California will begin to grant licenses to driverless cars and their owners, with a cost of just $150. There will be heavy restrictions on these licenses at first though. Only employees of car manufacturers that make autonomous cars will be eligible at first, the car itself must be insured for at least $5 million, and the test driver must be able to intervene at any point.
Click here to read the rest of the article by Greg Kumparak for TechCrunch.com.
Hoping to become a more environmentally friendly business, Dell is making a line of computers that are made from recycled plastic. While Dell had ranked behind Apple, IBM, Microsoft, HP and others in its use of sustainable materials, this does appear they are taking steps towards becoming greener in their production.
To read the rest of the article by Agam Shah for PCWorld.com, follow this link.
PCMag.com took the time to compare the new Microsoft Surface Pro 3 against the MacBook Air, as the two are both advertised as ultra-portable, full-blown computers. While the Surface does offer touchscreen capabilities that the MacBook Air does not, it is significantly more expensive, especially if people wish to include the type pad with it.
Click here to read the rest of the article by Joel Santo Domingo for PCMag.com.
China has banned Windows 8 from being installed as the operating system on government computers, believing that the OS could pose a future security risk. The Chinese government will reportedly look to implement a Linux-based operating system, first in government offices and then on a consumer-wide basis.
To read the rest of the article by Matt Brian for Engadget.com, follow this link.
If you are getting ready to get rid of your old PC, external hard drive or USB drive, you will want to make sure that the data on those pieces of hardware is completely removed. Windows 8 features a simple function that allows you to wipe your hard drive, while older operating systems require a few more steps. You can also take the more drastic step of completely destroying the device or hard drive that your information is on, though this is usually unnecessary.
Click here to read the rest of the article by Chris Hoffman for PCWorld.com.
Known for its massive lists of recommendations and choices that can take hours to sort through, Netflix would like to see the number of choices shrink markedly, to just a handful of targeted selections. Netflix is in the process of greatly enhancing the algorithms behind their recommendations, which should pare down the number of titles it offers to users to around three or four.
Click here to read the full article by Jared Newman for PCWorld.com.
According to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 use much more power than their predecessors. However, this power is not put to good use, as much of the electricity is used up during standby. The Xbox One is particularly inefficient, as it takes up approximately 72 watts to control the television as well.
Click here to read the rest of the article by Mark Hachman for PCWorld.com.
Many Windows tablets are so advanced that they can effectively serve as PCs, so PC World has several suggestions for ways to help people turn their tablets into desktops. Among the features that people may need to supplement their tablets include monitors, USB hubs, keyboards and mouses. The update to Windows 8.1 allows users to switch from touch-screen mode to desktop, making the transition relatively smooth.
Click here to read the rest of the article by Chris Hoffman for PCWorld.com.
Because of the high volume of tweets that can flood your feed, Twitter has now introduced a feature that allows you to “Mute” your followers if you no longer want to see what they are posting. While this is similar to the “Block” function that already existed, muting someone on Twitter can be done so without sending them a message.
Click here to read the rest of Caitlin McGarry’s article for TechHive.com.
Apple is close to acquiring headphone maker Beats Electronics for $3.2 billion, with the deal to be completed as soon as next week. It would mark the most expensive purchase in the history of Apple, and also a stark shift in philosophy from the late Steve Jobs, who did not believe in acquisitions of this stature.
To read the rest of the post by Zach Miners for PCWorld.com, follow this link.
Though the United States is behind countries in Europe and Asia in terms of its credit card technology, changes are coming, as U.S. cards will move from magnetic strips to electronic chips within the next 18 months. The magnetic strip technology is now about 50 years old and far less secure than electronic chips. Security questions surrounding magnetic strips have only grown louder in recent months following Target’s credit card security breach.
Click here to read the rest of the article by Sarah Silbert for Engadget.com.
Several improvements are coming to Google Wallet, the most important of which is that users will be able to readily change Google accounts on their phones, something that was not possible before. It will also be easier for companies to install Google Wallet Instant Buy buttons in their titles, allowing people the ability to shop on their smartphones even more easily.
To read the rest of Jon Fingas’ article for Engadget.com, follow this link.
