BBC technology news

Amazon rigged billions in ad pricing, lawsuit from states and US watchdog alleges https://ift.tt/fV3SKu5 Amazon responded to the lawsuit, arguing the US Federal Trade Commission "misunderstands" their ad market.

AI could could cause global economic downturn, Andrew Bailey warns G20 https://ift.tt/76Jmqeb The governor of the bank of England warned of AI's “volatility” caused by energy shocks from the US-Iran war.

I've been to Gamescom six times - here's what excited me this year https://ift.tt/eiGL7Ww The BBC's Laura Cress gets a first look at the biggest games in Cologne from Witcher 3 to Alien: Isolation 2.

Overcooked? Why robotic pizza makers are failing https://ift.tt/C5z2q0x A string of failures has sapped confidence that robots will take over production at pizza restaurants.

Reform of all social media should come with Meta changes, UN says https://ift.tt/BV3YZHl California's attorney general is now looking at TikTok and YouTube to enact teen safety features.

Google, Microsoft and OpenAI among 100 firms calling for better cyber defences https://ift.tt/OuWn58b The letter warns cyber-attacks which use AI will become more sophisticated in a matter of months.

What does the Meta settlement mean for the UK? Five things we learned https://ift.tt/iBEkH3J Other social media firms are yet to respond, while the debate from campaigners is far from over.

Nvidia revenue doubles on continued AI demand https://ift.tt/rxRCMva Chipmaker's $96bn quarter beat forecasts as demand for AI hardware continues to accelerate.

Xbox boss 'thinking about affordability' of next-gen console https://ift.tt/3pJESOm In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Asha Sharma also discusses giving gamers digital versions of games they own.

Meta agrees to pay up to $16.7bn to settle social media case https://ift.tt/lxyNbtm The deal has been reached during a California federal court trial over claims brought by 29 states.

AI gold rush draws crypto firms away from Bitcoin https://ift.tt/B6dnjYx The price of Bitcoin has risen in August but is still far below its peak almost a year ago - and companies are refitting their mines.

Musk's SpaceX to build $100bn launch site in Louisiana https://ift.tt/wOHPK3d The project - named Starbase - will be the firm's biggest facility yet and aims to send rockets to space in 2029.

Firms scramble for battery power in Spain and Portugal https://ift.tt/d5P3hAR After last year's massive power failure Spanish and Portuguese firms are buying battery back ups.

Tech Life https://ift.tt/Czhcm1g The government agency that's encouraging high-risk and high-reward research.

Songs created by AI banned from Australia's music charts https://ift.tt/RM1fxY6 The move comes weeks after a DJ admitted using AI to remix a Madonna song that topped the Australian charts.

Twitch and Amazon face legal action over using livestreams to train AI https://ift.tt/21dUnjO The lawsuit alleges Twitch used streamers' videos to train AI without their permission or proper compensation.

Sharing dangerous driving videos is 'truly reprehensible', PM says https://ift.tt/KXE4iQL His comments come as the government urged TikTok and other social media firms to remove wrong-way driving videos.

Why students are being paid £2,000 to play computer games https://ift.tt/oOb3K0j Roehampton University offers students £2,000 a year to play esports alongside their studies.

Robot horse and rider steal the spotlight at Chinese conference https://ift.tt/cGPOhmZ More than 300 companies are showcasing the latest advances in robotics at the five-day event in Beijing, China, organisers say.

TikTok to pay $400m to US in one of largest child privacy settlements https://ift.tt/aEfWVRy The deal stems from a 2024 lawsuit alleging TikTok and its parent company ByteDance collected "vast amounts of data" on millions of users under the age of 13.

How landscape gardening is being electrified https://ift.tt/X4Jho9m The switch to quieter electric equipment is not going as fast as some would like.

Is Vine back? Short-form video-sharing app Divine opens to public https://ift.tt/BM3I7op The app lets users create six-second looping videos and hosts more than two million classic videos.

UK business hit by 'daylight robbery' 1500% price hike for invoicing software https://ift.tt/pi3kvuy Richard Haldenby says his average monthly bill for Harvest had risen from $130 (£95.50) to $2,110.

81,000 warning letters sent to crypto holders in HMRC tax crackdown https://ift.tt/1hULX0j According to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request the number of letters sent has almost tripled since 2024.

Monzo down as some users unable to make card payments or transfers https://ift.tt/x9UH7Fu The digital bank said it was "rolling out a fix and moving quickly" to get the service working again

OpenAI slows down training after its AI carried out hack https://ift.tt/rGSoQW7 The ChatGPT-maker said training will be slowed for two weeks while it puts the upgrades in place.

Meta hooked children on Facebook and Instagram, court hears https://ift.tt/5Pwmd3x Meta argued social media addiction does not exist, as a trial stemming from a major lawsuit brought by US states got under way.

Tech Life https://ift.tt/mBTN8ZM Vapour trails from aircraft contribute to warming in the atmosphere.

ChatGPT to stop responding to teens in human voice https://ift.tt/oRqdjHA OpenAI insisted this was not in response to a particular issue with children believing ChatGPT to be alive.

AI to help planes avoid climate-warming 'sky graffiti' https://ift.tt/72d6yPI A new UK trial hopes to reduce the condensation trails from planes, which can trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere.

If Meta loses this trial, Instagram and Facebook could change forever https://ift.tt/FDAsawz Thirty US states have sued Meta to force an overhaul of its platforms for young users.

I survived two years as prime minister in a hit new game - then my cabinet deserted me https://ift.tt/HfzVY5m Mobile game No 10: Full Confidence recently ranked above Minecraft on the UK App Store paid games chart

Secondhand book sales are booming. Is it because of AI? https://ift.tt/4p1gzOq Booksellers are reporting mysterious bulk orders. It's thought the books are being used to train AI - and ending up pulped.

Why tech bosses keep sharing their manifestos about AI https://ift.tt/jqFWb8r Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg is the latest Big Tech name to pen a letter thousands of words long about AI.

Protein or pickled garlic? What's new in ice cream https://ift.tt/hpwYsVR There's a constant battle in ice cream to come up with new flavours and to keep costs down.

Bumble divides users by ditching its signature 'women-first' chat rule https://ift.tt/cM5d7Df The dating app's boss says the move is in response to a successful trial and a change in what users want.

Flock boss admits surveillance firm took too long to act over police abuse https://ift.tt/UQpL0t4 US police officers have quit after using licence plate-reading cameras to track romantic partners.

Twitch users outraged as Amazon uses their content to train AI in opt-out feature https://ift.tt/VWRjqgz Users of the popular streaming platform criticised allowing Amazon to use their data by dafault.

Amazon is using Twitch to train generative AI https://ift.tt/n723q5v The streaming platform's users criticised the move to allow the use of channel content for AI training.

Why Japanese firms are being so slow to use AI https://ift.tt/0mKwueU Japanese risk aversion and conservatism blamed for slow AI take-up by the country's business sector.

Discord ordered to suspend livestreams in Brazil https://ift.tt/zMOPs2J Discord told the BBC it was "thoughtfully reviewing" the order by Brazil's data protection agency and it was "committed to user safety"

Tech Life https://ift.tt/qwQkoLu For years, schools have posted photos of their pupils online. But could they be misused?

AI agent hacks gym to get its owner spot in pilates class https://ift.tt/PSRHBsZ The incident is being seen as the latest example of the AI tools going to any lengths to complete their tasks.

Nvidia gets $500bn from major banks to develop AI data centres https://ift.tt/mAeYz3d The money will be used to develop new data centres to house, operate, and cool miles of stacked computer chips that process AI data and actions.

Tech leaders say AI means less work - their staff say they work up to 90 hours a week https://ift.tt/lZsewB9 Tech companies are not modelling their own claims of the technology giving people more free time.

Is football AI-proof? Why tech investors wanted a slice of the World Cup https://ift.tt/MauO7t2 What was the thinking of the investors backing the now-canned plan, and are such proposals in the future inevitable?

Why airlines are warning over lithium-ion batteries https://ift.tt/TOrLb4w The airline industry wants passengers to be careful when travelling with lithium ion batteries.

First OpenAI, now Meta - why do AI hacks keep happening? https://ift.tt/DJMUNGX A flood of companies are revealing AI models gained access to the internet - with real consequences.

Cashing in on SpaceX: 'Every chance I get, I'll sell a little more' https://ift.tt/dDa6Wfb Andre Lavoie joined SpaceX in 2009 as an engineer, now he's looking to cash in his shares in the company.

Meta says AI model accessed the internet and hacked another firm https://ift.tt/wKeuTL4 Meta is the latest company to disclose an AI agent breach, raising cyber-security concerns.

AI or real? BBC analyses viral China disaster videos https://ift.tt/ovwI70M As weather events become more extreme, fake videos are being shared rapidly online, and it’s causing real world problems in China.

Disney agrees deal to let TikTokers use its films and TV shows in videos https://ift.tt/MADueji A deal between will allow some creators to use clips from Disney films and TV shows in their videos.

'I feel like I dug my own grave': The workers caught in the AI transition https://ift.tt/PNk2rxo AI is reshaping the Philippines' outsourcing industry, raising questions over the future of the industry.

Tech Life https://ift.tt/vn6fbQA Electric power is one of several cleaner alternatives to traditional aviation fuel.

Apple issues new challenge against UK order for access to private user data https://ift.tt/1E6fNPa It is the latest development in the ongoing dispute between Apple and the Home Office over data privacy.

Tokenomics: Why making AI pay is tricky https://ift.tt/D8IyX1Q Buyers of AI services are struggling to control costs and sellers are not sure how much to charge.

Xbox Series X price hiked by £170 due to rising memory chip costs https://ift.tt/3q7CYp6 Xbox consoles now cost significantly more in the UK, with one model increasing in price by 43%.