BBC technology news

Plans to double e-bike power 'could cause severe fires' https://ift.tt/AuiQKm9 A safety charity and trade body have criticised government proposals for more powerful e-bikes.

Star Wars game cancelled as EA cuts 670 jobs https://ift.tt/lJmGN7w Electronic Arts says it will focus on its existing titles, as the gaming industry job cuts continue.

'I'd heard the big, bad, scary conversation about AI' https://ift.tt/3kSIqwX The women enrolling on artificial intelligence training courses to boost their job prospects.

European parliament revokes Amazon lobbyist passes https://ift.tt/15iKuFg MEPs have accused the retailer of failing to cooperate with enquiries into its working practices.

What is Bitcoin? Key crypto terms and what they mean https://ift.tt/YSNs2bn As Bitcoin's price makes headlines once more, here's a look at some key crypto terms and their meanings.

The celebrities 'deepfaked' for US influencer's ads https://ift.tt/0m8WHfu Piers Morgan and Oprah have criticised the use of AI deepfake ads used to promote a "manifestation" guide.

Pokémon Day reveal reignites Switch 2 rumours https://ift.tt/Lsodhq8 News about the next game in the popular Nintendo series gets fans talking about its next console.

PlayStation to axe 900 jobs and close London studio https://ift.tt/2lGLuCY The layoffs are the latest to hit the tech sector, which has seen big cutbacks worldwide since 2023.

More music leaving TikTok over Universal row https://ift.tt/zv7PxmQ At first artists signed to the label were removed, but now writers are being taken off the platform.

Elon Musk eats humble pie over unpaid bakery bill https://ift.tt/GH2mguU The world's richest man steps in after his car firm Tesla U-turned on a request for 4,000 pies.

Why firms are racing to produce green ammonia https://ift.tt/XPJQc6B Ammonia is essential for fertiliser production but producing it is carbon intensive.

Work to do on smart mouthguards - Townsend https://ift.tt/D52tpr9 Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend says "more work" is required to make smart mouthguards "correct" after an alert prompted the temporary withdrawal of prop Zander Ferguson against England.

Oprah and Nigella deepfaked in influencer 'manifestation' ads https://ift.tt/WEBoKxO Piers Morgan and Oprah have criticised the use of AI deepfake ads used to promote a "manifestation" guide.

AI chip firm Nvidia valued at $2tn https://ift.tt/zADwLF4 Booming business at Nvidia sees investors bet the AI revolution will live up to its "hype".

Google denies Gmail is shutting down after viral hoax https://ift.tt/QDlAT7p The tech giant says its email service is 'here to stay' after a hoax picked up 7m views on social media.

Leisure firm told scanning staff faces is illegal https://ift.tt/VA91xIH The data watchdog orders Serco Leisure to stop using facial recognition technology on its employees.

Reddit moves forward with share listing plan https://ift.tt/r92RA5k The filing offers a glimpse of the company's efforts to turn online popularity into profit.

Critics say Final Fantasy Rebirth a stunning sequel https://ift.tt/z1lPXc2 Reviews of the highly anticipated follow-up to 2020's Remake praise its open world and story.

Thousands report issues with US mobile services https://ift.tt/pLYoSIl Tracking website Downdetector shows a spike in issues for users of AT&T but the cause is unclear.

Record Nvidia sales as boss sees AI 'tipping point' https://ift.tt/x3ZJB0D The chip giant's shares have soared by more than 200% in the last year, driven by the AI boom.

How AI is helping the search for extraterrestrial life https://ift.tt/ALH1ZBY Artificial intelligence software is being used to look for signs of alien lifeforms.

Xbox games coming to Nintendo Switch named https://ift.tt/zNiXqLH Grounded and Pentiment are the first of four games Microsoft is making available to rivals.

Don't dry your iPhone in a bag of rice, says Apple https://ift.tt/qFoKdep The popular remedy risks "small particles" entering the phone and causing damage, new advice says.

Tinder introduces passport-scanning ID checks https://ift.tt/ALyKRWU The dating app, which has been targeted by scammers, has previously trialled the system in Australia

X briefly suspends account of Alexei Navalny's widow https://ift.tt/owfSIXv It is unclear why Yulia Navalny's account on the site - formerly Twitter - was taken down on Tuesday.

Don't buy our game if you're broke - Helldivers boss https://ift.tt/A9tgNc4 The lead developer of the smash-hit online shooter says it's worth waiting for servers to be fixed.

Hacker group's site taken over by law enforcement https://ift.tt/pYrhZ9C LockBit is a major criminal gang that uses its software to steal sensitive data until a ransom is paid

The staff shortage in India's special effects industry https://ift.tt/SBdHl84 With international studios sending more work to India, the industry is struggling to train enough staff.

Sacked Twitter staff in Ghana finally get pay-off https://ift.tt/Fuj8LTG Former workers at X's Africa base say they have got their severance pay after a year-long campaign.

Big tech vows action on 'deceptive' AI in elections https://ift.tt/vwLaFg4 Twenty firms have signed an accord pledging to stop voters being deceived but critics say it lacks teeth.

The brewing secrets behind tastier no-alcohol beer https://ift.tt/xohbqcE There's huge demand for low and no-alcohol beer and breweries are competing for the best flavour.

Xbox, Nintendo or PlayStation: does it still matter? https://ift.tt/3E4CzoA Why the war between the big games console makers may be coming to an end.

Facebook £3bn legal action given go-ahead in London https://ift.tt/kn5AWw9 A mass legal action alleges Facebook abused its dominance to monetise 45 million UK users' personal data.

Google joins mission to map methane from space https://ift.tt/EUBG3tC The tech giant is deploying AI to help identify large sources of methane leaks in satellite data.

The robots delivering takeaways to Edinburgh students https://ift.tt/vlNrqsM A trial is under way at the University of Edinburgh using autonomous vehicles to deliver food.

Amazon founder Bezos sells shares worth over $4bn https://ift.tt/7KjfDUR The multi-billionaire moved to Miami last year, where there is no tax on share sales above $250,000.

Ransomware hits dozens of Romanian hospitals https://ift.tt/xNj06Q4 Over 100 facilities have been affected with some doctors resorting to pen and paper.

BBC iPlayer to end downloads for PCs and Macs https://ift.tt/PdAvz9J Mobile and tablet apps are unaffected, meaning users can still download BBC shows to watch later.

UK chip designer Arm sees shares almost double https://ift.tt/zB9J1Ck The firm's shares have soared since its earnings announcement last week and are now up more than 98%.

Why it's expensive to make music festivals greener https://ift.tt/GVOvmQ1 Music festivals need a lot of electricity, but plugging into greener sources is not easy or cheap.

Three apologises as thousands without mobile service https://ift.tt/adPC1LJ The firm said its engineers were working hard to fix the issues affecting its network.

Have we lost faith in tech? https://ift.tt/6tmAuSB The BBC's technology editor Zoe Kleinman looks at the technology sector's damaged reputation.

Virgin Media probed over digital switchover rules https://ift.tt/35AwoCP Ofcom says it has concerns over Virgin Media's actions to protect vulnerable customers.

Ring doorbell customers angry at 43% price hike https://ift.tt/8feYcZE Users have taken to message boards to complain about the increase, which they say is unjustified.

US makes AI-generated robocalls illegal https://ift.tt/isw18TQ The moves comes as concerns grow around misinformation and artificial intelligence ahead of the US election.

Why the e-bike boom is raising fire fears https://ift.tt/gPMme6D Sales of electric bikes are booming but defective batteries and chargers can cause fires.

Celebrity chefs targeted in identity cloning scam https://ift.tt/y9YeatM Heston Blumenthal and Yotam Ottolenghi among those affected by new identity fraud, BBC finds.

The AI companions you can have conversations with https://ift.tt/QJCearE A new breed of talking AI systems are now available for increasingly realistic two-way chats.

Chicken shop boss loses £12k in Tesla trademark row https://ift.tt/m6dV2M3 Amanj Ali has been left out of pocket after taking on Elon Musk's company in the dispute.

US media giants announce sports streaming platform https://ift.tt/xyMKaSZ Walt Disney's ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery hope to capture younger audiences and save costs.

Facebook and Instagram to label all fake AI images https://ift.tt/kKbyQHf The tech will detect images - but not video or audio - made by other companies' AI generators.

Online Act not strong enough, Brianna's mum says https://ift.tt/uIi6XvB Esther Ghey says the act does not go far enough to protect children and calls for "drastic action".

Tesla owners told not to drive with Apple headsets https://ift.tt/4RxHd12 Videos have emerged showing people wearing the virtual reality headsets while in self-driving cars.

Is Ireland's productivity boom real or 'artificial'? https://ift.tt/7I2K6z5 Irelands hosts many multinational companies which makes calculating its true productivity difficult.

British electric van maker enters administration https://ift.tt/QVjx7yo The UK-based operations of Arrival - once worth billions - have been placed in administration.

Snap to lay off 'approximately' 10% of its staff https://ift.tt/7Z4ReLq The firm said in 2023 it had 5,000 employees, suggesting around 500 people are facing redundancy.

Fake videos on Meta should be labelled, says board https://ift.tt/wfLqvI9 The group says a fake video of President Biden on Facebook highlights an "incoherent" policy.

Facebook at 20: Four ways it changed the world https://ift.tt/Zczg1XK How the world's most popular social network has altered society, business and politics

Can Musk's Neuralink brain chip really change the world? https://ift.tt/a5YLNQH The world's richest man is betting heavily on his brain chip, but he has ground to make up.

Should we fear an attack of the voice clones? https://ift.tt/nxYWVJy Audio deepfakes are easy to make, hard to detect, and getting more convincing, experts say.

Guinea pigs in luxury shed become TikTok hit https://ift.tt/FwOhglH More than 140 of the animals live in the air-conditioned shed - dubbed "the Ritz".

Is the Suicide Squad game dead on arrival? https://ift.tt/EkzB4QV Kill the Justice League's release arrives as a debate over review copies rages online.

Former CIA hacker sentenced to 40 years in prison https://ift.tt/MSCwX0c Joshua Schulte, 35, was convicted in 2022 for the largest data breach in the history of the CIA.

Why private helicopters are still in demand https://ift.tt/BSHWAmQ Despite the flagging economy, demand is strong for helicopters and new models are being launched.

Tesla: Elon Musk moves to shift firm's legal home to Texas https://ift.tt/xZ2z5uT The multi-billionaire says the electric car maker will move immediately to hold a shareholder vote on the matter.