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A new type of sensor could help the blind “see” objects in front of them. Called the Enactive Torch, the device sends out infrared signals which enable the user to sense nearby objects, thanks to a small buzzer attached to the wrist which alerts them if they’re about to crash into a door frame or Continue Reading →

Microsoft on Wednesday updated Bing with a very interesting new feature that builds on its investments in entity and conversational understanding. In short, you can now ask follow-up questions that reference your previous question. For example, Microsoft says that after asking “who is the president of the united states” and getting back the answer “Barack Continue Reading →

One week after Alex Holden said he found “arguably the largest data breach to date,” he doesn’t want to argue semantics. Holden, founder of Hold Security, gained a measure of fame last week when he said he had obtained 1.2 billion unique online credentials from a Russian gang. Some competitors and independent experts questioned the Continue Reading →

myMail announced on Wednesday that it is now the most-downloaded ‘alternative email app’ in the world. Having passed other apps including Mailbox and CloudMagic, myMail is the third-most-downloaded email app among all apps, trailing behind only Gmail and Yahoo Mail. myMail, which launched in November 2013, lets you easily manage multiple email accounts in a Continue Reading →

Amazon is diving deeper into the payment processing business. The online retailer announced Amazon Local Register, a mobile point-of-sale service combining a mobile app with a secure card reader — similar to Square — that lets small businesses process digital transactions. The big draw for businesses would be Amazon’s rate of 2.5% for every swiped Continue Reading →

This was not the usual Samsung smartphone launch. The Galaxy Alpha, one of two high-end smartphones that Samsung has been teasing this summer, made a quiet debut early Wednesday. Samsung announced the phone in a press release posted on its website. While the Galaxy Alpha had the usual run-up of rumors and speculation befitting any Continue Reading →

Spotify has added a new way for musicians to make money from its streaming music service, through a partnership with US company BandPage. The pair have teamed up to enable artists to sell “VIP experiences” to fans from their Spotify profile pages, including access to exclusive concerts, meet’n’greets, Skype conversationsand limited-edition merchandise. Country artist Miranda Continue Reading →

If the NSA still doesn’t know the full extent of the greatest leak of secrets in its history, it’s not because of Edward Snowden’s attempts to cover his tracks. On the contrary, the NSA’s most prolific whistleblower now claims he purposefully left a trail of digital bread crumbs designed to lead the agency directly to Continue Reading →

Edward Snowden has made us painfully aware of the government’s sweeping surveillance programs over the last year. But a new program, currently being developed at the NSA, suggests that surveillance may fuel the government’s cyber defense capabilities, too. The NSA whistleblower says the agency is developing a cyber defense system that would instantly and autonomously Continue Reading →

Amazon may be the biggest name in the world of e-books, especially with its new Kindle Unlimited service, but it’s far from the only game in town. Oyster and Scribd offer similar – and arguably better – services for about the same price. But another company is silently making a push to challenge Amazon: Apple. Continue Reading →