Google and Meta have pulled out of the upcoming Web Summit technology conference, following fallout from the event’s founder’s social media comments relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Siemens and Intel have also pulled out of next month’s event due to be held in Lisbon, Portugal after posted commentary made by Paddy Cosgrove about western support for Israel. It has also been reported that actress Gillian Anderson has withdrawn from her speaking role at the conference. Mr Cosgrave, the chief executive of Ireland-based Web Summit, issued an apology on Tuesday where he said he unreservedly condemns Hamas’s attack on October 7. That followed a controversial post on X last Friday when he said he was “shocked at the rhetoric and actions of so many Western leaders and governments, with the exception in particular of Ireland’s government, who for once are doing the right thing. “War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are.” Mr Cosgrave said his comments were to urge Israel not to cross the boundaries of international law in its response to Hamas atrocities. In his later apology, he said: “I unequivocally support Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself. I unequivocally support a two-state solution. “I understand that what I said, the timing of what I said, and the way it has been presented has caused profound hurt to many. “To anyone who was hurt by my words, I apologise deeply. “What is needed at this time is compassion, and I did not convey that. “My aim is and always has been to strive for peace. “Ultimately, I hope with all my heart that this can be achieved.” We will no longer have a presence at Web Summit Google spokesman Tickets for Web Summit range from 1,095 euro for general attendance up to 24,950 euro for a “chairperson” ticket which includes a “personal event fulfilment manager” and access to an exclusive lounge – with prices set to increase later this month. The event aims to attract more than 70,000 people including “companies redefining the tech industry”. On Friday, a spokeswoman for Google said: “We will no longer have a presence at Web Summit.” It is understood Meta is also no longer attending the event. A spokesman for Siemens said: “Following recent developments surrounding Web Summit, we have reviewed the situation and determined that Siemens will not attend in 2023.” Intel said in a statement: “We can confirm that Intel has withdrawn from this year’s Web Summit.” Read More ‘Game-changing’ facial recognition technology catches prolific shoplifters Facial recognition firm Clearview AI overturns UK data privacy fine Sadiq Khan, Met Commissioner to ask phone companies to ‘design out’ theft Microsoft gets go-ahead to buy Call of Duty maker Activision Incels using TikTok to spread ‘hateful beliefs’, research suggests Duke and Duchess of Sussex call for overhaul of social media

There are an overwhelming number of ways to watch online content on your TV. Your

A natural phenomenon consisting of polka-dot-style formations has been cropping up around the world, and scientists are baffled as to why. The circular-shaped patches of ground have been seen in deserts in Australia and Namibia but now experts believe they are more widespread than originally thought. Known as “fairy circles”, there are now 263 known sites across the globe where they can be found, according to new research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). They have been documented in 15 countries, across three continents, including the Sahel region of Africa, Madagascar, and in Middle-West Asia. And yet, despite the spread of these anomalies, scientists are still none the wiser about how they actually form. A team led by environmental scientist Emilio Guirado, of the University of Alicante in Spain, explained in their paper on the "intriguing" phenomenon: “We conducted a global and systematic assessment of fairy circle-like vegetation patterns and discovered hundreds of [fairy-circle]-like locations on three continents. “Our study provides insights into the ecology and biogeography of these fascinating vegetation patterns and the first atlas of their global distribution.” The mysterious circles appear in desert regions and can be as wide as 12 metres (39 feet) in diameter. They are almost always spaced out and rarely connect or overlap with one another. Several theories have been put forward as to what causes them, including, tiny insects, termites, and plant toxins. But, none have been accompanied by any significant evidence and some have been debunked completely. One significant factor limiting their study is they are often found in places that are difficult to access and are inhospitable. Locating the 263 different sites of “fairy circles” involved analysing high-resolution satellite imagery. Guirado and his team wrote in their paper: “[The sites] include those already identified in Namibia and Western Australia, as well as areas never described before, including the Sahel, Western Sahara, Horn of Africa, Madagascar, Southwest Asia, or Central and Southwest Australia. “By doing so, our study provides a global atlas of areas showing FC-like vegetation patterns and expands the known existence of this vegetation type to new countries and continents.” The team hopes that locating new sites will enable them to find common traits that may point towards their cause. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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.

These companies that were accused (and sometimes convicted of) engaging in alleged pyramid schemes and other scams.

For months, Elon Musk has pinned much of the blame for Tesla Inc.’s price cuts on central banks.

Ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day on 18 May, Apple has unveiled a host of new iOS features that will be coming to the iPhone, iPad and Mac later this year. The suite of updates announced on Tuesday include accessibility features to help those with cognitive, vision, hearing and mobility disabilities and, for the first time, new tools for those who have lost their ability to speak or are at risk of losing their voice. In the future update, users with a speech disability or a recent ALS diagnosis will be able to use their Apple device to create a digital voice that sounds exactly like them. The feature, called Personal Voice, can be trained in 15 minutes simply by reading a bunch of randomly generated text prompts, and uses on-device machine learning to ensure your data is kept private and secure. The Motor Neurone Disease Association suggests that voice banking takes an average of two hours or longer with current tech, and can cost hundreds of pounds. The Independent got a first look at the new feature in action, and the Personal Voice sounded remarkably similar to the user’s actual voice, albeit with a slightly robotic, synthesised tone. Personal Voice will be available for use with Apple’s new Live Speech feature on iOS, which will let users type what they want to say and have it spoken out loud, during in-person conversations, as well as with phone and FaceTime calls. The feature is said to work with all accents and dialects. As well as features for speech accessibility, Apple announced a cognitive disability setting for the iPhone and iPad called Assistive Access, which essentially lets you pare your device down to a few core apps of your choosing. Arranged in a grid or a list, it simplifies the user interface down to large, easily readable buttons, so you can make calls, access an emoji-only keyboard, and a fuss-free camera, without the clutter. Companies such as Doro and Jitterbug currently have a stranglehold on the “simple phone”, offering devices for senior users that strip away the bulk, and deliver a simple user interface with large high-contrast buttons that make it easy to use a phone. With Apple’s new Assistive Access feature, those with cognitive disabilities will be able to take advantage of a mainstream iPhone device and its features without having to opt for an Android device or one designed for their specific need. In addition, Apple previewed a new feature in the Magnifier app for low vision users called Point and Speak, which makes use of the camera, the LiDAR Scanner and on-device machine learning to read aloud text that a user places their finger on. Plus, the company announced Mac support for Made for iPhone hearing devices, phonetic suggestions for Voice Control users and the ability for Switch Control users to turn their switches into game controllers on the iPhone and iPad. Apple has made it a tradition over the years to unveil new accessibility features ahead of WWDC in June, where it usually reveals the next iOS update, emphasising its prioritisation of accessibility within the iOS ecosystem. While Apple didn’t state when exactly the new updates would be coming to its devices later this year, a rollout alongside iOS 17 seems likely, given previous announcements. Read More Apple iPhone 15 rumours: All you need to know, from release date to price and specs iPhone 15 to add mysterious new button on the side, Apple rumours suggest Inside Apple’s Developer Academy, where future app developers are being taught to put disability first 75% of Irish data watchdog’s GDPR decisions since 2018 overruled – report AI pioneer warns UK is failing to protect against ‘existential threat’ of machines Apple highlights work of small developers amid ongoing questions about the App Store

Meituan is buying a co-founder’s generative AI startup for almost $234 million, a deal that gets the food-delivery

iPhone users have been urged to download a new update immediately. The update was pushed out by Apple to iPhones and iPads after a major security vulnerability was found in the devices. Patching up that hole with the new software update should keep those devices safe. But without it, attackers could break into an iPhone and spy on its user. The security issue was found by researchers at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab. They said the problem was being “actively exploited” by hackers, and that all users should update immediately. They were doing so by delivering commercial software called Pegasus, which is made and sold by Israeli company the NSO Group. That software is expensive and targeted, and has primarily been used on specific activists, journalists and politcians, who are likely to know if they are at particular risk of an attack. The latest attack was used on the iPhone of a member of staff at a US civil society organisation with international offices, Citizen Lab said. It named the new exploit BLASTPASS and said that it did not even require users to click anything on their device. The NSO Group and Apple have in recent years been engaged in a long-running fight to find and fix security flaws that could allow for the delivery of that software. Recent iPhone updates brought a new “Lockdown Mode” that places extra restrictions on the device in an attempt to close up potential security flaws. That includes not downloading images that could include spyware, for instance – which is how attackers deliver the hack in this most recent scare. Downloading the new update is simple. It is done through the Settings app on iPhones and iPads, by clicking the “general” and then “software update” options – that will check for any new updates, and offer the option to download it. Phones may eventually automatically install the new operating system, which could mean that no download shows up in that screen. Users can check if they have already updated to the new, patched operating system by clicking the “about” option in the general settings, and looking whether they have the newest iOS 16.6.1. Similar updates are available for Macs and Apple Watches, and are installed in much the same way. Citizen Lab also advised that anyone “who may face increased risk because of who they are or what they do” should switch on Lockdown Mode. Apple confirmed that would block the new attack, researchers said. Read More Apple is dropping leather from iPhone cases and Watch bands, report claims Apple is about to make a huge change to the iPhone that it never wanted to do Here’s when you will actually be able to get the new iPhone

Baldur's Gate 3's combat system won't be like the previous titles.

Valorant is not in the Soul Fighter event on July 20. League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, Wild Rift, and Legends of Runeterra are the participating Riot Games titles.

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Fitness trackers can help you track your activity, workout progress, and even help you understand