Latest Technology News

Analysis by Bank of America Merrill Lynch estimates that the components part of the iPhone 6s cost Apple $234 -- only a very slight increase from the iPhone 6. With the 64GB model selling for $749, Apple is pulling in $515 from each sale before the costs of manufacturing and distribution is factored in.

The biggest cost is for semiconductor parts, accounting for $127 of cost. The 64-bit A9 processor costs just $25, while various sensors add up to around $22. The estimates suggest that the screen of the iPhone 6s is the most expensive part, coming in at around $50 on its own.

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I’ve been quiet lately, I know. My sons’ Kickstarter campaign has taken a toll on their Venture Capitalist… me. I never before appreciated the physical effort that goes into managing what is, for me, a significant investment. They do the work but I pay for a lot of it and that brings with it the need to oversee -- something I’ve never been very good at doing. You’ll see the result, hopefully, next week.

While I’ve been so preoccupied a lot has happened in the technology world. Apple introduced a slew of new products and Alex Gibney released his Steve Jobs documentary. I’ll comment on both of these shortly. Yahoo was denied its tax-free Alibaba spinoff and so has to go to Plan B. I have such a Plan B (or C or D) for Yahoo, myself and will explain it soon. There are some new technologies you ought to know about, too. There are always those.

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The days of the traditional “clamshell” laptop are numbered. With every major hardware vendor (even Apple) now embracing the detachable keyboard format of Microsoft’s Surface device, the writing is on the wall -- or more accurately, on the digitized, pen-enabled screen.

With all of this newfound Surface love it’s hard to believe that, just a few months ago, Microsoft’s attempt to set a qualitative (and aesthetic) example for its hardware OEMs to follow was mocked and openly dismissed by its suddenly hostile partners. The Dells and HPs of the world were too busy experimenting with awkward tablet-like PC device designs that bent, folded or clicked into equally awkward base units, and they certainly didn’t appreciate Microsoft jumping into the market with its own, competing devices.

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The fallout from the Ashley Madison hack continues. After the passwords of millions of users were stolen in a huge security breach, the encrypted database has now been cracked. A cracking group called CynoSure Prime eschewed a time-consuming brute force approach to breaking into the database, and instead exploited information revealed by a change the infidelity site made to the way it stored data.

This change effectively rendered pointless the bcrypt encryption that had been used to protect data. It was possible to dramatically speed up the cracking process so data was accessible in a matter of days rather than years. So should users of Ashley Madison be worried?

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I haven't paid much attention to Apple's newest price-gouging tactics. But it's after Midnight here on the West Coast and preorders are now underway for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. So I decided to take a progress peak. A year ago, I rushed to get the 6. This upgrade cycle, my interest is zero.

I am not mooning over 3D Touch, although I would gladly moon Apple for such nonsense. Synchronization was the connected device age's first killer app. Touch was second. But the finger is an anachronism compared to voice. Touchless is the next big thing. While Apple brew hoos about smarter Siri, touch gets greater emphasis for this release cycle. I can't blame Apple in a way. Siri still sucks.

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For a company with its own mobile operating system to worry about (yes, there is a new build of Windows 10 Mobile on the way soon) Microsoft shows an awful lot of interest in the competition. After making an appearance at Apple's iPad Pro and iPhone 6s launch event, Microsoft has made an Android-related acquisition.

The newly-purchased Echo Notification Lockscreen is the second Android lockscreen app that the company now has to its name; Echo Notification Lockscreen joins Microsoft Next. The company says it is about taking "productivity to the next level" and improving users' experience.

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Once again, Microsoft has managed to rile people with Windows 10. People have discovered that the Windows 10 installation files are being downloaded to their computers without their permission. If this has happened to you already, we've already shown you how to remove Windows 10, claiming back space and regaining control.

But if you have been lucky enough to avoid the unwanted arrival of Windows 10 installation files so far, you'll be more interested in prevention than a cure. Here's what you need to do to make sure Microsoft doesn’t force feed you Windows 10.

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30 years ago today, iconic Italian plumber Mario made his first appearance in the legendary Super Mario Bros.

Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario remains Nintendo’s most enduring -- and recognizable -- creation, and while the hardware his games appear on might have changed considerably over the past three decades, Mario himself is still the same lovable character he’s always been.

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Sony seems hell bent on confusing its customers by giving very conflicting advice about its Xperia smartphones. If you're familiar with the range, you'll no doubt be aware of the advertising material that appears to show users taking photos in the rain and even (seemingly) underwater at the pool.

Take a look at the picture above and you'd probably assume that a) it depicts someone shooting a video or taking a photo in a swimming pool, and b) you can do the same with your phone. But you'd be wrong (at least on b) because Sony has changed its mind about what waterproof means. Or it doesn't know. It really depends on where you look on the Sony website.

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The traditional 9-5 working day of driving to an office, sitting in a cubicle for hours and then forgetting all about work at the end of the day is all but extinct.

Thanks to telecommuting and the rise of millennials on the workplace, employees are now able to work from pretty much anywhere at any time of day, with little or no disruption or sacrifice in productivity.

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Almost a year and half ago I said goodbye to my long-time satellite provider. It was nothing personal, I always had good service, but I simply decided I was paying too much for the amount of TV I watch -- or don't watch, which is more the case.

Since then I've got by just fine with a compilation of Sling TV (with the sports pack), Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime. That hasn't stopped DirecTV from trying to win me back, though I'd steadily ignored the offers. But one was different.

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Microsoft has reportedly been downloading Windows 10 installation files on to computers running Windows 7 and 8.x, regardless of whether the users plan to upgrade to the new OS or not.

If you’re thinking of making the switch, and have requested an upgrade, that is fair enough. But if you’re more than happy to stick with your older OS for now, you might not be too happy about Microsoft cluttering up your hard drive with junk install files you don’t want. Fortunately, removing these files is easy enough.

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There is a big place in my heart for gaming PCs. Unfortunately, there isn't a big place in my home for one. As more and more people share homes with their extended family (damn, economy!) space can be an issue. Zotac recently announced a small gaming PC, showing that it is possible to have a small footprint, which is very cool.

Today, ASUS announces the ROG G20CB -- a refresh of the existing G20. While not diminutive, it is certainly svelte compared to conventional towers. The specs look incredible, as it features an Intel Skylake Core i7 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 4GB. Other configurations are available too, of course, and AMD fans can opt for a Radeon R9 380.

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A health insurer in upstate New York was hacked, and more than 10 million of its members might have had their data stolen, Reuters reported on Thursday.

The Rochester-based insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield said it and its affiliates had been the target of a sophisticated cyberattack. It is offering free identity theft protection services to the affected.

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If you haven’t already upgraded to Windows 10, Microsoft has another incentive for you to make the switch. The tech giant is offering upgraders the chance to win a trip for two to New York, with flights and hotel accommodation included.

The competition is to celebrate the grand opening of Microsoft’s flagship store and the winner will have front of line access to the store, and also VIP concert tickets with a meet and greet with the (as yet unnamed) band at the grand opening concert. They’ll also receive Microsoft hardware including Surface Pro 3, Xbox One and Microsoft Band.

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