Windows 10 will soon be downloading to potentially millions of PCs whether the users want it or not. It’s now classed as a recommended update, meaning an automatic download for many users. The download will happen for anyone who has an earlier version of Windows set to download updates automatically and has the “Give me […]
Microsoft is to build data centers at the bottom of the ocean. Among other benefits, it should greatly reducing power use. One of the biggest problems with any large collection of servers is the sheer amount of heat generated and in turn the power needed to cool the equipment and stop it overheating and failing. […]
Tinder has added an app link that lets users locate the nearest STD clinic. It follows criticism from an HIV testing and prevention agency. The app won’t carry out the search itself, even though by definition it know the user’s location. Instead Tinder is simply adding a link in the FAQ section of the app. […]
A Google computer has handily beaten a leading champion at the board game Go. It’s arguably a far more impressive AI achievement than computers prevailing at chess. The game of Go appears on the surface to be simple, involving placing black or white pieces on a grid in an attempt to capture opposing pieces by […]
Uber is hoping kids’ toy Bop It can help pacify intoxicated passengers. Its one of several tech solutions the company is trying out. The Bop It toy is being trialled in some Uber driver cars in Charlotte, North Carolina. For those who’ve not had the pleasure, it’s a stick-like device that has a variety of […]
A website that searches the “Internet of Things” has added a search facility for unsecured webcams. The operators say its designed to highlight security risks rather than enable voyeurs or would-be criminals. Shodan is designed for searching for details of devices, both computers and other devices from smart TVs to power plants, that are connected […]
Atari is bringing a collection of 100 classic console games to the PC. It’s promising a range of usability upgrades to the originals. The games will be packaged in a single title, Atari Vault. Among those already announced are Asteroids, Centipede, Missile Command, Tempest and Warlord. The company describes the games as re-imagined, though it’s […]
Proposed laws in California and New York would ban phones with unbreakable encryption. California state representative Jim Cooper says the move is needed to prevent human trafficking. The California bill was introduced this week and its introduction explains that it “would require a smartphone that is manufactured on or after January 1, 2017, and sold […]
US safety officials say you shouldn’t use a self-balancing skateboard (marketed as hoverboards) without a working fire extinguisher nearby. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is following its British counterparts by investigating several manufacturers, though haven’t yet seized any stock. The warnings come as Amazon decided to offer a full refund to anyone who has bought […]
The record for the largest discovered prime number has fallen for the first time in nearly three years. The new largest runs to 22 million digits, five million more than the previous record. The number in question is 274,207,281-1 (known also as M74207281) and, as is often the case these days, was discovered through the […]