Technology news

• Uber valued at nearly $51bn after latest funding round

  31-07-2015 23:46 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Online taxi-hailing app raises close to $1bn from investors including Microsoft and Indian media conglomerate Bennett Coleman & Co’s Times InternetUber Technologies Inc has closed a new round of funding that values the online taxi-hailing company at nearly $51bn, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.Uber raised close to $1bn in the round, bringing its total funding to more than $5bn, WSJ reported on Friday, citing one of the people. Continue reading...
  
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• Facebook's Zuckerberg to have child

  31-07-2015 23:10 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are expecting a baby girl.
  
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• New York village paid ransom to keep its computers running, comptroller says

  31-07-2015 22:23 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Ilion made payments of $500 and $300 last year after ‘ransomware’ infected municipal computers, while other US towns dealt with similar attacksA village in central New York made ransom payments of $300 and $500 last year to keep its computers running after two official-looking emails released malware throughout its system, state auditors said. The comptroller’s office, which has audited 100 municipal computer systems in the past three years, said Ilion’s experience should warn others of
  
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• ​U.S. District Judge rules mobile-phone tracking does require a warrant

  31-07-2015 21:41 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  It's a tug of war for cell-phone privacy as U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh rules mobile-phone tracking does requires a warrant.
  
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• Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and wife expecting a baby girl

  31-07-2015 21:17 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Facebook CEO and his wife Priscilla Chan, who married in 2012, have had three miscarriages, Zuckerberg writes on Facebook page announcing the pregnancy Facebook Inc chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are expecting a baby girl, he said on his Facebook page on Friday. The couple, who married in 2012, have been trying to have a child and had three miscarriages, he wrote. Zuckerberg, 31, did not say when their daughter is due but said the pregnancy was far enough along tha
  
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• Game of Thrones likely to end after next three seasons

  31-07-2015 21:17
  
  All shows must end, and with season 5 now truly behind us (buh-bye, Jon Snow), we're all looking to the future and wondering how many more years we'll have in the Game of Thrones world beyond the confirmed seven seasons.Unfortunately, it doesn't look like too many more years, as HBO president Michael Lombardo has revealed that Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss are planning on finishing up the series with 8 season.Lombardo said that he thinks Benioff and Weiss "are feel
  
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• EXPLAINED: Here's how to get the most out of Apple Music

  31-07-2015 21:05
  
  Apple Music tips and tricksWhether it's a gym membership, a new car, or an expensive bottle of wine at dinner, it's always good to try before you buy. Released last month, Apple Music took that idea to heart and decided to comp the first three months of the service for new users.And while three months may seem a bit excessive, it's a good thing the Apple Music trial period is lengthy because exploring the sheer volume of songs and features available can take hours or even days to parse. With so
  
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• Channel 4 renews Humans for second series ahead of season finale

  31-07-2015 19:50 via feeds.theguardian.com
  Sci-fi show is broadcaster’s most successful drama in 20 years, with audiences engrossed by its depiction of AI and how it could threaten mankindChannel 4 has announced there will be a second series of Humans, its most successful drama in 20 years, ahead of the show’s highly anticipated season finale on Sunday night.Set in a parallel present, Humans has prompted widespread debate about artificial intelligence. It imagines a world in which we increasingly rely on robots, marketed as high-tech
  
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• Review: DJI Phantom 3 Professional

  31-07-2015 19:30
  
  Introduction and featuresQuadcopter and multirotor drones are rapidly growing in popularity, and it's easy to see why. They're relatively simple to operate, and many come equipped with small high-definition cameras, making aerial photographer accessible and affordable – a few years ago you couldn't have captured such footage without hiring a plane or helicopter, or learning to fly a microlight.The DJI Phantom has become the consumer drone of choice thanks to its affordable price, small siz
  
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• iOS Tips: How to forward text messages on iPhone

  31-07-2015 19:05
  
  Let's say you have an important bit of info you received via an iMessage (or regular text message) on your iPhone, but now you need to get that info to someone else. Sure, you could retype it, or you could copy and paste, but there's an easier option: you can forward text messages - or even entire conversations - straight from your iPhone. Here's how.To start, go to the message you're interested in forwarding. Find any part you want to forward, then hold your finger on it for a second or double-
  
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• Toshiba unveils a line of affordable Windows 10 tablets

  31-07-2015 19:03
  
  When you think of Windows 10 you traditionally think of it running on your laptop or a desktop. Microsoft is trying to change that perception, and its manufacturing partners are glad to help. Toshiba just unveiled the Encore 10 line of tablets that come preinstalled with Windows 10 or Windows 10 Professional. The magnesium alloy Encore 10 line comes in two models, the 10K and the 10, both of which feature a 10.1-inch Full HD display and Intel Atom x5 quad-core processors. Both devices come with
  
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• YotaPhone nixes US release of its double-sided E-ink phone

  31-07-2015 18:57
  
  Despite a successful Indiegogo campaign, the YotaPhone 2 will not be released in North America, which was due to be shipped out starting August.The company announced today that it would be canceling its plans to launch the phone due to "unforeseen delays" with its manufacturer which would mean that the handset would not make it into users before other regions were already getting newer, better, and less expensive YotaPhones.The YotaPhone 2 sports a 5-inch AMOLED front display and an al
  
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• Rise of facial recognition queried

  31-07-2015 18:54 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A government-related agency in the US has published a report on privacy concerns relating to facial recognition.
  
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• Cyber attack hits RBS and NatWest online customers on payday

  31-07-2015 17:24 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Banking group says Distributed Denial of Service attack prompted flood of complaints from customersThe RBS banking group has revealed it suffered a cyber attack on its online services that left customers struggling to log on for nearly an hour – just as monthly pay cheques were arriving in accounts.The group, which boasts 6.5m customers under the NatWest, RBS and Ulster brands, said it was the victim of a deliberate surge in internet traffic, called “Distributed Denial of Service”. This fl
  
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• Google Glass is back! But now it's for businesses?

  31-07-2015 16:19 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Head-mounted wearable computer is returning to the market, but this time aimed squarely at business users rather than consumersGoogle has quietly resurrected its wearable computer, Glass, as an enterprise-focused device aimed at industries such as healthcare, manufacturing and energy.The unannounced relaunch, reported by the Wall Street Journal, could be followed a year later by a new consumer version. But for now, the device is aimed exclusively at business customers who gain immediate value fr
  
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• Review: Updated: ZTE Axon

  31-07-2015 15:40 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Introduction, design and displayThe ZTE Axon is the best sign yet of Chinese phone manufacturers finally starting to build flagship-level US smartphones at a fraction of the price of the iPhone and Androids.Here we have a new Android phone with a metal build, 5.5-inch quad HD display and specs that are enough to rival today's best phones, all for $450 unlocked.That obviously contrasts with Android handsets that cost $600 at full retail, like the Samsung Galaxy S6, LG G4 and HTC One M9. Even more
  
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• US man shoots down garden drone

  31-07-2015 15:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A US man has shot down a drone which was hovering over his back garden.
  
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• Martin Lewis nets £25m after selling Moneysupermarket.com shares

  31-07-2015 14:35 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Personal finance journalist Lewis sold 9m shares at £2.80, reducing his stake in the website from 3.1% to 1.5%Martin Lewis, the personal finance journalist, has made £25.2m after selling a large portion of his shares in the price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com. Related: Moneysupermarket.com founder pulls out of £95m share saleContinue reading...
  
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• Tracking system 'open to attack'

  31-07-2015 14:30 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A widely used location-tracking system can be intercepted or fooled with fake data, claims a security researcher.
  
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• Facebook readies drone with wingspan of a Boeing 737

  31-07-2015 13:23 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Social networking giant's solar-powered Aquila UAV will broaden reach of its controversial Internet.org program by beaming internet connectivity to remote regions.
  
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• Facebook's first full-scale internet drone – video

  31-07-2015 13:14 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Andy Cox, engineering lead for Facebook's aviation team, appears in a promotional video discussing the technology behind the company's first full-scale drone, which it plans to use to provide internet access in remote parts of the world. Code-named 'Aquila', the solar-powered drone will be able to fly without landing for three months at a time, using a laser to beam data to a base station on the ground Continue reading...
  
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• The Swindle review – an indie crime caper that almost got away with it

  31-07-2015 13:11 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  PS4/PS3/PSVita/PC (version tested); cert n/a; Size Five GamesGaming has its trends, and in recent times one has been the procedurally generated or “roguelike” indie game. You could go back over decades picking out examples of this design technique, but the big inspiration for this modern flowering is the success of Spelunky. A 2D platformer that married Nintendo-quality controls with brilliant enemies and ever-changing environments, it’s not only a classic but shows why the technique is so
  
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• Ashley Madison hack aids spammers

  31-07-2015 13:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Spammers are exploiting the Ashley Madison hack by posting links that offer stolen data but lead to booby-trapped web pages and scams.
  
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• Can the company behind the smartwatch with 30-day battery life make one that never needs recharging?

  31-07-2015 12:50 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Startup Vector Watch is readying a range of watches with a classic look, understated tech, and a really long battery life.
  
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• Internet of Wine: The Italian project using networked vineyards to make a better vintage

  31-07-2015 12:47 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  An Italian project is allowing wine-growers to keep bills down and get a better crop thanks to some new technology.
  
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• Will a 50/50 pledge help fix gender equality in tech?

  31-07-2015 12:10 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Sandi MacPherson’s 50/50 Pledge is indicative of a movement that’s aiming for a fair proportion of men and women at tech events – and eventually in the industryWomen are woefully under-represented in the tech industry. A study last year found that of 6,517 companies that had raised venture funding in the US only 183 had a female chief executive. Now one of those is setting out a simple, practical idea that might actually move the dial.Launched this week by Sandi MacPherson, founder of the
  
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• Samsung and Mastercard team up ahead of Pay launch in Europe

  31-07-2015 12:06 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Samsung is preparing to follow Apple into Europe's mobile payments market.
  
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• Review: Suunto Ambit 3 Run

  31-07-2015 11:55 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Screen, battery life, design and build qualitySuunto knows a thing or two about sports watches, and that's apparent in the Suunto Ambit 3 Run - which is also sometimes known as the Ambit3 Run - even Suunto's own site uses both. The brand has a long heritage in dive computer design and build leading it to place a premium on durability when compared with more 'lifestyle' brands such as Fitbit, Basis and TomTom. This means it tends to favour chunky 'outdoor' watches, but it also means you get a wri
  
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• Let them eat cake: women hit back at fat-shaming troll

  31-07-2015 11:42 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Sewing blogger Jenny Rushmore was told she should ‘eat less cake’ – so her followers posted pictures of them eating cake in solidaritySometimes, when it comes to internet trolls, the best thing to do is grab a slice of cake.At least that’s what one sewing blogger’s followers decided after an internet troll came out of nowhere to tell her she should “eat less cake”. Continue reading...
  
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• US 'spied on Japan' Wikileaks says

  31-07-2015 11:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The US has been spying on Japanese cabinet officials, banks and companies, including the Mitsubishi group, Wikileaks says.
  
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• Quickflix haemorrhages customers in Q2 after Netflix launch

  31-07-2015 09:35 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  The launch of Netflix in Australia and New Zealand has had a massive impact on Australian streaming service Quickflix, with the latter losing 14 percent of its customer base in the quarter.
  
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• US photo find sparks internet quest

  31-07-2015 09:19 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A US photographer launches an internet hunt to find two women pictured on an old roll of film she discovered in a second-hand store.
  
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• IT failure blocks Queensland schools' reports of suspected child sex abuse

  31-07-2015 09:08 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Police unaware of 644 reports from principals because of coding error made during upgrade to Education Department systemAn IT failure in the Queensland Education Department meant 644 suspected cases of child sexual abuse were not relayed to police.School principals attempted to report the cases, which took place from 22 January and involved students whose parents or guardians were deemed to be acting in their interests over the abuse, via the department’s One School online portal.Continue read
  
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• Windows 10 lands on 14 million devices in first 24 hours

  31-07-2015 08:42 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Microsoft has begun its campaign to see 1 billion devices operating on Windows 10 over the next few years with a total 14 million devices using its latest OS within the first full day of its launch.
  
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• Telstra announces closure of music-streaming service MOG

  31-07-2015 08:03 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Telstra is shuttering its music-streaming service as competition increases in the market with the recent launch of Apple Music.
  
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• Velpic to finalise AU$5.2m reverse takeover of International Coal

  31-07-2015 06:29 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Video e-learning startup Velpic is looking to open offices in Melbourne and Sydney, and will use its backdoor listing to help facilitate expansion plans.
  
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• Mega denies claims by Kim Dotcom of NZ government control of company

  31-07-2015 06:24 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Encrypted cloud storage service Mega has hit back at claims by Kim Dotcom that it is in the hands of a wanted Chinese investor whose shares have been seized by the New Zealand government.
  
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• Facebook finishes Aquila solar-powered internet drone with span of a Boeing 737

  31-07-2015 05:23 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Social media giant plans within months to start testing the craft which is intended to provide internet access to remote areasFacebook has announced the completion of its first full-scale drone, which it says has the wingspan of a Boeing 737 and will provide internet access in remote parts of the world.The company said it would test the aircraft in the US later in 2015. Continue reading...
  
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• Google's AU$1m grant to help introduce 10,000 students to STEM careers

  31-07-2015 04:35 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Google is teaming up with three not-for-profit organisations to help train and raise the STEM capabilities of underrepresented groups, including women, low socio-economic groups, and Indigenous Australians.
  
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• Rackspace to host cloud security sharing centre

  31-07-2015 03:29 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  The Cloud Security Alliance wants the big names in the cloud industry to join forces to tackle security threats in the cloud space that would see providers sharing information before an attack hits another firm.
  
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• Uber ban causes AU$40m annual loss to Queensland economy: Report

  31-07-2015 03:24 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  A report by the ABC has revealed that not allowing Uber to operate in the state of Queensland actually reduces competition to the tune of AU$40 million.
  
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• Two-year project boosts REANNZ network speed, cuts costs

  31-07-2015 01:27 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  New Zealand's national research network gains a massive speed boost and resiliance through a public-private partnership with FX Networks.
  
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• Telecoms lobbyists rail against 'arbitrary and capricious' net neutrality rules

  31-07-2015 01:14 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Brief filed as part of lawsuit demands court vacate Federal Communications Commision’s decision to regulate internet carriers as public utilitiesTelecoms lobbyists have filed a brief in a lawsuit that includes nearly every major industry player demanding that the Washington DC court of appeals vacate net neutrality rules ordered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in February. Chief among the objections of the United Telecom Association (UTA) is that their members won’t invest as
  
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• 'Phone farmers' reaping the benefits

  31-07-2015 01:13 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The tech helping Kenyan smallholders reap rich rewards
  
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• VIDEO: Computer umpires baseball game

  31-07-2015 01:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC Click's Nick Kwek looks at some of the best of the week's technology news
  
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• VIDEO: Climbing frame searches for children

  31-07-2015 01:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A team of robotic developers has built an interactive robotic climbing frame, that can roam designated play areas, ready for children to play with it.
  
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• Time watching videos online will rise to an hour a day – report

  31-07-2015 01:01 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  More than half of viewing is done on mobile devices, says ZenithOptimedia, which also predicts a fall in television viewing next yearPeople around the world will be spending an average of almost an hour a day watching online video by the end of next year, and more than half of that will be spent on a mobile device, according to a report from ZenithOptimedia.Mobile devices will become the dominant source of online video within the next 12 months, and television will peak this year, before startin
  
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