Tag: Computers
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Focus on ‘gadget fatigue’ as tech fest starts
The Consumer Electronics Show begins tomorrow. Tech giants and self-starters will wow viewers with their gizmos. But amid this frenzy, some are asking whether we have reached ‘peak gadget’.
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2016 in review: computers learn how to think
In the tech world, it was a year of robots, fake news and trying to catch a Pikachu. But the major companies have been getting excited about one trend in particular: artificial intelligence.
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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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How relying on computers leads to ‘disaster’
As Google launches its new smart home assistant, the economist Tim Harford warns that we are becoming too reliant on automation. When it fails, he says, the consequences are disastrous.
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Cashless future as notes and coins decline
Last year Britain processed 19,276 debit card payments every single minute. Mobile and contactless card payments are both rising — and fast. Should we embrace a future without cash?
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Why the world is safer than ever before
More food, less war, higher incomes, longer lives: we live in a golden age, according to a growing school of thinkers. Do they have a point, or are they naively blind to today’s problems?
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Facebook controls the news, say former staff
Mark Zuckerberg is meeting high-profile US conservatives today after claims that Facebook staff suppressed news stories. Is Facebook just a neutral platform for sharing information?
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Google car crash casts doubt on robot powers
One of Google’s self-driving cars crashed into a bus in northern California. But the company insists that its investments in artificial intelligence will soon change the world.
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Tin bath, coal fire: woman ‘lives’ in 1939
Joanna Francis is such a big fan of 1939 that she has transformed her home and survives without modern conveniences. Society has changed greatly since — but has it been for the better?
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‘End of shopping’ as Amazon starts food sales
A new deal will see Amazon sell Morrisons groceries in the UK later this year. As big supermarkets and retailers come under pressure, should we welcome the decline of traditional shopping?
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Half of users scammed on online dating sites
Spamming, scamming, and fake profiles asking for cash. As online dating soars in popularity, new research reveals its many risks. Are algorithms the best route to love anyway?
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‘Batmobile’ and smartshoes star in tech show
The annual Consumer Electronics Show has begun in Las Vegas. From SmartBras to electric cars, it is a glimpse into the near future. Will technology control our lives? Or free them?
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Exploding hoverboards mar Christmas tech fever
Humans are irresistibly drawn to the latest gadgets and inventions — especially at Christmas. But they often disappoint. Is it time to focus on simpler (and more reliable) pleasures?
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Internet as vital as water, Cameron says
The Prime Minister has announced plans to make access to a fast broadband connection a universal right by 2020. Is internet access essential, or could we cope without it?
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Jobs film places genius’s style under scrutiny
A new film about the man behind Apple’s astonishing success comes out in the UK today. Were Steve Jobs’s dictatorial methods justified by his results, or is consensual leadership better?