BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Facebook removes Trump ad over 'Nazi hate symbol'
Facebook says it has removed adverts for US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign that featured a symbol used in Nazi Germany. The company said the offending ad contained an inverted red triangle similar to that used by the Nazis to label opponents such as communists. Mr Trump's campaign team said they were aimed at the far-left activist group antifa, which it said uses the symbol. Face ... Read more
2020-06-18 23:51:32
Coronavirus: Health minister says app should roll out by winter
A government minister has said the NHS coronavirus contact-tracing app is "not a priority" and he was not sure it would be out by winter. The app, which has been trialled on the Isle of Wight, was initially expected to launch nationally weeks ago. The BBC can also reveal that the project's two lead managers - NHSX's Matthew Gould and Geraint Lewis - are stepping back. And Simon Thomps ... Read more
2020-06-17 20:59:44
Abuse and threats aimed at wheelchair user over faked photo
A Newcastle woman says she received death threats online after being turned into an internet meme that mocked her wheelchair use. Emily Morison, 24, woke up last week to messages from friends about one of her photos which had been edited to include a pro-Trump message she didn't write. The comments included telling her to "wheel herself off a cliff", and another encouraging murder, she ... Read more
2020-06-17 20:59:19
Germany has its Covid-19 app, so where's the UK's?
Around the world, major countries are unveiling new contact-tracing apps as they emerge from lockdown. Germany has just launched a decentralised app based on the Apple and Google platform. Switzerland, Ireland and Austria are testing theirs. And Japan is said to be unveiling something similar, with the help of Microsoft, later this week. So the inhabitants of an island just off the south coast o ... Read more
2020-06-16 20:29:44
Would you pay to Zoom Keanu Reeves or Star Trek's Riker?
Actors Keanu Reeves and Jonathan Frakes are among the celebrities offering fans the opportunity to chat one-to-one via Zoom during lockdown. Reeves is auctioning a 15-minute Zoom call for a children's cancer charity. The highest bid at time of writing is $9,800 (£7,800). Meanwhile, on the celebrity message platform Cameo, £166 will buy a 10-minute Zoom call with Star Trek actor Jonathan Frakes ... Read more
2020-06-16 20:29:17
Instagram 'will overtake Twitter as a news source'
Photo-sharing app Instagram is set to overtake Twitter as a news source, research suggests. The 2020 Reuters Institute Digital News report found the use of Instagram for news had doubled since 2018. The trend is strongest among young people. It said nearly a quarter of UK 18-24-year-olds used Instagram as a source of news about coronavirus. But social media platforms were also among the least-t ... Read more
2020-06-15 22:01:25
Former eBay executives charged with cyber-stalking
Six former eBay executives and staff have been charged with cyber-stalking in a campaign against a couple who ran a newsletter critical of the company. Prosecutors allege the harassment included sending the couple live cockroaches, a bloody Halloween mask and a funeral wreath, as well as threatening messages. EBay said it did not tolerate such behaviour and apologised to the couple. The firm fi ... Read more
2020-06-15 22:01:09
Riot Games executive resigns after 'abhorrent' George Floyd post
A gaming firm executive has resigned over a meme he posted about George Floyd, who died while being arrested. Ron Johnson, who was head of consumer products at Riot Games, shared an image detailing Mr Floyd's criminal record. He wrote that it was "no reason to condone his killing" but added: "This type of criminal lifestyle never results in good things." Riot Games said the ... Read more
2020-06-14 20:50:14
Firm defends algorithm that 'spots women's orgasms'
A firm that claimed to have built an algorithm to identify women's orgasms has defended itself after ridicule on social media. Cyprus-based Relida Limited said its algorithm could "validate" female orgasms 86% of the time. Slides from a presentation it produced were posted on Twitter and were retweeted thousands of times. The company said it had wanted to help developers test sex tech ... Read more
2020-06-14 20:49:54
PlayStation 5: Sony games chief says PS5 offers a paradigm shift
The PlayStation 5 has finally broken cover in all its curvy glory. Not everyone's convinced by its black-white-and-glowing-blue design. But for many consumers, it's the games that count rather than the aesthetic appeal of the box. Dozens were teased in an online event. But Sony is remaining tight-lipped about the machine's price. Any new console will have a hard time navigating the tough econom ... Read more
2020-06-11 20:50:31