BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Arm boss: We can do it by ourselves
After years of major regulatory struggle in the UK, US and EU, what would have been the biggest computer-chip deal in history is now dead in the water. But the new boss of Arm, the Cambridge-based company often described as one of the UK's biggest technology success stories, is upbeat. And although he blames the failure of Arm's planned sale to Nvidia on a "challenging regulatory environmen ... Read more
2022-02-11 18:25:31
Apple moves to stop AirTag tracking misuse
Apple plans to introduce a number of changes to make it harder to misuse AirTags to track someone. The button-sized devices are designed to work with Apple's 'Find My' network to locate lost items. The company said its changes to the device will make suspicious tags easier to find, and alert users earlier that an AirTag may be travelling with them. In January, a number of women told the BBC the ... Read more
2022-02-10 19:52:26
Samsung phones with parts made from fishing nets
Samsung has announced a range of new Galaxy smartphones, offering improved cameras and the option of a stylus. The firm talked up the use of recycled materials such as repurposed fishing nets and used water bottles. Its "Galaxy for the Planet" is a five-year plan to eliminate plastics in packaging and stop manufacturing waste going to landfill. Experts welcomed the green initiative. ... Read more
2022-02-10 19:51:58
BT to introduce inflation-busting price rises
BT has said most customers will see bills rise by more than 9% from the end of March as households are squeezed by cost of living pressures. The telecoms giant said broadband and phone bills will jump by 9.3% following a "dramatic increase" in data usage over the last few years. Affected customers will pay an extra £3.50 a month on average from 31 March. But households on certain pack ... Read more
2022-01-20 19:48:23
Wordle developer donates in-app spend to charity
The developer of a game with the same name as smash hit Wordle has donated money made from his app to charity, after people mistakenly downloaded it. Steve Cravotta said he had seen more than 200,000 downloads of his Wordle game in a week, after its namesake went viral. While the hit web-based Wordle has no app, people were spending money on in-app purchases in Mr Cravotta's game. That money wi ... Read more
2022-01-20 19:47:36
Apple AirTags - 'A perfect tool for stalking'
Amber Norsworthy lives in Mississippi with her four children. It had just turned 3pm when she got home on 27 December. She received a notification on her phone. "My phone made a ding that I'd never heard before", she says. The notification told her that an unknown device had been following her movements. Ms Norsworthy, who's 32, went on to the 'Find My' app on her iPhone. "It s ... Read more
2022-01-20 19:46:33
Sony slides on Microsoft-Activision Blizzard tie-up plan
Shares in Japanese technology giant Sony have slumped in Tokyo trade after Microsoft said it plans to buy mega games company Activision Blizzard. The deal worth $68.7bn (£50.5bn), would be Microsoft's biggest ever buyout and the largest deal in gaming history. It would see the US firm owning popular gaming franchises including Call of Duty, Warcraft and Overwatch. The deal would be a major step ... Read more
2022-01-19 19:35:30
Should bad science be censored on social media?
When it comes to understanding science and making health decisions, it can have life-or-death consequences. People dissuaded from taking vaccines as a result of reading misleading information online have ended up in hospital or even died. And inaccurate or completely made-up claims about 5G and the origins of Covid-19 have been linked to violence and vandalism. But completely removing informati ... Read more
2022-01-19 19:35:04
Aldi opens its first till-free supermarket
Aldi has opened its first checkout-free supermarket where people can shop without having to scan a product. The grocer is operating a "trial" store in Greenwich, London, which allows customers to complete their shop and pay without going to a till. Instead, customers can download the Aldi Shop&Go app, and will then be automatically charged for their purchases once they leave the st ... Read more
2022-01-18 18:49:11
US airlines warn of impending 5G flight disruption
The 10 biggest US airlines have warned that the impending switch-on of 5G mobile phone services will cause "major disruption" to flights. They said the start of Verizon and AT&T 5G mobile phone services, planned for Wednesday, would cause a "completely avoidable economic calamity". Airlines fear C-band 5G signals will disrupt planes' navigation systems, particularly those ... Read more
2022-01-18 18:48:41