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mercredi 28 septembre 2011

YouView details user interface policy

Par Bruno le mercredi 28 septembre 2011, 11:30

YouView has published its UI and search policy consultation online.

The consultation will run for six weeks, and is a process to determine exactly how the user interface for the subscription-free streaming service will be crafted. One that will theoretically ensure that the EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) is fair and justified in its ordering.

Obviously it’s very important which channels get placed near the top of the EPG, as these are the most likely to snag viewers. Those towards the bottom will inevitably struggle a great deal more.

One concern is that given the fact that YouView is actually a joint venture involving the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, these stations will be able to give themselves priority.

The draft policy attempts to allay these fears by stipulating: “The allocation of listing positions and UI positions and the configuration of search results will be undertaken without regard to whether the Content Provider is a YouView shareholder.”

“Where a YouView shareholder, who is also a Content Provider, is awarded a listing or a UI position, the basis for such award will be objectively justifiable, having regard to the principles of fairness, reasonableness and non-discrimination on which all UI positions will be awarded.”

Although, of course, the YouView consortium members are likely to get those top spots, and are undeniably big UK channels. Well, except for Channel 5 (just kidding).

YouView recently welcomed an ex-Sky executive on board, Chris Bramley, who became Chief Technology Officer. The service is still apparently on track for an early 2012 launch (although it was supposed to launch early 2011).

Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro to launch next week

Par Bruno le mercredi 28 septembre 2011, 11:05

It seems that the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro will finally be arriving with us next week.

The Xperia Pro was revealed at the start of the year, and initially Sony Ericsson had it down for a July release.

However, July came and went, with the expected availability date being pushed right back to October – something to do with component shortages after the Japanese quake disaster, the rumour mill speculated.

So now October is imminent, and it does indeed seem to be the case that the Xperia Pro will finally hit the shelves, at least according to online retailer Clove.

The company announced on its blog page: “We have been informed today that we will be receiving stock of the Xperia Pro on the 6th October. This will please a lot of you I am sure as we have had many enquiries about the ETA of this device.”

So there you have it, a week tomorrow is the date to mark in your calendar. Clove will be flogging the handset for £323 sim-free.

In terms of tech spec, the Xperia pro comes with a 3.7 inch display driven by the Bravia engine (with a resolution of 854×480) and a slide-out Qwerty keyboard.

There’s also an 8 megapixel HD-capable camera and a 1GHz processor, plus an HDMI output. The OS will be Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Given the price, that’s some pretty nifty technology on board, although the 1GHz processor is looking a little slower these days, compared to some of the 1.5GHz beasts flying around.

New Mac trojan on the way

Par Bruno le mercredi 28 septembre 2011, 10:46

Security experts F-Secure have discovered a new Mac Trojan that disguises itself as a PDF file.

The malware downloads the file into a temp file, then opens itself as a PDF in order to distract users from any other suspicious activity which may be going on.

The PDF contains text written in Chinese-language “relating to political issues, which some users may find offensive.”

Whilst Mac malware might be considered rarer than Windows targeted payloads, this isn’t the first that has been discovered this year, or even this month. ITProPortal also reports that there is another circulating that mimics the Adobe Flash installer.

“This (PDF) malware may be attempting to copy the technique implemented by Windows malware, which opens a PDF file containing a ‘.pdf.exe’ extension and an accompanying PDF icon,” F-Secure warns.

Whilst the sample of the Trojan that they are investigating doesn’t yet have an extension or an icon, F-Secure admits this could have been lost when it was submitted.

However, they say, this could also indicate that the malware is “even stealthier than in Windows” as it may be able to “use any extension it desires.”

The Trojan more than likely comes in through an email attachment and once executed, installs Backdoor:OSX/Imuler.A, which is capable of contacting a remote server for instructions.

It then takes screenshots of the infected machine and steals files to send to the controller.

Whilst F-Secure says that the command and control of this malware is not yet capable of communicating, as it is in its infancy, the domain it is registered to has shown recent signs of activity.

“The author could be just testing the water to see if the sample is detected by different AV vendors,” the security company points out.

Last month a Flash trojan was discovered which hijacks a user browser and mimics Google search pages.

It then displays a false search results page and pulls pop-ups from a remote server.

F-Secure recommends that users only download Flash from the Adobe website and don’t open any email attachments that come from people they don’t know.

Windows Phone 7 Mango update begins rolling out

Par Bruno le mercredi 28 septembre 2011, 08:50

It’s official – Microsoft has now begun the roll out of its update to the Windows Phone OS, known as Mango, or Windows Phone 7.5.

The roll out officially kicked off early yesterday evening our time, but WP7 phone owners shouldn’t get too excited just yet, as it’s going to be a staggered release over an extended period of time.

Only a small amount of folks will get it this week (around 10%), with more being upgraded next week, and almost everyone eventually receiving Mango inside the next four weeks. Almost everyone being 98% of WP7 handsets.

Microsoft notes that this paced delivery is for several reasons, the major one being that the company is rolling out Mango to all phone models, networks and countries across the globe in this period.

Which is obviously something of a task, and in contrast to Android’s typical roll outs, with some operators not keeping up with the latest version of the OS for months and months after its release.

The theory is that the measured pace ensures the situation can be closely monitored and if anything goes awry with the software, it can be pin-pointed and dealt with swiftly, which all seems fair enough.

Hopefully you’ll be one of the lucky ones who has the OS this week or next, but even so, there won’t be too long to wait. Everyone should have it before the close of October – assuming some huge problem isn’t encountered in the initial stages, fingers crossed.

The Mango update brings a raft of new features, some 500 of them, in fact. We’re talking custom ringtones, deeper social network integration, a central inbox to link up multiple email accounts, grouping for contacts, voice commands and so forth.

The world is keenly watching what Nokia will produce in the way of Windows Phone 7.5 handsets next month as hardware to go with the refined OS. HTC and Samsung also have Mango phones on the boil.

Could they help reverse Microsoft’s mobile fortunes? Perhaps, but there’s a mountain to climb yet. Certainly if Mango and Nokia can’t at least perk up Microsoft’s mobile market share, then WP7 is looking pretty sunk…

Early reactions from users, however, seem favourable enough, which is promising.

Three extends “all-you-can-eat” data plans to all customers

Par Bruno le mercredi 28 septembre 2011, 08:19

Three’s all-you-can-eat data plans were first introduced on its main One Plan at the end of last year. The network then made unlimited data available to those on PAYG as part of a £15 per month bundle which was introduced in March.

And now Three has decided to extend that unlimited data offer to its remaining customer base, so anyone with a Three phone can now get on board from the end of the first week of October.

It’ll cost you on top of your contract, but only to the tune of £3 per month which isn’t a huge amount to pay to have your data cap completely lifted.

Certainly in the past, as we’ve noted, unlimited data on Three hasn’t been truly unlimited in terms of bandwidth. Yes, your connection won’t ever be cut off no matter how much you use it, but those who chew through massive amounts of data will be throttled back for a time.

Three’s statistics point to customer data use increasing sharply this year. iPhone 4 owners with the network were averaging around 490MB per month as measured back in February, but that had more than doubled to 1.2GB in August.

Thomas Malleschitz, marketing director at Three UK, commented: “The One Plan quickly became our number one contract tariff and our all-you-can-eat PAYG offer is our most popular bundle. From October 7th we’re opening up all-you-can-eat to everyone else, starting from as little as £18 per month.”

“Our customers tell us that their use of data goes up significantly over the lifetime of their contracts, as they do more and more with their handset. All-you-can-eat data means that they don’t have to worry, they can have that peace of mind for the long term on a contract of their choice.”

mardi 27 septembre 2011

iPhone launch confirmed for October 4th

Par Bruno le mardi 27 septembre 2011, 16:35

The rumours that the next-generation iPhone will be launched a week today, on October 4th, have been officially confirmed.

The invites to the Cupertino campus, where the event will be held, have been sent out. They simply said: “Let’s talk iPhone.”

Traditionally, major Apple launches are held at the Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts in San Francisco, but the company has plumped for the smaller venue this time.

This could be because the arts centre was booked up, although whatever the reason, it means that new CEO Tim Cook will get to handle his first big iGadget launch in a smaller venue.

Whether that’ll make it easier to deal with – or harder because the Apple fans won’t be quite so massed and vocal with their cheering – we’re not sure.

Anyway, in almost exactly a week’s time – the event will begin at 6pm our time – we’ll finally discover whether there’ll be an iPhone 5, an iPhone 4S, or both.

The theory with the latter being that the iPhone 5 will be launched as normal, and the 4S as a somewhat cheaper more budget conscious alternative to help expand Apple’s market share to the lower reaches of the smartphone world (where Android reigns supreme).

The only certainty is that the new (top) model will definitely boast a faster processor and an improved 8 megapixel camera. It’s also likely to have a redesigned, slimmer body, certainly if you put any stock in leaked shots of cases for the device.

Roll on next week…

Smartphones putting company security at risk

Par Bruno le mardi 27 septembre 2011, 16:09

According to research carried out by Gartner, smartphones may be endangering company security as their popularity continues to grow.

More and more employees are using smartphones instead of laptops to access company email and connect to company networks when they are out of the office.

Sales of mobile devices in the second quarter of this year grew 16.5% year-on-year, whilst for smartphones the figure was 74%, accounting for 25% of overall sales. This has risen 17% since the previous quarter in business sales.

Wick Hill Group plc have warned that this raises key issues pertaining to security which companies have given little or no thought to.

It is thought the biggest threat is that these devices are more often lost or stolen than many of the larger devices, such as laptops and netbooks.

Research by getsafeonline shows that 1 in 5 smartphone owners can expect to, or have, lost their device at some point. It is also thought that people consistently lose their phones in London taxis and there is “a fairly consistent 10,000 per month” devices left in the vehicles.

It is also believed that phones connected to a VPN could be at risk of becoming infected with malware or being hacked.

Philippe Winthrop, an analyst at consultancy Strategy Analytics , commented: “If I take your device and muck around with it, what if the VPN is set up on it? It’s a huge risk not being dealt with enough today.”

Getsafeonline’s Tony Neate says: “Users must remember that they are essentially carrying around a tiny laptop with a wealth of personal information that is very attractive to fraudsters.”

Smartphone security has become high profile recently as the infection rate in Android devices has risen dramatically. Many don’t realise that there is a need for security software to be installed on the devices, leaving them open to different kinds of attack.

Security experts have warned that smartphones now represent the easiest way for criminals to steal personal information and use information fraudulently.

Bearing this in mind, it is more important than ever for companies to have security policies and implement protective measures across the business.

This is especially true when companies allow employees to use their devices for both business and personal use.

The mixture of voice and data also means that firms have failed to take into account the additional security issues that this could raise, especially when it comes to secure connections.

According to the report, there are a number of steps that businesses can take to better protect devices used by employees.

These include setting up a PIN in order to secure the phone and not relying on default settings.

There should also be a facility which allows the data on the device to be wiped if a criminal should attempt to enter the pin more than three times.

A central management system should be set up in order to prevent a phone being used in the event that it is lost or stolen.

Another recommended step is to install GPS tracking and a “SIM watch” which sends any new number back to the company if a new SIM is placed into the handset.

As with personal phones, it is also a good idea to make a note of the IMEI numbers of company phones. If a device is lost or stolen, the number is placed on a database and blocked, meaning that it can no longer be used.

Further useful advice is to simply treat the devices as you would a PC and train employees to take care when opening mail or clicking on links.

As with computers on a network, companies should install antivirus solutions and ensure that these are properly licensed and kept up to date.

Plastic Logic 100 eReader made for classrooms

Par Bruno le mardi 27 septembre 2011, 12:08

Plastic Logic has announced that they will be launching a new eReader. They have seen that the eReader market is exceptionally crowded, therefore have tried to target students. This device uses plastic-based epaper technology as originally intended for the cancelled QUE eReader.

Their new eReader is named the Plastic logic 100 which has a huge 10.7-inch 1280×960 resolution display that’s even bigger than the Kindle DX 9.7-inch’s one. The best thing about the screen is not only the size, but the fact that it’s a capacitive touchscreen.

It’s also only 7.65mm thick, and weighs 475g so would be quite comfortable in the hand. Having such a large screen means the battery life has suffered, as it can only last about a week.

Inside the Plastic Logic 100 there is an 800 MHz processor and 4GB of internal storage. In addition it uses the operating system Windows CE. Lacking any wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi or 3G) is a huge negative as all the current eReaders in the market at least come with Wi-Fi.

Due to this being a classroom device it has 40 pre-loaded textbooks and will be able to annotate and underline text. I would guess there will be an onscreen touch keyboard. The Plastic Logic 100 has a very simplistic charcoal black finish, with a large border around the screen.

In conclusion the Plastic Logic 100 seems like a very impressive device, until you find out there are no wireless capabilities. Moreover the device is said to be sold for about $400 (about £260) which is way over priced for any eReader.

Samsung Focus S and Focus Flash launch with WP7 Mango

Par Bruno le mardi 27 septembre 2011, 12:04

These two devices both will run the new Windows Phone 7.5 which is better known as Mango.

The windows mobile operating system has been overshadowed by Android and Apple’s iSO but Microsoft are about to try and change this, with Mango and top notch handsets to go with it.

At the higher end of the spectrum is the Samsung focus S and the Focus Flash is a lower grade model.

Firstly the Focus S has a huge 4.3-inch screen, which is the same size as on the Samsung Galaxy S II. The screen makes navigating and general use superb.

On top of that it’s a Super AMOLED touchscreen, giving images that will look crisp, sharp and bright. This type of screen is said to be on the Google Nexus Prime as well.

It also features an 8-megapixel rear and 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, and with all this it is only 8.55mm thick. Moreover in the device there is a very quick 1.4 GHz processor, so multitasking shouldn’t be a problem.

Even though the Focus Flash is a lower end model it still has a good specification. It has the same 1.4 GHz processor as the Focus S, however the camera is downgraded to 5 megapixels. Nevertheless there is a 3.7-inch Super AMOLED screen to keep you happy.

Mango is said to have 500 new features and with the two high quality Samsung devices this should be an all round crowd pleaser.

Hide My Ass defends itself over “LulzSec Fiasco”

Par Bruno le mardi 27 septembre 2011, 11:30

A UK VPN provider has defended handing over logs relating to a member of LulzSec after it was ordered to by the courts.

In a blog statement entitled “LulzSec Fiasco”, Hide My Ass said that it had previously come to its attention that a member of the hacktivist group was using the service, following the leak of some IRC chat logs.

However, the company took no action at the time as there was no proof of any wrongdoing, nor was there any indication which services were being used by which accounts.

“At a later date it came as no surprise to have received a court order asking for information relating to an account associated with some or all of the [...] cases,” the firm said.

Hide My Ass offer a range of services that enable users to surf anonymously, including VPN and web proxies.

However, it is stated in the organisation’s privacy policy that this is not intended to help those who choose to break the law, and that they will cooperate should they receive an order from a UK court.

“It is very naive to think that by paying a subscription fee to a VPN service you are free to break the law without any consequences,” the company further pointed out.

It went on to say that any such service that refuses to cooperate with the authorities on matters such as this are likely to “have their entire VPN network monitored and tapped by law enforcement, thus affecting legitimate customers.”

VPNs are often used by companies who have employees who work from different locations in order to ensure their data remains secure.

They can also be used to secure data whilst connected to an unsecured Wi-Fi network or access television services in other countries which would otherwise be blocked, ideal for ex-pats.

Hide My Ass can also bypass censorship in other countries and the company initially founded the service with this in mind in 2005.

“We truly believe the worldwide-web should be worldwide and not censored in any way,” the company blog states.

The firm’s services were used by protestors during the uprising in Egypt, to spread their message through sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, which were blocked by the Egyptian government.

Hide My Ass further defends its service by stating that they don’t log any users activity online.

Whilst they do keep track of when an account logs in and out, they “do not log in any shape or form your actual internet traffic.”

This enables them to be able to keep track of “abusive users” such as spammers and ensure that their existing customer base is protected.

This is essential for the service the company provides and as they point out, they would quickly lose their reputation if they allowed illegal activities to be carried out and could not track such users.

Whilst they will comply with UK court orders, the company says that they will not respond to requests for information from overseas unless they are carried out through channels which will require them to provide evidence by UK law.

It seems that the company has come under some criticism for handing over the LulzSec info, more than likely by the remaining members of the group and their supporters.

However, should they have defied the court order, Hide My Ass would have been liable for prosecution themselves and most likely would have been forced out of business.

The company provides a legitimate service which has also been used to help further free speech in countries under a dictatorship, so it seems somewhat childish to accuse them of hypocrisy in this case.

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