BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Gigabit broadband: Internet seen as top homebuyer priority
A fast internet connection is now one of the most important factors for homebuyers, according to a survey of 294 estate agents across the UK. Questions about connectivity, usually "full fibre" broadband, are up 69% since the pandemic began, the research, by Omdia for telecoms equipment maker Huawei, suggests. Speeds of more than 300Mbps are being sought by 34% of buyers - and, accordin ... Read more
2021-11-15 19:04:08
Apple to fix iPhone 13 Face ID screen repair glitch
Apple has promised to fix a problem with its iPhone 13 that means that screen repairs performed by unofficial parties break its Face ID feature. The model contains a chip that "pairs" a screen with a specific phone and requires special software tools to "match" a new one. Repair firms have found that without those tools, the facial-identification security function no longer w ... Read more
2021-11-14 19:16:27
Singles Day: Alibaba's annual event sees slowest ever sales growth
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's Singles Day is known for being the world's biggest online shopping extravaganza. But this year it has been a more toned down affair as Beijing cracks down on businesses and economic growth slows. Sales for the 11-day event rose at their slowest rate since it was launched in 2009, up 8.5% on last year. However, customer spending still hit a fresh record high of ... Read more
2021-11-14 19:15:31
Vodafone to offer ultra-fast broadband to millions
Vodafone has signed new deals with CityFibre and BT Openreach which it claims will make it the largest provider of ultra-fast broadband in the UK. The telecoms giant does not own its own fixed-line network and instead leases from other companies. Eight million UK residents will have access to its service by Spring 2022. Analysts say the move should be good for consumers, as other providers push ... Read more
2021-11-11 18:59:18
Ancient Olympia to be digitally preserved
Ancient Olympia is to be digitally preserved, in a new deal between the Greek government and Microsoft. The collaboration uses artificial intelligence to map the site, and augmented reality to help restore the original home of the Olympic Games. It will allow viewers to explore the area as it stood more than 2,000 years ago. Microsoft has ambitions to rival Facebook with its own plans for the s ... Read more
2021-11-11 18:58:54
Apple v Epic: Court denies delay on App Store changes
A US federal judge has denied a plea by Apple to delay changes to its App Store as a result of its landmark legal battle with Epic Games. Apple largely won the fight with the maker of Fortnite. However, it was told it could no longer ban developers from telling customers about non-Apple payment options. Apple appealed against that ruling. However, it has been denied permission to delay implemen ... Read more
2021-11-10 19:39:15
Uber sued by Justice Department for overcharging disabled people
The US Justice Department (DoJ) is suing ride-hailing app Uber over allegations it has been overcharging disabled people. The DoJ claims Uber's "wait time" fees are discriminating against disabled passengers who need more than two minutes to get into a car. It says Uber needs to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). But Uber said wait time fees were not intended to ap ... Read more
2021-11-10 19:38:53
Google app finds pets' 'art doubles'
They say dogs resemble their owners, but has your pet's portrait already been painted by Picasso or Rembrandt? Google's "Pet Portraits" uses machine learning to match pets to their "art doubles" held in the collections of institutions around the world. The furry-friend matching tool has been added to Google's Arts & Culture app for Android and iOS. A similar 2018 feature ... Read more
2021-11-09 18:41:37
Robinhood trading app hit by data breach affecting seven million
US share-trading app Robinhood has been hit by a security breach that has exposed the names or email addresses of more than seven million people. The company says the breach affected "a limited amount of personal information for a portion of our customers". And it does not believe the most sensitive information it gathers - US social security numbers and financial information - was rev ... Read more
2021-11-09 18:41:17
Twitter poll calls on Elon Musk to sell 10% stake in Tesla
Voters in a Twitter poll have urged Elon Musk to sell 10% of his stake in Tesla in order to pay tax. More than 3.5 million Twitter users voted in the poll, launched by Mr Musk on Saturday, with nearly 58% voting in favour of the share sale. The vote could see him dispose of nearly $21bn (£16bn) of stock in the electric carmaker. He has promised to abide by the result, in response to a "bil ... Read more
2021-11-08 18:48:27