BATTERYFORPC BLOG
X gives free blue ticks to its most popular users
X, formerly Twitter, is giving blue ticks to its most "influential" users in a significant change of policy. Those with more than 2,500 verified followers - people already paying for X Premium - have been given premium features for free. As well as the blue tick, the users will see fewer adverts on X. The social media platform also announced it was clearing bots so people may notice f ... Read more
2024-04-06 20:25:26
Will Truth Social post a financial bailout for Trump?
The share price of Donald Trump's media company has fallen from last week's high when it officially listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. But it is still worth more than $7bn (£5.6bn) at current prices - an astonishing sum given the business behind it. So what is the Truth Social platform, who owns it, how many users does it have, and how much money does it make? And is it the answer to Mr Trump' ... Read more
2024-04-02 19:24:38
Google to delete records from Incognito tracking
Google has agreed to delete billions of records and submit to some restrictions on its power to track users, under the terms of a proposed legal settlement. The deal aims to resolve a class action lawsuit brought in the US in 2020, which had accused the tech giant of invading people's privacy by collecting user data even when they were browsing in "private mode". The suit had sought $5 ... Read more
2024-04-01 19:36:39
Xiaomi: Electric car buyers told they face six-month wait
Just days after Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi launched its first electric vehicle (EV), buyers have been told they may have to wait up to six months for their car to be delivered. Screen grabs on Chinese social media show the firm advising buyers it could take 27 weeks to deliver the SU7 Max. The company previously said pre-orders had hit 88,898 within 24 hours of it starting to take orders on ... Read more
2024-04-01 00:35:52
Could AI take the grind out of accountancy?
Owen Hewitt, is a trainee chartered accountant at accountancy firm haysmacintyre. He's two years into his training with more exams coming up this year. What's unusual about him and his peers, is that they will be the first generation of accountants to use artificial intelligence (AI) right from the beginning of their careers. Mr Hewitt is hoping that AI will take over some of the more tedious p ... Read more
2024-03-28 19:56:04
The US Lawsuit Against Apple Raises Questions About iPhone and Android's Future
It's a debate as old as the smartphone itself: iPhone or Android? You probably made up your mind a long time ago and never looked back. Now a landmark antitrust lawsuit wants to change that, claiming that it should be easier to switch between the world's two largest mobile operating systems. The complaint, brought by the US Department of Justice and 16 state and district attorneys general, accuse ... Read more
2024-03-26 19:30:25
Apple, Meta and Google to be investigated by the EU
The EU has announced investigations into some of the biggest tech firms in the world over uncompetitive practices. Meta, Apple, and Alphabet, which owns Google, are being looked into for potential breaches of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) introduced in 2022. If they are found to have broken the rules, the firms can face huge fines of up to 10% of their annual turnover. EU antitrust boss Margret ... Read more
2024-03-25 19:16:49
Apple becomes the latest tech giant under siege
To understand how much the US government's new lawsuit strikes at the heart of the identity Apple has forged for itself, let's first consider the firm's fanbase. Apple has a unique position as a tech brand. I've sat through a lot of Apple events in my time, both virtually and in person, and one thing that always makes us journalists raise an eyebrow is the whooping and cheering from the audience ... Read more
2024-03-24 19:51:48
Apple lawsuit: US accuses tech giant of monopolising smartphone market
The US has filed a landmark lawsuit against Apple, accusing the tech giant of monopolising the smartphone market and crushing competition. In the legal action, the justice department alleges the company abused its control of the iPhone app store to "lock in" customers and developers. It accuses the firm of taking illegal steps to thwart apps seen as a threat and make rival products les ... Read more
2024-03-22 19:58:44
Biden administration unveils strictest ever US car emission limits to boost EVs
President Joe Biden has announced the strictest regulation on vehicle exhaust emissions ever introduced in the US in a bid to accelerate the auto-industry's shift to electric cars. It includes a goal for 56% of all new US vehicles sold to be electric by 2032 - a huge increase from current levels. In a concession to car plants, the rule was softened from last year's draft. But the Biden administ ... Read more
2024-03-20 20:30:14