US book chain Barnes & Noble plans to launch new Nook tablets alongside its e-readers in the UK later this year.





They will compete against products from Amazon, Kobo, Sony and others. B&N boasts that its smaller tablet - which features a 7in (17.8cm) screen - is the lightest such device to offer a "high definition" experience. The firm has secured distribution deals with some of the country's leading retailers, but may suffer because its brand is less well known. While B&N and Amazon have decided to enter the UK's tablet market at the same time, they are pursuing different strategies: the former has decided to offer its full line-up from the start, while the latter is selling a more limited range. So, while B&N will offer a 9in (22.9cm) tablet called the Nook HD+ in the UK from mid-November, Amazon has opted to limit sales of its 8.9in Kindle Fire HD to the US for the time being. This may help B&N make inroads into the larger-screened tablet market - the Nook HD+ is £100 cheaper than Apple's 9.7in iPad 2, and £70 below Samsung's 10.1in Galaxy Tab2. Competition is likely to be more fierce in the 7in category where the basic £159 Nook HD, featuring 8GB of storage, will compete against similarly priced offerings from Amazon, Kobo and Elonex as well as Asus's £199 Google-branded Nexus 7 tablet. Curated stores The Nook tablets run on an adapted version of Android 4.0, giving them access to an existing wide range of third-party software. B&N is also offering its own curated magazine, newspaper, book and app stores - and plans to add a video service offering movies and television shows by early 2013. These facilities can also be used on other devices allowing users to share material from the tablets to smartphones and PCs. The decision to restrict which apps can be sold provides the firm with an opportunity to limit malware. However, some owners might be frustrated by the fact they are not offered an opportinity to install material from either the Google Play or Amazon Appstore marketplaces unless they hack the machines.

 The Nook tablets do not display adverts, unlike the Kindle Fire which shows "special offers" when put into lock mode. Distribution deals The tablets build on B&N's earlier announcement that it would sell its full range of black-and-white-screened e-book readers in the UK from early-October. These will include a Simple Touch model featuring a built-in light, allowing it to be used in the dark. While Amazon has announced a device with a similar feature for US shoppers - the Kindle Paperwhite - it has not put the model on sale in the UK. However, Kobo does offer the facility with its new e-reader, the Kobo Glo. With a flood of new devices coming onto the market, the various companies' fortunes may be determined by their High Street distribution deals. While B&N does not operate its own stores in the UK, it will sell its products through Sainsbury's and the bookstore Blackwell's. Kobo's partners include WH Smith and Asda, while Amazon has teamed up with Waterstones, Comet, Ryman, Carphone Warehouse and Tesco. John Lewis, Currys, PC World and Argos will sell all three devices as well as other similar products made by Sony, Archos, Delium and others. "A clearer picture of how the market will be divided up should emerge after this Christmas and the shopping period immediately afterwards," Philip Jones, editor of the Bookseller magazine, told the BBC. "Barnes & Noble is an unknown brand in the UK so it will have to work harder to get where Kobo and Kindle are. "But what is still unknown about the tablets on offer is how big the non-iPad market will become, and whether they will appeal to book-readers. "Although they are being sold through bookstores, the evidence suggests that people don't use tablets to read books to the same extent they do on e-ink devices."













26 September 2012 Last updated at 13:05
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19723362

Iran has restricted access to Google's email service, Gmail, and search engine.

 A firewall already prevents Iranians from accessing many Western sites. The latest move coincides with protests throughout the Muslim world - including some in Tehran - against an anti-Islamic film posted on Google's video-sharing site YouTube. A government deputy minister announced the upcoming ban on Sunday on state television. "Google and Gmail will be filtered nationwide, and will remain filtered until further notice," said an adviser to Iran's public prosecutor's office Abdul Samad Khoramabadi. The announcement was also sent out as a text message on mobile phones. The unsecured version of the search engine, which is much easier to eavesdrop on, remains accessible. The BBC Persian service says: "Google search website is accessible, but is not functioning properly. Google services which need a secure SSL [Secure Sockets Layer] connection are out of reach in Iran. "Any attempt to get access to those services leads the user to a never-ending waiting phase, where nothing comes up." Users can only access Gmail accounts by using virtual private networks (VPNs), which allow web surfing behind heavily encrypted firewalls. Many Iranians already use VPNs to bypass the government's restrictions on other blocked Western websites, said Mahmood Tajali Mehr, an Iranian telecommunications consultant living in Germany. "This is just a move by the Iranian governement towards a so-called nationwide intranet, to control all the traffic from the outside, and authorities are saying they will implement it in about three years. "But every school child knows how to bypass restrictions by using VPNs, it's very common in Iran." Temporary block? It is not the first time Iranian authorities have cut access to Google services. Both Google Search and Gmail were restricted in February, ahead of parliamentary elections in March. Mr Mehr said that he did not think the services were going to stay restricted for long. "This is just a propaganda tool to demonstrate that Iran is doing something against the US, but it is unlikely to last longer than a few days. "The current trouble with the anti-Islamic film is helping the government with this propaganda. "The state is saying that the people are asking to block these services because of the film, but there haven't been such protests as in Pakistan and elsewhere, only small organised protests, so my personal feeling is that it has nothing to do with the film. "Especially keeping in mind that YouTube has been blocked for some time already." Google's YouTube site has been censored since mid-2009, following protests and allegations of vote fraud after the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The websites of several Western media organisations such as the Guardian, BBC and CNN are also blocked in the country, and a number of other web services, including Facebook and Twitter, are often censored. In March, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered officials to set up a body tasked with defining policy and co-ordinating decisions regarding the internet, called the Supreme Council of Virtual Space.












24 September 2012 Last updated at 11:37 GMT
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19700910

Microsoft has released a temporary software fix for a bug in its Internet Explorer web browser.





Cybercriminals used the flaw to install the Poison Ivy trojan on users' computers. This piece of malware can steal data or take remote control of a PC. Microsoft said in a blog the Fix It tool was "an easy, one-click solution that will help protect your computer right away" but "not intended to be a replacement for any security update". Microsoft said there had been an "extremely limited number of attacks". Before releasing the fix, the company had suggested workarounds such as disabling Active X controls and Active Scripting or downloading its Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit. Another suggestion had been to change the security-zone settings on the browser to "high" and run IE in a restricted mode. So-called zero-day, or newly discovered, vulnerabilities are rare. According to security company Symantec, only eight such bugs were spotted in 2011. Symantec research manager Liam O Murchu said their novelty made them dangerous. "Any time you see a zero-day like this, it is concerning," he said. "There are no patches available. It is very difficult for people to protect themselves." The flaw, present in all versions of Internet Explorer except IE 10, was spotted by Luxembourg-based security expert Eric Romang, when his PC was infected by Poison Ivy last week.










 21 September 2012 Last updated at 12:49
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19674761

Apple has responded to fierce criticism of its mapping software, saying the application will "improve".

 The mapping software angered users who said it was riddled with inaccuracies, misplaced towns and cities and omitted key landmarks. Apple said it appreciated all the customer feedback it was receiving about the app and would work hard to improve it. The problems emerged a day before the global launch of its iPhone 5 handset. Hundreds of people have camped out for days to ensure they are among the first to buy one of the smartphones. At Apple's flagship store on London's Regent Street almost 1300 people were in line for one of the phones. The mapping system comes with updates to Apple's phone operating system and is bundled in with the iPhone 5. Lost towns Apple embarked on the development of its own mapping software after deciding it no longer wanted to use Google's equivalent. Apple's own system has been created using data from navigation firm TomTom and others. In a statement Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said the launch of Apple Maps was a major undertaking for the firm.

"We are continuously improving it, and as Maps is a cloud-based solution, the more people use it, the better it will get," she said. "We appreciate all of the customer feedback and are working hard to make the customer experience even better," added Ms Muller. Apple was also planning to work closely with external developers to put the work they have done on apps for local transport into the mapping software, she said. It is unclear whether this will be enough to mollify users who took to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and other social media networks to mock the failings of the mapping application. The BBC received a lot of complaints about Apple's maps, with users saying that some towns, such as Stratford Upon Avon, were missing and others were in the wrong place. In addition some places, including a train station, were shown to be in the ocean and many others were wrongly labelled. Before the release of the iOS6, Apple's updated mobile operating system, many developers had warned about the poor quality of the mapping app. It was particularly poor, they said, at finding local businesses via search. Apple seems to be aware of a need to beef up its mapping expertise. Many tech news sites noted that Apple had placed a lot of adverts on its jobs site for mapping experts in the past week or so. There is not currently a Google Maps app available in Apple's App Store, although Google's system is still accessible via the phone's web browser.














21 September 2012 Last updated at 10:39
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19672981

Google's Motorola unit faces being forced to recall its Android tablets and smartphones from Germany after losing a patent lawsuit against Apple.

 The case relates to one of the innovations at the heart of an earlier US case in which Samsung was defeated by the iPhone maker. The dispute focused on the iOS system's bounce-back list feature which Motorola was found to have infringed. Apple has to formally request a sales ban before it would come into effect. Google has not issued a statement, but is expected to appeal. Workaround The ruling was issued at a court in Munich on Thursday. Google had challenged the validity of the patent which describes a way to make a list react as if it was on a rubberband when a user scrolls beyond its end. The search giant has also filed a separate challenge against the intellectual property with the European Patent Office. Tech consultant Florian Mueller - who advised another tech firm recently involved in a lawsuit against Google - said it would be relatively easy for the search giant to revise its software to mean it no longer risked a patent infringement. The basic version of Google's Android operating system displays a glow effect when a user reaches the end of a list. So, the firm could revise an adapted version used on Motorola devices to abandon their use of an added bounce-back feature. However, he added that if Apple posted a bond of 25m euro ($32.6m; £20.1m), it could now force the devices off shop shelves, and for an additional sum it could have them destroyed or recalled. Motorola briefly forced Apple to stop selling some of its iPads and iPhones in Germany in February after a separate lawsuit.

Co-founder's concern While the ruling adds to Apple's patent victory tally, the firm's co-founder Steve Wozniak has voiced his discomfort at the fact it was engaged in such legal battles. "I hate it," he said, when quizzed by the Bloomberg about the fact that a jury had awarded Apple $1.05bn (£648m) in damages from Samsung. "I don't think the decision of California will hold. And I don't agree with it... I wish everybody would just agree to exchange all the patents and everybody can build the best forms they want to use everybody's technologies." Mr Wozniak is the listed inventor of several patents himself, including a way to use a computer with a video display. 4G lawsuit? Although the US jury's verdict was delivered last month, the judge has scheduled two further hearings to discuss device bans in the country, and must still issue a final ruling on the sum owed. Samsung has said it intended to appeal. There has also been speculation that the South Korean firm might also challenge Apple over the use of 4G technologies in its new iPhone 5. "We have several cards, such as LTE patents," Samsung's IT and mobile unit chief Shin Jong-kyun said earlier this week. "But we are cautious since [Samsung] has business ties with Apple in the component sector."












14 September 2012 Last updated at 11:30
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19598355

The UK's first fourth generation (4G) mobile service will launch in 16 UK cities before the end of the year.

Everything Everywhere, which will now be known as just EE, will continue the rollout into the new year, and aims to provide 4G to 98% of the UK by 2014. 4G coverage in London, Birmingham, Cardiff and Bristol is currently being tested ahead of launching in "weeks". Rivals have voiced concerns that EE had been given an unfair headstart by launching first. Other cities to get the high-speed connectivity are Belfast, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle, Sheffield and Southampton. 'Spout unstoppably' 4G mobile technology will mean all of these locations will benefit from improved network access speeds, even indoors. Speaking at the event, London Mayor Boris Johnson said: "I barely understand it, but information will spout unstoppably from these gizmos. "It will bring huge advantages to anyone living or working in London." Further rollout could prove a boon to rural areas where fixed line broadband speeds are poor. EE will offer several handsets to use with the service. Within the year, these will be Samsung's Galaxy S III LTE; HTC's One XL and Huawei's Ascend P1 LTE. The company will also offer Nokia's Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 - the latter of which the company has as an exclusive deal. In addition, other devices will be launched to allow customers to connect existing equipment - such as a laptop - to the 4G network. "4G will bring a more reliable connection," EE chief executive Olaf Swantee told the BBC. "When you see that it can do so much more than the current network, people will have a great appetite for it." The use of 4G will create a huge demand for data, he said - meaning networks would need to be updated. "Our networks can cope for now but they are not future-proofed." However, he refused to be drawn on media reports that Ofcom had brokered a peace deal between operators who were said to be angry at EE's early access to the 4G spectrum. But he did say that threats of legal action were shortsighted. "Stop using lawyers. We need to move on and get 4G infrastructure in place."













11 September 2012 Last updated at 12:21
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19543042

Sweden has topped a new global index evaluating the state of the web in 61 countries, with the US coming second and the UK third.

Compiled by Sir Tim Berners-Lee's World Wide Web Foundation, it ranked both the social and political impact of the web. It found that only one in three people are using the web globally and fewer than one in six in Africa. It highlighted censorship and high broadband prices as barriers to a "web for all". Using data from the past five years, it scored nations in seven different categories. These were: communications infrastructure - the state and availability of web-enabling infrastructure; institutional infrastructure - education, laws, regulation and censorship; web content - what relevant and useful content is available; web use - the extent to which the web is used in a country; political impact; economic impact and social impact. According to the index, Iceland has the greatest web use, with 95% of its population online. Ireland, which overall ranked 10th, gained the highest score for economic impact with 14.8% of its gross domestic product coming from ICT service exports between 2007 and 2010. Yemen came bottom of the index in three categories, including social and economic impact of the web.

 Sir Tim Berners-Lee explained why he thought such an index was important: "By shining a light on the barriers to web for everyone, the index is a powerful tool that will empower individuals, government and organisations to improve their societies." 'Global conversation' According to the index, 30% of countries face moderate to severe government restrictions on access to websites, while about half of them show increasing threats to press freedom. "The web is a global conversation. Growing suppression of free speech, both online and offline, is possibly the single biggest challenge to the future of the web," warned Sir Tim. Despite falling costs in western Europe, internet access remains a luxury in most countries, it suggested. Across the 61 countries surveyed, broadband connections still cost almost half of monthly income per capita. "The high price of connectivity is stopping billions of people from achieving their rights to to knowledge and participation. Costs have got to come down dramatically," said Sir Tim.












 5 September 2012 Last updated at 08:30
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19478298

After eight years of work, fans are about to release an updated and expanded version of classic video game Half-Life.

 Called Black Mesa, the resurrected game will be made available as a free download on 14 September. The update has been put together using programming tools released by Half-Life creator Valve. It will have improved graphics, better physics and environmental effects and a tweaked story line. News about the long-awaited update broke at the weekend when a countdown timer appeared on the Black Mesa project webpage. A forum message posted soon after revealed that eager players would not get an improved version of the entire game on 14 September. Carlos Montero, leader of the 40-strong Black Mesa development team, said it decided to release a shorter version instead of making people wait longer for the whole thing. Alien intrusion The large chunk of Half-Life that is finished lets players guide hero Gordon Freeman to a section of the original gameplay known as Lambda Core. Finishing this first chunk should take players between eight to 10 hours.

 The final section yet to be finished takes place in the alien Xen dimension. An expanded Xen section would be released at an unnamed date in the future, said the team. First person shooter Half-Life was released in 1998 and gave players the task of guiding government scientist Gordon Freeman through the Black Mesa research complex battling aliens and thwarting their attempt to invade Earth. The game has been hugely influential since its release. Half-Life creator Valve released an updated version of the game in 2004 that was built around its Source game code or engine. That official update of Half-Life was generally regarded as unsatisfactory and led to the Black Mesa project which aimed to do a better job. The project uses an updated version of Source which leads to improvements in physics, lighting and allows for far more subtlety in the facial expressions of characters. The Black Mesa team has also edited the storyline to beef up the more engaging parts of the game and eliminate the slower parts.









 3 September 2012 Last updated at 11:38
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19463712