Technology news

• Uber admits to self-driving car 'problem' in bike lanes as safety concerns mount

  19-12-2016 23:52 via theguardian.com
  
  Engineers were working to fix programming flaw that could have deadly results for cyclists days after Uber announced it would openly defy California regulatorsUber has admitted that there is a “problem” with the way autonomous vehicles cross bike lanes, raising serious questions about the safety of cyclists days after the company announced it would openly defy California regulators over self-driving vehicles.An Uber spokeswoman said on Monday that engineers were working to fix a flaw
  
  Read more

• Snap Inc looks to land in China: Report

  19-12-2016 23:31 via zdnet.com
  
  Camera company Snap Inc, which owns popular mobile app Snapchat, is reportedly setting up an R&D team in China, despite the app remaining inaccessible in the country due to government bans.
  
  Read more

• The world's digital history is stored in this old church video - CNET

  19-12-2016 23:03 via cnet.com
  
  The Internet Archive has been collecting websites, books, music, software and other materials for the last 20 years. This is what it's like to be inside their real-life location.
  
  Read more

• 'Super Mario Run': Price, connectivity missteps for Nintendo

  19-12-2016 22:59
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Super Mario might be running, but a hefty price tag for a mobile game just won't fly with the masses.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Google project has small name but tackles big security issue - CNET

  19-12-2016 22:43 via cnet.com
  
  Project Wycheproof, named after the smallest mountain in the world, lets developers quickly check their cryptographic libraries against a large number of known attacks.
  
  Read more

• O Dieselgate: VW to pay up to $1.6 billion for dirty Canadian diesels - Roadshow

  19-12-2016 22:32 via cnet.com
  
  That comes out to about 2.1 billion loonies, or half as many toonies.
  
  Read more

• Where smartwatches are going wrong - CNET

  19-12-2016 21:51 via cnet.com
  
  Commentary: Fitness trackers and smartwatches went off the rails in 2016. Here are some reasons why.
  
  Read more

• How we could spot a 'Death Star' in real life - CNET

  19-12-2016 21:43 via cnet.com
  
  "Rogue One" resurrects a discussion of the Empire's favorite planet-killing weapon. Could we detect evidence of a Death Star blast across space and time?
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Box won't say if it's giving your secrets to the government

  19-12-2016 21:42 via zdnet.com
  
  The company says it only gives up customer data when "required by applicable law." But if it's keeping quiet on reportable figures, should we assume the worst?
  
  Read more

• Future Mitsubishi EVs to run on new Renault-Nissan platform, report says - Roadshow

  19-12-2016 21:39 via cnet.com
  
  It's all about keeping costs low.
  
  Read more

• US fails to renegotiate arms control rule for hacking tools

  19-12-2016 21:33
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration has failed to renegotiate portions of an international arms control arrangement to make it easier to export tools related to hacking and surveillance software — technologies that can be exploited by bad actors, but are also used to secure computer networks.
  
  Read more

• Zuckerberg shows off Jarvis, his smart home AI - CNET

  19-12-2016 21:29 via cnet.com
  
  The Facebook CEO built artificial intelligence software to dim his lights and see who's at the door. He even tried using it to help him get dressed.
  
  Read more

• Mark Zuckerberg shares insights gained from building his AI 'butler' Jarvis

  19-12-2016 21:15 via zdnet.com
  
  The project underscored, for example, the need for common APIs and standards for smart homes.
  
  Read more

• Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year defines 2016 - CNET

  19-12-2016 21:08 via cnet.com
  
  2016 has been one blankety-blank of a year, so the dictionary people decided to fill in that blank.
  
  Read more

• Dell XPS 13: Still drop-dead gorgeous video - CNET

  19-12-2016 21:03 via cnet.com
  
  The no-bezel screen on the XPS 13 still wows two years later, and the updated components keep it in the hunt against newer, thinner 13-inch laptops.
  
  Read more

• Assassin's Creed review – Michael Fassbender game movie achieves transcendental boredom

  19-12-2016 21:00 via theguardian.com
  
  This film adaptation of the successful videogame, in which Fassbender must battle Templars after the original apple from Eden, is an interminable, lifeless mess“What the fuck is going on?” mutters Michael Fassbender’s character through clenched teeth, reasonably early on in the course of this interminable film, based on the lucrative video game series Assassin’s Creed. You can imagine each of its stars – Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Essie Davis &ndash
  
  Read more

• BlackBerry to open autonomous vehicle research center in Canada - Roadshow

  19-12-2016 20:57 via cnet.com
  
  BlackBerry won't be building a car, but it will be developing software for them.
  
  Read more

• Salvation Army out-tweets sneering ESPN sportswriter - CNET

  19-12-2016 20:42 via cnet.com
  
  Commentary: The Dallas Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott jumps into a Salvation Army kettle after a touchdown. An ESPN sportswriter isn't impressed...at least at first.
  
  Read more

• AirPods Review: 3 ways Apple can make them better video - CNET

  19-12-2016 20:37 via cnet.com
  
  Apple's first wireless ear buds are interesting, but there's a lot more they can do to make the AirPods really special.
  
  Read more

• Bill calls for porn block on computers sold in South Carolina - CNET

  19-12-2016 20:31 via cnet.com
  
  But both seller and buyers can reportedly get around the digital filters by paying the state a $20 fee per device.
  
  Read more

• AutoComplete: Lamborghini turns up the wick with the 2017 Aventador S video - Roadshow

  19-12-2016 20:31 via cnet.com
  
  Honda teases the 2018 Odyssey in a new way, and BMW electrifies its 5 Series.
  
  Read more

• Tech-savvy parrot sounds off with pitch-perfect 'OK, Google' beep - CNET

  19-12-2016 20:12 via cnet.com
  
  An African grey parrot turns its vocal talents to copying the beeping noise made by Google gadgets.
  
  Read more

• Farewell, Zsa Zsa Gabor, you were our 'Queen of Outer Space' - CNET

  19-12-2016 19:37 via cnet.com
  
  Daaaah-link, even in a 1958 B-movie, glamour dripped off the late actress and socialite like diamonds.
  
  Read more

• 5 Lightning headphones to stuff in the stockings of iPhone 7 owners

  19-12-2016 19:33
  
  Since Apple killed the 3.5mm headphone jack for the iPhone 7, you now have three options for on-the-go music — go wireless, use an adapter or get special headphones with a Lightning connector. Wireless can be pricey and unwieldy and those pesky dongles are prone to getting lost, so we're taking a look at the last option. Here are five strong sets of Lightning headphones for iPhone 7 owners, from budget choices to splash-the-cash luxury. Philips Fidelio M2L, $299.99  Philips Fidelio M2
  
  Read more

• You’re secretly being trained to break your iPhone on purpose

  19-12-2016 19:32
  
  Buying a new iPhone whenever a new one is released would sure help Apple's bottomline, but it's not so nice on your wallet. Of course, it's slightly easier to justify to yourself when you're forced to upgrade your phone when it's broken. But what if you're "accidentally" breaking your phone, on purpose, to justify the upgrade? According to a recent study, that's exactly what we're doing. A recent Columbia Business School study found that people are bound to be more careless with their device whe
  
  Read more

• This is how Superman shops for a Christmas tree - CNET

  19-12-2016 19:31 via cnet.com
  
  Superman actor Henry Cavill teases fans with a tree-toting show of superhuman strength on Instagram.
  
  Read more

• You can now play Minecraft on your Apple TV - CNET

  19-12-2016 19:29 via cnet.com
  
  The game costs $19.99 and is rolling out in all regions.
  
  Read more

• The ultimate guide to sending holiday e-cards

  19-12-2016 19:23
  Don't.* Easy, right? Listen, we get it: Putting together a paper holiday card is time-consuming and costly. So-called "e-cards" solve both of these problems in that they're quick to distribute and inexpensive, even free. SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert's 'Charlie Brown' Christmas special is extremely glum But have you ever considered that the core value of a paper holiday card is that... they are time-consuming and costly to produce? That getting them in the mail is like receiving a wee present before
  
  Read more

• Cuba announces home internet trial scheme in Havana

  19-12-2016 19:19 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Cuba unveils a two-month pilot scheme in Havana to allow internet in private homes.
  
  Read more

• New state bill wants to put porn blocks on new computers

  19-12-2016 19:17 via zdnet.com
  
  A key caveat is that both buyers and sellers could remove the block for a fee.
  
  Read more

• Here's a solution to our plastic problem

  19-12-2016 19:16
  
  A German company is producing disposable plates entirely made out of leaves as an alternative to plastic packaging.  One plate, on average, costs around 50 cents and is 100% biodegradable.
  
  Read more

• YouTube delights as TV anchors gag on gross articoke dip - CNET

  19-12-2016 19:10 via cnet.com
  
  Commentary: The holiday dish seems to have been revolting, and many have enjoyed the spectacle.
  
  Read more

• Czechs open production of batteries based on nanotechnology

  19-12-2016 19:07
  
  PRAGUE (AP) — A Czech company opened on Monday a production line for batteries based on nanotechnology, which uses tiny parts invisible to human eyes. The batteries are touted as potentially more efficient, longer-lasting, cheaper, lighter and above all safer.
  
  Read more

• Facebook adds group video chat to Messenger

  19-12-2016 19:05
  
  Up to six people can now video chat at the same time in a Messenger conversation.
  
  Read more

• Group video calling lands on Facebook Messenger

  19-12-2016 19:04
  
  Facebook just added a feature to Messenger that may make even the most ardent skeptics want to use the app: group video calling. The chat app now allows groups of up to six friends to make video calls directly from their messages. SEE ALSO: Live 360-degree videos are coming to Facebook The feature, available now to anyone with the latest version of the app, also includes the Snapchat-like animated masks Facebook has been experimenting with on the iOS version of Messenger. (The company says Andro
  
  Read more

• Google's Waymo teases first photos of self-driving Chrysler minivan

  19-12-2016 19:03 via zdnet.com
  
  Google's new self-driving car company Waymo showed its sensor-equipped minivan through a partnership with Fiat Chrysler in a Medium post on Sunday. It looks like any other Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid -- with sensors.
  
  Read more

• Fox Sports' Skip Bayless caught praising himself on Facebook - CNET

  19-12-2016 18:56 via cnet.com
  
  It looks like the network's outspoken personality forgot to change accounts before praising himself.
  
  Read more

• CIO view: Inside the World Health Organization

  19-12-2016 18:52 via zdnet.com
  
  An exclusive conversation with the Chief Information Officer of WHO reveals technology used to prepare for and manage outbreaks of disease on a global scale.
  
  Read more

• Balls, Buckfast and bothersome gadgets | Brief letters

  19-12-2016 18:50 via theguardian.com
  
  User-unfriendly gadgets | WH Auden’s nether regions | Nut roast denigration | Trump’s spelling error | Rebranding Buckfast | A Brexit resolutionSuzanne Moore is not alone (Gadgets are supposed to streamline life, G2, 15 December). I always ask myself two questions: is it just because we are in the midst, rather than the end, of a technological revolution that so-called labour-saving gadgets and their bits often pose problems or go wrong? And, will technology and algorithms ever
  
  Read more

• Jarvis is real! Mark Zuckerberg has spent 2016 building an Iron Man-style AI that controls his life

  19-12-2016 18:49
  
  By: Victoria WoollastonContinue reading...
  
  Read more

• The SAP platform and digital transformation

  19-12-2016 18:42 via zdnet.com
  
  I had the opportunity to attend SAP TechEd in Barcelona recently in order to assess the software giant's latest enhancements to their platform. In the process, I also gauged its readiness to fully support that urgent IT priority of our time, digital transformation.
  
  Read more

• BlackBerry spending $75 million on autos hub over several years

  19-12-2016 18:34
  Canada's BlackBerry Ltd plans to invest C$100 million ($75 million) in a new autonomous vehicle-testing hub over several years, the company's chief executive said on Monday, marking a change of direction for the smartphone pioneer. "Most of all the money will go to jobs," John Chen told reporters at an event opening the Ottawa-area facility. BlackBerry said it will work with middleware supplier PolySync and semiconductor company Renesas Electronics Corp, as well as its hometown University of Wat
  
  Read more

• BMW electrifies new 5 Series with 2018 530e iPerformance plug-in hybrid - Roadshow

  19-12-2016 18:20 via cnet.com
  
  It's BMW's first plug-in that can be had with either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.
  
  Read more

• BMW's 530e iPerformance is ready to rock down to Partially Electric Avenue - Roadshow

  19-12-2016 18:19 via cnet.com
  
  The 530e holds to BMW's current technological prowess while helping its owners go green.
  
  Read more

• Moto Z Play

  19-12-2016 18:10 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Moto Z Play is the slightly thicker, long-lasting and more affordable smartphone with creative modular accessories, and proof that Motorola is committed to the idea of a customizable phone.You can snap on a bunch of different mods – from stylish battery packs, to a mini boom box, to a head-turning pico projector – all with the help of magnets.Timed with the Moto Z Play launch is a new mod: the Hasselblad True Zoom camera. It makes your Android phone look and feel like a real camera w
  
  Read more

• 'Blade Runner 2049' trailer brings replicant hunters together - CNET

  19-12-2016 18:04 via cnet.com
  
  The dark and steamy sci-fi dystopian world of "Blade Runner" adds a new color to its palate.
  
  Read more

• Apple appeals EU order to collect $14B in back taxes

  19-12-2016 18:02
  
  CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple is appealing a European Union order to collect a record 13 billion euros ($14 billion) in back taxes based on the way it reports European-wide profits through Ireland.
  
  Read more

• How lasers map the world for self-driving cars - Roadshow

  19-12-2016 18:00 via cnet.com
  
  For a car to drive itself, it needs to sense its surroundings. Laser arrays build a precise 3D model of every object in a car's vicinity within seconds.
  
  Read more

• Facebook brings group video chats to Messenger - CNET

  19-12-2016 18:00 via cnet.com
  
  The social network is bringing what it claims is its most-requested feature to its mobile messaging app.
  
  Read more

• Waymo nearly triples its self-driving car fleet video - CNET

  19-12-2016 17:59 via cnet.com
  
  Waymo, formerly Google's self-driving car project, just took delivery of 100 minivans that it will use to conduct autonomous driving tests.
  
  Read more

Follow @TechnologyUKnws on Twitter!