BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Elon Musk criticised after China space complaint to UN
Elon Musk is facing a social media backlash after China complained that its space station was forced to avoid collisions with satellites launched by his Starlink Internet Services project. The country's space station had two "close encounters" with Starlink satellites this year, Beijing claimed. The incidents behind the complaints, lodged with the UN's space agency, have not yet been i ... Read more
2021-12-28 18:54:21
Alexa tells 10-year-old girl to touch live plug with penny
Amazon has updated its Alexa voice assistant after it "challenged" a 10-year-old girl to touch a coin to the prongs of a half-inserted plug. The suggestion came after the girl asked Alexa for a "challenge to do". "Plug in a phone charger about halfway into a wall outlet, then touch a penny to the exposed prongs," the smart speaker said. Amazon said it fixed the err ... Read more
2021-12-28 18:53:59
Riot Games to pay $100m in discrimination case
Riot Games, the studio best known for League of Legends, has agreed to pay $100m (£74.3m) to settle a 2018 class-action gender discrimination case. The settlement will "remedy violations against approximately 1,065 women employees and 1,300 women contract workers", California's Department of Fair Employment & Housing (DFEH) wrote. DFEH said the firm engaged in "systemic sex di ... Read more
2021-12-28 18:53:35
Covid in Scotland: Boxing Day cases highest on record
Scottish Covid cases hit record numbers over the Christmas weekend. The daily case figures recorded over the 25, 26 and 27 December were the highest totals seen throughout the entire pandemic. Christmas Day saw 8,252 cases confirmed. Boxing Day registered 11,030 cases and Monday's total was 10,562. The Scottish government warned that due to a lag in reporting results, the actual number of Covid ... Read more
2021-12-27 18:48:53
No new Covid rules in England before new year - Javid
There will be no further Covid restrictions in England before the new year, Sajid Javid has said. But the health secretary said people should "remain cautious" and celebrate outside on New Year's Eve if possible. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said ministers would continue to monitor the data and urged people to get their "first, second or booster jab without delay". Meanwhile ... Read more
2021-12-27 18:47:53
Covid-19: New rules in force for three UK nations
New Covid restrictions have come into force in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as the nations try to halt the surge in infections. All three nations have introduced curbs on the hospitality and leisure industry, resumed social distancing rules and put limits on the size of gatherings. Boris Johnson has not announced any further restrictions in England. But the prime minister said he would ... Read more
2021-12-26 19:36:08
Christmas Day TV: Nine million tune in for Queen's message
The Queen's Christmas message, in which she spoke movingly about her late husband and empathised with families missing loved ones, was the most-watched TV show on Christmas Day. An audience of 8.96 million saw the festive address on BBC One, ITV and Sky News, according to overnight ratings. The BBC's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special and Call the Midwife were the next two most popular show ... Read more
2021-12-26 19:35:42
Russia fines Google over illegal content breach
A Moscow court has fined Google 7.2bn roubles ($98m; £73m) for repeated failure to delete content deemed illegal in Russia. Details of the offending content were not specified in the announcement by the court's press service. This is the first time in Russia that a technology giant has been hit with a fine based on their annual turnover. Google told AFP news agency that it would study the court ... Read more
2021-12-24 18:53:57
Tesla disables gaming while driving feature
Tesla has agreed to make changes to its Passenger Play feature that allowed games to be played on its touchscreen while the car is in motion. It follows an investigation launched by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The agency said it had been informed by Tesla that a software update would disable the feature while driving. Elon Musk's car firm had faced criticism t ... Read more
2021-12-24 18:53:34
Intel apologises to China over supplier advice
US microchip maker Intel has apologised following a backlash over its letter urging suppliers not to source products or labour from China's Xinjiang region. The company's letter sparked criticism in China, with calls for a boycott. The letter said Intel had been "required to ensure" its supply chain did not use labour or source goods from Xinjiang, following restrictions imposed by &qu ... Read more
2021-12-23 18:39:05