Month: November 2022

Online scams such as banking and credit card fraud are the most prevalent cyberthreat, say Interpol Police and investigators fear organised gangs of fraudsters are expanding across sub-Saharan Africa, exploiting new opportunities as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the global economic crisis to make huge sums with little risk of being caught. The …

Gangs of cybercriminals are expanding across Africa, investigators say Read More »

The American computer scientist, who coined the term ‘virtual reality,’ cautions against online ‘psychological operatives’ Jaron Lanier, the eminent American computer scientist, composer and artist, is no stranger to skepticism around social media, but his current interpretations of its effects are becoming darker and his warnings more trenchant. Lanier, a dreadlocked free-thinker credited with coining …

‘Extinction is on the table’: Jaron Lanier warns of tech’s existential threat to humanity Read More »

Paulina Porizkova, one of the great supermodels of the 80s, has refound fame – as ‘the lady who cries on Instagram’. It began with the death of and betrayal by her husband of 30 years Moving through a room as a teenage supermodel when she first came to New York, mouths would drop, drinks would …

‘Being heard is better than being seen’: supermodel Paulina Porizkova on living ‘unfiltered’ Read More »

Culture secretary Michelle Donelan to amend bill that, after Molly Russell case, will place duty of care on social media firms People who use social media posts to encourage self-harm face criminal prosecution under government changes to the revived online safety bill. Culture secretary Michelle Donelan will update the bill to criminalise encouraging self-harm when …

‘Abhorrent trolls’ who encourage self-harm online face criminal prosecution, says minister Read More »

The tech giant’s flawed business model for its popular smart devices has cost the company a fortune and thousands of jobs Intrigued by an Ars Technica post about Amazon’s Alexa that suggested all was not well in the tech company’s division that looks after its smart home devices, I went rooting in a drawer where …

Alexa, how did Amazon’s wrong call on voice assistants tee up a $10bn loss? | John Naughton Read More »

To answer life’s biggest questions, says the German theoretical physicist and YouTuber, we need to abandon unscientific ideas such as the multiverse Sabine Hossenfelder is a German theoretical physicist who writes books and runs a YouTube channel (with 618,000 subscribers at time of writing) called Science Without the Gobbledygook. Born in Frankfurt, she studied mathematics …

Physicist Sabine Hossenfelder: ‘There are quite a few areas where physics blurs into religion’ Read More »

Simplified home screens and customisable interfaces aid those who struggle with touchscreens These days many daily tasks require a smartphone because of new online payment security checks and the widespread use of parking apps. This is a potential nightmare for those who struggle with touchscreens, apps and texting but there are some easier-to-use models to …

The best smartphones to help older people beat the tech divide Read More »

The Italian photographer was in San Francisco’s Chinatown when she came across this grand ivory building Arianna Genghini’s first stop on her family road trip through four US states was San Francisco. While they went on to travel through Utah, Nevada and Arizona in a rented minivan, it was the California city’s expansive Chinatown that …

‘It made me think of decorations on a Christmas tree’: Arianna Genghini’s best phone picture Read More »

From banking to shopping and parking, consumers without access to tech are left frustrated Many people in Britain can’t live without their smartphone and use it to manage all aspects of their lives, from banking to shopping and socialising. But what if the opposite is true, and this clever technology is erecting invisible barriers that …

‘It’s discrimination’: millions of Britons frozen out in the digital age Read More »

Billionaire says he prefers ‘someone sensible and centrist’ but that he had been disappointed by the Democrats so far Elon Musk has said he would support Donald Trump’s arch rival, Ron DeSantis, in 2024 if the Florida governor were to run for president. “Yes”, Musk said in a tweet when asked if he would support …

Elon Musk says he will back Trump rival Ron DeSantis in 2024 if he runs for president Read More »