Tech and Science Daily | The Standard

Children’s charity the NSPCC is warning a move to encrypt Facebook Messenger and Instagram chats will mask online predators. Security expert Brian Higgins on malware discovered inside government-issued laptops used by children to home-school during Covid-19 pandemic, which reportedly connected to Russian servers. SpaceX now has a ‘constellation’ of 1,000 internet-beaming satellites orbiting Earth after launching 60 at once. Lockdown loneliness: Neuroscientist Dr Byron Creese talks about a University Exeter and King’s College London study revealing how over-50s are suffering anxiety and depression. And, a Black Mirror-style chatbot being developed by Microsoft aims to digitally resurrect deceased loved ones.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twitter’s admitting it didn’t move fast enough to quell conspiracy theories that sparked the Capitol riots. QAnon’s hoards are being urged to “go back to your lives” after Trumpian reckoning did not materialise. A Call of Duty champion gamer is retiring at 25 years old with thumb problems caused by too much time playing on consoles. Are ‘sniper bots’ snapping up new PS5 consoles before you can get your hands on one? Meet the AI expert preparing young people to beat the robots in the workplace of tomorrow. Satellites are helping count elephants and beat the poachers from hundreds of miles above Earth  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Washington DC is in tech lockdown for inauguration day as cybersecurity experts reveal behind-the-scenes artificial intelligence strategies to stop repeat of Capitol violence. Nasa Moon shot faces delay after hydraulics problems found to cause ‘megarocket’ misfire. Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon and now the 91-year-old astronaut gets his Covid-19 jab. Beware the passive-aggressive Zoom eye roll because new software lets bosses scans people’s emotions and tiny expressions for ‘biosurveillance’ software. Netflix Tiger King star Joe Exotic misses out on Trump pardon...he had a limo waiting outside prison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Strong signal’ of space radio waves found far, far away at edge of universe, offering clues to how cosmos is made. Bumble unblocks politics filter after vigilantes used it to catfish Capitol riots suspects. We speak to UCL’s Dr Angeliki Zarkali about a new eye tests helping predict Parkinson’s-linked brain decline 18 months before it starts. Trump orders probe into security risks of Chinese drones in US government UAV squadrons. Paper maps? Trump administration issues doomsday space directive for when all the GPS satellites crash in space. First look at Wallace and Gromit’s cracking augmented reality app offering a ‘new form of storytelling’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Warning over fake coronavirus vaccines as UK police reveal spike in elderly being targeted. Get ready for 24hr coronavirus vaccination centres..but mind your stress levels. Branson’s Virgin Orbit reaches space with satellite rocket launch…as Nasa’s ‘megarocket’ tests fails on launchpad. WhatsApp delaying privacy changes amid user back lash…as Signal goes down under download pressure from new sign-ups. Deliveroo’s value shoots up by billions as investors pump in cash ahead of stock market floatation. You have zero followers: Joe Biden starts his Twitter account from nothing at the weekend, but has nearly 1 million followers today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Samsung unveils its flagship Galaxy S smartphone, and it's the first model that works with the S-Pen stylus. The release has raised questions over whether this is the first step to phasing out the separate Note handset range. Plus, Apple is reportedly planning a major redesign of its MacBook pro this year, Google has completed a $2 billion takeover of fitness wearable maker Fitbit, the Riders Republic release is delayed, and the Mars digger is declared dead. Listen to our other podcasts:Women Tech Charge: interviews with incredible women leading in Science, Technology, Engineering and MathsThe Leader: a daily news podcast helping you make sense of the day’s most important stories Ask your Smart Speaker to ‘play the news from the Evening Standard' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twitter chief Jack Dorsey says banning Donald Trump from the platform is the right decision… but it sets a dangerous precedent. Mr Dorsey tweeted that "having to take these actions fragment the public conversation," adding that while he took no pride in the ban, "offline harm as a result of online speech is demonstrably real.” Plus, Airbnb cancels reservations in Washington area ahead of inauguration, Cyberpunk 2077 announces first major update, and Archaeologists find world's oldest animal cave painting.Listen to our other podcasts:Women Tech Charge: interviews with incredible women leading in Science, Technology, Engineering and MathsThe Leader: a daily news podcast helping you make sense of the day’s most important stories Ask your Smart Speaker to ‘play the news from the Evening Standard' Visit standard.co.uk/tech for more tech news Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

YouTube is the latest tech giant to suspend Donald Trump’s account. The video platform says the President’s account will be taken down for “a minimum of seven days” due to concerns about “the ongoing potential for violence”. Plus, Indian Jones video game teased, Cyberpunk 2077’s multiplayer mode details revealed, CES 2021 highlights such as success of Sextech, and Nasa confirms the existence of a rare triple-star exoplanet.Listen to our other podcasts:Women Tech Charge: interviews with incredible women leading in Science, Technology, Engineering and MathsThe Leader: a daily news podcast helping you make sense of the day’s most important stories Ask your Smart Speaker to ‘play the news from the Evening Standard' Visit standard.co.uk/tech for more tech news Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Covid-19 pandemic has emerged as an early theme at CES 2021. From Samsung’s trio of robots aimed to improve life at home - including pouring you a glass of wine at the end of a long day - to LG’s autonomous CLOi Robot that uses ultraviolet light to kill germs in high-traffic areas. Plus, tech giants continue their crackdown on those involved in last week’s insurrection of Capitol Hill, a massive data leak exposes 400GB of information scraped from more than 214 million social media accounts, and bitcoin investors are warned they could lose all their money.Listen to our other podcasts:Women Tech Charge: interviews with incredible women leading in Science, Technology, Engineering and MathsThe Leader: a daily news podcast helping you make sense of the day’s most important stories Ask your Smart Speaker to ‘play the news from the Evening Standard' Visit standard.co.uk/tech for more tech news Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world’s biggest consumer technology show is turning to tech to help it adapt during a global pandemic. CES 2021 kicks off today, and it will be entirely virtual for the first time ever. Plus, far-right social media platform Parler is squeezed offline as Amazon becomes the latest tech giant to remove its support, scientists in Japan investigate a new mutant coronavirus strain, tonight’s the last night to see a rare trio of planets meet in the sky and a study shows ‘Grumpy Cat’ may have been unable to communicate his emotions.Listen to our other podcasts:Women Tech Charge: interviews with incredible women leading in Science, Technology, Engineering and MathsThe Leader: a daily news podcast helping you make sense of the day’s most important stories Ask your Smart Speaker to ‘play the news from the Evening Standard' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.