Technology | The Guardian

Tesla’s autopilot faces criticism it contributes to accidents and deaths – but has technology advanced faster than legal standards?Tesla will play a major role in a manslaughter trial this week over a fatal crash caused by a vehicle operating on autopilot, in what could be a defining case for the self-driving car industry.At the trial’s heart is the question of who is legally responsible for a vehicle that can drive – or partially drive – itself. Continue reading...

First it was Italian, then I added French, Portuguese and even Latin. But does the language learning app, which has almost 15 million people using it, really work?This morning, before checking in on my young son or making a coffee, I opened the Duolingo app on my phone and translated “They love smelling meat” into Italian. I’ve been starting my days like this for a few months now: wake up, wash face, grapple with the gerund. I usually spend between 10 and 20 minutes on it while the kettle boils or I load CBeebies or write some emails. It used to be eBay. Then Wordle. Now it’s this.Duolingo is a language learning app and pretty simple to use. After you’ve chosen which language you want to learn, you are presented with about 100 skill-sets divided by scenario or grammar (grocery shopping, the future tense and so on). Each level is structured like branches of a tree, and when you complete one, you move down the tree earning gems to “spend” on the app or hearts that you need to perform the exercises. Make a mistake, and you must correct it before moving on. It’s all fun and games until you make too many mistakes, run out of hearts and lose your progress. This is when you’ll engage with Duolingo’s mascot, an officious green owl called Duo who, if you’re anything like me, will eventually define your self-esteem. Duo’s face is the first thing I see each day and increasingly, the last thing, too. Continue reading...

After hackers infiltrated Medibank’s systems last week, sensitive health data from their customers, including information about abortions and reproductive healthcare, was posted on the dark web. The Australian federal police say they have identified the hackers, who they believe are primarily based in Russia, and will work with Interpol to try to bring them to justice.

World’s richest man has made a spectacle of his ownership of the social media platform, and advertisers, employees and regulators are none too pleasedElon Musk has unleashed chaos at Twitter in the few short weeks since he took the helm of the company, and experts say lawsuits, regulatory intervention and ultimate financial collapse could be on the horizon.The billionaire has let his decision making play out on a public stage from the start, tweeting about new policies before promptly reversing them and polling users about features like verification. Continue reading...

President had been asked if he thought the new Twitter boss was a threat to US national securityJoe Biden thinks Twitter boss Elon Musk’s relationships with other countries is “worthy of being looked at”.Biden was asked at a news conference on Wednesday whether he thought Musk was a threat to national security and if his acquisition of Twitter with help from a Saudi Arabian conglomerate should be investigated by the US government.Reuters contributed to this report Continue reading...

As the brand-new CEO experiments with changes at the company, major brands pause spending on the platformElon Musk sought to reassure advertisers on Twitter on Wednesday that his chaotic takeover of the social media platform won’t harm their brands.But his effort came after a day of changes to the platform’s account verification systems, and an acknowledgement from Musk that some “dumb things” might happen as he transforms the company. Continue reading...

Company thought rise in online activity would last, rivals stole its users, and metaverse was too uncertain for shareholders

Efficiency experts say we should process our emails promptly, even if it’s just by marking them as read. But that’s not the way some of us rollName: Inbox ZeroAge: The idea was first introduced by efficiency expert Merlin Mann in 2006. Continue reading...

Mark Zuckerberg says firm overinvested at start of Covid, adding ‘I got this wrong’

Becoming a parent has made my Elder Scrolls marathons and hours-long Zelda sessions mostly a thing of the past. Now taking on a video game after hours is a rare lifeline to my former selfWhen I was a kid, I was only allowed to play video games on Fridays and Saturdays – an attempt by my parents to keep my gaming passion under control. (Narrator: it did not keep it under control.) For the rest of the week, I was happy doing other things and reading my Nintendo magazines, but come Friday evening, I was ready to pick up a controller. I would stock up on Haribo and fizzy juice on the way home from school in preparation for an evening in front of the TV. My parents, presumably grateful for a few hours of peace, would throw a Pizza Hut delivery through the door of the spare room where our games consoles lived and leave my brother and I to it.We would sit and play Zelda or Diddy Kong Racing or another parent-approved, non-violent obsession of the day until we were commanded to go to bed. Once my mum pulled the cord out of the wall while we were in the middle of the final Bowser boss battle of Super Mario 64, causing a meltdown still spoken about in our family. I still think my behaviour was justified; pulling the plug is the equivalent of blowing the whistle moments before you’re about to score a winning goal. Continue reading...

Bigger and longer-lasting with a new rugged design, but falls short for adventurers and endurance athletesFor the first time in years, there’s a new top Apple smartwatch model available that’s beefier, hardier, lasts longer and is aimed squarely at dethroning Garmin at the top of the adventure watch market. But does the Apple Watch Ultra really compete? Not quite.The new watch is not cheap, of course, and only works with an iPhone. It costs £849 ($799/A$1,299) – well above the entry point SE which starts at £259 and the Series 8 in the middle of the range costing £419 and up. That said, you can easily spend £779 on the nicest Series 8 models. Continue reading...

Company executive says governments, companies, media outlets and public figures will receive label, which is not for saleTwitter will introduce an “official” label for select verified accounts when it launches its new $8 Twitter Blue service, Esther Crawford, the company’s early stage products executive, said on Tuesday.“Accounts that will receive [the label] include government accounts, commercial companies, business partners, major media outlets, publishers and some public figures,” Crawford tweeted. Continue reading...

Parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram is among others in the tech industry to suffer a severe slowdownMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed to executives that the company will begin laying off employees on Wednesday morning, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.Zuckerberg addressed hundreds of executives at the company on Tuesday morning, foreshadowing large cuts. He mentioned recruiting and business teams as groups that would see layoffs, according to the WSJ, adding an internal announcement of the company’s layoff plans is expected around 6am eastern time on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Hundreds of names, addresses, birthdates and Medicare details posted under ‘good list’ and ‘naughty list’ headings

Public squabble between the two largest offshore exchanges’ bosses led to run on FTX and forced saleThe two largest offshore cryptocurrency exchanges are merging, after a week of public squabbling between Binance’s chief executive, Changpeng Zhao, and FTX’s boss, Sam Bankman-Fried, triggered a bank run at the latter’s exchange and an embarrassing forced sale on Tuesday.“This afternoon, FTX asked for our help,” tweeted Zhao. “There is a significant liquidity crunch. To protect users, we signed a non-binding [letter of intent], intending to fully acquire FTX.com.” Continue reading...

Call them crazy, but more and more online daters are choosing to start conversations without vetting each other’s profile pictures. It’s almost as if looks aren’t the only thing that matters!If speed dating mixed with blind dating sounds like your idea of hell, look away now. Ten years since dating app Tinder first encouraged users to swipe through potential partners based largely on their looks, some singles are doing away with profile photos altogether. In the absence of Cilla and “our Graham”, those looking for love are turning instead to a new cohort of “blind dating apps” in the hope of making more meaningful connections.“I’m already on Tinder, Badoo, Bumble, Hinge – all of them!” says Victoria Brown, a 26-year-old client success manager from Upminster, east London. “A blind dating app seemed like a good idea because usually you think: ‘Oh, he’s really good-looking’ but then, when you start talking, the chat’s not that good. Not seeing what someone looks like, at least at first, gives it a bit of a twist – although I was nervous about the reveal.” Continue reading...

Harvesting data is the norm for social media apps, but the question that many have is where it goes and who has access to it

Exclusive: Hollie Dance believes 12-year-old was ‘influenced, persuaded or peer-pressured’ into taking part in online challengeThe mother of Archie Battersbee, the 12-year-old boy who died in August after his life support was switched off, wants a coroner to consider what role exposure to TikTok videos may have played in his death.Archie sustained a catastrophic brain injury on 7 April at his home in Southend, Essex, when a ligature was found over his head. His mother, Hollie Dance, believes he was injured as a result of taking part in an internet challenge known as the “blackout challenge” and wants the inquest into his death to scrutinise how social media may have contributed. Continue reading...

Attendees say they are unable to visit Human Rights Watch and other sites needed during climate talks

Ride-sharing company is attempting to force taxi firms to pay VAT on journeysTaxi firms outside London could be forced to hike their prices by a fifth if Uber wins a high court battle this week that would mean they pay VAT on journeys.A ruling is expected to be handed down on Friday after the ride-sharing app sued Sefton council in Merseyside over VAT terms for operators outside London. Continue reading...

Since buying it, the billionaire has wasted no time shaking up the struggling social media firm, cutting staff and introducing fees. But can he make the platform matter again – or will it become a hellscape of hateful content and misinformation?

The comedian shares their favourite online ephemera – which includes multiple swinging appendages and one wholesome video

Communications watchdog supports removal of fax services from rules governing telecoms provisionFor 20 years, the fax machine’s beeping, static-strewn screech was the sound of the future. But the pace of technology is pitiless: like carrier pigeons, portable cassette players and videocassette recorders, the fax machine is finally an official relic of the past.The death sentence was handed down on Tuesday in the form of Ofcom’s announcement that it was minded to back the government’s decision to remove the requirement for fax services under the Universal Service Order (USO) legislation. These are the rules that ensure phone services are available to people across the UK at an affordable price.Julia Roberts and Matthew Perry indulged in some heavy-duty flirting over fax prior to Roberts appearing on Friends in 1996. “There was a lot of flirting over faxing,” said Friends co-creator Kevin Bright. “She was giving him these questionnaires like, ‘Why should I go out with you?’ And everyone in the writers’ room helped him explain to her why.” The technology seems to have worked: the couple dated from 1996 to 1997.Dolly Parton still uses a fax machine as her primary mode of communication.In 2011, Prince William and Kate Middleton sent out their wedding invites by fax. Courtiers told the press that faxing was the most efficient way of sending out the invites across the world.Camille Paglia and Julie Burchill engaged in what must be history’s most vitriolic fax war in 1993 when Paglia was asked to review Burchill’s book for the Modern Review. Burchill had previously given Paglia’s own book a bad review, so Paglia refused. This spiralled into the pair duelling via fax, with Burchill calling Paglia “pathetic” and Paglia firing back that Burchill was “a sheltered, pampered sultan of slick, snide wordplay, without direct experience of life of any kind”, who nobody had even heard of outside England. The faxes were later published in the Modern Review by the then editor, Toby Young, who, in doing so, also incurred Paglia’s wrath.Stephen Hawking sent a fax to the music and fashion magazine the Face in 1995 in response to them asking for the formula for time travel. Hawking replied, via his personal assistant: “Thank you for your recent fax. I do not have any equations for time travel. If I had, I would win the national lottery every week.”When David Bowie told Laurie Anderson he thought she could read minds, her response was: “You know, I’m pretty sure I can’t.” But Bowie was convinced and had the musician randomly fax him pictures she had drawn to see if they matched up with his own. Apparently they did. Continue reading...

Funky design, cylindrical case and decent sound without blocking your ear help these earbuds stand outThe British tech firm Nothing is back with some novel rivals to the AirPods: a set of fashion-forward Bluetooth earbuds with an open fit and see-through design. However, those hoping to be cut off from the world may be disappointed.They aren’t Nothing’s first earbuds. The £149 Ear 1 from last year landed with a buzz, introducing the firm’s semi-transparent styling and good sound with traditional silicone tips. Now the £99 Ear Stick offer a similarly interesting look in an open-fit design without silicone tips, which lets outside sound in for those who don’t want to be isolated. Continue reading...

Mark Spencer spoke of possibility ‘some little man in China’ could be listening in to his conversations

As the government develops online safety guidelines, digital rights groups says any approach requiring the use of ID is ‘invasive and risky’

The billionaire owner suggests the platform could have different video game-style modes, including a ‘player versus player’Elon Musk has indicated that Twitter could be split into different strands where users give their posts content ratings and stage online rows in a specially created space on the platform.The world’s richest man moved to assuage concerns about a rise in harmful content under his ownership on Friday by announcing the creation of a content moderation council. Continue reading...

The British photographer said his son could ride the ghost train – but didn’t expect to see him quite so spookedLooking back, Mark Chilvers says he thought the ghost train he put his then six-year-old son Louie on would be a “Scooby-Doo level of scary”. The pair were at a London funfair in the early summer of 2016 when they bumped into Louie’s school friend Zavian and his mum.“Zavian was pestering to go on the ghost train, and my son tagged along with the idea. We watched other young kids getting on the cars, and relented.” Continue reading...

A chronicle of months of corporate to-and-fro, distrust and unpredictabilityThe saga is over. Elon Musk has finally bought Twitter after months of to-and-fro marked by legal rows, U-turns and, inevitably, Twitter spats.There will be more drama to come, by virtue of the platform’s centrality to news and politics as well as the unpredictable personality of its new owner. But the months leading up to the deal have been compelling corporate entertainment for bystanders. Here is a timeline of what happened. Continue reading...

Civil rights advocates fear proposed rule changes will turn site into ‘a supercharged engine of radicalisation’

Some advise using the app’s filters to block haters while others rejoice at Trump’s possible second coming to the platformElon Musk appeared to have taken control of Twitter on Thursday, after months of legal wrangling over the billionaire’s $44bn bid to take over the social media site.People familiar with the matter said Musk completed the deal on Thursday afternoon, and terminated several top executives at the company, including the chief executive, Parag Agrawal. Continue reading...

With Elon Musk poised to take over the social media site, it’s time for a look back at some of its best momentsElon Musk has reportedly taken over Twitter, and some of its regular users worry that a new billionaire owner could spell the beginning of the end of the site as we know it.In preparation for the potential vibe shift, and a callout from journalist Ben Collins, Twitter users have been posting some of their favourite ever tweets and “kissing them goodbye”. Here is a selection: Continue reading...

In this week’s newsletter: from zipline stunts to illegal parties, British Scandal charts the highs and lows of the former prime minister’s career. Plus: the five spookiest podcasts fit for Halloween.

New base model gets bigger screen, better speakers, faster chip and 10-hour battery, but jumps in priceApple’s base model iPad gets a much-needed modern redesign with a bigger screen and a bunch of new accessories – but also a nasty price increase.The 10th-generation iPad costs from £499 ($449/A$749). Apple is still selling the old ninth-generation iPad for £369, while the similarly sized iPad Air costs £669 after price increases due to weak currency rates. Continue reading...

Data breach, which exposed all Medibank, ahm and international student data, could cost health insurer $35m

YouTube growth slowed to a crawl due to tough competition from other video streaming apps amid broader economic downturnAlphabet revenue fell below analysts’ expectations in the third quarter, it announced on Tuesday, as it continues to battle an industry-wide tech slowdown.The company reported a third quarter revenue of $69bn, up 6% from last year but lower than analyst estimates of $70.9bn. Like many tech and social media firms, Alphabet is struggling to compete with TikTok amid a broader economic downturn. Continue reading...

Mark MacGann tells MEPs Uber had ‘almost unlimited finance’ to silence drivers with legal disputesThe whistleblower who revealed how Uber flouted the law and secretly lobbied governments around the world has called on European lawmakers to take on the “disproportionate” and “undemocratic” power held by tech companies.Speaking to a committee of MEPs in the European parliament, Mark MacGann, who was Uber’s top lobbyist in Europe, said the cab-hailing company’s practices were “borderline immoral” as he recalled the “almost unlimited finance” executives had to lobby and silence drivers with legal disputes. Continue reading...

The latest tech innovation promises to display a mini 3D image of yourself on virtual calls — a breakthrough for human connection or a new level of awkwardness?Name: Proto M.Age: Brand spanking new. Continue reading...

What a treat it is to be back in the company of gruff-yet-tender Kratos and his increasingly wayward boy in God of War Ragnarök, a sequel to the beautiful 2018 reboot

Authorities said no body was found, after cadaver dogs had made ‘slight’ notifications of possible human remainsCrews fully excavated a car that police said was buried in the backyard of a northern California mansion 30 years ago and found no human remains, authorities said on Monday.The convertible Mercedes Benz filled with bags of unused concrete was discovered last week by landscapers in the affluent town of Atherton in Silicon Valley. Cadaver dogs brought to the scene made “slight” notifications of possible human remains on three separate occasions, police said in a statement. Continue reading...

Better sound and noise cancelling among meaningful upgrades in same design, but latest version is still unrepairableApple has given its top earbuds an upgrade, adding improved noise cancelling, new touch controls for volume and a case that makes sounds to the AirPods Pro. But the problem of repairability continues to dog them.The £249 ($249/A$399) second-generation Pros come in at the same price as their predecessors, sitting above the £179 AirPods 3 and £220 Beats Fit Pro, which Apple also makes.Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, SBC, AAC, H2 chip, UWBBattery life: six hours ANC playback (30 hours with case)Water resistance: IPX4 case and buds (splash resistant)Earbud dimensions: 30.9 x 21.8 x 24.0mmEarbud weight: 5.4g eachCharging case dimensions: 45.2 x 60.6 x 21.7mmCharging case weight: 37.9gCase charging: Lightning, Qi wireless (MagSafe), Apple Watch Continue reading...

Tesla chief executive has been given until 28 October to buy social network to avoid Delaware court caseIt could be a busy November for Judge Kathaleen McCormick, depending on whether Elon Musk keeps to his word this week.The Delaware judge has given the world’s richest man a deadline of 5pm New York time (10pm London) on 28 October to complete a $44bn deal to buy Twitter, or else she will see him and the social media platform in court soon after. Continue reading...

The video platform has become a place for migrants to seek and share information, but experts fear exploitation is on the rise

A National Grid director sets out plan to reward homes and businesses for using energy outside of peak hours

This football-themed game is a ludicrous fantasy: a dystopian hyper-capitalist holiday park that illustrates how the virtual universe will really workAlmost every December all around the UK, temporary winter wonderland theme parks crop up, usually in out-of-town car parks or disused industrial sites. They promise hours of seasonal fun with Santa’s grottos and magic sleigh rides – but what disappointed families often get is Santa’s static caravan covered in tinsel and two emaciated donkeys dressed in plastic antlers dragging a wheelbarrow. Imagine that, but online and with a bit more cash behind it, and you have Fifa World.Announced via a typically histrionic press release, Fifa World is a “virtual environment that celebrates the power of football and the rich history of its pinnacle events”. Built into the hugely successful online multiplayer game Roblox, which allows its 55 million daily users to create their own interactive areas (but which has also attracted huge controversy for its business model of monetising childhood creativity), it’s a sort of virtual football-themed fete with a nine-hole football crazy golf course, where you kick a football through various obstacles into a goal, and a football bowling challenge, where you kick a football at some skittles. Other than that, there’s a mini football pitch with a giant ball, so you can engage in impromptu kickabouts with other inmates, sorry, visitors. Continue reading...

Regulator publishes first report into video-sharing platforms and says few put child safety before profitsPorn sites are not doing enough to protect children, Ofcom has warned, with few bothering to do more than ask for visitors to self-declare that they are over 18.Among the 19 video-sharing sites that the regulator has oversight of, OnlyFans is the only adult-focused site to have responded to regulation by adopting age verification for viewers, using a series of tools to keep children from signing up. Continue reading...

Secretary of state met tech executives to discuss national security even as US public is increasingly skeptical of industryThe US secretary of state visited Silicon Valley this week, on a trip that experts say highlights the Biden administration’s growing concerns over cybersecurity and officials’ push to collaborate more closely with the US’s powerful tech industry.Antony Blinken on Monday spoke at Stanford University and was scheduled to meet with tech executives to “highlight the key role for technology diplomacy in advancing US economic and national security”, according to the state department. Continue reading...

Company posts $3.3bn in net income and $21.45bn in revenue as vehicle production outstrips deliveryTesla’s third-quarter revenue fell short of Wall Street expectations on Wednesday, prompting its stock price to drop more than 4% after markets closed.The company posted $3.3bn in profit and $21.45bn in revenue. The results come two weeks after the electric carmaker said it produced 22,000 more vehicles than it delivered, signaling to some analysts that the company was not able to maintain demand. Continue reading...

How do you make a Batman game without the man himself? Warner Bros Games in Montreal is giving it a shot with an open-world multiplayer game that sees a new guard of four heroes take his placeAt the Warner Bros Games studio in Montreal, a 7ft Batman statue greets visitors at reception. Comics are crammed into every shelf between each desk. And rather than images of lattes and flat whites, the coffee machine proudly displays the bat symbol.So, it might surprise you to learn that the people who work here have killed Batman. Continue reading...

Performers call for better and more equitable treatment in industry worth nearly $200bnUnderpaid, undervalued and frustrated: video game voice actors are demanding change after one raised concerns over pay and explained why she would not be reprising her role in a multimillion dollar franchise.Now others are speaking out and calling for better and more equitable treatment for actors who earn a tiny fraction of what many of the games make in revenue. Continue reading...