BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Apple's iPad and M1 Mac Sales May Signal Whether the Chip Shortage Is Finally Ending
The tech giant is set to release quarterly earnings on Thursday, offering the latest sign of how COVID-19 is impacting tech. Two years ago, Apple was one of the first companies to warn that the COVID-19 pandemic was seriously impacting its manufacturing. Now, the tech giant may offer the first signs that things are improving. Apple will announce its earnings for its second fiscal quarter after m ... Read more
2022-04-27 19:17:09
Amazon's Astro Raises Questions About Privacy in the Home
Amazon's Astro home robot probes deeper into our lives than the e-commerce giant's existing technology, like its Ring security cameras and Alexa voice assistants. Astro's array of features, including cameras, sensors and onboard AI, raise privacy concerns, especially because the robot is designed to make us love and trust it. Unlike stationary home security cameras, Astro can rove from room to r ... Read more
2022-04-27 19:16:36
Daily Facebook users up again after first-ever decline
Facebook stopped losing users as 2022 got under way, even as its owner reported its slowest revenue growth in a decade. The number of daily active Facebook users grew to 1.96 billion in the first three months of the year, parent company Meta reported on Wednesday. That marked a turnaround from last year, when the social network reported a decline in users for the first time. The drop wiped bill ... Read more
2022-04-27 19:15:35
Chinese drone firm DJI pauses operations in Russia and Ukraine
The world's largest commercial drone-maker DJI has suspended all business activities in Russia and Ukraine. Since the start of the war, Ukraine has urged the company to take steps to stop its drones being used by Russia. The Chinese firm said the decision was not a statement about any country, and its drones are not for military use. But Taras Troiak, chairman of the Ukrainian Federation of UAV ... Read more
2022-04-27 19:15:09
Google Play Now Shows How Apps Will Use Your Data
Google launched a "Data safety" section in its Play app store on Tuesday. The feature is meant to show people safety and privacy guidelines before they download an app, such as how data is collected, protected and used. "We heard from users and app developers that displaying the data an app collects, without additional context, is not enough," Google said in a post. "That ... Read more
2022-04-26 21:32:47
Google Misses Earnings Expectations Amid Light Revenue
Google parent Alphabet posted first-quarter earnings that missed analyst expectations as the search giant's revenue came in softer than anticipated. For the quarter ended March 31, Alphabet reported $68 billion in sales, slightly below the $68.1 billion forecast by analysts surveyed by Yahoo Finance. Earnings per share totaled $24.62, below the $25.94 forecast. The weaker than expected results c ... Read more
2022-04-26 21:32:28
‘Vampire devices’ cost UK households £147 a year
UK households could save an average of £147 per year by switching off so-called vampire devices. Vampire devices are electronics that drain a surprising amount of power even when they are on standby. British Gas research indicates households in the UK are spending £2.2bn annually just for the privilege of leaving vampire devices on standby. This equates to £147 a year for the average household ... Read more
2022-04-26 21:31:32
Is Samsung's 45-Watt Phone Charger Worth It? We Put It to the Test
Samsung's Galaxy S22 Plus and S22 Ultra support faster 45-watt fast charging, one of the key features that distinguishes them from the less expensive Galaxy S22. Cheaper Samsung devices like the Galaxy S22 and S21 FE only support 25-watt fast charging instead. The catch, however, is that neither of the required power adapters come in the box with your phone and must be purchased separately. Samsu ... Read more
2022-04-26 21:31:08
SpaceX's Starlink Will Offer Free Wi-Fi to Hawaiian Airlines Passengers
Elon Musk's fleet of SpaceX satellites will provide Wi-Fi to passengers as early as next year. Elon Musk is having a big week, and it's only Monday. In addition to Musk reaching a deal to buy Twitter, his space exploration company, SpaceX, is also making waves. Hawaiian Airlines will offer free Wi-Fi on flights across the Pacific, including to the continental US, Asia and Australia, through Space ... Read more
2022-04-26 00:24:14
Apple Tells Some App Store Developers to Update Older Apps
Apple had earlier warned developers it would remove "abandoned apps." Google has created a similar policy for its Android software. Apple sent out warnings to developers recently, asking them to update their App Store apps or risk having them removed in the next month. The move, which some developers bristled at, appears to be part of Apple's "App Store Improvement" program to ... Read more
2022-04-26 00:23:12