BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Coronavirus: Tesla donates hundreds of ventilators to New York
Elon Musk has promised to provide New York with hundreds of ventilators to help meet demand from the growing coronavirus outbreak. The Tesla chief executive said the first batch of donated machines would be delivered later on Friday. The ventilators were purchased from US government-approved manufacturers in China. The mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio thanked Mr Musk on Twitter writing &qu ... Read more
2020-03-27 19:58:54
Huawei P40 flagship phones launch amid Covid-19 crisis
Huawei has launched a range of new flagship smartphones despite the coronavirus pandemic. The firm unveiled the P40 phones a day after the firm's founder announced that 90% of the company's 150,000 China-based employees had returned to work. But experts say demand for the handsets will likely be weak outside of its home market, at least in the short-term. They say many consumers and businesses ... Read more
2020-03-26 19:24:45
The uncertain future for China's electric car makers
Han Zhu is on a mission to go green. The 29-year-old data analyst wants her next car to be electric. But her reasons for buying an electric vehicle are in part practical. In the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, government restrictions on the number of petrol cars sold each year mean she would have to enter a lottery or auction to be able to buy a petrol vehicle. "There is a possibility yo ... Read more
2020-03-26 19:24:17
Coronavirus: NHS uses tech giants to plan crisis response
Data collected gathered via the NHS's 111 telephone service is to be mixed with other sources to help predict where ventilators, hospital beds, and medical staff will be most in need. The goal is to help health chiefs model the consequences of moving resources to best tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Three US tech firms are aiding the effort - Amazon, Microsoft and Palantir - as well as London-b ... Read more
2020-03-26 19:23:59
Coronavirus: UK’s WhatsApp bot working after false start
A Covid-19 WhatsApp bot set up by the UK government is finally working after problems during launch on Wednesday. Members of the public who message the bot can access pre-determined chunks of advice on symptoms or how to avoid spreading the disease, for example. But it failed to work for some users after its launch, providing nothing more than an error message. However, the BBC has verified tha ... Read more
2020-03-26 19:23:40
New online communities help those facing isolation
New social media groups are springing up around the country as people come together to help their neighbours who may be self-isolating or need help with shopping.
BBC Click's Stephen Beckett finds out more.
Following the recording of this film the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has outlined strict new measures to tackle the spread of the coronavirus. Find out more here.
2020-03-25 19:35:35
Coronavirus: Tracking app aims for one million downloads
An app that tracks the symptoms of Covid-19 in the UK has become one of the most popular downloads. Its creators aim to deliver insights into why some people get the disease more severely than others. They also hope to create a map showing where outbreaks are happening and help distinguish cases from those of the common cold. It is one of many such new apps. Experts have warned people to be cau ... Read more
2020-03-25 19:35:15
Coronavirus: Millions yet to receive UK government's Covid-19 text
Millions of mobile users in the UK have yet to receive the government's text message alert about coronavirus. The SMS - telling people to stay at home - began being sent early on Tuesday morning. But Vodafone has confirmed it only expects to complete the process later this Wednesday. One expert said that it highlights the shortcoming of not having a system that can flash a message to people's p ... Read more
2020-03-25 19:34:54
Coronavirus: Radio listening booms while music streaming stalls
People staying at home due to the coronavirus pandemic appear to be listening to more radio rather than music apps, figures suggest. Global, which owns Capital FM and talk station LBC, said online radio listening had risen by 15%. The BBC said streaming of its radio stations had risen 18% since last week. Meanwhile, data from two US analytics companies suggested use of music-streaming apps such ... Read more
2020-03-25 19:34:32
Openreach halts home-visit broadband connections
BT's Openreach says it will no longer install new broadband connections when a home visit is involved. The division, which runs the broadband network for a range of internet service providers, says it will now focus its efforts on other "essential work". It means work to switch customers between suppliers will not be done if it requires engineers to enter a customer's house or flat. B ... Read more
2020-03-24 20:16:30