Latest Technology News

Google is increasing the maximum APK size in Google Play from 50MB to 100MB. The move comes in response to developers creating apps which offer richer experiences, and helps to avoid the need to download additional data after the initial APK download.

Expansion Files can still be used to allow for apps that exceed the 100MB barrier, but the aim in increasing the base limit is to speed up the installation for users. Now, rather than downloading an app followed by additional updates once the installation is complete, larger apps can now be downloaded and installed in one fell swoop.

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This year, disaster recovery (DR) has been a top priority for 45 percent of UK IT departments. With the increase in legal and regulatory compliance coupled with virtualization and cloud-based strategies for disaster recovery, more IT departments (five percent more than 2014, to be exact) are recognizing the importance of DR.

But knowing DR is necessary and implementing it effectively are two separate things. In a separate study by Timico, only five percent of respondents said they were totally confident that their DR plan was adequate.

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A gift and curse of Linux-based operating systems is the large selection. It is very cool that there are so many operating systems to choose from, but a good amount of them are crap. In other words, you have to sift through hundreds of fringe distros to discover the gems.

One such gem is Manjaro Linux. This Arch-based distribution is well-designed and offers a great out-of-the-box experience. While not ideal for beginners, it is a solid choice for advanced Linux users who don't have the time or patience for a vanilla Arch install. Today, Manjaro reaches version 15.09, code-named 'Bellatrix'.

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Smart PC Utilities has released PC Tasks Optimizer, a quick and easy way to manage your core Windows scheduled tasks.

There’s no technical talk about "events" or "triggers", as instead the program just displays a list of statements about how you use your computer: "I do not connect any devices via Bluetooth", "I do not use Microsoft Active Directory", "I do not want Windows to routinely defrag my hard disk", "I do not share my media library", "I have disabled Windows Remote Assistance", and a whole lot more.

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BlackBerry’s recently announced "Priv" slider phone is a bit of an enigma. On the one hand, it appears to be a solid Android device with some innovative touches (capacitive keyboard) and a decent spec sheet. On the other hand, it comes bundled with a grab bag of features (BBM, BlackBerry Hub) that seem to have been lifted straight out of the company’s much maligned BB10 OS, in some cases without thought for how (or even if) they will integrate with Google’s user environment.

The net result is an awkward marriage of competing UX paradigms. For example, BlackBerry Hub, long a key selling point for BB10 devices, has been transplanted onto Android without consideration for what made it special in the first place -- namely, swipe gestures. BB10 users will attest to how the OS’ swipe-based interface makes working with these devices both practical and more efficient, especially when operating their phones with one hand. Over time, these users have come to master BB10’s myriad swipe combinations, allowing them to multitask at the frenetic pace most commonly associated with true "crackberry" addicts (think congressional staffers chasing their wards around Capitol Hill).

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Connected cars are set to become big money spinners, with automobile manufacturers keen to add connectivity to their vehicles in order to further drive profits.

Not only does the connected vehicle provide reams of data to the vendor, but revenue from connected car internet services is expected to be massive in just five years’ time.

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Fast food may not be the ideal staple of a diet, but most on us indulge, at least from time to time. The sign just seems to beckon sometimes -- the Whopper, the Quarter Pounder, the fries. Now Taco Bell wants to make life even easier for those stopping by for a quick meal.

The company is announcing its new site -- ta.co. Obviously the name is catchy and easy to remember, but there's more to it than just browsing the same menu you'll find in the restaurant. Instead you can customize your dish however you want utilizing options that aren't available when you walk in. You can even pay right on the site.

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Google is making it easier for advertizers to very closely target mobile users, homing in on the 'moments that matter'. The company is launching two new ad products -- Customer Match and Universal App Campaigns -- in a bid to convert more views into sales.

The aim with Customer Match is to target people with ads based on what they are doing, where they are, and the device they are using. It ties in with searches, Gmail, and YouTube to enable businesses to create highly tailored ad campaigns. Universal App Campaigns helps advertisers gain greater reach across the Google network.

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For the typical enterprise, running big data platforms like Hadoop and Spark is complex and resource intensive, and the challenges only increase as data volumes expand.

Big data as a service specialist Altiscale is releasing the latest version of its Hadoop and Spark platform in the cloud, offering full operations support and elastic scalability. It ensures that customers can focus on the value they get from big data, while liberating them from the hassles of data management.

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You know where you stand with Apple and the iPhone. Every year a new model arrives in September. You get an updated flagship (an 's' model on alternate years), and a spin off version (the 5c, the Plus) for a bit of extra revenue. Then, shortly after the new iterations go on sale, you get an announcement from Apple declaring a new weekend sales record.

At some point this record breaking run will end, although it’s not likely to happen anytime soon. Today Apple announces more than 13 million iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have been sold around the world. It’s a huge achievement, and blows past last year’s numbers, but all is not as it seems.

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Companies are increasingly turning to software as a service solutions. But these often lead to problems when needing to integrate workflows with in-house or other SaaS solutions.

To address this, cloud software specialist Azuqua has announced the availability of a new integration solution for connecting cloud applications and automating business-critical workflow.

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While it seems odd to many people, the whole world isn't online -- though it may seem that way sometimes when you visit sites like Facebook. Not all countries have the infrastructure in place to support the deployment of broadband. Google is looking to help.

The company claims that one billion residents of India are without a connection. To remedy this the company is going to the heart of transportation in the nation, the railway stations.

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The iPhone 6s is a great phone. Mine arrived on Friday and I’ll be reviewing it in the next couple of days or so. It has some very welcome improvements over my previous Apple phone -- the iPhone 5s -- and 3D Touch has the potential to be a real game changer.

However, my enjoyment of the new phone has been tainted thanks to an incredibly annoying bug that makes the iPhone 6s next to useless when out and about. In fact, when I went out for the day yesterday, I was forced to leave the shiny new iPhone 6s at home and take my aging Android phone with me instead.

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GoPro makes some awesome action cameras, but they are not exactly cheap. If you want to get one of its top-of-the-line models you will have to shell out between $400 and $500. And then you will have to add some more on top of that for different accessories. However, the company also has some pretty good entry-level options for consumers on a budget, the most-attractive of which is the new Hero+.

Hero+ slots between Hero and Hero+LCD, and might just be the best option of the three if you are looking to get into the GoPro action camera game. At $199.99, it bundles most of the best features of Hero+LCD at a price that is closer to that of a base Hero. Here is what you need to know.

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With all of the talk about the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, and the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+, it's easy to forget that there are some genuine alternatives out there. One such smartphone is the Blackphone from the privacy-centric Silent Circle. The original Blackphone caused great excitement, and now the Blackphone 2 is available.

This is a phone that has been built from the ground up with security and privacy in mind. While the Blackphone 2 will appeal to anyone who is concerned about privacy, this time around there is a greater push to appeal to businesses and enterprise, including joining Google's Android for Work program. In terms of specs, opting for the most secure handset on the market does not mean making compromises: this phone is a beast.

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