If you like using Skype, but the only connection you have in Squankville, USA is at an internet cafe, now you have an option. Microsoft has opened Skype for Web (beta) to all users in the UK and US on Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari and Firefox. Pr…
Technical
Lycos is making a comeback with a suite of connected devices
Lycos is synonymous with the ’90s. It was once the internet’s favored portal, long before Google, Bing and other search engines. Nowadays, we’re living in an era ruled by Silicon Valley giants and hungry startups, and Lycos wants to be a part of that…
Sony pledges to be 30 percent ‘greener’ by 2020
Like the epic vomiting session after a long evening in Las Vegas, climate change is inevitably coming for us all. Sony has decided to show off its greener side by pledging to shrink both its carbon footprint and the amount of power that its devices g…
Tim Cook says privacy is a fundamental, moral right
It should surprise no one that, while being honored as a champion of privacy, Tim Cook threw shade at Google for its attitude toward its customer data. As TechCrunch reports, Apple’s CEO was speaking at a Washington-based civil liberties non profit a…
Disney’s smart toys combine Avengers, sensors and imagination
Those giant, green Hulk hands in your closet might be cool but their utility doesn’t extend much beyond freaking out your cat and making tired “you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry” jokes. Disney has an idea to remedy that with internet-connected vers…
The first products that support Apple’s HomeKit have arrived
A year after Apple first announced HomeKit, you can finally buy products based on the standard, including a new lighting and power kit from Lutron and a smart home hub from Insteon. Other manufacturers have also revealed new products coming soon: Elg…
‘Lego Dimensions’ has the toys, but ‘Disney Infinity’ is a better game
The toys came to life, and it was cool when they did. Almost four years after Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure let kids place action figures on an NFC device to make them playable in a grand adventure game, what seemed like a goofy idea turned out to be…
Google simplifies security and privacy with new account hub
Many of us are dependent on Google apps like Gmail and Photos, but Google has a rep for being less than transparent on security and privacy, especially in Europe. The search giant has just put all those things into one big hub in an attempt to make t…
US limits the NSA’s reach ahead of sweeping reform
The Senate has voted overwhelmingly to reform the powers of America’s security services, at the expense of renewing existing provisions of the Patriot Act. In a contentious debate leading up to midnight, the house belatedly opted to support the USA F…
DARPA to develop best practices for 3D printing
Just as steel’s physical properties change depending on how it’s produced, so too do 3D printed materials. However, unlike steel, we don’t yet fully understand how different these newfound techniques affect the resulting printed item. Sometimes a pri…
University of Miami’s hurricane tank simulates storms for scientists
Researchers from the University of Miami have started looking more closely into category five hurricanes this month. No, not by chasing them around — they’re thankfully quite rare — but by simulating their effects inside a huge indoor tank. Oceanog…
‘Halo 3: ODST’ is rolling out on the Xbox One, check your inbox
From one bug-ridden console game to another — Halo: Master Chief Collection owners should check their Xbox One inbox this morning, as redemption codes for the Halo 3: ODST add-on are going out now. Arriving as an apology for problems gamers reported…
Sony promises ‘Ultra Street Fighter IV’ PS4 patch next week
The launch of Ultra Street Fighter IV on the PlayStation 4 hasn’t exactly gone as planned, with gamers complaining of input lag, shoddy netcode, glitches, a start screen that refers to a button on the controller that doesn’t exist and other issues. T…
Website writes up notes for you using Instagram font
Kidnappers who send out ransom notes made of magazine cutouts are so old school. Any self-respecting, tech-savvy abductor who finds ordinary fonts boring would use Type To Design’s Instagram font generator instead. It’s pretty easy to use, too. You j…
Uber’s driver app now serves the hearing impaired
More often than not, most features released by Uber are designed for its customers, not drivers. Today, though, the ridesharing firm is making some changes to help a specific group of people behind the wheel: those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Th…