Tech Digest daily roundup: Oculus pauses Quest 2 sales

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Virtual-reality headset-maker Oculus is issuing a recall for the foam padding in its Quest 2 headset, warning it can cause skin irritation. Facebook-owned Oculus said only a “very small percentage” of users were experiencing the problem. But it is offering a free cover – made of silicone – to all Quest 2 owners. Facebook also announced it was “pausing” Quest 2 sales and from 24 August all Quest 2 headsets would come with the new silicone cover. The revamped headset would also have twice the internal storage, for the same price. BBC 

WhatsApp is developing a way for its users to transfer their chat histories from iOS to Android, according to reports from WABetaInfo and 9to5Google. The feature could fix one of the biggest annoyances with the Facebook-owned messaging service, which is that it’s not officially possible to transfer a backup of your messages between iPhone and Android, only between phones running the same operating system. Details of the in-development feature have been appearing in WhatsApp’s software since at least April. The Verge 


Sky has announced that it is closing down Sky One and launching a new channel called Sky Showcase in the latest realignment of its channel portfolio. The new service will take over Sky One’s plum 106 slot on the Sky EPG and will aim to highlight programming from across all of Sky’s channels, including Sky Atlantic, Sky Cinema and Sky Arts, in a similar fashion to the Sky Sports Main Event channel. The Simpsons – a staple of Sky One’s schedules over its lifetime – will migrate to Sky Showcase after Sky One’s closure. Media Mole

Cybersecurity agencies have revealed the top 30 vulnerabilities exploited by hackers last year in a fresh warning to organisations. The UK and allies in the US and Australia said most exposures were already publicly known during the past two years and are often due to dated software. Experts believe increased homeworking could be partly to blame for some more recently disclosed software flaws, making it harder for firms to roll out routine patches. The most targeted vulnerabilities affected remote work, virtual private networks (VPNs), or cloud-based technologies, they said. Yahoo!

 

Electric cars could cause “blackouts” if drivers don’t charge them at night, MPs have warned as they recommended VAT cuts to help motorists switch over. Ministers have been told the UK’s power grid will come under increasing strain as more drivers buy electric, unless they are convinced to plug-in at off-peak times. The Government has also been urged by MPs to prevent rural areas becoming electric vehicle “not spots” due to a lack of public charging points, and to make public charging as cheap as plugging in at home by reducing VAT. Huw Merriman MP, and the chairman of the transport committee, said: “Unless the National Grid gains more capacity, consumer behaviour will have to alter so that charging takes place when supply can meet the additional demand. The alternative will be blackouts in parts of the country.” The calls come as the UK prepares to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030. Telegraph 

Chris Price
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