A new report slams MacBooks’ repairability. Here’s what you can do if you need to fix yours
A new report slams MacBooks’ repairability. Here’s what you can do if you need to fix yours
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Get AppleCare+
Go to an Apple Store
Try a third-party repair shop
Get one of Apple’s DIY kits
Apple’s best MacBooks have earned a reputation for generous software support and top-tier build quality, two factors that mean they often last far longer than their rivals. But the flipside of the coin is the fact that MacBooks are incredibly difficult to repair, requiring specialized tools, complex disassembly and the enduring patience of a saint.
That idea has been reinforced by a recent report (PDF download) from the US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund, which found that Apple’s MacBooks are the second-worst laptops in terms of repairability, with only Lenovo scoring lower. Worst of all, most of Apple’s poor score came from an extremely low disassembly rating, which will be ominous reading for anyone about to undertake the challenge of tearing down their pricey laptop.
But if that sounds like you, there’s no need to despair. Fortunately, there are plenty of options available if you want to repair a broken MacBook, and most of them don’t require any technical work from you at all. Here, we’ll show you all of your best options.
Get AppleCare+
Apple
When you buy a new Apple product, you’re able to buy AppleCare+ alongside it. This is essentially an extended warranty for your Mac (and is available for other Apple products, too), and it provides a lot of benefits in return for your money.
Prices vary depending on your MacBook model. The 14-inch MacBook Pro costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, for example, while the 13-inch MacBook Air is priced at $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year.
AppleCare+ provides cover for unlimited incidents of accidental damage while it’s active (subject to a $99 excess fee for screen damage or $299 for anything else, plus tax). Repairs or replacements will be available for the Mac itself, its battery, its accessories (including the power adapter), its memory, and any USB SuperDrives you’re using.
Apple
Any repairs are carried out by Apple’s own technicians using official, legitimate parts. They’ll also give you help with macOS and Apple’s apps, and you can get service anywhere in the world.
That means if you’ve got AppleCare+ and your MacBook needs to be repaired, the simplest solution is to head down to an Apple Store and get them to take a look. That way, it doesn’t matter that MacBooks aren’t particularly repairable since you’re letting the professionals take over, without you ever needing to worry about how to take your laptop apart and fix it up.
Usually, you need to buy AppleCare+ within 60 days of buying your MacBook. However, there’s a chance you can get covered outside this window, providing your Mac is in good condition and isn’t showing any signs of damage. I was able to get AppleCare+ for my Apple Watch Series 10, for example, just by asking for it at an Apple Store, despite my Watch being several months outside the 60-day window. It’s always worth a try.
Go to an Apple Store
Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images / .
You don’t need to have bought AppleCare+ to get your MacBook repaired at an Apple Store. Even if it’s not covered, Apple’s staff will take a look and offer to perform any necessary repairs. This has many of the same benefits of using AppleCare+, in that you get genuine parts and help from knowledgeable staff.
Unfortunately, it’s also a lot more expensive to pay for repairs this way. Apple is known for its high prices, and there’s no exception here. If you want to get things done the official way, it’s certainly worth considering — just be ready for the sticker shock.
Try a third-party repair shop
Maria Buloczka
If you baulk at Apple’s eye-watering repair prices, the next best thing is to try a third-party repair shop. Doing it this way could save you money and still result in a satisfactory repair job.
Start by looking at Apple’s network of Authorized Service Providers. These repair shops work with Apple to train staff on how to properly fix Apple devices, and in return are provided with authentic parts, tools and manuals. You get many of the benefits of going the official route, but it can often work out cheaper than going directly to Apple. You can find your nearest Apple Authorized Service Provider on Apple’s website.
Another option is to try the more standard level of repair shops. If they don’t have Apple Authorized Service Provider status, they won’t have access to genuine Apple parts and tools. That could wind up saving you money, but you’ll want to make sure you check reviews before going ahead to see what other people think.
Get one of Apple’s DIY kits
Apple
Apple is known for locking down its devices, but that stance has started to weaken in recent years. Now, the company offers self-service repair kits for MacBook users, allowing you to get hands-on if you feel like doing the repair yourself.
First, you’ll need to go through Apple’s Mac laptop manuals on its website, which will show you the steps and parts required to carry out your repair. Once you know what you need, you can purchase parts and tools from Apple’s ************* Repair Store. After you’re finished, you can return the broken parts to Apple to be refurbished or recycled. Some returned parts can even earn you credit from Apple.
However, this process is intended for more experienced users who know exactly what they’re doing, and anything that goes wrong is on you. That means that most people will be better off getting Apple or a repair shop to fix their MacBook. If you have the skills and confidence, though, Apple’s self-service repair kits could be a good choice.
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EastEnders gets ratings bump for ‘flawless’ 40th anniversary live episode
EastEnders gets ratings bump for ‘flawless’ 40th anniversary live episode
EastEnders’ 40th anniversary live episode was watched by 3.7 million people on Thursday, according to overnight ratings, with the cast praised for their lack of slip-ups on the night.
The episode was broadcast live for the first time since 2010 and its ratings were about 1.5 million above the soap’s daily average.
However, they were a fraction of those for the last live epiode, when 15.6 million people tuned in to BBC One for the show’s 25th birthday.
As part of Thursday’s special edition, fans were able to vote on which romantic partner Denise Fox (played by Diane Parish) chose to be with, and what Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) named her baby.
Viewers also said goodbye to Martin Fowler, a character born during the soap’s first year of broadcast in 1985.
Played by James Bye since 2014, Martin met his untimely death after an explosion at the Queen Vic pub in a previous episode.
While trapped under a beam, he declared his love to Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), with the pair getting engaged before he died of cardiac arrest.
That wasn’t the only death in Walford this week, as Wednesday’s episode saw show villain Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) crushed by a bathtub.
Bye thanked fans as he confirmed his exit from the show, saying it was “an honour to leave on a story of this magnitude”.
“This fruit and veg man will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s time to look forward, and I’m incredibly excited for what the future holds,” he added.
The 2010 live episode of EastEnders was marred by issues, but the 40th anniversary edition was praised by critics for its smooth execution.
Writing in the Guardian, Stuart Heritage said: “In the past, live episodes of EastEnders have been marked by a pleasing shonkiness, with actors forgetting lines, or visibly twitching when they’re supposed to be dead.
“The main takeaway of the episode was how extraordinarily proficient it all was. The performances and execution were flawless. Not a single thing went wrong. It is the first time that EastEnders has properly nailed a live episode.”
This was echoed by Carol Midgley in the Times, who described it as a “very good effort all round”.
“You wouldn’t really have known it was live. That it went so smoothly is a testament to the proficiency of soap actors and the crew,” she added.
Outgoing EastEnders executive producer Chris Clenshaw has focused on attracting younger audiences during his three-year run, with some falling in love with the show after seeing clips on TikTok.
That was evident in the high drama of some of the anniversary storylines – such as the aftermath of the explosion of the Queen Vic and the dramatic birth of Sonia’s baby in the rubble, aided by half-sister Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) and Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa).
The Telegraph’s Michael Hogan declared that Clenshaw “had gone out on a high by marshalling this milestone week with ambition and aplomb”.
“This was event TV with heart and humour” and “a technical triumph, from opening titles to climactic doof-doofs”, he added.
Johnathon Hughes also spoke of “an emotional week in Albert Square” in his review for the i Paper, describing the live show as “half an hour of nerve-jangling drama” and a “brave and bold demise that will change the course of Walford history”.
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Fortnite’s Lawless Season Introduces a Cowboy Bebop Collaboration
Fortnite’s Lawless Season Introduces a Cowboy Bebop Collaboration
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February 21, 2025
Fortnite’s latest anime collaboration is with the popular 1998 series based on bounty hunters in space, Cowboy Bebop.
Fortnite x Cowboy Bebop
The Cowboy Bebop collab will introduce new skins to Fortnite and bring new quests that players can take on. The Cowboy Bebop quests can be completed for XP, contributing to quest-specific bonus goals. These bonus goals will help players acquire the ‘COWBOY BEBOP Wrap’ and ‘BEBOP Legends Loading Screen’. Players have time till March 18, eastern time to complete these quests.
Coming to the skins, players will start seeing their beloved characters from Cowboy Bebop roaming around the Island from February 28, Eastern time. That’s when the Spike Spiegel Outfit and Faye Valentine Outfit will be available for purchase in the Fortnite Item Shop. Pricing details for these skins weren’t revealed.
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 Lawless
Fortnite’s Lawless Season is now live, and apart from the Cowboy Bebop stuff, it also introduces a lot of new content for players to check out. There are new POIs like the Crime City: Outlaw Oasis and more. New characters like Fletcher Kane, Big Dill and the Barat have been introduced. Also, new vehicles, boons, and heist tools are at the player’s disposal this season.
In other news, Epic Games has banned a Fortnite cheater and forced them to apologise and return their winnings. Also, the game might receive Mortal Kombat mythics soon. What are your thoughts on the Fortnite x Cowboy Bebop Partnership? Let us know in the comments or on our new community forum!
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Counting 1 to 5: Dolly Parton teams up with Wiggles
Counting 1 to 5: Dolly Parton teams up with Wiggles
Music legend Dolly Parton has teamed up with the *********** children’s group The Wiggles in an unexpected collaboration.
The 79-year-old country icon has contributed to the *********** collective’s star-studded upcoming album, Wiggle Up, Giddy Up!, penning and singing on the track Friends! and featuring on the original tune We Will Always Be Friends.
What’s more Parton’s 1980 classic 9 to 5 has also been re-imagined to Counting 1 to 5, in the name of education, while The Wiggles have covered the music legend’s 1974 track Love is Like a Butterfly.
“Well, I just wiggled my way out into the Wiggles’ world! I had so much fun being a part of this project, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we have,” Parton said in a statement.
“Dolly’s music is pure magic,” Blue Wiggle Anthony Field said
“Getting to work with her on these songs is a dream come true. We can’t wait for families everywhere to sing along and share in the joy.”
Red Wiggle Caterina Mete, who has a Dolly tattoo and named one of her daughters after the singer, said: “Getting to work with my absolute musical hero is beyond surreal”.
“Dolly has inspired me in so many ways, and I know these songs will bring so much happiness to families everywhere.”
Both Friends! and Counting 1 to 5 are available to stream now on all major platforms, with Wiggle Up, Giddy Up! set to land on March 7.
The mammoth 32-song collection features huge country stars, including Lainey Wilson, Orville *****, Dasha, and Morgan Evans.
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****** Ops 6 Introducing the Smallest Call of Duty Map Ever Is a Strategic Choice to Favor More Crossplay
****** Ops 6 Introducing the Smallest Call of Duty Map Ever Is a Strategic Choice to Favor More Crossplay
The next significant Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 and Warzone content update was revealed by publisher Activision on February 20. The mid-season refresh, called Season 2 Reloaded, has added a ton of content to Treyarch Studios’ most recent shooter, including the eagerly awaited Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collaboration.
Bullet is the smallest map in the Call of Duty history. | Credit: Activision.
Along with some iconic melee weapons, time-limited modes, a new Event Pass, and other cosmetic items, the event has introduced all four turtles to the Call of Duty universe. But it’s one of the most recent maps in the game that has the Call of Duty community talking.
Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 introduces the smallest map in the franchise history
In Season 2 Reloaded, two new multiplayer maps are added. Grind Ooze is a skate park-based remake of the well-known ****** Ops 2 map. The classic three-lane map operates exactly as fans recall, with the exception of a surprise Tony Hawk teaser and some TMNT artwork. Bullet, on the other hand, was a full wildcard. The small-scale map is set on a train in motion.
In ****** Ops 6 Season 2 Reloaded, Bullet quickly became a fan-favorite map despite initial concerns about how it would play. A picture of the map that only showed a single lane and a straight line really caught players off guard. Players were afraid the layout would be the worst map in CoD history because it bore a striking resemblance to a map design made in jest by a fan in 2024 that only had one hallway.
First impressions are overwhelmingly positive, so it turns out those fans were too quick to judge a book by its cover. Naturally, not everyone will enjoy this map, particularly those who would rather have a more conventional three-lane experience. So far, though, players are unable to get enough of it. Unfortunately, the map does not have its own 24/7 playlist; however, it is part of the Small Map Moshpit playlist.
How is Bullet going to favor more crossplay?
The small surface area of the map is its key. | Credit: Activision.
When Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 first burst onto the scene, the major complaint regarding the fans was its completely overhauled movement mechanics called Omni-movement. This new movement scheme absolutely threw players all over as it was pretty tough to control. With this new system, players can slide in any direction they want, even backward.
PC players gradually learned how to use it, but it was pretty tough for the console players to do the same because they didn’t have a keyboard and mouse. However, this new map is going to settle this dispute for both parties. Because of the map’s restricted field of vision and motion, console users can move around just as freely as PC users.
Given how incredibly small and claustrophobic the map is, it essentially equalizes the omni-movement ratio across all systems. On the other hand, PC players used to complain about console players having aim-assists. So, this map is going to balance it out too as there isn’t much horizontal shifting of the cursor needed.
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Israeli weapons firms out in force at Abu Dhabi defense expo
Israeli weapons firms out in force at Abu Dhabi defense expo
Attendees at IDEX in Abu Dhabi visit the Israel pavilion during the Middle East’s largest defense expo on Feb. 18, 2025
Natasha Turak | CNBC
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – A record 34 Israeli companies exhibited at IDEX this week, the Middle East’s largest defense expo hosted biennially by Abu Dhabi.
After fifteen months of a devastating war between Israel and ****** in Gaza, and amid a fragile and long-awaited ceasefire between the two bitter enemies, reception for the Jewish state’s arms manufacturers at the event was overwhelmingly positive, according to executives of the companies at the expo.
“We felt very welcome and we felt at home here,” Boaz Levy, CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries, Israel’s major state-owned aerospace and aviation manufacturer, told CNBC during the event.
“The hospitality, the visits of all our customers and the administration here was really good, and it is like any other show in the world.”
The show of force from the Israeli firms, which ranged from major aerospace and heavy weapons manufacturers to smaller startups focused on communications and surveillance technology, was met with visible enthusiasm from conference attendees.
Large groups of people milled around displays of Israeli drones and other battlefield tech, speaking with company representatives at the bustling pavilion and asking questions about the hardware. Emiratis and Saudis dressed in local garb and UAE military personnel in uniform could also be seen speaking and warmly shaking hands with their Israeli counterparts.
The scene, which played out over the five days of the conference, was a stark contrast from the last major aerospace exhibition in the UAE that featured Israeli defense companies. The biennial Dubai Airshow in November 2023 was held just one month after the Israel-****** war began.
During the 2023 airshow, only three Israeli defense firms were present – IAI, Elbit Systems, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems – and the country’s pavilion stood largely empty, with representatives unwilling to speak to CNBC or other members of the press.
The Israel Aerospace Industries pavilion stands empty at the Dubai Airshow 2023 at Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on November 14, 2023.
Natasha Turak | CNBC
Now, the mood is transformed. The UAE and Israel, which normalized relations via the Abraham Accords in 2020, have continued to trade and maintain daily flights between the two countries despite official government statements from Abu Dhabi condemning Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and the ensuing humanitarian catastrophe that has seen almost the entirety of Gaza’s population homeless or displaced.
IAI and Elbit Systems have marketing offices in the UAE, and now that their country’s hardware has been battle-tested, foreign buyer interest — including that of some Arab Gulf countries — is higher than ever, company executives said.
“We just proved that our systems can survive, we proved that we can integrate many other payloads, and adapt to the needs in the field,” Taly Kosberg Shmueli, deputy CEO of Israeli aerostat systems company RT, told CNBC. “We’re very happy business-wise, with the last year.”
A view over the Gaza Strip as seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on Jan. 16, 2025.
Amir Levy | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Shmueli said that her company’s systems — giant balloons that provide command and control stations as well as surveillance and reconnaissance — are already in use in the UAE, and that the firm has been in talks with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain.
“We got a warm reception and many people just come by here and say, ‘Oh, it’s so good to see Israeli companies here’,” Shmueli recounted. “We think it’s very good for relations.”
A top 10 world arms exporter
Arms sales are a significant part of Israel’s economy, and in 2023 sales reached a record $13 billion — a 36% jump compared to 2022, making the small country the world’s ninth-largest arms exporter, according to SIPRI. Air defense systems make up more than a third of those exports, and the top buyer of Israeli arms worldwide is India, followed by a number of countries in Europe, Southeast Asia, and the United States, according to local media reports citing the country’s defense ministry.
In 2022, 24% of Israel’s arms exports went to Arab partners who had normalized relations under the Abraham Accords, the Israeli Defense Ministry said. Figures for 2024 are not yet available.
For IAI, which builds Israel’s multi-layered missile defense infrastructure including the Iron Dome and Arrow systems, nearly 80% of its production is exported to other countries. Despite having increased domestic production requirements because of the war, the company “didn’t impose any force majeure for any of our customers, and took a decision to work on the same strength for them as well” to fulfil all its deliveries, IAI’s CEO Levy said.
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon, in southern Israel, October 20, 2023.
Amir Cohen | Reuters
Dror Bar, IAI’s vice president who also heads its subsidiary Elta, which focuses on radar and electronic warfare systems, said that Israel’s wars in both Gaza and Lebanon drove the company to advance its drone and counter-drone technology to meet modern battlefield requirements.
“The combat-proven slogan is, I think, coming into reality in the most dramatic way,” Bar said.
If anything, Israel’s warfare since Oct. 7, 2023 has now made its weapons offerings more popular among potential customers at events like IDEX, not less, representatives there said.
“The reception was wonderful,” Bar said of the arms fair. “We really felt natural and welcomed here, and we are part of this area in the world. So naturally, we feel very good in this environment … and we are very thankful to the UAE government.”
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Epic Games Store for mobile brings Bioware classic Knights of the Old Republic to iOS and Android
Epic Games Store for mobile brings Bioware classic Knights of the Old Republic to iOS and Android
The Epic Games Store has kicked off its latest free release
Grab Bioware’s critically-acclaimed Knights of the Old Republic duology for free
Can this notorious programme swing people to playing on the EGS?
Ah, Bioware, a company with as many detractors as it has fans. But if there’s one thing that is universally agreed upon, it’s that this veteran developer’s work on the Star Wars franchise was a cut above the rest. And if you’ve never had the chance to play the rightfully fan-favourite Knights of the Old Republic, you’re in luck because both it and its sequel are the latest free releases on the Epic Games Store for mobile!
If you weren’t aware, one of the big pitches that the Sweeney-nator made for the Epic Games Store when it first launched was its free game programme. Essentially, users could sign up, claim free releases and keep them forever. And while it still didn’t sway Steam loyalists over on PC, it may just be a winning move on mobile.
But anyway, Knights of the Old Republic. Set millennia before the events of the films and television series as we know them, you play as a lone Jedi working to thwart the designs of the Sith (as you might expect). Featuring customisable lightsabers, force powers and a variety of distinct companions it’s a fan favourite for a reason!
Use the force, Luke
This, of course, is not the first time that Knights of the Old Republic has found its way to mobile. But considering that release was over a decade ago it’ll be interesting to see if this new Epic Games Store version is cleaned up in any way. However, even if it’s not, a critically acclaimed Bioware duology is one heck of a way to boost this programme.
Now to see if that’ll bring in the players, of course.
In the meantime if you’re looking for some stuff that’s a little shorter and more bite-sized why not check out our list of the top five new mobile games to try this week?
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HSBC upgrades Unity shares after earnings beat, calls for more than 20% upside ahead
HSBC upgrades Unity shares after earnings beat, calls for more than 20% upside ahead
Unity Software shares may have even more room to run after its recent post-earnings gain, according to HSBC. The firm upgraded the stock to buy from hold and hiked its price target to $34 from $20.70. That updated target implies 21.4% upside from Thursday’s close. “We upgrade Unity to Buy as we foresee further strong momentum ahead for its game engine and a fair chance of success for its revamped AdTech offering,” analyst Mohammed Khallouf wrote in a Friday note. “We also believe Unity’s unparalleled mobile gaming footprint and access to valuable 1st party user data mean it remains attractive for M & A.” The upgrade follows Unity shares soaring 30.4% during Thursday’s session on the heels of its fourth-quarter results topping Wall Street estimates. Unity posted adjusted EBITDA of $106 million on revenue of $457 million, above the $84.7 million and $432.5 million that analysts polled by FactSet had anticipated. That move higher put the stock’s year-to-date gains at 24.6% and its week-to-date gains at about 30.2%. U YTD mountain U, year-to-date Khallouf pointed to Unity’s launch of its new artificial intelligence-driven ad platform known as Vector and its plans to migrate all of its customers by the end of 2025. While the firm believes Unity will “have its work cut out to catch up with AppLovin given the latter’s sizable head start and much larger market share across the AdTech value chain,” its chances have improved. The analyst also noted that Unity’s game engine posted strong performance in the fourth quarter, with its strategic create segment revenues being up 9% year over year and 6% quarter over quarter. With that, he believes that the “stickiness” of its user base “bodes well” for a possibly seamless introduction of planned subscription pricing hikes in fiscal 2025. “We believe this accelerating momentum is a reflection of management’s successful efforts to repair relationships with game publishers after the ‘run-time fees’ rupture and increased traction with non-game segments,” Khallouf said in the note. The stock is buy-rated among analysts covering it on the Street. According to LSEG data, 12 out of 28 analysts have a strong buy or buy rating, while 15 have taken a neutral stance with a hold rating. Shares were more than 2% higher in the premarket Friday following Khallouf’s upgrade.
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Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel on Q4 results, integration of generative AI
Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel on Q4 results, integration of generative AI
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Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel joins ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss the company’s quarterly earnings results, state of the consumer, 2025 outlook, integration of generative AI across its travel products, and more.
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5 things to know before the stock market opens Friday
5 things to know before the stock market opens Friday
Here are the most important news items that investors need to start their trading day:
1. Stallmart
Investors hope to end a lackluster week on a high note. Stocks dropped on Thursday, as the S&P 500 dipped 0.4%, the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.5% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1%. Walmart‘s stock fell more than 6% after it gave a disappointing profit outlook for the current fiscal year. More broadly, fears about stubborn inflation have reemerged, and President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on ******** and ********* goods and on all steel and aluminum imports loom. The S&P 500 has climbed 0.1% this week, while the Nasdaq and Dow have lost 0.3% and 0.8%, respectively. Follow live market updates.
2. OpenAI growth
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, at Station F, is seen through glass, during an event on the sidelines of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, France, Feb. 11, 2025.
Aurelien Morissard | Via Reuters
OpenAI keeps growing. The company had more than 400 million weekly active users as of this month, a 33% increase from December, Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap told CNBC. “People hear about it through word of mouth. They see the utility of it. They see their friends using it,” he said of OpenAI’s ChatGPT service. The growth comes amid the emergence of ******** startup DeepSeek, which caused tech stocks to plunge in January with its claims that it made AI models comparable to those of U.S. companies at a small fraction of the cost.
3. Air Force None
Airline customers appear to be getting more optimistic about Boeing‘s turnaround. The client in the White House is another story. Trump has made it clear he is “not happy” with Boeing’s long delays in delivering new Air Force One planes, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said Thursday. But Ortberg said Elon Musk – the Trump advisor whom the president tasked with speeding up the process – “is actually helping us a lot in working through the requirements.” Trump said this week that he is considering alternatives to the Boeing planes.
4. Everyday high earners
Shopping carts are lined up inside a Walmart store in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, January 28, 2025.
Carlos Osorio | Reuters
While Walmart’s earnings guidance underwhelmed Wall Street, its sales keep growing steadily. The discount retailer has upper-income shoppers to thank. Most of Walmart’s market share gains in its fiscal fourth quarter reported Thursday came from households with an annual income above $100,000, Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said. The retailer has credited better pickup and delivery options through its membership program Walmart+, a wider selection of groceries and store refreshes. Watch this video to learn more about Walmart’s gains with higher-income shoppers.
5. James Bond shakeup
Daniel Craig as James Bond in Spectre
Source: Spectre
The James Bond film franchise is getting shaken up. Amazon will take creative control over the iconic and lucrative spy series under an agreement with longtime producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. Wilson and Broccoli will co-own the franchise with Amazon’s MGM Studios in a new joint venture. Amazon previously gained distribution rights for the films with its $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM.
– CNBC’s Lisa Kailai Han, Brian Evans, Kate Rooney, Leslie Josephs, Melissa Repko and Annie Palmer contributed to this report.
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AI content moderation startup Musubi raises $5 million in seed funding
AI content moderation startup Musubi raises $5 million in seed funding
AI content moderator, Musubi, team photo.
Courtesy: Tom Quisel | Musubi
As policies for content moderation and fact-checking enter a new era, one startup is turning to artificial intelligence, rather than humans, to enforce trust and safety measures.
Musubi, a startup that uses AI to moderate online content, has raised $5 million in a seed round, the company told CNBC. The round was led by J2 Ventures, with participation from Shakti Ventures, Mozilla Ventures and pre-seed investor J Ventures, the startup said.
The company was co-founded by Tom Quisel, who was previously chief technical officer at Grindr and OkCupid. Quisel said he saw an opportunity to use AI, including large language models, or LLMs, alongside human moderators to help social and dating apps “stay ahead” of bad actors. Musubi’s AI systems understand users’ tendencies better and more accurately tell whether there’s bad intentions with users’ content.
“You pretty universally hear that trust and safety teams are not happy with the quality of results from moderators, and it’s not to blame moderators,” said Quisel, who co-founded the company alongside Fil Jankovic and Christian Rudder. “It’s exactly the kind of scenario where people just make mistakes. It’s unavoidable, so this really creates an opportunity for AI and automation to do a better job.”
During his time at OkCupid, Quisel said it was a “Sisyphean struggle” moderating bad actors. The effort required OkCupid to pull engineers, data scientists and other product staffers off core projects to work on trust and safety, but blocking one pattern of attack never lasted long enough, Quisel said.
“They would always figure out how to get around the defenses we built,” he said.
Read more CNBC reporting on AI
Attacks online can include spamming, fraud, harassment or posting ******** or age-inappropriate content. This is the type of content that has historically been removed from platforms with the help of human decision-makers.
Musubi claims its PolicyAI and AIMod AI systems work together to deliver decisions with an error rate 10 times lower than that of a human moderator. The company said it also plans to use its AI to identify performance issues and inherent bias with human moderators.
PolicyAI acts as a “first line of defense,” Quisel said. It uses LLMs to search for red flags that may violate a platform’s policies. Then, the red-flagged posts go over to AIMod, which makes a moderation choice that simulates what a human would do with a flagged post.
Musubi’s emergence comes on the heels of an industry shift away from overly moderating online content.
Most notably, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in January announced an end to the company’s third-party fact-checking in favor of a system it calls Community Notes that will rely on users to moderate one another’s content. It’s a system that was first introduced by X, Elon Musk’s microblogging service.
Thus far, Musubi has attracted the likes of Grindr and Bluesky among its clients.
Bluesky needed to expand its moderation capabilities quickly after seeing its user growth skyrocket in the wake of the 2024 election. As Bluesky’s base rose to more than 20 million users, it saw numerous content reports fly in for its moderators. Musubi’s team of 10 worked around the clock to deliver a scalable solution for the platform.
“I like that Musubi accurately detects fake and scam accounts in moments,” Aaron Rodericks, Bluesky’s head of trust and safety, said in a statement.
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DeepSeek trained AI model using distillation, now a disruptive force
DeepSeek trained AI model using distillation, now a disruptive force
******** artificial intelligence lab DeepSeek roiled markets in January, setting off a massive tech and semiconductor selloff after unveiling AI models that it said were cheaper and more efficient than American ones.
But the underlying fears and breakthroughs that sparked the selling go much deeper than one AI startup. Silicon Valley is now reckoning with a technique in AI development called distillation, one that could upend the AI leaderboard.
Distillation is a process of extracting knowledge from a larger AI model to create a smaller one. It can allow a small team with virtually no resources to make an advanced model.
A leading tech company invests years and millions of dollars developing a top-tier model from scratch. Then a smaller team such as DeepSeek swoops in and trains its own, more specialized model by asking the larger “teacher” model questions. The process creates a new model that’s nearly as capable as the big company’s model but trains more quickly and efficiently.
“This distillation technique is just so extremely powerful and so extremely cheap, and it’s just available to anyone,” said Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi, adding that he expects to see innovation when it comes to how large language models, or LLMs, are built. “We’re going to see so much competition for LLMs. That’s what’s going to happen in this new era we’re entering.”
Distillation is now enabling less-capitalized startups and research labs to compete at the cutting edge faster than ever before.
Using this technique, researchers at Berkeley said, they recreated OpenAI’s reasoning model for $450 in 19 hours last month. Soon after, researchers at Stanford and the University of Washington created their own reasoning model in just 26 minutes, using less than $50 in compute credits, they said. The startup Hugging Face recreated OpenAI’s newest and flashiest feature, Deep Research, as a 24-hour coding challenge.
DeepSeek didn’t invent distillation, but it woke up the AI world to its disruptive potential. It also ushered in the rise of a new open-source order — a belief that transparency and accessibility drive innovation faster than closed-door research.
“Open source always wins in the tech industry,” said Arvind Jain, CEO of Glean, which makes an AI-powered search engine for enterprises. “You cannot beat the momentum that a successful open-source project is able to actually generate.”
OpenAI itself has walked back its closed-source strategy in the wake of DeepSeek’s accomplishment.
“Personally I think we have been on the wrong side of history here and need to figure out a different open-source strategy,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote in a post on Reddit on Jan. 31.
The combination of distillation’s newfound traction and open source’s rise in popularity is completely altering the competitive dynamics in AI.
Watch the video to learn more.
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Friday’s biggest Wall Street calls like Nvidia
Friday’s biggest Wall Street calls like Nvidia
Here are Friday’s biggest calls on Wall Street: Roth MKM initiates Quanta Services as buy The firm said the infrastructure company is best positioned for data centers and AI. “Power is the key bottleneck for the AI/datacenter theme, and PWR is one of the best-positioned companies to support the acceleration of the electrical infrastructure build-out with its leading market share in electric utility and renewables.” Morgan Stanley reiterates Nvidia as overweight Morgan Stanley said “another pivotal moment for AI” is coming when Nvidia report earnings next week. “NVIDIA remains the mainstay for whether AI stocks advance or move lower.” CLSA upgrades Alibaba to strong buy from outperform CLSA said the China online marketplace is “best positioned to capitalize on surging demand for AI applications.” “We upgrade Alibaba from O-PF [outperform] to High Conviction O-PF and raise our target price from US$125 to US$165.” JPMorgan upgrades Grab Holdings to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said investors should buy the dip in shares of the Singapore tech company following earnings on Thursday. “We continue to believe that GRAB can leverage network effects to build on its market leadership while optimizing monetization and spend. We upgrade GRAB to OW.” Goldman Sachs upgrades Terreno Realty Corp to buy from neutral Goldman upgraded the real estate investment trust following earnings. “We expect industrial absorption (i.e., occupied square feet) will improve in 2025, which makes us more constructive on the sector. On a company-specific basis, we believe TRNO is now best positioned among our industrial REIT coverage.” Bank of America reiterates Apple as buy The firm said Apple’s expansion of its ecosystem is “opening up a large potential revenue stream with Apple TV+ on Android.” “Apple recently announced availability of the Apple TV App on Android mobile devices. … .Maintain Buy on stable cash flows, earnings resiliency and potential beneficiary of AI use on edge devices.” HSBC upgrades Unity to buy from hold HSBC upgraded the game developer software company following its “strong” earnings beat. “Unity engine showing growing momentum and rollout of new ad model is a potential gamechanger TD Cowen reiterates Amazon as buy TD Cowen said it’s analysis shows Amazon Web Services is well positioned for AI. “We Estimate AWS Could Generate ~4x Incremental GenAI Revenue per Incremental GenAI Capex (on avg) from ’26-’30.” Wells Fargo upgrades Stagwell to overweight from equal weight Wells said the marketing and communications company has a long runway for growth. “We upgrade STGW from Equal Weight to Overweight, as we think strong new business + a more favorable underlying env’t for digital transformation will translate to peer-leading ’25 organic growth.” JPMorgan initiates Celestica as overweight JPMorgan said the electronics manufacturing services company is best positioned. “We are initiating on shares of Celestica, with an Overweight rating and Dec-25 price target of $166, with leverage to AI infrastructure investments across both compute as well as networking.” Morgan Stanley reiterates Taiwan Semiconductor as overweight The firm named TSM a catalyst driven idea and says investors should buy the stock ahead of Nvidia earnings. “We would expect TSMC’s share price to rise if NVDA’s guidance were to beat expectations.” Bank of America reiterates Block as buy The firm said investors should buy the dip following earnings on Thursday. “We continue to believe XYZ is undervalued and business model quality is high; focus turns to post-1Q acceleration in both Square and Cash App (which seems plausible), and 2H Investor Day; Maintain Buy.” Cantor Fitzgerald downgrades Rivian to neutral from overweight Cantor said in its downgrade of the EV company that it sees too many negative catalysts following earnings on Thursday. “Downgrading Rivian to Neutral (from OW) due to lower vehicle deliveries, fewer EDV [electric delivery van] deliveries, and worsening macro conditions, including the implementation of incremental tariffs and the likely removal of the $7,500 EV Tax Credit.” JPMorgan reiterates Walmart as buy JPMorgan said investors should buy the dip following earnings on Thursday. “Objectively, we think the WMT story is largely intact with the glass half full vs. half empty debate a question of how you view reinvestment.” UBS reiterates Domino’s as buy UBS said the pizza company is well positioned for same-store sales growth. “We believe DPZ remains positioned for accelerating US sss [same-store sales] momentum in ’25 supported by multiple initiatives, with stronger new store growth going forward, and a solid multiyear earnings growth trajectory. “
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First iPhone 16e Benchmark Reveals Impact of Reduced GPU Core Count – MacRumors
First iPhone 16e Benchmark Reveals Impact of Reduced GPU Core Count – MacRumors
First iPhone 16e Benchmark Reveals Impact of Reduced GPU Core Count MacRumorsApple debuts iPhone 16e: A powerful new member of the iPhone 16 family Apple NewsroomApple’s new iPhone, Nvidia’s new tool, and Palantir stock tanks: AI news roundup QuartzApple reveals first custom modem chip, shifting away from Qualcomm ReutersApple Debuts $599 iPhone 16e With AI, In-House Cellular Chip Bloomberg
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All PGA Tour 2K25 Locker Codes & Rewards—Every February 2025 Active Code
All PGA Tour 2K25 Locker Codes & Rewards—Every February 2025 Active Code
PGA Tour 2K25 Locker Codes reward you for playing the game. It’s a nice feeling, in all honesty, and to make sure you don’t miss out on new rewards such as clothes and consumables, we’ve got the latest PGA Tour 2K25 Locker Codes for February 2025.
2K has a habit of including Codes and Keys across its games. Borderlands is known for using Shift Keys to give players in-game bonuses. Whereas most of 2K’s sports games use the Locker Codes feature. PGA Tour 2K25 is the latest example of incorporating Locker Codes into the gameplay.
Codes can be hidden in the game or on social media. But they’re not so hidden when we’re around.
Every Active PGA Tour 2K25 Locker Code & Reward (February 2025)
TGL in full effect. Credit to 2K
You can find every working PGA Tour 2K25 Locker Code below. We’ve provided information on the exact characters of the code you need to enter and the reward for doing so.
Here’s every PGA Tour 2K25 Locker Code available right now.
Code
Reward
HELLOGOLFERS
Malbon Bucket Hat & 500 VC
LVLUP
Level-Up Token
SWEATSET
A collection of official TGL Sweaters
TEEOFF
TGL Merchandise
How to Redeem PGA Tour 2K25 Locker Codes
Enter, if you dare. Image by Insider Gaming
You need to go to the Settings menu, find the Locker Code Redemption, and input the code to secure your free goodies in PGA Tour 2K25.
Again, this is very straightforward, but here are the steps to follow:
Go to PGA Tour 2K25’s home menu screen.
Head to your Profile Menu.
Scroll across to Settings.
Flick through the options until you get to Redeem Locker Code.
Click on it.
Enter one of the Active PGA Tour 2K25 Locker Codes.
Confirm your choice to receive the applicable bonus!
PGA Tour 2K25 Expired Locker Codes
There are currently no expired Locker Codes in PGA Tour 2K25.
As I write this, the game is still very new, so any active codes valid from its Early Access launch are still going strong. You don’t have to miss out if you get on the codes above early enough. But don’t expect it to stay this way.
Make sure you keep checking back to see if any new codes are available. Plus, it’s always handy to know which no longer works.
2K will likely add new PGA Tour 2K25 Locker Codes. The goodies likely vary from code to code, so ensure you’re not missing out on good stuff. Which rewards are you most desperate to be included as part of Locker Codes?
We have many other PGA Tour 2K25 guides to check out. Browse every official course in the game along with a look at all Editions and their contents.
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New data reveals the Aussie airlines that are on time and which ones fail to take off
New data reveals the Aussie airlines that are on time and which ones fail to take off
New data has been released, revealing which Aussie airlines depart on time the most and which ones are more likely to arrive late.
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Leaked AMD RX 9070 XT benchmarks see it match Nvidia’s RTX 4070 in synthetic tests
Leaked AMD RX 9070 XT benchmarks see it match Nvidia’s RTX 4070 in synthetic tests
Geekbench leaks has offered us a glimpse of what to expect from AMD’s upcoming RX 9070 series GPUs (via Benchleaks at X). These test scores were probably inadvertently made public by an unsuspecting reviewer. In any case, while we don’t want to jump to conclusions, and neither should you, the numbers are disappointing considering everything we’ve heard thus far. The flagship RX 9070 XT barely matches Nvidia’s RTX 4070 Super. However, we cannot confirm the authenticity of these tests. Also, given the architectural revamps with RDNA 4, synthetic tests are not guaranteed to reflect how these GPUs will hold up in real-world performance.
Two separate test benches were used for the RX 9070 XT and its non-XT counterpart. The former is equipped with AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D on the Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Hero motherboard. The latter sticks with the standard Ryzen 7 9700X coupled with the MSI B650 Gaming Plus Wi-Fi motherboard. The setups are pretty different, so it’s obvious the tests weren’t conducted by a single person.
Geekbench was also generous enough to unofficially confirm previously rumored specifications. From the listings, the RX 9070 XT and 9070 non-XT share a similar 16GB VRAM configuration. The only difference is in the core counts; the 9070 XT has 64 CUs (Compute Units) while the 9070 offers 56 CUs. For the sake of comparison, we’ve aggregated publicly available data across the Vulkan and OpenCL APIs at Geekbench.
Jumping into the benchmarks, the RX 9070 XT scored 177,395 and 179,178 points in Vulkan and OpenCL, dropping to 158,520 and 140,842 points for the 9070 respectively. The RX 9070 XT, per this test, is 22% slower than Nvidia’s RTX 5070 Ti and that’s quite telling. Jumping over to Ada, the RTX 4070 Super is a more suitable match. As expected, the 9070 XT isn’t quite able to topple the RDNA 3 flagship but manages a somewhat decent 28% uplift against its predecessor, the RX 7800 XT.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
GPU
Vulkan
OpenCL
vs 9070 XT in Vulkan
vs 9070 XT in OpenCL
RX 9070 XT (Leaked)
177395
179178
100.00%
100.00%
RX 9070 (Leaked)
158520
140842
89.36%
78.60%
RX 7900 XTX
235279
212081
132.63%
118.36%
RX 7900 XT
206494
186399
116.40%
104.03%
RX 7800 XT
155488
139983
87.65%
78.13%
RTX 5070 Ti
228576
229140
128.85%
127.88%
RTX 4070 Super
178982
192378
100.89%
107.37%
We can compare synthetics all day long, but at the end of the day, proper real-world tests are what truly matter. Back in January, a tipster alleged raster performance in the ballpark of an RTX 4080 Super, so it’s possible that RDNA 4 doesn’t perform as well in theoretical tests, but that’s just a guess. If the RTX 5070 is around 15% faster than the RTX 4070; typical for Blackwell GPUs, that’d land it in RTX 4070 Super territory. This doesn’t leave much wiggle room for AMD, but we’ll get a clearer picture after its presentation on February 28.
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Hundreds caught speeding on stretch of M1
Hundreds caught speeding on stretch of M1
Hundreds of drivers have been caught speeding on a stretch of the M1 near Sheffield where a temporary restriction is in place, police have warned.
The speed limit on the Tinsley Viaduct near junction 34 had recently been reduced to 50mph (80km/h) in both directions due to damage to the safety barriers.
A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said the force’s safety camera and ticket processing team was “seeing hundreds of offences committed daily from people not respecting the limit”.
The repairs were not expected to be completed until the end of March and drivers should stick to the speed limit to keep people safe, they added.
Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
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5AM Senate GOP Budget Vote Sets Up Clash With House – The Daily Beast
5AM Senate GOP Budget Vote Sets Up Clash With House – The Daily Beast
5AM Senate GOP Budget Vote Sets Up Clash With House The Daily BeastSenate GOP adopts budget blueprint to advance Trump agenda, setting up clash with House Republicans CNNSenate Passes G.O.P. Budget Plan After Democrats Force Long Night of Votes The New York Times
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Nvidia’s RTX 5000 GPUs continue to face severe supply issues, with RTX 5070 Ti reportedly being even worse for launch stock than the RTX 5080
Nvidia’s RTX 5000 GPUs continue to face severe supply issues, with RTX 5070 Ti reportedly being even worse for launch stock than the RTX 5080
New reports suggest significant stock shortages for Nvidia’s RTX 5070 Ti
There are claims the situation is even worse than the supply issues seen with the RTX 5080
One *** retailer has put forward a worst-case scenario that it could take (up to) six weeks for restocking the RTX 5070 Ti
Nvidia’s RTX 5000 series launch has become a memorable one, but for all the wrong reasons, as scalping, price inflation, and stock shortages continue to cause chaos for the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 GPUs – and the newly launched RTX 5070 Ti may face a similar, or perhaps even worse, fate.
If you’ve been considering the idea of buying an RTX 5070 Ti now that these graphics cards have just been released, you’ve doubtless noticed the scramble for stock, and the GPU selling out across the board.
As noticed by TweakTown, according to sources who spoke to Moore’s Law is Dead, a reputable leaker on YouTube, the RTX 5070 Ti is facing even more troublesome supply issues than the RTX 5080.
Indeed, one source from a major US retailer claimed that there were fewer than 10 units of the RTX 5070 Ti in stock on launch day, hinting at a severe supply shortage. Another source at a big online retailer noted that stock levels were worse than the RTX 5080, and closer to the RTX 5090’s supply at launch. (Check out the video below for the full details).
It looks like a similar picture in the ***, too. A separate report from Wccftech brings word from a major retailer in that country, Overclockers, which has informed customers that it could take up to six weeks (worst-case scenario) for fresh stock of the RTX 5070 Ti to come in.
It’s worth noting that there is no Founders Edition version of the RTX 5070 Ti, but only third-party graphics cards made by Nvidia’s partners. While the MSRP is officially $749 in the US, it’s a big mission to find one of these new graphics cards at that price at any retailer. Indeed, as already mentioned, it’s a mission to find one at all, because as we’ve already seen with the RTX 5090 and 5080, even though prices are way above MSRP in many cases, these GPUs are still sold out.
If you want more bad news, other recent buzz on the grapevine theorizes that the same shortage of supply could apply to the RTX 5070 and the (still-not-officially-announced) RTX 5060. The former GPU launches on March 5 (having already been slightly delayed by Nvidia), and with AMD’s new Radeon RX 9000 series debuting in early March, Team Green has that on its plate to worry about, too.
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Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti Analysis & Supply Leak (Faker than 5080) – YouTube
Watch On
A prime chance for AMD to get the better of Nvidia
With Nvidia’s messy RTX 5000 launch seeming to continually stumble onwards, AMD now has a great opportunity to leap ahead of its fierce GPU rival. Even if Nvidia’s new graphics cards end up being dominant in the battle of the best GPUs – and that remains to be seen, of course – it’s not much use if you can’t find those graphics cards at reasonable prices (or at all, right now).
AMD’s initial RDNA 4 GPUs are now very close – rumors point to a launch on March 6, and what looks like a plan to overshadow the release of the RTX 5070 – and if those RX 9070 graphics cards end up with healthy stock levels, this could pose a real threat to Nvidia. Especially if AMD pitches its price tags to attack Team Green.
I find it difficult to believe that gamers will continue to fork out for inflated and overpriced third-party Blackwell GPUs, as we’re seeing is the situation with the RTX 5070 Ti right now. So, it’s the perfect opportunity for AMD to capitalize on the situation, and take advantage (even if only for a few months, perhaps, while Nvidia’s stock woes continue).
Team Red has rather lost momentum coming off the back of CES 2025, where the RDNA 4 reveal was a fizzling disappointment, and we had all sorts of odd rumors flying around in its wake – with Nvidia grabbing the limelight as a result. Now is the time for AMD to really step up.
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Challenge Stakes living up to the title as punters struggle to work out a favourite for $125,000 feature race
Challenge Stakes living up to the title as punters struggle to work out a favourite for $125,000 feature race
The landscape for some of WA’s upcoming three-year-old features may become a little clearer after tomorrow’s Challenge Stakes (1500m) at Ascot as punters struggle to separate some of the State’s bright talents.
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******** mobile company pays The Pokémon Company ‘substantial’ copyright infringement settlement
******** mobile company pays The Pokémon Company ‘substantial’ copyright infringement settlement
The Pokémon Company has a reached a “substantial” settlement with the ******** operators of a Pokémon-like mobile game after they were found guilty of copyright infringement.
According to a statement made by The Pokémon Company, Guangzhou Maichi Network Technology and its subsidiary Khorgos Fangchi Network Technology infringed on its copyrights with their self-developed mobile game Pocket Monster: Remake.
Pocket Monster: Remake originally launched in July 2015, with The Pokémon Company filing a lawsuit in December 2021 alleging that the game infringed on its copyright and engaged in unfair competition.
After the High People’s Court of Guandong Province found in The Pokémon Company’s favour and ordered the companies to pay 107 million yuan ($14.7 million) in damages, the case went to an appeal where a settlement was instead reached.
While the exact settlement has not been disclosed, a joint public apology by Guangzhou Maichi and Khorgos Fangchi said they had “paid a substantial economic price and incurred significant reputational damage”.
“Under the guidance of relevant precedents and judicial documents issued by the High People’s Court of Guangdong Province, we have deeply realized that our acts had violated relevant laws during the second-instance trial and settlement process,” the apology reads.
“The game has extensively used design elements of the well-known Pokémon video game series, infringing the copyrights related to the Pokémon video games, and has unfairly taken advantage of the fame and reputation of the Pokémon video games, thereby constituting acts of unfair competition.
“Our copyright infringement and acts of unfair competition have caused significant economic losses to the rights holders and severely damaged the image of the original Pokémon video games. We hereby sincerely apologize to The Pokémon Company and other rights holders, as well as the vast number of players, consumers and the general public.”
The companies conclude by saying they have “deeply reflected on it” and “learned [their] lessons”, promising that going forward it “will place a high priority on intellectual property protection, refrain from infringing upon any related intellectual property rights or interests of the Pokémon video games and their rights holders, and avoid engaging in any related acts of unfair competition.”
The Pokémon Company says it “will continue to take all necessary steps to protect its intellectual properties, to enable its users worldwide to enjoy all Pokémon contents with complete peace of mind.”
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Volusia County beaches had nine drownings in 2024
Volusia County beaches had nine drownings in 2024
Volusia County saw a drop in drownings from 2023 to 2024, according to Volusia County Beach Safety data.
The county’s Beach Safety Division includes Volusia County’s lifeguard corps, and the division records data on drownings, rescues and other beach-related data.
The division reported 13 drownings in 2023, which was the highest annual total since at least 1997, as previously reported. In 2024, there were nine drownings along Volusia County’s coastline, according to a response to a News-Journal public records request. The drownings all happened in unguarded sections of the beach.
At least a couple of the drownings came after people injured their spines, Beach Safety Director Tammy Malphurs said. This can happen when people hit their head on a sandbar and break their neck, but it’s still ruled a drowning because there is water in their lungs.
Volusia County always encourages people to swim near a staffed lifeguard tower. People can find those locations by using the Volusia Beaches mobile app.
Much more common for Volusia County lifeguards are rescues. The agency rescued 2,260 people in 2024.
Volusia County seeks lifeguards amid shortage, increases pay again
Starting pay for lifeguards is higher again this year. Starting pay is up to $18.50 as part of efforts to bring in more lifeguards for the busy summer season. As of summer 2024, the rate was $17. New lifeguards can also get bonuses.
Volusia County is feeling the effects of a national lifeguard shortage, Malphurs said via text, but she added she believes pay raises and bonuses over the last couple of years have helped.
The county has 180 seasonal (not full-time) lifeguard positions filled and 134 vacant seasonal positions, according to Malphurs.
Recruitment efforts are underway, including getting the word out at local schools, Malphurs said. The county is gearing up for another round of tryouts and recruit classes, and it’s not clear how many existing lifeguards will return for the busy season.
Whether people will see more lifeguard towers on the beach this summer depends on how recruitment efforts go, she said.
In July of 2024, Volusia County Chairman Jeff Brower called for higher pay for lifeguards at a county chairman candidate forum. Brower, a former Volusia County lifeguard, said he was horrified at how big the gap was between lifeguards near the Daytona Beach pier.
“There was so much space between the two lifeguard towers I could hardly see,” Brower said. “That’s absolutely unacceptable because I’ve sat towers like that where you can’t see to the next guard without binoculars. We have to hire more people.”
Sheriff’s Office transition
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office took over law enforcement operations on the beaches in May of 2023 because of a state law change. Before May of 2023, Beach Safety also handled law enforcement.
Some Beach Safety leaders opposed the change because it meant some would leave the organization, which also meant losing key staff while dealing with employee shortfalls.
In 2024, the division had its first full year since the transition.
Malphurs said the transition has allowed Beach Safety to focus more on lifesaving, emergency medical services and training.
“I think that 2024 was overall a good year post-transition. I think we got through the transition, and everyone started heading in the right direction with what our new Beach Safety mission is,” Malphurs said.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Drownings in Volusia County declined in 2024
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When Germany Votes, It Will Be About the Economy – The New York Times
When Germany Votes, It Will Be About the Economy – The New York Times
When Germany Votes, It Will Be About the Economy The New York TimesIt’s a make-or-break moment for Germany’s economy. Trump’s tariffs won’t help CNNOpinion | Germany Is in Big Trouble The New York TimesIs the Wirtschaftswunder kaputt? Reuters
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