All Technology
Samsung brings 360-degree videos to its virtual reality headsetSamsung released Milk VR, a platform for full-motion, 360-degree virtual reality videos, for its Gear VR headset on Tuesday. Milk VR only has a few videos for the Samsung Gear VR, but those who have experienced 360-degree video say it's incredibly immersive.
Microsoft builds IE's younger brother, codenamed Spartan: reportA report from CNET says that Microsoft is building 'Spartan,' a new browser to better compete with Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. 'Spartan' would be Microsoft's first built-from-scratch browser since Internet Explorer debuted in 1995.
Gmail gets burned by China鈥檚 'Great Firewall'Google's Gmail service has been cut off in China since Friday, leaving citizens and some companies without e-mail access. The only way to access Gmail is through a VPN, which allows users to bypass China's notorious 'Great Firewall.'
PlayStation Now coming to Samsung TVs next yearPlayStation Now, a service that allows users to stream PS3 games over the Internet, will come to a few Samsung smart TVs in early 2015. PlayStation Now lets gamers play without any additional hardware besides a big screen and a controller.
Google's self-driving car will hit California streets in 2015Google unveiled a fully working prototype of its homegrown self-driving car this week. The two-seater electric car has radar, GPS, and 3-D laser mapping, and Google says it will be ready for testing on public roads early next year.
Apple pushes out its first-ever automated security updateApple automatically updated Macs this week to patch a security hole in OS X. It's the first time Apple has ever automatically applied a security update, though it's had the ability to do so for two years.
BlackBerry and Boeing team up to make a self-destructing smart phoneBoeing and BlackBerry have built a phone for employees and contractors in the security industry. The device聽will erase its own data if the case is opened.
Can digital privacy exist when life online is public by nature?More than half the respondents to a Pew Research survey said a trusted online-privacy framework won't be implemented within the next 10 years. Experts disagree about how to protect online privacy, but generally agree that doing so is important for economic and human-rights reasons.
Many Americans oppose businesses using dronesBy a 2-1 margin, Americans with a view on drones don't like the idea of businesses using them for commercial purposes.
Minecraft: Story Mode brings narrative to the world of blocksMojang, the developers of the tremendously popular sandbox video game Minecraft, have partnered with studio Telltale Games to produce a spinoff titled Minecraft: Story Mode. Story Mode will be released in episodic format starting next year.
In last-ditch effort, BlackBerry launches Classic phoneBlackBerry goes back to its roots with a smart phone that features a traditional keyboard.
Sony debuts Google Glass-like gadget that clips onto your favorite shadesSony unveiled a small module that clips onto a pair of glasses, adding a screen, camera, and Wi-Fi connectivity to any shades. The Sony module will be available next year, and the company will show it off at the CES expo in January.
Watch Derby the dog run on 3-D printer legsDesign iterations allowed in 3-D printing have allowed a 1-year-old adopted dog to run comfortably, even though she was born without tiny front legs.聽- US Navy's newest spy? A drone fish named NemoThe US Navy is developing a robotic fish drone that mimics the behavior of a blue fin tuna, but looks like a shark. Top speed:聽40 knots, or about 46 mph.聽
Aided by Steve Jobs' testimony, Apple prevails in iTunes antitrust caseA jury found Apple not guilty in a decade-old case alleging that the company behaved in a anticompetitive manner by making its iTunes software and iPod music players incompatible with rival services. The trial featured a videotaped deposition from Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, in which he recounted how Apple had to secure its software from hacking attempts.
How Microsoft鈥檚 battle with the Justice Department could reshape privacy lawsFor Microsoft and other US tech companies, a lawsuit over e-mails stored in Dublin is an important test case to demonstrate their willingness and ability to guard customer data from government prying in a post Snowden-era.
Wassily Kandinsky: Two events that changed art foreverAfter two key events, Wassily Kandinsky pushed aside a successful career to pursue art and, in turn, changed the course of art history. A Google Doodle honors Mr. Kandinsky on the 148th anniversary of his birth.
Microsoft fights against the US government accessing data stored overseasShould the US government have access to customer data held overseas? Microsoft has gone to court saying no.
Skype update translates English and Spanish in real timeSkype Translator, a service that aims to offer real-time audio and text translation between many languages, went live to select users on Tuesday. The Skype Translator preview can perform audio translation between English and Spanish audio, and text translation between more than 40 languages.
In the 'year of the selfie,' a hot Christmas gift itemAn extendable selfie pole 鈥� perfect to widen camera angles 鈥� is the latest gift in the digital age of narcissism. But with high-profile selfies, a backlash is emerging to self-portraiture.聽