Technology news

• Keep warm with Darth Vader, Deadpool, MST3K Yule log videos (pictures) - CNET

  30-12-2015 23:58 via cnet.com
  
  Spend the evening in front of a soothing fireplace alongside actor Nick Offerman, reality stars, cat celebrities, adorable hamsters, heckling robots and even Deadpool and Darth Vader.
  
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• Geek-friendly TV shows we can't wait to watch in 2016 (pictures) - CNET

  30-12-2015 23:49 via cnet.com
  
  Check out our guide to the best sci-fi, fantasy and geek-tastic shows coming to TV and streaming services.
  
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• 34 geeky TV shows that will to glue you to the sofa in 2016 - CNET

  30-12-2015 23:42 via cnet.com
  
  From the "X-Files" and "Twin Peaks" to the latest offerings from Amazon and Netflix, here are the best sci-fi, fantasy and geek-friendly shows coming to the small screen.
  
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• Say sayonara to AT&T's two-year phone plan - CNET

  30-12-2015 23:37 via cnet.com
  
  It was the cornerstone of phone plans for decades. Now AT&T is pushing a new type of plan, where you either rent, not own, your phone, or pay the full price up front.
  
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• Relax and stay healthy staring at geeky Yule log videos - CNET

  30-12-2015 23:25 via cnet.com
  
  Christmas might be over, but you can still snuggle up to a digital fire to keep those cold temperatures at bay. These videos go beyond tradition to include Darth Vader and others.
  
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• 13 tips for organizing your Gmail - CNET

  30-12-2015 21:47 via cnet.com
  
  Your inbox is a mess. Here's how you can fix that.
  
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• Did AVG leave your personal data exposed? - CNET

  30-12-2015 21:34 via cnet.com
  
  It turns out that even the companies whose job it is to keep us safe can't seem to do it. What hope is there?
  
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• Infiniti kills off the Q30 in the US before it even goes on sale - CNET

  30-12-2015 21:30 via cnet.com
  
  Now, both the Q30 and QX30 will live on as the same car, assuming the latter's model name.
  
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• Apple to pay a reported $350 million to settle Italian tax dispute - CNET

  30-12-2015 21:16 via cnet.com
  
  The deal between Apple and tax authorities in Italy settles a disagreement over more than $1 billion in revenue dating back to 2013.
  
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• Flaw found in AVG's Web safety software, 9 million people exposed - CNET

  30-12-2015 20:50 via cnet.com
  
  It turns out, even the companies whose jobs are to keep us safe can't do that. What hope is there for the rest of us?
  
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• US military drops Google 'robot mules'

  30-12-2015 20:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The US military has shelved plans to develop 'robotic mules' for the field, saying they are too noisy.
  
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• How software developers helped end the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone

  30-12-2015 20:26 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  A team of open source software developers solved the problem that most urgently needed solving: distributing wages to healthcare workersLittle known to the rest of the world, a team of open source software developers played a small but integral part in helping to stop the spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone, solving a payroll crisis that was hindering the fight against the disease.Emerson Tan from NetHope, a consortium of NGOs working in IT and development, told the tale at the Chaos Communications
  
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• VR platformer Lucky's Tale to come with the Oculus Rift

  30-12-2015 20:13
  
  While the release date of the Oculus Rift eludes us still, we can rest easy knowing there will be something to play as soon as the virtual reality set winds up in our hands, (or rather, on our heads.)Made exclusively for VR, the platformer Lucky's Tale will come packaged with every Oculus Rift. Developed by Playful, Lucky's Tale dives players into a colorful cartoon world as the eponymous fox Lucky.YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqEm1fXBWKg"We always believed there was an opportunity
  
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• Updated: How to take great fireworks pictures this New Year

  30-12-2015 20:00
  
  Taking the best firework photosNew Year celebrations are a major event all the way around the world and they're celebrated with some amazing fireworks displays that cause the night sky to explode in colour. So, you might have asked yourself, "How can I capture fireworks in all their splendour?" Thanks to the proliferation of smartphones, anyone can whip out a pocket camera for a quick snapshot.However, it takes a bit more planning and foreknowledge to create that perfect and memorable photo. The
  
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• Ocado shares plunge as Amazon Pantry leaves supermarkets anxious

  30-12-2015 19:56 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Retailer’s stock price falls 8% as fears grow that new online grocery delivery service could cause tremors in an already competitive sector Shares in Ocado dived more than 3% after fears that the online grocer faces increased competition from Amazon and is struggling to sign up an international partner.The British retailer took a hit on Wednesday after Amazon said this week it would rapidly expand its grocery delivery service in the UK. Ocado shares have now fallen 8% since Christmas Eve,
  
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• Oculus Rift comes with an unlikely free game

  30-12-2015 19:33
  
  Virtual reality platform Oculus Rift still doesn't have a set release date, but we now know something that everyone will be playing on it whenever it does arrive -- Lucky's Tale. A 3D platformer suitable for all ages, the game will be included with every headset, for free.By: Matt Kamen, Continue reading...
  
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• Destroy hunger with Star Wars Death Star peanut butter cups - CNET

  30-12-2015 18:55 via cnet.com
  
  Why build a real, expensive Death Star when this peanut butter and chocolate version is much more satisfying and less dangerous? Impress the Sith Lord in your life with this easy-to-make recipe.
  
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• Stellar auroras could spill into New Year's Eve - CNET

  30-12-2015 18:08 via cnet.com
  
  Thanks to a solar flare earlier this week, those far enough north and south will be treated to light show in the sky tonight and maybe even tomorrow.
  
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• Best of 2015: Year in Review 2015: The best iOS games

  30-12-2015 18:00
  
  The best of 2015Hundreds of iPhone games get released each year on the App Store, and though some are quickly forgotten, others stay with us for a long time. If you want to try some of the greatest iOS games ever made, check out our frequently updated lists of the 50 best iPhone games today (featuring both paid and free games) and the 100 best free iPhone games (for priceless gems that will cost you nothing).But what about 2015? This year brought us plenty of hits and numerous misses, but we've
  
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• Apple agrees to pay $350 million in Italian tax case

  30-12-2015 17:58
  
  ROME (AP) — Apple has agreed to pay Italy 318 million euros (about $350 million) in taxes for several past years, prosecutors said Wednesday, part of a broader European effort to make multinationals pay what they owe in each country where they do business.
  
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• VIDEO: Space firm creates a 'real hoverboard'

  30-12-2015 17:56 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A US-based firm tells the BBC that footage it released of a floating aircraft is real and it hopes to put the vehicle on sale soon.
  
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• Fighting games will be reborn in 2016

  30-12-2015 17:32
  
  While all eyes are turned to (or perhaps rather, encased in) virtual reality as being the next breakout gaming trend, there's a smaller, quieter, but arguably equally exciting shift brewing. As the release calendar currently stands, 2016 is poised to be the year when fighting games make a strident resurgence -- and that could be a very good thing for gaming as a whole.By: Matt Kamen, Continue reading...
  
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• Free Internet service for over 3 million Egyptians shut down

  30-12-2015 17:03
  
  BEIRUT (AP) — A program that had been giving free basic Internet services to over three million Egyptians was shut down on Wednesday, social media site Facebook said.
  
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• LG SmartThinQ Hub Release Date, Price and Specs - CNET

  30-12-2015 16:47 via cnet.com
  
  The SmartThinQ Hub tells you what your smart home is up to on its LCD screen. It promises to work with a wide variety of connected gadgets.
  
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• Interstellar is 2015's most pirated film

  30-12-2015 16:42 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Interstellar was illegally downloaded 47 million times in 2015, according to a piracy-tracking study.
  
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• Get a Hisense 11.6-inch Chromebook for $99.99 - CNET

  30-12-2015 16:40 via cnet.com
  
  From the Cheapskate: It's a refurb, but also the first sub-$100 Chromebook I've seen. Just one problem: They won't last long.
  
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• New Year's resolutions for a more user-friendly life - CNET

  30-12-2015 16:38 via cnet.com
  
  It's easy to focus on what went wrong in 2015. We prefer to look to the future. Inspired by folk legend Woody Guthrie's "New Years Rulin's," we offer up simple suggestions for a fun, successful 2016.
  
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• Caitlyn Jenner, Barack Obama hop on the Twitter merry-go-round - CNET

  30-12-2015 16:03 via cnet.com
  
  2015 saw the arrival, departure and weird return of many notables on social media for dubious reasons.
  
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• U.S. says its Internet speeds triple in three-and-a-half years

  30-12-2015 15:09
  By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Internet connection speeds have tripled over 3-1/2 years to keep up with consumer demands for streaming video and downloading content but the United States still lags many other countries. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said in a report on Wednesday average download connection speeds had increased to nearly 31 megabits per second (Mbps) in September 2014 from about 10 Mbps in March 2011. Rising Internet speeds have been driven by consu
  
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• Vietnam warns of 'toxic' Web use ahead of party shakeup

  30-12-2015 15:04
  Vietnam sought to discourage its internet-savvy public on Wednesday from reading Web postings that disparaged its Communist Party, warning of an increase in "toxic" activity just weeks away from its scheduled leadership shakeup. Using its new Facebook page, the government vowed to tackle social media criticism of the party without interrupting the Internet ahead its five-yearly congress in January, and said most attacks originated from outside of the country. "These pages are most distorting and
  
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• Spoilers: Star Wars: The Force Awakens review - a second opinion

  30-12-2015 15:00
  
  Star Wars: The Force Awakens reviewThe following is a second opinion review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The first review was written hours after a midnight screening of the movie. Be warned the following contains spoilers - you have been warned.Still here? Then let's go back to a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."This will begin to make things right." Never has there been such a loaded first line said in a movie. Uttered by the mysterious Lor San Tekka (Max von Sydow), it's a piece
  
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• Caitlin Jenner, Barack Obama hop on the Twitter merry-go-round - CNET

  30-12-2015 14:00 via cnet.com
  
  2015 saw the arrival, departure and weird return of many notables on social media for dubious reasons.
  
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• Gallery: Technology in 2016: some highly accurate predictions

  30-12-2015 13:25
  
  JanuaryAnother year dawns and the fast paced world of technology continues to wait for no man. What will transpire in 2016's 366 days? Who will change the world? What will flop? Who will fold? Whose data breaches will be the worst? Let's take a look into the crystal ball app I just installed and see.In January, the world's technology industry descends on Nevada for another CES. The big trends are car tech and virtual reality. Robotic dogs make an unexpected comeback for some reason, and will.i.a
  
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• Twitter updates online abuse rules

  30-12-2015 13:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Twitter refreshes its guidelines to signal it is taking a tougher stance against cyberbullying.
  
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• Rips in your clothes? The cause could be your lint trap - CNET

  30-12-2015 13:00 via cnet.com
  
  Does your clothing have strange rips and tears? This could be the solution.
  
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• Anti-virus plug-in put millions at risk

  30-12-2015 12:44 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Google reprimands a cybersecurity company whose software disabled in-built safety features in the Chrome browser.
  
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• This photographer wants to be the first artist in space

  30-12-2015 12:26
  
     "Space travel has been a lifelong fascination," says German photographer Michael Najjar. "Now fiction has become reality".By: Oliver Franklin-Wallis, Continue reading...
  
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• Microsoft storing Windows disk encryption keys: a potential security nightmare?

  30-12-2015 12:15
  
  Microsoft is at the centre of a new dollop of controversy in the privacy and security stakes, with the revelation that the company automatically uploads a copy of the recovery key for its disk encryption on modern PCs to its own servers – apparently without informing the owner of the computer, or presenting a choice to opt out of said process.What does this mean for the average user, exactly? If you've got a newer PC which supports TPM and you're running Windows 10 – and you've tied
  
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• This factory is leading London's vinyl revival

  30-12-2015 12:08
  
  WIRED's series on tools for trades comes to a factory at the forefront of the vinyl revival.By: Rowland Manthorpe, Continue reading...
  
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• Heard the one about Mike Tyson, Russell Crowe and a priest on hoverboards?

  30-12-2015 11:49
  
  Marty McFly and Doc Brown have a lot to answer for. Because of them, 2015 was destined to be the year of the hoverboard. It was written in the gospel that is Back To The Future Part II, so it was meant to be. And, in 2015, we did get hoverboards but they are a long way from the awesomeness of the movie.Our hoverboards are terrible two-wheeled contraptions that even Amazon has banned selling them, due to them being a potential fire hazard. This is the same Amazon that sells Uranium Ore.To cap off
  
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• This company is making haptic controllers a reality

  30-12-2015 11:43
  
  Ultrahaptics' palpable sonic sensations could bring about new ways to control a car or play computer gamesBy: Gian Volpicelli, Continue reading...
  
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• Best of techradar 2015: our articles of the year

  30-12-2015 11:00
  
  2015 won't be here for much longer, so as the year comes to a close, we decided to look back at some of our favorite writings of the last 365. Our editors combed through the pages of techradar to bring you our the stuff we enjoyed writing the most in 2015. And what a year it was: we tested the latest tablets, interviewed movie directors and went to the first-ever VR film festival. We completed a triathlon, asked experts how to make the ultimate PC and discovered that, yes, you can build a real-l
  
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• Twitter changes its rules to ban 'hateful conduct'

  30-12-2015 10:43
  
  Twitter has updated its rules in an attempt to crackdown on abuse being dished-out online.By: Matt Burgess, Continue reading...
  
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• Nothing slow about Windows 10 adoption as it blazes past 200 million installs

  30-12-2015 10:29
  
  Apparently the number of Windows 10 installations out there has increased far more than was previously thought in the last couple of months, at least according to the rumour mill.Word has come from sources who spoke to WinBeta, claiming that Windows 10 has now been installed on over 200 million devices across the globe (note that this is devices, so not just desktop PCs).Of course, this is just speculation and not an official figure, and it represents a big jump since Microsoft's last announceme
  
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• 10 essential features your next business laptop should absolutely have

  30-12-2015 10:05
  
  IntroductionLaptops came into being because employees wanted the ability to do work on the move away from their desks, and since then new technologies have always come to the business market first, before trickling down to consumers.This happens for two good reasons. Firstly, new technology is expensive, which is why LCD, for example, was first introduced on a business laptop. Secondly, new technology is often tested on a small sample market because it usually takes time to scale manufacturing t
  
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• The year's 5 most life-altering tech stories video - CNET

  30-12-2015 09:50 via cnet.com
  
  Bridget Carey looks back on the innovations and stories that made the biggest impact on technology this year, shaping what's to come.
  
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• Tech resolutions for the new year video - CNET

  30-12-2015 09:50 via cnet.com
  
  While many of us will be making new year's resolutions to eat healthier and get fit, it's also the perfect time to get your tech life in shape. Here are three quick technology resolutions to make for 2016.
  
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• Disney's robot car uses propellers to climb walls

  30-12-2015 09:32
  
  The aptly named VertiGo is a small wall-climbing robotic car that uses a pair of propellers to keep it on vertical surfaces and drive along like gravity is no obstacle.
   By: Matt Burgess, Continue reading...
  
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• Apple has art tips for a budding Ansel Adams or Pablo Picasso - CNET

  30-12-2015 09:00 via cnet.com
  
  In-store workshops will teach consumers at all skill levels how to use a variety of apps to capture images more creatively.
  
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• WIRED Awake: 10 must-read articles for 30 December

  30-12-2015 08:40
  
  Your WIRED.co.uk daily briefing. Today, Twitter has updated its anti-harassment policies, Spotify is being sued for unlawful music distribution, the disruptive weather patterns of this year's strong El Niño could cause an international humanitarian crisis and more.By: WIRED.co.uk, Continue reading...
  
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