by Ben Quinn, Dan Milmo and Kiran Stacey on (#6SRT7)
The billionaire, having helped Trump regain the White House, is reportedly turning his interest to BritainElon Musk appears to have many obsessions. The world's richest man is evangelical about electric vehicles, space travel and Donald Trump. Another of his interests may yet have profound consequences for the UK: British politics.The billionaire is reported to be thinking of becoming the biggest donor in history with a rumoured 80m payment to Nigel's Farage's Reform UK party. Continue reading...
Decision is latest twist in a years-long battle between the social media company and the US governmentTikTok is one step closer to facing a ban in the US. A federal appeals court ruled on Friday to uphold a law that forces the hugely popular social media company to sell its assets to a non-Chinese company or be barred from the country entirely. The decision is the latest twist in a years-long battle between the US government and TikTok, which is owned by Chinese-based ByteDance.ByteDance has until 19 January to sell the app or face the ban. Continue reading...
Name was mistakenly flagged and prevented from appearing in responses, says chatbot's developerLast weekend the name was all over the internet - just not on ChatGPT.David Mayer became famous for a moment on social media because the popular chatbot appeared to want nothing to do with him. Continue reading...
Report by committee of experts also calls for doctors to ask about screen time during checkupsSmartphones sold in Spain should carry a label warning users about their potential health impacts, experts have told the Spanish government, in a report that calls for doctors to ask about screen time during checkups.As Spain pushes forward with a draft law to limit children's exposure to technology, the 50-member committee of experts has also called for minors to have limited exposure to digital devices until they are 13 to mitigate what they see as a public health problem. Continue reading...
Have a plan, know what you want and do the safety checks ... and be prepared to get up earlyBuying preloved often requires more thought and preparation than buying new, so make time to find the perfect gift. Monica Marriott-Mills, who publishes on TikTok about secondhand style, starts by making a list for each person she needs to buy for. Continue reading...
Biden administration broadens limits on Chinese access to advanced microchip technology, with Donald Trump expected to go even furtherThe US has announced new export restrictions targeting China's ability to make advanced semiconductors, drawing swift condemnation from Beijing.Washington is expanding efforts to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China that can be used in advanced weapons systems and in artificial intelligence. Continue reading...
Moves made to prepare country for utility outages as malicious technological threats intensifyThe Swedish government checklist for surviving a war would not have looked out of place decades ago: bottled water; sleeping bags; extra batteries; enough cash for a week; and non-perishable food such as rice and cereal.Without being mentioned in name, Russia once more lurks in the background as it did during the cold war. But the nature of the threat it poses in the pamphlet, called In case of crisis or war", has changed. Continue reading...
Kathaleen McCormick in Delaware rules Musk not entitled to vast sum despite Tesla shareholders voting to reinstate itA judge ruled on Monday that Tesla chief executive Elon Musk is still not entitled to receive a $56bn compensation package even though shareholders of the electric vehicle company had voted to reinstate it six months ago.The ruling by the Delaware judge, Kathaleen McCormick of the court of chancery, follows her January decision that called the pay package excessive and rescinded it, surprising investors. The decision cast uncertainty over Musk's future at the world's most valuable carmaker. Tesla's board argued the enormous payment scheme was necessary to keep Musk involved in the company, an argument that the billionaire, already the world's richest man, echoed. Continue reading...
David Zinsner and Michelle Johnson Holthaus named interim co-CEOs of company fighting to keep up with rivalsThe Intel CEO, Pat Gelsinger, has retired, with David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus named as interim co-CEOs. Though demand for semiconductor chips has never been higher or more lucrative, Intel has struggled to match the success of its rivals.Gelsinger, whose career has spanned more than 40 years, also stepped down from the company's board. He started at Intel in 1979 at Intel and was its first chief technology officer. He returned to Intel as chief executive in 2021. Intel said on Monday that it would conduct a search for a new CEO. Continue reading...
For her first major solo show in Australia, the Guangzhou-born artist has turned the Art Gallery of New South Wales into a bustling cityscapeWhen the Chinese contemporary artist Cao Fei was negotiating her solo exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales' modern art wing, Naala Badu, she was adamant it would not be a traditional low-lit in a white square box" endeavour.The Guangzhou-born artist, who has strong ties to Sydney (a sister city to the sprawling Chinese port city), wanted her show to capture the brashness and bustle of a busy mall or market. Continue reading...
The government is determined to work with the car industry to increase take-up, boost jobs and hit emissions targets Cheaper loans on table to drive UK motorists to electric, plus cuts in EV fines for firmsThe push to electric vehicles is not about a culture war. It is a simple choice. Do we set UK industry up to take advantage of the changes that are coming? Or do we sit it out, allowing our competitors to lap us while we decide whether to change our tyres or not?The previous government, including the current leader of the opposition, might have been content to play politics with people's jobs by delaying the deadline for ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. But this government is not. Continue reading...
Studies in which ChatGPT outperformed scientists and GPs raise troubling questions for the future of professional workAI means too many (different) things to too many people. We need better ways of talking - and thinking - about it. Cue, Drew Breunig, a gifted geek and cultural anthropologist, who has come up with a neat categorisation of the technology into three use cases: gods, interns and cogs.Gods", in this sense, would be super-intelligent, artificial entities that do things autonomously". In other words, the AGI (artificial general intelligence) that OpenAI's Sam Altman and his crowd are trying to build (at unconscionable expense), while at the same time warning that it could be an existential threat to humanity. AI gods are, Breunig says, the human replacement use cases". They require gigantic models and stupendous amounts of compute", water and electricity (not to mention the associated CO emissions). Continue reading...
The Dutch policy director and former MEP on the unprecedented reach of big tech, the need for confident governments, and why the election of Trump changes everythingMarietje Schaake is a former Dutch member of the European parliament. She is now the international policy director at Stanford University Cyber Policy Center and international policy fellow at Stanford's Institute for Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence. Her new book is entitled The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley.In terms of power and political influence, what are the main differences between big tech and previous incarnations of big business?
I stumbled on a profile with my picture as the photo. What was this man doing with my identity? I set out to track him down ...It was around 1am when I discovered my impostor was watching me. I was sitting up in bed, scrolling on my phone through the list of people who had viewed my Instagram story. The audience was the same as it always was: friends, family and a smattering of followers I had picked up over the years. But a tug from my subconscious told me, this time, something was wrong. I scrolled back up and there it was: an account I had never seen before. Their profile photo was a selfie I had taken in a bookshop basement years ago.Have you ever walked by an unexpected mirror and jumped at your own reflection? That's how it felt as I stared back at myself, unnerved by my sudden appearance. Continue reading...
Screenshots purporting to be from systems of Liverpool NHS health facility have been posted on dark webA ransomware gang claims to have stolen data from the Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool, allegedly including patient records.The INC Ransom group said it had published screenshots of data on the dark web that contained the personal information of patients, donations from benefactors and procurement information. Continue reading...
We recommended them in the Filter; now we've sifted through all the offers to find the genuinely good discounts on our favourite products - updated for Black FridayWe're finally approaching the business end of Black Friday, and stores have stumped up some delectable discounts on products we've recommended in the Filter.If you followed our advice in our guide to not getting ripped off in the sales, you may have waited until now to splurge on Black Friday deals, and might even be clutching a strict shopping list. Now's your time to dive in. The big day itself may be on 29 November, but the discounting continues through to Cyber Monday (2 December). Continue reading...
Studies suggest children are having their self-esteem harmed by filters that ape the effects of cosmetic surgeryJust one click on the glossy babe" filter and the teenager's face was subtly elongated, her nose made neater and a dusting of freckles sprinkled across her cheeks. Next, a glow makeup" filter erased skin blemishes, puffed her lips into a rosebud and extended her eyelashes far beyond what makeup could achieve. With a third click her face was back to reality.Hundreds of millions of people now use beauty filters to alter their appearance on apps including Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok. This week TikTok announced new worldwide restrictions on children's access to those that ape the effects of cosmetic surgery. Continue reading...
The electric car brand was once a liberal favourite - but the CEO's embrace of Trump has led to an angry backlashAs Elon Musk has embraced Donald Trump and various far-right conspiracy theories, he has left behind an aghast cohort of Tesla owners who suddenly feel embarrassed by their own cars. Many of them are now publicly displaying their dismay at Musk on their vehicles.Sales of anti-Musk stickers have boomed since the world's richest man declared his support for Trump and helped propel him to victory in the US presidential election, as owners of Teslas, the car brand headed by Musk, try to distance themselves from the South African-born multibillionaire. Continue reading...
Tech billionaire tapped by Trump posts on X about wanting to eliminate Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)Elon Musk has said he wants to delete" the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal watchdog that helps protect consumers from predatory financial practices.The tech billionaire, who has been tapped to run a Department of Government Efficiency" in the incoming Donald Trump administration, posted Delete CFPB" on X, the social media site he owns. He added a declaration that the agency, which employs 1,700 people and has an annual budget of close to $700m, is an example of too many duplicative regulatory agencies" in Washington. Continue reading...
by Alexi Duggins, Hannah Verdier and Hollie Richardso on (#6SJ82)
The podcast studio behind the Rest Is ... universe goes deep on the 1953 Iran coup in The Rest Is Classified. Plus: five of the best expert advice podcasts Don't get Hear Here delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereThe Rest Is Classified
Miku is a Vocaloid' - a holographic avatar that represents a digital bank of vocal samples - and performs sellout tours for thousands of very real mega-fans
As tech giants hook us into endless scrolling, we are becoming less engaged, less creative, less connected, less human. Art reminds us to look outwards at the things that truly matterHow often do you look up at the sky, rather than down at the black mirror on which you might be reading this column? Will you read to the end of this page? How many tabs have you opened today? If you're on a train, how many people are interacting with fellow humans rather than looking at their phones? I am not one to judge. I am as addicted to the dopamine hit as anyone. But lately, with the world becoming more disillusioned and divided, it seems more urgent than ever to look outwards rather than in, and to pay attention in the most valuable ways.I was reminded of this when seeing Bed Rot, a tapestry by US-based artist Qualeasha Wood, at Salon 94 in New York. It shows a woman slumped, drained, or bed rotting", with bright white eyes seemingly lit by her screen. Framing her are numerous tabs with slogans that are emblematic of 2024 culture (brat summer", for instance) but somehow already feel outdated, lost in the speed of our internet-fuelled world. She looks exhausted. I feel exhausted looking at her. And her malaise is a common one. Continue reading...
by Samuel Gibbs Consumer technology editor on (#6SFF1)
Headset offers near top-tier experience at cut-down price with good fit, fast chip, great controllers and large games libraryMeta's latest virtual reality headset offers almost everything that makes its top model the best on the market but at a price that is far more palatable as an entry into VR.The Quest 3S costs 290 (330/$300/A$500) - about 40% less than the 470 Quest 3 and cheaper than 2020's Quest 2 that it directly replaces. Continue reading...
Humanoid called Digit fuelled boosterism at Web Summit, but also raised concerns about jobs, safety and climateThis year's Web Summit, in Lisbon, was all about artificial intelligence - and a robot sorting laundry.Digit, a humanoid built by the US firm Agility Robotics, demonstrated how far AI has come in a few years by responding to voice commands - filtered through Google's Gemini AI model - to sift through a pile of coloured T-shirts and place them in a basket. Continue reading...
The rapid growth of AI slop' - content created by artificial tools - is starting to warp our perception of what is, or could be, realMy eye was caught by a striking photograph in the most recent edition of Charles Arthur's Substack newsletter Social Warming. It shows a narrow street in the aftermath of the rain bomb" that devastated the region of Valencia in Spain. A year's worth of rain fell in a single day, and in some towns more than 490 litres a square metre fell in eight hours. Water is very heavy, so if there's a gradient it will flow downhill with the kind of force that can pick up a heavy SUV and toss it around like a toy. And if it channels down a narrow urban street, it will throw parked cars around like King Kong in a bad mood.The photograph in Arthur's article showed what had happened in a particular street. Taken with a telephoto lens from an upper storey of a building, it showed a chaotic and almost surreal scene: about 70 vehicles of all sizes jumbled up and scattered at crazy angles along the length of the street. Continue reading...
Edwards taped message that became catchphrase and served as title of 1998 film starring Tom Hanks and Meg RyanElwood Edwards, who voiced AOL's You've got mail" greeting, has died, aged 74.Edwards died on Tuesday at his home in New Bern, North Carolina, his daughter Heather said. The cause was complications from a stroke late last year, she added. Continue reading...
The new smartphone version of the trading card game has captured me as effectively as a Master Ball - but I'm enjoying this daily nostalgia shotAny millennial - and any parent - will be familiar with Pokemon cards, newsagent pester-power mainstays since the turn of the century. Contained within shiny metallic plastic packaging are critter-adorned trading cards of varying rarity, from a humble Squirtle to a special-edition illustrated Snorlax. There have been a few attempts to bring these lucrative illustrated cards (and the competitive battling game that you can play with them) to smartphones, but until now, they've all been poorly received. Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket, released last week, is by some distance the best yet. It has truly gotten its hooks into me.Here, for the first time since Pokemon Trading Card Game on the Game Boy Color in 1998, we have a decent virtual version of the incredibly popular card game. This is good news, because it's very entertaining, but also bad news, because it is worrisomely compelling. I've played for at least couple of hours every day this week, though I'm starting to run out of things to do now. I probably won't let my children play it, because if I am rendered this powerless by the prospect of shiny Charizards, they surely have no hope. Continue reading...
There are so many deep questions to tackle about the crypto-currency, yet this programme launches into a wild goose chase after its founder. It's impressively rigorous - but feels like a waste of timeBy the end of Money Electric's 100 minutes I understand fractionally more about bitcoin and the blockchain. This is no mean feat. I only downloaded my first app in 2021 and this is no word of a lie. You will, however, have to take my word about my increased knowledge of the digital currency because it is still nowhere near enough to put into words.Money Electric has plentiful graphics that try to make the abstract tangible enough for the non-cryptographically minded among us to grasp what I still want to call computer shenanigans" and they do help - but only to the extent that I now feel the sense of the blockchain and its strings and keys and coins and what not. Continue reading...
Company typically prohibits its use for military, warfare, nuclear industries or applications, [and] espionage'Meta announced Monday that it would allow US national security agencies and defense contractors to use its open-source artificial intelligence model, Llama. The announcement came days after Reuters reported an older version of Llama had been used by researchers to develop defense applications for the military wing of the Chinese government.Meta's policies typically prohibit the use of its open-source large language model for military, warfare, nuclear industries or applications, [and] espionage". The company is making an exception for US agencies and contractors as well as similar national security agencies in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, according to Bloomberg. Continue reading...
The evolution of Musk's X network is complete; why Reddit is profitable; and niche Halloween costumes Don't get TechScape delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereHello, and welcome to TechScape. I'm Blake Montgomery, technology news editor at Guardian US. Today in the newsletter: X's final form, learnings from a packed week of earnings, and niche online Halloween costumes. Thank you for joining me.With the US election, X's transformation into Elon Musk's weapon reaches its peak. He has succeeded in bending his social network to his will. Continue reading...
PM says content creators must be paid and vows to ensure technology does not begin to chip away' at press freedomsKeir Starmer has said media outlets should have control over - and be paid for - their work as artificial intelligence technology transforms the economy and the UK.Calling journalism the lifeblood of democracy", the prime minister vowed to champion press freedoms" and ensure that the growing power of digital technology does not begin to chip away" at the ability of journalists and publishers to uphold democratic values. Continue reading...
After two slow quarters, Elon Musk's electric-vehicle maker reports higher-than-expected earnings per shareTesla shares saw a 12% jump after the company reported its third-quarter earnings on Wednesday. The electric-car manufacturer was able to bounce back from a tough second quarter, beating Wall Street expectations for earnings per share. The company reported an earnings-per-share of $0.72, surpassing investors' projection of $0.60.At the end of the second quarter, Tesla's chief executive, Elon Musk, said the nearly 50% drop in profits was temporary and due to difficulty competing with cheaper or price-slashed electric vehicles by rival companies such as BYD. We don't see this as a long-term issue," Musk said in July, but really fairly short term." Continue reading...
Change is part of a beta release in Australia that expands on existing detection defaulted for under-13 usersApple is introducing a new feature to iMessage in Australia that will allow children to report nude images and video being sent to them directly to the company, which could then report the messages to police.The change comes as part of Thursday's beta releases of the new versions of Apple's operating systems for Australian users. It is an extension of communications safety measures that have been turned on by default since iOS 17 for Apple users under 13 but are available to all users. Under the existing safety features, an iPhone automatically detects images and videos that contain nudity children might receive or attempt to send in iMessage, AirDrop, FaceTime and Photos. The detection happens on devices to protect privacy. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant, Nordic correspondent on (#6RPYW)
Prime minister wants young people to be shielded from power of the algorithm'Norway is to enforce a strict minimum age limit on social media of 15 as the government ramped up its campaign against tech companies it says are pitted against small children's brains".The Norwegian prime minister, Jonas Gahr Store, conceded it would be an uphill battle" but said politicians must intervene to protect children from the power of the algorithms". Continue reading...
Anthropic says model is able to carry out computer tasks - as fears mount such technology will replace workersAn artificial intelligence startup backed by Amazon and Google says it has created an AI agent that can carry out tasks on the computer such as moving a mouse cursor and typing text.US company Anthropic said its AI model, called Claude, could now perform computing tasks including filling out forms, planning an outing and building a website. Continue reading...
by Samuel Gibbs Consumer technology editor on (#6RNZR)
Chip upgrade breathes new life into compact slate ready for AI and better accessories while still in a class of its ownApple's premium tiny tablet gets a speed boost for 2024 with support for new accessories and imminent AI features, while providing the full modern iPad experience in a compact package.The revamped design of the iPad mini in 2021 was excellent so it is no surprise that Apple has kept it mostly the same with internal changes and a tweak to the side to support new accessories. But while it may be small in stature, the new iPad mini remains pricey, costing from 499 (599/$499/A$799), placing it in between the 329 base-model iPad and the 599 11in iPad Air.Screen: 8.9in 2266x1488 LCD display (326ppi)Processor: Apple A17 ProRAM: 8GBStorage: 128, 256 or 512GBOperating system: iPadOS 18Camera: 12MP rear and selfie camerasConnectivity: wifi 6E (5G optional eSim-only), Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C, Touch IDDimensions: 195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3mmWeight: 293g (4G version: 297g) Continue reading...
Judge rules plaintiff, Matt Eisner, failed to show alleged inadequate disclosures hurt shareholdersMeta Platforms and its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, won the dismissal of a lawsuit claiming they misled shareholders in Meta's proxy statement about their ability to ensure the safety of children who use Facebook and Instagram.In a decision on Tuesday, the US district judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco said the plaintiff, Matt Eisner, failed to show that shareholders suffered economic losses from Meta's alleged inadequate disclosures. Continue reading...
America Pac is targeting users interested in the Boy Scouts of America, Kelsey Grammer, Kid Rock and Joe RoganElon Musk's Pac is spending far more on ads on Facebook and YouTube than on X, Musk's own social network.America Pac paid $201,000 to run dozens of ads on X, formerly Twitter, during the past three months. However, it spent $3m on thousands of advertisements on Facebook and Instagram in roughly the same time period. Musk founded the pro-Donald Trump Pac in July and has funded it to the tune of $75m, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. Continue reading...
Statement comes as tech firms try to use creative professionals' work to train AI modelsAbba's Bjorn Ulvaeus, the actor Julianne Moore and the Radiohead singer Thom Yorke are among 10,500 signatories of a statement from the creative industries warning artificial intelligence companies that unlicensed use of their work is a major, unjust threat" to artists' livelihoods.The statement comes amid legal battles between creative professionals and tech firms over the use of their work to train AI models such as ChatGPT and claims that using their intellectual property without permission is a breach of copyright. Continue reading...
by Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington on (#6RNBA)
Saud al-Qahtani was first suspended before Elon Musk took over what was then Twitter, and was suspended again today after Guardian reportA key Saudi suspect in the murder of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 had his account reinstated on X, the social media company controlled by Elon Musk, after it was permanently suspended under the company's previous owner.Saud al-Qahtani, a onetime key adviser to Mohammed bin Salman, had direct involvement" in the murder of Khashoggi, according to a US intelligence assessment released by the Biden administration in 2021. Continue reading...
Mats Steen had muscular dystrophy and died very young. But a touching new documentary has used animation and his own posts to reveal the fulfilling gaming life he led in World of Warcraft - right down to his first kissThe night after their son Mats died aged just 25, Trude and Robert Steen sat on the sofa in their living room in Oslo with their daughter Mia. They couldn't sleep. Everything was a blur," remembers Trude of that day 10 years ago. Then Robert said, Maybe we should reach out to Mats' friends in World of Warcraft.'"Mats was born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive condition that causes the muscles to weaken gradually. He was diagnosed aged four and started using a wheelchair at 10. By the end of his life, Mats could only move his fingers, and required a tube to clear his throat every 15 minutes. As he became increasingly disabled, he spent more time gaming: 20,000 hours in his last decade (about the same as if it were a full-time job). Continue reading...
The co-founder of Secret Escapes and LoveFilm is now offering tech solutions to help out tenants and landlordsWilliam Reeve is what he terms a classic accidental landlord". The serial entrepreneur didn't intend to rent out his flat in central London, but had to give it up soon after gaining his first rung on the property ladder. I got married while I was there and, much as I thought it was the perfect place, it turns out that some compromise was required," he says.Instead of keeping it as a pied-a-terre, the flat now offers Reeve an insight into the needs of his customers at online platform Goodlord, which is designed to help lettings agents, landlords and tenants slash the admin time spent on renting. Continue reading...
Social media company says it has seen promising results' in detecting the scam ads, which have included deepfake images of Gina Rinehart and Guy Sebastian
Publishers file suit against Perplexity AI, accusing startup of brazen scheme' and freeriding on valuable content'The media baron Rupert Murdoch's Dow Jones and the New York Post filed a lawsuit against Perplexity AI on Monday, claiming the artificial intelligence startup engages in a massive amount of illegal copying" of their copyrighted work.The lawsuit is the latest salvo in a bitter ongoing battle between publishers and tech companies over how the latter may use copyrighted content without authorization to build and operate their AI systems. Continue reading...
Technology | The Guardian