Technology news

• Amaysim to get Optus 4G access in new deal

  18-12-2014 23:52 via zdnet.com
  
  Amaysim mobile users will soon be able to get 4G services thanks to a new agreement with the company's wholesale provider, Optus.
  
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• ​ANZ to fast-track change to a digital culture: CEO

  18-12-2014 23:42 via zdnet.com
  
  ANZ will have to step out of its comfort zone and make big leaps in its efforts to fast track its alignment to a digital culture, according to the company's CEO Michael Smith.
  
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• Washington weighs response to Sony hack; options limited

  18-12-2014 23:12
  
  By David Brunnstrom and Piya Sinha-Roy WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Thursday said it was weighing the proportional response to the sophisticated perpetrator of a cyberattack that crippled Sony Pictures, exposed its executives and led to the cancellation of the film "The Interview." Spokesman Josh Earnest said the White House is not in a position to confirm that North Korea is responsible for the hack at Sony, after a U.S. official said Wednesday that Washi
  
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• Exclusive - Google aiming to go straight into car with next Android – sources

  18-12-2014 23:10
  
  By Alexei Oreskovic and Ben Klayman SAN FRANCISCO/DETROIT (Reuters) - Google Inc is laying the groundwork for a version of Android that would be built directly into cars, sources said, allowing drivers to enjoy all the benefits of the Internet without even plugging in their smartphones. The move is a major step up from Google's current Android Auto software, which comes with the latest version of its smartphone operating system and requires a phone to be plugged into a compatible car with a
  
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• Sony hacking fallout puts all companies on alert

  18-12-2014 22:53
  
  ATLANTA (AP) — Companies across the globe are on high alert to tighten up network security to avoid being the next company brought to its knees by hackers like those that executed the dramatic cyberattack against Sony Pictures Entertainment.
  
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• Canada unveils major wireless spectrum plan

  18-12-2014 22:47
  
  By Alastair Sharp TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian government unveiled a major update to its wireless airwave policy on Thursday, as it seeks to lower cellphone bills and bolster its coffers ahead of a federal election next year. The plan for making more of the invisible infrastructure available for fast-growing mobile uses like video includes an auction of high-frequency AWS-3 spectrum beginning on March 3. The government, eager to promote competition to lower prices, said that spectrum availab
  
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• 'Slenderman' accused to stand trial

  18-12-2014 22:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Both girls accused of stabbing a Wisconsin classmate in order to please an online fictional character are competent to stand trial, a judge says.
  
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• U.S. considers 'proportional' response to Sony hacking attack

  18-12-2014 22:17
  
  By David Brunnstrom and Jim Finkle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday a cyber attack on Sony Pictures was a serious national security matter and the Obama administration was considering a proportional response, although the White House stopped short of blaming North Korea. U.S. government sources said on Wednesday that investigators had determined the attack was "state sponsored" and that North Korea was the government involved. A U.S. government official said on
  
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• Songbirds Can Hear Tornadoes Long Before They Form

  18-12-2014 22:15
  
  In April, a massive thunderstorm unleashed a series of tornadoes that tore through the central and southern United States. The 84 twisters decimated homes and buildings, causing more than $1 billion in damage across 17 states. In the wake of the natural disaster, 35 people lost their lives.
  
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• Timeline of the Sony Pictures Entertainment hack

  18-12-2014 21:23
  
  It's been four weeks since hackers calling themselves Guardians of Peace began their cyberterrorism campaign against Sony Pictures Entertainment. In that time thousands of executive emails and other documents have been posted online, employees and their families were threatened, and unreleased films were stolen and made available for illegal download. The hackers then escalated this week to threatening 9/11-like attacks against movie theaters scheduled to show the Sony film "The Interv
  
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• Tim Cook makes personal donation to gay rights campaign

  18-12-2014 21:16 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Apple CEO’s contribution amount not disclosed, but the $8.5m three-year initiative intends to build acceptance throughout the American southTim Cook: ‘I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me’ Continue reading...
  
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• Review: Epson WorkForce WF-2660

  18-12-2014 21:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Introduction and designAfter debuting Epson's new PrecisionCore printhead technology in the popular WorkForce WF-3640, the company is bringing the same laser-like print quality to the affordable yet feature-rich WF-2660 ($149.99 /£96/AU$183) for small business.The WF-2660 is more suitable for an office that doesn't print many pages or photos per month, but want the convenience of a printer, scanner, copier and even fax machine in a single unit that you can connect to wirelessly - whether it is
  
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• Social shopping takes off in Asia

  18-12-2014 21:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The latest trend driving Asian spending sprees
  
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• Digital dilemma: How will US respond to Sony hack?

  18-12-2014 21:01
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The detective work blaming North Korea for the Sony hacker break-in appears so far to be largely circumstantial, The Associated Press has learned. The dramatic conclusion of a Korean role is based on subtle clues in the hacking tools left behind and the involvement of at least one computer in Bolivia previously traced to other attacks blamed on the North Koreans.
  
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• U.S. judge concerned Google antitrust lawsuit too vague

  18-12-2014 20:32
  
  By Dan Levine SAN JOSE, Calif. (Reuters) - A judge on Thursday said she would require consumers suing Google over its Android smartphone operating system to submit more factual details in order for an antitrust lawsuit to proceed, at a time when the Internet search company faces increased regulatory pressure. The lawsuit filed earlier this year says Google Inc requires Android handset manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to restrict competing apps like Microsoft Corp's Bing sear
  
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• U.S. considers 'proportionate' response to Sony hacking attack

  18-12-2014 20:09
  
  By David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday a cyber attack on Sony Pictures blamed on North Korea was a serious national security matter and the Obama administration was considering a proportional response. White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters the attack was an example of "destructive activity with malicious intent that was initiated by a sophisticated actor." Earnest said he was not in a position to say that North Korea was responsible, b
  
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• Airbnb agrees to collect Amsterdam tourist tax

  18-12-2014 20:07 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Accommodation website will no longer leave collection of 5% tax to hosts renting homes or rooms after city hotels protested Continue reading...
  
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• Botched cyberattack on Syria group blamed on IS

  18-12-2014 20:04
  
  LONDON (AP) — A botched cyberattack aimed at unmasking Syrian dissidents has experts worried that the Islamic State group is adding malicious software to its arsenal.
  
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• Apple 'failing to protect workers'

  18-12-2014 19:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Poor treatment of workers in the Chinese factories which make Apple products is discovered by an undercover BBC Panorama investigation.
  
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• Minecraft maker plans spin-off game

  18-12-2014 18:49 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Minecraft maker Mojang is planning a spin-off game based on its hugely popular block-building title.
  
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• U.S. weighs response to Sony hacking attack blamed on North Korea

  18-12-2014 18:41
  
  By David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States was considering possible options on Thursday in response to a major cyber attack on Sony Pictures blamed on North Korea, amid calls for tougher sanctions on Pyongyang to cut it off from the global banking system. U.S. experts say options for the Obama administration could include cyber retaliation and financial sanctions but the effect of any response could be limited given North Korea's isolation. ...
  
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• Amazon Prime two hour delivery service to be trialled in Manhattan

  18-12-2014 18:24 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  E-retailer to introduce same-day service in Manhattan before rolling out to other US cities next yearAmazon is attempting to make Prime membership even more alluring by promising free deliveries within two hours in Manhattan. The move is the online retailer’s latest attempt to become the only place that consumers think of when buying almost anything on the internet. It offers groceries to residents of Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and parts of New York City through Amazon Fresh. Continue
  
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• Net overseers hit by phishing attack

  18-12-2014 17:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Hackers have managed to penetrate the internal network used by the organisation that oversees the net's addressing system.
  
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• New York regulator lays out tweaks to bitcoin rules

  18-12-2014 17:33
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New York state plans to soften proposed rules for virtual currencies such as bitcoin, its banking regulator said on Thursday, after receiving a round of public comments. Start-up companies dealing in the budding technology could get a two-year partial waiver from complying with the full set of rules to help them continue their business, New York Superintendent of Financial Services Ben Lawsky said. ...
  
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• Review: Samsung ProXpress C2670FW

  18-12-2014 17:21 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Overview and specsSamsung's C2670FW - an all-in-one office printer, copier, scanner, fax - is making a play to be the printer that everyone on your team can use. With an MSRP of $699.99 (about £445/AU$852), toner running $108.99 (about £69/AU$133) for black, and $101.99 (about £65/AU$124) each for Cyan, Yellow, and Magenta, this printer is targeted at media savvy teams looking for a single machine that solves a lot of problems.Both fast and able to handle large jobs, its hefty 70-pound weight
  
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• How can I convert my handwritten notes into Word documents?

  18-12-2014 17:19 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Michael has a large pile of handwritten notepads that he would like to convert into Microsoft Word documentsI have many A4 pads of handwritten notes, which I would like to convert into Microsoft Word documents. To type them all in would take a very long time. I’ve noticed that Google’s ability to read text from photos has vastly improved in recent months. Are you aware of a tool from Google or anyone else that can do a good job of this, please? MichaelThe idea of converting written or printe
  
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• Italy's digital future seen at stake in battle for Metroweb

  18-12-2014 16:52
  
  By Danilo Masoni and Stefano Rebaudo MILAN (Reuters) - A small company renting out optical fibre cables in Milan has become the subject of a fierce takeover battle between Telecom Italia and global mobile giant Vodafone, with a national high-speed fibre network seen as the ultimate prize. Both companies have set their sights on buying a controlling stake in Metroweb that infrastructure fund F2i is selling. ...
  
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• Sony cyberattack may be costliest ever

  18-12-2014 16:42
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — The unprecedented hack of Sony Pictures which a U.S. official says is linked to North Korea may be the most damaging cyberattack ever inflicted on an American business.
  
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• Rise of the car-sharing apps poses threat to auto sector

  18-12-2014 16:24
  
  By Atul Prakash and Sudip Kar-Gupta LONDON (Reuters) - The humble smartphone could throw a spanner in the works of the car sector's post-crisis turnaround, with the big manufacturers facing a long-term threat from apps that make it easier and cheaper to share or hire vehicles than to buy them. Investor sentiment is on a knife edge. Car sales are back in recovery mode in most major European markets, yet the fragility of the turnaround could yet be exposed by another economic slowdown while i
  
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• Apple faces Canadian investigation into iPhone deals

  18-12-2014 16:19 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Competition authority orders company to hand over documents relating to agreements struck with mobile network operatorsApple has been ordered to hand over documents in an investigation into whether the company used unfair tactics to boost iPhone sales in Canada.The country’s competition bureau said agreements that Apple struck with mobile networks may have encouraged the operators not to reduce the prices of rival phones or to increase them.
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• GE to launch breakdancing documentary for streaming devices

  18-12-2014 16:05
  
  By Jennifer Saba (Reuters) - U.S. industrial conglomerate General Electric Co plans to release its first feature film through video streaming devices like Roku and Apple TV in a marketing effort that raises the bar for sponsored content. "Shake the Dust" is a documentary about breakdancing and how the movement has united people across the world. Executive-produced by the rap star Nas, it will make its debut on December 24 through a partnership with the music video platform Vevo. ...
  
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• Review: updated: Samsung UD970 monitor

  18-12-2014 16:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Overview and SpecsIn the past year, TechRadar Pro has reviewed several IPS 4K panel monitors (including the fabulous Asus PB287Q and the BenQ BL2710PT ) aimed at professional graphic artists and photographers. Most of these monitors are priced at $1000 (£600 or AU$1,075). These mid-priced monitors are often missing hardware calibration or full Adobe RGB support. If these features are necessary for your display, you'll likely pay significantly more money.In comes the Samsung UD970 ($1,999.99, £
  
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• Sony Pictures hack - whodunnit?

  18-12-2014 15:20 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Is North Korea the most obvious suspect?
  
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• Q&A: Drones might help explain how tornadoes form

  18-12-2014 15:13
  
  DENVER (AP) — Researchers say they have collected promising weather data by flying instrument-laden drones into big Western and Midwestern storms. Now, they want to expand the project in hopes of learning more about how tornadoes form.
  
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• French telecoms tycoon buys Swiss Orange for CHF 2.8bn

  18-12-2014 15:12 via zdnet.com
  
  Switzerland's third-placed mobile operator has changed hands once again.
  
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• French telecoms tycoon buys Swiss Orange for CHF 2.3bn

  18-12-2014 15:12 via zdnet.com
  
  Switzerland's third-placed mobile operator has changed hands once again.
  
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• Gift Guide: Home products come with connectivity

  18-12-2014 14:30
  
  Do you really need an app to tell you to brush and floss? It seems every household appliance is getting some smarts these days, meaning some connection to a phone app and the broader Internet. But then ...
  
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• Valve limits sales of Russian games

  18-12-2014 14:21 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The plunging value of the Russian rouble has led game maker Valve to impose limits on its online store.
  
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• North Korea probably not behind Sony Pictures hack, says cyber security expert - video

  18-12-2014 14:11 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Caroline Baylon, a research associate in cyber security at Chatham House, discusses why the North Korean government was probably not behind the hack of Sony Pictures. The company has now cancelled the Christmas release of a film at the centre of the hacking scandal, The Interview, after terrorist threats to cinemagoers and a decision by major movie theatre groups to cancel screenings in the US Continue reading...
  
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• In botched cyberattack on Syria group, some see hand of IS

  18-12-2014 14:10
  
  LONDON (AP) — A botched cyberattack aimed at unmasking Syrian dissidents has experts worried that the Islamic State group is adding malicious software to its arsenal.
  
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• Windows browser choice system ends

  18-12-2014 14:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A requirement for Microsoft to offer new Windows users in Europe a choice of web browsers has ended after five years
  
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• EU markets watchdog says crowdfunding needs regulating

  18-12-2014 13:53
  
  By Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - New European Union rules are needed to supervise crowdfunding and protect investors who face significant risks from the evolving sector, the bloc's markets watchdog said on Thursday. Crowdfunding, often hosted on online platforms such as Crowdcube, Funding Circle and Kickstarter, allows individuals and small businesses to raise finance from pools of investors who put money into peer-to-peer schemes or securities such as unlisted shares. ...
  
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• $140 smartphone running CyanogenMod released by Micromax

  18-12-2014 13:47 via zdnet.com
  
  Indian smartphone vendor Micromax has unveiled the smartphone in its YU range, which will ship with KitKat-based CyanogenMod onboard.
  
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• Beyond Tetris: a brief history of patriotic video gaming in Russia

  18-12-2014 13:45 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Retro favourite Tetris might be Russia’s best known games export, but a closer look at the industry finds a creative powerhouse that has mirrored the country’s politics for decades. The Calvert Journal reports Continue reading...
  
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• 'Interview' ordeal at Sony just its latest crisis

  18-12-2014 13:19
  
  TOKYO (AP) — How do you say "damage control" in Japanese? Sony Corp. is sealed within a hermetic cone of silence as executives try to prevent the slow motion train wreck at Sony Pictures from damaging the rest of the sprawling business empire.
  
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• Job ad error confirms European launch of Apple Pay

  18-12-2014 13:09 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Introduction of mobile wallet and online payment system outside the US revealed by search for London-based internApple has inadvertently confirmed that its mobile wallet and online payment system, Apple Pay, is coming to Europe by posting a job advertisement on its website.The advert, which has now been taken down, said that the company was seeking a London-based intern to “drive out the roll-out” of Apple Pay across Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa. Continue reading...
  
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• Snapchat boss tearful at Sony hack

  18-12-2014 12:59 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel left "devastated" as plans for his messaging app are leaked as part of the Sony Pictures hack.
  
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• Sky News journalists to give evidence at inquest of alleged internet troll

  18-12-2014 12:53 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Brenda Leyland was found dead after she featured in Sky News report about abuse of Madeleine McCann’s parents
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• Sony hack: the plot to kill The Interview – a timeline so far

  18-12-2014 12:35 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  As Sony Pictures pull their planned home entertainment release of The Interview, as well as theatrical, and the FBI suggests North Korea may well be behind the IT hack, we look back over how events have played out so farFBI to link North Korea to Sony hackSony cancels Christmas release of The InterviewSony’s cancellation of The Interview surprises North Korea-watchers
  Review: The Interview Continue reading...
  
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• A look at North Korea's cyberwar capabilities

  18-12-2014 12:33
  
  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Most North Koreans have never seen the Internet.
  
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