BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Google gives security keys to 10,000 high-risk users
Google is giving free physical USB security keys to 10,000 users at high risk of being hacked - such as politicians and human rights activists. The USB keys provide two-factor authentication - an additional layer of security beyond a password. Google says it wants to encourage people to join its "advanced protection programme" for high-profile users. It follows news that the firm sent ... Read more
2021-10-11 20:53:35
Google, YouTube ban ads on climate misinformation
Google says it will stop ads running on climate change-denying YouTube videos and other content, and prohibit ads promoting these claims. The company says it is responding to concerns from advertisers. The ban will cover ads for - and the monetization of - content that contradicts the "scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change". It will be enforced by &quo ... Read more
2021-10-10 20:06:36
The hi-tech headbands that claim to reduce your stress
Emma Baumert admits that when she first put on the high-tech headband she felt silly. "But I also felt so cool wearing it, because I'm such a nerd." The 24-year-old from Illinois is a member of the USA Bobsled/Skeleton development team. An all-round athlete, she is also a qualified weightlifting coach, and this year gained a masters degree in exercise physiology. The headband she now ... Read more
2021-10-10 20:06:03
Samsung apologises for Russian app download error
Phone-maker Samsung has apologised for a software update sent to UK customers stating Russian government-mandated apps had been downloaded. It blamed a technical error for the incorrect wording and said no Russian apps had been installed. A new law in Russia that demands smartphones offer software from the country came into effect in April. One expert said that Samsung had not fully explained w ... Read more
2021-10-08 19:48:53
Facebook to act on illegal sale of Amazon rainforest
Facebook says it will begin clamping down on the illegal sale of protected areas of the Amazon rainforest on its site. The social media giant changed its policy following a BBC investigation into the practice. The new measures will apply only to conservation areas and not to publicly owned forest. And the move will be limited to the Amazon, not other rainforests and wildlife habitats across the ... Read more
2021-10-08 19:48:25
Twitch blames server error for massive data leak
Livestreaming site Twitch says an "error" caused the unprecedented leak that posted vast amounts of sensitive data online this week. The data appeared to include Twitch's internal code and documents, as well as the payments made to thousands of top streamers. Twitch now says the breach was caused by a "server configuration change" that "exposed" some data. But it h ... Read more
2021-10-07 19:38:40
Amazon opens first UK non-food store
Amazon is expanding its presence on the High Street by opening its first non-food store in the UK. The shop, in the Bluewater shopping mall near Dartford, will sell around 2,000 of its most popular and best-rated products. It's called Amazon 4-star, because every item has been given more than four stars by customers. However, one retail expert said the shop could be "muddled and uninspirin ... Read more
2021-10-07 19:38:12
Twitch confirms massive data breach
Game-streaming platform Twitch has been the victim of a leak, reportedly divulging confidential company information and streamers' earnings. More than 100GB of data was posted online on Wednesday. The documents appear to show Twitch's top streamers each made millions of dollars from the Amazon-owned company in the past two years. Twitch confirmed the breach and said it was "working with ur ... Read more
2021-10-06 21:48:15
What happened to Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram?
Facebook has apologised after it stopped working for users around the world for several hours on Monday. WhatsApp and Instagram - which are owned by the company - were also down. What was the problem? In a nutshell, Facebook's systems stopped talking to the wider internet. It was as if "someone had pulled the cables from their data centres all at once and disconnected them from the inte ... Read more
2021-10-06 21:47:51
Amazon's algorithms taken to task in landmark bill
The methods Amazon and other employers use to monitor, reward and discipline warehouse workers are being shaken up in California. State governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill prohibiting the workers from being fired for failing to meet a quota that does not allow for rest breaks. Amazon workers have complained of having to work gruelling hours, with harsh penalties for being "off task" ... Read more
2021-09-29 19:51:38