The Guardian

‘I shouldn’t have to prove I am innocent,’ said man misidentified by Sainsbury’s staff using Facewatch system A man was ordered to leave a supermarket in London after staff misidentified him using controversial new facial recognition technology. Warren Rajah was told to abandon his shopping and leave the local store he has been using for 15 years after an “Orwellian” error in a Sainsbury’s in Ele…

South Crofty site could reopen aided by potential $225m investment as US seeks to secure supply of critical metal Donald Trump has aggressively pursued investment into hi-tech industries recent months, but the US administration has now set its sights on a more traditional sector: tin mining in Cornwall. The South Crofty mine, near the village of Pool, could start up again after nearly three decad…

AIs are not sentient – but tweaks to their ethical codes can have far-reaching consequences for users Do you want an AI assistant that gushes about how it “loves humanity” or one that spews sarcasm? How about a political propagandist ready to lie? If so, ChatGPT, Grok and Qwen are at your disposal. Companies that create AI assistants, from the US to China, are increasingly wrestling with how to m…

A leaked pitch to reshape Ethereum’s leadership exposed deep divisions over politics, power and ether’s static price US crypto developer Danny Ryan submitted a proposal in November 2024 to Vitalik Buterin, the founder and symbolic leader of Ethereum, a prominent blockchain powering the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency. Ryan, who had worked for seven years at the Ethereum Foundation (EF), Eth…

Whether you’re chasing gym quality on a budget or a fancy folding model, accelerate your training with our expert’s pick of the best running machines • The best running shoes, tried and tested by runners • The best running watches Although the treadmill has been around since the early 1800s, when it was once used to punish prisoners (sounds about right), it didn’t become a common feature in the h…

Apparent collapse of Nvidia–OpenAI tie-up raises questions about circular funding and who will bear the cost of AI’s expansion Did the circular AI economy just wobble? Last week it was reported that a much-discussed $100bn deal – announced last September – between Nvidia and OpenAI might not be happening at all. This was a circular arrangement through which the chipmaker would supply the ChatGPT …

Alphabet reports $34.5bn profit and revenue soars 48% in recent quarter as it plans a sharp increase in AI spending Google’s parent company, Alphabet, beat Wall Street expectations on Wednesday, and is planning a sharp increase in capital spending in 2026 as it continues to invest deeply in AI infrastructure. Alphabet on Wednesday reported profit of $34.5bn in the recently ended quarter, as reven…

A number of countries including Australia are investigating X over Grok-produced sexualised deepfakes Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, says global regulatory focus on Elon Musk’s X has reached a “tipping point” after a raid of the company’s offices in France this week. T…

Compact and comfortable Pixel Buds have noise cancelling, decent battery life and good everyday sound Google’s latest budget Pixel earbuds are smaller, lighter, more comfortable and have noise cancelling, plus a case that allows you to replace the battery at home. The Pixel Buds 2a uses the design of the excellent Pixel Buds Pro 2 with a few high-end features at a more palatable £109 (€129/$129/A…

From indestructible wallets to Crocs (yes, Crocs), we rounded up the best guy-approved Valentine’s Day gifts they won’t know how they lived without 26 sentimental and practical US Valentine’s Day gifts for her in 2026 Sign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better things Whether you have been together for years or just made it official, one thing remains certain: …

The most popular mom content tends to be rightwing tradwife propaganda or just apolitical – pushing progressive creators out of the algorithm For someone who doesn’t have a marble island in their kitchen I spend a disproportionate amount of time staring at marble kitchen islands, slack-jawed, brain turned half off. That’s because I consume a lot of videos from mommy bloggers, mom influencers, and…

Perfect Tides perfectly captures the older millennial college experience, and a time when nobody worried about being embarrassing online • Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up here I’ve noticed an interesting micro-trend emerging in the last few years: millennial nostalgia games. Not just ones that adopt the aesthetic of Y2K gaming – think Crow Country or Fear the Spotlight …

Digital pinboard business cutting 15% of workforce as it invests heavily in AI Pinterest has fired two engineers who created a software tool to identify which workers had lost their jobs in a recent round of cuts and then shared the information, according to reports. The digital pinboard business announced significant job cuts earlier this month, with the chief executive, Bill Ready, telling staf…

Sustainable smartphone takes a step forward with modular accessories, a good screen and mid-range performance The Dutch ethical smartphone brand Fairphone is back with its six-generation Android, aiming to make its repairable phone more modern, modular, affordable and desirable, with screw-in accessories and a user-replaceable battery. The Fairphone 6 costs £499 (€599), making it cheaper than pre…

At a family gathering over Christmas, I took on my 76-year-old mother once again at virtual bowling. Could I finally best her? My mother bore me. My mother nurtured me. My mother educated me. She has a resilience unmatched, a love all-forgiving. She is the glue that holds our family together. But right now, I am kicking her ass at video game bowling, and it feels good ! In the 00s, my mum was the…