Technology news

• TPG to acquire iiNet for AU$1.4 billion

  12-03-2015 22:57 via zdnet.com
  
  TPG has announced that it plans to acquire Australia's third-largest internet service provider iiNet.
  
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• Attorney: Woman in Silicon Valley suit misrepresented firing

  12-03-2015 22:41
  
  The woman suing a prestigious Silicon Valley venture capital firm for alleged gender discrimination accepted a generous severance package that gave her salary, access to her company email and kept her ...
  
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• TechRadar Reacts: the new MacBook

  12-03-2015 22:37
  TechRadar weighs in on Apple's new MacBookApple introduced the new MacBook earlier this week, claiming to have reinvented the notebook. The Cupertino company revealed a machine that's thinner and lighter than any Mac it had previously produced while featuring a high-resolution 2304 x 1440 Retina display. But to get there, Apple made more than a few compromises by going with a low-wattage processor and reducing the number of ports down to just one USB-C and a headphone jack.Although the dust has
  
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• VIDEO: 'Cusp of golden age of gaming'

  12-03-2015 22:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  David Braben will receive the Bafta Fellowship in the British Academy Games Awards.
  
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• Review: ZTE SPro

  12-03-2015 22:25
  
  Introduction and designFor those who don't need a 4G LTE connection on their mobile projectors, the WiFi-only ZTE SPro is now available as a follow-up to the $450 (£305, AU$590) Sprint LivePro. Like the LivePro, the ZTE SPro is a compact all-in-one pico projector. At $400 (£270, AU$530), the LivePro ships with Google's Android operating system, a capacitive touchscreen to control the projector, speakers, and a built-in battery. These features allow the traveling professional to conduct impromp
  
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• Exclusive - IBM looking at adopting bitcoin technology for major currencies

  12-03-2015 21:26
  
  By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp is considering adopting the underlying technology behind bitcoin, known as the "blockchain," to create a digital cash and payment system for major currencies, according to a person familiar with the matter. The blockchain - a ledger, or list, of all of a digital currency's transactions - is viewed as bitcoin's main technological innovation, allowing users to make payments anonymously, instan
  
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• NBN Co fibre-on-demand product launches

  12-03-2015 21:20 via zdnet.com
  
  Australians wanting the lifestyle choice of fibre to the premises must soon pay NBN Co for the privilege.
  
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• VIDEO: Why does Alibaba want some Snapchat?

  12-03-2015 20:59 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC News looks at why Chinese internet giant Alibaba might be interested in Snapchat - even though the messaging app is blocked in China.
  
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• Intel cuts revenue forecast as desktop demand weakens

  12-03-2015 20:28
  
  Intel Corp slashed nearly $1 billion from its first-quarter revenue forecast as small businesses put off upgrading their personal computers, sending the chipmaker's shares down more than 5 percent. Fewer companies than Intel had expected replaced desktop PCs running on outdated Microsoft operating systems, leading to weak demand for its chips. Intel also cited "challenging" macroeconomic and currency conditions, particularly in Europe. "The macro environment is not robust eno
  
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• LG G4 Note is reportedly LG's fancy new Android phablet

  12-03-2015 20:21
  
  MWC is when many of the year's biggest announcements take place, but it's also a great time for big companies to drop a hint or two of things to come.At MWC 2015 this year, LG did just that, teasing a new flagship that may turn out to be a line of high-end phablets starting with the LG G4 Note.That's what sources told the Korea Herald, and it turns out LG applied for a related trademark with Korea's patent office in February.Phablet comingLG President and COO Cho Ju-no said during MWC that the c
  
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• The Newest Place on Earth

  12-03-2015 20:01
  
  Late last year, in the sparkling blue of the South Pacific, a huge volcanic eruption produced the newest island on Earth. "The surface was hot," Gianpiero Orbassano, a hotelier in nearby Tonga, told the outlet after he traveled from 39 miles away. Local scientists discourage adventures like Orbassano's, saying the new island is unstable. Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai is part of the Ring of Fire, an area in the Pacific known for its earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
  
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• Swatch counter-attacks smartwatches

  12-03-2015 19:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Swatch, the world's bestselling watchmaker, reveals plans to install Bluetooth and near-field communication chips in its products.
  
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• Europe aviation safety agency sets out drone proposals

  12-03-2015 19:29
  
  Three categories of civil drone should be created to regulate unmanned aerial vehicles now used in everything from filming to farming and parcel deliveries, Europe's aviation safety body has proposed. The proposals would allow the new industry to grow whilst at the same time protecting people and goods, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said on Thursday. Drones in Europe are currently subject to a patchwork of regulations in each country and the European Commission wants a basic re
  
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• Attorney questions if woman in Silicon Valley suit was fired

  12-03-2015 19:26
  
  The woman suing a prestigious Silicon Valley venture capital firm for alleged gender discrimination was given a generous severance package when she left the company. Yet she posted on an online message ...
  
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• Antivirus labels itself as malware

  12-03-2015 19:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Two Panda Security antivirus programs marked corrupted files in their own systems as malign, causing them to stop working.
  
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• BBC handing out one million free computers

  12-03-2015 19:00
  
  The BBC is ready to hand out a million free computers to students starting secondary school to address a skills shortage of some 1.4 million over the coming five years.Through the UK-wide Make it Digital initiative, a "Micro Bit" coding device will be provided to every year-7 child in the British Isles by autumn 2015. Additionally, a collection of BBC programming is set to complement the rollout.The "Micro Bit" is a small wearable device with a mini LED display that children
  
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• Critics attack FCC as it releases new rules to protect net neutrality

  12-03-2015 18:56
  
  Last month FCC voted to approve new powers to oversee broadband internet after Obama called for regulators to maintain a free and open internetAfter a year of acrimonious wrangling, threats and an unprecedented online campaign, the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday finally released its new rules on regulating the internet.The 313-page document is now being scrutinised by an army of communications lawyers as the cable and telecoms industry considers whether – or more likely when –
  
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• Genetic test maker 23andMe launches drug R&D effort

  12-03-2015 18:56
  
  Google-backed genetic testing company 23andMe is launching its own drug development unit, betting that it can translate its database of customer DNA information into novel medicines. The Silicon Valley-based ...
  
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• Cuba allows rare free public Wi-Fi at Havana cultural center

  12-03-2015 18:51
  
  Cuba has allowed the launch of the island's first known free, public and officially sanctioned Internet service at a Havana cultural center that quietly began offering open Wi-Fi in recent weeks. Dozens ...
  
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• Android phones will follow in the new MacBook's USB-C footsteps

  12-03-2015 18:49
  
  Apple was the first major company to throw its weight behind USB Type-C with a flagship product - the new Macbook - but Google isn't far behind.The search company launched its own brand new notebook, the second-gen Chromebook Pixel, with USB Type-C this week as well.We reviewed the top ChromebooksAnd now Google has revealed that Android phones are next.YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-J0FWWDuRgPredicting the futureUSB Type-C is a faster, more versatile and conveniently reversible conn
  
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• Genetics company plans research unit

  12-03-2015 18:39 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The personal genetics company 23andMe is setting up a research unit to trawl its growing database for clues about diseases.
  
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• Star Wars stand-alone film is named

  12-03-2015 18:35 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Star Wars producers announce the name of the new stand-alone film, to be directed by Britain's Gareth Edwards and star Felicity Jones.
  
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• Microsoft and Cisco come to the aid of cloud providers

  12-03-2015 18:24
  
  Microsoft and Cisco's relationship in the cloud and data center arena has taken a significant stride forward through a new technology platform designed to help cloud providers deliver hybrid cloud services quickly and affordably.The Cisco Cloud Architecture for the Microsoft Cloud Platform works by allowing cloud providers to go beyond a simple infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) offering to provide a combined IaaS, platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and software-as-a-service (SaaS) product to its cust
  
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• Hands-on review: Updated: Motorola Moto E (2015)

  12-03-2015 18:20
  Introduction, design and displayAt the back end of February this year, as I was packing my bag for MWC 2015, Motorola delivered a surprise package to TechRadar towers. Quite like a child abandoned on an orphanage's doorstep, there was a small box waiting and upon bringing it into the warm we found it to be Motorola's own "press conference in a box."It's a smart idea considering inside was the Motorola Moto E (2015), and heading to a full blown press conference for this would likely hav
  
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• Swatch don't want to produce a mobile phone for your wrist but plans NFC integration

  12-03-2015 18:15
  
  The world's largest watchmaker, Swatch unveiled its riposte to Apple's smartwatch on 12 March, announcing a plan to put cheap programmable chips in watches that will let wearers from China to Chicago make payments with a swipe of the wrist. Swatch Group will start offering watches with near field communication (NFC) chips within two months, chief executive Nick Hayek said at a news conference on the company's annual results which were released last month. The Swiss company's
  
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• What are the UK's new trains like?

  12-03-2015 18:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  What are the UK's new high-speed trains like?
  
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• Inside a cyber-terror simulation

  12-03-2015 18:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  In the heart of London the largest ever UK cyber-terror security simulation is playing out. Will they rescue City Hall?
  
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• The latest PS4 update finally lets you suspend/resume your games

  12-03-2015 18:04
  
  When the PS4 was launched, one of the original features that was exciting was the ability to shut the console down mid-game, switch off the console, then come back later and carry on. Finally, we're getting that functionality added.The new update, codenamed "Yukimura", will arrive "soon" although there's no official word on the Sony blog post. It will, however, also bring some other great features.For example, you'll be able to find friends on Facebook too. Those who have use
  
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• Google Chromebook Pixel 2 review round up: gorgeous, powerful, but still just Chrome

  12-03-2015 17:39
  
  Google’s vision of a cloud-computing future has another champion, the £800 Chromebook Pixel 2, with a high resolution screen and solid aluminium bodyGoogle has launched a new premium Chromebook – the Pixel 2. It is faster than its predecessor and has a high resolution screen but it raises the question: does anyone really want to pay £800 for a glorified web browser.Google’s Chromebooks are designed to be a fast, cheap, portal to the internet costing under £250 and providing a
  
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• Moto E (2015) review: 'Best budget smartphone' gets makeover and 4G support

  12-03-2015 17:38
  
  Less than a year after the original Moto E, Motorola has come up with a more modern version of its budget smartphone.
  
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• In smartwatch war, Swatch goes for cheap, quick and China

  12-03-2015 17:05
  
  By Tom Miles CORGEMONT, Switzerland (Reuters) - The world's largest watchmaker unveiled its riposte to Apple Inc's smartwatch on Thursday, announcing a plan to put cheap programmable chips in watches that will let wearers from China to Chicago make payments with a swipe of the wrist. Swatch Group will start offering watches with near field communication (NFC) chips within two months, chief executive Nick Hayek said at a news conference on the company's annual results which were re
  
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• ​CERN's souped-up Large Hadron Collider to launch again after Higgs boson hiatus

  12-03-2015 16:29 via zdnet.com
  
  CERN hopes to find dark matter this year with its refitted LHC, which can produce beams powerful enough to melt a car.
  
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• UK surveillance 'lacks transparency'

  12-03-2015 16:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The legal framework surrounding surveillance by MI5, MI6 and GCHQ is "unnecessarily complicated" and "lacks transparency", MPs say.
  
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• Inside the Large Hadron Collider: How IT powers the greatest experiment in history

  12-03-2015 15:57 via zdnet.com
  
  Tape storage and distributed computing are at the core of the latest discoveries in the field of physics.
  
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• Drones to take place of Jeremy Clarkson as Airheads fills Top Gear's BBC slot

  12-03-2015 15:43
  
  Sunday evening show offers an aerial take on hit Robot Wars with teams building flying machines before pitting them against rivals Continue reading...
  
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• Survey: Is your company innovative enough to change the world?

  12-03-2015 15:37 via zdnet.com
  
  Technological innovation is a key to success in the enterprise. Take Tech Pro Research's latest survey and report on whether innovation is valued within your organization.
  
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• Snapdeal drums up custom in Slumdog's Dharavi

  12-03-2015 14:42
  
  By Nivedita Bhattacharjee MUMBAI (Reuters) - For viewers of Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire", Mumbai's vast Dharavi slum is a byword for poverty, but to online retailer Snapdeal.com it is a battleground for new customers and, it hopes, a source of better margins. The three are already fighting over India's 300 million-strong urban middle class, who have come to expect price wars and great deals on everything from mattresses to motors, but as competition intensifies, S
  
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• Intel cuts first-quarter revenue forecast by nearly $1 billion

  12-03-2015 14:39
  
  (Reuters) - Intel Corp slashed its revenue forecast for the first quarter by nearly $1 billion (668 million pounds), citing lower-than-expected demand for business PCs and lower inventory levels across the PC supply chain. Intel said it expects first-quarter revenue of $12.8 billion, plus or minus $300 million. It had earlier forecast $13.7 billion, plus or minus $500 million. Analysts on average were expecting revenue of $13.70 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Intel said it cut it
  
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• Swatch adds tech features to watches, positive on 2015

  12-03-2015 14:02
  
  By Tom Miles CORGEMONT, Switzerland (Reuters) - Swatch Group, the world's largest watchmaker, on Thursday said it would compete with Apple Inc's upcoming smartwatch by baking inexpensive chips into existing watch lines to allow consumers to make payments with a swipe of their wrist. Chief Executive Nick Hayek told the company's annual results news conference that the outlook for 2015 results was "very good" despite the surge in the value of the Swiss franc. "This no
  
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• Docker reels in Kitematic as it hits container acquisition trail again

  12-03-2015 14:00 via zdnet.com
  
  Canadian startup Kitematic with its open-source GUI-based container installation tool is the latest object of Docker's attentions.
  
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• UK lawmakers: Spies' bulk data snooping not excessive

  12-03-2015 13:11
  
  LONDON (AP) — U.K. spies intercept Britons' online communications in bulk and keep personal data on large numbers of British citizens — but not enough to amount to blanket surveillance or "reading everyone's emails," lawmakers said Thursday.
  
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• EU plans to target cyber-terrorism

  12-03-2015 13:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Plans for a new Europol unit to deal with jihadist content online are being presented to European ministers on Thursday.
  
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• Black Box Society, book review: Documenting big data's dark side

  12-03-2015 13:07 via zdnet.com
  
  Our online lives generate a trail of data that is eagerly consumed, analysed and traded by marketing companies and rating agencies, among others. This book explores the dangers of the data-driven society, with a particular focus on Silicon Valley and Wall Street.
  
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• Swatch CEO says doesn't want to produce mobile phone for wrist

  12-03-2015 12:29
  
  CORGEMONT, Switzerland (Reuters) - Swatch on Thursday unveiled an expanded range of its "Swatch Touch" smartwatch range and additional functions for its watches, but its chief executive said the company was not looking to produce a wearable mobile phone. "We don't want to produce a mini mobile phone on your wrist," Swatch Chief Executive Nick Hayek told a news conference for the group's full-year results. "Others can do that. ...
  
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• BBC in school computer giveaway

  12-03-2015 12:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The BBC has launched its Make it Digital initiative with new hardware for schools and a raft of coding-based content.
  
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• ​Google stops selling the Nexus 5

  12-03-2015 12:25 via zdnet.com
  
  Google isn't selling the Nexus 5 through its online store any more, but they're still available through some retailers and carriers.
  
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• Alibaba invests $200m in Snapchat

  12-03-2015 12:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Chinese internet giant Alibaba invests $200m (£133m) in messaging application Snapchat, valuing the four-year old firm at nearly $15bn.
  
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• Big Hero 6 robots 'not far away'

  12-03-2015 12:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Personal healthcare robots such as Baymax in Disney animation Big Hero 6 may not be far from becoming reality, a university suggests.
  
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• Alibaba hiring in Amazon, Microsoft backyard as U.S. cloud unit expands

  12-03-2015 11:10
  
  By Paul Carsten and John Ruwitch BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, the world's largest e-commerce firm, has begun hunting staff in Seattle, home turf of Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp, focusing on savvy cloud computing hires as it ramps up U.S. operations. Three positions were open to people in Seattle, two of which also allow applications for Alibaba's Silicon Valley offices, according to advertisements on LinkedIn Corp'sN business networking site in
  
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• ​Cyanogen OS 12 to get its own Boxer-powered Email app

  12-03-2015 11:01 via zdnet.com
  
  Cyanogen Inc nails down its own email app for its commercial OS through a new partnership with Boxer. The new app will arrive in the forthcoming Cyanogen OS 12.
  
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