Latest Technology News

Google has identified a nasty bug in Gmail that may have led to the accidental deletion of some messages in your inbox, as well as incorrectly labeling others as spam.

The severity of the bug has caused the search giant to issue an Important Notice which appears at the top of Gmail when some users -- myself included -- log into the webmail service through the web or iOS app. Although the problem has now been fixed, Google suggests you take a look in your Trash and Spam folders. I’ve just done so now, and there are indeed messages in both that shouldn’t be there.

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Bad news for Microsoft today, as a new report that was just released by research firm Strategy Analytics places its smartphone operating system, Windows Phone, at less than 4 percent market share in 2013. It may be in an honorable third place, but, by contrast, Apple's iOS, which ranks second, had a market share of 15.5 percent in the same period, while Android, the most popular of the bunch, dominated the landscape from afar with 78.9 percent market share in the past year.

In 2013, shipments of smartphones running Windows Phone reached just 35.7 million units, leading to a low market share of 3.6 percent. Overall, a previous Strategy Analytics report released earlier this week places smartphone shipments in 2013 close to one billion units (990 million, to be exact). The tiled mobile OS grew in both shipments and market share compared to 2012, from 18.8 million and 2.7 percent, respectively, but has yet to reach a threatening position to its more popular rivals, even for iOS which has been losing market share in major markets across the globe.

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Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have historically been complex packages heavily tailored to the needs of individual businesses.

A new report by Gartner suggests that by 2016 these will become known as 'legacy ERP' as companies move to a new era of ERP in the cloud. It warns that CIOs must take action to address this approaching change.

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It seems malware is everywhere these days, and many a user falls prey to it through emails, downloaded files and malicious websites. One trick is to name a bad file after a popular existing app -- Flash is a top target for this sort of thing.

The FileZilla FTP Client seems to be the latest target in this type of attack. Security researchers at Avast discovered this happening with versions 3.7.3 and 3.5.3 of the software. “We have noticed an increased presence of these malware versions of famous open source FTP clients”, the firm announces.

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Piriform Ltd has released Speccy 1.25, a new version of its free Windows system information tool. The headline new feature in version 1.25 -- also available as a standalone portable build -- is its ability to detect ReadyBoost drives.

Version 1.25 also includes a number of networking improvements, better accuracy for disk transfer mode detection and restructured CPU Core data view.

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Even though Gingerbread's days of glory have long passed, the three-year old distribution is still running on more than 20 percent of all Android devices accessing Google Play. Those are smartphones actively used by people across the globe, which will not receive an upgrade to a newer version of the mobile operating system.

This presents a problem for BlackBerry. The Canadian maker wants to increase the user base of its BBM service, but the app available on Google Play is only compatible with smartphones that are running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and newer. BBM for Android does not even work on tablets, unlike its iOS counterpart. Luckily for those stuck on Gingerbread that is shortly set to change.

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What's the biggest problem with using a laptop out and about? Apart from the need to track down a stable Wi-Fi connection, what concerns most laptop owners is how long they are able to keep working when away from a source of power.

It's a problem that faces mobile phone and tablet users, but for users of smaller devices there are small, cheap, backup batteries available, some of which can be charged via solar panels. A new patent awarded to Apple means that a similar technology could be making its way to MacBooks. But there's more... much, much more... to get excited about.

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ChrisPC has updated its popular privacy tool with the release of ChrisPC Anonymous Proxy 5.00, which sees the introduction of a paid-for Pro version.

The free build retains the same core functionality as in previous editions, quickly locating proxies from more 50 countries and changing your IP address with a click. An improved interface makes the program easier to use, while full Windows 8.1 and Internet Explorer 11 compatibility should ensure everything runs smoothly.

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Startup company Adspert is aiming to change the way firms approach online advertising.

It's launching a product called The Big Bang Machine which automates Google AdWords to ensure an advert reaches its target audience.

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The Pebble Steel was introduced earlier this month at CES 2014 as a classier alternative to the original, plastic-made Pebble. With its steel shell, it is meant to appeal to people who want to wear a smartwatch as a daily driver, but with the sort of looks that would be suited for social events or boardroom meetings. The Pebble Steel is (also) for watch lovers who would not ever be caught with anything made of plastic on their wrist.

After making the pre-ordering rounds, the Pebble Steel is now officially available to purchase. It costs $249, which is $99 more than you would pay for the older model (the latter still goes for $150). Let us take a look at what you get for the money.

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A new research study in the UK commissioned by customer service specialists KANA Software shows that consumers are getting more impatient.

Our expectations of getting a response to our communication with businesses have shortened from days to minutes in the space of just one generation.

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If you ever visit New York City, you must ride the subway. Even if you do not need it for transportation, it is an essential part of the overall experience. It is a magical experience too -- a mix of garbage, roaming rats and homeless people sleeping. While this sounds terrible, and maybe it is, it is strangely comforting for native New Yorkers. You see, it is expected and it is delivered without failure.

However, there is something about the subway that is undisputedly frustrating and unpleasant to natives and tourists alike -- lack of cellular service, including mobile data. Once you head into the deepest depths of the city, 3G and 4G LTE can disappear faster than one of the previously mentioned rats when a train approaches. Luckily for the Big Apple, Verizon has delivered LTE to the subway.

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Regardless of whether you feel Facebook exhibits disease-like characteristics or not, one thing is for sure -- it can certainly turn into a time-sucker. There's a reason Mark Zuckerberg's social network is blocked in many workplaces you know! Just like many people "underestimate" how much alcohol they drink, particularly when speaking to a doctor ("Oh, not much... just a beer twice a year, doc!") many Facebook users are likely to be surprised -- or perhaps scared -- by just how much time they spend using the site.

If you've ever been curious, but haven’t bothered to sit with a stopwatch every time you log on, a new tool from TIME magazine could be what you've been looking for. The how-much-bloody-time-have-I-really-wasted-reading-other-people's-pointless-crap calculator has been created ahead of Facebook's tenth anniversary. It's on 4 February if you were thinking about getting a card and present, by the way.

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When it comes to American Football, I am a big fan of the Jets. This is a great tragedy in my life, as this team has been consistently bad for many years. There is only one time a year that I will support a different team -- Superbowl Sunday.

Yes, I like to pick one of the two teams to root for during the big game. Typically, I pick it arbitrarily -- whoever has the prettier cheerleaders, cooler quarterback, etc. This year, I am rooting for the Denver Broncos, because I like Peyton Manning. As a Jets fan, I don't get many opportunities to root for a quality quarterback. However, according to Bing, I am in the minority, as the majority of my state, New York is rooting for the Seattle Seahawks.

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Hackers get a bad rap, but that's usually down to a simple misunderstanding of the term. PayPal is doing what it can to set the record straight with its second annual Hackathon competition, Battle Hacks, where participants are invited to "become the ultimate hacker for good". This is not the type of hacking you see on TV and in movies -- there are no passwords to be broken, no encrypted files to crack. Instead, developers are invited to create something magical and useful based on the PayPal API, or the Braintree and Venmo SDKs, in just 24 hours.

The Hackathon takes place in eleven cities around the world, starting in Tel Aviv on 6 February, and ending in London on 11 October. The world finals take place in San Jose, CA over three days starting 14 November, and the winner will walk away $100,000 richer. Oh, and they get the chance to wield the axe trophy -- "good luck clearing customs," quips PayPal.

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