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New York investigates company accused of selling fake Twitter followers New York's chief prosecutor says the state is opening an investigation into a firm that allegedly sold millions of fake followers to social media users. "Impersonation and deception are illegal under New York law," said Eric Schneiderman. The company, Devumi, stands accused of stealing real people's identities, which it denies, according to the New York Times. The paper linked the "follower factory" to a host of celebrity accounts. The New York Times published an in-depth report on Devumi on Saturday, including interviews with people who alleged their account details and profile pictures had been copied to create realistic "bots". It is alleged that others who wanted to increase their follower count, including actors, entrepreneurs and political commentators, could then pay to be followed by the bots. On social media, high follower accounts boost influence, whi...

Drone saves two Australian swimmers in world first Two teenage boys were rescued by a brand new lifesaving drone in Australia while lifeguards were still training to use the device. The swimmers, aged 15-17, had got into difficulties off the coast of Lennox Head, New South Wales (NSW). A member of the public spotted them struggling in heavy surf about 700m (2,300ft) offshore. Lifesavers instantly sent the drone to drop an inflatable rescue pod, and the pair made their way safely to shore. John Barilaro, the state's deputy premier, praised the rescue as historic. "Never before has a drone fitted with a flotation device been used to rescue swimmers like this," he said. Lifeguard supervisor Jai Sheridan was piloting the device when the alarm was raised. He described the experience as "unreal". "The Little Ripper UAV certainly proved itself today, it is an amazingly efficient piece of lifesaving equipment and a delight to fly," he told the...

The unnamed employee who mistakenly sent a missile alert which caused panic in the US state of Hawaii on Saturday has been temporarily reassigned to other duties, a US official has said. People across the state received text messages warning of an imminent attack. The US media regulator says the mistake was "absolutely unacceptable". Hawaii did not have "reasonable safeguards or process controls" in place to prevent the false alert, it said. The 38-minute delay in issuing the correction made it worse, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said. Why was the alert sent? The error occurred when, during a drill after a shift change, an employee made the wrong selection from a drop-down computer menu, picking the real-life missile alert instead of the test option, officials at Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency (EMA) said. To prevent a repeat, two employees are now required to activate the alert system - one to issue the warning and another to...

Apple investors urge action on 'smartphone addiction' Big investors have called on Apple to develop software that limits how long children can use its smartphones. The call came from two investment groups that hold $2bn (£1.48bn) of Apple stock between them. A letter calling for the digital locks, signed by Jana Partners and a California teachers' pension fund, was sent to the iPhone maker this weekend. The call for better controls was welcomed by academics studying youngsters' use of technology. Design conflict Jana Partners and the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) called on Apple to consider the impact excessive use of smartphones had on the mental health of young people. The two are worried that if Apple does not address growing concerns about smartphone use, its stock market value and general reputation could be damaged. According to a Reuters report, half of US teenagers believe they are addicted to their mobile phones a...