Technology | The Guardian

The company recently announced it had raised an extra $4.1bn to be used for ‘strategic’ investmentsThe government-owned National Broadband Network should consider buying fibre networks from Telstra and other fibre operators across Australia covering up to 300,000 homes, Labor has said.Last month, NBN Co announced it had managed to raise an extra $4.1bn in private debt facility, pushing the total debt to be taken on by the company to $55bn. Continue reading...

Scientists use kirigami techniques to create a sole with pop-up, high-friction spikesThe Japanese art of paper cutting and folding, or kirigami, has led to mind-bending 3D structures from 2D sheets, including spectacular pop-up designs. But now researchers have been getting to grips with the technique for a very down-to-earth reason: creating non-slip shoes.Scientists have revealed they have developed a kirigami-inspired sole, where tiny spikes pop up from its surface as the shoe is bent during walking. The team found the spikes enhance grip, which could help prevent potentially fatal falls. Continue reading...

Lockdown has been good for Jelle’s Marble Runs, which has acquired more than 1m YouTube subscribers

The standout moments in this cutting-edge action game come not just from the many thrilling set pieces – but from the quiet intensity of the conversationsNow 25 years on from the outbreak, Seattle is completely overgrown. Abandoned cars are still lined up on the highway, rusted and rooted down by vegetation bursting through the tarmac. Skyscrapers still pierce the sky, their metal skeletons exposed by the bombs that were dropped in early, vain attempts to contain the fungal sickness that was spreading through the population. In any one of these buildings, there could still be the infected: aggressive runners, who still retain at least the appearance of humanity, or the skin-crawling clickers, hosts who have long since lost their sight and selves to the fungus – or worse.As usual in post-apocalyptic fiction, there are also other people out to do you harm. In The Last of Us Part II, you are Ellie, a 19-year-old survivor who happens to be the only known person with immunity to the contagion that’s destroyed humanity – but immunity won’t save her from bullets, or from being savaged to death, so whenever you get into a combat situation the tension is absurdly high. This isn’t a game with shootouts and explosions and powerful weapons – instead it’s desperate grappling with a knife, improvised molotov cocktails, hiding prone in long grass while people patrol with guard dogs. Continue reading...

Test your knowledge of the online world – and discover how easy it is to launch a website for your business

The NHS test and trace app fails on several counts; no wonder ministers are resorting to peer pressure to encourage uptake

Automatons have been chipping in with the effort to beat Covid, from disinfecting hospitals to delivering groceriesSingapore park-goers have been reminded of their social distancing obligations by Boston Dynamics’ yellow “dog”. The robot hound is equipped with numerous cameras and sensors, which it can use to detect transgressors and broadcast pre-recorded warnings. The authorities have reassured locals it is not a quadruped data-collection device. Continue reading...

The platform’s moves to counter the president’s disinformation may be too little, too late, but it’s somethingIn addition to washing your hands while singing the first two verses of The Internationale, it might be a good time also to clean out your Twitter feed. According to a recent report of a research study by Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Computational Analysis of Social and Organizational Systems, about 45% of the false narratives about Covid-19 on Twitter are sent by bots.The study examined more than 100 false Covid narratives (including the 5G conspiracy theories) pushed in over 200m tweets since January. If you’re a reader of this newspaper, the likelihood is that you never saw any of these. But that’s because you are – like me – cheerfully encased in your own filter bubble. I write with feeling on this matter, because on the morning after the Brexit referendum I went through the list of about 800 people whom I follow on Twitter, and I could not locate a single one who seemed to have been in favour of Brexit in the run-up to the vote. The shock felt by them after the vote was palpable. But it was also a salutary reminder that anyone who uses social media lives in a digital echo chamber. Continue reading...

The strangest, saddest Zelda stands out in the memories of those of us who played it as children – but it is just as remarkable todayIt’s Termina’s terrifying moon that everyone remembers. Its grimacing, red-eyed stare looms large in the memory, summoning anxious recollections of hours spent watching its terrifying visage inch ever closer to the earth, of time slipping away.Majora’s Mask recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Sequel to the groundbreaking The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, it was released in April 2000, only 16 months after Ocarina’s initial release. Much has been written about the motivations behind the game’s unusually speedy development, not all of it in agreement, but an interesting consequence of this abbreviated production is that instead of producing new 3D models for the game, the developers reused the game engine and graphics from Ocarina. This gives Majora’s Mask an uncanny mirror-world quality that enhances its themes of isolation, identity and transformation. Continue reading...

Users of the homepages of the MSN website and Edge browser will now see news stories generated by AIDozens of journalists have been sacked after Microsoft decided to replace them with artificial intelligence software.Staff who maintain the news homepages on Microsoft’s MSN website and its Edge browser – used by millions of Britons every day – have been told that they will be no longer be required because robots can now do their jobs. Continue reading...

Twitter responded to the president’s post, which suggested violence against protesters, by hiding it behind a warning labelAs Twitter for the second time in a single week took unprecedented action against a tweet by Donald Trump, Facebook declined to take any enforcement action against the president’s statements.Trump’s threatening statement on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram on Thursday night, “Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” echoed a racist 1960s police chief known for ordering patrols of black neighborhoods with shotguns and dogs. It was widely interpreted as a threat and potential incitement to violence against residents of the Twin Cities who have erupted in protest against the alleged police killing of George Floyd, a black man who begged for his life as a white police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes. Continue reading...

Warning on ‘when looting starts, shooting starts’ post risks further escalation of row between firm and presidentTwitter has hidden one of Donald Trump’s tweets behind a warning that it “glorifies violence”, further escalating the social media company’s row with the US president.The US president’s tweet, posted on Thursday night Washington time, warned people in Minneapolis protesting against the killing of a black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer that he would send the military to intervene if there was “any difficulty”. Continue reading...

Tired of high-res graphics and cinematic story arcs? Here are some of the best old-school video games you can play todayIn difficult times, nostalgia can be a balm, and sometimes you want your games to be totally uncomplicated. Currently celebrating its 40th anniversary, the original iteration of Pac-Man still rules. It is a simple game – gobble the dots, avoid the ghosts – but the genius is in the details: did you know that each ghost behaves slightly differently according to their personality?

Australian comedy team’s deliberately untrue post has been viewed by 1.2 million people in less than 12 hoursAn Australian satirical news site crashed on Friday after it went viral for mocking Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s refusal to fact-check social media with a deliberately provocative post.Related: Elizabeth Warren trolls Facebook with 'false' Zuckerberg ad Continue reading...

Spotify data reveals shift in habits as office workers choose home-themed playlists

Trump has used and abused the platform for long enough. And his latest executive order is just another distractionThe president’s executive order on social media will kick off a heated debate over free speech on the internet that will, in all likelihood, lead to nothing. This manufactured dispute is a distraction for the media, and it will almost certainly be an effective one. It would be in everyone’s interest – including its own – if Twitter pulled the plug on this specious debate, banned Trump for repeated and egregious violations of its rules, and helped us all focus on what’s more important.More than 100,000 people in the United States have died of Covid-19, more than any other nation in the world. The figure is probably an undercount.More than 1.7 million people in the US have had confirmed cases of Covid-19, more than any other nation in the world. The figure is almost certainly an undercount.The US federal government completely botched the rollout of testing for the coronavirus at the beginning of the pandemic, and continues to lag in providing adequate testing for its populace. Continue reading...

President announced plan to strip social media companies of liability protections after Twitter factchecked his tweetsTwo years after admitting under political pressure that Facebook must do more to prevent disinformation campaigns on its platform, founder Mark Zuckerberg told Fox News on Thursday that the company should step away from regulating online speech.Related: Trump expected to sign executive order in bid to target Twitter and Facebook Continue reading...

President’s planned weakening of social media law may not have effect he thinks it willDonald Trump’s apparent plans to punish Twitter for appending a factcheck to his claims that mail-in ballots would be “substantially fraudulent” could reshape the web – but not necessarily in the ways he or his supporters intend.Trump’s expected avenue of attack focuses on section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. That law underpins much of how the internet is regulated in the United States, by effectively creating the hybrid publisher/platform model that has become the norm for social media companies worldwide. Continue reading...

Riot Games’ new shooter is already being hailed as a threat to Fortnite, Counter-Strike and Overwatch – and barely anyone has played it yet

Practically every running stat, great battery life, offline Spotify and comprehensive health-tracking in a small and light sports watchThe Forerunner 245 is Garmin’s excellent performance running watch and sets a new benchmark against which the competition should be measured.Two versions are available: one which can download music and one which cannot at a recommended retail price of £299.99 or £249.99 respectively. It came out in April 2019 to replace the popular Forerunner 235. Continue reading...

Decision says Meng Wanzhou’s alleged actions in the US would be considered a crime in Canada, a key condition for extraditionA Canadian judge has dealt a major blow to a senior Huawei executive’s attempts to evade extradition to the United States, ruling that the high-profile case against Meng Wanzhou can proceed.The British Columbia supreme court justice Heather Holmes ruled on Wednesday that the alleged actions of Meng would be considered a crime in Canada – a key condition for extradition to proceed. Continue reading...

In the shadow of plot devices like destiny and impending doom, moments of kindness give journeys emotional powerIt is a narrative standard in role-playing adventure games: the hero is pitted against a Big Evil, who has a strategic or chaotic hunger to destroy the world we know. From Shinra’s greedy harvesting of the planet’s resources in Final Fantasy VII Remake to Ganondorf’s quest for power and destruction across more than 30 years of Legend of Zelda games, the stakes are always astronomically high.But what really makes these fictional realms worth saving? Role-playing games need to offer more than a sequence of linked events toward a monumental finale. A world is made of people, not just objectives. Continue reading...

Police investigate whether fire at a telecommunications tower at Cranbourne West in Melbourne was suspiciousAustralian mobile companies are seeking to head off any outbreak of anti-5G arson attacks on telecommunications infrastructure, stating they are working with police to keep an eye out for potential incidents.Victoria police announced on Friday an investigation had commenced into a fire at a telecommunications tower at Cranbourne West in Melbourne’s outer suburbs. Continue reading...

Video platform blames deletion of criticisms on an error in its automated systemsYouTube is investigating the apparently automatic removal of comments critical of the Chinese Communist party amid complaints of censorship.The company said the filtering appeared to be “an error” amid a greater reliance on automated systems during the coronavirus pandemic because its human reviewers have been sent home. Continue reading...

At least 11 stations present story offering ‘glimpse inside’ Amazon, after company apparently sent material to reporters

Exploit is first to work on fully-updated devices for four years and could be used maliciouslyA newly discovered vulnerability in iPhones allows users to bypass Apple’s built-in limitations – known as “jailbreaking” – including, for the first time in four years, on new devices.The release of a functional jailbreak for iOS 13.5, the latest version of the iPhone operating system, represents a breakthrough for the small community of users who rely on jailbreaks for everything from serious security research to simply running games and software that Apple does not allow on iPhones. Continue reading...

Mojang Studios; Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One (version tested)

Tech entrepreneur and musician have changed their child’s name from X Æ A-12 to X Æ A-Xii, without much explanationThe tech entrepreneur Elon Musk and the musician Grimes have changed the unusual and largely unpronounceable name of their firstborn child. But anyone hoping that X Æ A-12 might be replaced by something a little more conventional is going to be disappointed.In an Instagram post on Sunday, Grimes confirmed that the baby formerly known as X Æ A-12 would now be known as X Æ A-Xii. Continue reading...

Firms becoming more inventive to survive, and increasing numbers turning to the e-commerce platformWhen the lockdown forced the Pizza Pilgrims chain to close, the company came up with an unusual solution to stay in business.The company, with restaurants in London and Oxford and run by brothers Thom and James Elliot – who started out selling Neapolitan pizza from the back of a converted Piaggio Ape van – hit on the novel idea of posting pizza kits to customers. Continue reading...

From farming to trucking to bus driving, why do millions play games that replicate regular jobs in forensic detail?There is no escape for me this time. The rear axle of my pick-up truck is wedged on a boulder protruding from the mud in the middle of a deserted backwater road in Michigan. I’ve tried to attach a winch to a nearby tree to pull myself out, but it’s not working. I will have to abandon the vehicle, fit up another and try again. This load of timber is not going to deliver itself.I am playing Snowrunner, the latest in a series of painstakingly authentic offroad delivery simulator games in which players have to haul goods through a variety of unforgiving landscapes at speeds that would shame a garden snail. Before each trip you have to select exactly the right vehicle for the job, fit the correct tyres and work out your likely fuel consumption to the nearest millilitre. On the frozen roads of northern Alaska, there is no room for shoddy planning. Continue reading...

Government set for climbdown after US bans on Chinese telecoms group and growing resistance from backbenchersThe National Cyber Security Centre in the UK is expected to conclude that US sanctions against Huawei will make it impossible to use the Chinese company’s technology as planned for 5G networks.The emergency review, announced on Sunday, is designed to pave the way for Downing Street to push for the total elimination of Huawei equipment in British phone networks by 2023 and quell a Conservative backbench revolt. Continue reading...

Falcon 9 rocket to make history as billionaire seeks to commercialise space travel

The PM told Australians in April the contact tracing app was key to getting back to normal but just one person has been identified using its dataIt was sold as the key to unlocking restrictions – like sunscreen to protect Australians from Covid-19 – but as the country begins to open up, the role of the Covidsafe app in the recovery seems to have dropped to marginal at best.“This is an important protection for a Covid-safe Australia,” the prime minister, Scott Morrison, said in late April. “I would liken it to the fact that if you want to go outside when the sun is shining, you have got to put sunscreen on.” Continue reading...

In just a few days, the bogus Covid-19 claims of a discredited research scientist spread to millions via YouTube, Facebook and other video-sharing sites

PM set to shrink Chinese firm’s involvement to zero by 2023 after caving to backbench pressureBoris Johnson has been forced to cave into to Conservative backbench rebels opposed to the presence of Huawei in 5G networks and has drawn up plans to reduce the Chinese company’s involvement to zero by 2023.The prime minister’s retreat is designed to stave off what could have been an embarrassing defeat when his existing proposal to reduce Huawei to a 35% market share was to be voted on in the Commons. Continue reading...

EasyJet hack | Johnson’s U-turn | Tights | Albino pheasants | Favourite restaurantsYour article (EasyJet hacking attack: are you affected and what should you do?, 19 May) on dealing with a suspicious phone call about fraudulent transactions suggests: “End the call and then phone the bank or card company back to check it was legitimate.” What is missing is the fact that fraudsters can “spoof” the dial tone, hold on to the line and pretend to be the bank. The correct procedure is firstly to phone a friend, who the fraudsters cannot imitate, to check the line is actually clear.

Lockdown turns mild-mannered mutterings from a Surrey loft into unlikely spectator sport

The New Zealand software company Rocos is training a Boston Dynamics-designed robot called Spot to work on farms to help 'relieve the strain of worker shortages, and create precision in farming’. Another Boston Dynamics robot is being tested in Singapore, reminding members of the public to maintain physical distancing in a public park Continue reading...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he expects 50% of the company’s employees to work from home over the next five to 10 years. The social media giant will embrace remote work, even after coronavirus restrictions end, with Facebook limiting offices to 25% capacity when workers return in July.The company has 48,000 employees in 70 offices around the world

The iconic maze chase has been played billions of times, created one of the 80s’ strangest sex symbols, stupefied Martin Amis – and is now enshrined in a leading art museumIt was on this day in 1980 that one of gaming’s most iconic characters made his debut. To celebrate, here are 40 facts about the ravenous yellow circle and his proud, pill-popping legacy …1. Pac-Man was created by game designer Toru Iwatani – he was just 24 at the time. The idea for the character came to him when he removed a slice from a pizza. Continue reading...

Mark Zuckerberg says company will embrace permanent remote work after lockdowns liftFacebook will permanently embrace remote work, even after coronavirus lockdowns ease, Mark Zuckerberg told employees on Thursday, accelerating the tech sector’s geographic diversification away from its home in Silicon Valley.The CEO said the world’s largest social network would start “aggressively opening up remote hiring”, expecting that about half its workforce would work remotely over the next five to 10 years. Continue reading...

PC, Mac, iOS; Dreamfeel/Annapurna Interactive

The biggest video game of lockdown has become a new home for fashion lovers where avatars can dress in Prada, Off-White or Sports Banger hoodiesNintendo’s Animal Crossing, the best-selling game of the coronavirus pandemic, has become an unlikely outlet for fashion fans in lockdown. Avatars have been wearing bootleg creations inspired by Prada, Gucci, Chanel and Thierry Mugler catwalk looks or created specifically for the virtual world by designers including Marc Jacobs, who has created a six-strong collection for the game, and Valentino.There are various ways to attain new clothes in this soothing cyber society in which players can pick fruit and make friends with anthropomorphised animals. The Able Sisters, a tailor shop in the game that is run by two hedgehogs, has become as talked about in some quarters as Harvey Nichols. Here players can “buy” anything from pleather masks to neon tights using the game’s currency of bells. Continue reading...

The famed poster CartoonsHateHer has become a viral star for her ‘good’ trolling, but not everyone finds her creations funnyThe benevolent troll-queen of the internet prefers to remain anonymous, but here’s what we know: the 30-year-old US-based cartoonist and internet personality who goes by the alias CartoonsHateHer (let’s call her CHH for short) has, over the years, published hundreds of posts to online forums like Reddit under various alternate identities.These posts have often gone viral – thanks largely to CHH’s masterly navigation of the line between absurdity and believability. Essentially, she pretends to be someone else online – for the lols. Continue reading...

Slim and powerful laptop with excellent keyboard and trackpad is hindered by a few small flawsThe 2020 MateBook X Pro takes a winning design and upgrades the chips to Intel’s latest for a powerful and surprisingly good-value machine.The new MateBook X Pro starts at £1,299, and fits a pretty large 13.9in screen in the size of a laptop body that would traditionally fit only a 13in screen. Continue reading...

From throwing an alpaca party to adding a goat to a work call, video calling is providing a financial lifeline for businessesWhile the rest of the world has been in lockdown, the goats of Cronkshaw Fold farm in Lancashire have never been busier. In the past few weeks they’ve been to a rave in Berlin and a birthday party in New Zealand, while Mary goes to church services every Sunday – all virtually, of course.They’re one of an increasing variety of animal breeds people can now book to join their Zoom meetings, whether it’s to break the tedium of a work conference call or to surprise someone on their birthday. Continue reading...

Software can be used to develop apps that detect when a user has spent time near another user who later tests positive for the virusApple and Google have released long-awaited smartphone technology to automatically notify people if they might have been exposed to the coronavirus.Related: Apple and Google team up in bid to use smartphones to track coronavirus spread Continue reading...

Thomas le Bonniec says firm violating rights and continues massive collection of dataA former Apple contractor who helped blow the whistle on the company’s programme to listen to users’ Siri recordings has decided to go public, in protest at the lack of action taken as a result of the disclosures.In a letter announcing his decision, sent to all European data protection regulators, Thomas le Bonniec said: “It is worrying that Apple (and undoubtedly not just Apple) keeps ignoring and violating fundamental rights and continues their massive collection of data. Continue reading...