How to Build Custom Alexa Skills for the Amazon Echo

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How to Build Custom Alexa Skills for the Amazon Echo

The new Blueprints tool makes it easy for anyone to build custom skills for Alexa.

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Gadget Lab Podcast: The Tech We Can't Live Without

This week, we discuss our personal relationships with our most beloved gadgets.

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TechNewsWorld

With Custom Skills, Alexa Inches Closer to Being One of the Family

Amazon has introduced Alexa Skill Blueprints, adding personalization capabilities to its smart speaker devices. The new tool provides pre-crafted templates for users to create customized experiences. Among the possibilities are answers to specific questions, or skills for particular users. With Alexa Skill Blueprints, users can build into their devices experiences that are personalized for themselves, their friends and their families. The experiences they create will appear only on the devices registered to their Amazon account.

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BBC News - Technology

HQ Trivia: The free app giving away thousands of pounds

How does a free app with no adverts go about becoming a success with Hollywood actors whilst giving away thousands in cash?

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Facebook removes 'gay sex for rent' posts

BBC News - Technology

Facebook removes 'gay sex for rent' posts

An investigation found groups offering free accommodation for young men in exchange for sex.

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TechNewsWorld

Facebook Rolls Out European-Style Privacy Protections

Facebook has unveiled a comprehensive series of privacy enhancements designed to extend protections required by Europe's GDPR to all of the social media company's users around the world. The updates, which include major changes to the company's terms and data policies, fulfill promises CEO Mark Zuckerberg made to House and Senate members in Washington D.C., Facebook officials said. The congressional grilling followed disclosures that Facebook had allowed political data firm Cambridge Analytica to gain unauthorized access to user data.

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Gear Latest

Motorola Moto G6 and Moto E5: Price, Specs, Release Date

With the Moto G6 and E5, the king of budget phones has no plans to abdicate its throne in 2018.

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How to Set Up and Use a YubiKey for Online Security

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How to Set Up and Use a YubiKey for Online Security

These simple, battery-free devices provide an easy way to securely verify that it's really you who's trying to access your online accounts.

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Tax Refund Tech Deals: Roomba, Essential Phone, Dell, Sony

These are the best deals we found this week.

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TechNewsWorld

Microsoft, Facebook, Oracle Among 34 Firms to Join Cybersecurity Tech Accord

Microsoft, Oracle and Facebook, along with 31 other companies, have signed the Cybersecurity Tech Accord, an agreement aimed at defending against cyberattacks, whether coming from rogue hackers or nation-states. The 34 tech firms committed to stronger defenses, no offensive attacks, capacity building and collective action. The accord is designed to protect the integrity of the 1 trillion connected devices that could be in use around the world within the next 20 years. Security remains a major issue in the tech world.

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Bluestar Gives Arch Linux a Celestial Glow

Using most any Arch Linux distro usually involves balancing the desire for hands-on control of the operating system from scratch against the attraction of convenient installation and maintenance processes. Bluestar Linux is one of the few Arch distros that gets the balancing act right. Bluestar Linux is a GNU/Linux distribution that features up-to-date packages, an impressive range of desktop and multimedia software in the default installation, and a live desktop DVD. The live session capability is one of Bluestar's more enticing qualities.

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BBC News - Technology

Ikea's TaskRabbit app back online after data breach

The odd jobs marketplace has been investigating a "cyber-security incident".

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Chef Erling Wu-Bower Pursues Wood-Fired Perfection, From Roast Fish to Pizza

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Chef Erling Wu-Bower Pursues Wood-Fired Perfection, From Roast Fish to Pizza

The young chef explains his wood-fire cooking technique ahead of the opening of his new Chicago restaurant, Pacific Standard Time.

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T-Mobile fined over false ringtones

BBC News - Technology

T-Mobile fined over false ringtones

The firm paid $40m (£27m) over claims it employed false ringtones rather than fixing call problems.

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Ikea app TaskRabbit reveals security breach

TaskRabbit says it is working with law enforcement, and its website is offline.

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TechNewsWorld

Facebook and Google Could Be Nationalized in 5-10 Years

After I considered Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony before Senate and House committee hearings last week, it became very clear to me -- and I expect many in Congress -- that social media companies need to be regulated. However, I think this is only a step in the path that governments -- and I do mean more than the U.S. -- will take to ensure their effectiveness and protect their people. I'm not suggesting the U.S. Congress, whose members currently appear to be woefully out of step, could run these companies better.

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Mozilla Trumpets Altered Reality Browser

The Mozilla Foundation has unveiled its plans for Firefox Reality, a browser designed specifically for mixed reality headsets. The browser combines the beneftis of Mozilla's existing Firefox browser with its experimental Web engine. Using Servo, Mozilla plans to experiment with entirely new designs and technologies for seeing and interacting with the immersive Web. "We believe that the future of the Web will be heavily intertwined with virtual and augmented reality, and that future will live through browsers," wrote Mozilla's Sean White.

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Wetherspoon pub chain shuts its social media accounts

BBC News - Technology

Wetherspoon pub chain shuts its social media accounts

Chairman Tim Martin condemns trolling and says limiting social media use would be better for society.

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China's Sina Weibo backtracks from gay content ban after outrage

The Chinese social media giant reverses a ban on gay content after a wave of defiant protests.

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Lockhart in Foster Twitter photo bullying complaint

Carla Lockhart received 'very personal' abuse after DUP leader Arlene Foster posted a picture of the pair.

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Why I like my job-share with robots

A worker at an Alibaba warehouse in China explains why she is happy to have robot colleagues.

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Gear Latest

Inside Nokia’s 3310 and 8110 Feature Phone Nostalgia Trip

With the Nokia 3310 and 8110, feature phones are back and better than ever.

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The design tricks that get you hooked on your phone

BBC News - Technology

The design tricks that get you hooked on your phone

Ever wondered why you are always checking your phone? The BBC's James Reevell explains.

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Gear Latest

Best Weekend Tech Deals: LG OLED, Kindle, Alienware, Megaboom

No matter if you're looking for a Kindle or an OLED TV, we've got what you're looking for this weekend.

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TED 2018: The smart home that spied on its owner

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TED 2018: The smart home that spied on its owner

Kashmir Hill filled her home with gadgets to see how much data they would slurp up.

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Girl gamers told to 'get back in the kitchen'

Women at the London Games Festival talk about the abuse they've received from men.

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Gear Latest

Smartphone Apps Know Too Much. We Need to Fix Permissions

The recent Facebook drama has shown that people need more explicit information before they give access to apps.

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Gadget Lab Podcast: How Facebook Will Change After This

On this episode, we discuss Facebook's future relationship with its users, and with the governments who seek to regulate it.

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TechNewsWorld

Disney Debuts ESPN+ Streaming Sports Service

Disney has introduced EPSN+, an all-in-one, direct-to-consumer premium streaming service that offers thousands of live sporting events as well as original series and films. ESPN+ is the first such premium service from The Walt Disney Company's Direct-To-Consumer and International Group through a partnership with ESPN. The release of ESPN+ coincides with the release of the free ESPN App, which features five primary navigation menus. Viewers can catch live events; check scores; watch news and analysis; view video clips; or listen to ESPN Radio content.

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Instant Pot Cookbook Review: America's Test Kitchen's Multicooker Perfection Is Sure to Be an Instant Hit

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Instant Pot Cookbook Review: America's Test Kitchen's Multicooker Perfection Is Sure to Be an Instant Hit

America's Test Kitchen new cookbook for Instant Pots and other multicookers is a great way to navigate the pressure-cooker trend.

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Best Amazon Device Deals: Huge Kindle, Fire Sale (April 2018)

The 8-Inch Fire HD tablet, 4K Fire TV, and Kindle are now $50 (among others) in Amazon's biggest spring sale.

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TechNewsWorld

What Should We Expect From AI?

Fear mongering about killer robots and the recent deaths connected with Uber and Tesla autonomous vehicles have rekindled concerns about AI. We are well beyond answering Alan Turing's question, "can machines think?" There is now good reason to ask how we should think of AI, and what we should expect from it. There have been phenomenal advances in just the past few years. They are due in part to advances in processor technology. We now can train artificial neural networks in the time it would take to make a cup of coffee.

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The Power of Social Media and the Coming Repeal of the 2nd Amendment

One of the most powerful political organizations in the U.S. is the NRA. The president of the United States recently claimed he wasn't afraid of the NRA, only to have an NRA spokesperson -- not the president himself -- later announce that the president had changed his mind. It was painful to watch the most powerful man in the free world be treated like a small child. The cornerstone of the NRA's platform to sell more guns is the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Its original intent has been perverted over the years.

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BBC News - Technology

Russia to block Telegram app over encryption

A court approves the media regulator's request after the app refuses to hand over encryption keys.

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How to Share Songs on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and Google Play Music

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How to Share Songs on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and Google Play Music

All of the popular streaming services have features where you can follow friends or recommend tracks. Here's how to use them.

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RAVPower Power Bank Exclusive Deal

A WIRED deal on an outstanding battery pack, Air Force-grade smartwatch, and other gadgets galore.

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BBC News - Technology

UK carries out cyber-attack on Islamic State

The attack suppressed IS propaganda and hindered their ability to plan attacks, GCHQ says.

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TechNewsWorld

Standards Milestone Could Mark Beginning of End for Passwords

A Web standards milestone could point to the end of the road for pesky passwords. The new standard, WebAuthn, has won near-final approval from the World Wide Web Consortium. WebAuthn defines a standard API that can be incorporated into browsers and Web infrastructure. It opens the door for new ways for users to authenticate themselves on the Internet that are more secure and convenient than passwords. "Security on the Web has long been a problem which has interfered with the many positive contributions the Web makes to society," said W3C CEO Jeff Jaffe.

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Researchers to Put Facebook's Role in Elections Under Magnifying Glass

TechNewsWorld

Researchers to Put Facebook's Role in Elections Under Magnifying Glass

A group of nonprofits have agreed to fund an initiative to study Facebook's role in elections and democracy. The organizations will pay the expenses of researchers, and Facebook will give the scholars access to proprietary data that has met the company's new standards for heightened user privacy protection. "This is a critical first step toward a deeper understanding of how social media is used to sow distrust and spread disinformation that threatens American democracy," said Larry Kramer, president of the Hewlett Foundation.

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Smart Homes: The Power, the Pleasure and the Pain, Part 2

Smart homes are here. Although not every home in the U.S. is tricked out with the latest technologies, they're no longer a rarity. For example, a hefty 41 percent of the people who responded to an online survey conducted last year said they already owned smart home devices. Sales of smart refrigerators and washing machines more than doubled in 2017. Meanwhile, shipments of voice-controlled devices such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home speakers were 159 percent higher in 2017 than in 2016.

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BBC News - Technology

Fake Black Lives Matter Facebook page removed

One of the largest Black Lives Matter pages on Facebook has been removed after it was exposed as fake.

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Could a robot pip people picking peppers?

An autonomous robot that can pick peppers when they are ripe is being developed.

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How to Check If Cambridge Analytica Could Access Your Facebook Data

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How to Check If Cambridge Analytica Could Access Your Facebook Data

Facebook has released a tool that lets you see if you were caught up in the Cambridge Analytica fiasco—and what other apps know about you know.

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8 Great Weekend Tech Deals: Nintendo, Apple, Tile, Eufy, Vive Pro

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8 Great Weekend Tech Deals: Nintendo, Apple, Tile, Eufy, Vive Pro

This weekend, ramble around a VR world of your choosing or smartify your coffeemaker with these tech deals.

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Facebook suspends AIQ data firm used by Vote Leave in Brexit campaign

BBC News - Technology

Facebook suspends AIQ data firm used by Vote Leave in Brexit campaign

AIQ, which denies links to Cambridge Analytica, may have improperly received users' data, Facebook says.

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Facebook Comes Up With a New Data Access Plan

TechNewsWorld

Facebook Comes Up With a New Data Access Plan

Facebook has announced an update to its policies for restricting data access on its platform. CEO Mark Zuckerberg also discussed some of Facebook's new efforts to shore up user privacy protections in a 45-minute long Q&A with the media. Facebook's changes will allow users to set privacy levels and limit automatic data sharing. The changes will affect the Events API, Groups API, Pages API, Facebook Login, Instagram Platform API, Search and Account Recovery, Call and Text History, Data Providers and Partner Categories, and App Controls.

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Smart Homes: The Power, the Pleasure and the Pain

You've seen the ad: A family is vacationing out of town and the parents suddenly wonder if the house is locked up properly. They use their smartphone to remotely activate the smart locks and security system. Or this one: Someone rings the doorbell or merely approaches a home, and the homeowner uses a smartphone to speak through the video doorbell system, even when not at home, perhaps bewildering the visitor -- or potential intruder -- who can't tell where the voice is coming from. This picture has a dark side, though.

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BBC News - Technology

How the internet is clogging up city streets

Ride-hailing apps and robot cars promise to change how we get around and the effects are already being felt.

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Facebook urged to block Nazi relic sales

The social media giant removes Third Reich memorabilia from site amid calls for tougher action.

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Gear Latest

Gadget Lab Podcast: The (Near) Future of PCs

Laptops are getting mobile processors and behaving more like phones. How will that change the way we use them?

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