Month: February 2021

Facebook over-enforced Australia news ban, admits Nick Clegg

Communications chief defends reversed ban, saying it is unfair to force tech firms to pay for news content Facebook “erred on the side of over-enforcement” in removing links to hundreds of non-media organisations in Australia, Nick Clegg has admitted, in a blogpost defending the social media company’s short-lived news ban there. The former UK deputy …

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Medal of dishonour: why do so many people cheat in online video games?

Online cheating has become an infestation – but the idea of bending the rules has been part of gaming culture from the start Fall Guys had only been online for two days when it started. This bright, silly multiplayer game, in which rotund Day-Glo bean people race toward a finishing line avoiding giant tumbling fruit …

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Competition watchdog expects Google and Facebook to strike deal with small publishers

News media bargaining code passes Senate after government reaches 11th-hour agreement with Facebook If smaller and regional publishers don’t get a deal under the news media code, the government retains the “trigger” to force Google and Facebook to the negotiating table, competition tsar Rod Sims says. The code passed the Senate on Wednesday evening with …

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SolarWinds hack was work of ‘at least 1,000 engineers’, tech executives tell Senate

True scope of the breach, which affected 100 companies and several federal agencies, is still unknown Tech executives revealed that a historic cybersecurity breach that affected about 100 US companies and nine federal agencies was larger and more sophisticated than previously known. Continue reading… True scope of the breach, which affected 100 companies and several …

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Digital fashion designers sought for UK’s first degree in virtual couture

Environmental concerns and tech boom have conjured ‘perfect storm’ for master’s course in fashion and gaming, says professor The seemingly sci-fi world of digital couture – in which social media users can buy virtual clothing to be worn online, while gamers can dress avatars in flamboyant “skins” – is increasingly being hailed as the next …

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Video game giant Blizzard celebrates 30 years with Diablo II Resurrected

The developer’s BlizzCon virtual convention announced the return of classic games including World of Warcraft – and looked ahead to future releases In a normal year, Blizzard’s annual fan convention would have involved tens of thousands of cosplayers, esports pros, players and developers meeting and mingling in Anaheim, California. But, thanks to Covid, the video …

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Elon Musk no longer world’s richest person as Tesla shares fall

Carmaker’s CEO falls behind Amazon founder Jeff Bezos after tweet saying bitcoin price ‘seems high’ Elon Musk, the maverick boss of Tesla, is no longer the world’s richest person after shares in the electric car company dropped 8.6% on Monday, wiping $15.2bn (£10.8bn) off his fortune. Musk, who last month leapfrogged Amazon founder Jeff Bezos …

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Clubhouse chatroom app closes down site rebroadcasting content

Incident prompts fears for latest Silicon Valley craze’s ability to guarantee users’ security and privacy Clubhouse, the audio-chatroom app that has emerged as the latest craze to consume Silicon Valley, has shut down a site that was rebroadcasting the platform’s content, renewing concerns over the service’s ability to promise security and privacy for its users. …

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‘We deserve more’: an Amazon warehouse’s high-stakes union drive

Workers in Bessemer, Alabama, are pushing for a union – and experts say if they triumph, it could pave the way to organizing fulfillment centers in other states Darryl Richardson was delighted when he landed a job as a “picker” at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. “I thought, ‘Wow, I’m going to work for …

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