Global IT outage hits companies worldwide, Ofcom bans ‘surprise’ mid-contract price rises
Businesses including banks, airlines, train companies, telecommunications companies, TV and radio broadcasters, and supermarkets have been affected by a mass global IT outage. Major US airlines including American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines have been grounded, while airports in Germany, Amsterdam and Spain are also reporting issues. It is believed the outage is related to an issue at global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike and Microsoft – although it is unknown if it is the same issue affecting airports and train services across the globe. Sky News
A new generation of electric car batteries using materials made in Britain could extend the number of miles vehicles can travel after one charge. Integrals Power, which is based in Milton Keynes, is vying to supply gigafactories with a breakthrough material that it says will make batteries more powerful and last longer. This week, the company opened the UK’s only factory capable of producing lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode powder, where it plans to produce small amounts before scaling up. The cathode is the material used for the positive electrode, determining the voltage and capacity of a lithium-ion battery. Telegraph
At long last you can now use Google Maps to report something on the road – a crash, a speed trap, construction work – through Apple CarPlay, though for some reason the feature remains missing on Google‘s own Android Auto platform. As reported by 9to5Google, CarPlay users have started spotting this functionality in their vehicles, though it doesn’t seem to be live for everyone yet. If it’s available, you should see a triangular hazard symbol on the right of the map. Tech Radar
The UK communications regulator is banning inflation-linked price rises in the middle of customer contracts for phone, broadband and pay-TV services. Under new rules announced by Ofcom on Friday, telecoms customers must be told upfront in pounds and pence “prominently and transparently” about any price rises their provider includes in their contract from January 2025. Telecoms operators typically added about 3.9 per cent to the annualised rate of consumer or retail price inflation, and were criticised by the government last year for price rises of more than 14 per cent. FT.com
Dyson has unveiled its first dedicated pair of noise-cancelling headphones – without the breathing mask (pictured above) that meant previous versions were labelled dystopian. The British technology company’s previous headphones came with a face attachment that allowed people to breathe in clean air. Those Dyson Zone headphones received mixed reviews, in part because of their dramatic look. But now Dyson says that it is moving into audio products for the long-term and with a major investment. Independent
Does scrolling your phone give you an existential crisis? That’s the question a team of international experts have sought to answer in a study published in the Journal of Computers in Human Behavior Reports. Researchers surveyed 800 university students from the US and Iran and found that doomscrolling – or spending excessive time consuming negative news – was linked to feelings of existential anxiety, distrust and suspicion of others, and despair. The lead author, Reza Shabahang, a researcher at Flinders University’s college of education, psychology and social work, said constantly being exposed to negative news had become a “source of vicarious trauma”. The Guardian
Technology stocks around the world have slumped on fears about the global computer chip industry. The sell-off came after a report that the Biden administration could be set to further tighten restrictions on exports of semiconductor equipment to China. Comments by former US President Donald Trump that Taiwan, the biggest producer of chips, should pay for its own defence added to the concerns. In the US, the tech-heavy Nasdaq index closed 2.7% lower on Wednesday, while chip stocks have also tumbled in Europe and Asia. BBC
