Posts by Mike Knight
Pollinger’s Productivity : September 2025
ChatGPT Gets Personal (and Smarter) OpenAI has rolled out GPT-5, its latest and most powerful model, and with it some intriguing new features. One highlight is personality modes. Plus and Pro subscribers can now toggle the chatbot’s style between these options “Cynic,” “Robot,” “Listener,” or “Nerd,” giving conversations a distinct tone. This change came alongside…
Read MoreGoogle Accused of Political Filtering in Gmail
Gmail’s spam filters have come under fresh scrutiny after US FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson accused Google of suppressing Republican fundraising emails while letting similar Democratic messages through. Direct Accusation from the FTC In a letter dated 28 August 2025, Ferguson wrote directly to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, alleging that Gmail’s filtering system may be violating…
Read MoreStarlink Competition : Details
A new ultra-compact radio system from Stockholm-based startup TERASi promises high-speed, secure, and interference-resistant communications for defence, disaster response, and industrial operations, without the vulnerabilities of satellite services like Starlink. A Sovereign Alternative to Satellite Networks? Unveiled on 21 August 2025, the RU1 is being marketed as the world’s smallest and lightest millimetre-wave (mm-wave) radio…
Read MoreYouTube Expands ‘Hype’ Feature Worldwide to Boost Smaller Creators
YouTube has begun rolling out its fan-powered ‘Hype’ feature globally, aiming to help creators with under 500,000 subscribers get noticed and grow their audiences faster. Now Live In 39 Countries The Hype feature was originally introduced at Google’s Made on YouTube event in late 2024 as part of a broader push to support emerging content…
Read MoreWhat Is ‘Vibe Coding’ ?
In this Tech Insight, we look at what vibe coding is, how it’s transforming the way software is created, what it’s being used for, and why it’s generating both excitement and concern across the tech industry. What Is Vibe Coding? Vibe coding is the term increasingly used to describe the process of creating software through…
Read MoreTeen Suicide : Parents Sue OpenAI
The parents of a 16-year-old boy in the US have launched a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming its chatbot encouraged their son’s suicide after months of unmonitored conversations. First Known Case of Its Kind The lawsuit, filed in August, alleges that Adam Raine, a high-achieving but mentally vulnerable teenager from California, used ChatGPT-4o extensively…
Read MoreBusinesses Choose Proxies As VPNs Face Rising Scrutiny
A growing number of UK companies are moving away from VPNs and adopting proxy services instead, while regulatory pressures and changing business needs reshape the digital tools used for online operations. Regulatory Drivers Behind the Shift The trigger for this apparent trend has been the UK’s Online Safety Act, which came into force on 25…
Read MoreUK Backs Down In Apple Privacy Row
The UK government has backed down from its demand that Apple create a “back door” into its encrypted systems, ending a high-profile dispute that drew in Washington and sparked widespread criticism from privacy campaigners and industry experts. How the Row Began The confrontation began late last year when the UK Home Office issued Apple with…
Read MoreNew AI ‘Always-On’ Smart Glasses With ‘Infinite Memory’
Two former Harvard students are preparing to launch a pair of ‘always-on’ AI smart glasses that record and transcribe every conversation, which offers wearers an unprecedented digital memory and real-time information, but which also raises concerns about privacy and surveillance. Who Is Behind the Project? The device, named Halo X, has been developed by AnhPhu…
Read MoreHow Your ‘Metadata’ Helps Scammers
In this tech insight, we look at how hidden metadata (embedded in files, emails, images and documents) is increasingly being used by scammers to profile, deceive and attack UK businesses, and how firms can protect themselves. What Is Metadata and Why Does It Matter to Businesses? Metadata is often described as “data about data”. It…
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