US officials have cast doubt over reports that a water pump in Illinois was destroyed by foreign hackers.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said they had "found no evidence of a cyber intrusion".
The Illinois Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center (STIC) previously claimed a hacker with a Russian IP address caused a pump to burn out.
A security expert, who flagged up the story, said he was concerned about the conflicting claims.
Information about the alleged 8 November breach was revealed on Joe Weiss's Control Global blog last week. His article was based on a formal disclosure announcement by the Illinois STIC.
The report said that the public water district's Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (Scada) had been hacked as early as September.
It claimed that a pump used to pipe water to thousands of homes was damaged after being repeatedly powered on and off.
It added that the IP address of the attackers had been traced back to Russia.
The news attracted attention because it could have been the first confirmed case of foreign hackers successfully damaging a US utilities.
'No evidence'
The FBI and the DHS said they had carried out "detailed analysis" and could not confirm the intrusion.
"There is no evidence to support claims made in the initial Fusion Center report - which was based on raw, unconfirmed data and subsequently leaked to the media - that any credentials were stolen, or that the vendor was involved in any malicious activity that led to a pump failure at the water plant," an email sent to the US Industrial Control Systems Joint Working Group said.
"In addition, DHS and FBI have concluded that there was no malicious or unauthorised traffic from Russia or any foreign entities, as previously reported."
The officials added that their analysis of the incident was still ongoing.
Mr Weiss said he was concerned that the email appeared to contradict the initial report.
"This begs the question why two government agencies disagree over whether a cyber event that damaged equipment had occurred at a water utility," he wrote on his blog.
"If the STIC report is correct, then we have wasted precious time and allowed many others in the infrastructure to remain potentially vulnerable while we wait to find out if we should do anything."
Fewer managers
Mr Weiss also notes that a 2010 report by the security company McAfee highlighted the relative vulnerability of the global water system compared with other industries including energy and financial services.
"The water/sewage sector... had the lowest adoption rate for security measures protecting their Scada/ICS systems," it said.
The report noted that the low adoption rate might have been linked to the fact that the water and sewage sector, and said that only 55% of its Scada systems were connected to the internet - a lower percentage than most other industries.
However, it went on to highlight the lower number of managers taking responsibility for the issue.
"When considering this data, the small number of water sector executives amongst those with Scada/ICS systems responsibilities - only 11 out of 143 - needs to be noted," said the McAfee report.
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Saturday, 19 November 2011
World's 'lightest material' revealed by United States engineers
A team of engineers claims to have created the world's lightest material.
The substance is made out of tiny hollow metallic tubes arranged into a micro-lattice - a criss-crossing diagonal pattern with small open spaces between the tubes.
The researchers say the material is 100 times lighter than Styrofoam and has "extraordinarily high energy absorption" properties.
Potential uses include next-generation batteries and shock absorbers.
The research was carried out at the University of California, Irvine, HRL Laboratories and the California Institute of Technology and is published in the latest edition of Science.
"The trick is to fabricate a lattice of interconnected hollow tubes with a wall thickness 1,000 times thinner than a human hair," said lead author Dr Tobias Schaedler.
Low-density
The resulting material has a density of 0.9 milligrams per cubic centimetre.
By comparison the density of silica aerogels - the world's lightest solid materials - is only as low as 1.0mg per cubic cm.
The metallic micro-lattices have the edge because they consist of 99.99% air and of 0.01% solids.
The engineers say the material's strength derives from the ordered nature of its lattice design.
By contrast, other ultralight substances, including aerogels and metallic foams, have random cellular structures. This means they are less stiff, strong, energy absorptive or conductive than the bulk of the raw materials that they are made out of.
William Carter, manager of architected materials at HRL, compared the new material to larger low-density structures.
"Modern buildings, exemplified by the Eiffel Tower or the Golden Gate Bridge are incredibly light and weight-efficient by virtue of their architecture," he said.
"We are revolutionising lightweight materials by bringing this concept to the nano and micro scales."
Robust
To study the strength of the metallic micro-lattices the team compressed them until they were half as thick.
After removing the load the substance recovered 98% of its original height and resumed its original shape.
The first time the stress test was carried out and repeated the material became less stiff and strong, but the team says that further compressions made very little difference.
"Materials actually get stronger as the dimensions are reduced to the nanoscale," said team member Lorenzo Valdevit.
"Combine this with the possibility of tailoring the architecture of the micro-lattice and you have a unique cellular material."
The engineers suggest practical uses for the substance include thermal insulation, battery electrodes and products that need to dampen sound, vibration and shock energy.
The substance is made out of tiny hollow metallic tubes arranged into a micro-lattice - a criss-crossing diagonal pattern with small open spaces between the tubes.
The researchers say the material is 100 times lighter than Styrofoam and has "extraordinarily high energy absorption" properties.
Potential uses include next-generation batteries and shock absorbers.
The research was carried out at the University of California, Irvine, HRL Laboratories and the California Institute of Technology and is published in the latest edition of Science.
"The trick is to fabricate a lattice of interconnected hollow tubes with a wall thickness 1,000 times thinner than a human hair," said lead author Dr Tobias Schaedler.
Low-density
The resulting material has a density of 0.9 milligrams per cubic centimetre.
By comparison the density of silica aerogels - the world's lightest solid materials - is only as low as 1.0mg per cubic cm.
The metallic micro-lattices have the edge because they consist of 99.99% air and of 0.01% solids.
The engineers say the material's strength derives from the ordered nature of its lattice design.
By contrast, other ultralight substances, including aerogels and metallic foams, have random cellular structures. This means they are less stiff, strong, energy absorptive or conductive than the bulk of the raw materials that they are made out of.
William Carter, manager of architected materials at HRL, compared the new material to larger low-density structures.
"Modern buildings, exemplified by the Eiffel Tower or the Golden Gate Bridge are incredibly light and weight-efficient by virtue of their architecture," he said.
"We are revolutionising lightweight materials by bringing this concept to the nano and micro scales."
Robust
To study the strength of the metallic micro-lattices the team compressed them until they were half as thick.
After removing the load the substance recovered 98% of its original height and resumed its original shape.
The first time the stress test was carried out and repeated the material became less stiff and strong, but the team says that further compressions made very little difference.
"Materials actually get stronger as the dimensions are reduced to the nanoscale," said team member Lorenzo Valdevit.
"Combine this with the possibility of tailoring the architecture of the micro-lattice and you have a unique cellular material."
The engineers suggest practical uses for the substance include thermal insulation, battery electrodes and products that need to dampen sound, vibration and shock energy.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Google updates search engine for smarter results
Google has overhauled the way it serves up results in response to search queries.
The update is designed to work out whether a person wants up-to-date results or historical data.
The US firm estimated the alterations to its core algorithm would make a difference to about 35% of searches.
The changes try to make results more relevant and beef up features which Google believes set it apart from rivals.
By contrast, Microsoft's Bing search engine emphasises social search.
Fresh spam
"Search results, like warm cookies right out of the oven or cool refreshing fruit on a hot summer's day, are best when they're fresh," wrote Google fellow Amit Singhal in a blogpost explaining the changes.
The under-the-hood changes sought to understand whether a searcher wants results "from the last week, day or even minute" said Mr Singhal.
The update is supposed to offer a better guess of how "fresh" the results should be.
For instance, said Mr Singhal, anyone searching for information about the "Occupy Oakland protests" would probably want up to the minute news.
These need to be distinguished from searches for regular events such as sports results or company reports.
Other types of searches could call on older results, he said. Those looking for a recipe to make tomato sauce for pasta quickly would be happy with a page that is a few months or years old.
The update to improve the "freshness" of results builds on the big update made to the underlying infrastructure of Google's core indexing system in August 2010 known as Caffeine. That change made it easier for Google to keep its index up to date and to add new sources of information.
Writing on the Search Engine Land news site, analyst Danny Sullivan described the changes as "huge". The last big update to the Google algorithm, known as Panda, affected only 12% of searches.
The update could have potential disadvantages, warned Mr Sullivan.
"Rewarding freshness potentially introduces huge decreases in relevancy, new avenues for spamming or getting "light" content in," said Mr Sullivan.
The update is designed to work out whether a person wants up-to-date results or historical data.
The US firm estimated the alterations to its core algorithm would make a difference to about 35% of searches.
The changes try to make results more relevant and beef up features which Google believes set it apart from rivals.
By contrast, Microsoft's Bing search engine emphasises social search.
Fresh spam
"Search results, like warm cookies right out of the oven or cool refreshing fruit on a hot summer's day, are best when they're fresh," wrote Google fellow Amit Singhal in a blogpost explaining the changes.
The under-the-hood changes sought to understand whether a searcher wants results "from the last week, day or even minute" said Mr Singhal.
The update is supposed to offer a better guess of how "fresh" the results should be.
For instance, said Mr Singhal, anyone searching for information about the "Occupy Oakland protests" would probably want up to the minute news.
These need to be distinguished from searches for regular events such as sports results or company reports.
Other types of searches could call on older results, he said. Those looking for a recipe to make tomato sauce for pasta quickly would be happy with a page that is a few months or years old.
The update to improve the "freshness" of results builds on the big update made to the underlying infrastructure of Google's core indexing system in August 2010 known as Caffeine. That change made it easier for Google to keep its index up to date and to add new sources of information.
Writing on the Search Engine Land news site, analyst Danny Sullivan described the changes as "huge". The last big update to the Google algorithm, known as Panda, affected only 12% of searches.
The update could have potential disadvantages, warned Mr Sullivan.
"Rewarding freshness potentially introduces huge decreases in relevancy, new avenues for spamming or getting "light" content in," said Mr Sullivan.
Monday, 31 October 2011
Apple MacBook Pro MD313LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
Introducing the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The state-of-the-art dual-core Intel i5 processor delivers up to 2x faster performance (over the previous generation of MacBook Pro). New Thunderbolt technology lets you connect high-performance peripherals and high-resolution displays to a single port, and transfer files at lightning speeds. And with the built-in FaceTime HD camera, you can make astonishingly crisp HD video calls.
With the revolutionary Thunderbolt technology, you'll be able to achieve bi-directional channels with transfer speeds to peripherals like external hard drives and servers up to an amazing 10 Gbps--while also connecting to a DisplayPort-compatible high-resolution display.
As with previous models, the MacBook Pro features a precision unibody enclosure crafted from a single block of aluminum, creating a thin and light mobile computing workhorse (less than 1 inch thin and just 4.5 pounds) that's also highly durable. And it includes a 13.3-inch, LED-backlit glass display as well as a glass trackpad that doesn't include a button (for larger tracking area) that features Apple's Multi-Touch technology. You'll also get up to 7 hours of battery life while on the go.
This version of the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro (model MD313LL/A) features a second-generation 2.4 GHz Core i5 dual-core processor, 500 GB hard drive, and 4 GB of installed RAM. Other features include integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics, ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth connectivity, an SDXC card slot, two USB 2.0 ports, and a FireWire 800 port (see full specifications below).
Every Mac comes with OS X Lion, the latest release of the world's most advanced desktop operating system. With over 250 features including Multi-Touch gestures, Mission Control, full-screen apps, and Launchpad, OS X Lion takes the Mac further than ever.
OS X Lion
Key OS X Lion Features
* Mission Control provides a bird's-eye view of everything running on your Mac.
* Launchpad puts all your apps front and center for easy access.
* View apps full screen and switch between them with a swipe.
* Interact with your Mac using intuitive new Multi-Touch gestures.
Key Features
Revolutionary Thunderbolt Technology
Developed by Intel with collaboration from Apple, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O (input/output) technology delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second of transfer speeds in both directions. Built into the MacBook Pro, the Thunderbolt port allows you to connect to new Thunderbolt-compatible peripherals as well as existing USB and FireWire peripherals using simple adapters. You'll be able to move data up to 20 times faster than with USB 2.0 and more than 12 times faster than with FireWire 800, and you can daisy-chain multiple high-speed devices without using a hub.
And because Thunderbolt is based on DisplayPort technology, you'll be able to connect to a high-resolution display from the same port. Any Mini DisplayPort display plugs right into the Thunderbolt port, and you can also connect displays that use DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, or VGA connections with an existing adapter. You'll also be able to include your display into a daisy-chained set of peripherals.
Intel Core i5
Next-Generation Dual-Core Intel Processor
This MacBook Pro is powered by a second-generation Intel Core i5 dual-core processor, which provides breakthrough digital media management, content creation, and 3D gaming capabilities. With updated Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, the latest Core i5 increases speed automatically for whatever you're doing, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload.
Intel's Hyper-Threading Technology enables each core of your processor to work on two tasks at the same time, delivering the performance you need for smart multitasking. And you'll enjoy a rich set of new features for a stunning and seamless visual experience with no additional hardware. The Core i5 processor also provides faster access to the installed RAM, with an integrated memory controller to connect fast 1333 MHz memory directly to the processor.
With new microarchitecture, the graphics processor resides on the same chip as the central processor and has direct access to the 3 MB of shared L3 cache--helping your applications run at peak performance. And an integrated video encoder enables HD video calls with FaceTime, while an efficient decoder gives you long battery life when you're watching DVDs or iTunes movies.
Buttonless Multi-Touch Trackpad
With no button on the glass trackpad, there's more room to track and click--left, right, center, and everywhere in between. Without a separate button, the trackpad gives your hands plenty of room to move on the large, silky glass surface. It also incorporates Multi-Touch gestures--including swipe, pinch, rotate, and four-finger swipe. And it also now supports inertial scrolling, an intuitive way to scroll through large photo libraries, lengthy documents and long web sites.
Apple 13.3-inch MacBook Pro
Key Specifications
* 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with edge-to-edge, uninterrupted glass (1280 x 800-pixel resolution).
* 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 dual-core processor with 3 MB shared L3 cache for excellent multitasking.
* Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory.
* 500 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
* 4 GB installed RAM (1333 MHz DDR3; supports up to 8 GB)
* 8x slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer DVD support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
* Built-in FaceTime HD camera for video chatting
* Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible)
* Gigabit Ethernet wired networking (10/100/1000)
* Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) for connecting with peripherals such as keyboards, mice and cell phones
* Two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port
* SDXC card slot
* Thunderbolt port with native Mini DisplayPort output plus support for DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI (requires adapters, sold separately)
* Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control with support for inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities
* Full-size backlit keyboard
* Stereo speakers with subwoofers
* Dimensions: 12.78 x 8.94 x 0.95 inches (WxDxH)
* Weight: 4.5 pounds
* Up to 7 hours of battery life
* Meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements
* Rated EPEAT Gold
With the revolutionary Thunderbolt technology, you'll be able to achieve bi-directional channels with transfer speeds to peripherals like external hard drives and servers up to an amazing 10 Gbps--while also connecting to a DisplayPort-compatible high-resolution display.
As with previous models, the MacBook Pro features a precision unibody enclosure crafted from a single block of aluminum, creating a thin and light mobile computing workhorse (less than 1 inch thin and just 4.5 pounds) that's also highly durable. And it includes a 13.3-inch, LED-backlit glass display as well as a glass trackpad that doesn't include a button (for larger tracking area) that features Apple's Multi-Touch technology. You'll also get up to 7 hours of battery life while on the go.
This version of the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro (model MD313LL/A) features a second-generation 2.4 GHz Core i5 dual-core processor, 500 GB hard drive, and 4 GB of installed RAM. Other features include integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics, ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth connectivity, an SDXC card slot, two USB 2.0 ports, and a FireWire 800 port (see full specifications below).
Every Mac comes with OS X Lion, the latest release of the world's most advanced desktop operating system. With over 250 features including Multi-Touch gestures, Mission Control, full-screen apps, and Launchpad, OS X Lion takes the Mac further than ever.
OS X Lion
Key OS X Lion Features
* Mission Control provides a bird's-eye view of everything running on your Mac.
* Launchpad puts all your apps front and center for easy access.
* View apps full screen and switch between them with a swipe.
* Interact with your Mac using intuitive new Multi-Touch gestures.
Key Features
Revolutionary Thunderbolt Technology
Developed by Intel with collaboration from Apple, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O (input/output) technology delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second of transfer speeds in both directions. Built into the MacBook Pro, the Thunderbolt port allows you to connect to new Thunderbolt-compatible peripherals as well as existing USB and FireWire peripherals using simple adapters. You'll be able to move data up to 20 times faster than with USB 2.0 and more than 12 times faster than with FireWire 800, and you can daisy-chain multiple high-speed devices without using a hub.
And because Thunderbolt is based on DisplayPort technology, you'll be able to connect to a high-resolution display from the same port. Any Mini DisplayPort display plugs right into the Thunderbolt port, and you can also connect displays that use DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, or VGA connections with an existing adapter. You'll also be able to include your display into a daisy-chained set of peripherals.
Intel Core i5
Next-Generation Dual-Core Intel Processor
This MacBook Pro is powered by a second-generation Intel Core i5 dual-core processor, which provides breakthrough digital media management, content creation, and 3D gaming capabilities. With updated Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, the latest Core i5 increases speed automatically for whatever you're doing, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload.
Intel's Hyper-Threading Technology enables each core of your processor to work on two tasks at the same time, delivering the performance you need for smart multitasking. And you'll enjoy a rich set of new features for a stunning and seamless visual experience with no additional hardware. The Core i5 processor also provides faster access to the installed RAM, with an integrated memory controller to connect fast 1333 MHz memory directly to the processor.
With new microarchitecture, the graphics processor resides on the same chip as the central processor and has direct access to the 3 MB of shared L3 cache--helping your applications run at peak performance. And an integrated video encoder enables HD video calls with FaceTime, while an efficient decoder gives you long battery life when you're watching DVDs or iTunes movies.
Buttonless Multi-Touch Trackpad
With no button on the glass trackpad, there's more room to track and click--left, right, center, and everywhere in between. Without a separate button, the trackpad gives your hands plenty of room to move on the large, silky glass surface. It also incorporates Multi-Touch gestures--including swipe, pinch, rotate, and four-finger swipe. And it also now supports inertial scrolling, an intuitive way to scroll through large photo libraries, lengthy documents and long web sites.
Apple 13.3-inch MacBook Pro
Key Specifications
* 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with edge-to-edge, uninterrupted glass (1280 x 800-pixel resolution).
* 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 dual-core processor with 3 MB shared L3 cache for excellent multitasking.
* Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory.
* 500 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
* 4 GB installed RAM (1333 MHz DDR3; supports up to 8 GB)
* 8x slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer DVD support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
* Built-in FaceTime HD camera for video chatting
* Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible)
* Gigabit Ethernet wired networking (10/100/1000)
* Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) for connecting with peripherals such as keyboards, mice and cell phones
* Two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port
* SDXC card slot
* Thunderbolt port with native Mini DisplayPort output plus support for DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI (requires adapters, sold separately)
* Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control with support for inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities
* Full-size backlit keyboard
* Stereo speakers with subwoofers
* Dimensions: 12.78 x 8.94 x 0.95 inches (WxDxH)
* Weight: 4.5 pounds
* Up to 7 hours of battery life
* Meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements
* Rated EPEAT Gold
Angry Birds developer Rovio to open stores in China
Angry Birds maker Rovio has announced plans to open stores in China within 12 months.
Unofficial merchandise connected to the videogame has already proved popular in the country.
The company's chief marketing officer, Peter Vesterbacka, made the announcement at the Techcrunch conference in Beijing.
He said he was targeting $100m (£62m) in sales from the shops in their first year of operation.
"On the physical side, we don't have a lot of our officially licensed products out here, so we have ourselves to blame," he told the conference.
Mr Vesterbacka said he had been to China many times "checking out the Angry Birds' presence".
He told delegates he was unhappy with the quality of the unofficial products, but had also gained "a lot of inspiration from the copyists". The comment drew laughter from the audience.
"It is great that the brand is so loved," he added.
Egg hunt
The China rollout is planned to precede stores in the firm's native Finland.
Angry Birds was first released through Apple's App Store in 2009.
The game's surreal premise is that a group of pigs have stolen the Angry Birds' eggs, provoking retaliatory attacks.
Players use a slingshot to launch the birds at the pigs' defences, in order to progress.
The title has been downloaded more than 50 million times in China alone and Rovio hopes to double that figure.
The company indicated earlier this month that it may float its stock in 2012.
It is not surprising that Angry Birds merchandise has proved so popular in China, according to Robert Gregory, global research director at Planet Retail.
Animal-based characters are already an established part of the popular culture there.
But he warned that Rovio would also be taking a risk with the move.
"The danger is that all trends come and go, and a year or two down the line are people going to get bored of Angry Birds and move on to the next game," he said.
Unofficial merchandise connected to the videogame has already proved popular in the country.
The company's chief marketing officer, Peter Vesterbacka, made the announcement at the Techcrunch conference in Beijing.
He said he was targeting $100m (£62m) in sales from the shops in their first year of operation.
"On the physical side, we don't have a lot of our officially licensed products out here, so we have ourselves to blame," he told the conference.
Mr Vesterbacka said he had been to China many times "checking out the Angry Birds' presence".
He told delegates he was unhappy with the quality of the unofficial products, but had also gained "a lot of inspiration from the copyists". The comment drew laughter from the audience.
"It is great that the brand is so loved," he added.
Egg hunt
The China rollout is planned to precede stores in the firm's native Finland.
Angry Birds was first released through Apple's App Store in 2009.
The game's surreal premise is that a group of pigs have stolen the Angry Birds' eggs, provoking retaliatory attacks.
Players use a slingshot to launch the birds at the pigs' defences, in order to progress.
The title has been downloaded more than 50 million times in China alone and Rovio hopes to double that figure.
The company indicated earlier this month that it may float its stock in 2012.
It is not surprising that Angry Birds merchandise has proved so popular in China, according to Robert Gregory, global research director at Planet Retail.
Animal-based characters are already an established part of the popular culture there.
But he warned that Rovio would also be taking a risk with the move.
"The danger is that all trends come and go, and a year or two down the line are people going to get bored of Angry Birds and move on to the next game," he said.
European Union plan to spend billions on advancing broadband speeds
The European Commission is set to propose investing almost €9.2bn (£8bn) in a massive rollout of super-fast broadband infrastructure and services across the European Union.
The plan is partly aimed at stimulating further investment in rural broadband.
It is hoped the initiative will also help to create a single market for digital public services.
The Commission has already set targets for improving the speed of home internet connections across the region.
It aims to get all European households on at least 30 megabits per second (Mbps) by 2020, with half the population enjoying more than 100Mbps, so as to make the continent more competitive and productive.
Economic need
It's understood that the EU's executive body will propose the funding, which would be invested between 2014 and 2020, on Wednesday.
The plan would have to be approved by the European Parliament and the EU's Council of Ministers if it were to become reality.
"Europe needs these fast broadband networks to allow its economy to become more competitive in the future, and so create more jobs and prosperity," EU sources said.
"This money would stimulate much greater investment of private and other public money. Each euro [invested by the Commission] would give rise to a further six to 15 euros more."
At least €7bn of the investment would go to building high-speed broadband networks, with the funding mostly in the form of debt instruments and equity.
The hope is that giving infrastructure projects credibility in this way would encourage the private sector, as well as local and national governments, to invest at least a further €50bn in the rollout.
The remainder of the Commission's funding would be parcelled out in grants for projects that could help create a single European market for broadband-based services such as e-health, cybersecurity and intelligent energy networks.
The money would come from a new fund called the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). This proposed fund would also be used for new transport and energy projects, with the Commission and the European Investment Bank absorbing risk and boosting the projects' credit ratings.
Part of the plan is for the CEF to pressure established telecommunications companies into investing more in their own networks, as they would not be the only ones able to bid for funding.
New players such as water, sewage and electricity utility companies would also be encouraged to enter the broadband game with CEF backing, as would construction firms, cooperatives and public authorities.
Rural boost
A particular objective is to get more money invested in rural broadband. Left to their own devices, telecoms companies often invest less in such areas because they are not as profitable as more densely-populated towns and cities.
While the Commission's digital agenda is largely about getting citizens on fast connections, it also contains plans to make electronic public services available equally across the continent.
Under the proposals to be unveiled on Wednesday, grants could go to cross-border e-health and electronic procurement services, smart energy networks and coordinated efforts to take down online child pornography.
Other examples of projects that would meet the Commission's criteria include pan-EU electronic identity schemes, systems that would encourage access to European culture, and multilingual public information services.
The Commission also hopes its plan would immediately create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the construction and telecoms equipment industries, as efforts to install fibre optic cable networks increase with the additional backing.
European funding has already found its way to several fast broadband projects in the UK. Last year the European Regional Development Fund provided £53.5m to aid BT's next-generation broadband scheme in Cornwall, while £18.5m went to the development of Northern Ireland's broadband infrastructure, also in collaboration with BT.
The plan is partly aimed at stimulating further investment in rural broadband.
It is hoped the initiative will also help to create a single market for digital public services.
The Commission has already set targets for improving the speed of home internet connections across the region.
It aims to get all European households on at least 30 megabits per second (Mbps) by 2020, with half the population enjoying more than 100Mbps, so as to make the continent more competitive and productive.
Economic need
It's understood that the EU's executive body will propose the funding, which would be invested between 2014 and 2020, on Wednesday.
The plan would have to be approved by the European Parliament and the EU's Council of Ministers if it were to become reality.
"Europe needs these fast broadband networks to allow its economy to become more competitive in the future, and so create more jobs and prosperity," EU sources said.
"This money would stimulate much greater investment of private and other public money. Each euro [invested by the Commission] would give rise to a further six to 15 euros more."
At least €7bn of the investment would go to building high-speed broadband networks, with the funding mostly in the form of debt instruments and equity.
The hope is that giving infrastructure projects credibility in this way would encourage the private sector, as well as local and national governments, to invest at least a further €50bn in the rollout.
The remainder of the Commission's funding would be parcelled out in grants for projects that could help create a single European market for broadband-based services such as e-health, cybersecurity and intelligent energy networks.
The money would come from a new fund called the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). This proposed fund would also be used for new transport and energy projects, with the Commission and the European Investment Bank absorbing risk and boosting the projects' credit ratings.
Part of the plan is for the CEF to pressure established telecommunications companies into investing more in their own networks, as they would not be the only ones able to bid for funding.
New players such as water, sewage and electricity utility companies would also be encouraged to enter the broadband game with CEF backing, as would construction firms, cooperatives and public authorities.
Rural boost
A particular objective is to get more money invested in rural broadband. Left to their own devices, telecoms companies often invest less in such areas because they are not as profitable as more densely-populated towns and cities.
While the Commission's digital agenda is largely about getting citizens on fast connections, it also contains plans to make electronic public services available equally across the continent.
Under the proposals to be unveiled on Wednesday, grants could go to cross-border e-health and electronic procurement services, smart energy networks and coordinated efforts to take down online child pornography.
Other examples of projects that would meet the Commission's criteria include pan-EU electronic identity schemes, systems that would encourage access to European culture, and multilingual public information services.
The Commission also hopes its plan would immediately create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the construction and telecoms equipment industries, as efforts to install fibre optic cable networks increase with the additional backing.
European funding has already found its way to several fast broadband projects in the UK. Last year the European Regional Development Fund provided £53.5m to aid BT's next-generation broadband scheme in Cornwall, while £18.5m went to the development of Northern Ireland's broadband infrastructure, also in collaboration with BT.
Friday, 2 September 2011
Germany lifts Doom sales ban after 17 years
A German ban on selling Doom to teenagers has been lifted after 17 years.
The classic video game was put on an index of controlled titles in 1994 as it was deemed likely to harm youth.
Like pornography, sales of the violent shoot 'em up were restricted to adult-only stores.
The rules have been relaxed because officials believe that Doom is now only of artistic and scientific interest and will not appeal to youngsters.
However, one version of the game remains on the index because it features Nazi symbols on some levels.
Sadistic violence
The restrictions on Doom and Doom II officially expired on 31 August following a meeting of the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons (Bundesprufstelle) earlier in the month.
The Bundesprufstelle reportedly decided to reconsider the game's status following an appeal by Bethesda Softworks, the current owner of id Software, which created Doom.
Bethesda argued that the game's crude graphics had been surpassed by many modern titles and, as a result, the violence it depicted had far less of an impact.
The Bundesprufstelle said its original decision was not solely based on the graphic quality of the game, although it noted that most mobile phones now supported far more realistic images.
The panel explained that it was originally concerned because the story played out in Doom involved a relentless cycle of gunplay and "bloody sadistic" violence that was not balanced by other scenes.
In an email to BBC News, a spokesman for the Bundesprufstelle said the key question it asks is whether a game contains "drastic portrayals of violence directed against human or human-like beings".
They added: "If the game then does not contain any real alternative scenes which might on the whole 'neutralise' the violent parts, then the game is likely to be found to have a harmful effect on minors."
The Bundesprufstelle said it had relaxed the restrictions because Doom was now "mainly of historical interest" and was far less likely to be played by children. Not least, it added, because much more realistic and challenging games were more widely available.
Some members of the Bundesprufstelle panel wanted to keep the restrictions in place but were outvoted by those deeming it acceptable.
If Doom goes on sale in Germany it will still only be available to those aged 16 or over.
The adults-only rule was beginning to look like an anomaly because other versions of Doom games, such as one for the Game Boy Advance, had previously been approved in Germany.
Restrictions on Doom II - Hell on Earth have also been lifted.
However, the panel decided to maintain controls on the American version of Doom II because it incorporates two levels from Wolfenstein 3D which makes use of Nazi symbols including swastikas.
The classic video game was put on an index of controlled titles in 1994 as it was deemed likely to harm youth.
Like pornography, sales of the violent shoot 'em up were restricted to adult-only stores.
The rules have been relaxed because officials believe that Doom is now only of artistic and scientific interest and will not appeal to youngsters.
However, one version of the game remains on the index because it features Nazi symbols on some levels.
Sadistic violence
The restrictions on Doom and Doom II officially expired on 31 August following a meeting of the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons (Bundesprufstelle) earlier in the month.
The Bundesprufstelle reportedly decided to reconsider the game's status following an appeal by Bethesda Softworks, the current owner of id Software, which created Doom.
Bethesda argued that the game's crude graphics had been surpassed by many modern titles and, as a result, the violence it depicted had far less of an impact.
The Bundesprufstelle said its original decision was not solely based on the graphic quality of the game, although it noted that most mobile phones now supported far more realistic images.
The panel explained that it was originally concerned because the story played out in Doom involved a relentless cycle of gunplay and "bloody sadistic" violence that was not balanced by other scenes.
In an email to BBC News, a spokesman for the Bundesprufstelle said the key question it asks is whether a game contains "drastic portrayals of violence directed against human or human-like beings".
They added: "If the game then does not contain any real alternative scenes which might on the whole 'neutralise' the violent parts, then the game is likely to be found to have a harmful effect on minors."
The Bundesprufstelle said it had relaxed the restrictions because Doom was now "mainly of historical interest" and was far less likely to be played by children. Not least, it added, because much more realistic and challenging games were more widely available.
Some members of the Bundesprufstelle panel wanted to keep the restrictions in place but were outvoted by those deeming it acceptable.
If Doom goes on sale in Germany it will still only be available to those aged 16 or over.
The adults-only rule was beginning to look like an anomaly because other versions of Doom games, such as one for the Game Boy Advance, had previously been approved in Germany.
Restrictions on Doom II - Hell on Earth have also been lifted.
However, the panel decided to maintain controls on the American version of Doom II because it incorporates two levels from Wolfenstein 3D which makes use of Nazi symbols including swastikas.
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