Category: Technology

Call of Duty maker Activision to be bought by Microsoft Activision By Michael Race & Zoe Kleinman BBC News Microsoft’s revised offer to buy Call of Duty-maker Activision Blizzard has been approved by UK regulators. The Competition Markets Authority (CMA) said the updated bid had addressed concerns, after it blocked the original $69bn (£59bn) deal… Continue reading Call of Duty maker Activision to be bought by Microsoft

Jewish parents told to delete social media apps Getty Images By Shiona McCallum Technology reporter Some Jewish parents have been told by schools to delete social media from their children’s phones in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict. One of the main concerns is over possible hostage videos being shared which they say could cause… Continue reading Jewish parents told to delete social media apps

Man trains home cameras to help repel badgers and foxes James Millward By Tom Singleton Technology reporter, BBC News A man got so fed up with foxes and badgers fouling in his garden that he adapted cameras to help repel them. James Milward linked the Ring cameras at his Surrey home to a device that… Continue reading Man trains home cameras to help repel badgers and foxes

AI facial recognition: Campaigners and MPs call for ban Getty Images By Imran Rahman-Jones & Liv McMahon Technology reporters, BBC News Police and private companies should “immediately stop” the use of facial recognition surveillance, says a group of politicians and privacy campaigners. They have raised concerns around human rights, potential for discrimination and “the lack… Continue reading AI facial recognition: Campaigners and MPs call for ban

MrBeast and BBC stars used in deepfake scam videos By Tom Gerken Technology reporter The world’s biggest YouTuber, MrBeast, and two BBC presenters have been used in deepfake videos to scam unsuspecting people online. Deepfakes use artificial intelligence (AI) to make a video of someone by manipulating their face or body. One such video appeared… Continue reading MrBeast and BBC stars used in deepfake scam videos

TikTok testing out advert-free monthly subscription Getty Images By Liv McMahon Technology team TikTok is testing a new monthly subscription which would get rid of adverts on the video sharing site. The BBC understands the Chinese firm is trying out the service in an English-speaking market outside the US, but has declined to comment on… Continue reading TikTok testing out advert-free monthly subscription

Apple to buck layoff trend by hiring UK AI staff Getty Images By Tom Gerken Technology reporter Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook said the firm wants to hire more staff in the UK, in contrast to redundancies seen across the tech sector. He said the company wants to take on more staff to work in… Continue reading Apple to buck layoff trend by hiring UK AI staff

ChatGPT can now access up to date information Reuters By Antoinette Radford & Zoe Kleinman, Technology Editor BBC News OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed creator of ChatGPT, has confirmed the chatbot can now browse the internet to provide users with current information. The artificial intelligence-powered system was previously trained only using data up to September 2021. The… Continue reading ChatGPT can now access up to date information

Meta announces AI chatbots with ‘personality’ Getty Images By James Clayton North America technology reporter Meta has announced a series of new chatbots to be used in its Messenger service. The chatbots will have “personality” and specialise in certain subjects, like holidays or cooking advice. It is the latest salvo in a chatbot arms race… Continue reading Meta announces AI chatbots with ‘personality’

Reddit to begin paying people for popular posts Reddit By Tom Gerken Technology reporter Reddit has unveiled plans to pay its top contributors cash for popular posts, starting in the US on Tuesday. The social media site will split revenue with people who are awarded “gold” by other users, who pay a fee. Gold awards… Continue reading Reddit to begin paying people for popular posts