Technology news

• Review: Acer Aspire R13

  13-04-2015 22:10 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Introduction and designLike other PC manufacturers, Acer has been experimenting with the convertible Ultrabook form factor. That journey started with last year's Aspire R7, a multimodal laptop with an easel stand and a 15-inch display that makes it look and feel more like a transforming all-in-one desktop than a convertible notebook. This year's Aspire R13 shows Acer has been listening to user feedback in slimming its multimodal design.Starting at just $899 (£610, AU$1,170) with the latest Inte
  
  Read more

• UK opposes international ban on developing 'killer robots'

  13-04-2015 21:34
  
  Activists urge bar on weapons that launch attacks without human intervention as UN discusses future of autonomous weapons Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Chess champion's toilet phone shame

  13-04-2015 20:59 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A Georgian chess grandmaster is expelled from a tournament after apparently using a smartphone in the toilet to check his moves.
  
  Read more

• Turing's notebook sells for $1m

  13-04-2015 20:56 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A 56-page scientific notebook compiled by World War Two Enigma codebreaker Alan Turing sells for $1m at a New York auction.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Price of '.sucks' investigated

  13-04-2015 18:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The authority that decides which letters a web address is allowed to finish with is concerned at the high charges for the new '.sucks' name.
  
  Read more

• Apple Watch sales reach nearly 1m on first day of orders

  13-04-2015 18:08
  
  Some 957,000 preorders placed on Friday and will begin shipping in April, but number puts the wearable far short of some estimates for 2015 sales Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Review: Updated: HTC One M9

  13-04-2015 17:18 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Introduction, design and screenThe HTC One is a phone built on precision. It's a brand realising it made a pretty much perfect phone with the One M8 and doubling down on its greatest strength to try and win over more customers.It's dropped the maligned 4MP Ultrapixel sensor, bumping it up to a huge 20.7MP option in a bid to attract those that feel safer buying a phone with higher numbers on the spec sheet.And it's tied off the experience with a huge boost in the engine room and teamed up with Do
  
  Read more

• Review: Updated: Samsung Galaxy S6

  13-04-2015 17:07 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Introduction, design and screenIt's no secret that Samsung needed to do something big with its new phone, to unleash something to stop the rot that the Galaxy S4 began two years ago.I just didn't expect the Galaxy S6 to be this good.Yes, there are still some elements that prevent it from being the perfect phone (this is Samsung after all, a brand that likes to cram as much into the phone as it can get away with) but to leap to this point from the plastic-clad nonsense of the Galaxy S5 is a reall
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• What is The Button? And will it ever not be pressed?

  13-04-2015 16:20
  
  Have you pushed The Button yet? Who knows how long it will be an option … and why it’s spawning cults and cliques on RedditOver the last two weeks, social news site Reddit has slowly split apart into warring factions. The Followers of the Shade have their hearts torn in two by the Bluetherhood and the Emerald Council on a regular basis, but their true enemies are the Knights of the Button. All that anyone really agrees on is that no matter what name the purples call themselves – be it the
  
  Read more

• Security researchers claim new Windows security weakness

  13-04-2015 16:17
  
  Computer security researchers said they have uncovered a new variation on an old weakness in Microsoft Corp's Windows operating system that could theoretically allow hackers to steal login credentials from hundreds of millions of PCs. The vulnerability, named 'Redirect to SMB' by security firm Cylance, is similar to one found in the late 1990s that took advantage of a weakness in Windows and Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser which made it possible for attackers to trick W
  
  Read more

• Review: mini review: Bose SoundLink Color

  13-04-2015 16:10 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Bose has recently taken a keen and welcomed interest in making some very colorful products. This change is most apparent if you compare the difference between the straight-faced, executive style of the QuietComfort 15 to the Bose QuietComfort 25. These recently launched over-ear headphones received an injection of jubilance that goes a long way in making its design fresh, while remaining loyal to Bose fans.Continuing with this lively style, Bose has introduced the SoundLink Color. For $130 (£12
  
  Read more

• Review: Boston SuperFlex MicroBlade

  13-04-2015 15:33 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Introduction and designLike other blade server platforms, the concept behind the Boston SuperFlex MicroBlade is an easy one. Take a bunch of servers (in this case up to 28 Intel Xeon dual-socket servers) and, instead of putting each inside a separate 1U rack-mount chassis, fix them onto hot-swap 'sleds', then slide those sleds into a compact enclosure (here it's just 6U high) to save massively on rack space.But then space saving isn't the only benefit, with lots of other features aimed at buyers
  
  Read more

• Microsoft and Fujitsu: 'Lettuce sort out your IoT for industry'

  13-04-2015 15:21 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Microsoft is in Germany this week showing off how its software works with industrial applications of the Internet of Things.
  
  Read more

• Project Morpheus: Sony's plan to make virtual reality a social experience

  13-04-2015 15:14
  
  Everyone envisions that virtual reality will be about isolating yourself from the real world, but that’s not exactly what Sony has in mindTwo years after the successful Kickstarter fund that projected Oculus Rift into the mass consciousness and launched the new era of consumer virtual reality, there are still a lot of questions to answer. What will VR apps actually look like? How will they work? Will they resemble the games we play on current consoles, or will they work more like virtual touri
  
  Read more

• Review: Toshiba Satellite P50t B-11D

  13-04-2015 15:08 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Introduction and designAs a touch 4K laptop, Toshiba's business-targeted Satellite P50T B-11D was expected to make an impact, visually at least. Toshiba call it the 'world's first 4K Ultra HD laptop' and claim it delivers 'true colour accuracy', allowing you to see movies, photography and art as the artist intended. To back up that claim, they've crammed some solid hardware in there - but is it enough? And what can it really run?This is a very different sort of professional laptop, unlike Toshib
  
  Read more

• Spoiler alert! Or how to avoid them

  13-04-2015 14:48 via bbc.co.uk
  
  With the latest Game of Thrones episodes online before broadcast, here's a few tips if you don't want to know what happens next.
  
  Read more

• Podcast 'patent troll' faces setback

  13-04-2015 14:43 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A crowd-funded campaign claims victory after patent authorities invalidate rights granted to a company that sought payments from podcasters.
  
  Read more

• Mumford & Sons slam 'plutocrats' behind Jay Z's Tidal

  13-04-2015 14:28
  
  Winston Marshall attacks celebrities endorsing streaming service while Marcus Mumford speaks out on behalf of smaller artistsContinue reading...
  
  Read more

• Game of Thrones pirate downloads: Britain leads the world

  13-04-2015 14:13
  
  British internet users download most illegal copies of leaked episodes of new season, with nearly one in 10 IP addresses sharing them based in the UK Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Ash Atalla on Twitter: 'I now get personal feedback from every bastard in the whole world!'

  13-04-2015 13:38
  
  Comedy producer loves social media really, and also relishes the fact that new online TV platforms mean he has more places to sell his shows than everSocial media is providing fans with a direct line to TV comedy producer Ash Atalla for their views on his shows, although he admits that this can be a “double-edged sword” when they are being critical.“I now get personal feedback from every bastard in the whole world who can contact me directly with their thoughts on our show!” he joked, du
  
  Read more

• Review: Honor Holly

  13-04-2015 13:30 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Introduction, design and displayAt the back end of 2014 Huawei announced plans for its new Honor brand. Huawei launched this new, young and hip line, promising devices that were "not afraid to do things differently". But several months later and the company has yet to show what it's aiming to do that the others aren't. Is the Honor Holly its overdue statement of intent?The Honor 6 was the first flagship device for the new brand and it's now been followed up by the first affordable option
  
  Read more

• Adobe Acrobat DC and Document Cloud, First Take: Mobile-friendly and easier to use

  13-04-2015 13:18 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  As long as you find the cloud integration useful rather than intrusive, this is a much-improved version of Acrobat with better access to its powerful tools.
  
  Read more

• ​CyanogenMod 12S comes to OnePlus One this week

  13-04-2015 13:13 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  After lengthy delays it looks almost certain that OnePlus One devices owners will get their Lollipop update this week. The update comes as Micromax announces its new Yuphoria smartphone.
  
  Read more

• Apple likely to boost watch production quickly - analysts

  13-04-2015 13:10
  
  (Reuters) - Apple Inc is likely to quickly ramp production of the Apple Watch after strong pre-orders outstripped limited supply in the first weekend following its launch, some Wall Street analysts said. Apple is widely expected to disclose weekend pre-order numbers at around 8:30 a.m. ET on Monday. According to shopping data firm Slice Intelligence, Apple booked nearly 1 million pre-orders for the Apple Watch in the United States on Friday. The Apple Watch, which allows users to check email, li
  
  Read more

• 'Great Cannon of China' turns internet users into weapon of cyberwar

  13-04-2015 12:24
  
  Researchers identify new tool in Chinese internet censorship, first used in late March against free-speech activists GreatFire.orgThe “Great Cannon” has entered the cyberwar lexicon alongside the “Great Firewall of China” after a new tool for censorship in the nation was named and described by researchers from the University of Toronto.The first use of the Great Cannon came in late March, when the coding site GitHub was flooded by traffic leaving it intermittently unresponsive for multip
  
  Read more

• ​BitTorrent releases beta of its peer-to-peer browser Project Maelstrom

  13-04-2015 11:29 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  BitTorrent's peer-to-peer browser from its Project Maelstrom has hit beta, offering publishers a new way of distributing content without relying on a web server.
  
  Read more

• Online shopping deliveries rev up record UK van sales

  13-04-2015 11:26
  
  Shopping on smartphones and tablets fuels home delivery market and drives up purchases of new commercial vehicles by 22% Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Venus vs Mars: how YouTube success secured a TV deal for urban drama

  13-04-2015 10:42
  
  British production firm PurpleGeko on breaking into broadcast with its romcom: ‘It’s got a predominantly ethnic cast, but there’s no stereotypes in the show’There’s been a vigorous debate about the opportunities – or the lack of them – for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) producers, writers and actors on British TV.In 2014, actor and comedian Lenny Henry called for new legislation to reverse a trend that has seen the number of BAME people working in the British television in
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: Will robots take our jobs?

  13-04-2015 09:05 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A clip of the BBC World News debate on whether robots will take over human jobs
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: Reconstructing history with images

  13-04-2015 09:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Project Mosul is trying to digitally recreate historic works that have been destroyed by Islamic State
  
  Read more

• Servers seized in global Simda botnet hit

  13-04-2015 08:40 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Servers in the Netherlands have been seized, with additional servers taken down in the US, Russia, Luxembourg, and Poland in Interpol's global operation to tackle the Simda botnet.
  
  Read more

• Hopster goes global with its app for children’s TV and learning games

  13-04-2015 08:30
  
  British startup launching in more than 100 countries, and says it’s relishing the competition from Netflix and YouTube KidsBritish children’s TV startup Hopster is expanding globally, launching its video-on-demand app in more than 100 countries at the end of April.The app, which has been installed more than 265,000 times since its launch in the UK in late 2013, is a Netflix-style subscription service, with parents paying £3.99 a month for its catalogue of shows and learning games. Rela
  
  Read more

• ‘History, yes. Science, sure. Sharks, yes’ – what millennials want from factual TV

  13-04-2015 08:30
  
  Digital natives have new viewing habits but may warm to old subjects – but only if programme makers can grab their attention quickly Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin review – a director’s cut of the dark fantasy

  13-04-2015 08:30
  
  (PlayStation 4/Xbox One/PC; Bandai Namco, cert: 16) Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Camera-makers focus on adapting to smartphones’ market surge

  13-04-2015 08:30
  
  The rise of smartphones has hit sales of top of the range cameras, but Sony is looking at the bigger pictureTimes are hard in Japan, and particularly so for the makers of single lens reflex (SLR) cameras – those one you see professionals touting,especially their digital (DSLR) variant. Combined worldwide sales of DSLRs and their sibling, mirrorless digital cameras are slumping year after year, according to data from Japan’s Camera and Imaging Products Association.Shipments of film cameras es
  
  Read more

• The Evil Within: The Assignment review – a suitably scary add-on

  13-04-2015 08:15
  
  (PS3/PS4/Xbox 360/Xbox One/PC; Bethesda Softworks, cert: 18) Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Boxboy! review – compulsive, charming and inventive

  13-04-2015 08:00
  
  (Nintendo 3DS; Nintendo, cert: 3) Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• TV industry faces its ‘ketchup’ moment: ‘Mobile is now the first screen’

  13-04-2015 08:00
  
  France Télévisions’ director of future media Eric Scherer on the trends providing headaches and huge opportunities alike for television firms“The TV industry will have to work on a mobile-first strategy. Not a digital-first strategy, but a mobile-first strategy, because mobile is now the first screen, and it’s taking time away from the TV.”Eric Scherer is director of future media at French broadcaster France Télévisions, so understanding – surprise! – the future of me
  
  Read more

• Hello, I’m your toothbrush … you missed a bit

  13-04-2015 08:00
  
  A toothbrush that rewards you for using the correct technique and scolds you when you don’t and is more clever than a space rocket…When I was five, each time I brushed my teeth I was rewarded with a gold star on a homemade chart. It worked out quite well, as I haven’t had a toothpaste-induced tantrum for around 20 years. Toothbrush technology has improved as dramatically as my behaviour since then. A simple stick with some splayed bristles isn’t good enough for the information age – no
  
  Read more

• Investors buy 50 percent of Kiwi taxi app Zoomy

  13-04-2015 07:29 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  The taxi industry is responding to competitive threats such as Uber with technology of its own.
  
  Read more

• Linux 4.0 and elementary Freya quietly released

  13-04-2015 07:09 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  With a minimum of fuss over the weekend, the Linux kernel has moved onto its 4.x series, while elementary has had its first major stable release since mid-2013.
  
  Read more

• Hobart Airport website down after pro-IS hack

  13-04-2015 04:30 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Hobart Airport's website remains out of operation following an online attack early on Sunday morning that saw it defaced with pro-Islamic State messages.
  
  Read more

• FireEye claims discovery of 10-year hack campaign by China

  13-04-2015 04:29 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  APT30, a Chinese government-sponsored group, has been spying on South-East Asian governments and commercial entities as well as journalists for the last decade, a new report from FireEye has claimed.
  
  Read more

• JD.com to be sued for information leaks and online banking fraud

  13-04-2015 04:16 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  US-listed online store JD.com is suspected of leaking customers' details to scammers, and is consequently facing a potential lawsuit.
  
  Read more

• Future of NZ$28 million fibre fund in doubt

  13-04-2015 03:35 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Negotiations loom between network operator Chorus and New Zealand government company Crown Fibre Holdings over the future of a stranded fibre connection fund.
  
  Read more

• Telstra and NBN Co settle CPI dispute

  13-04-2015 02:46 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Telstra and NBN Co have reached a confidential settlement in their dispute over the value of their AU$11 billion deal.
  
  Read more

• Australia's M2 buys NZ ISP CallPlus

  13-04-2015 02:27 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Australian listed telecommunications provider M2 to buy New Zealand's third largest internet service provider.
  
  Read more

• The shepherd who has transfixed 45,000 people

  13-04-2015 01:49 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Rory meets the sheep farmer who transfixed Twitter
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: Drone racing in an Aerial Grand Prix

  13-04-2015 01:35 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Drone racers go head-to-head at a Grand Prix outside Los Angeles.
  
  Read more

Follow @TechnologyUKnws on Twitter!