BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Sony slides on Microsoft-Activision Blizzard tie-up plan
Shares in Japanese technology giant Sony have slumped in Tokyo trade after Microsoft said it plans to buy mega games company Activision Blizzard. The deal worth $68.7bn (£50.5bn), would be Microsoft's biggest ever buyout and the largest deal in gaming history. It would see the US firm owning popular gaming franchises including Call of Duty, Warcraft and Overwatch. The deal would be a major step ... Read more
2022-01-19 19:35:30
Should bad science be censored on social media?
When it comes to understanding science and making health decisions, it can have life-or-death consequences. People dissuaded from taking vaccines as a result of reading misleading information online have ended up in hospital or even died. And inaccurate or completely made-up claims about 5G and the origins of Covid-19 have been linked to violence and vandalism. But completely removing informati ... Read more
2022-01-19 19:35:04
Aldi opens its first till-free supermarket
Aldi has opened its first checkout-free supermarket where people can shop without having to scan a product. The grocer is operating a "trial" store in Greenwich, London, which allows customers to complete their shop and pay without going to a till. Instead, customers can download the Aldi Shop&Go app, and will then be automatically charged for their purchases once they leave the st ... Read more
2022-01-18 18:49:11
US airlines warn of impending 5G flight disruption
The 10 biggest US airlines have warned that the impending switch-on of 5G mobile phone services will cause "major disruption" to flights. They said the start of Verizon and AT&T 5G mobile phone services, planned for Wednesday, would cause a "completely avoidable economic calamity". Airlines fear C-band 5G signals will disrupt planes' navigation systems, particularly those ... Read more
2022-01-18 18:48:41
Tonga tsunami: Communications 'may be down for two weeks'
It may take as much as two weeks to fully restore communications in Tonga after a massive volcanic blast that triggered a tsunami. Some of the islands' communications and power have now been restored, but the internet may be out for a while longer because of damage to an undersea cable. After the eruption, Tonga's main island was blanketed in ash and its western coastline is said to be devastate ... Read more
2022-01-17 18:52:36
North Korea hackers stole $400m of cryptocurrency in 2021, report says
North Korean hackers stole almost $400m (£291m) worth of digital assets in at least seven attacks on cryptocurrency platforms last year, a report claims. Blockchain analysis company Chainalysis said it was one of most successful years on record for cyber-criminals in the closed east Asian state. The attacks mainly targeted investment firms and centralised exchanges. North Korea has routinely de ... Read more
2022-01-17 18:52:14
Google will spend £730m to 'reinvigorate' its UK offices
Google is backing a return to the office with an investment that will expand its UK capacity by 50% and "reinvigorate" the work environment. The search giant is spending £730m ($1bn) and expects headcount to rise from 6,400 to 10,000. It is buying one of the London sites, Central Saint Giles, in which it is currently a tenant. Google's UK boss Ronan Harris told the BBC the investment ... Read more
2022-01-16 23:19:40
Tech Tent: Has Theranos changed Silicon Valley?
Elizabeth Holmes told investors she could diagnose hundreds of diseases with just a few drops of blood. She couldn't. Last week she was found guilty of fraud. But with so much money sloshing around in Silicon Valley, will the verdict change anything? On this week's Tech Tent, we speak to people who think the Theranos debacle could be good for Silicon Valley in the long term - and to some who don ... Read more
2022-01-14 19:16:30
Meta faces billion-pound class-action case
Up to 44 million UK Facebook users could share £2.3bn in damages, according to a competition expert intending to sue parent company Meta. Dr Liza Lovdahl Gormsen alleges Meta "abused its market dominance" to set an "unfair price" for free use of Facebook - UK users' personal data. She intends to bring the case to the Competition Appeal Tribunal. A Meta representative said us ... Read more
2022-01-14 19:15:28
Ukraine cyber-attack: Russia to blame for hack, says Kyiv
The Ukrainian government has accused Russia of being behind Friday's cyber-attack on dozens of official websites. About 70 government websites were temporarily down, in the largest such attack on Ukraine in four years. Before the sites went offline, a message appeared warning Ukrainians to "prepare for the worst". Access to most of the sites was restored within hours. The US and Nato ... Read more
2022-01-14 19:15:10