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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Jailed Facebook inciter to appeal

17 August 2011 Last updated at 08:53 ET

A Cheshire man who was jailed for using Facebook to incite disorder during last week's riots is to appeal against his sentence, his solicitor has said.

Jordan Blackshaw, from Marston, was jailed for four years at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, along with Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan, 22, from Warrington.

Blackshaw's solicitor said his 21-year-old client and his family were "somewhat shocked by the sentence".

The judge said on Tuesday he hoped the sentences would act as a deterrent.

He also praised the swift actions of the police.

Blackshaw and Sutcliffe-Keenan pleaded guilty under sections 44 and 46 of the Serious Crime Act to intentionally encouraging another to assist the commission of an indictable offence.

The Liberal Democrat peer, Lord Carlile, president of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said he was "surprised" by the sentences.

'Started as a joke'

He added: "The Chester sentence was handed out by a very experienced and highly regarded judge who was reflecting the views of the community he serves.

"But the sentences are heavy, and there are no guideline cases for judges to work from for this situation.

"I would expect the court of appeal to be asked very soon to provide a guideline case or cases so that judges can provide consistent, if severe, sentences around the country."

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Residents in Northwich expressed mixed views about the sentencing of the two men

The prosecution said Blackshaw had created a Facebook event called "Smash d[o]wn in Northwich Town", intended for the receipt of the "Mob Hill Massive Northwich Lootin".

The page said people should meet on 9 August, between 13:00 and 16:00 BST, "behind maccies" - thought to be McDonald's in Northwich town centre.

Chris Johnson, of Moss Haselhurst solicitors in Winsford, said: "It was something which was started as a joke by Jordan.

"Obviously it was rather misplaced and misguided.

"We are not aware of anyone taking up the call that they made.

"Northwich, as far as we understand, has remained peaceful."

'Over the top'

There has been criticism from MPs, barristers and campaigners that the sentences handed down to some of those involved in riots across England have been too severe.

Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake said sentences "should be about restorative justice", not retribution, while Labour MP Paul Flynn said the government was "throwing away sentencing rules".

And leading criminal barrister John Cooper QC said he believed some sentences were "over the top" and likely to be overturned by the Court of Appeal.

But Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has said "exemplary sentences" are necessary and that people need to understand the consequences of rioting, looting and disorder.

Virtual touch offers surgery hope

17 August 2011 Last updated at 03:27 ET

Tactile feedback technology could give keyhole surgeons a virtual sense of "feeling" tumours while operating.

A Leeds University study has combined computer virtualisation with a device that simulates pressure on a surgeon's hand when touching human tissue remotely.

This could enable a medic to handle a tumour robotically, and judge if it is malignant or benign.

Cancer specialists hope the new system will help to improve future treatment.

In current keyhole procedures, a surgeon operates through a tiny incision in the patient's body, guided only by video images.

Using keyhole techniques, as opposed to major invasive surgery, helps improve healing and patient recovery.

However, surgeons can't feel the tissue they are operating on - something which might help them to find and categorise tumours.

"The tactile feedback, the texture, the stiffness of tissue is taken away in laparoscopic surgery," said Dr Rob Hewson, co-superviser of the study.

Hard tissue

The team of undergraduates at Leeds University has devised a solution that combines a computer-generated virtual simulation with a hand-held "haptic" feedback device.

The system works by varying feedback pressure on the user's hand when the density of the tissue being examined changes.

"Start Quote

You can actually feel the response forces you would have felt on your hand"

End Quote Earle Jamieson Leeds University

"You move the device around and, just like your computer mouse, it moves around the virtual 3D surface," engineering student Earle Jamieson told BBC News.

"The computer sends a signal to the device to tell it the force you are applying. You can actually feel the response forces you would have felt on your hand."

In tests, team members simulated tumours in a human liver using a soft block of silicon embedded with ball bearings. The user was able to locate these lumps using haptic feedback.

Engineers hope this will one day allow a surgeon to feel for lumps in tissue during surgery.

"Three or four surgeons tried an early version of our system, and thought it was potentially very useful," said Mr Jamieson.

"They are so used to using only visuals, they found it strange to be able to feel for something."

The project has just been declared one of four top student designs in a global competition run by US technology firm National Instruments.

However, Dr Hewson believes the work is still a long way from full medical use.

"There are a lot of technical challenges to overcome before this can be integrated into surgical devices."

Samsung Galaxy Tab ban is on hold

16 August 2011 Last updated at 11:50 ET

The ban on the sale of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 across Europe has been temporarily lifted while a court looks at whether the original ruling was appropriate.

The ban was brought in in Germany following a patent dispute with Apple. It accused Samsung of "slavishly" copying the design of its iPad.

But questions were raised over whether the Dusseldorf court had the right to instigate an EU-wide ban.

The ban still holds in Germany.

The Netherlands was always exempt as Apple sought to pursue broader claims there, largely because the country's ports are where many technology companies import their goods into the EU.

The overturning of the ban was originally reported by Webwerld, a Dutch IT news site.

Apple 'overreaching'

Patent law blogger Florian Mueller confirmed that the Dusseldorf court where the injunction was lodged had lifted the ban until a court hearing later this month.

"Apart from the immediate commercial benefits that this provides to Samsung, it's an unpleasant situation for Apple," he wrote.

Should the court really find that the Dusseldorf court didn't have personal jurisdiction over a Korean company, this would reinforce a lot of peoples' impression that Apple's enforcement of design-related rights is, even though understandable to a certain degree, overreaching in some areas."

Apple is also facing accusations that the document that helped it gain the original injunction on sales of the Galaxy Tab in Europe appears to misrepresent the device's similarity to the iPad.

A side-by-side comparison of the two tablets features a "squashed" picture of the Galaxy Tab, making it look identical in size and shape.

There are currently a huge number of patent disputes among smartphone and tablet makers.

The Galaxy's Australian release has been delayed because of a similar lawsuit.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Rural broadband to be rolled out

16 August 2011 Last updated at 05:37 ET

Rural areas in England and Scotland have been allocated nearly �363m to improve their broadband connections.

Cumbria gets one of the largest shares of the �530m pot, with over �17m to cope with its 96.2% notspots.

By contrast, London gets nothing as it assumed that private investment will cover all parts of the capital.

The strategy represents a change of course for the government which originally asked individual counties to bid for money.

Local authorities and residents can decide how the money should be spent.

County councils and private enterprise partnerships will be put in charge of broadband rollouts in their areas, and will be required to draw up delivery plans and find additional funding from elsewhere.

It will be up to the Scottish government how to use the money in Scotland.

Wales and Northern Ireland have already been given their share of the �530m broadband fund which was set aside from the TV licence fee.

The government hopes that by allocating money instead it will speed up the process.

It has pledged to make the UK the best place in Europe for broadband by 2015.

Up to one third of UK homes will not get fast broadband services from the big commercial players without government subsidy.

This is because the number of people living in rural areas versus the cost of creating a next-generation broadband do not represent a good return on their investment for players such as BT and Virgin Media.

So for example Northumberland has 71% of premises that will not be reached by commercial projects. It has been allocated over �7m.

Berkshire, with only 8% of notspots, gets �1.4m.

But some have questioned whether the �530m will be enough to fill in the gaps.

Malcolm Corbett heads up the Independent Networks Cooperative Association (INCA), which aims to co-ordinate community broadband projects around the UK.

He lives in Suffolk, which has been allocated �11.6m.

"That equates to around �70 per house or business while the cost of fibre is �1,000 per premise so there is a disparity between what the government is putting in and what it will actually cost to provide a future-proofed solution," he said.

He welcomed the new urgency from government.

"There had been pressure from MPs who were saying not much was happening and that, in part, is why they changed the process from councils bidding for money to allocating it. I think that makes a lot of sense," he said.

The Countryside Alliance welcomed the investment but doubted whether it would be enough to propel the UK to the top of the broadband league tables.

"Today's announcement will only ensure 90 per cent of our homes and businesses will have access to superfast broadband by 2015.

"In other European countries, such as Denmark, they only have 1% of homes outside the reach of ADSL, WiMAX or fibre-optic broadband coverage," it said in a statement.

Third of teachers 'cyberbullied'

15 August 2011 Last updated at 12:01 ET

More than a third of teachers have been subject to online abuse, according to a survey conducted by Plymouth University.

The majority of the abuse - 72% - came via pupils but over a quarter was initiated by parents.

The majority of teachers claiming online abuse were women.

Much of the abuse is via chat on social networks but the study also found that many were setting up Facebook groups specifically to abuse teachers.

In some cases, people posted videos of teachers in action on YouTube while others put abusive comments on ratemyteacher.com.

In total, 35% of teachers questioned said they had been the victim of some form of online abuse. Of these, 60% were women.

Perhaps surprisingly, 26% of the abuse came from parents.

"This parental abuse is something we haven't come across before," said Prof Andy Phippen, the author of the report.

"Sometimes they are abusing other children at the school as well. Schools need to clamp down on it, or it will increase in prevalence," he warned.

Human costs

The cases of children suffering online bullying have been well-documented but the issue of teachers being abused is less well-known.

But it is a growing problem. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said that it receives calls every week from teachers who believe they have been cyberbullied.

The study took testimony from more than 300 professionals in an anonymous internet-based survey and followed up with a handful of in-depth interviews.

Many of these revealed the human cost such cyberbullying was having.

One teacher said: "I eventually had a breakdown in the summer holiday needing an emergency doctor to be called out - as I had become suicidal.

"I had intensive support from the mental health unit via my GP, a new telephone guidance service that really helped me plus medication which was a great help, and still is."

The guidance service referred to is the Professional Online Safety Helpline, a new initiative from the Safer Internet Centre.

In another testimony, a teacher was falsely accused of "inappropriate behaviour" towards a pupil.

New route

"I was questioned by the police on one single occasion and released without charge, caution or reprimand... I also ended up in the care of a psychologist to help me deal with the loss of self-worth, depression and the urge to commit suicide," the teacher said.

For Prof Phippen the phenomenon illustrates a shift in how parents and children address issues at school.

"It seems to a subset of the population the teacher is no longer viewed as someone who should be supported in developing their child's education, but a person whom it is acceptable to abuse if they dislike what is happening in the classroom," said Prof Phippen.

"Clearly some people are viewing social media as a bypass to the traditional routes (head teacher, board of governors) of discussing dissatisfaction with the school," he added.

Facebook offers tips for teachers and promises to respond to reports of individual harassment within 24 hours.

"These online discussions are a reflection of those happening offline," said a Facebook spokesman.

"But while you can't report a conversation outside the school gates or easily stop a person sending abusive, anonymous emails, Facebook have worked hard to develop reporting mechanisms that enable people to report offensive content they are concerned about."

Google deal boost for phone firms

16 August 2011 Last updated at 03:13 ET

Shares in Asian makers of Android mobile phones have risen, after Google said it would buy Motorola's handset business for $12.5bn (�7.7bn).

The agreement is expected to give the likes of HTC and Samsung Electronics a greater degree of protection against possible patent disputes.

Shares in Samsung rose more than 4%, while HTC shares were 2% higher on Tuesday.

Google is the primary developer of the Android software for mobile devices.

However, because many companies own related patents, the internet giant is open to being sued by rivals.

Its purchase of Motorola Mobility gives Google ownership of 17,000 mobile patents, with thousands more pending.

That means mobile phone makers that license Android software may now receive more protection against future patent lawsuits.

"We welcome the news of today's acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem," HTC chief executive Peter Chou said in a statement.

Besides HTC and Samsung, other companies that use the software include Sony Ericsson and LG Electronics.

So-called contract equipment manufacturers, which make phones for brands other than its own, also received a boost from the Google deal.

Shares in Taiwan's Foxconn rose by more than 14% while Compal Communications jumped by more than 7%.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Google to buy Motorola Mobility

15 August 2011 Last updated at 08:08 ET

Internet giant Google has announced a deal to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5bn (�7.7bn).

A joint statement said the boards of both companies had unanimously approved the deal, which should be completed by the end of this year, or early in 2012.

Earlier this year, Motorola split into two separate companies.

Mobility develops and manufactures mobile phones, while Motorola Solutions covers wider technologies for corporate customers and governments.

The price of $12.5bn, or $40 per share, represents a 63% premium on the closing share price of Motorola Mobility on Friday, the joint statement said.

The deal would allow Google to "supercharge" its Android operating system, the company said.

It added that it would continue to run Mobility as a separate business.

'New opportunities'

"Motorola Mobility's total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies," said Larry Page, Google's chief executive.

Sanjay Jha, his counterpart at Mobility, said: "This transaction offers significant value for [our] stockholders and provides compelling new opportunities for our employees, customers and partners around the world."

The deal is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.

Motorola was once one of the world's most successful mobile phone manufacturers, but has fallen behind the likes of Apple, Samsung and HTC in recent years.

Many of its handsets already use Google's Android operating system.

Samsung fights Euro tablet ban

15 August 2011 Last updated at 07:09 ET

Samsung has been given a court date to challenge the European sales ban on its Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Its case will be heard in Düsseldorf on 25 August, as the company bids to overturn an international injunction brought by Apple.

The iPad maker claimed that Samsung's tablet devices "slavishly" copy its product designs.

Apple is also attempting to obtain an injunction in the Netherlands, the only European country not currently covered.

A decision on the EU embargo is expected within a couple of weeks of the German court hearing.

Currently, Samsung is banned from importing, promoting or selling its flagship tablet device across most of the European Union.

However, a number of retailers continue to offer the Galaxy Tab 10.1 for sale as the injunction does not cover third parties that still have stock.

Dutch action

The nature of the legal action in the Netherlands is understood to be somewhat broader, although it still relates to the Galaxy Tab.

There, Apple claims that Samsung not only copied its designs, but that it infringed a number of specific patents, relating to its touch-screen interface and photo-management software.

Patent-dispute blogger Florian Mueller, speculated that the Dutch case may be of particular significance because of Rotterdam's importance to Samsung as a key seaport for importing its goods into Europe.

Electric speed team 'will try again'

15 August 2011 Last updated at 02:51 ET

Sir Malcolm Campbell's grandson has vowed to return to the beach where his own son failed to smash the UK land speed record for an electric car.

Joe Wales was trying to break the 137mph record held by his father Don when Bluebird Electric hit a pothole at Pendine Sands in Carmarthenshire.

The car was damaged but the 19-year-old driver escaped with mild whiplash.

His father Don said: "The important thing is Joe is fine... I don't know if I could have done any better."

Joe Wales was aiming to become the fourth generation of his family to break a world speed record.

"Start Quote

He's broken his dad's car - how does any son cope with breaking his dad's car?"

End Quote Don Wales Record-breaking driver

His great-grandfather Sir Malcolm Campbell and great-uncle Donald Campbell held world speed records on land and water, while great-great-grandfather Malcolm made his first record attempt on Pendine Sands in 1924.

Joe's father Don Wales, 50, from Addlestone, Surrey, was also attempting to break his own record, set in 2000.

But his own record bid had to be aborted after the car's suspension was damaged during Joe's run.

Don Wales was able to joke about the incident saying: "He's broken his dad's car - how does any son cope with breaking his dad's car?

"We're bitterly disappointed but the important thing is that Joe is fine," he added.

'Learn from it'

"Visibility on the course in a low car is actually quite bad - despite it being a really sunny day when you're in a low car for some reason it becomes almost impossible to see where you're going properly."

"This is Joe's first go on Pendine and I think in hindsight maybe I should have gone first.

"But the team decided Joe should go first to get his first record.

"I'm afraid that with the vibrations on the sand and the poor visibility, he just lost his way.

"I'm not going to blame Joe in anyway whatsoever. We need to learn from it and get some bigger markerposts, and if you have any doubts about running on the beach, not do it.

"I would like to come back to Pendine - it's a fabulous place. But I've always said it's a place you need to treat with respect."

"We've tried our best - we've come up short but we're here to live another day."

Friday, August 12, 2011

China finds 22 fake Apple stores

12 August 2011 Last updated at 06:21 ET

A total of 22 fake Apple stores have been uncovered in one Chinese city.

Authorities in Kunming began searching out the copycats after pictures of one convincing replica were circulated on the web.

An early search found five fake stores, two of which were shut down for trading without a licence.

Now, according to Chinese trade officials, 22 have been found unlawfully using Apple's brand and logo.

The investigation into unauthorised Apple stores in Kunming was brought about when an American living in the city published a blog post describing a visit to one such shop.

Describing it as a "beautiful ripoff", BirdAbroad revealed how far the owners had gone to copy the decor and ambience of a real Apple store.

Staff also wore the same colour T-shirts as real Apple staffers, and sported lanyards of the same design.

The blog post was widely shared around the world and prompted Chinese trade officials in Kunming to take action.

The Administration for Industry and Commerce in Kunming said its investigation had unveiled a slew of stores violating Apple's registered trademarks.

The shops have been told to stop using the logos as Chinese laws prohibit copying the "look and feel" of another company without permission.

It is not clear whether the shops being reprimanded were selling legitimate Apple products or those bought on the grey market.

The Kunming retail watchdog said it would step up its monitoring efforts and set up a hotline through which the public can report unauthorised Apple shops they find.

World News | Latest News

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Jailed Facebook inciter to appeal

Virtual touch offers surgery hope

"Start Quote

Samsung Galaxy Tab ban is on hold

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Rural broadband to be rolled out

Third of teachers 'cyberbullied'

Google deal boost for phone firms

Monday, August 15, 2011

Google to buy Motorola Mobility

Samsung fights Euro tablet ban

Electric speed team 'will try again'

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Friday, August 12, 2011

China finds 22 fake Apple stores

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