Technology
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Netflix reaches a whopping 104m subscribers
Shares in the streaming service shot up by 10% yesterday after the company announced a huge surge in subscriber numbers. Netflix has changed the way we watch TV — but is it for the better?
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Emojis are ‘the language of the 21st century’
Yesterday was World Emoji Day. The little yellow faces and symbols are just the latest method of communication invented by humans. But can emojis really be described as a new language?
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The friendly chatbot that mimics your voice
Artificial intelligence often inspires talk of the end of the world. But a new app has a far friendlier goal: to be a “lifetime companion” that imitates your personality. Is it a good idea?
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Grouchy Greeks and the birth of TripAdvisor
Opinionated graffiti left on Egyptian tombs by Ancient Greek and Roman tourists has been likened to modern-day TripAdvisor reviews. Have we always been a species of grumblers and moaners?
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Facebook makes plans to build its own village
If all goes well, Facebook’s Silicon Valley employees will start moving to “Willow Campus” in around four years’ time. Should more big businesses start building homes for their workers?
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France and Volvo herald era of electric cars
France will ban sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2040 and Volvo has said all its models will be electric by 2019. The electric era is coming, but do we need the state to make it happen?
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How to talk to aliens (without being killed)
A new in-depth article has shed light on the scientists trying to contact aliens. But what if extraterrestrials are unfriendly? Should we really be drawing attention to ourselves?
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Texts, tweets and twerps: the rise of rudeness
Road rage. Fat shamers. Victim blaming. We are all getting ruder, according to a brilliant new book by British writer Danny Wallace. Is this true — and is it necessarily a bad thing if so?
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Tech firms slammed after new Uber sexism row
Another damaging row over sexism has broken out at Uber following a meeting that was supposed to deal with that exact problem. Are all top tech firms operating in an “ethical vacuum”?
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NASA prepares mission to ‘touch the sun’
The US space agency has unveiled a new probe, which will set off next year to study the sun’s activity. This is the latest phase in our complex relationship with the star. How will it end?
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Social media’s Manchester role under scrutiny
Facebook and Twitter played a huge role reporting the Manchester attack and helping victims and their families. But many false rumours were also spread. Is social media a force for good?
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The Facebook files: death, abortion and hate
The Guardian has published a huge investigation into how Facebook polices its content. The leaked files reveal the complex, often bizarre rules about what users are...
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Google unveils next steps in AI technology
At its annual developer conference, Google showed off new products that make use of artificial intelligence. A handful of firms are using AI to reshape our world. Is this a good thing?
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Cannes film festival goes to war with Netflix
This year, the festival’s line-up features two films from Netflix. Next year, it will refuse to show any more “on-demand” movies. In the digital age, should we still be going to cinemas?
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More cyber attacks on the way, warn experts
There was chaos after 150 countries were hit by a cyber attack over the weekend. The malicious bug was stopped but security experts say there may be worse to come. How worried should we be?