Technology news

• Making the leap from philosophy major to citizen developer

  02-12-2014 23:55 via zdnet.com
  
  An emerging set of cloud services, called 'application Platform as a Service,' may help make citizen developers out of everyone.
  
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• A New Harassment Policy for Twitter

  02-12-2014 23:28
  
  It’s no secret that Twitter is currently playing host to an uptick in targeted harassment. The site has long provided an easy way for people to lob hostile and threatening messages into someone’s timeline, but things seem to be getting worse, not better. Gamergate targets like Zoe Quinn, Anita Sarkeesian, and Breanna Wu have all been inundated with death and rape threats that have forced them to cancel talks and flee their homes. After her father’s death, Zelda Williams—Robin Williams�
  
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• VIDEO: BBC presenter talks to Cleverbot

  02-12-2014 23:22 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC News presenter Philippa Thomas had a conversation with Cleverbot, and its creator Rollo Carpenter.
  
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• U.S. House subcommittee postpones hearing on net neutrality

  02-12-2014 23:10
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A key House panel has delayed a hearing on the Federal Communications Commission's efforts to write new Internet traffic rules aimed at assuring "net neutrality." The U.S. House of Representatives Communications and Technology subcommittee had been expected on Dec. 10 to quiz all five FCC commissioners about so-called net neutrality rules that would regulate the how Internet service providers (ISPs) manage web traffic that travels through their networks. ...
  
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• Security experts doubt North Korea hacked into Sony

  02-12-2014 23:09
  
  Some cybersecurity experts say it is unlikely North Korea was behind the cyberattack that crippled Sony Pictures' computers and possibly leaked unreleased movies online.
  
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• Australian tax industry calls for voluntary bitcoin register

  02-12-2014 23:09 via zdnet.com
  
  Australian taxation body The Tax Institute is calling on the government to establish a voluntary bitcoin register to de-anonymise ownership of the digital currency in Australia.
  
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• IBM signs $1.25 billion WPP cloud deal and says more coming

  02-12-2014 23:05
  
  By Eric Auchard LONDON (Reuters) - IBM is enjoying a wave of major technology outsourcing deals from European customers in the fourth quarter and the new contract signings are not over yet, an executive for the computer sciences giant said in an interview. Late on Tuesday, IBM announced the third in a string of billion dollar plus contracts, saying it had won a seven-year, $1.25 billion (799.6 million pounds) deal with WPP, the world's top advertising firm, to run WPP operations in the clou
  
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• Epson introduces two new heavy-duty printers for small and medium businesses

  02-12-2014 22:56
  
  Epson first introduced its "game-changing" WorkForce Pro printers in March, and today's it's added two new printers to the family: the WF-8590 and WF-8090.Aimed at small and medium businesses (SMBs), the multifunction WF-8590 and single function WF-8090 use Epson's "next-gen" PrecisionCore printing tech to crank out a duty cycle of 75,000 pages at up to 24 pages per minute.The machines' "ultra-high yield cartridges" can produce up to 7,000 total color pages, while t
  
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• CoreOS breaks with Docker

  02-12-2014 22:52 via zdnet.com
  
  CoreOS, a new enterprise Linux company and a Docker partner, is now proposing its own alternative to Docker's container technology.
  
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• Why We Haven't Seen Rosetta's Comet in Color Until Now

  02-12-2014 22:20
  
  After months of painting Comet 67P's barren surface with shades of grey, the Rosetta spacecraft has finally released its first colored image of the space rock, which show valleys, cliffs, and craters as a dusty mix of red and brown.
  
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• Why Haven't We Seen Rosetta's Comet in Color Until Now?

  02-12-2014 22:20
  
  After months of painting Comet 67P's barren surface with shades of grey, the Rosetta spacecraft has finally released its first colored image of the space rock, which show valleys, cliffs, and craters as a dusty mix of red and brown.
  
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• Bezos defends Amazon's lack of profits, stance on publishers

  02-12-2014 22:04
  
  By Jennifer Saba NEW YORK (Reuters) - Jeff Bezos, the chief executive of Amazon.com Inc, was unapologetic about his twenty-year-old company's lack of profit during a rare public appearance on Tuesday, noting he spends just six hours a year on investor relations. Bezos also discussed Amazon's acrimonious dispute with publisher Hachette Book Group and his purchase of the Washington Post. He acknowledged that Amazon had a succession plan in place, but remained tight-lipped about the detai
  
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• Pornography law bans list of sexual acts from UK-made online films

  02-12-2014 21:33
  
  Government restrictions an attempt to crack down on material ‘harmful to minors’, but critics say viewers will just access foreign films Continue reading...
  
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• Iran hackers targeted airlines, energy firms - report

  02-12-2014 21:15
  
  By Jim Finkle BOSTON (Reuters) - Iranian hackers have infiltrated some of the world's top energy, transport and infrastructure companies over the past two years in a campaign that could allow them to eventually cause physical damage, according to U.S. cyber security firm Cylance. Aerospace firms, airports and airlines, universities, energy firms, hospitals, and telecommunications operators based in the United States, Israel, China, Saudi Arabia, India, Germany, France, England have been hit
  
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• North Korea, other nations among suspects in Sony hack - U.S. source

  02-12-2014 21:14
  
  By Mark Hosenball and Jim Finkle WASHINGTON/BOSTON (Reuters) - U.S. investigators are considering multiple suspects, including North Korea, in their investigation into a cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment that knocked out the company's computer systems for over a week, according to a U.S. national security official with knowledge of the investigation. The official, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters on Tuesday that the forensic investigation is in its early stages, and tha
  
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• Steve Jobs emails featured in Apple iPod U.S. antitrust trial

  02-12-2014 21:11
  
  By Dan Levine OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) - The late Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc , led the company to violate antitrust laws by restricting music purchases for iPod users to Apple's iTunes digital store, an attorney for consumers suing Apple said in court. Opening statements began on Tuesday in an Oakland, California, federal court in the long-running class action, which harks back to Apple's pre-iPhone era. ...
  
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• Twitter unveils improved tools to report harassment - TRFN

  02-12-2014 20:56
  
  By Maria Caspani NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Twitter announced on Tuesday improvements to simplify the way users report abuse and harassment on the social media platform. The company said it will now require less information from users flagging inappropriate content and that it will be easier to submit tweets and accounts for review, even when wrongful behaviour is simply observed and not received directly. "We are nowhere near being done making changes in this area," Shrey
  
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• Amazon Web Services changes up Reserved Instances discounts

  02-12-2014 20:46 via zdnet.com
  
  Admittedly, a new pricing scheme for a particular Amazon Web Services function isn't quite as flashy as Cyber Monday, but it's still a potential game changer.
  
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• Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Android Lollipop update pictured in latest leak

  02-12-2014 19:53
  
  Android 5.0 Lollipop has been rolling out here and there, on Nexus devices like the Nexus 6, the LG G3 and others - but there's been little word of Lollipop for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.These new pictures change that, and provide a glimpse at what the Note 4's UI will look like with the new Android update on board.We've also caught a glimpse of the Note 3's Lollipop update, and it's worth noting that it looks pretty similar to what we're seeing in these two images.It's not much, but it does ind
  
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• Review: Updated: Roku 3

  02-12-2014 19:30 via feedproxy.google.com
  IntroductionFor those looking to ditch their cable boxes, Roku 3 is the current gold standard in streaming media boxes. That doesn't mean it's a perfect device, nor does it mean that it does everything that its competitors do. Rather, it's the box that currently does the best job of delivering the widest array of video streams with the least hassle. Roku is the exception among its primary competitors - Amazon Fire TV and Nexus Player - in that it is not subtly selling its own content platform. I
  
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• Twitter unveils new system for reporting abuse

  02-12-2014 19:16
  
  Revamped system, available to all users over the next few weeks, includes fewer steps to report abuse Continue reading...
  
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• Steve Jobs emails featured in Apple iPod antitrust trial

  02-12-2014 19:04
  
  By Dan Levine OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) - The late Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc , led the company to violate antitrust laws by restricting music purchases for iPod users to Apple's iTunes digital store and not rival services as well, an attorney for consumers suing Apple said in court. Opening statements began on Tuesday in an Oakland, California, federal court in the long-running class action, brought by a group of individuals and businesses who purchased iPods between 2006 and 2009
  
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• FBI looking into hack of Sony Pictures' computers

  02-12-2014 18:56
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The FBI has confirmed it is investigating a recent hacking attack at Sony Pictures Entertainment, which caused major internal computer problems at the film studio last week.
  
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• Google Cloud Platform certified for payment card data amid deal with WePay

  02-12-2014 18:52 via zdnet.com
  
  Rolling out amid what is still the busiest shopping season of the year, Google is expanding its cloud once again with two significant e-commerce developments.
  
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• ZX Spectrum gets new lease of life as Vega games console

  02-12-2014 18:42
  
  Sir Clive Sinclair has backed a new Spectrum Vega console on Indiegogo, promising a nostalgia trip for 1980s gamers Continue reading...
  
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• Does rampant AI threaten humanity?

  02-12-2014 18:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Are we really at risk of smart machines killing us off?
  
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• 2015: IT vendor upheaval ahead?

  02-12-2014 18:02 via zdnet.com
  
  IDC sees some major mergers ahead for top IT vendors as data centers transform. IDC didn't name names, but I'll take a stab at it.
  
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• Twitter 'simplifies' abuse reporting

  02-12-2014 18:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The social network tells Newsbeat changes to the way people can report abuse and block others will give users "more control".
  
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• UK readies child abuse search tool

  02-12-2014 18:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A database containing tens of millions of child abuse photos and videos will be launched this month to help police identify victims and suspects.
  
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• VIDEO: Artificial intelligence explained

  02-12-2014 17:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Imperial College London's Prof Murray Shanahan provides a brief introduction to the topic of artificial intelligence.
  
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• In depth: I just played catch with an invisible baseball, but it felt like it was real

  02-12-2014 17:30
  
  Remember the Nintendo Power Glove? Remember how stupid it looked? Fast forward to 2014 and the thing on my hand right now might actually look worse. But this is just a prototype of the Glove1, a wearable designed to produce haptic feedback, and the technology inside is far more exciting than Nintendo's ill-fated attempt at a wearable. Right now the Glove1 is exactly that - one white glove - but on the back is a glowing chip of a brain that makes me look like Michael Jackson's cyborg twin, and it
  
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• Get a loaf of this: London dev has best idea since sliced bread

  02-12-2014 17:28
  
  We're starting to think that Bossa Studios is trolling
  everyone. After the ridiculous (but ridiculously
  fun) Surgeon Simulator last year, the
  London-based developer is following up with a game based on a slice
  of bread.
  
  The appropriately named I am Bread is billed
  as "the beautiful story of one slice of bread's epic and emotional
  journey as it embarks upon a quest to become toasted." However!
  Bossa claims there is a deep story to the game, and not all is as
  it
  
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• Updated: iPhone 7: 10 things we'd like to see

  02-12-2014 17:18
  
  What we want to see in the next iPhonesWhat do you think of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus? Apple's biggest (and bendiest) phones are pretty great, but there are still some things we'd like to change. Ten things in fact. These are the top features we think Apple should add to the iPhone 6S and iPhone 7.Update: The iPhone 6S might be here sooner than expected and it may even have a sapphire screen.What would you like to see in the iPhone 6S and iPhone 7? Do let us know in the comments.Cut
  
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• VIDEO: Hawking on internet and humans' fate

  02-12-2014 17:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Professor Stephen Hawking talks to the BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones about the power modern technology has to transform our lives.
  
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• North Korea refuses to deny role in Sony cyber-attack

  02-12-2014 17:14
  
  Experts say there is little hard evidence to point to Pyongyang, but secretive state appears happy to stay on list of suspects Continue reading...
  
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• UCL to open huge tech and engineering campus

  02-12-2014 17:14
  
  University College London (UCL) is to build a huge
  campus on the Olympic Park in a bid to inspire research in
  technology and engineering. UCL East will cover some 11 acres and
  provide 125,000m2 of space for staff and students.
  By: James Temperton, Continue reading...
  
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• HP bolsters big data strategy with Haven OnDemand

  02-12-2014 17:14 via zdnet.com
  
  HP says the iteration allows users to tap into key components of the HP Haven Enterprise platform within minutes.
  
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• EE plans micro-network for not-spots

  02-12-2014 17:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The latest proposed solution to the problem of mobile not-spots is micro-networks, which EE hopes will become widespread over next three years.
  
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• Intel, Stephen Hawking aim to spur assistive technology development

  02-12-2014 17:04 via zdnet.com
  
  Intel outlined an update to Stephen Hawking's communications platform and plans to provide a toolkit that can be used to advance technologies that could help those affected by motor neuron disorders.
  
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• ABN AMRO signs multi-billion dollar outsourcing deal with IBM

  02-12-2014 16:47 via zdnet.com
  
  Netherlands based bank, ABM AMRO signs up with IBM in a 10-year deal which will mean building them a private cloud to cover all the bank's sites.
  
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• App could help track diseases before they spread

  02-12-2014 16:42
  
  A new online database and smartphone app
  could help to combat diseases spread by insects and other pests
  before they cause an epidemic. The system, known a Vecmap,
  combines satellite data with field research to provide in-depth
  information on the spread of diseases.
  
  By combining a smartphone app with a large
  and powerful centralised database it aims to track diseases and the
  bugs that spread them better than ever before. Currently
  individual public health&
  
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• Did North Korea's notorious Unit 121 cyber army hack Sony Pictures?

  02-12-2014 16:02
  
  Reports have pointed the finger at North Korea for the attack which crippled Sony Pictures and leaked documents and movies online• FBI joins probe into possible North Korea hack of Sony PicturesNorth Korea has refused to deny involvement in the hack of Sony Pictures, which crippled the studio’s computers this week and leaked current blockbusters and private documents online.A spokesman for North Korea’s UN mission said: “The hostile forces are relating everything to the DPRK (North Korea
  
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• Doctor Who goes Indie in game bundle

  02-12-2014 16:02
  
  Fancy some (slightly) vintage Doctor
  Who gaming without breaking the bank? You're in luck
  then, as the complete collection of The Adventure
  Games is the highlight of one of this week's Indie
  Bundles.
  
  The Indie Gala 'Monday Bundle' offers all five
  episodes, centred on Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor and
  companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams. The pay-what-you-want bundle
  can be had for as little as $1.99 (about £1.30), with money split
  between develo
  
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• YouTube studio Rooster Teeth launches 'family-friendly' Game Kids channel

  02-12-2014 16:02
  
  Gaming and children’s entertainment are both big on YouTube, so new channel aims to combine the twoYouTube production studio Rooster Teeth has launched a new channel, Game Kids, aimed mainly at children.The channel will focus on games including The Sims and Minecraft, with videos featuring Rooster Teeth staff and their children, and the promise that the content will be “family-friendly”. Continue reading...
  
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• California man first to be convicted under state's revenge porn law

  02-12-2014 15:59
  
  Noe Iniguez sentenced to one year in jail after he was found guilty of posting topless photos of his ex-girlfriend on her employer’s Facebook page Continue reading...
  
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• Living on bitcoin: London pair endure forced fasts but survive month-long challenge

  02-12-2014 15:56
  
  Over the past year thousands of merchants have begun accepting cryptocurrency as a form of payment, with the likes of Dell, Expedia, and even Virgin Galactic jumping aboard the bitcoin bandwagon. Despite this, the idea of actually living by spending nothing but bitcoin still seems to be a long way off.
  
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• China to fine Internet firms Tencent, Baidu for porn - Xinhua

  02-12-2014 15:18
  
  BEIJING (Reuters) - China's ministry of culture said it would fine 11 Internet companies including Tencent Holdings and Baidu for spreading pornography and violence, state news agency Xinhua said on Tuesday. China launched an anti-pornography campaign in April as part of wider efforts to "clean up" the Internet. The move has coincided with a crackdown on online freedom of expression, which has intensified since President Xi Jinping came to power early last year. ...
  
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• Nokia Lumia 830 review: Smart, cheeky design, elegant software - and the end of an era

  02-12-2014 15:10 via zdnet.com
  
  It's got good hardware, good software - so what does Microsoft need to do to make Lumia a success?
  
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• Which e-retailers have good user security?

  02-12-2014 14:49 via zdnet.com
  
  Some web sites have better password rules than others, and some collect more information. The best is Apple, the worst is Sears.
  
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• HP to provide Microsoft Office 365 business services, support

  02-12-2014 14:40 via zdnet.com
  
  HP has announced an extension of its Office 365 relationship with Microsoft with new business services, as well as Exchange Online hosting capabilities in HP datacenters.
  
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