Latest posts

  • Italian news publishers demand investigation into Google’s AI Overviews

    Newspaper federation says ‘traffic killer’ feature violates legislation and threatens to destroy media diversity Italian news publishers are calling for an investigation into Google’s AI Overviews, arguing that the search engine’s AI-generated summaries feature is a “traffic killer” that threatens their survival. FIEG, the Italian federation of newspaper publishers, said it has submitted a formal…

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  • Driverless taxis from Waymo will be on London’s roads next year, US firm announces

    Cars with human safety drivers will appear in coming weeks as permissions are sought for fully autonomous rides Driverless taxis from Waymo will be available for hire on London’s roads next year, the US company has announced. The UK capital will become the first European city to have an autonomous taxi service of the kind…

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  • Google given special status by watchdog that could force it to change UK search

    CMA puts Google under tighter regulation with ‘strategic market status’ designation and can enforce changes Business live – latest updates Google faces enforced changes to its UK search business after the competition watchdog conferred a special status on the company that puts it under tighter regulation. The Competition and Market Authority (CMA) confirmed that Google…

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  • California police stumped after trying to ticket driverless car for illegal U-turn

    San Bruno officers pull over Waymo but say a ticket wasn’t issued, as ‘our citation books don’t have a box for “robot”’ If a driver makes an illegal U-turn, but no one is behind the wheel, does the car still get a ticket? A police department in California grappled with this existential question last week.…

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  • Pixel 10 Pro XL review: Google’s superphone gets AI and magnetic upgrades

    Top camera, great software, solid battery life and huge screen bolstered by helpful Gemini and Qi2 support Google’s Pixel superphone is back, packed with a bigger battery, faster charging, magnetic accessories and even more cutting-edge AI tools to try to usurp Apple and Samsung as the monarchs of really big phones. The Pixel 10 Pro…

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  • Google experiences deja vu as second monopoly trial begins in US

    Firm faces another dismantling attempt over allegations of illegal monopoly over digital ads brought by DoJ After deflecting the US Department of Justice’s attack on its illegal monopoly in online search, Google is facing another attempt to dismantle its internet empire in a trial focused on abusive tactics in digital advertising. The trial that opened…

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  • Google announces £5bn AI investment in UK before Trump visit

    Rachel Reeves says move is a ‘vote of confidence’ in British economy as she prepares to open firm’s first UK datacentre Business live – latest updates Google has said it will invest £5bn in the UK in the next two years to help meet growing demand for artificial intelligence services, in a boost for the…

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  • Google’s huge new Essex datacentre to emit 570,000 tonnes of CO2 a year

    Exclusive: Planning documents show impact of Thurrock ‘hyperscale’ unit as UK attempts to ramp up AI capacity Business live – latest updates A new Google datacentre in Essex is expected to emit more than half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year , equivalent to about 500 short-haul flights a week, planning documents show.…

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  • Google Pixel 10 Pro review: one of the very best smaller phones

    Top-spec cameras, cutting edge AI, great software and stunning screen squeezed into a more manageable frame The Pixel 10 Pro is Google’s best phone that is still a pocketable, easy-to-handle size, taking the excellent Pixel 10 and beefing it up in the camera department. That makes it a contender for the top smaller phone with…

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  • How thousands of ‘overworked, underpaid’ humans train Google’s AI to seem smart

    Contracted AI raters describe grueling deadlines, poor pay and opacity around work to make chatbots intelligent In the spring of 2024, when Rachael Sawyer, a technical writer from Texas, received a LinkedIn message from a recruiter hiring for a vague title of writing analyst, she assumed it would be similar to her previous gigs of…

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