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Microsoft targets autistic workers

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 08 April 2015 | 23.58

Microsoft's HQ where new jobs for people with autism will be based
The new jobs will be based at Microsoft's HQ in Redmond, USA

Microsoft says it wants to hire more people with autism in full-time roles.

The tech giant is to start by offering 10 places on a pilot scheme based at its Redmond headquarters.

Senior executive Mary Ellen Smith said: "People with autism bring strengths that we need at Microsoft."

The UK's National Autistic Society welcomed the move but said that other firms should do more to tap into the skills offered by many people with autism.

Announcing the new scheme in a blog, Ms Smith said: "Each individual is different, some have an amazing ability to retain information, think at a level of detail and depth or excel in math or code."

Specialist recruitment firm, Specialisterne, will help run a new hiring scheme.

The firm, which operates in Denmark and the UK, works with several IT companies, and in other sectors, to promote the skills of people with autism for specific vacancies.

Sarah Lambert, from the National Autistic Society, said: "It's encouraging to see a global company like Microsoft recognise the untapped potential of adults with autism.

"Many may have strengths such as accuracy, a good eye for detail and reliability, which can benefit all sorts of businesses, not just the technology industry.

"However, at the moment, just 15% of adults with autism in the UK are in full-time employment.

"Simple adjustments, like making job interviews more accessible and providing support to help those in work understand the 'unwritten rules' of the workplace can unlock the potential of a whole section of society."


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Call to investigate YouTube Kids app

McDonalds food
Campaigners say YouTube Kids channels for McDonald's and others flout advertising rules

US regulators are being asked to investigate a YouTube app for children.

Consumer organisations and childcare groups say YouTube is using the app to flout long-standing limits on adverts seen by youngsters.

The groups have sent a joint letter to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asking it to find out if the app uses "deceptive marketing practices".

In response, YouTube said it "strongly" disagreed with the conclusions of the campaigning groups.

The YouTube Kids app was launched in February and was created to let children use the video site, but while also giving parents control over what they watch and search for. It also has channels showing curated content from companies including McDonald's and Fisher-Price aimed specifically at younger viewers.

It is these branded channels that the consumer and child groups are most concerned about because, they claim, they let companies mix adverts and shows in ways that would not be permitted on television.

The channels also do not do enough to label clips and shows that feature products that presenters have been paid to highlight, the groups said in their letter.

The Consumers Union, the Center for Digital Democracy and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry have all signed the letter to the FTC.

A spokesman for the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK said its rules on adverts applied across all media and had specific sections that sought to protect children.

"Adverts should be appropriate, not cause offence and not mislead," said the spokesman. "The key rule in the code is that adverts should be identified as such and it should be made obvious that you are being advertised to."

A YouTube spokesperson said it had worked with many children's groups and other partners when developing YouTube Kids.

"While we are always open to feedback on ways to improve the app, we were not contacted directly by the signers of this letter and strongly disagree with their contentions," the spokesperson added.


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Intel shows 3D depth camera in phone

RealSense
Intel, led by Brian Krzanich, says its RealSense technology is now small enough to fit in a smartphone

Intel has revealed a version of its 3D depth camera that is small and thin enough to be fitted into a 6in (15.2cm) smartphone.

The RealSense sensor can be used to recognise hand and head movements and makes it possible to change the focus of photos after they have been taken.

The prototype was unveiled by the company chief executive Brian Krzanich at an event in Shenzhen, China.

One expert noted that questions remained about its power demands.

Although Mr Krzanich showed off an example of a RealSense-enabled phone, he did not demonstrate it working, which may indicate it is still at an early stage of development.

"The device which was shown on stage at the Intel Developer Forum was a prototype that was created in collaboration with a Chinese firm, whom we are not naming," said a spokeswoman for the company.

"The device is meant to show the different types of apps, usage models and form factors that RealSense tech can be integrated into and to encourage innovation."

RealSense
The depth data collected by RealSense cameras can be used to change the focus of a photo after it has been taken

The technology is similar to that found in Microsoft's Kinect motion-and-image sensor, but in a much smaller package.

While the Kinect has fallen out of favour with many Xbox gamers, one industry watcher thought the technology would prove popular in handsets.

"We've got to the stage where putting ever higher-resolution cameras in phones is no longer as much of a selling point as it used to be," said Chris Green, of the Davies Murphy Group consultancy.

"So manufacturers need additional features to draw on. Depth perception and light-field technology will interest people and potentially let the next generation of smartphones differentiate themselves from what is already on the market.

"Intel has obviously achieved half of the challenge involved - the miniaturisation - but what is still unclear is whether it has got the power side of things licked. It's one thing putting this into a laptop where you have a large battery and access to a mains power source, it's another to put it into a phone that has to last throughout the day."

Sensor rivals

Intel first announced that laptops were to incorporate its RealSense components in January last year, after a tie-up with the Belgian 3D vision specialist SoftKinetic.

RealSense laptop
Intel's RealSense cameras already allow laptops to be controlled with gestures

It suggested the tech could be used to provide improved gesture recognition - allowing users to control devices without having to touch them - as well as a way to scan objects that could be later edited and 3D-printed and a means to have more control over the way photos and videos looked after they had been captured.

This year, Dell became the first manufacturer to incorporate the technology into a tablet.

Getting the tech into a smartphone would offer Intel a potential coup, but other firms are also working on alternatives.

Project Tango tablet
Google's Project Tango tablet can be used to create 3D models of rooms

Google has created Project Tango - a tablet fitted with a 3D image sensor made by the German company PMDTechnologies.

At this point the kit is limited to developers, as part of an effort to add "spatial perception" to the Android ecosystem.

The US-based Pelican Imaging is also working on a depth-sensing array of cameras designed for smartphones that it says would let photos be refocused after being taken as well as allowing users to create "3D selfies".

Pelican Imaging
Pelican Imaging suggests its sensors will make 3D selfies possible

Its work is backed by Intel's chip-making rival Qualcomm as well as Nokia's venture capital wing, Nokia Growth Partners.

In addition, Apple bought PrimeSense in November 2013.

The Israeli start-up had previously provided the technology used in the original Kinect. Apple has yet to announce how it plans to make use of the acquisition.

Still too big?

One tech journalist who attended the event in Shenzhen suggested Intel might still have quite a bit of work before its RealSense tech was ready for mainstream handsets.

Intel event
One expert suggested Intel needed to shrink the components to fit smaller handsets

"It was weird because Brian Krzanich said on stage that he's known for taking risks with performing live demos at tech events, and yet this was pretty much the only device he did not turn on to show what it did on stage, which might say something about the early stage it is at," Richard Lai, editor-in-chief of Engadget Chinese, told the BBC.

"And the prototype was still a 6in phablet. That size is socially acceptable in China, where consumers like to have a large screen.

"But putting it into a smaller form factor would make it more accessible to other consumers."


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EE offers wi-fi call back-up service

EE Wi-fi Calling service
The Wi-fi Calling service will initially be limited to high-end handsets offered by EE

EE is to begin switching some of its customers to wi-fi enabled calls to help combat mobile signal dead spots.

The UK network suggests the move will particularly benefit people who fail to get a connection or experience dropped calls in their homes and offices.

Other firms already offer a similar service via apps, but EE says its scheme is "seamless" as users are not required to do anything to switch between 3G/4G and wi-fi.

However, there are potential pitfalls.

EE said its Wi-fi Calling facility would initially be limited to pay monthly subscribers using Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S5 phones and Microsoft's new Lumia 640, although the BBC understands the iPhone 5S and newer Apple handsets will also be supported.

Since it requires specific mobile data components to be built into the devices, it cannot be extended to other older models. However, EE said it would soon offer a compatible own-brand budget smartphone.

To join the service, users send the firm a single text message.

"We have worked more than a year to make sure that everything works like a normal phone connection," Olaf Swantee, EE's chief executive, told the BBC.

"So, the ringtone, the voicemail, the quality of the conversation - all of that is exactly the same with our solution.

"I think that's essential as customers don't have the time to figure out whether they should be using an app.

"They want to simply know the network will switch from one technology to the other without customer intervention."

Tu Go and Three inTouch
O2 and Three offer rival internet-enabled call services that require apps

He added that he expected five million people would be able to use the service, which also supports text messages, by the summer.

Even if a personal wi-fi network is used, the phone's owner will still be billed as if they had made the call in a normal manner. Furthermore, they cannot use it to make cheaper calls from abroad.

But one industry watcher said the scheme still had appeal.

"One of the complained about factors with mobile phones is just making a voice call, and perhaps an approach of getting the fundamentals of connectivity right can act as a differentiator for the firm," said Kester Mann from the telecoms consultancy CCS Insight.

"Vodafone will also be launching a similar wi-fi calling service in the summer."

The UK's other two leading networks, O2 and Three, offer apps instead: Tu Go and Three inTouch.

Third-party services, including Skype, Whatsapp, Viber and Apple's iMessage, also provide ways to make voice calls over wi-fi.

Settings menu

One of the limitations of EE's Wi-fi Calling is that it cannot switch from one service to another mid-call.

So, if someone walks out of a wi-fi covered zone into an area where there is 4G coverage, or vice versa, they still face their call suddenly ending.

EE is marketing the service as a way to make calls in the home or office, where it believes this is unlikely to be a common problem.

Man using EE on London Underground
EE says customers will be able to receive calls in places where there is no network coverage

It also boasts that it will make it easy for people to make and receive calls on London Underground platforms, and other wi-fi enabled places without network coverage.

However, it acknowledges that users many need to manage their experience.

Because phones will automatically switch to wi-fi where it is available, if users log into a congested hotspot they could face poor call quality. They would then need to go into their settings menu to temporarily turn off the wi-fi connection or Wi-fi Calling facility to opt back into 3G/4G.

"It's going to depend on the quality of the public wi-fi, and if that's a poor quality service in a coffee shop, shopping centre or wherever, that will be a challenge," said Mr Mann.

"It's very much tailored to the private wi-fi that people have in the basements of flats, rural homes and other places with poor mobile coverage."

Takeover talks

EE recently beat other networks in terms of average 4G download speeds and the number of UK premises with coverage, in a study carried out by the regulator Ofcom.

BT Tower
BT requires the Competition and Markets Authority's approval to complete its takeover of EE

The company - which is currently owned by Deutsche Telekom and Orange - is in the process of being taken over by BT, which plans to let customers boost reception within buildings via a separate technique involving additional radio spectrum that it owns.

There is, however, opposition to the acquisition.

Consumer rights advocate Which? has written to Ofcom highlighting that the two firms have fared poorly in customer satisfaction surveys, and suggested that the merger could exacerbate the situation.

However, Mr Swantee insisted customers would benefit from the tie-up.

"The purchase of EE for £12.5bn is very much going to further innovation," he said.

"In-market consolidation can really help to drive investment.

"And when you look forward to technologies like 5G - which we will get in 2020, maybe - they require incredible investment."


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Turkey threatens Google with ban

Missing Twitter page
The Turkish court imposed blocks on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook to stop controversial images spreading

Turkey threatened to ban Google unless it removed links to images of a prosecutor being held at gunpoint.

The images were taken last week in a siege at an Istanbul courthouse when two gunmen took the prosecutor hostage. All three died during a rescue attempt.

The threatened ban on Google was lifted after the search giant removed links to sites hosting the pictures.

Turkish authorities briefly cut off several social networks in a bid to stop images circulating.

On 6 April, a Turkish court ordered the country's net providers to cut off access to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and more than 160 other sites that were letting people share the controversial images. They showed prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz with a gun held to his head by a masked attacker.

Mr Kiraz was apparently taken hostage because he headed an investigation into the 2013 death of a boy during anti-government protests.

The two gunmen who took Mr Kiraz hostage are thought to be members of the far-left DHKP-C party. Mr Kiraz and the gunmen died in a shoot-out with police during an attempt to end the siege.

By late Monday, access to the three big social media sites had been restored after they sought out and removed copies of the image circulating on the network.

Subsequently it emerged that the court had issued a second order that threatened Google with a ban unless it removed links in its search index that led to the controversial images.

Turkish police
The siege ended in a shoot-out that left attackers and their hostage dead

Google has yet to comment officially about the threatened ban or the action it took to avoid access being cut off.

Prior to the legal action, the images were circulating widely online and some newspapers printed them alongside articles about the siege. The publicity drew criticism from the Turkish government which said printing and sharing them was tantamount to "propaganda for the armed terrorist organisation".

The DHKP-C is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the US.

The bans on social networks and threat against Google are just the latest in a series of measures taken by Turkish officials to curb what it sees as subversive use of online media.

Many protests have been organised via social media and, prior to local elections in March 2014, blocks were imposed after audio recordings were widely shared that allegedly revealed corruption among senior officials.

Figures gathered by Twitter revealed that Turkey filed more requests to remove content from the messaging service that any other nation between July and December 2014.


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Illegal downloaders face exposure

Actors Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto attend the "Dallas Buyers Club" UK premiere at the Curzon Mayfair on 29 January 2014 in London, England
Thousands of Australians have illegally downloaded The Dallas Buyers' Club, starring Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto

An Australian court has ordered internet service providers (ISPs) to hand over details of customers accused of illegally downloading a US movie.

In a landmark move, the Federal Court told six firms to divulge names and addresses of those who downloaded The Dallas Buyers Club.

The case was lodged by the US company that owns the rights to the 2013 movie.

The court said the data could only be used to secure "compensation for the infringements" of copyright.

In the case, which was heard in February, the applicants said they had identified 4,726 unique IP addresses from which their film was shared online using BitTorrent, a peer-to-peer file sharing network. They said this had been done without their permission.

Once they received the names of account holders, the company would then have to prove copyright infringement had taken place.

The judgment comes amidst a crackdown by the Australian government on internet piracy.

Australians are among the world's most regular illegal downloaders of digital content. The delay in release dates for new films and TV shows, and higher prices in Australia for digital content, have prompted many Australians to find surreptitious ways to watch new shows.

Television sets
Australians are some of the world's most enthusiastic illegal downloaders

The ISPs involved in the case, including Australia's second-largest provider iiNet, said releasing customer information would be a breach of privacy and lead to what is known in the US as "speculative invoicing".

This is where account holders are threatened with court cases that could result in large damages unless smaller settlement fees are paid.

The ISPs argued also that the monetary claims which the US company, Dallas Buyers Club LLC, had against each infringer were so small "that it was plain that no such case could or would be maintained by the applicants".

But Justice Nye Perram ruled that the customer information could be released on condition it was only used to recover compensation for copyright infringement.

"I will also impose a condition on the applicants that they are to submit to me a draft of any letter they propose to send to account holders associated with the IP addresses which have been identified," he ruled.

Justice Perram said the ruling was also important for deterring illegal downloading.

"It is not beyond the realm of possibilities that damages of a sufficient size might be awarded under this provision in an appropriately serious case in a bid to deter people from the file-sharing of films," he said.

The case came to court after Dallas Buyers Club LLC contacted iiNet and other ISPs, asking them to divulge customer details without a court order. The ISPs refused.

The ISPs have yet to say if they will appeal against the court ruling.

Professor of Law at the University of Technology, Sydney, Michael Fraser said it was an important judgement for ISPs and customers.

"If this [judgement] is upheld then the days of anonymous pirating may be over," Prof Fraser told ABC TV.


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Samsung attacks S6 Edge bend test

Galaxy S6 Edge
The Galaxy S6 Edge, which features a curved screen, goes on sale on Friday

Samsung is playing down a report that its new flagship phone - the Galaxy S6 Edge - is "just as bendable" as Apple's iPhone 6 Plus and breaks completely at a lower pressure point.

The allegations have been made by a company that sells smartphone protection plans.

Samsung said that the results "may mislead consumers" and called on the firm to carry out a revised test.

But one expert said it highlighted the danger of mocking a competitor.

Last September, at a time when there were multiple reports that the new iPhone's aluminium shell left it prone to damage, Samsung posted a tweet stating that its own Edge phablet was "curved, not bent".

Samsung tweet
Samsung sent out this tweet last September

Then in February, at the S6 Edge's launch event, Samsung's mobile division marketing chief paused for applause and laughs when she boasted about the new handset's design in a presentation containing several comparisons to Apple's models.

"Not only does [the glass] look great but it's super tough - in fact, it's the toughest in the market," said Younghee Lee.

"Also the special metal that we use is 50% stronger than the metal in other high-end smartphones.

"My first language may not be engineering, but I do know that this [is] tough [and] will not bend."

Samsung is not the only company to have exploited criticism of Apple.

HTC andLG also posted tweets at the height of last year's controversy, with LG going so far as to mark one of its posts with the hashtag #bendgate.

Apple later said that damage to the iPhone 6 Plus would be "extremely rare" during normal use - a similar point now made by Samsung about the S6 Edge, which goes on sale in the US and UK on 10 April.

Galaxy S6 launch
Samsung dedicated a section of its S6 Edge launch event to the durability of its phones

Stress tests

The current allegations are based on tests carried out by SquareTrade, which used machinery to simulate forces that it said might be experienced by a handset left in a back pocket as well as attempting to identify the force under which different models experienced "catastrophic failure".

It said that:

  • Both the S6 Edge and iPhone 6 Plus deformed when a force of 110lb (50kg) was applied. The screen on Samsung's phone cracked at this level, but the iPhone's did not
  • HTC's latest phone - the One M9 - did not bend until 120lb, at which point it also broke and became unusable
  • The S6 Edge's breaking point was 149lb, at which stage it ceased to function
  • The iPhone 6 Plus stopped working at a force of 179lb

An accompanying video suggested that S6 Edge owners were at risk of a "pocket full of glass" if they put their handsets under too much pressure.

SquareTrade test
The test found that the S6 Edge's screen cracked at the same point that the phone bent

In response, Samsung said it was confident that its phones would not bend "under daily usage".

"The normal force that [is] generated when a person presses the back pocket is approximately 66lbf (30kgf)," it added.

"Our internal test results indicate that the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge are not bendable even under 79lbf (32kgf), which is equivalent to putting pressure to snap a bundle of five pencils at once.

"Secondly, even though both front and back sides are exposed under the same level of pressure in normal circumstances, this test does not show the strength of the back side.

"Some smartphones have different [levels of] durability in each [of their] front and back sides respectively. SquareTrade has only tested the front side, which may mislead consumers about the entire durability of smartphones."

'Big lesson'

SquareTrade has issued a follow-up statement stating that it endeavoured to perform its tests "in an unbiased manner".

"We welcome Samsung's invitation to test its devices again with our Bendbot and release the results publicly," added spokeswoman Jessica Hoffman.

One independent expert agreed with Samsung that consumers should not be concerned about the durability of the S6 Edge, but added there was a lesson to be learned.

"This is only a story because it made fun of Apple when it launched the iPhone," said Francisco Jeronimo, research director at the consultancy IDC.

"You'd need to put a lot of pressure in a very specific way to break it.

"But it demonstrates that every vendor needs to be very careful when they compare their devices because it can backfire on them.

"I think that's the biggest lesson for Samsung: next time if it sees a competitor having a problem, it needs to be a lot more careful unless it is 100% sure it would not face the same criticism."


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Google purges Chrome extension store

Google logo
Google found that millions of people had been caught out by rogue extensions

Tens of millions of users who visit Google sites use a browser loaded with malicious add-ons, research suggests.

Most rogue extensions bombard people with ads, but the most malicious steal login names and other valuable data.

Carried out by security experts and Google, the project analysed more than 100 million visits to the search giant's sites.

It led to Google purging almost 200 bad extensions from its online catalogues of browser add-ons.

Bad behaviour?

Extensions and add-ons for web browsers add all kinds of functions and features to the software.

Many of these extensions have hidden extras that cause trouble for people who install them, said UC Santa Barbara computer scientist Alexandros Kapravelos, who worked with Google on the rogue extensions project.

The research found that malicious extensions were available for every major browser.

The findings are due to be published in full in May at the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy.

Preliminary results revealed that 5% of people accessing Google every day have been caught out by at least one malicious extension.

Of these victims, about a third have four or more bad add-ons installed in their browser.

"It is a very hard problem to deal with," said Mr Kapravelos.

Some bad extensions were easy to spot, he said, because they were so obviously written to steal saleable data such as bitcoins, bank logins or personal data.

However, many used techniques seen in legitimate extensions, he said, and it took a lot of extra analysis to pin down the bad ones.

"Even when we have a complete understanding of what the extension is doing, sometimes it is not clear if that behaviour is malicious or not," he said.

"You would expect that an extension that injects or replaces advertisements is malicious, but then you have AdBlock that creates an ad-free browsing experience and is technically very similar."

Experts from Swedish security firm ScrapeSentry said it had found examples of extensions that gathered data in ways that could easily be abused.

A pile of bitcoins
Some malicious extensions are very obvious and seek to steal bitcoins and other valuable data

ScrapeSentry's analysis of one extension, called Webpage Screenshot, revealed that it contained code that let it grab copies of all the browser traffic from the PC on which it was installed.

The gathered data was then sent to a server in the US. The extension has been downloaded about 1.2 million times.

"What happens to the personal data and the motives for sending it to the US server is anyone's guess, but we'd take an educated guess that it's not going to be good news," said Martin Zetterlund from ScrapeSentry.

A spokesman for Webpage Screenshot said there was nothing malicious about the data it gathered. Instead, said the spokesman, it was used to understand who the extension's users were and where they were located to help drive development of the code.

Users could opt out of sharing data, he said.

Deleting data

Mr Kapravelos said Google had acted on the early findings of the research by removing 192 actively malicious extensions from its Chrome catalogue. About 14 million people had been tricked into using these extensions, he said.

The UC Santa Barbara team was working with Google to develop tools that can automatically spot malicious extensions and flag them to the search giant's security staff.

In addition, said Mr Kapravelos, firms whose adverts were being injected onto webpages by the rogue extensions had been informed.

Unfortunately, he said, ad injection had become "entrenched" as a way for some unscrupulous developers to make money.

The research found that only a small number of developers were behind the majority of the rogue extensions that pepper people with ads, suggesting that targeted action could help tackle the problem.


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Drones stream live video to YouTube

DJI

DJI has refreshed its family of drones with new models that are easier to take off and land.

The Phantom 3 quadcopters also gain the ability to hold their position without using a GPS location signal, making them more suitable for indoor use.

And the app that controls the camera-equipped machines has been updated to allow live video streams to YouTube.

However one expert suggested more should be done to protect the public from such remote-controlled aircraft.

China-based DJI is the bestselling brand of drones in what is a fast-growing sector, with hobbyists, farmers, film-makers and land surveyors among its customers.

The firm found itself at the centre of a security scare earlier this year when one of its previous models crashed into the lawn of the White House.

Live video feed

DJI has unveiled two versions of its latest aircraft, which offer different video recording capabilities.

Drone at wedding
DJI suggests that he new drone could be used to film a wedding indoors

The Phantom 3 Professional, which costs $1,259 (£842), can shoot in 4K at 30 frames per second.

The ultra high definition format is four times the resolution of 1080p HD, which offers video-makers greater leeway to crop and pan across their footage after it has been shot.

The Phantom 3 Advanced, which costs $999 (£668), films at 1080p at 60 frames per second. This is lower resolution but better suited for slow-mo effects.

The lenses used by both aircraft are better suited for low-light conditions than earlier models. In addition, the new software allows owners to tag the best footage as it is recorded, making it easier to put together a fast edit.

DJI said that footage could be streamed to YouTube in 720p quality when the drone is up to one mile (1.6km) away from its controllers with almost no lag - a facility it suggested could make it a useful tool for journalists covering disasters and protests, and for mining and construction industry managers wanting to direct surveying efforts remotely.

DJI is also promoting the drone's ability to carry out indoor flights.

DJI app
A tablet app can be used to stream live footage captured by the drone via YouTube

"The platform has a downward-facing camera that creates a 3D map of the ground underneath it in real-time, and identifies key vectors in that map and notices if there's any movement of those vectors," DJI spokesman Michael Perry told the BBC.

"So it automatically adjusts itself to hold a position.

"In addition, it's got two ultrasonic sensors that provide very accurate information about how far it is off the ground, which allows it to hover a lot more accurately, fly closer to the ground without having the platform bump up and down, and more importantly it lets you take off and land easily and securely with the touch of a button."

Drone injuries

DJI competes against Parrot, Walkera and Xinte among others, which all allow users to fit their aircraft with standalone cameras.

Rising sales of such devices have led to safety concerns.

In April 2014 an athlete said she suffered head injuries when a drone that had been filming her race in Australia fell to the ground.

And in December, a US newspaper photographer said the tip of her nose was "chipped off" after an accident involving drones flown inside a restaurant.

Drone boxing
DJI is marketing its latest drones as being tools that could be used to film sports events

Following the accident at the White House in January, DJI updated the firmware used by its Phantom 2 drones to prevent them from flying over much of Washington DC.

The firm highlighted that it also continued to expand a wider list of no-fly zones, which is built into its latest models.

However, it suggested government watchdogs needed to offer clearer guidance.

Crashed drone
A drunk government worker crashed a DJI drone into the White House's lawn in January

"We feel fundamentally that this industry will not reach its full potential until there is a clear and coherent regulatory framework put in place," said Mr Perry.

"I think the UK has taken some pretty significant strides - it has established a clear criteria for pilot qualifications, which are needed [alongside an approved request application] to be allowed to fly over a crowd or in a downtown area.

"But there is a patchwork of regulations around the globe, which only agree on one thing: flying near airports is dangerous."

Safer designs

Mr Perry noted that DJI drones sold in the UK were packaged with a pamphlet written by the Civil Aviation Authority, that sets out the restrictions under which they can be used.

DJI Drone
The Phantom 3 drones will become available for delivery later this month

But one expert said the industry at large had a responsibility to do more.

"Recommendations are already being fed into the European Union to come up with a unified approach that will allow novel technologies and also protect people," said Dr Mirko Kovac, from Imperial College London's Aerial Robotics Lab.

"But the more hobbyists and other people that use drones, the harder it is to control.

"And what we need are more technological developments to ensure safety, particularly through the design of the aircraft as well as the sensors they use... to make the drones themselves inherently safe."


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Apple releases iCloud Photos app

The same set of photos is shown on an iPad and an iPhone
Apple's iCloud Photo Library syncs photos across devices

Apple has released a new photo storage app for Macs, which can automatically store full-resolution images online.

The iCloud Photo Library syncs photos across devices while managing storage.

Users can opt to keep original high-res photos in the cloud with lower-res version on a Mac, PC or iOS device.

But critics highlight recent online photo security breaches and say Apple's storage fees are much higher than some of its competitors.

The iCloud Photo Library app responds to how much storage is left on each device.

It automatically downgrades the resolution of images held on a device as its storage space starts to run out - starting with the oldest images first - while ensuring they are still of suitable quality to be viewed full-screen.

'Targeted attacks'

If the user has a data connection and has chosen the online storage option for their full-res images, the app will download the larger original file as and when they need it. This could be for editing, zooming into the photo or for printing, for example.

An open padlock sits in front of a Mac displaying photos
Hackers stole celebrities' photos from iCloud last year

Some experts wonder whether Apple's users are ready to trust the company with their photos after about 500 private pictures, mainly of celebrities, were stolen from the iCloud platform by hackers last year.

Apple later explained that this had happened as the result of a targeted attack in which the intruders had successfully obtained or guessed users passwords to its service, rather than hacked the platform.

Last October, Apple issued another security warning to its iCloud users, saying: "We're aware of intermittent organised network attacks using insecure certificates to obtain user information." It said its own servers had not been compromised.

Martin Garner, mobile services expert at CCS Insight, said: "People are sharing enormous trust when they use services like these. It's not just Apple - many other providers have also suffered breaches recently. But users will need to think about security and accessibility."

'Keep an eye on prices'

Many online storage providers offer cheaper plans for the same or more data to be stored online than Apple's iCloud.

However, each offers different functionality regarding how it syncs with devices, and whether it works automatically or needs user intervention

Apple iCloud compared with other online storage providers

The cost of online photo storage
Provider Data plan Price
Amazon (Unlimited Photos plan) Unlimited (Photos only) + 5GB $12 (£8)/year
Google Drive (1TB) 1TB $120 (£80)/year
Dropbox (1TB) 1TB $144 (£96)/year
Box (Business) Unlimited $180 (£120)/year
Microsoft (Livedrive Pro Suite) 5TB /unlimited backup $198 (£132)/year
Apple (iCloud Photo Library) 1TB $240 (£160)/year

The iCloud Photo Library is the first to keep a lower-res image on the device while sending the original full-res image to the cloud.

Unlike a simple back-up or copying of photos, this means users can keep the images on their devices while maximising storage space.

However, many consumers may still prefer deals such as Amazon's "Unlimited Photos plan", which would cost a fraction of the price to maintain a large library.

"Apple will have to keep an eye on prices as the market in online storage is extremely competitive," said Mr Garner.

"Many of its competitors, like Dropbox, have apps available on the iPhone, so it needs to be wary that users do have a good amount of choice.

"Some services like Microsoft and Amazon also bundle online storage with other services like software subscriptions or movie streaming, so Apple may need to consider doing likewise."


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