Technology | The Guardian

In these gloriously skewed shorts, comedians Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen film unsuspecting people, imagine their conversations and add hilarious voiceoversWhat is it? A sketch comedy micro-series using secretly filmed footage of the public.Why you’ll love it: These tiny, joyful, stupid snippets of comic tapas are made by comedians Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen, known jointly as The Pin. After three series of their highly inventive and critically admired Radio 4 show, they have moved into a new medium. But the straightforward sketch show, trotting out and repeating the same characters and situations is not for them. Continue reading...

The usual evolution of English has been accelerated online, leading to a less formal – but arguably more expressive – language than the one we use IRL. So use those emojis wisely …English has always evolved – that’s what it means to be a living language – and now the internet plays a pivotal role in driving this evolution. It’s where we talk most freely and naturally, and where we generally pay little heed to whether or not our grammar is “correct”.Should we be concerned that, as a consequence, English is deteriorating? Is it changing at such a fast pace that older generations can’t keep up? Not quite. At a talk in 2013, linguist David Crystal, author of Internet Linguistics, said: “The vast majority of English is exactly the same today as it was 20 years ago.” And his collected data indicated that even e-communication isn’t wildly different: “Ninety per cent or so of the language you use in a text is standard English, or at least your local dialect.” Continue reading...

Craig wants to buy his game-playing son a laptop for up to £500, while other readers want cheaper machinesCould you provide an update to your previous articles on the system requirements for Minecraft? I would love a recommendation on a laptop for my 10-year-old son. I have a £500 budget, and I would have no problem with a refurbished device. CraigThis is a frequently-asked question, and similar queries have come from Jo (seven-year-old son, £450 budget), Lauren (13-year-old son), Ronda (12-year-old daughter), and Natalie (11-year-old son, £200 to £250 budget). I answered much the same question in December last year (What’s the best cheap laptop for running Minecraft?), in December 2015 (What’s the best laptop for running Minecraft?) and earlier. The principles have not changed, so you may still find them useful. However, the products change, which is why the question keeps coming up. Continue reading...

The techno-sage and Silicon Valley insider sees VR as emancipatory and liberating but what does ‘shared lucid dreaming’ actually mean?I experienced virtual reality for the first time the other day, at a training workshop for university lecturers. When I donned the Oculus Rift – a sleek plastic headset with handheld controls – I was presented with a desk on which sat some cartoonishly rendered objects: a ball, a toy car, a ray gun. I picked up the gun and fired off a few shots. I rolled the ball off the table. Then the lenses in the goggles misted up and I grew bored.I couldn’t see how virtual reality was supposed to help with the teaching of literature, but the techno-apparatchiks who were our guides for the day assured me that this was the future of pedagogy (a word they liked). “Just imagine,” they said, “one day your students won’t just be able to read books: they’ll experience what it’s like to be in them.” Continue reading...

Mining marketplace NiceHash suspends operations while it co-operates with authorities over ‘professional attack’, urging users to change passwordsNearly $64m in bitcoin has been stolen by hackers who broke into Slovenian-based bitcoin mining marketplace NiceHash.The marketplace suspended operations on Thursday while it investigated the breach, saying it was working with law enforcement as “a matter of urgency” while urging users to change their passwords. Continue reading...

European commission tells Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter and others that legislation is being considered if self-regulation continues to failThe European Commission has warned Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter and other internet technology companies that they must do more to stem the spread of extremist content or face legislation.Growing pressure from European governments has meant progress has been made by companies in significantly boosting their resources dedicated to help take down extremist content as quickly as possible. Continue reading...

Google’s newest computer offering is an exquisite piece of hardware running a limited but improving operating system. Is that enough for £999?With the Pixelbook, Google is asking whether a Chromebook with high-end laptop features, which runs Android apps and can become a tablet by folding in two, can really be worth £999.

Magazine dubbed ‘serial misinformer’ becomes first explicitly partisan organization to aid in task, fueling concerns over rightwing influence at siteA conservative news organization has been approved to partner with Facebook to fact-check false news, drawing criticisms that the social media company is caving to rightwing pressures and collaborating with a publication that has previously spread propaganda.The Weekly Standard, a conservative opinion magazine, said it is joining a fact-checking initiative that Facebook launched last year aimed at debunking fake news on the site with the help of outside journalists. The Weekly Standard will be the first right-leaning news organization and explicitly partisan group to do fact-checks for Facebook, prompting backlash from progressive organizations, who have argued that the magazine has a history of publishing questionable content. Continue reading...

The Guardian’s goal on Instagram is to help people understand the world they’re in and inspire them to create a better one. We cover fake news, gender equality, the refugee crisis and threats to our planet such as climate change and air pollution, and many more topics. We work with reporters, designers and multimedia producers to visualise the news in accessible and imaginative ways. Our Instagram reporting provides context and meaning and gives you the information you need to take action and feel hopeful.Our efforts have been working; over the past 12 months, 300,000 new followers have joined us and we now have the largest Instagram audience for a UK news publication. Continue reading...

Public spat between two of world’s biggest tech companies intensifies as Google uses access to video platform as leverage to force retailer to sell its productsGoogle is using YouTube as leverage over Amazon to try and force the world’s largest retailer to sell its Home smart speakers, Chromecasts and Nest products.Google has pulled official support for YouTube from Amazon’s Echo Show and Fire TV devices, meaning that owners can no longer access the video site through a YouTube app. Continue reading...

‘I’m going to take advantage of Facebook’s option to take leave in parts,’ said the Facebook CEO, whose second daughter was born in August of this yearMark Zuckerberg is taking parental leave for the month of December, the Facebook CEO announced Saturday. Continue reading...

Twitter’s annual list of most retweeted posts features three tweets from Obama, and none from TrumpTwitter has released its annual list of the most popular tweets on the platform, and in a year when so much coverage of the US president, Donald Trump, has been dominated by his Twitter activity, it is his predecessor Barack Obama who dominates.Obama’s tweet quoting Nelson Mandela, stating “no one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion ...” had more than 1.7m retweets and was the second most popular tweet of the year. It was tweeted on 13 August after the death of the anti-fascist protester Heather Heyer at Charlottesville.

Comedian Marcia Belsky’s 30 day ban for response to misogynistic abuse directed at friend prompts protest resulting in hundreds of suspensionsIn the wake of the multiple sexual harassment and abuse scandals across the globe, Facebook has been suspending women for “hate speech” against men after posting variations of the phrase “men are scum”.

With Facebook snapping at his heels, the Snap Inc founder needs to offer something more than selfies with a dog’s ears. He explains why his relaunched app could have the answer to fake news and filter bubblesIf you spend enough time in the tech industry, certain cultural touchstones become familiar. The sprawling virtual metaverse of Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash, for instance, which was required reading for new product managers at Facebook, or the voice-activated computers of Star Trek, now referenced in a hidden “Easter egg” feature in Amazon’s Echo smart speakers.But Evan Spiegel is talking about art. As the 27-year-old founder and chief executive of Snap Inc – née Snapchat, after the company’s main product – references Damien Hirst’s latest exhibition in Venice, Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable, it becomes clear that Spiegel isn’t like other founders. Continue reading...

As harmful material continues to appear on sites like YouTube and Facebook, companies rely on journalists and citizens to flag it – and the system is failingThe viral YouTube videos featured screaming children being tortured, conspiracy theorists taunting mass shooting victims and webcam footage of young girls in revealing clothing. The disturbing clips drew millions of views and, up until recently, were continuing to spread on the site.Then, hours after reporters highlighted them to YouTube, asking for comment, the videos disappeared. Continue reading...

The company, which owns YouTube, has endured a stream of negative press over violent and offensive contentGoogle is hiring thousands of new moderators after facing widespread criticism for allowing child abuse videos and other violent and offensive content to flourish on YouTube.YouTube’s owner announced on Monday that next year it would expand its total workforce to more than 10,000 people responsible for reviewing content that could violate its policies. The news from YouTube’s CEO, Susan Wojcicki, followed a steady stream of negative press surrounding the site’s role in spreading harassing videos, misinformation, hate speech and content that is harmful to children. Continue reading...

Announcement comes after the European Commission in 2016 ruled that tax benefits received by the tech company were illegal under EU rulesThe Irish government has reached an agreement with Apple to start collecting the €13bn ($15bn) owed by the tech giant.“We have now reached agreement with Apple in relation to the principles and operation of the escrow fund,” finance minister Paschal Donohoe said in Brussels in quotes confirmed by Ireland’s finance ministry. Continue reading...

Local retailers face stiffer competition as worldwide online retailer opens up its full serviceAmazon has launched in Australia, ending months of speculation around the timing of when it would finally open its full offering Down Under and setting up a sales frenzy before Christmas.The e-commerce giant has already been selling Kindle e-reader devices, audio books and content from its Australian website but it has now activated its full-service local offering, featuring its own products and items sold by small local retailers. Continue reading...

The entrepreneurs sued Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg years ago, and they invested their (supposedly) meagre payouts wiselyName: Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss.Also known as: The Winklevii. Continue reading...

With changes to the UK driving test coming into effect on Monday, see how you would do if you had to re-sit a driving theory testThe UK’s driving test changes on Monday, with candidates now being required to demonstrate that they can follow the instructions of a sat-nav, and the period of independent driving during the test being doubled to 20 minutes. The number of rare road manoeuvres, such as reversing around a corner, has been reduced, and there will be an additional question about vehicle safety asked while driving. Examiners, unhappy that the changes may mean they have to work longer for no extra money, are planning to strike.Those wishing to pass their driving test must also still have passed a theory exam. See if you could still pass: Continue reading...

The tech giant’s new building will focus on engineering, and will also house LDN–LAB, a new scheme to nurture UK tech startupsFacebook will create 800 new jobs in London over the next year, increasing its UK workforce by more than 50%, as it opens a new office in the capital on Monday.

The cryptocurrency may not be a threat to the world economy, but that should not stop regulators from protecting investors from itSifting the Yukon river for gold was a waste of time for most of the 100,000 prospectors seeking to make themselves rich in the 1890s. The same can be said of the bitcoin miners who dream of striking it rich by getting their hands on some of the extremely lucrative and painfully elusive electronic currency.Relatively few people have managed to decipher the codes needed to extract bitcoins from the 21 million locked inside the mathematical problems set by its creator, the software engineer whose true identity is unknown but who goes by the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Continue reading...

In the spreadsheet world of executive transport, the ravishing new Giulia from Alfa Romeo offers a blast of passionPrice: from £28,979

The digital attack that brought Estonia to a standstill 10 years ago was the first shot in a cyberwar that has been raging between Moscow and the west ever sinceIt began at exactly 10pm on 26 April, 2007, when a Russian-speaking mob began rioting in the streets of Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, killing one person and wounding dozens of others. That incident resonates powerfully in some of the recent conflicts in the US. In 2007, the Estonian government had announced that a bronze statue of a heroic second world war Soviet soldier was to be removed from a central city square. For ethnic Estonians, the statue had less to do with the war than with the Soviet occupation that followed it, which lasted until independence in 1991. For the country’s Russian-speaking minority – 25% of Estonia’s 1.3 million people – the removal of the memorial was another sign of ethnic discrimination. Russia’s government warned that the statue’s removal would be “disastrous” for Estonia.That evening, Jaan Priisalu – a former risk manager for Estonia’s largest bank, Hansabank, who was working closely with the government on its cybersecurity infrastructure – was at home in Tallinn with his girlfriend when his phone rang. On the line was Hillar Aarelaid, the chief of Estonia’s cybercrime police. Continue reading...

The Kremlin uses cyberspace for ‘espionage, disruption and influence’, says Ciaran Martin in letter to government departmentsGovernment departments have been warned against using antivirus software made by technology firms with links to Russia amid concerns over national security.

Tech company’s lawyers say it should not have to provide data on how men and women are compensated, as judge appears to take firm’s side on key issuesGoogle is resisting a legal request to disclose salary records in a class-action gender discrimination lawsuit, marking the technology company’s latest efforts to prevent scrutiny of how much it pays its female employees.Google attorneys argued in court on Friday that a judge should block a suit brought by former employees alleging systematic pay disparities on behalf of all women at the company. The company is also arguing that it should not have to provide information on the salaries of men and women or disclose wage policy documents until a first ruling on the class-action status. Continue reading...

One false move, and you could be swamped by the conversation from hell. Dos and don’ts for the eight groups you’re probably avoiding right nowIt’s funny how quickly apps have become shorthand for everyday tasks: we now go on “Tinder dates”, a takeaway is “a Deliveroo”, taxis give way to “getting an Uber”. And when it comes to sharing confidences and keeping in touch, we’re all WhatsApping. The preposterously named app, which sounds like an unwelcome thumbs-up across the dance floor, has become the preferred method of communication for 1.2 billion of us – leaving emails, texts and (obviously) face-to-face conversation in the dust.WhatsApp’s main plus – and quite a big minus, if you think about it – is that anyone can use it. It’s free, and makes chatting in a group really easy – almost too easy, in fact, as you spend half your time being added to random groups and trying desperately to catch up and decipher their in-jokes. Leaving is not an option unless you want to be accused of flouncing. There are unwritten rules waiting to catch you out. Continue reading...

Voice-control devices that can play music, answer questions and buy goods are one of the hottest gifts this Christmas. Here’s what they can do – and our pick of the best buysSmart speakers are set to be the hottest Christmas gift this year. On Black Friday, Amazon dropped the price of its core Echo product to £79 (it is back up to £90 now), while Google slashed the cost of its Home device from £129 to £77.50 at most outlets (it is also back up now). Meanwhile, Apple is promising to launch its version, HomePod, although the price point is rumoured to be significantly higher.With the pre-Christmas launch of the Echo Show, which ups Alexa’s game with a built-in screen, are they the next must-have device? A simple voice command can fill your room with music – and change tunes whenever you wish. They will answer questions on a vast range of topics, set alarms, tell you the weather and what your commute holds in store. Some can order almost any goods over the internet for delivery within hours or days. Hooked up with other devices, they turn lights on and off and control the heating. But they have also been accused of making fake purchases and snooping on your conversations. Continue reading...

The new top-end Kindle is an indulgent purchase, but with added water resistance and other refinements it’s still the one to beatAmazon’s new top-end e-reader is now water resistant, but is the all aluminium Kindle Oasis still the luxury option to buy?While the original Kindle Oasis was a big step forward in e-reader design, the 2017 Oasis is more of a refinement with fewer of the compromises made last year for fit and form. Continue reading...

There are moments of hilarity in this fascinating and bleak documentary, which explored just how close humans and machines are going to getIf you’ve ever wondered what a life-sized mechanical sex toy called Harmony looks like reciting the lyrics to Thriller with all the passion of Alexa ordering the shopping, then The Sex Robots Are Coming (Channel 4) has got it covered. This fascinatingly bleak documentary explored the question of just how close humans and machines are going to get, and looks at the burgeoning sex robot industry, which one day hopes to create life-like rubber women who will talk and show pre-programmed emotions, but only if they are more obedient, passive and pliable than the irritatingly free-willed real thing.This was by turns hilarious and upsetting, as perplexing as it was educational. The Californian RealDoll company is on a quest to make a realistic sex robot. It already sells RealDolls for people to have their wicked way with, and though it has an eye-watering male model, 80% of customers want a female doll. The company’s founder, Matt McMullan, explains that he initially conceived of the project as art. Mmmhmm. And the customers only want a life-sized doll with a realistic vagina, so they can put dresses on it and do its makeup. Continue reading...

Change is one of several to snooper’s charter law proposed by ministers in attempt to comply with European court rulingSenior police officers are to lose the power to self-authorise access to personal phone and web browsing records under a series of late changes to the snooper’s charter law proposed by ministers in an attempt to comply with a European court ruling on Britain’s mass surveillance powers.Related: UK intelligence agencies face surveillance claims in European court Continue reading...

Emergency patch for bug that allowed anyone to take control of a Mac running macOS High Sierra prevented some users from sharing filesIn its haste to fix the macOS High Sierra bug that allowed anyone to take control of a Mac computer with a blank password, Apple broke file sharing for some users.

Colin’s old laptop has a faulty motherboard. If he junks it or sells it, how can he erase the data that’s still on the hard drive?I am unable to power on my Acer laptop, and the technician says the motherboard is faulty. I am planning to sell it. Will the buyer be able to retrieve my data after changing the motherboard? If so, how do I erase it? ColinIf you are literally scrapping an old PC or laptop, you should either remove the hard drive or destroy it to protect your data. People have been known to scavenge hard drives from tips and retrieve sensitive personal, medical and financial information.

Eugene Kaspersky, head of Kaspersky Labs, hits out at FBI, media and government actors he claims organised a smear campaignEugene Kaspersky, chief executive and co-founder of the embattled Russian cybersecurity firm that bears his name, believes his company is at the centre of a “designed and orchestrated attack” to destroy its reputation.Over a short period in the summer of 2017, Kaspersky Labs was the subject of multiple media reports alleging that the company had helped Russian intelligence agencies spy on the US, a number of FBI raids on staff members, and a nationwide ban on the use of its software by federal government agencies. Continue reading...

Lawsuit claims tech firm bypassed iPhone default privacy settings between June 2011 and February 2012, affecting 5.4m peopleMore than 5 million people in the UK could be entitled to compensation from Google if a class action against the internet giant for allegedly harvesting personal data is successful.A group led by the former executive director of consumer body Which?, Richard Lloyd, and advised by City law firm Mischon de Reya claims Google unlawfully collected personal information by bypassing the default privacy settings on the iPhone between June 2011 and February 2012. Continue reading...

London mayor Sadiq Khan says ride-hailing service must take action after ‘catastrophic’ incidentUber has admitted that 2.7 million people in the UK were affected by a 2016 security breach that compromised customers’ information, including names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers.The ride-hailing company had previously disclosed that 57 million people worldwide were affected by a breach that it covered up for more than a year. Continue reading...

Bank of England and Fed officials say cryptocurrency is too small to threaten world economy amid warnings of bubble

World’s largest shipbroker follows large corporations including Deloitte, Yahoo and Equifax in falling victim to cyber-attackShipping company Clarksons is bracing for a tranche of private data to be released, after refusing to pay a ransom to a hacker who staged a “criminal attack” on its computer systems.In a statement to the stock market, the world’s largest shipbroker said it was working with specialist police and contacting customers who may have been affected after a “cybersecurity incident”. Continue reading...

Internet providers seized a tool built at public expense, privatized it, and sold it back to us for profit. Repealing net neutrality will only make it worse

Telecom regulator of world’s second largest internet market says it opposes ‘discriminatory treatment’ of internet trafficIndia’s communications regulator has endorsed net neutrality for the world’s second largest internet market in its latest recommendations.After more than 12 months of consultations, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said it opposed “discriminatory treatment” of internet traffic, denying carriers the ability to charge more for data packages that include the use of apps such as Facebook and WhatsApp. Continue reading...

Apple provides emergency fix for flaw that allows access to secure preferences with username ‘root’ and subsequent bypass of lock screenA serious security flaw was found in the latest version of Apple’s macOS High Sierra that could allow anyone to access locked settings on a Mac using the user name “root” and no password, and subsequently unlock the computer.The security flaw, discovered a couple of weeks ago and disclosed in an Apple developer support forum, has been shown to work within the software’s user preferences screen, among other locations. Once triggered, the same combination will also bypass the lock screen of Macs running Apple’s latest operating system. Continue reading...

Fascinatingly and worryingly, people quickly accept and open up to the AI therapist. Plus, How to Spend It Well at Christmas with Phillip Schofield causes early-onset EbenezersHayley and Ronnie, and their two boys Ben and James, have come to see Jess to talk about some of their family issues. The main concern seems to be mum Hayley’s weight: she’s 5’4” and weighs 133kg (20st 13lb). She won’t go and watch Ben play rugby because she’s worried he will be embarrassed.Jess gets Hayley to talk her through her diet; what kind of food she eats, how many takeaways they get, etc. Hayley lies about it, Jess tells her she’s lying, the boys giggle. Jess can be pretty direct, brutal even, but she has got the facts and figures on her side to back her up. Jess likes facts and figures. Continue reading...

Many manufacturers have replaced the traditional manual handbrake with a switch controlling a powered brake, which depends on both battery power and software, writes Greg ConwayProfessor Martyn Thomas (Letters, 27 November) makes a powerful case for great caution in introducing “driverless” cars. Many manufacturers have replaced the traditional manual handbrake with a switch controlling a powered brake, which depends on both battery power and software. The handbrake was always the last resort when there was no other means of stopping a car. Now that will no longer be available. Of equal concern, if the handbrake software was hacked and switched on while the car was moving fast, it would crash catastrophically. When our new car was being explained to us last year, the salesman said “do not switch on the handbrake when moving except in an extreme emergency; it has no graded response, it is either on or off”. And what happens if the battery goes flat?

The Tesla boss responded to a ‘not true’ Medium post claiming he is the creator of the cryptocurrency who has never been conclusively identifiedElon Musk is a lot of things. Billionaire, space adventurer, transport revolutionary, but not, he says, the inventor of Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency coin that crossed the $10,000 valuation threshold early on Tuesday.Related: Bitcoin nears $10,000 mark as hedge funds plough in Continue reading...

Social media giants tell Commons watchdog they will hand over information about Russian activity in coming weeksFacebook and Twitter have agreed to hand over some information relating to the reach of Russian-backed posts during the Brexit referendum, according to the House of Commons media watchdog.Damian Collins, the chair of parliament’s digital, culture, media and sport committee, said he believed the information would give the UK a better idea of whether Russia tried to influence the vote on leaving the EU. Continue reading...

Yale University’s Privacy Lab using research to call on developers and Google ‘for increased transparency into privacy and security practice’More than three in four Android apps contain at least one third-party “tracker”, according to a new analysis of hundreds of apps.The study by French research organisation Exodus Privacy and Yale University’s Privacy Lab analysed the mobile apps for the signatures of 25 known trackers, which use various techniques to glean personal information about users to better target them for advertisements and services. Continue reading...

Users reported seeing ‘s*x with your kids’ and other variants after entering phrase ‘how to have’ on Google-owned siteYouTube is investigating reports that its autofill search features are suggesting “profoundly disturbing” child abuse terms.Users reported seeing auto-suggestions of “s*x with your kids” and other variants after entering the phrase “how to have” in the search box on the Google-owned site. Experts have speculated that the search terms – several of which use the asterisked word “s*x” – may have been deliberately aimed at embarrassing the site, avoiding YouTube’s filters for terms such as “sex”. Continue reading...