BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Coronavirus: Tech firms summoned over 'crackpot' 5G conspiracies
The culture secretary is to order social media companies to be more aggressive in their response to conspiracy theories linking 5G networks to the coronavirus pandemic. Oliver Dowden plans to hold virtual meetings with representatives from several tech firms next week to discuss the matter. It follows a number of 5G masts apparently being set on fire. The issue will test the companies' commitme ... Read more
2020-04-05 19:09:45
Coronavirus: Video games add 'stay at home' Covid-19 adverts
Three of the UK's leading video games developers are to display coronavirus safety advice within their titles. Candy Crush Saga, Dirt Rally 2.0 and Sniper Elite 4 are among the games that will feature the messaging. The initial ads will focus on the theme: "Stay home. Save lives." Rebellion - one of the companies involved - also publishes 2000AD among other comics, and has also offere ... Read more
2020-04-05 19:09:22
Coronavirus: 'Not smart' memo shows Amazon's union stance
Leaked notes from an internal Amazon meeting throw light on how executives are dealing with increased worker unrest during the Covid-19 crisis. A lawyer suggested focusing on a sacked worker, who had organised a protest about safety in his New York warehouse. Christian Smalls was described as "not smart, or articulate." He should be the story, rather than the wider questions about con ... Read more
2020-04-05 19:09:03
Coronavirus: Garden centres switch to virtual personal shopping
Garden centres and nurseries are offering online personal shopping services to reduce wastage. Companies have been livestreaming videos of their centres and FaceTiming and emailing customers to offer advice and guidance on orders during lockdown. The industry has warned millions of plants, shrubs and trees could be thrown out in the coming weeks. Some 2,000 garden centres and nurseries have bee ... Read more
2020-04-03 20:31:28
Zoom 'unsuitable' for government secrets, researchers say
The hugely popular video meetings app Zoom has "significant weaknesses" which might make it unsuitable for secrets. A team at The Citizen Lab found that Zoom was using a non-standard type of encryption, and transmitting information through China. Government use - such as Boris Johnson's use of the app for Cabinet meetings - may not be wise, the researchers warned. But the app is fine ... Read more
2020-04-03 20:31:07
Coronavirus: 'Not smart' memo shows Amazon's union stance
Leaked notes from an internal Amazon meeting throw light on how executives are dealing with increased worker unrest during the Covid-19 crisis. A lawyer suggested focusing on a sacked worker, who had organised a protest about safety in his New York warehouse. Christian Smalls was described as "not smart, or articulate." He should be the story, rather than the wider questions about con ... Read more
2020-04-03 20:30:45
Coronavirus: Google reveals travel habits during the pandemic
Google is to publicly track people's movements over the course of the coronavirus pandemic. The tech firm will publish details of the different types of places people are going to on a county-by-county basis in the UK, as well as similar data for 130 other countries. The plan is to issue a regular updates with the figures referring back to activity from two or three days prior. The company has ... Read more
2020-04-03 20:30:14
Zoom boss apologises for security issues and promises fixes
Zoom is to pause the development of any new features to concentrate on safety and privacy issues, in the wake of criticism from users of the app. In a blog, the chief executive of the video conferencing app apologised for "falling short" on security issues and promised to address concerns. He said that the use of Zoom had soared in ways he could never have foreseen prior to the coronav ... Read more
2020-04-02 20:40:32
Coronavirus: Privacy in a pandemic
These are strange times. Germany, perhaps the most privacy conscious nation on earth, is considering a mobile phone app that would trace the contacts of anyone infected with Covid-19. Earlier this week the British Prime Minister shared a picture of an online Cabinet meeting, complete with the Zoom meeting ID and the usernames of ministers. And millions of us are sharing views of our kitchens over ... Read more
2020-04-02 20:40:12
Coronavirus threatens the next generation of smartphones
Every Autumn, Mazen Kourouche heads to the biggest Apple Store in Sydney, Australia, and queues up for hours to be one of the first people in the world to get his hands on the latest iPhone. "Since the iPhone 7 came out I've been lining up for the new Apple devices for a few reasons: firstly the hype associated with them, secondly because of the resale value, and thirdly because Australia is ... Read more
2020-04-02 20:39:51