Technology news

• Not on Netflix? Google and Amazon have a 99 cent movie deal this holiday season

  23-12-2016 23:22
  
  If you love to Netflix and chill, there's a sweet movie deal in store for you this holiday season — although it's not actually on Netflix. Both Google and Amazon are offering any of their films for the low, low price of $0.99 for the next few weeks. The deals, which apply to just one movie per account, will run between now and Jan. 23 at Google Play, and at Amazon Video where you have to use the promo code "MOVIE99." SEE ALSO: Netflix's Twitter account hacked by OurMine Since both deals ap
  
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• Arizona governor welcomes Uber fleet of self-driving cars

  23-12-2016 23:02
  
  Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Friday welcomed the arrival of a fleet of Uber self-driving cars delivered via a self-driving truck that transported them from California. Ducey's office says the governor welcomed ...
  
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• Microsoft Surface Book i7

  23-12-2016 22:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  If you’re holding out for a Surface Book 2 in 2017, it may very well be OK to stop waiting. The Surface Book with Performance Base stands to be one of the best laptops for digital artists yet.Using the same Clipboard tablet to run the show with an enhanced base housing a larger battery and stronger graphics, the new Surface Book – first introduced as the “Surface Book i7” – vastly improves on the capabilities of last year’s 2015 model. In fact, the improvement
  
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• Snapchat unveils a game that you play with your face

  23-12-2016 22:02
  
  Along with new festive holiday lenses for Christmas, Snapchat has also released a new lens that lets you play a game with your face. The game, which is featured within the app, is called Santa's Helper. In it, your face is placed on an elf's body as you try to slide down a snowy slope, collecting presents and ornaments, and dodging bunny rabbits that'll try to punch you. SEE ALSO: Snapchat's gift to you this Christmas: more filters and lenses And here's the coolest part: you control your elf by
  
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• My Facebook Year in Review: Equal parts joy and depression - CNET

  23-12-2016 21:53 via cnet.com
  
  Commentary: Thanks a lot for the memories, Facebook. Now I'm sad, nostalgic and happy all at the same time.
  
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• Amazon blitzes the skies for speedy holiday deliveries

  23-12-2016 21:44
  
  In 2016, Amazon might be the closest thing we have to Santa Claus. Amazon wants customers to get their holiday gifts on time so much, it's leased a fleet of 40 jets and packed them with orders to be shipped around the United States, according to Reuters. SEE ALSO: Amazon's drone just accomplished its first real delivery The company is hellbent on flinging orders to the doorsteps of Prime customers as fast as humanly possible. Amazon promises the estimated 35-50 million U.S. members of its Prime
  
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• Origin EON17-X

  23-12-2016 21:39 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  This has been the year that desktop performance truly arrived in gaming laptops. Nvidia’s new GTX 10-Series graphics chips have already proven themselves to bring desktop-level performance and some of the best gaming experiences we’ve seen on a notebook this year. But what happens when you add a full-on, PC-equivalent processor to that equation? The new Origin EON17-X is here to answer that question with overwhelming performance. The 17-inch desktop replacement comes equipped wi
  
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• The cars owners most regret buying, according to Consumer Reports - Roadshow

  23-12-2016 21:06 via cnet.com
  
  Consumer Reports' annual Owner Satisfaction Survey tracks whether or not owners would buy the same car all over again. This is a list of the cars owners most regret purchasing, broken down by vehicle class, with the overall most regrettable purchase at the end.
  
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• Tesla, Porsche take top honors in Consumer Reports Owner Satisfaction Survey - Roadshow

  23-12-2016 21:06 via cnet.com
  
  Fiat came in last place, followed by Nissan, Infiniti and Acura, respectively.
  
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• The Cheapskate's favorite deals of the year - CNET

  23-12-2016 20:42 via cnet.com
  
  Let's take a look back at some of 2016's best bargains -- many of which are still available!
  
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• YubiKey for Windows Hello brings hardware-based 2FA to Windows 10

  23-12-2016 20:28 via zdnet.com
  
  After a wait of nearly two months, Yubico has finally released an app that adds strong hardware authentication for unlocking Windows 10 PCs.
  
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• Largest US police union asks Amazon to pull 'offensive' Black Lives Matter shirt

  23-12-2016 20:03 via theguardian.com
  
  An open letter is urging the online retailer to follow Walmart and drop the sale of the T-shirt, which carries the words ‘Bulletproof: Black Lives Matter’The biggest US police union is pressing Amazon to follow Walmart and remove from third-party sale a shirt that seeks profit in relation to the Black Lives Matter protest movement. Related: Two 'deadliest' police departments in US to be investigated in CaliforniaContinue reading...
  
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• Watch Ken Block tear through the snow in a 2017 Ford Raptor - Roadshow

  23-12-2016 20:00 via cnet.com
  
  Some folks get to have all the fun.
  
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• Tesla Model X now comes with Trans Siberian Orchestra Easter egg - Roadshow

  23-12-2016 19:54 via cnet.com
  
  Hopefully the automaker paid for the rights to that song.
  
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• Relive 'Black Mirror' gaming nightmares with these AR cupcakes - CNET

  23-12-2016 19:28 via cnet.com
  
  Netflix's sci-fi tech horror series "Black Mirror" gets a tasty tribute with cupcakes that feature the augmented-reality gopher from the "Playtest" episode.
  
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• KFC China has another weird tech idea to get you to eat fast food

  23-12-2016 19:21
  
  Kentucky Fried Chicken is once again showing how tech-savvy it is. The fast food chain's Chinese division, reports TechCrunch, is partnering up with Baidu (essentially China's Google) to create a new tech-infused "smart restaurant" in Beijing that'll use kiosks with facial recognition technology to scan a customer's face and make food order suggestions based on their mood, age and gender. SEE ALSO: KFC Japan offers two-finger plastic condoms so you can eat chicken like a civil person The idea is
  
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• Avril Lavigne tells Mark Zuckerberg to lay off Nickelback - CNET

  23-12-2016 19:16 via cnet.com
  
  Commentary: The singer is appalled that Facebook's CEO stoops to what she calls bullying, when he gets his new AI butler to joke about the band.
  
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• 'Pokémon Go' will serve up free goodies on Christmas Day

  23-12-2016 19:03
  
  More like Pokémon Ho-Ho-Ho, amirite? December has already brought more Pokémon to more places (including Apple Watch), but developer Niantic has one, last treat. And it's a festive Christmas surprise. SEE ALSO: Behold, all your favorite viral trends in one viral video Starting on Dec. 25 and ending on Jan. 3, Pokémon Go players will have an increased chance of receiving Togepi, Pichu and other newly added Pokémon from hatched eggs. The Santa hat-wearing Pikachu that's
  
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• Last-minute digital gifts and subscriptions video - CNET

  23-12-2016 19:00 via cnet.com
  
  Left your holiday shopping to the last minute? There's still time to give a digital gift.
  
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• The U.S. government wants to see Twitter and Facebook accounts of foreign travelers

  23-12-2016 18:55
  
  The United States government has started asking a select number of foreign travelers about their social media accounts. The news came on Thursday via Politico and was confirmed to Mashable by a spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after the new procedure reportedly began earlier in the week.  The process dovetails with what has been expected for months and has been slammed by privacy advocates. SEE ALSO: YouTube blocked North Korean government’s channel Here's what we
  
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• Weekend streaming: 'Captain America: Civil War' hits Netflix - CNET

  23-12-2016 18:39 via cnet.com
  
  The third "Captain America" movie joins Netflix's streaming catalog on December 25.
  
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• Clarification: Uber-Self-Driving Cars-Arizona story

  23-12-2016 18:39
  
  In a story Dec. 22, The Associated Press reported that the state of California banned self-driving Uber cars over safety concerns. While local officials expressed concerns over safety, the state DMV revoked ...
  
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• This laser band claims to reverse hair loss

  23-12-2016 18:37
  
  The 'HairMax' laser band stimulates the natural growth cycle of hair.
  
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• Uber tries to have it both ways with self-driving cars

  23-12-2016 18:17
  
  Uber has ended its brief driverless car experiment in San Francisco — though not before trying to pull off a bit of corporate gymnastics.  Earlier this month, Uber announced it had brought "self-driving" cars to its hometown, with much fanfare. Two days later, however, Uber was clarifying that the vehicles aren't really as "self-driving" as the name suggested. In fact, they require a human operator. SEE ALSO: Lyft will give you an exact price now, not just an estimate The clarificatio
  
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• Uber blames iOS for still tracking your location even when you're not using the app

  23-12-2016 17:56
  
  Uber's short-lived experiment with self-driving cars in San Francisco isn't the only thing that's freaking out its users. The app recently invited controversy after it changed how its location-tracking works.  Prior to the update, users could choose two location-tracking options: "Never" and "When using the app." But after the update, users noticed the latter was replaced with "Always," leading many to fear Uber's overstepping with collecting location data even when the app's not in use. SE
  
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• Wileyfox Spark Plus

  23-12-2016 17:54 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Building a budget smartphone that stands out from the crowd has never been harder. From Honor to HTC, BQ to ZTE, a veritable horde of different players are shoveling handsets of varying quality into the hungry hands of a waiting public.Of these, Wileyfox quickly became a front-runner, at least in the UK, with the great value Wileyfox Swift and Wileyfox Storm. But a year has passed since these launched, and the competition has only become fiercer, with price wars raging. What was powerful an
  
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• Watch an iMac meet its slow-mo doom from a combustion tube - CNET

  23-12-2016 17:50 via cnet.com
  
  Some old computers get recycled. Some get blown to bits in a puff of fire from a honking huge combustion tube.
  
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• HTC Bolt

  23-12-2016 17:36 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  HTC Bolt, on its unibody aluminum surface, looks and feels like a larger 5.5-inch version of HTC’s flagship, the HTC 10. However, when you dig deeper, you’ll find that the Bolt is a phone full of compromises and flawed software.The HTC Bolt is a Sprint exclusive in the US (and known as the HTC 10 Evo in the UK and elsewhere) and it's one of the first phones to run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. Nougat is an excellent update for Android fans, but, here, the experience is tainted o
  
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• Star Wars droid BB-8 falls in love... with an ornament - CNET

  23-12-2016 17:15 via cnet.com
  
  Get into the holiday spirit by watching the roly-poly "Force Awakens" droid flirt with a Christmas tree ball ornament.
  
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• After online threats, gaming engineer plans run for Congress

  23-12-2016 17:08
  
  BOSTON (AP) — In the gaming world, Brianna Wu has earned a reputation battling the online harassment campaign known as Gamergate, a fight that led to rape and murder threats from the darker recesses of the male-dominated realm.
  
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• Donald Trump rages at A-list celebrities on Twitter - CNET

  23-12-2016 17:05 via cnet.com
  
  Commentary: Amid reports it's not been easy to get famous performers for his inauguration, the president-elect snorts at the famous.
  
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• Top 10 of 2016: Our best rated cars of the year - Roadshow

  23-12-2016 17:00 via cnet.com
  
  We were lucky enough to get behind the wheel of some amazing machines this year. Join us for a look back at the 10 highest scoring machines.
  
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• The six-legged 'spider' robot delivering packages

  23-12-2016 16:59 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A team at the Robotics Institute in the US-based Carnegie Mellon University has designed a robot that can perform basic tasks.
  
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• Constructed reality: are we living in a computer simulation? – tech podcast

  23-12-2016 16:54 via theguardian.com
  
  Elon Musk says the likelihood that we are not actually all living in a simulated world is ‘one in billions’. In this episode of Chips with Everything, philosopher and cognitive scientist Dr David Chalmers weighs in to explore those oddsWhat if our ability to develop technology becomes – or, in theory, already became – so advanced that we are living in a computer simulation that more technologically-capable humans have constructed for us? For tech mogul Elon Musk and a flu
  
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• Google doodles a twosome for the holidays - CNET

  23-12-2016 16:37 via cnet.com
  
  It's a double-doodle day for the search giant, which tries to have the best of both halves of the world.
  
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• Libratone Q Adapt On-Ear

  23-12-2016 16:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  In a sea of noise cancelling headphones, how do you stand out? For Libratone, the answer is beautiful design and an intuitive user experience. Libratone, most known for its speakers like the Zipp and ONE Click, have now branched out to headphones. The company now offers its Q Adapt line of headphones, which come in on-ear and in-ear variants. We'll cover the in-ear options sometime down the road. But, for now, let's start with the Libratone Q Adapt On-Ear.The design of the headphone is
  
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• Ericsson, Cisco to target corporate, public sector clients in 2017

  23-12-2016 16:10
  Global telecoms equipment gear maker Ericsson plans to expand its partnership with Cisco Systems Inc by serving new corporate clients and the public sector in 2017, its North American chief told Reuters in an interview. Rima Qureshi says Ericsson and Cisco remain on track to achieve an extra $1 billion each in revenues by 2018 through a partnership which was announced late in 2015. Qureshi says Ericsson's Cisco partnership, which generated over 60 deals in the first year, has been mainly focused
  
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• Arizona governor to welcome Uber self-driving cars

  23-12-2016 16:09
  
  Gov. Doug Ducey plans to welcome the scheduled arrival Friday of Uber self-driving cars as a self-driving truck transports them to Arizona from California. Ducey's office says the governor will welcome ...
  
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• 5 Facebook Live streams that defined the news in 2016

  23-12-2016 16:04
  
  Facebook's live streaming service started, by admission of the company's founder Mark Zuckerberg, as a tool to connect people in a "more personal way".  SEE ALSO: Black Lives Matter activist, journalists reportedly arrested in Baton Rouge But during 2016 it inevitably grew to become the most innovative and immediate form of citizen journalism, used by ordinary people to record and share the most important stories of the year.  News organisations, including Mashable , also utilised Face
  
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• Pokemon Go has landed on the Apple Watch

  23-12-2016 16:00
  
  The augmented reality game can now be played from your wrist.
  
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• Android tablet restrictions will make sure the kids are all right - CNET

  23-12-2016 16:00 via cnet.com
  
  Setting up a restricted user is an easy way to protect your child on an Android tablet.
  
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• The Cheapskate's favorite deals of the year (2016) - CNET

  23-12-2016 15:52 via cnet.com
  
  Let's take a look back at some of 2016's best bargains -- many of which are still available!
  
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• Tech we lost: RIP Vine, Meerkat and the headphone jack

  23-12-2016 15:30
  
  This year gave us some of our favorite tech yet, but it wasn't good news for all. As with every year, companies went out of business, apps shut down and tech toys disappeared from store shelves for good. From VCRs and Pebble to Vine and Vessel and Meerkat, 2016 gave us plenty of tech fatalities.  SEE ALSO: The 16 biggest tech stories of 2016 Let's take a minute to remember all the tech we lost this year. The Headphone Jack Image: mashable / Dustin Drankoski Okay, yeah, technically the 3.5mm
  
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• Watch a bullet ant sting a wildlife show host - CNET

  23-12-2016 15:28 via cnet.com
  
  See what happens when "Brave Wilderness" host Coyote Peterson gets the most painful insect sting in the world. Hint: There's lots of screaming.
  
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• The 911 so rare, Porsche kept it a secret for 10 years video - Roadshow

  23-12-2016 15:18 via cnet.com
  
  There are few cars as rare as the 1994 Porsche 964 911 Turbo Flatnose. Getting to drive one is even rarer.
  
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