a lot more people to the Solo Leveling world.”

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  • In latest purge, Hegseth removes head of Pentagon intelligence agency, other senior officials – Reuters

    1. In latest purge, Hegseth removes head of Pentagon intelligence agency, other senior officials  Reuters
    2. Hegseth fires head of Defense Intelligence Agency, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse  The Washington Post
    3. US general whose report on Iran nuclear sites angered Trump fired  Al Jazeera
    4. Head of Pentagon’s intelligence agency fired, lawmaker says  The Express Tribune
    5. Hegseth fires top US general after Iran assessment that angered Trump  The Guardian

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