Latest Stories
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‘Smart skin’ makes virtual touch a reality
Should touch become digital? A new, thin, wireless skin could allow us to reach through a screen and touch what is on the other side. Are we living in a dream or a nightmare?
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Google, Facebook accused of human rights abuse
Are two of the biggest companies in the world laying waste to human rights? A major new report, yesterday, claims they are destroying the right to privacy, freedom of expression and equality.
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The fight to save a continent with emojis
Could a joyous new set of symbols reverse centuries of pessimism about Africa? One young, graphic design student set out to do just that. Against all odds, he is now on the brink of success.
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New robot ‘on the path to self-awareness’
Will robots ever be self-aware? Scientists at Colombia University have built a machine that learns about itself in the same way as a baby. Could it become more intelligent than a human?
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Mushrooms and 3D printing: green fashion is here
Should we all be wearing mushrooms and pineapple leaves? Our fast-fashion culture is wrecking the planet, so innovative companies are creating sustainable fabrics from unlikely sources.
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Modern icon receives coat of many colours
How will historians remember the iPhone? As a tech marvel that gave the gift of knowledge and brought us together, or a false idol that ushered in an era of self-obsession and isolation?
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Video game competitions could enter Olympics
Should eSports be in the Olympics? Professional video game contests are bigger than ever. Now the International Olympic Committee is considering adding them to the 2024 Paris games.
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Facebook robots spark new panic over AI
In the past year Amazon started testing drone deliveries, a robot passed a university entrance exam, and Facebook’s AI started talking to itself. Are robots poised to take over the world?
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Sweat, tears and Xbox: introducing eSports
‘The biggest sport you’ve probably never heard of’ earns its top players millions every year. Last night, London hosted the first eSports Industry Awards. But do video games count as sport?
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Tech tycoon launches home robot revolution
A UK billionaire has announced that he is to build a new generation of domestic droids to mark the end of household chores. Could humanity be engineering its own downfall?
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World’s most powerful cyber weapon is discovered
A complex computer virus, newly discovered by security experts, may be the most powerful piece of malware ever created. The find raises new fears over the potential of cyber warfare.
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Google hits the road in self-driving car
Google has been licensed to bring a driverless car to the roads of Nevada. The high-tech ride will mean fewer accidents and less stress – but do we want to give robots the wheel?
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App resurrects ‘Frankenstein’ for the digital age
Mary Shelley’s gothic tale of Frankenstein and his monster has been rewritten as an interactive app for iPads. Is this the triumph of human ingenuity, or a hideous mockery of a great book?
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Sixteen years after death, rapper set for world tour
Tupac Shakur was shot dead in 1996 – but last week he was digitally resurrected for a performance at a US music festival, and a world tour is planned. What ever happened to ‘rest in peace’?
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Hacker mastermind revealed as FBI mole
As ‘Sabu’, he was the powerful leader of international hacking collective LulzSec. But Hector Monsegur was an FBI informant – and his unmasking could spell the end of ‘hacktivism’.