Plus Hotline Miami 2 and Sid Meier’s Starships reviews

Social network prepares to use solar-powered drones with wingspan of a commercial airliner to beam internet access to rural areasFacebook has been testing large, solar-powered drones in the skies over the UK, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has announced.The drones use lasers to beam internet access down to the ground, designed to provide connections to rural and internet-free zones. Continue reading...

Judges dismiss internet firm’s appeal in landmark ruling that could lead to British consumers suing it for damages over privacy breachesGoogle has failed in its attempt in the court of appeal to prevent British consumers having the right to sue the internet firm in the UK.A group known as Safari Users Against Google’s Secret Tracking wants to take legal action in the English courts over what it says is Google’s tracking of Apple’s Safari internet browser. Continue reading...

Comfortable, well styled, functional and with a hidden heart rate function this Android Wear watch comes as a surpriseThe ZenWatch is one of the most attractive square Android Wear watches on the market. The OLED screen is gently curved with a polished stainless steel body inlaid with a rose gold-coloured inset. A traditional brown leather strap with a locking clasp completes the look.The classic styling may not suit everyone, but at 75g in weight and 9.4mm thick, the watch is comfortable to wear, does not feel chunky and the 1.63-inch Gorilla Glass 3-covered screen is bright and relatively crisp. It is also water resistant to IP55 standards, which means no swimming, but rain is not a problem.Pros: comfortable, attractive, normal/replaceable watch strap, heart rate monitor, curved glassCons: less than two-day battery life, bundled apps cannot be removed, another charging cradle to lose Continue reading...

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The software giant said that paid leave is an important benefit for workersSuppliers that do business with Microsoft in the US will have to provide employees handling the company’s work with at least 15 days of paid leave each year, Microsoft announced on Thursday.“We believe paid time off is an important benefit for workers in our economy,” Brad Smith, general counsel and executive president of legal and corporate affairs at Microsoft, wrote in a blogpost announcing the new initiative.Related: Only three US states have paid family leave policies – will New York be next?Related: Americans petition White House for paid vacation as Congress takes a break Continue reading...

European Commission admits Safe Harbour framework cannot ensure privacy of EU citizens’ data when sent to the US by American internet firmsThe European Commission has warned EU citizens that they should close their Facebook accounts if they want to keep information private from US security services, finding that current Safe Harbour legislation does not protect citizen’s data.The comments were made by EC attorney Bernhard Schima in a case brought by privacy campaigner Maximilian Schrems, looking at whether the data of EU citizens should be considered safe if sent to the US in a post-Snowden revelation landscape. Continue reading...

The Federal Trade Commission denies accusations that it took no legal action against the tech company because of intense lobbying efforts Continue reading...

Sam wants a new family desktop computer for word processing, photos and listening to music and he wants to spend less than £500. Here are some options. Continue reading...

Company reacts to recent rape allegations against driver in India by setting up incident response teams and implementing new code of conduct

Music industry sources say Apple has yet to convince labels that it should undercut streaming rivals on priceHere’s one hard fact about Apple’s plans to relaunch its Beats Music streaming service later this year: there will be an endless stream of rumours about those plans until it happens.Why? Because if there’s one thing leakier than the hype cycle leading up to new Apple products, it’s the music industry when digital licences are being hammered out.Related: Streaming music: what next for Apple, YouTube, Spotify… and musicians? Continue reading...

This video app might be late to the party, but its extra features makes it worth the waitIt’s fair to say that Periscope, Twitter’s live-streaming video app, is late to the game. Not just the three-weeks-and-counting between its launch and that of tech press darling Meerkat, but the two and a half years between it and YouNow, which has grown to 100m user sessions every month by offering performers a share of the revenue.

With the return of epic space shooters and the rise of virtual reality, elaborate game controllers are on the way backI can remember my first proper joystick. It was the mid-80s and my dad had brought us a Commodore 64, “to do homework on and stuff”. He wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all himself; this sexy chunk of brown plastic was for gaming and we all knew it. Soon though, we got fed up of playing Chuckie Egg with keyboard controls, so using my birthday money, I bought a Quickshot II – the 1980s computer peripheral equivalent of a Ford Escort GTI: slightly naff, but showy and desirable.The Quickshot II looked sort of like a real flight stick, with its gigantic red trigger buttons on the shaft, and its chunky base, complete with four sucker pads so you could stick it to the ugly MDF computer desk that you bought from Do It All. I spent countless hours playing Elite with that thing, pretending I was Han Solo, outsmarting pirate vessels throughout the galaxy. It was, to be honest, a crap joystick, really. It was brittle and insensitive, a bit like me at that age – and if you got carried away, it was easy to wrench the shaft off. And, anyway, real gamers preferred an arcade-style stick, like the Competition Pro, with its squat, sturdy build and micro-switches for precise control.

Social network makes its move into live-streaming video with free app that allows public and private broadcasts from celebrities and regular users alike Continue reading...

Oscar-winning director will take on cult sci-fi book after making Roald Dahl’s The BFG Continue reading...

Pop singer directs fans to social video messaging app where users can stream snippets of single Bitch Better Have My Money Continue reading...

Tech executive’s lawyer tells jury to look to their ‘conscience’ in decision on $16m lawsuit that is the most high-profile of its kind ever to reach court Continue reading...

Tymon was attacked by Clarkson in the incident that led to the Top Gear presenter’s sacking by the BBC Continue reading...

This week on the podcast we're talking apps and the generation of creatives using them for work and play Continue reading...

Justice department says it is ‘troubled’ that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spent money on drones that were rendered unsuitable Continue reading...

Author has penned a furious blog accusing the Clean Reader app of promoting a biased agenda and fundamentally misunderstanding the nature of fiction Continue reading...

As ardent fans continue to rail against Ultimate Team price ranges, the publisher says its motivation for change was players rather than pound signsFifa 15 publisher Electronic Arts has launched a stern defence of its decision to reconfigure the transfer market within the game’s popular Ultimate Team mode. In a blog post seen by the Guardian before publication, the company insists that fans who have taken to social media and games forums to declare the game fundamentally broken are wide of the mark.

As ardent fans continue to rail against Ultimate Team price ranges, the publisher says its motivation for change was players rather than pound signsFifa 15 publisher Electronic Arts has launched a stern defence of its decision to reconfigure the transfer market within the game’s popular Ultimate Team mode. In a blog post seen by the Guardian before publication, the company insists that fans who have taken to social media and games forums to declare the game fundamentally broken are wide of the mark.

Crowdfunding website’s new feature gives creators who have passed their funding goal full control over permanent pages for their projectsKickstarter is introducing a new feature to help its successful creators showcase what happens after they raise money on the crowdfunding website.Spotlight takes the form of a webpage for each successfully funded project, replacing the pitch page that until now has remained online permanently once a project’s campaign ends.Related: Why brands like Pebble keep coming back to Kickstarter Continue reading...

Educational block-building game set to be distributed to schools in project devised by CultureTECH innovation festivalMinecraft will be given to secondary schools in Northern Ireland as part of a project organised by the annual CultureTECH festival and funded by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.The hugely popular building-block game will be supplied to 200 schools and 30 libraries and community organisations, which will all receive download codes for MinecraftEdu, the educational version of the game.

Phone app developed by firm with grant from retailer’s JLab programme could reduce waiting times for picking up purchases from storesGroundbreaking technology that would use sensors to track customers in and around stores is being trialled by John Lewis in an attempt to help shoppers avoid queues to pick up click & collect parcels.

Distractions cause nearly 6 of 10 moderate to severe car crashes – four times the rate of previous estimates – for teen drivers, according to a new study Continue reading...

Mark Zuckerberg expected to unveil plans to open up social network’s messaging app, much like it did its websiteFacebook may have paid $19bn for WhatsApp last year, but its Messenger app is expected to take centre stage at the social network’s F8 conference on Wednesday.Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg will deliver the keynote address, and is expected to announce plans to turn Facebook Messenger into a platform for apps created by other companies.Related: Facebook helps its users hop back in time with On This Day feature Continue reading...

Google-owned video site is recruiting streaming experts and may make an announcement in June, reports suggest Continue reading...

Shortform video service doesn’t want to replace Google’s video site, but rather offer its big stars ‘first window’ to make more money from their videos Continue reading...

Social network’s latest addition is all about digital nostalgia – highlighting status updates and photos from the past from you and your friends Continue reading...

China's first 3D-printed sedan car is unveiled in south China's Hainan Province. The 3.6-metre-long, 1.63-metre-wide vehicle was printed with low-cost composite materials in five days and then assembled for a test drive. The vehicle is powered by rechargeable batteries and can travel at a maximum speed of 25mph Continue reading...

Telecoms company will not offer handsets but sim cards and subscriptions, to act as a lure for its broadband service and TV servicesBT has returned to the consumer mobile market after a 13-year absence by offering 4G subscriptions with prices starting at a budget £5 a month.Designed as a lure for BT’s broadband service – the group’s main moneyspinner – mobile subscriptions will come at up to half price for BT broadband customers. Mobile customers who do not take broadband will still get access to live premier league matches for free, via the BT Sport app. Continue reading...

The place to talk about games and other things that matterIt’s Wednesday – is it sunny where you are? Continue reading...

The online retailer complains that slow and excessive regulation by the FAA is forcing it to develop potentially lucrative unmanned aircraft technology abroadThe US economy could lose out on hundreds of millions of dollars of investment if federal regulators continue to stymie plans for delivery drones, Amazon has warned lawmakers.Related: Amazon to begin testing same-day delivery drones in Cambridge Continue reading...

Attorney for Ellen Pao, who is suing a Silicon Valley venture capital firm for gender discrimination, makes claims during trial’s closing argumentsAn attorney for a woman suing a prestigious Silicon Valley venture capital firm for gender discrimination said on Tuesday the firm judged men and women by different standards.

Ruth Porat swaps Wall Street for Silicon Valley after almost three decades at Morgan Stanley, prompting Google shares to rise 1.8%Ruth Porat, the Morgan Stanley chief financial officer often called “the most powerful woman on Wall Street”, is joining Google as its finance chief.Porat, 57, who has been at Morgan Stanley since 1987 and advised the US government on its rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the 2008 financial crisis, will join Google on 26 May. She will report directly to Google chief executive and co-founder Larry Page. Continue reading...

The smartwatch developer is just one creator returning to the crowdfunding site long after they’ve been kickstartedWhen the Pebble smartwatch returned to Kickstarter to raise funds for a third iteration, the Pebble Time, it rapidly broke every record the crowdfunding site had going, hitting its funding goal 17 minutes after launch.The fundraising period isn’t even over for the watch, and yet it’s already the highest-funded project on the site, by a comfortable margin. As I write this, it’s raised $19m; by the time you read it, it will be more again. And with every one of those dollars, Pebble is demonstrating why creators come back to Kickstarter again and again, long after they’ve already been kickstarted.Related: Kickstarter crowdfunding in 2014: $529m of pledges from 3.3m backersRelated: Pebble Time: smartwatch maker returns to Kickstarter with colour-screen model Continue reading...

US backer of Facebook and Twitter puts $20m into British company established by Cambridge computer science graduates developing virtual reality systemAndreessen Horowitz, the US venture capital firm that backed Facebook and Twitter, has invested $20m (£13m) in a startup creating virtual reality from London’s “silicon roundabout” area.Improbable was founded three years ago by a group of computer science graduates from Cambridge, led by Herman Narula. Continue reading...

Revenues triple for Finnish mobile games maker as advertising and in-app purchases soar in its three titlesClash of Clans maker Supercell has posted annual revenues of €1.55bn (£1.13bn) from its three titles.The mobile games maker reported earnings (profits) before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) for 2014 of €515m, fuelled by in-app purchases and advertising in its Clash of Clans, Hay Day and Boom Beach games for iOS and Android.Related: Clash of Clans maker Supercell: 'You can't design fun on a spreadsheet' Continue reading...

Bengal Mangle productions concede that ‘Ted character was independently created by Seth MacFarlane using his own efforts and creativity’ Continue reading...

Game designer Hidetaka Miyazaki returns with another obtuse but enthralling masterpiece that both mirrors and subverts his previous classicsBloodborne’s horror, at a glance, approaches cliché. Yharnam, the city in which Hidetaka Miyazaki’s latest game is centered, is beleaguered with plague, its streets all grime and squalor. Bodies pile in sodden sacks, flies buzz around horse carcasses, while a pram, that beloved prop of the Hollywood set designer, lays on its side at the doors to a forsaken church. There are few places of sanctuary any more for the remaining healthy locals, who tremble and pace inside their homes, under an everlasting curfew, away from the terrors that roam outside their doors.We’ve seen many of those freaks and mutants before too. There are the rabid Doberman and hoe-wielding peasants of Resident Evil. There are the fat crows of Hitchcock’s The Birds. Even the soul-sucking Death Eaters of Harry Potter are hinted at. Jack the Ripper would certainly be at home here in the nooks and crannies of Yharnam’s Gothic sprawl; its cobblestones are ever slicked with Saw-like gushes of blood.Related: Bloodborne review round-up – bringing mystery back Continue reading...

Dance event will be streamed on Amazon’s gaming-focused live video subsidiary, with sets from Avicii, Skrillex and Steve Aoki Continue reading...

New, smaller version is the size of a USB stick, plugs directly into a TV’s HDMI port and costs £35Amazon has revealed a new, portable version of its streaming box the size of a USB stick that plugs directly into a TV’s HDMI port.

The first reviews of From Software’s latest fantasy adventure are in already, and they hint at another masterpiece from creative genius, Hidetaka Miyazaki Continue reading...

Decision ends ‘section 66A’ law that made posting information of ‘grossly offensive or menacing character’ punishable by up to three years in jail Continue reading...

Maximilian Schrems battling existing EU laws, which allow companies to transfer information to US intelligence agencies