Новости за 23.11.2015

1. It only concerns personal data  The Safe Harbor agreement was -- until it was struck down by the Court of Justice of the European Union on Oct. 6 -- a way to reconcile differences between U.S. privacy laws and the EU's 1998 Data Protection Directive, which prohibits the transfer of Europeans' personal information to countries with inadequate privacy protections. If all you're shifting is production data or environmental measurements, then carry on as you were.

A drone industry group created by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop rules for drone registration is recommending the government apply just about the lightest touch possible.

Facebook is making it easier for app developers to build programs that work for people who are visually impaired after the company updated its React and React Native programming frameworks on Monday

A well-known adware program is preventing users from installing antivirus products by leveraging a Windows feature that was designed for security.

Technology has a way to creeping up on us and making a bold leap forward. In 2015, we witnessed the first legitimate effort to make cars drive autonomously, a few groundbreaking apps, and at least one hugely important milestone in virtual assistance. Here are my top picks of the year, in no particular order.

Toshiba America Electronic Components (TEAC) today announced what it says is the industry's first single-chip wireless power receiver (RX) that can operate at 15 watts and is compliant with Qi v1.2, the wireless charging standard.

Reddit has decided to honor 'Do Not Track,' a feature that will ensure that it does not download third-party analytics on to browsers that enable the option.

Nobody likes to clean a cat box, so CatGenie created a self-cleaning litter box. Unfortunately, the CatGenie’s SmartCartridge contains a chip that refuses to operate if the cartridge has been used more than a factory-determined number of times. Even though the purchaser can take apart and refill the SmartCartridge, it still won’t work. The owner is out of luck and must purchase a new SmartCartridge.

Apple is unlikely to follow Google into app streaming unless the model gains significant traction with consumers, forcing its hand, analysts said today.

In addition to the blistering excitement of race day, the world of Formula One is well known for its technology innovation and advancements that later find their way into the consumer auto industry. Examples include a multitude of innovations related to engines, transmission, braking and safety.

There has been massive attention over the last couple of years to the risk that poor background checking of sharing economy service providers introduces. Indeed, one of the major points that traditional taxi companies have made to support their opposition of ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft has been that these services introduce massive risk to end users. Taxi company employees go through security and character checks to ensure they are suitable for the job, this isn't really the case for ride-sharing providers. Читать дальше...

Google is testing a new version of Google+, saying it wants to make the service better to use. The company also updated its iOS and Android apps with new versions designed (I think) to demonstrate its skills for poor user interface design.

The November update to Windows 10 adds new features to the OS and refines its user interface. Many of these features were meant to be in the first release Windows 10, but weren’t ready in time. (If you haven’t upgraded your Windows 7 or 8/8.1 computer or tablet to Windows 10 yet, these features are included in the free Windows 10 upgrade.)

A security researcher found and reported a critical vulnerability to United Airlines that could allow an attacker to “completely manage any aspect of a flight reservation using United’s website.” He claims United Airlines, which announced a bug bounty program about six months ago, didn’t deploy a fix for five months and only plugged the holes after he threatened to publicly disclose the unpatched vulnerability.

Half of all enterprises will have at least started their rollouts of Windows 10 by January 2017, according to a Gartner report released Monday, suggesting the OS is on track for rapid adoption.

Pepsi is making an Android phone: Yes, the rumors were true: It’s called the Pepsi Phone P1. Well, it’s not so much “making” a smartphone as licensing its brand to a Chinese ODM.

When Google launched its Google+ social network just over four years ago, it was an ambitious project. Google+ was an attempt to re-invent how people use the Internet. As one columnist eloquently put it, Google+ wasn't Google's version of Facebook (as everyone assumed); it was Google's version of Google.

Another holiday season is approaching -- time to panic!

Wait, here's a better idea: Check out our annual gift guide -- we've come up with some great ideas for tech gear to give and get.

We'll be rolling it out over the next few weeks. By the time we're finished, we'll have recommendations for more than 45 gifts in every price range, from a $5 phone-holding strap to an $800 premium smartphone. You'll find envy-inducing speakers and smartwatches, keyboards and cameras, chargers and... Читать дальше...

Going for tech gold

The hardest thing about this holiday season may not be dealing with strange family members or figuring out how to handle everyone's food preferences, but choosing gifts from all the great tech out there. Over the past year, a veritable treasure trove of high-end devices has appeared to tempt the technologically inclined.

Another holiday season is approaching -- time to panic!

Wait, here's a better idea: Check out our annual gift guide -- we've come up with some great ideas for tech gear to give and get.

We'll be rolling it out over the next few weeks. By the time we're finished, we'll have recommendations for more than 45 gifts in every price range, from a $5 phone-holding strap to an $800 premium smartphone. You'll find envy-inducing speakers and smartwatches, keyboards and cameras, chargers and tchotchkes... Читать дальше...

Phishing emails have been the scourge of the computer world for decades, defeating even our best efforts to combat them. Most of us can easily spot them by their subject lines and delete without even opening. If we’re not entirely sure and end up opening them, we can immediately identify a phishing attempt by its overly formal greetings, foreign origins, misspellings, and overly solicitous efforts to send us millions of unearned dollars or to sell us dubious products. Most of the time, phishing... Читать дальше...

Manager emails this support pilot fish asking for help dealing with the extension of one of his workers who's, well, no longer one of his workers.

In the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the Bank of England's top economist is warning about the impact of automation on employment.

Watching a lot of the commentary and excitement last week about Square's Thursday (Nov. 19) IPO, one might think that Wall Street had never been given a shot at a retail POS investment before. The truth is that, in many of the ways that count, it hadn't.

Overspending is as much a holiday tradition as caroling, fruitcake, and drunken dinnertime political rants. But you don’t have to break the bank when shopping for the tech lovers on your list. We’ve rounded up ten truly classy PC and mobile accessories that cost $50 or less. You’ll be sure to delight any gadget-lover, and still have money left over to buy something cool for yourself.