Technology | The Guardian

US tech firm has stepped up lobbying efforts with $3.5m charm offensive to persuade EU to drop punitive action over alleged abuse of monopoly positionGoogle enlisted members of the US congress, whose election campaigns it had funded, to pressure the European Union to drop a €6bn antitrust case which threatens to decimate the US tech firm’s business in Europe.The coordinated effort by senators and members of the House of Representatives, as well as by a congressional committee, formed part of a sophisticated, multimillion-pound lobbying drive in Brussels, which Google has significantly ramped up as it fends off challenges to its dominance in Europe. Continue reading...

Labour MP backs Reclaim the Internet campaign and compares fight against online abuse to past struggle to ensure domestic violence is taken seriouslySexist online abuse should become as outdated and unacceptable as making jokes about domestic violence, Labour’s Yvette Cooper has said.The MP, who is backing a campaign called Reclaim the Internet, said institutions, political parties and social media platforms should not tolerate aggressive misogynist behaviour by their members. Continue reading...

Retail ombudsman says items should be returned and vendors can be held liable under Consumer Protection ActBritain’s biggest retailers have recalled hoverboards after the government told consumers to think twice about buying them as Christmas gifts and new figures showed that a large number of unsafe devices have been shipped to the UK.A spokesman for National Trading Standards said that of over 38,000 devices inspected between 15 October and the end of last week, more than 32,000 were deemed unsafe. Several hoverboards are known to have exploded or caught fire around the world. Continue reading...

Britain is supposed to have some of the tightest laws on offensive weapons and firearms in the world. But if you know what you’re looking for, there’s an illegal arsenal just a click away on Amazon.co.uk. Among the items offered for sale we found guns, banned weapons and other dangerous items. Amazon will even giftwrap them for you Continue reading...

The Guardian was able to purchase a pepper pistol, a concealed stabbing device and a stun gun – all illegal to sell in the UK – over the popular online retailerThe Guardian Angel II is advertised for sale on Amazon.co.uk as a “handy animal deterrent model gun”, priced at £36.73, dispatched and sold by Amazon itself. Continue reading...

US studio attempt to get details of thousands of Australians accused of illegal downloading is terminated over ‘unrealistic’ proposal for claiming paymentA landmark bid by a US studio to access the private details of thousands of Australians accused of illegally downloading the film Dallas Buyers Club has been dismissed by the federal court.Justice Nye Perram on Wednesday made an order to terminate the proceedings on 11 February after rejecting the latest proposed method by Voltage Pictures to deal with the more than 4,700 internet users it claimed had pirated the 2013 film. The studio can appeal the decision before then. Continue reading...

The place to talk about games and other things that matterIt’s Wednesday! Continue reading...

Leave the old property game in the cupboard where it belongs, with options from a lighthearted matching game to saving humanity from a deadly pandemicChristmas is here! And so too is the time of year when families across the nation drag out their one dusty copy of Monopoly, play it for half an hour before realising Monopoly is a bit crap, and then watch as the game drags on for another three hours before a drunk uncle storms off in outrage after losing their final property to a precocious five-year-old.

Even as prominent free speech advocate is put on trial for online posts, president says governments must respect citizens’ right to exchange ideasChinese citizens should have the right to speak their minds on the internet, president Xi Jinping has claimed, just two days after a prominent free speech advocate was put on trial for sending seven tweets.

Around 120 were let go from the Júarez Lexmark plant after striking, and layoffs suggest collusion between the company and state governmentPrinter and software giant Lexmark has fired dozens of workers from its factory in the Mexican city of Ciudad Júarez after they demanded a pay rise of $0.35 per day.

Dido Harding, chief executive, says she doesn’t know if Cyber Essentials is a sufficient benchmark for protectionThe huge hack on TalkTalk could not have been fully prevented, even if the company had been accredited by Cyber Essentials, a government-backed scheme to help organisations protect themselves against digital attacks, telcoms company’s chief executive said.In October, hackers obtained the details of nearly 157,000 TalkTalk customers, 15,000 of which had their bank details accessed. It was the third in a spate of similar attacks affecting the telecommunications company in the past year, with incidents in December 2014 and August 2015 also resulting in customers’ data being stolen. Continue reading...

The place to talk about games and other things that matterIt’s Tuesday. Continue reading...

Investors react to reports that UK government could take over firm’s nuclear submarine power arm or force it to merge with BAE SystemsConcerns are growing over the future of Rolls-Royce after it emerged the government has drawn up contingency plans to nationalise part of the power systems engineering firm if the crisis facing it worsens.Shares in Rolls fell on Monday as investors digested reports that the government could nationalise the company’s nuclear submarine business or force it to merge with defence manufacturer BAE Systems. Continue reading...

City council set to vote on legislation that would allow on-demand drivers to bargain their future contract and paySeattle drivers working for taxi-hailing apps Uber and Lyft could get an early Christmas present on Monday when the city council is set to vote on whether to let them unionize. If the legislation were to pass, these on-demand drivers would be able to collectively bargain their future contract and pay. Continue reading...

Drama starring Michael Shannon drama as a dad on the run from extremists joins biopic of legendary editor Max Perkins, played by Colin FirthThe Berlin film festival has released details of a clutch of new titles in its competition and special sections to join the already announced opening film Hail, Caesar!Among the films having their world premiere on the Potsdamer Platz is Midnight Special, a thriller by Jeff “Mud” Nichols, which sees the director reunited with regular collaborator Michael Shannon. Shannon, who played a man haunted by apocalyptic visions in Nichols’ 2011 film Take Shelter, here takes the role of a father who goes on the run with his son, whose extrasensory powers make him a target of government agents and extremists. Continue reading...

High-profile names including Olympic gold medallist Jade Jones will promote campaign designed to highlight the difficulty in finding an organ matchYoung people hoping for a date on Tinder will be exposed to a different kind of match over the next fortnight after the popular app joined up with the NHS to raise awareness about organ donation.Users who swipe right to match three high-profile personalities involved in The Wait campaign will be reminded of the delay many face when trying to find a suitable organ match and will be encouraged to register as potential donors.

Social media company emails more than 20 users, warning them they may have been targeted by hackers ‘possibly associated with a government’

Vandals smash glass, throw paint and spray ‘Facebook dislike’ on entrance of social network’s building in northern German cityVandals have damaged the entrance to a building in Hamburg that houses the offices of social network Facebook, smashing glass, throwing paint and spraying “Facebook dislike” on a wall, according to police in the northern German city.Police said in a statement on Sunday that the overnight attack was carried out by a group of 15-20 people wearing black clothes and hoods. An investigation has been launched. Facebook was not immediately available to comment. Continue reading...

Singer breaks news on Instagram at end of world tour, saying he is taking a sabbatical from ‘seeing the world through a screen’With 16 million Twitter followers and 5.5 million subscribers on Instagram, he is one of the most avidly monitored British celebrities on social media. But Ed Sheeran has decided to shun “seeing the world through a screen”, and announced that he is quitting all social media until next autumn at least.The singer broke the news on Instagram, but apparently will not be in a position to read the tens of thousands of comments: he claims that he is even giving up his phone. Sheeran announced his withdrawal from social media at the end of a world tour promoting his second album, X, saying that although he was travelling the world, he wasn’t actually seeing it. Continue reading...

Whether you’re a hardcore tabletop strategist or looking for something to enjoy with the family, here are the best festive afternoon distractionsNothing says “festive” quite like gathering round a board game, still the ideal gift to bring the family together for Christmas in loved ones’ company through the mediums of escapism and nonsensical arguments. And 2015 has been another superb year for interesting, quality tabletop gaming.One of the best for stoking a little seasonal togetherness is the new Ghostbusters game (right), based on the original films. Here you’ll find a wealth of plastic ghouls and heroes, who are the stars of this cooperative, scenario-based game. That means an experience you tackle as a group, undertaking various chapters of a story in separate sessions around an hour in length. Ghostbusters: The Board Game deftly captures the theme and tone of its source material, and excels in keeping all players involved. Assuming the roles of different characters with various strengths, team-mates will have to work together to prosper, in an experience that stands as a highlight of recent cooperative releases, and is lively and light-hearted. Continue reading...

Star Wars fans will appreciate the Nissan Juke’s styling – and the top of the range Nismo RS has the performance to matchPrice: £21,650

A tough, well-built and well-priced mountain bike for fearless pros and fretful amateursStamped on the downtube of this MTB is the name Joe Murray. He was a US pioneer in the sport of hurtling down mountains on specially built bikes. He won dozens of races over a 10-year career before going on to focus on design. The hardtail VooDoo Bizango 29er, one of Halfords’ bestsellers, comes from his stable.For the price, you get an astonishingly sturdy, lightweight and agile beast. Front air forks by Suntour Raidon matched with giant knobbly 29in Maxxis tyres destroy the toughest of tracks and trails, while the slick 20-speed Shimano Deore drivetrain means you’ll actually be able to cycle uphill, too. The lime paint job does take some getting used to, but the handling, spec quality and sheer rideability of this go-anywhere bike will win you over from the start (halfords.com). Continue reading...

Mass timber projects in Portland and New York City offer eco-friendly dwellings, but can ‘plywood on steroids’ actually catch on in the industry?The concrete jungle has a rival: forests. Two urban building projects, in New York City and Portland, Oregon, will be changing their city’s skylines with an environmentally sustainable, cost-competitive building material. The key ingredient? Wood.Related: Wood replaces concrete in eco-friendly building projects – in pictures Continue reading...

If your French doesn’t go beyond bonjour, you can still enjoy a night at a Parisian theatre thanks to new glasses that provide simultaneous translationsIt’s Saturday night at Le Comédia theatre in central Paris and I’m staring at the stage through square plastic glasses. While the actors in the musical Mistinguett, Reine des Années Folles sing boisterously in French, the words appear simultaneously in English on a small screen in the right-hand lens. Though it’s not the same as watching the show unfettered, I find it surprisingly easy to follow the translated dialogue along with the action.For visitors to the city who like the theatre but don’t speak French, new augmented-reality glasses, launched this week by Theatre in Paris, open up the choice of evening entertainment, and there are plans to introduce them at a variety of shows next year. Continue reading...

Site developer says Transport for London lawyer asked for deletion because some people use it to fake noticeboards with ‘racially offensive messages’A parody website allowing users to make a fake “handwritten” London Underground sign has been taken down because Transport for London was concerned it was being used to circulate racist messages.Yorkshire-based developer Tim Waters tweeted on Thursday that he had been asked by TfL to delete the website due to concerns that people believed the images were real. Continue reading...

Graffiti on wall of ‘the Jungle’ camp in Calais depicts late Apple founder’s background as son of Syrian migrant

Carmaker plans to launch 13 eco-friendly vehicles by 2020 as regulators call for lower emissions and tech companies encroach on marketFord is to invest $4.5bn (£3bn) in electric vehicles over the next five years as part of a push by global carmakers to overhaul their product range.The US company will launch 13 eco-friendly vehicles by 2020, meaning that 40% of its models will come in an electric version, up from 13%. Continue reading...

The developer’s imprisonment is a sign that technologists are being targeted along with journalists and human rights lawyersSyria never had a hackerspace until Bassel Khartabil – known online as Bassel Sudafi – started Aiki Lab in Damascus in 2010. The Palestinian-Syrian open-source software developer used it as a base from which to advanced the free software and free culture movements in his country. Because of Khartabil’s work, people gained new tools to express themselves and communicate.

Surviving in the post-apocalyptic wasteland is no longer enough – you also need a nice place to live. We can help you build itIn a lot of ways Fallout 4 feels very familiar to its predecessor – you’re still wandering a ruined US shooting mutants and collecting stuff. However, one significant improvement is the ability to tidy up parts of this disorderly wasteland and make them liveable. Popular with players who like simulation and resource management games, and compulsory if your chosen path through the main plot involves siding with the Minutemen, settlement building is a major part of Bethesda’s newest role-playing adventure.However, while the system is impressive, the interface is fiddly. If you find yourself several hours into the game and wanting to rebuild your first few hamlets from scratch, you may have a laborious process ahead. Continue reading...

Spoiler alert: series of brainteasers and codes put online by spy agency to ‘exercise grey matter over holiday period’ has nearly been solved after one dayPerhaps being one of the country’s leading cryptologists isn’t so difficult after all.When a mysterious puzzle was posted on the website of the government spy agency GCHQ on Wednesday, its creators presumably hoped it would continue to fox recipients well into the festive season. Continue reading...

US consumers paying most for services, with British customers choosing separate providers making best savings, according to Ofcom researchUK and French consumers are getting some of the best deals for TV, internet and mobile services, while those in the US are paying the most, according to research on the UK, Italy, France, Germany and the US by Ofcom.

Hacktivists claim to have crashed Shinzo Abe’s website in protest at Japan’s Antarctic mission to kill whales for ‘research’Hackers have claimed to have disabled the website of the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, in protest at his country’s decision to resuming its whaling programme in the Southern ocean, in defiance of international opinion.

Company chief tells users case is not designed for people who charge their phone every day, and that lump is a design featureThe reason the Apple Smart Battery Case has a bulbous lump on the back of it is because you shouldn’t need it on all the time, according to chief executive Tim Cook.

Software was only available for five days before being taken offline by a temporary restraining order in October

The place to talk about games and other things that matterIt’s Thursday. Continue reading...

Facebook founder says Muslims are always welcome following row over Donald Trump saying they should be banned from entering the US

James Comey says makers should have keys to encrypted devices as he points to growing difficulty of law enforcement at hearing on San Bernardino shootingFBI director James Comey called on tech companies to create backdoor access to their users’ data on Wednesday, arguing it was necessary to tackle everything from terrorism to child kidnapping.In a hearing about the San Bernardino massacre, Comey said keys to encrypted devices should be held by device manufacturers “so that they could comply with judicial orders”. Continue reading...

Australian Craig Wright could be the mysterious Bitcoin creator. But the same thing has been said about others before – the currency is bigger than one personCraig Wright, an Australian academic, might be the secret creator of cryptocurrency bitcoin, unmasked by an anonymous hacker after seven years in the shadows. Or he might be the target – maybe even the perpetrator – of one of the most meticulous hoaxes of the internet age.And yet, amazingly, whichever is true, the result is likely to have only the smallest effect on the future of bitcoin. The currency is now bigger than its creator, who hasn’t been openly involved since 2010, and decentralised governance is built into the very core of bitcoin, often to a fault. Continue reading...

Struggling tech company announces ‘reverse spin’ that involves keeping Alibaba and spinning itself into a separate publicly traded holding companyYahoo has abandoned plans to sell its $31bn stake in Chinese e-commerce business Alibaba, announcing instead that it would be keeping Alibaba and getting rid of everything else.CEO Marissa Mayer and chairman of the company’s board Maynard Webb called the process a “reverse spin” in a conference call with investors on Wednesday. Rather than spin off one division, Yahoo will spin itself off into a separate, publicly traded holding company that will contain Yahoo’s core business and its stake in Yahoo Japan.

Tech company ditches plan to offload stake in Chinese e-commerce giant and will consider spinning off mail, news and ad services into a new business

Staff will not get in trouble for their descriptions of Republican presidential candidate on social media, says Ben Smith

Algerian Mourad Mosdefaoui, who was living in Edinburgh, regrets ‘naive’ posts and has since come to oppose terror group, lawyer saysAn Algerian man who posted messages in support of Islamic State on Facebook has been jailed for two years.Mourad Mosdefaoui, 34, who entered the UK seven years ago and had been living in Edinburgh, put three posts on Facebook from September 2014 to March 2015 celebrating the group and their terrorist acts. Continue reading...

If you want to get a ride from one pre-arranged location along a fixed route to another pre-arranged location, but don’t want to get a bus, UberHop is for youMinicab company Uber has launched a new service in Seattle which allows riders to save money and time by waiting for their cab in a pre-arranged location, sharing it with strangers, and being dropped off at any point along a predetermined route.It’s a bus. Uber has launched a bus. Albeit a car-sized bus. Continue reading...

It may be visually striking, but King’s College’s Alana Harris found Ubisoft’s game seriously lacking: ‘If we’re liberating poor children, what are we liberating them to?’

Parents complained after adverts featuring naked women appeared in the My Talking Tom game

Report claims Coldplay were in line to be the first artist to benefit from change in policy on music-streaming serviceSpotify is reviewing its policy of not allowing musicians to reserve their albums for paying subscribers only, making the music inaccessible to the music-streaming service’s free users.Since its launch in 2008, the company has maintained a policy of all its music being available to both free and paying users, with the strategy one of the main reasons Spotify fell out so publicly with Taylor Swift in 2014. Continue reading...

Police search the Sydney home of Australian entrepreneur and academic, Craig Wright, who tech publications had claimed hours earlier was key to creation of cryptocurrency and could be figure known as Satoshi Nakamoto. Australian police confirmed the search was linked to the Australian Taxation Office but said the matter was unrelated to media reporting on bitcoin Continue reading...

The place to talk about games and other things that matterIt’s Wednesday. Continue reading...

Separate investigations by US tech publications suggest an Australian could be at the heart of the cryptocurrency and may even be ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’. How certain are the claims – and why was he raided by police on Tuesday?Craig Wright has been named as one of the mystery men who could be behind the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Both Gizmodo and Wired published investigations on Wednesday alleging he was the previously anonymous founder of the currency, known by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.But without an admission from Wright, these claims are based largely on documents that have not yet been verified. On Wednesday it also emerged the New York Times decided not to pursue the story. Reporter Nathaniel Popper tweeted that while the emails were convincing, he thought Wright “didn’t match” because of his writing and personality. Continue reading...

Microblogging company confirms it is conducting ‘experiment’ whereby posts no longer appear with the most recent at the topTwitter has confirmed on Tuesday it is testing a new format for tweets that sorts them by presumed relevance, rather than in reverse chronological order.Related: Twitter is replacing favourites with likes – but does anyone heart it? Continue reading...