Technology news

• Man distracted by device dies in fall off cliff, witnesses say - CNET

  27-12-2015 22:41 via cnet.com
  
  Technically Incorrect: In San Diego, the man was said to be staring down at his device and not looking where he was walking.
  
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• China's new antiterrorism law could boost tech worries - CNET

  27-12-2015 21:22 via cnet.com
  
  Critics have said the law could give Beijing cover for snooping into the operations of technology companies or easy ways to circumvent privacy protections in everyday gadgets.
  
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• LeBron James lip-syncs in Samsung ad for virtual reality - CNET

  27-12-2015 19:12 via cnet.com
  
  Technically Incorrect: The Gear VR is a new Samsung hope. The great basketball star is here to sing its praises.
  
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• Look out ghosts! New 'Ghostbusters' character posters debut - CNET

  27-12-2015 18:28 via cnet.com
  
  Get ready to fight pesky spirits with these official "Ghostbusters" character posters of Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon.
  
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• 'Deadpool' makes Christmas dreams come true with new trailers - CNET

  27-12-2015 17:33 via cnet.com
  
  Check out our roundup of trailers, script sneak peeks, teasers and even emojis of the Merc with the Mouth. We even include the NSFW trailer for those who prefer their Deadpool intake without a filter.
  
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• Amazon's Christmas book and DVD sales reflect UK regional differences

  27-12-2015 17:29 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Online retailer’s data shows shoppers’ spending was based on their love of local sportspeople, singers and comediansThe differences between Britain’s regions extend to our taste in Christmas books and DVDs, according to data from Amazon.Festive sales patterns show that shoppers put their hands in their pockets based on a love of local sportspeople, singers and comedians. Continue reading...
  
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• North Korea's 'paranoid' computer operating system revealed

  27-12-2015 16:46 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Hamburg conference hears that Red Star intranet allows Pyongyang to control citizens’ access to websitesNorth Korea’s homegrown computer operating system mirrors its political one – marked by a high degree of paranoia and invasive snooping on users, according to two German researchers. Their investigation, the deepest yet into the country’s Red Star OS, illustrates the challenges Pyongyang faces in trying to embrace the benefits of computing and the internet while keeping
  
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• Why you might want to consider moving your thermostat video - CNET

  27-12-2015 13:50 via cnet.com
  
  A misplaced thermostat can mean higher bills and a house that's never the right temperature. Sharon Profis explains on "You're Doing it All Wrong."
  
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• Tech to expect in 2016 video - CNET

  27-12-2015 13:50 via cnet.com
  
  From virtual reality to smartphones that charge wirelessly as soon as you enter your house, the new year promises to bring some exciting developments in the tech world.
  
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• Forget big data – it's time for big algorithms to change the world

  27-12-2015 11:03
  
  Introduction and interconnectionsIt's no good just having data – it's what you do with it that counts. In five years, one million new devices will come online every hour, creating billions of new interconnections and relationships, and producing more and more data. But these relationships will not be driven by data, but by algorithms. "Data is inherently dumb," says Peter Sondergaard, senior vice president at Gartner and global head of research. "It doesn't actually do anything unless you
  
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• Samsung Galaxy S7 appears in case leak, may have iris scanner

  27-12-2015 10:35
  
  There's some Christmas cheer for those of you waiting for news of the Samsung Galaxy S7 - Samsung's flagship phone for 2016 is expected to arrive at the end of February and we've had a couple of fresh leaks about the handset appear over the weekend.First of all we have pictures purporting to show the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Plus in cases (shown above), courtesy of GizmoChina. The shots show a rectangular home button and raised rear camera sensor, and they're pretty close to renderings we've seen
  
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• Robot panic peaked in 2015 – so where will AI go next?

  27-12-2015 10:00 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  This year experts from Elon Musk to Stephen Hawking warned about the havoc robots could cause the economy and humanity. How do we ensure machines are friends rather than foes?Ever since IBM’s Deep Blue defeated then world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a six-game contest in May 1997, humanity has been looking over its shoulder as computers have been running up the inside rail. What task that we thought was our exclusive preserve will they conquer next? What jobs will they take? And what
  
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• Mobile internet is now just the internet

  27-12-2015 10:00 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Smartphones are increasingly becoming the devices on which we access the web at home as well as on the move, meaning more power for Google and AppleThe Christmas holidays are the time of year when different generations of the family gather around the dinner table. So it’s a perfect opportunity for a spot of tech anthropology. Here’s how to do it.At some point, insert into the conversation a contemporary topic about which most people have strong opinions but know relatively little. Je
  
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• 6 computing blunders of 2015

  27-12-2015 10:00
  
  IntroductionThis year has been a good year for technology. We saw manufacturers and developers push the envelope to create products that embrace the new technologies. Apple showed that it's not afraid to embrace the future of computing with the MacBook's uni-port USB-C connector, and Microsoft demonstrated that it is going all-in with its mobile-first, cloud-first strategy to transform Windows from a software to a service, delivering free upgrades and updates to users. But in embracing the futur
  
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• 2015: the year the fingerprint sensor stopped being a gimmick

  27-12-2015 08:00 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Smartphone security no longer has to be a chore thanks to effective biometrics that do their jobs and get out of your way without compromising your dataRemember when your phone first had a camera? I was nice, sure, but it took rubbish photos and you rarely used it. Then it got a capacitive touchscreen, which was better than using stylus, even if you couldn’t type as well as using a keyboard. Quickly both improved and became essentials. Then came the fingerprint sensor, and you thought: rea
  
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• Specialized Riprock MTB for children: bike review | Martin Love

  27-12-2015 07:00 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  A quality off-roader for kids that means they’ll be able to keep up with youSpecialized, founded in 1974 in California, is one of the world’s largest bike builders. So you know that when they put their mind to remodelling the MTB for juniors they’ll have considered all the angles. The main goal for the new Riprock was an affordable children’s trail bike that performed like an adult’s, so your kids could join you on the toughest tracks. It’s been built to safel
  
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• Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé: car review | Martin Love

  27-12-2015 07:00 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  It may be the ne plus ultra of automotive sophistication, but a long weekend in this Roller will put you into a head spinPrice: £367,632
  Top speed: 149mph
  0-60mph: 5.6 seconds
  MPG: 19.2It’s a dark and blustery Saturday evening in Whitstable and they’ve shut the pretty high street to turn on the Christmas lights. The problem is I’m on the wrong side of the closure. I decide to chance my luck and nudge the big Rolls-Royce I am driving up to the barricade. A steward appears
  
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