Technology news

• Microsoft exec sees autumn release for Windows 10

  10-12-2014 23:20
  
  SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp expects to have its new Windows 10 operating system on the market by autumn 2015, slightly later than previous comments had suggested. Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner told Japanese news service Nikkei on Wednesday that the new system would be released "early next fall." Microsoft has not publicly set a firm timetable for the release of Windows 10, but only last week suggested the possibility of an earlier release. "By next late summer and ea
  
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• Blip: Minecraft is finally available on Windows Phone now that Microsoft owns it

  10-12-2014 23:09
  
  The unbelievably popular Minecraft is finally available on Windows Phone, which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.After all, Microsoft just bought Minecraft developer Mojang for $2.5 billion (about £1.6b, AU$3b) just a few months ago.Minecraft on Windows Phone is the same $7 (about £4.50, AU$8.50) "Pocket Edition" found on iOS and Android, where it's already been available for around three years. One wonders whether Minecraft would have come to Windows Phone at all if not for th
  
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• Censors loom large over Sony's PlayStation China prospects

  10-12-2014 22:59
  
  By Kazunori Takada SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Sony Corp should fear China's censors almost as much as rival Microsoft Corp as it prepares to unveil the price and release date of its PlayStation 4 gaming console in the world's third-largest gaming market. The announcement, due to be made in Shanghai around 0900 GMT on Thursday, comes hot on the heels of the launch of Microsoft's Xbox console in China as both firms rush to capitalise on the lifting a 14-year ban on foreign gaming consoles
  
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• Uber's bad week: California prosecutors sue car service for unlawful practices

  10-12-2014 22:49
  
  District attorneys for Los Angeles and San Francisco cited spurious ads and fees in a joint lawsuit against the company as complaints mount in US and abroad Continue reading...
  
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• Instagram adds verified profiles with a major milestone

  10-12-2014 22:32
  
  You'll soon finally be able to make certain sure you're following the right Katy Perry on Instagram thanks to the impending addition of verified accounts.Instagram announced the overdue feature simultaneously with a major milestone for the photo-sharing social app: it's reached a mind-blowing 300 million monthly active users.This news comes less than a year since Facebook-owned Instagram reached 200 million users in March, showing the service has seen astounding growth.Instagram's verified profi
  
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• Juncker ‘eased’ Amazon move to Luxembourg

  10-12-2014 22:20
  
  Web retailer’s former tax expert claims EU chief presented himself as a business partner who ‘helped solve problems’ Continue reading...
  
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• Nokia's Here Maps checks in to Google Play now, iOS in 2015

  10-12-2014 22:01
  
  Nokia's Here Maps app has been in beta on Android for some time, and it's now available in the Google Play store.The new maps app is still in beta, but now it's more widely available on Google's platform.Nokia said in a blog post that more than a million users have tried Here Maps on Android, with the most so far concentrated in the US and Germany.The transition for users who currently have the beta version on their Android devices should be simple, since as Nokia points out downloading apps fro
  
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• Google just showed how serious it is about Cardboard

  10-12-2014 21:34
  
  The joke seemed to be on Google when it passed out Cardboard, a virtual reality headset literally made of cardboard, at last year's IO conference. But today, the Google Glass maker showed it's quite serious about the headset by announcing updates for users, developers and makers alike. Oh, and it just happened to let slip that there are over half a million Cardboard "viewers," as it calls it, in people's hands.Google said it has been "working to improve" Cardboard ever since
  
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• Current connections not up to standard: Juniper Networks

  10-12-2014 21:30 via zdnet.com
  
  Juniper Networks' Global Bandwidth Index 2014 has revealed that the majority of Australians are not completely satisfied with the speed of their current bandwidth connection.
  
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• Google's new Hangouts feature is neat, though kind of creepy

  10-12-2014 21:04
  
  Google has updated Hangouts for Android with a helpful new feature for those who don't mind the app actively listening in on their conversations.By paying attention to what you're saying, Hangouts can offer what Google calls "smart suggestions."For example if a friend asks where you are, the app can prompt you to share your location with them directly. Google Hangouts engineer Rhett Robinson described this feature on Google Plus as "the start of something new," though for now
  
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• US navy shows off ship-based laser weapon in Persian Gulf

  10-12-2014 20:53
  
  The 30-kilowatt laser is capable of destroying targets on speeding boats or even aircraft with pin-point accuracy, officials have said Continue reading...
  
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• Review: updated: Lenovo N20p Chromebook

  10-12-2014 20:15
  
  Introduction, design and performanceLenovo's N20p Chromebook ($329, £210, AU$380) is the one of the first multi-mode Chromebooks, which is an accomplishment all on its own. With just a flip of the keyboard, this Chromebook transforms from laptop to tablet mode. When you consider that the device is only 3.1 pounds, is sleek and perfect for everyday use, you'll fall in love with this machine. It's more expensive than other leading, laptop-only Chromebooks, such as the Acer C720 Chromebook (starti
  
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• The mystery of where Earth's water came from deepens

  10-12-2014 20:01
  
  The mystery of where Earth's water came from got murkier Wednesday when some astronomers essentially eliminated one of the chief suspects: comets. Over the past few months, the European Space Agency's ...
  
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• Android Wear Lollipop update adds more custom watch faces to the mix

  10-12-2014 19:43
  
  Android 5.0 Lollipop for Android Wear is starting to roll out right now, placing a major emphasis on custom watch faces for Google's wrist-worn wearable line. A host of watch faces are now available from Google Play, and include designs centered around PAC-MAN, Despicable Me, Plants vs Zombies, Porsche and much, much more. With the update, users can add and swap out Android Wear watch faces using the companion phone app.Technically the update is based on Android 5.0 and implements API 21, but we
  
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• Congress told US lags other nations on drones

  10-12-2014 19:15
  
  Commercial drone flights are taking off in other countries while the U.S. lags behind in developing safety regulations that would permit unmanned aircraft operations by a wide array of industries, witnesses ...
  
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• Sony CEO ordered 'The Interview' toned down, Rogen objected - emails

  10-12-2014 19:12
  
  By Jim Finkle and James Pearson NEW YORK/SEOUL (Reuters) - Sony Corp. Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai ordered the film "The Interview" to be toned down after Pyongyang denounced it for depicting the assassination of North Korea's leader, according to emails apparently stolen from Sony's Hollywood studio. The comedy, slated for U.S. release on Dec. 25, is about journalists played by Seth Rogen and James Franco who are hired by the CIA to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. ...
  
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• Book Reviews: SAP Nation and Stacking the Deck

  10-12-2014 18:17 via zdnet.com
  
  Two very good books, one documenting the massive SAP ecosystem and the challenges now confronting all within it. The other details, in a very personalized but highly transferable way, how major change should be undertaken. Both are great books for IT professionals, software executives and top executives.
  
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• Instagram crosses 300 million users, edges past Twitter

  10-12-2014 18:14
  
  (Reuters) - Facebook Inc's photo-sharing service, Instagram, said it had more than 300 million users, sharing over 70 million photos and videos each day. Microblogging service Twitter Inc has 284 million active users, according to its website. (http://bit.ly/1mjyzhm) Four-year-old Instagram crossed 200 million users in March. The service, bought by Facebook in April 2012, also said in a blog that users would now see a "verified" badge for celebrities, athletes and brands as Instag
  
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• Uber sued in California over driver background checks

  10-12-2014 17:50
  
  Taxi app faces court after state prosecutors accuse firm of false advertising over extent of checks Continue reading...
  
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• France plans to auction mobile spectrum to operators in late 2015

  10-12-2014 17:46
  
  PARIS (Reuters) - France plans to attribute mobile spectrum in 700 megahertz band to national telecom operators in December 2015, the prime minister's office said in a statement on Wednesday. Now used by television broadcasters, the spectrum is expected to be used by companies like Orange, Numericable-SFR, Bouygues Telecom, and Iliad to improve broadband speeds when people surf the web from smartphones or tablets. The transfer of the mobile licences will take effect between October 1, 2017
  
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• Instagram now has 300m users sharing 70m photos and videos a day

  10-12-2014 17:43
  
  Facebook-owned app reveals plans to add verified badges for celebrities and brands, as well as crackdown on spam accounts Continue reading...
  
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• Review: Updated: Sony Xperia Z3

  10-12-2014 17:38
  
  Introduction and designThe Sony Xperia Z3 isn't a phone that you'd have thought would make a lot of sense. After all, the Xperia Z2 was a nifty little handset and yet it's now been replaced barely six months later.The new phone, from the outside at least, doesn't seem to add much more into the mix, merely improving things a little more and tweaking elements that were already pretty good. So has Sony really done enough?The Xperia Z3, which lands alongside a new tablet and mini phone to complete t
  
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• Sony SmartWatch 3 review: Goodbye MOTOACTV, hello future of Android Wear

  10-12-2014 17:11 via zdnet.com
  
  The Sony SmartWatch 3 earns a permanent spot on Matthew's wrist thanks to its ability to serve as an activity tracker, smartwatch, and GPS fitness device.
  
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• Sony SmartWatch 3: in pictures

  10-12-2014 17:01 via zdnet.com
  
  Sony's SmartWatch 3 includes technology not present in any other Android Wear device, which makes it useful now and into the future.
  
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• Instagram now bigger than Twitter

  10-12-2014 16:59 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The photo sharing app has announced a milestone in user numbers and launched verified accounts.
  
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• Destiny: The Dark Below - should players stomach the cost?

  10-12-2014 16:54
  
  New expansion for Destiny improves the storytelling, offers up a new raid and strikes and widens the selection of multiplayer maps – but does not come cheap Continue reading...
  
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• California sues Uber in startup's latest legal woe

  10-12-2014 16:14
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California prosecutors sued Uber over the ride-booking company's driver background checks and other allegations, adding to the popular startup's legal woes in the U.S. and around the world.
  
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• Tech summit addresses industry's lack of diversity

  10-12-2014 16:11
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson spent most of this year pressuring the technology industry into facing up to the glaring scarcity of women, blacks and Latinos at companies renowned as great places to work.
  
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• U.S. manufacturers group opposes stricter Internet regulations

  10-12-2014 15:50
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. National Association of Manufacturers on Wednesday wrote to congressional and Federal Communications Commission leaders to oppose potential stricter regulations for Internet service providers. The FCC is working on new rules that would dictate Internet service providers' freedom to manage web traffic on their networks, aiming to ensure that ISPs do not discriminate against any content in ways that could harm competition or consumers. ...
  
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• Wearables: Now you see them, but soon you won't

  10-12-2014 15:39 via zdnet.com
  
  In three years, 30 percent of smart wearables will be inconspicuous to the eye, say analysts, Gartner.
  
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• Google speeds web searches on Android

  10-12-2014 15:13 via zdnet.com
  
  Websites and apps should load faster from Google search for users of Chrome for Android following moves to prioritise slow-loading resources.
  
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• Dr. Phil's startup launches video visits with U.S. therapists

  10-12-2014 15:07
  
  By Christina Farr SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Doctor On Demand is the latest Silicon Valley startup to bet that people will turn to mobile devices for confidential counselling. The company has launched a web and mobile service to connect people with its network of U.S. psychologists. The Doctor On Demand app is available on mobile devices with both Google Inc's Android and Apple Inc's iOS platforms. Doctor On Demand was founded by daytime talk show personality Dr. Phillip McGraw, popular
  
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• Errrm, what's a tweet, again? Top execs lack digital skills

  10-12-2014 14:35 via zdnet.com
  
  Is a lack of non-executive directors with digital experience holding back businesses?
  
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• Uber faces more bans and lawsuits

  10-12-2014 14:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Uber's week just got worse as it faces a lawsuit in California and Los Angeles as well as bans in India, Spain and Thailand.
  
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• Computer says no? Facebook's plan to scrap the drunken selfie

  10-12-2014 14:02
  
  Artificial intelligence being developed to identify embarrassing photos and ask if users really want to post them on the social networkThe end of the shameful drunken selfie could be nigh: Facebook is developing artificial intelligence that will ask if users really want to post pictures of themselves and friends under the influence.
  The “deep learning” system will analyse photos and other Facebook actions and identify potentially embarrassing elements. Continue reading...
  
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• No Man's Sky – and why the Minecraft generation will reject Call of Duty

  10-12-2014 13:33
  
  The makers of this much-anticipated interplanetary adventure believe a new era of players will demand very different experiences from their games
  Continue reading...
  
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• Apple iMac with Retina 5K display review: Outstanding display, competitive price

  10-12-2014 13:25 via zdnet.com
  Apple's latest iMac combines an outstanding 5K display with enhanced performance to provide an impressive all-in-one workstation for video and graphics applications. Internal upgrade options are limited, but the price is currently unmatched by any of Apple's rivals.
  
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• Swedish police raid sinks The Pirate Bay

  10-12-2014 13:24
  
  Officers seized computer and server equipment that has taken the piracy site and others offlineSwedish police have raided and seized computer and server equipment in Stockholm, taking the notorious piracy site the Pirate Bay offline.
  The site, which has survived the arrest and jailing of its founders, several attempts to remove it from the internet and blockade by internet service providers (ISPs) in the UK and internationally, has been unavailable for more than 24 hours. Continue reading...
  
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• Pirate Bay goes offline after raid

  10-12-2014 13:21 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Pirate Bay, arguably the most well-known website for accessing pirated content, has been taken offline following a police raid in Sweden.
  
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• VIDEO: Astronaut sets space challenge

  10-12-2014 13:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  UK astronaut Tim Peake has invited members of the public to suggest digital experiments to be carried out in space.
  
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• FBI doubts North Korea link to Sony Pictures hack

  10-12-2014 12:51
  
  Investigators find no evidence of North Korean involvement in the studio’s crippling hack, but criticise its poor securityThe FBI has questioned North Korea’s involvement in the cyberattack that crippled Sony Pictures computers and leaked confidential data and films.
  A senior FBI official said that they had been unable to confirm links between the hack and Pyongyang or affiliated groups. Continue reading...
  
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• Review: Honor 6

  10-12-2014 12:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  IntroductionWith Google seemingly turning its back on the whole affordable flagship phone concept with the Nexus 6, it appears you have to look to China for your Android bargains these days. Following the template set by the OnePlus One, the Honor 6 (from Huawei) provides high-end specs for just £249.99.That's actually a little more expensive than the OnePlus One, but at least you don't have to jump through hoops to buy one - the Honor 6 can be purchased through good old Amazon right now.Huawei
  
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• Theresa May: data law could have helped catch more paedophiles

  10-12-2014 12:39
  
  Home secretary claims measures in communications data bill could have been used to fight child sex offenders online Continue reading...
  
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• Nvidia Shield review: a portable powerhouse for gamers

  10-12-2014 12:32
  
  Now supporting Nvidia’s Grid streaming service and ready for Android 5.0 Lollipop, the Shield tablet is an attractive proposition to on-the-go gamers
  Nvidia’s original Shield took us somewhat by surprise - a hybrid of handheld gaming device and tablet, it was solid but not something with wide appeal. Then, in August, the company announced the Shield Tablet - a second attempt at bringing its gaming-focused device to the mass market.The Shield might not look out of the ordinary, but with Nvidi
  
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• With new chiefs steering Europe's digital destiny, can the vision for a single telecoms market survive?

  10-12-2014 12:28 via zdnet.com
  
  After a changing of the guard at the top of the European Commission, Europe is once again turning up the heat on its plan to have a digital single market across the continent.
  
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• VIDEO: What were 2014's top tweets?

  10-12-2014 11:34 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC News looks at the topics that preoccupied UK Twitter users in 2014.
  
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• Facebook London checks in to a new identity

  10-12-2014 11:27
  
  The social network’s UK headquarters searches for a hit in its drive to be more than a satellite officeFacebook’s new London office in Euston, which occupies three floors of a gleaming glass-and-steel tower, is a sign of an outpost maturing into its role as an embassy for one of the world’s biggest technology groups.Gone is the cosy office in Covent Garden, replaced by something big enough to host double the number of staff, providing ample room to grow. Continue reading...
  
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• Bright spark Jake Dyson has designed an LED light that lasts for 40 years

  10-12-2014 11:00
  
  The light, called Ariel, has taken four years to get its performance to the standard Dyson, son of Sir James, wanted■ See more from the 20 innovations for 2015 series Continue reading...
  
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• Young inventor’s intelligent food expiry label could save tonnes of needless waste

  10-12-2014 11:00
  
  Solveiga Pakštaité’s award-winning design, Bump Mark, ingeniously uses gelatine to indicate when food has gone off■ See more from the 20 innovations for 2015 series
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• Sense: A gadget to change the way we sleep

  10-12-2014 11:00
  
  James Proud’s sleep monitoring device is a step beyond those on the market, sensing a range of environmental factors to help you get a better night’s sleep■ See more from the 20 innovations for 2015 series Continue reading...
  
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