BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Frances Haugen says Facebook is 'making hate worse'
Whistleblower Frances Haugen has told MPs Facebook is "unquestionably making hate worse", as they consider what new rules to impose on big social networks. Ms Haugen was talking to the Online Safety Bill committee in London. She said Facebook safety teams were under-resourced, and "Facebook has been unwilling to accept even little slivers of profit being sacrificed for safety" ... Read more
2021-10-25 20:06:28
Pixel 6: Hands-on with Google's 'magic eraser' phone
Google has revealed a new smartphone that can erase unwanted objects or passers-by from photographs.
Its "magic eraser" feature is being launched with the Pixel 6 smartphone, which is powered by a chip of its own design.
The BBC's David Molloy went hands-on with the device to find out how well magic eraser works.
2021-10-25 20:05:34
Tesla withdraws self-driving beta over software issues
Tesla has withdrawn its latest "full self-driving" car software update after drivers complained of problems. Some drivers reported intermittent issues such as safety alerts sounding, despite no danger being present. The latest version was rolled back on Sunday afternoon, less than a day after it was released. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said there were "some issues" with ... Read more
2021-10-25 20:05:16
Twitter's algorithm favours right-leaning politics, research finds
Twitter amplifies tweets from right-leaning political parties and news outlets more than from the left, its own research suggests. The social-media giant said it made the discovery while exploring how its algorithm recommends political content to users. But it admitted it did not know why, saying that was a "more difficult question to answer". Twitter has previously faced claims of an ... Read more
2021-10-24 19:45:20
Ofcom orders phone networks to block foreign scam calls
Major phone networks have agreed to automatically block almost all internet calls coming from abroad if they pretend to be from UK numbers, Ofcom has confirmed. Criminals have been using internet-based calling technology to make it look like a phone call or text is coming from a real telephone number. Almost 45 million consumers were targeted by phone scams this summer. Ofcom said it expected t ... Read more
2021-10-24 19:44:56
Will Apple be the last US tech giant left in China?
There was a time when the US tech giants were all in China - even Facebook. Today, Apple's huge presence in the country looks increasingly conspicuous. Last week Microsoft, which still operates in China, announced it was to shut down its social network, LinkedIn, there. The company said having to comply with the Chinese state had become increasingly challenging - so it pulled the plug. Apple ha ... Read more
2021-10-22 19:15:41
Tech Tent: The world in 2031
Will robots take over most tasks from manual workers over the next decade? Will we find innovative new energy sources to help us battle climate change? And will we really all be living in virtual worlds? This week Tech Tent gets out its crystal ball and asks some big thinkers to work out what the world will look like a decade from now. The Metaverse If Mark Zuckerberg is to be believed, by 20 ... Read more
2021-10-22 19:14:42
Nigerian romance scam suspects targeted 100 women - FBI
Eight Nigerian men accused of an internet dating scam have appeared in a South African court after a massive international operation involving the FBI and Interpol. Authorities in the US, where the investigation originated and most of the alleged victims are based, have applied for their extradition. They are accused of defrauding more than 100 victims of almost $7m (£5m) in total over the past ... Read more
2021-10-21 19:36:22
Trump to launch new social media platform TRUTH Social
Former US President Donald Trump has announced plans to launch a new social media network, called TRUTH Social. He said the platform would "stand up to the tyranny of big tech", accusing them of silencing opposing voices in the US. Social media played a pivotal role in Mr Trump's bid for the White House and was his favourite means of communication as president. But Mr Trump was banned ... Read more
2021-10-21 19:35:30
Nearly 45 million received scam calls in three months, Ofcom says
Almost 45 million people in the UK were targeted by scam text messages or phone calls over the summer, according to telecoms regulator Ofcom. About half reported getting a scam call or text at least once a week. A survey of 2,000 adults in September found that almost a million people had been misled by a message or a call which they received. Text scams are most common among 16 to 34-year-olds, ... Read more
2021-10-20 19:31:11