tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59699607624863456572024-03-05T13:47:53.888-08:00Catatan SelanjutnyaMerupakan catatan Pribadi, semoga Ada Manfaatnya Bagi Orang Banyak :)Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.comBlogger2389125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-59673802050757025172015-07-13T21:01:00.002-07:002015-07-13T21:06:27.364-07:00Polisi Terkecoh Mobil Volkswagen yang Seluruh Bodinya Karatan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7MCcNzpnN8NXpq0n9kkaLSPYXmS2_STegVIMutO8FilbT3jbTqo_lsgVrk3WHnocv-O4ap-gdocTAp6_Htjjkwf9shXPDYja42jJgH8E9mjIQ-eCt_iMdo_3P47XZ6tSghudUi904MA/s1600/polisi-terkecoh-mobil-volkswagen-yang-seluruh-bodinya-karatan-UljTNUhceh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7MCcNzpnN8NXpq0n9kkaLSPYXmS2_STegVIMutO8FilbT3jbTqo_lsgVrk3WHnocv-O4ap-gdocTAp6_Htjjkwf9shXPDYja42jJgH8E9mjIQ-eCt_iMdo_3P47XZ6tSghudUi904MA/s320/polisi-terkecoh-mobil-volkswagen-yang-seluruh-bodinya-karatan-UljTNUhceh.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">VW T5 Transporter yang seluruh bodinya dipenuhi karat dari stiker (ClydeWraps)</td></tr>
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Karat atau korosi ternyata bisa menginspirasi rumah modifikasi di Inggris, Clyde Wraps. Tempat spesialis car wrapping itu mengubah tampilan Volkswagen T5 Transporter dengan tema karat. Polisi pun sempat dibuat terkecoh dengan penampilan mobil van tersebut.<br />
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Meski konsep karat memang bukan hal baru dalam dunia modifikasi mobil, namun Clyde Wraps bisa menghadirkan sesuatu yang baru. Jika dilihat dari jauh, mobil VW tersebut benar-benar terlihat seperti usang, namun begitu didekati ternyata hal itu hanya kamuflase dari stiker berbahan vinyl.<br />
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"Hanya dalam tiga hari polisi memberhentikan mobil ini dan bertanya apa yang terjadi karena semua bodi dipenuhi karat. Harap dicatat, bahwa semua kendaraan yang mengalami ubahan berkaitan dengan grafis, tidak ada yang ilegal. Ini akan membingungkan banyak orang, termasuk juga petugas," ujar seorang sumber Clyde Wraps, seperti dikutip dari Autoevolution, Selasa (14/7/2015).<br />
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Volkswagen T5 Transporter berkarat ini mulanya berwarna hitam mengkilap. Clyde Wraps kemudian melapisi hampir seluruh bodi termasuk jendela pintu samping dan belakang hingga atap dengan stiker warna dasar biru pudar yang dikombinasikan motif karat.<br />
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Tidak disebut berapa harga dan lama pengerjaan untuk membuat mobil VW T5 Transporter tersebut.</div>
Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-22033761131169857142015-01-21T11:09:00.001-08:002015-01-21T11:09:53.538-08:00Google robot severs its power cordA redesigned version of Atlas - one of the world's most advanced robots - has been revealed by the Pentagon. The android gains more advanced wrists, allowing it to turn door handles without having to move its entire arm. But the key change is the inclusion of a battery pack, allowing it to function without an attached power cord. The addition means the Google-owned machine qualifies for the final round of a robotics competition run by the US military's R&D unit, Darpa. Seven of the<a name='more'></a>0 teams expected to take part in June's event intend to use Atlas. They will distinguish themselves by adding their own software to the machine and adopting different strategies to cope with the challenges posed. The final event's rules state that the human-supervised robots taking part cannot be connected to power cords, fall arrestors, or wired communications. "Being cordless is absolutely essential for operation in the field," robotics expert Prof Noel Sharkey told the BBC. Atlas can function "wirelessly", but teams may wish to keep a cord attached during tests to prevent accidental falls "A tethered robot would easily become snared and tangled anywhere but the simplest environment. "It is crucial for full robot autonomy and it will greatly enhance the operational scope required by Darpa." Bigger, better The latest version of Atlas is slightly taller and heavier than before, standing 6ft 2in (1.88m) high and weighing 156.4kg (345lb). According to its manufacturer, Google's Boston Dynamics division, 75% of the humanoid machine is new - only its lower legs and feet remain unchanged. The inclusion of a 3.7kWh lithium-ion battery is said to have the potential to last about one hour if the machine is carrying out "mixed tasks" including walking, climbing stairs and using tools. However, a new, quieter variable-pressure pump system added to machine will run down the power pack more quickly if used at its maximum setting, "The operator will be able to run the robot on a mid-pressure setting for most operations to save power, and then apply bursts of maximum pressure when additional force is needed," explained Gill Pratt, programme manager for the Darpa Robotics Challenge. "The teams are going to have to game out the right balance of force and battery life to complete the course." Other upgrades to Atlas include: Repositioned arms and shoulder to let the robot see its hands in motion, which should help its operators control it A wireless router in its head to provide a radio link to the teams Resized motors in its hips, knees and back to give them extra strength Hole in the wall Darpa's competition is designed to further development of robots that could be used to assist humans in disaster zones. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. // MIT experienced problems keeping an earlier version of Atlas upright During the competition, operators will not be allowed to physically intervene if their robots fall over or otherwise get stuck. Higher scores will be given for completing tasks more quickly, such as removing debris from a doorway, cutting a hole in a wall using a cordless drill and driving a utility vehicle. A team from the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition came second using an earlier version of Atlas in the previous round of the contest, held in December 2013. The winner, however, was Schaft, a robot created by a spin-off from the University of Tokyo - which is also owned by Google. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-36828946038231580122015-01-21T11:05:00.001-08:002015-01-21T11:05:11.381-08:00WhatsApp bans unofficial app usersWhatsApp is imposing 24-hour lock-outs on people trying to access its service via an unauthorised Android app. The Facebook-owned messaging service said that it had acted against users of WhatsApp Plus because of concerns that the program might cause private data to be leaked to third-parties. The unofficial app offers extra ways to customise how conversations appear. Experts say Android users should be cautious about where they download apps from. WhatsApp recently reported it had 700 million u<a name='more'></a>rs sending an average of 30 billion messages a day. It currently charges a $0.99 (65p) annual fee to users who sign up to the service after their first 12 months of using it. According to one app store, WhatsApp Plus had itself been downloaded more than 35 million times since its 2012 releases by a Spanish developer, who called himself Rafalense. Security consultant Graham Cluley said that figure sounded "surprisingly high", but acknowledged there was no independent way to verify it. WhatsApp Plus' own website appears to be offline at this time. WhatsApp Plus users are being temporarily banned from the official service But the moderator of a development community, which had supported it, used Google Plus to indicate that work on the software would now be put on hold. "We have received a cease and desist letter from WhatsApp and we are obligated to remove all download links and unfortunately delete this community," he wrote. "[I] am really sorry for this but it's out of our hands and WhatsApp has pushed us into a corner that we can't escape this time. It was a fun ride but it has come to an end. "Deepest regards from Rafalense and me and all the WhatsApp Plus team for your support." Twenty-four hour bans WhatsApp Plus offers a way to use colours and background images in chat conversations that are unavailable in the official app. In addition, it allows users to increase the size limit on attached video and sound files and also lets them prevent others being able to see when they last logged into the service - a feature it used to charge a "donation" to unlock. To access the features, smartphone owners must first uninstall the official WhatsApp app if it is already on their handsets. "The developers of WhatsApp Plus have no relationship to WhatsApp, and we do not support WhatsApp Plus," a message on the official app's site states, explaining its crackdown. "Please be aware that WhatsApp Plus contains source code which WhatsApp cannot guarantee as safe and that your private information is potentially being passed to third-parties without your knowledge or authorisation." Facebook is urging users to download the official WhatsApp app from Google Play Subscribers are guided to download the official app from Google's Play store. However, even if they do so, they are told they cannot access the service for further 24 hours because they violated its terms and conditions. 'Maintaining control' WhatsApp Plus was not available from Google Play - the Android developer's own store - but was promoted on several smaller alternatives. "People should be careful about third-party stores," commented Dr Joss Wright from the Oxford Internet Institute. "There are levels of quality control that are implemented by Google, which withdraws apps that are detected as being not completely legitimate, and indeed by Apple, which is incredibly restrictive about what it allows on the iOS store. "Such apps could bring with them security bugs." But he added that Facebook also had other incentives to stop independent apps latching onto its WhatsApp platform. "That could potentially prevent it from adding services later for an added cost," he said. "Or if it wants to add adverts later and ensure they are being served to the people who should be seeing them, then that it needs to maintain control and prevent the rules that it has set from being bypassed by third-party clients." <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-34632071604088985272015-01-21T10:59:00.001-08:002015-01-21T10:59:57.026-08:00Windows 10 upgrade to be 'free'Microsoft has announced that its next operating system will be offered as a free upgrade to owners of devices running Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Phone. The announcement marks a change in strategy to its previous policy of charging for major updates. The offer, which is limited to the OS's first year of release, may aid its adoption. That could help avoid a repeat of the relatively slow uptake of Windows 8. The event is taking place at the firm's Redmond headquarters. One analyst <a name='more'></a>ggested the firm needed to change its policy to encourage interest in its ecosystem. "Overall we know that about only about 10% of computers are running Windows 8 and the adoption rate among companies is similar or lower," said Frank Gillett, an analyst at the Forrester consultancy. "Developers are not paying much attention to Windows for mass market consumer apps, and you could even argue that for enterprise software most of the energy is going into mobile apps for iPad and Android tablets. "Windows 10 is in effect a huge invitation to software developers to write exciting, powerful applications that will draw consumers. "My hunch is that they can succeed in getting a new generation of PC and tablet applications, the challenge is getting people interested in its phones." Cortana on PCs Windows 10 brings the same operating system to devices of all sizes, rather than having different ones for PCs/tablets, mobile phones and the firm's Xbox games console. One of the features highlighted at the presentation was how Cortana - the voice-controlled digital assistant previously limited to Windows Phone handsets - would now work on PCs. Joe Belfiore demonstrated Cortana, which Microsoft announced it has added to the PC Microsoft executive Joe Belfiore demonstrated how the software could be told to: bring up Powerpoint presentation documents locate photos taken during a specific month dictate and send emails tell the user whether or not the weather forecast indicated they should wear a coat later show where their car was parked In addition, Mr Belfiore showed how the software could also be used to respond to requests that had been typed rather than spoken into a PC. Windows 8 had been criticised by some for placing so much focus on touch-centric commands rather than the mouse and keyboard. Cortana will be able to make suggestions based on a user's past behaviour But Mr Gillett said he thought the addition of Cortana's voice controls could prove more popular. "Voice is a going to complement other ways of interacting with the computer not be a substitute," he said. "If you had to say every command instead of touching or clicking, then that would be annoying. "But if you can quickly say to Cortana, for example, schedule lunch with my mum next Tuesday, then that is powerful." Browsing with Spartan Mr Belfiore also highlighted one of the core benefits of Windows 10: a single app will run on multiple types of device, with the user interface reformatting itself to suit the machine it is running on, rather than having a different program for phones, tablets and PCs. He showed how this meant more advanced versions of the firm's popular Office programs Excel, Powerpoint and Word could be brought to handsets running Windows 10 than were possible under Windows Phone 8. He also demonstrated a new "universal" Photos app that collates and sorts pictures taken with different devices. The firm announced the launch of its new web browser Mr Belfiore also confirmed reports that the firm's web browser, Internet Explorer, was being replaced by a new program codenamed Project Spartan. This will have Cortana built-in to allow voice commands and provide extra personalised information - such as directions to a restaurant whose website is being looked at. The software also includes a new "noting mode", which will let users scribble or type over a page and then share it with others. The new system also introduces the ability to stream Xbox One video games from the console to any other Windows 10 PC or tablet on the same wi-fi network. Xbox chief Phil Spencer showed how Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet could be used to play Xbox One racing game Forza Horizon 2 This means that users will be able to play any game in their Xbox library on another device in another room of their home if the property's main TV is being watched by someone else. The facility is similar to the service Sony offers for its PlayStation 4 games machine that allows it to stream titles to Xperia phones and tablets and the PlayStation TV mini-console. More to follow <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-49390459451924428572015-01-19T11:10:00.001-08:002015-01-19T11:10:02.844-08:00EE customers to share £1m refundA "small" number of EE customers will share a refund of roughly £1m after they were wrongly charged VAT. Customers who went outside of the EU and used internet data between October 2012 and October 2014 are affected - about 0.5% of EE's total customers. The company told the BBC the money "was never EE's" and that the overcharge, blamed on a system-configuration error, went directly to Revenue & Customs. Refunds will range from about £2 to £80 per customer. &q<a name='more'></a>t;Due to a configuration error in our billing system, made following a system change, a small number of customers were wrongly charged VAT on the Data Roaming bundle outside of Europe," spokesman David Nieberg said. Customers who travelled outside the EU between October 2012 and October 2014 were overcharged "This was a mistake, and we are now refunding these charges and contacting affected customers to apologise for the error." He added: "We've claimed that money back from HMRC, and then it goes back to the customers." Good news text EE has about 28 million customers, making it the largest mobile provider in the UK. Customers affected by the error are being contacted via text message and told the amount they are owed. EE would not be offering a cash refund, it said, but would instead give customers credit on their accounts. Former customers who believe they may be eligible have been told to contact customer services. The mistake had been discovered after a customer complained, the company said. In December it was announced that BT was in talks with EE over a possible £12.5bn takeover. Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-85711533601721317502015-01-19T11:04:00.001-08:002015-01-19T11:04:55.544-08:00Dating apps 'expose' location dataMany mobile dating apps can be hacked to expose the exact location of users, warn security experts. The vulnerability might leave users open to stalking, harassment or persecution, said the researchers. By spoofing requests to the servers behind the apps, researchers were able to track people as they moved around during the day. One app maker has fixed the loopholes in some nations but most users are still at risk, they warned. Core function The location-leaking vulnerabilities were found by Col<a name='more'></a> Moore and Patrick Wardle from cybersecurity firm Synack. The pair focused most of their attention on gay dating app Grindr but said other dating apps were vulnerable in the same way. They found that they could exploit a feature of Grindr that tells users how far away they are from other people who have signed up to use the service and share where they are. The app calls on several different sources of data to provide very precise measurements of this distance. To exploit the loophole the researchers sent several requests to servers behind Grindr, each one appearing to come from a different location. This let them get multiple estimates of a target's distance from these separate places. This made it possible to calculate a person's exact location by triangulation. In a presentation at the Shmoocon conference, Mr Colby showed how he was able to use the loophole to map all Grindr users in San Francisco's Bay Area and those at the Sochi winter Olympics. Correlating this location data with information from social media sites would make it easy to find out someone's identity, he said. While exploiting the loophole was not straightforward, said the researchers, there was evidence that it was being abused in Egypt to harass some dating app users. He said Synack had told Grindr about the vulnerability which prompted the firm to update versions of its app available in nations where homosexuality is illegal or which have a history of violence against gay people. It added that it had made it easy for people to stop sharing their location if they were worried about how it could be abused. In a blogpost published soon after it was told about the problem, Grindr said that it had no plans to change the location finding system in nations where it was used because it was a "core function" of the service rather than a security flaw. As a result, Mr Moore told tech news site Ars Technica, the problem still existed for Grindr users outside nations where location sharing was turned off. "We were able to replicate this attack multiple times on willing participants without fail," he said. He said Grindr could make it much harder to exploit the bug by checking where people were making location requests from and stopping those that were obviously spoofed. In addition, he said, the firm could make the location data less precise to help obscure people's locations. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-71601775546098628142015-01-19T11:00:00.001-08:002015-01-19T11:00:01.011-08:00US 'tapped N Korea computers in 2010'The US knew North Korea was behind the Sony Pictures hack because it had secretly infiltrated the country's computer networks in 2010, according to the New York Times and Der Spiegel. The newspapers cited US officials and leaked documents from the National Security Agency. The New York Times said hidden software had alerted US intelligence services to North Korean hacking activity. North Korea has consistently denied involvement in the security breach. American investigators believe the hac<a name='more'></a>rs spent two months building up a map of Sony's systems before the hack took place, the papers say. November's attack on the company saw the leak of sensitive documents including salary details and confidential emails between executives. It also resulted in Sony film The Interview, a comedy about an assassination attempt on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, being briefly shelved and then released online. Damage control Cyber-security expert Dr Steven Murdoch, from University College London, said it was likely that the NSA had at least tried to access North Korean networks before. "I'm almost certain they were doing it long before 2010," he told the BBC. "North Korea has been a target for the US for quite some time." Dr Murdoch said that if the NSA had been aware of the hack before it had happened, it may have chosen not to warn Sony for its own security reasons. "One possibility is that they didn't know how damaging the attack was going to be, and didn't want to risk revealing their sources by mentioning it to Sony," he added. "Or maybe they did know [how harmful it was] but it wasn't that damaging by intelligence community priorities - this was very damaging to Sony but in terms of national security it's not as significant." <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-64329456381013931662015-01-18T11:10:00.001-08:002015-01-18T11:10:01.201-08:00Shoe generates power from walking.0//EN" "http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/DTD/xhtml-rdfa-1.dtd"> BBC News - Smart shoe devices generate power from walking var _sf_startpt=(new Date()).getTime() /**/ window.orb = window.orb || {}; /*-1){this.setFig(a,{no:1})}else{if(b){b=this.deserialise(decodeURIComponent(RegExp.$1));this.setFig(a,b)}e.write('<br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitt<a name='more'></a>dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-19108386998229524982015-01-18T11:05:00.001-08:002015-01-18T11:05:01.451-08:00BT faces tough new broadband testsBT could be forced to raise broadband prices or slash the charges for rivals to use its network under tough tests being proposed by regulator Ofcom. The new rules are designed to ensure that BT cannot price rivals such as Sky and TalkTalk out of the market. Currently Ofcom judges that BT's retail and wholesale prices comply with the new test. The telecoms firm said the test was "misconceived". It is unhappy about the scope of future tests. Previous regulation required BT to allow <a name='more'></a>val operators to use its network to sell superfast broadband to consumers. The process is known as "virtual unbundled local access" (Vula). Some 3.4 million superfast broadband connections in the UK are currently offered under this agreement. In order to allow rivals to be able to make reasonable profits, there needs to be a sufficient gap between the price BT charges them to use its network and the retail price at which BT sells its own broadband services. Ofcom has decided that regular tests are required "to ensure that other communication providers have sufficient margin to be able to compete with BT in the provision of superfast broadband packages to consumers". TalkTalk welcomed the decision to regulate the price of broadband. "They [Ofcom] are right to be concerned that BT could abuse its position to undermine competition in superfast broadband. Robust regulation creates a more competitive market that better serves consumers and small businesses," the firm said in a statement. Regulatory assistance In response, BT described the plans as "misconceived but not unexpected". 'We're not opposed to the principle of a test... Ofcom has said our current prices will also pass this new test when it comes into force," said a BT spokesman. "However, we do not think our sports costs should be part of any assessment and we reject the notion that Sky and TalkTalk require further regulatory assistance. They have more than 40% of the broadband market between them compared to BT's 31%." Mobile acquisition BT Sport - which costs the telecoms firm hundreds of millions of pounds per year - is currently offered free to its broadband customers. Matthew Howett, an analyst with research firm Ovum, thinks the new rules may make BT more cautious when it comes to bidding for sports coverage next time around. "The more BT has to pay for the rights, the more of a cost it is to them, which has the effect of reducing the margin they make," he said. "If BT loses out on sports rights, then the argument goes that there is less competition in the provision of pay TV," he said. BT is also in talks to buy mobile firm EE. Ofcom has indicated that this cost may also be taken into account in the new competition tests. "It will be more interesting to see what happens in a couple of months' time when Ofcom performs the test again using more recent data," said Mr Howett. The proposed test will now be subject to review by the European Commission and, if approved, will come into force at the beginning of March. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-91769776173112031772015-01-18T11:00:00.001-08:002015-01-18T11:00:08.696-08:00UK man gets bail over Sony hackAn 18-year-old man arrested in a joint British and FBI-led operation following cyber attacks on Sony PlayStation and Xbox systems has been released on bail. The man was arrested in Southport, near Liverpool, on suspicion of unauthorised access to computer material on Friday. He was also detained for alleged unauthorised access with intent to commit further offences and threats to kill, officers said. Microsoft and Sony were attacked on Christmas Day. The distributed-denial-of-service attack - wh<a name='more'></a>h floods servers, causing them to stop working - caused major disruptions and made it hard for users to log on. The arrest was part of a joint operation between officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (Serocu) and the North West Regional Crime Unit (Rocu), supported by the National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU). A Serocu spokesman said: "An 18-year-old man arrested for 'swatting' and denial of service offences has been released on bail." So-called swatting involves a person or a group providing false information online to law enforcement agencies in the US, suggesting a threat exists so police respond with tactical units. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-38240112624463765972015-01-17T11:10:00.001-08:002015-01-17T11:10:06.670-08:00Xiaomi takes aim at iPhone 6 PlusChinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has unveiled two flagship phablets in Beijing on Thursday, comparing them directly with Apple's largest iPhones. Chief executive Lei Jun introduced the Mi Note, saying it was shorter, thinner and lighter than the iPhone 6 Plus. Priced at 2,299 yuan ($371; £244), the 16 gigabyte model is less than half the price of Apple's handset and Samsung's phablet, the Galaxy Note 4. Analysts say Xiaomi became the world's third bestselling phone firm in 20<a name='more'></a>. Phablets are generally mobile devices that have features of both a smartphone and a tablet, but are too big or small in size to be classified as either one. Xiaomi - which was only founded in 2010 - announced that the Mi Note was 6.95mm (0.27in) thick and weighed 161g (5.7oz). That makes it 1.05mm thinner than the iPhone 6 Plus and 11g lighter. The flagship Mi Note Pro has a higher resolution display and a faster processor than the basic model It also features a 13 megapixel (MP) rear camera, made by Sony, and a 4MP front one. In addition, Xiaomi announced the higher-end Mi Note Pro, which will be released at a later date. This model has: a higher resolution 2K display (515 pixels per inch) a faster 64 bit Snapdragon processor and 4G chip, which is capable of 450 megabits per second (Mbps) downloads more RAM memory (4GB) 64GB of built-in storage It will sell for 3,299 yuan ($532; £350). The company has been accused of copying iPhones in the past and Wee Teck Loo, head of consumer electronics research at market research firm Euromonitor, said a lot of emphasis was put on a side-by-side comparison with the iPhone 6 Plus at the start of the launch. "Xiaomi appears like a teenager who wants to act like an adult and yet, clings on to his blanket for comfort - Apple bashing," he said. Kiranjeet Kaur, senior market analyst at IDC Asia Pacific, said Xioami's comparisons to the iPhone implies the firm believes it is a product they look up to. "They are trying to position against Apple or are trying to appeal to the Chinese consumer who still aspire to iPhones," she said. Price war In terms of features, analysts said that the specifications of Xioami's new devices did not show a "breakthrough in innovation" and its low prices were still the biggest attraction. "Xiaomi changed the game in a way. Instead of keeping everyone's focus on ground-breaking innovative features coming on flagship phones, it has switched attention to packing great specs at modest price points," Ms Kaur said. "The key would be if they surpass the competition and its earlier models at those price-points." The flagship devices basically extended what Xiaomi was good at - models that were targeted at Apple and Samsung, the only firms that still outsell it, Mr Loo added. "The new models are definitely an upgrade compared to their predecessors - Xiaomi desperately needed to refresh its line-up to keep up with its competitors," he said. Analysis: Celia Hatton, BBC News, Beijing Xiaomi unveiled a variety of shiny new products at its latest launch: two smartphones, headphones, even a powerful air purifier. However, the company's chief executive also used this event to improve his company's image. Lei Jun has said in the past that he doesn't want his company to be known as a cheap Chinese company selling cheap phones. He's well aware that critics believe Xiaomi is rising on the back of Apple's product innovations. Instead, Mr Lei spent much of his presentation detailing the time and effort Xiaomi's designers pour into their work. He told the audience that Xiaomi filed for 2,318 patents last year, including 1,380 in China and 665 international patents. In 10 years, Mr Lei promised, his company will be filing for tens of thousands of patents a year. Xiaomi is a "world leading innovator", Lei Jun says. However, until his phones and tablets begin to look significantly different than the ones that Apple is selling, questions will remain regarding Xiaomi's ability to function as a leader, not a follower. Xiaomi's rise The Beijing-based firm overtook global market leader Samsung last year to become the top-selling handset brand in the world's largest smartphone market, China. Just last month, Xiaomi was also dubbed the world's most valuable "technology start-up" after it raised $1.1bn (£708m) in a funding round, giving it a valuation of $45bn. That surpassed the $40bn value of taxi booking app Uber. Unlike some rivals, Xiaomi makes a virtue of the fact that other firms make the components it uses, including a camera by Sony and a screen by Sharp The Chinese company reported that its revenue in 2014 more than doubled to 74.3bn yuan (£7.8bn; $11.97bn) in pre-tax sales last year, up 135% from 2013. It sold more than 61 million phones in 2014, a rise of 227% from a year earlier. Its soaring sales come despite an intellectual property challenge faced in India last year, where sales were temporarily halted after Swedish firm Ericsson filed a patent complaint. The firm has set a target of selling 100 million phones in 2015, but Mr Loo of Euromonitor said the goal was a little "stretched" and its success depended on overseas expansion, which has not been as successful as it had hoped for. "Xiaomi is not well-known beyond China and only tech-savvy consumers in other markets have heard of the company, unlike Lenovo which is a household name internationally," he said. Despite its strong numbers, Xiaomi's phones are only available in select Asian countries outside mainland China, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, India and Indonesia. There had been speculation that it might soon announce a move into the US, but there was no mention of this at the latest launch. Andrew Milroy, senior vice president for telecoms at Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific, said the firm would face challenges when it entered developed markets such as the US and UK, because most consumers there get smartphones on subsidised contract plans from service providers instead of buying the phones upfront. "The actual price of a handset doesn't matter as much to you if you live in developed markets and that helps the likes of Apple and Samsung," he said. "It would be hard to find people in Western countries who'd be willing to trade their high spec Sony, Samsung or Apple phone for a Xiaomi." <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-88443024284714176452015-01-17T11:04:00.001-08:002015-01-17T11:04:56.746-08:00US news sites hacked on TwitterThe Twitter accounts of the New York Post and United Press International (UPI) have been hacked with fake tweets on economic and military news. In one post, the Pope was quoted on UPI's Twitter feed as saying that "World War III has begun". Meanwhile, the New York Post's account said that hostilities had broken out between the United States and China. It is the latest hack of a high-profile social media account, four days after US military command was compromised. UPI, which <a name='more'></a> based in Washington, confirmed in a statement that both its Twitter account and news website had been hacked. Six fake headlines were posted on its Twitter account and a breaking news banner was added to a fake story about the Federal Reserve on its homepage, the statement added. A tweet on the New York Post's account said the USS George Washington, an aircraft carrier, was "engaged in active combat" against Chinese warships in the South China Sea. A Pentagon official said the tweet about hostilities with China was "not true", AFP reports. The tweets have all since been deleted. The New York Post says it is investigating the hack. It comes just days after US President Barack Obama unveiled proposals to strengthen cyber security laws after a spate of attacks on high-profile US targets, including the Pentagon Twitter feed and Sony Pictures. The Twitter account of the US military command was suspended last Monday following an attack by hackers claiming to support Islamic State. In November hackers also released reams of confidential data stolen from Sony Pictures, and in recent years cyber criminals have attacked other US companies such as Home Depot and Target. A number of media organisations, including AFP and the BBC, have also been subjected to cyber attacks over the past two years. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-70103238728092351442015-01-17T11:00:00.001-08:002015-01-17T11:00:10.986-08:00UK and US to stage 'cyber war games'The UK and US are to carry out "war game" cyber attacks on each other as part of a new joint defence against online criminals. The first exercise, a staged attack on the financial sector, will take place later this year, Downing Street said. The "unprecedented" arrangement between the two countries was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron ahead of talks with US President Barack Obama. The two men discussed a range of other issues, including counter-terrorism. They are ho<a name='more'></a>ing a press conference in the Oval Office of The White House after talks lasting about an hour. The two leaders are discussing Anglo-American co-operation across a wide range of issues Mr Cameron has previously said in relation to cyber attacks that there should be no "means of communication" which "we cannot read". He is expected to talk to the US president about getting companies such as Google and Facebook to allow governments to view encrypted messages. 'Modern threat' In terms of the planned cyber war games Downing Street said they will aim to improve the flow of information between the US and UK about threats. No 10 said agents will co-operate in "cyber cells", involving MI5 and the FBI, and they will be the first the UK has established with another country. Speaking to BBC political editor Nick Robinson after arriving in Washington on Thursday night for a two-day visit, Mr Cameron said cyber attacks were "one of the big modern threats that we face". The first war game will involve the Bank of England and commercial banks, targeting the City of London and Wall Street, and will be followed by "further exercises to test critical national infrastructure", Downing Street said. Money will also be made available to train "the next generation" of cyber agents. Analysis by Gordon Corera, BBC security correspondent The tensions and confusions over what cyber security means are all too apparent this week. Is it about defending corporate networks against hostile attackers of the type who targeted Sony? That's the focus of today's announcements about war-gaming and threat cells. Or is it about getting hold of data and communications about terrorists? That seemed to be the focus earlier in the week, with briefings that the visit would focus on getting US companies to be more helpful in providing data to British authorities. The two are different in focus and it is not yet clear how much progress on the latter the prime minister will make with a president whose relations with the tech sector are already difficult post-Snowden. There is also some tricky overlap between the two fields, for instance on how far information should be encrypted so it cannot be read or stolen. Encryption may foil foreign cyber spies but also stymie law enforcement. The measures come in the wake of the recent hacking of Sony Pictures' computers and the US military's Central Command's Twitter feed, where comments were posted promoting Islamic State (IS) militants. The cyber attack on Sony Pictures led to data being leaked from its computers exposing emails and personal details about staff and stars. The hackers, who called themselves #GOP or Guardians of Peace, also threatened cinema chains planning to screen Sony's satirical North Korea comedy, The Interview, the plot of which involves a bid to assassinate the country's leader Kim Jong-un. Sony initially cancelled the film's release after leading US cinema groups said they would not screen it, a move which Mr Obama later described as "a mistake". Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. // PM: "Cyber attacks are one of the biggest modern threats we face" Mr Obama has said cyber threats were an "urgent and growing danger" and unveiled domestic proposals to strengthen the law. The UK's National Audit Office warned in 2013 that a lack of skilled workers was hampering the fight against cyber crime. Mr Cameron said the UK was already prepared for a cyber attack, saying GCHQ had "massive expertise", but added more needed to be done. He said: "We need to be able in extremis to interrupt the contact between terrorists. "It's also about protecting people's data, people's finances - these attacks can have real consequences to people's prosperity." 'Beef up filters' The BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones said there had been a lot of concern over Mr Cameron's inference that governments should be able to view encrypted data. Cyber security has been the focus so far of the prime minister's visit to Washington He said not only were civil rights groups worried, but major players in the technology industry said banning encrypted messages could harm British trade if UK companies were seen to be not private. Our correspondent also told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that smaller social networking sites were just as well used by potential hackers as the well-known ones. He said he had found an example of an exchange on the site Ask.fm which appeared to be from an IS fighter asking another user which country he should go to for weapons training. In relation to the site being used for this type of communication Doug Leeds, the chief executive of Ask.com, which owns Ask.fm, said: "We have taken some action, and we're looking to take more, what we have done so far is beef up our filters to try and look for patterns that would suggest that this is going on." Howard Schmidt, a former eBay and Microsoft executive, told the BBC attitudes around privacy and the right to encrypt personal data were still hotly debated in the US in light of the revelations disclosed by fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden. Among other things, Snowden's leaks detailed the National Security Agency's practice of harvesting data on millions of telephone calls made in the US and around the world, and revealed the CIA intelligence agency had snooped on foreign leaders. A recent report by GCHQ, the UK government's communications security agency, on the issue of cyber attacks said that more than 80% of large UK companies experienced some form of security breach in 2014, and attacks were on the rise. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-9018384947145029622015-01-16T11:09:00.001-08:002015-01-16T11:09:57.172-08:00UK man arrested over Sony hackA UK man has been arrested as part of an investigation into denial-of-service attacks on Sony Playstation and Xbox systems over Christmas. The 18-year-old was arrested at an address in Southport, near Liverpool. He is accused of unauthorised access to computer material and knowingly providing false information to law enforcement agencies in the US. The investigation was a joint operation between UK cybercrime units and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Microsoft and Sony were attacked o<a name='more'></a>Christmas Day, making it difficult for users to log on. The distributed-denial-of-service attack - which floods servers causing them to stop working - caused major disruptions. 'Swatting' The arrest was part of a joint operation between officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (Serocu) and the North West Regional Crime Unit (Rocu), supported by the National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU). Craig Jones, head of the Cyber Crime Unit at Serocu said: "This investigation is a good example of joint law enforcement co-operation in relation to a type of criminality that is not restricted by any geographical boundaries. "We are still at the early stages of the investigation and there is still much work to be done. We will continue to work closely with the FBI to identify those who commit offences and hold them to account." He explained more about one of the charges, known as swatting. "Offences referred to as 'swatting' involve law enforcement forces in the United States receiving hoax calls via Skype for a major incident in which Swat teams were dispatched." Peter Goodman, national policing lead for cybersecurity at the Association of Police Officers (Acpo), added: "This is a significant arrest... of a UK citizen suspected of engaging in serious and organised cybercrime on the national and international stage." A hacking group called Lizard Squad said it carried out the attacks which caused major disruption to the gaming platforms at one of the busiest times of the year. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-13206871645608831482015-01-16T11:05:00.001-08:002015-01-16T11:05:02.427-08:00Tycoon proposes Texan 'Hyperloop'An ambitious plan to build a transport system that could theoretically travel at speeds of up to 700 miles per hour has taken a step closer to reality. Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk tweeted he would build a test track for his Hyperloop "most likely in Texas". He provided few details about timetable or cost, although he said that he planned to use the test track to hold annual pod racer competitions. Mr Musk envisages the system operating between cities. There has not been much dev<a name='more'></a>opment since the founder of PayPal announced his plans in 2013. But this week he tweeted : And later added: Later he told the Texas Tribune that the expected the test track would be about five miles long. Air hockey Mr Musk, founder of Space X and chief executive of Tesla Motors, first announced plans for the Hyperloop in August 2013. The system, he suggested, could transport passengers between Los Angeles and San Francisco in less than 30 minutes thanks to an innovative design that Musk has described as a cross between Concorde, a railgun and an air hockey table. This would see passengers sit in cars that were then fired down a tube which had had most of its air removed. A system of magnets would accelerate and brake the capsules, and also keep them from touching the sides of the tube. Mr Musk said that a passenger-only model would cost about $6bn and that a prototype would take three or four years to complete. Already there is a crowd-funded California-based project - Hyperloop Transportation Technologies - that has begun thinking about how such a system could be constructed, although they have not yet produced a working prototype. Some 100 engineers from across the US are working on the development of the system but say that they are at least 10 years away from a commercially operating Hyperloop. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-57554943620135631222015-01-16T11:00:00.001-08:002015-01-16T11:00:04.085-08:00'Islamist cyber attacks' hit FranceNumerous French media websites have gone down a day after warnings of a wave of Islamist cyber attacks. The sites of Le Parisien, Marianne and 20 Minutes were among those affected, although most were soon restored. The French government said some 20,000 sites had been targeted after terror attacks in Paris left 17 dead. The media sites' web host said that it was investigating whether it was one of them but it has ruled out an external distributed denial of service attack. On Thursday, the h<a name='more'></a>d of cyber security for the French military, Vice Admiral Arnaud Coustilliere, said that "structured" groups and "well known Islamist hackers" were behind the attacks against the 20,000 sites, but did not elaborate. The outage among the media websites began the following day. It is not yet known if the two are linked. Le Parisien: an unexpected error has occurred, please try again later (Our team has been informed) The web host Oxalide told the BBC that no line of enquiry was being dismissed, but that its initial investigations had ruled out the possibility of an external distributed denial of service attack. Such an attack involves flooding servers with requests to render the target site, thereby causing it to fail to load. The company told the BBC it was still in the process of determining who was behind the attack. It said it would release a report in the early afternoon on Friday. None was forthcoming at the time of publication. 'Attacks' That came after the vice admiral said he believed the first wave of attacks was a retaliation against Sunday's solidarity march in Paris, itself held in response to the Paris terror attacks. According to to Agence France-Presse (AFP), he said "people who do not adhere to a certain number of values" expressed on that march were to blame. Vice admiral Coustilliere added that some of the first wave of cyber attacks involved French army regiments and that the defence ministry "has decided to boost its security vigilance". Besides the three named above, AFP reported that Friday's outage affected the websites of L'Express, Mediapart and France Info. Those for France Inter, Slate and ZDNet were also among those affected from around 8am GMT on Friday. High demand The BBC checked the sites over the next five hours and most were quickly restored. Le Parisien and 20 Minutes remained down for a longer period but were available again by around 1pm. The news came as it was announced that Charlie Hebdo, the magazine whose headquarters were attacked with the loss of 12 lives, has released its latest edition as a smartphone app to meet demand. The magazine's front cover featured a weeping Muhammad and the message "all is forgiven". Millions of copies were printed - many times more than its usual circulation of around 60,000. The print magazine went on sale in the UK on Friday. Many French outlets sold out within minutes and queues began forming in Britain early in the morning. The app was available on iOS, Android and Windows Phone. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-16894144709391099982015-01-15T11:10:00.001-08:002015-01-15T11:10:04.206-08:00Google to pilot modular phoneGoogle plans to pilot a modular phone, on which components can be swapped, this year. It says tests will take place in Puerto Rico, where devices will be distributed from "food-truck-style stores". The firm suggests phones with swappable parts will cost less to maintain and be more attractive to consumers who want to customise their devices. But one expert said it remained to be seen whether the device would have mass-market appeal. "Modules can include cameras, speakers, batterie<a name='more'></a> displays, the application processor, wireless connectivity, blood-sugar monitors, laser pointers, pico projectors, or any number of items that will be held into the shell by magnets," said Jon Erensen, at analyst at the Gartner consultancy. "One question that remains is whether this type of modular smartphone will be limited to a niche audience of hobbyists or whether it will have broader consumer appeal." In a video announcing the pilot of Project Ara, Google stated that its intention was to make a handset that would be attractive to the five billion people that did not currently own a smartphone. A battery module can be swapped out without the phone powering down At an event at its Mountain View headquarters the same day, Google unveiled its latest prototype. It has a 3G modem and can support antennas. Its processor would allow for "better performance and more space", the director of Project Ara, Paul Eremenko, added. 'Light and plasticky' The modules clip into the handset and, according to reports, Google plans to have between 20 and 30 modules available by the time it launches the pilot, each of which will lock on to a base frame. It has already produced 11. The firm says that the design will increase the life of the phones because it will allow users to replace individual components, rather than the whole phone. Google said it had wanted 20 modules to be ready by the time its pilot started, later in 2015 In the video, Google showed a cracked display being clipped out and swapped for a new one. It also showed that the phone could be customised by users who wanted extra battery life or a different camera, for example. The modules are held in place with magnets, which can be deactivated while replacements are made. Technology website the Verge tested the device and reported that the "hardware itself feels very solid, thanks to its aluminium and steel frame, which looks like a ribcage when all the modules are popped out". But it added: "The modules on the other hand feel light and plasticky, and made holding the phone feel a bit strange." Google demonstrated how it said components could be replaced while the phone was switched on Latin American launch Google said it had chosen Puerto Rico because the US territory was "mobile-first" and at the "leading edge of a global trend" - about 75% of its internet access is via mobile devices, and there are more than three million mobile phones of varying types in use on the island. It said that, since Puerto Rico was under US Federal Communications Commission jurisdiction, Google would work with the watchdog to develop a regulatory approach for Project Ara. "Puerto Rico is a gateway from the US to the world," Google said. "It is a bilingual culture. It is well-connected as a communications, logistics and trade hub. It has designated free-trade zones, which we can use for importing modules from developers worldwide." Google said that Puerto Rico was at the head of a global trend towards mobile-first internet access The pilot of the current prototype - the Spiral 2 - is scheduled to take place in the second half of this year and will be used to test the pricing as well as the performance of the device. Engineers are also working on follow-up kit, the Spiral 3. A firm called Phonebloks began floating the idea of modular smartphones in 2013 and, soon after, it announced a partnership with the then Google-owned Motorola. When the latter was sold to Lenovo, Google retained the Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group, in which Project Ara was being developed. "The first, and perhaps biggest step for us, is to aid the existing industry in steering away from manufacturing products that are sold and repaired or replaced as whole-widgets, to products that are modular," Phonebloks said on its website. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-40932437246967341082015-01-15T11:04:00.001-08:002015-01-15T11:04:57.116-08:00Hotels do U-turn over hotspot banHotel group Marriott International has announced it will stop blocking guests from using personal wi-fi kits. The firm was fined $600,000 (£395,000) last year by a US watchdog after a complaint that it had jammed mobile hotspots at a hotel in Nashville. Marriott responded at the time saying it only wanted to block such devices in its conference and meeting spaces and believed it had the right to do so. But it has changed tack after facing a backlash from customers and the press. "Marriott <a name='more'></a>ternational listens to its customers, and we will not block guests from using their personal wi-fi devices at any of our managed hotels," the company, which is based in Bethesda, Maryland, said in a statement. 'Unacceptable' behaviour The US Federal Communications Commission launched an investigation into the hotel's practices in March 2013 after being contacted by a hotel guest who said they had been unable to connect to the net via a mi-fi device at Marriott's Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. Mi-fi devices can offer a cheaper way of getting a high-speed data link than paying a hotel An investigation by the regulator subsequently confirmed that the hotel was using a wi-fi monitoring system that de-authenticated guest-created hotspots. This meant that if a guest connected their laptop, smartphone or tablet to either a mi-fi add-on or a hotspot created by a device already linked in to the hotel's internet system, then it would disconnect after a short time. The FCC described the action as "unacceptable", noting that Marriott was charging conference attendees between $250 and $1,000 per device for internet access. On top of a fine, the watchdog ordered the firm to submit compliance reports every quarter for the following three years to ensure it ended the practice. Marriott, however, defended its right to block mobile hotspots used outside of guest bedrooms on the grounds that it needed to tackle interference and security issues. A laptop connected to a hotel's internet system by ethernet can then use its wi-fi link to connect further devices without paying additional fees It said failure to do so would lead to "unreliable wi-fi performance, spotty coverage, and dropped connections" and that criminals might use hotspots to threaten "guests' privacy - for example, by attempting to obtain guests' credit card or other personal information". The company found support for its claims from the American Hotel & Lodging Association lobby group, which accused the FCC of trying to tie Marriott's hands at a time of a growing number of cybersecurity threats. A smartphone 3G or 4G data connection can be shared with other devices by creating a hotspot But Google, Microsoft and the Consumer Electronics Association were among those to retort that such action was against the public interest, illegal and malicious, adding that the security claims being made were misleading. 'Marriott is bad' The company subsequently faced a rash of negative press, with the Economist going so far as to headline an article earlier this month: "Marriott is bad, and should feel bad." But while it has now changed its policy, Marriott has not backed away from claims that the move could play into the hands of hackers. "We will continue to look to the FCC to clarify appropriate security measures network operators can take to protect customer data, and will continue to work with the industry and others to find appropriate market solutions that do not involve the blocking of wi-fi devices," it said. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-83057139788397936522015-01-15T11:00:00.001-08:002015-01-15T11:00:09.416-08:00Google calls end to Glass experimentGoogle is ending sales of its Google Glass eyewear. The company insists it is still committed to launching the smart glasses as a consumer product, but will stop producing Glass in its present form. Instead it will focus on "future versions of Glass" with work carried out by a different division to before. The Explorer programme, which gave software developers the chance to buy Glass for $1,500 (£990) will close. The programme was launched in the United States in 2013. It was then ope<a name='more'></a>d up to anyone and was launched in the UK last summer. It had been expected that it would be followed reasonably quickly by a full consumer launch. From next week, the search firm will stop taking orders for the product but it says it will continue to support companies that are using Glass. New home Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. // WATCH: Rory spent a week with Glass in April 2014 The Glass team will also move out of the Google X division which engages in "blue sky" research, and become a separate undertaking, under its current manager Ivy Ross. She and the Glass team will report to Tony Fadell, the chief executive of the home automation business Nest, acquired by Google a year ago. He said the project had "broken ground and allowed us to learn what's important to consumers and enterprises alike" and he was excited to be working with the team "to integrate those learnings into future products". Google says it is committed to working on the future of the product, but gave no timescale for the launch of any new version. Restaurant ban The Glass project received the enthusiastic backing of Google's co-founder Sergey Brin. He presided over a spectacular unveiling which saw skydivers jump out of an aircraft wearing Glass and beam what they were seeing to a conference in San Francisco. Early users of Glass were very excited about the product, which enabled them get information in a small screen above their right eye, take photos and videos, and get directions. The technology blogger Robert Scoble said he could not now imagine living a day without the product, and was even photographed wearing it in the shower. But he and others soon tired of Glass, complaining that it was not evolving in the ways that had been promised. There were also concerns about privacy and safety, with some bars and restaurants banning the use of the smart glasses on their premises. Other companies have launched smart glasses and various other forms of wearable technology. But no single product has yet proved the major hit that technology companies are looking for as they seek out the next big thing. Rory was one of the first in the UK to try out Glass Analysis: Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC technology correspondent Google has tried to present this announcement as just another step in the evolution of an amazing innovation. But make no mistake - Google Glass is dead, at least in its present form. As I found when I spent a couple of months wearing Glass, it has a number of really useful aspects - in particular the camera. There is however one huge disadvantage - it makes its users look daft, and that meant that it was never going to appeal to a wide audience. But Google will now have to deal with a disgruntled community of Explorers who paid a large sum for a device which they must have believed would eventually evolve into something more useful. The Glass team can at least continue its work out of the spotlight without the pressure of deadlines. Tony Fadell, the former Apple designer Google acquired with his smart thermostat firm Nest, will oversee the future of the product. Both he and the Glass team leader Ivy Ross, who has come from the fashion world, will know that form as well as function will have to be at the centre of any successful piece of wearable technology. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-70239032714893694012015-01-14T11:09:00.001-08:002015-01-14T11:09:55.881-08:00Video game auction nears $100,000A rare video game has attracted a bid of $99,600 (£65,600) in an eBay auction. The auction for the "factory sealed" 1987 Nintendo Entertainment System game called Stadium Events is due to end on Friday. The seller claims its authenticity has been verified by a video game authority in the USA. One expert said that, while the mooted price is surprising, there is a growing market for video game nostalgia. "You don't see games going for that sort of price, it is very unusual - i<a name='more'></a>would be a fanboy's experience, someone who is very much into gaming heritage," said Nick Parker, an analyst and former Nintendo and Sony employee. Mr Parker, who now works for IHS Technology, said: "In an hobby or market, there will be someone who is prepared to pay to own a piece of history." He added that video games have recently entered a period in which their earliest versions could legitimately be considered historical. The seller said that the game has been authenticated And that, he said, meant that ,"as the years rolled by, it was right to assume that games would have that nostalgia attached to them". The game, made by Bandai, was listed in 2008 as one of the 25 rarest for Nintendo by Computer and Video Games. The site reported that, although it was relatively common in the PAL region - which includes most of Europe - "Stadium Events is one of the NES's most collectable games in America". It added: "Although it's a terribly average fitness game, its value is due to Bandai printing a test run of the game that was sold in Woolworths stores for a very short period before Nintendo bought the rights. "Rumours suggest there are only 10 complete copies on the market, and even unboxed Stadium Events carts can sell for £400." 'Rare' Bidding started at $5,000 in early January for the Bandai-made game According to the eBay seller, who was using the moniker menaceone: "It is well known and accepted in the gaming community that Stadium Events is the rarest licensed NES game available, thus making a sealed copy one of the most sought after and prized possessions for any video game collector". There have been 32 bids since 5 January, starting at $5,000 and rising to nearly $100,000. Last year, another rare video game sold for more than $100,000. But there were later claims that the buyer pulled out. The description states: "This listing is for a complete, excellent+/near mint, sealed copy of the game and one of few to ever be sent to the Video Game Authority in Roswell, Georgia for official grading, verification and authentication. "Once the game arrived safely, the professionals at VGA gently cleaned the item, verified it, graded it and sealed it in a professional quality acrylic case where it will remain for the rest of its life." <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-84695820900659863642015-01-14T11:05:00.001-08:002015-01-14T11:05:01.121-08:00Facebook expands into the officeFacebook is launching a new app that aims to expand the US firm's presence within companies and other places of work. The software is designed to provide a way for users to communicate as an alternative to email and other intranet systems. The firm says information posted within the service is kept "secure, confidential and completely separate" from personal Facebook profiles. The move poses a challenge to LinkedIn. The work-focused social network recently announced its own plan t<a name='more'></a>release a new app to help co-workers share information. Facebook's move also threatens other established collaboration tools targeted at businesses including Yammer - which Microsoft bought for $1.2bn (£788,000) in 2012 - Jive and MangoApps. Email overload The service is designed to help avoid important messages being missed because of email overload Facebook already has about 1.4 billion people using its platform at least once a month, but it is currently blocked in some workplaces. The Menlo Park, California-based firm suggested one advantage it had over rival work communication tools was that people were already familiar with the way it worked, meaning firms could save on training costs. Many companies are keen to adopt such software because of complaints that a deluge of messages has made email a poor tool to keep in touch with. "Facebook at Work is a separate experience that gives employees the ability to connect and collaborate efficiently using Facebook tools - many that they're likely already using such as News Feed, Groups, messages and events," the social network said in a statement. "The information shared among employees is only accessible to people in the company." A spokeswoman added: "Internally at Facebook we've been using our product for years, and we're now looking forward to the feedback from our pilot partners to create the best possible experience." One industry watcher said the move was no surprise. "If you look how popular things like Yammer have already been, that shows that there is definitely an appetite for a business skew of Facebook itself," said Chris Green, principal technology analyst at Davies Murphy Group Europe. "Yammer already has a lot of the look, feel and functionality of Facebook, so it is a logical thing for Facebook to follow Yammer into the marketplace." Microsoft says Yammer is already used by more than 200,000 companies worldwide Advert-free For now, the Facebook at Work app is free-to-use, but limited to an unnamed group of companies that will trial its use. At this stage the work version will not feature adverts, nor will it gather data about its users that could be sold on to third parties. "Businesses would be concerned if it became ad-supported with information shared for context-driven marketing posts - that would be a no-no for a lot of companies on data protection grounds," commented Mr Green. "Companies would probably be happier paying a subscription fee - as is the case with Yammer - and having an ad-free closed environment that they can keep total data control over." Facebook responded: "It's too early discuss future plans around ads or monetisation." <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-3781150969758371112015-01-14T11:00:00.001-08:002015-01-14T11:00:10.427-08:00Samsung sells first Tizen phonesSamsung's first smartphones to be powered by its Tizen operating system have gone on sale. The Z1 handsets are available in India for 5,700 rupees ($92; £60) and, according to the firm, offer faster boot times and longer-lasting battery life than many budget-priced rivals. Samsung had previously planned to sell Tizen phones in Russia and Japan, but cancelled the launches. One expert said the Indian move represented a shift away from Android. "Tizen is Samsung's big software platf<a name='more'></a>m bet," said Ben Wood from the telecoms consultancy CCS Insight. Samsung says the Z1 can load webpages faster than other budget-priced smartphones "Until now, its software strategy has been predicated by the decisions Google has made with Android, and it's been able to use that relationship to enormously positive benefit. "However, it's now finding it increasingly challenging to differentiate what it offers with Android-powered devices versus its rivals. Hence the difficulty it's having standing out from the crowd with its products and the related market share loss that it's suffered. "By using Tizen, Samsung can make its phones very skinny indeed and there are also battery life advantages versus Android, which we've already seen with its Tizen-powered smartwatches." Samsung is currently the world's bestselling manufacturer of handsets running Android, However, the firm was a notable holdout when Google announced its Android One programme for India in September - an effort by the search giant to help manufacturers release low-cost "high quality" phones in the country by setting minimum standards and sourcing several of the hardware components for them. Bollywood downloads Samsung's Z1 handsets features: A 4in (10.2cm) providing 480p resolution A 3.1 megapixel rear camera and a 0.3 megapixel front one Four gigabytes of internal memory that can be further expanded via the addition of a microSD card Support for two Sim cards at once - a popular feature in the country as it helps users obtain the best rates by switching provider when crossing states The South Korean firm says it can provide up to eight hours of talktime or seven hours of non-stop video playback between charges. To aid its appeal, the firm is also providing free access to Bollywood songs and movies for three months via tie-ups with local services Hungama, nexGTv and Box TV. Lenovo, HTC, Acer, Asus and Panasonic are taking part in Google's Android One programme It has also struck a deal to provide 500 megabytes of included 3G data a month for half a year if the devices are used on Reliance or Aircel's local networks. By contrast Google's Android One scheme offers 200MB of Google Play downloads for six months if used on Bharti Airtel's network. 'Achilles heel' Samsung said at CES that all its internet-connected TVs would run off Tizen Samsung already uses Tizen to power several of its smartwatches - including its top-end curved Gear S - and cameras. It also announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this month that all its new smart TVs would run off the platform. The open-source operating system is based on Linux and uses the web language HTML5 as the focus for app development rather than native code, meaning software writers should find it easy to work with. Samsung's flagship watch, the Gear S, runs Tizen, although it does make cheaper Android models Huawei, Fujitsu, Intel and LG among other tech firms that have signed up to a consortium dedicated to supporting the software's development. But to date, Samsung has taken the lead in attempting to bring it to consumer devices. "The challenge is that in the mass market smartphone space, any platform other than Android and Apple's iOS is struggling to get traction," said Mr Wood. "Even with the enormous resources of Microsoft, Windows Phone has struggled to emerge as a third platform. "India is, however, a logical place for Samsung to bring Tizen because it's such a cost sensitive market. If it can successfully ramp up volume in the country, there would be little reason for it not to bring it to other low-cost markets this year. "But I don't see it breaking through in major markets like Europe and North America. Its Achilles heel is that it doesn't have the breadth of applications and it's just not compatible with what consumers there want." Samsung cancelled the release of a Tizen-based smartphone in Russia last August saying it wanted more time to "enhance" the ecosystem - a decision interpreted by some to mean that it needed more apps. The network NTT Docomo had earlier pulled plans to launch a Tizen-powered Samsung phone in Japan in March because it felt its local market could not sustain another operating system, according to the Wall Street Journal. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-14860642673449049652015-01-13T11:09:00.001-08:002015-01-13T11:09:57.200-08:00Android security shift exposes usersMillions of Android users could be at risk as Google cuts back on security updates for older versions of its smartphone operating system. The risk arises because Google has stopped producing security updates for parts of those older versions. About 60% of all Android users, those on Android 4.3 or older, will be affected by the change. The researchers who uncovered the policy change said it was "great news for criminals". Bizarre response The shift was brought to light by security expe<a name='more'></a>s who found vulnerabilities in the webview component of Android 4.3 aka Jelly Bean. Webview is used to display webpages on an Android device. Tod Beardsley and Joe Vennix from security firm Rapid7 and independent vulnerability finder Rafay Baloch contacted Google to let it know about the loophole. They expected to hear about the work Google was doing to patch the bug but instead were told that it was now only fixing bugs found in the two most recent versions of Android known as Kitkat (4.4) and Lollipop (5.0). In a blogpost, Mr Beardsley said Google's Android security team told him it would "welcome" a patch from the researchers if they produced one but would not be making one itself. It added that it would tell its Android partners about the bug even though no fix would be forthcoming. Mr Beardsley said the response was so "bizarre" that he contacted Google for clarification and was told again that many components of Android in earlier versions of the OS would not be getting fixes. Over the last year, Mr Vennix and Mr Baloch have uncovered 11 separate vulnerabilities in the webview component. Mr Beardsley questioned the wisdom of the decision because Google's own statistics show that the majority of Android users, 60%, are still using the older, vulnerable versions of Android. "It would appear that over 930 million Android phones are now out of official Google security patch support," wrote Mr Beardsley. Mr Beardsley did point out that it was not all bad news for Android users as some elements of the older versions, such as the multimedia player, will still be updated. In addition, Google regularly changes the requirements apps must meet to head off some security problems. However, he added: "Any new bug discovered in 'legacy' Android is going to last as a mass-market exploit vector for a long, long time." A spokesperson for Google declined to comment on its policy change. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-47934218737581030792015-01-13T11:05:00.001-08:002015-01-13T11:05:07.464-08:00Alleged Silk Road owner put on trialThe trial of Ross Ulbricht, the alleged creator and operator of the Silk Road underground market, begins today. Jury selection, the first stage of the trial which could last six weeks, will start in a Manhattan federal court. Mr Ulbricht is accused by the US of making millions from the Silk Road where drugs and other illegal commodities were bought and sold. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him and has never admitted that he ran the site. Hidden site The charges against Mr <a name='more'></a>bricht include accusations of operating a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiring to commit narcotics trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking. He could face life in prison if found guilty on all charges. Mr Ulbricht is also accused of soliciting murders to help silence people who knew about the site and his involvement with it. There is no evidence that any of the murders were carried out. The New York trial will not deal with the murder plot charges but evidence relating to them will be presented in court. The Silk Road shut down in October 2013 following raids by the FBI and other US law enforcement agencies. The market operated from January 2011 to late 2013 during which time, the US alleges, tens of thousands of people used it to trade many different types of drugs, acquire forged documents and buy and sell hacking services. The judge presiding over the trial wrote in documents released before the case began that the Silk Road was an "online criminal enterprise of enormous scope" that could generate tens of millions of dollars in revenue. The Silk Road operated as a "hidden service" on the Tor dark web network allowing people to use it anonymously. Anonymity was also aided by payments for drugs and other services being carried out in bitcoins. More than 29,000 bitcoins seized during the 2013 raid were sold by US marshals in June this year for $17m (£11m).The FBI is believed to be in possession of a larger hoard of bitcoins seized from the site. Mr Ulbricht's family and friends have set up a website to help defend him saying he is innocent of all charges and had nothing to do with the Silk Road and its operation. A documentary called Deep Web has been made about the case, Mr Ulbricht's treatment and how the FBI tracked him down. It is due to be shown later this year. Supporters say the case has serious implications for online freedom because of the way it has been handled. Since the Silk Road shut down, other hidden sites have sprung up to take its place. One, called Silk Road 2.0, has been shut down due to raids by law enforcement agencies and the arrest of the man believed to be its operator. <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5969960762486345657.post-20912232816097042172015-01-13T11:00:00.001-08:002015-01-13T11:00:08.403-08:00Facebook restricts violent videosFacebook has begun placing warnings over videos posted to its site, stating their contents might "shock, offend and upset" if viewed. The alerts prevent the videos from automatically playing in feeds unless they are clicked, unlike other clips. The site is also preventing graphic videos and photos from being shown to any user who has identified themself as being under 18 years old. It follows pressure for the move from its own safety advisers. But one psychologist said the measure stil<a name='more'></a>did not do enough to protect young, vulnerable members of the social network. Among the first posts to be affected are uploaded files containing video footage of policeman Ahmed Merabet being shot dead in Paris by a terrorist involved in last week's Charlie Hebdo attacks. Video clips showing the murder of policeman Ahmed Merabet are among those affected Murder videos Facebook has faced repeated criticism over recent years for allowing violent and graphic images that it deems to be of public interest or concern to remain on its pages. The US firm's guidelines ban material "shared for sadistic pleasure or to celebrate or glorify violence". However, it allows news reports and other documentary images depicting beheadings and other types of murder to remain online despite the potential for distress. The firm permits children as young as 13 years old to be members. But some even younger children circumvent this age limit by providing false details when joining up. Last August, controversy over images showing people's heads placed on spikes in Syria prompted the Family Online Safety Institute (Fosi) - a member of Facebook's safety advisory board - to demand the social network change its practices. Stephen Balkam, the charity's chief executive, told the BBC he wanted cover pages to be placed over graphic material to prevent people from seeing distressing images without warning, and an age-gate system implemented to make it harder for under-18s to find the material. Facebook has resisted calls to censor violent clips by banning them outright Work in progress Facebook has now confirmed it began rolling out such a scheme in December. It applies to graphic material reported to the firm by its users that is judged to have been posted in an irresponsible manner. "When people share things on Facebook, we expect that they will share it responsibly, including choosing who will see that content," a spokeswoman told the BBC. "We also ask that people warn their audience about what they are about to see if it includes graphic violence. "In instances when people report graphic content to us that should include warnings or is not appropriate for people under the age of 18, we may add a warning for adults and prevent young people from viewing the content." The spokeswoman added that the firm's engineers were still looking to further improve the scheme. She said this might include adding warnings to relevant YouTube videos, which is not currently possible, as well as placing alerts over distressing photographs that were still available to adults. Facebook trialled a more basic warning scheme in 2013 after facing criticism about beheading videos Mr Balkam said he was "delighted" by Facebook's move. "I also think that it has walked a very fine line between protection of users and protection of free expression, and I think it has got it just about right," he added. Facebook had briefly experimented with adding a more basic form of warning sign to clips of decapitations in October 2013 after Prime Minister David Cameron said: "It's irresponsible of Facebook to post beheading videos, especially without a warning." Clips showing decapitations taking place were later banned altogether. 'Good step' News of the social network's latest move was welcomed by Childnet International, a London-based charity that is another member of Facebook's safety advisory panel. "It's a good step to try and help protect people from this content, and we are glad that there is 18 age-gating," said the organisation's chief executive Will Gardner. "There always has to be the recognition that people don't always sign up with their accurate age, and we have to be aware of that. But it's important that there are steps taken to protect people from seeing harmful and disturbing content that they don't want to see." However, Dr Arthur Cassidy - a psychologist who runs a branch of the Yellow Ribbon Program suicide-prevention charity - said Facebook should implement an outright ban on clips and pictures of extreme violence. He noted that large numbers of children used the service and said it was likely that many would try to work around the new restrictions. "At the end of the day warning messages will not prevent young people from seeing upsetting and psychologically damaging material," he said. "We know if we say, 'Do not do it,' that they will still do it - they will want to look and view material, irrespective of how grotesque it is. "And it has the potential to influence maladaptive behaviour in those who might have the potential to become aggressors themselves." <br><br /><script><br />var sitti_pub_id = "BC0017421";<br />var sitti_ad_width = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_height = "250";<br />var sitti_ad_type = "10";<br />var sitti_ad_number = "3";<br />var sitti_ad_name = "samping";<br />var sitti_dep_id = "44511";<br /></script><br /><script src="http://stat.sittiad.com/delivery/sittiad.b1.js"></script> <br />Undercover 999http://www.blogger.com/profile/09062626514588414360noreply@blogger.com0