Peak Drive Aims To Be As Usable As Dropbox, As Secure As SpiderOak

A new German cloud storage startup is preparing to launch a service it bills as more secure than Dropbox, thanks to offering client-side encryption — but it’s also shooting to be as usable as Dropbox — and therefore more user friendly than other security-focused cloud storage services that do local encryption, like SpiderOak. Read More

Think Gaming Demystifies Paid App Installs With A Mobile Gaming Co-Op

Think Gaming has created what it’s calling a mobile advertising co-op. Through that co-op, gaming companies share data about the cost of the ads they’re purchasing across multiple networks, and the effectiveness of those ad networks. Read More

Please Join Us For The 9th Annual August Capital Party In Silicon Valley

TechCrunch’s annual summer soirée is almost here. As in years past, August Capital will host TechCrunch and hundreds of local investors, founders and developers at its sunny office on Sand Hill Road. All are welcome to the August 1 event, but space is very limited. Read More

StumbleUpon Gets A Redesign In Version 4.0 For Android

StumbleUpon released version 4.0 of StumbleUpon for Android today, bringing a complete user interface overhaul, including navigation changes and a new way for users to find content. The design fits Google’s Android app design guidelines, with pages you can slide in from the left and right and a flat look that is has hints of Android L’s Material design. The drawer slide menu gets… Read More

Spotify Adds An Equaliser So You Can Turn Up The Bass

A small but notable update to the Spotify iOS application is sure to please music fans: the company has just rolled out a new equalizer feature which lets you adjust your music by choosing from one of several presets, or by dragging the points in the graph using your finger for a more precise and personalized setting. The app also received a a few other features in this latest release,… Read More

EA Launches A $30 Per Year Netflix For Games On Xbox One

I’d play a lot more games if they weren’t $70 a pop, and it looks like EA suspects that might be true of a lot of gamers. The game publisher just announced a new subscription service called ‘EA Access‘ for Xbox One users that will give subscribers all the games they can play (from a limited catalog) for $4.99 per month. What games, you say? Well, there’s Madden 25… Read More

Tech Companies Throw Their Support Behind Strengthened NSA Reform Bill

As expected, Sen. Patrick Leahy introduced the USA FREEDOM Act to the upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday. The bill comes on the heels of a similar, weaker measure passed in the House that was widely condemned as denatured and passed by brute force. “If enacted, this bill would represent the most significant reform of government surveillance authorities since Congress passed the USA… Read More

Microsoft Updates OneNote For Apple Products

Microsoft debuted a number of changes to OneNote for Apple products — iPad, iPhone, and Mac — today that broaden the functionality of the note taking tool. Users of OneNote for Mac can now connect to OneDrive for Business accounts. Across all three devices, OneNote users can now add files to their ‘notebooks.’ On iPad and iPhone, users will be able to insert files sent… Read More

Stream Lollapalooza sets from Outkast, Skrillex and Phantogram this weekend

If you enjoy taking in the summer's big music festivals from the comforts of your sofa, you've likely already peeped this year's Coachella and Bonaroo livestreams. The in-home viewing continues this weekend with Chicago's annual Lollapalooza event,... read more

LG Heart Rate Monitor Earphone review: good fitness gadget, poor earphones

Heart rate monitors are no longer the exclusive domain of fitness gadgets. The last 12 months have seen sensors make their way into smartphones and wearables, replacing for many of us the need for a standalone pulse monitor. The problem is a lot of... read more

Telltale Games confirms 'The Walking Dead' season three

One of the best tie-in video games of all time is coming back for a third installment. Developer Telltale Games confirmed at Comic-Con yesterday that it'll make The Walking Dead season three. The news was revealed during panel held by Skybound Entertainment, the publisher of The Walking Dead comics on which the game and television series are based. Unfortunately, the developer didn't divulge details on the latest "season" of the story-driven video game, and it's unclear when it will be available. It's likely it won't be ready until 2015 — the final episode of season two has yet to be released, and the developer has two other, unrelated titles to ship this year. Nevertheless, we can't help but wonder: will Clementine make it?
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Watch the explosive first trailer for 'Mad Max: Fury Road'

One of the biggest movies of next year will without a doubt be the return of Mad Max in the sequel Fury Road, and the film already started to wow audiences yesterday at Warner Bros.' big Comic-Con presentation. A first look at the film was show on stage, and now that trailer has been released online for the rest of the world to watch. It's an explosive look at the film in all the right ways, and it shows that series director George Miller, who's back on board for Fury Road, still knows exactly what fans want to see out of its apocalyptic world.

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Phew! Russians Regain Control of Rogue Lizard-Sex Satellite

According the Russian space agency Roscosmos, control of the Russia's lust lost lizard-sex satellite was regained on Saturday night, of all times. Surely the love-struck lizards were being of no help.
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The Near-Death And Resurrection Of Teen Social Network Let

When I met Pascal Lorne earlier this week, I expected to get an extended pitch for his social networking startup Let. And sure, he ran me through Let’s features and pointed to its early signs of success, but he also detailed the bumpy road that he took to get to this point. Lorne sold his last company, Miyowa, for $59 million two years ago. Afterwards, he said he made a mistake… Read More

Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 includes support for folders and interactive cases

Microsoft is planning to release its first update to Windows Phone 8.1 soon, and the company has started detailing some of the upcoming features to phone manufacturers. One of the main visual changes with Update 1 is the introduction of folder support, allowing Windows Phone users to drag one Tile on top of another and create a folder to organize apps. It’s a feature both Android and iOS have had for years, so it’s encouraging to see Microsoft is finally close this gap.
One of the more interesting features with Update 1 is support for interactive case accessories. HTC, Samsung, and LG all use cases that wake phones up when they’re opened, or even display information on a phone display when a case is in use. Microsoft is planning to...
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The Ways Modern Secret Societies Use the Internet to Hide in Plain Sight

Secret societies are as old as time, and they sure as hell aren't going away any time soon. But in an internet age where privacy is harder than ever to come by, secret societies face all kinds of new challenges. And Matt King has seen some of their newest tricks first-hand.
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The World's Biggest Tiny Domino Setup Is a Record-Setter for Patience

Going big means going small, like when you are trying to set the world record for the most mini dominoes (2,000) ever toppled in one sequence. The result is as impressive as it is minute. My god those guys must have a lot of patience.
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A Smart Headband That Keeps Your Kids Safe (and Forever Alone)

No one wants their young kids to fall into an unattended pool. It's (one of) a parent's (many) worst nightmare(s). iSwimband is designed to let you know immediately if the worst should happen. And probably also to keep your kids from making any friends.
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Moto's rumoured 5.9-inch Shamu the great hope for the Nexus range?

The new Nexus phone, the fabled Nexus 6, could be built by Motorola, according to rumours published this weekend.
Android Police has received information from sources claiming a new 5.9-inch Nexus phone is on the way, which is currently codenamed Shamu.
The site's sources says the device will also have a fingerprint sensor and will go on sale in November, shortly after the expected iPhone 6 launch.
If the device comes to fruition, it is likely to be launched alongside the rumoured HTC Volantis, an 8.9-inch tablet also revealed by the site last month.
Both devices would surely arrive to pioneer the new Android L software, which is currently under development.

Nexus or Nixed?

The future of the Nexus range has been the subject of heavy speculation for much of 2014.
First LG, a long time Google partner, said it wouldn't be working on any Nexus devices in future. Then there was an assumption the home-brewed range would be supplanted by the Android Silver initiative.
However, during a session at Google I/O last month, Android chief Dave Burke claimed there was still more to come from the Nexus line.
Starting with Shamu and Volantis later this year perhaps?

Startupbootcamp Names The Ten Startups In Its First London Fintech Program

Startupbootcamp has just announced the first cohort of ten startups that will participate in the 2014 program of its London-based fintech accelerator. The startups that have made the cut for the inaugural three-month mentoring program include teams from Europe, Africa and the US. Read More

Spectacular food packaging decays with its contents

Swedish design studio Tomorrow Machine believes that the relationship between food and packaging should be symbiotic, with containers surviving only as long as their contents. In a vividly colored series entitled "This Too Shall Pass," the company showcases three items, each of which looks more like an ornament than a household product.
The first is a gelatinous packet molded from agar-agar and water that is intended for use with liquids like cream, smoothies, and fresh juice. The second is a triangular-shaped package designed to house dry goods such as rice or grain. Made from beeswax, it is adorned with a subtle gradient and must be peeled like a fruit in order to access whatever is inside. The third is arguably the most spectacular,...
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Hasbro Is Cool With Fans Designing Their Own 3D-Printed Toys

The advent of online file sharing made it easy for anyone to copy and distribute media for free, and many feel—and fear—that 3D printing will eventually do the same for physical products. So it's surprisingly refreshing to hear that a corporation like Hasbro has decided to embrace 3D printing, and will work with Shapeways to allow fans to design and sell their own toys based on the company's properties.
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If You Still Care About 3D, the Xbox One is Getting 3D Blu-Ray Support

If you are one of that rare breed of AV fanatics that has both a 3D TV and a selection of 3D Blu-rays, Microsoft's next update for the Xbox One is just for you. The next firmware update for the console will bring with it support for 3D Blu-ray playback, potentially removing the need for one more box under your telly.
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Virgin Media's TV Anywhere streaming app comes to Kindle Fire tablets

After bringing its TV Anywhere app to Android at the end of last year, Virgin Media has continually updated the list of supported smartphones and tablets. Today, it's adding another range of Android devices to this roster, namely Amazon's Kindle Fire... read more

Google finally agrees to fix Chrome bug that drains Windows laptop batteries

Chrome may be the browser of choice for around 35 percent of the world's internet users, but it's not without its flaws. A report by Forbes has highlighted that the browser won't return to an idle state if it's not being used, demanding significantly... read more

MIT Has a Free Photojournalism Course You Should Do

Lots of schools now offer free, online courses, but here's a doozy from MIT: an introductory course about documentary photography and photojournalism that won't cost you a cent to work through.
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Ed Snowden: Sharing Porn Selfies is All in a Day's Work at the NSA

Notorious security campaigner Edward Snowden has given an interview about his times working for the NSA, claiming that employees enjoy poking through people's private files—and sharing their best finds with their colleagues.
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4.7-inch iPhone 6 may hit production before July is out

It's coming, we all know it's coming, so it's no surprise that we're seeing reports claiming that production of the iPhone 6 will start very soon.
Details from the Economic Daily News in China has seemingly spilled the beans on the manufacturing process, stating that production on the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will begin next week.
It also talks about the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6, saying it'll be a little later to the factory floor, with its production kicking off sometime in August.
You need to take this information with a decent pinch of salt, as it's not clear how legitimate the source is, but we are arriving at the production time for the handset.

Battery back up

Further evidence that the first iPhone 6 handsets may be about to be put together comes from NoWhereElse, which posted a photo claiming to show the battery for Apple's upcoming smartphone.
The battery in question appears to have an 1810mAh capacity which falls in line with previous rumours quoting an 1800mAh power pack.
If it's legit it's likely to be the battery for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, as the 5.5-inch model is expected to pack a larger offering - potentially somewhere in the region of 2500mAh.
We expect Apple to launch its new iPhone(s) in September, so there's not too long to go now.

Early LG G3 Beat price hints at an affordable handset

The LG G3 Beat (a mini-ish LG G3) was made official earlier this week and we've now got our first sighting of a price.
It's been priced by none other than LG Germany, which makes its as official as you're likely to get and the magic number is €349 (that's around £275, $475, AU$500) for a SIM-free handset.
At that price it could be hard to 'Beat', although direct conversions are usually not an accurate reflection of a handset's cost in varying markets as different taxes and charges need to be taken into consideration.

Undercutting

Either way, the G3 Beat looks set to undercut the likes of the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, HTC One Mini 2 and potentially even the Galaxy S5 Mini although we're still waiting on pricing for the latter.
For your money you'll be getting a far-from-mini 5-inch 720p display, a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, microSD slot, 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front snapper and Android 4.4 KitKat.
LG said the G3 Beat would be arriving in Europe in the coming weeks at launch, and LG Germany has stated that it'll be in the continent by mid-August. We're still waiting on availability news for the rest of the world however.

UK police start using face recognition software to catch criminals

British police officers have this week started using facial recognition software designed to automatically identify criminals from digital images. Police in Leicestershire become the first in the UK to test NEC's NeoFace software, which the force says is capable of comparing any digital image of a suspect with photos held on its database, by comparing "dozens of measurements" against key facial features.
The force says the new software, which it has been evaluating for several months, cuts down on the amount of time officers need to spend sifting its database of more than 90,000 photos for possible matches. The method will soon be copied across the Atlantic ocean — the FBI is set to deploy its own facial recognition system, called Next...
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See what 'Futurama' would look like in glorious 3D

None of us will live to see the year 3000, but Alexy Zakharov's 30-second video provides a glimpse of what we'll be missing. Using a full suite of computer graphics software, the artist has created a gorgeously detailed rendition of Futurama's New New York, which looks far more impressive in 3D than it does in its two-dimensional form. The details are amazing. We're especially impressed with the holographic MomCorp ad and the Planet Express delivery spaceship's battered hull. Be sure to check out Zakharov's Behance page for more Futurama related media.
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Google is recruiting Glass converts with free demos

CNET reports that Google sent out emails on Wednesday inviting the public to "sit down with a Glass Guide" and partake in a first-hand experience of the company's futuristic Google Glassheadset. Those interested will need to schedule appointments at one of the "Basecamps" — service centers for Google Glass — located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. Prospective buyers are allowed to bring a second person, so long as their companion is older than 13.
Google Glass is currently available in the United Kingdom and the US, although it should be noted that the product is still in open beta. The $1,500 wearable device is still being tweaked on multiple fronts, with a modified version featuring double the original amount of RAM a...
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Microsoft lets the EU exercise its 'right to be forgotten' on Bing

Microsoft is clearly taking a cautious stance on the European Union's "right to be forgotten;" several weeks after Google started accepting requests to scrub yourself out of search results, you can finally ask for the same treatment on Bing. The... read more

Amazon now offers two-day Prime shipping within Europe

Amazon believes its European distribution network is pretty damn solid, so to prove that, it's added a new delivery tier for Prime members within Europe. From today, subscribers can enjoy free two-day deliveries on over a million products stored in... read more

Soundwave Focuses On Group Messaging And Playlists In Bid To Become Music’s Water Cooler

Soundwave, the mobile app that tracks the listening habits of you, your friends and other users you follow, to help you discover more and better music, is rolling out a significant update today that sees it manoeuvre to try to become the ‘water cooler’ of what people are listening to right now. Read More

Beat by LG: new mid-range smartphone drops the G3's size and specs

LG has announced the G3 Beat, its mid-tier alternative to the power-packed LG G3. "Smartphone manufacturers cannot ignore this growing segment of consumers who want the best balance of looks, features, performance and, of course, price," says LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company CEO Dr. Jong-seok Park in a statement. The new smartphone features a 5-inch HD IPS display, with an impressive screen-to-body ratio of 74.1 percent but a significantly lower resolution of 1,280 x 720. Similarly, its rear camera resolution has been reduced from 13 megapixels to eight megapixels, although it retains the G3's unique laser focusing mechanism.
Nonetheless, the LG G3 Beat's comparatively modest specifications are not necessarily synonymous...
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Here's an Apache flying away from a gigantic smoke monster explosion

I think it's safe to say that this picture is better than most Michael Bay movies. Taken by Cpl Neil Bryden of the British Army, it shows an Apache attack helicopter flying away from a gigantic fiery Godzilla smoke monster explosion. So damn cool.
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New fighter pilot helmet delivers night vision without goggles

Fighter pilots have access to helmets with amazing abilities. However, they still have to strap on heavy night vision goggles to fly in the dark -- an all too literal pain in the neck. Much to aircrews' relief, BAE Systems wants to make that clunky... read more

Intel And Microsoft Hit 12- And 14-Year Highs On Strength Of Improving PC Market

We’re apparently in the pre-Post PC market. The PC market has almost stabilized, and its re-found salubrity is helping players in the space. Intel and Microsoft both notched big gains today in the wake of Intel’s positive earnings report that came after the bell yesterday. Intel rose 9.27 percent during regular trading, pushing its market capitalization to $172.28 billion.… Read More

Xbox One Sales “More Than Double” In June, But Microsoft Doesn’t Disclose Absolute Figures

Today Microsoft announced that in June, sales of its Xbox One console “more than doubled.” It did not release a concrete sales figure for the time period, disappointingly. Microsoft last indicated a hard sales number for the Xbox One in April. It sold 115,000 consoles that month. It isn’t clear if its sales declined in the ensuing period thus making the doubling less… Read More

Google's Street View cars help locate gas leaks in US cities

Google's Street View cars have a checkered history; they carry some truly incredible technology, but have also landed the company in hot water. But a few of Google's cars have taken on an additional task while logging miles across the US. Instead of sniffing for Wi-Fi networks, they're sniffing for gas leaks. Three Street View cars equipped with specialized sensors capable of detecting methane were dispatched in Staten Island, Boston, and Indianapolis.
They took 15 million readings in all across those locations, which were chosen because of aging pipelines and other infrastructure issues that make leaks more likely. And the hunches proved correct; Google's cars measured one gas leak for every mile they traversed in the city of Boston,...
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One Listen of This Long Track Will Totally Clear Your Mind, Man

Christopher Willits is a San Francisco-based musician who does magical, meditative stuff with sound. Gold is a 24-minute track that somehow manages to take all the frenetic flotsam and jetsam bouncing around in your head and morph it into a slow-flowing stream of happy molasses.
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Why Oklahoma Suddenly Has More Earthquakes Than California

The latest report on the recent earthquake epidemic in Oklahoma is out, and it's horrifying. Not only has the state seen twice as many earthquakes as California this year, but the scientific evidence that the seismic activity is linked to oil and natural gas production has become overwhelming.
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Amazon appeals directly to authors in ongoing e-book dispute

Despite sounding like a rogue militant organization from G.I. Joe, Hatchette is actually a book publishing group. Tame as that may sound, Hatchette is currently engaged in a high-stakes game of Chicken with a juggernaut in the book sales world:... read more

Uber won't gouge you as much during disasters

Folks who have nabbed a ride from Uber during major snowstorms in New York City know all too well about the car service's price gouging during those events. Now, the outfit is capping rates during disasters and "relevant states of emergency" in the... read more

Double-tap to Zoom One-Handed in Google's Mobile Apps

This tip has been floating around the Web for a while, but not everyone has caught on—if you're using a Google app such as Chrome or Maps while holding your phone or tablet with one hand, you can double-tap then move your finger up or down to zoom out or in.
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Forgotten vials of smallpox found in FDA storage room

Federal researchers stumbled upon several forgotten vials of smallpox last week that they believe date back to the 1950s. The vials have been sitting in a Food and Drug Administration laboratory in Maryland, properly labeled but located in an unused storage room where they've apparently sat unnoticed for decades. That could have been a major problem: smallpox has been eradicated from the globe, and because of international agreements, samples of the virus are only supposed to reside in two specific locations — one in the US and one in Russia.

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Security company says your data can easily be recovered from 'wiped' Android phones

Software maker Avast is calling the security and thoroughness of Android's factory reset feature into serious doubt today. The company says it purchased 20 used Android smartphones online and set out to test whether personal user data could be recovered from them. Each phone had been reset prior to being sold, according to Avast, so in theory the test should have failed miserably. But that's not what happened.
Using widely available forensic software, Avast says it was able to successfully pull up over 40,000 photos previously stored on the phones. Many of those featured children, and others were sexual in nature with women in "various stages of undress" and hundreds of "male nude selfies." The company also managed to recover old Google...
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Plug Your Phone Into This Solar Powered Donkey

Turkish herdsmen are keeping up with the latest news and entertainment via donkey power these days. They strap solar panels to the backs of their donkeys and us them as mobile charging stations wherever they go. According to a BBC report earlier this week, the sheepherders can read email, look up the weather, search websites. They could even keep up with World Cup, all while roaming the… Read More