Tech Digest daily roundup: TikTok limits service in Russia, Netflix pulls out
Video-sharing site TikTok and streaming giant Netflix have limited and cut their services respectively in Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. TikTok said it had suspended live streaming and new content from its platform as it assesses tough new laws to crack down on “fake news” about Russia’s armed forces. Netflix said it was pulling out in protest at the invasion. Visa, Mastercard and PwC also joined the list of western firms cutting ties. TikTok, which has around 36 million users in Russia, said its move was about ensuring the safety of its staff and users. Since Friday, anyone who writes news deemed false about the military could face up to 15 years in jail. BBC
An Amazon worker employed at one of the company’s enormous warehouses filmed the moment he became trapped by automatic robots that line the floor of the cavernous building. The worker, who had been retrieving a couple of items for a customer, suddenly realized his pathway back out had been blocked by huge movable yellow shelving. The worker pulled out his phone and decided to document his escape on TikTok. ‘The robots at work trapped me. It look me like 15 minutes to get out,’ he added. The worker attempts to leave his position by going down various corridors lined by seemingly never-ending pathways of moveable Amazon shelving. Daily Mail
@robotman77 it can sometimes get crazy😬🤖 them robots like to mess around 😂#robots ##work ♬ original sound – Robotman 🤖
Aston Martin has agreed a deal with Britishvolt to develop “high-performance” batteries for its EVs, which will arrive from 2025. It is the latest high-end car maker to announce a partnership with the Blyth-based battery firm, following Lotus’s recent news that it will use batteries supplied by Britishvolt for a new electric sports car. Aston Martin said it is targeting “new standards of repeatable on-track performance, charging time and range” from its electric vehicle programme as it seeks to “create the most desirable ultra-luxury performance EV”. A joint research and development team from both firms will design, develop and industrialise battery parks including bespoke modules and battery management systems. Autocar
Earlier this week reports emerged that the Game Optimizing Service (GOS) on some Samsung smartphones was throttling the performance of certain games and apps in order to better manage battery life. Now Samsung says a software update is on the way to make this an optional setting. As per The Verge, the update will enable device owners to choose whether or not they want this throttling to happen. According to Samsung, it is partly designed to limit performance in order to keep phone temperatures down. Tech Radar
iPhone 14 leaks claim Apple will make some eye-opening price increases and design changes to its new smartphone range. But now there is new information which blows away everything that we have learned so far. In what amounts to a gut punch for iPhone fans, the controversial i-shaped cutout coming to iPhone 14 Pro models to replace the notch has not only been confirmed, it has been confirmed to be larger than expected. Much much larger. Moreover, while the original source was an anonymous Weibo poster, the schematic they leaked has now been verified by respected Apple insider Jon Prosser, host of popular YouTube show Front Page Tech. Forbes
What just happened? Lapsus$, a hacking group that leaked confidential information from Nvidia just last week, has reportedly moved to a new target: Samsung. The hackers have claimed an attack that leaked 190GB of confidential information from the South Korean technology giant, including encryption data and source code for Samsung’s most recent devices. The hackers behind the Nvidia security breach are setting their sights on the biggest tech companies in the world. Last week, South American hacker group Lapsus$ claimed to have perpetrated a major hacking attack on Nvidia, stealing over 1TB of information and holding it ransom. Techspot
