No more infuriating Captcha: Google simply asks ‘are you a robot?’

Google has begun simply asking users whether they are human or not, instead of making them spell out tricky words as a security measure. The new “No Captcha reCaptchas” are the latest in user analysis that allows Google and other websites to monitor user behaviour to figure out whether they are human and prevent robots from abusing the site. “For

» Read more

The internet of things – the next big challenge to our privacy

If there’s a depressing slogan for the early era of the commercial internet, it’s this: “Privacy is dead – get over it.” For most of us, the internet is complex and opaque. Some might be vaguely aware that their personal data are getting sucked, their search histories tracked, and their digital journeys scoured. But the current nature of online services

» Read more

Scotland gets its own .scot domain as independence vote looms

The independent Scotland referendum has moved to the new .scot domain as Scots get their own domain. More than 45 companies and organisations have already registered new .scot domains, including the Scottish government, NHS Scotland, the Highlands and Islands University and both sides of the referendum campaign -Yes Scotland and Better Together . “It is entirely right that Scotland should

» Read more

Nominet’s new rules on .uk domains could mean the end to users’ privacy

Since Tuesday, running a personal website has become a privacy minefield for people using .uk domain names. A recent rule change by Nominet, the company which manages the .uk registry, means that domain name owners whose home addresses were previously kept private may now be publicly visible in online searches. People setting up domain names through Nominet must now also

» Read more

Stuart Parkin awarded prestigious Millennium technology prize

British scientist Prof Stuart Parkin has won the 2014 Millennium technology prize worth €1m (£824,400) for research that has led to a phenomenal increase in the storage capacity of digital devices and heralded the era of cloud computing. The Watford-born physicist told the Guardian he planned to use the money to buy a house in Halle, Germany, but was aiming

» Read more
1 2 3 4