Valve to unveil Steam game hardware

17 September 2013 Last updated at 07:18 ET

Valve will next week reveal more details about the gaming hardware it has been developing.

Valve boss Gabe Newell made the announcement during a keynote speech at the LinuxCon 2013 conference.

Industry watchers expect the news to be about the long-awaited "Steam box" that the company has kept under tight wraps.

The box is widely believed to be a gadget that lets people play games they have bought on Valve's Steam service on other devices.

Steam is one of the most popular platforms used by PC gamers to buy and access video games bought over the internet. Valve uses it to promote its own titles as well as games written by third-party developers, from whom it takes a cut of the sales. Rivals include Gog, Desura and EA's Origin.

Grand unification

In his speech, Mr Newell said that the Linux open source software was the future of gaming because its openness stood in stark contrast to the closed and proprietary worlds of consoles, mobiles and tablets. Linux is an operating system, like Windows, but is one that, unlike Windows, lets anyone tinker with its internal workings.

Steam's success demonstrated the benefits of openness and had helped Valve prosper as others parts of the PC industry withered, he said.

"The innovation and openness of the PC as a gaming platform have enabled us to be somewhat immunised against the broader structural decline of the PC," he said in his speech.

Valve was using Linux to ensure gaming stayed open and that the games people owned could be played on a PC, big TV or mobile.

It had been doing work to make sure games were easier to play on Linux, he said, by producing tools to help game makers get their creations working on Steam. In addition, Valve has produced a Linux version of Steam that can now run 198 of the hundreds of games available via the digital download service. In addition, it has produced a "big picture" version of Steam that lets people play games despite sitting a long way away from a screen.

"The next step in our contribution to this is to release some work we've done on the hardware side," he said, adding that next week would see it release that information and details of the "hardware opportunities we see for bringing Linux into the living room".

So far, it is not clear whether Valve plans to release its own hardware or produce specifications for a device that others will make to bring about what Nr Newell called a "grand unification" of mobile, desktop and living room gaming.

"Right now, you're sort of in this bizarre situation where as soon as you sit on your couch, you're supposed to have lost connection with all of your other computing platforms," he said. "We really don't think the fragmentation around the physical location or around the input devices in terms of computation is necessary or desirable for software developers or consumers."

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sony confirms Chromecast TV rival

17 September 2013 Last updated at 07:22 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

Sony has confirmed plans to launch a dongle to add apps and other smart-TV features to its televisions.

It will compete against a similar new product, Google's Chromecast.

Sony told entertainment trade-magazine Variety that it would formally launch the Android-powered Smart Stick later this week.

It will offer access to online content including video streams, music and games. However, one analyst said its price might prove its weakness.

Sony told Variety the Smart Stick would cost $150 (£94), but Google's plug-in is being sold in the US for $35.

App downloads

Many of the features offered by Sony's device were included in its earlier Google TV set-top boxes, which have struggled to find demand.

However, the Smart Stick is designed to do away with the need for a separate cable as it can be plugged directly into a TV's mobile high-definition link (MHL) socket.

News of the gadget was revealed on the company's blog last week. The post was later pulled but can still be seen via Bing's cache facility, and the device's instruction manual remains online.

They state that the dongle offers access to Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube and the Chrome web browser - which will all come pre-installed - and the option to download more software from the Play app store.

The gadget comes bundled with a remote that includes a microphone for voice-control, a touchpad and more traditional buttons.

Cheaper competitor

The details have emerged two months after Google unveiled its Chromecast dongle.

The device uses an HDMI socket to offer a more limited range of online content and relies on owners using a smartphone or tablet to control it via wi-fi.

However, it has the benefit of a lower price and is not restricted to being used on a specific brand of TV.

"For many consumers this will boil down to the fact that it's $150 versus $35," said Ian Maude, a digital media expert at consultants Enders Analysis.

"Sony is offering yet another device without offering anything that different from other internet-enabled set-top boxes."

"There is clearly demand to watch internet video via the TV set, but there's a whole new price point for these devices and at $150 I don't think the Smart Stick will fly."

Sony also faces competition from others who are also investing in new smart TV facilities.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Google's Chromecast dongle is being sold for $35 (£23)

Samsung - the world's bestselling television manufacturer - has bought Israeli firm Boxee's assets. Boxee's most recent product had let subscribers record TV shows onto its servers and then stream them to TVs, computers and smart devices.

LG has acquired WebOS - the operating system formerly used to power Palm handhelds - to "enhance" its smart TV products.

Microsoft is promoting its forthcoming Xbox One as a way to integrate content from a cable or satellite provider with other online video.

Meanwhile Apple, Sky, Roku and Western Digital are among others to offer more limited net-connected media streamers, while cable providers, including the UK's Virgin Media, are offering access to increasing numbers of apps via Tivo and other set-top boxes.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Body on a chip' used for drug tests

17 September 2013 Last updated at 12:44 ET By Joe Miller BBC News

Miniature human organs developed with a modified 3D printer are being used to test new vaccines in a lab in the US.

The "body on a chip" project replicates human cells to print structures which mimic the functions of the heart, liver, lung and blood vessels.

The organs are then placed on a microchip and connected with a blood substitute, allowing scientists to closely monitor specific treatments.

The US Department of Defense has backed the new technology with $24m (£15m).

Bioprinting, a form of 3D printing which, in effect, creates human tissue, is not new. Nor is the idea of culturing 3D human tissue on a microchip.

Continue reading the main story

It works better than testing on animals"

End Quote Dr Anthony Atala Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine

But the tests being carried out at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine in North Carolina are the first to combine several organs on the same device, which then model the human response to chemical toxins or biologic agents.

Printing organs

The modified 3D printers, developed at Wake Forest, print human cells in hydrogel-based scaffolds.

The lab-engineered organs are then placed on a 2in (5cm) chip and linked together with a circulating blood substitute, similar to the type used in trauma surgery.

The blood substitute keeps the cells alive and can be used to introduce chemical or biologic agents, as well as potential therapies, into the system.

Sensors which measure real-time temperature, oxygen levels, pH and other factors feed back information on how the organs react and - crucially - how they interact with each other.

Dr Anthony Atala, institute director at Wake Forest and lead investigator on the project, said the technology would be used both to "predict the effects of chemical and biologic agents and to test the effectiveness of potential treatments".

"You are actually testing human tissue," he explained.

"It works better than testing on animals."

Anti-terrorism

A group of experts from around the US is involved in putting together the technology, which will carry out toxicity testing and identification.

The funding for the project was awarded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), a division of the US government which combats nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

The tests being carried out at Wake Forest "would significantly decrease the time and cost needed to develop medical countermeasures" for bioterrorism attacks, said Dr Clint Florence, acting branch chief of vaccines within the Translational Medical Division at DTRA.

Wake Forest said it was able to test for antidotes to sarin gas, recently used against civilians in Syria.

Printed house

Dr Atala, whose field is regenerative medicine, said the bioprinting technology was first used at Wake Forest for building tissues and organs for replacement in patients.

His team had managed to replicate flat organs, such as skin, tubular organs such as blood vessels, and even hollow non-tubular organs like the bladder and the stomach, which have more complex structures and functions.

But building solid organs like the heart and the liver is the hardest challenge yet.

It takes about 30 minutes just to print a miniature kidney or heart, which is the size of a small biscuit.

"There are so many cells per centimetre that making a big organ is quite complex," Dr Atala told the BBC.

But the bioprinting of full size solid organs might not be far away.

"We are working on creating solid organ implants," said Dr Atala.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Facebook sorry for suicide dating ad

Ringkasan ini tidak tersedia. Harap klik di sini untuk melihat postingan.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Linkedin joins data privacy row

18 September 2013 Last updated at 07:39 ET

Linkedin, the business networking service, has mounted a legal challenge to the US government's ban on disclosing the number of national security-related data requests it receives.

US organisations are allowed to publish the total number of data requests, but cannot break the figure down to reveal the number made by security services.

Linkedin said the legal situation "makes no sense".

Many other technology companies agree.

Linkedin, based in Mountain View, California, published its half-yearly Transparency Report on Monday covering the period from 1 January to 30 June.

The report said the company had received 83 government requests for data over the six-month period - 70 from the US government.

But because Linkedin wanted to break the US figure down into types of request, such as "subpoena" or "search warrant", it had to exclude the number of national security-related requests.

In a letter to members on Tuesday, Erika Rottenberg, Linkedin vice-president, said the ban was "the source of great disappointment and frustration to us", arguing that the requirements "are not legally warranted and make no sense".

The company supports the Digital Due Process Coalition in calling for reform of the US Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), which dates from 1986.

The coalition, which includes big technology companies such as Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft, argues that the ECPA has been outpaced by the rapid rise of the internet and the explosion of digital data.

As a result, an individual's right to privacy is being undermined, it argues.

"Linkedin strongly believes that all data, whether analog or digital, whether stored on personal computers or in the cloud, is subject to full US constitution fourth amendment protection, no less than documents stored in a file cabinet or in a desk drawer," Ms Rottenberg wrote.

The fourth amendment to the US constitution states: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause."

Linkedin's legal challenge takes the form of a petition in the US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court seeking the ability to publish the number of national security-related data requests.

It has also filed a so-called amicus brief in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brazil moves to shield data from US

18 September 2013 Last updated at 09:20 ET

Brazil is considering ways to make local use of the internet less dependent on US-based services, following leaks about Washington's cyberspy operations.

The South American nation has suggested forcing internet firms to open data centres in Brazil, which would be used to store locally generated material.

It is also pursuing a plan to build a new internet cable.

The project would offer a way for data to bypass the US.

Brazil's President, Dilma Rousseff, has postponed a state visit to Washington after allegations that the US National Security Agency (NSA) had targeted her emails and phone calls.

It has also been alleged that the NSA hacked state-run oil company Petrobras and intercepted billions of emails and calls to Brazilians.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has previously defended the NSA's actions, saying they were necessary to combat terrorism.

"Brazil and other countries will understand exactly what we are doing, why and how - and we will work together to make sure that whatever is done is done in a way that respects our friends and our partners," he said last month on a visit to the country.

Brics cable

Brazil's IT policy secretary Virgilio Almeida has suggested that internet firms would have to operate data centres in the country, which would make them subject to local privacy laws.

Continue reading the main story

The Brazilian president was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Her decision to cancel (or officially, to postpone) the Washington visit will be seized upon by some as an act of petty nationalism.

Some Brazilian business leaders, worried by the precarious economic climate, will question the wisdom of antagonising such an important business.

But the political pressure was greater still. There was fury in Brazil, not only at the revelation that the president's own conversations and communications may have been spied upon by the NSA but that US interests were allegedly involved in blatant economic espionage against major Brazilian interests, including Petrobras.

Dilma Rousseff will have been aware of the feelings of ordinary Brazilians had her Washington trip gone ahead.

The perception here in Brazil is that the Obama administration has yet to give an adequate response or an apology.

In addition, he said, the government might move to ensure that its own data about tax information and other sensitive subjects would be stored locally rather than in the cloud.

Last week a Brazilian official specifically named Facebook, Google and Microsoft as examples of companies that would have to change their practices, according to a report by the Reuters news agency.

The three companies are among those that have acknowledged handing over data about "national security matters" after legally binding requests from the US authorities.

However, there is no suggestion that Brazilians would be barred from using US-based storage services.

Brazil is also backing a separate plan to create the Brics Cable.

This would see a fibre-optic link run from the Brazilian city of Fortaleza to Vladivostok, Russia. The link would pass through Africa and Asia and connect with cables running to mainland Europe and the Middle East.

There would also be a link between Fortaleza and Miami, but it would mean data would not need to go through Florida before travelling elsewhere.

At present the vast majority of Central and South America's internet data is routed through a single building in Miami known as the Network Access Point.

According to documents leaked by whistle-blower Edward Snowden, the NSA and its UK counterpart GCHQ have used cable taps to collect "vast amounts" of data passing though their countries, which are then analysed using encryption-cracking tools.

The Brics Cable's organisers hope to have their 34,000km (21,000 miles) link ready to use by the end of 2015.

Brazil's telecom firm Telebras is also planning to launch the country's first communications satellite in 2016. Its military currently relies on a system run by Mexico's Embratel.

In addition the country's postal service has announced plans to create an encrypted email service to offer the public an alternative to Gmail, Yahoo email or Outlook.com.

Limited effect

One expert warned that such measures would give Brazil only a limited degree of protection from the NSA.

"They are a step towards getting out the very strong control the US has over the internet infrastructure," said Dr Joss Wright, a cybersecurity expert at the University of Oxford's Internet Institute.

"But if you send an email from your encrypted Brazilian provider to somebody else who has a Gmail account then Google is getting to read the thread of information anyway.

"Regarding the new cables, you can't say, 'My data should go from here to here across this particular path.'

"It's calculated on a very ad-hoc basis where it is going to go... which means you can't guarantee that just because there is a new high-capacity cable running from Brazil to Russia that all the data will go through it rather than an alternative."

He added that taking steps to make firms subject to local data protection laws might also be easier said than done.

"Look at the EU - it already has very strict rules about sharing and processing data and the general rule is that you can only share data if you share it with a country that has equivalently strong protection laws," he told the BBC.

"However, the US being the US has a get-out-of-jail-free card with what are called the 'safe harbour provisions'.

"They are an industry self-regulatory agreement which says they will treat data according to EU standards. But there is no oversight, there's no comeback if they do not live up to them."

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Microsoft in temporary browser fix

18 September 2013 Last updated at 09:59 ET

Microsoft has released a temporary patch to fix a "zero-day", or previously unknown, vulnerability in its Internet Explorer (IE) web browser.

The software giant said the bug, which relates to the browser's memory, could affect all versions of IE6 to 10.

Attackers could set up websites specifically designed to exploit the vulnerability, Microsoft said, and then run malicious code on users' computers.

Targeted attacks directed at IE8 and 9 had already been reported, it said.

"This is a serious vulnerability potentially affecting millions of Windows computers," Dana Tamir, director at security company Trusteer, told the BBC.

"Hackers are already exploiting this so I hope Microsoft produces a full patch within a few days," she said.

In a blog post, Microsoft's Dustin Childs advised concerned users to set internet and local security zone settings to "high" to block ActiveX controls and active scripting.

He also recommended changing IE settings to prompt users before running active scripting.

But doing this "may affect usability", he said, so users should add sites they trust, and visit often, to the IE trusted sites zone.

Microsoft's Fix It patch applies only to 32-bit versions of IE. It is not being rolled out automatically and is not intended to be a replacement for scheduled security updates, the company said.

"This temporary workaround is like applying a Band-Aid to a wound," said Ms Tamir.

Last week, Microsoft admitted that it had been forced to rewrite four of its security updates just three days after they had been issued.

Customers had reported receiving repeated demands to install the updates even after they had already done so.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Blackberry announces big handset

18 September 2013 Last updated at 11:40 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

Blackberry has announced its biggest smartphone to date.

The Z30 features a 5in (12.7cm) screen and a relatively large battery, which, the company says, should last more than two days between charges.

It is the first product to be released by the Canadian company since it announced last month that it was considering putting itself up for sale.

Some analysts have suggested a deal could result in its handset division being shut down.

They say the company's patents, software and cash reserves could make it worth about $5bn (£3.1bn).

However, they add the hardware unit itself has "negative value" and any suitor might wish to do a deal in which they did not have to acquire it.

"Why would you want to own a platform that is obviously in decline?" asked Colin Gillis, director of research at investment advisers BGC Financial.

"Android is clearly number one, Apple's iOS is number two, and now Windows Phone is number three.

"Blackberry's hardware and operating system themselves are fine, but there's not much more beyond that - it's not a meaningful platform."

App store gaps

According to market-research company IDC, Blackberry accounted for 9.3% of all smartphones shipped to the UK during the first half of the year, thanks in part to interest generated by the launch of its new operating system BB10.

But its position elsewhere is much weaker. The company only accounted for 1.7% of all smartphones shipped to the US and 0.1% to China, the world's biggest markets, during the same period, according to IDC.

The announcement of the new handset indicates the company wish to emulate the several Android manufacturers who have found success with larger screens.

Samsung and Sony are among the companies that have recently unveiled new so-called "phablets".

But Blackberry faces the problem that its app store is still missing several of the big-name programs available for Google's operating system. One expert warned that the current uncertainty over its future might discourage software writers from filling in those gaps.

"The rumours might affect developers and that in turn might affect consumers - even if many are not aware of the problems that Blackberry currently finds itself in," said Tony Cripps, principal analyst at the telecoms consultancy Ovum.

"The same issue really surrounds a 5in Blackberry device as their other smaller ones.

"By going it alone as far as its platform and ecosystem strategy is concerned, it's pretty much left itself at great risk of not putting together an offering that is very appealing either to the end user or the third-party developers."

System update

Blackberry said the Z30 would be released in the UK and Middle East next week, ahead of other regions.

It is also releasing an update to its operating system - taking it to version 10.2 - which it said offered "hundreds of refinements plus many new features".

These include the ability to preview and respond to messages without having to switch out of whatever app the owner is using, and the introduction of a "priority hub" that groups together information and emails that the device judges to be most important to the user.

The firm said that the update should be available to owners of its existing Z10 and Q10 devices from mid-October.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK enters online university race

18 September 2013 Last updated at 11:58 ET By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent

The UK's biggest online university project has been launched, with more than 20 universities offering free courses.

Students will be able to follow courses on mobile phones as well as computers.

The UK's project, called FutureLearn, sees UK universities entering the global market in so-called Moocs - massive open online courses.

It could "revolutionise conventional models of formal education", says universities minister David Willetts.

Mr Willetts, speaking at the British Library, said that the expansion of access to higher education was no longer necessarily about "bricks and mortar".

He said that the FutureLearn partnership would help to serve the unmet demand for university courses, particularly overseas.

The launch of FutureLearn sees 21 UK universities, plus Trinity College Dublin and Monash University in Australia, offering courses that are taught and assessed on the internet.

The UK universities include Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Nottingham, Warwick, Bristol, Reading, Southampton and the Open University, which has headed the project.

The British Library, British Museum and British Council will make material available to students.

'Social architecture'

There are 20 short courses announced, with eight starting this year.

In this experimental phase, students taking these courses will carry out multiple choice questions, without any formal qualifications.

Continue reading the main story

• University of Bath
• University of Birmingham
• University of Bristol
• Cardiff University
• University of East Anglia
• The University of Edinburgh
• University of Exeter
• University of Glasgow
• King's College London
• Lancaster University
• University of Leeds
• University of Leicester
• Loughborough University
• Monash University
• The University of Nottingham
• The Open University
• Queen's University, Belfast
• University of Reading
• The University of Sheffield
• University of Southampton
• University of Strathclyde
• Trinity College Dublin
• The University of Warwick

But universities are hoping that many people will be attracted by the chance to follow university-level courses without any travel or cost and at a time that suits them.

It will also provide taster courses for youngsters considering their university options.

When the University of Edinburgh offered Moocs through a US network it had more than 300,000 students signing up. The University of London international programme had more than 200,000 registrations.

FutureLearn will see the UK taking a much bigger step into the rapidly expanding online university market - with claims that higher education is now facing its own online revolution.

They are anticipating that each Mooc course will attract 20,000 students.

Universities also see the project as a way of recruiting students to degree courses. Martin Bean, vice chancellor of the Open University, described it as a "digital storefront".

But Mr Bean says he expects some universities to begin thinking about how to offer formal credits for Moocs.

Reading University is going to offer a Mooc course about basic computer programming.

"Offering free taster courses online is a no-brainer," says David Bell, the university's vice-chancellor.

"Universities shouldn't be afraid to open up teaching and research, either in the UK or beyond. Learning never stops and as the economy's demand for higher skills rises, universities should be in the vanguard when it comes to providing new opportunities.

"Making courses accessible online, on mobiles and tablets means that people can fit their studying around their lives, rather than their lives around study."

Southampton University is offering a course in web science, Leicester University's course looks at England at the time of Richard III and the University of Warwick has a psychology course.

FutureLearn's chief executive Simon Nelson says it will offer a "fresh approach" with all its courses designed to work across all kinds of online platforms, so that a student could begin a course on a laptop at home and then continue on a mobile phone while commuting.

He also promises a less isolated experience for students learning at home. He says that it can be a "solitary experience", but that FutureLearn will try to create a supportive online community, with "very strong social architecture".

This will allow students to discuss their courses and ask questions, using social networking-style comment pages alongside the lesson content.

This consortium will also draw upon the experience in distance learning of the Open University.

"Time and again we have seen the disruptive impact the internet can have on industries - driving innovation and enhancing the customer experience. I have no doubt Moocs will do the same for education," says Mr Bean.

There were also suggestions from the Department for Education last week that Moocs could be used for vocational courses for students in further education colleges and sixth forms in England.

Global race

Moocs have already had a major impact in the US, launching last year and spearheaded by alliances of top institutions, including Harvard, MIT and Stanford.

Coursera, set up by Stanford academics in California and backed by venture capital, has signed up more than four million students in its first 18 months for courses provided by more than 80 universities.

These projects have revealed a high level of demand for courses, but also exposed the difficulty in retaining students, with very high levels of drop-out rates.

It has sparked a debate about the cost of higher education and what students are paying for when so much information and so many high-quality university materials are available online.

These US online courses have begun to develop ways of giving students formal credits, such as students paying to take invigilated exams.

Among the Mooc pioneers has been the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which set up the edX online platform with Harvard.

On Tuesday, MIT announced a series of new online courses which will have an identity verification system using webcams and with plans for certification for courses.

But there have also been questions asked about the long-term financial viability of online university courses.

Last week, William Dutton, professor of internet studies at the University of Oxford, challenged whether many universities could afford to invest in the type of free online courses offered by wealthy institutions such as Harvard and MIT.

He suggested that online courses might work better as part of a "blended" course, where students spend some time together in the classroom as well as studying online.

Sir Michael Barber, chief education adviser to Pearson and former Downing Street adviser, said that online universities represented an overdue technological advance.

"The models of higher education that marched triumphantly across the globe in the second half of the 20th Century require radical and urgent transformation. My fear is that the nature of change is incremental and the pace of change too slow.

"The establishment of FutureLearn represents an important step in realising this change and seizing the opportunities technology offers in creating a broader, deeper and more exciting education system."

Universities and Science Minister David Willetts said: "I encourage all our institutions to explore the opportunities offered by new modes of technology, such as Moocs. This will keep the UK ahead in the global race to deliver education in worldwide markets."

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dr Who to air on Hulu internet TV

18 September 2013 Last updated at 12:13 ET

BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, has signed a deal that will see 144 BBC shows, including Dr Who, appear on US online TV network Hulu.

In total the BBC is providing 2,000 programmes. Most will be available through Hulu's subscription service, called Hulu plus.

Shows on Hulu at the moment include The Simpsons, Modern Family and Glee.

BBC Worldwide did not say how much Hulu was paying for the shows, which also include Torchwood, Luther and Sherlock.

"With this exciting deal we hope the Hulu audience will continue to enjoy the shows they already love while discovering new gems to experience," said Matt Forde from BBC Worldwide.

Hulu is owned by Walt Disney, 21st Century Fox and NBC Universal.

It has more than 30 million monthly visitors and generates sales of more than $700m (£440m) through subscriptions and a free, advert-supported service.

The owners were looking to sell Hulu, but in July dropped the plan and instead invested $750m to spend on content, technology and staff.

BBC Worldwide first signed content deals with Hulu in 2010 and the website has specialised in British comedy, with shows such as Misfits, Rev, Moone Boy and Pramface.

Andy Forssell from Hulu said: "By adding this expansive collection of premium BBC Worldwide programming, Hulu plus solidifies its role as a top streaming platform for the best British programming available in the US."

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More