BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Facebook suspends Trump accounts for two years
Facebook Inc has suspended former US President Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts for two years. He was barred indefinitely from both sites in January in the wake of posts he made on the US Capitol riots, but last month Facebook's Oversight Board criticised the open-ended penalty. Facebook said Mr Trump's actions were "a severe violation of our rules". Mr Trump said the mo ... Read more
2021-06-04 20:20:05
Norton antivirus adds Ethereum cryptocurrency mining
In a surprise move, one of the world's best-known anti-virus software makers is adding cryptocurrency mining to its products. Norton 360 customers will have access to an Ethereum mining feature in the "coming weeks", the company said. Cryptocurrency "mining" works by using a computer's hardware to do complex calculations in exchange for a reward. It is not clear what the bus ... Read more
2021-06-03 20:13:06
Twitter Blue subscription service launches in Australia and Canada
Twitter is launching its new subscription service, Twitter Blue, in Australia and Canada on Thursday. The paid-for extra service will add features such as an "undo tweet" button, bookmarks, and a reader mode, Twitter said. The limited launch is designed to "gain a deeper understanding" of what customers are looking for. But the company also said the free-to-use version of th ... Read more
2021-06-03 20:12:32
US delays tariffs in 'tech tax' row
The US has announced and immediately suspended tariffs on about $2bn (£1.4bn) of imports in retaliation for taxes on its tech firms. The 25% tariffs apply to certain goods from the UK, as well as Austria, India, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the delay would allow more time for discussions on tax. "The US remains committed to reaching a consensus on in ... Read more
2021-06-02 19:53:30
Donald Trump's 'communications' platform permanently taken offline
Donald Trump's communications platform has been permanently shut down, his spokesperson told CNBC. "It was just auxiliary to the broader efforts we have and are working on," senior aide Jason Miller said. The platform, titled From the Desk of Donald J Trump, launched last month and served as a way for the former president to publish his own content including press releases and videos. ... Read more
2021-06-02 19:53:06
eBay sellers can no longer use PayPal under new terms
New terms of use for eBay have come into effect which mean the online auction house will now pay sellers directly rather than through PayPal. PayPal was acquired by eBay in its early days in 2002, and the two firms have worked in partnership ever since. The changes mean that while eBay buyers can still pay with PayPal, sellers will be paid straight into their bank accounts. But some sellers hav ... Read more
2021-06-01 19:56:35
JBS: World's largest meat supplier hit by cyber-attack
The world's largest meat processing company has been targeted by a sophisticated cyber-attack. Computer networks at JBS were hacked, causing some operations in Australia, Canada and the US to temporarily shut down, affecting thousands of workers. The company believes the ransomware attack originated from a criminal group likely based in Russia, the White House said. The attack could lead to sho ... Read more
2021-06-01 19:55:52
Gaza conflict: Instagram changes algorithm after alleged bias
Instagram is changing the way it showcases content after being accused of suppressing pro-Palestinian messages during the recent Gaza conflict. The app had favoured original content in its "stories" feature over existing, re-shared posts, but will now give them equal treatment, it said. The current system had a "bigger impact than expected" on some types of posts. But that w ... Read more
2021-05-31 20:53:34
Privacy group targets website 'cookie terror'
A privacy group has lodged hundreds of complaints against what it calls "cookie banner terror" online. Noyb, headed by well-known Austrian privacy advocate Max Schrems, is targeting companies which it says deliberately make it hard to opt-out of tracking cookies. "By law, users must be given a clear yes/no option," the group said. Marketing groups have blamed the EU's strict ... Read more
2021-05-31 20:51:08
Amazon offers 'wellness chamber' for stressed staff
Amazon plans to put "wellness chambers" in its warehouses so that stressed workers can sit inside and watch videos about relaxation. In a video shared on its Twitter account, Amazon said the "AmaZen" chamber would help staff focus on their mental health. But it deleted the post after a wave of ridicule from other social media users. The US retail giant has been repeatedly cr ... Read more
2021-05-30 20:38:52