'Lover Spy' hacker FBI 'most wanted'

8 November 2013 Last updated at 08:22 ET

A man who allegedly created malware purporting to catch out cheating lovers has made it on to the FBI's "most wanted" list of cybercriminals.

The FBI says Carlos Enrique Perez-Melara ran a website offering customers a way to "catch a cheating lover" by sending spyware masquerading as a greeting card.

Opening the card downloaded the malware on to the recipient's computer and recorded keystrokes and messages.

The "Lover Spy" program cost $89 (£55).

Mr Perez-Melara was indicted in July 2005 but has avoided capture ever since, only now making it on to the FBI's most wanted list.

He ran the operation from his San Diego home in 2003, the FBI says, while he was in the US on a student travel visa.

The charges against Mr Perez-Melara, 33, included making, sending and advertising an interception device, and unlawfully intercepting electronic communications.

The indictment said Lover Spy was designed "with stealth in mind, claiming that it would be impossible to detect by 99.9% of users".

But Mr Perez-Melara has avoided the authorities ever since and his last known location was San Salvador, the FBI said.

The agency appears to have added the hacker to its list partly out of frustration at his elusiveness.

"These are sophisticated folks who know how to hide themselves on the internet,'' said John Brown, who oversees the FBI's cyber-division.

The agency has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

According to the 2005 indictment, Mr Perez-Melara sold the malware to 1,000 customers, who then used it to infect the computers of about 2,000 victims.

Victims took the bait about half the time, the government said.

People who bought the spyware were charged with illegally intercepting electronic communications.

23.53 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bookshops lash out at Amazon offer

8 November 2013 Last updated at 08:09 ET By Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC News

Bookshop owners have hit back at an initiative by Amazon to sell its Kindle e-book reader in independent shops.

The Amazon Source programme, launching first in the US, would let bookshops sell the devices and receive a small cut of e-book sales thereafter.

But reaction has been hostile - one US bookseller described it as "inviting hungry foxes into the henhouse".

Amazon said bookshops "should be striving to offer customers what they want".

Announcing the initiative earlier this week the company said: "With Amazon Source, customers don't have to choose between e-books and their favourite neighbourhood bookstore - they can have both."

However, it appeared bookshop owners were not convinced. New York-based publisher Melville House gathered opinions, and posted the frosty responses on its website.

"Hmmm, let's see," wrote Carole Horne from Harvard Book Store in Massachusetts.

"We sell Kindles for essentially no profit, the new Kindle customer is in our store where they can browse and discover books, the new Kindle customer can then check the price on Amazon and order the e-book.

"We make a little on their e-book purchases, but then lose them as a customer completely after two years. Doesn't sound like such a great partnership to me."

Staff at Skylight Books in California said it was "a Trojan Horse-style attempt to gain access to our customers".

Anger

Amazon has not yet announced whether it has plans to extend the scheme to the UK.

However, retailer Waterstones began selling the Kindle device in its stores earlier this year, despite managing director James Daunt previously describing Amazon as a "ruthless, money-making devil".

Mr Daunt admitted that readers were migrating to digital platforms, but that it was beyond the company's capabilities to develop and manufacture its own device.

But whether independent bookshops will welcome the same logic is as yet unclear.

Continue reading the main story

You've got to draw a line in the sand somewhere - they are destroying the high street"

End Quote Patrick Neale President, Bookseller Association

The resentment stateside was welcomed by Patrick Neale, president of the Booksellers Association and co-owner of Jaffe & Neale bookshop and cafe in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.

"I was really pleased to see that American independent bookshops were saying no thanks," he told the BBC.

"We've stopped and thought about it because we're business people. But you've got to draw a line in the sand somewhere - they are destroying the high street.

"To do anything in collaboration would be wrong to our customers - it would be a very confusing message."

He added that a more favourable e-book deal for bookshops would be directly with publishers, with various discussions of that nature currently taking place.

Mr Neale's view was shared by Fran Crumpton, company manager at the Book Partnership, a group that helps independent bookshops set up online operations.

She too believed most bookshops would be opposed to the deal.

"Why should they be selling Amazon's products? That will then stop people using their bookshops - and we are losing so many. That's what many bookshops are thinking."

Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC

23.53 | 0 komentar | Read More

Instagram grapples with drug adverts

7 November 2013 Last updated at 08:13 ET

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

#BBCTrending looks at how drugs are offered on Instagram

Instagram has blocked searches for certain terms associated with the suspected illegal sale of drugs via its service.

The photo-themed social network took the measure after being asked to respond to an investigation by #BBCtrending - a new social media series.

The journalists had uncovered many pictures and videos of narcotics posted alongside text advertising their sale.

Instagram is owned by Facebook.

The firm has a policy of acting on posts reported as being inappropriate, but it believes it would be impractical and invasive to search for such material.

"Instagram has a clear set of rules about what is and isn't allowed on the site," a spokeswoman told the BBC.

"We encourage people who come across illegal or inappropriate content to report it to us using the built-in reporting tools next to every photo, video or comment, so we can take action.

"People can't buy things on Instagram, we are simply a place where people share photos and videos."

Among Instagram's "report photo/video" choices is the option to identify suspected drug use.

The BBC understands Facebook's staff aim to review posts flagged to either of its social networks within 48 hours. They also have the option of blocking terms classed as "bad hashtags" - ones that promote banned activities - if they are mentioned in the press or in user reports.

The only content Facebook does actively search for is images of child abuse.

Hidden identities

Most of the drugs-related activity appears to be taking place in the US.

"Just getting a few packs ready for tomorrow morning... Place your order today, it gets shipped out at 8AM tomorrow," read one post placed beneath an image of bags of marijuana.

Another picture showed a variety of pills, adding: "$2 a pop for xans, $10 a pop for roxys."

This refers to Xanax, a psychoactive anxiety treatment, and Roxicodone, an opiate used to treat pain.

Both require prescriptions in the US and the UK, but are sometimes bought on the black market.

Crystals of MDMA and other amphetamine-related substances were among other drugs advertised via photos and videos.

In many cases the buyer and seller arranged to finalise their deals using WhatsApp or Kik - instant messaging apps in which they could keep messages private. Like Instagram, accounts can be set up on these services without revealing either party's true identity.

Class-A drugs

Instagram is not the only social network on which drugs are advertised.

The BBC has also seen instances of the practice in comments below some videos on Google's YouTube service.

But while it is relatively common for the person who uploaded a drug-themed photo or video on Instagram to be the one advertising the sale of the substance, on YouTube the person posting the ad tends to do so below videos belonging to others.

Like Facebook, Google relies on users reporting a problem before taking action.

"We take user safety seriously and have guidelines that prohibit any content encouraging dangerous, illegal activities," said a spokeswoman for YouTube.

"This includes content promoting the sale of drugs. YouTube's review teams respond to videos flagged for our attention around the clock, removing millions of videos each year that violate our policies."

One drugs abuse researcher - who has advised the UN, World Health Organization and the UK government - said he was concerned by what he had seen.

"I'm not particularly sophisticated on the internet, and it took me 10 seconds to see posts selling class-A drugs on Instagram," said Prof Neil McKeganey, founder of the Centre for Drug Misuse Research, in Glasgow.

"Here is a public space being used to trade some of the most dangerous substances that we know are being abused.

"I absolutely feel there is a responsibility to take proactive action.

"It seems to me far too serious for those who own the companies that provide the public space through which this is occurring to simply say it's up to contributors to bring this to their attention."

UK-based drugs treatment charity Addaction said it too wanted social media companies to act "swiftly and vigilantly", adding that it believed the companies could make a positive difference if they did.

"Social media is a great way of reaching out to millions and millions of people," said spokesman Elliot Elam.

"That's why we'd like to see providers of these sites work with organisations like ours, so they can find ways to engage with any users who may be struggling with drug or alcohol problems."

Google and Facebook are not the only companies that rely on user reports to indentify potential drugs deals.

Yahoo's blogging service Tumblr confirmed it had the same policy.

"For legal reasons, we do not proactively monitor the site," said a spokeswoman.

"We respond to reports of activity that is illegal or against our policies pursuant to those policies and relevant law."

Although the BBC found photos of illegal drugs on Tumblr, searches for the terms that brought up associated adverts on Instagram did not appear to do so on Yahoo's service.

Gun sales

This is not the first time Instagram's self-policing policies have been called into question.

In August the Fusion.net blog suggested that the illegal psychedelics 2C-I and 2CB were also being advertised via the app.

Vice Magazine also highlighted that marijuana and several kinds of prescription pills were promoted on the service.

However it suggested that banning related hashtags would not solve the problem, saying "users would get more creative and choose other labels".

More recently US senator Edward Markey wrote to the service's chief executive, Kevin Systrom, asking him to look into reports that unregulated gun sales were being conducted through the app.

"Other companies that enable online sales have enacted commonsense protocols," he wrote.

"I encourage Instagram to take similar steps and adopt safe business practices that curb the marketing and sale of guns."

#BBCtrending is a hand-picked selection of stories trending on social media around the world. Have you seen an interesting trend? Tweet us.

23.53 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tesla shares hit by third car fire

7 November 2013 Last updated at 20:43 ET

Electric carmaker Tesla's Model S has suffered its third fire in five weeks.

In the latest incident, which took place on Wednesday in the US state of Tennessee, a fire broke out in a car after it hit debris on the road.

Tesla said the fire did not start spontaneously but was the result of the accident. The previous two fires have also been related to accidents.

The firm's shares fell more than 7% on Thursday, after a 14% fall on Wednesday triggered by weak earnings.

The company reported that it made a net loss of $38m in the July-to-September period.

In the latest incident, the front of a Tesla vehicle burst into flames after it ran over a tow bar near the town of Smyrna, Tennessee.

Analysts said that while the fires had been the result of accidents, investors had been worried about any potential impact on the firm.

"For a company with a stock price based as much or more on image than financials, those recurring headlines are highly damaging," said Karl Brauer, a senior analyst with Kelley Blue Book.

Adam Jonas, an analyst with Morgan Stanley, added that the risk of a formal investigation by US safety regulators "could raise near-term concerns to a higher level in terms of cost, image and production disruption".

Tesla's shares fell 7.5% to close at $139.7 on Thursday.

Other incidents

In October, a Model S caught fire after the driver ran over what Tesla said was "an extremely large object" near Seattle, Washington state.

After the fire, officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had said they found no evidence to indicate that it resulted from defects or violations of US safety standards.

The second incident took place in Mexico later in the month. According to reports a car caught fire after it drove through a roundabout, crashed through a concrete wall and hit a tree.

Tesla said it is investigating the latest incident in Tennessee to find out what had caused the fire.

"Our team is on its way to Tennessee to learn more about what happened in the accident," Tesla spokeswoman Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean said in a statement.

"We will provide more information when we're able to do so."

The firm's chief executive, Elon Musk, has previously said that electric cars are safer than conventional cars.

23.53 | 0 komentar | Read More

Build-your-own toy robots unveiled

6 November 2013 Last updated at 21:32 ET

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

The modular robots need no wires and can be controlled remotely by smartphone or tablet (Video courtesy of Modular Robotics)

A US company has unveiled build-your-own toy robots that can drive, wiggle and react to the world around them.

The modular system, called Moss, uses magnetic balls as joints and hinges, has no external wires, and works without the user having to write any computer code.

By attaching a Bluetooth module, players can control the robots remotely using a smartphone or tablet.

The system has been developed by Modular Robotics in Boulder, Colorado.

The company launched the toys on crowdfunding website Kickstarter.

But chief executive and design director Eric Schweikardt told the BBC: "We're already making Moss so we don't need the Kickstarter funding. But in 2013, it seems like the place where people look for cool new tech products."

The final version of the robot kits would "begin shipping in January or February", he said.

"We're at the very beginning of an exciting time for consumer robotics."

Hod Lipson, professor of engineering at Cornell University, New York State, said: "Modular robotics have been around for decades, and we've always believed they could be cheap, robust and versatile. In practice, they've proved to be expensive and fragile.

"Modular Robotics is one of the first companies putting in the effort to mass-produce these things."

He believes such toys could help make robotics accessible to young children and interest them in engineering from a young age.

Although he used to teach Mr Schweikardt, Prof Lipson stressed that he had no financial interest in the company.

In October, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed off cube-shaped robots that can flip, jump and assemble themselves into different shapes.

The small robots, known as M-Blocks, have no external parts but can move using an internal flywheel mechanism and stick together using magnets.

23.53 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dyson Award for wearable robotic arm

6 November 2013 Last updated at 23:11 ET By Matthew Wall and Carolyn Rice BBC Technology News

A battery-powered robotic arm that boosts human strength has won the 2013 James Dyson award.

The Titan Arm, designed by four mechanical engineering students from the University of Pennsylvania, could help people with back injuries rebuild and regain control of muscles.

It can also be used by people to lift heavy objects as part of their work.

The team, who spent eight months creating the exoskeleton, will share a prize of £30,000 ($48,000).

"Titan Arm is obviously an ingenious design, but the team's use of modern, rapid - and relatively inexpensive - manufacturing techniques makes the project even more compelling," said Sir James Dyson.

"We are ecstatic," team member Nick Parrotta told the BBC. "It was totally unexpected - just incredible."

'Inexpensive aluminium'

The team produced its prototype for £1,200, which they say is a 50th of the typical cost of similar exoskeletons currently on the market.

"We wanted Titan Arm to be affordable, as exoskeletons are rarely covered by health insurance," said Mr Parrotta, 23, currently studying for a masters in mechanical engineering.

"This informed our design decisions and the materials we used. Most structural components are machined from inexpensive aluminium."

Academic and commercial interest in wearable robotics is growing according to Conor Walsh, Professor of of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

But costs will have to continue falling if robotics are to feature more often in daily life, he said.

"Reducing cost will be critical for commercial systems, however the total cost is not just the cost of the hardware but also the added cost associated with research and development, quality assurance and regulatory compliance."

The Titan arm incorporates a rigid back brace to maintain posture, a shoulder featuring rotational joints, and sensors that can track motion and relay data back to doctors for remote prognosis.

It can augment human weight-lifting strength by 40lbs (18kg), say the inventors, while the batteries can last for up to eight hours, depending on intensity of usage and workload.

Electrical signals

The current prototype is operated by a separate joystick, but future versions may incorporate electromyography technology, said Mr Parrotta, which picks up electrical signals produced by muscle tissue, thus allowing users to operate such prosthetics almost without thinking.

All of the inventors who took part in the competition used 3D-printing to develop and produce their prototypes much more cheaply than would have been possible before.

"Prototyping technology, previously reserved only for companies with big research and development budgets, is enabling young inventors to develop sophisticated concepts at university," said Sir James.

"They can revitalise industries on a small budget - it is a good time to be an inventor."

The second prize went to a Japanese team who created Handie, a prosthetic hand with sensors that can read brain signals.

A 3D-printed plastic cast for broken limbs, invented by a team from New Zealand, took the third prize.

The James Dyson Foundation runs the annual award across 18 countries with the aim of encouraging problem-solving inventions.

23.53 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vodafone fails on 3G mobile coverage

7 November 2013 Last updated at 07:55 ET

Mobile firm Vodafone has been rapped by regulator Ofcom for failure to meet its coverage obligations.

When 3G mobile spectrum licences were awarded in 2000, they included an obligation to roll services out to 80% of the population. In 2010 this was increased to 90%.

EE, Three and O2 are deemed to have successfully met this obligation.

But Vodafone falls short by 1.4%. It has promised to rectify this by the end of 2013.

It will involve rolling out 3G to more mobile masts than it had originally intended.

"Ofcom is fully aware of our plans to ensure compliance by the end of this year," the firm said in a statement.

"Our network investment stands at more than £900m this year alone and we remain on track to deliver indoor coverage across 2G, 3G and 4G to 98% of the population by 2015, two years ahead of the regulator's deadline," it added.

Ofcom will monitor its progress and reassess its 3G coverage in January 2014.

Improved services

Mobile coverage is a huge bugbear for consumers and one that Ofcom is determined to prioritise.

Recently it produced a report suggesting that mobile coverage on Britain's roads was poor. Next year it will report on the mobile coverage on the country's railways.

Matthew Howett, an analyst with research firm Ovum thinks that it will be little hardship for Vodafone to comply.

"I don't see it being very much of an issue for them to catch up and quite probably it will happen before the end of the year,"

Customers can take heart from the current 4G rollouts, he said.

"4G coverage will be better and much more likely to be complied with given the spectrum at 800MHz travels further distances and penetrates buildings well."

23.53 | 0 komentar | Read More

Twitter shares jump on market debut

7 November 2013 Last updated at 16:10 ET

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

The opening bell rings on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange as trading starts in Twitter shares

Shares in the microblogging site Twitter closed at $44.90, up more than 73% from their initial price of $26 each.

That means after its first day as a public company, Twitter is now valued at a little over $31bn (£19bn).

More than 13 million shares were traded once they became available an hour after the New York Stock Exchange opened.

It is the biggest technology listing since Facebook in 2012.

Twitter floated on the NYSE and not, as some initially expected, the technology-rich Nasdaq exchange, where the likes of Facebook are listed.

It was a big win for the NYSE, which decorated its exterior with banners promoting the offering on Thursday.

Twitter has more than 230 million users, but is yet to make a profit.

Rollercoaster ride

Shares in newly listed companies are often volatile on their first day of trading.

Within minutes, Twitter's stock price soared more than 80% before closing just below its initial opening price of $45.10 per share.

Continue reading the main story

Kim Gittleson BBC reporter, New York

---

Shares in Twitter spiked almost 80% within minutes of their debut here on the New York Stock Exchange.

Figuring out how to price the shares of social media companies is an incredibly difficult task.

Most of these firms have little to no profits and relatively untested business models. This makes predicting their future profits - and thus, valuation in the form of share price - hard for underwriting banks such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

Price shares too high, and you risk turning off investors. Price them too low, and you risk leaving money on the table and turning away long-term investors, who might dislike volatility.

In general, tech companies tend to post bigger first-day jumps than the overall market. However, first-day "pops", as they're known, have become a common occurrence recently, as the first wave of social media companies go public.

LinkedIn's shares surged 84% in their first few minutes of trading in 2011, online radio Pandora jumped 60%, and couponing site Groupon was up 34% when it debuted.

But others started with a small boost before declining well below their opening price. That's what happened to Facebook, whose shares only beat their opening price this summer, more than a year after their debut.

Twitter's surge means founders such as Jack Dorsey and Evan Williams missed out on a fair bit of cash. But it doesn't necessarily indicate anything about the future performance of the stock.

That will depend on the company's first earnings report, which will be closely watched to see if the firm can translate its strong mobile presence into even stronger ad revenues.

When Facebook launched on the Nasdaq, its shares were priced initially at $38 each. The stock soared within hours of its debut to a high of $45. But its price later slumped.

It only recovered those losses by 11 September 2013, when shares again touched $45.

Its initial public offering (IPO) was also marred by technological glitches and delays.

To prevent Twitter's stock sale from having a similar fate, the NYSE ran tests on 26 October using larger-than-normal share volumes.

Financial scrutiny

Twitter is selling 70 million shares, which will raise more than $1.82bn.

The company, which invites users to send tweets in 140 characters or less, has 232 million active users. According to its IPO documents, these users send 500 million tweets a day.

Twitter's financials have been under greater scrutiny since it announced its plan to float, especially given that the company is still loss-making.

It lost $69m in the first six months of 2013 on revenues of $254m. About 85% of revenues come from advertising on its site, and more than 75% of Twitter users access the site from their mobile phone.

Mary Jo White, head of US regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission, recently warned investors to be cautious of the metrics used by technology companies such as Twitter, noting that investors have become overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of data.

"In the absence of a clear description, it can be hard not to think that these big numbers will inevitably translate into big profits for the company," she said in a speech.

"But the connection may not necessarily be there."

Big windfall

Twitter's founders saw their paper wealth soar to $4bn in the wake of the stock surge early this morning, although boss Dick Costolo said that none of the founders would immediately be selling their shares.

The company's co-founder Evan Williams has a 10% stake in Twitter, making him its biggest shareholder. That stake is now worth a little over $2bn.

Jack Dorsey, another co-founder, also stands to make a fortune from the IPO. His 4% stake is worth more than $1bn.

Another co-founder, Biz Stone, is thought to have made millions of dollars by selling share stakes over the past few years.

Big fortunes aside, after the hoopla of the morning it was very quickly was back to work: Twitter employee Melissa Daimler posted a photo of employees at their desks just hours after the NYSE bell was rung.

23.53 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Anonymous' hacks Singapore PM site

8 November 2013 Last updated at 03:50 ET

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's official website has been hacked by people claiming to be members of the hacking group Anonymous.

The attack comes a day after Mr Lee said he would track down the group.

He made the comments after a person claiming to be part of the group posted an online video in which he threatened to hack government websites.

Singapore's internet and phone regulator said part of the website had been "compromised" late on Thursday.

"The PMO main website is still working, and we are working to restore the page that has been compromised," the Infocomm Development Authority said in a statement.

The hackers had posted an image of a Guy Fawkes mask - the symbol of the Anonymous group - on the PM's website with the words: "It's great to be Singaporean today."

Media rules

Under new rules, unveiled by the Media Development Authority earlier this year, sites "that report regularly on issues relating to Singapore and have significant reach among readers" require individual licences.

The video, which was posted last month, had protested against the government's new rules for news websites.

Earlier this week, Mr Lee said his government would "spare no effort to try and track down the culprits".

"If we can find him, we will bring him to justice and he will be dealt with severely. You may think you're anonymous but we will make that extra effort to find out who you are," he added.

Earlier this month, a hacker - dubbed The Messiah and claiming to be a part of Anonymous - hacked the website of Singapore's main paper, The Straits Times.

He had left a message saying the paper's report on the video was misleading.

According to reports, The Messiah also claimed responsibility for hacking the website of the Ang Mo Kio Town Council last week, the municipal branch of the prime minister's district.

Hackers linked to Anonymous have defaced dozens of websites belonging to Australian businesses and Philippine government agencies during the past week.

23.53 | 0 komentar | Read More

Major Bitcoin theft from website

8 November 2013 Last updated at 11:22 ET

A man who ran an online "wallet service" for storing Bitcoins has claimed hackers stole virtual currency from his site worth more than one million Australian dollars.

The Australian man said 4,100 Bitcoins (US$1.04m, £650,000) were taken in two separate attacks.

He said he would not report the theft to police as Bitcoin transactions are virtually impossible to trace.

This has led some users to speculate whether it was an "inside job".

In a radio interview with ABC News the man, who only used his online name TradeFortress, denied being involved.

The Bitcoin virtual currency is increasingly used to pay for things online.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the theft occurred on 26 October but users were only alerted this week via a message he posted on the wallet service's website.

"I know this doesn't mean much, but I'm sorry, and saying that I'm very sad that this has happened is an understatement.

"Please don't store Bitcoins on an internet-connected device, regardless if it is your own or a service's."

Bitcoin is the most well known of a handful of virtual currencies. The currencies are developed through a computer process called "mining" and can be traded on exchanges or privately between users.

23.53 | 0 komentar | Read More