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When is an ebike not an ebike? When it has a powerful illegal engine. Get this menace off our roads | Peter Walker
Guardian columnist Peter Walker argues that much of the debate over ebikes conflates two very different things: legal, speed-limited electric-assist bicycles (including share schemes like Lime and Forest) and illegal, throttle-powered electric motorbikes that merely resemble bikes but can travel far faster than the law allows. He contends this distinction matters because it clarifies where…
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This doorbell camera lets a human security guard watch your front door
SimpliSafe has launched the Video Doorbell Series 2, extending its AI-powered “Active Guard” proactive monitoring feature to the front door for the first time. The doorbell combines on-device AI, cloud-based computer vision and facial recognition to detect suspicious activity, allowing a human monitoring agent to view the live feed, speak through the doorbell and attempt…
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September’s Windows 11 patch needs an emergency patch of its own
Microsoft has issued an emergency out-of-band update for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 after September’s Patch Tuesday, which fixed almost 1,000 vulnerabilities across the company’s products, introduced fresh problems of its own. The follow-up patch resolves issues affecting Remote Desktop Services and shared host folders on certain Hyper-V-based Linux virtual machines, though a fault affecting…
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The pros and cons of using a MagSafe charger
MagSafe charging offers genuine conveniences on both MacBooks and iPhones, but each version comes with trade-offs worth weighing before relying on it exclusively. On MacBooks, MagSafe provides an easy magnetic connection and protects the laptop from being yanked off a desk if someone trips on the cable, but it is a proprietary cable that cannot…
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Voicemod’s new pocket-friendly device brings real-time voice changing to your phone
Voicemod has launched the Key Pocket, a small hardware device that brings its real-time voice-changing technology to mobile phones for the first time, expanding on the original Voicemod Key dongle released for consoles in late 2024. Unlike the earlier device, which only used a phone as an interface for Xbox, PlayStation and Switch, the Key…
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Keir Starmer spent another £8,500 doing up his Downing Street apartment last year… before being ousted as PM
Keir Starmer spent a further £8,546 of taxpayers’ money refurbishing his Downing Street flat in the 2025-26 financial year, shortly before being forced out as prime minister following a backbench rebellion. The spending, revealed in the Cabinet Office’s latest accounts, adds to almost £30,000 spent on the grace-and-favour apartment above No11 during his first year…
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Microsoft account refuseniks have another way of installing Windows
A new, simple workaround has emerged that lets people install Windows 11 Home without signing in with a Microsoft account, something Microsoft has been increasingly insistent on during setup in recent years. The method, spotted and demonstrated by a user called “Bob Pony” and verified by The Register, involves clicking a “Learn more” link during…
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The easiest way to find and remove spyware on your Android phone
Spyware infections on Android phones are common because the platform’s openness—allowing sideloading and alternative app stores—makes it a target for criminals seeking to steal banking details or passwords, but Engadget notes that such infections leave detectable traces and are generally straightforward to remove without technical expertise. Recognising the warning signs and knowing the removal steps…
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Chinese car dealership sparks parking war with locals in town after its stock overflows into the street
A Chinese-owned car dealership in Watford has clashed with local residents after its overflowing stock of vehicles began blocking pavements, parking bays and a bus stop on surrounding streets. Residents say the situation has grown increasingly dangerous for pedestrians, particularly elderly locals who must step into the road to get around parked cars, while the…
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UK state pension set to top £13,000 a year as wage growth slows to 3.9%
The UK government has pledged that pensioners will not be forced to pay income tax on the full new state pension, after wage growth figures paved the way for a triple lock rise that pushes the payment above the frozen personal tax allowance. Official data showed average wages rose 3.9% in the three months to…