UPC customers visiting sites deemed to be hosting child abuse material will see a Garda warning

Cable company UPC is to block access to websites containing images of child abuse as part of an agreement with gardaí and the Department of Justice.

From today, UPC customers who try to visit a website identified as a host of child abuse material will instead see a Garda advisory notice warning them of the laws prohibiting access to such content.

The block will be put in place on websites identified by gardaí, through information provided by sources including Interpol.

UPC said the agreement with authorities does not involve them passing any user data on, nor will they store the IP address of those who visit blocked sites.

It’s been almost a year since the iPad Air – and 2nd generation iPad Mini – were unveiled by Apple

Apple will follow up its unveiling of the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch with another event on 16 October – this one focusing on iPads and Macs. That’s according to a report on technology site Recode.

An updated version of the company’s flagship tablet – the iPad Air – would almost certainly take centre stage, likely featuring the same A8 processor as the iPhone 6. An Touch ID fingerprint reader is also expected, with Apple Pay capabilities (via NFC) a distinct possibility. Rumour also has it Apple will begin to offer a gold-coloured iPad to shoppers, much as it did with the iPhone last year.

A third generation iPad Mini is also likely to be shown off by Apple ahead of the Christmas rush – again featuring a better processor amongst other things.

Meanwhile, there have been rumours of a larger iPad being in the works – dubbed the iPad Pro – though the lack of any specific leaks at this stage suggests such a device may not see the light of day in two weeks’ time.

Tablets aside, Recode also suggests that Apple will take the wraps off a range of updated iMacs, with improved (Retina) displays, faster processors and better connectivity.

Some kind of MacBook and Mac Mini update cannot be ruled out either.

Finally, the October event is almost certainly going to mark the full launch of OS X Yosemite, Apple’s latest PC operating system.

That has been in beta since it was first shown off at WWDC, but recently entered Gold Master, which means it is just about ready to be unleashed upon the wider world.