Month: October 2019
Virgin Media switches on Gig1, Gigabit home broadband in Manchester
Virgin Media has switched on what it claims is the UK’s fastest gigabit home broadband services across Greater Manchester offering connectivity 26 times faster than the current local average. It is the second city to benefit from the company’s plan to bring gigabit speeds to nearly 15 million homes by the end of 2021 –…
Caroline Flack named most dangerous celebrity for UK online searches
Caroline Flack has been named the most dangerous celebrity name to search for online in the UK by leading cybersecurity firm McAfee. According to the latest report by anti-virus company McAfee, UK internet searches for the Love Island host generate results pointing to the riskiest of websites. Each year the firm evaluates which celebrities produce…
Facebook steps up anti-election meddling security in UK
Facebook has set out fresh commitments to protect elections from interference and misinformation should the UK go to the polls. But it maintains that it is not their responsibility to be “setting the rules of the game or calling the shots”. The social network said it will set up a dedicated operations centre if a…
Google to add open eyes detection to Pixel 4 face unlocking ‘in coming months’
Google has said a requirement for eyes to be open when using face unlocking on its Pixel 4 smartphone will be added “in the coming months”. The move is in response to concern from early testers of the new handset, after it emerged that face unlock worked with eyes closed, raising fears that it could…
Scientists develop ‘artificial skin’ to make mobile phones ticklish
Scientists have developed an “artificial skin” that they say can wrap around devices such as smartphones and make them ticklish. The prototype, which has been designed to look like and mimic human skin, responds to different forms of human contact such as tickling, caressing and pinching. Called Skin-On interface, it can be attached to mobile…
Google admits Pixel 4 Face Unlock works when eyes closed
Google has confirmed the Face Unlock system on its new Pixel 4 smartphone can allow access to the device even when the user has their eyes closed. Early testers of the phone, as well as security experts, have raised concerns it could lead to unauthorised access to the device. It has been suggested someone else…
First all-female spacewalk makes NASA history
The first ever all-female spacewalk has kicked off at the International Space Station (ISS). US astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir made history as they floated out of the orbiting space laboratory 12 minutes ahead of schedule at 12.38pm BST on October 18 to replace a faulty power unit. This is Ms Koch’s fourth spacewalk…
Not enough evidence obsessive gaming is clinically unhealthy, scientists say
There is little evidence to suggest that gaming addiction is a clinically unhealthy habit for young people, scientists claim, calling existing fears “exaggerated”. Researchers from Oxford University and Cardiff University believe obsessive gamers are likely to have underlying frustrations and wider psychosocial functioning issues away from consoles. After studying more than 1,000 players and their…
Facebook CEO refuses press questions at free expression event!
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has drawn criticism after restrictions were placed on news coverage of an event he was speaking at to promote free expression. Reporters were not allowed to ask questions after Mr Zuckerberg’s speech at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. The only questions that were allowed came from students and were filtered by…
Samsung fingerprint scanner unlocked with screen protector
Samsung has confirmed it is investigating a security flaw which could allow any fingerprint to unlock its Galaxy S10 when a third-party screen protector is used. The technology giant said it would issue a software patch to fix the issue. The flaw was first spotted by a British woman who found her husband was able…