Tech News

Restrictions on US broadband providers' ability to prioritise one service's data over another are to be reduced after a vote by a regulator.

Restrictions on US broadband providers' ability to prioritise one service's data over another are to be reduced after a vote by a regulator.

The Federal Communications Commission voted three to two to change the way "net neutrality" is governed.
Internet service providers (ISPs) will now be allowed to speed up or slow down different companies' data, and charge consumers according to the services they access.
But they must disclose such practices.
Ahead of the vote, protesters rallied outside the FCC's building to oppose the change.
Many argue the reversal of rules introduced under President Barack Obama will make the internet less open and accessible.
The decision is already facing legal challenges, with New York's attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, announcing he will lead a lawsuit challenging the FCC's decision.
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One of China's largest tech companies has taken its "flirtatious secretary" virtual assistant offline, following a suggestion that it objectified women.

One of China's largest tech companies has taken its "flirtatious secretary" virtual assistant offline, following a suggestion that it objectified women.

The avatar, called Vivi, was designed to be built-in on a new virtual reality headset sold by iQiyi, the video platform owned by search giant Baidu.
The voice-controlled assistant could recommend films and video games, but could also be made to flirt and dance.
Vivi has now been taken offline for "modification", said iQiyi
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Google is being taken to court, accused of collecting the personal data of millions of users, in the first mass legal action of its kind in the UK.

Google is being taken to court, accused of collecting the personal data of millions of users, in the first mass legal action of its kind in the UK.

It focuses on allegations that Google unlawfully harvested information from 5.4 million UK users by bypassing privacy settings on their iPhones.
The group taking action - Google You Owe Us - is led by ex-Which director Richard Lloyd.
He estimates the users could get as much as "several hundred pounds each".
The case centres on how Google used cookies - small pieces of computer text that are used to collect information from devices in order to deliver targeted ads.
The complaint is that for several months in 2011 and 2012 Google placed ad-tracking cookies on the devices of Safari users which is set by default to block such cookies.
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"Highly professional" hackers made off with around 4,700 Bitcoin from a leading mining service, a Bitcoin exchange has said.

"Highly professional" hackers made off with around 4,700 Bitcoin from a leading mining service, a Bitcoin exchange has said.

The value of Bitcoin is currently extremely volatile, but at the time of writing, the amount stolen was worth approximately $80m.
The hacked service was NiceHash, a Slovenia-based mining exchange.
It said it was working hard to recover the Bitcoin for its users, adding: "Someone really wanted to bring us down."
The attack happened early on Wednesday, said NiceHash's chief executive Marko Kobal. Attackers accessed the company's systems at 01:18 CET (00:18 GMT). By 03:37 the hackers, whom the company believes were based outside the European Union, had begun stealing Bitcoin.
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Apple has fixed a security flaw in its HomeKit system that could have let unauthorised people control smart home gadgets such as door locks and lights.

Apple has fixed a security flaw in its HomeKit system that could have let unauthorised people control smart home gadgets such as door locks and lights.

The bug appeared in the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system iOS 11.2, and could have let criminals unlock internet-connected doors.
A researcher disclosed the problem to tech news site 9to5Mac.
Apple said it had now disabled remote HomeKit access for shared users, as a temporary solution to the problem.
The company's HomeKit framework lets iOS devices control internet-connected gadgets made by a variety of manufacturers.
Customers do not need to update the software on their devices because the fix has been implemented on Apple's servers.
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