Former Meta employees launch Stream, a smart ring that takes voice notes and controls music

A raft of voice-based hardware devices have emerged, aimed at companionship, productivity, or personal growth. These include card-shaped devices from Plaud and Pocket; pendants from Friend, Limitless, and Taya; and a wristband from Bee, which is now part of Amazon. Now, two former Meta employees who worked on interface design have launched Sandbar, a startup…

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Tory patience wears thin as Badenoch’s critics count down to May elections | Conservatives

At an opulent speakeasy-style event at the Raffles hotel on Whitehall this week, the great and the good of what is left of the Conservative party marked the Spectator’s parliamentarian of the year awards. With the magazine’s editorial line still just about backing the Tories, despite the party facing an existential crisis from Reform UK,…

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1497 Wraps Features Lab with Ritesh Batra, Boots Riley and More

1497, the nonprofit dedicated to boosting South Asian film and TV storytellers, has wrapped its fifth annual Features Lab. The five-day Malibu retreat presented an impressive slate of mentors, including Ritesh Batra (“The Lunchbox,” “Our Souls at Night”), Nida Manzoor (“We Are Lady Parts,” “Polite Society”), Shuchi Talati (“Girls Will Be Girls”), Danny Alexander (Independent…

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Reform UK, the Russian spy and rolls of Kremlin cash: the inside story of Nathan Gill | Reform UK

The first thing most people recall about Nathan Gill is his imposing height. At 193cm (6ft 4in), the one-time Reform UK leader in Wales towered over colleagues and opponents – and he was taller still in his favourite cowboy boots. Other than that, the softly-spoken 52-year-old was a largely unremarkable presence among the more colourful…

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