Weekly Tech Round-Up
This week: Waymo eyes a London robotaxi launch, the UK rolls out free AI training for workers, Valve faces a major UK Steam lawsuit, plus an app pick that changes how you search the web — and a reminder to review device security.
🚕 Waymo Says London Robotaxis Could Arrive as Soon as September
Waymo, the US driverless car firm, said it hopes to be operating a robotaxi service in London as soon as September this year.
The UK government has said it plans to change regulations in the second half of 2026 to enable driverless taxis to operate in the city, but has not given a specific date.
The firm, owned by Google-parent Alphabet, showed off a fleet of cars it brought to the UK at London’s Transport Museum on Wednesday. Waymo’s vehicles are currently being operated by a safety driver while mapping the streets.
But when the service launches to paying passengers, there will be no human at the wheel.
Source: BBC News
🎓 Government Launches Free AI Training Courses for Workers
The government has launched a series of free AI training courses designed to help people learn how to use the technology at work.
The online lessons provide advice on topics such as how to prompt chatbots and how to use them to assist with admin tasks. Many of the courses are free, with others subsidised.
The government aims to reach 10 million workers by 2030, calling it the most ambitious training scheme since the launch of the Open University in 1971.
Source: BBC News
⚖️ Valve Faces UK Lawsuit Over Alleged Unfair Steam Prices
Valve Corporation will face a lawsuit in the UK over alleged unfair prices on its global online store, Steam, following a tribunal ruling that the case could continue.
The gaming giant is accused of abusing its market dominance by imposing restrictive terms on game publishers and locking players into using Steam, the world’s largest distribution platform for PC gaming.
The legal action was brought by digital rights campaigner Vicki Shotbolt in 2024 on behalf of up to 14 million Steam users across the UK, who could be in line for compensation if she wins.
The lawsuit, filed at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London, alleges Valve “forces” game publishers into conditions that prevent them from selling their titles earlier or for less on rival platforms.
Source: BBC News
🔎 App of the Week: Arc Search (Android)
This week’s app of the week is Arc Search. It does a lot of the heavy lifting for you — instead of simply returning search results, it summarises and structures a webpage for you.
For example, if you ask it to compare the best street food spots in a particular area, it can generate a formatted page with structured headings, summaries, and links back to sources.
Arc Search is free to download on Android devices only:
🛡️ Security Check-Up: Don’t Skip the Basics on New Devices
Devices like smartphones, tablets and PCs are getting more and more secure — but hackers are getting better at attacking them too.
So if you've just bought a new or second hand device, or haven’t looked at your security settings for a while, take some time to make sure you're protected against the latest threats.
Fortunately, most manufacturers provide easy-to-use guidance on how to secure your devices.
Quick tip: prioritise updates, screen locks (PIN/biometrics), device encryption, app permissions, and account security settings — especially on devices you didn’t set up from new.
