Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) with her two eldest sons in "House of the Dragon" season one. Ollie Upton/HBO "House of the Dragon" is a "Game of Thrones" prequel that follows a Targaryen civil war. Some of the Targaryen kids grew from toddlers to young adults in season one. Here's a complete visual guide to the confusing Targaryen family tree. Warning: Spoilers ahead for "House of the Dragon" season three, episode three. "House of the Dragon" is back for its third and penultimate season, bringing its wildly expansive Targaryen brood back to our screens. HBO's "Game of Thrones" prequel show follows a bloody war of succession, known in Westerosi history as the Dance of the Dragons. Thanks to the warring factions being related — not to mention the dragonlords' affinity for incest — the Targaryen family tree is tangled and complex. By season two, all characters were coalescing around two potential rulers: Aegon II, King Viserys' eldest son, and Queen Rhaenyra, his eldest child and chosen heir. By the time Viserys died and left the Iron Throne unclaimed, both Aegon II and Rhaenyra had several children of their own. Furthermore, some of the lesser-known Targaryen children are finally coming of age, adding more key players to the ongoing war. We've put together a visual guide to all of the children in the Targaryen family, so you can keep all of those silver-haired (and sometimes brunette) kids straight. Kim Renfro, Ayomikun Adekaiyero, and Palmer Haasch contributed to a previous version of this story. Let's start with Rhaenyra's eldest son, Jacaerys "Jace" Velaryon. Leo Hart and Harry Collett as Jacaerys Velaryon in "House of the Dragon." Theo Whitman/Gary Moyes/HBO Jace was born in season one, sometime in the 10-year gap between episodes five and six. Officially, Jace's father was Laenor Velaryon, Rhaenyra's first husband. However, many people (correctly) suspect that Jace was the bastard son of the late Harwin Strong. Jace was Rhaenyra's heir until he and his dragon, Vermax, died in the Battle of the Gullet during the season three premiere. Lucerys "Luke" Velaryon was Rhaenyra's secondborn son and heir to Driftmark. Harvey Sadler and Elliot Grihault as Lucerys Velaryon in "House of the Dragon." Gary Moyes/Ollie Upton/HBO Luke was Rhaenyra's second child with Harwin, though he was publicly claimed as Laenor's son and the heir to Driftmark, the seat of House Velaryon. Luke was the kid who cut Aemond's eye (we'll get to Aemond and his siblings soon) in season one, episode seven, "Driftmark." Years later, in the season one finale, the nephew and uncle clashed again while riding their dragons, Vhagar and Arrax. This time around, their confrontation led to Luke and Arrax's accidental deaths. Joffrey Velaryon is the youngest son from Rhaenyra's first marriage (and affair). Rhaenyra Targaryen's three eldest sons, Luke, Joffrey, and Jace, in "House of the Dragon" season one. HBO Rhaenyra gave birth to her third son in season one, episode six, "The Princess and the Queen." The baby was named after the man Laenor once loved, Ser Joffrey Lonmouth, who was killed by Ser Criston Cole. In season two, Joffrey was sent as a ward to the Vale, the mountainous region ruled by his mother's cousin, Lady Jeyne Arryn. He was accompanied by his two younger half-brothers and his step-sister, Rhaena. Joffrey is bonded to the young dragon Tyraxes. Now on to Alicent's children, all fathered by King Viserys. Their eldest child is Aegon II Targaryen. Ty Tennant and Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II Targaryen in "House of the Dragon." Gary Moyes/Ollie Upton/Theo Whiteman/HBO King Viserys' first son, Baelon, died shortly after he was born in season one. The king's wife, Aemma, also died in childbirth. Viserys later married Alicent Hightower. Their first child together, Aegon II (also called Aegon the Elder in George R.R. Martin's book "Fire & Blood"), was named after the original Targaryen king, Aegon the Conqueror. Despite the celebrated birth of his trueborn son, Viserys upheld Rhaenyra as his chosen heir, breaking with the realm's patriarchal tradition. However, after Viserys died in season one, episode eight, "The Lord of the Tides," the Hightower-led council usurped Rhaenyra and crowned Aegon II instead. In season two, the young king rode his dragon Sunfyre into battle at Rook's Rest, where he was attacked and burned. Aegon II was left disabled and nearly unrecognizable, with burn scars covering half his face and body. In the season two finale, he fled King's Landing with his master of whisperers, Larys Strong. Helaena Targaryen is Alicent's secondborn child and only daughter. Evie Allen and Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen in "House of the Dragon." Ollie Upton/HBO Helaena was the first daughter born to Alicent. In between episodes, Helaena was married off to her older brother. She became the queen consort when Aegon II was crowned king at the end of season one. Helaena is bonded to the ancient dragon Dreamfyre, though in the show, it's said she has no taste for dragonriding. Helaena is also a known dragon dreamer, meaning she has magical prophetic visions. Aegon II and Helaena had two children of their own: twins named Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. Jaehaerys and Jaehaera in "House of the Dragon" season one. HBO Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, a boy and a girl, are so far the only kids born to Aegon II and Helaena that we've seen onscreen. In season one, episode nine, "The Green Council," we caught a glimpse of the silver-haired twins playing in Helaena's room. The twins came back into play in the season two premiere, when Daemon hired a pair of assassins known as Blood and Cheese to kill Aemond as revenge for Luke. When the assassins were unable to find Aemond, they decided to kill Jaehaerys instead — a son for a son — a move made even crueler by asking Helaena to point out which twin was the boy. While Blood and Cheese decapitated Jaehaerys in his crib, Helaena ran to safety with Jaehaera. Once Rhaenyra took the Iron Throne in season three, Alicent, Helaena, and Jaehaera were trapped as prisoners in the Red Keep. Alicent's middle son is Aemond Targaryen, also known as Aemond One-Eye. Leo Ashton and Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen in "House of the Dragon." Ollie Upton/Theo Whiteman/HBO Known in "Fire & Blood" as Aemond One-Eye, Alicent's secondborn son was the last of his siblings to claim a dragon. Although claiming the ancient dragon Vhagar led to a fight that cost Aemond his eye, the risk ultimately paid off: Vhagar is the biggest and fiercest dragon in Westeros, and as Aemond grew up, the duo became the greatest power in the realm. In season two, Aemond used Vhagar to burn his older brother in the battle at Rook's Rest. While Aegon II was bedridden, Aemond ruled in his stead as Prince Regent and Protector of the Realm. Viserys and Alicent's youngest son, Daeron Targaryen, makes his debut in season three. James Norton as Ormund Hightower and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as the real Daeron Targaryen in the "House of the Dragon" season three premiere. HBO In the book, Alicent gave birth to her youngest child, Daeron, around the same time that Rhaenyra gave birth to Jace. In the show, Daeron is slightly younger — about 16 when he enters the fray. Daeron was absent throughout seasons one and two of "House of the Dragon." He grew up in Oldtown with House Hightower, rather than in King's Landing with his three older siblings. In the season three premiere, Daeron subtly made his debut as the squire for his mother's cousin, Lord Ormund Hightower. After Aegon II abdicated and Rhaenyra took the Iron Throne, Ormund was forced to surrender Daeron as a hostage. However, Ormund tricked the royal family by bleaching a low-born boy's hair and ordering him to masquerade as Daeron — even to die in Daeron's place, if Rhaenyra commanded it. (Luckily, the impostor was safely imprisoned before Rhaenyra discovered the truth.) Meanwhile, the real Daeron remained with the Hightower army, along with his young dragon Tessarion. Now on to Daemon's children. Baela Targaryen is the first of his two daughters from his second marriage. Shani Smethhurst and Bethany Antonia as Baela Targaryen in "House of the Dragon." Ollie Upton/HBO Baela was born to Viserys' younger brother, Prince Daemon Targaryen, and Daemon's second wife, Laena Velaryon, while the couple was living in Essos. (Daemon and his first wife, Lady Rhea Royce, didn't have any children.) Daemon returned to Westeros with his daughters after Laena died in childbirth. Following the time jump in season one, it's revealed that Baela was sent to live at Driftmark as a ward, learning the ways of the court from her grandmother, Rhaenys Targaryen. Baela was betrothed to Jace, her cousin-slash-step-brother, before his death. She is bonded to the dragon Moondancer and has proven useful to Rhaenyra as a scout. Rhaena Targaryen is Daemon and Laena's younger daughter. Eva Ossei-Gerning and Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen in "House of the Dragon." Ollie Upton/Theo Whiteman/HBO Rhaena was born to Daemon and Laena in Essos. After she returned with her father and sister to Westeros, she was betrothed to Luke as a means of nurturing the Targaryen-Velaryon alliance. Unlike many of her family members, Rhaena did not bond with a dragon as a child. As a result, she frequently feels overlooked by her father, Daemon, and stepmother, Rhaenyra, in their war efforts. In season two, Rhaena was tasked with escorting Rhaenyra's three youngest sons to the Vale and then escorting the two youngest back to Essos. Instead, Rhaena abandoned her post and ran away to claim Sheepstealer, a wild dragon. After Laena's death, Daemon and Rhaenyra got married and had two sons together: Aegon III and Viserys II. Rhaenyra's two youngest sons, Aegon III and Viserys II, in "House of the Dragon" season two. HBO Daemon and Rhaenyra also named their first son after Aegon the Conqueror, making him Aegon III Targaryen. In "Fire & Blood," he's often referred to as Aegon the Younger, to avoid being mixed up with his usurping uncle. The couple named their second son after Rhaenyra's dad, King Viserys, who was also Daemon's brother. (Yikes!) In season one, Daemon and Rhaenyra introduced both of their kids to Viserys shortly before the king's death, but Aegon III and Viserys II haven't had much screen time since. In season two, Rhaenyra decided to send the toddlers to the Vale to protect them from the war. It was later arranged for Aegon III and Viserys II to be sheltered in Essos instead, and they hit the road in the season two finale. Aegon the Younger is bonded to the baby dragon Stormcloud, while Viserys II has an unhatched dragon egg. Daemon and Rhaenyra were expecting a third child, but Rhaenyra experienced a stillbirth in the season one finale. Matt Smith and Emma D'Arcy as Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen in "House of the Dragon" season one. Ollie Upton/HBO Rhaenyra was pregnant with her and Daemon's third child together at the start of the season one finale. Upon hearing of her father's death and Aegon II's hasty coronation, she went into early labor. Their daughter, Visenya, was delivered stillborn. In "Fire & Blood," Aegon II and Helaena have a third child. Alicent and Helaena attend the procession behind Jaehaerys' body. Theo Whitman/HBO Aegon II and Helaena have a third child in the book; after the twins, Helaena gives birth to another son named Maelor. After Jaehaerys is murdered by Blood and Cheese, Maelor becomes Aegon II's heir. During season two, Martin had some harsh words for "House of the Dragon" writers about Maelor's exclusion from the show. He said the change would cause a butterfly effect and weaken the overall narrative. In season three, Helaena is healthy and relatively safe in King's Landing, so it's still possible she could give birth again — but since Aegon II is an impotent fugitive now, Maelor would've needed to be conceived before the battle at Rook's Rest. Read the original article on Business Insider

John Keilman / Wall Street Journal: How companies like Nvidia and Neura Robotics are building safety systems for humanoid robots to minimize risks like a bipedal robot losing stability  —  Companies say electronics, sensors and engineering will allow the robots to work alongside people  —  Humanoid robots marched through …

Olivia Cooke and Ewan Mitchell as Alicent Hightower and Aemond Targaryen in "House of the Dragon." Theo Whitman/HBO In "House of the Dragon," Daeron Targaryen is the youngest son of Alicent and the late King Viserys. Daeron grew up with the Hightowers in Oldtown, rather than in King's Landing with his siblings. He finally makes his debut in "HOTD" season three. Here's what to know about Daeron in the book. Warning: Spoilers ahead for "House of the Dragon" season three, episode three, and for the book "Fire & Blood." The elusive Daeron Targaryen is finally joining the fray in "House of the Dragon." Daeron is the youngest son of Alicent Hightower and the late King Viserys Targaryen — their fourthborn child after Aegon, Helaena, and Aemond. Like his siblings, Daeron is a dragonrider, bonded to a young blue dragon named Tessarion. Unlike his siblings, however, Daeron left King's Landing as an infant. He was sent as a ward to Oldtown, the seat of House Hightower, and is scarcely known to the royal family. Throughout the first two seasons of the HBO show, Daeron is kept far away from the action. In "House of the Dragon" season two, Daeron is mentioned as both a potential threat to his half-sister, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, and a promising pawn in Aegon's army — especially once Tessarion has grown big enough to fly into battle. Daeron is also mentioned in a conversation between his mother and uncle, Ser Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox), who was also raised in Oldtown. Gwayne tells Alicent that 16-year-old Daeron is hardworking, clever, and kind, setting him apart from his cruel, bloodthirsty brothers. In season three, Daeron finally makes his onscreen debut, marching with the Hightower army and taking orders from his mother's cousin, Lord Ormund Hightower (James Norton) — that is, until episode three, when their campaign is interrupted by Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). Now that Rhaenyra has ascended the Iron Throne, the king consort plans to take Daeron hostage as part of the Hightowers' surrender terms. "It would be rather an oversight to allow one of Prince Aegon's heirs to go prancing about the Reach with his dragon, no less," Daemon tells Ormund. "We will treat him kindly, as we would any son of Viserys. As long as you behave yourself." Matt Smith and James Norton as Daemon Targaryen and Ormund Hightower in "House of the Dragon." Theo Whiteman/HBO By the end of episode three, viewers discover that Ormund has deceived Daemon and Rhaenyra, delivering a faux-blonde imposter to be taken hostage and keeping the real Daeron by his side. As showrunner Ryan Condal previously confirmed, Daeron will have a role to play in the ongoing civil war — but if you're impatient to learn why Daeron might become important in "House of the Dragon," keep reading to find out what happens to him in the original book, "Fire & Blood." Daeron, the most well-liked of Alicent's sons, becomes a great threat to Rhaenyra's reign According to "Fire & Blood," Alicent gives birth to Daeron around the same time that Rhaenyra gives birth to her first child, Jacaerys, and he enters the Dance of the Dragons at age 15. Daeron is described in the book as "gentle and soft-spoken," the most charming and well-liked of Alicent's sons. His "lovely blue she-dragon," Tessarion, is known as the "Blue Queen." When Ormund is overwhelmed at the Battle of the Honeywine, Daeron saves him by swooping in with Tessarion. They snatch an unlikely victory, leading Ormund to knight him "Ser Daeron the Daring." Daeron's blue she-dragon Tessarion in "House of the Dragon." HBO Led by Ormund on foot and Daemon on dragonback, the Hightower army continues to win victories throughout the Reach, mostly by using Tessarion to force surrenders. While they advance on King's Landing, Prince Daeron the Daring comes to be known as the greatest threat to Rhaenyra's reign, "smashing the queen's loyalists" and "forcing every lord who bent the knee to add their strength to his own." Eventually, Rhaenyra decides to send two of her dragonseeds, Ulf White and Hugh Hammer (bonded to Silverwing and Vermithor, respectively), to end Daeron's campaign. The duo flies to Tumbleton, a town southwest of King's Landing — the last stronghold that lies between the Hightower army and the city — with orders to kill Daeron and Tessarion when they arrive. Daeron's fate is tied to the Treasons of Tumbleton James Norton as Ormund Hightower and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as the real Daeron Targaryen in the "House of the Dragon" season three premiere. Theo Whiteman/HBO Once Daeron arrives in Tumbleton, Ulf and Hugh decide to switch sides. In what comes to be known as the Treasons of Tumbleton, the bastards-turned-dragonriders betray Rhaenyra and join the Hightower host. The book doesn't give a definitive answer as to why: "It may be that it was the thought of attacking Tessarion that gave them pause," it reads, "though both Vermithor and Silverwing were older and larger than Prince Daeron's dragon, and would therefore have been more likely to prevail in any battle." "Others suggest it was avarice, not cowardice, that led White and Hammer to betrayal," the book continues. "Honor meant little and less to them; it was wealth and power they lusted for." Indeed, Ulf and Hugh were knighted after the Battle of the Gullet and the fall of King's Landing, but both had hoped for lordship or castles to call their own. It seems they grew dissatisfied with Rhaenyra's rewards while emboldened by their own powerful dragons. Targaryen history books immortalize them as the Two Betrayers. Ormund dies in the ensuing battle, slain by the Northern soldier known as Roddy the Ruin, but Daeron survives. Daeron remains in Tumbleton as the town devolves into violence and chaos. Despite his prowess on dragonback, Daeron is too young and inexperienced to assume Ormund's leadership role, and he fails to stop his soldiers from pillaging. Eventually, Addam Velaryon (previously Addam of Hull) flies to Tumbleton on his own dragon, Seasmoke, determined to retake the city from the Two Betrayers and "to prove that not all bastards need be turncloaks." The book says that Daeron is asleep in his tent when the attack begins. Some sources say he died in the flames, while others claim he briefly escaped before he was cut down, either by a sellsword or other unknown man-at-arms. Either way, Daeron dies in the Second Battle of Tumbleton. Tessarion also fights Seasmoke and Vermithor, and all three dragons die as a result. Addam and Hugh also die in the battle. Ayomikun Adekaiyero and Palmer Haasch contributed to a previous version of this story. Read the original article on Business Insider

Eli Tan / New York Times: A look at Threads and Q&A with its head Connor Hayes, as the platform passes 500M MAUs and increasingly resembles Reddit with its focus on community features  —  Meta's office in San Francisco.  Threads aims to reach one billion users.Ian C. Bates for The New York Times

In this article, we fine-tune the PaliGemma 2 model for object detection. We specifically tune the model for wheat head detection. The post Fine-Tuning PaliGemma 2 for Object Detection appeared first on DebuggerCafe.

Stephen Huang, Founder and CEO of Tranxform, participated in a demo at the Computex trade show this year. Stephen Huang/Tranxform After decades in Silicon Valley, Stephen Huang, 55, launched AI chip startup Tranxform. Tranxform is trying to build more efficient AI processors and recruit top talent in Taiwan. Huang says AI hardware favors deep experience over youthful speed. Stephen Huang had spent decades building chips in Silicon Valley when ChatGPT's launch convinced him the market was ready for the AI chip company he had long considered building. By then, Huang had worked on MediaTek's GPUs, Apple's Face ID technology, and at an Amazon AI chip team. When ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late 2022, Huang became convinced the industry had reached a turning point. "I felt the market had arrived," he said. So at 55, Huang decided to start over. In 2024, he founded Tranxform AI, a Taiwan-based AI chip startup developing power-efficient processors designed to run AI models outside large data centers. The company now employs about 40 people and is preparing its first chip, which Huang expects to be ready next year. The CEO is among a growing number of entrepreneurs chasing opportunities created by the AI boom. Unlike many founders building companies around large language models, however, he spent decades designing chips before launching his own startup. But Huang never viewed age as a disadvantage. "Morris Chang started TSMC in his 50s," he said, referring to the founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, who founded the world's largest contract chipmaker at 55. In fact, Huang believes age may be on his side, arguing that hardware startups often favor experience in ways software startups do not. Semiconductor design is a long game, he said. Building a system-on-a-chip — the integrated processor that powers devices ranging from smartphones to AI systems — requires balancing countless tradeoffs across hardware and software, a skill that can take decades to develop. "To build a good SoC, you need experience," Huang said. "Otherwise, you would not know how to balance different operations." Huang's startup adventure was not an obvious one. Before founding Tranxform, he had a stable career and a comfortable income in the US. Building the company meant taking a significant risk and spending most of his time in Taiwan, a decision his family initially struggled to accept. As Tranxform grew and reached key milestones, his family's attitude changed. "Today, they are proud of what we have accomplished," he said. The timing also helped. Huang's two sons were adults when he founded the company. One works in the technology industry, while the other recently graduated from university. "Having them become independent has made it easier for me to dedicate the time and energy needed to build Tranxform," he said. Huang said he believed the risk was worth taking because demand for specialized AI hardware would continue growing as companies looked for faster and more energy-efficient ways to run increasingly complex models. Huang's optimism comes as investors pour fresh capital into AI hardware. Venture funding for AI and machine-learning chip startups rose over 70% to $16.2 billion in 2025 from the year before, according to PitchBook. However, the number of deals fell to 232 from 266 in the same period as investors increasingly wrote bigger checks to a smaller cohort of potential breakout companies. This year, funding stood at $9.9 billion as of June 22, with deal counts at 87, per PitchBook. Returning home While AI drew Huang toward entrepreneurship, Silicon Valley's intensifying talent wars made him rethink where to build his company. His years in Silicon Valley taught him how difficult it was for startups to compete with tech giants such as Google, Apple, and Nvidia for engineering talent. "We kept training people, and they got poached," he said. Huang built his company in the Taiwanese chip hub of Hsinchu, where he believed he could assemble a more stable engineering team. One of those recruits was his college classmate Way-Shing Lee, who joined Tranxform as chief technology officer last year after retiring from the US chip giant Qualcomm. One of Huang's (right) key recruits was college classmate Way-Shing Lee (left), who is now Tranxform's CTO. Stephen Huang/Tranxform Now, startup life has replaced the stability of Huang's previous career with fundraising, recruiting, customer meetings, and constant technical problem-solving. "Starting a company is very hard," Huang said. "You have to find business partners. You have to sell your story. You have to find funding." Huang said Tranxform is preparing for its next fundraising round, declining to disclose details. The company is still in the early stages of licensing and generates little revenue, he said. Still, Huang believes the biggest opportunities in AI remain ahead. The AI industry is "probably just getting started," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider

Ming-Chi Kuo: Kuo: suppliers plan to ship less than 1M iPhone fold units in 3Q26, which may push the start of device pre-orders and sales to Q4, with weeks of delivery delays  —  My latest industry survey indicates that assembly shipments for the foldable iPhone in 2H26 will be roughly 7-8 million units …

Sara Wilczynska took a yearlong career break and discovered watercolor while traveling in Thailand, setting her on the path to a new career. Provided by Sara Wilczynska Sara Wilczynska grew up in Poland and built her career as a software engineer in offices around the world. She found the pace at Google in the US unsustainable, so she quit and traveled with her partner for a year. A watercolor hobby she picked up on a Thai island turned into a new career, leading her to open an art studio in San Diego. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sara Wilczynska, the founder of Swil Arts Studio. She left her job as a software engineer at Google, spent a year traveling with her partner, and discovered watercolors in Thailand. Her words have been edited for length and clarity. I was born in Warsaw in the 1980s, when Poland was still a communist country. I remember witnessing the shift into capitalism. I earned a master's degree in computer science from the University of Warsaw, interning in Barcelona and studying abroad in Edinburgh along the way. At 25, I moved to London to work as a software engineer at an investment bank. I stayed nearly five years, but even then, there was a quiet voice in the background asking whether this was really what I wanted to do. I started working at Google in 2015 I joined Google in Zurich, and it felt like a step closer to something more meaningful. After about a year and a half, I got my US visa and was transferred to New York, where I worked on the news section of the search engine. On paper, my career was everything I had worked toward. Google was flexible, supportive, and full of brilliant people. I had autonomy over my work — from the projects to my physical working location — and the benefits were incredible. After she got her US visa, she was transferred to New York Provided by Sara Wilczynska My days included coding, meetings, but also yoga classes, gym sessions, gourmet birthday meals, and even subsidized massages. There was also stability — a good paycheck and stock grant options. That's also what made it so hard to leave. Later, as my career progressed — I was promoted twice within Google — there was more high-level work, a lot of stakeholder meetings, and less hands-on coding work. I started to feel disconnected. A growing sense that the pace wasn't sustainable for me. That constant stimulation — screens, deadlines, notifications, expectations — was pulling me away from myself. Six years later, during the pandemic, I moved to San Diego with my partner, Valentina. Something shifted It was living in San Diego that forced me to slow down. There was nature everywhere — the ocean, the desert, the mountains — and suddenly I had space to pause. I started noticing small things again. The scent of jasmine on a warm evening. The simple joy of eating a fish taco. That realization made it impossible to ignore the misalignment in my work. At first, I tried to fix it without leaving. I trained in sound healing and hosted sessions. I took on different projects at Google, including leading diversity and inclusion initiatives. I even reduced my working hours. None of it fully addressed the core feeling. I remember thinking, "Am I just being too picky? Am I asking for too much?" Because there was nothing objectively wrong with my job. It wasn't toxic. I respected my colleagues. At some point, I understood that a job can tick every box — it can look perfect on paper — but if something deeper is missing, it's not enough. Even then, leaving wasn't easy. One of the biggest challenges was not knowing what would come next. I kept thinking I needed a plan. A clear, logical next step. But eventually, I realized that waiting for certainty was just keeping me stuck. So my partner and I made a decision that felt radical at the time. I quit my job at the end of 2022 — Valentina's job had been eliminated the previous year — and we decided to travel for a year. We rented out our apartment in San Diego and went traveling. The couple left San Diego and traveled for a year. Provided by Sara Wilczynska That year changed everything We spent most of 2023 in Southeast Asia, with shorter trips to Australia and New Zealand. At first, we moved quickly, but eventually we slowed down. We spent six months in Koh Tao, a small island in Thailand. Life there felt simple. My partner was working as a dive master, and I had something I hadn't experienced in years: unstructured time. That's when I picked up watercolors. I had no formal training. I just felt drawn to it. I started taking online classes, sketching scenes from the island: fruit stands, village views, little everyday moments. I started sharing my work in local Facebook community groups in Koh Tao. I didn't expect much, but people began reaching out on Facebook — not just to compliment the work, but to buy it. They would tell me, "This captures my memory of this place perfectly." When our year of travel ended, I decided to commit to art. Not because I had everything figured out, but because I didn't want to ignore that pull anymore. We extended our flexible lifestyle — house-sitting across the US to reduce living costs — and I started building my studio, Swil Arts, in San Diego, from the ground up. Wilczynska now runs Swil Arts studio in San Diego. Provided by Sara Wilczynska Now, that's where I create original watercolor illustrations. Then I reproduce them as illustrated goods, including prints and homeware. My days are very different now. I spend mornings painting, afternoons on the business side, handling client communications, website content, and business strategy. I earn my income through direct-to-consumer retail, wholesale partnerships with boutiques, and custom art commissions for both individuals and brands. Although it's not at the level of my previous income, we are still a young company. Success is completely different now. It's not about productivity or output. It's about impact. If one person pauses because of my work — if they feel something, remember something — that's enough. Read the original article on Business Insider

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Tan Shie Boon, founder of Movement.sg, teaches parkour to older adults in Singapore. Provided by Tan Shie Boon. On a sunny Friday morning, a group of nine people gathered at an exercise corner in one of Singapore's public housing blocks. Clad in workout wear and sneakers, some rolled their shoulders and stretched their calves. Others stood together in small circles, chatting beneath the morning sun. Over the next hour and a half, the conversation continued flowing as they hopped across concrete ledges, climbed over whatever stood in their way, and practiced navigating obstacles around the buildings. At one point, they took turns vaulting over a railing, drawing cheers from the rest of the crew with each successful attempt. There wasn't a teenager in sight. Instead, everyone in this parkour class was in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. Finding his footing The morning session was one of seven classes that Tan Shie Boon, a parkour coach and founder of Movement.sg, teaches each week across Singapore. Parkour is often associated with young athletes performing daring jumps and flips as they weave through urban landscapes. But over the past several years, Tan has carved out a niche teaching parkour to older adults. Instead of flashy stunts, Tan wants his students to learn how to navigate obstacles, recover their balance, and most importantly, get up safely if they fall. It's a skill set he considers essential, given that falls are the leading cause of injury among adults ages 65 and older, according to the CDC. "It's a problem that is very prevalent," Tan, 34, told Business Insider. "To me, it's almost ridiculous that people overlook this." Students spend much of the class traversing their surroundings — hopping across ledges, vaulting over railings, and negotiating obstacles along the way. Amanda Goh/Business Insider Tan's path to this career was long and winding. As a student, he thought he'd pursue computer science, but the plan never felt quite right. At his brother's suggestion, Tan enrolled at a local arts school to study dance. It was there that his interest in parkour began to take root. A workshop led by visiting practitioners from France gave him his first real exposure to the discipline. "Something about how they carry themselves kind of aligned with how I wanted to live my life," Tan said. "They're very free-spirited, and they are very dedicated." At a time when he felt constrained by both society and his dance training, parkour, in contrast, felt powerful and liberating. "With parkour, I felt like I could be myself," Tan said. Tan left the arts school and worked odd jobs to pay for his training at the now-defunct ADD Academy Singapore, a parkour school founded by that same French group. He became an instructor in 2015. For Tan, parkour represented a kind of freedom he hadn't found elsewhere. Amanda Goh/Business Insider Making the leap Tan's focus on teaching older adults, however, came about by chance. In 2017, he met a then-64-year-old woman at a food court while waiting in line. She asked him what he did for a living, and became intrigued when he said he was a parkour coach. She had never heard of the discipline. "I showed her videos, and she asked me if this could help her with her balance. I said, absolutely, because we practice balancing a lot," Tan said. The pair met the following day and began training together. She told him she couldn't walk without a trolley cart for stability, fearing she would otherwise fall. After several months of training, Tan said, she became increasingly confident moving around unaided. In addition to parkour drills, students also do bodyweight exercises, such as single-leg squats. Amanda Goh/Business Insider A local news outlet picked up on her story, and the media attention brought a wave of inquiries from retirees across Singapore. "That was when I realized that, hey, this could be a thing," Tan said. Tan isn't the only coach adapting parkour for older adults. Similar programs have emerged in the US, including PK Move's PK Silver program in Northern Virginia and Parkour Generations Boston. Some of the people who reached out back then are still training with Tan today. Among them is Sarah Wang, 61, a retired preschool teacher. Intrigued by the news coverage, she decided to give it a try in 2018 and has been attending Tan's classes ever since. Wang said she enjoys that no two sessions are exactly alike. Each location offers a different environment to navigate. "You can test yourself and challenge yourself," Wang said. Outside of Tan's classes, walking is her primary form of exercise. About six months after Wang signed up, her friend Ling Ying Ying followed suit. Ling, who attends classes twice a week, told Business Insider that she has noticed improvements in her strength and mobility. Some of his students have been attending Tan's parkour sessions since 2018. Amanda Goh/Business Insider "When I first started the class, I actually had problems going down the stairs. I had to go down sideways because walking down normally caused pain in my knees," Ling, 66, said. "After I started parkour, my knees became stronger." There is a growing scientific interest in adapting parkour principles for older adults, Shawn Soh, an assistant professor at the Singapore Institute of Technology, told Business Insider. Benefits include "improvements in agility, lower-limb strength, dynamic balance, postural control, coordination, and environmental awareness," said Soh, who is trained in physiotherapy and specializes in ortho-geriatric care. It can also improve what researchers call falls efficacy — a person's confidence in maintaining balance, recovering from a stumble, and getting up safely after a fall, he added. However, Soh cautioned that the training carries risks. Older adults, particularly those with osteoporosis or low bone density, may be more susceptible to fractures. He added that sprains, strains, bruising, and falls are all possible, and that higher-intensity movements can place greater demands on the heart and cardiovascular system. "Older adults should understand their own health status, medical conditions, and physical capabilities before starting any new activity," Soh said. Tan said his classes are designed with those differences in mind. Most classes draw between four and 12 participants, although he says he has about 30 students in total. Amanda Goh/Business Insider While teaching parkour to seniors may sound risky, Tan said he guides participants through movements at their own pace. Exercises can be modified for those who are less confident or have mobility limitations, he added. Going the distance Tan now runs the business by himself. Each 90-minute class costs 35 Singapore dollars, or about $26, and most classes draw between four and 12 participants. The work is enough to sustain him, though he said he earns less than when he previously ran another parkour coaching business with partners. "I don't live a lifestyle where I spend a lot, so it's enough," Tan said. "Managing a team is very difficult," he added. "I much prefer my life now." Tan hopes that, one day, some of his longtime students will become coaches themselves. For now, though, he says the lessons often flow both ways. "If I grow old, I want to be like them," he said. "They prove to me that they have the never-say-die spirit." Read the original article on Business Insider

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Grace Kay / The Information: Tesla rolls out its Robotaxi service without a safety monitor in Miami, its fifth city, as it aims to expand to a dozen US states by the end of 2026  —  Tesla said it rolled out its Robotaxi service in Miami on Friday, according to a post from its social media account on X.

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Some Waymo cars stalled and had to be towed during the July 4th celebrations in San Francisco. Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images Some of Waymo's cars struggled to navigate the chaos of July 4 in San Francisco. Social media posts showed the company's vehicles stalled in traffic, adding to the gridlock. Waymo said "extreme traffic congestion" disrupted its normal operations. Some of Waymo's robotaxis in San Francisco weren't all that autonomous on Independence Day. Several San Francisco residents posted footage Saturday night of Waymo vehicles either malfunctioning, stalling, or being towed away during the chaos of Fourth of July celebrations. "We're being told it could take 3-4 hours to tow the disabled vehicles before traffic can move again," an X user who goes by Marco Gutierrez wrote beneath a video of a Waymo being towed. Other X users posted footage of stalled cars, traffic jams, and in one instance, a Waymo driving straight through an erupting box of fireworks. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rose Peterson (@rose_buds) Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli told Business Insider that severe traffic congestion disrupted normal operations for some of the company's cars. "In coordination with local authorities and emergency services, our roadside assistance team worked quickly to clear our vehicles from the area," Bonelli said. "Our team is always evaluating ways to strengthen Waymo's resilience in major traffic disruptions." Waymo said northern San Francisco saw major traffic congestion during Saturday's celebrations, as well as unplanned road closures after the Golden Gate Bridge fireworks. The company said some of its vehicles became stuck in gridlock, while others were able to drive away once congestion cleared. Some vehicles ran out of charge while idling and had to be towed. The company said its roadside assistance team handled towing logistics, no injuries were reported, and the vehicles were operating fully autonomously. Waymo's autonomous navigation relies on a multi-sensor system — 29 cameras, five lidars, and six radars — to give its AI drivers different ways to perceive an environment. The Alphabet company has so far deployed about 2,500 robotaxis across multiple US cities. Read the original article on Business Insider

Back in February, Uber announced ambitious plans to launch in seven new European markets in 2026 — but now five of those launches are reportedly on hold.

John Goldstein grows tomatoes and herbs to have fresh ingredients to cook with. John Goldstein John Goldstein, a 75-year-old retiree in New Jersey, spends about $150 a week on food for him and his partner. Skipping meat and avoiding restaurants helps him balance his budget against rising healthcare costs. He says frugality doesn't have to be unenjoyable for those willing to learn new ways to cook at home. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with John Goldstein, a 75-year-old retiree in Newark, New Jersey. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Like the vast majority of retired people in our country, I live on a fixed income. I live with my partner, who is also retired and on a fixed income, and it's not a choice to think a lot about the cost of food. And it's not just the cost of food. The costs of housing and healthcare have had a huge impact on us. Paying the Medicare premium eats up whatever cost-of-living adjustment Social Security provides. I don't think I'm very different in that respect from lots of retired people on a fixed income when prices are going up. People's incomes are not anywhere close to keeping up with inflation. Food costs are a big part of what we can control We can't control the cost of healthcare, but with food, a lot of it is discretionary. I have friends who like hanging out at the bar, and that ends up costing a lot of money. We don't do that anymore. We used to eat at restaurants four or five times a month. Now it's maybe four or five times a year. My partner was pescatarian when we met 14 years ago, and giving up meat has saved us a lot of money. If we were still eating meat, we probably would have stopped because the price has gone up so much. I've also changed how and where I shop for groceries. The local Portuguese markets, when I moved here to Newark 15 years ago, were the cheapest markets around. They're now like Whole Foods, with prepared foods and expensive products. I used to go to Whole Foods once in a while, too, and now I go there maybe twice a year, if there's something I can't find anywhere else. Now I do a weekly trip to ShopRite and am careful to track coupons and deals. I typically spend about $150 a week, with about a third on fresh produce, a third on dairy products like yogurt and cheese, and a third on pantry staples like nuts, beans, olive oil, and whatever else I might need to cook a meal. The other day I was shopping because all the kids and grandkids were visiting, and I think my grocery bill was $250, and I had saved almost $100 from coupons. I've also found smaller ways to save. We used to eat a lot of fresh fish, but that's gotten really expensive, so I end up buying flash-frozen filets or canned fish. We also started eating a lot more beans for protein instead of fish. Canned beans were like $1 a can, but the same amount of dried beans is around $0.25, so that's a significant savings. We don't buy packaged goods like cookies and cereal, and we buy very little processed food. I'm also growing some tomato plants and some herbs and spices. Instead of buying a bunch of cilantro, parsley, and basil at the store and having most of it spoil before I ever use it, I can pick what I want. I don't think I'm saving a lot of money with the garden. It mainly gives me the pleasure of having a nice, flavorful homegrown tomato. We don't spend a lot, but we still eat well We're frugal, but living well does not require spending a lot of money. We live extremely well. We eat great meals and do it on a very reasonable budget. I love to cook, which is an important piece of this. The happy place for me is when I can cook and watch a soccer match at the same time. Life doesn't get much better than that. If you can accept that changes — in what you're buying, in what you're cooking, or in what you're eating — are not punitive, but that they are choices that you're making, you can find ways to make those choices very desirable. I'm also well aware that this doesn't work for everybody, but getting over the fear of cooking and things not being perfect in the kitchen is important. Don't be afraid that you might burn something. You will burn some things. Don't be afraid that sometimes it's not going to turn out perfectly, because sometimes it won't. Even if you've eaten the same things for many years, don't be afraid to try something new and look around for inspiration. When I do have a meal in a restaurant that I think is incredible, I'll say, "I can do that at home. I'll figure it out." I once went to this restaurant in San Francisco that had trout stuffed with spinach and feta, and it was delicious. Ten years later, I was still thinking about it, so I taught myself how to debone a trout. It doesn't have to be so complicated, of course, but it's not terribly expensive, and it tastes really great. Breaking the chains of the food that you're used to eating and branching out can be exciting, it can be fulfilling, and it can also help you think through how to do that in an economical way. Read the original article on Business Insider

Wency Chen / South China Morning Post: ByteDance's Doubao and Alibaba's Qwen will disable humanlike and user-created agents before July 15, as China's anthropomorphic AI interaction rules take effect  —  Two of China's major consumer-facing artificial intelligence apps, ByteDance's Doubao and Alibaba Group Holding's Qwen …

Nearly 1 million people have lost a total of $3.8 billion after buying President Donald Trump’s $TRUMP memecoin, while Trump made $636 million.