Category: News
Meta to launch ‘Twitter-Killer’ app, Threads, this Thursday
Facebook owner Meta is launching its new app to rival Twitter and says it will go live on Thursday. The app, which is called Threads and is available for pre-order on the Apple App Store, will be linked to Instagram. Screengrabs show a dashboard that looks similar to Twitter. Meta describes Threads as a "text-based…
Virgin Galactic rocket plane begins operations
Italian members of the team aboard Unity hold up their country's flag in space. Image: Virgin Galactic It's taken just shy of 20 years but Sir Richard Branson has finally begun commercial operations with his Virgin Galactic rocket plane, Unity. The vehicle soared high over the New Mexico desert on Thursday…
Paedophiles using AI technology to create life-like child porn
Image: BBC Paedophiles are using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to create and sell life-like child sexual abuse material, the BBC has found. Some are accessing the images by paying subscriptions to accounts on mainstream content-sharing sites such as Patreon. Patreon said it had a "zero tolerance" policy about such imagery on…
NHS AI tool ‘could slash waiting times for cancer treatment’
The new AI tool could be rolled out across the entire NHS. Credit: Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Radiotherapy waiting times for NHS cancer patients could be drastically reduced thanks to the development of a new health tool which uses artificial intelligence. Known as OSAIRIS, it is claimed the tool…
ShinyShiny snippets: Is Amazon set to buy online grocery store Ocado?
Ocado’s share price has surged amid reports that Amazon could be lining up a potential bid for the owner of the online grocery store. Shares in Ocado Group spiked by around 40pc on Thursday after claims emerged that Jeff Bezos’s online empire had taken an interest in the technology and grocery business. The Times said Amazon…
ShinyShiny snippets: EU votes for replaceable smartphone batteries
The European Parliament has voted yes to replaceable battery legislation, putting Apple on a path to a second redesign just over a year after USB-C charging ports were mandated in the bloc. Unlike the USB-C redesign, which has a 2024 deadline, the "portable battery" rule will come into play in 2027 at the earliest. That rule, by…
ShinyShiny snippets: Google launches £599 Pixel tablet
Google's Pixel Tablet launches today (20th June 2023) priced £599 The Pixel Tablet launches today into a field more crowded than ever, priced £599. It's got the same chip as the company's flagship Pixel 7 smartphones, an 11-inch screen, and a bunch of apps optimised to take advantage. But the standout…
ShinyShiny snippets: Tests begin on 3D-printed rocket engine
Skyrora is testing its new 3D-printed rocket engines. Pic: Skyrora New 3D-printed rocket engines are being tested at the largest UK facility of its kind ahead of a potential space launch. Edinburgh-based Skyrora made them using its own Skyprint 2 machine for the first time, which the company says halves production…
ShinyShiny snippets: Citroën to launch sub £25,000 electric C3
Citroen e-c3 render. Image: Autosport Citroën will pitch itself headlong into the affordable EV market this October with a battery version of its revised C3 range, costing “below €25,000” in France and hitting the UK market at around £25,000. The ë-C3 will be part of a bigger Citroën C3 range also including ICE…
ShinyShiny snippets: Google Chrome adds more Password Manager features
Google has announced a major security update to the Password Manager on its Chrome browser that is aimed at helping users maintain their passwords natively and rely less on third-party managers such as 1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane, and LastPass. The update will have support for Chrome on desktop and iOS. The first feature of the update is…
