UK’s Online Safety Bill finally becomes law
The Online Safety Act has today (Thursday 26 October) received Royal Assent, placing increased legal duties on social media platforms. The new laws take a zero-tolerance approach to protecting children from online harm, claims the UK Government, while empowering adults with more choices over what their children can see online. The Act places legal responsibility…
Rishi Sunak sets out pros and cons of AI ahead of next week’s summit
Artificial intelligence could help make it easier to build chemical and biological weapons, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned. What's more, in the worst-case scenario, society could lose all control over AI, preventing it from being switched off. And while the potential for harm is disputed, we must not "put our heads in the…
Birmingham most expensive UK city for commuting by car, report claims
Birmingham New Street station. Image: Chris Price A new study has found that Birmingham is the most expensive city to commute to by car - as staff spend up to 17% of their salary travelling in each month. The research, by business management software specialist, ECI Software Solutions, looked at the cost of…
WhatsApp is UK’s most popular messaging app as traditional texting declines
While mobile phone calls are still a popular way to keep in touch with friends and family, most adults would rather go without them for a day than forgo their favourite messaging apps, according to new research published by Ofcom. Online communication services like WhatsApp and Snapchat have become increasingly important to our daily lives.…
AI could increase risk of cyber-attacks, Apple TV+ price rise (again)
Artificial intelligence could increase the risk of cyber-attacks and erode trust in online content by 2025, a UK government report warns. The tech could even help plan biological or chemical attacks by terrorists, it says. But some experts have questioned whether the tech will evolve as predicted. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to highlight…
Number of EVs to ‘jump tenfold’ by 2030, Cruise driverless cabs banned from San Francisco
The number of electric cars will jump almost tenfold by the end of the decade as China continues to drive both production and adoption, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said. A new report from the IEA has predicted there will be roughly 220 million electric passenger vehicles on the road by 2030, up from…
Engineers fly 6.4m quadcopter drone, Tinder introduces Matchmaker option
Engineers at the University of Manchester have flown what they claim may be the biggest unmanned quadcopter drone yet built. The university says it is unaware of a bigger unmanned quadcopter, but there is no independent verification of the record. As the name suggests, quadcopters are drones with four propellers. The drone is made from…
Uber Balloon takes off in Turkey
© Uber / Kayra Sercan Çanakçı Uber is taking to the skies in Cappadocia, Turkey, launching hot air balloon rides via Uber Reserve. The sunrise hot air balloon trips will depart from Göreme, Cappadocia, taking riders on a 1.5 hour flight through the Göreme National Park, famed for its ethereal ‘fairy chimneys’ and grand…
Apple HomePod will have smart display, Web Summit boss steps down
(Image credit: Kosutami / X) Earlier this year we reported that Apple was working on a HomePod with a smart display in the top of the device – something that's been rumoured on and off since 2021. And now that very device has leaked. The image above was posted to X/Twitter by a user…
Majority of developers identify AI as main security challenge, claims report
78% of developers see generative AI as a challenge to data security. However, 83% of respondents note their organizations have already invested in AI technology to manage and/or analyze data. 68% of developers have used passkeys for work applications, yet only 36% believe FIDO2 and passkeys could replace passwords. Over half (54%) of developers spend…
