BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Amazon Astro Is One Small Step for Robotkind
Amazon's helper bot is a significant milestone for robots, but it's not the giant leap I was expecting. Amazon's Astro is a landmark in the field of consumer robots. We're testing it right now as we prepare to give it a full review, but it doesn't actually have to be good to be important. Just the fact that it exists and is already in people's homes is a huge step that many ambitious robots have ... Read more
2022-04-24 18:57:58
Twitter Said to Be Re-examining Elon Musk's $43B Takeover Bid
Meeting between the two sides Sunday suggest company might be open to the proposal, The Wall Street Journal reports. Twitter is re-examining Elon Musk's unsolicited offer to buy the company and take it private, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. The two sides are meeting Sunday to discuss Musk's proposal, the Journal reported, suggesting that the social media company might be receptive to M ... Read more
2022-04-24 18:57:19
Obama Slams Misinformation on Social Media: 'People Are Dying'
The former president warns of the threat misinformation poses to democracy and urges tech companies to get involved in a solution.Former President Barack Obama on Thursday warned that the spread of misinformation on social media represents a threat to democracy and urged regulation of the tech platforms. "The very design of these platforms seems to be tilting us in the wrong direction," ... Read more
2022-04-23 18:48:37
Amazon, Google, Meta Among Targets of EU Law on Disinformation, Harmful Content
EU lawmakers reach a deal on the basics of major legislation meant to address the negative side of online platforms.Lawmakers in the European Union reached an agreement Saturday on the basic points of major legislation designed to curb negative impacts from social media sites and other digital platforms. The Digital Services Act would, among other things, compel services including Facebook, Googl ... Read more
2022-04-23 18:48:11
You Might Have Aphantasia -- a Puzzling Phenomenon That Weakens the 'Mind's Eye'
Hoping to decode the mystery of mental blindness, researchers find a striking biological signature for aphantasiacs. Picture a red cherry. Great. Now, which of the following describes you? Group 1: You're visualizing a vibrant, ruby-colored fruit like it's living in your mind. Group 2: You're pondering the concept of a cherry without getting any mental imagery. If you're in the former group, ... Read more
2022-04-23 18:47:42
Stripe to Enable Cryptocurrency Payments
Twitter will kick off the new service by allowing some of its creators to receive earnings in the USDC stablecoin. Online payments processor Stripe said Friday that it will allow businesses, beginning with Twitter, to start paying customers in cryptocurrencies. The payouts will be made with USDC, a stablecoin whose value is tied to the US dollar. Instead of being mined by computers like traditio ... Read more
2022-04-22 20:27:42
Google Policy Effectively Bans Outside Call-Recording Apps
The change is part of Google's crackdown on apps that use accessibility APIs for non-accessibility purposes.A new Google policy will effectively ban call-recording apps from the Play Store starting next month. Under the change, spotted earlier by Ars Technica, call recording will no longer be allowed via Google's accessibility APIs. It's part of the tech giant's ongoing crackdown on apps that use ... Read more
2022-04-22 20:27:22
Verizon Wireless Customers Flee Despite 5G Network Upgrades
The carrier is focused on using its C-Band spectrum for improved 5G, but it's feeling the pressure from rivals, its earnings report shows. Verizon is feeling the competitive heat. The nation's largest wireless carrier suffered a decline in the first quarter and warned that its earnings growth would be at the lower end of its previous expectations. Verizon lost 292,000 consumer postpaid phone su ... Read more
2022-04-22 20:27:00
US Appeals Court Won't Rehear California Net Neutrality Case
The state law will remain in effect, after the court rejects a petition to reconsider its decision. This possibly sets up a showdown in the US Supreme Court. The US Court of Appeals that ruled in favor of California's net neutrality law said this week that it won't reconsider its decision, dealing another blow to the broadband industry trade groups that attempted to block California from enforcin ... Read more
2022-04-22 20:23:19
Meta Reviewing COO Sandberg Over Allegedly Pushing Daily Mail to Drop Stories, Report Says
The Daily Mail stories reportedly focused on Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg's former partner, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg is facing an internal review by Facebook's parent company over reports she pressured UK tabloid Daily Mail to ditch articles about her former partner, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday citing unnamed so ... Read more
2022-04-22 07:26:31