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Cable landing at Minami-boso city, Chiba, Japan (credit: NEC)

The Faster Cable System. (credit: NEC)

"We'll use this capacity to support our users, including Google Apps and Cloud Platform customers," the announcement said. "This is especially exciting, as we prepare to launch a new Google Cloud Platform East Asia region in Tokyo later this year. Dedicated bandwidth to this region results in faster data transfers and reduced latency as GCP customers deliver their applications and information to customers around the globe."

NEC is the supplier that built the $300 million "Faster Cable System" for Google, China Mobile International, China Telecom Global, Global Transit, KDDI, and Singtel. It won't be the highest-capacity cable for very long, as Microsoft and Facebook recently announced a 160Tbps undersea cable from the US to Europe, to be completed in October 2017.

Many Android phones are loaded with ads and crapware, which can hurt the user experience. In exchange for using your phone as a billboard, though, the OEM gets cold, hard cash from advertisers. Amazon is now joining in on this action by loading unlocked Android phones with ads and offering them to users at a discount.

The program is called "Prime Exclusive Phones," and at launch it offers the unlocked Moto G4 for $149.99 with lock screen ads or the BLU R1 HD for $49.99 with ads, both $50 off. Amazon's announcement calls this "breakthrough pricing" that is enabled by "personalized offers and ads, including deals and product recommendations, displayed on the phone's lock screen. When a customer sees an offer, they can tap to learn more about it or simply unlock their phone to dismiss." Besides preloaded Amazon apps, there are full-screen lock screen ads and ads in the lock screen notification panel.

The good news is that the feature is optional. On the Amazon listing page, the phones are available with and without ads, listed as "Prime Exclusive - With Offers & Ads" and "Standard Version - Without Offers & Ads." This hardware offer mirrors a similar strategy Amazon took with its Kindle line, which was also available at a discount in exchange for an ad-based experience.

Valve's Steam-y fingerprints are all over the system software, but its HTC's logo that's found on the headset itself.

The SteamVR-powered Vive headset is the most exciting thing that struggling handset maker HTC has had going for its brand in years. HTC seems to realize this, at some level, because it's now separating its virtual reality business into a wholly-owned subsidiary. The new HTC Vive Tech Corporation will be somewhat separated from the struggles facing the rest of HTC's business.

In a statement provided to The Verge, HTC called the new subsidiary "a vehicle for developing strategic alliances to help build the global VR ecosystem." But it's not hard to see the move as a way to create space between HTC's blossoming VR interests and a headset manufacturing business that has posted historic losses, been forced to lay off thousands, and hit a ten-year stock market low in recent years.

The Vive sold roughly 25,000 to 30,000 units in its first month on sale earlier this year, according to an Ars Technica Steam Gauge analysis. At an $800 asking price for each unit, that represents a significant infusion of new revenue for the company. Now, that revenue can be managed free from the troubles affecting the rest of the company.

(credit: blackplans)

After two days of evidence, Lauri Love still does not know whether he will be extradited to the United States.

In hearings at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, the Judge heard from 15 witnesses for the defence, but none from the prosecution. Lauri Love, 31, of Stradishall, has been accused by the US authorities of hacking into the US Federal Reserve, NASA, the FBI, and the Missile Defence Agency.

He was first arrested by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) in October 2013 and was released on bail in July 2014. US prosecutors claim that Love’s alleged offences were not politically motivated and were instead designed to “to disrupt the operations and infrastructure of the US government” by stealing classified data and personally identifying information of government and military personnel.

Nikolaus Wogen

Meet Ducati's Squadra Alpina, all previous champions in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. From left to right: Greg Tracy, Micky Dymond, Carlin Dunne, Gary Trachy.

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was an all-car affair for most of its 100 years. But the past few decades have seen motorcycles return to the mountain, getting faster (and more dangerous) since the entire road was paved in 2011. As with their four-wheel-riding cousins, bike racers have started looking at electric motors, which, unlike internal combustion engines, aren't fazed by altitude.

This year, 36 bikes, quads, and sidecars were entered in Sunday's race. They would get first crack at the course; running the cars first creates the risk of dirt or rocks being dragged onto the road, and the 12.4-mile (19.99km) route is already unforgiving enough.

"Unfortunately, now that it's all pavement and the speeds are higher, the risk factor is much greater [and] the future of bikes could be in peril. They've had a death the past two years, unfortunately," explained Don Canet. Canet is road test editor for Cycle World and has competed at Pikes Peak in recent years. To try to manage the risk, all of this year's motorbikes have to have single-piece handlebars, and the fastest liter-class Superbikes are no longer allowed. "Not to say that the bikes we're running now are nearly as fast, but at least it's a move—probably to appease the insurance carrier," Canet said.