Anger over BBC radio streaming

16 February 2015 Last updated at 19:08 By Zoe Kleinman Technology reporter, BBC News

Listeners have expressed anger about the BBC's radio streaming service as the broadcaster continues to change its audio streaming formats.

It has left some internet radio devices, including some models aimed at blind and partially sighted listeners, unable to receive BBC radio at all.

Others have complained that BBC Sport audio coverage has disappeared.

The broadcaster said it was streamlining its digital radio service as part of its Audio Factory project.

The problem is that there are many different formats, known as standards, used for streaming radio and not all devices can receive them all.

The BBC said it will continue to work with the manufacturers of those currently affected by the changes to minimise disruption.

The BBC is also working with the radio industry and manufacturers towards using just one standard, known as Mpeg Dash, which will be industry-wide and open source, said Andrew Scott, the BBC's head of radio music product.

"The goal we are working to is to have it ready this calendar year but there is some risk in that," he said.

Currently the Windows Media Audio format is estimated to be used by devices belonging to up to 5% of the BBC's internet radio listeners - but it has now been switched off because it was becoming too expensive to operate, Mr Scott said.

"The challenge we face is the equipment we are having to decommission is actually something that we have contractual obligations which require us to stop using it or renew it for a long period of time - and the renewal would be prohibitively expensive," he told BBC Radio 4's Feedback programme.

"We are dealing with a relatively small number of people (affected by the changes) but for them it is the only way they can access a high quality stream at home," said Roux Joubert, general manager of platforms in the BBC's Future Media division.

"The overall success of rolling out Audio Factory is huge - the vast majority of people consuming new radio feeds are very happy with it."

Changes to the Shoutcast stream have left the owners of devices receiving it unable to hear BBC Sport content, wrote Henry Webster, the BBC's head of media services, on the BBC Internet Blog.

This is because the new stream is available globally and the BBC does not have international rights for certain sporting events.

The change also means that Radio 3 HD is no longer available to those listeners.

Logitech Squeezebox owners should soon be able to access these services fully again, added Mr Webster.

"Most manufacturers are in the process of adopting the new format," said Mr Joubert.

"I think in the majority of cases [listeners] won't need to buy new devices.

"If the devices are very old they may have to be replaced but that is the natural order of the internet world."

Old tech

The blog has attracted more than 100 comments from disgruntled listeners.

"This experience has killed off internet radio for me," wrote a poster called Nothung.

"At the age of 70 I wouldn't be investing in any new equipment to have it made obsolete overnight.

"I dragged my old FM tuner out to the loft and it works well and there is no sign of rust."

23.58 | 0 komentar | Read More

Google faces Android probe in Russia

18 February 2015 Last updated at 12:46 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Google faces the prospect of a fresh competition investigation after Russia's biggest search engine filed a complaint with the authorities.

Yandex alleges that its rival has an unfair advantage because it insists device-makers set Google as the default search setting if they want to pre-install its Play store.

Google Play is promoted as the safest and best-stocked marketplace for apps and other media for Android devices.

Google has yet to respond.

The BBC understands the US company has yet to see the complaint filed with the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS).

However, Google may try to defend itself by noting that manufacturers are free to install rival services if they choose not to pre-load its other software.

It is also likely to argue that customers can carry out searches via other software - including Yandex's search app - after buying an Android handset or tablet.

In the past, Microsoft and others have made similar complaints about Android to the European Commission, claiming that the operating system acts as a Trojan horse for Google's services.

Last year, the commission said it would "probably" launch a formal investigation into the claims if it did not get an "adequate" response from Google.

EU anti-trust watchdogs are already carrying out a separate investigation into Google's search and advertising business.

Market share drop

Yandex said that it had decided to act after three electronics comapnies - Prestigio, Fly and Explay - contacted it between last November and last month to say they were "no longer able" to pre-install Yandex's services on their Android devices because of Google's restrictions.

It said these included a take-it-or-leave-it rule, under which the manufacturers were forced to choose between installing the complete set of Google Mobile Services apps - including Google Play, Gmail, YouTube, Google Translate and Google Drive - and setting Google as the automatic search service, or opting out altogether.

The Moscow-based company added that Google was "increasingly" prohibiting device-makers from pre-installing competitors' services.

A spokesman for Yandex acknowledged that it was possible for customers to subsequently download its own app. But he noted that, unlike in Apple's iOS operating system, users could not later reset the default search service from being Google in their settings menu.

The spokesman also told the BBC that Yandex's share of searches carried out via Android devices in Russia had fallen - down from 52% in February last year to 44% now - despite rising on iOS over the same period.

"We believe that device manufacturers should have a choice as to which search provider to set as the default or which services to have preinstalled on the device," added Yandex's PR director, Ochir Mandzhikov.

"This is why we are talking about the need to unbundle Google's Android operating system from Google Search and its other end-user services."

Regulators at the FAS said they intended to respond to Yandex's complaint within a month.

"After the review, a decision will be made on launching a case or rejection," they said in a statement.

23.58 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sony takes orders for smart glasses

17 February 2015 Last updated at 12:15

A developer edition of Sony's augmented reality smart glasses will go on sale in ten countries next month, the tech giant has announced.

Pre-orders for the SmartEyeglass, costing $840 (£620), are now being taken in the UK and Germany, with Japan and the US to follow shortly.

The black-framed glasses are compatible with recent Android operating systems.

Last month Google announced that it was withdrawing its smart glasses for redevelopment.

Sony's initial model will come with a software development kit to encourage people to design apps for it, the company said.

The glasses, which weigh 77g, contain an accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, image and brightness sensors, 3-megapixel camera and a microphone.

They also come with a controller, designed to be attached to clothing, which contains a speaker, touch sensor and the device's battery.

Text is displayed in front of the wearer in monochrome green.

'Intrusive'

Apple chief executive Tim Cook has been open about his dislike of glasses as a wearable device.

"We always thought that glasses were not a smart move, from a point of view that people would not really want to wear them," he told the New Yorker.

"They were intrusive, instead of pushing technology to the background, as we've always believed."

Stuart Miles, founder of tech site Pocket-lint, said: "I think [Sony is] wasting their time, energy and effort.

"Google Glass obviously needed a complete rethink... I can't see how something thick-rimmed and more invasive-looking than Google Glass is going to catch on.

"People are keen on wearables like fitness bands and watches, but they care about their faces. Wearing something on your head is a lot stronger than wearing something on your arm," he added.

"The industry keeps pushing it but consumers just don't want it."

23.58 | 0 komentar | Read More

Plusnet investigates billing faults

18 February 2015 Last updated at 14:23

BT's Plusnet home broadband service has apologised after some of its customers incorrectly received emails telling them they were being billed extra for going over their traffic allowance.

The problem began on Tuesday, when subscribers' accounts started adding gigabytes of unused data.

Plusnet said that its engineers were "investigating the root cause".

It added that the issue had only affected "a small number" of its users, but did not say how many.

One customer contacted the BBC to report the problem.

"At 22 minutes past midnight this morning I received an email, and it said you are approaching your usage allowance, and once you've used your 40GB we'll charge you an extra £5 for every 5GB," Steve Rogers said.

"And then at 8.42am I got an email saying you've exceeded your usage, we've added some more.

"And then it happened again at 9.51am.

"I thought I haven't been doing anything out of the ordinary... I wonder if my wife has been downloading loads of stuff."

A check of Mr Rogers' account, using Plusnet's View My Usage tool, revealed that 28.2GB of data had been added to his tally yesterday and a further 14GB on Wednesday morning - far in excess of his actual usage.

Plusnet has put an answerphone message on its hotline and a note on its support page acknowledging the problem.

A spokeswoman also issued a statement to the BBC.

"Yesterday, a small number of Plusnet customers on 'limited' broadband packages received email notifications regarding their broadband usage," it said.

"The emails incorrectly stated that customers had gone over their usage limits. The issue has now been resolved.

"We are confident that no customers have been overcharged. However, if any customers have any concerns, please visit the Member Centre on our website or feel free to get in touch with us."

Plusnet's service page notes that maintenance work was carried out on its back-end systems on Sunday evening, but the firm said that this was not linked to the fault.

23.58 | 0 komentar | Read More

US drone rules impact Amazon plans

16 February 2015 Last updated at 12:03

The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) draft rules for the use of drones in US airspace do not permit Amazon to launch its Amazon Air delivery service.

The draft rules state that pilots must remain within eyesight of their unmanned craft, although it said it would consider factoring in a second line of sight in some cases.

Pilots must also be FAA-certified to operate drones.

Amazon said it remained "committed" to its plans for delivery via drone.

"We are committed to realising our vision... and are prepared to deploy where we have the regulatory support we need," said Paul Misener, Amazon's vice-president of global public policy.

The firm had said last year that in terms of the technology required for Amazon Air, it was ready to launch as soon as regulations were in place.

The draft rules will be open to public consultation and are unlikely to come into force for a couple of years.

The Small UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Coalition, of which Amazon is a member, said it "applauded" the proposed rules, launched yesterday by the FAA, but mentioned several caveats, including relaxing the rule about line of sight.

"First Person View technology is available now, and is critical to unleashing the power of automation in this space," the group said in a statement.

"Until small UAVs are able to go beyond the line of sight, we are not maximising the technology as other companies already do."

High flying

It also said the proposals should be explicit about whether companies can test drones on private property, and should not limit operation to daylight hours.

The coalition, whose members also include drone manufacturers Dji and Ghost, GoPro and Google's R&D arm Google X, added that the altitude limit of 500ft (150m) should be raised "with appropriate safeguards".

China's biggest internet retailer Alibaba trialled drone deliveries in the country at the beginning of February.

Google has also been testing drone deliveries in Australia, and DHL carried out a delivery by unmanned aircraft in Germany.

23.58 | 0 komentar | Read More

Barbie gets internet connection

17 February 2015 Last updated at 12:50

Barbie is having a digital makeover, with the release of an internet-connected version of the iconic doll.

Toy maker Mattel is partnering with US start-up ToyTalk to develop Hello Barbie, which will have two-way conversations with children.

The Barbie will use a speech-recognition platform developed by ToyTalk.

A prototype of the doll was at the New York Toy Fair on 14 February, where a glut of smart toys were on display.

"The number one request we hear from girls around the world is that they want to have a conversation with Barbie. Now, for the first time ever, Barbie can have a two-way conversation," said a spokeswoman for Mattel.

The Hello Barbie will be able to play interactive games and tell stories and jokes.

It will also listen to the child's conversation and adapt to it over time - so, for instance, if a child mentions that they like to dance, the doll may refer to this in a future chat.

The doll requires a wi-fi connection and can provide an hour's worth of playtime when fully charged.

A microphone, speaker and two tricolour LEDs will be embedded in the doll's necklace, while rechargeable batteries in its legs can be connected to an external wall-mounted charger.

The doll is expected to sell for about $74.99 (£49). No release date has yet been confirmed.

Doll hack

Increasingly, the toy market is becoming saturated with smart versions of old favourites.

Back in November, the Vivid Toy group released Cayla, a doll that uses speech-recognition and Google's translation tools.

In January, security researcher Ken Munro discovered a vulnerability in its software, which allowed for it to be hacked to say things that might not be suitable for children.

A start-up, now live on Kickstarter, is developing a line of smart toys powered by the IBM-developed supercomputer Watson.

The first range from Elemental Path will be a smart dinosaur that can chat with children, tell them jokes and answer a range of questions.

"Toys have to keep up with the expectations of children," said Natasha Crookes, director of communications for the British Toy and Hobby Association.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Rory Cellan-Jones sees how Cayla, a talking child's doll, can be hacked to say any number of offensive things.

"As long as children are protected from being able to access anything online, there is no harm in internet-connected toys.

"Companies take a lot of care making sure that there are white lists and black lists for content."

Some critics have questioned whether internet-connected toys endanger traditional, imaginative play, but Ms Crookes is not convinced.

"Such toys can enhance traditional play," she says.

"Some of the time, children will play with the toy in internet-connected mode, and some of the time they will play with them in the traditional way, using their imagination," she said.

23.58 | 0 komentar | Read More

Colour-blind aid for Warcraft game

17 February 2015 Last updated at 17:41

Blizzard, the games company behind World of Warcraft, has added an interface to assist users who have colour blindness.

It is adding three sets of colour-blind filters, and users will be able to fine tune the mode to take account of their particular visual issues.

The condition affects one in 12 men and one in 200 women, with red-green colour blindness the most common.

But not everyone was convinced that the changes would be helpful.

The new modes will be available in the World of Warcraft patch 6.1 and will include text enhancements to help identify particular weapons.

The patch is currently being tested before general release.

Candy Crush

Accessibility expert Ian Hamilton, who has created an app to make the London Underground easier to navigate for those with the condition, said the enhancements were not perfect.

"I don't want to knock them. They have gone to the effort of doing something about it, but they are choosing the wrong colours to replace the traditional ones," he told the BBC.

This, he said, could be easily tweaked.

Lots of gaming firms were now beginning to design games with colour-blind players in mind, although there was more that could be done, said Mr Hamilton.

"Candy Crush is a perfect example of how you can design shape as well as colour. Although this is the case for most of the game, it isn't for the later levels when they introduce bombs and eggs. At that stage, they are losing people," said Mr Hamilton.

Colour Blind Awareness founder Kathryn Albany-Ward said: "Games generally do cause a lot of problems, and there are a lot of people in the gaming community putting pressure on the gaming firms to bring in colour-blind friendly modes."

23.58 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bank apps to use fingerprint tech

18 February 2015 Last updated at 01:13 By Kevin Rawlinson BBC News

Two banks are allowing their customers to access accounts on their smartphones using fingerprint recognition technology, in a UK industry first.

RBS and NatWest customers must activate the feature with their security information, but would only need to use Apple's Touch ID thereafter.

The banks said that, after three failed login attempts, customers would have to re-enter their passcodes.

But a security expert expressed concern that Touch ID is not secure enough.

The banks, both part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, said that the feature would be available on the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus. Customers would have to enable the feature using their existing login details.

Some of the in-app features used to pay money that required additional verification would continue to do so and limits were set on new payments, the banks said.

They said that around 880,000 of their customers currently use the apps on those handsets.

The feature, which uses fingerprint recognition to grant access to iPhones, was criticised soon after it was introduced with the launch of the iPhone 5 in 2013.

A group of hackers managed to get around it only a day after the launch by making a fake finger from a photograph of a fingerprint left on a glass surface.

'Easy to spoof'

While Apple insisted that TouchID was secure, it said it was not a total replacement for traditional security measures and was meant to make unlocking the phone more convenient. In a similar vein, the banks have now said they wanted to make it "even easier and more convenient for customers".

Ben Schlabs, of SRLabs, a German hacking think tank, told the BBC: "The security implications are the same, it is just as dangerous... I think it has been shown that it is pretty easy to spoof it and the risks aren't fully understood."

He said that using TouchID alone to gain access to a banking app introduced dangers that were not present when using passwords or Pins.

"Just the fact that you are carrying the key around with you and leave copies of it exposed everywhere you go makes it a very different risk to something that is inside your brain. The risks are poorly understood."

However, he said that most people would have little need to worry, adding: "There have not been any reports that I know of with the iPhone sensor of actual crimes being enabled by it".

'Revolution'

According to a British Banking Association report, banking apps have been downloaded more than 12.4 million times in Britain.

The Way We Bank Now study, which was released last June, showed that people were making "around 5.7 million transactions each day using smartphones and other internet-enabled technology".

According to the banks, nearly 50% of their combined customer base of 15 million people used online banking and that around three million accessed their accounts via an app each week.

Stuart Haire, managing director, RBS and NatWest Direct Bank, said: "There has been a revolution in banking, as more and more of our customers are using digital technology to bank with us.

"Adding TouchID to our mobile banking app makes it even easier and more convenient for customers to manage their finances on the move and directly responds to their requests."

23.58 | 0 komentar | Read More

Malware on menu on Jamie Oliver site

18 February 2015 Last updated at 14:06 By Kevin Rawlinson BBC News

Jamie Oliver's website was affected by a "malware problem", a spokesman for the celebrity chef has acknowledged.

Malicious code sought to exploit vulnerabilities in users' systems and install malware, researchers found.

If installed, that malware could give hackers control of users' computers, said one security consultant.

A spokesman for the Jamie Oliver Group played down the seriousness of the problem and told the BBC that it had been fixed.

According to Malwarebytes, unknown hackers either broke into Mr Oliver's site and placed malicious code there, or exploited existing code.

The script would direct unsuspecting users to a Wordpress site that hosted yet more malicious code. That would then run an exploit kit that would seek to find vulnerabilities in any user's system and install malware called Dorkbot.

'Tricked'

Online security consultant Graham Cluley said the hackers could then gain control of a user's system and direct fake searches.

"In other words, you may think you're googling but, in fact, you are being redirected against your will to search results that earn the attackers affiliate cash," he told the BBC.

"In addition, you may find that you are tricked into installing bogus security updates on your computer or told to ring what is claimed to be technical support - although you would actually be speaking to scammers after your credit card details."

Continue reading the main story

Users would hope that there was tight security in place on the website to prevent this kind of attack from happening"

End Quote Graham Cluley Online security consultant

According to a spokesman for Jamie Oliver, only 10 users had written to the site about the issue in the past couple of days.

He said that a "low-level malware problem" was identified and dealt with and that the site was now "safe to use".

The spokesman added: "The Jamie Oliver website is regularly checked for vulnerabilities by both our in-house team and an independent third party, and they quickly deal with anything that is found.

"The team is confident that no data has been compromised in this incident, but if anyone is worried do please use the contact form on the site.

"We apologise to anyone who was at all worried after going on the site."

The spokesman confirmed that existing code on the site was modified by a hacker, but said the website team was still trying to work out when that had happened.

'Serious'

The celebrity chef's site has 10 million visitors per month and is ranked 515th in Britain, according to an analyst.

Mr Cluley said that its sheer popularity made the problem "serious".

He said: "Users would hope that there was tight security in place on the website to prevent this kind of attack from happening - but it appears that things went badly wrong on this occasion."

Jerome Segura, of Malwarebytes, uncovered the issue. He said that, during tests, the malware sought to exploit Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight and Oracle Java.

Mr Cluley advised users to run up-to-date antivirus software and the latest patches to secure applications.

He added that users should avoid running their computers with admin privileges, "as this is more attractive for attackers".

23.58 | 0 komentar | Read More

Motorola boss at odds with Jony Ive

18 February 2015 Last updated at 16:05 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Motorola's president has defended its "build-your-phone" programme after harsh words from Apple's lead designer.

Jony Ive appeared to attack the Moto Maker scheme in an interview in which he criticised the idea of giving consumers huge choice over how their handsets were made to appear.

Rick Osterloh, president of Motorola, told the BBC his company had a "different philosophy".

And he criticised Apple in turn, calling its prices "outrageous".

Sir Jonathan specifically asked the New Yorker magazine not to name the company he had been "scathing about", but a campaign launched by Motorola in late 2013 matches the description he gave.

"Their value proposition was, 'Make it whatever you want. You can choose whatever colour you want,'" Sir Jonathan is quoted as saying.

"And I believe that's abdicating your responsibility as a designer."

Motorola promotes Moto Maker as offering shoppers "thousands of ways" to customise its Android-powered Moto X handsets. Choices include the colour of the model's back, the type of metal trim used and the option to include a variety of leathers in its design.

Mr Osterloh of the scheme: "Our belief is that the end user should be directly involved in the process of designing products.

"We're making the entire product line accessible.

"And frankly, we're taking a directly opposite approach to them [Apple]."

He added that he believed this difference in strategy went wider than design.

"We do see a real dichotomy in this marketplace, where you've got people like Apple making so much money and charging such outrageous prices. We think that's not the future," he said.

"We believe the future is in offering similar experiences and great consumer choice at accessible prices.

"The mobile phone industry's greatest failure is also its greatest opportunity: to make really good, affordable devices for people who don't want to spend a lot of money.

"A great smartphone, and a great mobile internet experience, shouldn't be an expensive luxury. It should be a simple choice for everyone."

Motorola launched Moto Maker while owned by Google, but it has since become a division of China's Lenovo.

'Insipid' cars

Sir Jonathan - who was knighted in 2012 for his services to design - was also critical of another brand, in the New Yorker article, suggesting Toyota's Echo model was "shocking".

"It is baffling, isn't it? It's just nothing, isn't it? It's just insipid," he said of the vehicle.

A spokeswoman for Toyota declined to comment.

Sir Jonathan did, however, praise Bentley's vehicles, saying he "loved" their designs.

According to reports by the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal, Apple is working on a car as a possible follow-up to its forthcoming smartwatch.

23.58 | 0 komentar | Read More