Internet

In a new distance record, researchers have sent a photon, entangled with an ion, down a 50-km (31-mi) long optical fiber.

I don't know when I opened my Dropbox account. It was years ago – probably not long after it was founded in 2007. Since then I've been a fan of the way Dropbox makes saving files in the cloud – and sharing them – quick and easy. But with its newly-announced features, I think it's time for a change.

​The first of SpaceX's functional Starlink satellites have been launched into space, with the company successfully putting the first pieces in place for what it hopes will be a vast network blanketing the entire globe in high-speed broadband internet.

Web forum OGUsers, popular with individuals who seek to access other people's online accounts, has itself been hacked, exposing the details and messages of some 113,000 users.

​SpaceX has plans to eventually circle the Earth with thousands of satellites that will blanket the globe in high-speed internet, but it's all about baby steps for now. To that end, the company is preparing to fire a set of 60 satellite into orbit in the coming days.

You know the scenario: a group of friends and family come to visit, and they all want to get on your Wi-Fi network, which means several tedious minutes of reading out the lengthy passcode for your network. That's a problem that the new Wi-Fi Porter could solve.

The Australian government yesterday passed a bill allowing law enforcement agencies to compel tech companies to hand over encrypted messaging data. The legislation has been broadly condemned with suggestions it could not only harm the Australian tech industry, but undermine encryption worldwide.

It's easy to take web access for granted, but in many regions getting online isn't as simple as just opening up a browser window. Now Chinese firm LinkSure Network has announced a system of satellites to be launched by 2026, which it wants to provide internet access across the globe, free of charge.

Fiber optics allows for ultra-fast communication systems, and more data can be crammed in by "twisting" the light. Now, Australian researchers have developed a device to decode beams that’s small enough to fit over the end of a fiber optic cable.

​Low-tech Magazine has rebuilt its website to be entirely solar powered, and is wilfully designed to go offline when conditions dictate. The new site has a much-reduced energy footprint, and is something of an exemplar in efficient website design.

We've already seen plenty of weird and wonderful gadgets at IFA 2018, but sometimes the most useful devices come in the plainest form – and so it is with the Devolo Magic. The Powerline networking kit hits a new high of 2,400 Mbps, enabling you to get super-fast internet running through your home.

​It was back in 2014 that Facebook first announced its Aquila program, in which high-altitude solar-powered autonomous drones would be used to provide developing countries with broadband internet coverage. This Tuesday, however, the company announced that it is cancelling the program.