Technology news

• VIDEO: The robot competing for a $2m prize

  03-06-2015 21:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A competition which challenges robots to complete human-based tasks is taking place in California.
  
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• ​A new day, a new Ubuntu smartphone

  03-06-2015 20:01 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  They're still not available in the States, but EU country citizens can get a bigger, better Ubuntu Linux smartphone: The Aquaris E5 HD Ubuntu Edition.
  
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• CTO Jane Aboyoun explains how NYPL has benefited from the cloud

  03-06-2015 19:22 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  The New York Public Library knows a thing or two about processing information. CTO Jane Aboyoun talked to ZDNet about how the cloud has helped NYPL's IT department get more streamlined.
  
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• Xero and point-of-sale platform Vend joins Apple's app elite

  03-06-2015 19:00 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Vend and Xero announce they are part of a select group of business app developers for iPad referred to in Apple's second-quarter earnings call.
  
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• Xero and point-of-sale platform Vend join Apple's app elite

  03-06-2015 19:00 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Vend and Xero announce they are part of a select group of business app developers for iPad referred to in Apple's second-quarter earnings call.
  
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• Sheryl Sandberg on husband's death: 'I have lived 30 years in these 30 days'

  03-06-2015 18:43 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Facebook’s chief operating officer writes an emotional post about the ‘void’ of the month since her husband, David Goldberg, died in an accidentSheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer at Facebook, has written an emotional post on the social networking site about mourning for her husband, David Goldberg, who died in an accident last month.“Today is the end of sheloshim for my beloved husband—the first thirty days,” Sandberg wrote. “Judaism calls for a period of intense mourning
  
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• Fallout 4 confirmed for release

  03-06-2015 18:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A new instalment in the best-selling post-apocalyptic video game series Fallout is confirmed.
  
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• Dash Radio aims to reinvent radio – with help from Snoop Dogg's Cadillac jams

  03-06-2015 18:00 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  With 1m listeners and $2m funding, Scott Keeney wants ‘to make radio good, and take it back to its roots’ – competing with Spotify and AppleInternet radio service Dash Radio has signed up more than 1 million users since its beta launch in 2014 as a way for people to listen to streaming radio stations.Now it’s emerging from that beta with new iOS and Android apps, and $2m of seed funding from investors including former Facebook executives, music and radio industry veterans, and US sports
  
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• Nasa and Verizon plan to monitor US drone network from phone towers

  03-06-2015 17:39 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Exclusive: Federal agency is developing technology to track commercial and civilian drones via cell coverage, with first tests of air traffic control system set for this summer Verizon, the US’s largest wireless telecom company, is developing technology with Nasa to direct and monitor America’s growing fleet of civilian and commercial drones from its network of phone towers.Continue reading...
  
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• Don't leave a message after the beep: why voicemail deserves to die

  03-06-2015 17:32 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  US bank JP Morgan is ditching voicemail, and not before time: it takes too long, it’s frustrating and it’s boringThe cord has been cut and the line has gone dead. The American bank JP Morgan has announced the company is getting rid of voicemail for some employees in an effort to cut costs and save time. Each line costs JP Morgan $10 per month to maintain, which admittedly is not much on the scale of its profits but, in a world dominated by email, text and instant messaging, voicemail is now
  
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• Flight booking sites made to add fee

  03-06-2015 17:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Lufthansa Group is making online-booking services, including Opodo and Expedia, add a surcharge, to encourage people to use its own site.
  
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• Apple recalls fire risk speakers

  03-06-2015 16:51 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Apple recalls its Beats Pill XL speaker systems warning that they could overheat and pose a fire risk.
  
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• Sony hacking saga to feature in cyber-crime documentary

  03-06-2015 16:21 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Oscar-nominated team behind The Square to probe story of cyberattack on studio emails that sparked diplomatic rows and distressed starsThe emails leaked from Sony Pictures in 2014 deteriorated US-North Korean diplomatic relations, slurred a president and embarrassed an Affleck. No wonder the story behind the Sony hack is getting a film treatment.Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer, the married film-makers behind the Oscar-nominated Egyptian revolution film The Square, are working on a feature-length d
  
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• Apple recalls Beats Pill XL speakers over battery fire safety risks

  03-06-2015 16:17 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Company asks customers to stop using speakers, promising refund after discovering that ‘in rare cases’ they may catch on fireApple has issued a voluntary recall of its Beats Pill XL speakers, after discovering that the device’s battery can overheat and catch on fire.While the company claims that this is “rare”, it is nevertheless asking customers to stop using the speakers and return them, claiming a full refund of £215 in the UK, and $325 in the US. Continue reading...
  
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• Updated: Fallout 4 revealed for PS4, Xbox One and PC - watch the trailer here

  03-06-2015 16:12
  
  Update 2: Bethesda has revealed the first trailer for Fallout 4. You can watch it below.As rumoured, the game looks to be set in Boston. The trailer is more extensive than we expected, giving us a vague idea of how everything will play out. Interestingly, it depicts moments before the nuclear apocalypse before we see our hero emerging from a vault and into the wasteland.YouTube : www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnn2rJpjar4Update 1: The Fallout4.com website has confirmed Fallout 4 is coming to PS4, Xbox
  
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• Driverless cars and motoring technology – Tech Weekly podcast

  03-06-2015 16:05 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Is an automotive revolution just round the corner?Cars have evolved gradually over the past century, but we're suddenly on the cusp of an four-wheeled revolution. Driverless cars, electric vehicles, car-sharing … how do these latest developments change the way we drive, and how will they affect the way our roads look in five, 10, or 20 years time? Continue reading...
  
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• Huawei's mid range P8 Lite hits US shores for an incredibly low, unlocked price

  03-06-2015 16:00
  
  You won't find Huawei's latest phone in the carrier stores. The Chinese smartphone maker made that crystal clear once more with the unveiling of its latest phone for the US market, the Huawei P8 Lite, at a press event in New York City.Only available unlocked, or free of carrier contract, this 5-inch handset running Android 4.4 KitKat goes for just $249 (about £162, AU$320). And to buy one, you'll have to go through Amazon or Huawei's own online store, as of this writing."Customers should n
  
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• Updated: Samsung Galaxy Note 5: what we want to see

  03-06-2015 15:59
  
  SamsungGalaxyNote5:whatwewanttoseeThe Samsung GalaxyNote4istheultimaterefinementofthe phabletplatformthecompanycreatedwiththeoriginalGalaxyNote. A powerful display,evenmorepowerstuffedinsideand newtakeonthephablet's designmadeforahandsetworthof4.5starseventhoughit'scontroversially expensiveandhugeinthehand.Since its release back in November, we've seen the Samsung Galaxy S6 come out as well with a completely rethought design and it's possible we may see those changes come to the Galaxy Note 5 as
  
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• Cisco acquires Piston Cloud Computing, will use to ramp up Intercloud offerings

  03-06-2015 15:41 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Piston gives Cisco more muscle around distributed systems and automated deployment, in addition to adding another level of infrastructure to the Cisco OpenStack private cloud.
  
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• TechRadar Deals: DealsRadar: Cheap TV, SSD, Android tablet + more

  03-06-2015 15:30
  
  DealsRadarDealsRadar is the go-to destination for all the best prices on tech and games on the internet. We update daily with links to the best deals on miscellaneous tech and games, with dedicated sections for all your favourite products!Stay up to date: Follow @TRDeals on TwitterIf you're looking for a new phone why not check out our new TechRadar Phone Store.DealsRadar's Daily Deals:Cheap TV: Toshiba has been the king of affordable-yet-decent TVs for a while and you can currently get the 47-i
  
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• Review: Canon 750D (Rebel T6i)

  03-06-2015 15:30
  
  Introduction and specificationsWith the introduction of the EOS 760D and 750D as upgrades to the 700D (which is set to continue for the time being), Canon now has five cameras in what it likes to call its beginners' range. The new 760D and 750D, known as the Rebel T6s and T6i in US territories, sit at the top of this group above the 700D, 100D and 1200D. The 760D is the uppermost model.In many respects the 750D seems the more logical upgrade to the 700D and it sits immediately under the 760D in
  
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• Cop cams hit London: 20,000 police to wear video cameras

  03-06-2015 15:27 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  You're clicked! Cameras will be issued to uniformed police officers in the capital by March next year.
  
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• Four charts that show the unstoppable rise of the smartphone

  03-06-2015 15:04 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Ericsson's latest Mobility Report shows no sign that the world's appetite for mobile communications is slowing, with smartphone subscriptions and data usage expected to rocket.
  
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• Solar plane suffers wing damage

  03-06-2015 14:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A solar-powered plane that is attempting a record-breaking flight around the world has suffered damage after an unscheduled stop in Japan.
  
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• Apple boss hits out at rival firms

  03-06-2015 14:42 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Tim Cook makes a thinly veiled attack on Facebook and Google for "gobbling up" user data.
  
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• TechRadar Deals: 40 Father's Day gift ideas for your hard-to-please dad

  03-06-2015 14:40
  
  IntroductionOur Father's Day gift ideas are designed to give the tech-loving father in your life something to enjoy on his special day. You should also make sure he gets a nice lie-in and some coffee too.The big day, in case you didn't realise, is on 21st June this year.Our gift ideas are intended to celebrate the man who has perfected the art of being both moody and joyful. The man who has perfected the eye rolling - no one rolls their eyes with more gusto than a man asked to empty the recyclin
  
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• Body cameras plan for Met officers

  03-06-2015 14:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Plans to equip all Met Police officers with cameras on their uniforms are announced by the Mayor of London.
  
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• Skype falls victim to text chat bug

  03-06-2015 14:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Skype issues a fix for a flaw that made its apps repeatedly crash if a certain string of characters was received, a week after Apple faced a similar problem.
  
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• ​Microsoft unveils entry-level mobile Nokia 105, costing $20

  03-06-2015 14:01 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Microsoft has updated the Nokia 105 with more storage and a redesign, aimed at first-time smartphone buyers.
  
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• innovators: Great tech innovators: Mark Zuckerberg

  03-06-2015 14:01
  
  Age: 31Best known for: Facebook, internet.orgQuote: "People don't care about what you say, they care about what you build."Like it or not, Facebook is now the front page of the internet for many. The site has expanded from its initial premise as a social network to a news channel to a video outlet - and it was all started by a 19-year-old college dropout.Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook when he was at Harvard University. Taking inspiration from the university's own intranet that listed
  
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• US woman pursues ex-boyfriend in landmark UK revenge-porn action

  03-06-2015 14:00 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Woman seeking damages and criminal prosecution alleging former boyfriend posted secret video of them having sex before breakup launches complex legal challenge in UK courtsAn American woman is aiming to make legal history in England as the first person to seek both a civil action for damages and the criminal prosecution of a former partner she accuses of posting revenge pornography of her on the internet. Speaking exclusively in a Guardian documentary on her search for justice, Chrissy Chambers,
  
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• HP EliteBook Folio 1020: Thin and rugged for the enterprise

  03-06-2015 13:48 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  The HP EliteBook product line has been serving the enterprise well for years. The Folio 1020 is a thin laptop with rugged build quality that only falls short in a few areas.
  
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• Microsoft could bake Wi-Fi service into Office 365

  03-06-2015 13:45
  
  Microsoft is quietly building Office 365 as a formidable all-inclusive business-focused application and service suite.The company may now be planning to bring Wi-Fi services to Office 365 users after it has apparently rebadged Skype Wi-Fi to Microsoft Wi-Fi.According to WinSupersite founder Paul Thurott, Microsoft will launch a business version of the service for Office 365 Enterprise customers, allowing firms to ensure that their employees are connected while out and about, maintaining their pr
  
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• Why rollercoasters shouldn't crash

  03-06-2015 13:40 via bbc.co.uk
  
  What stops rollercoasters having more accidents?
  
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• Your Instagram feed is about to be invaded by more ads

  03-06-2015 13:40 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Facebook-owned photo-sharing service forges ahead with advert plan, opening it up to local and global marketersInstagram is opening up its advertising to all businesses regardless of size to expand its money-making efforts, meaning more ads in user feeds.The company also said that it was going to expand its advertising targeting features based on user interests, age, gender and demographic, using the photos they take as well as integration with Facebook’s behavioural ad profiling. Continue rea
  
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• Fallout 4: eight things we want to see

  03-06-2015 13:32 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Game publisher Bethesda has teased the arrival of a new instalment in its hugely-successful post-apocalyptic role-playing series. Here’s what we’re hoping forOn Tuesday, Bethesda stuck a 24-hour countdown on its website, and Twitter blew up like a nuclear warhead. The ticker was, of course, leading us toward the official announcement of Fallout 4, which is set for release on PC, Xbox One and PS4. And, after seeing the trailer, that sound is my head exploding with excitement like a radroach b
  
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• Even potholes are tweeting now

  03-06-2015 13:03
  
  Panama City has a pothole problem, so one television station in the city commissioned some special sensors to tweet complaints at the Department Of Public Works every time anyone drives over one. It seems to have gone down pretty well, with over 3,000 people now following a pothole. Still not quite on a par with the 107,000 people following some sheds or the 486,000 people following a clock though. Life, eh? Twitter's latest plan to crack down on trolls
  
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• Met police to issue body cameras to majority of officers by next year

  03-06-2015 13:00 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  London mayor says 20,000 video cameras will be deployed to help police fight crime and boost public confidenceThe majority of uniformed Met officers will be issued with body-worn video cameras by the end of March next year, the mayor of London has announced.Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that about 20,000 cameras would be used to help police fight crime and boost public confidence.Continue reading...
  
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• Dell's Internet of Things plan: Making it work for real people

  03-06-2015 12:52 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Chief innovation officer Jim Stikeleather talks about Dell's new IoT products, ambitions, and partners.
  
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• Pinterest introduces 'buyable pins' allowing direct product purchase

  03-06-2015 12:45 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Social photo-sharing service moves into e-commerce, creating option for users to browse items by price and colour – and purchase with a clickSocial photo sharing service Pinterest is introducing a “buy button” allowing users to purchase products pinned to its boards.The site and mobile app has long been the destination for browsing aspirational products, such as home ware, clothing and gadgets, but until now there has been no purchase option for users. Continue reading...
  
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• Apple doesn't want to share your private details, says Cook

  03-06-2015 12:43
  
  Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, has spoken out on data privacy and called out other Silicon Vally companies for gathering information and attempting to monetize it.Speaking remotely, while receiving the Electronic PrivacyInformation Center's Freedom Award, Cook hammered home his message of respecting people's privacy that other firms haven't done in the past.Cook said, "I'm speaking to you from SiliconValley where some of the most prominent and successful companies have built their businesses by lul
  
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• Skype bug breaks app with simple eight-character text string

  03-06-2015 12:37 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Glitch causes Skype apps on iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows to crash and permanently lock up Microsoft’s Skype chat service is vulnerable to a simple booby-trapped text message that causes the app to enter a crash loop that permanently breaks the app on iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows.
  Reminiscent of Apple’s iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac crash bug, the Skype vulnerability is caused by a much simpler and more common text string “http://:”. Continue reading...
  
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• Imgur faces user revolt as it starts to cull NSFW comments from site

  03-06-2015 12:23 via feeds.theguardian.com
  Campaign against ‘censorship’ hits front page of image-sharing website popular on Reddit, after it finally acts on rules banning obscene and explicit commentsImage-sharing website Imgur accidentally sparked a user revolt on Tuesday, after it began removing obscene and sexually explicit comments from the site.Imgur, which is in practice one of the largest social networks on the internet with 5 billion page views each month, has always had a rule in its community guidelines, under the rubric �
  
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• Jaws: the movie that brought video games and films together

  03-06-2015 11:52 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Released 40 years ago this week, Jaws didn’t just invent the summer blockbuster – it also kickstarted the love affair between games and filmsThe moment will be familiar to a generation of Jaws fanatics. Early in the movie, after the first mangled victim is discovered, the highly strung police chief Martin Brody is certain a great white shark is lurking in the waters surrounding Amity island – but it’s the Fourth of July and the mayor insists that the beach has to stay open. With the expe
  
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• Oculus VR's second virtual reality film stars a hedgehog named Henry

  03-06-2015 11:42 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Facebook VR subsidiary’s in-house studio follows up its first film with ‘a heartwarming comedy’ created by Pixar and DreamWorks veteransThe Oculus Rift virtual reality headset won’t be commercially launching until the first quarter of 2016, but the company behind it – Facebook subsidiary Oculus VR – is pressing on with creating films for the device.Having created a Story Studio division staffed by veterans from Pixar and Industrial Light & Magic and launched a short VR film calle
  
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• Google hit with EC antitrust complaint after booting privacy app from Play store

  03-06-2015 11:25 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  An app maker set up by former Googlers has filed an antitrust complaint witht he European Commission after being banned from Google Play.
  
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• VIDEO: Would you wear your phone's charger?

  03-06-2015 10:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Cindy Sui visits the Computex technology show in Taiwan and sees some of the latest gadgets, including a wearable charger.
  
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• South Korea test-fires missiles capable of striking all of North Korea

  03-06-2015 10:26 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Testing of two ballistic missiles with reported range of more than 300 miles is likely to further raise tensions in regionSouth Korea has successfully test-fired two domestically built ballistic missiles that can hit all of North Korea, officials said, amid continuing animosity between the countries over the North’s push to bolster its nuclear and missile capabilities.The missiles, which have a reported range of more than 300 miles, were fired from a southern launch pad, said an official at Se
  
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• Amazon aims for British parents with Fire HD Kids Edition tablet

  03-06-2015 10:21 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Device for children will cost £119 or £139 and come bundled with built-in subscription for unlimited use of apps, ebooks and videosAccording to the latest figures from communications regulator Ofcom, 71% of British children aged 5-15 have access to a tablet in their home, including 34% who own their own device. .Now Amazon is hoping to boost the latter figure with the UK launch of its dedicated children’s tablet: the Fire HD Kids Edition, which originally launched in the US in October 2014.
  
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• Pricey TVs spur double-digit growth at Dixons Carphone

  03-06-2015 10:11 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Profits likely to exceed forecasts with 13% increase in sales on anniversary of merger between Carphone Warehouse and Dixons Continue reading...
  
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