Articles by Quinten Plummer
Facebook: Global government data requests up 24 percent in first half of 2014
Facebook says government requests for data jumped 24 percent in the first six months of this year. The social networking company will continue to combat 'overly broad' warrants, says Facebook's top lawyer.
Workday takes insightful, analytic approach in human resource management
Workday prepares to fold analytics tools into its human capital and finance management software. The Workday Insights Applications suite delivers recommendations in an experience that's much like how Netflix offers suggestions to viewers.
A look at innovative tech driving the impending demise of the game console
Yes, gaming consoles are fast going the way of printed books, DVR-disk movies and vinyl music. The PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Wii U are the last of their kind as smart TVs, streaming video and clouds ignite new game delivery options.
I3-year-old Braille printer inventor one of 16 startups Intel now backing
Intel's venture capital division pours $62 million in funding into 16 promising startups. The company expects to invest approximately $355 million in startups over the year.
Amazon doles out free photo storage to Prime members. What's next, a free Fire smartphone?
Amazon Prime members are getting an unexpected, but nice, surprise. The online retailer is now providing unlimited photo storage to subscribers.
Racial diversity coming to emojis as character library gets a make over
After lamenting the difficulty in capturing the diversity of the human experience within emojis, the Unicode Consortium proposes new skin tones for characters. Unicode Version 8.0 could include five new modifiers for adjusting the hues of emojis.
UK spy honcho: Social media sites are terrorists' command hubs
The Internet is a 'command-and-control' network for extremists, making it nearly impossible for social networking companies to take a neutral stance on the spread of information, according to the directors of Britain's Government Communications Headquarters. Remember how we got here, says privacy advocate.
Crazy teen blames failed 'Jared Diet' for going on Subway robbery spree
After failing Jared Fogle's Subway Diet, an Alabama teenager says he took out his frustration by robbing a Subway restaurant. Local authorities believe the suspect is the perpetrator behind three other Subway robberies.
Bizarre: Man sits atop dead whale surrounded by hungry sharks
A man appears to have been holding court with sharks from his perch atop a rotting humpback whale. It was risky behavior, but he didn't commit a crime, authorities say.
Google Calendar is spiffier, smarter and boasts a bit of magic
Google's new Calendar app 'automagically' pieces together events. It scours confirmation emails for people, places, times and things.
Windows 7, 8 pulled from shelves, leaving wide sales door for Windows 10
With life support pulled from the beloved Windows XP earlier in the year, Microsoft also ramps down sales of Windows 7 and Windows 8. The stage is being set for Windows 10's 2015 launch.
Mozilla aims to court developers with FX10, a special webdev browser
Remembering how it got here, Mozilla prepares to treat developers to an open-ended web browser. The new version of Firefox supports development tools that typically conflict when run in the same development environment.
Russia removes Jobs memorial, calls for travel ban on Cook following Apple chief's sexuality declaration
It may have been hard for Apple CEO Tim Cook to declare his sexuality, but some Russian groups are making it harder with their lack of acceptance. Less than a year after erecting a memorial for Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in St. Petersburg, Russia, the same group topples it given Cook's recent announcement.
Apple Watch won't be filling holiday stockings this season given early spring release
While it won't make the Christmas rush, the Apple Watch is expected to release in time to take advantage of warmer springtime weather. In the meantime, Apple is hiring evangelists to preach the Apple Watch gospel.
Verizon, AT&T prepping wireless calling interoperability on Voice over LTE network
Verizon and AT&T play nice for the good of the wireless industry. In 2015 the telecoms' subscriber calls will intermingle over new Voice over LTE technology.
Virginia police can force you to unlock your smartphone using fingerprint: Here's why
A judge rules that prosecutors can compel criminal defendants to unlock smartphones via fingerprinting. Passcodes are protected by the Fifth Amendment.
Tinder dating app becoming increasingly popular among online daters
Tinder may have a smaller following than Facebook, but the app's users spend more time using the dating platform than Facebook users burn on Mark Zuckerberg's site. Tinder says each of its users log into the app approximately 11 each days.
Ghost light from dead galaxies headline Hubble Halloween
Astronomers discover piece together a scene in which galaxies where ripped to pieces and stars were made orphans. The Hubble Space Telescope finds ghost light that attests to the violence scene.
Political parties are clearly partisan when it comes to social media
Facebook is the best social network to share and discover right-leaning content, a study says. For more liberal ideas, head over to Twitter or Reddit.
Amazon honcho: Fire smartphone flopped due to high price
An Amazon executive admits the online retailer got burned for pricing the Fire phone too high. Though approximately $84 million in unsold Fire phones are still stored in Amazon warehouses, the company isn't done creating smartphones.
Google Street View snapshot draws $2K fine for boob shot
A woman said she felt vulnerable after a Google Street View car snapped images of her cleavage and license plate. The search engine company has been ordered to pay her $2,000.
Android founder leaving Google to launch hardware incubator
Android founder Andy Rubin leaves Google to incubate startups through his own company. James Kuffner will move up in Google's robotics division to replace Rubin.
Verizon's persistent cookies no treat for mobile users but ad agencies are loving them
Verizon treats ad agencies to your cookies. AT&T is considering doing the same. The U. S. 's top wireless carrier is handing out persistent cookies that serve as unique identifiers for each mobile devices it tracks, but Verizon isn't the only telecom treating ad agencies with the old trick.
Microsoft updates Outlook for Mac, new Office arriving next year
Microsoft lures the Apple faithful into Office 365 subscriptions with a tightening up of its release schedule of Office programs for Mac. To kick things off, Microsoft is delivering an updated version of Outlook for Mac.
Instagram now boasts video ads. Will you click off?
Instagram adds auto-play video ads into its feeds. Only a handful of companies are on board so far, but Instagram says it hopes to add more soon.
Sony switches out mobile ops leader, but is it too late for new blood, strategy?
Ahead of its latest earnings report, Sony's mobile unit shakes up its leadership. A month earlier, the company had to lower its forecast for the division's revenue.
Samsung Gear S smart watch boasts unique benefit for Samsung smartphone users
The Samsung Gear S is set to arrive in AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile stores on Nov. 7. It offers up quite a neat feature for Samsung smartphone consumers.
Warm response, industry support in wake of Apple CEO Tim Cook coming out
The tech sector is moved by Tim Cook's public announcement regarding his sexuality. On Wall Street, it's all business.
FTC breaks up dating sites' love of phony member profiles
The company behind 18 dating websites has agreed to settle with the FTC for $616,165. The online dating enterprise is accused of luring members into subscriptions using fake profiles.
Facebook app strategy reveals one truth: The big money is in mobility
Of the more than 34,000 Facebook apps on the market, eight tell the tale of Facebook's agenda. The social networking site wants to dominate the world of mobile apps, an expanse that's rich with opportunities that are sure to reward data-mining prospectors.
