The makers of robot weeders say the machines can reduce pesticide use and be part of a more sustainable food systemIn the corner of an Ohio field, a laser-armed robot inches through a sea of onions, zapping weeds as it goes.This field doesn’t belong to…
Facebook shut down our research into its role in spreading disinformation | Laura Edelson and Damon McCoy
The company’s hostility to academic scrutiny limits our ability to understand how the platform amplifies political falsehoods Last week, Facebook disabled our personal accounts, obstructing the research we lead at New York University to study the sprea…
I toured Orkney in the world’s first all-electric campervan
The Scottish islands are leading the way in sustainable energy and now there’s a greener way for tourists to visit them• Five more eco-friendly holidays in ScotlandThe giant structures rose like enormous fingers from the moorland, silhouetted against t…
Action on sexual abuse images is overdue, but Apple’s proposals bring other dangers | Ross Anderson
The tech giant’s new system for scanning iPhones in the US could enable the massive expansion of state surveillanceLast week, Apple announced two backdoors in the US into the encryption that protects its devices. One will monitor iMessages: if any phot…
‘It became a compulsion’: how fertility forums took over my life
After years trying for a child without success, I sought solace in online message boards. Before long, I was spending hours a day poring over intimate posts, sharing everything with total strangers. Would it help?Leanne was having her fringe cut when s…
TikTok acts on teen safety with ‘bedtime’ block on app alerts
Social networking firm introduces range of child safety measures including increased privacy controls TikTok will prevent teenagers from receiving notifications past their bedtime, the company said, announcing a range of child safety improvements that …
A new Senate bill would totally upend Apple and Google’s app store dominance
With two giants calling the shots and collecting whatever tolls they see fit, mobile software makers have long complained that app stores take an unfair cut of the cash that should be flowing directly to developers. Hearing those concerns, a group of senators introduced a new bill this week that, if passed, would greatly diminish […]
UK firms may buy Welsh computer chip maker if Chinese takeover fails
Technology executive Ron Black says nine companies are willing to join consortium in purchase of Newport Wafer FabThree more British companies have said they are willing to join a group to buy the Welsh semiconductor manufacturer Newport Wafer Fab if t…
Facebook could be forced by UK watchdog to sell gif creator Giphy
Site aims to integrate service with Instagram which ‘could see Facebook withdrawing gifs from competing platforms’Facebook could be forced to sell gif creation website Giphy after an investigation by the UK competition regulator found its takeover coul…
Contact, a platform for creatives backed by Maisie Williams, raises $1.9M Seed led by Founders Fund
With the pandemic digitizing every aspect of our lives, the Creator Economy has taken off like never before, with some estimates saying it’s now a $100Bn+ market. And yet, managing your professional life as a model, actor, writer or designer remains a mish-mash of emails, manual booking processes, and dreaded PDFs. Creatives face late payments, […]