Microsoft ends retail sales of Windows 7 and 8

Microsoft has officially stopped selling retail copies of some versions of Windows 7 and 8.

The date to stop selling the software was set some time ago and should help Microsoft move people on to more recent versions of its operating system.
Separately, statistics suggest people are finally moving away from some very old versions of Windows.
The next version of Windows, called Windows 10, is due to be released in late 2015.

Old code

From 31 October, consumers could no longer buy copies of the Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate versions of Windows 7. Now, Windows 8 is also no longer available. The change affects both copies bought in shops or loaded on PCs and laptops.
The current version of Windows, 8.1, will be the default version offered on PCs.
The change will take time to feed through into the market, as many PC makers have large stocks of older versions of Windows and will continue to sell PCs running the software.
Those keen to get a computer running Windows 7 will be able to “downgrade” from 8.1 to Windows 7 Professional but relatively few PC firms offer this option.
Gordon Kelly, writing in Forbes, said the policy revealed “Microsoft’s determination to distance itself from the original form of Windows 8″ despite it being released just over two years ago.
The original version of Windows 8 did not prove popular because it did away with some familiar elements of the desktop version of the operating system.
By contrast, he said, Windows 7 has been available since late 2009 and is still very popular among users. About 53% of Windows users are on the various editions of Version 7 of Windows, he said. The more recently released Windows 8 has only grabbed a 6% market share and has already been surpassed by 8.1, said Mr Kelly.
The change will also clear the path for the arrival of Windows 10, he added.
Separately, market analysis reveals that the numbers of people using the venerable Windows XP operating system has suddenly seen a sharp decline. Data from Netmarketshare suggests that in October this year its share dropped from almost 24% to just over 17%. It is not yet clear what was behind the fall.

Android for wearables coming, says Google software boss

Google is branching out in the wearable technology market, with the release of a software development kit.

It would allow developers to create wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers using the Android operating system.
Google’s senior vice-president of Android, Chrome and apps said: “We want to develop a set of common protocols by which they can work together.”
The kit would be available in two weeks’ time, Sundar Pichai added.

Samsung’s Gear 2 uses Tizen instead of Android, which its predecessor used

Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch did run a version of Android – but after concerns over its interface and battery life, it switched to the Tizen software platform for its latest watch, the Gear 2.
Google Glass is the company’s main foray into wearables so far. The device includes eyeglass frames equipped with a camera and small display controlled by voice command. The product is not yet on general sale but is being tested by selected people.
“Google is taking wearables seriously and it wants everyone else to,” said John Delaney, vice-president of mobility research at analyst firm IDC.
“The industry thinks wearables is the next big thing as sales of smartphones start to plateau in developed markets and this is the latest attempt to build momentum behind it,” he said.
“Google would be a competitor in the market but also an enabler if it helps Android developers.”
Apple is reportedly working on a smartwatch that could use the operating system used on its iPhones and iPads.
Android is already the most used operating system on smartphones and more than 1.1 billion devices running Android are expected to ship this year, according to the research firm Gartner.
Geoff Blaber, an analyst at CCS Insight, said it was a logical move for Google.
“From Google’s perspective, it’s essential it introduces some consistency into a fast-fragmenting wearables space,” he said
“Without a consistent software development kit there was a danger that the wearables space would quickly result in a fragmented array of implementations that would make it harder for Google to control and monetise.
“Google is striving to avoid history repeating itself. The early wearables landscape is reminiscent of the tablet market when manufacturers sought to respond to Apple’s iPad by using Android for larger screen devices before Google had fully optimised the platform,” he added

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Google and Viacom settle seven-year YouTube row

Google and Viacom have resolved a long-running legal battle regarding copyrighted material on YouTube.

The out-of-court settlement brings to an end a dispute that began in 2007.
Viacom had sought $1bn (£600m) in damages from the search giant.
The companies said in a joint statement: “This settlement reflects the growing collaborative dialogue between our two companies on important opportunities, and we look forward to working more closely together.”
The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the BBC understands no money has changed hands.
Shared revenueLast April, a judge in New York rejected Viacom’s damages claim, but the company launched an appeal.
Viacom’s complaint was that shows such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, South Park and SpongeBob SquarePants had been uploaded to YouTube without authorisation, and subsequently viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
In its defence, Google said it had followed the law set out by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which states that a host site – such as YouTube – cannot be held accountable for the material uploaded by its users, provided it acted to remove content when asked by the copyright holder.
Since its launch in 2005, and particularly after its acquisition by Google a year later, YouTube has tussled with content creators regarding copyrighted clips being uploaded and viewed for free.
However, it has settled many of those disputes thanks to its shared revenue model – in which advertising is displayed alongside copyrighted content with a share going to both Google and the copyright holder.

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Sony unveils virtual reality headset for PlayStation 4

Sony has unveiled a prototype for a virtual reality headset for its PlayStation 4 console at a developers conference in San Francisco.

Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony’s Worldwide Studios, said Sony had been working on the technology – called Project Morpheus – for three years.
“We believe VR will shape the future of games,” said Mr Yoshida in a blog post.
The prototype will be made available to developers, but no commercial release date was given.
Project Morpheus is a head-mounted display with 1080p resolution and a 90 degree field of view.
It has sensors built into the unit that can track head orientation and movement, so that when a user’s head moves, the image of the virtual reality world moves with it.
Sony’s move into virtual reality follows a product released by crowd-sourced group Oculus Rift.
It unveiled its prototype headset Crystal Cove at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

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‘Fastest ever’ broadband passes speed test

By Dave LeeTechnology reporter, BBC News

The “fastest ever” broadband speeds have been achieved in a test in London, raising hopes of more efficient data transfer via existing infrastructure.

Alcatel-Lucent and BT said speeds of 1.4 terabits per second were achieved during their joint test – enough to send 44 uncompressed HD films a second.
The test was conducted on a 410km (255-mile) link between the BT Tower in central London and Ipswich.
However, it may be many years before consumers notice any effect.

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The trade-off is the more you squeeze into a fibre line, the more potential there is for interference and for error”

Oliver JohnsonPoint Topic

But the breakthrough is being seen as highly important for internet service providers (ISPs), as it means a greater amount of information can be sent through existing broadband infrastructure, reducing the need for costly upgrades.

“BT and Alcatel-Lucent are making more from what they’ve got,” explained Oliver Johnson, chief executive of broadband analyst firm Point Topic.
“It allows them to increase their capacity without having to spend much more money.”
Alcatel-Lucent told the BBC that the demand for higher bandwidth grew by around 35% every year, making the need for more efficient ways to transfer data a massively pressing issue for ISPs, particularly with the growing popularity of data-heavy online services, such as film-streaming website Netflix.

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How much?!

The speed achieved by the researchers topped out at 1.4 terabits per second. But what does that figure mean?
Data transfer is measured in bits, not to be confused with bytes, which are a measure of stored information.
1.4 terabits is a huge amount, enough capacity to transmit 44 HD movies at once.
To give that context, the current fastest package for consumers in the UK (excluding Hull) is Virgin Media’s 120 megabits per second.
There are 1,024 megabits in just one gigabit and1,024 gigabits in one terabit.

There are faster methods of transmitting data -such as the use of complex laser technology - but this is the first test to achieve such high speeds in “real world” conditions, outside testing labs.

Rush-hour trafficThe high speeds were achieved using existing fibre cable technology that has already been installed in much of the UK and other parts of the world.
Kevin Drury, optical marketing leader at Alcatel-Lucent, likened the development to reducing space between lanes on a busy motorway, enabling more lanes of traffic to flow through the same area.
He said flexibility meant some could be adapted to specific needs – like opening an extra lane during the morning rush hour.
In internet terms, this would mean, for example, streaming video would get a large, wide lane, while accessing standard web pages would need only a small part of the fibre’s capacity.
However, pushing more data through fibre cables presents a challenge.

The test will be welcome news for Reed Hastings, chief executive of streaming service Netflix, interviewed by the BBC earlier this month

“The trade-off is, the more you squeeze into a fibre line, the more potential there is for interference and for error,” explained Mr Johnson.
“What has got better is the fact they are able to pack these channels closer together and into the same space.”
Alcatel-Lucent and BT said their test demonstrated “stable, error-free operation”

European visitors ‘turn phones off’ to avoid charges

By Dave LeeTechnology reporter, BBC News

More than a quarter of European visitors turn their phones off to avoid the risk of roaming charges, research from the European Commission suggests.

A survey of 13,285 people across the EU said 47% of respondents also did not use mobile internet while travelling.
European Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes said she was shocked by the figures, which researchers believe reflect a fear of high charges.
“It shows we have to finish the job and eliminate roaming charges,” she said.
“It’s not just a fight between holiday-makers and telecoms companies.
“Consumers are limiting their phone use in extreme ways, and this makes no sense for the companies, either.”

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[Networks] are having to make some fairly significant investments in 4G networks across Europe”

Matthew HowettAnalyst

Ms Kroes added: “Millions of businesses face extra costs because of roaming, and companies like app makers lose revenue, too. Roaming makes no sense in a single market – it’s economic madness.”

Telecoms analyst Matthew Howett told the BBC: “I don’t think the findings are that surprising. Customers can come back to nasty bill shocks when they use their phone abroad.”
Facebook snubFor the UK, the study data suggested that as many as 37% of British travellers turn off their phones when outside the country.
Across Europe, the Commission’s study suggested that 94% avoided using Facebook and Twitter when in an EU country other than their own, and 70% of people who call other EU countries limit the amount of time they spend doing so.
The European Commission argues that this behaviour is hurting other businesses, such as the creators of app makers with travel guides, and that networks are in fact missing out on revenue by not lowering their prices to a level where consumers feel comfortable.
In the past year, the commission has stepped up its efforts to force mobile networks to drop charges for customers while they are travelling around the continent.

Three says mobile phone users fear extra charges while abroad

In September, it announced its intention to scrap roaming charges entirely by 2016.
Before then, charges for receiving incoming calls are “on course” to be ditched. The current estimate is July this year.
One mobile network in the UK, Three, described the proposal as a “big mistake”.
Mr Howett said many of the networks had been left frustrated by the proposals, which come at a time of massive spending on infrastructure.
“They are having to make some fairly significant investments in 4G networks across Europe,” he said.
“By giving [the networks] this quite lethal kick at this time it is quite painful for them, as they’re trying to invest.”
The final proposals must be approved by the 28 EU members and European lawmakers before they can be put into effect.
The European Commission said it hoped to end roaming charges altogether by 2016.

CES 2014: Samsung shows off its Bendable TV

By Leo KelionTechnology reporter

Samsung has shown off the Bendable TV – an 85in (216cm) prototype that allows the curvature of its screen to be adjusted by remote control.

The LED (light-emitting diode) set was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
LG has also announced a smaller 77in (196cm) flexible TV of its own that is based on OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology.
The firms suggest that a curved screen can enhance the viewing experience.
The tech would allow the sets’ owners to determine how bent the screens should be taking into account how many people were watching them and how far away they were sitting. The screens would have the added benefit of being able to be left flat against the wall when not in use.
LG’s model has also gone on show at the firm’s CES booth.

LG shows the BBC’s Richard Taylor its flexible television

However, industry watchers are unconvinced there is a market for such innovation.
“The challenge for the firms is to demonstrate that the world really needs this,” said Martin Garner, a TV tech consultant from CCS Insight who is attending CES.
“They are, however, a nice attempt at differentiation.”
Will Findlater, global online editor for Stuff Magazine, added: “The jury is still very much out on whether curved displays make much difference to image quality and the experience you have when watching a TV. At this stage it does feel like a bit of a gimmick.”
Lost for wordsNeither of the two South Korean manufacturers have given a projected price or release date for the user-bendable TVs.

LG and Samsung also have extra-wide TVs that are curved but do not change their shape

They both, however, offer versions with a fixed curvature.
The two companies are showing off new giant-sized 105in (267cm) concave-screened versions in the extra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio.
Samsung said such a design delivered the “most immersive viewing experience” possible.
However, a demonstration of the equipment went awry when it invited Michael Bay, director of the Transformers movies, on stage at its press conference.
The Hollywood millionaire complained his autocue had malfunctioned and initially said “I will just wing this.”
But when asked what he thought about the new set he found himself speechless, apologised and walked off stage leaving a stunned audience.

Michael Bay initially said he would “wing it” after his autocue malfunctioned

Joe Stinziano, senior vice president of Samsung Electronics, told the crowd: “Welcome to Vegas, it’s a live show folks.”
Mr Bay later wrote a blog giving his take on the mishap.
“Wow! I just embarrassed myself at CES,” he wrote.
“I got so excited to talk, that I skipped over the Exec VP’s intro line and then the teleprompter got lost.
“Then the prompter went up and down – then I walked off. I guess live shows aren’t my thing.”

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Toyota Debuts Hydrogen-Powered Vehicle, Coming to Market in 2015

Hydrogen-powered cars may seem like a science fiction pipe dream, but Toyota has just made the idea a reality with the debut of its new hydrogen electric-powered FCV. The four-door sedan, which will go on sale in 2015, runs on a hydrogen fuel cell capable of producing up to 100kW of electricity. What’s more, the cells can store enough energy to get up to 300 miles on a single fill-up.Toyota says the FCV can even be used to power a home for up to a week in an emergency situation.
Instead of belching out pollutants like standard gasoline-powered vehicles, the FCV produces nothing but simple water vapor. The vehicle’s strange front end design isn’t just to help make the FCV standout. Its gaping maw of a grille actually houses ducts that pull in the air required to help power and cool the FCV’s fuel cells. Unlike its all-electric counterparts, Toyota says charging the FCV will take between three to five minutes as opposed to the hours it can take to recharge an electric vehicle.
MORE: 12 Gadgets Ahead of Their Time
Toyota says it spent 11 years testing various iterations of the FCV to ensure it can handle anything a gas-powered car can take. In the process the automaker racked up roughly 1 million miles on its prototypes and managed to cut development costs for its high-tech powertrain by staggering 95 percent.
Part of that cost savings comes from the fact that Toyota used many of the components and mechanics it developed for its gas-electric and all-electric Prius. As a result, the automaker was not only able to control cost, but ensure that the FCV drives like a normal car.In fact, Toyota says the hydrogen car will accelerate from 0 to 60 in 10 seconds.
In order to power the FCV, a network of hydrogen fueling stations will have to be installed. As the initial launch of the sedan will take place in California, the state is helping to fund a total of 100 stations by 2024, with at least 60 coming online by 2016.
Toyota has released pricing information for the FCV, but chances are it’ll cost more than your average Corolla. We’ll bring you our hands-on impressions of the FCV live from the show floor here at CES 2014.

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Bloodhound 1,000mph car to use Norwegian Nammo rocket

By Jonathan AmosScience correspondent, BBC News

The British Bloodhound supersonic car project will use a Norwegian rocket in its bid to drive beyond 1,000mph (1,610km/h).

The Nammo company, based in Raufoss, will supply “hybrid” motors and technical support to the World Land Speed Record attempt.
Currently under construction, the car should be ready to run in 2015.
Bloodhound will need both a rocket and a jet engine to raise the current record of 763mph (1,228km/h).
Nammo is a world-renowned name in propulsion technology.
Its motors are found in military missiles, and are used also to separate the stages on the European Space Agency’s (Esa) big Ariane 5 rocket.
The Bloodhound team had been developing its own hybrid power unit in collaboration with Manchester-based Falcon Project Ltd, and gave this rocket its first UK test firing in October 2012.
And although this demonstration was deemed a success at the time, it became clear that considerable sums of money and time would be needed to perfect the design.
A decision was therefore made to go with Nammo, which is also developing hybrid technology, but which has the extra resources and dedicated test facilities to bring its concept to fruition much faster.
“It’s a perfect match, a perfect opportunity,” said Bloodhound’s chief engineer, Mark Chapman.
“It was almost uncanny when we started looking at the power requirements, the duration of burn, the scale and size – to find Nammo was already working on something very close to what we wanted.”

The car’s chassis will have to accommodate a jet engine and a rocket

In rocketry, “hybrid” means a mixture of solid and liquid propellants.
In this case, the Norwegian motors will be burning a combination of a solid, rubber-like fuel (HTPB, or hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene) and a liquid oxidiser (high-test peroxide, HTP).
Nammo’s proposal is for a unit of similar thrust to the Falcon rocket but one that has a quite different configuration.
Instead of one large combustion chamber, Nammo’s design calls for a cluster of perhaps four or five smaller motors.
This is a concept the Raufoss company has been advancing in studies conducted jointly with Esa.

Nammo technology is used to separate Ariane’s side boosters from the central core stage

The company’s eventual goal is to produce a “sounding rocket” that can put small scientific payloads in space from launch sites in Scandinavia.
To get there, Nammo sees the Bloodhound project as an ideal testbed to mature its technology.
“We feel we have a very robust and simple concept, and this gives us a lot of confidence that we will reach this end goal of providing the thrust Bloodhound needs to break the Land Speed Record,” said Nammo’s Onno Verberne.
Bloodhound will use its Rolls-Royce Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine to raise its speed to about 350mph. It will then ignite the Nammo rocket motor to go supersonic.
The intention is to try to break the existing land speed record in 2015, and then push it beyond 1,000mph in 2016.
All the running will be done on a specially prepared dried-out lake bed in South Africa.
To achieve the ultimate mark of 1,000mph, the Rolls-Royce turbo fan and the Nammo hybrid will need to provide together a thrust of about 47,700lbf (212kN). Just over 27,000lbf (120kN) of this will have to come from the rocket.
For the engineers at Bloodhound, switching rockets will mean having to make some subtle modifications to the car, not just to fit the new hybrid into the available space, but to position its mass in a way that does not upset the balance of the car.
“Nammo will have test firings next year in Raufoss and when we get the data off those we can decide on precisely what the packaging requirements will be,” said Mr Chapman.
“I’m confident though that we can absorb any changes into our design for Bloodhound.”
Dr Verberne added: “I think Bloodhound and Nammo will make an excellent team. We share the same philosophy on technology and want to show the world what we’re capable of doing; and for a company like Nammo, Bloodhound gives us a window to an audience that we normally cannot reach.”

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Cheques to be paid in via smartphones

Plans have been announced to allow bank customers to pay cheques into their account by taking photos on their smartphones.

Rather than go to the bank in person, customers will be able to photograph the cheque, and send it electronically.
The government is to launch a consultation on the idea, with a view to making the necessary legal changes.
The technology will also allow cheques to be cleared in two days, rather than the six it takes at the moment.
Banks say the new transfer method will be more convenient, and more secure.
“Moving into a virtual world will actually create a more secure customer experience than the paper experience today,” said Antony Jenkins, the chief executive of Barclays.
Such photos would not be stored on the phone itself, so there should be no security risk if a phone was stolen.

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I think people are going into branches less and less, particularly as a result of mobile banking”

Antony JenkinsChief executive, Barclays

Similar technology was introduced in the United States nine years ago, following the attack on the World Trade Centre.

A new law known as Check 21 was passed, to enable banks to process cheques electronically, rather than having to transport paper versions across the country.
ChequesThe government believes a change in the law in the UK would also promote the continuing use of cheques.
The UK Payments Council was originally planning to abolish all cheque payments by 2018, but was forced to change its mind after public opposition.
“We want to see more innovation so that customers see the benefits of new technologies,” said Sajid Javid, the financial secretary to the Treasury.
“We want cheques to have a crucial role in the ongoing success of the UK,” he added.
In 2012, 10% of all payments by individuals were made by cheque, and 25% of payments by businesses.
The industry says most younger account-holders already use electronic systems of payment, and rarely use cheques.
However all customers will still be able to pay in cheques by posting them to their bank, or by visiting their bank directly.

Greater use of banking technology is hastening branch closures

Branch closuresBarclays is planning to launch a pilot programme for paying in cheques via phone from April 2014.
It hopes to launch a service for all its customers later in the year.
But the new technology is likely to raise further questions about the size of the branch network, as customers turn to banking via PCs and mobiles.
Last month Barclays announced 1700 further job losses in its High Street branches, as a direct result of mobile technology.
In the year to July 2013 it closed 37 branches, and it has hinted at more closures to come.
“I think people are going into branches less and less, particularly as a result of mobile banking, and that’s going to accelerate the process,” Antony Jenkins told the BBC.
The bank is in the process of moving eight of its branches into stores operated by Asda.
A spokesman said customers would always be able to pay their cheques in at a branch if they wanted to.

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Ford reveals solar-powered car with sun-tracking technology

Ford has unveiled plans for a prototype solar-powered hybrid car.

The Ford C-Max Solar Energi Concept has a solar panel system on the roof which tracks the position of the sun. The company said it can draw power equal to a four-hour battery charge.
Fully charged the car could travel for up to 21 miles powered just on electricity.
The concept car will be on display at CES in Las Vegas before testing begins to see if production is feasible.

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The limited capability for solar panels means that we won’t see them used as the main power source anytime soon”

Damion SmyCar Magazine

The solar panel roof will have a special solar concentrator lens similar to a magnifying glass. The Fresnal lens will follow the movement of the sun from east to west and direct sunlight to the solar cells which project researchers say boosts the impact of sunlight by a factor of eight.

‘Charging socket’Ford claim that a day’s worth of sunlight will produce the same performance from the Solar Energi Concept as is given by their conventional plug-in hybrid car. Both vehicles would have the same range of 620 miles.
The concept car – which was developed from a collaboration between Ford, the Georgia Institute of Technology and SunPower Corp, a solar power company – will still have a conventional electrical charging socket so its charge can be topped up from the power grid.
But Ford claim that by using the solar power system drivers will not be dependent on the grid to use the car.

There would still be a charging socket to get power from the grid if needed

Research from the company suggests that in future the sun could power up to 75% of all trips made by an average user in a solar hybrid vehicle.
However, it may be a while before solar panel cars are a common sight on the road, said Damion Smy from Car Magazine.
“What Ford has done here is clever use of solar technology, as it assists battery charging.
“Solar power could be used to run ancillaries, such as air-conditioning, but the limited capability for solar panels means that we won’t see them used as the main power source anytime soon,” he said.
Another car manufacturer reported to be unveiling new technology at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is Audi. They will be showcasing cars which use the Android operating system, which is normally found on smartphones and tablets, at the event which starts on the 7 January.

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