‘Fast tech’ warning as demand for cheap gadgets heats up

32 minutes ago ShareSave Chris Vallance Senior Technology Reporter ShareSave Getty Images Demand for so-called “fast tech” – cheap electronic items often quickly binned or abandoned in drawers – is growing, a not-for-profit that works to reduce electronic waste has warned. Material Focus singled out heatwave-fuelled demand for battery powered mini-fans as an example of […]

Tesla robotaxi ‘low-key’ launch in Texas

Tesla’s long-awaited robotaxis rolled out for the first time on roads in Austin, Texas on Sunday. In videos shared by Tesla on X, a small group of invited analysts, influencers and shareholders were shown participating in paid rides. The small number of vehicles deployed had a human safety operator in the passenger seat, according to […]

BBC threatens AI firm with legal action over unauthorised content use

10 hours ago ShareSave Liv McMahon Technology reporter ShareSave Getty Images The BBC is threatening to take legal action against an artificial intelligence (AI) firm whose chatbot the corporation says is reproducing BBC content “verbatim” without its permission. The BBC has written to Perplexity, which is based in the US, demanding it immediately stops using […]

Trump confirms further delay to TikTok ban or sale deadline

President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for TikTok’s sale in the US for a further 90 days. The video-sharing app has faced questions over its future after the US passed a law last year requiring the app to be banned unless sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Lawmakers said it posed a risk […]

OpenAI boss: Meta offering $100m plus to poach my staff

10 hours ago ShareSave Imran Rahman-Jones Technology reporter ShareSave Getty Images The boss of OpenAI, Sam Altman, says members of his team have been getting “giant offers” from rival tech firm Meta, including $100m (£74.3m) “signing bonuses.” Meta – which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – is attempting to boost the artificial intelligence (AI) side […]

Amazon boss says AI will replace jobs at tech giant

Amazon boss Andy Jassy has told staff to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and warned the technology will lead to a smaller corporate workforce in the next few years. He shared the prediction in a memo to staff on Tuesday, which urged employees to “be curious about AI”. The tech giant is the latest firm to […]

WhatsApp to start showing more adverts in messaging app

WhatsApp is launching three new ad features in a global roll-out across the messaging app. The Meta-owned platform says the new ads will not be shown in the same place as people’s private chats, nor will the contents of their messages – which are encrypted – be used to decide which ads to display. WhatsApp […]

Meta AI searches made public – but do all its users realise?

How would you feel if your internet search history was put online for others to see? That may be happening to some users of Meta AI without them realising, as people’s prompts to the artificial intelligence tool – and the results – are posted on a public feed. One internet safety expert said it was […]

Data bill opposed by Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa finally passes

A bill which sparked an extraordinary stand-off between some of the UK’s most high-profile artists – and their backers in the House of Lords – has finally been passed. Peers wanted an amendment to the drably-titled Data (Use and Access) Bill which would have forced tech companies to declare their use of copyright material when […]

WhatsApp tells BBC it backs Apple in legal row with UK over user data

8 hours ago ShareSave Zoe Kleinman Technology editor•@zsk ShareSave Getty Images WhatsApp has told the BBC it is supporting fellow tech giant Apple in its legal fight against the UK Home Office over the privacy of its users’ data. The messaging app’s boss, Will Cathcart, said the case “could set a dangerous precedent” by “emboldening […]