Technology news

• Can Etsy keep its folksy brand and make shareholders money?

  05-03-2015 23:58
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — If craft seller Etsy goes public later this year it will be a test of how well the company can balance an explicit social mission with shareholder expectations for making money.
  
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• VIDEO: Revolutionary urinal 'makes energy'

  05-03-2015 23:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A toilet that could revolutionise sanitation facilities in refugee camps has been developed by a group of researchers at the University of the West of England.
  
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• For the 'unbanked', mobile money still has some way to go

  05-03-2015 22:04
  
  Globally, an estimated 2.5 billion people don't have a bank account, but many own a cellphone, fuelling a race to turn these phones into bank books for the 'unbanked' to store cash, manage their accounts, make purchases and send and receive money - part of so-called 'financial inclusion'. In a report this week, the GSMA, the association of mobile phone companies, said mobile money "has been growing at a dizzying rate." The Boston Consulting Group said last mont
  
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• U.S. says inaction on online piracy risks public safety

  05-03-2015 21:43
  
  By Krista Hughes WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. trade office on Thursday urged a crackdown on website name registrars who fail to take action against sellers of illegal goods such as counterfeit medicines and warned that turning a blind eye puts public safety at risk. The U.S. Trade Representative also said it is keeping an eye on China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's  consumer shopping website for sales of fake and pirated goods, but refrained from putting the site back on its pirac
  
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• Hillary Clinton email trove under review for release

  05-03-2015 21:34
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The government will review a huge cache of Hillary Rodham Clinton's emails for possible release after revelations she conducted official business as secretary of state in the shadows of a private account. The disclosure has raised questions in the buildup to her expected presidential run about whether she adhered to the letter or spirit of accountability laws.
  
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• Pentagon to focus more on hack-proofing weapons

  05-03-2015 21:26
  
  By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cyber attacks on U.S. weapons programs and manufacturers are a "pervasive" problem that requires greater attention, the top U.S. arms buyer said Thursday, saying that he would add cybersecurity to the Pentagon's guidelines for buying weapons. "It’s about the security of our weapons systems themselves and everything that touches them. It’s a pervasive problem and I think we have to pay a lot more attention to it," Defense Unders
  
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• Hands-on review: Valve Steam Controller

  05-03-2015 21:10 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Impressions of the final controllerUpdate: I've seen the latest version of Valve's Steam Controller at GDC 2015, and have updated this article with my impressions. Head to page two to see our our original hands on from GDC 2014.What's the biggest barrier keeping PC gaming out of the living room? Is it the expense? The size of the machine? The reliance on Windows? Or is it that the mouse and keyboard are horribly awkward on the couch?Perhaps it's all four, but Valve's Steam Controller is here to
  
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• The new 'Horsemen of the Nasdaq' - how long will they ride?

  05-03-2015 20:58
  
  Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon hold dominant positions in the tech sector and have been among the biggest engines driving the Nasdaq above the 5,000 mark this week for the first time since 2000. The tech world moves so quickly that in 2000 Google wasn't yet public and Facebook didn't exist. Apple had yet to introduce the iPod, let alone the iPhone. "In other sectors there's a greater sense of permanence in the leadership, but tech is always changing," said Scott Kess
  
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• Apple's rivals hope its Watch will boost their own wearable tech

  05-03-2015 19:02
  
  By Harro Ten Wolde BARCELONA (Reuters) - Apple's rivals want to benefit from its magic, hoping that its long awaited new smartwatch will finally conjure demand for wearable technology that has so far generated more buzz about its potential than actual sales. Gizmos that users wear on their bodies have yet to live up to the hype as the next big thing in technology. "If Apple is successful, it'll create a rising tide that will lift the whole market," said Ben Wood, a top gadget
  
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• Technology helps visually impaired navigate the Tube

  05-03-2015 18:57 via bbc.co.uk
  
  App to help visually impaired young people on the London Tube
  
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• U.S. trade office says monitoring Alibaba e-commerce site

  05-03-2015 18:33
  
  The U.S. trade office said on Thursday it is keeping an eye on Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's  consumer shopping website for sales of counterfeit and pirated goods, but refrained from putting the site back on a piracy blacklist. Alibaba has fought hard to tackle counterfeit products to keep its reputation from being tarnished in the run-up to, and after, its initial public offering last year. The U.S. Trade Representative removed China's Taobao.com, Alibaba's consumer-to-consumer
  
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• Review: iolo System Mechanic 14.5

  05-03-2015 18:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Overview and specsModern computer companies, most notably Microsoft and Apple, sell us on their operating systems being as low maintenance as possible. This wasn't always the case: back in the Windows 95 & 98 days, only a rookie wouldn't defragment their hard drive regularly. As the years passed, protecting and maintaining one's computer became a part-time job, and thus an industry was born. Virus Protection become a marquee feature, a charge led by Norton, McAfee and others. System Mechanic
  
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• Hands-on review: MWC 2015: Acer Liquid M220

  05-03-2015 18:18 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Acer revealed a number of new phones at MWC 2015 but none of them stood out to me as much as the Acer Liquid M220. It wasn't down to the specs though, the Liquid Jade Z surely takes the crown there. It stood out as it has taken the strange route of adopting the Windows Phone platform.So far all Acer devices have been running on various iterations of the Android OS, enough that it has built up its own UI design overtime. I never saw the company stepping away from the platform as I never thought i
  
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• State Dept. will review Clinton emails for possible release

  05-03-2015 17:31
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department agreed Thursday to review thousands of messages from a private email account that former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton used for official government business, but it cautioned that the process will move slowly and perhaps take months.
  
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• Hands-on review: Updated: Ubuntu Phone

  05-03-2015 17:21 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The tech landscape is dominated by the smartphone and the tablet. These in turn are lorded-over by two competing operating systems familiar to us all, namely Apple's iOS and Google's Android, which can never be deposed, not even by Microsoft's millions. Right?Not so. While Apple and Google slug it out with periodic updates to try and outdo each other, and in doing so hopefully tempt us tech buyers to swap from one major operating system to another, there are other smartphone-centric platforms ou
  
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• Hotel chain confirms hack attack

  05-03-2015 16:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Hotel chain Mandarin Oriental has confirmed that credit card data has been stolen in a hack attack on the company's network.
  
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• Hands-on review: MWC 2015: Acer Liquid Jade Z

  05-03-2015 16:37 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Back at CES 2015 Acer revealed its new flagship Liquid Jade S and only two months later it has felt the need to come back with an even cheaper version called the Liquid Jade Z. I managed to get a little hands-on time with the device at MWC 2015 and here's what I thought of the new device.The Liquid Jade S had a big selling point in its price, offering an octa-core handset at the cheap price of €299. The Liquid Jade Z has dropped that all powerful processor in order to knock the price a little
  
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• Why 2016 is going to be the year of DevOps

  05-03-2015 15:41 via zdnet.com
  
  DevOps is a philosophy and a cultural shift rather than a new market say analysts.
  
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• Data roaming to stay, EU proposes

  05-03-2015 14:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  MEPs will consider proposals that would maintain data roaming charges and introduce priority internet access for some specialist services.
  
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• Facebook rant lands man in UAE jail

  05-03-2015 14:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An American has been arrested in the United Arab Emirates for comments he posted on Facebook while in the US.
  
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• ​Samsung takes a time-out on smartwatches as Apple Watch launch nears

  05-03-2015 14:03 via zdnet.com
  
  Samsung is taking a breather from its frantic smartwatch release schedule, preferring for the moment to play a watching-and-waiting game.
  
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• Music app Shazam to add sights to sounds

  05-03-2015 13:26
  
  By Leila Abboud BARCELONA (Reuters) - Shazam, the company behind the mobile phone app that enables its 100 million users to recognise music they hear, and buy the recordings, is now promising to extend the app's scope to objects, such as products in retail outlets. "Shazam is already a verb. We want to expand the universe of what you can Shazam," Chief Executive Rich Riley told Reuters at at the Mobile World Congress industry fair in Barcelona. To fund the expansion the London-bas
  
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• India asks YouTube to remove Delhi rape film

  05-03-2015 13:16
  
  India has asked YouTube to remove all links to a controversial documentary about the gang rape and murder of a woman in Delhi after banning its broadcast, a government official told Reuters on Thursday. Leslee Udwin's "India's Daughter" features an interview with Mukesh Singh, one of four men sentenced to death for the rape and torture of a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in December 2012. "We just forwarded the court order and asked them (YouTube) to comply," an
  
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• Netflix in row over net neutrality support

  05-03-2015 13:12
  
  As streaming service teams up with Australian ISP for preferential treatment, it’s forced to clarify US executive’s comments on broadband caps
  Netflix has been accused of hypocrisy after it revealed it had teamed up with Australian ISP iiNet to obtain preferential treatment despite being a long-time proponent of net neutrality.The news comes as it attempts to explain seemingly contradictory statements from its own chief financial officer, who told a media and technology conference that the c
  
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• Joss Whedon laments 'nightmare' Avengers sequel as latest trailer lands

  05-03-2015 13:05
  
  Writer/director claims superhero-juggling blockbuster Avengers: Age of Ultron is ‘as tough as anything I’ve ever done’ Continue reading...
  
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• Hands-on review: MWC 2015: ZTE Star 2

  05-03-2015 12:53 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  While ZTE has a big presence in Asia, it's yet to break into other markets in the same way, but at the Chinese's firm booth at MWC 2015 its latest handsets and edging closer to the standards expected from consumers in other territories.A good example of this is the ZTE Star 2, a nicely designed handset with freshly update voice recognition for the English language - a clear signal of intent that it will be coming to Western markets.I was told Europe could expect the Star 2 to arrive during Q2 (A
  
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• Apple's larger ‘iPad Pro’ expected in October

  05-03-2015 12:46
  
  Reports indicate larger 12.9in iPad could be released in second half of 2015 with new USB ports aimed at business usersApple’s rumoured “iPad Pro” has reportedly been delayed by production issues surrounding its bigger screen.The 12.9in business-focused iPad will begin production in the second half of the year, reports from Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal state. Continue reading...
  
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• ​End of data roaming charges in 2015? Not so fast, says Europe

  05-03-2015 12:46 via zdnet.com
  
  European member countries will fight to extend roaming charges within the EU for a further three years, jeopardising the EC's plans for a single telecoms market.
  
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• Lenders want bold overhaul of Japan's Sharp as another bailout looms

  05-03-2015 12:44
  
  By Taiga Uranaka and Ritsuko Ando TOKYO (Reuters) - Loss-making Japanese electronics firm Sharp Corp meets its main banks on Thursday in an effort to secure its second major bailout since 2012, betting they will have little choice but to pay up despite their call for more drastic overhauls. Sharp Chief Executive Kozo Takahashi will meet officials from Mizuho Bank and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, hoping to discuss further funding and buy time, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Sha
  
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• BMW says talks with Apple don't involve developing a car

  05-03-2015 11:43
  
  German carmaker BMW said on Thursday its talks with technology giant Apple did not involve developing or building a car, denying a German magazine report. Auto Motor und Sport said in its March 4 edition that the two firms were discussing possibilities for cooperating on the development of a passenger car. Apple was impressed with BMW's carbon-fibre electric cars, the magazine said, citing a "high ranking BMW manager." The BMW spokesman said: "We are in regular talks with com
  
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• How have video games changed your life?

  05-03-2015 11:18
  
  Millions of people all over the world play video games: we’d like to hear your stories about how they’ve changed your lifeVideo games are often labelled as just another hobby, but often, they can be much, much more.Our games writer Keith Stuart spoke in depth about the positive influence Minecraft has had on his son, who was diagnosed with autism. For him, its creator Markus “Notch” Persson helped give his son a voice:But most important was the way in which, after talking to each other w
  
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• Continental wants to be partner on possible Apple car -CEO

  05-03-2015 11:04
  
  Germany's Continental AG would be interested in acting as partner for technology giant Apple should the U.S. company decide to build a car, Chief Executive Elmar Degenhart said. "Apple has an excellent reputation on information and communication systems and has incredible financial strength," the CEO said on Thursday during an earnings call. "We would be interested" in acting as partner if Apple decides to produce a vehicle, he said. Separately, Degenhart was sceptical o
  
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• Elite: Dangerous to touch down on Xbox One

  05-03-2015 10:44
  
  Epic space trading sim will journey to Microsoft’s console this summer, in comparable form to PC versionElite: Dangerous is coming to Xbox One as a console exclusive, Microsoft has announced. The ambitious space trading game, a sequel to the classic BBC Micro title from 1984, was released on PC last December. In an announcement at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, Xbox chief Phil Spencer said that the new version would be released this summer.Featuring a vast univer
  
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• VIDEO: Software designs robotic solutions

  05-03-2015 09:34 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The latest in robotics including software which can design electronics to solve problems
  
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• Experts: Clinton email practices risked data disclosures

  05-03-2015 09:18
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton's use of a private email address and private computer server for official State Department business heightened security risks to her communications, such as the inadvertent disclosure of sensitive information and the danger from hackers, several information security experts said.
  
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• Self-driving cars could generate billions in revenue- U.S. study

  05-03-2015 09:05
  
  By Paul Lienert DETROIT (Reuters) - Self-driving cars could generate billions of dollars a year in revenue from mobile internet services and products, even if occupants spend only a fraction of their free time on the web, according to a new study by McKinsey & Company. In addition, the McKinsey study warns of several risks to established companies, including vehicle manufacturers, dealers and even insurance companies. McKinsey projects that future owners of self-driving cars could save up to
  
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• The latest ‘kidtech’ kits: tried and tested

  05-03-2015 08:30
  
  Give your children the chance to be creators, not just consumers of technologyChildren should have the opportunity to be creators, not just consumers of technology. I learned how to code when I was a kid and I’ve been doing it ever since. But introducing your kids to what’s possible with robots, electronics and computers can feel daunting, and I’m someone who has studied computer science!My wife is an author and photographer, and we have four children, aged two, four, six and eight – the
  
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• Behind the screen: film director John Dower reveals his games strategy

  05-03-2015 08:00
  
  Director explains what his expertise can bring to games, where animators and developers lack the skills to deal with actors Continue reading...
  
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• A digital public space is Britain’s missing national institution

  05-03-2015 07:59
  
  An alternative to the internet as shopping mall is emerging – a place where creative assets can be redistributed for non-commercial useA cynic might say that we have the internet we deserve. We were promised a democratic platform for change, for equality, for collaboration, yet are faced with a reality of weary cynicism, as author Charles Leadbeater wrote last summer, and an assumption that we cannot trust any organisation with our personal data.We were told of flourishing startups and opportu
  
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• Govt report pins Australia's future on technology, but ignores NBN

  05-03-2015 07:21 via zdnet.com
  
  Technology and innovation will be at the centre of Australia's continued productivity over the next 40 years, according to the Treasury Department's latest Intergenerational Report.
  
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• Lords urge compulsory registration of all civilian drones

  05-03-2015 07:01
  
  Lords demand a national, online database recording all drone operators and flights A database of civilian drones being flown in the UK should be created to enforce their safe operation, a House of Lords report has recommended.The database would log any civilian drone and their pilots and allow police greater powers to enforce flight rules, capturing rogue drones and being able to identify law breakers. Related: Parrot Bebop drone review: bird's eye video without a sky-high price Continue readin
  
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• Huawei, Intel expand tie-up amid China's rising scrutiny of U.S. tech firms

  05-03-2015 06:38
  
  By Paul Carsten BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL] and Intel Corp are expanding an existing alliance to provide cloud computing to global telecoms carriers, as U.S. tech firms vie for Chinese tie-ups to retain access to a tough mainland market. The partnership, announced by Huawei in a statement, comes as U.S and other Western tech firms' scramble to burnish their bona fides with China, which has become increasingly wary of foreign technology. China's
  
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• LG planning high-tier smartphone

  05-03-2015 06:27 via zdnet.com
  
  Alongside its G4 and G Flex 2 smartphones, LG is preparing to launch a 'super' phone in the second half of 2015, according to mobile boss Juno Cho.
  
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• Microsoft outlines plan to bridge Xbox and PC video gaming

  05-03-2015 05:17
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Microsoft is attempting to break down the walls surrounding console gaming.
  
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• Microsoft launches SA innovation centre to help startups

  05-03-2015 05:03 via zdnet.com
  
  Following the opening of a startup innovation centre in Queensland in 2012, Microsoft has opened its second one in Adelaide.
  
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• ​Calls for independent oversight of Australia's website blocking laws

  05-03-2015 04:25 via zdnet.com
  
  The parliamentary committee inquiring into the laws allowing Australian government agencies to block websites has received calls for an independent party to oversee the scheme.
  
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• GDC 2015: Valve is not secretly showing Portal 3 on the HTC Vive

  05-03-2015 03:26
  
  Sorry folks, no ninja game releases from Valve have been released this GDC. It's easy to mistake the HTC Vive demo for Portal 3 - after all, where else can you find those familiar robots? But nope, it's just a demo cooked up by the talented Seattle staff called Aperture Science. We attended a Valve panel called "Advanced VR Rendering" which showed off a soundless example demoing the technical aspects behind the VR graphics used to make the demo. If you need more proof, Valve director o
  
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• iPad Pro release looking less likely for 2015

  05-03-2015 03:24
  
  While we're sure the iPad Pro will arrive one day, when that day will come is looking less and less clear.Sources in the know told Bloomberg that Apple is stalling production of the larger iPad until sometime in September. The 12.9-inch tablet was originally slated to begin rolling off the assembly line this quarter, but delays in the display panel supply chain forced a change of plans. Starting production now would presumably have set Apple up nicely for its usual end-of-year iPad release push,
  
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• Etsy formally files for initial public offering on Nasdaq

  05-03-2015 02:51
  
  Online craft marketplace’s listing is expected to be largest tech IPO since 1999, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars in investmentEtsy, the online craft and vintage goods marketplace, has formally filed its intention to float on New York’s Nasdaq stock exchange. The Brooklyn-based company, founded in 2005 by painter, carpenter and photographer Rob Kalin after he struggled to find anywhere to sell his handmade wooden computers, registered its intention of an initial public offering (
  
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• GDC 2015: HTC's Vive won't be the only SteamVR headset

  05-03-2015 02:51
  
  When HTC announced Vive, the virtual reality headset it built with Valve, we suspected that it wouldn't be the last manufacturer to announce a visor running the SteamVR platform.We've been hearing mumblings from sources that more are being worked on from different manufacturers. Further to that, this week Bossa Studios, who have been developing on HTC's headset since last year, told us that while HTC is building the Lighthouse technology (that's Valve's room-tracking system) using Valve's patent
  
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