LizardStresser IoT botnet launches 400Gbps DDoS attack

Attack groups using the LizardStresser botnet are exploiting IoT devices to mount massive DDoS attacks without using amplification techniques, say researchers

Security Think Tank: Practical biometrics in the enterprise

How can organisations implement biometric authentication of users without running the risk of exposing sensitive biometric information?

Benelux CIO interview: Michiel Valk, Randstad Group Netherlands

The CIO of Dutch human resources services provider Randstad Group Netherlands tells Computer Weekly about its use of big data, mobile applications and agility

Driverless cars take to streets of virtual Coventry

Driverless, automated cars are being tested in a new simulator at the University of Warwick.

Facebook gives friends higher priority in News Feeds

Facebook is to give posts by users' friends and family greater prominence - a move that may challenge professional publishers.

Facebook wins appeal on Belgian tracking

Facebook has won a legal battle with the Belgian data authority over how it tracks non-users with cookies.

Hajj pilgrims to be given e-bracelets

Pilgrims travelling to Mecca next month will be given electronic bracelets as part of a safety crackdown ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

Apple patents concert camera blocker

Apple patents for technology that could stop smartphone cameras being used at concerts.

Oculus chief latest social media hack victim

Oculus chief executive Brendan Iribe is the latest in a string of tech bosses who have had their social media accounts hacked.

Number of women tech bosses doubles year-on-year

The number of women heading up tech departments has risen to 7% in 2016, finds Mortimer Spinks

Facebook 'hack' victim exposes passport scam

An identity thief gains access to a Facebook account by sending a fake passport and asking the social network to turn off log-in approvals.

Finland’s prisons move to a cashless world

Inmates in Finland’s prisons will no longer need to use cash as a pre-paid card system is rolled out

Outgoing information commissioner claims good year for ICO

The ICO is to discuss with government the implications of the Brexit vote and its effect on data protection reform in the UK, says outgoing information commissioner Christopher Graham

BT to offer secure, private network connection into Oracle Cloud

Telco plans to roll out BT Connect service to Oracle Cloud customers during final quarter of 2016

Lauri Love suicide risk if extradited to US over hacking allegations

Westminster Magistrates’ Court hears evidence from medical experts that alleged hacker Lauri Love is at risk of suicide if extradited to the US

MongoDB offers cloud overflow scaling with Atlas database as service

MongoDB has announced its entry into cloud computing with a database as a service, dubbed Atlas, at its annual developer conference in New York City

Most European firms ill equipped for insider security breaches

Nearly a third of European firms do not use basic methods of breach detection, and fewer than one in five have any form of security analytics in place, a survey has revealed

Vodafone may pull jobs out of UK after Brexit

Vodafone says it may pull its headquarters out of the UK after the country voted for Brexit

Security Think Tank: Research biometrics thoroughly before deploying

How can organisations move to biometric authentication of users without running the risk of exposing sensitive biometric information?

Twitch makes cheering exchange rate clear: one penny per bit for streamers

 Twitch announced Monday that users would soon be able to “cheer” their favorite streamers — in the form of expendable emoji purchasable with real-world money. Details were rather scarce so I pressed them — and then, almost certainly unrelated to that, the company provided more details. (It’s a penny per bit.) Read More

Glu debuts new Dash game with Gordon Ramsay

 These days, if a celebrity launches their own game, it is likely with Glu Mobile. Known for their free-to-play mobile games, the publicly traded company lists more than 100 games, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Transformers, Guitar Hero and Deer Hunter. But since late 2014, the team has moved away from building known gaming titles to new personalized star-focused franchises. After topping… Read More

US border authority seeks travellers' social media details

Travellers seeking visa waiver entry to the US may soon be asked to list their social media profiles, if a Department of Homeland Security proposal is enacted.

'Robot lawyer' fights parking tickets

A chatbot programmed by a British teenager has successfully challenged 160,000 parking tickets since its launch last year.

Hands on with India's £3 smartphone

The BBC is given a first look at a smartphone costing less than £3, set to launch in India next week.

Banking IT community faces uncertain Brexit future

The financial services IT community faces a period of uncertainty as finance firms reassess plans following the EU referendum result

Post-Brexit price hikes hit cloud and datacentre community, as currency fluctuations bite

Cloud and datacentre analysts claim IT buyers are already feeling the pinch from the outcome of the EU referendum, but past performance suggests demand for colocation space will rise in the event of recession

Security Think Tank: A starter guide for biometrics in security

How can organisations move to biometric authentication of users without running the risk of exposing sensitive biometric information?

Malaysia approaches fintech with Islamic twist

A fintech Islamic finance platform that links leaders with businesses via banks in Malaysia will change the role of Islamic lenders

Australia’s NAB bank accused of “violating” customer through data sharing

Australian bank NAB is accused of violating a customer over industry data sharing

CW@50: Spreadsheets and ERP – 50 years of software coding business

Business software has been a rich field for IT professionals over the past five decades, and we are on the cusp of a new era of customers rolling their own for competitive advantage

Bet365 bets on Simplivity hyper-converged for test and dev

Bet365 follows up its move to object storage with efficiency gains that result from migration of test and dev work to Simplivity hyper-converged infrastructure from HDS SAN

Prison services colluded with Ofcom in test of mobile phone blockers

Documents reveal trials of mobile traffic interception technology in UK jails, which may have affected users beyond the prison walls

Greater focus on UK tech talent essential in face of Brexit

The UK is already suffering from an IT skills crisis, so how will leaving the European Union affect tech jobs now and in the future?

Say, what?!

Tech firms promise auto-translation services that are near-instantaneous and accurate, but can businesses really rely on them?

Brits wanted

As businesses grapple with how to respond to Brexit, Germany's capital is keen to open new doors to Britain's tech-savvy talent pool.

Airbnb challenges San Francisco over rental law

Airbnb is challenging the San Francisco city authorities on its plans to fine the website for unregistered hosts.

Payout of $10,000 for Windows 10 update

Microsoft agrees to pay a California woman $10,000 (£7,500) after an automatic Windows 10 update leaves her computer unusable.

Teachers fired over offensive private messages

Three US teachers lose their jobs after a private chat on messaging service Slack, in which they insulted pupils, was leaked.

AI fighter pilot wins in combat simulation

An artificial intelligence system developed in the US successfully intercepts two attacking fighter jets in a combat simulation.

Intel considers sale of security business

Intel is reportedly considering the sale of its security business to generate capital as the company restructures

Solid state storage in the datacentre: More than a flash in the pan

As IT organisations transform their datacentres to meet the efficiency and agility demands of the digital enterprise, flash storage is increasingly viewed as a key element

Hospitals targeted using camouflaged old malware

Specialised devices running older versions of operating systems are becoming critical points of cyber attack vulnerability, warns TrapX Security

Young Leave voters abused online in days after European Union referendum vote

Two young Leave voters reveal how they've been accused of racism and xenophobia since revealing they voted for Brexit.

Oculus lifts headset game restrictions

Virtual reality pioneer Oculus has removed software locks that stopped people playing games made for its headset on rival devices.

US Healthcare records offered for sale online

Three US healthcare organisations are reportedly being held to ransom by a hacker who stole data on hundreds of thousands of patients.

Google's SpotMini robot loads the dishwasher

A new dog-themed robot is shown loading a dishwasher with dirty glassware.

Snowden: Russian data collection plans 'dangerous'

US whistleblower Edward Snowden has criticised new anti-terrorism legislation approved by Russia's parliament.

EU referendum petition hijacked by bots

An online petition calling for a second EU referendum has been hijacked by automated bots adding false signatures.

CEO Secrets: WeTransfer co-founder shares tips for success

Nalden, co-founder of WeTransfer, offers the business advice he wishes he had been given before he started out, for the BBC News series CEO Secrets.

Jeff Weiner and Satya Nadella explain how the $26bn deal will work

Satya Nadella of Microsoft and LinkedIn chief Jeff Weiner explain how the $26bn takeover will benefit both users and shareholders.

Netherlands rushes to mobile payments

Following the wave of e-commerce that has swept the Netherlands, there is a surge to use mobile payment systems

Brexit could affect talent pipeline for games industry

The gaming industry holds concerns that leaving the European Union will affect access to games development talent

Micro-segmentation key to new approach to infosec, says Unisys

Micro-segmentation enables organisations to improve data security at reasonable cost without compromising agility, governance, risk and compliance, says Unisys

Ransomware is helping make the cyber threat real

The Scottish government is working to help businesses understand and manage the cyber security risk

Facebook removes EU referendum status suggestions

Facebook removes pro-Leave and pro-Remain status update suggestions from a list given to users.

'Spam King' sentenced to two years in prison

A US man who sent more than 27 million spam emails to Facebook users is sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

Hacker who aided IS faces lengthy jail term

A hacker who passed a list of American military personnel to the so-called Islamic State group could face up to 25 years in jail.

Twitter, Facebook and Google 'aided Paris attacks'

Tech companies are facing legal action from the father of a woman killed in the Paris attacks last November.

UK gets 24-hour esports gaming channel on TV

The UK will soon have its first 24-hour TV channel dedicated to competitive gaming or esports.

Virtual reality sickness 'tackled with field of view trick'

Virtual reality-induced nausea can be reduced with a simple field of view alteration, say researchers.

E3: PlayStation unveils VR games and teases Neo console

After unveiling new virtual reality video games, PlayStation's chief explains why he's also preparing to release a new PS4 console.

Pepper robot to work in Belgian hospitals

Pepper gets a new job as a hospital receptionist as Japanese firm Softbank looks to expand its uses.

Amazon faces fine for shipping corrosive drain cleaner

A fine of $350,000 is proposed for online retailer Amazon over allegations it breached rules when it shipped a corrosive liquid.

Singapore banks adopt voice biometrics for user authentication

Banks in Singapore are rolling out biometric technology to improve customer services by speeding up the authentication process

Generation stress

Checking our work emails and social media accounts at all hours of the day is making us more stressed, research suggests, but what can we do about it?

Could inspiration from nature help robots to walk?

Building robots which are naturally balanced could help them walk says Dr Iida

E3: Mass Effect, Quake, Deus Ex and Fifa return

Mass Effect, Quake, Deus Ex and Fifa are some of the big-name franchises to announce sequels ahead of the start of E3's video games show.

Engage early with police on cyber crime, business told

Businesses should approach law enforcement as early as possible about cyber crime, even before they are targeted, according to an expert panel

How data saves lives in Australia’s hospitals

Australia’s National Blood Authority saves A$10m as mobile and data innovations inject efficiency into the supply chain

Twitter forces password resets for accounts vulnerable to hackers

Twitter cross-checks leaked user data with its records, identifying and locking a number of accounts for extra protection

IT priorities 2016: Cloud initiatives drive IT spending

Cloud computing is expected to experience the biggest growth in spending among businesses planning IT investments in 2016

Datacentre operators warned of public cloud threat to long-term co-location success

Speakers at the 2016 DataCloud Europe conference urge co-location firms to act on public cloud threat or risk losing business

UK IT community rocked but keeping calm in face of Brexit

The UK IT sector reacts with alarm, tempered by a calm pragmatism, to the British Referendum verdict to leave the European Union. Reporting by the Computer Weekly team

Snap, swipe, like

How are fashion retailers responding to the world of smartphones and social media?

Electric car sets world acceleration record

An electric racing car built by Swiss student engineers has broken the world record for acceleration by battery-powered vehicles.

Software firm Twilio soars 88% on first day of trading

Shares in software firm Twilio soar almost 88% to $28.19 on their first day of trading in New York.

Microsoft's hi-tech mosquito trap and other tech news

BBC Click's Lara Lewington looks at some of the best of the week's technology news

Uber to 'hide' surge pricing notifications

Uber is to hide surge pricing notifications for more users to make its app less "complicated".

Brexit: 'Surge' in searches on Irish passports, says Google

Google says there was a large spike in searches for Irish passport applications as news of the UK's decision to leave the EU broke.

Why cloud disruption will shift the dynamics of IT budgets

Cloud computing is set to become one of the most disruptive forces of IT spending since the dawn of the digital age

Dell divests software business to free up funds for EMC deal

It has been less than three months since Dell sold off its services arm. Now its software business is being offloaded. We look at the implications

Rapid7 discloses remote code execution flaw in Swagger

Rapid7 researchers warn businesses of remote execution vulnerability in the Swagger programming tool

High-performing DevOps teams create better quality code, research suggests

The 2016 State of DevOps report makes the case for incorporating security checks into every stage of the software development cycle

Nordic CIO interview: Martin Althén, Husqvarna

The CIO at power tool maker Husqvarna tells Computer Weekly how he is repositioning the company through digitalisation

Think like attackers, says HPE cyber security strategist

Organisations need to think of cyber attackers as adversaries and competitors focused on stealing data, maximising their profit and minimising their risk, says HPE security strategist Tim Grieveson

Computer Weekly announces the 50 most influential women in UK IT 2016

Computer Weekly announces its top 50 list of the most influential women in UK IT, including 2016 winner Maggie Philbin

Focus on diversity, not gender, says most influential woman in UK IT 2016

The winner of Computer Weekly’s most influential woman in UK IT award, Maggie Philbin, says the IT industry should focus on wider diversity as opposed to just gender equality

Most influential women in UK IT 2016: Rising Stars

Computer Weekly reveals the judges’ choice for the 2016 most influential women in UK IT Rising Stars. Special thanks to the Salesforce Foundation for extending its support to our 2016 Rising Stars

Slither.io is snaking its way on to homescreens

 Slither.io is not new, but it is crazy popular. The game has been sitting at number one on the iOS gaming charts for some time. Slither.io has been available for just over three months now and, according to the most recent ranking, the game still holds the number one game, action game, and simulation game spots in the U.S. Apple App Store. It’s also the number six free app overall,… Read More

South Korea's Kia tops US car quality ranking

South Korean car maker Kia comes first in a closely watched US car quality ranking, edging out the luxury brands that usually claim the top spot.

Nintendo reacts to fans' calls for Christina Grimmie to appear in Zelda

Fans of Christina Grimmie are calling for Nintendo to name a character after the murdered Voice star in new Zelda video game.

Tencent pays for majority stake in Clash of Clans maker

Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings is buying a majority stake in Supercell, the Finnish maker of the Clash of Clans game.

Rolls-Royce shows 'floating' future car

Rolls-Royce shows off a design for its car-of-the-future, which features unusual wheels that are designed to make it seem to glide.

Hack attack drains start-up investment fund

Hackers have taken control of virtual cash worth $60m (£41m) by exploiting a bug in a system designed to help start-ups.

GoToMyPC passwords reset after cyber-attack

Passwords for every GoToMyPC account are being reset following a "sophisticated" attack on the service.

AWS clinches cloud deal with Colorado law enforcement agencies

US State of Colorado signs AWS cloud deal, paving way for law enforcers to make greater use of digital technologies during criminal investigations

Queen’s Birthday Honours list recognises more women in IT

The 2016 Queen’s Birthday Honours list recognised a number of IT and digital entrepreneurs, and been hailed as the most diverse ever

NoSQL offerings from Microsoft and Oracle

Cloud and big data applications have led to a new wave of NoSQL data stores. We look at what Microsoft and Oracle have to offer

CIO interview: Why Europe matters to Ben Booth

Ben Booth has headed several European IT departments in his career, and he feels that remaining in the European Union (EU) is good for the UK and good for IT

Swarm launches Perks so you can get real-world rewards

 For the last year, the team at Foursquare has been working relentlessly to turn Swarm into something fun. In many respects, checking in on Swarm is playing a game, and now the company is ready to reward you for your gameplay. Today the company launched Swarm Perks and Swarm Challenges, both of which are meant to offer real-world rewards to users. Let’s start with Perks. Swarm Perks is… Read More

Artificial intelligence directs music video for Saatchis

Artificial intelligence software is used to create a music video for a French band - but the group is not letting the public see it in full.

Tesla bid for SolarCity 'shameful'

Tesla's bid to buy struggling solar energy firm SolarCity has been called "shameful" by financier Jim Chanos.

Blackberry loss widens to $670m

Blackberry reports a $670m (£450m) quarterly net loss, but the mobile phone company forecasts that its full-year results will beat expectations.

Electric car sets world acceleration record

An electric racing car built by Swiss student engineers has broken the world record for acceleration by battery-powered vehicles.

Fans angry over 'missing' iPhone 7 headphone socket

The iPhone 7 is not due to be revealed until the autumn, but already fans are angry over rumours it may be missing a key feature.

Singapore to pioneer tropical datacentre

If successful, trial would prove that datacentres can function optimally at temperatures of up to 38°C and humidity of up to, or exceeding, 90%

UAE businesses struggle with security breach declaration

UAE firms find difficulty in providing facts on security breaches, while consumers demand to be informed of incidents

Lower average cost of Australian data breaches is not a sign of comfort

The average cost of a data breach to Australian organisations dropped in 2015, according to research

EU workers trust EU countries most with cloud data

Survey reveals European workers trust EU countries much more than the US with their work data in the cloud

Work in progress: How Jisc’s shared datacentre vision is shaking up the education sector

Computer Weekly gets a progress report from the Jisc shared services datacentre team in Slough about how the education sector is making use of the site

US takes on the critics of Prism in Irish court

The US says social media companies have to do mass surveillance in Europe, while the European Union says they can’t. The Irish court is to decide competing claims

From SQL to NoSQL – and back again

We take a look at the suppliers behind the emergence of databases that organise web-scale datasets and the like – and the most recent set of upstarts dubbed NewSQL

Amazon cloud crash forced Australian enterprises to take heads out of sand

Enterprises in Australia need to rethink their cloud backup strategies following the recent AWS outage in Sydney

Australian government entices UK tech startups

Australia is trying to entice UK technology firms to open operations in the country, with benefits including a stepping stone to Asia and a skilled workforce

Cyber security industry mostly welcomes report on TalkTalk breach

Most of the recommendations of a government committee inquiry into the TalkTalk breach have been welcomed, but pundits have expressed reservations about some, particularly proposed new fines

Angus Council signs up to Scottish Wide Area Network

Angus Council has become the latest local authority in Scotland to sign up to the Scottish Wide Area Network, or Swan, for enhanced public services delivery

Game, dataset and match

As Wimbledon prepares to use emotion-tracking cameras at this year's tennis championships, sport is becoming increasingly digital for fans, players and venues alike.

Instagram boss on pitching to the Pope

To mark Instagram reaching more than half a billion active users, its chief Kevin Systrom speaks to the BBC about its growth strategy.

Only 14% of the UK pays to stream music

Only 14% of the British public pays to stream music, according to a new survey.

Facebook Live attacks Twitch with game streaming

 If people spend a lot of time doing something on the Internet, you can bet Facebook wants a piece. Its latest conquest attempt is the video game streaming business ruled by Twitch and YouTube. Today, Facebook announced its working with World Of Warcraft maker Blizzard to build social login and Facebook Live video streaming into their games, starting with its new blockbuster Overwatch.… Read More

Enterprises urged not to view security as a barrier to internet of things adoption

The Lower Colorado River Authority’s chief administrative officer urges enterprises to balance the risks of using the internet of things with the benefits connected devices can bring

OPNFV Project scales up network functions virtualisation ecosystem

At the OPNFV summit in Berlin, the OPNFV Project announces new R&D capabilities and a student internship programme

CESG issues challenge to information security professionals

CESG technical director Jonathan Lawrence tells The Cyber Security Summit that information security professionals need to deliver security controls that help business users achieve their goals securely

Nutanix adds storage for containers, physical servers and all-flash

Hyper-converged infrastructure maker Nutanix adds container support with persistent storage, offers block iSCSI storage for physical servers and allows all-flash across the product range

Hundreds of UK IT and back office roles at RBS cut

The Royal Bank of Scotland is cutting 900 IT and back office jobs as part of a reorganisation that involves offshoring roles

Act now to save the open internet, says Internet Governance Commission

The future of the internet is at risk from multiple scenarios, and quick action is needed to protect it, says the Internet Governance Commission

Sure thing

Some online gambling gurus stand to profit if punters lose money following the bets they recommended.

Virtual doctors

Health services for a million people in Zambia are being connected to UK doctors, using a smartphone app.

Sony's Scavengers Odyssey and Danger Ball reviewed

BBC Click's Marc Cieslak reviews virtual reality games Scavengers Odyssey and Danger Ball

Diesels more polluting below 18C, research suggests

Pollution from many popular diesel cars is much worse when it is colder than 18C outside, new research suggests.

Tesla makes offer to buy SolarCity

Electric carmaker Tesla offers to buy solar panel company SolarCity in a bid to expand its clean energy business.

Facebook scraps in-video links to other sites

Facebook withdraws video creators' ability to embed links into their clips to direct viewers to their own sites.

Barclays Android app makes £100 contactless payments

Barclays completes the roll-out of a facility that allows its customers to make in-store contactless purchases of up to £100 via Android phones.

Apple reveals unencrypted heart of iOS 10 code

Apple is letting developers peer into the core of its mobile operating system - a move that could have major implications for cybersecurity.

Hasselblad is the first mirrorless medium-format camera

Hasselblad unveils the first mirrorless medium-format camera that promises "ultra-high quality" photos from a compact body.

Tech support scams target victims via their ISP

The old tech support scam where a fraudster pretends to be a Microsoft agent takes a new turn.

HTC exec: exclusives are a bad idea for VR

 Last week at E3, we had a chance to speak with some of the biggest names in VR, from Oculus to Sony — but that list that wouldn’t be complete without some input from HTC. The smartphone maker was, perhaps, something of a dark horse in the space, but its Vive headset has scored high rankings among industry stalwarts, positioning the Taiwanese for something of a renaissance at the… Read More

Tencent confirms deal to buy majority stake in Supercell from SoftBank for $8.6B

 It is finally confirmed: Tencent has announced that it has acquired a majority ownership of Supercell, the Finnish firm behind hit game Clash Of Clans, for around $8.6 billion. Read More

My Eye Spy brings every parents’ favorite car game to a phone near you

 I spy with my little eye… Something beginning with F! Is it Flowers? No. Fish finger sandwiches? No. A Fantastic Feast of Fun? Well, no, not quite, but almost. My Eye Spy launches today; it’s a new iOS app which brings every parents’ favorite child-distraction game to the iOS platform, making it possible to play with your friends, or random strangers on the internet. Read More

The Basslet wearable subwoofer delivers beats and basslines directly to your body

 I first tried on a prototype of the Basslet wearable subwoofer at SXSW 2016. Built by a Berlin startup called Lofelt and headed by CEO/cofounder Daniel Büttner and CTO/cofounder Gwydion ap Dafydd (ex-Ableton and Native Instruments leaders respectively) the Basslet has a strange appeal that I didn’t expect I would like and that I recognized as missing the minute I took it off. Read More

Mark Zuckerberg masks Mac webcam and microphone

A photograph of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg shows tape has been used to cover his MacBook Pro's webcam and mic.

Millions of city-dwellers still lack broadband connections

A study by the Wireless Broadband Alliance has found that over half of the global urban population are unconnected, including many in some of the world’s wealthiest cities

StorageOS tackles shortcomings of container storage

As containers gain popularity for webscale apps, startup StorageOS launches in beta to provide persistent storage for containers at Dockercon developer event

TeenTech Awards set to name 2016 finalists

The 2016 round of the TeenTech Awards has announced its latest cohort of entries in a pitching session at the Royal Society London

UK consumers support fines for firms that lose personal data

Most UK consumers would like the government to take more action to ensure companies protect personal information

Three-quarters of tech firms do not have gender diverse senior management

Research by Tech London Advocates finds that only 23% of technology companies have gender diverse teams at senior management level

Contact CI’s Exotendon system brings touch to VR

 Sometimes the coolest demos at a convention are tucked away in the back corners, far from the bright lights and big booths industry stalwarts. One of the hidden gems of this year’s E3 arrives courtesy Contact CI. The small Cincinnati-based startup was showing of its developer kit for the first time at the event, featuring a complex glove designed to offer more lifelike VR… Read More

VR skateboarding at E3

 I’ve been skateboarding for longer than I care mention, and I still had to hold onto the damn railings. I’m going to blame it on the screwy sense of orientation one experiences in virtual reality, but it probably owes just as much to my fear of falling off a mechanical skateboard simulator in the middle of the crowded E3 show floor. The exhibit was created by D-Box to promote… Read More

Indie developers ditch controllers for real-life interactions

 If there’s one thing E3 was not short of, it was controllers. Thousands of the things! Xbox controllers, Dual Shock controllers, third party controllers, motion controllers. But at Indiecade, an independent games showcase at the show, developers devised a variety of ways to play with no controller at all, making digital games charmingly analog. Read More

Oculus co-founders Palmer Luckey and Nate Mitchell on the state of VR

 Before Oculus, most casual observers regarded virtual reality as somewhere between science fiction and novelty, fodder for cheesy 1990s films and overpriced, underperforming tech demos. Now it’s immediate and inevitable, and for those walking through the halls of the Los Angeles Convention Center this week, entirely unavoidable. In the space of a few short years, the company has gone… Read More

Algeria blocks social media over exams

Algeria temporarily blocks access to social media in an attempt to combat cheating in the main secondary school exam, the baccalaureat.

Chicago man shot dead during Facebook live-stream

A Chicago man has been shot dead while live-streaming a video of himself on Facebook, police say - the video has had nearly 700,000 views.

Australian pleads guilty to making online threats over Tinder profile

Australian Zach Alchin pleads guilty to targeting women with explicit abuse on social media after his friend shared one woman's Tinder profile online.

Rifle dropped from new emojis list

Two gun-related emojis are dropped from the latest list of approved chat message graphics.

No Man's Sky settles name dispute

The maker of the highly anticipated video game No Man's Sky reveals a legal challenge that threatened the game's name.

New ransomware strain coded entirely in Javascript

Security researchers discover a new strain of ransomware coded entirely in Javascript, which could increase its chances of being activated.

China builds world's most powerful computer

The 93 petaflop Sunway TaihuLight in China has topped a newly published list of supercomputers.

E3: Gears of War gore helps 'form relationships'

The studio behind the gory sci-fi series Gears of War says its games have helped people fall in love and stay in touch with family.

Major study links low internet usage to slow broadband

Researchers at King's College London suggest the areas of the UK with the poorest internet access also use modern online services the least.

The PlayStation 4 ‘Neo’ is real, but Sony won’t show it at E3

 In an interview with the Financial Times, Sony Interactive Entertainment president and global chief executive Andrew House confirmed that the PlayStation 4 ‘Neo’ is real. But don’t expect to see it next week at the E3 conference in Los Angeles. House has said Sony doesn’t plan to unveil it at E3. Read More

The gaming industry can become the next big target of cybercrime

 Video-game-related crime is almost as old as the industry itself. But while illegal copies and pirated versions of games were the previous dominant form of illicit activities, recent developments and trends in online gaming platforms have created new possibilities for cybercriminals to swindle huge amounts of money from an industry that is worth nearly $100 billion. And what’s worrisome… Read More

HTC launches a $1,200 business edition of the Vive VR Headset

 Sure, everything will be all fun and games next week at E3, but right now HTC’s talking business. The company’s well-received Vive headset is getting its very own “Business Edition,” the Vive BE, which is targeted at companies interested in harnessing virtual reality for commercial purposes. The hardware, it should be mentioned right off the top, is pretty much the same… Read More

Euro Championship network traffic spike highlights OTT boom

The BBC and EE both reported massive spikes in network traffic during the England versus Wales clash at Euro 2016

How MI5 and MI6 gather your personal data for surveillance

Publicly released documents shed light on the many databases and sources used by the intelligence services to gather bulk personal data about UK citizens

Nintendo talks mobile gaming, VR and its future at E3

 Nintendo has never been afraid to go against the grain of prevailing industry trends. In fact, the refusal to follow the pack has become a defining aspect of the gaming giant’s business strategy during the ascendance of chief console competitors Sony and Microsoft. So it comes as no surprise, really, that it did something markedly different at this year’s E3 show. But just how… Read More

NoSQL database technology finds use cases, but still minority sport

From managing water meter data, through Bitcoin and video data, to web publishing, NoSQL database technology is finding real use cases. But it's likely to be stuck at 10% of the market for some time

CW500 video: Robert Carolina, Royal Holloway, on trust and ethics

Robert Carolina, executive director of the Institute for Cyber Security Innovation, Royal Holloway, University of London, talks about the importance of trust and ethics in a digital world

Bluetooth 5 standard brings range, speed and capacity boost for IoT

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group has announced the forthcoming Bluetooth 5 standard, promising significant improvements to support an accessible and interoperable internet of things

French Resistance uses satellite broadband for anniversary event

A satellite broadband service was used to connect veteran secret agents for an historic commemoration of the work of MI6 in Nazi-occupied France

11 of the coolest video game trailers from E3

 We’ve been focused on VR and non-traditional gaming here at E3 this year, but that doesn’t mean we’ve been walking around with our eyes closed. But you might not have been paying close attention, what with having a real job and everything, so I took the liberty of collecting the most interesting trailers from the show in one place. Read More

Razer’s VR headset is designed for developers

 The OSVR HDK2 was arguably Razer’s biggest E3 unveiling this year – but it was also kind of besides the point. Like Google’s Daydream announcement a few weeks back, this is a reference device, a way of showcasing hardware designed specifically to work with the company’s software. OSVR VR is Razer’s attempt to build a hardware ecosystem for virtual reality, away… Read More

Alienware is also working on one of those VR backpacks

 It’ll probably come as no surprise to anyone who’s been following gaming of late, but Alienware’s looking to join the likes of HP and MSI with the release of a VR backpack of its very own. The Dell-owned gaming PC maker wasn’t exactly trumpeting the device at E3, but it did show off a prototype of the proton pack, hung snugly from a mannequin in the company’s… Read More

Zeiss made a really premium Google Cardboard headset

 Google Cardboard’s biggest appeal has always been its accessibility. Heck, they send the headsets out with the newspaper. Zeiss is taking things in a different direction with the One Plus (not to be confused with the less spacey OnePlus), a $129 VR headset for smartphones that features a premium build and, naturally, the company’s high-end optics. The wearable features a tray… Read More

Heads up Twitch, Facebook just hired gamer Snoopeh for its e-sports division

 459,000 years. That’s how long Twitch users spent watching other people play video games last year, and Facebook wants a piece of the pie. It might sound weird, but e-sports are wildly popular, and Facebook is getting serious about owning those video views. A source tipped us off that Facebook has hired e-sports super-connector and former professional gamer Stephen… Read More

Devolver Digital co-founder Mike Wilson on becoming the “Sub Pop for games”

 “Doom was made by six dudes in six months. And that’s where we are again — it’s come full circle.” That’s Mike Wilson, the founder of Devolver Digital, a game publisher that’s made a name for itself by finding the smallest and weirdest, yet most promising indie games out there. Read More

War on waste

Reducing global food waste by a quarter would mean there was enough to feed all the malnourished people in the world. Can tech help reach this goal?

E3 2016: The world's most influential gaming show in 10 pictures

E3 2016: Photos from LA gaming show

E3: Meditating in virtual reality

A US studio is exhibiting a virtual reality meditation experience it says can help people relax, at the E3 games expo.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket fails to land and other tech news

BBC Click's Stephen Beckett looks at some of the best of the week's technology news

We Happy Few: E3's creepiest game?

A creepy crowdfunded video game set in 1960's England is generating a lot of buzz at this year's E3 games expo.

Thousands of porn bots follow so-called Islamic State group on Twitter

BBC Monitoring looks at why porn bots have suddenly started following IS Twitter accounts and what impact this is having.

Microsoft to help track legalised marijuana sales

Microsoft teams up with Californian technology start-up Kind Financial to help track legalised marijuana sales

Tanzania 'cuts off 630,000' fake phones

About 630,000 mobile phones have so far been disconnected in Tanzania following the ban on fake handsets came into force at midnight, the authority says.

Russian 'runaway robot' causes traffic jam

The machine reportedly escaped after a lab engineer forgot to shut a gate.

London Mayoral count resorted to spreadsheets

Spreadsheets had to be used to help determine the delayed result of last month's London Mayoral election - after a counting software glitch.

Anonymous fills IS Twitter accounts with gay pride messages

Hacker-activist group Anonymous fills Twitter accounts linked to so-called Islamic State with gay pride messages in response to the Orlando shooting.

Google working on 'common-sense' AI engine at new Zurich base

Google opens new AI research centre in Europe with big ambitions for the technology.

E3: Could VR bring back the games arcade?

Why the high cost of VR gaming could lead to a rebirth of the games arcade

China rules against Apple over iPhone patent claim

Beijing's Intellectual Property Office has ruled against Apple in a patent dispute brought by a Chinese handset maker.

YouTube 'star' Lonelygirl15 back after seven years

A YouTube vlog-style series, said to be one of the first examples of viral video, has uploaded new material for the first time since 2009.

Scality upgrades for enterprise adoption of object storage and S3

Object storage specialist Scality recognises de facto supremacy of Amazon S3 and includes directory features to allow enterprise production use of object-based private and public cloud storage

Builders kill Virgin broadband service to thousands of Londoners

Builders working in Brixton, south London, have severed a crucial link in Virgin Media’s trunk network, cutting broadband and cable TV services to thousands

Wimbledon deploys smartphone app to engage fans

The Wimbledon tennis championships previously used digital tech to engage fans unable to attend matches – but has switched focus to fans in the grounds for 2016

Why leaving EU would be disastrous for UK digital scene

Startups and government minister discuss the risks that leaving the EU would bring to the UK IT industry

Memset laments ‘pitiful return’ on G-Cloud datacentre investments

Memset managing director Kate Craig-Wood claims public sector buyers are too entrenched in old procurement practices to make the most of G-Cloud

CW@50: The Great British chip invention

There is a link between the world’s first working computer and the world’s most successful chip: they are both British

Openreach CEO Selley emphasises broadband delivery technology

Joe Garner’s replacement at Openreach, technologist and engineer Clive Selley, discusses VDSL, G.fast and pure fibre as elements of the future for UK broadband

Fintech trailblazer hits United Arab Emirates

European challenger bank takes its financial technology (fintech) model to the Middle East with the opening of an office in Dubai

Philippines government data breach is a warning to Asean region

Security is a rising concern in the Asean region, with fears fuelled by incidents such as the recent hacking incident in Manila

CW500 video: Wandsworth's David Tidey on trust and ethics in a digital world

David Tidey, CIO at Wandsworth Council talks about the importance of trust and ethics in a digital world

Cyber crime cost UK business more than £1bn in the past year

UK businesses have reported a 22% increase in cyber crime in the past year, resulting in more than £1bn in losses

Project Scorpio is the next Xbox One console, arriving late 2017

 Sure the Xbox One S was the big news from today’s event, but Microsoft had one major surprise up its sleeve: Project Scorpio. Xbox head Phil Spencer took the stage one final time to announce the “latest addition to the Xbox One family” with a dramatic trailer offering glimpses of what’s to come, courtesy of some extremely excited developers. The console, which is… Read More

Ubisoft is bringing Star Trek to VR this fall

 Well, this just rocketed to the top of our list of most eagerly anticipated VR games in warp speed. At its big pre-E3 press conference, Ubisoft unveiled Star Trek: Bridge Crew, a new title set to arrive on the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR this fall. The title was unveiled courtesy of a trailer featuring Trek vets Levar Burton, Jeri Ryan and Karl Urban playing the game together… Read More