Microsoft phones get flash trick

4 September 2014 Last updated at 11:56 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

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WATCH: The BBC's Dave Lee tests the new flash function

Microsoft's Lumia smartphones are getting a new feature designed to improve the quality of photos taken in low-light settings.

The facility automatically takes two photos in quick succession, one with a flash and one without.

Software then merges the two shots into a single image for which the user can adjust the amount of illumination via an on-screen slider bar.

Photo innovations are at the heart of the division's marketing efforts.

Microsoft spent much of a press conference at the Ifa tech show in Berlin detailing imaging improvements coming to both its new handsets and older models via a forthcoming software update dubbed Lumia Denim.

Marketing executive Chris Weber repeatedly claimed at the event that the company's top-end handsets outperformed Apple and Samsung's models.

But company watchers noted that this tactic had had limited success in the past when the unit was owned by Finland's Nokia.

"The track record isn't encouraging - Nokia put lots of money into investing in this area on R&D [research and development], and from a technical point of view they established a clear lead with the Lumia 1020 14 months ago," said John Delaney, head of research firm IDC's European mobility team.

"Since then, the Lumia devices released, in my opinion, have added superior performance both in terms of image capture and processing.

"Having said that. their market share is still very small."

The Windows Phone platform as a whole accounted for just 2.5% of global smartphone shipments in the April-to-June quarter, according to IDC, with Nokia-branded devices accounting for the majority of stock.

Another expert suggested part of the problem was ensuring customers understood what Lumia offered.

"If it takes quite a lot of time to explain and demonstrate these features at a press conference, what do you think it will take to ensure they are communicated at the retail level?" asked Jasdeep Badyal, from the tech consultancy CCS Insight.

"Lumia does come out ahead of Samsung and Apple [in imaging], but how much do consumers know that?

"It's a roadblock in that sense, and often the ultimate purchase decision comes down to the brand recognition and loyalty that Apple and Samsung have built. It will take a very very big effort to change that."

Dynamic flash

The idea of combining multiple exposures of an image to create a superior shot has already been popularised by the high dynamic range (HDR) function offered by many smartphones.

But the idea of combining images with and without flash can be traced back to a patent filed by Microsoft in 2004.

In it, researchers noted that combining information from the two pictures could avoid the "jarring", "harsh" look caused by a flash, while minimising the amount of visible "noise" - a common problem found in no-flash low-light photos.

Kristina Bjorknas, senior experience marketing manager at Microsoft, suggested that Lumia owners could now leave decisions about lighting until days after pictures had been taken.

"We take away the need to make a decision in advance," she said.

"This dynamic flash is a completely unique Lumia imaging experience, [I'm] super-proud of it, and we're bringing this experience to many devices."

Other imaging upgrades announced at the event included:

• The ability to take multiple images with only a 42 millisecond gap between each shot. The firm said that up to 12 images could be taken in the time it takes to blink
• An option to extract 8.3 megapixel stills from the 4K ultra-high definition video captured by its high-end models
• An app that allows the user to whiten their teeth, make themself look slimmer and make other cosmetic changes to selfie snaps

The firm is also promoting its new Lumia 735 handset as the "best for selfies".

The model has a five megapixel front camera, which is higher resolution than many rivals but still outclassed in terms of specs by the 8MP component featured in new models from HTC and Huawei.

However, Nokia suggests that the wide-angle nature of its lens should help it both squeeze more people into a single shot and keep them all sharp "like no other phone out there".

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Dyson to make robot vacuum cleaners

4 September 2014 Last updated at 11:05 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

British engineering company Dyson has announced its first robot vacuum cleaner at an event in Tokyo.

The Dyson 360 Eye joins a crowded market - Hoover, iRobot, Samsung, Neato and Vileda are among other manufacturers to sell such products.

But the Cotswolds-based company says its machine has more powerful suction and should be better at spotting dirt thanks to a "unique" camera system.

One expert said the claims sounded "quite compelling".

"If it works as well as Dyson says it does, then this could be the robot vacuum cleaner to get mainstream market penetration, and not just be a niche product," said Will Findlater, who covers technology for Stuff magazine.

"Up until this point robot vacuums have been objects of geek affection.

"Certainly our experience of the competitors has been that they may do more on the robotics side of things than they do on the rather important business of cleaning your floors."

The machine is due to go on sale in Japan in the first three months of 2015, and then elsewhere later in the year.

Dyson previously showed off another robot vacuum cleaner - the DC06 - in 2001, but cancelled the project a few years later, in part because it would have cost consumers $3,000 (£1,820) or more.

It has yet to announce the price of the new model.

App-controlled cleaner

According to Dyson, most other robot vacuums use "weak, inefficient motors" in order to conserve battery life.

By contrast, it uses the same V2 digital motor found in its other handheld vacuum cleaners, and combines it with a brush bar that covers the full width of the machine, rather than relying on side sweepers.

"We've been developing for a number of years some of the smallest and most powerful digital motors available, and getting that right has enabled us to give the machine very powerful suction, so it can have a very high performance clean," Nick Schneider, a design engineer at the company, told the BBC.

"In addition we've developed a vision system that enables the machine to be very methodical in its clean and not miss sections of floor space."

The vacuum is fitted with a panoramic lens, which sits on top of a camera that captures 360-degree views at 30 frames a second. This is combined with data from infrared sensors to let the machine's internal computer make sense of its position and surroundings.

Another innovation is the ability to schedule a clean remotely via an Android or iOS app.

Although other robot vacuums tend to have less suction power than human-directed vacuums, they make up for this by taking several passes at each room. So, it remains to be seen if Dyson's model actually leaves owners with cleaner homes.

Mr Schneider also acknowledged that the new machine remained less powerful than his company's plug-in-and-push models, meaning it would take longer to do a big clean. But he said it might still be the preferable option for families with a house layout that suited the automated tech.

"We're a way off in terms of comparing it to our corded machines," he said.

"But the benefit that it has is that you don't have to be there to use it.

"So, perhaps even if the performance isn't quite what you'd expect from a DC41 [full-size upright vacuum], the benefit of the convenience of just being able to set it whenever, and not having to worry about it, I think, is its real appeal."

Dyson's robot vacuum competitors are not resting on their laurels.

American firm Moneual has a new model that adds a wet mop to help clean hard floors.

Samsung's latest release allows owners to steer it to dirty spots by shining a laser pointer on the ground, which it then trundles towards.

LG's newest machine can send photos of its surroundings to its owner's smartphone, allowing them to check if its done its job properly and order another pass if not.

And Toshiba's Torneo Robo empties the dirt its gathers into its dock, allowing it to keep working without human intervention for extended periods of time.

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BBC Click's Lara Lewington reviewed the robot vacuum market in February

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Sony phone streams PlayStation games

3 September 2014 Last updated at 15:46 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

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WATCH: BBC's Dave Lee tries out the new kit at Ifa

Sony's latest smartphones and tablets can stream PlayStation 4 video games.

Owners will be able to attach the new devices to an existing PS4 controller via a special mount to play titles powered by the console's processors.

Until now this "remote play" facility had only been offered to the firm's PlayStation Vita handheld console.

Experts said the feature should help Sony's kit stand out from Android rivals at a time when competition is intensifying.

But despite the popularity of the PS4, they added, the move was likely to have only a slight impact on sales.

The Japanese company also unveiled a new smartwatch and a fitness tracker at a press conference in Berlin, ahead of the start of the Ifa tech show.

The launches come a month after Sony cut its smartphone sales forecast by 14% for this financial year, saying its original figure was too "optimistic".

The firm's global handset market share has slipped from 3.9% to 3.1% over the past year, according to research firm IDC, as Chinese rivals have made gains.

'Best of Sony'

The Z3, Z3 Compact and Z3 Tablet Compact all rely on a wi-fi link to control the PS4 and view the graphics it generates.

The firm suggests the feature will appeal to gamers who have to share use of the living room TV.

"Our promise to the consumer has been to bring the best of Sony - all our consumer electronics experience - into a smartphone," Calum MacDougall, head of Xperia marketing, told the BBC.

"We've consistently delivered that in the Z series with digital imaging capability, with our TV screen technology, with our audio capability. And now this is a big step up to almost complete the set with gaming functionality."

Praise for the move was qualified.

"For the gaming fraternity this is certainly something that would pique their interest when looking across a kind of homogenous set of smartphones that largely look the same and do the same kind of thing," said Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight, a telecoms consultancy.

"But I'm not sure it will be a killer feature."

Ryan Reith, mobile devices analyst at IDC, agreed that the facility had appeal to a niche audience, but said at this point the majority of gamers' needs were met by existing tablet and phone apps.

Hard corners

Other features of the Z3 smartphone include:

• A "face in" feature that allows the phone to record the view from the rear 20.7 megapixel camera and superimpose a selfie reaction shot taken simultaneously from the 2.2MP front one
• A multi-cam function that combines the views from up to three connected Xperia devices into a single video recording
• Software to "upscale" the quality of MP3 files to a "near high-resolution" audio
• Durable nylon-based corners to minimise the risk of damage to the phone's aluminium frame
• The ability to create a live video stream broadcast on YouTube

The firm has also taken the relatively unusual step of keeping the phone's 5.2in (13.2cm) screen at 1080p resolution rather than using a higher resolution panel.

While this limits the level of detail displayed, the firm says the benefit is that the handset offers a longer-than-average two days of use between battery charges.

Rejecting round

Sony also updated its wearable tech range with two new products.

The Smartband Talk is a waterproof wristband that tracks the user's physical activity and can last three days between charges. It also acts as a remote microphone and speaker for Bluetooth-connected Android phones, letting owners make calls from their wrist.

The SmartWatch 3 is Sony's first watch to be powered by Google's Android Wear operating system, which is designed for small screens.

It also adds four gigabytes of internal memory, allowing it to offer "offline" music playback at times the owner does not have their phone with them.

Unlike LG and Motorola, Sony only offers its watch in a square design rather than a circular option, which some believe is more fashionable.

"We believe the squarer screen is the better way to go to offer better second-screen functionality," said Mr MacDougall.

"Whether it's looking at your life-log application or notifications, you get a much richer experience in that way."

However, he declined to rule out Sony releasing a circular watch at a later stage.

"Let's see if Sony has a round screen at CES in January," remarked Mr Cross in response.

"All the feedback we're getting is that for wearables to be attractive they need to become more fashionable, and the circular watches have resonated with the consumer and fashion media as to what we want.

"At least Sony now has a stake in the ground with Android Wear, which we believe will become the most pervasive smartwatch operating system outside anything Apple do."

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Samsung reveals virtual reality kit

3 September 2014 Last updated at 16:23 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

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WATCH: The VR helmet comes with a 360-degree video filmed with Cirque du Soleil

Samsung has unveiled a virtual reality headset and a smartphone whose screen bends around one of its sides.

The new kit was revealed at the Ifa tech show in Berlin.

In addition to the Gear VR and Galaxy Note Edge, the company also showed off the fourth standard version of its large-screened Note smartphone, which introduces an ultraviolet light sensor.

The announcements come at a time when Samsung Electronics is perceived to be on its back foot.

In July the division reported a 20% year-on-year drop in its net profit and dozens of executives voluntarily agreed to return part of their bonuses.

The company's smartphone market share fell from 32.2% in the April-to-June quarter of 2013 to 24.9% in the same period this year, according to research firm IDC, despite the fact it has one of the biggest ranges of handsets.

By contrast, its Android rivals Lenovo, Huawei, Xiaomi and Motorola all made gains.

At Ifa, DJ Lee, Samsung Electronic's marketing chief, said his firm was "focused on accelerating the speed of innovation" and promised to "never slow down".

The virtual reality headset is the result of an alliance with Facebook-owned Oculus and acts as an add-on for the Galaxy Note 4.

It uses the phone's 5.7in (14.5cm) screen and speakers, and adds a focal adjustment lens - allowing it to adjust for near and farsighted eyes - and a variety of sensors to track head movements.

The firm said the machine would offer a 96-degree field of view, giving an experience similar to looking at a giant 175in (4.4m) screen from two metres away.

The Gear VR will be sold with a microSD card containing a small collection of 360-degree videos and virtual reality games.

Curved edge

Samsung said the point of wrapping the screen of the Galaxy Note Edge around its side was to offer a new way to access frequently used apps and alerts, which would be useful at times when the rest of the screen was obscured by a protective cover.

It acts as a kind of scrollable dock or toolbar that can be controlled with a swipe of the thumb.

But one expert suggested the functions offered by the Gear VR and Galaxy Note Edge might take a while to reach their full potential.

"[The headset] is going to be a niche thing, simply because until there are great apps and games to take advantage of it, that kind of experience is not going to be a mainstream one," said Ian Fogg from the consultancy IHS.

"Unlike previous curved screen smartphones, such as the LG Flex, the Galaxy Note Edge screen delivers practical benefits. But to maximise the utility, Samsung will need third-party app developers to support the edge display.

"And because Samsung offers this display on just one handset, few app developers will choose to support it unless Samsung pays app developers to tailor their apps."

New Note

Samsung appears to recognise that of its new devices, the Galaxy Note 4 is likely to be the bestseller, calling it the "hero of the day".

The phone is the same size as its predecessor, but now features a "quad HD" screen with 550 pixels per inch, meaning it should in theory present more detail than most of its rivals.

Boosting screen resolution takes a toll on battery life, but the company was keen to promote that it had included "fast charging" technology.

It said the Note 4 would take about 30 minutes to bring its battery up to a 50% charge, versus a 55 minute wait for the Note 3.

The company said other changes included:

• an improved S Pen stylus that provides "a more natural brush effect"
• better noise cancellation to help make calls from loud environments
• an improved fingerprint scanner
• a higher-resolution front camera for selfies that is now 3.7 megapixels

The most unusual feature, however, is the inclusion of what Samsung says is the "world's first UV sensor in a mobile device".

The component provides users with a built-in way to track their exposure to sunlight if they keep the device outside of their pocket or bag.

However, Netatmo's June - a bracelet that wirelessly transmits UV levels to connected smartphones - may offer a more practical solution for consumers wanting this feature.

"I expect the Samsung Note 4 to stand out as an optimised and well-designed product leading in its phablet category, even though it was too early for it to ship with the forthcoming Android L version," commented Thomas Husson, mobile devices analyst at the tech research firm Forrester.

"However, I think this is mostly an incremental change with too much of a focus on the feature and hardware specs. What is missing is a total experience on top of the device to really differentiate it in the interchangeable Android ecosystem."

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'Fundamental flaw' in Apple iCloud

3 September 2014 Last updated at 18:22 By Joe Miller Technology Reporter

Apple's iCloud facility, which stores iPhone and iPad users' photos and personal data, has a "fundamental security flaw", an expert has warned.

The online service is under scrutiny after intimate images of celebrities were stolen and leaked.

It has emerged that a security measure called two-step verification, which is recommended by Apple, can be bypassed using easily available software that allows access to iCloud back-ups.

Apple declined to comment.

The program still requires hackers to know the user's email address and password, and there is no clear evidence that it was used in the recent breaches.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

It's like double locking your front door and leaving the window open"

End Quote Prof Alan Woodward University of Surrey

Two-step verification - which requires a user to type in a short code sent by Apple to their phone or tablet in order to access their account - is supposed to offer an extra level of protection.

On Tuesday, Apple suggested its customers "always use a strong password and enable two-step verification" after it acknowledged that some of its accounts had been compromised by a "very targeted attack".

But one expert said Apple had given people "a false sense of security".

Technology magazine Wired first reported that software from a Russian firm, ElcomSoft, was being mentioned on a hackers discussion group as a useful tool for infiltrating iCloud accounts.

The program, marketed to law enforcement agencies, claims to offer access to iCloud content without the operator needing to be in possession of the iPhone or iPad concerned.

It uses a system devised by Moscow-based computer programmer Vladimir Katalov, which downloads copies of iCloud data.

It is not known whether the facility was utilised by those who stole naked images of Jennifer Lawrence and others.

But Mr Katalov told the BBC that, although he could not be "100% sure", he believed the software was used in the recent celebrity hacks, as ElcomSoft's program is "the only one able to do that".

He added that while his company "didn't like it much" when the software was used for illegal purposes, it had sold the system to individuals, as well as authorities.

Security expert Mikko Hypponen told the BBC the issue lay in the design of Apple's two-step verification system, which he believed was "implemented only to protect your credit card".

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Many users would rather have their credit card numbers stolen than their private photos"

End Quote Mikko Hypponen Security expert

"It doesn't require two-factor authentication when you just want to access the photo roll, or if you want to restore the back-up," he said.

Using ElcomSoft's program, he added: "I can use my computer to extract files from your online back-up - something you can't do yourself".

Indeed, Apple's own page on two-step verification explains that it protects:

• The My Apple ID webpage, where users can manage their iCloud account
• App Store, iTunes or iBooks Store purchases from a new device
• Getting Apple ID-related support

It does not mention any protection for photos, contacts or calendar entries, which are all backed up to iCloud.

However, the BBC understands that it does protect against hackers trying to use the "forgotten password" facility on Apple's website.

Usually, people who have forgotten their login details can regain access to their accounts by entering the answers to some personal questions - and this process cannot be exploited when two-step verification is enabled.

But Mr Hypponen said that by focusing on protecting payments and IDs, Apple might have misjudged what customers care about.

"For many users they would rather have their credit card numbers stolen than their private photos," he said.

'Chinks in armour'

Other security experts said Apple's advice about two-step verification was possibly misleading.

"There is a danger in suggesting that two-step verification is an umbrella that will protect, because obviously that is not the case," said David Emm, a senior analyst at Kaspersky Lab.

"There are chinks in the armour which could potentially be exploited."

Mr Emm added that he was concerned by the fact that ElcomSoft's software has been around since 2012.

"I think [the vulnerability] has probably been raised several times," he said, and the fact that Apple had not beefed up its two-step verification system was "a surprise".

However, he emphasised that overall: "It's clear that Apple does take security seriously."

Prof Alan Woodward, a computer security expert at the University of Surrey, said the holes in Apple's two-step verification system amounted to a "fundamental security flaw" and that it was "like double locking your front door and leaving the window open".

He added that the advice given by Apple "gives people a false sense of security".

But Mikko Hypponen said that iCloud was not the only service to have vulnerabilities.

"We don't really know if this is the only way in," he said.

"It's also highly likely that users not using Apple products were also targeted."

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eBay glitch blocks user access

4 September 2014 Last updated at 00:20 By Kim Gittleson BBC technology reporter, New York

E-retailing giant eBay's users are reporting difficulty signing in to the site from locations in India, the US, the UK and other parts of Europe.

Users say that they cannot sign into their accounts and are receiving incorrect password alerts.

An eBay spokesperson, Ryan Moore, told the BBC that the technical glitch was the result of scheduled server maintenance.

This is the 11th such problem that eBay has suffered this year.

Mr Moore said that the sign-in issue was affecting only a small portion of users, with most remaining unaffected.

"We're working to resolve this issue quickly and will continue to keep our customers updated. We apologise for any inconvenience to our users," he added.

Earlier, eBay administrators had posted that the site was to undergo planned maintenance on 4 September.

Losing income

Sellers and other users of the site took to eBay's community forums and Twitter, where users were using the hashtag #ebaydown, to express displeasure.

Cody Keith runs the Golden Zipper eBay store with his wife from his base in Texas. He says the problems are worrying him, as he has several offers out with buyers and the link to his store is not even showing up on the site.

"By being down for over two hours right now, we are losing revenue," Mr Keith told the BBC.

"My wife and I run the store and are self-employed. That means we are losing potential income to support our family."

Several other users have reported problems with PayPal, eBay's payment processing site.

eBay's websites have suffered a series of technical problems this year, in addition to a massive data breach in May that affected up to 145 million eBay customers.

Several US states, as well as UK and European authorities, are investigating the company in the wake of the breach.

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Japan PM's plane 'tracked online'

4 September 2014 Last updated at 07:08

Japan's government has admitted that the flight paths of official aircraft used by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were posted online.

The location of the planes and other flight data were published on the website Flightradar24, which shows live air traffic around the world, local reports said.

The defence ministry said it had asked the website to remove the information.

Officials said they had confirmed the data was removed on 27 August.

"We don't consider it would have seriously affected the safety of official flights, but it was not preferable that undisclosed information was made openly available to the public," a defence ministry official told AFP news agency.

The two Boeing 747-400 planes, dubbed Japan's Air Force One and Air Force Two, always travel together, according to AFP. They also transport the imperial family.

Kyodo news agency said that the Japanese government discloses only the destination for overseas flights as a counterterrorism measure.

Flightradar24 says it tracks flights primarily through signals which are broadcast by aircraft, called ADS-B. It also uses data provided by the US Federal Aviation Administration and a navigation technique called multilateration.

The site relies on a network of 4,000 data receivers, hosted by volunteers around the world, which send the information to its servers.

Japan announced earlier this month that it would replace the two aircraft with Boeing 777-300ERs, which will be operational from April 2019.

The new planes have the ability to fly nonstop to the US east coast and are large enough for VIPs, their entourages and communication equipment to handle sensitive information, reported Mainichi.

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'Smart' chopsticks unveiled in China

4 September 2014 Last updated at 11:44

Electronic chopsticks that can detect whether food is unsafe to eat have been unveiled by Chinese tech company Baidu.

The search giant said the utensils could detect unsanitary cooking oil - a common concern in the country.

At its annual conference in Beijing, Baidu also unveiled its own wearable headset, a rival to Google's Glass.

The Baidu Eye has an in-built camera but no screen, and conveys information to the user via an earpiece or by connecting to a smartphone.

Both new products are as yet unavailable to consumers, and the company did not specify a date on which they would go on sale.

In a video promoting the new chopsticks, Baidu shows the device measuring the precise heat of various foods, as well as nutrients and sell-by date.

The sticks, which also include a sodium analyser to help users regulate their daily salt intake, can connect to any computer via wi-fi and Bluetooth.

"Chopsticks are the embodiment of Chinese wisdom," a Baidu executive said. "And we have combined it with our advanced technology."

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The perils of being called Isis

4 September 2014 Last updated at 11:53 Magazine Monitor A collection of cultural artefacts

A US mobile payment company has changed its name from Isis to avoid confusion with the radical Islamist group. Should similarly titled brands feel obliged to follow suit, asks Jon Kelly.

US mobile payment service Isis has changed its name to Softcard to distinguish itself from Islamic State (IS), formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria - commonly shortened to Isis. "However coincidental, we have no desire to share a name with this group," chief executive Michael Abbott said in a statement.

It's understandable, given that the other Isis is responsible for mass killings and abductions of members of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as beheading soldiers and journalists.

The defunct Boston "post-metal" group Isis received abusive messages on its Facebook page from posters who confused them with the Islamist organisation (the page is now titled "Isis the band"). The musicians said fans had emailed to say they were now reluctant to wear their T-shirts. Ann Summers apologised for any offense caused after, with "unfortunate timing", it launched a range of "erotic lingerie" called The Isis Collection.

But other Isises persist. There is a pharmaceutical company (which has insisted it will be keeping its name), a Young Offenders Institution, a river modelling software package, an international development foundation, and the Oxford University student magazine. In 2013 there were 46 babies born in the UK called Isis, making it the 825th most popular girls' name.

All, presumably, take inspiration from the Egyptian goddess, the Oxford river or the 1976 Bob Dylan song, rather than the Sunni militants. But each could be forgiven for considering a rebrand.

"It's a difficult one and we're monitoring it," says David Brown, chief executive of ISIS Schools, which teaches English to overseas students. On the one hand, the name is now associated by many with extremism and violence. On the other, IS may catch on instead. "We'll decide in the next month or two how to respond," Brown adds.

Others say it's the name of the militant fighters that should change. Isis Martinez, an alternative medicine practitioner based in Miami, launched an appeal titled Thousands of Women are Named Isis, Please Petition the Media to Use the Accurate Acronym ISIL - referring to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

And indeed IS has already given itself a new title - following the logic of Osama Bin Laden, who, according to documents recovered from his Pakistani compound, considered rebranding al-Qaeda.

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Stolen nudes prompt changes at 4Chan

4 September 2014 Last updated at 12:08

The website where leaked celebrity nudes first surfaced has moved to comply with US laws on stolen content.

Many of the images were initially shared on the /b/ discussion board of 4Chan which has been notorious for ignoring copyright laws.

4Chan has now said it will enact a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) policy to let content owners get illegally shared material removed.

It will now remove content after it gets a "bona fide infringement" notice.

'Terminate' access

Before now, image-sharing site 4Chan has largely avoided having to actively police many of its discussions boards because of the frenetic nature of the site itself. An upper limit on the amount of material any board can support means that content often disappeared or "expired" before demands to take it down were filed. On the busiest 4Chan boards, content expires in a matter of hours.

Despite this lack of formal policing, 4Chan has taken steps to find and remove content involving the sexual abuse of children shared on the site.

The furore over the large number of stolen videos and images of celebrities posted to the site have now prompted it to update its policies and comply with the DMCA. 4Chan has also appointed a member of staff to oversee DMCA takedown requests.

As well as taking down illegally-shared content in response to genuine requests, 4Chan said it would also notify the person who posted infringing material that the content had been removed and was subject to a DMCA request.

The policy shift also means that repeat offenders who regularly posted stolen material will have access to 4Chan "terminated".

Although this might have some impact on regular users of the site who maintain an account, it is not clear what effect the policy change will have on the many others who post material anonymously and supply no identifying information.

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