Technology news

• Facebook reports rise in revenue and active users in sunny start to year

  27-04-2016 23:30
  
  CEO Mark Zuckerberg reveals Facebook’s monthly active users have increased to over 1.65 billion compared to the same time last year.
  
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• Ford recalls nearly 300,000 vehicles for five separate issues - Roadshow

  27-04-2016 23:19 via cnet.com
  
  Usually, these things are spaced out a bit.
  
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• Facebook reports stronger-than-expected 1Q results

  27-04-2016 23:18
  
  Facebook posted stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter, helped by a growing number of users and higher advertising revenue, especially on mobile devices. The social media giant on Wednesday ...
  
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• Amid talk of 'peak iPhone', Apple's prospects hinge on next model

  27-04-2016 23:18
  Ask Siri if iPhone 7 will be the answer to Apple Inc's problems, and you're told that a visit to Apple's website should answer that question "and more". Apple's shares closed down 6.3 percent at $97.82 on Wednesday, wiping off about $36 billion in market value, a day after the company reported its first-ever fall in smartphone sales, arousing talk of "peak iPhone". For many analysts, the company's immediate future rests with iPhone 7, which Apple is expected to launch in September.
  
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• Facebook revenue smashes expectations as mobile ad sales surge

  27-04-2016 23:17
  (Reuters) - Facebook Inc's quarterly revenue rose more than 50 percent, handily beating Wall Street expectations as its wildly popular mobile app and a push into live video lured new advertisers and encouraged existing ones to boost spending. Facebook also announced a proposal to create a new class of non-voting shares, which would be given as a dividend to existing shareholders. The dividend of non-voting shares would allow Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, who plans to give away the majority of
  
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• 8 things you should buy if you're a total science geek

  27-04-2016 23:15
  
  Seriously, there’s coasters you NEED to invest in.
  
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• House unanimously passes bill requiring a warrant for email - CNET

  27-04-2016 23:11 via cnet.com
  
  The bill closes a loophole in a 30-year-old law that allowed law enforcement to subpoena companies for old customer emails.
  
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• Smaller tech stocks thrive even as large names get hammered

  27-04-2016 23:09
  By Chuck Mikolajczak NEW YORK (Reuters) - The technology sector has taken it on the chin in recent days, after lukewarm-to-disappointing results from a range of bellwethers such as Apple, Alphabet and Microsoft, but stocks of smaller tech companies have managed to buck the downtrend. Apple and Microsoft are off nearly 9 percent while both classes of Alphabet shares have tumbled more than 7 percent. The S&P Midcap tech sector has climbed 0.8 percent while smallcap tech has advanced 1 percent.
  
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• Infotainment upgrade takes center stage with 2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport - Roadshow

  27-04-2016 23:07 via cnet.com
  
  There's also a new aesthetics upgrade on offer, as well as three new safety systems.
  
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• This Chrome extension blocks the names and faces of mass shooters

  27-04-2016 22:58
  
  In the wake of mass shootings, the family and friends of many victims have advocated for the media to withhold names and photos of shooting suspects to keep the focus on those injured and killed, and to avoid giving shooters their 15 minutes of fame. Now, a new Chrome extension called Zero Minutes of Fame aims to do just that.  When a user adds the extension to the Chrome browser, the first and last name of a shooter is replaced with the text "name withheld out of respect for the victims."
  
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• Email privacy bill unanimously passes U.S. House

  27-04-2016 22:56
  By Dustin Volz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously on Wednesday to require law enforcement authorities to get a search warrant before asking technology companies to hand over old emails. The bill's prospects in the Senate remain unclear, though the 419-0 vote in the House was likely to put pressure on the upper chamber to approve it. Under the Email Privacy Act, which updates a decades-old law, authorities would have to get a warrant to access emails or oth
  
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• Tesla planning cheaper EV that 'most people can afford'

  27-04-2016 22:54
  
  Turns out the Model 3 isn't going to be Tesla's most affordable model. Go figure. SEE ALSO: This super-fast Chinese EV is still slower than a 'Ludicrous' Tesla Speaking at the Future Transportation Solutions conference in Oslo, Norway last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk admitted that "there will be future cars that are even more affordable [than the Model 3] down the road." Adding, "I'm super excited about being able to produce a car that most people can afford." You can see the comments for you
  
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• Robot Buddhist monk can tell you what love is - CNET

  27-04-2016 22:52 via cnet.com
  
  Technically Incorrect: Can spiritual intelligence be artificial? Can a robot be the guide to your soul? Some monks in China think so. That's why they created a robot monk.
  
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• Verizon, striking unions at impasse as health benefits to expire

  27-04-2016 22:50
  By Malathi Nayak NEW YORK (Reuters) - A strike by nearly 40,000 Verizon Communications Inc workers is in its third week with unions and the company still far apart on contract talks, even as employee healthcare benefits are set to expire on Saturday. Workers, from network technicians to customer service representatives, in Verizon's Fios Internet, telephone and TV services walked off the job on April 13 in one of the largest U.S. strikes in recent years after contract talks hit an impasse. A res
  
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• 2017 Jaguar F-Pace Release Date, Price and Specs - Roadshow

  27-04-2016 22:44 via cnet.com
  
  Jag's first-ever SUV, the F-Pace, will likely become its best seller in short order. Here's why.
  
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• Email privacy bill unanimously passes House

  27-04-2016 22:36
  By Dustin Volz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously on Wednesday to require law enforcement authorities to get a search warrant before asking technology companies to hand over old emails. The bill's prospects in the Senate remain unclear, though the 419-0 vote in the House was likely to put pressure on the upper chamber to approve it Under the Email Privacy Act, which updates a decades-old law, authorities would have to get a warrant to access emails or othe
  
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• Facebook profit soars, stock scheme cements Zuckerberg's control - CNET

  27-04-2016 22:31 via cnet.com
  
  The world's largest social network might not look like Google, but it's grand ambitions make them more similar than you'd think. Now CEO Mark Zuckerberg may be consolidating power through a new stock scheme.
  
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• PayPal revenue jumps as it adds users, processes more payments

  27-04-2016 22:29
  (Reuters) - PayPal Holdings Inc's quarterly revenue rose 19 percent as the company added customers and processed more digital payments on its network. Shares of the payment processor, which was spun off from eBay Inc last year, rose 4 percent to $41.65 in extended trading on Wednesday. PayPal has driven growth through a number of digital payments deals, with its partners including popular Internet platforms such as Alibaba Wholesale and Facebook Messenger. The company's active accounts rose 11.5
  
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• Apple, ANZ Bank strike deal to bring Apple Pay to Australia

  27-04-2016 22:23
  By Matt Siegel and Swati Pandey SYDNEY (Reuters) - Apple Inc expanded its Apple Pay digital wallet in Australia on Thursday after ANZ became the country's first bank to support the mobile payment service, executives at the pair told Reuters. Apple Pay allows users to register credit cards on devices such as iPhones, and pay for goods and services by swiping the devices over contactless payment terminals. Apple charges card providers for transactions via the service, which it introduced to Austra
  
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• Smartphone survival test: OnePlus X ideal for international travel

  27-04-2016 22:14 via zdnet.com
  
  This stylish Android handset from a unique global-facing boutique Chinese manufacturer is a solid performer with few compromises at $249 -- if you do a lot of international travel.
  
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• Payment processor PayPal's quarterly revenue rises 19 percent

  27-04-2016 22:14
  (Reuters) - PayPal Holdings Inc's quarterly revenue rose 19 percent as the company added customers and processed more digital payments on its network. PayPal, which was spun off from eBay Inc last year, said revenue rose to $2.54 billion in the quarter ended March 31 from $2.14 billion, a year earlier.
  
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• Actor David Tennant, like most grown-ups, doesn't get Snapchat - CNET

  27-04-2016 22:08 via cnet.com
  
  The "Doctor Who" and "Jessica Jones" actor also reveals his favourite comic characters in a visit to Marvel HQ.
  
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• Cyberpunk 2077 is more ambitious than Witcher 'on every single front' - CNET

  27-04-2016 22:06 via cnet.com
  
  CD Projekt Red talks about its lofty ambitions for the upcoming RPG and how the studio is following the Rockstar Games model.
  
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• Samsung's pitch to developers: We're really, really big - CNET

  27-04-2016 22:03 via cnet.com
  
  Samsung wants people to make apps for everything from virtual reality to the smart home.
  
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• Nintendo stalls on NX console, teases new smartphone games video - CNET

  27-04-2016 22:00 via cnet.com
  
  The new gaming system isn't due till March 2017, but you won't have to wait long for new mobile games, including Animal Crossing and Pokemon Go. Also: What's the point of Talkshow?
  
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• Getty lodges Google Images piracy complaint with the EU - CNET

  27-04-2016 21:59 via cnet.com
  
  The photo agency is complaining to the European Commission that Google is making image thieves of us all.
  
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• Apple needs a new killer product, and it can't be another iPhone

  27-04-2016 21:54
  
  Okay, that was a bad quarter, Apple. I know, Apple is held to a higher standard. The company makes $50 billion and there’s panic in the streets. I don’t think there’s cause for panic, but concern — even alarm — is warranted. The trend line that’s been clear on the iPad for nearly three years has finally infected the iPhone. Apple’s sure-thing product category has succumbed to a variety of headwinds, including market saturation (something Apple CEO Tim Co
  
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• Apple needs a hot new product, and it can't be another iPhone

  27-04-2016 21:54
  
  Okay, that was a bad quarter, Apple. I know, Apple is held to a higher standard. The company makes $50 billion and there’s panic in the streets. I don’t think there’s cause for panic, but concern — even alarm — is warranted. The trend line that’s been clear on the iPad for nearly three years has finally infected the iPhone. Apple’s sure-thing product category has succumbed to a variety of headwinds, including market saturation (something Apple CEO Tim Co
  
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• The story of Overwatch: 21 hero salute video - CNET

  27-04-2016 21:41 via cnet.com
  
  In the final part of GameSpot's three part series on Overwatch, Danny O'Dwyer explores the creation of the 21 heroes that populate this game. Their history, inspirations, and what happens when they break the game.
  
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• Apple CEO vows after company loses over $40bn in value: 'This too shall pass'

  27-04-2016 21:36 via theguardian.com
  
  Shares open down 7% and climb only a little throughout the day as company grapples with struggling Chinese economy, but Tim Cook voices optimismApple’s shares opened down 7% at the start of trading on Wednesday following the company’s first revenue decline in over a decade and gained back only a little as the day went on.The shares opened at $95.98 and made small gains throughout the morning; the hit initially knocked nearly $50bn off Apple’s market capitalization.Continue read
  
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• FBI to stay mum on iPhone-hacking method - CNET

  27-04-2016 21:34 via cnet.com
  
  After tapping a third party to hack into a terrorist's iPhone, the agency says it doesn't know enough about the hack to submit it for governmental review.
  
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• Nintendo stalls on NX console, teases new smartphone games (CNET Update show notes) - CNET

  27-04-2016 21:31 via cnet.com
  
  The new gaming system isn't due till March 2017, but you won't have to wait long for new mobile games, including Animal Crossing and Pokemon Go. Also: What's the point of Talkshow?
  
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• Oppo's R9 looks just like the iPhone 6S (pictures) - CNET

  27-04-2016 21:28 via cnet.com
  
  The Oppo R9, or F1 Plus as it's known in some countries, borrows liberally from Apple's iPhone, even down to the user interface.
  
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• Samsung wants Artik system to freeze hackers out of your smart fridge - CNET

  27-04-2016 21:16 via cnet.com
  
  With the system, Samsung will help manufacturers add smarts to their appliances, machines and other devices. The company also hopes to keep those gadgets secure.
  
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• Dark Souls dev already working on new IP, not keen on Demon's Souls remake - CNET

  27-04-2016 21:16 via cnet.com
  
  "We want to try making new things," says Hidetaka Miyazaki.
  
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• Everything Samsung just announced at its Developer Conference - CNET

  27-04-2016 21:12 via cnet.com
  
  Samsung announced a range of new devices at its Developer Conference today. Check out this list of everything announced at the keynote.
  
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• Samsung Pay now lets you withdraw cash at the ATM -- if you live in Korea - CNET

  27-04-2016 21:07 via cnet.com
  
  The mobile-payments service will also launch in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Singapore, Spain and the UK this year.
  
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• Land Rover's Discovery Sport can help you find your lost belongings

  27-04-2016 21:05
  
  Good news, klutzes! Your British 4x4 SUV can now help you find your lost belongings. SEE ALSO: Lego's crazy-detailed Porsche 911 GT3 RS has moving engine parts Land Rover announced on Tuesday evening that it is the first automaker to integrate Bluetooth tracking app Tile to help you find your misplaced belongings. When you have Tile's tiny Bluetooth tags with your items, you can locate their whereabouts on the Land Rover Discovery Sport's in-dash InControl infotainment touchscreen display. If yo
  
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• Flush a functional solid-gold toilet at the Guggenheim Museum - CNET

  27-04-2016 21:04 via cnet.com
  
  Prankster artist Maurizio Cattelan redefines lavatory luxury with a solid-gold toilet you can actually use.
  
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• Breaking: Body reportedly found on Apple's campus - CNET

  27-04-2016 21:04 via cnet.com
  
  The reports are so far unconfirmed. This story is developing.
  
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• Legend of Zelda Wii U/NX release delayed to 2017 - CNET

  27-04-2016 21:01 via cnet.com
  
  Nintendo confirms dual-console release; game will be sole focus at E3.
  
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• Up close with the 2016 HP Spectre x360 (pictures) - CNET

  27-04-2016 20:56 via cnet.com
  
  Here's a nice, close look at one of our favorite backflipping Windows laptops.
  
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• Uncharted 4 shows up in the wild due to theft, says Sony - CNET

  27-04-2016 20:51 via cnet.com
  
  Police launch criminal investigation into game copies stolen while in transit.
  
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• Minecraft arrives on Samsung's Gear VR - CNET

  27-04-2016 20:50 via cnet.com
  
  This is the first time Microsoft's megahit sandbox game has been available for play in virtual reality. And you were already sucked in!
  
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• The trailer for Oliver Stone's new 'Snowden' movie is everything you'd expect - CNET

  27-04-2016 20:33 via cnet.com
  
  Technically Incorrect: The iconic director's take on the story of the most famous former employee of the NSA suggests a clear line between heroes and villains.
  
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• A brief guide to everything that’s annoying about Apple

  27-04-2016 20:32 via theguardian.com
  
  This week, the tech giant reported its first fall in sales for 13 years. Have we finally fallen out of love with its shiny new iPhones? Not quite – but there are some small issues ...
  Is this the beginning of the end for Apple? The tech giant’s inexorable growth has been a given for most of the 21st century but, on Wednesday, Apple reported its first decline in quarterly sales for 13 years: a 13% fall, down to $50bn (£34bn). That’s still enough to reduce the UK’s bu
  
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• AT&T exec says Internet of Things is a top priority

  27-04-2016 20:28
  By Georgina Prodhan HANOVER, Germany (Reuters) - U.S. telecoms provider AT&T is betting it can carve out a significant business in connecting objects with one another, the head of that unit told Reuters in an interview, as it seeks new revenue sources in an oversaturated wireless market. The so-called Internet of Things (IoT) is a fast-growing area where industrial and consumer firms and software providers are teaming up to offer smarter ways of doing things such as predicting mechanical pro
  
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• Free games coming to PlayStation Plus in May - CNET

  27-04-2016 20:26 via cnet.com
  
  Six free games are on the way; here's next month's full lineup.
  
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• Snapchat is getting really serious about voting selfies video - CNET

  27-04-2016 20:20 via cnet.com
  
  So much so that they filed an amicus brief for the cause.
  
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• Samsung's Gear 360 VR camera gets a release date

  27-04-2016 20:16
  
  SAN FRANCISCO — Samsung is finally giving its consumer 360-degree VR camera a release date. The Gear 360 camera, which Samsung first revealed in February, will go on sale April 29, Samsung announced at its annual developer conference Wednesday. SEE ALSO: Ball-shaped Samsung Gear 360 makes it easy to record your own VR videos The company hasn't yet revealed a price, but one retailer already has it listed for $399.99.  The Gear 360 is one of two virtual-reality cameras Samsung is w
  
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