Technology news

• Wind-up radio inventor honoured

  30-12-2014 23:34 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Inventor Trevor Baylis - who designed the wind-up Baygen radio - has been appointed a CBE in the New Year Honours list.
  
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• Updated: Samsung's more powerful Note 4 won't pack the Snapdragon 810

  30-12-2014 23:13
  
  Update: A Samsung spokesperson has confirmed with TechRadar that the new, more powerful Galaxy Note 4 will not in fact feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 chip, as some reports claimed.The spokesperson could not comment on where those reports got their information, but confirmed with TechRadar that the new Note 4 will be powered by Samsung's own Exynos chips.As before, though, what this says about the alleged Snapdragon 810 shortage is anyone's guess.Original story follows…It was rumored in earl
  
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• Hands-on review: CES 2015: Samsung Ativ One 7 2015

  30-12-2014 21:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  Overview, specs and designUnless you're living in 2005 you don't really equate all-in-one desktops with design innovation. Sure, Apple is always one step ahead of the game, and its 27-inch iMac with Retina Display ($2,499, £1,999, AU$2,999) brought 5K (5120 x 2880) resolution to the computing masses. Acer did its part to improve desktop design by releasing the Aspire U5 ($999, £582, AU$1,067), a 23-inch all-in-one PC whose stand tilts a full 90 degrees so that you can use the touchscreen monit
  
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• Samsung's new streaming service delivers virtual reality content for Gear VR

  30-12-2014 20:38
  
  The creators of Samsung's Gear VR have admitted in the past that the device isn't quite ready for the mainstream just yet, and as a product meant for early adopters and enthusiasts one of its main problems is a lack of content.Samsung's solution? A free streaming service called Milk VR that delivers 360-degree video content to Gear VR users, reports CNET. It's launching as a public technical preview.Samsung is clearly hoping to make Milk VR the YouTube of virtual reality, with a selection of 360
  
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• NHS computer systems contractor agrees to pay $190m penalty

  30-12-2014 20:11
  
  Computer Sciences Corporation acknowledges accounting errors relating to assumptions made about progress on long-term UK health service contracts Continue reading...
  
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• Heart emoji 'most popular word' 2014

  30-12-2014 20:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The symbol appeared billions of times a day across the world during 2014, according to new research.
  
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• Child porn tops Tor hidden site visits

  30-12-2014 19:24 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The majority of visits to sites hidden on the Tor network go to those dealing in images of child sexual abuse, suggests a study.
  
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• London: The Information Capital, book review: Data visualisation done right

  30-12-2014 17:34 via zdnet.com
  
  This gorgeous atlas of a modern city does what most infographics only aspire to: it takes a vast amount of information and makes it clear and understandable.
  
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• Review: Updated: Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro

  30-12-2014 17:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  IntroductionThe Yoga 2 Pro was arguably the finest convertible Ultrabook money could buy when it launched in late 2013 - and it continues to impress today. It was sleek, packed a best-in-class QHD+ display and could transform into a multitude of positions depending on how you wanted to use it.At $1,099 (£1,099, around AUS$1,254), it was also relatively affordable compared to competing Ultrabooks boasting displays with high pixel densities.On the flip side, its battery life, unwieldy tablet mode
  
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• Review: IPhone user tries to go back to BlackBerry

  30-12-2014 17:04
  
  The BlackBerry's blinking red light used to haunt me. Just when I thought I could relax, enjoy a nice dinner or go for a run, my BlackBerry would start blinking again, signaling a new message. I was an ...
  
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• Apple introduces 14-day return on iTunes, scaring coders and musicians

  30-12-2014 16:07
  
  Apple’s iTunes will now offer a refund, no questions asked, for 14 days after purchase, leading to worries that unscrupulous users might scam the store Continue reading...
  
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• Download of the day: Notepad++

  30-12-2014 16:00
  
  The default text editor in Windows, Notepad, is great for simple tasks, but for anything else you'll want to get your hands on the free Notepad++.Why you need itNotepad++ is more than just a simple text editor; it comes with useful features for all manner of different tasks, from web editing to letter writing and more.Let's say you want to work on HTML code for a website. Whereas Microsoft's Notepad app simply displays the code with all formatting removed, Notepad++ highlights the code's syntax
  
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• Sony hack: sacked employees could be to blame, researchers claim

  30-12-2014 15:57
  
  Exchanges in secretive web forums point to former employees with a grudge, researchers claim, and could explain how hackers knew how to navigate Sony’s systems Continue reading...
  
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• Does the cloud mean big data centers are dead? Economics says no

  30-12-2014 15:53 via zdnet.com
  
  IT industry futurists who proclaim the end of data centers as we know them forget perhaps that some enterprises are not likely to give proprietary solutions away to others -- and that even cloud service providers need the economics of scale to succeed.
  
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• Travel firms sue cheap airfare site

  30-12-2014 15:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  United Airlines and travel firm Orbitz have launched legal action against a site that finds cheap airfares.
  
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• In Depth: 4K in 2014: the highs, the lows and what to expect in 2015

  30-12-2014 15:00
  
  In 2013, hardware makers were successful at getting the word out that 4K would be "the next big thing in consumer electronics," and 2014 was predicted to be the year Ultra HD content finally followed suit.As it turns out, 4K isn't quite as ubiquitous as some might have had us believe almost 12 months ago, but there are encouraging signs such prophecies might really, truly come to pass in 2015.Journey with me now as I recap the highs and lows of "2014K" in an effort to get to
  
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• Microsoft hones its plans to try to close the app gap

  30-12-2014 14:56 via zdnet.com
  
  Microsoft is making more organizational changes aimed at getting more software developers to write for its platforms.
  
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• North Korea may have hired outside hackers for Sony attack, says US

  30-12-2014 13:21
  
  Investigators consider possibility Pyongyang contracted out work in last month’s cyber-attack on Sony Pictures Continue reading...
  
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• In depth: How much 4G data do you really need?

  30-12-2014 13:10
  
  You're a Spotify streaming, Sky Go-ing, YouTubeing modern man or woman, so of course you want a 4G phone. But could you end up paying a fortune for data allowances you don't use, or hitting a download cap because you haven't ordered enough? If you're baffled by bandwidth or don't know how much you'll download, we can help.Who offers what?To keep things simple we'll compare SIM-only 4G plans, because phone subsidies make it really difficult to compare different providers' pay-monthly plans. Of co
  
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• Best free software of 2014: OpenOffice

  30-12-2014 13:00
  
  Editing and creating documents is one of the cornerstones of computer use. In almost every job, there is a need to create and edit documents ranging from word files to spreadsheets. Currently, the main way of doing this is Microsoft Office, which is available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android – but it's expensive.Office 365 starts at £5.99 a month for one user, increasing to £7.99 a month for up to five PCs, which for the cash-strapped is just too much. Apple's iWork suite is free, but only
  
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• India's capital sets new rules for Uber, other taxi operators

  30-12-2014 12:57
  
  By Krishna N. Das and Aditya Kalra NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Taxi firms including Uber, the online cab-hailing company banned in New Delhi, will have to install panic buttons if they are to operate in India's capital under new rules framed after allegations that a driver for the U.S. firm raped a passenger. The transport office of Delhi earlier this month ordered San Francisco-based Uber Technologies Inc to stop its services following the incident, which reignited the debate on women's saf
  
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• Hacker fakes German minister's fingerprints using photos of her hands

  30-12-2014 12:43
  
  Jan Krissler used high resolution photos, including one from a government press office, to successfully recreate the fingerprints of Germany’s defence minister Continue reading...
  
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• Sony hackers 'shared' stolen logins

  30-12-2014 12:33 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Data that helped hackers access Sony's internal network came from another group targeting the firm, reports the Washington Post.
  
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• LG hopes WebOS and quantum dot tech will give its new 4K TVs the edge

  30-12-2014 12:24
  
  In a surprising twist of events, LG has revealed that it will be showing off some new TVs at CES 2015.We jest, but LG's upcoming sets do have us a little bit intrigued. Not only will they be 4K and massive, they'll also be flaunting LG's new quantum dot technology, which promises to improve the depth of colour even further.The eight different lines will also come running WebOS, the once-mobile operating system that LG has now repurposed for the living room. LG promises that WebOS 2.0 is faster a
  
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• Destiny, Threes and Hohokum - game developers on the best of 2014

  30-12-2014 12:08
  
  From Kentucky Route Zero to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, game designers tell us their own favourite titles of the year
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• In Depth: Has Google been naughty or nice in 2014?

  30-12-2014 12:00
  
  Has Google been naughty or nice in 2014?It's hard to briefly summarise a year for Google, what with the tech giant having so many fingers in so many pies. It's impossible to find any pie in the world that hasn't got Eric Schmidt's fingerprints on its crust and some of his nose hairs in the filling. In short, Google's big, busy, and involved with everything from internet balloons in Australia to driverless cars and fibre Wi-Fi in the US, meaning 12 months for Google is basically 12 months of the
  
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• In depth: 5 massive changes coming to gaming in 2015

  30-12-2014 11:09
  
  There's no such thing as a quiet year for gaming, and 2014 has certainly been a noisy one. It's been a year very much focused on the PS4 and Xbox One finding their feet, but the two titans haven't totally hogged the limelight. We've seen virtual reality continue to burgeon, we've witnessed free-to-play open up some interesting discussions about in-app payments, and we played Rambo: The Video Game. The less said about that last one, the better.Virtual RealityLet's kick off with the big one. Thank
  
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• Review: Fitbit Charge

  30-12-2014 10:48
  
  Introduction, design and displayDashing into stores mere days before we reach the 2014 finish line, the Fitbit Charge is the come from behind fitness tracker that's a win in the basic leagues.I strapped this latest wearable to my wrist even though last year's Fitbit Force was voluntarily recalled due to a small number of rash and skin irritation complaints. I took my chances.That's because Fitbit has long been a top contender among daily activity trackers. It really only lost momentum when it ha
  
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• Low-risk 'worm' removed at hacked South Korea nuclear operator

  30-12-2014 10:23
  
  By Meeyoung Cho SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean authorities have found evidence that a low-risk computer "worm" had been removed from devices connected to some nuclear plant control systems, but no harmful virus was found in reactor controls threatened by a hacker. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co Ltd said it would beef up cyber security by hiring more IT security experts and forming an oversight committee, as it came in for fresh criticism from lawmakers following recent hacks agains
  
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• Taiwan clears Xiaomi, other smartphone brands of breaching data privacy

  30-12-2014 10:20
  
  By J.R. Wu TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwanese regulators cleared on Tuesday China's Xiaomi Inc and other smartphone brands of breaching local data protection laws after national security concerns triggered the government to launch a probe in September. The National Communications Commission, in a report concluding the investigation, said all the 12 brands it had tested, which include handsets sold by Apple Inc, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, LG Electronics Inc and Sony Corp, did not violate the laws
  
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• Google to blame for Gmail shutdown, say Chinese state media

  30-12-2014 10:05
  
  World’s biggest email service largely inaccessible within China since 25th anniversary of Tiananmen Square crackdown in June Continue reading...
  
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• Interview: Changes in European Data Protection Regulation: A look at the GDPR

  30-12-2014 08:39
  
  The draft General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is due to be passed through European Parliament. It will impact any organisation that gathers, processes and stores personal data. TechRadarPro speaks to Loic Triger of Ipswitch to determine what difference the GDPR is likely to have on businesses and organisations in 2015.TRP What is GDPR? LT GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and is part of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It is currently a draft r
  
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• Xiaomi most valuable tech start-up

  30-12-2014 02:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi becomes the world's most valuable technology start-up just four years after it was founded.
  
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• You probably won't be able to buy Samsung's more powerful Note 4

  30-12-2014 01:03
  
  It was rumored in early December that Samsung will launch a new Galaxy Note 4 with a more powerful Snapdragon 810 chip, and now the company may have confirmed that it will.Samsung did announce a new Note 4 that it says will be the "world's first LTE Advanced tri-band carrier aggregation smartphone," enabling lightning fast download speeds. And the site AnandTech says those improvements will be made possible by the new Qualcomm processor.But Samsung's own announcement doesn't mention th
  
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• Top memes and viral videos of 2014

  30-12-2014 01:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The biggest memes and viral ads of 2014
  
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• Why 2014 was good for retail robbers

  30-12-2014 01:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Thieves steal millions of shoppers' payment details during the year
  
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