Mad Computers

23 February 2012
Last updated at 02:41

For some UK homes, superfast broadband is still a distant dream

A third of homes in the UK have broadband speeds well below the national average, according to research from price comparison site uSwitch.

While half of addresses get broadband speeds of 6.7Mbps or above, a third struggle to get speeds above 5Mbps, 1.7m speed tests found.

The East Sussex village of Winchelsea was the slowest, with an average speed of 1.1Mbps, according to uSwitch.

Hereford was the slowest city, with average speeds of 3.1Mbps.

The government wants to see super-fast broadband as the gold standard in most UK homes, and has pledged to make the UK the fastest broadband nation in Europe by 2015. By that time, it also promises to make sure that all homes have speeds of at least 2Mbps.

The uSwitch data – based on 1.68 million speed tests carried out over the last six months – suggests that there could still be some way to go.

Continue reading the main story

UK’S SLOWEST POSTCODES

• Winchelsea, East Sussex – 1.1Mbps
• Menstrie, Clackmannanshire – 1.2Mbps
• Askam in Furness, Cumbria – 1.25Mbps
• St Bees, Cumbria – 1.38Mbps
• Ripley, Surrey – 1.5Mbps
• Newbiggin-by-the-sea, Northumberland – 1.6Mbps
• Pembroke, Pembrokeshire – 1.65Mbps
• Johnstone, Renfrewshire – 1.8Mbps
• Lampeter, Ceredigion – 1.8Mbps
• Watchet, Somerset – 1.8Mbps

“Britain might be riding the wave of a super-fast broadband revolution, but for 49% who get less than the national average broadband speed, the wave isn’t causing so much a splash as a ripple,” said Julia Stent, director of telecoms at uSwitch.

“And what’s really surprising is the number of cities and towns such as Hereford and Carlisle that are suffering from slow broadband speeds, dispelling the view that it’s just rural areas and small towns that have issues with their broadband,” she added.

Other towns and cities to offer average broadband speeds of below 5Mbps include Kilmarnock (3.2Mbps), Dumfries (3.6Mbps), Canterbury (4Mbps) and Shrewsbury (4Mbps).

Fast pipes

The government has provided £530m to help local councils fill in the UK’s blackspots. Cumbria, which has several areas in the top 10 slowest postcodes, received the biggest amount, with more than £17m to cope with its 96% of homes eligible for subsidies.

Councils will have to put some of their own money towards the costs, and some have been slow to get the projects off the ground.

For those in well-connected postcodes, the news is much better.

Both Virgin Media and BT have recently turned up the speed dial on their broadband services.

Virgin announced that broadband with speeds of up to 100Mbps was now available to 10 million homes, while BT pledged to offer some homes speeds of up to 300Mbps by 2013.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/technology-17130367

Page last updated at 16:37 GMT, Wednesday, 22 February 2012

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/newsbeat/17112712

By Dan Whitworth
Newsbeat technology reporter

Facebook now has more than 800 million users around the world.

A set of guidelines on which types of images are acceptable for publication on Facebook has reportedly been leaked.

According to the Gawker.com website, the rules tell staff specifically what should and shouldn’t be removed when content has been flagged.

Images likely to be removed include those showing “female nipple bulges”, “naked butt cracks” or women breastfeeding without clothes on.

However, same sex kissing, “groping” and “foreplay” is allowed.

The leak follows protests from women unhappy that images of breastfeeding were removed.

The site was also accused of homophobia after a picture of two men kissing was taken down.

Gawker.com said the document was leaked by a disgruntled employee at a third party company used by Facebook to moderate users’ content.

Protests and Controversy

Despite the recent controversy users were unaware of exact guidelines used by Facebook to decide which pictures should be taken down.

Images must first be flagged by users before they are brought to moderators’ attention.

The document goes into specific detail about dozens of examples of images which should be removed.

Urine, faeces, vomit, semen, pus and ear wax are all banned.

Although cartoon faeces, urine, and spit are allowed.

Snot, both real and cartoon, would also escape the censors, as would deep flesh wounds and excessive blood.

Images of bone, muscles and tendons would be likely to go.

In a statement Facebook said: “In an effort to quickly and efficiently process the millions of reports we receive every day, we have found it helpful to contract third parties to provide precursory classification of a small proportion of reported content.

“We have, and will continue, to escalate the most serious reports internally, and all decisions made by contractors are subject to extensive audits”.

Follow our technology reporter Dan Whitworth on Twitter

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/newsbeat/17133281

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Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-17128356

22 February 2012
Last updated at 13:03

By Dave Lee
Technology Reporter

Protesters assembled across Europe in opposition to the agreement

The European Union’s highest court has been asked to rule on the legality of a controversial anti-piracy agreement.

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (Acta) has been criticised by rights campaigners who argue it could stifle free expression on the internet.

EU trade head Karel De Gucht said the court will be asked to clarify whether the treaty complied with “the EU’s fundamental rights and freedoms”.

The agreement has so far been signed by 22 EU member states.

The European Commission said it “decided today to ask the European Court of Justice for a legal opinion to clarify that the Acta agreement and its implementation must be fully compatible with freedom of expression and freedom of the internet”.

Several key countries, including Germany and Denmark, have backed away from the treaty amid protests in several European cities.

Acta is set to be debated by the European Parliament in June.

While countries can individually ratify the terms of the agreement, EU backing is considered vital if the proposal’s aim of implementing consistent standards for copyright enforcement measures is met.

As well as the 22 European backers, which include the UK, the agreement has been signed by the United States, Japan and Canada.

‘Misinformation and rumour’

Mr De Gucht told a news conference on Wednesday: “Let me be very clear: I share people’s concern for these fundamental freedoms… especially over the freedom of the internet.

“This debate must be based upon facts, and not upon the misinformation and rumour that has dominated social media sites and blogs in recent weeks.”

However, he went on to say that the agreement’s purpose was to protect the creative economy.

“[Acta] aims to raise global standards for intellectual property rights,” he said, adding that the treaty “will help protect jobs currently lost because counterfeited, pirated goods worth 200bn euros are currently floating around”.

Acta’s backers face strong opposition within the EU. Viviane Reding, the commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, took to Twitter to outline her worries on the treaty.

“For me, blocking the Internet is never an option,” she wrote in a statement.

“We need to find new, more modern and more effective ways in Europe to protect artistic creations that take account of technological developments and the freedoms of the internet.”

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/technology-17125469

22 February 2012
Last updated at 15:36

The 4G signal will be used by the next generation of smartphones and tablets

Almost a million UK homes will need to have filters installed to prevent TV interference from 4G mobile signals – at a cost of £108m.

A smaller number of homes – about 10,000 – will need to switch to satellite or cable TV services in order to avoid degraded picture quality.

Homes that cannot receive these alternative platforms will receive up to £10,000 each to “find a solution”.

Costs will be met by the winner of a spectrum auction later this year.

Consultations are currently being held into how spectrum – which is used by analogue television – will be offered to mobile operators once airwaves are freed up by the switch to digital.

These airwaves are crucial to mobile operators to create next-generation mobile services.

The winning bidder, or bidders, will be required to pay for the costs of making sure viewers of digital terrestrial television (DTT) will not be affected by the changes.

Unwanted noise

In a consultation document released in August last year, media regulator Ofcom estimated that about 760,000 homes could be affected.

However, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) told the BBC that further research had suggested that number was likely to be closer to 900,000.

Homes falling within a certain range of transmitter towers will automatically have a filter issued, while a helpline will be set up to deal with interference cases outside of the predicted areas.

The filter, which is fitted to a digital TV box, blocks out unwanted noise from the 4G signal.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

If you give £10,000 to a lady in Cumbria and say: ‘You need to fix it’ – I don’t think it’s enough”

End Quote
Saverio Romeo
Industry analyst

It can be fitted without the help of an engineer – but over-75s and disabled people will be given assistance if needed.

The DCMS said that in a very small number of homes, the filters would not be sufficient. A platform change – to satellite or cable – will be required, the cost of which will also be covered by the mobile operator.

It is estimated that about 10,000 homes may need to take this measure.

It is also predicted that about 500 homes affected by interference will be unable to received satellite or cable services.

In these cases, expected to be in rural areas, up to £10,000 per household will be provided to fund alternative solutions to receiving television – such as having fibre cabling installed.

The DCMS said it predicted that small groups of affected houses would be able to pool their funding in order to pay for bigger investments like additional relay transmitters.

‘Disruptive’

Without the preventative measures, television picture would become unclear and fragmented, warned Saverio Romeo, an industry analyst from Frost Sullivan.

“The LTE [Long Term Evolution] spectrum, particularly on 800Mhz, overlaps part of the DTT spectrum,” he said.

Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said 4G technology would give the UK an economic boost

“The closer you are to a base station, the more disruptive the interference.”

He said that in addition to the £10,000 fund for the severely disrupted homes, education should be provided in order to help people understand what options were available.

“If you give £10,000 to a lady in Cumbria and say: ‘You need to fix it’ – I don’t think it’s enough.

“You need to help people understand new technologies. It’s not enough to give subsidies.”

A spokesman for the DCMS said added advice would be given to those receiving the financial help.

Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said adoption of 4G would provide a boost to the UK’s digital economy.

“Next-generation mobile services are essential for economic growth. They will bring an estimated benefit of £2-3bn to the UK economy.

“There will be some interference when 4G services are rolled out but we will have the solutions in place to eliminate the disruption to television viewers.”

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/technology-17125468

22 February 2012
Last updated at 13:02

The Pirate Bay plans new evasion tactics

File-sharing site The Pirate Bay has said that it will adapt rather than die as it faces legal blocks in the UK.

On Monday the High Court ruled that the site facilitates copyright infringement.

It will decide in June whether ISPs must block UK customers from accessing the site.

In response, The Pirate Bay said it would use other methods for distributing content which would make it harder for its “enemies” to track.

The content industries, both film and music, have been taking a noticeably tougher line on pirates in recent months as they continue to lose profits because of those determined to get content free.

In November, the creative industries wrote to the UK’s major ISPs asking them to block access to The Pirate Bay, following the successful closure of movie distribution site Newzbin 2.

Magnets

In response, The Pirate Bay said it would be moving to new methods of file distribution from the end of the month.

“The 29th February is the last day we offer torrents in its current form. Then it will be all magnets, which works pretty much the same,” it said on its official Facebook page.

“Please understand that it’s a necessary move in the saga known as The Pirate Bay. Not having torrents will be a bit cheaper for us but it will also make it hard for our common enemies to stop us.”

Independent analyst Mark Mulligan explained the new method. “This means nothing in terms in legality, it is all about evasion and a more secure way of encrypting the sources of the file. Magnets send information about the file rather than its location,” he said.

The Pirate Bay does not host illegal files but allows users to search and access copyrighted content including movies, games and TV shows.

Set up in 2003, the site has been subject to many legal actions. In 2009 the Swedish courts found the founders guilty of helping people circumvent copyright controls although the site continued to function.

Search engines

New distribution technologies will have little effect if the court decides that ISPs must block access to the site, although that in turn will not mean an end to piracy.

“The Pirate Bay may have outlived its piracy lifespan but is a small task to mirror the site or to copy the indices. Even if The Pirate Bay is closed down people will just have to type ‘torrent’ into Google to find page after page of links,” said Mr Mulligan.

He believes that the content industries are likely to turn their attention to search engines in their ongoing battle to cut down on pirated content online. UK rights holders have already called for illegal content to be “forcibly demoted” in web searches.

“If the content industries get Google on board the problem disappears from the mainstream overnight,” he said.

The UK government has signalled its intention to look again at how it can stop search engines linking to pirated content in its new Communications Act. The US is also planning similar legislation in its controversial Stop Online Piracy Act.

Political point

Blocks, even at search engine level, are unlikely to deter the hardcore users of sites such as The Pirate Bay, which is becoming more politicised.

The site has already spawned political parties in Sweden and the UK and maintains a loyal fanbase who seem more than prepared to go the extra mile in order to carry on getting content for free.

For many, doing so is seen as an act of defiance against what they regard as state-led attempts to censor free content.

Meanwhile the authorities continue to tighten the net on piracy.

Last week the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency shut down music site RnBXclusive while officials in the US recently closed down Megaupload, one of the net’s largest file-sharing sites.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/technology-17125905

In the face of growing competition from smartphone gaming and traditional rivals like Nintendo, Sony releases its latest hand-held console today [22 February].

The PS Vita boasts a five-inch touch screen, rear touch pad, dual analogue sticks, stereo speakers, motion sensors and front and back cameras.

With Wi-Fi (£230) and 3G+Wi-Fi (£280) versions available it’s been designed for social gaming and comes with more than 30 games at launch.

With a superior processor and sharper graphics than any other handheld device only time and sales figures will tell if enough people will be willing to buy it to make it a success.

Twenty-four-year-old Tom Windsor from Liverpool, and Matt Grange, 18, from Billericay tried it out for Newsbeat.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/newsbeat/17111317

A research unit to test the vulnerability of computer security systems at small businesses has been set up in Worcestershire.

The so-called “dirty lab’” in Malvern has been part-funded by the government.

It is operated by ethical hackers, simulating attacks.

Cath Mackie reports.

Clip from Sherlock Holmes, BBC One.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/technology-17123857

The once mighty technology giant Hewlett Packard will report its results on Wednesday.

The company has seen quite a few changes at the top over the last few years and shareholders are keen to see if the current chief executive Meg Whitman has turned the business around.

She has only been at the helm for five months.

Jill Martin reports.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/business-17125763