As Snapchat prepares to go public with its hotly anticipated IPO, it already has a formidable foe. Facebook has been launching digital missiles at the image messaging app for years, building a copycat feature into Instagram, stickers and effects in Messenger, and even testing a Direct Share option for photos in Facebook itself. Now Snapchat…
With every new generation of smartphone, LTE connections get faster. That’s because the devices have faster modems that can transfer data at unprecedented download speeds. The top modem providers are Intel and Qualcomm, whose cellular chips are used in the iPhone. On Tuesday they both announced modems that will push LTE connections to speeds well…
Later this year, Chromebook owners with the appropriate hardware may be able to unlock their laptops with their fingerprint. Chrome Story recently spotted a new flag in Chrome OS Canary that discusses “Quick Unlock (Fingerprint).” Mentions of fingerprint security features are also scattered throughout the changelog for Chrome OS 58.0.3007.0 that was released to the…
Chip designer ARM has a new strategy for the internet of things: to offer complete solutions “from application software to antenna.” ARM has typically left it to licensees of its microprocessor designs to add their own wide-area radio modems and other circuitry essential for the chips at the heart of smartphones and other connected devices.…
Uber Technologies scrambled on Monday to counter the sexism charges raised by a former employee, and said it would appoint former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to the panel that would investigate allegations by the engineer that the company mishandled her complaint of sexual harassment. The company, which did not release diversity data when asked…
Apple, Microsoft and Amazon have agreed to give cloud storage subscribers fairer contracts after intervention by the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority. Such cloud storage services are typically used to store photos, videos, music or digital copies of important documents. If the services shut down or vary their capacity or prices without notice, customers can…
The hackers behind a sophisticated attack campaign that has recently targeted financial organizations around the world have intentionally inserted Russian words and commands into their malware in an attempt to throw investigators off. Researchers from cybersecurity firm BAE Systems have recently obtained and analyzed additional malware samples related to an attack campaign that has targeted…
The 11-county region that includes Columbus, Ohio, is pushing ahead with smart city tech research, including funding focused heavily on smart mobility and driverless vehicle testing. Last month, the State of Ohio and Ohio State University (OSU), based in Columbus, announced $45 million in funds for a new 540-acre Smart Mobility Advanced Research and Test…
Microsoft’s Visual Studio Team Services cloud-based application development platform is improving pull requests, package management, and GitHub build integration. Upgrades will make it easier to work with pull requests assigned to teams, Microsoft said in a bulletin discussing improvements planned for rollout during the next few weeks. “When a PR is created or updated, email…
Microsoft is targeting Indian startups with its cloud services, and has signed up more than 2,000 such customers in the country in the last 12 months, the company’s CEO Satya Nadella said Monday at an event for startups in Bangalore. A large opportunity ahead for the company is the large number of developers who are…