Science and Tech

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has adopted a ‘click to cancel’ rule, which aims to make it easier for people to end subscriptions. It will force companies to make subscription sign-ups and cancellations equally straightforward. Businesses, including retailers and gyms, will also have to get consent from customers before renewing subscriptions or converting free trials into paid memberships. The …

Getty Images The main messaging apps are all free to use, so what is in it for them? In the past 24 hours I’ve written more than 100 WhatsApp messages. None of them were very exciting. I made plans with my family, discussed work projects with colleagues, and exchanged news and gossip with some friends. Perhaps I need to up …

A company has been hacked after accidentally hiring a North Korean cyber criminal as a remote IT worker. The unidentified firm hired the technician after he faked his employment history and personal details. Once given access to the company’s computer network, the hacker downloaded sensitive company data and sent a ransom demand. The firm which is based in the UK, …

Popular streamer Zach Hoyt, better known as Asmongold, has been suspended from Twitch after saying in a video Palestinians come from an “inferior culture”. Asmongold, who has over five million followers over two Twitch channels, has apologised in a post on X, writing “I’ll do better”. The account on which he made the remarks has been replaced with a message …

Getty Images The UK government is considering whether to require all new electronic devices to use the same type of charging cable. A call for evidence launched in October is asking for views on the benefits of using a particular charging cable – such as USB-C, which is used by many modern devices. It comes after the European Union passed …

Google has signed a deal to use small nuclear reactors to generate the vast amounts of energy needed to power its artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. The company says the agreement with Kairos Power will see it start using the first reactor this decade and bring more online by 2035. The companies did not give any details about how much …

Getty Images Calls are growing to ban smartphones in schools in England by law, as education experts and unions back an MP’s attempt to push a new law through Parliament. Children “doomscrolling for hours a day” is causing widespread harm, according to Josh MacAlister, the Labour MP and former teacher behind the private member’s bill being introduced in the House …

SpaceX Senegal’s first satellite hitched a lift on a SpaceX launcher in August One by one, the satellites – each of them encrusted with a hodge-podge of solar panels and other gizmos – detached from their mothership. They had blasted off from Earth just an hour earlier, on 16 August. The 116 satellites onboard the launch vehicle were mostly designed …

Reuters The director of 2004 sci-fi film I, Robot has accused billionaire Elon Musk of copying his designs for humanoid machines and self-driving vehicles. At a Tesla event on Thursday, Musk unveiled Tesla’s futuristic Cybercab, complete with winged doors and no steering wheel or pedals, and a new look at its Optimus robots. But the “We, Robot” showcase, playing on …

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has successfully completed a world first test, landing part of their Starship back onto its launch pad. This means the company’s plan to develop a fully reusable and quickly deployable rocket a lot closer. The BBC’s science correspondent, Pallab Ghosh, explores why this “incredibly difficult” operation is a big deal for future exploration and what environmental concerns …