BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Facebook to act on illegal sale of Amazon rainforest
Facebook says it will begin clamping down on the illegal sale of protected areas of the Amazon rainforest on its site. The social media giant changed its policy following a BBC investigation into the practice. The new measures will apply only to conservation areas and not to publicly owned forest. And the move will be limited to the Amazon, not other rainforests and wildlife habitats across the ... Read more
2021-10-08 19:48:25
Twitch blames server error for massive data leak
Livestreaming site Twitch says an "error" caused the unprecedented leak that posted vast amounts of sensitive data online this week. The data appeared to include Twitch's internal code and documents, as well as the payments made to thousands of top streamers. Twitch now says the breach was caused by a "server configuration change" that "exposed" some data. But it h ... Read more
2021-10-07 19:38:40
Amazon opens first UK non-food store
Amazon is expanding its presence on the High Street by opening its first non-food store in the UK. The shop, in the Bluewater shopping mall near Dartford, will sell around 2,000 of its most popular and best-rated products. It's called Amazon 4-star, because every item has been given more than four stars by customers. However, one retail expert said the shop could be "muddled and uninspirin ... Read more
2021-10-07 19:38:12
Twitch confirms massive data breach
Game-streaming platform Twitch has been the victim of a leak, reportedly divulging confidential company information and streamers' earnings. More than 100GB of data was posted online on Wednesday. The documents appear to show Twitch's top streamers each made millions of dollars from the Amazon-owned company in the past two years. Twitch confirmed the breach and said it was "working with ur ... Read more
2021-10-06 21:48:15
What happened to Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram?
Facebook has apologised after it stopped working for users around the world for several hours on Monday. WhatsApp and Instagram - which are owned by the company - were also down. What was the problem? In a nutshell, Facebook's systems stopped talking to the wider internet. It was as if "someone had pulled the cables from their data centres all at once and disconnected them from the inte ... Read more
2021-10-06 21:47:51
Amazon's algorithms taken to task in landmark bill
The methods Amazon and other employers use to monitor, reward and discipline warehouse workers are being shaken up in California. State governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill prohibiting the workers from being fired for failing to meet a quota that does not allow for rest breaks. Amazon workers have complained of having to work gruelling hours, with harsh penalties for being "off task" ... Read more
2021-09-29 19:51:38
YouTube to remove all anti-vaccine misinformation
YouTube has said it will remove content that spreads misinformation about all approved vaccines, expanding a ban on false claims about Covid-19 jabs. Videos that say approved vaccines are dangerous and cause autism, cancer or infertility are among those that will be taken down, the company said. The policy includes the termination of accounts of anti-vaccine influencers. Tech giants have been c ... Read more
2021-09-29 19:51:11
Cryptocurrency expert admits aiding North Korea
A cryptocurrency expert who gave a talk at a Pyongyang conference has admitted conspiring to help North Korea evade sanctions. Virgil Griffith, a former senior researcher with the Ethereum Foundation, pleaded guilty on Monday. The US Department of Justice said he had "jeopardised the national security of the United States" by undermining sanctions. His lawyer told the Wall Street Jour ... Read more
2021-09-28 19:51:06
Amazon announces Astro the home robot
Amazon is launching Astro, its first household robot, powered by its Alexa smart home technology. The company said it can be remote-controlled when not at home, to check on pets, people, or home security. It can also patrol a home automatically and send owners a notification if it detects something unusual. Amazon said it was more than "Alexa with wheels" and had been programmed with ... Read more
2021-09-28 19:50:36
Instagram for kids paused after backlash
Plans to make an "Instagram experience" for under-13s, dubbed Instagram Kids, have been paused. Facebook would use the time to listen to "parents, experts, policymakers and regulators", Instagram head Adam Mosseri wrote. It follows leaked internal research the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said showed Instagram was "toxic for teen girls". But in a recent blog, Facebook ... Read more
2021-09-27 20:02:18