Tech Digest daily round up: warning for walkers staring at phone
Android users will receive a notification telling them to stop looking at their mobile phones while walking, a leaked new tool suggests. The feature is being tested in an update to the Digital Wellbeing app, tech blog XDA Developers reported. Screenshots of the app show a notification will appear on the screen of the phone, with a prompt to look up. “Get a reminder to focus on what’s around you,” the tool by Google’s Android says. The feature, called Heads Up, is built into the Digital Wellbeing app – one designed to help users manage how much they use their phones. BBC
Solar power is now the cheapest source of electricity in history, according to a 2020 report by the International Energy Agency. But there’s something holding this clean energy powerhouse back: space. That’s why a growing number of floating solar farms are being deployed worldwide. Floating solar panels on a lake or reservoir might sound like an accident waiting to happen, but recent studies have shown the technology generates more electricity compared with rooftop or ground-mounted solar installations. This is thanks to the cooling effect of the water beneath the panels, which can boost how efficiently these systems generate electricity by as much as 12.5%. Conversation
Bitcoin hit a record of $62,741 on Tuesday, extending its 2021 rally to new heights a day before the listing of Coinbase shares in the United States. The largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange’s listing on the Nasdaq on Wednesday is considered a landmark victory for cryptocurrency advocates. Bitcoin is the world’s biggest cryptocurrency, with growing mainstream acceptance as an investment and a means of payment. It rose as much as 5% on Tuesday. Smaller rival Ethereum also reached a record high of $2,205. The overall cryptocurrency market capitalization hit an all-time peak of $2 trillion earlier this month, according to data and market trackers CoinGecko and Blockfolio. Reuters
Apple’s virtual assistant Siri appears to have revealed the date of the tech giant’s next event, before any official announcement from the company, it has been reported. Asking the voice assistant when the next live event is triggered a response that a “special event” will take place at the company’s California headquarters on Tuesday April 20. Siri’s reply, which was also displayed on-screen, was: “The special event is on Tuesday, April 20th, at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA. You can get all the details on Apple.com.” The response was first reported by the US website MacRumors but appears to have since been corrected by Apple, with Siri now directing people to the company’s website for event news and no longer mentioning a date. Yahoo! News
The cybersecurity provider Darktrace has warned that the fraud allegations against its founding shareholder, the former Autonomy chief executive Mike Lynch, threaten its prospects as it gears up for a £3bn stock market debut. In documents published as part of the formal process that must be followed before a London float, Darktrace admitted that the criminal and civil charges against Dr Lynch “could result in a material adverse effect” on its business and prospects. The 55-year-old is awaiting judgement in a $5bn (£3.6bn) High Court fraud claim brought by Hewlett-Packard after its takeover of Autonomy. The 55-year-old is also fighting extradition to the US on fraud charges. In both cases he has denied any wrongdoing. Telegraph
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