Month: February 2021
Tech Digest daily round up: TikTok settles facial recognition lawsuit
TikTok has agreed to pay $92m (£66m) to settle a lawsuit accusing it of misusing artificial intelligence to track and store users' data, writes the BBC. A group challenge alleged it breached laws by using software to recognise facial features in user videos and algorithms to identify age, gender and ethnicity. It also alleged that…
COVID-19 made school kids more interested in STEM, survey reveals
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a generation of schoolchildren interested in a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), research has revealed. A survey of 1,000 kids aged 11-17 revealed 83 per cent have been learning about the pandemic by watching the news - with 71 per cent asking their parents about the virus…
UK Government ‘long way to go’ to achieve EV targets
The government still "has a long way to go" to achieve its aim of transforming the car market to selling only 100 per cent electric vehicles (EVs) within 15 years. That's the verdict of the UK's public spending watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO), in its latest report, Reducing Carbon Emissions From Cars. In November…
Volvo rolls out software updates on XC40 Recharge
Volvo Cars is rolling out its first-ever over-the-air (OTA) software updates on the XC40 Recharge, the company’s first fully electric car. Starting soon, XC40 Recharge drivers in Europe will receive a range of updates, including new features and improvements to the car’s infotainment and propulsion systems. The introduction of OTA updates means that customers no…
9 in 10 Brits are ‘second screeners’ – watching TV and using phone at same time
Nine in 10 Brits are avid ‘second screeners’ - using a phone or tablet while also watching TV. A study of 2,000 adults found that of those who are glued to another screen while watching a film or TV show, more than a quarter like to message others about what they are viewing. Almost one…
Smartphones could help to prevent glaucoma blindness
Smartphones could be used to scan people’s eyes for early-warning signs of glaucoma – helping to prevent severe ocular diseases and blindness, a new study reveals. Some of the most common eye-related diseases are avoidable and display strong risk factors before onset, but it is much harder to pinpoint a group of people at risk…
Tech Digest daily round up: Facebook ‘sells Amazon rainforest illegally’
Parts of Brazil's Amazon rainforest are being sold illegally on Facebook, the BBC has discovered. The protected areas include national forests and land reserved for indigenous peoples. Some of the plots listed via Facebook's classified ads service are as large as 1,000 football pitches. Facebook said it was "ready to work with local authorities", but…
Three types of betting bonuses that you won’t find on many gambling sites
Due to the rapid growth of the iGaming industry, bettors can avail themselves of various sports and casino bonuses. This is one of the easiest ways for a gambling operator to attract new customers. That’s why almost every betting site has a lucrative welcome promo that provides loads of bonus funds. Besides the common offers…
That Peter Crouch Podcast is UK’s favourite sports podcast
The That Peter Crouch Podcast is officially the UK’s favourite sports podcast, brand new research reveals. The show, which has recently returned for a fifth series, is the most popular sporting podcast across Apple, Spotify and online interest at the start of 2021 in a study that also revealed how Spotify is the UK's top…
Tech Digest daily round up: Joby Aviation to go public
A flying car maker is going public with a $6.6bn valuation in a deal with a company created by the founders of LinkedIn and Zynga. California-based Joby Aviation is a leader in the fast-growing world of electrically powered vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft that could transform air transport. Joby is combining with Reinvent Technology…