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Tech
Industry, products, and the wires that hold it all together.
745 stories archived
Review: Yes, we're still arguing about Nolan's The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan's impressionistic remix of Homer's epic poem finds the man behind the myth.
As Reddit stock falls, CEO questions value of Google's AI Overviews
Reddit may still be considering ending its licensing deal with Google.
China’s tech advances are causing chaos from Silicon Valley to the White House
New AI models, advanced robots and specialty computer chips are unsettling markets and the US tech industry Over the past month, a series of advancements in China’s artificial intelligence, chip manufacturing and robotics technologies have rattled financial markets, caused divisions among US tech moguls and left the Trump administration scrambling to respond. Silicon Valley has long pointed to China’s tech industry as a competitive threat and used its growth as rationale for why US firms should not face regulatory oversight that could slow them down. In recent weeks, however, China’s progress has pushed US tech CEOs past vague warnings and into open disagreement over how to address Chinese-made products upending their industry. Continue reading...
After noise complaints, judge orders Waymo to stop overnight charging in Santa Monica
Autonomous vehicle giant disturbs residents' sleep.
The great British switch-off: how floating retreats, mobile-free pubs and sauna book groups are freeing people from their smartphones
Sick of doomscrolling? From venues with smartphone swear jars to cabins with absolutely no signal, here are the fun and freeing ways to ditch your device There’s a ritual at the start of every event hosted by the Offline Project . Run by Pelé Zachariah, the activities vary – it could be a group walk, a collage‑making class or a supper club – but each one begins in the same way, *with an invitation to hand over your phone. Devices go in a lockbox. Once they’re all in, Zachariah closes the door and turns the key. “I don’t place them in for people, because it’s nice for them to physically put it in the box themselves, walk away, and think: for the next two or three hours, I’m fully present.” He has been running these screen-free events in London since August 2025. First-timers can be apprehensive about being separated from their phone. “You can sense the vibe when they’re putting it away,” says Zachariah. “People have said to me, ‘I felt really weird’ or ‘I felt super uncomfortable for the first few minutes not having my phone on me.’ Then they’ll say, ‘I didn’t know how much I needed that.’” Continue reading...
Defcon's new badge is a security key you can see inside
A removable chip lets hackers inspect their badge—and keep using it after Defcon.
We Need to Quarantine Aliens on the Moon, Scientists Propose
Researchers argue that a lunar biocontainment facility for extraterrestrial samples could prevent “the potential ecological devastation of an invasive extraterrestrial organism.”
How fruit flies chase invisible ribbons of smell to get to their source
Tracking smells in turbulent air takes a keen sense of direction and sharp memory.
‘We didn’t feel safe’: Booking.com users face battle to get money back
From melted electric sockets to shabby alternatives, readers tell of dealings with platform when things go wrong Jane Ripley* spent some time researching the best apartment to stay in for her family’s trip to Batumi in Georgia, eventually settling on one with an “exceptional” rating on Booking.com. But when the Ripleys arrived at 11pm on the first day, they were directed to another property that was shabby and had stains on the furniture and ceiling. Continue reading...
Not just Neanderthals: Ghost lineage in Africa left its mark on our DNA
Some group with no modern descendants contributed a lot to our genomes.
Doctors took a look at man's painful shoulder—they found the joint was missing
The term "Milwaukee Should Syndrome" was coined in 1981, based on cases in four women.
Google plans to exempt sanctioned nations from Android developer verification
Someone in Cuba or Iran can keep installing APKs with no new restrictions, but devs will suffer.
Reddit keeps its strange DMCA fight over Google search results alive
Reddit advances lawsuit accusing Perplexity AI of conspiring with web scraper.
Likely illegally, Claude gained access to 3 networks. Will Anthropic be held to account?
Had the hacks used conventional methods, someone would likely go to prison.
Google Earth risked ruin with retracted AI tool for making fake satellite pics
“What on earth is Google doing?” Misinformation fears spur walk-back of AI tool.
Would you get tattooed just to interview at a 7-days-a-week AI startup?
LemonLime’s CEO got “carried away” with tattoo gimmick.
High school defends staying silent while boys made AI nudes of 59 classmates
Gaps in laws may help Pennsylvania high school escape AI nudes scandal.
Researchers devise a full-color night vision goggle
Wavelength and intensity in the infrared are translated into colors in the visible.
China could supply EV manufacturing boom with recycled EVs
Look at chemistry of batteries and motors shows big opportunity for recycling.
Sony acknowledges backlash, “cautiously” moves ahead with end of PlayStation discs
Sony doesn't think the move will hurt it financially.
$2m crime novel deal collapses amid questions over AI use
Agents withdraw Jerry Falade’s hotly anticipated debut after saying they can no longer authenticate ‘how the manuscript evolved’ A high-profile publishing deal for a debut crime novel has collapsed after doubts emerged over whether artificial intelligence played a role in writing it. The hotly anticipated manuscript Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body, by Jerry Falade, was withdrawn from sale by its agent despite reportedly receiving an offer for more than $2m (£1.5m) from Minotaur, owned by Macmillan US, as part of a 14-way auction. The plan was to publish it in 2028. Continue reading...
Behind the Blog: Silent Retreat
This week, we discuss going into the woods, a "he admit it" moment, and a tofu sandwich.
Man invested $45M in a Nicolas Cage movie. It got stolen off Netflix’s desk.
Filmmaker sues Netflix over stolen screener of unreleased Nicolas Cage movie.
Google Earth’s New AI Lets Anyone Fabricate Completely Bullshit Satellite Images
"Tonight I typed just one sentence into Google Earth and put refugees near the Mexican border. Then I planted a nuclear plant in Iran. Then I put a fatal crash on a street in Amsterdam."