Technology | The Guardian

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...

In a David versus Goliath-like battle, Ukrainian forces look to private companies and crowdfunded volunteer organisations to develop defence software and drone hardware in their fight against Russia

Amazon, Etsy and Booking.com all named in leaked document as having undue power over their markets

Developers from CNN and The Economist to Citymapper, Epicurious and TuneIn explain what they’ve learned and how they think smartwatches will be used• 20 Apple Watch apps worth trying on launch day Continue reading...

The Apple Watch isn't the first timepiece to be packed full of gadgetry and gizmos. From TV remote controls to classic calculators, and even James Bond's intrepid use of magnetics and flying wires, our most wearable devices have always been packed full of features and done more than tell the time. Ollie Peart investigates

Zoella, PewDiePie and FunToyzCollector are raking in a fortune, providing the world with, respectively, make-up tutorials, video game walkthroughs and close-ups of toys being unwrapped. Could you join them in the YouTube elite?

Strong demand for cloud services boosts company’s revenue, but Amazon reports loss of $57m in the first quarter of 2015 Continue reading...

Internet users ‘can breathe sigh of relief’ as FCC calls for lengthy hearing, reportedly scuttling proposed mega-deal between top two US cable companies Continue reading...

A new government-issued executive order has weakened a federal ratings system aimed at greening America’s electronics industry, environmentalists say. Is the US moving backward on green purchasing? Continue reading...

The most senior executives at Twitter barely tweet themselves and one has only ever sent four tweets, web developer who analysed their activity findsMost of Twitter’s senior executives did not use the social network before they joined the company and barely use it now, new analysis has found.The typical executive at Twitter has tweeted less than once per day since they joined the social network, and two have sent less than one tweet a month, according to analysis by Si Dawson, a web developer from Wellington, New Zealand. Continue reading...

Working with tech startup Victorious to find a new way to connect with fans, with Freddie Wong, Michelle Phan and others to follow suit Continue reading...

Periscope and Meerkat are apps which let you live-stream video from your smartphone, and are being hailed as a communication revolution. But are they? Continue reading...

Mail Online loses more than 5% of its daily unique browsers in latest ABC figures to fall back below 14 million Continue reading...

But veteran American Sniper director denies seriousness of 2005 death threat at Las Vegas event Continue reading...

Delivery service brings new meaning to car boot sale with pilot scheme in partnership with carmaker Audi in GermanyAmazon is testing an addition to its Prime subscription postal service that will see parcels delivered directly to customer’s cars.

Samsung introduces its latest mobile phone product, the Galaxy S6. The S6 is 6.8mm thick and weighs 138g, which makes it thinner but heavier than Apple's 6.9mm thick, 132g iPhone 6 and thinner than most other top-end smartphones, including the 7mm thick S6 Edge, which has curved edges to its screen. The 5.1in quad HD screen is one of the best ever fitted to a smartphone: pin sharp, vibrant and with rich blacks and wide viewing angles Continue reading...

FireEye plans to demonstrate hack that intercepts biometric data before it hits devices’ secure zone at upcoming RSA security conference Continue reading...

Chris is using a personal finance management program from 2002 on his PC, and has no reason to upgrade. He wonders if he can keep running it for many more yearsI’ve been running Intuit’s Quicken for years: my current version is 2002 Deluxe. It runs fine under Windows 7, but I haven’t tried it under Windows 8, and wonder if it will work under Windows 10 and 10+? If it won’t run under Windows 10, what do I do?Quicken 2002 does everything I want, and I don’t have any need to change to another product. I’m only 72 and hope to run it for many years more. Chris Continue reading...

The blood-splattered fighting legend returns with sophisticated visuals and online play, but also a knowing sneer at its Grand Guignol heritageThe problem with fighting games is that there are players out there who see them in frames. Not strung-together as fluid animations like the rest of us, but broken up into minute clusters of stills.Many top-level tournament fighters really care that six frames are devoted to a particular character lifting their arm, or that another’s leg swinging back after connecting consumes 12 more. Those fleeting moments are windows of opportunity for the best to turn a match. Continue reading...