The Xperia 1 VIII marks an attempt at a step change for Sony’s flagship phone line. Not only has it had an aesthetic overhaul, but Sony has also revamped the camera system, dropping the continuous optical zoom telephoto that’s defined the last four generations of Xperia phone.
Technology
China blocks Meta AI deal over security concerns
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China has stepped in and stopped Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, from acquiring the AI startup Manus, a Singapore-based company that builds AI agents capable of performing complex tasks. The deal, reportedly worth about $2 billion, had already been moving forward.
China’s National Development and Reform Commission said it was prohibiting the foreign acquisition of Manus and required all parties to withdraw from the deal. The decision followed a regulatory review that began earlier this year.
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META TRACKS WORKERS TO TRAIN AI AGENTS
China blocks foreign takeover of AI startup Manus, halting Meta’s reported $2 billion deal amid rising tech tensions. (Photo by Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
Why China blocked the Meta Manus acquisition
China did not spell out every detail or specifically name Meta Platforms, but the direction is clear. Officials are focused on keeping advanced AI technology and talent from moving overseas. AI is now treated as a strategic asset, similar to critical infrastructure.
Regulators also pointed to rules around cross-border deals. Any transfer involving tech, data or investment must comply with Chinese law. Even though Manus operates out of Singapore, its Chinese roots gave Beijing grounds to intervene.
Timing may also matter. The decision comes just ahead of a planned meeting in May between Donald Trump and China’s president, Xi Jinping, adding pressure to an already tense relationship.
Why the China Meta AI deal matters globally
This move fits into a bigger pattern. The U.S. and China are competing for leadership in artificial intelligence, and both sides are tightening control. China’s decision sends a message. It will step in when it sees sensitive technology or expertise leaving the country’s orbit.
That could make future deals harder. U.S. tech companies may think twice before trying to acquire startups with ties to China, even if those companies are based elsewhere.
At the same time, the U.S. has its own restrictions. Export controls and investment limits already shape how companies work across borders. What we are seeing now is a more direct clash over who controls the future of AI.
ANTHROPIC’S MYTHOS AI FOUND OVER 2,000 UNKNOWN SOFTWARE VULNERABILITIES IN JUST SEVEN WEEKS OF TESTING
Meta’s push into AI agents hits a setback after China halts Manus acquisition. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
Impact on Meta’s AI plans after Manus deal collapse
For Meta Platforms, this is more than a missed deal. The company has been pushing into AI agents. These systems go beyond chatbots and can take action on your behalf. That includes tasks like managing schedules, analyzing data or even building software.
Manus was expected to help accelerate that push. Losing access could slow development or force Meta to look for other acquisitions.
Manus did not respond to CyberGuy’s request for comment. Its website still says it is now part of Meta, suggesting the deal had already gone through before regulators stepped in. Meta said the transaction complied with applicable laws and that it expects an appropriate resolution to the inquiry.
Still, the outcome shows how unpredictable global tech deals have become.
What this means to you
So how does this affect you, and why should you care? Well, despite it being a high-level tech deal, it still affects the apps you use, your data and how quickly new technology reaches you.
First, it can shape the tools on your phone and computer. When deals like this get blocked, companies may take longer to roll out new features. Some tools may never make it to the U.S.
Next, it affects how your data is handled. Governments are paying closer attention to where data goes and who controls it. That can lead to tighter rules around apps and services you rely on every day.
It can also change how much choice you have. When fewer deals go through, companies build more on their own. That can mean fewer options or tools that do not work well across platforms. Over time, these decisions can influence how fast AI improves and who controls the technology behind it.
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WHITE HOUSE MEETS AI FIRM ANTHROPIC AMID POLITICAL TENSIONS, PENTAGON DISPUTE
Beijing intervenes to stop Meta’s acquisition of Singapore-based AI firm with Chinese roots. (Photo by Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
Kurt’s key takeaways
This situation goes beyond one blocked deal. It shows how artificial intelligence has moved into the center of global strategy. Governments are no longer watching from the sidelines. They are setting limits and deciding who gets access to what. For companies like Meta, the path forward may require new partnerships or different strategies. For everyone else, it means the AI tools we use will increasingly reflect political decisions as much as technical progress.
If governments control who builds AI, how much control should you have over the tools you use every day? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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It’s not all different. Sony staples like a 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card slot remain, and a few specific design touches, like a thick front bezel that fits stereo speakers, have stayed intact. Sony’s ambitious pricing hasn’t changed either: The Xperia 1 VIII isn’t launching in the US, but in the UK and Europe, it starts from £1,399 / €1,499 (about $1,850), rising to £1,849 / €1,999 ($2,450) if you want 1TB of storage.
For Sony diehards, this delivers the flagship essentials, including a capable camera, and looks good doing it. For everyone else, you can find better Android phones at this price, like Xiaomi’s 17 Ultra or the Vivo X300 Ultra.
$1850
The Good
- Stark, striking design
- Headphone jack and microSD card slot
- Capable cameras
The Bad
- Middling battery life
- Uneven performance
- Only four years of Android updates
- Dreadful AI Camera Assistant
Sony’s Xperia 1 phones have looked almost identical to one another since 2020. It was a pretty handsome design, to be fair, but probably overdue sprucing up. The 1 VIII does just that, moving to a blocky new camera island and an unusual textured finish that make the phone feel very different to every previous Xperia.
I’m a big fan of the design, which has a stark, brutalist quality. The slightly grippy texture — a bit like an incredibly fine nail file — was designed to vary subtly between the back and frame, which helps prevent the phone from feeling like a monotone slab. The texture helps sell the phone’s high price even better than ultrasmooth glass might (not that this isn’t glass, with Gorilla Glass Victus on the rear and Victus 2 on the front).
I love the details, like how the camera island’s edges drop off steeply on three sides, while on the last it angles down to meet the frame. Sony’s usual knurled two-stage camera shutter button returns, adding another textural element and improved camera controls. Unfortunately, so does the recessed power button and fingerprint sensor, which is less reliable than modern under-display options. It fails about a third of the time I try it. I’m also confused by the odd rectangular patch above the volume button, which has an especially rough texture and looks like it should do something, but doesn’t. Is it some sort of antenna cutout? I’ve asked Sony.
Sony long ago gave up on using its unique 21:9, 4K displays on the Xperia lineup. The 1 VIII uses a less impressive 1080p display in a standard smartphone aspect ratio. The resolution is low for this grade of phone, but otherwise I can’t complain about the panel, which is a 6.5-inch, 120Hz OLED with decent brightness. I do still miss the taller screens Sony phones used to offer, though. Unlike most rivals, the display is also entirely uninterrupted by a camera cutout, notch, or Dynamic Island. The tradeoff is the rather thick bezel above and below the screen, which houses the camera and a pair of stereo speakers (good for phone speakers, but still phone speakers).
The Xperia 1 VIII’s internals are unremarkable, with the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset you’ll find on most comparable handsets. It’s paired with either 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage — available in black, red, or silver versions of the phone — or 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. That model is only available in gold, meaning that anyone tempted by the Trump phone’s lustrous finish and built-in headphone jack can enjoy the same luxuries here for quadruple the price.
What is remarkable is that Sony has managed to make the 8 Elite Gen 5 perform quite poorly. While the phone runs smoothly the majority of the time, I’ve run into repeated stuttering and slowdowns, especially in the camera or while switching between apps. It gets hot, too. Using the phone to record the audio of a recent press event, with real-time AI transcription running, it became worryingly warm after just 30 minutes or so, and as the hourlong call ended, it was hot to the touch.
I don’t love the battery either. Sony claims you’ll get two days of life out of the 5,000mAh cell, but I don’t see how. I’m a light-to-moderate user most of the time, and I’ve dipped into single-digit territory by bedtime more than once. This will last the day unless you push it hard, but expect to charge every 24 hours. That might take some time too, given the 30W max speed, substantially slower than most rivals. Only Google’s Pixel 10 Pro charges quite so slowly.
This is definitely Sony’s best phone camera yet
I have better news on the camera front. After years of carving its own path, Sony has taken the “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” approach to its Chinese flagship rivals, abandoning its clever continuous zoom lens and instead packing the 1 VIII with the biggest telephoto sensor it could fit. That Sony dropped continuous zoom in the same year Xiaomi finally copied it and did it better feels like a cruel twist of fate.
Still, what the 2.9x (70mm-equivalent) telephoto lens here loses in versatility by giving up continuous zoom it more than makes up for in quality. That’s driven mostly by the move to a large 48-megapixel, 1/1.56-inch-type sensor — the same size as the ultrawide’s and almost as big as the 1/1.35-inch-type main camera sensor. Those other cameras, along with the 12-megapixel selfie shooter, are unchanged from last year.
1/19
The telephoto and the ultrawide are the two standouts, both using relatively large sensors compared to the competition. I’m a fan of Sony’s daytime processing, which leans toward higher contrast and slightly more muted colors than some other phones, and nighttime shots come out sharp and well-exposed too, though still struggle with bright streetlights. This is definitely Sony’s best phone camera yet and holds its own against the competition.
That is, except for the egregious new AI Camera Assistant. More often than not, when you’re trying to take a shot with the rear camera (not selfies — don’t ask me why), a pop-up appears with four AI-suggested edits to your photos, before you even take them. The overwhelming majority of these are simply overaggressive filters, either ramping up contrast or dialling back saturation, often to comically bad effect. Occasionally one will include algorithmically generated bokeh, and Sony claims it can also suggest lens swaps for better framing, but this has yet to happen to me. Every single suggestion has been markedly worse than the default camera settings, and the pop-up alone is a distracting annoyance that seems to make the camera app sluggish. Fortunately, you can turn it off, and if I wasn’t reviewing the phone, I would have done so immediately.
1/5
The AI camera suggestions feel emblematic of Sony’s Xperia line, which always delivers an impressive amount on paper and then contrives to trip itself up. The headphone jack, expandable storage, and stereo speakers are great. The new design language is striking and unique. The camera is the best it’s ever been. Sony’s relatively simple, streamlined take on Android 16 has its appeal too, but a meager promise of four OS updates and six years of security support gives me pause. It has its irritating quirks too: it keeps insisting on creating home screen folders, adding Facebook to my Instagram icon to make a Meta folder, and throwing a whole host of Google apps on top of Google Maps. Throw in the middling battery, performance problems, and high price, and the 1 VIII is hard to recommend to the average flagship buyer.
All of which leaves Sony back where it started. It redesigned the Xperia, rethought its camera, and simplified its software, but this is still what it always was: a phone for the fanboys. The rest of us can do better.
Photography by Dominic Preston / The Verge
Agree to Continue: Sony Xperia 1 VIII
Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate.
To use the Xperia 1 VIII, you must agree to:
- Google Terms of Service
- Google Play Terms of Service
- Google Privacy Policy (included in ToS)
- Install apps and updates: “You agree this device may also automatically download and install updates and apps from Google, your operator, and your device’s manufacturer, possibly using cellular data.”
- Sony warranty and usage guidelines
- Sony end user licence agreement
There’s also a variety of optional agreements, including:
- Provide anonymous location data for Google’s services
- “Allow apps and services to scan for Wi-Fi networks and nearby devices at any time, even when Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is off.”
- Google phone number verification
- Send usage and diagnostic data to Google
- Let contacts nearby find and share with you
- Google Gemini Apps Privacy Notice if you opt in to using Gemini Assistant
- Sony data collection to develop and improve products and services
- Sony data use for tailored marketing
- Sony data use for tailored support
- Sony data use for tailored marketing via the support app
Honor includes several more optional agreements during setup tied to specific features. Other Google features, like Google Wallet, may require additional agreements.
Final tally: six mandatory agreements and more than 12 optional agreements.
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AI may feel like something that lives inside your phone or computer. But behind every chatbot, smart assistant and AI image generator sits a massive physical network. Those systems need buildings. They need power. They need fiber lines, cooling equipment and crews who know how to build safely.
That is where Meta’s new America’s Workforce Academy comes in.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, says it will invest $115 million in the program’s first year to train people for skilled trade jobs tied to AI infrastructure. The pitch is easy to understand. You do not need prior experience. Meta says qualified participants can get tuition, airfare, lodging and a daily stipend covered during training. The program also promises a job offer for graduates.
For someone looking for a new career, that could be a big deal. Still, there is a bigger question behind all of this. As Big Tech races to build more AI data centers, communities across the country are asking what these projects will mean for their electric bills, water supply and quality of life.
THE AI REVOLUTION THREATENS OFFICE JOBS, BUT REVIVES DEMAND FOR SKILLED TRADES
Meta’s America’s Workforce Academy aims to train workers for skilled trade jobs tied to the growing AI data center boom. (Meta)
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What is Meta’s America’s Workforce Academy?
America’s Workforce Academy is a new training program from Meta aimed at preparing people for skilled trade jobs connected to AI data center construction. The 2026 pilot locations are in Louisiana, Ohio, Indiana and Texas. Meta says the program is open to qualified veterans, recent graduates, career changers and other people entering the trades from across the country.
The training focuses on jobs needed to build AI infrastructure. That includes fiber technicians, electricians, welders, plumbers, mechanics and other construction roles. Meta is working with the National Urban League, Associated Builders and Contractors, CBRE and several community partners. The company says the goal is to create a faster path into trade careers without the burden of tuition or college debt.
Why Meta needs skilled trade workers
AI may sound digital, but the buildout is very physical. Data centers require construction crews, electrical systems, cooling equipment, backup power, security and high-speed network connections. None of that appears by magic.
Meta says its earlier Level-Up fiber training program drew 35,000 applications in the first seven days. That response showed the company two things: People want a path into these jobs, and the AI buildout needs more trained workers fast.
This is also a smart move for Meta. The company needs workers who can help build its infrastructure. At the same time, it gives Meta a stronger jobs message as data centers face more scrutiny from local communities.
WHY AMERICA NEEDS TO TAX-INCENTIVIZE TRADESMEN, NOT JUST COLLEGE GRADUATES
The job offer makes this program stand out
Many job training programs ask people to take a leap of faith. You pay for training, spend weeks or months learning and hope someone hires you afterward. Meta’s program takes a different approach. The company says participants are paid while they train, and graduates receive a job offer.
That matters for people who cannot afford to pause their income or take on debt. A short training path with a clear job connection could help veterans, younger workers and career changers get into a stable field.
Even so, anyone interested should read the details carefully when applications open. You will want to know where the job is located, who the employer is, what the pay looks like and whether travel or relocation will be required. A guaranteed job sounds great. The details will tell you whether it fits your life.
AI COMES WITH A HEFTY CHARGE. ARE YOU THE ONE WHO GETS STUCK WITH THE BILL?
Why AI data centers are causing pushback
Data centers are now turning into neighborhood issues. Some residents worry about the amount of electricity these facilities use. Others worry about water, noise, traffic and whether local taxpayers end up supporting projects that mainly benefit large tech companies.
Those concerns are growing as demand for AI climbs. Data centers need huge amounts of power to run servers and cooling systems. In some areas, people fear that could put pressure on the local grid or contribute to higher utility costs.
Water can also become a flashpoint. Some facilities use water for cooling, which can raise concerns in communities already dealing with heat, drought or fast growth.
Supporters argue that data centers bring construction jobs, tax revenue and new investment. Critics want clearer answers before towns approve major projects.
Both sides have a point. Jobs matter. So do electric bills, local resources and transparency.
Why this Meta program comes at a sensitive time
Meta’s announcement arrives as the company and other tech giants pour billions into AI. At the same time, many workers are nervous about what AI means for their careers. The tech industry has already seen layoffs as companies shift resources toward automation and AI development. That makes this program feel both promising and complicated.
AI COULD DRIVE US UNEMPLOYMENT TO 20%, SENATORS WARN AS NEW BILL TARGETS JOB TRACKING
On one side, Meta is offering a real pathway into skilled trade work. On the other hand, the same AI boom creating these construction jobs is also raising fears about job losses elsewhere.
The lesson here is that AI will not affect every worker the same way. Some jobs may shrink. Others may grow because AI needs a physical backbone. For many people, the next tech job may involve a hard hat instead of a laptop.
How to avoid scams tied to AI job programs
A program with Meta’s name, paid training and job offers will attract attention from job seekers and scammers, so it helps to slow down and verify every step before you share personal information.
META FACES INCREASING SCRUTINY OVER WIDESPREAD SCAM ADS
The program offers paid training, travel support, lodging and a job offer for qualified graduates entering AI infrastructure work. (Meta)
Apply through official sources only
Only apply through official Meta or verified partner links. Be careful with random texts, social media messages or emails that push you to act fast. Don’t click links in unsolicited messages. Instead, go directly to Meta’s official website or the verified partner’s site yourself. Strong antivirus software can also help block malicious links, phishing pages and downloads before they put your device or personal information at risk. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com
Watch for upfront payment requests
Watch for anyone asking you to pay an application fee, buy equipment upfront or share banking details before you verify the program. Meta says this training is funded by the company, so upfront payment requests should raise a red flag.
Limit what scammers can find about you
This is also a good time to limit how much of your personal information is floating around online. A data removal service can help reduce your exposure on people search sites and data broker lists, which scammers often use to target job seekers with more convincing messages. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com
SCAMS THAT AREN’T ILLEGAL (BUT SHOULD BE)
Save every job offer detail in writing
Also, save copies of anything you receive. Keep the offer terms, training location, pay information and job requirements in writing.
What this means to you
For someone looking for a new path, this could be a real opportunity. Paid training and a possible job at the end can change the equation for people who want skilled work but cannot afford to take a big financial risk just to get started.
For communities, the promise of jobs should come with real answers. A data center can bring investment, but it can also put pressure on local resources. People who live nearby deserve to know what they are giving up and what they are actually getting back.
This also changes the way we talk about AI and jobs. We hear so much about AI replacing people. But behind every AI tool is a massive physical system that still needs human hands and local communities to keep it running. That, to me, is the bigger story here.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Meta’s America’s Workforce Academy could become a meaningful opportunity for people who want a path into skilled trades without taking on college debt. The AI boom needs workers who can build the real-world systems behind the technology. That part often gets overlooked when everyone focuses on chatbots and chips. But communities still deserve answers. Data centers can affect power demand, water use and local infrastructure. A jobs program helps, but it cannot replace transparency. Meta now has a chance to prove that the AI boom can create opportunities beyond Silicon Valley. The real test will be whether workers and local communities both benefit.
Would you want an AI data center in your community if it brought paid training and jobs, or would concerns over power and water make you push back? Let us know in the comments below. Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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As data centers expand across the country, communities are weighing new job opportunities against concerns over power, water and local impact. (Meta)
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Atlantic reporter Alex Reisner recently uncovered four datasets of music being used to train AI models and made them fully searchable for the public. Two of the sets are absolutely enormous at 12 million and 9 million tracks. The other two are much smaller, but still represent a significant amount of training data at over 100,000 songs each.
According to Reisner, the sets have been downloaded thousands of times and, while it’s impossible to know exactly who has used them, Google and Stability have both confirmed they have in research papers. Some of the sources, like the Free Music Archive dataset, are free to stream for personal use but require licensing for commercial applications.
While the datasets are freely available on the internet in theory, using them as training data is not as simple as downloading a ZIP file and feeding it to an AI model. As Reisner explains:
Three of the datasets I found are distributed as a list of links to songs on YouTube or Spotify. AI developers download the actual audio using tools that automate the job, some of which allow developers to bypass logins, advertisements, and mechanisms that might earn money or subscribers for creators. Such tools violate the terms of service of these platforms.
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