Bendy battery promises safety, speed

The researchers say the battery is less of a fire hazard than lithium-ion batteries

Scientists have built a flexible aluminium battery which they say could be a cheap, fast-charging and safe alternative to current designs.

The protoype consists of a soft pouch, containing aluminium for one electrode and a graphite foam for the other - all surrounded by a special liquid salt.

It can recharge in less than a minute and is very safe and durable compared to lithium-ion batteries, but currently only delivers about half the voltage.

The work appears in the journal Nature.

The researchers say it has advantages over lithium-ion batteries, common in electronic devices like smartphones, as well as traditional alkaline batteries.

"We have developed a rechargeable aluminium battery that may replace existing storage devices, such as alkaline batteries, which are bad for the environment, and lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally burst into flames," said senior author Prof Hongjie Dai from Stanford University in California.

"Our new battery won't catch fire, even if you drill through it."

In fact, a video made by the research team shows that the battery even continues to work for a short period after being punished in this way.

We may not expect batteries to withstand such treatment routinely - but this demonstration certainly sets the new design apart from lithium-ion batteries, which have faced safety concerns including recent bans on air transport.

Because it is lightweight and inexpensive, aluminium has attracted interest from battery engineers for many years, but it has never yielded a viable product.

Key to the new discovery was the choice of material for the other, positive electrode (the cathode) to go with aluminium for the negative electrode (or anode). Graphite - a form of carbon in which the atoms form thin, flat sheets - turned out to deliver very good performance, while also being similarly lightweight, cheap and widely available.

The cathode looks like a graphite sponge, pictured here using a microscope (white line is 1cm in the inset, 0.3mm in the main image)

To connect the two electrodes, the pouch is filled with liquid.

"The electrolyte is basically a salt that's liquid at room temperature, so it's very safe," said PhD student Ming Gong, another of the study's authors. This contrasts with the flammable electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries.

The battery performed particularly well when the team made the graphite cathode into a foam: a sponge-like pattern of tiny whiskers of the stuff, surrounding many empty pockets. This allows ions in the electrolyte solution very easy access to the graphite, helping the battery to work faster.

When the battery discharges, aluminium dissolves at the anode, while aluminium-containing ions slide into the spaces between atomic graphite layers at the cathode. When it charges again, the reverse occurs, depositing metallic aluminium metal back on the anode.

Crucially, this can take place through more than 7,500 complete cycles without the battery losing any capacity - several times more than most lithium-ion batteries, and hundreds of times better than any previous experimental designs that used aluminium.

Lithium batteries are commonly used but have faced safety concerns

Similarly, the device's two-volt output is the best seen from an aluminium battery. It is also better than common 1.5-volt alkaline batteries, but lags behind the output of the lithium-ion batteries we use in smartphones and laptops.

"Our battery produces about half the voltage of a typical lithium battery," Prof Dai said. "But improving the cathode material could eventually increase the voltage and energy density."

Nonetheless, his team has high hopes for their design. Already, just by strapping two of the pouch batteries together and plugging them into an adaptor, they managed to charge up a smartphone in a minute.

They also suggest it could be very useful in flexible displays, one of the proposals for the next generation of electronics.

Prof Dai clearly believes its voltage is the battery's single main limitation: "Our battery has everything else you'd dream that a battery should have: inexpensive electrodes, good safety, high-speed charging, flexibility and long cycle life.

"I see this as a new battery in its early days. It's quite exciting."

The prototype is probably still several years away from commercial development.

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EE offers wi-fi call back-up service

The Wi-fi Calling service will initially be limited to high-end handsets offered by EE

EE is to begin switching some of its customers to wi-fi enabled calls to help combat mobile signal dead spots.

The UK network suggests the move will particularly benefit people who fail to get a connection or experience dropped calls in their homes and offices.

Other firms already offer a similar service via apps, but EE says its scheme is "seamless" as users are not required to do anything to switch between 3G/4G and wi-fi.

However, there are potential pitfalls.

EE said its Wi-fi Calling facility would initially be limited to pay monthly subscribers using Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S5 phones and Microsoft's new Lumia 640, although the BBC understands the iPhone 5S and newer Apple handsets will also be supported.

Since it requires specific mobile data components to be built into the devices, it cannot be extended to other older models. However, EE said it would soon offer a compatible own-brand budget smartphone.

To join the service, users send the firm a single text message.

"We have worked more than a year to make sure that everything works like a normal phone connection," Olaf Swantee, EE's chief executive, told the BBC.

"So, the ringtone, the voicemail, the quality of the conversation - all of that is exactly the same with our solution.

"I think that's essential as customers don't have the time to figure out whether they should be using an app.

"They want to simply know the network will switch from one technology to the other without customer intervention."

O2 and Three offer rival internet-enabled call services that require apps

He added that he expected five million people would be able to use the service, which also supports text messages, by the summer.

Even if a personal wi-fi network is used, the phone's owner will still be billed as if they had made the call in a normal manner. Furthermore, they cannot use it to make cheaper calls from abroad.

But one industry watcher said the scheme still had appeal.

"One of the complained about factors with mobile phones is just making a voice call, and perhaps an approach of getting the fundamentals of connectivity right can act as a differentiator for the firm," said Kester Mann from the telecoms consultancy CCS Insight.

"Vodafone will also be launching a similar wi-fi calling service in the summer."

The UK's other two leading networks, O2 and Three, offer apps instead: Tu Go and Three inTouch.

Third-party services, including Skype, Whatsapp, Viber and Apple's iMessage, also provide ways to make voice calls over wi-fi.

Settings menu

One of the limitations of EE's Wi-fi Calling is that it cannot switch from one service to another mid-call.

So, if someone walks out of a wi-fi covered zone into an area where there is 4G coverage, or vice versa, they still face their call suddenly ending.

EE is marketing the service as a way to make calls in the home or office, where it believes this is unlikely to be a common problem.

EE says customers will be able to receive calls in places where there is no network coverage

It also boasts that it will make it easy for people to make and receive calls on London Underground platforms, and other wi-fi enabled places without network coverage.

However, it acknowledges that users many need to manage their experience.

Because phones will automatically switch to wi-fi where it is available, if users log into a congested hotspot they could face poor call quality. They would then need to go into their settings menu to temporarily turn off the wi-fi connection or Wi-fi Calling facility to opt back into 3G/4G.

"It's going to depend on the quality of the public wi-fi, and if that's a poor quality service in a coffee shop, shopping centre or wherever, that will be a challenge," said Mr Mann.

"It's very much tailored to the private wi-fi that people have in the basements of flats, rural homes and other places with poor mobile coverage."

Takeover talks

EE recently beat other networks in terms of average 4G download speeds and the number of UK premises with coverage, in a study carried out by the regulator Ofcom.

BT requires the Competition and Markets Authority's approval to complete its takeover of EE

The company - which is currently owned by Deutsche Telekom and Orange - is in the process of being taken over by BT, which plans to let customers boost reception within buildings via a separate technique involving additional radio spectrum that it owns.

There is, however, opposition to the acquisition.

Consumer rights advocate Which? has written to Ofcom highlighting that the two firms have fared poorly in customer satisfaction surveys, and suggested that the merger could exacerbate the situation.

However, Mr Swantee insisted customers would benefit from the tie-up.

"The purchase of EE for £12.5bn is very much going to further innovation," he said.

"In-market consolidation can really help to drive investment.

"And when you look forward to technologies like 5G - which we will get in 2020, maybe - they require incredible investment."

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Google Gmail hit by software glitch

The glitch hit people using Gmail and some of Google's apps

Gmail users around the world saw errors and safety warnings over the weekend after Google forgot to update a key part of the messaging software.

Google said a "majority" of users were affected by the short-term software problem.

While people could still access and use Gmail many people saw "unexpected behaviour" because of the problem.

Many reported the errors via Twitter seeking clarification from Google about what had gone wrong.

The error messages started appearing early on 4 April and hit people trying to send email messages from Gmail and some of the firm's messaging apps.

The problems arose because Google had neglected to renew a security certificate for Gmail and its app services. The certificate helps the software establish a secure connection to a destination, so messages can be sent with little fear they will be spied upon.

Google's own in-house security service, called Authority G2, administers the security certificates and other secure software systems for the search giant.

Information about the problem was posted to status pages Google maintains for its apps and email services.

In the status message, Google said the problem was "affecting a majority of users" who were seeing error messages. It added that the glitch could cause programs to act in "unexpected" ways.

The problem was resolved about two hours after it was first noticed.

The glitch comes soon after Google started refusing security certificates issued by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC). Google said a security lapse by the CNNIC meant the certificates could no longer be trusted. CNNIC called the decision "unacceptable and unintelligible".

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Samsung attacks S6 Edge bend test

The Galaxy S6 Edge, which features a curved screen, goes on sale on Friday

Samsung is playing down a report that its new flagship phone - the Galaxy S6 Edge - is "just as bendable" as Apple's iPhone 6 Plus and breaks completely at a lower pressure point.

The allegations have been made by a company that sells smartphone protection plans.

Samsung said that the results "may mislead consumers" and called on the firm to carry out a revised test.

But one expert said it highlighted the danger of mocking a competitor.

Last September, at a time when there were multiple reports that the new iPhone's aluminium shell left it prone to damage, Samsung posted a tweet stating that its own Edge phablet was "curved, not bent".

Samsung sent out this tweet last September

Then in February, at the S6 Edge's launch event, Samsung's mobile division marketing chief paused for applause and laughs when she boasted about the new handset's design in a presentation containing several comparisons to Apple's models.

"Not only does [the glass] look great but it's super tough - in fact, it's the toughest in the market," said Younghee Lee.

"Also the special metal that we use is 50% stronger than the metal in other high-end smartphones.

"My first language may not be engineering, but I do know that this [is] tough [and] will not bend."

Samsung is not the only company to have exploited criticism of Apple.

HTC andLG also posted tweets at the height of last year's controversy, with LG going so far as to mark one of its posts with the hashtag #bendgate.

Apple later said that damage to the iPhone 6 Plus would be "extremely rare" during normal use - a similar point now made by Samsung about the S6 Edge, which goes on sale in the US and UK on 10 April.

Samsung dedicated a section of its S6 Edge launch event to the durability of its phones

Stress tests

The current allegations are based on tests carried out by SquareTrade, which used machinery to simulate forces that it said might be experienced by a handset left in a back pocket as well as attempting to identify the force under which different models experienced "catastrophic failure".

It said that:

• Both the S6 Edge and iPhone 6 Plus deformed when a force of 110lb (50kg) was applied. The screen on Samsung's phone cracked at this level, but the iPhone's did not
• HTC's latest phone - the One M9 - did not bend until 120lb, at which point it also broke and became unusable
• The S6 Edge's breaking point was 149lb, at which stage it ceased to function
• The iPhone 6 Plus stopped working at a force of 179lb

An accompanying video suggested that S6 Edge owners were at risk of a "pocket full of glass" if they put their handsets under too much pressure.

The test found that the S6 Edge's screen cracked at the same point that the phone bent

In response, Samsung said it was confident that its phones would not bend "under daily usage".

"The normal force that [is] generated when a person presses the back pocket is approximately 66lbf (30kgf)," it added.

"Our internal test results indicate that the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge are not bendable even under 79lbf (32kgf), which is equivalent to putting pressure to snap a bundle of five pencils at once.

"Secondly, even though both front and back sides are exposed under the same level of pressure in normal circumstances, this test does not show the strength of the back side.

"Some smartphones have different [levels of] durability in each [of their] front and back sides respectively. SquareTrade has only tested the front side, which may mislead consumers about the entire durability of smartphones."

'Big lesson'

SquareTrade has issued a follow-up statement stating that it endeavoured to perform its tests "in an unbiased manner".

"We welcome Samsung's invitation to test its devices again with our Bendbot and release the results publicly," added spokeswoman Jessica Hoffman.

One independent expert agreed with Samsung that consumers should not be concerned about the durability of the S6 Edge, but added there was a lesson to be learned.

"This is only a story because it made fun of Apple when it launched the iPhone," said Francisco Jeronimo, research director at the consultancy IDC.

"You'd need to put a lot of pressure in a very specific way to break it.

"But it demonstrates that every vendor needs to be very careful when they compare their devices because it can backfire on them.

"I think that's the biggest lesson for Samsung: next time if it sees a competitor having a problem, it needs to be a lot more careful unless it is 100% sure it would not face the same criticism."

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'Revenge porn' site owner jailed

Bollaert faces an 18-year jail term for running the revenge porn website

The operator of a revenge porn website has been sentenced to 18 years in jail in the US.

Kevin Bollaert of San Diego created the UGotPosted.com website that let people post explicit pictures of their former partners.

Pictures were posted without victims' consent and Bollaert charged up to $350 (£235) to get photos removed.

Bollaert was convicted in February on 21 counts of ID theft and six of extortion.

Eight women testified in court in San Diego about the harassment they had suffered as a result of images being uploaded to Bollaert's website by their former partners.

One victim said she suffered a "daily struggle" to re-build her life after pictures of her were put on the site. Others needed counselling to recover or were forced to leave college or work. About 10,000 images were put on the site while it was operating between December 2012 and September 2013.

As well as receiving a lengthy jail term, Bollaert must pay $15,000 in restitution to victims and also pay a $10,000 fine. Bollaert is believed to have made at least $30,000 from people who paid to have pictures removed.

"Sitting behind a computer, committing what is essentially a cowardly and criminal act, will not shield predators from the law or jail," California Attorney General Kamala Harris said in a statement.

Another operator of a revenge porn site is also due to be sentenced shortly. Hunter Moore, who created the IsAnyoneUp website, pleaded guilty in February to charges of hacking and identity theft. When sentenced, he will face a jail term of between two and seven years and will have to pay a hefty fine.

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Samsung sees $5.44bn quarterly profit

Samsung's mobile division, its biggest business, has been struggling to maintain its dominance against rivals such as Apple and Chinese smartphone-makers including Xiaomi

South Korea's Samsung Electronics has forecast a quarterly operating profit of about 5.9 trillion won ($5.44bn; £3.65bn) for the first three months of 2015.

The numbers beat market expectations, but would mark a fall of more than 30% in profit from a year earlier.

The world's biggest maker of mobile phones and TVs said it expects sales of 47 trillion won for the period.

The company will publish full financial results later this month.

Samsung's mobile division, its biggest business, has been struggling to maintain its dominance against rivals such as Apple and Chinese smartphone-makers including Xiaomi.

Bryan Ma from consultancy IDC Asia Pacific told the BBC that the numbers were encouraging and fell in line with some of the firm's most recent reviews, which had been positive.

"It's not clear that they're out of the woods yet," he said, "but there are some encouraging signs."

"The thing to remember about Samsung is that it's not just a smartphone company ... so if they're not strong enough in that sector they can make up for it elsewhere."

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Illegal downloaders face exposure

Thousands of Australians have illegally downloaded The Dallas Buyers' Club, starring Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto

An Australian court has ordered internet service providers (ISPs) to hand over details of customers accused of illegally downloading a US movie.

In a landmark move, the Federal Court told six firms to divulge names and addresses of those who downloaded The Dallas Buyers Club.

The case was lodged by the US company that owns the rights to the 2013 movie.

The court said the data could only be used to secure "compensation for the infringements" of copyright.

In the case, which was heard in February, the applicants said they had identified 4,726 unique IP addresses from which their film was shared online using BitTorrent, a peer-to-peer file sharing network. They said this had been done without their permission.

Once they received the names of account holders, the company would then have to prove copyright infringement had taken place.

The judgment comes amidst a crackdown by the Australian government on internet piracy.

Australians are among the world's most regular illegal downloaders of digital content. The delay in release dates for new films and TV shows, and higher prices in Australia for digital content, have prompted many Australians to find surreptitious ways to watch new shows.

Australians are some of the world's most enthusiastic illegal downloaders

The ISPs involved in the case, including Australia's second-largest provider iiNet, said releasing customer information would be a breach of privacy and lead to what is known in the US as "speculative invoicing".

This is where account holders are threatened with court cases that could result in large damages unless smaller settlement fees are paid.

The ISPs argued also that the monetary claims which the US company, Dallas Buyers Club LLC, had against each infringer were so small "that it was plain that no such case could or would be maintained by the applicants".

But Justice Nye Perram ruled that the customer information could be released on condition it was only used to recover compensation for copyright infringement.

"I will also impose a condition on the applicants that they are to submit to me a draft of any letter they propose to send to account holders associated with the IP addresses which have been identified," he ruled.

Justice Perram said the ruling was also important for deterring illegal downloading.

"It is not beyond the realm of possibilities that damages of a sufficient size might be awarded under this provision in an appropriately serious case in a bid to deter people from the file-sharing of films," he said.

The case came to court after Dallas Buyers Club LLC contacted iiNet and other ISPs, asking them to divulge customer details without a court order. The ISPs refused.

The ISPs have yet to say if they will appeal against the court ruling.

Professor of Law at the University of Technology, Sydney, Michael Fraser said it was an important judgement for ISPs and customers.

"If this [judgement] is upheld then the days of anonymous pirating may be over," Prof Fraser told ABC TV.

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Turkey threatens Google with ban

The Turkish court imposed blocks on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook to stop controversial images spreading

Turkey threatened to ban Google unless it removed links to images of a prosecutor being held at gunpoint.

The images were taken last week in a siege at an Istanbul courthouse when two gunmen took the prosecutor hostage. All three died during a rescue attempt.

The threatened ban on Google was lifted after the search giant removed links to sites hosting the pictures.

Turkish authorities briefly cut off several social networks in a bid to stop images circulating.

On 6 April, a Turkish court ordered the country's net providers to cut off access to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and more than 160 other sites that were letting people share the controversial images. They showed prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz with a gun held to his head by a masked attacker.

Mr Kiraz was apparently taken hostage because he headed an investigation into the 2013 death of a boy during anti-government protests.

The two gunmen who took Mr Kiraz hostage are thought to be members of the far-left DHKP-C party. Mr Kiraz and the gunmen died in a shoot-out with police during an attempt to end the siege.

By late Monday, access to the three big social media sites had been restored after they sought out and removed copies of the image circulating on the network.

Subsequently it emerged that the court had issued a second order that threatened Google with a ban unless it removed links in its search index that led to the controversial images.

The siege ended in a shoot-out that left attackers and their hostage dead

Google has yet to comment officially about the threatened ban or the action it took to avoid access being cut off.

Prior to the legal action, the images were circulating widely online and some newspapers printed them alongside articles about the siege. The publicity drew criticism from the Turkish government which said printing and sharing them was tantamount to "propaganda for the armed terrorist organisation".

The DHKP-C is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the US.

The bans on social networks and threat against Google are just the latest in a series of measures taken by Turkish officials to curb what it sees as subversive use of online media.

Many protests have been organised via social media and, prior to local elections in March 2014, blocks were imposed after audio recordings were widely shared that allegedly revealed corruption among senior officials.

Figures gathered by Twitter revealed that Turkey filed more requests to remove content from the messaging service that any other nation between July and December 2014.

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Call to investigate YouTube Kids app

Campaigners say YouTube Kids channels for McDonald's and others flout advertising rules

US regulators are being asked to investigate a YouTube app for children.

Consumer organisations and childcare groups say YouTube is using the app to flout long-standing limits on adverts seen by youngsters.

The groups have sent a joint letter to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asking it to find out if the app uses "deceptive marketing practices".

In response, YouTube said it "strongly" disagreed with the conclusions of the campaigning groups.

The YouTube Kids app was launched in February and was created to let children use the video site, but while also giving parents control over what they watch and search for. It also has channels showing curated content from companies including McDonald's and Fisher-Price aimed specifically at younger viewers.

It is these branded channels that the consumer and child groups are most concerned about because, they claim, they let companies mix adverts and shows in ways that would not be permitted on television.

The channels also do not do enough to label clips and shows that feature products that presenters have been paid to highlight, the groups said in their letter.

The Consumers Union, the Center for Digital Democracy and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry have all signed the letter to the FTC.

A spokesman for the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK said its rules on adverts applied across all media and had specific sections that sought to protect children.

"Adverts should be appropriate, not cause offence and not mislead," said the spokesman. "The key rule in the code is that adverts should be identified as such and it should be made obvious that you are being advertised to."

A YouTube spokesperson said it had worked with many children's groups and other partners when developing YouTube Kids.

"While we are always open to feedback on ways to improve the app, we were not contacted directly by the signers of this letter and strongly disagree with their contentions," the spokesperson added.

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Microsoft targets autistic workers

The new jobs will be based at Microsoft's HQ in Redmond, USA

Microsoft says it wants to hire more people with autism in full-time roles.

The tech giant is to start by offering 10 places on a pilot scheme based at its Redmond headquarters.

Senior executive Mary Ellen Smith said: "People with autism bring strengths that we need at Microsoft."

The UK's National Autistic Society welcomed the move but said that other firms should do more to tap into the skills offered by many people with autism.

Announcing the new scheme in a blog, Ms Smith said: "Each individual is different, some have an amazing ability to retain information, think at a level of detail and depth or excel in math or code."

Specialist recruitment firm, Specialisterne, will help run a new hiring scheme.

The firm, which operates in Denmark and the UK, works with several IT companies, and in other sectors, to promote the skills of people with autism for specific vacancies.

Sarah Lambert, from the National Autistic Society, said: "It's encouraging to see a global company like Microsoft recognise the untapped potential of adults with autism.

"Many may have strengths such as accuracy, a good eye for detail and reliability, which can benefit all sorts of businesses, not just the technology industry.

"However, at the moment, just 15% of adults with autism in the UK are in full-time employment.

"Simple adjustments, like making job interviews more accessible and providing support to help those in work understand the 'unwritten rules' of the workplace can unlock the potential of a whole section of society."

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