Drones buzz French nuclear plants

30 October 2014 Last updated at 15:45

An investigation has been launched after France's state-owned EDF power company said unidentified drones had flown over seven of its nuclear plants.

The first unmanned aircraft was spotted on 5 October and there had been further sightings up to 20 October, EDF said.

Who is behind the drones is unclear but pressure group Greenpeace has denied any involvement.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve says measures are being taken to "neutralise" the drones.

Under French law, no aircraft is allowed to enter a 5km-wide (three-mile) zone around a nuclear plant, nor fly below 1,000m (3,300ft) there.

The air force is responsible for the protection of all such sites.

France is 75% reliant on nuclear power for its electricity and has 58 reactors operated by EDF at 19 sites.

According to the company, the first drone flew over its Creys-Malville plant at Isere in south-east France, 50km (31 miles) east of Lyon.

EDF says other incidents took place at

• Bugey in the southeast
• Blayais in the south-west
• Cattenom and Chooz in the north-east
• Gravelines in the north
• Nogent-sur-Seine, the closest plant to Paris

Most of the flights took place between 13 and 20 October and either at night or early in the morning, the company says.

'No threat'

Greenpeace said a drone had also flown over the CEA nuclear research institute in Paris and accused EDF of minimising the significance of the incidents. Le Figaro website reported that drones had flown over several other CEA sites as well.

Air force spokesman Col Jean-Pascal Breton said all the drones involved were small-sized and commercially available and because of their size they were not considered a threat.

Mr Cazeneuve said a judicial inquiry was under way and measures were being taken to "know what these drones are and neutralise them".

Suspicion had initially fallen on Greenpeace as a paraglider from the activist group flew over the Bugey plant in 2012. Last month, 55 Greenpeace activists were given suspended sentences for breaking into the nuclear power station at Fessenheim near the German border.

But the group was adamant that it was always very open with its activities and had nothing to do with the drones.

"The overflights in question took place sometimes on the same day at four sites which are far apart from each other," Greenpeace said in a statement. "For example at Bugey, Gravelines, Chooz and Nogent-sur-Seine on 19 October - which proves it's a large-scale operation."

EDF said there had been no implications for the "security or the functioning" of the plants and the company had "no fear" of the drones as they were unlikely to cause any damage.

President Francois Hollande has pledged to reduce the number of French reactors by 2025, bringing France's reliance on nuclear energy down from 75% to 50%.

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Former Android boss leaves Google

31 October 2014 Last updated at 11:57

One of the creators of the world's most popular mobile operating system is to leave Google, it has been announced.

Andy Rubin, who co-founded the Android project, is to step down after around nine years at the technology giant.

Announcing Mr Rubin's departure, Google said he created "something truly remarkable" in Android.

Mr Rubin, who has also worked for Apple, reportedly plans to found an incubator for hardware start-up firms.

"I want to wish Andy all the best with what's next. With Android he created something truly remarkable - with a billion plus happy users. Thank you," said Google's chief executive and co-founder Larry Page.

Mr Rubin's departure comes after he stepped down from Google's Android division in March 2013 to begin working on the technology giant's robotics project.

He was behind the acquisition of seven robotics companies in a six-month spell as part of a reported attempt to develop a rival to Amazon's mooted drone delivery system. Google said that those claims were speculation.

When he left, Android came under the control of Sunder Pichai, a rising star at the company who worked with Google Chrome and Apps, and who has since picked up yet more responsibilities from Larry Page.

'Extraordinary progress'

Writing on Google's blog at the time, Mr Page wrote that when Andy Rubin he first launched Android in 2003, "most people thought he was nuts".

He said Mr Rubin's vision of "aligning standards around an open-source operating system" struck a chord with Google because it simplified the development process.

And he lauded its subsequent success, which he said was "pretty extraordinary progress for a decade's work".

The move comes amid a series of executive changes at Google, which the New York Times reported were designed to relieve Larry Page of the responsibility of running individual projects.

"These changes will free me up a bit so I can focus on the bigger picture with Sundar [Pichai] when it comes to our core products," it quoted a memo from Mr Page as saying.

The news of Mr Rubin's departure from Google came as Twitter confirmed that it had demoted its head of product, the former director of Google's Mobile Apps, Daniel Graf.

Mr Graf was replaced by Kevin Weil, who took up the role of vice president of product. The former retained his title but was given a narrower role.

He will be expected to work on geolocation features and other strategic initiatives, a source intimated.

His demotion came only six months after he was hired from Google and is the second time Twitter's head of product has been replaced in the year since the initial public offering.

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China denies shutting foreign sites

30 October 2014 Last updated at 11:55

The director of China's internet regulator has admitted that some foreign websites cannot be visited but denied shutting them down.

Lu Wei, who heads the State Internet Information Office, also said his department was planning to strengthen measures to "govern the internet".

Twitter, Facebook and the New York Times are not accessible in China.

The BBC's English-language website was blocked earlier this month, joining the BBC Chinese site.

Mr Lu was responding to queries at a press conference on the forthcoming World Internet Conference due to be held in Zhejiang province.

'Specifying behaviour'

Asked by a reporter why sites such as Facebook had been shut down, Mr Lu replied: "I have never used any of these websites so I don't know if they have been shut down. But as for situations where some sites become inaccessible, I think it is possible.

"We have never shut down any foreign sites. Your website is on your home soil. How can I go over to your home and shut it down?"

Mr Lu however added that while China was "hospitable", it could also "choose who can come to our home and be our guest".

"I can't change who you are but I have the power to choose my friends," he said. "I wish that all who come to China will be our real friends."

Mr Lu added that his department's measures were "meant to protect China's national security and China's consumers".

"We are going to further strengthen our rule of law, our administration, governance and usage of the internet, and use the law to specify behaviour in the online space," he added.

China keeps a tight grip on the internet.

Posts about sensitive topics are routinely scrubbed from the popular micro-blogging service Weibo, as seen during the recent Hong Kong protests.

State media said last year that the government employed more than two million people to monitor web activity.

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Big firms 'must condemn GamerGate'

29 October 2014 Last updated at 23:59 By Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC News

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Zoe Quinn talks to Dave Lee about 'GamerGate'

Games publishers and industry figures must "stand-up and condemn" the movement referred to as "GamerGate", developer Zoe Quinn has told the BBC.

Ms Quinn has been at the centre of a furore which some argue is about ethics in journalism, but others consider to be a largely misogynist hate campaign.

The 27-year-old was forced to leave her home after receiving death threats.

She said publishers must "say GamerGate, and what it's been doing, is wrong".

"The fact that so much of the responsibility is offloaded to the people most harmed by it, when somebody in a much safer position than I am can stand up and condemn it... it's frustrating."

Intimate details

In a highly-emotional interview, Ms Quinn told the BBC how her life had "completely changed" after she had become embroiled in the row.

In August, an ex-boyfriend of Ms Quinn published a blog post, that ran to thousands of words, detailing intimate details about their relationship.

Continue reading the main story

I don't want to set an example that you can do this and get what you want."

End Quote Zoe Quinn Developer

The posts detailed that Ms Quinn had had a relationship with a journalist at prominent games site Kotaku - prompting accusations from others she had done so in an attempt to get positive reviews for her game, Depression Quest.

While the relationship happened, the review did not. The debate continued, however, and is now approaching its third month.

Ms Quinn, who has not returned home since the initial threats, had been speaking at the annual Gamecity event in Nottingham - despite a previous threat she would suffer a "crippling injury" the next time she went to a games conference.

"I used to go to games events and feel like I was going home," Ms Quinn said.

"Now it's just like... are any of the people I'm currently in the room with ones that said they wanted to beat me to death?

"It's terrifying. It sucks to not have any privacy. This has all been so public. It's more scrutiny than a politician faces - it's living with constant fear in a place I called home."

The ex-boyfriend, Eron Gjoni, has said he did not support the "abuse and harrasment" of Ms Quinn.

'Horrible misrepresentation'

Some firms - such as Ubisoft - have come forward and said they were strongly against "harassment, bullying and threats".

The Entertainment Software Association, a trade group for US developers, released a statement saying: "Threats of violence and harassment are wrong."

But Ms Quinn said she did not feel it went far enough.

"We need everybody to stand-up and condemn it - and not in this milquetoast 'harassment is bad you guys' way - because they don't think that what they're doing is harassment."

She added: "When people that are prominent in the industry can stand up and say 'I'm part of games, I love games, this hate mob doesn't speak for me, this is not welcome in games', it has the two-fold effect of making it less damaging to those that this can hurt, and it does something repair this horrible misrepresentation of this medium that so many of us love.

"Condemning them and say they do not speak for games - it's so fundamental, otherwise this is going to keep happening."

'Pure toxicity'

Analysis of discussion about GamerGate has indicated that misogynist abuse - and vitriolic messages in general - is not limited to either "side" of the argument.

Journalist Allum Bokhari, a writer for TechCrunch, has said there was credible evidence that at least one well-known trolling group was "working to provoke both sides against each other".

Meanwhile, some people previously offering highly vocal support of GamerGate have backed off.

"Through a snowball effect of misinformation, trolling, and ideological/emotional bias on both sides, the issue is quickly descending into a quagmire attracting trolls, extremists, and opportunists needlessly stirring the pot of controversy," said one prominent figure who backed GamerGate, but wished to remain anonymous in this article.

"The harassment is ultimately an unfortunate variable affecting both sides of this situation, and it distresses me to see anyone live in fear.

"Dismissing GamerGate as a misogynist hate movement is not going to make it go away, because it just simply is not that - it's a consumer boycott.

"Until we act like adults and come together to have a conversation on the ethics of games journalism, it's only going to get worse and worse - that's why I'm now choosing to distance myself from the issue."

Ms Quinn herself suggested that the gaming ethics argument could progress - but only if it distanced itself fully from GamerGate tag.

"If you have any care for this industry, if you have any care for the future of games, you need to leave.

"If you have actual concerns, start over without [GamerGate]. If your concerns can't exist on their own, if they have to be supported off the backs of ruining lives, then how legitimate are your concerns?"

'Maybe they'll be back'

As well as Ms Quinn, other women in the games industry have had to leave home due to threats to their safety, including Brianna Wu, a developer in Boston, and Anita Sarkeesian, a feminist writer and commentator.

Ms Sarkeesian had published a series of YouTube videos criticising the depiction of women in many popular games. Some felt it was applying a level of political correctness not needed in gaming.

Ms Quinn said it was important to keep talking about the issue openly.

"I don't want to set an example that you can do this and get what you want.

"I have a folder on my desktop called 'those who left' - every time somebody sends me a message saying 'hey, I really admire your strength, but it's not worth it for me, I'm leaving', I save these.

"I'm going to hopefully go back through it in a few years, and maybe they'll be back."

As for whether she would be able to continue her own career, she said: "I love games more than they hate me."

Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC

An extended interview with Zoe Quinn will be published later on Thursday.

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Hungary scraps controversial web tax

31 October 2014 Last updated at 12:57

Hungary has decided to shelve a proposed tax on internet data traffic after mass protests against the plan.

"This tax in its current form cannot be introduced," Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday.

Large-scale protests began on Sunday, when demonstrators hurled old computer parts at the headquarters of Mr Orban's ruling Fidesz party.

The draft law - condemned by the EU - would levy a fee on each gigabyte of internet data transferred.

The protesters objected to the financial burden but also feared the move would restrict free expression and access to information.

The levy was set at 150 forints (£0.40; 0.50 euros; $0.60) per gigabyte of data traffic.

After thousands protested the government decided to cap the tax at 700 forints per month for individuals and 5,000 forints for companies. But that did not placate the crowds.

The BBC's Nick Thorpe in Budapest writes:

Viktor Orban does not often back down, but he has done so on this occasion for several reasons.

• He saw how unpopular the tax was. He managed with one stroke to do something which opposition leaders had tried and failed to do for five years: unify his opponents
• He took on the best-organised community in the country - internet users - and lost
• The government's communication methods failed again - as they have with almost every major decision since Fidesz came to power
• "We are not Communists. We don't go against the will of the people," he said - a sign that growing comparisons between Fidesz and the old Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party are hitting the mark.

What happens next? Mr Orban's decision to cancel the tax deprives his opponents of a valuable rallying cry. The big question for them will be whether they can use the momentum of two big rallies to create new forms of opposition to Fidesz.

They have proven that he can be defeated. Mr Orban has proven that he is more flexible than many analysts give him credit for.

'It should not be done'

Fidesz had said the special tax was needed to balance Hungary's budget in 2015.

Speaking on Kossuth public radio, Mr Orban said that "if the people not only dislike something but also consider it unreasonable then it should not be done...

"The tax code should be modified. This must be withdrawn, and we do not have to deal with this now."

He said a measure seen by the government as a technical issue had become "a fear-inducing vision".

There will be a national consultation on it in January, he said.

A European Commission spokesman, Ryan Heath, said the tax was "bad in principle" because it was a unilateral measure applied to a global phenomenon.

He said it was "part of a pattern... of actions that have limited freedoms or sought to take rents without achieving wider economic or social interest" in Hungary.

The Commission has previously criticised Mr Orban's government for constitutional proposals seen to be cementing the Fidesz party's political dominance.

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Microsoft unveils fitness band

30 October 2014 Last updated at 04:48

Microsoft has unveiled its first wearable device that can track a user's sleep and exercise as well as connect to a health service on smartphones.

The Microsoft Band will retail for $199 (£125) on the company's online store.

The device can operate for two days on a single charge and has 10 sensors that can track heart rate, calories, stress and even a person's sun exposure.

It marks Microsoft's latest push into digital health after its medical record initiative HealthVault in 2007.

"This is just the beginning of a multi-year vision for Microsoft in the health & fitness and wearables category," the company said in an emailed statement.

"We want to enter this space in a deliberate and measured fashion and as such are launching first in the United States."

Technology giants Apple, Samsung and Google have all released health initiatives and are looking to further develop the growing demand for wearable devices.

However, Microsoft's device is distinctive because it will work with all major mobile operating systems as well as connect to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

"Consumers now have an overwhelming choice of health-related cloud platforms to choose from," Ben Wood from CCS Insight told the BBC.

"They can be forgiven for being confused by the multitude of options. It's going to be a tough decision to choose whether to place their loyalty with Apple, Google or Microsoft given the immaturity of all three platforms.

Furthermore, once they choose a platform they risk locking themselves into a long term commitment if they want to keep a lifetime of health-related data in one place."

Analysis: Richard Taylor, BBC North American technology correspondent

Microsoft had long been rumoured to be working on a health-centric wearable - and its timing, ahead of the busy holiday season, is no surprise either.

More than anything, Microsoft cannot be seen to be left behind, especially when other tech giants like Google and Apple are entering the burgeoning health-tech arena.

The Band will compete in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

Smaller startups like FitBit and Jawbone initially kick-started the sector, and today other consumer electronics hardware giants (notably Samsung) already have some traction and offer an array of devices.

However, Microsoft appears to be offering something a little different.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Microsoft cannot be seen to be left behind, especially when other tech giants like Google and Apple are entering the burgeoning health-tech arena"

End Quote

Unlike many of the more recent smartwatches which have recently come to market, the Band's dazzling array of sensors suggests a primary focus on fitness-tracking rather than attempting to be a multi-purpose smartphone accessory.

And whereas others work largely with one mobile operating system, the Band and its companion Health app are cross-platform.

Microsoft's cloud-based health service is also a key differentiator; harnessing Redmond's strength in cloud computing, it will offer users deep insights of data gathered from other fitness devices and rival smartphones too.

Critics will say this openness was somewhat inevitable, as its own Windows Phone has negligible market share.

But it could well prove a canny move, broadening its appeal not just to consumers but also to other hardware partners, who will be able to licence Microsoft's core sensor technology to make new gadgets of their own.

Leaked details

Details about the Microsoft Band were leaked on Wednesday after companion applications for Windows, Android and Mac phones appeared on its website ahead of an official announcement.

A Microsoft Band Sync app appeared in the Mac App Store and revealed what the product looks like.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

It's going to have to make a big marketing investment to raise awareness with US consumers"

End Quote Ben Wood CCS Insight

Some analysts believe Microsoft will face stiff competition in the wearables market because "the company has little or no brand".

"Microsoft is targeting the higher tiers of the fitness band market - it's going to have to make a big marketing investment to raise awareness with US consumers," Mr Wood said.

"The number of fitness bands that have been launched this year is overwhelming - personally I'm already testing two on each wrist and I'm rapidly running out of places to wear them. It must be a daunting prospect for consumers trying to decide which one to buy."

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Speed boost for 4G in some cities

30 October 2014 Last updated at 13:56

Browsing speeds on some 4G handsets in some UK cities are set to accelerate as two UK operators switch on an improved version of the mobile technology.

Called 4G+ by EE and 4.5G by Vodafone, the technology can offer data rates of 150 megabits per second (Mbps).

In practice, those signing up to use the service should see speeds of up to 90 Mbps - much faster than standard 4G.

However, the technology is only usable on two handsets currently available in the UK.

'Slow rollout'

EE announced that its 4G+ service should now be available in 150 sites across central London. It has been testing the technology in the Tech City area of the capital since late 2013.

The whole of EE's 4G London network should be upgraded for 4G+ by June 2015, it said. By then upgrades to its network in Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester will also be under way.

Currently, EE offers only two handsets - Samsung's Galaxy Alpha and Note 4 - that can take advantage of the higher speeds available with 4G+.

Vodafone's rollout of the improved 4G technology began on 15 October in three cities - London, Manchester and Birmingham. It said other cities would be added later this year and throughout 2015.

Although only owners of phones that can use the upgraded 4G will get the headline speeds, other 4G customers should see average browsing speeds improve because the technology involves improving a network's data-handling capacity.

Ernest Doku, mobile expert at USwitch said: "We may eventually see the same tech deliver speeds faster than fixed line broadband in the UK, which could be a life-changing concept for those people stranded by a painfully slow rural rollout."

The upgrade comes soon after research into the UK coverage offered by mobile networks found it was often poor. The research by Global Wireless Solutions said many busy commuter rail routes were "mobile dead zones".

It said EE, Vodafone and O2 all heavily relied on their 2G networks to cover the data demands of commuters.

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Pirate Bay founder gets jail term

30 October 2014 Last updated at 16:52

Pirate Bay co-founder Gottfrid Warg has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for hacking into computers and illegally downloading files.

He and a co-defendant were convicted of breaking into computers owned by technology services giant CSC by a Danish court.

They downloaded police and social security files from the computers.

Prosecutors said it was the "largest hacking case to date".

Soon after the sentence was announced, lawyers representing Mr Warg said they would launch an appeal.

Warg's accomplice was given a six-month jail sentence but walked free from the court, having served 17 months in pre-trial detention.

The initial hack attack took place in February 2012 and gave the pair access to the sensitive information, including social security numbers and police records, for about six months.

Defence lawyers said that, although the hack attacks were carried out using a computer owned by Warg, he was not the person that used it to steal the files.

Instead, they said, an unnamed hacker took over this machine and used it to carry out the attacks. Warg has declined to name this other hacker.

After considering evidence, the judge and jury in the case said it was "unlikely" that other people were responsible.

The court's decision is the third to go against Warg in the last five years.

He was deported from Cambodia in September 2013 to Sweden where he served a jail term for copyright theft because of his involvement with the Pirate Bay file-sharing site.

In a separate trial in 2013, Warg was sentenced to two years in a Swedish jail for hacking into a bank's computers. This sentence was reduced to one year on appeal.

In that trial, Warg and accomplice were found guilty of breaking into the computer systems of computer services firm Logica, which was doing work for Sweden's tax office and a bank. On that occasion his accomplice was put on probation.

In late November 2013 he was deported to Denmark to face charges in the CSC hacking cases.

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WW2 technology 'Plan B' for GPS

31 October 2014 Last updated at 01:10 By Rebecca Morelle Science Correspondent, BBC News

Technology developed during World War Two is to be used as a back-up for GPS.

The General Lighthouse Authorities (GLA) have announced that they have installed a system called eLoran in seven ports across Britain.

The GLA say many critical instruments on ships use Global Navigation Satellite Systems, and if they fail the consequences could be disastrous.

The new system, which is ground rather than satellite-based, is designed to be used in the event of a GPS failure.

"All vessels that sail today are massively dependent on GPS, " Martin Bransby, research and radio navigation manager for the General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland, told the BBC's technology programme Click.

"It is their primary means of navigation - and a massive number of instruments rely on it too.

"If you don't have it, you are dead in the water."

Testing for eLoran has taken place in Felixstowe, the busiest container port in the UK.

Each year, three million containers are brought in on some of the biggest ships in the world.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

A little bit of power from a jammer on the frequency used by GPS close to your receiver can deafen it"

End Quote Prof David Last Royal Institute of Navigation

Safely manoeuvring these vessels in this packed waterway is vital, and currently the only way to do this is with the help of GPS.

Onboard the Galatea, a ship that is 80m (260ft) long, the GLA have been finding out what happens if the satellite system goes wrong.

Martin Bransby demonstrates a GPS failure by pulling the plug on the ship's receiver.

Within a few seconds, alarms start to sound on the bridge as one by one the instruments stop working.

"This is the gyrocompass - it steers the ship - you can see it starting to fail," says Mr Bransby.

"If we walk over here, this is the radar, and that's not working either. This is the dynamic positioning: it holds the ship's position, that's not working.

"The electronic chart display becomes unusable. Even the ship's clock stops working."

In a series of tests, the GLA have found that almost every bit of kit on the boat uses GPS - even the onboard satellite entertainment system.

Mr Bransby says: "You can imagine standing watch on this ship, it's the middle of the night, it's dark, it's foggy, you are in the English Channel, and then this happens.

"What do you do? You're in a right mess, basically."

Losing GPS is not a just theoretical problem.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The radio frequencies which eLoran transmits are completely different from those of GPS"

End Quote Prof David Last Royal Institute of Navigation

The system works using a fleet of satellites orbiting high above the Earth, but the signal they transmit is weak and can be easily interfered with.

Other sat-nav systems - such as Galileo in Europe and Glonass in Russia - have the same vulnerabilities, says Prof David Last from the Royal Institute of Navigation.

"A little bit of power from a jammer on the frequency used by GPS close to your receiver can deafen it, and it won't be able to hear the GPS signals," he says.

"For example, jamming is a real issue in Korea. There have now been three occasions when the North Koreans have transmitted high-powered jamming in South Korea."

The Sun too can knock satellite systems offline, he adds.

"It starts to transmit radio noise during solar storms, so intense that it either makes GPS positions wobble about or causes GPS to be lost across the entire sunlit side of the Earth."

Until now, there has been no "Plan B" if GPS goes wrong, but the GLA says eLoran will be an important tool.

The technology was developed during World War Two.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

There is an algorithm that decides to swap over to eLoran and it does that seamlessly"

End Quote Martin Bransby GLA

The Long Range Navigation system (Loran) was the brainchild of US scientists and was used to guide US Navy warships as battles raged in the Pacific.

After the war ended, it was updated and renamed Loran-C, and adopted by mariners around the world - until GPS took over.

Now though, rebranded as eLoran, its infrastructure has been upgraded to make it more accurate and it is making a comeback.

While GPS transmitters are based in space, eLoran's are based on the ground.

Radio stations transmit long-range radio waves. They use the same method as GPS to pinpoint position, but there are crucial differences.

Professor Last says: "The neat thing is this: the radio frequencies which eLoran transmits are completely different from those of GPS.

"The power levels, instead of being very weak, are very strong; the propagation of the radio signals is very different."

He adds: "Everything that matters is very different (from GPS) so there is no common mode of failure. The result you get is a plug-and-play replacement for GPS."

The General Lighthouse Authorities have finished installing eLoran in seven ports along the east coast of Britain, completing the first phase of their roll out. It is now in place in Dover, Sheerness, Harwich and Felixstowe, Middleborough, Leith, Humber and Aberdeen.

Onboard the Galatea, Martin Bransby demonstrates how a dual e-Loran and GPS receiver works.

He says: "What happens inside this box is when we see some interference or jamming or a satellite failure, there is an algorithm that decides to swap over to eLoran. And it does that seamlessly."

For now, eLoran is being tested for shipping, but it could also play a role on land for the vast array of systems that use GPS.

Prof Last says a back-up is long overdue.

"Most people think of GPS as the system that runs their car sat-nav and tells their smartphone where it is," he tells the BBC's Click.

"But there is probably no area of industry, of commerce, or telecoms, that isn't now dependent on GPS. And if we lose GPS we lose them all."

But the system may never go global.

The US Coast Guard is busy decommissioning the existing eLoran infrastructure. And in Europe, the governments of Norway and France have said they will cease operations next year.

Commercial companies may take up the reins, but without support from some of the biggest shipping nations, the eLoran safety net may not be around to rescue everyone.

Find out more on the Click website. If you are in the UK you can watch the whole programme on BBC iPlayer.

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Millions hit in Drupal hack attack

31 October 2014 Last updated at 11:30

Up to 12 million websites may have been compromised by attackers who took advantage of a bug in the widely used Drupal software.

The sites use Drupal to manage web content and images, text and video.

Drupal has issued a security warning saying users who did not apply a patch for a recently discovered bug should "assume" they have been hacked.

It said automated attacks took advantage of the bug and can let attackers take control of a site.

'Shocking' statement

In its "highly critical" announcement, Drupal's security team said anyone who did not take action within seven hours of the bug being discovered on 15 October should "should proceed under the assumption" that their site was compromised.

Anyone who had not yet updated should do so immediately, it warned.

However, the team added, simply applying this update might not remove any back doors that attackers have managed to insert after they got access. Sites should begin investigations to see if attackers had got away with data, said the warning.

"Attackers may have copied all data out of your site and could use it maliciously," said the notice. "There may be no trace of the attack." It also provided a link to advice that would help sites recover from being compromised.

Mark Stockley, an analyst at security firm Sophos, said the warning was "shocking".

The bug in version 7 of the Drupal software put attackers in a privileged position, he wrote. Their access could be used to take control of a server or seed a site with malware to trap visitors, he said.

He estimated that up to 5.1% of the billion or so sites on the web use Drupal 7 to manage their content, meaning the number of sites needing patching could be as high as 12 million.

Drupal should no longer rely on users to apply patches, said Mr Stockley.

"Many site owners will never have received the announcement and many that did will have been asleep," he said. "What Drupal badly needs but doesn't have is an automatic updater that rolls out security updates by default."

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