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Metal monolith found by helicopter crew in Utah desert

A strange metal monolith has been discovered in the Utah desert by a helicopter crew, leaving local authorities baffled.
Wildlife officials spotted the "unusual" object while counting sheep during a flyover in a remote south-eastern area of the US state. They said the structure had been planted in the ground between red rock. There was no indication who installed the monolith, which was about 10 to 12ft (3.6m) tall. In an interview with local news channel KSLTV, the helicopter pilot, Bret Hutchings, said: "That's been about the strangest thing that I've come across out there in all my years of flying."

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Director Tristram Shapeero apologises to Lukas Gage after unmuted comments

Director Tristram Shapeero has apologised after unwittingly commenting on an actor's "tiny apartment" without realising he could be heard.
Euphoria actor Lukas Gage was auditioning for a role via Zoom earlier this year when an unmuted Shapeero began making comments about his home. Gage uploaded the video of the encounter to Twitter this week. Shapeero apologised to Gage at the time and has now written an open letter to him about his "unacceptable" remarks. In the video, which includes bad language and was posted on Twitter by Gage on Saturday, the actor can be seen in his apartment about to audition on Zoom for a screen role.

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Trump accepts US presidency transition to Biden must begin

Donald Trump has accepted a formal US transition should begin for President-elect Joe Biden to take office.
The president said the federal agency overseeing the handover must "do what needs to be done", even as he vowed to keep contesting his election defeat. The General Services Administration (GSA) said it was acknowledging Mr Biden as the "apparent winner". It came as Mr Biden's victory in the state of Michigan was officially certified, a major blow to Mr Trump. The GSA announcement means the president-elect now has access to top security briefings, office space and government officials as he prepares to take office on 20 January.

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Smart doorbells 'easy target for hackers' study finds

Major security flaws in popular smart doorbells are putting consumers at risk of being targeted by hackers inside their homes, according to Which.
The consumer group says devices being sold on marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, could easily be hacked or switched off by criminals. It is asking the government for new legislation to safeguard consumers. Amazon has removed at least seven product listings in response to the findings. The watchdog tested 11 devices which were purchased from popular online marketplaces in the UK. Brands included Qihoo, Ctronics and Victure. It found that among the most common flaws were weak password policies, and a lack of data encryption. Two of the devices in the test could be manipulated to steal network passwords and then hack other smart devices within the home.

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Covid-19: Oxford University vaccine is highly effective

The coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford is highly effective at stopping people developing Covid-19 symptoms, a large trial shows.
Interim data suggests 70% protection, but the researchers say the figure may be as high as 90% by tweaking the dose. The results will be seen as a triumph, but come after Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed 95% protection. However, the Oxford jab is far cheaper, and is easier to store and get to every corner of the world than the other two. So the vaccine will play a significant role in tackling the pandemic, if it is approved for use by regulators. "The announcement today takes us another step closer to the time when we can use vaccines to bring an end to the devastation caused by [the virus]," said the vaccine's architect, Prof Sarah Gilbert. The UK government has pre-ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, and AstraZeneca says it will make three billion doses for the world next year.

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US election 2020: Biden says Trump denial 'sending horrible message'

US President-elect Joe Biden has condemned Donald Trump's refusal to accept defeat in the presidential election, saying it sent "a horrible message about who we are as a country".
Mr Biden said he was confident Mr Trump knew he was not going to win and had shown "incredible irresponsibility". Mr Trump has launched lawsuits alleging unsubstantiated election fraud. He has now also invited state lawmakers to the White House, hinting at a possible change in tactics. Michigan's Republican lawmakers have been asked to meet him there on Friday. All but one of Mr Trump's challenges has failed to make any real headway. Mr Biden's victory margin in the public vote overall stands at more than 5.9 million. The victory in the US Electoral College system, which decides who becomes president, is projected to be 306 to 232.

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Sony PlayStation 5 delivery delays spark row over who is to blame

Many customers hoping to get hold of a PlayStation 5 on its launch day have been left disappointed after online retailers sold out of the console.
In an email to customers, Game blamed courier firm Yodel, which has strenuously denied it is at fault, for some pre-ordered consoles not being delivered on launch day. Currys PC World and John Lewis had sold out of the PS5 by lunchtime. That led some gamers to pay nearly double the retail price on eBay. The PS5 was released in the UK on 19 November but lockdown has meant that people cannot purchase one in physical stores. The US launch took place last week.

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US election: Trump campaign seeks partial recount in Wisconsin

President Donald Trump is to seek a partial recount of votes in the state of Wisconsin which his rival Joe Biden is projected to win by 20,000 votes.
Hours before a Wednesday deadline, the Trump campaign said it wanted a recount in the counties of Milwaukee and Dane, alleging irregularities. Mr Trump has been making unsubstantiated claims of fraud and refused to authorise a handover. Mr Biden says delaying the transition will damage the US pandemic response. The Trump campaign has filed a flurry of lawsuits contesting the results in key states, although election officials say there is no evidence of widespread irregularities. President-elect Joe Biden, a Democrat, is projected to have won the popular vote by more than 5.6 million ballots - 3.6 percentage points. In the US electoral college system that decides the presidency, he has 306 votes to Mr Trump's 232.

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Backlash to Twitter's disappearing tweets feature

A new feature on Twitter designed to allow people to share "their fleeting thoughts" has faced a backlash, with many saying it encouraged harassment.
So-called "fleets" vanish in 24 hours, and Twitter said they are meant to "help people feel more comfortable joining the conversation". But many users spotted issues which they fear could also be abused. Twitter said it was listening to user feedback about the new feature. Fleets are similar to Instagram Stories and Snapchat Stories, and allow users to post text, photos or video which appear in bubbles at the top of the app for 24 hours. The feature was tested in several countries, including Brazil, Italy and India, before the global rollout this week.

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Facebook and Twitter grilled over US election actions

Facebook and Twitter's chief executives have been challenged over their handling of the US election in their latest appearance before the US Senate.
Democrats questioned whether steps taken to flag that President Trump's claims of election fraud were "disputed" had gone far enough. Republican members of the Judiciary Committee asked whether the tech firms should be taking such action at all. This was the second time the CEOs had been cross-examined in three weeks.They were previously questioned by the Senate Commerce Committee last month in what was a more rowdy event. Once again, the issue of a law known as Section 230 loomed large. It says the platforms are generally not responsible for illegal or offensive things users post on them.