ShinyShiny tech roundup: Donald Trump announces TRUTH Social network
Former US President Donald Trump has announced plans to launch a new social media network, called TRUTH Social. He said the platform would “stand up to the tyranny of big tech”, accusing them of silencing opposing voices in the US. Social media played a pivotal role in Mr Trump’s bid for the White House and was his favourite means of communication as president. But Mr Trump was banned from Twitter and suspended from Facebook after his supporters stormed the US Capitol. Social media firms were under pressure throughout Mr Trump’s presidency to ban him, with his posts criticised as insulting, inflammatory or peddling outright falsehoods. BBC
If you’ve been eager to pair your pre-ordered Google Pixel 6 or Google Pixel 6 Pro with the rumored revised Google Pixel Stand, rejoice: a listing for the 2nd Generation Pixel Stand is up on the Google online store – but it won’t launch on October 25 alongside the Pixel 6. To be clear, the listing for the Google Pixel Stand (2nd Gen) says it is ‘coming soon.’ We reached out to Google, which confirmed to TechRadar that the wireless charger wouldn’t arrive on October 25, but didn’t give a release date. The Google Pixel Stand (2nd Gen) improves on its predecessor with faster charging up to 23W – but only for the new Pixel phones. Other devices charge at up to 15W, which is about standard for wireless charging in most handsets anyway. Tech Radar
Boris Johnson on Wednesday announced £620m investment in electric car grants, as part of the Government’s green investment plan. According to the net-zero strategy, the grants will be distributed to local on-street residential charging, as well targeted plug-in vehicle grants – allowing drivers to get a discount on the price of brand new low-emission vehicles. It is thought around eight million households without dedicated off-street parking will benefit from the injection of cash. The Prime Minister also published details of how the country can turn green in the coming decades, as he appealed to world leaders to make “bigger commitments” to slashing harmful greenhouse gas emissions. inews
Facebook has been fined £50m by the UK’s competition watchdog for deliberately refusing to comply with an investigation into its purchase of gif library Giphy. Earlier this year the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched its inquiry into the acquisition, which took place last April, raising the prospect that Giphy would have to be sold again. The concern was that Facebook could deny other platforms access to Giphy’s images, or change the terms of that access – citing as an example how the company could demand other customers such as TikTok, Twitter, and Snapchat share more user data about their users. Sky News
The future of FM radio is to be secured for the rest of the decade after a government review recommended that analogue services are protected until at least 2030. Broadcasters will be required to keep AM and FM services on the airwaves under the proposals, which are aimed at ensuring elderly radio listeners and those in remote areas are not forced to switch to digital-only radios. The UK had been due to begin winding down analogue radio licences from 2022, but last year Ofcom gave permission for broadcasters to continue operating for up to ten years. The Government is now expected to officially push back the digital switchover following the study by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Telegraph
