BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Final Fantasy 7 Remake: 'This is not just for the players of the original'
Cloud Strife and his iconic mop of spiked blonde hair emerge through the rising steam of an overcrowded city. The main character of Final Fantasy 7 has his distinctive buster sword strapped to his back. This time, however, he's not a pixelated image as seen in the 1997 PlayStation original - he's been fully rendered in life-like modern graphics. It's been five years since gamers got a first gli ... Read more
2020-04-12 20:02:13
Coronavirus: Airbnb restricts UK bookings to coronavirus key workers
Home rental firm Airbnb is to temporarily restrict UK bookings to key workers and “essential stays” because of the coronavirus crisis. The firm said that the measure would last until at least 18 April. Key workers - such as NHS and social care staff, and transport and food retail employees - can still book through a programme called Frontline Stays. The decision comes after the government criti ... Read more
2020-04-09 21:11:49
Coronavirus: UK tech sector begs for help - but does it need it?
The UK's high-growth tech companies say they need help from the government to get through the coronavirus crisis - and at the moment they are not getting it. That was the message of a letter to the chancellor from 12 leaders of some of the country's best-known tech businesses. They include Babylon, Citymapper, Deliveroo and Improbable. But just hours after the letter arrived at the Treasury, th ... Read more
2020-04-09 21:11:30
Coronavirus: Ofcom formally probes David Icke TV interview
The UK's media watchdog has launched a formal investigation into a TV network's broadcast of an interview with conspiracy theorist David Icke about coronavirus. Ofcom acted after London Live screened the programme on Wednesday evening. The regulator received more than 40 complaints following the broadcast. It follows YouTube's introduction of stricter misinformation rules after a later intervie ... Read more
2020-04-09 21:11:09
Coronavirus: Google Duplex AI arrives in UK to ask about opening hours
Google’s AI phone assistant Duplex is contacting businesses across the UK and asking them what their coronavirus business hours are. It is using the responses to update company listings shown on Google Search and Google Maps. The Duplex AI assistant can be used by people in the US and New Zealand to make restaurant bookings and other reservations. But those features are not yet coming to the UK ... Read more
2020-04-09 21:10:47
Coronavirus: Covid-19 detecting apps face teething problems
Two leading universities are trying to develop apps that listen to users' coughs and voices to predict whether they are infected with the coronavirus. But the two projects are taking different approaches to privacy. The Cambridge University effort seeks to keep volunteers anonymous, but says this is currently limiting its work. Meanwhile, a team at Carnegie Mellon University says it is critical ... Read more
2020-04-08 21:58:45
Facebook and Samsung donate thousands of devices to NHS
Mobile giant Samsung is donating 2,000 smartphones to the NHS, for staff to use in Nightingale hospitals. It will provide Galaxy XCover 4s phones, which are designed to be more robust and can be used while wearing gloves. Samsung said NHS England had already ordered an extra 20,000 phones and tablets, which it had agreed to supply at cost price, without taking a profit. Facebook is also donatin ... Read more
2020-04-08 21:58:23
Coronavirus: Call for apps to get fake Covid-19 news button
Social networks need a dedicated button to flag up bogus coronavirus-related posts, an advocacy group has said. The Campaign for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) said the apps had "missed a trick" in combating the problem. The call coincides with a study that indicates 46% of internet-using adults in the UK saw false or misleading information about the virus in the first week of the coun ... Read more
2020-04-08 21:58:01
Tesla cuts staff pay as coronavirus halts production
Electric car-maker Tesla will reduce staff pay and put non-essential workers on furlough while production of its vehicles is stopped due to coronavirus. Work at its factory in Fremont, California halted on 23 March. In a letter to staff, the company said it hoped to resume operations on 4 May, "barring any significant changes". Most remaining workers will face a pay cut of 10%, while ... Read more
2020-04-08 21:57:39
Zoom banned by Taiwan's government over China security fears
Zoom has been banned from government business in Taiwan in the latest setback for the hugely popular video-calling app. It follows revelations that some Zoom traffic was "mistakenly" routed through China, which does not recognise Taiwan's independence. Taiwan's government said public bodies should not use products with security concerns "such as Zoom". But competitors like G ... Read more
2020-04-07 21:00:11