Posts by Mike Knight
HP’s Toner-Blocking Settlement
HP has (quietly) settled a class action lawsuit over claims it deliberately blocked customers from using third-party toner cartridges in its printers, without paying a penny in damages. Locking Out Third-Party Toner The lawsuit centred on HP’s controversial Dynamic Security feature, i.e. software designed to detect and reject toner cartridges not produced by HP itself.…
Read MoreElectric Vehicles ‘Charged in 5 Mins’
Chinese automaker BYD says its new megawatt charging platform could eliminate range anxiety and double Tesla’s speed, but how does it work, and what could this mean for UK drivers? Charges As Quickly As Filling A Petrol Tank According to Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD, EV charging is about to get a serious upgrade. BYD…
Read MorePublic Hearing Demanded For Apple’s UK Encryption
Privacy advocates are calling for Apple’s legal challenge against a secret UK government order to be heard in public, arguing that millions of users’ privacy rights are at stake. Could Set Precedent The case, currently set to be conducted behind closed doors, could set a major precedent for the future of encryption and government surveillance.…
Read MoreIs Manus Redefining AI Agents and SEO?
In this Tech Insight, we look at how Manus, China’s latest AI agent, is redefining autonomous AI applications, its connection to Browser Use, and whether this signals a new shift in search engine optimisation (SEO) and business strategy. Agentic Applications It seems that AI is no longer just about answering questions or generating text, but…
Read MoreSecuring IPv4 Addresses For Loans
IPv4.Global, the world’s largest marketplace for IPv4 addresses, has launched a loan programme that allows businesses to use their IPv4 addresses as collateral. A New Way To Get Funding This new initiative gives companies access to funding while still retaining full use of their IP assets, responding to the strong ongoing demand for IPv4 despite…
Read MoreAlexa Voice Recordings Being Sent To Amazon
From March 28, a change to a long-standing Amazon Echo privacy feature will mean that every Alexa request will be transmitted to Amazon’s cloud by default, rather than being processed locally on the device. What’s Changing? For years, Amazon Echo users had the option to keep some of their voice interactions with Alexa private. For…
Read MoreHP’s Deliberate 15-Minute Call-Wait Outcry
HP has come under scrutiny for implementing a policy that enforced a minimum 15-minute wait time for customers seeking telephone support for consumer PCs and printers. Frustration The move, which was (quietly) introduced earlier this year, was designed to push customers towards self-service digital support options, but it has triggered frustration among users and raised…
Read MoreIs Geothermal Energy The Future For Data Centres?
A new report from the Rhodium Group claims that advanced geothermal energy could power nearly all new data centres by 2030. A Stable, Renewable Solution With the exponential rise in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing driving unprecedented demand for electricity, the energy consumption of data centres is a growing concern. However, the report suggests…
Read MoreBanks to Pay Millions After IT Failures Leave Customers Stranded
UK banking customers who have faced repeated IT failures are set to receive millions in compensation, following a damning Treasury Committee investigation into the scale and impact of these outages. Nine Banks The inquiry revealed that in the past two years alone, nine major banks and building societies have suffered more than a month’s worth…
Read More(Unbelievable) AI Advances For Businesses
In this Tech Insight, we look at the latest AI developments, including AI agents creating their own language, Opera’s new AI-powered browsing assistant, and a growing debate over the risks of an international race to artificial general intelligence. AI Agents Are Speaking Their Own Language A new experiment called ‘GibberLink’ has just demonstrated an intriguing…
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