‘The worst person you know’: the man who unwittingly became a meme
Soon after the pandemic plunged Spain into confinement, Josep Maria García received a panicked call from his brother-in-law. “He told me not to worry, but...
Crypto panic as digital assets follow share prices in a downward spiral
The cryptocurrency market could do with some respite but its convention-breaking nature means there is no hiatus. Trading in digital assets such as bitcoin and...
‘Oh my God, buy it!’ China’s livestream shopping stars risk being censored
Hua Shao stands knee-deep in water at the edge of the sea, behind a table piled high with large crabs. The famous Chinese TV host...
Why is Google so alarmed by the prospect of a sentient machine? | John Naughton
Humans are, as someone once observed, “language animals”, implying that the ability to communicate linguistically is unique to humans. Over the last decade, machine-learning researchers,...
Is ‘fake data’ the real deal when training algorithms?
You’re at the wheel of your car but you’re exhausted. Your shoulders start to sag, your neck begins to droop, your eyelids slide down. As...
Bitcoin value slumps below $20,000 in cryptocurrencies turmoil
The price of a bitcoin has fallen below $20,000 (£16,400) amid deepening turmoil in the cryptocurrency markets. The cornerstone of the digital asset markets slipped...
UK plan to scrap cookie consent boxes will make it ‘easier to spy’ on web users
Proposals to scrap pop-up cookie consent boxes on websites will make it easier to spy on web users, a privacy campaign group has warned. Cookie...
SpaceX employees fired after writing letter criticizing Elon Musk
At least five employees were fired by private rocket company SpaceX after drafting and circulating an open letter criticizing founder Elon Musk and calling on...
Jay-Z’s bitcoin school met with skepticism in his former housing project: ‘I don’t have money to be losing’
Marcy Houses, the 28-acre public housing development in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, is best-known as a pillar of rapper-turned-mogul Jay-Z’s New York persona. Built in 1949...
Greenery and bright colours in cities can boost morale – study
Having bright colours and greenery in our cities can make people happier and calmer, according to an unusual experiment involving virtual reality headsets. A team...