Category: News
UK ‘waters down’ switch to EVs, LinkedIn ‘too dull’ for Under 16s
The Government is poised to water down rules mandating the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) after a backlash from carmakers. Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, will announce a fast-track consultation on potential policy changes to the phase-out of petrol engines at an industry gathering on Tuesday, it is understood. The rethink comes after Mr Reynolds and…
Slowest broadband streets in UK revealed in new survey
Greenfields Road in Bishop Auckland is the UK’s slowest street The County Durham road came bottom with average broadband speeds of 0.35Mb - 2,634 times slower than Tynemouth Street, London, which boasts the fastest broadband speeds of 921.76Mb. Turnberry Crescent in Bridge of Don, Aberdeen is Scotland's slowest street; the B4570 in Ponthirwaun is Wales’…
Millions scammed online since tech giants pledged to tackle fraud
Millions of people have been scammed on platforms owned by tech giants since they signed a ‘world first’ pledge to do more to tackle online fraud, new Which? research has found. The consumer association is calling on the UK government to bring forward implementation of the Online Safety Act and fines for firms that fail…
Temu shares slump with China slowdown, Oppo Find X8 series launches globally
PDD Holdings, the Chinese owner of online shopping platforms Temu and Pinduoduo, has reported disappointing sales and profit as Chinese consumers continued to hold back amid an economic slowdown. US-listed shares of the e-commerce giant fell nearly 11% on Thursday following the announcement. It comes after PDD's main rivals in its home market, Alibaba and…
Bluesky boss unable to give correct age limit for platform, Google forced to sell Chrome browser?
The chief executive of the social media network Bluesky - which has exploded in popularity in recent weeks - was unable to give the correct age limit for users on the platform in an interview with the BBC. While speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Breakfast programme, Jay Graber wrongly said you needed to be…
‘Black November’ gets off to slow start for e-commerce, research shows
Online sales drop in the first two weeks of ‘Black November’ peak trading: -5.9% YoY and -3.9% YoY respectively Black Friday date shift (29th Nov 2024 vs 24th Nov 2023) complicates Year-on-Year comparisons Payday alignment could boost Black Friday sales later this month ‘Fake Friday’ confusion may trigger flurry of activity this Friday Health &…
Instagram to release algorithm reset feature, UK approves Google’s $2 billion Anthropic investment
Instagram is releasing a feature that will let users easily reset their algorithms, as the UK government strengthens its regulation of online safety. With the new reset feature, users can clear their recommended content from Explore, Reels and their feed, potentially reducing the amount of harmful content they are exposed to. It's all part of…
Supersonic first from Dawn Aerospace, Astro Bot leads Games Awards nominations
A civil plane has gone supersonic for the first time since Concorde, after a successful test flight in New Zealand. Dawn Aerospace's rocket-powered plane will eventually be used to launch satellites into orbit and give daily access to space, according to the company. "This achievement signifies a major step toward operational hypersonic travel and daily…
Roblox to ban Under 13s from messaging others, Google to launch ‘Shielded email’?
Roblox has announced it will block under-13s from messaging others on the online gaming platform as part of new efforts to safeguard children. Child users will not be able to send direct messages by default unless a verified parent or guardian gives them permission. Parents will also be able to view and manage their child's…
Amazon takes on Temu and Shein with Haul, Spotify guns for TikTok and YouTube
Amazon has launched a new outlet called Haul which caps the price of products on sale at $20 (£15.79), in an effort to take on low-cost retailers Temu and Shein. The online shopping giant unveiled Haul as a mobile-only experience available in its Shopping app for US customers on Wednesday. It says shoppers can expect…