BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Spot: Boston Dynamics condemns robot paintball rampage plan
A US art installation that will let people control a paintballing robot in a mock art gallery has been condemned by the firm that made the robo-dog. Boston Dynamics criticised the project, calling it a "provocative use" of its quadruped robot, Spot. It warned that if the "spectacle" goes ahead, Spot's warranty might be voided, meaning it could not be updated. The group behin ... Read more
2021-02-24 18:58:12
Google-linked smart city plan ditched in Portland
A smart city project started by Google's sister firm Sidewalk Labs to track mobility patterns in the US city of Portland has been shelved. Last year, Sidewalk also ditched an ambitious project to build a digital city in Toronto, following controversy about the scale of its plans. Portland confirmed the project would no longer go ahead. Sidewalk said the scheme had most recently been in the hand ... Read more
2021-02-23 18:50:59
Huawei Mate X2 folding phone unveiled despite chip supply worries
Huawei has unveiled a revamped foldable smartphone, which it says has a much smaller internal gap when closed than that of its main rival Samsung. The Mate X2 marks a major redesign for the Chinese firm. When shut, the large display is now hidden inside the device rather than exposed over its exterior, as was the case with past generations. But its price - about £2,000 ($2,800) - is likely to li ... Read more
2021-02-22 19:05:13
Margaret Mitchell: Google fires AI ethics founder
Google has fired the founder and co-head of its artificial intelligence ethics unit, claiming she violated the company's code of conduct. In a statement, Google said an investigation found Margaret Mitchell had moved files outside the company. The ethics unit has been under scrutiny since December, following the departure of another senior figure, Timnit Gebru. Both women had campaigned for mor ... Read more
2021-02-21 22:22:04
Clubhouse downloads double in two weeks, analytics firm says
Audio chat app Clubhouse has doubled its download numbers in just over two weeks, according to download estimates by one analytics firm. App Annie reports that the app saw global downloads grow from 3.5 million to 8.1 million between 1 and 16 February. The invite-only app has surged in popularity amid appearances by some high-profile celebrities. But that popularity has also seen the firm attra ... Read more
2021-02-19 19:30:46
Nvidia limits crypto-mining on new graphics card
Graphics card-maker Nvidia says it will deliberately reduce the efficiency of its latest card by 50% when it is used to mine the crypto-currency Ethereum. Crypto-currency enthusiasts have contributed to a shortage of graphics cards by snapping up supplies to use for non-gaming purposes. Nvidia said it had intervened to make sure its products "end up in the hands of gamers". But it wil ... Read more
2021-02-18 19:34:05
'Most healthcare apps not up to NHS standards'
A firm which reviews healthcare apps for several NHS trusts says 80% of them do not meet its standards. Failings include poor information, lack of security updates and insufficient awareness of regulatory requirements, said Orcha chief executive Liz Ashall-Payne. The firm's reviews help determine whether an app should be recommended to patients by NHS staff. There are about 370,000 health-relat ... Read more
2021-02-16 19:57:29
Chinese users flock to Clubhouse amid soaring popularity
Audio-only social network iPhone app Clubhouse has seen an explosion of new users in the last week, including Chinese people discussing politics. According to mobile analytics firm Sensor Tower, the app was downloaded 2.3 million times by 31 January. The chat app is free, but currently invite-only. However, Chinese users are paying up to $77 (£56) for invitations from e-commerce sites, accordin ... Read more
2021-02-07 22:46:09
How will 'chipageddon' affect you?
For the most part they go unseen but computer chips are at the heart of all the digital products that surround us - and when supplies run short, it can halt manufacturing. There was a hint of the problem last year when gamers struggled to buy new graphics cards, Apple had to stagger the release of its iPhones, and the latest Xbox and PlayStation consoles came nowhere close to meeting demand. The ... Read more
2021-02-04 19:58:10
Broadband switching should be less 'hassle', says Ofcom
People who want to swap broadband providers should be able to do so more simply, regulator Ofcom has said. It follows its own research suggesting 40% of people are put off switching because it is considered too complex. Under its proposals, customers would just contact their chosen new provider and the switch would happen automatically. There is currently a mismatch between the number of superf ... Read more
2021-02-03 20:18:19