One of world’s most elite high schools bans smartphones, issuing Nokia ‘brick’ phones instead

Eton College, one of the U.K.’s most prestigious schools, has decided to ban its pupils from using smartphones on campus – a policy shift that has been seen as archaic by some, and nostalgic by others.
According to the school, students turning 14 during the school year will be provided with Nokia ‘brick’ phones, which are limited to calling and texting.
This change, which affects students who can expect to pay £49,000 ($64,000) annually in tuition, was communicated to parents through a letter. The school suggested children should swap their SIM cards into these school-issued devices.
The new regulations build on an existing policy that requires younger students, specifically those in their first three years, to relinquish their electronic devices overnight. The school believes that these measures will lessen distractions in the classroom and improve behavior.
A spokesperson for Eton supported the school’s approach to technology, stating, “Eton routinely reviews our mobile phone and devices policy to balance the benefits and challenges that technology brings to schools.
“From September those joining in Year 9 will receive a ‘brick’ phone for use outside the school day, as well as a school-issued iPad to support academic study. Age-appropriate controls remain in place for other year groups.”

Really like this approach to smart phone usage for students at Eton.
They’re exchanging every students smartphone for a Nokia ‘dumb phone’ which they’ll use during term times, starting in September. pic.twitter.com/g9XYmjWO9P
— Zoe Scaman (@zoescaman) July 5, 2024

Eton College, located in the town of Windsor just west of London, was founded nearly 600 years and is renowned for its alumni, which includes 20 British prime ministers like Boris Johnson and David Cameron, as well as notables such as Princes William and Harry, writer George Orwell, James Bond creator Ian Fleming, and actor Eddie Redmayne.
Concerns over smartphone usage in schools
Mike Grenier, Eton’s deputy head, wrote to the parents of new boarders saying that their child’s smartphone should be taken home after its SIM card is transferred to a school-issued Nokia handset.
He said: “When used responsibly and in moderation, [smartphones] can be a key part of life for the modern teenager and can create positive social networks and give access to news and views from around the world.
“However, despite these positives, there are also associated challenges and potential areas for concern, especially around socialisation, misuse and overuse and the impact on both mental and physical health.” The school said “age-appropriate controls remain in place for other year groups”.
The move is not unique to Eton, with other institutions like Alleyn’s, Brighton College, and Thomas’s also implementing similar restrictions on smartphone usage.
The Labour Party recently expressed an “open-minded” stance on potentially banning social media for children, aligning with a report from the Education Select Committee which stressed the “serious dangers” associated with smartphone usage by youngsters. The report reiterated the disproportionate risks versus benefits of increased screen time among children and teens.
In May, the committee suggested that the next government should consider a ban on smartphones for those under 16, citing disturbing trends in how these devices are affecting youth. Robin Walker, chairman of the committee, pointed out the “extensive damage” being caused by excessive use of these devices among young people. The report also revealed that about one in four children exhibit phone usage patterns that resemble addiction.
Which Nokia phone could be introduced to schools?
Amidst these concerns, the Nokia 3210 was reintroduced in May to celebrate its 25th anniversary, with Human Mobile Devices (HMD) branding it as a “cultural icon.” The relaunch aims to cater to the growing demand for simpler, less addictive devices as part of a broader digital detox trend.
The updated 3210 now features a two-megapixel camera, supports 4G calling, and retains the classic game Snake, priced at £74.99.

Guess what’s making a comeback? The iconic Nokia 3210!⁣Remember when your phone’s battery would last for days? Well, we’re bringing those days back. Get ready to go retro with a modern twist! #Nokia3210https://t.co/S7QOlW0XJN pic.twitter.com/oy1w42ZaRX
— HMD (@HMDdevices) May 8, 2024

HMD’s chief marketing officer, Lars Silberbauer, spoke about the renewed relevance of the Nokia 3210, saying, “The Nokia 3210, a cultural icon, is back at the pinnacle of the global dumbphone boom as consumers look to balance their screen time usage with a digital detox.
“The Nokia 3210 has simplicity at its core, allowing consumers to be totally present. Forget dumbphone, this is 2024’s fun phone.”
Featured image: HMD / Canva
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German government continues Bitcoin transfers to exchanges

On Tuesday (July 9), the German government transferred $339.2 million worth of Bitcoin (BTC) to various centralized crypto exchanges and market makers, following significant transfers the previous day.
Data gathered from blockchain analytics platform Arkham Intelligence shows that the transfers included several significant moves to major players in the crypto space. Kraken received 800 BTC, while a suspected B2C2 Group address got 5,000 BTC.
Crypto investment firm Cumberland DRW was sent 107 BTC, and 400 BTC went to an unidentified address. Notably, the government also received 1,692 BTC from Bitstamp.
These transfers are part of an ongoing process that began last month, following the seizure of 50,000 BTC from the Movie2k piracy site in January. On Monday, over 15,000 BTC were moved to market makers and exchanges, with a portion later returned from Bitstamp, Coinbase, and Kraken.
Steven Zheng, Research Director at The Block, suggests the returned Bitcoin was likely unsold due to price range restrictions. Currently, the German government holds 22,846 BTC, worth approximately $1.3 billion, according to Arkham Intelligence data.
Not everyone is on board
This decision to sell has faced criticism, with Bundestag member Joana Cotar urging the government to retain the funds as a strategic asset. Bitcoin’s current price is $57,341, unchanged over 24 hours but down 12% since the government began its transfers on June 18.
In a recent X post, Cotar suggested that the ongoing sale of Bitcoin by the German government is counterproductive. She wrote:
Instead of holding Bitcoin as a strategic reserve currency, as is already being debated in the USA, our government is selling it on a large scale.
I have informed [minister-president of Saxony Michael Kretschmer, Free Democratic Party leader Christian Lindner and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz]  about why this is not only nonsensical but counterproductive, and I have invited them to our lecture event with Samson Mow.
Cotar’s remarks followed early July reports that the German government moved $150 million worth of Bitcoin at once.
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Drake loses again: $300,000 bet on Canada to beat Argentina in Copa America semifinals

The Drake curse strikes again! The singer has, once again, lost $300,000 on a bet that didn’t quite go his way.
The bet was for Canada (Drake’s home country) to win against Argentina in the Copa America semifinals on Wednesday (July 10). Instead of the result he was hoping for, it was a 2-0 result for the South American team as Messi and Álvarez both scored.
If Drake’s bet would have come to fruition, he stood to gain an estimated payout of $2.88 million.
In a now-deleted Instagram story, the singer had shared his betting slip and captioned it with ‘This could get Messi @stake.’
Argentina are the reigning champions, following their win against Brazil in the final in 2021.
Drake’s patriotism cannot be disputed as he adds another notch to his ‘losses.’ It was only in May, just two months ago, when he staked $565,000 on Tyson Fury beating Oleksander Usyk.
He has bet on boxing several times. In February 2023, he bet against Tyson Fury’s younger brother Tommy as he put $400,000 on social media star Jake Paul to beat him by knockout. Tommy Fury won on the night by decision.
Another $2 million Canadian dollars were lost in November 2022 when Israel Adesanya faced a knockout loss by Alex Pereira.
He has also bet on Argentina to win before. He put on $1 million for Argentina to win the 2020 FIFA World Cup but while they did win, the bet didn’t stand as the match was decided by penalties.
Drake’s betting partnership with gambling company Stake
While the continuous losses are sure to make a dent in even Drake’s pocket given how many times he has lost, the money likely matters even less due to his partnership with Stake.
Stake is a global online casino and sports betting company. The company and Drake formed their partnership in March of 2022 in a campaign that saw $1 million donated to the LeBron James Foundation.
Now, the singer will regularly share his betting attempts with fans on Instagram. The bets are laden with Stake advertising.
Featured Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
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Microsoft gives up OpenAI board observer seat role

Microsoft has announced it will relinquish its observer seat on OpenAI’s board. In a letter, the tech giant expressed that over the past eight months, there has been “significant progress” and it now has “confidence in the company’s direction,” stating the observer seat “no longer necessary.”
This move comes after Microsoft assumed a non-voting, observer position on the board in November of the previous year when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reassumed control of the company, which is known for operating the AI chatbot ChatGPT.
Despite expectations, Apple has also opted not to take up the observer role on OpenAI’s board. The decision was cited in a report by the Financial Times, which referenced a source directly familiar with the situation. This follows Apple’s recent announcement to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its devices.
Instead of traditional board roles, OpenAI is shifting towards a different model of engagement with its partners. According to an OpenAI spokesperson, under the guidance of the newly appointed chief financial officer Sarah Friar, the company will conduct regular meetings with its key partners instead. This includes Microsoft and Apple, as well as investors such as Thrive Capital and Khosla Ventures.
An OpenAI spokesperson said: “We’re grateful to Microsoft for voicing confidence in the board and the direction of the company, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership.”
What did Microsoft say about the OpenAI board seat?
The initiative was described as “a new approach to informing and engaging key strategic partners.”
In the letter, Microsoft stated: “We appreciate the support shown by OpenAI leadership and the OpenAI board as we made this decision.
“As you know, we accepted the non-voting board observer role at a time when OpenAI was in the process of rebuilding its board.”
The company said the position provided insights into the board’s activities “without compromising its independence,” adding that it “appreciated the opportunity to serve as an observer during this period of change.”
It added: “Over the past eight months we have witnessed significant progress from the newly formed board and are confident in the company’s direction.”
“Given all of this we no longer believe our limited role as an observer is necessary,” Microsoft said.
Last month, EU antitrust regulators determined that the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI would not fall under the bloc’s merger regulations, as Microsoft does not control OpenAI. Instead, the regulators plan to solicit opinions from third parties regarding the exclusivity clauses included in the agreement. In December, the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) also announced it was investigating the collaboration.
Featured image: Canva / Brian Smale and Microsoft
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How to change worlds in Once Human

Whilst Once Human utilizes a server based approach, letting you pick whichever you like to base up on, there is also a secondary World system that complicates things a little.
These Worlds are basically partitions in the server to ease congestion and allow for everyone to experience the game without any queues holding you back.
If you’re not happy with the World you’re on through, you are able to switch to another and here, we’ll reveal how to do this so you can start anew, maybe joining up with your friends in the process.
How to switch Worlds in Once Human
To change Worlds in Once Human, you must head to a Teleporter, use it via pressing the G key, and select a new World to move to.
You will reach a Teleporter naturally in the main quest after about 10 minutes of game time so don’t fret if you want to jump to a new World very early on.
You can change Worlds as much as you like, there is no restriction to this, which is nice to know you’re able to freshen things up without limit.
One caveat to changing Worlds though is that anything you have built in the current World will be lost unless you utilize the Move Territory function, which relocates anything that you have created.
Regardless of this though, you will keep hold of any items and gear that are in your inventory, so no need to worry about that when switching.
As previously mentioned, changing Worlds does keep you in the same server so keep that in mind if you were looking to move off a PvP server for example, wanting a quieter life in a more PvE only location.
Other Once Human pages you may like:

Once Human controller support explained: Is it available on launch?
Does Once Human have crossplay?
Once Human – system requirements and is it coming to consoles?
When is the Once Human server reset?

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Microsoft hiking Xbox Game Pass prices by up to 25%

The gaming giant said its PC Game Pass subscription would increase by £2 to £9.99 per month.

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Get 50% off a Powerful Grade A Refurbished MacBook Air Through 7/21

This featherweight 13.3″ MacBook Air weighs 2.9 lbs, has a 12-hour battery, 1.8GHz i5 Core processor, 128GB SSD, 8GB RAM and is in near-mint condition.

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Microsoft drops its observer seat on OpenAI board amid regulatory scrutiny

Microsoft took a nonvoting board seat at OpenAI back in November.

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As Microsoft leaves its observer seat, OpenAI says it won’t have any more observers

Months after Microsoft gained an observer seat on OpenAI’s board, the company is leaving the position of the non-voting seat. In a letter sent to OpenAI on Tuesday, Microsoft said that the company has seen enough progress being made in the AI company and is confident in its direction, according to Axios. OpenAI said that […]
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Deep tech startups with very technical CEOs raise larger rounds, research finds

SaaS founders trying to figure out what it takes to raise their next round can refer to Point Nine’s famous yearly SaaS Funding Napkin. (The term refers to “back of the napkin” plans or calculations.) Now, European hardware deep tech teams have a similar resource from First Momentum, a pre-seed fund investing in technical B2B […]
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