Tag: Britishvolt
Tech Digest daily roundup: ChatGPT trials $20 subscription service
The firm behind the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT is trialling a subscription service in the US. For $20 (£16) per month, subscribers will get access to the platform even at peak times when it can be hard to log onto, and also "priority access" to new features, chatbot creator OpenAI said. It plans to extend…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Microsoft to cut 10,000 jobs
Microsoft will cut 10,000 jobs in the latest round of staff redundancies to hit the tech industry. It will affect up to 5% of its global workforce and cost the business $1.2bn (£972m) in severance and reorganisation costs. Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said that while customer spending had grown during Covid, more people were…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Britishvolt collapses into administration
The battery startup Britishvolt has collapsed into administration after talks about a rescue bid from several investors failed, putting 300 jobs at risk. Britishvolt filed notice to appoint an administrator in the insolvency courts on Tuesday. The Guardian understands that professional services firm EY is waiting in the wings to handle the administration. Staff were…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Smart appliances could stop working after 2 years, claims Which?
Smart appliances could stop working properly after just two years because manufacturers are failing to provide tech updates, according to Which? Research by the consumer champion found products like expensive dishwashers, TVs, and washing machines - which might be expected to last more than a decade - are "being abandoned" by brands. A lack of…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Apple Watch guilty of infringing Masimo patent
Apple infringed on one of medical technology company Masimo's pulse oximeter patents when it launched Apple Watch models that use light sensors to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood, an International Trade Commission (ITC) judge ruled on Tuesday. Masimo, which designs pulse oximetry devices, has been embroiled in an ongoing battle with Apple…
Tech Digest daily roundup: WhatsApp launches ‘Message Yourself’ function
WhatsApp has started rolling out a feature to let you chat with yourself. Sending messages to your own account can be a way to keep a piece of information easily accessible, right next to your other WhatsApp conversations. Called ‘Message Yourself’, the feature lets users send notes, reminders and shopping lists to themselves on WhatsApp.…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Britishvolt on brink of administration
The UK government-backed battery startup Britishvolt is on the brink of entering administration with the potential loss of almost 300 jobs, after it struggled to find investors willing to fund its effort to build a giant £3.8bn “gigafactory” in north-east England. The company had considered an administration as early as Monday, two sources with knowledge…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Alexa to let you choose ‘dead voice’
Soon you could opt to have a deceased loved one tell you stories, play music or simply turn on the lights - all from your Alexa device. Amazon says it wants to "make memories last" and is developing a system to let its assistant mimic any voice after hearing less than a minute of audio.…
Lotus and Britishvolt collaborate on EV technology
Lotus and battery cell expert Britishvolt have signed an MoU to collaborate on the research and development of advanced new EV technology. The partnership will focus on the co-development of an innovative new battery cell package to power the next generation of electric sports cars from Lotus. The package is set to feature in a…
Tech Digest daily roundup: £100m tax payer money for Britishvolt gigafactory
Plans for a new British-owned battery gigaplant in Northumberland have been boosted by the commitment of around £100m of government funds to the £3.8bn scheme. The Britishvolt project intends to manufacture power cells for 300,000 electric vehicle battery packs a year at a new factory on the site of the former Blyth Power Station. The…