We take in 3D crosswords and wordplay in other forms in our pick of the best of the broadsheets’ cryptics In the sample clues below, the links take you to explainers from our beginners series. The setter’s name often links to an interview with him or her, in case you feel like getting to know …
Crossword roundup: puzzles in various dimensions Read More »
Romance scams robbed Britons of nearly £100m last year. Thanks to online dating and the pandemic, these cruel crimes are more sophisticated and prevalent than ever In February 2019, Anna, a finance professional in her 50s, joined the dating website Zoosk. She had been single for four years, recovering from an incredibly difficult, abusive marriage. …
Analysis: Given endemic online toxicity, it is hard to see how VR worlds can be made pleasant and safe UK data watchdog seeks talks with Meta over child protection concerns Until 2019, virtual reality was an absolute faff to use. It was expensive and tethered by cables to expensive PCs, but the wireless and easy-to-use …
VR worlds are no better or worse than anywhere else online Read More »
From low-cost to do-it-all systems, here are the best wireless, wifi and smartphone-connected options Whether you have a newborn or know someone who does, a good baby monitor can be both freeing and reassuring, helping keep an eye on the little ones as they rest. But with so many to choose from with varying brands, …
Best baby monitor cameras for travel or the home Read More »
Four storage solutions to help Britain keep the lights on deep into the future Soaring energy bills rooted in a global gas supply crunch have focused minds on the age-old problem: how can we better store power? Attention has turned to the closure of the Rough gas storage facility in the North Sea in 2017, …
Here’s how to solve the UK energy crisis for the long term – store more power Read More »
Campaigners say lack of parental controls on Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset could breach children’s safety code The UK’s data watchdog is seeking clarification from Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta about parental controls on its popular virtual reality headset, as campaigners warned that it could breach an online children’s safety code. The Information Commissioner’s Office said …
UK data watchdog seeks talks with Meta over child protection concerns Read More »
Young developers on the platform used by many millions of children claim they have been financially exploited, threatened with dismissal and sexually harassed Anna* was 10 when she built her first video game on Roblox, a digital platform where young people can make, share and play games together. She used Roblox much like a child …
The trouble with Roblox, the video game empire built on child labour Read More »
Does the advent of machine learning mean the classic methodology of hypothesise, predict and test has had its day? Isaac Newton apocryphally discovered his second law – the one about gravity – after an apple fell on his head. Much experimentation and data analysis later, he realised there was a fundamental relationship between force, mass …
Are we witnessing the dawn of post-theory science? Read More »
A new breed of supermarkets means the days of queues, checkouts and shoplifting are numbered. But what else will we lose when no-transaction shopping becomes the norm? Welcome to the supermarkets of the future. They may look and feel like the supermarkets we are all used to – and stock the same bread, butter and …
Do smart supermarkets herald the end of shopping as we know it? Read More »
Record sales and now news of a battery that lasts hundreds of miles. It’s getting better, but going green was tough, admits a reluctant pioneer This time last year my partner John and I celebrated purchasing an electric car by driving through London to see the Christmas lights without having to pay congestion or Ulez …
Streets ahead? What I’ve learned from my year with an electric car Read More »
