BBC technology news

Press X to sniff: Can smelling a game make it more immersive? https://ift.tt/ri8hDGL Modern video games look more realistic than they ever have - but there's one sense developers have yet to exploit.

Barclays outage affecting payments and online banking https://ift.tt/pPZ0fgB The bank says its app also affected, as is the phone line and messenger service for customers

How an AI written book shows why the tech 'terrifies' creatives https://ift.tt/BemTp1U The BBC's technology editor Zoe Kleinman is given an AI-made book that claims it was written by her.

Mexico asks Google Maps not to rename Gulf of Mexico https://ift.tt/W91aZGB US President Donald Trump has ordered that the body of water be renamed the Gulf of America.

Tech Life: Not as dead as a dodo? https://ift.tt/QLJmnNu Tech Life takes a close look at the controversial process of de-extinction.

Garmin users say smartwatches have stopped working https://ift.tt/RD5W4MI Its Fenix 8 smartwatches, which retail for just under £1,000, are some of the devices to have issues.

Tech Life: Not as dead as a dodo? https://ift.tt/QLJmnNu Tech Life takes a close look at the controversial process of de-extinction.

China's DeepSeek AI on US national security radar https://ift.tt/zBbtXTx The White House is looking into whether China's apparent AI breakthrough affects US national security.

DeepSeek vs ChatGPT - how do they compare? https://ift.tt/T1xa2DL The Chinese AI app has raced to the top of the download charts - does it perform as well as its US rivals?

Be careful with DeepSeek, Australia says - so is it safe to use? https://ift.tt/pfJUak0 Ed Husic is the first member of a Western government to raise privacy concerns about the Chinese chatbot.

Reddit groups ban X links in protest at Musk arm gesture https://ift.tt/h7GqjcT Moderators of groups with millions of users say the block is a result of the billionaire's on-stage gesture.

Is China's AI tool DeepSeek as good as it seems? https://ift.tt/utNePT8 The artificial intelligence (AI) tool has shocked US markets after bursting onto the scene.

DeepSeek overtakes ChatGPT to top app charts https://ift.tt/TZRwc8k The app has overtaken ChatGPT to become the top free application on Apple's App Store in the UK.

Musk, MrBeast, Larry Ellison - Who might buy TikTok? https://ift.tt/eRlnIKF Several potential US buyers have expressed interest in purchasing the social media platform.

X 'refused to take down video' viewed by Southport killer https://ift.tt/Rh3Fn6r Australia's internet regulator said X was the only major tech platform which refused its request.

Tech Decoded: The latest news direct to your inbox https://ift.tt/TVpuENz Tech Decoded is the BBC's international technology newsletter, bringing you the latest.

Clampdown on fake Google reviews announced https://ift.tt/mkBZAJz Businesses which boost their star ratings will have warnings attached to them - fake reviewers will be banned.

'A mockery': Trump's new meme-coin sparks anger in crypto world https://ift.tt/QfL69ew The president's meme-coin launch is being criticised as a stunt, while impatience grows for deregulation.

How to make oxygen on the moon https://ift.tt/eySIL0C Engineers are working on systems that can turn lunar regolith into useful elements like oxygen.

Three outage leaves thousands unable to make calls https://ift.tt/3qQcsgH There have also been several thousand reports of problems from users of Smarty and ID Mobile.

ChatGPT down as thousands report issues worldwide https://ift.tt/twS4Bcp It comes a day after owner OpenAI announced a massive investment in artificial intelligence (AI).

Reddit groups ban X links in protest at Musk arm gesture https://ift.tt/XvAly1b Moderators of groups with millions of users say the block is a result of the billionaire's on-stage gesture.

LinkedIn accused of using private messages to train AI https://ift.tt/Vtra2OW The lawsuit alleges LinkedIn tried to conceal its actions but the firm says the claims are false.

TikTokers offered $5000 to join Facebook and Instagram https://ift.tt/bnE2auL Meta's attempt to lure creators to its platforms comes as questions remain over the future of its main rival in the US.

US tech giants announce AI plan worth up to $500bn https://ift.tt/HVWJ3c5 OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank join forces to build artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Netflix to raise prices as new subscribers soar https://ift.tt/KuSfOrw Squid Game and live sports, including the Jake Paul v Mike Tyson fight, fuelled new memberships.

Instagram hides search results for 'Democrats' https://ift.tt/8aEzIWv Meta says it is working quickly to resolve the problem, which has prompted accusations of bias on social media.

Executive order delaying TikTok ban gets Trump sign-off https://ift.tt/WVN49pM The order was among a slew of directives Trump signed on Monday evening.

Yes, Minister character is government's new AI assistant https://ift.tt/2czn7qL A new suite of AI tools for civil servants are named 'Humphrey' after the scheming character.

TikTok restores service in US after Trump pledge https://ift.tt/eC0NvYc TikTok is resuming services to its 170 million users in US after President-elect Donald Trump said he would give the app a reprieve.

Melania Trump launches her own cryptocurrency https://ift.tt/NlveCt4 $Melania is announced a day after President-elect Donald Trump launched his own cryptocurrency, $Trump.

TikTok goes offline in the US hours before ban due to come in https://ift.tt/IhZSfWM A message appearing for US users said a law banning TikTok had been enacted, meaning "you can't use TikTok for now".

UK set to introduce digital driving licences https://ift.tt/4Ymt2uk The government says technology should "make people's lives easier" but any system won't be mandatory.

'Looking for my spy': The jokes Americans and Chinese are sharing on 'alternative TikTok' https://ift.tt/NlktOKD Many Chinese users on RedNote say it is the first time they have been able to speak directly to Americans online.

Apple halts AI news alerts after errors https://ift.tt/DRXoIap The tech giant was facing pressure to pull the feature after it made repeated mistakes.

BT scraps EV charging point scheme having only installed one https://ift.tt/oW4sSNa It hoped to turn 60,000 roadside green cabinets into chargers - but now says it will focus on wifi instead.

All porn sites must 'robustly' verify UK user ages by July https://ift.tt/yeHznXK Ofcom is issuing industry guidance which sets out the tech adult websites must use to check ages.

What happens if TikTok is banned? https://ift.tt/4DpLO2W Could there be ways to bypass the ban - and could president-elect Donald Trump find a way to stop the law?

US markets watchdog sues Musk over Twitter stake disclosure https://ift.tt/8BNTLm1 The complaint filed to a US federal court alleges Musk saved $150m at the expense of Twitter shareholders.

Google faces UK investigation over search dominance https://ift.tt/RYBFbos The tech giant accounts for 90% of web searches in the UK - the regulator will probe whether that harms consumers and rivals.

TikTok users flock to Chinese app RedNote as US ban looms https://ift.tt/VEzK7ty A swarm of "TikTok refugees" has made RedNote the most downloaded app on Apple's US App Store.

TikTok says report of possible sale to Musk 'pure fiction' https://ift.tt/WsqgfM3 The social media platform has repeatedly said that it will not sell its US operation.

Apple board pushes against diversity rollback call https://ift.tt/H0vBFgI The tech giant has asked investors to reject a proposal from a conservative group to end its DEI policies.

UK plans to 'unleash AI' across UK to boost growth https://ift.tt/8DOg3xi Leading tech firms are said to have committed £14bn towards the project, which could create more than 13,000 jobs.

Facebook and X must comply with UK law - minister https://ift.tt/f6DAB1s Peter Kyle responds after Mark Zuckerberg confirms changes to how content on Meta is monitored.

Meta axes diversity programmes joining US corporate rollback https://ift.tt/USk3vFV It joins Walmart, McDonald's and other companies in a similar move regarding diversity efforts since Trump's re-election.

TikTok to make final plea at Supreme Court against US ban https://ift.tt/3jJk1Yy TikTok is hoping to win a challenge against law that would see it banned from the US this month.

Political content on Instagram and Threads ramped up https://ift.tt/DKbdgCr Users will no longer be able to opt out of political content from people they do not follow.

Huge problems with axing fact checkers, Meta oversight board says https://ift.tt/6cVzxZk The body's co-chair says moving to community notes could have a big impact on gender rights and minority groups.

OpenAI boss denies sister's allegations of childhood rape https://ift.tt/5o4mPjA Ann Altman filed a lawsuit alleging her brother sexually abused her between 1997 and 2006.

Meta platforms ditching third party fact-checking in US https://ift.tt/hCoel1m Facebook and Instagram will instead rely on "community notes" from its users, an approached pioneered by X.

Apple says it will update AI feature after BBC complaint https://ift.tt/vA1NozR One of Apple's new artificial intelligence features is facing criticism for generating inaccurate news alerts.

Nvidia boss unveils next-generation gaming chips https://ift.tt/IJ5vXhd The announcement was part of Mr Huang's address at CES, an annual technology show in Las Vegas.

UFC boss to join board of Facebook owner Meta https://ift.tt/wjTOI8N It comes days after former UK deputy PM Sir Nick Clegg left his top job at the social media giant.

Apple falsely claims Luke Littler won darts championship https://ift.tt/U3gvnam The AI-generated notification said the teenager had won the tournament before the final had been played.

Apple to pay $95m to settle Siri 'listening' lawsuit https://ift.tt/YUchbD6 The tech giant denies wrongdoing after being accused of eavesdropping on customers.

Nick Clegg leaves Meta ahead of Trump's return as US president https://ift.tt/L4DWxwE He will be replaced by Republican Joel Kaplan, a former White House deputy chief of staff under President Bush.

Why Apple is offering rare iPhone discounts in China https://ift.tt/bfjVnXu Rival technology giant Huawei has also cut smartphone prices in the run-up to the Lunar New Year holiday.

Court strikes down US net neutrality rules https://ift.tt/IxCHiaF The ruling marks a significant moment in the long running battle over how to regulate internet providers.

YouTuber MrBeast announces engagement https://ift.tt/wsvlNzC The world's most popular YouTuber, known for his grand stunts, says he opted for an intimate proposal.

China's BYD closes in on Tesla as sales jump https://ift.tt/FMswlVh Chinese firm got a boost from subsidies encouraging consumers to replace old cars with greener ones.