BATTERYFORPC BLOG
The tech boss who lost more than a billion
The BBC's weekly The Boss series profiles different business leaders from around the world. This week we speak to UK technology pioneer Andrew Rickman. How would you feel if you lost more than £1.4bn ($1.81bn) almost overnight? That was the situation faced by Andrew Rickman back at the end of 2000, when the dotcom bubble spectacularly burst, sending shares in his company Bookham Technology plumm ... Read more
2020-03-14 17:29:51
Coronavirus: How hackers are preying on fears of Covid-19
Security experts say a spike in email scams linked to coronavirus is the worst they have seen in years. Cyber-criminals are targeting individuals as well as industries, including aerospace, transport, manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare and insurance. Phishing emails written in English, French, Italian, Japanese, and Turkish languages have been found. The BBC has tracked five of the campaign ... Read more
2020-03-13 17:47:28
Tech Tent: Controlling coronavirus with apps
It's the first pandemic of the smartphone era - and that means governments have access to new ways of tracking the spread of Covid-19. On this week's Tech Tent, we find out about the apps that are monitoring people with the virus and look at whether they pose a long-term threat to civil liberties. In South Korea, the authorities have created an app that lets them know whether people who should b ... Read more
2020-03-13 17:46:40
Apple's WWDC annual showcase cancelled in favour of online event
Apple's annual showcase, the Worldwide Developers Conference, has been cancelled in favour of an online-only event. "The current health situation has required that we create a new WWDC 2020 format," Apple said in a statement. The June conference is often used to announce new products and software features. Only open to Apple software developers, the $1,600 (£1,280) tickets sell out ev ... Read more
2020-03-13 17:45:55
Is this the digital future for Bank of England banknotes?
The Bank of England is considering the introduction of electronic banknotes for use by consumers and businesses. Governor Mark Carney said: "We are in the middle of a revolution in payments," saying the Bank must look into how electronic money could work. He said this would complement, not replace, paper banknotes while people still wanted physical cash. But it could open the door to ... Read more
2020-03-12 18:05:30
Coronavirus: Amazon offers unlimited sick days to halt spread
Amazon workers can take unlimited sick days this month - but only those in quarantine for the Covid-19 virus will be entitled to extra sick pay. Many US warehouse workers are entitled to only 10 days' leave a year - for all holidays, sickness and emergencies. And some had asked Amazon to change its policy to stop coronavirus spreading. Some workers also say they are being told increase their ho ... Read more
2020-03-12 18:05:04
Apps 'must check images for child abuse before publication'
Internet companies must do more to tackle "an explosion" in images of child sex abuse on their platforms, a UK-held inquiry has concluded. The panel also said the technology companies had "failed to demonstrate" they were fully aware of the number of under-13s using their services and lacked a plan to combat the problem. It has called for all images to be screened before publ ... Read more
2020-03-12 18:04:43
Coronavirus: Amazon offers unlimited sick days to halt spread
Amazon workers can take unlimited sick days this month - but only those in quarantine for the Covid-19 virus will be entitled to extra sick pay. Many US warehouse workers are entitled to only 10 days' leave a year - for all holidays, sickness and emergencies. And some had asked Amazon to change its policy to stop coronavirus spreading. Some workers also say they are being told increase their ho ... Read more
2020-03-12 18:04:20
5G judged safe by scientists but faces tougher radiation rules
5G phones are to be subject to tougher radiation limits. But the standards body behind the new rules says there is no evidence that mobile networks cause cancer or other illnesses. It has spent several years reviewing scientific literature on the effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields. It says the new guidelines will provide improved protection for forthcoming 5G technologies that use hi ... Read more
2020-03-11 17:52:35
Google tells staff to work at home due to coronavirus
Google's parent company Alphabet has asked its North American staff to work from home to reduce the potential spread of the coronavirus. Last week the tech giant sent a memo to staff recommending that employees in Washington state work from home. It has now expanded that request to all of its almost 100,000 workers across 11 office in the US and Canada. Alphabet is the latest company to make su ... Read more
2020-03-11 17:51:58