Technology news

• Microsoft to flag state-sponsored hacking of its users' accounts - CNET

  31-12-2015 23:44 via cnet.com
  
  In a policy change, the tech giant will let users of online services such as Outlook.com email know if they've become targets of government-sponsored attackers.
  
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• China builds second aircraft carrier

  31-12-2015 23:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  China is building a second aircraft carrier - but this time conventionally powered and made from domestic technology, its defence ministry announces.
  
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• Some WhatsApp users still facing service disruption

  31-12-2015 21:25
  (Reuters) - WhatsApp, a messaging service owned by Facebook Inc, said some users were still facing issues while accessing its messaging service. The problems were primarily centered in the UK and Western Europe, according to DownDetector, a website that provides realtime overview of Internet and mobile services. "We appear to be having issues again," a WhatsApp spokesman told Reuters. The company had earlier said it had completely restored the service. WhatsApp, however, did not provide any deta
  
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• President Obama drinks coffee and drives a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette - CNET

  31-12-2015 21:06 via cnet.com
  
  The Commander in Chief guest stars on season premiere of Jerry Seinfeld's Web series, "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee."
  
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• Former Guantánamo detainee speaks to hacker conference by video link

  31-12-2015 20:34 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Moazzam Begg stresses the importance of encryption programs while convert Cerie Bullivant says ‘Muslims are the canaries in the mine’ of civil libertiesMoazzam Begg, the former Guantánamo Bay detainee, was unable to address Europe’s largest hacker convention in person because the British government confiscated his passport. The British Pakistani who spent two years at the US detention facility – but who has been declared not guilty of terrorism charges – spok
  
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• Quidditch Pong: The perfect excuse to chug your Butterbeer - CNET

  31-12-2015 20:00 via cnet.com
  
  Chuggiti Beeracus! The Unofficial Quidditch Pong website lays out the rules and materials needed to turn the ordinary drinking game Pong into an epic showdown of competitive wizarding.
  
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• President Obama is funny getting coffee with Jerry Seinfeld - CNET

  31-12-2015 19:52 via cnet.com
  
  Technically Incorrect: Appearing in the popular Web series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee," the president and Jerry Seinfeld are almost funnier than Bill Gates and Seinfeld.
  
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• Mike Tyson gets knocked out by a hoverboard, Internet counterpunches - CNET

  31-12-2015 19:40 via cnet.com
  
  The former heavyweight boxer takes his kid's hoverboard for a spin and it sends him flying to the floor faster than his first bout with Buster Douglas. The Internet take over from there.
  
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• Review: A look back, and a technology wish list for 2016

  31-12-2015 19:07
  
  This past year brought lots of new products, services and features — including a few that even managed to improve everyday life. For instance, a double tap of the home button on Samsung's newest phones ...
  
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• Gadgets around us will keep getting smarter, like it or not

  31-12-2015 18:54
  
  Our cars, our homes, our appliances and even our toys: Things around us are going to keep getting smarter. In 2016, we'll entrust even more of our lives and their intimate details to machines — not to mention the companies that run them.
  
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• VIDEO: Why were BBC websites attacked?

  31-12-2015 18:39 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC websites were unavailable early on Thursday morning because of a large web attack.
  
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• Ukraine to probe suspected Russian cyber attack on grid

  31-12-2015 18:28
  By Pavel Polityuk KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine will investigate a suspected cyber attack on its power grid, the energy ministry said on Thursday, an incident the country's secret service has blamed on Russia. A power company in western Ukraine, Prykarpattyaoblenergo, said on Dec. 23 that a swath of the area it serves had been left without energy, including the regional capital Ivano-Frankivsk, due to "interference" in the work of the system. Ukraine's SBU state security service blamed Russia, which
  
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• Twitter to revive Politwoops, archive of politicians' deleted tweets

  31-12-2015 18:24
  By Michelle Conlin NEW YORK (Reuters) - Just in time for the homestretch to the first U.S. presidential primaries and caucuses, a popular archive of sometimes-misguided or embarrassing tweets that have been deleted by politicians and their staff has been resurrected by Twitter. Politwoops had been a popular social media destination for political junkies and others looking to unearth social media gaffes by politicians.
  
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• Blackberry to remain in Pakistan

  31-12-2015 17:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Phone maker Blackberry is no longer going to shut down its operations in Pakistan following a row over access to its users messages
  
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• Amazon starts offering loans to customers with pay monthly option

  31-12-2015 16:40 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Instalment loans offered to those spending over £400 in potential ‘gamechanger’ for UK furniture and electricals marketAmazon has started offering loans to customers buying products off its website in a move that could shake up the UK furniture and electricals market.The world’s biggest online retailer is offering a new pay monthly option on orders of more than £400, which can include multiple items. Continue reading...
  
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• Blackberry says will continue operations in Pakistan

  31-12-2015 16:37
  (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd said it has decided to continue its operations in Pakistan as the government dropped a request for access to users' data. The company, which has faced similar problems in the past in India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, had said last month it would delay shutting down its operations in Pakistan until Dec. 30. State-run Pakistan Telecommunication Authority had in July demanded that the company give access to its BlackBerry Enterprise Services (BE
  
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• Review: Acer Predator 15

  31-12-2015 16:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Introduction and designThinner and lighter than ever, modern gaming laptops borrow heavily from the styling cues of modern supercars and high-tech fighter jets. The Acer Predator 15, however, resembles something more akin to tank. Heavy and huge, it cuts an aggressive figure that symbolizes the real essence of the performance beast that lies within.The Predator easily justifies its monstrous stature, being full of features that don't immediately come to mind when thinking of a high-end gaming la
  
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• How to properly wrap and store a long extension cable - CNET

  31-12-2015 16:00 via cnet.com
  
  Avoid messes and tangles by using a daisy chain when wrapping and storing extension cables.
  
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• xkcd in reverse - Thing Explainer explained

  31-12-2015 15:29 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  Randall Munroe, author of the xkcd comic strip, has published Thing Explainer, a "how stuff works" book that explains things using diagrams and the thousand most common words. It's the Up-Goer Five idea expanded to a wide range of subjects.
  
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• Ukraine to investigate suspected computer attack on energy grid

  31-12-2015 15:27
  Ukraine will investigate a suspected computer malware attack on its energy grid, the energy ministry said on Thursday, an incident the country's secret service has blamed on Russia. A power company in western Ukraine, Prykarpattyaoblenergo, said on Dec. 23 that a swath of the area it serves had been left without energy, including the regional capital Ivano-Frankivsk, due to "interference" in the work of the system. The Ukrainian Security Service SBU later blamed Russia, which has not so far comm
  
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• Use a magnet to find out if a pan will work with your induction stove - CNET

  31-12-2015 15:00 via cnet.com
  
  Use a magnet to determine if a pan will work with your induction stove.
  
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• Microsoft to warn of official hacks

  31-12-2015 14:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Microsoft will start warning people if it suspects a government is trying to hack into their email and other online accounts.
  
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• Trump isn't the only politician who says dumb things about the Net - CNET

  31-12-2015 14:00 via cnet.com
  
  Plenty of political figures in the US have shown a sketchy grasp of the Internet. Here's a look at the some of their gaffes, past and present.
  
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• Come see Nest, Samsung, Big Ass Fans and more at our CES 2016 Smart Home panel - CNET

  31-12-2015 14:00 via cnet.com
  
  Dive into the smart home with CNET and leaders from across the technology landscape at our CES 2016 panel.
  
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• Review: Updated: Google Apps for Work 2016

  31-12-2015 13:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Introduction and pricingFor decades, the gold standard of office productivity software has been Microsoft Office – it inherited IBM's status as the technology nobody got fired for buying. But while Office is undoubtedly powerful, many of its users don't use many of its features. So why pay for things your organisation doesn't use?That's the rationale behind Google Apps for Work, formerly Google Apps for Business. Where Office tries to do everything imaginable, Google Apps is much more basi
  
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• Microsoft to start notifying victims of 'state sponsored' hacking

  31-12-2015 13:02 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Company changes policy to notify users if government-related attacks take place after previously not alerting users when Hotmail accounts were hacked Microsoft has announced that it will start notifying users it believes have been targeted by government-linked hackers, after failing to do so when Chinese authorities allegedly compromised over 1,000 Hotmail accounts.Joining other US technology companies – including Google, Facebook, Yahoo and Twitter – Microsoft said that the change i
  
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• BBC hit by widespread outages taking website and iPlayer offline

  31-12-2015 12:54 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  UK public broadcaster apologises as its internet services are taken down in what may have been a DDoS attack affecting its website, apps and streaming servicesThe BBC has suffered an intermittent internet services outage that took down its website, the BBC iPlayer and all other digital services provided by the bbc.co.uk domain.
  Users started complaining about the iPlayer and website issues in the early hours of the morning, with web service down detector indicating major issues from around 7am o
  
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• Valve finally explains Christmas Steam attacks

  31-12-2015 12:48
  
  PC gamers had a rather unhappy Christmas this year, as gaming hub Steam was affected by some extreme account vulnerability errors. Almost a week later, Steam operator Valve has explained what happened.By: Matt Kamen, Continue reading...
  
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• Amazon to donate Pegida song profits to refugee charity

  31-12-2015 12:38 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Retailer faced criticism for making money from far-right group’s ditty Together We Are Strong, released over ChristmasAmazon has said it will donate to refugees in Germany the profits from online purchases of a track released by the far-right anti-migrant Pegida movement.The online retailer had been criticised for making money from sales of the instrumental song Gemeinsam sind wir stark – German for “Together we are strong” – which was released over Christmas. Conti
  
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• Pirates apologise for bootlegging The Hateful Eight

  31-12-2015 12:10
  
  Piracy group Hive-CM8 has issued an apology for its pre-release leak of Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, and claimed that they're responsible for giving the film free publicity.By: K.G Orphanides, Continue reading...
  
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• Has social media ruined the web?

  31-12-2015 12:03 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Open thread: An Iranian blogger thinks the rise of social media is killing the potential of the web. Is he right?
  Has the web lost its power to drive social change? This is the conclusion of Iranian blogger Hossein Derakhshan, imprisoned by the regime in 2008 and released and pardoned in 2014.During his time in prison, the rise of smartphones and apps had changed the online world. Blogging and independent websites had been overtaken by social media networks, with the likes* of Facebook, Twitter
  
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• Holy roller: Philippines priest rides hoverboard during mass – video

  31-12-2015 11:33 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Father Albert San Jose has found himself in a lot of bovver over a hover after singing to his congregation during Christmas Eve mass while riding and spinning down the aisle on a hoverboard. Some parishoners seem delighted at the Catholic priest’s stunts on the self-balancing scooter. However, the diocese of San Pablo in Laguna has suspended him saying ‘the Eucharist demands utmost respect and reverence’Read: priest suspended for riding hoverboard up aisles during Christmas Eve
  
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• Uber marks billionth journey with donation to London charity

  31-12-2015 11:31
  
  Uber has announced it has completed its billionth journey since launching in 2009.By: Michael Rundle, Continue reading...
  
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• Facebook 'free web' app suspended in Egypt

  31-12-2015 11:20 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Facebook has confirmed a scheme to provide free internet access to people in Egypt has been suspended.
  
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• Thread's fashion algorithm has 3.7 trillion style tips

  31-12-2015 10:48
  
  Algorithms are already helping us to decide what to watch and listen to. But style is more complicatedBy: James Temperton, Continue reading...
  
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• How Outernet is bringing free internet to the world's poor

  31-12-2015 10:48
  
  Syed Karim wants to bring online content to the 4.4 billion people offline using satellites and radio waves.By: Oliver Franklin-Wallis, Continue reading...
  
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• The liquid nitrogen engine is finally a reality

  31-12-2015 10:47
  
  Michael Dearman hauled his father's obsolete liquid nitrogen engine out of deep-freeze to fix refrigerationBy: Mark Piesing, Continue reading...
  
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• Arctic temperatures have risen above freezing

  31-12-2015 10:46
  
  El Niño is blamed for freak global weather patterns as winter temperatures rise above freezing at the North Pole.By: K.G Orphanides, Continue reading...
  
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• 2016 culture preview: 39 things to look forward to next year

  31-12-2015 10:41
  
  The Star Wars hype is barely dying down (fourth time’s the charm) but already we’re looking forward to everything 2016 is going to bring. The biggest trend? Superheroes, superheroes, and more superheroes. (Oh, and even more Star Wars.) But that’s not all! The coming year will also see the long-awaited and potentially transformative arrival of consumer VR, the return of Harry Potter, and maybe even the new Game Of Thrones novel. Here’s 39 things to put
  
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• Donald Trump, David Cameron and … a pig – the political tweets of 2015

  31-12-2015 10:00 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  From the prime minister’s porcine university shenanigans, to Donald Trump making a consistent fool of himself, we vote for our favourite political tweets of the yearWhat the hell is going on here? This looks like a character selection screen in a shite version of Mortal Combat. pic.twitter.com/Ru7WfxBwlZ Continue reading...
  
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• Erica, the 'most beautiful and intelligent' android, leads Japan's robot revolution

  31-12-2015 09:48 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Although the day when every household has its own robot is some way off, the Japanese are demonstrating a formidable acceptance of humanoidsErica enjoys the theatre and animated films, would like to visit south-east Asia, and believes her ideal partner is a man with whom she can chat easily.She is less forthcoming, however, when asked her age. “That’s a slightly rude question … I’d rather not say,” comes the answer. As her embarrassed questioner shifts sideways and
  
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• AP-NORC Poll: Online surveillance is OK for most

  31-12-2015 09:37
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A majority of Americans say they support warrantless government surveillance of the Internet communications of U.S. citizens, according to a new poll by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
  
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• Microsoft to warn users of 'state-sponsored' hacking attempts

  31-12-2015 09:36
  
  Microsoft has announced that it will be warning users if their accounts are being targetted by "an individual or group working on behalf of a nation state".By: K.G Orphanides, Continue reading...
  
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• Hysteria on social media as BBC websites go offline

  31-12-2015 09:32
  
  The BBC has experienced major technical issues on Thursday morning, with all of its websites and several of its digital services offline. The internet did not cope well with this news.By: Michael Rundle, Continue reading...
  
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• WIRED Awake: 10 must-read articles for 31 December

  31-12-2015 08:40
  
  Your WIRED.co.uk daily briefing. Today, Microsoft will let you know if a government tries to access your accounts, Steam's Christmas caching errors were down to a DDOS attack, Debian founder Ian Murdock has died aged 42 and more.By: WIRED.co.uk, Continue reading...
  
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• Beyond Zero and One: Machines, Psychedelics, and Consciousness by Andrew Smart review – inside the minds of computers

  31-12-2015 08:30 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  How can we stop superintelligent computers from taking over the world? Feed them a digital dose of LSD, suggests this mind-bending bookDo androids dream of electric Kool-Aid acid tests? If there’s to be any hope for us, they will. That is the message of Andrew Smart’s splendidly mind-bending book, which mashes up Alan Turing, The Matrix, Immanuel Kant, “zombie AI”, Leibniz, and research on psychedelic drugs.In our age of techno-utopianism, we are routinely told in crypto-
  
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• China's Huawei expects 2015 sales revenue to jump 35 percent to $60 billion

  31-12-2015 08:19
  Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL], one of the world's largest telecom equipment makers, said on Thursday it expects to post a 35 percent jump in sales revenue for 2015, thanks to a strong performance across its business platforms. The Shenzhen-based company, which competes with Sweden's Ericsson  for the top spot in the global market for communications towers and other infrastructure, expects revenues to reach about 390 billion yuan ($60 billion) for the year, acting Chief Execu
  
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• What’s the best laptop for running Minecraft?

  31-12-2015 08:00 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Sandra and others have asked for an update on buying a laptop to run Minecraft, so here it is ...I read your article about the best laptop for Minecraft – which is what I’m after – but unfortunately it is two years old, so I assume very out of date in the tech world. We have Minecraft on Xbox but I am told that “mods” (which my son is desperate for) are much simpler/more straightforward to download to a PC version. What would you recommend? SandraThis is a frequentl
  
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• The 12 best memes of 2015: Runaway llamas, The Dress, Adele …

  31-12-2015 08:00 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  The internet in 2015 has given us a lot of laughs – a vigil to a raccoon, Drake playing tennis and the ‘duck army’ – but which memes make our cut of the best?Continue reading...
  
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