Industry
BBC director general to depart in April after resignation
The BBC's director general is to leave the broadcaster in April, five months after he announced his resignation amid a storm about the way Panorama edited a Donald Trump speech. Tim Davie stayed in his post after announcing his resignation in November, but will depart on 2 April. He will be replaced by an interim DG, Rhodri Talfan Davies, who has been director of nations since 2021 and is currently leading the BBC's work on generative AI. The search is under way for a permanent director general, one of the most demanding jobs in the British media. Davie has been responsible for dealing with a series of scandals and crises since becoming the BBC's 17th director general in 2020.
UK wants to give web publishers a 'fairer' deal with Google's AI overviews
Apple could unveil Gemini-powered Siri in Feb. UK wants to give web publishers a'fairer' deal with Google's AI overviews It's recommending measures including an'opt out' and proper attribution. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is recommending measures to give publishers more control over how their content is used in Google's AI overviews. The aim is to "provide a fairer deal for content publishers, particularly news organizations," the CMA's chief executive Sarah Cardell said in a press release . With Google accounting for more than 90 percent of search inquiries in the UK, the CMA recently designated the company with "strategic market status" for search under the Digital Market Act. That allows the regulator to apply "conduct requirements" on Google to promote competition and avoid antitrust issues.
The Download: A bid to treat blindness, and bridging the internet divide
Plus: TikTok won't be heading to court this week The first human test of a rejuvenation method will begin "shortly" Life Biosciences, a small Boston startup founded by Harvard professor and life-extension evangelist David Sinclair, has won FDA approval to proceed with the first targeted attempt at age reversal in human volunteers. The company plans to try to treat eye disease with a radical rejuvenation concept called "reprogramming" that has recently attracted hundreds of millions in investment for Silicon Valley firms like Altos Labs, New Limit, and Retro Biosciences, backed by many of the biggest names in tech. Today, an estimated 2.2 billion people still have either limited or no access to the internet, largely because they live in remote places. But that number could drop this year, thanks to tests of stratospheric airships, uncrewed aircraft, and other high-altitude platforms for internet delivery. Although Google shuttered its high-profile internet balloon project Loon in 2021, work on other kinds of high-altitude platform stations has continued behind the scenes. Now, several companies claim they have solved Loon's problems--and are getting ready to prove the tech's internet beaming potential starting this year.
Shokz OpenFit Pro review: Reducing distractions while keeping your ears open
Apple could unveil Gemini-powered Siri in Feb. These open-fit earbuds actually make a difference with background noise. Rarely does a set of open-fit earbuds actually impress me. I tend to find them underwhelming because overall sound quality is subpar compared to the more "traditional" in-ear models. The first time I used the Shokz OpenFit Pro ($249.95)
No Phone, No Social Safety Net: Welcome to the 'Offline Club'
No Phone, No Social Safety Net: Welcome to the'Offline Club' Across Europe's largest cities, people are gathering for semi-silent, offline hangouts, in search of an experience that isn't mediated through their smartphones. On cue, the room fell silent. A man seated to my left at a long wooden table began to scratch at a piece of paper with a coloring pencil. To my right, another guy picked up a book. Across the way, someone buried themselves in a puzzle.
Windscribe review: Despite the annoyances, it has the right idea
The first step is always to figure out how easy or hard the VPN is to use. Windscribe and other VPNs are important tools, but you'll never use them if the UI gets in the way. I tested Windscribe's desktop apps on Windows and Mac, its mobile apps on iOS and Android and its Chrome and Firefox browser extensions. To start with, let me say that installing Windscribe is a breeze no matter where you do it. The downloaders and installers handle their own business, only requiring you to grant a few permissions. The apps arrive on your system ready to use out of the box.
Amazon's latest round of layoffs will affect 16,000 workers
Apple could unveil Gemini-powered Siri in Feb. Amazon's latest round of layoffs will affect 16,000 workers The news was first leaked in an email mistakenly sent early to workers. Sydney, Australia - 2022-07-22 Amazon prime boxes and envelopes delivered to a front door of residential building. Amazon has confirmed that it's letting go of 16,000 workers and employees across its organization. In an announcement by company SVP Beth Galetti, she explained that Amazon was going through organizational changes to reduce layers and remove bureaucracy. Affected employees in the US will be given 90 days to look for another internal role and will receive severance pay if they do not find any.
Google's Smart Glasses Will Have the Best Software. But They'll Have to Win on Style Too
Google's Smart Glasses Will Have the Best Software. But They'll Have to Win on Style Too When Google releases its smart glasses in the coming months, the strength of its AI-powered software will be its biggest leg up on its rivals. But will people want to be seen wearing them? When Google ships its newly refreshed smart glasses this year--as the rumor mill is predicting, and as the hands-on demos posted just last week have all but confirmed it will--the company's tech will be joining a crowded field. But whether this rebirth of Glass will pop or fizzle comes down to whether Google can best its main competitor: Meta .
Government offers UK adults free AI training for work
The government has launched a series of free AI training courses designed to help people learn how to use the technology at work. The online lessons give advice on things such as how to prompt chatbots or use them to assist with admin tasks. Many of the courses are free, with others subsidised, and the government aims to reach 10 million workers by 2030 - calling it the most ambitious training scheme since the launch of the Open University in 1971. But the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has warned workers will need to know more than just how to prompt a chatbot as the workforce adapts to the growth of AI. Skills for the age of AI can't be reduced to short technical courses alone, said Roa Powell, senior research fellow at the IPPR.
Revealed: The outdated British slang terms for sex that have been consigned to history - with 'how's your father' topping the list
Trump calls Ilhan Omar a'fraud' and suggests she staged shock syringe attack during Minneapolis town hall: 'She probably had herself sprayed' Nicola Peltz is'getting a $1MILLION a month allowance from her father Nelson' as Brooklyn Beckham's billionaire in-laws take him under their wing Iran braces for possible US attack as Trump's'beautiful armada' arrives in Middle East amid claims regime has slaughtered 30,000 protesters America's damning verdict on who's to blame for Minneapolis mayhem between Trump and far-left protesters Melania's shock role in Trump's showdown with Kristi Noem revealed: MARK HALPERIN's fly-on-wall account of Oval Office meeting... and who is ACTUALLY taking the fall for Alex Pretti shooting I've seen possessed children scream like beasts and strung up like puppets... these chilling exorcism cases PROVE hell is real Sickening proof Kanye West's apology was fake: MAUREEN CALLAHAN reveals heinous new Nazi slur everyone missed... and revolting REAL reason he wrote groveling letter Trader Joe's reveals its best products of 2026 in grocery's own Oscars - and there's a surprise winner School principal accused of shoplifting from Walmart using'stacking' method at self-checkout Harper Beckham, 14, puts on a stylish display in a fluffy coat and vintage Chanel bag in Paris with her family - after Nicola Peltz's heartbreaking comments about sister-in-law I was barely eating but kept gaining weight. Then I discovered the'taboo' cancer doctors NEVER talk about. Now sex will never be the same... don't ignore these signs Lost tomb of the mysterious'cloud people' unearthed after 1,400 years in'discovery of the decade' She's All That star Rachael Leigh Cook was a 2000s icon... see her now Revealed: The outdated British slang terms for sex that have been consigned to history - with'how's your father' topping the list Is your sex lingo up-to-date, or are your go-to terms giving away your age? The answer may lie in how many of these slang words and phrases you're still using. A new survey by Perspectus Global has revealed the once-popular terms that have been consigned to history.