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Latest by Andrew Couts

apple touch id body part tests cat paw

Apple iPhone 5S ‘Touch ID’ works with a lot more than just your fingerprints

Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensor isn't just for fingers. It also works with cat paws, nipples, and some body parts that we won't even mention.
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Hacker thieves steal a million Social Security Numbers

ID thieves have infiltrated the networks of three major data brokers, according to a seven-month investigation by security researcher Brian Krebs.
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Apple e-book fallout: What it means for your wallet

Apple's loss in court over a major e-book price fixing conspiracy may be a win for you. Here's why.
ios 7 does not make your phone waterproof

Fake ad tricks chumps into thinking iOS 7 makes iPhones waterproof

A fake ad for Apple's iOS 7 has apparently tricked some poor saps into thinking the update makes their iPhones waterproof. That, of course, is a big lie.
android_virus

Do not use iMessage Chat for Android – it’s not safe [Updated]

The iMessage Chat for Android app, available through Google Play, has serious security flaws, according to security researchers and developers.
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Google wants to reinvent the browser cookie – should you be thrilled or terrified?

Google reportedly has plans to launch a new advertising tracking technology known as AdID. Here's what that could mean for you.
iPhone 5S Fingerprint Touchid

Don’t be afraid of the big, bad Apple ‘Touch ID’ hack

Chaos Computer Club hackers claim to have bypassed Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5S.
Google plane

Of course Google’s founders want to ‘solve death’ – they’re rich!

A new Google-owned company, Calico, has made it its mission to cure death. Sure, it sounds crazy – but it also makes total sense.
iPhone 5s Touch ID confirmation

Sen. Al Franken letter grills Apple’s Tim Cook over Touch ID fingerprint sensor

Sen. Al Franken has asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to ask a dozen key questions about the iPhone 5S Touch ID fingerprint censor.
Pandora

Pandora revamps iOS app to beat back iTunes Radio competition

Pandora has launched a new version of its iOS app ahead of the release of iOS 7 and its new competitor, iTunes Radio.
iTunes 11 apple ios ipod

Download iTunes 11.1 beta? You’re missing out on iTunes Radio

If you downloaded iTunes 11.1 beta, you need to update to the final version to get iTunes Radio. Here's how to do that.
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Hated cell phone unlocking ban may be lifted by FCC

A petition by the Obama administration's NTIA may eliminate the federal ban on cell phone unlocking without wireless carrier approval.
verizon headquarters

Is Verizon trying to kill Netflix? It depends who you ask

Verizon is challenging the FCC's Open Internet rules that make net neutrality the law of the land – and if it wins, Netflix could be caught in the sights.
anger social media angry bird

Anger spreads like the plague on social media, study shows

Anger is the most viral of all emotions on social networks, a study of China's Sina Weibo users shows.
Netflix-Reed-Hastings

What’s on, matey? Online piracy helps Netflix decide which shows to buy

Netflix uses online piracy statistics to figure out which shows to add to its Watch Instantly roster.
30 rules for the tech-savvy gentleman

30 rules for the tech-savvy gentlemen

Technology has come to define who we are. It's time to take control, and flip that idea on its head.
thanks nasa now googles poor founders have to buy private jet fuel like everyone else airplane shutterstock

Thanks to NASA, Google’s poor founders have to buy private jet fuel like everyone else

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin will no longer be able to fill up their aircrafts with discounted NASA jet fuel.
mark zuckerberg prism

Mark Zuckerberg says US government ‘blew it’ over NSA messaging

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg says the U.S. government "blew it" when explaining the NSA's surveillance efforts to the American people.
911 memorial google street view 9 11

Don’t live in NYC? Visit the 9/11 Memorial through Google Street View

Even if you don't live in NYC, you can still reflect on September 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, thanks to Google Street View.
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Epic ‘twerk girl fail’ video was just a Jimmy Kimmel lie

If you thought the "worst twerk fail" girl video was a fake, you were right! The whole thing was a hoax created by Jimmy Kimmel.
reddit openai alien

This video explains what Reddit is better than anything else

Reddit may be popular, but it's still a mystery to many Web users. Here's the only primer you need to get to know "the front page of the Internet."
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NSA has cracked encryption protecting your bank account, Gmail, and smartphone

The NSA has cracked the encryption technologies used to protect much of what we do on the Internet.
shodan search engine webcam hackers

Shodan, the search engine that points hackers directly to your webcam

Your webcam, and the rest of the "Internet of Things" is hackable. And the Shodan search engine is how hackers find which devices are vulnerable.
spotify wins european tech start up 100 award founders logo

Spotify is being sued for letting you make playlists

Ministry of Sound, a dance music brand, has sued Spotify for allowing users to create and share playlists that replicate its compilation albums.
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How to use Reddit to incubate your million-dollar idea

Starting your own subreddit can teach you valuable lessons about your entrepreneurial potential.
keep calm and tweet on creditors have been sizing you up online for years header

Keep calm and tweet on: Creditors have been sizing you up online for years

What you say on Facebook can be used against you when applying for a loan – but it can be used in your favor, too.
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The Internet made me care about Miley Cyrus, and I’m pissed about it

The completed saturation of Miley Cyrus content on the Web pressured me into caring about things I never before thought important.
syrian electronic army celebrates thanksgiving widespread ad hack

What is the Syrian Electronic Army?

What is the Syrian Electronic Army? Here, an explainer on the pro-Assad hacktivist group that allegedly attacked The New York Times and Twitter this week.

The U.S. government pried into 16,000 Facebook accounts … this year alone

Facebook has released its first ever transparency report, which shows that governments have issued more than 25,000 requests for user data so far this year.
tobjection the supreme court needs to understand email

Objection! The Supreme Court needs to understand email

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan admitted last week that the court "hasn't really gotten to email." How is that okay?
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Facebook may owe you $15, thanks to $20 million ‘Sponsored Stories’ lawsuit settlement

A U.S. judge has granted final approval of Facebook's $20 million settlement of a lawsuit over its "Sponsored Story" advertisements.
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JustDelete.me helps you wash away your digital life

JustDelete.me gives you direct links to delete old, unwanted, or unused online accounts.

Hack Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook page, collect $11,000

The security researcher who hacked Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook page will receive more than $11,000 from supporters.
yahoo beats google facebook twitter unique desktop visitors december marissamayer

Yahoo takes #1 spot, knocks Google down to #2 in US Internet traffic

Yahoo has taken the top spot for U.S. Internet traffic for the first time in two years, knocking reigning king Google down to number two.