Dutch e-bike company VanMoof goes bankrupt
Dutch electric bike manufacturer, VanMoof, has been declared bankrupt, prompting many to think the wheels have come off the pandemic cycling boom. The Amsterdam-headquartered company, whose minimal designs and high prices earned the company the nickname of the 'Tesla of e-bikes', saw its sales surge in the Covid era. However, it has now run out…
VW to showcase ID.Buzz ‘Glamper Van’ at PennFest 2023
Put your sunglasses on! Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is adding an extra sparkle to this festival season with the launch of the ID. Buzz Cargo-based ‘Glamper Van.’ The unique vehicle is wrapped in a multi-coloured design and transformed inside into an Instagram-friendly photobooth, lighting, and props. The camera features a makeover filter to help visitors capture…
Gallup poll: Americans fear cyberterrorism more than nuclear war
According to a Gallup poll on world affairs, cyberterrorism is regarded by a majority of Americans as the most pressing danger to the United States. A staggering 85% of respondents identified it as a "critical threat," surpassing all other concerns, the Atlas VPN team found. Results were based on telephone interviews with a random…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Snapchat’s Saudi Arabia ties questioned
Saudi Arabia appears to be exploiting the US messaging app Snapchat to promote the image of its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, while also imposing draconian sentences on influencers who use the platform to post even mild criticism of the future king. The California-based company, which last year agreed to a “collaboration” with the Saudi culture ministry, has…
Tech Digest roundup: Protecting British jobs from AI ‘will be a challenge’ warns taskforce head
Protecting British jobs will be a challenge as artificial intelligence systems become more advanced, the new head of the government's AI taskforce has told the BBC. Ian Hogarth said it was "inevitable" that more jobs would become increasingly automated. The whole world will have to rethink the way in which people work, he added. "There…
80 year old Olympian Jon Goodwin steps aboard Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic has announced that the first Private Astronaut Mission, ‘Galactic 02,’ will be crewed by Jon Goodwin, an 80-year-old Olympian and early Virgin Galactic ticket holder. Also on board will be as well as Keisha Schahaff and Anastatia Mayers, a Caribbean mother-daughter duo who won their seats in a sweepstake that raised funds for…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Self-driving vehicles could plug gap in public transport network
Self-driving vehicles could be used to bridge the gaps in the UK's public transport network, according to the results of a new government-led study. The survey, the first of its kind in the country, found up to 72% of people believed the vehicles could be used to improve transport links - particularly in rural areas.…
Triumph unveils electric TR25 concept car
Exactly 100 years after its first production sports cars, the Triumph Motor Company has announced a new electric TR25 concept car. Created by leading automotive design house, Makkina, the TR25 is billed as a celebration of the great British roadster, paying particular homage to the record-breaking ‘Jabbeke’ Triumph TR2, MVC575, which broke the land speed…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Apple’s British sales bounce back to record £1.5bn
Apple’s UK sales have bounced back to a record £1.5bn amid strong demand for its top-of-the-range iPhones. The company’s UK retail arm, which includes its British bricks-and-mortar stores, reported a 61pc surge in revenues in the 12 months ending in September 2022. The uptick represented a sharp recovery after sales fell during the pandemic. Revenue dropped from…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Musk launches ‘pro-humanity’ AI startup, xAI
Elon Musk (above) has launched an artificial intelligence startup that will be “pro-humanity”, as he said the world needed to worry about the prospect of a “terminator future” in order to avoid the most apocalyptic AI scenarios. Musk said xAI would seek to build a system that would be safe because it was “maximally curious”…
