Fully Charged: Google’s Ara modular phone secrets will be revealed in April, and Star Wars Episode VII casts its villain

Google’s Project Ara modular phone to be revealed in April

When Motorola was sold to Lenovo, Google took over its Ara modular smartphone project – and in April it’s holding a developers’ conference to walk techie types through the phone’s various modules and ins and outs. So we’ll finally get to learn a lot more about how this intriguing concept will plop into existence. Oh, and the whole thing will be streamed live on the web, so you’re welcome to attend – virtually, at least.

[Source: Google]

Yahoo! News Digest app is finally out for your iPhone

Yahoo! has launched its long-awaited News Digest app for iPhone and iPod Touch.

Using tech from Summly, the app created by British teenager Nick D’Aloisio and bought by Yahoo! for millions of pounds, the app takes long news stories (which are curated by editors) then, using “powerful algorithms”, shortens them into short but complete summaries that can be read in a matter of seconds. The idea is to bring you all the day’s news in a form that can be easily digested in a few minutes.

You can download the app here.

Star Wars Episode VII gets its villain

It seems that the chief bad guy for J.J. Abrams’ new Star Wars movie has been cast – and it’s an exciting and perhaps unexpected choice.

The Hollywood Reporter claims that Girls actor Adam Driver will play the part – a role which had been previously linked with more established stars including Michael Fassbender. Driver is probably the best thing about Girls at the moment, but his lack of prominent roles outside the HBO show make him something of an unknown quantity. That can be a good thing… but we’re also aware that Hayden Christensen was an unknown quantity and, well, look how that turned out.

Abrams has managed to keep any casting decisions under wraps until now, but other actors rumoured to be in the running for roles in the movie include Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael B. Jordan, Saoirse Ronan and Breaking Bad‘s Jesse Plemons.

[Source: Hollywood Reporter]