Technology News Era

Today, you can invest in 149 different ICOs. In comparison, there were two per week in May 2017, and ten per day in August 2017. The promise ICOs hold is that the token’s price will grow in time, enabling investors to make a profit. Everybody wins: Investors, because they can make money out of thin air (we hope you sense the underlying danger already). The company, because they have a capital to develop the project and make some money. The clients, because the rewards they get for the product outweigh the money they invest. It’s a no-lose scenario. On paper, anyway. The truth… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2KCsqwl

On 30 June 1908, Earth had one the most significant encounters with an asteroid in recent history. The space rock which measured about 130 ft wide, exploded in the atmosphere above the Podkamanneya Tunguska River in Siberia, decimating nearly 800 square miles (2, 072 kilometres) of forest area. Luckily, it landed far away from human habitations. Had the asteroid flown by 6.5 hours later, it would have struck Berlin and changed the course of human history. On this day every year, in remembrance of the Tunguska Event, we observe what’s called World Asteroid Day. While today, we could reflect on… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tT2PIb

For a completely free tool, Google Analytics packs in an amazing amount of data-driven information for anyone with an interest in web traffic stats. Since practically anyone dealing in digital content or online sales should have an acute interest in those numbers, the Google Analytics Certification: Get Certified in 2 Days training course ($9.99 from TNW Deals) is your web traffic bootcamp. from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2KyYktz

It’s been just a few weeks since the General Data Protection Regulation came into effect, and aside from some high level lawsuits from activist lawyers looking to prove a point, it’s been pretty much business as usual. The media portrayed GDPR as the next and possibly more disruptive Y2K, like at midnight on May 25, 2018, the data breach police would be knocking down doors and shuttering businesses. This long drawn out regulation could actually take a few months to uncover non-compliant companies. GDPR is all about putting personal data back in the hands of the citizen, the individual, the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tSgcbr

The World Health Organisation officially classifies gaming addiction as a disorder. The recent classification sought to address the growing use of digital technologies where people turn to electronic devices at the expense of other things such as work (or school), friendships and socializing. But evidence to support the idea that players are addicted to video games is lacking. The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) strongly opposed the classification “as clearly prejudicial against gaming as a hobby and interest” and for a “broad” terminology. But both parties seem to agree on one thing: more and more people are choosing to play… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tQnBrS

Viral videos are a funny thing. Thousands are uploaded every day, yet one good one has the ability to unravel your entire day’s work and take over your life. That’s what happened to me this week when my colleague sent me along the following video: In the clip, a woman gets busted on her birthday for cheating on her boyfriend. He packs her belongings like presents. It’s pretty sad, until he delivers the punchline: Hubert. You’ve been cheating on me with Hubert… You’ve been cheating on me with a dude named Hubert. I don’t know what hooked us most. It… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2lIIodi

Certain governments have been censoring web content for years; with China, Iran and Turkey among the biggest offenders. But if there was something unique about Russia’s block of the Telegram messaging service in April, it was the extent to which the government was willing to go to. Russia went for a wholesale, indiscriminate blocking of major cloud service providers’ IP addresses (to overcome Telegram’s attempt to port its services there). This incident exposed three unsavory truths about the modern-day internet: Single points of failure abound When the Russian government started blocking Google- and Amazon-based services, initial reports estimated more than… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2IDACum

Sports betting is worth up to £625 billion per year, with 70% of that trade reckoned to come from football. During big sporting competitions, such as the World Cup, even more money is spent gambling than usual. Over the 2018 World Cup, bookmakers are estimated to make a profit of US$36.4 billion (£41.3 billion). And in the UK, the amount of money spent on gambling during the World Cup is expected to more than double from £1 billion in 2014 to £2.5 billion this year. Sports gambling is being driven by the unlimited availability of online betting and the fact… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Ky7zgF

OnePlus has found tremendous success in a stalling smartphone market. But it’s always had one major limitation stateside: it’s not available through any US carrier. That could soon be a thing of the past. During an interview with PCMag, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said the company was in discussion with US carriers, though he didn’t specify which. Lau also confirmed OnePlus aims to produce a 5G phone next year. Though buying phones unlocked is common practice around the world, it’s still a rarity in the US, where most people purchase devices via carrier subsidies. OnePlus has been successful with its… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2ICl36b

Vivitar recently released its 360 Skeye View Follow Me Drone, a quadcopter sporting a built-in 360 degree camera and some nifty GPS features. I spent a few weeks putting a review unit through the paces. Turns out, Vivitar makes a quality product, but it could use a bit of help in the app department. Having never piloted one of the company’s quadcopters before, I was eager to try my first. And upon unboxing the drone I was immediately impressed. Vivitar packs everything you need in the box, down to a screwdriver for the battery compartment on the remote. But what… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Na0Rfn

Facebook and Twitter have, within a few hours of each other, revealed new ad transparency measures this week. In both cases, the company in question reveals more details about what ads each account or page is running. It’s also offering further insights on political ads. Trouble is, it all depends on how much effort the users are willing to put into doing the research. Twitter opened its Ad Transparency Center, which allows anyone to look up a particular Twitter handle to see which ads the account has run in a massive public archive. You don’t need to be logged into… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Facebook , Twitter from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tNWXA3

Ah, the Surface Phone. A quasi-mythical device we’ve been hearing about for years, it’s finally starting to materialize into something more than the tech equivalent of bigfoot. A new report from The Verge suggests the device, codenamed Andromeda, will be a pocketable device that will “blur the lines between mobile and stationary computing.” That’s about what we’ve expected since some of the earlier rumors, but it’s how Microsoft describes it in an internal document obtained by The Verge. The document also says: It’s a new pocketable Surface device form factor that brings together innovative new hardware and software experiences to create… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Microsoft from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2lH1511

Unravel 2, from developer Coldwood and publisher EA, is a beautiful platforming game that invites players to control a pair of adorable creatures made of yarn through a series of stages featuring fantastically rendered photo-realistic environments. It’s also one of the best local co-op experiences I’ve seen. In the game you’ll take the role of two Yarnys, creatures that could be described as tiny string-golems. You run, swing, jump, flip, push, pull, and tumble your way through various colorful environments as part of a loose narrative involving childhood. The first thing you’ll notice is the amazingly immersive graphics. Yarny is… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tONg4d

A patent from Facebook came to light earlier this week, depicting technology that Facebook would use to quietly activate a user’s microphone in order to listen to them as they watch ads. How hard can I “nope” out of that? The details: The patent, filed earlier this month, was originally discovered by Metro. It describes a process by which secret messages embedded in TV ads, inaudible to the human ear, would trigger your smart device to record you while the ad was playing. It would then send the audio to Facebook, in order for it to hear your reaction to the… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Facebook from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2KmJFFT

Google’s UK-based sister company, DeepMind, recently developed an AI that can render entire scenes in 3D after having only observed them as flat 2D images. Broad strokes: AI researchers at the cutting-edge are trying to teach machines to learn like humans. Rather than see the world in pixels, we look around our environment and make assumptions about everything in it. If we can see someone’s chest, we assume they also have a back, even though it may not be visible from our perspective. If you play peek-a-boo with a baby they learn that your face still exists even if you… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tOHKP2

The ‘USD-backed’ cryptocurrency Tether (USDT) is struck with another market manipulation controversy. A Bloomberg report published today suggests the possibility of wash trading of Tether on cryptocurrency exchange desk Kraken. The study found frequent repetitions of oddly specific orders, going into five decimal points. — highlighting the possibility of bot trading. Bloomberg pulled data of 56,000 Tether trades from Kraken’s public order book that happened between May 1 and June 22. The research found the cryptocurrency’s trading on the exchange desk to be defying the principles of economics. While most cryptocurrencies and other securities see fluctuations in price based on large buy… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2ID89oy

THE ROCK – the world’s most charismatic steroid user – has just released a product he described on Instagram as “the WORLD’S FIRST over the ear headphones engineered for HARDCORE TRAINING.” Apart from, THE ROCK, they aren’t really, are they? Are they? Are they really, THE ROCK? In fact, other famous person Cristiano Ronaldo – in conjunction with Monster – has already released his own pair of over-ear headphones engineered for sport. They’re called, and I quote, “ROC SPORT BLACK PLATINUM OVER-EAR HEADPHONES.” The caps are required, otherwise they’re not extreme. To be fair to THE ROCK, the marketing collateral… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tOzFKo

The best way to learn something is to actually do it, which is why following steps to construct games that actually work in the Learn to Code By Building 6 Games in the Unreal Engine course ($19, 90 percent off from TNW Deals) is a prime avenue for learning the fine art of game creation. from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2KvCrv6

EOS, the world’s fifth largest cryptocurrency, has been mired in chaos over ‘governance,’ ever since its blockchain went live earlier this month. Block.one, the currency’s parent company, is now jumping in to take control in its own hands. Block.one will participate in the EOS block producer elections, the company announced on its website on Thursday. As a recipient of 10 [percent] of the initial EOS token allocation, Block.one recognizes its responsibility to participate as an active minority voting member. As such, our approach has been carefully considered, and Block.one will soon begin allocating votes to block producers that share the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2NdbMoG

ASIMO, Honda’s 18 year old humanoid robot project, and the brainchild for their quest for self-balancing bipedal robots, is no more. Honda officially announced that the ASIMO – which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility – project is shutting down, and that the technology behind the robot will be put to use in other products. Kyodo News reported that the project had not seen any update since 2011, and with no commercial use to capitalize on, the funding for the project dried up. Honda official was quoted as saying that the company plans to develop more bipedal robots in the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2IAwzPt

Blockchain developers won’t be at peace until every single thing in the world is on blockchain. Or, so it seems. Web developer Rui Gomes has created Lighting Spin — a web app that lets you play roulette over Bitcoin Lightning Network. The app lets you wager anywhere between 1,000 Satoshi (approximately 6¢) to 100,000 Satoshi (approximately $6) per round. All you need to play the game is load your balance using a wallet service with support for the Lightning Network – like Eclair, for instance. You can choose the multiplier you want to wage at. This means that if you… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2KvCsSU

We heard back in February about Google’s plans to build a game streaming platform, codenamed Yeti. Now, Kotaku has a scoop on hardware that’s being developed at the company to complement this upcoming service. It isn’t yet clear if Google’s gaming contraption will be a high-powered console like a PS4 or Xbox One, or if it’ll be a low-end device meant exclusively to facilitate streaming. Google is keeping mum about this right now, but if it’s building something like Yeti, it seems like it’d make sense to go with the latter type of product. The idea with Yeti is to… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2lKSk5T

Technology moves at a mile a minute, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t jump on board and benefit from it. We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council which of our current technologies will likely be slated for widespread, innovative use within the near future. While our focuses today may be on artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality, there are plenty of game-changing technology innovations at play in our tech-driven society. What’s one underestimated development — small or large — that you believe will soon rise to the top? Their best answers are below:  1. Blockchain There has obviously been… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2ID0OVN

How much stolen cryptocurrency is in circulation? A lot. Just last month, hackers breached Bithumb and Coinrail, two South Korea–based cryptocurrency exchanges, and stole over $70 million worth of various crypto tokens. Bithumb and Coinrail are not alone in their ordeal. Since the founding of the first cryptocurrency exchange in 2010, hackers have walked away with billions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrencies and digital tokens stolen from exchanges, and they continue to eye the cryptocurrency landscape as an attractive arena to make money. In 2014, a huge $460 million breach at Mt Gox caused the collapse of the then-largest bitcoin… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Kxk106

This week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) revealed it will be hosting an Esports Forum later this year to determine whether it belongs in the Olympics alongside more traditional sports. The details: The IOC and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) will be holding the forum on July 21 at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. The forum will include panels on the life of elite players, gender equality, Twitch, and governance. Speaking about the forum and what it represents, GAISF President Patrick Baumann said: We understand that sport never stands still and the phenomenal growth of esports and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2IzCPa7

As blockchain tech continues to find growing popularity, a large number of mainstream financial institutions are jumping in to provide their insights and opinions. But despite years of experience in the world of finance, it seems that many of these institutions are still struggling to understand the pros and cons of cryptocurrencies. The initial responses to Bitcoin were simply that it is a “bubble,” “money for drug dealers and terrorists,” and the like. But now that we are past that phase (at least. most of us), the focus has shifted to studying cryptocurrencies more in depth. But, studying some of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tL4LCE

A pair of scientists from France developed an algorithm to determine the minimum amount of sexually active couples it would take to maintain a human crew inside of a spaceship for 6,300 years – the time it would take to reach the nearest star beyond the sun. Let’s get it on: The Heritage algorithm, as its called, powers a simulation that determines the likelihood of humans reaching Proxima Centauri using current technology. In order to get people there from Earth, the mission would require multiple generations of people to live their entire lives in space while the vehicle makes the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2txYkn5

Just as expected, the Galaxy Note 9 will be revealed in August. Samsung sent out invites to its next Unpacked event yesterday, along with a teaser video that cryptically confirms that, yes, the Note 9 will still come with a pen. But now, it appears you’ll be able to get one in a very yellow-looking gold. The announcement date wasn’t unexpected. Samsung usually reveals its Note devices in the second half of the year, and Bloomberg had already pegged August 9 as the announcement date. Meanwhile, the device also passed through the FCC, so we all but knew it was… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Samsung from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tzykb4

It seems that drug vendors are running out of luck. The European Union authorities conducted a drug raid against dark web sellers seizing $5.2 million worth of cryptocurrencies, Fortune reports. The authorities seized 800,000 LSD blotters, €3.3 million ($3.85 million) in fiat and real estate property, and 10 luxury vehicles in addition to the cryptocurrencies. The dealers purportedly sold drugs in over 100 countries. Authorities suspect that they had been running an ‘organized crime group’ since at least 2012. The details of which cryptocurrencies were seized and in what amounts are not yet known. The raids, which took place in Spain… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2KvD73I

Mondly sucks out the pain of learning a new language — and replaces it with an engaging, tech-savvy interface that turns understanding a foreign tongue into a fun, vibrant process. You can discover the pleasures of language learning with Mondly with this TNW Deals offer, slashing over 90 percent off the price down to $69.99 for lifetime access. from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2KvtFNM

Bluetooth speakers are ten-a-penny these days, but Studio19 believes its Solo E500X-EQ (catchy, I know) stands-out from the crowd. And, well, it’s half-right. The most obvious point of difference is the set EQ sliders on top of the speaker, which allows you to change the balance of songs on the go. There’s also the fact that despite being over half a meter tall, it’s portable and has a battery that lasts for around 8 hours of play time. Another bonus is that it has three different sound settings you can select (for music, movies, and gaming), as it aims to… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2lDMQtH

Years before we ever debated the virtues of skeuomorphism versus those of flat design for mobile platforms, Microsoft had most of the world navigating their desktop files and programs in a mostly gray interface with Windows 95. Now, thanks to YouTube channel 4096, you can see what a modern mobile OS with Redmond’s design sensibilities from 23 years ago would look like. The Windows 95 Mobile concept video brings back iconic graphic elements from the beloved OS, like the taskbar and Start menu, classic icons and splash screens for programs, and everyone’s favorite virtual assistant, Clippy. Be sure to look… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Windows from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tLFSqe

Tokyo-based messaging titan Line is gearing up to launch its own cryptocurrency exchange desk – but the service will not be immediately available to all users. In an announcement on its website, the company said its new undertaking, called BITBOX, is set to take off in July. Unfortunately, the service will not be available to users in the US and Japan, which is where the messenger was initially founded. But this is hardly surprising in light of the recent regulatory crackdowns in the country. Indeed, leading exchange desk Binance also opted to move its operations out of Japan not so long… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2yZA8iL

Google is helping American holiday-goers in major cities avoid the heavy traffic jams by predicting the times when most cars will be out on the road. It’s set up a handy site where you can check the optimal time to drive into each city for your celebratory freedom fireworks. To use the site, select your nearest metro area from the list and which day you plan to travel. Google will tell you the best and worst times to travel on that day. Traffic in most cities peaks mid-afternoon and the best time to leave post-festivities is apparently around 11 pm.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2KtNcy7

The cost of healthcare is rising globally. Research from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that the average spending cost on healthcare in 11 high-income countries was 11.5 percent in 2016. The nations involved included Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. Among the aforementioned countries, the cost of healthcare in the US is a major concern. In 2016, the nation spent 17.8 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare, reaching 4.6 percent to $3.4 trillion. Spread out among the entire population of the US, that number… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2KsAXBQ

The Information reports that Apple is considering bundling its news service, digital magazines, and streaming music and video into a single subscription package. That could give Apple a chance to further draw owners of its products into its ecosystem. It already sells phones, laptops, desktops, tablets, set-top boxes, and a smart speaker that play nice with each other, and it’s steadily been building out its media offerings. It makes perfect sense to tie it all together. Let’s look at the latter bit: Apple Music already has 40 million subscribers worldwide, and the company plans to spend $1 billion to produce… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2KowYth

The latest iteration of the popular SD memory card standard, the SD Express, could see future cards come with enough storage capacity to hold a lifetime’s worth of memories in high definition. The SD Association, a group of nearly 900 companies that come together to prescribe SD memory card standards for setting SD memory card standards, announced that the next memory card in line has a theoretical maximum storage capacity of 128TB and a rapid data transfer rate of 985MB/s. How did this huge leap happen? The new format integrates PCI Express and NVMe interfaces, known for their high bandwidth and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2yVwfuO

The companies behind two of the biggest games in the world looked set to fight it out in a South Korean court — but now it looks like the battle has been settled. The details: PUBG Corp, the company behind PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, last month filed suit against Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite. The former claimed the latter was ripping it off by using the same 100-player battle royale mode PUBG made famous. The two games are some of the most popular in the world, though PUBG is starting to fall from grace as the cartoonish Fortnite takes over. What should have been an even contest is starting to… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2ItuKDT

Amidst all the chaos surrounding the EOS constitution, it seems Daniel Larimer, the cryptocurrency’s co-founder and technical architect, is giving up on its on-chain governance model. In a conversation on EOSIO Gov Telegram channel today, Larimer proposed to scrap the existing constitution calling it “unwise.” Indeed, he is working on proposing a new constitution. Larimer said that he has “learned a lot about human nature by watching the disputes, the witch hunts, the ‘bring everything before [EOS Core Arbitration Forum (ECAF)]’ mindset.” But he would now prefer to put an end to it. The EOS governance model drew severe criticism earlier this month when… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Kn9L7o

There has been increased crackdown globally on illicit uses of Bitcoin over the last few years. But it seems that has not deterred one of the virtual currency’s earliest adopters — the “dark web users” — from using it to buy and sell illegal things online. The recently concluded year-long ‘undercover operation’ of the US Department of Justice against narcotic vendors found that most of them were using Bitcoin as means of financial transactions. Some were even found to be mining Bitcoin, as a secondary business. The US authorities have seized 2,000 BTC (approximately $12 million at the time of… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Bitcoin from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Kqimq5

I can never understand how I feel about robots. On one hand, they creep me the hell out: But then on the other hand, they do work sometimes work for humanities benefit. You know, like recording data on lava flowing into the ocean. Reported on by Hawaii News Now, unmanned vehicles created by Liquid Robotics are allowing researchers to study the interaction between the volcanic spew and sea water, without danger to human life. This lava is coming from Hawaii’s Kīlauea Volcano, which has caused, and is still causing, devastation and suffering in its vicinity. You can find more information… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2MsR4zN

Upmetrics sports a clean simple interface that won’t scare away the first-time business builder. Just answer a few short questions, input some basic financial information and watch your idea start to take on a realistic shape. from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2lzpK7A

The BlackBerry Key2 is here at last. This is the second keyboard-endowed phone to come from TCL, which has licensed the BlackBerry brand since 2016. And it’s a cracker of a phone. I’m not saying that because I’m a die-hard BlackBerry fan who never quite accepted the company’s decline, and still sheds a tear whenever he sees a physical keyboard in the wild. I’m saying that because TCL has replicated what made earlier BlackBerry phones — like the Bold 9700 from 2009 — so beloved. Typing out an email on the Key2 is nothing short of exquisite. It’s the productivity… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Blackberry from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Ixj039

It’s just typical that Nintendo came out with an update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe that includes Labo support. Why? Well, because the far superior Labooth Kart was set to be launched today and Nintendo has undercut the whole thing. On a separate note, don’t ask for any proof of release date. My word should be enough. For those not in the know, I recently entered a hotly contested trade war with Nintendo. In a nutshell, after a disagreement with the company, I decided to make my own, BETTER version of the Labo: The Labooth. Not only is it exactly three times more fun… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tEYus0

By teaching AI the behavioral attributes of a shoplifter, Japan’s telecom giant NTT East and tech company Earth Eyes have created AI Guardman, a smart security camera that can catch thieves in the act. The camera uses an open-source technology developed by Carnegie Mellon University to read shoppers’ body language. The technology stands out in its ability to read cues from several people in a social environment simultaneously, right down to the pose they make with their fingers. And as researchers at CMU wanted the innovation to be more than just a project, they open sourced the technology on GitHub… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2lEf5Zr

eToro is making it easier to diversify your investments. The social trading platform has announced users can now directly invest in shares. This will make it possible to hold shares, cryptocurrencies, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and other financial assets all in the same portfolio. Previously, eToro allowed investing in shares via contracts of difference (CFD). Unlike CFD investments though, buying shares essentially gives users the option to own the actual asset. “eToro enables people to invest in the assets they want to own, from newly available assets such as cryptocurrencies, to more traditional options like shares,” said CEO and founder Yoni… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tJi0U8

Fans of the physical keyboard, rejoice: the BlackBerry Key2 has launched in the UK with a recommended retail price of £579. Those who like their phones with a side of button-mashing can grab the latest BlackBerry-branded handset at the Manchester, Birmingham, and London Oxford Road branches of luxury department store Selfridges. Mere plebs will have to wait until June 29 before it’s available at the ubiquitous phone retailer, the Carphone Warehouse, and online. Punters will be also able to grab one carrier-unlocked via several specialist sites, only one of which I’ve actually heard of before. These are Unlocked Mobiles, BuyItDirect,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Muz9ZN

Following an announcement last month about four new Pokémon games coming to the Nintendo Switch, the first has now arrived on mobile as a free-to-play title. It’s called Pokémon Quest, and it takes you to a new environ called Tumblecube Island that’s filled with the mini monsters, as well as collectibles to power them up for battle. The game features cute voxel art-style graphics, with plenty of colorful, blocky flora and fauna filling your screen. You’ll start off exploring the island with a single Pokémon, who you can send off on expeditions to fight other monsters, and collect items for boosting… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Android , iOS from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2lC2xBR

2018 has brought open banking to Europe. On January 13th, 2018, after more than two years of planning, the Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) arrived in Europe. This directive has for the first time forced European banks to open up their API’s to fintech and other financial companies. This change will give these companies access to payment data, which means there will be more competition in areas that banks have traditionally dominated. As a result, PSD2 is changing and will continue to change the relationships between consumers and financial institutes.    So, what is PSD2, other than a wonky acronym?… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tz9s2X

Google Assistant has supported Spanish commands since last November. But as I found out when I gave my parents a Google Home Mini for Christmas, that functionality only applied to smartphones. Woops. Six months later, my parents will finally be able to use their Christmas gift. Google announced Spanish support is rolling out to the Google Home family starting today, thereby redeeming me within my own family. To set it up, open the Google Home app, tap the menu button, select preferences, and choose Español as your language. You can ask things like “ok Google, ¿cómo será mi día?” or… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2KojUkn