Metaverse set for regulation, reckons Digital Minister December 25, 2021 Meta’s new virtual reality project the Metaverse will be subject to new UK laws on digital harm, according to the Government’s digital minister. The metaverse was launched with great fanfare by Mark Zuckerberg earlier this year, as he rebranded Facebook with a new corporate identity. The metaverse is envisioned as a blending of both physical [...]
Nasa readies to launch $10bn James Webb Space Telescope on Christmas morning December 24, 2021 Nasa is readying to launch its $10bn James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) on Christmas morning, which is set to revolutionise how we view space. The telescope, known as Webb, will be the first major space observatory since the Hubble Space Telescope, which launched more than three decades ago. It is also Nasa’s attempt to unravel [...]
TikTok beats Google for top internet hotspot December 24, 2021 Video sharing platform TikTok has beaten Google as the most popular online destination after soaring in popularity over the course of the pandemic. Fuelled by Gen Z amid social restrictions, the app has held the top position since August, after dethroning Google in February, March and June. Google came first last year, and was surrounded [...]
Octopus Renewables Infrastructure snaps up Finnish windfarms for €140m December 24, 2021 Octopus Renewables Infrastructure has snapped up two onshore wind farms in Finland for around €140m, as it expands into ‘new territory’. The figure includes the acquisition as well as the payments from its final construction stages, and forms part of Europe’s plan to transition to sustainable energy sources. The Saunamaa and Suolakangas wind farms have [...]
Meta appeals against UK watchdog ruling that it must sell Giphy December 23, 2021 Facebook's parent company Meta is appealing against a decision by the UK's competition watchdog ordering it to sell Giphy.
Tencent dishes out over $16bn to shareholders in JD.com windfall December 23, 2021 Chinese tech giant Tencent is set to dish out $16.4bn to its shareholders in the form of the majority of its stake in JD.com. The move will see the gaming and social media group cut its holding from 17 per cent to just 2.3 per cent. It means Tencent will step down from the helm [...]
Omicron: Risk of hospitalisation two-thirds lower, Scotland study suggests December 22, 2021 Early data from Scotland suggests Omicron is less likely to result in hospitalisations compared to Delta , says the University of Edinburgh.
Skyrora creates Europe’s largest 3D printer in ‘game-changer’ for cutting rocket building time December 22, 2021 Scottish rocket firm Skyrora has created Europe’s largest 3D printer, in its bid to trim down manufacturing time for its future space vehicles. As well as speeding up processes, the printer, known as Skyprint 2, will cut costs and complexity but around a third, Skyrora said today. It will also help with rocket repairs, as [...]
Leaked documents: Amazon denies claims Alexa’s novelty has worn off December 22, 2021 Amazon has denied claims consumers are losing interest in Alexa after media obtained internal documents predicting a slump in sales growth.
Genedrive shares jump as Covid-19 test maker files for UK approval December 22, 2021 Covid-19 test maker Genedrive has filed for approval to sell its product in the UK, after new testing regulations came into effect last month. Shares jumped 14.4 per cent to 41.5p per share by mid-morning. The new Coronavirus Test Device Approvals (CTDA) regulations place specific performance requirements on test suppliers, after the new pandemic-era industry [...]