BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Cyber attack 'most significant on Irish state'
A cyber attack on Irish health service computer systems is "possibly the most significant cybercrime attack on the Irish state", a minister has said. Speaking on broadcaster RTÉ, Ossian Smyth said the attack "goes right to the core of the [health] system". However, he also said that it was "not espionage". Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin said that he had consul ... Read more
2021-05-14 19:57:59
Reminders on rise as WhatsApp update deadline looms
Users yet to accept new terms and conditions for the messaging platform WhatsApp will now receive "persistent" reminders ahead of the 15 May deadline. The changes relate primarily to the way businesses interact with customers. Since they were announced, in January, there has been concern about the prospect of increased data sharing with WhatsApp's parent company, Facebook, but this wil ... Read more
2021-05-13 19:54:45
Tesla will no longer accept bitcoin over climate concerns, says Musk
Tesla has suspended vehicle purchases using bitcoin due to climate change concerns, its CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet. Bitcoin fell by more than 10% after the tweet, while Tesla shares also dipped. Tesla's announcement in March that it would accept the cryptocurrency was met with an outcry from some environmentalists and investors. The electric carmaker had in February revealed it had bought $1 ... Read more
2021-05-12 21:56:48
NHS app ready to become vaccine passport next week
England’s NHS app will be available to use as a vaccine passport from Monday, the government has said - but only for those who have had both doses of the jab. A paper version will also be available - by calling 119 but not through a GP. Both will be available from Monday, 17 May, when the ban on foreign travel is eased. The NHS app is separate to the NHS Covid-19 app, which is used for contact ... Read more
2021-05-11 19:52:40
Tesla crash: Autopilot was off, says preliminary report
The autopilot function on a Tesla car involved in a fatal crash in Texas in April was "not available" at the time, according to a preliminary report. Police said one victim was found in the front passenger seat, the other in the back after it crashed and caught fire. The early findings suggest the car's autopilot was "not available" on the road where the accident happened. B ... Read more
2021-05-11 19:50:08
Colonial hack: How did cyber-attackers shut off pipeline?
Investigators at the largest fuel pipeline in the US are working to recover from a devastating cyber-attack that cut the flow of oil. The hack on Colonial Pipeline is being seen as one of the most significant attacks on critical national infrastructure in history. The pipeline transports nearly half of the east coast's fuel supplies and prices at pumps are expected to rise if the outage is long ... Read more
2021-05-10 20:10:49
Colonial hack: How did cyber-attackers shut off pipeline?
Investigators at the largest fuel pipeline in the US are working to recover from a devastating cyber-attack that cut the flow of oil. The hack on Colonial Pipeline is being seen as one of the most significant attacks on critical national infrastructure in history. The pipeline transports nearly half of the east coast's fuel supplies and prices at pumps are expected to rise if the outage is long ... Read more
2021-05-10 20:10:19
Biden declares state of emergency over fuel cyber-attack
The US government declared a state of emergency on Sunday after the largest fuel pipeline in the US was hit by a ransomware cyber-attack. The Colonial Pipeline carries 2.5 million barrels a day - 45% of the East Coast's supply of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel. It was completely knocked offline by a cyber-criminal gang on Friday and is still working to restore service. The emergency status enabl ... Read more
2021-05-09 20:04:38
TripAdvisor sorry for Auschwitz review error
Review platform TripAdvisor has apologised after initially opting to leave up an offensive review of the Auschwitz Museum in Poland. The review has now been deleted and the poster banned, it said, blaming a screening "failure". The museum complained about the post, in which the reviewer joked about bringing a baby to the gas chambers of the death camp. The post also flippantly describ ... Read more
2021-05-07 20:30:35
IBM 2nm chip breakthrough claims more power with less energy
IBM says it has made a significant breakthrough in computer processors by creating a 2nm chip in its test lab. The process used to make computer chips is measured in nanometres (nm) - with a lower number usually signifying a leap forward. IBM claims its test chip can improve performance by 45% over current 7nm commercially available products. It is also more energy efficient - using 75% less en ... Read more
2021-05-07 00:12:13