Emoji is on the rise as a global language: more of us are using it every year, the symbols are all over Instagram and Hollywood movie studios are deploying it to promote their latest blockbusters. The Unicode Consortium is the body in charge of the official character sets you see on your computers and mobile devices, and the organisation just released a new list of candidates to be considered for
When you buy a new phone, how long is it going to be able to run the latest software for? It’s that kind of buyer anxiety that Google is hoping to do away with, according to the latest rumour reported by Android Police. Sources speaking to the site say Android M Nexus devices will be guaranteed to get updates for two years. Apparently the program will be applied retrospectively too,
Age: 43 Company: SpaceX, Tesla Best known for: online payments, electric cars, rockets, travel Quote: “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.” His Twitter profile may be a playful send up of James Bond’s arch nemesis Blofeld, but Elon Musk’s billions have thankfully been put to making the world a better place rather than destroying it. That’s not to say that some
Introduction and redefining the phone Phones have had a renaissance over the past half-decade. Gone is the idea that they are used simply for calls and texting, replaced by an all-capable device that can run apps, surf the internet, video call and more. Led by the iPhone in 2007, touchscreen technology and software improvements have meant that phones no longer need a keyboard and can have a large screen and
Carmaker Daimler on Saturday announced a partnership with mobile technologies company Qualcomm Inc. to explore wireless recharging of mobile phones in cars as well as recharging of electric cars without cables. The move forms part of a broader push by Daimler, parent company of Mercedes-Benz, as well as rival German carmakers BMW and Audi to build their expertise in software and telecommunications to bolster their status as high-tech carmakers in
It’s the classic technology seller. Porn. It made people want VHS then DVD players, the internet and HD displays, also driving image and video compression and the sale of smartphones – if you believe the salespeople. But can three-dimensional, fully immersive pornography sell VR headsets to the masses? Just think. You could look around. Underneath. Up. At the thing you’re not supposed to be looking at, you sicko. The possibilities
The best thing about E3 is watching it from the comfort of your own sofa, in your pants, surrounded by the cheesy dust of whichever crisp brand is your favourite, with the option to shut off the TV and go to sleep whenever you choose. The worst thing about it is the no man’s land of news that occurs up to three weeks before, when the game developers start to
CNET has seen an email from Mozilla Chief Executive Chris Beard that sets out some of the non-profit’s new targets for Firefox OS. In particular, it sounds like the organisation’s $25 smartphones could be abandoned. These super-budget smartphones are aimed primarily at developing nations but Beard says they haven’t seen “sufficient traction” so far. “We will not pursue all parts of the [$25 phone] program,” he writes in the email.
Age: 52 Company: Valve Best known for: PC gaming, Half Life, Steam, Steam Machine Quote: “I’m not sure we’re all going to put down our game controllers and pick up touch screens – which is a reasonable view, I’m just not sure I buy into it.” In terms of gaming on the PC, Gabe Newell can lay claim to being one of the most influential figures of the 21st century,
It’s not easy trying to develop a flagship smartphone in secret, particularly when testing it out in the real world can leave all kinds of clues on the web. Benchmarking tests spilled some details about the OnePlus Two a couple of days ago, and now we have a fresh set to pore over. Chinese site Ludashi has the new specs, which point to a device codenamed A2003 – it has
