Web training 'would cut loneliness'

27 May 2014 Last updated at 12:11

Loneliness among the over-65s could be tackled by training more older people to use the internet, a report by a centre-right think tank has suggested.

Policy Exchange has called for every person in the UK to be taught basic digital skills, including how to send emails and use social networking sites.

Training 6.2 million people without basic digital skills would cost £875m by 2020, or £141 per person, it said.

It said training would help pensioners stay connected with friends and family.

Policy Exchange says around 40% of people aged 65 or over in the UK do not have access to the internet at home, while more than five million people have never used the internet.

The report predicts an increasingly elderly population will face a "major challenge" in the future and risk being isolated as families move further apart for work.

With the number of people aged 85 or above set to double over the next 20 years, it says such training will yield "huge" economic and social benefits for the UK.

Case study

Veronica Fenn, 75, from London, has been using the internet for almost 10 years.

"I've watched the information service grow and I absolutely love it.

"It's certainly changed my life. I have everything now at my fingertips. If I wanted to do a crossword puzzle and I get stuck, it's wonderful.

"I can cheat a little bit and if I want to shop or if I want any information about artists, I just type it in.

"I also keep in touch with people overseas with Skype. I couldn't live without it now, I find it so incredibly useful.

"I think there are a lot of us who are rather frightened of technology or machines or television and how to work things.

"I learnt because the public library had a very good facility where you could go and learn how to use the internet and that was very useful indeed."

'Stay connected'

Eddie Copeland, author of the report, said learning basic computer skills would stop pensioners becoming vulnerable to loneliness.

"In an increasingly isolated and fast-moving world it is vital that everyone in society is able to use the internet and understand its benefits," he said.

"From alleviating social isolation, bringing together communities, paying bills and now accessing public services online can improve lives.

"Being able to simply write an email or access a social networking site could provide older people with a way to stay connected to their friends and families, who may live hundreds of miles away."

But Andrew Kaye, from the charity Independent Age which offers advice and support to older people and their families, said: "Encouraging and enabling people to go online could be one really useful means of tackling loneliness - but it's not the only way.

"We mustn't forget that it's really important older people still have a choice about how they access public services so they are not only available online.

"To those without technology skills a trip to the local post office or real human contact is just as important."

Case study

Rodney Farmer, 75, from Bristol says he uses his computer for everything.

"I shop online, I bank online, I use Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family.

"I have a son and two grandchildren in America, so Skype has been brilliant to keep in touch with them.

"Whilst I was still in work in my 50s, I noticed that colleagues were starting to use PCs.

"I went into a shop that specialises in PCs and I was gobsmacked, it was a different world.

"I signed up for computing lessons and now I would call myself a power user: I have four laptops and two home computers.

"It's been a lifesaver for me. If I hadn't got into computing, I think my life now would be very empty.

"Computing has kept me connected and informed."

The report says the cost would be offset by savings of around £1.7bn a year, as people moved to digital rather than paper-based and telephone transactions.

It comes after a Age UK poll of 2,000 over-65s earlier this year found 10% of pensioners described themselves as often or always lonely - a rise from 7% last year.

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eBay faces investigation over breach

23 May 2014 Last updated at 12:17 By Jane Wakefield Technology reporter

The UK's information commissioner is working with European data authorities with a view to taking action against eBay over its recent data breach.

Three US states are also investigating the theft of names, email addresses and other personal data, which affected up to 145 million eBay customers.

The online marketplace has begun the process of notifying its customers about the need to reset passwords.

However some customers reported problems when attempting to do so.

EBay told the BBC that it was not aware of any technical problems with the password reset function on the site.

"The site is busy, but our secure password reset tool is working," a spokesman said.

The firm has been criticised for its slow reaction in informing customers about the theft of personal data.

"We are sending out millions of emails, and it will take some time. The process is certainly well under way," the firm told the BBC.

It warned though that its official password reset email contained no links and that customers should be wary of messages that did.

"Any email with links is a phishing attempt," it said.

Serious breach

Meanwhile the fallout from the data breach was beginning to kick in.

In the US, Connecticut, Florida and Illinois said they were conducting a joint investigation.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, the UK's information commissioner said that the eBay breach was "very serious" but that outdated and complex data protection laws meant the ICO could not begin an immediate investigation.

He said the watchdog would have to first liaise with the Luxembourg data protection, where eBay has its European headquarters.

"There's millions of UK citizens affected by this, and we've been clear that we're monitoring it, but by taking the wrong action under the law now we risk invalidating any investigation," an ICO spokesman told the BBC when pressed on why the watchdog had not yet launched any action.

Identity theft

Questions are starting to be asked about how well eBay safeguarded its customers' data.

Hugh Boyes from the Institution of Engineering and Technology questioned why eBay stored so much data in the first place.

"The Information Commissioner makes the point that organisations should keep the minimum information necessary so why do eBay need to hold and store dates of birth and addresses?"

"As an occasional eBay user, I am concerned that not only have they lost my email, username and password, but according to their website the loss includes home address, phone number and date of birth.

"This is serious from an identity theft perspective. The only item they are missing is the mother's maiden name and they have sufficient information to impersonate an individual when dealing with many financial organisations."

Reports that large numbers of eBay customer details have begun appearing for sale in Pastebin - a site where hackers publicise their attacks - have been denied by eBay.

Lysa Myers, a security research at ESET agreed that the data was unlikely to have originated from the auction site.

"The users that are shown in the sample would represent an odd subset of users for an international company like eBay. And the price asked (1.45 Bitcoin) would seem to be astonishingly low for the data of 145 million users," she said.

"Even if the sample is not in fact from the eBay breach, it could potentially be data from another company's leak."

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Apple devices 'hijacked for ransom'

27 May 2014 Last updated at 15:51 By Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC News

Several users of Apple devices in Australia have reported that their gadgets have been "hijacked" - with a message demanding money.

Experts believed the hack had targeted users by exploiting the Find my iPhone feature.

A message appeared on some targeted phones asking for "$100 USD/EUR" to be sent to a PayPal account.

Mobile networks have advised affected users to contact Apple, which has not yet commented on the problem.

It appeared that the attacker gained access to users' iCloud accounts, the cloud storage service offered by Apple that is able to access devices remotely.

PayPal has said any funds sent to the specified account would be refunded.

'Woke me up'

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the problem spread across much of Australia, with reports of attacks in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria.

However, reports have emerged from further afield, with at least one case said to have occurred in London. It involved an Australian visiting on holiday.

Concerned users took to Apple's support forums, and Twitter, to share details of attacks, which affected iPhones, iPads and, in some cases, Mac laptops.

"This has happened to me too in Brisbane, woke me up half an hour ago," wrote one user, amberoonie.

"Freaking out as when I opened my laptop it had the same message 'Device hacked by Oleg Pliss. For unlock device' with the Find My iPhone icon."

It is unlikely the hacker would use his real name in the message.

'Not an option'

Information security consultant Brian Honan told the BBC that so far little is known about the source of the attacks.

He said theories ranged from someone having access to Apple's systems, to hackers having access to a database of usernames and passwords - perhaps obtained from a third party.

Regardless, he said Apple had to move quickly to reassure users.

"One of the key things, as in any security breach, is being able to communicate proactively with your affected customers," he said.

"Even just to let them know what you're doing to deal with the issue can be reassuring. Remaining silent is not an option these days."

Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC

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Google 'making 3D-imaging tablet'

23 May 2014 Last updated at 11:31

A tablet computer capable of taking 3D images is set to be put into production by Google, according to reports.

The Wall Street Journal quoted sources close to the company as saying a run of 4,000 devices will be manufactured next month.

The tablet will have two rear-facing cameras and advanced imaging software - and will be shown off at the firm's forthcoming developers' conference.

Google has said it will not comment on "rumour and speculation".

But in March, Google showed off Project Tango, an effort to bring 3D technology to its handheld devices. A prototype smartphone had been given out to 200 developers to try out.

The technology makes use of infrared sensors to measure depth of surroundings.

While the ability to create 3D images with small devices is by no means a new technological feat, Google's strategy will be to harness the hardware to contribute to, among other things, its mapping effort.

For instance, the devices could be used to create quickly a 3D map of indoor environments.

Virtual reality race

According to the Wall Street Journal, the 3D tablet will be shown off at Google's annual developers' conference at the end of June.

As it did with the Google Glass eyewear product, it is expected the firm will allow a select number of developers and engineers to experiment with the technology before a consumer launch is planned.

Although still a relatively minor industry, the race to create the "killer app" for building and viewing virtual reality environments is building apace.

In March, Facebook swooped in on a $2bn (£1.2bn) deal for Oculus VR, a company making a virtual reality headset.

A mini-site for Project Tango has highlighted a few of the firm's plans in the area.

"Project Tango is an attempt to create a mobile device unlike like any other," the site explains.

"A mobile device that shares our sense of space and movement, that understands and perceives the world the same way we do."

In the past few years, devices able to view and create 3D images have made it to market, but suffered heavily from a lack of consumer interest, said Jack Kent, an analyst at IHS.

"If Google really pushes it, that might change the dynamics of the market," he told the BBC.

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Apple wants Samsung case retried

26 May 2014 Last updated at 12:56

Apple is requesting a retrial after a Californian jury ordered Samsung to pay the US company $119m (£71m) in damages for infringing two of its patents.

Apple had been seeking damages of $2.2bn after accusing Samsung of copying five patents including the "slide to unlock function".

The US company also filed a permanent injunction to prevent Samsung using the patents it was found to have infringed.

Samsung filed court documents too but the contents have not been made public.

During the original trial Apple had accused Samsung of "systematically" copying features distinctive to its iOS software. Samsung denied that it had copied Apple patents and said it was Apple who was doing the copying.

The jury found that Apple had infringed some Samsung patents and awarded $158,000 in damages to the South Korean firm.

"Litigation fatigue"

Although the jury found in Apple's favour in respect of two of the patents, the damages awarded were much lower than the company had been seeking.

The verdict would have been a blow for Apple said the BBC's North America technology correspondent Richard Taylor, speaking at the time.

"The figure would appear to reflect the jury's belief that Apple's settlement claim was unfairly inflated. Samsung argued all along that it should be far lower than the $2.2bn sought, not least because some of the patents were never even incorporated into the iPhone's software," he said.

Continue reading the main story

The judge may make some minor amendments to the verdict but then she'll let the parties appeal the unfavourable parts of the ruling to the Federal Circuit. Thereafter, there may be a retrial"

End Quote Florian Mueller Intellectual property analyst

This latest legal step is an attempt by Apple to have its damages award increased but it would require a new trial.

Intellectual property analyst Florian Mueller thinks any new trial is unlikely to happen before an appeal of the original ruling.

"The judge may make some minor amendments to the verdict but then she'll let the parties appeal the unfavourable parts of the ruling to the Federal Circuit. Thereafter, there may be a retrial." he said.

These requests by Apple mark the latest instalment in a series of legal battles over intellectual property that the world's top two smartphone makers have been fighting for years across many countries.

Two years ago, a separate jury ordered Samsung to pay Apple $930m after finding it had used Apple technology. That verdict is still being challenged by Samsung.

But Mr Mueller thinks Apple may be suffering "litigation fatigue", he pointed out that Apple has not filed a US case against Samsung in more than two years.

Apple recently settled a patent row with Google. The two companies had filed several lawsuits against one another but they agreed to dismiss these cases and said they would work together in "some areas of patent reform".

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#YesAllWomen: California rampage sparks Twitter response

26 May 2014 Last updated at 17:17

The killing of six people in a gun and knife attack in California has provoked a strong reaction on social media.

Elliot Rodger, 22, stabbed three male room-mates and shot three people in a rampage that ended with his own death.

Shortly before the attacks, he posted a video on YouTube railing against women. He is also reported to have posted similar sentiments on online forums.

In response, Twitter users began using the #YesAllWomen hashtag - originally a response to traditional male rights activists' complaints - to debate the issue.

The hashtag was used by more than 250,000 people in less than 24 hours. By 26 May it had been tweeted 1.2m times and had and 1.2bn impressions, according to hashtag.org.

Some social media users sparked anger by appearing to sympathise with Rodger's bitterness at being rejected.

In response, other users started commenting on the treatment and experiences of women.

Many highlighted everyday scenarios that they said showed discrimination and abuse.

Some users took to Twitter to express support.

But many complained that they had been targeted by internet "trolls" for expressing their views.

Meanwhile, several other hashtags have appeared offering differing opinions in reaction to the comments, including #notallmen and #yesallmen.

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Sony to sell PlayStation 4 in China

27 May 2014 Last updated at 00:53

Japan's Sony has signed a partnership in China to manufacture and sell its PlayStation consoles on the mainland.

The deal, formed as two joint ventures with Shanghai Oriental Pearl, gives Sony access to an estimated 500 million gamers in China.

China has had a ban on gaming consoles since 2000, citing their adverse effect on the mental health of young people.

But in January, the government said it will allow foreign firms to manufacture and sell consoles.

China's gaming market, which is currently dominated by PC, mobile and online games, is seen as a key growth area for console makers.

The two partnerships are both with Shanghai Oriental Pearl, one gives Sony a 70% share and the other a 49% stake and both will operate out of Shanghai's free trade zone.

In a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, an executive from Shanghai Oriental Pearl says: "The joint venture will be based on the relevant state policies and will introduce quality and healthy video games that will adhere to China's national conditions as well as the tastes of Chinese gamers.

"Sony will also co-operate with domestic game development teams to promote original products on Playstation platform, while further improving the Chinese gaming industry."

PlayStation vs Xbox

Last week Sony said it aimed to nearly triple operating profits by next year.

Sony's game console joint venture comes nearly one month after rival Microsoft said its Xbox One game console will go on sale in China in September.

Microsoft will launch the console in collaboration with BesTV New Media Co, a subsidiary of Shanghai Media Group.

Industry research from PriceWaterhouseCoopers estimates that China's video-game industry will generate about $10bn (£6bn) in sales next year.

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China accuses US of spying online

27 May 2014 Last updated at 11:58

China has accused the US of using internet surveillance to spy on its leaders and key institutions.

A report released by a government agency said that China had been a main target for US spies, who had focused on government officials, businesses and mobile phone users.

It called the behaviour "brazen" and a "gross violation of human rights".

Last week the US charged five Chinese army officers with cyber-espionage.

The report by the China Internet Media Research Centre looked at claims made by US whistleblower and former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden and said that several government agencies had confirmed the existence of spying.

"As a superpower, the United States takes advantage of its political, economic, military and technological hegemony to unscrupulously monitor other countries, including its allies," said an extract of the report published in the Guardian.

Hacking conference ban

"The United States' spying operations have gone far beyond the legal rationale of 'anti-terrorism' and have exposed its ugly face of pursuing self-interest in complete disregard of moral integrity."

The report also said that the US was violating international law and breaching human rights.

Beijing had reacted angrily to the news that the US was charging five of its army officers with hacking. They were accused of illegally accessing several large US companies and trying to steal trade secrets.

China accused the US of hypocrisy and double standards and released a statement saying it "had never engaged in any cyber-espionage activities".

Reports surfaced over the weekend that a senior administration official in Washington had floated the idea of Chinese hackers having visa restrictions placed on them so they could not attend the Def Con and Black Hat hacking conference held annually in Las Vegas.

The official was reported to have said the restrictions were to keep the pressure on China after their army officials were charged.

Chris Wysopal, who is on the Black Hat review board, told Reuters that any ban would be ineffective as talks from the conference were posted online or sold as DVDs.

The founder of Black Hat and Def Con, Jeff Moss, tweeted to say that he had not heard about the visa restrictions but said: "I don't think it helps build positive community."

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YouTube removes gunman's videos

27 May 2014 Last updated at 13:35 By Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC News

The Google-owned YouTube has removed videos posted by Elliot Rodger, the gunman who killed six students in California last week.

The site said the clips violated its terms of service regarding videos that threatened violence.

A spokeswoman said the videos were "against YouTube's guidelines" and were removed when flagged.

But experts warned that removing them might accelerate their spread around the internet.

Before killing three of his housemates, and then going on to shoot at random from his BMW, Rodger posted videos on the video-sharing site describing his plans.

In one, filmed in his car, he said: "Tomorrow is the day of retribution. The day in which I will have my revenge against humanity, against all of you."

Technology solution?

The incident has led some to question whether technology can be used to flag disturbing content online as a way of stopping similar events.

Google, like other companies that offer media-sharing services, has developed sophisticated methods to detect and deal with videos that contain copyrighted content, such as music.

But to apply the same techniques to disturbing human behaviour was a challenge both enormous and complex, said experimental psychologist Andrew Przybylski, from the Oxford Internet Institute.

"If there was an algorithm to identify people who were not functioning well, that would at first be interesting to the mental health community," he said.

"People are asking Google for a technical solution for a social issue."

By trying to monitor and act on videos that caused concern there will be a lot of false alarms, he added.

"A lot of kids, when they're developing their identity, will say extreme things, but that doesn't mean that's a threat."

'More value'

Despite Google's actions to remove the content, the videos have been reposted around the internet - an unavoidable outcome, Dr Przybylski said.

"The act of actually trying to hide the material actually will lead people to invest more value in it," he said.

Videos that are removed in this way suffer from the so-called "Streisand effect" - the theory that by trying to block something, the actual result is a far wider dissemination.

Elsewhere online, a page on Facebook that sought to "pay tribute" to Rodger was taken down after pressure from users.

The social network had initially said it did not consider the site to be a breach of its terms of service, but went on to remove the page on Monday evening.

The Guardian newspaper speculated that the page may have been intentionally set up as an act of provocation, rather than a genuine tribute.

Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC

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Hacker-turned-informant walks free

27 May 2014 Last updated at 17:41

A convicted hacker-turned-informant, who was facing in excess of 20 years in prison, has been handed a sentence of a year's supervision.

Hector Xavier Monsegur - known as "Sabu" - was arrested in 2011 on hacking charges.

He had faced a lengthy term, but instead agreed to work with US authorities to identify other hacking suspects.

The FBI said Monsegur had stopped more than 300 hacking attacks.

In a New York court, a judge sentenced him to seven months - which he has already served - and a year's supervision.

'Cybercriminal target'

Monsegur was said to be the "leader" of LulzSec, a group, formed in 2011, known for several high-profile hack attacks.

LulzSec was an offshoot of the Anonymous hacktivist movement, and took credit for hitting the websites of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), among others.

When Monsegur was arrested later in the same year, he agreed to carry on operating in the hacking community, under FBI supervision.

Authorities said they were able to use his connections to prosecute and convict a number of hackers, including the "number one cybercriminal target in the world" at the time - Jeremy Hammond.

The FBI said that thanks to Monsegur, future high-profile attacks had been prevented.

Victims of the attacks were to include the US Armed Forces, the US Congress and Nasa as well as a "television network, a video game manufacturer and an electronics conglomerate".

The hacktivist community has reacted angrily to the sentencing.

Court documents made public this week described how Monsegur had been "approached on the street and threatened or menaced" once details of his cooperation had become known.

Reacting to the news today, Monsegur was described by some as a "traitor" and a "super snitch".

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