Samsung offers to end patent wars

17 October 2013 Last updated at 08:07 ET

Samsung has said that it will stop taking rivals to court over certain patent infringements for the next five years.

The white flag in the patent battle has been raised because the South Korean electronics firm faces a huge fine for alleged abuses of the system.

The move could help end a long-running patent war between the world's largest mobile operators.

The EU said that a resolution would bring "clarity to the industry".

"Samsung has offered to abstain from seeking injunctions for mobile SEPs (standard essential patents) for a period of five years against any company that agrees to a particular licensing framework," the European Commission said in a statement.

Standard essential patents refer to inventions recognised as being critical to implementing an industry standard technology.

Examples of such technologies include the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), a cellular standard at the heart of 3G data; and H.264, a video compression format used by YouTube, Blu-ray disks and Adobe Flash Player among others.

Standard setting

The EU had accused the Samsung of stifling competition by bringing a series of SEP lawsuits against Apple and other rivals.

Google's Motorola Mobility has been charged with similar anti-competitive practice.

Samsung faced a $18.3bn (£11.3bn) fine if it was found guilty of breaching anti-trust laws.

"Enforcing patents through injunctions can be perfectly legitimate, said Joaquin Almunia, the European Commission's vice-president in charge of competition policy.

"However, when patents are standard-essential, abuses must be prevented so that standard-setting works properly and consumers do not have to suffer negative consequences from the so-called patent wars.

"If we reach a good solution in this case, it will bring clarity to the industry," he added.

Samsung and Apple are currently battling each other in courts in more than 10 countries across Europe.

Interested parties have been given a month to comment on the proposals.

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Facebook adds public posts for teens

By Jonathan Blake
Newsbeat technology reporter

Facebook is allowing users under 18 to post publicly on the site for the first time.

The social network said the move, which will allow teenagers to share updates with all users, was in response to demands for the service.

Until now users aged 13 to 17 were only able to share posts with "friends of friends" on the site.

A change will also mean teenage users will be given a default setting of "friends" only.

The move brings Facebook in line with other social networks such as Twitter which allows users to post publicly by default.

"One of the requests we hear direct from teenagers most often is the ability to share things in a public way, just as they can on other services," said Simon Milner, director of policy for Facebook in the UK.

"Teens are among the savviest people using social media... and they want to be heard."

Facebook users will be reminded that their posts will be publicly visible

In response to concerns the change would leave teenagers vulnerable to abuse, Facebook said it took their safety "very seriously."

Users choosing the public option will be reminded that their post will be visible to anyone.

Teens will be able to turn on Facebook's "follow" function so their posts will be seen in people's news feeds.

Continue reading the main story

Teens are among the savviest people using social media... and they want to be heard

Simon Milner Director of policy for Facebook UK

The social network said the changes were designed to "improve the experience" for teenagers on Facebook.

"They're expert at controlling who can see what they say and do on Facebook," said Milner.

"We therefore needed to give young people the chance to use Facebook in new ways."

New users are asked to give their date of birth when signing up for Facebook to prove they are over 13.

But the company does not verify the information allowing people to lie about their age.

Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter

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Dexter malware strikes South Africa

16 October 2013 Last updated at 09:36 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

South Africa has been hit by one of the biggest cyber-fraud attacks in its history, according to the body that oversees local financial transactions.

The payment card systems of thousands of shops, restaurants and hotels had been compromised, said the Payment Association of South Africa (Pasa).

Losses were thought to be in the "tens of millions, but not hundreds of millions of rands", it said.

It added the attackers had used a new variant of the malware known as Dexter.

Ten million rand is worth £626,000 or just over $1m.

Dexter gets its name from a string of code found in one of its files, which may refer to the US television show that followed the exploits of a serial killer.

The Dexter code was linked to a series of attacks on point-of-sale systems in the UK, US and dozens of other countries towards the end of last year.

It skims and transmits the cards' magnetic-strip information, allowing clones to be made that can then be used for fraudulent purchases,.

Pasa said it believed the criminals responsible were based in Europe, but added it was not sure from which countries.

Copied magstrips

"It's probably the worst [attack] of its kind in terms of the losses," Walter Volker, Pasa's chief executive, told the BBC.

"We started detecting higher levels of fraud at some of these retailers early in the year - from about late-January, February. We initially thought it was a normal seasonal thing, but as the volumes increased we decided to appoint a forensics investigation company.

"Eventually it was able to find this particular malware in some of the locations. Very soon after we found the cause of the compromise, we were able to clean up those sites with anti-malware software."

Mr Volker added that while the attack had targeted back-end systems to steal data from the cards' magstrips, it had not stolen Pin codes or CVV payment authentication numbers - meaning the thieves would not have been able to withdraw money from bank cash machines or have used the information to make purchases from internet shops.

"Normal anti-virus software would probably have cleaned up Dexter but it was a particular custom-built variant, which was not detectable with the normal scanning software that everybody's got," Mr Volker added.

"It seems like it was a European-based syndicate - we don't exactly where - but Interpol and Europol are making good progress in trying to apprehend these particular perpetrators."

KFC fast-food restaurants' card systems were among those to have been compromised, according to a statement given by the chain's owner to the Bloomberg news agency.

"We take this extremely seriously," Yum Brands said. "Our first priority is to make sure that the impact on our customers remains minimal."

Bloomberg added that a locally based burger and pizza chain operator, Famous Brands, had also confirmed some of its payment machines had been exposed.

However, Pasa stressed that it would ultimately be the banks - rather than the public or other businesses - that would face losses as a consequence of the attack.

"In terms of the banks, there's probably not a single issuing bank in the country that has not been affected in some way," said Mr Volker.

"The South African card holders - or potentially tourists using their cards at the affected sites - will not be exposed to any losses. It's just the inconvenience of detecting false transactions on their accounts.

"If that has happened they should just contact their issuing bank."

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Underwater wi-fi given test run

16 October 2013 Last updated at 07:08 ET

Researchers have tested an "underwater wi-fi" network in a lake in an attempt to make a "deep-sea internet".

The team, from the University of Buffalo, New York, said the technology could help detect tsunamis, offering more reliable warning systems.

They aim to create an agreed standard for underwater communications, to make interaction and data-sharing easier.

Unlike normal wi-fi, which uses radio waves, the submerged network technology utilises sound waves.

Radio waves are able to penetrate water, but with severely limited range and stability. Sound waves provide a better option - as demonstrated by many aquatic species such as whales and dolphins.

Wireless communication underwater has been possible for some time, but the problem lies in getting separate systems used by different organisations to communicate with each other.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), for instance, uses acoustic waves to send data from tsunami sensors on the sea floor to buoys on the surface.

However due to infrastructure differences, this data cannot be shared quickly with other information gathered by the US Navy.

'Unprecedented ability'

Therefore, the University of Buffalo team is attempting to create a shared standard.

"A submerged wireless network will give us an unprecedented ability to collect and analyse data from our oceans in real time," said Tommaso Melodia, lead researcher.

"Making this information available to anyone with a smartphone or computer, especially when a tsunami or other type of disaster occurs, could help save lives."

The test was carried out at Lake Erie, near Buffalo. The research team dropped two 40lb (18kg) sensors into the water - and were then able to use a laptop to transmit information to them.

In future, the team hopes the sensors could be used to help detect and solve environmental issues. With a shared standard, different research groups with varied equipment could potentially combine their data gathering efforts with greater ease, and in real-time.

More details of the team's work will be presented at a conference for underwater networking to be held in Taiwan next month.

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Watch Dogs delay wounds games maker

16 October 2013 Last updated at 12:52 ET

Shares in video games firm Ubisoft have slumped by 26% after it delayed the release of two much-anticipated titles.

Hacker-themed Watch Dogs and open-world racing game The Crew have both been postponed until the publisher's next financial year, which begins in April.

The company said it wanted to allow its developers to fine tune their work.

Watch Dogs had been due to go on sale on 19 November and will miss out on being a launch title for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Retailers, including Amazon and Gamestop, have assured consumers who had pre-ordered bundles including both the Chicago-based title and one of the games consoles that they will still receive the machine on the day they had been quoted.

The Crew had originally been due out some time in the first three months of 2014.

'Mega-blockbusters'

France-based Ubisoft has had success with its Assassin's Creed, Just Dance and Splinter Cell franchises.

However, it warned that the delays meant it was likely to swing to an operating loss when it declares its full-year results.

Chief executive Yves Guillemo called the move a "tough decision".

"We are building franchises that will become perennial pillars of Ubisoft's financial performance," he added.

"In a context of growing successes for mega-blockbusters, the additional time given to the development of our titles will allow them to fulfil their huge ambitions and thus offer players even more exceptional experiences."

A blog posted by the Watch Dogs development team added that it planned to launch the game before the end of June.

"As we got closer to release, as all the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place in our last push before completion, it became clear to us that we needed to take the extra time to polish and fine tune each detail so we can deliver a truly memorable and exceptional experience," it stated.

Ubisoft added that The Crew would now go on sale before the end of September.

Complex world

The news caught many analysts by surprise. To make its November debut, the "gold master" version of Watch Dogs' code would have needed to have been finalised soon in order for the discs to be manufactured and shipped to stores in time.

It is unusual, though not unknown, for a game to be pulled so late in development.

In February, Ubisoft delayed its platformer Rayman Legends by half a year, less than a month before it had been due to go on sale.

Perhaps the best known example was Valve's announcement in 2003 that its sci-fi action sequel Half-Life 2 was to be delayed, just a week before its scheduled launch date. It went on to become one of the best reviewed games of all time.

One industry watcher said a short-term view by investors had caused the firm's stock to dive, but that Ubisoft was better off doing this than releasing Watch Dogs in a state that required later software patches to address major faults.

"I think it was going to be one of the drivers for initial games-console bundle sales and will probably push back some of the hardware sales that would have happened right out of the gate for Sony and Microsoft," said Lewis Ward, video games research manager at consultants IDC.

"But absolutely it's the right decision if there's something glitchy or there's some game-balance factor that is off.

"There's a lot of interconnections between the things you can control in the game and how the story then unfolds, so I can only assume there's some factor with the incredibly complex open-world gameplay that's off.

"But there's no reason Ubisoft can't still deliver what they hoped to do with this game."

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IBM reports falling quarterly sales

16 October 2013 Last updated at 20:10 ET

IBM has reported a 4% decline in sales in the three months to September, which was worse than analysts had been expecting.

The world's biggest technology services firm has not reported a rise in quarterly sales since the fourth quarter of 2011.

But the company still delivered a net income of $4bn (£2.5bn), a rise of 6%.

IBM's computer hardware division had a particularly weak quarter with a 17% fall in sales.

"I think that the hardware business is going to be something they need to work through and growth markets are down much more than expected," said Josh Olson analyst, Edward Jones .

Shares in IBM fell 6% in after hours trading.

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Windows 8.1 gets global release

17 October 2013 Last updated at 06:33 ET

Microsoft has released the Windows 8.1 update for its flagship operating system.

The download seeks to address some of the criticisms levelled at the original version of Windows 8.

In particular, the update restores the start button and allows a computer to boot up with a traditional desktop interface.

The launch comes at a critical time for Microsoft as it seeks a new boss, with PC sales experiencing a long decline.

Windows 8 sought to bridge the gap between touchscreen devices, such as tablets and smartphones, and more traditional form laptops and desktop machines. As such it had an interface built of tiles that could be tapped or swiped to open applications.

However, many people found the tiled interface did not work well for some of the things they were used to doing with a computer.

The changes in 8.1 include:

• start button - tapping once on this brings up the tiled interface and a long press opens up system controls
• desktop mode - lets people avoid the tiled interface entirely
• keyboard shortcuts - removes the need to toggle between different on-screen keyboards when typing numbers and letters
• gesture control - some applications, such as those for cooking, can now be paged through without touching a screen
• tile sizing - the blocks on the touchscreen interface can be in one of four sizes
• web browsing - Windows 8 machines will now display separate web pages side by side

A host of other changes, including better support for multi-tasking and improved links to Microsoft's Xbox game console, are also in the update.

Shrinking sales

Windows 8 was created to capitalise on the growing popularity of tablets and other portable gadgets. Microsoft needs to get people using its software on these machines because sales of desktop machines are in sharp decline.

Global shipments of PCs hit a five-year low in early October, according to figures from market research firm Gartner. Sales of PCs had now fallen for six quarters in a row, it added. The downward trend in sales statistics were confirmed by IDC, which added that the decline would probably continue into 2014.

The shrinking sales are important for Microsoft because traditionally the bulk of its revenue comes from people and companies buying laptops and desktops and office software to run on them.

It is not clear that Microsoft is adjusting to the changes in the types of gadgets that people use. In July, Microsoft was wrote off $900m (£559m) following poor sales of its own-brand Surface touchscreen devices.

At the same time, Microsoft has undergone a major reorganisation and has bought phone maker Nokia. It is also launching a new version of its Xbox games console and has begun searching for a new chief executive.

Servers ready to dispense the update were turned on at 07:00 New York time (12:00 BST). The update is free to those already running Windows 8. Charges will apply if users upgrade to 8.1 from Windows 7. The update comes just over a year after the launch of Windows 8.

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EE rapped over 'misleading' maps

17 October 2013 Last updated at 06:52 ET

The Advertising Standards Authority has ordered EE to change its mobile coverage checker after a customer complained it had wrongly told him he would receive excellent service in his area.

The checker must make it clearer that it is only a guide, the ASA said.

The decision is likely to have an impact on other mobile operators offering similar maps.

Mobile coverage can vary widely from street to street.

It depends on a variety of factors, including the density of buildings and the number of trees in the area.

Amend language

Despite the fact that the EE coverage map has an addendum which states that it is "only a guide and not guarantee of service availability in a particular location", the ASA still felt the ad was misleading

Its ruling stated: "We noted that the claims under the coverage results were presented in language that was not conditional and consider the overall impression of the ad was such that it was likely to be understood to mean that fast reliable internet access and high quality calling was available... to consumers in the relevant postcode."

In response EE said: "Our coverage checker is regulated by Ofcom and offers a prediction of our network coverage across the UK. In this instance, we deemed coverage to be Excellent in the postcode as confirmed by testing that found over 98% of the postcode had an excellent signal."

"We take on board the ASA's ruling and will amend the disclaimer language as necessary," it added.

EE customers are given a 14-day cooling off period if they are not happy with the mobile service after signing a new contract.

Daily improvements

O2 also points out that customers have a seven-day window to cancel their service if they find it is not as good as expected.

"Our coverage maps are created on accurate predictions of the network, but unfortunately they can't always take into account a number of factors affecting signal like building structures and natural landscape," the mobile firm said in a statement.

"We're making daily improvements to our network and our coverage maps for 2G, 3G and 4G are updated to reflect these on a weekly basis."

Most operators have ambitious plans for 4G coverage, both indoors and outdoors, with most planning to reach around 98% of the population by 2017.

But it is notoriously hard to produce accurate mobile coverage maps. All the operators produce their own and use different metrics for measuring coverage. Some have called on Ofcom to produce its own coverage map, something that the regulator has rejected.

There are a few independent coverage maps available from firms such as RootMetrics and OpenSignal.

Matthew Howett, analyst with research firm Ovum said: "While the operator's own coverage checkers are usually very accurate, they don't all necessarily measure the same thing. For instance some might only be for outdoor coverage, whereas others will also give you an idea what you can expect indoors.

"Given these peculiarities, they are useful only up to a point for consumers when making comparisons between networks," he added.

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Bumper security update for Java

17 October 2013 Last updated at 08:04 ET

Oracle has released a bumper update package for Java that closes lots of security holes in the software.

The update fixes 51 separate security bugs in Java, which owner Oracle says is used on billions of devices.

About a dozen of the bugs were serious enough to allow attackers to take remote control of a compromised system, researchers said.

Java is one of the most popular targets for cyber-thieves and malware writers seeking to hijack home computers.

In its advisory about the update, Oracle urged customers to patch the software as soon as possible "due to the threat posed by a successful attack".

Programming language Java has proved popular because software written with it can easily be made to run on many different types of computer.

Twelve of the holes in Java addressed by the update topped the table that ranked the severity of security weaknesses in software, wrote Qualys security expert Wolfgang Kandek in a blogpost.

If these bugs were exploited, attackers could bypass ID controls and take over a target system, he added.

He said those seeking to exploit Java would probably seed web pages with booby-trapped links in a bid to catch vulnerable machines.

Security glitches in Java are favourites among those that write and run so-called "exploit kits" that seek to compromise vulnerable websites and other systems.

Security blogger Brian Krebs said if people needed to run Java, it was well worth taking time to apply the update.

Those that did not need the software should consider disabling it altogether, he said.

"This widely installed and powerful program is riddled with security holes, and is a top target of malware writers and miscreants," he wrote.

The update is available via the main Java website and has prompted follow-up action from other electronics firms. Apple has released an update to the version of Java that runs on its computers. This update points people towards the official version of Java from Oracle instead of that supplied by Apple.

In the past, Apple has faced criticism over the speed with which it updated its version of Java.

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Adidas smartwatch has pulse sensor

17 October 2013 Last updated at 08:47 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

A watch with a colour touchscreen and built-in heart monitor that studies the wearer's pulse to create training programmes has been unveiled by Adidas.

The gadget - which is being targeted at runners - also includes a GPS location chip to maximise the accuracy of its readings.

It marks a move by the German firm into the smartwatch sector, although the device does not run third-party apps.

The news comes the same week as rival Nike updated its own activity tracker.

The two companies - which are best known for their sports clothing and shoe ranges - are taking different approaches with their flagship products.

At $399 (£350 in the UK) Adidas's Micoach Smart Run is more than double the price of Nike's $149 Fuelband SE. But it offers a wider range of sensors as well as the ability to play MP3 audio files to wireless headphones via Bluetooth.

It also has the advantage of offering partner apps for Android, Windows Phone and iOS devices. By contrast, Nike only offers a Fuelband app for the iPhone.

The US firm does, however, offer a separate Nike-branded watch made by the Dutch firm TomTom that features a GPS chip and can be paired with a heart rate strap made by another company.

Battery life

Adidas announced its new product at Gigaom's Mobilize conference in San Francisco.

It said athletes could use the watch to create a coaching programme to improve their fitness levels and would then receive feedback via animated graphics on its screen, vibrations, and audio commands - using paired headphones - telling them to speed up or slow down.

The new device is bigger than less advanced digital watches and screenless activity trackers also sold by Adidas, but its 1.45in (3.7cm) display is smaller than the screens on Samsung and Sony's new smartwatches.

The Galaxy Gear and Smartwatch 2 both offer a range of activity apps of their own as well as other Android software, but rely on being paired with a smartphone for much of their functionality.

Adidas says its product's battery lasts about 14 days when its tracking sensors are switched off. However, that drops to just four hours when it is switched into "training mode".

Motorola's Motoactv watch may be its closest competitor. The gadget also features a GPS chip and MP3 player, but not a pulse rate sensor of its own.

Killer app

Consultancy Juniper Research recently predicted the wider wearable tech market will grow from $1.4bn of sales this year to $19bn by 2018.

However, it suggested that sales of specialist fitness tracking equipment and watches that are, in effect, slaves to smartphones will be cannibalised by more powerful standalone devices.

"The products currently available in the market only appeal to a niche demographic, but as we move towards the age of a true multifunctional smartwatch we expect them to become more appealing," said its senior analyst Nitin Bhas.

"We believe players like Apple, Google and Microsoft will release devices that can acts as a fitness tracker, as a digital wallet, as a way of offering ticketing and coupons, and all sorts of other things. To be honest, the market is still waiting for a killer app.

"There is an opportunity for Adidas here - but along with start-ups entering the wearable tech sector, it has a very narrow window and is likely to struggle as the marketplace becomes increasingly crowded."

Adidas said it would start selling the new watch next month.

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