Singapore has started to hand out Bluetooth-enabled contact tracing devices as part of its measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The so-called TraceTogether tokens are an alternative to the government’s contact tracing smartphone app. They are aimed at people who do not own or prefer not to use a mobile phone. The announcement […]
Later this Friday, Fortnite players will stow away their guns and kick back for a movie screening. Three of Christopher Nolan’s biggest films – The Dark Knight, Inception, and The Prestige – will be shown in the game’s Party Royale mode. What you’ll see will depend on what country you’re in. But why would anyone want […]
The UK government is inching towards taking a decision on Huawei’s role in the UK’s 5G and fixed-broadband networks. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – a branch of the intelligence service GCHQ – has documented all the facts ahead of giving its view. And civil servants at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and […]
The US Defense Department has determined that 20 top Chinese firms, including Huawei, are either owned by or backed by the Chinese military. The list, seen by US media, features video surveillance firm Hikvision, China Telecoms, China Mobile and AVIC. The determination could lay the groundwork for new US financial sanctions against the firms. It […]
Lockdown parties hosted in properties booked via online sites, including Airbnb and Booking.com, are putting “communities at risk”, the Bed and Breakfast Association has said. Hosts and residents have complained of groups of up to 30 breaking social-distancing rules and taking drugs. BBC News has been told of several such parties in the past month. […]
Apple has confirmed it will transition its Mac laptop and desktop computers to its own ARM-based processors. The move means that Macs will run on the same type of chips as the firm’s iPhones and iPads, rather than Intel’s. Intel had faced problems manufacturing its own designs, leading it to issue a public apology to computer-makers. […]
Microsoft has decided to close its Mixer livestreaming service and is partnering with Facebook Gaming instead. Mixer made headlines last year when it signed a reportedly multi-million dollar exclusivity deal with Ninja, a big star on rival platform Twitch. But despite the investment, Microsoft says the platform will close in one month’s time. Ninja and […]
With many of us still stuck working at home because of the coronavirus crisis and some employers saying it could be months before they reopen offices, it is time to start seriously thinking about your home set-up and whether it could be more comfortable and efficient. A decent keyboard and mouse could prove a good […]
The first time Steve Saylor fired up the hotly-anticipated new game The Last of Us Part II, he burst into tears. “Y’all don’t even know how much…” he says between sobs in his video of the moment, which has now had nearly half a million views. “I’m sorry. I don’t even know what to say.” […]
After months of work, the UK has ditched the way its coronavirus-tracing app works, prompting a blame game between the government and two of the world’s biggest tech firms. So what went wrong? At the end of March, I got a text from a senior figure in the UK’s technology industry. This person said they […]