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Showing posts from December, 2020

Hacked home cams used to livestream police raids in swatting attacks

The FBI issues an alert saying offenders have sometimes spoken to police via breached smart devices. https://bbc.in/34WvFL0

Drone users face new rules across Europe and UK

The regulations relax the distinctions between commercial and recreational drone use. https://bbc.in/383hztr

Apple removes app promoting private parties in pandemic

US platform Vybe Together advertised "gatherings every weekend" to its thousands of users. https://bbc.in/2KR12jf

Snapchat boss: 'User behaviour protected by free speech'

Founder Evan Spiegel has questioned whether platforms are responsible for user behaviour in a BBC interview. https://bbc.in/2JvaHvp

Deepfake queen prompts 200-plus complaints to Ofcom

Viewers described the Channel 4 programme as "tasteless" and "disrespectful". https://bbc.in/38P6DP2

Ratatouille musical: Stars join show that was cooked up on TikTok

Adam Lambert and Tituss Burgess lead the cast for a show that was cooked up by fans on TikTok. https://bbc.in/2KApky7

Japan developing wooden satellites to cut space junk

A Japanese forestry firm has partnered with Kyoto University in what would be a world first. https://bbc.in/37WQtnD

Chinese games billionaire dies 'after poisoning'

Lin Qi, 39, was the founder of Yoozoo which developed a popular Game of Thrones online game. https://bbc.in/37V59nn

KFC launches game console with built-in chicken warmer

The fast food chain said many people thought the built-in warmer was a spoof but is ready for production. https://bbc.in/34NAUfQ

Hackers threaten to leak plastic surgery pictures

The Hospital Group has confirmed that patient photos are being held to ransom by hackers. https://bbc.in/3rtRFq6

Games of 2020: The Press X To Continue awards

BBC Sounds podcast Press X To Continue chooses its best and worst of gaming in 2020. https://bbc.in/3nHSObv

Doctor Who Christmas special to be offered in 4K HDR on iPlayer

The Queen's Christmas Broadcast will also be broadcast in the higher quality format. https://bbc.in/3hgogey

Twitter to wipe Trump's followers before Biden handover

The social media giant previously allowed President Trump to inherit Barack Obama's followers. https://bbc.in/34Ei9eK

Crypto-currency firm Ripple charged by US watchdog

If the lawsuit is successful, it could set a precedent for the regulation of crypto-currencies. https://bbc.in/38uu3t0

Viral 'butt-less' pyjamas ad sparks confusion

Web users have questioned why the adverts are being targeted at them. https://bbc.in/3aB6CB1

Tanzania 'using Twitter's copyright policy to silence activists'

Twitter's policy on the infringement of copyright is used to muzzle critics, activists say. https://bbc.in/3nTS8QB

SLS: Crucial test for Nasa's 'mega-rocket'

Part of a giant rocket that will send humans back to the Moon has undergone a critical test. https://bbc.in/2WDIgOQ

Facebook child abuse detection hit by new EU rules

A new ban on the scanning of private messages is hampering child protection efforts online. https://bbc.in/3h7eb3o

US cyber-attack: Around 50 firms 'genuinely impacted' by massive breach

The expert whose company uncovered the hack also backs US officials' view that Russia was behind it. https://bbc.in/3myr0Vv

'Yes, people have Zoom fatigue but it's not our fault'

Zoom director Aparna Bawa says video conferencing can tire people out, but her firm isn't to blame. https://bbc.in/38mf3NM

US charges ex-Zoom employee with shutting down Tiananmen Square events

US prosecutors say the China-based executive terminated meetings discussing the 1989 crackdown. https://bbc.in/37zecdn

Cyberpunk 2077: How did the release go so wrong?

It was meant to be the biggest game of 2020 - but it's been pulled from stores and players refunded. https://bbc.in/3mAbxV3

Electric cars will leave hole in tax revenues, says Treasury

The Treasury says taxes must rise or services cut to compensate for the loss of fuel tax income. https://bbc.in/2WsbujG

Google sued again over anti-competitive search practices

US states accuse Google of unfairly abusing monopolies to dominate new tech like voice assistants. https://bbc.in/2KfLXHN

People's Energy data breach affects all 270,000 customers

The data stolen includes individuals' names, addresses and some dates of birth but not bank details. https://bbc.in/2KAG5IO

Dancing starling spectacle caused power cuts in Scottish village

Engineers investigating the unexplained outages found they were caused by murmurations of starlings. https://bbc.in/3gTTjwu

Pornhub sued by 40 Girls Do Porn sex trafficking victims

Victims allege that Pornhub's parent company Mindgeek knew of the allegations but ignored them. https://bbc.in/34kHj2d

Uber fined over withholding sexual assault records

The taxi app firm argues releasing the information would be a violation of victims' privacy. https://bbc.in/2WnanBM

Facebook to move all UK users onto US agreements

The move could allow the social media giant to avoid strict EU privacy laws being introduced. https://bbc.in/3p1NSyx

Snapchat: Young people targeted in Crimestoppers safety campaign

The mum of a boy who bought lethal drugs on the social media app welcomes a Crimestoppers campaign. https://bbc.in/2LxFqsc

Coronavirus: Contact-tracing apps can now work on older iPhones

Apple has updated its earlier operating system - but the apps' developers will have to make changes as well. https://bbc.in/3r2hcXA

Rappers dominate YouTube's top 2020 UK music videos

The streaming giant has announced its most viewed music videos in the UK this year https://bbc.in/3oRnkQn

Timnit Gebru: Google and big tech are 'institutionally racist'

The AI academic at the centre of a race row at Google speaks to BBC News. https://bbc.in/37i4Dzb

EA to buy Dirt Rally-maker Codemasters for £1bn

Games giant Electronic Arts is set to acquire the British game-maker, beating an earlier rival offer. https://bbc.in/3oPVowh

US treasury and commerce departments targeted in cyber attack

All federal civilian agencies are told to switch off a network tool exploited by "malicious actors". https://bbc.in/2Kl1G88

How clean is the air in your office?

Due to Covid, and many of us hoping to return to the office in 2021, workplace air quality is a growing concern. https://bbc.in/2LnDtOX

US telcos ordered to 'rip and replace' Huawei components

The order is the latest US move against Chinese communications firm Huawei on security grounds https://bbc.in/3gF5b5m

Ridley Scott inspires Network Rail’s cave-exploring drone

Scenes from the movie Prometheus inspired Network Rail to develop a drone that can explore caves. https://bbc.in/37SrfWl

Pornhub: Mastercard severs links with pornography site

The payments giant says an investigation has confirmed the presence of unlawful content on the site. https://bbc.in/344p152

US election: YouTube to ban videos alleging widespread voter fraud

The world's largest streaming site said the ban would affect any posts uploaded from Wednesday https://bbc.in/2LpSb8h

Facebook facing US legal action over competition

Facebook, which owns Instagram and WhatsApp, is accused of taking illegal steps to crush rivals. https://bbc.in/3oK7Ltx

Beavers, burpees and bread: 2020's most-searched

Google has released the UK's most searched-for terms during a year unlike any other https://bbc.in/3qKMD8n

PayPal 'reward' email rapped for misleading

The message must not be sent again in the same form, rules the Advertising Standards Authority. https://bbc.in/2JORBQZ

Encrypted messaging puts children at risk, commissioner warns

Encryption could make it harder to police online grooming, England's children's commissioner warns. https://bbc.in/3lX6kWY

So you want a career in computer games tournaments?

The first e-sports graduates are about to hit the jobs market, so was it worth the time and expense? https://bbc.in/39UMAB8

Uber sells self-driving cars to focus on profits

Driverless cars were once seen as core to the company's future but lately it's focused on rides and food. https://bbc.in/3mXer7r

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh: 'Machine-gun with AI' used to kill Iran scientist

Iran says Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was shot by a satellite-controlled weapon with artificial intelligence. https://bbc.in/2ImJUka

Zalando boss to quit 'to prioritise wife's career'

The co-chief executive of Europe's largest online fashion platform is cutting short his contract. https://bbc.in/39UoOFd

Walsall construction firm targeted in cyber attack

Walsall-based RMD Kwikform says it is investigating the security breach. https://bbc.in/3mPMUEO

'Virtual patient' helps train medics remotely during pandemic

The technology role-plays life-like medical scenarios so clinicians can still learn in the pandemic. https://bbc.in/3otjP2h