BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Coronavirus: State surveillance 'a price worth paying'
A major increase in state surveillance is a "price worth paying" to beat Covid-19, a UK think tank says. The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), founded by the former prime minister, says it could offer an "escape route" from the crisis. In a report, the Institute argues the public must accept a level of intrusion that would normally "be out of the question in ... Read more
2020-04-23 20:45:21
Coronavirus: What is contact tracing and how does it work?
Governments around the world are proposing contact tracing as a way of limiting the spread of coronavirus after lockdown.
Contact tracing can be done from memory, but smartphones apps that can automate the process have also been developed.
BBC Click's Chris Fox explains what contact tracing is, and some of the methods that have been proposed.
2020-04-23 20:43:25
Coronavirus: YouTube bans 'medically unsubstantiated' content
YouTube has banned any coronavirus-related content that directly contradicts World Health Organization (WHO) advice. The Google-owned service says it will remove anything it deems "medically unsubstantiated". Chief executive Susan Wojcicki said the media giant wanted to stamp out "misinformation on the platform". The move follows YouTube banning conspiracy theories falsely l ... Read more
2020-04-22 20:50:40
Coronavirus: NHS contact-tracing app is tested at RAF base
The NHS is testing its forthcoming Covid-19 contact-tracing app at a Royal Air Force base in North Yorkshire. It works by using Bluetooth signals to log when smartphone owners are close to each other - so if someone develops Covid-19 symptoms, an alert can be sent to other users they may have infected. In its current state, it tells users either: "You're OK now," or: "You need to ... Read more
2020-04-22 20:50:18
Musk says SpaceX is 'fixing' brightness from satellites
SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk said the company was "fixing" the brightness of his company's satellites. Stargazers around the world and including many Britons have witnessed unusual constellations made up of the low earth orbit spacecraft. SpaceX has been launching large batches of satellites as part of its Starlink project to improve global internet coverage. The most recent launc ... Read more
2020-04-22 20:49:28
Fortnite reluctantly comes to Google Play store
Epic Games has released Fortnite on Google's Play app store after a long-running dispute with the tech giant. The title had previously only been available to Android users outside of the marketplace. It means Google will get a cut of in-game purchases. Google introduced opt-in security measures which block apps distributed via other means in March. Epic said the move pushed it to release the ga ... Read more
2020-04-22 20:49:02
DForce hacker returns $25m in 'stolen' crypto-currencies
A mystery hacker allegedly stole $25m (£20m) in crypto-currencies - and then returned the funds two days later. Records show that funds in a variety of crypto-currencies were withdrawn from the DForce platform based in China. A sum of $10m was taken in Ethereum, for example, while a further $10m was taken in digital coins tied to the US dollar and $4m in other coins. Roughly the same amount has ... Read more
2020-04-21 20:46:10
Coronavirus: Apple and France in stand-off over contact-tracing app
France is pressing Apple to let its forthcoming coronavirus contract-tracing app work in the background on iPhones without building in the privacy measures the US company wants. The country's digital minister confirmed the request in an interview given to Bloomberg. France's system would let it glean more information about participating smartphone owners than Apple and its partner Google want to ... Read more
2020-04-21 20:45:42
Netflix sign-ups jump during coronavirus lockdowns
Netflix has seen subscriber numbers surge this year, as lockdowns around the world keep people at home where they want to be entertained. Almost 16 million people created accounts in the first three months of the year, the firm said. That is almost double the new sign-ups it saw in the final months of 2019. However, the streaming service, which is behind some multi-million dollar productions, s ... Read more
2020-04-21 20:45:09
Mumsnet launches subscription plea in 'squeaky-bum time'
Mumsnet, the UK's biggest parent platform, has launched a subscription service following a steep decline in ad revenue. The £4.99 monthly fee is not compulsory, and does not yet offer any bonus features, although Mumsnet said it would look at building extra tools. Founder and CEO Justine Roberts said: "Frankly, it is squeaky-bum time." She has taken a salary holiday and other staff ha ... Read more
2020-04-21 20:44:32