Saturday, May 28, 2016

HP sheds some more light on the Omen X VR PC backpack

OMEN X VR Pack_Heroic_FrontLeft The Omen X by HP VR PC is nothing if not compelling. The company showed off a picture of the concept earlier today and let slip a smattering of details around the backpack PC, but not much else. No press release, no product page. It was a fairly usual announcement for HP. The hardware company’s VP of Consumer PC & Solutions Mike Nash agreed to shed a bit more light on the… Read More

What UX designers can learn from 1990s Japanese video games

chronotrigger_scene_03 I’m writing this from a slightly saddened perspective, revisiting my favorite SNES RPGs and realizing something: I’ve been spoiled by modern UX design. The sentiment is pretty universal. Read More

VIDEO: Super-creepy robot has whiskers

BBC Click's Nick Kwek looks at some of the best of the week's technology news

VIDEO: Ice blocks make fridges less 'stupid'

Roger Harrabin visits a factory in Wales that is using ice to make fridges more economical.

Cooling technologies become red hot

Sainsbury's is trialling new food-cooling technologies that promise to be more eco-friendly than current alternatives.

Microsoft could introduce not one, but two new Xbox One consoles

Xbox Console Microsoft is playing catch up when it comes to console sales. But it looks like the company doesn’t want to give up on dedicated gaming consoles. According to multiple reports, Microsoft is about to announce a new, slimmer Xbox One around E3 in June, and a more powerful Xbox One next year. In April 2016, FCC filings showed that Microsoft was Read More

Women 'post 50% of misogynistic tweets'

A study into abusive tweets sent from UK Twitter accounts suggests large-scale misogyny, with women responsible for half of such tweets.

VIDEO: The modular, build yourself robot kits

BBC Click's Lara Lewington looks at two of the kits which allow you to build your own robot

VIDEO: Tackling abuse on Twitter a 'priority'

Twitter has introduced changes in the hope of regaining popularity, but progress takes time, chief executive Jack Dorsey tells the BBC.

VIDEO: Are people ready for robot colleagues?

Robot-makers descend on Paris to convince people that their gadgets are safe and easy to work with.

Norway stages 32-hour app term reading

The consumer agency in Norway stages a live reading of app terms and conditions lasting over 30 hours in protest against their "absurd" length.

Toyota hails a ride with Uber

Carmakers Toyota and Volkswagen have struck separate partnerships with rideshare companies Uber and Gett.

Foxconn replaces '60,000 with robots'

Apple supplier Foxconn replaces 60,000 factory workers with robots, according to Chinese media reports.

Microsoft U-turn on 'nasty trick' pop-up

Microsoft has created an extra notification to allow customers to cancel Windows 10 upgrade after being accused of "nasty tricks".

Netflix faces quota on EU-made content

On-demand video streaming services face a call that at least 20% of the catalogues they offer to EU subscribers should be made locally.

Friday, May 27, 2016

The circle is complete: Minecraft is getting a deathmatch mode

minecraft_feature Minecraft, a game that skyrocketed to unprecedented levels of popularity among all ages because of its open-ended gameplay, infinite worlds, and limitless possibilities for creation and collaboration, is getting a deathmatch mode. Read More

Skillz snags Chief Product Officer Bill Mooney from EA Mobile

A Bubble Shooter champion and his cash prize won via Skillz. A San Francisco startup whose technology can turn any video game into a tournament played for cash prizes, Skillz, has a new Chief Product Officer, ex-Electronic Arts’ mobile vice president Bill Mooney. Skillz quietly brought Mooney on in February this year. Earlier, at EA Mobile, he managed teams that were responsible for games in the Simpsons and Star Wars franchise. And before that,… Read More

How 'robo recruiters' could affect your job prospects

How 'robo recruiters' could be denting your job prospects

Highest capacity Atlantic cable planned

Microsoft and Facebook announce plans to build the highest capacity data link between the US and Europe.

Chinese backlash over Windows 10 push

Microsoft is facing criticism from Chinese users about the way it is trying to persuade people to upgrade to Windows 10.

N Korea 'could be linked to bank heists'

A top cyber-security firm is investigating whether North Korea could be linked to attacks on banks in recent months.

Cameroon Cardiopad inventor wins award

A Cameroonian inventor wins a £25,00 ($37,000) innovation prize for creating a monitor that can diagnose heart conditions in remote areas.

Google defeats Oracle in Java code case

Google wins a major US court battle with software firm Oracle when a jury rules it did not unfairly appropriate parts of the Java programming language.

Paypal founder is 'comic book villain'

Gossip site Gawker accuses Paypal founder Peter Thiel of being 'vindictive' and a 'comic book villain' who uses his billions to fund libel suits against the site.

Apple fights call to block Facetime

A patent owner wants Apple to suspend Facetime and iMessage chat apps because it claims its technologies have been infringed.

Three announces mobile ad-block trial

Mobile service provider Three confirms it will block advertising on its network for a day-long trial in June.

HP unveils a bunch of new Omen gaming hardware

HP Omen To be fair, an omen isn’t necessarily a portent of negative things. If it was, we wouldn’t feel obligated to qualify it using words like “bad.” Still, the word carries with it some fairly ominous overtones, surely not helped by the 1979 film that carried the title, centering around a young antichrist. And if HP is attempting to leave things open to interpretation… Read More

Sony’s PlayStation 4 races past 40M sales

20th Anniversary PlayStation 4 DualShock PS button. Sony continues to impress with the PS4 after the games console passed 40 million sales to date. Read More

Nintendo’s first game Miitomo is turning into a ghost town

MiitomoRiver Nintendo’s first smartphone application – the social game called Miitomo, which allows avatars to interact in a virtual world – may already be in decline, according to a new report. Following its launch earlier this year, it seemed that Miitomo found immediate success, shooting to the top of both the iOS and Android app stores. Nintendo also claimed in May that the… Read More

Is there a place for old tech in the 21st Century?

Is still a place for old technology in today's hi-tech world?

US nuclear force uses floppy disks

The US nuclear weapons force still uses 1970s-era computer systems and floppy disks, a government report reveals.

Isis addresses spark PayPal confusion

PayPal customers with addresses containing the word "Isis" fear their accounts are being blacklisted.

An appreciation of the floppy disk

The death of the floppy disk has been long predicted but the technology has persisted. Why?

Robots 'being taught to feel pain'

Researchers are developing an artificial nervous system that will allow robots to feel pain.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Pokémon GO launches into beta in the U.S.

niantic-nintendo Niantic Labs, the game maker that was spun out of Google last year following Google’s move to Alphabet, announced today that its new title Pokémon GO is launching into beta in the U.S. Those early adopters who signed up to become “field testers” earlier in May are now receiving their invites to the game, in order to offer the company feedback ahead of its broader launch.… Read More

Ex-Facebook designers climb charts with adorable game Pinchworm

Pinchworm Funky physics and controls make mobile games fun. You tap against gravity in Flappy Bird, fling on a trajectory in Angry Birds and press to maintain momentum in Tiny Wings. So when two of Facebook’s top designers left to build their own apps, they wanted to bring a new gesture to gaming… and let worms, not birds, be the stars. Pinchworm sounds simple, but its the mapping of the controls… Read More

Oculus anti-piracy update cracked

An anti-piracy update for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is cracked within a day of release.

Facebook sorry over plus-size ad ban

An Australian feminist group expressed fury after Facebook rejected an ad it created because of the image it used.

Social media 'must tackle ticket fraud'

Social media sites must do more to tackle online ticket fraud after being used for nearly half of all such scams last year, councils say.

Net use 'growing' among over-75s

Net use among British people aged over 75 has almost doubled in the last five years, suggest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Google fights data deletion order

Google appeals to France's highest court after the country's data watchdog orders it to delete some of its search results globally.

Otto offers retro-fit driverless lorries

A US start-up is hoping to retro-fit lorries with self-drive technology that could revolutionise the way goods are delivered.

Chinese city embraces driverless cars

Chinese tech firm Baidu has unveiled an ambitious plan to allow driverless vehicles to move freely around an entire city.

Jail sentence for YouTube pranksters

Four members of the "Trollstation" pranksters group have been jailed in connection with fake robberies and kidnappings.

Broadband ads 'mislead and must change'

The Advertising Standards Authority rules that broadband ads need to be clearer, following evidence the public do not understand current ones.

Expert regrets Bitcoin 'creator' blog

A Bitcoin expert expresses regret about the way he blogged support for an Australian's claim to have invented the crypto-currency.

Mobile game 'helps dementia research'

Dementia researchers develop a video game they hope could further the development of diagnostic tests for the disease.

Webmail firms probe login 'leak'

Popular webmail providers including Gmail and Hotmail are investigating a report that millions of their users' login details are being shared online by a hacker.

Monday, May 23, 2016

The wide world of e-sports

Fans watch as screens show Yang Jin Hyeob, a professional video-game player, competing against Jeong Se Hyun, not pictured, during the final round of the Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) Sports FIFA Online Championship at the Nexon Co. e-Sports Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015. Video game competitions, known as eSports, have been expanding as gamers seek to shift perceptions around their craft from a basement hobby to a serious money making industry. Photographer: Jean Chung/Bloomberg via Getty Images I played a lot of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty online when it launched. And by that I mean a lot. I inevitably drifted into watching streams of other players competing in order to improve my game. Eventually I stopped playing as much, and even stopped following the e-sports scene. But since then, professional e-sports has become a global industry, with revenues in the hundreds of millions… Read More

Tencent reportedly eyes majority stake in Supercell, plans tie-ups with Publicis, LVMH

Screen Shot 2016-02-08 at 12.24.48 PM China’s Internet giant Tencent has been expanding its international reach in areas like games and advertising, and as part of that, the company is picking up its dealmaking in Europe. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the owner of the popular WeChat messaging platform is in early talks to buy a majority stake in Supercell — the mobile gaming phenomenon based out of… Read More

E3 launches new side event to stay relevant and avoid dying

e3 It’s hard to compete with PAX. While E3 is still considered as the most important gaming event of the year, video game publishers are slowly but surely spending less time and money for the Los Angeles event. The Entertainment Software Association wants to reverse this trend with a new side event called E3 Live< Read More

VIDEO: Why smartphones don't make a revolution

Tyler Cowen: Innovation is lower now than at any point in the last century

VIDEO: Hoberman: 'Set bright people boring tasks'

Brent Hoberman, co-founder of lastminute.com, offers the business advice he wishes he had been given before he started out, for the BBC News series CEO Secrets.

VIDEO: Apps which could help with allergies

From a prototype device which can detect gluten in food to allergy apps, BBC Click's Lara Lewington reports

India launches mini space shuttle

India launches an unmanned model space shuttle into orbit, joining the race to develop reusable space crafts.

Japan cash machines hit by $12.7m theft

Cash worth 1.4bn yen ($13m; £8.8m) is taken from cash machines in Japan using credit cards made with stolen South African bank data.

Waterstones to stop selling e-books

Bookseller Waterstones is to stop selling digital books and will instead divert customers to Japanese e-book company Kobo.

Microsoft 'terror content' crackdown

Microsoft announces a new policy to remove "terrorist content" from its consumer-focused online services.

Friday, May 20, 2016

The Europas — It’s time for a different type of tech conference

awards3 (1) Let’s face it. Some tech conferences have lost their way. While TechCrunch Disrupt remains a firmly curated, media-driven, event, with hundreds of journalists attending, a couple of other conferences have really gone for scale. A minimum of 15,000 people, thousands of companies, echoing halls — and a lot of investors (and journalists) turning their badges around so they don’t… Read More

Uber joins race for driverless cars

US car-hailing company Uber joins the race for driverless car technology, confirming it is testing a vehicle on the streets of Pittsburgh.

Mini-robot perches like an insect

Miniature flying robot that can perch and take off could be used in search and rescue, scientists say.

Why is Apple's Tim Cook visiting India?

Technology writer Prasanto K Roy analyses Apple's plans to expand its presence in India.

Gaming ransomware gang shuts down

The gang who made the notorious Teslacrypt ransomware virus has shut up shop and released the master key it used to scramble data.

Pepper robot to open up to Android

Japan's Pepper is to open up to Android developers which could offer greater capabilities for the little robot.

China 'flooding' media with fake posts

China is "flooding" social media with comments by paid supporters in an effort to sway public opinion, a report says.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Razer is opening its first U.S. concept store in San Francisco this weekend

Razer Forge TV Mouse Razer, the billion-dollar firm often labeled the Apple of PC gaming, is finally opening its first concept store in the U.S. this weekend. Read More

VIDEO: Google's IO announcements in 90 seconds

Google reveals a voice-controlled assistant, a chat app and a range of other products at its annual conference for software developers.

VIDEO: Could electric shocks curb spending?

One British firm seeks to put a buzz into budgeting by giving bank customers an electric shock if they overspend.

VIDEO: Inside Google's annual tech show

Dave Lee reports from Google IO - the firm's annual conference where it reveals new products and services.

What AI can learn from Tube passengers

Neuroscientists find that when we navigate a train network, our brains split the task into a hierarchy of different jobs - a strategy that AI developers want to mimic.

Google's chat Assistant takes on Amazon

Google announces a voice-controlled virtual assistant that it wants be at the heart of how people use smartphones and smart home kit.

'Sticky car' could reduce crash injury

Google patents a sticky coating for driverless cars that could reduce damage done to pedestrians in the event of a collision.

The bank account that gives you a shock

One British firm is seeking to put the buzz back into budgeting by giving bank customers an electric shock if they overspend.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Katamari Damacy creator is making an augmented reality game called Woorld for Project Tango phones

woorld Keita Takahashi, creator of the famously bizarre ball-rolling game Katamari Damacy, has a new title, but it’s not for the PS4 or Xbox One — you’ll need a Project Tango-compatible device to play this one. Read More

Glu Mobile launches Britney Spears: American Dream

TechCrunch Exclusive Glu Mobile, the maker of games like “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood”, “Deer Hunter”, and “Diner Dash”, is today unveiling another celebrity-branded game. This time, we’re taking a caricatured look into the life and times of pop queen Britney Spears with “Britney Spears: American Dream.” As with these types of games, the exact goal is unclear.… Read More

How will virtual reality change lives?

How VR is changing work, rest and play

VIDEO: Phone app helps blind runner

Blind ultra-marathon runner Simon Wheatcroft talks to Spencer Kelly

VIDEO: Amputee shows off 'Iron Man arm'

Amputee James Young has worked with prosthetics designers to create a unique limb that looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie.

VIDEO: Never-eat-again drink tasted

The BBC's Michelle Fleury put nutritional drink Soylent to the taste test on the streets of New York.

VIDEO: Android Pay expands to the UK

Google expands its mobile wallet service Android Pay to work in the UK.

VIDEO: Drones, driverless cars and space trips

One of the cornerstones of the Queen's Speech has been new legislation to shape the future of travel. The BBC looks at how technology and transport are set to change.

Robot takes up residence at V&A

A robot has taken up residence at the V&A to construct a new installation in the museum's gardens.

China's Midea bids for robot maker Kuka

China's biggest home appliances manufacturer Midea makes an unsolicited takeover bid for German industrial robot maker Kuka.

Amazon to open more real-world shops

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has confirmed that the online retailers plans to build more bricks and mortar bookshops.

Age checks for porn sites in Queen's Speech

Age checks for porn sites and other technological proposals are laid out in the Queen's Speech.

Microsoft dumps Nokia feature phones

Microsoft sells its Nokia feature phone business to Taiwan's Foxconn and a new private equity-backed company.

Millions of LinkedIn IDs 'for sale'

LinkedIn plans to reset many of its users' passwords after logins for about 117 million of its accounts were advertised for sale.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

What jobs will flying robots be doing in future?

Could Thunderbird 2 become a reality?

Hacker pleads guilty to insider trading

A Ukrainian man has pleaded guilty to his role in a hacking and insider trading scheme, US officials say.

Twitter 'to loosen character limit'

Microblogging site Twitter is to stop counting photos and links in its 140-character limit for tweets, a report says.

Random number generator 'improved'

Truly random numbers are a goal for computer science - and a new method may be a leap forward.

HP reveals high-speed 3D printers

HP unveils two high-end 3D printers which it says are up to 10 times faster and cheaper to run than rival systems.

Hackers' website breached by hacker

The private messages of more than 470,000 members of a hacking website are leaked following a huge data breach.

Monday, May 16, 2016

This VR photography demo is like Pokemon Snap for action sports

Screen Shot 2016-05-11 at 9.39.34 AM Who remembers Pokemon Snap? The game was released in 1999 for N64 as a rail “shooter”, and let you take pictures of Pokemon while riding through different courses. But while your path through each level was predetermined, the photographs were not. Meaning users had free control of the camera and absolute discretion in what they could photograph and which type of shot to use.… Read More

'We need to defend mobility online'

Protecting people's use of the net

VIDEO: Singapore launches drone experiment

Singapore is working with Airbus to find business uses for drones, such as delivering parcels.

VIDEO: How a smartphone could help spot disease

Detecting signs of disease without the need for expensive laboratory equipment.

'Smart leg' makes engineering prize list

An "intelligent" prosthetic limb, improved MRI scanners and green engines are the three finalists for a major UK engineering prize.

Canada phone app for wildfire victims

A smartphone app released by the Canadian province of Alberta will allow people who fled the fire-hit town of Fort McMurray to see satellite images of their homes.

Iran arrests 'un-Islamic' online models

Eight people are arrested in Iran for working for online modelling agencies deemed to be "un-Islamic", the prosecutor of a cybercrimes court says.

GCHQ intelligence agency joins Twitter

The UK's intelligence agency GCHQ sets up an official account on Twitter.

Google to phase out Flash on Chrome

Google has announced plans to phase out full support for Adobe's Flash software by the end of 2016.

Web giants face action over hate speech

Three organisations in France say they are planning legal action against Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for failing to remove hate speech.

Warren Buffett reveals $1bn Apple stake

The billionaire investor Warren Buffett has revealed that his investment firm Berkshire Hathaway has bought a $1bn stake in Apple.

UK developing digital driving licence

The UK's Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working on a smartphone version of its driving licence.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Buffett 'joins Yahoo bid consortium'

Legendary investor Warren Buffett backs a consortium bidding for Yahoo's core internet assets, according to reports.

Facebook investigates censorship claim

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg says the company is investigating claims it suppressed news reports with conservative viewpoints.

The plan to ban work emails out of hours

Why France wants to ban staff from emailing after work

VIDEO: Facebook denies editing Trending Topics

Facebook has denied allegations that its Trending Topics intentionally suppressed stories supporting conservative political viewpoints.

Does Bitcoin still matter?

Virtual currency Bitcoin has not replaced government-issued money but the underlying blockchain technology is becoming more mainstream.

Microsoft removes store-blocking feature

Businesses running the professional version of Windows 10 will no longer be able to block access to the Windows Store, the software giant says.

Space Invaders joins gaming hall of fame

Space Invaders, Sonic the Hedgehog and Grand Theft Auto III are inducted into the US-based World Video Game Hall of Fame.

Rural broadband 'only on request'

There will be no automatic rollout of broadband to homes and businesses in the remotest parts of the UK, the government says.

Apple loses fight over 'iPhone' in China

A Chinese company is free to use the name "IPHONE" on its handbags and leather goods after Apple loses a trademark court ruling in China.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

VIDEO: Co-living solution for 'Generation Rent'?

A new building complex in north London is offering a new kind of accommodation, mixing small private space with generous communal areas.

Museum hope to rebuild UK's first robot

London's Science Museum launches a Kickstarter campaign to fund the rebuilding of one of the world's first robots.

How to stay digital after you die

Every day we generate huge amounts of data - but what happens to it after death?

French Periscope death stirs social media safety fears

Live-streaming death stirs French social media fears

How online 'influencers' are changing the food industry

Meet the online 'influencers' shaking up the food industry

Rwanda forges new path with technology revolution

The country leading Africa's technological transformation

VIDEO: Robot learns dexterity by spinning a tube

BBC Click's Stephen Beckett looks at some of the best of the week's technology news.

VIDEO: London delivery bots 'by end of year'

An Estonian startup builds a fleet of delivery robots that it hopes will be dropping off takeaway dinners in London by the end of 2016.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Disney Research uses RFID tags to create powerless, low-cost interactive controllers

RFID Disney Research The team at Disney Research is up to its fun old tricks, this time finding some new uses for off-the-shelf RFID tags. Along with researchers from Carnegie Mellon, Disney’s laboratory wing has discovered a low-latency way to process RFID signals, making it possible to use the tags to turn cheap objects into simple wireless interactive controls that don’t require battery power.… Read More

Malin Head feels the Star Wars force

Excitement reaches fever pitch in Malin Head, County Donegal, as actors from Star Wars arrive at Belfast International Airport.

Is technology becoming less disruptive?

New York's Tech Crunch Disrupt seemed a little short of groundbreaking, but that doesn't mean the industry is stagnating.

Tougher sentences for filming crimes

Young offenders who film or photograph their crimes in order to post them on social media could face tougher punishments under new proposals.

Apple invests in Chinese Uber rival

Apple invests $1bn (£693m) in Didi Chuxing, the car-hailing app that has a bigger market share than Uber in China.

Russia 'behind German parliament hack'

Germany's domestic intelligence agency accuses Russia of being behind a series of cyber attacks on German state computer systems.

Privacy fears 'deterring' US web users

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.

New bank cyber-attack detected by Swift

Another bank has been hit by a cyber-attack similar to that used to steal $81m from Bangladesh's central bank in February.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

VIDEO: Why Sir James Dyson likes the Harrier jet

From Harrier jet to Citroen DS car - the technology that appeals to Sir James Dyson

Cyber attack halves TalkTalk profits

Telephone and broadband provider Talktalk saw profits more than halve following a hack attack on its systems last October.

Early test shows off Hyperloop system

An early test of Hyperloop - a proposed high-speed transport system - accelerates a sled to 116 mph (187km/h) in 1.1 seconds.

US Congress 'bans members' Yahoo Mail'

A series of ransomware attacks on the House of Representatives leads US Congress to ban members from using Yahoo Mail, according to a leaked email.

Statins alert over computer glitch

Thousands of NHS patients in England may have been incorrectly prescribed statins due to a computer glitch.

YouTube defended in row over royalties

Prominent online video star Hank Green defends YouTube in a row over the way the site treats musicians.

India to require licence for map apps

India is introducing legislation to ban any maps or satellite images of the country unless they are approved by government.

Photoshop gets 'Shazam for fonts' tool

An artificial-intelligence-powered tool that identifies fonts is being added to the mobile and desktop versions of Photoshop.

Fetish forum traceable data 'stolen'

A hardcore fetish forum has been hacked, exposing more than 100,000 user account details, according to a prominent security researcher.

Blogger reveals parking ticket errors

A blogger in New York uses public data to prove that the New York Police Department ticketed thousands of cars that were actually parked legally.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Beam wants to turn gaming streams wildly dynamic

Beam The gaming community is one of the most vibrant and powerful groups on the Internet. The power of platforms like Twitch to unite gamers interested in watching streams of other people playing video games seems intensely foreign to those outside the community, but has quickly become a pretty dynamic arena for gamers to chitchat online. Read More

AI patient app launched at UK hospital

Alder Hey children's hospital is teaming up with IBM Watson to develop an app to answer questions about hospital stays.

Malware parasites feed on gossip fans

The gossip news site PerezHilton.com has exposed recent visitors to malware, according to a cybersecurity alert.

Google designs 'empowered' women emojis

Google engineers have come up with a set of 13 emojis that depict women in professional roles.

Disney: Infinity is over

The company cited lower than expected returns, and said it will stop publishing its own games.

Kickstarter cash 'used to build home'

Kickstarter is investigating claims that money given to a tech project was instead used to build a home.

Woman 'filmed suicide on Periscope'

An investigation opens into the death of a 19-year-old woman in France who reportedly live-streamed her own suicide.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Can the 'internet of moving things' end traffic jams?

Can new technology really make travelling less stressful?

VIDEO: Goodbye Siri, hello Viv?

A new voice-controlled virtual assistant called Viv has been previewed at the annual tech conference TechCrunch Disrupt NY.

VIDEO: The suitcase with built-in scales

Tommy Sandhu looks at some of the latest travel gadgets.

VIDEO: Could this bike light save lives?

Philip McAleese, chief executive of See.Sense, shows off three things that his company's connected bike light can do.

VIDEO: Call of Duty trailer much 'disliked'

The latest trailer for one the best-selling game franchises on earth is getting a mixed reaction to its first reveal.

Baidu boss urges 'values before profits'

Robin Li, chief executive at China's largest search engine company Baidu, wants employees to place "values before profits".

Government's hacker password bid fails

The National Crime Agency fails in its bid to force an alleged hacker to hand over the passwords to his encrypted computers.

Uber launches vehicles for wheelchairs

Uber launches wheelchair-accessible vehicles that can be requested by passengers in London via the app.

Bahamian pleads guilty over celeb hacks

A hacker from the Bahamas pleads guilty to stealing data, including scripts and private sexually explicit material, from 130 celebrities.

Xiaomi unveils huge budget handset

Xiaomi launches a smartphone with a 6.44in (16cm) screen that the Chinese company says will "fit in your pocket".

Call of Duty trailer highly 'disliked'

The latest trailer for one the best-selling game franchises on earth is getting a mixed reaction to its first reveal.

Amazon launches YouTube rival

Online retail giant Amazon launches a new online video service to rival Alphabet's YouTube.

Facebook dodges facial-recognition ban

Facebook launches an app that uses facial-recognition technology, in the EU and Canada, working round local restrictions on the tech.

Monday, May 9, 2016

West Ham becomes first English Premiership football club to sign an e-sports player

west ham esports West Ham United has become the first football team in the U.K. to embrace e-sports after the club signed pro gamer and World Cup runner-up Sean Allen, aka Dragonn. Read More

VIDEO: Atari founder's advice to Steve Jobs

Nolan Bushnell, founder of computer company Atari, offers the business advice he wishes he'd been given before he started out, for the BBC News series CEO Secrets.

HTC sales plunge pushes firm to a loss

A plunge in sales has pushed Taiwanese smartphone firm HTC into a first quarter loss but the firm hopes new HTC 10 phone will revive fortunes.

Facebook wins China trademark case

A Beijing court rules in favour of Facebook and against a local company which had registered "face book" as a separate trademark.

Most big UK firms hit by cyber attacks

Two-thirds of big UK businesses have been hit by a cyber attack in the past year, according to government research.

Baidu told to cut adverts after death

Baidu must reduce the number of paid-for adverts in its search results, Chinese regulators say, following controversy over the death of a student.

Digital money boss jailed for 20 years

The founder of the digital currency service Liberty Reserve is sentenced to a 20 years in jail for money laundering.

NHS trust fined over HIV patient leak

An NHS trust is fined £180,000 after sexual health centre 56 Dean Street mistakenly leaked the details of 780 patients who had attended HIV clinics.

Paypal tightens rules on crowdfunding

Paypal will stop protecting payments made to crowdfunding projects in several countries.

Kiddicare customer data stolen

Parenting retailer Kiddicare suffers a data breach that exposes the names, addresses and telephone numbers of its customers.

Ride-sharing firms halt Austin service

Uber and Lyft stop operating in Austin, Texas after proposals to let them self-regulate their drivers are rejected.

The tech helping us work together wherever we are

The tech helping the world collaborate

China bans 'erotic' banana-eating videos

Live-streaming sites no longer allow videos of people eating the fruit in a "seductive" fashion.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

VIDEO: Could this camera change film-making?

The professional cinema camera which allows you to change the focus and perspective after filming.

AUDIO: Google / NHS deal 'business as usual'

A data sharing agreement between Google and the NHS is "business as usual", according to an intensive care professor.

China's love affair with World of Warcraft

The decision to open the World of Warcraft movie in China is the culmination of a decade-long love affair between the game and the country, writes the BBC's Tessa Wong.

Tesla boosts mass market car production

Electric carmaker Tesla Motors says it is on track to produce 500,000 vehicles in 2018, two years earlier than expected.

'Unmanned sewing machine' does surgery

An unmanned robot has successfully stitched together a pig's bowel, moving science a step closer to automated surgery, say experts.

Takata to double US airbag recall

Japanese airbag maker Takata has been forced to increase a recall after US authorities said they found further safety defects in its products.

BT in 'ultra-fast' broadband promise

BT Group says it plans to invest £6bn in faster broadband and mobile services but Sky says the plan has 'limited ambition'.

Former EU Commissioner to advise Uber

Uber appoints former European Commission vice-president Nellie Kroes to its new public policy board.

Airbnb looking 'beyond accommodation'

Airbnb's chief technology officer says the company is looking at pairing guests and hosts for activities.

Pilots report 1,400 laser incidents

More than 1,400 incidents of lasers being shone at aircraft are reported to the UK's Civil Aviation Authority in a year.

Bitcoin 'creator' cancels proof

Craig Wright, the Australian entrepreneur who has claimed to be the inventor of Bitcoin, reneges on a promise to provide "extraordinary proof".

VIDEO: Dealing with Mexico City's rising smog

The air quality in Mexico City dropped to its worst level in 14 years this March. The BBC looks at some of the solutions for dealing with air pollution.

VIDEO: Video game 'speeds dementia research'

Dementia researchers develop a video game they hope could further the development of diagnostic tests for the disease.

Fiat and Google in driverless cars deal

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announces a deal with Google to double the size of the tech giant's fleet of self-driving cars.

Brazil judge lifts WhatsApp suspension

A Brazilian appeals court judge lifts the suspension of messaging service WhatsApp, which had been blocked on Monday affecting millions of users.

App to store old family photos launched

Two British entrepreneurs launch an app to store old photographs that are gathering dust around the country.

Will building sites be run by robots?

Drones, autonomous bulldozers and 3D printing - how tech is transforming the building site.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Google given access to patient records

Google has signed an agreement with the Royal Free London NHS Trust to gain access to data of hundreds of thousands of patients.

Has Craig Wright proved he is Satoshi?

Craig Wright may have claimed to be the man behind Bitcoin, but does his evidence prove it?

Microsoft banishes Google from Cortana

Microsoft begins forcing people to use its Bing search engine with the Cortana digital assistant in Windows 10.

Court expands FBI hacking powers

The US Supreme Court approves a rule change that could allow law enforcement to remotely search computers located anywhere in the US, and beyond.

Yahoo chief's $55m severance package

Yahoo boss Marissa Mayer will get $54.9m (£37.4m) in severance pay if she loses her job when the troubled internet firm is sold.

Vimeo buys video streaming rival VHX

Vimeo will let video-makers set up their own subscription video streaming services similar to Amazon and Netflix, the firm announces.

Bitcoin creator reveals identity

Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright has publicly identified himself as Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto.

Dyson unveils 'quieter' £299 hairdryer

Engineering firm Dyson reveals its first personal care product - a hairdryer that it says is less damaging to hair than a conventional machine.

Nintendo announces date for NX console

Nintendo's much-anticipated console will not launch until spring 2017, missing the crucial Christmas shopping period.

What should Apple do next?

Experts offer their advice and opinions for Apple, after it reports its first fall in sales in 13 years.

Microsoft discontinues Xbox 360 console

Microsoft says it is to stop manufacturing the Xbox 360 games console, 10 years after it launched.

Call for online abuse law shake-up

Former culture secretary Maria Miller is calling for a review of laws around the "significantly increasing" problem of online abuse.

Data protection laws get EU shake-up

The European Parliament votes to update data protection laws, but what will that mean for companies and citizens?

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Pilot your grandparents in a battle against death in Coffin Dodgers

Ooh that's dark... Coffin Dodgers is named for the slang expression for the geriatric. It’s a racing game where instead of motorbikes, cars or skateboards, you are on a race against death on mobility scooters. Yes, it’s every bit as ridiculous as it sounds. Tasteless? Perhaps, but also a tremendous amount of fun. The game has been on Steam for a while, and is launching on Xbox One later this week and… Read More

Eureka! How to make discoveries at the speed of light

How cloud computing helps us discover at the speed of light

VIDEO: Disrupting deliveries in Nairobi

Can Sendy take on the giants of delivery in Nairobi with the sharing economy?

VIDEO: WhatsApp blocked by judge in Brazil

A judge in Brazil has blocked access to messaging service WhatsApp for 72 hours.

VIDEO: The head giving you 3D VR sound

How a new take on an old technique could make virtual reality sound more immersive

Mars rover project slips to 2020

As expected, the European and Russian space agencies have delayed the launch of their ExoMars robot rover by two years to 2020.

Death sparks probe into China's Baidu

Chinese authorities are probing Baidu over the death of a student who went for an experimental cancer treatment advertised on the search engine.

Soundcloud launches Spotify rival in UK

Music streaming service Soundcloud launches a UK subscription service to rival the likes of Spotify and Apple Music.

Brazil blocks WhatsApp in probe row

A Brazilian judge blocks messaging service WhatsApp for 72 hours after its owner Facebook failed to hand over information required in a criminal investigation.

Bitcoin industry 'sceptical' of Satoshi

Scepticism has greeted claims by Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright's claim to be the mysterious creator of the digital currency.

Samsung and Nvidia resolve patent clash

Samsung and Nvidia resolve a patent dispute shortly before a ruling that could have blocked deliveries of Nvidia's products to the US.

US Court orders Touch ID iPhone unlock

A US court makes a woman unlock her iPhone with her fingerprint.

Uber faces new lawsuit on driver status

Taxi-hailing firm Uber has just settled two cases challenging the status of its drivers as contractors but is now facing another.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Researchers propose theory on why touchscreen controls in mobile games are the worst

114303_web I know we’re supposed to be all done talking about Flappy Bird, but I think it’s justified to bring it up when it appears in a research paper about why games like Flappy Bird are so hard — and so frustrating. Turns out the controls are fundamentally bad. Read More

China's push for driverless cars accelerates

China's push for driverless cars accelerates

'David v Goliath' corporate name battles

The battle over corporate names

Can we trust cloud providers to keep our data safe?

Is our data more secure in the cloud?

The long search for Satoshi Nakamoto

The long search for the real person behind Bitcoin

VIDEO: Scuba diving robot explores shipwreck

BBC Click's Nick Kwek looks at some of the best of the week's technology news

VIDEO: Periscope-like app soars in China

While Periscope is blocked in China, Yi has become increasingly popular.

VIDEO: Bitcoin 'creator': 'I want to be left alone'

Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright says he is Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto.

VIDEO: Bitcoin scientist backs founder's claim

Gavin Andresen, chief scientist at the Bitcoin Foundation, speaks about the revelation that an Australian businessman was the founder of Bitcoin.

Doom creators seek cash for game

Two gaming veterans who helped create iconic title Doom are seeking cash to make a "classic" first-person shooter.

Superfast broadband take-up 'slow'

Tests on 42 towns and cities across the UK suggest almost half have average broadband speeds below 24Mbps.

Computer viruses infect nuclear plant

A German nuclear power plant has been found to be infected by several different computer viruses.

Amazon rapped for illegal app charges

Amazon illegally charged parents for in-app purchases made by children, a US judge rules.

Man jailed for failing to decrypt data

A man is held in prison for seven months after failing to decrypt two hard drives that investigators suspect contain indecent images of children.

Carl Icahn dumps Apple shares on China

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn unloads his shares in Apple over the company's prospects in China.

Hackers hit Minecraft community site

Hackers have stolen login data for more than 7 million members of the Lifeboat Minecraft site.

Nintendo unveils its next smartphone games to follow App Store hit, Miitomo

animal-crossing Nintendo will follow up its App Store success Miitomo with a pair of new games, released this fall, the company announced this morning. The details were unveiled alongside other company news, including a release date for its new gaming console, the Nintendo NX and details on a Zelda delay, among other things. And no, the new smartphone games will still not feature Mario, in case… Read More