Technology | The Guardian

The use by white supremacists of Reddit to organise last year’s violent rally in Virginia was a catalyst for change at the digital giant. In an extract from her new book We Are the Nerds, Christine Lagorio-Chafkin looks at how the site has tried to detoxify itselfAs the clock ticked up to 9pm on Friday 11 August 2017, more than 200 men snaked down a dark, long expanse of grass in Charlottesville, Virginia, called Nameless Field. The assembled group was abundantly white, and almost uniformly dressed in pressed khakis and polo shirts. Each man grasped a wooden torch filled with kerosene.They formed a column, lined up two by two. They lit their torches. Organisers, wearing earpieces, paced up and down the line issuing directions, amplified by electric bullhorn. “Now! Now! Go!” the bullhorns ordered. The men marched, and began to chant. “Blood and soil!” they yelled, echoing Nazi ideology. “Jews will not replace us! Jews will not replace us!” Continue reading...

We see the upside of bees, while batting away their buzzing cousins, but there are important reasons to treasure themWasps may buzz, sting us and annoy us, but they’re far more useful than we realise. A new study in Ecological Entomology reveals both the overwhelmingly negative public perception of wasps and also their importance. Among the benefits is wasps’ pollination of flowers, helping Britain’s wildlife to blossom and supporting biodiversity. Continue reading...

Designed to fill the space between the Evoque and and the larger Range Rover Sport, the exceptional Velar comfortably exceeds its briefRange Rover Velar

Silicon Valley millionaire Serge Faguet thinks pills, injections and implants will turn him into a superhuman. Could they?In September last year, the young Silicon Valley entrepreneur Serge Faguet posted an article on the tech website Hacker Noon. It was headlined: “I’m 32 and spent $200k on biohacking. Became calmer, thinner, extroverted, healthier & happier.” Significantly more intelligent, too, he added, with an increased sex drive that dovetailed nicely with his newfound ease at “picking up girls”.These last two points especially grabbed the attention of the site’s hundreds of thousands of mainly male readers. The comments section under Faguet’s story is full of admiration for his data-driven, problem-solving approach. though a handful of others dismiss Faguet as a psychopath, the embodiment of “Silicon Valley’s toxic machiavellian bro culture”. The article currently has 15,000 upvotes. His follow-up about increasingyour intelligence by having sex and micro-dosing MDMA is the site’s second most read article of 2018. Continue reading...

Jordan Erica Webber talks to Dr Kate Devlin about how sex robot owners seek conversation as much as pleasureDisclaimer: This episode of Chips with Everything covers topics that some listeners might find disturbing.Back in April 2017, The Guardian produced a film called Rise of the Sex Robots, a documentary by journalist Jenny Kleeman. In it, Jenny travelled to California to see a new prototype for an artificially intelligent sex robot. Its name, or her name, if you prefer, is Harmony and it can fulfil each user’s particular desires through customisable appearance and personality. Continue reading...

As some try to seal off stretches of coastline for private use, the state wants to tackle a growing divide between rich and poorPrivates Beach is named not for its exclusivity but for a permissive attitude toward nude sunbathing. This small patch of paradise on the California coastline is adored by locals, and anyone is welcome to enjoy the clean and quiet spot. If, that is, they have a key costing $100 a year.A 9ft iron gate blocks the path to a beach staircase, set among expensive hillside homes in the tony surf town of Santa Cruz, south of San Francisco. Yet by California law, all the beaches along its 840 alluring miles of coastline belong to the people, and the state is cracking down at Privates and elsewhere in a push to mitigate a growing divide between rich and poor. Continue reading...

AI voice assistant will soon give users with connected smart home devices reminders to lock doors and turn off lightsAmazon says its AI voice assistant Alexa can now guess what you might be thinking of – or what you’ve forgotten.At an event in Seattle on Thursday, the technology company unveiled a new feature called Alexa Hunches that aims to replicate human curiosity and insight using artificial intelligence. Continue reading...

Motorcyclists block roads outside HQ for second day asking for £5 per delivery minimumUber Eats couriers brought traffic to a halt outside the company’s UK headquarters for the second day in a row in a protest about pay.Motorcyclists, estimated to number more than 100, blocked the road outside Aldgate East station in central London on Thursday afternoon after they said the company cut the minimum delivery rate for riders on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Commission gives social media company until end of the year to change its terms of serviceBrussels has warned Facebook it will face sanctions unless it changes what the European commission calls its “misleading” terms and conditions.The EU commissioner in charge of consumer protection, Věra Jourová, said she had run out of patience with the social network after nearly two years of discussions aimed at giving Facebook’s European users more information about how their data is used. Continue reading...

Matt’s daughter already has a laptop for university, but will a lighter device with a smartpen be better for taking notes?My daughter will be starting university and already has a more-than-adequate laptop for essay writing and Netflix. But rather than carry it to and from lectures all the time, we wondered if it would be worth investing in a tablet or smaller 2-in-1 laptop with a stylus for note taking. Or do you think it would be better to stick with a small screen laptop? MattThere are two issues here that go well beyond product choice, and can only be decided by you and your daughter. The first is whether a change in circumstances – going to university – requires the adoption of a new technology, whether it be a tablet or stylus or both. I’m assuming that your daughter doesn’t use either of these, or you would already know the answer. Continue reading...

Excellent smart device comes with optional 24/7 video recording with facial recognition – and works as a doorbell tooGoogle’s new Nest Hello is a video doorbell that aims to be smarter than the rest with constant recording, face and object recognition.The Hello is a direct replacement for a wired doorbell, working with an existing chime and requiring constant power, making it one of the high-end options for smart doorbells. Continue reading...

Posts written by hacker claimed anti-firearms group tried to block Port Arthur massacre investigationAn anti-gun group has accused the firearms lobby of hacking its Twitter account and writing posts that claimed the group was funded by George Soros and had worked with the “deep state” to block investigations into the Port Arthur massacre.Gun Control Australia, an anti-firearms group that advocates for tougher gun laws, said on Thursday that its Twitter account had been hacked earlier in September. Continue reading...

As voice-controlled AI creeps into millions of homes, a modern dilemma presents itself: how does one properly address a virtual being?The work of an etiquette expert is never-ending. No sooner have you adjusted to a world in which the households you advise may have few or – whisper it – no staff, than the technology giants develop personal assistants using artificial intelligence.It is a whole new minefield and, as the Times reports, one already developing new expertise. One BBC tech executive told a conference audience on Tuesday that her solution to children developing poor manners due to Alexa, Siri and their rivals (the AI will respond whether you say “please” or not) was for adults in the house to say “please” and “thank you” to the AIs at all times. With that first step in mind, here is our extensive and scientific list of etiquette do’s and don’ts when dealing with your AI assistant: Continue reading...

Letters from Patrick Brown, Ruth Gilbert, Rachel Pearson and Gene Feder, Charmaine Fletcher, Mike Stein, Tina Shaw and John SimmondsYour are right to highlight councils’ use of data about adults and children without their permission, alongside the warped stereotypes that inevitably shape the way families are categorised (Council algorithms use family data to predict child-abuse risk, 17 September). But the problems are more wide-ranging. In policy debates shaped by the Climbié and Baby P scandals, pre-emptive interventions sound attractive, but ethical debates about what level of intervention in family life, on what basis, and how pre-emptively, still need to take place. Such debates would be necessary with accurate predictions but become absolutely crucial when, as with any risk screening programme, false positives are unavoidable. In a given population where the base rate of abuse is low, these errors will be drastically higher than commonly believed.The buzz around big data and artificial intelligence may be leading councils to overlook not only the maths of risk screening but also the quality of their data. Our own research into child protection notes a weak evidence base for interventions, with social workers falling back on crude assumptions. Stereotypes discriminate against some families and lead to the overlooking of risk in other cases, yet may become entrenched and legitimised when incorporated into technology. Research is needed into whether these technologies enhance decision-making or whether they become uncritically relied on by pressured professionals with burgeoning caseloads. Enticed by software-driven solutions, our overstretched and decentralised child-protection system may lack the capacity for a robust ethical and evidence-based reflection of these technologies.

Science Gallery, London

MPs in UK say ‘wild west’ cryptocurrency industry is leaving investors vulnerableBitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are “wild west” assets that expose investors to a litany of risks and are in urgent need of regulation, MPs on the Treasury select committee have said.The committee said in a report that consumers were left unprotected from an unregulated industry that aided money laundering, while the government and regulators “bumble along” and fail to take action. Continue reading...

Workers claim that Facebook provides job ads which allows employers to choose who they want based on their age and sexFacebook and a group of 10 employers have had a formal complaint made against them by workers for alleged gender discrimination after job adverts on the social media site targeted male users and did not appear to women.The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Tuesday submitted a complaint to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and say the social media company is operating illegally. . Continue reading...

Early consensus from tech press is these are best iPhones to date. But is it worth holding on for the cheaper iPhone XR?The first wave of verdicts from select reviewers given early access to Apple’s latest iPhone XS and XS Max are live.Gone are the traditional iPhones of yesteryear, with three devices launched all with a design in line with last year’s iPhone X. The iPhone XS is a direct replacement for the 2017 iPhone X, complete with a 5.8in screen costing £999. The iPhone XS Max is a larger, more expensive phone costing £1,099 and with a 6.5in screen, the largest on an iPhone. Continue reading...

We would like to hear how new “digital wellbeing” services are affecting how you use technology

Vernon Unsworth files lawsuit in LA seeking damages after row over Thai cave rescueA British diver who helped rescue young football players trapped in a Thai cave is suing the Tesla chief executive, Elon Musk, for defamation.Vernon Unsworth alleges that Musk falsely accused him on Twitter of being a paedophile. A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court seeks at least $75,000 (£57,000) in damages and a court order preventing Musk from making further allegations, while Unsworth is also bringing action in the English and Welsh courts. Continue reading...

For a growing number of users and mental health experts, the positivity of Instagram is precisely the problem, with its relentless emphasis on promoting ‘perfect’ lifestyles. Should everyone just stop scrolling?When 24-year-old fashion blogger Scarlett Dixon posted a picture of herself having breakfast, the internet turned nasty. “The best of days start with a smile and positive thoughts. And pancakes. And strawberries. And bottomless tea,” Dixon wrote on her scarlettlondon Instagram feed, under an image of her looking flawless on a freshly made bed flanked by heart-shaped helium balloons.The sponsored post – for Listerine mouthwash, a bottle of which is visible on the side of the shot – was swiftly reposted on Twitter. “Fuck off this is anybody’s normal morning,” wrote Nathan from Cardiff. “Instagram is a ridiculous lie factory made to make us all feel inadequate.” His post, which has garnered more than 111,000 likes (22 times as many as Dixon’s original) and almost 25,000 retweets, prompted a wave of criticism, with the more printable comments ranging from “Fakelife!” and “Bunny-boiler” to “Let’s pop her balloons” and “Who keeps Listerine on their bedside table? Serial killers, that’s who.” Continue reading...

In an age where our every action can be harvested as data and used against us, Jamie Susskind’s book makes crucial readingNothing is as remote as yesterday’s utopias. From the 1990s until the end of the last decade, the explosion in computing power was seen by wide-eyed optimists as a force for liberation that would lay low unaccountable authority. Their eyes have narrowed now. Democracy, justice, our very ability to earn a living, feel precarious. “All that is solid melts into air,” said Marx of 19th-century capitalism. In our times, not only do economic systems feel unstable, but basic assumptions on how humans live together.Now, and ever more so in the future, how we perceive the world will be determined by what is revealed and concealed by social media and search services, affective computing and virtual reality platforms. The distinction between cyberspace and real space is becoming redundant. The two are merging, and as they come together, companies and states will have the power to control our perceptions. The fragmentation social media promotes has been discussed to death. But it is worth stressing that automated systems are placing us in silos. It is their choice not ours to create a world where the people who most need to hear opposing views are the least likely to hear them. Meanwhile, the scandal of the Brexit campaign is setting the pattern for all campaigns; showing how politcians and their agents can harvest data and target propaganda, tailored to meet its recipients’ prejudices, without any public authority regulating it or even knowing about it. Continue reading...

The ever-expanding index of images has elevated the way we communicate. But, behind the heart eyes and dancing ladies, it takes a lot to bring them to lifeIn recent years, sending each other a preponderance of peaches and an avalanche of aubergines – plus a smattering of smiley faces, hearts and pizza slices along the way – has become one of the key ways we converse. Emojis have become ingrained in our lives, exploding from a quirky set of 176 pictures on Japanese mobile phones back in the 1990s to one of the main methods of communication today, peppering our missives on WhatsApp, Twitter and via text messages. Andy Murray summed up the stresses and joys of his wedding day solely in emojis in 2015, while the European commission has deployed emojis when surveying users about the future of Europe.☔❤ Continue reading...

From making biofuels to eating up harmful plastics, fungi could help us build a greener planetFungi could not just help rid the planet of plastic by degrading it, but by making it obsolete it, too. Research in the Kew report suggests that naturally made materials using fungal mycelia are being used increasingly often instead of more harmful materials such as polystyrene and leather. Continue reading...

The manufacturer famous for its machine gun has turned its attention to making electric cars. Will it go with a bang?Kalashnikov CV-1 electric car

Jordan Erica Webber looks at why people are using the medium of video games to depict the real life terrors of modern warDisclaimer: This episode of Chips with Everything covers topics that some listeners might find upsetting.We’re used to the idea of playing video games as a form of escapism, a way to feel some kind of mastery, overcoming obstacles, solving problems, maybe saving the world – being a hero. Continue reading...

Broadcasters wary of Google’s platform as TV viewing grows 45% year on year in EuropeAfter dominating video viewing on mobile phones, tablets and computers, YouTube is now setting its sights on the big – or, bigger – screen: the one in the living room.TV screens are the fastest-growing area for YouTube, according to the company’s chief product officer Neal Mohan. “Mobile phones aren’t even the fastest growing device these days. It’s actually screens like … the living-room screen or television sets, where people turn on the TV and open up the YouTube app when they come home from work, sitting on the couch or what have you. Continue reading...

Amazon CEO will launch $2bn fund to help homeless families and low-income communitiesAmazon chief Jeff Bezos is launching a $2bn fund to help homeless families and build a network of preschools, saying the “child will be the customer” in his philanthropy announcement.The tech founder and the world’s richest man unveiled the Bezos Day One Fund on Thursday. He said he would fund existing organizations that aid homeless people and pledged to build new not-for-profit schools to serve low-income communities. Continue reading...

Legal & General takes over responsibilities for 22,000 pensioners as airline tries to protect itself from higher costs in futureBritish Airways has offloaded £4.4bn in pension liabilities to an insurance company in a bid to cap its pension responsibilities.Legal & General will effectively take over the liabilities for 22,000 British Airways pensioners in the largest deal of its kind in the UK. Continue reading...

Bernadette is a writer, photographer who can’t afford a new Apple laptop. Is there a lightweight and affordable replacement out there?I need a new lightweight laptop, as I travel a bit, but cannot afford a Mac at this time. I already own an iPad (and an iPhone) but the screen is too small for hosting group meetings. Also, I am a writer and photographer. What would be your suggestion for a lightweight, value-for-money laptop that won’t take me too far from the facilities of an Apple product that I’ve been accustomed to using for many years. BernadetteIf you’re a happy long-term Mac user then I recommend you stick with Apple. There’s not a huge amount of difference between MacOS and Windows 10, but you will have built up years of experience and “motor memory” reactions that you will lose if you change operating systems. Also, while Windows 10 does a reasonable job of working with smartphones, you will lose the integration that Apple provides between iPhones, iPads, MacBooks and iCloud. Continue reading...

Video, in which the company’s top brass seek to reassure employees, was characterized by Breitbart as evidence of biasA video of Google’s first all-staff meeting following the 2016 election has been published by Breitbart, revealing the candid reactions of company executives to Donald Trump’s unexpected victory.In an hour-long conversation, Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, chief executive Sundar Pichai, and executives Kent Walker, Ruth Porat and Eileen Noughton offered their reflections on the election, sought to reassure employees about issues such as immigration status and benefits for same-sex partners, and answered questions on topics ranging from filter bubbles and political polarization to encryption and net neutrality. Continue reading...

Company also announces a cheaper alternative, the iPhone XR, at California event

Company’s new smartwatch will launch with improved health-tracking abilities and updated operating system, watchOS 5

Legislation opposed by firms like Facebook and Google and groups warning of detrimental consequences for the internetMusic companies, film-makers and media publishers could be in line for billions in payouts after EU lawmakers voted to accept controversial changes to copyright rules that aim to make tech companies including Facebook and Google share more of their revenue.The proposed legislation, that surfaced two years ago with the aim to update copyright for the digital age, has unleashed a ferocious lobbying war pitting the likes of Paul McCartney, Placido Domingo, Adele and film-makers including Mike Leigh, against the Silicon Valley giants and their respective supporters, including internet pioneer Tim Berners-Lee and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. Continue reading...

Company expected to launch new ‘iPhone XS’ smartphone, Apple Watch and iPad Pro this week, according to reports

Consumers hit with delayed connections to the NBN will get rebates of up to $25NBN Co will have to pay internet providers a $25 rebate for every late connection, fault repair or missed appointment under a new requirement by the consumer watchdog.The national broadband network owner has agreed to the penalties as part of an ongoing Australian Competition and Consumer Commission review of NBN Co’s service standards. Continue reading...

Kirstie Allsopp has revealed the dramatic remedy she used with her gaming-obsessed sons, but are there other strategies to prise your children from their computers?Kirstie Allsopp admitted this week to smashing her sons’ iPads when they continued to flout the Allsopp house rules for playing Fortnite. “Not in a violent way,” she told Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine. She “banged” the devices “on a table leg” while her sons, aged 12 and 10, watched. There has been a backlash to her comments online, and she has since left Twitter. I can, however, sympathise with the level of despair behind this act.“It’s passing a terrible message to children,” says Suzie Hayman, an agony aunt and the author of Parents and Digital Technology. “It’s saying: ‘This is how you solve arguments – you smash something.’ Any violence is bad,” she says, even a gentle bang of a tablet on a table leg. Continue reading...

Norwich Theatre Royal

New cryptocurrencies such as Tether may be pegged to the dollar, but they have big flawsWhile the mania for cryptocurrencies may have peaked, new units continue to be announced, seemingly by the day. Prominent among the new arrivals are so-called “stable coins.” Bearing names such as Tether, Basis, and Saga, their value is rigidly tied to the dollar, the euro, or a basket of national currencies.It’s easy to see the appeal of these units. Viable monies provide a reliable means of payment, unit of account, and store of value. But conventional cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, trade at wildly fluctuating prices, which means that their purchasing power – their command over goods and services – is highly unstable. Hence they are unattractive as units of account. Continue reading...

Elon Musk has said he is ‘neutral’ about a union but former employees blame their firing on their efforts to organize while current workers say a ‘culture of fear’ persistsFor two years Dezzimond Vaughn was a well-regarded worker at the Tesla factory in Lathrop, California. Then he became involved in trying to organize a union and suddenly his job was on the line.“They started changing rules without any remorse,” Vaughn, a 31-year-old former Tesla computer-numeric-controlled (CNC) heavy machinery operator, told the Guardian. He cited a strict attendance policy Tesla implemented and backdated that deducted points from employees every time they clocked in late or were absent. “We started talking about forming a union, because they wouldn’t be able to do the things they’re doing, and they somehow found out I was having meetings at my house.” Continue reading...

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC; Eidos Montréal/Square-Enix

Closed forums on Facebook allow hateful views to spread unchallenged among terrifyingly large groups. My bill would change thatYou may wonder what could bring Nicky Morgan, Anna Soubry, David Lammy, Jacob Rees-Mogg and other senior MPs from across parliament together at the moment. Yet they are all sponsoring a bill I’m proposing that will tackle online hate, fake news and radicalisation. It’s because, day-in day-out, whatever side of an argument we are on, we see the pervasive impact of abuse and hate online – and increasingly offline, too.Social media has given extremists a new tool with which to recruit and radicalise. It is something we are frighteningly unequipped to deal with. Continue reading...

ECJ hears France’s data regulator wants to extend 2014 ruling to apply universallyThe “right to be forgotten” online is in danger of being transformed into a tool of global censorship through a test case at the European court of justice (ECJ) this week, free speech organisations are warning.An application by the French data regulator for greater powers to remove out of date or embarrassing content from internet domains around the world will enable authoritarian regimes to exert control over publicly available information, according to a British-led alliance of NGOs. Continue reading...

Brussels to vote on directive, supported by artists and news agencies, that opponents say could ‘destroy the internet’It is an argument that has drawn in Paul McCartney, Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo and the Vienna Philharmonic, as well as pioneers of the internet from Tim Berners-Lee to the founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales.Fought with hashtags, mailshots, open letters and celebrity endorsements, the battle over the European Union’s draft directive on copyright heads for a showdown this week. Continue reading...

Its don’t-mind-me styling won’t win many awards, but this big Seat is road goldSeat Alhambra

The decentralised web, or DWeb, could be a chance to take control of our data back from the big tech firms. So how does it work and when will it be here?The story that broke early last month that Google would again cooperate with Chinese authorities to run a censored version of its search engine, something the tech giant has neither confirmed nor denied, had ironic timing. The same day, a group of 800 web builders and others – among them Tim Berners-Lee, who created the world wide web – were meeting in San Francisco to discuss a grand idea to circumvent internet gatekeepers like Google and Facebook. The event they had gathered for was the Decentralised Web Summit, held from 31 July to 2 August, and hosted by the Internet Archive. The proponents of the so-called decentralised web – or DWeb – want a new, better web where the entire planet’s population can communicate without having to rely on big companies that amass our data for profit and make it easier for governments to conduct surveillance. And its proponents have got projects and apps that are beginning to function, funding that is flowing and social momentum behind them. In light of the Snowden revelations and Cambridge Analytica scandal, public concerns around spying and privacy have grown. And more people have heard about the DWeb thanks to the television comedy Silicon Valley, whose main character recently pivoted his startup to try and build this “new internet”.What is the decentralised web?

Why are so many YouTubers finding themselves stressed, lonely and exhausted?When Matt Lees became a full-time YouTuber, he felt as if he had won the lottery. As a young, ambitious writer, director and presenter, he was able to create low-budget, high-impact films that could reach a worldwide audience, in a way that would have been impossible without the blessing of television’s gatekeepers just a few years earlier. In February 2013, he had his first viral hit, an abridged version of Sony’s announcement of its PlayStation 4 video game console, dubbed with a cheerily acerbic commentary. Within days the video had been watched millions of times. “It hardly seems viral at all, by today’s standards,” Lees says, yet it was one of the most viewed videos on YouTube that month. The boost to Lees’ ego was nothing compared with the effect it had on his career. When YouTube’s algorithm notices this sort of success, it starts directing viewers to the uploader’s other videos, earning the channel more subscribers and, via the snippety advertisements that play before each one, higher income. Overnight, Lees had what seemed like the first shoots of a sustainable career.Excitement soon gave way to anxiety. Even in 2013, Lees was aware that his success depended not so much on smash hits as on day-by-day reliability. “It’s not enough to simply create great things,” he says. “The audience expect consistency. They expect frequency. Without these, it’s incredibly easy to slip off the radar and lose favour with the algorithm that gave you your wings.” By the end of the year Lees had grown his channel from 1,000 subscribers to 90,000, and caught the attention of one of his influences, Charlie Brooker, who invited Lees to collaborate on writing a Channel 4 special. For a month Lees worked 20-hour days, dividing his time between the TV script work and, ever conscious that missing a day’s upload could cause his videos to tumble down the search rankings, his YouTube channel. Continue reading...

The technology could vastly improve lives, the economist says – but only if the tech titans that control it are properly regulated. ‘What we have now is totally inadequate’It must be hard for Joseph Stiglitz to remain an optimist in the face of the grim future he fears may be coming. The Nobel laureate and former chief economist at the World Bank has thought carefully about how artificial intelligence will affect our lives. On the back of the technology, we could build ourselves a richer society and perhaps enjoy a shorter working week, he says. But there are countless pitfalls to avoid on the way. The ones Stiglitz has in mind are hardly trivial. He worries about hamfisted moves that lead to routine exploitation in our daily lives, that leave society more divided than ever and threaten the fundamentals of democracy.“Artificial intelligence and robotisation have the potential to increase the productivity of the economy and, in principle, that could make everybody better off,” he says. “But only if they are well managed.” Continue reading...

The credit card details of 380,000 British Airways customers could already be on sale on the dark web after the airline suffered a ‘malicious’ data breach