Ultrasound offers gesture control

10 October 2013 Last updated at 11:27 ET

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The smartphone you control by gestures

Ultrasound technology that enables mobiles and tablets to be controlled by gesture could go into production as early as next year.

Norwegian start-up Elliptic Labs is in talks with Asian handset manufacturers to get the chip embedded in devices.

The technology works via an ultrasound chip that uses sound waves to interpret hand movements.

The move towards gesture control has gathered pace and there are now many such products on the market.

Big gestures

What sets Elliptic's gesture-control system apart from others is its wide field of use, up to a metre away from the phone. It means it can identify mid-air gestures accurately.

Because it uses sound rather than sight, the sensor can recognise gestures from a 180-degree field. It also consumes less power and works in the dark.

By contrast Samsung's Galaxy S4 uses an infrared sensor that can only interpret hand movements within a very small zone.

"The user needs to learn the exact spot to gesture to instead of having a large interactive space around the device," said Erik Forsstrom, the user interface designer for Elliptic Labs.

Allowing users more freedom in how they gesture is vital if such products are to become mainstream, he thinks.

"With a small screen such as a phone or a tablet, the normal body language is not that precise. You need a large zone in which to gesture."

If consumers can quickly see the effects their gestures have on screen, he thinks, "it is quite likely that this is the next step within mobile".

The technology was recently shown off at Japanese tech show Ceatec.

In the demonstration, an Android smartphone was housed in a case containing the ultrasound transmitters.

But Elliptic Labs said it had formed partnerships with a number of Asian handset manufacturers who are looking at building the ultrasound chip into devices, as early as next year.

Mass market

Continue reading the main story

It is ideal if you have dirty or sweaty hands"

End Quote Ben Wood CCS Insight

Increasingly firms are experimenting with gesture control.

PrimeSense, the company that developed gesture control for Microsoft's Kinect console, has also made strides towards bringing the technology to mobile.

By shrinking down the sensor used in the Kinect, the firm showed it working with a Nexus 10 at a Google developers' conference in May.

Meanwhile Disney is testing technology that allows users to "feel" the texture of objects on a flat touchscreen.

The technique involves sending tiny vibrations through the display that let people "feel" the shallow bumps, ridges and edges of an object.

Ben Wood, analyst with research firm CCS Insight thinks such devices could be ready for the mass market.

"Apple's success has made gestures a part of everyday life. Now consumers understand they can manipulate a screen with a gesture or a swipe everyone is racing to find innovative ways to exploit this behaviour.

"Ultrasonic is particularly interesting as you don't need to touch the screen which can be an almost magical experience.

"It is ideal if you have dirty or sweaty hands. A common example people use is flicking through a recipe when cooking. Other examples include transitioning through a slideshow of photos or flicking through music tracks or turning the page on an ebook," he said.

"The big challenge that remains is how you make users aware of the capability."

See more tech from the Ceatec show on Click this weekend

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Foxconn admits labour violation

10 October 2013 Last updated at 21:47 ET

Foxconn, the world's biggest contract electronics maker, has admitted student interns worked shifts at a factory in China that were in violation of its company policies.

The firm, which makes products for some the world's biggest brands, has been under scrutiny for labour practices.

It had admitted to hiring underage interns at the same unit last year.

Foxconn said actions had been taken to bring the factory "into full compliance with our code and policies".

"There have been a few instances where our policies pertaining to overtime and night shift work were not enforced," the company said in a statement.

Labour issues

The manufacturing giant is owned by Taiwanese group Hon Hai Precision and employs about 800,000 workers around the globe.

Foxconn, while not a household name in itself for many consumers, is used by most of the big technology giants around the world, including Apple, Sony, Microsoft, HP, and Nokia.

It first came under scrutiny for its labour practices when 13 employees committed suicide at its Chinese plants in 2010.

The incidents raised concerns over working conditions at its units in China and drew attention to growing labour strikes.

For its part, Foxconn responded by raising wages, shortening working hours and employing counsellors on site.

It also installed suicide nets to factory living-quarters at its Shenzhen factory.

Also in 2010, Foxconn temporarily shut down a unit in India after 250 workers fell sick.

And in May 2011, two people were killed after an explosion at a company plant in Chengdu.

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Malware mastermind suspect arrested

9 October 2013 Last updated at 08:00 ET

Russian police have reportedly arrested a man on suspicion of masterminding two infamous hacking tools.

He is suspected of being the man behind the alias Paunch - the nickname used by the creator of the Blackhole and Cool exploit kits, sold to cybercriminals to infect web users with malware.

The Russian authorities have not confirmed the details.

But security firms said they had already detected a decline in the programs' use.

A spokesman for the law enforcement agency Europol told the BBC: "Europol and the European Cybercrime Centre has been informed that a high-level suspected cyber criminal has been arrested.

"We can only refer you to the Russian authorities, they are the ones who should speak about this topic."

The Russian police's press office said it had nothing to add at this time.

However, Alexander Gostev, chief security expert at the Moscow-based internet protection provider Kaspersky Lab, said the arrest had been confirmed to him by "anonymous sources".

Spreading malware

The Blackhole kit, released in 2010, dominated the crimeware market throughout 2012 and the start of 2013, according to Fraser Howard, a researcher at the anti-virus company Sophos.

He said the code had been sold for an annual licence of $1,500 (£940) or could be rented from its creator for $200 (£125) for one week's use, among other price plans.

The software targeted a range of vulnerabilities in the Java programming language, Adobe's Flash media player, Windows software and PDF files.

It had two ways of doing this:

• adding malicious code to hundreds of thousands of legitimate websites, which then copied malware to visitors computers
• creating links in spam messages to specially created sites that infected PCs

Among the malware downloaded was:

• fake anti-virus software that falsely claimed the PC was infected and urged the user to pay a fee to remove viruses
• Trojans that attempted to steal financial records stored on the PC
• the ZeroAccess rootkit, which downloaded other software that hijacked the PC for use in a botnet - a facility used to overwhelm websites with traffic and force them offline
• key loggers that took a record of what was typed on the PC
• ransomware that attempted to blackmail the PC owner

Although Mr Howard said Blackhole was once the biggest threat of its kind, he added that in recent months it had been overshadowed by rival kits, including Sweet Orange and Neutrino.

According to the researcher, the Blackhole and Cool kits put together were only involved in about 4% of all malware detected by Sophos in August, down from 28% the previous year.

The figure had since dropped to 2% in recent days, he added.

Another independent security blogger stressed that the arrest was still significant.

"If it's true that the brains behind the Blackhole has been apprehended it's a very big deal - a real coup for the cybercrime-fighting authorities, and hopefully cause disruption to the development of one of the most notorious exploit kits the web has ever seen," said Graham Cluley.

"However, it's worth remembering that nature abhors a vacuum, and there would surely be other online criminals waiting to take their place, promoting their alternative exploit kits and malicious code."

Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at F-Secure, agreed.

"If indeed it is Paunch that they arrested, that is a major arrest - he is a big deal," he told the BBC.

"He was clearly the biggest player in providing exploit kits - not just by selling them, but also renting and leasing them to online criminals.

"Both Blackhole and its successor Cool have been very popular.

"Users didn't have to be very technical to operate them - there was a manual that came with them - they just had to get them running and be able to break into a high-profile website, or create a new one from scratch, to install something bad on your computer."

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Ford car wrests control of steering

9 October 2013 Last updated at 11:01 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

A car that takes control of the steering wheel when it detects the risk of a collision is being tested at a research facility in Germany.

Ford said the Obstacle Avoidance system first warned the driver of danger and then took charge if they did not react.

The firm said the equipment had been fitted to one of its vehicles as part of a project involving other carmakers and suppliers.

One analyst said it was a staging post on the route to "driverless cars".

The system scans up to 200m (650ft) ahead by using three radars, a number of ultrasonic sensors and a camera, which are all installed in the vehicle.

An additional built-in display shows a warning sign and sounds a chime. Then, if necessary, it applies the brakes, scans for a gap in the road ahead, and steers to avoid a crash.

"You're driving down the road and a pedestrian or something comes out from either side of your vehicle from your peripheral vision where you don't have a good look at it," said Barb Samardzich, vice-president of product development at Ford's European division.

"Obstacle Avoidance can sense that the pedestrian or that object is coming across the front of your vehicle. If it doesn't sense you responding accordingly in your vehicle by braking or manoeuvring, it will take over."

The firm showed off the tech at a facility in Lommel, Belgium, earlier this week.

Safety race

The new technology builds on safety features already offered by Ford.

Last year it introduced Lane Keeping Alert, a feature that vibrates the wheel - but does not take control - if it detects the driver is drifting out of a lane without using an indicator.

Ford's existing Active City Stop facility also aims to reduce the severity of collisions by applying the brakes if it detects an object in front of the vehicle. But it works only if the object is static or travelling less than 30km/h (19mph) faster than the car.

By contrast, the company said the new tech was being tested at speeds of over 60 km/h (38mph).

Other manufacturers involved in the project at Aachen include BMW, Fiat, Daimler, Volvo and Volkswagen. They will share data from the tests to develop systems of their own.

Volvo - which is owned by China's Geely - has already introduced its own pedestrian and cyclist alert system, which sounds an alarm and applies the brakes. The firm told the BBC in March that it was now adapting the system so it would soon be able to recognise animals.

'Significant step'

There may be resistance from some to the idea of a car taking control from its driver.

But Ford points out that fewer than one-third of all drivers involved in rear-end collisions had attempted to steer clear of the accident, according to data collected by Germany's Federal Statistical Office.

With that in mind, one independent analyst said it should not be too hard for manufacturers to convince motorists of the innovation's benefit.

"The logic behind the technology is impeccable - anything that can avoid a potentially dangerous situation that can cause injury or death sounds like a good piece of equipment," said Tim Urquhart, senior analyst at consultants IHS Automotive.

"Obviously it will come at a price. But there will be less resistance to a piece of technology like this than there will be to the concept of totally driverless cars.

"But autonomous vehicles are already being tested by Google, Daimler and others, and taking steering control in an emergency situation is obviously a pretty significant step along the road."

Ford said more tests were needed and it was not yet ready to announce a launch date for its Obstacle Avoidance system.

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Global PC sales dip to five-year low

9 October 2013 Last updated at 21:37 ET

Global shipments of personal computers (PCs) have hit a five-year low, according to new figures from the research firm Gartner.

Shipments totalled 80.3m units in the three months to September, down 8.6% from a year ago.

PC sales have now fallen for six quarters in a row, hurt by the growing popularity of tablets and smartphones.

Gartner said falling prices of tablets had further hurt sales of PCs in emerging markets.

"Consumers' shift from PCs to tablets for daily content consumption continued to decrease the installed base of PCs both in mature as well as in emerging markets," Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner, said in a statement.

"A greater availability of inexpensive Android tablets attracted first-time consumers in emerging markets, and as supplementary devices in mature markets."

Decline

Research firm IDC, also released figures on Thursday, which showed global shipments of PCs fell by 7.6% to 81.6m units over the period.

Gartner and IDC use slightly different methods to calculate PC shipment data.

IDC said it was likely the ongoing decline in PC sales would continue into next year.

"Whether constrained by a weak economy or being selective in their tech investments, buyers continue to evaluate options and delay PC replacements," Loren Loverde, vice president of IDC's Worldwide PC Trackers, said in a statement.

In July this year, IDC had said it was still looking for some improvement in growth during the second half of the year. It has now reversed that view.

"The third quarter was pretty close to forecast, which unfortunately doesn't reflect much improvement in the PC market, or potential for near-term growth," said Mr Loverde.

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US Army plans 'Iron Man' armour

10 October 2013 Last updated at 07:22 ET

The US Army is working to develop "revolutionary" smart armour that would give its troops "superhuman strength".

It is calling on the technology industry, government labs and academia to help build the Iron Man-style suit.

Other exoskeletons that allow soldiers to carry large loads much further have already been tested by the army.

The Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (Talos) would have such a frame but would also have layers of smart materials fitted with sensors.

The suit would also need to have wide-area networking and a wearable computer similar to Google Glass, the US Army said.

Increase strength

It should be made of smart material fitted with sensors to monitor body temperature, heart rate and hydration levels.

The exoskeleton, which could be attached to arms and legs, would be likely to use hydraulics to greatly increase strength.

"The requirement is a comprehensive family of systems in a combat armour suit where we bring together an exoskeleton with innovative armour, displays for power monitoring, health monitoring, and integrating a weapon into that," said Lt Col Karl Borjes, a science adviser at the US Army's research, development and engineering command.

"It's advanced armour. It's communications, antennas. It's cognitive performance. It's sensors, miniature-type circuits. That's all going to fit in here, too," he added.

Magnetic field

According to US Army Sgt Maj Chris Faris, "no one industry can build it".

Instead the army is calling on research and development organisations, private industry as well as government labs and academia to support the project.

The US Army said it was likely that scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology would be involved in the design.

An MIT team is currently developing liquid body armour - made from fluids that transform into a solid when a magnetic field or electrical current is applied.

Large robot

In an interview with US news site NPR, MIT professor Gareth McKinley compared the futuristic armour to that seen in Hollywood films.

"It sounds exactly like Iron Man," he said.

"The other kind of things that you see in the movies... would be the kind of external suit that Sigourney Weaver wears in Aliens, where it's a large robot that amplifies the motions and lifting capability of a human."

The aim is the get the Talos armour out in the field within three years.

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Ofcom price hike alarms mobile firms

10 October 2013 Last updated at 07:54 ET By Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC News

Mobile network operators may have to pay more than four times the current amount to use the radio spectrum, under new proposals from Ofcom.

The regulator said the new licensing fees reflected market value based on other European countries.

Operators told the BBC the increase was "excessive". Vodafone said it was "disappointed".

Some analysts have raised concerns the increased costs might be passed on to the public.

"The size of these figures may come as bad news to the mobile networks, but more worryingly could sound alarm bells for consumers," said Adam Kirby, telecoms expert at uSwitch.com.

"The proposed new costs reflect a huge leap in the amount networks will have to pay the regulator for using the spectrum - our concern is that it will be consumers who are left to foot the bill.

"However, the good news for concerned consumers is that no increases have been confirmed as yet - Ofcom are now consulting on the fees. It remains to be seen how much these costs will actually rise, and if the networks can fight back and keep a lid on these increases."

An Ofcom spokesman told the BBC that while it had no control over how much operators charged customers, it did not expect the rise to have an impact on bills.

Continue reading the main story

We welcome the views of our stakeholders. Nothing's final at this stage"

End Quote Ofcom

In an advisory note, financial services firm JP Morgan said it expected the competitiveness of the mobile market would stop costs being passed down.

On the cheap

However, operators contacted by the BBC expressed concern that the rise had been higher than they had budgeted for.

The affected companies - Vodafone, O2, EE and Three - each told the BBC that they would respond to Ofcom's announcement in due course.

EE said it would aim to stress that "there must be a balance between licence fees and the critical 4G network investment consumers and businesses are demanding to drive growth and jobs for the UK economy".

Vodafone criticised Ofcom, saying: "We are disappointed that Ofcom is proposing a 430% increase in the fees we pay for our existing spectrum at a time when we are investing more than ever in vital national digital infrastructure.

"The regulator should be encouraging such private sector investment in infrastructure and new services like 4G, which will benefit consumers, businesses and the wider British economy for many years to come."

Prices for the 900Mhz and 1800Mhz spectrum bands were set when it was used for 2G services several years ago. Ofcom has since "liberated" the spectrum - the term given when a certain band is freed up for different purposes.

In this case, it meant that operators could use the bands for higher-speed services such as 4G.

In 2010, the government instructed Ofcom to revisit the cost of the licences for 900Mhz and 1800Mhz which - in comparison with other equivalent services across the EU - were considered to be very cheap.

The new prices will see Vodafone and O2's individual fees rise from £15.6m to £83.1m. EE will pay £107.1m, up from £24.9m, and Three will go from £8.3m to £35.7m.

The increase comes at a time when operators are facing a drop in income via calls made while customers are overseas. The European Union is pressing hard for far lower roaming costs in a bid to reduce so-called "bill shock".

4G auction

A source at one of the affected operators said he expected operators would now engage in a tug of war with Ofcom to see the proposed amounts lowered.

In response, the regulator said: "It's a consultation - we welcome the views of our stakeholders. Nothing's final at this stage.

"They've been expecting this for some time and we've based our proposed annual license fees on market value."

Ofcom also dismissed the suggestion that the price hike is in response to a lower-than-expected return from the recent auction of 4G spectrum, which took place earlier in the year.

That sale raised £2.3bn - less than the £3.5bn expected by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

The shortfall is being investigated by the National Audit Office, which expects to publish its findings early next year.

Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC.

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Apple 'should buy big companies'

11 October 2013 Last updated at 07:59 ET By Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC News

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Apple should use its enormous cash reserves to make some big-name acquisitions, the company's former boss John Sculley says

Apple should use its enormous cash reserves to make some big-name acquisitions, the company's former boss John Sculley has said.

He said it could shift the "whole landscape of e-commerce" if it bought, for example, eBay.

He said it should ignore the wishes of activist investor Carl Icahn, who wants the company to buy back stock.

"Apple's about building great products, building and shaping markets," Mr Sculley said.

"Carl Icahn has suggested to [Apple chief executive] Tim Cook, 'Why don't you buy more stock back or make a bigger dividend?'

"I'd rather see Apple continue to invest in building... even make big acquisitions that were strategic, as opposed to buying more stock back, or giving more dividends."

Mr Sculley was the chief executive of Apple between 1983 and 1993.

During his tenure, he famously engineered the "forcing out" of Steve Jobs from the company - a decision he later said was due to his own inexperience in appreciating Mr Jobs' vision for future products.

Change of strategy

Traditionally, Apple has not acquired large scale companies - instead buying smaller companies with specific technologies, and folding them into the business.

One recent example of this is Siri, a company Apple acquired in 2010 when it wanted to provide an integrated personal assistant on its iPhone and iPad products.

Mr Sculley said that while he had "no insider knowledge" of the firm he left in 1993, he said he now wonders if it is time for Apple to change its growth strategy.

Continue reading the main story

I think Steve Ballmer has a lot he ought to be proud of [at Microsoft]"

End Quote John Sculley

"Apple's never been an acquirer of big companies before, and when you look at the [Apple digital ticket system] Passbook, and fingerprint recognition - what would it mean if Apple went out and bought eBay? And they had PayPal, and integrated that?

"My guess is you'd suddenly see the whole landscape of e-commerce shift.

"You have Amazon, which is on the fast-track to dominate every aspect of e-commerce - suddenly the game, the landscape, would change."

Sensor hopes

Mr Sculley was in London ahead of the UK launch of the latest product he is working on - the Misfit Shine, a wearable device that monitors various aspects of a person's health.

"The future of wearable products has the potential to have a huge impact on healthcare," he said.

He also, at the age of 74, offers his services as a mentor to up and coming Silicon Valley chief executives - something he said he wished he had while at Apple.

"When you're dealing in industries where there's such a thin line between success and failure, having another set of trusted eyes can be a real nice advantage."

Mr Sculley also offered warm words for the soon-to-be-departing Microsoft boss, Steve Ballmer.

"Here's a man who has spent 33 years at Microsoft, loves the company," he said. "He really did not get enough credit for what he did accomplish.

"I can't name a CEO who didn't make some mistakes in the hi-tech industry.

"I think Ballmer has a lot he ought to be proud of. So he didn't get everything right - not many people do."

He added: "I think it's important the CEOs do move on."

Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC

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Dark web 'will evolve' - cyber boss

11 October 2013 Last updated at 09:17 ET

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Andy Archibald, head of the UK's National Cyber Crime Unit, says the "dark web" of criminal activity will continue to evolve

The "dark web" services used by criminals will continue to evolve in an attempt to evade authorities, the UK's cybercrime boss has warned.

Last week, notorious drugs market place the Silk Road was shut down after a lengthy investigation.

Andy Archibald, interim head of the National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU), said officers identified individuals who were using the site.

But he said new methods were needed to keep up with the threat.

"[Online anonymity service] Tor evolves, and will resecure itself," Mr Archibald told the BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones.

"The success we've had may not necessarily mean that by the same routes and same approaches we can get into other criminal forums.

"We have to continually probe and identify those forums and then seek to infiltrate them and use other tools.

"It's not simply a case of because we were able to infiltrate Tor on this occasion that we'll be able to do it next time around as well."

Mr Archibald's comments came as the NCCU announced its first conviction. Twenty-seven-year-old Olukunle Babatunde received a five years and six month prison sentence.

The man, from Croydon, south London, pleaded guilty to using "phishing" scams in an attempt to defraud banks, financial institutions and their customers.

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Amazon removes abuse-themed e-books

12 October 2013 Last updated at 10:09 ET By Matthew Wall and Dave Lee BBC Technology News

Retailer Amazon has removed several abuse-themed e-books from its Kindle Store after a report highlighted titles depicting rape, incest and bestiality.

Titles such as Taking My Drunk Daughter had been on sale.

Amazon took down the books found by technology news site The Kernel, but many others still remain.

Other online stores, including WHSmith, Kobo and Barnes & Noble featured books with similar themes. They are yet to respond to requests for comment.

The BBC found that on Amazon's store, the search function automatically suggested explicit topics to users typing seemingly innocuous keywords - without age verification taking place.

Amazon has not responded to the BBC's request for comment on the issue, except to confirm that the specific books listed by The Kernel had been removed.

Justice Minister Damian Green told the BBC: "Rape is an abhorrent crime and the Government shares the public's concerns about the availability of harmful material."

Self-published

The titles can be found in the self-published section of the retailers' sites - an area where authors can offer their own work. The companies take a percentage of the sales made through their stores.

One lawyer told the BBC that the retailers could find themselves guilty of a criminal offence for allowing such content to be found without protection mechanisms.

"The directors of Amazon have a very difficult question to answer: why are they making profits from pornography which, on the face of it, seems to be criminal?" said Mark Stephens, former chairman of the Internet Watch Foundation, a body responsible for monitoring criminal content online.

However, many of the authors have taken measures to stay within the law, adding disclaimers to their descriptions, such as saying characters were "over 18" or "step-daughters".

On Amazon, guidelines for self-publishing state: "We don't accept pornography or offensive depictions of graphic sexual acts."

It adds: "What we deem offensive is probably about what you would expect."

The other retailers give similar guidance.

In July, Prime Minister David Cameron said the government intended to make it illegal in England and Wales to possess online pornography depicting rape.

But it is unclear whether the written word - currently governed by the Obscene Publications Act (OPA) - will come under the proposed legislation.

Under the OPA, publishers have a duty to protect the public from accidentally encountering material that could outrage public decency, said Mr Stephens.

A spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers told the BBC: "Rape is a serious criminal offence which has a physical, emotional and psychological impact on victims. It's very unpleasant and distasteful to use such a harrowing experience as the basis for entertainment and enjoyment.

"Investigating offences of rape is a particularly complex process because it often rests on the issue of consent."

'Censorship'

John Carr, secretary to the Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety, said parents would be "shocked" at what content was discoverable.

"At the very least there should be a certain class of material that is adult, which ought not to be universally accessible," he told the BBC.

However, others felt that Amazon's removal of some titles amounted to censorship.

"We outlaw snuff films, child porn and, increasingly, revenge porn, because actual people are harmed during their production," wrote PJ Vogt on OnTheMedia.org.

"Erotic fiction concerns fake characters who don't exist in real life."

Mr Carr stressed that he did not condone censorship, but that the content needed to be walled off.

"If this was a Soho sex shop, I wouldn't take the same view. I am concerned that this is next to things kids could search for."

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