WhatsApp for Android Wear exits beta

The latest version of the popular messaging application WhatsApp now officially supports Google’s Android Wear wearable platform.

The latest updates allows for full message viewing on wearable devices, nested message navigation, and voice reply capabilities.

Nintendo announces updated 3DS and 3DS XL

Nintendo has announced updates for its popular 3DS and 3DS XL portable consoles. The new versions feature significant improvements and will replace the current consoles.

One of the additions is a second joystick called C-stick on the right side above the action button.

Apple’s PR machine, iPhone rumours, and the quest for a balanced perspective

On Friday, 9 to 5 Mac published Mark Gurman's gripping inside look at Apple's PR strategy. The story, 

"Seeing Through the Illusion: Understanding Apple's Mastery of the Media", is fine example of the kind of 

news reporting too often missing on the web today. His multi-section report is well-organised, believably-

sourced (even where anonymously), and accurate - to which I can attest based on my experience dealing with Apple as a journalist. Gurman also validates many of my ongoing complaints about how bloggers and 

journalists report on the company.

Could acquiring Cyanogen solve Microsoft's smartphone image problem?

I'm not going to retread old ground too much here, but there's no getting away from the fact that Microsoft 

has something of an image problem when it comes to smartphones. But this could be set to change. The 

word on the grapevine is that Microsoft - possibly in conjunction with the likes of Yahoo and Amazon - is 

interested in joining forces with, or even buying, Cyanogen Inc, purveyor of some of the finest Android 

ROMs known to humanity.

MSN Messenger to end after 15 years

Windows Live Messenger was switched off in most of the world in 2013

Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger will be switched off in China in October, marking a final end to the 15-year-old service.

Originally known as MSN Messenger, it was launched in 1999 but was switched off for most users in 2013, after Microsoft bought rival Skype.

Users in China continued to use the old service but will now be transferred to Skype by 31 October.

Nike+ Running app for Samsung Gear S gets announced

Samsung and Nike have announced today that they’re partnering up to bring the Nike+ Running app to the Samsung Gear S smartwatch.

Nokia HERE Maps to provide free, offline navigation to Samsung Galaxy smartphones

Samsung and Nokia have announced that HERE Maps are arriving in beta form on Android, free for Galaxy phones. HERE comes with voice-guided navigation capabilities and will work offline too, something which Google Maps doesn’t allow.

Why the big rush for drones like Google’s Project Wing and Amazon’s Prime Air?

Google's advanced research labs, Google X, wants to do an Amazon and is prototyping 5-foot-wide 

drones for personal delivery services. Project Wing was used to bring treats to man and dog in Queensland, 

Australia, earlier this month. They brought cattle vaccines and water and radios, too, according to the WSJ, 

but you know that ultimately all drones will just deliver pizzas mostly.

Moto Maker is down, getting ready for the new phones perhaps?

Is Motorola trying to pull Apple’s move of shutting down the online store right before the launch of a new phone?

This is pure speculation, of course, but the thing is the Moto Maker is down for “a tune up.”

What you can expect from Windows 9 (codename Threshold)

At launch, Windows 8 was a mess. It was a brave and - arguably - necessary attempt by Microsoft to re-

invent its operating system and keep it relevant as the world transitioned towards mobile computing, and 

tablets in particular. But the first release was seriously half-baked, and left many Windows users scratching 

their heads in confusion.

Microsoft's OneDrive update merges personal and work accounts

Microsoft has responded to user criticism by launching a series of updates to its OneDrive mobile app.

While the updates include improvements across Windows Phone and iOS platforms, the enhancements on 

the Android operating system are the most extensive.

NVIDIA Shield Tablet gets a major software update

NVIDIA is rolling out its first software update for the Shield Tablet, and it brings with it a lot of bug fixes and performance updates.

Version 1.1 will bring with it improvements to Wi-Fi stability, camera performance, ShadowPlay feature, audio optimizations, and a few other things. You can find the full changelog below.

Samsung’s Gear smartwatches to get HERE services from Nokia

Nokia has teased the inclusion of its robust HERE services suite, which includes Maps and Navigation among others to make its way onto Samsung’s Gear series of wearables.

Microsoft updates Windows Store app policy, removes over 1500 fake apps

Microsoft recently reported that a large number of its Windows Store apps are misleading users with inaccurate titles and descriptions. This has prompted the company to purge more than 1500 apps from its app catalog.

Microsoft Surface 3 Pro now available in 25 more countries

Microsoft is expanding the availability of the Surface Pro 3 (which recently got a price cut) with 25 new countries (up from just 3!). The Docking Station is available for pre-order in those same regions.

IBM's supercomputer Watson ready to take on cancer

IBM's Watson supercomputer is set to tackle scientific research head-on after being re-programmed to 

analyse big data in the cloud.

Currently, the testing of scientific hypotheses and theories often takes days or months of arduous work, but 

with Watson's Discovery Advisor program, this can now be carried out at a significantly faster rate.

How to prepare your data centre for the future: 5 trends to stay on top of

The rules of IT are being rewritten, as CIOs are asked to accommodate major new trends such as big data, 

mobility, BYOD, cloud computing, and software-defined everything. Due to the meteoric rise of these 

movements, CIOs have to support new applications and usage models while also running traditional 

workloads more efficiently and cost-effectively.

LG G Watch R gets officially priced in Germany

LG Germany spilled the beans on the price tag of the freshly announced G Watch R. The sleek-looking wearable with curved P-OLED display will cost €299 when it hits the shelves in Germany in October.

Samsung unveils new Gear S smartwatch you can make call from: Prepare for war, Apple, Sony and LG

Samsung has today unveiled the Gear S, a new smartwatch which it claims will deliver "the most advanced 

wearable experience yet."

The device packs Bluetooth 4.1, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, enabling users to receive and reply to SMS 

messages, manage notifications from social media feeds and, in a first for smartwatches, make and receive 

calls without needing to have a mobile phone nearby.

BioShock for iOS arrives for $14.99

BioShock for iOS has just landed and costs $14.99. The developers from 2K Games announced the arrival of the legendary title to Apple’s mobile platform earlier this month.

Seagate announces the first 8TB 3.5″ HDD for enterprises

Following the launch of its 6TB hard drive, Seagate today announced its 8TB HDD. Unlike Western Digital,which uses helium for its high-capacity HDDs, Seagate has opted for an alternative method.

Kinect for Xbox One will cost $150 when it arrives in October

Microsoft will launch a standalone Kinect for Xbox One in October. The device will be priced at $149.99 when available.

Asus teases its ZenWatch smartwatch in a video

In addition to a yet another teaser of its upcoming smartwatch, Asus finally gave it a name and it’s called the ZenWatch. Frankly, we should have seen it coming, considering the company’s recent Zenfone line-up of smartphones.

Ricoh announces Pentax K-S1 DSLR

Ricoh has announced a new DSLR in their Pentax range of cameras. Called the K-S1, the new camera seems like a straightforward DSLR on paper, until you see the flashing strip of LED on the front and back.

Apple iWatch will reportedly debut alongside iPhone 6 on September 9

According to a report from re/code, we won’t have to wait long for the debut of the Apple iWatch. The hotly anticipated wearable device is tipped for launch alongside the iPhone 6 in less than two weeks, on September 9.

Unsurprisingly, the wearable device will likely be closely integrated with the built-in health-tracking suite in iOS 8. Another feature, likely to be available on the gadget is home automation via HomeKit.

Google, Twitter and HP take the fight to the world’s top security flaws

Google, Twitter and HP are among 12 organisations that have formed a new group that aims to get to the 

bottom of the most critical security design flaws in modern software.

Hybrid cloud storage strategy of almost 50% of companies hampered by ‘server huggers’

“Server huggers” at 46 per cent of companies are continuing to insist on keeping data where it can be seen 

despite the obvious benefits that a hybrid cloud strategy can have.

A study by Iron Mountain showed that IT teams opt to keep the data safe when it is confidential, sensitive, 

business-critical, used often, subject to strict regulation, newly created or of business value.

Kobo Aura H2O is IP67-certified for reading by the pool or at the beach

Waterproof smartphones are cool but what about a waterproof ebook reader? If reading by the pool or at the beach is your thing the Kobo Aura H2O is the one to look at. It’s the first ebook reader with IP67 certification meaning it’s dust tight and can last up to half an hour under a meter of water.

‘Swing Copters’ update makes the game playable

Last week when I reviewed Swing Copters, I complained about the inane difficulty level that not just made the game challenging but simply unplayable. It seems I wasn’t the only one though, as a lot of people uninstalled the game minutes after installing it due to the difficulty level.

Chrome 37 brings DirectWrite support on Windows

Google has released v37.0.2062.94 of the desktop version of Chrome for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and it brings with it a highly requested feature on Windows: DirectWrite support.

Intel targets Internet of Things market with world's smallest 3G modem

Intel has developed a 3G modem roughly the same size as a UK penny or US one-cent coin, in the hope that 

it can be incorporated into smart appliances in the home.

The firm announced that the XMM 6255 has an area of 300 sq mm and is officially the world's smallest 

modem.

Intel also hopes that the standalone chip could be applied to wearable technology, as well as security devices 

Apple CEO Tim Cook calls iPad sales slump "a speed bump": Do you agree?

In usual fashion, Apple has been the talk of the tech world over the summer, and for good reason. As well as 

being one of the premier companies in the world, it recently signed a landmark partnership with old enemy 

IBM and is set to launch a brand new batch of iPhones in a fortnight.

How many apps you have on your phone? An average Android user has 95 but only uses 35 throughout a regular day. Often each app gets used more than once, you’re likely to have 100 interactions with apps by the time you turn in for the day.

Apple iPad with 12.9-inch display rumored to arrive in early 2015

According to a report in Bloomberg, Apple plans to release an iPad with a 12.9” display in early 2015. Apple suppliers are allegedly preparing to begin manufacturing the device by the first quarter of next year.

Samsung celebrates over 1,000 apps for the Tizen-based Gear smartwatches

Wearables will be a hot topic at IFA but there are several competing platforms – Android Wear has been getting most of the spotlight recently, but Samsung just announced that its Tizen-based watches can enjoy over 1,000 apps.

Microsoft slashes Surface 2 and Surface 3 Pro prices

Microsoft has slashed the prices of its Surface 2 and Surface 3 tablets. The second-gen Surface 2 is getting ready to celebrate its first birthday and is now selling $100 off across its range for the occasion.

Amazon acquired Twitch for $970 million

Amazon has announced that it will be acquiring gaming video broadcasting service Twitch for $970 million in cash. This move comes somewhat out of the blue, especially since there were pretty strong rumors of Google/YouTube acquiring Twitch a couple of months ago.

Microsoft builds ultimate Royal Carribean smartship with boosted broadband and bionic bartenders

Cruising is something that is near and dear to my heart. As someone who grew up very poor, my family never went on holiday - it was a waste of money. This was the mindset that I was raised to have, thinking travel was stupid, when money can go towards bills. This thinking was dangerous though, as I became an adult that almost never left New York. It's a cliche, but life is short, and it is silly not to see the world.

Redefining mobile security: What can businesses do to reduce the risks?

Embracing the digital revolution is unavoidable for businesses. It has brought great advantages with it too, 

such as anytime, anywhere communications and the storage of vital and personal information for use in our 

work and personal lives. It has also provided greater flexibility in where and how we work and 

communicate, making things much easier for us.

Asus outs a new teaser for its upcoming smartwatch

With IFA quickly approaching, Asus released another teaser for its upcoming smartwatch. The device will debut during the company’s scheduled press conference on September 3.

Motorola has an updated Skip accessory coming our way

Motorola has a successor to the Skip NFC accessory coming our way. Details on the upcoming gadget emerged from recent FCC filings.

LastPass for Android gets an update to be more independent from PCs

The popular password manager LastPass now boasts an updated app for Android, getting it one step closer to be as standalone as its PC counterpart.

WhatsApp now has 600 million monthly active users

Popular mobile messaging service WhatsApp crossed another major milestone recently. The company CEO announced on Twitter that WhatsApp is now service over 600 million monthly active users.

HTC One (M8) and Nokia Lumia 930 accept the Samsung Galaxy S5 Ice Bucket Challenge

Two of the devices challenged by Samsung’s marketing team during the Galaxy S5 Ice Bucket Challenge have stepped up to the task. HTC One (M8) and Nokia Lumia 930 both got drenched in ice-cold water on camera.

LG teases a round smartwatch ahead of IFA announcement

At this point it’s pretty certain that LG will be announcing a new member to its smartwatch family at this year’s IFA. The company has hinted at that a couple of times in the past and we’ve seen several leaks to confirm it.

A closer look at the issue of the NSA and building spyware into apps

Developers have to answer a lot of questions when building apps but one question that doesn’t have a clear 

answer is how do you build spyware or backdoors into your apps?

It may seem like a silly question but I think someone has to ask it.

A closer look at the iOS and Android app economy in the US

A new report by Comcast reveals the state of the US app market and while some facts are understandable 

others may surprise you.

The mobile economy is driven by apps. Everything from Uber to WatchESPN plays a role in driving greater 

engagement and reliance on smartphones.