Posts by Mike Knight
Ad‑Free Facebook & Insta … For £3.99 Monthly
Meta will let UK users pay a monthly fee to use Facebook and Instagram without adverts, introducing a lower‑priced “consent or pay” model in response to UK data protection guidance. Users Offered A Choice Meta has confirmed that UK users will soon be offered a choice, i.e., continue using Facebook and Instagram for free with…
Read MoreApp Pays You For Your Phone Calls
A new iPhone app that pays users for their call recordings to train AI systems rose rapidly in late September. However, it then went offline after a security flaw exposed user data. What Neon Is And Who Is Behind It? Neon is a consumer app that pays users to record their phone calls and sells…
Read MoreFriendship Tech Goes From Novelty To Necessity
In this Tech Insight, we look at how a new generation of digital platforms and community initiatives is rising to meet the growing UK demand for meaningful friendship, tackling loneliness through apps, events, and innovative social design that prioritises connection over dating. A Growing Demand (And Rising Cost) Loneliness in the UK is no longer…
Read MoreUK Digital ID Mandatory By 2029
UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has announced that digital ID will become mandatory to prove the right to work in the UK by 2029, triggering both ministerial praise and civil liberties concerns. Interestingly, a petition on the UK Government’s site : https://petition.parliament.uk/ had attracted approaching three million signatures of people opposed to the bill, within…
Read MoreMeta Unveils New Smart Glasses (With Hiccups)
Meta has launched a new generation of smart glasses and wearable AI tools, including the first mainstream Ray-Ban smart glasses with an in-lens display and a Neural Band that lets users control digital content with tiny hand gestures. Zuckerberg Reveals the New Line-Up at Meta Connect The announcement was made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg…
Read MoreWindows 365 Streams Microsoft Apps
Microsoft has launched a public preview of Windows 365 Cloud Apps, offering businesses a way to stream essential applications to users without loading an entire virtual desktop. App-Only Access Now a Reality The new feature, announced on 17 September, allows organisations to deliver key Microsoft 365 apps such as Outlook, Word and Teams directly to…
Read MoreWorking Biological Viruses Designed By AI
Stanford researchers have used AI to design real, working viruses in the lab, raising major questions about safety, regulation, and future use. The Research This month (September 2025), a team led by Brian Hie at Stanford and the Arc Institute revealed that generative AI models can now design entire genome-scale viruses that work in practice.…
Read MoreChrome Gets Built-In Gemini
Google has announced what it calls the biggest upgrade to Chrome in its history, introducing a wide range of Gemini AI-powered features to the browser, and they’re not optional. AI Becomes Core to Chrome The new features, now rolling out for desktop users in the US with English set as their Chrome language, are designed…
Read MoreOpenAI Claims It Detects “AI Scheming”
OpenAI says it has developed new tools to uncover and limit deceptive “AI Scheming” behaviour in its most advanced AI models, before the risks become real. What Is “AI Scheming”? “AI scheming” refers to a type of hidden misalignment, where a model deliberately acts in a way that appears helpful or compliant on the surface,…
Read MoreOpenAI Wins Microsoft’s Backing To Become A Public Benefit Corp
OpenAI has secured Microsoft’s support to convert its for-profit arm into a Public Benefit Corporation, with the nonprofit parent retaining control and taking a stake worth more than $100 billion. What Has Actually Happened? OpenAI and Microsoft say they’ve signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) for “the next phase” of their partnership. The agreement essentially lays…
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