Anonymous cyber hackers 'cost PayPal £3.5m'

A student attacked the PayPal website as part of a concerted effort by the Anonymous "hacktivists" that cost the company £3.5m, a court has heard.

Christopher Weatherhead, 22, was studying at Northampton University when he allegedly took part in the campaign.

The court heard Anonymous targeted companies who opposed internet piracy but later attacked PayPal after it refused to process WikiLeaks payments.

Mr Weatherhead, from Northampton, denies a charge of conspiracy.

He has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to impair the operation of computers between 1 August 2010 and 22 January 2011.

MasterCard, Visa, Ministry of Sound, the British Recorded Music Industry and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry were also hit.

The jury at Southwark Crown Court were told Ashley Rhodes, 27, from Camberwell, south London; Peter Gibson, 24, from Hartlepool; and an 18-year-old male who cannot be named for legal reasons have already pleaded guilty to the charge.

Mr Patel said Gibson had initially suggested attacking musician Lily Allen's website because of her overt anti-piracy stance but changed his mind, saying he did not wish to "attack artists".

Sandip Patel, prosecuting, said the group caused PayPal "enormous economic harm".

He said they initially targeted components who were known to oppose internet piracy but later switched to attacking PayPal after it refused to process payments on behalf of the controversial WikiLeaks website, founded by Julian Assange.

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“Start Quote

This case, simply put, is about hackers who used the internet to attack and disable computer systems - colloquially described as cyber attackers or vandals”

Sandip PatelProsecutor

Mr Patel said PayPal was chosen after it refused, in December 2010, to process payments for the Wau Holland Foundation, which was raising money to keep WikiLeaks going.

The prosecutor said Anonymous were "hacktivists" who believed copyright should not apply to the internet.

He said their attacks, codenamed Operation Payback, began as a campaign against the music industry and those who took part in action against the Pirate Bay website which had attempted to distribute music in breach of copyright laws.

Cartilage made using hybrid 3D printer

esearchers have developed a way to "print" cartilage that could help treat joint diseases and sporting injuries.

They say that the new material is more robust and hardwearing than previous efforts to create artificial cartilage.

A traditional ink-jet printer combined with a specialised spinning-machine is used to make it.

It could lead to bespoke cartilage created for individual patients. But one expert warned it was too early to be confident it would ever be used.

The study was published in the Institute of Physic's journal Biofabrication.

It marks the latest effort to use 3D printers in medicine following the use of a machine to make a replacement lower jaw and efforts to create 3D-printed scaffolds to support the growth of bone cells.

Facebook criticised over decision to stop public privacy votes

Facebook is set to remove the ability for users to vote on changes to its data privacy policy, in a move that has angered campaigners.

In an email to all members, Facebook said it wanted a "more meaningful" way for users to give feedback.

The site has also proposed combining information across its other services, such as photo-sharing app Instagram.

Facebook said a vote into the changes could take place, but more than 300m users would need to participate.

Under the site's rules, votes have an effect only if 30% of the user base has taken part. The site recently announced its one billionth sign-up.

A campaign opposing the changes and calling for more transparency has been launched.

The Our-Policy.org website is urging users to comment on the announcement in order to trigger a user vote on Facebook's plans.

Under current rules, if there are 7,000 comments on an issue it will be voted upon. At the time of writing, 3,000 members had commented.

European Parliament warns against UN internet control

he UN should not be allowed to take over control of the internet, Euro MPs have warned.

International governments are set to agree a new information and communications treaty next month.

Reports in the Russian press have suggested the Kremlin and others wanted control of key internet systems passed to a UN agency.

Internet control currently lies largely with US-based groups such as Icann, which regulates the web address system.

The European Parliament has said the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) was "not the appropriate body" to have authority.

The ITU has said a new treaty was needed to ensure "the free flow of information around the world, promoting affordable and equitable access for all and laying the foundation for ongoing innovation and market growth".

The UN agency is hosting the conference to draw up the treaty between 3 and 14 December in Dubai.

Members of the European Parliament backed a resolution which urgedmember states to reject changes to the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR) which would "negatively impact the internet, its architecture, operations, content and security, business relations, internet governance and the free flow of information online".

Google attacks UN's internet treaty conference

Google has warned that a forthcoming UN-organised conference threatens the "free and open internet".

Government representatives are set to agree a new information and communications treaty in December.

It has been claimed some countries will try to wrest oversight of the net's technical specifications and domain name system from US bodies to an international organisation.

However, the UN has said there would be consensus before any change was agreed.

Google has asked web users to add their name to an online petition to support its view.

"The [UN agency] International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is bringing together regulators from around the world to renegotiate a decades-old communications treaty," it wrote on its Take Action site.

"Some proposals could permit governments to censor legitimate speech - or even allow them to cut off internet access.

"Other proposals would require services like YouTube, Facebook, and Skype to pay new tolls in order to reach people across borders. This could limit access to information - particularly in emerging markets."

Google added that it was concerned that "only governments have a voice at the ITU" and not companies or others who had a stake in the net, concluding that the World Conference on International Telecommunications (Wcit) was "the wrong place" to make decisions about the internet's future.

However, the ITU has said that each country could invite whoever it likes to be part of its delegation at the meeting.

Biometrics cybersecurity research gets government cash

Twelve cameras capture the gait of individual subjects as they walk down the biometric tunnel at the University of Southampton.

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A cybersecurity research centre is being launched at the University of Southampton.

It is one of eight universities to have secured a government grant to focus on the discipline.

Cybersecurity covers bank and border security as well as protecting national infrastructure like the power grid.

Southampton will use part of the cash to extend its study of biometrics - the identification of people by their biological characteristics.

Cybercrime is getting worse, experts claim.

"It's very easy to be a cybercriminal if you want to be," said Vladimiro Sassoni, director of the Cyber Security Centre of Excellence at the university.

He said software was now readily available to help to carry out computer-controlled attacks.

"Attempts to tear down national infrastructures of entire countries are actually happening."

He added that illegal efforts ranged from large-scale attacks on transport and financial systems to attempts to steal private information from individuals.

Kickstarter sued over 3D Systems' printer patent

Crowd-funding website Kickstarter is being sued for its promotion of a new 3D printer.

More than 2,000 users contributed over $2.9m (£1.8m) to help Massachusetts-based Formlabs build the device.

However, 3D Systems - a leading maker of printers that turn computer design files into real-world objects - has alleged one of its patents was being infringed by the machine.

It has also filed a lawsuit against Formlabs itself.

The two defendants have yet to respond to the accusations.

Although patent lawsuits are relatively common in the US tech industry, this marks the first time Kickstarter has become involved in a case linked to a product marketed on its site, according to the country's Pacer (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) system.

One Direction’s 2nd CD hits No. 1, sells 540,000

NEW YORK — One Direction’s “Take Me Home” is the taking the boys to the top of the charts — and to new heights.

The group’s sophomore album has sold 540,000 in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It’s the year’s third-highest debut behind Taylor Swift’s “Red,” which sold 1.2 million units its first week earlier this month, and Mumford & Sons’ “Babel,” which sold more than 600,000 albums in September in its debut week.

“We just want to say a massive thanks to all the fans who have supported us,” band member Harry Styles, 18, said in an interview Tuesday from London. “We can send tweets and thank them, but 140 characters is never going be enough to say how much it means.”

The album also debuted at No. 1 in the United Kingdom this week and is No. 1 in more than 30 countries, Columbia Records said Wednesday. The fivesome’s debut, “Up All Night,” came in at No. 2 in the United Kingdom last year; it was just released in March in America, where it hit No. 1 and has achieved platinum status.

“We were a little bit nervous about how people were going to take it,” 19-year-old Niall Horan said of the new album during tour rehearsals. “Everyone gets that second album syndrome.”

They say though they’re excited, they won’t be celebrating too much: “We’re finishing rehearsing soon and we’re going home to bed.”

NISSAN UPGRADES LEAF ELECTRIC CAR, LOWERS PRICE

A Nissan staff driver, left, of a Leaf electric vehicle, releases his hands from the steering wheel as he shows automated steering parking technology at the Japanese automaker’s test ground in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo. In the demonstration the vehicle turned on its own and backed into a charging station. The car is potentially capable of parking itself, even without a driver, according to Nissan. 

Intel chief executive Paul Otellini to retire

Intel has announced that its chief executive Paul Otellini is going to retire from the company.

Mr Otellini had been with the business, which is the world's biggest maker of microprocessors, for almost 40 years and has been chief executive for the past eight years.

He will step down after the chip company's annual shareholders' meeting in May next year.

Mr Otellini was the fifth chief executive in Intel's 45-year history.

"I've been privileged to lead one of the world's greatest companies," he said in a statement.

"After almost four decades with the company and eight years as CEO, it's time to move on and transfer Intel's helm to a new generation of leadership."

AC/DC release catalogue on iTunes

Rock band AC/DC has released their music on Apple music store iTunes.

They had previously voiced strong opposition to the digital service.

Until now its members maintained their songs should not be made available for individual download because they were all integral parts of various albums.

But the Australian band's 16 studio albums, four live albums and three compilations, which have sold more than 150 million physical copies worldwide, are now available in the iTunes store.

AC/DC's music videos were already viewed about 600,000 times a week online, their record label, Columbia Records, said.

"This iTunes, God bless 'em, it's going to kill music if they're not careful," lead singer Brian Johnson told Reuters on the release of their last album, Black Ice, in 2008.

Two-tonne Witch computer gets a reboot

The world's oldest original working digital computer is going on display at The National Museum of Computing in Buckinghamshire.

The Witch, as the machine is known, has been restored to clattering and flashing life in a three-year effort.

In its heyday in the 1950s the machine was the workhorse of the UK's atomic energy research effort.

A happy accident led to its discovery in a municipal storeroom where it had languished for 20 years.

Wii U Wii U Rock You

The Wii U will enjoy hot demand -- at least initially -- from core Nintendo gaming fans, who are expected to snap up the new console as soon as it becomes available this weekend. Many will stand in long lines Saturday night, waiting for its midnight debut. What happens next, though, is highly uncertain. Nintendo's biggest competition may be itself: The Wii U is really no Wii.

One Direction top British single and album charts

LONDON: Boy band One Direction topped Britain's singles  and album charts on Sunday, outselling new releases from  rock veterans Rod Stewart and the Rolling Stones, the Official Charts Company said. The English-Irish quintet shot to number one in the album charts  with "Take Me Home", with one of its tracks, "Little Things", also  taking first place in the singles rankings. Singer Rod Stewart had to settle for number two for his new collection  of seasonal classics "Merry Christmas Baby", while the Rolling Stones  were third with their 50th anniversary compilation "GRRR!".

Phone patents: An absurd battle

pple blocks Samsung sales. Samsung blocks Apple sales. Apple ban overturned. Samsung ban lifted. On any given day it's hard to keep track of which company's smartphones, tablet computers or other products are temporarily banned in which countries.

And it's not just Apple and Samsung which are at each other's throats - it seems that every week brings new stories of alleged patent infringement involving companies ranging from household names like HTC to more obscure outfits like VirnetX. (In case you're wondering, Apple was recentlyordered to pay $368 million to Connecticut-based VirnetX after a US court ruled that its Facetime video chat tool infringed two of VirnetX's patents).