Grok Sparks Global Scrutiny Over AI Sexualised Deepfakes

Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok has become the focus of political, regulatory, and international scrutiny after users exploited it to generate non-consensual sexualised images, including material involving children, triggering urgent action from regulators and reopening a heated debate over online safety and free speech. What Triggered The Controversy? The row began in late December when…

15 Notable Gadgets From A CES Focused On AI In Homes And Health

In this week’s Tech Insight, we look at 15 notable gadgets from a CES focused on how artificial intelligence is being embedded into physical products for homes, health, and everyday use. CES 2026 The Consumer Electronics Show, held each January in Las Vegas, Nevada, has long been a place where experimental concepts sit alongside near…

WhatsApp Introduces New Tools To Bring Order To Group Chats

WhatsApp has rolled out a set of new group chat features designed to reduce confusion in larger conversations and make coordination easier, as the platform continues to evolve beyond simple one-to-one messaging. What Has Been Introduced? In a blog post published on 7 January, WhatsApp confirmed the launch of three new group chat features entitled…

Spotify Introduces Real-Time Listening Activity And Jam Requests

Spotify has introduced two new Messages features that let users see what friends are listening to in real time and invite them into shared listening sessions, signalling a deeper shift towards in-app social interaction. Wider Rollout By Early February The update, confirmed by Spotify on 7 January, adds Listening Activity and Request to Jam to…

Google Brings Gemini AI To Gmail With A Personalised Inbox

Google is reshaping Gmail around its Gemini AI models, introducing a personalised AI Inbox, natural-language AI Overviews in email search, and a wider rollout of writing and summarisation tools designed to help users manage rising email volumes more efficiently. To Help Manage Information Overload Google says more than 3 billion people now rely on its…

Bacteria Could Turn Martian Soil Into Sustainable Building Material

An international research team has proposed using bacteria to bind Martian soil into concrete-like structures, offering a lower-energy and more sustainable way to build future habitats on Mars. What The New Research Is Proposing A new perspective paper published in Frontiers in Microbiology examines whether biomineralisation, a natural process driven by microorganisms, could be adapted…

HMRC Wants UK Crypto Buyers’ Details

People using cryptocurrency services in the UK are now required to provide personal and tax identifying details to cryptoasset platforms, following new reporting rules that came into force on 1 January 2026. What Are The Rules? From the start of 2026, anyone buying, selling, transferring, or exchanging cryptoassets through a cryptoasset service provider must provide…

How The Thirty-Year-Old IPv6 Still Underpins the Internet’s Growth

In this Tech Insight, we look at why IPv6 is now 30 years old, what it was designed to solve, how it works in practice, and why it continues to matter to the modern internet despite never fully replacing IPv4. What Is IPv6? IPv6, or Internet Protocol version 6, is the system used to identify…

EU Renews UK Data Adequacy Decisions Until 2031

The European Commission has renewed its decisions allowing personal data to flow freely between the EU and the UK, confirming that the UK’s data protection framework continues to meet EU standards despite recent legal changes. Applies To Two Frameworks The decision, announced on 19 December 2025, extends the EU’s existing data adequacy arrangements with the…

Physical Letter Delivery Ends in Denmark

PostNord delivered its final letter in Denmark on 30 December 2025, bringing an end to more than four centuries of nationwide letter delivery after letter volumes collapsed as most communication moved online. Just Parcels Now For the first time since organised postal services were established in Denmark in 1624, the country’s historic national operator no…

Starlink To Lower Thousands Of Satellites

SpaceX says it will move roughly half of the Starlink satellite network into lower orbits during 2026,…

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How Technology Is Redefining Drought-Resilient Agriculture

As climate change drives more frequent and unpredictable drought, scientists are studying resurrection plants to understand how…

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One In Three Adults Turning To AI For Emotional Support

One in three adults in the UK have used artificial intelligence (AI) for companionship, emotional support or…

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Problems With Windows 11 Updates Reported

Many MSPs have been reporting that Windows 11 updates are increasingly causing upgrade failures, BitLocker lockouts and…

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No More £100 Contactless Limit From March

The UK’s £100 contactless card payment limit is set to be lifted from March 2026, after the…

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Pentagon To Deploy Elon Musk’s Grok AI For Government Use

The US Department of War has confirmed plans to integrate Elon Musk’s xAI models, including Grok, into…

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Ofcom Investigates BT and Three Over 999 Call Failures

Ofcom has opened formal investigations into BT and Three following separate UK-wide mobile network failures this summer…

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B&Q Adds Sustainable Brick to Its Online Range

B&Q has added a brick described as the world’s most sustainable to its online marketplace, making a…

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Ofcom Fines Virgin Media £23.8 Million

Ofcom has fined Virgin Media £23.8 million after finding that the company’s move to digital landlines left…

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