BATTERYFORPC BLOG
'Anti-radiation' phone stickers still sold on Amazon
Stickers that claim to protect users against electromagnetic fields (EMF) from phones remain for sale on Amazon. The listings remain eight months after scientists told the BBC the smartDOT stickers had "no effect". This week the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) also criticised the claims on the makers' website. The firm has told the BBC it is changing its website, product descrip ... Read more
2021-09-10 19:42:22
Apple dealt major blow in Epic Games trial
Apple has been dealt a major blow in its ongoing trial against Fortnite-maker Epic Games. A court in Oakland, California, has ruled that Apple cannot stop app developers directing users to third-party payment options. Apple had argued that all apps should use Apple's own in-app payment options. In a high profile trial, Epic Games had challenged the up-to-30% cut Apple takes from purchases - and ... Read more
2021-09-10 19:41:54
PayPal raises fees between UK and Europe
PayPal is introducing new fees for payments between businesses in the UK and those in Europe, from November. British businesses will be charged a 1.29% fee for payments from the European Economic Area and vice versa. Most currently pay about 0.5% in similar charges, which have remained unchanged since before the UK left the EU customs union and single market. PayPal said it was now incurring ex ... Read more
2021-09-09 19:39:27
Ray-Ban Stories: Facebook reveals its video camera glasses
Facebook has revealed its first pair of "smart glasses" that contain two cameras for taking photos and videos.
The specs, called Ray-Ban Stories, are a collaboration with the luxury eyewear brand.
Facebook is expected to release fully-fledged augmented reality (AR) spectacles.
But Facebook's head of AR and VR told BBC Click's Chris Fox they were still in development.
2021-09-09 19:39:09
Fortnite gamer's mum becomes pro herself
The mum of one of the world's best professional Fortnite players has signed a contract with a gaming organisation to develop her own career. Anne Fish, 58, has managed her son Benjy "Benjyfishy" Fish, since he went professional three years ago. The British gamer says she began playing the game in February to improve her understanding. She quickly amassed a large following online and h ... Read more
2021-09-08 20:23:44
Facebook accused of allowing sexist job advertising
Facebook has been accused of breaking equality law in the way it handles job adverts. Campaign group Global Witness said it failed to prevent discriminatory targeting of ads and its algorithm was biased in choosing who would see them. In an experiment, almost all Facebook users shown adverts for mechanics were men, while ads for nursery nurses were seen almost exclusively by women. Facebook say ... Read more
2021-09-08 20:23:11
Fear and excitement in El Salvador as Bitcoin becomes legal tender
El Salvador has become the first country to accept Bitcoin as legal tender in a move that has got the nation and the world debating the opportunities and dangers of cryptocurrency. From today, businesses will be obliged where possible to accept the controversial digital coins as payment. Millions of people are expected to download the government's new digital wallet app which gives away $30 (£22 ... Read more
2021-09-07 20:11:10
Tripwire boss steps down over support for Texas abortion law
The president of game-studio Tripwire Interactive has stepped down after tweeting support for a controversial new abortion law in Texas. The Texas law bans abortions from as early as six weeks into pregnancy. John Gibson tweeted he was "proud" of the legal outcome and was a "a pro-life game developer". Some of the studio's partners rapidly distanced themselves from Mr Gibson ... Read more
2021-09-07 20:09:18
TikTok overtakes YouTube for average watch time in US and UK
App users in the UK and US are spending more time on TikTok than on YouTube, a new report suggests. Data from app monitoring firm App Annie indicates that average time per user spent on the apps is higher for TikTok, indicating high levels of engagement. App Annie characterised TikTok as having "upended the streaming and social landscape". However, YouTube retains the top spot for ove ... Read more
2021-09-06 20:03:43
Facebook apology as AI labels black men 'primates'
Facebook users who watched a newspaper video featuring black men were asked if they wanted to "keep seeing videos about primates" by an artificial-intelligence recommendation system. Facebook told BBC News it "was clearly an unacceptable error", disabled the system and launched an investigation. "We apologise to anyone who may have seen these offensive recommendations.&q ... Read more
2021-09-06 20:03:03