Taking photos is one of the “most important” parts of using a smartphone, a Google senior manager has said, saying the firm must make devices to allow people to “better capture and reminisce” with their pictures. Navin Sarma said Google wanted its Pixel range of devices to take advantage of technology to bring more complex […]
Author Archive | Jonathan Thomas
Google Chrome only blocking a quarter of phishing websites, researchers claim
Google’s Chrome web browser is only preventing users from visiting around a quarter of suspicious sites that are likely to be part of phishing scams, Which? has claimed. The consumer group said a study searching the web addresses of 800 newly discovered phishing sites in a web browser saw Chrome block only 28% when used […]
Facebook and Instagram to reveal more on how ads target users
Facebook parent Meta has said it will start publicly providing more details about how advertisers target people with political ads just months ahead of US mid-term elections. The announcement follows years of criticism that the social media platforms withhold too much information about how campaigns, special interest groups and politicians use the platform to target […]
‘Things like us may be extremely rare’, Prof Brian Cox says
Earth could be “the only place” in the universe with life forms intelligent enough to form civilisation, Professor Brian Cox has said. While microbial life forms could well be common, the physicist believes that “things like us may be extremely rare”. When asked about US Congressman Andre Carson’s comments earlier this week that UFOs are […]
Oysters may flourish once more in Belfast with restoration project
A restoration project is aiming to help oysters flourish in Belfast Lough once again. Native oysters appeared to have become extinct in the lough in 1903, only to be discovered again in 2020 at six sites. Now a native oyster nursery at Bangor Marina, the first of its kind on the island of Ireland, aims […]
Twitter users told to be wary of scam messages about verified accounts
Twitter has warned users to be aware of scammers posing as Twitter employees in order to try and get hold of log-in details and other personal information. It comes after a number of verified users on the platform, including journalists, reported receiving direct messages (DMs) which claimed their verified status had been declared as “spam” […]
Facebook says levels of harmful content taken down remain ‘consistent’
The prevalence of harmful content on Facebook and Instagram remained “relatively consistent” during the first three months of this year, the platforms’ parent company Meta said, as it published its latest community standards enforcement report. According to the figures, there was an increase in the amount of spam and violence and incitement content removed from […]
Twitter ‘committed’ to completing Elon Musk deal at agreed price
Twitter has said it is “committed” to completing the deal to sell the company to Elon Musk on the “agreed price and terms” amid suggestions the billionaire was trying to renegotiate or even walk away from the transaction. On Tuesday, the Tesla and SpaceX boss said the deal “cannot move forward” until he sees proof […]
Apple announces new accessibility tools for people with disabilities
Apple is to introduce a new set of accessibility tools to its devices to aid those with disabilities, including a door detection tool which uses sensors in an iPhone or iPad to help those with sight problems find their way when arriving at a new location. The suite of new software features will be introduced […]
Elon Musk says Twitter deal ‘cannot move forward’ without fake account details
Elon Musk has said his deal to buy Twitter “cannot move forward” until he sees “proof” of the site’s estimate that spam and fake accounts make up less than 5% of users. The billionaire Tesla boss has publicly sparred with the social media firm’s chief executive over the number of bot accounts on the platform […]