Technology | The Guardian

Company says all 11 accidents over the past six years since it began testing the technology were minor: ‘light damage, no injuries’Google Inc revealed Monday that its self-driving cars had been in 11 minor traffic accidents since it began experimenting with the technology six years ago.The company released the number after Associated Press reported that Google had notified the California Department of Motor Vehicles of three collisions involving its self-driving cars since September, when reporting all accidents became a legal requirement of permits for the tests on public roads. Continue reading...

July’s app enlists ordinary people to deliver your message – but after one week and 85 attempts, I didn’t speak to a stranger and a stranger didn’t speak to me Continue reading...

Veteran games designer says VC-backed startup is a ‘direct evolution’ of his interests in crowdsourcing, communities and creative toolsWill Wright made his name with games like SimCity, The Sims and Spore. Now he’s stepping out of the gaming world to join the ultra-competitive market for social photography apps, with a startup called Thred.Backed by investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Mayfield Fund, Betaworks, former Electronic Arts boss John Riccitiello and Foursquare chief executive Dennis Crowley, the free app has been released initially for Apple’s iPhone.Related: Are social photo apps trapped in a Silicon Valley bubble? Continue reading...

Reintroduction of ‘My K-Cup’ allows users to once again make whatever coffee they wantKeurig has taken the first steps towards abandoning an unpopular enforcement scheme on its pod-based coffee makers that requires customers to purchase their coffee exclusively from Keurig or licensed third-parties.Starting in the run-up to Christmas, owners will be able to use coffee bought from any provider in their espresso machines – after buying a special add-on. Continue reading...

Psychologist Philip Zimbardo suggests that boys are increasingly withdrawing into the lonely world of gaming. But this is an outdated view of the medium

Citizens are wary of giving away credit card details yet believe they benefit form giving away personal data, Ofcom research showsOne in five people in the UK would never use their credit card online despite just under 70% of internet users saying they’re perfectly happy to give away their personal information, according to Ofcom.

Overcast creator Marco Arment advises his fellow developers to avoid seeing Apple’s smartwatch as a platform to port their apps toAre smartwatch apps squeezed-down versions of smartphone apps, or more wrist-worn remote controls for the software running on the device in your pocket? Marco Arment thinks it’s the latter.Arment, who first came to prominence with read-it-later app Instapaper on iOS, is now focusing on his podcasts app Overcast, including its Apple Watch app. Which, just a few weeks after Apple’s smartwatch went on sale, has already been redesigned.Related: As Apple Watch launches, smartwatch app makers explore new interfaces Continue reading...

Its 15m paying subscribers helped Spotify to more than €1bn of revenues in 2014, but its losses are still growing faster than its incomeSpotify has hailed 2014 as a “transformative” year in which its annual revenues passed €1bn for the first time, but the music-streaming service’s growth came at a cost – a sharp increase in its net losses.The company’s financial results, published in Luxembourg and seen by the Guardian, reveal that its revenues increased from €746.9m (£537.87m) in 2013 to €1.08bn (£777m) in 2014 – year-on-year growth of 45%.Related: Streaming music: what next for Apple, YouTube, Spotify… and musicians?Related: Why are Apple's music streaming plans arousing the interest of regulators? Continue reading...

Microsoft to move to smaller, more frequent updates – meaning the all-important version number will remain the same from now onWindows 10 will be the last major release of Microsoft’s venerable operating system, according to a development executive at the firm.Once the new version is released this summer, future updates will come in an “ongoing manner”, the company confirmed. Continue reading...

The Premier League is joined by other sports leagues such as the NBA, MLB and NFL in being wary of the march of the live-streaming appsAnyone with a smartphone, the internet and an app can now broadcast live video to the world. But, while great for users is it a nightmare for content rights holders?

From Oculus Rift to Google Glass, modern technology isn’t quite living up to the high-gloss helmets and bubble cars we dreamed ofMarty McFly’s unfortunate taste for Tory-boy padded gilets aside, the future used to look great, didn’t it? It was all high-gloss helmets and sex-powerful gloves; bubble cars and disco cockpits. But as the news of Facebook’s Oculus Rift helmet going on sale next year washes across our retinas like a black strapped digital wave, it’s time to ask – what the hell happened? Continue reading...

A text dialogue with stranded astronaut Taylor brings real empathy to this slow-moving, intriguing game Continue reading...

(Wii U, Nintendo, cert: 12)Cult Japanese developer Treasure is famed for the quality of its work, but all too often its releases have evaded the attention of the mainstream in the west. Of late, however, the studio’s work is enjoying a second coming. Last week Treasure’s 2D shooter masterpiece Gradius V was a more than welcome arrival and now Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Skies has been released for the Wii U, half a decade after it was a jewel in the crown of Nintendo’s previous console.The game itself is an arcade-inspired on-rails sci-fi shooter. While control over the lead character’s movement on a 2D plane is down to the player, motion through 3D space is automatic, providing a tour of a range of elaborate, meticulously presented set pieces. Showering bullets on to enemy hordes while evading attacks forms the game’s elegant core, but the simplicity here is not at the expense of depth. Successor of the Skies demands repeat plays. Back in 2010 the visuals and dialogue demonstrated a rough charm, but five years on that has faded a little. However, it is the gameplay that matters most and in that regard Sin and Punishment’s return is a triumph. Continue reading...

The place to talk about games and other things that matter Continue reading...

(PS4, PC, Dissident Logic, cert: 7)This sketchpad-themed brawler is centred on the concept that gathering up to four mates together for the purpose of slicing one another’s (virtual) heads off should be a communal event in a local multiplayer mode instead of an online one. Combat is zippy, with fighters harnessing a simple but effective triumvirate of weaponry: scissors, projectiles and ink bombs. This minimalism turns each match into a fierce battle of skill where speed and movement is key.Each player’s ability to invert their “personal gravity” also proves a vital tool in navigating the quirkily designed arenas. Playing against friends on the sofa may be almost archaic as far as premium games go, but this scrappy indie title proves there are still great times to be had gathered around a single screen. A slight sense of repetition across game modes is Paperbound’s only failing. Continue reading...

Briefing paper says Facebook ‘abused by malicious users’ and will stay banned until Nauruans can be safe from ‘criminals, sexual perverts and cyber bullies’ Continue reading...

A year ago, Apple bought headphone company Beats for $3bn. It turns out that it was its streaming business that was so temptingThis time last year Apple paid $3bn to acquire a company called Beats that made overpriced headphones and ran an unsuccessful music-streaming business. This acquisition made Beats co-founder Dr Dre the first hip-hop billionaire at the same time as it baffled many observers of the industry. For example, Benedict Evans, a seasoned analyst, tweeted: “If you think Apple’s lost it, Beats deal is confirmation. If you don’t, it’s… perplexing. Few really convincing rationales.” This columnist was likewise puzzled. Apple normally designs and makes its own kit, and if it wanted to do headphones it would certainly do better than the Beats products. So the conclusion had to be that if Apple didn’t want Beats for the headphones, it had to be the music-streaming service that it craved.And so it has proved. We have just discovered – in a roundabout way – just how much Apple wants to get into the streaming business. It turns out that two US federal agencies – the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – have been examining Apple’s business practices in relation to its forthcoming music-streaming service. The Verge, a well-known tech website, reported that Apple has been “pushing major music labels to force streaming services like Spotify to abandon their free tiers, which will dramatically reduce the competition for Apple’s upcoming offering”. DoJ officials had already interviewed senior music industry executives about Apple’s business practices, but it appears that the FTC (which oversees competition) has “taken the lead” in recent weeks. Continue reading...

Would you let a pair of 13-year-olds loose in your car? Of course not – you find someone else’s. Martin Love puts two teenage girls through the Young Driver programme Continue reading...

Italy’s taxi drivers are up in arms over online cab services, with the fight getting personal for Uber’s Milan-based managerLike every Uber executive trying to get the $41bn online car-sharing service established in cities around the world, the head of Uber in Italy has faced plenty of resistance as she takes on powerful established interests.Uber faces regulatory opposition in many places – authorities in the Chinese city of Chengdu paid a visit to Uber’s offices last week as part of an ongoing investigation; and the service has been banned in the US state of Kansas – but in Italy, the battle has become personal.Posters with the words ‘I steal’ printed across Arese Lucini’s face have been plastered around Milan’s taxi standsUber argues it is different from public taxi services in that it only gives rides to people who book through its app Continue reading...

‘I can well imagine it being the car du choix of one of those young men who ferries all his friends about on a Saturday night because he prefers driving to drinking’ Continue reading...

Under the partnership Toyota propose to supply fuel cell technology to Mazda, which in return would offer its proprietary Skyactiv green technology to Toyota Continue reading...

Whistleblower says mass surveillance did not stop the Sydney siege, the Boston marathon bombings or the Charlie Hebdo magazine attack in Paris Continue reading...

The road through LA and San Francisco is well-trodden by Democrats, but it’s the tech world rather than the movie business Clinton is targeting for cash for 2016 Continue reading...

Using phrases more suited to tourist magazines and images of luxury yachts, smugglers based in Egypt and Turkey openly advertise services on social media Continue reading...

The electronic artist had made 200 old tracks and demos available online, but his Soundcloud accounts have now been deleted

Patent spat spills out of the US to the UK, Germany and the Netherlands as the two firms tussle over licensing issuesEricsson has brought its fight with Apple over licensing to Europe, launching new lawsuits in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.The two companies are locked in battle in the US, where Ericsson is seeking to block the sale of Apple’s iPhone and iPad over alleged patent infringement after licensing agreements expired. Continue reading...

Wii U; Nintendo; £7 from Nintendo eShop Continue reading...

Focus on user data privacy is tipped for Google’s next version of Android, to bring it in line with Apple’s iOS and custom Android versions such as CyanogenGoogle is expected to bring Android into line with Apple iOS on user privacy, with version “M” due for release later this month, giving control of app data back to the users.

Vanity Fair goes on set with Harrison Ford and Co, the Terminator runs through his film repetoire in six minutes, and a mayor’s very public toilet break Continue reading...

The eight-year old fitness tracking firm acknowledges competition from Apple and others, but still values its business at $1.2bnTechnology firm Fitbit is taking advantage of the rapidly expanding market for connected health and fitness by launching its business on the New York Stock Exchange, it announced on Thursday night.Planning to sell shares worth up to $100m (£64m), the San Francisco-based fitness band maker will list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FIT”.Related: Best fitness trackers to help get fitter in 2015 Continue reading...

Dating app says it’s not rife with married flirters: ‘simple logic should reveal that it’s essentially impossible for any of these claims to be accurate’Dating app Tinder has rejected research that estimated that 42% of its users are either married or in a relationship.A spokesman told the Guardian that the figures by GlobalWebIndex strongly contradicted its own internal numbers, and criticised the methodology of the survey.The single largest age group on Tinder, making up more than half of our entire user base, is 18-24. More than 93% of UK residents in that age range have never been married, according to the UK’s office of National Statistics.Without revealing any data about our users, simple logic should reveal that it’s essentially impossible for any of these claims to be accurate. Their methodology seems severely and fundamentally flawed.”“Our Tinder findings came from a recent study of 47,622 internet users aged 16-64 across 33 countries.Reference to ONS marital data is irrelevant, and of the 621 who say they use Tinder, almost all are from the 16-34 age group. Tinder’s assertion that our methodology is severely and fundamentally flawed is simply not correct.Related: Tinder: the 'painfully honest' dating app with wider social ambitions Continue reading...

The place to escape the election resultsOh dear... Continue reading...

The Beats Music relaunch is coming this summer, but the possible impact its presence on iTunes will have on rivals like Spotify is sparking anti-competition questions Continue reading...

La Traviata will be streamed live and free of charge on Friday from the stage of Madrid’s Teatro Real Continue reading...

Simon Letchford issues lengthy statement saying police acted fairly when they handcuffed a black man before a crowd of onlookers in south-east London Continue reading...

Online supermarket files patent in US which cuts out need for warehouse aisles or the staff driving around them Continue reading...

Facebook study considered the political leanings of news posts by US users before determining which posts were reached via the site’s social algorithmsThe algorithms used by Facebook to filter news posts have an effect on the information seen by users – but not nearly as much as the choices made by users themselves.That is the finding of a study published on Thursday titled “Exposure to ideologically diverse news and opinion on Facebook” in Science Express by researchers working for the social network. Continue reading...

Company acts to prevent further abuse by white nationalist and internet troll after he promoted two offensive tweets using Twitter’s ad platformTwitter has banned promoted tweets that were being used to push white supremacist messages on the website. The tweets were sent and promoted through the company’s advertising tools by Andrew ‘weev’ Auernheimer, a former president of the trolling group known as the “Gay Nigger Association of America”.Among the tweets promoted by Auernheimer was one that read: “Whites need to stand up for one another and defend ourselves from violence and discrimination. Our race is dying.” A second promoted tweet read: “White pride, world wide. Do you know the 14 words?” – a reference to the white nationalist credo: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.” Continue reading...

Using the internet can be seen as a trade-off: privacy for freedom. But the insidious and widespread invasion of that privacy by a security state is something different altogether Continue reading...

Kristian Segerstrale of Vainglory developer Super Evil Megacorp sees a bright future for mobile games as huge draws in the eSports world Continue reading...

CNN gains approval from FAA to explore how drones can be safely used in populated areas – are dramatic images from presidential campaign trail to follow? Continue reading...

Vodafone blocked reader’s calls and texts and demanded £150 for emergency calls and then offered her a £5 discount Continue reading...

Latest data shows phablets are four times more popular in the west this year than last as the Asian trend for big phones spreadsIf you bought a smartphone in the US this year there’s a one in five chance you bought a phablet, as the market share for plus-sized smartphones ballooned.The latest data from research company Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows that phablets – defined here as smartphones with screen sizes 5.5in or larger – accounted for 21% of US smartphone sales in the first quarter of 2015, up from 6% at the same time last year. Continue reading...

More than 1,700 tweets using misspelling of #GE2015 have been sent in the last day. Well done, Britain Continue reading...

The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, upstate New York, will feature a comedy club that could host the likes of Bob Hope, George Carlin and Rodney Dangerfield Continue reading...

Bungie has revealed new details about Destiny’s forthcoming DLC package and the company is keen to address one complaint about the game: its narrative incoherency Continue reading...