We bring you a selection of interesting stories from around the world…
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Tech makers must provide repairs for up to 10 years under proposed EU law
Makers of numerous product categories, including TVs, vacuums, smartphones, and tablets, could be required to enable repairs for their products for up to 10 years after purchase, depending on the device type.
Thousands may have lost out to crypto trading app
Experts who have investigated the company say it could be one of the largest crypto scandals to date.
Microsoft brings ChatGPT-style tech to Office365
The technology behind the world’s most talked about artificial intelligence (AI) system, ChatGPT, is being added to its work software, Microsoft 365.
OpenAI announces ChatGPT successor GPT-4
The new version can respond to images – such as providing recipe suggestions from photos of ingredients, as well as writing captions and descriptions. It can also process up to 25,000 words, about eight times as many as ChatGPT.
Vinyl records outsell CDs for first time in decades
Vinyl record sales outperformed CDs in the US for the first time since 1987, according to a new report.
Tiny data centre used to heat public swimming pool
The heat generated by a washing-machine-sized data centre is being used to heat a Devon public swimming pool.
HSBC acquires British arm of stricken Silicon Valley Bank
The move comes after U.S. authorities moved to shore up deposits and stem any wider fallout from the sudden collapse of its parent, tech start-up lender Silicon Valley Bank.
Silicon Valley Bank: Regulators take over as failure raises fears of US banking sector
US regulators have shut down Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and taken control of its customer deposits in the largest failure of a US bank since 2008.
White House releases new U.S. national cybersecurity strategy
The Biden-Harris administration today released its national cybersecurity strategy that focuses on shifting the burden of defending the country’s cyberspace towards software vendors and service providers.
ChatGPT and Whisper APIs debut, allowing devs to integrate them into apps
New ChatGPT API can generate text that’s a tenth of the cost of previous models.
Employers failing to offer hybrid work lose out in recruitment
By the end of 2023, only 9 percent of knowledge workers worldwide will be fully remote, but 39 percent will combine remote and office-based work, according to analysis by Gartner.
Even hackers are reportedly getting laid off by organized crime groups
Hackers and others perpetuating ransomware threats seem to be the latest tech industry workers navigating a shaky job market.
Roald Dahl: Original books to be kept in print following criticism
Roald Dahl’s books are to be printed in their original form, following criticism of the decision to amend novels including The BFG, making them more suitable for modern audiences.
GoDaddy: Hackers stole source code, installed malware in multi-year breach
While GoDaddy discovered the security breach following customer reports in early December 2022 that their sites were being used to redirect to random domains, the attackers had access to the company’s network for multiple years.
Codebreakers decipher Mary, Queen of Scots’ secret letters 436 years after execution
A team of codebreakers have discovered, and then cracked, more than 50 secret letters written by Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots while she was imprisoned in England by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.
Google’s Bard AI bot mistake wipes $100bn off shares
Google is searching for ways to reassure people that it is still out in front in the race for the best artificial intelligence technology. And so far, the internet giant seems to be coming up with the wrong answer.
Microsoft announces new Bing and Edge browser powered by upgraded ChatGPT AI
Microsoft says it’s using conversational AI to create a new way to browse the web. Users will be able to chat to Bing like ChatGPT, asking questions and receiving answers in natural language.
Google announces ChatGPT rival Bard, with wider availability in ‘coming weeks’
The ‘experimental conversational AI service’ is called Bard and is only being tested by a limited group.
Digital pound likely this decade, UK Treasury says [consultation paper here]
A state-backed digital pound is likely to be launched later this decade, according to the Treasury and the Bank of England. Both institutions want to ensure the public has access to safe money that is easy to use in the digital age.
Developer pleads guilty to hacking his own company after pretending to investigate himself
A former employee of network technology provider Ubiquiti pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges on Thursday after posing as an anonymous hacker in an attempt to extort almost $2 million worth of cryptocurrency while employed at the company.
Twitter to end free access to its API in Elon Musk’s latest monetization push
Twitter will discontinue offering free access to the Twitter API starting February 9 and will launch a paid version, the Elon Musk-owned microblogging website said as it looks for more avenues to monetize the platform.
Farewell radiators? Testing out electric infrared wallpaper
Look carefully and you will notice there is something slightly different about Kris Bilski’s house in Hull. It has no radiators.
ChatGPT firm trials $20 monthly subscription fee
For $20 (£16) per month, subscribers will get access to the platform even at peak times when it can be hard to log onto, and also ‘priority access’ to new features, chatbot creator OpenAI said.
Russia and Iran combine their banking systems to get around being banned from SWIFT
Several Iranian central bank officials confirmed the partnership with Russia’s central bank on Monday, Reuters first reported. However, Russia’s central bank has declined to comment on the matter or issue an official statement on its website.
JD Sports says 10 million customers hit by cyber attack
The company said information that “may have been accessed” by hackers included names, addresses, email accounts, phone numbers, order details and the final four digits of bank cards.
Ranking all 12 versions of Windows, from worst to best
You can tell a person’s age by which version of Windows is their favourite.
India demonstrates its mobile security-focused ‘BharOS’
Government officials teased a homegrown mobile OS earlier this month. Local media outlet Business Standard initially reported it would be called ‘IndOS’ and will be a collaboration between the government, academia, and startups.
That Stings: Microsoft hosts Sting concert before laying off 10,000 employees
Layoffs are plaguing the tech industry left and right, but that doesn’t mean the big-wigs have to suffer too. Ahead of laying off several thousand employees, Microsoft hosted an exclusive Sting concert at Davos for executives.
Apple releases Lisa source code on landmark machine’s 40th birthday
26 megabytes of history are yours for the downloading.
Crypto lender Genesis files for bankruptcy
The firm had recently been charged by US regulators Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with illegally selling crypto.
Multi-million investment scammers busted in four-country Europol raid
Another day, another series of cryptocurrency scams… these, fortunately, brought to a halt, though sadly not before they’d defrauded “investors” around the globe to the tune of millions of dollars.
Norton Password Manager ‘hacked’, warning users about breaches
Customers of NortonLifeLock are being notified that Norton Password Manager accounts are being breached by hackers, performed via breaches of accounts on other platforms.
Royal Mail overseas deliveries hit by Russia-linked ransomware attack
The cyber-attack has affected the computer systems Royal Mail uses to despatch deliveries abroad.
US bank Silvergate hit with $8bn in crypto withdrawals
Around two-thirds of the bank’s customers pulled their deposits in the final three months of 2022. The bank has sold $5.2bn in assets to cover the cost and remain liquid.
LastPass users: Your info and password vault data are now in hackers’ hands
Password manager says breach it disclosed in August was much worse than thought.
Facebook owner Meta settles Cambridge Analytica scandal case for $725m
The proposed sum is the largest in a US data privacy class action, lawyers say.
The $11,500 toilet with Alexa inside can be in your home
Have you ever sat on the toilet, pondering your day, using your phone even though that’s kind of gross to do on the loo, avoiding everyone in the house, and thought, “I wish Alexa was in here with me?” That is, what I assume, the designers of the Smart Toilet were thinking when they made this $11,500 toilet.
Glaswegian who ‘invented’ chicken tikka masala dies
A Glaswegian chef credited with inventing the chicken tikka masala has died, aged 77.
Google introduces end-to-end encryption for Gmail
A new encryption software update is being rolled out in a beta test for eligible Google Workspace users.
Singapore’s crypto ambitions shaken by FTX collapse
There was a time when it seemed as though Singapore would become a global centre for cryptocurrency.
Binance auditor Mazars halts all crypto work
Mazars Group, the accounting firm used by crypto giant Binance Holdings Ltd. and other big players in the industry to vouch for their assets held in reserve, has halted all work for crypto clients, dealing a major blow to an industry seeking to shore up confidence in the wake of FTX’s collapse.
To protect its cloud, Microsoft bans crypto mining from its online services
Microsoft has quietly banned cryptocurrency mining from its online services, and says it did so to protect all customers of its clouds.
Airport security 100ml liquid rule to be scrapped
The UK Government has set a deadline of June 2024 for most UK airports to install new high-tech 3D scanners, that show more detailed images of baggage. The changes will see the 100ml liquid rule increased to two litres and mean passengers won’t need to remove electrical items from bags at security.
Breakthrough in nuclear fusion energy announced
Physicists have pursued the technology for decades as it promises a potential source of near-limitless clean energy.
December 2024 set as date for universal phone charger in EU
The EU previously agreed new portable electronic devices would have to use a USB Type-C charger by autumn 2024.
Deloitte identifies trust as a common theme in its 2023 Tech Trends
A more immersive internet, superclouds and more trustworthy artificial intelligence are among the developments coming in the next 18 to 24 months.
European Central Bank wants to introduce urgent regulations in the crypto sector
European Central Bank board member Fabio Panetta stated that the regulation of crypto assets is urgently needed to protect investors and maintain the stability of the global financial landscape.
European Union foreign aid department spent nearly $400,000 on its own Metaverse and no one came to its virtual party
Digital avatars and the promise of political engagement apparently weren’t a big draw.
No more airplane mode? EU to allow calls on flights
Airline passengers in the European Union (EU) will soon be able to use their phones to full effect in the sky.
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