Apology over crashed anti-hack site

4 June 2014 Last updated at 14:27 By Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC News

The head of a government-funded cyber-security advice website has apologised and said he was "not sleeping" after the site collapsed under heavy traffic.

Get Safe Online was publicised as being the place to go for advice to protect computers against a high-profile hack.

But within moments of an announcement on Monday, the website collapsed under a deluge of visitors.

Despite extra capacity being added, problems continued well into Wednesday morning.

The incident has called into question the UK's ability to handle a more serious cyber-security crisis.

"It's important for people to realise that this has been a learning curve for us," said Tony Neate, Get Safe Online's chief executive.

Stay protected

How to stop the 'two-week' attack

"We're looking at what we can do to make sure this won't happen again. We're sorry. I've had no sleep for two days."

Security expert Graham Cluley said the incident "should have been much better handled".

He told the BBC: "Get Safe Online massively dropped the ball.

"If the government is going to rely upon Get Safe Online to distribute internet security advice, the site needs to invest in the infrastructure required to remain accessible at all times, every day of the year, because you never know when the next big security issue will crop up - and when the public will need advice urgently."

'Quadrupled' capacity

Mr Neate said he did not believe the site was itself the victim of a hack attack, as some had speculated.

"There is no reason to say this is a DDoS [distributed denial of service] attack. I'd love to say it was an attack - but it's just the total amount of traffic that's coming in."

He said the site had "quadrupled" its capacity, but access was intermittent on Wednesday, although at the time of writing appeared to have stabilised.

The announcement warning of the Gameover Zeus threat was made by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) just before 1400 BST on Monday.

A spokesman for the NCA said Get Safe Online's down time was "disappointing", but noted that the safety information was eventually also copied to the UK's newly established Cyber Emergency Readiness Team (Cert) website.

Get Safe Online is funded by the government as well as the private sector. Its website lists an extensive number of partners and supporters, including PayPal, Barclays and Microsoft.

"The site is backed by the government and industry players," said Mr Cluley.

"The resources should be available to keep the site running even in times of high activity.

"I hope they've learnt their lesson, and that it won't happen again."

Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC

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Billy Bragg blasts YouTube rates

4 June 2014 Last updated at 13:00

Musicians have asked the EU to intervene in a row over the rates YouTube is offering small music labels to include them in a new service.

Singer Billy Bragg and Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien are among those accusing Google-owned business of trying to "strong-arm" independent labels into accepting low fees.

YouTube has long been rumoured to be developing an advertisement-free music-subscription service.

But it has yet to confirm details.

"YouTube provides a global platform for artists to connect with fans and generate revenue for their music, paying out hundreds of millions of dollars to the music industry each year," said a spokesman for the company.

"We have successful deals in place with hundreds of independent and major labels around the world - however, we don't comment on ongoing negotiations."

Bands backlash

Impala - a body representing Europe's indies - is spearheading the complaint.

It says it plans to request "prompt intervention" from the European Commission into negotiations over a new YouTube "music streaming service".

The organisation complains that indies are being presented with non-negotiable contracts accompanied by the threat that music videos they have posted to their YouTube channels will be blocked from site altogether if they do not agree to the terms.

The labels can currently make money by placing adverts at the start of the clips or via pop-up boxes that appear while they are playing.

"YouTube are shooting themselves in the foot with their attempt to strong-arm independent labels into signing up to such low rates," said Billy Bragg.

"They're in danger of launching a streaming service that lacks the innovative and cutting-edge sounds that independent artists bring."

Ed O'Brien - who co-chairs the Featured Artists Coalition, a musicians' rights campaign group - added: "To restrict [indie artists and labels] in this way is to risk creating an internet just for the superstars and big businesses."

Independent labels being represented in the battle include XL Recordings, 4AD. Cooking Vinyl and Domino.

That means failure to reach an agreement could potentially see music from Adele, Jack White, The xx, Royksopp, M.I.A., Hot Chip, The National and Arctic Monkeys excluded from the service.

'Lowest rates'

Android Police, a news site, first reported in November that code included in the YouTube app referred to a new service called Music Pass.

It said the facility appeared to offer users access to offline playback of "uninterrupted music" with "no ads on millions of songs".

Google already operates a separate audio-only music-subscription service - Google Play Music All Access - and there are several competitors on the market including Spotify, Deezer, Xbox Music and Apple's Beats Music.

The indies have struck deals to include their tracks on all these services.

But Complete Music Update - an industry news site that covers the sector - said the labels felt they had been backed into a corner by Google's latest demands.

"YouTube already pays what are probably the lowest rates in the business for music labels' videos," said Chris Cooke, the site's business editor.

"The majors and independents agreed to that because YouTube isn't just a revenue stream, it's one of the most important promotional platforms in music today.

"But what the indies are getting really angry about is that YouTube seems to be threatening to withdraw this powerful promotional platform if they don't sign up to the new audio service - a service that will be going head-to-head with Spotify, Deezer et cetera while, as we understand it, paying considerably lower royalties."

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Apple takes on Dropbox and WhatsApp

3 June 2014 Last updated at 10:28 By Joe Miller Technology reporter

Apple has taken on Dropbox and WhatsApp with a series of software upgrades that mimic the rival apps' services.

At its annual conference for software developers, the firm unveiled iCloud Drive, an internet-based storage app, which works on Apple systems and PCs.

In an effort to keep customers using all its technologies, Apple improved integration for calls and messages across its devices.

It also unveiled new mobile and desktop operating systems.

Apple's iMessage app was given extra features, some of which are similar to rival service WhatsApp, recently acquired by Facebook for $19bn (£11.3bn).

Users will be able to easily create and modify group messages, send voice clips with a single swipe, and even create and exchange short video clips.

The ability to send and receive text messages across all Apple devices was also introduced.

Jan Koum, WhatsApp's co-founder, reacted to Apple's announcement by tweeting:

"Very flattering to see Apple "borrow" numerous WhatsApp features into iMessage in iOS 8 #innovation"

Apple also introduced HealthKit software that works with third-party wearable health devices.

A parallel app, called Health, measures users' personalised healthcare statistics, and even contacts their hospital directly if it notices irregularities.

"The announcements represent an ambitious move to diversify the Apple ecosystem into a number of new segments," said Geoff Blaber, an analyst at the CCS Insight consultancy.

"Critics will complain of no new devices but the Worldwide Developers Conference creates the foundation for the products [Apple chief executive] Tim Cook is promising in the second half of the year."

iCloud Drive allows users to save any type of file on the firm's remote servers and then access it via an iOS device, Mac computer or Windows PC.

Users do not have to pay an extra fee unless they want use more than five gigabytes of storage.

That is more than Dropbox's 2GB sign-up allowance, but less than Google Drive's 15GB provision, Microsoft One Drive's 7GB limit and Box's 10GB cap.

Apple's service includes the ability to email attachments of up to 5GB, something also offered by Dropbox and HighTail - a specialist data-sharing facility.

Continue reading the main story

This feels like the most 'open' Apple has ever been in both content and tone"

End Quote Lea Simpson Strategy director, TH_NK

However, Apple made no mention of iCloud Drive being accessible via Android, unlike the other services that offer apps via Google's Play store.

"iCloud drive [is a] big shot at consumer Dropbox, if it works well," tweeted Benedict Evans, an analyst at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz - a nod to the fact that Apple has faced problems with its online services in the past.

Former chief executive Steve Jobs had previously attempted to buy Dropbox, reportedly warning its founders that he intended to go after the same market when they refused.

Automated homes

The latest version of Apple's operating system for desktops and laptops, entitled OS X 10.10 Yosemite, features a flattened design, and closer integration with other Apple devices, allowing users to make and receive calls and text messages from their iPhone on their desktops or laptops.

Like its predecessor, Mavericks, OS X Yosemite will be made available as a free update to existing Mac users.

Apple boss Tim Cook also showcased the tech giant's forthcoming mobile operating system, iOS 8, and emphasised cross-device integration. One feature, Handoff, allows users to start a task on one device and instantly pick it up on another.

Apple's software engineering vice-president, Craig Federighi, also unveiled HomeKit, which allows users to control their home environment with smartphones.

"Only your iPhone can open your garage door, or unlock your door," he told the audience in San Francisco.

"With Siri integration you can say something like 'get ready for bed' and be assured that your garage door is closed, your door is locked, the thermostat is lowered and your lights are dimmed."

Analysis: Richard Taylor, BBC North America technology correspondent

Today's non-announcements of much-rumoured products like an "iWatch" will disappoint those who had hoped for the "amazing and exciting" new devices that Apple boss Tim Cook has promised this year.

But in truth this conference was always going to be about software rather than new devices; the Cupertino-based firm will leave those to the Autumn in time for the holiday season spending spree.

As predicted Apple is at least dipping its toes into new waters. If the health-centric features are well-executed, and can reconcile the various methods used by fitness band makers to measure our vitals, then it could indeed prove a powerful one-stop shop for this information. The big unknown: does it presage the introduction of Apple's own biometric-sensor wristwatch?

Similarly the HomeKit is a welcome attempt to unify the multitude of smart devices beginning to appear in our homes - but here precious little detail was forthcoming.

As people increasingly use multiple devices - laptops, tablets and smartphones - much of the focus was predictably on streamlining the user experience between them. Amongst the many enhancements were some genuinely exciting innovations - like making or receiving phone calls on any nearby Apple device.

But other "innovations" will already be somewhat familiar to Android smartphone users - like iCloud Drive, predictive text and the ability to use different keyboards. Apple will hope that its painstaking attention to design and usability will give it an edge, and buy it some time to win over industry-watchers anxiously waiting for Tim Cook to deliver on "the next big thing".

Fingerprint access

Apple also announced it would open up its Touch ID fingerprint recognition technology to third-party software developers - allowing device owners to avoid having to type in passwords - and let users install alternative keyboards including Nuance's Swype.

Lea Simpson, strategy director at digital agency TH_NK, told the BBC this year's conference "feels like the most 'open' Apple has ever been in both content and tone," as it announced integration with outside partners.

For example, the Health app will integrate data from Nike and other firms' fitness apps, and the tech firm is also working with medical care company Mayo Clinic in the US and NHS Cambridge University Trust in the UK.

Last week, Apple announced it was buying headphone maker and music streaming service Beats for $3bn - the company's biggest acquisition to date.

No further details on the Beats deal were revealed, but co-founder and hip-hop star Dr Dre did make an appearance as a caller in a demonstration of how a Mac computer can now be used to make and receive calls if it is linked to the owner's iPhone.

Apple shares, which have been doing well recently, closed about 0.7% lower on the day.

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Pixar gives away 3D film software

3 June 2014 Last updated at 12:28 By Joe Miller Technology Reporter

The 3D rendering software behind films such as Toy Story, Monsters Inc and Harry Potter is to be given away free for non-commercial use.

RenderMan, which is developed by Pixar, has faced increased competition from rival animation rendering programmes such as VRay and Arnold.

Although Pixar, which is owned by Disney, produces its own films, it licenses RenderMan to rival studios.

The company has also cut the price of its software for commercial use.

Continue reading the main story

Anyone with an interest in computer graphics will have free access to a state-of-the-art renderer"

End Quote Nick Cannon MPC Film

In a statement, the firm said it would release a free version of RenderMan "without any functional limitations, watermarking, or time restrictions".

"Non-commercial RenderMan will be freely available for students, institutions, researchers, developers, and for personal use," it added.

Ian Dean, editor of computer graphics magazine 3D World, told the BBC the move "could be seen as a reaction to the rise of alternatives such as Arnold," but that Disney/Pixar are also looking to "build a community".

He added that RenderMan, which has been around for more than 25 years, was "very important at the higher end of the entertainment, animation and visual effects industries".

London calling

The new version of RenderMan was unveiled in London, which has become a global hub for the visual effects (VFX) industry.

Pixar's business director Chris Ford said his company chose to make the "most important announcement concerning RenderMan in over a decade" in London because of the importance of its VFX community.

Lee Danskin, the technical director of Escape Technology, which sells RenderMan to VFX houses in the UK, welcomed the move, saying the software would be more widely adopted as a result.

"In the last 18 months, a lot of new players have entered the marketplace," he told the BBC.

"They got there quicker than Pixar, but this is Pixar's answer - and it's quite an answer."

But, Mr Danskin explained, RenderMan is "not something you can just pick up and start using" as familiarity with animation software is a pre-requisite.

MPC Film - the company that did the visual effects for Game of Thrones, Godzilla and Life of Pi - said it welcomed the free RenderMan release, as it would acquaint up-and-coming artists with the software.

"It's great news that anyone with an interest in computer graphics will be able to have free access to a state of the art renderer from Pixar, the very same software that the world's leading computer graphics artists use to render the images seen in the vast majority of feature animation on live action visual effects films," Nick Cannon, director of technology and operations at MPC Film told the BBC.

The new version of the software is due to be released ahead of the Special Interest Group on Graphics and Interactive Techniques (Siggraph) conference in August.

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Apple warms to virtual currencies

3 June 2014 Last updated at 12:49

Apps accepting payments made with virtual currencies, such as Bitcoin, could soon appear in Apple's app store.

The firm has changed its policy for apps to allow software developers to use "approved virtual currencies".

Apple has yet to publish a list of which virtual currencies it considers to be "approved".

Many have taken this to mean that the Bitcoin cyber-cash system will soon be included in Apple apps as it is the most widely used virtual currency.

The policy change marks a significant shift for Apple, which before now has been aggressive in its policing of apps that use virtual currencies.

In late 2013 and early 2014 Apple took action against apps that used virtual cash even though many of the programs had been available on the store for months. Some apps removed virtual currency code from their program so they could stay on the store but others were forced out altogether.

Gliph, CoinJar, Coinbase, Blockchain and other apps were all affected by the action.

By contrast, Google has had a much more open policy, and there are now many Android apps that support different virtual currencies.

Gliph developer Rob Banagale told the Bloomberg news service that he was now planning to submit a new version of his app to Apple that restored its ability to send and receive payments in bitcoins.

Virtual currencies are built around shared software that generates or "mines" coins by getting lots of computers to carry out complicated mathematical operations.

Apple's decision comes as satellite TV firm Dish says it will accept payments made in bitcoins.

In addition, the value of one bitcoin has been steadily rising in recent weeks.

In late November 2013 each bitcoin was briefly worth about $1,000 (£596) but the value collapsed soon after.

Current exchange rates suggest each one is now worth about $650.

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Instagram defends rules on nudity

By Jonathan Blake Newsbeat technology reporter

3 June 2014 Last updated at 17:14

The co-founder of Instagram has told Newsbeat that the app's rules on nudity are "fair".

The company has faced criticism after removing photos of topless women.

But the social network's CEO Kevin Systrom said its regulations were about making the social network "the safest possible place for teens and adults".

Instagram's terms of use state: "You may not post violent, nude, partially nude… pornographic or sexually suggestive photos."

His comments came after Scout Willis, the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, protested against one of her photographs being removed from Instagram.

Rihanna, who had 1.3 million followers on Instagram before closing her account, tweeted her support for the campaign.

Speaking exclusively to Newsbeat, Kevin Systrom said the rules were the same for celebrities and regular users.

"Our goal is really to make sure that Instagram, whether you're a celebrity or not, is a safe place and that the content that gets posted is something that's appropriate for teens and also for adults," he said.

"We need to make certain rules to make sure that everyone can use it."

As it grows in popularity, Instagram has faced increased scrutiny of the type of photos posted on the social network.

The company has previously blocked certain search terms associated with the suspected sale of illegal drugs via the app.

Systrom acknowledged that the task of enforcing its rules was getting more challenging.

We share a tremendous amount of humility and respect to the fact that so many people use our products to change the world as it happens

Kevin Systrom on working with Mark Zuckerberg

He said: "The thing is, we know about the challenge and we're on top of it with technology and people.

"We have all sorts of teams in place both scanning content and listening to community reports, making sure that the right type of content is being posted."

Instagram is also releasing a major update, with nine new tools allowing users to edit their photos in greater detail.

Controls will let users adjust colour saturation and tone, which the company says will help capture moments "as they are remembered".

Kevin Systrom described a new release on iOS and Android as the app's "biggest creative update" since launch.

Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 for $1bn (£629m).

Kevin Systrom, 30, who co-founded Instagram in 2010, said it was an "easy decision" to allow the social network to buy his company.

"There are countless examples of how Facebook has helped us grow," he said.

He described his partnership with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as "wonderful".

He said: "We share a tremendous amount of humility and respect to the fact that so many people use our products to change the world as it happens.

Of course it's fun to be a small company but weekends didn't exist, nights didn't exist, you'd be trying to keep the service up and keep it stable for all our users

Kevin Systrom

"It's wonderful when you pair entrepreneurs together because they can share experiences and in some ways push each other to build better products going forward."

Instagram has begun featuring adverts for selected users in the US and plans to extend adverts to users in more countries, including the UK, this year.

So far feedback from users and advertisers had been "very encouraging", Mr Systrom said.

"It's all about high quality adverts and making sure that people really love what they see."

The Stanford University graduate said he sometimes felt nostalgic for the days when his company was just another start-up.

"Of course it's fun to be a small company but weekends didn't exist, nights didn't exist, you'd be trying to keep the service up and keep it stable for all our users," he said.

"We're now in such a better place where we're growing very quickly and the service is stable.

"You get some downtime with family and that's something really nice to have."

Listen to Newsbeat's full interview with Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom on BBC Radio 1 at 12:45 and 17:45 BST on Tuesday.

Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

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US schoolgirls 'stabbed classmate'

3 June 2014 Last updated at 17:27

Two 12-year-old girls in the US state of Wisconsin have been accused of stabbing a classmate in order to please an online fictional character.

Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier have been charged with attempted murder and face up to 65 years in prison.

The unnamed victim was stabbed 19 times on Saturday and left in the woods.

The girls reportedly planned the crime to demonstrate dedication to Slenderman, a character who appears in stories on the website Creepypasta.

The victim, 12, was reportedly found by a cyclist on Saturday after crawling from the woods with stab wounds to her arms, legs and torso.

She was said to be in stable condition as of Monday evening, local media reported.

Both suspects were later found walking near a local highway, and a knife was found in one of the girls' backpacks, police said.

Cold blood

According to police, the girls planned to stab the classmate during a sleepover but instead decided to commit the crime the next morning in a nearby park.

Following their arrest they told investigators about their belief in paranormal figure Slenderman and their desire to become his "proxies" by killing to demonstrate their loyalty, police said.

They said that after the murder, they intended to walk to Slenderman's mansion, which they believed was situated in Wisconsin's Nicolet National Forest, police said.

The operator of Creepypasta issued a statement following the arrest, extending condolences to the families involved but adding it was not "the fault of Slenderman or horror writing in general that this happened".

The suspects are being held in lieu of $500,000 (£298,506) bond and may be charged as adults due to the calculated nature of the crime, authorities said.

"It's troubling when a person lashes out in anger," Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"It's more troubling when they lash out in cold blood," he added. "It's a very shocking incident. There's no two ways about it."

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Batman game latest to suffer delays

3 June 2014 Last updated at 17:55 By Joe Miller Technology Reporter

The release date for the latest Batman video game, Arkham Knight, has been delayed until the beginning of 2015.

The adventure, which is the third in a series, was initially scheduled to go on sale for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC platforms later this year.

The postponement follows a spate of delays to other high-profile games, including Dying Light, Mad Max, Quantum Break and The Order: 1886.

They are all "next gen" games, which use the most complex visual effects.

Mark Ward, a spokesman for Warner Bros Games - which owns the London-based developers of Batman, Rocksteady - said the decision to "extend the development of the game" was taken "to ensure that the trilogy gets the epic conclusion that Batman fans want and deserve".

Mr Ward added that Batman: Arkham Knight is the "most ambitious title Rocksteady has ever created".

Continue reading the main story

If no-one is getting upset at your game being delayed, you know you have a problem"

End Quote Ed Barton, Media analyst, Ovum

High risk

The recently delayed "blockbuster" releases are all graphically intensive games, which use cutting-edge visual effects technologies and have high development costs.

Crucially, they are all next generation games, which are only available on the most up-to-date consoles, forcing devoted users to upgrade.

Ed Barton, an analyst at Ovum, told the BBC games developers were making fewer games and spending more on the titles they did produce.

Due to the risk of failure, which is "higher than it's ever been" companies prefer to "make the market wait a few more months and spend more on development," he added.

Some devoted Batman fans took to social networks to express their disappointment with the delay, but Warner Bros gave them a new teaser trailer to "keep them excited," said Chris Dring, editor of games magazine MCV.

While there is always a risk of alienating gamers with consistent delays, the "bigger risk is alienating gamers by making a bad game", added Mr Dring.

But, as Mr Barton points out: "If no-one is getting upset at your game being delayed, you know you have a problem."

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YouTube access restored in Turkey

4 June 2014 Last updated at 05:12

Turkey has lifted its ban on YouTube, two months after blocking access to the video-sharing site.

The move comes after the country's highest court ordered authorities to restore access, saying the ban violated laws on freedom of expression.

The ban was imposed in late March, soon after recordings alleging official corruption were aired on the site.

Turkey passed a controversial law early this year that let regulators cut off any site without needing a court order.

The government had also imposed a ban on social networking site Twitter, but that was lifted last month.

Authorities had continued to block YouTube until now despite decisions from lower courts calling on the government to lift the ban.

The ruling by the constitutional court is widely seen as a snub to the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which has been a sharp critic of social media sites.

Both YouTube and Twitter were blocked after recordings of official meetings were leaked and widely circulated.

One recording involved senior army officers discussing intervention in Syria and others supposedly revealed corruption among people close to Mr Erdogan.

The block was imposed as a "precautionary administrative measure", Turkey's telecommunications regulator had said at the time.

YouTube was blocked previously in Turkey in 2007 but that ban was lifted in 2010.

The Turkish newspaper Millyet reported on Monday that another social network, Ask.fm, was blocked this week. It published a memo from the country's Department of Telecommunications confirming the move.

However, the Latvian-based site indicated that any such restriction might have been short-lived.

"Today Ask.fm service in Turkey is stable and continuous," Liva Biseniece, Ask.fm's director of external relations, told the BBC.

"The traffic from Turkey to the site is at its usual level. On Monday, however, it was apparent that traffic from Turkey was slightly decreased.

"As of now, the company has not received any information from Turkish authorities regarding a possible ban of Ask.fm."

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Kickstarter relaxes crowdfund rules

4 June 2014 Last updated at 15:40 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Crowdfunding site Kickstarter has relaxed its rules about which projects can be placed on its site.

The change ends outright bans on cosmetics, eyewear, electronic surveillance equipment and all health, medical and safety products.

However, weapons, drugs, pornography and political fundraising remain prohibited.

The New York-based firm said it wanted to "simplify" its rules. The move may also help it compete against rivals.

Alternatives, including Indiegogo and UK-based GoGetFunding, ban illegal and deliberately misleading projects, but otherwise take a more relaxed policy.

"Indiegogo's 'open-door' policy does have some drawbacks but it has proved that crowdfunding has much wider applications than the rather narrow rules which Kickstarter has had until now," said Barry James, founder of the UK-based Crowdfunding Centre advisory service.

"It's also shown that it's open-by-default nature helps enormously in the evaluation of projects and the early detection of any attempted fraud."

However, Nesta - an innovation-focused charity that has researched the crowdfunding industry - warned that the move carried risks.

"Kickstarter has had a reputation for being one of the more difficult platforms to get on, and I think the effect will be bad news for its rivals in the short term as it starts picking up the sort of projects it rejected in the past," its senior researcher Liam Colllins said.

"But I'd expect this to lead to an increased failed-project rate and potentially more issues with late delivery of rewards.

"The question is whether its brand is strong enough so that it can afford this and still enjoy market dominance."

Software check

Kickstarter has attracted more than $1bn of pledges since it began operations in 2009.

Members of the public only hand over cash if a project hits its funding target. They do not get a stake in the business but may qualify for a reward, such as an early release of a product seeking cash.

The site makes money by taking a 5% cut of the total amount raised and also charges a payment processing fee.

Its chief executive Yancey Strickler blogged that the new rules are based on three principles that projects should abide by:

• They must create something that can be shared with others
• They must be honest and clearly presented
• They cannot raise funds for charity, offer financial incentives or include any of the items on the slimmed-down "prohibited" list

In addition the firm is now offering creators the ability to launch their projects without having them approved by a member of Kickstarter's staff.

Instead the client can request that a software-based check is carried out to speed up this process.

This involves an algorithm checking that the rewards, funding goal and other information comply with the site's rules.

Mr Strickler noted that this option was only being made available to about 60% of projects now, but he intended to widen it to others soon.

He added that some clients might still prefer to speak to a community manager for tips on how to maximise their chance of success.

Rejected smart sock

One example of a product previously rejected by Kickstarter but accepted elsewhere is a smart sock for babies. The site rejected Owlet Care's device - which promises to transmit data about an infant's heart rate, skin temperature and position to an associated app - in 2012.

The start-up eventually raised more than $140,000 (£83,560) via a campaign using Selfstarter's crowdfunding platform before going on to obtain a further $1.85m from private investors.

Kickstarter stressed that its change in policy would not, however, be a free-for-all when it came to health-related tech.

"The new way to look at it is not about medicine/health/safety," spokesman Justin Kazmark said.

"But it's specifically [a ban on] any item claiming to cure, treat, or prevent an illness or condition - whether via a device, app, book, nutritional supplement or other means."

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