Technology | The Guardian

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...

The online car service said the court should dismiss the lawsuit as the victim had sued the wrong partyUber has asked a US court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by an alleged rape victim in India’s capital, Delhi, saying the ride-sharing company cannot be held legally responsible for the driver’s acts.The passenger, who reported being raped and beaten after hailing a ride with the Uber driver in Delhi in early December, sued the online car service in a US federal court in January, claiming the company failed to maintain basic safety procedures. Continue reading...

iiNet and other internet service providers lose bid to keep secret the identities of those who used file-sharing networks to download film Continue reading...

Group calling itself Moroccan Islamic Union-Mail posts picture of Saddam Hussein and criticises Britain for its role in invasion of IraqIslamist hackers seized control of the government’s official air-quality website to post a message criticising Britain for its role in the invasion of Iraq in 2003.Visitors on Tuesday morning to the UK-Air website, part of the Department of Food, the Environment and Rural Affairs, were greeted with a black background with a a large portrait of the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Continue reading...

US scientists hail breakthrough in technology they say could provide safer, more convenient, greener alternative for laptops and mobiles

As more and more devices are connected, there are two futures when it comes to privacy. Which one will we pick?Amazon’s new Dash button, which will order replacement products at the touch of a button, might well usher us further towards the internet of things (IoT), in which a variety of connected devices talk to each other, quietly doing our bidding.The next step: household appliances that re-order consumables automatically, without the need for a button at all. But what does this universe of connected devices mean for our privacy?

New service routes calls, texts and voicemail over the internet so that the phone works even without mobile signal. But why should you care?Mobile phone signal not quite as reliable as it should be? Getting a signal strong enough to make a call outdoors normally isn’t a problem, but indoors can be a completely different matter?Wi-Fi calling aims to solve indoor mobile black spots by allowing users to send and receive phone calls and text messages without using the mobile phone network. Continue reading...

From the 3am drunk to the citizen journalist to the pervert, introducing the new stars of Twitter’s live-streaming appUnless home is under a rock without an internet connection, it’s likely you’ve heard of Periscope.The new live-streaming app, launched at the end of March by Twitter as a competitor to killer of Meerkat, has caused a flurry of excitement.News is just now reporting Manhattan *3 alarm building explosion - I saw live long ago on #Periscope pic.twitter.com/uWAwmwibfXLIVE on #Periscope: Misfit Shine and Jawbone Up Move - hands on - ask us questions about activity trackers https://t.co/omoFPVE4Sy Continue reading...

Turkish users of social media site mock court’s effort to suppress photographs of Mehmet Selim Kiraz, who died after being taken hostage by militant leftist group Continue reading...

Manhattan supreme court judge issues ruling that allows woman to file for divorce from her hard-to-find husband via the social network Continue reading...

The Daily Mail and the Sun have attacked the BBC for turning the plight of Syrian refugees into a game – but this is the perfect way to get the message acrossAfter four years of bloody armed conflict in Syria, hundreds of thousands of civilians have lost their lives and millions have been forced to flee their homes for uncertain futures in neighbouring countries or much further afield. It is a vast, incalculable human tragedy.But how much do you really know about it?Related: Gaming the news: why today's hack events are tomorrow's headlines Continue reading...

Could the Conservatives’ pledge to block under 18 access to pornography mean the end of free porn in the UK? Is that a bad thing? Could it actually work?Access to pornography is recurring subject of much debate and strong views, and it’s back in the news again. The Conservatives have vowed to take existing filtering one stage further if they win the 2015 general election – if the party wins they plan to force adult content sites to employ strict age verification or be blocked from the internet. But is it possible, should it be done and is such a strict practice really needed?

Simultaneous legal cases suggest that the need to assert the digital rights of citizens over corporations and governments is finally being addressedAmazon Dash – the company’s single purpose internet-connected ordering button – may soon be blackening our skies with drones delivering loo rolls and detergent. And so, the relentless march of technology – not to mention cheap labour, unthinking consumerism and scandalous environmental devastation – goes on.But while more convenient ordering of washing powder might have captured the headlines of late, Europe has been in the midst of a technological step change; a pivot in the world of data privacy.“There is no magic bullet, no panacea. If the privacy pessimists are to be proved wrong, the great diversity of new privacy-destroying technologies will have to be met with a legal and social response that is at least as subtle and multifaceted as the technological challenge. Given the rapid pace at which privacy-destroying technologies are being invented and deployed, a legal response must come soon, or it will indeed be too late.” Continue reading...