Latest news with #Matchbox
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Randeep Hooda Purchases Rs 5.63 Crore Luxury Apartment In Versova, Mumbai
Last Updated: Randeep Hooda buys ₹5.63 crore apartment in Mumbai's Versova, joining Bollywood stars investing in Andheri West's luxury real estate market. Randeep Hooda has just made a big move—literally. The Bollywood star has become the latest celebrity to snap up prime real estate in Mumbai's ever-buzzing Andheri West. According to official registration documents sourced by Square Yards from the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) portal, the Sarbjit actor purchased a luxury apartment in the sought-after Versova locality for a whopping ₹5.63 crore. The transaction was sealed and registered in June 2025. Housed in Bianca CHS Ltd., the plush property spans an impressive 142.19 square metres (about 1,530 sq ft) of built-up area. The deal also included a substantial stamp duty of ₹33.78 lakh, along with registration charges amounting to ₹30,000. With this acquisition, Randeep joins a growing circle of Bollywood personalities staking their claim in the upscale Versova-Andheri West stretch—stars like Jaideep Ahlawat, Kartik Aaryan, Gauahar Khan, Ronit Bose Roy, and Gurmeet Choudhary, to name a few. Andheri West, once a laid-back suburb, has now transformed into a real estate goldmine—strategically perched between commercial and entertainment hubs. Its excellent connectivity via Western Express Highway, Link Road, SV Road, and the bustling Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro line makes it a top choice for celebrities and professionals alike. Today, it boasts a vibrant blend of luxury residences, creative studios, co-working spaces, shopping arcades, and gourmet hotspots. On the professional front, Randeep was last seen locking horns with Sunny Deol in Jaat, where he portrayed the formidable antagonist Ranatunga. If reports are to be believed, the actor commanded close to ₹6 crore for his powerful performance. Up next, Hooda is set to make waves internationally. He will appear alongside Hollywood heavyweights John Cena, Jessica Biel, and Sam Richardson in Matchbox—an action-adventure comedy slated to hit theatres in 2026. From the big screen to big investments, it's safe to say Randeep Hooda is playing his cards right. First Published: June 27, 2025, 16:32 IST
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mattel and OpenAI have partnered up – here's why parents should be concerned about AI in toys
Mattel may seem like an unchanging, old-school brand. Most of us are familiar with it – be it through Barbie, Fisher-Price, Thomas & Friends, Uno, Masters of the Universe, Matchbox, MEGA or Polly Pocket. But toys are changing. In a world where children grow up with algorithm-curated content and voice assistants, toy manufacturers are looking to AI for new opportunities. Mattel has now partnered with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, to bring generative AI into some of its products. As OpenAI's services are not designed for children under 13, in principle Mattel will focus on products for families and older children. But this still raises urgent questions about what kind of relationships children will form with toys that can talk back, listen and even claim to 'understand' them. Are we doing right by kids, and do we need to think twice before bringing these toys home? Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK's latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. For as long as there have been toys, children have projected feelings and imagined lives onto them. A doll could be a confidante, a patient or a friend. But over recent decades, toys have become more responsive. In 1960, Mattel released Chatty Cathy, which chirped 'I love you' and 'Let's play school'. By the mid-1980s, Teddy Ruxpin had introduced animatronic storytelling. Then came Furby and Tamagotchi in the 1990s, creatures requiring care and attention, mimicking emotional needs. The 2015 release of 'Hello Barbie', which used cloud-based AI to listen to and respond to children's conversations, signalled another important, albeit short-lived, change. Barbie now remembered what children told her, sending data back to Mattel's servers. Security researchers soon showed that the dolls could be hacked, exposing home networks and personal recordings. Putting generative AI in the mix is a new development. Unlike earlier talking toys, such systems will engage in free-flowing conversation. They may simulate care, express emotion, remember preferences and give seemingly thoughtful advice. The result will be toy that don't just entertain, but interact on a psychological level. Of course, they won't really understand or care, but they may appear to. Details from Mattel or Open AI are scarce. One would hope that safety features will be built in, including limitations on topics and pre-scripted responses for sensitive themes and when conversations go off course. But even this won't be foolproof. AI systems can be 'jailbroken' or tricked into bypassing restrictions through roleplay or hypothetical scenarios. Risks can only be minimised, not eradicated. The risks are multiple. Let's start with privacy. Children can't be expected to understand how their data is processed. Parents often don't either – and that includes me. Online consent systems nudge us all to click 'accept all', often without fully grasping what's being shared. Then there's psychological intimacy. These toys are designed to mimic human empathy. If a child comes home sad and tells their doll about it, the AI might console them. The doll could then adapt future conversations accordingly. But it doesn't actually care. It's pretending to, and that illusion can be powerful. This creates potential for one-sided emotional bonds, with children forming attachments to systems that cannot reciprocate. As AI systems learn about a child's moods, preferences and vulnerabilities, they may also build data profiles to follow children into adulthood. These aren't just toys, they're psychological actors. A UK national survey I conducted with colleagues in 2021 about possibilities of AI in toys that profile child emotion found that 80% of parents were concerned about who would have access to their child's data. Other privacy questions that need answering are less obvious, but arguably more important. When asked whether toy companies should be obliged to flag possible signs of abuse or distress to authorities, 54% of UK citizens agreed – suggesting the need for a social conversation with no easy answer. While vulnerable children should be protected, state surveillance into the family domain has little appeal. Yet despite concerns, people also see benefits. Our 2021 survey found that many parents want their children to understand emerging technologies. This leads to a mixed response of curiosity and concern. Parents we surveyed also supported having clear consent notices, printed on packaging, as the most important safeguard. My more recent 2025 research with Vian Bakir on online AI companions and children found stronger concerns. Some 75% of respondents were concerned about children becoming emotionally attached to AI. About 57% of people thought that it is inappropriate for children to confide in AI companions about their thoughts, feelings or personal issues (17% thought it is appropriate, and 27% were neutral). Our respondents were also concerned about the impact on child development, seeing scope for harm. In other research, we have argued that current AI companions are fundamentally flawed. We provide seven suggestions to redesign them, involving remedies for over-attachment and dependency, removal of metrics based on extending engagement though personal information disclosure and promotion of AI literacy among children and parents (which represents a huge marketing opportunity by positively leading social conversation). It's hard to know how successful the new venture will be. It might be that that Empathic Barbie goes the way of Hello Barbie, to toy history. If it does not, the key question for parents is this: whose interests is this toy really serving, your child's or that of a business model? Toy companies are moving ahead with empathic AI products, but the UK, like many countries, doesn't yet have a specific AI law. The new Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 updates the UK's data protection and privacy and electronic communications regulations, recognising need for strong protections for children. The EU's AI Act also makes important provisions. International governance efforts are vital. One example is IEEE P7014.1, a forthcoming global standard on the ethical design of AI systems that emulate empathy (I chair the working group producing the standard). The organisation behind the standard, the IEEE, ultimately identifies potential harms and offers practical guidance on what responsible use looks like. So while laws should set limits, detailed standards can help define good practice. The Conversation approached Mattel about the issues raised in this article and it declined to comment publicly. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Andrew McStay is funded by EPSRC Responsible AI UK (EP/Y009800/1) and is affiliated with IEEE.
NDTV
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Randeep Hooda Teases Fans With Partial-Bald Look. What's Brewing?
Randeep Hooda sent his social media fans in a tizzy after he shared a partial-bald look picture on his Instagram on Tuesday. In the gray scale picture, Randeep Hooda looks sombre with a wide-framed spectacle on. What's Happening Randeep Hooda shared a gray scale picture in which he's seen sporting a partial-bald look. He dropped a cryptic caption which read, "What's the tea for this Tuesday? Coffee isn't the only thing that's brewing!" As per an IANS report, Randeep Hooda is gearing up for a film and his new look has been curated for the film. "Randeep has always surprised both his audiences and the industry with how far he goes to embody a character. This new look is work in progress of something new that is coming up. Randeep always goes to lengths to look the part," IANS has quoted a source as stating. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Randeep Hooda (@randeephooda) Randeep Hooda's Films Randeep was last seen in Sunny Deol's Jaat. The film also stars Saiyami Kher, Regina Cassandra, Jagapathi Babu, Ramya Krishnan, Vineet Kumar Singh, Prashant Bajaj, Zarina Wahab, P. Ravi Shankar and Babloo Prithiveeraj. He will next be seen in Matchbox, an upcoming American action adventure comedy film directed by Sam Hargrave. Based on the toy brand of the same name. In A Nutshell Randeep Hooda created a buzz on social media with his brand new look. He intrigued fans' curiosity with a cryptic caption.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Randeep Hooda shaves half of his head in bizarre look for new film, sparks curiosity about among fans
Jun 24, 2025 03:24 PM IST Actor Randeep Hooda underwent a significant physical transformation to portray Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in the film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. The actor has now sparked attention with his latest post on social media, where he debuted a striking new look. (Also read: Randeep Hooda posts pics of his epic transformation for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar; fans compare him to Christian Bale) Randeep Hooda shared a new look with an intense expression. Randeep posted a selfie, which saw half of his head shaved off. He looked directly at the camera in the black and white picture. In the caption, he said, 'What's the tea for this Tuesday? Coffee isn't the only thing that's brewing!' While the post gave away no specifics, fans were quick to speculate that this dramatic transformation could be for an upcoming film. Sources close to the actor confirmed that the look is from a recent trial for a brand-new project that he is expected to begin filming soon. Details about Randeep's new film A source close to the development shared, 'Randeep has always surprised both his audiences and the industry with how far he goes to embody a character. This new look is a work in progress of something new that is coming up. Randeep always goes to lengths to look the part.' In the past, Randeep has undergone extreme transformations for films like Sarbjit, Main Aur Charles and Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. Randeep was recently seen with Sunny Deol in Jaat, which marked director Gopichand Malineni's Hindi film debut. The film is available to watch on Netflix. Fans will see Randeep next in Matchbox, an action-comedy where he is set to reunite with Extraction director Sam Hargrave. The film stars John Cena and will be released next year. The movie is inspired by Mattel's Matchbox toy vehicles and also stars Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro, Teyonah Parris, Danai Gurira, and Corey Stoll.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Randeep Hooda says Bollywood action is designed for Sunny Deol, Salman Khan; while in Hollywood, stars train for weeks
Randeep says actions is designed around Salman, Sunny In an interview with Mid-day, Randeep noted that action sequences in Bollywood are often crafted around the personas of stars like Salman and Sunny, rather than the stars adapting to the action. "The action is designed around them. When you see them, you feel like they can do what they are doing. Both of them were stars before the advent of the Internet. On the other hand, I have worked with Chris Hemsworth or John Cena, they have a different approach," Randeep said. Randeep has worked with Salman in Kick and Sultan, and with Sunny in Jaat. When comparing Bollywood to Hollywood, Randeep observed a key difference: rehearsals. He explained how actors like Chris Hemsworth and John Cena dedicate weeks to choreography and rehearsals, lending realism to their action. "The difference is that they all come and rehearse for weeks and weeks before they do it. Chris and I were rehearsing for six weeks before we did (in front of the camera), and it looks real. That happens with rehearsals like in theatre. They are not worshipped as Indian stars are, and that is what keeps it more real." Randeep recalled his first real action challenge during the 2019 shoot of Extraction. Despite a long career playing intense roles, he had never actually thrown a punch on camera. Working with director Sam Hargrave and Chris was a wake-up call. Randeep's upcoming projects Randeep Hooda will soon reunite with Sam Hargrave for Matchbox, an action-comedy co-starring John Cena, which will be released next year. The movie is inspired by Mattel's Matchbox toy vehicles and also stars Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro, Teyonah Parris, Danai Gurira, and Correy Stoll. Back home, Randeep was recently seen with Sunny Deol in Jaat, which marked director Gopichand Malineni's Hindi film debut. Jaat also starred Regina Cassandra, Randeep Hooda, Vineet Kumar Singh, Saiyami Kher, Ramya Krishnan, and Jagapathi Babu.
