Written By Unknown on Minggu, 29 Maret 2015 | 23.22
Tim Cook, the latest billionaire to pledge give away his fortune to charity
The chief executive of Apple, Tim Cook, has announced he is donating most of his wealth to charity before he dies.
The head of the world's most profitable company is worth over $800m (£537m).
Mr Cook told Fortune Magazine that he would leave his wealth to philanthropic causes but not before paying for his 10-year-old nephew's college education.
He joins a growing number of the world's super-rich who are giving away their wealth, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Five years ago, billionaire investor Warren Buffett and Microsoft founder Bill Gates launched the campaign The Giving Pledge.
It aims to convince billionaires to give at least half of their fortunes to charity. Mr Zuckerberg and over 100 others have so far signed up to the "moral commitment".
Mr Cook's base salary went up by 43% in February 2014, rising to $9.2m (£6.2m) a year.
According to Fortune Magazine, he holds $120m (£81m) worth of Apple shares and a further $665m (£447m) of restricted stocks.
A US university education costs an estimated $30,000 (£20,000) a year on average. Some private universities cost more than $50,000 a year.
Harvard, one of the most prestigious colleges in the country, charges $43,938 per year in tuition alone for students not receiving financial aid. That rises to $58,607 with room and board, according to its website.
Google has lost a Court of Appeal bid to stop consumers having the right to sue in the UK over alleged misuse of privacy settings.
A group of users claim that Google bypassed security settings on the Safari browser to install tracking cookies on their computers in order to target them with advertising.
Google said it was "disappointed with the court's decision".
One of the claimants called it a "David and Goliath victory".
The case revolves around a so-called Safari workaround, which allegedly allowed Google to avoid the Safari web browser's default privacy setting to place cookies, that gathered data such as surfing habits, social class, race, ethnicity, without users' knowledge.
Safari is a browser used on Apple computers, iPads and other devices while cookies are small text files stored by browsers which can record information about online activity, and help some online services work.
Google had attempted to prevent the action, claiming there was no case to answer because consumers had suffered no financial harm.
In its judgement, the Court of Appeal said: "These claims raise serious issues which merit a trial.
"They concern what is alleged to have been the secret and blanket tracking and collation of information, often of an extremely private nature… about and associated with the claimants' internet use, and the subsequent use of that information for about nine months. The case relates to the anxiety and distress this intrusion upon autonomy has caused."
"The Court of Appeal has ensured Google cannot use its vast resources to evade English justice," said Judith Vidal-Hall, one of three claimants.
"Ordinary computer users like me will now have the right to hold this giant to account before the courts for its unacceptable, immoral and unjust actions."
The landmark case potentially opens the door to litigation from the millions of Britons who used Apple computers, iPhones, iPods and iPads during the relevant period, summer 2011 to spring 2012, said Jonathan Hawker who represents the Google Action Group, a not-for-profit company set up to manage claims against the internet giant for breach of privacy.
Dan Tench, a partner at law firm Olswang who is acting for the claimants, welcomed the decision.
"Google, a company that makes billions from advertising knowledge, claims that it was unaware that was secretly tracking Apple users for a period of nine months and had argued that no harm was done because the matter was trivial as consumers had not lost out financially.
"The Court of Appeal saw these arguments for what they are: a breach of consumers' civil rights and actionable before the English courts. We look forward to holding Google to account for its actions."
Google has already paid fines of over $40m related to this incident in the US. It was fined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and separately by 38 US states.
Encrypted communications are the biggest problem for police, says European police chief
A European police chief says the sophisticated online communications are the biggest problem for security agencies tackling terrorism.
Hidden areas of the internet and encrypted communications make it harder to monitor terror suspects, warns Europol's Rob Wainwright.
Tech firms should consider the impact sophisticated encryption software has on law enforcement, he said.
Mr Wainwright was talking to 5 Live Investigates.
There is a significant capability gap that has to change if we're serious about ensuring the internet isn't abused and effectively enhancing the terrorist threat.
A spokesman for TechUK, the UK's technology trade association, said: "With the right resources and cooperation between the security agencies and technology companies, alongside a clear legal framework for that cooperation, we can ensure both national security and economic security are upheld."
Mr Wainwright said that in most current investigations the use of encrypted communications was found to be central to the way terrorists operated.
"It's become perhaps the biggest problem for the police and the security service authorities in dealing with the threats from terrorism," he explained.
"It's changed the very nature of counter-terrorist work from one that has been traditionally reliant on having good monitoring capability of communications to one that essentially doesn't provide that anymore."
Mr Wainwright, whose organisation supports police forces in Europe, said terrorists were exploiting the "dark net", where users can go online anonymously, away from the gaze of police and security services.
Secret messaging
But he is also concerned at moves by companies such as Apple to allow customers to encrypt data on their smartphones.
And the development of heavily encrypted instant messaging apps is another cause for concern, he said.
Edward Snowden revealed that the UK's GCHQ was also involved in widespread surveillance of communications
This meant people could send text and voice messages which police found very difficult or impossible to access, he said.
"We are disappointed by the position taken by these tech firms and it only adds to our problems in getting to the communications of the most dangerous people that are abusing the internet.
"[Tech firms] are doing it, I suppose, because of a commercial imperative driven by what they perceive to be consumer demand for greater privacy of their communications."
Surveillance
Mr Wainwright acknowledged this was a result of the revelations by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who exposed how security services were conducting widespread surveillance of emails and messages.
He said security agencies now had to work to rebuild trust between technology firms and the authorities.
The TechUK spokesman told the programme: "From huge volumes of financial transactions to personal details held on devices, the security of digital communications fundamentally underpins the UK economy.
"Encryption is an essential component of the modern world and ensures the UK retains its position as one of the world's leading economies.
"Tech companies take their security responsibilities incredibly seriously, and in the ongoing course of counter-terrorism and other investigations engage with law enforcement and security agencies."
The programme also found evidence that supporters of the Islamic State (IS) are using encrypted sites to radicalise or groom new recruits.
Europol director Rob Wainwright says IS is believed to have up to 50,000 different twitter accounts
On one blogging website, a 17-year-old girl who wants to become a "jihadi bride" is told that if she needs to speak securely she should use an encrypted messaging app.
The family of 15-year-old Yusra Hussein from Bristol, who went to Syria last year, also believe she was groomed in this way.
Twitter terrorism
The extent of the challenge faced by security services is shown in the scale of social media use by IS.
Mr Wainwright revealed that IS is believed to have up to 50,000 different Twitter accounts tweeting up to 100,000 messages a day.
Europol is now setting up a European Internet Referral Unit to identify and remove sites being used by terrorist organisations.
Mr Wainwright also says current laws are "deficient" and should be reviewed to ensure security agencies are able to monitor all areas of the online world.
"There is a significant capability gap that has to change if we're serious about ensuring the internet isn't abused and effectively enhancing the terrorist threat.
"We have to make sure we reach the right balance by ensuring the fundamental principles of privacy are upheld so there's a lot of work for legislators and tech firms to do."
BBC Radio 5 live Investigates is on BBC 5live on Sunday 29 March at 11am or download the programme podcast.
Children are spending far more time watching a screen, even though traditional TV viewing has dropped
The amount of time children spend glued to a screen has risen dramatically in the last 20 years, a new report suggests.
Children aged five to 16 spend an average of six and a half hours a day in front of a screen compared with around three hours in 1995, according to market research firm Childwise.
Teenaged boys spend the longest, with an average of eight hours.
Eight-year-old girls spend the least - three-and-a-half hours, according to the study.
Screen time is made up of time spent watching TV, playing games consoles, using a mobile, computer or tablet.
Changing times
The Connected Kids report, compiled by market researcher Childwise, has collated data from 1995 to the present day to create a comprehensive picture of children's media habits.
Each year, its report, which is not available online, surveys around 2,000 children, aged five to 16.
It finds that teenaged girls now spend an average of seven-and-a-half- hours watching screens, compared with 3.5 hours of TV viewing in 1995.
Younger children fare slightly better - in 1995, five to 10-year-olds averaged around two-and-a-half-hours of TV.
Fast-forward to 2014 and screen time has risen to four-and-a-half hours.
Children are also now multi-screening - using more than one device at the same time, for example, watching TV while surfing the internet on a tablet or mobile so some of the screen time will be concurrent.
"The main difference from the 1990s is that then TV and magazines were the main ways for connecting kids to the media and now they have different devices from tablets, mobiles, games consoles and they have a much higher screen time," said research executive Matthew Nevard.
Back in 1995 children's main interaction with the media was via TV or comics like The Beano
Children's TV viewing habits have changed dramatically, with the majority now watching television via catch-up services and YouTube rather than the traditional TV set, according to the report.
YouTube is the most popular on-demand service with more than half of respondents accessing TV and video via the site since 2013.
Paid-for on-demand services, such as Netflix, have also risen rapidly in recent years and are expected to continue to grow in popularity.
It is not great news for the terrestrial channels - BBC One has seen its audience of seven to 16-year-olds drop from over 80% in 1995 to just over 40% in 2014. ITV's audience follows a similar trajectory.
The transition to digital, coupled with dedicated children's channels, is another reason for the the drop in children's viewing of the main channels with children now watching more content on dedicated channels such as CBBC, CITV, Nickelodeon and Disney.
Demanding connectivity
Children growing up now have never known a time without the internet
The study also looks at how the internet has changed the way children engage with information.
"The internet is pivotal to their lives and they are now able to access a wealth of content," said Mr Nevard.
The internet has given children more freedom to explore their own interests rather than being tied into the content offered to them from the TV schedules or magazines.
"They can find the content that they want," he said.
The study describes connectivity as "a fundamental need for young people now".
"Children now don't remember a time before the internet," said Mr Nevard.
Ubiquitous online access is also likely to influence the way children interact with their families and "their willingness to participate in family holidays and trips out", the report finds.
Image culture
Will all children own a virtual reality headset?
For the last 10 years, Childwise has charted the most popular websites for young people.
YouTube has remained in the top three since 2007 while Facebook has seen its appeal dip in recent years, as children turn to newer services such as Snapchat.
Children enjoy the privacy of WhatsApp and Snapchat, according to the survey, and the use of such services is also changing how they communicate.
"It reflects the image culture which has emerged, where pictures are utilised to give a better representation of current moods and or activities," the survey said.
Google is one of the few sites to remain popular across 10 years of data with sites.
Wearable tech
The report also attempts a bit of future-gazing and predicts that in the next 10 years, children growing up will have little understanding of a world without the internet.
The internet of things - where household objects communicate and share data - will be regarded as normal, it suggests.
"Having appliances which cannot be controlled using a smartphone or some kind of online dashboard may be seen as outdated, or at least increasingly rare," the report concludes.
It also thinks that most children will have some form of wearable technology, be it a smart watch, smart glasses or a virtual reality headset.
PayPal said it had voluntarily shared details about the payments
PayPal has agreed to pay $7.7m (£5.1m) to the US government following claims it allowed payments that violated sanctions against Iran, Cuba and Sudan.
The US Treasury Department said the payment firm had failed to adequately screen and prevent transactions.
They included a $7,000 transaction from someone listed by the US government as being involved in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
PayPal said it had improved the real-time scanning of payments.
In a statement, it said it had "voluntarily" reported to the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) certain payments it had processed between 2009 and 2013.
Delays in scanning had allowed some prohibited payments to be processed, PayPal said.
"Since then, we've taken additional steps to support compliance with Ofac regulations with the introduction of real-time scanning of payments and improved processes," a PayPal representative told the BBC.
One of the cases involved Kursad Zafer Cire, who was named by the US State Department in 2009 as a person linked to programmes involving weapons of mass destruction.
Between October 2009 and April 2013, PayPal reportedly processed 136 transactions to or from an account registered in his name.
Other payments involved goods and services going to and from Cuba, Sudan and Iran.
In total, according to the Treasury Department, nearly 500 PayPal transactions, worth almost $44,000, had potentially violated sanctions that ban US companies from doing business with individuals or organisations on a blacklist.
Under the settlement, PayPal did not admit or deny it had violated the sanctions.
An anonymous developer reportedly manipulated the app to allow him to match up men who both thought they were flirting with a woman
A prank played by a developer has exposed a "serious lapse of security" in the dating app Tinder, according to one expert.
The developer reportedly tricked men into flirting with each other, using fake profiles he created as bait.
Men who sought to contact one of the fake women were matched up with each other, rather than with her.
Security consultant Prof Alan Woodward said the episode "cannot help but knock one's confidence" in Tinder's security.
'Surprisingly easy'
The Verge reported on Wednesday that the anonymous developer had managed to manipulate Tinder's application program interface (API), which controls how apps and programs interact.
The developer reportedly created a program that could detect when men on Tinder expressed an interest in talking to the fictitious women portrayed in his bait profiles.
The developer reportedly collected the messages and passed them to the Verge
Two men who did so were then put in touch with each other, rather than with the woman, with the messages relayed via the dummy account. The developer, named by the Verge as "Patrick", then collected the messages they sent each other.
The process had been, he said, "surprisingly easy".
'Security lapse'
Prof Woodward told the BBC: "Put simply, it shouldn't be possible for someone to do this, so the fact that Tinder was 'tweaked' in this way is a serious lapse in security.
"I am surprised that a company that is dealing with such sensitive interactions, which are billed as being truly private, has not seen this loophole in its own penetration testing."
He said that companies that dealt with sensitive data were "trusted by default" by their users, adding: "I would have hoped that such companies would exercise the most stringent efforts as part of their duty of care".
Patrick told the Verge that he was a Tinder user himself and had met his current girlfriend using the app.
He was motivated, he said, by a desire to draw attention to the sometimes harassing nature of the messages many women received from men on it.
"The original idea was to throw that back into the face of the people doing it to see how they would react," he said.
He said that the first matches had been made within minutes of the program's activation and that he had been overseeing 40 conversations between men within 12 hours.
Patrick told the website that he had intervened if a real-world meeting was imminent.
Of the people he pranked, he said: "They ignore all the signs, they ignore all the weird things. When someone is so quick to meet up without any detail or know anything about the person at all, maybe it's deserved."
Users of the app can express an interest in each other - or not - by swiping right or left on their smartphone screens
While he sympathised with the developer's reasoning, Prof Woodward said: "There is no excuse for exploiting any such vulnerability and mounting this kind of interference.
"If someone is researching security, then most companies now have a bounty programme that pays them for reporting problems such as this."
It is not the first time Tinder has faced scrutiny over its security. In 2013, it was reported that some users could have been tracked to within 100ft (30m). That flaw was later patched.
The developer could not be reached for comment. A spokesman for Tinder did not respond to a request for comment.
A California jury has found that a venture capital firm did not discriminate against a female partner in a closely watched case in Silicon Valley.
Ellen Pao claimed she missed out on promotions at Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers because of her gender.
Ms Pao, now an executive with the website Reddit, says she was dismissed after complaining.
The firm has said its decisions were based on her performance.
The case has drawn attention to a lack of gender diversity in the technology industry - particularly among its top executives.
Venture capital firms are a chief source of funding for many start-up companies in Silicon Valley. Kleiner Perkins - as it is commonly known - has invested in companies including Snapchat, Spotify, Uber, Twitter, and Google.
In addition to punitive damages, Ms Pao was also seeking $16m (£10.7m) in compensation for lost wages.
During closing arguments, jurors heard conflicted stories of Ms Pao's tenure at the firm.
John Doerr (right), one of the firm's venture capitalists, on stage with Apple's Steve Jobs in 2008
Her attorneys portrayed her as a successful junior partner who was discriminated against because the firm judged men and women differently.
Ms Pao's lawyer, Alan Exelrod, said two of her male colleagues had been promoted, despite the fact that one was called confrontational and the other was accused of having "sharp elbows" - an apparent reference to his attitude towards other workers.
The firm's legal team said Ms Pao was a failed investor and sued to get a big payout as she was being pushed out.
They said she was a difficult person to work with and had a history of conflicts with colleagues, all of which contributed to the decision to dismiss her.
A study given as evidence during the trial said that women are largely underrepresented in top roles in the venture capital industry.
Californian investor and entrepreneur Eric Ries told the BBC the wider issue of gender bias in Silicon Valley is well documented but can be unintentional.
"Silicon Valley aspires to be a meritocracy so we have a culture that values outsiders and the perspectives they bring, and there is this idea that good ideas can come from anywhere... that's our aspiration but the reality is in many ways we fall short," he said.
