Netflix ends DVD postal service: ‘Booster rocket’ for streaming wound down after 25 years April 19, 2023 Netflix is ending its postal DVD service after 25 years in a bid to boost subscribers and better its service amid an increasingly competitive streaming space. In a letter to shareholders, the company described the DVD service as “the booster rocket that got streaming to a leading position,” but added that the business was shrinking [...]
AI better than our staff, reckon half of business leaders – so what does that mean for jobs? April 19, 2023 NEARLY half of business leaders reckon AI could replace humans, new data out today shows, but experts think job losses caused by mass adoption of tools such as ChatGPT would be limited. Some 44 per cent of C-suite executives think AI could perform tasks to a similar or better quality than humans, according to a [...]
Whatsapp and Signal warn UK bill could open door to ‘indiscriminate surveillance’ April 18, 2023 Encrypted messaging apps, including Whatsapp, Signal and Viber, have warned that the Online Safety Bill could lead to “indiscriminate surveillance” of people’s personal messages and called for end-to-end encryption to be protected at all costs. The bill is intended to protect underage users on the internet by clamping down on illegal material and placing a [...]
Amazon UK workers’ strike continues – and there’s no end in sight April 17, 2023 Amazon workers are taking part in fresh strikes at a warehouse in Coventry in an ongoing dispute with the tech giant – which doesn’t recognise the union – over pay. GMB members are downing tools for three days from 16 to 18 April as they call for hourly pay to rise to £15. The union has [...]
How AI is proving a virtual nightmare for Google boss who admits having ‘sleepless nights’ April 17, 2023 Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence keeps him awake at night as he admitted society is not fully prepared for its advancement. In an interview with CBS’s Scott Pelley for the “60 minutes” programme, which aired on Sunday, Pichai said the technology could be harmful if it is not used [...]
Sonic creator Sega offers to buy Angry Birds maker for £625 million April 17, 2023 The Japanese video game company behind ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ has offered to buy the Finland-based mobile gaming company, Rovio Entertainment Oyj, in a deal worth €706m (£625m), the companies announced on Monday. Sega Sammy has offered €9.25 per share for all outstanding shares in Rovio, which makes the mobile phone game, Angry Birds, a 19 [...]
Aviva injects £150m into VC arm as it commits to funding more tech start ups April 17, 2023 Aviva has pumped a fresh £150m into its venture capital arm today as it looks to buck a funding slowdown and invest in firms that will add to its “customer journey”.
‘Most powerful rocket ever’: SpaceX’s Starship cleared for launch April 16, 2023 A super rocket that Elon Musk hopes will one day carry people to Mars and the moon has been cleared for its first orbital launch. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted SpaceX a licence to launch the super heavy-lift launch vehicle, comprised of a rocket, dubbed Super Heavy, and spacecraft, dubbed Starship, into orbit [...]
BT runs supply chain ‘war game’ signalling growing fears of China-Taiwan conflict April 16, 2023 Telecoms group BT carried out tests on its supply chain in order to prepare for any fallout amid escalating conflict between China and Taiwan in a “war game” that lasted two days last year. The simulation was conducted following the visit of US speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan last year, which China deemed as an [...]
Graham Linehan, AKA Glinner, banned from Twitter… Again April 16, 2023 Graham Linehan, the creator of Father Ted now best known for his opposition to trans rights, has been banned from Twitter… Again. Linehan’s latest ban was for joking about killing protestors at a controversial women’s rights activist event in Belfast called Let Women Speak, although he had already received warnings from the platform about his [...]