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In the first Autonomous Racing League race, the struggle was real

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In the first Autonomous Racing League race, the struggle was real

The first race of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) took place on the Yas Marina Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Formula 1 track today, and I’m pleased to report that a race both began and ended. But the event was not without strife — far from it. During qualifying time trials, the driverless Dallara Super Formula racers outfitted with cameras and software seemed to struggle mightily to complete a full lap.

During the trials, cars randomly juked:

Or just pulled off the track to take a little break:

You get well-acquainted with the interstitial music during these highlights. All praise to the patience and grace of the announcers, who didn’t sigh once that I heard. Instead, they declared things like that these cars are “pushing the boundaries of science.”

When it came time for the actual race, the lead racer, Polimove, spun out on the fourth of eight laps. The second car, Tum, passed it safely, but shortly after that, the event’s officials threw up a yellow flag. And since these are good AI drivers who obey the rules, the two behind Polimove stopped, unwilling to pass the spun-out yellow car. Racers aren’t supposed to pass each other during a caution lap, you see.

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About an hour after the first lap of A2RL began, the AI racers completed their eight-lap race. If you must know, Tum won.

These are early days for autonomous racing, and surely things will get better eventually — certainly, they’ve come a long way since Roborace’s first full circuit in 2017. I’m looking forward to the day they’re as good as human racers (if that ever happens). But for right now, we’re very much still in the “congratulate baby for successfully getting most of its food into its mouth” phase of self-driving racers.

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Nintendo omits original Donkey Kong Country Returns team from the remaster’s credits

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Nintendo omits original Donkey Kong Country Returns team from the remaster’s credits

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, the just-launched port of the 2010 Wii game, doesn’t include individual members of the original Retro Studios development team in the credits, as reported by GameSpot. Since the discovery, however, Nintendo has commented on the omission, giving a statement to Eurogamer.

“We believe in giving proper credit for anyone involved in making or contributing to a game’s creation, and value the contributions that all staff make during the development process,” the statement reads, which is sourced only to Nintendo and not to a specific individual. The game’s credits reveal that the port was done by Forever Entertainment.

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Best ways to give your old iPhone a second life

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Best ways to give your old iPhone a second life

Before tossing out your old iPhone, consider it a treasure trove of potential waiting to be unlocked. 

Your seemingly outdated device isn’t just electronic waste. It’s a versatile gadget ready for an exciting second life. From transforming into a smart home hub to becoming a dedicated digital companion, an old iPhone can be repurposed in countless creative ways that breathe new life into technology you may not have considered. 

Here are some of the best ways to use your old iPhone.

I’M GIVING AWAY THE LATEST & GREATEST AIRPODS PRO 2

A woman looking at her iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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1. Turn it into a ‘dumb phone’ 

Smartphones are incredibly powerful, but they can also be overwhelming. The constant notifications and social media updates can make it hard to focus or enjoy the present moment. If you’re finding that your iPhone is more of a time-waster than a tool for productivity, why not transform it into a “dumb phone”? A “dumb phone” is a basic mobile device that focuses on essential communication functions like calling and texting, while minimizing digital distractions through limited internet access and app capabilities, helping you reduce screen time and stay more present.

Steps to disable apps and notifications

Disable notifications:

  • Open Settings
  • Tap on Notifications
  • Select each app and toggle off Allow Notifications

Delete unwanted apps:

  • Press and hold the app icon on the home screen
  • Tap Remove App

Factory reset (Optional):

  • Back up your data, if needed
  • Go to SettingsGeneralTransfer or Reset iPhoneErase All Content and Settings

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2. Give it to your kids 

Eventually, you may want to give your child their own smartphone. While a new phone can be expensive, handing down your old iPhone is a great way to introduce them to technology while also being mindful of your budget. 

By using Family Sharing and parental controls, you can carefully monitor what apps and content your child accesses. Plus, it’s an excellent way to bring them into the Apple ecosystem. 

Steps to set up Family Sharing and Parental Controls

Set up Family Sharing:

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  • Open Settings and tap on your name at the top.
  • Select Family Sharing and tap Add Family Member to invite your child.
  • If your child does not have an Apple ID, select Create an Account for a Child and follow the prompts to set up their account.
  • If they already have an Apple ID, tap Invite People and choose how you want to send the invitation (AirDrop, Messages or Mail).

Enable Parental Controls:

  • Open Settings and scroll down to tap on Screen Time
  • Under the Family section, tap on your child’s name
  • If Screen Time is not already enabled, tap Turn On Screen Time
  • Follow the prompts to set it up as your child’s device.
  • Tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions
  • If prompted, enter your Screen Time passcode (you will need to create one if you haven’t already)
  • Toggle on Content & Privacy Restrictions
  • You can now customize settings such as app limits, content restrictions and downtime settings, as needed.
  • For app limits, tap App Limits, then select categories or individual apps to set time limits.
  • To restrict explicit content or purchases, go to the respective sections under Content & Privacy Restrictions

This process will help you manage your child’s device usage effectively while ensuring they have access to appropriate content.

kid with iPhone

A child using his iPhone to play games (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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3. Repurpose it as a webcam 

In recent years, Apple’s Continuity Camera feature has made it easy to use an iPhone as a webcam for your Mac or Apple TV. While newer models work well for this purpose, older iPhones can still serve as excellent webcams, especially for online meetings and video calls. 

Instead of purchasing an external webcam, your old iPhone can deliver superior video quality. iOS 18 even allows older iPhones to work as dedicated continuity cameras for Apple TV, which is ideal for FaceTime or Zoom calls with family and friends.

Steps to use your iPhone as a webcam

  • Download webcam apps: Consider apps like EpocCam or DroidCam from the App Store
  • Connect your iPhone: Follow the app’s instructions to connect your iPhone to your computer via USB or Wi-Fi
  • Select your iPhone in video settings: In your video conferencing app (like Zoom or FaceTime), select your iPhone as the camera source

Instead of purchasing an external webcam, your old iPhone can deliver superior video quality.

4. Make it a dedicated music player 

Why use your main iPhone for music when you can repurpose your old one as a dedicated MP3 player? With your old iPhone set up as a music player, you can enjoy your favorite tunes or podcasts without the distractions of text messages or social media notifications. It’s a perfect solution for workouts, long drives or when you just want to zone out with music.

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A woman using her iPhone as a dedicated music player (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

5. Use it as a remote or smart home controller 

If you own an Apple TV, you already know that your iPhone can function as a remote control. However, keeping your main phone tied up with the remote can be inconvenient. By making your old iPhone a dedicated Apple TV remote, you can still enjoy controlling your TV without using your primary phone. 

Steps to set up your old iPhone as a remote

Set up Apple TV remote feature:

  • Ensure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network
  • Open the Control Center on the old iPhone (swipe down from the upper-right corner)
  • Tap on the Apple TV remote icon and follow the prompts to connect

Manage smart home devices:

  • Download smart home apps like Apple Home or those specific to your devices (e.g., Philips Hue)
  • Follow the app instructions to add and control devices

Your old iPhone can even be a hub for all your smart home devices, from adjusting lights and thermostats to checking security cameras.

10 SMART HOME DEVICES WE LOVE

6. Save it for gaming 

Smartphones have transformed mobile gaming, and your old iPhone could be an ideal portable gaming console. Many classic and modern games run smoothly on older iPhone models, and with subscription services like Apple Arcade, you can access a huge library of high-quality games. This is a fun, low-cost way to enjoy mobile gaming without draining your main iPhone’s battery life.

iPhone game app

A game app on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

7. Convert it into an e-reader 

For book lovers, using an old iPhone as a dedicated e-reader is a great option. You can install apps like Kindle or Apple Books from the App Store. The iPhone’s display is perfect for reading books and graphic novels, and since you’re not using your main iPhone, there are no distractions like notifications to interrupt your reading. 

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You can disable all apps and notifications on the old device, making it a peaceful reading experience. Plus, you can still connect your AirPods to listen to audiobooks while on the go.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Just because you’ve upgraded to a new iPhone doesn’t mean your old one has to be discarded. There are countless ways to repurpose it, from boosting your productivity to controlling your smart home. This way, you can extend its lifespan and maximize the value of your purchase. 

What other devices would you like tips on breathing new life into? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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6 TikTok creators on where they’ll go if the app is banned

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6 TikTok creators on where they’ll go if the app is banned

It’s been more than four years since Donald Trump first moved to expel TikTok from the US — and now, just days before a second Trump presidency begins, it just might happen.

President Joe Biden signed legislation last April that officially began the countdown that would force TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the US business. But even afterward, the atmosphere on the video powerhouse was mostly nonchalant, with a handful of stray jokes about “this app disappearing” slotted between the usual fare.

In the last week, though, the vibe has shifted — my favorite creators are posting links to their other social accounts, audiences are making highlight reels of the most viral moments on the app, and they’re saying goodbye to their “Chinese spy” and threatening to hand over their data to the Chinese government. A Chinese-owned app Xiaohongshu, known as RedNote, topped the App Store this week, driven by a wave of “TikTok refugees” trying to recreate the experience of the platform. It’s feeling a bit like a fever dream last day of school.

For many creatives online, this wouldn’t be the first time they’ve had to migrate to new spaces: reach, engagement, and visibility are constantly shifting even on the largest and most stable platforms. But the possibility that a social media site of this size would disappear — or slowly break down until it’s nonfunctional — is a new threat. For small creators especially, TikTok is like playing the lottery: you don’t need thousands of followers for your video to get big, and this unpredictability incentivized the average person to upload content.

It’s still unclear what will happen to TikTok after January 19th. I asked content creators what their game plan is. (Responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.)

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Noelle Johansen, @astraeagoods (89K followers)

“At the peak, I was making approximately 70 percent of my sales through TikTok from December 2020 to January 2022. Now, it drives at most, 10 percent of my sales,” says Noelle Johansen, who sells slogan sweatshirts, accessories, stickers, and other products.

“At my peak with TikTok, I was able to reach so many customers with ease. Instagram and Twitter have always been a shot in the dark as to whether the content will be seen, but TikTok was very consistent in showing my followers and potential new customers my videos,” Johansen told The Verge in an email. “I’ve also made great friends from the artist community on TikTok, and it’s difficult to translate that community to other social media. Most apps function a lot differently than TikTok, and many people don’t have the bandwidth to keep up with all of the new socials and building platforms there.”

Going forward, Johansen says they’ll focus on X and Instagram for sales while working to grow an audience on Bluesky and Threads.

Kay Poyer, @ladymisskay_ (704K followers)

“I think the ease of use on TikTok opened an avenue for a lot of would-be creators,” Kay Poyer, a popular creator making humor and commentary content, says. “Right now we’re seeing a cleaving point, where many will choose to stop or be forced to adapt back to older platforms (which tend to be more difficult to build followings on and monetize).”

As for her own plans, Poyer says she’ll stay where the engagement is if TikTok becomes unavailable — smaller platforms like Bluesky or Neptune aren’t yet impactful enough.

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“I’m seeing a big spike in subscribers to my Substack, The Quiet Part, as well as followers flooding to my Instagram and Twitter,” Poyer told The Verge. “Personally I have chosen to make my podcast, Meat Bus, the flagship of my content. We’re launching our video episodes sometime next month on YouTube.”

Bethany Brookshire, @beebrookshire (18K followers)

Bethany Brookshire, a science journalist and author, has been sharing videos about human anatomy on TikTok, Bluesky, Instagram, and YouTube. Across platforms, Brookshire has observed differences in audiences — YouTube, for example, “is not a place [to] build an audience,” she says, citing negative comments on her work.

“Sometimes I feel like the only ethical way to produce any content is to write it out in artisanal chalk on an organically sourced vegan stone”

“I find people on TikTok comment and engage a lot more, and most importantly, their comments are often touching or funny,” she says. “When I was doing pelvic anatomy, a lot of people with uteruses wrote in to tell me they felt seen, that they had a specific condition, and they even bonded with each other in the comments.”

Brookshire told The Verge in an email that sharing content anywhere can at times feel fraught. Between Nazi content on Substack, right-wing ass-kissing at Meta, and the national security concerns of TikTok, it doesn’t feel like any platform is perfectly ideal.

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“Sometimes I feel like the only ethical way to produce any content is to write it out in artisanal chalk on an organically sourced vegan stone, which I then try to show to a single person with their consent before gently tossing it into the ocean to complete its circle of life,” Brookshire says. “But if I want to inform, and I want to educate, I need to be in the places people go.”

Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, @woodstocksanctuary (117K followers)

The Woodstock Farm Sanctuary in upstate New York uses TikTok to share information with new audiences — the group’s Instagram following is mostly people who are already animal rights activists, vegans, or sanctuary supporters.

“TikTok has allowed us to reach people who don’t even know what animal sanctuaries are,” social media coordinator Riki Higgins told The Verge in an email. “While we still primarily fundraise via Meta platforms, we seem to make the biggest education and advocacy impact when we post on TikTok.”

With a small social media and marketing team of two, Woodstock Farm Sanctuary (like other small businesses and organizations) must be strategic in how it uses its efforts. YouTube content can be more labor-intensive, Higgins says, and Instagram Reels is missing key features like 2x video speed and the ability to pause videos.

“TikTok users really, really don’t like Reels. They view it as the platform where jokes, trends, etc., go to die, where outdated content gets recycled, and especially younger users see it as an app only older audiences use,” Higgins says.

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The sanctuary says it will meet audiences wherever they migrate in the case that TikTok becomes inaccessible.

Anna Rangos, @honeywhippedfeta (15K followers)

Anna Rangos, who works in social media and makes tech and cultural commentary videos, is no stranger to having to pick up and leave a social media platform for somewhere else. As a retired sex worker, she saw firsthand how fragile a social media following could be.

“You could wake up one day to find your accounts deactivated, and restoring them? Forget it. Good luck getting any kind of service from Meta,” Rangos said in an email. Having an account deleted means lost income and hours of trying to rebuild a following. “Over my time in the industry, I went through three or four Instagram accounts, constantly trying to recapture my following.”

Sex workers and sex education creators regularly deal with their content being removed, censored, or entire accounts deleted. Rangos says that though the community on TikTok is more welcoming, she’s working to stake out her own space through a website and a newsletter. She also plans to stay active on YouTube, Pinterest, and Bluesky.

“I don’t plan on using Meta products much, given [Mark] Zuckerberg’s recent announcements regarding fact-checking,” she wrote in an email.

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Amanda Chavira, @lost.birds.beads (10K followers)

“I have found so much joy and community on TikTok mostly through Native TikTok,” says Amanda Chavira, an Indigenous beader who built an audience through tutorials and cultural content. “It’s sad to see TikTok go.”

Chavira says she plans to reupload some of her content to YouTube Shorts to see how her videos perform there but otherwise will be waiting to see if another viable video platform comes along. Chavira won’t be pivoting to Meta: she says she plans to delete her accounts on Threads, Instagram, and Facebook.

“I’d been considering leaving my Meta accounts for a long time,” she said in an email. “Facebook felt like a terrible place through election cycles, and then the pandemic, [and] then every other post I was seeing was a suggested ad or clickbait article. For Instagram, I’ve really been struggling to reach my target audience and didn’t have the time available to post all the time to try to increase engagement.” Her final straw was Meta’s decision to end the fact-checking program and Zuckerberg’s “pandering to the Trump administration,” she says.

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