BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Covid: Parts of England to trial self-isolation support
More ways of supporting people to self-isolate in areas with higher coronavirus infection rates are to be piloted in nine parts of England. There will be "buddying" services for people needing mental health support and alternative accommodation for those in overcrowded homes. Social care support and translation services will also be available. It is hoped the schemes will encourage mo ... Read more
2021-05-23 20:10:18
Covid: India tells social media firms to remove 'India variant' from content
India's government has instructed social media companies to remove any content that refers to the "Indian variant" of Covid-19. The IT ministry said the World Health Organization (WHO) listed the variant as B.1.617 and any reference to "Indian" was false. Geographical terms have been used to describe a number of other variants, including the UK and Brazil. India's government ... Read more
2021-05-23 20:09:09
Tinder tweak urges people to think before sending abuse
Dating app Tinder will detect abusive messages and ask the writer to stop and think before sending them, in an effort to tackle harassment. The automated system will learn to detect "harmful language" from messages reported by users. Tinder said the "Are you sure?" system had "reduced inappropriate language in messages sent" in trials by about 10%. Instagram and Tw ... Read more
2021-05-21 19:48:31
Apple v Epic: Tim Cook appeared on the stand in Epic legal row
Apple boss Tim Cook took the witness stand for the first time in his company's major legal battle with Epic Games over an alleged monopoly. Epic, maker of the hit video game Fortnite, claims Apple's tight control over iPhone apps hurts competition. During his appearance, Mr Cook argued that keeping control of the App Store helped keep iPhones secure. He also said he did not know if the App Stor ... Read more
2021-05-21 19:46:58
Apple criticised for storing data inside China
Apple has confirmed that it is storing Chinese customers' data inside data centres based in China, following reports by the New York Times. However it said it had "never compromised the security" of either its customers or their data. Apple said it was complying with Chinese law about the data storage of its nationals. However, one expert told the BBC it was effectively "handing ... Read more
2021-05-20 20:12:26
Ransomware: Should paying hacker ransoms be illegal?
A cyber-crime spree wreaking havoc around the world has reignited calls for governments to ban ransom payments to hackers. Ransomware criminals are holding computer systems hostage on a daily basis, demanding large payments from victims to restore order. The CEO of Colonial Pipeline has admitted his company paid hackers nearly $4.5m last week after their attack forced the firm to stop transporti ... Read more
2021-05-19 19:53:01
Six announcements from Google I/O
Last year Google's developer conference was cancelled. Google I/O was back this year with several new announcements. Here are the things that caught our eye. More inclusive camera Google says it is creating a smartphone camera that more accurately depicts skin tone. "For people of colour, photography has not always seen us as we want to be seen, even in some of our own Google products&qu ... Read more
2021-05-18 20:09:08
Google AI tool can help patients identify skin conditions
Google has unveiled a tool that uses artificial intelligence to help spot skin, hair and nail conditions, based on images uploaded by patients. A trial of the "dermatology assist tool", unveiled at the tech giant's annual developer conference, Google IO, should launch later this year, it said. The app has been awarded a CE mark for use as a medical tool in Europe. A cancer expert said ... Read more
2021-05-18 20:08:12
Why is Huawei still in the UK?
It's not just the unseasonally cold weather that's creating a somewhat chilly climate for Huawei's UK operations. It's been banned from the UK's 5G infrastructure and it faces ongoing scrutiny from the National Cyber Security Centre over its security practices, and whether it has links with the Chinese government, which it denies. On a consumer level, its handset sales have plummeted all over Eu ... Read more
2021-05-17 19:59:26
Four men arrested in anti-Semitism video investigation
Police have arrested four men in connection with a video which appeared to show anti-Semitic abuse being shouted from a car in north London. Boris Johnson earlier condemned the "shameful racism" aimed at British Jews, which had "no place" in society. The person who filmed the video told the BBC they cried after witnessing the scene, adding: "I don't feel safe." Lab ... Read more
2021-05-16 19:46:36