Computer learns to mimic artists

22 July 2013 Last updated at 09:41 ET

A computer program that can mimic the abstract portrait drawings of specific artists has been built by experts at Disney Research.

Seven artists were asked to create quick sketches based on portrait photographs, taking various lengths of time to complete their work.

Each artist generated about 8,000 pen strokes for the sketches.

Individual artist preferences, such as how far apart they drew eyes, were also included in the data gathered.

That data was then used to create sketches of photographs as the computer understood each artist would have done them - even beginning with a particular feature if that had been identified as what the artist would have done.

"There's something about an artist's interpretation of a subject that people find compelling," said digital artist Moshe Mahler, from Disney Research, which is based in Pittsburgh.

"We're trying to capture that - to create a computer model of it - in a way that no-one has done before."

However Mr Mahler added that the results were limited to the practical technique rather than the individual flair of the artists used in the pilot project.

"Our approach only understands the trends of how an artist might work," he said.

But the researchers suggested the techniques involved had the potential to be developed further, and might one day be used to create cartoons in specific animators' styles.

Is it art?

Dr Nick Lambert, lecturer in digital art at Birkbeck, University of London, and chairman of the Computer Arts Society, told the BBC that Disney's idea built on non-photorealistic rendering (NPR) processes, which have been around since the 1990s.

"We think of computer graphics as trying to look like photographs, but they can equally be something more sketch-like," he said.

"This is basically modelling the effects of the artist's vision - it's an interesting piece of work, but it does build on a number of things that have been done before."

Dr Lambert added that the art world may take some convincing about the program's creative efforts.

"It's a question of whether the machine can learn and evolve from what it sees in the sketches," he said.

"And in this instance that doesn't seem to be the case.

"So the jury is still out on the art front."

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Syrian hackers claim Tango app theft

23 July 2013 Last updated at 07:47 ET

The Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), hackers loyal to president Bashar al-Assad, claims to have stolen millions of users' personal details from Tango, a popular video and text messaging app.

SEA says it hacked into Tango's back-up database and downloaded users' private phone numbers, contacts and emails, amounting to 1.5 terabytes of data.

The hackers posted screenshots on their website to back up their claims.

SEA says it will give "much of the information" to the Syrian government.

TangoMe Inc confirmed a security breach via its Twitter feed saying: "Tango experienced a cyber intrusion that resulted in unauthorized access to some data. We are working on increasing our security systems."

But the US firm did not confirm that it was SEA that carried out the attack nor that 1.5TB of data had been stolen.

"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this breach may have caused our members", Tango added in a follow-up tweet.

Hijacking

The SEA then took offence at a caricature of the Syrian president accompanying a report of the Tango hack story posted on The Daily Dot website.

It asked for the picture to be removed in a tweet, then hacked into the news site's administration panel and deleted the entire article.

The same group achieved notoriety after successfully hijacking official Twitter feeds of the BBC, Associated Press, the Financial Times and The Guardian newspaper.

But the hackers did not say why they had targeted Tango in particular.

Internet security experts believe the breach may have been related to Tango's use of an outdated version of the WordPress content management system.

According to E Hacking News Tango was still using WordPress version 3.2.1, when the latest version is 3.5.2.

Tango, based in Mountain View, California, has amassed more than 120 million registered users of its free video and text messaging application since its launch in 2009.

The cross-platform app is available in 39 languages in more than 210 countries and allows users to play games and watch animations during calls, as well as edit photos and send e-cards.

No-one from the company was available for comment at the time of writing.

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Millions of phones 'at risk of hack'

22 July 2013 Last updated at 08:58 ET

A flaw with mobile phones' Sim card technology is putting millions of people at risk of being spied on and robbed, according to a leading security expert.

Karsten Nohl has said he has found a way to discover some Sims' digital keys by sending them a special text message.

He warned criminals could potentially use the technique to listen in on calls or steal cash.

Industry organisation - the GSMA - said it was looking into the findings.

"Karsten's early disclosure to the GSMA has given us an opportunity for preliminary analysis," said a spokeswoman for the association, which represents global network operators,

"We have been able to consider the implications and provide guidance to those network operators and Sim vendors that may be impacted.

"It would appear that a minority of Sims produced against older standards could be vulnerable."

Mr Nohl has posted preliminary details of the vulnerability on the website of his company, Berlin-based Security Research Labs.

Intercepted calls

Sim (subscriber identity module) cards effectively act as a security token, authenticating a user's identity with their network operator.

They also store a limited amount of data such as text messages, contacts' telephone numbers and details used for some applications - including a number of payment and banking services.

Mr Nohl said he had found a way to discover the authentication code by sending a device a text message masquerading as a communication from the user's mobile operator.

The message contained a bogus digital signature for the network.

He said most phones cut contact after recognising the signature as being a fake - but in about a quarter of cases, the handsets sent back an error message including an encrypted version of the Sim's authentication code.

The encryption is supposed to prevent the authentication code being discovered, but Mr Nohl said that in about half of these cases it was based on a 1970s coding system called Digital Encryption Standard (DES), which was once thought secure but could now be cracked "within two minutes on a standard computer".

Once the attacker had this information, Mr Nohl said, they could upload malware to the Sim written in the Java programming language.

He said these could be used by the hacker to send texts from the device to premium rate numbers they had set up, to discover and listen in to the target's voicemail messages and to track their location.

In addition, he warned that combined with other techniques, it could act as a surveillance tool.

"Sim cards generate all the keys you use to encrypt your calls, your SMS and your internet traffic," Mr Nohl told the BBC.

"If someone can capture the encrypted data plus have access to your Sim card, they can decrypt it.

"Operators often argue that it's not possible to listen in on 3G or 4G calls - now with access to the Sim card, it very much is."

Mr Nohl said that his research suggested about an eighth of all Sim cards were vulnerable to the hack attack - representing between 500 million to 750 million devices.

Although Mr Nohl would not reveal at this time in which countries DES encryption remained most common, he did say that Africa-based users had particular cause for concern.

"Here in Europe we use a Sim card to make phone calls and texts, but many people in Africa also use them for mobile banking," he said.

"Someone can steal their entire bank account by copying their Sim card.

"That adds a certain urgency because you imagine fraudsters would be most interested in breaking into their Sim cards - especially when it can be done remotely."

Black Hat

Mr Nohl said he expected network operators would not take long to act on his study, and should be able to provide an over-the-air download to protect subscribers against the vulnerability.

The GSMA said that it had not yet seen the full details of his research, but planned to study it to pinpoint any issues that could be fixed.

It added that "there is no evidence to suggest that today's more secure Sims, which are used to support a range of advanced services, will be affected".

The UN's telecoms agency - the International Telecommunications Union - said that it would now contact regulators and other government agencies worldwide to ensure they were aware of the threat.

Mr Nohl said he planned to reveal more information about the vulnerability at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas later this month.

However, he said he would not publish a survey showing which phone owners were most at risk until December to give operators an opportunity to address the problem.

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Cameron unveils online porn curbs

22 July 2013 Last updated at 10:16 ET

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David Cameron: "In the balance between freedom and responsibility we have neglected our responsibility to children"

Most households in the UK will have pornography blocked by their internet provider unless they choose to receive it, David Cameron has announced.

In addition, the prime minister said possessing online pornography depicting rape would become illegal in England and Wales - in line with Scotland.

Mr Cameron warned in a speech that access to online pornography was "corroding childhood".

The new measures will apply to both existing and new customers.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Seven years ago David Cameron told a Google conference that politicians should encourage companies to change, not over-regulate them.

Today, he announced he had reached agreement with the four biggest ISPs on pornography filters, after some behind the scenes tussling.

But he hinted that if search engines like Google didn't agree to a blacklist of search terms, he would legislate.

From Downing St, he can supplement the art of persuasion with the smack of firm government.

Back in his opposition days, Cameron made waves presenting himself as a man on the side of parents against firms that sold chocolates at checkouts and children's bikinis.

If he can mould a similar image in Downing St, as a PM doing battle with big business on behalf of fellow parents, he will be more than happy.

Mr Cameron also called for some "horrific" internet search terms to be "blacklisted", meaning they would automatically bring up no results on websites such as Google or Bing.

He told the BBC he expected a "row" with service providers who, he said in his speech, were "not doing enough to take responsibility" despite having a "moral duty" to do so.

He also warned he could have to "force action" by changing the law and that, if there were "technical obstacles", firms should use their "greatest brains" to overcome them.

'Innocence'

In his speech, Mr Cameron said family-friendly filters would be automatically selected for all new customers by the end of the year - although they could choose to switch them off.

And millions of existing computer users would be contacted by their internet providers and told they must decide whether to use or not use "family-friendly filters" to restrict adult material.

The filters would apply to all devices linked to the affected home Wi-Fi network and across the public Wi-Fi network "wherever children are likely to be present".

Customers who do not click on either option - accepting or declining - will have filters activated by default, Tory MP Claire Perry, Mr Cameron's adviser on the sexualisation and commercialisation of childhood, told the BBC.

The UK's biggest internet service providers have agreed to the filters scheme meaning it should cover 95% of homes.

Other measures announced by the prime minister included:

• New laws so videos streamed online in the UK will be subject to the same restrictions as those sold in shops
• Search engines having until October to introduce further measures to block illegal content
• Experts from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre being given more powers to examine secretive file-sharing networks
• A secure database of banned child pornography images gathered by police across the country will be used to trace illegal content and the paedophiles viewing it

Mr Cameron also called for warning pages to pop up with helpline numbers when people try to search for illegal content.

He said: "I want to talk about the internet, the impact it is having on the innocence of our children, how online pornography is corroding childhood.

"And how, in the darkest corners of the internet, there are things going on that are a direct danger to our children, and that must be stamped out.

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Claire Perry MP: "We have asked companies to help families install family friendly filters"

"I'm not making this speech because I want to moralise or scaremonger, but because I feel profoundly as a politician, and as a father, that the time for action has come. This is, quite simply, about how we protect our children and their innocence."

But former Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre boss Jim Gamble told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was important to "get to the root cause" of illegal pornography, by catching those responsible for creating it.

He added: "You need a real deterrent, not a pop-up that paedophiles will laugh at."

But Ms Perry argued filters would make a difference, saying that the killers of schoolgirls April Jones and Tia Sharp had accessed legal pornography before moving on to images of child abuse.

She added: "It's impossible to buy this material in a sex shop... but it's possible to have it served up on a computer every day."

In his speech, Mr Cameron said possession of online pornography depicting rape would be made illegal.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The coalition government has pledged to prevent abuse of women and girls, so tackling a culture that glorifies abuse is critical for achieving this"

End Quote Holly Dustin Director, End Violence Against Women Coalition

Existing legislation only covers publication of pornographic portrayals of rape, as opposed to possession.

"Possession of such material is already an offence in Scotland but because of a loophole in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, it is not an offence south of the border," Mr Cameron said.

"Well I can tell you today we are changing that. We are closing the loophole - making it a criminal offence to possess internet pornography that depicts rape."

The move has been welcomed by women's groups and academics who had campaigned to have "rape porn" banned.

Holly Dustin, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said the group was "delighted".

"The coalition government has pledged to prevent abuse of women and girls, so tackling a culture that glorifies abuse is critical for achieving this," she said.

"The next step is working with experts to ensure careful drafting of the law and proper resourcing to ensure the law is enforced fully."

'No safe place'

Mr Cameron, who has faced criticism from Labour over cuts to Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre's funding, insisted the centre's experts and police would be given the powers needed to keep pace with technological changes on the internet.

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Claire Lilley, NSPCC: "In every single child abuse image there is a victim, a child who has been abused"

"Let me be clear to any offender who might think otherwise: there is no such thing as a safe place on the internet to access child abuse material," he said.

A spokesman for Google said: "We have a zero tolerance attitude to child sexual abuse imagery. Whenever we discover it, we respond quickly to remove and report it.

"We recently donated $5m (£3.3m) to help combat this problem and are committed to continuing the dialogue with the government on these issues."

According to some experts, "default on" can create a dangerous sense of complacency, says BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones.

He says internet service providers would dispute Mr Cameron's interpretation of the new measures, insisting they did not want to be seen as censors.

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UK ISPs to block two pirate sites

22 July 2013 Last updated at 11:22 ET

British ISPs have been told to block access to two websites accused of aiding piracy on a "mass scale".

The court order to block EZTV and YIFY Torrents was made last week and should take effect soon.

The two are the latest in a growing list of websites to which UK ISPs have been asked to block access.

Action against the sites was started by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact) in conjunction with the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

File-sharing news site TorrentFreak said it the High Court decision followed efforts by Fact and the MPA to contact the owners of both sites. The MPA is the international arm of the Motion Picture Association of America.

A spokesman for Fact said it and the MPA had given both sites a chance to avoid legal action by responding to cease and desist orders, by both industry groups, to remove pirated content issued.

Fact said it had resorted to legal action when no action to remove infringing content was forthcoming.

The process to get the UK courts to issue blocking orders was now well established, he said, and the UK's biggest ISPs typically took a fortnight to impose blocks.

The action against the two sites was just one aspect of a broader policy targeting pirate sites, said the Fact spokesman.

Efforts were also being made to cut off funds to infringing websites by targeting ad networks that some sites relied on to generate cash.

In addition, he said, payment providers were looking at ways to stop donations and other payments getting through to pirate sites.

A growing number of sites accused of aiding piracy are now blocked to UK web users.

The list includes the Pirate Bay, Kickass Torrents, H33T, Fenopy, Movie2K and Download4All. In addition, the Premier League has won a block on football streaming site FirstRow1.eu.

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Ubuntu seeks cash for smartphone

22 July 2013 Last updated at 12:33 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

The developer of the Ubuntu operating system has turned to a crowdfunding site in an attempt to launch a handset pre-installed with its software.

London-based Canonical is seeking to raise $32m (£20.8m) over the next 30 days to produce 40,000 devices.

To succeed it needs to raise several times more cash than any other crowd-financed project has done before.

However, one market watcher said even if succeeds, the mobile OS would probably still struggle to gain ground.

Canonical has said that if it manages to hit its goal using Indiegogo's website it plans to deliver the phones to qualifying backers by May 2014.

Indiegogo's current funding record is $1,665,380 which was raised by Scandu Scout - a scheme to build a Star Trek-style Tricorder medical scanning device.

Its rival Kickstarter's record is $10,266,845 for the Pebble smart watch.

As of Tuesday morning, the Ubuntu Edge phone had attracted just over $3,295,000 worth of pledges, but the terms of the campaign mean Canonical does not receive the cash unless it hits its target.

Premium price

Canonical says Linux-based Ubuntu is different to other smartphone operating systems because it can run the same desktop applications as a PC installed with its software.

Programs look like a standard mobile app when the handset is being used as a standalone device, and then change their user interfaces to that of a desktop application when the phone is docked with a monitor. In addition the OS supports apps written in the HTML5 web language, albeit at slower speeds.

Canonical began offering a version of its system which can be run on a limited number of Android devices in February, and does not charge for the download.

But it has decided that backers need to commit $600 on day one or $830 on the remaining days of the crowdfunding campaign to secure one of its forthcoming Ubuntu Edge handsets. That is roughly double the cost of LG's Nexus 4 mobile, which supports its software.

Canonical's founder, Mark Shuttleworth, defended the sum saying that, in return, enthusiasts would secure a "Formula 1" device.

"The new handsets will have substantially more Ram [random access memory] than a typical high-end phone," he told the BBC.

"I would describe today's devices as being more useful as a thin client... offloading most of the processing to the cloud.

"What we're interested in is the next generation, giving you enough horsepower to actually have the full desktop experience powered by the phone."

Record attempt

In addition to four gigabytes of Ram, the firm is also promising an above average 128GB of storage and to make the handset's 4.5in (11.5cm) screen out of sapphire crystal - a tough substance already used by the premium Vertu brand. It will also offer an option to boot into Android if desired.

Mr Shuttleworth said that the Ubuntu Edge would be made by an Asian manufacturer which already made handsets for other firms, but declined to name the company.

He added that his firm only expected to break even on the project, but hoped it would stoke wider interest in Ubuntu as Canonical pursued efforts to get other firms to sell devices pre-installed with its software.

However, he acknowledged that the size of the Indiegogo funding goal meant his firm risked failing to secure any cash.

"We're very sanguine we may not hit the green light level," he said.

"But I think the timing for a record attempt like this is very good - there's a sense the mobile industry has become constrained in its ability to deliver innovation.

"If you're focusing on very high volume markets there's a lot of risk to you in introducing a new technology to a device that you want to sell 40 or 50 million units."

Canonical makes money by charging for support and training for Ubuntu and also plans to take a share of sales from online marketplaces offered by handset makers who adopt its software.

New entrants

Ubuntu is seeking to gain ground in an increasingly crowded smartphone marketplace.

Google's Android and Apple's iOS currently dominate sales well ahead of Blackberry's BB10 and Microsoft's Windows Phone rivals.

Earlier this month, the first phones running Mozilla's Firefox OS also went on sale; Joalla recently started taking pre-orders for handsets running its Sailfish system, based on Nokia's cancelled Meego platform; and Samsung and Intel have just launched a $4m fund to encourage developers to make apps for the forthcoming Tizen system.

"There's a groundswell of operating systems coming to market," said Nick Dillon, senior analyst at the telecoms consultancy Ovum.

"The challenge for Ubuntu is it needs to offer something unique and compelling.

"Using your phone as your single device is different, but at the moment it seems a niche proposition.

"Ubuntu has been relatively successful in the PC market, but it's not a big consumer brand in the way some of the other big mobile companies - like Blackberry, Nokia and Microsoft are - and even they're having a tough time of it."

Canonical's campaign will run until 21 August.

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Sony details Freeview recorder fix

22 July 2013 Last updated at 14:03 ET

Sony has issued details of how to fix "a major technical issue" that has caused several of its DVD recorders to lose access to Freeview TV channels.

Dozens of owners had written to the BBC to complain that a software malfunction had caused their devices to stop receiving or recording Freeview channels on Friday.

Many complained about the initial lack of response from the firm.

Sony has now blamed the problem on "corrupt broadcast data".

It has recommended affected consumers unplug and then reconnect their devices. If this does not correct the problem it suggested they carry out a "full factory reset". Full instructions have been posted on its community forum.

Unplug and wipe

Sony's own support forums as well as other independent online sites had filled with complaints from irate users over the weekend.

"It may already have come to your attention that thousands of owners of Sony DVD units have completely lost all their access to Freeview channels," Geoff Cheers, from Chorley, wrote to the BBC.

Graham Johnson, from Oxford, added: "There are thousands of people affected by this, many of whom, like me, have wasted hours today trying to retune and repair their machine. Many folks, it seems, have also been out and bought a new one."

On Saturday a customer support agent tweeted that the issue had been "flagged" to a dedicated team, but provided little other information.

Early speculation centred on the possibility that the problem had been caused by a firmware update, but the Japanese firm later said it was caused by "something [that] has changed in the way that these devices are receiving EPG [electronic programme guides] data from Arqiva".

On Monday Sony added that it was now working with the communications infrastructure company and broadcasters to remedy the problem.

In the meantime it suggested affected users carry out the following steps:

• Turn the machine on and eject any disks.
• Press the "stop" button on the recorder. While still holding it down, press and release the "on/standby" button, and then release the "stop" button as well. This resents the machine deleting the corrupted data.
• Owners should then follow the on-screen instructions to retune the machines, selecting "digital guide" rather than "guide plus" when given the choice.

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Third Point to reduce Yahoo stake

22 July 2013 Last updated at 23:54 ET

Third Point LLC, the hedge fund headed by activist investor Daniel Loeb, has agreed to reduce its stake in Yahoo.

Yahoo will buy back 40 million shares from Third Point, reducing its stake in the internet giant to less than 2%.

Mr Loeb was a key driver of the recent management shake up at Yahoo that saw the departure of former chief executive Scott Thompson and the appointment of Marissa Mayer in the role.

As a result of his reduced holding, Mr Loeb has resigned from Yahoo's board.

Two other directors, Harry Wilson and Michael Wolf, who were nominated to Yahoo's board by Third Point, have also submitted their resignations.

"I'm confident that with Marissa at the helm and her team's focus on innovation and engaging users, Yahoo has a bright future." Mr Loeb said in a statement.

Windfall

Continue reading the main story

Much like a lot of investors followed Third Point in, a lot will follow Third Point out"

End Quote Ronald Josey JMP Securities

The move by Third Point comes amid a surge in Yahoo's stock. Its shares have risen more than 70% since Ms Mayer took charge an year ago.

According to a statement by Yahoo, the internet giant has agreed to pay $29.11 per share to Third Point. valuing the deal at $1.16bn (£750m).

That is almost double the average price paid by Third Point while accumulating its stake in Yahoo - resulting in gains of almost $600m for Mr Loeb's fund.

Some analysts said the decision by Third Point to sell its shares could prompt other investors to think that the surge in Yahoo stock may have hit its peak for now, prompting them to follow suit.

"Probably a lot of investors are saying, we had a pretty good run here, it makes sense to take some off the table," said Ronald Josey an analyst with JMP Securities.

"Much like a lot of investors followed Third Point in, a lot will follow Third Point out."

Yahoo shares fell more than 4% in New York on Monday to close at $27.86.

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US court throws out web patent claim

23 July 2013 Last updated at 06:05 ET

A US court has upheld a decision to invalidate a tech firm's claim to own technologies underpinning the web.

Eolas's claims revolved around a series of patents it had been using to extract licence fees from hi-tech firms such as Microsoft and Oracle.

However, Eolas's claims were disputed by many others including web creator Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

The ruling will also mean an end to many other lawsuits Eolas mounted against hi-tech firms.

A US Appeals court in Washington has upheld a decision made in Texas in February 2012 that initially invalidated Eolas's patents.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee testified at that original Texas trial and said that if Eolas's patent claims were upheld it would "substantially impair the usability of the web". The broad patents cover many familiar features of webpages including playing videos, responding to user input and manipulating images.

Eolas was founded by American computer scientist Michael Doyle who claimed to have written the program that pioneered interactive use of the world wide web. A patent for this was granted to Mr Doyle in 1994 and soon after was used to win court cases against tech giants such as Microsoft which were accused of using the technology without permission.

Eolas is believed to have settled its claim against Microsoft for about $100m (£65m).

A similar patent was granted in 2009 and Eolas used this to file legal claims against 20 companies including Apple, eBay, Adobe, Google and many others. Eolas sought more than $600m in damages.

Many of the companies sued by Eolas settled rather than fight the claims in court. This meant that only three firms, Google, Yahoo and JC Penney, appeared in court in 2012 to contest the patents.

Google said it was "pleased with the court's decision". Eolas has not made any comment.

The Appeal Court's backing of the original invalidation signals the end of this case and many others. Eolas launched a series of lawsuits using patents it had been granted that incorporated the technologies and innovations it initially claimed to own.

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Amazon U-turn over free deliveries

23 July 2013 Last updated at 11:12 ET

Online retailer Amazon has scrapped free "super saver" delivery to the UK on some products worth less than £10.

It reverses a policy introduced in October 2009 that let items be sent without postage charge if customers agreed to wait up to five business days for delivery after the dispatch date.

The new threshold will not apply to books, DVDs, music, video games and software products.

Amazon said the move would "affect only a very small proportion of orders".

But one retail analyst said the move could still be "damaging" for the online retailer.

Packaging

Customers buying non-qualifying products, such as a USB memory stick worth less than £10, for example, would face a postage and packaging charge of £3.99. Some postage charges on other goods could be even higher.

Neil Saunders, analyst with retail specialist Conlumino told the BBC: "This is potentially damaging for Amazon as there is likely to be resistance to this change from some customers, particularly those infrequent shoppers who don't mind waiting a bit longer for their goods to arrive."

Amazon, which achieves about £3bn a year in UK sales, said multiple orders worth less than £10 could still be delivered free if they included a qualifying product, such as a book or DVD.

The retailer said the imposition of a minimum spend threshold would allow it to offer "a significantly expanded selection of lower priced products".

Loyalty

Amazon has vastly expanded the number of goods it offers online in recent years, including clothes, groceries and health and beauty products, not to mention the goods being sold by third-party vendors.

As a result, "the economics of offering free delivery on cheap goods just don't stack up anymore", says Bryan Roberts, analyst with Kantar Retail.

Analysts also speculate the change may be designed to promote the Amazon Prime delivery service, which costs £49 a year for one-day delivery on an unlimited number of orders.

"The more customers who use Prime the better for Amazon as it helps their retention and loyalty figures but occasional shoppers are unlikely to switch as it is quite expensive," said Mr Saunders.

Amazon is also trying to push people towards making multiple purchases as profit margins on some low-volume products are "very low", argues Mr Saunders.

In June, Amazon.co.uk scrapped free super saver delivery to a number of countries, including Italy, Spain, Greece, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino and Vatican City.

This used to provide free delivery on orders over £25.

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