Latest Technology News

Though personal data has been a big news item recently, mapping is still a business and getting a satellite view of locations is, after all, rather a cool thing. With that in mind, Bing continues to go head-to-head against Google in this market, and today announces a new round of updates.

"We are excited to announce a number of updates to Bing Maps, including the largest shipment of Bird’s Eye imagery yet, nearly 270 terabytes of data or the equivalent of 100,000 DVD’s, along with expanded venue maps and our new 'Report a problem' feature", Bing announces.

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Google was one of numerous tech companies implicated in last week’s PRISM scandal, and despite issuing a carefully worded denial, many people still believe the search giant provides the NSA with unfettered access to its servers.

Unhappy with the situation, Google has written a letter to the offices of the Attorney General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, asking them to give the company permission to publish in its transparency reports at least some information about the FISA national security requests it receives. This will prove, Google hopes, that it complies with legal requests, but no more.

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UK-based WordWeb Software has released WordWeb Free 7.0, a major new version of its universal spellchecker and thesaurus tool for English-speaking Windows users. When running, users can look up definitions for words as well as alternatives such as synonyms from any application by holding the [Ctrl] key as they right-click the word in question.

Version 7.0 offers new and revised definitions and related words, along with updated audio pronunciations. One-click integration with other programs has also been improved, along with support for 64-bit systems and Windows 8.

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What makes a good audio editor? Many developers seem to think it’s all down to the length of the feature list, and so they’ll try to cram in just as much functionality as they possibly can. That can have its appeal, too, but there’s often a usability price to pay.

AV Audio Editor takes a very different approach. Its feature list is fairly basic, just the usual cut, copy and paste options, along with a few effects (volume tweaks, an equalizer and so on). But that’s still more than enough for many situations, and the real plus here is that AV Audio Editor takes these basics and implements them very well indeed.

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Yesterday, my colleague Alan Buckingham reported on the Xbox One availability and pricing. I wasn't sure if I wanted one but I thought it would be a good idea to pre-order. I have failed to pre-order consoles in the past with devastating results. Many Christmas holidays were ruined by the failure to secure the newest console (I know -- first world problems). And so, I decided to pre-order the Xbox One -- just in case.

I headed to the online Microsoft Store, with debit card in hand. I went to the pre-order page and started the process. I was shocked to find that Microsoft wanted me to pay the full $500 (plus tax) up front! Keep in mind, this console will not launch until November. Paying full price now, in June, is ludicrous. In the past, I had pre-ordered consoles by putting down a small deposit.

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The public beta of McAfee's newest mobile security app becomes available to download for Android devices today. Its leading feature is something called Smart Perimeter which addresses one of the key concerns of users, losing your device.

Smart Perimeter works by allowing devices to track each other and alert the user if they stray more than 30 feet apart. If a device goes outside the perimeter an alarm sounds and it's also locked so you have to enter a PIN to re-enable it.

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The repercussions of last week's PRISM story continue to ricochet around the web. The latest domino to fall is that belonging to Mozilla, maker of the popular Firefox browser and Thunderbird email client. The organization announces sweeping actions against this news with a campaign designed to raise awareness on perceived privacy intrusions.

Mozilla's Alex Fowler, leader of privacy and public policy, announces "last week, media reports emerged that the US government is requiring vast amounts of data from Internet and phone companies via top secret surveillance programs. The revelations, which confirm many of our worst fears, raise serious questions about individual privacy protections, checks on government power and court orders impacting some of the most popular Web services".

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Let the battle of the next-generation gaming consoles begin. Sony has unveiled the latest PlayStation in its ongoing battle against Microsoft for your gaming dollars. This is a race to be sorted out by consumers, and it begins this holiday season when both consoles will hit the market.

"We are proud to unveil today the most advanced gaming system ever created, PlayStation 4, which demonstrates everything PlayStation stands for -- a relentless focus on the gamer, an inspired community of developers equipped with the most powerful technology, and the long-standing legacy to building worlds without boundaries through one-of-a-kind gaming experiences," said Jack Tretton, President and CEO of SCEA

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Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry just rolled out a new version of its Facebook BB 10 app, bringing the latest iteration one step closer to its Android and iOS counterparts. This is the second major update in the past couple of months.

The new Facebook app for BlackBerry 10, now at version 10.2.0, focuses on design and functionality improvements. In the former department, the app sports a new "refined" look for the newsfeed, adding a couple visual tweaks. The most noteworthy enhancements, however, are related to photo management and tagging.

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I am a longtime Android user and fan. However, my Nexus 7 has been running very slow. Needless to say, I am in the market for something to replace it. I was planning on looking for another Android tablet. Heck, like my colleague Joe Wilcox, I even collect Android collectibles. However, I am currently having a sordid love affair with Microsoft Windows 8. Everyone who hears about my love for Windows 8 on the desktop tells me that the operating system will really shine on a tablet. And so, I decided to explore an Android alternative -- a Windows 8 device.

When looking for a Windows 8 tablet, there were only two things I knew I wanted -- great build quality and for it to be light-weight. However I knew for sure what I didn’t want -- Windows RT. I expect Windows RT to slowly grow and gain momentum in the future. However, that time is not now. I need to get work done with my tablet so I must have access to Windows x86 apps.

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On Tuesday, Dell subsidiary Alienware announced three new gaming laptops featuring 14-inch, 17-inch and 18-inch displays, boldly touted by the US company as "the most powerful [...] in the universe". Each device offers upgraded quad-core Intel "Haswell" Core processors, new video cards and a different design theme compared to its predecessor.

The Alienware 14 is the smallest and the most portable of the three. The laptop packs a 14-inch screen and is offered with fourth-generation Intel Core i7 processors, Nvidia GeForce 700 series video cards, DDR3L RAM memory and up to three storage drives. The most interesting feature, however, is the optional 14-inch matte IPS display with a resolution of 1920 by 1080, which should translate into great viewing angles and comfortable outdoor use.

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Opera has unveiled the first stable release of its standalone mail client. Opera Mail is based on the integrated Opera email client found in the current version of Opera 12.15 FINAL, but which is due to be dropped from the next major release of Opera (currently in alpha as Opera 15.0 Next).

Opera Mail promises to be both lightweight and fast, and while mirroring the functionality found in previous versions of Opera, which includes features such as labelling, filtering, multiple tabs and thread support.

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If you’re the sort of person who views a seatbelt as an inconvenience, you might soon have to reconsider your stance as according to Jeffery Evenson, senior vice president of Corning, the firm’s durable Gorilla Glass could start appearing in vehicles within the next 12 months.

Corning’s scratch resistant Gorilla Glass can already be found in 1.5 billion electronic devices, including the Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, but it’s not just the strength of the glass that might appeal to automobile makers.

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Following Splashtop 2, a new remote control app is now available on Windows Phone 8. The popular TeamViewer just launched, allowing users of the tiled mobile operating system to access Linux, Mac and Windows computers while on the go.

TeamViewer is pretty easy to use, only requiring folks to type in a "partner ID" and passcode in order to remotely control a PC. The app offers essential functionality -- remote typing using a virtual keyboard, direct access to the CTRL + ALT + Del menu and the ability to move the cursor -- and keeps things secure by implementing 256-bit AES encoding and 1024-bit RSA key exchange.

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Security specialist Sourcefire has announced enhancements to its FirePOWER network security platform. It provides a firewall, intrusion prevention, and an anti-malware solution in a single hardware-based package that aims to deliver protection without harming performance.

This separate-box approach makes it simple to add protection to an existing network and is easily scalable to adapt to various sizes of organizations. Enhancements in the latest version include firewall and intrusion prevention systems that have better IPv6 support and product awareness. Network address translation (NAT) policy can now be set centrally rather than by device, allowing for a consistent approach across the organization. The product's threat protection uses cloud intelligence in order to stay up to date.

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