AI machine sorts clothes faster than humans to boost textile recycling in China
ZHANGJIAGANG, China (AP) — A company in eastern China is using an artificial intelligence-powered machine to sort clothes and boost recycling. It offers a glimpse into how AI could help reduce the impact of synthetic textile waste. The Fastsort-Textile machine was named one of Time magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025 and was created by Databeyond. The Chinese AI recycling company was founded in 2018. The equipment operates in Zhangjiagang and can sort 100 kilograms of clothes in two to three minutes. That compares with one worker taking around four hours to do the same thing.
Apple's 50-year odyssey has redefined technology, pop culture and comeback stories
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — A scrawny hippie and a nerdy engineer who became prank-playing friends vowed to change the world when they founded a Silicon Valley startup on April Fools’ Day 50 years ago and then — no joke — pulled it off. The improbable odyssey began April 1, 1976 when a then-shaggy Steve Jobs and his gadget-tinkering friend Steve Wozniak signed the partnership papers that created Apple Computer Co. What happened next has become ingrained in the cultural zeitgeist. The Associated Press looks back Apple's peaks and valleys during a journey that thrust the company to the brink of bankruptcy before its exiled co-founder Steve Jobs came back to build an empire.
Mamdani puts New York City government back on TikTok
Almost three years ago, New York City joined governments across the country to ban TikTok from its devices over security concerns about the Chinese social media site. Mayor Zohran Mamdani is a bona fide social media star. On Tuesday he took to the app to announce a reversal. He said: “TikTok, we’re back.” The city will now allow agencies to start posting again on the short-form social media site as long as departments follow a set of security precautions. That's according to a memo from city cybersecurity officials. TikTok did not immediately return a request for comment.
Brazil is uniquely positioned to weather rising world oil prices. Here is why
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil is finding protection in a decades-old buffer against shocks that is both cheap and environmentally friendly as global oil markets tremble amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Tens of millions of Brazilian drivers have a choice at the pump: fill up with 100% sugarcane-based ethanol or a gasoline blend that contains 30% of biofuel. Brazil’s massive “flex-fuel” fleet, which are vehicles capable of running on any mix of ethanol and gasoline, is unique in its scale. It is the result of a landmark military dictatorship program launched in 1975, transformed into success during democratic times to reduce foreign oil dependency.
Meta, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube aren't fully complying with child account ban, Australia says
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia is considering bringing court action against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube after alleging they are not doing enough to keep Australian children younger than 16 off their platforms. Australia banned young children from holding accounts on 10 social media platforms in December. The first report from the eSAfety commission about compliance with the law was issued Tuesday. It found significant concerns with five platforms and was gathering evidence against them before deciding whether to initiate court action. The law also applies to Reddit, X, Kick, Threads and Twitch, but they aren't under investigation.
Brazilian banks to verify satellite deforestation data for rural credit
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian banks are now required to verify satellite deforestation data before approving rural credit. Financial institutions must check starting Wednesday if a property is listed in a government registry for potential illegal deforestation after July 31, 2019. The database is maintained by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change using satellite data. Farmers can challenge flagged properties by providing legal documents or restoration plans. The Finance Ministry says the new rule aligns rural credit with conservation policies. The Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil warns this could complicate credit access for compliant producers.
Movie Review: Wahoo! ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ levels up the magic
Chris Pratt and Charlie Day return to voice Mario and Luigi in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” which opens theaters globally on Wednesday. The sequel to the 2023 smash takes the Brooklyn plumbers, Princess Peach and Toad into space to help save Rosalina from a vengeful Bowser Jr. In her review for The Associated Press, film writer Lindsey Bahr writes that while the movie adds some family drama and backstories, and some unsavory merchandising, it's largely committed to keeping things light and playful and in the spirit of the games. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is a Universal Pictures release rated PG.
Passengers stranded in moving traffic after robotaxi outage in China's Wuhan
BEIJING (AP) — More than 100 Baidu robotaxis stopped running in the Chinese city of Wuhan because of a system malfunction, leaving some passengers stranded in moving traffic. Reports started coming in around 9 p.m. on Tuesday night, with Chinese media saying police rescued some passengers. No one was hurt. Some people stepped out of the stationary vehicles on their own, while others stayed inside because their cars stopped in the middle lane of an elevated ring road. In San Francisco, many of Waymo’s self-driving cars came to a stop in December due to a power outage.
A college instructor turns to typewriters to curb AI-written work and teach life lessons
Once a semester, a Cornell University instructor requires her students to complete an in-class assignment using typewriters — an exercise to help them understand what writing, thinking and classrooms were like before everything turned digital. The exercise started in 2023, as Grit Mathias Phelps grew frustrated that her German language students were using generative AI and online translation platforms to churn out grammatically perfect assignments. The revival is part of a national trend toward old-school testing methods like in-class pen-and-paper exams and oral tests to prevent AI use for assignments on laptops.
Systems that let drivers take their hands off the wheel don't improve safety, NTSB head says
The head of the National Transportation Safety Board says the systems that allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel are convenient but don’t improve safety because people who use them often pay less attention to the road. The hearing on Tuesday focused on two fatal crashes involving Ford’s Blue Cruise system. The NTSB formally recommended that automakers need to do more to improve the way these systems monitor drivers, and the government should establish minimum safety standards. Automakers emphasize that partially automated driving systems aren't designed to replace the human drivers, who have to be ready to take control at any time. But NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy says the ads from automakers make it seem like the systems can drive their cars.
