May 2, 2024
Apple working to fix alarming iPhone issue
Apple says it is working to quickly fix an issue that caused some iPhone alarms not to play a sound, giving their slumbering users an unexpected lie-in. One is to guard against human error - so double check the phone's alarm settings and ensure the volume is turned up. Others though have pointed the finger at dozy Apple designers, saying iPhones' "Attention aware features" are to blame. When active, these enable an iPhone to check whether a person is paying attention to their device and take...
Apr 30, 2024
After 20 years, what next for World of Warcraft?
Holly told Newsbeat she believes World of Warcraft - which is currently unavailable on consoles - could play a part in this and wants to broaden the appeal of the game. In recent years the game has added new ways to play that appeal to more casual gamers who don't want to spend hours levelling up their characters or don't want to battle other players. It's not unique to World of Warcraft and the game's associate design director, Maria Hamilton, told Newsbeat it was something Blizzard was...
Apr 25, 2024
Meta AI spending plans cause share price slump
Shares in Meta - the owner of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram - fell sharply after it announced higher than expected spending on artificial intelligence. Meta has been updating its ad-buying products with AI tools to boost earnings growth. From Hargreaves Lansdown, said Meta's "Substantial investment" in AI has helped it get people to spend time on its platforms, so advertisers were willing to spend more money "In a time when digital advertising uncertainty remains rife". Last year, Meta was...
Apr 21, 2024
Fallout: Can post-apocalypse show turn Amazon Prime viewers into gamers?
Can the phenomenon work in reverse? Can, for example, the new Fallout TV show convince viewers to try the role-playing games that inspired it? Since the release of the TV show, Fallout games have seen a huge spike in interest. One group of dedicated Fallout gamers was left disappointed this week when it emerged that a long-awaited fan project had apparently become an indirect casualty of the TV show. Fallout London is a modification - or mod - that transforms copies of Fallout 4 on PC into a...
Apr 21, 2024
Tram crash at Universal Studios Hollywood injures 15
Fifteen people have been injured and taken to hospital after a tram crashed at Universal Studios Hollywood on Saturday night. Lt. Maria Abal said the last car of the tram hit a rail as it travelled down a hill at a parking structure. Like in many theme parks, trams at Universal Studios Hollywood ferry people around the site, which covers more than 400 acres. It is not clear what the tram was being used for at the time of the crash. Representatives for Universal Studios have been contacted for...
Apr 19, 2024
Powerful Greenland women project wins photo award
The winners of the 2024 Sony World Photography Awards have been announced, with Juliette Pavy named as Photographer of the Year for her series, Spiralkampagnen, a project on the forced sterilisation of Inuit women in Greenland. More than 40 images, selected by the esteemed photographer highlighting the key themes and milestones over the last five decades of his career, will be on view at the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 exhibition at Somerset House. An exhibition of the winners and...
Apr 19, 2024
Netflix profits soar after password crackdown
Netflix says it will stop reporting key subscriber numbers from next year and asked investors to focus on its profits and revenue. Other technology giants such as Facebook parent Meta and social media platform X, formerly Twitter, also stopped reporting monthly active user numbers as growth slowed. Jamie Lumley of research firm Third Bridge wrote that the decision raises "Questions about the growth prospects of Netflix's subscriber base". Netflix shares were almost 5% lower after the...
Apr 17, 2024
Workers take on car giant Volkswagen in fight for pay
BBC. Yolanda Peoples has worked on prior union drives that failed during her 13 years at Volkswagen. Yolanda Peoples has tried for more than a decade to convince her co-workers at Volkswagen's factory in the southern state of Tennessee that joining the United Autoworkers Union would pay off in increased job security, higher wages and a more comfortable retirement. The election, which involves roughly 4,300 workers and starts on 17 April, is the first to emerge from a campaign UAW leaders...
Apr 17, 2024
United Airlines says Boeing blowout cost it $200m
United Airlines was forced to ground its Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet in January. United Airlines has blamed Boeing for a $200m hit to its earnings in the first three months of this year. The carrier was forced to ground its Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet for three weeks after a mid-air cabin blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight in January. United has 79 Boeing 737 MAX 9s in its fleet, more than any of its rivals, and second only to Alaska Airlines. United told investors that its operations were also...
Apr 17, 2024
US man accused of shooting Uber driver caught in scam
Police in Ohio have arrested an elderly man who is accused of fatally shooting an Uber driver he mistakenly believed was part of a scam. During their investigation, officials discovered that an unknown man had called Mr Brock and told him he needed to provide $12,000 in order to get his nephew out of jail. A scammer also hired Ms Hall through the Uber app and sent her to pick up a package from Mr Brock's home. Mr Brock allegedly held Ms Hall at gunpoint, demanding she tell him the identity of...
Apr 16, 2024
Apple update addresses Jerusalem emoji controversy
Apple has released a partial update to its iPhone software which stops the Palestinian flag emoji being suggested when users type the word "Jerusalem". Apple previously told the BBC the flag's appearance when Jerusalem was typed had been inadvertent. Critics such as TV presenter Rachel Riley had demanded Apple explain why the flag appeared, particularly when other cities do not produce flag emojis when typed. In the new update no emoji is suggested when a user types "Jerusalem", in line with...
Apr 11, 2024
Watch OJ Simpson's notorious 1994 car chase
Archive video shows the June 1994 pursuit of OJ Simpson as he fled Los Angeles police in a white Ford Bronco after failing to turn himself in. Simpson, a former star football player, had become the main suspect in the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. Millions of Americans watched the lengthy chase and standoff on live television, which ended when he surrendered to police outside his home. Simpson was later acquitted of the murder after a trial in 1995.
Apr 10, 2024
Apple sparks Palestinian flag emoji controversy
Apple has been criticised after the Palestinian flag emoji was automatically suggested to iPhone users who type "Jerusalem." East Jerusalem, along with the West Bank and Gaza Strip, were captured by Israel from Jordan and Egypt in a war in 1967, and have since been viewed internationally as occupied Palestinian territory. Last year rival tech giant Meta had to apologise after a bug resulted in it adding "Terrorist" to the biographies of some Instagram users describing themselves as...
Apr 6, 2024
Behind the McDonald's boycott controversy
EPA. The sudden decision by McDonald's to take over ownership of its branches in Israel has thrust the franchise company Alonyal and its chief executive Omri Padan into the spotlight. McDonald's will buy back all of its Israeli restaurants after global sales slumped due to a boycott of the brand over its perceived support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza.The fast-food giant uses a franchise system which means that individual operators are licensed to run outlets and employ staff....
Apr 5, 2024
Samsung profits jump by more than 900% on chips
Samsung Electronics says it expects its profits for the first three months of 2024 to jump by more than 10-fold compared to a year earlier. South Korea-based Samsung is the world's largest maker of memory chips, smartphones and televisions. Samsung's semiconductor division is usually the biggest revenue earner for the firm. Samsung is also expected to get a boost from sales of its new flagship Galaxy S24 smartphones, which were launched in January. The firm's shares have soared since its...
Apr 4, 2024
Dramatic drop in logging in key Amazon countries
The number of trees lost in tropical forests in Brazil and Colombia fell dramatically last year because of political action, a new analysis finds. The return to government of President Lula has coincided with a dramatic drop in forest losses in Brazil. As a result, there has been a 36% drop in primary forest losses in Brazil in 2023, compared to 2022."I think what we're seeing in Brazil, for example, is really a case of putting law enforcement back in place that was dismantled during the...
Apr 3, 2024
WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook apps hit by outage
WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram have all gone down briefly as part of a major outage at parent company Meta.Thousands of app users reported issues accessing the three sites late on Wednesday, with people taking to other social media to air grievances. Problems began around 19:00 BST.The UK site Downdetector, which monitors the performance of websites, indicated around 82,000 issues with WhatsApp at 19:25 BST but an hour later the issue appeared to have been largely resolved. Facebook users...
Apr 2, 2024
Microsoft splits Teams and Office globally
Teams is a collaboration application developed by Microsoft. Microsoft has said it is splitting the Teams business messaging and video app from its Office software globally. Microsoft said in a blogpost that Teams Standalone will cost $5.25 for new customers. After Teams was split from the Microsoft 365 and Office Suites in Europe last October, the platform saw little change to the size of its user base, according to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. Mustafa Suleyman, the co-founder of...
Apr 1, 2024
Netflix's 3 Body Problem, a billionaire and a 'despicable' murder
The release of Netflix's series 3 Body Problem has been watched millions of times around the globe since its release late last month. According to the court, Xu Yao, who was known as a distinguished lawyer, became consumed by professional rivalry after Lin sidelined him shortly after he helped land the Netflix deal in 2020.Within months of this apparent slight, Lin was dead - the victim of a poisoning plot described as both "Premeditated" and "Extremely despicable" by the court last week. "At...
Mar 29, 2024
KFC Nigeria sorry after disabled diner refused service
KFC Nigeria says it will train its staff on empathetic customer service. KFC Nigeria has issued an apology after the country's airport authority shut one of its outlets over the alleged discrimination of a disabled client. Adebola Daniel, son of a former Nigerian state governor Gbenga Daniel, said in a post on X that he was ordered to leave a KFC outlet at Lagos airport because of his wheelchair. In a post on X on Thursday, KFC Nigeria said sorry to Mr Daniel and announced measures to address...
Mar 27, 2024
European flying car technology sold to China
WATCH: Convertible 'flying car' took to the sky in 2021.The tech behind a flying car, originally developed and successfully test-flown in Europe, has been bought by a Chinese firm. Hebei Jianxin Flying Car Technology Company, headquartered in Cangzhou, has purchased exclusive rights to manufacture and use AirCar aircraft inside an undisclosed area. Having led the way in the development of the EV revolution, China is now actively developing flying transport solutions. The sale of the Slovakian...
Mar 25, 2024
Apple, Meta and Google to be investigated by the EU
The EU has announced investigations into some of the biggest tech firms in the world over uncompetitive practices. It comes three weeks after the EU fined Apple €1.8bn for breaking competition laws over music streaming. Apple fined €1.8bn for breaking streaming rules. 'Mass surveillance' fears over law change plans. Trade body techUK outlines "Substantial concerns" over plans to amend the Investigatory Powers Act.
Mar 22, 2024
Row erupts over German football kit deal
The German Football Association's decision to switch the supplier of the national team's kit away from Adidas has been blasted by politicians. The contract will pass from the German company to US firm Nike from 2027.Economy Minister Robert Habeck said he would have "Liked a bit more local patriotism", while Health Minister Karl Lauterbach called the decision "Wrong". Adidas has supplied the kit for the German national football team for more than 70 years. According to reports in the German...
Mar 22, 2024
FBI probes mid-air blowout on Alaska Airlines flight
The FBI is investigating a January Alaska Airlines flight, where a door plug on the aircraft, a Boeing 737 Max 9, blew out mid-air. A criminal probe was confirmed by the FBI in a letter sent to those aboard the plane, identifying them as "Victims". The letters confirm early media reports that the Department of Justice had launched a criminal investigation into the Boeing jetliner blowout, which occurred on a 5 January flight from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California. The Alaska Airlines...
Mar 21, 2024
US accuses Apple of monopolising smartphone market
The US has filed a landmark lawsuit against Apple which accuses the tech giant of monopolising the smartphone market and crushing competition. Apple has vowed to "Vigorously" fight the lawsuit and denies the claims. It is the third time the company has been sued by the justice department since 2009.The lawsuit, filed to a federal court in New Jersey, alleges that Apple used "a series of shapeshifting rules" in a bid to "Thwart innovation" and "Throttle" competitors. Mr Garland added that...
Mar 21, 2024
Apple becomes the latest tech giant under siege
Apple has a unique position as a tech brand, and is regarded with enormous affection by those who like it. "Apple is like a strange drug that you just can't quite get enough of," wrote Leander Kahney in his 2006 book The Cult of Mac.It is this "Strange drug" or "Magical experience", as Apple put it in a statement on Thursday, which is now under fire. This means all Apple products work seamlessly together, and every app, payment method and operating system update is vetted and approved by the...
Mar 20, 2024
MacKenzie Scott donates $640m to US non-profits
MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is giving $640m to non-profit organisations, more than double her previously planned donations for the year. Ms Scott has given away $16.5b since divorcing Mr Bezos in 2019.She has a net worth of $37.5b according to Forbes, which rates her as the fourth richest woman in the world, and has pledged to give away half of her wealth over the course of her life. Ms Scott posted on social media that the money had been given to groups "For...
Mar 18, 2024
Uber agrees $178m payout to Australia taxi drivers
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers filed the class action on behalf of over 8,000 taxi and hire car owners and drivers. "Since 2018, Uber has made significant contributions into various state-level taxi compensation schemes, and with today's proposed settlement, we put these legacy issues firmly in our past," Uber said in a statement. Over the years, it has faced protests by taxi drivers in cities around the world. In December 2023, the company won a lawsuit brought against it by 2,500 taxi drivers in...
Mar 12, 2024
Airbnb bans surveillance cameras inside properties
Airbnb says it is introducing a worldwide ban on the use of security cameras inside rental properties. The online rental platform says the move aims to simplify its rules on security cameras and prioritise the privacy of guests. Airbnb users have previously voiced concerns about the use of indoor surveillance cameras. Airbnb's current rules allow the use of security cameras in common areas such as living rooms and hallways, as long as the location of the equipment is made clear on the...
Mar 11, 2024
Trump says TikTok ban would only help Facebook
Former US President Donald Trump has criticised a congressional bill to force TikTok's parent company to sell the app or see it banned in the US. Mr Trump, who attempted to ban TikTok in 2020 while in the White House, said the proposal would give unfair advantages to Facebook owner Meta. "Without TikTok, you can make Facebook bigger, and I consider Facebook to be an enemy of the people," Mr Trump told NBC on Monday. "There are a lot of people on TikTok that love it. There are a lot of young...