US attacks UK plan for digital services tax on tech giants

Plans to impose a new tax on tech giants risks US retaliation and could hurt trade relations.

Robot company Starship Technologies start Milton Keynes deliveries

Hundreds of robots are starting to deliver packages to addresses across Milton Keynes.

Mobile phone shop staff 'enabling Sim swap scams'

Fraudsters are using lax ID checks at phone shops to commit identity theft, a BBC investigation finds.

Royole's bendy-screen FlexPai phone unveiled in China

The FlexPai phone offers a tablet-sized screen when open or three separate displays when folded up.

Eurostar resets customer passwords after hack attack

The rail firm reset passwords after detecting efforts to break into some accounts earlier this month.

Google executive leaves after sexual harassment claim

The New York Times reported the executive had been accused of sexual harassment in 2013.

Yosemite fall: Victims identified as married bloggers from India

The couple who fell to their deaths had blogged about their love for travel and each other.

Fifa: Governing body reveals IT data hack earlier this year

Football's world governing body Fifa says information was hacked from its IT systems earlier this year.

Apple Watches owners asked to return devices for repair after update glitch

Apple has withdrawn a software update after complaints that it "bricked" some owners' smartwatches.

Fake Cambridge Analytica ad hits Facebook

The bogus advert purports to be for the BeLeave Brexit campaign and received more than 1,000 views.

Cardiff tech firm: 'We'll pay £100k, but can't get staff'

A tech skills shortage means some Welsh workers receive daily job offers, and salaries are increasing.

Facebook daily visits growth slows as sales miss forecasts

The social media firm is seeing users shift from its most profitable business amid rising costs.

Can artificial intelligence help stop religious violence?

Oxford University researchers have created a simulation designed to help prevent religious conflict.

Android under-5s apps have 'unfair and deceptive' ads

Campaign groups and university researchers raise concerns about the ads found in Android apps.

Warning over DJI drones falling out of the sky

Some incidents in which DJI drones "suffered a complete loss of power" have concerned a UK authority.

Porn-loving US official spreads malware to government network

The employee at the US Geological Survey had an "extensive history" of visiting adult websites.

Sony eyes record profit as gaming hits boost earnings

Strong demand for Spider-Man and other games is helping drive earnings at the Japanese electronics giant.

Uber appeals against drivers' rights to pay and holiday

The taxi-hailing app appeals against a ruling its drivers should be treated as workers, not self employed.

Can we predict when and where a crime will take place?

Predictive policing using data analytics is gaining acceptance among police forces, but at what cost?

Budget 2018: Tech giants face digital services tax

Chancellor Philip Hammond plans to tax the sales that digital giants generate in the UK.

Red Hydrogen One: The internet reacts to the 3D-enabled phone

A smartphone with a pioneering 3D display fails to convince technology experts of its merits.

MIT invites you to control a human on Halloween

Researchers want internet users to vote on which actions an actor will take in a new social experiment.

Pittsburgh shooting: Gab drops offline after attack

PayPal and others pulled support for Gab's "free speech" service after a gun attack on a synagogue.

The boss who tried to kill his business

Peter Reinhardt was initially unimpressed with the idea behind customer data tech firm Segment.

Facebook uncovers Iranian-linked accounts

The firm says it has removed dozens of accounts.

Driverless cars: Who should die in a crash?

A global study suggests people prefer to save young over elderly people.

Fatal 'swatting' hoaxer faces more charges

The long list of suspected crimes relate to many other hoax calls to police, fraud and threats of violence.

Helping kids cope with the fear of medical treatment

Hi-tech gadgets are helping sick children express their feelings and soothe their fears.

Google sacks dozens over sexual harassment

The tech giant dismissed 48 people, including 13 senior managers, in the past two years.

Portrait by AI program sells for $432,000

The AI-generated portrait of a fictional Frenchman sold for 45 times its original estimate.

Second hack attack on BA website uncovered

Details of the attack emerged as BA investigated a 'sophisticated' attack it suffered in September.

Twitter earnings boosted by sports broadcasts

Sales leap 30% in the third quarter, partly thanks to broadcasts of major baseball and football games.

Inside Rockstar: The developer behind Red Dead Redemption 2

The western-style adventure is the first major release from Rockstar Games for eight years.

BT appoints Worldpay's Philip Jansen as new chief executive

Philip Jansen takes the helm next year as Britain's biggest telecoms provider seeks to revive its fortunes.

Cathay Pacific data hack hits 9.4 million passengers

The Hong Kong airline said personal details including passport and credit card numbers were accessed.

Tesla delivers 'historic' $311m profit

Elon Musk's electric car maker reports only the third quarterly profit in its 15-year history.

Facebook fined £500,000 for Cambridge Analytica scandal

The Cambridge Analytica scandal was a "serious breach" of data protection laws, UK regulator says.

Smart cities: 'A cyber-attack could stop the country'

As the internet of things takes off, is security being sacrificed in the quest for higher speeds?

Google drops plans for Berlin campus after protests

The US firm had faced strong local opposition and will now give the space to humanitarian groups.

Camera lens made of ice takes cool photos

Photographer Mathieu Stern made a camera lens from a chunk of an iceberg.

Facebook removes 8.7m child nudity images in three months

The firm has developed new software which automatically flags potential sexualised images of children.

Apple and Samsung fined by Italian authorities over slow phones

The firms have been accused by Italian authorities of building "planned obsolescence" into devices

How WhatsApp is being abused in Brazil's elections

Software is being used to scrape phone numbers and send thousands of messages in minutes.

Apple boss Tim Cook praises GDPR and wants tough US privacy law

The Apple boss also praised the EU's new data protection regulation GDPR, in a speech in Brussels.

Elon Musk says Twitter blocked him after Bitcoin tweet

The entrepreneur says Twitter believed his account had been hacked.

Mobile app data sharing 'out of control'

Nearly 90% of apps on Google Play share data with Google parent Alphabet, researchers say.

Linus Torvalds returns to head Linux coding community

Mr Torvalds took a short break from the Linux world to get help to become more polite to engineers.

'Instagram used more than Snapchat' by US teens

Instagram has overtaken Snapchat as the most used social media app among US teens, says a study.

John Lewis pulls the plug on DVD players

Slump in sales sparks move by department store chain, which will continue to sell Blu-ray players.

London Uber drivers to charge electric car fee

The 15p fee will be handed to drivers to help them pay for an all-electric car, says ride-hailing firm

Self-driving school bus test halted in US

The test, which involved transporting schoolchildren, was irresponsible, the NHTSA says.

Smart speakers could be speaking Welsh

Smart speakers using Welsh are a key aim in a new Welsh Government technology strategy.

AI painting to go under the hammer

A painting created by artificial intelligence will be auctioned by Christie's this week.

World's longest sea crossing: Hong Kong-Zhuhai bridge opens

The $20bn bridge spanning 55km is an engineering marvel but has been dogged by safety issues and delays.

Is blockchain living up to the hype?

Despite the grand claims made for this distributed ledger tech, few companies are actually using it.

US teen is new Tetris world champion

A 16-year-old boy from California has won the grand final of the Classic Tetris World Championship

YouTube pours money into how-to videos

The video site will spend $20million (£15m) developing educational and how-to content.

Netflix denies changing posters based on viewers' race

The site responds to claims it's "misleading" users with the choices of promotional shots it offers.

Five things to know about Red Dead Redemption 2

The hotly anticipated video game is released this week.

New York police body-warn cameras recalled after explosion

Police in New York are told to stop using some body-worn cameras out of "an abundance of caution".

Asteroid pioneers: The team who put rovers on a space rock

Japan's space agency Hayabusa-2 spacecraft is the first one to place robot rovers on an asteroid's surface.

Addison Lee plans self-driving taxis by 2021

The taxi firm is pitting itself against rival Uber in a race to offer self-driving car services.

Yosemite: Photographer searches for Taft Point proposal couple

Freelance photographer Matthew Dippel is hunting for the pair who he caught on camera earlier this month.

Is 'manspreading' video a Kremlin hoax?

There are reasons why some suspect that the Russian state was behind a viral video.

Anonymous Facebook ads urge voters 'to bin Chequers'

A senior MP questions how a pro-Brexit website can run adverts without saying who has paid for them.

Online sellers 'pay for positive reviews'

A Which? investigator was hired to write high-rated reviews online in return for free goods.

eBay revs up to take on Auto Trader in car ads

The online marketplace is acquiring Motors.co.uk, making it a "leading alternative" to Auto Trader.

Facebook hires former deputy PM Sir Nick Clegg

The former Liberal Democrat leader will head Facebook's global affairs and communications team.

Google takes down Esta service ads - but many remain

Many sites have been charging high rates since 2010 but Google has finally taken some of the ads down.

'Why we faked our Facebook wedding in Kinshasa'

Successful, educated and attractive - Arlène Agneroh's friends said the only thing she was missing was a husband.

Amazon creates 1,000 'highly skilled' jobs in three UK cities

Online retailer adds hundreds of "Silicon Valley" jobs in Manchester, Edinburgh and Cambridge.

eBay files lawsuit against Amazon over 'seller recruitment'

In a lawsuit, eBay says the retail giant used its internal message system to recruit sellers.

How U2's technology is changing concerts for the better

The band's groundbreaking stage show is designed to ensure everyone has a front-row seat.

Facebook in fresh video metrics row

Legal action brought by advertisers claims the social network knew about problems in metrics in 2015.

Tiny companion phone released in Japan

The mobile is designed as a companion device for those who already own bigger smartphones.

Mitsubishi windows shine 'alarmingly realistic' fake sunlight

Mitsubishi has developed a new indoor lighting system that mimics blue skies, sunrises and sunsets.

Would you splash out on a new phone to get VR on the go?

Superfast 5G mobile will require new handsets, but will the new services justify the extra expense?

Just Eat listings include takeaways given zero ratings for hygiene

Outlets rated zero by the Food Standards Agency are among those listed on the food ordering app.

Twitter's 'Russia-Iran' troll tweet trove made public

Millions of tweets published by suspected state-linked accounts are made public by Twitter.

What are NPCs and why are they all over social media?

The Trump-supporting right has a new favourite meme and they're trolling opponents far and wide.

Grand Theft Auto 'cheats' homes raided

A court grants search warrants and freezes the assets of five people accused of making cheat software.

Google unshackles Android-device-makers

Phone and tablet companies will be able to experiment with alternative versions of Android.

Children 'at risk of blackmail due to live-streaming surge'

One in 10 users has been asked to remove their clothes, an NSPCC survey suggests.

Dating site scam victims lose £2,000 to fraudsters

The majority of those tricked out of money after talking to fraudsters on dating sites lose more than £2,000.

Netflix soars on record subscriber total

The streaming service adds seven million subscribers in the third quarter, bringing the total to 137 million.

Unilad web publisher bought by LADbible

The move safeguards more than 200 jobs at the viral publisher, which collapsed with debts of £6.5m.

Russian censor offers 24-hour online bans for anniversary

To celebrate its time on VKontakte, Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor offered users day-long bans

Spotify ad banned for causing 'distress' to children

The advert mimicked a horror movie and was likely to scare youngsters, the ad authority says.

Robot 'talks' to MPs about future of AI in the classroom

Pepper goes to Parliament to talk to MPs about the role robotics and AI will play in the classroom.

Huawei's Watch GT has no time for Android's Wear OS

The Chinese tech firm ditches Google's Wear OS in favour of its own smartwatch operating system.

Fortnite cheat YouTuber sued by Epic Games

A YouTube gamer is being sued for selling Fortnite cheats and promoting them online.

Would you trust an auto-switching site for life?

GoCompare wants you to let it choose your energy supplier forever, but can it really find the best deal?

Tiny Palm smartphone baffles gadget fans

The credit-card-sized device is designed to help people take a break from their main phone.

Lost passwords 'lead to lost savings'

An estimated seven million people have lost savings and pensions, but there is help to track them down.

Sundar Pichai: Google 'exploring' censored China search app

The firm's CEO defends a possible return to China, a market Google abandoned over censorship concerns.

UK cyber-centre thwarts hostile hackers

The National Cyber Security Centre has combated about 1,200 attacks since it was created, it reveals.

Paul Allen: Microsoft co-founder and billionaire dies aged 65

The billionaire businessman, who also owned the Seattle Seahawks NFL team, died in Seattle on Monday.

Virgin Media disrupted in London

A fault with Virgin Media has left many customers in London without internet access and TV.

UK seeks to secure smart home gadgets

Makers of small, smart home gadgets will be encouraged to do more to protect them against hack attacks

Snapchat adds selfie filters for cats

Snapchat's augmented-reality selfie filters now work on cats.

Bloodhound 1,000mph car goes into administration

The UK-led supersonic car project runs into a major funding roadblock that could stall it for good.

Wales' 5G advisory group criticised for being all men

The appointment of eight men to the expert panel for Wales faced a backlash on Twitter.

Is it the end of the supermarket checkout till?

M&S is the latest shop to test a "scan and go" app, meaning shoppers don't need to use a till.

Humanoid 'rescue robot' learns parkour

Atlas, a humanoid robot by tech firm Boston Dynamics, has learned the art of parkour.

Spotify: Albums are alive and kicking in the streaming age

As the UK's celebrates National Album Day, Spotify says albums "can still be absolutely monumental".

Facebook shuts down 'spammy' politics pages

Political sites with millions of followers have been purged in a Facebook crackdown on spam.

Microsoft tackles 'horrifying' Bing search results

Bing suggests overtly racist pages to people who look up terms linked to ethnicity, researcher finds

WhatsApp fixes 'big deal' video crash bug

The vulnerability left WhatsApp users at risk of losing control of their account just by answering a call

US weapons systems can be 'easily hacked'

A government report has found mission critical cyber-flaws in the US's cutting-edge weapon systems.

Take me to your leader! MPs to quiz robot

A robot called Pepper is heading is to take MPs' questions about artificial intelligence.

Apple hires engineers from UK company Dialog

The deal represents one of Apple's biggest takeovers in headcount terms.

Countdown on for world's longest non-stop flight

Singapore Airlines' non-stop flight to Newark will cover more than 15,000km and will take about 19 hours.

German satellites sense Earth's lumps and bumps

The German space agency releases a spectacular 3D map of the Earth's land surfaces.

Virtual lives: Could VR change how we think of others?

Researchers are studying whether controlling a virtual reality body can affect real life behaviour.

James Murdoch tipped to lead Tesla board

Tesla must replace Elon Musk as board chairman as part of a settlement with US financial regulators.

Mobile wi-fi hotspots reviewed

Lucy Hedges reviews the Skyroam Solis, Glocalme G3 and TP-Link M7450 mobile wi-fi hotspots.

BBC News disrupted by software glitch

The BBC had to replace live broadcasts with recorded material on its TV news channels for about an hour.

Netflix: The signs you might need a break from the site

A handy guide on the telltale clues you might need a break from the streaming service.

Walmart planning 'net-connected trolley'

Patent for a trolley that measures heart rate, walking speed, temperature and grip is lodged in US.

Amazon scrapped 'sexist AI' tool

Reuters claims that a secret AI recruitment tool was abandoned after it showed bias towards men.

Google appeals against €4.3bn Android fine

The company appeals against a fine for allegedly using the Android operating system to cement its dominance.

Vodafone's Martin Freeman break-up advert banned

The Advertising Standards Authority says the advert implied customers could leave their contract any time.

Seafloor mapping XPRIZE final will be in the Mediterranean, off Greek coast

Robots with novel seafloor mapping capabilities will demonstrate their skill in a Greek showdown.

YouTubers Jacksepticye and Wiishu confirm 'emotional' split

Irish social media star Jacksepticye, who has 20m subscribers, posted it was "not an easy decision".

Why you have (probably) already bought your last car

A growing number of tech analysts are predicting that in less than 20 years we'll all have stopped owning cars.

Google Pixel 3 phones launch during privacy storm

The search firm reveals its latest handsets shortly after revealing Google+ users' data was exposed.

Sony PlayStation 4 console set for next generation

The gaming firm's president says a next-generation console is "necessary" despite streaming technology.

Uber drivers stage UK strikes over pay and conditions

"Hundreds" of drivers are expected to switch off their apps from 1pm, say union organisers.

Virgin Galactic to reach space in 'weeks not months'

Company founder Richard Branson says the company is "tantalisingly close" to its first trip.

HimToo: How Pieter Hanson's mother made him internet famous

How one man's mother unwittingly made him an internet celebrity, for all the wrong reasons.

Google drops $10bn battle for Pentagon data contract

The tech giant, under scrutiny over a data lapse, has scrapped plans to bid for a high-profile contract.

Microsoft's Minecraft ends support on Apple TV

The game will no longer be updated and refunds are available, Microsoft says.

The Circle: Alex/Kate wins Channel 4's reality show

The show, billed as "the new Big Brother", will be remade by Netflix internationally.

Silent running

Boat companies are having to spend millions of euros converting their fleets to electric.

Boz: Defending Facebook's Portal screens

The social network's hardware chief Andrew Bosworth makes the case for trusting its new video chat screen.

Heathrow fined for USB stick data breach

A worker lost a USB stick containing personal data which was later found by a member of the public.

Facebook Portal video chat screens raise privacy concerns

Two camera-enabled smart devices for the home are unveiled in the midst of a privacy crisis.

Microsoft pauses Windows 10 update after files disappear

Some Microsoft users complained their files vanished after installing the latest update for Windows 10.

Google iPhone data privacy case blocked by High Court

Campaign group Google You Owe Us wanted compensation for people whose handsets were allegedly tracked.

Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket lights up California sky

Launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Falcon 9 rocket took an Argentine satellite into orbit.

Facebook's UK tax bill triples to £15.7m

Facebook paid £15.7m in tax in 2017, up from £5.1m in the previous year.

PayPal tax bill jumps by £3.1m after review by HMRC

The digital payments firm handed over more income tax after a £181,000 bill in the previous year.

Yusaku Maezawa: Why I've bought a ticket to the Moon

Space X's mission to the Moon will be the first lunar journey by humans since 1972.

The world’s first fully-autonomous indoor farm

The world’s first fully-autonomous indoor farm in San Carlos, California, is soon to be operational.

Apple and Amazon hit back over China soy chip report

Tech firms dispute claims they were hit by a spy chip that tried to steal corporate secrets and data.

Amazon reveals Alexa's most-requested albums

Predictably enough, Ed Sheeran tops the list - but there are some surprises hidden in the Top 20.

Weak passwords banned in California from 2020

Electronics firms must use unique codes or force users to generate their own passwords for gadgets

Feely finger phone crawls across desk

A fleshy finger phone accessory that can tickle its owner has been developed in France.

Elon Musk: Tesla boss mocks US regulator days after settlement

Tesla boss takes to Twitter days after reaching a deal with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The robot that can perform DIY and other technology news

BBC Click's Marc Cieslak looks at some of the best technology news stories of the week.

Samsung sees record third quarter profit on chip demand

Strong demand for its electronic components is expected to boost profits at the South Korean firm.

Call problems hit O2 mobile network

The service has been struggling for an hour report customers via social media

Fitbit data used to charge US man with murder

Data from a fitness tracker used in case of 90-year-old accused of murdering his stepdaughter.

'China hack attack hits Apple and Amazon'

A tiny chip added to server circuit boards helped Chinese spies steal corporate data, Bloomberg says.

Netflix viewing eats up world's data

Netflix accounts for 15% of global internet traffic, suggests a report looking at bandwidth usage.

Selfie deaths: 259 people reported dead seeking the perfect picture

A 2018 study claims the number could be much higher, as selfies are never named as a cause of death.

EBay accuses Amazon in merchant 'poaching' row

The auction site alleges that Amazon had used its internal messaging system to contact its traders.

Russia's GRU 'targeted chemical weapons watchdog OPCW'

Dutch security services expelled four Russians over a plot in April targeting the chemical weapons watchdog OPCW.

'We turn the lights off... and sit huddled in the corner'

How faster mobile connectivity could help improve school security and make our cities smarter.

UberEats workers join fast food strike

Workers from UberEats, JD Wetherspoon, McDonald's and TGI Fridays call for a pay hike.

Perth Prison drug smugglers filmed themselves on drone camera

The men were caught after the drone packed with cannabis and pills crashed as they tried to fly it into Perth Prison.

UK accuses Russia's GRU military intelligence of cyber attacks

Alleged attacks include raids on the World Anti-Doping Agency, when athletes' data was published, and the US Democratic Party.

Honda to invest $2.8bn in GM's self-driving car unit

The Japanese firm has teamed up with GM to develop an autonomous car that could be mass produced.

Shane Dawson and Jake Paul: How a YouTube series 'could be making millions'

Shane Dawson is halfway through an eight-part series about his fellow YouTuber Jake Paul.

Instagram: How much do social influencers earn?

Partnerships with brands can yield six-figure sums for social influencers - depending on their presence.

Preschoolers are watching more online video, says study

CBeebies is still the most popular channel but online-only offerings are becoming more popular.

Meet Moxi - the hospital robot helping nurses

Moxi is a "socially intelligent" robot that can autonomously pick up and deliver medical supplies.

Sony 'wouldn't rule out launching Spotify rival'

The head of Sony Music also said he could withhold music from the service if it began signing artists.

US mobile owners braced for 'Trump alert'

Millions are set to receive a presidential phone alert in the first nationwide test of an emergency system.

Love Island star Olivia Buckland's Instagram post banned

Olivia Buckland failed to mark the post about an eye shadow as an advert, says the ASA.

Wikipedia's broken links fixed by the Internet Archive

The Internet Archive restores lost sources, while Wikipedia's editors vote for a Breitbart ban.

Disney 'graffiti drone' tags walls

A drone that can spray paint walls and objects has been developed by Disney Research.

Facebook says other apps not caught in hack

Third-party sites accepting Facebook log-ins like Tinder and Airbnb are not believed to be affected.

Amazon raises wages amid criticism

The online giant has come under fire over tax and working conditions at its warehouses.

China's Tencent Music applies to list in the US

The music streaming service is majority owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings.

GP at Hand's smartphone doctor ads ruled misleading

The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld complaints about ads run by the GP at Hand service.

Vodafone and EE mobile coverage claims probed by Ofcom

The UK telecoms regulator opens an investigation into the accuracy of claims made by the two firms.

California bans 'secret' election bots

California has signed legislation which bans the use of undeclared bots during elections.

InfoWars Alex Jones sues PayPal

The conspiracy theorist banned from most web platforms is suing PayPal for "viewpoint discrimination".

Google to stream Assassin's Creed for free in test

Google offers some gamers chance to stream a blockbuster game via its Chrome browser.

Kim Kardashian 'most dangerous celebrity to search online'

The reality TV star's name is linked to potentially malicious websites, according to a cyber-security firm.

How a lesbian love story is bypassing the Indian censors

Low-cost smartphones and mobile data are giving creative freedom to India's entertainment industry.

Gaza: Coding in a conflict zone

With most Gazans under 25, a new generation turns to coding to escape the constraints of conflict.

Web creator works to liberate personal data

People should have more control over data with a technology developed by Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

Will Facebook be fined after hack attack?

The social network could face a hefty fine if it is found to have breached data protection rules.

Chancellor warns over 'stalling' tech tax talks

The chancellor threatens a new tax on tech firms unless talks to find an international deal speed up.

Apple silent amid iPhone 'chargegate' complaints

Customers complain that the iPhone XS and XS Max do not charge properly when plugged in.

Honour of Kings uses facial recognition to check ages

Tencent is to use facial recognition to enforce time limits on children playing Honour of Kings.

Tesco Bank fined £16.4m over cyber attack

The Financial Conduct Authority says the bank did "too little, too late" to protect its customers

'Switch-off sunglasses' block out screens

Could a pair of sunglasses that can block out TV screens help us switch off?

Ford to refund 'engine fail' EcoBoost customers

Drivers have reported cars with EcoBoost engines overheating and failing or even bursting into flames.