Europe to tighten black box rules

6 May 2014 Last updated at 12:43

Europe's aviation watchdog has announced new proposals to make it easier to find flight recorders, known as black boxes, from missing planes.

The plans include extending the transmission time of underwater locating devices fitted on the black boxes from 30 to 90 days.

The move comes in response to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on 8 March.

The plane vanished en route to Beijing, with 239 people on board.

The aircraft lost contact with air traffic controllers over the South China Sea, some seven hours after it took off from Kuala Lumpur.

Officials now believe, based on satellite data, that it ended its journey in the sea far west of the Australian city of Perth.

It is not yet known what caused the plane to fly so far off course. Finding its "black box" flight recorders is seen as key to understanding what happened.

'Tragic flight'

As part of the measures, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said large aeroplanes flying over oceans should be equipped with a new pinger frequency, making it easier to locate the recording devices under water.

In addition, the minimum recording duration of cockpit voice recorders installed on new planes should be increased from two to 20 hours.

"The tragic flight of Malaysia Airlines MH370 demonstrates that safety can never be taken for granted," EASA director Patrick Ky said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The proposed changes are expected to increase safety by facilitating the recovery of information by safety investigation authorities."

So far, an intensive search operation has found no sign of flight MH370.

Officials from Australia, Malaysia and China are meeting in the Australian capital, Canberra, this week to discuss the next stage in the operation.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said new sonar and submersible equipment would be needed to scour a large area of ocean floor.

An initial search of the area where acoustic signals thought to be from flight recorders were heard found nothing.

On Wednesday, experts are due to share all the information, including satellite data, collected to date, at the talks in Canberra.

Australia has warned that the next stage of the search could take up to a year.

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Nokia launches $100m smart car fund

5 May 2014 Last updated at 10:21

Nokia has launched a $100m (£59m) fund which will invest in firms specialising in connected and smart vehicles.

It is seen as a key growth area and Nokia has established its presence in the sector with its mapping service Here for connected vehicles.

The move comes just days after Nokia completed the sale of its handset unit to Microsoft.

The Finnish firm has said that mapping services is one of the three key businesses that it plans to focus on.

Nokia said the fund, which will be managed by Nokia Growth Partners (NGP), will support the growth of the sector.

'Surge in innovation'

Continue reading the main story

Vehicles are becoming a new platform for technology adoption very similar to phones or tablet"

End Quote Paul Asel Nokia Growth Partners

Firms have been looking to connect vehicles - not only to the internet, but also to each other.

The idea is that connected and "smart" vehicles would not only change the way drivers use their cars, but also make them more safe by sensing nearby vehicles.

A key part of that connectivity is the ability of vehicles to access their location, and that of other objects around them.

And as an increasing number of vehicles become inter-connected, it could provide a growth opportunity for firms specialising in the sector.

"For the last few years there has been a surge in innovation that has brought technological advances leading to safer, cleaner, increasingly connected, intelligent and more affordable vehicles," Paul Asel, partner at NGP, said in a statement.

"Vehicles are becoming a new platform for technology adoption very similar to phones or tablet."

Other players

Other firms have also been keen to tap into the sector, including Google, Apple and Intel.

Earlier this year, Google announced that it is teaming up with several car manufacturers - including Audi, Honda and Hyundai - to integrate its Android operating system into their dashboards.

That would allow the apps and music on Android smartphones and tablets to work better with onboard car systems.

Google has also added a traffic layer to Google Maps, sourced from other Android users, to inform users about traffic jams and other road issues.

Rival Apple has also unveiled its CarPlay iPhone system which allows iPhones to plug into cars.

The firm said that would allow drivers to call up maps, make calls and request music with voice commands or a touch on a vehicle's dashboard screen.

Chipmaker Intel has also previously announced a $100m fund dedicated to investing in technology aimed at accelerating the development of internet-connected cars.

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Amazon launches shopping via Twitter

6 May 2014 Last updated at 06:16

Online retailer Amazon has announced a partnership with Twitter that allows users to add products to their shopping carts by tweeting a special hashtag.

They can do so by replying to tweets containing a link to an Amazon product with #amazoncart in the US and #amazonbasket in the UK.

Users will still need to go to Amazon to pay and complete the purchase.

The move comes as firms are looking at ways to use social media platforms as tools to attract customers.

"Ultimately it is all about conversations that people are having on various platforms such as Twitter and Facebook about what interests them," said Sanjana Chappalli, Asia-Pac head of LEWIS Pulse, a firm specialising in digital marketing.

"Brands are keen to tap into these platforms, not least because they have hundreds of millions of active users."

Win-win?

Continue reading the main story

This deal provides them a good chance to leverage on other sites such as Amazon to help push the engagement rates up"

End Quote Sanjana Chappalli LEWIS Pulse

The move also comes just days after Twitter reported a net loss of $132m (£78m) for the first quarter.

The number of active users on the social network reached 255 million in the first three months of 2014, up 5.8% on the previous quarter. However, that growth was below analysts' expectations.

There have been concerns that the pace of growth the Twitter has seen in the past years may be slowing, which may hurt its revenues.

Ms Chappalli said the tie-up with Amazon was likely to help Twitter engage its users better and as result attract more advertisers.

"For Twitter the revenue model is based on not just on the number of active users but also on how much time those users spend on the platform," she said.

"This deal provides them a good chance to leverage on other sites such as Amazon to help push the engagement rates up."

Meanwhile, Amazon said the partnership would make it easier for users to purchase products they saw on their Twitter timeline.

"No more switching apps, typing passwords, or trying to remember items you saw on Twitter," the firm said in a video it posted about the tie-up.

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Tesco to launch own-brand smartphone

6 May 2014 Last updated at 06:39

Tesco is to launch its first own-brand smartphone by the end of the year.

The BBC understands the phone will run Google's Android software, and the specification will be comparable to phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Chief executive Philip Clarke told BBC Radio 5 live's Wake Up to Money programme the device would be pre-installed with Tesco services.

The smartphone plans follow the launch of a Tesco's tablet, the Hudl - which has sold half a million units so far.

A refreshed version of the Hudl tablet - the Hudl 2 - will be released in September, Mr Clarke said.

The Hudl tablet entered the the lower end of the market, priced at £119 and competing with devices that had relatively low specifications.

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However, the smartphone is expected to be comparable to the higher-end of the market - but aggressively priced.

'New Tesco'

Mr Clarke also gave a broad hint that he intended to stay on as Tesco's chief executive until 2020.

He said: "I'm 54 and I have been at it for 40 years.

"I think normally in Britain people like me retire at 60 and that gives me another six years."

He said his role attracted "incredible scrutiny" and joked that he was "never short of people telling me how to do my job".

But he denied suggestions that his style, since taking over as chief executive, had been responsible for a succession of senior departures from Tesco, with finance director Laurie McIlwee the latest to announce that he's leaving.

"Look at any team and how it evolves," said Mr Clarke.

"When you get a leadership change it's inevitable that people will want to think about what that means for themselves.

"But I have a very strong management team - some have been here 20 or 30 years and some have come in the last two or three."

Mr Clarke also coined a new phrase - "New Tesco" - to sum up his effort to change the company's focus away from huge stores and on to smaller shops that are more focused on the particular needs of a local community.

He said Tesco would open 12 big stores in the coming year, but no more of the huge Tesco Extras.

"It is," he said, "the end of new big stores."

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Activision to spend $500m on Destiny

6 May 2014 Last updated at 11:16

Games-maker Activision Blizzard has committed $500m (£295m) to making, updating and promoting its Destiny video game.

Bobby Kotick, Activision's boss, revealed the cash commitment at an industry conference last week.

But industry analysts questioned whether an entirely new game like Destiny would prove a hit with fans.

The science-fiction themed game is scheduled for release on 9 September this year.

"If you're making a $500m bet you can't take that chance with someone else's IP," Mr Kotick said during his speech at the Milken Institute's global conference. "The stakes for us are getting bigger."

Big bet

Destiny is being made by the Bungie studio which is best known for its work on the Halo series of games.

Set in a post-apocalyptic future 700 years from now, Destiny gives players the job of defending the last human city from invaders and, eventually, expanding mankind's sphere of influence. Bungie has said the game will mix elements from both massively multiplayer games and single-player shooting games. So far, the game is a console-only title.

Activision has billed Destiny as a next-generation game that will constantly change over its predicted decade-long lifespan. The game will be an "open world" and place far fewer restrictions on what players can do than other titles.

Activision Blizzard is believed to be putting so much money behind Destiny to help compensate for the falling interest in some of the other game franchises it owns and runs. In particular, the 2013 sales of Call of Duty: Ghosts were lower than those in 2012 and subscriber numbers for World of Warcraft have been on a steady downward slide for some time.

With Destiny, Activision hopes to emulate the success of the well-known Grand Theft Auto game. The latest version- GTAV - sold more than 32 million units.

However, said analysts, the GTA's long history and its dedicated fanbase contributed to its huge success. Neither of those would apply to a new title such as Destiny.

"Over time, Activision's Destiny could hit large numbers but there's no way they would come close to Grand Theft Auto," said analyst Mike Hickey from the Benchmark Company.

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Sony tape smashes storage record

5 May 2014 Last updated at 13:33

Sony has developed a new storage tape that is able to hold up to 185 terabytes (TB) of data per cartridge.

Created with the help of IBM, Sony's technology allows for tapes that can store the equivalent of 3,700 Blu-ray discs.

The tape hold 148 gigabits (Gb) per square inch - beating a record set in 2010 more than five times over.

Storage tapes are typically used by businesses to hold huge amounts of data for a long time.

Analysts IDC predict that by 2020, global data storage will amount to 40 trillion gigabytes - around 5,200 gigabytes per person.

Using tape is a cheaper and more energy efficient method of storing data when compared to power-hungry large data centres full of hard drives.

However, retrieving data from tape is a far slower process. Storage tapes only offer sequential access - meaning data has to be accessed in the order in which it was written. The tape has to literally be moved to the right position for the data to be accessed.

'Rapid recovery'

Hard disk drives, by contrast, allow for data accessed in a much more sporadic fashion - known as random access - making them much more suitable for everyday computer use.

Over a long time period, tape is considered the more reliable approach.

In a statement, Sony said: "The rapid recovery of data systems such as databases and data servers following natural disasters, as well as secure management of information has become ever more important, and companies around the world are proceeding to build new data systems.

"In addition, the expansion of cloud services and the creation of new markets to utilise big data have led to a growing need for a data storage media which can store large amounts of information."

Sony was able to achieve the high storage capacity by utilising a "nano-grained magnetic layer" consisting of tiny nano-particles, allowing for greater density.

The technology was announced at the Intermag Europe 2014 - an international magnetics conference held in Dresden, Germany.

Sony is also working on more consumer-friendly storage - in March it announced it was working with Panasonic on the Archival Disc, which will hold 1TB of data, the equivalent of 250 DVD films.

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Target's chief executive resigns

5 May 2014 Last updated at 13:37

US retailer Target has announced the resignation of its chief executive and chairman, Gregg Steinhafel.

It follows a difficult year for the retailer, which was the victim of a data breach that shook customer confidence and hurt profits.

Up to 70 million customers had payment card and personal data stolen from the company's databases in December.

Target's chief information officer, Beth Jacob, who oversaw Target's computer systems, resigned in March.

In a statement, the US retailer said: "After extensive discussions, the board and Gregg Steinhafel have decided that now is the right time for new leadership at Target."

Chief financial officer John Mulligan will take over as interim president and chief executive, the company added.

Roxanne Austin, a current member of Target's board of directors, has been appointed as interim non-executive chair of the board.

Data breach

The data breach cost Target $17m (£10m) and the firm said that it was overhauling its security systems.

In March, the firm reported a 46% plunge in profits. It earned $520m in the three months to 1 February.

The company has already said that it can not estimate future expenses relating to the breach and has issued a profit warning for 2014.

Continue reading the main story

It is being sued by at least 11 customers over the security breach. The lawsuits, each seeking class-action status, were filed in US courts.

At the end of April, Target announced that Bob DeRodes, who has 40 years' experience in information technology, was its new chief information officer.

At the time, Target said it was continuing its search for a chief information security officer and a chief compliance officer.

Tough at the top

Mr Steinhafel joined Target as a trainee in 1979 and in a career spanning 35 years worked his way to the top.

He had been the firm's chief executive since 2008.

Target has struggled in recent years, partly because of a difficult expansion into Canada, but also growing competition from rivals.

Under his leadership, Target began to expand into fresh groceries and also introduced a 5% discount to customers who used its branded debit and credit cards.

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Warning over unintentional file leak

6 May 2014 Last updated at 09:25 By Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC News

People using file storage services, such as Dropbox and Box, are being warned that they are at risk of inadvertently leaking their own files.

Intralinks - which is a competitor - said it found sensitive files, such as mortgage records.

The problem centred on the use of the services' sharing function that generated a public link.

As a precaution, Dropbox has disabled access to links that have been previously shared.

It said it had also implemented a patch to prevent shared links from being exposed from now on.

"We realise that many of your workflows depend on shared links, and we apologise for the inconvenience. We'll continue working hard to make sure your stuff is safe and keep you updated on any new developments," the company said in a blog post.

"We're working to restore links that aren't susceptible to this vulnerability over the next few days."

Box has not responded to the BBC's request for a comment.

Security researcher Graham Cluley said identity thieves could use the method to "scoop up" data.

"I think these services need to be more upfront with warnings," he told the BBC.

However he added that the problem was not a security flaw as such, but instead an unexpected consequence of user behaviour.

Referral data

Mr Cluley has outlined suggestions on his blog for how users can restrict access to the public files.

Both websites offer ways to tighten security on shared links, but doing so limits flexibility.

"This is the eternal battle sites like this face," Mr Cluley added. "It's security versus functionality."

Dropbox, Box and most other cloud hosting services often give users the option of creating a shareable web link for their files.

It means users are able to simply send a web address - made up of a string of letters and numbers - for someone to directly download a file without needing to log in.

Because of the complexity of the link, it is very difficult to guess - meaning that while the link is technically public, it is unlikely anyone would be able to access it by chance.

However, Intralinks discovered that the links were being exposed in two ways not previously considered.

Firstly, it discovered that shared links were often appearing in websites' referral data.

Many websites look at referral data when analysing their traffic to get an insight into how visitors got to their site.

Intralinks found that if a link to a website is included in a file shared on Dropbox, and subsequently clicked within the web viewer, the website owner would see the shared link in its referral data - and therefore be able to access the file.

Dropbox said its patch has now fixed the problem.

Google ads

Furthermore, the company had been running a Google advertising campaign, and had paid to have an advert for Intralinks appear in Google's search results whenever someone searched for "Dropbox" or "Box".

Companies that use Google's search advertising service are sent an anonymised breakdown of what users had searched for in order to find their advertising.

Intralinks found that many people would put the entire shared link into a Google search box, and therefore Intralinks would subsequently see those links in the breakdown data from Google.

While copying and pasting a download link into Google's search engine might appear to be odd behaviour, Intralinks said "a few hundred documents" were exposed to them in this way.

Dropbox's patch has not addressed this particular problem, Mr Cluley said.

Intralink's chief technology officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa Richard Anstey said: "Most internet users have, at one time or another, accidentally pasted a link into the search bar of their favourite search engine whilst intending to paste it into the internet address bar - it's an easy mistake to make.

"However, what they don't realise is that when they press enter to execute the search, the advertisement engines that drive (and fund) the search engine will distribute that link as a search term to anyone who has paid for an 'adword' that closely matches any part of that link."

Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC

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Spy plane causes air traffic chaos

6 May 2014 Last updated at 11:48

A spy plane was responsible for a computer glitch that caused air-traffic chaos in western US states last week, the Federal Aviation Administration has revealed.

The meltdown occurred when software incorrectly thought the plane was on a collision course with other aeroplanes.

The system was overloaded as it struggled to plot new courses for affected aircraft.

Hundreds of planes were grounded at Los Angeles International airport.

While the system was rebooted, dozens of flights were delayed at smaller airports across the area.

Training operations

"On April 30 2014, an FAA air-traffic system that processes flight-plan information experienced problems while processing a flight plan filed for a U-2 aircraft that operates at very high altitudes under visual flight rules," FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said.

She added the computer system had "misinterpreted" the U-2 as a more typical low-altitude flight and become overwhelmed in trying to make sure its flight path did not conflict with other air traffic in the area.

"The FAA resolved the issue within an hour, and then immediately adjusted the system to now require specific altitude information for each flight plan," she added.

The agency said it had now added more flight-processing memory to the computer system.

The Pentagon confirmed on Monday that an Air Force U-2 spy plane had been conducting training operations in the area, adding that "all the proper flight plan paperwork" had been submitted.

The U-2 was used to fly reconnaissance missions during the Cold War, and there are plans to retire the planes within the next few years.

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Norwegian army tests Oculus headset

6 May 2014 Last updated at 14:14

The virtual-reality Oculus Rift headset has been put to a novel use by the Norwegian army - helping soldiers to drive tanks.

By mounting cameras on the outside of the tank, soldiers were able to create a 360-degree feed to the Oculus headset, worn by the driver.

The device - still just a prototype - is much cheaper than conventional military camera systems.

But the picture quality is not yet good enough for operational use.

The army began testing the headset in 2013 and in April of this year tried out the latest iteration of the hardware.

"It is a partial success," project leader Maj Ola Petter Odden told the BBC.

"The concept is sound, but the technology isn't quite there yet. The picture quality is good for 10-15m [30-50ft] - but after that it is difficult to distinguish details, for example whether an opponent is carrying a weapon."

Now he plans to wait until next year for further tests.

"There will be better hardware and we can test it again then," he said.

The virtual-reality headset hit the headlines when Facebook bought the company behind it - Oculus VR - for $2bn (£1.1bn) in March.

To date neither has said much about what they plan to do together, but this week Oculus VR chief executive Brendan Iribe talked about hopes "to build a one billion player MMO".

Massively multi-player online games (MMO) using virtual reality (VR) would be the "holy grail" for the technology, he told delegates at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference.

Facebook's large audience would help make such a platform possible although such an enormous player base would require a much larger network than existed currently, he said.

And while Oculus is starting off with a big focus in gaming he said that a lot of where VR would go in the next decade would be about "face-to-face communication and social".

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