BATTERYFORPC BLOG
The fiendish new trick cyber-criminals are using to evade capture
"Follow the money" - for generations it's been the mantra of investigators looking for criminals. In the cyber-realm, this battle between criminals and the authorities has been raging for years. Despite the anonymous nature of cryptocurrencies, dozens of cyber-criminals have been caught in the last two years thanks to new techniques able to track their funds around the cryptocurrency b ... Read more
2021-08-13 19:25:08
Crypto heist hacker returns most of the stolen funds
A hacker who stole just over $600m (£433m) worth of cryptocurrency has now returned most of the stolen assets. On Thursday, Poly Network confirmed on Twitter that $268m worth of Ether tokens had now been recovered. Over the last 24 hours, the hacker has returned $342m worth of tokens relating to three crypto-currencies to the firm. The individual also posted several pages of notes to the blockc ... Read more
2021-08-13 01:08:44
Lord of the Rings: Amazon moves show to UK from New Zealand
Technology giant Amazon's TV and film business is moving production of its multi-million dollar Lord of the Rings series to the UK from New Zealand. The as-yet-untitled fantasy epic is set thousands of years before the events in JRR Tolkien's books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The company said the move was part of a plan to expand its production space and consolidate its footprint in th ... Read more
2021-08-13 01:08:01
China sues Tencent over WeChat Youth Mode
Beijing prosecutors have filed a civil legal action against Tencent over claims its messaging-app WeChat's Youth Mode does not comply with laws protecting minors. Youth Mode prevents younger users from accessing payments, playing certain games and finding nearby friends. However, prosecutors have not specified exactly how the app is allegedly violating Chinese law. Tencent said it would "i ... Read more
2021-08-09 19:42:36
Apple defends new photo scanning child protection tech
Apple has defended its new system that scans users' phones for child sexual abuse material (CSAM), after a backlash from customers and privacy advocates. The technology searches for matches of known abuse material before the image is uploaded to its iCloud storage. Critics warned it could be a "backdoor" to spy on people, and more than 5,000 people and organisations have signed an open ... Read more
2021-08-09 19:42:17
A-level results: Students have been treated fairly - watchdog
Students getting results this week can feel satisfied that their grades are fair, the head of the exams watchdog has said. Simon Lebus from Ofqual - which oversees exams in England - strongly defended the system for deciding A-level and GCSE results this year. He said teacher assessments give a "much more accurate reflection" of what students can achieve. But he said while pupils can ... Read more
2021-08-08 21:31:16
Larry Page: Google co-founder granted New Zealand residency
Larry Page, Google's co-founder and one of the world's richest men, has been granted New Zealand residency under a category for wealthy investors. Applicants are required to invest at least NZ$10m ($7m, £5m) in New Zealand over three years. Mr Page entered New Zealand in January, when its borders were still closed because of Covid-19. But the government said he was allowed in because of a medic ... Read more
2021-08-08 21:30:48
Apple criticised for system that detects child abuse
Apple is facing criticism over a new system that finds child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on US users' devices. The technology will search for matches of known CSAM before the image is stored onto iCloud Photos. But there are concerns that the technology could be expanded and used by authoritarian governments to spy on its own citizens. WhatsApp head Will Cathcart called Apple's move "very ... Read more
2021-08-06 19:47:08
China cracks down on celebrity online culture Published9 hours ago
Sina Weibo - China's Twitter equivalent - is to remove an online celebrity list following criticism by state media of celebrity culture on social media. State-owned newspaper People's Daily criticised platforms that make stars out of "unworthy individuals". It did not specify any companies but the article comes during a wider crackdown on online firms in China. Weibo said its decision ... Read more
2021-08-06 19:46:43
Apple to scan iPhones for child sex abuse images
Apple has announced details of a system to find child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on customers' devices. Before an image is stored onto iCloud Photos, the technology will search for matches of already known CSAM. Apple said that if a match is found a human reviewer will then assess and report the user to law enforcement. However there are privacy concerns that the technology could be expanded ... Read more
2021-08-05 19:44:14