BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Tesla Autopilot: US opens official investigation into self-driving tech
The US federal agency in charge of road safety is opening an official investigation into Tesla's "self-driving" Autopilot system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it was acting following 11 Tesla crashes since 2018 involving emergency vehicles. In some cases, the Tesla vehicles "crashed directly into the vehicles of first responders", it said. ... Read more
2021-08-16 19:37:17
Social media fraud: The influencers promoting criminal scams
On social media, there's a new type of influencer. But instead of promoting clothing lines and lifestyle products, they promote fraud. They flash stacks of cash, hide their faces, and some even lure new recruits by selling guides on committing fraud. You'd think these scammers and their illegal products would be hard to find, and once upon a time, they were, hidden in the shadows of the dark web ... Read more
2021-08-15 19:43:36
CCTV watchdog criticises Hikvision Uyghur response
The UK's CCTV watchdog has criticised a Chinese firm for not saying if its cameras are used in Uyghur internment camps. Professor Fraser Sampson, said: "If your company wasn't involved in these awful places wouldn't you be very keen to say so?" In July, MPs said Hikvision provided the "primary camera technology" used in Uyghur internment camps. The company said it respected ... Read more
2021-08-15 19:42:39
Apple regrets confusion over 'iPhone scanning'
Apple says its announcement of automated tools to detect child sexual abuse on the iPhone and iPad was "jumbled pretty badly". On 5 August, the company revealed new image detection software that can alert Apple if known illegal images are uploaded to its iCloud storage. Privacy groups criticised the news, with some saying Apple had created a security backdoor in its software. The comp ... Read more
2021-08-13 19:25:29
The fiendish new trick cyber-criminals are using to evade capture
"Follow the money" - for generations it's been the mantra of investigators looking for criminals. In the cyber-realm, this battle between criminals and the authorities has been raging for years. Despite the anonymous nature of cryptocurrencies, dozens of cyber-criminals have been caught in the last two years thanks to new techniques able to track their funds around the cryptocurrency b ... Read more
2021-08-13 19:25:08
Crypto heist hacker returns most of the stolen funds
A hacker who stole just over $600m (£433m) worth of cryptocurrency has now returned most of the stolen assets. On Thursday, Poly Network confirmed on Twitter that $268m worth of Ether tokens had now been recovered. Over the last 24 hours, the hacker has returned $342m worth of tokens relating to three crypto-currencies to the firm. The individual also posted several pages of notes to the blockc ... Read more
2021-08-13 01:08:44
Lord of the Rings: Amazon moves show to UK from New Zealand
Technology giant Amazon's TV and film business is moving production of its multi-million dollar Lord of the Rings series to the UK from New Zealand. The as-yet-untitled fantasy epic is set thousands of years before the events in JRR Tolkien's books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The company said the move was part of a plan to expand its production space and consolidate its footprint in th ... Read more
2021-08-13 01:08:01
China sues Tencent over WeChat Youth Mode
Beijing prosecutors have filed a civil legal action against Tencent over claims its messaging-app WeChat's Youth Mode does not comply with laws protecting minors. Youth Mode prevents younger users from accessing payments, playing certain games and finding nearby friends. However, prosecutors have not specified exactly how the app is allegedly violating Chinese law. Tencent said it would "i ... Read more
2021-08-09 19:42:36
Apple defends new photo scanning child protection tech
Apple has defended its new system that scans users' phones for child sexual abuse material (CSAM), after a backlash from customers and privacy advocates. The technology searches for matches of known abuse material before the image is uploaded to its iCloud storage. Critics warned it could be a "backdoor" to spy on people, and more than 5,000 people and organisations have signed an open ... Read more
2021-08-09 19:42:17
A-level results: Students have been treated fairly - watchdog
Students getting results this week can feel satisfied that their grades are fair, the head of the exams watchdog has said. Simon Lebus from Ofqual - which oversees exams in England - strongly defended the system for deciding A-level and GCSE results this year. He said teacher assessments give a "much more accurate reflection" of what students can achieve. But he said while pupils can ... Read more
2021-08-08 21:31:16