Power-washing, pool-cleaning and mowing: Why millions are playing games about mundane jobs
It’s been nominated for two Bafta Games Awards – but why have mundane job games like PowerWash Simulator 2 become so popular?
Science/Tech
Fewer UK adults posting on social media, Ofcom finds
Some experts believe it highlights a social media shift as platforms boost short video.
Peppa Pig and Transformers owner Hasbro hit by cyber-attack
The firm says its operations remain open but says the hack “may result in some delays”.
Claude Code users hitting usage limits ‘way faster than expected’
Anthropic, the company behind the AI coding assistant, said it was fixing a problem blocking users.
Mass robotaxi malfunction halts traffic in Chinese city
Baidu has not responded to a request for comment about the outage, which affected at least 100 cars.
Kris Jenner’s image spreads in Chinese social media good luck trend
Hundreds of thousands of posts have been shared in the past three days as users hope for prosperity
‘We’re having a moment’ – fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial
The landmark decision in an LA court may go beyond immediate impacts on defendants Meta and YouTube.
PS5 price hiked by £90 due to global ‘pressures’
The changes will see the recommended retail price of the PS5 rise from £479.99 to £569.99 in the UK.
Just Eat and Autotrader among firms investigated in fake reviews probe
The UK’s competition watchdog says it is looking at five firms in its investigation into misleading online reviews.
Lloyds bank reveals IT glitch affected almost half a million customers
In a letter to the Treasury Select Committee, Lloyds apologised and said some compensation has been paid.
Elon Musk’s X advertising boycott lawsuit dismissed by US judge
US District Judge Jane Boyle said the company had failed to show it had suffered any harm under federal competition laws.
‘The era of impunity is over’: What next for big tech after landmark social media verdict?
The ruling could be the beginning of the end of the social media era as we know it, writes the BBC Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman.
Parents should monitor children ’24/7′ on Roblox, says developer
Roblox said safety was a top priority and it had advanced safeguards in place to keep users safe.
Apple brings in age checks for UK iPhone users
Customers who do not confirm how old they are or are underage will have web content filters turned on automatically.
Meta told to pay $375m for misleading users over child safety
The owner of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp has been found liable by a court in New Mexico.
Social media bans and digital curfews to be trialled on UK teenagers
The government will interview the young people and their parents before and after they try the limits to assess their impact.
Fortnite-maker Epic Games lays off 1,000 more staff
It is the second time in recent years the company has announced lays offs due to struggles with its blockbuster online game.
AI videos of sexualised black women removed from TikTok after BBC investigation
Dozens of Instagram and TikTok accounts have used AI avatars to promote explicit content, the BBC finds.
Luke Littler applies to trademark his face to combat AI fakes
The darts star’s image has been used legally on darts merchandise, snacks and fashion brands.
Publisher cancels horror novel’s release over AI claims
Author Mia Ballard denies having used AI herself when writing the horror story Shy Girl.
False online posts fuel self-diagnosis, says study
Norfolk and Suffolk researchers say the false information about autism and ADHD is most worrying.