BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Amazon Prime allows in-app purchases for Apple users
Amazon has begun allowing iPhone and Apple TV users to make in-app purchases and rent movies and shows from Amazon Prime. The move is a reversal for Amazon which had forced Prime users to leave the app and go to Amazon's website via a browser to make purchases. It is also a change for Apple which will allow Amazon to use its own payment system. The changes apply to Amazon Prime users in the US, ... Read more
2020-04-01 22:04:28
UK government defends PM's use of Zoom
The UK government has defended using Zoom to hold cabinet video conferences. Questions had been raised about potential security risks after the prime minister tweeted a picture in which a meeting ID was visible. "In the current unprecedented circumstances, the need for effective channels of communication is vital," a government spokeswoman told BBC News A source added the app was quic ... Read more
2020-04-01 22:04:04
Coronavirus: Racist 'zoombombing' at virtual synagogue
A synagogue service being held online has been hijacked by racist accounts which posted anti-Semitic abuse to congregants, the BBC has learned. The meeting was being held on video chat app Zoom. "Zoombombing" - where uninvited guests enter meetings - is on the rise as more people use the app to stay in touch during the coronavirus restrictions. Experts advised people to secure meeting ... Read more
2020-04-01 22:03:42
Apple buys weather app Dark Sky
Apple has purchased the weather predicting app Dark Sky and plans to shut down the Android and Wear OS versions.
Dark Sky is known for its hyper-local weather predictions and ability to forecast minute by minute.
The app's creator Adam Grossman said the partnership would allow Dark Sky to reach "far more people".
Owners of Android phones or wearable devices not made by Apple will have access to the services until 1 July.
On social media, many users complained about Apple's decision to remove Dark Sky from Android.
2020-03-31 21:36:35
Coronavirus: 3D-printer owners rally to create NHS face masks
Some 1,400 3D-printer owners have pledged to use their machines to help make face shields for the NHS. Started by palliative-medicine doctor James Coxon, the 3DCrowd UK group is now looking to recruit more volunteers. It says thousands of its 3D-printed masks have already been made and donated to hospitals, GPs, pharmacies, paramedics and social-care practices. Healthcare workers say they are h ... Read more
2020-03-31 21:36:04
Coronavirus: Racist 'zoombombing' at virtual synagogue
A synagogue service being held online has been hijacked by racist accounts which posted anti-Semitic abuse to congregants, the BBC has learned. The meeting was being held on video chat app Zoom. "Zoombombing" - where uninvited guests enter meetings - is on the rise as more people use the app to stay in touch during the coronavirus restrictions. Experts advised people to secure meeting ... Read more
2020-03-31 21:35:42
Coronavirus: UK considers virus-tracing app to ease lockdown
A coronavirus app that alerts people if they have recently been in contact with someone testing positive for the virus "could play a critical role" in limiting lockdowns, scientists advising the government have said. The location-tracking tech would enable a week's worth of manual detective work to be done in an instant, they say. But the academics say no-one should be forced to enrol ... Read more
2020-03-31 21:34:34
Coronavirus: Fake news crackdown by UK government
The government is cracking down on misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic. A rapid response unit within the Cabinet Office is working with social media firms to remove fake news and harmful content. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said action was needed "to stem the spread of falsehoods and rumours, which could cost lives". The specialist unit is dealing with as many as 10 inci ... Read more
2020-03-31 00:18:15
Coronavirus: Tech firm Bloom Energy fixes broken US ventilators
A Californian company that usually makes green-energy fuel cells is due to deliver 170 repaired ventilators to Los Angeles later on Monday after transforming its manufacturing process. An engineer at Bloom Energy downloaded the service manual and taught himself how to dismantle and rebuild them in a day, the Los Angeles Times reported. They had been in storage since the H5N1 bird flu outbreak of ... Read more
2020-03-31 00:17:52
Coronavirus: Start-ups use Zoom app to lay off staff
Tech start-ups worldwide are cutting jobs as the coronavirus pandemic undermines their ability to make money. To make matters worse for staff, they are not being told face to face. Electric scooter-maker Bird axed about 400 posts on Friday, about 30% of its staff. And the Californian company used a Zoom conference call to tell them. Zoom can connect up to 1,000 users on a single call - but many ... Read more
2020-03-31 00:17:32