Technology news

• Microsoft's microservices vision for Azure starts taking shape

  03-12-2014 23:58 via zdnet.com
  
  Microsoft is building a new platform called Azure BizTalk Microservices that could be key to what's next for the company on the cloud platform-as-a-service front.
  
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• Qualcomm antitrust probe in China to trigger patent wars

  03-12-2014 23:55 via zdnet.com
  
  Chinese regulators will end Qualcomm's 'reverse patent licence' practice that allows the chip makers' clients to employ each other's patents free of charge, Chinese reports said this week, indicating that the patent wars between smartphone makers are likely to begin.
  
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• NASA's Mission to Mars Starts Here

  03-12-2014 23:49
  
  Cue the Rocky theme song. Because come Thursday morning, an American spacecraft will undergo a rigorous training gauntlet not seen since the Apollo moon-landing era.
  
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• Industries stall on environmental investments: Fujitsu

  03-12-2014 23:41 via zdnet.com
  
  A Fujitsu research has highlighted that while Australian industries are using IT to achieve improved emissions management, they've stalled in the last two years and have therefore missed out on financial benefits.
  
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• Firefox deal could bolster Yahoo search share

  03-12-2014 23:17 via zdnet.com
  
  Early data from StatCounter indicates that Yahoo could get a usage bump from a deal to be the default search provider.
  
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• Review: mini review: Razer Leviathan

  03-12-2014 22:55 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Just when you think you really know a company, it goes and releases something completely out of left-field. Take Razer: historically, it’s been a peddler of pointers and the king of keyboards. Just look at the venerable Razer BlackWidow Ultimate or Razer DeathAdder Chroma.The $199 (£159, AU$279) Leviathan is many things for Razer. It’s Razer’s first sound bar, mainly, but also its first step into your living room and the consoles that live there. It’s the first product from Razer that c
  
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• Review: Mac mini 2014

  03-12-2014 22:50 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Introduction and designFirst launched in 2005, Apple's Mac mini has never received the same design plaudits as the MacBook Air, but it has been almost as influential upon the competition. The titular computer's square shape, minimal appearance and compact nature can be seen in devices such as Intel's NUC, Samsung's Chromebox and, more recently, Sky's Now TV box.Even so, it's fair to say that the Mac mini probably hasn't received as much love as Apple's other products over the years. It's a safe
  
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• Microsoft ex-CEO Ballmer, activist Jesse Jackson pep up annual meet

  03-12-2014 22:49
  
  By Bill Rigby BELLEVUE, Wash. (Reuters) - Former Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson livened up the technology company's annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, grabbing the spotlight from the current leaders on stage. Ballmer, who retired as CEO in February but is still the company's biggest individual shareholder, sat next to Jackson in the second row of the Meydenbauer Center auditorium, packed with about 400 shareholders. He chatted
  
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• Google to introduce child-friendly versions of products - USA Today

  03-12-2014 22:39
  
  (Reuters) - Google Inc plans to roll out child-friendly versions of its most popular products in a bid to be "fun and safe for children", USA Today reported, quoting Pavni Diwanji, the company's vice president of engineering. The company will likely create specific versions of its search, YouTube and Chrome products for children aged 12 and under, USA Today reported, adding that Google did not provide a timeline for the rollout. (http://usat. ...
  
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• IoT boom signals possible network capacity overload: IDC

  03-12-2014 22:37 via zdnet.com
  
  As part of its FutureScape prediction series for 2015, IDC looked at the impending IoT space from a broad spectrum of angles, including network capacity, security and cloud.
  
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• Sony Pictures denounces 'brazen' cyberattack but downplays North Korea role

  03-12-2014 22:30
  
  In memo to staff, the company told staff ‘large amount’ of confidential information, including movies and personnel files, was stolenWhy North Korea might not be to blame for the Sony Pictures hack Continue reading...
  
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• Sony investigators find links to North Korea in hack probe

  03-12-2014 22:23
  
  By Jim Finkle (Reuters) - Hackers used tools in a devastating cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment that were based on ones used in similar attacks conducted against South Korea by North Korea, a person familiar with the company's investigation said on Wednesday. The person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss Sony's probe into the attack which is being led by FireEye's Mandiant forensics unit, said that investigators made the connection to North Korea as they reviewe
  
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• Sony denies it will soon name N Korea as hacker

  03-12-2014 21:38
  
  Sony Pictures said Wednesday that the investigation into the cyberattack that crippled its computer systems is continuing and denied a report that it is poised to name North Korea as the culprit. Earlier ...
  
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• EMC's Spanning announces plans for Microsoft Office 365 integration

  03-12-2014 21:33
  
  Spanning, formerly Spanning Backup, will launch a Microsoft Office 365 data backup and recovery tool in the first half of 2015, Spanning President and CEO Jeff Erramouspe has revealed. Spanning was acquired by EMC in October. The SaaS backup and recovery tool is available for Google Apps, Salesforce and other products, but so far Office has been left out of the party.That will change next year, Erramouspe said. What it doesSpanning for Microsoft Office 365 will let users back up data from smartp
  
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• Microsoft might add Cortana to Windows 10 in January

  03-12-2014 21:06
  
  It's been thought that Microsoft would release a Windows 10 consumer preview in January, and while that may still happen there's a new rumor too: that Cortana will arrive in a separate Windows 10 preview next month.That's according to CNET's sources, who said Microsoft will add Cortana to a Windows 10 Technical Preview in January 2015.The January Tech Preview will reportedly be separate from the rumored consumer preview, and it will be followed by a February Tech Preview, March Tech Preview and
  
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• George Osborne’s Google tax doesn’t add up to a radical reform

  03-12-2014 20:50
  
  Chancellor trumpeted his diverted profits tax as a far-reaching crackdown but the reality may not be so ambitious Continue reading...
  
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• Former CEO Ballmer, activist Jesse Jackson enliven Microsoft meeting

  03-12-2014 20:43
  
  By Bill Rigby BELLEVUE, Wash. (Reuters) - Former Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson livened up the technology company's annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, grabbing the spotlight from the current leaders on stage. Ballmer, who retired as CEO in February but is still the company's biggest individual shareholder, sat next to Jackson in the second row of the Meydenbauer Center here, filled with about 400 shareholders. He chatt
  
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• Sony investigators find links to North Korea in attack probe - source

  03-12-2014 20:37
  
  By Jim Finkle (Reuters) - Hackers used tools in a devastating cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment that were based on ones used in similar attacks conducted against South Korea by North Korea, a person familiar with the company's investigation said on Wednesday. The person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss Sony's probe into the attack which is being led by FireEye's Mandiant forensics unit, said that investigators made the connection to North Korea as they reviewe
  
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• Microsoft shareholders approve $84 million CEO pay

  03-12-2014 20:25
  
  Microsoft shareholders have approved an $84 million pay package for new CEO Satya Nadella, despite concerns raised by an investor advisory group. The tech giant has seen strong financial performance and ...
  
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• Linux Foundation finds enterprise Linux growing at Windows' expense

  03-12-2014 20:13 via zdnet.com
  
  According to a new report from The Linux Foundation, Linux is leading Windows on both the cloud and in enterprise application deployments.
  
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• To Gouge an Asteroid

  03-12-2014 20:02
  
  Armed with a high-speed explosive bullet and powered by an ion engine, a Japanese space explorer blasted off Wednesday on a six-year hunt for an asteroid. Launched by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Hayabusa2 detached from its space rocket at 1:09 a.m. EST Wednesday morning and will rendezvous with its target, asteroid 1999 JU3, in 2018. After excavating the space rock’s surface for 18 months, the predator probe will return with its expected bounty—organic materials believe
  
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• Japan and the Art of Asteroid Hunting

  03-12-2014 20:02
  
  Armed with a high-speed explosive bullet and powered by an ion engine, a Japanese space explorer blasted off Wednesday on a six-year hunt for an asteroid. Launched by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Hayabusa2 detached from its space rocket at 1:09 a.m. EST Wednesday morning and will rendezvous with its target, asteroid 1999 JU3, in 2018. After excavating the space rock’s surface for 18 months, the predator probe will return with its expected bounty—organic materials believe
  
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• YotaPhone 2: An Android smartphone with two displays

  03-12-2014 19:58 via zdnet.com
  
  Want an Android smartphone, but want something that's a bit different? How about a handset that has two displays? Yes, you read that right. Two displays.
  
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• Sony to name North Korea as source behind cyber attack - tech blog

  03-12-2014 19:52
  
  (Reuters) - Sony Corp's Sony Pictures Entertainment will name North Korea as the source of the hacking attack that knocked out the company's computer systems for over a week, tech blog Re/code reported, citing two sources close to the investigation. North Korean government has denounced as "an act of war" the film "The Interview", a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Sony could make the announcement as soon as later on Wednesday,
  
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• Microsoft shareholders approve $84 billion CEO pay

  03-12-2014 19:50
  
  Microsoft shareholders have approved an $84 billion pay package for new CEO Satya Nadella, despite concerns raised by an investor advisory group. The tech giant has seen strong financial performance and ...
  
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• What's a CRomnibus? Washington creates a word

  03-12-2014 19:40
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Take an obscure abbreviation, add insider-speak and you end up with the latest version of Washington argot.
  
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• HP boasts of boosted printing security and mobility for enterprise

  03-12-2014 19:39
  HP today announced incoming updates to its JetAdvantage printing solutions portfolio that it says will "help enterprise organizations more easily and securely print from mobile devices."One such update comes to HP Access Control, bringing it up to version 14.2 and adding end-to-end encryption while reportedly reducing unnecessary costs for businesses.HP Access Control 14.2 also adds support for HP's Officejet Pro X line as well as Unix and Linux systems. The update is available now.Mea
  
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• U.S. urges banks to consider cyber risk insurance amid hacking threats

  03-12-2014 19:18
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Banks should consider cyber risk insurance to help deal with the financial fall-out from the growing threat of cyber attacks, a top U.S. regulator said on Wednesday. Bankers and officials have become more vocal lately about concerns that malicious hacks could put customer data and the stability of the financial system at risk. Cyber insurance will not stop hackers, but it can help banks improve their broader cyber controls, Treasury Deputy Secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin told
  
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• Driverless car UK test cities named

  03-12-2014 19:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Bristol, London, Coventry and Milton Keynes are selected as the hosts of driverless car tests set to begin in 2015.
  
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• Google and Facebook will have more than half of UK digital ad market

  03-12-2014 19:00
  
  Advertising on websites, smartphones, video and social media will see UK operations make £4.1bn in 2015, according to report Continue reading...
  
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• Yotaphone 2 with dual displays goes on sale for £555

  03-12-2014 19:00
  
  Back in February Yota Devices unveiled the second version of its
  two-faced smartphone. A lot has happened since then in the world of
  phones -- Sony has released two new flagships in the in-between
  period alone -- but finally the YotaPhone 2 is going on sale.
  
  The phone will cost £555 in the UK and will be priced at around
  700 euros in countries across Europe. If you want to get hold of
  one you can pick one up online or in the first YotaPhone Store off
  Brick Lane in Shoreditch, London.
  By: K
  
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• Yotaphone 2 arrives as 'the phone with two fronts'

  03-12-2014 19:00
  
  What's better than a touchscreen on a smartphone? Two of them of course! And that's exactly what the newly launched YotaPhone 2 offers.We first saw this device at MWC 2015 back in February, but it's taken the Russian firm over eight months to get the handset out the door.On the front of this unique device is a relatively standard 5-inch, full HD AMOLED display, but turn it over and you'll find an always-on 4.7-inch E-Ink screen, both of which are protected by Gorilla Glass 3.Both are full touchs
  
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• Hands-on review: Yotaphone 2

  03-12-2014 19:00
  
  Introduction and designWe've had the Yotaphone 2 for over a week and we're putting the finishing touches to our full review. In the meantime take a look through our extensive hands on.It's not often you come across a truly unique device in the smartphone market, but the Yotaphone 2 is exactly that. Unique.From the front it looks like any other Android smartphone, but flip it over and you're greeted with a second, all-touch display - only it's an E-Ink screen similar to those found on ereaders.Th
  
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• Brian May: act now to stop asteroids destroying humanity

  03-12-2014 19:00
  
  Queen guitarist Brian May has warned that our obliteration is
  inevitable unless we take the threat of asteroid impacts seriously.
  May, who has PHD in astrophysics, called for a global effort to
  ensure a 100-fold increase in the detection and monitoring of
  asteroids.
  By: James Temperton, Continue reading...
  
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• HP to sell Alcatel-Lucent network-enabled cloud solutions

  03-12-2014 18:54 via zdnet.com
  
  The idea is to reduce network complexity while boosting IT agility for mutual enterprise customers.
  
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• Luxottica signs deal with Intel to develop hi-tech glasses

  03-12-2014 18:53
  
  By Valentina Za MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's Luxottica is joining forces with U.S. chipmaker Intel Corp to develop glasses that combine its top fashion brands with technology that could allow wearers to access information about their health or location. The world's biggest eyewear maker said on Wednesday the frames developed with Intel would serve very specific purposes, and would not compete with its existing deal to manufacture and distribute Google Inc's Internet-connected glasses
  
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• Google's new Captcha can tell you're human from a single click

  03-12-2014 18:51
  
  It's almost a given at this point that robots will one day attempt to destroy the human race - even Stephen Hawking thinks so - and currently only one thing stands in their way: the Captcha.These internet puzzles, which ask users to decipher some visual code or enter certain words or characters, are designed to tell the differences between human and computer users.These riddles keep getting more and more complicated, but Google now says it has a better, simpler and more effective solution: a sin
  
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• VIDEO: Rare photos: When Jobs quit Apple

  03-12-2014 18:48 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Photographer Doug Menuez, who was given rare access to the time when Steve Jobs left Apple and created Next, publishes the images.
  
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• MylifeB social network aims to pay users for posting

  03-12-2014 18:47 via zdnet.com
  
  New social network MylifeB launched this week with a promise to make your life better - and reward you for content creation.
  
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• Facebook forges partnership with IT security vendor ESET

  03-12-2014 18:30 via zdnet.com
  
  The goal of the alliance is to prevent malicious links from populating Facebook user News Feeds and Messages.
  
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• Review: Basis Peak

  03-12-2014 18:30
  
  Introduction, design and interfaceA few months ago I jumped on the wearable bandwagon and picked up a Basis B1 Carbon Steel. It was the perfect choice for me because I wanted a smartwatch that did more than flash notifications at me. At the same time, I was on a health kick and I wanted to get an activity tracker. The original Basis was an obvious pick thanks to its litany of biosensors reading my burned calories, steps, plus much more with my heart rate and sleeping patterns.Since introducing t
  
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• Warners kills it with Will Smith in Suicide Squad movie

  03-12-2014 18:27
  
  Suicide Squad, Warner Bros' first movie in its expanded
  DC Cinematic Universe, has finalised its cast and is set to start
  shooting in February. Perhaps the biggest surprise in the casting
  is Will Smith, who will be playing mercenary Deadshot.
  Although rumoured to be circling the film for a while, signing a
  headline name like Smith was considered something of an outside
  chance.
  
  The rest of the team of comic book supervillains is rounded out
  by Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang,&nbs
  
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• Warner Bros kills it with Will Smith in Suicide Squad movie

  03-12-2014 18:27
  
  Suicide Squad, Warner Bros' first movie in its expanded
  DC Cinematic Universe, has finalised its cast and is set to start
  shooting in February. Perhaps the biggest surprise in the casting
  is Will Smith, who will be playing mercenary Deadshot.
  Although rumoured to be circling the film for a while, signing a
  headline name like Smith was considered something of an outside
  chance.
  
  The rest of the team of comic book supervillains is rounded out
  by Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang,&nbs
  
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• London joins coalition of cybercrime-fighting cities

  03-12-2014 18:20
  
  As crimes of a virtual nature increasingly start to affect the
  daily lives of citizens, cities world over are joining forces and
  sharing practices and expertise in a bid to build their defences
  against invisible threats. 
  
  Announced today in Singapore by the Rockefeller Foundation --
  amid 330 global contenders -- London became one of 35 new cities to
  join an already 60-strong network of global cities, all united in
  the fight against cyber-crime and emerging digital
  threats. 
  By: Em
  
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• With millions in new funding, Misfit eyes the smart home

  03-12-2014 18:15
  
  With $40 million (about £25.5m, AU$47.5m) in new funding, wearable maker Misfit is looking to expand its reach in China - and beyond wearables into the smart home."People like the stuff that we've got, but we need to get more products out, and faster," Misfit co-founder and CEO Sonny Vu told Re/code.He didn't go into detail, saying only that Misfit plans to launch "several smart home products over the next few quarters."In addition Misfit will focus on its existing fitness b
  
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• Google simplifies reCAPTCHA challenges

  03-12-2014 18:08 via zdnet.com
  
  The ubiquitous CAPTCHA service now relies more on behavioral factors below the surface of the site. Normally, users shouldn't have to parse fuzzy text anymore.
  
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• Turn your PC into a touch-enabled PC

  03-12-2014 17:58 via zdnet.com
  
  It's easy to touch-enable your existing Windows PC, and to do so without breaking the bank! Here are a few recommendation, along with a few pros and cons for each method.
  
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• What's next for Windows 10?

  03-12-2014 17:53 via zdnet.com
  
  Microsoft is working on its next preview releases of Windows 10 for desktops, mobile devices and servers. Here's the latest from tipsters about what to expect when.
  
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• Tax move on banks and multinationals

  03-12-2014 17:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A crackdown on tax breaks for banks and tax avoidance by multinational firms will raise about £5bn, the chancellor announces in the Autumn Statement.
  
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• Americans watch less TV, stream more, report shows

  03-12-2014 17:32
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are turning away from live TV on the tube and tuning in to streaming services, a Nielsen report says.
  
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