'Privacy visor evades hidden cameras'

22 January 2013 Last updated at 07:50 ET

A pair of glasses dubbed a "privacy visor" has been developed to thwart hidden cameras using facial-recognition software.

The prototype spectacles have been designed by scientists at Tokyo's National Institute of Informatics.

The glasses are equipped with a near-infrared light source, which confuses the software without affecting vision.

Law enforcers, shops and social networks are increasingly using facial-recognition software.

Prof Isao Echizen said: "As a result of developments in facial recognition technology in Google images, Facebook et cetera and the popularisation of portable terminals that append photos with photographic information [geotags]... essential measures for preventing the invasion of privacy caused by photographs taken in secret and unintentional capture in camera images is now required."

The near-infrared light "appends noise to photographed images without affecting human visibility," he said.

Shop mannequins

Prof Echizen said the glasses, which connect to a pocket power supply, would be reasonably priced, but there are some simpler alternatives.

Heavy make-up or a mask will also work, as will tilting your head at a 15-degree angle, which fools the software into thinking you do not have a face, according to an online guide produced by hacktivist group Anonymous.

In September, following a review by Ireland's data protection commissioner, Facebook suspended its facial-recognition tool that suggested when users in Europe could be tagged in photographs.

In November, it emerged some shop mannequins were collecting data on shoppers using facial-recognition software.

The EyeSee mannequin logs the age, gender and race of passers-by through a camera hidden behind one eye.

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Sony unveils 'thinnest' tablet

22 January 2013 Last updated at 08:20 ET

Sony has unveiled what it says is the thinnest tablet computer of its kind.

The Android-powered Xperia Z is 0.27in (6.9mm)-thick. That is 0.01in thinner than Apple's iPad Mini despite featuring a bigger 10.1in screen.

It coincides with news that LG is releasing a 5in handset - the Optimus G Pro - making it the latest to offer the so-called "phablet" form factor.

Both devices have only been confirmed for release in Japan, but more details are expected next month.

Mobile World Congress is being held in Barcelona from 25 to 28 February and is a popular time to announce global launches of new smart devices.

Samsung has already said it would show off a new 8in version of its Galaxy Note tablet family at the event.

Water-resistant tablet

Beyond being thin, Sony's new tablet can also lay claim to being the lightest for its size.

The firm says it weighs 1.1lb (495g) - a fraction below the Toshiba Excite 10 LE which previously laid claim to the title.

In addition it is water and dust-resistant - featuring similar plastic covers to protect its ports as are found on the firm's Xperia Z smartphone which was announced a fortnight ago at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The two Sony devices are designed to work together, allowing photos and other data to be transferred between the phone and tablet using the firm's "one-touch sharing" facility which is activated by waving the machines close to each other to activate their near field communications (NFC) chips.

"It's a good product and on the face of it it should do well, but it is hampered by a potential squeeze on the larger tablet segment as a lot of consumers and other manufacturers are moving to the smaller 7in-to-8in form factor - in part because of their cheaper price," David McQueen, principal analyst at the Informa Telecoms and Media consultancy, told the BBC.

"So the success of the Sony tablet might ultimately be determined by how much it costs as well as whether the firm bundles some of the content it owns from its music, movie and gaming divisions."

Packed pixels

LG's new handset is effectively a version of its existing Optimus G phone with a bigger, more detailed screen.

It offers 440 pixels per inch (ppi) - matching HTC's newly-released J Butterfly and Huawei's Ascend D2.

This density of its pixels allows LG's handset to be marketed as offering playback of 1080p videos in their full high definition resolution.

However, the trade-off is the screen is power-hungry. LG's handset features a 3,000 mAh (milliampere-hour) battery as a consequence which is bigger than that of most other smartphones.

"4G high-speed data connections are helping push the adoption of higher definition bigger screens on phones," said Mr McQueen, "but I do think it will remain a small, though high-end, segment of the market."

Two screens

Sony and LG's devices were revealed as part of Japanese network NTT Docomo's Spring line-up announcement.

It also featured a more unusual handset from NEC Casio featuring two screens.

The Medias W N-05E's displays are placed on either side of the device, but can also be folded out so that the two 4.3in LCD screens sit alongside each other.

It is the second dual-screened smartphone to be announced in recent weeks - Russia's Yota unveiled a model in December which features one LCD screen and one e-ink display, which it said would go on sale in the second half of the year.

However, recent history suggests such devices might only appeal to a niche audience.

Samsung, LG and Kyocera are among others firms to have released dual-screened phones over the past two years which only achieved limited sales.

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EE cuts prices of its 4G service

22 January 2013 Last updated at 11:24 ET

EE has cut the prices of its 4G services as it positions itself against competitors set to launch rival services.

It is now offering a basic 4G service for £31 a month and a "super-user" service offering 20GB of data for £46 a month.

The spectrum auction that will allow other operators to also offer faster 4G services starts this month.

They will have services up and running by early summer.

Continue reading the main story

The rest of the mobile industry will be watching this move very closely. With Ofcom's 4G auction starting this month, operators will be wondering just how great the demand from customers is going to be and working out what that means as they bid for spectrum."

End Quote

"EE's decision to offer both a relatively lower-priced tariff at the entry level and a plan with more data at the top end is clearly in response to customer feedback," said Matthew Howett, an analyst with research firm Ovum.

"More importantly though, it is a pre-emptive strike aimed at its competitors who are soon to launch tariffs of their own once the long-overdue auction of 4G licences is completed," he added.

The firm had faced criticism over 4G data allowances.

"It is our aim to offer consumers the most comprehensive range of 4G EE price plans," said Pippa Dunn, chief marketing officer at EE.

"With these new options we're looking to not only make 4G smartphones even more accessible, but offer even greater value for the small number of super-users out there,"

New network

Meanwhile Phones4U, which has to date focused on selling mobile phones, has announced that it will launch its own mobile service, running on EE's network.

The service will launch in March and will initially offer only 2G and 3G, with 4G connections becoming available before the end of the year.

LifeMobile, as the service will be known, will be available from Phones4U's High Street shops as well as Currys and PC World stores.

The firm is the 25th mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) signed by EE.

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New venture 'to mine asteroids'

22 January 2013 Last updated at 11:39 ET By Paul Rincon Science editor, BBC News website

A new venture is joining the effort to extract mineral resources on asteroids.

The announcement of plans by Deep Space Industries to exploit the rare metals present in the space rocks turns asteroid mining into a two-horse race.

The other venture, Planetary Resources, went public with its proposals last year.

Advocates of asteroid mining hope it could turn into a trillion-dollar business, but some scientists are highly sceptical of the idea.

Deep Space Industries wants to send a fleet of asteroid-prospecting spacecraft out into the Solar System to hunt for resources.

These spacecraft, which the company has dubbed "Fireflies", would use low-cost CubeSat components and benefit from discounted delivery to space by ride-sharing on the launch of larger communications satellites.

The Fireflies would have a mass of about 55 lb (25 kg) and be launched for the first time in 2015 on journeys of two to six months.

The company then wants to launch bigger spacecraft - which it calls "Dragonflies" - for round-trip visits that bring back samples.

These expeditions would take two to four years, depending on the target, and would return 60 to 150 lbs of material from target asteroids.

"Using resources harvested in space is the only way to afford permanent space development," said the company's chief executive David Gump.

"More than 900 new asteroids that pass near Earth are discovered every year. They can be like the Iron Range of Minnesota was for the Detroit car industry last century - a key resource located near where it was needed. In this case, metals and fuel from asteroids can expand the in-space industries of this century."

Asteroids could yield precious minerals such as gold, platinum and rare-Earth metals. But some are also thought to harbour water ice, which could be used as a raw material for the manufacture of rocket propellant or even breathable air.

The other firm in the mining race, Planetary Resources, has backing from several billionaire investors, including Google's Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, software executive Charles Simonyi and filmmaker James Cameron.

That company wants to start by launching orbiting telescopes that would identify suitable asteroid targets for mineral exploitation.

However, some scientists struggle to see how cost-effective asteroid mining could be, even with the high value of gold and platinum.

They point out that an upcoming Nasa mission to return just 60g (two ounces) of material from an asteroid will cost about $1bn.

Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

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Google sees profits back on track

22 January 2013 Last updated at 17:36 ET

Google has reported a rise in profits with a jump in revenues, as it ploughed more money into advertising and research and development.

Net profit for the final three months of last year was $2.89bn (£1.83bn), up 7% on a year earlier. Revenues were up by more than a third at $14.4bn.

Google shares rose by almost 5% in after-hours trading, following the better-than-expected results.

Separately, computer maker IBM reported a modest rise in profits.

Record revenue

In the third quarter of 2012, Google's profits fell sharply from a year earlier. The final three months of the year marked a return to profit growth.

"We ended 2012 with a strong quarter," said the internet giant's chief executive Larry Page.

"And we hit $50bn in revenues for the first time last year - not a bad achievement in just a decade and a half.

"In today's multi-screen world we face tremendous opportunities as a technology company focused on user benefit. It's an incredibly exciting time to be at Google."

The fourth quarter figures are not directly comparable with a year earlier, as they include Motorola Mobility, which Google bought in May 2012. The subsidiary made a loss in the latest three month period.

'Amazing'

Analysts were impressed by Google's performance.

"Business looked really strong, especially from a profitability perspective - they really grew their margins in the core business, which is quite amazing," said Sameet Sinha from B Riley.

"Most of that strength seems to be coming from international markets, which grew revenues quite substantially - up 23%, year-over-year."

Google's strong performance came as another technology giant, IBM, revealed its earnings grew 6% in the fourth quarter, as it benefited from lucrative software businesses, such as internet-based computing.

IBM earned $5.8bn between October and December, compared to $5.5bn over the same period a year earlier.

It is the 40th consecutive quarter that IBM has enjoyed growth in earnings per share, compared to a year earlier.

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First Firefox smartphones revealed

23 January 2013 Last updated at 07:06 ET

Mozilla has published details of the first smartphones to be powered by its Firefox operating system.

Two handsets are to be made by a small Spanish firm called Geeksphone and will be targeted at developers ahead of the system's formal launch.

The platform is based on the HTML5 web programming language and is being marketed as offering software writers more "freedom" than alternatives.

However, it faces competition from other soon-to-be-released systems.

Blackberry 10, Ubuntu, Tizen and Sailfish are all due for release for smartphones before the end of 2013, joining a market already occupied by Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry 7 and Symbian among others.

One analyst said he did not believe there was enough room in the market for all to survive.

Low and high-end

The two new handsets are codenamed Keon and Peak.

Keon is the more basic model, including a 3.5in (8.9cm) screen, a 3MP (megapixel) camera and Qualcomm's low-end Snapdragon S1 processor.

Peak has a bigger 4.3in display, an 8MP camera and a more powerful Snapdragon S4. Mozilla noted this was probably "slightly faster" than the first generation devices that would be marketed to the public.

It added that Geeksphone's phones would be made available for sale next month, but did not provide a price.

It said that when devices went on general sale they would be cheaper than many alternatives and would be targeted at emerging markets.

Open source

The Mozilla Foundation already uses the Firefox brand for its web browser - an offshoot of the 1990's Netscape Navigator product. The software is developed by a community of volunteers and is run as an open source project, meaning its code is accessible to others allowing them to make their own modifications.

The same principles are applied to the operating system and Mozilla highlights the fact that coders can market their apps through their own websites or any store they wish in addition to the organisation's own marketplace.

It adds that the lightweight nature of the system means that apps should run smoothly and offer "optimal battery life" on low-end devices.

However, one analyst questioned whether this would make Firefox OS stand out, bearing in mind developers were already free to offer web apps for most other devices, and in the case of Android could also sell native apps outside Google's own Play store if the user adjusted their settings to accept them.

"What Firefox is trying to do is make the web the app store and bring the openness of the web to phones," said Nick Dillon, senior analyst at the consultants Ovum.

"But the question is what does this offer over a cheap Android phone to a consumer looking to buy a low-end handset?

"On Android you got Google services pre-installed and the 700,000 apps in its store but Firefox OS isn't going to have these so will have reduced functionality."

Native or not?

If Firefox OS is a success it should help drive the creation of HTML5 apps, which by their nature should work on any smartphone.

In theory this works to developers' advantage as they can write a single program and then offer it across a range of platforms.

However, many view the language as a "work in progress" when it comes to mobile and believe that for the time being native apps - those coded for a specific platform - offer advantages.

"Applications that require more processing power and the full capabilities of a phone - games for example - lend themselves more to native applications," said Mr Dillon.

"Although HTML5 has come a long way there are still gaps, like for notifications, that have not been fully standardised across all browsers - so if you are building an app that can alert users to the fact they have received a new message, it's easier to do in a native app if you want to ensure a consistent experience.

"The trade-off, of course, is that it will take more time and effort to make the app for each platform."

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Apple pulls app due to 'child porn'

23 January 2013 Last updated at 08:01 ET

Apple says it has been forced to remove a popular photography app due to customer complaints over "possible child pornography".

The 500px app, developed in Canada, has been downloaded almost a million times - but the iPhone-maker said it was now a "clear violation" of its guidelines.

Google has not removed the app from its app store, and would not speculate publicly on its future.

500px said it had never received any complaints about such illegal content.

"We don't allow pornographic images," 500px's chief operating officer Evgeny Tchebotarev told TechCrunch.

"If something is purely pornographic, it's against our terms and it's deleted."

He added that while there are nude images on the service, they were of a tasteful nature. Nudity is filtered by a "safe search" function which is turned on by default.

"It's not about pornography, it's about fine art," he said.

Safeguards

In a statement, Apple was clear about its reasons for removing the app which had been available since October 2011.

The company said: "The app was removed from the App Store for featuring pornographic images and material, a clear violation of our guidelines.

"We also received customer complaints about possible child pornography.

"We've asked the developer to put safeguards in place to prevent pornographic images and material in their app."

Apple has not revealed the exact nature of the images which were complained about.

Despite the app's removal from the Apple store, at the time of writing it remains in Google's store - which has comparatively looser controls on content.

"We don't comment on individual applications - however, you can check out our policies for more information," a Google spokesman told the BBC.

"We remove applications that violate our policies, such as apps that are illegal or that promote hate speech."

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Kenya tech city building begins

23 January 2013 Last updated at 09:05 ET

Kenya's president has launched a $14.5bn (£9.1bn) project to build a new city intended to be an IT business hub and dubbed "Africa's Silicon Savannah".

It will take 20 years to build Konza Technology City about 60km (37 miles) from the capital, Nairobi.

It is hoped that more than 20,000 IT jobs will be created in Konza by 2015, and more than 200,000 jobs by 2030.

Despite Kenya's usually divisive politics, the project has the backing of all political parties.

Konza is part of the government's ambitious Vision 2030 initiative to improve much-neglected infrastructure over the next 18 years.

Correspondents say the government also wants to take advantage of the growing number of software developers in the East African nation.

'Tremendous opportunities'

"It is expected to spur massive trade and investment as well as create thousands of employment opportunities for young Kenyans in the ICT [information communications technology] sector," President Mwai Kibaki said at the ceremony to launch the construction, adding it would be a "game-changer" for the country's development.

He called on domestic and foreign investors to take advantage of Konza's "tremendous opportunities".

The 5,000-acre (2,011-hectare) site was a ranch to the south-east of Nairobi on the way to the port city of Mombasa.

When the plan was announced after the last elections property prices in the area soared, reporters say.

According to the Konza information website, the city wants to attract business process outsourcing, software development, data centres, disaster recovery centres, call centres and light assembly manufacturing industries.

A university campus focused on research and technology as well as hotels, residential areas, schools and hospitals will also be built.

The government has appointed the Konza Technopolis Development Authority to oversee the building of the IT hub, which will be built in four phases - starting with the technology centres first.

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Sky Broadband struggles with demand

23 January 2013 Last updated at 09:51 ET

Sky has acknowledged that some of its customers are experiencing slow internet speeds as a consequence of it signing up new subscribers.

The firm said that it was working to boost capacity at telephone exchanges in the worst hit areas.

The news coincided with the launch of Sky Go Extra - a service allowing users to download movies and TV shows so they can be watched offline.

One expert said the product might add to the strain.

Sky Go Extra still works at slow internet speeds - however, Sky's other streaming services rely on the user having a 2 megabit per second connection. Some subscribers have complained their download speeds have fallen below this level at peak times.

A Sky spokeswoman apologised for the problems.

"Following a combination of an underlining increase in network traffic as well as a high rate of new customer additions, we are aware of capacity issues in a small number of exchanges," she said.

"We are working on adding new capacity to those exchanges as quickly as we can. We apologise to all customers who have been impacted by this issue."

She confirmed a report by The Register that users in Doncaster, North Wales and Bristol were among those affected, but declined to be more specific or name other locations.

However, the firm has provided an online postcode checking facility for its subscribers to check if their local exchange has been flagged as having an issue.

'Unlimited downloads'

Andrew Ferguson, editor of the Thinkbroadband news site noted that Sky had recently run a major promotion highlighting the fact it did not place "fair use" caps on the amount of data its customers use.

As a result, he said, the firm had probably attracted subscribers who downloaded significantly more than the average 23 gigabytes per month consumed by the average UK broadband user.

"Sky had this problem last year in some of its exchanges, and it's definitely not the only service provider to have experienced this problem," he told the BBC.

"It's very much related to the firms' promotional activities. Sky has also been pushing its fibre products recently - they offer higher speeds and people who sign up generally use more data afterwards."

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UK operators' 4G bidding war begins

23 January 2013 Last updated at 09:53 ET

An auction to determine how the UK's fourth generation (4G) mobile spectrum is shared among operators has begun.

Seven operators are involved in what communications regulator Ofcom has described as "a very significant milestone" for the UK.

The bidding will process take place online and last a number of weeks.

Ofcom has been criticised about how long the process has taken, with the UK lagging behind other countries that have already rolled out 4G.

4G offers much faster download speeds than 3G connections making it possible to stream high quality audio and visual content while on the move.

Industry leaders have also said 4G should significantly boost the country's economy.

Newly-available spectrums

The auction has been continually pushed back having originally been slated to begin at the start of 2012.

The delay was blamed on a need to consult further with operators.

In a statement to the BBC, Ofcom said: "Delays have been caused by a number of legal challenges and threats of future litigation from various companies seeking to defend their own commercial positions.

"These started as early as 2008 when we had originally planned to auction the 2.6GHz band of spectrum. However, regardless of this, the spectrum that we are auctioning could never have been used for 4G until this year, not least because the digital switchover needed to complete first to create the 800 MHz capacity."

Continue reading the main story

Just three months after the launch of the UK's first 4G network, the "Sale" signs are going up at EE. The company has unveiled what it describes as "new price plan offers" to offer customers more choice. But what EE is actually doing is cutting prices in what looks like an admission that it got its initial offer wrong."

End Quote

However, Ofcom did give the go ahead for one operator, EE, to launch 4G in several UK cities last year.

It was able to use its existing spectrum to provide the service.

This auction, which EE is taking part in, is to determine how the newly-available spectrums will shared out - with operators hoping to be get large parts in order to offer greater capacity, and therefore gain more potential customers.

"It will release the essential raw material for the next wave of mobile digital services," said Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards.

"This will change the way we consume digital media in both our personal and working lives and deliver significant benefits to millions of consumers and businesses across the country."

The bidding process for the extra spectrum will be conducted in secret.

As well as EE, the other companies taking part in the auction are:

• PCCW, a major Hong Kong telecoms conglomerate, operating through its subsidiary HKT
• Hutchison Whampoa, another Hong Kong conglomerate and operator of the 3 network
• MLL Telecom, a telecom network supplier founded in 1992 and based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
• BT, via its subsidiary Niche Spectrum Ventures
• Telefonica, the Spanish incumbent telecoms company that owns the O2 network
• Vodafone

Blame game

Matthew Howett, from the Ovum consultancy, strongly criticised the length of time it had taken Ofcom to get the auction underway, but said "everyone" was to blame.

"Firstly at one point Ofcom appeared to neglect how operators were likely to use the spectrum and initially failed to package it accordingly," he said.

"It was then the government who took their eye of the ball and didn't intervene at a crucial stage to keep things on track, and finally the operators themselves have at least been partially complicit in threatening to derail the whole affair.

"In the end it was quite simply a stroke of luck, a series of fortunate events that meant a way forward could be found."

That "stroke of luck" was largely in relation to EE's head start.

The remaining operators, annoyed at the possible commercial advantage EE would enjoy by having 4G first, threatened legal action against Ofcom.

After negotiations they agreed to back down - on condition that the auction process picked up pace.

Whether or not EE has enjoyed a boost in sales thanks to 4G is still up in the air - earlier this week it announced it was temporarily lowering its tariff prices, after criticism about their cost.

The winners of the 4G auction will be expected to launch their services by summer this year.

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