Justin Bieber named most searched person on internet

Teen singing sensation Justin Bieber was named the most searched person this year on internet search engine Bing on Monday, edging out reality TV star Kim Kardashian and "Friends" actress Jennifer Aniston. 

Justin Bieber 

 

In a survey conducted by the search engine, Bieber fever took over Bing in 2011 as the Canadian singer, 17, moved from last year's No. 6 position to become the most searched name and musician, based on billions of search queries during the year.

Bieber was the only male to feature in the top 10 list, as Kardashian fell from last year's No. 1 position and Aniston moved from last year's No. 9 position to No. 3 this year, with her rising profile attributed to a burgeoning film career and highly-publicised private life.

Actresses Lindsay Lohan and Megan Fox and singers Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus rounded out most searched names.

Despite "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1" taking in $489.3 million at global box offices so far, the vampire flick was beaten by the latest instalment of the "Mission Impossible" franchise as the most searched film of the year, with "Ghost Protocol" due for release in December.

"American Idol" was the most searched TV show and reality TV show this year, while Britain's royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton in April was the most searched celebrity event of the year.

Bing's survey also highlighted the most searched news stories this year, with the "Casey Anthony Trial" topping a list of high-profile events from around the world, including "Osama bin Laden Death," "Michael Jackson trial/Conrad Murray" and "Japan Earthquake/Tsunami."  

Exploding iPhone investigated

Australian aviation authorities have launched an investigation after an iPhone caught fire aboard a flight to Sydney. 

Domestic airline Regional Express Airlines said the iPhone glowed red and emitted 'thick smoke' after the plane landed in Sydney

 

The domestic airline Regional Express Airlines said the phone glowed red and emitted "thick smoke" after the plane landed in Sydney.

The case is being investigated by the aviation watchdog, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which described it as an incident involving "fumes, smoke, fire". The authority is examining the phone after it was delivered by the airline.

"We are investigating – it is quite early on in the investigation," said a spokesman for the authority.

"We do have the phone. It is in our custody and we will be undertaking a technical examination of it. We will be interviewing directly involved parties and also in our technical examination of the phone we are going to be consulting with the manufacturer as well."

The airline released a photo of the phone, saying the "combustion" incident occurred last Friday during a flight to Sydney from the New South Wales town of Lismore.

"The flight attendant carried out recovery actions immediately and the red glow was extinguished successfully," said a statement issued by the airline. "All passengers and crew on board were unharmed." Though the aviation authority did not identify the model of phone, a photo released by the airline suggests it was an iPhone 4.


An Apple spokesman said the company looked "forward to working with officials".


Though aviation officials said it was the first known incident involving an iPhone, Apple has previously had problems with the first generation of iPod nanos. A batch of the devices, sold between 2005 and 2006, were recalled amid concerns a defect with the battery was causing overheating.

Facebook faces a crackdown on selling users' secrets to advertisers

 

Facebook is facing a crackdown on how it exploits vast amounts of its users' most personal information to create bespoke advertising.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg must address privacy concerns or face fines under a new EC Directive

 

By Jason Lewis, Investigations Editor

The European Commission is planning to stop the way the website "eavesdrops" on its users to gather information about their political opinions, sexuality, religious beliefs – and even their whereabouts.

Using sophisticated software, the firm harvests information from people's activities on the social networking site – whatever their individual privacy settings – and make it available to advertisers.

However, following concerns over the privacy implications of the practice, a new EC Directive, to be introduced in January, will ban such targeted advertising unless users specifically allow it.

Even though most of the information it harvests is stored on computers in the USA, if Facebook fails to comply with the new legislation it could face legal action or a massive fine.

The move threatens to damage Facebook's plans to float on the Wall Street stock exchange next year, by undermining the way it makes money.

Viviane Reding, the vice president of European Commission, said the Directive would amend current European data protection laws in the light of technological advances and ensure consistency in how offending firms are dealt with across the EU.


"I call on service providers – especially social media sites – to be more transparent about how they operate. Users must know what data is collected and further processed (and) for what purposes.


"Consumers in Europe should see their data strongly protected, regardless of the EU country they live in and regardless of the country in which companies which process their personal data are established."


The move comes as a Sunday Telegraph investigation highlights the extent to which Facebook can help companies to focus adverts according to the profiles of users.


The information analysed and stored by the company is not limited to users' personal details, and "likes" and "dislikes" that they input on their "walls".


The firm also gathers details about their friends, family and educational background and detects subtle changes to their lifestyle, enabling it, for example, to target a bride-to-be with advertising for wedding photographers.


Other commercially valuable information, such as what music people are listening to via the site, is also available to advertisers.


Everything people share with their friends on Facebook is being tracked by the firm, retained, and can be used for commercial purposes.


It can even harvest information by performing keyword searches on behalf of advertisers. In this way, it can find out, for instance, details about people's political beliefs or their sexual preferences.
Facebook stores messages and "chats" sent via the site and keeps them on its database even after they are deleted by those involved in the private online conversations.


The company says it does not use this information for advertising.


The sheer volume of personal data accumulated by the company was hinted at earlier this year when a 24-year-old Austrian student, Max Schrems, asked it what information it held on him.
The request led to the site sending him a CD containing 1,222 pages of data. He complained to data watchdogs because the disclosures were incomplete and made clear the social networking site retained further information about him which it had not handed over.


Next week, the EU's data protection working party, which includes the UK Information Commissioner, will meet to discuss the "state of play" regarding Facebook.


They will discuss an audit of the company's working practices being conducted by the data protection watchdog in Ireland, where Facebook has its international headquarters.
The working group has warned internet firms over the use of behavioural advertising techniques which enable them "to track individuals ... to serve tailored advertising."


A report from the group says in most cases, "individuals are simply unaware that this is happening" and adds that the authors were "deeply concerned about the privacy and data protection implications of this increasingly widespread practice."


All Facebook's 800 million users, whether they realise it or not, agree to let the company use of their personal information.


When signing up, they approve a 4,000 word contract, which licenses Facebook to use their data as it sees fit. This contract can be viewed by clicking on a link in the small print at the foot of each page on the site.


Unlike other traditional media outlets, including newspapers, the website makes no distinction between information obtained for commercial purposes and details gathered in the course of its other activities, as people share content and talk online with their friends.


In the past, Facebook was largely funded through a banner advertising contract with Microsoft. But the gradual increase in advertising on the site, which started in 2009, is intended to make Facebook self-sufficient and ready for a stock market flotation.


In Britain, the gradual introduction of more targeted advertising has earned it £25 million in the last two years but this figure is expected to increase dramatically as it prepares to float its shares on Wall Street.


A spokesman for the UK Information Commissioner said: "Facebook should ensure that any data it collects should be used in the manner that its users expect.


"If personal data is being passed on to a third party or used for targeted advertising then this should be made clear to the user when they sign up to the site and reinforced when users are invited to use an application."


Facebook last night said advertisers only saw "anonymous and aggregate information" to allow them to target their campaigns and that this meant they were not able to target named individual users.


So while advertisers cannot say they want their adverts to go to specific individuals, they can spell out a very detailed description of the sort of person they want to reach – such as age, location, family background – which means the campaigns will only target a limited group of people.


They said that people's political views could only be passed on to advertisers if the user filled out a specific section on their profiles.


Advertising was also "age-gated", it said, so companies wanting to advertise alcohol would not be shown to people under the age of 18 in the UK.


A spokesman for the company said: "We understand that people share a lot of information on Facebook and we take this very seriously.


"We believe ads that are relevant, social and personalised based on your real interests are better.
"We can show relevant ads in a way that respects individual privacy because our system only provides advertisers with anonymous and aggregate information for the purpose of targeting ads.


"We do not share people's names with an advertiser without a person's explicit consent and we never sell personal information to third parties.


"There is no connection between the privacy settings people choose and our advertising. Whether you use your privacy settings to keep your profile very private, or very public, everyone sees the same amount of advertising down the right hand side of the page.


"Adverts are personalised to the individual user. We do not track peoples' behaviour to serve advertising."

Kinect for Windows to offer 'Minority Report' computer control

A new generation of PCs controlled by gestures is on its way, after Microsoft revealed it is specially adapting its Xbox Kinect technology for Windows computers. 

Tom Cruise in Minority Report

 

The system will allow Windows users to control software with the wave of a hand, as envisaged in the Steven Spielberg film Minority Report.

“Building on the existing Kinect for Xbox 360 device, we have optimized certain hardware components and made firmware adjustments which better enable PC-centric scenarios,” Craig Eisler, general manager of the Kinect for Windows program said in a blog post.

Kinect has proved a major hit on Xbox. A small device sits on top of the console or television and translates gamers’ body movement in to commands in racing, fighting and dancing titles. The Windows version offers the prospect of users controlling everyday office applications simply by moving their hands.

Microsoft said it has created a new “Near Mode” for the PC version of Kinect, suitable for capturing smaller movements more accurately, suitable for working at a desk.

“Near Mode” will enable a whole new class of “close up” applications, beyond the living room scenarios for Kinect for Xbox 360,” said Mr Eisler.

 

Microsoft is already working with software developers on new motion-controlled Windows applications.


"We’ve already seen strong enthusiasm for Kinect among developers who have done amazing things with it in countless different ways, from education to healthcare, gaming to art installations, manufacturing to retail," Mr Eisler said in another blog post.

‘Black Friday’ iTunes credit scam

Criminals have been infecting computers with malware disguised as an iTunes gift. 

  By Matt Warman, Consumer Technology Editor

 

An email claiming to be from Apple’s iTunes store contains a compressed ZIP file, which security experts say could allow hackers to gain access to computers.

The German Eleven security blog suggests that the attack is timed to coincide with the start of the American holiday shopping season, called Black Friday.

The email offers credit for iTunes music, games and video, and is just one of a huge number of scams that try to lure people in with offers that seem plausible in the context of other Black Friday discounts.

The email apparently offers recipients $50 (£32) and claims they need to open an attached file to access their certificate code. In fact the attachment is a file called Mal/BredoZp-B. It opens a security loophole on Windows PCs and allows hackers to remotely capture passwords and other information. It also slows down the computer and hides some files.

Although such malware can be removed with the use of widely available anti-malware tools, damage can be done in the meantime.

The attack comes at a time of burgeoning cyber threats on a number of fronts. Security firm Sophos has warned that Facebook users have been subjected to fake emails claiming they have violated the site’s terms and asking for credit card details, while other vendors claim to have seen a rise in attacks aimed at Android mobile phones. 

Criminals and cyber bullies to be banned from the web

Criminals who commit offences online and cyber bullies will be banned from the internet as part of the Government’s new cyber security strategy, announced today. 

By Christopher Williams, Technology Correspondent

Apple iTunes flaw 'allowed government spying for 3 years'

An unpatched security flaw in Apple’s iTunes software allowed intelligence agencies and police to hack into users’ computers for more than three years, it’s claimed. 

 

Apple's iTunes software is installed on more than a quarter of a billion computers

 

A British company called Gamma International marketed hacking software to governments that exploited the vulnerability via a bogus update to iTunes, Apple's media player, which is installed on more than 250 million machines worldwide.

The hacking software, FinFisher, is used to spy on intelligence targets’ computers. It is known to be used by British agencies and earlier this year records were discovered in abandoned offices of that showed it had been offered to Egypt’s feared secret police.

Apple was informed about the relevant flaw in iTunes in 2008, according to Brian Krebs, a security writer, but did not patch the software until earlier this month, a delay of more than three years.

“A prominent security researcher warned Apple about this dangerous vulnerability in mid-2008, yet the company waited more than 1,200 days to fix the flaw,” he said in a blog post.

"The disclosure raises questions about whether and when Apple knew about the Trojan offering, and its timing in choosing to sew up the security hole in this ubiquitous software title."

On average Apple takes just 91 days to fix security flaws after they are disclosed, Mr Krebs wrote.


Francisco Amato, the Argentinian security researcher who warned Apple about the problem suggested that "maybe they forgot about it, or it was just on the bottom of their to-do list".
In response to reports that FinFisher targeted iTunes, Apple has said that it works "to find and fix any issues that could compromise systems".


"The security and privacy of our users is extremely important,” a spokeswoman said.
This month's iTunes update 10.5.1 explained that "a man-in-the-middle attacker may offer software that appears to originate from Apple", adding that the "issue has been mitigated".


Gamma International has not commented on the matter. Registered in Winchester, the firm is one of several companies that sell computer hacking services to governments. They offer "zero day" security flaws, which have not been publicly disclosed, so attempts to exploit them are unlikely to be detected by anti-virus programs.

Mobile phones could replace cash by 2016

Consumers will be able to pay for everything on the high street with their mobile phones in five years time, a new survey says. 

Cash could be redundant by 2016 thanks to mobile phones

 

Research by Forrester, commissioned by PayPal, found that “2016 will be the year when UK shoppers will be able to use their mobile phones to pay for things on the high street with digital money rather than cash, cheques or cards”.

The findings are based on interviews with 10 senior executives from major UK businesses, representing a combined 2010 turnover of £85 billion.

Almost half of all mobile users purchase something via the device every three months, the study suggested, and more devices will be in circulation over the coming years.

Increasing numbers of online retailers are offering PayPal alongside credit cards, and eBay is to open a shop which encourages visitors to pay for goods with their mobile phones rather than at a conventional till.

Other incentives for customers to pay by mobile include location-based offers, digital loyalty cards and apps. PizzaExpress recently launched an app allowing users to pay their bill via their mobile, and Starbucks has recently announced a UK app that allows users to scan a code corresponding to their account and choice of drink.

Carl Scheible, Managing Director of PayPal UK, claimed, “We’ll see a huge change over the next few years in the way we shop and pay for things. By 2016, you’ll be able to leave your wallet at home and use your mobile as the 21st century digital wallet. 2016 will mark the real start of money’s digital switchover in the UK. We’re not saying cash will disappear entirely, but we’ll increasingly use our phones and other devices rather than our wallets to pay in-store as well as online.”


Scheible added that the “The lines between the online world and high street will soon disappear altogether. Children born today will become the UK’s first ‘cashless generation’. It will be completely natural for them to pay by mobile.”


PayPal said it expects to process more than $3.5 billion in mobile payment volume in 2011 – five times the volume it processed in 2010. By 2016, UK mobile retail sales will hit £2.5 billion, PayPal claims, as just over 14 million adults will regularly shop via their mobiles.

Web firms protest over police plans to cut off websites

Internet firms and campaigners are protesting against government-backed proposals that would allow police to cut off websites without any court oversight, claiming they threaten free speech online. 

 

 

Nominet, the not-for-profit company that runs the .uk domain registry, has been in talks with Scotland Yard and the Serious Organised Crime Agency to create “lightweight” and “time-effective” procedures to suspend web addresses accused of criminal activity.

It has already cut off access to thousands of websites accused of involvement in fraud and counterfeiting on the basis of information provided by investigators via informal channels.

Draft proposals to continue the regime have now prompted protests from internet firms, who have refused to support them unless formal court action is part of the process.

Nominet controls the .uk registry within the Domain Name System, which translates the numerical IP addresses that identify computers online into readable web addresses. If a web address is suspended all links to it are broken and users are also unable to reach it by typing the address into their browser.

Both the ISP Association, which represents broadband providers including BT and Virgin Media, and LINX, a major cooperative of internet traffic carriers, have refused to support Nominet’s draft proposals.

“This is about knowing what the bounds are,” said Malcolm Hutty, head of policy at LINX.
There are fears that Nominet would gradually be told to cut off more websites accused of lesser transgressions, such as copyright infringement. Law enforcement authorities have also resisted calls to publish lists of the websites they target for suspension.


The industry protests are backed by the Open Rights Group, an online rights campaign group, which has also been involved in the discussions and says Nominet’s plan threatens freedom of expression.


“Domain suspensions are pretty drastic, potentially shutting down people's businesses and curtailing their free expression,” said Jim Killock, the group’s director.
“That's why court orders are needed. This is about basic human rights, due process and legal certainty.”


Today Nominet said it would delay action on the draft proposals to try to address the concerns.
“We had hoped to submit a proposed policy to our board in the December time-frame but following some recent public feedback it is clear that there are issues that require further discussion,” a spokesman said.


“Our approach from the outset has been to seek consensus where possible.”
He added that further talks are now planned for January. If agreement cannot be found it is thought police could lobby for new powers to impose web address suspensions to be included in the forthcoming Communications Bill.


A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said: "Nominet are currently developing proposals to change their terms and conditions to deal with domain names connected to criminal activity.


“They are working with a broad range of interested parties and the Government will continue to be part of that process.”

 

Netflix to revive Arrested Development

Netflix, the TV on demand service, has announced that it will bring back cult US comedy Arrested Development. 

 

Netflix has announced that it is to bring back cult comedy Arrested Development

 By Matt Warman, Consumer Technology Editor

 

The online streaming service, which will launch in the UK next year, is bringing back the show for subscribers from 2013. It was originally broadcast on US channel Fox from 2003-2006.

The show about the dysfunctional Californian Bluth family won critical acclaim, six Emmy awards and a Golden Globe, but was cancelled after disappointing ratings over its three seasons.

The cast, starring Jason Bateman and Michael Cera, was already expected to reunite after creator Mitchell Hurwitz said a film was to be made and that several spin-off shows would follow.

The film director Ron Howard narrated the series, and was also its executive producers. He told the BBC in January that there was "a real desire on the creative team's part" to work on new material.

Netflix, which is America’s leading online film and TV subscription service, has announced it will launch in the UK “in early 2012”. The site claims it will offer “unlimited TV shows and films streaming instantly” to TVs and computers, but has not yet released what its launch price will be.


Other companies including Sony have also said that they would like to use their entertainment and devices networks to premiere exclusive content. Amazon has also recently started to directly commission authors. Netflix itself has also commissioned a drama, “House of Cards,” which will appear next year.