Kaspersky uncovers major international cyber attack
A malicious new programme affecting computers in several countries has been detected by Kaspersky Lab, known as Worm.Win32.Flame (Flame, for short).
The malware is, in Kaspersky Labs' words, "designed to carry out cyber espionage" and is capable of accessing and stealing computer display contents, information about systems, stored files, data and audio conversations.
It looks as though Flame has been around "in the wild" since March 2010 but it managed to elude all security programmes due to its complexity.
In fact, Kaspersky Labs describes it thusly: "The complexity and functionality of the newly discovered malicious program exceeds those of all other cyber menaces known to date."
Not much is known about Flame at the moment. Because of its size (about 20 times larger than Stuxnet), Kaspersky needs a large team of experts with specific experience to work on finding out more.
Weasley worm
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) requested Kaspersky's investigation after another worm, Wiper, was detected deleting data on a number of computers in Western Asia.While investigating this still-mysterious Wiper, Kaspersky came across the equally worrying Flame malware, which Kaspersky Labs co-founder and CEO Eugene Kaspersky describes as "another phase" in the war begun by the previous Stuxnet and Duqu viruses.
"It's important to understand that such cyber weapons can easily be used against any country," he added.
"Unlike with conventional warfare, the more developed countries are actually the most vulnerable in this case."
Chief security expert at Kaspesky Lab Alexander Gostev added that, "One of the most alarming facts is that the Flame cyber-attack campaign is currently in its active phase, and its operator is consistently surveying infected systems, collecting information and targeting new systems to accomplish its unknown goals."
So there's a vicious cyber weapon on the loose and someone somewhere is controlling it. So what's the plan? Not much can be done until we know more, so the ITU is activating the ITU-Impact network which sees 142 countries and a number of companies working together to alert governments to the threat and speed up the technical analysis phase.
Kaspersky Labs is going to be keeping a close eye on this process so we should find out more in the coming weeks.
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ICO updates advice on Cookie law for businesses
The Information Commissioners Office has released updated advice on the guidance on changes to the EU cookie law, and it's a little less restricting than the guidance everyone has been working to over the last 12 months.
The last minute update to the cookie law – it was announced on the ICO blog on the 25 May, the day before the law was due to be enforced - has some clarifications around implied consent:
- Implied consent is a valid form of consent and can be used in the context of compliance with the revised rules on cookies.
- If you are relying on implied consent you need to be satisfied that your users understand that their actions will result in cookies being set. Without this understanding you do not have their informed consent.
- You should not rely on the fact that users might have read a privacy policy that is perhaps hard to find or difficult to understand.
- In some circumstances, for example where you are collecting sensitive personal data such as health information, you might feel that explicit consent is more appropriate.
"if a patient visits a doctor this act alone would not be taken as indication that the patient consents to examination, treatment or the recording of health information. The patient and doctor would hold a conversation during which the doctor might offer an invitation to the patient to lie down on an examination couch. In the context of this exchange the doctor might now be able to infer consent from the patient's actions based on the fact that there is a shared understanding of what is happening."
Confused?
The full ICO cookie guidance – including the last-minute update – can be found on the ICO site as a PDF and there's a new video that answers some frequently asked questions such as .- How can UK organisations comply with the new cookies changes?
- Is the ICO concerned that many websites aren't yet compliant?
- What approach will the ICO be adopting to enforcing the amended cookies laws?
- What are the benefits of complying with the new cookies regulations?
- What should members of the public do if they are concerned about cookies being placed on their device?
- How is the ICO working with web browsers and third party advertisers to ensure they comply with the changes?
The ICO caveats the video link with "NB: playing YouTube video sets a cookie – more info" Is this really what they intend every website to explain before they have a link to a new site, or on an embedded video? Let us know what you think of the law and the changes.
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Toshiba sounds netbook death knell in US but UK gets reprieve
Hear that? That's the sound of a thousand netbooks gently weeping into their tiny, tiny keyboards as reports that Toshiba will cease selling the diminutive laptops in the US surface.
A Toshiba executive apparently confirmed that there are no plans to offer any new netbooks in the US to Liliputing, but Toshiba tells us that there's no such roll back in the UK.
The first netbook not to make it to the US is the Intel Cedar Trail-toting Toshiba NB510 but it is definitely still headed to the UK's shelves, according to a Toshiba spokesperson.
Safe haven
State-side, Toshiba is focusing more on the Ultrabook line-up like the Toshiba Portege Z830 - but although Ultrabooks have the portability tied up, the price tag is much, much higher than the netbooks'.Dell recently said it was stopping production of netbooks in favour of Ultrabooks, saying that "thin and powerful is where it's at for us".
Other companies are also having a think about bidding the netbook a quiet farewell – last year a Samsung email leaked to that effect, while Acer has been rumoured to be ditching the little laptops too and even Intel doesn't reckon netbooks are long for this earth.
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UHDTV to be name for both 4K and 8K television standard?
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has finally come to an agreement about the future of TV.
According to a new report, UHDTV (Ultra High Definition Television) will be the name for both 4K and 8K transmissions when they eventually arrive, despite the megapixel count of the formats varying so widely.
Currently, 4K is the format that many filmmakers are choosing to shoot in. James Cameron and Peter Jackson have both adopted the format and are currently tinkering with frame rates to make their shots look even more realistic.
In megapixel terms, 4K equates to an 8MP resolution ((3,840 x 2,160 pixels) while 8K dwarves this number. An 8K image is the equivalent to 32MP or 7,680 x 4,320 pixels.
Hi-de hi-def
This is a whopping difference so it is a little strange that both will be called UHDTV.ITU: "This is the dawn of a new age for television that will bring unprecedented levels of realism."
As this is a 'recommendation' at the moment, the fine print hasn't been set, so we may well see this category broken down much like what happened with high definition – which is at 720p and 1080p. There's no word on this in the original standard, however."This is the dawn of a new age for television that will bring unprecedented levels of realism and viewer enjoyment. It's a historic moment," said David Wood, Chairman of ITU-R Working Party 6C.
"Some years will pass before we see these systems in our homes, but come they will. The die is now cast, thanks to the untiring efforts of the international experts participating in WP6C."
Currently, Toshiba is the first to offer a 4K consumer TV. The Toshiba 55ZL2 also offer glasses-free 3D and comes at a penny under £6,999.
Sony also has a 4K projector, the VW1000ES, but 8K technology is very much in its infancy. Sharp has showcased an 8K prototype screen - as has NHK, at numerous conventions – under the guise of Super Hi-Vision, a name that looks to disappear if this UHDTV standard is introduced.
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Interview: Raspberry Pi founder: 'we hope a lot of people make a lot of money'
It's important that Raspberry Pi has a low price so enthusiasts can afford it, founder Eben Upton told TechRadar at Maker Faire.
It's a gathering of thousands of hardware hackers and 'maker' enthusiasts building everything from ride-on robot giraffes to milk bottles that can tell you if the milk has gone off, where Raspberry Pi was getting an enthusiastic reception), but it has to be profitable as well as cheap.
Upton wants Raspberry Pi to be more than a tool for tinkering; he wants it to enable the next generation of hardware developers and system designers. "It's all about how to look at a problem and say how can I solve this in the cheapest and easiest way. There's a smooth curve from 'PRINT HELLO WORLD' to chief architect. If everyone had a PC we could get them started in a day. It's all about the cost and a lot of effort went into that."
Keeping costs down
That focus on keeping costs down continues as Raspberry Pi adds new features, like the camera board with 1080p encoding that's due in Q3. If the full 14 megapixel resolution of the camera chip they're currently testing proves too expensive, they'll pick a lower resolution. And it's why when we asked what's next for Raspberry Pi, Upton said the next goals were adding touchscreen support and selling enough units to make it an attractive ecosystem.Upton has his eye on some Toshiba interface chips that will give Raspberry Pi a Display Serial Interface connector and support touch as well, which he says will "round out the platform for input and output". Once the connector is ready, he already knows of people planning to build Raspberry Pi tablets.
Those are the kind of products that need lots of companies building on top of Raspberry Pi and that's why it's important to sell plenty of hardware – and to make money.
"[We want to] get volume into the market. There's a big difference in having ten thousand or a hundred thousand units out there and having a million. We have no full time employees. If we try to do it all ourselves we are doomed. We hope a lot of people make a lot of money. We hope they figure out how to make boards, how to make money. Just because we are open doesn't mean we're allergic to money. We're not from that end of the open hardware spectrum."
He was inspired by the glory days of the 1980s when it felt like anyone who learned to program could have a hit game on their hands and he hopes Raspberry Pi can evoke that same sense of potential and possibilities.
"There were kids with Porsches sitting in their drive waiting until they were old enough to drive them," he reminisced - which helped stop his mother telling him "don't waste your time playing with computers". There's a touch of the homegrown success in Raspberry Pi. "Even this bits that aren't done by Broadcom are ARM," he points out. So a British computing ecosystem? "Why not!" he enthuses.
And so far, Raspberry Pi is a commercial success. "It's not a loss making product. Everyone involved is making money. People say 'Broadcom is giving you the chips for free'; no! If someone was giving stuff away for free it would be unsustainable."
The Broadcom chip (which he enthusiastically calls "a lot of fun for the money") is cheap to start with. "We've got an SoC that is not costing us thirty or forty bucks; there are There are SoCs out there that cost as much as [the whole] Raspberry Pi."
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Updated: Sky denies that mobile network is on the cards
Update: BSkyB has said it has no plans to offer a Sky-branded mobile network in the UK after rumours surfaced this weekend.
In a statement first sent to Reuters, a company spokesperson explained away the company's meet with Everything Everywhere: "As you might expect we regularly meet with a wide range of companies to explore and understand potential opportunities.
"While we continue to extend our leadership in mobile content, we currently have no plans to offer mobile access beyond our existing public Wi-Fi network."
BSkyB had been reported to be in talks with Everything Everywhere about a possible Virgin Media style Sky-branded mobile network in the UK.
The Sunday Times had a chat with some banking sources who claimed that BSkyB was in talks with the eponymous mobile network and may buy a block of radio spectrum from Everything Everywhere (or Ev Ev, as the kids are calling it) in the upcoming 4G spectrum auction.
To the Skymobile!
Original story continues: But that's not the only possibility on Sky's books: it could potentially build its own network using the spectrum bought from Everything Everywhere, or even buy a ready-made network like, say, Three.But it seems more likely that Sky will opt for creating a virtual network and become a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) much like Virgin Media which simply white-labels T-Mobile's network.
We can't help but wonder if there'll be an issue for Everything Everywhere to be providing both Virgin and Sky with a virtual network. Seems to be a bit of a conflict of interest there – but since this is all rumour and speculation at present then we won't worry too much about it.
Still, we won't be surprised if the rumours turn out to be true. Given that Sky already has fingers in the broadband, phone and TV pies, it actually seems a little odd that the company doesn't already have a mobile phone network to its name.
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Google launches in-app subscriptions for business developers
Google Play is introducing both monthly or annual subscription options. Both are offered on an auto-renewing basis, businesses can set the price and billing interval, and Google Play manages all purchase transactions on their behalf, just as it does other in-app products and purchases.
Speaking on the Google Android Developers blog, Ibrahim Elbouchikhi, Product Manager on the Google Play team said "Developers can use them to monetize premium dynamic content such as journals and magazines, but they can also use them to sell access to bundled products, game levels, music and video content, value-added services, or any other digital content."
Analysts Berg Insight believes Android's in-app billing will grow from 2010 revenues of £69 million to more than £1.28 billion in 2015.
It's a year since Google first launched in-app Billing in Google Play and the feature has proved incredibly popular with developers and consumers. According to Elbouchikhi, "23 of the 24 top-grossing apps in Google Play use In-app Billing, and the total revenue generated from in-app purchases exceeds revenue from traditional app purchases."An additional feature of the subscription service is the ability to use the subscription across different platforms. Business developers can now validate or cancel subscriptions via a web link, allowing developers to extend access from their Android apps to their web properties, based on subscriptions that are purchased on Google Play.
In the coming days, several developers will be launching apps with Google Play subscriptions. Glu Mobile will be the first to launch with updated versions of its top Android titles, including Frontline Commando, offering subscriptions through custom VIP currency packages. "We're using Google Play subscriptions to offer consumers a compelling value and a single currency which they can use across Glu's most popular titles" says Niccolo de Masi, CEO of Glu.
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UK cookie law comes into force, now with added confusion
Websites in the UK have to change the way they track users from now on, with sites having to receive 'implied consent' from visitors that they don't mind the site keeping tabs on their online movements.
The law has been mooted for some time and originally required 'explicit consent' from site visitors before certain pop-ups and the like are revealed.
But there was a last minute change to the legislation, which means sites have to obtain just 'implied consent' – this is friendlier for businesses but knocks the UK out of whack from the rest of the EU when it comes to the transparency of cookies.
Although it is thought many UK-based sites will not be ready for the law, the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) is looking to report back on sites that are not obeying the directive and there's the slight possibility of a £500,000 fine for those who flout the law.
Implications of a click
As with any new law put into place, confusion reigns over proceedings. According to Rob Rachwald, director of security strategy at Imperva, the law is a good way of teaching consumers about how websites track them but is too vague to have much effect."Websites and internet technology have become so complex that it is impossible for a typical consumer to understand the implications of a simple click," said Rachwald.
"This law will hopefully help people understand that cookies are the keys to personal information and present a threat if exploited, stolen, altered, harvested or hijacked."
Rachwald continued: "The legislative thinking is that ambiguity forces the private sector to experiment with different approaches until somewhere, somehow someone finds the right way."
Speaking to the BBC about the cookie law, Dave Evans, group manager for the ICO, believed that businesses have had long enough to prepare themselves for the new legislation: "Given that everyone has had a year [to comply], we're going to shift from that kind of approach to one which will be very much more focused on those people who don't appear to have done anything and asking them 'why not?''
So, if you run a site you better swot up on what you need to do before the cookie monster is unleashed.
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StartUp Loans for young entrepreneurs
The Government is to loan over £80 million to young entrepreneurs under the new StartUp loan programme.
The long awaited StartUp loans for young entrepreneurs, is a strings-free** loan, akin to the University Student loans currently available to anyone wanting to enter into high-education. The start-up loans of up to £2,500 are available from today and are available to young people between 18-24, living in England, with a business idea.
In addition to the loan the Government has also committed to providing mentors and mentoring for the entrepreneurs. Additionally they will also receive a free copy of the StartUp Loans Kit, which offers all the guidance you need to start a business plus over £500-worth of offers on products from business cards to websites, netbooks and work suits.
"To be an entrepreneur is more than having a job. It gives you the freedom to make your own mark" James Caan, Dragons' Den
Lord Young of Graffham, Originator of StartUp Loans, and a serial entrepreneur himself, said at the launch, "The StartUp Loan programme is designed to help you create a business plan, and then give you a loan to get started. You will get continuing support from your mentor, and your future will be in your own hands. The limits of your business will be up to you."Dragons' Den James Caan
Commenting on the launch, Dragons' Den investor and Chairman of the StartUp Loans Company, James Caan said. "To be an entrepreneur is more than having a job. It gives you the freedom to make your own mark, in the way in which you choose, and create your own path to success. It can be challenging, and exceptionally hard work, but the rewards are immeasurable."So what's the small print? For StartUp loans
**Yes there are strings, it's a loan like any other loan, so you will need to pay it back. You will be required to pay back the loan within three to five years at a fixed APR (annual percentage rate) of 3% plus RPI (Retail Price Index) which is currently 3.5%. You can have a student loan as well as a StartUp loan, and you will need to submit a business plan, and you might be asked to come in for a chat to talk your idea through. Unlike the Student loan there will be a choice of loan providers, but the actual lenders aren't yet confirmed, it's very likely that they will be banks, sorry, there's no escaping the chat with the bank manager.Entrepreneurs can register at http://businessinyou.bis.gov.uk/ and they will then be directed to a provider once the lenders are decided.
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Samsung registers Galaxy Rush, Amp and Helm names
Samsung has laid a claim to three new potential phone names, registering Galaxy Rush, Galaxy Amp and Galaxy Helm with the US Patent and Trademark Office.
The three new trademarks were filed on May 21 and listed as 'mobile telephones; smartphones' so there's a good chance they're intended for phones of some kind.
Does that mean we'll be seeing the Samsung Galaxy Rush replace the Samsung Galaxy S3? Will the Samsung Galaxy Amp be the company's Beats-beater? Can anyone really face going into a shop and asking for a Samsung Galaxy Helm?
Unlikely story
Given that Samsung usually goes for the fairly simple Galaxy Sx format for its high end smartphones, we reckon these are more likely potential choices for mid-to-low end handsets like the Galaxy Ace. But then the Galaxy Note kind of destroys that argument, so what do we know?And in any case, we'd advise you not to hold your breath for the Galaxy Rush et al – companies register possible names all the time and Samsung has filed plenty of these badboys.
This particular three sound like prime double-bluffers to us, intended to shield the actual product names from prying bloggers' eyes.
Tell you what though, if you're ever after the cheesiest words to pad out the lyrics of the feel good summer pop hit you're penning, we'd advise you to browse Samsung's trademark words – Samsung Solstice, Glint, Trill, Mantra, Vibrant, Impression, Equator, Blackjack, Gem, Fascinate, Mesmerise… they're all in there. Samsung Galaxy Amazing.
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Opinion: Why it would be a travesty if Nvidia's Kepler didn't make it into desktop PCs
I hate to say I told you so. But Nvidia has taken the wraps off a new high end graphics chip, currently known nattily as GK110. It's the biggest, baddest member of Nvidia's Kepler architecture, which powers graphics cards like the Nvidia GeForce GTX 680. And it leaves me with no choice but to say, well, I told you so.
The context here is my recent whingefest regarding the dual-GPU Nvidia GeForce GTX 690. My argument was that the chips inside the premium priced GTX 680 and 690 boards were midrangers that serendipitously turned out to be faster than high end efforts from the competition - read AMD. The real high end Kepler had yet to be seen.
7.1 billion - the magic number
Nvidia has now come clean and GK110 is every bit as magisterial as I'd hoped. The specs aren't completely finalised, but here are some highlights as they currently stand. We're talking about a 7.1 billion transistor chip with up to 2,880 CUDA cores, 240 texture units and 48 ROPs. It's a beast.For the record, that 7.1 billion transistor figure is big enough to enable Nvidia to claim GK110 to be the most complex single computer chip in Christendom. Roughly speaking, it allows for slightly less than a doubling of many of the key functional units compared with the GK104 chip found in the GTX 680. Lest you forget, currently GK104 is comfortably the fastest single graphics chip on the planet.
Fair to assume, then, that GK110 would be an incredible graphics chip for games and one that would utterly annihilate AMD's top Tahiti GPU, as found in the Radeon HD 7970. But will PC users ever get the chance to experience it?
That's the critical question following GK110's outing at Nvidia's GPU Technology Conference a few days ago. For now, Nvidia has only announced one product that will use GK110. And it's not a graphics card.
Instead, it's part of Nvidia's heavy metal Tesla family, which are effectively co-processors designed to crunch heavily parallelised work loads. Think computational chemistry, bio-informatics, oil and gas surveying, financial modelling, that sort of thing.
Big and complex
Now, it's absolutely true that Nvidia has a track record for rolling out new GPUs in Tesla form first. But things are clearly a bit different for Kepler. For starters, Nvidia is marketing and branding the existing GeForce GTX 680 and 690 as its top-of-the-line graphics cards. In really simple terms, there's not much space left in the GeForce 600 Series nomenclature for a new uber GPU.That's unlikely to be accidental and ties in with the realities of the hardware side of GK110. For starters, it's so big and so complex, it may not be suitable for desktop PCs. Moreover, Nvidia has loaded it with features that are very desirable for Tesla applications, like high performance double precision processing and ECC cache memory protection, but are pretty much pointless for graphics.
It's an odd situation because, as far as I can tell, GK110 remains first and foremost a graphics chip. But it's not clear if it will ever be used as one. Of course there may be some uncertainty on Nvidia's behalf. We're clearly in a transitional phase when it comes to all manner of computing architectures as CPUs and GPUs converge.
Perhaps GK110 is a stepping stone to future Tesla chips with the redundant graphics hardware stripped out. Whatever, I'd personally love to see Nvidia strap some graphics memory and a DVI port to GK110 and let us see just what it'll do.
These may be the dying days of the conventional performance PC. But it would be a minor tragedy if this monumental piece of silicon mastery never got a crack at what it was primarily designed to do – making games look better than ever before.
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Competition: WIN! An iPad 3 with Parallels Mobile app and Desktop 7
TechRadar has teamed up with Parallels to offer one lucky winner the chance to win an iPad 3, a copy of Parallels Desktop 7 and Parallels Mobile app.
Parallels Desktop 7 lets you run Windows and Mac applications side by side on a Mac without rebooting. It is faster than ever with 90 new and enhanced features, including Mac OS X Lion integration and a Parallels Mobile app.
New iPad support
Used in conjunction with Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac, the Parallels Mobile app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch enables users to remotely access and run their Macs and all of the operating systems, applications and files they need right from their iOS mobile device.
And now with support for Retina Display, new iPad users can do all this without sacrificing image quality.
Parallels is the number one selling desktop virtualisation software in the world. Get a free trial at www.parallels.com/desktop.
Click here to enter the competition.
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Google could face investigation into Street View 'wardriving' claims
The ICO is looking into a US report claiming Google knew it was harvesting data, and could prosecute the company in Britain.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is studying a report by its US counterpart, the FCC, that claims Google knew it was collecting data using its Street View cars.
The cars collected information from unsecured Wi-Fi networks as they passed snapping roads for its Street View project.
Data remember
A spokesperson from the ICO said: "We are currently studying the FCC report to consider what further action, if any, needs to be taken."Google provided our office with a formal undertaking in November 2010 about their future conduct, following their failure in relation to the collection of Wi-Fi data by their Street View cars.
"This included a provision for the ICO to audit Google's privacy practices. The audit was published in August 2010 and we will be following up on it later this year, to ensure our recommendations have been put in place."
The FCC report was published last month, claiming multiple Google employees knew exactly what was going on. The company previously claimed the data harvesting was accidental. It collected the info because an engineer (referred to as "Engineer Doe") thought the data "might prove useful for other Google services."
The document read: "As early as 2007 and 2008, Street View team members had wide access to Engineer Doe's Wi-Fi data collection document and code, which revealed his plan to collect payload data."
Info collected includes instant message conversations, URLs, user names and passwords. As many as one in four home networks could be unsecured, so make sure you encrypt your Wi-Fi.
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LG outs 5-inch 1080p mobile screen
LG has shown off a 5-inch mobile screen that makes the iPhone 4S's retina display look like an 8-bit NES graphic in comparison.
The screen is 1080p HD resolution -- the same as HD TV screens -- meaning it has a pixel density of 440ppi. Compare that with the iPhone's 326ppi, and the fact that Apple's is just 3.5-inches to LG's 5-inches.
It has a 16:9 aspect ratio, so it'll be ideal for watching HD movies on. There's also Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching (AH-IPS), which is tech that makes sure you get the widest viewing angles possible, quickened response times, and improved brightness efficiency.
It's so high resolution, the naked eye shouldn't be able to distinguish between individual pixels.
Out later this year
And this is no mobile pie in the sky. The screen should be available in products in the second half of this year. Could we see a Galaxy Note-smashing 5-inch mobile coming from LG soon?The screen is 0.5-inches larger, with 2.2 times the pixel density than its previous 4.5-inch screen. That one had 329ppi. Pah. How quickly it looks out of date.
It's not actually the highest resolution mobile screen to date. Toshiba showed off a 6.1-inch tablet screen with a 498ppi resolution last October. Though we're yet to hear any more from Toshiba on the matter.
LG's screen will be on display for the first time at SID 2012 Display Week in Boston starting a week today.
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In Depth: LG: a mass market for OLED TVs is years off
A short walk from the most glamorous circuit on the F1 calendar, LG finally took the wraps off its debut OLED TV, the 55EM960V.
Shown in prototype form at CES 2012 back in January, the revolutionary screen will be available for pre-order from July, with models shipping in the autumn. It will sell for 9,000 Euros.
To help with the Monaco unveiling, LG called upon BBC GP pundit David Coulthard and two-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, as well as supermodel Gemma Sanderson and movie director Jean-Jacques Annaud. Well, if you're the Global Technology Partner for Formula One you're entitled to call in a few favours every now and then.
Few would argue that the much-hyped screen looked beautiful at the launch. Impossibly thin at 4mm and weighing a mere 10kg thanks to carbon-fiber reinforced plastic bodywork, it's cutting edge in every sense. Couple that to astounding contrast, vibrant colour reproduction and a response time said to be 100x faster than LED and you have a very special screen indeed.
Vettel described it as "amazing" and "really impressive," adding quite accurately that the high motion resolution would be perfect for sports such as F1.
Jean-Jacques Annaud was similarly impressed, saying he believed the screen's wide viewing angle could change the way people perceive 3D. As a film maker he was also hugely impressed with the clarity of OLED's imagery.
Not mass market
But with a stratospheric price tag, OLED is clearly not a mainstream proposition. Steve Gater, LG's consumer marketing director, agrees. "A mass market for OLED is years off," he says, adding it's not his intention to sell "loads" of OLED TVs."We don't think this will happen until the technology gets to a price that's just 1.5x that of an LED screen. What we're doing with this event is saying that OLED is now a core technology for us, that it represents a tangible picture quality improvement for consumers."
In truth, OLED represents a massive power-play by LG Display, the autonomous panel making division behind the brand. Buoyed by the successful gamble that was Passive FPR, it's now ramping up the pressure with next generation displays. Joining the OLED screen in the autumn will be an 84-inch 4K (aka Quad HD) 3D panel, which will retail for the same pocket-numbing price.
Gater is painfully aware of just how treacherous the TV business has become. After all, his brand is just one that has spent the past few years chasing market share, in the process driving the price of high-tech flatscreens down to historic lows.
In the short term, this has been great for buyers – but it's resulted in the biggest names in the business hemorrhaging cash, to the point now where talk of survival and not dominance emanates from boardrooms.
While LG won't be drawn on OLED production line yields (which are probably still poor), it was clear at CES that the company was leading this latest technological charge, forcing rival Samsung to undertake PR damage limitation. Sony could have mounted a challenge, had it not bagged off OLED after introducing the first consumer set, the 11-inch XEL-1, back in 2008.
Says Gater: "We've been working really hard to get ourselves into a position where we still have a TV business in five to ten years time. Thankfully, there will always be people prepared to buy the latest technology. There will always be early adopters."
The white sub-pixel advantage
LG's product and consumer marketing manager George Mead concedes that while LG may be first with OLED, other brands will inevitably follow. "We know other companies are going to produce OLED TVs, but we think we have the edge for a number of reasons. Our 4 Colour Pixel Technology, we think, is the best panel solution."In a move analogous to its break from the Active Shutter 3D camp, the proprietary OLED panel LG employs features an additional white sub-pixel, which takes the pressure off the blue pixel which historically always fails early; this ensures a long life for the panel "We think we have the best, most scalable panel technology," he says.
Mead notes the challenge now is to put the screen in front of as many people as possible. "It has to be seen to be believed," he says. While the TV offers full net connectivity, a dual core processor and a remote control with voice recognition, "it's the panel which is the biggest innovation of them all.
The contrast level is absolutely incredible. We truly believe this is the future of home entertainment."
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Samsung PIN pop-up retail stores begin to appear in London
While Samsung certainly mastered the glamorous Apple-esque launch event, when it debuted the Galaxy S3 this month, its attempt at 'one more thing' fell a little flat.
Whereas Steve Jobs' legendary final announcements included the iPod touch and MacBook AIr, Samsung got us all excited only to announce a host of new Mobile PIN retail outlets across London.
Once we all figured out what a Mobile PIN actually was - and to be honest, it wasn't immediately clear - we didn't quite feel compelled to indulge in some Jobsnote-style whooping and hollering.
Makeshift shops where we could buy the Samsung Galaxy S3? Cue polite applause.
Grievous letdown
Regardless of that grievous letdown, the pop-up shops, which will also stock a selection of flagship Samsung Mobile products, are appearing across London and will open on May 29, before the device goes on sale across the nation.The wrapping has already been taken-off some of the glass structures, including the one pictured here in the massive Shepherd's Bush Westfield shopping centre
More stores will be announced as time goes on.
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RIM set to cut 'at least 2,000' jobs next month
Research in Motion plans to lay-off over 2,000 staff this Friday, according to reports in the company's Canadian homeland.
The Globe and Mail says the Waterloo, Ontario-based company will make the cuts on June 1 as it struggles to cope with quarterly losses and diminished demand for BlackBerry smartphones.
With around 16,500 employees worldwide, the cutbacks would represent around 12 per cent of its total workforce and would echo the 2,000 jobs it shed last summer.
The job cull "will sweep across departments, ranging from senior positions in RIM's legal division to human resources, finance, sales, and marketing," according to the report.
BB10 or bust
The ailing smartphone giant has also seen a dramatic shake-up at the top in recent months, with co-CEO's Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis stepping aside and Thorsten Heins taking over.There has also been several high profile executive departures as the reality of the company's current plight has set in.
RIM is placing its faith in handsets running the forthcoming BlackBerry 10 operating system, which it hopes will halt the iPhone and Android-induced slide into smartphone obscurity.
RIM is yet to comment on the story.
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Facebook looking to buy Opera web browser?
It's all go over at Facebook HQ with IPO strife, Instagram buyouts, rumours of smartphone creation and now reports that the company wants to buy its own web browser.
Pocket-Lint says that the social network has its eye on the Opera browser, which has carved out a niche on Apple and Android mobile devices, but is also available on Mac and PC computers.
Facebook is cash rich, following its stock exchange offering, and acquiring a browser would allow it to push its own functionality through plug-ins and toolbars.
It would also enable the company to compete with the likes of Apple's Safari and Google Chrome rather than rely on those browsers to push traffic to the Facebook.com desktop and mobile sites.
Potential buyers
The report's "trusted source" didn't offer further information on the sums of money involved or the timescale for a possible bid.The Next Web followed up the report and says Opera Software, which owns the browser, is currently taking to potential buyers.
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Facebook to launch own-branded smartphone next year, says report
Speculation that Facebook plans to have another crack at building a smartphone has gathered pace in recent weeks and now The New York Times is in on the act.
The 'paper says that Facebook has already hired half a dozen hardware and software engineers who had previously worked for Apple on the iPhone and one who worked on the iPad.
The report brings word from several Facebook employees and outside engineers, sounded out about possible positions, that the company plans to release the phone "by next year."
The renewed efforts come following the social network's rumoured plans to team up with HTC on a handset and earlier plans that were abandoned in 2010.
Peppered with questions
CEO Mark Zuckerberg has, according to the NYT, taken a particular interest and has been interviewing potential suitors for the project, codenamed "Buffy."The 'paper says that Zuckerberg spoke to one engineer and "peppered him with questions about the inner workings of smartphones. It did not sound like idle intellectual curiosity, the engineer said; Mr. Zuckerberg asked about intricate details, including the types of chips used, he said.
"Another former Apple hardware engineer was recruited by a Facebook executive and was told about the company's hardware explorations."
One Facebook employee told the New York Times, says Zuckerberg is worried that the social network is just an app on other manufacturers' hardware.
Of course, having just (somewhat disastrously) floated on the stock exchange, Facebook is now in a position where it must establish new and increasing revenue streams, so a smartphone may form part of those plans.
Facebook has not commented on the story and the reports says that the company is determined to keep it secret.
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Cisco exits the tablet space in pursuit of "choice"
Cisco announced this week that it will no longer invest in its enterprise tablet, the Cius, citing "market transitions" and opportunities for "the broadest choice of collaboration options" as the impetus.
In a blog post on the company's website on Thursday, OJ Winge, Senior Vice President of Cisco's Telepresence Technology Group, quietly noted that the Cius tablet would receive no further funding.
As with any investment opportunity, Winge said that the company "will continue to offer Cius in a limited fashion to customers with specific needs or use cases."
The Cius was designed with specific needs in mind just one year ago, which is why this discontinuation may be the first many consumers even hear about the device.
Cisco only sold the 7-inch tablet (for $750) to its enterprise partners, touting its network integration as the primary benefit.
To put that in perspective, a Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 (sporting a 8.9-inch display) sells for $480, and among other capabilities it can access Cisco networking devices by IP via its mobile web browser.
Most customers - those without the need to manage a Cisco Unified Phone System of a Cisco UTM Firewall on-the-go - have turned instead to personal pads to meet their mobile computing demands.
B.Y.O.D. takes over
According to the Cisco IBSG Horizons Study from earlier this month, "95% of organizations surveyed allow employee-owned devices in some way, shape or form in the office."The study also found that 36% of enterprises fully support devices that employees bring from home, like an iPad or Android tablet.
Winge asserted that these findings are evidence of a "major shift" towards B.Y.O.D. (bring your own device) workplaces, where tablets act as personal media and communication devices, then transfer seamlessly into business activities.
Because of this shift, Cisco has reset its sights on software like Cisco Jabber (messaging) and Cisco Webex (remote conferencing), which it already offers for third-party PCs and tablets.
With Windows 8 on the horizon, and the slew of tablets it's slated to support, in addition to the rising popularity of Android tablets following the market expansion of the iPad, it's a tough time for any tablet manufacturer to compete.
Limiting the device to business-only functions now seems ill-fated from outset.
It's with certain reluctance that Cisco relinquishes its in-road to the tablet hardware space. The company, for now, remains cool about the networking arenas it already dominates.
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