Month: August 2022

‘The merge’ project will end role of ‘miners’ in blockchain ecosystem to help reduce electricity usage Ethereum, the second largest cryptocurrency, will complete a plan to lower its carbon emissions by more than 99% in the next month, the foundation that controls the platform has confirmed. The project, called “the merge”, will result in ethereum …

Cryptocurrency ethereum plans to cut carbon emissions by 99% with upgrade Read More »

UK intelligence service funding ‘nano-degree’ courses in effort to improve diversity in technology roles Britain’s intelligence services want to boost the number of female coders in their ranks warning they need to improve diversity to tackle threats ranging from foreign states to child online safety. GCHQ, the UK’s intelligence, security and cyber agency, is funding …

GCHQ seeks to boost number of female coders to tackle threats Read More »

Small-scale investors left counting the cost this year after value of digital assets fell off a cliff “If I’d sold everything, I would’ve had a quarter of a million pounds,” Duncan* says ruefully of the staggering worth of his cryptocurrency holdings at the start of this year. Like lots of amateur investors, the 47-year-old former …

Crypto crash: how a teacher’s dream investment turned into a nightmare loss Read More »

Chic hi-tech Android flip phone has better cameras and longer battery life, losing none of its novelty Samsung’s hi-tech flip phone has been a bit of a hit over the past year. Now the Z Flip is back for 2022, with better cameras, a faster chip, longer battery life and more customisation options than ever, …

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 review: folding-screen flipper stands out from crowd Read More »

From Sudan to Syria, Jordan to Jaipur, the trend towards digital authoritarianism is deepening How to shut down the internet – and how to fight back When shutdowns spill over borders On 1 February 2021, reporter Ko Zin Lin Htet received a panicked phone call from a source in the Burmese capital, Yangon. The caller …

Flicking the kill switch: governments embrace internet shutdowns as a form of control Read More »

The mechanics of the internet mean that blocks on access imposed by one country can be felt half a world away Governments embrace internet shutdowns as a form of control How to shut down the internet – and how to fight back When Myanmar’s military ordered telecom companies to shut down access to Twitter in …

When internet shutdowns spill over borders Read More »

Dramatic move shows Mark Zuckerberg ‘desperate to avoid being questioned over cover-up’, says Observer journalist who exposed scandal Facebook has dramatically agreed to settle a lawsuit seeking damages for allowing Cambridge Analytica access to the private data of tens of millions of users, four years after the Observer exposed the scandal that mired the tech …

Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data breach lawsuit ends in 11th hour settlement Read More »

A long and detailed complaint about lax practices by the social media firm’s former security chief must be music to Elon Musk’s ears “Ex-Twitter exec blows the whistle, alleging reckless and negligent cybersecurity policies,” said the CNN headline. My initial reaction? Yawn… so what’s new: a social media company playing fast and loose with its …

Twitter’s whistleblower has pitched up at a very inconvenient moment | John Naughton Read More »

The Iranian photojournalist on a woman he spotted in northern Afghanistan In 2015, Ako Salemi was on a photography trip to northern Afghanistan with fellow Iranian photojournalist Majid Saeedi. One day, the pair were exploring near the tomb of Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib, known locally as the Blue Mosque for its intricately detailed blue …

‘The flash of red by her ankles is reminiscent of defiance’: Ako Salemi’s best phone picture Read More »

Digital parking has spread rapidly across Britain, but campaigners say it is stressful or inaccessible for many All summer, exasperated motorists have been jabbing at their phones, trying to download and install yet another parking app. Then follows the interminable chore of entering card details and number plate, which may ultimately be derailed by poor …

Rise of the parking app makes the rich richer as motorists struggle Read More »