Technology
How do we calculate the value of a painting?
There’s an intriguing conversation on YouTube between Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of England, and the artist Damien…
Technology is robbing us of the power to forget
Technology is robbing us of the power to forget
Why cocktails are superior to wine
I often argue that, in theory at least, well-made cocktails are indisputably better than wines costing 20 times more. My…
The heist: nobody is safe from Russia’s digital pirates
Ransomware attacks are a threat to us all
I was held to ransom by hackers
I was held to ransom by hackers
How Nextdoor became the new Neighbourhood Watch
Long before the official numbers began to rise, back in 2014, it was clear that knife crime was on the…
The true cost of the convenience economy
‘Where’s the car?’ said my wife Alice, interrupting my Zoom meeting on Saturday morning. ‘It’s where you left it,’ I…
Could hydrogen power turn air travel green?
Have you been scanning airline websites for exotic destinations to which your double-jabbed status might allow you to slip away…
Is lockdown’s tech bubble about to burst?
The tech industry is braced for the post-pandemic blues
Taking charge: it’s time to buy an electric car
As a wise colleague once said: ‘Yesterday is a great time to buy a computer, because you have already enjoyed…
It’s time the British faced some uncomfortable truths, says Matthew d’Ancona
As Britain starts its long Covid recovery, are deeper problems lurking beneath the surface? Matthew d’Ancona certainly thinks so, and…
Brave new virtual world: The Startup Wife, by Tahmima Anam, reviewed
Welcome to Utopia — not an idyllic arcadia but a secretive tech incubator in a Manhattan office block. Here a…
The social tyranny of singing ‘Happy Birthday’
Among the horrors, some aspects of lockdown were bizarrely less gruelling than expected; indeed for some people, the experience was…
TikTok intifada: the role of new media in old conflicts
The TikTokisation of global politics
The Proustian power of handwriting
Towards the end of April, my mum sent me a letter. She doesn’t write as a rule — we speak…
The hidden cost of free technology
Back in late 2019 I met someone from Zoom who was visiting London. The company, then as now, offered free…
The age of cyber warfare is a threat to us all
Conflict in cyberspace is a growing threat to us all
Who’s really to blame for the Post Office scandal?
The alleged frauds for which the Post Office prosecuted no fewer than 736 of its sub-postmasters has turned out in…
Video calls are the new penny post
Dear Sir, I beg to introduce myself to you as a clerk in the Accounts Department of the Port Trust…
Who can take on China in the tech arms race?
Who can take on China in the tech arms race?
My password amnesia got me into hot water
Chelsea/Gstaad Oh, to be in England! But let’s start at the beginning. I challenge any reader to claim they are…
After Covid, get ready for the Great Acceleration
Before the pandemic struck, there was talk of a ‘Great Stagnation’ – the idea that the world economy was doomed…
The 31 inventions that Britain really needs
‘Get Brexit done, then Arpa’ read Dominic Cummings’s WhatsApp profile. Arpa was what’s now the American Defense Advanced Research Projects…
What if Covid had struck in the 1970s?
We have reached Covid-19’s first anniversary in the UK — and I really think we should do something fitting to…
The free speech row tearing apart the tech community
Donald Trump’s Twitter suspension after the riot at the US Capitol made headlines around the world. What was less reported,…
