Technology news

• Disney characters shrink down into Lego minifigures - CNET

  02-04-2016 23:02 via cnet.com
  
  The full series, due May 1, features two Pixar characters making their first appearance as minifigs: Mr. Incredible and Syndrome from "The Incredibles."
  
  Read more

• A cyber attack temporarily shut down the Hungarian government's website

  02-04-2016 22:30
  
  Wow.
  
  Read more

• Blue Origin sees third successful rocket landing, says owner Jeff Bezos

  02-04-2016 20:26 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  In rare public statement about spaceflight company, billionaire owner announces ‘flawless restart and perfect landing’The private spaceflight company Blue Origin has successfully landed a rocket for the third time, owner Jeff Bezos announced on Saturday. Related: SpaceX mission could herald new era of reusable rocketsContinue reading...
  
  Read more

• LG sells its G5 phone with a lot of Jason Stathams and a little exaggeration - CNET

  02-04-2016 20:25 via cnet.com
  
  Technically Incorrect: A new ad for LG's modular G5 phone makes you believe that its parts are quickly interchangeable. They're not.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• With unlimited music choices, how do you discover new music? - CNET

  02-04-2016 19:47 via cnet.com
  
  Thanks to streaming and YouTube, you can listen to nearly any recorded music, at any time and anywhere -- but is that a good thing?
  
  Read more

• Hands-on with the Pelican Marine waterproof case for Apple iPhone 6s Plus

  02-04-2016 19:42 via zdnet.com.feedsportal.com
  
  While Samsung has water resistance in its phones, Apple iPhone owners still require a case for this protection. Pelican is known for its rugged cases and brings its experiences to the iPhone.
  
  Read more

• For kids with autism, this tech matters - CNET

  02-04-2016 18:20 via cnet.com
  
  For these kids, games and cute robots are more than just fun. On World Autism Awareness Day, we look at some of the ways technology is improving the lives of those with the condition.
  
  Read more

• Inside baseball? Siri knows - CNET

  02-04-2016 18:07 via cnet.com
  
  Apple's voice assistant is now a baseball savant.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• FiiO's sweet little $40 USB digital converter-headphone amplifier - CNET

  02-04-2016 16:47 via cnet.com
  
  The Audiophiliac plugs-in FiiO's teensy gizmo, and likes what he hears.
  
  Read more

• India's Reliance moves into fashion and lifestyle e-commerce

  02-04-2016 15:34
  By Promit Mukherjee MUMBAI (Reuters) - Reliance Retail Ltd, the retail business of India's energy conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd, said on Saturday it planned a quick roll-out of its newly launched fashion and lifestyle e-commerce business. Reliance Retail, controlled by India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, which was launched on Friday, is entering India's already crowded e-commerce market via its new website ajio.com. Sanjay Mehra, chief executive of ajio.com declined to say how many cities
  
  Read more

• Six ways the Tesla Model 3 changes the EV game - Roadshow

  02-04-2016 14:00 via cnet.com
  
  Obviously it's a lot cheaper than the Model S and Model X, but that's just the beginning.
  
  Read more

• How the government plans to protect your privacy from ISPs (FAQ) - CNET

  02-04-2016 14:00 via cnet.com
  
  The FCC has taken the first step in a long process toward crafting new privacy protections for broadband customers. But what will the new rules mean for you?
  
  Read more

• Amazon Tap review - CNET

  02-04-2016 14:00 via cnet.com
  
  The Amazon Tap combines a bluetooth speaker with Alexa's smarts, but it isn't quite the home run it ought to be.
  
  Read more

• How to encrypt your iOS or Android device - CNET

  02-04-2016 13:45 via cnet.com
  
  Keep your personal data protected in a few easy steps.
  
  Read more

• Encrypt your smartphone video - CNET

  02-04-2016 13:45 via cnet.com
  
  CNET's Dan Graziano shows you how to protect the data on your iPhone and Android device.
  
  Read more

• Foxconn seals $3.5 billion takeover of Sharp as executives seek to shake off doubts

  02-04-2016 13:07
  By Makiko Yamazaki SAKAI, Japan (Reuters) - Foxconn and Sharp Corp on Saturday formally signed a long-awaited deal that would see the Taiwan firm take control of the Japanese display maker, as executives sought to dispel lingering doubts over whether Sharp can turn around its ebbing fortunes. At a packed news conference following the signing of the $3.5 billion deal, Foxconn CEO Terry Gou ducked questions about how - and when - Sharp would become profitable again, but expressed confidence in the
  
  Read more

• Microsoft pushes into AI and Tesla fans rush to reserve Model 3 video - CNET

  02-04-2016 10:50 via cnet.com
  
  Bots and artificial intelligence are the next stage of apps for Microsoft. Also, the FBI's iPhone hack raises questions and Tesla sees massive preorders for a car that doesn't yet exist.
  
  Read more

• vr week: 10 best VR rollercoasters for the Vive, Oculus, Cardboard and Gear VR

  02-04-2016 10:00
  
  IntroductionRollercoasters have been part of gaming's heritage since the earliest days, back as far as 1983's 3D Crazy Coasters on the Vectrex. But VR's inherent sense of presence makes the managed terror of roller coasters all the more impressive. It also has the added, uh, 'bonus' of sometimes inducing exactly the kind of sickness that you get from a really impressive rollercoaster (try 'Cyber Space' below for the full effect.)Why do so many developers make VR Rollercoasters? Well, the easiest
  
  Read more

• 8 essential projects for the weekend

  02-04-2016 10:00
  
  The weekend is here and we have another batch of great projects you can try your hand at over the next few days.Many of these projects don't take too long to complete, but afterwards you should have tech that performs better than ever. You might also learn a few things you didn't know about your gadgets and gizmos.Build a VR-ready gaming PC for less than $900/£800In case you've missed it, it's been VR Week here on techradar, and we've been covering everything virtual-reality related. If yo
  
  Read more

• Microsoft's Bing is experimenting on you

  02-04-2016 09:20
  
  Introduction and zero blame policyWant to build a service that keeps adding new features and fixing bugs and generally getting better? The biggest problem might be your most experienced people, who know all the ways things can go wrong.Whether you call it devops or continuous deployment or just cloud services, the way Google and Netflix and Amazon keep experimenting and changing and fixing and updating their systems sounds almost too good to be true. "People say 'it's not possible – and I
  
  Read more

• What’s Yours Is Mine: Against the Sharing Economy by Tom Slee review – the problem with Airbnb and Uber

  02-04-2016 08:30 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  The most significant examples of what used to be called the ‘sharing economy’ are giant corporations pursuing monopoly power – what exactly is being shared?‘Sharing” is one of the most rhetorically abused virtues of the age. First we had the euphemism “file-sharing”, for duplicating and uploading copies of albums or films to the internet. Well, you can’t share what isn’t yours in the first place. (If I pilfer money from a bank and give it to
  
  Read more

• Landlords clamp down on the rise of subletting without approval

  02-04-2016 08:00 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  ‘Everyone does it’, but leaseholders and tenants must tread carefully if they want to avoid repercussionsGrowing numbers of landlords are launching possession proceedings against tenants who have sublet their property via sites such as Airbnb without permission, it was claimed this week. Tenants who do this without consent risk eviction for a breach of their assured shorthold tenancy agreement. Meanwhile, owners of leasehold flats have also been warned they should tread very carefull
  
  Read more

• On the road: Citroën C4 Cactus Flair BlueHDi 100 car review – ‘These rubber panels are the car equivalent of a nappy’

  02-04-2016 07:00 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  The implication is that you can have little accidents with no harm doneI noticed the Citroën Cactus before I ever drove it, for its natty sides: rubber panels they call air bumps, which are replaceable. I’ve thought about this a lot. The implication is that you can have little accidents with no harm done, so the panels are the car equivalent of a nappy; yet, until all other cars have replaceable side panels, it is unclear to me what you’d be able to prang into. Trees, I guess: e
  
  Read more

• VR WEEK: HTC Vive vs Oculus Rift: which VR headset is better?

  02-04-2016 04:55
  
  Hardware, design and controllersNot only are true virtual reality headsets at long last here in 2016, there are two to choose from. That's forced us come to grips with actual reality and decide: HTC Vive vs Oculus Rift.Which is a better VR headset? That really depends on the immersive experience you're looking to get sucked into, the controls you want to hold onto, and the price you can afford.Oculus Rift started as a Kickstarter project and now has big names backing it, like famed video game de
  
  Read more

• From punch cards to smartphones

  02-04-2016 02:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Briton who almost invented the floppy disk in the 50s
  
  Read more

• Tesla finally shows us the Model 3 (AutoComplete, Ep. 12) - Roadshow

  02-04-2016 02:07 via cnet.com
  
  Elon Musk debuts the next big thing in motoring, plus the latest updates on Volkswagen's ongoing Dieselgate saga.
  
  Read more

• Our first impressions of Tesla's game-changing Model 3 - Roadshow

  02-04-2016 02:05 via cnet.com
  
  Tesla's most affordable car should, by all rights, be its biggest. Check out our first impressions.
  
  Read more

• There won't be an Xbox 1.5, says Phil Spencer

  02-04-2016 01:48
  
  Xbox Chief Phil Spencer couldn't care less that Sony plans on updating the PS4 in 2016. At a roundtable held at Microsoft's Build Developer Conference this week, Spencer made it clear that when Microsoft makes another system, you can be sure it will be a true "upgrade.""I'm not a big fan of Xbox One and a half," Spencer told Game Informer. "If we're going to move forward, I want to move forward in big numbers. "For us, our box is doing well. It performs, it's reliable, the servers are doing well
  
  Read more

• Does an Apple car even have a chance against the Tesla Model 3? (Apple Byte Extra Crunchy, Ep. 32) - CNET

  02-04-2016 01:32 via cnet.com
  
  The Tesla Model 3 has the tech and consumer world buzzing. Like Apple used to. Plus, Apple patents for wireless charging and gesture recognition for the Apple Watch.
  
  Read more

• Google apologizes for the super fail of its Gmail April Fools' joke

  02-04-2016 01:23
  
  While Google was quick to pull the April Fools' joke in Gmail that caused a massive backlash and led some to possibly lose their jobs, it has now offered a detailed explanation of what went wrong, along with a couple more mea culpas.The Gmail joke added a "Send & Mic Drop" button right next to the "Send" button. Selecting it, accidentally or not, would add a GIF of a minion from Despicable Me and mute the email thread.The joke button feature wasn't rolled out to Google Apps' government, educ
  
  Read more

• Massive, mind-blowing marble machine has ski jump, roller coaster - CNET

  02-04-2016 01:16 via cnet.com
  
  Welcome to Marble Mountain, a three-year building effort that takes hundreds of marbles and sends them on a rollicking adventure through falls, jumps, spirals and castles.
  
  Read more

• Egypt reportedly couldn't spy on Facebook's Free Basics, so it banned it

  02-04-2016 01:12
  
  Egypt abruptly blocked Facebook's free internet service, Free Basics, last December, and now we may know why.Apparently, the social media giant wouldn't let the government use it to spy on users.Facebook has positioned Free Basics as a humanitarian project, giving users access to certain websites without needing to pay for the service or for data. The accessible sites are chosen by Facebook with input from carriers offering the service, and is currently available in more than 35 countries.More t
  
  Read more

• Meet the bughunters: the hackers in India protecting your data

  02-04-2016 01:09 via feeds.theguardian.com
  
  Tech wizards from some of India’s poorest towns are earning millions by helping uncover security flaws in Facebook and Google sitesNobody thought Anand Prakash would end up a multi-millionaire.Raised in a small town of Bhadra in western India, Prakash preferred to spend his free time playing computer games in cybercafes rather than outdoors playing cricket with the other boys his age. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: The world of tiny architecture

  02-04-2016 01:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Rebecca Roke celebrates the world of miniature architecture in her new book, Nanotecture: Tiny Built Things.
  
  Read more

• Introducing VR Day at CNET HQ - CNET

  02-04-2016 01:02 via cnet.com
  
  Want to see what all the hype around virtual reality is about? We're opening CNET's headquarters in San Francisco so you can find out for yourself!
  
  Read more

• Tesla finally shows us the Model 3 (AutoComplete, Ep. 12) video - Roadshow

  02-04-2016 01:01 via cnet.com
  
  CEO Elon Musk debuts the next big thing in motoring, plus the latest updates on Volkswagen's ongoing Dieselgate saga.
  
  Read more

• Klipsch's wireless 5.1 system offers high end price but lacks features video - CNET

  02-04-2016 00:57 via cnet.com
  For those that prioritize ease of setup and clean surround sound performance the Klipsch RP-440WF system is a big success, but if you crave value for money pass this one by for now.
  
  Read more

• April Fools' Day 2016: Hamburger Helper's Lefty drops hip-hop mixtape - CNET

  02-04-2016 00:45 via cnet.com
  
  The mascot for Betty Crocker's ground beef enhancer releases an album on Soundcloud. It turns the sound of Jay Z and Kanye West into a slammin' declaration for dinner.
  
  Read more

• Taylor Swift is all of us at the gym in the new Apple Music advert

  02-04-2016 00:44
  
  The singer stars in the hilarious campaign which sees her get a little caught up in the music while hitting the treadmill.
  
  Read more

• Our 7 favorite automotive pranks from April Fool's Day 2016 - Roadshow

  02-04-2016 00:09 via cnet.com
  
  If any of you fell for any of these, we've got a bridge to sell you.
  
  Read more

Follow @TechnologyUKnws on Twitter!