Technology: What Geeks are talking about from TechSpot

Auto, tech giants form lobbying group to expedite the arrival of self-driving cars

There’s billions of dollars to be made (and lost) in the autonomous vehicle sector. The problem? It’s still many years away, a realization that some of the world’s most influential companies want to expedite.

Apple earnings decline for the first time in 13 years

Apple on Tuesday announced financial results for its fiscal 2016 second quarter and for the first time in 13 years, it posted a year-over-year decline in revenues.

Mozilla launches Firefox 46, as dull of an update as they come

Mozilla on Tuesday pushed Firefox 46 to the stable channel for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. The latest version of the popular web browser is a pretty small update in terms of new desktop features with Mozilla instead focusing most of its attention on Android and behind-the-scenes security and stability…

YouTube is rolling out six-second, unskippable Bumper ads for mobile devices

Mobile devices continue to revolutionize how we consume media and subsequently, how we’re served ads – you know, those necessary bits of evil that keep the Internet alive.

German city introduces sidewalk traffic lights for those pedestrians addicted to their smartphones

Even though texting while walking is less dangerous than using a mobile when driving, pedestrians are still a risk to themselves and others if they’re distracted by their smartphones. In New Jersey, a recent bill could see this activity banned, but in Germany, one city is taking a different approach…

T-Mobile adds 2.2 million subscribers in Q1 as Uncarrier initiative continues to impress

In January 2015, Timotheus Hottges, CEO of T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom, said he was intrigued by the idea of merging with Sprint. More importantly, he conceded that T-Mobile’s disruptive Uncarrier strategy wasn’t sustainable.

Dating website for “beautiful people” breached, details of 1.1 million customers leaked online

A controversial dating website that restricts its membership to “beautiful people” has had the personal details of over 1.1 million members leaked online, according to a report by Forbes.

Nokia to buy health and wearables company Withings for 170 million Euro

Nokia has made another acquisition today, announcing plans to purchase French digital health and wearables company Withings for €170 million (US$192 million) in cash. Subject to the usual regulatory approvals, the deal is set to close in early Q3, 2016.

Former Top Gear hosts are developing DriveTribe, a one-stop shop for motoring enthusiasts

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are hard at work filming a new motoring show for Amazon. The program, which doesn’t yet have a name, isn’t the only project the trio is working on.

’90s kids, rejoice! Hi-C Ecto Cooler is returning this summer (as is Clearly Canadian)

Ready for a blast, err… splash, from the past? Coca-Cola, parent company of Hi-C maker Minute Maid, has announced it’ll be bringing back the “ghoulishly green” Ecto Cooler citrus juice drink next month after a 15-year hiatus.

Hundreds of Spotify user details appear online, but site denies it was hacked

The last few days have brought news of two major data leaks involving millions of people’s personal details, but unless you’re a registered Mexican voter or a member of a dating site reserved for beautiful people, you’re unlikely to have been affected. However, news of another possible data breach has…

Pre-order Gears of War 4: Ultimate Edition to get early access, season pass and more

Microsoft is now accepting pre-orders – both in stores and digitally – for a premium version of the next entry in the Gears of War franchise.

Zotac’s new product puts a PC inside a backpack to make VR a more mobile experience

I’m a huge fan of virtual reality, but when I used the HTC Vive for the first time I found the trailing wires to be a bit of an issue. The problem is one that many people notice, especially during those games where users often make 360-degree turns.

Can virtual reality restore the LAN party?

One of the reasons I’m immensely interested in modern virtual reality is because I no longer play video games. I know that sounds odd but hear me out.

Extortionists make over $100,000 from threatening DDoS emails without ever launching an attack

Companies will go to extreme lengths to prevent themselves from becoming the victims of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, even if it means handing over cash to the cybercriminals who threaten to disrupt the firms. It turns out that one group of extortionists realized this, and have made over $100,000 by…

The End of Hardware?

The picture isn’t pretty. Whether it’s PCs, tablets, smart watches or now, even smartphones, the outlook for most major hardware device categories is not looking good, particularly in the US. The issue is that both consumers and businesses have already bought a lot of these devices. Plus, they’re hanging on…

Reporting abuse on Twitter just got a lot more efficient

Twitter has for several years now offered a way to report abuse on its platform but doing so hasn’t always been easy or efficient. On Monday, the microblogging platform addressed the latter shortcoming by condensing the number of steps needed to report habitual offenders.

AMD’s Radeon Software 16.4.2 drivers fully support external graphics cards

If you’ve got an AMD Radeon graphics card, now is the time to update your drivers: the company has launched version 16.4.2 that includes performance improvements and full support for Xconnect technology.

This HD footage of New York City was captured in 1993

Quality is one of many characteristics that can be used to gauge a rough estimate of when a piece of media was captured. In rare instances, like the clip above, quality can be deceiving.

Millions pirate Game of Thrones shortly after release

In what shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to anyone, Game of Thrones has once again been pirated by millions of people shortly after its premiere on Sunday, reinforcing its position as the most popular show among illegal viewers.

Wireless receiver lets you use a DualShock 4 controller with your original NES

If you’re a retro gaming fan then you’re well aware of how frustrating it can be to have someone (or maybe even a pet) trip over your controller wire. At best, it unplugs the controller but more often than not, the console takes a trip over the edge of the…

John Romero needs your help to fund Blackroom

After releasing the first new Doom map in more than 20 years, id Software co-founder John Romero is now focused on creating the first game from his new studio Night Work Games.

AMD preparing to vacate Sunnyvale headquarters, sources say

Those in and around Silicon Valley are no doubt familiar with the massive white campus at 1090 E. Duane Ave., otherwise known as the headquarters of Advanced Micro Devices.

Raspberry Pi camera module upgraded, now packs Sony image sensor

The Raspberry Pi Foundation on Monday announced a pair of new camera accessories for its popular single-board computers.

Lionsgate, Valve partnership brings big-name films to Steam

Valve has signed a deal with entertainment giant Lionsgate that brings more than 100 movies to its digital distribution platform.

Logitech creates a massive display from 160 RGB keyboards

Logitech has finally found a practical use for the RGB LED backlighting in their new G810 Orion Spectrum mechanical gaming keyboards. At PAX East, the company has arranged 160 of them into a massive wall-mounted display, which has the ability to show text and videos through the RGB backlighting system.

Windows Phone-inspired keyboard now available for iOS

Microsoft’s predictive text mobile keyboard is now available as an iOS app in Apple’s App Store. Dubbed Word Flow, the keyboard from Microsoft’s in-house experimental Garage division supports both tap and swipe typing methods and is designed with single-hand use in mind.

Sirin Labs is launching a luxury smartphone with military-grade security next month for $15,000

How much would you pay for what could be the most secure, advanced commercial smartphone in the world? British-Israeli startup Sirin Labs thinks that users would be willing to spend up to $15,000 for a mobile device that mixes advanced technology with military-grade security, and will be releasing this “Rolls-Royce…

Chrome OS might be getting the Google Play Store shortly

Judging by the latest discoveries in Chrome OS, users of the operating system will soon be able to run the vast majority of Android apps thanks to the inclusion of the Google Play Store.

The eSports industry has grown 43% since last year, expected to generate $463 million in 2016

While the popularity of video games continues to increase, few areas of the industry are expanding as quickly as the eSports sector. At one time, competitive multiplayer gaming was mostly confined to parts of Asia, such as South Korea, but it has grown into a global phenomenon that is predicted…