Technology
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‘Moral squalor’ of illegal downloads condemned
Have you ever downloaded a song without paying for it? Watched a film online for free? If so, the celebrated author Philip Pullman believes you are no better than a pickpocket. Is that fair?
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Grand Theft Auto set for record-breaking launch
Midnight tonight will see the launch of GTA V, the latest in the hit game series to arrive on shelves with its addictive blend of cars, guns and murder. In the digital...
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Mobile classic becomes casualty of phone wars
Microsoft’s takeover of Nokia marks the Nordic company’s final defeat in the battle to dominate the mobile phone market. Will relentless innovation mean even Apple will one day be overtaken?
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China takes lead as supercomputer race hots up
The great powers are racing against each other to build the world’s most advanced thinking machine. The latest rankings show China in pole position. Should the rest of us be worried?
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Giant internet surveillance project exposed
Leaked documents have blown the cover of a programme named Prism which allows the US government to spy on internet activity around the world. Should we fear for our freedom?
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Scientists use thought to pilot helicopter drone
Researchers have just announced the successful flight of a mini helicopter piloted using brainwaves. The breakthrough gives disabled people hope, but critics fear it will undermine humanity.
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Spy drones recruited in war against graffiti
The German rail network has ignited a tense national debate by announcing plans to guard its trains using surveillance drones. How alarmed should we be by these flying security cameras?
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Google’s goggles spark fears of ‘end of privacy’
Imagine a computer that hovers above your eyebrow, interacting with your surroundings and responding to your voice. Google Glass is an impressive gadget – but how intrusive might it be?
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First 3D-printed gun spreads tremors of fear
Since a Texan anarchist printed and fired a homemade gun last week, the US government has been desperate to remove the online blueprints. Is this technology beyond control?
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Internet ideals at risk after 20 years of the web
Precisely 20 years ago this Friday the first web page was published – and in a blaze of idealism the world wide web was born. Today, have giant corporations such as Google soured the dream?
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Teenager escapes prosecution for ‘hate tweets’
Police have decided to drop the case against the 17-year-old whose offensive tweets forced her to resign as the UK’s first youth police commissioner. Does Paris Brown deserve to be vilified?
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Experts get many future trends amazingly wrong
When one reporter interviewed futurologists 25 years ago about what life would be like in 2013 they got things both stunningly right and amazingly wrong. Was it a waste of time?
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THE FUTURE: Everyone is connected
Today, 2.4 billion people are connected to the internet: a vast ‘global mind’ of information and ideas. This shared consciousness comes with big opportunities – and profound risks.
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Scientists build ‘complete’ bionic man for TV
He may not be much of a looker, but Rex walks, talks and moves much like a human being. Every inch of his ‘body’ is artificially engineered. Will we soon build humans from scratch?
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Child labour suggests something rotten at Apple
Apple has long been technology’s most innovative company. But in recent years it has been plagued by child labour and stuttering profits. Is this the beginning of the end for Jobs’ empire?