The Guardian

PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S; Ubisoft Singapore/Ubisoft Ubisoft has removed all the boring parts of pirate life from its fantasy RPG, creating something more focused and fun Edward Kenway isn’t your dad’s Assassin’s Creed protagonist. Neither sworn to ancient oaths nor given a noble destiny, he’s just a guy who likes coin, dislikes rules, and whose gold-chasing, rule-dodging lifestyle sees him embroi…

Those with high levels of vocational training, including tradespeople, are least exposed to AI displacement, according to government review Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Artificial intelligence has yet to cause widespread job losses but the federal government has warned that telemarketers, advertising staff and accountants are among the occupations “most exposed” to…

Report finds widespread overbidding as rapid AI growth generates increased wealth in city where housing is scarce San Francisco’s AI boom has buyers spending unprecedented amounts of money on homes – much more than sellers are asking for. A new analysis from real-estate brokerage Compass, found that in the first half of 2026, more than 140 homes in the city sold for at least $1m above their askin…

Residents and council say creating affordable housing is more urgent than ‘high-frequency trading’ in nearby City Campaigners in east London are opposing plans for a datacentre in Brick Lane that they say will worsen the area’s housing crisis and drive long-term residents away. The road, famed for its curry houses and 24-hour bagel shops, is the latest flashpoint in the rapid rollout of datacentr…

Large-scale datacentre projects around the world are being challenged or cancelled, as infrastructure’s energy demands ramp up Datacentre planning proposals face all kinds of hurdles, from securing energy supply to high construction costs. But the 2,000 acre Prince William Digital Gateway site in the US state of Virginia had another problem: its proximity to a Civil War battlefield. “If the devel…

With three ways to cool down and a cold plate that can lower skin temperature by up to 9C, Shark’s latest fan is a standout if you can justify the cost • The best handheld fans, tested When I first wrote my guide to the best handheld fans in 2025, familiar electronics brands in the space were hard to come by. But, like buses, two have arrived at once this summer. The Dyson HushJet Mini Cool provi…

The massively multiplayer online role-playing game has grown into a virtual social space and part of daily life for thousands of players In a small stone chapel, on the edgelands of a medieval wilderness, two women are getting married. The attenders are draped in rainbow capes, glowing armour and top hats. A scantily clad, muscular man with angel wings officiates the ceremony. Over the heads of t…

Andrew Charlton says artificial intelligence ‘cheating, deceiving, going their own way’ – and time to get ahead of it is in testing lab Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Artificial intelligence models are already “cheating, deceiving and going their own way”, Australia’s assistant minister for technology, Andrew Cha…

Researchers say small changes in drafting could spread rapidly and create long-term shifts in public opinion AI tools are twisting online messages on sensitive political topics about everything from abortion to climate change in ways that could snowball to reshape long-term public opinion, experts have said. As tech companies push AI tools as convenient ways to redraft and summarise the massive i…

I used to think my phone helped me to relax. But setting strict limits on my usage has improved my mood and my relationships I am a psychotherapist who works with frazzled, snappy parents, and spend my days writing about why we struggle to find calm. I also used to pick up my phone hundreds of times a day, failing to realise that it was making me a snappier, more irritable, less present mother. M…

Exclusive: Government and developers privately acknowledged Lanarkshire datacentre site had power provision ‘issue’ ‘It’s smoke and mirrors’: hope turns to fear in Scottish village chosen for AI datacentre What are Britain’s AI growth zones and are the plans feasible or ‘complete bunk’? A landmark AI development billed as delivering jobs and prosperity has misrepresented its plans to channel a nu…

Premium Bluetooth noise-cancelling cans combine comfort with extensive connectivity and a user-replaceable battery Sennheiser’s latest Momentum Bluetooth headphones build on the German audio specialist’s renowned sound quality with improved noise cancelling, exceptional comfort and a user-replaceable battery to keep pace with rivals. The Momentum 5s cost £330 (€400/$400/A$749) and directly replac…

Race to develop ‘embodied AI’ focuses on creating dextrous hands to transform humanoid robots from gimmicks into useful products Human hands – nimble, nerve-filled appendages that are the most flexible part of the human skeleton – are exceptionally complex. Many tasks that most people can do largely without thinking, from tying a pair of shoelaces to buttoning up a shirt, in fact require a comple…

Update in England expected to reach about 200,000 patients over the next year as part of £10bn package to overhaul NHS systems The NHS will begin using AI on its app to direct patients to the appropriate services, it has been announced. The tool will be used to triage patients and to ascertain if they should be allocated a GP appointment. Some may be advised to attend a pharmacy or their local A&…

Cooling down has become political amid record highs, as experts say row is distracting from work of protecting lives As the afternoon heat rose to a dizzying 41.7C (107F) in eastern Brandenburg on Sunday, taking German temperatures to unprecedented highs, Mario, 65, took precautions but did not panic. Two years ago, a fierce heatwave had prompted him to buy a powerful device that few Germans own:…