More than 6 in 10 EVs bought in China, MP bids to ban smartphones in UK schools
More than six in 10 electric vehicles (EVs) sold globally last month were purchased by drivers in China, new figures show. A record 1.7m EVs were sold across the world in September, marking a 31pc increase compared to a year ago, according to research by Rho Motion. However, around 1.1m of these were in China, the figures show, underlining the extent to which the country is pulling ahead in the switch to electrified transport. Overall, some 11.5m EVs have been sold globally in the first nine months of this year, Rho Motion said. Telegraph
Google has signed a deal to use small nuclear reactors to generate the vast amounts of energy needed to power its artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. The company says the agreement with Kairos Power will see it start using the first reactor this decade and bring more online by 2035. The companies did not give any details about how much the deal is worth or where the plants will be built. Technology firms are increasingly turning to nuclear sources of energy to supply the electricity used by the huge data centres that drive AI. BBC
Child safety campaigners have urged the UK communications watchdog to make a “step-change” in its implementation of new online laws after a video game firm was accused of making its platform an “X-rated paedophile hellscape”. Roblox, a gaming platform with 80 million daily users, was accused of lax safety controls last week by a US investment firm. Hindenburg Research claimed Roblox’s games exposed children to grooming, pornography, violent content and abusive speech. The Guardian
A proposed new law to protect children from online harm will be brought to Parliament today. Labour MP Josh MacAlister wants to safeguard youngsters from the dangers of excessive screen time by making mobiles less addictive. The former teacher said: “We need the equivalent of the seatbelt legislation for smartphone use for children.” He will table the private members’ bill in a bid to make smartphone bans in school a legal requirement. The Safer Phones Bill would also crack down on doom scrolling – when people compulsively read negative news or social media posts, which can trigger anxiety and despair. The Mirror
Remember that striking red color for the Xperia 1 VI that leaked just before its launch? Well, after keeping it exclusive for Japan for five months, Sony is now offering the Xperia 1 VI in that specific color across European markets. The new Scarlet color features a strikingly saturated red hue with the same matte texture over the glass back and aluminum frame.
The Scarlet Xperia 1 VI is priced at €1,499/£1,399 and will be exclusively available in the 12/512GB storage trim from the official Sony Store. First deliveries are scheduled for tomorrow, October 15 in the UK and October 17 in Germany. GSM Arena
The new Renault 4 is the eighth entrant into the brand’s SUV line-up, and its design boss says it has “more than enough” now. Joining the Arkana, Austral, Captur, Espace, Rafale, Scenic and Symbioz in Renault’s European portfolio, the 4 is a higher-riding sibling of the 5, with which it shares a platform, and will compete with EVs including the Fiat 600e and Mini Aceman. Laurens van den Acker acknowledged that it’s an expansive SUV offering, but told Autocar: “You have to imagine that what you see today is the fruits of Luca’s anxiety, in a way”, referring to CEO Luca de Meo’s keenness to expand Renault’s market footprint. Autocar
