Samsung unveils two-system tablet

20 June 2013 Last updated at 15:28 ET

Samsung has unveiled a tablet that can switch between the Windows 8 and Android operating systems.

The Ativ Q has a 13.3in (33.8cm) screen that sits over a keyboard that can be folded out for typing or set to act as a stand. In addition it has a stylus.

It comes just over a fortnight after Asus unveiled its own laptop-tablet hybrid which also runs both Microsoft and Google's systems.

One analyst said he expected this to be a trend that other firms would follow.

"It's a very cost-effective way for manufacturers to offer extra value to consumers at a time when it's very hard to differentiate benefits from one device to another," said Chris Green, principal technology analyst at Davies Murphy Group.

"You can tap into the industry-standard Windows productivity solutions - from Office to third-party programs - as well as all the mobile apps of Google's system. It's the logical next step."

The Ativ Q runs off Intel's new Haswell chip and Samsung said it offered up to nine hours of battery life. It added that the device's screen had been designed to be bright enough to be used outside on a sunny day.

The launch was announced at a press conference in London.

Android camera

Samsung also showed off another touchscreen computer, the Ativ Tab 3 which it described as the world's thinnest tablet to run the full Windows 8 system, as well as new PCs.

Among the other announcements was the Galaxy NX - a camera which allows its lenses to be changed, runs off the Android system and supports 4G data transfers.

It marks the firm's latest attempt to sell a device which offers higher quality images than the typical smartphone, but also allows pictures and video to be edited with apps and uploaded to the internet.

It adds to a product line that also includes a handset featuring a 10x optical zoom.

"The Galaxy NX camera looks impressive and is more likely to appeal to serious photographers than its S4 Zoom, which is quite a bulky smartphone because of the lens on the back," said Graeme Neill, deputy editor at Mobile Today.

"Samsung's main difference from its rival Apple is the sheer volume of products it brings to market.

"It is really determined to be making a smartphone, tablet, camera and laptop for everybody, from those who want high-end devices to consumers on a budget."

The announcements come at a time when the South Korean firm's stock has come under pressure.

Samsung Electronics shares have fallen by nearly 14% since 4 June after a number of banks cut their profit forecasts for the company.

They said they were worried its flagship Android device, the Galaxy S4, was not selling as well as they had previously predicted and raised concerns about rising competition from Chinese smart device makers.

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Google given 35 days to delete data

21 June 2013 Last updated at 10:04 ET

Google has been given 35 days to delete any remaining data it "mistakenly collected" while taking pictures for its Street View service, or face criminal proceedings.

But the UK Information Commissioner's Office did not impose a fine.

Its investigation into Google reopened last year after further revelations about the data taken from wi-fi networks.

During that inquiry, additional discs containing private data were found.

Google had previously pledged to destroy all data it had collected, but admitted last year that it had "accidentally" retained the additional discs.

The ICO has told the search giant it must inform it if any further discs of information are discovered.

'Serious lack of oversight'

"Today's enforcement notice strengthens the action already taken by our office, placing a legal requirement on Google to delete the remaining payload data identified last year within the next 35 days and immediately inform the ICO if any further discs are found," said Stephen Eckersley, the office's head of enforcement.

Continue reading the main story

What did Google do wrong?

Google Street View, which launched in 2007, has been one of the search company's most ambitious projects to date.

Using specially-adapted cars, it created panoramic images of more than five million miles of the world's roads.

But it was during that process, in 2010, when one unnamed Google engineer wrote a piece of software that would pull data from the unsecured wi-fi networks the car encountered as it drove through towns and cities.

The data included personal emails and other sensitive information.

Google has said it did not plan to collect this data, and that the engineer was acting independently. However, it later transpired that at least one senior manager at the company was aware the collection was taking place.

To date, various regulators around the world have for the most part agreed with this assertion, concluding that the "mistakenly" gathered data was a result of sloppy management at a low level, rather than misguided direction from the top.

"Failure to abide by the notice will be considered as contempt of court, which is a criminal offence."

However, unlike authorities in the US, the ICO said it would not be issuing a fine.

"The detriment caused to individuals by this breach fails to meet the level required to issue a monetary penalty," it said.

It concluded that the collection of the data in 2010 was due to "procedural failings and a serious lack of management oversight", but agreed with Google's assertion that the company did not order the actions at a corporate level.

In a statement on Friday, Google said: "We work hard to get privacy right at Google.

"But in this case we didn't, which is why we quickly tightened up our systems to address the issue. The project leaders never wanted this data, and didn't use it or even look at it.

"We co-operated fully with the ICO throughout its investigation, and having received its order this morning we are proceeding with our plan to delete the data."

'Impeded and delayed'

Inquiries into Google's data gathering began in 2010 when it emerged an engineer had written software code to gather information from unsecured wi-fi networks.

Cars taking pictures for the company's massively popular Street View service were used to capture the information.

The company was fined by $25,000 (£15,700) by the US Federal Communications Commission in April last year.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Is our privacy somehow less worthy of protection?"

End Quote Nick Pickles Big Brother Watch

The FCC levelled heavy criticism at the company, saying it had "deliberately impeded and delayed" the investigation for months.

Its investigation found that data had been discovered in 30 countries, and included "complete email messages, email headings, instant messages and their content, logging-in credentials, medical listings and legal infractions, information in relation to online dating and visits to pornographic sites".

'Setting a precedent'

The engineer told the FCC that at least two other Google employees, one a senior manager, knew about the data gathering.

Nick Pickles, director of the privacy campaigners Big Brother Watch, criticised the ICO decision.

"People will rightly look at the UK's approach to this issue and ask why, given regulators in the US and Germany have fined Google for exactly the same infringement, it is being allowed to escape with a slap on the wrist in Britain.

"Is our privacy somehow less worthy of protection?"

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Premier League starts piracy swoop

21 June 2013 Last updated at 13:41 ET By Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC News

The Premier League is to request a court order forcing internet service providers to block a popular football streaming website before the next season.

The League wants ISPs to cut off access to FirstRow1.eu, which operates from Sweden.

The BBC understands none of the ISPs plans to challenge the court order.

If successful, the action will be the first sport-related site block in the UK.

The Premier League's move follows a precedent set by the BPI music industry body, which has been successful in having several piracy websites blocked in the UK, most notably the Pirate Bay.

In those cases, ISPs have stood firm and insisted they would only take action if ordered to do so by the courts.

The UK's major ISPs each received a letter from the Premier League outlining a possible court order, and were given a deadline of Friday to signal any intent to challenge the action.

When approached by the BBC, none of the ISPs would comment specifically on the Premier League's planned action, but all reiterated that blocking of sites would not be done voluntarily.

'Conflicts of interest'

The situation raises additional issues for BT, as from next season it will be a major distributor of Premier League football through its new sports TV channels.

BT has paid £246m for rights to show Premier League football, while Sky paid £760m for its portion of the coverage.

Sky's ISP operation has historically been seen as taking a more sympathetic stance with copyright holders requesting the blocking of sites, whereas BT has in the past taken such battles to court on behalf of the ISP industry as a whole.

Jim Killock, of the Open Rights Group, said he worried that conflicted interests might lead to the blocking process becoming less transparent.

"All of the major ISPs now have differing degrees of conflicts of interest," he told the BBC.

"Sky, BT, Virgin and TalkTalk all supply televisions services now, so we have to expect that there will be more reluctance to be as transparent as they have been in the past."

Mr Killock also expressed concern that as the process for granting court orders gets quicker, it may lead to sites being wrongly blocked out.

"It's possible that very legitimate services will at some point be attacked by one of these orders.

"Our main concern here is that these orders should be considered slowly, and they should be subject to much more public review."

FirstRow1.eu did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.

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Millions exposed by Facebook error

24 June 2013 Last updated at 05:45 ET

Personal details of about six million people have been inadvertently exposed by a bug in Facebook's data archive.

The bug meant email and telephone numbers were accidentally shared with people who would not otherwise have had access to the information.

So far, there was no evidence the data exposed was being exploited for malicious ends, said Facebook.

It said it was "upset and embarrassed" by the bug, which was found by a programmer outside the company.

Bug bounty

The data exposure came about because of the way that Facebook handled contact lists and address books uploaded to the social network, it said in a security advisory.

Typically, it said, it analysed the names and contact details on those lists so it could make friend recommendations and put people in touch with those they knew.

The bug meant some of the information Facebook generated during that checking process was stored alongside the uploaded contact lists and address books.

That meant, said Facebook, that when someone had downloaded their profile this extra data had travelled with it, letting people see contact details that had not been explicitly shared with them.

An investigation into the bug showed that contact details for about six million people were inadvertently shared in this way. Despite this, Facebook said the "practical impact" had been small because information was most likely to have been shared with people who already knew the affected individuals.

The bug had now been fixed, it added.

Facebook was alerted to the bug by a member of its "White Hat" program who checks the site's code for glitches and other loopholes. A bounty for the bug has been paid to the programmer who found it.

Security analyst Graham Cluley criticised Facebook's release of the information just before the weekend and said the disclosure had been more about "damage limitation" than making sure the information reached as wide an audience as possible.

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Blanco Cycling signs Belkin deal

24 June 2013 Last updated at 08:00 ET By Bill Wilson Business reporter, BBC News

US consumer technology firm Belkin has become the title sponsor of the Blanco Pro men's cycling team, which was formerly sponsored by Rabobank.

The 30-month deal will see them renamed as the Belkin Pro Cycling Team.

The new team will make its debut at this year's Tour De France, which begins in Corsica this weekend.

Rabobank pulled out at the end of 2012, saying it was unconvinced the world of international professional cycling "can make this a clean and fair sport".

The Dutch financial organisation had continued to fund the men's team this year, despite the squad not carrying its name.

The monetary value of the new sponsorship deal has not been revealed.

'Well-established team'

Explaining the deal, Chet Pipkin, Belkin's chief executive, who also founded the firm in 1983, said cycling had "a passionate, tech-savvy fan base that follows the sport closely, which aligns really well with the Belkin brand".

He also said the tie-up with such a "well-established pro cycling team" would enable the firm to introduce itself to millions of potential new customers around the world.

Belkin makes a variety of electronic products, from wireless home networking and entertainment products, to mobile accessories for smartphones and tablets, home automation and energy management tools, as well as USB and cable products.

The Playa Vista, California-based firm - which has 1,500 employees and sales in more than 100 countries - has signed on as title sponsor until the end of 2015, a period which will cover three Tour De France races.

The Belkin team will consist of 29 riders and five nationalities.

Its jersey and clothing, bikes, vehicles, website and social media properties are being updated with the new Belkin Pro Cycling Team logo and colours: black, white and green, and will feature both the Belkin and Linksys logos.

Top ten aim

Richard Plugge, general manager of Belkin Pro Cycling, told the BBC that the sponsorship deal was a great boost for the team, which has won 19 races as far this season.

Looking ahead to the Tour De France he said that the team's goal was to get rider Bauke Mollema as highly placed within the top ten finishers as possible.

He said if Mollama "does a good job and the circumstances are right" then that could potentially be towards the higher end of the top ten.

"We won't be happy with third, if second place appears possible," he added.

On the question of doping in cycling, he said he thought there had been a change in the culture of the sport, and that the team would have a "harsh" and "zero-tolerance" approach to doping or any other misdemeanours.

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Freed hacker faces strict measures

24 June 2013 Last updated at 09:40 ET By Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC News

A convicted hacker who was detained in a young offender institution has been released - but will now face strict limitations on his technology use.

Jake Davis, 20, was convicted of computer hacking for his role in the notorious group LulzSec.

He cannot contact anyone who associates themselves with the wider Anonymous hacktivist collective.

He told the BBC he planned to release a prison diary and to write a film about the internet.

Davis returned to Twitter on 22 June after finishing his 37-day term at Feltham young offender institution.

During that time he penned what he described as a "nerdy" diary, written using pen and paper, which he hopes to publish online once it has been subjected to legal checks.

He is forbidden from creating encrypted files, securely wiping any data or deleting his internet history.

In June 2012 he pleaded guilty to being part of LulzSec, an offshoot of Anonymous famed for attacking several high profile sites including Sony Pictures and the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Shortly after being released, he tweeted: "654 days on curfew and 37 days in Feltham. Up next: Another 365 days on licence (parole) and 1,825 days of intense monitoring. Free though!"

He had been sentenced to 24 months - but he had been wearing an electronic tag for 21 months which counted against his term.

Licking elbows

Davis is now based in Islington, north London, where he said he was working on a number of projects.

He said he had begun an unspecified project with contemporary art firm Artangel - the company told the BBC it had had "several exploratory chats with Jake over the past six months", but would not go into further detail.

Longer term, he told the BBC he would write a fictional film about the internet, working with production company Fly Film, who could not be reached for comment on Monday.

Publically on Twitter, he has been sharing anecdotes about his time inside.

In one post, he wrote: "I was sacked as a prison cleaner for mopping too near a computer. Those deadly, soapy mops are a serious threat to GCHQ, make no mistake!"

Continue reading the main story

In May, several hackers were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court, London. They were:

• Jake Davis (aka Topiary) - 24 months in a young offender institution, of which he served 37 days. He had been wearing an electronic tag for 21 months which counted against his sentence
• Ryan Ackroyd (aka Kayla) - 30 month custodial sentence, of which he is expected to serve half
• Mustafa al-Bassam (aka Tflow) - 20 month sentence, suspended for two years, plus 300 hours of unpaid work
• Ryan Cleary (aka Viral) - 32 month sentence. Cleary was not a core member of Lulzsec.

As alter ego Topiary, Davis's last tweet before his arrest in July 2011 read: "You cannot arrest an idea."

On Sunday, in a nod to that sign off, Davis joked: "You can arrest an idea, you can imprison an idea, you can warp an idea, you can break an idea, but you still can't lick your own elbow."

While he wishes to distance himself from the hacking world, he has pledged support to Edward Snowden, the former US intelligence contractor who leaked secret documents regarding the monitoring of internet users.

At the time of Davis's sentencing, prosecutors said the actions of the LulzSec group had been "cowardly and vindictive".

"The harm they caused was foreseeable, extensive and intended," said Andrew Hadik, a lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service. "Indeed, they boasted of how clever they were with a complete disregard for the impact their actions had on real people's lives."

He added: "This case should serve as a warning to other cybercriminals that they are not invincible."

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Cyber attack hits S Korea websites

25 June 2013 Last updated at 02:42 ET

South Korea has issued a cyber alert after an apparent hacking attack on government websites.

The website of the presidential office was one of several official and media sites hit by an apparently co-ordinated attack on Tuesday morning, reports said.

The identity of the hackers was not known, a government statement said.

The incident came on the anniversary of the start of the 1950-53 Korean War, which divided the Korean peninsula.

"The government can confirm a cyber attack by unidentified hackers that shut down several sites including the Blue House," the Science Ministry said in a statement, referring to the presidential office.

The website for the office for Government Policy Co-ordination and some media servers were also said to be affected by the attack.

'Anonymous messages'

Messages praising North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and claiming that hacking collective Anonymous was responsible were left on the hacked websites.

However, Anonymous denied any involvement in the South Korean cyber-attacks on its official Twitter account, AFP news agency reported.

Instead, the "hacktivist" group was said to have planned attacks against North Korean websites.

A number of North Korean websites went offline on Tuesday morning and appeared to have been targeted by hackers on Tuesday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing unnamed sources.

These included the websites of North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, newspaper Rodong Sinmun, and portal Naenara.

Anonymous has previously claimed to have hacked and vandalised social networking profiles linked to North Korea as part of its Operation Free Korea.

South Korea has raised its cyber-alert level, and asked citizens to review their internet security, the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul reports.

South Korean investigators say North Korea has frequently carried out cyber attacks in the South, our correspondent adds.

On 20 March, cyber attacks on six South Korean banks and broadcasters affected 32,000 computers and disrupted banking services.

South Korea has blamed that incident - which came at a time of heightened tensions between the two Koreas following Pyongyang's nuclear test on 12 February - on North Korea.

North Korea has also been blamed for previous cyber attacks in 2009 and 2011.

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Sony launches waterproof giant phone

25 June 2013 Last updated at 05:03 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

Sony has announced a waterproof Android smartphone with a 6.4in screen (16.3cm).

The firm is pitching the Xperia Z Ultra as being the slimmest large-screened handset on the market.

It can also accept sketches or notes written using a standard pencil or metal-tipped pen in addition to an optional stylus.

The firm says it intends for the device to challenge Samsung's dominance of the jumbo-sized handset sector.

According to a study by consultants Transparency Market Research, Samsung accounted for 70% of the overall "superphone and phablet" market in 2012 thanks to the popularity of models including the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2.

Earlier this year, it added the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Mega - a 6.3in-screened handset - to its line-up.

Sony already offers a 5in handset of its own, the original Xperia Z, which it unveiled in January.

The Ultra follow-up was unveiled at the Mobile Asia Expo in Shanghai. The new device will go on sale in China, Indonesia and Singapore in July and then in Europe in September.

"Southeast Asia is the key market for the product because the trend towards large-screened smartphone devices is stronger there," Calum MacDougall, director of Xperia marketing, told the BBC.

"But we also see the trend in Europe as well.

"In the large-screen segment at the moment most consumers are looking at the Galaxy Note. Now we can offer something that is really distinct: a stronger screen, greater portability, waterproofing and something different around the stylus and the pen."

Sony is not alone in seeking to erode Samsung's lead.

Over recent months Huawei has announced the the 6.1in Ascend Mate; ZTE the 5.7in Grand Memo; Acer the 5.7in Liquid S1; Asus the 6in FonePad Note; and Lenovo the 5.5in Ideaphone K900.

Mr MacDougall said Sony intended to compete against these by promoting the Xperia Z Ultra's "premium" features rather than trying to match or undercut the Chinese and Taiwanese firms' prices.

The Japanese firm reported its first annual profit in five years in May, but some analysts said its figures were skewed by asset sales and did not reflect a turnaround for its electronics divisions.

Headphone flap-free

The Xperia Z Ultra is 6.5mm (0.26in) thick - only slightly deeper than the thinnest device on the market, Huawei's Ascend P6.

Unlike the original Xperia Z the new phone does not need a flap over its headphone socket to protect it from water damage, addressing complaints the feature was fiddly to use.

It can also be submerged to a deeper limit - 1.5m (4.9ft) in freshwater for up to half an hour.

The device also features:

• A 1080p resolution screen with in-built software to upgrade lower definition videos and photos
• 16 gigabytes of internal storage with support for 64GB microSD cards
• An 8 megapixel rear camera
• A battery offering up to 11 hours talk time or 120 hours of audio playback - a figure which Sony claims is a record

Those concerned about using such a big device for quick tasks are also offered an optional bluetooth add-on which can be paired to the handset using NFC (near field communication) to make calls, view text messages or stream music.

The accessory is similar to the HTC's Mini accessory announced in January for its 5in Butterfly handset.

Transparency Market Research said that over 150 million Android super-sized phones were sold in 2012 and predicted the market would grow to 400 million by 2018.

Another consultancy firm, Frost & Sullivan, agrees that demand for such devices appears to be robust despite the fact many users would struggle to use them unless they had both hands free.

"For many people in developing parts the phablet is their first communications and computing device and allows them to have a single machine rather than multiple ones," the firm's managing director Manoj Menon told the BBC.

"But going forward companies are going to find it increasingly hard to differentiate between their products on size - it will have to be on software and other features. So, Sony seems to have the right strategy at this time."

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Google not obliged to delete data

25 June 2013 Last updated at 09:27 ET

Google cannot be obliged to delete sensitive information from its search index, a key adviser to the European Court of Justice has said.

It follows a Spanish case which challenged Google to remove outdated financial details about an individual.

The opinion of advocate general Niilo Jaaskinen could influence a wider EU debate over whether people have "the right to be forgotten".

Privacy campaigners believe individuals should have greater control over data.

No controller

The specific case Mr Jaaskinen was considering goes back to November 2009 when a Spanish man complained about links on Google to an e-newspaper report detailing how debts had led to his house being repossessed.

He argued that, as the report was 10 years old, the links were no longer relevant and should be removed. He failed to get the original article removed because it was deemed to be in the public interest.

He lodged a complaint with the Spanish Data Protection Agency who upheld it.

The case later moved the European Court of Justice.

In his written opinion on the case, Mr Jaaskinen took the view that Google was "not generally to be considered as a controller of the personal data appearing on web pages it processes".

"Therefore, a national data protection authority cannot require an internet search engine provider to withdraw information from its index," he wrote.

He added that this meant users would not be able to invoke "a general right to be forgotten... against search engine service providers".

The court is not bound by Mr Jaaskinen's opinion although generally such recommendations are followed.

A final judgement on the case is expected before the end of the year.

Erasing profiles

Continue reading the main story

It's important that citizens have better rights when it comes to stopping companies collecting data without proper consent or holding on to information for an unjustifiable length of time, even when people have ceased to use a service"

End Quote Nick Pickles Director, Big Brother Watch

The case will be seen as a test of "the right to be forgotten" strand of the Data Protection Regulation, which is currently being debated by the European Parliament.

The EU is planning updates for the Data Protection directive, which was originally adopted in 1995 when the internet was in its infancy.

The right to be forgotten clause, which has the support of EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, was developed in response to complaints about the way search engines and social media firms handle information.

Increasingly users are concerned about a range of issues - from difficulties erasing social media accounts, to lack of control of photographs published by others.

Google welcomed the views of Mr Jaaskinen.

Bill Echikson, head of free expression at Google, said: "This is a good opinion for free expression. We're glad to see it supports our long-held view that requiring search engines to suppress 'legitimate and legal information' would amount to censorship."

But Big Brother Watch said that that making a connection between this particular case and the rights of citizens to delete data was "absurd".

"The right to be forgotten was never intended to be a way for people to rewrite history," said director Nick Pickles.

"The whole point was to allow people to tackle information at source and Google was not the source of this information - a Spanish newspaper was.

"A better example of why it is needed would be when someone wants to close a Facebook account. Facebook shouldn't be able to hold on to our information just in case you want to re-join," he added.

"It's important that citizens have better rights when it comes to stopping companies collecting data without proper consent or holding on to information for an unjustifiable length of time, even when people have ceased to use a service."

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Snowden 'has not entered Russia'

25 June 2013 Last updated at 09:29 ET

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: "He did not cross the Russian border"

Russia says it has had no involvement in the travel plans of fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.

His whereabouts are unclear after he flew from Hong Kong to Moscow on Sunday. His passport has been revoked.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted Mr Snowden had not crossed the border and rejected what he termed US attempts to blame Russia for his disappearance.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the US did not seek "confrontation" but Russia should hand over Mr Snowden.

Correspondents say Mr Lavrov's comments suggest that Mr Snowden remained air-side after landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, and so has technically never entered Russian territory.

"We are in no way involved with either Mr Snowden, his relations with US justice, nor to his movements around the world," Mr Lavrov said.

"He chose his itinerary on his own. We learnt about it... from the media. He has not crossed the Russian border.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Frantic searches around the aircraft confirmed that Edward Snowden was nowhere to be seen"

End Quote Daniel Sandford

"We consider the attempts to accuse the Russian side of violating US laws, and practically of involvement in a plot, to be absolutely groundless and unacceptable."

The 30-year-old IT expert is wanted by the US for revealing to the media details of a secret government surveillance programme, which he obtained while working as a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).

Speaking during a visit to Saudi Arabia, Mr Kerry said the transfer of Mr Snowden was a matter of rule of law, and that Russia should remain "calm".

He is charged with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.

Mr Snowden has applied for asylum in Ecuador. The US has revoked his passport.

Reuters news agency quotes a Moscow airport source as saying that Mr Snowden arrived in Moscow from Hong Kong on Sunday afternoon and was due to depart for the Cuban capital, Havana, the following day, but did not use the ticket.

The source said he was travelling with Sarah Harrison, a British legal researcher working for the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's assertion that the fugitive American "hasn't crossed the Russian border" may well be technically correct - Edward Snowden may. for all we know, remain "in transit" at the hotel, air-side, at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.

But it is hard to believe that the Russians are not exploring what information they can get from Mr Snowden, if any.

He is at the very least a potential intelligence gift horse that has almost literally dropped into their laps.

Mr Lavrov was clearly irked by US pressure, saying that attempts to accuse the Russian side of flouting US laws were "unjustified and unacceptable". Moscow's annoyance is mirrored by Beijing.

As yet it is still too early to say what long-term damage this affair may do to China and Russia's relations with Washington. But the US-Russia relationship in particular could get seriously strained the longer this saga goes on.

Meanwhile, China has also described US accusations that it facilitated the departure of fugitive Edward Snowden from Hong Kong as "groundless and unacceptable".

A foreign ministry spokeswoman said the Hong Kong government had handled the former US intelligence officer's case in accordance with the law.

The White House had criticised what it termed "a deliberate choice to release a fugitive despite a valid arrest warrant".

'Sanctimonious mask'

The Chinese government has expressed deep concern about Mr Snowden's allegations that the US had hacked into networks in China.

Tuesday saw the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party praise Mr Snowden for "tearing off Washington's sanctimonious mask".

In a strongly worded front-page commentary, the overseas edition of the People's Daily said: "Not only did the US authorities not give us an explanation and apology, it instead expressed dissatisfaction at the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for handling things in accordance with law.

"In a sense, the United States has gone from a 'model of human rights' to 'an eavesdropper on personal privacy', the 'manipulator' of the centralised power over the international internet, and the mad 'invader' of other countries' networks."

Speaking during a visit to India, US Secretary of State John Kerry said it would be "deeply troubling" if it became clear that China had "wilfully" allowed him to fly out of Hong Kong.

Continue reading the main story

Snowden leaks timeline

• 5 June: First leak published in the Guardian saying the National Security Agency (NSA) is collecting the telephone records of millions of people in the US
• 6 June: Details of the US Prism internet surveillance programme published by the Guardian and Washington Post
• 9 June: Guardian identifies Edward Snowden as the source of the leaks, at his own request, and says he has been in Hong Kong since 20 May
• 14 June: US files criminal charges against Mr Snowden
• 23 June - Mr Snowden leaves Hong Kong for Moscow, Ecuador confirms he has applied for political asylum and Washington urges countries to send him back to the US
• 24 June - Mr Snowden is believed to be in Russia; Moscow says it is studying a US extradition request

"There would be without any question some effect and impact on the relationship and consequences," he said.

He also called on Russia to "live by the standards of the law because that's in the interests of everybody".

Mr Snowden was in hiding in Hong Kong when his leaks were first published.

He is being supported by the whistleblowing website Wikileaks, which said on Sunday that he was heading to Ecuador accompanied by some of its diplomats and legal advisers.

Ecuador is already giving political asylum at its London embassy to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is wanted for questioning in Sweden over allegations of sexual assault - which he denies.

Mr Snowden's leaks have led to revelations that the US is systematically seizing vast amounts of phone and web data under an NSA programme known as Prism.

US officials have defended the practice of gathering telephone and internet data from private users around the world.

They say Prism cannot be used to target intentionally any Americans or anyone in the US, and stress that it is supervised by judges.

CLICKABLE

Hawaii

20 May: Snowden flies from Hawaii to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong

5 June: From Hong Kong, Snowden discloses details of what he describes as a vast US phone and internet surveillance programme to the UK's Guardian newspaper.

Moscow

23 June: Snowden leaves Hong Kong on a flight to Moscow. He is currently thought to remain airside at Sheremetyevo airport.

Cuba

From Moscow, Snowden could fly to Cuba, en route to Ecuador, which has said it is "analysing" whether to grant him asylum.

Venezuela

Venezuela had also been considered a possible destination for Snowden, however it is thought he would only pass through on his way to Ecuador.

Ecuador

Snowden is reported to have requested asylum in Ecuador, which previously granted haven to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in its London embassy.

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