BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Elon Musk's Starlink arrives in Ukraine but what next?
A lorry full of Starlink dishes has arrived in Ukraine, with the country's deputy prime minister thanking Elon Musk, who runs the firm. It is not clear where they are heading - but it is likely that they will be used by the government itself. Currently internet access in Ukraine is fairly good but it is expected to deteriorate as the conflict worsens. Meanwhile businesses are trying to get thei ... Read more
2022-03-01 19:37:51
Ukraine crisis: Russian news agency deletes victory editorial
A Russian news agency has published and then deleted an article prematurely praising Russia's success in invading Ukraine. It applauds Russian President Vladimir Putin for solving the Ukraine "problem", saying that "Ukraine has returned to Russia" through military action. It suggests the author anticipated a rapid victory and the piece was published prematurely. The article, ... Read more
2022-02-28 18:37:13
Ukraine invasion: How the war is being waged online
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it has been said, would be the first to introduce a new front line - the internet. And cyber-attacks have been raging on both sides, with warnings things could escalate. But a digital war is being waged in many other ways too - from questions about whether technology companies should block content to Russia, to online censorship, the spread of disinformation, and Uk ... Read more
2022-02-28 18:36:41
Ukraine crisis: Google Maps live traffic data turned off in country
Google has disabled live traffic data from being displayed on its Maps app in Ukraine. The app displays this information by collecting anonymous data from Android smartphones, which shows how busy roads and different places are. But it has now been switched off in the region temporarily to protect users. Google confirmed the move to the BBC, having told Reuters it took the action for the safety ... Read more
2022-02-28 18:35:59
Ukraine invasion: Russia restricts social media access
Russia has limited Twitter in parts of Russia, Twitter has confirmed. In a statement, the company said "We're aware that Twitter is being restricted for some people in Russia and are working to keep our services safe and accessible". On Friday Russia restricted Facebook after a clash over "censorship". Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor accused Facebook of violat ... Read more
2022-02-27 20:34:23
Millions in Bitcoin pouring into Ukraine from donors
Cryptocurrency analysts say at least $13.7m (£10.2m) has so far been donated to the Ukrainian war effort through anonymous Bitcoin donations. Researchers at Elliptic, a blockchain analysis company, say the Ukrainian government, NGOs and volunteer groups have raised the money by advertising their Bitcoin wallet addresses online. More than 4,000 donations have been made so far, with one unknown do ... Read more
2022-02-27 20:33:52
Valve releases Steam Deck handheld PC to select few
Valve's new handheld PC, the Steam Deck, has officially been released - but only to a select few people. The hardware was originally slated for release in December 2021, but was pushed back due to supply chain issues. Despite the hardware having been released, many orders are only available "after Q2 2022". When asked if it would be able to fulfil these pre-orders, Valve president Gab ... Read more
2022-02-27 20:33:32
Russian vigilante hacker: 'I want to help beat Ukraine from my computer'
"This site can't be reached." That was the message greeting visitors to dozens of Ukrainian websites on Wednesday afternoon. From 16:00 local time webpages for banks and government ministries started going down. Naturally, fingers quickly pointed towards Moscow - Russia's cyber army once again accused of hacking to spread fear and confusion online as troops massed on Ukraine's borders ... Read more
2022-02-25 18:45:59
Ukraine invasion: Russia restricts access to Facebook
Russia has limited access to Facebook over the platform's stance on the accounts of several Moscow-backed news outlets amid the invasion of Ukraine. Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor accused the network of "censorship" and violating "the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens". Facebook said it had refused to stop fact-checking and labelling content from state-o ... Read more
2022-02-25 18:45:22
Bitcoin less green since China ban, research suggests
Bitcoin has become less green since China cracked down on mining the cryptocurrency, new research suggests. Mining refers to the process of creating new bitcoins using banks of powerful computers. The share of renewable energy powering mining fell from 41.6% in 2020 to 25.1% last August as miners stopped using Chinese hydro and moved to the US, where gas supplies much of their power. Researcher ... Read more
2022-02-25 18:44:20