Technology | The Guardian

While interactive theatre has a heritage that predates the video game a new wave of concepts that blend games and performance are thriving. Dates for your diary Continue reading...

Improving your web experience doesn’t end with choosing the right browser - there are dozens of extensions available to broaden, streamline or secure your movements online. Here are 21 of the best. Continue reading...

From Periscope’s live video streaming to the latest Angry Birds game Continue reading...

Culture minister calls talks after television network TV5Monde is taken over by individuals claiming to belong to Islamic StateFrance’s culture minister is to call an urgent meeting of French media groups to assess their vulnerability to hacking after the public service television network TV5Monde was taken over by individuals claiming to belong to Islamic State, blacking out broadcasts as well as hacking its websites and Facebook page.

Batman and Gandalf to star in latest Lego game, which comes with bricks and mini-figs that can interact with the onscreen actionWarner Bros has confirmed that its next Lego video game will be called Lego Dimensions and allow players to place real minifigs and blocks onto a special sensor pad so that they appear in the onscreen action.The game will feature multiple entertainment licenses, most of which have already featured in the best-selling Lego series of action adventure titles. Minifigs of Batman, Gandalf and Lego Movie hero Wyldstyle will all be included in the initial package, which will also feature the Lego Toy Pad and a collection of bricks that can be constructed into a “gateway” model that affixes to the pad. Continue reading...

Increased performance through data analysis is just one of the rewards tech can bring to sports. Fan engagement and commercial opportunities can also benefit Continue reading...

Higher than expected demand for difficult-to-manufacture curved screen smartphone means company is unlikely to be able to keep up

Yves Bigot, the director-general of French TV network TV5Monde, says the company's firewalls were breached by people with a deep knowledge of security and possible links to Islamic State. TV5Monde's firewalls were hacked on Wednesday and pro-Isis messages were posted on the company's social media accounts. The network says it will take time for television broadcasts to return to normal Continue reading...

Case lead by privacy campaigner Max Schrems sees 25,000 users sue social network for alleged illegal tracking of their data and its involvement in the NSA’s surveillance programmeA class action lawsuit over alleged breaches of EU privacy law, mass surveillance and involvement in the NSA’s Prism snooping programme has been filed against Facebook in Vienna.The lawsuit, which was officially filed in a Vienna court on Thursday, is being spearheaded by 27-year-old Austrian law graduate and privacy campaigner Max Schrems. Continue reading...

The British actor/ex-wizard is in the running to play the creator of the controversial game Continue reading...

Chris uses TrueCrypt to encrypt sensitive information, but needs an alternative now that program has been abandoned by its developersWhat can you recommend instead of TrueCrypt, which I use for encrypting passwords and personal data. I use the File Container approach, which is all I need and is easy to use. I haven’t encrypted a complete hard drive.Microsoft offers BitLocker but that’s only available with the Enterprise and Ultimate versions of Windows 7, and it looks as though I need a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, which my old motherboards don’t have. Chris Continue reading...

FarmVille and Words with Friends publisher still trying to recapture past glories, with new (old) boss saying ‘we need to get back to being the leader in mobile data and analytics’ Continue reading...

New paid tier will launch later in 2015, but channel owners who opt out will have to make their videos privateYouTube is planning to launch a subscription version of its online video service, for which viewers will pay to remove its advertising.The Google subsidiary announced its plans in an email to channel owners, while also informing them that if they do not sign up to participate, they will have to set all their videos to “private”.Related: YouTube: Hank Green tells fellow creators to aim for '$1 per view'“If you choose not to participate in our new paid offerings, you can change your video settings to private to keep videos hosted on YouTube. Though you can always choose whether to host any or all of your videos on YouTube, we strongly believe that any fan who’s willing to pay for a feature like an ads-free experience on YouTube deserves to access the exact same content that exists on the ad-supported site.” Continue reading...

Brompton, Birdy, Dahon, Strida, Tern: there are a host of folding bike out there, but which is best? We asked Olympian and cycle fan Jonathan Edwards to put the latest through their paces Continue reading...

Corporation’s technology chief says move to take BBC3 online-only is indicative of its ‘direction of travel’ Continue reading...

‘There’s still an aim to reach total realism, which isn’t a bad goal’ Continue reading...

Hugh Herr, a double amputee, top mountain climber and biophysicist, has done inspiring work aimed at eliminating disabilityHugh Herr says he wants to eliminate disability. After 50 minutes listening to him speak at SXSW in Texas, it’s hard not to believe that he’ll do it. Herr is an impressive figure behind a podium; tall, imposing and with a well-cut suit that stops just below the knee. Below that, Herr is constructed of a pair of supremely impressive bionic legs.Herr has a seductive backstory, which begins with prodigious talent as a young mountain climber. He was lucky to survive a traumatic accident on Mount Washington in January 1982 in which he suffered severe frostbite and had both legs amputated below the knee. Continue reading...

Soomi Park’s project The Republic of Privacy features an innovative way to withdraw cash from your bank Continue reading...

With its exosuit boosts and Uplink mode, the latest Call of Duty title has taken the game’s pro scene in a whole new direction. Here’s how it happened Continue reading...

A new study finds almost half of those who would ride in a self-driving car would do things such as read, text or watch movies – increasing their odds of feeling ill Continue reading...

Three weeks before the much-hyped smartwatch hits the shelves, news and tech sites take the Apple Watch for a test drive – with mixed results Continue reading...

New technology could mean that annoying plot revelations will soon become a thing of the past Continue reading...

If parents aren’t comfortable about advertising around what their kids are watching online, will more of them be keen to pay for it?My now five-year-old son was never very good at supermarkets when he was a toddler.Or, to put it another way, he was exceptionally good at having massive, aisle-shaking tantrums in supermarkets when he was a toddler, usually after being told we were there to buy groceries, not to buy 18 toy cars.Related: Google denies YouTube Kids app unfairly targets childrenRelated: Little Baby Bum: how UK couple built world's fifth-biggest YouTube channelRelated: YouTube is already big for kids, but it wants to be even biggerRelated: YouTube studio Rooster Teeth launches 'family-friendly' Game Kids Continue reading...

Drug agency hoovered up billions of records of Americans calls without a warrant – which lawsuit says tested government’s surveillance powers to the limit Continue reading...

It was a delight to be one of the first to get their hands on Apple’s latest shiny thing. I’m sad the experience of standing in line all night might be overIf a leaked memo proves to be right, the ritual of long lines of Apple fanboys queuing outside stores for new product releases could be no more.While many won’t mourn the pantomime’s passing, for some the queueing, the camaraderie, the applause of the employees as they are welcoming into the store … a part of our recent cultural heritage is coming to an end. Continue reading...

But the British startup will still focus on grassroots, insisting real power in global community is with bedroom DJsWatching a DJ at work close-up isn’t always the most riveting viewing experience. Unless you’re learning to DJ yourself, in which case it becomes much more interesting and useful.That’s one reason why British startup Chew.tv is an intriguing spin on streaming DJ mixes, as seen on sites from Boiler Room to Ministry of Sound, and as heard on services like Mixcloud.Related: Ignite flies the flag for first-time founders and startups beyond LondonRelated: Free streaming is 'killing music industry': Ministry of Sound bossRelated: Pacemaker launches iPad DJ app using Spotify as its music sourceRelated: Tidal: 10 things you need to know Continue reading...

Market watcher’s unsubstantiated rumours of a Google takeover of Twitter leads to stock price rise, but is an acquisition likely?Rumours that Google is looking to buy Twitter propelled the social network’s stock price to a 4% rise on Tuesday, but this isn’t the first time it’s happened.Reports from market analysis firm Briefing.com indicated Twitter had hired Goldman Sachs to fend off two possible takeover attempts, including one from Google. The unconfirmed rumours, on which Twitter declined to comment, led to a 4% rise in its stock. Continue reading...

Online video veteran sees crowdfunding as the answer to his peers’ complaints about YouTube’s low advertising rates Continue reading...

The place to talk about games and other stuff that matters Continue reading...

Blue Origin achieves ‘acceptance testing’ for its New Shepherd suborbital system, which would be ‘modified for upper-stage applications’Jeff Bezos has Amazon, drones, the Washington Post – and now he says he has a liquid hydrogen-powered rocket engine suitable for starting businesses in space.Blue Origin, the e-commerce billionaire’s commercial spaceflight venture, announced on Tuesday it had achieved “acceptance testing” for BE-3, the company’s New Shepherd suborbital system, and would be “modified for upper-stage applications” that will presumably push the rocket into orbit and beyond. Continue reading...

Promo will have its live premiere on star’s official channel, with social app joining Snapchat, Instagram and Grindr in her promotional armourySoon, there won’t be a social app left that Madonna hasn’t used to promote her new album. Live video broadcasting app Meerkat is the latest, following the star’s use of Instagram, Snapchat and Grindr in the campaign for Rebel Heart.“Be here at 10am PST tomorrow for the world premiere of Madonna’s Ghosttown video!” explained a message on Madonna’s official Meerkat profile, which at the time of writing has just under 1,000 subscribers.Related: Why Madonna’s Grindr contest is a savvy appeal to the ‘pink pound’ Continue reading...

The first wave of exclusives on the streaming site have been released, while Lily Allen claims the ‘expensive’ service will lead to more piracy Continue reading...

The Japanese musician behind the Final Fantasy themes has become a mainstay of Classic FM’s Hall of Fame, rubbing shoulders with the greats. So what does our critic make of his work? Continue reading...

Scientists at Stanford University say they have invented a new prototype battery that can fully charge a smartphone in just one minute. It is hoped the new aluminium battery will provide safer, more convenient, greener alternative for laptops and mobiles. Here, Stanford graduate student Ming Gong and postdoctoral scholar Yingpeng Wu demonstrate the new battery Continue reading...

Legions of fanboys queue for days outside of Apple stores ahead of new product releases, but it seems the company has had enough

Allen criticises Jay Z’s music streaming service, but it’s clear that he wants to credit the creators more – if he wanted profit he could sell branded headphones

Watchdog groups say YouTube kids app mixes and matches ads and shows in a way that ‘would not be permitted on broadcast and cable television’Watchdog groups have accused Google of using “unfair and deceptive marketing practices” in its YouTube Kids app, arguing the app’s video selection includes content parents would “reasonably believe their children would not be exposed to”.The complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), filed Tuesday by Aaron Mackey, staff attorney for Georgetown Law’s Institute for Public Representation, argues the service blurs the line between advertising and programming for kids. Continue reading...

Social networking company finally sees fit to fix tweet-quoting functionality, offering new possibilities for creative tweeters – while horrifying others

New research pushes aluminium batteries as the next generation technology to revolutionise mobile devices, but what else could finally make smartphones last more than a dayNew research by Stanford University into aluminium batteries promises to produce cells that are big enough for a smartphone and charge in just 60 seconds.The new high-performance aluminium-ion battery is the first using the metal – more commonly found in aircraft and car bodies – to demonstrate long life and fast charging. It does this using a graphite electrode. Previous aluminium batteries have suffered from poor life, failing after 100 recharge cycles.Pros: fast charging, longer recharge life (ie the number of times it can be recharged)

From getting students to think about careers to rebuilding their school, teachers share inventive ways they use the building-block game Continue reading...

Reddit chief executive may have lost her lawsuit against VC firm Kleiner Perkins, but hopes the case will spur more progress in other workplacesReddit chief executive Ellen Pao may have lost her gender discrimination lawsuit against venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, but she is optimistic that the case will have played a part in encouraging women to speak out about unequal treatment at work.In her first detailed interview since seeing a jury rule against all four of her claims against her former employer, Pao told the Wall Street Journal that she thinks more women feel confident enough to raise these issues, while warning that there is much more work to be done to solve them.Related: Ellen Pao lawsuit loss will not slow fight for gender equality in Silicon ValleyRelated: Reddit: can anyone clean up the mess behind 'the front page of the internet'? Continue reading...

The entire collection will all be available digitally for the first time with new bonus footage Continue reading...