Sunday, September 30, 2018

The Transportation Revolution: Self-Driving Cars Are Only the Beginning

TechNewsWorld
The Transportation Revolution: Self-Driving Cars Are Only the Beginning
The autonomous car has thrown the automotive industry -- an industry that is notoriously slow to change -- into the forefront of technology. The autonomous car has become a technology catalyst because it requires innovation in many areas, ranging from processor and sensor technology to AI. As with all new technologies, the industry rushes to focus on consumers because they represent the billion-dollar pot of gold, but as with many other new technologies, it is the industrial applications that are likely to take hold first.
To Resist Manipulation, Ask One Question
The level of effort devoted to manipulating our opinions is unprecedented. Granted, a lot of this has to do with the fact that most of the "free" online services we use aren't free at all. They are trading our ability to make measured opinions for advertisers' money, and some of these "advertisers" are foreign governments. With all of these attempts to manipulate us into doing things we otherwise don't want to do -- many of which are surprisingly successful -- there is one question we should be asking of any inflammatory story: Why?
Gear Latest
Samsung Galaxy Watch Review: Function, But No Finesse
Samsung Galaxy Watch Review: Function, But No Finesse
Samsung's Galaxy Watch puts old features in a new smartwatch.
The Best Neato Vacuum is On Sale, and 17 More of Our Best Weekend Deals: Acer, Patagonia, Amazon
The Best Neato Vacuum is On Sale, and 17 More of Our Best Weekend Deals: Acer, Patagonia, Amazon
Weekend deals from our favorite Neato robot vacuum, Patagonia jacket, Amazon streaming TV devices, and more.
BBC News - Technology
Conservative Party conference app reveals MPs' numbers
Conservative Party conference app reveals MPs' numbers
Boris Johnson was among those whose details could be accessed through the party's conference app.

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Gadget Lab Podcast: Oculus Quest, Elon Musk and the SEC, and More

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Gadget Lab Podcast: Oculus Quest, Elon Musk and the SEC, and More
Gadget Lab Podcast: Oculus Quest, Elon Musk and the SEC, and More
The Gadget Lab team talks to WIRED editor and author Peter Rubin about the new Oculus Quest. Also: Why the SEC is suing Elon Musk.
Das Keyboard 5Q Review: Excellent for Typing, Not So Much for Notifications
Das Keyboard 5Q Review: Excellent for Typing, Not So Much for Notifications
An internet-enabled mechanical keyboard that brings web and device notifications to your fingertips.
TechNewsWorld
Voice Control for Connected Entertainment: Challenges and Opportunities
Smart speakers are becoming a more common platform for controlling connected entertainment due to a rapid increase in popularity and ease of use. Household penetration of smart speakers is expected to reach 47 percent among U.S. broadband households by 2022, based on Parks Associates estimates. New entrants in the connected consumer electronics market, including Samsung, Roku and Facebook, are likely to make announcements about new voice-controlled speakers at CES 2019 in order to claim a share of this new voice-first CE market.
BBC News - Technology
Facebook security breach: Up to 50m accounts attacked
Facebook security breach: Up to 50m accounts attacked
Attackers exploited vulnerability in a feature known as "View As", the social media giant says.

Friday, September 28, 2018

TSB and HSBC banking apps hit by computer glitches

BBC News - Technology
TSB and HSBC banking apps hit by computer glitches
TSB and HSBC banking apps hit by computer glitches
Customers of TSB and HSBC face problems accessing accounts due to more computer problems.

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Oculus’ $399 Quest to Take VR Mainstream

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Oculus’ $399 Quest to Take VR Mainstream
Oculus’ $399 Quest to Take VR Mainstream
Facebook's Oculus division wants more people in VR. The Quest, its new high-powered stand-alone headset, takes a flying leap in that direction.
BBC News - Technology
Uber pays $148m over data breach cover-up
Uber pays $148m over data breach cover-up
The 2016 breach involved hackers grabbing data on millions of Uber customers and drivers.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Mirrorless cameras: Photography's new decisive moment

BBC News - Technology
Mirrorless cameras: Photography's new decisive moment
Mirrorless cameras: Photography's new decisive moment
Camera-makers are rushing to release full-frame mirrorless cameras packed with new features.
Gear Latest
Amazon’s New Echo Show Hints at the Company’s Vision for TV
Amazon’s New Echo Show Hints at the Company’s Vision for TV
The 10-inch, $230 Echo Show works more like tiny TV than ever—and shows how Amazon thinks we’re going to interact with video content in the near future.

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Gamer with terminal cancer achieves 'Ultimate' goal

BBC News - Technology
Gamer with terminal cancer achieves 'Ultimate' goal
Gamer with terminal cancer achieves 'Ultimate' goal
Chris Taylor who has bone cancer got to play Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game early following a social media campaign.
TechNewsWorld
Women as CEOs: The Problems and the Promise
I've followed several female CEOs over the years. Most of them failed, largely because they were both unqualified for the job and their boards didn't back them up. In several cases, the board and the CEO seemed to be in conflict, or the board simply didn't do anything. Those failures have created the impression that female CEOs are a bad bet. However, I believe the real problem is that boards haven't been doing their jobs. I think women would make better CEOs than men if they were trained and supported as well.
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The Clever Engineering Behind the New iPhone XS Battery
The Clever Engineering Behind the New iPhone XS Battery
The iPhone XS has a unique shape, designed to squeeze in as much juice as chemistry and physics will allow.

Monday, September 24, 2018

How Lego Came to Be the World's Most Famous Brick

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How Lego Came to Be the World's Most Famous Brick
How Lego Came to Be the World's Most Famous Brick
A Danish woodworker’s bet on a new ­manufacturing process gave us a toy that never gets old.
How Alexa Could Fix the Microwave
How Alexa Could Fix the Microwave
An Alexa-powered microwave may sound silly. Here's why it's a brilliant idea.
JBL Link View Review: A Great-Sounding Smart Display
JBL Link View Review: A Great-Sounding Smart Display
The JBL Link View is a Google-powered display-speaker hybrid with some serious audio prowess.
BBC News - Technology
3D-printed gun pioneer in jail on sex assault charge
3D-printed gun pioneer in jail on sex assault charge
Cody Wilson is in prison in Houston after being charged with the sexual assault of an under-age girl.
Women harassed after seeking sperm donors online
Women harassed after seeking sperm donors online
One woman says a potential donor turned out to be married and had undergone a vasectomy.

Sunday, September 23, 2018

20 Best Weekend Tech Deals: Apple, Amazon, Samsung, Sony

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20 Best Weekend Tech Deals: Apple, Amazon, Samsung, Sony
20 Best Weekend Tech Deals: Apple, Amazon, Samsung, Sony
The PlayStation Classic, Samsung QLED TVs, Apple deals, and Amazon Devices are worth a look this week.
The Vaonis Stellina Smart Telescope Finds the Heavenly Bodies for You
The Vaonis Stellina Smart Telescope Finds the Heavenly Bodies for You
Want your kids to actually get excited about astronomy? Leave the star-searching to the smartphone-connected Vaonis Stellina Smart Telescope.

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Code-cracking WW2 Bombe operation recreated at Bletchley

BBC News - Technology
Code-cracking WW2 Bombe operation recreated at Bletchley
Code-cracking WW2 Bombe operation recreated at Bletchley
Modern day codebreakers have used wartime methods to read messages scrambled by an Enigma machine.
TechNewsWorld
Protecting Against 'Natural' Cybersecurity Erosion
Every child who's ever played a board game understands that the act of rolling dice yields an unpredictable result. In fact, that's why children's board games use dice in the first place: to ensure a random outcome that is -- from a macro point of view, at least -- about the same likelihood each time the die is thrown. Consider for a moment what would happen if someone replaced the dice used in one of those board games with weighted dice -- say dice that were 10 percent more likely to come up "6" than any other number. Would you notice?
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How to Set Up Your New iPhone
How to Set Up Your New iPhone
Welcome to your new iPhone.

Friday, September 21, 2018

Everything Amazon Announced: Echo Plus, Alexa Microwave, Echo Sub

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Everything Amazon Announced: Echo Plus, Alexa Microwave, Echo Sub
Everything Amazon Announced: Echo Plus, Alexa Microwave, Echo Sub
Today, Amazon announced more Alexa-powered products than you'll ever need—with the hopes you'll get at least one.
Amazon's Alexa Can't Know Everything, But It Can Go Everywhere
Amazon's Alexa Can't Know Everything, But It Can Go Everywhere
A heap of new Alexa devices—a microwave! a wall clock!—show Amazon's strategy to put its voice assistant in everything.
BBC News - Technology
China blocks Twitch game-streaming service
China blocks Twitch game-streaming service
The services website and app is no longer reachable from mainland China, gamers report
Amazon makes Alexa-controlled microwave
Amazon makes Alexa-controlled microwave
Amazon has unveiled a microwave that can be controlled using its Alexa voice assistant.
TechNewsWorld
In Technology We Trust... But Should We?
Since the industrial revolution, technology has changed society continually. Largely due to innovations in semiconductor electronics, software and computer technology, the pace of technological development has continued to accelerate over the past 50 years. Personal computers now fit into your pocket. You have access to people and information all over the world through the Internet. Anything up to the size of a small building can be printed. Just about everything -- from your house to your car -- is becoming intelligent.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Amazon Has Big Plans for Alexa in Homes, Cars

TechNewsWorld
Amazon Has Big Plans for Alexa in Homes, Cars
Amazon will unveil eight new Alexa-powered devices for the car and home before the end of the year, according to a report. They include a microwave oven, an amplifier, a receiver, a subwoofer and an in-car gadget. Amazon is expected to reveal some of the devices at an event later this month. All the devices will connect easily to Alexa, and some will have the voice assistant built in. The products mark Amazon's first move into the home appliances market, an area where competitors have already staked out their turf.

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

US judge allows e-voting despite hack fears

BBC News - Technology
US judge allows e-voting despite hack fears
US judge allows e-voting despite hack fears
The state of Georgia judge is "gravely concerned" about hacking - but allows e-voting to go ahead.
TechNewsWorld
Apple Watch Goes All-In With Health and Fitness Focus
Apple aimed to stretch its lead in the smartwatch market when it introduced its Apple Watch Series 4 last week. The redesigned and re-engineered line features a bigger display, thinner and smaller case, an interface with richer detail, and some innovative health applications enabled by new sensor, accelerometer and gyroscope hardware. "Between watchOS 5 and what they revealed to us last week, there's a lot of cool things to like about this," said Ramon T. Llamas, senior research analyst at IDC.
Gear Latest
Apple Watch Series 4 Review: Be Still My Heart
Apple Watch Series 4 Review: Be Still My Heart
The bigger screen and beefed-up sensors bring the Apple Watch to the next level.

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Death Watch Begins for Google

TechNewsWorld
Death Watch Begins for Google
The European Union has been stretching its wings. In the shadow of Brexit, it apparently has decided it has the real enemy of the people in its sights: social media companies and Google. France is even more aggressive than the EU overall, suggesting that the region's "right to be forgotten" law should apply worldwide. Given that it actually does fall within the legitimate purview of government, it is hard not to agree. In the United States, the administration appears to be gearing up to go to war with these companies, Google in particular.
Enlightenment Has Limits in Bodhi Linux
Bodhi Linux is an alternative to traditional Linux OSes that can change your desktop user experience. It is one of a very few Linux distros using Moksha, a forked version of the Enlightenment desktop. Enlightenment is a Compositing Window Manager and Desktop Shell. It is radically different from other lightweight interface shells such as Xfce and LXDE. Its roots go back to 1996, when it started out as a project to build a Window Manager for X11. That project has started to transition to Wayland.
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Just Outta Beta: 8-Bit Astronomy, Solar Yacht, and More
Just Outta Beta: 8-Bit Astronomy, Solar Yacht, and More
A WIRED retro item, from the 25th anniversary issue.
BBC News - Technology
Tackling food waste in Nigeria with an app
Tackling food waste in Nigeria with an app
Nigerian tech entrepreneur Oscar Ekponimo has invented an app which will help cut down on food waste.

Monday, September 17, 2018

Salesforce billionaire Marc Benioff to buy Time magazine

BBC News - Technology
Salesforce billionaire Marc Benioff to buy Time magazine
Salesforce billionaire Marc Benioff to buy Time magazine
Marc Benioff becomes the latest tech entrepreneur to buy a media title with the $190m purchase.
Amazon investigates staff bribery claims
Amazon investigates staff bribery claims
The practice is particularly "pronounced in China", according to the Wall Street Journal.
NovaSAR: UK radar satellite launches to track illegal shipping activity
NovaSAR: UK radar satellite launches to track illegal shipping activity
The all-British NovaSAR spacecraft will monitor big stretches of ocean for suspicious shipping activity.
Cyber attack led to Bristol Airport blank screens
Cyber attack led to Bristol Airport blank screens
Bristol Airport says a "ransomware"-style attack prompted it to take screens offline for two days.

Sunday, September 16, 2018

A new reality?

BBC News - Technology
A new reality?
A new reality?
Magic Leap's new mixed reality headset is available to developers in the US - but how does the device compare to what's already available?
Bristol tech start-up firm pioneers growing salad indoors
Bristol tech start-up firm pioneers growing salad indoors
A biotechnology firm is developing ways of growing salad crops without soil, rain or sunshine.
Gear Latest
Best Wireless Headphones (2018): Bose, Beats, Sennheiser, Sony, and More
Best Wireless Headphones (2018): Bose, Beats, Sennheiser, Sony, and More
No matter if you’re broke or in the money, these are our favorite wireless headphones.
Preorder the iPhone XS or Shop 15 of the Weekend’s Best Tech Deals
Preorder the iPhone XS or Shop 15 of the Weekend’s Best Tech Deals
You want a new iPhone? So do we. And an Apple Watch.
TechNewsWorld
Google Digs In Heels Over Global Expansion of EU's 'Right to Be Forgotten'
Google took on French lawyers at the European Union Court of Justice this week, in an effort to fend off expansion of the EU's "right to be forgotten" judgment. The EU's attempts to broaden the scope of that judgment would be "completely unenvisagable," and it could result in impositions on the values of different countries around the world, Google argued. The right to be forgotten directive, which the EU imposed six years ago, allows individuals to request the removal of content from a search engine.

Saturday, September 15, 2018

YouTube nursery-rhyme channel with billions of views sold

BBC News - Technology
YouTube nursery-rhyme channel with billions of views sold
YouTube nursery-rhyme channel with billions of views sold
The Little Baby Bum channel has racked up more than 17.5 billion views.
Gear Latest
Gadget Lab Podcast: Breaking Down the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR
Gadget Lab Podcast: Breaking Down the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR
This week Apple announced three new iPhones and a new Apple Watch. Are these a glimpse of the future, or more of the same?