Apple reportedly considering expensive iWatch price, multiple models

Apple reportedly considering expensive iWatch price, multiple models   There's been plenty of speculation over what the iWatch will ultimately cost, but a new report claims to have some inside information.According to Re/code, which has been the source of multiple iWatch rumors lately, Apple has considered charging as much as $400 (about £240, AU$430) for the top-of-the-line iWatch model.Yes, that also indicates that Apple will release multiple models of its wearable, which shouldn't come as a surprise but hasn't previously been discussed. Read more >

Inflame: Smartwatches are everywhere, so why are they still winding people up?

Inflame: Smartwatches are everywhere, so why are they still winding people up?   The big smatwatch wind upLG and Samsung have released so many types of smartwatch of late you'd think everyone on the planet had at least eight arms - and that people actually cared about smartwatches. Although this week in smartwatch news, things did get a little interesting. LG discovered a new kind of shape. It's a bit like a wheel, sort of curved at the edges, and looks round. The press release said it was a Circle(TM). Read more >

In depth: Forget IM: why email is still the ultimate form of online communication

In depth: Forget IM: why email is still the ultimate form of online communication   Why email has enduredYoung people don't use email. Everyone hates their never-ending inbox. The likes of WhatsApp, Twitter and SnapChat are gaining in popularity. But does all that really mean that email is dead? For many of us, email is the internet's 'killer app', a neutral, open innovation of the kind it no longer seems capable of creating. It may have first been used in 1971 and it can seem woefully outdated, but email isn't going anywhere. In an uncertain world where the internet may already be full, email is the one thing we can rely on. Read more >

Review: Datacolor Spyder4 Elite

Review: Datacolor Spyder4 Elite   The Datacolor Spyder4 Elite is a colour calibration device that can be used to calibrate monitors, projectors, laptops, TVs, iPads and even smartphones using an easy-to-follow step-by-step based process.Like the X-Rite ColorMunki Display, it works by by measuring a series of colours on a screen and creating a "profile" that can be saved and replicated on other devices. Read more >

Apple is fighting hard to get old Samsung devices banned from sale

Apple is fighting hard to get old Samsung devices banned from sale   The legal war between Apple and Samsung has been winding down lately, the mushroom clouds finally receding as the two companies cease their bickering in the dozens of cases they'd filed outside the US.But the war at home isn't over yet, Apple's latest move reveals.The house that Steve Jobs built recently appealed a US district court's decision not to grant an injunction against Samsung's sale of several devices that were previously found to be infringing on Apple patents. Read more >

Microsoft is taking a stand in court over email ownership and privacy

Microsoft is taking a stand in court over email ownership and privacy   Microsoft is taking a stand over email ownership and privacy as the US govenrment continues to demand the company hand over email data stored in an Ireland datacenter.Microsoft initially had until July 31 to hand over the email data, but a court extended the company's deadline so it could work on an appeal.Failing that, Microsoft has simply refused to comply, stating that doing so could set a dangerous precedent on a global scale.No wonder tech companies like Apple, Cisco and others have thrown their support behind Microsoft in this battle. Read more >

Cable companies want the FCC to squash local cities' own networks

Cable companies want the FCC to squash local cities' own networks   Local governments in two US cities have taken the internet into their own hands, building high-speed networks for their residents to use.And broadband association USTelecom - which represents Comcast, Time Warner and other internet providers - is determined to stop them.It's not just that residents whose municipalities provide internet for them are no longer subject to Comcast and TW's horrible and pricey service; it's that these governments can't be trusted to do it right, USTelecom said.And now it's petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to stop progress in its tracks. Read more >

Review: Datacolour Spyder4 Elite

Review: Datacolour Spyder4 Elite   The Datacolor Spyder4 Elite is a colour calibration device that can be used to calibrate monitors, projectors, laptops, TVs, iPads and even smartphones using an easy-to-follow step-by-step based process.Like the X-Rite ColorMunki Display, it works by by measuring a series of colours on a screen and creating a "profile" that can be saved and replicated on other devices. Read more >

In depth: Beyond GPS: The future of location tech will change how you use your smartphone

In depth: Beyond GPS: The future of location tech will change how you use your smartphone   Beyond GPS: The future of location tech Having your phone know where you are and what you're doing is one of the creepiest (but most useful) aspects of modern smartphones. From Google Now to location-based notifications on iOS, you probably take advantage of it every single day. But we're still using 1970s technology to make that happen, and when the tech finally catches up with the 21st century, it'll change how you use your phone, for the better. Mostly. At the moment, your phone uses two main methods to work out where you are – the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Wi-Fi. Read more >

Round up: Best of TechRadar Pro: Ballmer's exit, postal SaaS, wearable tech and Windows Threshold

Round up: Best of TechRadar Pro: Ballmer's exit, postal SaaS, wearable tech and Windows Threshold   How SaaS has opened new doors for the post and parcel industryNetDespatch was among the first to develop Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions. The web technology developed by the company had a huge impact on the parcel delivery sector; new business models, such as CollectPlus, could be brought to market quickly, and operators could increase volumes without the heavy investment and operational restrictions imposed by conventional IT systems.We spoke to CEO Becky Clark, who gave us some insight into the challenges faced by industry players, as well as achievements and future strategies. Read more >

Apple's iWatch might debut with the iPhone 6, but it won't launch until 2015

Apple's iWatch might debut with the iPhone 6, but it won't launch until 2015   Apple's iPhone 6 event is just days away, but iFans might have to wait considerably longer than that to get the iWatch on their wrists.Yes, the Apple wearable will debut on September 9, sources agree - it just won't actually be released until 2015, according to Re/code."It's not shipping anytime soon," a source "in position to know" told the site, explaining that the iWatch won't hit shelves for at least "a few months. Read more >

Updated: We're here at PAX Prime 2014!

Updated: We're here at PAX Prime 2014!   PAX Prime 2014 show floorFinally, PAX Prime is upon us! The streets are crowded with costumed attendees and the non-costumed all milling towards the Seattle Convention Center and the various venues for the day's panels.We arrived early yesterday and now we're set to bring you all the hands ons and gaming news your hearts desire.So far, Alienware has announced its latest flagship gaming PC - a revival of the Area-51. It's a giant, well, alien-looking, triangular machine that's meant to be the ultimate PC from Alienware in terms of functionality and performance. Read more >

Samsung Gear S becomes a proper running watch with Nike+ tie-in

Samsung Gear S becomes a proper running watch with Nike+ tie-in   Samsung and Nike have announced a tie in that will see the newly-announced Gear S imbued with the same powers offered only to dedicated running watches.The new smartwatch from Samsung, which has a larger 2-inch curved screen than its predecessors, is able to offer full integration with the Nike+ app thanks to being one of the first smartwatches to add GPS into the mix.Other dedicated running watches, like the Garmin Forerunner range or Adidas' MiCoach SmartRun, can manage the same thing but at the cost of size. Read more >

TechRadar Show: Amazon buying Twitch, Facebook's anti-spam crusade, and IFA expectations

TechRadar Show: Amazon buying Twitch, Facebook's anti-spam crusade, and IFA expectations   It's been a week to get the emotions running. Amazon kicked things off by announcing it will be acquiring Twitch, causing a lot of gamers to uncharacteristically take to the internet to express their disapproval.And just as we were reaching breaking point with the ridiculous number of spam videos appearing on our Facebook feeds, Zuck has stepped in to announce he's going to fix it.And with IFA 2014 just hours away, we discuss the biggest things we hope to see at the big bad Berlin show.Oh, and at one point Marc gets distracted by a fly. This is what happens when he skips breakfast. Read more >

Industry voice: C-level executives: Forget bad memories, forge forward with the cloud

Industry voice: C-level executives: Forget bad memories, forge forward with the cloud   New business are, in many ways, lucky being born in the current digital world. While they may have found the past few years a financial challenge, they are starting and growing at a time when they have never had it so good technically.A new business can launch with sophisticated plug-and-play systems and processes – such as payroll, HR, web design and a host of others – where months and years of development has already been completed by a third party provider. They do not face stressful IT transformation processes or worry about legacy systems and compatibility. Read more >

Google reveals the drones that will battle Amazon for control of our skies

Google reveals the drones that will battle Amazon for control of our skies   In the prudent words of Batman's nemesis Bane, return to your homes, hold your families close, and wait - Google has begun testing its delivery drones of the future.That might be a tad dramatic, Google's drones are actually pretty neat. Named Project Wing, the trialing project is being carried out by Google X, G's top secret research division.The hope is to one day use these drones for delivering goods to our homes. And if this all sounds familiar, it's because Amazon is doing the same with its Prime Air delivery drones, also in the development phase. Read more >

Week in Tech: Week in Tech: decent smartwatches, iPhone 6 promises, Google lemonade

Week in Tech: Week in Tech: decent smartwatches, iPhone 6 promises, Google lemonade   You've got to feel sorry for Kate Bush. The musical legend urged fans not to record her long-awaited live comeback shows on their smartphones and iPads, but they did it anyway. Still, it could be worse: they could have been filming on 13-inch iPad Pros. Never mind cloudbusting: we'd be crowdbusting if we were stuck behind one of those. And that's not all that happened this week. Come with us as we discover armies - or should that be sleevies? - of smartwatches and why you really don't want to see what that person's watching on their 3DS. Read more >

LG G Watch R price revealed in leak, and it's not cheap

LG G Watch R price revealed in leak, and it's not cheap   Having just unwrapped the LG G Watch R, it seems that the company's German PR has accidentally let slip the smartwatch's price.An official German press release has outed the cost as 299 Euros, which converts to about £237/$394/AU$420.Those are direct conversions so don't expect them to be entirely accurate, but we reckon we're in the right ball park. 100 Euros more than the existing G Watch feels about right, considering that the R is clearly a more premium bit of tech.You spin me right round, baby right roundMost notably, this one comes with a 1. Read more >

Review: Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1

Review: Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1   Unveiled at CES 2014, the Panasonic ToughPad FZ-M1 is a rugged Windows 8.1 tablet that arrives in the mould of the company's 10.1-inch FZ-G1, only in a more portable 7-inch package.Like the much larger ToughPad 4K that sits above it in the ever-expanding ToughPad range, the FM-Z1 has been engineered for durability. Aimed at enterprises and those who need a robust tablet capable of taking a few knocks and scrapes, its chunky demeanor and higher price tag place it in an altogether different category to lifestyle devices such as the iPad Mini 2 with Retina and Nexus 7 (2014). Read more >

Leap Motion mounts onto the Oculus Rift, lets you use your hands in VR

Leap Motion mounts onto the Oculus Rift, lets you use your hands in VR   Virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus are a big step towards making gaming experiences much more immersive. But one downside to VR is it leaves us incredibly disconnected when we can only interact with the world through a controller.Now Leap Motion is stepping in to fix this problem with a new $20 (about £12, AU$21) mount that lets users attach their motion sensor bar to the front of a VR headset. Read more >

Dyson's secret robot vacuum is about to come to life

Dyson's secret robot vacuum is about to come to life   Dyson's teasing something big (well, actually quite small by the looks of it) for September 4, and it seems set to be the company's first robot vacuum cleaner.The short clip is shot from the perspective of the mystery device, as various people play and tinker with it. The company has dropped copious hints that it's been working on a robotic vacuum cleaner, so we're pretty certain that this is it. We don't quite expect a Jetsons Rosie, more likely something smaller and more agile, but probably less sociable. Read more >

Samsung Gear S smartwatch sports curved screen, shuns Android Wear

Samsung Gear S smartwatch sports curved screen, shuns Android Wear   Ahead of an official unveiling at IFA 2014 the Samsung Gear S smartwatch has been announced with a curved display, 3G support and no sign of Android Wear.In fact, Samsung is sticking with its own Tizen operating system on the Gear S - the same software which runs on the Gear 2 and Gear Fit.That may mean the Gear S will only be compatible with a handful of the firm's own devices, though this is yet to be confirmed.The main talking point surrounding the Gear S is its curved, 2-inch Super AMOLED display, which allows the wearable to sit more snugly on the wrist. Read more >

How your business can efficiently use cloud based applications

How your business can efficiently use cloud based applications   For decades businesses have been tied to software upgrades and the high cost of their associated licences. With the arrival of the cloud it's now possible to break that cycle and move to a more convenient and cost effective subscription payment model for all the leading office applications. With access from any internet connected device, the convenience of using cloud-based applications across your business cannot be overstated. Read more >

How SaaS has opened new doors for the post and parcel industry

How SaaS has opened new doors for the post and parcel industry   NetDespatch was among the first to develop Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions. The web technology developed by the company had a huge impact on the parcel delivery sector; new business models, such as CollectPlus, could be brought to market quickly, and operators could increase volumes without the heavy investment and operational restrictions imposed by conventional IT systems.We spoke to CEO Becky Clark, who gave us some insight into the challenges faced by industry players, as well as achievements and future strategies. Read more >

HP increases lead over IBM, Dell in global server market

HP increases lead over IBM, Dell in global server market   Revenue generated from the sales of servers globally reached $12.57 billion in the second quarter of 2014 according to the latest IDC worldwide quarterly server tracker, which means that the sector is on track to hit $50 billion sales for a full year.That's a 2.5% improvement year-on-year while the number of servers shipped grew by only 1.2% to 2.2 million, which indicates that the average prices of the servers shipped increased by slightly more than 2% to just over $5,720.Volume systems experienced a near-5% revenue growth, the fifth consecutive quarterly growth in that segment. Read more >

Blip: People are watching a lot of porn on the 3DS

Blip: People are watching a lot of porn on the 3DS   People watch porn. It's a fact of life. People watch porn and they watch it on things. But what things? And for how long? And why are we so interested?Well, PornHub has crunched the data and spat out some unnecessarily detailed metrics about the tech people use for their, er, private time. Read more >

Opinion: Exit stage right: Steve Ballmer leaves Microsoft for good

Opinion: Exit stage right: Steve Ballmer leaves Microsoft for good   Under Steve Ballmer's reign, Microsoft expanded from a company that made and sold software, to an expansive enterprise that grew to almost rule the world, putting software on over one billion PCs and powering all kinds of businesses with their servers and services. Read more >

Jabra Sport Pulse earbuds go all-in-one fitness with heart rate monitor

Jabra Sport Pulse earbuds go all-in-one fitness with heart rate monitor   Similar to LG's Heart Rate Headphones (which was not released in Australia), Jabra has new wireless in-ear fitness headphones that aim to give you a full training solution with Dolby Digital Plus sound, in-ear heart rate monitor and Sport Life App.The Jabra Sport Pulse uses standard Bluetooth connectivity and NFC, connecting to your smartphone for music and phone calls, but also to its Sport Life App.The app, which Jabra says can be integrated with existing fitness apps, can track your fitness level, consumed calories, distance, speed, pace, heart rate, heart rate zone and work-out times. Read more >

Official LG G Watch R specs rounded out before Moto 360 launch

Official LG G Watch R specs rounded out before Moto 360 launch   We now know more about what's inside the awkwardly named LG G Watch R than the circular Moto 360, even though Motorola's smartwatch is set for a September 4 launch event.The official specs for LG's second Android Wear watch include a 1.3-inch Plastic OLED display that's a full circle, according to the South Korean manufacturer.This new screen technology uses 100% of the round watch face and is supposed to easy to read, even under bright sunlight. That's a major plus among wearables. Read more >

Radio for your face: Pandora arrives on Google Glass

Radio for your face: Pandora arrives on Google Glass   Say what you will about Google Glass, but it continues to rack up third-party support. Pandora is the latest to throw its hat in the Glass ring. Hatched at a recent company Hack-a-thon (we're getting a lot of those lately), Pandora for Glass arrives today.Taking advantage of Glass's hands-free controls, Pandora for Glass can get Explorers into their favorite stations via voice controls. But voice controls aren't limited to accessing existing stations; users can also create new ones using just their vocal cords. Read more >

LG's round smartwatch gets real in this latest teaser

LG's round smartwatch gets real in this latest teaser   It looks like its full steam ahead for an LG round smartwatch reveal at IFA 2014. The Korean smart device maker just posted a teaser image and first look at the rumored device on its Facebook page during the wee hours of the night. Although most of the handset is shrouded in shadows we can clearly see the silhouette of a round watch face.What's more, enhancing the photo in Lightroom reveals the so-called "LG R Watch" has a chinless, round display unlike the Moto 360.Of course on the Moto 360 this black chin actually serves as space for the ambient light sensor. Read more >

Review: Mini Review: Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury gaming mouse

Review: Mini Review: Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury gaming mouse   If there's any company that understands Darwin's theory of evolution, it's Logitech. The industrial design team there is relentless in its pursuit of a better gaming mouse. The latest fruit of their labor? The Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury, a wired gaming mouse with a serious speeding problem. The G402 is special in the sense that its sensor can track upwards of 420 inches per second. Think about that for a moment. Four hundred and twenty inches in the matter of one second. Read more >

iWatch reportedly set for September 9 debut alongside the iPhone 6

iWatch reportedly set for September 9 debut alongside the iPhone 6   Logic would tell you Apple would unveil its long, long-rumored iWatch next to the iPhone 6, and it turns out logic is probably right.According to John Paczkowski over at Recode, Apple is indeed planning to announce its first wearable on September 9. That's the date Apple has supposedly set aside for a media event for its next-gen iPhones, too.Paczkowski refers to the device as "a new wearable," so perhaps Apple is really planning on showing off the iSock ... we kid.So here's where we stand for September 9: two new iPhones (a 4.7- and 5.5-inch iPhone 6) and the iWatch. Read more >

Review: Lenovo C260

Review: Lenovo C260   Introduction and designIf there are two things to be said about the Lenovo C260 Touch, it's that it's inexpensive and space-saving. But beyond that, there's not much else to say about this all-in-one PC. Priced at around $479 (about £302, AU$538), the C260 is relatively affordable, and houses some decent components for the price.There's a 500GB, 7,200 rpm hard drive, 4GB of RAM, 802.11bgn WiFi and built-in LAN, three USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 and a media card reader. There's also an included 720p webcam and speakers, both of which are rather standard. Read more >

Microsoft rejigs Azure SQL plans, cuts down prices

Microsoft rejigs Azure SQL plans, cuts down prices   One week after its cloud service was hit by a major global outage, Microsoft has announced that it is tweaking its Azure SQL DAAS (database-as-a-service) plans thanks to feedback it received from its customers.Ironically, one of the major points of the announcement is a new enhanced service-level agreement, across all tiers, which promises 99.99% availability (otherwise known in the industry as four nines) which translates into a maximum annual downtime of just under 53 minutes. Read more >

Google says it doesn't copy, uses lemonade to explain

Google says it doesn't copy, uses lemonade to explain   When life gives Schmidt lemons… he takes to Google+ to explain why his company is as innovative as alcoholic lemonade. You know, the social network that's a bit like Facebook but sort of isn't. "Playing catch-up with the competition can only ever help you make incremental gains," wrote Google's executive chairman. "It will never help you create something new.""It's important to understand what's going on around you, but the best way to stay ahead is a laser focus on building great products that people need. Read more >

Check out Intel's tiny 3G modem that will make IoT ubiquitous

Check out Intel's tiny 3G modem that will make IoT ubiquitous   Intel has released a new dua;-band HSPA modem called the XMM6255, one which is aimed at IoT, 3G smartphones, M2M as well as what it calls unconventional client devices,The modem combines the X-Gold 625 baseband processor, an integrated power management unit as well as Intel's Smarti UE2p, a transceiver with a 3G power amplifier.The total board area occupied by the components is about 300 mm^2, that's even smaller than the US one-cent (or one penny) coin at 362.90 mm^2 and Intel claims that it is the smallest standalone 3G modem.A great designThe XMM6255 is rated at 7. Read more >

Updated: Back to school supplies: tech we recommend

Updated: Back to school supplies: tech we recommend   Back to School sales are waning along with the summer sun, but there are a few choice tech deals to be had before the fall semester begins. If your supplies list calls for the best laptops, tablets and smart gadgets to get you through the next nine months of academics, consider this your official cheat sheet. We put our thinking caps on for this Back to School gadget guide that'll make reading, doing homework and paying attention in class a bit easier during the 2014-2015 school year.Microsoft Surface Pro 3Price: Starting at $730 on Amazon. Read more >

Kobo hopes to solve holiday woes with the hi-res Aqua H20

Kobo hopes to solve holiday woes with the hi-res Aqua H20   It was beginning to look like the ereader market had ground to a near standstill, with no significant new developments made in quite a while, but Kobo has just announced the Aura H2O, which adds waterproofing to the mix.That might not sound like a major addition, but we'd wager that a lot of people like to read in the bath, on the beach or by the pool, so for all of them this could be a life saver... or at least a device saver.The Kobo Aura H20 is IP67 certified, which means it can withstand being plunged into up to 1 metre of water for up to 30 minutes as long as the port cover is closed. Read more >

In Depth: Wearable tech: How enterprises innovate with devices like Fitbit and Google Glass

In Depth: Wearable tech: How enterprises innovate with devices like Fitbit and Google Glass   Wearables are perfect for the enterpriseWearable technology is all the rage these days. From Fitbit to Samsung Gear to Google Glass to rumored impending launches from Apple and Microsoft, wearable devices are top-of-mind for everyone excited about new technology.However, the tech industry and its consumers appear to be more excited about wearable tech as a theory than in practice. More than half of the consumers who purchased a wearable device in the US have stopped using it, according to Endeavor Partners, a mobile strategy consulting firm. Read more >

Review: Updated: Lenovo Y50

Review: Updated: Lenovo Y50   Introduction and designThere's no lack of options if you are looking for a 15-inch gaming laptop. Between the MSI GS60 Ghost Pro getting a new gorgeous 3K screen and newer, better packages like the Gigabyte P35W, this mid-size range of gaming machines gets more intriguing everyday. But amongst all the brands known for gaming – like Origin, Digital Storm and Razer – Lenovo has been a long overlooked brand despite creating the well-liked Lenovo Y510 and Y510p.Now, Lenovo has truncated its leading gaming laptop in more than name. Read more >

Review: In Depth: Intel NUC DN2820FYKH

Review: In Depth: Intel NUC DN2820FYKH   Introduction and designMany have predicted that the traditional personal computer, the one that runs Windows and has Intel insider, is on its way out. There might be an element of truth in that but devices like the Intel NUC DN2820FYKH are proof that there's still life in x86.The device I'm testing is a NUC or what Intel calls Next Unit of Computing. TechRadar has reviewed one in the past and since then, their numbers have increased significantly, to 10, an indication of their growing importance in Intel's grand plan. Read more >

The concept of 'bleisure' and how tech giants organise their workspace

The concept of 'bleisure' and how tech giants organise their workspace   In 1817, Robert Owen, founder of the eight-hour movement in the UK, coined the slogan: "Eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest" in order to regulate the hours that factory employees were subjected to. Now, nearly 100 years on, that maxim of the industrial revolution is being revised amid a cloud and data revolution, as workers shift from the age of leisure to an age of 'bleisure' (business + leisure) and usher in new ways of working, collaborating and communicating. Read more >

Are we witnessing the dawn of the golden age of CRM?

Are we witnessing the dawn of the golden age of CRM?   A long time ago enterprise use of technology was clearly defined – accounting software for the finance team, and security software for the IT team. Now CRM applications are blurring those boundaries, and with Salesforce.com revenue predicted to reach $10bn in just a few years, along with an IPO buzz surrounding SugarCRM, Zendesk, and Atento, CRM is evidently just getting started. Read more >

Latest Asus smartwatch teaser shows off a curved display

Latest Asus smartwatch teaser shows off a curved display   IFA 2014 is set to go big on wearables, and - never one to be left out of the limelight - Asus will be taking to the stage in Berlin to debut its own Android Wear smartwatch.And to give us a taste of what's in store, Asus has teased us (again) with a few rough sketches of the watch, rumoured to be the most affordable Android Wear device yet.While it seems that other manufacturers (LG, Samsung) are finally realising why everyone is talking about the Moto 360, it appears Asus is going to buck that trend and opt for a curved rectangular shape instead. Read more >

China probes Microsoft's Windows over antitrust concerns

China probes Microsoft's Windows over antitrust concerns   The Chinese government is zeroing in on Microsoft as its State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC), headed by Zhang Mao, confirmed that it is probing the company over its web browser, Internet Explorer, and Windows Media Player.Both applications are tightly integrated with the operating system and were also the target of antitrust cases in the US and Europe in the 1990s and early 2000s.Microsoft was ordered to pay billions of dollars worth of fines as a result and required to offer a choice of browsers on its Windows operating system. Read more >

Industry voice: Should your business build or outsource a data centre?

Industry voice: Should your business build or outsource a data centre?   Here at Next Generation Data, we were recently contacted by the CIO of a company that needed 25 racks with the possibility to expand to 80 racks. He mentioned in passing that he was also considering building his own instead as it would be cheaper.On the face of it he could be right assuming a build cost of £2.5m (around US$4.15m, AU$4.5m), depreciate it over 10 years and a cost of £250,000 pa (around US$415,000, AU$450,000) or a cost per rack of £3,125 per year (around US$5,200, AU$5,600). That does sound cheap. But that is not the full story. Read more >

Samsung's two new Gear watches: one a circle, the other with SIM?

Samsung's two new Gear watches: one a circle, the other with SIM?   Two new Samsung Gear smartwatches are reportedly about to round the bend: one a circular smartwatch, and the other with SIM support.That's according to SamMobile, which got its info from an unnamed source.A SIM-enabled Gear smartwatch has been rumored before as the Gear Solo, but it could also be one and the same with the Samsung Gear 3 that over the weekend was rumored to be on the docket for Samsung's expected Galaxy Note 4 announcement in September.According to that report the Gear 3 is going to be slightly less rectangular but significantly more curved than the Samsung Gear Fit. Read more >

Review: Asus RT-AC68U

Review: Asus RT-AC68U   Introduction and design Much like its RT-AC66U precursor, Asus's RT-AC68U Dual Band Wireless AC1900 Gigabit Router resides at the high end of the consumer router category. That said, the high price equates to remarkable performance, compliments of some upgraded internal components.This router incorporates Broadcom's new BCM4709 Wi-Fi chipset, the cornerstone of which is a 1GHz, dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor with 802.11ac support, theoretically up to 1.3Gbps. The chipset also offers accelerated 802.11n data rates of up to 600Mbps, thanks to Broadcom's proprietary TurboQAM technology. Read more >

LG's new smartwatch will take some cues from Motorola

LG's new smartwatch will take some cues from Motorola   LG is wasting no time getting a second smartwatch out into the world, if a teaser video it posted to YouTube today is any indication.The LG G Watch is just weeks on the market, but LG will debut its successor, possibly called the LG R Watch, at IFA 2014, according to this video.And unlike the square-faced LG G Watch, the R Watch (or LG G Watch R?) has a circular face - which is probably where the "R" comes from.The circular smartwatch everyone already knows is the Motorola Moto 360, but the LG R Watch could have it beat in at least one important way.YouTube : https://www.youtube. Read more >

In Depth: Facebook spam: where it's from and how to stop it

In Depth: Facebook spam: where it's from and how to stop it   Facebook spam: where it's from and how to stop itIf your Facebook news feed seems awfully full of ads lately, you're not alone: many of us are logging on to something that looks rather like the famous Monty Python "spam" sketch where everything on the menu involves spam.Some of the things you're seeing are organic, so for example if you click like on a page or app the recommendations that pop up aren't paid-for, but instead Facebook's best guesses about what else you might be interested in. Read more >

Inflame: All about the Nook-y: is Samsung's ereader tieup enough to stop Amazon?

Inflame: All about the Nook-y: is Samsung's ereader tieup enough to stop Amazon?   Barnes & Noble is struggling, but it has a plan to rescue its book selling, ereader making, occasional tablet producing business. It wants to associate itself with smart-thing behemoth Samsung, in an attempt to win some kind of leverage over Amazon in the battle for the digital book market.The result? Samsung's Galaxy Tab 4 Nook, a Samsung tablet with a couple of token Nook apps pre-loaded on it and a widget to show off the owner's digital library. Read more >

Hybrid cloud: is it right for your business?

Hybrid cloud: is it right for your business?   Hybrid cloud computing is getting increasing attention from IT professionals as it helps organizations find a balance between their IT infrastructure and public cloud service. While the model enables users to leverage the benefits of both public and private clouds, advocates also claim it offers a balance of scalability and speed that makes it suited to a whole array of business needs. We spoke to Sarah Lahav, CEO of software firm SysAid Technologies, to get the inside track on why the hybrid cloud is such a fast-growing industry trend. Read more >

An extra curvy Samsung Gear 3 could debut in a matter of weeks

An extra curvy Samsung Gear 3 could debut in a matter of weeks   It's been scant months since the Samsung Gear 2 hit shelves and wrists, but word is Samsung is already planning to release yet another in its line of smartwatches.The Samsung Gear 3 will feature a curved, rectangular face, according to a "source familiar with the hardware" who spoke with PocketNow.The Gear 3's display will reportedly be a bit longer than the Gear 2's, though not quite as rectangular as the extremely oblong Samsung Gear Fit's. Read more >

Google buys design firm to help make its secret projects look less weird

Google buys design firm to help make its secret projects look less weird   Some of Google's coolest projects are also its ugliest products - Google Glass, for example, or even Google's self-driving cars.Thankfully the next version of Glass could look like normal glasses, California now requires Google's cars to have pedals and steering wheels - and Google has purchased its very own design firm, Gecko Designs.Gecko has worked on tech ranging from the FitBit Ultra to the Sonos Zone Player, so it clearly knows what it's doing.But its work with Google will be a lot more secretive, as the designers at Gecko will go straight to the Google X research labs. Read more >

Would-be iWatch groupies might have to wait until 2015

Would-be iWatch groupies might have to wait until 2015   iWatch hopefuls have been holding their breath in anticipation of a release this fall, possibly in September, or October at the latest.But sources within the Apple smartwatch's supply chain say the iWatch won't arrive until December or, more likely, into 2015, according to the Chinese Economic Daily News.Allegedly the iWatch hasn't even gone into production yet, but the lines will start moving in September.After that point it will take one to two months for the iWatch to be ready to ship, contrary to reports we've been hearing for months. Read more >

Marketers, tweak your big data strategy to target audiences better: Here's how

Marketers, tweak your big data strategy to target audiences better: Here's how   We spoke to Dominic Joseph, the co-founder and CEO of Captify, a company pioneering search retargeting, about the growth in digital advertising, and how advertisers can better use big data to target their customers. Not to mention exactly what search retargeting is – read on to find out. Read more >

Salesforce.com revenues up as cloud firm outflanks analysts

Salesforce.com revenues up as cloud firm outflanks analysts   Cloud service provider Salesforce.com saw a big year-on-year jump in its Q2 2015 results (38%) to $1.32 billion (about £800 million, AU$ 1.5 billion), one that didn't translate into a big jump in share prices.Salesforce.com's stock briefly sunk in the red after the announcement, probably because analysts were expecting a higher earnings per share (expected, $0.12, achieved $0.13) but recovered later in the day.In pre-market trading, it has reached $56.10 (about £800 million, AU$ 1.5 billion), valuing the company at more than $34.2 billion (about £800 million, AU$ 1. Read more >

Alfresco raises $45 million to boost ECM market share

Alfresco raises $45 million to boost ECM market share   Nearly 10 years after it was founded, Alfresco Software has received its biggest funding yet, $45 billion (about £28 million, AU$50 million), from a number of investors led by Sageview Capital.That amount dwarfs the previous investments and bring the total money injected in the open source enterprise content management (ECM) provider to $65.2 million (about £40 million, AU$70 million). Read more >

Apple filed to expand sapphire production, likely for the iWatch

Apple filed to expand sapphire production, likely for the iWatch   In case you wanted even more evidence Apple is planning to release a new sapphire laden device, here is a signed document.PTT Research Senior Analyst Matt Margolis has posted an Apple filing on Scribd that asked the U.S Department of Commerce for permission to expand its sapphire production operations at its new Mesa, Arizona factory. Everything looks real down to Apple Director of Global Trade Compliance James J. Patton's signature. Read more >

Updated: iPad Pro release date, news and rumors

Updated: iPad Pro release date, news and rumors   Release date, rumors and designUpdate: Apple may have just created a fast lane of sorts for a would-be iPad Pro device, thanks to IBM. More details below.With Apple's thinner, lighter iPad Air and Retina display-equipped iPad mini out in the open, what's left for Apple to do?Rumor has it that the Mac maker is working on an even larger iPad, commonly referred to as the "iPad Pro." We've combed through all of the rumors and scuttlebutt to bring you everything we've heard so far about this alleged iPad Pro. Read more >

Software Defined Data Centre leaves IT community confused

Software Defined Data Centre leaves IT community confused   A survey carried out at the Cloud Computing World Forum by Service Provider Adapt found out that nearly two out of five respondents were not familiar with the concept of Software Defined Data Centre (SDDC).A fifth of those surveyed felt that it provided centralised management while 13% said it was about performance. Worryingly 17 out of the 100 people who responded to the survey admitted that they didn't understand the benefits of SDDC.In addition, four in 10 probed said reckon that "true" SSDC won't be achievable over the next 12 months while 25% believe it is already achievable. Read more >

Hands-on review: Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook

Hands-on review: Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook   Don't count Barnes & Noble out of the tablet game just yet. The company has enlisted one of the biggest players, Samsung, to keep it in the ring with Amazon. However, Samsung is clearly taking center stage here, from the hardware to its name: the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook.In almost all regards, this looks like a Samsung effort, with Nook along for the ride. Even the iconic Nook software is relegated to select apps and widgets (and some firmware changes) on top of what's otherwise stock Android 4.4 KitKat, with some Samsung TouchWiz – err – touches. Read more >

Review: Dell OptiPlex 9030

Review: Dell OptiPlex 9030   Introduction and designDesk real estate is a scarce commodity in the office, so why buy a big tower when you can get the same power from an all-in-one? The logic makes sense, but doesn't quite check out with the Dell OptiPlex 9030 all-in-one PC. Equipped with an optional touchscreen, this all-in-one PC fits your space requirements, but unfortunately lacks the power to meet most businesses' needs.The OptiPlex 9030 leads a double life. It borrows heavily from Dell's '90s-style black box design, but its sleek, rounded corners and all-glass panel feature a modern update. Read more >

HP revenues buoyed by resurgent PC sales

HP revenues buoyed by resurgent PC sales   Computer maker HP saw a significant drop in its profits in its latest quarter earnings report, from $1.39 billion (about £830 million, AU$ 1.6 billion) to just under $1 billion (about £600 million, AU$ 1.15 billion).While the 30% profit drop can best be described as brutal, it was what Wall Street was expecting, which explains why HP's shares fell by a mere 1%, still very near to its 52-week high.Its revenue increased to $27.6 billion which means that the company should hit $110 billion for the whole financial year which is roughly what it did last year. Read more >

VMWare snaps CloudVolumes for better desktop application delivery

VMWare snaps CloudVolumes for better desktop application delivery   VMWare has revealed that it has purchased CloudVolumes, a virtual desktop application service provider; terms of the transaction were not revealed.CloudVolumes whose mission statement is to eliminate the need for per-VM management, installation or upgrades, is an existing VMWare partner and the deal, on the face of it, is a logical one. Read more >

How your business can make the most of graduate employees

How your business can make the most of graduate employees   Across Europe millions of new graduates will be starting their first full time office jobs in the coming weeks and months. However, the junior roles they fill usually consist of manual, repetitive tasks such as data capture and administration. Similarly, a lack of experience and company knowledge is often mistaken for a lack of insight and perspective by senior staff. As a result, graduates only end up staying in their first job for a year or 18 months on average – just as they are starting to become deeply integrated and knowledgeable about the business. Read more >

M2M and GPS: using data to automate logistics

M2M and GPS: using data to automate logistics   Logistics companies were among the first to adopt mobile devices as a means to manage and monitor their processes. Initially the hand-held devices that delivery drivers used delivered benefits primarily by simplifying and automating existing paper-based processes.But with the emergence of lower cost, always connected, location aware devices, the current generation of mobile technology allows logistics companies to move beyond simply making existing processes better, by making it possible to dynamically track both vehicles and the packages they carry. Read more >

The lake and the stream: analogies to assist your big data strategy

The lake and the stream: analogies to assist your big data strategy   'Data lakes' and 'data streams' are becoming increasingly common analogies in the discussion on big data strategies. As in nature, both lakes and streams have their individual characteristics and are each important to the overall ecosystem. The question is: how do they relate to each other in the context of big data, and how can we best use them for better business outcomes?Data lakes represent large pools of data that have accumulated over time. Read more >

This is the virtual reality interface Netflix made for Oculus Rift

This is the virtual reality interface Netflix made for Oculus Rift   Hack Days are great for discovering the weird and wonderful, and such a recent day at Netflix yielded over 50 "hacks" of the popular video streaming service. For our money the standout of the group is Oculix, "a 3D room version of Netflix UI for Oculus Rift, complete with gesture support." The video below shows the Rift wearer moving his hand up and to scroll through titles while he's immersed in a 3D world of floating content cards. Descriptions hover as he lands on specific shows and movies, and the virtual view follows where he moves his head. Read more >

Review: OCZ RevoDrive 350

Review: OCZ RevoDrive 350   Introduction and specificationsOCZ Technology Group was one of the first companies to produce a PCI-Express SSD. Released in 2010, the RevoDrive was a product that demonstrated the true potential of solid-state storage, with record-breaking sequential transfer speeds possible only when the drive was freed from the comparative limitations of the SATA bus.Since then, there have been more generations of RevoDrive, each iteration faster than the previous. But financial troubles have buried OCZ, with Toshiba snapping up the SSD division at the start of 2014. Read more >

The next version of Google Glass could look just like normal glasses

The next version of Google Glass could look just like normal glasses   If there's one thing almost everyone can probably agree on, it's that Google Glass doesn't do your face any favors. That thing is straight ugly.In fact, almost 10% of people who know what Google Glass is wouldn't use one because of how it looks, according to Glass Almanac.Thankfully Google Glass's form is guaranteed to change with future iterations, and a newly uncovered patent may hint at exactly how.First things first: ditching the prominent projector that lets everyone know you're a Glass-hole as soon as you enter the room. Read more >

How transport companies can use tech to keep travellers happy

How transport companies can use tech to keep travellers happy   Mass transit systems entail the movement of very large numbers of autonomous beings (passengers) within high structured systems and processes. The challenge for transport service providers is to marry passengers demand, and modal choices,with available transport system capacity. Read more >

Ballmer exits Microsoft board, we remember his career in videos

Ballmer exits Microsoft board, we remember his career in videos   Steve Ballmer has left the building. Six months after resigning as CEO, the enthusiastic Microsoft figure is now leaving the board of directors to focus on his new career: owning the LA Clippers basketball team."In the six months since leaving, I have become very busy. I see a combination of the Clippers, civic contribution, teaching and study taking a lot of time." he wrote in an open letter to new Microsoft head Satya Nadella. But Ballmer added "I bleed Microsoft", imploring the team to keep him in the loop.During his 34 year stay at Microsoft, Ballmer has given a lot to the company. Read more >

Apple's iWatch could come with a curved screen

Apple's iWatch could come with a curved screen   The Moto 360 will bring the first circular screen to wearables and now Apple may be looking to 1-up Motorola with a curved screen.Patently Apple has uncovered a new document that suggests Apple is looking to introduce a curved touchscreen display with the rumored iWatch.Unlike curved screen TVs and phones, such as the LG G Flex, we've seen so far this curved screen would not fan out in a concave shape around the user. Rather the screen would be convex and bulge from the center. Essentially the screen would look like a small dome or protruding square siting above the wearer's wrist. Read more >

Asus teases its Android Wear smartwatch for IFA 2014

Asus teases its Android Wear smartwatch for IFA 2014   Asus, always one with a taste for the theatrical, has just dropped a dramatic teaser for its IFA 2014-bound smartwatch.Tweeted from its official account, the image shows the silhouette of a square-faced watch with the words "Time has been transformed, and we have changed" written across the face - a quote from Lebanese-American poet Khalil Gibran.Why are we so interested in Asus' wearable offering? Because word has it that this will be a budget Android Wear device, possibly the cheapest yet if we're to believe Asus CEO Jerry Shen, who promised a "relatively low price tag". Read more >

Is big data about to transform your commute?

Is big data about to transform your commute?   While transport systems and service providers are facing unprecedented speed in the rate of change, they also have the opportunity to exploit the ability to reach a transport user that has never been so connected and information enabled.Smartphones, for example, not only create the opportunity to provide services to users, but they are also sensors in their own right and hence rich sources of data. New devices throw off reams of data that can significantly aid the provision of real time transport services. Read more >

Microsoft's cloud service Azure hit by significant global downtime

Microsoft's cloud service Azure hit by significant global downtime   Microsoft's cloud computing service, Azure, has experienced one of its biggest outages, one that affected a significant part of its customer base globally and lasted for five hours.According to Microsoft's dashboard, the interruptions started at 17:49 UTC and included "Cloud Services, Virtual Machines Websites, Automation, Service Bus, Backup, Site Recovery, HDInsight, Mobile Services and possible other Azure Services in multiple regions". Read more >

IBM gets green light to sell x86 servers to Lenovo

IBM gets green light to sell x86 servers to Lenovo   That's it, the deal is done. After months of rumours and uncertainty, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) has signed off the sale of IBM's x86 server business to Chinese tech giant Lenovo.The Chinese government had already agreed to the transaction which took place early 2014, but was conditional to the deal being approved by regulatory bodies of both countries - and that has now happened.Lenovo purchased IBM's ailing x86 business for $2.3 billion (about £1.4 billion, AU$2.6 billion) in January this year but the acquisition hit a number of snags. Read more >

Is open source about to lose an important battle to Microsoft?

Is open source about to lose an important battle to Microsoft?   Will Munich give up? Ten years ago, the German city was acclaimed as a pioneer for moving from Microsoft's closed solutions to Linux and open source. But times have changed and now, the office of the mayor is considering moving back to Windows and Office.Initially, more than 9,000 computers moved to LiMux (Linux in Munich) from Windows 4. Read more >

Google's next target audience? Kids

Google's next target audience? Kids   When children use the internet they're supposed to play games they read about on the backs of cereal boxes, not check their Gmail accounts and write Facebook statuses.The internet-at-large can be a scary place for kids, after all, but Google might be aiming to start changing that.The search company is working to overhaul its online services so that children under the age of 13 can safely use them, according to The Information. Read more >

Review: Seagate Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD V.4 6TB Hard Disk review

Review: Seagate Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD V.4 6TB Hard Disk review   IntroductionA single hard disk offering a mind-bogging total storage capacity of 6TB (6000GB) is a new milestone for computing, and it has been reached almost simultaneously by two firms, Seagate and HGST, a subsidiary of Western Digital. Previously, the maximum capacity 3.5-inch hard disk you could buy only offered 4TB, so this is a whopping increase of 50 per cent.Both companies announced the new capacity late last year, so it has clearly taken a while for the drives to arrive at retail. Read more >

How technology is changing the transport industry

How technology is changing the transport industry   Technology is fuelling a dramatic acceleration in the pace of change within the transport industry.Traditional planning and investment cycles used to be measured in decades, but with the advent of mobile technology coupled with a marked change in user behaviour and expectations on one hand, and major demographic shifts on the other, the industry is being forced to adapt to a far faster pace of change.Urbanisation creating pressure on mass transit systemsThe greatest challenge for transport is rapid urbanisation around the world. Read more >

Oracle unveils 32-core SPARC M7 super chip

Oracle unveils 32-core SPARC M7 super chip   Oracle has announced its latest processor at the Hot Chips conference last week and this one is a serious candidate for the title of most complex chip ever.The M7, which follows the M6, will have 32 cores, 20 more compared to its predecessor and will use a new core design called the S4.Built on a 20nm manufacturing process but referred by EnterpriseTech as a 16nm FinFET 3D manufacturing node from TSMC, it is expected to pack a whopping 10 billion transistors. Read more >

BestBuy reveals Moto 360 price and full spec sheet, says it's 'coming soon'

BestBuy reveals Moto 360 price and full spec sheet, says it's 'coming soon'   The Moto 360 smartwatch will cost $250 (around £149, AU$269) when it goes on sale this year, according to US big box retailer BestBuy.The electronics store has listed the Android Wear device on its website, complete with the price and a complete spec sheet, while advising visitors it is 'coming soon.'The listing promises the Moto 360 will have a 1.5-inch LCD display with 320 x 290 resolution and 205 ppi, a Texas Instruments processor, a built-in pedometer and heart rate monitor.According to the Best Buy listing, it'll also be waterproof for 30 minutes in up to 3.3 feet of water. Read more >

In Depth: 10 awesome things your smartphone will do next

In Depth: 10 awesome things your smartphone will do next   10 awesome things your smartphone will do nextThe smartphone is the Very Hungry Caterpillar of technology, munching its way through all kinds of devices as the phone in your pocket replaces all kinds of stand-alone kit. It's already chewed through sat-navs and compact cameras, iPods and even torches - and it's still hungry. Here's what's next on the menu.1 KeysYour phone probably won't replace your front door Yale key any time soon, but it's likely to replace other kinds of keys. Read more >

Round up: Best of TechRadar Pro: Tableau Software, Chromebook problems and top iPad business apps

Round up: Best of TechRadar Pro: Tableau Software, Chromebook problems and top iPad business apps   Untapped talent: the business case for an autistic workforceWhen trying to formulate a game-changing plan or a crucial business breakthrough, organisations need all the sharp minds they can get.As such, widening the recruitment net to cover new talent pools is a key strategy for many major firms, including software giant SAP, which is seeking to tap into the autistic community to uncover fresh talent. Read more >

Blip: FAA drops kibosh on 'planesharing' apps for private pilots

Blip: FAA drops kibosh on 'planesharing' apps for private pilots   Is there anything the Federal Aviation Administration hates more than commercial drones? Actually, "planesharing" apps might fit that bill.A new crop of start-ups - including companies like AirPooler and Flytenow - proposed to make it easier for private plane operators to arrange to ferry users around in exchange for gas money. But the FAA has put the kibosh on those and similar services - even low-tech versions, says TechCrunch.The Administration's decision is based on proposals and regulations from 1963 and 1964. Read more >

Blip: Uber is testing a moving service for lazy users in two cities

Blip: Uber is testing a moving service for lazy users in two cities   Uber long ago became more than an app-based cab service, at various times offering alternative promotions ranging from ice cream and Christmas tree delivery to an on-wheels kitten adoption service.Now they're expanding further by testing a moving service - called UberMovers - in Atlanta and Nashville this weekend.By teaming up with moving service Bellhops, Uber is able to send two professional movers with gear to help college students in Atlanta, plus new Uber users in Nashville, for free for up to a half hour this weekend. Read more >

T-Mobile's unlimited data is only unlimited if you follow the rules

T-Mobile's unlimited data is only unlimited if you follow the rules   T-Mobile has worked hard to cultivate its image as the "un-carrier," but that doesn't mean it has no rules for users.Those on unlimited data plans, for example, can only use those plans for approved purposes, the carrier has revealed.Customers who use their T-Mobile unlimited data plans for things like peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing or always-on webcams or servers will soon receive notices from the carrier, reports Re/code.T-Mobile wants to reach out to them and "help them change," Chief Marketing Officer Mike Sievert told the site. Read more >

Sprint wants to be the new T-Mobile starting next week

Sprint wants to be the new T-Mobile starting next week   T-Mobile has made a name for itself as the "un-carrier," bucking trends and shaking the wireless industry up at regular intervals.And now Sprint wants to do the same, according to fresh-faced CEO Marcelo Claure."We're going to change our plans to make sure they are simple and attractive and make sure every customer in America thinks twice about signing up to a competitor," he told a company-wide town hall meeting on August 14, reports Light Reading.He added that Sprint's plan prices will become "very disruptive" beginning next week. Read more >

Warner Bros. might buy Xbox Entertainment, merge it with Machinima

Warner Bros. might buy Xbox Entertainment, merge it with Machinima   Microsoft shut down its Xbox Entertainment Studios in July to focus on gaming instead, but the studio might not be fully dismantled.Word has it Xbox Entertainment is looking for a buyer, and Warner Bros. is among the preliminary candidates, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Warner Bros. already bought a stake in one struggling gaming entertainment company - Machinima - this year, and sources told the site that the studio could merge Xbox Entertainment and Machinima together.Warner Bros. Read more >

Review: Updated: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2013)

Review: Updated: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2013)   IntroductionWith 2GB on board storage, a 212 ppi resolution, a "25% faster processor" (Amazon wasn't very forthcoming on the exact speed) and weighing in at 206 grams, the latest Paperwhite is taking aim at the higher-end of ereader specs.And at £109 it's definitely cost effective. The Kobo Aura HD and Nook GlowLight are the most comparable devices in a similar range, but even with more impressive lists of specs (or price point for the Nook), the Paperwhite seems to have executed the ereading experience very well. Read more >

TechRadar Show: The best of Gamescom and the latest word on Apple's iWatch

TechRadar Show: The best of Gamescom and the latest word on Apple's iWatch   We're peaceful folk at TechRadar, but this week's show got a bit confrontational. Maybe it was how Hugh was sitting or the way Marc dressed himself that morning. Something was getting us irate, and the guns were out.But with Gamescom now wrapping up, there was also plenty to chat about. So we highlighted our favourite moments of the show and discussed the biggest announcements from Germany's own E3.It feels like a week can't go by without wearables hitting the headlines, and sure enough it was the iWatch back in the spotlight. Read more >

Huawei's first wearable lands in Australia, Ascend P7 to follow

Huawei's first wearable lands in Australia, Ascend P7 to follow   Huawei's first wearable, the TalkBand B1, is available in Australia starting today, while the Ascend P7 will be available from August 18.Huawei unveiled the TalkBand B1, a wristband with a 1.4-inch flexible OLED display, earlier this year at MWC 2014.Huawei is calling the TalkBand B1 a "hybrid smartband", because while its main focus is fitness, the TalkBand B1 also comes with a detachable Bluetooth earpiece, which can be used for taking calls.On the fitness side of things, the band will keep track of sleep patterns, steps taken, calories burned and so on. The device supports Android 2. Read more >

Review: Updated: Android 4.4 KitKat

Review: Updated: Android 4.4 KitKat   IntroductionEveryone was expecting Key Lime Pie to serve as the delicious moniker for the next version of Android. Google surprised us all by bucking tradition and releasing Android 4.4 under the name KitKat.Version 4.0 started life as Ice Cream Sandwich, but the last three decimal additions came under the Jelly Bean banner. This new version was obviously deemed different enough to snag a new nickname, but not different enough to merit a jump to version 5.0. In fact we may never get version 5, as KitKat's predcessor is currently known as 'Android L'.That 0.1 bump hardly does it justice. Read more >

Samsung ups the Internet of Things ante with SmartThings acquisition

Samsung ups the Internet of Things ante with SmartThings acquisition   Samsung has once again signaled its intentions to be a big player in the burgeoning Internet of Things market, by agreeing a deal to acquire one of the sector's hottest start ups.Following reports it had tabled a $200m offer ((around £116m, AUS$213m) last month, Samsung confirmed it has bought the Washington DC-based SmartThings for an undisclosed fee.The two year old firm sells smart home kits which work around a central Wi-Fi hub, allowing users to control various household appliances, doors, windows and thermostats. Read more >

TechRadar Deals: Buy this Samsung M3 1TB portable hard drive for just £43.99

TechRadar Deals: Buy this Samsung M3 1TB portable hard drive for just £43.99   Keep your media library safe wherever you need to take it with this robust portable hard drive from Samsung. Offering a massive 1TB of storage, as well as USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectivity, and SafetyKey protection for your data, this Samsung hard drive lets you enjoy stable HD videos and gaming. And best of all, you can save £36 when you buy it now for only £43.99 at Amazon - that's a mighty 45% off.Check out our other deals below.Asus Transformer Book T100 for only £289.95.Panasonic DMP-BD81EB Blu-ray Disc Player for only £50. Read more >

Interview: What are the challenges of running a data centre in central London?

Interview: What are the challenges of running a data centre in central London?   Challenges: Noise, space and expansionLocated in Tech City's Shoreditch area, City Lifeline is the second-longest established data centre in the UK. It began by providing business continuity services for firms located in the capital before becoming a major centre for telecommunications, and in later years, the internet. Read more >

Apple iWatch display tipped again to get the sapphire treatment

Apple iWatch display tipped again to get the sapphire treatment   Apple is doubling down on sapphire screens and it looks like the iWatch will indeed feature the tough material alongside the iPhone 6.The Wall Street Journal reports Apple's first line of sapphire screens for smartphone and watches are expected to roll off its production lines at a Mesa, Arizona factory by the end of August.The Journal, by the way, casually dropped mention of the iWatch in a larger report about Apple sapphire production. Read more >

Motorola teases Moto X+1, Moto G2 and Moto 360 for September 4

Motorola teases Moto X+1, Moto G2 and Moto 360 for September 4   Motorola won't be making a big show at IFA 2014, but it'll trying to steal some of the limelight with its own big event in Chicago on September 4.The company has just fired out invitations for a big Motorola show, which strongly hints that we'll be seeing the Moto X+1 and a new Moto G phone unveiled, while also suggesting that a release date for the Moto 360 smartwatch is on the cards.The animated invitation shows a colourful paper fortune teller displaying a phone with an X on the screen, another with a G on it, and a very Moto 360-esque watch. Oh, and some sort of Bluetooth headset. Read more >

Review: X-Rite Colormunki Display

Review: X-Rite Colormunki Display   The X-Rite Colormunki Display is a tool used to calibrate monitors and projectors. It comes in an easy-to-use software package that enables amateurs and experts alike to fine tune devices to show the best possible colour accuracy.To get started you'll need to download the latest version of X-Rite's Colormunki Display software, which is available from the company's website. Once installed you'll get access to step-by-step guides and video tutorials that make the calibration process a breeze. Read more >

Cisco to cut 6000 jobs after posting an annual revenue decrease

Cisco to cut 6000 jobs after posting an annual revenue decrease   Cisco revenue decreased 3% to $47.1 billion (£28.2 billion, AU$50.6 billion) during fiscal 2014 compared with fiscal 2013, the company said. Net income also decreased this year, from $9.98 billion (£5.98 billion, AU$10.73 billion) to $7.85 billion (£4.70 billion, AU$8.44 billion).The San Jose, Calif.-based company will cut 6000 jobs in the coming months, as it attempts to reorganize its engineering team. Cisco employs approximately 70,000 globally. "This will be a reallocation of resources," said Cisco CEO John Chambers on an earnings call. Read more >

Review: Updated: Gigabyte P35W v2

Review: Updated: Gigabyte P35W v2   Introduction and designWith the PC returning to the forefront of the video game scene, gaming laptops are booming in popularity. Almost every major vendor – Lenovo, Asus, Dell and more – has a solution for what I call semi-mobile PC gaming. (And I say "semi-mobile" considering few, if any, gaming laptops can play for longer than an hour on their batteries.) But as it stands, few put forth a better value proposition than Gigabyte, a Taiwan-based firm that until recently was better known for its components than its full-built systems.The company's latest, the 15. Read more >

Sony Smartwatch 3 set for IFA, probably won't run Android Wear

Sony Smartwatch 3 set for IFA, probably won't run Android Wear   One smartwatch player we haven't heard about in a while is Sony, but it sounds like the company is firing up the engines for its SmartWatch 3.Word comes from Digi-Wo that Sony is planning to announce the SmartWatch 3 at IFA 2014. But despite the arrival of Android Wear this year, Sony will keep to its word and eschew Google's wearable OS in favour of the design language featured on its predecessor.The watch will also keep the square design, but with an improved resolution. A new transflective screen will also be used offering better visibility with less light, if the report is to be believed. Read more >

Review: Acer B326HUL

Review: Acer B326HUL   IntroductionWhen it comes to display technology, everything is getting bigger - from your smartphone to your television - to tablets sporting screens the size of laptops. PC monitors are no different, and with the market taking inevitable strides toward 4K and UltraWide QHD display technologies, the arrival of a 32-inch panel like Acer's B326HUL feels almost par for the course rather than something that would once have been considered a niche product. Read more >

Advertisers can now promote videos on Twitter

Advertisers can now promote videos on Twitter   Twitter has begun beta testing a cost-per-view sponsored video program. As part of the test, advertisers will be able to upload video content to Twitter and measure subsequent engagement. The new program, Promoted Video, will allow advertisers to monitor the success of video campaigns beyond "favorites" and retweets. Analytics will include video completion statistics and performance comparisons between sponsored posts and organic videos. Users should expect to see more video content in their Twitter feeds as the program ramps up, according to a Twitter statement. Read more >

This is the reversible USB that we'll soon be using - and it's awesome

This is the reversible USB that we'll soon be using - and it's awesome   A brand new generation of super-fast USB has just been finalised, and it's going to save you many precious seconds in jamming things the wrong way round.The USB Type-C can be plugged into a port either way round (just like Apple's Lightning connector), and is designed to work with phones, tablets and laptops. The new variant of the 10Gbps USB 3.1 standard is about the size of a micro-USB connector, and around twice as fast as USB 3.0. Basically, it's all good news. Read more >

Amazon launches affordable credit card reader to take on PayPal and Square

Amazon launches affordable credit card reader to take on PayPal and Square   Amazon has long been criticised for taking business away from local firms but the online retailer's latest move – the launch of a mobile card reader - looks to recapture some of that karma.Amazon Local Register, valued at US$10 (around £7, or AU$13), is a secure card reader that's only available in US for the time being and comes with $10 worth of credit towards processing fees when ordered. Amazon's plans were leaked in the past month when an inventory report showing incoming stock escaped from US-based office stationary supplier Staples. Read more >

3 tips for propoerly disposing of old IT equipment

3 tips for propoerly disposing of old IT equipment   If your business has a stack of old computer equipment in an old storage room or closet, you aren’t alone. Organizations of all sizes regularly deal with monitors, PCs, printers, and mobile devices that need to be discarded. The problem? There’s no easy way to get rid of old equipment.Businesses face several challenges when removing old equipment, with stiff penalties for errors. Read more >

Review: Updated: iPad Air

Review: Updated: iPad Air   Introduction and designApple's new iPad shows all you need to know about its changed approach to tablets - with a 43% thinner bezel and a 28% lighter device, the iPad Air is championing the 'easier to live with' ideal.If you haven't seen a picture yet, then imagine an iPad mini that you've just held a little closer to your face, and you're largely there with the Air. It's got the same smooth back design, thinner bezel and more attractive speakers at the bottom of the phone to make it look like more of a family with the cut down tablet from Apple's stables. Read more >

Moto 360 battery lasts two and a half days, says early review

Moto 360 battery lasts two and a half days, says early review   Last week we reported on some new pictures of the Moto 360 in its charging cradle, along with evidence that the smartwatch will include an optical heart rate sensor.Italian blogger Luca Viscardi, who obtained the early sample of the watch, has also penned a review with some initial thoughts on the device, in which he says the battery life of the Moto 360 lasts around two and a half days.That means it fares better than the LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live, both of which only run for about a day, but obviously won't stand up to other rivals such as the Pebble. Still, not terrible. Read more >

PAX Prime 2014: PAX Prime 2014: what to expect from the show

PAX Prime 2014: PAX Prime 2014: what to expect from the show   With the hype of E3 behind us, we can now concentrate on the Comic-Con of video games: PAX Prime 2014.We already had a blast at PAX East and now we're gearing up for the four-day gaming convention in Seattle. It was once a smaller show but it seems to grow in popularity every year; in fact, tickets for PAX Prime sold out in a matter of two hours. Last year saw the buzz of the next-gen consoles everywhere but what will this year hold? Perhaps it's time for the PC-console Steam Machines to show up and really woo the crowd by letting us play on 'em some more. Read more >

Opinion: OnePlus women-only photo contest shows we still have a long way to go

Opinion: OnePlus women-only photo contest shows we still have a long way to go   I'm a woman, and I like technology.Sadly, I'm all too used to moments of ignorance and sexism as displayed by a now-seemingly pulled OnePlus contest.If you haven't already heard, OnePlus launched a contest to commemorate reaching 200,000 message board members in which only women – or "ladies" as we're referred to like a Tuesday night cover charge special – were asked to submit a photo of themselves with the OnePlus logo drawn on a piece of paper or themselves. The 50 photos that garnered the most "likes" would earn the entrants a T-shirt. Read more >

Siri's inventors plan to one-up Apple with a smarter, self-learning AI

Siri's inventors plan to one-up Apple with a smarter, self-learning AI   When Siri was first introduced with the iPhone 4S in 2011 like the voice-controlled computer of the future was finally at hand until you asked it to arrange a reservation of any kind. Now Viv Labs, which was co-founded by three Siri engineers, claims it is working on a radical new AI that far out paces Cortana, Siri or any other virtual assistant out today.Viv Labs explained in an interview with Wired that its AI also named Viv isn't simply limited to completing tasks that its been programmed to. Read more >

UPDATED: Ballmer's ballin' as Big Steve wins battle to buy LA Clippers NBA team

UPDATED: Ballmer's ballin' as Big Steve wins battle to buy LA Clippers NBA team   UPDATE (Thursday August 12): Ballmer now officially owns the LA Clippers NBA franchise according to Bloomberg. The deal was initially agreed on May 30, but incumbent owner Donald Sterling took some shifting.Original story continues below...When Steve Ballmer stepped down as Microsoft CEO earlier this year, he seemed an unlikely candidate for a quiet retirement playing golf or collecting stamps... and so it has proved.The brash and bombastic Ballmer has reportedly won the bidding to buy the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers franchise for a cool $2 billion (around £1.2bn, AU$2.15bn). Read more >

Industry voice: Correcting the flaws appearing in online customer service systems

Industry voice: Correcting the flaws appearing in online customer service systems   Given that billions of people and devices are now online, and the internet of things continues to grow explosively, it is no surprise that consumers' preference to do their shopping online rather than actually going into a store has increased dramatically in recent years.Consumer buying behaviour has changed and is now evolving in such a way that retailers are having to approach how they engage in a completely new way. Read more >

Review: Zoostorm 7260-0019 desktop PC

Review: Zoostorm 7260-0019 desktop PC   Introduction and designZoostorm is one of the few UK-based desktop PC manufacturers that has survived (and thrived) in the tablet era. It was known back in its heydays as PCNextday but changed its main brand, Zoostorm, in a move similar to what RIM did with BlackBerry. The company now sells its products essentially through third parties like Ebuyer or Amazon and the 7260-0019 desktop PC which I've been sent is actually one of its most expensive desktop PCs at …. £450 (about $700, AU$750). Out of the box, the 7260-0019 is as boring as its name sounds. Read more >

Microsoft's Update Tuesday to address critical bugs

Microsoft's Update Tuesday to address critical bugs   Microsoft will patch two critical vulnerabilities in today's Patch Tuesday (or Update Tuesday as it has been recently renamed), one of which concerns all current versions of Internet Explorer, from v8 to v11.Nine bugs will be targeted in the update with three allowing remote code execution on Microsoft's web browser and Windows. The rest either provide the attacker with an elevation of privilege or allows him to bypass security features.Applications affected include Microsoft Office and Microsoft Server. Windows 8. Read more >

UPDATED: Google Android Wear: what you need to know

UPDATED: Google Android Wear: what you need to know   What is Android Wear?Update: Android Wear is in the house. Check out what Google's smartwatches can do and see our full review.We put the first two Google-powered smartwatches on our wrists in TechRadar's Android Wear review, but concluded that the software is still best worn by early adopters.The LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live beat Apple's iWatch to the punch, but we're hoping Android Wear manufacturers have better watch designs and more than a day's battery life up their sleeves. Read more >

In Depth: Meet Slice: the Raspberry Pi-powered media player with a difference

In Depth: Meet Slice: the Raspberry Pi-powered media player with a difference   Slice Media PlayerAnyone with a large digital media library will be familiar with the problem.Thousands of MP3, MKV, AVI, FLAC and MOV files sit at your beck and call, but how best to unleash their full potential instead of keeping them cooped up on a hard drive somewhere?FiveNinjas thinks it has the answer. It's a media player called Slice and it's set to be the first device to hit the shelves with a Raspberry Pi Compute Module at its heart. Read more >

The Seattle Sounders Football Club scores big with wearable technology

The Seattle Sounders Football Club scores big with wearable technology   More than 26 million viewers in the US tuned in to watch Germany defeat Argentina in the 2014 World Cup Final. The match, which featured no American-born players, touchdowns, home runs or three-pointers, was the most-watched soccer match in US history.The 120-minute showdown was the culmination of a month-long watershed period in American soccer fandom. But was it enough to propel Major League Soccer (MLS), the US and Canadian professional soccer league, to the forefront of the American sporting landscape? Probably not. Read more >

Yahoo follows Google, introduces encrypted email

Yahoo follows Google, introduces encrypted email   Yahoo has confirmed that it will be adding encryption capabilities to its email service by 2015, following the example set by Google a few months ago.Altogether, more than 600 million users are expected to be protected by enterprise-grade, end-to-end, encryption capabilities.The plan was announced at the Black Hat security conference by the company's Chief Information Officer, Alex Stamos, a post that didn't existed a year ago at Yahoo.Encryption will not be enabled by default though and users will have to turn it on themselves in order to be fully protected. Read more >

Apple will definitely announce iWatch in September or October, says tipster

Apple will definitely announce iWatch in September or October, says tipster   After years of rumours and speculation, it feels like it's almost time for the iWatch - something that prominent Apple blogger John Gruber may have just confirmed. Gruber has a history of correctly predicting Apple's plans in the past, so it's no surprise that even an offhand comment about Apple's wearable has grabbed people's attention.Taking a shot at the Moto 360 over on his site Daring Fireball, Gruber commented: "The only way this could get funnier would be if it doesn't even ship until after Apple announces their wearable thing next month. Read more >

Hands-on review: Acer Chromebook 13

Hands-on review: Acer Chromebook 13   Introduction and designChromebooks have come a long way since their debut just over three years ago. In their first year, Google's laptops sold to the tune of tens of thousands. This year, some firms estimate sales in the tens of millions. But even with such meteoric growth, at least one of the search giant's partners isn't sitting on its laurels. The latest leap forward in the category comes from a newcomer to the space that would be surprising if not for its rapid branching out from its bread and butter: Nvidia. Read more >

IBM patent points to cloud data controller service

IBM patent points to cloud data controller service   Big Blue has filed for a patent that would allow the provider to automatically direct data uploaded to the cloud to the relevant data centres based on existing regulations.Filed in September 2010 and published 18 months later, the patent, #8,676,593, geographic governance of data over clouds, describes "methods and systems for "controlling a geographic region of data in cloud computing". Read more >

Cisco rumoured to cut staff numbers again

Cisco rumoured to cut staff numbers again   Networking giant Cisco is said to be working on plans to reduce its headcount with the news being made official on Wednesday as it publishes its fourth quarter earnings.The rumours came from Cisco blogger Brad Reese and Business Insider also quotes "a source" suggesting that Cisco is working on reorganising some of its engineering team.Reese says that David Yen, Cisco's data center SVP would be on his way out and the layoffs would account for a fifth of Cisco's current headcount. Read more >

Fujitsu's SPARC64 XIfx chip to power 100-petaflop supercomputers

Fujitsu's SPARC64 XIfx chip to power 100-petaflop supercomputers   Fujitsu will presenting a new chip at this week's Hot Chips conference in Cupertino, California. The SPARC64 XIfx will be the company's answer to the growing armada of US-based companies that have taken over what is one of Fujitsu's favourite playgrounds, high performance computing (HPC). Of the world's 10 fastest super computers, only one currently runs on Fujitsu's SPARC CPU with four powered by IBM's Power architecture, one by AMD and Nvidia and four others (including the fastest of them all - the Tianhe-2) running Intel CPU and GPGPU. Read more >

Gary Marshall: 25 Google search tips and tricks you need to know

Gary Marshall: 25 Google search tips and tricks you need to know   Google tips and tricks: 1 - 15Everybody knows Google, but not everybody knows its secrets, the little things that make finding what you want faster, that make searches more specific and that uncover entertaining Easter eggs. Here are 25 of our favourite ways to find Google's G spots.1. Use search operatorsGoogle does a pretty good job of working out what you're looking for, but the more specific you are the better your results will be. Read more >

Inflame: Another case of password theft leaves commenters feeling hacked off

Inflame: Another case of password theft leaves commenters feeling hacked off   Turns out it doesn't really matter how many uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers or words about horses you have in your internet passwords, as most of them have been hacked and stolen anyway.News this week suggested that an amazing 1.2billion email addresses and passwords have been harvested by hacking group CyberVors, which poked insecure servers with a malware botnet (and perhaps bought in more stolen data from other hackers) resulting in the biggest data collection in the history of hacks. Read more >

Dell is hard at work on mood-reading software for the workplace

Dell is hard at work on mood-reading software for the workplace   Dell is working on software for existing brain-reading headsets that can accurately identify a user's mood, the company says.The company could release a mood-reading app as soon as 2017, according to the BBC.Dell's head of research and development Jai Menon said the company's mood-reading tech has applications both at home and in the workplace, which frankly is worrying.What will the office be like if you can't pretend you're happy and productive whenever the boss walks by?Dystopia risingCompanies monitoring workers' moods directly is straight out of dystopian sci-fi, but Menon is optimistic. Read more >

Review: Nook GlowLight

Review: Nook GlowLight   IntroductionAlthough not as well known as Amazon's all-conquering Kindle ereaders, the Nook series was the first to bring in a backlight display with the original Simple Touch GlowLight in 2012. It was well received but, predictably, ousted in sales terms by the introduction of Amazon's own backlight-toting Kindle Paperwhite.That hasn't stopped US bookseller Barnes & Noble, the company behind the Nook brand, from refining the Simple Touch GlowLight model with a new white design and some enhanced features. Read more >

EU once again has Google in its crosshairs, this time over Android

EU once again has Google in its crosshairs, this time over Android   Google has not earned any points with the European Union, despite a years-long antitrust investigation into the company's search practices.That case finally wrapped up (sort of) earlier in 2014, but now EU authorities are leveling more antitrust claims at the search company, this time regarding its control over Android apps.The EU is concerned that Google promotes its own apps and shuts out those of competitors in its mobile operating system, according to The Wall Street Journal. Read more >

Facebook defends against hackers with PrivateCore purchase

Facebook defends against hackers with PrivateCore purchase   Facebook continues its streak of acquisitions with the purchase of online security firm PrivateCore.The California-based security company was founded in 2012 by industry veterans from Google and VMware, according to its official site.Neither Facebook nor PrivateCore disclosed financial details concerning the deal, but Facebook said it will use the company's tech to help secure its servers and protect them from malware, hackers and more.And just in time, too, as researchers this week revealed one of the biggest online data heists in history, with 1. Read more >

Review: HGST Ultrastar He6 6TB hard disk

Review: HGST Ultrastar He6 6TB hard disk   It may be up for debate whether HGST or Seagate has sold the world's first 6TB (6000GB) hard disk, but there's no arguing over HGST's claim to the title of being the first company to produce a hard disk containing helium, rather than air, inside its shell.According to the company, which is a subsidiary of Western Digital, by using helium, the reduced air friction means less resistance than you'll find in a standard hard disk, allowing more headroom for increased disk speed, additional platters, and lower power consumption. Read more >

Samsung Gear Solo set to arrive alongside Galaxy Note 4 at IFA

Samsung Gear Solo set to arrive alongside Galaxy Note 4 at IFA   Like us, you might find the idea of cellular smartwatches a bit dubious. But not Samsung. If there's an empty space on the wall of ideas, Samsung's going to fling something at it.The Gear Solo, the Samsung smartwatch that's said totally autonomous from the phone, will reportedly touch down at IFA 2014 alongside the Galaxy Note 4. Or at least that's what Korean media outlet The Chosun Ilbo reckons.It's unclear whether the Gear Neo will come running on Samsung's Tizen OS, or on Google's Android Wear a la the Gear Live. Read more >

Nvidia cooked up its own AR headset - should Google Glass be worried?

Nvidia cooked up its own AR headset - should Google Glass be worried?   Google may have gotten there first, but Nvidia could wind up having the last laugh when it comes to improving head-mounted displays thanks new technology that takes the bulkiness out of eyeglass wearables.Nvidia and researchers from the University of North Carolina have teamed up to build Pinlight Displays, a more streamlined version of Glass made famous (infamous?) by Google. Read more >

Facebook reportedly schmoozing with movie studios for Oculus Rift content

Facebook reportedly schmoozing with movie studios for Oculus Rift content   Facebook is reportedly holding talks with major Hollywood studios and film directors with a view to securing custom-made virtual reality movie experiences for the Oculus Rift headset.The Information (paywall) brings word from four sources claiming Facebook wants to bring exclusive 'Oculus Experiences' to users and has reached out to the likes of Fox, Disney, Warner, Sony and Universal.Those experiences would be companions to movie releases, according to those familiar with the talks, but could even result in full-length, immersive movies landing directly on the VR device some day. Read more >