Ensuring the week gets off to a bright start with today's global round up of positive news stories.
AI Granny
AI granny Daisy is giving scammers a taste of their own medicine – one dithering chat at a time. Created by UK telecomms giant O2 to waste fraudsters’ time, Daisy is an AI bot made by computer scientists to combat fraud and keep scammers talking with endless musings about scones, knitting, and the mysteries of the Internet Explorer icon. While fraudsters try to take control of her computer, Daisy insists on finding her glasses or reminiscing about simpler times, leaving criminals frustrated and annoyed. Trained on real scam calls, Daisy provides at least one useful application of artificial intelligence. In one case, she kept a scammer on the line for 40 minutes, delaying their chances of conning real victims.
Most Philoprogenitive
America’s 10th president, John Tyler, was born in 1790, and still has one living grandchild. Not great-great-grandchild. Harrison Tyler's dad was President Tyler's son.The reason that’s possible? Tyler had children at all stages of his adult life - 15 kids total. Making him the most philoprogenitive US president. Tyler was also the first US president to get married whilst in office.
Baltic States
In good news for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, they successfully disconnected from Russia’s network over the weekend, ending energy dependency and aiding security.
Recycling Incentive
A pilot program in Aarhus, Denmark, aimed at keeping takeout coffee cups out of landfills is proving to be a success. The initiative started in January 2024, after the city found that 45 percent of its waste came from to-go packaging. Under the program, customers purchase drinks in reusable cups from participating cafes and then drop off the empty receptacle at collection points, earning a 75 cent refund. Officials said the 735,000 cups reused in the program's first year would have filled 1,200 large trash bins.
La Paisible
Located 30 miles from Geneva, an 18th-century Swiss villa with Hollywood ties has hit the market. The New York Post reports that the charming dwelling dubbed La Paisible, or “peaceful place,” where Audrey Hepburn lived from 1963 until her death in 1993, has just listed for $20.8 million. Only one family has resided in the 10,764-square-foot house, sitting on a 40-acre lot with mountain views, since Hepburn’s sons sold it in 2001. Though the 12-bedroom and eight-bathroom manse has since been thoroughly renovated, the legendary star’s white rose bushes (a gift from fashion house Givenchy) still grow in the garden.
Sound & Vision
Traditional hearing aids have competition - a new technology that combines both hearing and vision solutions has just received FDA clearance. Nuance Audio Glasses provide a “groundbreaking open-ear hearing solution seamlessly integrated into a pair of stylish smart glasses,” per manufacturer EssilorLuxottica, and will soon be sold over the counter in the U.S. Approximately 1.25 billion people experience mild to moderate hearing loss globally, according to the World Health Organization, but many abstain from wearing traditional hearing aids due to factors like social stigma, price, and discomfort. The first software as a medical device to receive FDA clearance, Nuance Audio Glasses seek to dissolve those barriers by appealing to folks who may be hesitant to don hearing assistance instruments.
“Here’s to us being afraid and doing it anyway.” Gabrielle Union
On This Day
10 February 1940: The first Tom and Jerry cartoon Puss Gets the Boot, created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, is released to theatres by MGM.
Today's Articles
High Horology: The watch made for Marie Antoinette is generally regarded as the greatest ever made and is now on show.
Mood Boosting Video
Nanny Cam: After complaints from neighbour, secret camera catches dog singing at the piano.