The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has urged the public to think about their data privacy before buying smart tech devices in Black Friday sales. The data protection regulator has issued a set of tips for shoppers ahead of the online sales event, reminding them to research how different smart devices collect their data before purchasing them. The tips encourage people to “think before you click” to buy a new smart device, but once they do have it to ensure they regularly install software updates, choose a strong password and “be picky” about who gets access to their personal data. Our recent investigation found smart tech firms are collecting more data than they need and burying this important information in lengthy terms and conditions Rocio Concha, Which? “We know that consumers want to enjoy the benefits of smart devices but that they also value their privacy in an increasingly connected world,” information commissioner John Edwards said. “They shouldn’t have to choose between the two. These tips from our tech experts will help consumers to make informed purchases and have more control over how their personal data is being used.” The ICO’s guidance also encourages people to wipe their old devices before they get rid of them, and request their data be deleted via a device’s settings or by contacting the company behind the device. Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at consumer group Which? said: “Which? is warning consumers to be wary when shopping for connected tech products this Black Friday. “Make sure you have researched the product you’re thinking of buying, steer clear of any that have concerning security flaws and check to see how you can control the data the device is able to access or collect. “Our recent investigation found smart tech firms are collecting more data than they need and burying this important information in lengthy terms and conditions. “It’s positive that the ICO is looking at updating its guidelines on smart tech privacy and vital that this leads to better protection for consumers against accidentally giving up huge swathes of their own data without realising.” Read More Meta to allow users to delete Threads accounts without losing Instagram AI among biggest threats to next UK election, cyber security agency warns AI can create Caucasian faces that look more real than actual humans – study

We've all seen controversial penalty shootouts – but never quite like this. The FIFA esports World Cup has ended in scandal this week after a penalty shootout which was branded a “disgrace” by the losing side. K esports organisation Futwiz lost the tournament’s grand final after their player’s controller overlay was shown on the main screen during the shootout, meaning everybody could see which way he was aiming. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Futwiz’s Australian player, Mark11, raised his arm several times to let officials know about the situation. However, the issue wasn’t resolved and he lost 5-4 overall, with admins deciding not to retake the penalties. Mark11 received the $150,000 second-place prize and his opponent, Team Gullit’s Dutch player Bachoore, left with the $300,000 top prize. Dan Bellis, the CEO of Futwiz, told Esports News UK: “The players are instructed to raise their hand if there’s an issue and it will be dealt with – but to keep on playing until then (stopping the game results in a disqualification). “In the 2v2 Club World Cup Semi-Final one of our players’ console was freezing after kick off – he raised his hand and the game was nullified and restarted. The protocol is communicated to the players and they’ve bottled it in the biggest occasion. “Just to clarify – this is nothing to do with EA, the world finals (for the last time as the partnership is ending) are handed over to FIFAe and the agency they use – ‘The eSports Company’.” A spokesperson for FIFA said: “All players have been informed at the start of the FIFAe World Cup 2023 that if they actively decide themselves to show the input overlay, it might be displayed on broadcast and in the arena. “Throughout the entire competition, the feed of the home console was visible on the stream and within the arena. This also included games with the input overlay. “The same situation occurred during the semi-finals including a penalty shootout and no further concerns have been raised by the players prior to the start of the final. After thorough review of the footage, we can also confirm that no player received a competitive advantage as the opposite team only watched their own screen.” But fellow esports players did not agree. British FIFA pro player Tom Leese described it as “the lowest day in FIFA esports history”. Pro FIFA player for Burnley, Jack Sharp added: “You’ve got a guy who’s communicating to the refs multiple times that something isn’t right and he’s being ignored? Scandalous.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Paige Spiranac had a fun Q&A session with her fans recently during which they bestowed the nickname on her

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 15, 2023--

GDANSK Polish games developer CD Projekt reported a 1% year-on-year rise in first-quarter net profit on Monday, as

Keep reading to know more about what Ninja sad about Twitch's new policy

Scientists have developed a device that allows amputees to feel warmth in their phantom hand. MiniTouch consists of a small sensor placed on an amputee’s prosthetic finger and electrodes that mimic sensations on the residual arm. The electrodes on the amputated arm are able to relay the temperature of the object being touched by the finger sensor, giving “the illusion that we are cooling down, or warming up, missing fingers”. The researchers said their findings, published in the journal Science, could allow amputees to have temperature-sensing technology built into their prosthetic limbs, without the need for invasive technology. The team said they developed MiniTouch after unexpectedly discovering that amputees somehow are able to feel temperatures in their missing hand. Dr Solaiman Shokur, a neuroengineer and scientist at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, said: “We discovered a new mechanism that we call the thermal phantom sensation.” In an able-bodied person, if something hot or cold is placed on the forearm, that person will feel the object’s temperature directly on their forearm. But in amputees, that temperature sensation on the residual arm may be felt in the phantom, missing hand, the researchers said. Dr Shokur said: “(During the tests) we were expecting for them to tell us, with eyes closed, where they felt it (temperature sensations) on the stump, and if it was hot or cold. “Instead, they pointed into a drawing of a hand that they had in front of them and they told us ‘I feel it there’. “We asked them several times ‘What do you mean by that, I feel it there?’ and then they clarified that they felt it into their phantom missing hand. “So this discovery was crucial for us to develop a neurotechnology that could integrate the prosthetic hand of patients.” The team said they were able to successfully test their bionic technology in 17 out of 27 patients. MiniTouch uses information about an object’s heat conducting properties to determine how hot or cold it is. The scientists said they found that small areas of skin on the amputated arm are able to project temperature sensations to specific parts of the phantom hand, like the thumb, or the tip of an index finger. They also discovered that these temperature sensations between the residual arm and the projected phantom one is unique to each patient. Fabrizio Fidati, an amputee from Italy, who took part in the study, said: “Warmth is the most beautiful feeling there is… like when we need warmth, we use a hot water bottle.” He added: “So far, prostheses have mainly been designed to have simple everyday movements, to help you in your everyday life. “But integrations of sensations of hot and cold, in my opinion, also serves to improve social interactions. “When shaking hands with people, warmth is… fundamental.” Study participant Francesca Rossi, also from Italy, added: “Temperature feedback is a nice sensation because you feel the limb, the phantom limb, entirely. “It does not feel phantom anymore because your limb is back.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Self-driving cars will cause ‘moral panic’ – transport minister Cryptocurrency trading should be regulated as gambling, says treasury committee WhatsApp offers new password protected feature to hide messages

Nintendo has confirmed a 'Super Mario RPG' remake is coming later this year.

TL;DR: As of May 18, get Microsoft Office 2021 for 2 Windows or Mac devices

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 20, 2023--

Google has started rolling out Privacy Sandbox, its replacement for third-party cookies. Google initially introduced

By Stephen Nellis and Samrhitha A (Reuters) -Chipmaker Intel said on Tuesday it plans to operate its programmable chip unit