Pulse weapon brings cars to a halt

3 December 2013 Last updated at 08:11 ET By Chris Vallance BBC Radio 4, PM

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Andy Bennett, of E2V, shows how the device works at Throckmorton Airfield, in Worcestershire

A British company has demonstrated a prototype device capable of stopping cars and other vehicles using a blast of electromagnetic waves.

The RF Safe-Stop uses radio frequency pulses to "confuse" a vehicle's electronic systems, cutting its engine.

E2V is one of several companies trying to bring such a product to market.

It said it believed the primary use would be as a non-lethal weapon for the military to defend sensitive locations from vehicles refusing to stop.

There has also been police interest.

The BBC was given a demonstration of the device at Throckmorton Airfield, in Worcestershire.

Deputy Chief Constable Andy Holt, of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), who has evaluated the tech, said the machine had "potential, but it's very early days yet".

Radio pulse

At one end of a disused runway, E2V assembled a varied collection of second-hand cars and motorbikes in order to test the prototype against a range of vehicles.

In demonstrations seen by the BBC a car drove towards the device at about 15mph (24km/h).

As the vehicle entered the range of the RF Safe-stop, its dashboard warning lights and dials behaved erratically, the engine stopped and the car rolled gently to a halt. Digital audio and video recording devices in the vehicle were also affected.

"It's a small radar transmitter," said Andy Wood, product manager for the machine.

"The RF [radio frequency] is pulsed from the unit just as it would be in radar, it couples into the wiring in the car and that disrupts and confuses the electronics in the car causing the engine to stall."

He did not provide other specifics. However, the Engineer magazine has reported the device uses L- and S-band radio frequencies, and works at a range of up to 50m (164ft).

Some experts the BBC has spoken with suggested that turning off the engine in this manner would not stop vehicles rapidly enough. Others worried about what effect it might have on a car's electronic brake and steering systems.

But E2V said the risks were lower than with alternative systems.

Acpo suggested the machine's ability to stop motorbikes "safely" could prove particularly useful.

Mr Holt noted that the tyre deflation devices used by some police forces posed the risk of causing "serious injury" if used against two-wheelers.

E2V added that its device could also be effective against other types of vehicles, including boats.

But because the device works on electronic systems, he acknowledged that it would not work on all older vehicles.

"Certainly if you took a 1960s Land Rover, there's a good chance you're not going to stop it," Mr Wood said.

The firm added that it did not believe the RF Safe-Stop posed any risk to people using a pacemaker.

Listeners in the UK can hear more about the device on BBC Radio 4's PM programme between 17:00 and 18:00 on Tuesday.

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Amazon testing drones for deliveries

2 December 2013 Last updated at 00:10 ET

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Drone delivery - fact or fiction?

Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, is testing unmanned drones to deliver goods to customers, Chief Executive Jeff Bezos says.

The drones, called Octocopters, could deliver packages weighing up to 2.3kg to customers within 30 minutes of them placing the order, he said.

However, he added that it could take up to five years for the service to start.

The US Federal Aviation Administration is yet to approve the use of unmanned drones for civilian purposes.

"I know this looks like science fiction, but it's not," Mr Bezos told CBS television's 60 Minutes programme.

"We can do half-hour delivery... and we can carry objects, we think, up to five pounds (2.3kg), which covers 86% of the items that we deliver."

'Ready to enter'

Continue reading the main story

From a technology point of view, we'll be ready to enter commercial operations as soon as the necessary regulations are in place"

End Quote Amazon

The service will be called Prime Air and comes as Amazon is looking to improve its efficiency to boost growth.

Amazon also posted a video on its website showing a drone picking up a package from one of its warehouses and delivering it to the doorstep of a customer's house.

However, it still has to wait for permission from US regulators.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the use of drones for police and government agencies, issuing about 1,400 permits over the past several years.

Civilian air space is expected to be opened up to all kinds of drones in the US by 2015 and in Europe by 2016.

Existing regulations are in place to minimise the risk of injury to people on the ground, said Dr Darren Ansell, an expert on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) from the University of Central Lancashire.

"The UAVs do not currently have the awareness of their environment to be able to avoid flying into people. To deliver goods to people's homes for example in residential areas, the UAVs must overfly densely populated towns and cities, something that today's regulations prevent.

"Other things to consider are security of the goods during the transit. With no one to guard them the aircraft and package could be captured and stolen," he said.

Amazon said: "from a technology point of view, we'll be ready to enter commercial operations as soon as the necessary regulations are in place."

The FAA was "actively working on rules for unmanned aerial vehicles", the company said, adding that it hoped the green light would be given as early as 2015.

"One day, Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today."

Zookal, an Australian textbook rental company, announced earlier this year that it would start using drones to make deliveries from 2015 if approved by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Australian law allows the use of unmanned aircraft for commercial use.

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'Big boss' Cameron on China's Weibo

2 December 2013 Last updated at 09:40 ET By Qiang Zhang China media analyst, BBC Monitoring

David Cameron has joined the Chinese social networking site Weibo, gathering more than 150,000 followers in just a few days.

The UK prime minister, currently on a trade visit to the country, initially confused users as his account had not been verified by officials.

But the embassy in Beijing later confirmed its authenticity, stating: "Big boss has come to Weibo!"

One user asked if China's President Xi Jinping would also open an account.

Mr Cameron is visiting the country with more than 100 UK business leaders and is hoping to help smooth the way towards a free trade agreement between China and the European Union.

'Take me away'

He launched his own microblog account on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, which has more than 300 million users, last Friday, according to BBC Monitoring.

By 12:00 GMT on Monday his offerings, written in Mandarin, had gathered almost 159,000 followers.

However, soon after the account started, users doubted whether it was real until the British embassy re-tweeted the prime minister's opening message, along with the "big boss" moniker.

This appeared to excite many Chinese, who sent in their questions.

Some wondered why China's own political leaders had so far chosen to stay away from social media platforms, with one asking: "When will President Xi open a Weibo account?"

Several inquired about whether the visa application for entry to the UK could be simplified.

Many users asked Mr Cameron, who must return to London by Thursday for Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement on the economy, to let them on the plane with him.

"I beg you to take me away. We don't have universal free medical care here," said Quanqiuremen.

Mr Cameron's visit has also brought back some bitter memories of British imperialism from the past two centuries.

Human rights

"Mr prime minister, are you bringing opium with you?" asked "Yongmian", referring to the Opium Wars in the 19th Century.

"When will you compensate us for the Old Summer Palace?" asked Glorious Ming, in a rebuke to British and French forces for burning down the Chinese imperial garden in 1860.

The more contemporary clash between the two countries over China's human rights record, particularly in Tibet, has also featured prominently in the online discussions.

Cameron's meeting with the Dalai Lama a year ago, which angered Chinese leaders and led to a freeze in top-level contacts, was mentioned.

"Dalai's friend has come to China for our silver," said Wuyanliuju.

But some users accused Mr Cameron of not doing enough to promote human rights. One, West Sea Fisherman, urged him to "go back" if he did not mention the issue at high-level intergovernmental meetings.

"We do not welcome foreign leaders who care nothing about human rights in our country," he added.

Mr Cameron's UK Twitter account has more than 500,000 followers.

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Facebook mugging apology 35 years on

2 December 2013 Last updated at 10:00 ET

A man who mugged someone in New York in the 1970s has apologised to his victim after finding him on Facebook.

Michael Goodman said he stole Claude Soffel's bus pass from him outside the Museum of Natural History.

After reading a post about a bagel shop closing down Mr Goodman recognised the name of his victim and sent him a message to apologise.

Mr Soffel responded to the message and said he accepted the apology.

Writing on Facebook Mr Goodman said: "You may not remember this (about 1976 or '77) but a long long time ago... trying to look like a tough guy... I walked up to you and mugged you for your bus pass.

"I have never forgotten the incident or your name. Finally I can say I'm very sorry. So once again I'm truly sorry for taking your bus pass back then."

Arrested immediately

Some time later the victim, Mr Soffel, replied.

"Clearly you're a bigger man today. I recognise your name now as well. So, apology accepted. So let us now, jointly put this in its proper place, behind us," he wrote.

Mr Goodman went on to explain that on the day of the mugging there had been undercover police nearby and he was arrested immediately.

"My father had to leave work and come and get me (I was a minor at the time) and [he] was not too happy with me to say the least," he wrote.

He expressed his surprise that the story of the apology had spread so quickly and hoped the reason for the original contact with Mr Soffel did not get lost in all the coverage.

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Apple buys Twitter data firm Topsy

2 December 2013 Last updated at 23:43 ET

Apple has bought social media data analytics firm, Topsy Labs, which specialises in using data from Twitter to track customer sentiment.

Topsy is one of the few firms to have access to Twitter's entire data stream.

It has recently created a searchable database of all tweets sent - more than 400 billion - since Twitter's launch.

Apple did not say how much it paid for the firm, but the Wall Street Journal which first reported the story put the figure at around $200m (£122m).

Topsy competes with firms like DataSift and Gnip to figure out who is influential on Twitter, what terms are trending, and the impact of specific Twitter campaigns.

It is Apple's second acquisition in recent weeks.

Last month, it announced it had bought Israeli firm PrimeSense, which specialises in making 3-D motion detection technology.

Surprise move?

Apple is one of the world's biggest firms in the technology sector but the firm is not known for its forays into the world of social media.

Continue reading the main story

Brands across the world are looking at ways to use the time spent by customers on social media to enhance their brands, and Apple is no different"

End Quote Manoj Menon Frost & Sullivan

The company's earlier effort at social networking - the Ping music sharing service - failed to catch on with consumers.

As it confirmed the latest deal, an Apple spokesperson declined to give details of the firm's plans with Topsy.

"Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time and we generally do not discuss our purpose," the spokesperson said.

However, some analysts said Apple could look to use the data analytics for a variety of purposes, not least a better placement of its products across social media.

"There are millions of people sharing their thoughts on platforms such as Twitter on any given day," Sanjana Chappalli, Asia-Pac head of LEWIS Pulse, a firm specialising in digital marketing services, told the BBC.

"For companies to be able to understand what is popular with these users and what they are interested in, and then use it to their advantage, they need to filter the content and understand it.

"Topsy gives Apple the tools to do just that," she explained.

Manoj Menon, managing director at consulting firm Frost & Sullivan added: "Brands across the world are looking at ways to use the time spent by customers on social media to enhance their brands, and Apple is no different".

Personalised search

At the same time, companies operating internet search engines have also been looking to tap into the social media sector to try and offer more personalised search results to users.

"They are looking at what your friends are commenting on or tweeting about and then giving you similar recommendations when you look for information online," said Ms Chappalli.

She added that search engines such as Google and Bing have been moving in that direction for some time.

"Apple, with its Safari web browser on all its devices, could do with such an analytics capability provided by Topsy to achieve that," she added.

At the same time, some analysts suggested that Apple could also use Topsy's technology to its own data, such as information from the App Store.

"Apple may also be able to provide better user experience to customers by integration of analytical capability to its products and services," said Mr Menon.

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Toq extends smartwatch battery life

2 December 2013 Last updated at 10:56 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

Qualcomm has released a smartwatch that it says can last days between recharges despite the fact its touchscreen display is always on.

The US company says the "limited edition" Toq is designed to showcase its new technologies rather than compete with its other products.

Qualcomm is best known for making processors that power smartphones.

However, one analyst suggested the device was too bulky to appeal beyond a niche enthusiast audience.

The $349 (£215) gadget is being made available via only Qualcomm's website to US customers, and the company said it was "unlikely" it would sell the watch elsewhere.

Wrist action

The Toq is designed to be paired with any smartphone running Android 4.0.3 or higher.

It allows its owner to receive and send text messages, manage reminders and view other information - such as weather forecasts or stock prices - obtained via their handset.

There is no software store for the watch itself, but existing handset apps can be adapted to send details to its display and activate a vibrate function. In addition it can be used to accept or reject calls, and control what music is being played from the linked phone's library.

The company says that the watch's key innovation is its use of its proprietary Mirasol technology.

Rob Chandok, president of Qualcomm Interactive Platforms, described this as being similar to the e-ink displays commonly used by e-book readers and another smartwatch - the Pebble - but better.

Backlight

"In addition to the fact it offers colour, the refresh rate of Mirasol can be 30 frames a second, which allows you to build a touch interface," he told the BBC.

"That's tremendously important when you are trying to offer some of these experiences.

Continue reading the main story

We would consider making more if the demand were high"

End Quote Rob Chandok, Qualcomm

"In an e-ink display you can't refresh the screen fast enough to follow the finger."

Mirasol is significantly less power-hungry than the OLED tech used by Samsung's Galaxy Gear watch, meaning that unlike its rival, its screen does not have to turn itself off when angled away from the user's face to extend battery life.

Sony's Smartwatch 2 does offer an always-on LCD display - however, it requires the user to switch on a backlight in dim conditions.

Although Qualcomm suggests the Toq's lack of an on/off switch makes it the superior option, Mr Chandok acknowledged that the Toq display's graphics were not as vibrant or crisp as the alternatives.

"But we've got other versions of Mirasol in the pipeline that are going to have a better colour gamut and vibrancy," he added.

Qualcomm has also included three other technologies it has developed that it hopes will attract the attention of manufacturers:

• Stereo Bluetooth headphones, allowing synchronised left and right-channel audio without the need for a wire between the earphones and the watch
• WiPower LE - the firm's "drop 'n' charge" tech that allows the headphones and watch to be recharged by placing them on top of the same base
• AllJoyn peer-to-peer networking, a system the firm is promoting as a cross-platform way to share data between various gadgets

Mr Chandok said "tens of thousands, but not hundreds of thousands" of the watches were being produced, adding that its appeal was likely to be limited to an "early adopter" crowd.

"We would consider making more if the demand were high," he said. "But our preference is for our partners to bring out products [using the new technologies] in the next six months, and we're working hard with a few people to do that."

He declined to name the companies involved, but did reveal that in theory the Toq could be made compatible with Apple's iPhones.

"We limited the spend on what we were doing and just built the applications on the Android side," he said.

"There's nothing keeping us from doing an iOS app, we just haven't invested in that."

Unproven market

Many analysts believe the market in smartwatches and other wearable technologies - such as Google's Glass eyewear - has the potential for huge growth.

The research firm NextMarket Insights has predicted 373 million smartwatches will be shipped in 2020 compared with fewer than one million this year.

However, one expert warned that Qualcomm and others had to make major improvements to achieve such numbers.

"They are still relatively bulky in watch terms and you still have issues with recharging, which is an alien concept to people with watches," said Chris Green, an analyst at the consultants Davies Murphy Group.

"The Toq offers a little bit more than some of the other smartwatches in terms of what it can do, but it's still ultimately a basic thing offering little more than a second screen, and is quite gimmicky.

"We've still to see anyone offer a smartwatch that delivers something that we actually need."

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Camera takes 3D photos in the dark

2 December 2013 Last updated at 15:13 ET

A camera that can create 3D-images in almost pitch black conditions has been developed by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The team captured images of objects, using just single particles of light, known as a photons.

"Billions" of photons would be required to take a photo using the camera on a mobile phone.

The researchers say the technology could be used to help soldiers on combat operations.

Ahmed Kirmani, who wrote the paper containing the findings, said the research has been called "counter-intuitive" as normally the number of photons detected would tell you how bright an image was.

"With only one photon per pixel you would expect the image to be completely featureless," he told the BBC.

Combat advantage

The camera technology already existed and is similar to the Lidar system used by Google for its Streetview service he explained.

"We borrowed the principles form this, the detectors can identify single photons but they still need hundreds of thousands to form images. But we took the system to its limit."

Lidar uses a laser to fire pulses of light towards an object in a grid sequence. Each location on the grid corresponds to a pixel in the final image.

Normally the laser would fire a large number of times at each grid position and detect multiple reflected photons.

In contrast the system used by the MIT team moved on to the next position in the grid as soon as it had detected a single photon.

A conventional Lidar system would require about 100 times as many photons to make a similar image to the one the team captured which means the system could provide "substantial savings in energy and time".

The team say the technology could be used in many different fields. It could help ophthalmologists when they want to create an image of a patient's eye without having to shine a bright light in someone's eye.

The research was part funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency which commissions research for the Department of Defense. Mr Kirmani said the military could use the technology to allow soldiers to see in the dark, giving them an advantage in combat situations.

"Any technology that enhances a military's ability to navigate, target or engage in near-total darkness would be highly prized. 3D imagery married with existing imagery and navigation technologies could significantly enhance the capabilities currently possessed," said Reed Foster, a defence analyst at IHS.

Eventually, the researchers explain, the technology could be developed to make 3D cameras for mobile phones. The camera requires less light than the ones currently available and therefore uses less power.

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PC shipments to see 'severe fall'

2 December 2013 Last updated at 23:52 ET

Global shipments of personal computers (PCs) are expected to see their "most severe yearly contraction on record" in 2013, according to research firm International Data Corporation (IDC).

The firm said sales of PCs would fall by 10.1% this year, worse than the previous estimate of 9.7%.

PC sales have fallen for the last six quarters, the longest historical drop.

Global shipments of PCs have been hurt by the growing popularity of tablets and smartphones.

"Perhaps the chief concern for future PC demand is a lack of reasons to replace an older system, " Jay Chou, a senior research analyst with IDC, said in a statement.

Worldwide shipments would continue to fall in 2014 but at a slower pace, said IDC.

Consumer trends

Continue reading the main story

The long-term outlook for the two markets is not significantly different, with a small decline projected for both consumer and commercial segments in 2014 with near flat growth in the longer term"

End Quote IDC

In July this year, the firm said it was still looking for some improvement in growth during the second half of the year. It has now reversed that view.

It explained that interest in PCs had remained limited, "leading to little indication of positive growth beyond replacement of existing systems".

One key growth area for PC sales has been emerging markets, but IDC said interest had been falling there and that shipments would likely decline into 2014.

Earlier this year, research firm Gartner said that a greater availability of inexpensive Android tablets was attracting first-time consumers in emerging markets and hurting PC sales.

On the upside, the commercial market is faring better than the consumer market this year.

Commercial shipments are expected to fall by 5% in 2013, from a year ago, compared to a nearly 15% drop for consumer sales, according to IDC.

The relative stability in the commercial market was down to "a mix of more stable PC investment planning, a smaller impact from tablets, and to replacements of Windows XP systems before the end of support planned for 2014," the firm said.

"However, the long-term outlook for the two markets is not significantly different, with a small decline projected for both consumer and commercial segments in 2014 with near flat growth in the longer term."

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Deal to curb 'shock' mobile bills

3 December 2013 Last updated at 00:27 ET

Mobile phone users will be protected from "sky-high bills" if their phones are stolen under an agreement between the government and four operators.

EE, Three, Virgin Media and Vodafone have agreed to a new cap on the maximum customers would be expected to pay.

The firms will also tell people of mid-contract price rises, and phone users will then have the option of breaking off the contract without penalty.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller said the deal would avoid "shock bills".

It follows her meeting with phone companies last month to discuss how to protect consumers.

Announcing the agreement as she accompanied Prime Minister David Cameron on his trip to China, she said: "Families can be left struggling if carefully planned budgets are blown away by unexpected bills from a stolen mobile or a mid-contract price rise.

"This agreement with the telecoms companies will deliver real benefits to consumers and help ensure people are not hit with shock bills."

It is thought the cap, which is expected to be in place from spring 2014, will be set at a similar level to the £50 liability cap on stolen credit and debit cards.

Consumer affairs minister Jo Swinson said "The last thing you need after the hassle of a stolen mobile is to find that someone has used it and landed you with a sky-high bill too.

"Phone companies have listened to government and to their customers and I welcome their agreement to protect them from unexpected costs."

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Germany develops anti-Nazi music app

3 December 2013 Last updated at 07:21 ET

German police have developed a smartphone app that allows them to identify rock songs with neo-Nazi or racist lyrics.

Ministers will meet this week to discuss whether to implement the new method, Der Spiegel reports.

Neo-Nazi music is a growing problem in the country, with the government saying it aids the recruitment of young people into extremist groups.

The German constitution prohibits Nazi glorification.

The app, developed by the regional police office in Saxony, recognises the "audio fingerprints" of neo-Nazi rock music.

It has been dubbed "Nazi Shazam" in reference to the music identification service Shazam, which identifies song titles from a short sample using a smartphone microphone.

It could be used by police to recognise such music being played on internet radio stations or gatherings.

Last year the Federal Review Board for Media Harmful to Minors identified 79 pieces of music with neo-Nazi or racist lyrics.

There are questions about whether such a system could be widely implemented though.

If lawyers deem the automatic identification of music being played in a public place to be audio surveillance, it is unlikely to be allowed under German law, according to the report.

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