The Big Tech Stories of 2015

Last week, we looked back at the largely untold, or under told, stories of 2014. This week, let's look ahead to some of the stories that are coming in 2015. We'll have robots, self-driving cars, armed autonomous drones, the professional proliferation of head mounted cameras, some scandals, and some interesting political implications. In 2015, we will begin to talk about the implementation of a number of technologies we saw previewed in 2014 and that will be introduced at CES next week.

Gadget Ogling: Budget Fitness Tracking, Focused Writing and Red-Hot Wearables

Gather around, friends, for another edition of the column that holds up just-announced gadgets to scrutiny, Gadget Dreams and Nightmares. In the stocking for our pre-holidays edition are a smartphone-controlled lock, an inexpensive fitness tracker, a red-hot wearable and much more. While I've looked before at smartphone-enabled door locks, Sony's take on the idea, the Qrio, stands out. Instead of having to remove existing locks to fit these devices, one need only place it over a door's current lock and attach it to the door.

Flaws in Ancient Standard Enable Wireless Eavesdropping, Spying

Vulnerabilities in Signaling System 7, telephony signaling protocols used by carriers worldwide, allow third parties to listen to people's cellphone calls and intercept text messages despite encryption, The Washington Post reported last week. German cybersecurity researchers Tobias Engel of Sternraute and Karsten Nohl of Security Research Labs separately discovered these vulnerabilities. Both will present their findings at the 25th Chaos Communication Congress hacker conference in Hamburg, tentatively scheduled for Dec. 27-30.

Fraud-Proofing Credit Cards Through Quantum Physics

Researchers at the University of Twente and the Eindhoven University of Technology have come up with what they claim is an unprecedentedly secure way to authenticate credit cards, IDs, biometrics, and parties involved in quantum cryptography. The method -- quantum-secure authentication of optical keys -- basically consists of sending a beam of light at cards treated with a special paint and using the reflection as the authentication mechanism. It employes coherent states of light with a low mean photon number.

The Curious Case of the Disappearing Distros

Well the holidays are pretty much upon us at last here in the Linux blogosphere, and there's nowhere left to hide. The next two weeks or so promise little more than a blur of forced social occasions and too-large meals, punctuated only -- for the luckier ones among us -- by occasional respite down at the Broken Windows Lounge. Perhaps that's why Linux bloggers seized with such glee upon the good old-fashioned mystery that came up recently -- delivered in the nick of time, as if on cue.

Gadget Ogling: Budget Fitness Tracking, Focused Writing and Red-Hot Wearables

Gather around, friends, for another edition of the column that holds up just-announced gadgets to scrutiny, Gadget Dreams and Nightmares. In the stocking for our pre-holidays edition are a smartphone-controlled lock, an inexpensive fitness tracker, a red-hot wearable and much more. While I've looked before at smartphone-enabled door locks, Sony's take on the idea, the Qrio, stands out. Instead of having to remove existing locks to fit these devices, one need only place it over a door's current lock and attach it to the door.

Flaws in Ancient Standard Enable Wireless Eavesdropping, Spying

Vulnerabilities in Signaling System 7, telephony signaling protocols used by carriers worldwide, allow third parties to listen to people's cellphone calls and intercept text messages despite encryption, The Washington Post reported last week. German cybersecurity researchers Tobias Engel of Sternraute and Karsten Nohl of Security Research Labs separately discovered these vulnerabilities. Both will present their findings at the 25th Chaos Communication Congress hacker conference in Hamburg, tentatively scheduled for Dec. 27-30.

The Untold Stories of 2014

It is time to look back at 2014, so I'll focus here on a series of stories I thought were interesting but didn't seem to catch much or any real air. Some, like what is really behind Sony's decision to pull The Interview still might take off. Hadoop analytics is one of the most powerful platforms to come to market, and a variety of vendors are providing solutions. However, over the year only one vendor was showcased at event after event, and with major vendor after major vendor, and that was Cloudera.

The Curious Case of the Disappearing Distros

Well the holidays are pretty much upon us at last here in the Linux blogosphere, and there's nowhere left to hide. The next two weeks or so promise little more than a blur of forced social occasions and too-large meals, punctuated only -- for the luckier ones among us -- by occasional respite down at the Broken Windows Lounge. Perhaps that's why Linux bloggers seized with such glee upon the good old-fashioned mystery that came up recently -- delivered in the nick of time, as if on cue.

Which Stars Will Shine Brightest in Apple's Brilliant 2015?

The end of the year is a natural time to look back -- and then forward to the year to come. Apple started 2014 slowly but more than made up for it in the long haul, introducing the Apple Watch, Apple Pay, Mac OS X Yosemite, iOS 8, an iPad Air 2 with a super-fast processor, the massively selling iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus, and a luscious iMac with a 5K Retina screen, which, it turns out, is priced less than some 4K monitors. Gushing adjectives aside, what is truly interesting or groundbreaking? What is going to be meaningful in 2015 and beyond?

Gadget Ogling: Budget Fitness Tracking, Focused Writing and Red-Hot Wearables

Gather around, friends, for another edition of the column that holds up just-announced gadgets to scrutiny, Gadget Dreams and Nightmares. In the stocking for our pre-holidays edition are a smartphone-controlled lock, an inexpensive fitness tracker, a red-hot wearable and much more. While I've looked before at smartphone-enabled door locks, Sony's take on the idea, the Qrio, stands out. Instead of having to remove existing locks to fit these devices, one need only place it over a door's current lock and attach it to the door.

The Untold Stories of 2014

It is time to look back at 2014, so I'll focus here on a series of stories I thought were interesting but didn't seem to catch much or any real air. Some, like what is really behind Sony's decision to pull The Interview still might take off. Hadoop analytics is one of the most powerful platforms to come to market, and a variety of vendors are providing solutions. However, over the year only one vendor was showcased at event after event, and with major vendor after major vendor, and that was Cloudera.

US Mulls Response to Sony Hack

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson on Thursday said the United States "is actively considering a range of options" to take in response to the Sony hack. The hack is "very serious," Johnson said, though he refused to label it as a terrorist attack. Although there has been widespread suspicion that North Korea engineered the hack, Johnson said the U.S. is "at this point ... not prepared to officially say who we believe was behind this attack." The FBI is investigating.

Which Stars Will Shine Brightest in Apple's Brilliant 2015?

The end of the year is a natural time to look back -- and then forward to the year to come. Apple started 2014 slowly but more than made up for it in the long haul, introducing the Apple Watch, Apple Pay, Mac OS X Yosemite, iOS 8, an iPad Air 2 with a super-fast processor, the massively selling iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus, and a luscious iMac with a 5K Retina screen, which, it turns out, is priced less than some 4K monitors. Gushing adjectives aside, what is truly interesting or groundbreaking? What is going to be meaningful in 2015 and beyond?

Defending the Free Linux World

The Open Invention Network, or OIN, is waging a global campaign to keep Linux out of harm's way in patent litigation. Its efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 companies joining forces to become the largest defense patent management organization in history. The Open Invention Network was created in 2005 as a white hat organization to protect Linux from license assaults. It has considerable financial backing from original board members that include Google, IBM, NEC, Novell, Philips, Red Hat and Sony.

US Mulls Response to Sony Hack

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson on Thursday said the United States "is actively considering a range of options" to take in response to the Sony hack. The hack is "very serious," Johnson said, though he refused to label it as a terrorist attack. Although there has been widespread suspicion that North Korea engineered the hack, Johnson said the U.S. is "at this point ... not prepared to officially say who we believe was behind this attack." The FBI is investigating.

Docker CTO Solomon Hykes to Devs: Have It Your Way

Docker has moved from an obscure Linux project to one of the most popular open source technologies in cloud computing. Project developers have witnessed millions of Docker Engine downloads. Hundreds of Docker groups have formed in 40 countries. Many more companies are announcing Docker integration. Even Microsoft will ship Windows 10 with Docker preinstalled. "That caught a lot of people by surprise," said Docker founder and CTO Solomon Hykes. Docker is an open platform for building, shipping and running distributed applications.

Google Rips MPAA For Allegedly Leveraging Local Government To Revive SOPA

Corruption in the American Hollywood style is something to behold. Today, Google published a short blog post alleging that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), alongside a number of film studios, funded what was essentially opposition research about the company. The resulting material was later fed to state attorneys general. Read More

Minecraft Players Will Get to Shape the Game's Story

Mojang has partnered with Telltale Games to create a brand new Minecraft game that will be narrative-driven. Dubbed "Minecraft: Story Mode," the series will be set in the world of Minecraft, but it will feature an original story that combines new characters with familiar themes and is driven by player choice. It will be a separate standalone product. "We're not intending on creating an 'official' story for Steve, or explaining the world of Minecraft in detail," said Mojang spokesperson Owen Hill. "It will be a cool game."

Experts Forecast the End of Privacy as We Know It

Privacy's future appears muddy at best, judging from a survey released Thursday by the Pew Research Center and Elon University's Imagining the Internet Center. More than 2,500 Internet experts and analysts were narrowly divided on whether policy makers and technology innovators would create a secure, popularly accepted and trusted privacy-rights infrastructure by 2025. Fifty-five percent didn't believe a structure to protect privacy would be in place; 45 percent believed such a structure would be created.

FIDO Pursues Vision of a Password-Free World

A group of some 150 companies last week moved closer to eliminating the bane of many an online user: the password. The FIDO Alliance, which counts among its members Microsoft, PayPal, Google, Bank of America, Visa and MasterCard, released version 1.0 of its open specifications for strong authentication on the Internet without the use of passwords. Release of the specifications opens the door for those who want to authenticate their users securely without the use of usernames and passwords.

BMW's Self-Parking Tech Relieves Drivers From Circling the Lot

BMW Group this week previewed the automated parking technology it will showcase at next month's International CES in Las Vegas. The Remote Valet Parking Assistant features 36-degree collision avoidance with secure position and environment recognition. It will be demonstrated at the trade show in BMW's electric i3. The parking assistant, which utilizes four advanced laser scanners, can identify impediments such as columns and other obstacles and reliably chart a route to a parking spot.

Google's Cardboard VR Kit Is Really No Joke

Google last week announced an updated app for its minimalist Cardboard virtual-reality viewer, as well as software development kits for both Android and the Unity game engine. It also published new building specifications for those interested in making their own Cardboard viewers and announced that it's hiring more people to work on the project, with five new positions now open. More than half a million phone-based Cardboard viewers have been shipped, Google said. Cardboard apps, including games and concerts, are now available on Google Play.

Terrorist Threats May Blow Up 'The Interview's' Box Office

The now-notoriously controversial action comedy The Interview, which was expected to deliver profits of $90-$95 million for Sony, may have become a financial black hole. The movie's Thursday premiere in New York has been cancelled, and several movie theater chains have scrapped plans to screen it, following a hacker message referencing 9/11 and threatening physical attacks on theaters. Sony executives tacitly agreed to the cancellations but it's not clear whether they have axed the movie's Christmas debut.

US Officials Believe North Korea Was Involved In Sony Hacks

US officials say they believe that North Korea’s government was involved in the large-scale hack of Sony servers, which led to the leak of troves of Sony data from emails to unreleased projects, according to the NYT. Read More

Skype Begins Dismantling the Language Barrier

Microsoft on Monday announced the first phase of its Skype Translator preview program, which initially will facilitate conversations between English and Spanish speakers. The translator will convert spoken words both ways. It also will translate instant messages in 40 languages. Translations occur in near-real time. Participants must run Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 Technical Preview on a desktop or tablet. Children in two schools -- one in Mexico City and one in Tacoma, Washington -- have tried out Skype Translator.

Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel On Email Hacks: “Our Work Has Been Violated And Exposed”

Snapchat co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel released a powerful statement today on privacy, a day after the latest batch of emails released in the massive Sony Pictures hack exposed the inbox of Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton. Since Lynton serves on Snapchat’s board of directors, his inbox included a good deal of candid conversations with Spiegel and others about Snapchat’s… Read More

FIDO Pursues Vision of a Password-Free World

A group of some 150 companies last week moved closer to eliminating the bane of many an online user: the password. The FIDO Alliance, which counts among its members Microsoft, PayPal, Google, Bank of America, Visa and MasterCard, released version 1.0 of its open specifications for strong authentication on the Internet without the use of passwords. Release of the specifications opens the door for those who want to authenticate their users securely without the use of usernames and passwords.

Google's Cardboard VR Kit Is Really No Joke

Google last week announced an updated app for its minimalist Cardboard virtual-reality viewer, as well as software development kits for both Android and the Unity game engine. It also published new building specifications for those interested in making their own Cardboard viewers and announced that it's hiring more people to work on the project, with five new positions now open. More than half a million phone-based Cardboard viewers have been shipped, Google said. Cardboard apps, including games and concerts, are now available on Google Play.

Sony Sends News Outlets a Stern but Toothless Warning

On behalf of Sony Pictures Entertainment, high-powered attorney David Boies sent a letter to several news outlets Sunday demanding that they refrain from publishing stories based on material hackers recently stole from the company and that they destroy any of the pilfered data in their possession. The letter to the news organizations claims the stolen information is "protected under U.S. and foreign legal doctrines protecting attorney-client privileged communications, attorney work product, and related privileges and protections."

Skype Begins Dismantling the Language Barrier

Microsoft on Monday announced the first phase of its Skype Translator preview program, which initially will facilitate conversations between English and Spanish speakers. The translator will convert spoken words both ways. It also will translate instant messages in 40 languages. Translations occur in near-real time. Participants must run Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 Technical Preview on a desktop or tablet. Children in two schools -- one in Mexico City and one in Tacoma, Washington -- have tried out Skype Translator.

Should We All Be Contributing to FOSS?

It's surely a testament to the shocking nature of the recent news about Devuan that the Linux blogosphere has been a rather quiet place of late. Yes, there was last week's Turla news, and yes, the holiday season is looming large, likely dampening more than a few spirits. Still, the atmosphere definitely has been subdued down at the blogosphere's seedy Punchy Penguin Saloon, as Linux fans have pondered this dramatic development in the ongoing Systemd saga. How, bloggers seemed to be wondering, did things get to this point?

Berners-Lee Sounds Clarion Call for Universal Web Access

The Internet should be a basic human right, but access to it is increasingly unequal around the globe, said Tim Berners-Lee, founder of the World Wide Web Foundation, as he launched its annual Web Index last week. The Web has the potential to be a great equalizer, Berners-Lee asserted, but only "if we hard-wire the rights to privacy, freedom of expression, affordable access and Net neutrality into the rules of the game." That currently does not appear to be happening. The Web is becoming less free and more unequal, the Web Index suggests.

Sony Sends News Outlets a Stern but Toothless Warning

On behalf of Sony Pictures Entertainment, high-powered attorney David Boies sent a letter to several news outlets Sunday demanding that they refrain from publishing stories based on material hackers recently stole from the company and that they destroy any of the pilfered data in their possession. The letter to the news organizations claims the stolen information is "protected under U.S. and foreign legal doctrines protecting attorney-client privileged communications, attorney work product, and related privileges and protections."

Upfront Ventures Raises $280 Million For Its Fifth Fund

Los Angeles-based venture capital firm Upfront Ventures has had a pretty good run as of late, due to a number of its recent investments seeing exits in the past year or so. As a result, it was probably no problem for Upfront to raise a new fund, this time bringing in $280 million to invest in startups in its home market and around the world. Read More

Have Intel and Microsoft Discovered the Fountain of Corporate Youth?

This has been an interesting quarter. After Andy Grove left, Intel often seemed to struggle with its place in the world and seemed at odds with the computing OEMs. Now, though, it seems more and more like it did when it was 20 years younger. It's not alone, either. Microsoft, which seemed to have forgotten why there were OEMs in the first place for the last 15 or 20 years, suddenly is acting much more like the firm we knew in the early 90s. It feels like these companies have discovered the corporate fountain of youth.

Gadget Ogling: Wireless Lights, Sunny Wearables and Flashy Smartphones

Welcome, dear readers, to another installment of Gadget Dreams and Nightmares, a weekly perusal of the best and worst in just-announced gizmos. On the docket this time around are wireless Christmas lights, solar-charging jackets, a speed-reading wearable and much more. It's almost as if the creators of the Aura Wirelessly Powered Christmas Lights expected a crowdfunding campaign at this time of year would be a smart move. These lights aren't attached to long power cords designed to snake along, around and through the tree branches.

Berners-Lee Sounds Clarion Call for Universal Web Access

The Internet should be a basic human right, but access to it is increasingly unequal around the globe, said Tim Berners-Lee, founder of the World Wide Web Foundation, as he launched its annual Web Index last week. The Web has the potential to be a great equalizer, Berners-Lee asserted, but only "if we hard-wire the rights to privacy, freedom of expression, affordable access and Net neutrality into the rules of the game." That currently does not appear to be happening. The Web is becoming less free and more unequal, the Web Index suggests.

Have Intel and Microsoft Discovered the Fountain of Corporate Youth?

This has been an interesting quarter. After Andy Grove left, Intel often seemed to struggle with its place in the world and seemed at odds with the computing OEMs. Now, though, it seems more and more like it did when it was 20 years younger. It's not alone, either. Microsoft, which seemed to have forgotten why there were OEMs in the first place for the last 15 or 20 years, suddenly is acting much more like the firm we knew in the early 90s. It feels like these companies have discovered the corporate fountain of youth.

Eye-Fi Mobi Delivers Photos From Your Camera To The Cloud | One Lap

The rise of smartphone cameras decimated the entry-level digital camera market. In contrast, sales of DSLR and other high-end cameras have thrived. High-end cameras provide interchangeable lenses and have the raw performance demanded by serious photographers but, unlike the quality cameras being built in to nearly every smartphone, still don’t have good solutions for transferring… Read More

Gadget Ogling: Wireless Lights, Sunny Wearables and Flashy Smartphones

Welcome, dear readers, to another installment of Gadget Dreams and Nightmares, a weekly perusal of the best and worst in just-announced gizmos. On the docket this time around are wireless Christmas lights, solar-charging jackets, a speed-reading wearable and much more. It's almost as if the creators of the Aura Wirelessly Powered Christmas Lights expected a crowdfunding campaign at this time of year would be a smart move. These lights aren't attached to long power cords designed to snake along, around and through the tree branches.

Iowa to Lead Digital Driver's License Movement

Iowa plans to issue digital drivers' licenses in the form of a smartphone app by next year, Paul Trombino, director of the Iowa Department of Transportation, said earlier this week at a public state agency budget hearing. The digital license will be accepted by Iowa law enforcement officers conducting traffic stops, as well as by security officers who screen travelers at Iowa's airports. The app will be highly secure and will be provided free to drivers as an alternative to the traditional paper license, the Iowa DoT said.

Whoa, Maybe Apple Really Is Serious About Enterprise IT

Apple and IBM have delivered the first batch of enterprise-class apps for iOS, rolling out 10 apps that cover key industry verticals like banking and finance, travel and transportation, retail, insurance, telco and government. The companies have pledged to deliver more than 100 such apps. The apps are the first proof point in the "unprecedented" partnership, which IBM and Apple announced this summer with few details and vague promises, such as forging Apple's "legendary user experience" with IBM's "unmatched position in enterprise computing."

2014's Top Google Play Picks: Fitness, Netflix, Frozen and More

Health and fitness was the fastest-growing category of apps on Google Play this year, according to a report Google published on Thursday. MyFitnessPal was the most-downloaded app within that category, while Duolingo led the education category. Facebook was top among social apps named in the report, which listed the most popular apps, games, movies, music, news and books in 2014 on Google Play. Netflix was the leader in entertainment apps, and Pandora was tops in music. NFL Mobile ranked No. 1 among sports apps.

Plundered Pirate Bay May Be Back in Business

The Pirate Bay, which was closed down following a raid by Swedish police on Tuesday, appears to have found safe haven on a Costa Rican domain. The site, which gained notoriety for hosting pirated movies and music files, has been raided repeatedly by the Swedish police. Its founders have been arrested and convicted of copyright infringement, and two are currently behind bars. The website recently made headlines for hosting unreleased movies stolen from Sony Entertainment by hackers.

No Respite for Sony

Since the hacker group calling itself "Guardians of Peace" announced its attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment late last month, things have gone downhill for the company. After confidential documents were leaked to the Internet over several days, a denouement of sorts was reached last week, when a security company examining the stolen data discovered nearly 50,000 Social Security numbers of current and former employees. The Social Security information was not encrypted, and it appears Sony exercised very little control over it.

4MLinux Is So Lightweight It's Anemic

4MLinux is a unique mini Linux distribution that tries to be what it is not. Its limited-purpose design is too basic for even lightweight distro functions. Much of any benefit users might derive from 4MLinux mimics what already is available from USB-launched pocket Linux distros such as Puppy Linux, Porteus and Knoppix. However, much of the advanced functionality of these other distros is missing from 4MLinux. The 4MLinux name is derived from this distro's specialized uses: Multimedia, Miniserver, Maintenance and Mystery.

How Linux Works Is an OS Mechanic's Mainstay

How Linux Works: What Every Superuser Should Know offers an unglamorous view of the Linux OS. It takes readers behind the GUI into the bowels of command line operations. This second edition of Brian Ward's classic Linux reference book is completely revised, and it offers something for every Linux user. Ward drills down to the technical specifics that developers need -- but he also peels back the onion layers gently enough for Linux tinkerers to know what happens when they do stuff with the operating system -- and why.

Chromecast Now Lets Your Guests Take Over Your TV Without Needing Your WiFi Password

Back in June, Google announced a rather nifty new feature coming to Chromecast: your friends and house guests would soon be able to connect to your Chromecast without being on your WiFi network, thanks to the clever use of magic ultrasonic sounds. Today, after a few months of silence, that feature launches. One bummer of a caveat, though: it’ll only work if your friend’s phone… Read More

Blackphone to Peddle a Few Good Apps

Blackphone on Tuesday announced plans to open an app store for privacy-focused applications to run on its secure smartphone. The store is expected to launch in January. The Blackphone runs PrivatOS, a modified version of Android 4.4.2 that comes bundled with tools that encrypt phone calls, texts, emails and Internet browsing. The app store will feature curated apps selected for their protection of users' security and privacy. The PrivatOS update scheduled for early 2015 will come with several preloaded apps.

Plundered Pirate Bay May Be Back in Business

The Pirate Bay, which was closed down following a raid by Swedish police on Tuesday, appears to have found safe haven on a Costa Rican domain. The site, which gained notoriety for hosting pirated movies and music files, has been raided repeatedly by the Swedish police. Its founders have been arrested and convicted of copyright infringement, and two are currently behind bars. The website recently made headlines for hosting unreleased movies stolen from Sony Entertainment by hackers.

NSA's Auroragold Mining Operation

The United States National Security Agency, which is known for monitoring landline, Web and cellphone communications worldwide, reportedly also targets wireless carriers. Documents released by whistle-blower Edward Snowden show the NSA has monitored more than 1,200 email accounts associated with major cellphone network operators worldwide since 2010, in a covert operation named "Auroragold." Those intercepted communications help the NSA hack into phone networks.

How Linux Works Is an OS Mechanic's Mainstay

How Linux Works: What Every Superuser Should Know offers an unglamorous view of the Linux OS. It takes readers behind the GUI into the bowels of command line operations. This second edition of Brian Ward's classic Linux reference book is completely revised, and it offers something for every Linux user. Ward drills down to the technical specifics that developers need -- but he also peels back the onion layers gently enough for Linux tinkerers to know what happens when they do stuff with the operating system -- and why.

Facebook Search Tool Finds Posts in a Haystack

Facebook has made it possible for users to perform keyword searches for individual posts on the social network. "With a quick search, you can get back to a fun video from your graduation, a news article you've been meaning to read, or photos from your friend's wedding last summer," said Tom Stocky, Facebook's vice president of search. Users still have the option of using search phrases like "my friends who live in New York," he pointed out. Search results remain personalized and unique -- users can see only things that have been shared with them.

Blackphone to Peddle a Few Good Apps

Blackphone on Tuesday announced plans to open an app store for privacy-focused applications to run on its secure smartphone. The store is expected to launch in January. The Blackphone runs PrivatOS, a modified version of Android 4.4.2 that comes bundled with tools that encrypt phone calls, texts, emails and Internet browsing. The app store will feature curated apps selected for their protection of users' security and privacy. The PrivatOS update scheduled for early 2015 will come with several preloaded apps.

iHeartMedia CEO On The Re-Branding From Clear Channel

Clear Channel has been quietly transforming for the past few years into a true platform, where live events, broadcast radio and digital products are combined and cross-promoted to give consumers total access to the music and talk radio that they love. To reflect that transition, the company rebranded to iHeartMedia. We sat down with CEO Bob Pittman to discuss the decision and better… Read More

Samsung Offers Cool Gear VR Headset but Content Is MIA

Samsung on Monday began offering what may best be described as the "alpha version" of its Gear VR headset, developed by Oculus, in the U.S. This Gear VR Innovator Edition works with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and is priced at $200. The headset comes with sample gaming and experiential content such as the dungeon exploration adventure HeroBound and the multiplayer space shooter game Anshar Wars. These and various 3D 360-degree video content apps can be downloaded from the Oculus app store.