Technology news

• End of the line: Don't plan to camp out for an Apple Watch

  07-04-2015 23:53
  
  Joyful, sleep-deprived diehards bursting through Apple Store doors to buy a new product on launch day are the stuff of legend, but if a new leaked document is to be believed, Apple isn't exactly keen to repeat those scenes, beginning with the Apple Watch release.Business Insider picked up a memo supposedly sent by Apple head of retail Angela Ahrendts to Apple Store employees that asks them to guide customers online to purchase the Apple Watch and New MacBook 2015.The supposed memo stated: "
  
  Read more

• Russian hackers reached sensitive White House systems - CNN

  07-04-2015 23:34
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russian hackers penetrated sensitive parts of the White House computer system after intruding at the U.S. State Department in recent months, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing U.S. officials briefed on the matter. White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes declined to discuss specific cybersecurity events during an appearance on Tuesday on CNN. He said the White House does not believe its classified systems have been compromised. (Reporting by Emily Stephenson; E
  
  Read more

• Twitter options active on deal chatter

  07-04-2015 23:08
  
  Twitter Inc's shares jumped 5 percent and activity in its options surged on Tuesday on unsubstantiated market chatter about the company fending off a takeover bid. The microblogging service provider's shares rose to $53.28, the highest they have been since October, on market chatter that the company has hired advisers to rebuff a takeover bid. Twitter's options were unusually active on Tuesday with total volume more than 250,000 contracts, or twice the average daily volume, accord
  
  Read more

• Google's GMeet could kill teleconferencing

  07-04-2015 22:29
  
  After launching video calls with Google Hangouts, Google may be looking at transforming regular teleconference calls with a new app and service called GMeet. Screenshots of the unannounced app were uncovered by Google+ user Florien Kiersch, revealing that teleconference calls could be easily joined with a single click, rather than requiring users to dial in a string of numbers to enter a room. Florien claims that the service is only open to Google employees, but it's unclear if GMeet is intended
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Obama says climate change is harming Americans' health

  07-04-2015 22:12
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says climate change isn't just affecting the nation's weather, it's harming Americans' health.
  
  Read more

• Jeff Bezos' rocket company Blue Origin to begin test flights this year

  07-04-2015 21:49
  
  Blue Origin achieves ‘acceptance testing’ for its New Shepherd suborbital system, which would be ‘modified for upper-stage applications’Jeff Bezos has Amazon, drones, the Washington Post – and now he says he has a liquid hydrogen-powered rocket engine suitable for starting businesses in space.Blue Origin, the e-commerce billionaire’s commercial spaceflight venture, announced on Tuesday it had achieved “acceptance testing” for BE-3, the company’s New Shepherd suborbital system,
  
  Read more

• Is Redstone the first Windows 10 update?

  07-04-2015 21:08
  
  This story has been updatedWindows 10 might be well on the way, but that hasn't stopped Microsoft's next Windows project - codenamed Redstone - from peeking out publicly for the first time.First reported by Neowin, the Redstone project will be a Windows OS update next year and it's thus far unclear whether it will refresh Windows 10 or be a part of Windows Server 2016. Redstone will be released in two waves, one in June of 2016 and one in October 2016.The Redstone name itself comes from the Micr
  
  Read more

• Madonna uses Meerkat to debut new Ghosttown music video

  07-04-2015 20:23
  
  Promo will have its live premiere on star’s official channel, with social app joining Snapchat, Instagram and Grindr in her promotional armourySoon, there won’t be a social app left that Madonna hasn’t used to promote her new album. Live video broadcasting app Meerkat is the latest, following the star’s use of Instagram, Snapchat and Grindr in the campaign for Rebel Heart.“Be here at 10am PST tomorrow for the world premiere of Madonna’s Ghosttown video!” explained a message on Mado
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Rihanna and Beyoncé unveil new music via Jay-Z's Tidal

  07-04-2015 20:23
  
  The first wave of exclusives on the streaming site have been released, while Lily Allen claims the ‘expensive’ service will lead to more piracyContinue reading...
  
  Read more

• Flaw in reporting tribal cases stymies gun background checks

  07-04-2015 20:11
  
  SEATTLE (AP) — A flawed reporting system between tribes and outside authorities allowed a man to buy a handgun that his son used to kill four classmates and himself in Washington state last year.
  
  Read more

• 5 Things to know about robocalls

  07-04-2015 19:38
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Communications Commission has been asked to look into the issue of robocalls, the automated phone messages favored by political campaigns, charities and scammers. At issue is whether phone companies can do more to protect consumers from fraudulent calls.
  
  Read more

• Nobuo Uematsu: the video game composer shaking up classical music

  07-04-2015 19:33
  
  The Japanese musician behind the Final Fantasy themes has become a mainstay of Classic FM’s Hall of Fame, rubbing shoulders with the greats. So what does our critic make of his work? Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition release brings Broadwell power boost

  07-04-2015 19:33
  
  Dell has updated its range of XPS 13 Developer Edition Ubuntu Linux-ready laptops with a speedy Broadwell chip that elevates it above the heavily praised consumer editionThe new machines start off at $949 (around £639, or AU$1,240) and come with Ubuntu 14.04 installed in addition to an Intel Core i5 Broadwell processor and 8GB of RAM that offers a boost compared to the XPS 13 range.Dell's XPS 13 Developer Edition entry level machine also has a 13.3-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 pixel matte display, and a
  
  Read more

• Can phone companies do more to block robocalls?

  07-04-2015 19:28
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Jeri Vargas put her elderly mother on the "Do Not Call" list years ago. So why is the 88-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease still getting several recorded phone calls a day pitching her everything from vacation cruises to medical alert devices and fire extinguishers?
  
  Read more

• Dallas Buyers Club piracy case: court to determine level of fines

  07-04-2015 19:03
  
  Australian ISPs must release names of over 4,700 users who shared filmiiNet accuses Voltage Pictures of using discovery letters to force settlementsContinue reading...
  
  Read more

• Turkish academics to fight Twitter and Facebook ban in court

  07-04-2015 18:54
  
  By Can Sezer and Humeyra Pamuk ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Two Turkish academics on Tuesday appealed a court order that allowed authorities to block access to Twitter and YouTube for several hours this week, a crackdown they say reflects Ankara's growing authoritarianism. Turkey has taken a tough stance on social media under President Tayyip Erdogan and the ruling AK Party he founded. Both Twitter and video-sharing service YouTube were inaccessible for hours on Monday after a Turkish court ordered
  
  Read more

• Bendy battery promises safety, speed

  07-04-2015 18:43 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Engineers unveil a flexible aluminium battery which they say could offer a cheap, fast-charging and safe alternative to current designs.
  
  Read more

• Netflix can now ban you for using a VPN

  07-04-2015 17:40
  
  Netflix can now ban users for bypassing geographic restrictions according to a Reddit post, and based on the company's own terms and conditions. In the updated rules the company says "You may view a movie or TV show through the Netflix service primarily within the country in which you have established your account and only in geographic locations where we offer our service and have licensed such movie or TV show". Which is fine, and basically means you can use the service when you're t
  
  Read more

• Next peek at Windows Server 2016 due next month

  07-04-2015 17:21
  
  Microsoft is finally ready to release the second technical preview of Windows Server 2016 more than six months after the previous incarnation was outed.First reported by ZDNet, Microsoft plans to roll out the next technical preview at some point in May and to do so it is extending the date of the first version, which was slated to run out on April 15."Microsoft will release a solution to extend the current Windows Server Next Technical Preview until the next preview is available. The next p
  
  Read more

• Destructive hacking attempts target critical infrastructure in Americas - survey

  07-04-2015 17:07
  
  By Joseph Menn SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hacking attacks that destroy rather than steal data or that manipulate equipment are far more prevalent than widely believed, according to a survey of critical infrastructure organizations throughout North and South America. Those figures are all the more remarkable because only 60 percent of the 575 respondents said they had detected any attempts to steal data, long considered the predominant hacking goal. By far the best known destructive hacking attack
  
  Read more

• LG G4 launch officially confirmed as invites sent out

  07-04-2015 16:11
  
  The LG G4 will definitely, 100%, no questions asked, be unveiled on April 28 as an invite expressing exactly that has been sent out.We were already pretty sure the G4 would be landing on the 28 of this month after LG sent out a teasing, "G" laden 'save the date' a few days ago - and we've now got confirmation with the handset getting a name check in the latest update.The invite now sports the rear facing camera and button setup you can expect to see on the rear of the LG G4, plus the l
  
  Read more

• Windows 7 and 8.1 users nudged in Windows 10's direction

  07-04-2015 16:02
  
  Windows 7 and 8.1 users have received yet more encouragement to download Windows 10 later this summer after Microsoft secretly implemented a nudge in the right direction as part of a new update.The optional KB3035583 update for the two older versions of Windows includes "additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications when new updates are available to the user" and upon further inspection Myce found that this was in fact a Windows 10 installer.Users that choose to download the
  
  Read more

• Microsoft targets autistic workers

  07-04-2015 15:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Microsoft is to hire more people with autism in full-time roles.
  
  Read more

• Review: Acer Aspire Switch 11

  07-04-2015 15:56 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Introduction and designThere's certainly a market for entry-level Windows tablets. Plenty of people would prefer to run their favourite desktop software, such as desktop web browsers, rather than having to use alternatives from Apple and Google's app stores with an iPad or Android tablet.The Surface Pro 3 is without a doubt the best in this class, but its cost and performance approaches that of a fairly high-end laptop, which somewhat limits its audience. If you're not looking to run demanding s
  
  Read more

• Uber's popularity surges; business travelers avoiding taxis

  07-04-2015 14:44
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Business travelers are bypassing the taxi queue with greater frequency, choosing instead ride-hailing services like Uber Technologies.
  
  Read more

• Call to investigate YouTube Kids app

  07-04-2015 14:34 via bbc.co.uk
  
  US regulators have been asked to investigate whether a YouTube app for children breaks rules on advertising to younger people.
  
  Read more

• Samsung attacks S6 Edge bend test

  07-04-2015 14:26 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Samsung criticises a test that suggests its Galaxy S6 Edge phone is at least as vulnerable to bending as Apple's iPhone 6 Plus.
  
  Read more

• Review: Garmin Nuvi 2599LMT-D

  07-04-2015 14:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Slotting into Garmin UK's some would say baffling, 34-strong range of automotive satnavs, the Garmin Nuvi 2599LMT-D (that name just trips off the tongue, doesn't it?) sits just above the middle of the price range, packing Bluetooth, voice recognition and traffic aids. But it hasn't been tickled by the pretty stick and is slightly lower spec than their £300 range-topper. It's pretty similar to the Garmin Nuvi 2699 I pootled around with late last year, though. FeaturesPenetrate your cigarette lig
  
  Read more

• ​AWS Config comes to five new regions

  07-04-2015 14:13 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  After recently coming out of preview, AWS Config is now available in nine AWS regions, with a few feature updates.
  
  Read more

• Twitter and Facebook vow to challenge Turkey over ban

  07-04-2015 14:13
  
  Twitter and Facebook have vowed to fight a Turkish ban that briefly blocked access to social media sites this week, a clampdown critics said was further evidence of Ankara's growing authoritarianism. Turkey has taken a tough stance on social media under President Tayyip Erdogan and the ruling AK Party he founded, temporarily stopping access to some sites last year and making it easier for authorities to introduce such bans. In the second half of last year alone, Turkey filed more than five
  
  Read more

• Cheap, long lasting, quick to recharge: Is this the battery your phone's been waiting for?

  07-04-2015 14:02 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Stanford-developed, revolutionary aluminium-ion battery just might be the best and last battery you will ever need.
  
  Read more

• BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition review: A promising start

  07-04-2015 13:01 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  A dual-SIM 3G smartphone running Ubuntu (for Phones), the BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition demonstrates that the OS can run well on a mid-range phone originally designed for Android. However, Canonical's platform is a work in (rapid) progress, rather than a fully formed mobile phone OS.
  
  Read more

• ​Google to offer free international roaming with new mobile service

  07-04-2015 12:47 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  One of the biggest pains for travellers abroad can be roaming charges. Google may be looking to fix that for US customers.
  
  Read more

• Turkey threatens Google with ban

  07-04-2015 12:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Turkey threatened to ban Google unless it removed links to controversial images of a prosecutor being held at gunpoint.
  
  Read more

• Snapchat friend emojis are coming

  07-04-2015 11:59 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Snapchat's latest update assigns emojis to your best friends (and your best friends' friends), so here's how it works.
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: The floating pop-up power station

  07-04-2015 11:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A pop-up power station that can be set up in a day is being developed by a US start-up.
  
  Read more

• Facebook gives children an identity

  07-04-2015 11:33 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The social networking site creates a new baby book designed for children to inherit an online identity on Facebook.
  
  Read more

• ​Ex-Android boss Andy Rubin launches hardware startup accelerator

  07-04-2015 11:13 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Following his recent departure from Google, Andy Rubin's next project will be to nurture new hardware startups by shouldering some of their operational burdens.
  
  Read more

• Uber asks US court to dismiss lawsuit filed by alleged rape victim in India

  07-04-2015 11:00
  
  The online car service said the court should dismiss the lawsuit as the victim had sued the wrong partyUber has asked a US court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by an alleged rape victim in India’s capital, Delhi, saying the ride-sharing company cannot be held legally responsible for the driver’s acts. The passenger, who reported being raped and beaten after hailing a ride with the Uber driver in Delhi in early December, sued the online car service in a US federal court in January, claiming the c
  
  Read more

• How far can a government police internet porn?

  07-04-2015 10:49 via bbc.co.uk
  
  How far can a government police internet pornography?
  
  Read more

• Dallas Buyers Club ruling: iiNet must hand over names of downloaders

  07-04-2015 10:46
  
  iiNet and other internet service providers lose bid to keep secret the identities of those who used file-sharing networks to download film Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Islamist hackers seize control of Defra's air quality website

  07-04-2015 10:26
  
  Group calling itself Moroccan Islamic Union-Mail posts picture of Saddam Hussein and criticises Britain for its role in invasion of IraqIslamist hackers seized control of the government’s official air quality website to post a message criticising Britain for its role in the invasion of Iraq in 2003.Visitors on Tuesday morning to the UK-Air website, part of the Department of Food, the Environment and Rural Affairs, were greeted with a black background with a a large portrait of the former Iraqi
  
  Read more

• Illegal downloaders face exposure

  07-04-2015 10:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An Australian court orders internet service providers to hand over details of customers accused of illegally downloading a US movie.
  
  Read more

• EE launches wi-fi phone calls, starts with Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and Lumia 640

  07-04-2015 10:01 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Service will make phone calls and texts possible even when you have no mobile signal.
  
  Read more

• Uber asks U.S. court to dismiss lawsuit in alleged Delhi rape

  07-04-2015 09:46
  
  (Reuters) - Uber asked a U.S. court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by an alleged rape victim in India's capital, saying the ride-sharing company could not be held legally responsible for the driver's acts. The passenger, who reported being raped and beaten after hailing a ride with the Uber driver in Delhi in early December, sued the online car service in a U.S. federal court in January, claiming the company failed to maintain basic safety procedures. In a filing late on Monday, Uber said
  
  Read more

• Turkey lifts YouTube ban that followed court order on hostage photos

  07-04-2015 09:44
  
  Turkey has lifted a ban on YouTube that followed a court ordering the video-sharing service to remove images of a prosecutor held at gunpoint by far-left militants. Both YouTube and popular micro-blogging site Twitter were inaccessible from Turkey for hours on Monday, with the ban on Twitter lifted late in the evening. As of 0600 GMT (7.00 a.m. BST), YouTube was also accessible. The prosecutor seen in the pictures, Mehmet Selim Kiraz, was later killed in a shoot-out between his hostage takers an
  
  Read more

• Obama presents climate change as hazard to your health

  07-04-2015 09:36
  
  President Barack Obama will ask Americans to think of climate change as a threat not just to the environment, but also to their health. Obama on Tuesday was to announce a series of steps that private entities ...
  
  Read more

• EE offers wi-fi call back-up service

  07-04-2015 09:13 via bbc.co.uk
  
  EE is to begin switching some of its customers to wi-fi enabled calls to help combat mobile signal dead spots.
  
  Read more

• ​Vocus installs 'world's largest' fibre optic cable

  07-04-2015 09:11 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Vocus Communications is laying its new 1,728 fibre-count optic cable in South Sydney, after trialling smaller formats of the cable for the past three years.
  
  Read more

• Motorola signs AU$175m emergency network deal with SA

  07-04-2015 08:57 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Motorola Solutions Australia has inked a AU$175 million seven-year deal with the South Australian government for the upgrade and management of its emergency services wireless network.
  
  Read more

Follow @TechnologyUKnws on Twitter!