ShinyShiny snippets: Apple nudity-blurring feature to come to UK

Apple’s “communication safety in Messages” feature, which is designed to automatically blur images containing nudity sent to children using the company’s messaging service, is now rolling out to additional countries. After launching in the US last year, the feature is now coming to the Messages apps on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS for users in the UK,…

ShinyShiny snippets: Apple expected to announce ‘green-coloured iPhone 13’

Apple's first event of 2022 will begin later today at 6PM UTC, where it's expected to announce the new iPhone SE and a refreshed iPad Air. However, a new report claims these won't be the only products Apple will talk about at the event, as the company will introduce new color options for the iPhone 13 and iPad…

ShinyShiny snippets: Amazon drops plans to block Visa credit card payments

Amazon has announced that it will not stop accepting Visa credit cards for UK payments later this week as had been planned. In an email to customers, the online retailer said it was "working closely with Visa on a potential solution". The move had been due to take effect on 19 January with Amazon blaming…

ShinyShiny snippets: Top UK Google search terms football related

The three top trending terms on Google UK this year were football-related, with only one reference to Covid in the top 10. "Euros", "Premier League" and "Christian Eriksen" - the Danish player who had a cardiac arrest on the pitch - were the top three, with "Covid vaccine" fourth. Covid had dominated last year's list.…

ShinyShiny tech roundup: Vauxhall backs ‘Build Back Greener’ strategy

Vauxhall Mokka-e. Image: Vauxhall With the COP26 global climate summit around the corner, the UK government has announced another push towards electric vehicles (EVs) as part of an overall shift to a carbon-neutral economy.  Ministers are investing £620m in grants for electric vehicles and street charging points. Carmakers will also be…

ShinyShiny roundup: Apple resists EU call for common USB-C charger

The European Commission has set out plans for a common charger port for all mobile phones, tablets and headphones, in the face of resistance from US tech giant Apple. An 18-page directive released on Thursday said a common charger for all brands “would benefit consumers and reduce electronic waste”. It estimates that it will save EU…

ShinyShiny tech round up: Apple launches ‘no longer a spectacle’

A smaller notch. A faster processor. A new camera with cinematic mode. In the pantheon of Apple keynote events, Tuesday’s iPhone 13 launch was towards the modest end. “We still see room for innovation,” was one analyst’s rather dry take. Perhaps Tim Cook didn’t want to make any risky moves on an unlucky number. The unveiling…

ShinyShiny tech roundup: Apple dealt blow in Epic Games trial

Apple faces losing billions of dollars in sales after a US judge ruled that the tech titan must allow developers to bypass controversial fees on its App Store. The company was told to lift a rule that forces apps to use Apple’s own payments system, which charges fees of up to 30pc, amid growing opposition…

ShinyShiny tech roundup: Twitter testing bigger pictures

Twitter is testing new changes to how photos and videos appear on its apps, closer to how images appear on other services such as Instagram. The new feature will expand visual media embedded in tweets to fill the whole width of a mobile phone's screen. Currently, images are indented next to a user's profile photo…