Technology news

• Facebook's news saga reminds us humans are biased by design

  13-05-2016 23:44 via theguardian.com
  
  The revelation that some of the social media site’s journalistic decisions are made by people, not algorithms, has shone a fascinating light on the rapidly changing news landscape
  On Thursday, Facebook finally admitted what many had suspected for years: its “trending topics” feature, a small box that lives on the top right of its website, is edited by journalists, relying as much on their news sense and good old-fashioned editorial guidelines as on Facebook’s own technolo
  
  Read more

• Why Instagram's new icon and black and white design suck

  13-05-2016 23:32
  
  I hate the new Instagram icon. You can disagree, but you're still wrong.  Instagram finally changed its app icon this week and, boy, did the Internet react. The iconic instant camera icon — with a glass lens, viewfinder, brown leather wrap and rainbow, alongside the word "Insta" in the corner is gone. SEE ALSO: 10 app icon redesigns: The good, the bad and the ugly As I'm sure you've seen by now, it's been replaced with a simplified glyph in the shape of a camera outlined in white
  
  Read more

• The Impossible Project's first instant film camera video - CNET

  13-05-2016 23:25 via cnet.com
  
  The I-1 adds some modern digital touches to a film classic.
  
  Read more

• George Zimmerman finds a new auction site to sell the gun that killed Trayvon Martin - CNET

  13-05-2016 23:16 via cnet.com
  
  Technically Incorrect: After his listing on Gunbroker.com was removed, the man who claimed self-defense finds another site to sell the gun he used in the shooting.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Google and Apple steer toward different auto ambitions - CNET

  13-05-2016 23:15 via cnet.com
  
  Google hires testers for self-driving cars while Apple invests in a major car-hailing app. Meanwhile, Facebook's Zuckerberg is meeting with conservative leaders to calm concerns of liberal bias.
  
  Read more

• Museum hope to rebuild UK's first robot

  13-05-2016 23:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  London's Science Museum launches a Kickstarter campaign to fund the rebuilding of one of the world's first robots.
  
  Read more

• A race-prepped MX-5 can be yours on the cheap - Roadshow

  13-05-2016 22:57 via cnet.com
  
  With the new MX-5 Cup car, you really have no excuse to not own a race car.
  
  Read more

• Launch control, Ford Raptors and the 'Tesla Model 4': Our week on Instagram - Roadshow

  13-05-2016 22:49 via cnet.com
  
  If you were following us on Instagram, you'd know what we're talking about already.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Amazon's customizable Dash Button sold out in less than a day

  13-05-2016 22:34
  
  Amazon's Dash Buttons are the epitome of shopping simplification. You push a button and you get stuff, no need to browse around or even leave the house. It would be pretty cool if you could get one of those buttons to do whatever you want. SEE ALSO: The next YouTube? Amazon now allows creators to post content on its platform Well now you can, or could — Amazon briefly offered a Dash Button that is completely customizable, allowing you to connect to pretty much any connected device or
  
  Read more

• Apple just gave us a $1 billion clue to its automotive aspirations - Roadshow

  13-05-2016 22:32 via cnet.com
  
  What if the Apple Car isn't a car at all, but a service?
  
  Read more

• YouTube tests messaging feature to keep people in its app

  13-05-2016 22:31
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — YouTube is testing a messaging feature in its smartphone app so people can share and discuss videos without resorting to other ways to connect with their friends and family.
  
  Read more

• Apple, Chinese rideshare deal heats up race for tech-smart cars

  13-05-2016 22:31
  By Alexandria Sage and Julia Love SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc's $1 billion investment in Chinese ride sharing company Didi Chuxing intensifies a race to acquire technology, talent and market access in a rapidly evolving global personal transportation market. Apple's investment comes as auto and technology industry executives and investors are placing bets that self-driving car systems, electric vehicles and ride sharing will eventually converge to allow companies to sell rides in se
  
  Read more

• Hyundai is building a real-life Iron Man suit, minus boot jets and hand repulsors - CNET

  13-05-2016 22:20 via cnet.com
  
  The Korean car company is creating the wearable robot primarily for factory workers, soldiers, and people with disabilities.
  
  Read more

• GameSpot's The Lobby: What's the difference between Overwatch and Battleborn? video - CNET

  13-05-2016 22:15 via cnet.com
  
  With Overwatch and Battleborn seemingly so similar, GameSpot's Aaron Sampson and Mike Mahardy face off on which is their favorite. Let us know which you look forward to the most.
  
  Read more

• Facebook launches probe into report of political bias

  13-05-2016 21:49
  Facebook Inc, the social networking powerhouse, is conducting a full investigation into allegations of political bias, Chairman and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said. The accusation sparked an outcry on social media and prompted a U.S. Senate inquiry into Facebook's practices. Facebook has "found no evidence that this report is true," Zuckerberg said in a statement posted late Thursday on his Facebook page, but added that the company would continue to investigate.
  
  Read more

• 3 Android weather apps to use instead of Dark Sky - CNET

  13-05-2016 21:43 via cnet.com
  
  Don't want to pay a subscription for a weather app? Here are 3 alternatives that use the same data Dark Sky uses.
  
  Read more

• New Kojima Productions logo is hiding a secret - CNET

  13-05-2016 21:40 via cnet.com
  
  Hideo Kojima says the logo you've seen so far is only just one part of it.
  
  Read more

• Fasten your seatbelts: There's a new ride-hailing app in Austin - CNET

  13-05-2016 21:33 via cnet.com
  
  The company, called Fasten, hopes to fill a gap left by Uber and Lyft's departure.
  
  Read more

• Facebook Trending Topics accused of bias, Zuckerberg speaks out video - CNET

  13-05-2016 21:33 via cnet.com
  
  The social network is caught up in a cloud of controversy over how it picks which stories show in the Trending box. CEO Zuckerberg will meet with conservatives to quash accusations of pushing liberal stories.
  
  Read more

• Overwatch cheaters will receive permanent bans, Blizzard confirms - CNET

  13-05-2016 21:15 via cnet.com
  
  Blizzard outlines the measures it will take against offending players; game to have built-in reporting tools.
  
  Read more

• Nissan's latest battery breakthrough should boost lithium ion capacity, EV range - Roadshow

  13-05-2016 21:14 via cnet.com
  
  Amorphous silicon monoxide should be able to store a good deal of lithium ions without deterioration during charge cycles.
  
  Read more

• Disney Infinity 4.0 would have had cool new figures and ambitious story mode - CNET

  13-05-2016 20:50 via cnet.com
  
  Following its cancellation, details on what Disney Infinity's next version would have included have been revealed.
  
  Read more

• Battlefield 1: Everything you need to know - CNET

  13-05-2016 20:50 via cnet.com
  
  Check out all the details you need to know about the newest entry in the Battlefield series.
  
  Read more

• 'Buffy' actors reunite for 'The Huntsman: Winter's War' parody video - CNET

  13-05-2016 20:46 via cnet.com
  
  "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" alums Tom Lenk and Eliza Dushku show off their comedy skills by reenacting a scene from the movie while wearing homemade costumes.
  
  Read more

• VirZOOM is almost here: come with us on a magic VR bike ride with flying horses and cowboys video - CNET

  13-05-2016 20:43 via cnet.com
  
  Can you get fit and be in VR at the same time? VirZOOM tries to make it happen with race cars, puppies, battle tanks and Pegasus. Here's what the near-final version is like, plus its wild games.
  
  Read more

• Germany: Russia hacked our parliament - CNET

  13-05-2016 20:38 via cnet.com
  
  A German intelligence agency reportedly said the attack crossed the line from espionage to sabotage.
  
  Read more

• The 404 Show 1661: Doom, Assassin's Creed movie trailer, Facebook's news problem (podcast) - CNET

  13-05-2016 20:33 via cnet.com
  
  On today's show Russ and Jeff will break down the new Assassin's Creed movie trailer, sing initial praises on the new Doom reboot game and discuss Facebook's editorial ethics.
  
  Read more

• Next GTA 5 online event starts today, get all the details here - CNET

  13-05-2016 20:25 via cnet.com
  
  Here is what you need to know about Combat Week, which runs May 13-19.
  
  Read more

• BMW promises autonomous, electric flagship for 2021 called iNext

  13-05-2016 20:25
  
  We're just about halfway through 2016 and BMW is already talking about product plans for 2021. SEE ALSO: LAPD finds Tesla impractical as a police cruiser At BMW's annual shareholders meeting Thursday, company chairman of the board Harald Krüger spoke to the future of the brand. Specifically, he detailed the next BMW flagship — autonomous, intelligent, lightweight and the "next generation of electro-mobility." He calls it the iNext. The iNext is a combination of the BMW electrified i b
  
  Read more

• Apple CarPlay arrives on Kia vehicles starting with Sportage, Optima - Roadshow

  13-05-2016 20:23 via cnet.com
  
  And for folks who already bought and took possession of these cars, a downloadable update is in the works.
  
  Read more

• Cyber thieves rob another bank by hacking into Swift financial network - CNET

  13-05-2016 19:44 via cnet.com
  
  After $81 million was stolen in February from the central bank of Bangladesh, Swift has reported a second attack on its system.
  
  Read more

• Privacy fears 'deterring' US web users

  13-05-2016 19:40 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Almost half of American households with at least one internet user have been "deterred" from online activity recently because of privacy or security concerns, a survey says.
  
  Read more

• Facebook hires a judge to oversee its global litigation - CNET

  13-05-2016 19:36 via cnet.com
  
  US Magistrate Judge Paul S. Grewal, an expert in intellectual property cases, joins the Facebook legal team.
  
  Read more

• Magic Johnson resigns from Square's board of directors - CNET

  13-05-2016 19:29 via cnet.com
  
  After joining the board for less than a year ago, Johnson is stepping down to focus on a venture to tackle US infrastructure upgrades.
  
  Read more

• After 'Marvel's Agent Carter' gets the ax from ABC, fans turn to Netflix to save it - CNET

  13-05-2016 19:20 via cnet.com
  
  ABC has canceled the series starring Hayley Atwell. Now, fans are hoping a superhero might swoop in to save the show.
  
  Read more

• Gboard: send gifs, addresses and YouTube videos with Google's new keyboard

  13-05-2016 19:01
  
  The keyboard is currently only available for iOs.
  
  Read more

• How smart can a baby changing pad be? (pictures) - CNET

  13-05-2016 19:00 via cnet.com
  
  The Hatch Baby smart changing pad gives you all the tools to track the general wellbeing of your child.
  
  Read more

• See a train driver dash through the cars to warn of an impending crash - CNET

  13-05-2016 18:55 via cnet.com
  
  A quick-thinking train driver knew he couldn't avoid a wreck, so he spent his time preparing the passengers for impact.
  
  Read more

• Impossible Project I-1 a modern take on the original instant camera (pictures) - CNET

  13-05-2016 18:54 via cnet.com
  
  The I-1 is the first instant-film camera made by the Impossible Project, the company that reengineered instant film in 2008 after Polaroid shut down production.
  
  Read more

• Google's superbrain: WIRED Stories Episode 2

  13-05-2016 18:50
  
  
  Are we really on the verge of making machines that think for themselves? And if we are what does that mean for humanity?By: WIRED.co.uk, Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Turn! Turn! Turn! Subaru recalls 48,500 cars for steering issues - Roadshow

  13-05-2016 18:49 via cnet.com
  
  For those of you born in the 1990s, that's a Byrds reference. Look it up.
  
  Read more

• Google hiring self-driving car testers video - CNET

  13-05-2016 18:46 via cnet.com
  
  Want to test a self-driving car? Google pays $20-an-hour for the gig in Arizona. Meanwhile, Apple steers toward the ride-hailing business by investing in a Chinese rival to Uber.
  
  Read more

• Silicon Valley venture capitalists raise more money, give less away

  13-05-2016 18:43
  Venture capitalists are raising money at the fastest rate in a decade, raking in about $13 billion in the first quarter of 2016. Rather, venture firms are bracing for a downturn and boosting reserves to keep companies they have already backed from going bust, said venture capitalists and limited partners. "They are squirrels trying to pack their cheeks full of nuts," said Ben Narasin, a partner at Canvas Ventures.
  
  Read more

• Emoji equality, Facebook bias: Podcast 267

  13-05-2016 18:30
  
  
  Coming up today, fair emoji representation for women, big changes at the BBC and hyperloop takes one teeny-tiny zoom towards becoming a reality.By: WIRED.co.uk, Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Ben Affleck + maths = action in 'The Accountant' trailer - CNET

  13-05-2016 18:25 via cnet.com
  
  It's Batman vs. the Punisher as Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal appear in this new action movie.
  
  Read more

• 10 app icon redesigns: The good, the bad and the ugly

  13-05-2016 18:19
  
  Redesigns happen. Whether a certain look has gone out of style, a brand's direction has changed, or it's just time for something fresh, many popular apps have changed the design of their icons. Instagram just changed its app icon, and while a new look was probably a good idea, many aren't happy about it. Instagram's old and new app icons. Image: instagram Instagram is far from the first app to go through this. Sometimes it's a home run, but it's rare. More often a changed icon either takes a whi
  
  Read more

• The Nissan GT-R Nismo 400R is a Gran Turismo legend video - Roadshow

  13-05-2016 18:17 via cnet.com
  
  Few cars can claim to have been in every single version of the video game Gran Turismo but this car can -- and for good reason.
  
  Read more

• The Blisk browser is a web developer's dream come true

  13-05-2016 18:14
  
  With so many different devices and screen sizes people browse the web on, web developers need to make sure their websites will work on every platform and react properly to different screen resolutions. Now there's a developer-focused browser that makes that process a lot easier. SEE ALSO: Can I develop VR apps on the web? Blisk is a free web browser seen by The Next Web that isn't made for the typical Internet surfer. It comes with a bunch of features that caters to web developers who want to te
  
  Read more

• TAG Heuer Connected Watch review - CNET

  13-05-2016 18:14 via cnet.com
  
  It's the sharpest looking Android smartwatch for sure, but can it possibly be worth that huge price tag?
  
  Read more

• How to add a 'Hey, Siri'-style command to your Mac - CNET

  13-05-2016 18:00 via cnet.com
  
  Set up OS X so dictation begins when you speak a keyword phrase.
  
  Read more

Follow @TechnologyUKnws on Twitter!