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According to a new poll, Iceland has a new top political party - the Pirate Party.

24 percent of citizens would vote for a Pirate candidate today, read the poll, and founder Rick Falkvinge called the result an "extraordinary accomplishment."

First established in 2006 in Sweden, the Pirate Party has been at the forefront of discussions on copyright reform, privacy and freedom of speech.

In Iceland, the party launched about 30 months ago, and in the previous poll, only 13 percent of respondendts would have voted for a Pirate candidate. Independence party candidates were nearly as popular, at 23.4 percent, down from 25.5 percent previously. The Social Democratic Alliance polled at 15.5 percent followed by the Progressive Party at 11 percent.

"People are sick of traditional politics and the revolving doors. They are hopefully ready for more responsibility for that is one of our main aims, to create platforms for people to be more engaged via direct democracy. People seem to like that we speak like other people and behave like ordinary people," added Pirate MP Birgitta Jónsdóttir.

According to reports, Universal Music Group - the world's largest label, is pressuring Spotify to limit its free streaming service that is used by over 50 million people.

The label is starting to rethink the popular 'freemium' model of streaming services like Spotify, which offers access to tens of millions of songs for free, with limited ads.

UMG CEO Lucian Grainge even stated last month that "Ad-funded on-demand is not going to sustain the entire ecosystem of the creators as well as the investors." Grainge hopes that more restrictions on the free streaming will push consumers to purchase a premium subscription that costs $10 per month and gives unlimited ad-free music and mobile access.

New reports claim that it isn't just UMG who is pushing for some change. Sony and Warner are both said to be souring on freemium, but may not be pressuring Spotify currently.

Streaming brings billions in revenue, but it seems the labels want a better conversion rate to premium subscriptions.

Sony is offering another flash sale on PlayStation titles, including PSOne, PS3, PSP and PS Vita titles.

Some games are discounted as low as $0.80, down from prices ranging from $4.99 to $19.99.

The Deals Under $1 Flash Sale ends at 9:00 a.m. Pacific on Monday, March 23.

The full list of games (Game, Console, Sale Price, Retail Price):

Babel Rising PS3 $0.90 $9.99
Back to the Future : The Game – Full Series PS3 $0.80 $19.99
BEJEWELED 3 PS3 $0.95 $4.99
Beta Bloc PSP/PS Vita $0.95 $4.99
BREATH OF FIRE IV PS3/PSP/PS Vita $0.96 $5.99
CHAMPIONSHIP BASS PS3 $0.96 $5.99
Cloudberry Kingdom PS3 $0.90 $9.99
Dead Head Fred PSP/PS Vita $0.90 $9.99
Dead Nation PS3 $0.88 $7.99
Dead Nation Apocalypse Edition PS4 $0.90 $14.99
Despicable Me: The Game PSP/PS Vita $0.90 $9.99
Dino Crisis PS3/PSP/PS Vita $0.96 $5.99
Dino Crisis 2 PS3/PSP/PS Vita $0.96 $5.99
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazzard PS3 $0.90 $9.99
echochrome PS3 $0.90 $9.99
EXTREME PINBALL PS3 $0.96 $5.99
FEEDING FRENZY 2 PS3 $0.95 $4.99
Ferrari: The Race Experience PS3 $0.90 $14.99
Fighting Force PS3/PSP/PS Vita $0.96 $5.99
Flashback PS3 $0.90 $9.99
Galaga Legions DX PS3 $0.90 $9.99
Game of Thrones PS3 $0.80 $19.99
Gravity Rush PS Vita $0.81 $13.49
Heavy Fire Afghanistan PS3 $0.90 $14.99
Heavy Fire Shattered Spear PS3 $0.90 $9.99
HI-OCTANE PS3 $0.96 $5.99
Home – A Unique Horror Adventure PS4 $0.95 $4.99
ibb & obb PS3 $0.90 $9.99
Jurassic Park : The Game – Full Season PS3 $0.80 $19.99
Katamari Damacy PS3 $0.90 $9.99
Klonoa : Door to Phantomile PS1 $0.96 $5.99
Kurulin Fusion PSP $0.95 $4.99
Mad Riders PS3 $0.90 $9.99
MAGIC CARPET PS3 $0.96 $5.99
Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond PS3 $0.90 $9.99
Mega Man X4 (PSOne Classic) PS3/PSP/PS Vita $0.96 $5.99
Mega Man X5 PS3/PSP/PS Vita $0.96 $5.99
Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection PS3 $0.90 $9.99
Myst PSP/PS Vita $0.84 $11.99
Narco Terror PS3 $0.90 $9.99
NOBY NOBY BOY PS3 $0.95 $4.99
NUCLEAR STRIKE PS1 CLASSIC PSX $0.96 $5.99
PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX+ Full Version PS3 $0.90 $9.99
PAYDAY The Heist PS3 $0.90 $14.99
Poker Night 2 PS3 $0.90 $9.99
POPULOUS THE BEGINNING PS3 $0.96 $5.99
Puzzle Agent PS3 $0.90 $9.99
RIPD PS3 $0.90 $9.99
Rock of Ages PS3 $0.90 $9.99
Sacred Citadel PS3 $0.90 $9.99
Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space – Full Season PS3 $0.80 $19.99
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse PS3 $0.80 $19.99
Shoot Many Robots PS3 $0.90 $9.99
SOVIET STRIKE PS3 $0.96 $5.99
Star Wars : Battlefront II PSP $0.90 $9.99
Streetkix PSP/PS Vita $0.84 $11.99
Super Pocket Tennis PSP/PS Vita $0.95 $4.99
Surgeon Simulator: A&E Anniversary Edition PS4 $0.91 $12.99
Syphon Filter PS3/PSP/PS Vita $0.96 $5.99
Syphon Filter 3 PS3/PSP/PS Vita $0.96 $5.99
TAC Heroes PSP/PS Vita $0.84 $11.99
Tales from Space PS3/PS Vita $0.96 $7.99
Tales of Monkey Island PS3 $0.80 $19.99
Tekken 2 PS3/PSP/PS Vita $0.96 $5.99
Tennis in the Face PS4 $0.95 $4.99
Texas Cheat'em PS3 $0.90 $9.99
The Expendables 2 PS3 $0.90 $14.99
THEME PARK PS3 $0.96 $5.99
Tokyo Jungle PS3 $0.90 $14.99
Twisted Metal: Black PS3 $0.90 $9.99
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Special Editions US PS3 $0.90 $9.99
Who Wants To Be A Movie Millionaire PS3 $0.99 $2.99
Wild Arms PS3/PSP/PS Vita $0.96 $5.99
Zeno Clash 2 PS3 $0.90 $14.99
ZUMA PS3 $0.95 $4.99

According to the WSJ, high level Federal Trade Commission officials recommended a lawsuit against Google back in 2012 over anti-competitive practices, but eventually dropped the request in 2013.

The FTC went as far as to say that the search giant had a monopoly on the Internet, and was abusing its power.

Staff members blasted the company in a 160-page critique, concluding that Google's "conduct has resulted--and will result--in real harm to consumers and to innovation in the online search and advertising markets."

In 2013, however, FTC commissioners voted unanimously to end any investigation after Google made voluntary changes to its practices. It also appears that the FTC's economic bureau did not favor legal action against Google, so the commissioners had multiple conflicting reports to deal with.

See more here: Inside the U.S. Antitrust Probe of Google

In a Swiss luxury watch conference the company called Vector introduced an interesting timepiece. Unlike the traditional smartwatches that last a day or two without a charge this one lasts a whole month.

Vector is bringing two different versions of their smartwatch to the market. The more expensive and round Luna starts at $349 while the more affordable and rectangular Meridian will start from as low as $199.

What gives an edge over Apple Watch – if the 40 times better battery life isn't enough for you – is that Luna and Meridian will be supported on iOS, Android as well as Windows devices.

Vector did not disclose what type of operating system their smartwatches run and other details are scarce as well. You'll also have to wait until late summer to get your hands on one.

Engadget reports that Vertex – company lead by a former Timex CEO Joe Santana – will be bringing more premier models to the market later on. Maybe there's a version to compete against the golden Apple Watch selling for over 10 000 dollars.

According to a new report, Apple is preparing to launch a new Apple TV at this year's WWDC in June.

If accurate, Apple will also unveil a full App Store and a software development kit specifically for the Apple TV, giving developers a chance to truly develop for the platform.

While there is little known about what the new box will do, the report claims that Apple is aiming not just at the TV but at the living room in general. "Think TV, music, apps and a little bit of home automation as well," says the report.

To be expected is an upgrade to the Apple A8 chipset, a huge increase in internal storage, Siri voice control and Homekit-enabled home automation support.

Rumors of a new Apple TV have increased significantly in the last few weeks after Apple announced a price drop on its current (2012) model, to $69 from $99.

Music streaming service Deezer has launched its 'Elite' HD offering globally, following a beta period in the U.S.

Deezer normally costs $9.99 per month for unlimited streaming of 35 million tracks in standard 256kbps quality, and the Elite package costs $14.99 per month and gives access to all tracks as FLAC encoded at 1,411kbps or better.

The tracks can also be streamed to your mobile device, if they can handle FLAC.

Deezer is relatively small compared to Spotify and Rdio, but still has 16 million monthly users and 6 million premium subscribers.

Source:
TechCrunch

Last year, Sony was hit by one of the more vicious cyber attacks in corporate history, with terabytes of data stolen and splashed across the Web, including tens of thousands of private emails.

The attack will end up costing the company about $15 million this quarter, but the Sony Pictures division still managed to post a profit for the quarter.

Importantly, the company says the impact of the attack for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015, "will not be material."

Overall sales fell 20 percent year-over-year to $1.79 billion and operating profit fell 79 percent year-over-year to $53 million as there were no huge hits with the exception of 'Fury.'

Yesterday, Windows VP Terry Myerson shocked the world when it announced that even Chinese pirates of the operating system would get a free upgrade to Windows 10 when it launches over the summer.

Since the initial announcement, Microsoft's PR team has kicked into high gear, adding some caveats to the news.

First, the offer is actually good for everyone around the world, not just China, so every market of pirates can get on the upgrade to Windows 10. Secondly, and admittedly a bit more confusingly, Microsoft just said this, as well:

Microsoft has just taken smartphone price points down another notch, offering the low-end Lumia 430 for just $70 unlocked.

The company says the device is the "most affordable Lumia to-date," which is most likely true even though the specs are really not great.

Lumia 430 buyers get a 4-inch WVGA display powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200, 8GB internal storage, 1GB RAM, dual 2MP/0.3MP cameras and a small 1500maH battery. You also get an additional 30GB free OneDrive storage and dual-SIM capabilities.

Available starting next month, Microsoft is bringing the phone to APAC, IMEA, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus.

Source:
Microsoft

After its high-profile introduction of the Apple Watch earlier this month, Apple had one last surprise up its sleeve, the lower-profile Apple Pocketwatch.

At a starting price of $349 and with higher-end models commanding up to $17,000, the Apple Watch is a luxury watch with full smart features aimed at the hundreds of millions of iPhone users.

The Pocketwatch is a little less luxurious, but it does come with a smaller price tag: $259.

Check out the teaser release here:

High-end luxury watch maker Breitling has unveiled its first smartwatch, the B55 Connected, although the watch will not work like Android Wear devices or the Apple Watch.

The B55 Connected does not have a touchscreen nor does it have a catalog of apps and it certainly can't display any synced notifications.

What makes the device 'smart,' is the fact that it does sync with your phone via the Breitling app, which allows you to set alarms, the date, time and adjust the time with an easy phone touch interface rather than using the crown on the actual watch.

Breitling's latest looks similar to the also new B50 Chronograph, which is aimed at pilots looking for the most accurate time. If pricing is similar, as well, expect to drop $7500 for the new smartwatch.

Google has announced changes to its app review process this week, moves that should 'better protect the community and improve the app catalog.'

According to the search giant, Google Play now has a "team of experts who are responsible for identifying violations of our developer policies earlier in the app lifecycle."

On the other end, if apps are approved they can be brought to the market within hours compared to days previously when it may have sat in a queue.

Additionally, Google adds that "to assist in this effort and provide more transparency to developers, we've also rolled out improvements to the way we handle publishing status. Developers now have more insight into why apps are rejected or suspended, and they can easily fix and resubmit their apps for minor policy violations.

Over the past year, we've paid more than $7 billion to developers and are excited to see the ecosystem grow and innovate. We'll continue to build tools and services that foster this growth and help the developer community build successful businesses."

Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 is getting biometric authentication, including the ability to unlock your tablet, PC and smartphone with a finger, iris or face scan.

Dubbed 'Windows Hello,' the authentication of course will require the specialized hardware necessary for such scans "including a fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor or other biometric sensors." For the iris or facial recognition, Microsoft says software will accurately verify your identity and the company promises that using a picture or other image won't work. Infrared tech also ensures that even if it is dark out, you can be recognized.

Reads the press release: "Windows Hello introduces system support for biometric authentication – using your face, iris, or fingerprint to unlock your devices – with technology that is much safer than traditional passwords. You– uniquely you– plus your device are the keys to your Windows experience, apps, data and even websites and services – not a random assortment of letters and numbers that are easily forgotten, hacked, or written down and pinned to a bulletin board. Modern sensors recognize your unique personal characteristics to sign-you-in on a supporting Windows 10 device.

It's finally here, but it won't come cheap.

Sony has officially launched its live streaming TV service, PlayStation Vue, in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.

The live streaming TV service also has on-demand content and will launch with major content partners like CBS, Discovery, Animal Planet, Syfy, Food Network, Fox News and many, many more.

Available for the PS3 and PS4, the service also offers personalization options, cloud-based DVR recording without storage limits for up to 28 days after airing and discovery tools to help you find new programs you may like.

Starting at $50 for a 'core' package of CBS, Fox, NBC and 25 other channels, the service is more expensive than recently launched Sling TV but does offer more bang for the buck. For $60, you get Core plus regional sports and some movie channels and for $70 you get the "Elite" package of everything and an additional 25 "lifestyle, music and family channels." At $70, however, are you really saving much off your cable subscription?

Full list of channels: