Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

Windows 10 is going to be the last major revision of the operating system.

Jerry Nixon, a Microsoft development executive, said in a conference speech this week that Windows 10 would be the "last version" of the dominant desktop software.
His comments were echoed by Microsoft which said it would update Windows in future in an "ongoing manner".
Instead of new stand-alone versions, Windows 10 would be improved in regular instalments, the firm said.
Mr Nixon made his comments during Microsoft's Ignite conference held in Chicago this week.
In a statement, Microsoft said Mr Nixon's comments reflected a change in the way that it made its software.
"Windows will be delivered as a service bringing new innovations and updates in an ongoing manner," it said, adding that it expected there to be a "long future" for Windows.

'Incredible shrinking car' drives sideways to park in tiny spaces

Story highlights

• German engineers develop "flexible" electric car
• Vehicle is able to shrink its size, turn on a dime and drive sideways

Tomorrow Transformed explores innovative approaches and opportunities available in business and society through technology.

(Optimum Gist)As cities continue to grow at a dizzying rate, commuters are constantly battling ever-increasing congestion on the roads and a lack of parking, just to get to work.

But now a team of German engineers have come up with an ingenious solution -- a "flexible" electric vehicle capable of shrinking, driving sideways (think like a crab) and turning on a dime.

The EO Smart Connecting Car 2 is an innovative design from DFKI Robotics Innovation Center, based in Bremen, Germany, where a team of software developers and designers, as well as electronics and construction engineers, have been refining the smart micro car project for the last three years.

First announced in 2012, the team have moved onto their second iteration of the vehicle. It drives like a traditional car but because each wheel is powered by its own motor, it also has the capability of driving sideways, allowing it to slide into tight spaces in urban areas where parking is limited, explains Timo Birnschein, project manager for the vehicle.

He adds: "The whole process -- the transition between normal driving and driving sideways -- takes about four seconds."

Fitbit takes first steps toward initial public offering

Fitbit is on track to be the first wearable tech-focused company to go public.
In a filing Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the 8-year-old startup -- a leading maker of fitness- and health-tracking gadgets based in San Francisco -- is seeking to raise $100 million in common stock on the New York Stock Exchange. The lead underwriters are Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Wearable technology has hit a critical mass of mainstream attention this year with the launch of the Apple Watch and the trajectory of the burgeoning industry has investors and entrepreneurs paying close attention. Nearly every traditional technology company -- from Intel and Microsoft to Samsung and LG -- has a device for sale or a hand in the market. Not only has the area attracted the interest of tech titans, but it's been a hotbed for rising startups like Fitbit and competitors Jawbone and Pebble, as well as an area of interest from an expansive set of traditional apparel and jewelry companies like watchmaker Fossil, fashion house Open Ceremony and clothing company Under Amour.
"It really signals that the fitness tracker category has finally penetrated the mass market," said Wes Henderek, an industry analyst with the NPD Group. "It's no longer just a niche category and is appealing to a much wider range of consumers who are not fitness buffs." Henderek said that Fitbit, as the most dominant player in the category by a wide margin, is trying to nail its IPO timing to ensure it can grow even faster.
Founded in October 2007 by James Park and Eric Friedman, Fitbit makes a wide range of simple, colorful devices meant to be clipped or strapped to the body for counting steps, measuring sleep activity and monitoring workouts. Fitbit also makes companion software for smartphones and a Web application that both display stats, offer insights and training tips and let users input what they ate throughout the day to track caloric intake and other daily health metrics.

Verizon to preload Lyft app on Android phones

In its battle with Uber for passengers -- and relevancy -- Lyft has formed a national partnership with Verizon Wireless that the pair hope will steer more customers their way.
Beginning Thursday, Lyft's app, which connects private-car drivers with passengers, will come preloaded on Verizon devices running Google's Android operating system. Also, Verizon will offer Lyft drivers incentives to use it as a mobile carrier, including 15 percent discounts on their monthly wireless bills.
Without offering further details, the two companies also said they would "work closely on future creative campaigns and product integrations," according to a statement by the San Francisco-based ride-hailing company.

US court says NSA phone data program is illegal

A US Appeals court has sent shockwaves through the government and security industry after ruling that the National Security Agency's wholesale collection of phone call data is illegal.
The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled on Thursday that section 215 of the Patriot Act doesn't authorize the NSA's practice of collecting metadata on nearly all phone calls placed across the US. The appellate judges said the program "exceeds the scope of what Congress has authorized" in the Patriot Act, adding that the case will now be handed back to a district court for further litigation.
The 97-page ruling has opened a new front in the ongoing war between privacy advocates, inclu

ding the American Civil Liberties Union, and the US government. The Patriot Act, signed into law in October 2001, was pitched as a tool the government could use to more effectively combat global terrorism, but since the beginning, critics have characterized it as a massive privacy-infringement law.