Southeast Asia’s Playlab invests $1M in Brazilian gaming startup Cupcake Entertainment

 Thailand-based casual game studio Playlab has turned investor after it invested $1 million into Cupcake Entertainment, a Brazil-based game maker. Read More

The importance of streaming to e-sports

 There are three key ingredients for a game or pastime to become a sport: playing, competing and viewing. The ability to play and compete are necessary steps in the transformation from game to sport. However, broadcasting and viewing are the crucial components to enable widespread adoption and popularity. Just as with offline sports, e-sports require these elements. Read More

Talking to the machine

The story behind the compiler, a remarkable innovation that made modern computing possible.

Sky taxi to fly in Dubai 'from July'

A drone that can carry people will begin "regular operations" in Dubai from July, says the city's Roads and Transportation Agency.

Musk offers free car to German 'hero'

Find out what's buzzing in the social media world today

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong arrested in South Korea

The case is linked to a scandal that led to the impeachment of President Park Geung-hye.

Parents told to destroy 'spy' dolls

Researchers say hackers can use an insecure bluetooth device to listen and talk to a child.

Ford developing pothole alert system for drivers

The carmaker says it is testing technology to detect potholes and warn drivers of their locations.

ZTE scraps 'design our smartphone' crowdfunding campaign

ZTE had created a smartphone based on ideas submitted by the public.

Google and Bing to demote pirate sites in UK web searches

Illegal music and film websites and unofficial sport streams to be made harder to find.

The new Pokémon just went live in Pokémon GO and the servers are melting again

 The good news: the 80+ new Pokémon that were supposed to hit Pokémon GO “later this week”? They just went live. I caught a Chikorita! The bad news: If you were a player in the early days, things might look pretty familiar right now… in that you might just be looking at an error screen. The server seems to be having a hard time at the moment, with players reporting issues… Read More

Sky jam

UK air traffic control is investing £600m in a new cloud-based system to cope with rising demand.

What Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg told the BBC

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg spoke to the BBC's Kamal Ahmed off-camera. What did he tell him?

Charging a mobile phone in a cafe? Pay up, says Vienna owner

Owner says fee targets "extreme" customers who leave devices plugged for too long.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai writes back to girl, 7, who wants a job

She told him she "liked computers and robots" as she explained why she wanted to work there.

Blackberry sues Nokia in patent clash

Nokia faces claims that it is using nearly a dozen of Blackberry's inventions without permission.

Google patents 'crumpling' car safety system

Panels on the vehicle will crumple before impact to lessen the effect of a crash.

Microsoft misses regular security fix date

The delay means many versions of Windows will remain vulnerable to a known bug.

Valve 'comfortable' if virtual reality headsets fail

The software firm says its VR business is going well, as users experiment with the technology.

Microsoft bumps up Surface prices in UK

Surface laptops rise up to 15.1% in price in the latest tech-related increase following the Brexit vote.

Pavement lights guide 'smartphone zombies'

The lights are designed to catch the eye of phone-absorbed pedestrians.

Facebook algorithms 'will identify terrorists'

Mark Zuckerberg says artificial intelligence software will review posts on the social network.

Xbox Project Scorpio will finally get some face time at Microsoft’s E3 Event

 This year’s E3 promises to be a big show – if only thanks to the fact that the gaming convention’s organizers are opening it up to the masses. As expected, Microsoft is going to add considerable fuel to that fire as well, making the mysterious Xbox Project Scorpio a centerpiece to its own big event. Carve out some time on Sunday, June 11th, because that’s when the… Read More

Is Nokia bringing back the 3310 and who would want a retro phone?

Rumours suggest the iconic mobile from the year 2000 will return to shelves but the company has refused to comment.

How the Oscars became high season for film piracy

"Screener season" brings its own Oscar buzz to pirate movie sites.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild paid-for downloadable content divides fans

Nintendo announces a paid-for downloadable content (DLC) pack for Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which has split fan opinion.

Yahoo and Verizon 'near to agreeing revised sale terms'

Yahoo and Verizon are said to be close to agreeing revised sale terms, after the search giant was hit by cyber attacks.

London Dungeon apologises for 'upsetting' tweets

The London Dungeon attraction apologises after complaints that a marketing campaign was distasteful.

Can modern incarnation of C5 succeed?

Sir Clive Sinclair's nephew develops a successor to the C5 trike, which he hopes can find a market.

The next big gold rush

 As we look to the next evolution of our digital ecosystem, it seems certain that virtual goods will play a much larger role. From vanquishing new breeds of digital monsters to defining a modern asset class, virtual goods will enable new experiences and redefine traditional ones. Indeed, this new gold rush will create opportunities for the enterprising prospector and shovel-seller alike. Read More

Game developers show political solidarity with Humble Freedom Bundle

 The Humble Bundle is a reliable source of good deals on games, usually organized around some theme or another. This week’s bundle, however, is not only one of the best gaming deals of all time, but all proceeds are going to support charities that work with immigrants and refugees. Read More

Work to be done

How Australian entrepreneur Matt Barrie set up and grew website Freelancer, which links people who need tasks done with others who bid for the work.

Count down

Spotify may be "too big to fail", according to Billboard magazine, but the clock is ticking as the company hatches its plans to go public.

Italian tragedy

The story of Tiziana Cantone who killed herself after private sex videos of her went viral.

Mobile money

How mobile technology is profoundly changing access to money in the developing world.

Distracted to death

Drivers using mobile phones on the road are four times more likely to have an accident - but can apps also make us safer?

The flatpack robot that could explore planets

A new generation of Super Ball robots could help us explore planets.

Prince's music is coming to streaming services this Sunday

After months of rumour, it's been confirmed Prince's music will become available to stream this weekend.

Video shot on Inverness Coastguard helicopter's tail camera

Aerial footage of the Highlands recorded on a camera fitted to the tail rotor of a helicopter is released by the coastguard agency.

The robot helping children to code and other tech toys

BBC Click's Lara Lewington looks at some of the latest gadgets at London's Toy Fair.

Samsung chief in second grilling over corruption claims

The South Korean conglomerate is accused of giving donations in exchange for political favours.

UK targeted by 'dozens' of serious cyber attacks each month

Many of the attacks in the last three months "threatened national security", a government expert says.

Valve to let developers pay to get games on Steam

Developers will pay a fee to publish their games directly onto the popular Steam service

Restaurant apologises after rejecting waitress with emoji

The restaurant chain Miller & Carter claims it accidentally sent 18-year-old Megan Dixon for a job with a crying emoji.

The device for catching drones mid-air and other news

BBC Click's Lara Lewington looks at some of the best of the week's technology news.

BBC reporter v Game of Thrones' Bjornsson

As computer game For Honor is released, Marc Cieslak and Hafthor Bjornsson test their strength.

Apple 'optimistic' about post-Brexit UK

Apple boss tells PM the firm is "optimistic" as the US Chamber of Commerce says some US firms are delaying investment.

Can I trust a fertility app to stop me getting pregnant?

Sexual health experts say there needs to be more research into how effective fertility tracking apps are at preventing pregnancy.

Google coding champion whose Cameroon hometown is cut off from the internet

Africa's first Google Code-in winner has left his hometown, because Cameroon has cut the internet there.

ISP raided by Spanish police over 'football piracy'

Police in Spain raid an internet service provider suspected of hosting an illegal TV streaming business.

Wordpress blogs defaced in hack attacks

More than a million pages have been defaced by hackers exploiting the bug, say security experts.

Cyber security lessons offered to schools in England

Lessons in schools will seek to identify teenagers who could defend the UK against cyber attacks.

The NBA is creating its own eSports league for the basketball game NBA 2K

 The rise in popularity of eSports has mainly been focused around leagues that play games like League of Legends, Dota and Counter-Strike – all games that aren’t actually sports-related. But eSports games that are modeled after actual sports are also extremely popular – for example the Madden NFL and FIFA soccer franchises are some of the most popular games made for Xbox… Read More

The Analogue Nt Mini is the perfect NES console for video game lovers

 The Analogue Nt Mini is the NES console you’d create in your imagination if you were dreaming one up today, without concern for cost and with a focus on most perfectly recreating the Nintendo experience, but with support for modern TV hardware. I’m lucky enough to have scored an NES Classic, despite the general lack of supply and continued sellouts, and yet during my time testing… Read More

Twitch launches Communities to help gamers organize around their shared interests

 Twitch’s push to broaden the scope of its video game streaming site to include more types of content continues today with the launch of a new section on its site called “Communities.” Designed to cater to users’ unique interests, this section initially contains hundreds of categories, some of which build on top of gamers’ interests as well as those that don’t. Read More

Zuckerberg shows off Oculus gloves for typing in VR

 Oculus wants to one day let you fingerpaint, act like a super hero, and even type in virtual reality. Oculus already has its Touch controllers that are great for wielding virtual guns or picking up digital objects, but today Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed a new prototype for VR gloves in photos from his tour of the Redmond, Washington Oculus Research. Zuckerberg writes,… Read More

Mood music

How roboticists and programmers are trying to make their creations more empathetic and "human".

Rubbish, waste and recycling collection frequencies

The time between waste collections in some areas has been getting longer, and a handful of areas now have to wait for a month.

Twitter shares dive as losses widen

Twitter's fourth-quarter losses nearly double as user numbers grow but advertising revenues do not.

Firms split on who handles aftermath of cyber-attacks

The confusion could leave companies open to future attacks, suggests BAE research.

NBA creates e-sports league for basketball

The US basketball league and a video games maker launch contest starting in 2018.

Sports Direct 'hid data breach from staff'

Sports Direct staff were not told when their unencrypted data was stolen, according to reports.

Eco-car wins eight Indonesian students their F1 dream

Eight Indonesian students spend a week with Ferrari's F1 team in Italy after designing a prize-winning eco-car.

The Ocado warehouse run by robots

The BBC visits online grocery retailer Ocado's factory

Facebook in court over refugee selfie fake news stories

Facebook faces allegations that it failed to remove posts that defamed a Syrian refugee.

Uber hires 'flying car engineer' from Nasa

An ex-Nasa engineer is Uber's latest hire as it explores the possibilities of flying cars.

Rail firms mull iris scan train fares

Technology such as biometric scanning and smarter trains could improve rail travel for UK customers.

Twitter rolls out new anti-abuse tools

Twitter announces more changes for users, aimed at combating bullying on its platform.

Watch how Portal would work in the real world thanks to Microsoft HoloLens

 Valve’s Portal series is one of the more beloved in PC gaming, thanks to its debut of unique puzzle mechanics to inject some fresh life in the tired first-person action genre. The game looks even more interesting when you’re using its unique mechanics overlaid on the real world, with virtual objects interacting seamlessly with concrete things like tables, walls and floors.… Read More

Superpower software

As the number of cyber-attacks escalates, can a new approach to security help keep us safe?

Stay in bed

Could a robot that enables staff to work remotely change how companies and their staff work?

Unlocking car parks

The Australian app that frees up parking spaces owned by hotels and offices for the public.

Turning to Twitter instead of the police

Why one Saudi woman turned to social media to help her regain custody of her baby.

Rock Band VR arrives on Oculus Rift March 23, pre-orders now open

 Harmonix has finally revealed when you can get your hands on Rock Band VR (virtually and physically, as it were): The game is set to debut on Oculus Rift on March 23, and fans can pre-order today if they’re interested in making sure they get in early. The Rock Band VR pre-order ships with a controller for $69.99, and the controller can also either work with your Xbox One or PlayStation… Read More

DraftKings has received a Malta gaming license, paving the way for European expansion

 DraftKings was just approved for a Controlled Skill Games License from the Malta Gaming Authority, which is the entity that runs gaming in Malta – a small island nation south of Italy. While this may not sound like a big deal, (especially considering Malta has a population of under 500,000 people) the nation is part of the European Union, meaning DraftKings can now expand into some other… Read More

Razer acquires Nextbit, the startup behind the Robin smartphone

 Three months after acquiring iconic audio tech company THX, Razer is making another move to expand its business beyond hardware and software for the gaming community. The company has acquired Nextbit, the startup behind the Robin smartphone, founded by Android veterans who had set out with high hopes (and some decent funding) to rethink how to build a mobile phone that leaned on cloud… Read More

Around 5 percent of ‘Super Mario Run’ downloaders end up buying the game

 Some additional insight out of today’s Nintendo earnings. The gaming giant offered some key contextual information about Mario’s recent mobile debut. The title has racked up more than 78 million downloads globally, according to the company, pulling in a respectable $53 million or so since it hit iOS in December. The company puts Super Mario Run’s conversation rate at… Read More

Club Penguin is shutting down

 Club Penguin, the Disney-owned social network for kids, announced this morning it’s shutting down. In its place, the company will launch a new product for mobile, Club Penguin Island, which has been in development over the past several years. Club Penguin Island will launch in March, while the Club Penguin game on the desktop and mobile devices will shut down on March 29, 2017. The… Read More

Nintendo Switch’s online service will cost under $30 per year

 Nintendo worried many a gamer two weeks ago with its announcement that online play on its new console, the Switch, would be a paid service. But at least the damage is reasonable: Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima told the Nikkei that it would have an annual fee of ¥2,000-3,000 — around $17-26 at today’s exchange rates. Read More

Lucky money

Chinese New Year will see billions of cash-filled "red envelopes" sent digitally to friends and family.

Future school

How drones, robots and mixed reality are making their way into the curriculum.

Nintendo Switch console revealed

BBC Click's Marc Cieslak takes a look at Nintendo's long-awaited home console, the Switch.

Samsung reveals cause of Galaxy Note 7 phone fires

Samsung reveals what caused the overheating and burning of some of its Galaxy Note 7 mobile phones.

Start-ups banned from India recruitment

Some universities are blacklisting start-ups from recruiting on campus in a row over them pulling job offers.

Lighter, upgraded spacesuit revealed and other news

BBC Click's Marc Cieslak looks at some of the best of the week's technology news.

Lunar New Year makeover for online game Overwatch

The update to the online game was influenced by Chinese literary classic Journey to the West.

Kaspersky security researcher arrested in Russia

A cybersecurity researcher working for anti-virus firm Kaspersky Lab in Russia has been arrested

Sky TV to go satellite dish-free in 2018

Sky is to offer a complete subscription television package without a satellite dish for the first time.

Facebook snaps up Xiaomi's Hugo Barra

Facebook hires Hugo Barra to lead its development of virtual reality products.

Alibaba's Ant Financial buys MoneyGram for $880m

Alibaba's online payments arm is buying money transfer business MoneyGram for $880m.

Google parent Alphabet's shares fall as profits miss target

Shares in Alphabet, owner of Google, fall as tech giant misses profit estimates.

Apple sues chip-maker Qualcomm in China

Apple is taking legal action against Qualcomm in China alleging the chip maker abused its market dominance.

Virtual reality 'could help treat vertigo'

Virtual reality could be used to diagnose and treat visual vertigo, according to a team of Cardiff University scientists.