Month: May 2022
Preventing the next pandemic
Bill Gates’s career-switch from entrepreneur and philanthropist to crusading author is developing nicely. It is just over a year since he published “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster”. Now he sets out to explain “How to Prevent the Next Pandemic”. His proposals for nipping infections in the bud are worth exploring. Why has Bill Gates
App stores code of practice
App stores on smartphones, games consoles, TVs and other devices could be asked to commit to a new code of practice setting out baseline security requirements. They propose placing new security and privacy requirements on app developers as well as app stores, including compelling stores to have a vulnerability reporting process for every app and
TikTok addiction
TikTok addiction is without a doubt a very real thing. Unfortunately what this research hasn’t explored is society’s dependency to the internet since the pandemic. We were forced into an online-only world, in both our working and personal lives. Social Networking Sites like TikTok became a form of escapism for many, especially our younger generation
getting rid of passwords by tech companies
Apple, Google and Microsoft have taken a major step towards getting rid of passwords. Despite being the primary way that people log into devices and websites, passwords are notoriously unsafe. Many technologists have argued that it would be much better to create ways of signing in that don’t use passwords, and instead rely on other
VPN Pull Out from India
VPNs encrypt user data while giving them access to an IP address on the internet in a country of their choice. They shield users’ identities by replacing their device IP address with a temporary one hosted on a remote server. Virtual private network (VPN) providers are pushing back against and criticising a “worrying” order from
Monkey pox
Monkeypox is a rare viral infection that does not spread easily between people but can be spread when someone is in close contact with an infected person. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonosis – a virus transmitted to humans from animals – with symptoms similar to those seen in
Russia Economy is Back on Its Feet
the rouble is now as valuable as it was before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February (see top chart). Russia appears to be keeping up with payments of its foreign-currency bonds. The real economy is surprisingly resilient too. True, Russian consumer prices have risen by more than 10% since the beginning of the year,
China’s search for foreign outposts
Over the past two decades china has amassed more ships than America’s navy has in total. Lately it has increased efforts to find foreign berths for them. It is thought to have approached at least five potential host countries. A deal with the Solomon Islands, signed in April, has raised fears that China may establish
Big Tech Competition Rules in the UK
Large tech companies such as Google and Facebook will have to abide by new competition rules in the UK or risk facing huge fines, the government said. Besides boosting competition among tech firms, the rules also aim to give users more control over their data. This move is in response to friction between Meta, Google
Gucci stores to accept cryptocurrencies
Customers will now be able to pay using a number of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin after Italian luxury brand Gucci will start accepting payments in cryptocurrencies in some of its stores in America. Gucci, owned by France’s Kering, joins a growing number of companies that have started to accept virtual currencies. Customers paying