http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology Latest news and features from guardian.co.uk, the world's leading liberal voice en-gb &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:01:25 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds 15 http://image.guardian.co.uk/sitecrumbs/Guardian.gif http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/sep/05/hewlettpackard-oracle/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/38199?ns=guardian&pageName=Mark+Hurd+ousted+Hewlett-Packard+chief+in+talks+about+joining+Oracle%3AArticle%3A1447727&ch=Business&c3=Guardian&c4=Hewlett-Packard%2CBusiness%2COracle%2CTechnology%2CSun+Microsystems+%28Technology%29&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CBusiness+Markets%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Julia+Kollewe&c7=10-Sep-05&c8=1447727&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Business&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FHewlett-Packard" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Larry Ellison, Oracle chief executive, praised Hurd for restoring Hewlett-Packard to its former glory</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Mark Hurd, who <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/07/hewlett-packard-mark-hurd-resigns" title="Guardian: Hewlett-Packard boss Mark Hurd resigns">resigned as chief executive</a> of Hewlett-Packard a month ago following a sexual harassment and expenses scandal, is reported to be in talks to join Oracle's senior management.</p><p>Hurd, 53, abruptly quit as chairman and chief executive of HP following an investigation into <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/09/jodie-fisher-hewlett-packard-hurd" title="">his relationship with a marketing consultant, Jodie Fisher</a>, a former actress, who accused him of sexual harassment. While the board's investigation found no violation of its harassment policy, it found that he had violated the company's code of conduct by filing inaccurate expense claims.</p><p>According to the Wall Street Journal, he is not in the running for the top job as Larry Ellison, who founded Oracle more than 30 years ago and has served as the company's only chief executive, has no intention of leaving. But Ellison, who is a friends of Hurd and occasionally plays tennis with him, waded into the row with <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/10/oracle-boss-blasts-hp-board-over-hurd-sacking" title="Guardian: Oracle boss blasts Hewlett-Packard over Mark Hurd ousting">an email to the New York Times</a> in which he blasted HP over its "cowardly" handling of the affair.</p><p>"The HP board just made the worst personnel decision since the idiots on the Apple board fired Steve Jobs many years ago," he wrote. "That decision nearly destroyed Apple and would have if Steve hadn't come back and saved them."</p><p>The 66-year-old software billionaire, a revered figure in Silicon Valley and America's third-richest man, said Hurd had spent five years doing a "brilliant job" restoring HP to its "former greatness" after "a long list of failed CEOs". He also argued it was "not credible" to accuse Hurd of fiddling expenses as he was unlikely to have done them himself, like most other CEOs.</p><p>Oracle declined to comment.</p><p>Hurd ran Hewlett-Packard for more than five years and expanded into new areas such as computer services. Under his leadership it became the world's biggest maker of personal computers and server systems and the No 1 technology company, and its stock market value nearly doubled.</p><p>Oracle, the world's second-biggest software maker, has started to step on HP's turf after buying hardware maker Sun Microsystems in January, moving into the server and storage systems market for the first time.</p><p>Last week News Corp revealed that Hurd was leaving its board, of which he had been a director since February 2008. He has not been nominated for re-election and will step down after the media group's annual meeting in mid-October.</p><p>Hurd said at the time: "I have decided to move on and focus on future career opportunities."</p><p>Oracle declined to comment.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/hewlettpackard">Hewlett-Packard</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/oracle">Oracle</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/sun-microsystems">Sun Microsystems</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/juliakollewe">Julia Kollewe</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ap_zy4tR0x1ahIy1H2Ghf_SFW8s/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ap_zy4tR0x1ahIy1H2Ghf_SFW8s/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ap_zy4tR0x1ahIy1H2Ghf_SFW8s/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ap_zy4tR0x1ahIy1H2Ghf_SFW8s/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Hewlett-Packard Business Oracle Technology Sun Microsystems The Guardian News http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/sep/05/hewlettpackard-oracle Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:54:00 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/sep/06/facebook-twitter-account-hack-ipad/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/69654?ns=guardian&pageName=Facebook+and+Twitter+user+accounts+hacked+with+%27free+iPad%27+scams%3AArticle%3A1447924&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Hacking+%28Technology%29%2CFacebook%2CTwitter+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology&c5=Digital+Media%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Charles+Arthur&c7=10-Sep-06&c8=1447924&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=Technology+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FHacking" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Kirstie Allsopp among those affected as spammer exploits weaknesses in passwords and in Facebook code to try to tempt people to 'free' gadgets</p><p>A spammer has exploited a serious vulnerability in Facebook's photo upload system to spam both Facebook and Twitter with photos promising "free" iPads and iPhones.</p><p>The photos, which were posted to peoples' walls by exploiting a flaw in which it was not checked whether a photo could be posted to someone's profile, pretended to be from the profile owner and promoted schemes promising cheap or free gadgets - particularly iPhones and iPads.</p><p>Among those affected were a friend of Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg - who responded, says the security company Sophos; Zuckerberg responded to the picture by asking his friend "Is this real or did your account get hacked?"</p><p><a href="http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/security/3238291/facebook-fault-let-spammer-post-unwanted-messages-to-walls/">Robert McMillan for IDG</a> was the first with the detail, which he says let the spammer post "thousands" of messages on peoples' Walls. </p><p>People who saw the fake postings appear on their Wall, and knew they hadn't put them there, would assume it was their own account which had been hacked and change their password - but this made no difference, because the flaw is in Facebook's basic photo authentication code.</p><p>As the company told McMillan, "Earlier this week, we discovered a bug in the code that processes photos as they're uploaded. This bug caused us not to make the correct checks when determining whether a photo should be posted to a person's profile... We quickly worked to resolve the issue and fixed it shortly after discovering it. For a short period of time before it was fixed, a single spammer was able to post photos to people's profiles that they hadn't approved."</p><p>It remains to be seen whether that's the last of the problem. Meanwhile, Twitter users have had their own problems: property doyenne Kirstie Allsopp was among a number of people whose accounts were hacked at the weekend to send out (yet more) "free iPad" and "OMG free iPhone" tweets.</p><p>Sophos notes that Allsopp has since removed the offending tweets, which would have led anyone who followed them to webpages where they were encouraged to apply for "free" iPads in exchange for personal information and sign up for scams that charged £4.50 per week.</p><p>"Interestingly, the spam messages were sent 'via web', suggesting that it wasn't a third party application or linked website that was used to send the messages," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant, Sophos. "It seems likely that Kirstie Allsopp's Twitter password was stolen via a phishing or spyware infection on her computer, or that she was using the same password on multiple websites – which is never a good idea."</p><p>Allsopp isn't pleased: "Hacking is a pain in the bum" she <a href="http://twitter.com/KirstieMAllsopp/status/23095144540">observed pithily</a> after changing her password, profile picture and deleting the offending tweets. Yup - which only makes the case for better passwords stronger.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/hacking">Hacking</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/facebook">Facebook</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/twitter">Twitter</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/charlesarthur">Charles Arthur</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/--HcBHNA4-IHMjEcmDndygSIxOU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/--HcBHNA4-IHMjEcmDndygSIxOU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/--HcBHNA4-IHMjEcmDndygSIxOU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/--HcBHNA4-IHMjEcmDndygSIxOU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Hacking Facebook Twitter Technology guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/sep/06/facebook-twitter-account-hack-ipad Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:02:20 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/05/google-faces-competition-inquiry/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/59694?ns=guardian&pageName=Google+faces+first+US+competition+inquiry%3AArticle%3A1447715&ch=Technology&c3=Guardian&c4=Google+%28Technology%29%2CSearch+engines%2CInternet%2CTechnology%2CBusiness%2CUS+news%2CWorld+news&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CBusiness+Markets%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Julia+Kollewe&c7=10-Sep-05&c8=1447715&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FGoogle" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Search engine giant alleged to have manipulated rankings of rivals myTriggers, SourceTool/TradeComet and Foundem</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Regulators in Texas have launched the first broad anti-trust review of Google's search and advertising practices in the US.</p><p>While federal regulators in Washington have investigated the impact on competition of Google's business deals in the past, Greg Abbott, Texas attorney general, is the first regulator to look more broadly at its core search business, amid growing concerns about the power the online business wields.</p><p>Officials in Brussels have also raised the prospect of a possible inquiry into anti-competitive behaviour by Google. Leading competition official, Joaquín Almunia, said in July he would examine complaints from three companies, including Microsoft, that the search engine had been unfairly demoting rivals in its rankings.</p><p>In the Texas case, Google said in a <a href="http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2010/09/texas-inquires-on-our-approach-to.html" title="blog post">blog post</a> on Friday that it had been asked for information about three different firms that have raised complaints against it.</p><p>The three – myTriggers and SourceTool/TradeComet in the US, and Foundem in the UK – have accused Google of reducing their traffic by pushing them down its search rankings.</p><p>"Occasionally, we're asked about the 'fairness' of our search engine – why do some websites get higher rankings than others?" Don Harrison, Google deputy general counsel, wrote in the post.</p><p>"The important thing to remember is that we built Google to provide the most useful, relevant search results and ads for users. In other words, our focus is on users, not websites. Given that not every website can be at the top of the results, or even appear on the first page of our results, it's unsurprising that some less relevant, lower-quality websites will be unhappy with their ranking."</p><p>He added that companies such as Amazon, Shopping.com and Expedia typically rank high in Google's search results "because of the quality of the service they offer users".</p><p>The internet firm has faced a flurry of legal challenges and lost a copyright case in Germany against its YouTube business. It also paid $8.5m to settle a class action lawsuit in the US over alleged privacy violations at its Buzz social networking service. It also faces a lawsuit from software company Oracle, which accuses Google of patent infringement with the Android mobile operating system.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/searchengines">Search engines</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet">Internet</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/usa">United States</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/juliakollewe">Julia Kollewe</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UFaMm-Ga8AJe8BJQVCPGpgZZNSg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UFaMm-Ga8AJe8BJQVCPGpgZZNSg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UFaMm-Ga8AJe8BJQVCPGpgZZNSg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UFaMm-Ga8AJe8BJQVCPGpgZZNSg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Google Search engines Internet Technology Business United States World news The Guardian News http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/05/google-faces-competition-inquiry Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:08:51 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/05/apple-tv-ping-sony-qriocity/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/73809?ns=guardian&pageName=Apple+drives+another+nail+into+sluggish+Sony%27s+coffin%3AArticle%3A1446664&ch=Technology&c3=Obs&c4=Apple+%28Technology%29%2CSteve+Jobs+%28Technology%29%2CSony+%28Technology%29%2CABC+%28US+media%29%2CMedia%2CTelevision+industry+%28Media%29%2CInternet%2CTechnology&c5=Media+Weekly%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT%2CTelevision+Media%2CConsumer+Electronics&c6=John+Naughton&c7=10-Sep-05&c8=1446664&c9=Article&c10=Feature&c11=Technology&c13=The+networker+%28series%29&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FApple" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Apple has stolen a march on its rivals again with the new TV and music service Ping, says John Naughton</p><p>You have to feel sorry for Sony sometimes. I mean to say, there it was on Wednesday in Berlin, at the IFA consumer electronics show, launching a new music and video download service called <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/01/sony-qriocity-streaming-music-video" title="">Qriocity</a> (it's like "curiosity", only it couldn't get the domain name, I suppose) – and what happens? Steve Jobs goes on stage in San Francisco and announces that Apple is having another go at the TV download business.</p><p>And guess who gets all the media coverage?</p><p>How are the mighty fallen. I remember a time when Sony dominated the gadgetry business, when it was a synonym for elegant design and advanced functionality, when Walkmans ruled the world. It had shops in upmarket malls where young males came to drool. And now? Ask a teenager about Sony and s/he will reply: "Aren't they the outfit that makes flat-screen TVs and DVD players and other stuff for adults?" Analysing the reasons for Sony's fall from grace would make for an interesting MBA thesis. My favoured candidates are a failure to understand software and missing the significance of the internet.</p><p>Whatever the explanation, however, the outcome was what we witnessed last week – massive coverage of Steve Jobs strutting his stuff in San Francisco, while over in Berlin poor old Fujio Nishida, president of Sony Europe, might as well have been flogging army-surplus radios in a Baghdad souk.</p><p>Which is a pity because the world needs a competitive market in multimedia downloads and, at the moment, Apple looks like scooping the pool. In his presentation, Jobs announced a new device that will deliver 99¢ rentals of TV shows over the net. This replaces the old Apple TV device, which was launched in 2007 and stored video purchased from the iTunes store for display on a domestic television set, but which never really caught on. "We've sold a lot of them," said His Steveness, "but it's never been a huge hit." The device was, he said, "too complicated for average consumers".</p><p>The sole fly in his ointment was that only two US networks have signed up to rent their shows via the new gizmo. One is Fox, a network whose doings passeth all understanding; the other is ABC, which is owned by Disney, of which Jobs is the largest single shareholder. But the other networks have stayed aloof, for the very good reason that turkeys eschew Christmas. They see the day coming when Apple will exert the kind of control over them that it now has over record companies. Jobs appeared unperturbed by such laggardly behaviour.</p><p>"We think the rest of the studios will see the light and get onboard," he said, loftily, before adding that Netflix, the video-rental company, has also climbed "onboard". Henceforth, first-run HD movies will be available for rental for $4.99 on the same day as they are released on DVD.</p><p>Netflix executives are doubtless extolling this deal to their shareholders as a brilliant strategic move. But in fact they are being nice to the crocodile in the hope that it will eat them last.</p><p>If the new Apple service/device proves a hit, then the movie studios will indeed get onboard the iTunes bandwagon, in which case they will begin to wonder why they need Netflix as an intermediary.</p><p>But I digress. Since nothing interests the mainstream media as much as television, Jobs's announcement of the new Apple TV device attracted most of the attention. In the process, another Apple initiative went under-reported – a new "feature" in the latest version of iTunes. It's called Ping and is described as "a social network for music". And it starts with 160 million members, the current number of iTunes users. The idea is that you can elect to "follow" – and be followed by – your friends, so that you know what music they're playing and vice versa. And, quite by accident, there's a "buy" button somewhere conveniently to hand.</p><p>"It's like Facebook and Twitter meet iTunes," said Jobs, which is a bit rich, not to say misleading. "As far as I can tell," <a href="http://battellemedia.com/archives/2010/09/ping_facebook_and_twitter_meet_itunes_except" title="">writes John Battelle</a>, a well-known commentator on these things, "they in fact don't ever meet. You can't leverage your networks on Facebook and Twitter in Ping. It's another closed Apple system, another Apple universe in a gilded gift box."</p><p>Dave Winer, one of the elder statesmen of the web, signed up for Ping on launch day and found that he'd been assigned the username "scriptingnews". "They didn't give me a choice of name," he writes. "That's the name I chose when I got my first iPod or whatever got me logged into their store the first time. I never would have chosen to be scriptingnews on a social network. Not at all obvious how to change it, if I can."</p><p>Welcome to Steve's Walled Garden. We'll all wind up there if we're not careful. Wake up, Sony.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/apple">Apple</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/stevejobs">Steve Jobs</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/sony">Sony</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/abc">ABC</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/television">Television industry</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet">Internet</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/johnnaughton">John Naughton</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ZnEOGzMIwLcYiVKUTyLXXfq2BpM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ZnEOGzMIwLcYiVKUTyLXXfq2BpM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ZnEOGzMIwLcYiVKUTyLXXfq2BpM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ZnEOGzMIwLcYiVKUTyLXXfq2BpM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Apple Steve Jobs Sony ABC Media Television industry Internet Technology The Observer Features http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/05/apple-tv-ping-sony-qriocity Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:06:28 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/03/microsoft-exchange-2010-sp1-review/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/23721?ns=guardian&pageName=Microsoft+Exchange+2010+SP1+review+%7C+Technophile%3AArticle%3A1447010&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Email+%28Technology%29%2CMicrosoft+%28Technology%29%2CSoftware+%28Technology%29%2CInternet&c5=Technology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Kate+Bevan&c7=10-Sep-03&c8=1447010&c9=Article&c10=Review&c11=Technology&c13=Technophile&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FEmail" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">The latest update brings plenty of admin-friendly additions and much better web access – but installing it has some annoyances</p><p>One of my bank holiday weekend projects, along with tackling the triffids in the garden, was upgrading my Exchange 2010 server to SP1, <a href="http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2010/08/25/455861.aspx" title="which Microsoft unleashed last week">which Microsoft unleashed last week</a>.</p><p>I'm running Exchange at home, so obviously it's a lot easier for me to deploy as I only have a handful of users – myself and a couple of friends whose email I host – than it is for a corporate user.</p><p>Having said that, it was a pretty painless process, bar a couple of annoyances. First, the update hasn't been pushed out to Windows Update – <a href="http://bit.ly/c6NCi2" title="you have to download it as a standalone from here">you have to download it as a standalone from here</a>.</p><p>More serious, though, is the fact that it requires a bunch of hotfixes and an update to the Exchange language pack, none of which are rolled up in the installer or available through Windows Update. I'd suggest doing them in advance <a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb691354.aspx" title="via the links here">via the links here</a> rather than waiting for the pre-flight checks that the installer runs to throw them up, as not all of the links it produces actually work properly. Also, each hotfix requires a server reboot, which adds significantly to the time it takes to do the upgrade, though you can do all the hotfixes and then do one final reboot.</p><p>Once all those are in place, the installer runs smoothly. It took 40 minutes on my machine, which runs Windows Server 2008 R2 and has all the server and Exchange roles on the single box (as I say, I'm a geeky home user rather than a corporate). And to my surprise, it didn't require me to reboot the server when it was done.</p><p>There are <a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff459257.aspx" title="a number of improvements">a number of improvements</a> in SP1, ranging from compliance stuff to high availability and site resilience, as well as support for <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/online/en-gb/exchange-online.mspx" title="playing nicely with Exchange Online">playing nicely with Exchange Online</a> – a Microsoft cloud-based service that it clearly sees as a significant revenue stream.</p><p>However, your users will most appreciate the enhancements to Outlook Web Access, the webmail client. It looks much cleaner, with more elegant fonts; and it's much faster now that the client pre-fetches content. Users will also appreciate the ability to change the look of the client – it now includes 27 themes, which you as admin can either let your users pick and choose between or lock down as you see fit. So no more <a href="http://bit.ly/c2xsn8" title="bilious yellow">bilious yellow</a> – unless you want it, of course.</p><p>Cross-browser support seems to have improved, too – you now get the full client in Chrome for Mac, though not yet in Safari for Windows. Though any server admin will tell you that adding Macs to Active Directory is probably more pain than it's worth.</p><p>Also new is the ability to publish calendars to the wider internet, which streamlines meeting requests and suchlike – users are now able to look at the relevant calendar wherever they are without having to email back and forth about times, dates and availability.</p><p>Barring the irritation with the pre-requisites, I think Microsoft has done a good job with SP1. Though when you look at how ragged OWA looks pre-SP1 compared with the much sleeker version now, you do wonder why it couldn't be that good first time round.</p><p></p><p><strong>Pros: </strong>Lots of admin-friendly improvements, vastly better OWA, easy to deploy</p><p></p><p><strong>Cons: </strong>Those wretched pre-requisites</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/2010/en/us/default.aspx" title="http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/2010/en/us/default.aspx">http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/2010/en/us/default.aspx</a></p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/email">Email</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/microsoft/">Microsoft</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/software">Software</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet">Internet</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/katebevan">Kate Bevan</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/djUhKU_uN3ltEbuVx1y1VVPaSo8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/djUhKU_uN3ltEbuVx1y1VVPaSo8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/djUhKU_uN3ltEbuVx1y1VVPaSo8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/djUhKU_uN3ltEbuVx1y1VVPaSo8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Email Microsoft Software Internet guardian.co.uk Reviews http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/03/microsoft-exchange-2010-sp1-review Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:40:25 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/05/my-bright-idea-timothy-taylor/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/79227?ns=guardian&pageName=My+bright+idea%3A+Timothy+Taylor%3AArticle%3A1446177&ch=Technology&c3=Obs&c4=Evolution+%28Science%29%2CBiology%2CScience%2CAnthropology%2CTechnology&c5=Environment+Conservation%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Robin+McKie&c7=10-Sep-05&c8=1446177&c9=Article&c10=Feature%2CInterview&c11=Technology&c13=My+bright+idea+%28series%29&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FEvolution" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">From the moment our ancestors began making primitive tools, Homo sapiens and technology have existed symbiotically, argues the author of The Artificial Ape. Without it, we would be very different creatures</p><p>Timothy Taylor is an anthropologist and archaeologist based at Bradford University. In his new book, <em>The Artificial Ape</em>, he argues that the moment our apemen ancestors began chipping at lumps of stone to create their first tools, they released a force – technology – that has played a pivotal role in shaping the human species. Such innovations have altered the way we nurture our offspring, prepare our food, use our strength and establish cultures. We did not invent technology, this 50-year-old scientist argues. Technology invented us.</p><p></p><p><strong>So what insights do we get into human nature when we look at the role of technology in our evolution?</strong></p><p>There is a perception that technology – from the industrial revolution to the computer age – has suddenly put us into a new world, one that is a bit scary. We worry that computers might take us over, for example. But it was ever thus. The genus <em>Homo</em> is a product of the realm of technology. It underpinned our evolution and turned us into a highly intelligent creature. That is why I describe <em>Homo sapiens</em> as an artificial ape.</p><p></p><p><strong>When did this process begin?</strong></p><p>We can see from the archaeological evidence that by 2.6m years, our australopithecine apemen ancestors had learned how to chip at stones and make tools. Before then, they had used stones to cut things but now they were actually shaping bits of stone to suit various uses. That was the crucial moment, the one that triggered a social revolution.</p><p></p><p><strong>In what way?</strong></p><p>Well, one important development would have been the construction of the first slings for carrying around newborn babies. Without them, women would have expended more biological energy carrying their children in their arms than they would have used on providing them with milk, on lactation. But now, if you had tools to make spears, you could kill animals and remove their skins with the knives you had learned how to make and [from the skins] you could make a sling with which to carry your baby.</p><p>The implications of this development were enormous. It meant that babies could continue to develop outside the womb after birth and that their brains could continue to grow. They were not constrained by the size of their mothers' pelvises and could grow bigger and bigger for years. It gave us scope for intellectual expansion. We could give birth to children who were intellectually underdeveloped but whose brains could continue to develop outside the womb.</p><p>We can only infer that, of course. The skins or viscera that might have been used as slings have long since decayed.</p><p>In addition, though, tools provided us with the weapons we used to kill animals whose meat provided the protein-rich diets that were necessary for our brains to expand over the eons. Thus technology let loose processes that led to us evolving larger and larger brains. It does not explain why we developed big brains, but it shows how technology created the space in which that expansion could occur.</p><p></p><p><strong>We haven't looked back since then?</strong></p><p>Well, no, not quite. In fact, brain size has decreased slightly over the past 30,000 years and I think that has a lot to do with technology. By that period in our evolution, a caveman no longer needed to remember how many mammoth tusks he was owed by another caveman. He could mark that on the walls of his cave with paint. We had reached the stage where we had learned to use symbols. So technology has recently started to take away a little of our need for large brains. Indeed, we are now outsourcing our intelligences at a greater and greater speed, with the development of powerful personal computers, for example. So I would predict that, in the long run, humans are going to continue to get less biologically intelligent. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however.</p><p>Consider the example of eyesight.&nbsp;On average, it is probably deteriorating for our species. If I had to survive by being able to spot a deer and then shoot it down with a bow and arrow, I probably wouldn't be here. But I can not only see deer, I can see microbes and distant galaxies – using microscopes and telescopes – because of my symbiotic relationship with technology. So in many ways my eyesight is better than a caveman's or a hunter-gatherer's, but only in terms of me being a biotechnological creature. Through that my power has extended. That is why I talk about us being the weakest ape in the innate sense but, with technology, the&nbsp;strongest.</p><p></p><p><strong>Should we be worried about our growing dependence on technology?</strong></p><p>The answer is yes or no, depending on your optimism or pessimism. It could be that in the distant future Earth will become uninhabitable for humanity and if the technology to help us leave does not exist, we may eventually succumb to a dusty death. For example, without technology, we will not have the means to deal with the next huge meteorite that heads our way. On the other hand, with technology, we might make things so unpleasant down here that we really damage the planet and render it unfit for humans. It is a very finely balanced issue.</p><p>One fact is clear though. The thing is out of the box. There is no back-to-nature solution for us. It is too late. We are going to have deal with technology and learn to take charge of it in future.</p><p></p><p></p><p>The Artificial Ape: How Technology Changed the Course of Human Evolution<em> by Timothy Taylor is published by Palgrave Macmillan (£17.99)</em></p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/evolution">Evolution</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/biology">Biology</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/anthropology">Anthropology</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/robinmckie">Robin McKie</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/s3TT-ZSCVRHvB4jTG_vDX44PRn4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/s3TT-ZSCVRHvB4jTG_vDX44PRn4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/s3TT-ZSCVRHvB4jTG_vDX44PRn4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/s3TT-ZSCVRHvB4jTG_vDX44PRn4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Evolution Biology Science Anthropology Technology The Observer Features Interviews http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/05/my-bright-idea-timothy-taylor Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:04:59 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/sep/06/top-ten-video-games/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/73067?ns=guardian&pageName=The+UK+top+10+games+chart%2C+week+ending+September+4+2010%3AArticle%3A1447858&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Games+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CWii%2CPS3+%28Sony%29%2CPlayStation+%28Technology%29%2CXbox%2CMicrosoft+%28Technology%29%2CSony+%28Technology%29%2CNintendo+%28Technology%29&c5=Technology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT%2CGames%2CConsumer+Electronics&c6=&c7=10-Sep-06&c8=1447858&c9=Article&c10=&c11=Technology&c13=Top+10+UK+games+%28technology+series%29&c25=Games+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FGames" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst"><strong>Mafia II </strong>still sits at No.1 – clearly an offer that many gamers could not refuse</p><p>Leisure software charts compiled by GfK Chart Track<br />© 2010 <a href="http://www.elspa.com/">ELSPA</a> (UK) Ltd</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/games">Games</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/wii">Wii</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/ps3">PS3</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/playstation">PlayStation</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/xbox">Xbox</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/microsoft/">Microsoft</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/sony">Sony</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/nintendo">Nintendo</a></li></ul></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/EYLikp4MeoIJhxHjvAzTQpgwHng/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/EYLikp4MeoIJhxHjvAzTQpgwHng/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/EYLikp4MeoIJhxHjvAzTQpgwHng/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/EYLikp4MeoIJhxHjvAzTQpgwHng/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Games Technology Wii PS3 PlayStation Xbox Microsoft Sony Nintendo guardian.co.uk Editorial http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/sep/06/top-ten-video-games Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:43:03 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/03/samsung-galaxy-tab-analysts/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/96530?ns=guardian&pageName=Samsung+Galaxy+Tab%3A+What+the+analysts+say%3AArticle%3A1446986&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Tablet+computers%2CTechnology%2CComputing+%28Technology%29%2CiPad%2CTechnology+sector+%28business+sector%29%2CBusiness%2CIFA+2010+%28Technology%29&c5=Unclassified%2CBusiness+Markets%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Graeme+Wearden&c7=10-Sep-03&c8=1446986&c9=Article&c10=&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FTablet+computers" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Samsung's new tablet computer signals an understanding that it takes more than hardware to be successful, say analysts</p><p>Samsung's new Android-powered tablet computer, the Galaxy Tab, has been well-received by industry analysts – even though full pricing details have still not been released.</p><p>The Tab, launched at the IFA show in Berlin, is expected to herald a charge against the early success of the Apple iPad. Consumers should benefit, with a price war predicted to kick off in 2011.</p><p>Here's some of the early reaction.</p><h2>Ben Wood, director of research at CCS Insight</h2><p>Apple has legitimised the tablet category with its iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab sees the tier-one brand go head-to-head with Steve Jobs' creation.</p><p>Samsung is betting big on the tablet category with this device. It's the first major manufacturer to unveil a device targeting this segment but we expect a flurry of further announcement from an array of other players.</p><p>The Galaxy Tab signals Samsung's understanding that it takes more than hardware to be successful. Allowing access to books, music and films is a major step forward as it ratchets up its competitive positioning against Apple.</p><p>The 7in form-factor is very compelling. Rumours abound that Apple is evaluating a similar device footprint for future iterations of the iPad to sit alongside its 9.7in older brother.</p><p>Success will depend on pricing. If positioned carefully, the Galaxy Tab could emerge as an operator-friendly alternative to Apple's iPad as it could be subsidised (with a contract) to extremely ultra low price points in the run up to the lucrative holiday sales season.</p><p>This is the first of a torrent of Android tablets we expect to be launched in coming weeks. At the low end, it's going to be a complete bloodbath as no-name brands race to the bottom of the price curve.</p><h2>Carolina Milanesi, research vice-president at Gartner</h2><p>The Galaxy Tab builds on the success that the Galaxy S [mobile phone] has been having since its launch in June. With a 7in display, front and back camera, 16GB and 32GB storage plus SD card and a price tag of around €600 (£500) before subsidy, the Galaxy Tab offers a good solution for those users that have been thinking about getting a tablet but were waiting for something more price competitive.</p><p>Samsung will have about 200 apps at launch that will be dedicated to the Galaxy Tab. All apps in its Markets application store will, of course, run as well. But if the iPad experience is anything to go by, it will be dedicated apps that will make the difference. It will be also interesting to see what will be the consumers' response to the subsidised model. The flexibility that you can have with iPad – where, in the UK, I can buy a day pass for 3G, or a week or a month – has had a lot of success with consumers who do not feel they have signed up their life yet to another contract.</p><p>All that said, the recent Ofcom report on the UK shows that the trend for the 24-month contract is growing. Subsidy on hardware is still what consumers see rather than total cost of ownership.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/tablet-computer">Tablet computers</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/computing">Computing</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/ipad">iPad</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/technology">Technology sector</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/ifa-2010">IFA 2010</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/graemewearden">Graeme Wearden</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/f5fffNU39Zi0Ya-sKTRfLWMi8Kg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/f5fffNU39Zi0Ya-sKTRfLWMi8Kg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/f5fffNU39Zi0Ya-sKTRfLWMi8Kg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/f5fffNU39Zi0Ya-sKTRfLWMi8Kg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Tablet computers Technology Computing iPad Technology sector Business IFA 2010 guardian.co.uk Editorial http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/03/samsung-galaxy-tab-analysts Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:10:25 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/05/africa-space-programme-david-smith/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/84635?ns=guardian&pageName=Africa+prepares+to+join+the+big+boys+in+the+space+race+%7C+David+Smith%3AArticle%3A1447090&ch=World+news&c3=Obs&c4=South+Africa+%28News%29%2CSpace+%28Science%29%2CTechnology%2CNasa%2CWorld+news%2CScience&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CCorporate+IT&c6=David+Smith+%28Africa+correspondent%29&c7=10-Sep-06&c8=1447090&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=World+news&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FWorld+news%2FSouth+Africa" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">The African Union has approved a feasibility study for the creation of an African Space Agency</p><p>Science fiction writer Larry Niven shrewdly observed: "The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space programme." Africa, the cradle of mankind, has been slow to heed the warning, but that could be about to change.</p><p>A decision by the African Union to approve a feasibility study for the creation of an African Space Agency prompted debate. A summit of ministers agreed that the study would also draft a common space policy for the 53 member countries. Some commentators argue that a rival to Nasa could provide jobs and spin-off technology. Others said the continent can ill-afford to pour scarce resources into stargazing when millions continue to face poverty, disease and food shortages.</p><p>But the future is already here, if unevenly distributed. Astronomers have worked in Cape Town for centuries and in 1820 established the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope, the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Africa has launched several satellites and, in 2002, internet millionaire Mark Shuttleworth flew on a Russian Soyuz rocket to become the first African in space.</p><p>The <a href="http://www.iau.org/" title="">International Astronomical Union</a> (IAU) recently awarded Cape Town its Global Astronomy for Development Office to help take astronomy to the developing world. Africa is also competing with Australia in a bid to host the world's most powerful radio telescope, able to peer back billions of years in time.</p><p>An international panel is expected to announce the winner from the two shortlisted continents in 2012, with the victor hosting the £1.25bn <a href="http://www.skatelescope.org/" title="">Square Kilometre Array </a>(SKA) telescope, 50 times more sensitive and 10,000 times faster than any other radio imaging telescope built.</p><p>The SKA telescope would eventually consist of about 3,000 antennas, half concentrated on the outskirts of Carnarvon in the Northern Cape in South Africa, with the rest distributed in Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Ghana, Mauritius, Madagascar, Kenya and Zambia.</p><p>, Johannesburg</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/southafrica">South Africa</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/space">Space</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/nasa">Nasa</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/davidsmith">David Smith</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/JNB1QygvvzMu9GSzlBWP0JZ2aJU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/JNB1QygvvzMu9GSzlBWP0JZ2aJU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/JNB1QygvvzMu9GSzlBWP0JZ2aJU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/JNB1QygvvzMu9GSzlBWP0JZ2aJU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> South Africa Space Technology Nasa World news Science The Observer News http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/05/africa-space-programme-david-smith Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:06:34 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/05/edinburgh-interactive-filmhouse-games/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/89063?ns=guardian&pageName=Future+festival%3A+Edinburgh+Interactive+2010%3AArticle%3A1446497&ch=Technology&c3=Obs&c4=Games+%28Technology%29%2CNintendo+%28Technology%29%2CPlayStation+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CXbox%2CMicrosoft+%28Technology%29%2CComputing+%28Technology%29%2CSony+%28Technology%29%2CCulture+section&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT%2CGames%2CConsumer+Electronics&c6=Kelly+MacDonald&c7=10-Sep-05&c8=1446497&c9=Article&c10=Review&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FGames" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Edinburgh Interactive's focus was on digital distribution and what it might mean for games developers and publishers</p><p>Every year, in the midst of the fringe festival, big names from the games industry come together at the Filmhouse for Edinburgh Interactive – two days of conferences on the future of interactive entertainment. At the same time, on Festival Square, forthcoming titles are made available for the public to play; on showwere <strong>Nintendo</strong>'s Christmas big hitters, <strong>PlayStation 3</strong>'s<strong> </strong>new 3D-enabled titles and <strong>Microsoft Kinect</strong>.</p><p>The overwhelming theme was digital distribution, validated succinctly by Igor Pusenjak of iPhone phenomenon <strong>Doodle Jump</strong> who charted his game's course from underground sensation to 4 million seller. At the close of the first day, <strong>Square Enix</strong>'s Ian Livingstone chaired a controversial debate on whether the future for developers lay in communicating directly with customers without publishers intervening at all, while Jerry Johnson, of <strong>Xbox LIVE</strong>, went on to explore how Microsoft's online service had evolved from simple gaming to a full entertainment hub involving Sky, Facebook and Netflix movies. It's by no means a clear-cut issue, but the debates suggested that huge individual successes are leaving smaller developers genuinely confident that digital distribution will enable them to move ahead without publishers in the future – a potentially huge shift for the gaming industry.</p><p>Elsewhere, <strong>Sony Computer Entertainment</strong>'s CEO Ray Maguire, who led a session on gaming in 3D, acknowledged the crucial state of flux the distribution debate had illustrated. Edinburgh had offered, he said, a window on the "transitions that the industry is going through, rather than just today's product… we used to call ourselves the video game industry, but we're a million miles away from that. We're the interactive industry now."</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/games">Games</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/nintendo">Nintendo</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/playstation">PlayStation</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/xbox">Xbox</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/microsoft/">Microsoft</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/computing">Computing</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/sony">Sony</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/kelly-macdonald">Kelly MacDonald</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/gSz5jImwHErHzZnos_kXB7ctb0c/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/gSz5jImwHErHzZnos_kXB7ctb0c/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/gSz5jImwHErHzZnos_kXB7ctb0c/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/gSz5jImwHErHzZnos_kXB7ctb0c/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Games Nintendo PlayStation Technology Xbox Microsoft Computing Sony Culture The Observer Reviews http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/05/edinburgh-interactive-filmhouse-games Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:06:21 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/askjack/2010/sep/03/dab-radio/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/5272?ns=guardian&pageName=Choosing+a+DAB+radio+%7C+Ask+Jack%3AArticle%3A1447019&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Technology%2CDigital+switchover%2CDigital+radio%2CDigital+media%2CRadio+industry+%28Media%29%2CMedia&c5=Digital+Media%2CMedia+Weekly%2CCorporate+IT%2CRadio+Media&c6=&c7=10-Sep-03&c8=1447019&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=Ask+Jack+blog%2CTechnology+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2Fblog%2FAsk+Jack" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Jon Sawer needs to upgrade his old but dearly loved radio and wants to buy a high-spec DAB radio</p><p><em>I'm about to reluctantly upgrade from my existing extremely old but dearly loved radio. I'm intending to spend as much as I can afford on a top range, high specification standalone DAB radio. You have in the past published many articles on the subject on the UK DAB radio format and how you consider this to be inferior to the European model being developed, and I don't really wish to make an error in my purchase when shopping around. </em><br /><strong>Jon Sawer</strong><br /><br />You can't really buy decent standalone radios any more, unless you want a portable of the sort often called a "kitchen radio". Above that are "tabletop radios" that usually include other functions. The main features are FM and DAB digital radios, a connection for an MP3 player (often an iPod dock), and internet or Wi-Fi radio. Some have CD players and some have hard drives for storing music files. Finally there are "lifestyle" or microsystems that are actually mini hi-fi units with separate speakers. You'll have to decide which kind of system best fits your needs, and your budget.</p><p>This diversity reflects changes in the way people listen to music.<br />Radio now comes from a variety of sources, including thousands of internet radio stations. Also, many people now listen to music files from their portable music players or PC hard drives, not just to CDs and cassette tapes. The most common factor is FM radio, because it's cheap and because FM radio's network coverage is still much better than DAB's.</p><p><strong>Portable DAB/FM radios</strong> tend to be mono and have "retro" (old fashioned) designs. The top-of-the-range model in this class is the Pure Digital Evoke-2S (from about £130), which has a smart veneered finish. It's also a proper stereo radio, although the speakers are too close together to create much of a stereo effect. It has the usual telescopic aerial but you can unscrew it and use something more capable if you live in a weak signal area.</p><p>There's a very similar Pure Evoke-3 model (from £154), which can record to SD memory cards and also comes with a remote control. However, it doesn't say it's upgradeable to DAB+ (see below), so you'll need to check. A cheaper alternative is the "piano black" Roberts Sound 80 (£85), which has a downward-facing bass woofer of the sort more common on tabletop designs.</p><p><strong>Tabletop radios</strong> are trending towards a boxy design exemplified by the Roberts MP43 Sound 43 (CD/DAB/FM/Dock, £180). The Monitor Audio AirStream 10 (£224) is a more stylish and distinctive unit that also includes Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections. Pure's challenger is the Avanti Flow Table-top Digital Music System (£228), which also has a downward facing 5.25 inch subwoofer. However, the one to beat is the <a href="http://www.vitaaudio.com/about/news.php">award-winning</a> Vita Audio R2i (Walnut finish, £280), which has a reputation for its sound quality.</p><p><strong>Microsystems</strong> attempt to deliver hi-fi, or something close to hi-fi, without the overhead of having a large stack of units and speakers on stands. For a very long time, small silver Denon CD/radio receivers have been the ones to buy, though the line has been challenged by Onkyo and others in the value-for-money stakes. The Denon RCD M38 (up to £300) is the latest model, and it now supports USB playback and DAB+ as well as DAB and FM. It's also available for £200 without the two small SC-M37 speakers usually supplied. This allows you to spend a bit more on better speakers.</p><p>There are dozens of small bookshelf speakers on the UK market including the Q Acoustics 2010 and 2020, Tannoy F1 Custom, Monitor Audio BR1 and Mordaunt Short Aviano. They are heavily discounted if you shop around, though in the long run, it's better to buy from a dealer who will let you listen to them first. Most sound much better on stands, but you can use four generous blobs of Blu-Tack to lift each speaker off a shelf.<br />Sony also offers a lot of "mini hi-fi" systems at low prices. The Sony CMTBX77DBI (CD/DAB/FM/Dock, £130) provides the advantages of separate loudspeakers and room-filling sound for less than the cost of many portable radios.</p><p>I've quoted current prices from Amazon.co.uk for convenience, and this is also a good site for checking star ratings and user reviews. You can also use <a href="http://www.testseek.co.uk/home_electronics/radio/dab-c-210.html">TestSeek.co.uk</a> to find magazine and website reviews of most products before shopping around.</p><p>In terms of future-proofing your purchase, the main thing is to look for support for DAB+. This is the relatively new digital radio standard that is replacing the old and inefficient DAB system currently used in the UK. Of course, there are no plans to use DAB+ in the UK at the moment, and even DAB+ will never see the global adoption enjoyed by FM. However, it is painfully obvious that DAB is floundering in the UK, and DAB+ provides the chance to offer higher sound quality, more channels and lower transmission costs than DAB so ultimately it cannot be avoided.</p><p>This doesn't mean DAB would be phased out immediately: DAB+ is backwards-compatible so the two would co-exist while 10m DAB sets drop out of use. Before there's a switchover from FM to DAB, digital radio listening must reach 50%, and national coverage has to match FM coverage. There is zero chance of digital radio listening reaching 50% by 2013, let alone that being DAB digital radio. Indeed, the number of FM radios is still growing much faster than the number of DAB radios, because FM is also appearing in mobile phones and MP3 players. There's also very little chance of DAB matching FM coverage in time: that would require the BBC to spend more than £100m on building out the network. (The government isn't going to pay for it directly, and commercial radio doesn't have the money.)</p><p>But it may never happen. If the government thinks it can make perhaps 150m FM radios redundant then it's in for a very rude shock. (Technically, FM will never be switched off: the plan is to use it for "hyperlocal radio" – presumably schools, hospital radio, community stations etc.)</p><p>However, as I've pointed out <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/jul/01/dab-fm-digital-switchover">before</a>, Lord Carter's Digital Britain report said: "To prepare for any such change or additional upgrade we will work to ensure that digital radio receivers sold in the UK are at least compliant with the WorldDMB receiver profile 1; which includes DAB+ and DMB-A." This prepares the way for moving beyond DAB, though I suspect it had more to do with the European Broadcasting Union's desire to find a standard that would actually work across Europe.</p><p>You could, of course, wait for radios that support WorldDMB receiver profile 1 <a href="http://www.worlddab.org/public_documents/EBU_WorldDMB_Digital_Radio_Receiver_Profiles_Press_Release_12Sept08.pdf">(PDF)</a>, but don't hold your breath.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-switchover">Digital switchover</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-radio">Digital radio</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media">Digital media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/radio">Radio industry</a></li></ul></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/iAp63qrZeFBoFl4CK0ngmTm_p9U/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/iAp63qrZeFBoFl4CK0ngmTm_p9U/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/iAp63qrZeFBoFl4CK0ngmTm_p9U/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/iAp63qrZeFBoFl4CK0ngmTm_p9U/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Technology Digital switchover Digital radio Digital media Radio industry Media guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/askjack/2010/sep/03/dab-radio Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:59:35 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/sep/03/bargain-netbooks/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/66624?ns=guardian&pageName=Bargain+netbooks+bite+back+at+Apple%3AArticle%3A1446547&ch=Money&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Consumer+affairs+%28Money%29%2CSaving+money+%28UK+consumer%29%2CMoney%2CStudent+finance+%28Money%29%2CNetbooks+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CStudents%2CEducation&c5=Personal+Finance%2CEducation+Weekly+Education%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CStudents+Education%2CCorporate+IT%2CConsumer+News%2CInvestments+%26+Savings&c6=Marc+Lockley&c7=10-Sep-03&c8=1446547&c9=Article&c10=Feature&c11=Money&c13=Price+check&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FMoney%2FConsumer+affairs" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">There are bargains to be had for netbook shoppers on a budget, says Marc Lockley</p><p>Last week's article regarding the Apple MacBook <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/aug/26/apple-macbook-price-check" title="Take a bite out of the Apple MacBook price">sparked a fiery debate</a> about affordability and the usual battle between Apple and PCs. This week we are balancing the books, looking at a few netbooks which are a fraction of the cost of the Apple product.</p><p>Netbooks are a great alternative for the budget-conscious student who wants to do their work but not miss out on portability, affordability, sociability and surfability.</p><p>As there are a number of choices in this category, please feel free to add your own preferences or price updates below. For the sake of too much repetition the following all come with 1GB of RAM.</p><h2>Less than £200</h2><p>Student Computers are selling the <a href="http://www.studentcomputers.co.uk/Samsung_N110_Netbook_1403018.html" title="Student Computers website">Samsung N110 Netbook</a> for £189 with a 250GB hard drive, Windows 7 starter pack and eight hours of battery life. They also offer an <a href="http://www.studentcomputers.co.uk/ASUS_Eee_PC_1000H_White_-_NEW__1401289.html" title="Asus Eee PC 1000H offer">Asus Eee PC 1000H</a> that has an 80GB hard drive and a two-year warranty for £182.13.</p><p>The Compaq Mini 110c-1010SA comes with a 160GB hard drive and a 1.6GHZ processor speed and runs on Windows XP and costs £198.99 <a href="http://www.shop.bt.com/products/compaq-mini-110c-1010sa-atom-n270-1-6-ghz-1gb-160gb-windows-xp-home-netbook-73YJ.html" title="BT shop: Compaq Mini 110c-1010SA offer">with BT</a> and <a href="http://www.dabs.com/products/compaq-mini-110c-1010sa-atom-n270-1-6-ghz-1gb-160gb-windows-xp-home-netbook-73YJ.html" title="Dabs.com: Compaq Mini 110c-1010SA offer">Dabs.com</a>. This netbook won the best budget laptop in a recent <a href="http://www.reevoo.com/" title="Reevoo website">Reevoo</a> survey of 1,000 students.</p><p>Meanwhile, the <a href="http://www.oyyy.co.uk/product.php/92099/acer-aspire-one-d250-aod250-0bb-netbook-pc-lu-s680b-199">Acer Aspire One D250 AOD250-OBb</a> netbook is best priced at £199 with Oyyy.co.uk. It comes with a 160GB hard drive and a 1.6GHz processor.</p><h2>More than £200</h2><p>The Acer Aspire One 533 with an Intel Atom N455 processor, 250GB hard drive and Windows 7 has eight hours battery life and costs £279.99 at <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003SX0UWO/ref=asc_df_B003SX0UWO792917?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B003SX0UWO" title="Amazon Acer Aspire One 533 offer">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5083503/c_1/1|category_root|Office,+PCs+and+phones|14418968/c_2/3|cat_15701344|Laptops+and+Netbooks|16164797.htm?_$ja=tsid:11527|cc:|prd:5083503|cat:office%2C+pcs+%26+phones+%3E+laptops+and+netbooks+%3E+netbooks+and+mini+laptops" title="Argos Acer Aspire One 533 offer">Argos</a>, although the latter includes free Norton internet security until 28 September. However <a href="http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/acer-aspire-one-533-06559684-pdt.html" title="">PC World are offering £50 off your old laptop/netbook</a> thereby reducing it to £229.99.</p><p>If you are signing up to a mobile broadband deal you can get the Acer Aspire One 521 (160GB hard drive, Windows 7) for free <a href="http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/acer-aspire-one-521-06559687-pdt.html" title="">with PC World</a>, but the mobile deal with Vodafone will cost you £600 over two years.</p><p>Amazon are selling <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-10-1-inch-Netbook-Processor-Bluetooth/dp/B00336EN9C/ref=br_lf_m_1000277773_1_2_ttl?ie=UTF8&s=computers&pf_rd_p=212524087&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000277773&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=10QFMDR7MJZ4WQW7Y66G" title="Amazon Asus 1005PE deal">the new Asus 1005PE</a> with an Intel Atom N450 1.66GHz processor and a huge 11-hour battery life and Windows 7 for £254.99.</p><p>Play.com lead the field for the <a href="http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/13555922/Samsung-N210-Intel-Atom-Processor-N450-1-66GHz-1GB-250GB-10-1-Windows-7-Starter-Netbook-White/Product.html" title="Play Samsung N210 deal">Samsung N210</a> at £269.99, which has a battery life of up to 11 hours, Windows 7 and a 250GB hard drive with the Atom N450 processor.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs">Consumer affairs</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/saving-money">Saving money</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/student-finance">Student finance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/netbooks">Netbooks</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/students">Students</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/marc-lockley">Marc Lockley</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/sRdMAfQYwxV7OV-tudf-DNLuYMs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/sRdMAfQYwxV7OV-tudf-DNLuYMs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/sRdMAfQYwxV7OV-tudf-DNLuYMs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/sRdMAfQYwxV7OV-tudf-DNLuYMs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Consumer affairs Saving money Money Student finance Netbooks Technology Students Education guardian.co.uk Features http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/sep/03/bargain-netbooks Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:56:21 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/01/blackberry-india-rim/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/39660?ns=guardian&pageName=BlackBerry+wins+the+battle+but+not+the+war+in+India%3AArticle%3A1445984&ch=Technology&c3=Guardian&c4=BlackBerry+%28Technology%29%2CData+and+computer+security+%28safeguarding+computers+and+data+from+criminals%29%2CMobile+phones+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CWorld+news%2CIndia+%28News%29%2CBusiness&c5=Business+Markets%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Josh+Halliday&c7=10-Sep-01&c8=1445984&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FBlackBerry" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Ban still looms despite temporary truce after BlackBerry maker RIM grants authorities access to 'secure' data passed between devices</p><p>After weeks of standoff between south Asia and North America, the Indian authorities yesterday won limited access to data from BlackBerry smartphones. The 800,000 users of the devices in the country had been threatened with a blackout because of the Delhi government's growing fear that militants could use the BlackBerry's secure network to plot terror attacks without fear of being monitored.</p><p>The authorities can now get access to some data. The arrangement will be evaluated for 60 days, but the prospect of a ban still looms large for Research in Motion (RIM), the Canadian company behind the smartphones.</p><p>India has also opened up a front against Google and Skype. The home secretary, GK Pillai, said the internet companies were being asked to set up servers in India so that the authorities there could monitor data.</p><p>India's moves underline the anxieties of emerging governments about the reach of western communications groups, and particularly the BlackBerry.</p><p>The United Arab Emirates is threatening to block BlackBerry services by 11 October if it does not get access to encrypted messages. Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon are also reviewing the future of BlackBerry services in their countries; all cite security fears over the level of encryption afforded to communication sent between devices.</p><p>However, this strategy risks alienating the very global businesses such countries are trying to attract, because the employees of multinationals increasingly rely upon BlackBerrys to conduct their day-to-day work.</p><p>RIM's problems – its shares have fallen to a 17-month low – lie in the way BlackBerry devices get access to the internet and email through secure centres around the world using specialist encryption.</p><p>BlackBerry's Messenger instant-messaging service and its email service have different levels of security, and email security depends on the server being used. Since the BlackBerry was launched 11 years ago, it has been the mobile phone of choice for business users and governments across the world. But RIM's reputation for producing apparently impenetrable security for high-profile customers is at risk of being irreparably damaged by these new demands.</p><p>Last Thursday, RIM said it would lead an industry forum on how to allow law-enforcement agencies to get access to communication networks while not encroaching on the security needs of private enterprises. That was all well and good, Indian government sources told Reuters, but the country wanted a technical solution – and quickly. "The government's position does not change," the source said. "We are hopeful [RIM] will come up with some solution."</p><h2>Risk that RIM will lose users' trust</h2><p>The problem for RIM is that if it gains governments' trust by giving them the means to see messages, it will probably lose the trust – and perhaps the business – of users who have previously relied on its security as a way of avoiding the government's gaze.</p><p>A university professor in UAE, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Guardian: "The issue has received a lot of coverage in the UAE, but nothing compared to the conversation 'on the ground'. Since virtually every Emirati aged 17 to 40 owns a BlackBerry and uses the messenger feature constantly, this has been of great concern to them.</p><p>"I'd guess that around 30% accept this is for security reasons, while the rest believe it to be, at the least, intrusive. The latter believe it to be a response to a number of fairly high-profile Emiratis being attacked, derided, vilified via the messenger broadcast service. Emiratis send many broadcasts daily, and gossip runs through the community like wildfire."</p><p>One of the biggest issues for the countries concerned is this messenger broadcast function. Allowing users to send one-to-many messages to everyone in their contacts book has proved an effective and galvanising way of spreading comment, and is often used as a vehicle for anti-establishment opinion – something UAE authorities are sensitive about. "The government walks a very thin line between appearing liberal and modern to the west, and traditional and Islamic at home," the professor said. "This issue cuts to the heart of the impossibility of doing both at once.</p><p>The professor, who has owned a BlackBerry for more than a year, said he would have no qualms in switching to another device if RIM's concessions infringed his right to communicate without fear of government interception. "I can only presume RIM is aware of this and is treading carefully," he said. "I have faith in the company, as it clearly does little for them to give up what makes the device so valuable – its security."</p><p>He added: "This has been called another public relations disaster for the UAE, and I fail to see how someone will not point this out to the rulers – and they are exceptionally concerned with remaining attractive in the eyes of western governments," he added. "This has done them no favours with the business community internationally nor with the majority of locals and expats domestically."</p><h2>Falling foul of authority</h2><p>Being on the wrong side of officialdom is not new to the Canadian manufacturer. Ironically, given the more recent bout of security concerns, three years ago the French government banned its officials from using BlackBerry devices, citing fears that communication could be intercepted by countries hosting the enterprise servers – namely Canada, the US and the UK. When Barack Obama took office in January 2009, the BlackBerry he had used on the campaign trail was replaced with one with extra security, approved by the US National Security Agency, which was concerned about people trying to tap it.</p><p>Further east, security demands meant negotiations to take the BlackBerry to China and Russia took two years to resolve in both countries.</p><p>Unlike Indian officials, who have slipped anonymous tidbits and soundbites to the news agencies, RIM has remained tight-lipped about its negotiations. In a rare public statement addressed to customers earlier this month, the Canadian manufacturer said it co-operated with all governments to a consistent level: "Any claims that we provide, or have ever provided, something unique to the government of one country that we have not offered to the governments of all countries, are unfounded."</p><p>The complexity and range of security solutions offered by RIM may be the source of the company's friction with governments, said Leif-Olof Wallin, vice-president of the IT research company Gartner. "What seems to be the big challenge is that lots of BlackBerry service and infrastructure is not very well understood by the regulatory authorities or by its users," Wallin said. "Although physically it is the same device, it can be used in lots of different scenarios."</p><p>Financially, Wallin said, a ban in India would have negligible impact on RIM's global business, although the country was the second-largest mobile phone market in the world behind China. And RIM would emerge less tarnished than the countries involved.</p><p>Informa Telecoms & Media forecasts that there will be more than 600,000 BlackBerry sales in India this year and that India's smartphone market will have reached approximately 12m – a figure forecast to grow to 40m by the end of 2015.</p><p>"At the very last minute there will be an agreement in place," Wallin predicted. "Banning BlackBerry devices in the country has significant implications affecting foreign diplomats, foreign enterprise executives. It would be a major inconvenience to lots of important allies."</p><h2>Monitoring messages on a case-by case basis</h2><p>That is not to say that the Indian or UAE governments will be given free rein to tap emails or messenger messages. "Our interpretation of RIM's public statements is that the company is willing to facilitate mobile operators to lawfully intercept some messages," said Wallin.</p><p>"And BlackBerry will – on a case-by-case basis – be assisting network operators to decrypt BlackBerry Messenger, we think. With email between the BlackBerry and BlackBerry Enterprise Server, RIM simply does not have the capabilities to decrypt it, and the encryption key is unique to each user.</p><p>"Though some of our clients are worried about what to do in case a ban is put in place, it looks like BlackBerry [manufacturer RIM] is benefiting from this as they're not caving in – they're being perceived as an honest secure company."</p><p>Gail Thompson, owner of a landscaping company based in Dubai and a BlackBerry owner, said the ill thought-out warnings were not atypical of Emirates officials. "I'm expecting them to backpedal on it," Thompson said. "I'm anticipating that [the authorities will] issue a blanket mandate, then realise that it's unworkable – that's what I'm I'm hoping. I think they've had a kneejerk reaction to things.</p><p>"They need to take into account that business people are coming into the country and [the UAE doesn't] need another hurdle in the economy," Thompson said. "People are thinking that it's ludicrous – we all understand that our emails and calls are monitored, it's just part of our lives. I just think it's a cultural thing out there."</p><p>But that thinking is not shared by all of UAE's half a million BlackBerry users.</p><p>A teacher who has lived in the region for 10 years and wished to remain anonymous said she would blame RIM "for caving into demands that compromise people's privacy" if the manufacturer facilitated greater access to their emails.</p><p>"There is no alternative but switching to another device," she said. "If [RIM] allowed the government to intercept messages, I wouldn't be sending you this email."</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blackberry">BlackBerry</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/data-computer-security">Data and computer security</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/mobilephones">Mobile phones</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/india">India</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/josh-halliday">Josh Halliday</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/orSJTxDFaQo73hYJeTqgFIQRD7M/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/orSJTxDFaQo73hYJeTqgFIQRD7M/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/orSJTxDFaQo73hYJeTqgFIQRD7M/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/orSJTxDFaQo73hYJeTqgFIQRD7M/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> BlackBerry Data and computer security Mobile phones Technology World news India Business The Guardian News http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/01/blackberry-india-rim Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:32:00 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/sep/02/virgin-media-broadband-speed-advertising/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/23244?ns=guardian&pageName=Virgin+Media+steps+up+battle+over+broadband+speed+advertising%3AArticle%3A1446320&ch=Media&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Virgin+Media%2CBroadband%2CDigital+media%2CAdvertising+%28media%29%2CBT+Group+%28Business%29&c5=Digital+Media%2CBusiness+Markets%2CMedia+Weekly%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CAdvertising+Media&c6=Josh+Halliday&c7=10-Sep-02&c8=1446320&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Media&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FMedia%2FVirgin+Media" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Cable provider promises monthly average speed tally, and publishes survey claiming 93% of public support its case</p><p>Virgin Media has promised to publish its typical broadband speeds each month, as it publishes a survey suggesting that most customers find internet service providers' advertisements misleading.</p><p></p><p>Only 9% of respondents surveyed by ICM for Virgin Media think broadband advertising tends to be accurate, and 93% of people believe ISPs should only advertise the typical speed received by the majority of customers.</p><p></p><p>It is common practice for ISPs to advertise broadband speeds of "up to" 8Mbps, 20Mbps or 50Mbps, although according to the poll 98% of people believe there is a clearer way to advertise speeds.</p><p></p><p>Virgin Media has thrown its weight behind a move away from advertising "up to" speeds, proposing that ISPs advertise "typical" or "average" speeds qualified by independent experts.</p><p></p><p>But BT has already signalled its opposition, saying that listing "average" speeds would be disadvantageous to larger networks operating in rural areas that require longer copper lines.</p><p></p><p>ICM's sample of 1,000 respondents found that 90% of people find it difficult to compare and contrast broadband services advertised by rival providers because they cannot be sure of the speed they will actually receive, while 54% are unsurprised when shown the difference between advertised speeds and delivered speeds.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jul/27/telecoms-btgroup" title="Data released by communications regulator Ofcom in July">Data released by communications regulator Ofcom in July</a> showed the average broadband speed is now just 46% of what was advertised, down from 56% a year ago. "There is a very big difference between the headline services that are advertised and the actual speeds that are delivered," said Ed Richards, Ofcom's chief executive.</p><p></p><p>Last month the Advertising Standards Authority – which had asked the Committee of Advertising Practice to review broadband speed claims – <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/25/bt-banned-asa-advertising" title="banned a broadband advertisement by BT">banned a broadband advertisement by BT</a>, the UK's largest fixed line broadband provider, following complaints from BSkyB, TalkTalk and Virgin Media.</p><p></p><p>The ASA ruled that BT could not back up its claim that the 20Mbps service was consistently faster than its 8Mbps offering, saying that the advert was "likely to mislead" and banning it in its current form. BT said it was "disappointed" by the ASA adjudication, saying it had no intention to mislead customers.</p><p></p><p>Virgin Media is the second-largest fixed-line broadband provider in the UK, with 22.5% of the market share; BT has 26.7%. From today, Virgin will publish monthly updates of the typical speed being received by 66% of customers over 24 hours.</p><p></p><p>Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media, said: "People are paying for faster and faster broadband but being ripped off by unscrupulous providers who can't deliver their promised speeds to even a single customer.</p><p></p><p>"A change in advertising is urgently needed to build consumer confidence in super-fast broadband and the industry more generally. In the meantime, I hope other ISPs will quickly follow Virgin Media's lead by disclosing their own monthly performance data so people can make an informed decision about how to spend their money."</p><p></p><p><em>• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000.</em></p><p></p><p><em>• If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".</em></p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/virginmedia">Virgin Media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/broadband">Broadband</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media">Digital media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/advertising">Advertising</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/btgroup">BT</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/josh-halliday">Josh Halliday</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/A7otlWTKIpFxm-l0OQ4Fz9MkHOM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/A7otlWTKIpFxm-l0OQ4Fz9MkHOM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/A7otlWTKIpFxm-l0OQ4Fz9MkHOM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/A7otlWTKIpFxm-l0OQ4Fz9MkHOM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Virgin Media Broadband Digital media Advertising BT guardian.co.uk News http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/sep/02/virgin-media-broadband-speed-advertising Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:33:30 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/all/print null<p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/mKorvHb0TrgkQbqfAJUhKtezo_g/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/mKorvHb0TrgkQbqfAJUhKtezo_g/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/mKorvHb0TrgkQbqfAJUhKtezo_g/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/mKorvHb0TrgkQbqfAJUhKtezo_g/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Technology guardian.co.uk Editorial http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/all Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:53:52 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/sep/03/epic-mickey-wii-introduction/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/23537?ns=guardian&pageName=Meet+Disney%27s+Epic+Mickey%3AArticle%3A1447113&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Technology%2CWii%2CNintendo+%28Technology%29%2CGames+%28Technology%29&c5=Corporate+IT%2CGames%2CConsumer+Electronics&c6=Jack+Arnott&c7=10-Sep-03&c8=1447113&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=Games+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2Fblog%2FGames+blog" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Watch as Disney gets darker in this exclusive first-look at the full introduction to Epic Mickey on the WIi</p><p>Mickey Mouse has been a surprisingly neglected character when it comes to the world of video games. A couple of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Mickey_Mouse_video_games">half decent 16-bit appearances</a> aside, the world's most recognisable cartoon mouse (sorry Jerry) has never really been given an outing that befits his iconic status.</p><p>All that could well be about to change with the forthcoming release of Epic Mickey. By enlisting the help of gaming legend Warren Spector and adopting a darker, more adult tone, Disney has made a clear departure from Mickey's previous half-hearted and generic platformer outings.</p><p>I attended a preview of the first couple of levels in the game a few weeks back, and it was looking very impressive. The game offers platform and RPG elements and a striking visual style, and gives a pleasingly sophisticated interpretation of the Disney universe.</p><p>The game sees Mickey navigate a "Wasteland" where discarded characters are held in a sort of Buena Vista purgatory. Allowing Spector to trawl the archives to recover genuine lost or forgotten-about Disney creations adds real value for fans and anyone who grew up with the films and cartoons. You meet the supporting cast of pirates from Peter Pan early on in the game, for example.</p><p>We'll have to wait until we've played a bit more of the game before we get too excited, of course, but I for one am already dusting off my Wii in anticipation. If I haven't convinced you, hopefully this trailer will help whet your appetite.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/wii">Wii</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/nintendo">Nintendo</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/games">Games</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/jackarnott">Jack Arnott</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/J3BykmNGXubqc30yHuxjVIRze5A/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/J3BykmNGXubqc30yHuxjVIRze5A/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/J3BykmNGXubqc30yHuxjVIRze5A/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/J3BykmNGXubqc30yHuxjVIRze5A/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Technology Wii Nintendo Games guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/sep/03/epic-mickey-wii-introduction Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:35:00 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/sep/03/tfl-timetables-boris-johnson/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/5692?ns=guardian&pageName=Another+data+win%3A+TfL+opens+up+bus+and+tube+timetables+for+developers%3AArticle%3A1446933&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Free+our+data%2CBoris+Johnson%2CTechnology&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Charles+Arthur&c7=10-Sep-03&c8=1446933&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=Charlie%27s+Angles+%28series%29&c25=Technology+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FFree+our+data" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Lobbying by London Mayor Boris Johnson has paid off once more - and put the city further forward in the open data stakes</p><p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabiovenni/1416471761/" title="Untitled by fabbio, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1074/1416471761_5421696f71.jpg" width="460" /></a><br /><em>Tube train, on time. Photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/fabiovenni/"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabiovenni/">fabbio</a></a> on Flickr. <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en" rel="license cc:license">Some rights reserved</a></em></p><p>Want to get the bus and underground timetables, in a zippy XML format? You can, right now, <a href="http://data.london.gov.uk/datastore/package/tfl-timetable-listings">via the London Datastore</a>. </p><p>As the page explains, "The data available in the attached zip file consists of almost 800 xml files, with each relating to a particular service i.e. one per tube line, bus route, riverboat route, dlr route etc. Each xml file contains the following data elements: StopPoints; RouteSections; Routes; JourneyPatternSections; Operators; Services; VehicleJourneys."</p><p>Getting this data out hasn't been a trivial task - and my understanding is that it's been down to persistent lobbying from the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, himself.</p><p>This is another significant tranche of data to come out of TfL - an organisation that for years has been seen by developers and some within the Greater London Assembly as something of a black box; as one person put it to me, "you pour money in at one end and you get transport out at the other, but you're not allowed to see inside it." Previously, TfL released data about locations of bus stops, and then some real-time data about movements of tube trains - which led, you'll recall, to <a href="http://traintimes.org.uk:81/map/tube/?from=map;to=tube">Matthew Somerville's live tube train map</a>. (Unfortunately, the API for that has been suspended: it couldn't cope with 10m hits per week, and hasn't come back since June. Ahem, ahem, TfL.)</p><p>You can see <a href="http://data.london.gov.uk/taxonomy/categories/transport">all the London transport-related datasets</a> via the London Datastore. With Johnson pushing it, though, light is starting to shine inside TfL.</p><p>By far the most successful demonstration of the power of making data free though has come from the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/jun/30/tfl-cycle-data-free">London Cycle Hire scheme</a> - where you can now get real-time information about availability of bicycles for hire, by location, in apps for <a href="http://road.cc/content/news/20937-new-android-widget-cycle-hire-scheme">Android</a> and <a href="http://road.cc/content/news/20869-another-barclays-cycle-hire-scheme-iphone-app">iPhone</a>.</p><p>But if we can now add information about bus and tubes to apps like that, we're getting closer to the point where TfL really is being run for the citizens of London, rather than (as many bureaucracies are) for its staff. The distinction is a fine one - most organisations think of themselves as having their users' best interests at heart; the difference is that when you can get feedback, then the organisation may discover things about their users that they never knew.</p><p>There's still some way to go with TfL: for example, it collects data about how many cars pass particular points (using induction loops in the road) which is used for traffic light timing; that's data that many developers would love to get their hands, or processors, on. You never know: if the pressure continues, it might come too.</p><p>You might think that Boris Johnson's presence pushing this along is just a bit of grandstanding, but that wouldn't be correct. He's actually been in the vanguard of politicians introducing open data. If you have a long memory for public data-related stories, you'll recall that he did a rather neat end-run around the Labour administration's Home Office in 2008, when as part of his manifesto while running for the office of London mayor he declared that he would publish crime maps. </p><p>We were <a href="http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/?p=194">a little sceptical</a> on the Free Our Data blog, although the <a href="http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/?p=200">blocking attitude of the police</a> and the <a href="http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/?p=202">Information Commissioner's Office</a> did nudge us towards Johnson's side.</p><p>Johnson did go on to publish them, and London has been in the forefront of cities which have tried to do innovative things with the data that its local government and authorities collect. First came the London Datastore, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/06/london-datastore-launch-johnson-mashups">launched in January</a>. Then came the datasets. And that brings us to the present day. For the many who don't live in London, this might all seem academic - but really the Datastore, and the political impetus behind it, are examples for the rest of the country that making data open and reusable actually can have a benefit. Would the Bike Scheme be as useful if you couldn't find out availability easily? Probably not. And once the TfL timetables have been processed, someone is sure to have a smart use for them.</p><p>Can't wait, personally. Overall, 2010 has already been a fantastic year - possibly the best ever - for making data free: first the London Datastore, then the Ordnance Survey OpenData release in April, and now the drive by central government to get both central and local government to publish data (soon to include the text of contracts) about spending. Results don't come much better than that.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/free-our-data">Free our data</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/boris">Boris Johnson</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/charlesarthur">Charles Arthur</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/A-RsJ2jIn_xi7NRfvmFn9Q_GdE0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/A-RsJ2jIn_xi7NRfvmFn9Q_GdE0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/A-RsJ2jIn_xi7NRfvmFn9Q_GdE0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/A-RsJ2jIn_xi7NRfvmFn9Q_GdE0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Free our data Boris Johnson Technology guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/sep/03/tfl-timetables-boris-johnson Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:52:34 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/05/car-review-jeep-wrangler-4x4-american/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/76621?ns=guardian&pageName=Car+review%3A+Jeep+Wrangler%3AArticle%3A1445619&ch=Technology&c3=Obs&c4=Motoring+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology&c5=Motoring%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Martin+Love&c7=10-Sep-05&c8=1445619&c9=Article&c10=Feature%2CReview&c11=Technology&c13=Wheels+%28series%29&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FMotoring" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Built for the Wild West but sentenced to a life on the road, the Wrangler could be a country & western ballad</p><p><strong>Price</strong> £24,190 <br /><strong>MPG</strong> 30.1<br /><strong>Top speed</strong> 107mph<br /><br />The sweaty-headed banker sitting next to me at a charity comedy evening didn't know what to make of the first act. "Is it a man?" he whispered, as a pencil-thin female impersonator whooped on to the stage in a blizzard of sequins and intimately subdued body parts. Tina C introduced herself as a "country music artiste from Open Throat Holler, Tennessee". And with songs like "No Dick's as Hard as My Life!" she went on to brilliantly eviscerate the country & western stereotype, grinding it under the heels of her rhinestoned cowboy boots.</p><p>As I listened, I could only imagine what Ms C would have made of the bizarrely appropriate vehicle I'd pulled up in that night. Jeep's Wrangler Ultimate is a bristlingly macho, red neck stereotype all of its own. With its bloated wheels, thigh-high bumpers and die-hard looks, it's a vehicle that's almost impossible to sit in with a straight face. It feels like a theatrical prop rather than a car. It's a motor that's immune to the sensibilities of our times, virtually unchanged from the dark decades before the sexual revolution, when off-roaders were thrashed by men who wore chaps, neckerchiefs and fearsome moustaches even when they weren't parodying the Village People.</p><p>This 4x4 has its roots in the CJ (Civilian Jeep), the public version of the famous US military Jeep first introduced in the Second World War. Since then many variations have come and gone but the basic vehicle has always stayed the same. However, after you've taken away the <em>yee-haa</em>, what are you really left with? So much of the all-American Jeep is about image that it's difficult to remain objective.</p><p>The two-door version with clip-on, clip-off roof system that I drove was certainly brilliant fun (once I'd worked out how to get the roof off and found a garage to store it in), though it did sometimes feel more like wrestling than driving. And the 13-year-old boys I ferried around over a long weekend thought they'd died and gone to line-dancing heaven. But is that really what you want in a car as an adult?</p><p>The Ultimate weighs 2.5 tonnes and can happily tow a 2-tonne trailer. Its 2.8-litre diesel engine delivers a top speed of 107mph and will take you to 62mph in a dozen seconds. Remarkably, it will do about 30mpg – a figure that's higher than you'd expect from such an unreconstructed brute.</p><p>On the open road the Wrangler Ultimate's imperious height means it feels slightly unsteady at speed, and the super-responsive steering makes motorway driving twitchy and exhausting. But that's to miss the point of the Jeep. Beyond all the Wild West posturing the Wrangler is an off-roader with real pedigree. Its hard-plastic interior and no-nonsense finishing are made to be hosed out after a long day in the dust, rounding up those longhorns. It has a ground clearance of almost a foot, it can iron out a 38-degree slope with ease and will wade through water that's half a metre deep without hesitation.</p><p>But trapped on the tarmac, this bulked-up Jeep is like a performing sea lion, a powerful beast sentenced to a life of meaningless tricks. If only Tina C could set it free…</p><p><br /><br /></p><h2>On the road: Do you hate garages?</h2><p>When it comes to choosing a new car, we consider its safety, its speed and its sexiness. But surely its reliability should be the ultimate arbiter? What Car? examined Warranty Direct's data on breakdowns for 50,000 insurance policies and found, for the fifth consecutive year, that the most reliable cars on the road were all made by Honda (below).</p><p></p><p>The most expensive car to repair, not surprisingly is a Porsche, with an average bill of £717. Conversely, Renaults may break down all the time, but at least they are the cheapest to repair – an average of £226 per garage visit.<br /><br /></p><p></p><h2>The endless grey ribbon</h2><p>Like most of us I spend 50 weeks of the year driving on congested, pot-holed, over-signposted roads. The other two weeks of the year are all I have to remind myself that there is another way. Last month, we headed for the southeastern corner of Spain for two weeks of sunshine. My wife organised the villa, the passports, the dog (and cat) sitter, the holiday clothes… All I had to do was sort out the flights and rent a car. Easy, 20 minutes on the computer and return flights to Alicante for five were booked and a car was reserved at <a href="http://Sixt.co.uk" title="">Sixt.co.uk</a>. The only problem was that the villa was actually near Almeria – not Alicante – a mere 300km away. A boring waste of time for the rest of the family, yes. But for me, a chance to drive at speed down a great chunk of the glorious E15/N7. Also known as the Autovia del Mediterráneo, this incredible strip of virtually vehicle-free, velvety smooth tarmac slices through the desert-like scrub and rugged mountains of the most arid corner of Europe. The road is actually 1,300km long and runs from Barcelona in the north to Algeciras in the south. And the best thing of all? I got to do it all again at the end of the fortnight…</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Email Martin at <a href="mailto:martin.love@observer.co.uk" title="">martin.love@observer.co.uk</a> or visit <a href="http://guardian.co.uk/profile/martinlove" title="">guardian.co.uk/profile/martinlove</a> for all his reviews in one place</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/motoring">Motoring</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/martinlove">Martin Love</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/SqvrDm6hPcf-NAkmg6Md3_CjCu0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/SqvrDm6hPcf-NAkmg6Md3_CjCu0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/SqvrDm6hPcf-NAkmg6Md3_CjCu0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/SqvrDm6hPcf-NAkmg6Md3_CjCu0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Motoring Technology The Observer Features Reviews http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/sep/05/car-review-jeep-wrangler-4x4-american Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:06:06 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2010/aug/31/gmail-priority-inbox/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/17242?ns=guardian&pageName=Read+this%21+Gmail+now+prioritises+your+inbox%3AArticle%3A1445378&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Google+%28Technology%29%2CGmail+%28Technology%29%2CEmail+%28Technology%29%2CMedia%2CDigital+media%2CTechnology&c5=Digital+Media%2CMedia+Weekly%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Jemima+Kiss&c7=10-Aug-31&c8=1445378&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=PDA+blog%2CTechnology+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FGoogle" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>Gmail's latest feature is arguably the biggest innovation since the service launched in April 2004. </p><p>'Priority inbox' learns from your email usage patterns and begins to prioritise messages that it thinks you'll be most likely to read. Your inbox is divided into three sections: important and unread, starred and everything else. </p><p>The classification should improve, because you can mark messages with 'less important' or 'more important', and Gmail will learn to reclassify accordingly. It's like the inverse of junk mail filtering.</p><p> <br />Software engineer Doug Aberdeen on the <a href="http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/email-overload-try-priority-inbox.html">official Gmail blog</a> described this as "a new way of taking on information overload".<br /><em><br />"Gmail uses a variety of signals to predict which messages are important, including the people you email most (if you email Bob a lot, a message from Bob is probably important) and which messages you open and reply to (these are likely more important than the ones you skip over)." </em></p><p>Priority inbox is slowly rolling out across Gmail services. It hasn't appeared in my personal account yet, but will in the next few days along with Google Apps users (if their administrator has opted to 'Enable pre-release features').</p><p>Drag and drop, launched in April, helped a little. Filters help, for those that can be bothered to set them up. But priority inbox could make a significant difference, and if Wave wasn't quite the right format for centralising and streamlining messages, then this is a more usable step in that direction.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gmail">Gmail</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/email">Email</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media">Digital media</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/jemimakiss">Jemima Kiss</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/lUnuhXBXK200PKPJ5TY10EngCgI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/lUnuhXBXK200PKPJ5TY10EngCgI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/lUnuhXBXK200PKPJ5TY10EngCgI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/lUnuhXBXK200PKPJ5TY10EngCgI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Google Gmail Email Media Digital media Technology guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2010/aug/31/gmail-priority-inbox Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:54:38 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2010/aug/24/html5-youtube-mobile/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/68241?ns=guardian&pageName=HTML5+version+of+YouTube+launches+for+mobiles%3AArticle%3A1442746&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=YouTube+%28Technology%29%2CHTML5%2CMobile+phones+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CSoftware+%28Technology%29%2CComputing+%28Technology%29%2CTelecoms+%28Technology%29%2CInternet&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Josh+Halliday&c7=10-Aug-24&c8=1442746&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=PDA+blog%2CTechnology+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FYouTube" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">The move will speed up access for people using the site via iPhones or Android</p><p>Mobile users in the UK, Europe and Middle East can now access an HTML5 version of Google's YouTube video site, speeding up access for those accessing it via iPhones, Android or other mobile devices with browsers able to render HTML5 video content.</p><p>The launch comes as mobile use of the web is growing rapidly: Google says that YouTube's mobile site, <a href="http://m.youtube.com/" title="m.youtube.com">m.youtube.com</a>, gets more than 100m video playbacks a day – roughly the number of daily views youtube.com was getting when being acquired by Google in 2006 – and every minute an hour of video is uploaded to the site from a mobile device. Mobile video playback also grew by 160% in 2009 on the previous year, along with an increase in adoption of devices able to stream video.</p><p>The US version of the HTML5 site for mobiles was launched last month.</p><p>Across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the UK consumes the most YouTube videos on mobile devices, followed by France, Italy, Netherlands and Switzerland.</p><p>The original mobile version of YouTube launched in 2007, but relied on versions of Adobe's Flash for playback – which was too taxing for most devices. Since then, the development of the HTML5 web standard, and of mobile browsers – notably WebKit, used by Apple in the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, and by Google in Android – able to play back embedded video content using the H.264 codec, rather than Flash's usual Sorensen or VP6 codecs, has meant that HTML5 video use has become feasible.</p><p>Google says the decision has been driven by the dramatic growth in mobile access to YouTube, which is more than doubling every year.</p><p>Several short-form video sites are building players in HTML5: Vimeo brought out a hybrid HTML5 version of its player earlier this month, designed for better mobile playback. But when US-only TV and movie streaming site Hulu unveiled a major revamp of its display earlier this year, it did so using Adobe Flash, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/may/14/hulu-adobe-flash-html5" title="saying">saying</a> HTML5 "doesn't meet our customers' needs".</p><p>The use of HTML5 does not mean that Flash is shut out of YouTube's mobile version: Adobe's product can encode video in H.264 as well. But the growing use of desktop browsers such as Google's Chrome and Apple's Safari, which can render H.264 video – and with the forthcoming Internet Explorer 9 also offering it – poses a long-term question about Flash's continued widespread use.</p><p>Brightcove, the video hosting service for many media organisations, began offering an HTML5 version of its site in March this year. The New York Times and Time Inc were among the first media outlets to integrate it – allowing playback on Apple's popular mobile devices, which do not use Flash.</p><p>Closer to home, Erik Huggers, director of BBC future media & technology, recently defended the corporation from accusations that its widespread use of Flash – on the iPlayer, in particular – betrayed a commitment to open standards.</p><p>"Our use of Flash is not a case of BBC favouritism, rather it currently happens to be the most efficient way to deliver a high quality experience to the broadest possible audience," Huggers said, adding: "The fact is that there's still a lot of work to be done on HTML5 before we can integrate it fully into our products. As things stand I have concerns about HTML5's ability to deliver on the vision of a single open browser standard which goes beyond the whole debate around video playback."</p><p>Though the BBC does deliver H.264-encoded video to Apple mobile devices, it does not do that for Android devices, citing concerns about copying of content via the Android platform, and instead serves Flash-based video to them.</p><p>However YouTube has said that HTML5 is still some way from becoming the new standard for streaming long-form video content, such as BBC iPlayer content. "While HTML5's video support enables us to bring most of the content and features of YouTube to computers and other devices that don't support Flash Player, it does not yet meet all of our needs," said John Hardin, software engineer at YouTube, in <a href="http://apiblog.youtube.com/2010/06/flash-and-html5-tag.html" title="a blog post">a blogpost</a> published in June. "Today, Adobe Flash provides the best platform for YouTube's video distribution requirements, which is why our primary video player is built with it."</p><p>Microsoft has put its eggs in the HTML5 basket with next year's release of its internet Explorer 9 browser. Ryan Gavin, Microsoft's senior director of internet Explorer, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/31/microsoft-ie9-html5-standards" title="said in May this year">said in May this year</a>: "We're all in on HTML5. We've been co-chairing the HTML5 working group, and we're actually leading the HTML5 testing group."</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/youtube">YouTube</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/html5">HTML5</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/mobilephones">Mobile phones</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/software">Software</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/computing">Computing</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/telecoms">Telecoms</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet">Internet</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/josh-halliday">Josh Halliday</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/isnxz56XyorGO6xifNVzkodfgDg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/isnxz56XyorGO6xifNVzkodfgDg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/isnxz56XyorGO6xifNVzkodfgDg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/isnxz56XyorGO6xifNVzkodfgDg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> YouTube HTML5 Mobile phones Technology Software Computing Telecoms Internet guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2010/aug/24/html5-youtube-mobile Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:27:34 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/01/china-mobile-phone-number-identity/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/4894?ns=guardian&pageName=China+demands+ID+from+all+buyers+of+mobile+phone+numbers%3AArticle%3A1446026&ch=World+news&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=China+%28News%29%2CWorld+news%2CMobile+phones+%28Technology%29%2CSpam%2CTelecoms+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CSurveillance+%28News%29&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Associated+Press+in+Beijing&c7=10-Sep-01&c8=1446026&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=World+news&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FWorld+news%2FChina" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Government says it hopes junk will be sunk by rules on new numbers, but critics fear more monitoring of citizens</p><p>China began requiring identification from anyone buying a new mobile phone number today in what it says is a bid to stamp out junk messages.</p><p>But critics say the move gives the government a new tool for monitoring its citizens.</p><p>The rules apply to everyone, including foreigners visiting the country for a short stay, the <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/" title="China Daily newspaper">China Daily newspaper</a> reported.</p><p>The paper said the regulation was "the latest campaign by the government to curb the global scourge of spam, pornographic messages and fraud on cellular phones".</p><p>Low-cost mobile phone sim cards are readily available in China, at convenience stores, newspaper stands and airport kiosks.</p><p>Until now, they could be bought anonymously with cash and used straight away, as in the UK. But such a system makes it difficult to track down spammers.</p><p>The China Daily said Chinese mobile users receive an average of 43 text messages a week, 12 of which are spam.</p><p>The ID requirement is raising new privacy concerns and is likely to upset some customers unwilling to give out personal information for fear it will be resold, said Duncan Clark, managing director of BDA China, a technology market research firm.</p><p>Wang Songlian, research co-ordinator with the Hong Kong-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders, said the requirement fits a pattern of tightening government control over new communication technologies.</p><p>China censors internet content it deems politically sensitive and blocks many websites, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.</p><p>Following ethnic riots in western China's Xinjiang, international phone and internet links to the region were suspended for months.</p><p>The new regulation will probably not affect Chinese dissidents, many of whom already have their phones closely monitored.</p><p>But it could help police track down ordinary people who take part in spontaneous protests, Wang said.</p><p>China has seen a growing number of protests sparked by labour disagreements, anger over pollution and other issues.</p><p>"I think the government has an eye on Iran where protests were fuelled by text messages and Twitter and they are doing this for social stability reasons," Wang said.</p><p>China has more than 800m mobile phone numbers already in use. The <a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/" title="Global Times newspaper">Global Times newspaper</a> reported today that 320m of those were bought without real-name registration. The numbers will have to be reregistered by 2013 or could be suspended, the newspaper said.</p><p>China Unicom, one of the country's three major state-owned phone carriers, says on its website that the ministry of industry and information technology requires real-name registration for all new phone numbers starting today.</p><p>A company official said China Unicom would strictly implement the new rule.</p><p>"It will help reduce spam and fraudulent text messages, and also help us improve service to customers," Wen Baoqiu said.</p><p>China Mobile – the world's biggest phone carrier in terms of numbers of subscribers – would also comply with the directive, said a spokesman.</p><p>The ministry of industry and information technology did not respond to questions about the new rules.</p><p>At a Beijing newspaper stand where sim cards are sold, a 24-year-old officer worker said she supported the move.</p><p>"I hope it will help crack down on spam," Wu Xi said. "It won't be a problem if I have to show my ID."</p><p>Chen Haimin, the owner of a Beijing convenience store, said he was still selling cards without personal information and he was doubtful that the new scheme would tackle junk mail. "How do you know if people are even showing their real ID?" he said. "People who want to send spam can always come up with ideas to get around the regulations. Besides, it's not hard to get a fake ID."</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/china">China</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/mobilephones">Mobile phones</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/spam">Spam</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/telecoms">Telecoms</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/surveillance">Surveillance</a></li></ul></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/DlEk0mb7CqxltxATlCY-BGupjm4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/DlEk0mb7CqxltxATlCY-BGupjm4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/DlEk0mb7CqxltxATlCY-BGupjm4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/DlEk0mb7CqxltxATlCY-BGupjm4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> China World news Mobile phones Spam Telecoms Technology Surveillance guardian.co.uk News http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/01/china-mobile-phone-number-identity Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:16:29 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2010/aug/31/digg-redesign-revolt/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/25689?ns=guardian&pageName=Digg+users+revolt+after+redesign%3AArticle%3A1445381&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Digg%2CDigital+media%2CSocial+media%2CTechnology%2CMedia&c5=Digital+Media%2CMedia+Weekly%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Josh+Halliday&c7=10-Aug-31&c8=1445381&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=PDA+blog%2CTechnology+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FDigg" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Social news site Digg endures another user revolt as redesign leaves 'Diggers' at a loss</p><p><strong></strong><br />Digg's August redesign was always going to be a totemic moment for the "social news" site. And so it came to pass, as users stage a high-profile revolt against some of the site's changes.</p><p>Protesting at the removal of the upcoming news page, the default setting of "My News", deleted favourites, the apparent front page domination of a handful of publishers, and the removal of the "bury" button (for voting down stories), Digg users flooded the front page with links to rival aggregators and pleaded with chief executive Kevin Rose to turn back the clock.</p><p>Less than a week since the covers were taken off the new Digg – complete with many a bug and <em>sans</em> small but significant features – Rose was prompted to write a <a href="http://kevinrose.com/blogg/2010/8/27/digg-v4-release-iterate-repeat.html">blog post</a> addressing the outrage.</p><p>Under a headline (and mantra) of "release, iterate, repeat", Rose tackled 16 complaints, pledging to make changes to suit the feedback. He also pointed out that there were thousands of new registrations, and accentuated the positive. "Our top priority is to stabilize the site, then we'll look at the data/feedback and make decisions on what to change going forward," he commented.</p><p>However, social media site Soshable <a href="http://soshable.com/the-digg-debacle-in-one-graph/">graphed</a> 118 stories on the once-fabled Digg front page in three days after the new iteration's release. Six publishers and one influential technology pundit control the lion share of Digg's most important space, it shows.</p><p><strong></strong></p><p>This gets to the nub of the anger, says Media Caffeine. In <a href="http://mediacaffeine.com/web-20/digg-web-20/digg-the-broken-covenant-aka-selling-out-to-the-man/">a barbed post</a> calling Digg a "broken covenant", MC cites this 2004 quote from the Digg founder talking about then-of-the-moment social news site slashdot: "<em>Hundreds of people every single day are submitting content to slashdot. Tons of stories, but an editor chooses about 15 or 20 of them to display to the world. Now the only problem with that is you're relying on whatever the editor thinks is really cool, so it doesn't really give the power back to the people</em>."</p><p>MC writes: </p><p><blockquote class="quoted">"This was the premise behind Digg. It was the promise. It was the covenant. Digg V4 breaks that covenant. Despite what Rose, his team, and their beloved mainstream celebrity buddies believe, the people do not have the power right now. The power has been given to corporate level blogs and Kevin's select-few buddies who, for some strange reason, Rose feels he needs to appease to be successful."</blockquote></p><p>The "bury" button – giving users the ability to vote a story down the popularity rankings – is gone, replaced with a moderated "hide" button, aimed at combating "<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/06/digg-investigates-claims-conservative-censorship">the bury brigades</a>", as Rose calls them.</p><p>Ian Eure, an engineer who worked for Digg between 2008 and May 2010, <a href="http://atomized.org/2010/08/they-can%E2%80%99t-go-back/">said</a> that reverting back to the previous iteration, version 3, is "simply not going to happen" – it's an infrastructural change, Eure says, not just a host of feature adaptions:</p><p><blockquote class="quoted">"Digg v4 is not a redesign, not a reskin, it is a 100% rewrite. It's completely new design, code, architecture, and infrastructure. It has almost no relationship to the v3 system whatsoever."<br /></blockquote></p><p>What's more; of the "core" team of 12 people that made the legacy Digg code work, Eure says, only one is still at the company.</p><p>It's already been quite a summer for Digg. Small but significant feature changes, a rewiring of Google's algorithm and a <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/06/digg-investigates-claims-conservative-censorship">cabal of conservative conspirators</a> teed up this summer's redesign as a(nother) <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/jun/07/digg-loses-third-of-visitors">fork in the road</a> – it would either galvanise the site's waning influence or be the straw that broke the camel's back for its users.</p><p>This isn't the first Digg revolt in its six-year history, as Rose is at pains to point out <a href="http://twitter.com/kevinrose">on Twitter</a>, but it might be the most consequential. The clock is ticking for the Digg bug fixers. New features are being resurrected – but many "Diggers" may prefer running over to momentum-heavy Reddit (where plucky moderators have <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/announcements/comments/d73ow/reddit_101_or_click_this_if_youre_new_around_here/">posted a 101</a> for new recruits).</p><p>Previous user revolts over <a href="http://mashable.com/2008/01/23/digg-revolt-again/">changes in the Digg promotional algorithm</a>, <a href="http://mashable.com/2007/06/22/diggers-revolt-over-new-comment-system-resolved/">new comment systems</a>, the <a href="http://mashable.com/2009/04/15/diggbar-update/">introduction of the browser-framing DiggBar</a>, and the <a href="http://mashable.com/2007/05/01/digg-out-of-control/">HD-DVD encryption key debacle</a>, have made their impact and subsided. "Release, iterate, repeat", as intended.</p><p>But never has a revolt come at such a critical time for the company, competing with the exponential growth of Twitter to become more social and keep its millions of influential, well-organised members engaged. At the same time, predicting the demise of the site has become something of an annual sport for Digg watchers. </p><p>But, to you; how are you finding the new Digg? Have you jumped ship?</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/digg">Digg</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media">Digital media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/social-media">Social media</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/josh-halliday">Josh Halliday</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/008yZPbP3Z2JL9MvwelMgWpZEyg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/008yZPbP3Z2JL9MvwelMgWpZEyg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/008yZPbP3Z2JL9MvwelMgWpZEyg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/008yZPbP3Z2JL9MvwelMgWpZEyg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Digg Digital media Social media Technology Media guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2010/aug/31/digg-redesign-revolt Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:14:36 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/30/iphone-replace-stethoscope/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/29208?ns=guardian&pageName=iPhone+set+to+replace+the+stethoscope%3AArticle%3A1445161&ch=Technology&c3=Guardian&c4=Apps%2CiPhone%2CDoctors+%28Society%29%2CApple+%28Technology%29%2CMobile+phones+%28Technology%29%2CHealth+%28Society%29%2CTechnology%2CSociety%2CUK+news&c5=Society+Weekly%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CHealth+Society%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Amelia+Hill&c7=10-Aug-30&c8=1445161&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FApps" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Free iPhone app monitors heartbeat – and helps doctors save lives in remote areas</p><p>The stethoscope – medical icon, lifesaver and doctor's best friend – is disappearing from hospitals across the world as physicians increasingly use their smartphones to monitor patients' heartbeats.</p><p>More than 3 million doctors have downloaded a 59p application – invented by Peter Bentley, a researcher from University College London – which turns an Apple iPhone into a stethoscope.</p><p>Last week, Bentley introduced a free version of the app, which is being downloaded by more than 500 users a day. Experts say the software, a major advance in medical technology, has saved lives and enabled doctors in remote areas to access specialist expertise.</p><p>"Everybody is very excited about the potential of the adoption of mobile phone technology into the medical workplace, and rightly so," said Bentley, who initially developed the app "as a fun toy".</p><p>"Smartphones are incredibly powerful devices packed full of sensors, cameras, high-quality microphones with amazing displays," he said. "They are capable of saving lives, saving money and improving healthcare in a dramatic fashion – and we carry these massively powerful computers in our pockets."</p><p>Bentley's iStethoscope application is not the only mobile phone programme lightening doctors' bags and transforming their practices: there are nearly 6,000 applications related to health in the Apple App Store. The uptake has been rapid. In late 2009, two-thirds of doctors and 42% of the public were using smartphones – in effect inexpensive handheld computers – for personal and professional reasons. More than 80% of doctors said they expected to own a smartphone by 2012.</p><p>The trend looks likely to gain pace as younger doctors enter the workplace. Some medical schools issue students with smartphones. In America, Georgetown University, the University of Louisville and Ohio State University are among those requiring undergraduates to use one.</p><p>However, experts say they are being prevented from exploiting the technology's opportunities. Bentley says that he is unable to launch a new range of applications because of out-of-date regulations.</p><p>"It's much easier to develop technology than it is to get permission to use it," he said. "I could create a mobile ultrasound scanner and an application to measure the oxygen content in blood, but the regulations stop me. We're not allowed to turn the phone itself into a medical device, and what that precisely means is currently a grey area in terms of regulation. That's the only reason we're not seeing a flood of these devices yet."</p><p>Professor Ian Wells, head of the scientific computing section in the department of medical physics at the Royal Surrey County hospital in Guildford, agrees that innovation is being hindered by regulations that are "still in their infancy".</p><p>He said: "The approach of the regulators is not well worked out yet. There's a wonderful new world out there but we need to find a way for regulators to protect patients and doctors, while not impeding innovation, research and development."</p><p>The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) – the government body with responsibility for standards of safety, quality and performance in healthcare – recently set up the Medical Device Technology Forum, a group of industry representatives, regulators, users and scientists, to help establish how to regulate novel technologies.</p><p>"This is such a complex area that we are currently looking at every application on a case-by-case basis," said an MHRA spokesman. "We want to ensure that these new technologies are effectively regulated – thereby protecting health and avoiding unnecessary deterrents – while at the same time removing any unnecessary obstacles to manufacturers who wish to exploit new technologies for the benefit of patients."</p><p>European regulators are also striving to bring their guidelines up to date. A group of regulators from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Sweden and the UK was set up last December to develop guidance for software under the European Medical Device Regulations. They are expected to report at the end of the year.• <h2>Appliance of science<br /></h2>• Star Analytical Services has developed an app that allows patients to cough into their phone, and tells them whether they have a cold, flu, pneumonia or other respiratory diseases.</p><p></p><p>• OsiriX lets doctors look at x-rays, ultrasounds, CT and MRI images on handheld devices or mobile phones with special software, enabling radiologists, for example, to diagnose acute appendicitis from remote locations.</p><p>• ERoentgen Radiology Dx helps radiologists identify the most appropriate radiology exam for a patient by searching a large database of signs, symptoms and diagnoses to help them make quick assessments.</p><p>• Instant ECG is just one app that analyses the most common ECG results. It distinguishes the difference in various myocardial ischemia or injury patterns. Using the iPhone's interactive touch screen, the app offers "real-time" films to make rhythm analysis similar to the clinical setting.</p><p>• AirStrip OB, an iPhone app, gives obstetricians real-time remote access to foetal heart tracings, contraction patterns, nursing notes, and vital signs. Obstetricians can monitor different stages of labour even when they are not by a patient's side.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/apps">Apps</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/iphone">iPhone</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/doctors">Doctors</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/apple">Apple</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/mobilephones">Mobile phones</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/health">Health</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/ameliahill">Amelia Hill</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/yBWRUTtnQiK-jSTP_a5kCg53dXk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/yBWRUTtnQiK-jSTP_a5kCg53dXk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/yBWRUTtnQiK-jSTP_a5kCg53dXk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/yBWRUTtnQiK-jSTP_a5kCg53dXk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Apps iPhone Doctors Apple Mobile phones Health Technology Society UK news The Guardian News http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/30/iphone-replace-stethoscope Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:51:47 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/aug/27/realtime-worlds-collapse/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/35220?ns=guardian&pageName=Realtime+Worlds%3A+An+Inside+Story%3AArticle%3A1444166&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Games+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CControversy+%28games%29%2CPC+%28games%29&c5=Corporate+IT%2CGames&c6=Keith+Stuart&c7=10-Aug-27&c8=1444166&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=Games+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2Fblog%2FGames+blog" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Last week, Scotland's biggest game studio, Realtime Worlds, went into administration with the loss of 150 jobs. Gamesblog speaks to two ex-staff about what led to the collapse...</p><p>How did this happen to Realtime Worlds? That's the question most industry pundits have been asking all week. APB was going to be the Grand Theft Auto of the 21st century – a freeform cops'n'robbers shootfest, taking place in a massively multiplayer universe where player characters were infinitely customisable. Realtime Worlds, founded by Grand Theft Auto creator Dave Jones, was the giant of the Dundee games community, the lynchpin amid a thriving enclave of studios, many spawned from Jones's original company, DMA Design. Last week, however, Realtime Worlds went into administration with the loss of 150 jobs. The developer had apparently burned through $105m in funding. It was the Heaven's Gate of gaming.</p><p>Here's what's left. APB has a small staff, managing the game for its 130,000 or so registered users. Meanwhile, another twenty developers are on <a href="http://playmyworld.com/">Project MyWorld</a>, a hugely innovative and ambitious social gaming platform that's been in development for several years alongside its higher profile stable mate. Administrator Begbies Traynor says it is looking for buyers and has had promising meetings. Nothing has been confirmed yet. </p><p>Those are the facts, but they tell a fraction of the story. Gamesblog has spoken to two ex-RTW staff, who wish to remain anonymous. They have much more of it...<br /><br />First of all, some employees saw this coming months ago. Amid all the pre-release hype surrounding APB, pockets of staff within Realtime Worlds were already scared for their jobs. "The first hint we got was, a few months before APB launched, the company started, quite bizarrely, to make cleaners redundant. I thought that was rather suspicious," says an ex-member of the MyWorld team. "Later, rumours started coming in from Ruffian Games [another Dundee development studio, formed by ex-RTW staff], that redundancies were imminent. And then RTW let all the contractors go early, which was another sign that money was running out. But they said everything was fine."</p><p>It wasn't. When APB was released on 29 June, it was clear the game was nowhere near ready. The shooting mechanism didn't work, the vehicle handling was sluggish, the matchmaking system was hopelessly inaccurate. When Gamesblog previewed the game eariier this year it was running on a LAN and seemed fast enough – and potentially, enormous fun. But the reviews were mostly damning – there was much talk about potential, about ambition, but the Metacritic rating, which currently stands at 58, tells its own damning story. Jones <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/dave-jones-defends-apb">tried to suggest</a> that reviewers didn't understand the game, that it wasn't GTA, that there was no pre-written narrative – it would all come from emergent player activity. Really, though, the game wasn't good enough. </p><p>"We were getting the data every week and we could see what the sales were like," says one member of the APB team. "It was very clear to us a number of weeks ago that the game was not selling in the quantities that the projections told us it would. Couple that with the feedback we were getting on the forums and add in the reviews … it wasn't painting a great picture. And it became clear that APB was not sustainable given the revenues it was generating. The dev team didn't need management to tell them that.</p><p>"At the beginning of August a board meeting was scheduled which everyone knew about – because, you know, people talk. And it was widely known that the board was discussing the performance of APB and how they were going to address that. So everyone was on tenterhooks – and a lot of people expected there to be a fairly significant change as a result of that meeting. But it took the board another week or so to gather more financial data before they could make a decision. Pretty much the whole of August has been horrible for the team, because they knew something was going to happen, but they didn't know what."</p><p>There had, in fact, already been a few redundancies on APB in early July. <a href="https://www.develop-online.net/news/35305/Realtime-Worlds-to-restructure">At the time</a>, this was put down to streamlining in the wake of the game's release. Then on 13 August, the news broke that the entire MyWorld team was being laid off. "APB continues to be our primary development focus, and we remain fully committed to the game and its players," was the terse statement. "We were told that the budget for our game had been spent on APB," adds our insider, bitterly.</p><p>But because of the reviews, the rumours, the disappointing beta tests, there weren't enough players. That was the killer.</p><p>And you've just got to ask again, how did this happen?</p><p>There's no doubting the calibre of the team. Lead designer EJ Moreland came in from Sony Online Entertainment where he worked on Everquest II; before that, he was a designer on the formative Ultima Online franchise. Brian Ulrich, the company's director of development, came from EA Sports. As for the rest, within two days of the administration announcement, the likes of Sega, Blitz and Activision were flying up to Dundee to set up recruitment events. This was a talented, respected outfit.</p><p>But from listening to staff, from following subsequent Twitter conversations and blogposts, it's clear huge mistakes were being made. "If we're being brutally honest, we didn't pay enough attention to the design of the game," says Gamesblog's source on the APB team. "When you're working for someone like Dave, it's all too easy to not believe what your ears and eyes, and QA and beta testers are telling you. You're like 'Dave knows what he's doing, it's going to be fine'. The team was saying for a long, long time that there were things that were not quite right with the game … It was never the case that the design was fundamentally broken, but in the execution of a lot of the features there are things that didn't quite come together, that weren't polished to the level that people expected."</p><p>Even within the MyWorld team, the APB troubles were tangible. As our source says, "The middle management – and there was a LOT of middle management at this company – they were on that game for years and they continued to run it as though they were managing an architecture project or something. Fun never seemed to be a criterion for what they were doing; managers with little clipboards would go around and tick off things, saying 'OK that's done' and moving on. There was never any consideration for whether or not what had been done was any fun."</p><p>Another part of the problem, it seems, was the money. There was simply too much of it, and no one had come up with a plan on how to spend it effectively. "Having too much money is as much a curse for start-ups as having too little," says Nicholas Lovell of business blog <a href="http://www.gamesbrief.com/">Gamesbrief</a>. "Instead of identifying clear market opportunities, focusing resources and worrying about delivery, too much money gives you the licence to meander, experiment and play, and the absence of direction can be masked by the money for a very long time. </p><p>"This clearly happened in the case of Realtime Worlds. The company meandered with both MyWorld and APB with no clear sense of direction. That makes sense on a Facebook game with a budget of $300,000, or the original budgets of Lemmings and GTA, but not any more."</p><p>This idea of a rudderless development schedule tallies with other reports coming out of the company. When PC gaming site Rock, Paper Shotgun ran a story on the earlier RTW redundancies, someone claiming to be an ex-staff member <a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/08/16/redundancies-at-real-time-worlds/#comment-491791">wrote in the comments section</a>: "Certainly Dave J has great, strong, ambitious ideas for his games. But he's a big believer in letting the details emerge along the way, rather than being planned out beyond even a rudimentary form. For most of the lifetime of APB, he was also CEO of the whole company, as well as creative director. His full attention was not there until it late in the day."</p><p>"There wasn't enough discipline," confirms our source. "We got all this money, and it made us relax, when really it should have focused our attention on making sure we had a really good approach to managing the project, to ensuring the design was exact what it needed to be, to focus testing early on, and just proving that we were doing the right thing, rather than taking the old 'it'll be done when it's done' attitude." And then suddenly, Electronic Arts, the game's publisher, wanted the game out. Not an unreasonable demand after five years in development. </p><p>Last Tuesday, the administrators arrived at Realtime Worlds and from the reports Gamesblog has heard, the APB team was rounded up into the cafeteria and informed of the situation. Over the next 24 hours, staff were told whether they would be kept on or not. Most weren't. "It wasn't apparent that there had been any contingency planning," says one source. "We all expected APB to be this massive success, we all expected to be printing our own cash, a la Blizzard. I feel like our exec team got out of their depth – I don't mean that in a cheeky way, because we were all out of our depth, but it kind of felt like it was a train that was out of control – and had been out of control for a long time."</p><p>Since then, anger and resentment have spilled onto the internet's many outlets. On his personal blog, under the headline, <a href="http://lukehalliwell.wordpress.com/2010/08/19/goodbye-realtime-worlds">'Goodbye Realtime Worlds'</a>, ex-RTW staffer Luke Halliwell posted a measured and thoughtful summation of the situation:</p><p>"I must say I was shocked at quite how quickly it went down in the end. It felt like we were being let go decently, and then BOOM – not getting paid anything, owed last month's wages, our notice periods, redundancy pay and unused holidays. A substantial amount of money, all told."</p><p>He later updated the article: "Turns out we got 2 days' pay!! Not much but better than the previously-expected nothing."</p><p>In the comments section, his wife delivered a much more vociferous response: </p><p>"Dave Jones and Ian Hetherington have pissed away millions, they are getting away with not paying over 200 employees for the work that they have done ... Moreover these very people have enough personal wealth to pay the money owed to the individuals and families whose lives they have left shattered, heck Dave could probably pay them all just by selling one of his beloved cars."</p><p>It has to be said, though, that the animosity toward Jones is certainly not universal within the company. He's clearly liked and respected, and our APB source said that he spent Wednesday afternoon touring the building, apologising to staff: "One thing I've learned is, you shouldn't confused creative genius with shrewd business sense. But Dave was very visible and very upset. He feels bad about the effect this will have on people's lives."</p><p>There are many question marks over the demise of this massive company. Why wasn't there a strict development structure in place? Why weren't the problems within APB spotted earlier and dealt with properly? How could the whole issue of latency, especially with an action game running predominantly on the server rather than client side, not have been adequately predicted?</p><p>How could this happen?</p><p>Well, it has happened before. The ambitious science fiction MMOG Tabula Rasa, created by another talismanic designer Richard Garriott, was delayed before its release in November 2007, having been in development since 2001. Barely a year later, the development team announced that the game would be shut down due to a lower than expected user base. There are obvious parallels. Surely, there were lessons to be taken?</p><p>In the end, it would appear to be a story of hubris and mismanagement, of artistic vision clashing with the realities of 150 staff members working on a game that had no proven antecedents and no clear direction. What it had was confidence. "The truth is there was an arrogance," says our insider. "I think we all got caught up in it – not one of us can stand back and say we weren't a part of that." As a lot of reviews pointed out APB would have been an amazing game in 2006, or at least an amazing start of a game. But this is 2010, and smaller companies with greater agility are doing more interesting, coherent things in the massively connected gaming sector. Realtime Worlds was the dinosaur being eaten alive by insects.</p><p>A few days ago one ex-employee tweeted about passing the office on the bus. The building looked weird, near empty, no one visible at their keyboards. <a href="http://www.gamesbrief.com/2010/08/rumour-ian-hetheringtondave-jones-about-to-buy-back-myworld/">The rumours are</a> that Ian Hetherington, the chairman of RTW, will put in a bid for the MyWorld IP. Perhaps someone else will come in for APB. It has those 130,0000 players, and there's <a href="http://spong.com/article/22220/APB-Gets-Fundamental-Changes-in-Latest-Update">apparently a 1.4 patch ready</a> that addresses some of the handling and shooting problems. And really, 130,000 isn't a disastrous start for an MMO. They usually take a while to grow – even World of Warcraft took almost six months to get to 1.5 million players. But when you've already spent $100m, time isn't going to be on your side.</p><p>For a lot of the staff, however, it's too late. They will drift away, hopefully to other industry jobs, possibly abroad. Despite what some <a href="http://www.edballs4labour.org/blog/?p=801">opportunistic politicians</a> tried to claim in the aftermath of Tuesday's announcement, this one couldn't be put down to the lack of tax credits for the UK games business – Realtime Worlds had millions and millions of dollars in investment. But ironically, foreign developers may well benefit anyway, through quick-witted recruitment.</p><p>However, these staff will be leaving behind a company they cared for and a game some of them worked on for six years; a game that may now disappear within months of its release. "That's the tragedy of it," says the APB team member we spoke to. "For me, it's not really about APB in the end, it's about all these people who have poured years of tremendously hard work into this thing. They were so passionate, so enthused, it should have been so much more. And in the end they walk away with nothing."</p><p><em>Gamesblog was unable to contact members of the senior management team for their comments.</em></p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/games">Games</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/controversy">Controversy</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pc">PC</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/keithstuart">Keith Stuart</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/YKMSspnwLqHmNL0-7_EMrlBkV7s/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/YKMSspnwLqHmNL0-7_EMrlBkV7s/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/YKMSspnwLqHmNL0-7_EMrlBkV7s/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/YKMSspnwLqHmNL0-7_EMrlBkV7s/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Games Technology Controversy PC guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/aug/27/realtime-worlds-collapse Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:28:34 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/27/digital-era-publishers-not-defunct/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/57046?ns=guardian&pageName=Response%3A+The+digital+era+has+not+made+publishers+defunct%3AArticle%3A1443928&ch=Comment+is+free&c3=Guardian&c4=Books%2CPublishing+%28Books%29%2CEbooks%2CTechnology%2CCulture+section&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Ursula+Mackenzie&c7=10-Aug-27&c8=1443928&c9=Article&c10=Comment&c11=Comment+is+free&c13=Response+%28Cif+series%29&c25=Comment+is+free&c30=content&h2=GU%2FComment+is+free%2FPublishing" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">The services we provide are more useful than ever, to both authors and readers</p><p>Ray Connolly's article, arguing against the need for publishing houses in the advent of the "digital revolution" (<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/aug/12/publishing-book-online-ray-connolly" title="">Who needs publishers?</a>, 12 August), raises some interesting points but ultimately proves that publishers are more relevant than ever in the digital era.</p><p>The idea that publishers "now appear frozen in the headlights of the onrushing digital revolution" is simply untrue. Long before the digital revolution had become a reality for readers, most major publishing houses have been planning and investing in their digital divisions in addition to "doing the day job", publishing and selling their authors in all formats and in all markets. Digital publishing programmes are firmly embedded in all publishing businesses: these range from simultaneous e-book editions of new titles, republishing backlists digitally, revitalising old formats with new digital content, and creating title-specific apps on the latest devices. Publishers are absolutely aware that it is in their interests, and the interests of their authors, to embrace change in the industry.</p><p>Connolly's clear appreciation for, and enjoyment in, his work may be infectious, but I am not convinced it is the right route for other authors. "Apart from the time spent writing The&nbsp;Sandman, the other costs have been&nbsp;relatively small," he says.</p><p>But setting aside the fact that without an advance from a publisher many authors could not afford to write full-time, these "other costs" could easily spiral out of control. Take anti-piracy: the digital sphere presents new problems for authors wishing to protect their works. Protecting copyright and ensuring authors are properly paid is a key function of every publisher: publishers have created and manage anti-piracy schemes and contractual rights for e-books, often taking legal action where an author's copyright is breached.</p><p>While some authors may prefer to publish and market their own work, many want the whole package offered by a publisher: editorial input; marketing and publicity expertise; first-class sales contacts and proper remuneration. The point of publishers is not, as Connolly implies, about employing "judgments or whims" to choose which manuscripts to publish. A good publisher knows their market whether they are publishing in print or digitally: they invest time and money in authors, often publishing their early books as loss leaders in the belief that, with consistent marketing and publicity, the author will build a following.</p><p>Connolly's success is based on the fact that his work is digital: "There'll be an iPod version later ... and of course there will be Facebook and Twitter links." But while Amazon is indeed reporting healthy – and growing – digital sales, the demand for print works remains very strong, and many authors also want their work in print, recognising that publishers are a vital part of the&nbsp;process.</p><p>"It isn't difficult. Anyone who is computer savvy can become a publisher these days," Connolly surmises, missing perhaps the most important point of all, that many readers like knowing the book they are going to be spending their valuable time reading has been filtered through a selection process by people whose job is to guide the reader to what they want and ensure that they spend their time – and money – wisely.</p><p><strong>Ursula Mackenzie is chair of the Trade Publishers Council, The Publishers Association</strong></p><p><strong>mail@publishers.org.uk</strong></p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/publishing">Publishing</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/ebooks">Ebooks</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/ursula-mackenzie">Ursula Mackenzie</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/jlWd2Ku-RpZWX0HbKl-BM8aqswA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/jlWd2Ku-RpZWX0HbKl-BM8aqswA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/jlWd2Ku-RpZWX0HbKl-BM8aqswA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/jlWd2Ku-RpZWX0HbKl-BM8aqswA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Books Publishing Ebooks Technology Culture The Guardian Comment http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/27/digital-era-publishers-not-defunct Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:05:05 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/27/dell-streak-review/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/36083?ns=guardian&pageName=Dell+Streak+review+%7C+Technophile%3AArticle%3A1444563&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Mobile+phones+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CAndroid+%28technology%29&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Kate+Craig-Wood&c7=10-Aug-27&c8=1444563&c9=Article&c10=Review&c11=Technology&c13=Technophile&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FMobile+phones" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">The device combines the benefits of a powerful modern smartphone with some of those of an iPad</p><p>I've been a heavy user of Google Calendar and Contacts for a couple of years now, and that is why I first started using an Android phone, the HTC Magic. My boyfriend recently got the HTC Desire which showed me how the Magic was getting dated, so I decided it was time to upgrade.</p><p>However, as an SMS-addict and avid tweeter I found the small keyboard on my old phone a bit fiddly and didn't see that improving with the latest incarnations. Added to that, we recently got an iPad and I liked its convenience for reading articles. I didn't want to be carrying yet another device around in my handbag, though. So, when I heard about the Dell Streak it sounded perfect: one device that combined the benefits of a powerful modern smartphone with some of those of a 'pad.</p><p>I ordered it straight from Dell, SIM-free, for £449. Taking it out of the box I was immediately impressed with the look and feel. It is slim and dense, but not too heavy, and sexily sleek all in black. I find it balances surprisingly well in my left hand, naturally lending itself to being held sideways (landscape). It is also not so large that it cannot fit in a man's suit or shirt pocket.</p><p>Actually making calls on the phone in public can be a little 'Dom Joly' due to its size. However, that is easily addressed with a Bluetooth earpiece and was not unexpected.</p><p>The 800 x 480, five-inch screen is crisp, clear and bright, and I am now regularly using it to read the Economist or New Scientist on the train. The 1GHz Snapdragon processor is blisteringly fast, as is the HSDPA 3G and WiFi, making the browsing experience similar in speed to that of a netbook. With K9Mail I can even now access my industrial-strength IMAP mailbox (250 folders and more than 200,000 emails), something I have not previously managed on a phone.</p><p>As for the 16GB storage, I'm barely scratching it despite telling Spotify to download all my playlists. There is plenty of space for downloading films, and the playback quality of those I've tried was great. Sadly there is no BBC iPlayer support, yet.</p><p>Unfortunately there are other issues, though mostly minor. The supposedly near-indestructible Gorilla glass screen has been disappointing. In three weeks my Streak has picked up a number of fine scratches, two of which I now regularly notice when using it.</p><p>Further, unlike the HTC Desire or Google's Nexus One my Streak was shipped with the now ageing Android 1.6 operating system, complete with a number of irritating quirks and bugs despite Dell's customisations. I have even had to remove the battery to force a reset after a particularly bad crash. The keyboard has also been disappointing, mainly because of the software. Unlike my HTC Magic, the auto-correction system seems over-complex and counter-intuitive, and I can no longer blindly touch-type.</p><p>The default software bundle could also be better. As an experienced Android user I was fine, just downloading my usual set of apps and syncing up with Google. Those used to the intuitive ease of Apple's products and without previous Android experience may find it a somewhat steep learning curve. However, Android 2.2 for the Streak is coming out soon and I expect that will be a big improvement.</p><p>In summary, despite some minor niggles, the Dell Streak is an excellent device. I also think my experiment of trying to get the benefits of a 'pad and a smart phone in one device has worked. It is big enough to be easy to read, watch or interact with for extended periods but small enough to be highly portable, with all the other benefits of a high-end smartphone. It is a little let down by its older operating system, but even Android 1.6 still overall excels. If you like the idea of a hybrid pad-phone then this could be for you, even if not an Android user. The small investment of time to get to grips with Android would certainly be worthwhile in order to get the full benefits of this device.</p><p></p><p><strong>Pros:</strong> Big, crisp screen; fast processor and commas; slim, sleek and good-looking.</p><p><strong>Cons:</strong> No Android 2.2 (yet); poor typing auto-correction; weak software bundle.</p><p><a href="http://www1.euro.dell.com/uk/en/home/Peripherals/mobile-streak/pd.aspx?refid=mobile-streak&cs=ukdhs1&s=dhs" title="">Dell Streak, £449 (SIM-free)</a>.</p><p><strong>Specs:</strong> 5" 800 x 480 multi-touch screen, Android OS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8250 processor. 5MP rear camera, VGA front-facing camera. Browser: WebKit (Android). Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB2.0. Plays: MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR, Midi, WAV, H.263 / H.264, .3GP, MPEG4, WMV. Size: 152.9 x 79.1 x 9.98 mm. Weight: 220g.</p><p><em>Kate Craig-Wood is CEO of </em><a href="http://www.memset.com/" title=""><em>Memset Dedicated Hosting</em></a><em>.</em></p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/mobilephones">Mobile phones</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/android">Android</a></li></ul></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/010nXCb6nqlQLnLKYrNrMyD_W7w/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/010nXCb6nqlQLnLKYrNrMyD_W7w/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/010nXCb6nqlQLnLKYrNrMyD_W7w/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/010nXCb6nqlQLnLKYrNrMyD_W7w/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Mobile phones Technology Android guardian.co.uk Reviews http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/27/dell-streak-review Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:54:38 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/sep/01/batman-brave-and-bold-trailer/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/95408?ns=guardian&pageName=Batman%3A+The+Brave+and+the+Bold+trailer%3AArticle%3A1446050&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Games+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CWii%2CDS+%28Nintendo%29%2CNintendo+%28Technology%29&c5=Technology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT%2CGames%2CConsumer+Electronics&c6=Greg+Howson&c7=10-Sep-01&c8=1446050&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=Games+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2Fblog%2FGames+blog" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Watch the trailer for Batman: The Brave and The Bold, featuring Batman and Bat-mite playing the game on the Wii</p><p>With Arkham Asylum seeming revitalising all things Batman, the arrival of The Brave and The Bold will likely cause a flutter of interest from<br />fans.</p><p>Take a look the exclusive trailer we have here and see what you<br />think. Based on the TV show of the same name, Batman: The Brave and The Bold is a 2D side-scrolling beat-em-up/adventure for Wii and DS. To me it looks like it would make a decent download game for XBLA and PSN too – fingers crossed, eh?</p><p>The game is released on 24 September and allows player to team<br />Batman up with allies Green Lantern and, of course, Robin. Catwoman<br />is just one of many villains in the game. Fans of the show will likely<br />lap this one up then but you could see it appealing to dads with fond<br />memories of the original TV show.</p><p>Me? I'm holding out for Arkham 2 but can see myself spending some time with Brave and Bold on DS at least. Assuming I can get the stupidly addictive DS game Puzzle Quest 2 finished first, of course.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/games">Games</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/wii">Wii</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/ds">DS</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/nintendo">Nintendo</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/greghowson">Greg Howson</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/qaHZqj4p6yr303nlhPkbstie7_4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/qaHZqj4p6yr303nlhPkbstie7_4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/qaHZqj4p6yr303nlhPkbstie7_4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/qaHZqj4p6yr303nlhPkbstie7_4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Games Technology Wii DS Nintendo guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/sep/01/batman-brave-and-bold-trailer Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:26:11 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2010/sep/03/apple-ping-spam/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/81576?ns=guardian&pageName=Apple%27s+Ping+succumbs+to+the+spammers%3AArticle%3A1446989&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Ping%2CApple+%28Technology%29%2CiTunes+%28Technology%29%2CSpam%2CMedia%2CTechnology&c5=Unclassified%2CMedia+Weekly%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT%2CConsumer+Electronics&c6=Josh+Halliday&c7=10-Sep-03&c8=1446989&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=PDA+blog%2CTechnology+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FPing" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">New social network built inside iTunes fails to keep out the spammers, showing a curse of social media – even inside proprietorial walls</p><p>Apple chief Steve Jobs's trumpeting of the 160 million credit card holders on iTunes was a siren call to spammers. As if they needed any invitation.</p><p>The most common incidence of scamming on Apple's latest social venture, Ping, is the offering of free iPhones from a dodgy URL. These avatar-less lurkers are mostly hanging around Ping's more famous participants – Katy Perry, for instance.</p><p>As <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2010/09/02/spammers-already-hitting-taking-aim-at-apples-ping/">MacRumors points out</a>, no credit card details are needed to sign up for an iTunes Store account – the requisite accreditation for joining Ping – which would appear the spammers' way in.</p><p>"[Ping] implements no spam or URL filtering," <a href="http://www.sophos.com/blogs/chetw/g/2010/09/02/apple-pingd-comment-spam-coming/">says internet security firm Sophos</a>, adding that the service is "drowning in scams and spams".</p><p>And it appears that Ping has also received a touch of the early-day Twitter, musician Ben Folds <a href="http://twitter.com/BenFolds/status/22830984597">last night saying that an account had been created in his name</a>. Verified accounts, Mr Jobs? (<em>And are you sure those were Jack Johnson's tour photos? Was that really Coldplay's Chris Martin on stage on Wednesday?</em>)</p><p>Graham Clulely, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said: "We're used to survey scams like this being spread far and wide via sites like Facebook, but clearly the lack of filtering on Ping is making it a brand new playground for the bad guys to operate in.</p><p>"It's ironic that the most common scams on Ping right now revolve around Apple's own iPhone. It's safe to assume that Ping does incorporate some rudimentary filtering to prevent offensive messages from being posted, so hopefully Apple's security team can extend this to also block scam messages and malicious links. In the meantime, though, Ping users should be wary of believing what they read on the new service."</p><p>Remember back in 2009 when Twitter was plagued by spammers? This is what happened when the site <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/oct/14/twitter-fighting-spam">announced a declaration of war on spam</a> in October last year: </p><p><strong></strong></p><p>Sophos also say the iTunes 10 update fixes 13 "separate vulnerabilities" in the components used to render the iTunes interface.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/ping">Ping</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/apple">Apple</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/itunes">iTunes</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/spam">Spam</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/josh-halliday">Josh Halliday</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/7we3CcxqZ0KrZzboS1QHDgsjco8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/7we3CcxqZ0KrZzboS1QHDgsjco8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/7we3CcxqZ0KrZzboS1QHDgsjco8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/7we3CcxqZ0KrZzboS1QHDgsjco8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Ping Apple iTunes Spam Media Technology guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2010/sep/03/apple-ping-spam Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:37:18 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/sep/01/sweden-julian-assange-rape-investigation/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/86894?ns=guardian&pageName=Sweden+reopens+investigation+into+rape+claims+against+Julian+Assange%3AArticle%3A1445882&ch=Media&c3=Guardian&c4=Julian+Assange+%28Media%29%2CMedia%2CWikileaks%2CSweden+%28News%29%2CWorld+news&c5=Digital+Media%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CMedia+Weekly%2CUnclassifed+Contributors&c6=Staff+and+agencies&c7=10-Sep-01&c8=1445882&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Media&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FMedia%2FJulian+Assange" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Country's chief prosecutor reopens case against WikiLeaks founder, overruling decision of Stockholm chief prosecutor</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>A senior Swedish prosecutor reopened a rape investigation against <a href="http://wikileaks.org/" title="WikiLeaks">WikiLeaks</a> founder Julian Assange today, in the latest twist to a puzzling case in which prosecutors of different ranks have overruled each other.</p><p>Assange has denied the allegations and suggested they are part of a smear campaign by opponents of WikiLeaks – an online whistleblower that angered Washington by publishing thousands of leaked documents about US military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan on 25 July.</p><p>The case was dismissed last week by Eva Finne, chief prosecutor in Stockholm, who overruled a lower-ranked prosecutor and said there was no reason to suspect that Assange, an Australian citizen, had raped a Swedish woman who had reported him to police.</p><p>The woman's lawyer appealed against the decision. Director of public prosecution Marianne Ny decided to reopen the case, saying new information had come in on Tuesday. "We went through all the case material again, including what came in, and that's when I made my decision," [to reopen the case] Ny told The Associated Press by phone. She declined to say what information she had received or whether Assange, who was questioned by investigators on Monday, would be arrested. An arrest warrant issued on 20 August was withdrawn within 24 hours.</p><p>Ny added that "it's not entirely uncommon" that such reversals take place in Sweden, in particular regarding allegations of sex crimes. She also decided that another complaint against Assange should be investigated on suspicion of "sexual coercion and sexual molestation". That overruled a previous decision to only investigate the case as "molestation," which is not a sex crime under Swedish law.</p><p>Investigators have not released details about either case, though a police report obtained by AP shows both women had met Assange in connection with a seminar he gave in Stockholm on 14 August. The report shows the women filed their complaints together six days later.</p><p>Assange is seeking legal protection for WikiLeaks in Sweden, one of the countries in which the group says it has servers. The Swedish Migration Board has confirmed that Assange has applied for a work and residence permit in the Scandinavian country.</p><p>"It appears to be highly irregular and some kind of legal circus," Assange told the Swedish tabloid newspaper Expressen.</p><p>"I was dumbfounded and concerned as to the integrity of the Swedish judicial process," he said when asked what his feelings were after the investigation was reopened. "I know what I have done with my life therefore I know that these accusations are baseless and disturbing," he said.</p><p>WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said it backs Assange. "We hope that he will clear his name and meanwhile the WikiLeaks organisation is going on with its endeavours," Hrafnsson told AP.</p><p>WikiLeaks says it intends to publish 15,000 more Afghan war documents in the coming weeks, a disclosure that US officials say could endanger innocent people or confidential informants.</p><p>Claes Borgstrom, a lawyer who represents both women, welcomed the decision today: "This is a redress for my clients, I have to say, because they have been dragged through the mud on the internet, for having made things up or intending to frame Assange."</p><p>Borgstrom had previously dismissed rumours that the sex allegations were part of a conspiracy against Assange, saying: "There is not an ounce of truth in all this about Pentagon, or the CIA, or smear campaigns, nothing like it."</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/julian-assange">Julian Assange</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/wikileaks">WikiLeaks</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/sweden">Sweden</a></li></ul></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Jnpqp7pSItLwg60NIOeHPeromaY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Jnpqp7pSItLwg60NIOeHPeromaY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Jnpqp7pSItLwg60NIOeHPeromaY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Jnpqp7pSItLwg60NIOeHPeromaY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Julian Assange Media WikiLeaks Sweden World news The Guardian News http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/sep/01/sweden-julian-assange-rape-investigation Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:50:00 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/aug/29/paul-allen-interval-patent-lawsuit-google-facebook-apple/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/69915?ns=guardian&pageName=Google%2C+Facebook+and+Apple+among+11+companies+targeted+in+patent+lawsuit%3AArticle%3A1445020&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Intellectual+property+%28Technology%29%2CFacebook%2CApple+%28Technology%29%2CGoogle+%28Technology%29%2CLaw%2CTechnology%2CBusiness&c5=Digital+Media%2CBusiness+Markets%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Charles+Arthur&c7=10-Aug-29&c8=1445020&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=Technology+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FIntellectual+property" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Company headed by ex-Microsoft founder Paul Allen claims patents relating to e-commerce and search held by Interval Licensing have been infringed</p><p>Eleven major companies including Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Apple have been accused of infringing patents belonging to a company linked to Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft - sparking another debate online about the value of "patents" in cyberspace.</p><p>Interval Licensing says that the companies, also including eBay, AOL, Netflix, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Staples and Google's YouTube subsidiary are infringing the patents, which relate to e-commerce and search. Notably absent from the list of targeted companies are Amazon and Microsoft - though the owner of a patent is not obliged to sue everyone considered to be infringing at once, or at all. Interval is seeking damages and the end of the infringement.</p><p>Google, Facebook and eBay said they will fight the accusations by Interval, which owns a portfolio of technology patents but does not manufacture anything. "This lawsuit against some of America's most innovative companies reflects an unfortunate trend of people trying to compete in the courtroom instead of the marketplace," a Google spokesman said in an emailed statement. "Innovation - not litigation - is the way to bring to market the kinds of products and services that benefit millions of people around the world." Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said: "We believe this suit is completely without merit and we will fight it vigorously." None of the other companies had a comment on the lawsuit.</p><p>The claims, made late on Friday night, have led to accusations by some observers that Allen is acting as a "patent troll" - suing active companies via patents obtained by now-defunct or inactive companies which are not actively developing technology.</p><p>However David Postman, a spokesman for Interval spokesman, defended the lawsuit as necessary to protect its investment in innovation."We are not asserting patents that other companies have filed, nor are we buying patents originally assigned to someone else," he said. "These are patents developed by and for Interval."</p><p>Perhaps in an attempt to distance itself from accusations of patent trolling, the lawsuit points out Allen's deep history with Google, including his early funding of its founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page - apparently to try to distinguish this lawsuit from other opportunistic patent litigation, Stanford professor and IP litigator Mark Lemley told the Associated Press. "It's usually an indication either that the patents are invalid, or they're overclaiming them," said Lemley, whose law firm represents Google and Netflix in unrelated matters. "Part of what's going on here is the plaintiffs are going out of their way to say, 'Hey, look, we're really important people. We're real innovators."</p><p>Among the patents are one for the "Browser for use in navigating a body of information, with particular application to browsing information represented by audiovisual data" (<a href="http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=6,263,507.PN.&OS=PN/6,263,507&RS=PN/6,263,507">USPTO 6,263,507</a>); two for an "Attention manager for occupying the peripheral attention of a person in the vicinity of a display device" (<a href="http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=6,034,652.PN.&OS=PN/6,034,652&RS=PN/6,034,652">USPTO 6,034,652</a> and <a href="http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=6,788,314.PN.&OS=PN/6,788,314&RS=PN/6,788,314">6,788,314</a>) and another for "Alerting users to items of current interest." (<a href="http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=6,757,682.PN.&OS=PN/6,757,682&RS=PN/6,757,682">USPTO 6,757,682</a>).</p><p>Allen's shares in Microsoft - which he founded with Gates in 1975 but from which he resigned in 1983 after being diagnosed with non-Hodkins lymphoma - have helped make him the 37th-richest person in the world, worth about $13.5bn. He co-founded Interval Research in 1992 to develop communications and computer technology. At its largest it employed more than 110 scientists and engineers, and filed patents covering internet search and display innovations, according to the lawsuit. Interval Research officially closed in April 2000; its 300-odd patents were taken over by Interval Licensing.</p><p>Patents on software and business processes have become a bête noire among web companies, who have claimed that they act as a financial drag on innovation online, and that the US Patent Office is especially poor at examining patent claims for "prior art" which would disqualify them, or that it awards patents on needlessly wide claims which mean that it is almost impossible for companies to use accepted web technologies without accidentally infringing on them.</p><p>One of the most notable was Amazon's patent for its "1-Click" shopping system, which was filed in 1997, accepted and then rejected and <a href="http://www.patentlyo.com/patent/2010/03/amazon-one-click-patent-slides-through-reexamination.html">finally passed by the USPTO in March this year</a>. Amazon has licensed the technology to Apple, among others.</p><p>Such patents have repeatedly created controversy. in 2000 British Telecom <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2000/jun/22/efinance.business1">attempted to claim that it had a patent on the hyperlink</a>; its claim <a href="http://news.cnet.com/2100-1033-955001.html">collapsed in 2002</a> on the basis that the patent referred to a "central computer" - which the internet does not have. More famously, SCO claimed to have patents that would cover significant parts of the free Linux operating system.</p><p>Another former Microsoft executive, Nathan Myhrvold, has been accused of "patent trolling" after his company Intellectual Ventures began amassing patents, apparently with a view to suing active companies that it viewed as infringing them.</p><p>Interval Licensing has <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/interval-licensing-files-patent-infringement-lawsuit-against-web-search-companies-101662118.html">issued a press release about the case</a>.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/intellectual-property">Intellectual property</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/facebook">Facebook</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/apple">Apple</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/charlesarthur">Charles Arthur</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/DnEthA4pKLgkBT5Rg2As8NP8wlA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/DnEthA4pKLgkBT5Rg2As8NP8wlA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/DnEthA4pKLgkBT5Rg2As8NP8wlA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/DnEthA4pKLgkBT5Rg2As8NP8wlA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Intellectual property Facebook Apple Google Law Technology Business guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/aug/29/paul-allen-interval-patent-lawsuit-google-facebook-apple Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:10:52 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2010/aug/31/you-ask-dell/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/66883?ns=guardian&pageName=You+ask%2C+they+answer%3A+Dell%3AArticle%3A1444487&ch=Environment&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Environment%2CEthical+and+green+living+%28Environment%29%2CWaste+%28Environment%29%2CCarbon+emissions+%28Environment%29%2CDell+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CComputing+%28Technology%29&c5=Climate+Change%2CEthical+Living%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Adam+Vaughan&c7=10-Aug-31&c8=1444487&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Environment&c13=You+ask+they+answer+%28series%29&c25=Green+living+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FEnvironment%2FEthical+and+green+living" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Post your questions on the computing giant's green track record - it will be online until 5pm Friday to answer</p><p><a href="http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/d/corp-comm/bamboo-packaging.aspx">Bamboo boxes</a>, low-energy PCs and tree-planting are just three of <a href="http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/dell-earth.aspx">the ways</a> computing heavyweight Dell says it is limiting its ecological footprint. This week, Dell joins us on <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/series/you-ask-they-answer">You ask, they answer</a> to answer your questions on its eco-credentials - just post yours below.</p><p>Want to know more about its <a href="http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/d/corp-comm/earth-recycling-faqs.aspx">recycling scheme</a> for PCs and peripherals? Got a query about which the energy efficiency or green record of its laptops and desktops? (It even has an entire <a href="http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/d/corp-comm/green-store.aspx">online "green store"</a>). Or do you want to quiz Dell about its controversial-in-some-quarters <a href="http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/about_dell/values/environment/tree?c=us&l=en">Plant a Tree programme</a>, where customers pay to offset the carbon emissions of new machines? (As <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/aug/02/guardianweeklytechnologysection.dell">Charles Arthur pointed out eight months after the scheme's launch</a>, only <del>99%</del> 1% of customers took the offer up).</p><p>Whatever you want to know about Dell, computing and the environment, post your question below and the company will do its best to answer until 5pm on Friday. Please note anything not related to the environment will be marked off-topic.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/ethical-living">Ethical and green living</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/waste">Waste</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/carbon-emissions">Carbon emissions</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/dell">Dell</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/computing">Computing</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/adam-vaughan">Adam Vaughan</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/sa0hnXstRHaUaYZqGoSbAUjMZr4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/sa0hnXstRHaUaYZqGoSbAUjMZr4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/sa0hnXstRHaUaYZqGoSbAUjMZr4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/sa0hnXstRHaUaYZqGoSbAUjMZr4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Environment Ethical and green living Waste Carbon emissions Dell Technology Computing guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2010/aug/31/you-ask-dell Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/aug/24/itunes-hacking-paypal-updated/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/28880?ns=guardian&pageName=So+what+has+been+going+on+with+iTunes+and+PayPal%3F%3AArticle%3A1443099&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Apple+%28Technology%29%2CiTunes+%28Technology%29%2CHacking+%28Technology%29%2CScams+%28Money%29&c5=Technology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT%2CConsumer+Electronics%2CConsumer+News&c6=Charles+Arthur&c7=10-Aug-24&c8=1443099&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=Technology+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2Fblog%2FTechnology+blog" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Users' experience suggests that there is some account cracking going on at the iTunes Store. But why, who and how?</p><p>Comments on the earlier article from (indignant) users say that they're sure they haven't been phished for the details of their PayPal accounts - and that someone has somehow been making unauthorised (by them, at least) purchases from the iTunes Store.</p><p>In the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/aug/24/itunes-paypal-scams-phishing">previous post</a>, I pointed to the greater likelihood that this was the result of a phishing scam; wrongly, I thought that there wasn't a product in the iTunes Store with the given name. Erick Schonfeld of TechCrunch, who wrote the <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/23/paypal-itunes-fraud/">original post</a> there this morning, points out though that there is indeed a product called "CastleCraft, Dragon Crystals (10000 Pack)": it doesn't show up in a search on the store because it's an in-game purchase.</p><p>Schonfeld also says that one of the people affected had both the emails from PayPal <em>and</em> the confirmation email from Apple of the purchases.</p><p>Here's what's odd about this transaction: who needs (or even wants) $4,700 worth of an in-game purchase for CastleCraft? A few possibilities: (1) kids who just like the idea of being able to mess around, who have iPod Touches/iPhones and want to play (2) people getting kickbacks in some way from the purchase [suspicion would immediately fall on the game maker] (3) some very subtle chargeback method that makes money for scammers (4) a botnet test searching for PayPal accounts linked to iTunes which went a bit wrong. You may be able to think of others.</p><p>What's interesting is that this has distinct echoes of the case back in July where <a href="http://www.ipodnn.com/articles/10/07/07/claims.itunes.servers.not.compromised/">400 people saw their iTunes accounts hacked</a> - by Thuat Nguyen, who has since been removed from the App Store for violating of the developer terms after his Vietnamese book apps mysteriously skyrocketed up the iTunes charts while people's credit cards were mysteriously billed. At the time, <a href="http://thenextweb.com/apple/2010/07/04/appstore-hack-itunes/">TheNextWeb pointed out</a> that "the Apple App store is filled with App Farms being used to steal."</p><p>However, the developer behind CastleCraft is <a href="http://www.freeverse.com/about/">Freeverse</a>, a New York-based company that one wouldn't think of as being in any way linked to an "app farm". </p><p>Now on to the comments - but first, the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/aug/24/itunes-paypal-scams-phishing?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:7bf42576-4962-47b0-8d4a-dde83229543b">suggestion by Bert9000</a> about how one might get access to an iTunes or PayPal account. </p><p><blockquote class="quoted">People and websites are so lax with personal details, and many do silly things like use the same password for everything.</blockquote></p><p><blockquote class="quoted">So here's a scenario:</blockquote></p><p><blockquote class="quoted">You have email account x@y.com, which is your main email. You have the password XYZ, which you use for everything. You register at paypal with your email address x@y.com and use your normal password. You then register at some obscure webforum using your normal email and password.</blockquote><br /><blockquote class="quoted"><br />Obscure webforum keeps new member details in plain text on their site. Hacker hits obscure webforum and takes thousands of email addresses and site passwords. Hacker then feeds these emails and passwords into paypal, a good proportion of which will actually work.</blockquote></p><p>That's a very good description of the sort of weakness that crops up all the time in how we use passwords and websites. (If you've been affected by this iTunes hack, does that scenario fit you?)</p><p>Dr The0p0lis <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/aug/24/itunes-paypal-scams-phishing?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:279706bb-7ad6-4ee0-9015-a24cdd9c74d4">wrote</a>: <blockquote class="quoted">Yesterday afternoon I noticed a few emails from PayPal re iTunes purchases. Looking at one, I saw that it was for $211.00. Upon checking my iTunes account (via my desktop iTunes client) I found that a number of purchases had been made. All of them were legitimate apps, but not ones I had purchased. Another charge came through for approximately $50 in apps, and another one for a similar amount. All of them registered as purchases under my iTunes account. All of them were for legitimate apps. Upon alerting PayPal, deautorizing/suspending my iTunes account, and asking my bank to refuse all PayPal charges until it was straightened out, the purchases stopped. So no, these were not spoofed to look like iTunes purchases. They were iTunes purchases.</blockquote></p><p>Similar for SusanMiniCooper: "This occurred after I had hooked my itunes over to paypal. I got two transactions that I did not make. I have now reset my account and removed all automatic payment options." (That's very wise.)</p><p>Can't argue with that; at the time of writing the first blogpost, that level of detail wasn't available.</p><p>But the twin puzzles remain: where did the details come from? And what were the fake buyers after? In the case of Dr The0p0lis, who saw different purchases, the latter question seems easily answered: they wanted some apps. (You don't have to authorise your iPhone/iPod Touch against a computer for over-the-air purchases; the apps might get deleted the next time the person synchronised their machine, but as they cost them nothing, they probably wouldn't care.) His suggestion that the people behind this are <a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-griefer.htm">griefers</a> might be close to the truth.</p><p>And the other one: how are they getting at peoples' iTunes accounts? Has a giant security hole opened up in the iTunes Store? This still looks hugely unlikely. The PayPal element in common here is intriguing - though possibly that's now the simplest line of attack, because credit card purchases over a certain value might require the card verification number (which the scammer won't have), whereas the PayPal purchase is automatic.</p><p>One other point: Jared Earle has checked and verified that iTunes authentication uses HTTPS (which means that even if you accessed the iTunes Store via a fake Wi-Fi setup using a man-in-the-middle attack, the attacker wouldn't get any of your details - sorry @hellroy, but your account was hacked some other way). </p><p>The question thus remains of how the scammers got the login details. There we can only ask you, if you were affected: is your iTunes login and password unique? Ever used it anywhere else? </p><p>The solid conclusion: it's a really, really good idea to prevent automatic payments using your iTunes account - and other accounts, come to that - to Paypal or other payment systems.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/apple">Apple</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/itunes">iTunes</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/hacking">Hacking</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/scamsandfraud">Scams</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/charlesarthur">Charles Arthur</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/4hfXAwBU3SjB2OiqOJ7y66Gwqiw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/4hfXAwBU3SjB2OiqOJ7y66Gwqiw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/4hfXAwBU3SjB2OiqOJ7y66Gwqiw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/4hfXAwBU3SjB2OiqOJ7y66Gwqiw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Apple iTunes Hacking Scams guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/aug/24/itunes-hacking-paypal-updated Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:54:06 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/aug/26/google-voice-calls-challenge/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/93452?ns=guardian&pageName=Google+offers+free+calls+to+%28US%29+Gmail+users%3A+should+Skype+and+telcos+wo%3AArticle%3A1443845&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Google+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CTelecommunications+industry+%28Business+sector%29%2CTelecoms+%28Technology%29%2CBusiness&c5=Business+Markets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Charles+Arthur&c7=10-Aug-26&c8=1443845&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=Technology+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FGoogle" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">The search company is aiming to undercut international call rates and set up phone boxes in universities and airports for its call product</p><p>Google has added free voice calls over the internet to its free email service Gmail in the US - although some UK users have found they can also use the service to make calls to the US for free.</p><p>The service, unveiled on Wednesday night, will let users make free calls at least to the end of this year within the US and Canada. That presently undercuts Skype, which charges per minute for calls to landline numbers. It also threatens existing VOIP providers, and the recently introduced MagicTalk service from VocalTec.</p><p>But in using internet technology to carry the phone calls, Google is also positioning itself as a dangerous rival to US long-distance carriers, and telecoms companies carrying international voice traffic, which have seen their businesses being eaten into by calls carried over the internet. Many call centres, for instance, use voice-over-internet technology so that international calls can be handled more cheaply than with high-quality voice lines.</p><p>While computer-to-computer calling isn't new, computer-to-phone services have been much rarer, with Skype - which in August said it has 8.1m paying customers - being the only one that has managed to crack it convincingly. Vonage, a US company, offers a service in which customers have standard phones but make calls through VOIP - though they still need a landline for the basic telephone connection.</p><p>Google hopes to make money from the service by charging for international calls - though those will vary widely, even within the same country. It has a <a href="https://www.google.com/voice/b/0/rates">chart of rates</a>. People also will be able to receive calls on their PC if they obtain a free phone number from Google, or already have one through its Google Voice service.</p><p>The new arrival poses a threat not just to telecoms companies: Skype is <a href="http://moconews.net/article/419-skypes-ipo-filing-8.1-million-customers-and-plenty-of-risk/">planning a $100m flotation</a>, but is burdened with debt and is also making significant capital investment. However, it dwarfs Google Voice for reach, having a total of 560m users, up 36% from last year, though the number of paying customers only rose 23% in the same time. In its SEC filing it noted that there could be competition from companies like Apple and BSkyB - and Google.</p><p>But Skype does make an operating profit, with income of $13m on revenues of $406m in the first half of this year.</p><p>So far Google Voice - which was until about two months ago an invitation-only service as the company absorbed its acquisition of GrandCentral, the VOIP provider that underlies this function - has more than 1.4m assigned phone numbers. Those can then be used as the destination point for calls made to a home, office or mobile phone - like the 0700 "follow me" numbers used in the UK.</p><p>Google is also going to promote the service by setting up red phone booths in US universities and airports, letting them make free calls inside North America, and cheaper ones outside it.</p><p>The company also wants to make it possible to transfer existing home or mobile numbers to Google Voice to broaden its appeal.</p><p>At present only users of the Gmail system inside the US are being offered the service. Business, military and government users of Google's mail and calendar services are not yet being offered the service, but it may be broadened to them: "we're working on making this available more broadly - stay tuned!" said Nick Foster, a Google Voice software engineer, in a <a href="http://googlevoiceblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/make-and-receive-calls-in-gmail.html">blog post on Wednesday</a>.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/telecoms">Telecommunications industry</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/telecoms">Telecoms</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/charlesarthur">Charles Arthur</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/g3DRjvbLmDujQ-gHCDO2mHHabcI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/g3DRjvbLmDujQ-gHCDO2mHHabcI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/g3DRjvbLmDujQ-gHCDO2mHHabcI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/g3DRjvbLmDujQ-gHCDO2mHHabcI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Google Technology Telecommunications industry Telecoms Business guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/aug/26/google-voice-calls-challenge Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:32:30 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/27/youtube-internet/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/21356?ns=guardian&pageName=YouTube+to+launch+free+movie+service%3AArticle%3A1444254&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=YouTube+%28Technology%29%2CInternet%2CTechnology%2COnline+TV%2CDigital+media%2CTelevision+industry+%28Media%29%2CMedia&c5=Digital+Media%2CMedia+Weekly%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT%2CTelevision+Media&c6=Mark+Sweney&c7=10-Aug-27&c8=1444254&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FYouTube" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Video site signs deals with US studios including Sony Pictures and UK service Blinkbox</p><p>YouTube is to launch a free movie service after striking deals with US studios including Sony Pictures and UK service Blinkbox.</p><p>YouTube, which already delivers TV through deals with Channel 4 and Channel 5, will initially make more than 400 titles available for free and on-demand.</p><p>The new section, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/movies" title="www.youtube.com/movies">www.youtube.com/movies</a>, is offering films ranging from horror titles, such as Night of the Living Dead, to 'classics' such as The Clan of the Cave Bear and even Bollywood hits.</p><p>"This is one of many efforts to ensure that people can find all the different kinds of video they want to see, from bedroom vlogs and citizen journalism reports to full-length films and TV shows," said the YouTube head of video partnerships, Donagh O'Malley. "We hope film lovers enjoy the range of titles in this free library, whether catching up on a mainstream hit or delving into the vast archive of classic films from decades past."</p><p>The deal with Blinkbox, which charges from £1.99 for the rental of movies and TV shows, will see about 165 films made available for free. For Blinkbox, which will receive revenue from advertising around the films, the move to make content available for free is about building the brand and reaching new audiences.</p><p>Titles will include Hotel New Hampshire, with Rob Lowe and Jodie Foster, and The Dark Side of the Sun, starring Brad Pitt.</p><p>"The size and scope of YouTube's audience is immense and this exciting tie-up allows us to reach film fans and potential users outside of our usual audience and helps us build on our already rapidly growing customer base," said the Blinkbox chief executive, Michael Comish.</p><p>The YouTube US film service launched in April, with a mixture of free and paid film content, and the YouTube UK movie site may consider introducing paid models in the future.</p><p><em>•&nbsp;To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000.</em></p><p><em>• If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".</em></p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/youtube">YouTube</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet">Internet</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/online-tv">Online TV</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media">Digital media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/television">Television industry</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/marksweney">Mark Sweney</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/eR8fagt7Bl0DdP2nM1vA2-MRGqA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/eR8fagt7Bl0DdP2nM1vA2-MRGqA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/eR8fagt7Bl0DdP2nM1vA2-MRGqA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/eR8fagt7Bl0DdP2nM1vA2-MRGqA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> YouTube Internet Technology Online TV Digital media Television industry Media guardian.co.uk News http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/27/youtube-internet Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:55:44 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/aug/26/philly-blog-tax/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/46558?ns=guardian&pageName=Philly+blog+tax%3A+reality+or+rumour%3F%3AArticle%3A1443715&ch=Media&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Blogging+%28Media%29%2CDigital+media%2CMedia%2CInternet%2CTechnology%2CUS+news%2CWorld+news&c5=Digital+Media%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CMedia+Weekly%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Anne+Wollenberg&c7=10-Aug-26&c8=1443715&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Media&c13=&c25=PDA+blog%2CTechnology+blog%2COrgan+Grinder+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FMedia%2FBlogging" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Claims that Philadelphia authorities are charging bloggers a fee have caused a media furore – but they're simply not true</p><p>Churnalism travels fast, especially in silly season. Stories about a supposed new tax on bloggers in Philadelphia have bounced round the US media, with buzzphrase "Philly blog tax" appearing everywhere from CNN to New York Magazine. "Philly wants to tax bloggers", <a href="http://gawker.com/5619740/bedbugs-overrun-the-elle-offices" title="said Gawker">said Gawker</a>. "How does a financially strapped city [...] make a little cash? Tax the bloggers," <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2010/08/23/2010-08-23_cashstrapped_philly_bloggers_must_pay_for_business_license.html" title="said the New York Daily News">said the New York Daily News</a>. "Freedom of speech under attack as Philadelphia becomes First City To Impose A Tax On blogging" <a href="http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2010/08/24/freedom-speech-attack-philadelphia-city-impose-tax-blogging-3559/" title="reads one local blog headline">reads one local blog headline</a>.</p><p>But there is no blog tax. Philadelphia levies a licence fee on small businesses, which is no more a tax on bloggers than the UK's VAT is a tax on chocolate buttons.</p><p>The rumour started when the Philadelphia City Paper <a href="http://citypaper.net/articles/2010/08/19/blogging-business-privilege-tax-philadelphia" title="ran an article last week headlined "Pay Up"">ran an article last week headlined "Pay up"</a>, which detailed how blogger <a href="http://www.msphillyorganic.com" title="Marilyn Bess">Marilyn Bess</a> received a letter demanding $300 for a "business privilege licence". "I've been very interested to see how many writers addressed this topic and used my name without talking to me," Bess told MediaGuardian. "One of my favourite articles in this mess said: <a href="http://www.switched.com/2010/08/23/philadelphia-demands-amateur-bloggers-pay-300-for-business-pri/" title="'she probably assumed she was getting a summons or jury duty'">'She probably assumed she was getting a summons or jury duty'</a>. I thought no such thing."</p><p>The City Paper story appears to accuse the city of singling out bloggers – if you only read the strapline, that is. "Got a blog that makes no money? The city wants $300, thank you very much." The body copy explains the rather more mundane truth, but why let the facts get in the way of a good sell? The US media certainly hasn't.</p><p>Staff at Philadelphia's department of revenue seemed surprised when MediaGuardian got in touch to ask if it had decided any such thing (it hasn't). "There has been quite a bit of sensationalism and misunderstanding," a spokesperson said. "Philadelphia does not have a licence or tax just for bloggers [but] does require anyone doing business and generating revenue for profit to register and get a business licence with the City of Philadelphia." This costs $50 a year, or a lifetime fee of $300, and is only for those making money. "A blog or website that doesn't generate revenue would not be considered a business."</p><p>The problem is "people not taking five seconds to realise it's not a blog tax, it's a tax on all the commerce in the city," says Sean Blanda, co-founder of tech news site <a href="http://technicallyphilly.com" title="Technically Philly">Technically Philly</a> and an ex-employee of the City Paper. "But people thought it was an affront to free speech. It says nothing about free speech." <a href="http://seanblanda.com/blog/technically-philly/on-phillys-blog-tax/" title="As Blanda wrote on his blog">As Blanda wrote on his blog</a> : "There is no 'blog tax' in Philadelphia. None."</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/blogging">Blogging</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media">Digital media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet">Internet</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/usa">United States</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/annewollenberg">Anne Wollenberg</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/b8MwSBjtMXXvpqipjWQNap9aN20/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/b8MwSBjtMXXvpqipjWQNap9aN20/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/b8MwSBjtMXXvpqipjWQNap9aN20/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/b8MwSBjtMXXvpqipjWQNap9aN20/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Blogging Digital media Media Internet Technology United States World news guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/aug/26/philly-blog-tax Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:05:15 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/aug/25/technology-links-newsbucket1/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/78996?ns=guardian&pageName=Samsung+teases+about+its+Galaxy+tablet%3A+does+it+fit+your+bill%3F%3AArticle%3A1443238&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Tablet+computers%2CTechnology%2CAndroid+%28technology%29&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Charles+Arthur&c7=10-Aug-25&c8=1443238&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=Technology+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FTablet+computers" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">The forthcoming Android-powered Galaxy Tab will do navigation, e-reading and have a 7" screen. But what should it cost - and is it the right size?</p><p>Samsung is preparing to launch, of all things, a tablet (actually, slate) computer at the IFA fair in Berlin in a week's time, and has released this teaser video - from which we learn that it's going to be running Android 2.2, and that it will have a 7" screen. (Or "portable screen", as it slightly weirdly puts it.)</p><p>Other tidbits on offer: "augmented reality, full web browsing, video call, HD movie playback, PC line out, e-reading, navigation" it says (that's all we can spot from the floating graphics.) That clearly means it will need a high-density screen (for the HD playback) and a front-facing camera (for the video calling) and possibly GPS (for the navigation). To do augmented reality, it might also need a rear-facing camera - which is a lot of cameras to pack in.</p><p>Obviously, there's no mention of price - got to keep something back. </p><p>Odd how last year nobody was really talking about slates - last year you had to have a netbook to be anyone, it seemed - but that this year everyone seems to be.</p><p>But here are the questions for you: what price would you buy it for, and is the screen big enough? </p><p>Data points to consider it against: the <a href="http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad?mco=OTY2ODA0NQ">iPad</a> starts at £429 (9" screen, 16GB, but no phone capability or camera), while the <a href="http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/mobile-streak?c=uk&l=en&s=bsd&cs=ukbsdt1">Dell Streak</a> (5" screen, is a phone, does navigation, uses Android, 16GB) costs, um, £449 (inc VAT).</p><p>The Galaxy Tab clearly lies in between - so what's the right price, and is it the right size?</p><p><strong>Update:</strong> <a href="http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/08/23/exclusive.samsung.galaxy.tab.in.live.testing/">Electronista</a> has some video allegedly shot in Sydney, Australia of a rather reluctant-to-discuss user of the machine. You can't see anything of it - all he does is confirm details like "seven inch? ARM-based?" It's said that it was being used by an "anonymous telco worker at a train station". Though this has all the makings too of some viral marketing. Hell, next we'll find that Cat Bin Lady thought the cat was sitting on her Galaxy Tab. Anyhow, here's the video..</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/tablet-computer">Tablet computers</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/android">Android</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/charlesarthur">Charles Arthur</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/WOPVJF7PFsSZxyIL23JOdCQ3qMg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/WOPVJF7PFsSZxyIL23JOdCQ3qMg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/WOPVJF7PFsSZxyIL23JOdCQ3qMg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/WOPVJF7PFsSZxyIL23JOdCQ3qMg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Tablet computers Technology Android guardian.co.uk Blogposts http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/aug/25/technology-links-newsbucket1 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:09:00 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/25/bt-banned-asa-advertising/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/2132?ns=guardian&pageName=BT+ad+banned+by+ASA%3AArticle%3A1442872&ch=Media&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=ASA+%28media%29%2CAdvertising+%28media%29%2CMedia%2CBT+Group+%28Business%29%2CTelecommunications+industry+%28Business+sector%29%2CBusiness%2CInternet%2CTechnology%2CBroadband&c5=Business+Markets%2CMedia+Weekly%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT%2CAdvertising+Media&c6=John+Plunkett&c7=10-Aug-25&c8=1442872&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Media&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FMedia%2FAdvertising+Standards+Authority" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">The advertising watchdog said the TV ad for BT broadband misled customers over the speed of the service</p><p>A BT advert has been banned for misleading customers over the speed of its broadband, following complaints from rivals including BSkyB and Virgin Media.</p><p>Today's ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority is a blow for BT in the increasingly bitter broadband wars between the UK's home internet providers.</p><p>BT's ad – part of the telecoms company's long-running "Adam and Jane" campaign featuring the former My Family star Kris Marshall and Esther Hall – claimed the company was "rolling out up to 20 meg speeds to give you a consistently faster broadband throughout the day even at peak times".</p><p>But the ASA said BT could not back up its claim that the 20Mbps (megabits a second) service was consistently faster than its 8Mbps offering even at peak times. It said the ad was "likely to mislead" and must not appear again in its current form.</p><p>The advert, which was broadcast last year and featured Adam being shown around a house by an estate agent, while his partner, Jane, surfed the web at home, prompted 17 complaints including objections from BSkyB, Virgin Media and TalkTalk. Among the complaints were that the speed at which Jane was shown navigating web pages was faster than anyone could achieve at any connection speed.</p><p>BT told the ASA that its new service, which was being rolled out when the ad was broadcast, was faster than the old one but that the sequence shown in the ad was not intended to be an actual comparison. The ASA said consumers would expect any on-screen demonstration to be "representative of the benefits available to them" and "that was not the case".</p><p>The watchdog also said BT should have done more to make clear that a large part of the population could not get the service when the ad appeared. It added: "We reminded BT to ensure they held robust documentary evidence to prove all claims capable of objective substantiation."</p><p>BT said it was "disappointed" by the ASA's adjudication and said there was "certainly no intention to mislead". "At the time the ads appeared, BT had just started rolling out a new up to 20Mb broadband service across the country and we wanted to highlight the higher speeds available in newly enabled exchange areas offering customers consistently faster web browsing in comparison to BT's up to 8Mb service," it said.</p><p>"The images used were representative of the differences and our substantiation for the claims made in the advertising includes independent data from the leading global authority on broadband service delivery, Epitiro, and an expert statistician."</p><p><em>• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000.</em></p><p><em>• If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".</em></p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/asa">Advertising Standards Authority</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/advertising">Advertising</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/btgroup">BT</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/telecoms">Telecommunications industry</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet">Internet</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/broadband">Broadband</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/johnplunkett">John Plunkett</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/8tHqVlNOX1lv7Qftr4aA846a60M/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/8tHqVlNOX1lv7Qftr4aA846a60M/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/8tHqVlNOX1lv7Qftr4aA846a60M/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/8tHqVlNOX1lv7Qftr4aA846a60M/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Advertising Standards Authority Advertising Media BT Telecommunications industry Business Internet Technology Broadband guardian.co.uk News http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/25/bt-banned-asa-advertising Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:01:05 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/24/technology-industry-faces-short-supply-of-chips/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/8981?ns=guardian&pageName=Technology+industry+faces+chip+shortage%3AArticle%3A1443063&ch=Business&c3=Guardian&c4=Technology+sector+%28business+sector%29%2CMobile+phones+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CApple+%28Technology%29%2CiPhone%2CNissan+%28Business%29%2CManufacturing+sector+%28Business+sector%29&c5=Business+Markets%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Graeme+Wearden&c7=10-Aug-24&c8=1443063&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Business&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FTechnology+sector" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Manufacturers have failed to make enough semiconductors and other high-tech components</p><p>The technology industry faces a growing shortage of semiconductors and other high-tech components following a failure to invest in new manufacturing facilities during the recession, experts have warned.</p><p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jun/28/eric-schmidt-google-smartphones-activate" title="Smartphone makers">Smartphone makers</a> are now finding it harder to lay their hands on chips and display screens, leading to supply delays on some handsets. Analysts have said that this scramble is likely to become increasingly competitive, potentially hitting pushing up costs for consumers.</p><p>Malcolm Penn, chief executive at analyst firm Future Horizons, believes some chips will remain in short supply until the end of 2010, and it could take 12 months until supply and demand are back in kilter. "This is a huge crisis," said Penn. "A year ago, the chipmakers decided not to build new factories – in fact they were closing factories."</p><p>As well as being extremely expensive, a new semiconductor fabrication plant typically takes a year to build. So companies who waited until the start of this year, when the developed world had <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/26/uk-recession-over" title="emerged from recession">emerged from recession</a>, to take the plunge will not reap the benefits until 2011.</p><p>According to Penn, chipmakers were reluctant to invest in new capacity because of fears over the world economy. "They believed that demand would go away, and that we'd go into a double-dip recession," he said. In fact, demand for technology has held up surprisingly well, leading to the industry-wide chip shortage that is unlikely to end this year. Ben Verwaayen, Alcatel-Lucent's chief executive, has also warned that the component shortages will not be solved in the next few months.</p><p>In Britain, mobile operators report that some handsets are being delayed by several weeks. Apple admitted last month that it cannot make enough iPhones to satisfy all its orders, although chief operating officer Tim Cook said this was <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2010/jul/21/apple-results" title=""a good problem to have"">"a good problem to have"</a>.</p><p>One industry insider says that <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/apr/22/htc-legend-desire-nexus-one-technophile" title="the popular HTC Desire">the popular HTC Desire</a>, launched by the Taiwanese handset maker earlier this year, has been hit by supply problems. The problem here, though, appears to be with its screen rather than the chips inside the phone. HTC has recently changed from an organic LED display, which were exclusively made by Samsung, to an Super LCD screen from Sony.</p><p>Penn believes that Apple is likely to suffer less than its rivals, as it has the financial muscle to fight for the chips it needs. Other makers of smartphones may find they must pay more or miss out.</p><p>"Chipmakers will have to prioritise who to ship to," said Penn. "Apple should be well-treated, but because they are a hard customer who beats their suppliers down on price they may only get 85% of what they ask for, with that extra stock going to another company that will pay a premium price."</p><p>The implications of the chip shortage are also being felt beyond the technology industry. In July Nissan was forced to suspend production on several car assembly lines because Hitachi, which supplied certain engine parts, <a href="http://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/100728.html" title="could not source enough processors from STMicroelectronics">could not source enough processors from STMicroelectronics</a>, the Italian-French electronics and semiconductor manufacturer. STMicroelectronics's chief executive subsequently said that the company was expanding capacity by 20% this year.</p><p>Penn believes that the shortages show the harm that can be caused by short-term thinking during the economic downturn. "This is a total failure of corporate leadership. No one had the courage to take a long-term decision."</p><p>Linley Gwennap, the president of research firm of The Linley Group, also questions whether the semiconductor industry is expanding enough now. "Even where companies are facing shortages, they're saying 'Nah, I'm not sure I want to invest right now because demand could turn down any minute'," said Gwennap.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/technology">Technology sector</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/mobilephones">Mobile phones</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/apple">Apple</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/iphone">iPhone</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/nissan">Nissan</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/manufacturing-sector">Manufacturing sector</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/graemewearden">Graeme Wearden</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/P0ZJOkZ7XIrqIraHM-l2pXnfbvM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/P0ZJOkZ7XIrqIraHM-l2pXnfbvM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/P0ZJOkZ7XIrqIraHM-l2pXnfbvM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/P0ZJOkZ7XIrqIraHM-l2pXnfbvM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Technology sector Mobile phones Technology Apple iPhone Nissan Manufacturing sector The Guardian News http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/24/technology-industry-faces-short-supply-of-chips Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:18:41 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/aug/29/william-gibson-interview/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/49125?ns=guardian&pageName=William+Gibson%3A+I%27m+agnostic+about+technology.+But+I+want+a+robotic+peng%3AArticle%3A1443234&ch=Technology&c3=Obs&c4=Technology%2CGadgets+%28Technology%29%2CWilliam+Gibson+%28Author%29%2CBooks%2CFiction+%28Books+genre%29%2CScience+fiction+fantasy+and+horror+%28Books+genre%29&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Stuart+O%27Connor&c7=10-Sep-01&c8=1443234&c9=Article&c10=Interview&c11=Technology&c13=Celebrity+squares&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FGadgets" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">The science fiction writer on his relationship with technology</p><p><strong>What's your favourite piece of technology, and how has it improved your life?</strong><br />Whatever piece of word processing software I'm using. I never learned to touch-type.</p><p><strong>When was the last time you used it, and what for?</strong><br />To answer the previous question.</p><p><strong>What additional features would you add if you could?</strong><br />I'd like a Word-compatible processor optimised for writing novels, that takes&nbsp;up a minimum of storage space,&nbsp;thanks.</p><p><strong>Do you think it will be obsolete in 10 years' time?</strong><br />I imagine we'll be using some version of it as long as we continue to write at lengths greater than 140 characters.</p><p><strong>What always frustrates you about technology in general?</strong><br />The reality of malfunction, something I've quite rightly been criticised for neglecting to adequately depict in my&nbsp;fiction.</p><p><strong>Is there any particular piece of technology that you have owned and&nbsp;hated?</strong><br />The last fax I bothered to purchase, which cost virtually nothing, and was so loaded with features and options that I've yet to figure out how to send a fax. Fortunately I only need to send two or three a year, in which case I go to a nearby shop.</p><p><strong>If you had one tip about getting the best out of new technology, what would it be?</strong><br />To wait for at least the second iteration, but then I suppose it's no longer new. But I've always tended to be a slow adaptor. I'd rather watch other people use new things than use them myself.</p><p><strong>Do you consider yourself to be a luddite or a nerd?</strong><br />Neither. I try to be objective about technology. Agnostic, in a sense. Whatever personal opinions I form tend to have more to do with what we find to do with the new thing.</p><p><strong>What's the most expensive piece of technology you've ever owned?</strong><br />A Volkswagen Passat.</p><p><strong>Mac or PC, and why?</strong><br />Mac. I started with Apple, in a pre-Windows era when PCs seemed to involve more of a learning curve. But the fact that I'm yet to acquire so much&nbsp;as a single virus still seems a very&nbsp;good thing.</p><p><strong>Do you still buy physical media such as CDs and DVDs, or do you download? What was your last purchase?</strong><br />Both. I like physical browsing. It activates the hunter-gatherer module&nbsp;differently. I last bought Arcade Fire's new album, <em>The Suburbs</em>, via iTunes.</p><p><strong>Robot butlers – a good idea or not?</strong><br />I've never been very intrigued with the idea of robots, not even as a boy. Actually I've never been intrigued at all with the idea of a butler.</p><p><strong>What piece of technology would you most like to own?</strong><br />A <a href="http://www.festo.com/ext/en/12085.htm" title="">Festo Air Penguin</a>! It's an autonomously flying robotic penguin.</p><p><em>William Gibson's new novel, Zero History (Viking), is published on 2&nbsp;September</em></p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gadgets">Gadgets</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/williamgibson">William Gibson</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/fiction">Fiction</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/sciencefictionfantasyandhorror">Science fiction, fantasy and horror</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/stuartoconnor">Stuart O'Connor</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/aj902kN7qQgMZNAbVT4I9pFR0Ys/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/aj902kN7qQgMZNAbVT4I9pFR0Ys/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/aj902kN7qQgMZNAbVT4I9pFR0Ys/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/aj902kN7qQgMZNAbVT4I9pFR0Ys/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Technology Gadgets William Gibson Books Fiction Science fiction, fantasy and horror The Observer Interviews http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/aug/29/william-gibson-interview Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:05:58 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2010/aug/27/the-social-network-trailer/print <p>The Social Network is a fictionalised take on the birth of the social networking site by Fight Club director David Fincher</p><br/><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/10ylSQ5S7A3J5z_oQyIVxBuk82I/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/10ylSQ5S7A3J5z_oQyIVxBuk82I/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/10ylSQ5S7A3J5z_oQyIVxBuk82I/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/10ylSQ5S7A3J5z_oQyIVxBuk82I/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> David Fincher Film Culture Facebook Technology guardian.co.uk Editorial http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2010/aug/27/the-social-network-trailer Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:00:37 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/22/gamescom-fair-cologne-review/print <div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/73449?ns=guardian&pageName=Gamescom+2010%2C+Cologne%3AArticle%3A1441185&ch=Technology&c3=Obs&c4=Games+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CCulture+section&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CCorporate+IT%2CGames&c6=Kelly+MacDonald&c7=10-Aug-24&c8=1441185&c9=Article&c10=Review&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FGames" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Kelly MacDonald reports from Europe's largest video games trade fair, where the hottest new titles are test-driven</p><p><a href="http://www.gamescom.de/en/gamescom/home/index.php" title="">Gamescom</a> is one of the only remaining trade shows that allows members of the public to play forthcoming titles from all the major publishers. In 2009, more than 245,000 gamers attended, and this year's event in Cologne's enormous Messe exhibition grounds looks to be even bigger. Players from around the world have heeded the call to "celebrate the games" and swarm the show floor, with queues for the most popular titles meaning an hour-long wait.</p><p>The show kicks off every year with conferences from the platform holders, and though this year was rather light on announcements, it certainly wasn't on spectacle. Gearing up for the launch of <strong>Kinect</strong>, the full motion-control camera for Xbox 360 that utilises the player's body as controller, Microsoft hosted a full play day to show off its forthcoming titles and finally confirmed a European launch date for Kinect of 10 November.</p><p>All of the Kinect launch games were on show, including <strong>Kinect Adventures</strong>, <strong>Kinect Sports</strong>, <strong>Kinectimals</strong> – a virtual pet game aimed at kids that really stood out – and also Harmonix's <strong>Dance Central</strong>. Microsoft also premiered new multiplayer title <strong>Halo: Reach</strong> and, attracting huge attention, the near-finished version of <strong>Fable III</strong>, the publisher's action/role‑playing game due to be released on 26 October.</p><p>Lionhead's Louise Murray, head of the Fable franchise, sees the developer's new game as a key title for the Xbox at the end of the year alongside Kinect and <em>Halo</em>. "I think Fable gives you something different," she said. "<em>Halo</em> is really well-known, Kinect is much broader, for the family, and then you have Fable, which is a story, an adventure."</p><p><em>Fable III</em>'s co-operative multiplayer is much improved since <em>Fable II </em>in 2008 – you can even marry your friends in-game, if the urge strikes you. It charts the player's rise from citizen of the very British, endearingly ramshackle kingdom of Albion to ruler of the land, challenging you to make promises to their citizens along the way that they may or may not be able to keep. "Fable is growing," says Murray. "It's always been something that people can get into, but we've been developing our storytelling, and <em>Fable III</em> is the next step. It's easy to say it's the best one we've done."</p><p>Sony, meanwhile, unveiled <strong>Resistance 3</strong> and <strong>Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One</strong>, a four-player co-operative platformer, by Insomniac Games. It also showed off the PlayStation 3's – stereoscopic 3D technology, demoing the new entry in the Motorstorm series of racing games, <strong>Motorstorm: Apocalypse</strong>, in full 3D. There were also impressively enjoyable playable demos of PlayStation Move, Sony's new motion controller which launches in Europe on 15 September.</p><p>It was a publisher, rather than a manufacturer, however, that made the most announcements at the show. Electronic Arts hosted a conference to announce <strong>Mass Effect 2</strong> for the PlayStation 3, David Beckham's involvement in fitness game <strong>EA Sports Active 2</strong>, and revealed the trailer for the sequel to the award-winning <em>Dragon Age</em>. EA was one of Gamescom's founding partners and has always put its full weight behind it – aptly demonstrated by the appearance of James and Oliver Phelps, otherwise known as the Weasley twins, on stage to demonstrate <strong>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</strong> on Xbox 360, using Kinect to control their wands.</p><p>The Weasleys weren't the only celebrities on show. Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda took to the stage during Sony's conference to demonstrate a level from EA's forthcoming <strong>Medal of Honor </strong>and admitted it was an unusual experience. "That was such a weird feeling," he laughed. "I can get up there with an instrument and I'll be totally comfortable, but with a game controller it's just unfamiliar."</p><p>Elsewhere, Square-Enix demonstrated <strong>Deus Ex: Human Revolution</strong>, the third entry in the role-playing series, and 2K Games gave the mesmerising <strong>Bioshock Infinite</strong> its second-ever public outing since its unveiling the previous week. Of the hundreds more games on show, Bethesda's <strong>Fallout: New Vegas</strong> and forthcoming multiplayer shooter <strong>Brink</strong> also made a strong impression, and <strong>Rock Band 3</strong>, with its full six-string guitar, made a real impact on the public floor. As the organisers had hoped, Gamescom offered much to celebrate, with the huge numbers of gamers in Cologne treated to a glimpse of a final quarter of the year packed with fascinating releases.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/games">Games</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/kelly-macdonald">Kelly MacDonald</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> &copy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" /> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Bx_Ta9KrWOR0cbUoI71-dK--G9Q/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Bx_Ta9KrWOR0cbUoI71-dK--G9Q/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Bx_Ta9KrWOR0cbUoI71-dK--G9Q/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Bx_Ta9KrWOR0cbUoI71-dK--G9Q/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p> Games Technology Culture The Observer Reviews http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/22/gamescom-fair-cologne-review Sat, 21 Aug 2010 23:06:11 GMT