Friday, May 31, 2019

Tech Tent: Why is 5G data capped?

On this week's podcast, we ask whether people will pay a premium for the benefits 5G promises.

Extinction Rebellion plans Heathrow drone protest

Extinction Rebellion says it will stage a 10-day demonstration unless expansion plans are cancelled.

The raspberry picking robot and other tech news

Kitty Knowles looks at some of the week's best technology stories.

Dating app scammers spotted by AI

Fakes on dating websites use emotional language, analysis of thousands of dating profiles reveals.

North Face apologises over Wikipedia 'hack'

Images on the encyclopaedia were swapped to feature North Face clothing as an advertising stunt.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg 'survives' leadership vote

Some shareholders wanted Facebook's chairman and chief executive to step down from one of his roles.

Thursday, May 30, 2019

The sea-cooled eco-resort that's nearly mosquito-free

The Brando resort in French Polynesia is close to being carbon neutral and self-sustainable.

Rory shares his Parkinson's diagnosis

The journalist shared the news after TV viewers noticed a hand tremor during a report on new 5G technology.

Google and Apple criticise GCHQ eavesdropping idea

The tech giants are among 47 organisations to hit out at a plan to look at encrypted messages.

Live BBC broadcast over 5G network on launch day fails

The BBC News at One O' Clock tried to broadcast an interview about the 5G network using the new technology but ran into some issues.

5G put to the test on the street

BBC News puts 5G mobile connectivity to the test on two phones, downloading a podcast.

5G: EE launches UK's next-generation mobile network

BT's EE switches on its next-generation 5G mobile network with a Stormzy gig.

Veterans mark code-breaking machine's 75th anniversary

Colossus, the world's first programmable computer, is credited with shortening World War Two.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Online usage grows, but so do social media concerns - Ofcom study

Most people say the internet improves their lives, but 70% would support tougher social media laws.

Tech gives drone the ability to avoid mid-air crashes

The system allows the drone to alter its flight path and move away from obstacles flying towards it.

5G: Finally, it's here in the UK - but so what?

A brief guide to what 5G offers today and how it should improve over the years to come.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to face leadership vote

Some shareholders want Facebook's chairman and chief executive to step down from one of his roles.

Roblox: 'I thought he was playing an innocent game'

Online multiplayer game Roblox is marketed at children - but there are fears it also being used for grooming.

UK parking space data offered up to app developers

New standards for data on parking spaces could revolutionise how drivers find and pay for parking.

'Demo' found written on South Sudan in Google Maps

The word is inexplicably spelled out in territory in the south east of the central African nation.

Pokémon Sleep app: 'We want to turn sleep into entertainment'

How long a user has slept for and when they wake up will be a part of game play.

Malware-ridden laptop artwork sold for $1.3m

The computer contains six well-known strains of malware and was bought by an anonymous bidder. Do you wanna know more about the mini laptops?

New Zealand budget: National party denies hacking Treasury

New Zealand's opposition party says it wasn't behind 2,000 hacking attempts on government systems.

Huawei: US blacklist will harm billions of consumers

Huawei says the US is "using the strength of an entire nation to come after a private company".

Would you recognise yourself from your data?

Firms make all kind of assumptions about you based on the data they receive.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

The diggers guided by satellites and drones

Moving earth is messy - but new technology means we can dig with an accuracy of a few centimetres.

MacKenzie Bezos pledges to donate half her $37bn fortune

The ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos pledges to give half of her $37bn fortune to charity.

US Navy wants 350 billion social media posts

It plans to collect and analyse 350 billion social media posts from around the world.

Iggy Azalea 'felt violated' by nude photo leak

The rapper deletes her social media accounts after receiving "vile" messages about leaked photos.

CEO Secrets: Strava running app boss shares business tips

A boss isn't the captain of the ship, he's the designer, says James Quarles, boss of Strava.

Scam victims to be refunded by banks

With fraud victims losing huge sums, a new code will offer more protection - but not all banks are signed up.

Monday, May 27, 2019

The tablet computer pulled by donkey

Communities in Mozambique learn about health, banking and elections via giant interactive screens.

Facebook facing most probes by Irish data regulator

Big tech companies are feeling the heat as the General Data Protection Regulation gathers momentum.

Baltimore ransomware attack: NSA faces questions

Politicians seek briefings from the US cyber-agency over claims it has links to a ransomware breach.

Amazon defeated Rekognition revolt by a large margin

Ballot to ban sales of Rekognition system to police attracted less than 3% of investors' votes.

Laser drones protect Scottish forests

The drones use lidar to create a 3D picture to assess the health of what lies beneath the forest canopy.

The ethical hackers taking the bugs to the bank

Looking for bugs in computer code can be lucrative but there's more to security than just cashing in.

Russian data theft: Shady world where all is for sale

Sales of hacked personal data are booming in Russia as the penalties are rarely heavy.

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Why Huawei's Google woes worry Africa

Will Africa's governments and consumers have to choose between using US and Chinese technology?

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Friday, May 24, 2019

Four times more data breaches logged in UK

No companies have been fined in the first year of tough new data laws, despite a sharp rise in breaches.

Is Facebook undermining democracy in Africa?

Critics say the social media giant has allowed its platform to be weaponised during elections on the continent.

Mona Lisa 'brought to life' with deepfake AI

Samsung makes a moving Mona Lisa from a single photo using AI technology.

Texting while crossing road may be banned, and other news

BBC Click's Paul Carter looks at some the week's best technology stories.

Google thwarts Baltimore ransomware fightback

City set up GMail accounts to thwart hackers but Google suspended them, fearing spammers were at work.

Lift off for SpaceX rocket carrying 60 satellites

A Falcon-9 rocket launches from Florida, packed with 60 satellites capable of giving users on the ground high-speed connections to the internet.

Thursday, May 23, 2019

SpaceX puts up 60 internet satellites

The California firm launches the first spacecraft in its multi-billion-dollar broadband project.

Trump says Huawei could be part of trade deal

Huawei could feature in a US-China trade pact despite being "very dangerous", says the US president.

Five tech trends shaping the beauty industry

Five tech trends shaping the beauty industry

Baltimore government held hostage by hackers' ransomware

The hack has disabled government email and payments to city departments, with no end in sight.

Facebook: Another three billion fake profiles culled

More than seven million "hate speech" posts were removed by the social network, also a record high.

Huawei: China warns of investment blow to UK over 5G ban

A top Chinese diplomat tells the BBC there could be "substantial" repercussions if the UK bars Huawei.

DJI drones to come with plane detection

From January, new DJI drones will be able to detect nearby planes and helicopters.

Nintendo removes mobile games in Belgium

The two titles break local gambling laws that prohibit giving players random rewards in "loot boxes".

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Google's Ad Exchange faces privacy probe by Irish regulator

Irish Data Protection Commission looks into whether Google's Ad Exchange system is GDPR-compliant.

TalkTalk data breach customer details found online

Personal details for 4,545 TalkTalk customers stolen during a 2015 data breach are accessible online.

Apple to warn iPhone users about update impact

The tech giant must tell customers if a software update will slow down their iPhone, UK regulator has said.

EA shows off its next-generation hair

Developers at EA want limp, lifeless hair to be a thing of the past.

Would you pay $1m for a laptop full of malware?

The laptop is infected with six notorious strains, including WannaCry and ILoveYou. Here is a mini laptop buying guide

Tesla 'hires' witty museum sheep tweeter

Social media expert who propelled The Museum of English Rural Life to global fame is snapped up by Tesla.

Huawei: ARM memo tells staff to stop working with China’s tech giant

Chinese company dealt "insurmountable" blow as chip designer says it must comply with US trade ban.

Artificial intelligence diagnoses lung cancer

AI appears better than specialist doctors at diagnosing the disease from lung scans, say researchers.

Drone flown 'within 150ft' of passenger jet off Essex coast

The jet's pilots spotted the drone flying directly above them at high speed, a report said.

European elections 2019: Change UK increases Facebook ad spend

Change UK has spent more than £60,000 in the past week on the platform, while UKIP spent under £100.

EE to launch UK's first 5G service in May

EE will be first to market with 5G in the UK in six of the country's major cities.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

If a house was designed by machine, how would it look?

This house was designed using algorithms and machines. They chose complex, organic-looking forms.

How computing's first 'killer app' changed everything

Technology reshapes the workplace in much subtler ways than simply robots stealing jobs.

Amazon set for facial recognition revolt

Investors are to vote on whether the firm should continue selling its facial ID tech to the police.

Bleach peddled as 'miracle' autism cure on YouTube

An investigation by Business Insider led the site to take down most - but not all - of the videos.

Driverless cars: Cambridge University model cars 'talk' to avoid jams

Researchers say it shows driverless cars working together could improve traffic flow by at least 35%.

Female-voice AI reinforces bias, says UN report

Voice assistants need to be gender-neutral argues a UN study.

Google changes policy on abortion advertising

Advertisers will be made to disclose whether they provide abortions before running ads in the US, UK and Ireland.

US warns of threat from Chinese drone companies

The alert raises concerns that the Chinese government might gain access to confidential data.

Minecraft: 10 years on, what's next?

Ten years since Minecraft was first released, we've had a sneak peek at what the next ten years hold.

Over The Rainbow composer sues Apple and other tech firms for piracy

Harold Arlen's estate says Apple, Google and Amazon are conducting "massive piracy operations".

Instagram: Facebook probes breach of millions of influencer accounts

An Indian company had stored the data of 49 million Instagram users in an unguarded online database.

Electric cars still need to win over UK drivers

Only one in four people would consider buying a fully electric car in the next five years, a study says.

Police facial recognition surveillance court case starts

Campaigners say police use of the technology is like taking DNA or fingerprints without consent.

Ren Zhengfei says US government 'underestimates' Huawei

A dispute over Huawei has escalated with implications for the firm, the tech sector and consumers.

Monday, May 20, 2019

Are barcodes the way to protect dementia patients?

How technology and community support is keeping people with dementia in Japan safe.

Teaching machines to write better adverts than humans

AI-powered advertising copywriters are coming, but can they be taught to be as inventive as humans?

Huawei's Android loss: How it affects you

Google's move to end business ties with Huawei will affect current devices and future purchases.

Warning over using augmented reality in precision tasks

Those using headsets to complete tricky tasks over-estimate how well they perform, a study suggests.

Lloyds to create 500 jobs at new tech hub in Edinburgh

The banking group says it is responding to a shift in customer behaviour towards digital services.

Revenge porn laws 'not working', says victims group

Victims should receive anonymity and laws need to include threats to share images, a victims group says.

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Google 'restricts Huawei's use of Android'

New Huawei smartphones will lose access to some of Google's programmes, Reuters news agency reports.

Friday, May 17, 2019

The Google city that has angered Toronto

Canada is not Google's lab rat, say those protesting plans to build a smart city in Toronto.

Minecraft Earth: Minecraft's answer to Pokemon Go

Newsbeat is one of the first to get a look at the newly announced Minecraft augmented reality game

American man accused in $9m net address theft

US prosecutors claim a "deceptive" scheme was used to take control of valuable net addresses.

Tesla Model 3: Autopilot engaged during fatal crash

The driver had not had his hands on the wheel for 10 seconds, a report has found.

Grumpy Cat internet legend dies

Hers was the feline face that launched a thousand memes, but Grumpy Cat is no more.

Boeing completes 737 Max software upgrade

The firm will seek certification from the US regulator which grounded the jet after two crashes.

Big Bang Theory finally bows out

Fans say a [spoiler-free] goodbye to the US sitcom as its final episode airs in the US after 12 years.

Health: Apps and technology could help 'patient power'

Apps and wearable technology are starting to help patients monitor their health and medicines.

Nasa plans first woman Moon mission and other news

BBC Click's Jen Copestake looks at some of the week's best technology stories.

Amazon invests in Deliveroo food courier

Deliveroo says it is looking forward to working with "customer obsessed" Amazon.

Oh Polly sorry for separate plus-sized Instagram account

Fashion brand Oh Polly had created a separate account for larger models, but has since deleted it.

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Facebook bans "inauthentic" accounts targeting Africa

Facebook blocked an Israeli firm it said was behind fake accounts mostly targeting elections in Africa.

Five seater self-flying air taxi unveiled

Lilium says the craft, which had its first test flight this month, could travel 300km in an hour.

Global education X-Prize awards $10m

A British charity wins $5m for an app designed to monitor how children learn.

Russian bots rigged Voice Kids TV talent show result

A 10-year-old singer wins a Russian TV talent show thanks to thousands of fraudulent votes.

Driverless lorry allowed on public Swedish roads

The lorry will move slowly but can carry tonnes of goods.

GozNym cyber-crime gang which stole millions busted

The gang was recruited on online forums and the malware they developed leased to others.

Tesla to update battery software after recent car fires

The move follows reports that a parked car caught fire in Hong Kong, after a similar incident in Shanghai.

Global virus fear prompts update for old Windows

Fears that a massive computer virus outbreak is imminent prompt Microsoft to update old software

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Trump declares emergency over IT threats

The US president declares a national emergency to protect US networks from "foreign adversaries".

MPs ask Instagram chiefs about suicide poll

App chiefs are questioned by MPs a day after the apparent suicide of a Malaysian teenager.

Tech giants pledge to limit online terror content

The pledge was made by executives at a Paris summit prompted by the New Zealand mosque attacks.

Selena Gomez says social media is 'terrible' for young people

The actress and singer urges people to set time limits on their online activity.

Eurovision stream interrupted by Tel Aviv bomb animation

The state broadcaster's live stream showed a video of the host city being bombed.

WhatsApp hack: Is any app or computer truly secure?

How much trust should be put in apps and devices after the WhatsApp security breach?

DJI Osmo Action camera poses threat to GoPro

The Chinese firm launches an action camera with built-in stabilisation and a front colour screen.

British Transport Police website hacked

BTP says some staff details have been leaked after its website's news section was hacked.

Amazon launches collection points at Next stores

Next says the collection points will help it to stay relevant in a "tough" retail environment.

Intel Zombieload bug to slow data centre computers

Chip-maker says it expects the fixes will see data centres experience the biggest performance hit.

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Phone and internet users to get end-of-contract alerts

Internet, pay-TV, and phone subscribers in the UK must be told when their lock-ins are about to end.

Aeolus: Wind-mapping space laser is losing power

Europe's Aeolus spacecraft is gathering fantastic new data on global winds - but it's also got a problem.

Christchurch attacks: May to call for curbs on internet terror

The PM says "we need to do more" to stop online extremism after the Christchurch mosque attacks.

William Hill advert linked betting to sexual success

A William Hill advert that appeared on Tinder broke advertising rules, a watchdog rules.

San Francisco is first US city to ban facial recognition

The city voted against the emerging technology amid fears of invasion of privacy and unreliability.

Wikipedia blocked in China in all languages

The country had previously only blocked the Chinese language version of the site.

Virgin mobile outage hits customers across the UK

Customers across the UK are struggling to make calls, send text messages and use mobile data.

'Hard-to-fix' Cisco flaw puts work email at risk

Security researchers have found serious vulnerabilities in some Cisco devices.

Vodafone's 5G UK service to launch in July

The firm will offer its next-generation mobile network to businesses and the public in seven cities.

Monday, May 13, 2019

Conjuring designs from thin air in a virtual world

How virtual reality tech is finally beginning to fulfil its potential for business.

Ex-Google boss defends multiple controversies

On tax, China and treatment of women, Eric Schmidt tells BBC he will defend Google for a "very long time".

When misinformation online leads to death threats

Three stories of what happens when false information is spread about you on social media sites.

Apple faces customer lawsuit over app store

Apple charges 30% commission on all app purchases, but there is nowhere else for iPhone users to buy them.

Android pioneer HTC stages retreat from China

The phone-maker is closing its online stores on Alibaba and JD.com's platforms in the country.

Tech giants 'failing' to protect children

Facebook, Google, Apple, BT and Microsoft are to give evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

BBC building 'public service algorithm'

The broadcaster wants to "pop your bubble" by streaming programmes that challenge your world view.

Facial recognition tech 'should be dropped over race issues'

Black and minority ethic groups could suffer because of poor police facial recognition tech, say campaigners.

Thursday, May 9, 2019

Jeff Bezos unveils Moon lander concept

Blue Origins claims that the lunar lander will be able to take humans to the Moon's south pole by 2024.

Facebook 'auto-generated' extremist video

A study found some content for terror groups was being generated by Facebook's own systems.

Data breaches a 'time bomb', warns security report

Verizon's head of global security services is surprised more breaches have not become public.

Loot boxes should be banned, says US senator

A US senator wants games aimed at children banned from offering in-game spending.

Amazon sellers hit by 'extensive' fraud campaign

Cyber-thieves siphoned cash from people who sell their stuff through Amazon's online store.

Yolo: Viral Snapchat app raises abuse concerns

Child safety campaigners are worried about an app that lets Snapchat users post anonymous messages.

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

CES 2019: Sex toy reawarded robotics prize

The Las Vegas tech show organisers faced outrage in January after banning the vibrator.

Amazon accused of failing pregnant workers

Another discrimination claim against Amazon once again throws a spotlight on its working conditions.

Mike Pompeo set to issue Huawei warning on UK visit

The secretary of state is expected to raise US concerns about Chinese firm's involvement in UK's 5G network.

China replaces PUBG with patriotic game

The launch of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds in China has been scrapped.

David Attenborough hopes for rave hit

The broadcaster wants DJs to remix his 1956 recording of a Balinese gamelan ensemble.

Binance exchange hackers steal bitcoins worth $41m

A major crypto-currency exchange is hacked but the owners say they will cover the loss.

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Monday, May 6, 2019

Why is the white hot Chinese tech sector cooling down?

China's economy is still growing, but many tech companies are feeling the chill.

Young pop stars 'get crucified' by media says Portman director

The director of a new film about a troubled pop singer says the industry is tough on younger stars.

France Telecom suicides: Former bosses go on trial

They are accused of "moral harassment" following a spate of suicides among staff in the late 2000s.

Google ads promote firms charging extra for services

A search for the term "driving licence application" leads to a firm charging £49 for a free change of address.

YouTuber Austin Jones gets 10 year prison sentence

The musician had pleaded guilty to enticing underage girls to send him explicit videos and photos.

Boeing admits knowing of 737 Max problem

The firm says it uncovered a problem with its 737 Max jets a year before the first fatal crash.

Lady Latrine: 'Why I rate toilets I visit on Instagram'

Rating them out of 10, Lady Latrine says it is "not about shaming" but "celebrating".

Facebook bets on stars in quest for sales

The company wants high-profile users to sell goods on its platforms. But will we still buy?

Friday, May 3, 2019

Connecting my bird box camera to the web

Lucy the blue tit is being live-streamed on YouTube after her bird box was connected to the web.

HMRC forced to delete five million voice files

The UK's tax authority is deleting recordings of taxpayers' voices that broke privacy rules.

Russia tightens grip on its national net

What people do online will come under closer government scrutiny as the law is passed in Russia.

German arrests as police attack dark web drugs market

Police in Europe and the US raid a huge dark web marketplace for drugs and stolen data.

Thursday, May 2, 2019