Nostalgic 80s brand revives flip phone to beat tech addiction
They’re flipping off social media.
Nostalgic 80s tech firm Commodore is hoping to combat tech addiction by releasing a retro flip phone that banishes social media apps.
Dubbed the Commodore Callback 8020, this vintage phone reboot is billed as a “retreat from Black Mirror technology” designed to “help you spend less time staring at a screen,” per the blog.
This throwback perhaps marks a fitting release for a nostalgic company that kickstarted the personal computer revolution of the 1980s and released the Commodore 64 — the best-selling PC of all time.
The Callback, which will be available later this year, facilitates digital detox by using “patent-pending technology” to block web browsers and social media at the “system level.” The catch is that the mobile methadone does offer internet connectivity, ostensibly offering the full functionality of a modern phone without the risk of screen addiction.
Meanwhile, the Linux-based Sailfish OS operating system allows this Spartan device to be compatible with over “99 percent of Android Apps,” including WhatsApp, Maps and Spotify.
But don’t get any ideas about importing blacklisted apps. While Callback users are allowed to sideload platforms not available at the firm’s “Commostore,” the company draws the line at ones that require doomscrolling, Ars Technica reported.
On the off-chance that someone does get TikTok or another verboten service installed, they won’t be able to use it as Commodore has blocked it at the DNS level.
Completing this retro effect is a minimalist clam shell design that harks back to the Nokia flip phones from the turn of the millennium. Total price: between $500 and $640 depending on the colorway.
Viewers had mixed feelings about the somewhat Mennoite device. “Commodore 64 flip phone? Take my money,” gushed one fan.
However, others felt that the nostalgia was not worth the squeeze.
“You had me at flip phone that blocks social media,” snarked one critic. “You lost me at $499.”
Another wrote, “Hugely disappointed after all the buildup to discover the new Commodore product is a $500 flip-phone that looks like something from AliExpress for $50”
Another found it ludicrous that someone would pay such an exorbitant amount to stop themselves from an activity — doomscrolling — that they could halt for free. They added that the inclusion of WhatsApp and Telegram seemed to defeat the point of a device meant to combat tech addiction.
“The doom-scrolling moves to group chats instead,” they lamented. “You just traded Twitter anxiety for family WhatsApp group anxiety, which some people would argue is considerably worse. The problem was never the hardware. It was always what we agreed to let in.”
Nonetheless, the Callback couldn’t have come at a better time.
Gen Z is currently mounting a low-tech offensive, notably swapping sleek smartphones and algorithm-fed apps for vintage flip phones as they strive to live a less plugged-in life.
“It’s an indescribable feeling to feel so detached and not constantly available,” NYU grad student Sonya Saydakova, who traded an iPhone for a Nokia 2780 flip phone last year, told the Post.
Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal’s World Cup run is ‘far from over’ after uninspiring start
Cristiano Ronaldo is already trying to move Portugal on from a rough start.
The 41-year-old Portugal captain sent a defiant message after his side opened its World Cup campaign with a disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo in Houston on Wednesday, a performance that did little to quiet questions about whether Portugal can still build its attack around him.
“It wasn’t the start we wanted, but this is far from over,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram. “Heads up and focus on the next game.”
Portugal dominated possession but created little, finishing with just one shot on target against a DR Congo side that frustrated one of the tournament’s most talented squads.
Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes but had a quiet night, failing to put any of his three shots on target.
Afterward, he defended Portugal’s performance and suggested the result could have gone either way.
“Nothing was lacking,” Ronaldo told reporters. “That’s football. Portugal could have won, but they could also have lost.”
The draw immediately placed more attention on Ronaldo’s role in Roberto Martinez’s team.
This is his sixth World Cup, putting him alongside Lionel Messi as the only players to reach that mark, but the two icons had very different opening games.
Messi started Argentina’s tournament with a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria.
Ronaldo, now playing his club football in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr, endured a far quieter night as Portugal labored to a draw against an opponent it was expected to beat.
The contrast will only add to the scrutiny around Ronaldo, who has not scored a non-penalty goal at a major international tournament since June 2021.
That statistic has followed him into another World Cup, where Portugal arrived with enough attacking quality to be considered a real contender but still faces familiar questions over how much should run through its aging superstar.
Ronaldo’s career has been defined by proving people wrong, and his message after the opener made clear that he does not view one flat performance as a sign of anything bigger.
But Portugal’s display made the debate unavoidable.
Was it simply a bad opening night, or another sign that one of football’s greatest players is no longer the same tournament force?
Portugal still has time to answer that question.
It next faces Uzbekistan on Tuesday in Houston before closing Group K against Colombia on June 27.
For Ronaldo, the message was clear.
The start was not good enough.
But he believes Portugal’s World Cup run is nowhere near finished.
Couple gets married at Knicks’ parade after 53 year engagement
Here comes the bride, all dressed in Knicks pride.
After five decades without a ring, both Stephanie Denise, a NYC-area newlywed who tied the knot with her long-time beau during the NBA Championship parade Thursday, and the New York Knicks have got their hands on the hardware.
“We married in championship after 53 years — after 53 years of being engaged,” Denise, from Central Islip, and her new hubby told NY1 just moments after exchanging I Do’s downtown.
The blushing bride, a fashion designer, nearly stole the spotlight from the A-list likes of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby, dazzling in handcrafted, custom wedding attire.
She said “I do” to her longtime beau in a stunning royal blue gown, adorned with royal sequins, featuring a mid-thigh slit, an ornate orange and white striped detail along its sleeves and strings of pearls cascading across its back.
Denise, an apparent diehard Knicks fanatic, finished the look with a flower-crown veil, lace gloves, an eye-catching pair of team-stamped sneakers and a bouquet comprised of orange and blue blooms.
She and her sweetie, also donning Knicks-inspired attire, including a blue blazer and an orange rose boutonnière, were just two in the millions who descended upon Lower Manhattan to revel in the splendor of the Knicks nirvana.
The Post reached out to the lovebirds for comment.
Much like the couple, the Big Apple ballers reached the ultimate dream this week, securing the title of world champions for the first time since 1973.
The hometown heroes, however, are receiving a much greater outpouring of love for accomplishing the 53-year-long feat than Denise and her unhurried honey.
“Bro said I’ll marry you if the Knicks win the championship, figuring that he wouldn’t have to pay up, jk,” an X user joked, making light of the lovebirds’ long-awaited walk down the aisle.
“bro been saying ‘if the Knicks win it all’ for 20 years. Welp,” another teased.
Denise and her spouse weren’t the only honeys who chose the parade as their big day backdrop. Glittering gals and grooms locked lips for The Post cameras while pounding the pavement alongside drummers and flag dancers.
A separate set of sweethearts, too, posed in their matrimonial best front of digital signage reading, “NYCDOT Go Knicks!! 2026 Champs.”
Love, for the city’s newest key-holders, as well as the honeymooners, is truly in the air.
The Knicks’ parade kicked off at 10 a.m. Thursday morning, but fans were lined up hours before, with viewing areas already full before the start, per the NYPD.
A handful of devotees even hired professional line-sitters, spending between $165 and $750, to hold their spots overnight.
An estimated one million paradegoers packed the streets and swapped bathroom tips, tricks and even the entry codes to enter coveted restrooms near City Hall.
The parade started at Battery Park and concluded at City Hall around noon, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani presented the Knicks executive staff and each player with a key to the city.
Home flipping profits rise for first time in nearly 2 years
Thanks to the double whammy of high home prices and elevated interest rates, house flipping has suffered lately. But the tide might be turning, as a new report shows flipper profit margins are rising for the first time in nearly two years.
The typical profit margin for a flipped home hit 25.4% in the first quarter of 2026, up from 24.7% in the previous quarter, which marked its lowest point since 2008, according to the quarterly report on home flipping from real estate data analytics firm ATTOM.
“The first increase in flipping returns in nearly two years is a welcome sign for investors,” ATTOM CEO Rob Barber said in a statement.
“The market remains far more competitive than it was during the peak profit years, but this quarter’s gains suggest that conditions may be stabilizing. Success still depends heavily on local market dynamics, with some metros producing strong returns while others remain difficult places to flip profitably.”
The last time there was an uptick quarter to quarter was in early 2024 when the typical return on investment nationally was around 35%. The increase seen last quarter—albeit less than a percentage point—ends seven consecutive quarters of decline.
For home flippers, it may represent a welcome reversal of recent trends.
As median home sales prices peaked last year, the average investor saw their gross profits—the difference between the median resale price and the median price originally paid—shrink to just $65,981, down from $77,000 the year before, according to ATTOM.
So what’s behind the slight increase? Is it really all about softening home prices? ATTOM’s Barber says not necessarily.
“While some easing in price pressures may have helped at the margins, the data suggests this uptick is more about stabilization than a broad market shift,” Barber tells Realtor.com®.
“Returns are still below last year’s levels, and with longer hold times and wide variation across markets, it points to investors adjusting to tougher conditions rather than benefiting from a significant drop in home prices.”
Where flippers can prosper—or not
Profitability varied widely across the country, with some metro areas generating strong returns while several major Texas markets posted only paltry gains, according to the report.
Pittsburgh—the metro with the highest return on investment—trounced Austin, TX, which had the lowest. It’s no coincidence that Pittsburgh has an affordable median list of $250,000, while Austin’s is $475,000. When it comes to flipping, price matters.
The metros (with populations over 1 million) with the largest typical profit margins were, in order: Pittsburgh (85.9%); Buffalo, NY (84%); Virginia Beach, VA (74.9%); Baltimore (65.9%); and Philadelphia, (62%).
“In lower-priced markets, investors have more room to create value because their upfront costs are lower, but buyer demand remains solid, especially among more price-sensitive consumers,” explains Barber. “You can see that in metros like Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Philadelphia, where strong demand combined with more manageable acquisition costs is helping drive some of the highest returns in the country.”
The tightest profit margins tended to be clustered in the Lone Star State. While the state was a standout during the COVID-19 pandemic, prices have increased significantly since then.
The smallest typical flipper profit margins were in Austin (2%); Dallas (4.3%); San Antonio (5.1%); Houston (7.2%); and Salt Lake City (9.5%).
The sweet spot for flippers tends to be houses priced in the $100,000 to $200,000 range, which generated typical profit margins of 32%, according to the report.
While common sense might dictate the lower the price of the home, the bigger the ROI, that isn’t always the case.
Flipped homes originally purchased for less than $50,000 tended to lose money in the first quarter, generating a typical loss of 14%—presumably because the low price means that the home needed significant and expensive upgrades.
When it comes to flipping, price is important, but it’s not the only factor that determines whether or not a profit can be made. Other metros—such as Baltimore—have plenty of cheap, dilapidated housing, but the demand has to be there on the buy side, too.
Pittsburgh, for example, became a “refuge market” back in late 2025, with buyers priced out of other areas surging in seeking value.
The Steel City’s price-per-square-foot appreciation and increased inventory shows that the market is healthy despite the lower entry point, according to Realtor.com data.
Tarasa Hurley, a longtime broker in the area, wrote in a 2025 blog post about what makes the city so attractive for flippers.
“In some cases, a house can be purchased for as little as $20,000, renovated for $50,000, and sold for $160,000,” she wrote. “This high-profit potential fuels a frenzy that attracts both reputable developers and opportunistic flippers looking to make a quick profit with minimal effort.”
She tells Realtor.com, “We have some of the oldest housing stock in all of the country. We have houses that are easily 200 years old.”
But not all old homes will make the best flip. An investor needs to factor in not only the cost of the home purchase, but the renovation, and then what the house can be sold for in that particular area, which can sometimes vary wildly even from street to street.
“When flippers come and think ‘I’m going to make this look pretty,’ it doesn’t go over well. It can bite them in the butt,” Hurley says.
Very old homes may have underlying structural and foundation issues, need an entire mechanical overhaul to be brought up to code, sewer lines that need to be replaced, and other complex and bank-busting problems.
A vital step in the flipping process—the renovation—requires skilled labor that is getting more difficult to find, as well as much more pricey than it used to be. Hurley notes that contracting is where Pittsburgh shines.
“We have a lot of people who know how to do things here,” she says. “In other places, that level of knowledge either isn’t there or it is very expensive.”
Additionally, Hurley says that the city’s major employers, including Google, Apple, and many hospitals, means that workers are always moving in, keeping buy demand up.
Hurley says as long as a flipper is knowledgeable, does their due diligence, and works with local talent, Pittsburgh can be a flipper’s paradise.
“We’re kind of a unicorn,” she says. “But just because you can buy a house for $50,000, doesn’t mean you should.”
All cash buys
In the flipper world, cash purchases still dominate, with 61.1% of flipped homes purchased with all cash, down slightly from 61.4% the previous quarter, according to ATTOM.
Flipped homes are also taking a bit more time to sell. Nationwide, it took the typical home flipped in the first quarter 165 days to move, up from 160 days the previous quarter and 164 days at the same time last year.
Jason West, who buys homes for cash in Louisville, KY, then resells them (sometimes fixing up, sometimes not), says a bit of saturation has set in and his days on market has “definitely increased.”
“I think we were so spoiled from a few years ago,” he says. “Now we’re like, ‘What the hell is going on? This house won’t sell.’ They’re moving, they’re just taking longer.
“I think everybody is just getting over how easy it used to be.”
Fifa World Cup: Why does Scotland’s John McGinn do goggles celebration?
“It was at the time where Jack was having serious discussions about his eyesight. It’s probably as strong a lens as you can get for a child. When he takes his glasses off, you can see how much he struggles.
“But it’s not just the reaction from him, and allowing him to be more comfortable playing football with his pals. It’s the awareness for young kids all around Scotland, all around the world.”
McGinn, 31, says he harbours regrets about sometimes teasing other kids in his own youth for wearing glasses, now that he appreciates how challenging it can be.
And he also told how parents have got in touch with him about the positive impact it has made on their children’s lives.
He said: “A lot of parents have got in contact and said ‘you’ve inspired my son to keep his goggles on’ or ‘you’ve inspired my kids to have their eyes tested’.
“If my celebration brings awareness to that then that’s the main thing. To do it on the world’s biggest stage was special.”
Jury fails to reach verdict in Norwegian 'hitman' trial
Johannes Natland, 19, was remanded in custody and will now face a retrial.
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Declan Rice: England midfielder expected to be available for Ghana World Cup tie
Declan Rice is expected to be available for England’s World Cup match against Ghana after suffering from lower back pain during the win over Croatia.
The midfielder was substituted midway through the second half, raising concerns about his fitness.
But it is understood the back issue is unlikely to prevent Rice from playing against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday (21:00).
The complaint is one that the Arsenal midfielder, 27, has been carrying for a while and will require managing during the tournament.
Speaking after the game, manager Thomas Tuchel said: “Declan had some unusual ball losses and I saw a bit of discomfort.
“And then I asked him, and he pointed directly to his lower back, upper hamstring, that he feels the discomfort.
“I didn’t want to take any risks, I hope it’s nothing more. Declan just reassured me at the end.
“We will take care of it, and it’s nothing big to worry about.”
DOJ probes JPMorgan, Citigroup over Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei’s money flows: report
The Department of Justice is reportedly looking into JPMorgan and Citigroup as part of an investigation into Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s trail of money flows through the US.
Amid a broader effort to crack down on money laundering and corruption, officials have launched a probe into how Khamenei has managed to build up a massive investment portfolio with exposure to Wall Street banks, Bloomberg reported, citing anonymous officials.
Investigators are examining large money movements between firms overseen by Khamenei – and whether US financial institutions, including JPMorgan and Citi, helped facilitate those transactions, according to the report.
The DOJ and Citi declined to comment. JPMorgan did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Along with US banks, European and Middle Eastern lenders are reportedly facing scrutiny in the probe. Global brands that received payments from the network, like Hilton Worldwide Holdings, are, too.
That’s because the Iranian leader’s network – which includes everything from Persian Gulf shipping to British luxury property – has routed its funds through banks in the UK, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the United Arab Emirates, Bloomberg reported.
It’s possible that the investigation will not result in any charges. The DOJ’s main goal is to find any gaps in the US banking system that could be allowing Khamenei’s money to flow through the country, according to the report.
Khamenei was named the Supreme Leader in June, after his father was killed in US-Israeli air strikes early in the war with Iran. The new ruler was reportedly severely injured in the strikes and has not been seen in public since taking office.
The Justice Department has warned that Iran is actively trying to break its way into the US financial system.
“The efforts collectively of the government over the last 10 years have really driven Iran out of legitimate financial institutions,” Molly Moeser, who runs the DOJ’s money laundering division, said in May at an industry conference in New York.
But “because the US dollar is still the most stable currency and the currency everybody wants to make payments in, Iran looks for every opportunity to use shell companies, use shadow structures to still get access to the US dollar,” she warned.
Prior to becoming the Supreme Leader, Khamenei used Ali Ansari, a financier, as a conduit for shifting funds overseas, using shell companies to buy luxury homes and five-star hotels across Europe – including several run by Hilton, Bloomberg previously reported.
Ansari was slapped with sanctions in October 2025 for allegedly “financially supporting” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His lawyer has denied any ties to Khamenei.
The ruler was personally sanctioned by the US in 2019 for acting on behalf of his father and working closely with the commander of the IRGC, according to the Treasury Department.
Over the past few months, multiple entities in Khamenei’s empire have shifted from being filed under Ansari’s name to others close to the ruler – a possible attempt to conceal ownership, an official told Bloomberg.
After the outlet’s earlier reporting on Khamenei’s shady transactions, Hilton launched an internal investigation over whether it was putting itself at risk of sanctions by keeping its ties to two of its hotels in Germany – the Hilton Frankfurt City Centre and the Hilton Frankfurt Gravenbruch, the report said.
Advisers warned the hotel chain that it could face regulatory and reputational issues if it did not cut ties with the two hotels, according to Bloomberg. Booking options for both hotels are still listed on the Hilton website.
Hilton did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
NYC first lady Rama Duwaji sports eyebrow-raising t-shirt dress at City Hall ceremony
First Lady Rama Duwaji sported a dress made from a pile of T-shirts to the historic Knicks City Hall party.
The artist was dressed in at least three “NBA Finals” shirts layered over a long black skirt, with two of the shirts wrapped around her waist.
Duwaji, 28, paired the shocking look with orange pom-pom earrings.
The first lady was styled by 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist Miss Claire Sullivan, who told outlet that the outfit channeled the “DIY spirit of downtown New York.”
The shirts were sourced from street vendors last week, she told the outlet.
The fashion crime matched that of her husband, who wore a Josh Hart jersey beneath his blazer — but over his shirt and tie.