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Tech News
New BBC reporting indicates photovoltaic solar will supply 10 percent of global power generation by the end of 2026, surpassing nuclear fission output. Solar generation has grown roughly 2,700-fold over the past 26 years while nuclear output has remained largely flat, a trend Oxford energy policy professor Jan Rosenow attributes partly to falling photovoltaic costs driven by Chinese manufacturing supply.
BBC's upcoming nature series Blue Planet III will retain imperfect shots—including visible plankton, boats, buoys, and less-than-ideal water conditions—rather than editing them out as previous seasons did. Executive Producer Elizabeth White told The Guardian the production team chose to keep this footage to present a more authentic, unpolished view of ocean life.
BBC technology editor Zoe Kleinman reports that long-standing vulnerabilities in the widely used PHP programming language were uncovered with AI assistance, prompting a global rush to patch affected websites. Some sites were taken offline as a precaution after news of the flaws leaked earlier than planned, though no confirmed successful exploitation has been reported, despite millions of attack attempts logged by firms like Cloudflare and Palo Alto Networks.
The BBC has announced plans to eliminate up to 2,000 positions over the coming years, alongside cuts to certain channels, citing immediate cost pressures. The move comes as the broadcaster negotiates with the U.K. government over the terms of its future funding and charter.
The UK government is reportedly considering a proposal to expand the existing BBC license fee so it also covers video streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ and YouTube, according to The Independent. Currently the £180 (~$239) annual fee applies to anyone watching live or on-demand TV content, but streaming via phones or computers can let viewers avoid it. An unnamed source said officials view this as an unfair loophole that lets people watch television-like content without paying.
The children's show Teletubbies, which debuted on the BBC in 1997, became a global merchandising phenomenon and a cultural flashpoint. Televangelist Jerry Falwell's National Liberty Journal published a piece in 1999 declaring that the purple, triangle-antenna character Tinky Winky was a secretly gay role model for children, citing the character's purse-like bag and color. Producer Kenn Viselman and others pushed back, insisting the character had no sexuality and was simply a toy-loving alien designed for toddlers.
The BBC has initiated a competitive tender process to select a production partner for the next phase of 'Doctor Who'. This move aims to determine the show's future direction and production arrangements. Details about the bidders or timeline have not been disclosed yet.
Apple TV has released the first two episodes of 'Small Prophets,' a British comedy created by Mackenzie Crook, after acquiring international rights in August following its BBC premiere. New episodes will air weekly on Wednesdays through November 4, though UK viewers won't get access on Apple TV until 2027.
Small Prophets, a six-episode comedy that originally premiered on the BBC, will begin streaming on Apple TV+ on October 7th. The series follows Michael Sleep, played by Pearce Quigley, a recluse who uses an alchemical recipe from his father, played by Michael Palin, to grow tiny magical beings called homunculi that can answer any question, including whether his missing girlfriend will return.
At the Royal Television Society conference in London, BBC director Matt Brittin said someone sent him a 50-minute, fully AI-generated episode of Doctor Who, which he described as 'pretty good.' Brittin, a former Google Europe executive, made the comment while discussing AI's growing ability to let anyone produce content at a Hollywood-level standard.
California has enacted a law banning child marriage outright, removing exceptions that previously allowed minors to marry with parental or judicial consent. The change makes California one of a small number of US states to fully prohibit marriage before age 18. Advocate Sara Tasneen, who says she was married at 15 to a man nearly twice her age, has campaigned for the ban since 2017.
Apple TV is licensing Small Prophets, a British comedy that debuted on the BBC earlier this year, for global streaming. The series, created by Mackenzie Crook and holding a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, premieres October 7 with two episodes, followed by weekly releases through November 4. UK viewers, however, won't get access until 2027.