BATTERYFORPC BLOG
UK donates 225 million stolen passwords to hack-checking site
UK law enforcement has donated a tranche of 225 million unique passwords to a cyber-security project helping to protect users from hacking. The National Crime Agency (NCA) recovered the database from cyber-criminals who had collected real users' email addresses and passwords. That list has been added to free online service Have I Been Pwned (HIBP). It lets anyone search through hundreds of mill ... Read more
2021-12-20 18:56:10
Fake Covid passes advertised for sale online
Fraudsters are directing people on Facebook to sites claiming to sell fake Covid vaccine passes for those haven't been jabbed, the BBC has found. People in the UK are required to prove their vaccination status in order to access some places and to avoid self-isolation after travelling abroad. But posts on the social media site are offering unvaccinated people false certification to get around th ... Read more
2021-12-20 18:55:49
Amazon-owned Twitch bans Amazon account after breast revealed on air
Amazon-owned livestreaming site Twitch has banned an Amazon Prime Video channel after a presenter appeared to accidentally reveal her breast during a live show. The official Spanish-language Prime Video channel was suspended from Twitch on Sunday, with no public reason given. However, it followed a segment on the talk show Esto es un Late where the incident took place. Twitch has strict rules a ... Read more
2021-12-20 18:52:31
BBC Bitcoin mining report used in crypto-scam
Chiranjeevi lives in Hyderabad, India, with his young family. He is a smiley, glass-half-full kind of guy - naturally positive and full of energy. He's smart, too, and works in an Indian tech company. He's the least likely person, you'd think, to fall victim to an online scam. Yet in October he was defrauded out of his life's savings - $4,000 (£3,000). He couldn't believe it. "I was so ... Read more
2021-12-19 18:46:35
How to avoid gadget frustration on Christmas Day
Congratulations: you've outdone the chip shortage and conquered the crowds, or maybe Santa's due to be very good to you. Either way, you've got some new technology under the Christmas tree. But these aren't wooden blocks or teddy bears. Tech toys often need a little preparation before Christmas morning. Here's a quick crash course in what needs to be done before the day. Power: Batteries, brick ... Read more
2021-12-19 18:45:48
Meta bans surveillance-for-hire firms for targeting users
Facebook owner Meta says it has banned seven surveillance companies for targeting users on its platforms. A new report by Meta says about 50,000 users will receive warnings about the "malicious activities". It accused surveillance firms of actions like creating fake accounts, befriending targets and using hacking methods to harvest information. The company accused the companies of tar ... Read more
2021-12-17 18:48:20
US sanctions drone-maker DJI
The US has imposed more restrictions on Chinese drone-maker DJI and seven other Chinese companies. On Thursday, the Treasury Department put the companies on an investment exclusion list, banning US citizens from buying and selling shares in them. It has been alleged that DJI's drone technology has been used for the surveillance of Uyghur Muslims in China. However the ban is largely symbolic as ... Read more
2021-12-17 18:48:00
Anti-5G necklaces found to be radioactive
Necklaces and accessories claiming to "protect" people from 5G mobile networks have been found to be radioactive. The Dutch authority for nuclear safety and radiation protection (ANVS) issued a warned about ten products it found gave off harmful ionising radiation. It urged people not to use the products, which could cause harm with long-term wear. There is no evidence that 5G network ... Read more
2021-12-17 18:47:39
GirlsDoPorn victims win rights to their videos
Hundreds of people tricked into making explicit videos for porn websites have been awarded the rights to the videos and millions of dollars in damages. The sites, GirlsDoPorn and GirlsDoToys, had been the subject of a long-running legal battle. The US Department of Justice has ruled that rights to videos and images produced by the now-defunct sites belong to the women. More than 400 victims can ... Read more
2021-12-17 18:47:10
TikToker Demi Skipper trades up from a hairpin to a house
Imagine if all you needed to own your own house was a worthless hairpin. Well that is exactly the feat Demi Skipper has achieved - by trading up items on TikTok. She started the Trade Me Project in May 2020 and swapped various things along the way, including a pair of earrings, an iPhone and three tractors. And the 30-year-old, from San Francisco, California, is now the proud owner of a house i ... Read more
2021-12-16 18:25:21