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Sony Pictures Animation plans to make an animated feature film centered on icons beloved of text message and social media addicts around the globeThe Lego Movie proved that anything can be turned into a blockbuster franchise with sufficient imagination. Now the stakes have been raised, with an upcoming animated movie centering on the emoji, the (usually) yellow spherical faces and symbols used for text and social media correspondence, hoping to have the same success.Related: The Lego Movie sequel gets director and title: The Lego Movie Sequel Continue reading...

One in five Ottawa residents are allegedly subscribed to the adulterers’ website and are now vulnerable to a breach of privacy after hackers targeted the siteOne in five Ottawa residents are allegedly subscribed to adulterers’ website Ashley Madison, making the Canadian capital among the most vulnerable to a breach of privacy after hackers targeted the site.Related: Infidelity site Ashley Madison hacked as attackers demand total shutdown Continue reading...

Connecticut 18-year-old faces scrutiny from FAA as well as local police after posting 14-second clip online that shows drone firing shotsAn 18-year-old Connecticut man may be in trouble with federal aviation officials after posting a video online that shows shots being fired from a drone that had been rigged with a handgun.The FAA said Tuesday it is investigating whether Austin Haughwout of Clinton violated its regulations, which prohibit the careless or reckless operation of a model aircraft. Continue reading...

Millions of users of the infidelity website may have good reason to be worried as cybercrime experts warn that the ‘Impact Team’ may be focused on blackmailThe hacking of the dating site Ashley Madison has raised complex questions about online privacy and the safety of personal data but for the users of the site, which claims to have more than 33 million members in 46 countries, the questions are fairly straightforward: what are the chances my husband or wife will find my profile on the site, and what can I do to stop that happening?This is what Ashley Madison customers, or anyone who shares intimate details about themselves on a dating website, need to know. Continue reading...

Clangers, Enlight, Mapstr, Annabel Karmel, This War of Mine, Warhammer 40,000, SongPop 2 and moreWelcome to this week’s roundup of the latest, greatest new iPhone and iPad apps and games. All prices are correct at the time of writing, with “IAP” indicating use of in-app purchases.You can read the previous Best iPhone and iPad Apps roundups for more recommendations, but if Android is your platform of choice, check the Best Android Apps roundups. On with this week’s selection. Continue reading...

Candidate tells journalist that ‘black lives matter’ as she takes public’s questions on gender issues, family life, and lighter fareHillary Clinton has again called for the US to confront the “hard truths” about racial inequality during an online question-and-answer session on Facebook that included remarks on a range of topics from criminal justice reform to her pantsuit preference.In the Facebook chat, Clinton was asked what she would do to “dismantle structural racism” in the US, just days after two Democratic challengers were heckled by Black Lives Matter protesters at a progressive conference in Phoenix. Her response echoed earlier comments she has made about race and racial inequality in the country. Continue reading...

Swoop for Black Hawk manufacturer opens new foreign markets for Lockheed, the Pentagon’s largest arms supplierLockheed Martin is to buy Sikorsky, maker of the Black Hawk helicopter, from rival United Technologies Corporation (UTC) for $9bn (£5.8bn), consolidating its position as the Pentagon’s largest supplier.The deal opens key foreign markets for arms manufacturer Lockheed, which dwarfs its nearest competitors, the defence business of Boeing, and Northrop Grumman, maker of the B-2 stealth bomber. Continue reading...

David Cameron also announces plans to give lifetime anonymity for victims of forced marriage among measures set out in five-year counter-extremism strategyParents worried that their children may be about to travel to Syria or Iraq to join Islamic State (Isis) will be able to apply for their child’s passport to be cancelled, David Cameron has announced in a speech setting out his five-year counter-extremism strategy.Related: The four pillars of David Cameron's counter-extremism strategy Continue reading...

(3DS, Wii U, cert: 12)That a considerable batch of DLC would follow the critical and popular success of SSB was a given, but this latest mix of characters and Mii outfits still seems unnecessarily expensive. The highlight of the pack is Ryu of Street Fighter fame who fits naturally into Smash Bros. His unique movements allow for a very technical execution, making him one of the best third-party inclusions the series has seen.The remaining new characters, Roy and Lucas, both have similar movements to their series’ counterparts, Marth and Ness, and it’s hard to shake the feeling that they’re a bit obscure for inclusion in a major update. Fans of previous Smash games might enjoy having the roster rounded out, but it feels as if Roy and Lucas are simply there to prompt those same fans into buying the bigger pack. Continue reading...

(PS4, Xbox One, Codemasters, cert: 3)Codemasters’ latest version of its F1 franchise is what the sport would call an absolute lights-to-flag winner. The racing sim is a bumper crop stuffed with both 2015’s and 2014’s seasons – the years the new engine regulations came in – from which players take their pick from a roster of real drivers and make their way to the top. Realism is the order of the day, with the game’s incredible physics engine modelling everything from tyre wear and aerodynamics to the weight of the fuel in your tank. It even updates to adjust to the real-world performance of teams and racers, while the braver might risk Pro Season mode, so realistic there is no HUD.The fine line between intense, demanding technical driving and the visceral rush of adrenaline is also balanced admirably. But there’s a surprising amount of character outside of the cars. As you push the machines harder, a friendly engineer chimes in to keep you up to date about how many seconds behind you the nearest racer is. Off the track, it’s all presented like TV coverage – complete with ludicrously detailed commentary – which very much makes the atmosphere. It’s a championship-winning package. Continue reading...

Confrontation took place in central Belfast, but police had stationed cars in the area to prevent large gatherings formingTwo teenage girls have been arrested in Northern Ireland after 200 youths gathered in Belfast city centre for what police believe was a prearranged fight.Hundreds of young people gathered in central Belfast in and around Castle Street and Millfield at 5pm on Sunday afternoon, after details of the planned fight spread on social media. Continue reading...

Matt Smith invented Manic Miner for ZX Spectrum … then disappearedOf all this year’s 80s revivals, the reappearance of the ZX Spectrum is the most eagerly awaited. At least, it is among middle-aged geeks who get a warm feeling just thinking about its tactile rubber keys and fuzzy sprites.Launched by Sir Clive Sinclair in 1982, the home gaming console sold a million, inspired a generation to program, and hit the start key on the British games industry. This month, two Spectrum replicas are being released, in the shape of the crowdfunded Vega handheld and a full-size unit from Elite Systems. Continue reading...

Supermarkets are going all-out for clever ways to make your shopping experience smootherYou’ve just finished off the last of the corn flakes, your other half is clearing up the breakfast things and about to throw away the empty box. Hang on a minute!You grab your new scanning device and zap the box before it hits the bin. The scanner is synced with your online supermarket account, so corn flakes are instantly added to your shopping list. The milk, eggs and flour are about to run out too, so you scan them for good measure. Continue reading...

Taxis say their background checks are more thorough than those of the ride-sharing service, despite Uber’s reported advertising to the contraryA federal judge has ruled California taxicab companies can sue competitor Uber over advertising statements that it offers the safest rides on the road.The San Francisco Chronicle reports that taxicab companies accused the ride-hailing company of false advertising for stating in ads and online postings that its background checks were the most thorough and its services the safest in the business. The statements implied, and sometimes explicitly declared, that conventional taxis were less safe. Continue reading...

Consultation calls for maximum sentence to be vastly increased so penalties for online offences tally with those for copyright infringement of physical goodsCommercial infringement of copyright online should in future be punishable by up to 10 years in prison, ministers are proposing.A consultation launched by the Intellectual Property Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is calling for the present maximum sentence of two years to be significantly increased.

Driverless car hit while stationary in traffic by human driver travelling at 17mph in another vehicle, resulting in the first self-driving car injuriesThree Google employees have been injured in a crash involving one of the company’s self-driving cars.Google revealed the accident happened on 1 July when its car was rear-ended while stationary on a public road in Mountain View, California. Continue reading...

It’s brought chaos to kitchen tables for over 30 years. With new update Age of Sigmar on the way, here’s what you need to know about the fantasy wargame

Consumer users of Windows 10 will have no choice but to accept the installation of automatic updates, even if they break software for themMicrosoft’s Windows 10 will force automatic updates on to home users with systems that that cannot be disabled.

Revenues rise by 7% in last quarter as online auction site prepares to separate from e-payments processerOnline auction site eBay has beaten analysts’ expectations in its last set of results before spinning off its PayPal payments division.Net revenue rose 7% to $4.4bn (£2.8bn) for the three months to 30 June, while adjusted profits were 5% higher at $931m. That figure excludes a $786m charge related to the sale of eBay’s Enterprise unit for $925m, which was also announced on Thursday. Continue reading...

Waste company BigBelly applies for mayoral grant in New York City to provide free 75Mbps internet – via its litter baskets

After a week of turmoil at Reddit we ask whether the site can continue in its current formReddit hasn't had great press. It's hit the headlines in the past for its groups dedicated to fat-shaming and misogyny. But for its users it represents what the internet should be – an uncensored community where the best of humanity jostles along with the worst.After a week of scandals and high-profile resignations, we take stock on where the site is headed. Is it sustainable in its current form? How can a network that's built on the free labour of its community transform itself into a successful business? Continue reading...

Home-made quadcopter capable of firing pistol at least four times while airborne posted on YouTube

Commuters who run out of battery, have more than one device, or receive a call as they try to pay could get stuck at gates and face penalty faresTransport for London has warned tube, train and bus passengers paying with Apple Pay on iPhones and Apple Watches not to let their batteries run flat or they could get stuck at gates and face penalty fares.TfL advises users that, as with other smartphone payment systems including EE’s Cash on Tap, Apple Pay only works if a device has power. It warns that, if the battery runs out in the middle of a journey, a user will not be able to tap out, which means they could be charged a maximum fare. Continue reading...

Suggestions for revamping the 1980s-style first-person shooter include making its lead character work at a checkout, go on dates, cook – and become a womanDespite years of creative neglect, Duke Nukem remains a popular character among veteran gamers. As an unreconstructed 1980s-style action hero, he’s famed as much for his deadpan quips and visits to strip clubs as he is for fighting alien invasions.On Wednesday, Randy Pitchford, chief executive of Gearbox Software, took to the stage at the Develop conference in Brighton and said he hoped there would be another Duke Nukem game. His company bought the classic first-person shooter brand in 2010 and then finished the long-stalled title Duke Nukem Forever – but it was savaged by the critics.

Rovio is teasing the release of a fully fledged sequel to its bird-slinging game, but the franchise faces a battle to stay relevant in 2015It may be five years, and countless follow-ups, since the original Angry Birds catapulted the casual gaming market into the mainstream, but there’s never been a fully fledged sequel: until now.The game’s developer Rovio has tweeted a teaser image for the game, the aptly titled Angry Birds 2, including a date – 30 July – and the promise that it will be “Bigger. Badder. Birdier”. Continue reading...

Police investigate and China’s internet watchdog condemns ‘unsocialist’ behaviour after millions watch x-rated film onlineA viral sex video that set the Chinese internet alight this week struck a severe blow to the country’s “core socialist values”, Beijing’s online watchdog has said.

A judge in California has fined the ride-sharing company US$7.3 million for not filing reports that were a condition of its approval to operate in the stateUber picked up a substantial fare in California on Wednesday when a judge fined the taxi-alternative company US$7.3 million ($9.9 million) for refusing to give state regulators information about its business practices, including accident details and how accessible vehicles are to disabled riders.The fine was part of a ruling by an administrative law judge at the California Public Utilities Commission, the regulatory agency that allowed Uber and its competitors such as Lyft to operate in the state as long as the companies reported aspects of their activities. Continue reading...

Riley is a six-year-old from Melbourne but, according to her YouTube channel, when she made most of these trick shots she was still five. She and her father say: 'We promise this is for real. No special or visual effects. Trick shot kid = persistence.' They also list the number of attempts each shot took, eg short tube: 12 (several successes); long tube: first go; spoon in cup: 12 Continue reading...

ConnectHome will launch in 27 cities and the Choctaw Nation, from where the president announced the initiative: ‘The internet is not a luxury – it’s a necessity’Barack Obama on Wednesday paid a visit to one of the largest Native American tribes in the United States to emphasize the importance of expanding economic opportunity.

Freedom of information requests show rise in allegations for six months to April, when sharing sexual images without consent was made a crimeReported cases of “revenge porn”, the sharing of explicit or sexual images without consent, have risen markedly, with alleged victims ranging from 11-year-olds to pensioners, an investigation has found.Two-thirds of incidents involved women under 30, with suspects mainly former partners. There were eight female complainants to every male. Continue reading...

Police delete picture tweeted by helicopter surveillance team of comedian in a London street after outraged reaction on social media over privacy implicationsPolice have defended a picture tweeted by a helicopter team that shows the comedian Michael McIntyre standing in a London street.The photo, posted on the National Police Air Service’s London twitter account (@NPASLondon), was captioned: “Whilst on tasking [sic] in central London this morning we spotted a certain energetic funny man ... Can you guess who?” Continue reading...

Over 70 hackers arrested including six in UK in joint operation between FBI, NCA, Europol and others in global crackdown on cybercrime black marketNotorious cybercrime forum Darkode, frequented by Lizard Squad and other hacking groups, has been taken offline in a coordinated international law enforcement clampdown across 20 countries.

Finnish game studio Colossal Order’s urban simulator enables players to build, control and destroy cities. Its users have taken the opportunity to mimic some actual cities, down to the bus routes and bike paths. Here are some of the best Continue reading...

Pew Research Center study finds that 63% of each social network’s American users are getting their news from these servicesFacebook and Twitter are increasingly influential sources of news for their users, according to a survey conducted by the US-based Pew Research Center.Its study of more than 2,000 Americans found that for both social networks, 63% of users surveyed said they were getting news there – up from 52% for Twitter and 47% for Facebook in 2013. Continue reading...

Concern over personal data interception did not start with GCHQ and the NSA – hacking can be traced all the way back to the 19th century

Scott Borchetta explain stance during free-trial payments row: ‘I can’t support this: you need to pay us from the first stream’Taylor Swift wrote her famous To Apple, Love Taylor blog post protesting at the company’s music-streaming royalties plans without the knowledge of her record label, its boss has revealed.Big Machine Label Group CEO Scott Borchetta had no complaints about Swift’s decision to criticise Apple, however. Continue reading...

‘When I heard Donald Trump’s remarks about Mexicans and latinos from South America I was extremely angry’ explains Fernando SosaArtist Fernando Sosa has found a novel way to protest at Donald Trump’s recent comments about Mexican immigrants: he’s turned the Republican presidential candidate into a butt plug.Sosa used 3D printing technology to create the decidedly-unofficial merchandise, which he is selling from his store on the Shapeways website for £21.34. The plug is made from full-colour sandstone, promising “a coarse finish and a delicate feel”. Continue reading...

The treasurer also offers support to digitally disruptive companies such as Uber, saying governments should not ‘try to tax or legislate them out of existence’Joe Hockey is calling for a “sensible, mature debate” about tax reform options, including an increase to the rate or base of Australia’s goods and services tax (GST).In a speech in Melbourne on Wednesday, the federal treasurer will also offer qualified support to digitally disruptive companies such as Uber, saying governments should not “try to tax or legislate them out of existence”. Continue reading...

Girls creator will team up with show’s executive producer, Jenni Konner, to launch lifestyle mailout in which ‘there is no such thing as too much information’Lena Dunham is following in the footsteps of lifestyle gurus Gwyneth Paltrow and Blake Lively to launch Lenny, an email newsletter for young women.The creator, director and star of HBO’s Girls has teamed up with the show’s executive producer, Jenni Konner, to launch the mailout, which promises those who sign up a mix of “feminism, style, health, politics, friendship and everything else” and that in Lenny land, “there is no such thing as too much information”. Continue reading...

Firm releases temporary fix to Impero Education Pro after researcher says fault could leave pupils’ information exposed to hackers

Rethink Music study claims cryptocurrency system could help to ensure musicians get paid fairly and quickly for their workThe music industry should explore blockchain technology used in cryptocurrencies to ensure musicians are paid fairly for streams and sales of their work, according to a report published by the US-based Rethink Music initiative.The report, which is being widely circulated within the industry, suggests that embracing cryptocurrency technology could bring more transparency to the debate about musicians’ income from streaming services like Spotify. Continue reading...

Adobe’s Flash blocked by mainstream browser over critical security bugs actively exploited by hackers, as calls for its decommissioning riseThe mob is turning against Flash. Mozilla has blocked every version of Adobe’s Flash plugin from running within its Firefox browser, while Facebook’s head of security has called for Adobe to kill it off.

Move bolsters instant messaging and photo-sharing app’s ambitions to be a major media organisation, and potentially boost its advertising revenuesSnapchat has tweaked its design to give more priority to its Discover section, sparking anger from some users.Discover offers videos and news stories from media partners, including Sky News, Mail Online and Vice, but some users find the service at odds with instant messaging and photo sharing with friends. Continue reading...

Apple’s new contactless iPhone payment system hits UK stores as an alternative to credit card – but is it worth signing up?A new contactless payment system that lets people use their iPhones to tap-and-pay in high street shops has been launched in the UK. Apple Pay will let iPhone 6, 6 Plus and Apple Watch owners pay for items costing up to £20 by just touching their gadgets to a payment terminal, much like contactless credit cards.The UK launch marks the first expansion of Apple’s contactless payment system beyond the US, where it rolled out last October. Contactless payments have become increasingly popular in the UK with major banks offering cards that can just be tapped to pay, eliminating the need to type in a pin. Continue reading...

A murder mystery with a difference, Sam Barlow’s new game is as much about who’s playing it as it is whodunnitThere’s a mechanism for finding out about the world that we’ve all become experts in, perhaps without realising it. Maybe we learned at school how to use libraries, maybe our parents or the Girl Guides taught us how to listen for birdsong. But no one ever taught us how to Google – yet we’re all so good at it. We decide precisely which words to type to get the information we need. Defining search terms is how we touch the world.“Defining search terms” is the mechanism used to fascinating effect by the excellent game Her Story, released this month for PC, Mac and iOS. The setup is simple. For reasons that become (somewhat) clear, you’re sitting at a mid-1990s computer with a database of police interviews to search through. The interviews are all with the same woman – played by Viva Seifert. Someone’s already typed the first term in for you and there are five results. The search term is “MURDER”. Her husband’s been murdered, and if you search long enough, and watch enough of the clips, you’ll learn who murdered him, and how, and why, and what hall-of-mirrors events led to the killing. Continue reading...

Annie Mac’s weekday evening show among majority of programmes on air each year available for 30 days after broadcast through Apple and Android appsBBC radio shows are being made available to download on smartphones and tablets for the first time.The vast majority of programming from across the BBC’s stations will be available for 30 days after broadcast, including regular slots such as Annie Mac’s weekday evening show on Radio 1 and almost every show from the BBC Proms on Radio 3, which start on Friday. Continue reading...

Hip Hop Hen: Phonics 1 CVC, YoVivo!, Deliveroo, Streaks, Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition, Alphabear, Magic Duels and moreWelcome to this week’s roundup of the latest, greatest new iPhone and iPad apps and games. All prices are correct at the time of writing, with “IAP” indicating use of in-app purchases.You can read the previous Best iPhone and iPad Apps roundups for more recommendations, but if Android is your platform of choice, check the Best Android Apps roundups. On with this week’s selection. Continue reading...

Steve Huffman tells Redditors that subreddits like ‘FatPeopleHate’ will stay banned, in his first AMA since taking over as CEOReddit’s new chief executive Steve Huffman has promised to reconsider the online communities policies “from first principles” but defended many recent changes as he tries to rebuild its reputation.Huffman returned to the company he co-founded last week, taking over the role from outgoing boss Ellen Pao. Continue reading...

Wordsmack, a speculative fiction publisher dedicated to digital platforms, is the latest project to join the African SF boomA few years ago, I got very excited about Afrocyberpunk, a blog by Jonathan Dotse out of Accra, Ghana. The stories he posted suggested a strange and an exciting future for science fiction, proposing “not the science fiction of your grandfather or the Foundation of your Asimov” but “the dystopian gloom of failed states, the iron rule of corruption, cartels snaking cold fingers into the upper echelons of government, and hi-tech gangs of disillusioned youth”. While Dotse’s own novel has yet to see the light of day, he and others have been active in a number of ventures, online and off, to make this vision a reality.One of these is Jungle Jim, an African pulp fiction magazine, which, despite only being available as a beautifully designed print edition, provides a great jumping-off point for exploring multiple genres. Jungle Jim’s writers include Nnedi Okorafor, whose story “The Go-Slow”, published at Tor.com, blends magical fantasy into downtown Lagos traffic jams; Diriye Osman, who chronicles the lives of African LGBT kids in Somalia and London in stories such as “Earthling”; and Dzekashu MacViban, editor of Cameroon’s Bakwa magazine. Another is Something Wicked, South Africa’s first SF and horror magazine turned anthology series whose archives include short works by Sarah Lotz and Lauren Beukes, two South African authors who have found fame with dystopian future-fiction works in The Three and Moxyland respectively. Continue reading...

The number of women in tech hasn’t increased in decades. But the tide is starting to turn when it comes to attitudes to the sector’s gender inequalityWhen I left school at 16, in March 1979, my first job interview was for an admin position at a garage in Chelmsford. I was extremely nervous as I walked into a yard of men in greasy overalls, and as I was being interviewed I blushed as my eyes skipped around the office to the calendars of topless women on the walls.I loved Top of the Pops on a Thursday evening all those years ago, but wondered why there were so few women singing or presenting. “Women are no good at singing – if they were any good they would be on there,” said one. “Women don’t like singing in public or on TV because it’s not natural or feminine,” said another. I thought at the time those opinions were wrong, but kept my opinions to myself unless I was talking to one of those rare people who seemed to feel the way I did. Continue reading...