Science

TikTok is being investigated by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission – which leads the EU’s regulation into the company – amid fears that user data is being transferred to China and over its approach to child safety. Announcing the move, the DPC said it would examine TikTok’s compliance with the EU-wide data regulations for under-18s, and

Apple is launching a new-look iPhone 13 with diagonally aligned cameras and what it says is a 20% smaller notch in the front. This September’s launch event featured far less than the company announced last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic led to three separate special events to announce a range of products. But retained from

SpaceX is set to launch a motley crew of amateur astronauts into space on Wednesday in the first ever all-civilian orbital mission. The crew of four civilians includes a high-school dropout for a commander, a medical officer who survived cancer as a child, an artist and college professor, and a man who won his seat

Apple has issued an emergency software update after a flaw was found that allows spyware attributed to Israel’s NSO Group to infect an iPhone, Apple Watch, or Mac computer without the user having to click on anything. The malware was found on the phone of an unidentified Saudi activist by Canadian internet security watchdog Citizen

SpaceX is set to launch the world’s first ever all-civilian mission to orbit on Wednesday evening in Florida, weather permitting. The crew of four civilians includes a high-school dropout for a commander, a medical officer who survived cancer as a child, an artist and college professor, and a man who won his seat through a

The Royal Navy has unveiled a vision of what the British fleet could look like in the future, including an enormous flying drone station based in the stratosphere and an underwater flagship vessel. “In a future scenario if we find ourselves unable to compete traditionally in terms of mass, we must think differently if we

A US judge has told Apple it must ease its restrictions on in-app purchases, following a lawsuit brought by Fortnite creator Epic Games and other publishers. The iPhone and iPad seller has been told it cannot stop developers from showing buttons or links that allow customers to pay for things outside of Apple’s own payment

Tougher penalties are being considered for nuisance calls and text messages. Persistent cookie warnings on websites may also be curbed. The measures are being considered as part of a 10-week consultation on what the government calls the “UK’s data landscape”, while the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is set for an overhaul. At present, the ICO

Facebook and Ray-Ban have announced new smart glasses called Ray-Ban Stories are launching on Thursday in three different models, five colours, and with a range of lenses – including prescription – retailing for £299 in the UK. The glasses are launched alongside a bespoke app called Facebook View which is needed to pair with the

A smoke alarm was activated onboard Russia’s service module on the International Space Station, space agency Roscosmos said on Thursday. The space agency said on Twitter that all systems on the Zvezda ISS system were working properly and plans for a spacewalk later on Thursday were still going ahead. “Today, a smoke detector was triggered

Twitter and Instagram are looking at how they can prevent people from posting racist messages or emojis before they are sent amid a spike in abuse directed towards footballers after the Euro 2020 final. The racist vitriol aimed at England players who missed penalties in the final, some of which is still visible on the

El Salvador’s move to become the first country in the world to make Bitcoin legal tender was marred on launch day when the government’s digital wallet system crashed. President Nayib Bukele confirmed that the Chivo Wallet had been taken offline following complaints about installation problems. No time has been given for when it will be

Data protection authorities across the G7 are to be urged to tackle nuisance cookie consent pop-ups, which critics say are not fit for purpose. Proposals on improving the ways that web users consent to cookies will be discussed in a series of virtual meetings to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday. The government has cited

A new start-up that aims to reverse aging is planning to open a lab in the UK, reportedly with funding from Jeff Bezos. Altos Labs has raised at least $270m (£231m) to develop biological reprogramming technology, a way to rejuvenate cells that some scientists think could be extended to revitalise entire animal bodies, ultimately prolonging

El Salvador is set to become the first country in the world to make the cryptocurrency Bitcoin legal tender, with a recently passed law to take effect from tomorrow. President Nayib Bukele has claimed the move would increase financial inclusion, investment, tourism, innovation and economic development. He added that the use of Bitcoin in the

Pro-Kremlin trolls have infiltrated the reader comments on the websites of news organisations, including The Times, the Daily Mail and Fox News, as part of a “major influence operation”, new research has claimed. The analysis – by a unit at Cardiff University that specialises in exposing disinformation – was unable to say definitively who was