Samsung sells first Tizen phones

14 January 2015 Last updated at 11:55 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Samsung's first smartphones to be powered by its Tizen operating system have gone on sale.

The Z1 handsets are available in India for 5,700 rupees ($92; £60) and, according to the firm, offer faster boot times and longer-lasting battery life than many budget-priced rivals.

Samsung had previously planned to sell Tizen phones in Russia and Japan, but cancelled the launches.

One expert said the Indian move represented a shift away from Android.

"Tizen is Samsung's big software platform bet," said Ben Wood from the telecoms consultancy CCS Insight.

"Until now, its software strategy has been predicated by the decisions Google has made with Android, and it's been able to use that relationship to enormously positive benefit.

"However, it's now finding it increasingly challenging to differentiate what it offers with Android-powered devices versus its rivals. Hence the difficulty it's having standing out from the crowd with its products and the related market share loss that it's suffered.

"By using Tizen, Samsung can make its phones very skinny indeed and there are also battery life advantages versus Android, which we've already seen with its Tizen-powered smartwatches."

Samsung is currently the world's bestselling manufacturer of handsets running Android,

However, the firm was a notable holdout when Google announced its Android One programme for India in September - an effort by the search giant to help manufacturers release low-cost "high quality" phones in the country by setting minimum standards and sourcing several of the hardware components for them.

Bollywood downloads

Samsung's Z1 handsets features:

• A 4in (10.2cm) providing 480p resolution
• A 3.1 megapixel rear camera and a 0.3 megapixel front one
• Four gigabytes of internal memory that can be further expanded via the addition of a microSD card
• Support for two Sim cards at once - a popular feature in the country as it helps users obtain the best rates by switching provider when crossing states

The South Korean firm says it can provide up to eight hours of talktime or seven hours of non-stop video playback between charges.

To aid its appeal, the firm is also providing free access to Bollywood songs and movies for three months via tie-ups with local services Hungama, nexGTv and Box TV.

It has also struck a deal to provide 500 megabytes of included 3G data a month for half a year if the devices are used on Reliance or Aircel's local networks. By contrast Google's Android One scheme offers 200MB of Google Play downloads for six months if used on Bharti Airtel's network.

'Achilles heel'

Samsung already uses Tizen to power several of its smartwatches - including its top-end curved Gear S - and cameras. It also announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this month that all its new smart TVs would run off the platform.

The open-source operating system is based on Linux and uses the web language HTML5 as the focus for app development rather than native code, meaning software writers should find it easy to work with.

Huawei, Fujitsu, Intel and LG among other tech firms that have signed up to a consortium dedicated to supporting the software's development. But to date, Samsung has taken the lead in attempting to bring it to consumer devices.

"The challenge is that in the mass market smartphone space, any platform other than Android and Apple's iOS is struggling to get traction," said Mr Wood.

"Even with the enormous resources of Microsoft, Windows Phone has struggled to emerge as a third platform.

"India is, however, a logical place for Samsung to bring Tizen because it's such a cost sensitive market. If it can successfully ramp up volume in the country, there would be little reason for it not to bring it to other low-cost markets this year.

"But I don't see it breaking through in major markets like Europe and North America. Its Achilles heel is that it doesn't have the breadth of applications and it's just not compatible with what consumers there want."

Samsung cancelled the release of a Tizen-based smartphone in Russia last August saying it wanted more time to "enhance" the ecosystem - a decision interpreted by some to mean that it needed more apps.

The network NTT Docomo had earlier pulled plans to launch a Tizen-powered Samsung phone in Japan in March because it felt its local market could not sustain another operating system, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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Patient's 3D kidney model used in op

14 January 2015 Last updated at 04:08

A man created a 3D scan of his own kidney to help the surgeons who were operating on him.

John Cousins had been giving a presentation to doctors about the future of 3D printing in the NHS when he collapsed and was taken to hospital.

After receiving images confirming he had a kidney stone, he used them to print a model used in the operation.

Mr Cousins said: "Whilst I was lying in bed I thought, hang on, we could utilise the technology."

On Monday, surgeons at Southampton General Hospital referred to the model during a two-hour operation to remove the stone.

Mr Cousins had been explaining the virtues of the technology to surgeons from Bournemouth Hospital when he fell to the floor in agony.

"It was the sheer pain, I couldn't take it anymore," he said.

"I was just demonstrating how the machine works, but I was in so much pain that 10 minutes later I was in an ambulance."

Doctors discovered Mr Cousins had both appendicitis and a "stag head" kidney stone, so called because of its antler-shaped branches.

Mr Cousins said: "We believe 3D printing should be for all, and not just for one-offs.

"At the moment they look at a 2D screen. If we can give them a physical model ultimately they could reduce the time it takes for the operation, and if you do that you can reduce infection rates."

Surgeon Bhaskar Somani said the technology, which is more often used in "high-end" operations such as hip replacement surgery, could speed up procedures by 30 minutes.

He hopes a trial with 20 other patients at the hospital will demonstrate its usefulness in future cases.

"It makes our job easier going in," he said. "This was a large stone, almost 3.5cm, so it's quite a big bulk and the 3D helps because it gives us a rough estimation of where to come from and to be more precise."

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Google Translate 'turns interpreter'

14 January 2015 Last updated at 12:33 By Kevin Rawlinson BBC News

Google says its Translate app can now act as an interpreter, with the addition of a real-time voice-translation mode.

It said the updated app would automatically recognise languages being spoken and translate them.

The update, launched on Wednesday, also allowed users to instantly translate messages using their phone's camera.

But one academic said it would fail to understand the more complex linguistic tools.

"For basic things, it might be very useful. My mother, for example, does not speak any other languages, but loves travelling, so she could find her way around a town.

"But it is never going to pick up the nuances, the cultural references or the humour," said Ariane Bogain, a senior lecturer in modern foreign languages at the University of Northumbria.

Prior to the update, Google's app could translate spoken or typed phrases and repeat them out loud. But it worked phrase-by-phrase, rather than in real time, and the pronunciations and rhythm of speech could sometimes be problematic.

Users of the new app can also use their phone's camera to instantly translate phrases, using the Word Lens feature, which works without a wi-fi or a data connection.

Google said: "The Translate app already lets you use camera mode to snap a photo of text and get a translation for it in 36 languages. Now, we're taking it to the next level and letting you instantly translate text using your camera.

"While using the Translate app, just point your camera at a sign or text and you'll see the translated text overlaid on your screen - even if you don't have an internet or data connection."

It said the feature was available for English to and from:

• French
• German
• Italian
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Spanish

Google said users could also "tap the mic to get into voice translation mode, tap the mic again, and the Google Translate app will automatically recognise which of the two languages are being spoken, letting you have a more fluid conversation".

The company said the update took people "one step closer to turning [their smartphone] into a universal translator and to a world where language is no longer a barrier".

Limitations

While she acknowledged the app's usefulness to holidaymakers struggling with the language, Ms Bogain said that major events, such as an EU summit, were not likely to begin using it.

She added that online translations conveyed the rough message - "but you are going to lose a lot in the translation".

Ms Bogain said: "One word can have various meanings, depending on the context, and I do not think that online translation tools are there yet.

"As lecturers, when we ask students to hand in translations, we can immediately spot who has used a translation tool because the phrasing is not natural. The message is roughly there, but something is lost.

"I do not think it is going to replace 15 years of training."

Other voice translation apps are already on the market, and Skype launched the function last month.

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WATCH: BBC's Technology Correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones tests Skype's real-time interpreter.

According to Google, more than 500 million people use its version every month to make more than one billion translations per day.

Google said the update would be available to both Android and iOS over the course of this week.

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Video game auction nears $100,000

14 January 2015 Last updated at 15:13 By Kevin Rawlinson BBC News

A rare video game has attracted a bid of $99,600 (£65,600) in an eBay auction.

The auction for the "factory sealed" 1987 Nintendo Entertainment System game called Stadium Events is due to end on Friday.

The seller claims its authenticity has been verified by a video game authority in the USA.

One expert said that, while the mooted price is surprising, there is a growing market for video game nostalgia.

"You don't see games going for that sort of price, it is very unusual - it would be a fanboy's experience, someone who is very much into gaming heritage," said Nick Parker, an analyst and former Nintendo and Sony employee.

Mr Parker, who now works for IHS Technology, said: "In an hobby or market, there will be someone who is prepared to pay to own a piece of history."

He added that video games have recently entered a period in which their earliest versions could legitimately be considered historical.

And that, he said, meant that ,"as the years rolled by, it was right to assume that games would have that nostalgia attached to them".

The game, made by Bandai, was listed in 2008 as one of the 25 rarest for Nintendo by Computer and Video Games.

The site reported that, although it was relatively common in the PAL region - which includes most of Europe - "Stadium Events is one of the NES's most collectable games in America".

It added: "Although it's a terribly average fitness game, its value is due to Bandai printing a test run of the game that was sold in Woolworths stores for a very short period before Nintendo bought the rights.

"Rumours suggest there are only 10 complete copies on the market, and even unboxed Stadium Events carts can sell for £400."

'Rare'

According to the eBay seller, who was using the moniker menaceone: "It is well known and accepted in the gaming community that Stadium Events is the rarest licensed NES game available, thus making a sealed copy one of the most sought after and prized possessions for any video game collector".

There have been 32 bids since 5 January, starting at $5,000 and rising to nearly $100,000. Last year, another rare video game sold for more than $100,000. But there were later claims that the buyer pulled out.

The description states: "This listing is for a complete, excellent+/near mint, sealed copy of the game and one of few to ever be sent to the Video Game Authority in Roswell, Georgia for official grading, verification and authentication.

"Once the game arrived safely, the professionals at VGA gently cleaned the item, verified it, graded it and sealed it in a professional quality acrylic case where it will remain for the rest of its life."

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Phone bug wakes Australians early

14 January 2015 Last updated at 13:08

Australians living in Queensland were woken prematurely after a network glitch caused smartphone alarms to trigger an hour earlier than desired.

The bug was caused by computer systems accidentally adjusting the devices' clocks to daylight saving time.

Queensland opted out of the annual switchover to DST in 1972, putting it an hour behind New South Wales for part of the year.

Subscribers to Virgin Mobile and Optus' networks were affected.

The ABC news network reported that some customers set off for work without realising there had been a mix-up, causing earlier-than-normal traffic on the roads.

"I was thinking it does seem a little bit darker," it quoted one Brisbane office worker as saying, who had arrived at work to find it closed.

Caffeine was involved in both networks' attempts to placate angry customers.

Optus posted a message on Facebook, offering a free cup of coffee to subscribers who showed their smartphones to barristas at a city centre Brisbane cafe.

Virgin, by contrast, offered to deliver a meal to vulnerable people living in Australia if users uploaded pictures of their own earlier-than-normal morning lattes.

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Facebook restricts violent videos

13 January 2015 Last updated at 14:00 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Facebook has begun placing warnings over videos posted to its site, stating their contents might "shock, offend and upset" if viewed.

The alerts prevent the videos from automatically playing in feeds unless they are clicked, unlike other clips.

The site is also preventing graphic videos and photos from being shown to any user who has identified themself as being under 18 years old.

It follows pressure for the move from its own safety advisers.

But one psychologist said the measure still did not do enough to protect young, vulnerable members of the social network.

Among the first posts to be affected are uploaded files containing video footage of policeman Ahmed Merabet being shot dead in Paris by a terrorist involved in last week's Charlie Hebdo attacks.

Murder videos

Facebook has faced repeated criticism over recent years for allowing violent and graphic images that it deems to be of public interest or concern to remain on its pages.

The US firm's guidelines ban material "shared for sadistic pleasure or to celebrate or glorify violence".

However, it allows news reports and other documentary images depicting beheadings and other types of murder to remain online despite the potential for distress.

The firm permits children as young as 13 years old to be members. But some even younger children circumvent this age limit by providing false details when joining up.

Last August, controversy over images showing people's heads placed on spikes in Syria prompted the Family Online Safety Institute (Fosi) - a member of Facebook's safety advisory board - to demand the social network change its practices.

Stephen Balkam, the charity's chief executive, told the BBC he wanted cover pages to be placed over graphic material to prevent people from seeing distressing images without warning, and an age-gate system implemented to make it harder for under-18s to find the material.

Work in progress

Facebook has now confirmed it began rolling out such a scheme in December. It applies to graphic material reported to the firm by its users that is judged to have been posted in an irresponsible manner.

"When people share things on Facebook, we expect that they will share it responsibly, including choosing who will see that content," a spokeswoman told the BBC.

"We also ask that people warn their audience about what they are about to see if it includes graphic violence.

"In instances when people report graphic content to us that should include warnings or is not appropriate for people under the age of 18, we may add a warning for adults and prevent young people from viewing the content."

The spokeswoman added that the firm's engineers were still looking to further improve the scheme.

She said this might include adding warnings to relevant YouTube videos, which is not currently possible, as well as placing alerts over distressing photographs that were still available to adults.

Mr Balkam said he was "delighted" by Facebook's move.

"I also think that it has walked a very fine line between protection of users and protection of free expression, and I think it has got it just about right," he added.

Facebook had briefly experimented with adding a more basic form of warning sign to clips of decapitations in October 2013 after Prime Minister David Cameron said: "It's irresponsible of Facebook to post beheading videos, especially without a warning."

Clips showing decapitations taking place were later banned altogether.

'Good step'

News of the social network's latest move was welcomed by Childnet International, a London-based charity that is another member of Facebook's safety advisory panel.

"It's a good step to try and help protect people from this content, and we are glad that there is 18 age-gating," said the organisation's chief executive Will Gardner.

"There always has to be the recognition that people don't always sign up with their accurate age, and we have to be aware of that. But it's important that there are steps taken to protect people from seeing harmful and disturbing content that they don't want to see."

However, Dr Arthur Cassidy - a psychologist who runs a branch of the Yellow Ribbon Program suicide-prevention charity - said Facebook should implement an outright ban on clips and pictures of extreme violence.

He noted that large numbers of children used the service and said it was likely that many would try to work around the new restrictions.

"At the end of the day warning messages will not prevent young people from seeing upsetting and psychologically damaging material," he said.

"We know if we say, 'Do not do it,' that they will still do it - they will want to look and view material, irrespective of how grotesque it is.

"And it has the potential to influence maladaptive behaviour in those who might have the potential to become aggressors themselves."

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Obama seeks to tighten cyber laws

14 January 2015 Last updated at 00:00

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President Obama: "Cyber threats are an urgent and growing danger"

US President Barack Obama has unveiled proposals to strengthen cyber security laws following a spate of attacks against high-profile US targets.

Recent hacks of Sony Pictures and a Pentagon Twitter feed reflect the need for tighter legislation, the president said.

The proposals are due to be sent to Congress immediately.

Previous efforts on cyber security legislation have encountered opposition from civil liberty campaigners.

Mr Obama continues to face privacy concerns, part of the backlash over revelations about the scope of government surveillance and bulk data collection.

But cyber-crime has directly affected millions of consumers.

Mass data breaches have struck US retail outlets, and there are indications the Republican-led congress would support new legislation.

Growing danger

"We've got to stay ahead of those who would do us harm," said President Obama on Tuesday.

"Cyber-threats are an urgent and growing danger."

The president is advocating legislation that would improve the way the government and private sector share information about cyber threats, and would update the legal framework needed to go after cyber criminals.

He has tried to pass more robust legislation on cyber security for years, and is hoping a consensus can be reached with the Republican Party.

Tuesday's announcement comes after the Twitter account of the US military command was suspended on Monday following an attack by hackers claiming to support Islamic State.

In November hackers also released reams of confidential data stolen from Sony Pictures, and in recent years cyber criminals have attacked other US companies such as Home Depot and Target.

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Online sexual blackmailer jailed

14 January 2015 Last updated at 12:17

A man who subjected dozens of young people to online sexual blackmail has been jailed for 53 months.

Andrew McBride, 21, from Prestwick, befriended 15 males and 27 females aged between 13 and 20 on Facebook and Skype, over a five-year period.

He forced many of them into sending indecent images or performing sex acts.

At the High Court in Glasgow, McBride admitted 38 charges of extortion and charges of fraud and possessing and distributing indecent photographs.

Jailing him, judge Lord Turnbull told social sciences student McBride that his behaviour was "manipulative and cruel" and added: "Your victims were humiliated to provide you with sexual images of themselves for your sexual gratification."

'Little remorse'

He ordered McBride to be monitored in the community for three years after his release from prison and placed him on the sex offenders' register.

Lord Turnbull told McBride: "You have demonstrated little insight or remorse."

The judge said that McBride had even pretended he was suffering from a psychiatric illness and claimed he could not remember anything about the crime because of alcohol and drugs he had taken.

These claims were dismissed as "preposterous" by the judge.

Lord Turnbull added: "Many of your victims were deeply upset, some very distressed to the extent they contemplated taking their own lives. Despite knowing this, you continued your behaviour."

The judge described McBride as "an intelligent young man from a stable family background" and said this case highlighted "the risk of sexual exploitation of teenage children".

The court heard that between the ages of 15 and 20, McBride used online aliases of David Paterson, Lindsey Smith, Elizabeth McCormick and Jamie Harvey to target his victims.

He induced teenagers to send him images of themselves in their underwear, naked or engaging in sexual activity.

In the majority of incidents, he threatened his victims that he would upload the images to Facebook if they did not send him more photos of a similar nature or perform sex acts on a webcam for him.

Rape threat

The court heard that McBride accepted one 14-year-old girl as a friend on Facebook and later threatened to find her and rape her if she did not send him naked pictures.

McBride also pestered a 13-year-old girl for naked photographs, one of which he later posted on Facebook alongside her name.

He later told the girl he wanted to meet up in a hotel for sex and would delete the photographs he had of her if she agreed.

The girl told police that she felt like taking her own life.

One teenage boy was aged between 15 and 17 when he was targeted by McBride.

The boy told police he felt "utterly helpless and powerless" and had been coerced into performing on webcam around 50 times.

McBride's offences came to light after one of his victims told her mother, who then contacted the police.

Printouts of Facebook conversations and indecent images, which had been used by "David Paterson" to threaten the girl, were seized by police.

His laptop was taken from his home in Prestwick and further conversations were discovered between the accused and his victims.

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ZX Spectrum production set to begin

14 January 2015 Last updated at 13:48

Production is set to start on a remodelled version of the ZX Spectrum, which will come pre-installed with 1,000 classic game titles.

Nottinghamshire firm SMS Electronics will manufacture the Sinclair Spectrum Vega at its Beeston factory.

The machine, which has been developed by Luton-based Retro Computers, is due to go on sale in April.

Sir Clive Sinclair, who launched the original ZX Spectrum computer in 1982, is backing the venture.

Mark Goldby, managing director of SMS Electronics, said he was hoping for "big things" from the new machine.

He said: "I am absolutely delighted our company has been involved in this project.

"If it sells anywhere near as well as the original ZX Spectrum that could bring massive employment opportunities for us here.

"If you are a diehard graphics fiend then you are probably not going to get too excited - but this is all about the games, which are extremely addictive.

"We have a queue of technicians waiting for a chance to test it."

Production is set to start in February.

Although emulators exist to allow smartphones and computers to play Spectrum games, the Vega has the advantage of being easy to plug into a TV. It also comes pre-installed with software, meaning users do not have to hunt around on the net for titles that they are unlikely to have the rights to copy.

However, the machine lacks a built-in keyboard, offering an on-screen one instead. That makes it ill-suited for coding, unlike the original models.

Dr David Levy, chairman of Retro Computers, said details of the 1,000 titles to come pre-installed on the machine were still being finalised.

However, he promised they would include many of the best-selling games from the 1980s.

The firm, which has Sir Clive as a shareholder, is also making arrangements with the owners of the software rights to Spectrum games to donate a combined software royalty to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

The first run of 1,000 machines has been financed by a crowdfunding campaign - which offered people the chance to have their names included on a roll of honour installed on them.

The Spectrum Vega has been designed to run all 14,000 of the original games, developed during the years when some five million Sinclair ZX Spectrums were sold.

The original ZX Spectrum

• Clive Sinclair launched the original ZX Spectrum computer in 1982.
• Some credit it as the machine that launched the UK IT industry and it helped to earn Clive Sinclair a knighthood for services to British industry.
• Its price at launch was £125 for the basic model with 16 kilobytes of RAM, or £175 for the 48k model.
• In comparing the Spectrum to another popular machine, the BBC Micro Model A, Sir Clive said: "We believe the BBC makes the best TV programmes - and that Sinclair makes the best computers".
• Sir Clive even featured in one of the titles - called A Day in the Life (pictured above).
• The first ZX Spectrum was famed for its rubber keys.
• Users had to type commands to load games via a cassette player - the original machines had a shortcut key.

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Ryanair to test smartphone movies

14 January 2015 Last updated at 15:22 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Ryanair says it plans to test streaming movies and television shows to passengers' tablets and smartphones.

The airline - which has become notorious for the fees it charges for add-on services - said the facility might be provided without charge.

Chief technology officer John Hurley said Ryanair might instead profit by adding adverts, paid for by businesses based in the cities being travelled to.

He added that trials were set to begin in the summer.

"It's aimed at passengers on flights of more than two or three hours," he said.

However, he told the Daily Telegraph that his firm was not looking to provide full internet access to passengers.

"It would increase the drag of our aircraft by 2%, which equates to 20 million euros [$23.6m; £15.5m] in extra fuel," Mr Hurley said.

In-flight wi-fi

United, Delta, Southwest Airlines and Jetstar are among companies that already allow passengers to stream videos to their personal devices via in-flight wi-fi systems on some routes in North America.

These can be watched via a web browser using Adobe's Flash plug-in on a laptop or via dedicated apps for iOS and Android devices.

Qantas, Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines' Scoot offshoot also offer a streaming service of their own, making it possible for customers to choose from a larger than normal selection of entertainment.

Meanwhile, JetBlue had begun offering up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps) satellite-based wi-fi connections on some US routes, making it possible to watch content via Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime if customers are willing to pay for the $9/hr premium service.

However, such facilities remain relatively rare in Europe.

Norwegian Air began a wi-fi enabled movie renting service in 2013.

And Lufthansa has also introduced a streaming system on 20 of its Airbus aircraft operating on medium haul routes, offering newspapers and magazines in addition to video content via a proprietary technology.

"The guests need to download an app prior to the flight. For this purpose, announcements at the gates are made before boarding and flyers are distributed to promote the service," a spokesman told the BBC.

"Why do we have it only on a number of our total fleet? Because we believe that this offer is only interesting on longer routes, such as Lisbon, Tel Aviv, Athens, Moscow, Cairo, Baku etc."

Embedded v bring-your-own

These technologies pose a potential threat to Panasonic and Thales, which provide entertainment systems that can cost £6,500 or more to install per seat and can be costly to repair and upgrade.

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WATCH: Panasonic showed off its future in-flight systems at CES

Panasonic recently showed off a planned system that allows tablets to be used as a second screen, complementing the seat-back system, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month.

Emirates and Qatar Airways executives are among those who have said they intend to remain committed to such embedded systems for years to come.

But one expert suggested bring-your-own-device-based systems might have an edge, particularly if the airlines are able to take advantage of existing relationships with TV and movie studios.

"Even on long-haul flights you see people watching movies on their iPads even when there's a complimentary seat-back offer," said John Strickland, an aviation industry expert at JLS Consulting.

"People are now used to the independence and instantaneous response they can get from their own devices.

"If airlines can sell access to the latest movies or TV series that you might not otherwise be able to get for a decent price - and you're talking about hundreds of passengers on a flight and seven to eight flights a day on short-haul trips - then the airlines have to look at this seriously as they can't pass up the profit potential."

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