Technology news

• Sony faces 2nd class action suit over data breach

  16-12-2014 23:55
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — A second class action lawsuit has been filed against Sony Pictures Entertainment by two former employees whose private data was stolen from the company's servers and posted online.
  
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• Ministry mega-merger faces IT challenges

  16-12-2014 23:54 via zdnet.com
  
  Some systems are yet to be scoped following the merger of four large New Zealand government departments in 2012.
  
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• Review: Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e Chromebook

  16-12-2014 22:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Introduction, design and featuresLenovo, the folks behind the original flip-and-fold, 2-in-1 laptop design with the first Yoga, brought the rotating screen to the Chromebook market with the Lenovo N20p. That stylish notebook could rotate its screen almost – but not quite – 360 degrees. Now, the company comes full circle with the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e, the first Chromebook with a fully flippable lid.The Yoga is also one of the few Chromebooks on the market with a truly rugged exterior. Des
  
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• Data retention may have helped police in Sydney siege: Abbott

  16-12-2014 22:01 via zdnet.com
  
  Although the man involved in a fatal siege in Sydney on Monday was well known to police and out on bail, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said that retaining every Australian's telecommunications data for two years may have helped police in the incident.
  
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• Google might battle Amazon with its own 'buy' button for Shopping results

  16-12-2014 21:53
  
  Google is reportedly looking to amp up its Google Shopping efforts with the addition of a "buy now" button.That's according to the Wall Street Journal, which says Google wants to "more directly challenge Amazon" with Google Shopping.Sources told the site that Google has been chatting up retailers about including the "buy" button in its Google Shopping search results rather than redirecting users to retailers' own websites.Google letting shoppers buy directly where t
  
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• Virtual galleries open new markets for art

  16-12-2014 21:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Online art sales boom, led by Chinese buyers
  
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• Apple wins class-action lawsuit over iPod prices

  16-12-2014 21:42
  
  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A federal jury decided Tuesday that Apple didn't compete unfairly when it sold music players and songs with copy-protection software that was incompatible with rival devices and music from competing online stores.
  
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• Apple cleared in billion-dollar iPod antitrust lawsuit

  16-12-2014 21:22
  
  Oakland court finds decade-old iPod software preventing users from downloading music from competitors not illegal corporate behaviour Continue reading...
  
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• Taylor Swift's Spotify exodus might actually change something, sort of

  16-12-2014 21:04
  
  The war between Taylor Swift and Spotify, which saw a mass exodus of Swift's songs from the service and the company responding by pointing out all the money she's missed out on because of that, may have elicited some change on Spotify's end. Sort of.As anyone might have predicted, it's Spotify, not the singer, who's eating crow on this one, though this probably isn't the shift Swift was hoping for."What it has highlighted for us is we need to do a better job explaining to artists how stream
  
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• Foreign criminals’ data taken off police records

  16-12-2014 20:45
  
  Biometrics commissioner warns privacy laws meant to protect innocent could also guard those committing offences abroad Continue reading...
  
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• Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet Ultra looks so powerful it could be an actual monster

  16-12-2014 20:45
  The Sony Xperia Z4 Ultra was first rumored literally yesterday, December 15, and now we're seeing a related leak: an Xperia Z4 Tablet Ultra with absolutely monstrous specs. Allegedly, at least.Chinese site Padnews has a full specs sheet for us to gaze longingly at, and it includes such beastly bullet points as a 12.9-inch 3840 x 2400 LED display, a 2.86GHz Snapdragon 810 chip, 64GB of storage, and 6GB (6GB!) of memory.The Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet Ultra might also reportedly have an HDMI 1.4 input j
  
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• Apple defeats $1bn case over iTunes

  16-12-2014 20:44 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Technology behemoth Apple has been found not guilty of engaging in anti-competitive behaviour by a jury in California.
  
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• Sony hackers reference 9/11 in new threats against theaters

  16-12-2014 20:37
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hackers calling themselves Guardians of Peace made ominous threats Tuesday against movie theaters showing Sony Pictures' film "The Interview" that referenced the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
  
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• Artist's 'Angry Birds' lawsuit goes forward

  16-12-2014 20:36
  
  SEATTLE (AP) — A federal judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit by a Seattle artist who says she was cheated out of millions of dollars when the company that sold her line of plush pet toys called "Angry Birds" reached a deal with the Finnish company that makes the insanely popular video game of the same name.
  
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• Ex-employees sue Sony Pictures over hacked personal details

  16-12-2014 20:35
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Two former employees of Sony Pictures Entertainment are suing the company for not preventing hackers from stealing nearly 50,000 social security numbers, salary details and other personal information from current and former workers.
  
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• The Magic of Beer and Magnets

  16-12-2014 20:29
  
  Beer foam is a noted fun-killer. Few things ruin the enjoyment of a cold one more than having your hands and clothes drenched in your drink. But now, Belgian food scientists have found a way to prevent this party-foul: with magnets!
  
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• Jeb Bush says he is 'actively exploring' run for presidency in 2016

  16-12-2014 20:22
  
  Former Florida governor would be third Bush in White HouseFacebook and Twitter statement signals search for wealthy donorsSuzanne Goldenberg: Jeb may be ‘the smart brother’ – but he’s a climate denier Gustavo Arellano: Jeb Bush is not the white knight Latinos have been waiting for Continue reading...
  
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• Apple wins class-action iPod lawsuit

  16-12-2014 20:14
  
  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — After just a few hours of deliberation, a jury in California found in favor of Apple on Tuesday in a billion-dollar class-action lawsuit over the price of its iPod music players.
  
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• Amazon refuses to compensate sellers for 1p price glitch

  16-12-2014 20:05
  
  Retailers say they have also been offered nothing by third-party company whose software caused the problem Continue reading...
  
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• Apple wins digital music U.S. antitrust trial

  16-12-2014 19:28
  
  By Dan Levine OAKLAND (Reuters) - Apple Inc won an antitrust trial on Tuesday when a U.S. jury decided the company did not act improperly when it restricted music purchases for iPod users to Apple's iTunes digital store. The verdict was read in an Oakland, California federal court. Patrick Coughlin, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said "the jury called it like they saw it." An Apple lawyer referred questions to the company, which did not have an immediate comment. The plaintiffs,
  
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• Sony hacks: Sorkin says media are 'morally treasonous'

  16-12-2014 19:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Aaron Sorkin blasts Sony hack stories
  
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• Lastminute.com sold in £76m deal

  16-12-2014 19:10 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Lastminute.com, the firm which came to fame at the height of the dot.com boom, has been sold to Swiss travel firm Bravofly Rumbo for $120m (£76m).
  
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• T-Mobile to let customers carry over unused data

  16-12-2014 18:09
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — T-Mobile will now let customers carry over their unused cellular-data allotments.
  
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• VIDEO: Testing out paying by gloves

  16-12-2014 17:38 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The first contactless payment gloves are being trialled in stores in the run up to Christmas - Rory Cellan-Jones put them to the test.
  
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• Skype gets real-time translating tool

  16-12-2014 17:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Microsoft launches the test version of a new Skype tool which translates foreign languages in real time.
  
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• Removing Hatred from Steam leaves awkward questions for Valve

  16-12-2014 17:14
  
  A gatekeeper such as Steam has a responsibilities. But it also must be reliable and predictable, and this is anything butAt first glance, the removal of mass-murder simulator Hatred from Valve’s Steam digital distribution platform seems like a rare example of corporate responsibility.While “mass-murder simulator” sounds like a tabloidism, the sort of description preachy moralists give to games like Grand Theft Auto, it’s an accurate description of Hatred. Produced by developers linked to
  
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• Robin Williams tops 2014 list of Google searches

  16-12-2014 17:07
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Robin Williams' suicide seared into the world's collective mindset more than anything else this year, based on what people were searching for on Google.
  
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• Google News says ‘adiós’ to Spain in row over publishing fees

  16-12-2014 16:46
  
  Internet search company shuts Spanish operations and other sites threaten to follow suit in dispute over new publishing law Continue reading...
  
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• ​MongoDB snaps up WiredTiger and its storage expert team

  16-12-2014 16:38 via zdnet.com
  
  As well as acquiring storage-engine company WiredTiger, open-source database firm MongoDB is bringing on board the architects behind the technology.
  
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• Xiaomi gets temporary go-ahead for phone sales in India

  16-12-2014 16:09
  
  (Reuters) - An Indian court on Tuesday temporarily allowed Xiaomi Technology Co Ltd to sell some of its devices in the country, about a week after it had asked the Chinese company to suspend sales in the world's third largest smartphone market. Xiaomi had been asked to suspend selling its smartphones in a case related to patent infringements that telecom equipment maker Ericsson had filed against the Chinese company. On Tuesday, the court gave Xiaomi permission to continue importing phones
  
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• Are your teenagers doing their best to KPC (keep parents clueless)?

  16-12-2014 15:47
  
  A new list of odd internet acronyms hints at the wild drug-fuelled sex romps your offspring might be indulging in. But it could just be a bit of scaremongering … Continue reading...
  
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• Ofcom names Sharon White as new boss

  16-12-2014 15:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Ofcom, the UK's telecoms regulator, has named senior Treasury official Sharon White as its new chief executive.
  
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• £1.1bn of funding for subsea cable

  16-12-2014 15:13 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Energy regulator Ofgem has approved a £1.1bn allowance for a planned subsea power transmission cable connecting two sides of the Moray Firth.
  
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• Pilot study suggests wearable devices can help alleviate back pain

  16-12-2014 14:54 via zdnet.com
  
  Research by wearable healthcare platform startup Vivametrica indicates that activity trackers can help to deliver effective health benefits for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.
  
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• Google faces €15m fines over privacy breaches in Netherlands

  16-12-2014 14:49
  
  The search giant has been ordered to change the way it collects data from users that is then used to target advertising, or face a significant fineDutch authorities could fine Google as much as £12m (€15m) for online privacy breaches.The search company is failing to abide by the data protection act in the Netherlands by taking users’ private information such as browsing history and location data to target them with customised ads, according to the country’s Data Protection Authority
  
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• Microsoft's 'Arcadia' team is building a streaming app and game service

  16-12-2014 14:26 via zdnet.com
  
  Microsoft's Operating Systems Group is staffing up a new team that is building an app and game streaming service for the company's 'core platforms.'
  
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• From hate to fellowship: how games festivals saved my year

  16-12-2014 14:23
  
  2014 won’t go down as a classic year for video games, but there were bright points amid the darkness – and they happened away from the screen
  Every time it rains, you’re here in my head
  Like the sun coming out
  I just know that something good is going to happen.
  Kate Bush, Cloudbusting
  London, June, 2014. Georg Backer and I are standing in the White Space gallery, just a few hundred yards from the chaos of Leicester Square. We have organised an indie games event called Radius. We do
  
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• Al Franken seeks more answers from Uber

  16-12-2014 13:26
  
  Senator concerned about ‘surprising lack of detail’ to his questions about the privacy policies of the ride-sharing serviceAl Franken has criticised Uber’s “lack of detail” to his questions about the ride-sharing service’s privacy policies.The senator, who chairs the subcommittee on privacy, technology and the law, wrote to the company last month setting out 10 questions after a spate of incidents that he said indicated a “troubling disregard for customers’ privacy”. Continue r
  
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• Google threatened with £12m fine

  16-12-2014 13:23 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Google has been threatened with a fine of up to 15m euros (£12m) if it does not do a better job of protecting the privacy of Dutch citizens
  
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• Microsoft opens up Office Sway preview, iOS app gets updated for iPhone 6

  16-12-2014 12:55 via zdnet.com
  
  Anyone keen on Microsoft's new presentation app Sway can give the preview product a whirl today, while Australians and New Zealanders can try out an updated Sway app for iOS.
  
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• Design and technology 'marginalised'

  16-12-2014 12:52 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Is design and technology being marginalised in schools?
  
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• Microsoft rivals unite over data row

  16-12-2014 12:44 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Apple and eBay are among those supporting Microsoft's stand against handing over data stored in Ireland to the US government.
  
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• Microsoft’s ‘Star Trek’ Skype translator turns English into Spanish

  16-12-2014 12:42
  
  Skype attempts to emulate the Universal Translator or Babel Fish, translating conversations between English and Spanish in real timeMicrosoft has released its first preview of Skype Translator, which allows real-time conversations between spoken English and Spanish and will be extended to more languages.The service was first demonstrated in May, aping Star Trek’s universal translator or the Babel Fish from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, translating a conversation between German and En
  
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• SoakSoak malware leaves 11,000 WordPress sites blacklisted by Google

  16-12-2014 12:28
  
  More than 11,000 domains reported to have been blacklisted by search engine, but more than 100,000 sites may be affected Continue reading...
  
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• NSA spying prompts security changes

  16-12-2014 12:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Continuing revelations about government-backed surveillance have prompted millions of people to do more to keep their data private, suggests a survey.
  
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• Review: Leica D-Lux (Typ 109)

  16-12-2014 12:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  IntroductionCompact cameras with large sensors are all the rage at the moment because they are capable of delivering the same image quality as an SLR or compact system camera, but usually have a smaller body and a fixed lens.And some, like the Fuji X100T and Panasonic LX100, manage to combine this with traditional controls, making them especially attractive for enthusiast photographers.The Leica D-Lux (Typ 109) is a rather unusual camera because, thanks to a working agreement between Leica and P
  
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• Yik Yak is the hottest messaging app in the world. So how are Brits using it?

  16-12-2014 11:53
  
  With $61m of funding, anonymous social app Yik Yak is the UK’s new discussion post for crisps, toasters, ‘arsehole’ cats and drinking Continue reading...
  
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• Robin Williams' suicide seizes the year on Google

  16-12-2014 11:48
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Robin Williams' suicide seared into the world's collective mindset more than anything else this year, based on what people were searching for on Google.
  
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• Google 2014: World Cup tops searches

  16-12-2014 11:44 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Who is Banksy?, Peaches Geldof and Hull City all feature on Google's end of year trends list.
  
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• ​Google releases Android 5.0.1 images for Nexus 5

  16-12-2014 11:36 via zdnet.com
  
  The Nexus 5 has become the latest piece of Google's own-brand hardware to get the Lollipop update.
  
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