BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Apple unveils new computer chips amid shortage
Apple has unveiled its M1Pro and M1Max chips used to power new MacBook Pro laptop computers. Apple says the M1 Max chip, with 57 billion transistors is the most powerful it has ever built. The new chips were announced almost a year after the firm revealed its first Mac computers powered by silicon of its own design. It comes after reports that Apple cut its iPhone 13 production targets amid the ... Read more
2021-10-18 19:26:07
Facebook to hire 10,000 in EU to work on metaverse
Facebook is planning to hire 10,000 people in the European Union to develop a so-called metaverse. A metaverse is an online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment, often using VR headsets. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been a leading voice on the concept. The announcement comes as Facebook deals with the fallout of a damaging scandal and faces increased ca ... Read more
2021-10-18 19:25:38
I get abuse and threats online - why can't it be stopped?
Online abuse against women is on the rise, but why aren't the police, the government and social media companies doing more to stop it? I'm the BBC's first specialist disinformation reporter - and I receive abusive messages on social media daily. Most are too offensive to share unedited. The trigger? My coverage of the impact of online conspiracies and fake news. I expect to be challenged and crit ... Read more
2021-10-17 19:18:18
Apparently, it's the next big thing. What is the metaverse?
The metaverse is a concept being talked about as the next big thing by tech companies, marketers, and analysts. It's attracting attention - and money - from some of of tech's biggest names, such as Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Epic Games' Tim Sweeney. What is the metaverse? To the outsider, it may look like a souped-up version of Virtual Reality (VR) - but some people think the metaverse co ... Read more
2021-10-17 19:17:06
Apple takes down Quran app in China
Apple has taken down one of the world's most popular Quran apps in China, following a request from officials. Quran Majeed is available across the world on the App Store - and has nearly 150,000 reviews. It is used by millions of Muslims. The BBC understands that the app was removed for hosting illegal religious texts. The Chinese government has not responded to the BBC's request for comment. ... Read more
2021-10-15 21:38:07
Self-driving Waymo cars clog up dead-end San Francisco street
Residents in a "dead-end" street in San Francisco say they are being plagued by an influx of self-driving vehicles. Autonomous-driving firm Waymo's cars have been going up and down the cul-de-sac at all hours "for weeks", according to local news station KPIX. Residents say vehicles sometimes have to queue before making multi-point turns to leave the way they came. Waymo says ... Read more
2021-10-15 21:37:38
Facebook helps AI take a first-person view of life
A long-term artificial intelligence (AI) research project led by Facebook could help answer the eternal question: "Where did I put that thing?". The Ego4D project aims to improve AI's understanding of the world from an "egocentric" first-person perspective. The hope is to improve the utility of devices such as augmented reality (AR) glasses. For example, it could enable them ... Read more
2021-10-14 20:36:55
Microsoft shutting down LinkedIn in China
Microsoft is shutting down its social network, LinkedIn, in China, saying having to comply with the Chinese state has become increasingly challenging. It comes after the career-networking site faced questions for blocking the profiles of some journalists. LinkedIn will launch a jobs-only version of the site, called InJobs, later this year. But this will not include a social feed or the ability ... Read more
2021-10-14 20:36:00
Apple shares drop on iPhone 13 production fears
Apple's shares dropped on Tuesday following reports it could slash its iPhone 13 production targets due to the ongoing global computer chip shortage. The electronic giant had expected to make 90 million iPhones in the last quarter of 2021, reported Bloomberg. However, Apple was now having to tell its partners that the total will be lower by as many as 10 million units, sources told the business ... Read more
2021-10-13 20:20:58
US leads Bitcoin mining as China ban takes effect
China's share of global Bitcoin mining has fallen to effectively zero, research by the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index (CBECI) suggests. In June China told banks to stop facilitating transactions, and issued bans on mining. At its peak in Sept 2019 China accounted for over three quarters of all Bitcoin mining. China's crackdown initially led to a 38% fall in mining globally CBEC ... Read more
2021-10-13 20:20:29