Emojis should be more biodiverse, Honda e to be killed off
Emojis should better reflect the breadth of biodiversity on planet Earth, scientists have said. The library is too skewed towards animals like 🦁, 🐯, and 🐻 (oh my), according to a study in the iScience journal, leaving plants, fungi, and microorganisms underrepresented. Biologists who carried out the research said the icons were now such a…
Review: Kia EV9 £65,000 electric vehicle
The Kia EV9 at Eilean Donan castle in the Scottish Highlands. Despite the icy conditions the electric vehicle handled the roads very impressively Despite being a big beast, the Kia EV9 is a smashing electric SUV. Perfect for those with large families and offering a five-star safety rating. It also handles…
EU agrees law on AI regulation, 11th generation iPad due in 2024
European Union officials have reached a provisional deal on the world's first comprehensive laws to regulate the use of artificial intelligence. After 36 hours of talks, negotiators agreed rules around AI in systems like ChatGPT and facial recognition. The European Parliament will vote on the AI Act proposals early next year, but any legislation will…
Everything You Need To Know About Mine Games
Mine games have provided online casino enthusiasts with a new type of experience that closely resembles one of the classic PC games to have ever been created: Minesweeper. Those who do not have knowledge of how to play these games may find them overwhelming to begin with, but they can be simple to understand once…
Mobile phone companies face £3 billion legal claim, UK watchdog in fresh Microsoft row
Vodafone, EE, Three and O2 are facing a "£3bn-plus" class action claim that alleges they used their market dominance to overcharge on up to 28.2 million UK mobile phone contracts. The four largest network operators are accused of penalising loyal customers - meaning they paid more than new customers for the same services. Many contracts…
BBC licence fee to rise 6.7% after 2 year freeze
The BBC licence fee will rise by £10.50 to £169.50 a year from next April, culture secretary Lucy Frazer has confirmed, after a two-year freeze. The household payment, which funds much of the corporation’s operations, had been frozen at £159 and had been expected to rise in line with inflation next year. However, that increase, which,…
Facebook and Messenger chats to be automatically encrypted, Google unveils Gemini chatbot
All Facebook and Messenger chats will be encrypted automatically, parent company Meta has announced. Messages and calls protected by end-to-end-encryption (E2EE) can be read only by the sender and recipient. It has been possible to opt in to encrypted messages for years, but now it will become the default position. Critics, including UK police and…
IT workers clock up over 30 hours of overtime every month
84% of UK workers feel pressured to work additional hours to meet job demands. One in four Brits who work overtime is doing so without extra pay. The average Brit clocks up 23 hours of overtime each month. New research has revealed that 84% of Brits feel pressured to work overtime in their job role,…
Kia flagship EV9 awarded five star safety rating
Kia’s all-new EV9, which Tech Digest has been driving in Scotland for the last two days, has been awarded the maximum five-star safety rating following testing by Europe's independent safety organisation, Euro NCAP. The all-electric seven-seat SUV achieved the highest possible rating after being assessed in four categories. It achieved 84 per cent for adult…
OnePlus12 to come to UK in January, EE launches customised Apple TV box
We're very impressed by the OnePlus 12, which has now launched in China, and we hoped that it would be getting a UK and US release in the not too distant future. And now OnePlus has promised just that, confirming that the phone will be coming to both markets in early 2024. OnePlus hasn't committed to a definite…