TikTok gives special status to celebs, NASA streams cat video from space!

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TikTok has given special status to certain high-profile accounts, with moderators in Europe encouraged to be more lenient with content posted by people including Russell Brand, according to internal messages seen by the Guardian. The demand to be less stringent has also been underlined in meetings with moderators, the Guardian has been told. Documents suggest that staff at the viral video app have created a hierarchy of users, with certain individuals or groups assigned internal tags that allow them more leeway. The Guardian 

Apple has been forced to suspend sales of its smartwatch in the US as it faces a looming import ban. The tech company will stop selling its two most recent models, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, from this Thursday. It comes after healthcare technology company Masimo won a patent dispute over the gadget’s blood oxygen sensor at the US International Trade Commission (ITC). The ruling means that imports of the device will be blocked from Christmas Day unless Joe Biden vetoes the ITC decision. Telegraph 


Nasa has streamed an ultra-high-definition video of a cat back to Earth from the depths of space. The 15-second clip of Taters the cat was sent via laser – and fittingly shows it chasing a laser beam. Footage of the orange tabby travelled 19 million miles – some 80 times the distance from Earth to the Moon. Nasa hopes the laser tech it was testing will eventually improve communications with more remote parts of the solar system. Taters, whose paws remained firmly on Earth, is owned by an employee of Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. BBC

Ofcom today publishes its Connected Nations report, which details the availability of broadband and mobile services in the UK, including the rollout of full-fibre and 5G.  Full-fibre broadband is available to more than 17 million homes across the UK, which equates to 57% of homes and is an increase on last year’s 42%. For the first time, full-fibre broadband is available to over half of homes in all four of the UK nations. Northern Ireland leads the way, with over nine in 10 homes (91%) able to get full fibre. Tech Digest 

The Samsung Galaxy S vs iPhone war goes all the way back to the dawn of the smartphone era and it looks set to continue in 2024. This year there’ll be a new battleground. As phone designs change less as the years goes on, manufacturers are now resorting to the metal used in the chassis to distinguish their top models. While one of the iPhone 15 Pro‘s key upgrades was a strong titanium metal built, Samsung looks set to follow suit with its top phone for 2024 – The Galaxy S24 Ultra. Trusted Reviews

The Nio EV, which has a semi-solid date battery, offers a range of 650 miles. 

An EV from Chinese manufacturer Nio will soon go on sale with a “semi-solid state” 150kWh battery (140kWh usable) that’s the largest in any passenger car, Car News China reported. To show much range that will deliver, Nio CEO William Li drove a prototype version of the ET7 1,044km (650 miles) in 14 hours, a distance surpassing many gas-powered vehicles. The test was run in relatively cool temperatures (between 28 – 54 F) and livestreamed. Engadget

Chris Price
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