BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Meta to let parents limit teenager's virtual-reality exploration
New tools will allow parents to stop teenagers accessing inappropriate games and experiences via Meta's virtual reality (VR) headset. Questions have been raised about whether it was doing enough to protect children from inappropriate content. Meta-owned Instagram has also rolled out further parental controls, the plans for which were revealed last year. It comes as the UK government legislates ... Read more
2022-03-17 19:36:49
What does Putin want and will Russia end its war?
When Vladimir Putin shattered the peace in Europe by unleashing war on a democracy of 44 million people, his justification was that modern, Western-leaning Ukraine was a constant threat and Russia could not feel "safe, develop and exist". But after weeks of bombardment, thousands of deaths and an exodus of millions of refugees, the question remains: what is his war aim and is there a wa ... Read more
2022-03-16 20:10:40
Ukraine war: Russians grieve for fallen soldiers
In the Church of Alexandra and Antonina lies a coffin. It is draped with a Russian tricolour. Resting on the casket: a service cap and a photograph. Mikhail Orchikov was deputy commander of a motor-rifle brigade. He was killed in action in Ukraine. Armed Russian soldiers form a guard of honour. An Orthodox priest walks around the casket reciting prayers and swinging an ornate metal vessel emitti ... Read more
2022-03-16 20:10:10
Ukraine conflict: Biden brands Putin a 'war criminal'
US President Joe Biden has labelled Russian leader Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" in a move likely to escalate diplomatic tensions even further. Mr Biden delivered the remark off-the-cuff in response to a reporter's question at the White House. It is the first time he has used such language to condemn President Putin, and the White House later said he was "speaking from his heart ... Read more
2022-03-16 20:09:09
Germany warns against Russian anti-virus use
Germany's cyber-security authority has warned against using anti-virus software from Russian headquartered company Kaspersky. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) issued the statement in light of the conflict in Ukraine. Russian information-technology businesses could be spied on or forced to launch cyber-attacks, it said. Kaspersky told BBC News the warning had been "made on ... Read more
2022-03-16 20:08:03
Germany warns against Russian anti-virus use
Germany's cyber-security authority has warned against using anti-virus software from Russian headquartered company Kaspersky. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) issued the statement in light of the conflict in Ukraine. Russian information-technology businesses could be spied on or forced to launch cyber-attacks, it said. Kaspersky told BBC News the warning had been "made on ... Read more
2022-03-16 00:41:42
Ukraine offered tool to search billions of faces
A system that searches a database of billions of facial images could help Ukraine uncover Russian infiltrators, fight misinformation and identify the dead, a company has said. Facial recognition firm Clearview AI has offered its services to Ukraine's government. The company says it has a searchable database of 10 billion faces sourced from the web. But the technology has previously attracted fi ... Read more
2022-03-16 00:41:13
Ukraine offered tool to search billions of faces
A system that searches a database of billions of facial images could help Ukraine uncover Russian infiltrators, fight misinformation and identify the dead, a company has said. Facial recognition firm Clearview AI has offered its services to Ukraine's government. The company says it has a searchable database of 10 billion faces sourced from the web. But the technology has previously attracted fi ... Read more
2022-03-14 20:54:43
Bitcoin cash machines ordered to shut down in UK
All UK crypto-currency cash machines (ATMs) are operating illegally and must be shut down, the Financial Conduct Authority has announced. Crypto-ATMs look like regular cash machines and let people buy crypto-currency, such as Bitcoin, using their bank cards. But no company offering crypto-currency services in the UK has a licence to operate a crypto-ATM. The FCA said all such machines must be s ... Read more
2022-03-13 21:54:28
Zoe Covid-tracking app loses government funding
An app that was widely used to track the symptoms of Covid will not have its government funding renewed as the UK adapts to living with the disease. Co-founder of the Zoe Covid study app, Prof Tim Spector, labelled the decision "a really bad mistake". The app had received more than £5m in grants from the UK's Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The UKHSA said it would continue to monitor ... Read more
2022-03-13 21:54:12