Airbnb logo faces Twitter backlash

17 July 2014 Last updated at 15:47 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Airbnb's logo change is facing a backlash on social media, with many commentators suggesting it looks like sexual organs and other parts of the human body.

Others, however, have praised the US home-rental service's new look.

But criticism that the logo had been "stolen" from another tech firm, Automation Anywhere, appears to be misplaced.

Airbnb said the two had come to an agreement before the announcement.

"In early 2014 both Airbnb and Automation Anywhere began use of new logos that, by coincidence, have similar designs," a spokesman told the BBC.

"Airbnb and Automation Anywhere are working cooperatively to address this issue, and Automation Anywhere is in the process of transitioning to a new logo design that is not similar to the Airbnb logo."

The rebrand was carried out by the London-based firm DesignStudio.

Ben Wright, its founder, said seven members of his team had worked on the rebrand over the course of a year.

He said they had not been aware of Automation Anywhere's logo, nor had they recognised their design's sexual connotations.

"We weren't aware to be honest," he told the BBC.

"In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really bother us too much what people are saying about it.

"People around the world are reacting to this and a small percentage of those people are choosing to read into the logo how they want."

'Make it your own'

Airbnb calls its new logo Belo, saying it represents "the universal symbol of belonging".

"It's a symbol for going where the locals go - the cafe that doesn't bother with a menu, the dance club hidden down a long alleyway, the art galleries that don't show up in the guidebooks," it said on Wednesday.

"It's a symbol for people who want to welcome into their home new experiences, new cultures, and new conversations."

The firm added that it wanted the public to take Belo and "make your own unique symbol".

It did not take long for social media users to comment that the logo looked like various body parts, and several then created pornographic drawings that incorporated the design. A Tumblr blog has since gathered many of them together.

Meanwhile, commentators on the firm's official Facebook and Google+ pages were split about the new look.

"Boring ,dull and nothing to do with staying anywhere, what does it represent - I think you should go back to your old logo and then have a rethink," wrote Anna Arnott.

But Brisbane-based user Simon Phillips wrote: "Personally I kinda like it - nice bit of design, identity and positioning for the future."

On Twitter the mocking continued, with Belo being compared to a bottom, testicles and a squished clothes hanger.

A fake account was created and used to tweet off-message thoughts.

While others adapted the design to create animal-themed drawings.

Despite the criticism and jokes, Mr Wright said he and his team still believed it was a good idea to ask the public to adapt the logo, noting that it was the top trending item on Twitter for a time.

"It think it has a synergy and represents Airbnb itself," he explained.

"They're an incredibly brave company - they are going through a lot of problems in places like New York, but ultimately what they are about is their community and they have complete and utter respect for their community.

"So, it felt completely natural and right that the brand should engage with their community and give them ownership.

"Yes, you could say there was a risk element in there, but ultimately the reaction from the community has been great."

Another branding expert, not involved in the campaign, also defended the design.

"Apparently, some people are saying it looks like genitalia. I'm not sure I agree," said Hector Pottie, associate partner at brand consultancy Prophet.

"Not any I've seen anyway.

"The overall identity refresh is strong as well. Building on the spirit of Airbnb that already exists. All in all I think the designers got it spot on."

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Cutesy robot Asimo gets upgraded

16 July 2014 Last updated at 19:48

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WATCH: Dougal Shaw sees Asimo's newest tricks

Honda's Asimo robot has grown up - with its latest upgrade giving it enhanced intelligence, added dexterity and the ability to run 5.6mph (9km/h).

The first Asimo was created in 2000, and is seen as one of the leading attempts at creating a humanoid.

The latest version is able to change its actions depending on what happens around it - such as moving out of a person's way.

The 4ft (130cm)-tall robot is also able to do complex sign language.

Asimo - which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility - is eventually intended to help people in various situations of need, such as the elderly, or those in disaster zones. It can not yet be bought in shops.

Parts of the technology developed by Honda for the Asimo project have been used to help clean-up efforts at the stricken Japanese nuclear plant Fukushima.

But in the humanoid robot, upgrades have focused on making Asimo better understand the world around itself.

The new artificial intelligence unveiled in Belgium on Wednesday included the ability to be able to distinguish different voices in a room, even when multiple people are talking at the same time.

But some question the viability of Honda's plans, and whether we are likely to see humanoid robots in our lives any time soon.

"It's great to see the results of research in human-robot interaction that Honda is doing, but the reality is that Asimo needs to be a lot cheaper before it's a household robot," said Andra Keay, managing director of Silicon Valley Robotics and a columnist for Robohub.

Instead, she thinks ideas such as Jibo - a lamp-like assistant for helping around the house - will hit the market sooner.

"Perhaps the direction that Jibo has taken is the most appropriate one right now - minimum viable robot product to get maximal learning from human interaction.

"We're entering a rich age for deep machine learning from humans."

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Noriega sues over Call of Duty

16 July 2014 Last updated at 12:51 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Manuel Noriega, the former dictator of Panama, is suing Call of Duty's video games publisher.

The ex-military ruler is seeking lost profits and damages after a character based on him featured in Activision's 2012 title Black Ops II.

The 80-year-old is currently serving a jail sentence in Panama for crimes committed during his time in power, including the murder of critics.

One lawyer said this was the latest in a growing trend of such lawsuits.

"In the US, individuals have what's called the right to publicity, which gives them control over how their person is depicted in commerce including video games," explained Jas Purewal, an interactive entertainment lawyer.

"There's also been a very well-known action by a whole series of college athletes against Electronic Arts, and the American band No Doubt took action against Activision over this issue among other cases.

"It all focuses upon the American legal ability for an individual to be only depicted with their permission, which in practice means payment of a fee.

"But Noriega isn't a US citizen or even a resident. This means that his legal claim becomes questionable, because it's unclear on what legal basis he can actually bring a case against Activision."

'Enemy of the state'

In Activision's video game, Noriega initially helps the CIA capture a Nicaraguan terrorist, but later turns on the Americans and is hunted himself.

In reality, Noriega did work as a CIA informant before the agency broke ties with him. After the US became concerned about his violent rule, President George Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989, which resulted in his capture.

A 13-page document filed in Noriega's name claims that he is portrayed as a "kidnapper, murderer and enemy of the state" responsible for "numerous fictional crimes" in Black Ops II, according to Courthouse News Service.

It alleges his inclusion heightened the game's sense of realism, helping boost its sales.

The game - which was scripted by David Goyer, screenwriter of the recent Batman movies - was 2012's biggest-selling title in the US, UK and elsewhere.

A spokeswoman for Activision declined to comment.

Permission payouts

The California-based company previously reached an undisclosed out-of-court settlement with the band No Doubt after the musicians sued over the use of their singer, Gwen Stefani, performing songs by other artists in the game Band Hero.

Earlier this year, its rival EA Sports agreed to a $40m (£23m) payout after US college football and basketball players complained their likenesses had featured in several of the firm's titles.

Meanwhile, the publisher Take-Two Interactive is currently facing a related case in which the actress Lindsay Lohan claims a character in Grand Theft Auto V is based on her image, voice and clothing styles.

While such examples have been based on US law, Mr Purewal added that games firms had not been immune to similar complaints in the UK.

"In the UK, we have the right to privacy, which is slowly being extended to cover how celebrities and other well-known people are depicted online and in video games," he explained.

"So, for example, Lady Gaga took action against the British video games company Mind Candy over the depiction of a character called Lady Goo Goo in its game Moshi Monsters.

"But it is happening a lot more in the US at the moment."

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Blogger fined for restaurant review

16 July 2014 Last updated at 18:15 By Kevin Rawlinson BBC News

A French judge has ruled against a blogger because her scathing restaurant review was too prominent in Google search results.

The judge ordered that the post's title be amended and told the blogger Caroline Doudet to pay damages.

Ms Doudet said the decision made it a crime to be highly ranked on search engines.

The restaurant owners said the article's prominence was unfairly hurting their business.

Ms Doudet was sued by the owner of Il Giardino restaurant in the Aquitaine region of southwestern France after she wrote a blogpost entitled "the place to avoid in Cap-Ferret: Il Giardino".

According to court documents, the review appeared fourth in the results of a Google search for the restaurant. The judge decided that the blog's title should be changed, so that the phrase: "the place to avoid" was less prominent in the results.

The judge sitting in Bordeaux also pointed out that the harm to the restaurant was exacerbated by the fact that Ms Doudet's fashion and literature blog "Cultur'elle" had around 3,000 followers, indicating she thought it was a significant number.

'Perverse'

"This decision creates a new crime of 'being too highly ranked [on a search engine]', or of having too great an influence'," Ms Doudet told the BBC.

"What is perverse, is that we look for bloggers who are influential, but only if they are nice about people," she added.

The judge told Ms Doudet to amend the title of the blog and to pay €1,500 ($2,000; £1,200) in damages to the restaurant, as well as €1,000 to cover the complainant's costs.

Continue reading the main story

What is perverse, is that we look for bloggers who are influential, but only if they are nice about people."

End Quote Caroline Doudet Blogger

In her article, which has now been deleted, she complained of poor service and what she said was a poor attitude on the part of the owner during a visit in August 2013.

The owner took issue with the whole article. However, the judge limited her decision to its title.

The restaurateur did not respond to the BBC. But, according to the website Arrêt sur Images, she said: "Maybe there were some errors in the service, that happens sometimes in the middle of August - I recognise that.

"But this article showed in the Google search results and did my business more and more harm, even though we have worked seven days a week for 15 years. I could not accept that.

"People can criticise, but there is a way of doing it - with respect. That was not the case here."

'Weeks of anguish'

A French lawyer and blogger who writes under the pseudonym Maître Eolas, said: "It seems to me that the judge did not understand the technical issues." He added that, in French law, this type of decision would not create legal precedence.

Under French law, a judge can issue an emergency order to force a person to cease any activity they find to be harming the other party in the dispute.

The summary decision is intended to be an emergency measure to protect the person deemed to be a victim and can be overturned or upheld if the parties go to a full hearing.

In order to issue the order under French law, the judge has only to identify a wrong on the defendant's part, a negative effect on that of the appellant and a causal relationship between the two.

Ms Doudet said she did not believe she will appeal because she did "not want to relive weeks of anguish".

Ms Doudet added that, because the decision was taken at an emergency hearing, she did not have time to find legal representation, so had represented herself in court.

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Night vision fighter helmet unveiled

16 July 2014 Last updated at 18:28 By Joe Miller Technology reporter

A new smart helmet that allows fighter pilots to see in the dark via an integrated night vision camera has been unveiled at the Farnborough Airshow.

The Striker II, built by BAE Systems, features a visor that also acts as a high-definition display, which can project useful information to the user.

This includes data about targets and the co-ordinates of objects below.

The helmet also boasts head-tracking technology. It has been described as a "significant advance" by one expert.

Previous generations of fighter pilot helmets have been fitted with exterior night vision goggles, which added to the overall weight on a pilot's head.

Analogue goggles can weigh as much as 0.5kg (1.1lb).

That does not sound like a lot, but they become nine times heavier when the jet accelerates at 9G.

Goggles also change a helmet's centre of gravity. This causes neck strain and restricts the pilot's movement when flying in the dark.

The Striker II, which builds on its predecessor's "x-ray" display, moves night vision inside the helmet by using an image from a digital camera that is relayed through the helmet mounted display on the visor.

Night vision is vital to pilots when they are flying in close formation, refuelling in mid-air, assisting troops on the ground, and even launching a ground attack.

Chris Colston, director of business development at BAE, says the first role of a helmet is still to keep pilots safe, but adds Striker II also provides "all of the capability all of the time".

"Fundamentally, it must still provide protection," he says.

"The pilot must still be able to eject from the aircraft at speeds of up to 600 knots, but we can then add technology to increase the situational awareness of the pilot"

The Striker II also has higher definition display than the earlier model, and head-tracking sensor technology.

This means that operational information can be accurately displayed to the pilot within his or her field of vision.

The sensors also remove any latency when the pilot moves their head, seamlessly overlaying the view in front of them.

Justin Bronk, research analyst in military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) agreed that the helmet's night vision capabilities were a "very significant advance".

He added that more accurate target tracking also removed some of the limitations of previous fighter helmets.

In addition, Mr Bronk cites the higher-definition display as a "crucial" advance.

Previously pilots were faced with a screen resolution that was inferior to what they call "mark one eyeball" - the human eye.

More from the Farnborough Airshow

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Amazon 'readies Netflix for e-books'

16 July 2014 Last updated at 19:20 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Amazon appears to be preparing a new subscription service that allows subscribers to download as many Kindle e-books and audio books as they like.

The firm uploaded images that indicate the available library would include more than 600,000 titles including the Hunger Games trilogy and the Harry Potter series.

The discovery was first reported by the news site GigaOm .

Amazon has now deleted the details, but they can still be accessed via Google.

They state that the Kindle Unlimited service costs $9.99 (£5.80) a month and includes Kindle exclusives as well as titles from mainstream publishers.

That makes it roughly the same price as Netflix's popular TV and movie streaming service,

Many of the titles displayed on the short-lived webpage overlap with those in Amazon's existing Kindle Owner's Lending Library - a collection of 500,000 e-books available to subscribers of Prime, the company's fast-shipping service.

However, Prime members can only borrow one e-book per month, and only one title at a time.

Kindle e-books can be read via Amazon's own e-readers, tablets and smartphones as well as on apps for other manufacturer's devices.

One industry watcher said Kindle Unlimited appeared to be a "defensive gesture".

"It's a manoeuvre to get into the market before other e-book subscription services, such as Oyster and Scribd, gain a foothold," Philip Jones, editor of the Bookseller trade magazine, told the BBC.

"Under the terms of Amazon's contracts in the United States, it can get the same terms that publishers have agreed with the others, so it can match any offers that those rival businesses come up with.

"There's still a doubt whether subscription services in the e-book sector will work commercially for publishers and authors. But this suggests to me that Amazon believes there is at least a small possibility that they will gain some traction."

Amazon could not be reached for comment.

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eBay earnings beat expectations

16 July 2014 Last updated at 21:48

Online retailer eBay reported profits of $676m (£395m) during the period from March to June, beating analyst expectations.

Shares in the company were up by more than 1.5% in trading after the US stock market closed.

Although revenue grew by 13% to $4.4bn, that was less than hoped.

"We had a challenging quarter with several distractions," said eBay in its earnings presentation, a reference to a data breach earlier in the quarter.

In May, eBay said as many as 145 million customer accounts may have been compromised.

That prompted an investigation by US, UK, and European authorities.

eBay also saw its search rankings slump and its payment chief depart during the quarter, which led to further tumult.

In a bright spot during the quarter, however, the company settled a long-running dispute with activist investor Carl Icahn, who had been calling for a spin-off of PayPal, eBay's payment-processing arm.

Although Mr Icahn said he still thought a sale of the business was a good idea, he was mollified by eBay's decision to act on his recommendation to appoint David Dorman, a founding partner of investment firm Centerview Capital Technology, as an independent director on its board.

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Bing offers 'forget me' search form

17 July 2014 Last updated at 12:21 By Joe Miller Technology Reporter

Microsoft's search engine Bing has followed Google in allowing Europeans to ask for pages to be removed from its online results.

The move comes after a landmark court ruling in May, which gave people the "right to be forgotten" on the web.

The case was brought by a Spanish man who complained that an auction notice of his repossessed home on Google's search results infringed his privacy.

Google says it has received more than 70,000 removal requests so far.

The European Union Court of Justice said links to "irrelevant" and outdated data on search engines must be erased on request.

However, the links are still available on search engines outside the EU.

Since the ruling, links to BBC and Guardian articles have been hidden from Google search results, sparking controversy about freedom of expression.

Bing's online form invites users to apply for links to be blocked, asking them to provide identity information so that it can "evaluate" any request.

"This information will help us to consider the balance between your individual privacy interest and the public interest in protecting free expression and the free availability of information, consistent with European law," the form says.

"As a result, making a request does not guarantee that a particular search result will be blocked."

Bing's market share in Europe is less than a tenth that of Google, but the search engine is also the default facility on Windows Mobile smartphones.

A website has been set up that asks users to add to its list of items that Google has removed.

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FBI: Driverless cars could be lethal

17 July 2014 Last updated at 13:19

Driverless cars, such as those being developed by Google, could be lethal weapons, the FBI has reportedly warned.

An internal report, obtained by the Guardian, said the vehicles could be "game changing" for law enforcement.

The report noted criminals using automated cars would have both hands free and be able to take their eyes off the road during a car chase.

But it said that driverless vehicles could help the emergency services by automatically clearing a path for them.

In the report, which was marked restricted and obtained under a public records request, the FBI predicted the vehicles "will have a high impact on transforming what both law enforcement and its adversaries can operationally do with a car".

'Risk'

And, under the heading "Multitasking", the FBI said that "bad actors will be able to conduct tasks that require use of both hands or taking one's eyes off the road which would be impossible today". That raised the prospect that suspected criminals would be able to fire weapons at pursuing police cars.

The report, which was produced by the FBI's Directorate of Intelligence, predicted that "autonomy… will make mobility more efficient, but will also open up greater possibilities for dual-use applications and ways for a car to be more of a potential lethal weapon than it is today", the Guardian reported.

The vehicles are currently being tested by Google and, according to the FBI, could be approved in the US within the next five to seven years. Other firms are also developing forms of automated driving. In June this year, it was announced that the British government was rewriting the highway code to allow for driverless cars.

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BBC Newsnight's David Grossman: "All the technology necessary for this is in the car"

The predictions go against the message that firms who are developing the technology have tried to put out. They have argued that taking the human driver out of the car would remove a lot of the risks involved in driving.

The report noted that ambulances, police cars and other vehicles rushing to deal with emergencies would be helped by automated cars. "The risk that distraction or poor judgement leading to collision that stems from manual operation would be substantially reduced," it read.

It added that evasive manoeuvres drivers would take to allow emergency vehicles to pass would also be "optimised".

The FBI's report said that police cars would get a helping hand in keeping up with suspects. "Algorithms can control the distance that the patrol car is behind the target to avoid detection or intentionally have a patrol car make opposite turns at intersections, yet successfully meet up at later points with the target," it said.

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Microsoft to end Android smartphones

17 July 2014 Last updated at 16:22 By Joe Miller Technology Reporter

Microsoft is to stop developing Android-powered smartphones beyond those already available, the BBC understands.

Nokia X models will now become part of the Lumia range and run the Windows Phone operating system, although existing Android handsets will continue to be supported.

The move comes as Microsoft announced 18,000 job cuts across its workforce.

The tech firm acquired Nokia's handset division earlier this year.

Nokia unveiled its first family of Android phones at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona in February.

The release of the smartphones, which were priced at the lower end of the market, was described as a "perplexing strategic move" at the time, given that Microsoft had its own mobile operating system, Windows Phone.

In an email to employees on Thursday, Stephen Elop, Microsoft's executive in charge of mobile devices, announced that Android handsets were being phased out.

"In the near term, we plan to drive Windows Phone volume by targeting the more affordable smartphone segments, which are the fastest-growing segments of the market, with Lumia.

"In addition to the portfolio already planned, we plan to deliver additional lower-cost Lumia devices by shifting select future Nokia X designs and products to Windows Phone devices.

"We expect to make this shift immediately while continuing to sell and support existing Nokia X products."

Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight, told the BBC the move was designed to drive sales of Microsoft's Lumia range, which has lagged behind handsets from competitors such as Apple and Samsung.

"Everybody was scratching their heads when the Android phones were unveiled in February," he said, adding that the decision had been made before Microsoft's takeover of Nokia.

However, Mr Wood said, phasing out the Android devices was a strategic decision, designed to "take the work Microsoft have done on the hardware [of Nokia X models] and drive the Lumia price points to much lower levels".

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