BATTERYFORPC BLOG
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
Start-up launches £495,000 hoverbike in Japan
A Japanese start-up is hoping to convince motorists to swap their cars for a $680,000 (£495,000) hoverbike. ALI Technologies' XTurismo Limited Edition went on sale in Japan, earlier on Wednesday. Electronics giant Mitsubishi and footballer Keisuke Honda are two backers of the Tokyo-based company. ALI Technologies says the hoverbike can fly for 40 minutes at up to 100km/h (62mph) on a single cha ... Read more
2021-10-27 19:31:15
Facebook earns $9bn despite whistleblower scandal
Facebook has posted better-than-expected profits for the third quarter, as it continues to face bad press over leaked internal documents. The social media giant made $9bn (£6.5bn) of profit in the three months to September, up from $7.8bn last year. However, it was hit by a new privacy update to Apple's iOS 14 operating system, which made it harder for brands to target ads at specific users. It ... Read more
2021-10-26 19:42:00
Cyber-attack hits UK internet phone providers
An "unprecedented" and co-ordinated cyber-attack has struck multiple UK-based providers of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services, according to an industry body. Industry body Comms Council UK said several of its members had been targeted by distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks in recent weeks. "An overall threat has been made to the entire industry," a spokesma ... Read more
2021-10-26 19:41:27
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