BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Ray-Ban Stories: Facebook reveals its video camera glasses
Facebook has revealed its first pair of "smart glasses" that contain two cameras for taking photos and videos.
The specs, called Ray-Ban Stories, are a collaboration with the luxury eyewear brand.
Facebook is expected to release fully-fledged augmented reality (AR) spectacles.
But Facebook's head of AR and VR told BBC Click's Chris Fox they were still in development.
2021-09-09 19:39:09
Fortnite gamer's mum becomes pro herself
The mum of one of the world's best professional Fortnite players has signed a contract with a gaming organisation to develop her own career. Anne Fish, 58, has managed her son Benjy "Benjyfishy" Fish, since he went professional three years ago. The British gamer says she began playing the game in February to improve her understanding. She quickly amassed a large following online and h ... Read more
2021-09-08 20:23:44
Facebook accused of allowing sexist job advertising
Facebook has been accused of breaking equality law in the way it handles job adverts. Campaign group Global Witness said it failed to prevent discriminatory targeting of ads and its algorithm was biased in choosing who would see them. In an experiment, almost all Facebook users shown adverts for mechanics were men, while ads for nursery nurses were seen almost exclusively by women. Facebook say ... Read more
2021-09-08 20:23:11
Fear and excitement in El Salvador as Bitcoin becomes legal tender
El Salvador has become the first country to accept Bitcoin as legal tender in a move that has got the nation and the world debating the opportunities and dangers of cryptocurrency. From today, businesses will be obliged where possible to accept the controversial digital coins as payment. Millions of people are expected to download the government's new digital wallet app which gives away $30 (£22 ... Read more
2021-09-07 20:11:10
Tripwire boss steps down over support for Texas abortion law
The president of game-studio Tripwire Interactive has stepped down after tweeting support for a controversial new abortion law in Texas. The Texas law bans abortions from as early as six weeks into pregnancy. John Gibson tweeted he was "proud" of the legal outcome and was a "a pro-life game developer". Some of the studio's partners rapidly distanced themselves from Mr Gibson ... Read more
2021-09-07 20:09:18
TikTok overtakes YouTube for average watch time in US and UK
App users in the UK and US are spending more time on TikTok than on YouTube, a new report suggests. Data from app monitoring firm App Annie indicates that average time per user spent on the apps is higher for TikTok, indicating high levels of engagement. App Annie characterised TikTok as having "upended the streaming and social landscape". However, YouTube retains the top spot for ove ... Read more
2021-09-06 20:03:43
Facebook apology as AI labels black men 'primates'
Facebook users who watched a newspaper video featuring black men were asked if they wanted to "keep seeing videos about primates" by an artificial-intelligence recommendation system. Facebook told BBC News it "was clearly an unacceptable error", disabled the system and launched an investigation. "We apologise to anyone who may have seen these offensive recommendations.&q ... Read more
2021-09-06 20:03:03
Apple employees make US labour watchdog complaints
Two employee complaints against Apple are being considered by the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). One alleges retaliation for raising safety concerns, while the other focuses on alleged suppression of questions about pay equity. Apple has declined to comment on individual cases, but says it investigates when a concern is raised. The complaints come as an online campaign says it's rece ... Read more
2021-09-05 19:46:23
Apple delays plan to scan iPhones for child abuse
Apple has delayed plans to roll out detection technology which would have scanned US users' iPhones in search of child sexual abuse material. It follows widespread criticism from privacy groups and others, worried that the on-device tracking set a dangerous precedent. Apple said that it had listened to the negative feedback and was reconsidering. There were concerns the system could be abused b ... Read more
2021-09-05 19:45:53
Sir Salman Rushdie to serialise book via email newsletter
Author Sir Salman Rushdie will serialise his next book on publishing platform Substack. The platform proposed the idea which will see the book, and other writing, delivered to subscribers' emails. In a post, Sir Salman said he hoped to have "a closer relationship with readers, to speak freely, without any intermediaries or gatekeepers". Substack began as a platform for journalism, but ... Read more
2021-09-02 19:44:08