Google cars 'designed to speed'

19 August 2014 Last updated at 11:56 By Joe Miller Technology Reporter

Google's self-driving cars are programmed to exceed speed limits by up to 10mph (16km/h), according to the project's lead software engineer.

Dmitri Dolgov told Reuters that when surrounding vehicles were breaking the speed limit, going more slowly could actually present a danger, and the Google car would accelerate to keep up.

Google's driverless prototypes have been widely tested on roads in the US.

The UK will allow driverless cars on public roads from 2015.

Google first announced its driverless car division in 2010, and has been testing its technology in modified cars built by other manufacturers.

The cars have travelled on more than 300,000 miles of open road, mostly in California.

In May, the US tech firm said it would start building its own self-driving cars.

The bubble-shaped vehicles will seat two people, propulsion will be electric, and to begin with they will be limited to 25mph (40km/h) to help ensure safety.

In July, the UK government announced that driverless cars will be allowed on public roads from January next year.

In addition, ministers ordered a review of the UK's road regulations to provide appropriate guidelines.

This will cover the need for self-drive vehicles to comply with safety and traffic laws, and involve changes to the Highway Code, which applies to England, Scotland and Wales.

Commenting on Google self-drive cars' ability to exceed the speed limit, a Department for Transport spokesman said: "There are no plans to change speed limits, which will still apply to driverless cars".

In a separate development on Monday, the White House said it wanted all cars and light trucks to be equipped with technology that could prevent collisions.

Radio signals emitted by the vehicles would allow them to "talk" to each other, and alert drivers to potential accidents.

How do driverless cars work?

The label "driverless vehicle" actually covers a lot of different concepts.

Indeed, the cruise control, automatic braking, anti-lane drift and self-parking functions already built into many vehicles offer a certain degree of autonomy.

But the term is generally used to refer to vehicles that take charge of steering, accelerating, indicating and braking during most if not all of a journey between two points, much in the same way aeroplanes can be set to autopilot.

Unlike the skies, however, the roads are much more crowded, and a range of technologies is being developed to tackle the problem.

One of the leading innovations is Lidar (light detection and ranging), a system that measures how lasers bounce off reflective surfaces to capture information about millions of small points surrounding the vehicle every second. The technology is already used to create the online maps used by Google and Nokia.

Another complementary technique is "computer vision" - the use of software to make sense of 360-degree images captured by cameras attached to the vehicle, which can warn of pedestrians, cyclists, roadworks and other objects that might be in the vehicle's path.

Autonomous vehicles can also make use of global-positioning system (GPS) location data from satellites, radar, ultrasonic sensors to detect objects close to the car and further sensors to accurately measure the vehicle's orientation and the rotation of its wheels, to help it understand its exact location.

The debate now is whether to allow cars, like the prototype unveiled by Google in May, to abandon controls including a steering wheel and pedals and rely on the vehicle's computer.

Or whether, instead, to allow the machine to drive, but insist a passenger be ready to wrest back control at a moment's notice.

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Bush requests no photos at concerts

19 August 2014 Last updated at 14:08

Singer Kate Bush has requested fans do not take any photographs or record footage using mobile devices at her upcoming series of live concerts.

The 56-year-old star said on her website: "I very much want to have contact with you as an audience, not with iPhones, iPads or cameras."

The musician added it would mean "a great deal to me" but admitted that it was "a lot to ask".

Bush's 22-date run of performances in London begins on 26 August.

Tickets for the Before The Dawn gigs at the Hammersmith Apollo sold out within 15 minutes of going on sale in March.

The songwriter, whose hits include Wuthering Heights and Running Up That Hill, last toured in 1979.

She played her most recent concert at the same west London venue.

Bush added on her Fish People website that preparations for the new shows are "going very well indeed".

"We're all very excited about the upcoming shows and are working very hard in preparation," added Bush.

In making her request for fans to desist from filming, Bush said: "We have purposefully chosen an intimate theatre setting rather than a large venue or stadium.

"It would mean a great deal to me if you would please refrain from taking photos or filming during the shows."

"I know it's a lot to ask but it would allow us to all share in the experience together," she added.

While it is common practice for concert-goers to take photos and film footage of the action, other stars have also spoken out against it.

The Who's Roger Daltrey said he it found it "weird" that some music fans spend more time using their phones than watching the actual concert.

"Looking at life through a screen and not being in the moment totally - if you're doing that, you're 50% there, right?"

Performance artist Marina Abramovic banned mobiles at her recent Serpentine Gallery show so visitors would concentrate on her work.

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Islamic State shifts to new platform after Twitter block

19 August 2014 Last updated at 14:24

A sustained clampdown on the Twitter presence of Islamic State (IS) has forced the hardline jihadist group to explore less well-known social media platforms, setting up a string of accounts on the privacy-focused Diaspora.

Since IS began a series of spectacular land-grabs in Iraq in June, a long list of Twitter accounts run by the group have been shut down - apparently in response to the widely-acknowledged success of its social media offensive.

The Twitter squeeze reached its peak last week - coinciding with mounting international pressure on the group - when back-up IS accounts were being taken down almost as soon as they were being launched.

Appearing to give up on Twitter, IS has now launched a string of accounts on Diaspora relaying news from its various "provinces" in Iraq and Syria. The first of these started posting on 14 August, although they were not widely publicised until two days later.

Since then, the Diaspora accounts have been used to release IS statements, pictures and updates on operations. The group's army of supporters have given these wider circulation on Twitter, proving that IS doesn't need its own accounts there to reach a wide audience.

IS first experimented with Diaspora around a month ago, setting up accounts there for its central media wing, al-Itisam, and its multilingual media outfit, al-Hayat Media Center, after they were evicted from Twitter.

Around the same time, IS launched accounts on two other marginal social media platforms - Friendica and Quitter - both of which also claim a greater emphasis on privacy and data protection than Twitter.

But the IS accounts there soon suffered the same fate as on Twitter, while its presence on Diaspora has endured for nearly a month.

The relative resilience of Diaspora appears to have dictated its choice as the preferred alternative to Twitter for the new IS accounts set up in the past few days.

Diaspora is a decentralised online social network, started with crowdfunding by four New York students in 2010. It relies on its users to set up communities on their own servers or "pods" using the Diaspora software.

As such, it does not operate through a central website, but through a series of interconnected sites whose members can interact with accounts on other pods. IS has chosen to set up shop on one of the most active pods, hosted in the US.

The loss of Twitter as a place where IS can publish material directly is a blow for the group. But it does not prevent it from spreading its message.

The group has thousands of supporters on Twitter who are active amplifying its message, rallying support and waging psychological warfare. During the Brazil 2014 World Cup, for example, they hijacked popular football hashtags to broaden the reach of the IS message.

Their latest campaign, primarily in English, has been aimed at taunting the West - sometimes with black humour, sometimes with gruesome imagery - warning that any weapons sent to the aid the Kurds in their offensive against IS would end up in IS hands.

BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.

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Facebook tags satire in news feeds

18 August 2014 Last updated at 12:43

Facebook is testing a new feature that warns users of satirical content posted from sites like the Onion.

Stories posted in users' feeds are being tagged as "[Satire]" in an apparent move to prevent them being mistaken for real news stories.

Satirical stories have provoked confusion and angry comments from some social media users.

Facebook told the BBC that feedback from users has highlighted the need for the feature.

"We are running a small test which shows the text '[Satire]' in front of links to satirical articles in the related articles unit in News Feed," a Facebook spokesman said in a statement.

"This is because we received feedback that people wanted a clearer way to distinguish satirical articles from others in these units."

It is not clear how many satirical sites will have their content tagged in this way, or whether the trial will be rolled out permanently across the site.

Sites like the Onion in the US and the Daily Mash in the UK publish satirical news stories that mimic mainstream media and often reflect the current news agenda.

But they are often mistaken as real news stories by social network users and even professional news organisations.

An article titled "Tips for being an unarmed black teen", published in response to the recent police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, provoked some angry responses from Facebook users.

A website, Literally Unbelievable, catalogues incidents where satirical articles have been misunderstood.

Last year, the Washington Post was fooled into erroneously reporting that former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin was set to join the al-Jazeera news network - a story written by satirical site the Daily Currant.

Meanwhile in 2012, a Chinese newspaper was ridiculed for reporting an Onion article that jokingly named North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as the "sexiest man alive".

Facebook has faced recent criticism of the management of its news feed feature.

In June it emerged that it had manipulated the news feeds of nearly 700,000 users to see how they would respond to emotionally positive or negative posts.

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Robot butlers dismissed as 'gimmick'

18 August 2014 Last updated at 16:58

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WATCH: See the robot butler, Botlr, in action

A US hotel chain has been criticised over its plans to introduce robot butlers to its workforce.

Starwood is currently trying out the machines with a view to using the butlers in 100 hotels across the world.

The butler is able to bring guests items such as towels and toothbrushes, freeing human staff for other activities, the company said.

But the UK hotel workers' union said the butlers were "no replacement for top quality customer service".

"With a night at one of Starwood's luxury London hotels costing around £290, the global hotel chain would do better ditching the gimmicks and investing in better pay and training programmes for its worldwide workforce," said Hugh O'Shea, a spokesman for Unite.

"Starwood Hotels' 'butler robots' are a nifty little gimmick but can't ever replace the human touch expected by discerning hotel guests."

No tips

Mr O'Shea called on the chain to invest instead in providing the living wage for its staff.

Starwood, which runs chains such as St Regis and Le Meridien, is using the sharply-dressed bots in its Aloft Hotel in Cupertino, California.

Named Botlr, the machines do not accept cash tips, but visitors can express their satisfaction by tweeting thanks using a specific hashtag.

But while the butlers, created by Silicon Valley-based start-up Savioke, can carry out tasks previously done by humans - they are not intended to replace entry level jobs, the hotel chain insisted.

"I see this as an enhancement to our customer service," Brian McGuinness, Starwood's senior vice-president for its Specialty Select brands, told the New York Times.

He added: "It's not going to be a replacement for our human talent."

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EE top in UK mobile performance

19 August 2014 Last updated at 00:00

EE has again been ranked top overall in research comparing the performance of the UK's four mobile networks, with Vodafone coming last.

Research firm RootMetrics tested UK networks for the speed and reliability of their voice, data and text services in the first half of 2014.

EE was ranked first overall, followed by Three, O2 and finally Vodafone.

But RootMetrics said all networks showed signs of improvement compared with last year.

RootMetrics' research is based on more than 920,000 tests of the networks' services, conducted across the UK in the first six months of the year.

It rated the performance of each operator out of 100 in a range of categories - overall performance, call performance, mobile internet, text, network reliability and network speed.

It said mobile internet performance is "currently a two-horse race" with EE and Three scoring 85.5 and 82.7 respectively, putting them well ahead of O2 (68.1) and Vodafone (67.0).

'Massive investment'

EE came out best in terms of calls and texts, but RootMetrics said all four networks showed strong results in both these categories.

EE outshone its rivals in terms of network speed, but was matched by Three on reliability.

"Today's results, along with last week's report from Ofcom, show that EE is providing the best mobile experience to businesses and consumers across the UK," said Olaf Swantee, EE's chief executive.

"We continue to invest in getting even better, and setting new standards for performance and reliability."

In a statement a spokeswoman for Vodafone said the company was spending £1bn this year alone on improving mobile coverage and network quality.

'Gap narrowing'

"Regular independent testing of our network shows that our customers are experiencing a significantly improving network every day due to our massive ongoing investment," she said.

Last week research from Ofcom showed EE had the best services across the UK, while Vodafone has the worst quality of calls for mobile phone customers in rural areas.

But Matthew Howett, an analyst with research firm Ovum, said EE had benefited from a significant head-start in the rollout of 4G, and RootMetrics' research suggested its rivals were catching up.

"It seems as though the gap is narrowing in terms of the main operators in the UK," he told the BBC.

"All of the networks will be in a fairly similar position this time next year, because they will be deploying 4G more widely. There will be better coverage of data, particularly in the rural areas, and things look to be getting better for Vodafone."

An O2 spokesperson said: "This report represents just one of the many testing houses operating in the marketplace. Our own extensive independent network tests, carried out by Spirent Communications between May and July this year, show O2 as number one in 17 out of the 20 key cities tested for voice-call performance and top in 12 out of 20 for data performance.

"As we continue to roll out our 4G service an modernise our 2G and 3G networks at the same time, the results from the Spirent survey demonstrate that our investment of £1.5bn over the next three years will help us to deliver faster speeds and greater coverage across the UK, ensuring our customers continue to have a great network experience."

Bryn Jones, Three's chief technology officer, said: "A reliable network is an essential part of delivering an enjoyable experience for our customers.

"We've invested heavily to ensure our customers can rely on a consistent service and as our 4G rollout progresses, we will continue to focus on delivering the best mobile experience possible."

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US health data hack hits 4.5 million

18 August 2014 Last updated at 18:09

A major US hospital group said it was the victim of a cyber-attack resulting in the theft of 4.5 million people's personal data.

The attack, which Community Health Systems believed originated in China, happened in April and June this year.

The data included patient names, addresses, birthdates, telephone numbers and social security numbers.

The firm, which runs 206 hospitals in 29 states, is now in the process of notifying affected patients.

One security expert warned that the data could be used to steal people's identity.

The FBI confirmed to news agency Reuters that it was investigating the breach.

Community Health Systems stressed that it believed no medical or credit card records were taken.

News of the attack follows several warnings, from both law enforcement and security experts, that medical equipment is at risk from hack attacks due to poor security measures.

Community Health Systems said security group Mandiant, part of FireEye, advised the company that the techniques used were similar to those used by a well-known Chinese hacking group.

However, both Community Health Systems and Mandiant declined to elaborate on the identity of the group - nor would they say whether they believed the hackers were working on behalf of the Chinese government.

Personal impact

Lamar Bailey, director of security research and development at cybersecurity firm Tripwire, said the fact medical records and credit card details were not stolen will be of little comfort to those affected.

"When financial data is stolen, such as when credit card numbers are stolen from retailers, the retailer and card issuers are hit with the fraudulent charges and the costs for generating new cards.

"But when personal information is stolen - name, address, phone number, birthdates, and social security number - it impacts the person and not a company.

"This is the information needed for identity theft to allow criminals to open accounts in the names of the 4.5 million victims."

In May, the US charged five Chinese military officers over claims they were behind hacks on US companies. The officers denied the charges, and the Chinese government said the action was "groundless" and represented "US distrust".

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Police 'breach social media rules'

19 August 2014 Last updated at 10:05

Hundreds of police officers have been investigated for breaching social media guidelines, research has revealed.

Freedom of Information requests by the Press Association found officers made racist comments online and asked crime victims to become Facebook friends.

Of 828 cases in England and Wales from 2009 to February this year, 9% ended in resignation, dismissal or retirement.

The College of Policing said there was "no place... for officers who abuse the trust placed in us by the public".

About a seventh (14%) of the cases reported resulted in no further action at all. The majority of other cases were dealt with through advice being offered to the officer in question.

Examples of cases uncovered

• A community support officer with Devon and Cornwall Police who received a final written warning after posing with weapons on Facebook
• A sergeant with the same force who was given a written warning after making remarks about senior officers on the site
• A civilian officer in central London who posted a comment online about Muslims in London failing to observe a two-minute silence
• Two special constables who had to resign from Northamptonshire Police after they were pictured on a website in a "compromising position"
• A Gwent Police officer who was given a written warning after he "inappropriately" asked a female member of the public to be his friend on Facebook during a house visit
• Another PC from the force who received the same punishment for using Facebook to send an "abusive" message to a member of the public
• A member of civilian staff in Lancashire who resigned over their "excessive and inappropriate use of the internet during working hours" - including online auction sites, internet banking and social networking

Continue reading the main story

Forces must ensure officers are effectively trained and aware of the latest social media protocols"

End Quote Steve White Police Federation of England and Wales chairman

Various forces also said staff were investigated for comments deemed homophobic, racist or "religiously aggressive".

Greater Manchester Police reported the most investigations, with 88 over the period in question. West Midlands was second highest with 74, while the Metropolitan Police recorded 69.

Chief Constable Alex Marshall, chief executive of the College of Policing, said: "People working in policing must always be mindful of the high standards that the public expect from us.

"Our code of ethics, which was launched last month, sets out the standards which everyone in the service should strive to uphold whether at work or away from work, online or offline."

He said most police officers and staff "uphold these high standards" and that social media can be a "really useful way of us talking to the people that we serve".

But he added: "There is no place in policing for officers who abuse the trust placed in us by the public."

"Everyone in policing has to remember that if you're not prepared to put it in a local newspaper with your name at the bottom, then don't say it on social media."

'Incredibly useful'

The college's code of ethics urges officers to "use social media responsibly and safely".

It also suggests they "ensure that nothing you publish online can reasonably be perceived by the public or your policing colleagues to be discriminatory, abusive, oppressive, harassing, bullying, victimising, offensive or otherwise incompatible with policing principles".

And it also says officers should not publish online or elsewhere, or offer for publication, any material that might undermine their own reputation or that of the policing profession.

Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: "Social media is an incredibly useful tool for engaging with local communities and gathering intelligence.

"Forces must ensure officers are effectively trained and aware of the latest social media protocols.

"It is important to acknowledge that the majority of police officers perform their duties with the utmost integrity, discretion and in accordance with the high standards of behaviour rightly expected of them by the public."

Have you been affected by issues in this story? You can contact us by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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Pentagon researches hi-tech tank

19 August 2014 Last updated at 11:31

The research arm of the US military is looking at designs for new hi-tech tanks, focusing less on armour and more on mobility and speed.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) says it wants to "revolutionise" tank design.

The body says advancements in weaponry in recent years have made heavily armoured tanks less effective.

The next generation of tanks will instead be better able to avoid attacks in the first place.

"It's about breaking the 'more armour' paradigm and revolutionising protection for all armoured fighting vehicles," said Kevin Massey, Darpa program manager.

"Inspired by how X-plane programs have improved aircraft capabilities over the past 60 years, we plan to pursue groundbreaking fundamental research and development to help make future armoured fighting vehicles significantly more mobile, effective, safe and affordable."

The agency is planning to award contracts to companies and researchers in these fields over the coming months.

It expects new tanks to be more mobile and agile, allowing them to dodge attacks, cover all types of terrain and avoid detection.

The objective is to make tanks half the weight and twice as fast.

It also wants more technology for tank crews, with aids like driver assistance and automation of some functions, "similar to the capabilities found in modern commercial airplane cockpits".

Darpa says it hopes to start work on developing the new technology before April next year.

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HTC unveils cheaper Windows M8 phone

19 August 2014 Last updated at 16:33 By Joe Miller Technology reporter

The handset maker HTC has unveiled a new smartphone that runs a Windows Phone operating system.

The modified One M8 is being sold at roughly half the price of the same handset running Google's Android.

This is the first time the struggling manufacturer has released a Windows smartphone in more than two years.

One analyst said the new device was "almost certainly financially supported" by Microsoft, in an attempt to gain a foothold in the US market.

The new phone, which comes with Windows Phone 8.1 pre-installed, is available exclusively through US network provider Verizon.

When bought with a 24 month contract, it is priced at $99 (£60), approximately 50% cheaper than the Android One M8.

Continue reading the main story

Microsoft needs to kickstart the whole Windows Phone ecosystem. Its apps do not get updated at the same frequency as Android or iOS equivalents."

End Quote Daniel Gleeson Analyst, IHS Technology

"Consumers love the HTC One M8 and today's introduction extends that enthusiasm to new audiences hungry for choice in their mobile experience," said Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC Americas.

He added: "Microsoft shares our vision, and that's why we committed to bringing the Windows Phone platform to the HTC One M8."

Android losses

The Taiwanese firm, which originally made its name selling early versions of Windows phone handsets, has preferred Android devices in recent years.

However it has recently lost out to rivals such as Samsung, and while its flagship handset, the HTC One, received good reviews, these did not translate into strong sales.

In April, HTC posted losses of 1.88bn Taiwanese dollars (£37m; $63m) for the first three months of 2014, compared with a profit of T$85m a year earlier.

Shares in HTC have dropped by 38% in the past year.

Microsoft 'desperate'

Daniel Gleeson, an analyst at the consultancy IHS Technology, told the BBC the move was a "big thing for Microsoft as they want a big push for Windows phones in North America".

"Microsoft are desperate for other manufacturers to develop Windows smartphones, and they almost certainly financially supported HTC to make this phone," he added.

"Microsoft needs to kickstart the whole Windows Phone ecosystem. Its apps do not get updated at the same frequency as Android or iOS equivalents."

As for the pricing of the phone, Mr Gleeson said, this was an attempt by HTC and Microsoft to position themselves as a cheaper alternative to the upcoming new iPhone.

Earlier on Tuesday, HTC's chief executive Peter Chou unveiled another new phone in Tokyo, aimed at the Japanese market.

The updated J Butterfly model, the HTL23, features a plastic body, but is otherwise similar to the Android One M8.

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