There are no aliens or sentient killing machines menacing the ordinary people going about their lives in Netflix’s new dystopian action drama The Kitchen from co-directors Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares. But the film’s arresting story about the monsters of the future and how the most disadvantaged members of society have to stand up to them feels all too real and like a reminder of the ways systemic poverty creates its own dystopia.
Technology
Netflix’s The Kitchen is a stunning parable about the future of housing inequality
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25235033/KITCHEN_Unit_15036_RT.jpeg?ssl=1 "Netflix’s The Kitchen is a stunning parable about the future of housing inequality")
Set in a near-futuristic London where fluorescent hologram ads dance across signs and camera-encrusted police drones loom silently high up in the air, The Kitchen is a chronicle of the goings-on in its titular neighborhood. After years of public housing across the United Kingdom being bought up by private companies and transformed into expensive luxury flats for the wealthy, the Kitchen — a towering, dilapidated apartment complex long-scheduled for demolition — is the only place in London where people like Isaac (rapper Kane “Kano” Robinson) can really afford to live.
The Kitchen is beyond poor, and its residents never know whether their power and water will be shut off by the city. But it’s still a bustling hub of commerce where vendors sling food on streets dense with playing children and old men relax on the doorsteps of barbershops. There’s always an atmosphere of tension as Kitcheners brace themselves for yet another one of the city’s violent police raids meant to expel them from their homes.
But the Kitchen’s air is also constantly filled with the sound of music broadcasting from the Lord Kitchener’s (Ian Wright) pirate radio station along with his calls for the neighborhood’s predominantly Black and brown community to hold fast to the idea that they have a right to exist in a place where their families have survived for decades.
As a Kitchener himself, Isaac — who works with his friend Jase (Demmy Ladipo) for a company that composts the dead whose families can’t afford traditional funerals — knows that the neighborhood is so much more than a block full of people illegally squatting in condemned buildings. But after a lifetime of watching the Kitchen be razed and its residents brutalized by cops in riot gear, all Isaac wants is a shot at getting out and moving into the kind of high-rise where he can shut himself away from the world and his feelings.
The Kitchen makes it easy to recognize the parallels between its vision of futuristic housing inequality and our present-day reality in which renters and would-be homebuyers across the globe are increasingly being priced out of the limited, highly competitive real estate market. But the film’s script from Kaluuya and co-writers Rob Hayes and Joe Murtagh and its focus on young Londoners navigating the complexities of near homelessness makes The Kitchen read like a scathing reflection of the long-term devastating impacts of the UK’s Margaret Thatcher-era right-to-buy policies.
The Kitchen presents its namesake as a cramped Kowloon-like mosaic of barely livable spaces packed with outdated technology that contrasts sharply with the spacious neighborhoods nearby, where gleaming driverless cars idle by luxury boutiques. At all times, Kitcheners like Isaac and Staples (Hope Ikpoku Jr.) — the leader of a biker gang whose robberies provide the Kitchen with its only source of food — are surrounded by reminders of basic comforts they’re denied.
But out of the many ways The Kitchen illustrates how society systemically dehumanizes the poor, few are as profound as its depiction of Isaac going to work every day and convincing his neighbors to buy into a service they all understand as being meant to erase them from the public consciousness. That erasure is part of what scares young orphan Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman) so much about seeing his mother’s remains turned into tree fertilizer at Life After Life, where he first meets Isaac. What really scares Isaac, though, is his unshakable sense that simply by being from the Kitchen, Benji’s mother’s fate was inevitable and a glimpse of what’s in store for Benji if he doesn’t escape the Kitchen himself.
As Isaac and Benji come into each other’s lives, The Kitchen becomes a kind of coming-of-age story as well as a rumination on the power of communal action and found families. Isaac — a stoic character Robinson portrays with a brilliant emotionally-congested quality — wants little to do with Benji when the pair first meet. There’s no room for a kid in Isaac’s plan for the future or really even in his present-day corner of the Kitchen where he has to lock himself in whenever the police show up ready to evict people by beating them to death.
But for all of Benji’s resourcefulness, he’s just a boy Isaac knows will end up running with Staples’ crew or murdered because they live in a world filled with systems designed to leave people like them with no other options. From somewhat different angles, the concepts central to The Kitchen have been explored in other genre films like Attack the Block and They Cloned Tyrone, which both leaned much harder into their respective hard sci-fi elements.
What makes The Kitchen feel so distinct, though, is the way its subtle touches of speculative futurism work to highlight realities about how at-risk communities are surveilled and how riots end up becoming people’s organic response to state-sponsored violence. Through both the Lord Kitchener’s broadcasts and Isaac’s looming sense of dread, The Kitchen never lets you lose sight of the fact that the Kitcheners are fighting for their lives in a war they’re not likely to win.
But at the core of that fight, there’s an undeniable sense of hope and beauty to the lives of everyone in the Kitchen. The Kitchen’s ability to showcase that beauty in intimate scenes between Isaac and Benji and in larger moments like the movie’s surprising third-act dance sequence, all while telling a story that’s so heartbreaking, is a feat. And it’s precisely what makes the film one of Netflix’s most powerful new releases that you’re all but certain to start hearing more about now that it’s streaming.
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Microsoft Edge is adding a new feature that will allow its Copilot AI chatbot to gather information from all of your open tabs. When you start a conversation with Copilot, you can ask the chatbot questions about what’s in your tabs, compare the products you’re looking at, summarize your open articles, and more.
In its announcement, Microsoft says you can “select which experiences you want or leave off the ones you don’t.” The company is retiring Copilot Mode as well, which could similarly draw information from your tabs but offered some agentic features, like the ability to book a reservation on your behalf. Microsoft has since folded these agentic capabilities into its “Browse with Copilot” tool.
Several other AI features are coming to Edge, including an AI-powered “Study and Learn” mode that can turn the article you’re looking at into a study session or interactive quiz. There’s a new tool that turns your tabs into AI-powered podcasts as well, similar to what you’d find on NotebookLM, and an AI writing assistant that will pop up when you start entering text on a webpage.
You can also give Copilot permission to access your browsing history to provide more “relevant, high-quality answers,” according to Microsoft. Copilot in Edge on desktop and mobile will come with “long-term memory” as well, which can tailor its responses based on your previous conversations. And, when you open up a new tab, you’ll see a redesigned page that combines chat, search, and web navigation, along with the Journeys feature, which uses AI to organize your browsing history into categories that you can revisit.
Meanwhile, an update to Edge’s mobile app will allow you to share your screen with Copilot and talk through the questions about what you’re seeing. Microsoft says you’ll see “clear visual cues” when Copilot is active, “so you know when it’s taking an action, helping, listening, or viewing.”
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If you bought a newer iPhone because Apple made Siri sound like it was about to become your personal artificial intelligence sidekick, you may want to pay attention.
Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over claims that it misled customers about new Apple Intelligence and Siri features. The case centers on the iPhone 16 launch and certain iPhone 15 models that were marketed as ready for Apple’s next wave of AI. The settlement still needs court approval, and Apple denies wrongdoing.
The lawsuit argues that Apple promoted a smarter, more personal Siri before those features were actually available. For some buyers, that was a big deal. A new iPhone can cost hundreds of dollars, and many people upgrade only when they think they are getting something meaningfully new.
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WHY IPHONE USERS ARE THE NEW PRIME SCAM TARGETS
U.S. buyers of certain iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro models may qualify for payments if a judge approves Apple’s proposed settlement. (Getty Images)
What Apple is accused of promising
Apple introduced Apple Intelligence in June 2024 and promoted it as a major step forward for iPhone, iPad and Mac. A key part of that pitch was a more personalized Siri that could understand context, work across apps and help with everyday tasks in a more useful way.
The lawsuit claims Apple’s marketing made consumers believe those advanced Siri features would arrive with the iPhone 16 or soon after. Instead, buyers received phones that had some Apple Intelligence tools, but not the full Siri overhaul that many expected.
That gap is the heart of the case. Plaintiffs say customers bought or upgraded devices based on AI features that were not ready. Apple says it has rolled out many Apple Intelligence features and settled the case, so it can stay focused on its products.
How much money could iPhone owners get?
The proposed settlement creates a $250 million fund. Eligible customers who file approved claims are expected to receive at least $25 per eligible device. That amount could rise to as much as $95 per device, depending on how many people file claims and other settlement factors.
That means this will not be a huge payday for most people. Still, if you bought one of the covered phones, it may be worth watching for a claim notice. A few minutes of paperwork could put some money back in your pocket.
Which iPhones may qualify?
The proposed settlement covers U.S. buyers who purchased any iPhone 16 model, iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025.
Covered iPhone 16 models include the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16e. The settlement also includes the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, but not every iPhone 15 model.
The key details are the device model, the purchase date and whether the phone was bought in the United States.
HOW YOU CAN GET A SLICE OF APPLE’S $250M IPHONE SETTLEMENT
Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle claims it misled customers about Apple Intelligence and Siri features on newer iPhones. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg)
How will you file a claim?
You do not need to do anything immediately. The settlement still needs a judge’s approval. Once the claims process opens, eligible customers are expected to receive a notice by email or mail with instructions on how to file through a settlement website.
That notice matters because scammers love moments like this. A real settlement notice should not ask for your Apple ID password, bank login or payment to claim your money. If you receive a message about this settlement, do not click blindly. Go slowly, check the sender and look for the official settlement administrator details once they are available.
Why this case matters beyond one Siri feature
This case hits a bigger nerve. Tech companies are racing to sell AI as the next must-have feature. That creates a problem for shoppers. You are often asked to buy now based on what a company says will arrive later.
That can be frustrating when the feature is the reason you upgraded. A smarter Siri sounds useful. A phone that can understand your personal context, search across apps and help with daily tasks could save time. But if those tools are delayed, limited or missing, the value of the upgrade changes.
This settlement also sends a message about AI marketing. Companies can talk about future features, but consumers need clear timing and plain explanations. “Coming soon” can mean very different things when you are spending $800, $1,000 or more.
We reached out to Apple for comment, but did not hear back before our deadline.
FIRST 15 THINGS TO DO OR TRY FIRST WHEN YOU GET A NEW IPHONE
Apple denies wrongdoing but agreed to settle claims tied to its marketing of Apple Intelligence and Siri features. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)
What this means to you
If you bought a covered iPhone during the settlement period, keep an eye on your email and regular mail. You may qualify for a payment if the court approves the deal.
You should also keep your receipt or proof of purchase if you have it. Your Apple purchase history, carrier account or retailer receipt may help if the claim process asks for details.
More broadly, this is a reminder to treat AI features like any other big tech promise. Before you upgrade, ask one simple question: Can the feature do what is being advertised today, or is the company asking me to wait?
That question can save you from buying a device for a future feature that may arrive much later than expected.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Apple has built its brand on making technology feel polished, personal and easy to use. That is why this Siri settlement hits a nerve. People were buying phones they use every day for texts, photos, directions, reminders and everything in between. Many expected AI to make those everyday tasks easier, which is why the delay felt frustrating. The proposed payout may be modest, but the bigger issue is trust. When a company sells AI as a reason to upgrade, customers deserve to know what actually works now and what is still coming later.
Would you still buy a new phone for promised AI features, or would you wait until they actually show up? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Instagram is once again cribbing from competitors like Snapchat and BeReal with a new photo-sharing format it calls “Instants,” which are ephemeral photos that you can’t edit and that you can only share with your close friends or followers that follow you back. Instants are available globally beginning on Wednesday as a feature in the inbox in the Instagram app and as a separate app that’s now in testing in select countries.
To access Instants from the Instagram app, go to your DM inbox and look in the bottom-right corner for an icon or a stack of photos. After you post a photo, your friends can emoji react to it and send a reply to your DMs, but after they see it, the photo disappears for them. Instants also disappear after 24 hours, and they can’t be captured in screenshots or screen recordings.
However, your Instants will remain in an archive for you for up to a year, and you can reshare them as a recap to your Instagram Stories if you’d like. You can also undo sending an Instant right after you post it or delete it from your archive.
The Instants mobile app, which popped up in Italy and Spain in April, gives you “immediate access to the camera” and only requires an Instagram account, Instagram says. “Instants you share on the separate app will show up for friends on Instagram and vice versa. We’re trying this separate app out to see how our community uses it, and we’ll continue to evolve it as we learn more.”
Instagram, in its testing, has seen that people “tend to use Instants to share much more casual, much more authentic moments about their day,” according to Instagram boss Adam Mosseri. “And we know that this type of sharing of personal moments with friends is a core part of what makes Instagram Instagram, but we also know that a lot of people don’t really share a lot to their profile grids anymore.”
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