Technology | The Guardian

UberEats promises customers lunch in less than 10 minutes as it expands service from Los Angeles and Barcelona – but faces a growing field in the Big Apple Continue reading...

If you use Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or the internet, you may have noticed some striking images and videos over the past few days. Little cartoon presidents pole-dancing. Cartoon celebrities performing karaoke. Your friends creating avatars of themselves pole-dancing and performing karaoke.

WPP chief says the on-demand service needs other sources of revenue to help fund its $4bn-plus content budget

Alex joins ‘genderless’ character Steve, as he ‘doesn’t really represent the diversity of our playerbase’, explains gaming company

Roy Price, who persuaded Woody Allen to make his first TV series, joined by HBO’s Michael Ellenberg, Discovery’s Rich Ross and John Landgraf from FX Continue reading...

Treyarch says it is making big changes to the CoD blueprint, with co-op campaigns, RPG progression and a new approach to space and movement. But worry not – this is still a game about shooting people in the face“I read the other day about these bio-hackers who are injecting their eyeballs with some bioluminescent fluid that gives them night vision – it’s crazy.”

Ex-Wings frontman has more followers on Japanese messaging app than on Twitter and Facebook combined

The Liberal-Conservative coalition promised accountability, transparency, and ‘ending the storage of internet and email records without good reason’. Here’s a report card on how they fared

Double Fine has released the second part of its successfully crowdfunded point-and-click epic, but the road to release has not been easyTim Schafer, co-creator of some of the most beloved adventure games in history, is sitting in an office in Guildford, home to cobbled high streets, grassy hills and Peter Molyneux. He’s talking to me about the barges of England – or “houseboats” in American parlance. Guildford has lots of them. A series of canals criss-cross through the city providing a getaway for those seeking to sell up, buy a floating idyl and escape the rat race, with its work pressures, traffic jams and functioning toilets.So what’s the designer of the Monkey Island series, whose hobbies include getting embroiled in some of the greatest dramas of modern consumerism doing staring at a bunch of hippie ships in The River Wey? Tim is dumbfounded by my cynicism. “It’s Fable!” he says. Continue reading...

They might all be trying to push the right buttons, but how much importance do the parties give technology in their pledges for power? Continue reading...

Tabletop games offer a face-to-face opportunity to convey a message that the impersonal world of online gaming misses

The place to talk about games and other things that matterTuesday already! Continue reading...

Apple’s much hyped smartwatch is carefully crafted with a masterful design, but poor battery life and confusing software mean curious consumers should waitApple’s first attempt at a smartwatch shows promise with notifications, voice calls and fancy pressure-sensitive taps, but is very much an expensive first generation product with bugs, quirks and confusions.

Animal charity Wood Green partners with Handy cleaning service to offer selection of rescue cats in need of temporary foster homesLondoners who find themselves sharing their homes with mice can now foster a cat in order to get rid of rodent invaders.Handy, an on-demand cleaning and DIY service, has partnered with animal charity Wood Green to offer rescue cats in need of temporary foster homes through its app. Continue reading...

Apple sells 61.2m iPhones in first three months of 2015 and brought in revenues of $58bn, but latest numbers do not include Apple Watch Continue reading...

The Digital News Initiative is likely to be seen as an attempt for Google to improve its image after recently being accused of anti-competitive behaviour Continue reading...

Half of media company’s awards from public vote in contest known for recognising excellence on the internet Continue reading...

A plan that links culture, the creative industries and education would encourage economic growth and draw new talent from universities Continue reading...

Russian hackers infiltrating White House email system last year raises ‘red flag’ that Obama’s BlackBerry and Clinton’s ‘home brew’ system are also susceptible Continue reading...

Developer Cowly Owl’s creative iOS app will delight pre-school kids as they explore its colourful world of customisable beastiesMonsters under the bed aren’t, generally, much fun for children. Monsters on a nearby tablet or smartphone? That’s more like it. And that’s exactly what kids get with a new app called Monster Mingle.This iPhone and iPad app is the work of British developer Chris O’Shea, whose previous apps as Cowly Owl include Makego, Little Digits – Finger Counting and Dinosaur Mix, which are all well worth a download.Related: Snow White by Nosy Crow app: 'Getting children sparkly-eyed about storytelling' Continue reading...

Google cited Ebay as part of ‘a ton of competition’ in the online shopping world, and chief executive John Donahoe agreesEbay chief executive John Donahoe has spoken out over the EU antitrust investigation into Google, agreeing with the search giant’s claim that his company is a strong competitor for it in the online shopping sector.Donahoe’s comments have been seen as backing for Google over the antitrust investigation launched against it by the European Commission. “Yes ... We are a strong commerce competitor,” Donahoe told the Financial Times. The interview paraphrases further comments from eBay’s chief executive, noting that the barriers between different areas of e-commerce are breaking down.Related: Europe is targeting Google under antitrust laws but missing the bigger picture Continue reading...

You can’t actually purchase an Apple Watch in an Apple Store, only in a few high-end boutique shops. And the resulting experience is a pretty awkward oneBuying an Apple Watch is a strange experience. At least in the opening few months, it’s tricky to even do at all: you can’t simply walk into a shop with £300 and walk out with a watch. Instead, at least in Apple Stores, you book an appointment, arrive for a 15-minute “fitting”, and, at the end of it all, walk over to an iPad to order one online for delivery.The rationale seems to be two-fold: avoiding unsightly queues outside the stores, and managing the inevitable supply constraints. Many would-be purchasers might be tempted to skip the palaver and order online from the comfort of their own home, but the fitting is not all PR fluff. The difference between the two watch sizes, and the multitude of straps on offer, is difficult to fully appreciate until the thing actually sits on your wrist. In my case, I went from mulling the purchase of a 42mm watch (clearly intended to be – if not actually advertised as – the “men’s” watch) to settling on the smaller 38mm, which, it turns out, is around the same size as my dear Casio F-91. But the faff that surrounds the whole thing rather undermines the usefulness. Continue reading...

Telecoms group, which is being taken over by BT for £12bn, attributes success to double-speed 4G internet Continue reading...

Citizens, governments and technology startups deserve a regulator to keep the monopolistic instincts of the Googles, Facebooks, Amazons and Apples at bayDigital monopolies are growing fast. Investors demand nothing less. But shouldn’t we, as citizens, demand something, too?Shouldn’t we have some recourse if Facebook decides to manipulate an election, or Google disappears a favourite firm from its all-important rankings? Continue reading...

Joseph Garrett’s feline alter-ego is a superstar for kids, but he’s happily under the radar for adults: ‘Mainstream approval is something I’m not interested in’Joseph Garrett isn’t famous. He’s a gamer and video producer in his mid twenties, who leads a quiet life well away from the tabloid spotlight.His alter-ego, though, is a superstar. Albeit one more likely to be spotted falling off a physically-impossible tower of beds in Minecraft than papped falling out of a nightclub.Related: Minecraft YouTube videos were watched 3.9bn times in MarchRelated: Little Baby Bum: how UK couple built world's fifth-biggest YouTube channelRelated: YouTube, apps and Minecraft: digital kids and the future of children’s mediaRelated: YouTube Kids ads row: how should we pay for children's entertainment?Related: Minecraft movie will be 'large-budget' but unlikely to arrive before 2017 Continue reading...

Developer Treyarch promises to modernise the Call of Duty experience with open environments and a ‘specialist’ soldier system for multiplayerCall of Duty is not going “open world” – not yet. But with Black Ops 3, the third title in the covert war spin-off series, it is taking a small step in that direction.As leaked by Call of Duty (CoD) news site CharlieIntel on Friday, this year’s CoD instalment will feature a four-player co-operative campaign mode, allowing friends to take on the story together. Continue reading...

The rapper and mogul defends the streaming service’s turbulent start, asking followers to ‘give us a chance to grow & get better’ Continue reading...

Seven Days of Westerplatte is a passion project highlighting Polish resistance in the second world war – despite its creator being born 44 years after it finishedOn 1 September, 1939, the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire on the Polish military depot at Westerplatte. The attack marked the beginning of Hitler’s invasion of Poland, and with it the second world war.For the small Polish garrison, the odds seemed overwhelming. Just 209 men found themselves besieged by over 3,000 German troops. Continue reading...

A superb modern take on the side-scrolling platformer Continue reading...

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

The ultra-violent fighting game takes another step forward with this technically impressive and inventive title Continue reading...

The medical photo-sharing app lets doctors and medical staff send images of diseases and injuries safelyWhere do doctors turn when even they don’t know what’s wrong with you? Colleagues? Books? The internet? A Canadian startup wants to make the answer an Instagram for doctors.

Richest 1,000 families control total of £547bn, rising by more than 112% since 2009, and own more than poorest 40% of British households Continue reading...

Games structured like prestige TV shows present unique difficulties – having to essentially build different games – but also unique opportunities: ‘It’s really cool to be able to react to what your community likes about it as you’re making it’“Games with female protagonists will not sell.”That was the refrain most often fielded by Oskar Guilbert, CEO of Dontnod Entertainment, when he pitched Life Is Strange to major publishers. Continue reading...

White scarf? Check. Goggles? Check! Then you are ready for take-off in Morgan’s charismatic three-wheeler Continue reading...

I’d like to change my fossil fuel car for a pure electric one. Will this make a difference? Continue reading...

Silicon Valley holds out the promise of connectivity for all. But there’s a price to pay Continue reading...

Elon Musk has hinted at device to be unveiled this week, and analyst Trip Chowdhry sees big benefits for those who ‘always want to be connected’ Continue reading...

The man behind Avengers: Age of Ultron has hopes of creating another unbeatable movie team with Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong and co Continue reading...

Karlie Kloss and Lily Cole inspiring girls to shake up male world of tech enthusiasts Continue reading...

A 22-year-old man from Yeovil was arrested after food writer, blogger and campaigner was bombarded with homophobic abuse on Twitter Continue reading...

From apps like Citymapper, Evernote, Pacemaker and Circa to games like War Dragons and Cupcake Dungeon, here are some early suggestions• As Apple Watch launches, smartwatch app makers explore new interfaces Continue reading...

PS3/4, Xbox 360/One, PC; Warner Bros Interactive; £29.99-£42.99 Continue reading...

‘On the way up a hill you feel like a fell runner, lean and superhuman; on the way down, like a hang glider, unbounded by boring friction’ Continue reading...

Facebook COO explains for the first time why the company controversially decided to pay up to $20,000 for female employees to freeze their eggs Continue reading...

Company says it will not proceed with plans to create a blockbuster cable giant that would have controlled up to two-thirds of US internet connections Continue reading...

Wrist-based play is not about squashed-down smartphone games say Pocket Gems, NimbleBit, WearGa, Seriously and Bossa Studios• As Apple Watch launches, app makers explore new interfaces

Someone at Google is probably getting fired.A small patch of terrain in Google Maps just south of the Pakistani city of Rawlpindi has been found to contain a bizarre image of the Android robot urinating on the Apple logo.The image, which apparently was by an end-user helpfully “suggesting” an edit, has now been removed, Google says. “We’ve terminated the Android figure involved in this incident, and he’ll be disappearing from Google Maps shortly.” Continue reading...