BATTERYFORPC BLOG
COP26: Leaders agree global plan to boost green technology
More than 40 world leaders say they will work together to turbo-charge the uptake of clean technologies by imposing worldwide standards and policies. The announcement will be made at the climate summit COP26 in Glasgow on Tuesday. Five high-carbon sectors will be targeted at first, including agriculture and electricity. It aims to encourage global private investment in low-carbon technologies. ... Read more
2021-11-02 19:43:17
Squid Game crypto token collapses in apparent scam
A digital token inspired by the popular South Korean Netflix series Squid Game has lost almost all of its value as it was revealed to be an apparent scam. Squid, which marketed itself as a "play-to-earn cryptocurrency", had seen its price soar in recent days - surging by thousands of per cent. However, as the BBC reported, it was criticised for not allowing people to resell their token ... Read more
2021-11-02 00:49:04
Chinese version of Fortnite to close in November
Fortress Night, the Chinese version of the popular game Fortnite, is to close later this month. Epic Games, which owns Fortnite, has so far provided no reason for the decision to close the online shooter game. An announcement said the game, which has been available in China as a "test" for two years, would come to an end on 15 November. China sets strict limits on the time children ca ... Read more
2021-11-02 00:48:37
Wikipedia in Chinese editing war of words
Wikipedia's ability to retain balance on Chinese issues has been called into question following the global platform's ban preventing several mainland Chinese "editors" writing and updating pages. Against the backdrop of tensions between Hong Kong and mainland China, the quelled demonstrations of 2019 and 2020 have turned into a war of words between Wikipedia editors who are pro-democrac ... Read more
2021-10-31 20:01:08
Facebook's metamorphosis - will it work?
The corporation formerly known as Facebook has a new name Meta. There will still be a Facebook, and an Instagram and all the familiar platforms, as this is simply a renaming of the parent company alone. The new name also invites people to participate on its "next chapter" - a 3D journey into the metaverse, which it sees as the future of the internet. But some analysts wonder if the pu ... Read more
2021-10-31 20:00:17
Tech Tent: Looking both back and forward
This week's Tech Tent has a nostalgic feel. It was recorded in the dim, distant past when Meta was called Facebook and was facing huge reputational problems. We hear from Damian Collins, a long-term critic of Facebook who chaired the UK parliamentary committee which heard from whistleblower Frances Haugen this week. And we talk to Saurabh Shukla, founder and editor-in-chief of NewsMobile, a thir ... Read more
2021-10-29 19:19:05
Facebook changes its name to Meta in major rebrand
Facebook has changed its corporate name to Meta as part of a major rebrand. The company said it would better "encompass" what it does, as it broadens its reach beyond social media into areas like virtual reality (VR). The change does not apply to its individual platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, only the parent company that owns them. The move follows a series of neg ... Read more
2021-10-29 19:18:30
Chinese payment-terminal company searched by FBI
The FBI and other US agencies have searched Florida premises used by Chinese payment-terminal provider Pax Technology. The search had been "in furtherance of a federal investigation", the FBI said. US media reports suggest it was prompted by concerns about the security of Pax Technology products. The company said no allegation of wrongdoing had been made. "Pax Technology takes se ... Read more
2021-10-28 19:24:40
Facebook changes its name to Meta in major rebrand
Facebook has changed its corporate name to Meta as part of a major rebrand. The company said it would better "encompass" what it does, as it broadens its reach beyond social media into areas like virtual reality (VR). The change does not apply to its individual platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, only the parent company that owns them. The move follows a series of neg ... Read more
2021-10-28 19:24:07
Tech giants try distancing themselves from Facebook
TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube are the latest technology giants to have been quizzed by US senators over concerns about their youngest users' safety. During nearly four hours of questioning, on Monday, they tried to differentiate themselves from Facebook, which has faced increasing scrutiny from politicians in recent months. But they were told: "Being different from Facebook is not a defence ... Read more
2021-10-27 19:31:45