Sigalon's BBC Soup

Bing brings Facebook to searches

Thu, 10 May 2012 22:41:41 GMT

Microsoft is revamping its Bing search engine to include advice from Facebook and other social media platforms.

Dutch court bans Pirate Bay links

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:22:33 GMT

The Netherlands' Pirate Party is banned from telling users how to bypass blocks to The Pirate Bay file-sharing site.

UK teen arrested in hack probe

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:59:35 GMT

A teenager is arrested in Newcastle over alleged involvement with hacking group Team Poison.

Games age rating rules changed

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:02:14 GMT

The rating system used to warn parents about unsuitable content in video games is to be simplified, the government says

Warcraft subscriptions stabilise

Thu, 10 May 2012 13:17:51 GMT

Activision Blizzard says subscriptions to World of Warcraft have held steady after losing over one million users the previous year.

EU cuts the cost of Europe calls

Thu, 10 May 2012 13:02:42 GMT

Regulations to significantly reduce the cost of using a mobile phone abroad have been passed by the European Parliament.

China Flipboard users to beat US

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:16:22 GMT

Flipboard - a popular news magazine for mobile devices - expects the number of downloads of its app in China to soon surpass those in the United States.

Facebook launches its app store

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:29:09 GMT

Facebook announces App Center, a specialised store offering mobile apps, as it admits growing mobile use could hurt its revenues.

Is digital opening up a new chapter for publishing?

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:15:53 GMT

How is the publishing industry embracing the world of digital?

VIDEO: Why do gadgets keep on breaking?

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:31:46 GMT

An investigation into why devices stop working without anything seeming to be wrong with them

Sony reports record annual loss

Thu, 10 May 2012 07:31:59 GMT

Japanese electronics maker Sony reports a record annual loss as natural disasters and a strong yen hurt its earnings.

Robot research laboratory opens

Thu, 10 May 2012 05:22:11 GMT

The UK's biggest robotics lab opens for business

VIDEO: X-rays probe world's oldest 'computer'

Wed, 09 May 2012 23:22:00 GMT

Scientists using X-ray imaging find out some of the secrets of the world's oldest 'computer' - the Antikythera Mechanism.

Idle home PCs raise charity cash

Wed, 09 May 2012 23:05:20 GMT

Efforts to turn PCs' downtime into cash for charities

Carmageddon comeback seeks cash

Wed, 09 May 2012 23:05:06 GMT

Notorious violent nineties video game Carmageddon is attempting a comeback with the help of a Kickstarter project.

'First light' instrument ready

Wed, 09 May 2012 22:52:36 GMT

One of Europe's main contributions to the James Webb Space Telescope - an instrument that will help identify the first stars to shine in the Universe - is built and ready to ship to the US.

Nuance confirms Samsung TV tie-up

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:29:09 GMT

The US-based voice recognition firm Nuance confirms its technology is being used in Samsung's high-end TVs.

How does the 'bionic' marathon suit work?

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:45:34 GMT

How a robotic suit let a paralysed woman complete a marathon

Mobile firms attack 'early 4G'

Wed, 09 May 2012 15:58:58 GMT

Rivals have voiced their objections to Everything Everywhere rolling out 4G mobile services before them.

Bioshock Infinite delayed to 2013

Wed, 09 May 2012 15:49:44 GMT

The much-anticipated third game in the Bioshock series will miss its Christmas sales slot after its developer asks for more time.

Arrests after police site attack

Wed, 09 May 2012 13:44:42 GMT

Two teenagers are arrested in Norway following an attack on Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Microsoft shows off MirageTable

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:57:30 GMT

An augmented reality device shows how two users could share objects on a tabletop while based at different locations.

Twitter resists US court's demand

Wed, 09 May 2012 09:47:03 GMT

Twitter objects to a US court order ordering it to hand over old messages posted by a Occupy Wall Street protester.

VIDEO: Does web privacy have a price?

Wed, 09 May 2012 07:43:45 GMT

Stopping websites from using tracking software could have serious consequences on the users themselves

VIDEO: Views on the 'Cambridge phenomenon'

Wed, 09 May 2012 07:29:28 GMT

Two technology start-up entrepreneurs and the chief executive of ARM Holdings explain why Cambridge is a good place for a tech company to be based.

The secret of Cambridge's success

Tue, 08 May 2012 23:10:41 GMT

Why the city's tech cluster has been such as a success

Telefonica unveils Skype rival

Tue, 08 May 2012 23:10:18 GMT

The owner of O2 and Movistar launches an app capable of making calls over the internet like rivals such as Skype.

WH Smith's Queen's Knickers error

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:45:17 GMT

A fault with WH Smith's IT system cause all of its till receipts to say customers have bought "The Queen's Knickers".

VIDEO: 'Islamic Facebook' woos Muslims

Tue, 08 May 2012 03:01:39 GMT

Salamworld, a social networking site with Islamic influences, is due to launch in July with the hope of challenging Facebook's supremacy.

Top rivals of the smartphone war

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:07:18 GMT

Meet the top contestants fighting for the iPhone's crown

HTML5 takes the internet by storm

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:01:17 GMT

Artificial quakes rock 'hospital'

Mon, 07 May 2012 01:52:04 GMT

Engineers in California unleash high-intensity artificial earthquakes on a five-storey building packed with medical equipment

VIDEO: Cyber crime warnings for India

Mon, 07 May 2012 01:22:48 GMT

Cyber crime is a problem in developed countries and as the internet expands in emerging countries it's opening up a new range of potential targets to cyber criminals.

UK faces £1bn broadband shortfall

Fri, 04 May 2012 16:36:17 GMT

The government's targets for access to broadband services are unlikely to be met because of a £1.1bn funding shortfall, says a report.

VIDEO: James May meets his virtual self

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:40:46 GMT

Richard Taylor reports on how virtual reality has made James May fear for the future of his presenting career.

Facebook value set at up to $95bn

Thu, 03 May 2012 22:23:37 GMT

Facebook sets the share price for its upcoming initial public offering at between $28 and $35 per share, valuing the company at $85bn-$95bn.

VIDEO: Taking a look at the new Galaxy S3

Thu, 03 May 2012 22:03:42 GMT

South Korean firm Samsung has unveiled its latest smartphone, the successor to the Galaxy S2.

Samsung unveils new Galaxy phone

Thu, 03 May 2012 19:22:50 GMT

Samsung unveils its new Galaxy S3 smartphone, featuring a 4.8 inch screen, calling it the "best in class" Android-based phone on the market.

China and international censorship on World Press Freedom Day

Thu, 03 May 2012 15:31:52 GMT

Today is World Press Freedom Day and during recent days we have learnt that BBC World News, our 24/7 international news channel, has been jammed by Chinese authorities during stories they regard as sensitive.

This included Damian Grammaticas' report yesterday on Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng leaving the US embassy.

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This deliberate electronic interference of the channel's distribution signal is just the latest in a long line of examples to block our impartial news and prevent it reaching audiences.

The BBC's Chinese language website has been consistently blocked in China, apart from a brief respite during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and our radio broadcasts in Mandarin were historically subject to persistent frequency interference for decades.
And these issues are certainly not just restricted to China.

In November, BBC World News was taken off-air in Pakistan by cable operators for broadcasting a documentary entitled Secret Pakistan.

BBC Persian TV has suffered deliberate interference to its broadcasting signals intermittently since its launch and the online service has consistently been blocked.

Other international broadcasters including Deutsche Welle and Voice of America have also been subject to deliberate electronic interference by the Iranian authorities.

In addition, in recent months, new tactics have been introduced which should be of deep concern to all those who believe in a free and independent international media.

This includes the intimidation of the families and acquaintances in Iran of BBC Persian's London-based staff. All journalists should be allowed to operate freely and any attempt to intimidate those known to them, is very concerning.

We strongly condemn these acts of censorship and harassment. The BBC has a long history of standing up to these attempts to prevent access to free media. This includes working closely with other international broadcasters to highlight these issues and encourage concerted international action.

We would again urge the countries where jamming, censorship and harassment emanates from, to stop these restrictive practices.

It is also imperative that the global community is doing all they can to counter attempts to block authoritative news.

The challenges that our international journalists face have never been so many and varied.

The BBC will continue to represent the voice of free media where there is no other access to fair and authoritative news - be it because of suppression and persecution of journalists, a growth in state sponsored media or attempts to jam or censor our news.

Today, on World Press Freedom Day, we repeat the call on international governments and the relevant regulatory bodies to put maximum pressure on those who seek to block access to trusted and independent news.

Peter Horrocks is director, BBC Global News

UK crime agency site taken down

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:27:15 GMT

The website of the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency is taken offline following a cyber-attack.