Category: News
Would you blog on Facebook? Notes gets a revamp
Facebook has confirmed it is revitalising its long-forgotten Notes platform, perhaps in a bid to attract bloggers. Most of us can't even remember how to access Notes, let alone use them - that's how long it's been since we paid attention. (For the record, click the More tab beneath your cover photo, click Manage sections, then tick the…
AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid upgrade now live, Stars launch silent album in AI protest
Hearing Test on iPhone and AirPods Pro 2. The features list for Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 continues to grow. One of the key updates in the last few months was the addition of a Hearing Aid capability, so that users who had mild or moderate hearing loss could wear the earbuds.…
TikTok back on US app stores, US politicians rage at UK demand for encrypted Apple data
TikTok is back on Apple and Google's US app stores after President Trump said the tech giants would not be fined if they reactivated it. They removed the hugely popular video-sharing app after a law came into effect on 19 January - the day before Mr Trump was inaugurated - requiring its Chinese owner ByteDance…
Google Calendars scrap Black History month, UK universities face deepfake applicants
Google’s online and mobile calendars are no longer including references to Black History Month, Women’s History Month and LGBTQ+ holidays, among other events. The world’s biggest search engine previously marked the beginning of Black History Month in February and Pride Month in June, but the events do not appear for 2025. The removal of the…
Reddit community banned after spat with Musk, Google scraps ‘AI weapons’ promise
Reddit has temporarily banned one of its communities - and removed another - after X owner Elon Musk claimed comments made by the site's users about his employees were breaking the law. The r/WhitePeopleTwitter subreddit, which typically invites people to share funny posts from X, has been banned for 72 hours after some users posted…
10 mobile phone industry trends to watch out for in 2025
2025 offers the mobile industry the opportunity to redefine possibilities for consumers and businesses alike with enhanced user experiences and fresh revenue streams. However, the sector will also face significant challenges. Here are a few thoughts on what to expect from Dario Betti & Nicholas Rossman at the Mobile Ecosystem Forum 5G One of the…
US stocks plunge over China’s AI threat, Polestar to get ‘brand reboot’
US stock markets have plunged at their sharpest pace in five months after a China AI start-up unveiled a new chatbot which threatens to match its major global competitors at a lower cost. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index on Wall Street plummeted by 3.6pc at the opening bell - its biggest fall since September - as…
TikTokers offered $5,000 to join Meta, Mr Beast joins bid to buy TikTok in US
Social media giant Meta has offered to pay up to $5,000 (£4,040) to popular creators in the United States who join Facebook and Instagram. It says those joining from "third-party social apps" will get cash based on "an evaluation of your social presence". Though it does not mention TikTok by name, the timing would…
Apple suspends AI generated news alerts, Nintendo Switch 2 announced
Apple has suspended a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that drew criticism and complaints for making repeated mistakes in its summaries of news headlines. The tech giant had been facing mounting pressure to withdraw the service, which sent notifications that appeared to come from within news organisations' apps. "We are working on improvements and will…
UK to introduce age checks for porn sites, Blue Origin successfully launches ‘New Glenn’ rocket
Ofcom today (January 16th 2025) published new industry guidance on age verification for online services, a crucial step in implementing the Online Safety Act. The guidance aims to prevent children from encountering harmful content, particularly online pornography. Under the new rules, services hosting pornography must introduce robust age verification checks by July 2025. This includes…
TikTok prepares for US shutdown, Zuckerberg to axe thousands of ‘low performers’
TikTok plans to shut its app for U.S. users from Sunday, when a federal ban on the social media app could come into effect, unless the Supreme Court moves to block it, people familiar with the matter said. The outcome of the shutdown would be different from that mandated by the law. The law would…