The Apache Spark framework is a popular add on to Hadoop for handling big data, particularly for building machine learning algorithms.

Until now though it's been hard to effectively monitor Spark performance. That's about to change as Brooklyn-based performance management company Sematext is launching its SPM for Spark.

Whilst virtual currency bitcoin has soared in popularity in recent times it still isn't an option when it comes to buying goods and services from many mainstream merchants.

That could be about to change thanks to a new partnership between SaaS mobile marketing and customer service provider Acromobile and ecommerce platform Bitnet.

The "right to be forgotten" is something that was expected to take Europe by storm. A court ruling gave people the right to get in touch with search engines like Google and Bing to ask that results relating to them be removed -- assuming they are "inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant". One of the services that popped up after the ruling was Forget.me, making it simple to submit removal requests.

Three months down the line, we have access to the first set of figures relating to requests, and they show that social networks are the most affected type of website.

While I do sometimes wear a watch, it is not for telling time. No, I strictly wear a timepiece as jewelry -- a gold Michael Kors watch on my left wrist to complement the gold bracelet on my right. It's funny, even when wearing a watch, I reach into my pocket to check my phone for the time.

A smartwatch may be the thing to change this for me, as it allows you to have a computing experience without pulling out a smartphone; however, many of them are fairly limited. Today, Opera brings its Mini browser to Samsung’s Tizen-based Gear S smartwatch, enabling a full web-browsing experience on your wrist.

Galaxy Note 4 is not yet available in most markets across the globe, as Samsung has opted for a staggered launch. However, despite the limited market availability, a well-known Android modding enthusiast has already achieved root access for the phablet.

Chainfire, the developer behind dedicated modding tools like SuperSU, has announced on his Google+ page that a number of Galaxy Note 4 models, based on Samsung's own Exynos chip as well as Qualcomm's Snapdragon 805 processor, are now supported by CF-Auto-Root. The software has been designed to automatically enable root access on Android devices.

Tablets are fantastic for casual tasks such as checking email, browsing the web, watching movies and playing games, but they’re not so good for doing work on because the virtual keyboard takes up so much of the screen space, and it’s difficult to touch type on.

If you want to boost your productivity, you need to consider buying a keyboard for your device. There are plenty of good ones to choose from, but that adds yet another thing to carry around with you. The Atongm Bluetooth Virtual Laser Keyboard is a tiny solution (36x18x74 mm, approx. 40g) which gives you back your screen space and turns any surface -- such as a table in a coffee shop -- into a keyboard.

Microsoft is introducing new, cheaper Office 365 subscriptions to businesses in a bid to encourage small businesses into using its office suite. The cost of an Office 365 Personal subscription remains at $6.99 but small to medium-sized businesses -- those with fewer than 300 employees -- are now able to snap up a subscription for just $5 per user per month (which doesn’t match the $1 offer from GoDaddy).

Before you get too excited about this, there is something of a catch. Firstly, there is a commitment to subscribe for a year, and the cheapest package, Office 365 Business Essentials, does not allow for Office's apps -- Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and so on -- to be installed. Opt for the cheap subscription and you're stuck with Office Online.

As we saw last week, parental control products are a bit of a mixed bag and are only part of a protection strategy that includes effective education.

If you have several different devices in the family you may also end up using multiple products to protect them. That is unless you use the latest version of Remo Software's MORE which offers cloud-based management across multiple platforms.

A son of mine, I’m not saying which one, borrowed from my desk a credit card and -- quick like a bunny -- bought over $200 worth of in-game weapons, tools, etc. for the Steam game platform from steamgames.com, which is owned by Valve Corp. Needless to say, the kid is busted, but the more important point for this column is how easily he, for a time, got away with his crime.

I would have thought that vendors like steamgames.com would not want children to be buying game stuff without the consent of their parents, yet they made it so easy -- too easy.

The world's first death caused by the Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to occur before the end of the year, according to a report by The European Police Office (Europol).

The greatest risk is likely to come from hackers targeting crucial health and safety equipment as more and more devices become susceptible to remote hacking.

Whenever I am going out for a day trip, like walking through Manhattan, the inevitable usually happens -- my smartphone battery dies. This seems to be quite the common problem, as Starbucks and similar places are overrun with people desperate for electricity. Yes, I can carry a USB energy bank for charging, but it is bulky and not ideal. Quite frankly, you may get weird looks with a giant bulge in your front pocket -- it is more of a backpack accessory.

What is really cool, however, is protective cases that double as a battery extenders. Sure, they can add bulk, but that is to be expected. Today, Logitech announces the Logitech protection [+] power case, designed for the Apple iPhone 5, iPhone 5s and Samsung Galaxy S5.

OpenClock.org has announced the release of OpenClonk 5, a major new version of its open source Worms/ Settlers/ Minecraft/ Terraria- like action game.

The new release adds two missions targeted at new players, two more "which can provide a challenge for the more experienced Clonkers”, and “an action-packed, cooperative scenario where you defend against waves of attackers".

The allure of art greatly escapes me. Don't get me wrong, I see beauty in paintings and sculptures, but I'd be just as happy with a cheap reprint as the original. Hell, I can see the Mona Lisa on my iPad while laying on my couch, why bother going to an art gallery or art auction? It seems like a waste of money. When I watch Pawn Stars, I yell at the TV when Rick buys art for thousands -- "Dude, save your money!"

Well apparently, having an understanding and appreciation of art is a sign of class, which I am told I am lacking. In fancy social situations, I picture myself like Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack -- "whoa, did somebody step on a duck?" Yes, I am more "fartsy" than artsy and I have no business being at an art auction. Today however, eBay brings the art auction to your computer by launching Live Auctions. Yes, you can bid on classy art while sitting on the toilet -- finally.

Retrieving media from a computer or home server and reproducing it in your home theater has become a growing need among people. Plex offers what is, perhaps, the simplest solution for accomplishing this task. It does so by simply working across almost every known platform, including mobile devices and set-top boxes.

One place where the end-user app has been surprisingly missing is Microsoft's gaming consoles. You'd think Plex would have arrived there long ago -- certainly before places like Roku and Fire TV. Well, that problem is now solved, or at least half of it is.

Non-profit organization The Blender Foundation has released Blender 2.72, an update to its cross-platform, open-source 3D graphics tool. The new build finally debuts a long-anticipated "Pie menus" feature.

Also improved are the Cycles Render tools, animation editor UI improvements, a new "Face split by edges" modeling tool and new Sun Beams compositing effect.