23 May 2012 Last updated at 19:00 Google funds computer teachers and Raspberry Pis in England Mr Schmidt made headlines when he criticised UK computing classes Dozens of teachers specialising in computer science are to work in English schools thanks to a partnership between Google and the charity Teach First. Google's chairman Eric Schmidt said money would also be provided to buy "teaching aids, such as Raspberry Pi's or Arduino starter kits". He said that without investment in the subject, the UK risked "losing a generation" of scientists. Mr Schmidt had previously criticised the country's ICT curriculum. He had said the UK was "throwing away [its] great computing heritage" by focusing on using software rather than how it was made. The comments, delivered last August ... Continue reading →

BY DREW FITZGERALD NEW YORK—Facebook Inc. shares rose as the stock seeks to reverse its two-day losing streak. Facebook lost 19% of its value over the last two days as investors sought to make sense of what led to the company's disappointing initial public offering. Bankers on the deal lowered ...BY DREW FITZGERALD NEW YORK—Facebook Inc. shares rose as the stock seeks to reverse its two-day losing streak. Facebook lost 19% of its value over the last two days as investors sought to make sense of what led to the company's disappointing initial public offering. Bankers on the deal lowered ... Continue reading →

23 May 2012 Last updated at 12:44 Google rejects automatic pornography block rules By Dave Lee Technology reporter at Google's Big Tent, Hertfordshire Google prefers the idea of empowering parents to passing on responsibility to third parties Proposals to force users to opt-in to access adult content would be "a mistake", Google has said. Speaking during a debate in Hertfordshire, the company warned against allowing private companies to manage lists of inappropriate websites. The government is currently consulting with ISPs to determine if such filters should be on by default. Some ISPs, such as TalkTalk, have already provided an option to filter adult content at a network level. If the government decides to introduce the blocks, it would mean web users would have to inform ... Continue reading →

The music industry wants LimeWire to pay up to $75 trillion in damages after losing a copyright infringement claim. That’s right . . . $75 trillion. Manhattan federal Judge Kimba Wood has labeled this request “absurd.” You’re telling me. To put that number into perspective (I bet a lot of you didn’t even know “trillion” was a real number), the U.S. GDP is around 14 trillion – less than one fifth of what the music industry is requesting. Heck, the GDP of the entire world is between 59 and 62 trillion. That’s right, the music industry wants LimeWire to pay more money than exists in the entire world. Popular file-sharing service LimeWire was shut down last October, after Judge Wood found them liable for copyright ... Continue reading →

23 May 2012 Last updated at 06:45 ET Apple design chief Jonathan Ive is knighted Sir Jonathan has said he tries to develop products that "seem inevitable" Jonathan Ive - the British designer responsible for Apple's iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad - has been knighted at Buckingham Palace. Apple's senior vice-president of industrial design has said he is "both humbled and sincerely grateful" for the "absolutely thrilling honour". Sir Jonathan, 45, told the Daily Telegraph he was "the product of a very British design education". He was born in Chingford, east London, and studied at Newcastle Polytechnic. In a rare interview, published in the paper on Wednesday, he said that, "even in high school, I was keenly aware of this remarkable tradition that the UK ... Continue reading →