Latest Technology News

Consumers looking to purchase their first smartphone have so many options to choose from that the only way manufacturers can differentiate is by giving their devices more upscale, standout features. In a time when 4G LTE is on the rise, faster data speeds would certainly qualify. And with the 2015 Moto E, Motorola is finally giving its future customers just that.

Yes, folks, the 2015 Moto E will arrive packing 4G LTE cellular connectivity, at a price that is similar to its predecessor's. And it will run Android 5.0 Lollipop out-of-the-box.

The Simplocker ransomware targeting Android systems first appeared in mid 2014. Prior to Simplocker most ransomware only claimed to encrypt files but didn't actually do so.

Fortunately files locked by the malware were fairly easy to decrypt, but now researchers at antivirus company Avast have uncovered a new version of Simplocker with an even nastier trick.

Windows Event Logs can be a great troubleshooting resource, packed as they are with a host of essential low-level system details. But the bulky, underpowered Windows Event Viewer means all this data isn’t nearly as easy to access as it could be, and so many people avoid it just as much as they can.

TailExpert is a free-for-personal-use alternative, a powerful tool for viewing, analyzing and monitoring Windows Event and plain text logs.

We're a global nation of hypochondriacs; Google has revealed that 5 percent of search traffic comes from people looking for health and well-being information. To help with any queries you might have about your body and different conditions, the search giant has furnished Knowledge Graph with a raft of medical data.

Got a funny looking rash? Google could help you to determine whether you have something to worry about, or whether it's something that's likely to clear up on its own. Knowledge is power, and medical knowledge is what Google is trying to arm people with to avoid the worry that comes with uncertainty.

It probably hasn't escaped your notice that today (10 February) is Safer Internet Day. This is intended to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially amongst children and young people.

Online advice site Knowthenet.org.uk -- operated by the Nominet domain registry -- has published some new research looking at the attitudes of parents to their children's use of social media and finds that whilst it has a generally good effect there's still a need for caution.

Manchester City has claimed the title of the world’s first football club to create an app for Android Wear smart watches.

The app is called CityMatchday Wear, and it can be downloaded for free from the Google Play store. It offers club related news, goal alerts and notifications for different events, such as yellow and red cards, penalties, team sheets, match details and substitutions.

I'm a dog guy. No, really; I'm all in on this canine thing. You know those weird people that dress up their dog in clothes? I'm that guy now. Having never owned a dog growning up, I used to laugh at people that did that, but now I am having birthday parties for my little puppy. Heck, I even dress her up for Halloween and go to Petco for the costume contest! Believe it or not, I'm not alone in this behavior. More and more people are treating their pets as family members and even treating them as equals.

Today, Microsoft touts a new use for its popular communication solution, Skype -- keeping a loving eye on your pets. Yes, some people cannot bear to be away from their pets for long amounts of time. With Skype, you can monitor your furry family member using a webcam. With that said, I must warn you; there is an adorable example video below that will melt your heart.

It's difficult, if not impossible, to have too much storage space. There has been a slow, but steady move to the cloud, and there are numerous names vying for attention, from Google Drive and Mega to OneDrive. Numbers talk, and it's the amount of free space that can sway users to one service or another.

Google has been giving away Drive storage with Chromebooks for some time, and now Microsoft is getting in on the action. Agree to receive promotional emails through Bing rewards, and you can bag yourself an extra 100GB of OneDrive storage completely free of charge for the next two years. If you're in the US, that is. Or if you use a proxy...

Cutting the cord, the phrase commonly used to describe those who get rid of cable and satellite service for their entertainment, has become part of the modern lexicon. Now Sling, the box maker that enables TV sharing, has its own version of internet TV. This one is designed to compete with the likes of Hulu, Amazon Prime and Netflix, but is a bit pricier than its rivals.

Sling TV was already announced, but until now it required an invitation. The floodgates are now open as that restriction gets lifted. As of now, anyone can sign up for an account, getting access to a wealth of TV shows. These include channels such as ESPN, HGTV, Food Network and more. The first is the most intriguing -- the possibility of watching live sports without the need to use sketchy services like Wiziwig.

It’s a free for all as Imgur Pro goes free for all! The image sharing site is celebrating its sixth birthday by handing out gifts to its users rather than expecting to receive them. As of today, everyone is able to take advantage of unlimited storage on the site, but of course there is a -- very slight -- catch.

You don’t get owt for nowt, and the cost of free in this case is ads. Imgur has long been ad-supported, and now Imgur Pro has gone down the same route. Now that everyone has access to a Pro account, they have access to more than just extra storage space.

Quizzes have been used to test our knowledge since the dawn of schooling, and they’re still just as effective today.

They're not just for teachers, either. A well-designed quiz can help anyone find out more about themselves, learn about something that interests them, maybe compete with friends.

Asking someone to switch from their operating system of choice is akin to asking them to switch partners when they’re in a happy relationship. But time and time again, Apple, Google and Microsoft try to attract new users with redesigns, killer features, and headline-grabbing excitement. It's an approach that Microsoft is using for Windows 10, but Apple could use a different tactic with the release of iOS 9.

If you've got an iPad, iPad mini, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, the next version of iOS could be slightly lacking in the 'new' department. Reports suggest that rather than taking the wraps off a raft of new features, Apple is instead focusing firmly on improving stability and performance of its mobile OS.

A drone designed to help with search and rescue operations has won the top prize of $1 million in the Drones for Good contest. The contest was held in the United Arab Emirates and when we mentioned Drones for Good a couple of weeks ago, we highlighted the Gimball entry from Flyability. It seems it wasn't just us that was impressed with this drone, as Gimball went on to win!

The Swiss drone was designed as "the world's first collision-tolerant flying robot" and it can help with search and rescue operations without fear of damaging itself or people in the area.

The web is unnecessarily complicated. Competing web browsers support differing technologies and standards, leading to varying performance and compatibility issues. The problem is, it may be naïve to think there are truly open standards. True, there are standards that can be pointed to, but stop and think for a moment -- who decided on the standards? In other words, if the web is truly open, why does it seem like big companies are steering the ship when it comes to the major decisions?

Google is one such company that is making decisions that will form the future of the web, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. The thing to take issue with is that the company could arguably have a conflict of interest when contributing to web standards. Why? It develops its own web browser (Chrome) and associated operating system (Chrome OS). Today, Google announces that it is abandoning SPDY for the HTTP/2 protocol in Chrome.

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus made a big splash last year with its OnePlus One flagship smartphone. The handset packs in the best in class hardware specifications while maintaining an enticing and comparatively cheaper $300 price tag. The phone -- which is often touted as the "flagship killer" -- however, garnered press for another reason: for just how hard it is to purchase the darn handset! But here comes the good news, OnePlus is finally cosying up with the way it sells handsets, making it easier for consumers to purchase the One.

The company sells the handsets through an "invitation" model wherein it requires a customer to have the invitation code before an order can be placed. If that wasn’t confusing already, the invitation is also pretty hard to collect. Among other ways, one has to take part in the company’s social media contests and share OnePlus related updates on their social media accounts. But those days are finally behind us...at least for one day a week. In a blog post, the company has announced that it will no longer ask users for an invitation on Tuesdays.