Technology news

• Oracle's Kurian promoted to president, will lead software

  08-01-2015 23:51
  
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oracle Corp has promoted executive Thomas Kurian to the role of president, overseeing the tech company's software development, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters. The elevation of Kurian comes almost four months after Larry Ellison, longtime chief executive officer of Oracle, took on the role of executive chairman, handing the CEO title to his lieutenants Safra Catz and Mark Hurd. Forty-seven year old Kurian, who joined Oracle in 1996, was previously executiv
  
  Read more

• Govt considering using Internet, smartphones for 2020 census

  08-01-2015 23:34
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The days of the census taker with clipboard in hand may be numbered. The Census Bureau plans to test digital tools in preparation for the 2020 census, a change that could save millions of dollars.
  
  Read more

• Hands-on review: CES 2015: Samsung Portable SSD T1

  08-01-2015 23:11 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Storage comes in all shapes and sizes. But even knowing this, the Samsung Portable SSD T1 impresses. Sure, we have USB key-sized flash drives, and we have flash cards. But often these devices lack the complex algorithms for optimal flash management; for that matter, often these drives use lesser grade flash. And getting high capacities in such form factors are just not on the radar.The Samsung Portable SSD T1 fixes all of that. Samsung has built an external drive designed for use on-the-go, and
  
  Read more

• Computer program 'perfect at poker'

  08-01-2015 22:39 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists in Canada create a computer program that they say is the perfect poker player - never making a mistake.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Apple turns stores into galleries for iPad, iPhone artists

  08-01-2015 22:19
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Apple is turning its retail stores into art galleries featuring the work of professional photographers and other artists who use iPads, iPhones and Mac computers to create.
  
  Read more

• The 'Uber' for India's tourist guides

  08-01-2015 21:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Can India's Uber for tour guides survive controversy?
  
  Read more

• Gadget Show Review: Lots of noise, a few gems in smart home

  08-01-2015 20:59
  
  Technology forecasters are calling 2015 the year of the Internet of Things — that idea that everyday objects will use sensors and Internet connectivity to start thinking and acting for themselves. At the ...
  
  Read more

• Apple, developers feasting on people's app-etite for apps

  08-01-2015 20:35
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple and thousands of mobile software developers are feasting on people's ravenous app-etite for apps.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• ‘Perfect’ online poker bot Cepheus has one flaw: it can’t adapt

  08-01-2015 20:16
  
  Freelance poker writer Christopher Hall takes on Cepheus the online poker bot over 400 hands and finds its key weakness Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Poker program Cepheus is unbeatable, claim scientists

  08-01-2015 20:00
  
  Cepheus learned poker by playing over a billion billion hands – more than have been played in the entirety of human history‘Perfect’ online poker bot Cepheus has one flaw: it can’t adapt Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Microsoft's advance security notification service no longer publicly available

  08-01-2015 19:00 via zdnet.com
  
  Microsoft is taking its Advance Notification Service private, claiming the change is due to changes in the way users want their advance security notifications.
  
  Read more

• What to expect from computer games in 2015 - Podcast

  08-01-2015 18:39
  
  Old genres get a reboot, new forms of experience games emerge and the narrative complexity of games continues to develop in what should be a great year for the art form Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• More details about the Galaxy S6 emerge

  08-01-2015 18:30
  
  New details about the Samsung Galaxy S6 have emerged that hint at a number of interesting features for the upcoming flagship handset.According to AndroidPit, the Samsung Galaxy S6 will come with a Micro-SD slot, fingerprint scanner, UV sensor, fast-charging functionality and unidirectional microphones.Owners of the Samsung Galaxy S6 will also be able to use the new Theme Store to buy and customise their own themes for their handset, giving each smartphone a more personalised feel.Improved UISams
  
  Read more

• Apple's App Store developer revenue hits $25bn as Apple touts job creation

  08-01-2015 18:05 via zdnet.com
  
  App developer revenue reaches $10bn in 2014 as Apple says it supports one million US jobs.
  
  Read more

• Selfie sticks: Tourist convenience or purely narcissi-stick?

  08-01-2015 17:57
  
  Selfies at tourist attractions are nothing new. But until recently, if you wanted a perfectly composed picture of yourself with Times Square or the Colosseum in the background, you might have asked a passer-by ...
  
  Read more

• Apple will raise iOS app prices in next 18 hours (unless you're in Iceland)

  08-01-2015 17:43
  
  Apple has given just hours notice that it intends to raise prices across Europe, to reflect VAT changes and exchange ratesApple is implementing a blanket price-increase on the App Store in the EU and Canada, the company has said in an email to developers.Without specifying what the new tiers would be, the company told developers that “prices on the App Store will increase for all territories in the European Union as well as in Canada and Norway, decrease in Iceland, and change in Russia. These
  
  Read more

• Valve has finalised the Steam Controller

  08-01-2015 17:35
  
  Valve has been working hard on its Steam Controller and after several iterations it looks like the final design has been decided upon.The Steam Controller is expected to launch alongside Valve's gaming-orientated Linux-based operating system SteamOS and a number of compact gaming PCs that have been designed for the living room, which had been previously known as Steam Machines.Although there are similarities between the Steam Controller and more traditional console game controllers like the Xbox
  
  Read more

• What are the best ways to tweet photos and videos?

  08-01-2015 17:34
  
  A reader wonders why it isn’t as easy to tweet videos as to tweet photos. Jack Schofield explains the pros and cons of the two main approachesTweeting a video saved to my PC is a pain, especially compared to tweeting a photo. Is there a better option than uploading it to YouTube then tweeting the link? AnonThere are two ways to approach this. The first option is to upload your media files to a particular service, such as Twitter or Facebook. The second option is to use an intermediary service,
  
  Read more

• Industry voice: CSPs in 2015: predictions for the year ahead in the telecoms world

  08-01-2015 17:30
  
  Throughout last year, the rollout of LTE was a major focus for communications service providers (CSPs), with over 300 LTE networks now in operation globally. But superfast data speeds and data hungry consumers have brought their share of challenges for CSPs and simply offering fast data access is not enough.As data usage increases on their networks, CSPs are trying to figure out a way to monetise their data assets, and provide a quality-rich, personalised experience for customers accessing their
  
  Read more

• Mark your Microsoft calendars for 2015

  08-01-2015 17:23 via zdnet.com
  
  Microsoft's conference and event calendar for 2015 is taking shape. Here's what's on the list so far.
  
  Read more

• FBI doubles down on North Korea accusation for Sony Pictures hack

  08-01-2015 17:07
  
  Continued suspicion comes from evidence of the attackers’ IP addresses, the 12-digit string that identifies the location of a computerThe FBI has reiterated its belief that North Korea is ultimately behind the hacking of Sony Pictures, in the face of continued criticism from independent security researchers who doubt the organisation’s findings.“There’s not much I have high confidence about,” the FBI director, James Comey, told the press, but “I have very high confidence … on North
  
  Read more

• Universal sues over prison mixtapes

  08-01-2015 17:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Universal has taken aim at companies that create mixtapes for prisoners in its latest piracy fight.
  
  Read more

• Developers made $10bn from iOS apps in 2014

  08-01-2015 17:00
  
  iPhone and iPad owners spent nearly $500m on apps and in-app purchases in the first week of January 2015 tooApple paid out $10bn to developers of apps for its iPhone and iPad in 2014, taking its total paid out since its App Store’s launch in 2008 to $25bn.Apple’s 30% revenue share of all apps spending means it earned an additional $4.3bn from sales of iOS apps in 2014, plus sales of its own range of iOS apps.
  Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Hands-on review: CES 2015: LG 77EG9900 4K Flexible OLED TV

  08-01-2015 16:55
  
  When LG hinted that it was going to go big on OLED in 2015 it certainly wasn't lying: with its 2015 line-up threatening to finally make OLED a thing we can all look forward to getting to know. The Korean giant has worked assiduously to make itself market leader with a technology that seems to have existed forever without ever dipping its colorful toe into the mainstream mass market, and it could just finally be bearing fruit. Last year's OLED line-up was limited enough to keep the cynics smirki
  
  Read more

• Amazon Web Services rolls out new features

  08-01-2015 16:46 via zdnet.com
  
  Amazon Web Services has unveiled an array of software updates while the company's CTO talks about the strategy is uses to stay on top.
  
  Read more

• Here's how Apple plans to prevent bugs in future versions of iOS

  08-01-2015 16:37
  
  Right now, only employees at Apple HQ and developers get the honour of testing pre-release version of iOS, but there's a change in the air.According to 9to5Mac, Apple is allegedly going to start giving select retail store employees access to upcoming versions of iOS, the thinking behind which is, obviously, the more eyes the better.Apple has started doing the same thing for it Max OS X releases, which has helped it identify problems faster than it normally would have.Watching the watchmeniOS rel
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: Bill Gates drinks 'faeces water'

  08-01-2015 16:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Bill Gates has drunk a glass of water made from human faeces, to showcase technology he said could provide clean water in the developing world.
  
  Read more

• Industry voice: The importance of Windows 10 for the enterprise and app developers

  08-01-2015 16:30
  
  Over the years, like most technology professionals, I've used a lot of Microsoft products, including every version of the core Windows operating system. With Windows 10 on the horizon, and a new build (possibly the Consumer Preview) to be shown off later this month by Microsoft, I was inspired to write down a couple of thoughts about the last two iterations of the OS and what they taught us and Microsoft about the future of enterprise computing.Windows 7: two core architectural issuesWindows 7 w
  
  Read more

• Wearable tech vanishes at CES

  08-01-2015 16:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Wearables try to shed their geeky look
  
  Read more

• Download of the Day: Easy YouTube Video Downloader

  08-01-2015 16:00
  
  Simple to use and quick to install, Easy YouTube Video Downloader enables you to grab your favourite videos from YouTube.Why you need itWe all have our favourite online videos, but downloading them to our devices or viewing them offline can be a complicated process. Thankfully there's a quick and simple way to download YouTube videos to your computer: the suitably-named Easy YouTube Video Downloader extension for Firefox.After installing the extension, you'll see a new bar directly below the You
  
  Read more

• 'Zelda,' 'Batman' among anticipated games due in 2015

  08-01-2015 15:52
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Link, Master Chief, Batman and Nathan Drake will be back in action.
  
  Read more

• CES 2015: Toshiba's new memory card can be read by simply touching it

  08-01-2015 15:39
  
  You will now be able to read what's on a memory card simply by touching it, that's what Toshiba wants to achieve thanks to the introduction of a new family of memory cards.These SDHC models are available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB flavours and adhere to the NFC Forum Type 3 Tag standard, offering data speeds of up to 0.2Mbps with a memory capacity of 256 bytes.The technology is only compatible with NFC-capable Android smartphones and require an app called "memory card preview".Once installe
  
  Read more

• CES 2015: BlackBerry embraces IoT with new platform

  08-01-2015 15:35
  
  BlackBerry used the International CES event to launch its IoT (internet of things) platform, formerly known as ION, which will initially focus on the automotive and asset tracking industries, both less glamorous than smartphones and consumer devices but still worth hundreds of billions of dollars.The platform, Blackberry says, will "leverage the company's extensive technology portfolio", more specifically when it comes to security and reliability.The platform uses QNX RTOS (real time o
  
  Read more

• Facebook founder’s book club choice sends sales rocketing

  08-01-2015 15:30
  
  Mark Zuckerberg’s selection of The End of Power by Moisés Naím sparks ‘seismic change’ in the book’s fortunes, with 18 months’ sales outstripped in days
  
  How to be a winner: the books that inspire Mark Zuckerberg and other high flyersWhy would Mark Zuckerberg recommend The End of Power? Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• CES 2015: New Samsung SSD to allow laptops to sleep for months

  08-01-2015 15:24
  
  Samsung has announced that it has start mass producing a "high-performance, low-powered" PCIe solid state drive that seems destined to go in laptops that will be running on the new Intel Broadwell-U chip launched at CES this week.The SM951 is also likely to be found in the next generation MacBook Air and MacBook Pro that Apple will launch later this year.At least one vendor, Lenovo, is a confirmed customer given that the stock picture used by Samsung carries a big logo from the laptop
  
  Read more

• CES 2015: New Samsung SSD allows laptops to sleep for months

  08-01-2015 15:24
  
  Samsung has announced that it has started mass producing a "high-performance, low-powered" PCIe solid state drive that seems destined to go in laptops that will be running on the new Intel Broadwell-U chip launched at CES this week.The SM951 is also likely to be found in the next generation MacBook Air and MacBook Pro that Apple will launch later this year - which could include the rumoured Retina MacBook Air.At least one vendor, Lenovo, is a confirmed customer given that the stock pic
  
  Read more

• Wireless charging is coming to a McDonald's near you

  08-01-2015 15:23
  
  A lot of phones support wireless charging now - over 70 different models in fact - but so far public spaces have been slow to take advantage of that fact.McDonald's could be the company to jumpstart the uptake though, as Aircharge, a company which develops wireless charging products, announced at CES that it's partnering with the fast food giant to add 600 Qi wireless charging hotspots at over 50 McDonald's branches in London and elsewhere around the UK.That's according to Qi at CES, which repor
  
  Read more

• Industry voice: Five tips to help the 'new IT crowd' stay on top

  08-01-2015 15:20
  
  The role of the IT professional is changing – with 86% of business leaders now recognising IT as a strategic priority, CIOs have never been more in demand, or indeed more under pressure. Fortunately, in this article we've got five top tips to help the 'new IT crowd' meet these fresh demands…1. Stay connectedNowadays, the successful IT professional needs to be a hybrid technological expert and business strategist. To be truly effective, you need to get under the skin of how your business work
  
  Read more

• Fujitsu Celsius W530: An affordable desktop workstation

  08-01-2015 15:11 via zdnet.com
  
  Bridging the gap between high-end desktop PC and workstation, Fujitsu's Celsius W530 delivers an affordable mix of processing power and graphics functionality. It'll cope with common CAD/CAM, digital content creation and other display-intensive applications, as well as more mundane office tools.
  
  Read more

• Kickstarter: $89m pledged on games in 2014

  08-01-2015 15:10
  
  Board, card and video games were the third-highest funded category on the leading crowd-funding site last year
  Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Netflix: VPN crackdown claim 'false'

  08-01-2015 15:10 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The company denies it has hardened its policy towards VPNs but says it remains opposed to them.
  
  Read more

• Google was asked to remove 345m search results in 2014

  08-01-2015 15:02
  
  The search engine’s battle against copyright infringing content reached new scales last year, figures show Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Charlie Hebdo shooting suspect defended by classmates on Twitter

  08-01-2015 14:16
  
  Students say suspected getaway driver Mourad Hamyd was in class at time of attack, in series of tweets under hashtag #MouradHamydInnocent Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Don't know who to blame for the Sony hacks? Make it up

  08-01-2015 14:07
  
  Satirical site Sony.Attributed.To pokes fun at the continued failure to conclusively identify the movie studio’s hackers Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• ​Google moves ahead with tests in unused 3.5GHz spectrum

  08-01-2015 14:04 via zdnet.com
  
  Google is running tests that could see it become a key player in future mobile networks operating in the 3.5GHz band.
  
  Read more

• Ukraine blames Russia for German hack

  08-01-2015 13:56 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Ukraine points the finger at Russia for German hack attack but do they have any evidence for the claims?
  
  Read more

• Samsung's slimmest phone ever, the Galaxy A7, gets shown off in Malaysia

  08-01-2015 13:43
  
  Samsung hasn't even officially announced the Galaxy A7 yet, but that hasn't stopped it from showing off the upcoming phone at the Galaxy A-series launch in Malaysia.SoyaCincau was in attendance and snapped some photos of the phone, as well as sharing many of the specs. Apparently the Samsung Galaxy A7 has a 5.5-inch 1080 x 1920 Super AMOLED display, an octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor, 16GB of storage, a 2600 mAh battery and 4G support.It's also Samsung's slimmest phone yet, at just 6.3mm thic
  
  Read more

• Machine-learning GraphLab raises $18.5m and rebrands as Dato

  08-01-2015 13:30 via zdnet.com
  
  A multi-million dollar investment is the cue for a company name change as well as expansion plans for GraphLab and its predictive app development platform.
  
  Read more

• Intel Compute Stick is a PC the size of a pack of chewing gum

  08-01-2015 13:10
  
  Devices like Google's Chromecast and Amazon's Fire TV brought instant media streaming to the living room, and now Intel is looking to go one further with a stick that transforms any HDMI-equipped TV into a fully-fledged PC.Unveiled at CES 2015, Intel's Compute Stick is a four-inch device that's powered by a quad-core Intel Atom Bay Trail Z3735F CPU and runs Windows 8.1 or Linux. Features include built-in Wi-Fi and a microSD slot to boost storage.The Windows version comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB
  
  Read more

• OnePlus Two will 'surprise people', but there are no plans for a tablet

  08-01-2015 12:57
  
  So far, OnePlus has a single handset to its name, but it's already made quite a stir, combining high specs with a fairly low price tag to form the OnePlus One.We're expecting the OnePlus Two to arrive this year and hopefully impress just as much, but that's not the only thing OnePlus has got planned, as in an interview with PC World, Carl Pei, the co-founder and Global Director of OnePlus, revealed that another handset is also in the works."I think it's going to be a phone catering to a dif
  
  Read more

Follow @TechnologyUKnws on Twitter!