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Microsoft has confirmed previous speculation that developers will be given access to more GPU bandwidth through an SDK update.

Previously, it was speculated that Microsoft's decisions to scale back Kinect (or at least unbundle it) could result in developers being given access to more resources for games. Specifically, it was rumored that Microsoft has ring-fenced around 10 percent of graphics resources specifically for Kinect operations, and that the 10 percent could theoretically be unlocked for developers.

Well, whether it is 10 percent or not, Xbox head Phil Spencer has confirmed that the latest software dev kit update does indeed provide more GPU resources to developers.

June #XboxOne software dev kit gives devs access to more GPU bandwidth. More performance, new tools and flexibility to make games better

-- Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) June 4, 2014

Over the past couple of days, law enforcement has taken further action against the Cryptolocker ransomware.

Europol's European Cyber Crime Centre (EC3) has discovered and shutdown more command & control servers related to the Cryptolocker ransomware in the past couple of days. On Monday, it was announced that a U.S.-led international effort against Cryptolocker and the GOZeuS botnet had significantly disrupted their operations, saving potential victims millions.

Cryptolocker is a nasty piece of work that encrypts personal files on a victim's PC and will not decrypt them until a ransom is paid, typically 1 bitcoin which could cost you around $600. The malware will even destroy files if the user does not pay up on time. It is estimated to have cost consumers and businesses over $30 million since last summer.

The ransomware was often delivered to a victim's PC through the Gameover ZeuS botnet, but it also spread through malicious e-mails.

The effect of the GOZeuS and Cryptolocker take-down

According to Danish security firm Heimdal Security, which was named by the FBI as an important collaborator against Cryptolocker, the number of estimated new infections per day of Cryptolocker has fallen from around 8,000 to close to zero. Of course, it cannot be absolutely sure of the figures but the infection rate has certainly plummeted.

Microsoft's top lawyer maintains that the U.S. Government needs to commit not to hack data centers or communications between them, as well as ending the bulk collection of data.

One year on from the first news reports concerning the NSA's collection of phone and Internet records, showing the true scale of its surveillance activity, and the revelation that it hacked systems outside the U.S. to access data held by Yahoo! and Google, Microsoft is calling on the U.S. government to commit not to target data centers anymore.

Brad Smith, General Counsel & Executive Vice President of Legal & Corporate Affairs at Microsoft, said the United States government needs to tackle the technology trust deficit that it has created. Questions have been raised around the world about how safe data is when it is stored by U.S.-based firms, like Microsoft and Google.

Smith outlined five things the U.S. government needs to do to recover from the damage done in the past year. The five items can be cut down to three issues; the legal framework in which these surveillance programs are carried out, the actual physical collection of data and the level of transparency the government commits to.

After weeks of rumors, it appears that Sprint is preparing a $40 per share bid for T-Mobile US in a deal that would consolidate the third and fourth largest carriers in the nation.

The company's shares closed at $32 today, so the purchase price represents about a 17 percent premium. The deal values T-Mobile at $32 billion.

If the newly reported deal is accurate, Sprint would pay in 50 percent cash and 50 percent stock, while T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom would remain a 15 percent stake holder in the merged company. Telekom is a 67 percent owner of T-Mobile.

In 2011, AT&T bid $39 billion for T-Mobile US, but the U.S. Department of Justice rejected the deal due to monopoly concerns. There are concerns that Sprint may see a similar fate as a few agencies have subtly tipped their hands in that respect, although Sprint is said to be actively lobbying ahead of their formal bid.

Amazon has announced a new product launch event for June 18th, adding fuel to the fire that the company will unveil its oft-rumored 3D smartphone.

The invitation shows off a super close up of a black device with Amazon branding, but nothing else is clear.

While it has never been confirmed, Amazon is expected to release a device with a 3D display (5 cameras on the front), allowing for 3D gesture tracking and other unique features.

Intel got the rumor mill going again last month by saying some of its partners were already busy on integrating 3D camera tech into their mobile devices.

Verizon has responded to reports that Netflix is informing subscribers during buffering that its network is 'crowded right now', saying the streaming giant is being deliberately misleading.

We reported earlier that Netflix was essentially identifying Verizon (and reports also suggest AT&T) as the cause of buffering issues that can result in video quality settings being re-adjusted for smoother playback. An image tweeted by Yuri Victor of Vox Media shows how Netflix identified Verizon's network as the problem when it ran into problems with playback.

"The Verizon network is crowded right now," the message informs the likely-irritated viewer. Verizon has responded to the 'PR stunt', saying that Netflix is just shifting blame.

"The source of the problem is almost certainly NOT congestion in Verizon's network. Instead, the problem is most likely congestion on the connection that Netflix has chosen to use to reach Verizon's network," wrote David Young, Vice President, Verizon Federal Regulatory Affairs.

"Of course, Netflix is solely responsible for choosing how their traffic is routed into any ISP's network."

Vevo, the massive music video streaming service, has now put itself up for sale with an estimated value of $1 billion.

The company hired Goldman Sachs and the Raine Group as advisors as it looks for a purchasing party for the entire company or for minority stakeholders.

For 2014, Vevo is expected to bring in $350 million in revenue, and the service is the most viewed channel on YouTube. Videos on Vevo have some of the best advertising rates, as well, making the service attractive.

Among the potential buyers are Yahoo, Amazon, Dreamworks Animation and Liberty Media, and possible stakeholders from outside of the media realm include the Carlyle Group and Peter Chernin.

Vevo is owned by Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, the two largest record labels on the planet, and Google and Abu Dhabi Media also own large stakes.

Developer Imangi Studios has announced today that their hit 'Temple Run' series has reached 1 billion downloads.

The series is now the second to reach the significant milestone, following Rovio's Angry Birds franchise.

Imangi says the number includes Temple Run and Temple Run 2, but not their Disney spinoffs like Oz.

The studio also says 60 percent of its players are female, and 36 percent of all downloads came from China. The next largest market was the U.S. at 21 percent.

Google, via their Android Developer Blog, has shown off prototypes of the LG G Watch and the Motorola Moto 360, the first devices to run on Android Wear.

In the post, two Google designers were showing off a tour app for Android Wear, and each was wearing one of the watches.

Until now, there had only been company press shot renderings available, so it is interesting to see them in real life. In fact, both of the prototypes appear to be a bit bulkier than their renderings, but that is likely to be updated in the coming months.

LG and Moto have promised a summer release for their respective watches, but the specific time frame remains a mystery.

According to a new Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) report, ebook sales will finally beat out print copies by 2018, at least in the UK.

The current ebook market, which also includes professional manuals and text books, has a value of £380 million, and that will increase significantly to £1 billion by 2018. During the same time frame, printed book sales are expected to fall by over 30 percent.

By 2018, about 50 percent of the UK population will be an owner of an e-reading device, including iPads and tablets alongside dedicated readers like the Kindle. Says Phil Stokes, an entertainment and media partner at PwC: "This growth is being driven by the internet and by consumers' love of new technology, particularly mobile technology."

Amazon has the lion's share of the UK market, at 79 percent.

Mr Stokes added, "The entertainment and media industry is at the forefront of the digital revolution, because so many of its products and services can already be delivered in digital form. It may not be long before digital revenues from print, film, publishing and music overtake physical revenues in some markets."

Earlier this year, Rovio did a quick teaser about their upcoming Angry Birds spinoff game "Stella," and this week they have revealed more of the characters and a bit more of the gameplay.

Stella, the main character, is known to players of Angry Birds Go!, and she will have a few friends, namely Poppy, Willow, Dahlia, Luca and Gale.

The game will take place on the Golden Island, a new universe to the Angry Birds world.

Says Rovio: "The Stella story will engage and entertain everyone - it's about courage, fun and daring to be you, with a spirit of female heroism and friendship. Each character is unique and powerful in their own way but together they cause even more mischief, take adventures to new heights and prove that true friends are there for each other through every battle."

The game is set for release in September, and there will be TELEPODS, a cartoon and books, as well.

ESET has identified the first form of ransonware for Android that actually encrypts personal files on the device's memory card and won't decrypt them unless a ransom is paid.

Previous forms of ransomware found to affect Android devices typically used lockscreens or other methods (such as making it impossible to launch apps) to force a user into a payment. This one is more insidious because it actually encrypts files on the devices, specifically files with the extensions: jpeg, jpg, png, bmp, gif, pdf, doc, docx, txt, avi, mkv, 3gp, mp4. The image with this article shows files in Total Commander that have been encrypted by the malware.

The app is in Russian and is likely only affecting a very small number of devices in that region. It demands payment in Ukrainian hryvnias (260 UAH, roughly $21, €16) using Ukraine's MoneXy payment service. When it finds its way to an Android device, it prompts the following message in Russian:

WARNING your phone is locked!

The device is locked for viewing and distribution child pornography , zoophilia and other perversions.

To unlock you need to pay 260 UAH.

1. Locate the nearest payment kiosk.

2. Select MoneXy

3. Enter {REDACTED}.

Microsoft has announced a huge increase to its entertainment app line-up, including HBO Go, Showtime Anytime and a Twitter experience optimized for TV.

In total, the new additions will increase the Xbox catalog by 25 percent, totaling more than 225 apps around the world. Of course, not all of these apps are launching today, but they will role out over the coming months up until the end of the holiday season. Some apps are only available on Xbox One, while plenty will also come to the Xbox 360.

"Xbox fans are spending more time than ever on the console, spending more than five hours a day on Xbox One," said Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President, Devices and Studios at Microsoft.

The Xbox One Twitter app will bee integrated directly into Xbox One's TV experience, letting you see tweets related to programming as you watch it. Additionally, the Twitter experience on Xbox One will be integrated into the TV listings section of OneGuide where you will be able to see the shows that people are tweeting about in real-time.

Ubisoft is investigating yet another technical glitch with its Watch Dogs blockbuster, this time involving gamers reportedly stuck on the loading screen.

Watch Dogs hasn't had an uneventful release on the technical side of things at all. Some PC gamers were locked out of the game completely for a time with uPlay being blamed. It was also blamed for issues Xbox players reported on Xbox Live.

Now Ubisoft is looking into another issue plaguing its customers, which apparently is causing the game to get stuck on the loading screen.

It used its Watch Dogs twitter feed to send the following related tweets.

We're aware some of you are stuck on the loading screen. We're hard at work on isolating the problem to find a fix. (1/2)

-- Watch Dogs (@watchdogsgame) June 3, 2014

If you're encountering that issue, please submit a ticket to http://t.co/HXXJuATnWk to help move forward. Thanks for understanding. (2/2)

-- Watch Dogs (@watchdogsgame) June 3, 2014

Sky has announced that ITV channels have joined its Sky Go line-up in time for the World Cup tournament in Brazil.

Sky Go users will be able to access ITV channel contents from ITV, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV. Additionally, when ITV Encore launches on June 9 it will be available on Sky Go too.

Sky customers will now be able to catch all the best moments from ITV's coverage of the eagerly-anticipated tournament, whenever and wherever they are.

"Allowing viewers to access our shows across a range of platforms and devices, both at home and on the move, is a key part of our strategy. We're delighted to offer Sky customers the chance to never miss their favourite ITV shows on Sky Go," said Martin Goswami, Director of Pay & Distribution, ITV.

Sky Go has over 3.7 million unique users as of March 2014.