BATTERYFORPC BLOG
TikTok tests Snapchat style vanishing video stories feature
Video-sharing platform TikTok is trialling a new vanishing clips feature similar to functions on Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram. TikTok Stories will allow users to see content posted by accounts they follow for 24 hours before they are deleted. It comes as WhatsApp rolls out a feature for users to post photos or videos that vanish after they are seen. This week rival social media platform Twi ... Read more
2021-08-05 19:42:59
Facebook and academics row over data access
A row has blown up between Facebook and academics over the use of its data for reporting trends on the social network. Members of the Cybersecurity for Democracy team, based at New York University, tweeted they had had their accounts shut down. Facebook said the tools they had used to gain access to its data violated user privacy. The researchers said Facebook was now curtailing their work meas ... Read more
2021-08-04 20:17:58
WhatsApp 'view once' brings disappearing photos and videos
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that allows users to have photos or videos vanish after they are seen. After the recipient opens the image for the first time, "view once" deletes it, without saving it to a phone. WhatsApp said the feature was aimed at "giving users even more control over their privacy". However, child protection advocates have expressed concern that auto-v ... Read more
2021-08-04 20:17:36
Official recommends rerun in Amazon union fight
An official examining a landmark Amazon union election in Bessemer, Alabama, has called for a rerun. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has been looking into the legitimacy of April's vote. Amazon appeared to have stopped a union from forming, winning a vote on the issue by a margin of two to one. However the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) alleged that Amazon had il ... Read more
2021-08-02 19:39:41
Twitter works with news sites to tackle disinformation
Twitter will collaborate with two of the largest international news providers, Reuters and the Associated Press, to debunk disinformation on its messaging site. The news agencies will help Twitter give more context and background information on events which create a high volume of tweets. Twitter hopes this will counteract the spread of misleading information. There has been renewed pressure to ... Read more
2021-08-02 19:36:28
Zoom settles US class action privacy lawsuit for $86m
Video-conferencing firm Zoom has agreed to pay $86m (£61.9m) to settle a class action privacy lawsuit in the US. The lawsuit alleged that Zoom had invaded the privacy of millions of users by sharing personal data with Facebook, Google and LinkedIn. It also accused Zoom of misstating that it offers end-to-end encryption and for failing to prevent hackers from "zoombombing" sessions. Th ... Read more
2021-08-01 21:01:22
Afterpay: Jack Dorsey's Square in Australia's biggest buyout
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey's digital payments platform Square has agreed to take over the Australian 'buy now, pay later' firm Afterpay. The $29bn (A$39bn; £21bn) deal is to be Australia's biggest-ever buyout. The offer is a more than 30% premium to Afterpay's stock market closing price on Friday. The agreement will create an instalments payment giant as the industry sees significant growth ... Read more
2021-08-01 21:00:53
UK Weather: Flooding in London after heavy rain
Heavy downpours and thunderstorms have caused severe flash flooding in parts of London. There were reports of vehicles becoming stranded as water quickly rose to block dozens of roads and affected underground lines. The fire brigade said it had taken about 300 calls - mostly about flooded basements or roads - in the space of a few hours on Sunday. Officials have advised against travelling in th ... Read more
2021-07-25 19:42:02
Printer ink pricier than champagne finds Which?
A study by consumer watchdog Which? has found that branded printer ink remains "staggeringly" more expensive than third-party alternatives. In some cases printer ink is pricier that some champagnes, its survey found. Non-branded ink cartridges perform as well or better than their branded alternatives, it suggested. Manufacturers are suggesting customers do not use third-party ink, wit ... Read more
2021-07-25 19:40:42
Zuckerberg wants Facebook to become online 'metaverse'
Mark Zuckerberg has laid out his vision to transform Facebook from a social media network into a “metaverse company” in the next five years. A metaverse is an online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment, often using VR headsets. The Facebook CEO described it as “an embodied internet where instead of just viewing content - you are in it”. He told The Verge p ... Read more
2021-07-23 19:42:49