Google is ready to put its prototype self-driving cars on the roadGoogle said Friday that its prototype self-driving car will leave the test track and hit the local roads around Mountain View, California, this summer. Speed is capped at 25 miles per hour, and safety drivers will be onboard, a blog post stressed, with a removable steering wheel, accelerator pedal, and brake pedal so they can take over driving if necessary.Upstarts Xiaomi, Micromax pressure established smartphone playersSmartphone manufacturers Micromax in India and Xiaomi in China are shaking up the high-growth low end of the market with their latest launches, and even if the devices don’t go on sale around the world, their impact will be felt globally. The impressive specs and aggressive pricing of the Micromax Yu Yuphoria and the Xiaomi Mi 4i are putting pressure on phone makers Samsung Electronics and Motorola Mobility to step up their efforts in the segment for sub-$200 smartphones, as they reset customer expectations.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Google is ready to put its prototype self-driving cars on the roadGoogle said Friday that its prototype self-driving car will leave the test track and hit the local roads around Mountain View, California, this summer. Speed is capped at 25 miles per hour, and safety drivers will be onboard, a blog post stressed, with a removable steering wheel, accelerator pedal, and brake pedal so they can take over driving if necessary.Upstarts Xiaomi, Micromax pressure established smartphone playersSmartphone manufacturers Micromax in India and Xiaomi in China are shaking up the high-growth low end of the market with their latest launches, and even if the devices don’t go on sale around the world, their impact will be felt globally. The impressive specs and aggressive pricing of the Micromax Yu Yuphoria and the Xiaomi Mi 4i are putting pressure on phone makers Samsung Electronics and Motorola Mobility to step up their efforts in the segment for sub-$200 smartphones, as they reset customer expectations.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
U.S. House votes to end NSA bulk data collectionThe dragnet collection of U.S. phone records by the National Security Agency exposed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden nearly two years ago is finally on its way to being a relic of history. The U.S. House of Representatives voted 338 to 88 in favor of a bill that prohibits the practice. However, the USA Freedom Act does extend an expiring provision in the anti-terrorism Patriot Act that allows the NSA to collect U.S. telephone and business records, but with a more limited scope.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
U.S. House votes to end NSA bulk data collectionThe dragnet collection of U.S. phone records by the National Security Agency exposed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden nearly two years ago is finally on its way to being a relic of history. The U.S. House of Representatives voted 338 to 88 in favor of a bill that prohibits the practice. However, the USA Freedom Act does extend an expiring provision in the anti-terrorism Patriot Act that allows the NSA to collect U.S. telephone and business records, but with a more limited scope.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
First smartphone with iris unlocking bows in JapanForget fingerprints: Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has just unveiled the first smartphone that looks deep into your eyes to recognize you and let you access your device. The Arrows NX F-04G is made by Fujitsu. Its iris authentication technology can also be used to authorize mobile payments via specifications set by the FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance, which is backed by Microsoft, Google, PayPal and others.Russian cybergroup is said to be planning bank attacksTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
First smartphone with iris unlocking bows in JapanForget fingerprints: Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has just unveiled the first smartphone that looks deep into your eyes to recognize you and let you access your device. The Arrows NX F-04G is made by Fujitsu. Its iris authentication technology can also be used to authorize mobile payments via specifications set by the FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance, which is backed by Microsoft, Google, PayPal and others.Russian cybergroup is said to be planning bank attacksTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Verizon offers $4.4 billion for AOLVerizon said Tuesday that it plans to spend $4.4 billion to buy AOL, which was once a leader in Internet connectivity but has struggled to find its way as a content provider and online advertising platform. AOL still has a subscription business—anecdotally, aged users who don’t know they can get email for free from Yahoo and Google—and also owns The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, Engadget and other media brands.Public Wi-Fi set for speed boost as operators upgrade this yearWireless hotspots that can deliver hundreds of megabits per second in real-world bandwidth should soon be easier to find as operators upgrade to 802.11ac, the fastest Wi-Fi technology yet, according to a survey by IHS. By this time next year, a noticeable number of hotspots will use it, says the research firm, which expects operator spending on Wi-Fi networks to increase by 88 percent in 2015.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
China’s smartphone market slows downThe world’s largest smartphone market may be losing its appetite: first quarter shipments of the devices in China dropped by 4 percent year over year, according to IDC. It’s the first time in six years that China’s smartphone market has contracted.IBM’s slimmed down Power servers aim at cloud, in-memory databaseIBM has brought out another round of Power8 servers, targeting private, public and hybrid clouds as well as in-memory database applications and analytics. The multipurpose servers include the four-socket Power E850 and the more powerful Power E880.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
China’s smartphone market slows downThe world’s largest smartphone market may be losing its appetite: first quarter shipments of the devices in China dropped by 4 percent year over year, according to IDC. It’s the first time in six years that China’s smartphone market has contracted.IBM’s slimmed down Power servers aim at cloud, in-memory databaseIBM has brought out another round of Power8 servers, targeting private, public and hybrid clouds as well as in-memory database applications and analytics. The multipurpose servers include the four-socket Power E850 and the more powerful Power E880.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Surgical robot can be taken over by hackersThe dark underside of the revolution in medical technology is that security is usually an afterthought, if it’s considered at all. Now researchers at the University of Washington have proved another nightmare scenario by taking over a tele-operated surgical robot, Computerworld reports. One of the problems is that the device communicates with the remote control console using a publicly available protocol that’s easy to hijack.NSA data dragnet broke the law, appeals court rulesTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Surgical robot can be taken over by hackersThe dark underside of the revolution in medical technology is that security is usually an afterthought, if it’s considered at all. Now researchers at the University of Washington have proved another nightmare scenario by taking over a tele-operated surgical robot, Computerworld reports. One of the problems is that the device communicates with the remote control console using a publicly available protocol that’s easy to hijack.NSA data dragnet broke the law, appeals court rulesTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
AMD is Zen about Intel’s SkylakeAMD’s recent chips haven’t rocked Intel’s PC market dominance, but new chips based on the company’s Zen architecture aim to change that next year. On Wednesday it shared initial details about the new FX and seventh-generation A-series chips, which are the brainchild of Jim Keller, a leading mobile chip designer at Apple until AMD hired him in 2012. The new AMD chips will battle Intel’s highly anticipated Skylake line, which is designed to bring new wireless charging and data transfer features to laptops.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Are Apple music-streaming deals under government scrutiny?With Apple’s new Beats music-streaming service readying a June launch, there’s a flurry of reports that its tough deal-making with record labels is drawing the attention of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Bloomberg reported that the regulator is investigating whether Apple is using its position as the largest seller of music downloads via iTunes to get better deals than rivals like Spotify. The Verge had earlier reported that both the Department of Justice and the FTC were digging around to find out if Apple was leaning on labels to stop letting streaming competitors offer free music options, so that users are pushed to paid services.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Chambers steps down as Cisco CEO, Robbins gets the jobIt’s finally time for the changing of the guard at Cisco, after many months of rumors that John Chambers, CEO for 20 years, was planning his retirement. His surprise replacement is senior VP of worldwide operations Chuck Robbins, who wasn’t highlighted in a succession plan a few years ago. Chambers will move into the role of executive chairman on July 26 when Robbins takes over.EU’s new digital strategy could target US tech vendorsTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Chambers steps down as Cisco CEO, Robbins gets the jobIt’s finally time for the changing of the guard at Cisco, after many months of rumors that John Chambers, CEO for 20 years, was planning his retirement. His surprise replacement is senior VP of worldwide operations Chuck Robbins, who wasn’t highlighted in a succession plan a few years ago. Chambers will move into the role of executive chairman on July 26 when Robbins takes over.EU’s new digital strategy could target US tech vendorsTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Chambers steps down as Cisco CEO, Robbins gets the jobIt’s finally time for the changing of the guard at Cisco, after many months of rumors that John Chambers, CEO for 20 years, was planning his retirement. His surprise replacement is senior VP of worldwide operations Chuck Robbins, who wasn’t highlighted in a succession plan a few years ago. Chambers will move into the role of executive chairman on July 26 when Robbins takes over.EU’s new digital strategy could target US tech vendorsTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Facebook opens Internet.org platform to (almost) any content serviceStung by criticism that its Internet.org platform is a closed-off, private web masquerading as a philanthropic effort to bridge the digital divide, Facebook is opening the service to developers who meet its technical guidelines. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a video that although the company started with just a few content partners, “we’ll work with anyone who wants to join us.” Facebook posted a version of the video subtitled in Hindi, aiming to reach its audience in India where the company was seen by some as trampling principles of net neutrality with Internet.org.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Facebook opens Internet.org platform to (almost) any content serviceStung by criticism that its Internet.org platform is a closed-off, private web masquerading as a philanthropic effort to bridge the digital divide, Facebook is opening the service to developers who meet its technical guidelines. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a video that although the company started with just a few content partners, “we’ll work with anyone who wants to join us.” Facebook posted a version of the video subtitled in Hindi, aiming to reach its audience in India where the company was seen by some as trampling principles of net neutrality with Internet.org.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Build opens Wednesday, here’s what to expectAt Microsoft’s Build developer’s conference—starting in San Francisco on Wednesday—look for a focus on Windows 10 phone, and tools for building universal apps that run not only across the huge installed base of Windows PCs but also on mobile devices, says PC World. It’s also likely that Microsoft will make the app store available on all of your devices, and it may outline plans for third-party app development for Office. Finally, don’t be surprised if there’s talk of Windows as a service; CEO Satya Nadella likes the idea of recurring revenue from subscriptions.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
After the earthquake: Tech is a fragile lifeline in NepalIn the first day after a devastating earthquake in Nepal on Saturday, Internet connectivity looked to be an important conduit for bypassing an overloaded telephone network. But by Monday it was clear that large-scale power outages and last-mile Internet connectivity problems were making communications very difficult. The death toll from the quake and numerous aftershocks stands at more than 3,400 people with thousands more injured. Among those killed was a high-ranking Google engineer who was one of a number of expeditioners on Mount Everest who lost their lives in an avalanche triggered by the earthquake.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
IDG News Service staff